Recognizing the achievements of America's high school valedictorians of the graduating class of 2008, promoting the importance of encouraging intellectual growth, and rewarding academic excellence of all American high school students.

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

I rise today in support of House Resolution 1229, recognizing the achievements of America's high school valedictorians of the graduating class of 2008, promoting the importance of encouraging intellectual growth, and rewarding academic excellence of all American high school students.

Valedictorians are the highest academically ranked students in their high school's graduating class. These students have demonstrated consistency in their intellectual inquiry, academic discipline, and utilization of teacher mentoring throughout their high school careers.

They serve as peer role models to fellow high school students by succeeding academically and contributing to a culture of excellence in their schools.

Valedictorians are charged with the duty of giving a graduation speech that reflects upon the intellectual development and community involvement of the graduating class and inspires all graduating students to further their academic studies and social engagement. These students enjoy the support of family members, teachers, school administrators and community members who have nurtured their intellectual growth and rewarded their academic achievements. This class of seniors will become America's future civic, business and political leaders, maintaining our Nation's global leadership position and strengthening its economic competitiveness.

Today I want to especially honor and recognize the valedictorians and graduating seniors of the class of 2008. They have all worked very hard to accomplish the goals they reached on high school graduation day. I know this is not the first outstanding accomplishment for many of these young people, and I am equally certain it will not be the last.

I encourage all valedictorians and all graduating seniors to further their intellectual inquiry and academic studies in universities and post-secondary educational institutions across the Nation.

To all graduating seniors, I want to say congratulations on your many accomplishments, and enjoy your summer.

I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, as we reflect on the valedictorians of the class of 2008, I think it's important that we think about what the Democrats are doing now in the House of Representatives that are going to affect their future. I think that we have to reflect on the fact that the Democrat majority's ``just say no'' energy policy certainly darkens America's energy future:

No production of American energy resources, which increases reliance on unstable foreign sources such as Venezuela, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

No new oil refineries built, which increases gas prices and reliance on imported fuel.

No new transmission lines, which hinders renewable electricity getting to consumers and reduces reliability.

No new coal power plants, which increases electricity prices and stifles the economy.

No new advanced zero-emission nuclear plants, which blocks one of the cleanest, most reliable energy sources available.

No new zero-emission hydroelectric plants, which blocks reliable clean energy.

No liquefied natural gas terminals, which increases prices and ships jobs overseas.

Democrats' prohibition on producing American energy resources have made the U.S. more reliant on imported oil and natural gas.

Democrats' roadblocks on the utilization of energy from our North American neighbors have made the U.S. more reliant on the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC.

Democrats' unfavorable tax rules have sent energy investment and production abroad.

Democrats' unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy have made it nearly impossible to move forward on new clean power generation.

Democrats' 1970s-era energy policies have cancelled dozens of power plants, reducing electricity supplies and increasing electricity costs to consumers.

Democrats' refusal to provide incentives for individuals and businesses has made it difficult to invest in efficient technologies.

But Republicans have solutions that will fix this problem. We then can look at meeting our energy needs with American-made energy in the future.

The comprehensive House Republican plan will fund research and development of technologies and innovations which advance the use of renewable and domestically available energy sources, increase energy efficiency, and ease the environmental impacts of energy use.

We will increase the production of American-made energy in an environmentally safe way.

We support actions that reduce America's dependence on energy from unstable foreign governments and dictatorships by increasing domestic production of oil and natural gas in an environmentally safe way.

And we promote unconventional fuels such as coal-to-liquid technology by recovering our vast oil shale reserves and increasing access for environmentally responsible development of conventional and unconventional domestic oil and natural gas production.

We want to provide coal-to-liquids financing and tax incentives. We want to advance the commercialization of the Nation's 2 trillion barrel shale oil resource, 80 percent of which occurs on government-owned land in the West. This is enough to supply all of America's needs for over two centuries.

We are promoting new, clean and reliable power generation. We encourage more production of environmentally safe energy to increase the use of our vast domestic supply, reduce emissions, and keep coal- dependent communities strong.

We want to expand emissions-free nuclear power, including long-term nuclear waste storage solutions and recycling spent fuel by providing production and investment tax credits for all new base-load electricity products such as advanced nuclear power and clean coal, and allowing immediate expensing for new renewable or zero-emission power.

We want to cut red tape and increase the supply of American-made fuel and energy by expediting permitting for enhanced oil recovery projects, including CO2 delivery and injection, as well as permitting for new refining capacity.

We want to improve environmental review and permitting to encourage the deployment of technologies which increase the efficiency of existing power plants.

And we want to end ill-advised policies that have led to the proliferation of unique gasoline and diesel fuel formations known as ``boutique fuels'' which have fragmented our motor fuels distribution system, choked off supply, and exacerbated the already painful Pelosi Premium.

We are encouraging greater energy efficiency by offering conservation tax incentives. We support technologies to help increase energy efficiency in all sectors of the American economy, including removing bureaucratic regulatory barriers that prevent businesses from upgrading their facilities with newer, more efficient energy technologies.

We want to make home energy efficiency upgrades tax deductible, provide incentives for homebuilders and homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient, offer investment expensing for industrial and commercial building efficiency upgrades, extend the residential and business solar and fuel cell investment tax credits, with enhancements to the residential solar credit ($2,000 per \1/2\ kilowatt installed), extend the fiber-optic distributed sunlight investment tax credit, and increase energy efficiency of government-owned facilities.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1229, recognizing the achievements of America's high school valedictorians of the graduating class of 2008, promoting the importance of encouraging intellectual growth, and rewarding academic excellence of all American high school students, introduced by my distinguished colleague from New York, Representative Gregory Meeks, of which I am a proud cosponsor. This bill is an important step in continuing and promoting the excellent secondary education that our nation provides.

This legislation recognizes the fine accomplishments of the graduating class of 2008 and commends them for their intellectual pursuits as well as their academic achievements. This bill, furthermore, recognizes the family members, teachers, school administrators, and community members that have nurtured the intellectual growth and rewarded the academic achievements of this year's valedictorians and graduating seniors.

This year, valedictorians across America have succeeded in tremendous academic endeavors. Whether by inspiring their fellow classmates to study a little longer for a test, or by tutoring them to write an essay, valedictorians have acted as noteworthy role models to their peers. Furthermore, through their hard work and dedications, they have enriched their academic communities.

It is further important that we recognize that valedictorians often engage in extracurricular activities, enriching their local communities and the nation by furthering economic, cultural, and social accomplishments. By volunteering their time in soup kitchens, acting as captain of the soccer team or chess club, or simply taking an after- school job, valedictorians learn more than math and English, they learn to contribute significantly to our society.

As Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I recognize the importance of today's youth. Valedictorians as well as graduating seniors of 2008 will become the future businessmen, leaders, teachers, and scientists that lead this nation. They will use their extraordinary talents to make the world a better place. As thus, it is important for them to continue to cultivate their strengths by attending one of the many universities that this great nation has to offer. I support this legislation that encourages valedictorians and the graduating class of 2008 as a whole, to further their intellectual inquiry and academic studies beyond their secondary education.

With over 15,000 of our nation's schools recognizing this year's valedictorians as the highest academically-ranked students in their graduating class, the members of Congress, as representatives of our nation, must recognize these talented individuals for their hard work. By doing so, we demonstrate the importance of education and show our support for the continued hard work of students across the country. Without this official recognition, talented youth may not feel support which can push them to achieve high goals, such as past valedictorians and the valedictorians of the 2008 graduating class have achieved. I feel strongly that this bill is a step toward providing support for students.

This legislation is imperative to recognizing the achievement of the graduating class of 2008, supporting social engagements by graduating seniors to better our communities, and promoting continued intellectual pursuits by these men and women at colleges and universities. As the Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, a Representative of the people of the United States, and a mother of two, I am proud to cosponsor this legislation and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1229) recognizing the achievements of America's high school valedictorians of the graduating class of 2008, promoting the importance of encouraging intellectual growth, and rewarding academic excellence of all American high school students, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1229 into the Record.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1229, which recognizes the achievements of America's high school valedictorians of the graduating class of 2008. I am pleased to honor these outstanding individuals, as well as encourage the pursuit of high academic honors.

Today, as we recognize our valedictorians, we reaffirm our commitment to education and encourage our youth to discover the many learning opportunities they will encounter throughout their lives. I hope that by saluting these valedictorians we help make high achievement infectious and help every student appreciate the countless opportunities that await them beyond high school.

Valedictorians are not only the highest academically ranked students in their class; they are also peer role models who represent the ideals of their families and communities. They inspire fellow classmates to become involved in improving the community and motivate their peers to achieve academically.

Long after high school, the title of valedictorian is still upheld as a significant accomplishment. By recognizing the accomplishments of this year's high school valedictorians, I hope to support and promote inquiry and learning across our Nation. I know that this year's valedictorians, and all graduating seniors at our Nation's high schools, are our future leaders. We owe it to these students to give them the best education we can and celebrate high school graduation as an important step toward achieving their goals.

Madam Speaker, I congratulate this year's valedictorians and everyone in the graduating class of 2008. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, for too long our Nation has been captive of the interests that are preserving dependence on fossil fuels.

What's so exciting about what is happening with the younger generation, among them these valedictorians that we're saluting today, is they're really getting out on the cutting edge in terms of thinking about the green revolution, about new energy technologies. And they're the ones, I think, that are going to join with enlightened policy makers across the country to make sure that we liberate ourselves from that dependence on fossil fuels and we move forward and explore alternatives to that, which is really going to be the solution to our energy crisis over time.

So again, for all they're doing and for stepping up as they do every day and demonstrating incredible accomplishments, I want to salute the valedictorians of the class of 2008 and encourage my colleagues to support H. Res. 1229.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the achievements of America's high school valedictorians and the graduating class of 2008.

With House Resolution 1229, I know that I capture the sentiment of all Members of the 110th Congress in promoting the importance of intellectual growth and the academic excellence of America's graduating high school students. In my southeast Queens community, New York's Sixth Congressional District, I personally know that great achievements have taking place in the high schools servicing my young constituents. My district's graduating seniors have achieved a major milestone in their educational and social development. With this accomplishment, I now encourage these young adults to take their next major step towards becoming our Nation's future leaders and engaged citizens by entering higher education institutions or by beginning their young careers.

For this graduation celebration, I want to specifically recognize the stellar accomplishments of our Nation's high school Valedictorians. Each year, every high school recognizes an individual student who has risen above his or her fellow students through their consistency of intellectual inquiry, in their demonstration of academic discipline, and their utilization of teacher mentoring. Through their dedication and hard work, these students have attained the position of top academically ranked student within their graduating class and are honored as the ``Valedictorian'' at their graduation ceremony. Throughout their high school careers, Valedictorians have served as peer role models to fellow high school students by succeeding academically and contributing to community improvement. It is their example that shines clearly to their fellow students and community members, demonstrating the dedication and drive that it takes to become America's future civic, business, and political leaders, and maintaining our Nation's global leadership position through strengthening its economic competitiveness.

During this graduation season, let us not forget that no child achieves alone, but rather it takes an entire community to rear a socially and educationally mature child. Along with our Nation's valedictorians and graduating class, I want to recognize and honor the love, support, and contributions of the parents, community members, teachers, and school administrators, who have provided these students with the resources and guidance needed to achieve. It has been the selfless contributions of these individuals who have nurtured the intellectual growth and rewarded the academic achievements of our Nation's valedictorians and graduating seniors.

In closing, I make the call to all graduating seniors to further their intellectual interests and academic studies by enrolling in universities and postsecondary educational institutions and to continue their social engagement, utilizing their knowledge and skills for the betterment of their communities and the social, cultural, and economic advancement of our great Nation.

Madam Speaker, today, we rightly honor the hard work and achievements of this year's valedictorians, salutatorians and graduates all across the Nation. I wish to recognize their dedication and the contributions to their community. By completing a high school diploma, the future for these students has become considerably brighter.

I also wish to take a moment to reflect on largo group of valedictorians, salutatorians and graduates who, despite high school success and graduation, will be shut out of many of the opportunities for a prosperous future that we promise to our children for their hard work.

I am referring to the many valedictorians, salutatorians and graduates who have worked hard in the communities they have known their whole lives, played by the rules, excelled in school and, because of their undocumented status, will be systematically cut off from the opportunities that are afforded to successful students like them. Through no fault of their own, these bright, intelligent, model students will be caught in limbo--denied an opportunity to pursue success and, in so doing, to serve our country.

These students are confronted with a lesson that high schools do not teach--that because of a status that was not of their choosing, their achievements are worth less than the achievements of their friends and classmates. This is a cruel lesson indeed; the lesson that they have grown up in a social caste; that despite America's promise of prosperity for hard work, that no matter what their educational success--they will be branded ``untouchables''.