Dave Weldon

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to come before the House today and pledge support to H. Con. Res. 15, a concurrent resolution expressing sympathy for those suffering due to the devastating earthquake in India. As a member of the India Caucus I want to commend Representatives McDermott and Royce who introduced this resolution and so quickly brought it to the House floor. On January 26, an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter Scale occurred in western India. The epicenter of the earthquake was located 12 miles northeast of Bhuj in Gujarat State, India. Since January 26, there have been 77 confirmed aftershocks, 19 of which registered above 5.0 on the Richter Scale. On January 28, two aftershocks caused additional structural damage. Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh were also impacted. The earthquake was the most powerful to strike India since August 15, 1950, when an 8.5-magnitude earthquake killed 1,538 people in northeastern Assam state. This enormous tragedy has left tens of thousands of people dead, hundreds of thousands homeless, and the region's infrastructure devastated. The state of Gujarat and the entire nation of India face an enormous task of rebuilding. Friday's quake flattened two cities in India's western Gujarat state, and government officials said thousands are injured or still missing. In addition to the relief assistance already being provided by the Government of India, I am here today to support United States efforts as well. On January 27, the United States Agency for International Development/Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) announced that it is prepared to provide $5 million in emergency humanitarian assistance. Mr. Speaker, the United States has a long history of support for other nations in their time of need. And I join other Members of the Congress in supporting these efforts for India. I am pleased to be working with members of the Indian community in my congressional district to expedite assistance to those in need. My prayers are with those affected by the earthquake and those in my district and other Americans who have family and friends in India.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the bill before us would add an additional $35 billion to Medicare's budget over the next five years. As you may recall, the principle reason I voted against the 1997 Balanced Budget Agreement (BBA) was my concern that the budget restraints on the Medicare budget included in that bill were unsustainable. That has proven to be the case and that is why we are moving forward with legislation to add money to the Medicare budget. I have cosponsored legislation that would add billions of dollars to Medicare, and I was pleased to vote for this legislation when it was before the House a few months ago. I am glad that this bill will also increase spending on Medicare+Choice HMOs. I have heard from many of my constituents who are enrolled in these plans and who have become increasingly concerned about the availability of these plans in their communities. This funding will help ensure that these plans remain available to seniors. Given the opportunity to vote separately on this additional Medicare funding, I would again vote in favor of it. While I am very supportive of this additional funding for Medicare and have recently voted in favor of this added funding, I am disappointed that Congressional leaders and President Clinton have chosen to lump this provision into a single catchall omnibus bill with hundreds of billions of dollars in spending and a various unrelated legislative provisions. This omnibus bill was just finalized earlier this morning and no one member of Congress is quite sure what is in the bill. We do know of several things that are in the bill. Some of these are troubling. I understand that the omnibus bill would provide a 26 percent increase in funding for programs funded under the Labor, Health and Human Services (Labor/HHS) Appropriations bill, increasing funding from $85 billion in fiscal year 2000 to over $111 billion in 2001. This will result in additional spending of at least $180 billion over the next ten years for these programs. I also understand that this bill may have several hundred million dollars in last minute pork barrel spending. I am concerned that spending this money here will make it more difficult to find the money needed to pay for Medicare prescription drugs plans, a tax deduction for health insurance and long-term care insurance, and other important initiatives. Also, dropped from the bill is a provision that was adopted by the Senate and supported by the House on a 250-170 vote. This provision would have prohibited taxpayer funding from being used to provide the morning after abortion pill to school age children at school based health clinics. Without this provision, federally funded school clinics will be able to distribute morning after abortion pills to 12 and 15 year old children without their parents permission. This undermines the rights of parents and should not be allowed to continue. It will also foster promiscuity among teenagers and contribute to the rapid progression of sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers. It was wrong to drop this provision due to President Clinton's objections. This bill also creates a new federal school construction program but does so in a way that will force school construction in Florida to increase between 15 and 30 percent. President Clinton insisted that Florida school construction projects funded under this program be subject to the more expensive Davis-Bacon, prevailing union wage requirements. This means that the taxpayers will get 15 to 30 percent fewer classrooms for the same amount of money. I believe that if the federal government is going to return tax dollars to Florida, the people of Florida should determine what rules will apply to school construction. I could not in good conscience agree to the creation of a new federal government program under these conditions. I am also very troubled that the bill before us would cut national defense spending by $500 million from what was recently enacted into law. Defense spending is being cut to fund Labor/HHS programs at a time when our military leaders tell us they do not have enough money to meet their demands and provide adequate training to our men and women in uniform. I am sure that over the next few weeks we will discover additional objectionable provisions in this bill. It is for the reasons listed above that I rise in opposition to this bill.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, Colonel Friers' 28 years of service to our Nation culminate with his present assignment as Commander of the Department of Defense Manned Space Flight Support Office. Prior to entering the service, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University, New York. He later received a Master of Science degree in Management from Central Missouri State University. During the course of his Air Force career, Colonel Friers rose to the level of command pilot accumulating more than 4,000 hours of flying time in five fixed and rotary-winged aircraft. Colonel Friers served in a multitude of locations around the world from Vietnam to the Persian Gulf. He served at many levels: DOD Staff, Air Force Headquarters, and Major Command. Colonel Friers was awarded command a remarkable five times. He commanded a detachment, a squadron, a group, a DOD staff agency, and the Air Force's elite Combat Rescue School. He also served as flight examiner, aide to commander, director of command protocol, and chief of rescue division at the major command level. The decorations from his 28 years of service include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters, the Aerial Achievement Medal, and the Joint Service Commendation Medal. Colonel Friers commanded troops during our Nation's triumph in the Persian Gulf. He also commanded during the Khobar Tower bombing, when his 1st Rescue Group lost 5 brave airmen. During good times and bad, Colonel Friers has led with courage and distinction. Like our great national symbol, the eagles of a colonel are well suited to represent the character of this great leader.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, Colonel Friers' twenty-eight years of service to our nation culminate with his assignment as Commander of the Department of Defense Manned Space Flight Support Office. Prior to entering the service, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Clarkson University, New York. He later received a Master of Science degree in Management from Central Missouri State University. During the course of his Air Force Career, Colonel Friers rose to the level of command pilot accumulating more than 4000 hours of flying time in five fixed and rotary-winged aircraft. Colonel Friers served in a multitude of locations around the world from Vietnam to the Persian Gulf. He served at many levels: DOD Staff, Air Force Headquarters, and Major Command. Colonel Friers was awarded command a remarkable five times. He commanded a detachment, a squadron, a group, a DOD staff agency, and the Air Force's elite Combat Rescue School. He also served as flight examiner, aide to commander, director of command protocol, and chief of rescue division at the major command level. The decorations from his 28 years of service include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters, the Aerial Achievement Medal, and the Joint Service Commendation Medal. Colonel Friers commanded troops during our nations' triumph in the Persian Gulf. He also commanded during the Khobar Tower bombing, when his 1st Rescue Group lost 19 brave airman. During good times and bad, Colonel Firers has led with courage and distinction. Like our great national symbol, the eagles of a colonel are well suited to represent the character of this greater leader.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, today we have the opportunity to honor a man who made us proud again to be Americans. H.R. 5309 designates the Post Office at 230 Minton Road in West Melbourne as the Ronald W. Reagan Post Office Building. This post office is in Florida's 15th Congressional District, and I am pleased that every Member of the Florida delegation has signed on as a cosponsor of this bill. Former President Ronald Reagan is a true American hero and naming the U.S. post office after him is a fitting way to honor him. Ronald Reagan was born on February 6, 1911, in Tampico, Illinois. He was a man with many ambitions, growing up a Midwestern boy in hard economic times. He worked his way through Eureka College. He started his career as a radio announcer and, in 1937, went to Hollywood, where he appeared in more than 50 movies. He became president of the Screen Actors Guild and was involved in fighting Communist influences in Hollywood. In 1966, he was elected the Governor of the State of California by a margin of more than 1 million votes and was reelected again in 1970. In 1980, Ronald Reagan was elected to serve as the 40th President of the United States. Ronald Reagan set our Nation on a path to prosperity. He was a strong moral leader and made Americans proud. The economic policies he pursued in the 1980s set a firm foundation for the economic prosperity that we are experiencing today. President Ronald Reagan reinvigorated the American people through smaller government, putting a lid on inflation, and strengthening our national defenses. President Reagan's persistence in achieving peace through strength carried our Nation to its longest recorded period of peacetime prosperity. President Reagan negotiated a treaty with the Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, to eliminate medium-range nuclear missiles. Mr. Reagan went to Berlin and challenged Mr. Gorbachev to ``Tear down this wall.'' His 8 years of persistence paid off, and the Iron Curtain fell shortly after he left office. President Reagan certainly followed through with his 1980 campaign pledge to ``Restore the great, confident roar of American progress and growth and optimism.'' I am happy that we are considering this legislation today, and I encourage all my colleagues to support this effort to name this post office in my congressional district after Ronald Reagan.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to salute Petty Officer Third Class Ronald Scott Owens, one of the 17 crewmen who gave his life last week in the defense of our Nation. Petty officer Owens' life was lost when terrorists attacked the U.S.S. Cole. On August 8 of this year Petty Officer Owens left for a 6-month tour of duty aboard the U.S.S. Cole, serving on board as an electronics warfare technician. We as a Nation honor the life of this young Vero Beach resident and all those who were lost. Scott was born on October 31, 1975, and died serving and defending his fellow countrymen on October 11. This tragic event makes this the worst terrorist attack on the American military since the terrorist attack on a U.S. Air Force housing complex near Dhahran, Saudi Arabia in 1996. That event killed 19 troops, including several airmen from Florida. Scott is remembered by his crew mates as an inspiration and one that was always there to help support his fellow crewmen. He was known as a happy-go-lucky guy who knew how to make everyone feel special. He is also remembered for his volunteer work with the fire and rescue squad. He served his community both in uniform and out of uniform. I cannot begin to state how profoundly saddened I was to learn of Scott's untimely death. My prayers and condolences go out to his wife, Jaime, his 4-year-old daughter, Isabella, his entire family and the community of Vero Beach that is dealing with the shock of this tragic news.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am confused by the gentleman's question.

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, in the summer of 1996, a 7-year-old girl was brutally raped by a 57-year-old deranged man. The little girl and her 5-year-old brother had been lured to a secluded abandoned building. The man raped and sodomized this little girl. After the man's arrest, the accused refused to be tested for HIV. His refusal to take the test was permitted and protected under the State law. The man later admitted to police that he was infected with HIV. The bill before us would ensure that families like this one, and numerous others, are not forced to endure torture beyond the assault that has already been inflicted upon their child. I urge my colleagues to vote for passage of H.R. 3088, the Victims of Rape Health Protection Act. This bill will save the lives of victims of sexual assault. This bill ensures that the victims of sexual assault or their parents know as quickly as possible the HIV status of the perpetrator of the crime. Sexual assault, sadly, occurs too often in our society. These victims suffer unimaginable cruelties and physical and emotional scars that usually last a lifetime. Furthermore, with the increased incidence of HIV infection in the population, these victims are often forced to wait months or years to know whether or not they were exposed to the HIV virus. This bill puts an end to further torture of the victims and their families. This bill ensures that the victims of sexual assault can require that the accused be tested as soon as an indictment or an information is filed against the person. No longer will a victim have to wait months or years for such a test of the accused. No longer will the perpetrators of these crimes be allowed to bargain for lighter sentences in exchange for undergoing HIV testing. This bill puts the rights of victims ahead of that of the sexual predators. Why is it critical that the victim know as soon as possible if they were exposed? The new England Journal of Medicine published a study in April of 1997 finding that treatment with HIV drugs can prevent HIV infection, provided that the treatment is started within hours. The study reviews the treatment of health care workers with occupational exposure. That study found a 79 percent drop, almost 80 percent, drop in HIV infection with those individuals who are exposed to HIV and were started on treatment within hours of the initial exposure. Furthermore, the study goes on to report the rate of transmission from needlestick injuries is similar to that of sexual exposure. Clearly, getting information to the victims of sexual assault as quickly as possible is critical in saving the lives of those if they have been exposed. Some might suggest that all victims of sexual assault be given anti- HIV drugs as a precautionary measure. As a medical doctor myself who has administered these drugs many times in the past, I know firsthand that there can be serious side effects. Additionally, I will point out that a 4-week cost of these drugs can run anywhere from $500 to $800, an exposure that no person would want to needlessly be exposed to. As a physician, I am particularly interested in seeing that we take steps that can ensure that the victims of sexual assault are given every available opportunity to protect themselves against HIV, a sentence of death, that could and has resulted from sexual assaults. Many States already have this provision in law. H.R. 3088 builds on that. Let us approve this bill and place the rights of victims of crimes above those of the perpetrators of crime. Let us ensure the greatest protection possible for the victims of sexual assault.

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Of course, I have the utmost respect for my colleague, the gentleman from Virginia, and his experience on this issue in the Virginia legislature. I will point out that it did occur prior to the development of a stronger body of knowledge on how to prevent HIV infection. The article that I cited that this legislation is based on was published in 1997 prior to the Virginia statute being implemented, and the authors of this article appropriately point out that for HIV prophylaxis to occur, it needs to be initiated within 72 hours. I also would point out that many States currently already comply with the provisions in this law, including my home State of Florida, and there have not been problems with release of information to the public. I would also like to point out that any inappropriate distribution of information on HIV testing that was to be given by any legal professionals, then those people would be subject to the standard disciplinary actions that currently are in place. Therefore, I feel that this is clearly a case of balancing the greater good. I believe the greater good is to protect the right of victims in this case because of the potential to save life. I urge all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this legislation.

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

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Will the gentleman continue to yield?

Mr. WELDON of Florida. If the gentleman would continue to yield, I realize that all those things occurring within 72 hours can occur, but it is unusual, and that very often it takes longer. But I am also aware that we can place a patient on antiretroviral therapy while that process is working through, and that if we do run into problems with side effects from the drugs or if there are some serious concerns regarding the costs of the drugs, that, if at a later time, we are able to get an HIV test that comes back negative, we can discontinue the drugs. Whereas under current State law in some States, we wait months or years sometimes before you learn the HIV status. Mr. Speaker, what I find even more egregious is some of these perpetrators engage in plea bargaining, trying to reduce a rape charge to an assault charge in exchange for an HIV test, which I think is reprehensible and should not be permissible by any State law, and that is why I decided to move forward with this legislation.

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

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I believe that there is a component of this that is necessary to put people's minds at ease in these cases. While it may be a scientific fact that HIV transmission is unlikely to occur from certain other types of exchange of bodily fluids and that the risk is quite low, the victims of these crimes have zero tolerance for risk. And while it may be easy for the gentleman as a lawyer or for me as a doctor to say, oh, do not worry, what that perpetrator did to you puts you at virtually no risk, that is not acceptable to them; they want to know. They want zero risk, and that is why I put that provision in the bill. Certainly, as this piece of legislation moves forward through the Senate and goes to a conference, there may be some opportunity to adjust this language to put some further provisions in there that may make the gentleman more comfortable with the legislation, but that is why I included that language in there.

Mr. WELDON of Florida. If the gentleman would continue to yield, it is my understanding that frequently in cases where the information is compelling, that it can be brought within 72 hours.

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

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for again yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I would like to respond to some of the concerns raised by my good friend, the gentleman from Virginia. First of all, regarding the issue of a probable cause hearing that the gentleman brought up, I believe that the language in my bill sufficiently addresses that issue, in that a charge has to be made, an information or an indictment. That typically involves going before a grand jury, a jury of your peers, and those processes do not bring, in most instances, trivial incidents of somebody who was hundreds of miles away at the time of the alleged crime. Typically, there has been an arrest, for example, followed by an arraignment. The reason this is so imperative, a lot of these crimes happen on Friday night, and if we have to insert in the process a probable cause hearing, we are going to get beyond a 72-hour window. And if we really look at the pathophysiology of how this virus is transmitted, the current recommendations are that if we cannot go on antiretroviral within 72 hours, then we might as well not even do it. Mr. Speaker, while certainly respecting rights is something that I am very concerned about, we are talking about life and death here, a potential death sentence to somebody who has contracted AIDS. Yes, there are case reports in the medical literature of people contracting AIDS through rape; so we know that it happens. We know that the transmission rate is very, very similar to the rate on needlestick injuries. We know if we institute antiretroviral therapy within 72 hours of a needlestick injury, we can lower the transmission rate of AIDS by almost 80 percent. It is for that reason that I feel that a probable cause hearing would lead to unnecessary and inappropriate delay. We are balancing the life of the other person against the rights of the perpetrators of these crimes. Mr. Speaker, I would like to additionally point out that several of the other bills that we have taken up today did not go before the committee. The committee frequently waives jurisdiction in a case where they feel that a piece of legislation is so inherently appropriate that it needs to move forward, and I think that is the case, the committee's acknowledgment in this particular piece of legislation.

Mr. WELDON of Florida. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, certainly I am well aware of the fact that the gentleman from Virginia points out something that is correct, the defendant does not have any right to be heard; but the defendant has a period before a jury of his peers, a grand jury; and I believe that in that situation, a probable cause hearing would make unnecessary delay.

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as the gentleman knows, being very familiar with the law, and, of course, I bring to this debate my experience as a physician having taken care of a lot of AIDS patients, most reputable prosecutors will look at exonerating information before they would bring an indictment before a grand jury; and those pieces of information are not totally excluded. My concern with the gentleman's issue, the probable cause issue is that it would lead to sufficient level of delay that people would not be treated within the 72-hour window; and then, therefore, people would unnecessarily contract AIDS, and that the better good is to allow this provision to go forward; and that the rights of the accused would be sufficiently protected through the indictment process.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Packard) for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I, too, compliment him on his work. I particularly rise to thank him for including the ongoing funding for the Brevard County Beach project. The historical record supports that, prior to the creation of Port Canaveral by the Army Corps of Engineers, the beaches in Brevard County were growing. The creation of that port was in order to stimulate commerce but as well to support the Navy's ballistic missile program, clearly a program that benefited us in our ability to win the Cold War that accrued to the benefit of every American. The disruption of the natural flow of sand from north to south by the creation of that port has contributed to a heavy degree of erosion. The Federal Government is recognizing that. I compliment the gentleman from California (Mr. Packard) and all the conferees for their support of ongoing funding for this project and the need to badly redress the critical problem of beach erosion there.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill. I am particularly pleased with the provisions authorizing the Healthy Start Project and pursuing an aggressive effort to address the epidemic of autism in America today. I was pleased to play a role in moving both of these initiatives forward. The Healthy Start project will reduce the rate of infant mortality and improve prenatal care by providing grants to areas with high rates of infant mortality and low birth weight infants. Healthy Start authorizes new grants to provide research and services like mobile health clinics which will provide poor women and their developing child access to ultrasound screenings. This will undoubtedly enhance access to prenatal care, ultrasound services, and prenatal surgery. I have become increasingly concerned about the rapid increase in the incidence of autism among our children. I have spent a considerable amount of time over the past year on this very issue. I believe this bill will be a great help in addressing this issue. This bill ensures that the Director of National Institutes of Health [NIH] expands of NIH's autism research initiatives. The centers of excellence in autism research that are established under this program will lead to significant advances in basic and clinical research into the cause, diagnosis, early detection, prevention, control, and treatment of autism.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Corrective Amendments of 2000 (NVICPCA). Over the past year, the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) has been subject to several congressional hearings. I have met on several occasions with parents, doctors, and attorneys who have been involved in the current program seeking compensation for injuries that resulted from vaccines. Vaccine injuries are, thankfully, very rare. However, some children have adverse reactions to vaccines. In a small number of cases these are very debilitating reactions. I am a strong proponent of vaccinations. It is important that children be vaccinated against otherwise devastating diseases. Widespread vaccination has and will continue to spare our nation from the scourge of disease. Our nation benefits from widespread vaccination. Those of us who are healthy are the beneficiaries of national vaccination efforts. As such, I believe very strongly that we as a nation have an obligation to meet the needs of those children who suffer adverse reactions. I also believe that our federal public health officials should do more to ensure that we are doing all that we can to reduce the number of children who do have adverse reactions. I will continue to aggressively pursue this effort with the leaders of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). I was pleased when the Congress and President Reagan established the VICP back in the 1980s. This program was established to ensure that our nation continues to have a strong vaccination program while compensating those families where a child suffers a serious adverse reaction. When this program was approved, there was a real concern that due to lawsuits brought against vaccine manufacturers, some manufacturers would stop making their vaccines available leaving the American public without important vaccines. The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program Corrective Amendments of 2000 would make a number of substantive and administrative changes to the VICP, in an attempt to restore this program to the user friendly, non- adversarial, remedial, compensation program that it should be and was intended to be. The bill amends the VICP provisions in the Public Health Service Act (PHS Act). The bill clarifies that this program is to be a remedial, compensation program, which is consistent with the original intent expressed by Congress in the House Report accompanying the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986. The program has become too litigious and adversarial in the eyes of many. The bill also makes changes to the provisions relating to the burden of proof. Currently, the burden of proof is so high on the claimants that some children may not be receiving compensation that is due them. The intent of this program is to provide compensation for all claimants whose injuries may very well have been caused by the vaccine. Strict scientific proof is not always available. Serious side effects of vaccines are rare, and it is often difficult to prove causal relationships with the certainty that science and medicine often expect. Indeed there may be multiple factors that lead to an adverse reaction in some children and the program should recognize this. My bill will ensure that this is taken into account. This bill will also make it easier to ensure that the costs associated with setting up a trust for the compensation award are permitted. This is important to ensure that these funds are available to provide a lifetime of care for this child. The bill also stops the practice of discounting to ensure that the value of an award for pain and suffering is fully met. Often, the families of these children need counseling in order to help them deal with and care for a profoundly injured child and siblings. The impact of these injuries go well beyond the child who is injured. This bill will ensure that these expenses are covered. The bill also ensures the payment of interim fees and costs. Under the current program, families and attorneys are often forced to bear these expenses for years while the claim is heard. Attorneys for the claimants are going to be paid for their fees and costs at the end of a claim, regardless of whether or not they prevail. Thus there is no logical reason why they should not be allowed to petition for interim fees and costs. This provision simply ensures a more fair process for the claimants, by ensuring that the injured child can have good representation while pursuing his or her claim. The current practice may hinder the ability of claimants to put their best case forward. This should not be the case in a program that was established to ensure provision for those children who have been injured. Finally, the bill makes a number of changes to statutes of limitation. The program should serve the purpose of compensating those who were harmed. Thus, it is important to ensure that it is as inclusive as possible to ensure that injured parties are compensated.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I rise to speak in support of this very, very important legislation. As many people know, the Apollo missions departed from Cape Canaveral Kennedy Space Center, which is in my Congressional district. Indeed, for most of the people in my congressional district, they refer to the area they live in as the Space Coast. Space has been the heart of the area, the community, now going on for 4 decades; and, indeed, the area has been home on and off for the Apollo astronauts for years. I wholeheartedly support this piece of legislation and I think it is extremely fair and appropriate to do this. The Apollo astronauts put their lives on the line. Indeed, the gentleman who was running the Apollo program at the time, his name was George Mueller, felt that there was only about a 10 percent chance when the first Moon mission took off that the crew would return safely. And, of course, not only did they, we were able to go back several more times after Apollo 11 and successfully bring safely the crew back to Earth. But this mission was not without its risk and its price. According to my conversations with the astronauts involved, the hours were excruciatingly long, separation from family was huge, there was an incredible amount of stress after the initial Apollo 1 fire taking the lives of three crew members, and after all of these years to have these Moon rocks essentially sitting in a vault collecting dust and to have a scenario where we are giving specimens out to politicians, of all people. But to not give a specimen to the heroes who actually put their lives on the line and actually went to the Moon I think is wrong and that it is very fitting and appropriate for us to now at this time honor those heroes who went to the Moon and extend to them a specimen. Now, the gentleman from Indiana has inserted a whole host of safeguards in this legislation. They cannot sell it for money. NASA can retrieve the specimens if there is some tremendous scientific need for them. Actually, the scientists have analyzed these things over and over again and they are just rocks. There is no great need, and it is extremely unlikely that they would ever have to be reclaimed. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the legislation. I applaud the gentleman for coming up with this idea. He should be commended. I would encourage all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote in support of this bill.

Mr. WELDON of Florida

Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me this time, and I rise in strong support of this legislation. I am very pleased to be able to support it, but I must say that it grieves me that I live in a Nation where it is even necessary for us to promulgate such legislation. Nonetheless, I believe this legislation is badly needed. We have a situation evolving in our courts where legal doctrines are being promoted that would countenance the practice of infanticide. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Canady) I think very clearly in his opening statement cited many of those cases. I do not need to reiterate them here. Not only do we have a problem with legal doctrine, though, but we have a problem with medical practice. I as a practicing physician for years would unfortunately be asked to pronounce people dead. What we were typically asked to do is to make a determination of brain waves or a heart beat are present. These are clearly infants that meet those criteria. They are human. They are alive. There are numerous cases where they are being allowed to die. They are not being provided basic subsist steps, not even kept warm. I believe this is a tragedy that this should be evolving. Probably more concerning to me, and it should be a concern to people in the disabilities community, because if one hears all these cases, one hears that many of these children have disabilities. I think any Member, any person in this country with a disability should support this legislation.