May 3, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E 935

years. More than nine out of every ten new

jobs were in the private sector, a sign of the

revitalized economy. Of major importance,

particularly for the Midwest, was the strong

rebound in manufacturing jobs after the

heavy losses between 1989 and 1993.

Unemployment. The strong job growth last

year put many unemployed people back to

work. The unemployment rate fell from 6.7%

at the start of the year to 5.4% at the end of

the year, which is where it currently stands.

There are now 1.5 million fewer unemployed

workers than there were at the start of 1994.

Inflation. At the same time, inflation remained firmly under control. During 1994,

consumer prices rose only 2.7%, the fourth

year in a row of low inflation.

Productivity. Productivity, a key to noninflationary growth, showed solid gains in

1994, for the second year in a row.

The Indiana Economy. For years, the Midwest lagged behind the rest of the American

economy. We suffered more during recessions

and took longer to catch up during recoveries. But that has now changed. The Midwest

has outperformed the national economy in

recent years, and especially last year. We

had stronger job growth and lower unemployment—in fact, the unemployment rate

in Indiana averaged about a point less than

the national rate. Midwest growth was led by

our strong manufacturing sector, which benefited from a big rise last year in business investment and consumer spending, as well as

an increase in exports.

The Economic Outlook. Early last year,

the Federal Reserve (Fed) began to tighten

monetary policy, to keep the economy from

overheating and causing higher inflation. Between February 1994 and February 1995, the

Fed increased interest rates seven times, for

a total rise of three percentage points. As a

result, several key indicators suggest that

the economy is slowing. Housing starts have

fallen for three straight months and automobile sales are down from last year’s peak.

Industrial production has also fallen recently, and a big increase in unwanted inventories early this year might force manufacturers to cut production even more.

Most forecasters expect the economy to

keep growing this year and next, although at

a slower pace than last year. Job opportunities should also keep growing. But a few

economists warn that the Fed may have

tightened too much and put the economy

into the danger zone of a new recession. In

the past, whenever the Fed raised interest

rates by three percentage points in a year a

recession followed.

Economic Policy. What can be done to

keep the economy growing and jobs increasing?

Deficit reduction. In 1993, Congress made

major progress in bringing down the federal

deficit. The improvement helped reduce

long-term interest rates and stimulated the

strong economic growth of 1994. Although

the Fed reversed the progress on interest

rates last year, Congress should continue to

consolidate the gains on the deficit. The tax

reduction package recently passed by the

House, providing most of the benefits to

upper-income taxpayers, was a big step backward for deficit reduction. It will make it extremely difficult to bring the budget into

balance. I am also concerned that the new

Congress may try to rush things by indiscriminately cutting programs that benefit

the economy along with those that don’t.

Trying to do too much too soon may end in

a deadlock that impairs further progress on

the deficit. But a measured and reasoned approach to further deficit reduction would

certainly be in the nation’s long-term economic interest.

Interest rates. It generally takes from six

to eighteen months for an increase in interest rates to have its full impact on the economy. With most of last year’s rate rise coming since August, it will still be some

months before we can evaluate the full economic effect. Since there are already signs of

a slowdown, the Fed should clearly wait for

better information on the economy before

making any further rate increases. If the

economic indicators show signs of deterioration in the next few months, I hope the Fed

will actually consider reducing interest

rates. With inflation already under control, a

recession would impose hardship on millions

of Americans with no benefit to the economy.

Conclusion. The 1990s expansion is now almost four years old and we have had some of

the best economic numbers in a generation.

The performance of the U.S. economy in 1994

was, in a word, outstanding. However, the

question today is not whether the economy

is slowing, but how much it is slowing and

whether the Fed can achieve a ‘‘soft landing’’, trimming growth from over 4% to

around 2.5%.

The economic statistics are important, but

the real test of economic performance for me

is whether it improves the income of working families, makes them feel more secure,

and puts them on the path to prosperity. On

those measures, the economic outlook must

remain a top priority.

LEGISLATION PROVIDING MEDICAID COVERAGE OF ALL CERfTIFIED NURSE PRACTITIONERS

AND CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALISTS

HON. BILL RICHARDSON OF NEW MEXICO

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, May 3, 1995

Mr. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I am

pleased to introduce legislation, H.R. 1339,

that would provide Medicaid coverage for all

certified nurse practitioners and clinical nurse

specialists for services they are legally authorized to perform.

As the need to provide basic medical care

to the Nation’s medically deprived population

increases, the need to facilitate access to

quality, cost-effective primary care provided by

nurse practitioners also increases. Over 400

studies have confirmed the high quality of

health care provided by nurse practitioners in

a variety of urban and rural primary care settings. It is well known that the majority of our

underserved populations are located in rural

and inner city settings across the Nation.

While nurse practitioners are willing and able

to provide services in these settings, not all

nurse practitioners are currently being reimbursed by Medicaid for their services in these

areas.

Currently, patients are able to access the

care of certain nurse practitioners such as

family and pediatric nurse practitioners, but

others such as adult and women’s health

nurse practitioners are not accessible. The

legislation I am introducing would enable all

nurse practitioners, regardless of specialty, to

provide care to Medicaid recipients.

Nurse practitioners are particularly capable

to provide health care to the indigent. Their

educational programs emphasize the provision

of care to patients who have limited financial

resources. In a national survey conducted by

the American Academy on Nurse Practitioners, over 60 percent of the patients seen by

these providers had family incomes of less

than $16,000 per year.

Nurse practitioners rate as high in financial

efficiency as they do in consumer satisfaction.

Their ability to focus on preventative and curative medical services contribute to the quality

as well as the cost-effectiveness of the care

they provide.

Nurse practitioners can play a central role in

achieving our national goal of providing quality, cost-efficient health care for all citizens. I

am hopeful this legislation will help to eliminate disparities in access to care for rural and

inner city Medicaid populations by providing

direct reimbursement to nurse practitioners

and clinical nurse specialists who have proven

their ability to deliver quality care in a cost-effective manner.

ANNIVERSARY OF HOLLAND HOME

STATEMENT MARKING

f

HON. MARGE ROUKEMA

OF NEW JERSEY

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, May 3, 1995

Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call

attention to the 100th anniversary of the Holland Christian Home, which is located in North

Haledon, NJ. The Holland Home is an excellent example of what private citizens can do to

help those in need through their churches,

civic groups and other organizations. It is a

151-bed home for the aged, fully licensed by

the State and complete with skilled nursing

care and other services that has developed

from simple roots.

The Holland Home shows was people with

vision can do when confronted with a problem

in need of a solution. The founders of the

home were church and community leaders

who applied Christian principles to help all in

their community, rather than waiting for the

Government to solve their problems for them.

That is a philosophy that is returning today, as

the public realizes that ‘‘big government’’ is

not always the answer. It was a concept that

can work as well in 1995 as it worked in 1895.

The Holland Home traces its history to the

early 1890s in Paterson, N.J., when members

of several Dutch-speaking churches in the

area addressed the difficulty of caring for elderly members, particularly those who had no

children to provide for them. Remember, this

was before Social Security or Medicare. The

Reverend Reinder Drukker, who had come to

New Jersey from Michigan, suggested that the

churches construct a facility similar to the Holland Home he had visited in Grand Rapids. It

was described as ‘‘an institution where the

aged might spend their remaining days in

comfort and Christian fellowship.’’ The Reverend Drukker joined with the Reverend

Helenus Nies of the Union Reformed Church;

Cornelius Poelstra, publisher of a Dutch-language newspaper; and another civic leader,

Henry Gardenier, to form the Holland Christian

Home Association. The fund-raising drive

began at an April 10, 1895, meeting where a

collection was taken up to cover the $5 cost

of renting a meeting hall—$8.09 was collected

and the balance was the beginning of the

building fund.

On Thanksgiving Day, 1898, a two-story,

34-by-36-foot building with 10 rooms for residents was dedicated in Paterson. The total
E 936 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks May 3, 1995

cost, with much of the labor and many materials donated, was $2,037. It is important to

note that this facility was built during a slow

economy: when fund-raising proved slow, the

foundation and basement were built without

cost, completely with donated labor and materials. Cows, chickens and a vegetable garden

were kept on the grounds in order to hold

down the cost of feeding the elderly residents.

The structure quickly proved too small, and

expansions were conducted in 1904 and 1922.

The home was forced to move in 1960 after

plans for Interstate 80 called for the new highway to go through the site of the existing

home. The current facility in North Haledon—

built at a cost of roughly $600,000 including

land—was dedicated October 15, 1960. Expansions were constructed in 1969, the early

1970s, 1979, and 1987.

From its humble beginnings, the home has

grown to a modern, 100-employee facility with

a staff of registered nurses, licensed practical

nurses, certified aides, an activity director, and

social services director. The home is licensed

by the State for 99 residential beds and 52

skilled nursing beds. At the average age of

residential residents is 86 and the average

age of skilled nursing residents is 91. The

youngest resident is 75 and the oldest 107,

with several over 100.

Despite this amount of growth, the home’s

16-member board of directors is not done. Future plans include development of an number

of independent living units adjacent to the existing home. The Holland Home has already

served the elderly of the 19th and 20th centuries and clearly will continue providing outstanding care well into the 21st century.

The leaders of the Holland Home are exhibiting what we used to call Christian charity. An

idea that taken for granted a century ago may

seem like an innovation today. Let’s hope the

idea spreads.

TRIBUTE TO THE BEVERLY HILLS

WEST CHAPTER OF THE LINKS,

fINC.

HON. JULIAN C. DIXON OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, May 3, 1995

Mr. DIXON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay

tribute to the Beverly Hills West Chapter of

The Links, Inc., which will be celebrating its

10th anniversary on May 13, 1995.

The Links, Inc. was founded on November

9, 1946 in Philadelphia, PA by Sarah

Strickland Scott and Margaret Roselle Hawkins, two women who sought to develop ways

to help youth and families in their community

cope with educational, economic and social

problems. This organization, comprised primarily of African-American women, has grown

to over 8,000 members in 241 chapters in 40

States. The Links, Inc. has assisted youth and

families both nationally and internationally

through educational, civic, and intercultural

programs.

The Beverly Hills West Chapter of the Links,

Inc. was organized by Joyce T. Black and was

chartered on May 5, 1985 with 25 members.

The Chapter seeks to promote civic, intercultural, and social activities, and enrich the community by working together toward common

goals.

The Beverly Hills West Chapter achieves its

objectives through its broad range of programs: The Arts, National Trends and Services, Services to Youth, and International

Trends and Services. The specific projects initiated by the Links highlight the essential role

that the organization plays in the lives of our

youth, families, and senior citizens. ‘‘The Panorama of Talent’’ showcases young visual and

performing artists and provides scholarships to

talented students. The Young Black Scholars

Program supports disadvantaged youth seeking higher education by awarding scholarships. The Links assist seniors in the Santa

Monica Senior Citizens Center through weekly

arts and crafts, nutrition, health and wellness

programs. The organization has also dealt

with some of the most pressing issues facing

distressed communities through its gang intervention, substance abuse workshops, teenage

pregnancy programs and forums on cultural

awareness.

Too often today we hear stories focusing on

the desperate situation facing many in our

communities, particularly our youth. It is most

gratifying to pay tribute to a group of people

taking the initiative to help those in need. I

urge my colleagues to join me in extending

best wishes to the Beverly Hills West Chapter

of The Links, Inc. on its 10th anniversary and

commending its members for their good works

in the community.

A TRIBUTE TO DR. JAMES WILLIS

fHON. JERRY LEWIS OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, May 3, 1995

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I

would like to bring to your attention the fine

work and outstanding public service of Dr.

James Willis of Apple Valley, CA. Jim, a dedicated professional and longtime community

activist, is retiring after a 33-year career in private dental practice.

Jim began his career as a private practitioner in San Bernardino following his graduation from the University of Southern California

School of Dentistry in 1962. After 5 years of

success, he joined three other dentists in

founding Wildwood Dental Group, one of the

first group dental practices on the west coast.

Working with his partners, Jim oversaw the

general management of the practice and developed a national inventory tracking system

which revolutionized the dental profession. He

was also instrumental in establishing professional guidelines and the development of nationally recognized group practice standards.

In 1979, Jim sold his group practice share and

purchased a solo practice in Apple Valley.

Complementing his professional success,

Jim has also been actively involved in a number of civil and community-based organizations over the years. He is a member of the

Tri-County Dental Society, the founder and cochairman of its political action committee, and

chairman of the public relations committee.

Jim is also a founding member and former 3-

year president of the Inland Empire USC Trojan Club, a member of the San Bernardino

Chamber of Commerce, and a former member

of the Lions Club. Over the years, Jim has

been extremely active in the Youth Baseball

Program and has served as the volunteer director of the Redlands Assistant League for

Children for whom he has provided needed

dental care.

Jim Willis and I have been friends most of

our lives. As youths, we spent much time together with family but particularly I remember

the summers at the local swimming pool and

time at the YMCA. All of his contemporaries

from San Bernardino High School watched

with admiration as he returned from the Navy

to San Bernardino Valley College and, after a

short stay, went directly to dental school at

USC. Now as he retires from dentistry we all

watch with wonder as he contemplates his

next career.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me, our colleagues, and Jim’s many friends in recognizing his many fine achievements and selfless

contributions. Jim’s professionalism and dedication is deeply appreciated and greatly admired by those who know him. He has

touched the lives of many people in southern

California and it is only fitting that the House

recognize Jim Willis upon his retirement.

PUBLIC SERVICE RECOGNITION

fWEEK

HON. CARDISS COLLINS OF ILLINOIS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, May 3, 1995

Mrs. COLLINS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I

wish to call the attention of our colleagues to

the annual commemoration of Public Service

Recognition Week and to one activity that has

occurred and another that will begin on The

Mall here in Washington tomorrow.

For the past 10 years, the President’s Council on Management Improvement, and the

Public Employees Roundtable, launch activities in more than 1,000 cities which highlight

excellence in public service at the Federal,

State, and local government levels. The objectives are to inform Americans about the contributions of public employees to the quality of

our lives, to encourage excellence in government, and to promote public service careers.

Yesterday, the Public Employees Roundtable held a ceremony here on Capitol Hill,

and resented its Breakfast of Champions

Award to representatives of exceptional programs at each level of government. Among

the winners was the Illinois Department of

transportation which was recognized for the innovative Chicago Freeway Traffic and Incident

Management Program.

Beginning tomorrow, May 4, and continuing

through Sunday, May 7, over two dozen Federal agencies and employee organizations will

have exhibits set up in three large tents on

The Mall. The public is invited to come out to

learn more about the functions and services

each provides. Some of our military bands and

other groups will provide entertainment for this

family oriented event.

Mr. Speaker, Public Service Recognition

Week offers all Americans, especially young

people, the opportunity to learn more about

the government and the rewarding careers

available. It also provides the opportunity to

thank those who serve us daily for their efforts. I believe that our public service should

be valued and respected, and the activities occurring this week make crystal clear why.