David Wu

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Chairman, I rise tonight in support of the Davis amendment to H.R. 5005, the Homeland Security Act. I believe this amendment is crucial to making sure that the Homeland Defense Department and other agencies in charge of Americans' safety are adequately equipped to combat terrorism and other major disasters. Initially after the September 11 terrorist attacks, I met with a group of Oregonians working in high technology. They were not only eager to offer their services in defense of our country, they also offered many sound ideas on how best to improve our national security. I came away from these meetings convinced that it is critical for us to recruit the best ideas, whether from public, private, or nonprofit sectors, in our fight against terrorism. In the House Science Committee, I joined Representatives Lynn Rivers and Mike Honda in offering the amendment to H.R. 5005. Today, I remain strongly supportive of creating a technology portal within the Homeland Security Department to reach out to the private sector. The Rivers/Wu amendment would do just that by establishing a technology clearinghouse to recruit innovative solutions from the private sector to enhance homelands security. I would also like to commend the gentleman from Virginia, Mr. Davis, for offering a similar amendment, which is included in the manager's amendment. Good ideas, no matter where the proposal came from, should be implemented. I believe the Rivers/Wu amendment will keep an open door for talents outside of the government to contribute to our efforts to fight terrorism. I urge my colleagues to adopt the amendment.

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize George Pernsteiner, Vice President of Finance and Administration at Portland State University. Mr. Pernsteiner is leaving Oregon to become the Vice Chancellor of Administrative Services at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I join with Mr. Pernsteiner's colleagues at Portland State University, in the Oregon University System, and in the City of Portland in recognizing him for his leadership, his commitment to providing educational opportunities to students and his work with PSU President Dan Bernstine to make this institution a national model of an urban university. George Pernsteiner has served at Portland State University since 1995. During that time, enrollment has grown from about 14,000 students to the nearly 23,000 who will enroll this September. Mr. Pernsteiner has overseen the implementation of the unique University District plan, which links PSU's campus development to the planning goals of Portland--one of the nation's most livable cities. George was instrumental in building the University's new urban center, home of the nationally recognized College of Urban and Public Affairs. He was involved in the city's efforts to have a new urban streetcar, and brought it to the campus. George has also been involved in the building of a new Native American Student and Community Center that will open next year, the creation of the Peter Stott Community Recreation field, and the establishment of a new technology center in the PSU Millar Library. George Pernsteiner is not only actively involved in Portland State University and the City of Portland, he has been a statewide leader in the Oregon University System. Before coming to Portland State University, he was Vice Provost and Chief Financial Officer at the University of Oregon, and also served as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Administration at the Oregon University System. George was key to developing State legislation that gave greater operating flexibility to the institutions in Oregon, as well as a new funding model for the entire Oregon University System, which was adopted by the state legislature in 1999. George Pernsteiner is viewed in Oregon as an innovative higher education leader who puts students first. He leaves Oregon and PSU a better place because of his visionary commitment to providing educational opportunities. George is a devoted public administrator who values public service. Mr. Speaker, I am honored that I have had the opportunity to work with and know George Pernsteiner. I hope you and my colleagues will join me in wishing him and his family the best as they leave Oregon for Santa Barbara and go from being Vikings to Gauchos!

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. The hour is late, Mr. Chairman, and I am sicker than a dog, so brevity will have to substitute for eloquence. It has been an aphorism in American culture, at least since the days of Benjamin Franklin, that those who will not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. If we do not support this common sense amendment to form an independent commission to investigate exactly what happened around September 11, will we have done everything within our power to learn what happened and to avert future tragedies? I would like each Member who is considering voting against this amendment to ask themselves to search in their heart. If there is a future recurrence, will you be able to look in your heart and say to yourself we did everything we could to learn from the past and to prevent future recurrences? I ask you to vote for this commonsense amendment to fully investigate September 11 and prevent future tragedies from occurring.

Mr. WU. I yield to the gentleman from Indiana.

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would be remiss if I did not mention two additional individuals in closing and that is Cindy Orlando, former superintendent of Fort Clatsop National Memorial, who was superintendent of the memorial for a long time and worked on many aspects of this memorial, including this expansion. I would also like to recognize the current superintendent, Don Stryker, who is moving on to Mt. Rushmore. He will be getting a little bit more granite, but no more spectacular scenery than he has had at Fort Clatsop. Don has been terrific in working with the park service, with the committee and with us in bringing this bill forward; and I would just like to share a moment when Don provided us with an opportunity to be at Fort Clatsop after sundown, and under the growing shadows and with a roaring campfire nearby, it was very easy to imagine what it would be like to go back 200 years to experience what the explorers experienced. It is also difficult to imagine what they had to endure to get there. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird).

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend my good friend and colleague from Washington (Mr. Baird) for his work and especially for pointing out this signal election and these early, wise westerners who, I must point out for the record, voted to go to Oregon as so many others have. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hill). (Mr. HILL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the sponsor of H.R. 2643, the Fort Clatsop National Memorial Expansion Act. I am joined by my colleague, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird), who is an original cosponsor of the bill. It has taken a lot of hands to bring this bill to the floor today and I would like to thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the ranking member, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall) of the Committee on Resources, and from the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands, the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich) and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen). Closer to home, I would also like to thank Willamette Industries for its cooperation in making this bill possible and Willamette Industries' successor in interest, Weyerhauser. Without the cooperation of these two Northwest businesses and their employees and executives, we would not be here today with a successful bill. And even closer to home, I would very much like to recognize the hard work and diligence of Cameron Johnson on our staff who has worked on this bill since his first day as a staffer on Capitol Hill. And I would also like to recognize his predecessor Bill Minor, who unfortunately has gone to the University of Washington for law school. But Bill is from Astoria, Oregon, and Fort Clatsop is literally in his back yard. Fort Clatsop is the western terminus of the Lewis and Clark expedition. This bill authorizes expansion of its boundaries from 130 acres to 1,500 acres. The expansion would permit the national memorial to reach the ocean and to accommodate the expected 1 million visitors for the bicentennial of the Lewis and Clark expedition. These million- plus visitors will see a nearly exact replica of the fort in which Lewis and Clark wintered over in 1805 on the Oregon coast. They will see a forest that is approximately the same as what Lewis and Clark saw. Our trees are currently about that size because of timber harvests about 75 or 100 years ago. And historians think that Lewis and Clark saw a similar forest because of a great earthquake which occurred approximately 100 years before they reached the Oregon coast. Visitors will also undoubtedly enjoy a decent dose of Oregon rain. The Lewis and Clark expedition spent 106 days at Fort Clatsop over the winter of 1805-1806. Out of those 106 days, there were 6 sunny days, 6 cloudy but rainfree days and 94 days during which the expedition enjoyed what we would call in Oregon liquid sunshine and in the rest of the country it would be called rain. Also this expansion will permit visitors to access the Pacific Ocean. This was, after all, the western terminus of the epochal Lewis and Clark expedition. It serves us well to remember that like so many other scientific and exploratory adventurers, the discoveries and achievements which were made by this expedition were made through great adversity and frequently while they were looking for something else. The expedition started planning when the territory was under French and Spanish sovereignty. By the time the expedition actually left, President Jefferson had purchased much of the territory from Napoleon. President Jefferson envisioned part of the expedition's goal to be creating a series of trade alliances with a string of Indian nations along the trail. History proved otherwise. Both the Indian nations and the United States had other pressing priorities. And, finally, the expedition was to search for a waterway to the great West, the great hope of the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a hope which floundered on ignorance of geography and geology, in this case the intervening Rocky Mountains. But Lewis and Clark was an epochal achievement and a success, despite the zigs and the zags and the partial planning successes. Meriwether Lewis grew up near here in Ivy, Virginia, about as near to this spot in the city of Washington as Fort Clatsop is to my home in Oregon. Lewis and Clark and the expedition walked, paddled boats, rode horses and crossed more than 6,000 miles over a longer than 28-month period, and when they were through, they asserted America's claim as a transcontinental Nation and made another bold stroke in removing the words ``I can't'' from the American lexicon. As important amongst the achievement of Lewis and Clark is in history, so are the vision and the values; the vision of America as a vibrant, growing Nation; the values of courage and perseverance. These endure with us today in our time of trial, trial from abroad by those who hate and who hate especially our diversity and our liberty; trial from within by those who abuse the freedom and trust that America has bestowed. This is a bill to expand Fort Clatsop, and at its bicentennial it is appropriate to commemorate and celebrate, but we also do well to remember, not for history's sake alone, but to remember that we have continued to walk in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark on a journey of discovery, and to remember that beyond any horizon the future cannot be known with certainty. But with vision and values, courage and persistence, we will continue in the tradition of Lewis and Clark at Fort Clatsop, and we shall meet our destiny well. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird).

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. WU asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird) for working diligently with me, and I thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) for his courtesies. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3380 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to issue right-of-way permits for an existing natural gas pipeline as well as future natural gas pipelines that would cross or parallel three road segments that lead into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We must be very careful in approving such activities. When the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands held a hearing on H.R. 3380 earlier this year, the National Park Service testified in support of the legislation, noting that the pipelines would cross or parallel only park roads and not involve other park resources. The National Park Service also assured the committee that all necessary steps would be taken to ensure that these pipelines have no negative impact on park resources or visitor use. Given those assurances and relying upon them, we have no objection to consideration of H.R. 3380 by the House today. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. WU asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4609 directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of groundwater resources in certain areas of Washington and Idaho. In the Pacific Northwest, our water resources are precious resources, and we expect the results of the study to provide the States with reliable information they can use to better manage the groundwater resource which is shared between the States. I commend my colleagues, the gentlemen from Idaho and Washington, for bringing this legislation to the floor, and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4609. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. WU asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to honor Hillsboro, Oregon for its receipt of the International Association for Public Participation's Core Values Project of the Year Award for its Hillsboro 2020 Vision Project. During the past 20 years, Hillsboro has experienced significant residential and economic growth. The community has become economically self-sufficient with a strong and diverse industrial base, and vital retail areas. It has grown geographically to more than double its physical size and has started to take in unincorporated neighborhoods and commercial areas to the east. A consequence of this growth and change in community character has been an emerging need to redefine the City's identity and help set a course for the future that reflects the values of its citizens. Recognizing this challenge, the City of Hillsboro conducted an extensive public discussion to develop a vision and action plan for the next 20 years. This community-wide effort, the Hillsboro 2020 Vision Project, was conducted over three years (1997-2000) and involved hundreds of citizens and dozens of community interests including business, environment, neighborhoods, social services, healthcare, education, government, and many others. The product of this endeavor was a Vision Statement, describing Hillsboro in 2020, and an Action Plan identifying the programs and projects necessary to achieve that vision. The project involved an extensive public participation program including a citizen task force that advised the City on the project and developed the recommended Vision and Action Plan. In addition, the general public and various interest groups were engaged through a broad range of outreach activities such as public workshops and forums, newsletters, presentations to community groups, and focus groups. Over 1500 citizens participated in the Vision planning process. The Action Plan lists 114 actions and 46 strategies to bring the Vision to life. The plan outlines opportunities to enhance community identity, connections, and livability--ranging from such projects as a historic downtown district with a public square to an expanded system of pedestrian and bike paths and many others. During the plan's development, 18 community partners agreed to take the lead on one or more of the actions. Many of these actions will require the formation of public-private partnerships. Implementation of the Hillsboro 2020 Vision implementation will be a community-wide effort. A 21-member citizen-led committee, appointed by the City Council, will monitor and facilitate the Vision's implementation, assuring that the Vision will transition from a plan, to a reality. I commend the City of Hillsboro for its vision and hard work to ensure that Hillsboro remains a wonderful place to live and work. Congratulations on your receipt of this prestigious award!

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. In 1992, President George H.W. Bush signed into law legislation that designated May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Asian Pacific Americans to our nation. From the building of the transcontinental railroad to the development of the Internet, APAs have played an active and profound role in the development of our country. Asian Pacific Americans have helped to make tremendous advances in politics, medicine, technology, business, music, literature, film, athletics, and countless other fields. APAs have also honorably served to defend the United States in times of armed conflict, from the Civil War to today. As Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I am proud to recognize these achievements. While many APAs are thriving, we must not forget those who are struggling to overcome obstacles, including language and cultural barriers as well as discrimination. Mr. Speaker, I cannot stress enough the importance of improving data collection on Asian Pacific Americans. The tremendous diversity within the APA community poses challenges. Most data collections tend to lump various Asian Pacific Americans together in a single category, swallowing up numbers for each distinct group and failing to present an accurate picture of subgroups. It is important that we recognize the distinct cultures, traditions and histories that make up the Asian Pacific American community. America draws its strength from its tremendous diversity. APAs are one of the fastest growing populations with over 11.9 million people. We have greatly enriched the American landscape. I am honored to take part in Asian Pacific American Heritage Month by celebrating the many achievements of APAs in American history.

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. reminded us that ``everyone can be great because anyone can serve.'' I am pleased to rise today to honor six heroic and dedicated men and women who responded to this call of greatness. These six individuals have dedicated their lives to helping others in need by working in the emergency medical and ambulance services profession. Whenever we face a medical emergency, whether it is a family member, a friend or coworker, the first thing we do is call for an ambulance. According to some estimates, there are almost 960 million ambulance trips made each year in the United States. And the first people to respond to these emergencies are the millions of emergency medical professionals whose skills and training significantly improve the survival of the patient. As a result of their selfless acts, these courageous and devoted men and women save the lives of thousands of Americans each year. While these professionals do not expect to receive recognition for their work, they deserve our sincere gratitude. I am fortunate to have met with a number of medics from Oregon and have heard firsthand accounts of their tireless efforts to serve their communities on a daily basis. They are truly America's health care safety net. For the past nine years, the American Ambulance Association (AAA) has recognized those emergency, medical and ambulance service professionals who exemplify what is best about their field, and bestow upon them the Stars of Life award. These appropriately designated Stars of Life have been selected by their peers to represent them in Washington, DC as part of pre-National EMS Week activities. The highlight of their visit to our Nation's capital is an awards banquet where they are presented with this prestigious award. The American Ambulance Association is honoring 113 Stars of Life this year. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that, of these 113 Stars of Life, 6 are from my congressional district in Oregon. They are: Victor Hoffer, Randy Johnson, Dawn Poetter, Candy Schneider, Frank Wallender, and Bill Wildman. Our Nation is blessed by people like Victor, Dawn, Randy, Candy, Frank, and Bill who made a decision to devote their lives to helping other people and serving their communities. I am immensely proud of all of their accomplishments. I hope that they are also beaming with pride in what they have achieved. Oregon is privileged to be protected by such devoted and courageous men and women. Dr. King reminded us that everyone can be great. These six individuals have lived it.

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, September 11 showed us the horrors of this world. But it also showed us the good in human nature. Americans have been incredibly generous with their time and money in response to the terrorist attacks. Numerous charitable organizations were started within hours of the attacks to help the families whose lives were suddenly torn apart. People took time off from work to assist with feeding the emergency rescue crew digging through the rubble. And over $1 billion dollars has been raised to assist in these efforts. Yet, since September 11, other important charitable efforts have been suffering from a lack of donations. The Starlight Children's Foundation, for instance, estimates that fundraising was down roughly $500,000 for the year, which represents a large portion of its annual budget. Numerous other charitable organizations have seen similar reductions in contributions. This decrease in contributions has led to reduced services and even the failure of some organizations. Moreover, charities are having to rely more on individual donations as businesses curtail their donations. American Airlines, for instance, its business severely affected by the September attacks, announced that it would not be making any charitable contributions this year. It is imperative that Congress do something to address this growing problem. Last fall, we debated proposals to stimulate our economy. While I agreed that legislation was needed to stimulate the economy, I was adamant that any proposal balance business interests with those of individual taxpayers. So, with each debate, I went before the Rules Committee proposing an amendment that would allow taxpayers who do not itemize their deductions to deduct their charitable contributions. Not only would this encourage charitable giving, but the tax benefit would help individuals and ultimately could help stimulate the economy. Unfortunately, my amendment was ruled out of order each time. Today, I am introducing legislation that would allow for such a deduction. Although I was not able to get this included in the economic stimulus bill that passed Congress, I feel strongly that we should turn this proposal into law. We should encourage charitable giving. My legislation is very similar to the proposal that was enacted in H.R. 7 earlier this year. However, unlike the proposal in H.R. 7, my amendment does not put an arbitrarily low cap on the dollar amount that can be deducted. Instead, it would follow current law for taxpayers who itemize their deductions. Specifically, this means that standard deduction taxpayers can deduct charitable contributions up to 50% of their adjusted gross income. On April 15, more than 30 million taxpayers who itemized deductions on their tax returns were able to claim tax deductions for any contributions made to their favorite charities. The effect of the deduction was to lower the taxpayer's cost of giving one dollar by amounts ranging from 15 cents to almost 40 cents. This same benefit should go to the millions of taxpayers who also generously contribute to charities but are not eligible for a charitable deduction because they claimed the standard deduction instead of itemizing deductions on their tax returns. I am proud that President Bush endorsed my proposal on April 11. I urge all of my colleagues to support this very important bill as well. We have the opportunity to enact legislation that will not only encourage charitable giving but will help stimulate our economy as well.

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation that would renew two important provisions of the Higher Education Act, which are set to expire on September 30, 2002. The first expiring provision, Section 428G(a)(3), allows schools with cohort default rates below 10 percent to disburse a loan in a single installment for any period of enrollment that is not more than 1 semester, 1 trimester, 1 quarter, or 4 months. The second expiring provision, Section 428G(b)(1), allows schools with cohort default rates below 10 percent to waive the requirement that first-year, first-time borrowers loan proceeds be withheld for 30 days. Each provision was part of the 1998 HEA reauthorization law (H.R. 6). The decision to sunset both provisions was due to a combination of PAY- GO budget pressures and a wish by the HEA reauthorization conferees to revisit each provision's efficacy in reducing regulatory burden while maintaining the integrity of the federal loan programs. These goals have been met. Not only has regulatory burden been reduced, but costs also have been reduced for schools and lenders. Further, there is no evidence that adoption of these provisions has caused any increase in default rates at participating schools or increased costs to the government. In light of the reality that both provisions benefit students and do not increase loan defaults, it is important that we extend both provisions permanently. Expiration of these beneficial provisions not only will place unnecessary administrative burdens on schools, but also will disadvantage students. The first provision allows schools the flexibility, especially in the case of students attending summer sessions and graduating mid-year seniors, to disburse the proceeds of their loan in a single payment, and is just a commonsense administrative decision. The second provision allows school to disburse a loan to their first year students so that they may have access to their funds to purchase books and supplies, pay housing costs, and other associated educational expenses. Without extension of this provision, many students, due to their inability to purchase textbooks and acquire housing for 30 days, fall behind in their studies and may dropout. This process may paradoxically drive up default rates. Additionally, failure to renew these provisions would cause administrative disruption for schools. Schools would need to revise policies and procedures, counseling activities and student disclosure and related materials, and reprogram computer systems. These activities would need to be completed prior to the beginning of the award year on July 1st. Consequently, legislative action should be completed as soon as possible but no later than June 1, 2002. Failure to renew these provisions would lead to unnecessary disruption of financial aid office activities and significant costs to revise system operations. A similar administrative disruption and costs would be visited upon lending institutions. A college education is becoming increasingly more expensive. These two important provisions make it easier on the student to receive financial aid in a timely manner. Not only is it important that we maximize federal assistance in student financial aid, but we must ensure that the process is not overly burdensome on students or schools. Renewing these provisions would not only make the daunting task of finding financial aid easier for students. And the cost to the federal government would be minimal. I urge my colleagues to join with me in renewing HEA Sections 428G(a)(3) & (B)(1) so we can continue benefiting students and avoid disrupting financial aid operations.

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, consumers are the only people in the produce marketing chain who don't know where their food is grown. The shippers know where the produce was grown. So do the buyers, the merchandisers, and the clerks. Produce shoppers rarely share in this information because the country-of-origin information is stripped off before it makes it to the display bin case. For the past 69 years, goods imported into the United States have been required to be labeled with the product's country of origin. Your clothing, coffee mug, and even the chair you are sitting in have country of origin labels. It's hard to find a consumer produce in this country without one. However, fruits and vegetables are exempt from the labeling law. It's time for Congress to change that exemption. The cost of administering labeling is, by the retail industry's own accounts, insignificant . . . far less than a penny for each consumer's weekly food bill. The GAO says that 13 of our Nation's 28 biggest trading partners require country of origin labels for fresh produce. Shouldn't U.S. consumers be entitled to the same information as consumers in these countries? Growers in the 1st Congressional District of Oregon, like all U.S. growers, must comply with strict, comprehensive local, state and federal regulations governing the use of land, water, labor, and agricultural chemicals. Compliance with these laws and regulations is very costly, but necessary to ensure, among other things, food and worker safety, sanitation and environmental protection. These production standards add safety and value to our products. With farm prices at record lows, we need to give our producers an edge in the market. Country of origin is one, low cost and effective way to help American consumers to make an informed choice at the supermarket, and benefit American growers at the same time. It's good for consumers and it's good for growers. And it's common sense. Why is it that I know where this tie was made, where this suit made, where my boots are made, but when I walk down the street and buy a head of lettuce, I can't find out where it was grown? The motion to instruct is not only common sense, it is not only good for American health and sanitation--it goes to the heart of American values--consumer choice and help for the small farmer. I urge its adoption.

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1892, the Family Sponsor Immigration Act, introduced by my colleague Representative Ken Calvert. Our government plays a key role in shaping the lives of thousands of immigrants. It is our duty to ensure that our system is fair to aspiring residents. Under our current law, someone applying to become a permanent U.S. resident must be sponsored by a family member who assumes financial responsibility for that person. However, if the sponsor dies before U.S. permanent residency is granted, the applicant must find another sponsor and start the process all over again. This process can take as long as 7 years. This must change. As an immigrant, I understand the difficulties of the immigration process. One should not have to wait another 7 years if the sponsor dies. H.R. 1892 addresses this issue. It would allow for substitute sponsors. More importantly, it will help unite families that have been separated. I applaud Representative Calvert for introducing this important legislation, and I urge my fellow colleagues to join in support of this bill which will ensure a fair process for those seeking U.S. residency.

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Chairman, enemy of the State. Enemy of the State. I have not heard much of this debate since hearing those words. I think that the gentleman from Arizona, by labeling legal permanent residents of America enemies of the State, by so doing has perpetrated a great evil and consigned that perspective, I hope, to the dust heap of history.

Mr. WU. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is more than a poison pill to campaign finance reform; it is a poison pill to our Constitution--to our civil rights. There is nothing in this Constitution that says that the protections of the Bill of Rights extend only to United States citizens. Throughout it there is reference to people, not just citizens. There have been court decisions time and time again that have extended the protections of the Constitution to all persons living within the United States. We have had a great problem in the Congress making a distinction between illegal residents and legal permanent residents. Legal permanent residents have gone through all the processes. They have spent years to even come to the United States. They have come here with the purpose of being lawful, participating people in this great democracy. They play important civic roles and pay federal, state and local taxes. They serve in the military and are deeply affected by political decisions. Nearly 20,000 legal permanent residents are now serving voluntarily in the military and playing key roles in our nation's defense against terrorism. Moreover, more than 20 percent of the Congressional Medal of Honor recipients in our nation's wars have been legal immigrants, many of whom later became citizens of this country. Why are we afraid of these legal residents? We should not be. We should be welcoming them as participants in this democracy. Let us not make a mockery of our Bill of Rights, of our Constitution, and adopt an amendment that says we will let you live in our country, but we will not allow you to participate. Do not disgrace the Constitution by supporting this kind of amendment.

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Chairman, I absolutely support H.R. 2356, the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act. Our current campaign finance system contributes now to a culture of cynicism. It hurts our institutions, it hurts our government, and it is an attack on the integrity of our political process. Our Congress must be unbought and unbossed. That's why I want to stop the flood of unregulated and unreported money in campaigns. I want to eliminate the undue influence of special interests in elections. I want to encourage strong grassroots participation. And I would like to return power to where it belongs-- with the people. The Shays-Meehan bill does this: It bans soft money raised by national parties and by candidates for Federal office. It ends issue ads, which are really attack ads under the guide of ``issues.'' And, it clarifies what election activities non-profits can do on behalf of our candidates for Federal office. We must ban soft money. It is nothing more than a backdoor way to avoid the contribution limits that are now placed on candidates. Soft money is influencing our process almost as much as direct contributions to candidates do. In fact, Republicans and Democrats raised over $460 million in 2000 in soft money. And let's face it, special interest groups that contribute large sums of this soft money have an influence on the political process. This is why we need to pass Shays-Meehan. In 2000, we spent $3 billion on election activities. That is too much time and too much money spent on fundraising when it could be spent on doing what is important--passing legislation to improve our health care, our education system, and our economic stability. We must do more to address the fact that the largest voting block in America is the no-shows. Campaign Finance Reform can deal with this cynicism. I urge my colleagues in the strongest way to pass Shays-Meehan. It will be one of the best things we can do for democracy.

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, the wonderful thing about being a junior Member is that all the large issues are thoroughly addressed by others. I just want to focus briefly for one moment on how David Bonior has treated fellow Members and me. I have seen him defend others with whom he deeply disagrees. I have seen his gentle guidance on sensitive votes. And I also wanted to share just briefly how well he treated me as a very new Member of Congress. With a name that starts with W, I was definitely last in my class. Yet he spent a chunk of time with me early on when it was just of benefit to me and clearly of no benefit to him. But we spent some time together. I learned many, many things, but I want to mention three specific things that he said to me: There is a small lunchroom where you should share food with other Members and get to know them. Be sure to get some exercise. And there is a spiritual piece to being here and you should pay attention to that, also. It took me 6 months to eat lunch with any regularity. After being here for 3 years, I think I am finally getting to the exercise piece. And I am working hard toward the spiritual piece. I tell this story because I think that it is an allegory for Dave as he goes on to the governor's race and far beyond, because as we are eating lunch or getting exercise or becoming more spiritual, for Dave Bonior, for this country as a whole, it is always the case that the best is yet to be, the best of life for which the rest was meant. Thank you, Dave, for treating everyone, large, small and in the middle with grace and with dignity. Thank you very, very much. (By unanimous consent, Ms. Woolsey was allowed to speak out of order for 5 minutes.)

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud Secretary Abraham's decision to permanently close the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) located on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation near Richland, Washington. The FFTF is a 400-megawatt sodium cooled nuclear reactor that operated from 1982 to 1992 to test advanced fuels and materials in support of the national Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor Program. In 1992, this use was terminated. The FFTF then became a facility without a mission. When efforts to identify a long-term mission for the FFTF were unsuccessful, the Department of Energy moved the plant into a standby shutdown. For nearly ten years, this standby mode cost the American taxpayers $32 million per year, even though there was no functional purpose for maintaining this standby status. I have twice introduced legislation to permanently close this environmentally risky, fiscally wasteful, and technologically unnecessary facility. Mr. Speaker, nuclear contamination from the Hanford Nuclear Reservation has long threatened the Columbia River and the hundreds of thousands of Oregonians living downstream. The millions of dollars previously spent keeping the FFTF on standby can finally be used to perform the clean up that is essential to ensure environmental safety and clean drinking water for Oregonians. The Department of Energy has taken an important step today to remedy the environmental problems caused by the Hanford facility. I look forward to working with Secretary Abraham in the coming months and years to ensure that Hanford will no longer pose a health threat to those living in the Columbia River region.