Dave Weldon

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 340.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 82) recognizing the 91st birthday of Ronald Reagan.

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 336.

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the distinguished author of this resolution, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce), be permitted to control the remainder of my time.

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the House consider House Resolution 336, an important resolution introduced by the distinguished gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce). This resolution recognizes and honors the remarkable life of Dave Thomas and expresses the House of Representatives' condolences to his family on his recent death. Mr. Speaker, Dave Thomas, founder and chairman of Wendy's International, passed away on January 8, 2002, from cancer. Dave Thomas was an extraordinary man. Thomas founded Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers Restaurants in 1969 and named the company after one of his daughters. This restaurant chain grew explosively to more than 6,000 locations worldwide. Dave Thomas was a successful businessman. He also shared his humor, friendliness and humility with the American public which was evident through his television commercials. But his legacy does not consist of his business success alone. Dave Thomas energetically championed an issue that is close to my heart, adoption. I am the father of two adopted children and a Member of the House Adoption Caucus. I understand Mr. Thomas' passion for making sure that all our children are wanted, loved and provided with a nurturing home. Thomas was himself adopted, and he became a passionate advocate for adoption. In 1992 he created the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. The foundation's goal was simple and straightforward but profound: Every child will have a permanent home and loving family. Mr. Thomas has testified before Congress in support of adoption tax credits and adoption legislation, appeared in several television public service announcements, and led an initiative to create the adoption stamp that was issued by the U.S. Postal Service in May 2000. He also established the Dave Thomas Center for Adoption Law to facilitate the adoption process through education advocacy and research. Dave Thomas worked hard to advance the cause of adoption and heightened awareness in our country about the fact that all children deserve the love and security of a family. For this achievement alone, Mr. Speaker, Dave Thomas earned the respect and gratitude of the American people. Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 336) honoring the life of Rex David ``Dave'' Thomas and expressing the deepest condolences of the House of Representatives to his family on his death.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Science have until midnight on Thursday, January 31 to file the reports to accompany H.R. 3400 and H.R. 3394.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the life and service of Susan M. Fagan, a Peace Corps volunteer, who lost her life after serving in Ghana in November. At the time of her death, Susan was visiting her family in Ohio. The cause of death is believed to be malaria. Mrs. Fagan, of Barefoot Bay, Florida, had served in the Peace Corps from November 29, 1999, to November 2, 2001, in Akwida, Ghana, where she started tourist management committees so that the villagers could benefit directly from the burgeoning tourist industry in Ghana. Before completing her service, Susan had developed and presented to the Ghana Tourist Board a longterm plan for promoting tourism in the Akwida region. Thanks to Susan's hard work, that plan is being utilized today. Susan is survived by her father, William Wilson, her stepmother, Linda Wilson, her sisters, Debra Moore and Shelby Wilson, and stepbrothers, Terry and Brandan Zastrow. A memorial service was conducted in East Liverpool, Ohio, on Thursday, December 6, 2001. A second memorial service was held in Florida on December 13, 2001. Susan is also survived by her deceased husband's family, father and mother- in-law, Raymond and Dona Fagan, brother-in-law, William Fagan, and sister-in-law, Dori Ziomek. Susan embodied the best traditions of Peace Corps Volunteers, and her life and work will be deeply missed by all who knew and worked with her. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends. In memory of Susan Fagan, the Peace Corps flag was flown at half-staff on December 6, 2001. Susan helped the people of interested countries and helped promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the people she served. Susan always saw the humor in a situation and never allowed the frustrating things about living in a developing country get her down. She considered herself very lucky to have had such an opportunity. ``I am very proud to say that Susan's life embodied the Peace Corps goals,'' said Ghana Country Director Leonard Floyd. We will all miss her--her family, friends, the Peace Corps staff, the Peace Corps Volunteers and all of the people who considered her a friend and family in her Ghana home of Akwida.'' Indeed, her example will continue to inspire us.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the life and service of Douglas L. Eccleston, a Staff Sergeant with the United States Air Force, who lost his life on December 7, 2001, while performing a rescue mission 1,000 miles off the coast of Florida. His heroic action successfully saved the life of a critically ill sailor. Mr. Eccleston honorably served his country for 15 years and was a member of the elite Pararescue team assigned to the 920th Rescue Group at Patrick Air Force Base in Satellite Beach, Florida. His service included military action in Operation Just Cause and Operation Desert Storm as a Combat Controller. During the first part of his career, Doug was a combat controller, an airman who helps direct air strikes from the ground, often in hazardous territory. During the last part of his career, Doug worked to become a Pararescue, also known as a ``PJ'', an airman who rescues downed aviators anywhere in the world under any conditions. Mr. Eccleston's military decorations include: Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Reserve Meritorious Service Medal, and National Defense Medal. Doug is survived by his wife, Stacie, his loving parents David and Donna Eccleston and sisters Dana Mohr and Dianna Coulton. Several hundred people attended the memorial service that was conducted at Pelican Beach Park in Satellite Beach, Florida, on December 11, 2001. Funeral services were held in Midland, Texas on December 13, 2001. Doug will be remembered by those who loved him as a fun loving, caring man. His life's passions included family and surfing. In memory of Doug Eccleston's love of surfing, six of Eccleston's surfing buddies and fellow airmen paddled out on surfboards into the Atlantic Ocean and cast a wreath on the water. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. ``There's no greater gift than giving your life so that another may live,'' said Chief Master Sgt. Greg Lowdermilk. ``He gave the ultimate sacrifice and we'll always remember him for that. We've lost another great American.'' We will all miss him. Doug Eccleston is a true hero.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, this Nation suffered a great tragedy on September 11. Our economy was slowing down. The statistical analysis tells us we probably went into a recession some time in the spring, and we have suffered tremendous numbers of layoffs, unemployment is way up. The best way to make sure Social Security is solvent in the future is to get the economy going. I think we all agree the thing that brings prosperity to this country allows us to have programs like Medicare and Social Security. What allows us to have a strong military is the fact that we have a very, very strong and robust economy. But right now the economy is not good. We have got hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their job. The most important thing that we can do to get those people back to work is to make it profitable for the corporations that previously employed them to hire them back. Now, I think the product that the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) and the White House and the leadership have put together is a good product that has, I think, some real potential to help get our economy going again; and, indeed, bring more money into the treasury to allow us to continue to fund all of the important things that we do. Now there are some Members who are fond of calling this corporate welfare and just a big payout to business, but I would assert that we cannot create any prosperity here in this House, that we do not create jobs, that the private sector creates jobs. And the private sector right now is not creating any jobs. The private sector right now is laying people off. The best thing we can do is pass, at this time, an economic stimulus package that helps American business create more jobs. To characterize this as some kind of big payoff to big business, in my opinion, is just demagoguery. Our stock markets have gone down in value. The NASDAQ has lost more than half of its value over the past year and a half. Millions of Americans who we all claim to represent have seen their retirement portfolios devastated by what is going on. This is the exact kind of package we need to help get this economy going again and put people back to work. And, yes, ultimately in the end achieve security for programs like Medicare and Social Security. I encourage all my colleagues to vote for this.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, last month, prior to Thanksgiving, the House passed the Economic Security Recovery Act. The other body has yet to act on this important legislation. The Associated Press recently quoted the Senate majority leader as saying an economic growth bill is ``not as front burner an issue'' as other important business. I beg to differ. The House has done its work. We passed a solid bill to jumpstart America's economy, create jobs, and restore consumer confidence; and that spending puts more money in the pockets of working Americans. Mr. Speaker, President Bush has asked the Congress to get to work and get something done on this important issue. So far the leaders in the Senate majority have failed to heed the call and are refusing to act on this legislation. To ignore the plight of millions of Americans who are hurting right now because they are unemployed is wrong and irresponsible.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Madam Speaker, I did my internship and residency in San Francisco in the early eighties when AIDS was ravaging the homosexual community in that city. Prior to coming here to the U.S. House, I practiced infectious diseases and primarily treated AIDS, so I have seen firsthand the devastation that this disease can cause. I certainly commend all those involved with working to bring this bill to the floor. I am particularly pleased that the chairman was willing to work with me to add language to emphasize the importance of a safe blood supply and the importance of prophylactic drugs for victims of rape and sexual assault; certainly, also, the language to emphasize access to infant formula and other alternatives for infant feeding. Many babies are born to HIV mothers and survive the birth process without contracting AIDS, to only go on, unfortunately, to contract the disease through the process of breast feeding. I do remain concerned, Madam Speaker, that the bill does not sufficiently stress abstinence. Abstinence programs have shown to be helpful in Uganda and Senegal; and abstinence, of course, is the only approach that actually guarantees that AIDS will not be spread. I have served in the past on the board of a faith-based group that has worked in Nigeria on abstinence-based education. I think the bill, as it moves through the conference process and gets signed by the President, should have some stronger language inserted to deal with the importance of abstinence. Also, I would like to see the makeup of the board, the advisory board, structured in such a way that faith-based organizations will be guaranteed a place at the table. There are currently hundreds of faith- based organizations in Africa. As I said, I have worked with one of them firsthand. They need to be included in this process.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, Ron Morgan of Cape Canaveral, Florida, is becoming a well known expert on the U.S. flag. He has developed a comprehensive book, The American Spirit in the New Millennium, that endeavors to renew pride in our flag and to present a fair case about its legal protections, effectively countering the arguments of those who would allow our flag to be desecrated. He wants to inspire further research and study of not just the history of the flag, but United States history, law and government. I am proud that Ron Morgan is my constituent on Florida's Space Coast, and I thank him for his hard work and dedication to promote the values represented in our flag. I wish to enter into the Congressional Record a chapter from his book that was updated since the September 11 attacks: America United--A Call to Honor On January 1 in the year 2000, the entire world was transfixed as a glowing ball of light descended above Times Square, amid the cheers and adulations of over one million New Yorkers. The amazing technology of the last century provided live pictures of this joyous event to every nation in the world, as the global celebration of Y2K signaled the grand commencement of this new millennium. On September 11 in the year 2001, the entire world was transfixed as the symbol of this new millennium, the mighty twin towers of the World Trade Center, descended in a horrendous roar of fiery steel and concrete, with the unspeakable loss of thousands of innocent men, women and children from America and from 80 sovereign nations around the globe. The amazing technology of the last century provided live pictures of this insane crime against humanity, as the world reeled in terror. As the immensity of the horror overcame the paralyzing visual shock, people from every nation on earth truly believed they were witnessing the beginning of the end of the civilized world--or as many describe it, the Apocalypse. The bright sunshine was instantly transformed into the pitch- blackness of a moonless night by billowing clouds of black carbon, grey concrete and white ash. Clouds that had not been seen in our nation for 70 years, since the towering clouds of brown dust swept relentlessly across the Great Plains in the 1930's and turned America's heartland into America's wasteland. Fellow human beings began to emerge from those clouds, from the darkness into the light. Some walked, some ran, some carried each other--but all moved with dignity. The eerie, ash covered figures that stepped out of those clouds into the waiting arms of the rescuers, displayed no recognizable ethnic or racial characteristics visible to the naked eye. We were one with them, and they were ours. New York City was truly united in a heroic display of courage, self- sacrifice, and compassion. The mightiest city on the planet was brought to its knees in seconds by an act of barbarism unparalleled in history. But as the dust settled amid the raging fires that still burned, a wondrous transformation slowly enveloped that scene of mindless carnage. The true American spirit began to rise higher than the tall towers that once dominated the skyline of New York. It gave vibrant notice that we have suffered a grievous wound, we have lost uncounted lives, but we will not be bowed, we will endure! The spirit of courage that drove our fearless and tireless firefighters, police officers, medical personnel and scores of civilian volunteers, who offered their own lives to save others. The spirit of help that mobilized the entire city to aid and comfort the victims, their families and the rescuers who continued to brave unrelenting danger. The spirit of prayer that brought people of all faiths together, as never before in memory. The spirit that galvanized the entire nation, with volunteers from every state and even foreign nations streaming in New York to help in the enormous effort of recovery. The United States Congress and the Administration were truly unified for the first time since World War II. Our nation spoke with one voice, with one purpose and with one message--This terror shall not endure. Our citizens and our freedoms shall be defended and preserved. Justice under law will prevail! And the unyielding symbol of the American spirit began to appear on the helmets and the tunics of the incredible rescue personnel. It began to appear on cabs, buses, trucks, cars and subway trains. It appeared on apartments, shop windows, buildings, houses, street signs, light poles and trees. It was worn on lapels, shirts, jackets and hats. It was carried by hand and was waved on high. It was draped on the smoldering steel frames of a once mighty edifice, as a proud badge of honor and an unmistakable pledge of resolve and perseverance in the face of unconscionable evil. The Flag of the United States of America became our rallying cry and our inspiration, just as it has countless times before in the face of tragedy and adversity. it asked nothing in return, just the chance to serve us if we needed something beyond ourselves to remind us of our goal. There is an incredible historical mosaic that blends and intertwines the past and the present in every city, town, and village in America. That mosaic was never more vividly displayed than in the streets of downtown New York on those fateful days in September 2001. 212 years ago President George Washington knelt down in St. Paul's Chapel, nestled near the Battery on the island of Manhattan, New York. It was April 30, 1789. He had walked to St. Paul's from Federal Hall, where he had just been inaugurated as the first President of the United States. He prayed for guidance to lead a fledgling nation, with honor, into the unknown waters of a new concept of government. On September 16, 2001 Mayor Rudy Giuliani knelt down in St. Paul's Chapel on the island of Manhattan in the area now known as Ground Zero. He prayed for guidance to lead his wounded city, with honor, in a humanitarian rescue and recovery effort of unparalleled proportions. St. Paul's is a stone's throw from the World Trade Plaza. It was saved and preserved during the skyscraper construction that totally surrounds it, only because it was listed on the Historic Registry! The twin towers rained down million of tons of debris that rocked the ground with the force of an earthquake. Loose steel and concrete tore apart mightly buildings and filled the city streets around this hallowed site. But not one pane of stained glass in the chapel windows was broken. At Washington's National Cathedral, President George W. Bush spoke for America to the clerics of all faiths, to our national leaders and to the United Nations representatives assembled in the pews of the cathedral. He humbly prayed for guidance to lead this country and indeed the civilized world, into a new age of freedom from terror and tyranny. We now realize that the splendor of this new millennium cannot be achieved if we do not meet this worldwide challenge to our very way of life. A challenge that heretofore existed only in shadows and darkness, but now is clear and visible and formidable. The task that lies ahead is a daunting task that will require courage, judgment, patience and--above all--perseverance. The American people are up to the task! Let us pledge to each other our will, our commitment, our strength and our steadfast unity. Working together as one people, we can strive to meet the three primary goals of this great nation that are so eloquently described in the Declaration of Independence: That personal security of life without fear; the cherished freedoms of our individual and societal liberty; and, the profound enjoyment inherent in the pursuit of happiness and prosperity. Our nation has issued a Call to Honor. The American people and our noble leaders have stood up bravely and answered the call. They have answered the call with their sacrifice, their deeds and their generosity. They have proudly proclaimed their unity by gathering together with the one and only tangible object that truly represents each one of us individually and all of us collectively--the Flag of the United States. America United is no longer a slogan. America United is now a reality!

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as I have conveyed to you, my concern is that as we pursue international trade agreements, we must enter those negotiations recognizing the special needs of our fruit and vegetable sector, and Florida citrus in particular. While many of our commodities enjoy significant federal subsidies, fruit and vegetable producers do not have these same subsidies. Florida's $9 billion citrus industry potentially faces significant competition from Brazil. Brazil enjoys a cost-of-production far below that of U.S. agricultural producer. Today's tariffs on Brazilian orange juice account for the wide difference in cost-of-production between the U.S. and Brazil. Also, Brazilian fruit can be treated with pesticides that are banned in the U.S. This raises issues of safety, double standards, and competitive advantages. Any further reduction in the tariff schedule for Brazilian orange juice under FTAA could cause significant harm to Florida's citrus industry. Mr. Speaker, we had requested the inclusion of language in the bill specifically excluding export sensitive products such as perishable fruits and vegetables, and related products such as frozen orange juice. That specific language is not in your bill. Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that the amendments in section three dealing with trade sensitive commodities, would limit the President's proclamation authority so that tariff reductions could not be implemented without specific Congressional approval. It is also my understanding that these special provisions provide a strong indication that these sensitive agriculture industries, such as citrus, should not be the subject of further tariff reductions in negotiations covered under this act? Finally, it is my understanding that these provisions require that the Administration identify that the import sensitive agriculture products, such as citrus, be fully evaluated by the ITC prior to any tariff negotiations and that any probable adverse effects be the subject of remedial proposals by the Administration. As this bill moves from the House to the other body and to conference, there will be additional opportunity to address the concerns of this industry. I am pleased that the Chairman has indicated he is willing to work with me and other members of the Florida Congressional delegation to address any additional concerns.

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, the amendments in section 3 dealing with trade-sensitive commodities would limit the President's proclamation authority so that tariff reductions could not be implemented without specific congressional approval. It is also my understanding that the bill restricts the ability of the administration to reduce tariffs on sensitive agricultural industries. Finally, the bill requires that import-sensitive agricultural products such as citrus be fully evaluated by the ITC prior to tariff negotiations and that any probable adverse effects be the subject of remedial proposals by the administration. Is that the gentleman's understanding?

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, the bill before us includes a $2 million earmark for an organization whose Executive Director, according to the attached Washington Post article, was sentenced in 1995 for taking over $4,000 from the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington. He was given a suspended five year prison sentence and ordered to perform several hundred hours of community service. He now draws an annual salary of $183,000 from Food and Friends, an organization that is supposed to be spending its money providing meals to those suffering from HIV/AIDS. I am very concerned about the $2 million earmark of taxpayer money. This special $2 million carve out is for this one organization, and is not subject to competition. No other groups, including groups who may offer much better services or who may be much more efficient, were not allowed an opportunity to compete for these funds. There will also be little oversight and accountability of how this organization spends these funds. This special $2 million earmark was not requested by the city of the District of Columbia and it was not in the President's budget request. There will be little if any oversight of how this $2 million will be spent. I believe this is an inappropriate earmark and am troubled by it's inclusion. I was deeply disappointed that the Senate, even after being made aware of these concerns, decided to go along with putting this in the final bill. I had hoped that they would have allowed a competition for these funds, rather than earmarking them for one organization. I have also included a letter from a local AIDS advocacy organization in Washington that has expressed opposition to this special earmark of fund. AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, Washington, DC, November 12, 2001. District of Columbia Appropriations Conference Committee, U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC. Dear Conference Committee members: As a non-partisan HIV/ AIDS advocacy organization, ACT UP Washington, DC has long fought for greater accountability in federal HIV/AIDS spending. During the past several years, we have tracked mounting incidences of waste, fraud and abuse of hard fought for taxpayer dollars intended to combat HIV/AIDS, so that similar transgressions never occur again. These efforts, thanks to the support of former Representative Dr. Tom Coburn, and Senators Charles Grassley and Max Baucus, have led to a commitment from the newly confirmed Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct audits of programs funded by the Ryan White CARE Act. Senator Sessions has added his leadership by calling for further federal auditing of HIV prevention programs in the pending Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill. We hope you agree that accountability, and oversight at the local and federal levels are crucial components to insure that federal dollars to alleviate the suffering of HIV/AIDS patients are spent wisely and effectively. For this reason, we have deepening concerns over the $2 million included in the Chairman's mark to the DC Appropriations Bill, earmarked for a DC AIDS charity, Food and Friends. Unlike other appropriations for DC area AIDS service organizations allocated through competitive grants, this earmark was never subject to the same, open process whereby spending priorities are determined through the input and needs of the community. This sets a terrible precedent, whereby dozens, if not hundreds of other local charities will now turn to Congress for their individual funding needs. Furthermore, as a direct payment, this $2 million is not subject to appropriate local and federal oversight authorities. We therefore urge you to agree with the Senate DC Appropriations Bill, and delete the $2 million earmark from the final version. This is not to, in any way, disparage the important services provided by Food and Friends, and the dedication of its volunteers. It is worth noting, however, that the current Executive Director of Food and Friends, Craig Shniderman, was involved in an embezzlement scandal with his previous employers at the Montgomery County Jewish Community Center. Enclosed you will find the Washington Post article from October 1995, in which Mr. Schniderman pleads guilty on a charge of misappropriation of funds. It is, of course, encouraging to see ex-offenders like Mr. Shniderman turn their lives around. According to Food and Friends 990 tax forms for FY 2000 (available online at www.guidestar.com), he earned $183,000. However, given the Executive Director's criminal record, the lack of oversight or accountability, and no public input into the allocation of these funds, it seems the wisest choice for Congress would be to delete the $2 million earmark in the final version of the DC Appropriations Bill. Thank you for your consideration. Wayne Turner. Enclosure. [From the Washington Post, Oct. 2, 1995] Ex-Agency Head Sentenced in Theft From Jewish Center The former head of Montgomery County's Jewish Social Services Agency has been ordered to serve six months of home detention and 18 months of probation for taking nearly $4,000 from the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington. Former social services agency executive director Craig M. Schniderman was charged with taking items from the Rockville JCC gift shop from 1987 to 1993 and allowing the agency to be billed for phony consulting services. The community center's former executive director, Lester I. Kaplan, and three other JCC officials were ousted last summer and accused of looting their agency of nearly $1 million as it was struggling to provide services for elderly and disabled members. Kaplan pleaded guilty last month to seven counts, including theft and compiracy, and is scheduled to be sentenced today. Shniderman, who officials said was not aware of the embezzlement scheme at the neighboring agency, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a single count of misappropriation by a fiduciary. He was given a suspended five-year prison term by Circuit Court Judge Ann S. Harrington and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding time to me and commend him on the skill he used in bringing this very complex issue to the floor. As I understand it, the other body is deeply mired in controversy and struggling on this. I also want to compliment the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker), for his work, and particularly the staff. Mr. Speaker, this is an extremely important issue, and it is very, very important that we pass this bill. The economic implications if we do not get a bill signed into law before the first of the year could be huge. I want to just address the issue of the substitute which is at hand right now. I certainly commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) for his thoughtful attempt to work on this. It has, obviously, some of the same features we have in our underlying bill. However, the way it is currently drafted, I think it could force some small businesses to pay higher premiums. It could erode the current State regulation system. Very importantly, I think it would potentially discourage insurance companies from using reinsurance, and I think that would be a very bad feature of the substitute. Mr. Speaker, I believe the sentiments expressed by the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), are very, very well taken. I think it really does have the potential to encourage, in the event of another disaster, a rush to the courthouse; that there could be winners and losers, whereas I think the underlying bill clearly avoids that sort of thing. I just want to underscore, if people want to sue Osama bin Laden, there are no limits. People can go after Osama bin Laden and his assets and take him to the cleaners, and the attorneys could walk away with 50 or 60 percent of the settlement, if that is in the contingency fee agreement they have reached. This is about, what are the U.S. taxpayers going to pay? I think this is a very well thought-out bill. Vote no on the substitute and yes on the underlying bill. Announcement by the Speaker pro tempore

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, is it correct that no matter how much inaction there is in the other body, we still cannot talk about it?

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, it was announced that the Massachusetts biotechnology company, Advanced Cell Technology, had created the first human clones. They claim they only want to use these embryos for research purposes. However, this research is unethical for at least two reasons: First, it involves the special creation of human life for experimentation and then destruction. There are morally acceptable alternatives to this type of research. Secondly, for this research to advance, scientists will need massive quantities of women's eggs to generate the necessary number of clones for the research to proceed. Women will be donating their eggs not for the purpose of having children but for the purpose of making money. As pro-choice feminist Judy Norsigian said in a Boston Globe column, ``Because embryo cloning will compromise women's health, turn their eggs and their wombs into commodities, compromising their reproductive autonomy and virtually certainly lead to the production of experimental human beings, we are convinced the line must be drawn here.'' Judy is right. The Senate needs to act.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh) for yielding me the time, and I certainly thank the chairman and the ranking member for their efforts in this bill. I rise reluctantly to say that I intend to vote no on this bill. I recognize that the chairman made a very strong effort to stick to the original House mark on NASA, but without the support of the administration or the other body, it was very difficult for him to hold on that issue, and certainly I thank him for his efforts. My greater concern is just that we are continuing the general trend that we have been on for the last 8 years when it comes to our investment in aerospace. At the conclusion of the first Bush administration, aerospace investment for the United States of America, 15 percent of the total Federal R&D went to aerospace. At the conclusion of 8 years of the Clinton administration, it was down to a figure of only 7 percent, only 7 percent of our Federal investment goes into aerospace. Now today that figure is treading down even further. Indeed, this is a critical issue not only for our competitiveness, manufactured products that we make in the United States lead the way in our import/export balance sheet in the area of aerospace; but we are losing that competitive edge. Also, I think this is a critical issue for national security and national defense. Specifically, if you look at this bill, NASA's budget barely keeps pace with inflation. This is a budget that has essentially been flat for 10 years. A budget that, when you adjust for inflation has an agency that has seen its purchasing power decline by close to 30 percent, barely gets an inflationary adjustment here. Let us look at the some of the comparisons in this bill. EPA gets a 10 percent increase over last year; housing an increase of 6 percent over last year. Despite the fact that some people have come to this floor saying they want even more for housing, housing actually gets an increase that is double the inflation rate. The Science Foundation, certainly something I support, a 10 percent increase over the last year, but yet the NASA account barely keeps pace with inflation. Let me just say there are some good things in this for NASA. There is a 25 percent increase to cover some expenses at the vehicle assembly building, a building that was built to support the Apollo program that is deteriorating. Fortunately, there is some money for new doors in that building. It needs a lot more: a new roof, a new facade. Certainly, I am very pleased that the chairman was able to hold the mark on the shuttle upgrades account which was very, very good news; but overall in the area of human space flight, it actually transfers money out of human space flight to cover NASA accounts elsewhere. Overall, I cannot support this bill. I do not think the people in my district support this bill, and I intend to vote no.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I had legal counsel review the legislation we are debating right now at the Subcommittee on Civil Service. The way this amendment is drafted it exempts these new Federal employees from the Veterans Preference Act, the civil rights laws, the Rehabilitation Act, the Age Discrimination Act, merit principles, family and medical leave, Federal labor-management relations statutes, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the whistleblower protections. If a Republican brought an amendment calling for the creation of a new Federal workforce that is going to be larger than the workforce at the Department of Labor, larger than the workforce at three other Cabinet level agencies and tried to exempt them from all these Federal laws, my Democrat colleagues would be up in arms. The unions would be going berserk. I am amazed that this amendment has been crafted this way. Now, I assume my colleagues are expecting the Attorney General to voluntarily apply all these protections. I would just like to point out that the debate is not between doing nothing and my colleagues' proposal. The debate is between the Oberstar amendment and I think a very, very good proposal that is modeled on the European experience, where they have tried to federalize their workforce. Let me just close out by quoting from a Washington Post survey of Federal employees. Only 30 percent of Federal employees, and my father was a retired Federal employee, believe the Federal Government does an effective job disciplining poor performing employees. I think what the American people want is the most effective protections that we can put forward, and this proposal creates some federalization of the security forces. To federalize all of them, and in this fashion, in this amendment, baffles me. Vote against this thing.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I will be voting for H.R. 3004 and support most of its provisions, but I have some reservations about some features of the bill. Section 301 is designed to give the Treasury Secretary new powers to identify and punish governments that fail to control money laundering. However, some of the provisions in this section are controversial, particularly the criteria that the Treasury Secretary is supposed to use when determining whether a jurisdiction is a money laundering concern. A jurisdiction should be punished if it refuses to suspend bank secrecy when presented evidence of a serious crime like terrorism. But the mere existence of privacy should not be a cause for concern. The appropriate criteria should be evidence of money laundering, particularly if conducted with the government's complicity. It would be wrong to characterize a nation as harboring money laundering activities simply because they offer lower taxes than European or U.S. and other nations. Lower taxes are often designed to foster economic growth of a nation that is engaging in the lower-tax policy. It should not be interpreted as evidence of money laundering. Mr. Speaker, I believe that bill falls short in providing the assurances needed to ensure that a country is not placed on a blacklist simply because they have relatively lower taxes. I believe strongly that a jurisdiction should be punished if it refuses to suspend bank secrecy when presented with evidence of a serious crime like terrorism, murder, or drug smuggling, but the mere existence of financial privacy should not be a cause for concern. Also, the presence of a vibrant financial services sector is an odd criterion to be used as evidence of money laundering. Using this criteria, New York City and London would likely be classified as money laundering centers. The appropriate criterion should be evidence of money laundering, particularly if conducted with a government's complicity. It would be wrong to characterize a nation has harboring money laundering activities simply because they offer lower taxes than European nations or the U.S. Lower taxes are designed to foster economic growth and some nation's believe that economic growth is an important policy objective. They should not be punished for making that decision. We should use our resources effectively. This means targeting and punishing the jurisdictions that harbor and protect terrorists and other criminals.