Jim Walsh

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on International Relations.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), vice-chairman of the subcommittee. (Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Taylor) for bringing the project to the subcommittee's attention. I know that improving and expanding the Asheville VA Medical Center has been the highest priority for him and the veterans of his district for many, many years. I am also aware that Alzheimer's disease and other dementia-related illnesses are a growing problem for veterans in western North Carolina and throughout the Nation. I would be happy to work with the gentleman from North Carolina in bringing the important project to the Department's attention and in helping the Asheville VA Medical Center as it moves forward with it.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALSH. Yes. I believe the language clarifies that Jacksonville/ Duval County meets the definition of an urban county under the statute, as amended. HUD also agrees with this interpretation.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the distinguished gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Fowler).

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I am aware of this problem facing the city of Jacksonville.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Packard), chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development with whom, in this venture, we are partners. (Mr. PACKARD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to bring before the full House of Representatives the conference report on H.R. 4635, making fiscal year 2001 appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies. So that we can move as quickly as possible, I will keep my comments brief. This conference report was developed after difficult and somewhat prolonged discussions with our counterparts in the Senate as well as representatives of the administration. While there are some parts of this bill that I frankly would like to have done differently, it is in the aggregate, a very good bipartisan bill that will serve the American people well. Let me mention just a few highlights that illustrate this point. The bill fully funds veterans' medical care, with a $1.355 billion increase over last year's record level and provides increased funding for medical research, major construction, and cemetery administration operations. Just as important, we have begun an effort to conduct better oversight of how much medical care funding goes for medical care per se and how much goes to maintaining buildings and facilities. All veterans, no matter where they are located, deserve the best facilities we can provide. Expiring section 8 contracts at HUD are fully funded, and we have included language to push the Department to do a better, faster job getting these funds out of Washington to the people who need them the most. In addition, funds have been added to provide an additional 79,000 new housing vouchers. Mr. Speaker, we have fully funded the Community Development Block Grant entitlement programs and have fully funded all other HUD programs. AmeriCorps has been funded at $453.5 million, less than the budget request, but a slight increase over the fiscal year 2000 funding level. EPA's core operating programs have been fully funded while the various State grant programs, which assist States in implementing the Federal laws, have been more than fully funded. The Clean Water State Revolving Program, gutted in the budget request, has been restored to $1.35 billion, while State and local air grants and section 319 non-point source pollution grants have been increased significantly. Perhaps most important, we have proposed over $172 million, an increase of $57 million over last year's, for section 106 pollution control grants. These grants offer the States the maximum flexibility to deal with the difficult TMDL issues facing the States. CDFI, one of the President's new programs, has been provided $118 million dollars, an increase over last year's funding level because, after a rocky start, this program is working very well and deserves our support. Mr. Speaker, likewise, the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation, perhaps the most productive and most efficient Federal organization dealing with housing, has been provided their full funding level of $90 million. Again, they have earned and deserve our support. National Science Foundation has received an increase of nearly $530 million over last year, putting them well over $4.4 billion, their largest budget ever. There is proud bipartisan support for fully funding the NSF. Similarly, NASA received an increase over last year of nearly $683 million. Their first substantial increase in several years. Before I complete my comments, Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to set the record straight with regard to language contained in the Statement of Managers concerning the dredging issue. The Statement contains a direction to EPA to take no action to initiate or order the use of dredging, capping, or other invasive remedial technologies for contaminated sediments until the report from the National Academy of Sciences is completed and its findings properly considered by the Agency. The conferees have encouraged the National Academy of Sciences to issue a final report by the end of this year, and the Agency should promptly review that report and determine how to appropriately incorporate its recommendations into their remedy selection process. Mr. Speaker, this direction is similar to language that was contained in the Statement of Managers for fiscal year 1999 and 2000 bills. I am frankly disappointed that the EPA has apparently chosen to ignore this direction in several cases during the past year. The Agency appears to be relying on a misinterpretation of this direction, one that allows any business-as-usual EPA decision that dredging or capping is an appropriate remedy to qualify as an exception. In each year, starting with the 1999 bill, the conferees have provided specific exceptions to this direction, primarily limited to cases where a significant threat to public health requires urgent, time-critical response. None of the dredging or capping projects undertaken during this fiscal year meets this test, yet each poses substantial risks to the environment of the kind under study by the NAS. EPA is expected to correct this misinterpretation as it complies with the direction in this bill's Statement of Managers. The direction in this year's Statement of Managers does not apply to cases where a final plan selecting dredging or other invasive remedial technology has been adopted prior to October 1 of this year or, in cases not requiring adoption of a final plan, where authorized activities involving dredging or invasive remedial technologies are now occurring. In any such case, such as a pilot or a demonstration, review of the NAS report and consideration of its findings would be required before adoption of a final plan involving dredging, capping or other invasive remedial activity. Turning briefly to another issue. The conferees included language in last year's Statement of Managers accompanying the conference report regarding a proposed rule to implement new, affordable housing goals for the housing government-sponsored entities, the GSEs: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These goals are currently being finalized. I would like to reiterate the direction of the fiscal year 2000 Statement of Managers which encouraged HUD to craft a final rule that ensures regulatory parity for all of the GSEs, including the present composition of their overall portfolio and relative size of multifamily portfolio. Finally, Mr. Speaker, a question has been raised regarding direction of EPA in the Statement of Managers regarding the Agency's issuing of new guidelines with respect to the TMDL program. This direction to the Agency is simply intended to prevent EPA regions or headquarters from issuing new rules or guidelines which are based on the new TMDL rule which cannot by law be implemented before October 1, 2001. Other rules or guidelines relative to the TMDL program which are not based on the rule may still be issued by the Agency. Mr. Speaker, I have to say that it would have been very difficult to get this bill this far without the support and assistance of the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mollohan), my ranking member friend, who brings a great deal of knowledge and foresight to this bill, and the rest of this very hard-working subcommittee. I truly appreciate all of these Members. I also wish to thank our counterparts in the Senate, specifically, Senator Bond and Senator Mikulski. They are both very tough negotiators but are also able to come to fair and equitable agreements. I would be remiss if I did not mention the forthright and I think good-faith negotiations we had with the White House. There has been a lot of skepticism between the legislative and executive branch over the past number of years; but in my experience, I think they have always been fair, tough, but willing to compromise on all of these issues. And we would not have resolved these issues especially on the environment, had they not given some ground. We had to give ground; they gave some ground. But I think the conclusion is that this is a good, fair bill that everybody can say they took something home. Mr. Speaker, while we do not always agree on issues, every effort has been made on both sides to continue this subcommittee's strong history of bipartisan cooperation in crafting this bill. I truly appreciate the help of each of these individuals and our close working relationship. I would also be remiss if I did not mention the hard work of our staffs, both personal staffs and appropriation committee staff; these are professionals. Their goal is to provide us with the information and the resources we need to craft a good bill to make sure that throughout the negotiation that everybody is kept abreast of the changes, and that, to the best of our ability, to the best of their ability, they get the bill done on time, which requires mountains and mountains of paperwork. So I sincerely thank them all again. Mr. Speaker, that in a nutshell is the fiscal year 2001 VA, HUD and Independent Agencies bill, which, as my colleagues know, has also been joined in this process with the Energy and Water bill; and I expect we will hear from the gentleman from California (Mr. Packard) and his ranking member. This is a good bill. It is a fair bill, with solid policy direction while remaining fiscally responsible. We are still $2.4 billion under the President's request, which I think in the environment that we have negotiated in is remarkable. We are informed that it will be supported by the President when it arrives on his desk, and I strongly encourage the support of this body in moving this measure forward to its completion. Mr. Speaker, I include the following for the Record: [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH19OC00.001 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH19OC00.002 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH19OC00.003 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH19OC00.004 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH19OC00.005 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH19OC00.006 Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the rule just adopted, I call up the conference report on the bill (H.R. 4635) making appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, and for other purposes.

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Taylor), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Legislative of the Committee on Appropriations.

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

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton).

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Skeen), chairman of the subcommittee, for the excellent work that he did in working through these very difficult issues. It has been said that politics is the art of the possible. What we accomplished on this bill, especially as it relates to our trade policies, is exactly what is possible, no more, no less. But what we have done, Mr. Speaker, is we made a historic change in our foreign policy. Hopefully never again will the United States use food and drug as a weapon. Our farmers need all the markets that they can get. We should never be putting ourselves in a position where we are cutting off markets, because American farmers are the best in the world, the most productive in the world, and we need to help them to get to the markets. The issue of reimportation of drugs, there has been an awful lot of demagoguery about this on the other side. The fact of the matter is we address it. For the first time, it is being addressed. I suppose if we had not addressed it, we would have heard about that, too. We have improved on the food stamps regulations for poor Americans. Welfare reform did more for this country and its people than maybe any other reform that has been passed in the last 25 years. More Americans are productive. Fewer kids are in poverty. More Americans are healthy because of that reform. But we had some minor changes to make in the Hunger Relief Act, that will help States to address the issues of moving people from welfare to work. Disaster relief, disaster assistance for farmers, apple farmers, dairy farmers, crop farmers, I think the Congress did a good job in a bipartisan way of addressing disaster relief issues. We have made major strides in improving the environment through the Agriculture bill, primarily in the CRP program and also in agriculture research. This is a broad bill, it is an expansive bill, it is an important bill, and we need not focus on the warts and the scabs within the overall legislation. We need to focus on what is good about this bill and the commitment that we have made to the American farmer.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me time on this well-constructed rule. I rise in strong support of the rule and of the bill. The work that the Subcommittee on Agriculture of the Committee on Appropriations has done under the leadership of the gentleman from New Mexico (Chairman Skeen) I think is a strong work product, and they are to be commended. This was a very difficult bill, loaded up with a lot of extraneous issues that really are not specifically appropriations issues. But, nonetheless, the committee took on the challenge. I am very proud, Mr. Speaker, of the fact that we provided $3.5 billion in emergency relief to our farmers, including the farmers in the dairy industry that have suffered for so long with such low prices. This will provide them with some stability in the marketplace and enable them to continue on a very difficult course of producing milk and making profit. The same goes to our apple producers who have never had the benefit of this sort of support before from the Congress. I think it is landmark legislation in that we have provided these emergency funds. Many of the apple State legislators, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Reynolds), the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings), and others worked very, very hard to include this hundred million dollars plus funding. We have also, Mr. Speaker, changed the rules on the Hunger Relief Act, the food stamp requirements. I think this is a very important minor fix to some of the reforms that an earlier Congress had endeavored to pass. To reduce the overall cost of public assistance and food stamps in the country was an absolute success. Well, welfare reform has been an absolute success, including the fact that we have raised over 2 million young people in this country out of poverty through that Welfare Reform Act. However, two of the things that needed to be changed on food stamp regulations were the value of an automobile. If one had an automobile worth more than $4,600, one did not qualify for food stamps. We changed that. The States now can set their own value. Also, we changed the shelter allowance. With oil prices rising and energy costs rising, rental, apartment rents that are attached to those will also rise. We change that to increase the shelter allowance from $280 to $340 which will allow more people to move from welfare to work and yet still have the benefit of food stamps. So I think it is an important reform. Mr. Speaker, there are many important issues in here. The last that I will mention is the reimportation of drugs. We have done a lot of demagoguery on the other side. Quite frankly, Mr. Speaker, the next President of the United States will determine with this Congress what the prescription drug plan is. We think we have a good one that gives people choices instead of letting HCFA, an agency that everybody despises on all sides of the issue have no use for HCFA, but yet they want to hand this decision over to HCFA. We prefer to let the seniors make those decisions themselves. But what we have done is given the opportunity for individuals to buy drugs reimported into the United States at reduced prices to try to bring everybody's costs down. Let the consumers help the consumers to pay for drugs until there is a prescription drug plan in place. I think it is a strong bill. It is a good rule. I urge its adoption.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, each year in an effort to improve adoption policy and practice, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption holds a national award ceremony honoring ``Angels in Adoption.'' The purpose of the ``Angels in Adoption'' campaign is to help raise public awareness of the many different ways committed individuals in our country can help children and families through adoption. This crusade is an opportunity to recognize these unsung heroes who make a difference for needy children all across the world. Today, I would like to recognize two of this year's ``Angels in Adoption'' from my congressional district, Kevin and Eileen Gilligan of LaFayette, New York. As a couple, the Gilligans epitomize the loving, caring commitment found in all adoptive parents. In June of 1999, Kevin Gilligan wrote a journal for his new and youngest son, Louis, chronicling their trip to the Russia Republic to adopt him, which became front-page stories in the Syracuse Newspapers. Previously, the Gilligans adopted their daughter, Addie, who is now 13 years old, and their son, Min, who is 11 years old, from Korea. I want to commend the Gilligans for the warmth and compassion they have extended to children in need. When Kevin and Eileen met Louis for the first time, he did not even know how to express the most simple of affections, a kiss. As a family, they welcomed him and their two other children into their home and showed them how to love and be loved. I use this opportunity to recognize Central New York's ``Angels in Adoption,'' Kevin and Eileen Gilligan, and salute all adopted families in our nation.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join in the tribute to our good friend and our distinguished Senator from New York, Daniel Patrick Moynihan; and I congratulate my colleague, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney), for helping to organize this fitting tribute. It is fitting in many senses, not the least of which is its bipartisanship. I begin by paraphrasing the great William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar: We have come not to bury the Senator, but to praise him. New York has great pride in Senator Moynihan and his career. A native son, he began his life in Hell's Kitchen. That crucible of Hell's Kitchen helped to create the character that is now our great Senator. George Will's column recently was an excellent explanation of his distinguished career, but there are many points that I think all of us have some identity with. Certainly the fact that he spends his summers in Pindar's Corners in upstate New York shows that he is a Senator for the entire State. In New York State, we have what is commonly referred to as upstate and down state. Now, the people from down state, which we think of as New York City, refer to everything north of the Bronx as upstate, or as everybody from upstate refers to everything in the five bureaus and Long Island as down state. I would like to think of Senator Moynihan as being from mid-state. He has always defied that upstate-down state divide. There are a couple of songs that sort of sum up New York. Billy Joel wrote and sang a song called New York State of Mind. I prefer that to Frank Sinatra's New York, New York. New York, New York is a little presumptuous. The New York State of Mind I think explains perhaps the Senator, not playing the partisan role, not taking upstate versus down state, urban versus rural, or even domestic versus foreign in our policies. He has somehow avoided that trap. Just as he did with many, many issues, you can describe him as a man for all seasons, a renaissance man; but certainly he has fulfilled many, many roles throughout his successful life. As ambassador to India, he helped to bridge a gap between the world's two greatest democracies. India, for some reason, never saw itself as a friend of the United States until Senator Moynihan served there with distinction and helped to create that bridge which we saw somewhat fulfilled the other day when Prime Minister Vajpayee spoke here before the United States Congress, a very important role for 2 great peoples. He served in the cabinet in many administrations, as a professor in my hometown at Syracuse University, as United States ambassador. What a tremendous resume. He was able to take on issues that few others would be willing to enter into the fray. We have a tremendous environmental issue up home in my hometown, Onondaga Lake. He looked at the factions that divided the cure for that problem and pointed at all of them and said you are all wrong. We need to get to work on this. He helped me as a Republican bring in the Army Corps of Engineers to play a major role. I remember the first meeting we had with the Army Corps, and he said to the colonel who was going to take over this project, he said, this project can make a general out of you if you do a good job. Well, he is no longer on the job, but the job has begun and the lake is cleaner already. I owe my partner a great deal and the community does too. The Erie Canal, the legacy of New York State which strung all of the pearls of the upstate cities together along this waterway, we are restoring that. We are recreating it; we are redeveloping it. He was never shy about pointing out the peccadillos of our leaders, to his credit. He had a knack for reducing complex issues to the nut of the problem. But, on the other hand, he could also philosophize and wax thoughtfully and embellish. There was a saying when Moynihan and D'Amato were the Senators, if you wanted to get the history of immigration in the United States, you saw Moynihan. If you wanted a passport, you saw D'Amato. That tells you a little bit about the man. Somehow, he has managed over the years to avoid the slings and arrows of outrageous editorial writers, although I am sure he could point out a time or two when they took them on. I don't think too many of them were smart enough to take him on. He will be remembered for his witness and wisdom, for his devotion to his beloved wife, Liz, for his 6 decades of public service, for his pithy comments, but mostly for his honesty and integrity.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, Christian Brothers Academy first opened its doors to 17 male students on September 4, 1900 in a house on the corner of North State and East Willow Streets in the city of Syracuse, New York. Since that time, Christian Brothers Academy, referred to locally as CBA, has grown to become a dominant force in scholastic education in Central New York as a private, Catholic, co-educational college preparatory school in the LaSallian tradition. After opening in 1900, CBA's first structure was replaced by a three- story school building in 1904, which remained the ``Brothers' Boys'' home until it moved to a modern campus in DeWitt, New York in 1961. Today, that modern campus on the corner of Kimber and Randall Roads continues to be transformed. In conjunction with the school's centennial celebration, the Board of Trustees has undertaken a $7 million capital campaign to upgrade and expand the CBA campus-- including the construction of a Fine Arts wing, renovation and expansion of science facilities, the addition of new classrooms and multi-media labs, and the construction of new athletic practice facilities. In addition, the campaign will provide an increased number of endowed scholarships to make CBA's strong educational program available to more needy young men and women in the Syracuse area. Throughout its existence, Christian Brothers Academy has responded to the changing times. Junior high grades were added in 1977 in an effort to counter declining numbers with the addition of two Diocesan regional high schools, the dress code was relaxed, academic course options were implemented and females were admitted in 1987 with the closure of the all-girl Franciscan Academy in Syracuse. While receptive to improvements, CBA has held many traditions constant. Its annual Musicale continues, and CBA remains a local powerhouse in scholastic athletics, winning a variety of sectional, state and Eastern States Catholic Schools titles in men's football, baseball, basketball and soccer, and in women's varsity swimming. CBA graduates are successful professionals and parents residing throughout our nation, and dozens of Central New York's past and present elected leaders boast of Brothers' diplomas. As a member of the CBA Class of 1966 myself, it gives me great pleasure to recognize Christian Brothers Academy on 100 years of service to our community as we continue with ``pride in our past and faith in our future.'' Congratulations.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, today marks the historic celebration of the ten-year anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. As a strong supporter of the ADA from the very start, I join with you in reflecting upon all the great changes this law has brought to the disability community. The ADA is more than access and accommodations. Those are the legal words for what the Act is all about. Quality of life issues are what is really at stake. Going to the doctor where an interpreter is provided to accurately receive proper diagnosis and treatment. Being able to get to work and perform a meaningful job with assistance. Accessing public transportation for a day or evening out with family or friends. Shopping for groceries or other needed items--these are the type of quality of life issues that the ADA set out to guarantee just ten years ago. In the Central New York area, we are fortunate to have several agencies that work tirelessly to promote the type of access the ADA protects. In Syracuse, Enable and Arise have fought from the ground level with a ``hands on'' approach to make this law a reality. They are to be commended. In Cortland, the Access to Independence of Cortland County works to bring services and education to both the disability and non-disability community. And in Auburn, Options for Independence advocates for people with disabilities. In addition, there are numerous individuals across the 25th Congressional District who have contributed to the success of this program. Some ADA changes are subtle, others more drastic. But in every case their impact has had an immeasurable effect on the quality of life we all enjoy. I take this opportunity to commend all those involved in removing obstacles, eliminating barriers and ensuring equal access for all.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, on October 1, 2000 Lt. Col. Richard F. Blansett is retiring as the comptroller for the 174th Fighter Wing of the New York Air National Guard located at Hancock Field in Syracuse, NY. He assumed the position of comptroller on October 1, 1989. In this capacity, he is responsible for the development and administration of the Wing's $29 million annual budget as well as a variety of military personnel resources. Lieutenant Colonel Blansett was born on December 25, 1944 in Watertown, NY and graduated from Watertown High School in June of 1962. He holds a bachelor of arts degree from Union College and a master of science degree in Human Resource Management from Chapman University. Lieutenant Colonel Blansett began his military career as a traditional guardsman with the 174th Fighter Wing, enlisting as an administrative clerk assigned to the Fuels Branch in 1967. Since then, he has served the Wing in its Support Group Orderly Room, Supply Squadron Executive Support Office and Combat Support Squadron. He has served as Squadron Executive Support Officer, Squadron On-the-Job Administrator, Base Chief Career Counselor and Base Utilization Officer, rising in rank to staff sergeant, to second lieutenant and to captain. In 1981, then Captain Blansett became a full-time member of the Guard as the Wing Logistics Plans Officer. In 1985, he was transferred to the Resources Squadron to serve as budget officer and cost analysis officer. He continued to be a leader in logistical deployments as the air cargo officer--a heavy additional duty that he maintains to date. In 1989, then Major Blansett was assigned to his current position as comptroller. During Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990- 91, when the 174th Fighter Wing was deployed to the Persian Gulf, Major Blansett served as the acting Deputy Commander for Resources. On September 19, 1993 Major Blansett was promoted to lieutenant colonel. Throughout his tenure in this position, Lieutenant Colonel Blansett implemented and managed a variety of programs at base level and has been instrumental in managing the evolution of financial management processes from paper to electronic systems. In his 11 years in this position, Lieutenant Colonel Blansett has maximized unit resources and played a crucial role in the improvement of Hancock Field's infrastructure. He has served as chairman of the Comptroller Advisory Board for the entire Air National Guard and, most recently, has advised and assisted the 174th in its Aerospace Expeditionary Force Deployment Operation. He also has played a key role in shaping the first home-station Operational Readiness Inspection conducted by Air Combat Command. During his time in service Lieutenant Colonel Blansett has received numerous medals and commendations. More importantly, he has earned the respect and admiration of the men and women who serve with him. In addition to his work duties, Lieutenant Colonel Blansett has been actively involved in the Boy Scout organization, serving as both a scoutmaster and Explorer advisor. Lieutenant Colonel Blansett and his wife, Julie, have a son, Christoper, daughter-in-law, Jen, and daughter Kimberly, all of whom reside in the Syracuse area. I take this opportunity to applaud and commend Lieutenant Colonel Blansett for his 30-plus years of service to the 174th Fighter Wing and wish him well as he conquers new challenges in retirement. We are all better off for his years of dedication and sacrifice.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, according to a recent audit by the Office of the Inspector General, jail and prison inmates across the United States illegally collected nearly $20 million in Social Security and Supplemental Income payments in 1997. Not only are such payments to inmates unnecessary, they are illegal; and the Social Security Administration has been asking jail administrators across the nation to help alert its personnel of new prisoners in an efficient and effective manner in order to halt such payments. In the County of Onondaga, New York, one employee of the County's Information Technology Department, Ms. Deborah Liddiard, developed and wrote a computer program that allows the Social Security Administration access to the names of prisoners in the County's facilities in a form that is immediately comparable to the Administration's existing records. Ms. Liddiard's program is so efficient and precise that the Social Security Administration has honored her and is using her work as a model for jail administrators across the nation. I use this opportunity to commend Ms. Liddiard for her work on behalf of all United States taxpayers who have benefitted from her expertise and dedication. May all municipalities with jail and prison facilities expedite their compliance with this request, using Ms. Liddiard's work as a model in order to significantly reduce these inappropriate payments. Twenty million dollars in savings is quite significant. Congratulations and thank you, Ms. Liddiard.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, June 24, 2000, the Fabius-Pompey Falcons defeated Haldane to win the New York State Class D Mens Varsity Baseball Championship, a terrific finish to an outstanding undefeated season. The Falcons, Section III Champions, won the state Class D final with a 6-2 triumph over Section I's Haldane to top off a 20-0 season and a dominant playoff run. Previously, Fabius-Pompey, representing the Onondaga League, defeated the Oriskany Redskins of the Center State Conference in a 7-2 victory to retain the Section III, Class D Championship again this year, their third consecutive sectional title. In that game, the Falcons' star pitcher, junior Bryan Porter, entered the state record book for most consecutive innings without giving up an earned run. To advance to the State Final game, Fabius-Pompey later defeated Section IV champions Schenevus (7-0) and Section II champs Hermon-Dekalb (25-0). This year's title win against Haldane avenges a 1998 Class D State championship loss. Talent emanates from the Fabius-Pompey dugout, with five players receiving Syracuse Newspapers' All CNY Baseball Team recognition, including Player of the Year Bryan Porter, First Team's Nate Bliss and Mike Shick, Third Team's Bob Virgil, and Honorable Mention Tim Wilcox. The team was led by All CNY Coach of the Year Shawn May, completing his ninth season leading the Falcons, and Assistant Coach Josh Virgil, himself a former Falcons fielder. Members of the 2000 Class D Championship team include: Nate Bliss, Matt Crossman, Brandt Ford, Rob Keeney, Matthew Morse, Mitch Morse, Bill Orty, Brian Porter, Mike Shick, Jed Smith, Corey Spicer, Robert Virgil, and Tim Wilcox. Coaching staff includes Head Coach Shawn May, and Assistant Coaches Josh Virgil, Evan Eaton, and Jim Keegan. I wish to celebrate the outstanding athletic achievements of these fine young men and recognize their scholastic and civic accomplishments as well. I join with the entire Fabius-Pompey community--including Falcons fans, parents and other family members, and educators and administrators--in extending sincere congratulations for a job well done. This strong group of fine young athletes deserves special recognition.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the concept of the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) in the bill. I think the idea of agritourism is essential to a changing agricultural landscape in my State. When people think of New York State, they do not necessarily think of agriculture. I remember when I first came down here as a candidate, I went to see Frank Horton, who was then the dean of the New York delegation. I sat down and we talked. He said, if you get elected, what committee do you want to be on? I said, I want to be on Agriculture. He said, Well, we will do the best we can, but it is a very competitive situation. The first thing you have to do is get elected. So I was elected. Little did I know that he was just dying to get somebody from New York on Agriculture. Again, New York State's number one industry is agriculture, but it is a changing scene. The dairy farms that are spread across New York, as they are across most of the northern tier of the country, are relatively small: a lot of woodlots and streams and rivers and gullies. A lot of it is not suitable to large-scale agriculture, so dairy farms are what have been what populates it. But what the farmers are doing, because the prices are difficult in dairy, they are trying to diversify. They want to stay on the land. They want their children to stay on the land, so they try to find other ideas. There is one farmer in my district in upstate New York near Syracuse who turned a corn lot into a maze; planted the corn according to a map and planted it in the form of a maze, and advertised. He made ten times as much money on that small plot, several acres, ten times as much money on that acreage as he did prior when he was just planting corn. There are vegetable farms and truck farms, fruit farms all around central New York that encourage the city dwellers to come out from Syracuse, Albany, even the folks who come from New York City. And you can always tell them. They have a dress shirt on opened at the top with a T-shirt, black pants and black shoes. We love to see them come; they usually have lots of money in their wallet. And they love to come upstate and see us rubes, and we like to take their money. One of the ways we can do that is by supporting agritourism. It is an opportunity for our small family farmers to stay on the land, to make some money, and improve their lot. And nobody husbands that land better than those farmers; nobody takes care of that land better than those farmers. They are protecting the environment. They are keeping the streams clean. They are rotating their crops properly. They are working the wood lots. But they need this extra incentive to provide them the ability, the cash income. Think of it as a new cash crop to sustain their livelihood. So I strongly support the gentleman's idea. I hope we would reject the amendment offered by the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley). I know he feels strongly about rural development, but I would say to the gentleman we have a lot of rural areas in upstate New York. But this is true rural development for us.

Mr. WALSH

Mr. WALSH. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my strong reservations about the proposed merger of United Airlines and US Airways. While I am a strong proponent of economic growth and development, this recently announced merger could only have a detrimental impact on Central New York air service and our economy. Congress was told by the airline industry in 1978 that deregulation would bring about greater competition, better service, and lower costs for the consumer. In many of our large, major urban centers this is exactly what happened; however, smaller urban areas haven't seen similar results. Many of these communities find themselves saddled with one dominant carrier and no competition resulting in extremely high airfares. This combination of the two airlines would not only control about 27 percent of the U.S. market but over 50 percent of the travel market out of Syracuse, which already pays the fifteenth highest airfares in the nation. I cannot support a merger if increased travel costs, possible loss of service, and dismissal of longtime employees are part of the equation.