To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide an annual grant to facilitate an iron working training program for Native Americans.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6685) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide an annual grant to facilitate an iron working training program for Native Americans.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Madam Speaker, H.R. 6685 would provide an authorization for appropriations that has been made for many years for an Interior Department program which makes grants available to fund a Native American ironworker training program. This program would provide members of federally recognized Indian tribes with both classroom and on-the-job ironwork training.

With unemployment rates increasing to a staggering rate of over 80 percent on some Indian reservations, this program is desperately needed. It will provide the program participants with the knowledge and the ability to join a skilled labor force as a career.

I want to commend our colleague Mr. Lynch of Massachusetts for his hard work and for his dedication to this piece of legislation, and I ask my colleagues to support its passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I urge all Members to support this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, due to important business in my district, I was unable to be in Washington, DC, on September 22 and the morning of September 23.

Had I been present, I would have cast the following votes:

Monday, September 23, 2008--

Yes, H.R. 6685--To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide an annual grant to facilitate an iron working training program for Native Americans (Rep. Lynch--Natural Resources).

Yes, H.R. 1907--Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program Act (Rep. Saxton--Natural Resources).

Yes, H.R. 6853--Nationwide Mortgage Fraud Task Force Act of 2008 (Rep. Meek--Judiciary).

Tuesday, September 23, 2008--

Yes, Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule for H.R. 5244--The Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act of 2008 (H. Res. 1476).

Yes, H. Res. 1476--Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 5244--The Credit Cardholders' Bill of Rights Act of 2008.

Yes, S.J. Res. 45--Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact (Sen. Levin--Judiciary) Suspension bill.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately last night, September 22, 2008, I was unable to cast my votes on H.R. 6685, H.R. 1907, and H.R. 6853 and wish the Record to reflect my intentions had I been able to vote.

Had I been present for rollcall No. 616, on suspending the rules and passing H.R. 6685, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide an annual grant to facilitate an iron working training program for Native Americans, I would have voted ``yea.''

Had I been present for rollcall No. 617, on suspending the rules and passing H.R. 1907, the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program Act, I would have voted ``yea.''

Had I been present for rollcall No. 618, on suspending the rules and passing H.R. 6853, the Nationwide Mortgage Fraud Coordinator Act of 2008, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, I regret that yesterday I was unavoidably detained and was unable to cast a vote on a number of rollcall votes.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on H.R. 6685, to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide an annual grant to facilitate an iron working training program for Native Americans. I would have voted ``yes'' on H.R. 1907, the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program Act, to protect the environmental integrity of undeveloped coastal and estuarine areas. I also would have voted ``yes'' on H.R. 6853, the Nationwide Mortgage Fraud Task Force Act of 2008, to protect borrowers from unscrupulous actors in the mortgage market.

I ask unanimous consent that my statement be included in the appropriate place in the Congressional Record.

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

H.R. 6685 reauthorizes a vital educational grant program to train members of federally recognized Indian tribes to become ironworkers. By the way, they are outstanding ironworkers, and they always have been. They built the City of New York and New Jersey, itself, and I have to recognize their capabilities.

This apprentice program has trained thousands of Native Americans over the years, providing graduates with careers, earning above-average wages. Graduates of this program have been a significant source of economic support in their tribal communities. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.