Recognizing the importance of bicycling in transportation and recreation.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

This week, hundreds of cyclists from around America will descend on Capitol Hill to advocate on behalf of America's 100 million people who enjoy bicycling for recreation, for their livelihood, and some for basic transportation.

With 176 members of the Congressional Bicycle Caucus, I know there will be great receptivity in many offices, but it is time for everybody to take these men and women very seriously when they bring their message to Capitol Hill.

Yes, bicycling is fun. We know that from our youth. Everybody seems to have a bicycling story that they love to tell. However, there are many reasons why bicycling should be taken very seriously by policymakers. Consider the times. Remember last year when oil averaged $72 per barrel and gasoline averaged $2.81 per gallon and how people were deeply concerned about those increases over just the year before? Well, already oil is significantly over $100 a barrel and rising gasoline prices are expected to perhaps reach as much as $4 a gallon this summer.

There is also an emerging consensus on global warming that it is not just an urgent problem, but that transportation is the largest source of carbon emissions that we can manage quickly to reduce. The carbon emissions from riding a bicycle to work or to the store or for exercise are zero.

Consider the livability of our cities and neighborhoods as we are struggling with traffic congestion, air pollution, and the quality of life in every neighborhood and downtown and everywhere in between. Bicycles, obviously, make a huge difference there.

Last but not least, impacts on our health. There is great unease about soaring health care costs. There is a childhood obesity epidemic. The bicycle is the simplest, most cost-effective way to be able to enhance our health as we enhance the quality of life for our young people. Think for a moment right now how many people somewhere in America are stuck in traffic on their way to ride a stationary bike at a health club. These are all initiatives that can be dealt with by taking over 100 million bicycles that are stored in our garages and basements and locked to a back porch and putting them to use. The role for the Federal Government is not to tilt in favor of cycling, although I could certainly make that argument, but just to level the playing field.

Why do some Members of Congress think it's all right to give tax benefits to commuters that burn gasoline to help them cushion their costs, but are against providing modest tax benefits for those who burn calories instead? Three times the House of Representatives has passed a modest reform for bike commuter equity, but it has yet to be enacted into law.

Mostly it's time to set the table for the massive transportation reauthorization that will be before us next Congress. I have introduced House Concurrent Resolution 305, which would be the first comprehensive bicycling policy statement as a guide for authorization and beyond.

I urge my colleagues to look at it. It's the simplest, most cost- effective direction the Federal Government can give to make more transportation choices for Americans, to provide safer opportunities for our children to get to school, to deal with health and climate change, and to heal our communities while we strengthen our bodies and improve our spirits.

Bicyclists are an indicator species of a livable community, a place where our families are safe, healthy and economically secure. It's time for the Federal Government to step up and do its part.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 305. H. Con. Res. 305 recognizes the important role bicycling plays in both transportation and recreation, and is an appropriate resolution to consider in May, which has been designated as National Bike Month. This resolution expresses the support of the Congress for a number of policies that would encourage cycling and advance our intermodal transportation network. I thank the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for introducing this resolution.

Our transportation choices can play a key role in solving the serious problems of worsening congestion and air quality, the obesity epidemic that afflicts millions of children and adults, and the threat of global climate change. To achieve these solutions, our transportation planning must be refocused to accommodate users of environmentally-friendly and healthy modes of transportation such as cycling. My experience has taught me that people want to get out of their cars; they want to lead active and healthy lifestyles; and they want to do their part to protect our environment. By providing the appropriate infrastructure, we can give people the option to make smart travel choices.

H. Con. Res. 305 expresses the support of the Congress for a number of common sense approaches to increase bicycling and to protect cyclists, including:

Setting goals to reduce vehicle miles traveled, VMT, to increase the safety of cyclists, and encouraging and allowing people to bicycle for short trips;

Spending highway safety funds proportionally to the percentage of cyclist and pedestrian deaths;

Implementing ``complete streets'' policies that take into account the needs of all users when designing a road;

Providing flexibility for nonmotorized transportation project delivery while upholding environmental standards;

Creating bicycle-friendly Federal lands and developing a national bike route system;

Continuing and strengthening Federal programs that support nonmotorized transportation and increasing intermodalism; and

Building upon the ``Greening the Capitol'' initiative, which includes a bike sharing program

and sets an example for employers to be bicycle-friendly.

In 1994, the U.S. Department of Transportation, DOT, issued the National Bicycling and Walking Study, establishing a national goal of doubling the percentage of trips made by foot and bicycle while simultaneously reducing crashes involving the two modes by ten percent. It also created a now-defunct interagency task force to coordinate these efforts across Federal agencies. This resolution encourages DOT to re-establish this task force with representatives from all appropriate Federal agencies.

H. Con. Res. 305 provides a framework for some of the choices that the Congress will need to make in the upcoming surface transportation authorization legislation. The Federal Government has a long history of visionary leadership in the transportation field, and we need to again show the leadership necessary to encourage mode shift, reduce congestion, and create a cleaner and healthier society. We must work to build a transportation system that enhances our quality of life and gives users modal choice, and bicycle infrastructure needs to be a part of this.

I urge my colleagues to join me in agreeing to the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 305) recognizing the importance of bicycling in transportation and recreation.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks, and to include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 305.

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

I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 305, a resolution that recognizes the important role bicycling plays in both recreation and transportation. I thank Representative Earl Blumenauer, an avid cyclist, for bringing this measure to the floor. May has been designated as National Bike Month, making it an appropriate time to consider this measure.

Cycling is a healthy, environmentally friendly activity and mode of transportation. At a time when our Nation is facing a growing obesity epidemic and the challenges of global climate change, we in Congress should be making every effort to encourage and accommodate cyclists.

H. Con. Res. 305 expresses the support of the Congress for a number of commonsense approaches to increase bicycling and to protect cyclists, including setting goals to reduce vehicle miles traveled, or VMT, and to increase the safety of cyclists, spending highway safety funds proportionately to the percentage of cyclist and pedestrian deaths, implementing ``complete streets'' policies that take into account the needs of all users when designing a road, streamlining nonmotorized transportation project delivery while upholding environmental standards, creating bicycle-friendly Federal lands and developing a national bike route system, continuing and strengthening Federal programs that support nonmotorized transportation and increasing intermodalism, building on the Green the Capitol initiative, which includes a bike sharing program and sets an example for employers to be bicycle friendly.

In 1994, the U.S. Department of Transportation, DOT, delivered the National Bicycling and Walking Study to Congress, which created a now- defunct interagency task force to coordinate bicycling and walking safety and mobility efforts across Federal agencies. This resolution encourages DOT to reestablish this task force with representatives from all appropriate Federal agencies.

H. Con. Res. 305 gives us a foundation to use as we consider the role cycling will play in the upcoming surface transportation authorization, and lays out a number of thoughtful approaches to increase bicycling and keep cyclists safe.

I thank, again, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for introducing this resolution, and urge my colleagues to support its passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor the memory of Margaret Lois Pryor Queen. Born 86 years ago in Henderson County, North Carolina, Lois Queen was a tireless advocate throughout her life for children in western North Carolina.

In 1942, Lois Queen graduated from Western Carolina Teachers College as the first female majoring in physical education. Throughout the 1950's and 1960's, she worked as a schoolteacher and an elementary school principal in North Carolina and Fairfax County, Virginia. She earned a master's degree in education from American University in 1969, while serving as a school principal.

In 1972, Queen was instrumental in the creation of the Southwestern Child Development Commission, a nonprofit agency designed to coordinate and generate community resources to support high quality child care services, including developmental day care, in the westernmost seven counties of North Carolina. Queen became the director of the Southwestern Child Development Commission in 1972. The organization now has a staff of over 300, and serves more than 2,000 children per month.

In the 1980's, Lois Queen continued to advocate for children as the chair of the North Carolina Day Care Commission. Even during her retirement, she served on the boards of the Southwestern Child Development Commission and REACH of Haywood County.

Lois Queen leaves behind 5 children and many grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends. I offer my sincere condolences to them. They are in my thoughts and prayers. I would also like to offer my gratitude to those who follow the legacy of Lois Queen, and work with the Southwestern Child Development Commission to advocate each day on behalf of the children of western North Carolina.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing remorse at to the passing of Lois Queen. Her life was an example of service and advocacy for all of us to follow.

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 305, the National Bike Bill. This resolution recognizes the bicycle as an important part of our transportation system. Investing in infrastructure that allows for bicycling produces enriched health, reduced traffic congestion and air pollution, greenhouse gas emission reductions, economic vitality, and an overall improved quality of life.

As the earth continues to warm and gas prices hover around $4 per gallon, more and more Americans are discovering that bicycling is a smart, healthy, and environmentally sound transportation option. Across the globe--from D.C. to Portland to Paris and beyond--bicycles are being used as a means for people to reduce congestion and pollution and improve both health and quality of life. Locally, communities are seeing that investment in bike lanes and bike boulevards, as well as education on how to ride, are resulting in dramatic increases in ridership. It's time that the Federal Government steps up and becomes a better partner to the States and local governments, giving them the tools and incentives they need to create of complete and healthy communities.

The Federal Government can assist in those efforts by promoting increased bicycle safety, supporting policies that establish national target levels for bicycle use, supporting increased intermodal travel, providing incentives to State and local government, providing flexibility in Federal transportation laws, and encouraging partnerships with employers and executive agencies.

I am pleased that this legislation has over 30 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle. Increased transportation options and a higher quality of life are ideas that everyone can agree on. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H. Con. Res. 305.