Congressional Record—House H2390

H2390 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 22, 2001 ENCROACHMENT ON THE for 1 minute and to revise and extend PRESIDENT’S PLAN MEANS SOLU- MILITARY her remarks.) TION TO THE ENERGY CRUNCH (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I (Mr. PITTS asked and was given per- permission to address the House for 1 would like to congratulate a group in mission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his re- my congressional district that has minute and to revise and extend his re- marks.) done much for the Ecuadorian commu- marks.) Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, I wish nity in south Florida and around the Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, America today to address briefly the issue of world: La Federacion de Entidades does not have enough energy to supply urban encroachment on our military Ecuatorianas en el Exterior, or the all of the demands today. Californians training. Federation of Ecuadorian Entities are facing rolling blackouts and Ameri- Mr. Speaker, for too long we have Abroad. cans everywhere are paying nearly $2 a paid lip service to the fact that our This international group is cele- gallon for gasoline. American military will always be the brating its 16th anniversary with fes- Mr. Speaker, this energy crunch best trained military in the world. Un- tivities this month in Miami where the should not be a surprise to anyone. We fortunately, as a Nation, we are on the group was founded. The celebration have known for years that this was verge of breaking that promise and commemorates the Battle of coming, and we have not built a major breaking faith with those who have Pichincha, an important date for Ecua- oil refinery in the United States in 25 volunteered to serve our Nation. dorian freedom. This battle, won on years. It has been just as long since we The Armed Forces’ readiness is being May 24 in 1822, liberated the capital have built a nuclear power plant. eroded by urban expansion, environ- city of Quito and secured the independ- Our dependence on foreign oil has mental regulation, and commercial ence of Ecuador. La Federacion de gone up since the 1970s and 1980s, not competition for our airspace, for Entidades Ecuatorianas en el Exterior down, and the rules for when and where ranges and for communication fre- celebrates freedom and history through one can sell different kinds of gasoline quencies, encroachment issues that are civic and educational programs, recog- are so complicated, it is amazing we threatening the ability of our service- nizing the contributions of people with can keep track of it at all. men and women to effectively prepare Ecuadorian ancestry. This energy crunch has been looming for the challenges which may face our La Federacion has more than 200 for years, and the previous administra- Nation. groups in the U.S. and around the tion did nothing to prevent it from The iron law of our military is that world representing more than 1 million happening. Last week, our new Presi- training saves lives. When training U.S. citizens. This fraternal group fos- dent presented a balanced comprehen- goes down for whatever reason, acci- ters bonds among people with Ecua- sive and sensible plan for getting us dents and casualties go up. Make no dorian roots through social and cul- out of this mess. But the liberals in mistake, Mr. Speaker. Encroachment tural programs that honor their his- town are calling for price caps. If there is like a cancer, eating away at our tory and their proud heritage. is anything we learned in the 20th cen- On this important anniversary of Ec- training capabilities. We must always tury, it is that Soviet-style command uadorian independence and this group’s be vigilant to this encroachment and economies do not work. Just look at founding, I wish the members of La act quickly to revitalize our training what happened in California. Federacion de Entidades Ecuatorianas so as to keep our faith with those Mr. Speaker, we need real solutions. en el Exterior many more successful sworn to protect us. Congress needs to get behind the Presi- and happy years. dent’s plan, and we need to do it now. f f f A MONUMENT FOR THE WARRIORS NUCLEAR WASTE NATIONAL STROKE AWARENESS OF WORLD WAR II TRANSPORTATION MONTH (Mr. TRAFICANT asked and was (Ms. BERKLEY asked and was given (Mr. HILL asked and was given per- given permission to address the House permission to address the House for 1 mission to address the House for 1 for 1 minute and to revise and extend minute and to revise and extend her re- minute and to revise and extend his re- his remarks.) marks.) marks.) Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, there Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, every Mr. HILL. Mr. Speaker, because May are great monuments on the mall. All day our headlines read about how Vice is National Stroke Awareness Month, I were earned, all admired. America has President CHENEY thinks nuclear power rise today to express my concern about a rich history indeed. But if any one is the answer to our Nation’s energy the devastating effect stroke has on group of American patriots deserve a woes. I hope my colleagues and this ad- Americans. parcel of that hallowed ground on the ministration heed my warning, that Every 53 seconds, someone in Amer- mall, it is the fighting men and women unless we stop the Yucca Mountain ica has a stroke. About 600,000 Ameri- of World War II. plan, at least 77,000 tons of toxic, dan- cans will have a stroke this year, and Washington and Jefferson founded gerous nuclear waste are going to be 160,000 of them will die. In fact, stroke America. Lincoln preserved America. shipped through 43 States en route to is the third leading cause of death in But I say to my colleagues, the fight- Yucca Mountain. America, and one of the leading causes ing men and women, those who sur- It is a mathematic certainty that the of disability. vived and those who were killed in ac- continuing transfer of lethal waste will Stroke impacts all of our commu- tion, they saved America. An America result in perhaps hundreds of accidents nities. Millions of husbands, wives and that fails to recognize the liberation and the potential for catastrophe is children make sacrifices every day to from tyranny by these great warriors is very real. Governors and State legisla- care for loved ones who suffer a stroke. an America that takes for granted our tors across this country have emphati- The good news is that we are con- great freedoms. cally said they do not want nuclear ducting exciting research to find new Mr. Speaker, I yield back the lives waste traveling through their States. ways to provide rehabilitation to and the legacy of the fighting men and It is time that we listen to their con- stroke survivors to help them regain women of World War II that not only cerns and heed their warnings. lost abilities. saved America, they saved the entire An accident in one’s district could Mr. Speaker, I urge my fellow mem- world. cost billions of dollars in cleanup and bers to continue to support research ef- f the effects on our constituents would forts to help stroke survivors achieve be disastrous. Let us eliminate the the greatest quality of life. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FED- dangers of this ‘‘mobile Chernobyl’’ by f ERATION OF ECUADORIAN ENTI- developing methods to safely store the TIES ABROAD waste where it is currently located. SUPPORT THE BUSH TAX PLAN (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was Please join with me in preventing a (Mr. KINGSTON asked and was given given permission to address the House national disaster. permission to address the House for 1 May 22, 2001 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2391 minute and to revise and extend his re- Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. by Congress and finalized, thus bring- marks.) 1696) to expedite the construction of ing the bureaucratic delay to an end, Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, what the World War II memorial in the Dis- and rendering moot the current litiga- the big government liberals in Wash- trict of Columbia. tion brought by the memorial’s oppo- ington want to do to the working men The Clerk read as follows: nents. and women is reach their hand in their Senate amendment: Mr. Speaker, I sincerely hope that pocket, grab the wallet, pull out all of Strike out all after the enacting clause and this is the last legislative action Con- their hard-earned cash, year after year, insert: gress will have to take before the dedi- so that the working people now are SECTION 1. APPROVAL OF WORLD WAR II MEMO- cation of the World War II memorial in paying about 40 percent of their house- RIAL SITE AND DESIGN. 2004. However, let me say that no one hold income in taxes. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, should question our resolve to see this What the Bush tax plan is saying is, the World War II memorial described in plans approved by the Commission of Fine Arts on through. I believe Congress will do hey, look, we do not need all of that whatever it takes, because it is time to money we have been grabbing out of July 20, 2000 and November 16, 2000, and se- lected by the National Capital Planning Com- build the World War II memorial. your wallet. Let us put it back in mission on September 21, 2000 and December 14, Mr. Speaker, the action Congress takes there. Then, when the working people 2000, and in accordance with the special use today is an extraordinary step, based in large can control their own money, they get permit issued by the Secretary of the Interior on part on frustration over the slow progress to save it. How, how about an edu- January 23, 2001, and numbered NCR–NACC– being achieved by the relevant commissions cation account for one of your chil- 5700–0103, shall be constructed expeditiously at under the Commemorative Works Act. dren? How about a new dryer? How the dedicated Rainbow Pool site in the District I hope everyone involved in the remaining of Columbia in a manner consistent with such about a long, hard-earned vacation? administrative process will become true advo- Better still, if you want to, you go out plans and permits, subject to design modifica- tions, if any, approved in accordance with ap- cates of getting this memorial back on track. and buy something on the economy, plicable laws and regulations. No one should question our desire to see treat yourself. When you do that, busi- SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF COMMEMORATIVE this memorial begun and finished expedi- nesses respond by increasing their in- WORKS ACT. tiously, nor should they question our resolve to ventory. They have to hire more people Elements of the memorial design and construc- overcome any further bureaucratic delay and because of the new demand, and when tion not approved as of the date of enactment of legal wrangling by the memorial’s opponents. they do, there are more jobs in the this Act shall be considered and approved in ac- A lengthy democratic process, in the best economy, more people are working, cordance with the requirements of the Com- traditions of our Nation, has been conducted memorative Works Act (40 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.). less people are laid off, less people are and all sides have been given more than on welfare and unemployment, and we SEC. 3. JUDICIAL REVIEW. ample opportunity to have their voices heard. have more tax revenues coming in. It is The decision to locate the memorial at the Rainbow Pool site in the District of Columbia Just as WWII veterans fought 60 years ago a win-win. and the actions by the Commission of Fine Arts for the right of the memorial’s opponents to be Why do the Washington liberals not on July 20, 2000 and November 16, 2000, the ac- part of the process, those opponents of the get it, Mr. Speaker? People know how tions by the National Capital Planning Commis- memorial should now respect that democratic to spend their money far better than sion on September 21, 2000 and December 14, process and the final decisions that have been Washington does. Let us let them keep 2000, and the issuance of the special use permit made. more of their own money. Support the identified in section 1 shall not be subject to ju- Mr. Speaker, it is time to honor the sac- Bush plan. dicial review. rifices of the World War II generation. Eight f The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. years after Congress authorized the construc- RYAN of Wisconsin). Pursuant to the SOLUTIONS TO ENERGY CRISIS tion of this memorial, and six years from the rule, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. first of 22 public hearings on its site and de- (Mr. SHIMKUS asked and was given STUMP) and the gentleman from Illi- sign, the memorial’s construction remains de- permission to address the House for 1 nois (Mr. EVANS) each will control 20 layed by a procedural issue involving the Na- minute and to revise and extend his re- minutes. tional Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), marks.) The Chair recognizes the gentleman one of the agencies required by law to ap- Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I would from Arizona (Mr. STUMP). prove the memorial, and a lawsuit filed by a like to take a minute to talk about the GENERAL LEAVE small group of opponents. This legislation President’s energy plan. I am very sup- Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I ask would remove those obstacles and require the portive of it. unanimous consent that all Members construction process to promptly go forward. As a member of the Subcommittee on may have 5 legislative days within The legislation accomplishes that goal as Energy and Policy, what we have found which to revise and extend their re- follows: out is that we need to have a diversi- marks on the legislation under consid- Through sections one and three, the site fied energy portfolio, just like anyone eration. and design for the World War II Memorial are would have a good diversified invest- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there finalized, expeditious construction is directed, ment portfolio. We need to make sure objection to the request of the gen- and the prospect of further delay through judi- that we have baseload generating ca- tleman from Arizona? cial challenges or other re-considerations of pacities using coal, nuclear, hydro- There was no objection. the selected site and design are eliminated. electric power. We cannot continue to Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I yield my- Section one also includes a provision regard- rely solely on natural gas as the mar- self such time as I may consume. ing design modifications which is solely in- ket, the supply and demand, will just (Mr. STUMP asked and was given tended to address the highly unlikely event say, the higher the demand, the more permission to revise and extend his re- that a technical impossibility could occur in the limited the market, and the higher the marks.) course of construction that might require a lim- price is. Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, last week ited deviation from the selected design. In light b 1015 the House passed legislation to expe- of the careful review the existing plans have Energy is an important concern to dite construction of the World War II already been subject to by the memorial’s de- many Americans. The best way to ad- memorial by a vote of 400–15. sign, engineering, and construction manage- dress the national energy crisis is to With the bipartisan help of the Sen- ment professionals, the General Services Ad- increase supply of the generating fuels, ate leadership and the Committee on ministration (GSA), the American Battle Monu- and also do some energy conservation Energy, the Committee on Resources, ments Commission (ABMC), the National Park to increase the demand. the Committee on Appropriations, and Service (NPS), the Commission of Fine Arts f the Committee on Government Affairs, (CFA) and the National Capital Planning Com- we achieved that goal and now bring mission (NCPC), no exercise of this authority EXPEDITING CONSTRUCTION OF back H.R. 1696 to the House with a Sen- is expected. Moreover, as a result of these WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL IN ate amendment. provisions, funds donated for the Memorial DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA The compromise language accom- would not be diverted to preparation of the ad- Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, I move to plishes our objectives of declaring the ditional mock-up of the Memorial or further suspend the rules and concur in the major design elements to be approved presentations on the selected design that have