Supporting the goals and ideals of RV Centennial Celebration Month to recognize and honor 100 years of the enjoyment of recreational vehicles in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of House Resolution 1073, a bipartisan resolution recognizing and supporting the goals of RV Centennial Celebration Month in June 2010.

The first mass-produced, manufactured, motorized campers and camping trailers appeared in the American marketplace for commercial sale in 1910. This resolution seeks to honor and commemorate America's 100 years of enjoyment of RVs. It also offers an opportunity to recognize the workers who make RVs, the entrepreneurs who started these companies and whose passion has created jobs and opportunity for so many people and to recognize the homegrown industry that has developed to support this great American pastime and to provide good-paying jobs for thousands of families.

I have the privilege of representing a large portion of the RV industry. It is crucial to northern Indiana's economy. RV manufacturing has long been a major economic driver in places like Elkhart by directly employing thousands of people in the RV plants and thousands more in suppliers' factories, not to mention its contributions to the local municipal tax base.

The economic importance of RVs and camping extends well beyond my district, of course--to the entire United States. RV manufacturing is big business in Oregon, Iowa and elsewhere. Camping and RV tourism pump millions into our parks and vacation destinations each and every year. For a century, through war and peace, booms and busts and technological fads, RVs have been a mainstay of American highways, campgrounds, sporting events, and driveways.

The RV lifestyle is still going strong. Today, one in 12 American households owns an RV, and over 30 million RVers take part in this affordable and environmentally friendly form of vacationing each year. We all represent families who own RVs and who enjoy the freedom of travel and of the family adventure they provide. Despite the economic ups and downs, RVs allow families an affordable way to travel and to explore this country's amazing natural resources.

This year, the RVing community will celebrate their centennial with a series of events which will culminate a 100th anniversary party hosted on June 7 at the RV Hall of Fame in Elkhart, Indiana. This resolution to recognize June 2010 as RV Centennial Celebration Month provides a fitting endorsement of the 100-year journey of a uniquely American product. This resolution enjoys the support of over 50 bipartisan cosponsors.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and pass House Resolution 1073.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1073) supporting the goals and ideals of RV Centennial Celebration Month to recognize and honor 100 years of the enjoyment of recreational vehicles in the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1073, a measure supporting the goals and ideals of RV Centennial Celebration Month.

This measure was introduced by my colleague, the gentleman from Indiana, Representative Joe Donnelly, on February 4 of this year. It was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which waived consideration of the measure to expedite its consideration on the House floor today. The measure enjoys the support of over 50 Members of the House.

Mr. Speaker, RVing is one of the great American traditions in travel. The 30 million Americans who regularly vacation via their recreational vehicles get to travel far and wide around our country, exploring our majestic landscapes, our national and State parks, and taking part in a healthy, outdoor activity. RVs help them do so at a price affordable to families. There are destinations for RVing across our 50 States, and we can all agree that we'd love for more Americans to visit the places we are most proud of in our communities.

For instance, I'd like for the RVing community to come and set their eyes on the Golden Gate Bridge, on the cable cars, on the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, or on the San Francisco Bay Estuary.

RVs make exploring our great country a practical option for many families. The first RVs came into mass production 100 years ago this June. Let us now take time to mark that significant moment in American history by supporting this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Donnelly).

Mr. Speaker, again, I would like to urge my colleagues to support this measure honoring the 100 years that RVs have been in production, and I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1073, supporting the goals and ideals of RV Centennial Celebration Month, to recognize and honor 100 years of enjoyment of recreational vehicles in the United States.

Since 1910, when the first mass-produced, manufactured, motorized campers appeared, people in recreational vehicles still set out to see the country and to enjoy the life of the open road. RVs have steadily gained popularity over the past 100 years. Today, over 30 million recreational vehicle enthusiasts enjoy this pleasant way to vacation. Recreational vehicles offer a way for families to experience all kinds of outdoor activities, especially in our national parks, lakes and oceans. Hundreds of thousands of Americans benefit from this industry, including recreational vehicle manufacturers, dealers and RV campground employees across the United States.

It is the freedom to share the excitement of exploring historical landmarks, of attending sporting events, and of engaging in family camping that explains the appeal of an RV for so many of our citizens.

On June 7, 2010, we will have the opportunity to celebrate the introduction of the recreational vehicle in the United States in Elkhart, Indiana, where the RV/MH Hall of Fame resides. This centennial is found to be a nostalgic celebration of the freedom and enjoyment that RVs have brought to so many Americans in the last 100 years. I support the passage of this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I just want to let the gentleman from Indiana know that I grew up in Goshen, Indiana, which is about 20 miles from Elkhart; so I know how important the RV industry is to that area.

Mr. Speaker, with that being said, I would like to ask that all RV owners please spend some time and drive down to Louisiana, especially to New Orleans. We have the best restaurants in the world, the best seafood, and our culture is unequaled.

I yield back the balance of my time.