[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 156 (Tuesday, November 13, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H8081-H8087]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               PUT OUR CHILDREN FIRST RESOLUTION OF 2001

  Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 228) expressing the sense of the 
Congress that the children who lost one or both parents or a guardian 
in the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center and Pentagon tragedies 
(including the aircraft crash in Somerset County, Pennsylvania) should 
be provided with all necessary assistance, services, and benefits and 
urging the heads of Federal agencies responsible for providing such 
assistance, services and benefits to give the highest possible priority 
to providing such assistance, services and benefits to those children, 
as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 228

       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That this resolution may be cited as the ``Put 
     Our Children First Resolution of 2001''.
       Sec. 2. (a) The Congress is grateful to the Federal, State, 
     and local agencies for their actions to deliver prompt 
     services to the children and families impacted by the events 
     of September 11, 2001, and recognizes their efforts to 
     expedite and streamline these important services.
       (b) It is the sense of the Congress that the children who 
     lost 1 or both parents or a guardian in the September 11, 
     2001, World Trade Center and Pentagon tragedies (including 
     the aircraft crash in Somerset County, Pennsylvania) should 
     be provided with such immediate assistance, services, and 
     benefits for which they are eligible and which are necessary 
     for their well-being, including--
       (1) foster care assistance;
       (2) adoption assistance;
       (3) medical, nutritional, and psychological care;
       (4) educational services; and
       (5) such additional care or services as may be necessary.
       (c) The Congress urges each Federal, State, and local 
     agency responsible for providing assistance, services, and 
     benefits referred to in subsection (b) to--
       (1) act without delay to provide such assistance, services, 
     and benefits to children described in that paragraph; and
       (2) to the maximum extent possible, take such steps as are 
     necessary to ensure that such assistance, services, and 
     benefits are provided in the case of any such child within 60 
     days of the date of the determination of the death of the 
     child's parent, parents, or guardian.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Herger) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Herger).
  Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 228, as amended, 
offered by the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). The resolution 
expresses Congress' gratitude for the efforts of numerous Federal, 
State and local agencies in moving quickly to provide services and 
support to children and families affected by the tragedies of September 
11. It urges continued swift assistance.
  Since the events of September 11, this Congress has worked with great 
speed to respond to the Nation's emergency needs. We provided $40 
billion in emergency funding to respond to the tragedies and shore up 
our national security.
  The House passed important legislation to stimulate the economy and 
support the unemployment and health care needs of dislocated workers. 
Sweeping new airline measures passed each body which should become law 
shortly.
  Defense and other appropriation measures were amended to account for 
our new national security and other needs.
  At the same time, workers on the front lines of our social services 
agencies, especially in the New York City and Northern Virginia areas, 
respond quickly to deliver services and support.
  I would like to take a moment to report on the activities of the U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services agency and the State and City 
of New York in responding to the needs of children and families 
affected by the attack on our country.
  HHS began responding to the attack the very day it happened providing 
disaster medical assistance teams, medical supplies, and mental health 
assistance to the affected areas. Within days HHS released emergency 
funds for child care, temporary food and shelter, emergency meals, 
child welfare services and health care. In total, HHS provided more 
than $126 million for these essential services. HHS also used its 
emergency powers to cut through red tape to speed aid to the needs of 
children and families affected.
  Similarly, the City and State of New York have reacted with speed and 
compassion to transform routine service programs into disaster response 
teams. What we have seen and salute today is the quick responses by so 
many local service providers to the needs of our fellow citizens, and 
especially families with children who lost one or even both parents in 
the September attacks.
  These responses reinforced to terrorists and the world what we 
already knew, that we can shake America but we cannot break America. We 
will respond and we will rebound even stronger than before.
  Perhaps the most striking examples of America coming together to 
respond to this tragedy have been the numerous occasions of neighbors 
helping neighbors and public and private agencies working together with 
government and charitable funds to support needy families.
  Charitable donations have come from people across the economic 
spectrum,

[[Page H8082]]

from the wealthiest Americans to the sixth and seventh and eighth grade 
classes of Oakland, California who sold red, white and blue hair 
ribbons to raise $500; or for the K through 7 youngsters of Wyandatt 
Grammar School in Oroville, California in my district who sold pumpkins 
and raised $831 for the fund.
  This resolution applauds the efforts that have already been made to 
support families in need and calls on continued appropriate Federal, 
State and local support for these children and families affected by the 
tragic events of September 11. I urge its adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, one does not know the strength of a family or a 
community or indeed a country until we have been hit hard by a 
disaster; and certainly our country and my city was hit hard on 
September 11. But we just do not know how long it is going to take and 
what the response is going to be until things like this happen, because 
yesterday morning Flight 587, an American Airlines flight, took off 
from Kennedy headed for Santo Domingo. It crashed 2 minutes later. 260 
people lost their lives; 9 of these people were part of the crew. 
Almost all of these people were Dominican. Almost half came from my 
congressional district, and this morning I was there with the survivors 
as they were looking for social services and trying to identify those 
who have been lost.
  Mr. Speaker, I say this because all of us in the Congress and the 
country really have to treat each other with more civility and more 
dignity and be more aware of those who give their lives and help ease 
the pain when communities suffer something like this. These people who 
left to go to Santo Domingo for Thanksgiving or Christmas to have 
family reunions left behind people who will never see them again.

                              {time}  1815

  It is just a reliving in a lesser way the nearly 5,000 people who are 
dead or presumed to be dead as a result of the tragedy of September 11.
  We cannot restore these families, we cannot bring back the lives, but 
we can talk about the services that have been available, the courageous 
people who have tried to save lives, those that continue to give 
spiritual and social services. We can thank Members of Congress such as 
the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) for reminding us and being 
able to never allow us to forget that we have to be ever vigilant, we 
have to be ever prepared to give these prompt services to families and 
especially to children of these families. Getting in the habit of 
caring, getting in the habit of loving, getting in the habit of 
recognizing that we all are just one family makes it easier for us to 
respond and makes it easier for the affected families to try to bring 
their lives together. I think that the Congress does well by giving 
support to this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the sponsor of this 
legislation, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), be allowed 
to control the remainder of my time on this bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. LaTourette). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time, 
and I appreciate all the work that the gentlewoman from Texas has done 
on this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Put Our Children First 
resolution. I believe that this measure will help to ensure that 
children impacted by the terrorist attacks of September 11 will receive 
the assistance, services and benefits they need.
  Words cannot express the effect of September 11 on the children who 
lost one or both parents in New York, Pennsylvania, or at the Pentagon. 
I know all of us have been stunned to learn that as many as 10,000 
children lost one or both parents at the World Trade Center. I strongly 
believe that we have an obligation to do all that we can to help these 
young people move forward with their lives. In the coming weeks and 
months, each child will require something different and something 
special. Some children will require everything from medical care, and 
others may need foster care and adoption assistance. Still others will 
require the experienced ear of a therapist, counselor, or a 
psychologist.
  Our country has seen a remarkable display of unity in the 8 weeks 
since September 11. I know of the hard work and assistance of countless 
individuals who have put their lives on the line to help others. As the 
rest of the country returns to a more normal routine, we must not 
forget that the events of September 11 will affect these children 
forever. The Put Our Children First resolution urges our Federal 
agencies responsible for assistance to these children, the Department 
of Health and Human Services, the Department of Education and others, 
to continue their hard work and to provide the necessary services to 
each affected child without delay. This is the least we can do.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important 
resolution. Again, I thank the sponsor of this bill, the gentlewoman 
from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I thank the Members who have come to the floor for their support and 
kind words. This has been a long journey for those who have suffered 
and for the effort to ensure that as we work together in Federal and 
local and State agencies that we put our children first. I would like 
to thank the majority leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey); and 
the minority leader, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt); the 
chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Thomas), to whom I spoke very frequently about this 
bill and its language; the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), the 
ranking member, who worked very closely with myself and my staff; the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Herger), as well, for his leadership and 
support; the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez); and members of their 
staff: Kirk Boyle, Siobahn Abell, Dan Turton, Janis Mays, Allison 
Giles, Bob Winters, Matt Weidinger, John Kelliher, Nick Gwyn and Kevin 
Kimble. We would not want to leave anyone out who was able to help us 
move this legislation, for I think it is important for this Congress to 
stand on the floor of the House and mention and be concerned about our 
children. I would like to thank my staff, Rajah Manno, for his 
assistance as well.
  I believe that this is an important day. We realize that there has 
been a great deal of effort to nurture those children who have lost a 
parent, a guardian or parents. In the shadow of the tragedy that 
happened on yesterday, the terrible airplane crash, let me offer my 
deepest sympathies to New York and to Queens, New York, again; but as 
your mayor said, I know that this too will be one that they will rise 
to overcome, but I understand the deep pain.
  This will be a long journey for those whose children would be 
impacted by the loss of individuals on that airplane and in that 
neighborhood. This has been a long journey for those children on 
September 11 who as well lost their parents. In a ceremony on Veterans' 
Day, the President of the United States joined in honoring those who 
lost their lives at the World Trade Center from around the world. In 
looking at writings that were on the railing of the platform where the 
ceremony was held on Veterans' Day, there were several writings. One of 
them simply said, ``I love you, Daddy. Love, Lucy.''
  How many daddies and mommies and others were lost on September 11? 
The reason we proposed this legislation and now bring it to the floor 
is because we believe that this will be a long journey and the long 
journey will last into these children's lives for as long as they live; 
for September 11, a day of infamy, will be in America's lives and in 
American history for as long as we survive.
  Today, 2 months after the tragedies, estimates of the number of 
children impacted vary greatly. Unofficial estimates place the number 
between 10,000 based on various news sources and cited several weeks 
ago on National

[[Page H8083]]

Public Radio by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and 15,000 cited in an 
editorial in the Times on September 26, 2001. We do know that 4,000 
children qualify as orphans under the Twin Towers Orphan Fund and some 
1,500 children were left by the 700 missing Cantor Fitzgerald employees 
alone. Dennis Buckley of Lynbrook, a successful broker at Cantor 
Fitzgerald, left three little girls: Mary Kate, 6; Megan, 4; and 
Michele, 20 months. Daniel Harlin, 41, a Manhattan firefighter who 
lived in Kent in Putnam County, left behind his wife and their three 
children aged 9, 7, and 2. So whatever the official numbers are, as 
Mayor Giuliani correctly noted, these numbers are simply more than any 
of us can bear.
  As chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I call on this 
Congress to recognize the uncounted victims of these tragedies, the 
children, the children who remain, not being able to call out to daddy 
or mommy and not being able to call out to their guardian, their 
grandmother or grandfather. This resolution today puts in the forefront 
the needs that they may have. It likewise applauds those local 
governments who have already been on the front line. But we want to 
emphasize that the children over a long period of time when maybe the 
dust settles and maybe the degree of publicity will no longer be there, 
they will need foster care assistance, adoption assistance, medical and 
nutritional and psychological assistance, educational services, such as 
additional care or services as might be necessary in light of this 
tragedy.
  A story was written in the Washington Post just a couple of weeks 
ago; and it commented on one of the young victims, if you will, who had 
lost their parents. It indicated that he had a hard time going to 
sleep. He was 5 years old. And when he went to sleep, he had 
nightmares. We want to be able to shore up those services with Federal 
assistance from Health and Human Services to ensure that the children 
will be protected. This legislation asks that we expedite these 
services for these children, and we ask that the services be rendered 
to them within 60 days of designation of a death certificate.
  At a recent Congressional Children's Caucus briefing on October 12, 
Cindy Freidmutter, executive director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption 
Institute in New York, spoke to this issue. She noted that after 
September 11, the adoption institute proposed the Permanency Project to 
minimize further trauma and uncertainty in the lives of children who 
lost one or both parents. One of the most important aspects is getting 
children to a caregiver, a relative or somewhere where they can stay 
for a period of time, where they have a stable family structure, 
because repeated changes in caregivers for displaced children can cause 
irreparable harm.
  Second, children who lost their parent benefit by having a permanent 
caregiver who is a family member or a close family friend, and when 
possible it is beneficial for such children to remain with their 
siblings. Separation from remaining biological family members can cause 
those children significant additional trauma. So we ask today that this 
Congress goes on record in embracing the children who lost their 
families during that terrible tragedy and also goes on record to ensure 
that we would have the kind of attention that is necessary to them over 
a long period of time.
  We are very gratified that the leadership of this Congress has seen 
fit to move this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the gentleman has 
yielded me this time, and I am very honored to be a cosponsor of this 
resolution along with the gentlewoman from Texas. Together we cochair 
the Congressional Children's Caucus. We had a series of briefings on 
this terrible tragedy, because in scenes worse than a horror movie, 
Americans witnessed the hijacked planes slam into the World Trade 
Center and the Pentagon and fall to the ground in Pittsburgh; and in 
the blink of an eye thousands of lives were snatched and Americans lost 
our sense of safety. These acts of terror tested the courage and the 
strength of Americans, but it helped us to grow stronger and more 
united.
  Today we are pulling together to rebuild our Nation and working 
toward a heightened sense of security. But as we restore our lives, we 
must not forget the children who lost a parent or a guardian in the 
September 11 attacks. For millions who watched the carnage, the 
harrowing images will be imprinted forever in our memory. But for the 
children who lost a parent in this catastrophic act of terror, their 
lives will never be the same again.
  Today, as an original cosponsor of H. Con. Res. 228, I am proud to 
join my colleague, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), who 
has worked tirelessly to see this bill through. I thank the many 
cosponsors that are listed on our bill here today. This resolution 
calls for the immediate benefits to children who lost one or both 
parents or a guardian in the multiple tragedies. It will call for 
children of the 9-11 victims to receive foster care, medical assistance 
and psychological services which they so desperately need.
  It has been 2 months since the evil terrorist attack upon America and 
still many surviving family members, particularly children of the 
September 11 attack, have yet to receive the benefits they need and 
they deserve. We recognize that all the money and the services in the 
world could never replace the beloved one that they have lost, and we 
know that they are still in grief. But although money cannot mend their 
scars, the passage of this resolution can provide the necessary 
bandages to help heal their deep wounds. Children who lost a parent or 
a guardian in this national tragedy need psychological and other 
services right now. That is why we are asking tonight that our 
colleagues vote for H. Con. Res. 228 to help those victims, to help the 
surviving family members get the help that they need and get it now.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
distinguished gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones).

                              {time}  1830

  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) again for coming into my congressional district 
very recently to be of assistance to me and to my colleagues.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 228, a 
bill to expedite services and benefits to children who lost parents or 
a guardian during the September 11 attacks.
  In my former life, I served as the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor. One of 
the things I learned in that capacity was the fact that children who 
witness violence are often more harmed than the children who are 
actually within the violent situation. It is so important that our 
colleagues today act on behalf of those children. They have lost 
parents, they have lost guardians, and they have witnessed, day after 
day, month after month, week after week, a repetition of that violence: 
by seeing it on TV; through the description of the World Trade Center 
towers; by listening to people talk about terrorism; by being engulfed 
with all that has gone on in our country. It is our obligation as 
Members of Congress to step up to the plate and support those young 
people. Without our support and encouragement, that in fact would not 
happen.
  The fact that in our country we have not given parity to mental 
health even makes this issue of greater importance. You think about the 
health care benefits that many of these children might well not have as 
a result of their parents or guardians being out of work; in fact, it 
may not give them adequate coverage to be able to receive the type of 
mental health care that they are entitled to under the circumstances.
  I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution, to provide the 
educational services that are necessary for these young people, to be 
able to continue their lives and be useful citizens in our country, the 
assistance for adoption and foster care. We have talked about this over 
and over again on the floor of the House, the importance of having a 
strong family around young people to help them grow and to build, to 
help provide support for them, even through adoption or through foster 
care.

[[Page H8084]]

  I am confident that there are many parents and many families out here 
who would love to take in an additional child, but financial situations 
may not allow them to do so. For us to be able to encourage these 
families to take on more children, to be supportive, to provide 
guidance, I often say to people when we talk to them, my son Mervyn is 
18, and I used to tell him all the time there were times when I thought 
I wanted to be his friend, but he needed a parent more than he needed a 
friend. These people in fact need parents who will stand up and teach 
them the right way and help them work through this whole loss that they 
have had.
  So I am pleased to rise with my colleagues in support of this 
resolution, and would encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor 
of it.
  I thank the gentlewoman from the State of Texas for her hard work and 
other Members who have worked on this resolution.
  Mr. HERGER. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of H. Con. Res. 228, as 
amended, and yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to indicate to this House that although 
this legislation is being sponsored today, debated today and, I hope, 
passed, this will be a very long journey for these children. It is 
important that we set a framework and establish, if you will, a 
national forum for these children to have the protection that they 
need.
  In closing, I would just like to thank the 40-plus cosponsors, many 
of them from New York, and thank the cochair of the Congressional 
Children's Caucus, the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen), who 
worked so very closely with me as we proceeded to bring this 
legislation to the attention of our colleagues through special orders.
  I do want to thank, as well, the cochairs of the Women's Caucus for 
supporting this legislation, the distinguished gentlewoman from Ohio 
and the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-
McDonald). I thank them very much for their support, as well as the 
gentlewoman from Illinois who spoke on this legislation.
  I also want to pay tribute to the Calderon family, who visited with 
us just a few weeks ago. They lost their mother, Lizzie. Their 4-year-
old daughter and 20-month-old son, even as we tried to listen to their 
story, the two children were calling for ``Mommy.'' These are the 
children that we are trying to emphasize as we go forward with this 
legislation.
  Similarly, as I read stories about the tragedy of yesterday's 
airplane crash, it was noted that one parent left her children with her 
relatives as she was en route to the Dominican Republic to handle 
family business. Those children would fall in the category of being 
able to have services rendered to them with an eye toward expediting 
those services.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record letters of support from the 
National Mental Health Association, the Orphan Foundation of America, 
Save the Children and the Children's National Medical Center in support 
of H. Con. Res. 228, as amended.
                                            National Mental Health


                                                  Association,

                               Alexandria, VA, September 24, 2001.
     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     U.S. House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Jackson Lee: On behalf of the National 
     Mental Health Association, the country's oldest and largest 
     nonprofit organization addressing all aspects of mental 
     health and mental illness, I am writing to lend our full 
     support for H. Con. Res. 228, which you introduced in the 
     House of Representatives on September 14, 2001.
       We endorse the purpose of this timely resolution, which is 
     to express the desire of Congress to provide immediate relief 
     to the children who suffered the irreplaceable loss of 
     parents or guardians due the tragedies that befell our nation 
     on September 11, 2001. As this resolution recognizes, it is 
     vital to prioritize the delivery of benefits and services 
     already available under federal law to children who have 
     incurred these great losses in the World Trade Center, 
     Pentagon and Somerset County, Pennsylvania tragedies. 
     Importantly, the resolution recognizes that the delivery of 
     crucial services and benefits is sometimes delayed due to 
     statutory or administrative delay, often leaving those in 
     need waiting for relief. It is essential that the children 
     who suffered such a great loss as a result of this tragedy 
     not suffer again because of delayed access to needed services 
     and benefits.
       We will urge all Members of Congress to join you and the 
     resolution's 57 co-sponsors in supporting this legislation, 
     as we believe it is essential that Congress demonstrate its 
     support for our nation's children, who are our most innocent 
     victims of this tragedy.
       Thank you for introducing H. Con. Res. 228.
           Sincerely,
                                           Michael M. Faenza, MSSW
     President and CEO.
                                  ____



                                 Orphan Foundation of America,

                                   Reston, VA, September 24, 2001.
     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     U.S. House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Jackson Lee: On behalf of the Orphan 
     Foundation of America (OFA), I am writing to lend our full 
     support of H. Con. Res. 228, which you introduced in the 
     House of Representatives on September 14, 2001.
       OFA endorses the purpose of this timely resolution; it is 
     vital to prioritize the delivery of benefits and services 
     already available under federal law to children who have lost 
     parent(s) or guardians as a result of the tragedy that befell 
     our nation on September 11, 2001. The resolution recognizes 
     that the delivery of crucial services and benefits is 
     sometimes delayed due to statutory or administrative delay 
     and it seeks to remedy that for those who need services.
       We will urge all Members of Congress to join you and the 
     resolution's 57 cosponsors in supporting this legislation. 
     Thank you for introducing H. Con. Res. 228.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Eileen McCaffrey,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____



                                            Save the Children,

                               Washington, DC, September 25, 2001.
     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     U.S. House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Jackson Lee: On behalf of Save the 
     Children, I am writing to lend our support for H. Con. Res 
     228, which you introduced in the House of Representatives on 
     September 14, 2001.
       We endorse the purpose of the resolution, which is to 
     express the desire of Congress to provide immediate relief to 
     the children who suffered the irreplaceable loss of parents 
     or guardians due to the September 11, 2001 tragedies. As this 
     resolution recognizes, it is vital to prioritize the delivery 
     of benefits and services already available under federal law 
     to children who have incurred losses in the World Trade 
     Center, Pentagon, and Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
       Save the Children applauds your efforts in recognizing the 
     immediate needs of the children who suffered such a great 
     loss as a result of this tragedy. We see this as an essential 
     first step and hope that we can continue to build upon this 
     initiative to meet the long-term needs of children everywhere 
     who have been affected by these tragedies and potential 
     future events.
       We look forward to working with you.
           Sincerely,
     Kathleen Connolly,
       Director, Public Policy and Advocacy, U.S. Programs.
                                  ____



                           Children's National Medical Center,

                               Washington, DC, September 24, 2001.
     Hon. Sheila Jackson-Lee,
     U.S. House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Jackson-Lee: On behalf of our 
     organization, I am writing to lend our full support for H. 
     Con. Res. 228, which you introduced in the House of 
     Representatives on September 14, 2001.
       We endorse the purpose of this timely resolution, which is 
     to express the desire of Congress to provide immediate relief 
     to the children who suffered the irreplaceable loss of 
     parents or guardians due to the tragedies that befell our 
     nation on September 11, 2001. As this resolution recognizes, 
     it is vital to prioritize the delivery of benefits and 
     services already available under federal law to children who 
     have incurred these great losses in the World Trade Center, 
     Pentagon and Somerset County, Pennsylvania tragedies. 
     Importantly, the resolution recognizes that the delivery of 
     crucial services and benefits is sometimes delayed due to 
     statutory or administrative delay, often leaving those in 
     need waiting for relief. It is essential that the children 
     who suffered such a great loss as a result of this tragedy 
     not suffer again because of delayed access to needed services 
     and benefits.
       We will urge all Members of Congress to join you and the 
     resolution's 57 co-sponsors in supporting this legislation, 
     as we believe it is essential that Congress demonstrate its 
     support for our nation's children, who are our most innocent 
     victims of this tragedy.
       Thank you for introducing H. Con. Res. 228.
           Sincerely,
     Paramjit Joshi, M.D.,
       Professor and Chair, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.
                                  ____

                                           National Association of


                                         School Psychologists,

                                 Bethesda, MD, September 28, 2001.
     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     U.S. House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Jackson Lee: On behalf of the National 
     Association of School

[[Page H8085]]

     Psychologists (NASP), I am writing to lend our full support 
     for H. Con. Res. 228, which you introduced in the House of 
     Representatives on September 14, 2001. NASP represents over 
     22,000 school psychologists who work with families and 
     educators to promote youngsters' healthy development and 
     learning. NASP strongly supports public policies that meet 
     the mental health needs of all Americans and particularly 
     those of children and youth.
       We endorse the purpose of this timely resolution, which is 
     to express the desire of Congress to provide immediate relief 
     to the children who suffered the irreplaceable loss of 
     parents or guardians due to the tragedies that befell our 
     nation on September 11, 2001. As this resolution recognizes, 
     it is vital to prioritize the delivery of benefits and 
     services already available under federal law to children who 
     have incurred these great losses in the World Trade Center, 
     Pentagon and Somerset County, Pennsylvania tragedies. 
     Importantly, the resolution recognizes that the delivery of 
     crucial services and benefits is sometimes delayed due to 
     statutory or administrative delay, often leaving those in 
     need waiting for relief. It is essential that the children 
     who suffered such a great loss as a result of this tragedy 
     not suffer again because of delayed access to needed services 
     and benefits.
       We will urge all Members of Congress to join you and the 
     resolution's numerous cosponsors in supporting this 
     legislation, as we believe it is essential that Congress 
     demonstrate its support for our nation's children, who are 
     our most innocent victims of this tragedy.
       Thank you for introducing H. Con. Res. 228.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Libby K. Nealis,
     Director of Public Policy.
                                  ____

                                              Child Welfare League


                                             of America, Inc.,

                               Washington, DC, September 25, 2001.
     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Jackson Lee: On behalf of the Child 
     Welfare League of America (CWLA), I am writing to lend our 
     support for H. Con. Res. 228, which you introduced in the 
     House of Representatives on September 14, 2001.
       We endorse the purpose of this timely resolution, which is 
     to express the desire of Congress to provide immediate relief 
     to the children who suffered the irreplaceable loss of 
     parents or guardians due to the tragedies that befell our 
     nation on September 11th. As this resolution recognizes, it 
     is vital to prioritize the delivery of benefits and services 
     already available under federal law to children who have 
     incurred these great losses in the World Trade Center, 
     Pentagon and Somerset County, Pennsylvania tragedies. 
     Importantly, the resolution recognizes that the delivery of 
     crucial services and benefits is sometimes delayed due to 
     statutory or administrative delay, often leaving those in 
     need waiting for relief. It is essential that the children 
     who suffered such a great loss as a result of this tragedy 
     not suffer again because of delayed access to needed services 
     and benefits.
       We will urge all Members of Congress to join you and the 
     resolution's co-sponsors in supporting this legislation. We 
     believe it is essential that Congress demonstrate its support 
     for our nation's children, who are our most innocent victims 
     of this tragedy.
           Sincerely,
                                                     Shay Bilchik,
     Executive Director.
                                  ____

                                       American Academy of Child &


                                        Adolescent Psychiatry,

                                                   Washington, DC.
     Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Jackson Lee: On behalf of the American 
     Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, I offer our full 
     support for H. Con. Res. 228, which you introduced in the 
     House of Representatives on September 14, 2001.
       We endorse the purpose of this timely resolution, which 
     expresses the desire of Congress to provide immediate relief 
     to the children who suffered the irreplaceable loss of 
     parents or guardians due to the tragedies that befell our 
     nation on September 11, 2001. As this resolution recognizes, 
     it is vital to prioritize the delivery of benefits and 
     services already available under federal law to children who 
     have incurred these great losses in the World Trade Center, 
     Pentagon and Somerset County, Pennsylvania tragedies.
       The resolution recognizes that the delivery of crucial 
     services and benefits is sometimes delayed due to statutory 
     or administrative delay, often leaving those in need waiting 
     for relief. It is essential that the children who suffered 
     such a great loss as a result of this tragedy not suffer 
     again because of delayed access to needed services and 
     benefits.
       We will urge all Members of Congress to join you and the 
     resolution's 57 co-sponsors in supporting this legislation, 
     as we believe it is essential that Congress demonstrate its 
     support for our nation's children, who are our most innocent 
     victims of this tragedy.
       Thank you for introducing H. Con. Res. 228.
           Sincerely,
                                      Clarice J. Kestenbaum, M.D.,
                                                        President.

  Mr. Speaker, I would simply like to thank again my colleagues for 
their support, and I would ask for their unanimous support of this 
legislation, recognizing that it is our responsibility to be our 
brothers' and sisters' keepers, but in particular, the keepers of 
America's children, our most precious resource.
  Mr. Speaker, I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone 
responsible for bringing this important resolution to the floor: 
Majority Leader Dick Armey, Minority Leader Dick Gephardt, Ways and 
Means Chairman Bill Thomas, Ways and Means Ranking Member Charlie 
Rangel, Congressman Wally Herger, Congressman Charles Gonzalez, and 
Members of their staffs including Kirk Boyle, Dan Turton, Janice Mays, 
Allison Giles, Bob Winters, Matt Weidinger, John Kelliher, Nick Gwyn, 
and Kevin Kimble. Your good work on this legislation demonstrates the 
greatest spirit of bi-partisanship.
  The tragedies of September 11, 2001 are fresh in our hearts and 
minds. The thousands of victims from over 80 countries around the world 
evidence that these were truly attacks against all humanity.
  As the world grieves these deaths, yesterday's disaster of American 
Airlines Flight 587 increases our grief even still. Flight 587 took the 
lives of at least 262 people when it crashed into the New York section 
of Rockaway, Queens just three minutes after taking off from John F. 
Kennedy International Airport en route to Santo Domingo, Dominican 
Republic. While the preliminary investigation is being treated as an 
accident, this tragedy, like that of September 11, 2001, remind us of 
the fragility of human life and the need to maintain our efforts to 
strengthen our airline security efforts. So as we all pray for those of 
September 11, 2001, America and the world also pray for the victims and 
families of American Airlines Flight 587.
  We must remember the victims. But perhaps the greatest victims of 
September 11, 2001 are the yet-to-be counted children who's parents or 
guardians never came home on September 11, 2001, and never will.
  Today, two months after the tragedies, estimates of the numbers of 
children impacted vary greatly. Unofficial estimates place the number 
between 10,000, based on various news sources and cited several weeks 
ago on National Public Radio by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, and 
15,000, cited in an editorial in the Times on Sept. 26, 2001. We do 
know that 4,000 children qualify as ``orphans'' under the Twin Towers 
Orphan Fund, and some 1,500 children were left by the 700 missing 
Canter Fitzgerald employees alone. Dennis Buckley of Lynbrook, a 
successful broker at Cantor Fitzgerald, left three little girls--Mary 
Kate, 6, Megan, 4, and Michele, 20 months.
  Daniel Harlin, 41, a Manhattan firefighter who lived in Kent in 
Putnam County, left behind his wife and their three children, aged 9, 
7, and 2. So whatever the official numbers are, as Mayor Rudolph W. 
Giuliani correctly noted, these numbers are simply ``more than any of 
us can bear.''
  As chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I call on Congress 
to recognize the uncounted victims of these tragedies: the children. 
Their slain parents and guardians were the passengers and crew of 
Flight 77, Flight 11, Flight 93, and Flight 175. They served our great 
Nation at the Pentagon, both as civilians and military, and they were 
the thousands of innocent civilians and rescue workers killed or 
injured at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.
  My resolution before us today, H. Con. Res. 228, addresses this great 
need. It expresses the sense of the Congress that the children who lost 
one or both parents or a guardian in the September 11, 2001, World 
Trade Center and Pentagon tragedies (including the aircraft crash in 
Somerset County, Pennsylvania) should be provided with all necessary 
assistance, services, and benefits and urging Federal, State, or local 
agencies responsible for providing such assistance, services, and 
benefits to move expeditiously in providing such assistance, services 
and benefits to those children.
  This resolution is non-controversial. It expedites the delivery of 
benefits currently available under federal law to children who have 
lost their parent(s) or guardian in this horrific tragedy. Those 
benefits should include: (1) foster care assistance; (2) adoption 
assistance; (3) medical, nutritional, and psychological care; (4) 
educational services; and (5) such additional care or services as may 
be necessary in light of this tragedy.
  Additionally, we urge such agencies, to act without delay and to the 
maximum extent possible, to take such steps as necessary to ensure that 
such assistance, services and benefits are provided within 60 days of 
the date of the determination of the death of the child's parent or 
guardian.
  Much of the funds that would be utilized for services in this 
legislation would come from the Social Security block grant (SSBG). The

[[Page H8086]]

SSBG is a flexible source of funds that states may use to support a 
wide variety of social services activities.
  In FY 1999, the largest expenditures for services under the SSBG were 
for child day care, foster care for children, and prevention and 
intervention services.
  There are no federal eligibility criteria for SSBG participants. 
Thus, states have total discretion to set their own eligibility 
criteria (with exception of the welfare reform law's income limit of 
200% of poverty for recipients of services funded by TANF allotments 
that are transferred to SSBG). States also have wide discretion over 
the use of these funds. Federal law establishes the following broad 
goals toward which social services must be directed:
  Achieving or maintaining economic self-support to prevent, reduce, or 
eliminate delinquency;
  Achieving or maintaining self-sufficiency, including reduction or 
prevention of dependency;
  Preventing or remedying neglect, abuse, or exploitation of children 
and adults unable to protect their own interests, or preserving, 
rehabilitating or reuniting families;
  Preventing or reducing inappropriate institutional care by providing 
for community-based care, home-based care, or other forms of less 
intensive care; and
  Securing referral or admission for institutional care when other 
forms of care are not appropriate, or providing services to individuals 
in institutions.
  Federal law also provides the following examples of social services 
that may relate to these broad goals:
  Child care, protective services for children and adults, services for 
children and adults in foster care, health support services, and 
services to meet special needs of children, aged, mentally retarded, 
blind, emotionally disturbed, physically handicapped, alcoholics and 
drug addicts.
  H. Con. Res. 228 would express to the States that these funds be 
expeditiously distributed to the proper agencies so that needed 
services for the children who lost parents or a guardian during the 
attacks of September 11 may be rendered.
  Mr. Speaker, this resolution is greatly needed now.


                   Foster Care and Adoption Services

  These services are crucial to any child who has lost their parent(s) 
or guardian. The importance of providing such services expeditiously 
cannot be underestimated, particularly in light of compounding 
emotional trauma endured by these children.
  At a recent Congressional Children's Caucus briefing held on October 
12th, 2001, Cindy Freidmutter, Executive Director of the Evan B. 
Donaldson Adoption Institute in New York spoke to this issue. She noted 
that after September 11, the Adoption Institute proposed the Permanency 
Project to minimize further trauma and uncertainty in the lives of 
children who lost one or both parents in the attacks.
  This project is needed due to the uncertain future faced by children 
who have lost their parent(s) or guardian. For many of these children, 
extended family members become decision-makers and permanent caregivers 
for these children. Some children, however, may not have a relative or 
friend to assume parental responsibility and eventually enter the 
public welfare system. Other children find themselves moved around from 
relative to relative.
  Best practices and research in the fields of adoption and child 
welfare dictate that two considerations should be paramount in offering 
crisis services to these children and their families/caregivers. First, 
it is critical to quickly institute and support a stable family 
structure because repeated changes in caregivers for displaced children 
can cause irreparable harm. Second, children who have lost their parent 
benefit by having a permanent caregiver who is a family member or close 
family friend, and when possible, it is beneficial for such children to 
remain with their siblings. Separation from remaining biological family 
members can cause these children significant additional trauma.
  This resolution recognizes these needs, and to the greatest extent 
possible, provides for services that best serve these children.


                    Medical and Nutritional Services

  Without a parent or guardian to provide regular medical and 
nutritional services, children face worsening situations still. This 
resolution helps to ensure that such services are available.


                         Psychological Services

  According to the National Mental Health Association, children who 
experience such trauma are at extreme risk of mental disorders, 
particularly in situations such as this, where ongoing trauma exists 
due to the loss of parents or a guardian. For example, children who 
lost a parent in the Bosnian War still experience chronic depression, 
post traumatic stress disorder, and grief, even years after the Bosnian 
War ended. These children have been further deprived of a normal 
grieving process due to difficult and painful thoughts in the way in 
which their loved one died. As a result, these children needed and 
continue to need intensive and long-term mental health services.

  Importantly, the trauma that the Bosnian War children endured closely 
parallels that of the children who lost parents or a guardian in the 
September 11, 2001 tragedies because the circumstances and violence of 
the loss is analogous.
  The combination of witnessing and experiencing traumatic events and 
multiple environmental and family factors further contributes to 
various mental health problems. Statistics indicate that only one in 
five children with a serious emotional disturbance receive mental 
health speciality services. That's why I introduced H.R. 75, the Give a 
Kid a Chance Omnibus Mental Health Services Act of 2001 to promote 
mental health among all children and their families and to provide 
early intervention services to ameliorate identified mental health 
problems in children and adolescents. This legislation is greatly 
needed, but the resolution before us today, H. Con. Res. 228, 
effectively addresses the issue of mental health in our children in 
light of these tragedies.
  Mental health is indispensable to personal well-being, family and 
interpersonal relationships, and contribution to community or society. 
This resolution recognizes the need for such services and helps to make 
them available.


                          Educational Services

  Clearly, children displaced from their homes, communities, and 
families must be stabilized as soon as possible, before further damage 
is done. One of the most important factors in providing such stability 
immediately, and in preventing further de-stabilization is maintaining 
the level of education that existed prior to the loss of the parent(s) 
or guardian. This resolution helps provide for such services.


                             OTHER SERVICES

  Finally, other services may be deemed appropriate in light of the 
situation as it progresses. While it is impossible to anticipate and 
enumerate every conceivable situation calling for the need for such 
services, this resolution recognizes the need for common sense and 
discretion in determining what services are needed given the particular 
situation as it applies to children.


                UPDATE ON MR. CALDERON AND HIS CHILDREN

  Mr. Calderon is 39 years old and moved to New York City from the 
Dominican Republic 7 years ago. He and his children currently reside in 
the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan.
  At an October 12 briefing sponsored by the Congressional Children's 
Caucus, Mr. Calderon spoke about his wife Lizie Martinez-Calderon, who 
is still missing from the attack at the World Trade Center.
  Lizie was employed with Aon Financial Group, which was located on the 
100th floor of Tower 2. They were married in 1996.
  The Calderons have two young children, Naomi, 4 years old, and 
Neftali, 20 months. Mr. Calderon is a school bus driver, but was forced 
to take a leave of absence in order to care for his children.
  As a result of that briefing, which included a panel of experts whose 
agencies deliver services to families, Mr. Calderon is now able to 
provide for his children. The American Red Cross, with the personal 
assistance of Ron Houle, presented Mr. Calderon with 2 months rent, and 
will be providing food and winter clothes for his children shortly. Mr. 
Calderon is also expecting financial assistance from the Red Cross to 
help with living expenses and to help secure a future for his children. 
Because of this greatly needed assistance, Mr. Calderon is able to 
return to his job in a few weeks.


                            Afghan Children

  While H. Con. Res. 228 specifically speaks on the children who lost 
parents during the September 11 attacks, there are millions of children 
in Afghanistan who will lose a father and/or mother as a result of the 
War Against Terrorism. A generation of Afghan children is at risk. We 
cannot forget these children and they will be the focus on an upcoming 
briefing cosponsored by the Children's Caucus.
  As Members of Congress, we bear the great burden of providing and 
protecting these children. This is perhaps our greatest and most sacred 
responsibility. So today I urge us all to come together as parents, as 
leaders, and as Americans to provide these children with the services 
and benefits that they so desperately need and are entitled to.
  Let us pass H. Con. Res. 228, the Put Our Children First Resolution 
of 2001 because children are our first and greatest responsibility. May 
God bless the Children, and may God bless the United States of America.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Herger) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 228, as amended.

[[Page H8087]]

  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________