[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 96 (Friday, July 17, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H5848]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  FLORIDA GIVES HEARTFELT THANKS TO FIREFIGHTERS THROUGHOUT THE NATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to take a moment to share with 
Americans all over that for the past month and a half, as many people 
are aware, Florida has been besieged by wildfires, which have consumed 
almost half a million acres. The fires have badly strained the 
resources of local and State fire officials, who have had to respond to 
more than 2,200 individual fires throughout the State.
  Given the widespread devastation, which includes the destruction or 
damage of more than 400 homes and businesses, firefighters from towns 
throughout Florida have had to travel to wherever they are needed. But 
even with this kind of statewide teamwork, the magnitude of the 
disaster has required help from beyond our borders, and the response 
across America has been overwhelming: 5,100 firefighters, from almost 
every State in the Union, as well as Puerto Rico, have uprooted 
themselves, leaving their families behind, to help Florida in its time 
of need.
  On behalf of all Florida residents and the congressional delegation, 
I want to give my heartfelt thanks to each and every firefighter, to 
their family throughout the Nation, who have risked their lives to put 
an end to the devastation which has so profoundly affected my State.

                              {time}  1415

  Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, I want to share with my colleagues some of 
the developments in Congress that I am very pleased with.
  An amendment to the Higher Education Amendment's Act of 1998 passed 
the Senate recently after successfully passing the House of 
Representatives. The amendment requires colleges to distribute voter 
registration forms to students while enrolled in an institution that 
receives financial assistance from the Federal Government.
  I am excited about this legislation because it provides more 
opportunities for college students ages 18 through 24 to register to 
vote.
  This group, one of the most mobile groups in this country, has the 
lowest voter participation rate of all Americans eligible to vote. 
Colleges would be required to distribute a mail voter registration form 
to each student enrolled in a degree or certification program. This 
amendment encourages students to exercise one of the most fundamental 
rights, the right to vote.
  I also want to applaud the action by the Senate in passing an 
amendment as a part of the Fiscal Year 1999 agriculture appropriations 
to restore credit to small farmers. The 1996 Farm Bill changed the 
eligibility criteria for the USDA farm loans.
  Anyone who had ever received any kind of debt forgiveness, including 
restructuring and rescheduling, is now ineligible. Many of these 
farmers suffered disasters due to flood or drought.
  Both the Civil Rights Task Force report and the National Commission 
on Small Farms cited this change as unduly harsh and recommended that 
it be modified. In the light of those findings, I introduced the 
Agriculture Credit Restoration Act of 1998. It would modify the debt 
forgiveness limitation enacted by the 1996 Farm Bill.
  The bill, H.R. 3513, would allow creditworthy USDA borrowers a second 
chance to receive a loan from USDA after having received debt 
forgiveness on a previous loan. A companion piece of legislation in the 
Senate, S. 1118, was introduced by Senator Robb.
  Mr. Speaker, it is important to recognize that the long-term economic 
health of rural America depends on a broad and diverse economic base 
which requires investment in agriculture, rural businesses, 
infrastructure, housing stock and community facilities.
  The Senate amendment, like my bill, would allow farmers and ranchers 
to remain eligible for USDA credit through two experiences requiring 
debt forgiveness, including a loan write-down or net recovery buy-out.
  The Senate amendment and my bill now will allow one exception to 
borrowers who experience financial difficulties because of a natural 
disaster, family medical crisis, or as a part of a settlement of a 
civil rights case.
  The Senate has done a great service for small farmers. They deserve 
our applause.
  Finally, the Senate yesterday inserted another very important 
language into the agriculture appropriation. The Senate version of the 
1999 agriculture appropriation, like the House, contains provisions for 
lifting the statute of limitations contained in the Equal Credit 
Opportunity Act, thus allowing black farmers who have complained of 
discrimination against the Department of Agriculture to have a hearing 
either before the Department or before the courts.
  Where relief is merited, it will now be granted. Cases back as far as 
1983 can now be heard. This is indeed historic. Black farmers in 
America have struggled for more than 4 decades, and the very department 
designed to help them has over the years hurt them.
  I am delighted that, after much effort, we can claim a significant 
victory. There has been more than a 64-percent decline in black farmers 
just over the last 15 years, from 6,996 farms in 1978 to 2,498 farms in 
1992.
  The Department of Justice ruled earlier this year that legal and 
technical arguments should prevent these farmers from receiving 
recovery from the damage done to them. The Department's position was 
taken even in cases where discrimination has been proven, documented 
and demonstrated recovery was not possible. Yet, the Department 
continued to receive complaints and, in fact, in its literature 
encouraged farmers to submit their complaints to them, knowing full 
well that the Reagan and Bush administrations eliminated the unit to 
investigate their complaints.
  Black farmers' relied on this empty process to their detriment. Mr. 
Speaker, it is a good thing that we have now come to this point to move 
this dark history from the chapter.

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