Recognizing The Garden Club of America on the occasion of its 91st annual meeting.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate concurrent resolution (S. Con. Res. 97) recognizing the 91st annual meeting of the Garden Club of America.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on S. Con. Res. 97.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, Senate Concurrent Resolution 97 recognizes the 91st annual meeting of the Garden Club of America. The resolution is timely because the Garden Club's annual meeting is here in Washington, D.C., this weekend from April 24 to 27.

So what is the Garden Club of America? The club is a national nonprofit organization that promotes gardening activities and restores, improves, and protects the quality of numerous aspects of the environment. The club has more than 17,000 members in 195 local chapters across the Nation.

We acknowledge the contributions of the Garden Club today because of their work to beautify so many of our Nation's communities.

Twelve local clubs here in the District of Columbia and nearby Maryland will host the annual national meeting this weekend. This year's meeting theme is ``Capital Landscapes,'' and the distinguished honorary chair for the weekend is the First Lady of the United States, Laura Bush. It has been 20 years since Washington has hosted a national meeting, and so it is appropriate that we celebrate the Garden Club's return to our Nation's Capital.

I encourage all Members of the House to support Senate Concurrent Resolution 97.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri), a very good friend of the Garden Club, who also sponsored an identical piece of legislation, House Concurrent Resolution 368, here in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I commend both the Senator from Maryland as well as the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) for their work to recognize the Garden Club of America prior to their annual meeting this weekend. I urge the House to adopt Senate Concurrent Resolution 97.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as the cold of winter warms to spring, and as trees bud and flowers bloom, we pause to appreciate the beauty of nature. And so it is appropriate on this perfect spring day in our Nation's Capital that we recognize the Garden Club of America for its outstanding work throughout the United States.

Founded in 1913, the Garden Club of America has worked to share with others a respect for nature and an appreciation for its beauty. Today there are 195 member clubs in 40 States that work towards this collective goal for the benefit of us all.

By spreading its message of conservation and civic improvement, the Garden Club of America has helped to develop our scenic landscape and thereby had a profound impact on our country. We need to look no further than our Nation's Capital to understand that positive impact. While Washington, D.C., is known for its political debate, it is cherished by residents and visitors alike for the lush gardens and parks that provide us with a respite from brick and concrete of the city. The Garden Club of America has been instrumental in the beautification of our Nation's Capital by helping to create the National Arboretum, the Archives of American Gardens at the Smithsonian, as well as the annual cherry blossom display which brings joy to the many people it draws from around the world.

When George Washington chose this land to be our Nation's Capital, it was little more than swampland. It is now a beautiful city in which all Americans can take pride.

I know that there are those who will probably even admonish the Congress for taking time out to acknowledge the work done by those who have actually worked to help make and keep America beautiful. And I guess the realization has to be that America would not be as beautiful as it is unless there were some helping to make it so.

For this and for all the hard work the Garden Club of America does, we say thank you to the Garden Club. I urge passage of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. Con. Res. 97 and in recognition of the Garden Club of America and its members in central New Jersey.

Since its inception in 1913, the Garden Club of America has evolved from simply focusing on good gardening practices to becoming a leading advocacy group for environmental protection and community involvement. The men and women of the Garden Club work intimately with the soil and plants and know the value of clear air, clean water, and uncontaminated earth.

I work with Garden Club members in New Jersey and here in Washington, DC. They come to Capitol Hill to inform members of Congress about necessary protections for our air and water and necessary funding for preserving open space. Their hands-on work, literally, plays an equally important role in preserving the land and water around us. Garden Club members disseminate information on good gardening practices and maintenance of healthy lawns or golf courses with a minimum of chemicals. They also organize community events around gardening and provide scholarships and fellowships for young people interested in studying related fields.

The Garden Club of America has gone to great lengths to demonstrate the joys of horticulture to all Americans. They were instrumental in the founding of the National Arboretum and the Archives of American Gardens at the Smithsonian Institution and have played a significant role in the founding and upkeep of numerous other major gardens around the country.

Now, more than ever, these activists are turning their energies on the major environmental issues of the day. They are together a force to be reckoned with.

I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution and continuing to encourage the work of Garden Club of America members in their districts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 97 recognizing the Garden Club of America's 91st annual meeting this week here in Washington, D.C.

The Garden Club of America, founded in 1913, is a recognized national leader in the fields of horticulture, conservation, education, and civic improvement with 195 member clubs in 40 States and the District of Columbia.

Each year the Club holds its annual meeting in a different host city. This year 12 Garden Clubs in the District of Columbia and the State of Maryland are hosting the meeting, which occurs in Washington, D.C., only once every 20 years.

In our Nation's Capital, the Garden Club of America was instrumental in the founding of the National Arboretum, the development of the Archives of American Gardens at the Smithsonian Institution, and the creation and installation of the Butterfly Habitat Garden which now graces the Mall at the National Museum of Natural History.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting Senate Concurrent Resolution 97 to recognize the many contributions this organization has made in communities across our country and to send our best wishes on the occasion of the Garden Club of America's 91st annual meeting in Washington, D.C., April 24 through the 27.