[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.
____________________