Maxine Waters

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Let the Record show that is an opinion. It is not written in that section in reference to quorum or withdrawal.

Ms. WATERS. I have a motion of objection.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Vice President, there are gross violations of the Voting Rights Act from Florida, and I object; and it is not signed by a Senator.

Ms. WATERS. The objection is in writing, and I do not care that it is not signed by a Member of the Senate.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Vice President, I rise to object to the fraudulent 25 Florida electorial votes.

Ms. WATERS. The motion is in writing, Mr. President, and I rise to offer a motion to withdraw from the joint session. There is no reference to the section that you have referenced to quorum or withdrawal.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, let the Record show that on today, Saturday, January 6, I am present on the floor of the House of Representatives prepared to object to the electoral vote count for the State of Florida at the proceedings that will take place at 1 o'clock. Let the Record show that the rules require all objections to be submitted in writing and signed by a Member of the House and a Member of the Senate. As of 11:00 today, I have not been able to identify any U.S. Senator prepared to sign any objections; therefore, all attempts to object may be denied. However, I am voicing my objections to the electoral votes submitted by Florida. Mr. Speaker, I believe these electoral votes to be illegitimate and unrepresentative of the true popular vote in Florida. Vice President Gore is leading in popular votes in excess of 500,000 votes in this country, and all of Florida's vote recounts are not yet tabulated. The recounts will document that Gore won Florida, despite voter fraud, despite voter intimidation, despite the butterfly ballots, despite the criminal recording of ID numbers on absentee ballots. History will record what really took place in this election.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I am stunned; I am saddened. It is very difficult to understand how one day you have your colleague here with you, and, in a few days, he is gone. Julian Dixon is a man and a Member of Congress that is respected by all. I have known him since before he ran for the California State Assembly. When Julian Dixon was elected to the California State Assembly, he immediately established himself as a brilliant, credible, dependable human being. He gained a lot of friends in the California State Assembly, friends that he still has until today. He went on to be elected to the Congress of the United States, where he developed the same kind of reputation, steady as a rock, dependable, friendly, gets along with everybody, even mediates when there are problems between other Members. You could always go to him for help. He is loved in California. He is highly respected. This comes as a great blow. He is in the district immediately adjacent to mine; and so we share venues, we share all kinds of operations. We have held joint town-halls together. I am going to miss him, and my heart goes out to Bettye and to his family. I am certain that this Congress will show its deepest respect and sympathy in every way that we possibly can. We have lost a great legislator and a great friend.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman for organizing this time on the floor for us to pay special tribute to a very special man. It is very difficult to do this within 2 minutes, but let me try and share with you. Saturday I attended the funeral services of Henry B. Gonzalez. It was the most beautiful service I have ever attended in my entire life. I guess that was the Highest Mass that was held there on Saturday. It was a beautiful cathedral, the oldest in the country. All of the elected officials from all over the State of Texas and all of the local elected officials attended. It was magnificent. The church bells rang after the service, the town square was filled, the people were all over the steps, and the local newspaper did something I have never seen. They devoted more space to Henry B. Gonzalez than I have ever seen devoted to anybody, any elected official, non-elected official, and I know why. It is the same reason I attended the services. He was a man of impeccable integrity. He was a very special human being who knew who he was and knew from whence he came. He was the Honorable Mr. Chairman of the Committee on Banking and Financial Services, a man that had shown his commitment time and time again with the kind of legislation that he advanced. He did not care about the perks, the ceremonies, the hot shots. None of that was what Henry cared about. He cared about the people. He helped me to become an active member of that committee. When I came on to that committee, I did not want to be on that committee. I knew nothing about banking. But because of Henry B. Gonzalez, I was given an opportunity to advance amendments. He worked with me. He helped me to understand what the CRA was all about, he helped me to understand what the banking institutions of America were all about, he helped me to focus on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. He was a learned man who displayed not only his historical knowledge, but his deep intellect on the floor of Congress time and time again. He was honored in the most magnificent way, and he will be spoken about by many in the most magnificent ways that human beings can today because of who he was.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join with my colleagues in paying tribute to Congressman Bill Clay. Congressman Bill Clay is more than a friend. As a matter of fact, we are kind of relatives. We are relatives by marriage. My nephew is his cousin. I feel very close to Congressman Clay, not only because we share family members, but because Congressman Clay represents the kind of elected official that I have always wanted to be. Congressman Clay has had a brilliant career. He started out as a young man with a mission, a young man who decided to run for office, because he wanted to create change, not someone who wanted to run for office because they thought it was an upward mobility opportunity or it was a way to get a title, but it was a young man who had a mission and put his life on the line for his mission. I think I really did begin to understand who he is when I learned about the work that he did in my hometown and his hometown, St. Louis, Missouri, when he challenged the establishment. As a young man, as a young turk, he said that he could not be comfortable with the fact that African Americans, Negros would not, could not be hired in St. Louis by any of the major corporations. He organized, he worked with other young turks and they confronted the establishment. He went to jail for what he believed in, because he decided to take on one of the most powerful banks in St. Louis who resisted the efforts of these young people who said why are you not hiring qualified Negros to fill these positions. He went to jail for what he believed in. He literally did the kind of studying and assessment of the situation in St. Louis and helped to develop a document called the Anatomy of an Economic Murder. It is a report by Clay that detailed the pitifully small number of blacks working for the city's big employers. They were successful after a lot of hard work, a lot of organizing, a lot of getting people to confront what was happening. He was elected to the Congress of the United States in January of 1969. And, of course, this place has never been the same, because he came here with a mission, and he came here at a time when there were other young blacks elected to Congress who were determined they were going to bring about some change. He came in with Shirley Chisholm and Lou Stokes. He and Lou Stokes became the best of friends. It is something wonderful about watching men who really do become friends, who respect each other, whose families become so very close that they take their vacations together. Young men who love each other, young men whose families began to live a life of commitment, with the wives and the children getting to know each other. I really have respect for those kinds of relationships. What has he done here in Congress? He has been one of the strongest legislators that ever came to this place, not only has he gotten his bill signed into law. He has sponsored successfully over 295 pieces of legislation. There are people who come here who never sponsor a piece of legislation. There are people who come here who do not even get an amendment to a bill. There are people who come here and go home and talk about all that they have done, really describing other people's work. So to get 295 pieces of legislation signed into law is a tremendous accomplishment. He served with distinction. I talked about his brilliant career. But let me just outline for you or mention to you some of the things that he has done. As a matter of fact, he has had the opportunity not only to serve on the committees where he was able to do some of this tremendous work, he is one of the few persons who has chaired at least two of the committees that I am going to talk a little bit about. For 23 years, the Congressman served on the Postal Office and Civil Service Committee, chairing it from 1990 through 1994. Let me tell you, if you speak to any postal workers in America, they know who Bill Clay is, because he fought some tremendous battles for them. He stood up for postal workers. He made sure that the work that he did would help to make working conditions better for them, would help to deal with creating possibilities for upward mobility for them. So the postal system in America is better off because Bill Clay served. From 1989 to 1994, he served as chairman of the House Administration Subcommittee on Libraries and Memorials. He was among 3 Members of the House assigned to recount ballots in the 1984 congressional election in Indiana's 8th District. Again, he sponsored over 295 bills, but let me just tell you about some of the most important of them. In 1996, Congressman Clay was instrumental in forcing a minimum wage increase through Congress, despite the adamant opposition of some of our friends from the other side of the aisle. But he has been a tremendous force dealing with historically black colleges and universities, Federal student grant and loan programs, class size reduction, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. He has done all of these things. And he can take credit for the Hatch Act Reform Law that was passed. In addition to that, he can take a lot of credit for the Family Medical Leave Act that was adopted by the Congress of the United States of America. There are very few who will be able to match this brilliant career. I think he has left a mark on this House, not only because of his tremendous legislation, but because he is a friendly person who gets along with people. He makes us laugh even when we are mad at him. I have tried to stay mad with Congressman Clay, but I cannot because he will walk up to me and tell me the funniest joke and get me laughing in ways that I never thought I would do. He is a brilliant writer and author who is, I think, perhaps one of the best historians this House has ever known. If we want to know what happened in a particular year that he served here, just walk up to him and ask him about an issue, about legislation, about something that took place on this floor. He can recount chapter and verse and in detail what took place. He is a prolific reader and a prolific writer. He is one of the original founders of the Congressional Black Caucus. I am able to serve in this House and work with a Congressional Black Caucus because of the work of Bill Clay. He is a pioneer. He opened doors. He helped a lot of other people to dream that they could come here and do what he has done. He is an icon in the city of my birth. I am proud of him. His family is proud of him. The City of St. Louis is proud of him. We all know that because Bill Clay pioneered the efforts of African Americans to serve in this body, that a lot of changes have taken place and the cause of African Americans, and others who were denied, who were marginalized, have been advanced because he served here. I am going to miss him. They do not make Bill Clays anymore. There are people who come here who know nothing about the history and the struggles of our people. There are people who come to serve here not intending to make anybody angry, not intending to give up any perks, not intending to cause any trouble or make any waves. Bill Clay made some waves. He caused some troubles, but he was one of the finest debaters that ever graced this floor. A combination of everything that he has done, his debate, his work, his talent, all of that has helped him to become one of the most respected Members of Congress that ever served. I will miss him and I hope that I will be able to call him and ask for his assistance and get his wisdom for things that I will attempt to do. Mr. Speaker, I say, ``Thank you, Bill Clay, for the service that you have given.''

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of the conference report for H.R. 4811, the foreign operations appropriations bill for fiscal year 2001. This conference report has broad bipartisan support and is a substantial improvement over the bill that passed the House on July 13, 2000. I would like to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) who has been the real driving force behind this legislation to craft a bill that we could all support. But I would also like to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) and the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) and the CBC and particularly the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) for her work, particularly as it relates to AIDS. There are many substantial items in this bill, but I would like to make special mention of debt relief and AIDS. I am especially pleased that the conference report provides a total of $435 million to forgive the debts of the world's poorest countries. This appropriation fully funds the President's request and when leveraged with contributions from other creditor countries, will forgive $27 billion in debt owed by these impoverished countries. The conference report also includes language to permit the International Monetary Fund to use the earnings from the reevaluation of its gold reserves to fund its share of the international debt relief program. Throughout this Congress, I have been working on this issue, and I have been inspired by the breadth and depth of the commitment to the forgiveness of poor country debts. I have worked with debt relief supporters from both sides of the aisle, as well as officials representing the administration and the Treasury Department, to ensure that the debt relief program will benefit the world's poorest people. I have also met with church leaders, development advocates, civil society leaders from poor countries, and many other members of the worldwide Jubilee 2000 movement which has been working to make debt relief a reality. The success of our efforts proves that we can overcome our differences. Again, the money that is afforded for AIDS in this bill will help to deal with the problem of the epidemic that could not be dealt with because of the burden of the debt.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time, and again I rise to commend the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi) for the wonderful work that she has done on this very important issue. It is extremely important for our conferees to be instructed to do everything that can be done to honor the full request of the President. This has been described as one of those issues that has brought us all together, and I am very pleased and proud that I have received many calls of compliments from other countries, and of course a lot of religious organizations under Jubilee 2000, as well as nongovernment organizations, commending us all for the debate that we had on this issue, commending us all for rising above petty differences and coming together around one of the most important issues of our time. Because of the work that we are doing, we are going to be able to get some of these countries out from under this debt that is drowning them, and I am very appreciative for the opportunity to support this motion to instruct our conferees.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my concerns about the unjust treatment and confinement of Dr. Wen Ho Lee, a former Los Alamos scientist. Dr. Wen Ho Lee was arrested by the FBI on December 10, 1999, when a grand jury issued a 59-count indictment charging him with stealing nuclear secrets from a classified Los Alamos computer. U.S. District Judge James Parker denied bail for Dr. Lee, citing seven missing computer tapes of nuclear secrets and the possibility that his release could harm U.S. national security. Dr. Lee was held in solitary confinement for the following nine months and shackled whenever he was outside of his cell. Dr. Lee's confinement was clearly unnecessary. He had not been convicted of any crime and was considered innocent under the law throughout his confinement. On August 17, 2000, FBI agent Robert Messemer admitted that he gave false testimony against Dr. Lee at his bail hearing the previous December. Furthermore, on September 10, 2000, the Department of Justice announced that Dr. Lee would go free after pleading guilty to just one of the original 59 felony counts against him. All other counts against him were dropped. When the Executive Branch agreed to release him without any conditions, it became apparent that it had never been necessary to confine him. We will never know the reasons why the Federal Government confined Dr. Lee and treated him so harshly. The plea agreement reached by Dr. Lee and the Department of Justice shields the Executive Branch from disclosing information that might have provided an explanation. Dr. Lee's unjust confinement and the cruelty of the conditions under which he was confined are a disgrace to the FBI, the Department of Justice and the entire nation. No American citizen should ever be unnecessarily confined by the U.S. Government. I am deeply sorry about the unjust treatment Dr. Lee received, and I urge my colleagues to work diligently to ensure that no other citizen will ever be forced to endure this type of treatment. General Leave

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose this conference report because it includes language that is against the will of this body. Mr. Speaker, there is a United States embargo against Cuba. The blockade serves no real purpose but to satisfy the Florida anti-Fidel Castro Cubans who wish to direct the will of this House. The people of Cuba need food and medicine. The children are in desperate need of these supplies that we could easily sell to Cuba. The United States Chamber of Commerce has been to Cuba, the Farm Bureau has been to Cuba, and many members of the agriculture caucus of this body have been down to Cuba, and they are all desirous of lifting this embargo, at least to be able to sell food and medicine. However, some Members of this House are captives of those Cubans in Florida who have not only tried everything that they can to keep this embargo intact but they have also influenced certain Members of this body to get involved with placing further travel restrictions in this bill. We have done very well with travel to Cuba. Many Americans go there. We have academic exchange. We have cultural exchange. And it is working very well. If people are desirous of seeing Cuba, the Cuba that they think it should be, it is only because there is people-to-people contact. But having codified these travel restrictions, we have now placed this in jeopardy. Well, this meager, little attempt to sell to Cuba without having any financial infrastructure to do so, no credit from the United States financial institutions or government, is not going to work. We are undermining the very efforts of those who would like to sell agricultural products and food and medicine to Cuba. I would ask for a no vote. This is a wrong-headed policy.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening in support of H.R. 5417, to rename the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. I am very proud to join with my colleagues in doing this and paying tribute to a very, very great human being, a great legislator, a great and important and respected Member of the United States Congress, now deceased. I am very proud that I have had the opportunity to serve on the Committee on Banking and Financial Services with Mr. Vento. I am very proud and pleased that I came to this Congress at a time when many of the great minds still held forth in this Congress. Mr. Vento was one of those Members who was an expert in the field of banking and housing and the wilderness. He exemplified the best in what a legislator could and should be all about. This that we do today is but a small tribute to him, because when we review the tremendous contributions that he has made to this country and to this Nation, one could understand why we would readily want to in some way show our appreciation for all that he has done for all of us. Mr. Speaker, it was said today when I had a discussion with one of my former staff members that he remembered Bruce Vento because he always concerned himself with these questions: How will this measure impact the environment, and how will this measure impact low- and moderate- income communities? Mr. Speaker, this is very important to me and to members of my staff. We work for the least of these. We do our best to represent poor people and to represent working people, and to represent folks who do not oftentimes have any way of connecting to the great policy-making bodies, either at the local, State, or Federal level. So when we see legislators who do not have to necessarily spend all of their time trying to represent working people or poor people, we are extremely appreciative for that. Mr. Vento was such a legislator. The work that he has done, both for the wilderness and the homeless, is appreciated in so many ways. In 1994, the Wilderness Society honored Bruce Vento with its prestigious Ansel Adams conservation award. That is just, again, a small token for the work that he has done to ensure the continued viability of millions of acres of wilderness lands, forests, and precious national parks from Alaska to American Samoa to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota. With the preservation of these lands, the Earth itself has prospered from the passion of Bruce Vento. Again, the work that he did for the wilderness and the preservation of our precious national parks was matched by the work that he did defending the rights and humanity of the homeless. He saw his work for the homeless as a defense of human rights. I am hopeful that what we do here today not only inspires us, but many others yet to come who will some day serve in this body so that they can understand that they, too, can have an impact on the direction of this Nation and of this world; that they, too, can come here with a vision for what is good for this country, what is good for human beings, and work in ways that will help to better this society. I join my colleagues here today to say to our friend, our colleague, Mr. Vento, we are going to miss him. We are going to miss all that he has taught us and the ways that he led us, but we are going to remember him in this small way, by the renaming of this legislation. With the renaming of this legislation, the work that he has done will live on and will never be forgotten. Again, I am very appreciative for the opportunity to have served with Mr. Vento.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill. This bill provides for the minting of commemorative coins to support the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games and the programs of the United States Olympic Committee. As we witness the joy of watching the Summer Olympics in Sydney, and the pride that our American athletes bring to our country, I am pleased to support a commemorative coin for the Winter Games of 2002, which will be coming back to the United States. An act of Congress to issue this coin is consistent with the long tradition of issuing commemorative coins for the important events that shape our Nation's history, as well as for our national heroes. We have in the past issued commemorative coins for other Olympics games held in the U.S., as well as for other 1994 soccer world cups also held in 12 cities across the United States. As laid out in the legislation, the design of the commemorative coin shall be emblematic of the participation of American athletes in the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Each coin must have a designation of the value of the coin, an inscription of the year 2002, and, following U.S. tradition, inscriptions of the words: In God We Trust, United States of America, and E Pluribus Unum. Half of the coin proceeds will go to the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for use in the staging and promotion of the games and the other half to the U.S. Olympic Committee. I certainly urge adoption of this bill. I have one comment that I would like to add. I think the Olympic Games are extremely important. Not only does it give us the opportunity to compete with other very, very fine athletes from all around the world, it is really a geography lesson that is learned as we watch the competition in various parts of the world; and I would like for the aborigines in Sydney to know that we are learning about them as we watch the games in Sydney and that their plight is not unnoticed. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen).

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of this bill. As most of us are aware, our currency has shown new faces in recent years. Most recently we saw the introduction of the new Sacagawea one-dollar coin which replaces the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin. From 1999 to 2008, the country will witness the implementation of the 50-State circulating commemorative quarter program, which represents the longest running change in currency design in recent memory. While the obverse of these quarters will continue to feature George Washington's profile, the reverse will feature a design honoring five States per year. Each State will be honored in the order in which it ratified the Constitution or entered the Union. The bill we are considering today extends the ongoing circulating quarter program to the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories, which were not covered by the law that authorized the current program. These territories include Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Depending on how popular the quarter turns out to be in the long term, the Federal Government may end up earning $5 billion or more in seigniorage, a figure expected to increase with the addition of the District and the territories. I am pleased to join the delegates of the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories in supporting this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, as I close out this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I would like to give thanks to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) for his leadership on this issue. I must say that whether it is this issue or debt relief, I have found my colleague to be extremely fair in using the power of his chairmanship to make sure that he gives equal opportunity to all of our colleagues with their issues. I am very pleased and proud that we have such a great working relationship and that he indeed has been more than fair, not only on this issue but on many other issues. Let me just say to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) and to the representatives of the other territories who have spoken today and those who are not here, I am so very pleased that this particular legislation gives them the opportunity not only to support the 50 States circulating commemorative quarter program and to make sure that the District and the territories are included, but it gives an opportunity to speak to the unfairness of a lack of the ability to vote on important issues facing this Nation and its territories and the District, and I am very pleased that the gentleman has had an opportunity here today to remind us one more time that there is much unfinished work to be done as we try and deal with the question of the District of Columbia and the territories. I have been working on voting rights for the District for many, many years, long before I left the California State assembly where at one time I think working with Walter Washington and some others and Fauntroy, we were talking about a constitutional amendment, I believe at that time. I think these representatives are so focused and many of us are so focused on these issues because there are important issues here that cannot be swept under the rug. We were all raised and socialized and educated on the idea that this country began with the belief that there should be no taxation without representation. That is drummed into our heads early on in learning of the history of this Nation. So we believe that. We believe very strongly that there should be no taxation without representation, and so, again, while this is about a coin and while this is about making sure that we include the District and territories that were left out of the original legislation, this also, too, is about the whole very, very basic tenet that there should be no taxation without representation. We use this time today to add our voices one more time to asking that the right thing be done, not only with this coin but with voting rights and full participation by the District and the territories. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega). (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank our subcommittee chair for seeing to it again that this bill is on the floor today. The reason reauthorization of this act is necessary is that it contains the basic emergency authorities of the President to obtain needed emergency products for national defense. Annual renewals of this legislation have become quite routine in recent years and there is every expectation the other body will act with speed on this measure due to this tradition. At some point, a review of some of the details of this legislation may become advisable, such as those permitting minor long-term production of various goods. However, there has been no outstanding complaints about abuse of these powers in many, many years. Consequently, this side of the aisle supports this measure to renew the act for 1 year. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to thank the chairman of the subcommittee and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for their interest that they have shown in this issue and their concern about monetary policy. Today, the House takes up H.R. 4096, this bill that would allow the Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing to produce currency, postage stamps and other security documents for foreign countries on a fully reimbursable basis. The bill would also provide the BEP with the authority to produce security documents for the States and their political subdivisions, also on a fully reimbursable basis. Madam Speaker, I strongly support this bill; and I urge its adoption. The new authority to print currency for foreign countries is being sought by the Treasury Department and the BEP, and the Treasury Secretary has strongly endorsed this bill. Madam Speaker, H.R. 4096 is a noncontroversial piece of legislation that will help foreign countries in the printing of reliable, secure currency that will contribute to the stability of their monetary systems and the facilitation of international trade. The new authority will also allow States in the U.S. to come to the BEP for its help in producing security documents such as fish and game stamps, automobile titles, property deeds, birth and death certificates, and bond or special stock certificates. This bill will enable BEP to even out its work schedules and operate more efficiently, particularly during times when it faces excess capacity. In addition, performing work for foreign countries will allow the Bureau to test without cost to United States taxpayers how technologies and anticounterfeiting techniques can be incorporated into future design of U.S. currency. The bill will enable the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to fully utilize and hone the skills of its workforce, particularly craft employees such as portrait and letter engravers. In the last decade, countries such as Turkey, South Africa, Eritrea and Kuwait have approached the BEP to print security documents on their behalf, but the BEP could not provide the service because it lacked the statutory authority. This will do it. Madam Speaker, I urge swift passage of this bill. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the State of California on the occasion of California's Sesquicentennial--the 150th Anniversary of California's Statehood. California is home to a diverse and resourceful people with a rich and colorful history. I represent the 35th District of California, a district which includes residents of African-American, Latino, Asian, Native American and European descent. My district is as rich in diversity and resourcefulness as the great State of California itself. The 35th District of California includes several communities in South Central Los Angeles as well as the cities of Inglewood, Gardena and Hawthorne. South Central Los Angeles is a community of resourceful people and small businesses. Gardena is a racially diverse and economically vibrant city. Hawthorne is a center of technology and a home to the aerospace industry. Inglewood is at the center of a growing Los Angeles region close to Los Angeles International Airport. Its predominantly black and Latino students are known for educational achievement and academic excellence. It is also home to the Los Angeles Forum sports arena. All the cities in the 35th district are home to hard-working, creative, energetic and resourceful people and numerous successful small businesses. Mr. Speaker, the people of 35th District of California are dedicated to economic and educational development, and they are proud of their history and their heritage. I look forward to continuing to represent them as they look forward to the next 150 years of history as residents of the great State of California.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to raise some questions about the bill, and I would like to take this opportunity to explain that this is the kind of legislation that really tests what you stand for. Of course, this is good legislation that includes in it a lot of the answers to questions about what are we going to do about inner cities, how are we going to get some investment. This will do a lot of that. We all support empowerment zones, we all support venture capital, we all support more housing opportunities, and the President put a lot of time into it. This is oiled, this is greased. Both sides of the aisle have agreed that this legislation should pass. So for those of us who raise questions, we raise them knowing that, nine times out of ten, this legislation is going to pass. However, this should not have been on the suspension calendar. It is on the suspension calendar, which eliminates the opportunity for us to make amendments. Why would we want to make amendments? For several reasons. I am raising questions on three grounds. I object, first of all, to the placement of H.R. 4923, the Community Renewal and New Market Act, on the suspension calendar. Second, I have serious concerns regarding the use of Federal dollars for the funding of religious-based institutions which may use the funds in a discriminatory manner. I want to tell you, the Founding Fathers did a good job of separating state and religion, and they did this for a lot of reasons. People should be free to worship their God as they see fit, but also the government must never have such a strong hand that they can determine what happens in any religion. Now, we have advanced in this country to the point where we protect the rights of people to work and to participate where tax dollars are involved. When we talk about giving these tax dollars to religious institutions, we are now talking in this legislation about allowing them to discriminate based on religion. This is discrimination creep. What we are doing is opening up the door so that we say it is all right, 501(c)(3), if you are a religious institution to discriminate, but when the other 501(c)(3)s come in and say, well, we want to discriminate based on the fact that we have the kind of work that we are doing that is so special, that is so important, that we should be allowed to determine who can get a job and who cannot get a job. So we are opening up the door, and certainly we should have a debate about that on the floor of this Congress. We should not change our discrimination laws in this manner without a debate. So I have real concerns about that. Third, I am concerned about what seems to be a blanket approval of religious-based drug treatment programs at the expense of State-funded programs. We do not know who is the best, there is not enough information for it, but we should give everybody an equal opportunity without allowing discrimination.

Ms. WATERS

Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the time that has been allotted to me by the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson). I would continue his discussion and help to point to the fact that we know that the gentlewoman on the opposite side of the aisle and many others will have ongoing criticism of Castro and his policies, and it will surface on every issue possible. We know that this is a single issue with some of our colleagues; and they are determined that, whenever they have the opportunity, they are going to try and use it to once again point to what they would consider the failed policies of the Cuban government. However, we cannot allow those kind of arguments to get in the way of our Government's ability to provide security for the people of the United States of America. The security of the American people is the first priority in our relationship with Russia. I would like to just read to my colleagues part of a Statement of Administration Policy that will make this very clear. The administration sent us a document which says: ``We share congressional concerns about the Lourdes facility and its intelligence collection activities. However, this legislation is not likely to be an effective lever on Russian actions. The United States, like Russia, maintains a number of signals intelligence facilities around the world. One important function of such facilities for both countries is to collect information to verify arms control agreements. Successive administrations have steadfastly resisted attempts to define national technical means of verification or to circumscribe the location and use of such systems. Such a hindrance would run counter to fundamental U.S. national security interests and, in particular, to their ability to conduct arms verification. Legislation like this bill may rebound adversely to the United States by inviting Russia and other countries to pursue similar charges against U.S. facilities they characterize as threatening. Additional explanation or information relating to facilities such as Lourdes can be provided in classified briefings.'' Basically what the administration is telling us is to butt out of their ability to negotiate in the best interest of this country. We all have our peeves. We all have our dislikes. But we cannot create foreign policy on the floor of this Congress one by one based on our own narrow interests. I will grant my colleagues and I will not try to take away from any Member their feelings about Cuba or any other country that they wish to talk about. But I would ask them to restrain from trying to dictate foreign policy and tie the hands of this Government when it gets before the Paris Club to negotiate debt relief. I was on the floor of this Congress just a few days ago where we all agreed that we were going to do debt relief. We have given the signal to our Government which direction we want to go in. We are leaders in this world; and we have got to go to the Paris Club, and we have got to negotiate for debt relief, and we have got to have Russia's interest at heart when we do that. Now, make no mistake about it, yes, we have facilities. God knows where our facilities are. We spy where we have to spy. We look into what we have to look into. And that is why we have such a large intelligence community. So let us not mix up our dislike for Castro and our effort to want to continue the embargo with this bill that we have before us. This is not in the best interest of this country. I ask my colleagues to vote against it.