C. Young

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman's comments. He is right on track.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this intelligence authorization bill. I want to compliment the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss). He has done an outstanding job. I have had the privilege of working on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for 14 years now, two different terms. I have to say that the gentleman from Florida has been outstanding in the leadership that he provides for the committee and also to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks), we have worked together for so many years, he is a member of our subcommittee. We have the unusual relationship of being members of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence as well as members of the appropriations subcommittee that provides the funding for the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The gentleman from Washington does a really good job. He is very dedicated to a good intelligence bill. That is what this is. This is a good intelligence bill. It provides not as much as we would like to have provided for our intelligence activities, but it provides the best that we can with the budget constraints that we are faced with today. There are those of us who believe that we are not making a strong enough investment in our national security, at any part of our national defense structure, whether it be the operational military forces or the intelligence community. But the intelligence community is the eyes and ears of our national capabilities. We have to have information, we have to know what is happening in the world, we have to know what threats there might be out there. The intelligence community does an outstanding job, I might say. I might be criticized for that statement because all you ever hear is the bad news. If an intelligence agent happens to go bad, which does happen on occasion, or if a mistake is made, you hear about that but you do not hear about the good things that the intelligence community brings to our overall national security effort. I wish we could talk about some of those on the floor in open session today, but obviously we cannot because it is essential that the sources that we use for developing our own intelligence information and the methods that we use and the people who are involved in this have to be protected. Their mission is extremely important and their lives could very well be at risk if we went into a lot of detail. I know that there will probably be some amendments offered to reduce the authorized level of funding in this bill. I would urge the Members not to support this. This bill does not provide enough authorization for funding to do the things that we ought to be doing in our national security effort, but it is the best we could do with the budget constraints. I suggest that we defeat any amendments that would tend to reduce the investment in our intelligence capability and let us pass this good bill and get it on to the Senate so we can get it to the President.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Yes, I am happy to yield to my friend, the gentleman from Washington.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to compliment the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Livingston) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) the ranking member on the Committee on Appropriations for having, in a very short time, conferenced this bill that, as we have noticed from debate, did have some very strong difference of opinions. But the Members on both sides worked hard together to come up with a solution, and I think we have come up with a pretty good conference report. Is it exactly the way I wanted it? No, there were a few things I wanted in this bill that we were not able to do, and there was some other things put in the bill that I would prefer we had not. But that is the way that a conference works, and I compliment all the Members who played a role there. As we discuss the defense part of this bill, I would like to say that the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) who was the ranking member and the former chairman and I have worked together, extremely close and extremely hard, determined to keep anything relative to the security of our Nation free of partisan politics; and I compliment Mr. Murtha for that and all the members of our subcommittee. And we have done that. There are no partisan politics in the defense part of this bill. There may be some different opinions, but that is not unusual when there is a body of 435 independently elected men and women and a hundred in the other body. I would like to talk just a few minutes about the defense part of this bill and mention that most of the defense funding in this bill goes to pay for deployments that have already been made and that are already under way. We have soldiers and sailors, marines and airmen scattered all over the world in numerous deployments, some of which are essential, some of which are very questionable, which some of us support, which some of us did not support. But, nonetheless, they are there, and it is up to us to guarantee that they have whatever it is they need to accomplish their mission and to give themselves some protection at the same time they are doing this. Now while they are doing this they are performing a lot of missions for the United Nations, a lot of missions that we do not get credit for on the accounting ledger at the U.N., and I think we ought to get credit for that. For those who want to talk about us being in arrears, let us get some real accounting and get credit for the moneys that we spend on those United Nations type deployments. But let me say this, that since I have been chairman of this subcommittee and we have been the majority party, we have offset every penny for these deployments in that 3\1/2\ year period. Over $12 billion we have offset, which means we took it from the already appropriated accounts for the Army, the Navy, the Marine Corps and the United States Air Force. We took it out of moneys they were planning for training, for readiness, for quality of life, $12 billion we had already offset. Now we cannot afford to continue to do that. If my colleagues had been able to be at a meeting with me at the Pentagon on Monday that the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) and I attended, they would have heard some very sad stories from the Secretary of Defense and the chairmen of the Joint Chiefs, and I think it is a shame to hear the stories that they are telling about what is happening to the military while the deployed forces were working hard to keep them ready and keep them well-equipped. The nondeployed forces back home are running out of equipment, running out of training money. Let us pass this bill. Let us avoid the political implications. Let us remember that we are talking about providing funding for our American troops in uniform who have been sent around the world, and that is what this bill does.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, in 2 minutes I certainly do not have time to respond to all of the arguments I heard here today. I just want to remind Members that in the last 13 years, we have seen the investment in our national security go down dramatically every year, while at the same time spending on the other parts of the government was going up, up and up. So the argument that the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) has just made about domestic spending versus national security, I think Members should analyze that very closely before making that decision. I was interested in the comment that our colleague from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) made about not voting for the supplemental that provides for the balance of the year in Bosnia. I would say to the gentleman, whether you vote for that or not, the President is not going to bring those troops home at the end of June. We know that and the gentleman knows that. The proof of the pudding is that in 5 years the President, without the approval of the Congress, has deployed troops to the area near Iraq, to Bosnia, to Somalia, to Rwanda, to Haiti and to a number of other places, without having the money in advance, and then he sent us the bill. The problem is we did not appropriate any of this money up front, but we got the bill and we had to pay for it. And if we do not pay for those supplementals, and the biggest part of this defense supplemental, by the way, is not Bosnia, but for the deployment to the Southwest Asia area, but if we do not provide these funds that are already spent, we are going to have to stand down training. Tomorrow is the beginning of the third quarter of this fiscal year. The Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marine Corps are all going to have to stand down training. They are not going to be able to get the spare parts that they need to keep the equipment working that is already being worn out. Our troops are being worn out because of these deployments. There is no question we have to pay the bill in order to support our own troops. But we would be better served if we were to get the message to the President that before you start these major deployments that you will send us the bill for later on, you had better come to Congress and get some kind of support here, or at least some indication of whether you have the support or not. Mr. Speaker, we will go into more of the details as we have more time as we debate the bill itself.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. I wanted to thank him for reading from James Madison. That is what I was trying to say, but I would have to admit and concede that James Madison said it far more eloquently than I did. But we are saying the same thing. Congress and the President have proper relationships that must be better defined for all of us.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) for yielding me this time, and I want to make sure that Members understand we are not talking about an amendment. There is not going to be a vote on this issue today. This question has been presented to me several times. This is in the bill. As much as I agree with the comments being made by the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Skaggs), and those who support him, and I did not object to this being put in the bill in the full committee, I have to tell my colleagues that this does not solve the problems that the gentleman is talking about. This is very narrow. It goes only to the issue of Saddam Hussein's unwillingness to stay with the agreement that he has made now as far as inspection of his weapons cache. Mr. Chairman, as the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Livingston) said, rightfully so, this is a monumental decision. Others have made similar statements. This is extremely important. It deals with the constitutional relationship of the Congress vis-a-vis the President of the United States, that is true. This Congress needs to address these issues, but not in a supplemental. Mr. Chairman, a supplemental appropriations bill is not the place to solve this problem. Congress needs to address this issue full up, head on, to debate a revision or a reconsideration of the War Powers Act to properly establish the role of the Congress in the deployment of U.S. troops. This amendment or this language today does not affect Bosnia. It does not affect Haiti. It does not affect anything else in the Iraqi area. It only affects that one very narrow circumstance. So let us set aside some time for this Congress to establish once and for all what the proper relationship is of the Congress and the President before American troops are deployed to an area of hostility, before we get the bill to pay for these operations, despite the fact we had nothing at all to do with the decision to make those troop deployments. Let us not be sending American troops all over the world unless Congress is a player and unless there is a darned good reason to do it.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I commend to my colleagues the following report on my trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina from March 6-8. At your request, I had the honor of leading a delegation of ten Members on an inspection trip to the Republic of Hungary and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from March 6-8. You asked us to review the current military operations and international assistance efforts involving Bosnia and the other former Yugoslav republics. We had an informative and productive trip, including meetings with President Bjilana Plavsic of the Republika Srpska (the Bosnian Serb Republic); the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe; the Commander of NATO Stabilization Forces in Bosnia; other senior U.S. military and diplomatic personnel; U.S. troops in the field; senior military commanders from other nations participating in the Stabilization Force; and representatives of a variety of international assistance programs. On behalf of the other Members of the delegation, I am forwarding with this letter a detailed report which summarizes our activities and observations. Of course, I am available to discuss this trip as well as the significant policy questions associated with our involvement in Bosnia should you find it useful. In the meantime, I want to thank you again for providing this opportunity to me and our colleagues who made this trip. Congressional Delegation Trip Report March 5-9, 1998 Members: Representatives C.W. Bill Young, Tom Sawyer, Neil Abercrombie, Henry Bonilla, Tillie Fowler, Eddie Bernice Johnson, David Minge, Charles Bass, George Nethercutt, Allan Boyd. Purpose: At the request of the Speaker and Minority Leader of the House, the delegation was asked to inspect and review the current deployment of U.S. and NATO forces to Bosnia- Herzegovina and the status of U.S. and international civic and economic recovery efforts. Itinerary: As shown below. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date Places visited Officials met ------------------------------------------------------------------------ March 5............ Depart Washington, D.C... N/A March 6............ Budapest, Hungary........ Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy; Defense Attache, U.S. Embassy; Liaison Officer to U.S. Embassy, U.S. Stabilization Force (SFOR) March 7............ Sarajevo, Bosnia......... Supreme Allied Commander, NATO; Commander, U.S. Army in Europe and Stabilization Force (SFOR); U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina; Deputy Commissioner, United Nations; High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) Banja Luka, Bosnia....... President of the Republika Srpska March 8............ Tuzla, Bosnia............ Commander, U.S. Task Force Eagle Camp McGovern, Bosnia.... Personnel of the U.S. 1st Armored Division and 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment assigned to

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, if any one knows that hard work leads to success it is Gus Stavros, my dear friend and constituent from St. Petersburg, Florida. The son of an immigrant from Crete, his success is grounded in a strong set of values which have guided him throughout his life, as a parent, a businessman, and generous philanthropist. Among the shared beliefs of Gus and Frances Stavros is a commitment to improving educational opportunities for the children of Pinellas County, Florida. With a $1 million gift in 1987, the couple spearheaded a county-wide effort to establish Enterprise Village, a state-of-the- art learning facility to teach fifth-graders about business and economics. Since its opening, more than 100,000 students have participated in programs at Enterprise Village. All fifth-graders in Pinellas County complete a business course that prepares them for spending a day at Enterprise Village, which is the key to their learning experience. There they have the opportunity to run one of a number of businesses such as a bank, drugstore, newspaper, fast-food establishment, hospital, or radio station. They are paid with special currency, with which they can open a checking account for the day, have lunch, and spend their money at businesses in the Village. The experience has been such an unqualified success for students, parents, and teachers that the Stavros family recently announced a new campaign, spearheaded with another $1 million gift, to establish Enterprise Village II to allow eighth-graders to have a hands-on experience in business and economics. This is just one of many charitable endeavors to which Gus and Frances Stavros have given so much. They have given to local theaters, orchestras, museums, and colleges. Mr. Speaker, Gus Stavros has lived the American Dream. He is the son of an immigrant, a decorated veteran of World War II, he is a proud father and husband, he is a successful businessman, and he and his wife have given back many times over to our community. And in just a few days, on March 20th, he and Frances will celebrate their golden 50th wedding anniversary. Following my remarks, I will include for the benefit of my colleagues a story by Lennie Bennett from Sunday's St. Petersburg Times which tells the remarkable story of this very special, and most generous, couple--Gus and Frances Stavros. Their story is one that I hope inspires others throughout our nation to lead by example and give back to their communities to make them a better place to live. [From the St. Petersburg Times, Mar. 8, 1998] Couple Relish Giving Away Millions (By Lennie Bennett) St. Petersburg.--Gus and Frances Stavros went out to lunch for a celebration the day they pledged $1-million in matching funds to Enterprise Village II last month. On the way home from Largo to their condominium in downtown St. Petersburg, they passed by a number of fine restaurants and private clubs. Finally they found what they were looking for--hamburgers and french fries at Wendy's. That lack of pretension is typical, friends and colleagues say of the couple, both 73, who made millions when he sold his company, Better Business Forms Inc., in 1984 and subsequently have given most of those millions away. ``I don't believe in saving it, and waiting to give it away after my demise,'' Stavros said recently at their downtown St. Petersburg business office. The couple declined to estimate just how much they have given to the community, saying only that it was ``a considerable sum,'' but there are few cultural institutions in Pinellas County that haven't benefited from their generosity. He is considered a driving force behind the development of Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater, where he lived for many years, spending a decade raising funds to build the performing arts center. They are major donors of the Florida Orchestra, American Stage Theatre Company and the Museum of Fine Arts, where halls, courtyards and galleries bear the Stavros name. But talk to Gus Stavros for just a few minutes, and it's clear that even though his motto for giving is ``church, culture and education,'' his abiding passion is education. ``Of all the ills of the world, the only solution is education,'' Stavros said. He would know. Gus Stavros' father, Anthony, was born on the island of Crete in 1898. When Anthony Stavros was 9, his family ``sold'' him to a wealthy Athenian businessman who employed him as a gardener, sending his wages back to Crete. He ran away after a beating and worked odd jobs, saving enough to immigrate to the United States in 1912. ``My father came here because he was told--and really believed--that the streets were lined with gold. When he got here, he realized that they were lined with opportunity.'' The young man, who spoke no English, worked as a dishwasher in Greek restaurants, and eventually was able to buy diners in Elizabeth, N.J., and prospered as a small businessman. He married another Greek emigre, Elizabeth Kourasmenos, who helped in the business. When Gus Anthony Stavros, their only child, was old enough, he worked, too. But that was after he went to a public school from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., then a Greek school from 4 to 7. ``My father taught himself to read and write in both languages. My mother never learned to read or write. But she knew how to count. She worked the cash register,'' Stavros recalled. ``My father had great marketing know-how. He put a big sign on the highway that read `Free Soup with Meals. All the coffee you can drink, five cents.' This was during the Depression. Truck drivers lined up for miles to get in.'' A good student, Stavros received a scholarship to Columbia University in New York City, and he attended for a year before enlisting in the Army in 1942. For three years, he served under Gen. George Patton. During the final march on Berlin, he was wounded in the head by artillery fire. He returned home with a Purple Heart, the Bronze Star and an injury that left him partly paralyzed in his left arm and hand. The first call he made from the stateside hospital was to Frances Shaw, a young woman he had met only twice. ``In high school, a bunch of us formed the Condor Athletic Club. We'd play basketball, go bowling together. One night at the bowling alley, a friend came in with Frances. I asked for an introduction. Later, I said to my best friend, `That's the girl I'm going to marry.' '' Gus Stavros and Frances Shaw didn't see each other again for two years. When he looked her up during one of his Army leaves, she didn't remember him. They began corresponding although, as Mrs. Stavros said, ``I wrote to a lot of boys overseas. We all did, so they wouldn't be so lonely.'' In 1945, when Stavros was released from the hospital, he returned to Columbia University and graduated with a liberal arts degree in 1948. Gus and Frances were married that same year. Like her husband, Frances Stavros was a child of the Depression. ``My father worked for the railroad,'' she said, ``and we never had a lot. But my family, like Gus', valued education.'' ``That is why we feel so strongly about the Pinellas County Education Foundation and Enterprise Village,'' Gus Stavros said. Meaning business Stavros is chairman emeritus of the Pinellas County Education Foundation, which was formed 11 years ago by then- associate superintendent Dr. Howard Hinesley and members of the business community to develop enhancement programs that the school system could not pay for. One of those programs is Enterprise Village. It is a testament to Stavros' unequivocal belief in the free enterprise system. ``I'm not an economist. I'm a businessman. Enterprise Village teaches students about our economic system, which is the greatest in the world.'' He planned Enterprise Village with a businessman's savvy. ``In 1977, I was involved in an event called Expo '77 for 11th- and 12th-graders, with local business leaders at booths in the Bayfront Center to help students with career planning. It didn't work. We held it on a Friday, and the kids came in the front door and went right out the back, probably to the beach. ``Then we went into the schools with films to talk about the free enterprise system. It bored the kids, and they didn't pay any attention. ``So I sat down and thought, `In the world of business, you do what the customer wants. Who's the customer here? The student.' That's how we started with Enterprise Village.'' The facility was modeled after Hallmark Cards Learning City in Kansas City, Mo., which Hinesley visited in 1987. He called Stavros, excited. ``I asked him to spearhead it, and he said yes,'' recalled Hinesley, now superintendent of Pinellas County schools. ``He opened doors that we couldn't. He went with us on every call. Some people had said no to us, and he got them to change their minds. I, at first, was just thinking small, something for $5,000. Then it kept growing because Gus wanted to do it the right way. I never thought we could raise that kind of money.'' By the time Stavros finished the campaign, $1-million had been raised to build the Largo facility. Stavros secured commitments from local corporations to replicate smaller versions of their businesses in a mall-like building with a central meeting space, complete with gazebo, called Town Square. Since opening in 1989, more than 100,000 students have participated. All fifth-graders in Pinellas County complete a business course provided by Enterprise Village before their visit. Then they spend a day working at one of the businesses, supervised by staff and volunteers. A bank, drugstore, newspaper, fast-food restaurant and hospital ``employ'' them, pay them in pretend money and give them time to open checking accounts, go shopping, have lunch. They meet at the end of the day for a speech by an elected ``mayor,'' one of the students. Students, teachers and parents laud the experience. ``We receive comments from them, and from visitors from all over the world who want to copy the program, about the importance of it, and of the importance of continuing this kind of education,'' said Frances Neu, executive director of the foundation. In fact, it has been so successful, it has spawned Enterprise Village II for eighth-graders. ``It's important that we go beyond an introduction to entrepreneurism. At Enterprise Village II, we're going to teach students fiscal responsibility, ethics and career planning. Ethics, most importantly. We've got to teach young people that to be truly successful, you must live an ethical life,'' Stavros said. Life lessons Even though he is a decorated war veteran and graduate of a prestigious university, Stavros could not get a job because of his partial paralysis. He was advised to stay home and collect his disability pension. He finally found a job with Simmons Mattress Co. in New Jersey and worked his way up through the management ranks, eventually transferring to Ohio. But in his entrepreneurial heart, what he really wanted was his own business. With two partners he started a small company that printed business forms. Better Business Forms began with three employees working out of a Quonset hut. Stavros, who had moved his family to Pinellas County continued to work his day job, spending weekends and nights at Better Business Forms. When the company was sold in 1989, it employed 550 people and posted sales close to $90-million. He managed the company's explosive growth with innovative business practices and a belief that no matter how big the business got, the individual employee always counted. ``It was the most satisfying thing I've done in my life, building a company with 550 employees, 550 families,'' he said. He speaks of his own family with pride. ``I'm very proud that my son Paul has gotten involved with the Palladium project.'' Palladium is a private effort to convert the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in downtown St. Petersburg into a mid- size preforming arts hall. ``Paul was also the one who got us involved with American Stage. Our other son, Mark, is a sportsman who races greyhounds. Our daughter, Ellen, got us involved with the Museum of Fine Arts when she was a docent. Now she is executive director of Florida House in Washington, D.C. It's like state embassy, the only one.'' The Stavroses have attended St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Clearwater for 40 years, teaching Sunday School, and coaching basketball and softball. Moving on A self-described workaholic and a hands-on volunteer who rarely relaxed during his adult life, Stavros seems happy to slow down a little now, though he said he believes that ``the condition of standing still is the beginning of the end.'' Gus and Frances Stavros, who will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary March 20, spend summers in North Carolina, and they have traveled a bit with family. He claims to serve on fewer boards. Even so, his plate remains full of meaty fund-raising commitments such as the $500,000 still needed to pay for Enterprise Village II (he's already raised $3-million). He is chairman of the Florida State University Foundation, and co-chairman of the University of South Florida's capital campaign, with a goal of raising $220-million. Not surprisingly, he's met half of that goal. He loves speaking to students. ``I tell them the story of the Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact, a great document, which had one defect, that everyone should work for the good of all and pool their work product. They were starving to death. Gov. (William) Bradford then gave each man his own parcel of land for a year. At the end of that year, we had two great institutions, Thanksgiving and free enterprise.'' He leans forward in a chair in his modest office as he gives this history lesson. Surrounding him are hundreds of plaques, resolutions, statuettes and photographs, tokens of his life in service to the community. There on the walls are the Florida Chamber Economic Education Leadership Award, Commissioner's Award for Excellence, Liberty Bell Award, National Conference of Christians and Jews Silver Medallion Award, United Way Award for Leadership, Friends of the Arts Award, and on and on. There he is as Mr. Sun, the most prestigious civic award in St. Petersburg, and as Mr. Clearwater; he is the only person ever awarded both honors. There he is at the dedication of the Gus A. Stavros Center for the Advancement of Free Enterprise and Economic Education at Florida State University in 1988, and a year later at USF to dedicate a second center. But he doesn't want to talk about any of those on this day. He wants to return to the story of his lunch at Wendy's. ``We had the program for the Enterprise Village II ground- breaking in our hands as we pick up our food,'' he said. ``And our server saw it and said, `Do you know about Enterprise Village? I want you to know I took off work so I could volunteer there for both of my children. It's one of the most wonderful things that ever happened to my kids.''' Gus and Frances Stavros turned to each other and smiled. They can't remember having a better meal.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. McCollum). (Mr. McCOLLUM asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution expressing the sense of Congress that the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, Sara E. Lister, should step down from her position following her derogatory remarks yesterday about our U.S. Marine Corps. Secretary Lister's remarks have enraged those of us who are proud of the men and women who have served as marines. However, knowing the organization as I do and the type of people who are marines, they are not going to be hurt by her words. The 222 year history of the United States Marine Corps speaks for itself. From its first battles of the Revolutionary War, through the bloody Pacific landings during World War II, and from the campaigns in the snowy mountains of Korea, to the steamy jungles of Vietnam, and the parched deserts of Kuwait, the Marine Corps has an unquestionable tradition of serving our Nation in the finest and bravest manner. The U.S. Army, which was not well served by Secretary Lister's comments, has its own distinguished record of valor and service to our Nation. For those of us who just returned from Veterans Day programs back home, our words are still fresh in our minds. We reminded all Americans that if it were not for the brave service of the men and women of the U.S. Marine Corps, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard, America would not be a free nation today. Unfortunately, the comments of Secretary Lister are another example of the lack of respect with which our armed services and those who serve in uniform receive from some within this administration. As I have said time and again, our all volunteer force deserves far better. They at least deserve the respect of those who have been appointed by the President to provide civilian leadership over our services. This is the same administration that has demonstrated a cavalier willingness to send our troops into harms way on a moments notice to make a bold statement or accentuate its foreign policy. These deployments throughout the world and with increasing regularity are ordered with little regard for our national interest or the cost of such deployments. Mr. Speaker, there are many ironies about Secretary Lister's comments. It is ironic that she made them just 2 days after the Marines celebrated another birthday and just 1 day after we as a nation honored those who have served our Nation in the uniform of the U.S. Marine Corps and all the services. Perhaps most ironic, though, is that the battles the Marine Corps have fought and won have been those to protect our Nation's most treasured freedoms and liberties. And there is no more basic American freedom than the freedom of speech. Yet, the President and our civilian leadership at the Pentagon cannot allow an appointee to continue to serve after showing such grave disrespect for every marine who has ever served in uniform. When the President gives the order to ``Send in the Marines'', no one questions their character then. History has established that they are the force we turn to as a nation to be first on the scene, first to fight, and first to win. Some of our Nation's greatest Army generals, who unlike Secretary Lister have seen marines in action, have acknowledged the spirit of our marines who have fought shoulder to shoulder with their brothers in the Army. Gen. John Pershing, during World War I, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, during the Korean conflict, and Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, during Operation Desert Storm all agreed with MacArthur's comments from the outskirts of Seoul in 1950, that ``there is not a finer fighting organization in the world'' than the U.S. Marines. Mr. Speaker, the marines who stand watch tonight on lonely outposts throughout the world, and those who are in training for their next mission wherever and whenever it may be, probably have not even heard about Secretary Lister's remarks. All they know is that they have chosen to wear the uniform of a U.S. Marine to defend and protect our great Nation. May their service and sacrifice stand as the greatest testament, making all other words ring hollow. Semper Fidelis.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as Veteran's Day draws near, I rise today to recognize an individual in my district who continues to serve his country, and his fellow veterans, more than half a century after his release as a prisoner of war. George Morris of St. Petersburg, FL has served as a volunteer at the Bay Pines Veterans Administration Medical Center since 1981. In his 16 years of service, Mr. Morris has logged more than 16,200 hours as a volunteer. This is a remarkable feat made all the more so by the fact that he began volunteering at age 75. During his service in World War II, Mr. Morris was working in the Philippines as a mapmaker for the Government's Coast and Geodetic Survey when he was captured by the Japanese in 1941. After being imprisoned in the Philippines, Japan, and Korea, he was released at the end of the war. Mr. Morris has not forgotten those he served with and continues to honor their memory through his service to other veterans today. Mr. Speaker, Veteran's Day is a time to reflect on the many gifts we as a nation and as Americans have been given because of those men and women who have served in uniform here and throughout the world. This is a time to say thank you for those gifts. Mr. Morris paid a great price to protect our freedom while his was denied for so long as he was held as a prisoner of war 55 years ago. Today he continues to give of himself in service to others. On behalf of all my colleagues, I want to say thank you to Mr. Morris, and to all our Nation's veterans, for your service and dedication which enable us all to enjoy all the freedoms and liberties the United States has to offer. Our Nation is the finest nation in the history of mankind because of their service--both past and present.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Lt. Col. Claude V. ``Jim'' Meadows, who retires this week after 25 years of faithful and honorable service to our Nation in the U.S. Army. Lieutenant Colonel Meadows is a truly outstanding soldier whose career accomplishments reflect the type of military leader our Nation has depended upon during peace and war for more than 200 years. For the information of my colleagues, let me share with you some of Lieutenant Colonel Meadows' career milestones. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in November 1966. After Basic Training at Fort Bragg, NC, Lieutenant Colonel Meadows was assigned to the 75th Engineers in Fort Lewis, WA, and from there reassigned to the 10th Transportation Battalion in the Republic of Vietnam. His arrival coincided with the onset of the Tet Offensive of 1968. Following 12 months of courageous duty in the Central Highlands, the Army recognized his exceptional abilities and reassigned Lieutenant Colonel Meadows to be an instructor at the United States Army Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, VA, where he helped train soldiers until he completed his enlistment and left the Army to attend college. Lieutenant Colonel Meadows graduated from Old Dominion University's Reserve Officers Training Corps Program on May 11, 1975 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Medical Service Corps. During the next seven years, he served in a mix of troop leading and hospital assignments at Fort Campbell, KY, the home of the 101st Airborne Division, Air Assault, and Fort Lee, VA. While at Fort Campbell, he served as the field medical officer for the 20th Engineer Battalion. There he received the Division Commander's Award for Excellence for his work in providing medical support. Lieutenant Colonel Meadows pursued and completed his masters degree in systems management and his abilities in this field were quickly recognized by the medical community as he was reassigned to the hospital as the Administrator for the Department of Medicine. In the words of one staff physician, ``Jim constantly afforded an air of encouragement. He remained patient with us when we, and I in particular, grew impatient. He demonstrated a self-sacrificing concern when detachment would have been far easier. He remained continually sensitive to needs which, at times, must have been very painful to reckon with. He persisted with remarkable endurance in pursuing objectives which frequently must have tempted him to give up.'' Lieutenant Colonel Meadows once again demonstrated his excellence as a professional soldier and medical administrator as an operations officer at the Kenner Army Community Hospital. His commitment to duty and his strong leadership qualities led to his being identified to the Chief, Medical Service Corps as an extremely valuable asset to the Medical Service Corps and the Army. Lieutenant Colonel Meadows was selected for programs at military schools and additional graduate work and completed a masters degree in business administration. With his MBA, Lieutenant Colonel Meadows' career focus moved toward resource management and military comptrollership. As a resource manager, he served at the Tripler Army Medical Center, where he was awarded the Order of Military Medical Merit, an award for his exemplary contribution to the Army's Medical Department. Lieutenant Colonel Meadows has spent the last 8 years of his Army career in the National Capital Area as the Comptroller of the hospital at Fort Belvoir, as a program and budget officer for the Army's Surgeon General, and for the past 4 years as the Army's liaison with my colleagues and I on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security. As the chairman of the Subcommittee, I can tell you that Lieutenant Colonel Meadows has worked diligently with our members and staff through four complete legislative cycles in the areas of health care, personnel, and aviation programs. Through his work with our subcommittee, he has made a significant difference in the lives of his fellow soldiers and their families. Lieutenant Colonel Meadows has been widely recognized and honored during his service. These awards include the Legion of Merit, five awards of the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, a Meritorious Unit Citation, a Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation, the Expert Field Medical Badge, and the Army Staff Badge. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor to pay tribute today to the 25 years of service Lt. Col. Jim Meadows has given to our Nation. He is an officer who befits the Army's proudest traditions. He has dedicated himself to the peace and freedom that we as Americans enjoy today. On behalf of my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee and our National Security Subcommittee, as well as all my colleagues in the House, I want to personally express our sincere appreciation to Lt. Col. Jim Meadows and wish him and his family all the best as he embarks on a new career.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California [Mr. Cunningham] a member of the subcommittee.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, reclaiming my time, I agree with the gentleman from New York [Mr. Boehlert]. The committee would be gravely concerned if the Secretary waived Buy American provisions for those products. And I would say to the gentleman that we believe that the conference report actually strengthens the Buy American situation as it exists today.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. I yield to the gentleman from New York.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, reclaiming my time, I would respond to the question of the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Sisisky] by saying yes and say to him that this language addresses only the notion of combining a Fleet Intermediate Maintenance Facility with a naval shipyard at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. This language is not intended to, in any way, impact ongoing regional maintenance activities at any other shipyard.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the conference report to accompany H.R. 2266 and that I may include tabular and extraneous material.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, reclaiming my time, again I would say to my colleague, if the Secretary decides that this is a high priority item, I definitely would consider a request for reprogramming under our usual procedures.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume only to say again that this is a good bill. It meets most of the needs of the Department of Defense and those who serve in the uniform. Again, I want to express my appreciation to the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Murtha] for the tremendous support and cooperation that we gave each other and all the members of the subcommittee, Mr. McDade, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Skeen, Mr. Hobson, Mr. Bonilla, Mr. Nethercutt, Mr. Istook, Mr. Cunningham, Mr. Dicks, Mr. Hefner, Mr. Sabo, Mr. Dixon, and Mr. Visclosky. I want to also compliment the gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Livingston] and the gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. Obey] for having helped us through some difficult times when some major decisions had to be made.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, reclaiming my time, I would say to the gentleman from Washington [Mr. Dicks] that that is correct. That is my understanding and that is my intent.