Frank Wolf

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the Sensenbrenner amendment. There has been a lot of talk on the floor and sometimes what appears to be is not to be. It is very, very confusing to somebody who is watching it. Simply, it is a poison pill. The Sensenbrenner amendment is a poison pill. If you want to kill the bill, vote for Sensenbrenner. It looks good. It looks good, but it will hurt the effort. Many people, particularly young people, will be hurt by the failure of this bill to pass. If you want this bill to pass, if you are opposed to Internet gambling, if you care about the future of these young people, I ask you to vote against the Sensenbrenner amendment and vote in support of the base bill.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I want to share in the comments of the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy) and agree with him. Also, I would ask the Members that are thinking of voting against this, this boils down to be really kind of a moral issue of famine in Africa. I learned about this issue from our former Member, Congressman Tony Hall. What is happening in Africa, there are 35 million to 40 million people that are basically almost starving to death. In Zambia and Zimbabwe, they have been using this argument, and the people are starving and the genetically modified or biotech foods are in the warehouses. What is taking place is some of our friends, and they are friends in Europe, are using this as a trade mechanism with regard to their economy and their jobs; and as a result of this, people are dying in Africa. So this is an issue with regard to the economy, but I will not say more important; but I personally believe it is more important. It is an issue of people, particularly in Africa. People living in Ethiopia, there is a famine of biblical proportions. Now, fortunately, the Ethiopian Government is not foreclosing this; but in Zambia they are, in Zimbabwe, Mugabe has it in the warehouses and the people are starving outside, and they cannot eat. Some of the other countries, Uganda is going through the same thing. They have genetically modified banana plants. Their banana industry is falling off, and they are afraid to use it because they are afraid they will not be able to have their exports going in to France. So this resolution is a good resolution. This also would help us feed the people of the world who are starving. So I would hope everyone would vote for this. And if any Members have any doubts before this vote, they may want to call Tony up in Rome at the Food and Agricultural Organization and get his thinking, because this is a major issue of famine and feeding hungry people, particularly in Africa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 252, but not because of the benefits to U.S. trade or our agricultural industry, but out of concern for the millions of hungry people around the globe. In a world as plentiful as ours, it is unconscionable that women and children still die of hunger. I have traveled to Africa to witness the devastation of famines, first in 1984 and most recently, earlier this year. I saw women and children who were too weak to feed themselves. Thankfully, relief efforts for the 30 million Africans, whose lives are in peril, are not being complicated by refusals of certain food supplies, as was the case last year in Zambia. Developing countries need biotechnology to improve crop viability and yield. However, as long as such agricultural products remain unacceptable to European markets, developing countries are likely to continue to reject the very thing they need to bring them to self- sufficiency and beyond. American agricultural products are among the safest in the world-- even Europe's officials admit that. But making a convincing case on the safety of U.S. products is difficult. Last year, Zambians turned down genetically modified maize from the U.S., fearing that when their agricultural industry recovers, they would no longer be able to sell their products to their main export market, Europe. In an effort to alleviate this concern, and at considerably increased costs, the U.S. offered a milled version free from any seeds that farmers could plant, thereby protecting Zambia's agricultural sector. Tragically, the Zambian government never accepted the food. Famine relief and building longer term self-sufficiency in Africa is a global issue that requires a response from all nations. The U.S. has provided leadership through its contribution in 2002 of 51 percent of the food provided by the UN World Food Programme. Europe's combined contribution totaled only 27 percent. I don't know which saddens me more, knowing that European countries like France have the ability to contribute more to famine relief efforts, but haven't, or knowing the situation is being exacerbated by European opposition to importing biotech agricultural products. This resolution is an important statement to encourage the Administration in its efforts to challenge the unwarranted moratorium by EU countries on genetically modified agricultural products. I urge a unanimous vote of support.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, today, Mr. McGovern and I introduced a resolution to help draw attention to the 33 million hungry Americans. The resolution recognizes organizations such as America's Second Harvest that provide emergency food assistance to hungry people in the United States, and encourages all Americans to provide volunteer services and other support for local anti-hunger advocacy efforts and hunger relief charities, including food banks, food rescue organizations, food pantries, soup kitchens, and emergency shelters. On National Hunger Awareness Day I have mixed emotions. I am proud of the armies of compassion that are represented by organizations such as America's Second Harvest. But I'm also sad because its been nearly 40 years since President Johnson declared war on poverty and hunger and yet, today, 13 million kids STILL live in households that do not have an adequate supply of food. (USDA) In 2001, there were 33.6 million Americans--20 million adults and 13 million children--who were hungry or at risk of hunger. (USDA) In Matthew 25, Jesus talks about the obligation to feed the hungry. In a world, and especially a nation, as plentiful as ours, it is tragic that even one child is hungry. My state of Virginia is better off than many states. We are below the national average poverty rate of 11.6 percent. We have fewer people who don't have food--7.6 percent versus the national average of 10.4 percent. Yet, hunger is still rampant here. 294,434 children, or 43.4 percent, received free or reduced-price meals. Substantial progress has been made to feed the hungry in the United States, yet too many Americans still go to bed hungry and feel the effects of food deprivation. Federal programs like the Food Stamp Program, child nutrition programs, and food donation programs, provide essential nutritional support to millions of low-income people, but the need remains. Thankfully, community- and faith-based institutions are providing assistance to hungry people across the country. The armies of compassion are working hard, but we each must do our part to join in and support them. Barriers need to be eliminated to allow businesses to do the morally conscionable thing and donate their surplus food. It's outrageous that it is more ``cost effective'' for a business to throw out or destroy surplus food rather than donate it to a local soup kitchen. A White House conference on hunger, like the one my colleague Senator Dole called for just this morning, would be an ideal venue to discuss these important issues. I hope that in the midst of the facts and statistics, no one misses the REAL point of National Hunger Awareness Day--that in a land of plenty, 13 million children still go to bed hungry. A country which is as blessed as ours needs to do better.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I just returned from spending two days in southern Iraq. I was there Sunday, May 25, and Monday, May 26. I also spent a day, Tuesday, May 27, in Kuwait, where I met with Kuwaiti government officials, members of the U.S. military, State Department officials and staff from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Today I want to share with our colleagues some details of my trip. On another day, I will share a number of recommendations concerning the reconstruction of Iraq. Let me begin by praising the efforts of all the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and members of the Coast Guard who served--or are continuing to serve--in Operation Iraqi Freedom. They are the best of the best. I cannot emphasize enough how good a job they have done and continue to do. They and their families all have made tremendous sacrifices. I was particularly impressed with the soldiers and Marines I talked with who are reservists called to active duty. Many left good jobs and/ or school to serve. Their professionalism and attitude were exceptional. I also want to express my heartfelt sympathy to all the families who lost loved ones during the war. We will never forget--and will always be grateful for--their service to the cause of freedom. All the soldiers and Marines I met in Iraq are doing an incredible job under extremely difficult conditions. The heat in Iraq and Kuwait is oppressive and will only get worse as summer approaches. It was over 100 degrees both days I was in Iraq. I was told that the temperature can sometimes reach 140 degrees in July and August. The living conditions for most of the soldiers that I saw were primitive. Reason for Trip I believed it was important to go to Iraq to get a first-hand look at the reconstruction efforts that are under way and to assess the humanitarian assistance that is being provided. I crossed over the border into Iraq from Kuwait. I visited the towns of Nasiriyah, Al Kut and Al Amarah. I spent the night in Nasiriyah--where some of the heaviest fighting during the war took place--then traveled northeast to Al Kut on Monday morning. From there I headed south to Al Amarah then passed through the outskirts of Basra on the way back to the Iraq-Kuwait border. During the trip I talked with a number of Iraqis, visited two hospitals, including the one from which Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch was rescued, met with military officials, and spent a considerable amount of time with representatives from several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in Iraq. I saw what was left of one of Saddam Hussein's infamous torture chambers, heard ghastly stories about the brutality of Saddam's regime and was told of mass graves. I saw paintings, posters and statues of Saddam defaced or destroyed. His name was scratched off or punched out from signs on buildings bearing his name. I saw ``No to Saddam Yes for Bush'' spray painted in green letters on the side of a building just after crossing over the border from Kuwait. I saw very sick children, many of whom are probably now dead, and was amazed by the bravery of a young boy I saw in the emergency room of a hospital. He had been brought in just minutes before I arrived. He had been playing outdoors and came in contact with either a land mine or unexploded ordnance. His face was severely burned and a piece of shrapnel was deeply embedded in his right eye. Blood was streaming down his face onto his chest. He looked to be about 10-years-old. He never cried. I saw the results of precision-guided bombing. It is amazing. In Nasiriyah, I was taken by what was left of the former home of a Baath Party leader. The house was sandwiched between several other homes. While it was reduced to rubble, none of the surrounding houses appeared to sustain any damage. I was told that Radio Sawa, a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week Arabic- language network whose programming originates from the United States and is broadcast in the region, is very popular. The network plays a mix of the best Western and Arabic pop music and has balanced up-to- the-minute news and analysis. It also broadcasts features on a variety of political and social issues and does in-depth reports on the development of freedom and democracy in the Middle East. Some were skeptical of the success of the broadcasts. But I was told by locals that since Radio Sawa went on the air in spring 2002, few listen to Arabic radio stations anymore. Tough Conditions Life in southern Iraq is difficult. Poverty is widespread. Buildings are dilapidated. Trash and rubble litter the streets. Many of the trees have been cut down and used for firewood because propane was so scarce under Saddam's rule. The water is putrid. Saddam Hussein did everything in his power over the last decade to make life in towns like Nasiriyah as miserable as possible because of the uprisings following the first Gulf war. It was their punishment for opposing his iron-fisted rule. Thousands of men who defied Saddam literally disappeared and have never been heard from since; they are presumed dead. The conditions in the two hospitals I visited--while dramatically improved over the last month--are pitiful. At what was once the Saddam General Hospital in Nasiriyah--now just called the General Hospital-- there are no screens on the doors. As a consequence, any time a door is opened, bugs--particularly flies--come streaming in. Flies were swarming over two of the empty beds in the emergency room. There is no monitoring equipment for the beds in the emergency room. In fact, I saw very little monitoring equipment anywhere in the hospital. Imagine walking into your local hospital and not seeing a machine to monitor your pulse or take your blood pressure. Medicine also is in short supply. It was depressing. Security in Iraq remains a real concern, not only for coalition forces but for the general public. Lives continue to be lost. Whether I was talking to military officials, NGOs or Iraqis, security was the first issue they always addressed. Looting is still a problem in some parts of the country and I heard several stories about robberies and carjackings. I was told MPs in Nasiriyah successfully stopped a car jacking the Sunday night I was there. Many Iraqis are afraid to go back to work for fear their home may be looted or that they may be robbed. Several people told me that hearing random gun fire after sundown has become commonplace. The NGOs that I talked with said that it was not unusual for their vehicles to be pelted with rocks in some parts of the country. Civilian convoys are threatened. No one travels after sunset. One reason for the lawlessness is that before the war started, Saddam Hussein opened all the prisons, releasing both political prisoners and hardened criminals. Murderers. Rapists. Robbers. Getting these criminals back behind bars is critical. blueprint for iraq In order for the United States to win the peace in Iraq it is imperative that we restore law and order. We need to redouble our efforts to ensure that Iraq is safe. In ``Play to Win,'' the final report of the bipartisan Commission on Post-Conflict Reconstruction, security is one of the four ``pillars'' of post-conflict reconstruction. The other three are: justice and reconciliation; economic and social well being, and governance and participation. This comprehensive report published in January 2003 by the Association of the United States Army and the Center for Strategic and International Studies should serve as the blueprint for the reconstruction efforts in Iraq. Members of the commission include retired military officers, representatives from the NGO community and international aid organizations, former high-ranking executive branch officials, and Members of Congress with expertise in foreign affairs. Among those on the commission are: Dr. John Hamre, former deputy secretary of defense; Richard Holbrooke, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations; Gen. Gordon Sullivan, former chief of staff of the U.S. Army; Senator Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and Rep. Doug Bereuter, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Intelligence Policy and National Security. (I, too, was a member of the commission, although I did not have a leading role.) The report makes 17 recommendations ``on what the United States will have to do to enable itself to help countries successfully rebuild themselves following conflict.'' I have asked the commission to provide me with 535 copies of the report so I can share it with my colleagues. It also can be found on the Internet at http://www.pcrproject.org Below is an excerpt from the report on the issue of security: ``Security is the sine qua non of post-conflict reconstruction. Though every case is different, there is one constant--if security needs are not met, both the peace in the given country and the intervention needed to promote it are doomed to fail. Unless comprehensive security needs are addressed up front, spoilers will find the weak areas and retain leverage to affect the political outcomes, vitiating the peace. While peace is essential, it never will be one hundred percent guaranteed and the perfect must not become the enemy of the good. In order to achieve acceptable levels of security, `coalitions of the willing' and the UN peacekeeping operations need coherent military leadership and core troops from a lead nation that provide the backbone of the operation. The international community must also enhance its ability to deploy civilian police to address temporary needs. In addition, efforts to design and reconstruct local security institutions, including both military and police, must begin early in the process.'' I believe the Bush Administration would be well served to have several members of the commission visit Iraq to measure how the reconstruction efforts match the recommendations in the report. Dr. Hamre and Gen. Sullivan, who served as the co-chairmen of the commission, could be charged with selecting which members should go. There should be no objection to this recommendation. Each of the commission members has a distinguished and extensive background. Their insight and observations could prove to be invaluable. In addition to members of the Commission on Post-Conflict Reconstruction visiting Iraq, members of Congress should visit as well. In my opinion, it would make sense for the chairman and ranking member--or their designees--of the following committees to travel to Iraq: House and Senate Armed Services committees; House International Relations Committee; Senate Foreign Relations Committee; and House and Senate Appropriations committees. Members should spend time in all parts of Iraq. Obviously safety and security are issues that must be considered, but the trips could be made in small groups without publicity. The only way to get a feel for what is happening is by visiting the towns and cities and talking to the people living there. In addition to meeting with military commanders, these members or their designees should meet with Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III, the civilian administrator of Iraq, and other officials from the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA)-now called the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA)-USAID officials, and representatives from the NGO community and other international aid organizations. Meetings with Iraqi citizens also should be set up. Congress needs to be involved in-and kept up-to-date on-the reconstruction of Iraq. Clearly, there is a great deal at stake for the United States in Iraq. The reconstruction effort is going to be long and arduous. No one is naive enough to believe it is going to happen overnight. Nor is anyone naive enough to think that it is not going to come without problems and challenges. Yet, if Congress is not involved, the Bush Administration is going to be left without a partner in rebuilding Iraq. The Congress is the Bush Administration's greatest ally. There should be nothing to hide. And after my trip, I believe there is great deal to tell-much of it positive. We must, however, be realistic. We have a long, long way to go in the reconstruction of Iraq. We have won the war, and we must be careful not to lose the peace. Failure cannot be an option. A well developed plan for reconstruction is imperative and congressional involvement will help the Bush Administration from steering off course as it works to rebuild Iraq.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I congratulate our men and women in uniform and in civilian positions who helped liberate Iraq from the grip of Saddam Hussein. Our military--the finest in the world--has in the course of just two years liberated Afghanistan, played a vital role in defending the homeland against terrorism, and worked with our allies to hunt down terrorists. I am grateful to all those who protect our national security, both in and out of uniform. They have my deep respect. They are outstanding Americans and valued federal employees. Indeed, a large number of federal employees, many of whom work for the Department of Defense, call the 10th Congressional District of Virginia their home, and I am proud to be their Representative in Congress. As we debate H.R. 1588 the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2004, I want to express my support for many important programs included in this bill which are investments to make sure that our military remains the best in the world, as it should. Our service men and women and those civilians who support them deserve only the best. Our colleague and my classmate, Duncan Hunter, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, deserves our congratulations for the hard work of his committee in bringing this bill to the floor. There are some provisions in this bill, however, which deeply concern me. Those address the wholesale personnel reforms and management authority changes at the Defense Department which I believe could shortchange civilian employees and come on the heels of the many recent historic accomplishments made possible by these very employees. The Department of Defense has acted with lightning speed in presenting to Congress a number of changes to its personnel system. There was minimal consultation with members of Congress, little notice of its plans provided, and relatively few hearings held about this sweeping proposal. Why such a rush to change? H.R. 1588 would radically alter the way in which many Department of Defense employees are paid, establishing a pay-for-performance plan with standards which are in some cases subjective. The Secretary of Defense would be able to overrule the director of the Office of Personnel and Management in making personnel decisions, if the President agreed with the Secretary. The Department of Defense would be granted more power than ever before in how it structures policies which will impact its 746,000 civilian employees. While I understand the need for flexibility in the modern-day federal workplace, I am very concerned that some of the changes in H.R. 1588 champion flexibility at the expense of oversight and congressional involvement in ensuring employee protections on a fair and level civil service playing field. When oversight is limited and decisions are channeled to one source, red flags should go up about accountability and the decision-making process at DOD. I also am concerned about what appears to be some ambiguity on the question of veterans' preference in hiring at the Department of Defense. Veterans are given preference in hiring for civil service positions in recognition of their military service to our nation. This long-standing policy allows the Department of Defense as well as other government departments and agencies to recruit and retain veterans who can continue to provide valuable service to their nation in their civilian lives. It is unclear under this legislation whether the veterans preference in hiring will remain totally intact in all areas of hiring in the Department of Defense. This lack of clarity is troubling not only as a matter of practice, but as a matter of principle: there should be a clear understanding that the veterans preference cannot be waived in any hiring circumstances. Because of the controversial personnel change included, in this legislation, I am very disappointed that the House Rules Committee foreclosed the opportunity to amend that section of the bill. No amendments were made in order concerning the civil service portion of H.R. 1588. Some colleagues, including Representative Cooper were prepared to offer a valuable amendment and had submitted it to the Rules Committee. That amendment would have created an Employees Bill of Rights offering fundamental civil service protections for the civilian employees at the Department of Defense. That amendment should have been made in order, and this House should have had the chance to debate that amendment. Had we been given that opportunity, I would have voted for the Cooper amendment. Our colleague Representative Ike Skelton, the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee, argued yesterday in a Washington Post op-ed that ``major reassignments of constitutional authority such as this demand the same sort of thoughtful foresight as a war plan.'' He added that ``the only thing that is obvious and consistent throughout the 50 provisions included in this bill is the aggregation of power sought for the Department of Defense, removing the legal restrictions and congressional oversight that should safeguard against any abuses, however unintentional. This approach is a rush to judgment that will affect vast numbers of people and, in many cases, will enshrine bad policy in law.'' Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld responded to Congressman Skelton's arguments today in his own Post op-ed. He laid out his case for what he sees as necessary ``flexibility and agility'' in managing the civilian workforce at DOD in the 21st century. I would not disagree that we are in a changed world and that the federal government must respond to those changes. But the secretary should heed his own op-ed conclusion. He stated: ``The fact is that the transformation of our military capabilities depends on the transformation of the way the Defense Department operates. This does not mean an end to congressional oversight. What it means is that we need to work together to ensure the department has the flexibility to keep up with the new threats emerging as this century unfolds.'' Indeed. We need to work together. That means giving Congress the opportunity for thoughtful and deliberate study of this plan, time to investigate its implications, and the chance to ask the tough questions to make sure we fully understand how this plan will impact the lives of the people at the Pentagon who work to serve their country. That doesn't mean that Congress just salutes and says, ``Yes, sir,'' and rubber stamps the secretary's controversial plan. We must ask what message this plan sends to the rest of government. Will the Department of Defense's rush into a personnel transformation plan encourage other government departments and agencies to do the same, affecting even more federal employees? Because of my concern about responding to the terrorism threat in our country, I voted for the legislation establishing the new Department of Homeland Security and allowing the department to set up new model rules which could be used to judge future decisions on personnel policy. We are on new ground and don't as yet know how well this model works. The DOD personnel proposal before the House could not only affect the Department of Defense, but may impact the entire government in ways which we cannot yet know. I also must share my concern about a pattern of unilateral action we continue to see within the Office of the Secretary of Defense. There have been troubling news reports about how some high ranking military personnel have been treated at the Department of Defense. I am concerned how senior civilian employees would fare under the new personnel proposals for DOD. Our Armed Forces deserve the very best, and I am pleased that this bill authorizes giving those in uniform and those civilians supporting them the funding they need to continue to do their jobs in the outstanding way in which they have in the past and will do in the future. Unfortunately those parts of the bill relating to personnel issues have not been adequately investigated by Congress and will impact civilian employees at the Department of Defense in ways that we can only guess at this point. These Federal employees and the military deserve more than a rushed plan that fundamentally alters the way the Department of Defense interacts with its civilian employees.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 281, 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, was nominated by President Bush to be the United States Ambassador to the United Nations food and agriculture agencies located in Rome, Italy, and resigned his seat as the representative of the Third District of Ohio last September to take the post in Rome, where he has continued his passionate work as a leading advocate for ending hunger and promoting food security around the world. I want to especially thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson). It was interesting to always watch the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson) and Tony Hall together, a Republican and a Democrat, side by side, different voting districts, but very good friends. I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson) for introducing this and moving this so quickly, and also for the relationship they had, to honor Tony in his hometown in Dayton by attaching his name to the Federal building and courthouse. It is an appropriate recognition. I personally, as we all do, miss Tony very much, our colleague in the House, but I know he is absolutely the right person to serve as the United States representative to the World Food Program. No one else could do a better job. Tony Hall's name is synonymous, as the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) was saying, with the cause of alleviating hunger, both domestically and worldwide, as a result of his faith. He believes that food is the most basic of human needs, the most basic of human rights. He has passionately worked to convince others that the cause of hunger, which often gets lost in this legislative shuffle and pushed aside by more visible issues, deserved the prominent share of attention. He worked as a tireless advocate for the cause of human rights, and he actually led the effort in bringing to the attention of this Congress the conflict diamond trade in authoring legislation, which has since been passed, to certify that diamonds Americans buy are not tainted with the blood of the people of Sierra Leone and other African nations. Tony has never been deterred in his effort to help make positive differences 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. I believe Tony's life destiny was to be a servant. He is an inspiration to everyone fortunate enough to know him. He has had a wonderful combination of compassion and passion, filled with a spiritual purpose; compassion to see the suffering in the less fortunate in the world, and the passion to do something about it. I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson) again and all those who cosponsored this bill on both sides of the aisle, and look forward to seeing this building named with Tony Hall's name.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, Africa is on the brink of a crisis of biblical proportions. I traveled to Ethiopia and Eritrea earlier this year to see the famine conditions, and never imagined that I'd see conditions as bad as I saw in 1984. In 1984, 8 million were in need of food aid. In January, more than 11 million people struggled for their next meal. I saw women and children that were too weak to feed themselves. This is absolutely tragic in a world with food as plentiful as ours. Today, the situation is even more distressing. I recently read a cable from the American ambassador in Ethiopia describing a grimmer outlook for the coming months than had previously been expected. I will be submitting into the Record the cable and the latest NOAA weather forecast, which revises expectations for crop viability downward. This paints a bleak outlook for millions more Ethiopians for months to come. In March, I wrote U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan urging him to appoint a special envoy for hunger. Many European news outlets have run stories in recent days on the growing number of Africans, whose lives are now in jeopardy. The Ethiopian Government is planning another ``Live-Aid'' concert to re-energize the donor community and draw international attention to the situation. The momentum of this concert, coupled with the appointment of a U.N. special envoy, may help draw enough attention and resources to the continent and save the lives of millions of women and children. In Matthew 25, Jesus talks about the obligation to feed the hungry. The United States has responded to this crisis with an enormous amount of compassion. Many countries have the ability to give more, and may just be waiting to be asked. Time, resources and attention must be devoted to mobilizing and coordinating the resources required. This is a crisis that will require enormous coordination between international aid agencies, religious leaders and governments from every corner of the globe. The war in Iraq has demanded our attention, but we can not allow this silent emergency to grow worse. The lives of millions of women and children depend on this story being shared loudly and boldly. I hope you'll do your part.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, I cannot believe it is happening again. A famine worse than the one that devastated Ethiopia in 1984 threatens the lives of millions of Africans. This is happening right now, today, and tragically, very few people are even aware of the gravity of the situation. This month's edition of Christianity Today includes an article detailing the imminent devastation. Africa is on the brink of a crisis of Biblical proportions, yet regular readers of The Washington Post, The New York Times, and nearly every other major news outlet would have no idea. In 1984, 8 million people were in need of food aid. This past January, more than 11 million people struggled for their next meal. When I visited Ethiopia in January, I saw women and children, one, this young girl, who were too weak to feed themselves. Today, the situation is even more distressing. The war in Iraq has demanded our attention, but we cannot allow this silent emergency to grow worse. The lives of millions of women and children depend on this story being shared loudly and boldly. How will history judge our response if millions die while more could have been done. Madam Speaker, I include a copy of a letter I sent to President Bush regarding this matter, and factual information regarding Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize James A. Wilding on the occasion of his retirement as president and chief executive officer of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA). Jim has been responsible for the management of two of our most important airports in the country--Washington Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The very first bill I introduced when I came to Congress sought to move control of Dulles Airport from the Federal Aviation Administration to the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 1987, that idea took a new and expanded form. After several years of work with the administration, Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole and members of Congress on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Capitol, President Reagan signed into law legislation getting the Federal Government out of the airport business. The new law established the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and placed both Dulles and the now-named Reagan National airports under local control. As a career Federal employee at the Federal Aviation Administration, Jim Wilding had been the general manager of the FAA's Metropolitan Washington Airports organization. He was on the ground floor laying the foundation for the milestone event of 1987 and some could even say working hard to eliminate his job. But, when it was time to turn over control of the airports to a local authority, there was no question about who should lead the new operation. Through Jim's vision and expertise, both Dulles and Reagan National airports have thrived. He has led the airports through the transition away from Federal operation, through rapid growth, and now into the new post-September 11 security framework. His success is the result of intimate knowledge of the workings of modern airports and his total dedication to his craft. Jim began his career with the Federal Aviation Administration soon after graduating from the Catholic University of America in 1959 with a graduate degree in civil engineering. At the FAA, he participated in the original planning and development of Washington Dulles International Airport. Following the opening of Dulles in 1962, Jim held progressively responsible positions in all phases of engineering for the two federally owned airports, eventually becoming the organization's chief engineer. He served as chief engineer until becoming the airports' deputy director in 1975, and then its director 4 years later, a position he held until the airports' transfer in 1987, when he assumed his current position. As president and CEO of the Airports Authority, Jim has overseen passenger activity at National and Dulles Airports nearly double to 31 million passengers in 2002. With this growth, he has managed a massive capital development program at both airports totaling well over $3 billion. Under Jim's leadership, Reagan National Airport was modernized in 1997 with a new terminal building including major improvements to airport traffic management and Metro system connections. At Dulles, he directed the expansion and construction of new concourses and the building of the airport's first parking garages, and has under way now a $3.2 billion capital improvement project. In tandem with the airport's growth, the Smithsonian Institution will open its new Air and Space Museum annex later this year located at Dulles Airport. Dulles Airport has been called the fuel that drives the northern Virginia economy. It is no mystery why so many businesses occupy land along the Dulles Toll Road which, when Dulles was built, was farmland. Dulles provides convenient access for business as well as leisure travelers to destinations all over the United States as well as the entire world. Jim Wilding could very well also have the title of ``Mr. Washington Airports.'' But his career hasn't just been highlighted with local accolades. His outstanding performance has earned him a national and international reputation as an aviation industry expert. Jim has been such an integral part of Washington's airports that it will be hard to imagine Dulles and Reagan National without him. On behalf of all members of Congress throughout the years who have used these airports, all the citizens of northern Virginia and the entire metropolitan Washington region, and the entire aviation community, I extend congratulations and best wishes to James A. Wilding on the occasion of his retirement and express deepest gratitude for his exemplary career in public service.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I introduced in the House legislation which concerns a problem that has been ignored by too many for too long: prison rape. I am pleased and grateful that my colleague from the Commonwealth of Virginia, Rep. Robert C. Scott is an original cosponsor of this legislation. I believe in vigorous prosecution of criminals and tough sentences on offenders. However, prison rape has nothing to do with being tough on crime; it has to do with making our communities safer, reducing recidivism, and controlling the spread of communicable diseases. This bill would require prisons to establish tough standards to address the issue of prison rape. Experts have established that roughly 13 percent of the over 2 million prisoners in the United States have been victims of rape in prison. Many of these inmates who are raped contract HIV, hepatitis, and other diseases. Upon release, these individuals may then spread these diseases and their rage--contracted in prison as a result of prison rape--to individuals in their community. Prison rape causes psychological trauma, which may lead its victims to act out in an aggressive manner upon leaving prison, possibly committing further crimes which will result in their reincarceration in an already overcrowded prison system. Additionally suicide is the leading cause of death behind bars and sexual harassment, such as rape, is the leading cause of prisoner suicide. Last year on Capitol Hill, a mother of a 16-year-old-boy, who was repeatedly raped in a Texas prison, offered a grim tale of her son's abuse. She said her son reported the attacks to prison officials but was told ``(rape) happens every day, learn to deal with it. It is no big deal.'' The boy ultimately hanged himself in his cell. He had been arrested for starting a fire in a dumpster. The trauma caused by prison rape cannot be underestimated. No matter where the survivor ends up, severe psychosis is the most common outcome of prisoner rape. Sexual assault can often break a prisoner's spirit. In the advanced stages of rape trauma syndrome, for example, a survivor's mood often swings between deep depression and rage. Prisoner rape may be the quickest, most cost-effective way of producing a sociopath. According to researchers, the fact that most men on death row were sexually abused earlier in life should come as no surprise. Indeed, it is a fact that society ignores at its own peril. Prison rape perpetuates a vicious cycle of violence and trauma which starts with a prisoner being raped and that prisoner often committing acts of aggression and sexual harassment either within prison or in the community upon his release. Indeed, prison rape survivors often become rapists themselves in a demented attempt to regain what they think of as their ``lost manhood.'' Some prison rape victims retaliate by murdering their rapists, receiving added years to their sentence and further burden the prison system. Studies show that prison rape costs the taxpayer in recidivism and increased violent crime. Inmates--often nonviolent, first-time offenders--will come out of a prison rape experience severely traumatized and will often leave prison more violent than when they entered. Prison rape costs raped prisoners their dignity and costs society monetarily and psychologically. Combating prison rape is also an issue of human rights and basic humanity. A nation cannot turn its back on thousands of people who are under the care of the state, and being raped and traumatized while under that care. Prison rape is a form of torture. The body of a rape victim may heal, but the emotional damage caused by prison rape may never be ameliorated. As a nation which rightfully stands up for human rights around the world, and which has the best human rights record in the world, we must act now to remove this blight from our record; we must act now to stop the inhumane and degrading practice of prison rape. The nation has ignored prison rape for too long. The United States Supreme Court has ruled that deliberate indifference to prison rape is a violation of the Constitution. In order to be true to our nation's founding principles, in order to end the cycle of violence and degradation, in order to further the safety of our prisons and society, the passage of this legislation to address prison rape is vital. I urge my colleagues to join in support of this legislation.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I want to say thanks to the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Trade, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Crane), and their staff, Angela Ellard and Dave Kavanaugh, with the help of Viji Rangaswami from the minority staff for their efforts on the bill. In addition, I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Houghton) and his staff, Bob Van Wicklin for pulling this bill together and staying very faithful during this difficult time; also, Frank Record and Joan Condon from the Committee on International Relations for their important contributions. The passage of this bill is really a tribute to a former Congressman, Tony Hall, who brought this issue to the body and asked me to go with him several years ago to Sierra Leone. So, Tony, this is really because of your work. And who says one person cannot make a difference? Mr. Speaker, millions of people have died in Africa because of the bloodshed surrounding conflict diamonds. The bill we consider today may finally bring hope and justice to the millions of Africans who have suffered. In addition, major media organizations, the Washington Post and the BBC, have reported direct connections between blood diamonds and the al Qaeda terrorist network. Addressing the issue of conflict diamonds is not only essential for the millions dying and suffering in Africa but also for America's national security. This version of the bill before the House is a good one, and I am confident the President has the tools to ban trade of rough diamonds that fund terrorists and other groups that commit despicable actions against innocent people. The al Qaeda, Hezbollah, and many other groups have been funded through this diamond trade. This bill is an important improvement over other drafts we have seen this year. For example, the bill language has established the Kimberly Process Coordination Committee. The committee would coordinate the implementation of the act. Both the Secretaries of State and Treasury would be chairs of the committee. With the assistance of the Secretaries of Commerce, Homeland Security, and the U.S. Trade Rep, there would be greater pressure to be sure the process is implemented as the Congress intends. Further, a former Ambassador to Sierra Leone, Ambassador Melrose, has told us that the ability to maintain statistical information is vital to make a determination as to whether or not the Kimberly Process is being successful or circumvented. This will take care of that. The bill prevents illicit conflict diamonds from entering the United States. This is a tribute not only to former Congressman Hall, but also as a sign that we care deeply about the young men and women and children who had their arms cut off and all those activities that took place. And I just want to thank all the Members and the staff that have been involved in bringing this bill here.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call to the attention of the House the passing of Luther Eldridge ``Ikey'' Miller. I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Miller during his service as the clerk of the Page County Circuit Court and chairman of the Page County Republican Party when Page County was a part of Virginia's 10th District between 1992 and 2002. Mr. Miller, age 71, died at his Rileyville home March 17 after suffering a heart attack. Funeral services were held Wednesday, March 19, at Bradley Funeral Home, and he was interred in Luray. Many grieve the loss of this man who was known as fair, straight- talking, dedicated and driven by integrity. According to a longtime friend, ``Ikey was looked at by other [party] chairmen in the area as a person with a lot of experience, who they could go to for advice.'' ``He was always that wise man that had advice. He'd already been through whatever was coming up,'' according to Brian Plum, the current Page County Republican chairman. In addition to his court and political careers, Ikey Miller was a dedicated father and husband, a military veteran, a solid baseball player in his youth, a talented musician, an active civic leader, a member of the Masonic Lodge, and a successful farmer. He also loved to hunt for coon and squirrel. It was an honor to have known and worked with Ikey Miller, who not only lived according to his beliefs, but he was driven by them to excel. My condolences go out to his family and friends as they mourn the loss of such an exemplary public servant.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, last week I wrote U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan requesting he appoint a special envoy to respond to the hunger crisis throughout the world. U.N. special envoys have been appointed to respond to crises over the years, and what could be more compelling than millions of lives endangered? Hunger is devastating Africa, North Korea, Argentina, and has reached into all corners of the globe. One of the worst cases is the current situation in Africa. Africa is on the brink of a crisis of biblical proportions. Thirty million people, 30 million, are at risk of malnutrition and starvation in Africa alone. This is on top, Mr. Speaker, of the HIV/AIDS crisis that is consuming resources that would otherwise be devoted to famine relief. When I traveled to Ethiopia in January and Eritrea earlier this year, I saw firsthand the bloated bellies and the weak limbs of the children, and I was reminded of the devastation I saw when I was in Ethiopia with former Congressman Tony Hall in 1984 and 1985 during that famine. African countries in particular are suffering from donor fatigue and a lack of attention. The flood of international news has kept the reality of this situation away from people in many Western countries. When I think of some of the stupid shows that some of the networks run, like Joe Millionaire, Survivor, and these things, and how little time they are actually spending on the hunger and the starvation of people in every continent, it is very, very discouraging. North Korea and Central Asia also teeter on the brink of crisis. In North Korea there are reports that up to 80 percent of the humanitarian relief never even reaches the North Korean people. If left unchecked, thousands and millions of North Korean lives will be in jeopardy. Even in Argentina, once a middle class Latin American country, hunger is now widespread. Hospitals are regularly treating diseases caused by lack of protein and poor nutrition. Children in Argentina are dying of malnutrition, and in some communities relief organizations have classified 90 percent of the children as undernourished. Yes, in Argentina. This is especially tragic for a country that has more livestock than people. This, Mr. Speaker, is a global crisis and it demands a global response. No one country can meet these needs. We in the United States should be proud, for in the year 2002 the United States Government, the American people, contributed 51 percent of all the food, compared to the EC and Europe's combined contribution of only 27 percent of the donations of the U.N. World Food Programme. Many countries have the ability to give more and may just be waiting to be asked. Time, resources and attention must be devoted to mobilizing and coordinating the resources required. The lives of millions of women and children hang in the balance. A special representative, a special envoy under the leadership of the U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan can mobilize the financial and material resources required, coordinate the international organization to achieve mutual relief and unity of effort, develop an integrated plan and provide operational direction and remove obstacles. This position is critical to reenergizing the global community, refocusing attention on this situation, and, most importantly, saving millions of lives. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to contact the U.N. directly and encourage them to adopt a strategy to save the lives of the millions of women and children that hang in the balance. Attention by this Congress will send a loud and clear message. Otherwise, many of these 30 million or more will die.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to recognize the 60th anniversary of Interstate Worldwide Relocation, headquartered in northern Virginia, a worldwide relocation and transportation management company specializing in household goods moving and storage. A sterling example of the American dream fulfilled, Arthur E. Morrissette started the company on March 15, 1943, with a used truck worth $450, a dolly and a few furniture pads. His first move was billed at $12.50, and in the winter of that year he sold bundles of firewood just to keep the business going. Today, Interstate is a multi-million dollar enterprise, operating a fleet of approximately 300 vehicles, employing more than 300 people in northern Virginia and consisting of over 500 representatives worldwide. Interstate, ranked in the nation's top twenty for relocation and transportation management companies, is committed to its motto of providing ``Top Hat Service.'' The company has been recognized by both industry and community organizations for its outstanding customer service and safety efforts. To mention a few, American Moving and Storage Association honored Interstate in 2001 with a first place Safety Initiative Award and Fleet Safety Award. Fairfax County Economic Development Authority awarded its 2001 Blue Diamond Quality First Award to Interstate distinguishing the company as a business that provides high quality customer service above and beyond industry standards. In addition, Interstate was awarded the 2001 National Capital Ethics Award by the Greater Washington and Northern Virginia Chapter of the Society of Financial Services Professionals as a business that exemplifies a strong commitment to business excellence and to the highest standards of civic and social responsibility, integrity and ethical conduct. Interstate also has become the U.S. Department of Defense's second- largest mover, and has provided a superior level of service to military families moving domestically, and internationally. The company also has a long standing commitment to serving the needs of the community, both locally and across the Commonwealth. Interstate's dedication to the support of education from the elementary school level through and including endowed scholarships at universities in the Commonwealth is commendable. It is an honor to present Interstate Worldwide Relocation as an example of the business values America holds dear and as an example of an outstanding corporate citizen. On behalf of the northern Virginia community, we wish the entire Interstate family of management and employees another 60 years of ``Top Hat Service.''

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, yesterday a United Nations war crimes tribunal headed by an American in Sierra Leone indicted seven people, including rebel leaders and a powerful figure in that country's decade-long civil conflict. The indictment is for crimes of murder, rape, extermination, acts of terror, enslavement, and attacks on humanitarian workers; and all, if not most of these crimes, are directly related to atrocities committed to gain control of and profit from conflict diamonds. These indictments are an important and necessary milestone in the long road to securing justice and restoring the human rights of the people in that part of Africa. Mr. Speaker, 75,000 people died in Sierra Leone. But not until one actually sees someone, this young girl that Congressman Tony Hall and I visited when we were in a refugee camp in Sierra Leone, when you see someone who had their arms and legs and hands cut off by rebels to scare and intimidate the local population to gain control, do these numbers mean something. My colleagues might also know, as reported in the press, that the rebels, these people that have been indicted, have been selling conflict diamonds to al Qaeda that have been funding the al Qaeda efforts. So we want to salute the men and women that are working for us in Sierra Leone to bring about these indictments. [From the Associated Press Worldstream, Mar. 10, 2003] International War Crimes Tribunal Indicts Sierra Leone Rebel Leader (By Clarence Roy-Macaulay) Sierra Leone's international war crimes tribunal issued its first indictments Monday against seven former warlords, including imprisoned rebel leader Foday Sankoh whose followers gained infamy with a campaign of chopping off hands, legs, ears and lips of innocent civilians. Also charged was Internal Affairs Minister Samuel Hinga Norman, who was arrested and cuffed Monday by police who surrounded him in his office in the capital. Hinga Norman, the former deputy defense minister, orchestrated attacks by a pro-government militia of traditional hunters called the Kamajors whose alleged human rights abuses during the country's 1991-2000 civil war included torturing and summarily executing opponents and recruiting child fighters. Three others were also arrested Monday while two remained at large. Sankoh, whose Revolutionary United Front launched a vicious insurgency to control the country's government and diamond fields in 1991, will be among the first to go to trial, said David Crane, the court's American chief prosecutor. The rebels' signature atrocity was cutting off the appendages of civilians in a tactic to spread fear among opponents. Sankoh has been in prison since being captured in early 2000 after his fighters gunned down more than a dozen protesters outside his Freetown home. ``Today the people of Sierra Leone took back control of their lives and their future,'' Crane told reporters. ``The dark days of the rule of the gun are over.'' Crane said crimes alleged within the indictments include murder, rape, enslavement, looting and burning, sexual slavery, conscripting children and attacking humanitarian workers and U.N. peacekeepers. Crane did not reveal when the cases would be heard. Court officials have been reluctant to give many details in advance for fear of jeopardizing the safety of trial participants. The court was launched by an agreement between the United Nations and Sierra Leone to try serious violations of international and Sierra Leonean humanitarian law since Nov. 30, 1996, when Sankoh's rebels signed a peace accord with the government that was supposed to end five years of war. The peace deal was followed by a military coup and several more years of fighting until the end of 2000. Also indicted Monday was Johnny Paul Koroma, a former junta leader who is wanted by Sierra Leone's government in connection with a failed January coup attempt--the first since peace returned to the country. Koroma, who allied himself with Sankoh's rebel in overthrowing Sierra Leone's civilian government in 1997, is currently at large. Since elections were held last year, in which Sankoh's rebels stood for parliament without winning a single seat, a shaky peace has emerged, protected by nearly 17,000 United Nations troops--the world body's largest deployment anywhere. Sierre Leone's war crimes tribunal differs from those of Rwanda and Yugoslavia as it will be held in the country and have a mix of local and international prosecutors and judges. The court is expected to operate for three years on a budget of just under US $60 million paid for by contributions from about 20 countries, including the United States and Britain.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I want to share with our colleagues a recent article from The Loudoun times-Mirror which honors my constituent Mr. Andrew Pitas of Lucketts upon his receipt of the Glenn Gilbert Award from the Air Traffic Control Association for his lifetime commitment and leadership in the field of aviation. I am proud to call attention to the achievements of Mr. Pitas as he is honored with this prestigious award. On behalf of the people of Virginia's 10th Congressional district, I congratulate Mr. Andrew Pitas for his outstanding efforts in the field of air traffic control. [From The Loudoun Times-Mirror, Feb. 12, 2003] Lucketts Man Honored for Aviation Leadership (By Scott Cissel) Lucketts resident Andrew Pitas first experienced air traffic control in 1941 when he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. One day a supervisor at the Anacostia Naval Air Station in Washington, D.C., asked the 17-year-old to work in the control tower. ``It looked warm up there,'' recalled Pitas, who had been working outside in the chilly air, inspecting airplane propellers for cracks. Now more than 60 years later, the Air Traffic Control Association, an organization cofounded by Pitas in 1956 and based in Arlington, is honoring him with the Glenn Gilbert Award for his lifetime commitment and leadership in the field of aviation. Only 15 people have received the award, including U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta and Najeeb Halaby, father of Queen Noor of Jordan. Pitas' name will be added to the Glenn Gilbert trophy, which is kept on permanent display in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. ``It's kind of humbling,'' Pitas said. ``Air traffic controlling is a team effort. There are so many people you can get in trouble and who can get you in trouble. There are no cowboys in this business.'' The 80-year-old, raised on a dairy farm in Rhode Island, learned air traffic control when it was a fledging technology. He was stationed in England during World War II as a controller. After the war he worked at the Washington Tower in D.C., now Reagan National Airport. Returning to the farm, where as a boy he had watched planes fly overhead en route to Boston, wasn't an option. ``There were better ways to make a living,'' he said. ``I had to milk cows morning and night.'' Before radar became a standard practice after the war, some pilots refused to take radar readings from controllers, according to Pitas. Others liked it so much they played the radar position he broadcast to their passengers in the cabin. And some pilots and crews had enough time to sing a greeting song to him as their planes neared landing. Controllers knew many of the pilots by name then. ``In the early days we knew a lot of them,'' said Pitas. As air traffic increased, so did the stress on controllers, which prompted Pitas to develop a system that is now universally used--the automated terminal information system. The service sends a recording with continuously updated information on flight conditions to pilots. Before, pilots had to radio the tower for updates. Pitas later brought his talent and expertise to the Federal Aviation Administration, where he rewrote the handbook used by air traffic controllers. In 1956 he and some colleagues founded the Air Traffic Control Association, perhaps his most lasting contribution to the industry. Air traffic controllers did not have retirement benefits or adequate insurance and pay in the 1950s, recalled Pitas, and they could suffer the blame of plane collisions even if they had performed their jobs well. ``It was almost like you were on your own,'' he said. ``The ATCA was instrumental in getting the government to beef up protection. After all, we were agents of the government.'' Through lobbying efforts and representation in Congress, the ATCA gained better benefits for its members and has become a source of international recognition for controllers. ``It gives people all over the world an outlet for their views,'' he said. Stanley L. Seltzer, chief controller at Washington Tower in the late 1940s, remembered Pitas not only for his technical innovations, but also for his leadership in the ATCA. ``He was the live wire and the real go-getter,'' said Seltzer, who now lives in Florida. ``He was always saying that people didn't care enough about the controllers' point of view. . . . ATCA really made it possible for an exchange of thought on technical improvements, and put a voice there that was never heard before.'' Aviation was viewed as a safer way to travel by the public, according to Seltzer, because of the early air traffic controllers' work in preventing midair collisions and improving communications. ``Had it not been for them I don't think that air transport would have been as widely accepted,'' he said. After retiring from the FAA in 1983, Pitas has pursued his interest in the history of air traffic control, including research on the first women controllers. He raised cattle on his farm in Lucketts before swelling it in 1990, and once stored a three-ton radio navigational device in one of his barns for the National Air and Space Museum. Since 1986, Pitas has been assistant vice president of ATCA and has been active in securing funds for U.S. 15 road improvements between Leesburg and Point of Rocks, Md.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, our former colleague, the Honorable John Miller, who served as a member of the House of Representatives from the State of Washington from 1984-92, was sworn in today by Vice President Dick Cheney as the director of the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. John also serves in the Bush Administration as a senior adviser to the Secretary of State. Sex trafficking is a growing problem of slavery both abroad and at home. John Miller is an excellent choice by the President for this job and we wish him well in this important position. I insert for the Record the remarks John gave at his swearing-in ceremony. Speech given by the Honorable John R. Miller at his swearing in as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State and Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, at the Capitol on March 4, 2003 Vice President Cheney, I feel honored and appreciative that someone who I respect as much as you has taken the time to swear me in. Thank you. It is so good to see many of my former colleagues in Congress. House Majority Leader Tom Delay, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Frank Wolf and Chris Smith who have been such leaders on the slave trading issue, my class mates Howard Coble, Jim Saxton, Joe Barton, and from the neighboring district to mine in Seattle, Jim McDermott . . . thank you all for joining my family and me on this occasion. Undersecretary Paula Dobriansky, thank you for your kind words and thank you for your work on human rights over the years and for your support, your counsel and your guidance. And my thanks to all of you today who come as friends, or relatives, or advocates in this cause. Most of all, I want to thank my wife, June, and our son, Rip, for supporting me in this effort. When one takes on a challenge of modern day slavery, one benefits from the work of others, past and present. Some came long before, such as the English opponent of the slave trade, William Wilberforce, the American abolitionist, William Lloyd Garrison; the Quakers with their Underground Railroad, or the men and women of the Salvation Army who started the fight against sex slavery in the 19th century. Others whose shoulders I stand upon are less well known and more recent. But they are here in attendance today. I see Laura Lederer, who outside and now inside government, has labored to raise the public consciousness of trafficking around the world through her research, writing and speeches. I see Amy O'Neill-Richard, who, with her seminal study on trafficking of women, influenced many inside government to understand that modern day slavery is a great emerging womens' issue. I see Michael Horowitz, my friend and also welcome critic, who has been present and active at the creation of just about every important piece of human rights legislation this past decade. I also see here many committed people from my office. Would you all please raise your hands. These are the people who travel thousands of miles and labor thousands of hours in their efforts to fight the slave trade. The dimensions of the modern day slavery challenge that we face are vast. There are not thousands or hundreds of thousands but over a million people who are trafficked and enslaved every single year. That's right-over a million every single year. Many of our fellow Americans believe slavery ended here after the Civil War. And, indeed, slavery based on color did end then in our country. But we know that today slavery based on color still exists in countries such as Mauritania. We know that today slavery based on bonded labor still in the brick kilns of Pakistan and in exists on the farms of India, the charcoal camps of Brazil. We know that today slavery based on military impressment of children goes on from Sri Lanka to Uganda. And most of all, we know that today the fastest growing and And most of all, most hideous form of modem day slavery, sex slavery, reaches into most countries of the world, including these United States. We know that sex slavery makes billions for organized crime every year. We know at the same it time physically, mentally, and spiritually ruins millions of children and women. Mr. Vice President, the struggle we wage to abolish modem day slavery will decide the fate of millions of human beings. But this struggle is also tied to the United States' role in the world. We live in a time when many people abroad do not know or have forgotten the idealism that led Americans to sacrifice over and over so that others might enjoy the God- given, inalienable right to liberty enunciated in our Declaration of Independence. They do not know what moves America; what makes us tick. Now with many grave challenges facing us at home and abroad, the President and Congress have asked that we take on the ultimate issue of liberty: freeing people from slavery. It is an issue that cries out for national and international leadership. And as is so often the case, while many nations will cooperate in this fight, one nation must lead the way. Which country will put its power and resources into this fight to help the world's weakest achieve freedom? Which country will risk alienating others by reporting openly what's going on and holding out the possibility of aid sanctions to encourage action? There is only one answer to the question of which country must lead: it is the United States of America. We lead not because we are perfect--we have our imperfections--including on this issue. We lead because we alone have the idealism, the power, the history and the commitment to freedom to lead the world in this new abolitionist struggle. Yes, some abroad and even at home will view this effort with alarm and cynicism. They do not understand that on this as on many issues, our interests are reflected in our values. They will also ignore the fact that the fight against slavery is premised not only on our own values but universal values and UN covenants. Such people will still ask why are you trying to impose American values on the world? Two hundred years ago similar people asked the English evangelist and member of Parliament, William Wilberforce, as he fought to end the slave trade based on color, why are you trying to impose British values on the world? But Wilberforce persisted and persevered and millions who emerged for slavery to live in freedom thanked him and Great Britain. And just as today the people of Eastern Europe thank us for freeing them from Soviet tyranny, in the future, if we are successful, millions of men in forced peonage and millions of women and children forced into prostitution and sex slavery will thank the United States for their freedom. Just last week President Bush issued an executive order that showed anew his determination that the U.S. lead the fight to abolish modem day slavery. President Bush became the first American President to challenge government agencies to make the fight against modem day slavery a priority in planning and deeds. I am proud to serve an administration and a President who will make this issue of human rights and freedom an integral part of United States foreign policy. I accept this position humbly, Mr. Vice President, and I ask for the prayers and help of those in this room and elsewhere. I have learned enough in my few weeks here to know that I truly need such prayers and help. This struggle will not be short or easy. Wilberforce only succeeded in abolishing the 19th century slave trade after over 25 years. We will need his spirit and the spirit of our own nineteenth century abolitionists if we are to defeat this modern scourge. But we all should know this: As we pursue this struggle, we will serve God, we will serve mankind, and we will serve our country well. And that is all we can and should ask of ourselves. Thank you.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, on January 31, 2003, America opened its 388th park in the National Park Service: Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park. The establishment of this park represents years of hard work by many dedicated individuals and institutions. I am inserting into the Record an editorial by Adrian O'Connor, ``History at Belle Grove'' which appeared in the Winchester Star on February 1, 2003. This piece outlines the unique partnership which helped create this park and the plans for its future. Following this editorial is a list of those who played a seminal role in bringing this park into existence. History at Belle Grove--Now There Are 388 National Parks History was made--or, should we say, further history was made--on a chilly, muscle-tightening morning near the front steps of Belle Grove Plantation. With a gentle snow falling, cattle contentedly lowing in a distant pasture, and a late fog rolling across the surrounding fields--the latter a historical symmetry not lost on Virginia's senior senator, Republican John W. Warner-- Cedar Creek Battlefield and Belle Grove Plantation because the 388th star in the National Park Service constellation. Observing the pristine carpet of snow around Belle Grove, Dr. Stanley Hirschberg, former president of the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation, likened it to a ``fresh beginning'' for the historic acreage and manor house near Middletown. And so it is--a ``fresh beginning'' born of a partnership to preserve or, as Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-6th, called it, ``a new way to protect and preserve.'' On Friday, the National Park Service officially joined the Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation, the Shenandoah Valley Battlefield Foundation, and Belle Grove Plantation as caretakers of this historical gem-- now known as the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park. These four entities are now partners in a new-model national park, one whose very approach to land acquisition plows virgin ground in this field. Suffice it to say, at a time when rampant development is threatening the Chancellorsville battlefield park near Fredericksburg and dollars for such new endeavors are scarce in the federal budget, this is soil that needed to be furrowed in such fashion. And a steadfast combination from Virginia's congressional delegation--legislators eager to set a new and different precedent in the creation of national parks--saw that it was done. What is new and different about this national park? For starters, the approach to acquiring land. There will be no acrimonious condemnation by the Federal government in this process; it will only purchase private property inside the 3,000-acre park when owners express a willingness to sell. Such guidelines, Mr. Warner said, need to be ``replicated'' across America. ``There's little money left for national parks,'' he said, after noting the weather and the fact that Confederate Gen. Judal A. Early attacked the Union Army ringing Belle Grove under a similar cover of fog on Oct. 19, 1864. ``Uncle Sam doesn't have to buy every square foot of land to bring about preservation.'' In addition, all three lawmakers on hand for the ceremony-- Messrs. Warner and Goodlatte as well as Rep. Frank Wolf, R- 10th--noted that current residents and businesses will be able to live and work within the park's boundaries, and will be free to change or renovate their property as they see fit. And, as Mr. Wolf pointed out, this will be the first national park to allow historical re-enactments--i.e. the annual Battle of Cedar Creek--within its confines. ``There will be a partnership with the community, a reaching out beyond our boundaries,'' said Fran Mainella, director of the National Park Service. Significant as well is the broad historical scope of this park. Though known primarily as the site of the climactic Civil War battle in the Shenandoah Valley, Cedar Creek/Belle Grove is more than just a Civil War battlefield. Much as its current watchwords--``Back Country to Breadbasket to Battlefield and Beyond''--duly suggest, the park will embrace a wide swath of our blessed heritage. Emphasis will be placed on Native American and French and Indian War history in addition to that of the Civil War. Central to these themes will be the Belle Grove manor house designed, so local lore has it, by Thomas Jefferson. Thus, Mr. Wolf had it right when, taking in the panoramic surroundings Friday morning, he said that ``we stand on the shoulders of giants.'' Now, however, it is time for us, as residents of this Valley, to build on the vision of these latter-day statesmen who strove so diligently to craft a new- model national park, one of which we can all be proud.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman for yielding me this time, and I congratulate the chairman and all the people, the leadership and everyone else involved in this bill. I rise in strong support of the 2003 bill. I will be very brief, but there is $4.3 billion for the FBI, an increase of $773 million above last year to help stop what we are concerned of, what may very well happen to this country, counterterrorism, counterintelligence. There is additional money for the DEA. There is $6.16 billion for INS, for Entry-Exit, funding additional border patrol, land patrol, immigration, and so many other very, very positive things. With regard to local law enforcement, $1.4 billion to prevent violent crimes and acts of terrorism, including $500 million for the Byrne formula grant, $400 million for the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant program. With regard to domestic preparedness for equipment, training, and exercises for fire, EMS, HAZMAT, and law enforcement, all of that is in this bill. There is $2.1 billion for crime control. Again, very important. Also, the body should know the conference report includes $716 million for the Securities and Exchange Commission, $150 million above the request and $248 million above fiscal year 2002 to provide the necessary resources for corporate abuse. For the State Department, we have adequately funded embassy security and diplomatic readiness. There are a lot of positive things in here with regard to the Supreme Court and others. I want to close, Mr. Speaker, by one, commending the chairman and the full committee staff for an outstanding job, and also to personally thank the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary staff for their tireless efforts, requiring long nights away from their families while preparing this legislation. Mike Ringler, clerk of the subcommittee, Christine Ryan Kojac, John Martens, Leslie Albright, Butch Davisson, and Nisha Kumar have worked night and day to finish the CJS portion. And Rob, on the other side, and many others have been involved. I think this is good legislation that will save a lot of lives and good for the country. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to finally bring to the House Floor the conference report on the fiscal year 2003 Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Appropriations. Within a very tight allocation, we were able to provide funding for a variety of critical national priorities. For Federal law enforcement, the Senate bill was over $700 million below the House. We were able to restore those funds in the conference report, including; $4.3 billion for the FBI, an increase of $773 million above last year and $45 million above the request, to continue efforts to modernize the FBI's IT infrastructure, and to improve the FBI's counterterrorism and counterintelligence capabilities; $1.65 billion for the DEA, an increase of $15 million above the request, and $80 million above last year to continue to fight the scourge of illegal drugs; 6.16 billion for the INS, Including $362 million for Entry Exit, and funding to hire an additional 570 border patrol agents, 460 land border immigration inspectors, and 760 additional airport and seaport inspectors and support personnel. The conference agreement provides $4.6 billion for State and Local law enforcement, including: $1.4 billion to prevent violent crime and acts of terrorism, including $500 million for the Byrne formula program, $400 million for the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant program, and $515 million for law enforcement hiring, overtime, equipment, training, and technologies; $1 billion for the Office of Domestic Preparedness for equipment, training, and exercises for all types of first responders, fire, EMS, hazmat, and law enforcement; and $2.1 billion for other crime control programs, including $391 million to prevent violence against women, $57 million for methamphetamine enforcement and clean-up, $7.5 million for a prescription drug monitoring program to combat the abuse of prescription drugs such as OxyContin, and $465 million for juvenile delinquency and accountability programs. The conference report includes $716 million for the Securities and Exchange Commission, $150 million above the request and $248 million above fiscal year 2002, to provide the necessary resources to protect investors from corporate abuse. For the State Department, we have maintained the higher House funding level of $7.8 billion to fully fund the request for embassy security, to provide second year funding for the Department's Diplomatic Readiness Initiative, and to fully fund estimated current year assessments for the United Nations and United Nations Peacekeeping. For the Department of Commerce, the Conference Report provides $5.73 billion for the Department of Commerce and other trade agencies, over $400 billion above the level in the House bill. This funding will allow the Department to generate timely and accurate economic statistics, negotiate and verify fair trade agreements, improve weather forecasting, and manage the Nation's fisheries. For the Federal Judiciary, the conference report provides $4.9 billion, $199 million above fiscal year 2002. This includes funding to process an all-time-high number of criminal and bankruptcy cases, to continue the renovation of the Supreme Court building, 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. We have come a long way toward constructing an acceptable bill, and I urge my colleagues to support this conference report. I would like to thank the Commerce-Justice-State subcommittee staff for their tireless efforts and long nights away from their families while preparing this legislation. Mike Ringler, clerk of the subcommittee, Christine Ryan Kojac, John Martens, Leslie Albright, Butch Davisson, and Nisha Kumar have worked night and day to finish the CJS portion of the Omnibus Bill and I want to personally thank them for their work and efforts.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. WOLF. But it is introduced to be the subject of, and we are committed to those figures, to be the subject of the 2003 conference. We are actually higher with regard to that than what the Senate had. That is the subject of us going to conference. It is higher than what the administration asked for and also higher than what the Senate has.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that for the first session of the 108th Congress all Members be permitted to extend their remarks and to include extraneous material within the permitted limit in that section of the Record entitled ``Extensions of Remarks.''

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I want to call to the attention of our colleagues the passing of the Honorable John Henry Kyl, who served as a member of the House of Representatives for six terms in the 1960s and 1970s from the state of Iowa. He was 83 years old and the father of Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, and I know firsthand how proud he was of his son's own public service. I count myself fortunate to have known and worked with John Kyl. He was a hardworking, decent, and honorable man who was widely respected on both sides of the aisle, especially for his work on the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee. I met him in that capacity when I served as an assistant to then Interior Secretary Rogers C.B. Morton in the early 1970s. The Interior Committee was a perfect fit for John Kyl, who deeply respected America's public lands and Native Americans. In Congress, he sponsored a bill that ultimately led to the creation of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. When his service in Congress ended in 1972, he was named assistant secretary for congressional and legislative affairs at the Department of the Interior, where I was proud to work by his side. He served there from 1973 to 1977. Before retiring to Phoenix, Arizona, in 1985, he was executive vice president of Occidental International Corporation. He also had been a public school teacher before beginning his political career. Mr. Speaker, I will include following my remarks an obituary from the January 6, 2003, edition of Roll Call, headlined, ``Kyl Viewed Life Through Lens of Camera.'' In addition to his dedication to public service, John Kyl was an accomplished amateur photographer who captured on film the everyday scenes of life that we often overlook in what has become our too hurried paces. We offer our condolences to John's wife, Arlene, of Phoenix, daughters Jayne Kyl, of Phoenix, and Jan Martin, of Des Moines, and, of course, his son, Senator Kyl. He is also survived by a brother and a sister, six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren. [From Roll Call, Jan. 6, 2003] Kyl Viewed Life Through Lens of Camera (By Bree Hocking) When it came to appreciating life's simple beauties, no aspect was too small for the gimlet eye of former Republican Rep. John Kyl (Iowa). The 83-year-old Kyl, the father of Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz), died in his sleep just two days before Christmas from complications of heart disease and diabetes. During his decades-long career in Washington--first as a Hawkeye State Congressman and later as an assistant secretary at the Interior Department--Kyl was seldom without his Canon camera, snapping everything from the monuments at night to the ordinary scenes that make up the day-to-day Washington tableau. While his photographs of the capital's loftier sites still warm the walls of the Capitol Hill Club's Grill Room--and a picture he took of the Capitol holiday tree once graced the cover of the National Republican Club's magazine--it was the quotidian that particularly intrigued him. ``He was always a photographer . . . and a lot of [his subjects] were the out-of-the-way places that most people probably never realized existed. We whiz by these things as we are driving or walking, but we don't stop to take a look,'' said Sen. Kyl. ``I just came across an album as we were looking through his things--a very large album of all Washington, D.C., photos and most of them, probably 80 or 90 percent, were street scenes: street people, storefronts with a lot of graffiti on them, or just a park bench right after a snowstorm,'' Kyl added. While his father initially advised him against running for Congress, Sen. Kyl credited the lessons learned at the feet of the elder Kyl with his own political success. For example, the former public school teacher insisted his son be equipped to operate effectively in the public arena. ``He got some of my friends and me together when we were in high school . . . and he said, `You all need to learn to do public speaking, so I'll teach you what I can here.' '' ``My father was [also] a kind of frustrated farmer. We always lived in town but we always leased land and we always had livestock. He was really proud when I showed the grand champion steer at the county fair,'' the Senator recalled fondly. The elder Kyl--who lost his first bid for Congress in 1958 but won a special election for a seat in 1959--went on to serve five additional terms, though not consecutively. While in Congress, Kyl devoted himself to his work on the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, which included significant contributions to the genesis of the Lewis and Clark trail project, the younger Kyl said. ``He always stressed to me his ability to work on a bipartisan basis. . . . He was proud that Wayne Aspinall [then Democratic chairman of the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee] would turn the gavel over to him or turn a bill over to him to manage on the floor as if it were not a partisan matter.'' After losing his 1964 re-election bid, Kyl came back to triumph in 1966, then won seats in the two succeeding Congresses and served as a deputy to then-Minority Leader Gerald Ford (R-Mich.). However, in 1972, redistricting forced him to run in a more Democratic district, and he was bested in a Member-versus- Member Contest by Rep. Neal Smith (D-Iowa). ``If he was defeated, he understood,'' noted Kyl. ``It wasn't the end of his life.'' Soon after, the Nixon administration tapped Kyl as assistant secretary for Congressional and legislative affairs at the Interior Department, where he served from 1973 to 1977. In 1977, he joined the Occidental International Corporation as executive vice president, a post he held until retiring to Phoenix, Ariz., in 1985. Shortly thereafter, he had the pleasure of seeing his son, now the junior Senator from Arizona, win a seat in the House of Representatives. ``There aren't many father-son combinations from different states. Most of the father-son combinations are from the same state,'' Kyl noted. In addition to his Senator son, Kyl is survived by his wife Arlene, two daughters, one sister, one brother, six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, on December 1, 2002 another chapter of the Cold War with the Former Soviet Union ended with the passing of William G. Geimer. Bill was the visionary founder and longtime president of the Jamestown Foundation, a non profit organization devoted to promoting liberty and fighting totalitarianism most notably in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. I had the privilege of working with and learning from Bill as he waged the good fight against the oppressive regimes of the Soviet Union that sought to crush the human spirit. Through his instrumental role at the Jamestown Foundation, Bill's leadership and vision helped bring down the Iron Curtain. Mr. Speaker, I will insert following these remarks a press release from the Jamestown Foundation that describes how Bill made a tremendous difference with his life. Bill's efforts and advocacy with the Jamestown Foundation influenced Members of Congress, government officials and the general public exposing the corrupt and immoral nature of Soviet communism. Bill will be truly missed as this nation confronts other totalitarian regimes, but his life and vision can serve as a legacy for others continuing the fight against evil. In Memoriam, William W. Geimer: August 18, 1937--December 1, 2002 Jamestown Foundation Founder and Cold War Hero Dies Washington, DC.--With deep sorrow, the Jamestown Foundation announces the death of William W. Geimer, its visionary founder and longtime president. Mr. Geimer, 65, established the Jamestown Foundation at a critical point in the Cold War as a source of first-hand accounts of the inner workings of the Soviet Union and other Eastern bloc countries. From its founding in 1984, the foundation has become the leading force for disclosing to the world the knowledge and insights of those in the top reaches of closed totalitarian societies, including high level defectors from the Soviet Union and its client states. For creating a safe haven for high-ranking officials from behind the Iron Curtain with the courage to tell the world the true nature of communism, Geimer was recognized by President Ronald Reagan as a key figure in the collapse of the Soviet Union. Geimer was inspired to launch the foundation following his work with Arkady Shevchenko, the highest-ranking Soviet official ever to defect when he left his position as undersecretary general of the United Nations. Asked by the State Department to serve as Shevchenko's attorney, Geimer recognized that Shevchenko could provide a unique and invaluable insider's view of Soviet policymaking, arms control negotiation strategies and the workings of the top reaches of the then-secret Soviet government. Geimer was instrumental in the publication of Shevchenko's writings, most notably, the bestseller ``Breaking with Moscow,'' in which Shevchenko acknowledged, as well as the close personal friendship between them, ``the countless hours, days, years of himself'' that Bill Geimer had given to ``bring me into a new life.'' Following the end of the Cold War, Geimer moved the foundation aggressively into monitoring the Soviet transition away from totalitarianism by publishing daily analytical reports on events in the region. The Jamestown Foundation's research and publications have become the leading source of information on the war in Chechnya, and on political, military and economic trends in the states of the former Soviet Union and in China. ``Bill was an American patriot who devoted his life to promote freedom and democracy worldwide,'' said Barbara D. Abbott, the Jamestown Foundation's vice chairman and now president. ``From the Evil Empire to the Axis of Evil, he never wavered in his belief that an attack on the secrecy of closed societies is one of the greatest weapons in a democracy's arsenal. Bill's vision, wisdom, kindness and humor will be missed, but his work will continue at the Jamestown Foundation.'' ``Geimer was a visionary,'' long-time Board member and former Central Intelligence Agency director R. James Woolsey observed. ``He had an enormous impact on our national security efforts. As the Soviet Union began to collapse, Bill was one of the first to foresee that the instability brought about by that dissolution might result in rogue groups more difficult to deal with and potentially more of a threat to freedom than the USSR, which is precisely the situation we face with Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida.'' Zbigniew Brzezinski, Jamestown Advisory Board member, recalls that ``Bill Geimer was a patriot with a vision, an idealist with a program, and a leader who knew how to get things done.'' Vice President Dick Cheney, a former Jamestown Foundation board member who attended Wednesday's funeral services, stated, ``The Jamestown Foundation has played an important role in alleviating suffering and in furthering democracy.'' A native of Chicago, William W. Geimer received his bachelor's degree from Marquette University and his law degree from Northwestern University. He served on President Ronald Reagan's Export-Import Bank transition team, and in top-level positions in the Nixon and Ford administrations, including as deputy assistant secretary of state for international trade. He maintained a private law practice in Washington, DC from 1976 to 1984.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained this afternoon at a news conference reporting on my recent fact-finding trip to Ethiopia to observe the famine conditions and did not vote on rollcall Nos. 6 and 7. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on the motion to recommit S. 23, and ``yea'' on final passage of S. 23, to extend unemployment insurance benefits.