Nydia Velázquez

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I rise in support of the amendment. Earlier this week, the Commerce, Justice and State bill sent to the President failed to provide any funding for the Small Business Investment Company program, which will force its complete shutdown. The SBIC program has been a real partner in helping America's small businesses grow both in times of economic prosperity and in times of economic slowdown. SBICs have assisted small business owners by investing over $15 billion in long-term debt and equity capital to more than 90,000 small businesses and by investing more than $600 million to businesses in low- and moderate-income areas. The SBICs have given such Fortune 500 companies as Intel, Federal Express, AOL, and Staples the tools they need to succeed and to become today's industry leaders. In an effort to keep the program operating, S. 1196 will increase the fees to make up for the lack of appropriated funds, but an increase in program fees will rule out the SBIC as an option for many small businesses across this country. A way to ensure lending options for this Nation's small businesses is to adopt the amendment under consideration. The amendment will reduce the costs of the 7(a) program which will allow for greater access to capital that small businesses, especially start-ups and those in low- income areas, need to continue serving as the engine of this economy. I urge its adoption.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and give thanks to Latino veterans across the nation and in New York's 12th District-- those brave soldiers who served in our Armed Forces during times of turmoil and crisis in our Nation's history. Today, the Borinquen Senior Center celebrates another anniversary-- close to the landmark one of a quarter of a century. Since its doors opened 24 years ago, the center has been a safehaven for hundreds of seniors and veterans in the Williamsburg, New York community. The Borinquen Center serves three meals per day to almost two hundred seniors, including veterans. It provides meals on wheels for homebound seniors, offers workshops on healthcare and other important issues, arranges activities, and provides classes such as ESL (English as a Second Language). Through its work, the center plays a very important role in the community. And as the Borinquen Center celebrates its anniversary, it will also honor--for the first time--the veterans of this country who served so bravely in our Armed Services. Given the war against terrorism our great Nation is now waging both here and overseas, I believe we must take time to honor and give thanks to a few of our Nation's Latino veterans from the 12th District. Many of these men were young men, unaware of how war would change them when they enlisted in the Armed Forces during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. They Joined the service with hopes of strengthening our nation's security, fighting for the ideals of democracy and freedom, and ensuring a more peaceful world. Although many returned home with lasting wounds, their spirit was never broken. It is important that we remember on this Veteran's Day the sacrifices they made for this country. Therefore, it is with much appreciation that I honor the Latino veterans of my district in celebration of November 11: Luis Maldonado, 1940-1946; Angel Acevedo, 1941-1947; Jose La Fuente, 1942-1945; Herminio Rivera, 1942-1947; George Feliciano, 1947-1967; Jose Calderon, 1951-1954; Oscar Figueroa, 1951-1954; Gilberto Bonilla, 1952-1954; Isamel A. Torres, 1952-1956; Francisco Adames, 1953-1955; Fexlix Gonzalez, 1953-1957; Jose Rendon, 1953--1961; Fundadon V. Cancel, 1954- 1958; Gerardo Torres, 1954-1959; George A. Maldonado, 1954-1956; Carlos M. Colon, 1956-1958; Augustin Perez, 1957-1959; Adolfo Rivera, 1960- 1962.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, October 11, 2001, 1 was unavoidably detained in my district. As a result, I missed five votes on the House floor. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall vote 381, to pass the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2002. In addition, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote 380, the Istook amendment to increase the bill's funding for abstinence education by cutting funding for the Centers for Disease Control; rollcall vote 379, the Istook amendment to delay the enforcement of Executive Order 13166; rollcall vote 378, the Stearns amendment to shift funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to the Centers for Disease Control; and rollcall vote 377, the Schaffer amendment to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Act by cutting other education programs.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Christensen).

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, in today's business environment, one of the greatest obstacles blocking the path to prosperity for this Nation's small businesses is regulatory compliance. Small businesses regularly find themselves lost in a maze of Federal regulations that are designed to create safer and healthier workplaces. In fact, a recent poll ranked regulatory burdens as the seventh biggest concern for small businesses, and the Small Business Administration estimates those burdens cost up to $5,100 per employee. Small firms are less equipped to deal with regulations than large corporations. Business owners want to comply with regulations because they know that a safe and healthy workplace and environment makes them more productive. But often, they do not know how to comply or where they should start. Today, we take a big step in supporting our Nation's small businesses navigate the regulatory process with the passage of the National Small Business Regulatory Assistance Act. This legislation establishes a 3- year pilot program to provide confidential and nonpunitive advice to small businesses that are trying to weather a storm of complex Federal regulations. Business owners sometimes fear approaching agencies for compliance assistance because these are the very agencies charged with enforcement. They worry, can I talk about OSHA requirements with the Department of Labor? Can I discuss environmental regulations with the EPA? By creating a compliance program through the SBDC national network, we will provide a neutral, nonthreatening environment which small business owners may use to get important information and advice without fear of retaliation. The SBDCs already have a good reputation for aiding local enterprises. This legislation creates a one-stop shop for regulatory compliance that will help small business owners who want to do the right thing to do the right thing. In addition, this legislation will establish a database clearinghouse for information gathered by the SBDC based on their interaction with local businesses. This data would be useful in further identifying the compliance needs of small businesses and tailoring assistance to them. But while SBDCs provide more compliance assistance and gather more information, we must ensure that the sensitive information brought forward by small businesses is kept absolutely confidential. This legislation guarantees privacy for those who receive compliance assistance and extends this protections to all small businesses that seek any assistance from their local SBDC. This legislation bars the sharing of information that any SBDC collects on a business with any third party or agency. This will guarantee that small businesses receive the assistance they need in complete confidence and privacy. Mr. Speaker, we want all our businesses to comply with the regulations that preserve the health, environment, and well-being of our workers and our communities; but oftentimes, small businesses do not have access to the resources they need if they want to comply with regulations in good faith. With the adoption of this legislation, we are giving small businesses the support they need to navigate the often-complicated arm of Federal regulations. In closing, let me thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney), my colleague, for this bill. I strongly urge the adoption of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Ms. VELAZQUEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady), for producing this innovative legislation. At the core of H.R. 2666, The Vocational and Technical Entrepreneurship Development Act is a great idea. Start with two of the most powerful forces for productivity and innovation in the American economy, join them, and then harness their combined energy. This bill will join the productive powers of a skilled workforce with the innovation of entrepreneurship. This act will help develop a curriculum that will help these workers get the training they need to build and grow their own small business. There are many skilled workers out there who see a demand for more of this field. They may be working for shops that have to turn away new jobs. So they decide to start their own business to meet that demand, but in many cases, they do not know where to start. Running your own business is complex and requires new skills, skills that can be taught and learned. It is even more important now as we enter less certain times that we harness the talent and energy of this entrepreneurial class. Small business forms the backbone of our communities and our economy. In the past decade, small businesses realized unprecedented growth and job creation. We want to spur even more growth in this untapped market sector of the economy at a time when we really need it. The gentleman from Pennsylvania's (Mr. Brady) bill will do just that by joining the innovation of entrepreneurship with the hard work of skilled labor. Combined, they build a new strong force for our economy. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2666, the Vocational and Technical Entrepreneurship Development Act and would like to commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Brady, for his proposal. This initiative brings together two great traditions of American enterprise. First is our well-founded faith in hard work and skills as the sure way to a better life. Plumbers and carpenters, joiners and electricians, auto mechanics and computer technicians, they would all agree--you must have skills to succeed. We know that Americans work harder and smarter than anyone else in the world. Our families, communities and nation benefits from this hard work. Mr. Speaker, there is another American tradition leading to a better life. That is entrepreneurship--talented people taking the reins and responsibility for their own business. It is a bedrock truth that these small businesses support half of our economy. More importantly, small businesses employ our skilled workers--our mechanics, technicians, electricians, and carpenters. Small businesses furnish half our jobs, and nearly half our gross domestic product. There is no boundary to what small business can do, and we want to help expand this limitless sector. My colleague's legislation would create a one-of-a-kind training program that unites these two long-standing traditions by assisting vocational and technical students become entrepreneurs in addition to skilled workers. Many of today's workers who participate in career training or vocational education, are not provided the entrepreneurial knowledge that can assist them to successfully grow and develop their own business venture. H.R. 2666 utilizes the existing network of small business development centers (SBDCs) to transfer their entrepreneurial expertise to students enrolled in secondary schools, or postsecondary vocational or technical schools. Created by Congress in 1980, the SBDC Program fosters economic development by providing management, technical and research assistance to small businesses. However, they do not have an organized program for providing this type of assistance. By establishing this effort initially as a pilot, we can build upon the experience and innovation of SBDCs to expand their resources and if proven successful, the pilot could be made a permanent part of their services. Mr. Speaker, for 20 years the SBDC Program has been SBA's primary delivery system for entrepreneurial assistance. Located in each state, the program's counseling services guides and mentors business owners through the process of addressing a business development opportunity or problem. Over eleven hundred service centers, serving every Congressional District, ensure small businesses have the support they need. H.R. 2666 requires SBA to establish a pilot project offering grants to selected State Small Business Development Center Programs. The State Program will implement the assistance on a statewide basis by partnering their individual service centers with secondary schools, or postsecondary vocational or technical schools. The purpose of the partnership is to develop a cohesive curriculum on starting and operating a successful business venture, thus assisting students in these institutions obtain the entrepreneurial knowledge they need to strike-out on their own. The curriculum will be offered to the students by their teachers or instructors. In addition, the curriculum can be modified by the teacher to provide assistance that is relevant to the particularly industry sectors for which the students are learning the skills. The local SBDC service center will also be available if students need further counseling or training during, or even after, their schooling. SBDC counselors will play an important role during the initial development phase by assisting the teacher prepare and deliver the curriculum, but this initial assistance will not become permanent. I want to assure my fellow colleagues that SBDC resources will not be used to staff educational institutions. The purpose of H.R. 2666 is not to replace teachers with SBDC counselors, but to develop the curriculum that enables teachers to transfer the entrepreneurial knowledge to their students. It is important to differentiate the curriculum developed through the partnership from current classroom training sessions offered by SBDCs. These training sessions are offered in conjunction with SBDC host institutions and in no way should H.R. 2666 be construed to limit them. H.R. 2666 will also increase the productivity and strength of the overall SBDC Program. By increasing the number of potential entrepreneurs, the number of potential SBDC clients increases. It also increases the effectiveness of current SBDC assistance by offering entrepreneurial knowledge during the learning phase and before the initial entrepreneurial phase. After graduating from their career or vocational training, students will have the basic tools and understanding that will make future SBDC assistance more efficient and productive, increasing the rate of successful start-ups. In closing Mr. Speaker, by providing entrepreneurial knowledge at the same time workers are learning a specific trade skill, career opportunities are expanded. Students not only become more marketable in the workforce, but can become a small business owner. In addition, they become the employer, expanding the local job market, and revitalizing and developing the economic growth of the community. Mr. Speaker, we want more Americans to run their own shop. This proposal goes a long way to helping build a new entrepreneurial generation that will create more jobs and provide for more families while serving our communities. I urge my colleagues to support this innovative initiative.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, as an original co-sponsor of H.R. 1860, I rise in support of this important legislation to not only reauthorize, but to make permanent the Small Business Administration's Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program. As the Ranking Democratic Member on the Committee on Small Business, I am well aware of the important role that technology plays in not only developing small businesses, but in strengthening the Nation's economy. The economic boom of the 1990's--the longest period of economic strength in our Nation's history--was fueled by small businesses and, especially high-tech firms. The strength of the economy, for such an unprecedented time period, was directly related to the success of the high-tech sector. It might surprise my colleagues to know that small businesses are the leading source of innovations and that small firms produce twice as many innovations per employee as large firms. In fact, small businesses were responsible for most of the important innovations in the twentieth century, including items ranging from such practical consumer products and services as over-night delivery services and quick-frozen food to high-tech items such as the personal computer and the high-resolution x-ray microscope. The STTR Program that we are authorizing today increases small business participation in the high-tech industry. Established in 1992, the STTR Program works by allowing small businesses to partner with universities, non-profit organizations, and research institutions. These research partners bring important capabilities that small businesses might not possess on their own. The partnership submits a proposal for necessary Federal research requirements. With this reauthorization legislation, we have removed the pilot status of the STTR Program, and have extended the Program through fiscal year 2009. We have also taken important steps to increase the amount of Federal research that will be performed by small businesses by increasing the percentage of agency's extra-mural research budgets to be devoted to the STTR Program from .15 percent to .3 percent beginning in fiscal year 2004. This action doubles the amount of research that the government will be devoting to small firms. We have increased the grant amount of Phase I awards from the current $500,000 to $750,000. This provision allows small businesses more fund with which to conduct their research, thereby increasing the likelihood that their research will result in useful items that will make it to the marketplace. Additionally, the bill contains provisions that will assist with the assessment of the STTR program, by requiring the collection and maintaining of pertinent data, that can later be used to evaluate the program's strengths and weaknesses. Democratic Members included three important provisions to this reauthorization to encourage the growth of high-tech businesses. These changes include developing an STTR Program-wide model agreement, increasing awards to low-income areas, and tracking low income awards. The partnership between small businesses and research institutions is a cornerstone of the STTR Program. Included in the formalization of these teams, is the development of an agreement outlining the rights and responsibilities of each partner, and addressing the intellectual property rights and rights to carry out follow-on research, development or commercialization, if any, that are assigned to each partner. It has come to the Committee's attention that each participating agency has a model agreement, and many universities and non-profits have model agreements. The result is an exercise in which the small business and its research partner must come to an agreement, and have that agreement parallel the agency's agreement. The scenario often occurs wherein a small business doing work for the same agency, but with multiple research partners, must have multiple agreements, none of which are standard. Ultimately, this results in time devoted to developing partnership agreements when that time would be more effectively used to actually conduct research. Therefore, Committee Democrats have included language that requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to go through a rule-making process to develop a single model agreement that can be acceptably used by all small businesses, agencies, and research partners. It is intended that this rule-making process involve commentary from affected agencies, small business owners, research institutions, and other interested parties. The resulting model agreement shall be used by all agencies as their model agreement so that small research firms can devote their time to that which they do best--research. During last year's reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program--the sister program to the STTR Program-- important language was included to increase awards to businesses located in low-income areas. Language was included in this Federal and State Technology (FAST) Partnership Program by House Democrats on the Committee on Small Business that allows a 50 cents private for each federal dollar for assistance directed to low-income areas--even if the state is a high-volume state as far as SBIR awards. We were concerned when this language was included, that it would not be implemented properly, and that not enough emphasis would be placed on this issue. This has become a reality in that the SBA did not include any reference to low-income area assistance under the FAST Program in its recent Policy Directive. As a result of the SBA not being able to properly implement the low- income area assistance of the FAST Program in accordance with our intent, Committee Democrats included language in the STTR reauthorization legislation to require that a separate evaluation criteria for FAST proposals be developed to ensure that these proposals address how they are going to increase STTR and SBIR awards to businesses located in low-income areas. When we consulted with the Senate Small Business Committee on this language, they expressed concern that states not having substantive amounts of low-income areas could be penalized in an evaluation criteria totally devoted to increasing opportunities in these areas. Therefore, compromise language was developed to establish an evaluation criteria to ensure that proposals address how they are going to increase STTR and SBIR awards to (1) businesses owned and controlled by women, (2) businesses owned by minorities, and (3) businesses located in areas of high unemployment and low-income--all of which have historically not participated in the SBIR and STTR Programs. It is our intent that the SBA go through a rule-making process to determine the weight that this criteria should have compared to other criteria, and to determine the standards by which these proposals shall be evaluated. It is our understanding that the term ``minorities'' will encompass all socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. This important change to the FAST Program will address the grim reality that of the 864 STTR awards from 1994 through 1998, only 1.5 percent went to women-owned businesses, and only 2.8 percent went to minority owned businesses. Lastly, we included language in the STTR reauthorization to require that the SBA report to Congress, on an annual basis, on the number of SBIR and STTR awards made to small businesses located in HUBZones. These ``Historically Underutilized Business'' Zones are specifically defined as areas of high unemployment and low income. These locations have been out of the mainstream of economic growth that the nation has experienced over the past 10 years, and, as such, would benefit greatly from the economic strength that technology provides to a community. Further, tracking awards made to these businesses will assist in evaluating the success of the FAST Program. To conclude, I join my colleagues on the Committee on Small Business who are committed to ensuring that small businesses across the country are able to grow and expand their technology capabilities. We know that not only do small businesses, in general, employ more than half of the non-farm workforce, but small businesses account for 38 percent of the private sector workforce in the high tech industry. We believe the STTR and SBIR Programs are critical to increasing the capacity of small business technology companies, and that these Programs should continue to be monitored and evaluated, and given the appropriate resources to ensure their continued success.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with this House a unique story of individual sacrifice and heroism after last week's devastating terrorist assault on the United States. The Washington Post published an article about Engine 202 from Brooklyn in the 12th District of New York. It tells the story of this company of fire fighters that rushed to the World Trade Center after it was attacked. Seven men from their company disappeared in the inferno and collapse. This is a personal story of heroism and loss tragically repeated in other rescue teams working at ground zero. I am proud of this band of brothers from Red Hook, and I join the country in mourning with them. [From the Washington Post, Sept. 14, 2001] New York's Firefighters Grieve for Lost Brothers (By Anne Hull) New York, Sept. 13.--The firefighters from Engine 202 in Brooklyn called themselves the brothers from Red Hook. At the firehouse, they tried out new recipes on one another. They named their softball team the Red Hook Raiders and started a cigar club that allowed them to puff on Macanudos at their adopted hangout, Smokey's. On Tuesday, seven of them disappeared in the World Trade Center inferno. Where, Tony Catapano wondered, did his brothers go? For 39 years, Catapano has survived his line of work. He is 61, with gray hair and a pension within reach. He is old and they were young. He showed them how to make meatballs and how to find fire hidden in a wall. Today he walked near the smoldering landscape of rubble and kept thinking he would see them, shining flashlights miraculously from a crevice. He looked for Tommy Kennedy, Terry McShane, Patrick Byrd, Joe Maffeo, Brian Cannizzaro, Salvatore Calabro and Joe Gullicksen. Even as the veteran firemen wept, he was calmly defiant. ``Missing don't mean anything but missing,'' he said About 400 firefighters were missing and presumed dead, a numbing toll exacted on a tight fraternity. Entire ladder companies and squads were gone, including all five of the elite rescue companies that serve New York City. Five of the department's most senior officials died, plus a dozen battalion chiefs. Unlike other senior military officers, who are strategically kept from the front, senior fire officers typically enter burning buildings to assess damage and plot a strategy for rescue and fire containment. But the rank-and-file firefighters--the Irish and Italian sons of working-class neighborhoods in Long Island and Staten Island, many of them grandsons of New York firemen--symbolize the deepest loss. Men like the brothers from Red Hook. Wall Street, where they sacrificed their lives, was a fancier world than they knew. They didn't shop for cuff links or keep portfolios with Goldman Sachs. After nearly four decades with the Fire Department of New York, Tony Catapano made $55,000 a year. Once, ages ago, he splurged and took his wife, Marie, for their anniversary dinner to Windows on the World, on the 106th floor of the World Trade Center. It was expensive, Catapano remembered, ``but the view was spectacular, and sometimes you need that.'' The next time Catapano returned to the World Trade Center, he could barely see his hands through the smoke. ``It was snowing dirt,'' said Catapano, who came in the second wave of firefighters from his 32nd Battalion Tuesday, following the first wave responding to a call that a plane had crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center--a call that came just as shifts were changing at firehouses across metropolitan New York. Firefighters coming off their night shifts hopped on ladder trucks and engines with the fresh day crews, fattening the deployment. Arriving early to the scene, as many of the companies from lower Manhattan and Brooklyn did, proved fatal. ``You've got to understand,'' said Matthew James, the Brooklyn trustee for the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York, ``all the companies that were there, they're not there anymore.'' At 9:15 a.m., 18 minutes after the commercial airliner hit the North Tower, a second airliner hit the South Tower. Surviving office workers who were evacuating reported going down stairwells while firefighters were marching up to help those on the higher floors. One firefighter still on the ground was killed when a person on a burning upper floor jumped and landed on him. The fire department priest who was ministering last rites to this fireman died when a crush of rubble came down on both of them. At high noon, no one could really see anything. Catapano hocked up thick, black spit. Medics washed out his eyes. He kept looking for names he knew on firefighters' jackets. Hours later, when Catapano made it back to his firehouse in Red Hook, not all the men were there. The young guys--the ones who would poke fun at his culinary inventions like ``Potpourri Ree-shard''--left empty beds. Catapano kept thinking they were stuck somewhere or transferred to other firehouses to sleep. He searched for them when he returned to the wreckage the next day. ``Down there,'' he called it. Or ``the site.'' He spoke with the Brooklyn union trustee James, an Irishman who keeps a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black on a shelf in his office. ``I lost some brothers, Matty,'' Catapano said, his voice breaking. ``I know, brother, we all did,'' James said. None of the firefighters could escape the stink. At the firehouses where they retreated after long shifts last night, there piles of dirty T-shirts, socks and underwear reminded them. They washed and scrubbed, but the smell beat soap and clung inside their noses. At the divisional headquarters of the Salvation Army in Manhattan, where many out-of-town search and rescue workers camped, the cots were filled with great, heaving bodies that tried to find sleep and peace. But even their blankets carried proof of the mission: that sour smell, like singed hair, lit matchsticks and a child's chemistry set. Nor could they get away from everything they saw. At 2 a.m. today, the site was like a stage set for a disaster movie, blasted with light. So many steel beams and girders were still strewn through the wreckage that firefighters resorted to bucket brigades, with long lines of men passing pails of small chunks and dust from the top of one mountain down to the waiting hands. It was almost farcical, but then it wasn't. ``We were digging around and saw a face,'' said Charles Diggs, with Engine 207 from Brooklyn, ``We uncovered a part of her and put her in a body bag.'' Their work was a crude archaeology of pickaxes, shovels and Halligan bars. Sniffer dogs trotted out across the foothills of rubble, but because of the breeze and the pancake of metal tonnage, the dogs were thrown off course. ``There's dead in that pile,'' said a handler from Evansville, Ind., watching from the sidelines. Dogs on rest cooled their paws in buckets of water. And when the dogs yelped excitedly, it meant there was life. One brindle-colored female set out into the pile of metal and concrete, and 30 feet away from the perimeter she began yelping and running in circles, and all eyes turned toward the dog's horrible joy. But it was the just the wind playing tricks. Overlooking the rescue efforts was a blasted-out Brooks Brothers. The front of the store had been sheared off, making it open-air. Inside, stacks of folded dress shirts were undisturbed but blanketed in the gray grit. The streets were littered with crushed vehicles and tons of financial documents. ``We are pleased to confirm the following transaction,'' read one investment statement nearly ground into the sidewalk. Tony Catapano noticed none of it. His eyes could not stay off the rubble. Before he returned for another shift this afternoon, his wife told him not to push too hard. But it was no use. ``Those guys are a strange bunch, a family, you know,'' she said. ``Tony is not really their brother; he's more like their father.'' While Catapano suited up at the firehouse, a father and son brought flowers and a toy fire truck. The pastries and cakes kept coming. But Catapano was edgy to return. ``Be strong, guys,'' a man on the sidewalk called out to him. Catapano didn't even hear. He was already mentally back on the rubble. With a four-day beard and red-rimmed eyes, he gunned the car back down to Lower Manhattan. When he was a boy he dreamed of being a cowboy. Then he worked in a bank, pushing papers around. Then he found his calling as a firefighter, ``trying to save people.'' His son is now on the waiting list to join the New York City Fire Department.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the en bloc amendment and to thank Chairman Stump and Ranking Democratic Member Skelton for agreeing to include my amendment to H.R. 2586, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002. My amendment requires that the Department of Defense work with the Comptroller General to develop a database to track the consolidation of contracts that displace two or more small businesses, and that the Department use this database to generate reports to Congress. This amendment will, for the first time, require that the Department collect empirical data so that Congress can determine the true effect of these consolidated contracts on small businesses and so that we can determine if any savings to the taxpayer are accruing as a result of this practice. Since World War II, when small businesses were called upon to assist with the war effort, small businesses have greatly contributed to our nation's diverse industrial base, and have been adept at providing goods and services for the changing needs of the government. Federal agencies have often found that corporate America was too large to react quickly and efficiently. The unique niche that small businesses filled, and continue to fill, has allowed for a competitive Federal contracting process. We all know that a competitive Federal marketplace leads to true cost savings and higher quality--a great return for the American taxpayer. Any discussion of the Federal marketplace, leads to a discussion of the Department of Defense's role, as the Department of Defense has historically accounted for 65 percent of Federal contracts. However, for the last several years, the Small Business Committee has noted that the Department's contract opportunities available to small businesses have decreased. It is this declining number of small business opportunities by the Department and other large agencies, that inspired Committee Democrats to start grading agency's small business efforts. For the past two years, myself and my Democratic colleagues on the Committee on Small Business, have released what we call the ``Scorecard.'' The ``Scorecard'' is an evaluation of the small business achievements of 21 Federal agencies, compared to their statutory goals. The results of these two studies have been disturbing. Last year, the overall government grade was a ``C-.'' This year, although the overall grade was also a ``C-,'' the government is slipping further into the ``D'' range. The Department of Defense stood out both last year and this year, as an exceptionally poor performer as it relates to doing business with our nation's small businesses. This year, the Department had the lowest grade of all agencies: a ``D-.'' This is very important, in light of the fact that the Department of Defense historically accounts for 65 percent of Federal procurement. When the Department of Defense fails to make the grade, it is unlikely that the rest of the government will make the grade either. Small businesses are still not getting their fair share of the Department's contracts--from either a dollars or a numbers standpoint. Despite an increase in procurement volume from $119.7 billion in 1999 to $126.2 billion in 2000, the Department did not achieve its small business goal, or its women-owned business goal. The Department of Defense had a 23 percent goal for small businesses and achieved only 21.41 percent. This translates to over $2 billion in contracts that should have gone to small businesses, but didn't. Women-owned businesses fared even worse. The Department had a goal of 5 percent for women-owned businesses, but achieved 2 percent. This translates to nearly $4 billion in contracts that should have gone to women-owned businesses, but didn't. From 1997 to 2000, the numbers of contracts awarded to small businesses by the Department have decreased by over 41 percent. The numbers of contracts to minority-owned businesses have decreased by over 55 percent. The number of contracts awarded to women-owned businesses have decreased by over 43 percent. This declining trend in the number of contracts translates directly to the number of opportunities available to small businesses to sell their products and services directly to their government. Both the 1999 study and the 2000 study demonstrate that little progress is being made as far as agency's small business goal achievements. In fact, the 2000 study highlights that the plight of small businesses is getting worse--small businesses have fewer opportunities for participation in the Federal marketplace than they ever did. To begin to correct this problem, my amendment was included in the en bloc amendment. A similar amendment was accepted into the House version of last year's Defense Authorization but failed to be included in the final Conference Report signed by the President. The amendment requires that the Department of Defense work with the Comptroller General to develop a database for tracking and annual reporting to Congress of contract awards that result in the displacement of two or more small businesses as prime contractors. What remained in Public Law 106-398, the Floyed D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 regarding contract bundling, was a requirement in Section 834 that the Secretary of Defense conduct a comprehensive study of contract bundling. ``Contract bundling'' is the consolidation of two or more contracts performed by small businesses, into one contract that is too large for small business participation as prime contractors. In seven hearings since 1993, the Committee on Small Business has heard a very compelling case by numerous small businesses that they are losing untold millions of dollars in business as a result of this practice. The Department of Defense contends that through contract bundling, they are able to save money, yet not one dollar has been shown to have been saved. Instead, the numbers of Defense contracts available to small businesses are declining every year, and the anecdotal information is overwhelming that small businesses are able to provide higher quality products at prices that result in savings to the taxpayer. Despite the statutory requirement contained in Section 834 of Public Law 106-398 that required the Department of Defense to conduct a comprehensive study on contract bundling, the Committee on Small Business received a letter dated April 17, 2001 from Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz. The letter states, in part, ``the Department is unable to conduct the comprehensive study required by Section 834'' because the General Service Administration's Federal Procurement Data System--the repository of all Federal contracting information--only began collecting data on contract bundling in October of 2000. The letter goes on to reference a study performed by the Department under contract with the Logistics Management Institute (LMI). The requirement to perform the study was not an ``optional'' requirement for the Department to follow--it was part of the agency's authorizing statute. It was mandated by Congress that the study be performed. To have an agency essentially refuse to comply with its authorizing statute is, to me, unheard of. The Department knew the study was required by statute. If essential data was not being collected, the Department should have started collecting data in order to comply. The taxpayers deserve to know--and we have an obligation to tell them--whether the consolidation of contracts that eliminate small businesses save them money. As previously stated, the letter sent by Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz refers to a study on contract bundling performed by LMI. This study is the direct result of a hearing held by the Committee on Small Business in November of 1999. It was undertaken not by an independent auditor, but by the Logistics Management Institute (LMI)--a non-profit organization that is funded 50 percent by the Department of Defense. LMI performed a case review, rather than the study that the Department promised, of 10 contracts out of a pool of 718 contracts--barely 1 percent--not a statistically valid sampling by anyone's definition. LMI concluded that ``savings (as a result of contract bundling) are based on intuition. This means that people THINK they are savings money, but it has not been proven with empirical data.'' Clearly, given the mind- set of the Department of Defense's contracting officers, much more needs to be done. In order to get something done, in last year's Small Business Reauthorization, we were successful in getting former-Chairman Jim Talent's bundling data collection bill language into the Reauthorization. Unfortunately, that language has a flaw. By using the definition of ``contract bundling'' contained in the Small Business Act, it only narrowly looks at those bundled contracts determined as such by the Department, leaving the vast majority of consolidations out of the database's scope. This deprives us of critical information necessary to solve this problem. My amendment requires that the Department of Defense work with the Comptroller General to collect data on a much broader definition. As the General Accounting Office continues to report that no data can be collected, we believe that the Department should work with the Comptroller General to ensure that the data that is ultimately collected will provide useful information. This amendment will cover all contracts in which two or more small businesses are displaced as prime contractors. At a minimum, the database will include the names and addresses of the small businesses that are displaced, the rationale for consolidating the contracts, and the monetary benefits projected to be realized by the consolidation. This database will give Congress very important information on contract consolidations that we can use to not only protect small businesses, but also ensure the taxpayer that their money is being saved. Once we start getting reports from this database, we will learn what happens to those small businesses who are displaced. Do they go out of business? Do they become subcontractors? Are taxpayer dollars actually being saved with these contract consolidations that displace small businesses? There is an important distinction between streamlining Federal contracting processes for streamling's sake and streamlining for a reason. We know now that small businesses are being displaced--effectively streamlined right out of business. What we haven't seen is taxpayer savings. The impact of these contract consolidations on the small business community has been enormous, and has flowed-down to the economies of local communities. There is no doubt that the need to collect empirical data more than warrants any inconvenience this could place on the Department to collect this important and useful information. For Congress to determine the depth of the problem of contract bundling, we need all of the facts. It is imperative that empirical data is collected that will allow Congress to determine what, if any, statutory changes need to be made to ensure the Federal acquisition system is fair to small businesses, and ensures that taxpayers receive the very best value for their dollars. My amendment is the first step in making that determination, and it is a common-sense solution. As a direct result of the data collected by the requirements of my amendment, the Federal procurement system will be one that provides true savings to the taxpayer. Further, small businesses in communities across the country will have increased access to Federal prime contracts. Again, I thank Chairman Stump and Ranking Democratic Member Skelton for agreeing to include my amendment in the en bloc so Congress can finally get some comprehensive information on how contract consolidations have affected our Nation's small businesses.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this resolution on behalf of my constituents and all New York. Those who wear the uniforms of firefighters, paramedics, nurses, and doctors are our soldiers. We will not let their courage, big heart, and hard work to rebuild our city amid the rubble be forgotten. We are facing a different kind of war requiring a different kind of response. We will need more vigilance at home and more cooperation abroad. Flexibility and creativity are required to prevent further assaults. We must be smarter and faster than our foe. We support this action because our cause is just. There is no conceivable justification for shedding the blood of innocents. We do not seek vengeance, for Americans are not a vengeful people. Americans cherish justice, and that is what we seek here. This resolution would allow us to pursue, prosecute, and punish these criminals. We do this because civilized nations prove again and again that terrorists have no legitimacy among them. With the sustained and inalterable will demonstrated here tonight, and the cooperation of peace-loving people around the world, we will prevail. I strongly support this resolution.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, today I join my colleagues, our fellow Americans, and people around the world to offer our prayers to the families of those lost or injured in yesterday's unspeakable crimes. We stand here in solidarity with the President, who represents this Nation and its resolve to hunt down those responsible and bring them to justice. No one should doubt our unity and our commitment to rebuild in the wake of this deliberate tragedy. To the thousands of Americans who have lost loved ones or still wait in vigil for the missing, we offer prayers and hope for you who were devastated by yesterday's events. You have suffered an incredible personal tragedy and receive our sympathy for bearing the brunt of this assault on our Nation. To the people of New York, you demonstrated the finest heroism and humanity during the direst hour. Thousands of you risked your lives to help others as smoke, ash and debris rained on you. Thousands more of you streamed into blood donation centers to meet an incredible demand, saving countless more lives. Your spirit and resilience make our city and our country great. Together we will rebuild our city even greater than it was before. To the American people, we feel the same pain and anger you feel as we stand witness together to these terrible events, and we support the effort to find those who aided or abetted these crimes. They will be found, and they will be brought to justice. So today, Mr. Speaker, I encourage all Americans to reach out to one another for support on this difficult day. For in our unity, we find our greatest strength to steel ourselves for the challenges that face us.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Chairman, my amendment will increase funding for the YouthBuild program by $10 million. We are in the midst of an affordable housing crisis in this country. One of our most basic needs is to increase access to safe, affordable housing. That is why I am so concerned about the significant underfunding of so many of our most vital housing programs. Not only do many of our communities face a shortage of housing stock, but much of what is currently available is in disrepair and cannot be lived in. That is where YouthBuild comes in. This program involves young people in meaningful work in their communities, constructing or rehabilitating much-needed homes for homeless and low-income people. Projects range from rehabilitating 10-unit buildings to constructing new single-family homes. Finished buildings are rented as affordable housing. Sometimes they represent opportunities for low-income community residents to buy their first homes. As a result, housing that is substandard is transformed into attractive homes in communities where there is a critical need for housing. As my colleagues are aware, the YouthBuild program provides grants on a competitive basis to nonprofit organizations to assist high-risk youth between the ages of 16 to 24 to learn housing construction job skills and to complete their high school education. What is more, program participants enhance their skills as they construct or rehabilitate affordable housing for low- and moderate-income persons. In fact, to date, more than 7,000 units of housing have been produced by YouthBuild participants. As they develop these marketable skills which will allow them to secure future employment, they are contributing to the revitalization of their community, and they are doing it in conjunction with the many community-based organizations, local small businesses and international corporations who have provided matching funds for these programs. YouthBuild is currently training 6,500 people at 145 sites in 43 States. While this is certainly commendable, we could and should be reaching so many more people and places. In fiscal year 2000, HUD received 273 YouthBuild applications but could only fund 78 of them. And while we should be increasing funding for this important program to allow every applicant to receive funding, it is instead funded well below the need. What do we say to an 18-year-old kid who wants to get into the construction trade but cannot get training? ``I am sorry, the funding is not there. You will have to find another way.'' Although YouthBuild deserves a significant increase, given the current budget restraints, I am merely asking that this vital program receive an additional $10 million in fiscal year 2002. With this increase, we will provide aid to over 100 communities nationwide. My amendment offsets this increase by taking an equivalent amount from HUD's Salaries and Expenses account, which receives a $25 million increase. It stands to reason that if we can afford the money to implement a program that requires our neediest citizens to work for free, then we should provide the funding necessary to give these people access to job training. This is an amendment that everyone can support. If one supports promoting self-sufficiency and community involvement for at-risk youth, one should support the YouthBuild program. If one agrees that we are in a housing crisis and affordable housing that these programs produce will be valuable to our communities, one should vote for this amendment. I hope that Members will support this amendment and work with me to begin a dialogue on the productive, successful means of promoting self- sufficiency. I urge my colleagues to vote for the Velazquez amendment.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote, and pending that, I make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Chairman, our country is coming off of one of the greatest economic growth periods in our Nation's history. This phenomenal expansion has been driven by our small businesses, which are the engine of our economy. The contribution of American entrepreneurs cannot be underestimated. Small businesses employ half our workers, create new jobs 75 percent faster than large companies, and make up half of our GDP. The SBA fuels this powerful engine through its loan and technical assistance programs. SBA maintains a loan portfolio of $45 billion to nearly a half million businesses, accounts for nearly half of all venture capital financing, and helped secure financing for eight of Fortune Magazine's 100 fastest-growing firms in 1999. The SBA has even helped launch household brand names like Fed-Ex, Intel, and Apple. Unfortunately, this bill's funding levels leave the agency short by $130 billion. It zeros out ten programs and underfunds another half- dozen. This leaves our small businesses close to running on empty. This amendment, offered by my colleague, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly), and myself, will restore $17 million to the agency, allowing us to adequately fund SBA's 7(a) loan program and maintain for PRIME and BusinessLinc, two critical small business development programs. Mr. Chairman, access to capital means access to opportunity for small business owners. The 7(a) loan program, which helps small businesses obtain long-term capital they need for growth and expansion, directly translates into jobs and a net return on our investment. Last year alone, 7(a) made 43,000 loan guarantees worth over $10.5 billion. The 7(a) program accounts for 30 percent of all long-term small business loans. The current 7(a) funding is almost $40 million below last year, threatening 20,000 small business loans. This amendment will restore $10 million to the 7(a) program, bringing the level up to $88 million, still far below the $117 million we provided last year for the program. With more and more reports coming to light every day that capital is becoming increasingly difficult for small businesses to obtain, having an adequately funded 7(a) program will be critical to our Nation's small business success. Oftentimes even before an enterprise gets their first loan, the dice have already been cast on whether they will succeed. The PRIME initiative gives entrepreneurs the understanding about potential business opportunities, pitfalls, and the necessary steps to success. Studies consistently show that entrepreneurs who receive counseling and technical assistance are twice as likely to succeed. This program ensures those mistakes do not happen. Our amendment funds the program at a modest $5 million to $10 million less than what was funded last year. Finally, while many areas of this country have prospered, there are pockets of communities that have not benefited from the economic boom of the last 10 years. BusinessLinc helps entrepreneurs in these communities to penetrate otherwise inaccessible national markets through a mentoring program linking small firms with large corporate mentors. Our amendment provides a modest level of $2 million to sustain BusinessLinc, still well below last year's level of $7 million. Our amendment is paid for through minor cuts to the administrative accounts of the Department of Commerce, Justice, and State. I do not anticipate these cuts will cause any hardship, because the levels are well above last year's. It will be a very small price to pay for programs that deliver such strong returns. Mr. Chairman, our amendment is a commitment to America's small businesses, which helped to spur and sustain our historic ``long boom.'' The foundation of American prosperity is built by entrepreneurs; and in these less certain times, we must provide the incentives, knowledge, and guarantees to continue their mission of success. I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Chairman, today's bill provides funding for many critical priorities. I believe that the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Wolf) and the ranking member, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano), have produced a bill that is an improvement over the past years. I thank them for their hard work on this legislation, which benefits many. Unfortunately, I am afraid their hard work has fallen short for one of the most productive forces for America today, our small businesses. This bill will severely cut the Small Business Administration's funding level. The recent ``long boom,'' our greatest in history, came as a direct result of the productivity of American small companies and entrepreneurs. Small businesses employ half our workers, account for half our GDP, and grow almost 60 percent faster than large corporations. Mr. Speaker, much of this success has been made possible through the programs of the Small Business Administration. But this bill will cut SBA's tap that currently provides capital liquidity to small business across the country. It will, I fear, dry up assistance just when we most need to give our economy a boost. This bill proposes to cut funding for the SBA from $860 million this year to $728 million next year. Ten programs will be zeroed out and another half dozen or more will be so severely underfunded as to render them ineffective. Later today, my colleague, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly), and I will offer an amendment to restore $17 million in funding for SBA. While still short of last year's level, our amendment will maintain the very successful 7(a) general long guarantee program and two small business assistance programs, PRIME and BusinessLinc. Our amendment is important because small business is big business in America. We aim to support the SBA's mission of providing technical assistance and guarantees to today's entrepreneurs, who are often tomorrow's Intel, Apple, or FedEx. Most importantly, we want to provide the tools that help so many better themselves, their families and their communities. That is the point, after all, of a strong economy.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, to celebrate the Centenary of Charles Weidman (1901-1975), American modern dance pioneer, this year. Mr. Weidman, along with Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Hanya Holm and Lester Horton, forges a new art form which was truly American. Mr. Weidman, who was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on July 22, 1901, was the foremost male dancer of his era. In 1928, Mr. Weidman and his partner, Doris Humphrey established a company and school devoted to exploring a new aestethic. During his time, Mr. Weidman gave important encouragement to male dancers, developing a system of exercises for them which endowed the Humphrey-Weidman Company with a stimulating virility. In 1933 he choreographed Candide, the first full length modern dance work. In addition, his invention of kinetic pantomime, a non-representational pantomime, was yet another of his major contributions to the dance world. Mr. Weidman and Miss Humphrey were the first American modern dance choreographers to compose dances for Broadway shows. In addition, Weidman was the first choreographer for the New York City Opera. Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Weidman's versatility as a choreographer lead him to create dramatic, lyric, abstract, historic, and comic works, as well as works for Broadway shows, revues, and operas. His large body of work reflects his serious humanistic concerns, hit wit, and his clarity as a choreographer. Throughout his career, Mr. Weidman trained and influenced many dancers through the Humphrey-Weidman Company and as a Master Teacher on his own, including: Gene Kelly, Alvin Ailey, Jose Limon, Bob Fosse, Charles Morre, and Jack Cole. Mr. Weidman not only had a profound influence upon the development of American modern dance, but was also influential in the rise of American jazz dance. The arts have always been a factor in the developing of a great society, and both performance and visual arts have played a crucial role in the development of this great nation. I wish to personally thank Dance Consort: Mezzacappa-Gabrian and youth organization Young Dancers in Repertory. I also would like to thank them and wish them the best of luck as they go abroad to represent us in Italy during the Dance Grand Prix Italia 2001.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First and foremost, Mr. Chairman, I would like to recognize the chairman, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), and the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), as well as the members of the Committee on Education and the Workforce for all their hard work on the bill we have before us today. The amendment I am offering will make it easier for needy schools to obtain 21st Century Community Learning Grants. 21st Century Community Learning Grants provide funding to schools in disadvantaged communities that, in collaboration with other public and non-profit agencies and organizations, run before- and after-school programs designed to improve academic achievement. The services they provide include tutoring, technology training, expanded library services, arts and music education, recreational activities, and programs to promote parental involvement and prevent drug use and violence. These services can mean all the difference to a struggling student or a failing school. However, H.R. 1, as currently drafted, permits States to require grant recipients to provide matching funds equal to the amount of grant. Although the bill also requires States that choose to implement such a matching requirement, to do so on a sliding fee scale, this still is a burdensome requirement on prospective grantees that lack access to fund, the same prospective grantees that are most in need of 21st Century Community Learning Programs. By only allowing monetary contributions to be used to meet the matching requirements, we eliminate many neighborhoods from eligibility and we underestimate the value of in-kind contributions. These centers serve some of our poorest communities, and this language has the potential to cripple plans for those schools located in States with matching requirements. Obviously, this is a risk we cannot afford. My amendment will make it easier for the neediest grantees to put together competitive applications by allowing them to count in-kind contributions toward a matching requirement. Although many grantees in disadvantaged communities lack access to funds, they do not lack access to resources. By allowing grantees to count in-kind services, such as volunteer time and donated equipment, we will not only be providing an opportunity to a needy school, we will also be encouraging investment and support from the surrounding community. I hope my colleagues will support this amendment's efforts to eliminate obstacles to much-needed funding for disadvantaged schools and communities. Let us give all students the tools they need to strive for excellence. Let us make sure no child is left behind. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. VELAZQUEZ

Mr. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong opposition to this amendment. This amendment flies in the face of the very principles upon which our Nation was founded. Free speech is a right that we all hold dear. Yet by imposing the Global Gag Rule, we are refusing that right to healthcare providers throughout the world. We all came to Congress because we believe in full and open Democratic participation. But this Amendment uses U.S. AID funding as blackmail to silence millions--simply because their ideas differ from those of our current administration. If this policy were imposed on us, we would be outraged. If it was proposed for community groups in our districts, we would not stand for it. But because it is being inflicted upon poor, third world countries, it's OK. What gives this body the right to dictate to people how they should think and what they should be allowed to say? This policy is hypocritical, it's discriminatory, and it has no place in a free and open society. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

Ms. VELAZQUEZ

Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join with my colleagues to remember a dark chapter in history and to honor and remember the 1.5 million Armenian Christians victims who lost their lives at the hands of the Ottoman Empire during 1915 to 1923. I would like to thank the Co-Chairs of the Armenian Caucus, the gentlemen from New Jersey, Representative Frank Pallone and the gentlemen from Michigan, Representative Joe Knollenberg for organizing this special order commemorating the 86th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide--of one of the greatest tragedies of history and the first genocide of the 20th century. Today, I join with Armenian-Americans in my congressional district, the Armenian-American community throughout the United States and the Armenian community abroad in mourning the loss of so many innocent lives. It is important that we remember and learn from history, because if we ignore the lessons of the past, we are destined to repeat history. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, in the Preface to the Encyclopedia of Genocide, published in 1999 by the Institute on the Holocaust and Genocide in Jerusalem, writes: ``It is sadly true what a cynic has said, that we learn from history that we do not learn from history. And yet it is possible that if the world had been conscious of the genocide that was committed by the Ottoman Turks against the Armenians, the first genocide of the twentieth century, then perhaps humanity might have been more alert to the warning signs that were being given before Hitler's madness was unleashed on an unbelieving world.'' The facts of the Armenian Genocide are clear and amply documented as demonstrated by official reports and accounts by the U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Henry Morgenthau, Sr. In a July 1915 report to the Department of State, U.S. Ambassador Morgenthau, Sr., reported: ``a campaign of race extermination is in progress under a pretext of reprisal against rebellion.'' In describing the events in the Ottoman Empire during 1915 to 1923, Henry Morgenthau stated ``I am confident that the whole history of the human race contains no such horrible episode as this. The great massacres and persecutions of the past seem almost insignificant when compared to the sufferings of the Armenian race in 1915.'' As we gather on this day to remember the past and mourn those who lost their lives, their homes, their families and their freedom, let us pledge to do all that we can to ensure that the Armenian Genocide is properly recognized and remembered to prevent such atrocities from occurring in the future.