January 24, 1996 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E 77 PERSONAL EXPLANATION begin by thanking the chairman and the rank- we pass this bill and have the President sign ing member of the National Security Commit- it into law. HON. MAXINE WATERS tee who worked hard to bridge their dif- ferences and produce a bill that the President f OF CALIFORNIA will sign into law. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES I would like to point out that I voted against IN PRAISE OF THE PBS AND MR. Wednesday, January 24, 1996 this conference report back in December be- GEORGE COVINGTON Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, due to pressing cause of the objectionable language governing personal business, I was unable to vote on the national missile defense policy and the restric- HON. CHARLES WILSON conference report on S. 1124, the Department tions on the President's constitutional preroga- OF TEXAS tives to make foreign policy. My vote against of Defense Authorization bill. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Although this conference report did make the initial conference report was the first time Wednesday, January 24, 1996 important changes from the version which was in my congressional career that I cast a ``no'' vetoed by President Clinton, there remain seri- vote on a defense bill, be it authorization or Mr. WILSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ous policy issues such as the proposed re- appropriations. Moreover, the reservations and congratulate a friend and fellow Texan, Mr. strictions of overseas abortion and the lan- the objections to the original conference report George Covington, on his upcoming appear- guage requiring the discharge of HIV-positive by the respected Senator from Georgia, Mr. ance on the Public Television series ``People NUNN, cast serious doubt on the wisdom of personnel, about which I continue to have se- in Motion.'' enacting such restrictive and potentially harm- rious concerns. As such, had I been present, George has spent the past 20 years estab- ful language. I would have voted ``no''. lishing himself as one of this country's most As President Clinton said it last night, ``since vocal advocates for the millions of Americans f the dawn of the nuclear age, there is not a with disabilities. He worked for and has been single Russian missile pointed at the United GILROY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE a member of the President's Committee on States and North Korea has frozen its dan- HONORS MAN OF THE YEAR TOM Employment of People with Disabilities. He gerous nuclear weapons program.'' We have CARR served on the staff of former Speaker Jim accomplished that because both Democratic Wright as the speaker's disability specialist and Republican administrations have worked and for Vice President Dan Quayle, as Special HON. ZOE LOFGREN tirelessly to ratify the START Treaty which sig- Assistant for Disability Policy. With my office, OF CALIFORNIA nificantly reduced the nuclear stockpile be- he designed and implemented the first fully IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES tween the former Soviet Union and the United accessible mapping of Capitol Hill and the States. And now we are on the verge of fur- Wednesday, January 24, 1996 monuments. This project, the Tactile Capital, ther reducing weapons of mass destruction by Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to embracing START II. provided hand-held braille and table-top scale join the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce in hon- We cannot and should not do anything to maps of Washington, DC, that brought our Na- oring Mr. Tom Carr of Gilroy, CA, for his ex- endanger the prospects for ratification of tion's capital into focus for the first time for traordinary volunteer efforts. Mr. Carr has START II. I voted against the conference re- millions of visitors with low or no vision. been named ``Man of the Year'' after also re- port in December precisely because it amount- He is an internationally recognized speaker ceiving ``Volunteer of the Year'' recognition ed to an anticipatory breach of the Anti-Ballis- on universal design, disability rights, and pho- from the city of Gilroy and the ``Elk's Distin- tic Missile Treaty. Further, the language con- tography. That last entry is particularly note- guished Citizenship Award.'' tained in the bill would have had a significant worthy, because George has been legally What is so noteworthy about Mr. Carr is the impact on Russian consideration of the blind since birth and now has only 5 percent pride that he takes in his community and his START II Treaty which will reduce Russian usable vision. His career has spanned the dedication toward keeping his city safe and nuclear weapons by 25 percent. fields of law, journalism, education, govern- beautiful. I am aware that Mr. Carr spends on I am pleased to see that the language re- ment, and disability civil rights. But he is the average several hours each day eradicating garding the deployment of a national missile first to tell you point blank that he does not graffiti from throughout the city. His work defense system was struck from the bill as want the burden of being ``inspirational'' to sends a signal, loud and clear, that we will not well as the language restricting the President's able-bodied peopleÐand add that this is the allow taggers to take over our neighborhoods. ability to utilize U.S. troops for peacekeeping wish of most people with disabilities. That is important, because fighting graffiti is a missions. It is clear by now that for all of the It is for this reason that George's appear- vital step toward keeping our streets safe. dire predictions and the harsh rhetoric aimed ance is so very appropriate and important to Likewise, Mr. Carr has been a staunch sup- at the President's proposal to send troops to a series like ``People in Motion.'' He has spent porter of our local police department by help- enforce the peace in Bosnia, the President's most of his life fighting negative images, ing to raise funds for special projects that en- plan has largely been a success thus far. We myths, and stereotypes about people with dis- able the department to better serve the public. have stopped the bloodshed and have ush- abilities. Mr. Speaker, on February 2, 1996, at the ered in new hope for the future of all Serbs, Last year PBS broadcast the first install- Gilroy Chamber of Commerce's Annual Meet- Muslims, and Croatians. ments of this unique series. In April, PBS sta- ing and Awards Dinner, Mr. Carr will formally While I applaud the compromise that was tions around the country will air three new epi- receive his award. At this time, I would like to made with respect to this conference report, I sodes of ``People in Motion.'' Like the premier invite my colleagues in the U.S. House of am dismayed that the conference committee episodes, these seek to break through the Representatives to join me in saluting this fine neglected to delete the abortion language and standard media representation of people with community volunteer. the language that discharges those HIV-posi- disabilities, and will help change forever the f tive service members. way most of us see those with a disability. I think it is important for the Congress to With a census estimate of 49 million Ameri- DOD AUTHORIZATION take note that this was the first time in dec- cans falling into this constituency, I suggest CONFERENCE REPORT ades, a defense appropriations bill was en- that it is important for us to learn more about acted without an authorization bill being en- these fellow citizens. HON. VIC FAZIO acted first. I want to commend PBS for its commitment OF CALIFORNIA I support the compromise version of the to ``People in Motion'' as well as recognize the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES conference report knowing that this bill author- important contribution of local public television izes more money than I would personally pre- stations planning to air this series. I urge you Wednesday, January 24, 1996 fer. But given the realities of our current mis- to watch this outstanding series, so that we Mr. FAZIO. Mr. Speaker, I rise reluctantly in sion in Bosnia, the need to maintain military may all applaud the work of people like support of the fiscal year 1996 Defense au- readiness and move forward with defense George Covington and the foresight of PBS thorization conference report. I would like to conversion efforts, I believe it is important that programming.