To designate a portion of Interstate Route 395 located in Baltimore, Maryland, as "Cal Ripken Way".

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3218) to designate a portion of Interstate Route 395 located in Baltimore, Maryland, as ``Cal Ripken Way''.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3218.

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

Madam Speaker, it is my honor to rise in support of H.R. 3218, which was authored by my colleague from Maryland, Congressman John Sarbanes, to designate a portion of I-395 in Baltimore as ``Cal Ripken Way.''

Cal Ripken, Jr. played for 21 seasons with my hometown team, the Baltimore Orioles. Known as the Iron Man, he is perhaps most famous for playing in 2,632 consecutive games, breaking the record for consecutive appearances that was set by another legend of baseball, Lou Gehrig.

However, his career was not only about his resilience but about the dedication and the hard work he brought, both to the field and to our community. He finished his career with more than 3,000 hits, an incredible achievement that is one of the most difficult to accomplish in baseball. These hits included 431 home runs, and they produced 1,695 RBIs.

He began his career by earning the Rookie of the Year award. He went on to receive two Golden Glove awards, and was twice named the American League's Most Valuable Player. He was also twice named as the Most Valuable Player at the Major League All Star Game.

In recognition of his achievements and of his importance to the game of baseball, he was elected to baseball's Hall of Fame this year, the first year in which he was eligible to be so honored. Cal Ripken represents the very best that we have ever seen in the game of baseball.

Since leaving baseball, he has come to represent the very best of our community and, indeed, of our Nation by finding new ways to help build the same dedication to excellence in our young people that he brought to his incredible career. He established and

manages the Cal Ripken Baseball Division, in which literally hundreds of thousands of youngsters have participated, learning not only the skills of baseball, but the work ethic that will help them succeed in whatever they choose to do in life.

With his brother, he also established the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation in honor of their father to give underprivileged youth the opportunity to participate in baseball and softball.

In recognition of his ability to motivate and inspire, he was recently selected to serve our Nation as a Special Sports Envoy for the United States Department of State. At the time of his appointment, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice noted that Cal Ripken brought ``integrity to the game of baseball,'' and I think his personal integrity is truly his greatest legacy.

Cal Ripken is not only a sports hero who has achieved extraordinary accomplishments through hard work and sheer perseverance, he is a popular figure who has cultivated, in a way that increasingly few sports figures do, his ability to be a positive role model.

Cal has synchronized his personal character with his physical abilities and has consistently used his extraordinary gifts to make a difference in the lives of others.

As a Baltimorean, I thank my colleague Congressman Sarbanes for his work on this legislation. I join all of my colleagues from Maryland in recognizing the incredible legacy that Cal Ripken has given not only to our city but to our Nation of excellence on the field and service off the field. I can think of no more fitting way to honor Cal Ripken than by naming the interstate that passes by Camden Yards, which is only a few blocks from my house, where he played his entire career in his honor, and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3218.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Maryland, sponsor of the legislation (Mr. Sarbanes).

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

First of all, I want to thank again Mr. Sarbanes for sponsorship. I want to thank you, Mr. Duncan. I didn't know you had that kind of relationship to baseball and to the Baltimore Orioles.

As I listened to Mr. Duncan and Mr. Sarbanes, Madam Speaker, I was just reminded that, sitting on the Government Reform Committee, in that committee we dealt with the whole issue of steroids. We saw players come before our committee, many of them having to put their heads down when asked certain critical questions about character. And it is so good to know that there is somebody like Cal Ripken around, somebody who does not mind accepting the role as a role model and being just that.

So many young people look up to sports figures, and they try to emulate them. All you have to do is go to a baseball game and you will see them with the jerseys on with names of players on the back. And if you go to Memorial Stadium, now called Oriole Park, you will see a lot of jerseys with little kids, trying to dream the Cal Ripken dream, with his name on their backs.

So it is with great honor that I ask all of our Members to support this resolution.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I would like to voice my very strong support for H.R. 3218. H.R. 3218 designates Interstate Route 395 in Baltimore, Maryland, as ``Cal Ripken Way.''

Cal Ripken, Jr. is a native son of Havre de Grace, Maryland, in Harford County, about 35 miles northeast of Baltimore. Cal Ripken, also known as ``Iron Man,'' is best known for his record-shattering streak of playing 2,632 straight games for the American League's Baltimore Orioles over 17 years, from May 1982, through September 1998. An unbelievable record. He retired from Major League Baseball in October 2001, after playing 21 straight years for the Orioles, between 1981 and 2001.

On September 6, 1995, Cal Ripken, Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games played, a record that had stood for 57 years. On that historic night at Camden Yards, Ripken not only broke the record but also hit a home run in the fourth inning of that game.

His father, Cal Ripken, Sr., was a former baseball player, coach, and scout for the Orioles. In 1987 and 1988, Cal Ripken, Sr. managed the Orioles, and both Cal Ripken, Jr. and his brother Billy played for the team that year, a first in baseball history.

Since leaving the game in 2001, Cal Ripken has dedicated his life and his work to youth. He established the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, which uses baseball- and softball-themed programs to help instill leadership qualities, a strong work ethic, sportsmanship, and healthy habits. He also built the Ripken Youth Baseball Academy, the largest baseball academy in the United States, where thousands of young people learn the finer points of baseball and deepen their love for playing it.

He served as the first commissioner of the White House T-Ball initiative for President George Bush from 2001 to 2004. And on July 29, 2007, Cal Ripken was fittingly inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame.

When I was growing up, Madam Speaker, I served 5\1/2\ years as a batboy for the Knoxville Smokies baseball team. I served other seasons as ball chaser, scoreboard operator, clubhouse boy. In my freshman year at the University of Tennessee, I served as a public address announcer. I grew up in minor league baseball. My father gave Earl Weaver his first managerial job in Knoxville, managing the Knoxville Smokies in 1956, and we became a farm club of the Baltimore Orioles. People who later played with Cal Ripken or who he knew through the Orioles like Milt Pappas, Jerry Walker, Ron Hansen, Willie Tasby, Mike Cuellar, Dave Nicholson, and many other players who later played for the Orioles played in Knoxville.

Baseball has meant a lot to me and my family through the years, and it is a real honor and privilege for me to stand here before you today and announce my support for this very appropriate legislation to honor a truly great American, Cal Ripken, Jr.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I will just close by saying that Cal Ripken is certainly a throwback to the old days in which little boys could look up to major league baseball players as real heroes and role models in their lives, and I can't adequately express my great admiration for Cal Ripken.

I urge support for this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding his time and for his support. I thank Congressman Duncan for his support of H.R. 3218, which it was my privilege to introduce in the House.

This legislation honors Cal Ripken, Jr. on his induction into the pro baseball Hall of Fame by renaming Interstate 395 in Baltimore, which runs into the city and ends near Oriole Park at Camden Yards, as ``Cal Ripken Way.'' It is fitting that we would pass this measure today on the eve of the 12th anniversary of Cal's setting the consecutive games record. I would like to thank Chairman Oberstar for his assistance in bringing this measure to the floor.

Cal's stellar career no doubt made him worthy of induction into the Hall of Fame. In fact, he was elected to the Hall with the highest vote total ever, the highest vote percentage for any position player, and the third highest vote percentage in history.

But the numbers don't even begin to explain what he means to our national pastime. Too often, our sports stars are famous for all the wrong reasons. But time and again Cal Ripken, Jr. has been a source of pride for baseball.

Cal was a spectacular player but not a flashy one. He played fundamental baseball, always doing the little things and setting the example for how a professional should perfect his trade. And he showed up every day.

From the heights of the World Series championship in 1983 to the depths of the 21-game losing streak that began the 1988 season, Cal was there every day. After the cancellation of the 1994 World Series, many fans mark September 6, 1995, the night Ripken played in his 2,131st game, as the night that America came back to baseball.

Ripken's commitment to working hard and playing by the rules became known as ``The Ripken Way.'' He inspired the people of Baltimore every season with his quiet and unassuming dedication to his work and continues to do so in retirement through numerous charitable works and his youth baseball foundation.

In fact, I believe that Cal has inspired Americans all over the country. I think Tony Kornheiser captured this well in a column that appeared in the Washington Post on September 7, 1995. He wrote: ``When I look at this record, I think I hear the rhythms of America. This celebration of Cal is the fanfare for the common man. Going to work every day . . . building a career, providing for our family like our fathers did before us is something we can all relate to.''

Madam Speaker, if we pass this legislation, when travelers come to visit Baltimore or pass by on their way to another destination, they will not only be reminded of a terrific ballplayer whose name has become synonymous with the Orioles but also a model American and the promise of doing things the ``Ripken Way.'' I hope my colleagues agree that this is a fitting tribute to one of the best loved and most enduring figures in the history of baseball.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3218, to designate a portion of Interstate 395 located in Baltimore, MD, as ``Cal Ripken Way.''

Cal Ripken, Jr. was not only a remarkable baseball player, he was an outstanding role model for the youth of America. He exhibited the utmost in professionalism and sportsmanship in every aspect of his life.

Cal Ripken, Jr. was known to many as the ``Iron Man'' for tirelessly overcoming many minor injuries to always be in the lineup for his team and for the fans. He took the field for the Baltimore Orioles on May 30, 1982 and did not miss a game until September 19, 1998. On September 6, 1995, millions of fans worldwide tuned in to watch Cal Ripken, Jr. surpass Lou Gehrig for the most consecutive games played, at 2,131 games. He ended his streak having played in 2,632 consecutive games.

By the time he retired from professional baseball, in October 2001, Cal Ripken had played 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. During that time, Mr. Ripken had broken the team's record for career games played, at bats, runs, hits, doubles, homeruns, RBIs, total bases, and walks. He is a member of Major League Baseball's exclusive 3,000 hit club.

Cal Ripken stuck with his team through the good years and the bad years with a level of professionalism rare in sports today. He was a favorite among fans and holds the record for most All-Star votes received by any single player. He was voted to play in the All-Star game 19 times, and won the game's Most Valuable Player, MVP, honor twice. On Thursday, July 26, 2007, Cal Ripken, Jr. was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, with the third highest percentage of votes ever received.

After his storied baseball career, Cal Ripken, Jr. continues to make a difference in his community an across the country. Along with his brother Billy, he formed the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation to give underprivileged children the opportunity to attend baseball camps around the country and to learn his beloved game.

Between 2001 and 2004, Ripken served as commissioner of the White House Tee Ball Initiative, in which he worked to promote the value of teamwork and volunteerism amongst young players. On April 9, 2007, Ripken announced a partnership with the recently formed ``Reviving Baseball in the Inner City'' program, with the donation of $1 million in cash and equipment from the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3218, to dedicate a portion of our Nation's highway system to commemorate the tremendous career and outstanding leadership of Cal Ripken, Jr.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 3218.

I just note in passing, the Orioles could use Cal Ripken today.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read three times and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and any statements be printed in the Record.

In fact, even though he has been retired a number of years, I think he could still fit into that team as well.