John Tierney

Mr. TIERNEY

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Chairman, I have an additional speaker. But my colleague still has time left, I believe.

Mr. TIERNEY. We have one more speaker, if we might, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of the time to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Chairman, I again just reiterate the long road that this bill has taken and the fine work of the gentleman from Ohio in trying to make sure that it in fact does what everybody expresses is their intention, and that is aid small businesses.

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. TIERNEY. The fact of the matter is that ERISA only partially deals with the collection of money issues. There are many other provisions of ERISA that deal with the collection of information for other pertinent and very valuable reasons that would not be involved with this particular exclusion concerning the internal revenue law.

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, let me just start by saying again most of the way along the path here, this has been an effort to cooperate with the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. McIntosh), chairman of the Subcommittee on National Economic Growth, Natural Resources, and Regulatory Affairs, with the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich), myself, and others on the committee to do something good for small businesses. It was unfortunate to hear the gentleman from Indiana wrap up with some statement about this vote on the amendment being a vote against small business. That is clearly not so. I cannot believe that the gentleman from Indiana, after the long, cooperative effort that he has had with the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich), in particular, and myself and others on the committee really believes that is the case. What we have is a vote about what each respective side believes is the appropriate way to both help small business and to also make sure that we put in place the requirements that would protect the public safety and the public health and the environment that we are all required to do. We can have an honest disagreement about how that might proceed, but we ought not to take this to the rhetorical level that somebody is for or against anything completely. People on this side of the aisle, Mr. Chairman, are firmly for small business. We clearly understand that our amendment, the Tierney- Kucinich amendment, states that this will tighten up SBREFA, this will make small business violations, for the first-time instances, be addressed by an agency mandatorily with a waiver in those occasions where that is appropriate. That brings SBREFA further along with regard to that particular than it is today. There is no place for bombasting in this debate, and there is no place for labels going on. This is simply, how do we best protect the public interest and protect small businesses as they go about their venture? There are parts in this bill that are very good. Should we give notices to small businesses, provide a list so we know about the requirements that have to be met? Absolutely. We can all agree upon that. Might we have one point of contact so a small business goes to an agency to deal with one individual to get their issues resolved? Absolutely. Should we have a task force for streamlining the amount of paperwork that small business has done? That would really result in paperwork reduction. That is an excellent part of the bill that we support. Mr. Chairman, I would yield for a couple of seconds to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. McIntosh) to ask him to point out any part of H.R. 3310 that actually in itself reduces paperwork. There is nothing in that bill that does anything to reduce paperwork. The closest thing that is arrived at is this provision to have a task force to streamline. We are firmly behind that. We would urge the committee to do just that, to get that report and then to take that stack that is on the table next to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. McIntosh) and reduce it significantly. All through my business career and the people that I represented, we complained about that amount of paperwork being there, thought that we might be able to reduce it, while at the same time, protecting the public interest. That is what the Kucinich-Tierney amendment portends to do. It portends to make sure that nobody is given an incentive not to comply. Although we may disagree, Mr. Chairman, with the wording that is in that bill, I can tell you clearly that a practical reading of it would be an incentive to those businesses that are inclined to not comply to do just that. For all the businesses that go out there day-to-day that are concerned about what they do and its effect on the environment, are concerned for the safety of their employees, are concerned for law enforcement, are concerned that everybody, including themselves, have their pensions protected. They simply want to be relieved from as much paperwork as they can be, and they want the ability for an agency to come in and apply a policy that would allow a waiver in a first-time violation where it is appropriate. They are not looking for ways to have their competitors who might be unscrupulous avoid the obligation at a disadvantage to the law-abiding business person. To say that the proper remedy here is injunctive relief, to say, well, you can still prosecute them criminally, to say that you can have more inspections, as a business person, let me tell the gentleman from Indiana, no, thank you. If it comes down to having an agency exercise its discretion and treat me fairly and, at most, give me a civil penalty. I am for that. If you think the $750 fine that you keep repeatedly bringing up, and those on your side, is a big number, wait until you see what the cost for injunctive relief is when you have to go out and hire a lawyer to protect yourself against that. Wait until you see what the cost is for criminal prosecution. Wait until you see what those inspections, how onerous those can be when they are not there. Let us do the appropriate thing and make sure that in a first-time violation, the agency has the discretion it should have.

Mr. TIERNEY. I yield just very briefly to the gentleman from Indiana.

Mr. TIERNEY. Reclaiming my time, I will address that.

Mr. TIERNEY. Reclaiming my time, that example is a situation, and OSHA came in and testified before the committee and told you that has been addressed, that OSHA has a zero tolerance now for those situations. They do not fine people for failing to have something posted in a first-time violation and had put in fact a policy; we had agency after agency come in before us and tell us that they are moving in that direction. The fact of the matter is, we are waiting on the reports on the SBREFA to see what the policies are and what the effect is. The majority on the committee got anxious and went forward with this bill before they even found out what the information was. That is not appropriate here. Your own party has raised some very important issues here. Mr. Chairman, I would ask my colleagues to support the amendment. It does, in fact, help small businesses. We can all be on the same page here, and we ought it be

Mr. TIERNEY

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I also want to add my voice, together with those of my colleagues that have spoken here this afternoon and who are in the Hellenic and Portuguese Caucus, for offering this necessary amendment. I firmly believe that the visa waiver program is important to allow citizens of eligible countries to enter the United States temporarily without a visa, whether it be for business meetings or simply to visit with their families. Mr. Chairman, every country in the European Union participates in this waiver program; that is, with the exception of Portugal and Greece. It is a bit ironic that while we may applaud both countries for their booming economies and their low unemployment, we deny them participation in this program that helps tourism and facilitates travel to the United States. For example, Mr. Chairman, last year the first year that Argentina was in the visa waiver program, tourism from that country to the United States increased by 11.5 percent. I think that we can expect the same type of results if we move forward in the way that has been suggested here. I am a bit perplexed about the argument of those who would oppose, including Greece and Portugal, this visa waiver program. We do not believe that citizens of those countries are a threat to our public safety, certainly; we do not believe that they would increase illegal immigration; and we do not think there is any evidence of either of those events occurring. We can all agree that the number of people that have overstayed their visas otherwise might be a serious problem, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service has the authority to identify people who have done so, but refusing both Greece and Portugal entrance into the visa waiver program, based on inaccurate and out-of-date information, strikes me as discriminatory, unfair, and simply bad public policy. Mr. Chairman, I represent a large number of people of Greek and Portuguese origin from Lynn to Peabody, Massachusetts, to Newburyport and Ipswich and Haverhill; and all the way through our district, people are proud of their heritage, and many feel slighted by this country's exclusion of them from the visa waiver program merely because the number of people in those countries who are refused a visa may be slightly more than the current rigid 2 percent refusal rate. These people have worked hard, and the countries have worked hard to bring those rates down and to decrease the overstay rates. Mr. Chairman, I think that we should not continue to deny these allies and these people the opportunity to have members of their family, people with business interests coming in for the requisite period of time. I strongly support the Pombo-Kennedy-Frank amendment that would raise the refusal rate to 3 percent. It will allow Portugal and Greece to participate in the program, will hopefully encourage other countries to improve their overstay and refusal rates, and the amendment simply affords these countries the fair treatment to which they are entitled and the rewards that their hard work and improving their overall economies and lowering their overstay rates have brought. It is time we recognize this hard work, Mr. Chairman, and I ask us and urge our colleagues to support the amendment.

Mr. TIERNEY

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, the moment of truth is upon us. It is showdown time today in the Rules Committee on campaign finance reform. Last November, the Speaker of this House promised the House a very fair bipartisan vote on campaign finance reform. The question is, will the Committee on Rules live up to that promise when it meets today? Certainly, Mr. Speaker, the deck against passing reform is stacked. The bill that the Republicans are putting forth today is in no way reform. It is in fact deform. We will not have a chance to vote on real reform nor will we have a chance to vote on anything but a half-baked concoction of campaign finance deforms that are going to be offered to us in a so-called Thomas bill. Just this week the chairman of the Rules Committee indicated that he wants to allow a vote on a substantive campaign finance bill in addition to the Thomas bill. I urge the Speaker, I urge the Rules Committee, to fulfill the promises that have been made last fall. Give us a fair bipartisan vote on campaign finance reform.

Mr. TIERNEY

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, the great suffragist Susan B. Anthony once said, ``Failure is impossible.'' The confidence and inspiration of her words are as powerful today as they were almost a hundred years ago. Women have played integral roles in American history, from the fledgling days of a new republic, to today's shattering of glass ceilings in corporate management. They are mothers, teachers, elected officials, athletes and entrepreneurs. Today's young girls will experience less discrimination and have fewer limits imposed on them than their grandmothers. As we celebrate this month the many accomplishments of women in American history, I would like to call to the attention of my colleagues a few women whose accomplishments and dedication offer strength and inspiration to many individuals. Edith Nourse Rogers from Bedford, MA, was first elected to Congress in 1925 to fill the office vacated by the death of her husband. A former World War I Red Cross volunteer, Mrs. Rogers earned the title of Angel of Walter Reed Hospital. During her 18 terms as a Member, she fought unabashedly for veterans rights, serving as an inspector of veterans' hospitals as well as a mentor to many of the young soldiers interned there. One of her first major bills appropriated $15 million to build additional veterans hospitals. She was a leading sponsor of the GI Bill of Rights of 1944 and helped create a volunteer women's Army Corps. Judith Sargent Stevens Murray of Gloucester closely followed the works of Abigail Adams and questioned why women were not granted the same rights and freedoms that men touted. Using the pseudonym Constantia, she began writing on the status of women, and published an essay ``On the Equality of Sexes'' in the Massachusetts Magazine. In her essay, Murray questioned the differences in education for boys and girls, asking ``How is the one exalted and the other depressed * * * the one is taught to aspire, and the other is early confined and limited.'' Her powerful voice helped spur the fight for equal educational opportunities for young girls. Anne Bradstreet of Ipswich and Swampscott, was New England's first woman poet. While keeping house at the edge of the wilderness for her husband and eight children, she wrote poetry despite criticism that she was not devoting enough time to ``domestic responsibilities.'' To that, she replied, ``I am obnoxious to each carping tongue who says my hand a better needle fits.'' Finally, Louise du Pont Crowninshield of Salem, was a great and knowledgeable collector of antiques and a tireless advocate of historical preservation. Crowninshield's energy and dedication to charity work and historic preservation benefitted and continues to serve the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Peabody- Essex Museum in my hometown of Salem, Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, America would not have flourished were it not for the tireless work of women. They have been, and continue to be, essential to building a country where all citizens, male and female, are free to live to their fullest potential.

Mr. TIERNEY

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the accomplishments of my constituent, Ms. Sandra Whyte of Saugus, Massachusetts. She was a member of the Women's Olympic Hockey Team that captured the gold medal at the XVIII Olympic games in Nagano, Japan. Not only was she a member of a victorious team, but she will also go down in history as a member of the first United States Women's Hockey Team ever to compete at the Winter games. Sandra was a member of the team, and a prominent one at that. At her forward position she scored two goals and acquired numerous assists during the course of the Olympics; these helped carry the team to the gold medal against Canada. Her playing ability as well as her sportsmanship throughout the games should be commended. Mr. Speaker, Massachusetts' Sixth District is proud to honor Sandra in her pursuits of excellence and in her representation not only of the district, but of the United States as well.

Mr. TIERNEY

Mr. TIERNEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to talk about campaign finance reform. As we witness the current spectacle of the Senate leadership preventing a clean vote on even modest campaign reform, I urge my Republican colleagues in the House to stand up and resist any attempts by the House leadership to follow in the footsteps of the Senate leadership. Let us have a full and open debate in this House on campaign finance reform. Let us have a straight up-or-down vote on any one of the many measures that have been introduced here in the House. Let us not have a poison pill amendment. Let us have a clean vote so that our constituents can know where we stand on this very important issue. Madam Speaker, I note that 187 of my colleagues have signed a discharge petition that would bring the issue of campaign finance reform to the House floor for a vote. I urge my Republican friends and colleagues who say that they, too, want reform to join us in this effort. We may not agree on the actual context of any reforms, but the people in the House and all the Members therein are entitled to a debate that is open and honest and fair.

Mr. TIERNEY

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, while we celebrate the many accomplishments and contributions that African Americans have brought to our diverse country this month, I would like to bring to the attention of my colleagues an individual whose spiritual faith and dedication to inner- city children has been an inspiration to many. Rev. Walter Murray graduated from Harvard School of Divinity in 1986 and for the past eight years, has been Pastor at Zion Baptist Church in Lynn, Massachusetts. During his tenure at Zion Baptist he founded the ``Inroads New England'' program and provided transportation to inner-city children who otherwise would not be able to attend program events. Last fall, Rev. Murray was honored for his work with Inroads New England. The co-founder of the Essex County Community Organization, Rev. Murray also helped create the Jump Start program in the basement of his church, which provided after-school activities for latchkey children. He is a member of the Swampscott, Massachusetts Rotary Club and has assisted in the development of youth leadership weekends. He has been honored with the Massachusetts Ecumenical Council of Churches award for Ecumenism, the First Decade Award from Harvard Alumni Association, and the Childrens Defense Fund National Achievement Award. Frederick Douglass once said, ``I cannot allow myself to be insensitive to the wrongs and suffering of any part of the great family of man.'' Rev. Murray personifies the words of the great abolitionist and civil rights leader through his selfless dedication and spiritual devotion the children who are often neglected and forgotten. His work has touched the lives of hundreds of children and adults and he continues to influence more and more individuals every day. In our lifetime, we are fortunate to know at least one person with such philanthropic commitment, and as we commemorate Black History Month, I am honored to call Rev. Murray a constituent, a dear friend, and an individual who truly represents the achievements of African Americans to our society.

Mr. TIERNEY

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate National Engineers Week which is being celebrated on February 22-28, 1998. I am so proud of the engineers in the Sixth District of Massachusetts. Engineers are a vital component of the work force, and these individuals make significant contributions not only to technology, but to society as a whole. I am particularly proud of the more than 500 engineers working for our national defense at Hanscom Air Force Base, home of the Air Force Electronic Systems Center. These men and women have developed and fielded countless new capabilities for our armed forces, systems that help protect our military members in wartime and deter potential aggressors during peacetime. These systems serve as the eyes and ears of our military commanders, using the latest technologies to cut through the fog of war and see where no one else can see. The engineers at Hanscom Air Force Base have a long and proud legacy of developing electronic systems--from the DEW Line to AWACS to Joint STARS--and they are working today on the new capabilities that will maintain America's technological superiority. They are true pioneers of possibilities, working with the belief that excellence is the basis for success and tomorrow will be better than today. On February 19, General Electric Aircraft Engines in Lynn, Massachusetts, celebrated Engineering Recognition Day. The day highlighted past achievements of GE personnel in the areas of engineering, technology, and customer service, recognizing those individuals and teams who made truly notable contributions during the course of the year. This year's theme, ``Product Preeminence Through Six Sigma Quality,'' captured the importance that business places on the Six Sigma initiative and its potential for GE Aircraft Engines. The 550 engineers and the additional 500 technical and support staff at GE in Lynn work in harmony to comprise the aerospace industry's top engineering functions--designing, manufacturing and supporting the best jet engines in the world. Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the accomplishments of the engineers all over America, and in particular the engineers of the Sixth District of Massachusetts. I hope my colleagues will join with me in recognizing National Engineers Week and the engineering profession for their tireless work to advance American society.

Mr. TIERNEY

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recite a Poem written by Tom Cordle that is a tribute to Pfc. Ferrel F. McDonnell and the soldiers of the 66th Panther Division who died during the sinking of the S.S. Leopoldville on December 24, 1944. Hell is not the place you think For I have seen its murky ink Though there is fire down in that hole It's cold and wet and chills the soul December Channel, dark and cruel Coffin on that mournful Yule Fifty years have passed away Fifty years like yesterday-- Christmas Eve of '44 The Leopoldville just off shore Of Cherbourg and its dancing lights The U-Boat had us in her sights Torpedo caught us in the hold The water rushed in--Oh, so cold! Steel and wood and flesh all met Oh, God! I wish I could forget! But heroes rose up everywhere Brave hearts fought their own despair To comfort wounded, dying, weak And tried to find the words to speak They gave their all that some might live Till they had nothing left to give Then prayed to find the strength to stand ``God, Oh God, make me a man!'' The Brilliant came through churning seas Answering our urgent pleas She pulled along our starb'rd side ``Jump or die!,'' her crewmen cried Men climbed up on the rolling rail And prayed somehow they would not fail To breach that twenty feet and odd-- And leaped into the arms of God Some conquered space and borrowed time And made the Brilliant or its lines But others lost their deadly bet And plunged into the dark, cold, wet And swallowing sea and fought for breath And knew the briny taste of death Or fought the water's clawing pull Till they were crushed between the hulls Strong, young soldiers watching wept For promises would not be kept For children they had never seen For all the dying of their dreams Some were but boys, some not quite men But they would not be boys again For only men survived such sights And all grew old in that one night Cherbourg glittered on the shore Laughing at our dreams of war To die and never fire a shot To die and never know for what No glory, only senseless waste With salty, oily aftertaste No glory, only drowning dance-- Death by simple, crazy chance But death is not the end of things For those who've felt its searing sting For hearts that will forever feel For wounds that never really heal We pay with photos, black and white We pay with voices in the night We ask the endless haunting why? A son or husband had to die What matters why the soldier falls? What matters but the answered call? Who measures sacrifices made? Who dares deny the price was paid? And there are channels yet to cross And wars to fight that can't be lost And men will die and do their part Till freedom rings in every heart So let there be no bitter tears Let us remember better years And those whose blood has bought and paid That we might live lives unafraid And let us honor valiant men For here tonight, we say again There is but one thing worth the price Of such unselfish sacrifice ``Freedom!'' ``Freedom!'' ``Freedom!''

Mr. TIERNEY

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, while we celebrate the many accomplishments and contributions that African Americans have brought to our diverse country this month, I would like to bring to the attention of my colleagues an individual whose spiritual faith and dedication to inner- city children has been an inspiration to many. Rev. Walter Murray graduated from Harvard School of Divinity in 1986 and for the past eight years, has been Pastor at Zion Baptist Church in Lynn, Massachusetts. During his tenure at Zion Baptist he founded the ``Inroads New England'' program and provided transportation to inner- city children who otherwise would not be able to attend program events. Last fall, Rev. Murray was honored for his work with Inroads New England. The co-founder of the Essex County Community Organization, Rev. Murray also helped create the Jump Start program in the basement of his church, which provided after-school activities for latchkey children. He is a member of the Swampscott, Massachusetts Rotary Club and has assisted in the development of youth leadership weekends. He has been honored with the Massachusetts Ecumenical Council of Churches award for Ecumenism, the First Decade Award from Harvard Alumni Association, and the Childrens Defense Fund National Achievement Award. Frederick Douglass once said, ``I cannot allow myself to be insensitive to the wrongs and sufferings of any part of the great family of man.'' Rev. Murray personifies the words of the great abolitionist and civil rights leader through his selfless dedication and spiritual devotion to the children who are often neglected and forgotten. His work has touched the lives of hundreds of children and adults and he continues to influence more and more individuals every day. In our lifetime, we are fortunate to know at least one person with such philanthropic commitment, and as we commemorate Black History Month, I am honored to call Rev. Murray a constituent, a dear friend, and an individual who truly represents the achievements of African Americans to our society.

Mr. TIERNEY

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute Mr. Walter Hamel, the last surviving World War I veteran in the City of Haverill, Massachusetts. Mr. Walter Hamel is a true American patriot and war historian. Born 97 years ago, one of seven children, he enlisted in the war. Still underage at only 17 years old, Walter entered the service with the permission and blessing of his mother. During World War I, Walter was assigned to the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Hawaii. Not only did he gallantly serve in this post during World War I, his patriotism for the United States never weaned. Upon his return, Mr. Hamel participated in many parades and walked from nursing home to nursing home to distribute flags on Veterans' Day. Last November, the Haverill Gazette, located in my district, profiled Mr. Hamel as ``An Enduring Patriot'' for his actions. Indeed, Mr. Hamel is not only a source of inspiration to his friends and family, but also to us all. Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the accomplishments of Mr. Walter Hamel; his military service and civil pride are to be commended. I hope my colleagues will join with me today in wishing Mr. Walter Hamel the very best as he continues to inspire us all.

Mr. TIERNEY

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman would continue to yield, basically, we have taken that determination away from the States, and they do not get a chance to try to have as much participation as possible if they cannot get it through the gentleman's formula, and that is my point.

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Chairman, I want to commend the committee for its work being done in focusing on public schools. We have had debates in this Chamber recently that have been addressing some aspects or concepts that we thought have been a draining of resources from the public schools that serve this country's 90 percent of children that cannot afford and cannot go to private schools. The public charter school bill has the potential to do what many of us have been advocating; and this is, address the needs of public schools, encourage experimentation within the public schools to help those that need improvement more than others might. There are many successful public schools throughout this country, in particular in my district, and there are some that need some help to get the obvious improvements. They need to have engaged employees. They need to have an entrepreneurial spirit amongst their administrators. They need to have the involvement of communities, the colleges, and the businesses, parental involvement. They have to diminish the class size to make it more manageable. They have to have teacher training and retraining. And, obviously, we want to have a period of evaluation, of measurement, as to how these schools are going as they try to meet their defined mission. We have some concerns that some of these charter schools step outside the bounds and do not concentrate enough on the public school aspect. But in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I think we have done some very wise things. We have set up more than one kind of charter school. In fact, we had the prudence to establish different kinds so that they can get more involved and for more people and more support for this experimental measure. We have Horace Mann chartered schools, and we have commonwealth charter schools. Some would argue that the Horace Mann school may not be as autonomous as the commonwealth schools. But, nonetheless, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has made that recent decision to experiment to see which is the one that they prefer to proceed with after a period of time has gone by so that they can measure performance. In Massachusetts, we also have a cap on the number of charter schools, because that State has decided to be prudent to examine at some point in time how the progress has gone, whether or not one type or another has been better, whether or not there is some combination of the features of these schools that should be made to improve them before they move forward. But at any expense, the State and Commonwealth of Massachusetts has made these decisions. And usually we hear the argument on the other side of the aisle how they want local governments to have some control over the direction of their educational system in the public schools. That is what we have done in Massachusetts. We have experimented, we have set up alternate types. As to the money that is now granted under the charter school law, the $51 million, Massachusetts would qualify. As to the additional $49 million that this bill purports to establish, it may not, because by this legislation if the priority section remains in, we set new bars, new levels to be met. That seems to me, Mr. Chairman, a bit of a contradiction. On the one hand, in committee and here we hear that the reason we need more money is that startup charter schools do not have enough funds to start up properly. Yet we are not going to give those States that have charter schools any more money if they do not meet these new bars. If in their prudence, in their judgment, they have put a cap on the number of schools so that at the time the cap is met they can measure the performance and make any adjustments, they are not going to qualify for the additional money. If they have decided to have a variety of types of charter schools so they can get more involvement for more members of the community in some and they want to measure the performance as opposed one to the other, then they may get penalized because they may not meet another priority of what is a large or huge amount of autonomy. Mr. Chairman, all I am saying is that Massachusetts ought to be able to qualify to the old and the new money. We ought not to be raising new bars that have the potential to disqualify them. If we are truly serious about having an experiment within the public school system, then let the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and other similarly situated States engage in that experiment, let them decide how they are doing with what types of school they put forth before they proceed further and allow them to have some portion of this additional money so that the schools they have started have those additional funds to move forward and start up in a way that will make this a productive experiment. Mr. Chairman, that is all we seek. If we eliminate the priority section of this particular proposed bill, we put all States on an even footing, we do not discriminate or penalize any and the public charter school process moves forward.