Heather Wilson

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring to your attention a young man in our community, A.J. Herrera, who has been selected Player of the Year on Parade magazine's 21st annual High School Boys Soccer Team. A.J. Herrera has represented the United States in France, Slovakia, and Russia as a three-year member of the U.S. National Team. He has hopes of playing on the U.S. Olympic Team. In discussions regarding his soccer ability, A.J. references the support he has received from family, friends, teammates, and coaches. Although he has an athletic gift to play soccer, A.J.'s No. 1 priority is earning a college degree. A.J. Herrera is an example of young people throughout our communities who are involved in sports and other extracurricular activities that build character and citizenship. Learning lessons about setting and achieving goals, staying physically fit and being part of a team. The community is proud of his accomplishments. Join me in recognizing A.J.'s achievements and contributions to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I would agree with the distinguished minority leader that this is not about partisanship, it is about policy. We have an advantage here tonight in that we are being asked to authorize something that happened 5 weeks ago. That gives us the advantage because we can see the immediate effects. We have got the benefit here of a crystal ball to see what the results will be of the President's policy. The question for all of us is, do you want to stand behind this? Is this the policy and the results that you want? Because if it is not, you will be endorsing everything that has gone on in the last 5 weeks and taking on the risk of what will happen in the future. What have we seen? The political aims are not clear and they have not been from the very beginning. Mostly they are humanitarian. Our objective was to prevent a humanitarian disaster in the Balkans. We have exacerbated that humanitarian disaster, and hundreds of thousands of Kosovar Albanians have been pushed out of their homes and those homes burned because our military means were not tied to those political objectives. I am a former Air Force officer. I believe in air power, as my father did and my grandfather before him. And despite the images that we see on our televisions of precise attacks, we can hit the bridges, but we cannot change the mind of Slobodan Milosevic. As a result, we have not been able to stop a door-to-door campaign of repression and ethnic cleansing, and we have made it worse. The refugees themselves enhance the instability of the Balkans. We have pushed those refugees into neighboring countries which themselves are fragile, and we will have to deal with the consequences of that for the coming decade. We have increased domestic support for Milosevic and enhanced Serbian nationalism in Serbia. That does not serve NATO interests or American national interests. And we have stretched our forces dangerously thin. We are almost out of cruise missiles. Fully a fifth of the American Air Force is committed and tied down in the Balkans. What kind of risk does that put us in in Korea? We are a superpower, but much of our power comes from our own restraint and the threat of the use of that power. NATO will endure. I used to serve at the United States Mission to NATO. It will continue to have the credibility to do that which is in its vital interests to do and that, Mr. Speaker, is the fundamental problem. This is not in the vital national interests of the United States. If it were, we would be there, foursquare, with decisive military force to get the job done and come home. But because it is not, we cannot sustain this operation. I will not vote to support an action which has been shown to fail.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure and an honor to begin this debate today, and I believe that it is an important one. There is no way for me in 1 minute to lay out all of the factors to take into consideration here, but let me just make two observations at the beginning of this debate. We have a duty and a responsibility as a Congress to be heard on the issues before us. As a Nation, we must face the fact that this is not over and may not be over for some time and that we will be dealing with the consequences of American actions in the Balkans for the next decade at least. Our relationships with NATO, United States' relationships with Russia, NATO's relationships with Russia, the problem of the refugees, the pressure for a greater Albania with claims to Macedonia and Greece, all of these things we will have to deal with as a consequence of American actions, and they will be influenced by the decisions and the votes that we take today. We cannot and should not avoid this discussion on the merits. That is our responsibility as elected representatives from the districts that we have come here to serve.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring your attention to the contributions and leadership of Howard (Howie) Herbert, a resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Howard Herbert moved to Albuquerque at the age of 20, in 1950. After building a reputation in sales and management Howie began his career as an entrepreneur. He opened the first discount store in the southwest, calling it Albuquerque Discount Club. Gas was sold for seven cents a gallon to those who had the Albuquerque Discount Club deal. After two years he sold this successful business and moved on to land development and the appliance business--Herbert Distributing. Mr. Herbert was a founding member of Western Bank. Howard Herbert experienced business success, but believes that it is all about giving back to the community. Over the years he has served on more than 30 committees and boards including the Governors Drug Council, Youth Incarceration Business Outreach Program, Board of Directors for Special Olympics, Goodwill Industries, Trustee of the 100 Club of New Mexico, state chairman of the Easter Seals program and New Mexico Mental Health, founder of the Christmas Basket Program in Albuquerque and co-founder of the Halfway House Rehab for Alcoholics, and the list continues. Please join me in the recognition of economic and social contributions Howard Herbert has made to my home of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring to your attention the dedicated service of Judy Kennedy who recently retired after 18 years of service at the Juvenile Detention Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Judy Kennedy was a teacher and Education Director at the Juvenile Detention Center. Ms. Kennedy's career has many milestones including American Correctional Association certification, expansion of classrooms, additions for special educations services, drug and alcohol education just to name a few. She worked to establish the Continuation School for kids who cannot return to regular schools due to their history of suspension or expulsion. Ms. Kennedy recognized that these kids are part of our community, and that we need to give them a chance to be contributing members of our community. She worked with kids that others would consider ``throwaways.'' Ms. Kennedy touched the lives of many children. It has been sighted in many articles about at-risk kids, ``one of the most important factors in changing their lives is a caring adult.'' Judy Kennedy is that caring adult.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring to your attention the works of Jerry Bell, an outstanding volunteer for Noon Day Ministry in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jerry Bell volunteers her time to the homeless at Noon Day Ministry. Noon Day Ministry serves approximately 300 homeless men, women and children four days a week. Jerry's commitment to volunteer work comes from a strong family support system that instilled the value of helping others. By those who work with Jerry she is described as the organizer, the person who really keeps the place in shape. By those she serves, Jerry is known for providing more than lunch. She offers hugs, a pat on the shoulder and a kiss on the cheek--the sincere message of caring for another. Please join me in thanking Jerry Bell for her caring contributions to individuals, families and our community of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring to your attention the recipients of the 1998 New Mexico Parents of the Year award. This award is administered by the New Mexico Parent's Day Coalition. As we recognize these parents, I thank them for the role they play in strengthening and restoring the foundation of our country--the family. Jerry and Debbie Dixon, Albuquerque Joe and Lori Chavez, Santa Fe Dr. Oscar and June Marquardt, Alamogordo Carl and Donna Londene, Albuquerque John and Belina Ortiz, Bosque Farms Charles and Karen Cooper, Albuquerque Nemesio and Marylou Martinez, Los Lunas Arthur and Lou Jauriqui, Albuquerque Glenn and Oma Warwick, Las Cruces Pastor Ira and Diane Shelton, Albuquerque Duc Vu and Nghi Nguyen-Vu, Albuquerque Please join me in thanking these parents for their dedication to raising good citizens and their contribution to New Mexico's future.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring to your attention the humanitarian acts of Justin Joslin and Roger Bishop, two students of Sandia High School in Albuquerque, NM. In November 1998 these two young men were driving around after school when they saw a slow-moving vehicle veer dangerously across oncoming traffic toward houses. The driver of this vehicle appeared passed out, her head tipped back against the seat. Without exchanging a word, both young men sprang into action to stop the car, saving the woman and possibly others, from injury. Justin stopped his car, and he and Roger jumped out and ran along opposite sides of the other vehicle. Roger grabbed the passenger's door, which was locked and Justin grabbed the drivers' door and was able to jump in. Justin pressed on the brake and put the vehicle in park. The 66-year-old driver had apparently fallen unconscious. She was treated at a local hospital and released. Too many times we hear of bad news in our communities or situations that could have concluded better if someone would have acted with concern and compassion as these young men did. Justin Joslin and Roger Bishop showed that they care about others and are willing to act in a humanitarian way when they see a need.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring to your attention an honor received by Onorina Leach, Science Teacher at Highland High School, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Mrs. Leach was profiled in the November 1998 national magazine Cable in the Classroom for her innovative methods to use technologies in the classroom. Mrs. Leach is a regular user of video in her science class. She has found that by supplementing the traditional text method of teaching she is able to reach different kinds of learners. Some students favor auditory and visual information processing. Mrs. Leach has found that to reach more students more effectively she must present the material in as many different ways as she can. In addition to her responsibilities as a science teacher, Onorina Leach is the coach of Highland High School's United States Academic Decathlon team. Also, Mrs. Leach is using video to help prepare the Highland High School Decathlon team for competition. The students participating in the United States Academic Decathlon learn study skills, time-management skills and social skills. A compliment given to Mrs. Leach by a student she had years ago summarizes Ms. Leach's dedication to her students. ``You know, Mrs. Leach, Academic Decathlon did not necessarily prepare me for graduate school, but it did prepare me for life.'' Please join me in honoring and thanking Onorina Leach for the difference she is making in the lives of her students and to our great community of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring to your attention an award won by Thomas Fernandez, a 12-year-old resident of our great community, Albuquerque, NM. Thomas Fernandez is the 1999 BMX Grand National Champion for his age group. Thomas began competing when he was 4\1/2\ years old. He has more than 200 trophies displayed at his family's home in Barrio de Duranes. This is the second time Thomas has taken this prestigious national title. The first time was in 1992 at the age of 6. Please join me in recognizing this achievement of Thomas Fernandez and wish him continued success.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, there are a lot of thoughtful and difficult issues that people have been trying to address here on all sides this afternoon. I think there is sincerity on all sides. The underlying proposal that we are asked to endorse today is to endorse, without conditions, the indefinite assignment of 4,000 Americans as part of a NATO force of 30,000 in the territory of a sovereign country with which we are not at war, and over the objections of that country, on the grounds that the administration of the province of Kosovo is not in accordance with international humanitarian standards. I am a supporter of NATO, and I am a supporter of American involvement in the world. In fact, I used to serve in the United States mission to NATO. I have worn the uniform of a member of the armed services. But let us not make any mistake here, this deployment is an extraordinary departure from what is envisioned in the NATO charter, and it is a departure from much of American diplomatic history. There are several questions that I asked myself and that I will share with the Members as a contribution to this debate that I think we are faced with answering today: What is threat to U.S. security or to U.S. vital national interests? Clearly, there is no threat to U.S. security directly, so we are talking about vital U.S. national interests. We have to answer this question not in some rhetorical way, but in a very practical, pragmatic, personal way. Put it this way: If a young person in the hometown of one of us does not come home from Kosovo, what do we tell their parents they died for? Every man and woman who has worn the uniform knows that there are things that are worth dying for. I do not believe that this is one of them. The administration has said that this is about maintaining stability in Europe. They are right, the Balkans have been a cauldron of war in this century. But the threat that they draw from Serbia is overdrawn. We are not talking about a power on the rise, as we faced in the 1930s in Europe, but a vicious leader in decline. It is equally probable that our intervention in Kosovo will itself spread the conflict beyond the borders of Kosovo and Serbia. Let there be no doubt that Milosevic is an evil man who has wreaked havoc on his own people, but the question must be, what is in the U.S. national interest, and our foreign policy must be based on that. The second question is, what are the political objectives that we hope to achieve, and will the use of military force help us to achieve those objectives? In Korea, our forces are there to deter aggression from North Korea. In Desert Storm, our objective was to expel Iraq from Kuwait. This is unlike Bosnia where, after 3 years of war, we had exhausted parties ready to sue for peace, Bosnian Serbs who were being beaten back and who were eager to free the lines of ethnic enclaves where they were. In Kosovo, we have two groups, two ethnic groups that claim the same territory. There are no enclaves. Into this, we are thrusting U.S. and NATO forces with no lines to be defended. There is no clear objective. We are the beginning of a political process, not a peacekeeping operation, as has been suggested. Third, what is the size and the structure of the military force, and is it adequate? What are their rules of engagement, and are these all clearly defined? If they are not, not one American should go in not understanding exactly what the rules of engagement are. If a 19-year-old kid confronts a KLA member who refuses to give up his or her weapon, what is that 19-year-old kid to do? Do they walk away? Do they fight? Until we have the answers to basic questions like that and are confident that our troops know what to do, they should not go in. Kosovo is a much more dangerous situation than we faced going into Bosnia. We need to recognize those risks there and mitigate against them. There are too many unanswered questions on a deployment of questionable national interest, and I cannot support the underlying amendment.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to talk about the Holt amendment to the Ehlers amendment, and I have to say that I have sympathy with his intent but I will have to oppose his secondary amendment because I am not sure that it achieves anything different from what the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) has proposed, but it does impose a greater paperwork burden on those who are applying for waivers. The whole point here is to relieve local education authorities from some of the burdensome paperwork that the Federal Government imposes. If we look at most State departments of education, they will say that only 7 cents on the dollar comes from the Federal Government but that 50 percent of their employees spend their time dealing with Federal paperwork. It is not so much different in local school districts. We should not be levying greater paperwork requirements, which is exactly what the Holt secondary amendment does. It says very specifically, such application includes a description of how the professional development needs of its teachers in the areas of math and science will be or are being met. It requires them to put that in their application process, an application process that should be as streamlined as possible. I think the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) has been creative in giving us the best of both worlds. He focuses on making sure that the intent of the Federal law is upheld and the State must review all of those applications, but it does not require longer paperwork by the local schools. I rise today because I like this underlying bill, I like Ed-Flex and the whole concept of it, and I say that being a representative of one of the 12 States that currently has the program in place as a pilot project. We are not a State, New Mexico, that has taken advantage of it in terms of having large numbers of waivers under Ed-Flex. We have tended to be conservative, with a small C, and that is good, but the things that we have taken advantage of, I think, are important and also the way that we have gone about taking advantage of them. Let me give you a couple of examples. The first is a little school district in New Mexico that found its enrollment declining but it had a great research based program that it wanted to put in place. It cost $60,000 to do, but because of lower than expected enrollment and a Federal allocation formula, they were only going to be authorized $50,000. It was one of those things if you do not have the $60,000, you cannot do the program. They asked for a waiver and worked with the State, and the State adjusted the allocation formula so that the school district could get $60,000 rather than $50,000. It is a small example, but it mattered a lot to that school district as an example of what local flexibility can do. Perhaps more importantly is a waiver that is now pending on our State school superintendent's desk that has to do with the requirement under Title I that all schools who have 75 percent or more students in poverty must get title I funds. In New Mexico, we have a statewide waiver pending that will allow schools to focus those monies at the elementary level, and I think there is a lot of sense in that kind of proposal. We want to reach these kids early and intensively. Rather than the requirement to spend money at the high school level and the middle school level, let us focus on where it matters for the long-term with our Title I funds, in those early grades and early years. That is the kind of flexibility that Ed-Flex can give all 50 States, so that other States, in addition to New Mexico, can benefit from this kind of local control. I want to commend those on both sides of the aisle who have brought this to the floor of the House today, and I think it is a very creative, very innovative approach to improving education. We have much more to do, but I believe that this is a very good first step.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow this House will debate whether the United States ground forces should be deployed to Kosovo as part of a NATO force to oversee the implementation of an agreement negotiated by a group of countries led by the United States. This body does not often debate foreign policy. Under our Constitution, foreign policy is generally the responsibility of the executive branch. But there are some limitations to that power. It is up to us to ask the tough questions, to oversee, to be the check in a system of checks and balances that generally works in the people's best interests. We are the People's House. And while professionals might sometimes decry our provincialism, collectively we bring a perspective, an important and different perspective, to these decisions. The troops that will go to Kosovo to us are not unit designations or blocks on an organization chart. They are kids, the sons and daughters of members of our Kiwanis Clubs. They played football at our high schools and sang in the church choir. They are the kids who delivered our newspapers and struggled with math homework. They decided to go into the service because their dads did, or because they really have not decided what they want to do with their lives, or because they wanted to earn money for college, or see the world a little bit before they settled down, or because of duty to country. There will be 4,000 names and faces with families from our hometowns who will be asked to go to a province most of them probably could not have found on a map a few months ago, and before we send them overseas, we need to ask ourselves some tough questions. I know that, because I used to be one of them. I am the first woman veteran in the history of the United States to serve in the House of Representatives. I have friends and classmates who serve tonight in the Gulf, in Korea, in Europe, and all over the United States. I also know a little bit about NATO and European security policy, having served as a member of the United States Mission to NATO and as a director on the National Security Council staff at the White House during the period of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Warsaw Pact. I am a strong supporter of NATO and of American engagement in the world. But my support is not unconditional or blind, nor should it be for any of us. Let us not underestimate how profoundly serious our vote tomorrow will be. We will endorse or reject the indefinite assignment of 4,000 American men and women as part of a 30,000-person NATO deployment into the territory of a sovereign country, with which we are not at war and over the objections of that country, on the grounds that the administration of the province of Kosovo is not in accordance with international humanitarian standards. While we may have come to this point by small steps, the policy we will debate tomorrow is an extraordinary departure from what was envisioned in the NATO charter, and I would argue a departure from much of American diplomatic history. I rise tonight not to argue with you for or against the Kosovo resolution, that will be for tomorrow, but to suggest to my colleagues some of the questions we must answer and ask on behalf of our constituents. First, what is the threat to U.S. security or a vital U.S. national interest? We need to be able to answer this not in vague and rhetorical ways, but very specifically. Second, what is the political objective we are trying to achieve, and is the deployment likely to achieve that political objective? In Kosovo, the purpose seems to be to stop oppression of the Kosovars and begin a process that will lead to a referendum on autonomy, but not independence. Third, is the size and structure of the proposed force, their rules of engagement, their lines of command, clearly defined and adequate to the task so that risks are mitigated? Who do our forces report to, and who decides what they can and cannot do? Whom do they shoot at and for what causes? Do they have the armored vehicles and the air support they will need if everything does not go exactly as planned? And it will not. How are forces to react when KLA members refuse to disarm, as many will? How should they react to outside intervention, unlike Bosnia where there are enclaves that different ethnic groups claim? In Kosovo, the Serbs and the Kosovars are claiming the same territory, and we are led to understand that Serbs and Kosovars and NATO forces will be all in the same area. How do we protect our troops in that situation? And what are they allowed to do? Mr. Speaker, tonight we have a lot to think about as we prepare for the debate tomorrow.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring to your attention the honor bestowed upon Mary McAfee, Principal of Zuni Elementary Magnet School, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ms. McAfee has been named to receive the 1998 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award. Mary McAfee is one of 160 outstanding educators from around our great country selected for this honor. The criterion for this award includes exceptional educational talent and promise and distinguished achievement in developing innovative educational curricula, programs and/or teaching methods. Within her school, Zuni Elementary, Ms. McAfee provides leadership and models the behaviors identified in the criteria. By providing the example she raises the standard for all teachers at Zuni Elementary, supporting a team environment for children to learn. This Award is the reflection of the many lives Mary McAfee has touched. With all of the talk about how to improve education, Mary McAfee is actually making those improvements for the children of Zuni Elementary and for our great community of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Please join me in thanking and honoring Mary McAfee for those contributions.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring to your attention an honor given to Jose and Kathy Villegas, residents of the great state of New Mexico. Jose and Kathy Villegas have received the 1998 Apple Parent Involvement in Education (PIE) Award. Jose and Kathy Villegas received this award because their children Candace Marie, age 13 and Joseph, Jr. age 11 took the initiative to write a letter of nomination to Apple PIE Awards. Our most important job as parents is providing our children with values, teaching the difference between right and wrong and setting examples of respect for ourselves, others and our community. Jose and Kathy Villegas obviously have done this with their children. The nomination letter included a description of how their parents were instrumental in getting a classroom addition at their elementary school and a stop light at a busy intersection used by school children. Jose and Kathy Villegas are involved in many task forces working on issues important to children's education. The Villegas' story provides an excellent example of how parent involvement can make a positive difference in their children's lives, the local school and their community. Jose and Kathy Villegas' story is part of a feature story in the November 1998 issue of Working Mother titled: Classroom Champions. As the only individuals to receive this award in the United States, they stand as an example to all of us. Join me today in recognizing recipients of the 1998 Apple Parent Involvement in Education Award, Jose and Kathy Villegas.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I wish to bring to your attention the service to our country of Navy Lt. Commander Kurt Barich. Lt. Commander Barich recently died in service to our country in an aircraft accident aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Enterprise. Kurt Barich moved to Albuquerque, NM, with his family in 1970, going to school at Sandia High School and the University of New Mexico before joining the Navy. Kurt was a member of the squadron VAQ-130, the ``Zappers,'' based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, WA. Lt. Commander Kurt Barich flew 39 combat missions in the Gulf War in A-6 Intruder ground attack jets off the carrier U.S.S. Kennedy. After the Navy retired the A-6, Kurt Barich began flying the Prowler, an electronic warfare variant designed to jam enemy radar and destroy radar sights. He served his country honorably and with distinction receiving numerous medals and decorations in his 13 years in the Navy, including four Air Medals, three Navy Commendations and four Navy Achievement Medals. Kurt Barich was aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise on his last mission as it sailed for Norfolk, VA, and then on to the Middle East to protect vital American interests. Join me today as we honor Lt. Commander Kurt Barich for his service to our country. We will only remain a free country as long as there are men and women ready to protect our freedoms. Let us also send our thanks and our sympathies to his family for their support for his service in the Navy.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Chairman, almost 70 million Americans have cellular or digital phones or those new PCS phones that have everything on them from caller IDs to voice messaging and paging all in one little phone that can fit in someone's pocket. In America, 1997 was a milestone year. That was the first year in American history that more cordless and cell phones were sold than hard wire phones to hang on our walls or set on our telephone tables at home. People expect the calls that we make on those little phones in our pockets to be private, because we are used to it. We are used to it on the hard line phones in our homes and in our offices, and we have a right to expect the same thing on the ones that more and more people are carrying with them, are using in their car, sometimes dangerously, or in restaurants or outside office buildings or walking down the street or on the subway. They expect privacy, and we need to give it to them. While the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) were here in Washington busy with their soldering irons and plotting coup d'etats in the Subcommittee on Telecommunications Trade and Consumer Protection, I was back in New Mexico in my home State. I am not really a technology person, but shortly after my baby was born, I heard voices coming from her room and went in there and found that the baby monitor was picking up the conversations of my neighbor, and while that is not exactly on point it proved to me how easy it is for technology to inadvertently pick up the private conversations of someone that thought that conversation and had a right to believe that conversation should be private. The law in privacy has loopholes, and technology has outstripped our privacy protection laws. I would note that it was the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) in 1992 who wrote the original law here that covers cell phones, but it needs to be expanded today, and that is what this bill is all about. We should not have companies in America advertising scanners that can be easily modified to pick up private conversations. There should not be a business for that in America, and this bill would eliminate that kind of business. The bill updates scanner manufacturing bans so that new frequencies, including digital and PCS phones are covered, in addition to cell phones. It prohibits the modification of scanners to intercept calls. So there is no more messing around in the hearing room. Mr. Chairman, it makes it illegal to intentionally intercept calls or to intentionally divulge the content of private calls, and it increases the penalties for violators and requires the FCC to investigate violations, instead of just referring them over to somebody else who is overburdened as it is. I think it is also important to make clear what this bill does not do, because I think it can be confusing, especially for those of us who are not really used to dealing with some of these telecommunications widgets. There are a lot of people who listen to the police and fire departments on the scanners because they are volunteer firefighters or just because they like to. They like to know what is going on in their town and where they can help. There are also ham operators that enjoy their hobby, and they provide a public service, and that is okay. It is okay now, and it will continue to be okay with this bill. Those are public service and amateur radio frequencies, and people should be able to listen to them and to use them. Just to make it perfectly clear, we have added report language to the bill that makes this intent very clear to the FCC. There will be no interference with those rights and public frequencies and the ability to have scanners for public service and fire and police. Mr. Chairman, I will also have an amendment that clarifies that those who unintentionally divulge information that they do not know comes from an illegally intercepted conversation are not penalized. One should not be held accountable for something if they had no intention or no knowledge, and we will clarify that with an amendment in a few minutes here. Of course, we also have to be sensitive to the needs of law enforcement agencies and national security; and the bill also, by cross-reference to Title 18 in the Criminal Code, makes clear that the procedures that exist now for fighting terrorism and drug traffickers and other criminal acts remain as they always have been. Mr. Chairman, I want to commend the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Bliley) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Chairman Tauzin), as well as the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) for working on this bill for so long and tolerating some of the tweaking that we have been doing to it. Their staffs have been very cooperative, and I think we have a good, solid piece of legislation that is supported by both sides of the aisle. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate particularly the prompt action of the gentleman from Louisiana in bringing this to the floor today. This bill will give Americans privacy they expect and they deserve, and I thank him for his leadership.

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Chairman, concern was raised during the consideration of this bill by several folks who were concerned about first amendment rights. It was a drafting point, but it needed to be fixed in order to make it perfectly clear. We do not want to make it a crime to divulge or publish information that someone does not know came from an intercepted cell call. That would criminalize unintentional acts. Mr. Chairman, say a reporter gets a scoop from a source, not knowing that it came from an intercepted call, for example. We do not want that to be a crime, even if the interception is a crime. But we do wish to prohibit people divulging information that they know was illegally intercepted, even if they were not the ones that actually intercepted the call. If we did not do that, that would be a loophole to drive a truck through. How could that happen? Let us say I am illegally monitoring cell calls, whether for pleasure or just systematically, and I intercept a cell call of a builder who is talking over his phone who talks about information on a bid that he is going to give on a job. I give it to my buddy, and my buddy divulges it to another builder or divulges it publicly. It should be a crime to divulge that information if one knows that it came from an intercepted call. It should be a crime for me to do it or for my buddy to do it, if he knows that I have been scanning those calls. This amendment makes that clarification, that it is a crime to intentionally intercept. It is a crime to intentionally divulge. It is not a crime to divulge it if one does not know where the information came from. It sounds a little bit confusing, but this amendment will protect first amendment rights while criminalizing eavesdropping and those who are a part of eavesdropping schemes.

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Pamela Cruz and Matthew Copus, who have achieved national recognition for exemplary volunteer service in their community. Pamela and Matthew have been named New Mexico's top two student volunteers in the 1999 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, an annual honor conferred on the most impressive student volunteers in each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The program that brought these young role models to our attention-- The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards--was created by the Prudential Insurance Company of America in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals in 1995 to impress upon all youth volunteers that their contributions are critically important and highly valued, and to inspire other young people to follow their example. This program is the nation's largest youth recognition effort based solely on community service, with more than 50,000 young people participating. I applaud Pamela and Matthew for their initiative in seeking to make their community a better place to live, and for the positive impact they have had on the lives of others. They have demonstrated a level of commitment and accomplishment that is truly extraordinary in today's world, and deserve our sincere admiration and respect. Their actions show that young Americans can--and do--play important roles in our communities, and that America's community spirit continues to hold tremendous promise for the future. I am proud that these two outstanding young people are from the district which I represent, the first district of New Mexico and encourage them to continue to be leaders involved in the improvement of their community.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, there are those who would have the American people believe that my colleagues and I have been threatened by our party to fall into line. We have seen this morning this is not about falling into line. It is about honor. I have only been here 5 months. The New Mexico that I love is more Democrat than Republican. And not once, not once has any leader of this House even so much as asked me how I will vote. No, Mr. Speaker, the line that I will fall into today is the line of legislators who are doing in our hearts what we believe to be right, even if it would be easier to do otherwise.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I had not planned to talk today. I have made my decision and told my constituents. But some of the comments made on the floor have caused me to reconsider my silence. It appears that some of our Members believe or would have others believe that those of us who will vote to impeach the President are driven by some kind of blind partisanship or are doing it because our arms are being twisted. I am the junior Member of this House. The district that I love is more Democrat than Republican. And not once, not once has any leader of this House even so much as asked me how I will vote. I read the evidence. I must admit that I was looking for some explanation, a rebuttal of the facts, some justification to spare the country from impeachment. I could not find it. I cannot turn from the truth and the evidence that supports it. I have reached my decision with a profound sense of sadness. I am constantly reminded of the symbol of justice in America. Justice holding the scales is not blind because she looks away or because she will not see. Justice is blind so that every citizen, regardless of race or creed or station in life, will be treated equally under the law. And that includes the President of the United States. It is a powerful symbol. And today it is one we must live up to, even when it would be easier to look away. You may challenge the facts, you may challenge my reasoning, but do not challenge the integrity of my purpose.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, our thoughts and prayers today are with other sailors, airmen, and soldiers in the Persian Gulf and their families. Our support of them is unconditional. We wish them success in their missions and pray that every one of them will return home safely to their families, friends and loved ones. We cannot allow Saddam Hussein to have nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons or the means to deliver them. He has shown himself willing to use them, including against his own people. I would also like to say a word about the family who await anxiously at home today wondering if their loved ones will survive, wishing that they were home out of harm's way preparing for the holidays. Operations like this are often hardest on the families, and as a nation we must rally around them. We have an obligation to keep them informed as much as we can and supported by their nation and by their neighbors. As a veteran myself and the only woman veteran to ever serve in the United States Congress, I also want to remind everyone that our obligation does not end when the guns fall silent.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Angela Raish and to let this Congress know about a loss that we as a Congress will soon suffer. Ms. Raish has been the personal secretary and scheduler to New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici. She has served for 21 years as the Senator's ``vero braccio destro'' or right hand. Her pleasant manner and dedication to the Senator and to the people of New Mexico is unparalleled. She worked selflessly to ensure everyone in the office did the best work possible for the Senator and the people of New Mexico. To give you an idea of what an impact she made, her retirement celebration was hosted by the Senator and Nancy Domenici as well as former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker, former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole and former Senator Sam Nunn, a Georgia Democrat. Raish who grew up in South Dakota, joined Domenici's staff in 1977. Truth is, she probably knows more New Mexicans than the Senator does. And all of them adore Angela. Along the way she helped hundreds of people with her warm, caring manner. Dedicated, loyal public servants make up the majority of people working on Capitol Hill. But, Angela Raish has set the bar at the highest level to which others should aspire.

Mrs. WILSON

Mrs. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support today of this rule and in support also of Senate bill 2133. The fact is that this bill had a hearing on the Senate side and was marked up in the Senate and passed the committee by unanimous voice vote. It passed the Senate floor under unanimous consent and came over here to the House. It is important to my district, but not in a partisan political way. It is an important part of Americana and it is something that my predecessors and Senator Bingaman and Senator Domenici and others who live along this historic route have been working on for 5 years now. Something that is as simple as this little bill that does not appropriate a dime, it merely authorizes expenditures over 10 years and recognizes this historic route, should not be lost in the waning days of this session. It is supported by the National Parks and Conservation Association, which endorses this bill, and by the National Park Service, and enjoys bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate. Route 66 is 2,448 miles long. It crosses 8 States and three time zones, stretching from Chicago all the way down to Los Angeles, and it is firmly rooted in Americana. Almost every child in America who studies English in high school reads ``The Grapes of Wrath,'' where John Steinbeck writes Highway 66 is the migrant road; 66, the long concrete path across the country, weaving gently up and down on the map from the Mississippi to Bakersfield, over the red lands and the gray lands, twisting up into the mountains crossing the divide and down into the bright and terrible desert, and across the desert to the mountains again and into the rich California valleys. 66 is the path of a people in flight, refugees from dust and shrinking land, from the thunder of tractors and shrinking ownership, from the desert's slow northward invasion, from the twisting winds that howl up out of Texas, from the floods that bring no richness to the land and steal what little richness is there. From all of these, the people are in flight and they come into 66. From the tributary side roads, from the wagon tracks and the rutted country roads, 66 is the mother road, the road of flight. 250,000 people over the road. 50,000 old cars wounded, steaming wrecks along the road, abandoned. Well, what happened to them? What happened to the folks in that car? Did they walk? Where are they? Where does the courage come from? Where does the terrible faith come from? Here is a story we can hardly believe, but it is true and it is funny and it is beautiful. There was a family of 12 and they were forced off the land. They had no car. They built a trailer out of junk and loaded it with their possessions. They pulled it to the side of 66 and waited, and pretty soon a sedan picked them up. Five of them rode in the sedan and seven on the trailer and a dog on the trailer. They got to California in two jumps. The man who pulled them fed them, and that is true. How can such courage be and such faith in their own species? Very few things would teach such faith. The people in flight from the terror behind, strange things happened to them, some bitterly cruel and some so beautiful that the faith is refired forever. Route 66 is a part of our history and a part of our literature and a part of our lives, and it continues to be part of our lives from Chicago all the way down to L.A. There is a little elementary school in Moriarty, New Mexico, the east mountains of my district. It is called Route 66 Elementary School. I showed last week the hubcap that they gave to me, and one of their teachers there wrote me a letter, and some of the children did, too, about their school and how it is designed around the Route 66 theme. There is one of them that I wanted to read, or at least read a part of it, from Kelsey Byrne in Ms. Trujillo's fourth grade class. It says, Honorable Congressman Wilson, our principal told us about the hubcap. It is an honor to have had you show it on television. I am very glad to get part of my education here at Route 66. It is historical, you know. I believe that this school will go on for generations. I think a good education is very important, especially if you want to be something, like a computer technician, a teacher or an astronaut. People use their school education all the time, even us kids. That is why I think everyone deserves a good education. Route 66 is very important to me. It is old, but it is in very good shape. I would like to thank you for supporting us and good luck. Unlike today's interstate highways, Route 66 is a collection of roads, tied together by highway signs. It is a means to an end and a bona fide destination in itself. It is now decommissioned but it remains a preferred means of travel for those who want to get a little bit off the beaten path. Remember Phillips 66? It used to be the Phillips Petroleum Company. It changed its name near Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Route 66. Many of us have gotten our kicks on Route 66, and much of our culture surrounds this great migration westward on Route 66. When America entered World War II, traffic on Route 66 slowed to a trickle because of gas rationing. Military convoys began to travel across the highways with men and machines renewing the need for a fast, complete corridor from the heart of the country to the coast. Chicago mobsters like John Dillinger, Al Capone, Bugsy Moran used Route 66 as their getaway route. Route 66, the start of it moved to Chicago in 1933 when the World's Fair reclaimed land that was previously a swamp. There are many sites along that great route: The Chain of Rocks Bridge in Missouri; the Jessie James Wax Museum also in Missouri; in Kansas, and Galena, Kansas, the home of the 1935 United Mine Workers strike that erupted into violence; the Will Rogers Museum in Oklahoma; and on into Texas, and the art deco Conoco Service Station there in Shamrock. There is, of course, Cadillac Ranch where Stanley Marsh is buried in cement, rear end upward, 10 famous tail-fin Cadillacs built from 1948 to 1964. And then, of course, New Mexico through Tucumcari and Santa Rosa to Moriarty, the home of Route 66 Elementary School, and into Albuquerque, my hometown, where Route 66 is now central, and one can drive it from one end to the other looking at the old motor courts and the curio shops, most of which still operate, and have lunch at the Route 66 diner. In Arizona, the Petrified National Forest and the Painted Desert, the Meteor Crater and the gateway to the Grand Canyon National Park. And finally on into California, the home of Ray Crock's first McDonald's in San Bernardino, and then on down in Pasadena along the route of the Tournament of Roses Parade. Route 66 is truly America's Main Street. This is a simple bill that recognizes that, promotes tourism along it and will help those small businesses that are a part of our heritage. Route 66 Elementary, Edgewood, NM. Dear Representative Heather Wilson: Greetings from Route 66 Elementary. Thank you for your interest in our area. Although our school building is new, it has a lot of history around it and within it. In many ways our school is like one of the original Route 66 Main Street communities. Our school is located near the site of Old Barton, one of the many Route 66 filling stations between Tucumcari and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Old Barton is now only a broken-down building and windmill. Where the school stands was a cow pasture. Just down Barton road is the grave of a man who claimed to be Billy the Kid. The design of our school includes many features related to Route 66. When you walk in the front doors you find yourself on a ``walking map'' beginning at Chicago. To get to our room, follow the map down the hall, and take a left immediately after you cross the Arizona border into California. Our signs in the halls are replicas of the old highway signs. The front of our school bears up a huge neon ``Route 66'' sign. There is a time capsule buried in the walls of our building, with things the students chose to include. Many of our building's features were generated by the students during the planning phase of our permanent structure. Our student council raises money by selling the states on the walking map and, as you well know, cool old hubcaps. The folks around here call our part of the historic roadway ``Old 66'', never ``New Mexico 333'' as the people from the State have renamed it. Although Interstate 40 runs alongside 66 and is much faster, many of our families prefer to take the more leisurely drive into Albuquerque on 66. Several families of the students in our class own their own businesses on or near Route 66, and many others are second, third, fourth or even fifth generation in this community. We have strong ties here. Our school is so small that we have to have combination classes, and barely have enough students to put together a sixth grade traveling basketball team, but the students, families, teachers . . . all of us pitch in to make our school the best it can be. Sincerely, Mr. Tyrrell's 5th/6th grade combination class.