Recognizing Louisiana State University for 150 years of service and excellence in higher education.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise in honor of Louisiana State University, which is celebrating 150 years of academic achievement and service to the State of Louisiana. This celebration marks the culmination of many goals for LSU as they reach the end of their second major capital campaign, the Forever LSU Campaign, and their academic blueprint for the future, the Flagship Agenda.

LSU has had the longstanding goal of being designated as a tier 1 university by U.S. News & World Report, and for the past 2 years LSU has achieved this ranking. For the past 25 years, however, LSU has held the highest Carnegie Foundation classification, the designation of a ``very high research activity'' university.

LSU is the State of Louisiana's flagship institution; and as the international leader in research, LSU is one of only 30 universities to have the great distinction of being designated as a land, sea and space-grant institution. Most recently, LSU won $10 million in grants and contracts related to the coast, including aquaculture, erosion, subsidence, storm modeling, and social resiliency to disasters. Further, LSU is deeply rooted in tradition and boasts a large percentage of students from the greater New Orleans area, which I represent.

Most notably and nobly for citizens of Louisiana, after Hurricane Katrina, LSU opened its doors to enroll an additional 2,700 students from the New Orleans area, and the LSU community housed thousands more. Overnight, LSU's Carl Maddox Fieldhouse became a special-needs shelter, and LSU's Pete Maravich Assembly Center became the largest acute care field hospital in American history. With 800 beds, 1,700 medical personnel from across the Nation, and thousands more volunteers working around the clock to serve and to care for all those affected by the storm, their motto became ``just make it happen.'' It was the epitome of goodness.

I am proud to represent approximately 8,000 LSU alumni living in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. On behalf of the citizens of Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, I want to thank the LSU community for all they did for us during and after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The LSU community is proud of their traditions; and, today, they are and should be proud of their commitments to academic excellence and community service.

I want to congratulate my good friend, Bill Cassidy, for bringing this important resolution to the floor. The Sixth Congressional District cannot find a more dedicated, more honorable Representative than Bill Cassidy.

I strongly encourage my colleagues to vote for this resolution. Congratulations to the LSU community on its 150th anniversary.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1072, recognizing Louisiana State University for 150 years of service and excellence in higher education.

Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College had its origin in certain land grants made by the United States Government in 1806, 1811 and 1827 for use as a seminary of learning. In 1853, the Louisiana General Assembly established the Seminary of Learning of the State of Louisiana near Pineville, Louisiana. The institution opened on January 2, 1860. In 1870, the name of the institution was changed to Louisiana State University.

Today, LSU holds a prominent position in American higher education. One

of only 25 universities nationwide designated as both a land grant and a sea grant institution, it also holds the Carnegie Foundation's Doctoral Research-Extensive designation. LSU offers degrees in 71 baccalaureate programs, 78 master's programs and 53 doctoral programs, and has awarded more than 100,000 degrees since 1860. The university is a recognized research institution with over 800 sponsored research projects.

LSU not only boasts an excellent academic program; it is a powerhouse in athletics as well. It administers 11 intercollegiate women's sports teams and nine men's sports teams. The Tigers have won 43 national championships, including 25 championships won by the women's track and field team.

LSU also holds a history of civic service through its 150 years of existence. Most recently, LSU operated the Nation's largest field hospital in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In addition, the university accepted an additional 2,300 students from the greater New Orleans area who were displaced after that disaster.

Louisiana State University is ranked 128th in the national universities category by the 2010 U.S. News & World Report ranking of U.S. colleges, 64th among public universities. Additionally U.S. News & World Report ranked LSU as the 16th most popular university in the Nation.

I extend my congratulations to Louisiana State University on its 150th anniversary and wish all its faculty, staff, students, and alumni continued success in their endeavors.

Madam Speaker, it is my honor to yield such time as he may consume to my good friend from Louisiana (Mr. Cao).

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1072) recognizing Louisiana State University for 150 years of service and excellence in higher education, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House Resolution 1072 into the Record.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1072, which celebrates Louisiana State University for 150 years of service and leadership in higher education.

Founded in 1860 as a seminary school and a military academy, the university has grown to educate more than 26,000 students annually, including more than 1,400 international students and over 4,000 graduate students. The students and faculty, past and present, guide LSU to its current standing as the flagship public university of the State of Louisiana.

LSU's dedication in the classroom is matched by its athletic excellence. The university fields 20 Division 1A sports teams and has earned over 46 national championships, including a recent 2009 national men's baseball championship.

LSU also demonstrates leadership and serves the communities of Louisiana. This was best exemplified by its role in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In addition to accepting 2,300 displaced students from universities throughout the region, 3,000 LSU students volunteered to help injured Hurricane Katrina evacuees. LSU's support of the hardest hit communities in the Gulf Coast is critical to recovery, and I thank the university and its students for their service.

This year, Louisiana State University will celebrate 150 years of providing excellent education and cultivating young men and women who become local, State, and national leaders.

Madam Speaker, once again, I express my support for Louisiana State University and thank Representative Cassidy for bringing this bill forward.

I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer an explanation of the three votes I missed yesterday. March 2, 2010 marked not only Texas Independence Day, but also the 2010 Texas primary, and I

had previously committed to events in the district that forced me to miss my first three votes of the second session last night. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on each of the following rollcall votes:

Rollcall vote No. 75, on H. Res. 1072, Recognizing Louisiana State University for 150 years of service and excellence in higher education; rollcall vote No. 76, on H.R. 3820, the Natural Hazards Risk Reduction Act of 2009; and rollcall vote No. 77, on H. Res. 1097, Supporting the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 75, 76, and 77; H. Res. 1072, H.R. 3820, H. Res. 1097, I missed these votes because car trouble caused me to miss my flight. On the next flight, because of heavy traffic, I missed these votes.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on all.