Heather Wilson

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the many contributions grandparents make to families in New Mexico and throughout this country. Grandparents are the ties to our heritage, culture and traditions. Grandparents keep the family history alive by sharing stories of how life ``used to be'' and how so much of life is the same. They can teach values and expectations through their own experiences. Grandparents have seen this nation at peace and war, and witnessed tremendous advances from the industrial age to the space age. They were there during outstanding performances in sports, the arts, and advancements in virtually every endeavor that mankind has pursued. I can recall vivid memories of time I spent with my grandparents. Like so many grandparents, they were great teachers. Whether it is teaching the secret family recipes or the value of a good, honest days work they share their wisdom with children they love. National Grandparents Day was first celebrated in 1978, the first Sunday after Labor Day. There will be many celebrations on Sunday, September 8, 2002 as families and friends gather to show their respect and gratitude to grandparents. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring grandparents in New Mexico and throughout the United States for their contributions to our families and our country.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, we have had some greedy people who cooked the books, aided by accountants who dishonored their profession. That is fraud, and they should go to jail for it. Now we are going to tighten down some of the rules of the system to make sure that this cannot happen again, and to restore confidence in the American system of free enterprise. I support American free enterprise, and because I support free enterprise, we need to crack down on people who would break the law and steal people's retirement security and the amount of money they are saving for their kids' education. It is a good step forward, and I commend the committee for their hard work and for sending a clear message to the American people. We are a country of free enterprise, and we will not tolerate people who break the law.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, it has been a long couple of days for all of us, and we are coming to the end of the Department of Interior appropriations bill, which will be the last appropriations bill with the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Skeen) as the chairman of a subcommittee of this House. Whenever I walk through the halls of the House and I pass by the statue of Will Rogers, I always think of Joe because Will Rogers is such a wonderful, funny man with a dry sense of humor who loved his country. Joe Skeen is the same kind of guy. He is a gentleman with a dry sense of humor, almost as dry as New Mexico this year. He loves his country, he loves this House; and he has served it well. I think we should all show our thanks to the gentleman from New Mexico.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. I yield to the gentleman from New Mexico.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share the story of the Grant Chapel Church in my hometown of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The church was founded in 1882 as the ``Colored Methodist Mission'' by a group of local African Americans. It was built as a place for them to worship in dignity and respect. As one of the oldest African American churches in the Southwest, the church has provided spiritual guidance and refuge to Albuquerque communities for many years. In 1883, the New Mexico Township, Inc. awarded several plots of lands to businesses and churches to promote development in the town that has become the Albuquerque we know today. The Colored Methodist Mission was only one of five churches to receive this gift from the city. The Grant Chapel Church has changed hands over the years and has had some fifty ministers serve its congregation throughout the 120-year history. In 1905, the church was renamed for Bishop Abram Grant, the presiding prelate of the 5th Episcopal District. The faithful members of this congregation built a church house in a Southwestern style in 1952 and served the community there for nearly fifty years before moving to a new location in 1990, where it remains today and continues to serve. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating this church for 120 years of service and spiritual guidance to the Albuquerque communities.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, the following high school students from the First Congressional District of New Mexico have been awarded the Congressional Certificate of Merit. These students have excelled during their academic careers and proven themselves to be exceptional students and leaders with their scholastic achievements, community service, and participation in school and civic activities. It is my pleasure to be able to recognize these outstanding students for their accomplishments. Their parents, their teachers, their classmates, the people of New Mexico and I are proud of them. Certificate of Merit Award Winners 2002 Stacey Atma, New Futures High School Emily Arzate, West Mesa High School Jonathan Berg, Temple Baptist Sean Blackshear, Mountainair High School Nathan Bogue, Menaul School David Cooper II, Cibola High School Patrick Furlong, St. Pius High School Leroy Garley Jr., Moriarity High School Sean Gill, Freedom High School Eva Gonzales, Rio Grande High School Anthony Herrera, Bernalillo High School Kelsey Jackson, Del Norte High School Heather Kaiser, La Cueva High School Russell A. Ligon, Manzano High School Julia Maccini, Sandia Prep High School Katie Marconett, Albuquerque High School Sonia Marinelarcena, Career Enrichment Eric Miller, Evangel Christian Academy Jordan Miller, School on Wheels Mitchell Eric Nelson, Hope High School Chelsea Perino, Sandia High School Joni Pinckard, Mountainair High School John Reidy, Albuquerque Academy High School Daena Richter, Eldorado High School Solomon Romney, Valley High School Brenda Solano, Evening High School

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, today is a heartfelt day for people from one of the most historic neighborhoods in my district. They are involved in something very special this morning in New York City. The Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, where as many as 800 people meet weekly to worship and give thanks, is in Barelas, one of Albuquerque's oldest neighborhoods. In the 1970's the church, including two prominent bell towers, was razed because the structure was unsound. Parishioners then moved across the street, into the existing Church gymnasium. The bells were lost until recently, when one was found in somebody's backyard. Now that one of those bells has reappeared, the Parish and members of the community hope to once again sound the bells throughout Barelas. This need and an inspired idea were the beginning of a wonderful journey that has brought together the people of New Mexico and the citizens of New York. Leaders in the community asked Archbishop Michael Sheehan and others, including me, to ask the City of New York for two steel beams from the World Trade Center. Those beams, the hope was, would be incorporated into the design of the new bell tower in a manner that would respect and remember the terrible terrorist attacks against our country the morning of September 11, 2001. A delegation from New Mexico, including Father Moore, John Garcia, Sosimo Padilla, Stan Tinker, and a member of my staff, are in New York this morning at Ground Zero. They are meeting with construction workers to pick up two 20-foot beams, remnants of the World Trade Towers and very generous gifts from the people of the City of New York. Father Moore will bless the beams for their safe journey to a new beginning. Those bells rang when World War II ended. They rang for weddings and funerals. They rang every Sunday morning over the City of Albuquerque to call people to worship. We are pleased in Albuquerque and thankful to the people of New York that the bell towers will be rebuilt and the bells will ring again. They will ring as a call to prayer, and they will now ring in remembrance. We saw the face of evil on September 11th. And in the aftermath, we saw the depth of America's goodness and a return to simple faith. We are a strong, loving people and a faithful people. New Mexico will rebuild this bell tower and remember. This bell tower will remind us and call us to worship for many years to come. President Bush said that terrorism cannot dent the steel of American resolve. I agree. These beams, this parish, this community, represent the strength of our American character and all the best our Nation has to offer. I'm honored to be a part of this.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, this is a very special day. Something special is happening in New York City this morning. There is a small church in Barelas in the old part of Albuquerque, New Mexico called Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church. In the 1970s, they had to tear down their church because it was structurally unsound. It had two bell towers. They rebuilt the church across the street, but the bells were lost until recently, and they found one of the huge bells and they are now going to rebuild the bell tower. Some leaders in the community contacted me and the Archbishop and wrote to the mayor of the City of New York and asked for two beams from the World Trade Center to incorporate into the design of the new bell tower. Some people from New Mexico, including Father Moore and John Garcia and Sosimo Padilla and a member of my staff, are in New York this morning at ground zero picking up those two beams that were given to us by the City of New York. Those bells at the Barelas bell tower rang when World War II ended. They rang for weddings and funerals. They rang every Sunday morning over the City of Albuquerque to call people to worship. We are pleased in Albuquerque and thankful to the people of New York that the bell towers will be rebuilt and the bells will ring again. They will ring in remembrance, and they will ring in the call to worship. Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Albuquerque is a beautiful church where about 800 people meet to worship. The Church, including twin bell towers, was razed in the mid-1970s because of structural problems, and its two bronze bells disappeared. One bell was found recently in a back yard, the other remains missing. The Church has been rebuilt and plans to build a new bell tower. This need and an inspired idea were the beginning of a wonderful journey that has brought together the people of New Mexico and the citizens of New York. The bells in Barelas rang when the war ended. They rang for weddings and for funerals. They rang to call people to prayer. Now they will ring again in remembrance. New Mexico Archbishop Michael Sheehan and I wrote to New York Mayor Bloomberg in January about the community's hopes to use steel from the World Trade Center to rebuild a bell tower for the Church. The Barelas Community Development Center spearheaded this effort to revitalize the neighborhood with this landmark as the center of the community. New York City has agreed to donate two 20-foot steel beams from the World Trade Center for a Bell Tower at the Sacred Heart Church. The beams will be incorporated into the design of the tower and memorialize victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Many people deserve a lot of credit for making this a reality. John Garcia and Sosimo Padilla thought they could make this happen, and they sought assistance from me and others. And they did it. We saw the face of evil on September 11th. And in the aftermath, we saw the depth of America's goodness and a return to simple faith. New Mexico will rebuild this bell tower and remember. We are a strong, loving people and a faithful people. This bell tower will remind us and call us to worship for many years to come. After the attacks on September 11, President Bush said that terrorism cannot dent the steel of American resolve. I agree. These beams, this parish, this community, represent the strength of our American character and all the best our Nation has to offer. I'm honored to be a part of this. Today, a delegation of New Mexicans are in New York to accept the beams in a ceremony. Traveling to New York are John Garcia; the Rev. James Moore of the Sacred Heart Church; Sosimo Padilla, head of the church's bell committee; Sam Tinker, a local business owner who volunteered to transport the steel, and a representative from my staff, Dawn Petchell, who assisted in this request. I also want to thank Southwest Airlines who donated airfare for the New Mexico delegation to go to New York, and to Bob Turner's Ford Country who donated a large flag to drape over the steel beams as they travel to the State. The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce is planning a celebration to welcome the steel beams to New Mexico.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the State of Washington for yielding me the time. I thank her for her leadership in bringing focus to the problem of child care and the challenge of child care so that we can build on the success that we have already achieved with welfare reform. There are 2.3 million fewer children who are in poverty today because their moms have gotten good jobs. There are almost 2 million children who are not hungry today because they have been raised out of poverty and their parents can afford food. That is because of welfare reform. Funding for child care from the Federal Government has tripled over the last 5 years, and that is at the same time that welfare caseloads have been cut in half, so that there is more money per child, and States have been allowed to move that money from those on welfare to the low-income working poor so that they can afford high quality child care. We are not satisfied with the success we have already seen. We want to build on this success and add more money into child care and focus on a couple of things. The real key I believe is quality, quality child care. So that we have trained providers, we are paying close to or at or above market rates. We have a stable nurturing workforce and stimulating settings for kids so that those who are growing up in poverty, those whose parents are working off welfare have a fair start at the starting gate of life. This $2 billion I hope States will use to increase what they pay for child care because so many of our States are underpaying what it really costs, and kids whose parents are working their way off welfare often do not have access to the best child care settings. This bill will also allow States to move more of this money from those on welfare where they have reduced the rolls to those who never were on welfare but are the low-income working poor. Child care keeps America working. Child care is everybody's business, and most of our businesses understand that. I commend the gentlewoman from Washington and my colleagues in bringing an emphasis, and increased funding to child care in this country.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, we are going to go tackle the welfare reform debate here, and there is one very important element and that focuses on children. The real success of welfare reform has been to move people from helplessness to hope and move children out of poverty. There are 3 million fewer children today in poverty because their moms have gotten a job to be able to support their family. We are going to build on that today by adding $2 billion more into child care and giving States the flexibility to move that money from folks who are on welfare to folks who are the low income working poor to support their return to work. This is a great day for America, a great celebration of all that we have achieved for America's children and we will build on that success.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4714, a bill to prohibit members of the Armed Forces in Saudi Arabia from being required or formally or informally compelled to wear the abaya garment. I commend my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee--Mr. Langevin and Mr. Hostettler for their perseverance on this issue and for bringing this bill to the floor today. This legislation will end a Defense Department policy affecting servicewomen stationed in Saudi Arabia. It is a sad commentary that this legislation is needed at all. This policy should not have been implemented in the first place; it should have been changed rapidly when it was brought to the attention of senior commanders and the Pentagon; and the revised policy is also flawed. This bill would have been part of the Defense Authorization bill this year, and it may be incorporated into that legislation in conference committee. It is my hope that the Defense Department won't wait to be forced to do the right thing. Our vote tonight is to send a message to the Defense Department loud and clear: your policy requiring or strongly encouraging servicewomen stationed in Saudi Arabia to wear the abaya is without merit and is offensive to the American people. You need to change it, or the Congress will change it for you. Mr. Speaker, those who choose to serve our country, regardless of gender, should be treated with respect by their commanders. There's a lot of talk about loyalty from the bottom up. But loyalty from the top down is more important, and more rare. Since the beginning of the Republic, Americans, both men and women have done their duty to secure the liberties that we enjoy. Women make first-class soldiers and should not be treated like second-class citizens. But this legislation goes far beyond issues of class and respect for women in the service. The abaya is a garment that covers a Muslim woman from head to toe with only the eyes showing. It is associated by others and by servicewomen with the Muslim religion. Forcing American servicewomen--most of whom are Christian or Jewish--to wear traditional Muslim dress is deeply offensive to their religious beliefs and possibly unconstitutional. But the Defense Department just doesn't seem to get it. They would never force American servicemen to wear a yarmulke in Israel or a crucifix in order to avoid harassment or be sensitive to the local culture. Indeed, the same regulation that ordered women to wear the abaya in Saudi Arabia prohibited servicemen from wearing local Saudi dress for men. The Defense Department has never seemed to be troubled by this double standard that directs servicemen to dress conservatively while prohibiting the wear of local dress, and presumes that young servicewomen could not or would not follow similar command guidelines and ordered them to wear the abaya. The Department's modified policy that ``strongly encourages'' women to wear the abaya only sounds satisfactory to people who have never been in the military. When an officer ``strongly encourages'' any young troop to do something, that is not optional. It means you darn well better do it if you value your career in the military. It means if you don't do it, you risk being branded as an attitude problem, a troublemaker, someone deserving extra (and certainly unwanted) attention that is likely to make your life a whole lot harder and possibly downright miserable. Every veteran in this body knows what I'm saying is true. DOD's policy change to ``strongly encourage'' wearing the abaya was clever as a public relations move, but not clever enough to hide from this body that DOD wishes to preserve a practice offensive to military women and offensive to the American people and the beliefs we cherish. Mr. Speaker, this legislation states that a member of the Armed Forces may not be required or formally or informally compelled to wear the abaya garment or any part of the abaya garment while in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It prohibits taxpayer funds from being used to purchase abayas. It requires commanders to inform their troops of this policy and provide them a copy of it in writing. The language ``formally or informally compelled'' is intended to cover a range of synonyms for ``strongly encouraged''. We did not want to prohibit DOD from ``encouraging'' wear of the abaya while they change their policy to ``recommend'' it, or ``suggest'' it. We are not interested in playing with words. DOD may not formally or informally compel wear of the abaya in any way. The current DOD policy of ``strongly encouraging'' wearing of the abaya is not consistent with this legislation and, if this legislation passes, it must be changed. There is one exception in this legislation, and it deserves explanation. The Defense Department initially justified their abaya policy on the grounds of host nation sensitivity, even though neither the Saudi government nor the State Department require or strongly encourage wearing the abaya. In fact, the State Department also does not recommend that tourists--arguably the least prepared to deal with religious enforcers, called Mutawa'iin--wear abayas. The recommendation for tourists is the same as for the male service members: conservative clothes that cover the arms and legs. Then, as pressure grew, the Defense Department modified their policy and the justification for it on the grounds of ``force protection''. They maintain that they must continue to have the option of ordering women to wear the abaya if a commander considers it to be necessary for the safety of our servicewomen. In passing this legislation, the Congress is explicitly rejecting this ``force protection'' argument. Indeed, in negotiations with DOD staff before the FY03 Defense Authorization Act came to the floor of the House, the DOD argued for a ``force protection'' exception that was so broad that it made the prohibition meaningless. The members of Congress involved in these discussions rejected DOD's arguments and the force protection exception is not included in this bill. What we have included is a much narrower exception that says the commander of the United States Central Command may require the wear of the abaya in ``specific circumstances'' that ``constitute an operational requirement essential for the conduct of the military mission.'' First, the Commander of USCENTCOM may not delegate this authority to anyone else below him. Second, he may not do so based on a general need for ``force protection'' or ``safety''. The only time he may do so is if it is an operational requirement to complete the military mission. In crafting this exception, we had in mind very unusual circumstances like special operations requiring concealment, an unusual need to move people in-country without the knowledge of the best country, or if there were widespread civil unrest to extract service members from a dangerous situation without detection or provocation. Mr. Speaker, I hope this House will be heard today and that we send a resounding message to the Department of Defense. Your policy on wearing the abaya is inconsistent with our values as a nation and we insist that it be changed.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hostettler) for their leadership and their perseverance on this issue. This is a provision that probably should have been included in this year's defense authorization bill and may ultimately get rolled into that bill in conference, but without their perseverance we would not have been able to bring this bill to the floor of the House today. It is my hope that the House tonight will send a very clear message to the Department of Defense that its policy on the wearing of the abaya, first making it mandatory and then strongly encouraging women service members in Saudi Arabia to wear the abaya, is completely unacceptable to this House and to the American people. This bill, when passed, and I believe it will be passed and included in the defense authorization bill, or a stand-alone bill will pass the Senate, will end the DOD policy that affects American servicewomen serving in Saudi Arabia. The sad thing is that this bill is needed at all. This policy should never have been put in place in the first place. When it was put in place and brought to the attention of senior commanders at the Pentagon, it should have been immediately repealed as transparently unconstitutional. Yet, it requires action by the United States House of Representatives in order to send a clear message to the Department of Defense that if they do not get it, we do, and they have to change this policy. The Department of Defense changed its policy slightly by changing it from being mandatory to strongly encouraging American servicewomen to wear the abaya when off duty and off post in Saudi Arabia. Maybe that was clever from a public relations point of view, but for those of us who have served in the military, and I have, we know that ``strongly encouraged'' is not optional. When a senior officer tells a young service member that they are strongly encouraged to wear an abaya, that is about as close to an order as one can get. In fact, if one values one's military career, one will do it. If one values just one's freedom from hassles, from being labeled as a troublemaker or not a team player, it means one will do it, because it really means that one has to, because the commander says they are strongly recommending it. And they say that with a kind of tone in their voice that means, you do it or else. It is those kinds of policies that we do not need in the United States military, and I think this goes beyond the issues of class, beyond issues of respect for women in positions of command. I believe that this is a first amendment issue. The abaya is traditional Muslim garb. It is as inappropriate for the Department of Defense to order servicewomen to wear traditional Muslim garb, most of whom are Christians or Jewish who do not share the faith of women who choose to wear that dress, it is as inappropriate to do that as it is to tell servicemen serving in Israel that they must wear a yarmulke when they go to the Western Wall. Now, most servicemen would do so out of respect for the traditions of the country in which they are a resident. But it is inappropriate for the Department of Defense to force service members to wear religious clothing, pure and simple, and it is likewise inappropriate to strongly encourage that they do so. This legislation is very clear in its language. It prohibits formally or informally compelling service members to wear the abaya. That covers all of the synonyms for ``strongly encouraged'' so that they could not just change it to ``strongly recommend'' or ``highly recommend.'' They are prohibited from informally or formally compelling them. There is only one exception, and that exception is force protection. This House has rejected the DOD's spurious arguments about force protection, and that is exactly what they are. The only exception is very narrowly crafted, and that is if it is essential to the conduct of the military mission and, in sitting on this floor with my colleagues and talking about what that might mean, if there was a serious civil unrest in Saudi Arabia and we had soldiers who are downtown in a building and we needed to extract them without local people knowing who they were, or for some reason for a special forces operation or to move people around, we may need to hide who our people really are. Those are the essential kinds of things that might justify such an order. Nothing else does. I commend the gentleman from Rhode Island and the gentleman from Indiana for their leadership. This House will make a statement tonight that we will not tolerate this kind of policy from the Department of Defense, and we are strong enough and united enough to stand up for them.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon) for yielding me the time, and I thank him for his leadership on this issue and for really understanding the relationship between the United States and Russia. I particularly appreciate this amendment because it focuses on some of the things we need to do now in the 21st century as opposed to looking backwards to the old relationship between the United States and the former Soviet Union. We need to focus on increasing transparency and cooperation with Russia because the situation has changed. The principal threat is no longer each other. The principal threat to the United States and to Russia are third parties that threaten both of us and, therefore, cooperation and transparency are in our mutual interest. I think we also have to recognize that Russia has a very active tactical nuclear program and there are some questions we have about their nuclear testing sites, and the best way to move forward is to actively and aggressively seek the cooperation of Russia in opening things up, cooperating, opening transparency at these places, so we as the United States can be reassured about what is going on now. This is a good amendment. It is a good step in the right direction, and I commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania for his leadership.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for yielding me this time. I rise to oppose this amendment. The reality is that our enemies are burrowing in their chemical weapons capability, their conventional capability, their command and control biological and nuclear weapons programs. Our current weapons systems cannot destroy targets that are deeply buried in tunnels. They were not designed to. Our enemies know that. Nuclear weapons are useful precisely because they are unusable. That is the nature of deterrence and the reason that we want to be able to keep these targets at risk. The robust nuclear earth penetrating weapon is being studied as directed by this Congress in the 2001 defense authorization bill. It is not a new nuclear weapon. The question is whether you can take an existing nuclear weapon, package it and encase it in such a way so that it will penetrate the Earth before it explodes in order to hold at risk those hard and deeply buried targets. It does not make it more likely that the President would use such a weapon. It does make it more probable that that weapon would work if he had to use it. Any President should have at his disposal the ability to hold at risk the most important targets that people have who would want to destroy and to hurt us. By holding those targets at risk, we make it less likely that they will hurt us and attack us or our allies with chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. The President should have options, the options of conventional forces, of precision conventional weapons, and of nuclear weapons that are capable of holding those targets at risk so that we do not have to use them. That is precisely why we need to continue with this feasibility study.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, this a resolution that we are debating about the importance of health care coverage for the uninsured. The gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) mentioned where we are going on prescription drug coverage, and it is amazing to me. I serve on the Leadership Task Force on Prescription Drugs, and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) and I serve on the Subcommittee on Health that is working on the bill. We have set aside $350 billion over the next 10 years to add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare. We are trying to work out the details of that plan and that option. First of all, it has to be part of Medicare. Everyone agrees on that. It has to be part of the Medicare program. And everyone who is eligible for Medicare has to have some access to that coverage. I think it has to be voluntary so Americans who have coverage from an employer, or veterans and get it through the VA, they should not be forced to participate. It has to be affordable. That means we have to make sure that those who are low income or those with high drug costs get the most help from the Federal Government. A $350 billion commitment over 10 years is a significant contribution by the Federal Government to provide that coverage. I think it also needs to provide choices. What the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) needs for his constituents in New Jersey may not be the same thing that my constituents need, or that we need in rural places in New Mexico. I like to get my medicine downstairs at the pharmacy in the building where I see my doctor. Rural Americans may want a mail order plan. Americans should have options, and those are some of the principles we are working from. We are determined to bring to the floor a prescription drug benefit plan added to Medicare before the Memorial Day recess. In the last Congress, the House passed a bill to do so. The Senate did not. We are determined to be persistent and keep going because the people in my district need it, just as the constituents of the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) do. On that, we can agree. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Ohio for his remarks. We have worked together on a variety of things related to health care, and on this one we may agree on the resolution but we disagree on some facts, and I think they are important facts. The gentleman from Ohio and I serve on the same committee that extended the SCHIP program last year and allowed States to retain the funds in the SCHIP program longer than they were authorized without returning them to the Federal Government and having them redistributed. I think that was the right thing to do. It certainly was right for my State of New Mexico. This House passed three times the extension of health care benefits to the unemployed who are out of work through no fault of their own and the extension of unemployment benefits to cover those people. This House has passed and now we are in conference with the Senate on a patient's bill of rights. And in that patient's bill of rights we did some other things for health care, including making self-employed health care coverage fully deductible. If you work for IBM, IBM can take the full cost of that premium and write it off as an expense for a business. But if you are self-employed, under the current tax system you cannot. That is not right. This country thrives on small business. And people who start up their own companies and who are self-employed should be able to fully deduct their health care costs. That bill also included the association health plans provision, to extend health care coverage and get more people insurance. The gentleman and I also work on the committee that is getting down to brass tacks now to implement the budget resolution that this House passed that sets aside $350 billion over the next 10 years to add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare. If we were starting out today with a clean sheet of paper for health care for senior citizens, no one in their right mind would exclude prescription drugs. But back in 1965, medicine was only 1 percent of the cost of health care. Now it is up to 15 percent of the cost of health care. People should not have to be forced to choose between buying medicine and buying groceries, but that is the situation a lot of the seniors in my district are in today. And that is why we are going to pass a bill through this House that adds a prescription drug benefit to Medicare. My colleague and I disagree also about the importance of tax relief last summer. And I think the big thing for me is this: The Council on Economic Advisers about 3 months ago came out with a report on the impact of that tax relief. Now, Congress does not always do things at the right time. We usually end up taking action long after the problem is over. But on the tax bill we got it right. It was just in the nick of time, and there are 800,000 Americans today who have jobs because we passed tax relief at the right time to get this economy back to growing jobs and back to solid economic growth. That is what the tax relief bill did. It got our economy back and growing. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) and I share a concern about the uninsured. I think education is a piece of it. It is not a cure-all. We have a lot of other work to do, but I am proud of this House that we have done so much work in this session of Congress. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. There are more than 40 million people in America who do not have health insurance who are part of the workforce, despite widespread private insurance plans, as well as public availability of different kinds of programs in health insurance. These are the same people who are very likely to forego services like periodic checkups and preventive services and immunizations for their kids. They delay going to get health care. And, later, these same people show up in our health care systems with very acute conditions requiring costly medical attention and conditions that may have been entirely preventable with early detection. Uninsured people are hospitalized at least 50 percent more often than the insured are for what are called avoidable hospital conditions, like pneumonia. They wait until the pneumonia gets so bad and they are so sick that they have to go to the emergency room when, if they went earlier, they could have been put on a course of antibiotics and there could have been treatment without hospitalization. They are also much more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage cancer than those with insurance are. People who are uninsured delay going to the doctor until it is too late. Uninsured adults are four times more likely and children five times more likely to use the emergency room compared with the insured. People who have insurance have a primary care doctor. When they get sick, they make an appointment, or they go to the walk-in care clinic where their doctor has told them to go. Those who are uninsured wait and show up in our Nation's emergency rooms. The costs for the uninsured are absorbed by the community as a whole, either through public programs, through our disproportionate share hospital program, or through increases in health insurance costs for those who do have insurance. So we do bear the cost as a community. Care is not denied to people, but it is not offered in the most efficient way and it is certainly not offered in the best way for those who lack health insurance. Now, I am not really big on just hortatory resolutions. That is not my thing. At the same time, I saw some evidence recently that really shocked me and that caused me to bring forward this resolution today. I do not like things that are just symbolic, but I do believe America needs an education campaign to inform small businesses, even some medium- and large-sized businesses, employees, and parents about how to get health insurance. There was a recent study by the Employees Benefit Research Institute that said that 57 percent of small businesses did not know that health insurance is tax-deductible. In other words, if a small business owner, and these businesses employ most of the people in this country, if they do not know that they can provide health insurance to their employees and the cost of that is an expense, a legitimate business expense, they are going to be less likely to look for a plan to be able to offer to their employees. So it told me that education is necessary, and that maybe the Congress could do something about it and make insurance more affordable and more available to employees in this country. Over one-third of the uninsured are in families where coverage is offered by an employer and they declined the insurance. Sometimes it is because the premiums or the co-pays are too high, but sometimes education can overcome that reluctance to sign up for health insurance because it mitigates the risks and makes health coverage or health care more available for people. There are many parents who are eligible, whose children are eligible, for what is called the State Children's Health Insurance Program that was passed by the Congress in 1997, but they do not know that they are eligible. As a result, we have 8 million children in this country who are eligible for health insurance who are not enrolled in that program, and that program is low-cost or no cost to the parents. We need to get the word out to parents that health insurance is available to them through a publicly supported program for their children so that their children can get the preventive care that they need. We need to educate small business leaders. We need to educate the workforce. We need to educate parents so that we can increase the access to health care and increase the number of people who are insured in this country. I believe that Congress can play a role in educating our constituents. We need to ensure that small businesses understand that there is a way to provide health insurance and deduct the cost from the cost of doing business. We need to educate them on how to set up cafeteria plans, which can be a nightmare for small businesses, but there are easy programs to do that. We need to get the information out there so that employees can set up plans to be able to use pretax dollars to pay for health costs, which is entirely allowable under the Federal Tax Code. Children and the uninsured individuals need to find out about the importance of health care coverage and the existing tax benefits and public and private programs that are available for parents that they are eligible for and should go ahead and register for. This resolution that we are discussing, and I hope will pass today, will call on the President to designate October as National Importance of Health Care Coverage Month, and increase awareness about the importance of health coverage and the ways to obtain it. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the legislation now under consideration.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank my colleague from Texas for coming down and talking about this problem because it is an important one, but I would note that the House has passed a Patients' Bill of Rights and we also passed one the previous Congress. My State of New Mexico has a Patients' Bill of Rights at the State level. I have supported the Patients' Bill of Rights here in the House and I hope we are able to resolve the differences with the Senate and have a Federal Patients' Bill of Rights as well as a prescription drug benefit. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. My colleague from Ohio and I share the same frustration. In some ways I think we have similar kinds of personalities. We are get-the-job-done kind of people. We came here to do things for the people we care about in our communities and we want to get it done. It is sometimes frustrating to do this job because it requires a national consensus, which we have obtained here in the House several times. But then we have to negotiate with the Senate. We have to get the President on board and do all of these things. What amazes me is how much we have achieved over the last 5 years, even though challenges remain. In 1997, this Congress passed landmark legislation to extend health care coverage for children in partnership with States. Then my colleague from Ohio and I voted to extend that so that States could keep that additional funding. The frustration for me is that there are 8 million American children who are eligible for SCHIP whose parents have not enrolled them and they are not getting care. We have an education gap. That is what we are trying to address and remedy here today. We have passed a Patients' Bill of Rights. I hope that that Patients' Bill of Rights is ultimately signed into law. I have voted for it. We have passed a budget to set aside $350 billion to add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare and to modernize Medicare. There is a company in my district called Express Scripts. They are a mail order pharmacy. They send out tens of thousands of prescriptions to people. But because Medicare is not modernized, there is a difference between if you have regular health insurance or if you are on Medicare. If you have regular health insurance, they get in the order for the medicine, they verify your eligibility on-line and they mail out the medicine that day. But if you are on Medicare, because Medicare is still back in the 1960s as a health plan, it takes 2 weeks to verify your eligibility with the Federal Government for Medicare. That is a senior who is out there waiting for their medicine because Medicare is not a modern program. We have to add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare. We have to modernize Medicare. I am committed to working with my colleague from Ohio and others to do so. But we also have to narrow the education gap, to educate parents about what is available under Medicaid and under SCHIP and under employer-sponsored plans. Fifty-seven percent of small businesses in this country do not know that providing health care insurance for their employees is tax deductible. They do not know they can put it down as an expense. We need to make those changes, and we need to make sure that people know what the laws currently are so that we have fewer people uninsured, because uninsured people end up sicker than the rest of us. They end up in hospital emergency rooms more than people who have insurance. They are much more likely to be diagnosed with late stage cancers that are incurable. They end up getting their health care from emergency rooms rather than primary care physicians. They do not get annual pap smears and mammograms. They do not get immunizations for their children. We need to change the system so that the uninsured have the information and the access to insurance. That is why I brought this resolution forward tonight. I ask for my colleagues' support. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 271) expressing the sense of the Congress that public awareness and education about the importance of health care coverage is of the utmost priority and that a National Importance of Health Care Coverage Month should be established to promote these goals.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, in the honor of Women's History Month, New Mexico residents have sent me the nominations of women in our state who have exhibited exemplary service in their actions, yet who have never received acknowledgement for their contributions to the community. On Friday, March 29, 2002, 1 had the honor and privilege of recognizing thirty-eight remarkable nominations describing sacrifices and contributions these women have made for our community. The people who nominated the women describe the dedication they have witnessed: volunteer hours for veterans services, Sunday School Teachers, service on non-profit boards, homeless programs, fund raising for scholarships for at risk youth, healthcare providers going above the call of duty, child advocates, volunteers at churches and synagogues, successful business women, wives, mothers and friends. Allow me to share information about a portion of this year's nominees: Fannie Maestas--Mrs. Maestas is a mother of 8 children and a retired special education teacher (she began teaching at the age of 17!) Mrs. Maestas taught at the Albuquerque Indian School for Bureau of Indian Affairs and taught at Catholic Schools, APS and Bernalillo Public Schools. She helped needy children by providing clothing for them--she even did laundry for one of her students so the other children would not tease him. Annette Marrs--Annette has devoted many hours and much energy to assist local charities. Specifically, she has given special time and effort to the American Cancer Society's ``Look Good, Feel Better'', program, which was designed to help breast cancer survivors regain their normal lives. She has also opened her home on many occasions for fundraising events for political candidates and charitable organizations. Sara Jane Mathis--Sara is the Adoption Coordinator for the Greyhound companions, a greyhound non-profit rescue organization. Sara is known to drive all night to racetracks all over the SW to pick up suffering animals and find them a loving home. She is also very involved with the LTNM Cancer Center, the Symphony Ball and Symphony Guild, and the Youth Diagnostic and Development Center, where she serves on the Advisory Board and works diligently on issues of improving the care for residents. Barbara McGuire MD--Dr. McGuire is a highly respected physician in the Albuquerque Community. She attends community healthcare quality meetings on a regular basis and she donates the payments she receives to various charities in the city. She has touched the lives of many women in our community. Barbara McKee--Barbara is a biweekly opinion columnist for the Albuquerque Tribune covering disability awareness issues. She has worked closely with the Governor's Committee on Concern's for the Handicapped on the Journal Pavilion situation. She exposed Ticket Master's practice of not allowing the disabled to order tickets online and provided the US Department of Justice the first complaint involved in coordinating the 2nd Annual Statewide Disabilities Conference. Formerly, she worked for Albuquerque Healthcare for the Homeless and now works for UNM Center for Development and Disability Studies. Her Feature Column, ``What September 11 Means to the Disabled'' was re- printed by several newspapers across the country and caused UNM to form a task force to improve evacuation procedures for the disabled. Barbara Michels--Barbara has served the Girl Scouts for 50 years. Recently, she initiated the ``Wider Responsibilities'' program, the Girl Scouts premium program for rewarding exceptional scouts with travel and participation outside of the US. She is the former President of the NM Alzheimer's Association and she still travels statewide to give training sessions to caregivers and health professionals. She also provides weekly therapy to a disabled child in a church sponsored program. Finally, she has provided dozens of pies to the NM State Fair's Asbury Cafe for many years. Jackie Kerby Moore--Jackie is the Director of Sandia Science and Technology Park and she is leading the effort to develop this premier research park, which will create thousands of jobs in NM. The Sandia Science and Technology Park enables commercialization of Sandia Labs technologies through private industry collaborations. From an empty 217-acre multiple landowner piece of desert, the park has become a national model of public-private sector partnering in economic development, containing 10 companies and employing over 590 employees. Jackie is making a difference in our community. Susan Musgrave--Susan worked at the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce when the Cerro Grande Fire occurred. She worked tirelessly to help the community get back on its feet. Currently, she is the President of the Community Bank of Los Alamos. She works hard in the community and serves as a role model for her daughter, Audrey. Susan Otero Nuanes--Mrs. Nuanes has volunteered at the Barelas Community Center, served as a Brownie Leader to provide life-serving skills to young girls, and she served as a Scout Den Mother to give young boys from the Barelas neighborhood an opportunity to participate in wholesome activities. She is very active at the Office of Senior Affairs Multi-Cultural Center for the City of Albuquerque. She continues to be a strong lobbyist for all seniors. In addition, she works during national and local elections as a presiding judge and as a clerk for 40 years and is a recognized expert in her precinct. Mo Palmer--Mo is the Photoarchivist at the Albuquerque Museum. She is responsible for the largest and one of the most important collections, as the Photoarchive now contains over 100,00 images related to the Albuquerque and Middle Rio Grande Valley. Mo is arguably the most knowledgeable scholar of Albuquerque's history. She is an excellent lecturer and thorough researcher, which makes listening to her a truly engaging experience as she makes history come alive. Mo is also a member of a number of professional associations, among them the Albuquerque Historical Society, the City of Albuquerque Cultural Heritage Council, the NM Route 66 Association, the Society of American Archivists and the SW Society of Archivists. Carol Radosevich--A founder of Enchantment Land Certified Development Company and WESST Corp., Carol has worked in economic development for more than 20 years. She was instrumental in establishing the PNM Chair in Microsystems, Technology and Commercialization at the University of New Mexico. Carol has been recognized with local, regional and national awards for her work to improve the state's economic climate. Pamela Ripka--Pamela is a Physician Assistant at the Gallup Indian Medical Center. She goes well over her way and beyond the call of duty. On numerous occasions, she has purchased meals for the hungry and bought clothing for those in need, using her personal funds, and having done so without recognition in the workplace or the community. Bertha Winona Johnson Salisbury--Mrs. Salisbury was a Farmington Police Officer for 14 years, from 1956 to 1970. She was a fully commissioned officer and her duties included serving warrants, making arrests taking finger prints and her favorite duty, comforting lost children. She carried a service revolver and she won a number of shooting trophies on the target range, but she never had to shoot anyone during her duties. Upon the death of Mrs. Salisbury, the Farmington Police Department has two Motorcycle Policemen attend her services as an honor guard. Sister Blandina Segale--Sister Blandina, a Sister of Charity, is one of the founders of St. Joseph Healthcare. In a personal account of her journey through the SW, she describes a legendary episode where she came face to face with Billy the Kid. Sister Blandina helped to treat one of his gang member who was ailing on condition that Billy the Kid promised to always protect the Sisters of Charity from harm from his gang. While in Santa Fe, Sister Blandina realized a need for a facility to treat miners and railroad workers and she assisted in soliciting money for Santa Fe's first hospital, St. Vincent Hospital. While in Albuquerque, Sister Blandina provided much needed education for children by opening Albuquerque's first public school, our Lady of the Angels. In addition, she saw a need for a hospital in the growing community of Albuquerque. She solicited the funds to build the first hospital in the city, the St. Joseph Sanatorium. Lily Timmons--Lily's service to our community began when she was the Chair of a Mother's March of Dimes campaign in the 1950's. She served as Executive Director of the NM Multiple Sclerosis Society for 25 years and patient services were always her top priority. She served on the Governor's Committee on Concerns of the Handicapped, on Albuquerque's Sun Van Committee for transportation for the handicapped and on a citizens advisory committee to the NM Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. She worked with UNM to develop a swim program for people with MS at the therapeutic pool and started the lock and Roll Wheelchair Bowling Team. Brenda Yager--Brenda, Manager of AAA's Government Affairs Office, has worked hard to improve traffic safety and awareness in NM. She has led coalitions that led to Changes in NM's child passenger safety laws and established NM's Graduated Driver's License law. She has kept the community informed on numerous safety and consumer issues. She has taken the initiative to improve school age children's awareness about school bus, pedestrian and bike safety.

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico

Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, in the honor of Women's History Month, I asked New Mexicans to send me nominations of women in New Mexico who have given special service to our community, but may have never received recognition for their good deeds. On Friday, March 29, 2002, I had the honor and privilege of recognizing thirty-eight worthy nominations describing sacrifices and contributions these women have made for our community. The people who nominated the women describe the dedication they have witnessed: volunteer hours for veterans services, Sunday School Teachers, service on non-profit boards, homeless programs, fund raising for scholarships for at risk youth, healthcare providers going above the call of duty, child advocates, volunteers at churches and synagogues, successful business woman, wives, mothers and friends. Allow me to share information about a few of this year's nominees: Joyce Becerra--Joyce is involved in programs that impact our community, such as the Valencia County Literacy Program, the Shelter for Domestic Violence, her church and the Pilots Club, for which she currently serves as the President-Elect. She is also instrumental in raising for the Cancer Society. Phyllis Bibeau--Every Thursday for two and a half-hours since 1984, Phyllis goes to the Veteran's Hospital to assist the Veterans with writing. On Christmas Day, she delivers presents and Christmas cards to the patients. On Valentines Day, she delivers fresh carnations and valentines to the hospitalized veterans. And she also reads articles from the Veteran's Voice for cassette tape production for blind veterans. Sharon Bishop--Sharon dedicates her time to volunteering at an APS Elementary School teaching Music in various classrooms and forming a chorus for 3rd , 4th and 5th graders. She believes that giving the gift of music makes a difference in lives. She has helped teachers put on musicals, staged incredible chorus programs and taught classroom music instruction. Kathleen Blake, MD--Dr. Blake was in the forefront in brining the Heart Hospital to Albuquerque. She has been a leader in speaking about the heart attacks and problems associated with them in regards to women. Finally, she is a cardiologist who will listen to her patients when they present their feelings and fears. Janette Carter, MD--Dr. Carter was a distinguished physician and researcher, social and community activist, outdoorswoman, daughter, wife, mother, friend, mentor and spiritual person. She received her Doctor of Medicine degree from UNM in 1978 and was certified in Internal Medicine and licensed to practice in NM. She served for 6 years in the US Indian Health Service as Director of the Diabetes Model Program and in 1990 she founded the Native American Diabetes Program at UNM. In July 2002, she and her husband and their son were killed in a plane crash in Alaska. She is survived by her son, Alec, and her mother, Rosalie. Rosalina Castaneda--Rosalina is the owner of Wigs Wigs and she volunteers for the Cancer Society's ``Look Good, Feel Better'' program. She helps patients who come to her wig shop by truly understanding their situation and lending an ear and a shoulder to cry on. Her customers readily affirm that Linda's love and understanding, in most cases, was the catalyst for their speedy recovery, physically and emotionally. Rita Chacey--Rita is in the NM Army National Guard. She volunteers many hours working with the Counter Drug Task Force, the Moriarty JROTC, and the Family Support Annual Camps. She spends up to 2 weeks in the field with the kids as bus driver and medic, soothing scrapes and scratches, homesickness, bad attitudes and ailments. She comes home dirty and tired and she swears that she will never do it again, but when the call comes, she is right there. She truly is an ``Army of One.'' Mignon Donnellon--Migon is a military wife and mother of 4 adopted children who is active in the Family Support Section on KAFB. She graduated from college when most people are having ``senior moments.'' In addition, she is the treasure of the Department of NM Reserve Officers Association Ladies Group, the CEO of an up and coming consultant company, MJD Business Systems and she is active in the Republican Party of NM. Elizabeth Etigson--Elizabeth has developed a program of excellence for seniors in Sandoval County. Through education and direction, she coaches, nurses and trains seniors to be Peer Counselors for other elders in Sandoval County. Elizabeth makes a difference in the lives of many elders and their families. Janet Everett--Janet is a single mother and business owner who donated money, services, and time to good causes. The following exemplifies how she makes a difference. She was shopping at a neighborhood store when she noticed a man eyeing several carts and then her billfold was missing. Janet ran after the man, threw herself on his car, keeping him from escape. Janet is an everyday hero making our community richer and safer. Linda Foster Carraro--Linda is the single mother of 5 kids who has often held 3 jobs to support her family. She is a woman with many talents and a strong spirit. Linda is a giving person who is always willing to help those less fortunate than herself and she does without hesitation. She doesn't ask for recognition, even though it is much deserved. Fawn Dolan--Fawn has worked with low income minority families since she was 16. She has served as a day camp counselor in Martineztown, a social worker, a middle school teacher, a Parent Involvement Coordinator, and currently, she provides clothing for women and families in transition. She also conducted Bound for Success summer camps and has been involved in child abuse prevention campaigns and pregnancy prevention campaigns. In addition, she is President of the Bernalillo Chamber of Commerce. Theresa Garcia--Theresa makes a lot of impact in the election of judicial candidates who she feels will provide a positive, yet strong, adjudication of our current laws. She has been known to say that many times constituents neglect the judicial side of politics and feel that it is unapproachable. She believes that we must hold our judges accountable. Theresa has also donated much of her business infrastructure to help re-establish the Rio Grande Minority Purchasing Council, an organization that she believes must continue to provide opportunities to women and minority owned business. Maurine Grammer--Mrs. Grammer and her husband founded the NM Teacher's Credit Union, and she taught school here in NM for over 35 years. She has donated millions of dollars to the Indian Cultural Center and she is the author of numerous books about Indian culture. Also, she supplied a depiction of Pocahontas for the NM Quarter that is in circulation. Catherine Grandia--She has been a 4H Leader for Bernalillo County Riverside Club for more than 50 years. She is now teaching the children of members she had forty years ago! She has taught generations to be responsible, honest, active, involved, and loyal citizens of their communities. Her goodness will outlive her by far! Pauline Gubbels--Representative Gubbels is a highly respected legislator who cares deeply about her constituents and doing the right thing for our state and she is an honest and ethical leader. She is a role model and mentor. She gives of her time and energy to help others. Christine Hayoz--Christine is the mother of 5 children and the grandmother of 3. She is very active in the rural community of Mosquero, NM, where she served as Secretary of the Board of Education. She is always there for anyone who needs someone to talk to. Lenya Heitzig--Lenya leads the Women's Ministry at Calvary Chapel. She works so hard and does so much to make the ministry a success. She is kind and intelligent and always makes women aware that they have so much potential and so much to give both in business and at home. Rogene Henderson, MD--Dr. Henderson is a Senior Scientist at the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute. She has a long extensive leadership career both in her scientific professional work and in her service to the community. She has served as: Chair of the National Research Council Advisory Committee, Chairman of the Central NM Section of the American Chemical Society, President of the Mountainwest Chapter of the Society of Toxicology, President of the Inhalation Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology, Adjunct Professor appointment at Purdue University and Clinical Professor at the UNM College of Pharmacy. Dr. Henderson has served on the governing board of her church and served on the Christian Education Committee. She has taught Sunday school and led scouting activities. Once a month, she gives the children's sermon. Along with her husband, she provides major support for the community groups, such as the Storehouse, the Appropriate Rural Technology Agency, and Ghost Ranch. Nikki Kull--Nikki is the Executive Vice President of the NM Boys and Girls Ranches, Inc., which is a faith-based organization that provides residential care of children and families. For over 30 years, Nikki has been instrumental in providing homes for abused and neglected children in NM. Fran Langhoff--Fran began working in politics when Senator Pete Domenici was a city councilor. Since then, Fran has been a guiding light for young office seekers. She assists high school and college students understand the political process in NM. She is invaluable to the County and State Republican Party and is a wealth of knowledge. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries and works for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Cancer businessman. Joan Leahigh--As Director of the Office of Social Justice with the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, Joan is one of Albuquerque's most respected advocates for low income and immigrant families. She has also supported the efforts of other women-led organizations, such as the Sawmill Land Trust and Economic Development Project, NM Community Development Load Fund, Mujeres En Accion, and La Mesa Cooperatives. Fourteen years ago, she and her late husband, John, started the Christmas gifts from an array of donated items so they are the ones who give the gifts to their kids.