CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E1244 HON
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E1244 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks June 13, 2003 ISRAEL I also applaud the vision and leadership of managers to establish early detection pro- Scott Fischbach, MCCL’s new Executive Di- grams for insect and disease infestations, with HON. JOSEPH CROWLEY rector. an emphasis on hardwood forests, so that OF NEW YORK Mr. Speaker, I salute MCCL for its 35 years agencies can isolate and treat adverse condi- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES of work on behalf of our most vulnerable citi- tions before they reach epidemic levels. Thursday, June 12, 2003 zens. Even though the bill was first considered f and marked up in the Resources Committee, Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to the House Agriculture Committee, under the speak about the continued terrorist attacks SURVIVOR BENEFIT PLAN outstanding leadership of Chairman BOB against Israel. GOODLATTE, received primary referral. While As we all know the President has recently HON. KEN CALVERT associating myself with the able and accurate returned from his first official visit to the Middle OF CALIFORNIA work in the Agriculture Committee’s Report on East where he attempted to move the peace IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES H.R. 1904, as the bill’s primary author I want process forward. During the summit Israel and the Palestin- Thursday, June 12, 2003 to insert some additional language into H.R. ians agreed to the road map—now comes the 1904’s legislative history so as to provide fur- Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, the Survivor ther clarity as to the intention of Congress in hard part. Benefit Plan was, at one time, a good plan in- Progress will be difficult and we must focus Title VI. tended to provide for surviving spouses of vet- Title VI of H.R. 1904 authorizes the Sec- now on action, not words. In short, perform- erans. Unfortunately, that intention has been ance matters. retary of Agriculture to establish a program lost. The United States must do more to put that uses geospatial and information manage- Now surviving spouses are experiencing the pressure on Israel’s neighbors and make sure ment technologies (remote sensing imaging reality of a one-third drop in benefits when they cease all support of terrorist groups like and decision support systems) to inventory, Hamas and Islamic Jihad. they turn 62 and Congress has yet to take any monitor, characterize, assess, and identify for- With 16 Israelis dead from Wednesday’s action on rectifying this wrong. est stands (and potential forest stands) in the bus bombing, four soldiers killed last weekend, Well, the time has come for Congress to southern and eastern portions of the United and hundreds of other Israelis dead from step up to the plate and provide for our vet- States, with special emphasis on hardwood Hamas attacks, Israel has the right to protect erans what we already provide to our federal forest types. The approach for this effort in- herself and her people from terrorists. civilian retirees. cludes utilizing NASA remote sensing tech- Hamas and other terrorist groups oppose I believe the message of this tragic inequal- nology, emerging geospatial capabilities in re- the road map, they oppose any lasting peace ity is best conveyed by those who must live search activities, validating techniques using with Israel. They oppose the existence of the with it. I would like to read a statement from application demonstrations, and integrating re- Jewish State. a constituent of mine from Riverside, Cali- sults into pilot operational systems. Important These groups have been tolerated for years fornia, Mrs. Marilyn T. Owsley about her expe- issues to be addressed in this region of the by the Palestinian Authority and the PA chair- rience with the Survivor Benefit Plan: U.S. include, but are not limited to, early de- man, Yassir Arafat. My husband would turn over in his grave tection, identification and assessment of envi- The administration must also increase dia- had he known what was happening to me ronmental threats (insect, disease, invasive log with our European allies who continue to with his annuity. He chose SBP for me to species, fire and weather-related risks, other have a decent income along with his Social have relations with Yassir Arafat, as if he were episodic events), loss or degradation of for- the head of state. Support for Yassir Arafat Security. Also, he liked the idea of this an- nuity because you get a cost of living in- ests, degradation of stand quality due to inad- and his terrorist ways must stop. crease each year where other types of annu- equate forest regeneration practices, quan- More support must be given to Abu Mazen ities did not. Together with his Social Secu- tification of carbon uptake rates, and other so he can disarm the terrorist groups so Israel rity and the SBP annuity, I manage. I rent counter management practices. Developing a can live in safety and security. my apartment and pray they don’t increase comprehensive early warning system for po- There will be no peace and there should be the rent too much each year. I gave up driv- tential catastrophic environmental threats to no peace plan until all sides agree that Israel ing my 1983 Chevy as it was too costly to Eastern forests would significantly increase has the right to exist and her people the right keep up with repairs and insurance. I have to depend on someone else to go to the store or the likelihood that managers could isolate and to live in safety on the streets, in cafe´s and on treat any such outbreak before it gets out of their buses—anything else is a failure that the the doctor. If not for my children, I don’t know what I would do. I will be 78 years old control. Such a system could prevent the kind U.S. should take no part in. on October 9, 2003. They say the Golden of epidemic, like that of the American chestnut f Years are good. I say my gold turned to rust. blight in the first half of the twentieth century, MINNESOTA CITIZENS CONCERNED I pray every night the government will do which could be environmentally and economi- something about this problem of the annuity FOR LIFE cally devastating to Eastern forests. reduction. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1904 is as important as HON. MARK R. KENNEDY Let’s return the benefits to the Survivor Ben- any environmental legislation that this House efit Plan and keep our word to the millions of has passed in a very long time. Title VI in the OF MINNESOTA veterans who, in good faith, signed up for this bill is a critical piece of that landmark forest IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES plan with the expectation of taking care of health program. Thursday, June 12, 2003 their loved ones after they passed. f Mr. KENNEDY of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, I f rise today to pay tribute to Minnesota Citizens STATEMENT FROM REPRESENTA- Concerned for Life on their 35th anniversary. PROVIDING FURTHER CLARITY AS TIVE TOM DAVIS HONORING THE MCCL is Minnesota’s largest and oldest or- TO THE INTENT OF CONGRESS 80TH BIRTHDAY OF SID YUDAIN, ganization dedicated to preserving the sanctity WITH REGARD TO HR 1904, THE THE ROLL CALL NEWSPAPER of human life. It was founded in 1968 with the HEALTHY FORESTS RESTORA- FOUNDER goal of protecting the lives of the unborn and TION ACT elderly from conception until natural death. HON. TOM DAVIS Since then, MCCL has grown from a handful HON. SCOTT McINNIS OF VIRGINIA of individuals meeting in their kitchens to OF COLORADO IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 77,000 members in 241 local chapters today. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Thursday, June 12, 2003 MCCL works tirelessly to educate the public Thursday, June 12, 2003 on the precious nature of life. MCCL is a Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, major force behind efforts to create a culture Mr. MCINNIS. Mr. Speaker, last month, the ‘‘At every dramatic turning point of our long of life that refuses to accept as common prac- House passed the Healthy Forests Restoration national nightmare known as Watergate, Roll tice euthanasia, human cloning, assisted sui- Act on an overwhelming bipartisan basis. The Call was there. Sid Yudain reported the Wa- cide, and abortion on demand. bill creates a number of new procedures and tergate break-in a full three days before Nix- Through their efforts, MCCL has allowed programs to deal with the nation’s exploding on’s resignation,’’ quipped Washington’s favor- thousands to enjoy the banquet of life who forest health crisis. Importantly, Title VI of the ite political satirist, Mark Russell some twenty otherwise would not have. bill would authorize and direct federal land years ago. VerDate Jan 31 2003 02:32 Jun 14, 2003 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A12JN8.022 E13PT1 June 13, 2003 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1245 Russell’s dig was aimed at the man credited PERSONAL EXPLANATION When used properly, OxyContin is consid- with discovering him, Sid Yudain, founder, ered a wonder drug, especially for terminally publisher, editor, and even occasional delivery ill cancer patients. I know what it is like to HON. ELTON GALLEGLY see people suffer from cancer. Both my boy of Capitol Hill’s own newspaper, Roll Call. OF CALIFORNIA mother and father died of cancer. I can re- Now, this weekend Mark and his wife Ali are IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES member my mother constantly asking the hosting—and perhaps roasting—Sid at a party Thursday, June 12, 2003 nurses for more morphine but being told she celebrating his 80th birthday.