Tom Udall

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Boehner) and the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon), for their comments and commitment to work to address this issue. Additionally, I would like to point out that the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, which represents 32 tribal colleges and universities, worked closely with Congress to create the program under section 117 to ensure a source of core operational funding for vocational educational opportunities. Dr. Jim Shanley, President of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, has sent a letter in support of this effort. I appreciate the Chairman's cooperation during negotiations with the Senate.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the New Mexico elementary school that continues to make leaps and bounds in the superior educational standards that we strive for in the national public schools system. Mesa Elementary School in Clovis, New Mexico, has an outstanding history of educational advancement, and today I wish to congratulate Mesa Elementary for receiving the U.S. Department of Education's 2000-2001 Blue Ribbon Schools Award for outstanding achievement in elementary education. The Blue Ribbon Schools Award is presented to schools that excel in numerous fields, from strong leadership, clear visions for the future, and a strong sense of mission to the high quality of teaching, up-to-date curricula, and a commitment to share their knowledge with other area schools. This year, the Blue Ribbon Schools Award was only given to 264 elementary schools nationwide. The Central Primary School in Bloomfield, New Mexico, was also presented with the Blue Ribbon Schools Award this year. Mesa Elementary School promotes the philosophy that children are intelligent in numerous ways and incorporate this belief into the daily functions of the school. Principal Jan Cox has done an incredible job of translating this notion of applied learning into the mission of the school by bringing together the staff, students, parents, and the community of Clovis to provide an environment conducive to excellence. Student participation is one of the areas in which Mesa Elementary has shown to be one of the best in the country, and it has become a defining characteristic of the school. When it opened in 1991, Mesa Elementary students were involved from the start, selecting the school colors, mascot, and composing both the school song and pledge. Today, one student from each grade serves on the Student Advisory Council, which aids Principal Cox in various aspects of administrative processes at Mesa Elementary. Students help select the daily cafeteria menu by serving on the Nutrition Advisory Council. Kindergarten through sixth grade students run businesses in the Mesa Elementary Mall, supplying students with products, from school supplies to refreshments. The Mesa Tech Lab, a computer resource center for the school, utilizes students who are proficient with computers as lab ``techies'' to help other students learn the programs. One of the most influential learning tools that Mesa Elementary provides for its students is the Students Who Are Tutors (SWAT) team, a group of student mentors. The SWAT team was created under the Reading Rennaissance Program (RRP), a nationwide literacy program aimed at improving students' critical thinking skills and their performance on standardized tests. In this program, students from higher grades assist students from lower grades who are not yet independent readers. Mesa Elementary was a model school for the RRP, and this past year the school made a presentation at the first ever RRP Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Mesa Elementary has won numerous awards for excellence over the past six years, including the Redbook Magazine Award for Excellence in 1995, the Reading Renaissance Model School and Library Awards in 1998, and the President's Physical Fitness Award in 1996, 1997 and 2000. Through their determination to achieve quality educational standards and provide influential learning environments, the staff, students, and parents of Mesa Elementary School have exemplified what it takes to be true leaders in education for elementary schools across the country. I wish to commend Mesa Elementary School upon receiving the prestigious Blue Ribbon Schools Award, and I know that it will be one of the leaders in providing quality education for New Mexican students for years to come.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to acclaim the accomplishments of one of New Mexico's top primary schools that shows the nation what it takes to be a leader in the educational field. I want to congratulate the Central Primary School in Bloomfield, New Mexico, for receiving the U.S. Department of Education's highest award, the 2000-2001 Blue Ribbon Schools Award for outstanding achievement in elementary education. The Blue Ribbon Schools Award is presented to schools that excel in numerous fields, from strong leadership, clear visions for the future, and a strong sense of mission to the high quality of teaching and up- to-date curricula, and a commitment to share their knowledge with other area schools. This year, the Blue Ribbon Schools Award was only given to 264 elementary or primary schools nationwide. Mesa Elementary School in Clovis, New Mexico, was also presented with the Blue Ribbon Schools Award this year. The Bloomfield school district is in the ``Four Corners'' area of the state, which is the only place in the U.S. where four states--New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona--meet. This area has an extremely diverse population, with the school-age children reflecting this diversity in the classroom. There, one-third of the students are Anglo, one-third of the students are Hispanic, and one-third of the students are Navajo. The ability of Central Primary to continually strive for excellence in the classroom and the community is transferred to its students, who learn the important skills they will need to live successful lives. Mr. Speaker, today I wish to acknowledge the outstanding achievements of the Central Primary School for its impressive achievements in the field of education. I thank the school for its commitment to the children of New Mexico.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, for the past 13 years, the Santa Fe Boys and Girls Club on Alto Street has been a source of inspiration for Joelle Martinez. On March 16, 2001, Ms. Martinez was rewarded for her hard work and determination when she was named the Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year. The Youth of the Year program serves to recognize outstanding young people for their superior leadership skills, academic achievements, triumph over personal hardships, as outstanding contributions to the community. Ms. Martinez had to endure a rigorous selection process in which she submitted a packet that included essays regarding her involvement at school, in church, with her family, and at the Boys and Girls Club to show her leadership skills within the community. After her packet was evaluated, seven judges, most of whom were Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors, conducted interviews and selected Ms. Martinez for the award. Ms. Martinez, a senior at Calvary Chapel Christian Academy, first came to the Boys and Girls Club when she was five years old, and she has actively participated ever since. Over the years, Ms. Martinez has participated in numerous activities aimed at keeping at-risk students involved in the community and off the streets. She has been involved in basketball, swimming, photography, wrestling, dancing and cheerleading. Today, Ms. Martinez is a staff member of the Boys and Girls Club, working with the children of Santa Fe each day after school. Ms. Martinez played varsity basketball at Calvary Chapel and was selected to the All-Star team. She is a member of the National Honor Society, successfully maintaining a 3.0 or better grade point average. Recently, Ms. Martinez went on a mission trip to Spain, France and England with Calvary Chapel, and she continues to work with the Keystone Club, a teen organization aimed at philanthropy in the community. As part of her award, Ms. Martinez received a $4,000 scholarship to use at the college or university of her choice. She has already made plans for her future, looking at several New Mexico colleges and a few out-of-state Christian schools to continue her education, where she will pursue a degree in either Computer Science or Criminal Justice. Ms. Martinez is living proof of how the Boys and Girls Clubs of America impact the lives of children in communities throughout the nation. They develop a solid foundation of positive moral and ethnical values for our youths. The five Boys and Girls Clubs in Santa Fe County alone have more than 2,500 members and serve more than 55,000 people in the community. Today, the Boys and Girls Clubs provide children of working parents with after-school alternatives to drugs and violence, yet President Bush's budget cuts funding from these programs. His plan would extinguish a flame that has been lighting the County of Santa Fe for more than 60 years, seriously impacting the community. I hope there will be sufficient funding so that future generations have the opportunity to work with mentors like Ms. Martinez, who provide beacons of light that guide the way for other youth across the country.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Madam Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 581. This bill allows us to use wildland fire funds to deal with endangered species issues, and it does so in a very responsible way. This is a win-win for everyone. It is a responsible piece of environmental legislation. The National Fire Plan will move forward on an expedited basis, thereby protecting our communities and their watersheds. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will have the essential tools and resources to resolve issues related to overall ecosystem health. I want to applaud the gentleman from Colorado (Chairman Hefley) and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen), for their hard work and leadership on this issue. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this bill. Madam Chairman, the Wildland Fire Management Act, H.R. 581, provides the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture legal authority to use wildland fire management funds for reimbursement of costs associated with Endangered Species Act compliance. The strategy of the National Fire Plan is to identify ecosystem health issues in a manner that protects our communities. I support the National Fire Plan and believe it is a significant step in addressing a complex problem. To support the implementation of the National Fire Plan, the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture attempted to transfer funds to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service in support of administering the Endangered Species Act. On December 26, 2000, however, the USDA Office of the General Council (OGC) rendered a formal opinion eliminating the use of the Economy Act as the vehicle for transferring to other agencies funds that were originally appropriated in FY 2001 to the Forest Service for ESA consultation in implementing the National Fire Plan. Thus, the wildland fire management agencies were forced to identify other alternatives to meet ESA requirements. Moreover, on January 10, 2001, the deputy chiefs of the USDA Forest Service wrote to their field units about the importance of implementing the National Fire Plan. In the letter, they recommended the Plan be a top priority because consultation for activities such as fuels management is critical to achieving success on the ground and to the establishment of a long-term program. The letter outlined several options to keep the agency moving forward. However, there is still concern that a lack of funding for ESA consultations will slow down the approval of all wildland fire projects. The intent of H.R. 581 is to allow the federal agencies to do their job, implement the National Fire Plan, and keep the agencies moving forward. This bill is consistent with the National Fire Plan's goal of assigning the highest priority for hazardous fuels reduction to communities at risk, readily accessible municipal watersheds, threatened and endangered species habitat, and other important local features, where conditions favor uncharacteris- tically intense fires. In conclusion, the National Fire Plan is a step in the right direction. The fires of 2000 underscored the importance of pursuing an aggressive program that addresses the fuels problem by encouraging collaboration between local communities, state governments, and Tribal, and federal agencies. In fact, the Report to the President In Response to the Wildfires of 2000, issued by the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior, stated that funding would be available to support Endangered Species Act consultation work by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. H.R. 581 ensures that a mechanism is in place to do just that. I therefore strongly urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Aqui en el Valle newspaper, headquartered in Bloomfield, New Mexico, and its founder, LaVerta Valdez-Johnson, on its recent one-year anniversary. In that short period, this newspaper has delivered dedicated service and commitment to the Hispanic community in the Four Corners area. Aqui en el Valle, or ``Here in the Valley,'' is typically focused on positive local news and information that benefits the Hispanic community. The paper also focuses on Southwestern history and profiles of successful Hispanics. The newspaper is even used in Bloomfield elementary and high schools for Spanish language classes. The Aqui en el Valle, however, would never have become a reality without the persistence and vision of LaVerta Valdez-Johnson. She was told by the business community that a Hispanic newspaper was not a sound investment. Undeterred, Mrs. Valdez-Johnson, with the help of her husband, Wesley and son, Russ, the monthly paper has gone from 1,000 copies in March, 2000, to a circulation today of more than 5,000. It has established a strong and diverse base of support and serves a vast area of 11 New Mexico towns that stretch from Bloomfield to Santa Fe. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commending LaVerta Valdez-Johnson for not backing down from her dream and to extend best wishes for continued success in the coming years.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, when a deadly fire devastated Los Alamos, New Mexico, and surrounding communities in May, 2000, Susan Musgrave, the executive director of the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce stepped up to the challenge of helping the community recover and rebuild. There are hundreds of unsung heroes from the Cerro Grande fire, and Ms. Musgrave is one of them. The intense Cerro Grande fire forced local residents to evacuate and essentially closed down Los Alamos for eight days. When residents were allowed to return on May 15, they found the fire had left more than 420 people homeless and destroyed a number of local businesses. To help the town get back on its feet, the Chamber took the lead in coordinating relief and rebuilding efforts. I can attest that Ms. Musgrave and others met with me and my staff during this time to see what they could do and to continue to provide us with assistance. Within five days after the fire, in conjunction with local banking institutions, the Chamber had established a loan fund for Los Alamos businesses. These businesses could apply for a six- month loan up to $25,000 with a 7.5 percent interest rate. The Chamber paid the interest expense on the loans for six months. Through this effort, more than $640,000 in loans were made available to 37 companies in Los Alamos. Businesses were able to take care of short-term financial needs and stabilize the effects of lost revenue after being closed for almost eight days. A Web site for construction contractors interested in helping Los Alamos rebuild was on line within a week of the disaster. Thanks to generous donations from member businesses and individuals, the Chamber was able to extend help to others with an immediate need for funds, including renters and homeowners without insurance. By May 20, gifts in the amount of $1,000 were distributed to 97 families who had lost their homes. As the fund grew, the Chamber was able to make a second distribution in the amount of $500 to the same individuals. The Chamber's total contribution topped $142,000. In addition, 12 college students who lost their homes were each given $1,000 towards their recovery needs. The Chamber also helped spread the word that Los Alamos was once again ``open for business'' through an innovative advertising campaign. The Chamber underwrote 80 percent of the costs for member businesses who took out advertisements to let the community know The Chamber's good deeds did not go unnoticed. Ms. Musgrave was named New Mexico's Chamber Executive of the Year 2000 by the New Mexico Business Journal and the Association of Commerce and Industry. The award recognized her exceptional and exemplary services to the Chamber and the community. Thanks to the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce's strong leadership and coordination, Los Alamos recovered quickly. And, the Chamber has earned respect and gratitude from its member businesses and the local community. Additionally, since then the recovery began, Ms. Musgrave has continually been a leader in seeking to correct the technical setbacks that have faced victims of the Cerro Grande fire. She has kept me informed of the concerns of local businesses and the community in general. Her actions led to my introducing legislation in the House of Representatives, H.R. 1095, intended to make claims of the fire tax- free. The Chamber has also contacted me on issues that are not fire- related. I am proud to serve as a member of the Small Business Committee and, as a result, work on matters vital to the Chamber. For example, we have worked together on daycare issues facing employees of the Los Alamos National Laboratory and other equally important items. Mr. Speaker, Susan Musgrave is not only a wonderful asset for the Chamber of Commerce, but she is a true champion for the state of New Mexico. I am proud to know her, and I thank her for her continued service.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to talk about an issue that I know is going to become a very serious issue in this session of Congress, and that is a national energy policy. This administration is going to unveil in the coming weeks their plan for a national energy policy and I thought it was important to talk a little bit about what I think should be in that national energy policy and how we ought to look forward. Energy and energy issues are not just about today. I think the people of this country pay us to look out to the future, 25, 50 years, and put this Nation on a very strong basis where we can be energy efficient. Are we in that condition today? I do not think so. I think increasingly in recent years, we have gone up and up with imports. We have increased our dependence on foreign oil. In fact, in the 1960s we imported about 20 percent of our oil. We are approaching today about 60 percent of our oil. So we are getting heavily dependent on imports. Where is the foreign oil coming from that we are importing? Over 55 percent of that oil is coming from seven countries. They are in the Middle East, a volatile region, a region where there is always something going to happen that might impact the oil supply. So we need to look ahead. I wanted to talk a little bit about what are the components of a national energy policy. First of all, we have to look at having a strong domestic industry. Many States out in the West, New Mexico is one of them, have strong, vital domestic oil industries. We have to make sure that those industries stay strong and that we give the incentive so that they can develop. Secondly, we have to look at fuel efficiency. In the last end of this administration, the Clinton administration, we talked about energy efficiency and the Clinton administration, through Secretary Richardson, who is from my home State and a colleague of mine, he put in a requirement that air conditioners in the future have 30 percent energy efficiency. I find it very unfortunate that this administration has rolled that back. Rather than get more energy-efficient air conditioners which use up huge amounts of energy in the summer, that has been rolled back. We need to look at fuel efficiency. If we just increased our automobile efficiency 3 miles per gallon, that would equal all of the oil that is in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. So fuel efficiency on automobiles is another important component, and I hope that this administration recommends that. In addition to air conditioners, there are a number of other appliances which could be more energy efficient. We need to look at every one of those, and I hope there are some major recommendations in that area. Then we need to look at conservation. Since 1900 until today, we have used up enormous sums of oil. Some estimates are that we have used up half of what all there is out there. That, to me, is deplorable. The amount of time that people have been on this earth and just a couple of generations here are using it all. A good conservation ethic says that we should leave the world in a better place for our children. So we should not be using such a vital resource at such a rapid pace. So we need to apply a conservation ethic. I hope this President speaks out and says, in terms of a national energy policy, we need conservation and we need it to be a big part of government and private sector and throughout the economy. The last area that I think needs to be emphasized here is alternative and renewable forms of energy. If we focus on fuel cells, solar, wind, biomass, do the research, bring down the costs, we can be a country that is energy independent; and we will not be so dependent on this foreign oil. When it comes to those areas, I really do not understand this President cutting solar and wind and some of the other renewable forms. So in sum, Mr. Speaker, let us look at a true national energy policy in the coming weeks.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) very much for yielding to me. Let me first of all just congratulate the gentleman on his leadership in the environmental area. I know that the State of New Jersey cares a lot about the environment, too. He has been a real leader when it comes to renewables and coastal resources and protecting them. So I just want to congratulate the gentleman for all his hard work in that area and thank him for participating today. I wanted to talk about the 100-day period and talk a little bit about budget priorities. It seems to me that, as President, one puts in one's budget the thing that one cares about, and one cuts the things that one does not care about. Looking at a budget is a real test of where the country is going to head under this President. So I think the budget speaks louder than words more than anything. I think one can have a lot of talk and one can have action, but the budget reflects where one wants to take the country. That is where I think this budget that has just come out, and by the way, I think it is very interesting that we had all of these votes on tax cuts and overall budget resolutions without ever seeing a budget. I mean, that is the most devastating thing is to not even be able to see a budget before one votes on the revenue side of the picture. So let us take a look at what this budget reflects on environmental issues. First of all, we have cuts across the board in various agencies that deal with the environment. Let us take the Environmental Protection Agency. This is an agency that enforces the law, that works very hard to make sure that air quality and water quality and toxic waste standards are all met. Those things are very, very important to Americans. Cut EPA 8 percent in the President's budget. Now, my understanding from talking to some of our members on the Committee on the Budget is these cuts this year even get more severe in succeeding years. So we are talking about serious deep cuts to a very important agency like the Environmental Protection Agency. Now, in my home State, we have a couple of national laboratories and they are real jewels and they do a lot of great research. But in the past, many, many years ago, they had nuclear waste which they disposed of in improper ways. So there has been a 10-year program to try to get that cleaned up. Well, basically in this budget what the President is telling places like Los Alamos is we are going to slow that cleanup down because they cut the nuclear waste cleanup budget for the Department of Energy. One of the other big items in this budget that I think is a very, very important issue is research on alternative and renewable forms of energy. If one looks in that Department of Energy budget for solar, wind, other alternative and renewable sources of energy, big cuts in those budgets. To me, that just does not make any sense. Now, let us jump to the campaign trail for a minute, because President Bush talked a lot on the campaign trail about how he was for full funding of the land and water conservation fund. This is a fund that helps the Federal Government, States, localities, cities try to do everything they can to protect parks and to expand parks and to refurbish recreation areas. That is what the land and water conservation funds. President Bush said in his campaign full funding of land and water conservation fund. The Congress passed by a very, very big margin a bill that, over the next 10 years, put significant monies; and there was another big huge cut to the tune of $260 million in land and water conservation fund monies going into parks, going in to help people with recreation areas. This is a shared relationship. This is something that the Federal Government does with a city and a county. They put up half the money, we put up half the money, we go into it together to create a park and a community. One other department I want to mention because it is very important in the West is the Department of Interior. The President's budget once again has big cuts in the Department of Interior. What we have here, and I think it is a very sad situation, we have a lot of talk about how we are going to take care of the environment. We are going to move towards clean air and clean water. Yet when we look at this budget blueprint, we end up finding out that this President wants to cut in all of these crucial areas, from the Environmental Protection Agency to nuclear waste cleanup in DOE, to research on alternative and renewable forms of energy, to the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Department of Interior. I find it deplorable that this administration would cut so deeply into those vital environmental programs. I again applaud the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) for his efforts on this issue.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of my constituents who has demonstrated great heroism. This extraordinary individual is Mr. Rico Giron, of San Miguel County, who risked his own life to save the lives of two young drowning children. Upon hearing the cries of the drowning children at a lake, Mr. Giron raced his boat toward the younger brother and sister and dived into the water after them. After pulling the girl ashore, Mr. Giron plunged back into the water to rescue the other boy. Using every last ounce of strength and energy, Mr. Giron was able to pull the boy ashore before collapsing from exhaustion. Mr. Giron's valiant efforts saved the lives of these two young children. For this exceptional bravery, the Andrew Carnegie Hero Fund Foundation has awarded Mr. Giron the prestigious Carnegie Medal which recognizes those individuals who risks his or her own life to save or attempt to save the life of another person. Very few individuals are awarded the Carnegie Medal, hence this is a grand achievement and Mr. Giron deserves a hero's welcome. The quotation that adorns the Carnegie Medal truly describes Mr. Giron's act of bravery: Greater love hath no man than that a man lay down his life for his friends. Please join me in recognizing the generous actions of Mr. Giron.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, today I share with my colleagues the deep respect and admiration that I have for our nation's school nurses. As you may know, January 6th was National School Nurse Day, and I used that opportunity to extend recognition to those who provide medical care for our children in New Mexico's schools. As health care professionals, school nurses serve a unique role in our education system. They witness suffering and do their best to calm and help our students. Nurses bring their professional skills to bear, but they also bring their compassion and knowledge to help those at their most vulnerable. I believe that the contribution school nurses make to our students and schools is often overlooked. Recently, I have been in touch with several school nurses, administrators, and others who have taken the time to inform me about the unique challenges that our rural health care school nurses face. Many of my colleagues would be surprised to learn that many schools in rural New Mexico do not have full-time nurses. Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor the school nurses that serve McKinley County of my home state. These health care professionals deserved to be recognized for their contributions: Regina Belmont, E.J. Charles, Anna Chavez, Veronica Chavez, Lynne Dennison, Allison Kozeliski, Sara Landavazo, Barbara Lope, Phyllis Lynch, Esther Saucedo, Pam Smith, Camille Quest, and Nancy VanDipien. They have difficult jobs and I want to commend them for their service. I would also like to recognize Cynthia Greenberg, who is the president of the New Mexico School Nurses Association, for her commitment to our schools and students. In closing, I want to thank all the school nurses in New Mexico and around the country for their enthusiasm and dedication. I call on my colleagues to join me in thanking them for their valuable work.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise and announce that an exhibition entitled ``Carr, O'Keefe, Kahlo: Places of Their Own'' has been organized by Dr. Sharyn Udall of my home town, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Each artist in this exhibition represents one of the three great countries of North America: Canada, the United States and Mexico. This exhibition, therefore, celebrates the cultural bond of the North American continent which transcends national borders. We may well find that this cultural bond will also prove to be a benefit to our mutual economic interests. In the Congress, we often talk about the need for opening our borders for trade, commerce, importation and exportation. Rarely do we reflect on the need for the international exchange of art. This exhibition gives us an opportunity to do so. This exhibition also celebrates the contribution of women to the arts. Each of the three artists, Emily Carr of Canada, Georgia O'Keefe of the United States, and Frida Kahlo of Mexico, became one of her country's preeminent twentieth century painters. Each is recognized as a legend. Viewed together, their work takes us beyond all borders and the only passport needed is the eyes and the heart. ``Carr, O'Keefe, Kahlo: Places of Their Own'' can be seen in Toronto, Canada, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico and, a year from now, at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington DC. It is a tribute to these artists and to the spirit of cultural cooperation in North America.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an important anniversary of the United States: 153 years ago, the United States and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty sought to protect the property rights of those who remained in the United States and became United States citizens. There is now substantial evidence there were many violations of this treaty's provisions. The GAO has undertaken an investigation to get to the heart of this important matter. This situation cries out for justice. I urge all my colleagues to follow this study closely so we can bring justice to this issue. Mr. Speaker, February 2nd marks the 153d anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican War, and ceded to the United States what is now California, Arizona and New Mexico. The Treaty also recognized U.S. claims over Texas, with the Rio Grande as its southern boundary. In turn, the United States paid Mexico $15,000,000, and among other things, agreed to recognize prior land grants issued by Spain and Mexico to individuals, communities, and indigenous pueblo people. Thus, during the 50 years that followed the signing, numerous procedures were developed to evaluate and validate the land grants. However, the change in sovereignty in 1848 brought together two different legal systems--the Spanish/Mexican and the Anglo-American. These competing legal systems resulted in the inability of the United States to properly recognize and honor the role that custom played in preserving the lands and waters in accordance with Spanish and Mexican law. Mr. Speaker, this along with other facts, suggests that the manner in which these private and communal land grants were evaluated by the U.S. Courts and by Congress, did not satisfy the obligations assumed by the United States when we signed the treaty. To address this issue, the GAO has embarked on a study of whether the United States fulfilled its obligations under the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo with regard to land grants made by Spain and Mexico. I am pleased that the initial exposure draft was recently completed, and I believe that this ongoing study is a proper step in addressing the numerous issues regarding the Treaty and its implementation. Mr. Speaker, the issues that have evolved from the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo center on the concept of fairness and justice. Thus, I ask that all Americans acknowledge the 153d anniversary of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, by recognizing the many issues that remain to be properly addressed in order to assure a fair evaluation of the land grant claims.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, this week is National Catholic School Week. I want to take this opportunity to highlight, praise and congratulate our Catholic schools in my home state of New Mexico. A whole host of events and presentations are planned for this annual observance of the significant role that Catholic elementary and secondary schools play in educating our young people. This is also an occasion to observe the high standard of excellence and the quality of education available in these institutions. Mr. Speaker, whatever our religious affiliations, we can all admit that for many generations our parochial schools have achieved outstanding results in providing an excellent education. Even non- Catholic parents have turned to the parochial schools to educate their children. I especially wish to acknowledge Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. His strong leadership is an example to all of us. On Sunday, April 25, 1999, an editorial by Archbishop Sheehan appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. As he eloquently stated, ``Learning takes place in the home and in the classroom. To improve academic performance, we have to have students who are willing and ready to learn, competent teachers who care about children and who have high expectations of students, and parents and extended families who also care and have high expectations of their children.'' Indeed, Archbishop Sheehan has captured the essence of education. I urge all my colleagues to join with me and salute the fine people that make the Catholic schools in New Mexico a reality. It is in the spirit of this wonderful celebration that I wish to recognize and pay tribute to Catholic Schools Week.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 93, the Federal Firefighters Retirement Act, and this measure increases the mandatory separation age for Federal firefighters from 55 to 57. Last year was one of the worst fire seasons in our Nation's history. My own congressional district experienced the devastating effects of the Cerro Grande and the Vivash fires which consumed over 75,000 acres, and burned over 200 homes. The exemplary courage and dedication of the firefighters who have fought these wildfires was tremendous. In fact, these same firefighters continued to fight fire throughout the Nation beyond the normal fire season that charred almost 7 million acres. Last year, however, it became difficult to find enough firefighters to suppress, manage and support these large fires. This prompted the need to hire back some of the retired firefighting force. We are losing wildland firefighters at an alarming rate to retirement or other occupations. For example, in 1999, 57 percent of the U.S. Forest Service firefighters were age 45 or older. Madam Speaker, I would ask all my colleagues to support this bill. H.R. 93 would allow the Federal Wildland fire agencies to keep experienced firefighters on the line to safely protect homes, families, and businesses. Moreover, the bill would allow more time for senior fire managers to obtain higher incident command qualifications. H.R. 93 amends Federal civil service laws to make the mandatory separation age the same with respect to the age in which Federal law enforcement officers can retire. Furthermore, the legislation is estimated to save the Federal Government approximately $4 million over 5 years. By allowing Federal firefighters the option of continuing their careers for another 2 years, we will bolster our firefighting capabilities with more experience and knowledge. I, therefore, urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, last month Los Alamos National Bank was presented the prominent Baldridge Award. This superior bank deserves congressional recognition as well. I share an extreme sense of pride in knowing that one of New Mexico's own, and a business in my Third Congressional District, has received this highly coveted and prestigious recognition. What makes this award so special is that it represents excellence in every aspect. Quality improvement is an evolutionary process, and those businesses and organizations that commit themselves to this endeavor are investing not only in themselves, but in those they serve. Los Alamos National Bank by virtue of your involvement in quality New Mexico, deserve to be applauded for seeking out the knowledge and training to raise the bar for your customers, your clients, my constituents and our community. Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit for the Record this article for the New Mexican recognizing the Los Alamos National Bank. I would also urge all my colleagues to congratulate the fine employees of this establishment. Los Alamos Bank Wins Prestigious National Award (By Bob Quick) A very unbanklike cheer resounded in Los Alamos National Bank this week when employees learned the bank was one of four winners nationwide of the prestigious 2000 Malcom Baldrige National Quality Award. The bank, which has 167 employees and assets of $660 million, won in the small-business category. LANB has offices in Los Alamos, White Rock and Santa Fe. It was the first time a bank has won the award, according to a statement from the U.S. Commerce Department. The department and the White House officially released information about the award Tuesday. ``I heard there was a loud cheer throughout the building'' when news of the award reached employees, said Steve Wells, president of LANB. ``We were extremely happy for our people and for our community and for New Mexico. We know we have high standards to live up to now. We have to make sure we're worthy of our crown.'' ``The Malcom Baldrige National Quality Award recognizes organizations that play a major role in energizing our nation's economy, competitiveness and quality of life,'' President Bill Clinton said in a statement from the White House. ``If we are going to keep our economy growing and our country moving forward, we need as a nation to follow the example of Baldrige winners.'' Congress established the Malcom Baldrige National Quality Award, named after a former secretary of commerce, in 1987 to enhance the competitiveness of U.S. businesses by promoting quality awareness, according to the statement. Since 1988, only 41 organizations have received the award. The National Institute of Standards manages the program. The award is given to businesses that have shown achievements and improvements in the areas of leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, information and analysis, human-resource focus, process-management and business results, the Commerce Department statement said. ``We would have felt great if we had lost the Baldrige award,'' Wells said. ``It's like making it to the Super Bowl in our opinion.'' The bank won the award for a number of quality and business-performance achievements, according to the statement from the White House. One of them was domination of its market area. The bank since 1998 filed 80 percent of all mortgage loans in Los Alamos County and 9 percent of such loans in Santa Fe County. The bank opened its Santa Fe branch in mid-1999 and already has $115 million in assets, Wells said. And in a survey, 80 percent of the bank's customers said they were ``very satisfied'' with the service they received, the statement said. During the Cerro Grande fire that ravaged Los Alamos earlier this year, destroying hundreds of homes, the bank moved its entire operation overnight to its Santa Fe branch. As a result, services was not interrupted. Following the fire, the bank offered zero-percent interest to anyone in the community affected by the fire. It also eliminated overdraft charges and late fees, the statement said. Wells said the bank was particularly proud of its efficiency ratio, which is a proportion the bank uses to measure employee productivity. A lower number is better. LANB's efficiency ratio is 49 percent, while the best of its competitors have ratios above 60 percent, the statement said. ``One of the ways we will survive as an independent community bank is our ability to compete with the supraregional and supranational banks,'' Wells said. ``We've got to be able to compete with the Wal-Marts of the world.'' The bank's efficiency ratio, he continued, ``is a tremendous accomplishment by our people, our systems and our technology. There's no productivity without hard work.'' Other achievements of the bank included high employee satisfaction and low employee turnover, thanks in part to a stock-ownership plan and an employee profit-sharing plan. LANB in 1999 received Quality New Mexico's highest award, the Zia Award. In 1997 and 1998, the bank received the organization's Roadrunner Award. Quality New Mexico ``is the one that encouraged us to stretch ourselves to see how we would come out against the best in the country,'' Wells said. The three other Baldrige Award winners were Dana Corp.- Spicer Driveshaft Division in Toledo, Ohio (manufacturing); Karlee Co. Inc., Garland, Texas (manufacturing); and Operations Management International Greenwood Village, Colo. (service).

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding individual and a friend, Christina Torricelli. I would like to recognize the dedication and hard work rendered by Ms. Torricelli and her staff at the Food Depot in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Their intense and tireless efforts and commitment to alleviate hunger in New Mexico have resulted in feeding over 30,000 individuals a year in the northern part of my State. Over half of these individuals are under the age of 18. In 1993, a study conducted by Tufts University estimated that New Mexico was second only to Mississippi in the percent of citizens that go hungry on a regular basis. This study initiated conversations between existing hunger relief organizations about accessing more food donations to address the increasing need for emergency food. As a result, The Food Depot was created. Today, the organization has established community partnerships with over fifty-five non-profit programs with services available, but not limited to homeless shelters, soup kitchens, low income families, the elderly, the physically/ mentally challenged, disadvantaged children, those recovering from violence, and the homebound due to illness. I must pay the Food Depot an overdue compliment on their actions during the devastating Cerro Grande fire, which occurred earlier this year in my district. This fire left hundreds homeless, but because of the labor of the Food Depot, they did not go hungry. The third day of the fire Ms. Torricelli and other staff members were up at 3 a.m., exhausted and trying to unload trucks of food and water donations. She asked a television station to broadcast an appeal for help. Within 15 minutes she had had an additional 20 volunteers. The Food Depot has ensured that I am fully informed on issues related to ending hunger. Ms. Torricelli is especially fond of my colleague, Representative Tony Hall, who has done so much for the issues of ending poverty and hunger. Mr. Speaker, Christina Torricelli is dedicated to improving life and ending hunger for New Mexico. I have tremendous respect for her. Although many view Christina's deeds as transcendent of human kindness, to her it is just a way of life.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman from New Jersey will yield, one of the issues in talking about prescription drugs is different ways of tackling it. I am a cosponsor with the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Allen).

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to go back to the point of the gentleman about the argument that is out there about Government not working. Well, the HMOs have not worked when it comes to Medicare+Choice. And it is evident in my district. You cut off 17,000 people. Many of them are in rural areas. And the thing I did not like about the bill that came before the House of Representatives is it discriminated between rural areas and urban areas and you had a cut-off. You were going to increase the reimbursement to $475 in rural areas and then have the cities at $525. Well, it is more expensive to provide health care in rural areas. I think if we were going to raise it, we should not have discriminated; and I think we needed rural provisions in that Medicare+Choice Medicare bill that we were considering along with these accountability provisions that we talked about. I mean, what is so bad about saying to an HMO, you are going to stay in a community for 3 years? It seems to me if they get in there and they start setting up their program and they start providing service, with the kind of money we are throwing at them and the billions of dollars, they ought to stay there for 3 years. And I think that we are all in agreement on that. Unfortunately, we were not able to get a bill. This is another example of something that we need to finish before we go home. We need to put that in place because there are senior citizens out there in my district, in New Jersey, and in Florida and all across the country that today do not have Medicare+Choice and are hurting as a result of it.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. In Florida, New Jersey, and here we are, we have a situation where HMOs stepped into Medicare and said we are going to make it better. We are going to make it better than the Government does it, and they get into it and then when they do not make the profit they would like to make, they cut and run. Really what we had happen when we got into that situation where we are talking about Medicare+Choice, we had 17,000 seniors cut off in New Mexico, and so you can imagine the phone calls. I had a town hall meeting at a local hospital, huge auditorium, we filled the auditorium. It was standing-room only. Here are all of these senior citizens. What am I going to do? Where am I going to go? They had some heart-wrenching decisions before them. Unfortunately, it was not like in the district of the gentlewoman from Florida when she talked about maybe some came in again, they said they are out. They are gone. They are not coming back. Mr. Speaker, I want to read a part of the General Accounting Office's report that dealt with this, because I think this is the report that was released in September, Medicare+Choice, plan withdrawals indicate difficulty of providing choice while achieving savings. And that report said, and I think it demonstrates why we do not just throw money at the problem. Why we need accountability. Here is what the report said, although industry representatives have called for Medicare+Choice payment rate increases, it is unclear whether increases would affect plans participation decisions. In 2000, 7 percent of the counties within Medicare+Choice plan in 1999 received a payment rate increase of 10 percent or more. Nonetheless, nearly 40 percent of these counties experienced a plan withdrawal. Ten percent increase or more, 40 percent experienced a plan withdrawal. This suggests that the magnitude of rate increases needed to make participating in Medicare a sufficiently attractive business option for some plans may not be reasonable in light of countervailing pressures to make the Medicare program financially sustainable for the long-term. So, really, what we are doing here when we talk about prescription drugs and HMOs, and we talk about this Medicare situation, they have a pretty bad record when it comes to Medicare+Choice. I think we ought to be very, very cautious with any plan where we say the HMOs are going to run the plan. That is the thing that really disturbs me about this plan that passed the House, that I voted against, that Governor Bush is a great supporter of and really believes that the private sector and the HMOs are going to solve it. They have not solved these other problems. I think they have got some very serious problems here.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, one of the points that is related here, and these are the same HMOs and the same insurance companies that have pulled out in New Mexico.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) for yielding to me and thank the gentleman for all of his hard work on this issue and organizing this special order. And I think one of the things that the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Thurman) emphasized that is really important here when we talk about finishing our business, when we talk about coming to the end of a session and what have we done, the gentlewoman dramatized that we talk about programs, I mean, we are legislators. We are here. We are in committees. We deal with programs, and we talk about programs. But what the gentlewoman has really highlighted is the fact that these programs impact real people's lives. So when we say we are ending a session and what have we done and what do we have left to do, we have heard this long list, and many of us throw it out; Medicare+Choice; prescription drugs; minimum wage; making sure that Social Security is solvent; that Medicare is on a good, sound basis; patients' bill of rights; but each one of these programs and ideas is something that has an impact on millions of people in our society. When we are saying we do not want to go home, what we are really talking about, let us just to pick an example, in terms of prescription drugs, there are so many people out there that are not covered that do not have prescription drugs. And I think each of us in doing townhall meetings and in participating with constituents in our districts and getting feedback back and forth, where we hear the stories of senior citizens, saying, one, I cannot afford them, so I have to make a choice between drugs and food. Mr. Speaker, I actually had a woman stand up in a townhall meeting. I was opening up and asking for suggestions, and she said, well, I have already heard this plenty of times. She says I don't have the money. I am going to go ahead and eat; I am not going to listen to my doctor. I am not going to get the prescription drugs. What we really have is a situation when we come to the end of a session, and I am striving to respond now in a diplomatic fashion, because I agree with the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Thurman) that we should not be wrangling over this, we should be putting our minds to work. We should be settling down to work. Mr. Speaker, what we are talking about here is making sure that the work we started at the beginning of the year, the big, long list I just went through, prescription drugs, Medicare, fixing those problems with the HMOs and them cutting people off, minimum wage, Social Security solvency, all of those that we finish, but there is one other point here is that if we go home now, we are 1 month into the fiscal year. All of these big departments that impact people's lives also, the Department of Education, the Department of State, the Department of Justice, they cannot be planning for the year. We hear a lot about rhetoric on the other side of running government as a business. And we hear a lot on our side. I mean, many of us stand up and say we think it is important to run government as a business. If we are running government as a business and trying to give government agencies the ability to function in an effective way, one of the things we do is we allow them to know what their budget is going to be a year ahead of time. We are now in a situation with these budget issues where we are already into them. We have expended a month, and we are on continuing resolutions. Who knows when it is going to end. But I know there is a deep desire just to wrap this up on the one issue of going home. There is a deep desire on our side of the aisle to stay here, to very much want to get the work of the people done. I would just like to say a few words on the prescription drug issue a little bit more in detail, because I saw this morning on the television about this issue. They were doing some polling, and they said, this time and in this Presidential election is one of the first times that senior citizens are more undecided, senior citizens. And they were asking the person, why is it that. Apparently what they said is, they are very confused about the prescription drug issue. They hear about these two different plans, and they hear about the proposals that are out there and they do not quite understand them. Mr. Speaker, I thought that I would spend a little bit of time talking about that, because I think it is an enormously important issue in our Presidential election going on right now, and when somebody makes a choice in the Presidential campaign, there are going to be two different plans that are out there. First of all, there is a plan that has been proposed, the Vice President is very supportive of it, many on the Democratic side are supportive of it, as to making a prescription drug benefit as a part of Medicare through a modest premium, through voluntary participation, making sure that everyone is covered that wants to be covered, because you are allowing them to come into a voluntary situation, and that would be a program that is going to cost some money, but it is a program that everybody knows would work and would be a reality if we just put our minds together and do it. We passed the other plan, which is very close to Governor Bush's plan, the plan that passed the House, and that is a plan that was tried out in the State of Nevada. And by the way, I voted against the plan that came through the House, the much ballyhooed plan that they talk about saying that prescription drug benefits are going to be provided. What that plan does is, basically you throw money at HMOs and insurance companies and say set up a plan and make it work in the private sector, because we do not want Government involved. Well, what happened is they did it in the State of Nevada. They passed a law. They said let us set it up in the private sector. They put everything into place. The remarkable thing is that the insurance industry was brutally frank with the State of Nevada, they stepped forward and said there is no market. We cannot do this. This is not something that is going to happen in the way that you have designed it. In fact, in Nevada, no insurance companies have stepped in. Nobody has done it. There is not a reality, and I think that the thing we need to explain to people is there are big differences here. There are big, big differences between these two plans. I know that the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Thurman) has something to say on this issue.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. I know the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is also. That seems to me a piece of legislation. I do not think on this side of the aisle we are always talking just government. We are talking about ways we can get prescription drugs the most effectively and with the least amount of bureaucracy to senior citizens. The Allen bill does something very, very simple. We have a preferred customer cost, preferred customer price that the big guys, the HMOs, the Veterans Administration, the large purchasers, they get that preferred customer price. We all know from checking this out and having the various studies that have been done by the Government Operations Committee, one was done in my district, where it showed a differential on eight of the most commonly used drugs of about 115 percent. So there is the preferred customer price, which is down here, and the uninsured senior is 115 percent higher, higher price. So we have price discrimination going on. There are real problems with that. Well, what the Allen bill does is something that is very, very simple and a very simple concept. It just says we are going to say there is one price; that this preferred customer price shall also be the price for uninsured seniors. All the pharmacies in my congressional district were very interested in that idea because they have been seeing the seniors. As I went around my district and I heard from the owners of the pharmacies, they say they come in, they cannot afford it, we try to find a way for them. They said we would pass on the cost savings. If you require them to sell it at the same price, we would pass that on to the senior citizens. So I think that is a very simple solution. When we talk about staying here and doing our work, if we did not want to look at Medicare, and we wanted to try this as a first step before we put a Medicare prescription drug benefit into place, we can try that as a first step, because we know what a big impact it will have.

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico

Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 207, to amend title 5, of the United States Code, which provides that federal physicians comparability allowances be treated as part of basic pay for retirement purposes. Across our country, hundreds of federal physicians are working on cures for AIDS, epilepsy, cancer, and heart disease, protecting the safety of food and drugs, and providing medical care to such segments of our population including Native Americans, Defense personnel and their dependents. In the district that I represent, more than 200 of these federal physician's are employed either by the Indian Health Service or the Veterans Administration. Today, the government does not pay physicians on the same scale as physicians employed in hospitals, HMOs, and universities. Therefore, one of the most important points of this legislation is that the inclusion of this special pay in retirement calculations will further help the recruitment efforts by federal agencies such as the Indian Health Service, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration. This legislation will strengthen the quality of our federal clinical and medical research programs and have a beneficial effect on health care both on the national and local levels. I am pleased with the bi-partisan support for H.R. 207, co-sponsored by myself, and Connie Morella. This legislation would ensure that all federally employed physicians are treated equally in terms of retirement pay calculations. This is a good bill because it is the fair, equitable, and a just course of action that we should take.