Zach Wamp

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, Many folks would have turned a little faint at the thought of trying to start a business during the depths of the Great Depression in the 1930s. But not O.D. McKee. ``O.D.,'' as he was known to his many friends and admirers, believed that he could be successful in the baking business. And he and his wife, Ruth, were not afraid to work hard. Together they built a small bakery into a giant business with 5,000 employees and plants in three states. I am proud that O.D. and Ruth McKee, who died in 1995 and 1989, were citizens of the 3 rd District of Tennessee. And I am very thankful that their company, McKee Foods Corporation, headquartered in Collegedale, TN, near Chattanooga, continues to be an important and vibrant corporate citizen of the 3 rd District. It is entirely fitting that the company has dedicated the O.D. McKee Conference Room at the company's plant in Collegedale. The McKees and their family typify the values of people who are successful as business leaders--and human beings--in America. They had dreams, drive and determination as they built McKee Foods and its ``Little Debbie'' Snack cakes and other products into internationally recognized symbols of quality. In the early years, the company operated out of a plant on Main Street in Chattanooga. But later, the McKees sold out and moved to Charlotte, Their operations were--and are--a model for what a good company should be. O.D. and Ruth were true partners in the business. He supplied the vision and sales skills that helped to build the company. She contributed down-to- earth, practical business sense, managing many aspects of the bakery's operations, particularly in the early years. At a time when this kind of arrangement was not very common in American business, they drew equal salaries. Today, their company continues to be based on trust and mutual respect among all employees. It is a major part of the economy in Southeast Tennessee. In addition to the facility in Collegedale, it has plants in Apison, Tenn.; Gentry, Ark., and Stuarts Draft, Va., and markets its products in all 50 states, Canada, Puerto Rico and U.S. military bases worldwide. Truly, it is fitting that we pause to honor O.D. McKee and the wonderful legacy he and his wife, Ruth, built.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed as cosponsor of H.R. 877.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the business in order under the Calendar Wednesday rule be dispensed with on Wednesday, April 25, 2001.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding any adjournment of the House until Tuesday, April 24, 2001, the Speaker, majority leader and minority leader be authorized to accept resignations and to make appointments authorized by law or by the House.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, Dorene Lowery has been an employee of the Bradley County Schools for 17 years. During her tenure she has taught grades four, five and six at McDonald School, Prospect School and Black Fox School. She is currently serving as principal at Michigan Avenue Elementary School. Ms. Lowery has been recognized as a Black Fox Elementary Teacher of the Year 2000, Bradley County Teacher of the Year 2000, District Teacher of the Year 2001 and most recently Tennessee Teacher of the Year 2001. She indicates there are many reasons she decided to become a teacher--primarily heritage. Her parents were major influences in her life. Her mother, Mary Harris, instilled in her a love for books. Her father, Ron Harris, who has been a professor at Lee University for 35 years is responsible for instilling in her a love for teaching. He tells Dorene her favorite phrases were always, ``Why?'', ``How does it work?'', and ``Show me.'' Another reason she became a teacher was her love of school. She would love to come home from kindergarten and teach her younger brother the things she had learned that day. ``For me, there was never a career choice to make. I always knew I was a teacher. I have found through the years that the quest to be the agent of academic growth in students and to witness their successes has not diminished. To help a child step out into the uncharted frontiers of their mind and experiences spurs me on and provides me with boundless joy. I affect eternity. No one can tell where my influence will stop. For this reason, I TEACH.'' Her husband is Steve Lowery. They have no children.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. I yield to the gentleman from Iowa.

Mr. WAMP. I thank the chairman.

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Chairman, it is my desire to enter into a colloquy with the gentleman from Iowa on an important science investment called the Spallation Neutron Source, which represents a $1.4 billion investment. It is under construction in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in my district; but the benefits will be generational. It is a physical science investment, but we are going to have life science and physical science benefits come out of this most important science initiative. It crosses over from the previous administration to this administration. We are in our second year of funding. This current year is $278 million. The President is asking for a large number for the coming year. It is very important generationally I think that we accede science and basic research investment for future generations for benefits that we really do not even fully realize at this time. Mr. Chairman, the science community supports this initiative. It is a consortium of five different laboratories all across our country. It has been the subject of many technical reviews over the last couple of years. The science community really scrubbed this project clean before they fully supported it, and they do fully support it. So my question is, Mr. Chairman, as we are considering the budget resolution, there is a 5.7 percent increase in Function 250, General Science, Space and Technology, where the SNS will be funded. Is it the committee chairman's expectation to see the SNS continue on track and on budget with this increase in Function 250?

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House and Senate Prayer Groups, it was an honor to chair the 49th Annual National Prayer Breakfast held on February 1, 2001. This annual breakfast is a time when leaders and guests from around the world gather in respect and civility to celebrate our common denominator as children of God and to pray for unity, peace, and direction as we put our differences aside and come together as people. This is a special and unique opportunity for fellowship across ideological, ethnic, political, and religious divides. Chairing the National Prayer Breakfast was one of the greatest privileges of my life. The thoughts and prayers shared at this year's breakfast were a blessing to those who heard them, and I believe they will be so to many more in the future. I am therefore including the program and transcript to be printed in the Record. The program and transcript follow: National Prayer Breakfast, Thursday, February 1, 2001 (Chairman: Representative Zach Wamp) Representative Zach Wamp (R-TN). Good morning. You may be seated. You can see why I am so proud of the Chattanooga Singers, from my hometown, this morning. (Applause.) I would like to call on Admiral Vernon Clark, the chief of staff of the United States Navy, for our opening prayer. Admiral. Admiral Vernon Clark (Navy Chief of Staff). Let us bow our heads in prayer. Eternal Father, we come to You today with thanksgiving for Your creation, this land we love, the seas that we sail. And we thank You, Lord, for the abundance which blesses our nation, this land of prosperity and freedom. On this day, we are grateful for the strength that we have as one people from many faiths, many backgrounds, even many cultures, but still one nation, under God. We also thank You for the fellowship of those from beyond our shores who are gathered here with us today from other nations, with diverse faiths and backgrounds and cultures. We pray that this moment of sharing will strength all of us together in the cause of peace and justice. We know that You are the bedrock of all that is good and lasting. And so, for all our many gifts and blessings, we praise You and we thank You. Almighty God, look upon us with favor as we gather together in prayer, as we bow our heads and raise our hearts to Thee. We approach You, Lord, with humility and confidence, as You have taught us to do. But we are also mindful of Your Scripture which teaches us: We have not because we ask not. And so, we ask You, for all of our leaders, for guidance, guidance for all of us as we seek to serve. And we ask You for wisdom and we ask You for courage, the courage to preserve our country as a beacon of freedom, justice and opportunity. And finally, we ask You to bless the sustenance that is placed before us this day. May it strengthen us in our faith, in our fellowship, and strengthen us in our service to You and to your creation. It is in Your Holy Name that we pray. Amen. Rep. Wamp. I realize that most of you have already had your breakfast, but if you will enjoy the fellowship at your table while we give the head table a brief opportunity to eat, we will be back with you at 8:20. (Break for breakfast.) Rep. Wamp. Good morning again. My name is Zack Wamp. I am from the great state of Tennessee and I am the chairman of this year's National Prayer Breakfast. I want to welcome each one of you to what I consider the best day every year in Washington, D.C. The first Thursday of February for 49 years, we have hosted the National Prayer Breakfast, which has evolved into an international event today, when we have friends from 170 countries around the world. Each Thursday morning in the House of Representatives, I have the privilege of presiding over the weekly bipartisan Prayer Breakfast Group in the House, and every week, I begin that meeting by saying to my colleagues--usually there are 50 or 60 there, equally divided among Democrats and Republicans--``Welcome to the best hour of the week.'' It is a time where we come together in respect and love and full appreciation of each other, and it is blessed and anointed, I believe we are there in the spiritual sense. Relationships are forged for life. I think of one relationship that was forged about 35 years ago in the House. A young congressman from Texas, named George Herbert Walker Bush, a Republican, came to be friends with a young congressman from the state of Mississippi, General Sonny Montgomery. To this very day, they are best of friends, and it all started with that weekly commitment to meet in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit and come to know each other in a miraculous way. Great things happen and relationships are forged. When you ask members of the House who are heading to retirement what their most special time in the House was, if they came to our prayer breakfast, ladies and gentlemen, they always say it is that special hour on Thursday morning when we come together in civility and love and the Spirit does the work. I want to mention, as we welcome our foreign leaders here this morning as well, that our speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, who sits in front of me here, is the most active member of our weekly prayer group of any speaker in its history. We thank you for your faithfulness, Mr. Speaker. (Applause.) We have excellencies and heads of state and leaders from around the world. We have the top leadership from our executive branch, our legislative branch, our judicial branch here this morning. We are so grateful for each and every one of you. Secretary Powell, thank you, sir, for being here this morning. We have the president of the Republic of Congo. (Applause.) We have the president of Macedonia with us this morning. (Applause.) We have the president of Rwanda her this morning. (Applause.) The prime minister of the Slovak Republic is here with us this morning. (Applause.) I have been coming to these breakfasts long enough to know better than to try to pronounce their names. (Laughter.) So we are honored that you are here, and I am glad that that part of the program is behind me! May I introduce our head table. I will start from your right, and my left. Congressman Eliot Engel and his wife, Pat. Please hold your applause until I finish across the table, please--with two exceptions. We also have the Reverend Fred Steelman, my pastor, and his wife, Becky, who is a school teacher. We have Carolyn and the Honorable Andrew Young. We have Mrs. Susan Baker, the spouse of Secretary James Baker. We have Senator Jon Kyl from Arizona. We have Elizabeth Edwards, the spouse of Senator John Edwards from North Carolina. This is where we waive that rule--a leader among leaders, the wife of the vice president of the United States, Mrs. Lynne Cheney. (Applause.) The Vice President of the United States of America, Dick Cheney. (Applause.) The Senator from the state of North Carolina, John Edwards. (Scattered applause.) Starting at this end-- we will get back to the rule. (Laughter.) All the way on your left, Wintley Phipps, a Grammy-nominated vocalist, who will sing for us later today, and his wife, Linda. We have Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, who is on the program with her husband, Ed. You heard from Admiral Vernon Clark, the chief of staff of the United States Navy, and his wife, Connie. Our keynote speaker this morning: the Senator from the great state of Tennessee, Bill Frist and his wife, Karyn. And eagerly awaiting the arrival of THE first lady is my first lady, my awesome wife, Kim. And now you may applaud the entire head table. (Applause.) We have a special treat this morning, because bringing greetings from the United States Senate prayer group is a pair of senators, a Democrat from North Carolina and a Republican from Arizona. They are co-chairmen of the Senate prayer group. Please welcome Senator John Kyl and Senator John Edwards. (Applause.) Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ). Thank you, Zach. Mr. Vice President, distinguished friends, in his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul urged, ``Be kindly affectioned one to another, with brotherly love.'' Well, once a week, just as in the House of Representatives, as Zach mentioned, we join in the United States Senate, men and women of different religious faiths, for our weekly prayer breakfast. We set aside our differences. Christians and Jews, Democrats and Republicans, conservatives and liberals, we focus on things we have in common. I believe the Senate is a more civil place because we are ``kindly affectioned'' to each other, in Paul's words. Just as with our much smaller group of senators, by meeting here today in faith, we all enhance our appreciation of each other, of the meaning of our calling and of our faith. As St. Augustine wrote, faith opens a way for the understanding. God bless you all, and welcome. (Applause.) Sen. John Edwards (D-NC). We bring you greetings from the Senate and from the Senate Prayer Breakfast. While Jon Kyl and I are co-chairs of the Senate Prayer Breakfast, we are not in charge of the Senate Prayer Breakfast. The Lord is in charge of the Senate Prayer Breakfast. (Applause.) Two years ago my friend Connie Mack, who is seated right down here, invited me to come to the prayer breakfast for the first time, when I was first elected to the Senate, and asked me to come and share my personal faith journey with the group. Well, I was nervous. It is a very personal thing, as you all know. My relationship with the Lord is very personal to me. So I came to the prayer breakfast. The other senators were extraordinarily kind to me. But as always seems to happen, there was a very familiar presence in that room. The Lord was present. Every week we walk into that room as United States senators, no matter how contentious or how important the debate may be on the floor of the United States Senate, and we become what every person in this room is, which is a child of God and a member of His family. It is an extraordinary blessing for us to be able to share on a weekly basis. I would urge those of you from around the country and around the world, if you have an opportunity, to form groups of faith, with people whom you can share with. You will find it to be a wonderful, rewarding, and extraordinary experience. May the Lord bless you all. (Applause.) Rep. Wamp. For those of you who may not be in elected office, you may think that people recognize us often. I have to tell you that even though I am in my seventh year in the House, many times I am at home at the mall or out to dinner with my family and somebody will walk up to me and they will look at me, and they will say, ``Aren't you --?'' And I will say, ``Yes, yes.'' ``Aren't you --?'' and I know they are about to say it, and they will say, ``I know, aren't you the weather man on Channel 12?'' (Laughter.) So I am really watching to see which way the wind is blowing, whether there is a shower coming in so that I can be of assistance to my constituents, and that is a way to keep us close to the ground. (Laughter.) A reading from the Scriptures this morning will be read by the congressman from New York, a great friend and a brother, a real gentleman, Eliot Engel. (Applause.) Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY). My colleague, Congressman Wamp, Mr. Vice President, ladies and gentlemen. We heard a lot of talk this morning, as well we should, about prayer and getting together and national healing. I want to say that after a hard-fought election, this is a time of healing and a time of bipartisanship for the country. I am honored to be able to read from the Scriptures this morning. I read from Micah 4. There is a plaque in front of the United Nations in my home city of New York City with part of this, Micah 4. ``In the days to come, the mount of the Lord's house shall stand firm above the mountains, and it shall tower above the hills. The people shall gaze on it with joy, and the many nations shall go and shall say, come, let us go up to the mount of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may instruct us in his ways and that we may walk in his paths. For instructions shall come forth from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. Thus he will judge among the many peoples and arbitrate for the multitude of nations, however distant. And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spares into pruning hooks. Nations shall not take up sword against nation. They shall never again know war. But every man shall sit under his grape vine or fig tree with no one to disturb him, for it was the Lord of Hosts who spoke. Though all the peoples walk each in the names of its gods, we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.'' Thank you and God bless you all. (Applause.) Rep. Wamp. To sing a wonderful song which I will speak to when it is complete, please welcome Wintley Phipps to sing ``Heal Our Land.'' Wintley? (Applause.) (Song is sung.) (Applause.) Rep. Wamp. Isn't that a beautiful song? What if I told you that it was written and composed by United States Senator Orrin Hatch? (Applause.) (To Senator Hatch.) Stand! (Continuing applause.) He has written over 300 songs, and he gave Wintley the rights to sing that one, and I am so grateful that he did. At this time, a Scripture will be read by the immediate past chairwoman of the Hispanic Caucus in the House, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard. Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA). First of all, I would like to thank my friend and colleague Zach Wamp for asking me to participate in this very, very special breakfast. This truly is an honor to be here. And I would like to welcome all of you to this national prayer of unity for a strong and effective leadership for our country, and for peace and prosperity for everyone throughout the world. A reading from Matthew, chapter 22, verses 35 through 40. ``Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting Him and saying, `Master, which is the great commandment in the law?' Jesus said unto him, `Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind.' This is the first and great commandment, and the second is like unto it. `Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' Of these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'' Thank you. (Applause.) Rep. Wamp. Ladies and gentlemen, he exudes confidence and strength. Please welcome the vice president of the United States, Dick Cheney. (Applause.) Vice President Richard Cheney. Thank you very much. Congressman Wamp, Senator Edwards, friends from across America, and distinguished visitors to our country from all over the world: Lynne and I are honored to be with you all this morning. I have always counted myself fortunate to have been raised in a part of the country where the Almighty chose to do some of His finest work. Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, the Big Horn Canyon, Devil's Tower. He made them. I did not say he named them. (Laughter.) Such grand surroundings have a way of keeping us humble. They help you remember that the Earth and all of us are here by the design of an intelligent and gracious Creator, and each of us has a purpose that He has set and that we must seek. We seek that purpose through prayer, and we set aside this event each year to offer our prayers together. We do so today at a very promising moment in our nation's history, yet the true importance of gatherings like this was best stated during one of our darkest hours by one of our greatest presidents. In his second inaugural address, Abraham Lincoln chose to give something of a sermon. Americans were living through a terrible war that divided the country and tested their faith. To many it seemed that their prayers had gone unanswered. Lincoln offered what was for him a point of fact: Although we may petition The Almighty on our own behalf, His judgments will be made according to his own purposes, and unwelcome consequences often result when we turn away from Him. Then the good news. Echoing the Psalmist, Lincoln observed that the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. In perils of war, he had the sure knowledge that the hand of a just God moves in the affairs of mankind. So it is even in more tranquil times. Every great and meaningful achievement in this life requires the active involvement of the One who placed us here for a reason, who knows our names and cares about what we do, and is ever deserving of our trust and our devotion. Our aim as a country is always, as Lincoln put it, to be at peace among ourselves and with the people of all nations. It is a goal of high purpose, so high that we cannot hope to reach it alone. So we come together on this day, people of many faiths, to speak with one voice, humbly asking the Creator for a measure of His grace as we carry out the duties given to us, gratefully counting His blessings on the land we cherish and the families we love, and asking that we shall see His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven. Thank you. (Applause.) Rep. Wamp. One of the most important roles in civil government is the spouse of an elected leader, in any country of the world. One of the most influential spouses ever in Washington, D.C., is Mrs. Susan Baker, the wife of Secretary of States James Baker. She will bring a prayer for national leaders. Good morning, Susan. (Applause.) Susan Baker. O Lord, our God, we give thanks today for the people that You have called to leadership. In the spirit of Jesus, we ask a special blessing on each man and woman who has the responsibility for governing our cities, our states, and our countries. May each one know that they are Your beloved child, so they will govern from abundance and not from need. May they treat the power of their position with reverence and not use it to exploit. May they see their role as that of a servant, rather than a master, of the people. May their policies bring hope to the disadvantaged and the oppressed, and may they call for justice with a loud voice. May they foster forgiveness and reconciliation, in order to bring healing. May they have the courage to champion truth and integrity, even when it is not politically correct. May they seek You daily, Lord, so to rule with wisdom and love, that we, the people, may live peaceful and quiet lives that will bring honor to You, our God. Amen. (Applause.) Rep. Wamp. Thank you, Susan. Many of you know that the Reverend Billy Graham really wanted to be with us this morning once again, but he is unable to because of his health. I am told that out of 49 National Prayer Breakfast meetings, this is only the fourth that he has missed. He wanted to come and share a message with you this morning. But we will pray for him and send he and his family the very best. And our message this morning will be delivered by my fellow Tennessean, Senator Bill Frist. When I called Senator Frist and I asked him if he would bring a message to us this morning, I told him it was no bad deal to be asked to stand in for the Reverend Billy Graham. (Laughter.) When I talked about Senator Orrin Hatch being such an extraordinary person outside of the Senate, there have been few people as extraordinary as our guest speaker this morning. Senator Bill Frist is not just a physician, he is a world- renowned heart and lung transplant surgeon. He is an author, a scientist and a licensed commercial pilot who has actually flown medical mission teams around the world while serving in the United States Senate. He is very active in the Senate group. He is a dedicated father and husband. Please welcome my fellow Tennessean, Senator Bill Frist. (Applause.) Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN). Mr. Vice President, Mrs. Cheney, friends. As Zach said, before coming to the United States Senate, I was blessed with the opportunity to transplant hearts. A typical night, the telephone rings 11:00, 12:00 at night. A faceless voice on the other end of the line says, ``Dr. Frist, we've got a heart for you, blood type A, 140 pounds. It may be a match for Mr. John Majors.'' Karyn, my wife, has heard this call weekly, if not twice a week, for the last 10 years before coming to the United States Senate, a telephone call from the National Organ Donor Transplant Registry. With that phone call, somebody's prayers were answered. John was a 55-year-old man, a patient, a good friend with a fatal heart disease. Every day he woke up with a prayer; his prayer would be that he would make it through that day, or that someone would give a gift so that he would be able to make it through that week. And with that telephone call, that became such a custom in our house, a blessing, a regular occurrence, John's prayers had been answered, if the God- given vehicle of a transplant team and a medical facility and our health profession worked in carrying a procedure out. Excited, the usual way I would get out of the bed, kiss Karyn goodnight, go tell my three boys, who are here with us today, goodbye. They would be sound asleep. Going to the hospital to deliver that news to John personally, news that he would wake up every day fearing that he would never hear. An hour later, I would be on a chartered airplane flying that night to Chattanooga through the black night, going to a hospital I had never been to, to operate alongside surgeons I had never seen, who had flown elsewhere across the country. I was there to remove the heart from a 23-year-old woman who, unfortunately, had died tragically three hours before in an accident. From the airplane we would jump into a waiting ambulance, and with sirens whirling and blasting, we would go to the hospital. I would scrub, I would open the chest, I would look in and expose the heart. When you do this operation, even though you are around surgeons and medical personnel all the time, every bit of the attention there focuses right on the heart itself--powerful, inspiring, beating in perfect rhythm, pumping through thousands of miles in capillaries. That miracle of God is in each one of you right now. I cross-clamp the aorta, infuse what is called cold cardioplegia into the aorta, and that heart which is beating dynamically, powerfully, stops. Completely motionless, still, quiet. That energy source of our physical being, which had not missed a beat in over 75 million contractions, stopped. The room is quiet. But that is when I have got to start moving, because within four hours we have got to take the heart out, get back on the airplane, get it back and start it again. If I do not carry that out under the eyes of the Lord who is guiding our steps along the way, that heart will never start again. Within 10 minutes, I have taken that heart out, put it in the ice chest, put it on an airplane, back on that ambulance with lights flashing and sirens going, show up at the airport over in Chattanooga, airplane's engines ready to go, on the airplane, back in, land out at National Airport, take another ambulance to the hospital, walk into the operating room. It has been about two and a half hours, so we have about an hour and a half to get the heart going. Carefully take out John's old worn-out heart, and very respectfully take the new heart and place it in this waiting chest, sewing the blood vessels together. Then the precious moment occurs. The wait for that heart to come alive again. All the music goes off. Everybody stops talking, because we have done our work. It is basically mechanical work, but we have done our work. We wait for that heart to come alive, and it is a very special, very precious moment. In every case, it scares me to death. I have done this operation hundreds of times. It strikes deep fear in my soul. What if this heart does not start, or I took too long, or the stitches were put too far apart, or somebody has got the wrong blood type? Every time I reach this moment, I do what we all do when we recognize--even with these unbelievable things we do today-- that there is somebody else watching over, that there is some other hand out there, and I say that prayer. The whole wait is only a couple of minutes. It seems like an eternity. We wait anxiously, but with a profound sense of humility, peering down at this flaccid heart, spotlighted by these bright lights. They are spotlighted right on that heart, waiting. Waiting for rebirth. Waiting to be reborn. Now, is there a message to all of this? There are a lot of messages--and, as you can imagine, this is a very spiritual experience for me as I carry out, do what I am trained to do, am given the opportunity to do--but let me just talk about two real quickly. One is giving, one person to another. A gift, as we all know, is that ultimate expression of love, and I would argue that organ donation is one of those ultimate gifts. It went very quickly, but who was that 23-year-old woman who died tragically several hours before, who gave so selflessly of herself so that another could live, somebody whom she would never see, somebody whom she had never known. All of us try to find ways within our own power to give, and we think about it. But the question we must ask is, do we do it? Sometimes we just think about it and we just do not do it. Let me say, as an aside, that organ donation is a way to give something that costs you nothing. It costs no money. It costs nothing in terms of convenience or inconvenience; a gift greater than any--the gift of life. (Applause.) Jesus said, in John 15, that there is no gift greater than this when he said, ``Greater love than this no man hath than a man lay down his life for his friends.'' But step back and think about the larger picture. He also told us to give purely, to give freely, to give it away out of love without reward for self. And in Matthew, ``Do not do your acts of righteousness before men to be seen by them; when you give, do not announce it with trumpets; do not even let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.'' No gift, I would argue, is purer or more selfless than the gift of a heart or a kidney or a lung or blood. Neither the donor nor the family expects anything. They are not rewarded in any way. Yet the donor gives an ultimate and, indeed, a priceless gift--rewarded with something, I would argue, equally as priceless, a gift that transforms a moment of death into new life, that continues long after the physical presence of that donor or the recipient. And not too dissimilar--the parallel is there--to what this Prayer Breakfast is all about, where we all come together, most of us do not know each other, but it is a little like the light of the Lord, that once shared with one another, radiates out from person to person, until all within reach are lit by that fire of love. We come together, we pray together for our leaders, for the burdens of great countries, for the burdens of great communities. We share, but we leave after this Prayer Breakfast, tomorrow, tonight, to light that light and share, to radiate across this globe. Now, how many of you have ever signed an organ donor card? I do not want to embarrass anybody, but has anybody signed an organ donor card? Raise your hand. Not too bad. Probably one out of every three tables, that is one out of 30, and that is not bad, all in all. The message is that each of us has the capacity to give-- and I would say in lots of ways, but also in one of the most powerful ways, of ourselves, and we have probably even thought about it, but we have not acted. And let's think about the other gifts--this is the real message--of the compliment to your child or the compliment to your spouse. We may not have given that. The gift of encouragement to the troubled, the meal to the hungry. We have thought about it, but have we acted? This story says something else about miracles. In our everyday lives we get up, we rush to work, we get the kids off to school, we work hard, we come home, we buy the groceries, and miracles really do seem like the stuff that childhood dreams are made of, they are the great miracles-- the great stories of the Bible, the blind see and the lame walk and the dead rise. What my story, I hope, illustrates is that miracles are the manifestation of God in our everyday lives. Yes, I was a transplant surgeon. Had the privilege, the blessing to see what I saw, what I just told you about. But it is our everyday lives. How can an inert piece of muscle, stored in an ice chest for four hours, separated entirely from the blood supply, taken across the country, suddenly explode back into life when placed in another person's body? Now, that is not routine to you, but it is routine to me. It occurs every single day in communities all across this country. I can tell you, physicians can describe it, but they can not explain it. I can tell you that scientists can define it, but they can not understand it. But God knows. And with God's help, we can give life and encourage miracles in other ways as well. I say ``with God's help'' because God really does guide us in those little and big ways, in those steps, often without us realizing it. As a United States senator, as a physician, I have a lot of opportunity for public service, as so many people in this room do. But I would argue that where these miracles most often happen is through those secret acts of love; the love for each other that lights this room, and love to the Father. Let's shift gears real quick. Imagine yourself flying in deepest Africa in a small plane loaded chock-full up to what is called gross weight, with medical supplies, flying at 400 feet above the tree tops, to go to a small, makeshift hospital in a war-torn part of Africa. We are flying low to avoid actually being seen by other aircraft, who indiscriminately and regularly bomb the villages below. We are on a medical mission trip with World Medical Mission-- my good friend, Dr. Dick Furman--and Samaritan's Purse, which is a Christian relief organization run by my good friend Franklin Graham. We land on a dirt strip, we drive five miles on a bumpy road. There is an old closed down hospital on the right, which has not been used in 12 years because there are land mines all around. There has been no health care in that area in the last 12 years. We finally arrive at a dilapidated old two-room school house that had been converted into a clinic. As I think of this story, Proverbs 16:9 tells me, ``In his heart, a man plans his course, but the Lord determines those steps.'' When I came to the United States Senate six years ago, I did not know that we had the Prayer Breakfast, that you heard about, every week. The Lord took me to that Prayer Breakfast. I came to the United States Senate to serve in my heart the United States of America in the same way but in some shape or form, ended up in Africa, in the Congo, and in Uganda on these medical mission trips. Six weeks prior to our arrival on this first trip to the Sudan, Samaritan's Purse had courageously opened up a hospital, a little medical clinic where over two million people, as you know, have died in the war and four million people have been displaced. We performed surgery where no care, no care, no care had been delivered in over two decades. There were very few instruments and no electricity, and no running water. Patients would walk or be carried for days just because they knew that there was some medical care there. But the real image that I want to share with you occurred in a small, one-room building that was about 100 yards away from the little medical clinic. It was used as a recovery room for the sick and the injured. It was there, to me, that the real evidence of God's power at work in our lives came alive. It was late, we were just finishing an operation, and to be honest with you, I was very, very tired. I remember vividly that we were operating under hand-held flashlights. We were going to go back to the United States the next day, but then a call came from the recovery room 100 yards away. Somebody said that they wanted to see the American doctor. I was ready to go back to the United States. This was not a patient of mine, nobody I had operated on, but I went anyway. I remember so vividly--dusk had settled in--going into this building, pulling the curtain aside, still dark, really could not see, but back in the corner could see this vague silhouette of a man in a bed. Could not see very much, but could see some big white bulky dressings on a right hand, on the stump of a left leg, big white bulky dressing peering out through this dark, dark room. Then I saw one other thing, and that one other thing was a huge smile, a luminous smile, a smile that really almost filled the room with light. As I looked away from the smile, I saw a little bible on the other side of the patient, on a little table on the other side, and I saw the interpreter who began to relay this story. I asked him, ``Why do you want to see the American doctor?'' He told me that two years ago his wife and two children had been murdered in the war. ``Yes,'' I nodded. That captivating smile, as he told this story of death in his family, grew even larger and more friendly, a smile of caring, a smile of love. Then he said, through the interpreter, ``Eight days ago I lost part of my hand and my leg to a land mine.'' ``Yes,'' I nodded, listening, wondering to myself: How in the world could anyone who has lost so much to a war, that is so hard to understand, still smile? And yet his smile grew bigger and bigger as he told this story. Finally, I asked, as any of you would, ``Why? Why are you smiling? How in the world could you possibly have gone through this and be smiling and have that smile grow while I'm there?'' He said, ``Number one, because you came to share with us in the spirit of Jesus of Nazareth, and second, because you are the American doctor.'' I have just told you I transplant hearts and lungs, and people appreciate what our team does in the spirit of the Lord in transplantation. So I am used to people saying, ``You're the doctor. Thank you for allowing me to be entered into a new life.'' But I had never, ever had someone come and say, ``Thank you for being the American doctor.'' I said, ``What do you mean?'' As he lifted up his right arm--again, a big, old, white bulky bandage--and picked up his left stump and showed it to me, he said, ``Everything--everything I've lost--meaning my family, my leg, my hand--will be worth the sacrifice if my people can someday have what you have in America: freedom and liberties, the freedom to be and to worship as we please.'' Well, right then--and when Admiral Clark opens this prayer with the comment of the beacon that this country represents-- it became clear to me that the freedoms and liberties which this nation have come to enjoy were obviously not bestowed by men; they have been endowed by our Creator. Our freedom is not based on anything that we in government really do but on the inalienable rights bestowed on us by God. I have been back to the Sudan and have operated again. The hospital has grown. Unfortunately, the area still continues to be bombed. I never say that Dinka man again. He was from the Dinka tribe. But I will always carry with me that smile. When you hear Wintley's words and he talks about the healing, I think of that smile and those words. A Week and a half ago, on the West Front on the United States Capitol, three miles from here, where we saw thousands of people--very similar to this--sitting out in front of us, and the Lincoln Memorial and the beautiful Washington Monument, again, that smile and those words came back to me as we observed the swearing-in and the peaceful transition to this administration, listening to President George W. Bush, who reminded us what a gift we had in freedom and liberties under God. He said: ``Once a rock in a raging sea, it is now a seed upon the wind, taking root in many nations, an ideal we carry, but do not own; a trust we bear and pass along.'' As we come together for this prayer breakfast today, and as we leave this room, as we leave this wonderful city, and many of us leave this country, while freedom did not begin in America, we have an obligation to pass it on. Mr. President and Mrs. Bush, Mr. Vice President and Mrs. Cheney, may god continue to bless you and guide you now and all the days of your life, as we together, as a nation and as a world, pass it on. Let me say one other thing--I almost forgot. What about old John in the operating Room? Remember when he was in the operating room, we had the spotlight on him? We had just said that prayer that a new heart would be infused with life. The room was silent. It was hushed and all eyes were aimed expectantly, focused on the motionless heart sitting in John's chest. Suddenly, that heart--very slowly, inert, not moving--began to quiver, and the quiver began to coarsen into a stronger ripple. The ripple began to synchronize into a beat. Then, bang! The heart jumped and took a strong and powerful heave and the bold rhythm of life once again was reborn. Just another miracle, but it all started with a gift. Thank you. God bless you all. (Applause). Rep. Wamp. Ladies and gentlemen, it is a high honor and my greatest personal privilege to introduce the 43rd president of the United States of America, George W. Bush, and our first lady, Laura Bush. (Cheers, applause.) President Bush. Thank you. Thank you all very much for that warm welcome. Laura and I are honored to be here this morning. I did a pretty good job when it came to picking my wife, by the way. (Laughter). President Bush. She is going to be a fabulous first lady. (Applause.) Mr. Vice President, it is good to see you and, of course, your wife, Lynne. I want to thank the members of my cabinet who are here. I appreciate you, Senator Frist, for your commitment and strong comments, and Zach, thanks for your introduction, and thank you both for organizing this important event. I want to thank the members of the House and the Senate who are here. I appreciate the number of foreign dignitaries who are here. It just goes to show that faith crosses every border and touches every heart in every nation. Every president since the first one I can remember, Dwight Eisenhower, has taken part in this great tradition. It is a privilege for me to speak where they have spoken and to pray where they have prayed. All presidents of the United States have come to the National Prayer Breakfast, regardless of their religious views. No matter what our background in prayer, we share something universal--a desire to speak and listen to our Maker and to know His plan for our lives. America's Constitution forbids a religious test for office, and that is the way it should be. An American president serves people of every faith and serves some of no faith at all. Yet I have found that my faith helps me in the service to people. Faith teaches humility. As Laura would say, I could use a dose occasionally. (Laughter.) The recognition that we are small in God's universe, yet precious in his sight has sustained me in moments of success and in moments of disappointment. Without it, I would be a different person and, without it, I would I would be here today. There are many experiences of faith in this room, but most of us share a belief that we are loved and called to love; that our choices matter, now and forever; that there are purposes deeper than ambition and hopes greater than success. These beliefs shape our lives and help sustain the life of our nation. Men and women can be good without faith, but faith is a force of goodness. Men and women can be compassionate without faith, but faith often inspires compassion. Human beings can love without faith, but faith is a great teach of love. Our country, from its beginnings, has recognized the contribution of faith. We do not impose any religion; we welcome all religions. We do not prescribe any prayer; we welcome all prayer. This is the tradition of our nation, and it will be the standard of my administration. (Applause.) We will respect every creed. We will honor the diversity of our country and the deep convictions of our people. There is a good reason why many in our nation embrace the faith tradition. Throughout our history, people of faith have often been our nation's voice of conscience. The foes of slavery could appeal to the standard that all are created equal in the sight of our Lord. The civil rights movement had the same conviction on its side, that men and women bearing God's image should not be exploited and set aside and treated as insignificant. The same impulse, over the years, has reformed prisons and mental institutions, hospitals, hospices and homeless shelters. The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., said this: ``The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state.'' As in his case, that sometimes means defying the times, challenging old ways and old assumptions. This influence has made our nation more just and generous and decent, and our nation has need of that today. Faith remains important to the compassion of our nation. Millions of Americans serve their neighbor because they love their God. Their lives are characterized by kindness and patience and service to others. They do for others what no government program can really ever do--they provide love for another human being. They provide hope, even when hope comes hard. In my second week in office, we have set out to promote the work of community and faith-based charities. We want to encourage the inspired, to help the helper. Government cannot be replaced by charities, but it can welcome them as partners instead of resenting them as rivals. (Applause.) My administration will put the federal government squarely on the side of America's armies of compassion. (Applause.) Our plan will not favor religious institutions over non- religious institutions. As president, I am interested in what is constitutional, and I am interested in what works. (Applause.) The days of discriminating against religious institutions simply because they are religious must come to an end. (Cheers, applause.) Faith is also important to the civility of our country. It teaches us not merely to tolerate one another, but to respect one another; to show a regard for different views and the courtesy to listen. This is essential to democracy. It is also the proper way to treat human beings created in the divine image. We will have our disagreements. Civility does not require us to abandon deeply-held beliefs. Civility does not demand casual creeds and colorless convictions. Americans have always believed that civility and firm resolve could live easily with one another. But civility does mean that our public debate ought to be free from bitterness and anger and rancor and ill-will. (Applause.) We will have an obligation to make our case, not to demonize our opponents. (Applause.) As the book of James reminds us, ``Fresh water and salt water cannot flow from the same spring.'' I am under no illusion that civility will triumph in this city all at once. (Laughter.) Old habits die hard. (Laughter.) And sometimes they never die at all. But I can only pledge to you this: that I will do my very best to promote civility and ask for the same in return. (Applause.) These are some of the crucial contributions of faith to our nation--justice and compassion and a civil and generous society. I thank you all here for displaying these values and defending them here in America and across the world. You strengthen the ties of friendship and the ties of nation. And I deeply appreciate your work. I believe in the power of prayer. It has been said I would rather stand against the cannons of the wicked than against the prayers of the righteous. The prayers of a friend are one of life's most gracious gifts. My family and I are blessed by the prayers of countless Americans. Over the last several months Laura and I have been touched by the number of people who come up and say, ``We pray for you''--such comforting words. I hope Americans will continue to pray that everyone in my administration finds wisdom and always remembers the common good. When President Harry Truman took office in 1945 he said this: ``At this moment I have in my heart a prayer. I ask only to be a good and faithful servant of my Lord and my people.'' This has been the prayer of many presidents, and it is mine today. God bless. (Applause.) Rep. Wamp. Thank you, Mr. President. Our closing prayer will be given by a civil rights leader at home and abroad; former member of Congress; former mayor of Atlanta, Georgia; former ambassador to the United Nations. Please welcome the Honorable Andrew Young. (Applause.) Andrew Young. Mr. President, for 49 years the people of the Congress of this city and our nation have gathered at this time to rally around God's elected, anointed, appointed leadership in hope and in prayer that somehow, through us, God's will will be done. May we pray. Oh, Lord, Thou art our father. We are the clay, and Thou art the potter. We are all the work of Thy hand. Be not exceedingly angry, oh Lord, and remember our iniquity forever. Behold, consider--we are all Thy people. You have blessed us far beyond our deserving. You have shared with us the abundant life of this planet Earth. You have worked through our ancestors and forebears and brought to this continent some of the best of the ideas and the hopes and dreams of this planet. Indeed, we are those to whom much has been given, and we realize that of us is much required. You have brought us as a nation through many dangerous toils and snares, and we have survived only through faith and your amazing grace. As we embark on a new century, with new leadership, we give particular thanks, and we ask Thy particular blessing and mercy on George and Laura Bush. You have been working a long time on them, Father; you started back in the Senate with Old Man Prescott, and you came on through with George Herbert Walker Bush and Barbara, and blessed our nation with their leadership. And from their family, you have created a legacy of love, a legacy of mercy, a legacy of compassion, a legacy of peace, prosperity and justice. These we see not as their achievements so much as Your blessings. We ask that as they embark upon the whirlwind which is our history, that You may strengthen them and guide them; surround them--the Cabinet, the Congress, the governors, the mayors, the ambassadors, the business leaders, all who are brought together in this creative time, which indeed is Your time--surround us with the guidance and love and strength of Your angels. Keep us always mindful of the presence of Your son. Bow us daily on our knees together as we break bread and as we serve Thy holy name, to see to it that all of your children everywhere might share in the freedom, the blessing, the abundant life of grace and mercy that we so readily take for granted in these United States. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage for the living and serving of these days. In Jesus' name, amen. (Applause.) Rep. Wamp. Our closing song was not written by Senator Orrin Hatch, but it will be performed by Wintley Phipps. Welcome him back, please. Wintley. (Applause.) (Song, ``It Is Well With My Soul'', is performed by Wintley Phipps.) Rep. Wamp. I would ask the audience to please remain in place while President Bush and our first lady, and the Vice President and Mrs. Cheney leave the stage. Thank you, Mr. President. (Applause.)

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Speaker be authorized to entertain a motion to suspend the rules relating to H.R. 132 on Wednesday, February 7, 2001.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4940. I would like to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman Sensenbrenner), the chairman of the committee; the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert); the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall), the ranking member; and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello); and the staff of the Committee on Science, especially Tom Vanek and Njema Frazier, for their hard work on the original text of H.R. 4940. Finally, I would like to thank the entire Tennessee congressional delegation, especially our dean, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon), for their unanimous support of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, the American Museum of Science and Energy opened in March of 1949 in Oak Ridge. It is located on 17.4 acres in downtown Oak Ridge with 53,000 square feet of building constructed in 1975 and boasts indoor exhibits, a 312-seat auditorium, an 80-seat lecture room, and a classroom laboratory. Since the beginning of its operations in 1949, the museum has hosted nearly 10 million visitors from all 50 States and more than 40 foreign countries. The highest single day attendance was on November 23, 1969 when 4,308 people saw the moon rocks being studied by scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The museum is the second most frequently visited attraction in the Knoxville metropolitan area. The Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors' Bureau estimates that the museum generates $6 million to $7 million annually in revenue to the community. So what is the problem, and why do we need this legislation? Since its inception, the United States Department of Energy has funded the museum, but DOE will phase out Federal funding for the operation of the museum at the end of this fiscal year. The purpose of this bill is to allow the museum to accept and use donations, fees, and gifts to offset the costs of operating the facility. Under current law, the funds raised by the foundation board would have to be returned to the Treasury and not be captured for the operations of the museum. Similar legislation was passed in 1992 and 1993 in the DOD authorization bill pertaining to the National Atomic Museum in Albuquerque, New Mexico that the DOE operates. Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that this museum bill is now attached to a much larger bill that might be controversial. But I do support title II, but this was not my desired path of consideration. I would have preferred a clean bill; but if this is the only way to pass this bill, then I support the language and the passage of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I am sure that H.R. 4940, unamended, would go through the Senate and on to the President for his signature; but today I urge the House to adopt H.R. 4940, as amended, and hope that by the end of this Congress the House and the Senate will agree and move this legislation to the President for signage.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from California (Chairman Packard), who is just simply a class act. He will be sorely missed here. He is a real gentleman and a credit to this institution. I want to commend the staffs on both sides of the aisle. They are professionals, specifically Bob Schmidt, the staff director, an excellent job. I do not think there is a staffer on the Hill who is more thorough, efficient, fair or tougher than Jeanne Wilson, I thank her. I thank Eric Mondero and Nora Bomar for their cooperation. Thousands of Tennesseans work in national security, science, and environmental management every day on behalf of our country. The Department of Energy needs oversight. We need to be tough with them. We need to hold them accountable. This committee does both. They fund them, but they hold them accountable. This bill is the product of both of those things. We thank our colleagues for the priorities that they set to carry out the critical missions of national security, major science investments for future generations, and environmental cleanup. The work this bill will do in those areas is the best product in the last 6 years that this Congress has passed out, but it comes with tough love and oversight of the Department of Energy, which is very needed. A job well done, everyone should support this conference report.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in support of H.R. 2392, the Small Business Innovation Research Program Reauthorization Act of 2000. H.R. 2392 would reauthorize and expand the successful Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs. The SBIR and STTR program provides over a billion dollars annually in grants and contracts for research and development. Since the establishment of the SBIR program in 1982, many small, innovative companies have helped change the way we live. While producing everything from medicines and computer applications to toothbrushes and the guardrails on our highways these companies have developed products for the Departments of Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services and National Science Foundation and NASA. Other agencies that participate include the Departments of Transportation, Education, Agriculture, Commerce and the Environmental Protection Agency. With the reauthorization of the SBIR program, we encourage other agencies to fully use the SBIR and STTR concepts. In the Third District of Tennessee, SBIR is a very important program. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory monitors and works with these SBIR and STTR companies and I congratulate these hard-working federal employees on getting these products out of the lab and into the marketplace. Twenty-five companies have been funded in my home district and nearly one thousand people have been put to work developing these innovative technologies. The Tennessee Tibbetts Awards honor excellence in technical achievement. The SBA has awarded 4 of the 6 of these awards to small businesses in my home district. These companies include: iPIX, Cryomagnetics, Inc., Atom Sciences, and Accurate Automation Corporation. One of these companies, iPIX, formerly known as Telerobotics International, went public last year. They took camera technology from robots and are now applying this to everything from real estate to 360 degree views of the Super Bowl. Another company, Accurate Automation, has developed a technology for reducing drag on aircraft. This technology will revolutionize future commercial and military aircraft as well as space transportation. This year's Tibbetts Award winner from Tennessee is Cryomagnetics, Inc. The company is developing a super-conducting magnet that will enable biotechnological researchers to achieve higher resolution measurements. The General Accounting Office has done extensive studies on the SBIR and STTR programs over the years. Their many reports have found this to be one of the best programs in the country's technology portfolio. Many of these companies are now practically household names like Optiva, Qualcomm and Symantec. All of these companies started out as SBIR technologies. This reauthorization will have the National Academy of Science examine how the SBIR gets these American-made technologies out of our laboratories and the commercial market place. The National Academy of Science will be looking at an excellent tool for keeping America's edge on the forefront of the emerging global marketplace. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of H.R. 2392.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, one of the most troubling aspects of contemporary life is the continuing assault on values and morals. Nowhere is that effort more apparent than the determined drive to eliminate any voluntary prayer in our schools or at school events, such as athletic games. Recently, a distinguished citizen of my community spoke out on this subject. Jody McLoud is the principal of Roane County High School and has been for 11 years. He has spent 24 years as a professional educator. His comments summarize the situation about as well as anyone can. I am privileged to place them into the Record of the U.S. House of Representatives and urge everyone to read them carefully and pay heed. Here is what Mr. McLoud said. It has always been the custom at Roane County High School football games to say a prayer and play the National Anthem to honor God and Country. Due to a recent ruling by the Supreme Court, I am told that saying a prayer is a violation of Federal Case Law. As I understand the law at this time, I can use this public facility to approve of sexual perversion and call it an alternate lifestyle, and if someone is offended, that's OK. I can use it to condone sexual promiscuity by dispensing condoms and calling it safe sex. If someone is offended, that's OK. I can even use this public facility to present the merits of killing an unborn baby as a viable means of birth control. If someone is offended, no problem. I can designate a school day as Earth Day and involves students in activities to religiously worship and praise the goddess, mother earth, and call it ecology. I can use literature, videos and presentations in the classroom that depict people with strong, traditional, Christian convictions as simple minded and ignorant and call it enlightenment. However, if anyone uses this facility to honor God and ask Him to bless this event with safety and good sportsmanship, federal case law is violated, This appears to be at best, inconsistent and at worst, diabolical. Apparently, we are to be tolerant of everything and anyone except God and His commandments. Nevertheless, as a school principal, I frequently ask staff and students to abide by rules with which they do not necessarily agree. For me to do otherwise would be at best, inconsistent and at worst hypocritical. I suffer from that affliction enough unintentionally. I certainly do not need to add an intentional transgression. For this reason, I shall, ``Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's,'' and refrain from praying at this time. However, if you feel inspired to honor, praise and thank God, and ask Him in the name of Jesus to bless this event, please feel free to do so. As far as I know, that's not against the law--yet.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, in some ways Melvin Page and his colleagues in honor and arms may be the bravest Americans. They fought a long and difficult war against a brutal and ferocious enemy. But--unlike the brave Americans who fought all our other wars--Melvin Page and his fellow Vietnam veterans had to fight a war that not all Americans supported. Even if Melvin Page and his comrades were ``the bravest of the brave''--and they were--the civilian leadership that got us into Vietnam badly failed the men and women it sent there. Those leaders never gave our brave soldiers the unconditional backing and the clear goals needed to win. But, despite all those impediments, Melvin Page and the others who fought in that conflict can always hold their heads proudly and high because of the extreme sacrifices they made in defense of freedom. That's why I was especially honored to take part in Melvin Page Day in Harriman, TN, in the Third District on Saturday, September 9, 2000. When you look at the story of Melvin Page's brave service, it's hard to imagine anyone who could more deserve the honors he received from his fellow citizens. Melvin served in the United States Army from 1967 to 1969 when the Vietnam War was at its height. He showed his true courage and suffered enormously during a battle in which he and 43 other men were ambushed by over 1,000 North Vietnamese Army soldiers. In an attempt to save as many of his comrades as possible, Sgt. Page called in napalm air strikes on his own position. He was hit three times by rifle shots, struck by a grenade and was grievously burned. He was one of the very few people in his command to survive the attack. Rescuers arrived just in time to save his life; and in fact, Melvin Page was so badly injured that the recovery team thought that he had died and placed him in a body bag. It was only when his hand moved that the rescuers realized that he was alive. He had to undergo numerous operations and extensive rehabilitation to recover from the severe burns and other injuries he suffered. After Melvin Page left the Army, he became a letter carrier with the U.S. Postal Service back home in Harriman, where he has worked faithfully for 30 years. Melvin Page's heroism and sacrifice has been recognized by the numerous medals and awards he has received, including the Bronze Star with V Device, three Purple Hearts, Two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, Good Conduct, National Defense Service, U.S. Vietnam Service, Vietnam Campaign, Combat Infantryman Badge, Parachute Jump Badge, Ranger Tab and Expert Marksman badge for pistol, rifle, and machine gun. But, as impressive as this list is, it cannot begin to convey the heroism and sacrifice that marked Melvin Page's Army service. Mr. Page, as you complete 33 years of loyal and dedicated services to the United States in war and peace, please accept the congratulations, best wishes and heartfelt thanks of a grateful nation.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of talk this fall about who is for the powerful and who is for the people, and I have a populist thread that runs deep to my core and most folks know I come right from the center of this floor, from this body to the microphone to speak from time to time; and I have to say that this is where the rubber meets the road because this is a people's issue. This is a populist issue. It is about average people, 110,000 of them in my district. They will pay $1,400 per couple less in taxes. Since they are married, they should not be taxed unfairly. This is where the people are heard. This is an issue where the rubber meets the road. I clearly believe we are on the side of the people here on repealing the marriage tax penalty. Our Tax Code is too complicated. That debate is for another day, but we have to come back to that. It is also unfair. This tax is unfair. We need to eliminate it. This is where the rubber meets the road. There was a comment about protecting Social Security. My side, for 2 years, has kept us out of Social Security. That is a success. We deserve the credit for that. There is no question that we pushed the envelope there and we stayed out of Social Security. We are now talking about what do we do about staying out of Social Security and giving the people some of their money back. We hear targeted tax cuts. This is targeted for couples who are married. What better way to target tax cuts than to people who are married? My goodness, my goodness, there should not be any question about this. This is a people's issue, and on this one we are on their side. We are doing what the people need, married couples, low income, middle income, all folks, married couples. What better way to target tax relief. Vote to override the President's veto. Vote with the majority side here. Vote for the people and repeal and override the marriage tax veto.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, greed is a bad word; but profit is a good word, and we have got to separate the two. I do not like all the class warfare that has been played on this issue. But while we are talking about it, let me say to my colleagues that if they want big corporations and multinational corporations to buy small businesses at a fire sale price from small business people who are the engine of the American economy, then vote to defend the President's veto here. My colleagues should want to side with small business people and not with large corporations and multinational corporations that are going to gobble up all these small business people. That is literally what happens when a fire sale is forced. That is not fair. That is not right. But let us not trash the free enterprise system. It is what people in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union really wanted of the American Dream, an opportunity to have things for their family that they never had or to have a business and to literally go to work and know that the sky is the limit on opportunity. So let us defend the free enterprise system, but let us most importantly defend the small guy, the small business people and the family farmer. That is what we are trying to do. It is the right thing. And I do think everybody should join in in a bipartisan way.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. I serve on the subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations that funds the Department of Justice, and on March 8 of this year in the routine annual testimony, Attorney General Janet Reno came before our committee and I asked her specifically to answer six questions about the issue of illegal pornography. She could not answer the questions in person, so she asked for time to answer in writing. Today is July 25, and I have not heard the first word, the first answer, from the first question. I think that is unfortunate, because I do think this is an issue that we should in a bipartisan way meet at the water's edge. This is like national security, it is undermining, I think, the foundation of our country. I think it is important. People may say is this one set of people trying to impose their values on another set of people? And I would say there is a differential between pornography which is protected under the first amendment and illegal pornography, the way it is defined under Supreme Court rulings. There is a difference. This is the stuff we are all supposed to not approve of because it is illegal, and we are not prosecuting it, and the referrals are coming. All this says is it is time to make this a priority, because it is a cancer in our culture. We are in an unprecedented time of peace and prosperity, but people know there is a deeper issue here. These things cannot be good. As a matter of fact, this is the darkest side of humanity, and we need to draw a line and say it is not right, it is not just, it is a cancer, and this entire country of ours will fall and collapse on the weight of this kind of cultural flaw. The Word itself, the Good Book, says be wise as serpents, yet innocent as doves. We need to root this out, and we need to prosecute it in the United States of America for the next generation.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman's amendment raises an important issue which I come to the floor today to discuss. That is the overall issue of metals recycling in this country. I certainly support the gentleman on steel issues and these import questions, and think the intent of his amendment is worthwhile. But I want to come today and express some frustration. Being a representative of one of the major components of the Manhattan Project in this country, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where we won the Cold War and broke the back of communism with a nuclear buildup, we now have this challenge, as the gentleman from Pennsylvania well stated, of what to do with this nuclear legacy and how to turn this environmental liability around, and what to do with these assets. We have to reindustrialize these assets at some point, in some way. My frustration is that the Department of Energy announced a sweeping plan to tear down these buildings and melt the metals, and where science and the best intelligence that we can find shows that the levels of radiation are below any reasonable standard, then we could put that recycled metal back into the marketplace. That is where I thought we were when they began this reindustrialization effort and announced what they called a win-win-win situation for the American taxpayer. We could actually recycle the metal and help pay for the clean-up, because these buildings, these huge assets, cannot just sit there in a mothballed state. The maintenance cost is too high. We need to turn them around and put the land and buildings back into some kind of productive use. We have buildings in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, that are acres and acres and acres under one roof from the Manhattan Project that need to be turned over. We cannot just maintain them at this high cost. So there is a shared national interest in trying to clean up this environmental legacy. I just want to make sure that science and common sense drives this train, and that hysteria or some special interest groups do not end up winning the day on these issues. I want to say I am frustrated. I am frustrated because the Department of Energy on July 7 officially retreated from their own program, the one that Secretary Richardson rolled out as a win-win-win, and now they have retreated. They have said no recycling pending the study that may not take place for 2 years. I am all for the study, but all the studies that I have seen show that we get more radiation from salt substitute than we get from any of these things. Radiation is natural in our environment. Radiation we get from flying on airplanes. We get radiation from a variety of things. Radiation is not the issue, the level of radiation is the issue. If it is very, very, very low level radiation that is not anywhere near what we would get going to the dentist, it is ridiculous to halt it. What has happened in East Tennessee by halting it is people are now sent home with no pay pending all these studies, pending the outcomes in a program that DOE initiated. I would ask the administration to get its act together, to be consistent, at least to follow through on what they say, and do not just send workers, good and decent people in my region now, hundreds of them that are going to be sent home or they have been sent home indefinitely to just wait, and wait on what, I do not know. I called the Secretary today and he said he would meet me about it next week. I am asking for some answers. I am asking for consistency. I am asking for some solutions for the folks of East Tennessee and the Oak Ridge reservation that have been called on to turn these buildings around, because they are now left hanging because this administration cannot figure out exactly what it wants.

Mr. WAMP. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. WAMP. Reclaiming my time, I am in total agreement with that. I understand that. I am in support of that. I just use this opportunity to say, please, Administration, give us clear direction. Let our workers know, are we going to clean this up or not? If they do not want us to clean it up, what are we going to do with it, because we need a policy that says, let us clean up the Cold War legacy, let us put people to work and keep them to work until the job is done. Let us not pull the rug out from under them. They are left in limbo. Even over this very weekend that is in front of us, workers in East Tennessee do not know if they are supposed to go back to work or not.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I believe for the ages Senator Paul Coverdell will be remembered as one of the most thoughtful, diligent, and detail-oriented Members in the history of the United States Senate. Who would have ever thought this time last week that we would be here today paying tribute to the memory of Senator Coverdell? There are times here where everything seems to stand still, and this is one of those days where we come together at the water's edge, as people, as God's children, no differences, to pay the proper tribute to a truly great public servant. A lot of political people skim the surface, stay on the surface from fear of the details, from fear of the slip of the tongue, from fear of incompetency on very complicated matters of the day, but not Senator Coverdell. My experience with him was a fearless master of details and complexity, never worrying about how far deep he would swim into issues, about whether he could comprehend them or always carry a host of things going on at the same time. Unbelievable, really, in his capacity to carry all of the different issues with him and stay that intricately involved. It really bodes well for public service in America that people like Paul would dedicate his life to others through public service. As a Tennessean who was born in Georgia when my dad was on active duty at Fort Benning, my dad always said that it cost $12 for me to be born at Fort Benning, and he still wonders if he got his money's worth; but that is my Georgia roots, and I am a Southerner. Georgia mourns the loss today of a truly great United States Senator, but the South has lost one of its greatest leaders as well. I come as a Southerner today to say, Nancy, we are sorry; to the Georgia delegation, we are sorry that they have lost their friend and lifetime companion in the flesh. Last October I was coming to the Chattanooga Airport to leave right after Payne Stewart had died tragically at the height of his career, and you think about Paul at 61 years old, he is really politically at the height of his career and he is gone in the flesh, right at the height of his ability to effectively carry out the responsibilities as a United States Senator and he is gone. I said to R.V. Brown, a pastor who I know who I ran into at the airport, Reverend R.V. Brown is that not unbelievable that Payne Stewart just vanished like that in the flesh? And here is what he said, and it was a great comfort to me, and I hope it is great comfort to Nancy and others who mourn the loss of Paul Coverdell. He said sometimes the Lord picks the ripest fruit to have the greatest impact on everyone around that individual. I believe that the United States Senate, the United States House, the State of Georgia, the South, the United States of America, mankind at large can come closer together and truly appreciate each other more because of this moment when we forever and ever memorialize a fine person and a great public servant, Senator Paul Coverdell. Good-bye, sir.

Mr. WAMP

Mr. WAMP. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time, and I thank him for just outstanding leadership, and all of the cosponsors of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, in the 35 counties in east Tennessee, 200,000 people are adversely affected by the marriage tax penalty. More than 110,000 couples pay approximately $1,400 per year more in taxes simply because they are married. That is not right, and the fundamental issue here is whether or not we are going to reduce the tax burden on the middle- class folks in this country. When I was born in 1957, if you add up the Federal, State, and local tax burden on my parents when I was born, it was not collectively, combined, more than 10 percent of every dollar that they made. Today, it is almost 50 percent. In my lifetime the level of taxation in this country has gone from less than a dime of a dollar to almost half of every dollar you make. At what point are we going to roll this back? The fundamental issue is, it is time in a budget surplus to roll some of the taxes back from the middle-class taxpayers in this country. If we do not do it now, with these record surpluses, my question is, when are we going to? If we do not sign the bill into law now, when will it happen? Because I would suggest if we do not do it now, it is not going to happen, and it is important that we continue to persist. I am grateful that some people do not make everything out to be partisan. This is not about Republicans and Democrats, this is just about regular folks saying some taxes, death taxes and the marriage tax penalty, are unfair, they should be eliminated, never should have been there to begin with. And if you are not going to wipe those taxes out at a time of unprecedented surpluses and a good economy, when are you going to do it? It is not going to happen. I believe in tax relief. I do not mind saying so. I also believe in tax fairness, in tax equity. There are 65 provisions in the Tax Code that penalize people just because they are married. Well, that is nonsensical. Our Tax Code is out of hand, to begin with. It is way too big and complex, it needs to be dramatically overhauled, and that will come, I hope, soon, but not between now and November. This is today. This is now. We can pass this conference report, after all the debate that has taken place; we can send it down the street with some bipartisan support, and the President can sign it into law. I call on him to do that. I call on all of our colleagues to come together and get some taxes, just one step at a time, off the back of middle-class America. Some people play class war with taxes. This is just regular people. These are the regular people you run into at the Food Lion in east Tennessee. Cut their taxes. Eliminate the marriage tax penalty.