I would like to congratulate Mr. Krawczewicz for his artistry and for his contribution to the commemoration of the state of Maryland.

Mr. Krawczewicz's winning design features the state Capitol building in Annapolis, Maryland, the only statehouse that also once served as the Nation's Capitol.

Juneteenth is generally celebrated on June 19, which is considered as the day of emancipation from slavery of African-Americans in Texas.

The Juneteenth Festival has grown to be a vitally important part of not only Baltimore, but African-American culture as well.

I congratulate Juneteenth National Museum on a successful Juneteenth celebration.

The annual occurrence of Juneteenth attracts people from across the state to downtown Baltimore in observance of this event.

I rise today on behalf of the Juneteenth National Museum, located in my home district of Baltimore, Md., and in observance of the National Juneteenth Celebration.

Dr. Bickford has left an indelible mark of excellence on Prince George's Community College, leading it to its greatest level of achievement and success.

I rise today to honor an extraordinary man, my good friend Dr. Robert Bickford, who is retiring after 27 years as president of Prince George's Community College.

Today, on behalf of the citizens of the Fifth District of Maryland, I offer our thanks and our deepest gratitude for Dr. Bickford's lifelong work to provide a quality education for so many of our residents.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize The Summit School of Edgewater, Maryland on being named a 1998-1999 Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education.

I am determined to see that the FEC is equipped at the earliest practicable time to enforce both the letter and spirit of this much needed measure.

I firmly believe that when the underlying statutes are clear to all affected parties, administering and enforcing the law becomes a much more efficient, inexpensive, and straight-forward process.

I regard the independent audit, and this legislation which I am introducing today, as that blueprint for bipartisan action and urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support it.

I do, however, want to spotlight one of the centerpieces of my bill, electronic filing, which was the main audit recommendation and one of the first recommendations that all six FEC commissioners endorsed soon after the audit was released.

While it is important to look for cost-effective ways to make the FEC more efficient, it is also crucial that the agency be given the funds needed to thoroughly conduct their business.

This unfortunate detachment by the voting public is the result of many different factors, one of which is the lack of confidence in our election process.

I am confident that we can give the Federal Election Commission the necessary mandate and direction to better carry out its responsibilities.