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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 108 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 150 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 2004 No. 74 House of Representatives The House met at 2 p.m. and was ters. Always we are the recipients of ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER called to order by the Speaker pro tem- Your love which we will never fully PRO TEMPORE pore (Mr. UPTON). comprehend. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- f For all of Your gifts, loving Father, ant to clause 4 of rule I, Speaker Pro we beg You to accept our humble and Tempore THORNBERRY signed the fol- DESIGNATION OF THE SPEAKER heartfelt gratitude. lowing enrolled bill on Monday, May PRO TEMPORE Amen. 24, 2004: The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- f S. 2092, to assist the participation of fore the House the following commu- THE JOURNAL Taiwan in the World Health Organiza- nication from the Speaker: tion. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The WASHINGTON, DC, f June 1, 2004. Chair has examined the Journal of the I hereby appoint the Honorable FRED last day’s proceedings and announces COMMUNICATION FROM THE UPTON to act as Speaker pro tempore on this to the House his approval thereof. CLERK OF THE HOUSE day. Pursuant to clause 1, rule I, the Jour- The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- J. DENNIS HASTERT, nal stands approved. fore the House the following commu- Speaker of the House of Representatives. f nication from the Clerk of the House of f Representatives: PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE PRAYER OFFICE OF THE CLERK, The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The Reverend John Roller, Pastor gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Washington, DC, May 21, 2004. Emeritus, St. Thomas Becket Parish, BEAUPREZ) come forward and lead the Hon. J. DENNIS HASTERT, Mt. Prospect, Illinois, offered the fol- House in the Pledge of Allegiance. The Speaker, House of Representatives, lowing prayer: Mr. BEAUPREZ led the Pledge of Al- Washington, DC. DEAR MR. SPEAKER: Pursuant to the per- God and Father of us all, You are the legiance as follows: primary cause of our joy, the reason mission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the the Rules of the U.S. House of Representa- for our hope, and the source of our United States of America, and to the Repub- tives, the Clerk received the following mes- peace. We believe that in You we live lic for which it stands, one nation under God, sage from the Secretary of the Senate on and move and have our being. indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. April 21, 2004 at 1:16 p.m.: Filled with confidence, we bring our f That the Senate passed without amend- needs before You, for You are a shep- ment H. Con. Res. 409. herd who leads us and a light who MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE That the Senate passed without amend- guides us. Moreover, You are our God A message from the Senate by Mr. ment H. Con. Res. 423. who loves us, whose hand is so discern- Monahan, one of its clerks, announced With best wishes, I am Sincerely, ibly present in everything we are and that the Senate insists upon its amend- JEFF TRANDAHL, do. ment to the bill (H.R. 3550) ‘‘An Act to Clerk of the House. Loving Father, we may be very good authorize funds for Federal-aid high- f at coming to You and asking. Help us ways, highway safety programs, and to be just as prompt in thanking You transit programs, and for other pur- MEDICARE-APPROVED PRESCRIP- for Your gifts, many of which we re- poses,’’ requests a conference with the TION DRUG DISCOUNT CARDS ceive without asking or even being House on the disagreeing votes of the (Mr. BEAUPREZ asked and was given aware. two Houses thereon, and appoints Mr. permission to address the House for 1 Once again, in this past weekend of INHOFE, Mr. WARNER, Mr. BOND, Mr. minute.) remembrance, we have been made so VOINOVICH, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. HATCH, Mr. BEAUPREZ. Mr. Speaker, today keenly aware that Your hand has al- Mr. NICKLES, Mr. LOTT, Mr. SHELBY, is a good day for America’s senior citi- ways been upon us. You have blessed us Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. MCCONNELL, Mr. JEF- zens, as the Medicare-approved pre- with citizenship in this powerful and FORDS, Mr. REID, Mr. GRAHAM of Flor- scription drug discount cards hit the potentially great Nation; the call to sit ida, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. streets across the country. in deliberation as part of this notable DASCHLE, Mr. HOLLINGS, Mr. SARBANES, From this day forward, seniors will Congress; and the awareness that we Mr. BAUCUS, and Mr. CONRAD, to be the no longer have to pay full retail price are all Your chosen sons and daugh- conferees on the part of the Senate. for their life-saving drugs. 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. H3543 . VerDate May 21 2004 03:24 Jun 02, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A01JN7.000 H01PT1 H3544 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 1, 2004 Unfortunately, some of our friends on And what kind of leadership on en- terror that we met at Landstuhl, Ger- the other side of the aisle have mount- ergy issues do we get from the Demo- many. I was so touched by a female sol- ed a misinformation campaign to scare crats and their Presidential nominee, dier who had just undergone extreme and confuse America’s seniors for their Senator JOHN KERRY? Nothing but fin- surgery. We immediately bonded as fel- own political agenda. They say that ger-pointing and continued bowing to low National Guard members, and later prescription drug cards are too con- the radical environmentalists that will I found out she was a star of the Notre fusing and that they will not work. not allow America to retrieve our own Dame’s women’s basketball team. She Well, seniors have already decided energy reserves. lives Army values. that discount cards will work. The ver- The result of this lack of leadership The war on terror is not just Afghan- dict is in, and these new discount cards is higher prices at the gasoline pumps, istan and Iraq. President Bush has been will save seniors hundreds, if not thou- higher prices for families to heat their courageous in protecting American sands, of dollars. homes, and greater dependence on for- families by taking the war to the ter- For example, at current discount eign sources of energy. rorists overseas and not waiting for a drug prices, my mother in Louisville, In ANWR, we have huge supplies of new September 11 on the streets of our Colorado, will save just under $400 on oil and natural gas that if we were to communities. I know firsthand the new her prescription drugs and my father retrieve would have great benefit for greatest generation of American over $900. That is about $1,300 a year America: greater energy independence, servicemembers has the fortitude to for my own parents. Those are real sav- lower prices at the pump, lower prices win the war on terror. ings, money they can take to the bank, to heat our homes, and hundreds of In conclusion, May God bless our give to the grandkids or pay their own thousands of new jobs. troops; and we will never forget Sep- rent. These policies from the Democrats do tember 11. I encourage seniors to take advan- nothing more than to lead us perma- f tage of this program to begin realizing nently into high prices and greater re- these savings. Call 1–800–MEDICARE or liance on Middle Eastern oil. These are DISCOUNT DRUG CARDS visit www.medicare.gov. policies that our Nation simply cannot (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given f afford. permission to address the House for 1 PASS A REAL MEANINGFUL MEDI- f minute.) CARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN REMEMBERING AUXILIARY BISHOP Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, today, (Mr. ROSS asked and was given per- BENNIE ALLISON the discount prescription drug cards mission to address the House for 1 Republicans have been touting take ef- (Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was minute and to revise and extend his re- fect. given permission to address the House marks.) Over the last month, seniors faced Mr. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, today the for 1 minute and to revise and extend the confusing task of shopping online new prescription drug discount cards his remarks.) between 73 discount cards for more went into effect as part of the Repub- Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, than 60,000 prescription drugs. licans so-called Medicare bill that Auxiliary Bishop Bennie Allison, pas- The New York Times reported today passed in December. Few seniors have tor of Corinthian Temple Church of that less than 1 million seniors have signed up for these so-called discount God in Christ in Chicago, passed away signed up, well off the Bush adminis- cards because they provide little, if last week. tration’s prediction of 7.3 million. any, significant savings. Bishop Allison had a long and distin- Seniors should be skeptical. While Under the new law, beneficiaries can guished career as both a religious lead- the Bush administration says that only sign up for one card a year, but er and a civic leader.