Recognizing the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company on the occasion of its 50th anniversary and saluting the outstanding service of the Company to the people of South Carolina.

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

Madam Speaker, I too join with my colleagues, especially the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) in introducing House Resolution 300, in recognition of the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company.

Madam Speaker, as a member of the Committee on Financial Services, I want to join with all of my colleagues in supporting this legislation that gives due recognition to the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company on its 50th anniversary.

I recognize the mutual insurance company both as a member of the Committee on Financial Services and as a member of the Committee on Agriculture, but Madam Speaker, even more so, I recognize South Carolina's Farm Bureau because I am a native of South Carolina, having been born on a farm in Aynor, South Carolina, raised in an agricultural community in the tobacco farming area. I have now fond memories, as I serve in Washington, often remembering my days of cropping and suckering and dragging and curing tobacco and then taking it to market in some of the areas around Mullins and Marion and Conway, South Carolina.

On December 19, 1955, the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company was organized and began

selling greatly needed insurance products to farmers; and, today, the company is the largest domestic insurer in the State serving South Carolinians from many, many walks of life.

The South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Company came along at a time when South Carolina farmers were looking for better options in the way of obtaining good insurance coverage that was also affordable. Five decades later, the company supplies a diversity of insurance products to South Carolinians from all walks of life.

The weather-related disasters affecting the gulf coast, and now the new England area, gives us all evidence that mutual insurance companies are essential in helping communities rebuild. The South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company faced a similar tragedy in 1989.

That year, a category 4 hurricane named Hugo created over $7 billion in damage to the Palmetto State of South Carolina; and at the time, Hugo was the costliest hurricane in United States history. The mutual insurance company's staff worked days and worked nights, 24 hours a day, to help make sure its policyholders were dealt with and served correctly; and they settled over 16,264 claims.

In 1999, Hurricane Floyd struck the coast of South Carolina. The South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company settled 90 percent of the reported claims within 1 week.

Today, the South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Company has a presence in every county in the State of South Carolina, which is one reason why they are able to provide such timely and quality service.

As its motto, ``Helping you is what we do best,'' suggests, the South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Company has provided a wide range of financial services to the people of South Carolina for a half a century. Five decades of growth and successful development is a wonderful milestone that should be recognized not only by South Carolinians but by all of us throughout this entire Nation as well.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may require to the distinguished gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt).

(Mr. SPRATT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Madam Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Barrett) for taking this initiative, and I want to join my other colleague from South Carolina in recognizing the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company on its 50th anniversary. Its motto is ``Helping you is what we do best,'' and as that motto suggests, the South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Company has provided a wide range of financial services, insurance services to the people of our State for nearly a half century now.

The South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Company came along at a time when farmers in our State were looking for better options in the way of obtaining good insurance coverage that was also affordable. Recognizing that need, the organizers of the South Carolina Farm Bureau Federation went to work and secured a charter from the South Carolina Secretary of State on December 1, 1955. The result, five decades later, is a company that supplies a whole diversity of insurance products to South Carolinians from all walks of life, not just farmers. Among some of the services they provide are auto insurance, homeowners insurance, life insurance, as well as financial services such as banking, individual retirement accounts and credit cards.

I was here in 1989, and I recall well the bedlam in our State after Hurricane Hugo struck in Charleston and then moved inward, coming all the way to Charlotte, North Carolina. The South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance faced probably the biggest natural disaster in the history of our State except for the Charleston earthquake, and it faced the test of its ability to handle such a massive amount of claims, but it rose to the occasion. It settled some 16,000 claims and paid out more than $71 million.

Then, in 1999, the South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Company was tested again. Hurricane Floyd struck our coast, and 90 percent of the reported claims were settled within 1 week, which would set a model, if not a record, for fast and expeditious claims management. It is no surprise then that this company has prospered and succeeded over the years.

Today, the South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Company has a presence in every county in our State, and that is one reason they are able to provide such timely and quality service. Theirs has become a name that folks trust and know and feel comfortable with. I am proud of their service to our State. I rise to salute them, and I wish them the best as they celebrate their 50th anniversary and look to the future.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 300) recognizing the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company on the occasion of its 50th anniversary and saluting the outstanding service of the Company to the people of South Carolina.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to include extraneous material thereon.

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

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from my home State of South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) for introducing this measure.

The South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company motto is ``Helping you is what we do best.'' They have been committed to that motto for the past five decades. During that time, the company has grown from serving South Carolina's agricultural community to becoming the State's largest domestic insurer. Today we recognize the company's accomplishment of providing outstanding service to the people of South Carolina for the past 50 years.

As a coastal State, South Carolina has received its fair share of severe storms. When Hurricane Hugo devastating our State in 1989, the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company was there to pick up the pieces, paying out more than $71 million in claims. Ten years later Hurricane Floyd slammed into our coast, and the company once again did a remarkable job helping us recover, settling 90 percent of its reported claims within 1 week.

Madam Speaker, the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company has helped many South Carolinians through difficult times. It is no wonder the company received an excellent rating from the world's leading insurance rating agency.

Again let me thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) for introducing this measure on behalf of the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), the author of the resolution and a genuine friend of the farm bureau.

Madam Speaker, I want to close in saying I thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) for being the author of the resolution. There is no doubt that the South Carolina Farm Bureau Insurance Corporation has had a fantastic effect on every segment of South Carolina life. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 300.

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

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Barrett) for the time.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to speak on behalf of H. Res. 300. I appreciate the leadership of the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Barrett), my neighbor and long-time friend, for coordinating this resolution, along with the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott), our South Carolina-born friend.

Henry Ford once said that ``quality means doing it right when no one is looking.''

Today, I am honored to recognize a South Carolina company that epitomizes Mr. Ford's definition of quality service. For over 50 years, the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company has quietly built a distinguished record of providing quality products and excellent customer service to thousands of families across my home State.

The company's story began in the 1950s when many residents of South Carolina simply could not have access to affordable insurance coverage. When disaster struck their homes or vehicles, they were unable to pay for the damages and often found themselves facing a financial crisis.

On December 10, 1955, a group of innovative South Carolinians responded to the needs of citizens by establishing the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company.

Today, South Carolina families have come to trust and rely upon the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, led today by chief executive officer Phillip Love, for a diverse line of auto, homeowners and other insurance coverage.

As the largest domestic property and casualty insurer in South Carolina, this company now employs almost 500 people and administers over 344,000 policies.

After Hurricane Floyd devastated parts of our State in 1999, the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company settled 90 percent of reported claims in 1 week. The company's excellent track record continues to prove that it epitomizes quality customer service.

Today, I am honored to congratulate the South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company on over 50 years of great accomplishment and wish the company continued success.

I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 300.