E 1014 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks May 11, 1995

why we can’t stop now. We need to continue

to pass legislation consistent with our promise

of reform to the American people.

To keep the spirit of reform moving, I urge

my colleagues to join me in some spring

House cleaning. The frank has grown from a

tool to inform and educate constituents about

legislative issues into a campaign advertisement to promote personal and political agendas. We need to restore credibility to the

franking process by making Members accountable for the costs they incur.

Not only will my bill cut franking by 50 percent, but it also requires monthly statements

of costs charged to each Member’s account to

be made available to the public. This bill will

apply to sessions of Congress beginning after

the date of enactment.

The bloated franking budget can be cut

without damaging the ability of Members to

communicate with their constituents. In the

103rd Congress, I used less than 50 percent

of my franking budget, without impairing my

ability to effectively correspond with my constituents. It is a common misnomer that a reduction in franking affects a Member’s performance. Rather, it forces Members to use

their mail budget solely to inform and educate.

Mr. Speaker, I think we can all agree that

bringing an end to franking abuse is long overdue. Cutting the franking budget by 50 percent

will restore the original intent of the frank while

following through with our promise of continued congressional reform. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

TRIBUTE TO LEONARD H.

fMACKAIN

HON. JAY KIM

OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, May 11, 1995

Mr. KIM. Mr. Speaker, I rise before the

House floor today to recognize a major civic

leader in the 41st District who has recently retired from many years of public service. The

City of Brea has greatly benefitted from the

contributions of Mr. Leonard H. MacKain who

has been a leader in our community for many

years.

Mr. MacKain has previously served on the

Brea City Council from 1972 to 1976 with two

consecutive terms as mayor from 1974 to

1976. During this period, he played an integral

part in the building of the Brea Civic Center

and Library and forming redevelopment areas

which allowed for the construction of the Brea

Mall.

In his career in education, Mr. MacKain has

held the positions of superintendent, assistant

superintendent, teacher principal, project manager and Board Educator member. His commitment and enthusiasm in this area has led

to the construction and expansion of five

schools in Brea and has created strong bonds

between the city and the school district.

I also want to mention that Mr. MacKain has

also served on the Harbors, Beaches and

Parks Commission in 1976 and held this position for the next 15 years.

As the U.S. Congressman for the 41st District, I salute Mr. MacKain for his outstanding

achievements and dedication as a public servant. Washington is beginning to delegate its

power to the State and local level. This requires able leaders to use excellent judgment

with this new responsibility. Mr. Speaker, I believe that Mr. MacKain is a fine example of a

decision maker at the local level who has put

in the effort to successfully transform a community by understanding and recognizing how

to utilize existing resources given to it. America needs more people like him.

HOME FOR GUIDING HANDS

fHON. DUNCAN HUNTER OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, May 11, 1995

Mr. HUNTER. Mr. Speaker, mentally and

physically disabled people are being helped by

computers in two homes for the disabled because of techniques developed by Lloyd

Hartvigsen. He credits part of the success for

the lab he established at the Home for Guiding Hands at Lakeside, CA, to Lorraine Barrack, now 36 years of age, who has had cerebral palsy since birth.

‘‘It just made sense that people who can’t

speak might find their voice with the aid of a

computer,’’ said Mr. Hartvigsen, a retired printer who established a 10-terminal lab for residents of the Home for Guiding Hands. The

mother of Lorraine Barrack, Mrs. Elaine Barrack, said ‘‘It’s the first time my daughter has

been able to write us a note that says ‘I love

you.’ This was the first year she’s been able

to send out Christmas cards. You just can’t

know how precious these notes and letters are

to me.’’

Mr. Hartvigsen, working with Lorraine’s family, decided that the wand and touch screen

would be perfect, since she had control of her

head movements. ‘‘With a touch screen, everything you do with a keyboard can be done

just by touching the screen,’’ he explained.

‘‘To use the computer, Lorraine puts on a cap

with a foot-long wand attached. By leaning forward and tapping the wand on certain parts of

the computer screen, she can write a note or

play a game.’’

Lorraine and 14 classmates at the Home for

Guiding Hands use the computer system to do

schoolwork, to paint and draw, and also to

learn to type and send letters to relatives and

friends. Mr. Hartvigsen is also employed parttime as a computer instructor at St. Madeleine

Sophie’s Center for the Handicapped in El

Cajon, CA. He began volunteer work at the

Home for Guiding Hands in 1988, but it was

in the past 4 years that he realized how helpful computers could be as communication

tools for the developmentally handicapped.

Originally a volunteer at the Home for Guiding

Hands, he was hired several months ago by

the Home to operate the computer lab that he

had set up. He now instructs residents of the

Home in the use of computers, as well as residents of the St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center.

Mr. Hartvigsen is the son of Austin

Hartvigsen of Santee and the late Mrs. Austin

Hartvigsen, both of whom were volunteers for

several years at the naturalization ceremonies

in San Diego. They welcomed the new citizens, answered any questions they might

have, and helped them register to vote. The

family is an outstanding example of the best in

volunteerism in America.

WHY AMERICA NEEDS A DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

HON. G.V. (SONNY) MONTGOMERY OF MISSISSIPPI

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, May 11, 1995

Mr. MONTGOMERY. Mr. Speaker, I am

pleased to share with my colleagues a letter

written by the Honorable Jesse Brown, Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs,

to Mr. Stuart Butler, Vice President of The

Heritage Foundation. The letter is in response

to The Heritage Foundation’s proposal to

eliminate the Department of Veterans Affairs

and establish it as a bureau within the Department of Defense.

I believe Secretary Brown’s remarks point

out how important it is to maintain the Department of Veterans Affairs. In the wake of all the

‘‘myths’’ being printed in the media about the

Department’s facilities and the services it provides, the facts laid out in Secretary Brown’s

letter make for very compelling reading.

THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS,

Washington, May 10, 1995.

Mr. STUART BUTLER,

Vice President, The Heritage Foundation, Massachusetts Avenue NE., Washington, DC.

DEAR MR. BUTLER: I was rather perplexed

when I read your proposal to eliminate the

Department of Veterans Affairs and establish it as a bureau in the Department of Defense. Likewise, I was mystified by some of

the specific program recommendations in

your report on ‘‘Rolling Back Government.’’

About the only statement that I agree with

is, ‘‘The care of Americans who have served

their country in the armed forces is a core

function of the federal government.’’ At

least you are right in that regard.

CABINET STATUS

VA was elevated to Cabinet status in 1989

after years of congressional deliberation.

President Reagan agreed with Congress that

the agency charged with administering benefits and services to our veterans and their

dependents (who now number 26 million and

44 million, respectively) belongs at the Cabinet table when issues are being formulated

and acted upon. President Reagan was right.

Your report portrays VA as an inefficient bureaucracy while offering no evidence in support of such a statement. I am curious how

you arrive at the conclusion that the existing structure for providing veterans benefits

and services would become more efficient

with another layer over it, that of the Office

of the Secretary of Defense, and possibly

others. Further, if VA were to be made a bureau within DoD, the Nation’s obligations to

our veterans would constantly be at risk of

being subordinated to National defense and

security needs, particularly in time of conflict or great danger. The lack of wisdom of

placing veterans programs in such a precarious position has been obvious to Congress

and Presidents for many decades. How could

you possibly fail to realize—or even address—the fact that a separate VA assures

that veterans’ needs are addressed on their

own merits and not based on whether our Nation needs to spend more or less on defense?

DISABILITY COMPENSATION

Turning to the proposals you make for specific VA programs, I found it extremely ironic that, in the name of ‘‘allowing veterans to

enjoy the benefits of privately provided . . .

retirement services’’ and modernizing the

VA disability compensation program, you

simply propose taking away compensation

from certain veterans. One group who would