[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15275]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 30, 2001

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, from Wednesday, July 25 to Friday, July 
27, 2001, I was absent due to a personal family emergency and missed a 
number of rollcall votes.
  On rollcall votes Numbered: 270, 271, 273, 274, 276, 280, 282, 284, 
285, 286, 287, 288, and 289, I would have voted ``yea.''
  On rollcall votes Numbered: 272, 275, 277, 278, 279, 281, and 283, I 
would have voted ``nay.''
  On rollcall votes 270 and 271, I would have voted ``yea'' on both 
amendments. Like the majority of my colleagues in this House, I support 
expanded travel for Americans to Cuba. Increasing travel opportunities 
for Americans to Cuba is a win-win situation for people in both 
countries, and helps to expand the opportunities to better understand 
our two cultures and increase exposure to the ideals of American 
democracy.
  Rollcall 271, the Rangel amendment, would have stopped the embargo on 
Cuba. It should be painfully clear by now that the embargo on Cuba is 
not working. Castro has ruled the island with an iron-fist for forty 
years.
  Four decades ago, had America interacted, traded, and exchanged ideas 
with Cuba there is a good chance that Castro would be gone and Cuba 
free. I see that a large number of my colleagues agree with me, and I 
hope to work with them in the future to change our nation's outmoded 
sanctions policy in respect to Cuba.
  On rollcall 273, I would have voted ``yea.'' In the past, I have 
expressed support for private accounts in our Social Security system, 
but with the understanding that any such proposal accounts for the true 
cost of transition to a system that includes some element of 
privatization. I am sorely disappointed in the process and released 
report by the Administration's Social Security Commission. I believe it 
has been dishonest in its assessment of the current state of Social 
Security, and the Administration has unwisely decided to reduce taxes 
in order to benefit those least in need of tax cuts, thus leaving the 
government accounts unbalanced. Given recent pronouncements by the 
Director of the Office of Management and Budget that the Administration 
may need to dip into Medicare and Social Security to cover its spending 
proposals, I cannot support the recommendations of this biased panel.
  On rollcall 274, I would have voted ``yea'' on the final passage of 
the FY 2002 Treasury Postal appropriations act. In addition to the 
numerous important federal programs funded through this legislation, in 
particular I want to emphasize my support for the inclusion of 
$16,629,000 to upgrade and retrofit the Pioneer Courthouse in Portland, 
Oregon.
  This historic federal courthouse is the second oldest west of the 
Mississippi River and serves as the cornerstone to my community's 
public living room, Pioneer Courthouse Square. Each year over 8 million 
people visit the Courthouse while participating in adjacent public 
events, riding public transit which intersects at Pioneer Square, or 
engaging in nearby public and commercial activities. The funds provided 
in the legislation will help ensure the safety for the men and women 
who work in the Courthouse, and the millions of others who enjoy this 
historic, public structure.
  On rollcall 275, I would have voted ``nay'' on the resolution 
disapproving of the President's recent Jackson-Vanik waiver for 
Vietnam. Since coming to Congress five years ago, I have been deeply 
involved in the process of normalizing relations between our nation and 
Vietnam. Last winter I traveled to Vietnam with President Clinton, and 
I was present for the signing of the Bilateral Trade Agreement.
  Vietnam is a diverse nation that is growing rapidly and opening both 
economically and culturally. To disrupt the hard work of engagement 
between our two nations now would be devastating. Were I here, I would 
have voted against the disapproval resolution, and I hope last week's 
overwhelming vote against the resolution (91-324) will encourage my 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to work together to bring the 
Vietnam BTA to the floor for consideration.
  On rollcall 288, I would have voted ``yea'' on the Bonior amendment 
to reinstate the arsenic standards put in place by the Clinton 
Administration. The Public Health Service adopted the current 50 parts 
per billion arsenic standard in 1942, before arsenic was known to cause 
cancer. In 1999, the National Academy of Sciences unanimously found 
that this outdated arsenic standard for drinking water does not ensure 
public health protection and that a downward revision was required. The 
Academy said that drinking water at the current EPA standard ``could 
easily'' result in a total fatal cancer risk of one in 100. That's a 
cancer risk 10,000 times higher than EPA allows for food, and 100 times 
higher than EPA has ever allowed for tap water contaminants.
  Arsenic is found in the tap water of over 26 million Americans and is 
one of the most ubiquitous contaminants of health concern in tap water. 
The new standard put in place by the Clinton Administration last year 
was the result of 25 years of public comment, debate and at least three 
missed statutory deadlines. One of the Bush Administration's first 
actions was to overturn this rule and instead maintain a less 
protective arsenic standard. I support the Bonior Amendment and hope 
that its passage will give a clear indication to the Bush 
Administration of the need to reconsider their position on this issue 
and take seriously the threat that Arsenic in our drinking water poses 
to the health of our families and the livability of our communities.

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