May 24, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 10163 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS SECTION 89: WHAT STAFF HATH with a fair and equitable tax code, Section Mr. Conaway's duties is to consult on Sec CREATED, CONGRESS SHOULD 89 has effected an erosion of each. These tion 89, and to receive early intelligence TAKE AWAY are the kinds of unintended consequences from his erstwhile governmental colleagues we get when a democratic legislative process of further developments in the area. is short-circuited by staff rule, which seems Mr. Mason is now with the Washington HON. CHUCK DOUGLAS to attach little weight to public laws public- based law firm of Caplin & Drysdale. Mr. OF NEW HAMPSHIRE ly arrived at. · Mason of course is also touting his Section IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES I know that you, as one of the early spon 89 expertise, as is a client consulting group sors of Mr. LaFalce's bill to repeal Section marketing a Section 89 software program Wednesday, May 24, 1989 89, understand these issues. But there is an • This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. 10164 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS May 24, 1989 the present law. They argue that they its legislative responsibilities in this area, SYNOPSIS should not be disadvantaged by any changes and limit the executive branch to the dis Merchant Marine and Defense Act of to Section 89." charge of its regulatory responsibilities. We 1989. This would be like NASA arguing against also think this highly unlikely until Con shuttle re-design because it had incurred gress first regains control over its committee TITLE I. GENERAL PROVISIONS significant costs for the 0-rings already in staff as the helpmates, and not the archi Finds that the necessary maritime re stock. This type of mentality unfortunately tects and masters, of the legislative process. sources, including a healthy merchant guarantees your Golden Waste Basket will Very truly, marine and a broad-based shipbuilding and always be full. ALAN P. CLEVELAND. ship repair capability, must be developed Lest these observations be discounted as and maintained to meet defense and nation "special pleading" by a craven apologist for al economic support requirements. greedy business, enclosed are copies of sub INTRODUCTION OF THE MER mitted written testimony as to the absurdity CHANT MARINE AND DEFENSE TITLE II. OPERATING DIFFERENTIAL SUBSIDY of Section 89 from county, city, college, and ACT OF 1989 REFORM charitable organizations, as well as from Provides reform of the Operating Differ professional and business representatives. It ential Subsidy 29-059 0-90-7 (Pt. 8) 10184 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS May 24, 1989 that I did not care about talking to others Rockefeller Doctors;" and "Rheumatic Sabin, also of the Rockefeller Institute, as a or accomplishing goals. This attitude turned Fever Cause Clues Are Found by Science." probable cause of arthritis. people off because friends and teachers did That discovery occurred fifty years ago last The two diseases, rheumatic fever and ar not fully understand the situation which month. Dr. Brown persisted in the direction thritis, together constitute one of the major with I was dealing. of the infectious theory of arthritis for fifty causes of chronic illness and disability. I soon lost the respect of my peers and years. Last Monday, April 17, 1989, he died. For years medical scientists have pursued elders which affected my leadership posi The gift he left to the world is that there is the belief that the two diseases have been tions. My responsible outlook on goals, hard real hope for the arthritics today. He was caused by some type or types of the work and academics faded away causing a way ahead of his time with his theory, that common streptococcus, the most frequent slow drop in my academic achievements. rheumatoid arthritis is a long-term acute ill cause of infections. Due to loss of memory, motivation and con ness rather than a chronic illness, and that Serums, vaccines and antitoxins have been centration, my grades declined over the se if treated properly with antibiotics over a produced with only slight success to fight mester. The things that had come easily to long period of time it is potentially curable. both diseases. me during my transition years had become Because of my experience with this dis The new germ or germs, both called nearly impossible. ease and that of thousands of other patients "pleuropneumonia-like micro-organisms" by This evolution from healthy to diseased which Dr. Brown has successfully treated, I frustrated me beyond belief. No one truly know that when a clinical trial is completed the three doctors, may be the missing ele could understand how having this disease on the antibiotic treatment program and ment in the cause of rheumatic fever and felt. People thought that I just developed when the research is finally completed on arthritis, with the streptococcus also play an arrogance and an attitude problem. Con the cause of the disease, it will be estab ing a causative role. tracting this disease put my life into a tail lished that Dr. Brown was right both as to The germ isolated by Drs. Swift and spin from which it seemed impossible to the cause and the treatment of rheumatoid Brown was found after using highly inge escape. arthritis. nious techniques to cultivate a bacteriologi I am in the perfect position to realize that According to the National Institutes of cal response from secretions developed by a you cannot truly understand the suffering Health, there are over one hundred differ child with rheumatic fever. of rheumatoid arthritis unless you have it. ent forms of arthritis, all needing specific The germ cultivation was done by implan It turned out, however, that I was lucky research in the various scientific disciplines tation of the secretion in one of the special because my mother and sister had already such as genetics and immunology, and all membranes of chicken eggs. It was only proven that the treatment of oral and intra needing separate clinical trials to test after taking the fluid from one planting and venous antibiotics worked. All I needed to proper dosages of medicines found to beef placing it into a new one for five successive do was go through the process. After a year fective against one or more of those forms. times that a recognizable response was ob of treatment my symptoms started to turn This is going to be an endless task when you served. This compares with ordinary bacte around. My memory, energy level and atti consider that the NIAMSD is the third riological germ cultivation in which suspect tude started to improve slowly thanks to the lowest institute at the NIH in funding and ed material is planted in a medium and treatment program. I still suffer from occa has the lowest grant payline of all of the in germ growth begins immediately. sional flares, but they are decreasing stitute. Drs. Swift and Brown were able to monthly. The flares involve swelling in my When you say you have arthritis, people produce a lung inflammation in mice with joints, extreme pain in my face and eyes, do not associate with it the tragedy which their germ, a response which Dr. Sabin was and lack of concentration on any subject they associate with cancer or heart disease. unable to do with his almost identical ar matter. Every time a flare happens, my life Arthritis is not generally a killer. But there thritis germ. is put on hold. is a tragedy in the immeasurable suffering The two doctors believe that the differ At times I wonder what my life would which arthritics endure. And arthritis has ence may be only one of selectivity of site have been like without hope of this treat an additional, almost ironic, tragedy associ by a different type of the same germ. Dr. ment program. I also wonder why there are ated with it. Because arthritis is not a killer, Sabin's germ produced lesions in the joints so many people suffering from rheumatoid the economic loss to America from the re of rabbits but not pneumonia. arthritis when an effective treatment pro duced productivity and lost earnings, which All three doctors are now concentrating gram exists. The purpose of my visit here has been estimated in the tens of billions of on better methods to cultivate the germ and today is to encourage you to increase signifi dollars annually, and the economic burden to further establish its connection with cantly the funding for the NIAMSD in the of long-term medical and custodial care human arthritis and rheumatic fever. year of 1990. By funding for more research, which often becomes necessary, is a real Once this is done, research will be started the medical community will be enlightened American tragedy. to find ways to fight the germ, just as ways to the fact that rheumatoid arthritis can be If we would devote substantial additional have been found to fight other diseases once reversed. dollars to solving the arthritis mystery, this the true cause was established. Thank you very much. staggering annual economic loss would begin to diminish and the economic gain RHEUMATIC F'EvER CAUSE CLUES ARE FOUND TESTIMONY OF BARBARA A. MATIA from such a result would more than pay the Mr. Chairman, Members of Congress and investment. BY SCIENCE Staff, I am Barbara Matia of Scottsdale, Ar I urge you to seriously consider increasing NEW YORK, March 23.-Clues to the un izona. I appreciate the opportunity to testi the NIAMSD appropriation to two hundred known cause of rheumatic fever, a disease fy before you for the sixth time. For those million dollars for fiscal year 1990. This that attacks 1 of every 100 Americans, were of you who have not heard me testify in the money will have a significant positive announced today in science. past, I believe that it is important for you to impact on balancing future budgets. Rheumatic fever is a particularly vicious know that I was completely bedridden disease of school age children in the north eleven years ago with rhematoid arthritis. I RHEUMATISM GERM FOUND, SAY ROCKEFELLER eastern United States. It frequently results was treated by Dr. Thomas McPherson DOCTORS in damaged hearts, and often in death a few Brown with oral and intravenous antibiotics Two doctors of the Hospital of the Rocke years after the rheumatic attack. over a long period of time. After getting feller Institute for Medical Research today An unidentified streptococcus has been through the period during which this treat announced the discovery of a germ which suspected. But at the Rockefeller Institute a ment causes you to feel worse, I improved may solve the problem of rheumatic fever new microorganism, said to resemble the each year, watching my blood tests go from and rheumatic heart disease. pneumonia germ, has been found in rheu an initial rhematoid factor of 10,000 to a One of the most serious diseases of man matic fever sufferers. zero reading after five years. As you can tell kind because it is so often followed by pro The evidence on this new cause of disease by looking at me today, I am totally func gressive heart impairment, particularly in is unusual, all being "backhanded." Two tional and am living a normal healthy life. children, rheumatic fever has baffled medi Rockefeller scientists, Homer F. Swift and Dr. Brown and Dr. Homer Swift, who has cal scientists seeking both its true cause and Thomas McPherson Brown, announce that been referred to as the father of modern an effective cure. this new organism causes pneumonia in rheumatology, first reported the isolation of Dr. Homer F. Swift considered the world's mice and even other ills in animals deliber a mycoplasma organism-then referred to as leading research scientist on rheumatic ately infected with it. a pleuropneumonia-like organism or fever, and Dr. Thomas McPherson Brown, Two weeks ago A. B. Sabin of the institute PPLO-in the March 24, 1939 issue of Sci announce their discovery in the current reported discovery that this same new orga ence magazine. Both the New York Times issue of Science. nism caused chronic arthritis in mice. and the New York Post carried articles on There is a possibility that the rheumatic In all cases the new germ, or virus, was ob this achievement with headlines which read fever germ they have found is the same one tained from human beings with rheumatic as follows: "Rheumatism Germ Found, say announced two weeks ago by Dr. A. B. fever. This cumulative evidence puts the May 24, 1989 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 10185 new germ on the spot as the possible cause for this low level of assistance was due to trigger to the extended benefit law based on of the rheumatism. strong economies in all 50 States. However, exhaustion rates. An exhaustion rate meas this has not been the case. This extremely ures the number of people who run through PERSONAL EXPLANATION low level of eligibility has occurred despite their 26 weeks of regular State unemployment high levels of unemployment in many areas. insurance and fall out of the system. Our pro In 1981, the criteria for a State to trigger on posal says that if a State has a high exhaus HON. BUTLER DERRICK the Extended Benefit Program were signifi tion rate, when compared to that State's aver OF SOUTH CAROLINA cantly tightened. As was expected, these age historic exhaustion rate, then that is a IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES changes did lead to fewer States being eligi State with economic problems, and workers Wednesday, May 24, 1989 ble for extended benefits. But as the decade should have the extra 13 weeks to find a job. Mr. DERRICK. Mr. Speaker, on May 23, went on, it became increasingly clear that the This exhaustion rate trigger meets many of 1989, I was unavoidably absent from the 1981 amendments alone did not explain the the problems that have been raised regarding House Chamber and missed recording my dramatic decline in the Extended Benefit Pro a total unemployment rate trigger. Exhaustion vote on House Concurrent Resolution 121, a gram's effectiveness. It is important to under rates are easily measurable and are equally motion to suspend the rules and agree to the stand that even if the Congress were to return accurate in all States. They can be available resolution to express the sense of the Con the Extended Benefit Program to its original on a weekly or monthly basis without delay, gress with respect to the assassination of Col. form, and reverse the 1981 amendments, no and measure only those who are covered by additional States would be eligible. James Rowe in the Philippines. the umemployment insurance system. Finally, The labor markets of the late 1980's have Had I been present, I would have voted an exhaustion rate trigger would focus pre changed significantly from only a decade "yea" on Rollcall No. 59. cisely on the people that the Extended Benefit before. Unless we make some fundamental Program is designed to help-workers who amendments to the unemployment insurance have exhaused their 26 weeks of benefits. EXTENDED UNEMPLOYMENT system, million of jobless will continue to face This legislation is a refinement of a similar BENEFIT REFORM destitution after 6 months of unemployment, bill introduced last Congress. The bill we are even in States with double-digit unemployment introducing today would allow a State to HON. SANDER M. LEVIN rates. choose to participate in the Extended Benefit OF MICHIGAN Since the early part of this decade, for as Program when its exhaustion rate raises to IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES yet unexplained reasons, the traditional meas 11 o percent of its average historic rate. In ad ure of unemployment that we are all familiar Wednesday, May 24, 1989 dition, that State would have to have an IUR with, called the total unemployment rate, of at least 3 percent. Mr. LEVIN of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, today, began to diverage from the insured unemploy This legislation is not intended to be a solu Congressmen DON PEASE, DALE KILDEE, and I ment rate [IUR]. The IUR measures only tion to the problem of long-term unemploy are introducing legislation that will help to those who are out of work and are currently ment. Indeed, I strongly believe that unem bring the moribund Extended Benefit Program collecting benefits, while the total unemploy ployment reform must include not only benefit back to life. ment rate is based on a survey of households improvements, but also better access to train For over 50 years, unemployment insurance and measures everyone out of work and look ing and counseling, with strong links to the has provided millions of workers protection ing for a job, whether or not they are collect business community. I will be introducing addi against the vagaries of the business cycle. ing benefits. The IUR was traditionally about tional legislation to address these aspects of The 26 weeks of benefits provided by regular 50 percent of the total unemployment rate. reform in the near future. State unemployment compensation programs Recently, because of the drastic decline in the This legislation is a fresh idea that promises helps families get through a spell of unem number of unemployed workers who are eligi a workable solution to a longstanding prob ployment with their lives and dignity intact. ble for any benefits, the IUR is usually about lem. I urge my colleagues to join us in making However, since the original enactment of the one-third to one-quarter of the total unemploy the Extended Benefit Program viable again. unemployment insurance system, the national ment rate. I insert the text of the bill in the RECORD at economy has experienced several reces In the recent past, these two measures this point: sions-eight since World War II. The increase moved in tandem. When t~mes were tough H.R.- in the number of unemployed workers ex and the unemployment rate went up, the IUR hausting their unemployment benefits during rose right along side. This was important be Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of these recessions prompted the Congress to cause getting the additional 13 weeks of ex America in Congress assembled, That (a) authorize various temporary programs to sup tended benefits depends on a State's IUR, subsection (d) of section 203 of the Federal plement regular benefits. not the total unemployment rate. Today, there State Extended Unemployment Compensa For many years these temporary programs is such correlation. Many States with high un tion Act of 1970 is amended to read as fol were the only method of extending unemploy employment rates have low IUR's. lows: ment benefits beyond 26 weeks. Then in Thus, this IUR measure no longer captures " STATE 'ON' AND 'OFF' INDICATORS 1970, Congress enacted the Extended Unem the amount of distress in a State's labor "(d)(l) For purposes of this section, there ployment Compensation Act which provides market. The Extended Benefit Program is pre is a State 'on' indicator for a week- an additional 13 weeks of benefits for States mised on the idea that if unemployment rates "(A) if the rate of insured unemployment with high unemployment rates. Extended ben are high in a given State, it will probably take under the State law for the period consist efits are equal to a worker's regular State longer to find another job. Extended benefits ing of such week and the immediately pre benefits and are paid half by the Federal Gov are supposed to be available wherever there ceding 12 weeks (i) equaled or exceeded 120 ernment and half by the State. The Extended is high unemployment. Because the IUR no percent of the average of such rates for the corresponding 13-week period ending in Benefit Program is designed to provide addi longer shows which States are having trouble each of the preceding 2 calendar years, and with their job markets, almost nobody is eligi tional weeks to those areas where tough (ii) equaled or exceed 5 percent, or times have made it difficult or impossible to ble for extended benefit. "(B) if the State law provides that this find a job within the normal 6 months of bene In the past SEfJeral Congresses, many Mem subparagraph applies and- fits. bers have put 'forward proposals to change "(i) the average of the State's exhaustion Today, although 10 States have unemploy the mechanism for triggering on the Extended rates for weeks in the period consisting of ment rates more than 2 points higher than the Benefit Program. I have cosponsored several. such week and the immediately preceding national average unemployment rate-only 1 The basic approach of these bills is to use the 12 weeks equaled or exceeded 110 percent of is .eligible for the Extended Benefit Program. total unemployment rate as the key statistic. the State's historic exhaustion rate, and "(ii) the rate of insured unemployment This failure of the Extended Benefit Program Critics have pointed out several difficulties under the State law for such 13-week period to meet its design goal has been evident for with this approach and to date little progress equaled or exceeded 3 percent. several years. In 1987, only two States were has been made. "(2) For purposes of this section, there is a eligible, and none during all of 1988. This Our proposal takes a new tack. Our bill State 'off' indicator for a week if, for the would be cause for celebration, if the reason would add a new State-optional alternative period consisting of such week and the im- 10186 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS May 24, 1989 mediately preceding 12 weeks, the require Roe cculd have in our country. Recently, a On April 28, 1989, the Selinsgrove Shade ments of paragraph
EXTENSIONS of REMARKS 10163 EXTENSIONS of REMARKS SECTION 89: WHAT STAFF HATH with a Fair and Equitable Tax Code, Section Mr
