E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 107 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 148 WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6, 2002 No. 23 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. The SPEAKER. Pursuant to clause 8, substance known to man back and The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. rule XX, further proceedings on this forth through 43 States, especially Coughlin, offered the following prayer: question will be postponed. when DOE has no strategy or plan for Lord, merciful and gracious God, The point of no quorum is considered the possibility of disaster. We need to bless Congress today. You lead all into withdrawn. protect our communities and constitu- the desert in search of salvation. There f ents, protect our Nation. I urge Mem- light and darkness are bold and relent- bers to vote ‘‘no’’ on Yucca Mountain. less, each night falling suddenly on the PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE f Nation’s brightness. For in Your pres- The SPEAKER. Will the gentleman WHY ALL THE GIMMICKS? ence the barren land is timeless. As the from Massachusetts (Mr. NEAL) come cold mountains are once again awak- forward and lead the House in the (Mr. DEFAZIO asked and was given ened by the pounding, shake us into Pledge of Allegiance. permission to address the House for 1 Lenten awareness. Mr. NEAL of Massachusetts led the minute and to revise and extend his re- Forty years seems hardly a lifetime Pledge of Allegiance as follows: marks.) Mr. DEFAZIO. Mr. Speaker, remem- anymore. Yet Your people wandered I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the ber the Social Security lockbox? Re- aimlessly through purification longing United States of America, and to the Repub- publican leadership had us vote on pro- for Your promises to be fulfilled. lic for which it stands, one nation under God, tecting Social Security with a lockbox Forty days seems far longer than a indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. eight times over 5 years. But now, of month’s time now. Yet removed from f course, the lockbox has been ripped the crowd, Moses and Jesus climbed YUCCA MOUNTAIN POSES A opened and plundered, and over the the desolate stage of this mountain to MOVING DISASTER next 10 years it will finance tax cuts seek Your face. for the wealthiest of Americans. This year make our annual desert (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 Now there is a new gimmick. Hey, story victorious by Your Holy Name. certificates. Certificates suitable for minute and to revise and extend his re- May Passover and Christian Pasch framing on the wall and hanging next marks.) bring forth the first vestiges of peace. to the Enron stock certificate. They Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, how For this we pray now and forever. will be just as valuable. That is their much more simply can I say it, that Amen. new gimmick. f shipping nuclear waste back and forth Mr. Speaker, why all of the gim- across this country 96,000 times is sim- THE JOURNAL micks? Because they are proposing a ply unsafe. Sure, proponents of the privatization plan that will undermine The SPEAKER. The Chair has exam- Yucca Mountain Project would say the foundations of Social Security, cut ined the Journal of the last day’s pro- that some 3,000 shipments have already benefits, increase the retirement age; ceedings and announces to the House been made to destinations in America or, phenomenally, increase the debt. his approval thereof. without any incidents. But let me say, They have yet to say how they are Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- I am sure that the elevators in the going to pay for their risky privatiza- nal stands approved. World Trade Center operated fault- tion plans, taking 2 percent, doubling Mr. MCNULTY. Mr. Speaker, pursu- lessly until September 11. We cannot the problem that Social Security has. ant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote use the past to predict the future. Instead of Social Security running out on agreeing to the Speaker’s approval Mr. Speaker, terrorist threats of money in 2038 and only being able to of the Journal. against one of these many shipments is pay 73 percent of benefits after that The SPEAKER. The question is on a real danger, and it would be foolish time, they have a plan that will run the Speaker’s approval of the Journal. to disregard it. Moreover, the news pro- Social Security out of money in 2024. The question was taken; and the gram ‘‘60 Minutes’’ last year said that That is not a great plan. Speaker announced that the ayes ap- train accidents due to track failure are f peared to have it. happening at a rate of nearly 1 every 24 Mr. MCNULTY. Mr. Speaker, I object hours. Just a few months ago the city THE AXIS OF EVIL to the vote on the ground that a of Baltimore was nearly shut down due (Mr. PITTS asked and was given per- quorum is not present and make the to a chemical train accident. mission to address the House for 1 point of order that a quorum is not Mr. Speaker, I am not willing to minute and to revise and extend his re- present. gamble on transporting the deadliest marks.) b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H689 . VerDate 11-MAY-2000 23:10 Mar 06, 2002 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A06MR7.000 pfrm02 PsN: H06PT1 H690 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE March 6, 2002 Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, when the PAYING TRIBUTE TO CATHY ARMY NEEDS ADEQUATE leader of the free world came to this LAIRD RESOURCES Chamber in January to deliver his (Mr. PENCE asked and was given per- (Mr. RYUN of Kansas asked and was State of the Union address, he de- mission to address the House for 1 given permission to address the House scribed the axis of evil governments. minute and to revise and extend his re- for 1 minute and to revise and extend He mentioned them by name: Iran, Iraq marks.) his remarks.) and North Korea. Mr. PENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today Mr. RYUN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I Since then, some people have criti- in deep humility to join in the shock rise today to recognize the enduring cized the speech. In fact, one of Presi- and the grief of the citizens of Shelby commitment the Army provides to our dent Bush’s predecessors said the County, Indiana, to pay tribute to the Nation. Throughout our history, we speech was ‘‘over simplistic’’ and passing of a leader, a wife, a mother, have relied on the Army to provide de- ‘‘counterproductive.’’ and a distinguished local citizen, Cathy cisive force to defend America and her Mr. Speaker, the Government of Iran Laird, who passed away at the age of 37 interests. spends millions of dollars financing the yesterday following the complications In the aftermath of September 11, the murder of innocent civilians and vio- from an automobile accident. Cathy Army again answered the call by effec- lence in the Middle East. The Govern- Laird was not only a distinguished pub- tively leading efforts to support vic- ment of Iraq has used chemical weap- lic servant who would have, without tims and secure our borders. They con- ons to kill its own citizens and has in- term limits, been permitted to run for tinue to coordinate efforts to protect vaded its neighbors. North Korea is the her third consecutive term as county our Nation throughout this country only country I know of today that has clerk, she was also the devoted wife of through homeland defense. concentration camps where people Roger, the devoted mother of Mary, 9, Last week General Shinseki testified enter and never come home from. They and Emily, 5. Emily was in the car about the need of the Army to increase literally starve their citizens. when the accident occurred; and char- its end strength. I believe we would do If that is not evil, I do not know what acteristic of Cathy, she looked after well to heed his advice. is. Years ago another President re- Emily making sure Emily got to her Today America only boasts the ninth ferred to the Soviet Union as an evil appointment while she was taken to largest army in the world. Of the top empire, and some of us remember the the hospital. eight, six are potential adversaries. We Soviet refusenik Natan Sharansky. He Mr. Speaker, I encourage Roger and must work to increase the Army force was in a gulag when President Reagan all family and friends to not grieve like structure. It should be obvious that we gave that speech. Mr. Sharansky told the rest of men who have no hope. must maintain stability through me, when I met him, that news of that Cathy had the hope that is now real- strong ground forces. speech spread like wildfire through the ized, and we will pray for her husband, Mr. Speaker, we rely on the Army to Soviet gulags. Not until then did they her children, her family, her friends, win wars and maintain the peace. Now realize that a leader in the West under- and a grieving community who take more than ever, we must give these stood the nature of communism.