Frank Wolf

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, the bill we bring to the floor today includes $2 billion for funding requirements under the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Science, State Justice and Commerce including State Department and FBI needs related to program expenses in Iraq. There are two major issues that I want to summarize, because there is not a lot of time. The embassy in Iraq. The embassy in Iraq, 45 people have died in attacks on the embassy in Iraq. We want security in this building; we want security in many other buildings around the city. This embassy will cost less in many respects than many of the other buildings. So there is going to be a lot to talk about. But to send our men and women in harm's way to live in a building that is unsafe or to delay the construction would be, quite frankly, wrong. On the whole issue of peacekeeping, there may very well be an amendment to strike the peacekeeping section. Members should know that in the North-South war, 2.1 million people in Sudan, many Christians, some Muslims and Animists, died in the North-South issue. Darfur is the scene of genocide today as we now speak, and every Member of this House voted to say there was genocide in Sudan, and every Member of the Senate voted the same way. To take away the peacekeeping money after the Bush administration has done such a good job of bringing North-South peace, to take that away to allow the raping and the pillaging and everything that is going on in Sudan would be morally unacceptable. Now, President Bush, working with Secretary Powell and Senator Danforth, has negotiated, after 20 years, and keep in mind, Osama bin Laden lived in Sudan from 1991 to 1996, have negotiated for 20 years, and now to strike the peacekeeping money that will send troops in that regard, and we do not want to send American troops there, troops that will stop the pillaging and put insulation into the peace agreement that has been signed, and that will put pressure, pressure, on ending the genocide that is taking place in Darfur. I would beg this Congress after the good work of this administration and Members on both sides, and almost everybody signed Dear Colleague letters urging the administration to do more on Sudan, they are now doing it. Keep in mind there was slavery in Sudan up until 2 years ago. Without peacekeepers in Sudan, the North-South agreement will break down, 2.1 million Christians will have died in vain, and many Muslims and many Animists, and Darfur will not come to an end. So I beg this institution, when this amendment comes up to strike peacekeeping for this area, do not support it, because if you support it and it carries, the genocide, I can guarantee you, will continue in Darfur and the North-South peace agreement will break down and the war will begin. And keep in mind, Hamas has training camps in Khartoum and so does Hezbollah. The bill we bring to the Floor today includes just over $2 billion for funding requirements under the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Science, State, Justice and Commerce, including State Department and FBI needs related to program expenses in Iraq. For the State Department, we have included $1.92 billion, a reduction of $285 million from the President's request. The bill includes the necessary funds to maintain our diplomatic presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to let our personnel carry out this duties in the safest and most secure manner possible. If we are going to conduct diplomacy anywhere, it had better be done, and done right, in Iraq and Afghanistan. These are front lines of our foreign policy, and we neglect them at our peril. This bill pays the costs necessary for operations, logistics, and security in those dangerous, but critically important parts of the world. This bill also includes $592 million to allow State to move out quickly to build a secure compound in Baghdad. The current facilities are not secure. We need to move people out of harm's way as soon as possible. State has secured a 100 acre site, and is ready to begin construction immediately upon receiving the funds in this bill. Since the bombings in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam, State has delivered many of these secure compounds on time and on budget. With this funding they will complete a secure living and working compound within 24 months of enactment. The bill also provides $580 million, $200 million below the President's request, to pay for the U.S. share of ongoing peacekeeping missions and a new mission for Sudan, where the U.S. has been a driving force for a peace agreement. We have also included requested funding for the FBI counterterrorism efforts, and for DEA counternarcotics efforts in Afghanistan. Finally, the bill includes requested costs of $14.5 million to jump- start the improvement of United States tsunami warning capabilities. The Committee has scrubbed the President's request and reduced where we thought it made sense to do so. The result before you provides funding for important security measures for our diplomatic personnel, and provides for our ongoing commitments in Iraq and elsewhere. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, Members should ask themselves how would they like if their children, their son, their daughter, or their husband or their wife was in this embassy here. Now we have talked a lot, and this committee has done a lot on body armor and Humvee armor. Forty-five people have been killed in the embassy in Iraq. From Irvine, California, Keith Taylor, rocket attack; Tracy Hushin, Long Island, New York, suicide bomber; Leslie Davis from Magnolia, Texas, suicide bomber; Rosharon, Texas, suicide bomber; Astoria, Oregon, suicide bomber; Chickasaw, Alabama, suicide bomber; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, near Fallujah attack; Cleveland, Ohio; Copperas Cove, Texas; North Branch, Minnesota; South Windham, Connecticut. This embassy was not built to be an embassy. This was Saddam Hussein's palace. It is a symbol of torture. It is not to be the symbol of the United States Government. We need to act quickly. We need to act quickly. If this amendment, if the Upton amendment passes, there will be a 6-month period whereby they will not have the protection. I will put this listing out so Members can review them. Fire in a wooded area, electrical fire in Saddam Hussein's palace, again the structure was not built for it. Fire in Saddam's palace, August, 2004. I will not mention the woman's name, blood on the wall of a rocket attack whereby this young woman was killed. And here is a picture of two Americans killed the day before the Iraqi election. We have had 1,500 military people die in the war in Iraq. It is help bringing about freedom. It is making a difference in the Palestinian area. It is making a difference in Egypt. It is making a difference in Lebanon. It is inappropriate for us not to fund a safe workplace for American citizens who are going to work in harm's way. Lastly, people say this is an expensive embassy. This is an embassy, but it is a village. There is a power plant. There are housing facilities. The Beijing embassy cost $434 million. There is no threat to American citizens in Beijing. There are no terrorist attacks. In Lebanon, 1983, 241 Marines were killed in a barracks with no setback. That same year in the American embassy in Lebanon, a number of Americans killed. There was the American bombing of the embassies in Tanzania and Kenya 1989. We have a moral obligation to the people that we are sending in this region to live in a situation and work where they will be protected. I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. As the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham) said as I was walking down to the well, how would Members like it if your children, your son or daughter or husband or wife had to work in this facility. I urge a no vote on the amendment.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly). The gentlewoman is right, Charles Taylor has been responsible for having dealings with al Qaeda and conflict diamonds. Charles Taylor was the one responsible for cutting off arms and legs of young people in Sierra Leone and in Liberia. I think the gentlewoman is right, Nigeria should return Charles Taylor so he can have a fair trial. I think the administration has a moral obligation to ask the Nigerians and get him back to go before the court.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, today is the 46th anniversary of the Tibetans who died opposing the Chinese occupation, and all Tibetans who suffered due to their religious, political or cultural beliefs or activities. In 1949 communist China invaded Tibet. The Tibetan people rose up to revolt against Communist rule. In 1959 thousands of Tibetan refugees surrounded the compound of His Holiness the Dalai Lama out of fear he would be killed. In order to try to save his people the Dalai Lama fled to India. His people stayed and were attacked by the Chinese. Thousands of unarmed civilians were killed. During the 1959 uprising an estimated 87,000 Tibetans were killed, arrested, or deported to labor camps. The harsh brutality still exists in Tibet today. The People's Republic of China does not tolerate Tibetan freedom in any form. Each year thousands of innocent people are imprisoned or put to death under a system plagued with corruption and secrecy. Many Buddhist monks and nuns are in detention for peacefully exercising their right to free expression, association and religion. I have visited Tibet and I was shocked and saddened by the repression of the Tibetan people. They live in fear that they will be killed, will disappear or will be tortured for expressing their political and religious beliefs. The Chinese government routinely refuses to allow independent international human rights monitors, including the United Nations, to conduct an investigation into the human rights situation in Tibet. As co-chair of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, I had the honor of meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2003. He is a man of great wisdom and vision who has the sole purpose for his people and his country to live free from oppression. He has worked for more than 40 years to promote self-determination for the Tibetan people. The United States stands with him and supports a negotiated settlement through dialogue. Mr. Speaker, this day is to remind the world that the Tibetan people have been denied freedom for more than half a century. The clock is ticking for Tibet. I know one day we will be able to celebrate the anniversary of Tibetan Freedom Day.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to honor the 44th anniversary of the Peace Corps, as we concluded the celebration of National Peace Corps Week on Sunday. The Peace Corps has made great contributions over the past 44 years with 178,000 volunteers that have served in 138 countries. I would like to thank all those who have served and recognize their service and contributions they have given to the world. I would also like to honor those colleagues who have served in the Peace Corps. Among them are former Ohio Congressman Tony Hall, who is now U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture agencies in Rome and who served in the Peace Corps in Thailand from 1966-67. Senator Christopher Dodd from Connecticut also served as a Peace Corps volunteer from 1966-68 in the Dominican Republic. I hope all Americans will join me in recognizing the valuable service of those who have served in the Peace Corps and their hard work in helping to portray a positive image of the United States throughout the world.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues today in this special order tribute to the life and achievements of our former colleague, Congresswoman Tillie Fowler, who passed away suddenly last week. I had the privilege of serving with Tillie. She was a good person--a woman of honesty and integrity--and a remarkable public servant. She had a distinguished eight-year tenure in the House of Representatives. When she retired in 2001 after a self-imposed four-term limit, she was the highest-ranking woman in the House leadership, serving as the vice chairman of the Republican Conference. She also served for six years as a deputy majority whip. Representing the area around Jacksonville, Florida, Tillie quickly made a mark in the House after her election in 1992. She obtained a seat on the House Armed Services Committee, the only Republican woman on the committee at that time, enabling her to represent well the military and naval installations in her northern Florida district. She also served on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and chaired the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations and Emergency Management, from which she led an investigation of the nation's preparedness for a domestic terrorist attack. Eighteen months before 9/ 11, she authored legislation that would have centralized federal anti- terrorism efforts. After the 2001 terrorists attacks, many of the reforms she proposed were enacted in the creation of Department of Homeland Security. She gained a reputation as a knowledgeable and articulate advocate for a strong U.S. military and when she retired from Congress, she received the highest civilian awards given by the U.S. Navy and the Department of Defense--the Navy's Distinguished Public Service Award and the Defense Department's Medal for Distinguished Public Service. An attorney by profession, Tillie became a Washington-based partner in the Holland & Knight law firm after leaving Congress, but also continued her public service work. She served on the Defense Policy Advisory Committee, later chairing the panel--the first woman to head the board in its 20-year history--which advises the secretary of Defense on strategic planning matters. She also led a panel created by Congress in 2003 to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct at the U.S. Air Force Academy, and was a member of a blue-ribbon panel which advised the Defense secretary last year on issues related to the allegations of prisoner abuse by U.S. military personnel at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Tillie Fowler was a wonderful person, the beloved wife of Buck Fowler of Jacksonville and devoted mother of two daughters, Tillie Fowler of Washington, D.C., and Elizabeth Fowler of San Francisco. We mourn her sudden passing and offer our deepest sympathies to the Fowler family and the many, many friends and colleagues in both the public and private sectors whose lives were touched and enriched by Tillie Fowler.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, underage drinking is a serious national health and safety matter. In the United States, alcohol is the primary substance abused by young people. It is a major contributor to the three leading causes of death among this population--unintentional injuries; homicide; and suicide. Young people who start drinking at the age of 15 are four times more likely to become alcoholics than those who start drinking at 21 and are more likely to try marijuana and cocaine. Many parents don't realize the enormity of this problem and often underestimate the prevalence of alcohol use by teens. More young people consume alcoholic beverages than use tobacco or illegal drugs. Sadly, by high school graduation, most students have used alcohol. It's tough for children to withstand the regular exposure to the alcohol industry's advertisements encouraging them to purchase and use alcohol. The industry's aggressive marketing of its products has led to children seeing regular--often daily--images promoting drinking. I am pleased to be joining in a bipartisan effort in both houses of Congress to introduce The STOP Underage Drinking Act. This important legislation will help establish federal coordination and reporting of underage drinking information and coordinate the efforts and expertise. It also mandates annual report to Congress on efforts to combat underage drinking and an annual ``report card'' to track State efforts. The legislation also authorizes a national media campaign to fight underage drinking and would provide additional resources to prevent underage drinking through the Drug Free Communities program. It would create a new program to providing competitive grants to states, non- profit entities, and institutions of higher education to create state- wide coalitions to prevent underage drinking and alcohol abuse by college and university students. Finally, it would expand research and data compilation on the prevalence of underage drinking, specifically: reporting on the types and brands of alcohol that kids consume and the impact of underage drinking upon adolescent brain development. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be a part of this effort to draw attention to this important national problem that is confronting our young people. I look forward to continuing this work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and on both sides of the Capitol to see that this important legislation is enacted.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, in celebration of Black History Month, I would like to honor Frederick Douglass, a great advocate of human rights. The Caring Institute along with the National Park Service is celebrating the 187th birthday of Frederick Douglass with an event called ``Honoring Frederick Douglass: A Celebration of Black History.'' The celebration was held at Ford's Theatre on February 14. Frederick Douglass was born into slavery, and after eventually buying his freedom he went on to become a popular orator, author and publisher. He fought against discrimination of all types throughout his lifetime. Mr. Douglass played a great role in bringing about the abolition of slavery in America. He worked for women's rights as well, stating, ``I would give women the vote, precisely as I insisted upon giving the colored man the right to vote. Right is of no sex--truth is of no color--God is the Father of us all and we are all brethren.'' Toward the end of his life, Mr. Douglass served as a recorder of deeds and marshall for the District of Columbia and also as an ambassador to Haiti. I encourage my colleagues to remember this great man during this month honoring those who have played such an important part in our Nation's history.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, the killing continues in Darfur and the United Nations has become paralyzed and unable to stop it. I am submitting for the Record a copy of a letter sent this week to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan signed by 33 members of the House of Representatives asking him to return to Darfur and to report back to the Security Council on the conditions there. The Security Council must take immediate, effective measures to stop the bloodshed. If the Security Council fails to act, Kofi Annan should resign out of protest. The time is now for bold action. The people of Darfur can wait no longer. Congress of the United States, Washington, DC, February 7, 2005. Hon. Kofi Annan, Secretary General, United Nations, New York, NY. Dear Mr. Secretary General: As you are aware, the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army recently signed the much anticipated peace agreement which ended the cruel war that lasted over 20 years and claimed the lives of over two million people. We commend you for your efforts in support of this peace agreement. However, it is vital that as the world looks toward the future of Sudan, it does not forget the tragedy which is unfolding in Darfur. Villages are still systematically burned, women continue to be raped, men are still being murdered and children continue to die from hunger and disease. The situation in Darfur continues to deteriorate with recent attacks. We are very much concerned that if the security situation does not improve, the remaining NGOs will be forced to scale down or pull out, leaving the people of Darfur helpless. The recently released Commission on Inquiry serves as a necessary tool in holding accountable those who have committed horrible atrocities in Darfur. But it is also essential that firm action immediately be undertaken by the United Nations to improve the situation on the ground and save lives. We urge you to return to Darfur to confirm with your own eyes that the situation has not improved. We cannot continue to status quo. A strong, meaningful resolution should be put forward and the Security Council should act immediately. Only in this manner the situation in Darfur can be changed. We are certain that this will have an immediate impact on Darfur. We ask that you use your power and prestige to make a passionate plea to the Security Council to deal effectively on Darfur. If the Security Council fails to take meaningful action, we ask you to resign in protest. Your resignation would be an act of moral leadership which the world would greatly admire. Great men in history have given up their posts to force change. William Wilberforce's commitment to justice and the abolition of slavery in Great Britain superseded his pursuit of political advancement and many believe his outspoken fight against slavery cost him the opportunity to be Prime Minister of England. We can and will not allow the world to remain a bystander while this horrific tragedy unfolds. The situation in Darfur is being described as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today. Immediate action has to be taken. We are confident that anything that you can do to put an end to this situation will be admired greatly. The powerful movie Hotel Rwanda was recently released. It highlights how the world failed the people of Rwanda. The lead actor, Don Cheadle, is nominated for an Oscar and the movie is nominated as best original screen play. People will be moved by this movie and people will remember our pledge of ``never again.'' Sincerely, Frank R. Wolf, Roscoe Bartlett, Dan Burton, Wm. Lacy Clay, Elijah E. Cummings, Robert Aderholt, Mary Bono, Lois Capps, Tom Davis, Trent Franks, Michael M. Honda, Peter T. King, Michael R. McNulty, James P. Moran, Joseph R. Pitts, J. Randy Forbes, Mark R. Kennedy, James McGovern, Michael H. Michaud, John W. Olver, Rick Renzi, Lucille Roybal-Allard, John J.H. Schwarz, Christopher Shays, Rob Simmons, Mark E. Souder, James T. Walsh, Tom Osborne, James F. Sensenbrenner, Jr., John Shimkus, Christopher H. Smith, Edolphus Towns and Zach Wamp, Members of Congress.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Mr. Walter L. Mess, on the occasion of his retirement after 46 years of service with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority. Walter is a good man who has made invaluable contributions to our area through his dedicated public service. I am proud to call attention today to Walter's achievements. He spent 30 years as chairman of the park authority and under his leadership the park authority has become a thriving organization. I would like to share an article from a recent edition of the Washington Post which highlights Walter's many accomplishments and contributions. [From the Washington Post, February 3, 2005] Area Parks Pioneer Earns a Rest (By Leef Smith) He was the longest-serving public official in Northern Virginia, overseeing the area's regional park authority as chairman for 30 years. In December, Walter L. Mess stepped down from that post at the age of 90--his hearing, not his age, the deciding factor--having devoted more than 46 years of his life to preserving land in the area. Under his leadership, the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority preserved more than 10,000 acres while operating 19 regional parks in the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax and Falls Church, as well as in Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties. Today, the authority's assets are valued at more than $1 billion. ``His contributions have been immense,'' said Barry Buschow, a member of the park authority board since 1990, who represented Falls Church along with Mess. ``He's taken a struggling organization from nowhere to a billion-dollar corporation.'' Asked this week to name his proudest achievement, Mess did not mention the development of the 45-mile Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park trail, or the acquisition of the 5,000-acre Occoquan Reservoir shoreline. Instead, he talked about his family. He told a story about one of his 10 grandchildren, Christine, now a schoolteacher with two children of her own. Just a teenager at the time, she confronted a manager at Upton Hill Regional Park in Arlington and demanded to know why a plaque honoring her grandfather was not being displayed. ``That's what I'm the proudest of,'' said Mess, who also has 10 great-grandchildren. ``That's where the pride comes from.'' Mess and his wife, Jean, met in business school in 1934. They were married for 62 years and raised four children. She died in 2002. The parks agency was a voluntary, time-consuming sideline to Mess's career as a land economist and mortgage banker. As a child he canoed, hiked, hunted and fished with his father and uncle throughout the area, in the days when it was still undeveloped. As a young man hard at work on a law degree in 1939, Mess signed on with a U.S. government covert operations unit and was sent to Europe, where he traveled behind German lines. He would receive an honorary green beret more than half a century later to honor his military intelligence service. Mess returned to the United States in 1940 and returned to school to complete his degree. He married and started a family. Two years later, he enlisted in the Quartermaster Corps and was on his way to Asia when he caught his first glimpse of the future. Stationed in San Diego for a month, he got a chance to see the area's regional system of parks, golf courses and swimming pools, available to the public at no cost. He came home in 1946 to his wife and a 4-year-old daughter he had never met. He brought with him four Bronze Star Medals, malaria, blackwater fever and the knowledge that he was lucky to be alive. It was time, he decided, to help his native Washington benefit from the kinds of land preservation and recreational opportunities he had seen in California. What the area needed, he decided, was a regional park system. Others agreed, and together they embarked on a decades-long journey to make it happen. ``When you start to do something, and you don't have any money and you have to get it from the public, you have to be very patient,'' Mess said. ``We were very patient. That was part of the game.'' It was also part of their success. It took about 10 years to persuade legislators in Richmond to grant their approval. In 1959, Mess was Falls Church's first appointee to the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority Board. Since then, the park authority has spent $120 million on land, including parcels along the Occoquan Reservoir and Potomac River and on the environmentally fragile Mason Neck. ``Our whole idea was to protect the watershed and give people access to the water,'' Mess said. ``Back in the early days, much of that land was land that developers weren't going to use.'' In 1975, Mess became the authority's second chairman. In 1999, the agency honored his 40 years of service by naming its headquarters in Fairfax Station for him. ``This whole thing I'm being given credit for I didn't do,'' Mess said. ``The people around me did.'' The authority ``gets credit for planning and starting it, but we couldn't have done it without everyone.''

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson) for doing this. It is a tremendous symbol of bipartisanship, Republicans and Democrats coming together, nothing to gain. Mr. Hall is gone. And yet the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson) does this. I want to thank him. Also it is interesting that we have Members from both sides, Republican and Democrat, who have come together to agree on the impact that Congressman Hall has had not only on this institution, but also the poor and the hungry of the world. Tony has said many times that when you give to the poor, and it is from Proverbs, you really lend to God. And no one that I know has taken their faith into the world and into the community, if you will, and had a greater impact on the lives of the poor and the hungry and the naked. His life was almost a kind of symbol of the Matthew 25 where Jesus talks about the poor, the hungry, the naked, and those in prison. Tony has taken that. He has also had an impact on the lives of a lot of Members in this body. There is a statement by Francis of Assisi that, I would rather see a sermon than hear a sermon. And by watching Tony Hall, and not listening but watching it, we have seen the sermon whereby he has taken his life, as the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) has said. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Tony and his wife, Janet, and their daughter Jill for the life here, but the life is just kind of beginning. Tony has now left this institution and is in Rome and doing as much there, and we are going to hear a lot more about Tony Hall. This is not like we get some bills whereby somebody has come to the end and is moving back to their district, they are buying a retirement home down in wherever they are. This guy is just kind of moving out. He is a young man, just beginning, and we will see a lot from Tony. Lastly, I want to personally thank Tony Hall. He asked me to go to Ethiopia in 1984 and took me to Romania in 1985, which literally changed the direction of my life in this institution. So on behalf of all the Members on both sides of the aisle, we thank Tony for the impact he has had on this institution and on our lives, and particularly for taking care of the poor and hungry around the world. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 548, to designate the Federal Building and United States courthouse at West 2nd Street in Dayton, Ohio, as the ``Tony Hall Federal Building and United States Courthouse.'' Our former colleague Tony Hall, the representative of the 3rd District of Ohio for nearly 24 years, continues to serve as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations food and agriculture agencies located in Rome, Italy, since his appointment by President Bush in 2002. As you may recall, Tony resigned his House seat to take up the ambassadorial post in Rome, where he is continuing his passionate work as a leading advocate for ending hunger and promoting food security around the world. I want to thank Congressman David Hobson of Ohio for introducing H.R. 548 to honor Tony in his hometown of Dayton by attaching his name to the Federal building and courthouse there. It is an appropriate recognition for the nearly 24 years of service in the House and the 10 years of service in the Ohio General Assembly that Tony Hall provided to the people of Dayton and surrounding areas. I miss my dear friend Tony very much as our colleague in the House, but I know that he is absolutely the right person to be serving as the United States Representative to the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Fund for Agricultural Development, all agencies of the United Nations which assist international hunger-relief efforts. Tony Hall's name is synonymous with the cause of alleviating hunger both domestically and worldwide. He believes that food is the most basic of human needs, the most basic of human rights. He passionately worked to convince others that the cause of hunger, which often gets lost in the legislative shuffle and pushed aside by more visible issues, deserved a prominent share of attention and resources to assist people who are the most at risk and too often the least defended. He also worked as a tireless advocate for the cause of human rights around the world and focused his attention on the illicit diamond trade in Sierra Leone. He convinced me to travel with him to Sierra Leone in late 1999 to see how the machete-wielding rebels there intimidated men, women and children by hacking off arms, legs, and ears. He led the effort in bringing to the attention of Congress the conflict diamond trade and authoring legislation to certify that the diamonds Americans buy are not tainted with the blood of the people of Sierra Leone and other African nations. We also traveled together in January 2002 to Afghanistan with Congressman Joe Pitts as the first congressional delegation to that country after the launch of the war on terrorism. We visited hospitals, an orphanage, schools, and refugee camps. We met with U.S. diplomats and soldiers; with local leaders and officials with direct responsibility for humanitarian problems and refugees; with representatives of the United Nations and private relief organizations; and in Pakistan with refugees and members of religious minority groups. Tony is never deterred in his effort to help make a positive difference in the lives of suffering people. In his years in Congress, he traveled to wherever the need arose and met with whomever he could to effect change, taking risks few would take, with his own comfort and safety never entering his mind. I believe Tony's life destiny is to be a servant. During 1966 and 1967, he taught English in Thailand as a Peace Corps volunteer. He returned to Dayton to work as a realtor and small businessman for several years, but before long, he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives where he served from 1969 to 1972, and then to the Ohio Senate, serving from 1973 to 1978. On November 7, 1978, Tony was elected to the House of Representatives from the 3rd District of Ohio and served with distinction for over two decades. Tony Hall is an inspiration to everyone fortunate enough to know him. He has a wonderful combination of compassion and passion filled with spiritual purpose--compassion to see the suffering in the less fortunate in the world and the passion to work to do something about it. I urge a unanimous vote in support of H.R. 548, to recognize the dedicated public service of Tony Hall by naming the Federal building and courthouse in Dayton, OH, in his honor.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 548, to designate the Federal Building and United States courthouse at West 2nd Street in Dayton, Ohio, as the ``Tony Hall Federal Building and United States Courthouse.'' Our former colleague Tony Hall, the representative of the 3rd District of Ohio for nearly 24 years, continues to serve as the United States ambassador to the United Nations food and agriculture agencies located in Rome, Italy, since his appointment by President Bush in 2002. As you may recall, Tony resigned his House seat to take up the ambassadorial post in Rome, where he is continuing his passionate work as a leading advocate for ending hunger and promoting food security around the world. I want to thank Congressman David Hobson of Ohio for introducing H.R. 548 to honor Tony in his hometown of Dayton by attaching his name to the Federal building and courthouse there. It is an appropriate recognition for the nearly 24 years of service in the House and the 10 years of service in the Ohio General Assembly that Tony Hall provided to the people of Dayton and surrounding areas. I miss my dear friend Tony very much as our colleague in the House, but I know that he is absolutely the right person to be serving as the United States representative to the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and International Fund for Agricultural Development, all agencies of the United Nations which assist international hunger-relief efforts. Tony Hall's name is synonymous with the cause of alleviating hunger both domestically and worldwide. He believes that food is the most basic of human needs, the most basic of human rights. He passionately worked to convince others that the cause of hunger, which often gets lost in the legislative shuffle and pushed aside by more visible issues, deserved a prominent share of attention and resources to assist people who are the most at risk and too often the least defended. He also worked as a tireless advocate for the cause of human rights around the world and focused his attention on the illicit diamond trade in Sierra Leone. He convinced me to travel with him to Sierra Leone in late 1999 to see how the machete-wielding rebels there intimidated men, women and children by hacking off arms, legs, and ears. He led the effort in bringing to the attention of Congress the conflict, diamond trade and authoring legislation to certify that the diamonds Americans buy are not tainted with the blood of the people of Sierra Leone and other African nations. We also traveled together in January 2002 to Afghanistan with Congressman Joe Pitts as the first congressional delegation to that country after the launch of the war on terrorism. We visited hospitals, an orphanage, schools, and refugee camps. We met with U.S. diplomats and soldiers; with local leaders and officials with direct responsibility for humanitarian problems and refugees; with representatives of United Nations and private relief organizations; and in Pakistan with refugees and members of religious minority groups. Tony is never deterred in his effort to help make a positive difference in the lives of suffering people. In his years in Congress, he traveled to wherever the need arose and met with whomever he could to effect change, taking risks few would take, with his own comfort and safety never entering his mind. I believe Tony's life destiny is to be a servant. During 1966 and 1967, he taught English in Thailand as a Peace Corps volunteer. He returned to Dayton to work as a realtor and small businessman for several years, but before long, he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives where he served from 1969 to 1972, and then to the Ohio Senate, serving from 1973 to 1978. On November 7, 1978, Tony was elected to the House of Representatives from the 3rd District of Ohio and served with distinction for over two decades. Tony Hall is an inspiration to everyone fortunate enough to know him. He has a wonderful combination of compassion and passion filled with spiritual purpose--compassion to see the suffering in the less fortunate in the world and the passion to work to do something about it. I urge a unanimous vote in support of H.R. 548, to recognize the dedicated public service of Tony Hall by naming the Federal building and courthouse in Dayton, Ohio, in his honor.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, this month we witnessed the signing of the peace agreement in Nairobi, Kenya, between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Army. The signing of this agreement has ended Africa's longest running war, a brutal civil war that spanned 21 years where 2 million people died. I congratulate the parties for reaching this agreement. I also want to commend President Bush, Secretary of State Powell and his team, Ambassador Danforth and all the outside groups for their unrelenting efforts in the support of peace. I also want to commend all the countries that played a critical role in the peace, particularly Norway and Kenya. Now all parties have to live up to the agreement and begin the task of rebuilding the lives of millions of people. This would be a good time for the administration to appoint a strong acting ambassador to immediately go to Khartoum to help implement the peace agreement. This would not be to reward Khartoum, but to keep pressure on all parties to make sure the agreement sticks and to speak out on the issue of Darfur. There is nothing like being on the scene every day, all day. So much has gone into getting this agreement. We must do everything to make sure that it lasts. It is also important as we look forward that we do not forget the tragedy still unfolding in Sudan. As I speak, women continue to be raped, children die from hunger and disease, men continue to be murdered by the government-sponsored Janjaweed, and new attacks continue to be launched against defenseless villages. Many of these people have been huddled in camps for over a year. Put yourself in their shoes for a minute. You are uprooted from your home. You live in a refugee camp where conditions are terrible. You do not know if your family members are dead or alive. You are sick, weak, watching people die all around you from hunger and disease. Now picture you have been there for over a year. The tsunami in South Asia demonstrates how quickly and effectively the world can respond to such terrible disasters. Once again, we are reminded that the world has failed the people of Darfur. I commend the quick and generous response to the tsunami, but we must not only focus on disasters as they occur, but also to respond to disasters like in Darfur that have gone on for decades. The peace agreement between the north and south opens new doors for a comprehensive peace throughout the country; and Dr. John Garang, who will now be vice president of Sudan, has an opportunity to play a positive role and should go to Darfur to help bring about peace. I have strongly supported the United States commitment to the United Nations. Since I became chairman of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, Judiciary and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations, all U.S. assessments to the U.N. have been paid in full. But over the past year, we have seen the United Nations fight an uphill battle on Darfur. Resolution after resolution has failed to have any impact. At least two Security Council members, China and Russia, have threatened to veto strong resolutions from being passed. Secretary General Kofi Annan continues to report that the situation in Darfur continues to deteriorate and the Government of Sudan has violated the previous Security Council resolutions by failing to disarm and prosecute the Janjaweed. NGOs are leaving the region. Secretary General Annan has sent a Commission on Inquiry to Darfur to investigate if genocide has occurred, and he has the report in his hands as I speak. Most people believe there is genocide. But whether or not they use that term, it still is horrible what is taking place. And no matter what you call it, the facts remain, innocent civilians are systematically being murdered, raped and displaced; and the world has failed to stop it. It is time for the United Nations and the international community to respond in a meaningful way. I ask Secretary General Annan to go to Darfur to confirm with his own eyes that the situation has not improved. Then Secretary General Annan should make bold recommendations and call on the Security Council to immediately implement them, because a strong, meaningful resolution should be put forward and could make a difference. It is now time for Secretary General Annan to use his strong moral leadership. He is a Nobel Peace Prize recipient and surely the Security Council would take his recommendations. He should use his power and prestige to plead for the people of Darfur. And if the Security Council fails to take meaningful action, Secretary General Annan should resign in protest. I am not blaming Kofi Annan for Darfur. He does not control the Security Council. But I ask him to use his leadership to demand a new course of action from them. I believe these actions could turn the attention of the world back to what is taking place in Darfur. Resigning under protest is an act of great moral leadership, and this world would respect his actions. Great men in history have given up their posts to force change. In 1973 at the height of the Watergate scandal, President Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliott Richardson to fire the special prosecutor. He refused and resigned in protest and later got the Presidential Medal of Freedom. William Wilberforce, a member of the British Parliament, he could have been Prime Minister, but spoke out to abolish the slave trade, and gave up being Prime Minister of England. Anything Kofi Annan can do to get the world to focus on Darfur would be greatly admired. Mr. Speaker, if in the year 2005 the Security Council cannot deal with genocide, the raping of women and the systematic burning of villages now occurring, then I believe it is fair to ask, what purpose is the United Nations serving in the 21st century? Mr. Speaker, I close by adding that just yesterday the New York Times reported that villages continue to burn and that civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence in Darfur. Just last week fresh attacks killed over 100 people and drove thousands more from their homes. Where is the international community? Something needs to be done now. This past weekend I watched the movie ``Hotel Rwanda.'' I urge you all to go see it. It is a movie about how the world stood by as almost a million people were slaughtered in Rwanda. The lead actor, Don Cheadle is nominated for an Oscar and the movie is nominated as best original screen play. No one who sees that movie can leave not thinking about what is happening in Darfur. I end by asking the question . . . Who will play the leading role in Hotel Sudan?

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I want to bring to the attention of the House the recent passing of Walt Starling, who many Members who have been serving in the House for a while will remember as the first traffic reporter in the Washington metropolitan area who took to the air to report on rush hour traffic conditions. For over 20 years, twice each workday, Walt circled the Washington skies at 1,200 feet in a Cessna plane that he piloted himself to let us know where the traffic jams were and how to avoid them. I was one of the fortunate ones to ride on a tour around the region. I got the bird's eye view, including the highway network in my district located just outside the nation's capital in Virginia. I also got to know Walt and to rely on his advice on ways to improve transportation in our region. Walt and two airborne traffic reporters in Washington that he trained--Bob Marbourg and Andy Parks--saw the big traffic picture every day from their unique vantage points and gave their professional insight at a town meeting I held in the 1980's on reducing high occupancy vehicle (HOV) rules on I-66. Walt was a caring, dedicated professional who touched the lives of so many people. He also was a devoted husband and father. To his family, we send our deepest condolences and also our thanks for their sharing of Walt with us all. Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record two articles from the Washington Post of January 5, and January 13, about the life of Walt Starling. On-Air Traffic Reporter Walt Starling Dies (By Joe Holley) Walt Starling, a flying traffic reporter whose live radio reports of Capital Beltway jams, fender benders and bottlenecks helped Washington area commuters get to work every morning and home every night, died Jan. 4 of colon cancer at his home in Laytonsville. He was 52. Mr. Starling was one of the first traffic reporters in the area to become a radio personality. From 1974 until 1995, he folded his 6-foot-4 frame into the cramped cockpit of a Cessna 172 and circled the Beltway at 1,200 feet, looking for ways to keep traffic flowing and commuter frustrations to a minimum, tasks that grew increasingly difficult as the population boomed and traffic increased. He reported traffic twice a day for a succession of area stations, flying an estimated 2.2 million air miles. In recent years, he had been working for WRC-TV (Channel 4) in the District. Mr. Starling's career as an air-traffic radio reporter began as a class project at the University of Maryland in 1973. As he explained to The Washington Post in 1994, he was a senior in the radio and television program, and his assignment was to create a job for himself. He was taking flying lessons at the time and came up with the idea of using a fixed-wing plane to monitor traffic and provide regular radio reports. Fuel, maintenance and insurance would be less expensive than for a helicopter, and a plane would be safer, he maintained. The instructor, also a pilot, was not convinced. ``That's about the dumbest thing I've ever read,'' he told Mr. Starling. Undaunted, Mr. Starling dropped out of school and pitched the idea to WAVA (105.1 FM). The station agreed to give it a try, and on March 4, 1974, he began delivering 10 reports during morning drive time and 10 during the afternoon rush. In the early days of his venture, he was allowed to sell his own sponsorships, so he traded commercial spots for, among other things, eyeglasses, meals, cars and carpeting for his home. Mr. Starling was one of the few traffic reporters in the country who both flew the plane and did the reporting, dual duties that made insurance companies anxious. Circling above the snaking lines of traffic, he managed to work the controls of his plane, spot where the traffic was snarled and then deliver up-to-the-minute information in smooth one-minute reports. He had only two emergency landings during his career, but he knew the location of every swath of green in the area, just in case. His voice had a calming effect on often-harried commuters. At sunset during the winter, he would gently remind drivers to switch on their headlights, and he knew the area so well he could offer alternatives to drivers coming up on bottlenecks. He also trained other traffic reporters, including Andy Parks of WMAL (630 AM) and Bob Marbourg of

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I am on an official leave of absence for today because of knee surgery. Had I been present and voting, I would have voted yea on rollcall 543, to suspend the rules and pass H. Con. Res. 528, directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make corrections in the enrollment of H.R. 4818.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 27, 2004, unless it sooner has received a message from the Senate transmitting its concurrence in the House amendment to the Senate amendment to House Concurrent Resolution 529, in which case the House shall stand adjourned pursuant to that concurrent resolution.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House concur in the Senate amendment to House Concurrent Resolution 529 with the amendment that I have placed at the desk.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the business in order under the Calendar Wednesday rule be dispensed with on today and on Wednesday, December 8, 2004.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend remarks and include extraneous material on H.J. Res. 115, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Appropriations be discharged from further consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 115) making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year 2005, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference report, and I want to associate myself with all the remarks with regard to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young). No Member in this history of this Congress has ever done a better job with appropriations than Mr. Young. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this conference report. Division B of this Omnibus bill is the conference report on the fiscal year 2005 Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Appropriations Act, which represents the work of the subcommittee that I chair. I would like to thank my colleague, Mr. Serrano, for his support throughout this process. He helped us to get a strong bill through the House, with a vote of 397 to 18. I would also extend my thanks to our Senate counterparts Chairman Gregg and Senator Hollings. Within a very tight allocation, we were able to provide funding for a variety of critical national priorities. The bill includes $20.6 billion for the Department of Justice, $975 million above fiscal year 2004 and $804 million above the budget request to address terrorism, drugs, violence and white collar crime. The bill addresses recommendations of the 9/11 Commission by enhancing the FBI's personnel and retirement authorities to attract and retain critical intelligence staff and provides an increase of $625 million to improve training and information technology and provide additional agents, analysts, translators, and support staff. For Federal law enforcement overall, the conference report represents a 6.2 percent increase over last year to strengthen counterterrorism and crimefighting capabilities. The conference agreement provides $3 billion for State and local law enforcement, $906 million above the administration's request, including $634 million for Byrne Justice Assistance grants, $305 million for State Criminal Alien Assistance, $110 million to addresses critical DNA backlogs, $387 million for violence against women prevention, and $384 million for juvenile justice. The conference report includes $913 million for the Securities and Exchange Commission, $102 million above last year, to provide the necessary resources to protect investors from corporate abuse. For the State Department, we have provided $8.7 billion, $693 million above last year, including $1.6 billion, the full requested level for worldwide embassy security upgrades. It also includes $1.28 billion for public diplomacy programs including international broadcasting, focusing on expanded programs for the Arab and Muslim world. For the Department of Commerce, the conference report provides $6.7 billion for the Department of Commerce and other trade agencies, $761 million above last year. Increases will result in more accurate economic statistics, improved weather forecasting, better management of the Nation's fisheries, and more accurate and timely census data. The bill also includes a 4.5 percent increase for the Nation's trade agencies to negotiate, enforce and verify free and fair trade agreements. For the Federal judiciary, the conference report provides $5.16 billion, $315 million above last year. This includes funding to process all-time high numbers of criminal and bankruptcy cases, and to fund the judiciary's security requirements. Overall, Mr. Speaker, this conference agreement represents a sound and fair resolution of the multitude of issues that we faced in conference, and it does so in a fiscally responsible manner. I urge my colleagues to support this conference report. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the members of my subcommittee staff who have put in very long hours to produce the FY 2005 C-J-S appropriations bill. All members of the staff have worked long, hard hours to produce a bill that I believe will help our country. I would like to particularly thank Mike Ringler, clerk of the subcommittee, who has led the subcommittee through the House Appropriations process. I would also like to thank Christine Kojac, John Martens, and Anne Marie Goldsmith for their tireless efforts. Their work is much appreciated. I also would like to thank the detailee, Jonathan Mattiello, who has also lent his support to the bill. In my personal office, I would like to thank Dan Scandling, Janet Shaffron, J.T. Griffin, Samantha Stockman, and Neil Siefring for their efforts and work with the subcommittee. From the minority staff, I would like to thank David Pomerantz, Lucy Hand, Linda Pagelsen, and Rob Nabors who have worked with my staff in a bipartisan manner to produce this bill. Thank you all very much.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize the Great Falls Freedom Memorial, which was dedicated on November 13 on the Great Falls Community Library grounds. I was pleased to join in the dedication of this memorial, honoring those residents of Great Falls, Virginia, who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. The memorial was proposed by a 17-member Freedom Memorial Committee, headed by retired U.S. Marine COL Pete Hilgartner, to honor local residents who have given of themselves in service while defending liberty. The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the project's concept in September 2003. The plaza on the Great Falls Community Library grounds has a three- stone monument as the centerpiece. The large center stone will be inscribed with the words: ``The Community of Great Falls, Virginia Honors Those Who Have Given of Themselves in Service to the Cause of Liberty and Freedom.'' In addition, the granite curb encircling the memorial plaza will be inscribed with words that highlight some of the principles and virtues held by those who give of themselves in the cause of liberty and freedom every day. A book on permanent display in the library, titled ``Great Falls Freedom Honor Roll,'' includes the names of members of the armed forces, firefighters, police officers, the six Great Falls residents who died in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and others dating from the Civil War who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the cause of liberty. The common thread among them is residency in the Great Falls community. The stand which houses the honor roll book was created by Glenn Sjoblom, a resident of the Great Falls community. The dedication ceremony included presentations of thanks to those who made the project possible, musical performances by the Amadeus Brass Ensemble and the King Ringers from Christ the King Lutheran Church, presentation of national, state and county flags that will fly over the memorial, and the reading of names of those honored with this memorial. The Honorable Theodore Olson, former U.S. solicitor general who resides in Great Falls, addressed the gathering. Ted's wife Barbara, whose name is among those on the Great Falls Freedom Honor Roll, was on flight 77 which crashed into the Pentagon the morning of September 11, 2001. I would like to share the names of those inscribed on the Great Falls Freedom Honor Roll: Civil War: Private James Ballenger; Thomas Coleman, Civilian; Second Lieutenant Arthur W. Follin; Sergeant William R. Follin; Private Joseph Gunnell; Private Samuel Jenkins; Private F. Thomas Reid; Second Lieutenant George W. Swink; Major James W. Thrift; Private W. T. Tucker; Private John T. Walker; Private George L. Williams, and Private James W. Williams. World War II: Sergeant (USAAF) George Frame; Private (USA) Robert Girard; Private First Class (USA) Harry Kanmermier; Second Lieutenant (USMC) Eugene Niswander, and Private First Class (USA) Ross Robey Poole. September 11, 2001, Attack on the Pentagon: First Lieutenant Richard P. Gabriel, USMC, Retired; Ann C. Judge; Barbara K. Olson; Lisa J. Raines; Diane M. Simmons, and George W. Simmons. In addition to Ted Olson, I also would like to recognize the following individuals who were part of the dedication ceremony: the Honorable Joan M. DuBois, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Honor Guard; the Honorable Stu Mendelsohn, former member, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; Amadeus Brass Ensemble and their director, Paul Ward; Reverend Paul Gysan of the Christ the King Lutheran Church; Pete Hilgartner, chairman of the Great Falls Memorial Committee; Mike Kearney, Co-Committee Construction chair; Milburn Sanders; Glen Sjoblom; Sam Clay; Roger Sudduth; Honorable Vince Callahan, Virginia House of Delegates; Honorable Gerald E. Connolly, chairman, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors; Boy Scout Troop No. 1577, led by Grant Johnson, Eagle Scout candidate and Co- Committee Construction chairman, and the Kings Ringers and their Director, Jane Cooper. I would also like to recognize the hard working individuals who are responsible for the creation of this memorial. The members of the Great Falls Freedom Memorial Committee are Pete Hilgartner, chairman; Beau Dietrich, Marge Gersic, Paul Gysan, Sara Hilgartner, Ellen Johnson, Grant Johnson, Michael Kearney, Linda Lammersen, Bob Pattavina, Janet Pattavina, Andrew Pendergrass, Milburn Sanders, Katayoon Shaya, Glen Sjoblom, Bill Ten Eyck, Nancy Wilson, and also Merritt Peters, with Paciulli Simmons & Associates, who created the design for the logo; Dave Jackson with Zadmer Enterprises, the general contractor, and Luis Lopez with Fairfax County Department of Public Works, who will be responsible for maintaining the plaza. Finally, I would like to recognize the sponsors who contributed to making the memorial possible. Benefactors were Fine Landscaping, William and Gina Luraschi, Pete and Sara Hilgartner, the Allen Family, Luck Stone, Elizabeth S. Hooper Foundation, Totaro & Associates, William and Mary Callan, Seneca Excavating, M. Sheila and Torn Rabaut, and Foley Construction. Patrons were Thomas Hoffman, Turner Construction, Virginia Ground Cover, Hanover Architectural Products, Zadmer Enterprises, Great Falls Electric and Legg Mason Wood Walker Inc. I am inserting for the Record a news article from The Times Community Newspaper which reports on the dedication of the memorial and the ceremony held last week. [From the Times Community Newspaper, Nov. 16, 2004] Freedom Memorial dedicated in Great Falls (By Beverly Crawford) The long-awaited Freedom Memorial in Great Falls was dedicated Saturday with an hour-long celebration that featured government officials and comments by former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson. Dranesville Supervisor Joan DuBois (R) presided over a ceremony that included U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf (R-10th), Del. Vincent Callahan (R-34th), Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly (D), Dranesville Library Board Representative Roger Sudduth, Fairfax County Library Director Sam Clay and former Dranesville Supervisor Stuart Mendelsohn, who launched the initiative during his second term. Fairfax County Executive Anthony Griffin was also among the guests. ``My mission here today is to tell you a little bit about this committee,'' said Pete Hilgartner, a former U.S. Marine officer who proposed the memorial and chaired the 20-member committee that designed the memorial and raised some $100,000 to pay for it. Hilgartner thanked each of the committee members individually: vice chairman Mike Kearney; Luis Lopez, of Fairfax County's Department of Public Works; Katayoon Shaya, of the Department of Planning and Development; Mark Peters; Linda Lammersen; Paul Gysan; Beau Dietrich; Marge Gersic; Boy Scout Grant Johnson and his mother, Ellen; Bob and Janet Pattavina; Nancy Wilson; Bill TenEyck; Glen Sjoblom; Milburn Sanders; Hilgartner's wife, Sara; and Andrew Pendergrass. Hilgartner said that, when he organized the committee, ``We recognized fairly quickly that we had a unique group of people'' whose patience and ability to work together saw the project through. ``I am so proud of you on my committee that I can't see straight,'' Hilgartner said. ``You have forever made a difference in my life.'' ``This project would not have happened without Mike Kearney,'' he said. Kearney thanked the Allen family on River Bend Road for donating the rock that forms the centerpiece of the memorial, and he thanked Betty Nalls Swartz, their neighbor, for proposing that it be used. Kearney said the money raised by Brogue Charities was topped off with a $15,000 matching donation from the Elizabeth S. Hooper Foundation. Local businesses donated money and in-kind services for the memorial. Sanders, one of Dranesville's representatives to the Fairfax County History Commission, identified the names for an ``honor roll'' of 13 Civil War soldiers who died at the Battle of Dranesville on Dec. 20, 1861; five people who died in World War II; and the six people from Great Falls who died Sept. 11, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. Mendelsohn read each of their names as a member of the King Ringers, a handbell choir, sounded a bell for each name. ``They gave all they had to keep us free,'' Mendelsohn said. Hilgartner and DuBois placed a wreath at the memorial, and a ribbon was cut to symbolize its opening. The flags of the United States, Virginia and Fairfax County were raised by members of Boy Scout Troop 1577. Olson said his wife, Barbara, and the five other people from Great Falls were ``viciously wrenched from ordinary acts of living'' on Sept. 11, 2001. ``They were instruments of monstrous acts of violence,'' wrought by people who slaughtered ``the most innocent and vulnerable among us to show their anger,'' Olson said. Six weeping cherry trees were planted at the entrance to the memorial to commemorate their lives.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a distinguished member of this chamber, Congressman Phil Crane. Since 1969, Rep. Crane has served his constituents in the 8th District of Illinois with distinction and dedication. I join my colleagues in celebrating his career in the House. Born in the midst of the Great Depression, Phil served his Nation in the Army, and went on to earn his doctorate degree from Indiana University. He then began a career in academia, before being elected to Congress. He continued his intellectual interests, going on to write three books, and contributing to various publications. Congressman Crane's interest and extensive knowledge of economic issues is well known. He is a champion of free trade, and played a pivotal role in the House passage of NAFTA and the 1994 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. As vice chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Crane has taken a leadership role on issues of great importance to all Americans, such as Social Security, taxes, and Medicare. As a leader in the conservative movement and as the senior Republican member in the House, Phil Crane has created a record of accomplishment for his constituents and his Nation during his tenure in the House. His legislative accomplishments have made a lasting and positive impact on our Nation, and his leadership in the House has inspired his colleagues. Although Congressman Crane will soon leave this chamber, his accomplishments and his legacy will continue to live on. All of us who have had the opportunity to serve with Phil Crane are better for the experience, and I congratulate him on his distinguished career.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo) and his staff for this bill. I also thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) for his efforts, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), Senator Brownback, and many others that have been involved in this. Also, all of the NGOs, Andrew Natsios, Roger Winter, and all of the people who have been involved and very caring with regard to this issue. As we pass this bill today, we have to remember the 2.1 million people that have died in the war north-south, mostly Christian but a large number of Muslim and a large number of animists who have paid a tremendous price. Also, we have to remember that Osama bin Laden lived in Sudan from 1991 to 1996, so these people in the south have been on the front line in fighting the war against terrorism more than most people realize. By passing this bill, we send hope to the men, women and children in Darfur who have been pushed out of African villages which have been burned, husbands who have been killed, women who have been raped and children who have been abducted. As we pass this bill today, we honor and recognize and send some hope to those in the IVP camps today that the United States Congress cares. I am going to leave it to other Members to explain what this bill does and just say that, without this bill passing today, there would be no hope for women in the camps, no sense or sign to the people in the Khartoum government for all of the bad and evil things that they have done but for the efforts of the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo), who has been involved in this for so long, and the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce). Secretary Powell also deserves to take some credit for this, as does President Bush. I thank both sides of the aisle for the great work they have done. By passing this, it gives hope if there is an agreement signed and something positive comes out of Nairobi, Kenya, there is some lasting push behind it so there can be peace someday for the people in the north, in the area of Khartoum, and in the south, and also for the men, women and children in the Darfur region.