E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 108 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 149 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2003 No. 167 House of Representatives The House met at 10 a.m. and was MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE 2673) ‘‘An Act making appropriations called to order by the Speaker pro tem- A message from the Senate by Mr. for Agriculture, Rural Development, pore (Mr. CHOCOLA). Monahan, of one of its clerks, an- Food and Drug Administration, and f nounced that the Senate has passed a Related Agencies for the fiscal year DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO bill of the following title in which the ending September 30, 2004, and for TEMPORE concurrence of the House is requested: other purposes.’’ S. 1743. An act to permit reviews of crimi- The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- nal records of applicants for private security The message also announced that fore the House the following commu- officer employment. pursuant to Public Law 96–14, as nication from the Speaker: The message also announced that Mr. amended, the Chair, on behalf of the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, DOMENICI, Mr. SHELBY, Mr. GREGG, Mr. Majority Leader, announces the ap- Washington, DC, November 18, 2003. CAMPBELL, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. pointment of John M. Falk, of Wash- I hereby appoint the Honorable CHRIS E INE NOUYE OLLINGS CHOCOLA to act as Speaker pro tempore on D W , Mr. I , Mr. H , Mr. ington, D.C. to be Chairman of the Con- this day. LEAHY, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. REID, and gressional Award Board. J. DENNIS HASTERT, Mrs. MURRAY be added as conferees, on Speaker of the House of Representatives. the part of the Senate, on the bill (H.R. NOTICE If the 108th Congress, 1st Session, adjourns sine die on or before November 21, 2003, a final issue of the Congres- sional Record for the 108th Congress, 1st Session, will be published on Monday, December 15, 2003, in order to permit Members to revise and extend their remarks. All material for insertion must be signed by the Member and delivered to the respective offices of the Official Reporters of Debates (Room HT–60 or S–410A of the Capitol), Monday through Friday, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. through Friday, December 12, 2003. The final issue will be dated Monday, December 15, 2003, and will be delivered on Tuesday, December 16, 2003. None of the material printed in the final issue of the Congressional Record may contain subject matter, or relate to any event that occurred after the sine die date. 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By order of the Joint Committee on Printing. ROBERT W. NEY, Chairman. 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. H11361 . VerDate jul 14 2003 05:33 Nov 19, 2003 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 8633 E:\CR\FM\A18NO7.000 H18PT1 H11362 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE November 18, 2003 MORNING HOUR DEBATES suring health care access is in compli- Our energy solution will also reduce The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- ance with the civil rights law. Title VI America’s dependence on foreign oil, ant to the order of the House of Janu- of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and its sub- create jobs, spur economic growth, and ary 7, 2003, the Chair will now recog- sequent amendments provide crucial protect against economic downturns. nize Members from lists submitted by rights to individuals with limited In both cases, Mr. Speaker, the time is the majority and minority leaders for English proficiency to access federally right, the bill is good, the need is abso- morning hour debates. The Chair will conducted and supported programs and lute, and the benefits are immense. alternate recognition between the par- activities. Limited English proficiency This week is why we were elected, to ties, with each party limited to not to persons should not be inhibited from keep our promise and fulfill America’s. exceed 25 minutes, and each Member, accessing vital health care services f paid by them and their families in except the majority leader, the minor- RACIAL AND ETHNIC HEALTH their tax dollars. ity leader, or the minority whip, lim- DISPARITIES ited to not to exceed 5 minutes, but in Finally, Mr. Speaker, I urge my col- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- no event shall debate continue beyond leagues to join me in endorsing this important ant to the order of the House of Janu- 10:50 a.m. bill. An action by Congress long overdue, if we ary 7, 2003, the gentlewoman from Cali- The Chair recognizes the gentleman have the will and resources to pursue inter- fornia (Ms. SOLIS) is recognized during from Arizona (Mr. GRIJALVA) for 5 min- national adventures—then we should have the same resolve here at home. morning hour debates for 21⁄2 minutes. utes. Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise f f to acknowledge a tremendous achieve- CLEARING THE PLATE ment in the efforts to address racial HEALTH CARE EQUALITY AND and ethnic health disparities in this ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 2003 The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- ant to the order of the House of Janu- country. With the dedication of the Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I rise ary 7, 2003, the gentleman from Texas gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands today in support of legislation to im- (Mr. DELAY) is recognized during morn- (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN), the gentleman prove the health of racial and ethnic ing hour debates. from California (Mr. HONDA), and the minorities in our Nation, the Mr. DELAY. Mr. Speaker, all year gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Healthcare Equality and Account- the House has taken on major prior- PALLONE), and with the guiding leader- ability Act of 2003. ities with an eye towards policy, not ship of our leadership, the gentle- This act will offer Congress the op- politics. And all year we have delivered woman from California (Ms. PELOSI), as portunity to begin to close the health on our promises to the American peo- well as our Senate leaders, Senator care divide and disparity that exists ple. DASCHLE and Senator KENNEDY, we between Americans, a divide that can- We have funded the liberation of have introduced a comprehensive bill not be ignored nor should it be toler- Iraq, and now we are quickly turning to improve minority health. ated. The irrefutable facts will be pre- the democratization of that nation Currently in our country, minorities sented today for all of us to see. This over to its people. endure a disproportionate burden of ill- disparity is real and this divide exists. We have reduced the income taxes for nesses. Unfortunately, our health care To ignore these facts is tantamount every American who pays them, and system is not meeting the needs of all to perpetuating the dual system of now the economy is growing and jobs of its people. health care in our country, separate are being created. Latinos, African Americans, Asians and unequal, a dual system that too And now, after a long year of tireless and Native Americans statistically often denies to communities of color, work with colleagues on both sides of outweigh nonminority whites in al- Latinos, Native Americans, African the aisle and both sides of Capitol Hill, most every disease, diabetes, cardio- Americans, and Asian Pacific Island- the House is poised to meet the top two vascular disease, asthma, you name it. ers, the health care access and quality domestic challenges currently facing For instance, diabetes is a chronic that most Americans enjoy. This pat- the American people: the need for im- illness estimated to affect 18.2 million tern of exclusion of people from quality proved health care for American sen- people in this year alone. Latinos are health care is morally wrong and is a iors and the need for a comprehensive twice as likely to have diabetes than significant deterrent to the overall policy to reshape the consumption, de- non-Latino whites and American Indi- progress of our Nation. livery, and conservation of energy. ans are more than twice as likely to be Mr. Speaker, this legislation to ad- Now, in both cases we took the time diagnosed with this debilitating dis- dress racial and ethnic health dispari- to get the job done right. For instance, ease. ties in this country would do the fol- the Medicare bill does so much more Mr. Speaker, these diabetes trends lowing: it would set the elimination of than merely provide prescription drugs are not isolated.