Recognizing North Platte, Nebraska, as "Rail Town USA".

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 408) recognizing North Platte, Nebraska, as ``Rail Town USA''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include additional materials on House Concurrent Resolution 408.

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

Mr. Speaker, we are seeing a rebirth of the passenger and freight rail industry in this country, and it couldn't come soon enough. This week, Congress

is working on legislation that will help provide solutions to the energy crisis this Nation is facing. One sure way to do this is to increase the use of passenger and freight rail.

The only current mode of transportation that is greener than rail is your sneakers. Freight rail has made major gains in fuel efficiency through training and improved locomotive technology. A single intermodal train can take up to 280 trucks off of the highways. Today, one gallon of diesel fuel can move a ton of freight an average of 414 miles, a 76 percent improvement since 1980.

Passenger rail ability to reduce congestion is well known, with ridership numbers increasing steadily each year. One full passenger train can take up to 250-350 cars off of the road.

Passenger rail also consumes less energy than both automobiles and commercial airlines. Every industrialized country in the world is already using high-speed rail to effectively move citizens in an environmentally friendly way. Sadly, the United States used to be the leader in rail; now we're the caboose, and they don't even use cabooses anymore. Fortunately, we will be changing that with the upcoming passage of the Amtrak Reauthorization bill.

Today, we celebrate the contributions of our Nation's rail once again by recognizing North Platte, Nebraska, as ``Rail Town, USA.''

North Platte has a long and storied history as a railroad town. During World War II, North Platte hosted up to 20 trains full of soldiers each day, and today is home to the Bailey Yard, which is considered the largest rail classification yard in the world, handling 10,000 railroad cars each day.

From 1941-1946, more than six million service men and women were greeted by North Platte volunteers who provided food, needed supplies and hospitality to the World War II veterans and provided care baskets to wounded soldiers returning home.

I want to commend Congressman Smith for this legislation and thank the town of North Platte, Nebraska, for the contributions to our brave soldiers during World War II.

I urge Members to support this resolution.

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

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Once again I want to add that for better than 4 years, day in and day out, over 50,000 people contributed food, money and efforts to one of the proudest moments in our history during World War II. Day in and day out, from early in the morning until the last train would leave at night, between 2,000 and 5,000 soldiers and sailors

would be fed nearly 200 loaves of bread, 100 pounds of meat, 50 pounds of coffee and over 100 quarts of milk. More than 300 organizations made sandwiches, boiled eggs, fried chicken and baked cakes and pies. The war wounded were provided with razors, canes, toothbrushes and care baskets to make their return home a welcome one. One of the most famous residents of North Platte was Colonel William F. Cody, best known as Buffalo Bill. Buffalo Bill made North Platte his home for more than 30 years.

Today North Platte is the home of Bailey Yard and operated by Union Pacific Railroad. It is considered the largest rail classification yard in the world. Every 24 hours, Bailey Yard handles over 10,000 railroad cars. Bailey Yard handles daily an average of 135 trains bound for cities as far distant as the east, west and gulf coasts of America, as well as the Canadian and Mexican borders.

I really want to be one of the ones to offer congratulations and our thanks as a grateful people to North Platte.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, how much time remains on both sides, please?

Madam Speaker, I don't want the people at home to get confused. Today we are honoring the people of North Platte, USA, for their major contribution as far as rail is concerned. But I think that there is no stronger bill more that we can do in this Congress than to pass the Amtrak bill. I want to be clear. I mention that Congress is working on legislation that would provide solutions to the energy crisis. And the solution, in my opinion, is not just drilling. That is one of the comprehensive proposals.

But the major solution to our problem in this country as far as energy is concerned is not just to provide drilling off the Florida coast. It is also to provide rail service. We, in this country, as I say over and over and over again, are the caboose. The caboose. And we don't use cabooses in trains anymore. I went from downtown Paris to downtown Brussels, over 200 miles, 1 hour and 15 minutes, downtown Barcelona to downtown Madrid, 300 miles, in 2\1/2\ hours. That is the future of our country. We have to move people, goods and services, if we are going to be competitive with the rest of the world. Our competition is moving. We need to move America and to understand the solution to the problem is not by drilling and drilling alone.

I reserve the balance of my time.

In closing, once again let's thank the people of North Platte for what they have done during World War II. Also, as we move forward in discussing energy, we need comprehensive energy. One thing that was missing was coal. We have enough coal in this country for 600 years. I know that burning coal sometimes pollutes the air, but any country that can go to the moon, we can come up with a way to burn coal and not be dependent.

So we need a comprehensive approach to energy. The answer is not just drilling. We need comprehensive approaches to dealing with our moving people, goods and services so we can be competitive with our competition.

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

Thank you, I appreciate that.

First I would like to thank Chairman Oberstar, Chairwoman Brown, Ranking Member Mica and Ranking Member Shuster for their support of this resolution. As you've heard, this resolution would recognize North Platte, Nebraska, as Rail Town USA. North Platte is a thriving community of over 25,000 people possessing a rich history dating back to before it was organized as a city in 1874.

Today North Platte is home to Bailey Yard, owned and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad. Bailey Yard is the largest rail classification yard in the world. Every 24 hours, Bailey Yard handles 10,000 railroad cars and an average of 135 trains bound for cities as distant as the east, west, and gulf coasts of America, as well as the Canadian and Mexican borders.

In addition to the current importance of the railroad to North Platte, the community and railroad also share a storied past of goodwill during World War II. For 54 months between 1941 and 1946, millions of troops found a small bit of comfort when their trains stopped in North Platte. One December day, word spread that Company D of Nebraska's National Guard was going to travel through North Platte later that morning. As it does in close-knit communities, word traveled rapidly. Though the train was scheduled to arrive mid-morning, no train had arrived by 4:30 p.m. Shortly thereafter, the nearly 500 people who had gathered to show support for their fellow Nebraskans were instead surprised to find the train loaded with troops from Kansas. Though not their expected native sons and daughters, the Nebraskans gathered would not let these brave young men travel on without knowing they were supported and honored. They were offered food, coffee and gifts, just as if they were Nebraska's own.

Rae Wilson, in fact, a sister to one of the troops from Nebraska, took it upon herself to write a letter to the local paper suggesting that citizens gather for all trains of troops passing through North Platte. On December 22, 1941, a canteen committee was organized, and Rae was chosen as chairwoman. Just 3 days later, the canteen officially opened its doors from 5 a.m. to midnight, all volunteers. During its busiest period, the canteen would be open 24 hours a day, again, all volunteers honoring the troops.

Before Union Pacific switched to diesel-electric power, North Platte was a designated servicing point. While the trains were being serviced, soldiers visited the canteen. At the war's peak, 3,000 to 5,000 personnel were greeted daily with North Platte sometimes hosting up to 20 trains a day. In fact, these volunteers from 125 communities in and around the State contributed with donations of time, money, supplies, food and smiles. More than 6 million service men and women who traveled through Nebraska during World War II were greeted by the North Platte Canteen. A total of $137,000, and more than that in cash, was contributed to the canteen over its operation.

Today the effort of the North Platte Canteen during World War II is still a source of pride within the community and throughout Nebraska. And the town's relationship with the railroad continues to be recognized as an important part of North Platte's history.

I would like to elaborate, Madam Speaker, that today, as we look at the canteen issues and the railroad in general, we know that North Platte, the railroad and the Bailey Yard contributed significantly to our energy supply, with coal trains coming through from the coal fields of Wyoming. They come through Nebraska and many other places, but this rail yard specifically, and there are thousands of workers, specifically many workers associated with the United Transportation Union, who are employed with good jobs contributing to the energy supply of our Nation.

I only hope that we can come up with a policy that is more friendly to clean coal. And this can help all of us. This provides jobs for those in middle America. But more than that, it provides a stimulus package, if you will, that is through more affordable energy.

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

Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution recognizing North Platte, Nebraska, as ``Rail Town USA.''

North Platte is home to Bailey Yard, recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest railroad classification yard.

At Bailey Yard, as was pointed out by the gentlelady, an astounding 10,000 rail cars a day are sorted and put together in trains that move freight all across this country. These trains are loaded with commodities that keep our economy going, ranging everywhere from groceries to building supplies, from coal to new automobiles. The yard is home to over 2,600 hardworking railroad employees. And Bailey Yard covers 2,850,000 acres containing 315 miles of track.

The Union Pacific Railroad, Madam Speaker, has invested heavily in Bailey Yard, over $100 million in the modern area. This kind of investment in rail infrastructure is exactly what this country needs to keep our economy strong.

Railroads are a very important component of our Nation's transportation infrastructure and we should continue to support the rail industry.

In that spirit, I urge passage of H. Con. Res. 408, honoring North Platte's contribution to our country's economic vitality.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize Mr. Adrian Smith who is the original cosponsor, the primary sponsor of this legislation. I yield him as much time as he may consume.

Madam Speaker, I would yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. McCotter).

Madam Speaker, before I close, I want to thank the gentlelady from Florida for pointing out that passing Amtrak or Amtrak rail service is very important. It is extremely important to be able to move people around in a much more efficient way. And I might remind the gentlelady that Amtrak depends on one thing, and that is diesel fuel. And you can't have diesel fuel if you don't have drilling. As long as we are dependent on nations such as Saudi Arabia and such as Venezuela, we're going to be continually at their mercy when it comes to getting those resources. But we have to have drilling to have diesel fuels to have trains on the track. It is all interconnected, and it's all very important.

The gentlelady is exactly right. Rail service in this country can do a whole lot toward taking vehicles off the road. And bringing our rail service back in this country I think is a very worthy goal for the United States. Moving as much goods and people by rail, I think, just makes it more efficient.

I mentioned before that every single thing in this country moves. It's either by train or by plane or by ship or by barge or by pipeline or by truck or by car. But every single thing in this country moves. And every person in this country moves. And when we get more efficient and put them on a train, we need diesel fuel. And the only way we are going to get diesel fuel is to have more oil production in the United States and be able to refine it.

I appreciate what the gentlelady has done today, particularly with North Platte. North Platte is one big rail facility, a big rail facility out in Nebraska. Obviously Adrian is doing a fantastic job for his area. I want to thank the gentlelady. She has a lot of heart, and she is one of my favorite people in Congress.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

The joys of a segue.

It's right in this time to concede that despite Republicans over the course of August talking about the Democratic majority taking a 5-week paid vacation, that we do recognize when this institution has acted with due alacrity. Today we have before us the opportunity to name North Platte, Nebraska, Rail Town USA. We could not have done so at a better time, because jumping into the competition for the coveted title of Rail Town USA is Washington, D.C.

This week we have seen a bill drafted in the dead of night, sent to this floor and rubber-stamped by the Democratic majority and proclaimed to solve America's energy crisis. This is as unfortunate as it is injurious. America has an energy crisis. It also has representative institutions who seek to deal with this problem, so the processes put forward, so that the voices of our constituents could be heard, so that true compromise could be found.

And yet in Rail Town Washington, what have we seen as a result? A sham energy bill sent to a Democratic Senate by a Democratic House, and a pronunciation from a Democratic Senator herself was that the bill was dead on arrival. What we do today is important to recognize Rail Town USA. But as the gentlelady pointed out, what Americans can do and the challenges they can transcend acting together is what truly makes North Platte, Nebraska, Rail Town USA, because it shows what, in a time of crisis, people coming together for the common good, sincerely and earnestly, putting forth the effort can accomplish. We could well learn and emulate their efforts. And yet we do not.

In this time where Americans are suffering, they should expect no less from their servants in Congress than to do this. Because to do anything else is to diminish not only ourselves as your servants, if that were possible in this Democratic Congress, but it diminishes the institution itself as a beacon of representative democracy for all the world.

Critically, I think we can change this. I think there is still time that we could learn from the people of North Platte, Nebraska, and their worthy history, that we still have time to come together. And if we do not come together before this Congress adjourns, a relatively short period of time, I suggest we make a commitment to each other, like the people of North Platte, Nebraska. Let us tell the American people that until this energy crisis of our time is solved, until their servants in the United States Congress come together on a truly bipartisan bill that can be signed into law and relieve your pain at the pump and guarantee American energy and security, we will stay here. We will serve the full time that you elected us to work in this Chamber on your behalf. Because to leave here and go play politics while the American people suffer is not worthy of this institution, and it is certainly not worthy of the example set forward by the people of North Platte, Nebraska, Rail Town USA.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 408, recognizing North Platte, Nebraska, as ``Rail Town USA.''

North Platte has a rich tradition of railroading. The Union Pacific Railroad flrst entered North Platte on December 3, 1866, as

railroads were building into the West and just one month later, on January 2, 1867, main line operations began through the city of North Platte.

During World War II, the city was best known for the North Platte Canteen, which served as a major rest point for soldiers heading across the country by rail to fight in the war. The people of North Platte famously brought food, water, and other necessities to more than 6 million members of the armed forces passing through the city.

Today, North Platte is served only by freight trains, but it is home to one of the most important rail yards in the world. The Bailey Yard, named after former Union Pacific President Ed Bailey, is now recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest classification yard. It sits on 2,850 acres of land in North Platte, is 8 miles long, and is home to 315 miles of track.

Bailey Yard prepares approximately 135 trains, or 10,000 individual rail cars, each day, shipping home products, food, coal, lumber, and many other necessary goods destined for every corner of the country.

North Platte's contribution to the rail industry increased in the 1990s when Bailey Yard added east- and west-bound locomotive fueling and servicing centers that now handle more than 8,500 locomotives per month.

Railroads are often considered a barometer of the American economy. When trains are moving--America is moving. To watch cars pass through Bailey Yard is to see America moving forward, and the people of North Platte are at the center of Bailey Yard's success: more than 2,600 residents of North Platte work at Bailey Yard, which makes up more than 10 percent of North Platte's population of 23,878.

This weekend, North Platte is celebrating its railroading heritage at Rail Fest, where attendees will get the chance to see historic rail cars and locomotives, tour Bailey Yard, learn about each job in the rail yard through actual hands-on training, learn about railroad safety, and learn more about the history of railroading in North Platte.

Madam Speaker, I congratulate Notth Platte for their successes and urge my colleagues to join me in agreeing to H. Con. Res. 480, recognizing North Platte, Nebraska, as ``Rail Town USA''.