BALLENGER, CASS (a Representative from North Carolina)

Appointments

Committee To Escort President Vicente Fox of Mexico Into the House Chamber, H5410 [6SE]

Mexico-U.S. Interparliamentary Group, H1944 [8MY]

National Council on the Arts, H6790 [16OC]

Bills and resolutions cosponsored

Afghanistan: provide for the removal from power of the Taliban regime (see H.R. 3088), H6920 [16OC]

Americans With Disabilities Act: require that any civil action against a place of public accommodation or commercial facility allow an opportunity for alleged violations to be corrected (see H.R. 914), H2184 [15MY]

Armed Forces: authorize the award of a Cold War service medal to members who served honorably during the Cold War era (see H.R. 2165), H4113 [17JY]

———restore certain education benefits of reservist and active duty servicemembers participating in military action against Afghanistan (see H.R. 3240), H8133 [13NO]

Congressional Gold Medal: award posthumously to passengers and crew of United Airlines flight 93 in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Somerset County, PA (see H.R. 2917), H5925 [21SE]

Cuba: human rights violations (see H. Res. 91), H959 [19MR]

Davis-Bacon Act: waive requirements relative to contracts for school and library construction and repair (see H.R. 331), H1116 [22MR]

Dept. of Education: provide specific waiver authority to respond to conditions in the national emergency declared by the President (see H.R. 3086), H7217 [23OC]

Dept. of Labor: congressional disapproval of ergonomic regulations (see H.J. Res. 35), H740 [7MR]

———impose limitations on the wage that an employer is required to pay an H-2A nonimmigrant agricultural worker (see H.R. 2457), H6458 [9OC]

Dept. of the Interior: conduct a theme study on the peopling of America (see H.R. 2420), H3804 [28JN]

———establish the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site (see H.R. 400), H1116 [22MR]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: clarify compensation standards for Persian Gulf Conflict veterans suffering from certain undiagnosed illnesses (see H.R. 612), H2956 [6JN]

Diseases: expand research activities relative to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (see H.R. 717), H1489 [4AP]

Earnhardt, Dale: tribute (see H. Res. 57), H442 [27FE]

Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act: make tax benefits permanent (see H.R. 2212), H3466 [21JN] (see H.R. 2316), H4217 [18JY] (see H.R. 2327), H3864 [10JY]

Education: close the achievement gap by raising the achievement levels of the lowest performing students (see H.R. 1), H1112 [22MR]

———establish a national teaching fellowship program to encourage individuals to enter, and remain, in the field of teaching at public schools (see H.R. 839), H1861 [2MY]

———increase amount of loan forgiveness for teachers (see H.R. 650), H1346 [29MR]

El Salvador: express sympathy for victims of earthquake and support ongoing aid efforts (see H. Con. Res. 41), H442 [27FE]

Employment: minimum wage and overtime exemptions for certain employees (see H.R. 2070), H3713 [27JN]

———protect employer rights by not allowing professional union organizers to compel employers to force employees to pay union dues as a condition of employment (see H.R. 2800), H6066 [28SE]

———provide compensatory time for all employees (see H.R. 1982), H2709 [24MY]

English language: reaffirm as official language of U.S., establish uniform English language rule for naturalization, and avoid misconstructions of English language texts of U.S. laws (see H.R. 1984), H3619 [26JN]

Executive Office of the President: establish an Office of Management and redesignate OMB as the Office of the Federal Budget (see H.R. 616), H393 [14FE]

FAA: implement a sky marshal program on U.S.-based airlines (see H.R. 2906), H5925 [21SE]

FCC: assign radio spectrum frequencies to public safety agencies (see H.R. 3397), H8842 [4DE]

Federal Prison Industries: eliminate Federal agency requirement to purchase products and require commercial competition for Federal contracts (see H.R. 1577), H3806 [28JN]

Financial institutions: allow payment of Financing Corporation interest obligations from excess deposit insurance fund reserves (see H.R. 557), H650 [6MR]

Firearms: protect manufacturers and sellers in the firearms and ammunition industry from restrictions on interstate or foreign commerce (see H.R. 2037), H2847 [25MY]

Flag—U.S.: constitutional amendment to prohibit desecration (see H.J. Res. 36), H2890 [5JN]

———encourage displaying of the flag in response to hijacking and crashing of aircraft into the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Somerset County, PA (see H. Con. Res. 225), H5616 [13SE]

Foreign policy: recognize important relationship between the U.S. and Mexico (see H. Con. Res. 206), H4949 [31JY] (see H. Res. 233), H5405 [5SE]

Freedom of religion: constitutional amendment on protection (see H.J. Res. 81), H10966 [20DE]

Gambling: expand and modernize the prohibition against interstate gambling (see H.R. 3215), H8133 [13NO]

———protect amateur athletics and combat illegal sports gambling (see H.R. 641), H1013 [20MR]

Government: preserve open competition and neutrality towards the labor relations of Federal Government contractors on Federal and federally funded construction projects (see H.R. 2055), H2888 [5JN]

Health: protection of enrollees in managed care plans and HMO's (see H.R. 2315), H3618 [26JN]

Higher Education Act: make certain student loan interest rate formulas permanent (see H.R. 2781), H5336 [2AU]

House Rules: prohibit access to classified information by Members who do not have the required security clearance (see H. Res. 265), H7853 [6NO]

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act: authorizing appropriations (see H.R. 214), H1410 [3AP] (see H.R. 835), H622 [1MR]

Intermountain Dairy Compact: congressional consent (see H.R. 1827), H2147 [14MY]

Labor unions: protect the free choice of individual employees relative to participation in labor organizations (see H.R. 1109), H1011 [20MR]

Medicare: coverage for surgical first assisting services of certified registered nurse first assistants (see H.R. 822), H3619 [26JN]

———designate certain diabetes educators as certified providers for purposes of outpatient diabetes education services (see H.R. 1645), H3713 [27JN]

———eliminate reduction in payment rates under the prospective payment system for home health services and increase payments for such services in rural areas (see H.R. 975), H5125 [1AU]

———increase the payment amount for inpatient hospital services and freeze the reduction in payments to hospitals for indirect costs of medical education (see H.R. 1556), H5928 [21SE]

———provide guidance to health care providers attempting to properly submit claims and target truly fraudulent activity for enforcement of billing regulations rather than inadvertent errors (see H.R. 868), H1346 [29MR]

———specify the update for physician fee schedule payments and conduct a study on replacing the use of the sustainable growth rate as a factor in such update (see H.R. 3351), H8732 [29NO]

———study anesthesia services and expand service arrangements for certified registered nurse anesthetists (see H.R. 716), H1660 [26AP]

Members of Congress: restrict use of franked mass mailings (see H.R. 533), H253 [8FE]

Minimum wage: provide an exemption to States which adopt certain minimum wage laws (see H.R. 1441), H1605 [25AP]

Monuments and memorials: expedite construction of the World War II memorial in the District of Columbia (see H.R. 1696), H1923 [3MY]

National Day of Reconciliation: designate (see H. Con. Res. 184), H6781 [12OC]

National Day of Remembrance: designate (see H. Con. Res. 230), H5928 [21SE]

National Guard: tribute to continued commitment of combat units deployed in support of Army operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina (see H. Con. Res. 154), H3204 [14JN]

National Importance of Health Care Coverage Month: designate (see H. Con. Res. 271), H8248 [15NO]

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences: authorize development of research centers focusing on environmental factors related to the etiology of breast cancer (see H.R. 1723), H2849 [25MY]

National Tartan Day: support establishment and recognize the anniversary of signing of the Declaration of Arbroath (see H. Res. 109), H1345 [29MR]

NLRB: inflation adjustments to the mandatory jurisdiction thresholds (see H.R. 1890), H6056 [25SE]

Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact: reauthorize (see H.R. 1827), H2147 [14MY]

Pacific Northwest Dairy Compact: congressional consent (see H.R. 1827), H2147 [14MY]

Patriotism: mint coins in commemoration of the Spirit of America and to establish the Victims of September 11th Fund (see H.R. 3244), H7909 [7NO]

Pensions: provide retirement investment advice to workers managing their retirement income assets (see H.R. 2269), H4429 [23JY]

———reform (see H.R. 10), H927 [14MR]

Peru: tribute to individuals injured or killed in missionary aircraft mistakenly shot down by a Peruvian fighter jet (see H. Con. Res. 117), H1716 [1MY]

Political campaigns: ethics reform and contribution limits (see H.R. 1444), H1484 (see H.R. 1444), H1494 [4AP] (see H.R. 2360), H3802 [28JN]

Postal Service: amend pay policies and schedules and fringe benefit programs for postmasters (see H.R. 250), H877 [13MR]

Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor: award to officers killed, injured, or involved in rescue efforts in the aftermath of terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Somerset County, PA (see H. Con. Res. 243), H6421 [5OC]

Radio Free Afghanistan: establish (see H.R. 2998), H6919 [16OC]

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: tribute (see H. Con. Res. 242), H7719 [1NO]

Reagan, Ronald: tribute (see H.J. Res. 7), H166 [31JA]

Refugees: support victims of torture (see H. Con. Res. 168), H3619 [26JN]

Schools: recognize right of students in public schools for silent prayer or meditation, encourage recitation of Pledge of Allegiance, and prevent discrimination based on religious character or speech (see H.J. Res. 54), H6381 [4OC]

Securities: issue War Bonds in response to the acts of terrorism perpetrated against the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Somerset County, PA (see H.R. 2899), H5928 [21SE]

Sharon, Ariel: commend election as Prime Minister of Israel, encourage end to Middle East violence, and reaffirm U.S. commitment to friendship (see H. Res. 34), H325 [13FE]

Small business: improve access and choice relative to employee health care (see H.R. 1774), H2081 [9MY]

Social Security: earnings test for blind individuals (see H.R. 498), H400 [14FE]

Southern Dairy Compact: congressional consent (see H.R. 1827), H2147 [14MY]

Taxation: allow a refundable credit for the purchase of private health insurance and establish State health insurance safety-net programs (see H.R. 1331), H1407 [3AP]

———allow an exclusion from gross income for certain amounts of capital gains distributions from regulated investment companies (see H.R. 168), H61 [6JA]

———allow use of principal repayments to issue additional mortgages and modify price limitations under the mortgage revenue bond program and change income limit for housing credit program (see H.R. 951), H4378 [20JY]

———constitutional amendment to require a two-thirds majority on the passage of legislation increasing taxes (see H.J. Res. 41), H1115 [22MR]

———full deduction of health insurance costs for self-employed individuals (see H.R. 154), H254 [8FE]

———incentives to ensure timely and equitable access to the Internet over current and future generations of broadband capability (see H.R. 267), H109 [30JA]

———permit churches and other houses of worship to engage in political campaigns (see H.R. 2357), H5928 [21SE]

———provide additional retirement savings opportunities for small employers and self-employed individuals (see H.R. 738), H1861 [2MY]

———provide relief for payment of asbestos-related claims (see H.R. 1412), H4541 [24JY]

———provide relief for victims of the terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Somerset County, PA (see H.R. 2884), H5615 [13SE]

———reduce marriage tax penalty by adjusting the income tax rate brackets, standard deduction amounts, and earned income tax credit and allow nonrefundable credits against certain tax liability (see H.R. 6), H952 [15MR]

———repeal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes (see H.R. 330), H163 [31JA]

———treatment of adoption expenses (see H.R. 622), H828 [8MR]

———treatment of beer (see H.R. 1305), H2082 [9MY]

———treatment of certain medical savings accounts (see H.R. 1524), H5339 [2AU]

———treatment of flexible spending arrangements relative to long-term care insurance (see H.R. 831), H2889 [5JN]

———treatment of individual retirement accounts relative to charitable contributions (see H.R. 774), H3068 [12JN]

———treatment of the sale of a principal residence by a member of the Armed Forces while on official extended duty (see H.R. 356), H254 [8FE]

———treatment of volunteer firefighter savings account contributions (see H.R. 1780), H2335 [17MY]

Terrorism: improve the ability of the U.S. to prepare for and respond to a biological threat or attack (see H.R. 3448), H9239 [11DE]

———tribute to first responders injured or killed following attacks at the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Somerset County, PA, and recognize first responders to previous domestic attacks (see H. Con. Res. 233), H5926 [21SE]

———tribute to passengers and crew of United Airlines flight 93 in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Somerset County, PA (see H. Con. Res. 232), H6138 [2OC]

TVA: reduce emissions from electric powerplants (see H.R. 2116), H3466 [21JN]

U.N.: U.S. participation in World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance (see H. Res. 212), H4780 [27JY]

Vernon Tarlton Post Office Building, Forest City, NC: designate (see H.R. 3072), H6458 [9OC]

Veterans: permit concurrent receipt of military retired pay with service-connected disability benefits (see H.R. 303), H929 [14MR]

Vietnam: promote freedom and democracy (see H.R. 2833), H5456 [6SE]

Voting: establish a grant program to provide assistance to States for modernizing and enhancing voting procedures and administration (see H.R. 3295), H8181 [14NO]

———guarantee the right of military personnel to vote when serving away from home and extend voter registration and absentee ballot protections for such personnel to State and local elections (see H.R. 1377), H3806 [28JN]

———require States to find convincing evidence of fraud before rejecting ballots submitted by absent military voters and direct the Dept. of Defense to develop electronic voting plan for for such voters (see H.R. 311), H167 [31JA]

W. Joe Trogdon Post Office Building, Asheboro, NC: designate (see H.R. 821), H741 [7MR]

Yugoslavia: commend transfer of Slobodan Milosevic and other alleged war criminals to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia and provide aid to support economic and democratic reforms (see H. Res. 200), H5126 [1AU]

Bills and resolutions introduced

Armed Forces: revise rules on retirement payments to former spouses (see H.R. 1983), H2709 [24MY]

Davis-Bacon Act: amend to increase specified contract amounts (see H.R. 2094), H2996 [7JN]

Employment: reform calculation formula for overtime compensation (see H.R. 1602), H1658 [26AP]

Fair Labor Standards Act: clarify that Christmas tree farming is agriculture (see H.R. 3486), H10066 [13DE]

Peru: congratulate President-elect Alejandro Toledo on his election, congratulate the people for the return of democracy, and express sympathy for earthquake victims (see H. Res. 181), H3712 [27JN]

Vietnam: persecution of Montagnard peoples (see H. Con. Res. 178), H3805 [28JN]

Designated Speaker pro tempore

House of Representatives, H833 [13MR], H3469 [25JN]

Letters

Express sympathy for victims of earthquake in El Salvador and support of ongoing aid efforts: Representative Hyde, Committee on International Relations (House), H969 [20MR]

———Representative Oxley, Committee on Financial Services (House), H969 [20MR]

Recognize the importance of international tuberculosis control efforts and the severe impact on minority populations: Representative Hyde, Committee on International Relations (House), H966 [20MR]

———Representative Tauzin, Committee on Energy and Commerce (House), H966 [20MR]

Pledge of Allegiance

House of Representatives, H2187 [16MY]

Remarks

Armed Forces: revise rules on retirement payments to former spouses (H.R. 1983), E928 [24MY]

Arts and humanities: National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and Institute of Museum and Library Services funding through reductions in Dept. of the Interior and Forest Service funding, H3390 [21JN]

Aviation: Federal versus private employment status for aviation security personnel, H7659 [1NO]

———improve security (H.R. 3150), H7659 [1NO]

Budget: treatment of any budget surpluses, H5492 [11SE]

California: energy crisis, H3079 [13JN], H3627 [27JN], H3810 [10JY], H4785 [30JY]

Catawba County, NC: tribute to Catawba Memorial Hospital, E761 [9MY]

Coast Guard: authorizing appropriations (H.R. 1699), H2967 [7JN]

Colombia: drug interdiction assistance, H4341 [19JY]

Davis-Bacon Act: amend to increase specified contract amounts (H.R. 2094), H3526 [26JN]

Dept. of Labor: congressional disapproval of ergonomic regulations (S.J. Res. 6), H685 [7MR]

Dept. of the Interior and related agencies: making appropriations (H.R. 2217), H3390 [21JN]

Diseases: Global AIDS Trust Fund funding through reductions in the Andean Counterdrug Initiative funding and the Foreign Military Financing Program, H4458 [24JY]

———recognize importance of international tuberculosis control efforts and acknowledge the severe impact on minority populations (H. Res. 67), H964, H966 [20MR]

Economy: impact of budget surplus on the value of the dollar and the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing, H5492 [11SE]

Ecuador: condemn kidnapping and murder of individuals by terrorists and support U.S. efforts to combat such terrorism (H. Con. Res. 89), H5317, H5318 [2AU]

Education: allow States and local school districts flexibility in allocating Federal funds, H2398 [22MY]

———close the achievement gap by raising the achievement levels of the lowest performing students (H.R. 1), H2154 [15MY], H2188 [16MY], H2398 [22MY]

El Salvador: express sympathy for victims of earthquake and support ongoing aid efforts (H. Con. Res. 41), H969, H971, H972 [20MR]

Employment: reform calculation formula for overtime compensation (H.R. 1602), H1608 [26AP], E639, E642 [26AP]

Foreign operations, export financing, and related programs: making appropriations (H.R. 2506), H4341 [19JY], H4458 [24JY]

Health: protection of enrollees in managed care plans and HMO's (H.R. 2563), H5209 [2AU]

India: express sympathy for victims of earthquake and support ongoing aid efforts (H. Con. Res. 15), H127 [31JA]

Monuments and memorials: expedite construction of the World War II memorial in the District of Columbia (H.R. 1696), H2158 [15MY]

Pensions: provide retirement investment advice to workers managing their retirement income assets (H.R. 2269), H8211 [15NO]

Peru: tribute to individuals injured or killed in missionary aircraft mistakenly shot down by a Peruvian fighter jet (H. Con. Res. 117), H1694 [1MY]

Power resources: national energy policy, H4119 [18JY]

Refugees: extend eligibility for refugee status of unmarried children of certain Vietnamese refugees (H.R. 1840), H7364 [30OC]

Taxation: provide incentives for economic recovery (H.R. 3090), H8427 [28NO]

———rates (H.R. 3), H788 [8MR]

Terrorism: condemn and respond to hijacking and crashing of commercial aircraft into the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Somerset County, PA (H.J. Res. 61), H5575 [11SE]

———tribute to relief efforts surrounding the hijacking and crashing of commercial aircraft into the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Somerset County, PA, H5575 [11SE]

———use of illegal drug money to fund terrorist activities, H6462 [10OC]

U.N.: transfer of evidence to the Israeli Government concerning the abduction of Israeli Defense Force soldiers by Hezbollah forces (H. Res. 191), H4790, H4791 [30JY]

———U.S. participation in World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance (H. Res. 212), H4787 [30JY]

Vietnam: persecution of Montagnard peoples (H. Con. Res. 178), E1261 [29JN]

———promote freedom and democracy (H.R. 2833), H5423 [6SE]

Votes: position on missed, H7661 [1NO], E339 [13MR], E1362 [18JY]