Commending the University of Florida Gators for their victory in the 2006 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and for winning the national college football championship.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 39) commending the University of Florida Gators for their victory in the 2006 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and for winning the national college football championship, as amended.

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

Let me begin by thanking my colleague, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz, for introducing this resolution, and also to congratulate her and her fellow alumni for the Gators' win last week in the 2006 Bowl Championship Series.

A week ago Monday marked the University of Florida's second national football championship when they defeated Ohio State University Buckeyes. College football fans, student athletes and the general public were treated to an exciting national championship game, an end to the college football season.

I want to extend my congratulations to head coach Urban Meyer, athletic director Jeremy N. Foley, University of Florida president J. Bernard Machen, and Florida's student athletes for attaining the unprecedented achievement of holding concurrent Division I national championships in football and men's basketball.

I also want to extend my congratulations to the Ohio State University Buckeyes and their student athletes for a great season. Ohio State won all of their games during the regular season and produced the 2006 Heisman trophy winner, Troy Smith. Winning concurrent championships has brought national acclaim to the University of Florida, and I know the fans of the university will remember this very special moment for many years to come.

It takes a great deal to assemble a world-class football team. It takes dedication of the young men who are playing on the team. It takes support from the alumni. It takes patient and accomplished coaching. It takes support from the community. A winning football team can bring an entire community together. It brings pride to the individuals on the team, but it brings joint pride to the community in general.

And so although many people say why is so much emphasis put on sports, I think that it is one of the tools that brings us together that has the esprit de corps that makes America great. As a former, simply, high school coach, I know the hard work and the time and effort and the sacrifice, really, that it takes for the players, that it takes for the coaches being away from their families, their children, away on weekends. It is a real sacrifice. And so I once again commend the university and once again say, to have the number one football and number one basketball team in the country in the same year is a great achievement.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I appreciate the gentleman's support for this resolution.

Madam Speaker, as we indicated, the unique victory in that very important game tied in with the fact that their men's basketball team exceeded themselves in the Final Four and won the championship game of the NCAA college men's basketball, combined with this outstanding effort for the football team shows that the University of Florida, in addition to having great academic programs, preparing young Americans for the future, dealing with the current challenges to keep America strong, to keep America on the cutting edge, to keep America ahead for technology and for other technological advances, we really are very pleased that this university stands head and shoulders.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would thank all of the speakers who participated. I think it is really a great achievement, and I want to commend the sponsor of this resolution, Representative Wasserman Schultz, for her outstanding leadership and how much she has done to support that great athletic institution. I would wish the Gators success in the future as they have done in the past.

General Leave

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5 legislative days to insert materials relevant to H. Res. 39, and the previous bill, H. Con. Res. 31.

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

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

I thank my distinguished colleague from Florida. My colleagues, I also rise to praise the University of Florida, the Gators, for not only winning their second football national title but on their many off-the-field accomplishments as well.

With their 41-14 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes, as mentioned earlier, the Gators became the first Division I school to hold a national championship in men's basketball and football at the same time.

Coming into this game, many of the experts did not give the Gators any chance of defeating the previously undefeated Buckeyes. However, once they took the field, the Gators were not intimidated. In fact, the Gators held their own and held Ohio State to only 82 yards of total offense, the fewest number of yards in BCS history.

Notwithstanding this event, as my colleague on the other side mentioned, Ohio State had a very great season; and I congratulate and commend this wonderful football team and its coach

and all its players for a very successful season.

My colleagues, the Florida Gators are excellent representatives of both the university and I believe the great State of Florida in their tenacity, spirit, and their willingness to try to succeed. I take great pride in representing the University of Florida and congratulate Coach Urban Meyer and the entire university on this great accomplishment.

The university's accomplishments extend beyond the field or on the courts in the sports arena. UF boasts a 91 percent graduation rate among its athletes, including all of its sports, making it only one of four programs in the National All-Sports Top 10 to achieve a graduation success rates that is above 90 percent. Furthermore, in 2002-2003, UF placed a record 193 student athletes on the SEC academic honor roll, marking six consecutive years UF placed 100 or more UF student athletes on the SEC Honor Roll.

The University of Florida's accomplishments go well beyond athletics. It is ranked fifth among Kiplinger's Top 10 Public Colleges. UF's faculty are among the best and most decorated in the world, winning awards such as the Fields Medal, two Pulitzer Prizes, NASA's top award for research, and the Smithsonian Institution's conservation award.

University of Florida is also the first university in the world to be designated a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for its agriculture faculty's commitment to environmental and wildlife management.

Enrolling almost 50,000 students annually, UF is home to 16 colleges and more than 150 research centers and institutes. During the 2005-2006 school year, UF was awarded $519 million in sponsored research. This research includes diverse areas such as health care and citrus production, including the world's largest citrus research center.

My colleagues, one example of this innovative research is veterinarian Julie Levy, who is one of the worldwide leaders of research into a revolutionary, humane drug option for spraying and neutering cats and dogs. As it is now, the only way to permanently sterilized these animals is surgically. What if this process were as simple as a vaccine? Dr. Levy, at the University of Florida, is working on this research project today.

On both the field and in the classroom, the students, faculty, and administration of the University of Florida are champions. I am honored that this world-class university is in my congressional district and I look forward to many great things in the future.

As they say at the university, Go Gators!

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 39, recognizing the achievements of the University of Florida Gators. Last week, the University of Florida won the Division I-A college football national championship with a decisive 41-14 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes.

As a Floridian, I am very honored to be recognizing the Gators' accomplishments, and I would be remiss if I did not offer my condolences to our distinguished minority leader, Mr. Boehner, and to my former colleague on the Education Committee, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Tiberi).

The University of Florida's victory in the BCS championship game capped a remarkable 13-1 season and win of the Southeastern Conference Championship. This national championship is the Gators' second, with their first occurring a decade ago in 1996. The University of Florida also won the 2006 NCAA Division I men's college basketball national championship. Florida is the first university to hold both of these titles at the same time.

I hold up the cover of Sports Illustrated this week showing our MVP, Chris Leak, quarterback of the Florida Gators with the title ``Gator Raid.'' It points out that there was history in Gainesville with the first simultaneously men's basketball and football titles in 1 year. There is a lot of pride all of us have from the State of Florida, understandably.

In addition to these athletic achievements, the University of Florida is consistently recognized as one of the country's best public universities. I would like to extend recognition to Dr. Bernard Machen, president of the University of Florida; Mr. Jeremy Foley, the athletic director; head football coach Urban Meyer; and the many other members of the university community that contribute to the institution's academic and athletic excellence.

I also extend my congratulations to the University of Florida, in particular its football team, for this latest national championship, and also to the University of Florida fans worldwide who have supported the Gators, the good times and bad.

I thank my colleague from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) for bringing this resolution forward. I also want to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns), who represents the University of Florida.

I urge all of my colleagues to join us in recognizing this achievement and supporting House Resolution 39.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns), who represents the University of Florida.

(Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I will close by saying that after the winning the national championship in football and basketball, the baseball team has to be feeling some pressure right now down in Gainesville.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H. Res. 39.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 39, the Wasserman Schultz-Stearns resolution commending the University of Florida Fighting Gators for their victory in the 2006 Bowl Championship Series and for winning the national college football title.

Madam Speaker, after a hard-fought football season, the Florida Gators proved victorious on January 8 with a dazzling 41-14 triumph over the Ohio State University Buckeyes.

While many critics expressed doubt about the Gators' chances for victory, Florida's Congressional Delegation and all of the students, alumni and friends in the Gator Nation stood by the Orange and Blue.

Led by senior quarterback Chris Leak, the MVP of the game, and Florida's impenetrable defense, Florida Gators dominated the game when the stakes were the highest.

This season, as Florida's football program celebrated its 100th anniversary, the University of Florida made history by winning national titles in both men's basketball and football in the same season.

Congressman Stearns and I would like to extend special congratulations to Florida's head coach, Urban Meyer, who trained this football team to be the best in the country.

The Florida players, coaches, faculty, students and alumni all pulled together with hard work and dedication to help the team win. All of the student athletes are shining stars for the University, and deserve our highest praise.

The Gator Nation's academic reputation is stellar, our sports teams are number one, and our fans are like none other.

Madam Speaker, it is great to be a Florida Gator.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 39, to congratulate the University of Florida football team on winning the 2006 national championship.

As a University of Florida graduate born in Gator country, that is Gainesville, Florida, I could not be happier with the outcome of the championship game.

Very few people believed the Gators deserved to beat Ohio State or to get in the championship game, let alone beating Ohio State, a great team. But the SEC did beat the Big 10. They certainly proved the critics wrong.

I also would like to congratulate the University of Florida for becoming the first institution in Division I history to hold both the NCAA men's basketball championship and the football championship simultaneously. And, who knows, there may be another basketball championship in the waning. Right now we are number one.

This achievement, of course, is very historic. Madam Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating a great coach, Urban Meyer, and the fine young men from the University of Florida. And congratulations to Gators everywhere. It is great to be a Florida Gator. Go Gators!