To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 309 East Linn Street in Marshalltown, Iowa, as the "Major Scott Nisely Post Office".

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on August 1, 2007, at 9:30 a.m., to mark up S. 1677, the Currency Reform and Financial Markets Access Act of 2007; S. 1518, the Community Partnership to End Homelessness Act of 2007; an original bill entitled the FHA Modernization Act of 2007; an original bill entitled the Housing Assistance Authorization Act of 2007; an original bill entitled the Private Student Loan Transparency and Improvement Act of 2007; and an original bill entitled the Commission on National Catastrophe Risk Management and Insurance Act of 2007.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, August 1, 2007, at 2:30 p.m., in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.

The U.S. Department of Commerce and its component bureaus are responsible for the stewardship, protection, and scientific understanding of our ocean environment and its resources, effective use and growth of the Nation's technological resources, and promoting U.S. trade and tourism. The oversight hearing will examine the Department's effectiveness in implementing these goals.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, August 1, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of this hearing is to receive testimony on recent advances in clean coal technology, including the prospects for deploying these technologies at a commercial scale in the near future.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, August 1, 2007, at 9:30 a.m. to hold a hearing on Africa.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet in executive session during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, August 1, 2007 at 10 a.m. in the LBJ Room, S-211, of the Capitol building. We will be considering the following:

1. S. 625, Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act

2. S. 1183, Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act

3. S. 579, Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act of 2007

4. S. 898, Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act of 2007

5. S. 1858, Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007

6. The Following Nominations: Diane Auer Jones, of Maryland, to be Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, Department of Education; David C. Geary, of Missouri, to be a member of the Board of Directors of the National Board for Education Sciences; Miguel Campaneria, of Puerto Rico, to be a member of the National Council on the Arts; and any nominations ready for action.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Wednesday, August 1, 2007, at 10 a.m. in order to conduct business meeting to consider pending committee business.

Agenda

Nominations: The Honorable James A. Nussle to be Director, Office of Management and Budget; Dennis R. Schrader to be Deputy Administrator for National Preparedness, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Legislation: S. 680, Accountability in Government Contracting Act of 2007; H.R. 1254, Presidential Library Donation Reform Act of 2007; S. __, an original bill to provide for the flexibility of certain disaster relief funds, and for improved evacuation and sheltering during disasters and catastrophes; S. 1000, Telework Enhancement Act of 2007; S. 1446, National Capital Transportation Amendments Act of 2007; S. 547, Effective Homeland Security Management Act of 2007; S. 1245, a bill to reform mutual aid agreements for the National Capital Region; S. 597, a bill to extend the special postage stamp for breast cancer research for 2 years.

Post Office Naming Bills: H.R. 2570/S. 1732, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 301 Boardwalk Drive in Fort Collins, Colorado, as the ``Dr. Karl E. Carson Post Office Building''; S. 1772, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 127 South Elm Street in Gardner, Kansas, as the ``Private First Class Shane R. Austin Post Office''; S. 1781, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 118 Minner Avenue in Bakersfield, California, as the ``Buck Owens Post Office''; H.R. 2127, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 408 West 6th Street in Chelsea, Oklahoma, as the ``Clem Rogers McSpadden Post Office Building''; H.R. 2563/S. 1539, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 309 East Linn Street in Marshalltown, Iowa, as the ``Major Scott Nisely Post Office''; S. 1596, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 103 South Getty Street in Uvalde, Texas, as the ``Dolph S. Briscoe, Jr., Post Office Building''; H.R. 1722, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 601 Banyan Trail in Boca Raton, Florida, as the ``Leonard W. Herman Post Office''; H.R. 1425, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4551 East 52nd Street in Odessa, Texas, as the ``Staff Sergeant Marvin `Rex' Young Post Office Building''; H.R. 2078, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 14536 State Route 136 in Cherry Fork, Ohio, as the ``Staff Sergeant Omer `O.T.' Hawkins Post Office''; H.R. 2077, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 20805 State Route 125 in Blue Creek, Ohio, as the ``George B. Lewis Post Office Building''; H.R. 1617, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal service located at 561 Kingsland Avenue in University City, Missouri, as the ``Harriet F. Woods Post Office Building''; H.R. 2025, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal service located at 11033 South State Street in Chicago, Illinois, as the ``Willye B. White Post Office Building''; H.R. 1335, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal service located at 508 East Main Street in Seneca, South Carolina, as the ``S/Sgt Lewis G. Watkins Post Office Building''; H.R. 1260, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal service located at 6301 Highway 58 in Harrison, Tennessee, as the ``Claude Ramsey Post Office''; H.R. 1434, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 896 Pittsburgh Street in Springdale, Pennsylvania, as the ``Rachel Carson Post Office Building.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate in order to conduct a roundtable entitled ``Reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Research Programs: National Academies' Findings and Recommendations,'' on August 1, 2007, at 10 a.m. in room 428A of the Russell Senate Office Building.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Committee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on August 1, 2007, at 2:30 p.m. to hold an open hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs' Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia be authorized to meet on Wednesday, August 1, 2007, at 2:30 p.m. in order to conduct a hearing entitled Building a Stronger American Diplomatic.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to hold a hearing during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, August 1, 2007, at 2:30 p.m. in room SD-366 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on the following bills: S. 1054 and H.R. 122, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Inland Empire regional recycling project and in the Cucamonga Valley Water District recycling project; S. 1472, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to create a Bureau of Reclamation partnership with the North Bay Water Reuse Authority and other regional partners to achieve objectives relating to water supply, water quality, and environmental restoration; S. 1475 and H.R. 1526, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program, and for other purposes; H.R. 30, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Eastern Municipal Water District Recycled Water

System Pressurization and Expansion Project; H.R. 609, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Central Texas Recycling and Reuse Project, and for other purposes; and H.R. 1175, to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to increase the ceiling on the Federal share of the costs of phase I of the Orange County, California, Regional Water Reclamation Project.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

First of all, I would like to thank the committee and the gentleman from Illinois, Chairman Davis, for moving this piece of legislation as quickly as they have through the committee and for the opportunity to bring this I think most appropriate legislation to the floor today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage my colleagues to support legislation that I introduced to honor Major Scott E. Nisely of Marshalltown, Iowa, one of America's heroes who was killed in combat on September 30, 2006, while serving our country in Iraq.

Scott Nisely served 22 years in the Marines as an officer on active duty and as a Reservist, retiring with the rank of major. During his time in the Marines, he served as an infantry company commander in Operation Desert Storm. And following his active duty, Scott worked 12 years for the U.S. Postal Service in Marshalltown, Iowa.

Due to Scott's strong desire to serve his country, he accepted an enlisted rank in order to fill a vacancy in the Iowa Army National Guard in 2002.

According to letters I have received from soldiers in Scott's unit, he did not broadcast the fact that he was a former Marine major, but humbly served his fellow soldiers. One officer also said he was a ``natural born leader of soldiers.''

Scott served with the Iowa National Guard on the Multinational Forces Observer mission in the Sinai, and finally in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Scott's friends, family, coworkers, fellow soldiers and marines attest to the positive and lasting impact he had on their lives. Numerous letters from these individuals were sent to me, and I include them for the Record.

Scott's life was a shining example of dedication to service, a strong commitment certainly to his family, his faith, and his country. This legislation will name the post office located at 309 East Linn Street in Marshalltown, Iowa, the Major Scott Nisely Post Office.

I want to thank Scott's co-workers at the Marshalltown post office who initiated this proposal, and I am proud to help them make this timely and appropriate honor a reality. I also want to thank my colleagues from Iowa, Leonard Boswell, Steve King, Bruce Braley and Dave Loebsack for their support in moving this legislation forward. I strongly urge all Members to pass H.R. 2563.

Department of the Army,

Headquarters, 1st Battalion 133D Infantry,

Al Asad Ab, Iraq, June 8, 2007.

Congressman Tom Latham,

Ames, Iowa.

Dear Mr. Latham: I am responding to an inquiry to determine

if my unit would support the consideration of naming the

United States Post Office in Marshalltown, Iowa after one of

my soldiers, Scott Nisely.

The bottom line on this is yes, I, and my entire unit fully

support this effort, and see this as a fitting tribute to

this fallen citizen soldier.

As a Battalion Commander, I have many soldiers that are

under my command. I have deployed in the service of our

country 3 times since September of 2000, I have been

entrusted with some of the finest young people that our State

and our Nation have to offer. Let me share with you a little

bit about Scott Nisely from my perspective.

Scott joined the Iowa National Guard after completing a

full military career in the Marine Corps, retiring from the

Marine Corps as a Field Grade Officer. He then joined the

National Guard as an enlisted soldier in the rank of a Buck

Sergeant, because this was what was offered to him. On my

second deployment, and my first with Scott Nisely, I asked

him what motivated him to do this; his reply was that he felt

he could make a difference in the lives of these young men,

and he still felt a strong desire to serve his country in

whatever capacity he could. He didn't care about the rank, he

didn't care about the job, as long as he was working with

young soldiers, and serving our country. To me this was

evident during our OEF deployment, and in our current mission

in Iraq.

Scott was a man that was respected by all those around him,

not because of the words he said, but because of the way that

he lived his life and by the example he set for others. We

all lost something the day we lost SFC Nisely and SGT

Sourivong. We cannot change the events that happened on that

day, but we can honor these men, and the sacrifice that they

have made. I believe by naming the Marshalltown Post Office

in honor of Scott Nisely, we will always have a visible

reminder of this sacrifice, and are honoring a great American

who lived his life in a manner that we should all strive to

pattern. He lived his life with honor and integrity, love for

his family, and love for his country.

Sincerely,

Benjamin J. Corell,

Lieutenant Colonel, Infantry,

Commanding.

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

Mr. Speaker, Major Scott Nisely, a father, athlete and musician, made the ultimate sacrifice for his country on the field of battle and deserves the honor of having his name on the post office in Marshalltown, Iowa, where he worked for 12 years.

Scott was born in Syracuse, Nebraska in 1958, and excelled in track and cross country. He attended Doane College on a track scholarship and pursued a degree in biology.

He showed a passion for his country and did not shy away from the duty of serving his Nation. While in college, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps ROTC, and after completing his Bachelor's degree in 1981, he was commissioned an Infantry Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps.

He rose to the rank of captain and commanded an infantry company during Operation Desert Storm. After his tour in Kuwait and Iraq, he returned to the Reserves, where he was promoted to the rank of major.

Scott continued to serve his community even when out of the military. In 1994 he began working for the U.S. Postal Service in Marshalltown. He participated in his church's music ministry program and was active at the local tae kwon do. Above all, he worked tirelessly to serve others.

Even with such an impressive record of service under his belt, he could not ignore the call of duty. When his country went to war again, he enlisted in the Iowa Army National Guard and accepted the rank of staff sergeant in order to do so. In 2005, he returned to Iraq with C Company of the Iowa National Guard's 133rd battalion.

On September 30, 2006, he was providing security for a convoy in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, when his company came under insurgent small arms fire. He and a fellow member of the Guard were killed.

His decorations include the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Bronze Star Medal, the Oak Leaf Cluster, the Purple Heart, the Army Achievement Medal, and a dozen others.

Let us pay our respect to Major Scott E. Nisely and remember his commitment to serving this Nation by naming the Marshalltown post office in his honor.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Latham).

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2563) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 309 East Linn Street in Marshalltown, Iowa, as the ``Major Scott Nisely Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, as a Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 2563, which names the postal facility in Marshalltown, Iowa after Major Scott Nisely.

H.R. 2563, which was introduced by Representative Tom Latham on June 5, 2007, was reported from the Oversight Committee on June 12, 2007, by voice vote. This measure has the support of the entire Iowa congressional delegation.

Major Scott Nisely was killed in combat near Al Asad, Iraq on September 20, 2006. He served in the Marines as an officer on Active Duty and as a reservist with the 133rd Infantry Battalion Charlie Company.

He worked 12 years for the U.S. Postal Service in Marshalltown, Iowa. Due to his strong desire to serve his country, he accepted an enlisted rank in order to fill a vacancy in the Iowa Army National Guard. Major Scott had served a tour of duty during Operation Desert Storm as a marine, in addition to Operation Iraqi Freedom as a guardsman. He will be fondly remembered for his patriotism and love of family.

Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague, Representative Tom Latham, for introducing this legislation, and urge its passage.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, on Monday, June 18, 2007, I was not present for votes due to mechanical problems on my flight to Washington, DC caused by Northwest Airlines.

Had I been present for rollcall 499, H.R. 2563--To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 309 East Linn Street in Marshalltown, Iowa, as the ``Major Scott Nisely Post Office'', I would have voted ``yes.''