June 8, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E 1207

I applaud this fine group of award-winning

performers who entertain thousands in the

19th Congressional District and across the

country each year. The Swingsations exemplify the meaning of ‘‘champion,’’ and I am

proud to represent them in the U.S. Congress.

ESTABLISHMENT OF A FUND FOR

THE MAINTENANCE OF OVERfSEAS WAR MEMORIALS

HON. BOB STUMP OF ARIZONA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, June 8, 1995

Mr. STUMP. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation to establish an account to

accept and disburse funds for the maintenance and repair of selected overseas war

memorials. My distinguished colleague, the

ranking member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, SONNY MONTGOMERY, joins me in introducing this bill.

The American Battle Monuments Commission is tasked with maintaining our overseas

cemeteries and war memorials in a manner

befitting the sacrifices of those who served

this Nation in time of war, especially those

who gave their lives in the cause of freedom.

When requested to assume responsibility for

a specific memorial, the Commission makes

an assessment of the condition and historical

value of the site. In this way, the Commission

accepts responsibility for only the most important sites. Typically, the request to assume responsibility includes funds to maintain the memorial.

Today, the Commission is increasingly

being asked to assume responsibility for overseas memorials whose private sponsors have

dwindled in numbers. But the passage of time

now makes it difficult for these patriots to provide the active oversight needed to ensure the

appropriate condition of the memorial.

My bill will provide the Commission an account to accept private donations, direct the

Secretary of the Treasury to invest excess

funds in interest bearing obligations of the

United States, and authorize use of those

funds for memorial maintenance.

In this manner, we can continue to honor

those who have fought and died and keep the

memory of their sacrifices alive as a reminder

for the generations who have inherited the legacy of their commitment. I urge my colleagues

to support the bill.

ABMC BACKGROUND NOTES

ABMC currently has statutory authority

to take over private monuments it considers

worthy of retention.

Past takeovers include the Ranger monument at Point du Hoc overlooking Utah

Beach and the Cabanatuan Memorial in the

Philippines honoring 75,000 U.S. and Filipino

POW’s held by Japan.

ABMC is currently considering taking over

monuments for 3 Engineer units and a 29th

Division monument on the Normandy beaches, as well as several USAF monuments.

ABMC estimates that about $300,000 is

available for these and a few other sites, if

they can get the account established. Interest on investments in government securities

will also be added to the account to maintain

solvency for the next ten years or so.

TRIBUTE TO SMYRNA NISSAN

EMPLOYEES

HON. BART GORDON OF TENNESSEE

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, June 8, 1995

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, in the coming

days and months Congress will be making big

decisions about the way our economy works.

These decisions will have a lasting impact on

how America meets the 21st century and

whether our workers and companies will have

the tools to compete. I take my responsibility

to make sure that America goes into the future

strong and prepared very seriously.

America has the most skilled, productive,

and dedicated workers in the world. Despite

vocal nay-sayers’ predictions about the American economy declining in the face of international competition, I have found the opposite

to be true.

I did not have to go far to find proof. There

are 6,000 hard-working people in Smyrna, TN

who go to work every day at the Nissan Motor

Manufacturing Corp. with the attitude that

‘‘every day we want to do better than we did

yesterday.’’ Those words came from Nissan

CEO and President Jerry Benefield who has

proven that rewarding hard work and making

sure that employees know they have the

power to create—or break—their company.

Those Smyrna Nissan employees have reason to be proud. They have built the most productive car and truck assembly plant in America for the second year in a row.

One of the secrets of their success is attitude. Another is their extensive training and

know-how. Those are the two keys that set

not only the Smyrna plant apart from other

American plants, but also what sets American

companies apart from the rest of the world.

Smyrna employees assemble a car in just 2.2

worker days, setting the benchmark for national productivity.

I want to congratulate and thank the 6,000

of you who earned this recognition on behalf

of Smyrna. It goes to show that Tennessee,

and America, are poised to take the lead in innovation and productivity. All of you are obviously going above and beyond just doing your

job—and doing it very successfully.

SCHOOL OF THE FUTURE IS HERE

fNOW

HON. ROB PORTMAN OF OHIO

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, June 8, 1995

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, last Friday, I

had the pleasure of touring a school in my district which is setting the trend for the future of

education. Mason Middle School, in Warren

County in southwest Ohio, uses a state-of-theart technology-driven curriculum so that students can easily enter the high-tech workplace

and adapt to a changing world.

If our world is transitioning to an information-based society, these students will be way

ahead of the curve. As our current methods of

production become obsolete, more and more

work will have to do with information processing. Because of Mason Middle School’s emphasis on information and technology, its students are being given the skills to compete in

the work force of the future and the confidence to succeed there. Students also learn

to appreciate the interconnectedness of the

world, preparing them to interact in a global

economy.

When we create schools such as this, we

are doing more than providing for our children’s success in an age of ever-expanding

technology. We are laying the groundwork for

a new political system. Our system is based

on democracy, or the will of the people. To express the will of the people, we rely on representation. Computers will make our system

of representation more responsive. What

began with polling by mail and then phone has

evolved into direct communication and decisionmaking. Instead of relying on our Senators

or Congressmen and women to represent us,

in the future, we can begin to represent ourselves. A democratic system can only be effective with an informed and engaged electorate. Technology will bring us even closer together—creating a more participatory democracy.

Using today’s far more advanced computers, satellites, telephones, cable, polling techniques, and other tools, not to mention the

Internet and other communication networks,

an educated citizenry can, for the first time in

history, begin making many of its own political

decisions. I’d say that’s pretty exciting stuff.

And I would also say that I am very proud that

a school in the Second Congressional District

is leading the way.

BUILDING DEMOCRACY IN

fUKRAINE

HON. DAVID E. BONIOR OF MICHIGAN

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, June 8, 1995

Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, the American

Overseas Interests Act, H.R. 1561, does not

encourage economic and democratic reforms

in the New Independent States.

The bill cuts aid to Ukraine and other New

Independent States by nearly $100 million.

At a time when Ukraine is receiving a more

significant share of United States assistance

to the NIS, this bill negates the gains that

have been made.

However, one positive step in the bill in the

increase of our assistance to the victims of

Chernobyl.

This bill provides a $10 million commitment

to help the victims of the Chernobyl disaster,

especially the children.

Thyroid cancer is plaguing the children in

the region.

There are hundreds of thousands of people

with severe health problems.

And the worst is yet to come, because

many of the effects of the Chernobyl nuclear

disaster will not be known until later this decade.

There is a desperate need for this aid.

Ukraine faces a severe shortage of medical

supplies and effective health care.

Our aid to Ukraine and other New Independent States is less than 10 percent of the

foreign aid budget, which is less than 2 percent of our Federal budget.

Mr. Speaker, I’m pleased we were able to

help the victims of Chernobyl.