Ed Towns

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, April 10, the Sikhs of the United States marched to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the initiation of the Khalsa Panth. The march, which was led by Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh and the Council of Khalistan, was a celebration of all the Sikhs in this country. Similar celebrations have been held or are being held in other countries. This was a major milestone for the Sikh Nation. I congratulate the Khalsa Panth (Sikh Nation) on their auspicious 300th Baisakhi Day. The Sikhs received congratulations from several of my colleagues including our own Minority Whip, and also from the Mayor of Washington, DC, Anthony Williams. I note that the Governors of Texas and New Jersey have also proclaimed ``the Year of the Khalsa.'' It is good to see such bipartisan support for the Sikhs, who are being subjected to brutal atrocities and repression in India. Justice Ajit Singh Bains, Chairman of the Punjab Human Rights Organization, and General Narinder Singh from Punjab, Khalistan, spoke to the event. Their remarks were very well received, from what I am told. I wish I could have joined my Sikh friends at this march, but I was not able to do so. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate them on this important anniversary. I look forward to greeting many of them at the upcoming Vaisakhi Day parade in New York. This anniversary has attracted worldwide attention. The Washington Post and many other important media outlets covered this event. At this march, the Sikhs of America raised their voices loudly for freedom. The heritage of the Sikh Nation is freedom. They ruled Punjab from 1765 to 1849. It was noted at the march that the last of the Sikh Gurus, Guru Gobind Singh, gave them a sense of national identity 300 years ago. It was pointed out that every day the Sikhs pray that they shall again rule their homeland, Punjab, Khalistan. Sikhs are a separate people, both religiously and culturally. They are not a part of Hindu India. No Sikh representative has ever signed the Indian constitution. Many of us in this House, from both parties, have been calling for an end to American aid to India until it respects basic human rights and for a free and fair vote on the political status of Punjab, as well as notes on the status of Kashmir, Nagaland, and all the nations living under Indian rule. This auspicious anniversary would be a good time to renew that call and renew our efforts to bring freedom, peace, and prosperity to all the people of South Asia. I insert the Washington Post article in the Record. [From the Washington Post, Apr. 11, 1999] Sikhs Parade and Pray for Separate Nation (By Caryle Murphy) Chanting praises to their greatest guru and walking behind a giant model of their Golden Temple, several thousand Sikhs marched down Constitution Avenue yesterday to celebrate the 300th anniversary of their religion's most sacred event, the creation of the first community of Sikh believers. Five bearded Sikh priests bearing long daggers and dressed in saffron-hued turbans, led the colorful Khalsa March '99 from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capitol. A float carried the Sikh scripture, Granth, which was covered by a silver canopy decorated with flowers. The march, which drew many of the Washington area's 7,000 Sikhs and others from across the country, was mainly to honor Sikhism. ``I came to celebrate our religion and what it's given to humanity,'' said Permeil Dass, 24, of Cleveland, who works in a community computer center. ``Our religion is very modern,'' she added, noting that it opposes inequality between human beings, the worship of idols and use of intoxicants. But yesterday's day-long event was as much political as religious, with speakers at a pre-parade rally calling for an independent Sikh nation--to be named Khalistan--in the northwest Indian state of Punjab, home of the Sikh religion. The Indian government opposes a separate Sikh state in Punjab. ``In the Sikh religion, religion and politics are inseparable,'' said Gurmit Singh Aulakh, head of the District-based Council of Khalistan, one of the groups sponsoring yesterday's event. ``We are aware that without political power no religion can flourish.'' Among the banners carried in the parade were ones that said, ``To Save Sikhism, Sikhs Want-Khalistan'' and ``A Sikh Nation, On the Move.'' In an interview, San Diego resident Harinder Singh indicated that nationalism, as much as religious devotion, had brought him to yesterday's event. ``This is the least we can do to have some political voice around the world,'' the 36-year-old software engineer said. The message he hoped to deliver, he added, was that ``sooner or later [Khalistan] is going to happen.'' On Friday, the Indian Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission T.P. Sreenivasan, said celebrations of the Sikh religion are ``something we heartily support.'' As for political demands voiced at the parade, Sreenivasan added: ``This is a free country. But that is not the purpose of the march.'' In a 1984 crackdown on Sikh militants, Indian police raided their Golden Temple at Amritsar. In retaliation, Sikh bodyguards killed Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi five months later. Yesterday's event, which Aulakh estimated drew 25,000 Sikhs, commemorated the day in 1699 when the 10th and greatest Sikh teacher, Guru Gobind Singh, initiated Khalsa Panth, the ``Brotherhood of the Pure.'' Khalsa Panth is the community of those who commit themselves to the tenets of Sikhism. In creating Khalsa Panth, Gobind broadened authority within the religion and took the final step, Sikhs believe, in the centuries-long establishment of their religion, which began in the 1400s with the first Sikh teacher, Guru Nanak. Before yesterday's march, the Sikhs gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial, where many waved small U.S. flags and saffron-colored flags with the blue Sikh symbol of Khalsa. On state, musicians played Sikh songs on the harmonium and drums called ``tabla.'' Dressed in long, flowing tunics with matching pantaloons, women wound their way up a red carpet to kneel and kiss their holy scripture, dropping offerings of a dollar or two. Later, all stood in place with hands folded and heads bowed for a communal prayer. Then it was time to march.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I want to remind my colleagues as we adjourn for the district work period that March is ``Social Work Month''. As a trained social worker, I know first-hand the significant contributions that have been made nationwide by this profession. Professional social workers, throughout this nation, can be found in the most amazing places including fortune 500 companies, departments of health, courts, mental health centers, managed care companies, schools, child welfare agencies, nursing homes, health care settings, employee assistance programs, and public and private agencies. Daily they are tasked with helping to alleviate society's most intractable problems, working one-on-one with troubled children and families, organizing communities for change and performing cutting-edge research and administering social programs. The business of social work is helping people help themselves. One such entity that has made a point of emphasizing the importance of social workers in the health care delivery system is the Miami-Dade County health department. Social workers play an integral role in servicing Dade County residents in a variety of public health areas. The fact that the county administration has agreed to give special recognition to its social workers is a testament to their significant contributions to the health department. Let me congratulate all my fellow social workers and we honor them for their service during the month of March.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, this April marks a very significant occasion, the 300th anniversary of the Sikh Nation. The occasion will be celebrated with a big march in Washington, with prayers, and in many other ways. Let us join with the Sikhs on this auspicious occasion and pray that they will soon enjoy the same freedom in their homeland, Punjab, Khalistan, that we enjoy here in America. I would like to congratulate the Sikh Nation on this major milestone, which was brought to my attention by Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan. Many of us have been made aware of the brutal oppression of the Sikhs by the Indian government due to Dr. Aulakh's tireless efforts. I am pleased to note that Dr. Aulakh's office is organizing the march. There are half of a million Sikhs in the United States. They have added to the richness of American life in many aspects of life and work. They have been productive, proud, law-abiding Americans. The Sikhs came to this country to enjoy the freedom that has made America the great country that it is. On this very special occasion for he Sikh Nation, let us honor those fine Americans by taking steps to help their Sikh brothers and sisters in Punjab, Khalistan enjoy the same freedom. That is the best way to prevent another Bosnia or Kosovo in South Asia. Make no mistake, Mr. Speaker, there is no freedom for Sikhs, Christians, Muslims, Dalits, or other minorities in India today. The Indian government continues to practice a brutal oppression that has taken tens of thousands of Sikh, Christian, Muslim, and other human lives. Yet this brutal country continues to be among the top five recipients of U.S. aid. Why are we using tax dollars to support this repressive government? Even with our budget surplus, this is a bad use of taxpayers' money. We should cut off this aid and declare our support for self-determination in the Indian subcontinent. The Sikhs of Khalistan, the Muslims of Kashmir, the Christians of Nagaland, and others seek only to decide their futures in the democratic way, by voting. As the beacon of freedom in the world, it is our moral duty to support this struggle for freedom. Let us take the occasion of the Sikh Nation's 300th anniversary to commit ourselves to full support for freedom for all people, starting with these few simple measures.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to my colleagues attention the attached remarks on the condolences to the Rajavi and Azodanloo families, particularly to Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, Iran's President-elect, at their loss. With great regret, I learned of the death of Mrs. Fatemeh Azodanloo at the age of 75. I offer my condolences to the Rajavi and Azodanloo families, particularly to Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, Iran's President-elect, at their loss. For the past 25 years, Mrs. Azodanloo was a comrade in arms in her daughter's struggle for human rights and democracy. During both the shah and Khomeini eras, Mrs. Azodanloo was a firm supporter of the Resistance to establish democracy and human rights in Iran. She and her family were subjected to constant abuse by the shah's officers and the theocratic mullahs. In the early 70s, her son Mahmood was arrested for cooperating with the Mojahedin by Savak--the vicious secrete police of the shah. Until the overthrow of the shah, she was harassed and her house raided by Savak and its notorious officers on many occasions. She came to know other Mojahedin family members during her visits to Mahmoud in the shah's prisons. Along with them, she began to expose the violation of human rights by the shah and to raise money for the families of political prisoners. During this period, her daughter Nargess, was arrested and later on executed by Savak. In the early 1970s, her daughter Maryam along with her other children made contact with the Mojahedin and began working for their democratic, humanitarian goals and ideals. During this period Mrs. Azodanloo helped her daughter Maryam, who had become a leader of the anti-shah student movement and a women's rights activist. After the downfall of the shah in February 1979, the Azodanloo family home became known in Tehran as a center for exposing Khomeini's religious dictatorship. Mrs. Azodanloo expanded her efforts to spread the Mojahedin's ideas in defense of human rights and democracy. She took every opportunity to expose Khomeini and his despotism under the name of Islam. She was also active during her daughter Maryam's candidacy in the first parliamentary elections, in which she received 250,000 votes despite rampant rigging. On June 20, 1981, in response to the Mojahedin's call, half a million people demonstrated in Tehran. The protest against violations of democratic rights was turned into a blood bath on Khomeini's order. From that night, the massacre of members and supporters of the democratic forces, particularly the Mojahedin, began. It was absolutely clear that the era of political activity had ended, and resistance was the only option. From then on, Mrs. Azodanloo, despite nearly 60, embraced an underground life. Despite the repressive atmosphere in Tehran, she lived in the Resistance's bases, obtaining necessary supplies and drawing up security plans. At this time, her youngest daughter, Massoumeh, was wounded in an armed attack by Revolutionary Guards, who ambushed her house in order to arrest her and her husband. She was pregnant when arrested. She was brutally tortured, and at the age of 23 in September 1982, died under torture. Her husband, Massoud Izadkhah, was executed. Despite her sorrow, Mrs. Azodanloo never gave up, and persisted in her resistance, encouraging the Mojahedin in their struggle. She remained among the movement's staunchest supporters, throughout the most difficult of times. Mrs. Fatemeh Azodanloo escaped from Iran in 1985. She remained active on behalf of the Resistance outside Iran, and always held dear the resistance forces inside Iran and in the National Liberation Army on the Iran-Iraq border. At her request, a few months prior to her death, she left Paris for one of the NLA's bases on the Iran-Iraq border, where she died in the company of her children and grandchildren.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I was very distressed to see an article in the March 19 issue of the New York Times reporting that in the village of Ranaloi in India, a mob chanting ``Victory to Lord Ram'' burned down 157 of 250 homes of Christians. I thank my good friend Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh for calling my attention to this atrocity, which unfortunately is not an isolated incident but part of a wave of anti-Christian violence that began on Christmas Day. Since Christmas, several Christian churches, prayer halls, and religious missions were destroyed by Hindu extremists affiliated with the Bajrang Dal, a part of the VHP, a militant Hindu organization that belongs to the same family of organizations as the ruling BJP. The VHP also praised the Hindus who raped four nuns, calling them ``patriotic youth'' and denouncing the nuns as ``antinational elements.'' In January a missionary and his two very young sons were burned to death in their jeep by a gang of Hindus chanting ``Victory to Hannuman,'' then another nun was raped. In early February the bodies of two more Christians have been found in the state of Orissa. At least four priests have been murdered. In 1997, police broke up a Christian religious festival with gunfire. A country that engages in such practices should be declared a religious oppressor and perhaps a terrorist state. This latest incident took place during the period of Lent, leading up to Easter. With Easter coming in April, followed soon after by the 300th anniversary of the Sikh Nation, we may now have the best opportunity to raise the consciousness of the world to the religious tyranny that exists just under the veneer of Indian democracy. Although India has democratic elections, for Christians, Sikhs, Muslims, Dalits, and so many others, there is no democracy. No matter who they elect, the result is more killing and more oppression. Is this true democracy? As I have said before, this is not democracy, It is merely the opportunity to choose one's oppressors. The only solution is freedom for all the people of South Asia. As the world's only superpower and the beacon of freedom for the world, the United States must do whatever it can to extend the blessings of liberty to all people living under tyrannical, intolerant leaders, even if they claim to be democratic. We should stop funding this repressive government with American aid, impose economic sanctions as we did against the apartheid regime in South Africa, and go on record urging India to allow a plebiscite--a free, democratic vote--in Punjab, Khalistan, in Kashmir, in Christian Nagaland, and throughout their polyglot state to decide the future political status of these regions. This is the only way to end the genocide, settle the differences, and finally bring lasting peace to this troubled tinderbox known as South Asia. Freedom is not only America's founding principle, it is our mission. Let us carry that mission to the deserving peoples and nations of the subcontinent. We look forward to the day when the glow of freedom shines on all the people of South Asia and the world. [From The New York Times, Mar. 19, 1999] 157 Homes Burned in Religious Clash in India (By Celia W. Dugger) Bhubaneswar, India, March 18.--Less than two months after a Hindu mob killed a Christian missionary from Australia and his two young sons here in the eastern state of Orissa, Hindus and Christians clashed in a village this week, and 157 of the 250 Christian homes were burned down, state officials say. The officials said they presumed that Hindus set the fires on Tuesday, but have no solid evidence. Christian villagers interviewed by television reporters blamed Hindus, who they said shouted ``Victory to Lord Ram,''a Hindu god, as they set the fires. Thirteen people were wounded, three by gunfire, and the police have arrested more than 40 people, officials said. The tensions in the village--Ranaloi, in southern Orissa-- developed after someone painted a trident, symbol of the Hindu god Shiva, over a Christian cross on a boulder about a mile outside the village. The violence is part of a growing number of attacks on Christians in India in the last year. Church officials and opposition political parties say the problem has worsened since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party became the head of a national coalition Government a year ago. Party leaders say they oppose the violence. It is not clear who was responsible for the violence in Orissa, which is governed by the Congress Party. The state's Chief Minister, J.B. Patnaik, resigned after the killing of the missionary, Graham Staines, and his sons, Timothy, 10, and Philip, 6. D.P. Wadhwa, the Indian Supreme Court Justice who was named by the Government to head an inquiry into the Staines killings, harshly criticized the central Government for failing to provide resources to investigate. The commission of inquiry, which was set up six weeks ago, is due to issue its findings in two weeks but has yet to field a team of independent investigators or to be given functional offices to work from. The state police blamed a mob that they said was led by a man from the Bajrang Dal, a Hindu nationalist youth group that belongs to the same family of Hindu nationalist organizations as the Bharatiya Janata Party. Leaders of the Bajrang Dal denied involvement, and said the violence was a backlash against what they called the Christians' deceitful efforts to convert impoverished, illiterate Indians.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the Council of Khalistan, recently delivered to me a letter from the government-in-exile of Nagaland praising my previous statement of February 11 on the oppression of Christians in India. The letter also calls for self-determination for all the nations of South Asia. In the letter, the Prime Minister of Nagaland quotes Secretary of State Albright as a supporter of self-determination. On February 24, the Washington Post quoted the Secretary of State as saying, ``ethnic groups demanding independence should be allowed to have their own nations.'' Currently, there are 17 freedom movements within India's borders. Yet the government of India refuses even to allow the Sikhs of Khalistan, the Christians of Nagaland, the Muslims of Kashmir, and the people of the other nations they occupy to decide this issue in a free and fair vote, the way that democratic countries decide these things. Instead, they have resorted to state terrorism against the people in these occupied nations. Recently, there has been a wave of violence against Christians in India. Christians are merely the target of the moment. Sikhs, Muslims, Daltis (dark-skinned aboriginal people), and others have been subjected to similar violence. Numerous Christian churches and other religious facilities have been destroyed since Christmas by Hindu extremists affiliated with the ruling BJP. A missionary and his two young sons were burned to death. Nuns have been raped. Priests have been murdered. A Christian religious festival was broken up by gunfire. Is this Indian secularism? The Indian government has killed more than 200,000 Christians since 1947 and the Christians of Nagaland, in the eastern part of India, are involved in one of 17 freedom movements within India's borders. India has murdered more than 250,000 Sikhs since 1984 and over 60,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, as well as many thousands of other people. The holiest shrine in the Sikh religion, the Golden temple in Amritsar, was attacked by the Indian government. Gurdev Singh Kaunke, who was serving as Jathedar of the Akal Takht, the highest Sikh religious official, was killed in police custody by being torn in half. The police disposed of his body. He had been tortured before the Indian government decided to kill him. The very highly revered Babri mosque was destroyed by Hindu militants. Next month marks two occasions, falling on the same day, that should bring these issues into focus: the 300th anniversary of the Sikh Nation and the birthday of Thomas Jefferson. It is an ironic coincidence that these anniversaries fall at the same time. Thomas Jefferson was one of the leading voices for American independence and wrote the Declaration of Independence, which sets out the philosophical basis for the freedom that we built into our Constitution and that we enjoy today. In light of this religious oppression and the statements of Secretary Albright and others, I urge the Congress to take strong measures in support of self-determination in South Asia. We should put ourselves on record in support of a free and fair plebiscite in Punjab, Khalistan, in Kashmir, in Nagaland, and everywhere that people are demanding the right to determine their own future. We should impose the sanctions appropriate under the law for countries that practice religious oppression and violence. We should strongly urge the President to declare India a terrorist state. Finally, we should cut off U.S. aid to India until it begins to behave like a democracy and respects basic human rights, including the right to self-determination. Mr. Speaker, I would like to place the letter from the Prime Minister of Nagaland in the Record. Prime Minister (Ato-Kilonser), Government of the People's Republic of Nagaland, March 12, 1999. Hon. Edolphus Towns, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. (Through our good friend Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President, Council of Khalistan, 1901 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 802, Washington, DC 20006) Respected Sir: Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh sent us the proceedings and debates of the 106th Congress (First Session) dated Washington 11 February 1999. We have gone through your presentation, Hindu Nationalist Continue To Attack Christians in ``Secular'' India, with much appreciation and love. In the light of the assertion of the truth made by U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright ``that ethnic groups demanding independence should be allowed to have their own nations'' (as told to the Washington Post in Paris on 24 February 1999), your statement that ``we should openly declare U.S. support for self-determination for all the peoples of the subcontinent. By these measures we can help bring religious freedom and basic human rights to Christians, Sikhs, Muslims, and everyone else in South Asia'' makes a lot of sense. Indeed, this is what the Indian-suppressed peoples have been wishing for all these years. That, Sir, the principled stand you and other policy-makers of the U.S. have taken in this all-important matter has inspired many nationalities and ethnic groups that continue to languish in the merciless world of religious persecution and political suppression. Kindly accept the heartfelt gratitude of the Naga people. Even as the Naga people pray with renewed hearts for their suffering brothers and sisters belonging to the Christian, Dalit, Muslim and Sikh communities, it is our request that you presevere in your fight for the rights of these oppressed nations and peoples to freedom and justice. May God bless you richly in your endeavor. Respectfully yours, Th. Muivah.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Marie J. Montrose, for her exemplary community service, and for her numerous contributions to the Brooklyn community. Ms. Marie J. Montrose is the Director of Community and Patient Relations at Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. In that capacity, she is responsible for Community Affairs, Patient Relations, Pastoral Care and Volunteers Services. Ms. Montrose is Interfaiths's liaison with community organizations, agencies, churches, schools and other groups that are interested in working together with the institution to continue to improve the health of residents of the Central Brooklyn community. Ms. Marie J. Montrose has implemented several new programs at the hospital: The Dr. Martin Luther King--the African American Celebration Day, Employee Honor Roll, Employee Satisfaction Survey, Random Act of Kindness Day, the Annual Memorial Service for deceased employees, the Summer Youth Employment Program and the hospital-wide Customer Relations training program. Last September, she directed the activities for the groundbreaking ceremony of ``Interfaith, A New Beginning''. A native of Haiti, Ms. Montrose is a long time resident of Brooklyn. She is also a proud parent. Her daughter Sarah Anne gives her the inspiration to lecture and write extensively on health care advocacy and children issues. Her thesis ``Who are the Children and How is their Health?'' was published in the book ''The Multicultural Challenge in Health Education'' in 1996. Her latest projects ``The Economics of Health and the Immigrant''--``The Patient and Managed Care--Whose Right Is It Anyway?'' were accepted for publication. Ms. Montrose is an active member of national, state, and local organizations. She serves on several local boards dedicated to improving health care: AMBA Executives, New York Society of Health Care Advocacy, National Society for Consumer Affairs, Visions Services for the Blind, American Public Health Association, and the Ryan White Advisory Committee. With all of her activities Ms. Montrose still finds time to volunteer as a teacher for newly emigrated teenagers. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Ms. Marie J. Montrose who has helped the community, and has served as an excellent role model.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Ela Cecile Toney, for her exemplary community service, and for her numerous contributions to the Brooklyn community. Ms. Toney is a registered nurse and works as a Women's Health Care Nurse Practitioner at Interfaith Medical Center. Her primary interests include reduction of teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Throughout Ela Toney's tenure she has worked in many low income community health care organizations. She has practiced in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brownsville, East New York and Coney Island. She is a dedicated nurse who is extremely concerned about the women of her community and has lobbied in Albany to make women's health top priority. Ms. Toney immigrated to the United States from St. Vincent and the Grenadines four decades ago. Her dream was to educate herself and help others. She has achieved both goals. She is a graduate of the Brooklyn Jewish Hospital School of Nursing and she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in nursing from Jersey City State College. Ms. Toney is a grandmother and an active member in many professional and charitable organizations. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Ms. Ela Cecile Toney, who has served the Brooklyn community with pride, and is an excellent role model.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Jeanette Ruffins for her exemplary community service, and her numerous contributions to the Brooklyn community. Ms. Ruffins is currently the Executive Director of Genesis Homes, a 150 apartment, low income housing complex in East New York, Brooklyn. Genesis Homes is a service enriched complex that includes the Nelson Mandela Community Center. Ms. Ruffin oversees the daily operation of a Day Care Center, Primary Care Medical Services, G.E.D., Adult Basic Education, and a Boys & Girls Club site. The Boys and Girls Club provides recreation and leadership development for youth ages 6-18. Ms. Ruffins has extensive experience in case management as well as social service administration and management. She has many years of experience with issues of victimization and domestic violence, including more than three years of experience with the Queens Safe Homes Program operated through the District Attorney's Office. Ms. Ruffins has a Bachelors degree from Northwestern University and a Masters in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Ms. Jeanette Ruffins, who has helped the underprivileged of our community, and has served as an excellent role model for countless individuals.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Lena B. Medley, for her exemplary community service, and dedication to educating the children of the Brooklyn community. Ms. Lena B. Medley, is an unsung American Hero in Education who took on the arduous task of saving a school and a community, six years ago when she became the Principal of Thomas Jefferson High School. Ms. Medley restored pride and injected self-esteem into a school that was thought of to be failing. The heroic actions initiated by Ms. Medley began when Thomas Jefferson High School was placed on a list marked for take over and subsequent closing by the New York State Education Department in 1993. As of December 1997, Thomas Jefferson High School was removed from the Schools Under Registration Review (SURR) List due to Ms. Medley's dynamic leadership. Ms. Medley implemented several programs; (1) the Ninth Grade Prepatory Academy for Math and Science, which emphasized biology, sequential mathematics and technology. (2) the Marine Corps Junior ROTC--which strengthened character, helped form habits of self discipline, leadership and (3) the academy of Success--which graduated more special education students into the mainstream than in the schools history. Because of Ms. Medley's vision to have these unprecedented programs in an inner-city high school located in East New York Brooklyn, she has transformed this school successfully. Ms. Medley holds degrees from Tennessee State and Fordham University. She has studied at Lehman College, Hunter College, and Harvard University. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Ms. Lean B. Medley, a 34 year veteran of education who cared enough to make a difference in the life of a child. She is truly an American Hero.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Rita Schwartz, for her exemplary community service, and for her numerous contributions to the Brooklyn community. Ms. Rita Schwartz is the Director of Government Relations for the General Contractors Association of New York Inc., a trade organization representing the heavy construction industry. She is responsible for developing and implementing legislative and community strategies for the funding and building of the city's infrastructure system and is active politically in City Hall, Albany, and Washington. Ms. Schwartz is committed to developing opportunities for women and minorities in the construction industry and is involved in several organizations to help these groups gain access to various career opportunities. Ms. Schwartz has served in the public sector for many years as Supervisor for Government Relations and Community Affairs with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. She was responsible for government and community relations and represented the Port Authority with civic, business, community groups and elected officials. In addition, she coordinated special projects and events and had an additional responsibility as Director of Homeless Service Programs for the Port Authority. Before working for the Port Authority, Ms. Schwartz was with the New York City Department of the Aging, the Health and Hospitals Corporation and the New York City Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Ms. Schwartz is a lifetime resident of Brooklyn, she and her husband live in Brooklyn Heights where they raised their son and daughter. She served as a Board member of Community Board 2, and other community organizations. She received a bachelor's degree in music education from the State University of New York, Potsdam, a master degree from New York University and a Ph.D. Teaching Fellow at New York University. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Ms. Rita Schwartz, who has helped our community and has served as an excellent role model.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Gloria B. Corley-McKoy for her exemplary community service and contribution to the Brooklyn Community. Ms. Corley-McKoy has lived in the Brooklyn Community of East New York for the past 35 years. She was employed as a drug counselor by the Board of Education for 22 years and currently works as a community and project liaison for the AFSCME-AFL-CIO. Although retired from her position at the Board of Education, Ms. Corley-McKoy continues her tireless advocacy on behalf of the children of New York. She currently serves as President of the Community School Board and President of the Boulevard Houses Tenant Association, a position she uses to advocate for improving the lives of children in the community. Ms. Corely-McKoy is married to Jeffrey McKoy. She is a product of the New York Public School System. Her late son, Edward, was a graduate of Community School District 19. Ms. Corley-McKoy comes from a loving family of eight sisters and 2 brothers. One of her sisters, Priscilla A. Wooten, serves on the City Council and Ms. Corley-McKoy played an instrumental role in her sister's election while serving as campaign manager. Mr. Speaker, it is a considerable honor for me to speak about one of our community's most cherished leaders. I have known Gloria for several years, and I can think of no better role model for the community. America should be aware of the tireless, unselfish work of community leaders like Gloria B. Corley-McKoy.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to bring to my colleagues' attention the attached article, ``Cheap Car Parts Can Cost You a Bundle'', from Consumer Reports which appeared in its February 1999 issue. Cheap Car Parts Can Cost You a Bundle One January morning last year, Daniel Della Rova was passing another car at about 55 mph on Route 222 near Kutztown, Pa. Suddenly the hood of his 1988 Honda Accord flew up, fractured the windshield, and wrapped itself around the roof. Unable to see ahead, Della Rova gripped the wheel tightly and managed to steer to the side of the road. ``Luckily,'' he says, ``I didn't hit anything.'' But the insurance company declared the car a total loss. According to Charlie Barone, a vehicle damage appraiser in Malverne, Pa., who has examined the car, the cause of the mishap was what collision repairers disparagingly call offshore ``tin''--a cheap imitation hood made by a Taiwan manufacturer. It's one of many, mostly Asian-made imitations of automakers' OEM (original equipment manufacture) parts. Barone, an outspoken critic of imitation parts, says they're cheaper than OEM for a reason: ``They're inferior to original manufacturer parts.'' He adds that the previous owner of Della Rova's Honda, who had damaged the original hood in a minor accident, probably paid $100 less for the imitation hood than the $225 the Honda OEM part would have cost. But the real cost could have been catastrophic. An auto-repair problem similar to Della Rova's may be parked in your driveway right now. If your car was ever in an accident, the repair shop may have installed cheap initation parts, perhaps without your even knowing it. Crash parts are a big business. Each year, U.S. drivers have an estimated 35 million automobile accidents costing some $9 billion in crash parts. The most frequently replaced parts are bumpers and fenders. Not all imitation parts are bad. Various brand-name replacement batteries, filters, spark plugs, and shock absorbers can provide quality along with competitive pricing. Some body-part copies are OK, too, but others are junk. Several consumer groups have supported imitation crash parts, and for good reason: These parts provide competition, forcing automakers to reduce prices. That's good for consumers--but only if quality doesn't suffer. Unfortunately, the quality of imitation crash parts can vary widely. Many collision repairers complain that initation parts generally don't have the same fit and quality as OEM parts. ``Approximately 75 percent of the time, you have to make modifications or tweak the sheet metal to make aftermarket body parts fit,'' says Phillip Bradshaw, owner of Bradshaw Collision Centers in Madison, Tenn. ``And even then, it's often impossible to get the alignment and fit right.'' In an effort to assure the quality of initation body parts, the insurance industry established the nonprofit Certified Automobile Parts Association in 1987. To date, CAPA's certification program covers a small percentage of imitation body parts. Because of the controversy over the price and quality of collision-repair parts, we decided to conduct our own tests on fenders and bumpers to learn about their quality firsthand. All the non-OEM fenders that Consumer Reports tested were CAPA-certified. (CAPA doesn't certify bumpers.) We also investigated the claims and counterclaims about the benefits of aftermarket parts. Our tests and investigation uncovered two key findings: Most auto insurers endorse imitation parts because they can be 20 percent to 65 percent less expensive than OEM. But the companies we surveyed provided no evidence that those savings are being passed on to policyholders. The imitation bumpers and fenders we tested were inferior to OEM parts. The bumpers fit badly and gave poor low-speed crash protection. Most of the fenders also fit worse than OEM fenders, and they rusted more quickly when scratched to bare metal. The price vs. quality debate Some insurers acknowledge there's a quality problem. That's why the Interinsurance Exchange of the Automobile Club of Southern California uses only OEM metal body parts. ``We have found significant problems in the quality and specifications of non-OEM sheet metal,'' says spokeswoman Carol Thorp. Raleigh Floyd, an Allstate spokesman, says that his company uses OEM parts--and initation parts ``whose quality has been certified'' by CAPA. But our tests of some CAPA-certified fenders indicate that the CAPA seal of approval is no guarantee of quality comparable with that of an OEM part. (The CAPA seal was affixed to the hood on Della Rova's Honda.) Also, some consumers may not know what kind of parts they're getting. They may simply assume their car will be restored to its precrash condition. Besides fenders and hoods, CAPA certifies other sheet-metal and plastic parts. In the crash parts market, CAPA parts account for 3 percent or less of the units sold. OEM parts account for 72 percent; salvage parts, 10 percent. Non-CAPA imitation parts make up the remaining 15 percent. CAPA loons large in the industry because it's the only organization that sets quality standards for imitation replacement parts. Although its overall market share is small, CAPA is growing. The debate over quality should heat up this summer as a $10.4 billion class-action lawsuit, Snider vs. State Farm, goes to trial in Marion, Ill. The suit accuses State Farm of pressing shops and policyholders to use imitation parts that aren't equal in quality to OEM parts. That's ``a breach of their promise to resote the vehicle to pre-loss condition, says Thomas Thrash, an attorney for the plaintiffs. State Farm firmly denies this. ``We believe these [non OEM] parts are of the same quality as the manufacturer parts,'' says spokesman Dave Hurst. Insurers haven't always looked kindly on non-OEM crash parts. In the early 1980s, State Farm's periodic repair reinspections revealed that many repair shops were charging for OEM parts but installing cheaper imitations and pocketing the difference. ``The shops were making a very long dollar,'' says Stan Rodman, director of the Automotive Body Parts Association, which represents manufacturers and distributors of imitation parts--and which was briefly the predecessor of CAPA. ``They were getting a non-OEM fender for 90 bucks that the insurance company was paying them $400 for.'' By the mid-'80s, however, insurers began recommending imitation parts. Their repair estimates assured policyholders that the parts were as good as OEM parts. The plaintiffs in the State Farm suit allege that the insurer knew better. In June and August 1986, for example, State Farm consultant Franklin Schoonover warned the company's research department that a sampling of imitation crash parts tested earlier that year by the Detroit Testing Laboratory represented a ``major risk for consumer usage when compared to the GM OEM parts.'' The lab found that some of the imitation parts weren't as strong, were more likely to have problems with cracking and peeling paint, and showed weight differences, indicating a wide variation in quality control. In 1987, Ford sued Keystone Automative Industries, the largest distributor of non-OEM body parts in the U.S., for using the phrase ``like kind and quality'' to compare its imitation parts with OEM parts. In 1992, a U.S. District Court ruling found that Keystone's claims were ``false'' and ``made with the deliberate intention of misleading the public.'' In a $1.8 million settlement, Keystone agreed to allow Ford to state in its advertising, ``Crash parts from Keystone do not meet Ford OEM quality.'' ``We should not have made those statements,'' says Charles Hogarty, president and CEO of Keystone, which now uses the term ``functionally equivalent'' to describe its products. Hogarty says the description is ``probably loose enough to mean whatever you want it to mean . . . it's not identical and there may be some minor, we'd say insignificant, differences.'' The consumer connection After it was established in 1987, CAPA compiled a manual that spells out quality controls, test procedures, and other steps required for manfuacturers to get its seal. In 1988, CAPA added consumer advocate Clarence M. Ditlow to its nine-member board. Ditlow is executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a nonprofit watchdog group founded in 1970. (He is also on the board of directors of Consumers Union, Publisher of Consumer Reports. The center received funding from CU during its early years.) In 1989, CAPA hired Jack Gillis as its esecutive director. Gillis is also director of public affairs for the Consumer Federation of America and the author of a long list of consumer-oriented books. Ditlow says that CAPA parts are better quality than non- CAPA imitation parts ``by viture of the fact that you set a standard.'' But when asked, neither he nor Gillis provided compelling evidence to support that claim. Gillis also says that CAPA parts are of ``like kind and quality'' to OEM parts. But CAPA's quality-standards manual requires only ``functionally equivalent'' parts. Such a careful choice of words is significant: A Saturn may be functionally equivalent to a BMW, but the two are hardly equal. A twice-a-year survey of 500 repair shops done for the auto industry by Industrial Marketing Research of Clarendon Hills, Ill., does suggest that CAPA parts are better than non-CAPA and that the quality of all imitation parts is improving. But according to the same study, only one-third of repair shops termed CAPA parts an acceptable substitute for OEM parts. Two-thirds judged the quality of CAPA parts ``somewhat worse'' or ``much worse'' than OEM parts. In the IMR study, repairers also indicated that customers came back twice as often with complaints about imitation parts, and that shops often must absorb the cost of extra labor. Last March, the Automotive Service Association (ASA), representing more than 12,500 repair shops, withdrew its support of CAPA because ``CAPA has failed in its mission'' and hasn't assured imitation crash parts that are equal in quality and consistency to OEM. ``ASA is no friend of the consumer,'' says Ditlow. ``These are people who have an agenda, and that agenda is higher repair costs.'' But CAPA board member Clark Plucinski, who oversees a network of 30 repair shops, says that ASA has grown frustrated with the slowness of CAPA's progress, despite the fact that CAPA is improving the quality of all imitation parts. Gillis says that CAPA has an ``aggressive'' program to solicit complaints from repair shops, but that last year it received only 1,055 complaint forms on some 2.3 million CAPA parts used. However, Plucinski says that hands-on collision- repair people are more likely to chew out the parts supplier than to fill out a complaint form. One Size fits none Collision repairers we talked to almost universally complained that too many imitation parts, whether CAPA- certified or not, leave noticeable gaps and don't always match the car's contours. They ``fit like a sock on a rooster's foot,'' says a Scottsdale, Ariz., collision repairer who fixes almost 200 cars each month. ``Fifty to 70 percent of the time the darn things don't fit,'' says John Loftus, executive director of the 8,000- member Society of Collision Repair Specialists, a trade association. Jerry Dalton, owner of the Craftsman Auto Body chain in Virginia, says, ``I like the idea of alternate parts other than OEM to keep pricing in line, and we try to use them as often as we can. But we still have to return a large percentage of them.'' In a demonstration in Colorado Springs, Colo., last October by the Collision Industry Conference (CIC), a repair-shop education and training group, a CAPA hood and fender and a non-CAPA imitation headlight assembly didn't fit properly on an undamaged 1994 Toyota Camry, though a non-CAPA parking light and grille did fit. (Gillis, who was at the demonstration, says that the fender had been decertified just days earlier, and that he himself decertified the hood on the spot.) At another CIC demonstration in Dallas last December, all the CAPA and non-CAPA substitute parts fit well. Of 160 repairs shops surveyed last year by Frost & Sullivan, an independent international marketing-consulting firm in Mountain View, Calif., 89 percent said that it takes about two hours longer to install an imitation part, costing $60 to $90 extra in labor. How CAPA tests CAPA uses Entela Laboratories, an independent test lab in Grand Rapids, Mich., to verify adherence to its standards. Entela has industry-standard equipment and the capability for testing materials. Reports provided by Entela detail various side-by-side tests of materials in parts being considered for CAPA certification and their OEM counterparts. Entela reports for the Honda and Ford fenders we evaluated include material thickness, chemical composition, tensile strength, and corrosion resistance. The imitation part must be within certain limits of the OEM part in order to be granted certification. The other half of the certification process is inspection of fit, done at the factory. The Entela fender reports we read list measurements of gaps, flushness with mating parts, and size and location of holes and slots. Each report gives the range of dimensions that the CAPA part must fall within. The Ford and Honda fenders like those we evaluated appeared to have fallen within CAPA limits in the reports, and they were certified. We did find inconsistencies in the number of holes and slots among the same CAPA-certified part made by different manufacturers. There may be two reasons for the poor fit of CAPA parts that repair shops complain about. One is ``reverse engineering''--where manufacturers make copies of OEM parts. Although Gillis didn't acknowledge problems of fit with CAPA parts, he blames OEM parts for being inconsistent. But Greg Marshall, Entela's research and development manager, says the OEM parts variations are perhaps 0.060 inch. Even when magnified by the copying process, that shouldn't account for the fit problems we found in CAPA fenders. The second problem is that CAPA sheet-metal parts are tested for fit on a jig rather than on a car. Gillis says CAPA is changing its standards to require that each part be designed and fit-tested to its intended vehicle as of April. If implemented, that should improve fit. But Gillis says that the requirement will be only for newly certified parts. Parts already certified aren't affected by this change unless CAPA receives at least five complaints about the part in one year. Repair-shop owner Dalton, a CAPA adviser and a former member of its technical committee who has visited plants in Asia, raises another issue. He says that CAPA isn't able to exercise sufficient control over quality ``because they don't buy or sell the parts, and CAPA is a voluntary program.'' To assess the claims and counter-claims of the controversy, we installed a sampling of replacement fenders and bumpers on cars and simulated several real-world challenges. CR's test results: Fenders Our engineers mounted three OEM and six CAPA left fenders on each of two popular cars, a 1993 Honda Accord and a 1993 Ford Taurus. (Our shoppers, who bought the fenders in the New York area and in California, couldn't find non-CAPA fenders for these cars.) Without making the extensive modifications a professional shop might have to carry out, we judged their appearance. Two of the Ford OEM fenders matched up nicely, while the third didn't fit as well, By contrast, we found fit problems with all six CAPA fenders for the Ford. Some would require widening the holes or using shims. The worst didn't match the contour of the car and would require significant reworking. All three Honda OEM fenders fit well. Three of the CAPA fenders for the Honda also fit well, but the other three had problems similar to those for the Ford. We then had a repair shop install one OEM feeder and two CAPA fenders on each car, allowing the professionals to work the metal as they ordinarily would to make it fit. The shop found problems similar to the ones we found with the CAPA fenders. After working for an extra 30 to 60 minutes, the shop judged the resulting fit acceptable, though not as good as that of the OEM fenders. Rust resistance. To simulate what rocks, vandals, or a shopping cart might do in the real world, we scratched a grid down to bare metal on four primed but unpainted fenders--two OEM and two CAPA-certified. We then hired a lab to put them through a cyclic 168-hour salt-spray fog test, in accordance with industry test standards. Both CAPA fenders showed heavy red rust by the end of the test. The Ford OEM fender showed only moderate white corrosion; the Honda OEM fender, nearly none. The superior performance of the OEM fenders (and the telltale white corrosion) resulted from galvanization, in which a zinc coating is bonded to the steel. When the paint and primer are scratched, the zinc protects the steel by sacrificing itself, oxidizing into a white residue less damaging than rust. Most OEM parts are galvanized on both sides. The CAPA parts we tested aren't galvanized. CAPA's corrosion test is different from ours. Entela engineers scratch an ``X'' in the primer and then expose the fender to a 500-hour salt-spray test. The parts get CAPA approval even when the X-ed area rusts, since the test is designed to evaluate the primer rather than the metal beneath. CAPA regards the results as problematic only if the rust spreads, making the primer blister or flake 3 mm beyond the ``X,'' or if 10 percent of the entire fender shows red rust. Gillis says galvanization is ``not much of a value added because today's automotive paint processes are quite good.'' But Bruce Craig, a fellow of the National Association of Corrosion Engineers and author of the American Society of Metallurgists' Handbook of Corrosion Data, says, ``It's kind of a slam dunk that galvanized is better. I'm perplexed why there would be a controversy.'' That's a reason the Interinsurance Exchange of the Automobile Club of Southern California won't use imitation body parts: ``You get bubbling, paint flaking off, premature rusting,'' says Gil Palmer, assistant group manager for physical damage claims. Gillis told us that CAPA would begin requiring all sheet- metal parts manufactured starting January 1 to be galvanized to earn certification. That should be a major step toward equality with OEM parts. Meanwhile, distributors will continue to sell ungalvanized CAPA parts that are already in the sales pipeline. Strength. We found the CAPA fenders comparable with OEM in one respect: Our tests for tensile strength uncovered no significant differences between CAPA and OEM fenders. CR's test results: Bumpers CAPA doesn't certify bumpers. A repair shop under our engineers' supervision installed a total of 4 OEM and 17 imitation bumpers, bought in the New York area and in California, on our Honda Accord and Ford Taurus. We saw startling deficiencies in the imitations. How they fit. All the OEM bumpers fit nicely. But none of the imitations did, even after we redrilled or widened their holes as needed. All left large gaps or uneven surfaces. How they protect. Our hydraulic bumper-basher simulated the thumps that might occur, say, in a parking lot--at 5 mph head-on, 5 mph offset, and 3 mph on the right corner. That's our standard test for new cars. The OEM bumpers suffered only minor damage. Even so, repairing the scuffs and indentation on the Ford bumper would cost $235, and replacing the Honda's scuffed bumper cover and underlying brackets would cost $576. Those are pricey scuffs, but at least the OEM bumpers protected the cars themselves from damage. In our 25 years of bashing hundreds of new-car bumpers, we've seen few perform as miserably as the imitations. Twelve of the 17 sustained so much damage in the first bash that we couldn't test them any further. One imitation bumper shattered and allowed our basher to damage the Ford's headlight mounting panel, radiator support, and air-conditioner condenser. Repairs, using OEM parts, were estimated at $1,350. Another imitation bumper allowed our basher to damage the Honda's radiator, air-conditioner condenser, radiator-support tie bar, and center lock support. Repairs, using OEM parts, were estimated at $1,797. Limited choices Most insurance adjusters don't clearly disclose that you're getting imitation parts of potentially lesser quality. (``Like kind and quality'' or ``LKQ'' on the paperwork is a cryptic giveaway.) Some repair shops complain that they must follow the insurer's ``recommendation'' or risk losing customers from ``direct repair programs''--the automotive equivalent of managed health care that most auto insurers use to cut costs. The Automotive Service Association says that 33 states require repair shops to disclose the use of imitation parts to consumers. Six others--Arkansas, Indiana, Oregon, Rhode Island, West Virginia, and Wyoming--also require the consumer's written consent. But disclosure and consent are meaningless if insurers promise higher quality than they deliver. The lawsuit against State Farm argues that the insurer did not restore damaged vehicles to pre-loss condition as promised. Don Barrett, an attorney for the plaintiffs, says that cars repaired with ``2/55 fenders''--an appraisers' disparaging term for fenders identifiable as imitations ``from two miles away at 55 mph''--reduce appraised value by at least 10 percent. John Donley, president of the Independent Automotive Damage Appraisers Association and a CAPA proponent, says that it's poor fit and poor corrosion resistance, not the mere fact that a part is an imitation, that hurts appraised value. Either way, that could be a problem not only at resale time but possibly at the end of a lease. Industrial Marketing Research found that insurers call for imitation parts 59 percent of the time. We surveyed 19 of the nation's largest private auto insurers, who wrote 68 percent of the $115 billion in policies in 1997, and asked if they require or recommend imitation body parts for covered repairs. Nine didn't respond (American Family, California State Auto Assn., CNA, GEICO, GMAC, Metropolitan, Progressive, Prudential, and Safeco). Of the ten that did, Allstate, Erie, Farmers, State Farm, and USAA said they recommend but didn't require imitation parts. Allstate says that if a customer insists on OEM parts, it will pick up the bill. Erie, State Farm, and Travelers make the customer pay the difference. The Hartford said it doesn't recommend imitations for safety-related parts but does allow them for noncritical applications. And Travelers Insurance doesn't recommend imitations for cars less than two years old or with less than 20,000 miles. The Interinsurance Exchange of the Automobile Club of Southern California, which writes policies only in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas, calls for imitation parts only for nonmental trim items like bumper covers and moldings. Insurers and consumers Many of the insurers maintain that imitation parts keep premiums down, but none provided hard data to prove it. CAPA and auto insurers have spent the last decade promoting imitation parts as purely pro-consumer. By breaking the automakers' ``strangle-hold monopoly'' over crash parts, says one recent release from the Alliance of American Insurers, auto insurers protect consumers from high parts prices and high insurance premiums. ``There is absolutely no question the insurance industry is on the side of the angels on this issue,'' says Gillis. But there is a question. Buying imitation parts simply diverts money from the pockets of one big industry--automobile manufacturing--to the pockets of another big industry--auto insurance. The insurers won't earn their wings until they demonstrate that a fair share of the money they save ends up in the pockets of consumers. And CAPA, whose executive director often accuses automakers and repair shops of having a financial interest in promoting OEM parts, has its own financial interests. Half of its $3.9 million budget comes from insurance companies (the other half comes from the sale of CAPA seals to parts manufacturers). And six of the nine CAPA board members are insurance-industry executives. The Center for Auto Safety--whose executive director, Clarence Ditlow, is a CAPA board member and a staunch advocate of CAPA parts--also receives funding from the insurance industry, though to a much lesser extent. In 1998, State Farm and Allstate contributed some $50,000 to CAS, accrding to Ditlow. (He says that amounts to only five percent of annual revenues. He also says that CAS' insurance funding has steadily decreased since the mid-1970s.) Where's the consumer in all this? For now, stuck in a bind between automakers that charge high prices for factory body parts and auto insurers that push less-expensive parts of questionable quality. Until things change, car owners-- including used-car buyers who may inherit the inferior crash parts--are being ill served.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Ms. Valeria Sowell for her distinguished service to the Brooklyn community of East New York. A teacher for fifteen years, Ms. Sowell has served her community as educator, lobbyist, and activist. Known for her no nonsense approach to solving problems, Ms. Sowell earned the respect and admiration of members of the community by helping to establish The Cleveland Street Block Association. In addition to community development, Ms. Sowell is concerned about health issues in Brooklyn. Wearing her hat as community lobbyist, Ms. Sowell is presently working with members of the New York General Assembly to change state law to permit HMO coverage of alternative forms of medicine. While serving as American Federation of Teachers School Delegate, Ms. Sowell was honored by her peers with the prestigious Very Special Arts Award and later the Impact Award. She is affiliated with several organizations, including the NAACP, Democratic National Committee, New York Alliance of Black School Educators, New York Coalition of Black School Educators, Association of Orthodox Jewish Teachers, and the New York Coalition of 100 Black Women. Ms. Sowell is an active member of the Christian Life Center in Brooklyn. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Ms. Sowell was the fourth of five children from the union of her beloved parents, Mildred and Clyburn Sowell. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to honor an unselfish, positive role model for the community, Ms. Valeria Sowell.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the work of Emilia Conolly, a committed health professional in the borough of Brooklyn. Emilia is a native of Honduras who immigrated to the United States over 20 years ago. She was educated in the New York City public schools, including Ft. Hamilton High School, where she received her high school diploma. Emilia began her nursing career as a student in Interfaith Medical Center's School of Nursing where she made the Dean's List, received three honorary awards and ultimately graduated as a registered nurse. As part of her professional growth and development, she joined the nursing department at Brookdale University Medical Center. Presently, she specializes in nursing care of critically ill newborns (the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit). In addition, Emilia serves as a nurse preceptor for new graduate nurses. She strives to maintain and to develop her clinical expertise by teaching neonatal resuscitation classes to both doctors and nurses. Emilia is an active member of Interfaith's Nurses Alumnae Association. As a member of the Mid-Brooklyn Civic Association, she helps to organize and to participate in voter registration, fundraising and the selection of candidates for outstanding community service. She has also been recognized for her strong negotiating abilities on behalf of nursing contracts within the bargaining unit of Local 1199. Emilia is married to James Conolly and they are the proud parents of two daughters, Taryn and Thalia. As stated on one of her awards, Emilia has demonstrated ``compassion, empathy and personal interests'' in striving to make a difference in the lives of others. Mr. Speaker, please join me in presenting the achievements of Emilia Conolly to my colleagues.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the unique community service of Genes Thompson. Genes, a native of Greenville, North Carolina, has lived in the East New York community for the past 20 years with her husband, Dwight and their son, Anthony. As an East New York resident, she has devoted a great deal of her time to helping the community to be a better place in which to live. For example, Genes has been a member of the 76th Precinct Community Council since 1980 where her efforts and devotion has been instrumental in uplifting her community. The Metropolitan Jewish Geriatric Center has employed Genes for the last 25 years as its Chief Switchboard Operator. She is also a shop delegate for Local 1199, 144 division for the past 19 years. In addition to these daily responsibilities, she is an active member of Liberty Baptist Church where she serves on the Pastor's Aid Committee as well as working with staff of Thomas Jefferson High school. Genes' civic activism includes membership in the Milford Street Block Association and work as a volunteer with the political campaigns of Senator Charles Schumer and New York State Comptroller Carl McCall. I commend the achievements of Genes Thompson, a true community activist, to the attention of my colleagues.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Freddie Hamilton, for her tremendous contributions to the Brooklyn community and her exemplary community service. As a native of New Orleans, LA, Freddie Hamilton has lived and worked in Central Brooklyn for almost 40 years. Over the years, Freddie has participated in numerous civic and political organizations and causes to improve the quality of life for children and families in her community. Ms. Hamilton is the founding executive director of the Child development Support Corporation, a child welfare agency in Bedford- Stuyvesant. The agency employs 150 people and provides a range of social services to over 3,000 children and families annually. After losing a 17-year-old son, as a result of gun violence, Ms. Hamilton became a founding member of Parents United to Rally for Gun Violence Elimination (PURGE). The organization was created to address the issues of gun violence among African American youth. Ms. Hamilton was successful plaintiff in the first class action strict liability suit against gun manufacturers. Since 1994, Freddie has served as the elected Democratic Committeewoman (District Leader) for the 57th Assembly District in Brooklyn. During a recent trip to Ghana, Freddie was honored in a traditional ``Enstoolment Ceremony'' to designate her a Queen Mother. She was given the name Nana Yaa Serwaa II and she is now an official elder of the township of Pankese in Ghana, West Africa. She and her husband, Johnnie Ray, have six children and they are the proud grandparents of five grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, please join me in saluting Freddie Hamilton for her dedication to her family and her community.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the retirement of a giant in the energy industry, Captain Bruce A. Beam. Bruce will retire from American Electric Power as Vice President of Governmental Affairs on February 28th after 34 years of service. I have gotten to know Bruce from my service on the Commerce Committee. Beginning with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and through the Energy Policy Act of 1992 I recognized Bruce as a source of accurate information and steadfast integrity. While we were not always on the same side on all the issues, I knew that at the end of the day I could expect a smile and a kind word from Bruce, regardless of the outcome. Bruce first came to Washington in the early 1970s as a commuter lobbyist from Roanoke, Virginia. In 1978 AEP decided that Bruce should establish a Washington office and after working out of his home for a while he settled into some space on K Street. The impact of having Bruce in DC full time was extremely positive and as a result the AEP Board of trustees elected Bruce Vice President of Governmental Affairs in 1981. In addition to ably representing AEP in Washington Bruce continued in his service to the US Navy culminating in his appointment to the Chief of Naval Operations Executive Advisory Committee. This important body provides guidance to the CNO on a host of issues dealing with national security. Bruce's service to this group has been and continues to be on a pro-bono basis. Although he will no longer be working the halls of Congress for AEP full time, I know we will see Bruce around Washington. Two of his children and three of his grandchildren live in the greater Washington area so we know that ``Poppy'' won't be going far away for any extended period of time. And I for one am happy about that, this way I can still get his goat when the Hokies have a bad day on the basketball court!

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support and acknowledge every airline passenger's right to a certain minimum of service. For this reason, I have joined my Senate colleagues Senator Ron Wyden and Senator John McCain in introducing the Airline Passenger Fairness Act of 1999, H.R. 752. This bill requires airlines to give passengers, their customers, decent and quality service. Once upon a time, customers could count on industry and businesses to provide quality customer service as the price of doing business. Yet, lately, this industry seems to be operating under the philosophy that their customers need them more than they need their customers. The abuses have been plentiful and varied, passengers have suffered from a shortage of seating, late or canceled flights without explanation, nonrefundable tickets, and failure to disclose information that would enable them to make informed decisions about various airline rates. The facts bare me out on this position. The 1998 Department of Transportation report stated that large United States air carriers charge twice as much as their large hub airports, where there is no low fare competition as they charge at a hub airport where a low fare competitor is present. Incredibly, the General Accounting Office discovered that fares range from 12 to 17 percent higher at hubs dominated by one carrier or a consortium. Also, the Department of Transportation's Domestic Airline Fares Consumer Report for the Third Quarter of 1997 listed seventy-five major city pairs where fares increased by 30 percent or more year-by-year, while total traffic in these cities pairs decreased by 863,500 passengers, or more than 20 percent. This Congress should be about the work of reaffirming citizens rights in all aspects of their life. We have introduced the, ``Patient's Bill of Rights'' for those individuals who seek medical assistance, and we must support ``The Flight Bill of Rights'' for the 600 million people who use this mode of transportation per year and are increasingly dissatisfied and endangered by substandard service and treatment.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I was disturbed by recent reports that there has been renewed violence against Christians in India. First a missionary and his two very young sons were burned to death in their jeep, then another nun was raped. Now the bodies of two more Christians have been found in the state of Orissa. Hindu nationalism is on an out- of-control rampage in India! The Sunday, February 7 issue of the Washington Times reported that the Archbishop of New Delhi, Alan de Lastic, blamed ``mercenaries'' for these hate crimes. He called on the government to take strong action to stop these things from occurring. These ``mercenaries'' are associated with organizations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a militant Hindu organization that comes under the militant, extremist Rashtria Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the party that leads the governing coalition, is also part of the RSS. Several Christian churches, prayer halls, and religious missions were destroyed in the last couple of months by Hindu extremists affiliated with the VHP. How can the Indian government be expected to take strong action against the perpetrators of these vicious acts when the perpetrators are part of their own political network? The violence forced many Christian congregations to cancel New Year's celebrations for fear of offending the Hindu militants, which could lead to further violence. Is this the secularism that India boasts about? Clearly, there is no religious freedom for these Christians in India. Unfortunately, these are just the latest incidents of violence against Christians in India. Four nuns were raped last year by a Hindu gang. The VHP described the rapists as ``patriotic youth'' and called the nuns ``antinational elements.'' To be Christian in secular India is to be an antinational element! At least three priests were killed in 1997 and 1998, and in 1997 police opened fire on a Christian festival that was promoting the theme ``Jesus is the Answer.'' Apparently, the Hindu Nationalists are afraid that the Dalits, or ``Untouchables'', the aboriginal people of South Asia who are at the bottom of the caste structure, are switching to other religions, primarily Christianity, thus improving their status. This undermines the caste structure which is the foundation of the Hindu social structure. The Indian government has killed more than 200,000 Christians since 1947 and the Christians of Nagaland, in the eastern part of India, are involved in one of 17 freedom movements within India's borders. But the Christians are not the only ones oppressed for their religion. India has murdered more than 250,000 Sikhs since 1984 and over 60,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, as well as many thousands of other people. The holiest shrine in the Sikh religion, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, is still under occupation by plainclothes police, some 14 years after India's brutal military attack on the Golden Temple. The previous Jathedar of the Akal Takht, Gurdev Singh Kaunke, was killed in police custody by being torn in half. The police disposed of his body. He had been tortured before the Indian government decided to kill him. The Babri mosque, the most sacred Muslim shrine in the state of Uttar Pradesh, was destroyed by the Hindu militants who advocate building a Hindu temple on the site. Yet India proudly boasts that it is a religiously tolerant, secular democracy. This kind of religious oppression does not deserve American support. We should take tough measures to ensure that India learns to respect basic human rights. All U.S. aid to India should be cut off and we should openly declare U.S. support for self-determination for all the peoples of the subcontinent. By these measures we can help bring religious freedom and basic human rights to Christians, Sikhs, Muslims, and everyone else in South Asia. Mr. Speaker, I submit an article on the archbishop's statement from the February 7 Washington Times into the Record. [From the Washington Times, February 7, 1999] Mercenaries Blamed for Attacks in India New Delhi--A prominent Catholic archbishop yesterday blamed ``mercenaries'' for a spate of attacks on Christians here and blamed the Indian government or tardy action against the perpetrators. New Delhi Archbishop Alan de Lastic, in a scathing attack on national and state governments, called for justice for the growing number of Christian victims of murder, rape and battery in India. A nun was raped Wednesday night in the eastern state of Orissa where Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two young sons were burnt to death in their car by a Hindu mob on January 22. The rape and the Staines' murders followed a spate of anti- Christian violence in the western state of Gujarat over Christmas. Radical Hindu groups linked to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajyapee's ruling BJP party have been blamed for inciting the attacks.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Lyda Lee Williams Saunders Whyte or Lady Lyda, the title bestowed on her by the pastors of the Brooklyn's Bridge Street A.M.E. Church, is a valiant community and church leader. Lady Lyda the oldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Williams was born on February 8, 1909, in Emborden VA. Early on her parents instilled in her the importance of obtaining an education. At the age of 10, she and her sister would walk for miles through woods just to attend school. When she was 13, she taught religious education at Mount Sinai Baptist Church and years later she earned her degree from Virginia State College, currently known as Virginia State University. In 1932 Lady Lee married the late Harry Arthalia Saunders and shortly thereafter they became members of Bridge Street A.M.E. Church. They were blessed to have two daughters, Delores and Walean. In 1973, after the death of her husband, she married Mr. Raymond Edward Whyte and immediately inherited 2 stepdaughters and 15 grandchildren. She now has a total of 21 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. In her capacity as a church and community leader Lady Lyda has served in various capacities: Twenty-four years as the secretary of the Official Board and Church Conference; secretary for the Senior Citizens Club, Lay Leadership, Church Anniversary Commission, and the Virginia Club of Membership and Evangelism. She also extended her reach into politics by running for State Assembly in New York State and has found time to travel extensively in the United States and abroad including; the Holy Land, England, Hawaii, Jamaica, and Canada. Lady Lyda is very proud of her family and their accomplishments. Her mother was a teaching specialist and her father was a hard worker and good provider. Her brothers and sisters are all educated and involved in church activities. Lady Lyda's daughter serves as an assistant administrator at Cabrini Hospital in New York.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, we have all heard Internal Revenue Service horror stories. Recently, the Washington Post began a series on harrowing encounters between the IRS and the average citizen. You do not have to be a Member of Congress to know that the average American deeply fears an IRS audit. This fear is not because of widespread tax fraud. The average American understands that tax revenue is the gasoline in the engine of our society. They do not balk from paying their fair share of taxes, but they fear that innocent mistakes or misunderstandings of complex laws will result in a large bill from the government. They know that it is not unusual for the penalty and interest payments to be two to three times higher than the actual tax owed. They know that it is not unusual for the agency to compound interest in such a way that the actual interest rate paid by the consumer is 40 percent. And they know that once they start paying they may never stop. Current IRS reforms have centered on administrative structure instead of agency practices. Taxpayers are more concerned about IRS tax assessment practices than its organizational structure. Inequitable or coercive collection practices not only diminish respect for the government but cause hardship in individual lives. This legislation will bring much needed fairness to IRS collection practices and prevent the unjustifiable financial ruin of so many working American families. After discussing this measure with several of my colleagues, I am truly optimistic about the opportunity for expediting this legislation through the legislative process. Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to introduce the Fairness in IRS Debt Payment Act of 1999, which will require the Internal Revenue Service to compound interest annually (instead of daily); apply payments equally, and cap penalty accumulation. Additionally, the bill will prohibit the IRS from re-auditing an account or unilaterally suspending a payment plan. Finally, the bill will require the agency to issue written guidelines on penalty abatement and provide the taxpayer with a written explanation for refusal of a penalty abatement request.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Leotta Gittens Howell, who on February 14, 1999 will be 100 years old. She is a woman whose passion filled life serves as an example to us all. Born on February 13, 1899, Leotta Gittens was the first of four children born to Alberta and Thomas Gittens on the sunny island of Barbados, West Indies. Leotta was educated in Barbados and at an early age showed an affinity to the sewing craft. She created garments for her family, and beautiful and imaginative party dresses and gowns for special occasions. Loetta Gittens immigrated to the United States in 1922. She met and married Edgar Howell in 1924 and from this union, a daughter Marilyn Alleyne, was born. Leotta exhibited a true entrepreneurial spirit by continuing her seamstress business, while working full time during the day. After the death of her husband, Ms. Howell continued her success as a seamstress. When her daughter, a professional musician, performed she was adorned in her mother's creations. Ms. Howell retired in 1970 and true to her spirit became active in the Fort Greene Senior Citizens Center. She became and remains an active member today. Mr. Speaker, I would like you and my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to join me in a standing ovation for Ms. Leotta Howell Gittens.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, as you know, there has been a recent wave of attacks by Hindu Nationalists on Christian churches, prayer halls, and schools. This has followed the killings of priests, the raping of four nuns by a Hindu mob described by the Hindu Nationalist VHP as ``patriotic youth.'' Just this week, more churches have been attacked. No action has been taken to stop the religious violence. This situation has made it clear to the world that India's claims of democracy and secularism are fraudulent. In this light, it was encouraging to see a letter in the January 18 issue of the Washington Times by Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh, President of the council of Khalistan, that addresses this issue. We all know Dr. Aulakh to be a tough and fair advocate of independence for the Sikhs in Khalistan, who have also come under the tyranny of Indian ``secularism.'' I would recommend to my colleagues that they read Dr. Aulakh's letter. It will give them a lot of information on the reality of religious repression in India. As Dr. Aulakh wrote, ``These attacks show that religious freedom in India is a myth.'' Christians, Sikhs, and Muslims have suffered at the hands of India's ruling elite. As the letter shows, they are all being murdered by the Indian government. That government has paid more than 41,000 cash bounties to police officers for killing Sikhs. Meanwhile, Amnesty International and other independent human-rights monitors have been kept out of India since 1978, even longer than Communist Cuba has kept them out. A country that kills its minorities for their ethnic or religious identity is not a fit recipient of American support. As the only superpower and the leader of the world, we have a duty to do whatever we can to support the cause of freedom in South Asia. We should cut off American aid and trade to India until human rights, including religious liberty, are secure and regularly practiced. We should declare India a violator of religious freedom and impose the sanctions appropriate to that status. And to ensure the safety of religious and political freedom in South Asia, we should declare our support for the 17 freedom movements within India's borders. We can start by calling for full self-determination for the Sikhs of Khalistan, the Muslims of Kashmir, and the Christians of Nagaland. These steps will help bring the people of South Asia the kind of freedom that we in America enjoy. Mr. Speaker, I would like to introduce Dr. Aulakh's letter in the January 18 Washington Times into the Record. [From the Washington Times, Jan. 18, 1999] India Continues to Restrict Religious Freedom (By Gurmit Singh Aulakh) Thank you for your editorial (``Mother Teresa's children,'' Jan. 10) exposing more than 90 attacks on Christians since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power last year. These attacks show that religious freedom in India is a myth. Just when we thought the recent wave of attacks on Christians in India was over, your editorial exposed the burning of two more churches by Hindu mobs affiliated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a militant Hindu nationalist organization that is also the parent organization of the ruling (BJP). It is not just Christians who have suffered from persecution and violence in the hands of the Indian government. Sikhs and Muslims, among others, have been victimized as well. In August 1997, Narinder Singh, a spokesman for the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the center and seat of the Sikh religion, told National Public Radio: ``The Indian government, all the time they boast that they're democratic, they're secular, but they have nothing to do with a democracy, they have nothing to do with secularism. They try to crush Sikhs just to please the majority.'' The Indian government has killed more than 200,000 Christians since 1947. It has also murdered more than 250,000 Sikhs since 1984, over 60,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988 and tens of thousands of other religious and ethnic minorities. The most revered mosque in India has been destroyed to build a Hindu temple. Police murdered the highest Sikh spiritual and religious leader, Akal Takht Jathedar Gurdev Singh Kaunke, and human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra. There are police witnesses to both of these crimes. The U.S. State Department reported that between 1992 and 1994 the Indian government paid more than 41,000 cash bounties to police for killing Sikhs. Plainclothes police continue to occupy the Golden Temple. There have been more than 200 reported atrocities against Sikhs since the Akali/Dal/BJP government took power in March 1997. It is not just the BJP that has practiced religious tyranny in pursuit of a Hindu theocracy in India. Many of these incidents came under the rule of the Congress Party. No matter who is in power, the minorities in India suffer from severe oppression. The only solution is to support self- determination for the peoples and nations of South Asia, so they can live in freedom, peace, prosperity and security. India is not a single country; it is a polyglot empire that was thrown together by the British for their political convenience. Its breakup is inevitable. As the world's only superpower, the United States has a responsibility to make sure this process is peaceful, as it was for the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. Otherwise, a Bosnia will be created in South Asia. Thank you for exposing the true nature of India's ``secular democracy.'' Exposing these brutal practices will help bring true freedom to South Asia.

Mr. TOWNS

Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I was disturbed by recent reports that several Christian churches, prayer halls, and religious missions have recently been destroyed by Hindu extremists affiliated with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), a militant Hindu organization. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the party that leads the governing coalition, is also part of the VHP. The violence forced many Christian congregations to cancel New Year's celebrations for fear of offending the Hindu militants, which could lead to further violence. Is this the secularism that India boasts about? Clearly, there is no religious freedom for these Christians in India. Unfortunately, these are just the latest incidents of violence against Christians in India. Four nuns were raped last year by a Hindu gang. The VHP described the rapists as ``patriotic youth'' and called the nuns ``antinational elements.'' To be Christian in secular India is to be an antinational element! At least three priests were killed in 1997 and 1998, and in 1997 police opened fire on a Christian festival that was promoting the theme ``Jesus is the Answer.'' Apparently, the Hindu Nationalists are afraid that the Dalits, or ``Untouchables'', the aboriginal people of South Asia who are at the bottom of the caste structure, are switching to other religions, primarily Christianity, thus improving their status. This undermines the caste structure which is the foundation of the Hindu social structure. The Indian government has killed more than 200,000 Christians since 1947 and the Christians of Nagaland, in the eastern part of India, are involved in one of 17 freedom movements within India's borders. But the Christians are not the only ones oppressed for their religion. India has murdered more than 250,000 Sikhs since 1984 and over 60,000 Muslims in Kashmir since 1988, as well as many thousands of other people. The holest shrine in the Sikh religion, the Golden Temple in Amritsar, is still under occupation by plainclothes police, some 14 years after India's brutal military attack on the Golden Temple. The previous Jathedar of the Akal Takht, Gurdev Singh Kaunke, was killed in police custody by being torn in half. The police disposed of his body. He had been tortured before the Indian government decided to kill him. The Babri mosque, the most sacred Muslim shrine in the state of Uttar Pradesh, was destroyed by the Hindu militants who advocate building a Hindu temple on the site. Yet India proudly boasts that it is a religiously tolerant, secular democracy. This kind of religious oppression does not deserve American support. We should take tough measures to ensure that India learns to respect basic human rights. All U.S. aid to India should be cut off and we should openly declare U.S. support for self-determination for all the peoples of the subcontinent. By these measures we can help bring religious freedom and basic human rights to Christians, Sikhs, Muslims, and everyone else in South Asia. Mr. Speaker, I would like to introduce Press reports on the attacks on Christian religious institutions into the Record. [From the Washington Post, January 3, 1999] Hindus Blamed for Attacks on Christians New Delhi.--India's main opposition Congress party said a wave of attacks on Christians appeared to be a campaign by Hindu right-wing groups to whip up conflict. Police detained 45 Hindus Friday in connection with torching a Catholic prayer hall by mobs Wednesday. Four nuns and two priests were injured in the 10th reported attack against Christians since Christmas. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks in the western state of Gujarat, but Congress and Christian activists blame Hindu right-wing activists, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad--World Hindu Council--and its affiliate, Bajrang Dal. Christians make up 2.3 percent of the 960 million people in politically secular India. More than 80 percent of the population are Hindus.