Congratulating the Pennsylvania State University IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) on its continued success in support of the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 860) to reauthorize the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. 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 bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, last year the release of the Monaco Declaration made it apparent that ocean acidification is inevitable and will cause severe damage to coral reef ecosystems. This consensus of over 150 scientists from 26 nations is a clear statement that we must take action now to reduce and eliminate stresses on corals so that they can be conserved for future generations. H.R. 860, the Coral Reef Conservation Act Reauthorization and Enhancement Amendments of 2009, enhances the Federal Government's ability to respond to emergency situations and to protect reefs from damage caused by vessel groundings. It also codifies the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, which has worked tirelessly to build partnerships and strategies for on-the- ground and in-the-water actions to conserve these ecosystems.

There is an urgent need to pass H.R. 860 to improve our ability to reduce and eliminate the stresses on these precious coral reef ecosystems. Mr. Speaker, my district of Guam is one of the several U.S. Coral Reef Task Force jurisdictions. The health of coral reefs in the waters surrounding the island jurisdictions and off the State of Florida is key to our economic standing and to the protection of our environment. H.R. 860 is, therefore, of particular importance to my district. Reauthorizing the law will afford the territories the opportunity and the resources necessary to continue to develop and implement local action strategies for the conservation of our coral reefs in partnership with the Federal Government. So with that, Mr. Speaker, I ask Members on both sides to support its passage and look forward to the opportunity of working with leaders in the other body to enact this bill into law in this Congress.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I submit for the Record the following exchange of letters between the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Science and Technology concerning H.R. 860.

Committee on Foreign Affairs,

Washington, DC, July 9, 2009.

Hon. Nick J. Rahall II,

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you concerning H.R. 860,

the Coral Reef Conservation Act Reauthorization and

Enhancement Amendments of 2009.

H.R. 860 contains provisions within the Rule X jurisdiction

of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. In the interest of

permitting your Committee to proceed expeditiously to floor

consideration of this important bill, I am willing to waive

this Committee's right mark up these bills. I do so with the

understanding that by waiving consideration of H.R. 860, the

Committee on Foreign Affairs does not waive any future

jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in

the bills which fall within its Rule X jurisdiction.

Further, I request your support for the appointment of

Foreign Affairs Committee conferees during any House-Senate

conference convened on this legislation. I would ask that you

place this letter into the committee report on H.R. 860 and

insert the letters in the Congressional Record when the House

has this bill under consideration.

I look forward to working with you as we move these

important measures through the legislative process.

Sincerely,

Howard L. Berman,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional requests for time and would inquire of the minority whether they have any additional speakers.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, the gentlelady from Florida, Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen, for her very strong words in support of this bill and, of course, from the opposite side of the aisle, the manager of the bill here, Mr. Chaffetz of Utah. I want to thank them for their support.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support this bill. I thank them for their support on the floor here.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 860, legislation to reauthorize the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000. I want to commend the gentlelady from Guam who is my good friend and Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife, Congresswoman Bordallo, for her leadership on this important issue. I also want to commend Chairman Rahall and members of the Natural Resources Committee for bringing this important bill before the House for consideration.

Mr. Speaker, much has been said about how our coral reefs are in a critical state but it must be reemphasized that the conservation of coral reef is a national priority, especially given its ecological, social, economic and scientific value.

Known also as the ``rainforests of the sea,'' coral reefs provide support to about 4,000 documented fish species, 800 species of hard corals, and hundreds of other species, which is more species per unit area compared to any other marine ecosystem.

Economically, coral reefs provide the basis for an estimated $400 billion global fishing and tourism industry. For the Territories in the South Pacific Region, the economic value of coral reefs is even steeper. For example, estimates of annual economic value of coral reefs in Guam ($127.3 million), the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ($61.7 million), and American Samoa ($5.8 million), demonstrate the importance of this resource to island economies.

But even more significant, there is increasing interest in research on corals for possible cures for cancer, arthritis, human bacterial infections, viruses and other diseases. In addition, corals which live 300 years or more may contain environmental data that can assist scientists to better understand climate change and also improve studies on ocean acidification.

Yet, more than 28 percent of the world's coral reefs have been lost forever. The list of environmental threats facing coral reefs is long including overfishing and destructive fishing practices; ship groundings and debris; impacts of human population growth and shoreline development; polluted runoff and degraded water quality; and siltation and impaired water clarity.

In addition, more studies have revealed climate change also poses serious threats, including ocean acidification and warming of tropical and subtropical coastal waters. Such is the seriousness of threat on coral reefs that the global community declared 2008 as the International Year of the Reef. This was even recognized by the House in the last Congress through the unanimous passage of House Resolution 1112.

To address these many threats to coral reefs, Congress passed the Coral Reef Conservation Act which established the Coral Reef Conservation Program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to fund coral reef conservation activities. H.R. 860 follows this successful model in place and provides additional tools and mechanisms to better protect our coral reefs.

In addition, I am especially encouraged that this bill also recognizes the importance of providing funding and resources to institutes that are directly impacted and also pursuing further exploration and research of coral reefs. Under this bill, universities and research centers, such as coral reef institutes or other educational institutions such as the University of Guam or American Samoa Community College, will be given resources and support to conduct ecological research and monitoring that builds capacity for more effective resource management.

I cannot reemphasize enough the importance of coral reefs to our nation and the rest of the world. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on H.R. 860 and help protect our coral reefs.

Madam Speaker, a little over a week ago, I spent a very memorable and moving afternoon watching Penn State students taking part in THON, the annual Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon. THON at Penn State is no small event. It remains the largest student-run philanthropy in the world which since 1977 has raised over $68 million for the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Children's Hospital to fight childhood cancer.

THON involves over 15,000 student volunteers from Penn State's University Park campus and its 19 commonwealth campuses. Over 700 dancers take part in THON's marquee event: a 46 hour dance marathon at the Bryce Jordan Center. Thousands of other students join in as moralers, family and public relations, entertainment, donor relations, finance, communication, hospitality, logistics, technology, rules and regulations, and `OPP'erations team members. These students' year-long efforts culminate in THON weekend--truly an amazing and uplifting sight to see.

All of the student dancers, volunteers and sponsors who participated in this year's THON deserve recognition from Congress and the thanks of Americans everywhere for their work to help end the scourge of childhood cancer. Their hard work resulted in raising $7.83 million this year, breaking last year's record of $7.5 million.

I am proud to say that my own daughter was among the hundreds of students who took part in THON 2010. Ali served on the Morale Committee ``Jule Runnings'' and helped lift the spirits of exhausted dancers, massage tired feet, and lead the hourly line-dance to keep everyone moving to stay motivated for their cause.

Penn State students are joined by hundreds of Four Diamonds Families from Penn State Children's Hospital who look forward to THON all year round. Four Diamond Families often develop lifetime friendships with the Fraternities, Sororities, and organizations that ``adopt'' them and spend time with them throughout the year. At THON weekend you will find the kids running throughout the event, participating in talent shows, playing games with the dancers, getting piggyback rides and even starting water-pistol fights with unsuspecting volunteers. The culmination of the weekend is Family Hour--when families share the struggle in the fight against childhood cancer with everyone in attendance. This was a deeply emotionally moving hour that brought the struggle of childhood cancer into a personal light. Some of the stories had happy endings, some did not. But each story was an inspiration to keep fighting for the cure for childhood cancers. These children and families are why Penn State dances.

THON is a life changing event for anyone who attends or takes part in the event. And while Penn State students are hoping to change the lives of children affected by childhood cancer, more often than not it's the students whose lives are changed by participating in THON. Love truly does ``Belong Here.'' We Are Penn State--For the Kids.

I thank my good friend for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 860, the reauthorization of the

Coral Reef Conservation Act. In addition to having the tremendous honor of representing the Florida Keys here in the United States Congress, I'm also pleased to boast that my district is home to one of the most diverse ecosystems in the Nation, if not the world. The waters surrounding my district, Florida's 18th Congressional District, is home to America's only living barrier coral reef, which is also the second- largest coral reef tract in the world. The bill before us today, H.R. 860, would continue the Federal Government's efforts to protect and preserve the coral reef systems in the Florida Keys as well as in Hawaii and in Guam.

Coral reefs provide many economic, environmental and cultural benefits, particularly in my home district, where tourism brings in hundreds of millions of dollars every year. As the reefs sustain more damage every day, the tourism and ecosystem they help to maintain are threatened. This bill, in particular, will increase Federal oversight over the monitoring and rehabilitation efforts of our coral reef system while also promoting community-based conservation initiatives. In effect, local stakeholders and Federal agencies will work together to develop regionally approved and appropriate management plans.

One of the most important ways that this bill will help to protect coral reefs is by authorizing emergency responses to the physical damages that are sustained by coral reefs due to vessel groundings and impacts from derelict fishing gear. Having the distinct pleasure of taking part in two scuba diving missions to the Aquarius Undersea Laboratory in the Florida Keys, I witnessed just how important our coral reefs are not only to the environment but also for the education of our young people. In today's hyperlinked world, elementary students from Idaho can tune in to educational broadcasts on the dangers of coral bleaching and offshore drilling by the aquanauts working in the Aquarius. During one of my two visits to Aquarius, I had the pleasure of participating in a live question-and-answer session with local elementary school students on the issue of coral reef preservation.

Coral reefs are important to all Americans, not just to those of us who are fortunate enough to live in coastal areas. That is why I join my colleagues here today in strong support of H.R. 860, a bill which reaffirms the role of our Federal Government in protecting these precious coral resources for today and tomorrow's generations. Thank you for the time, my good friend from Utah, and I thank my wonderful friend from Guam, once again, for fighting for our Nation's environment.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today, proudly, in support of House Resolution 1112, congratulating the Pennsylvania State University IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon--or THON as it's referred to at Penn State--on its continued success in support of the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital.

Pennsylvania State University, or Penn State, is a public research university founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania. The school was renamed Pennsylvania State College in 1875, and in 1889 it became Pennsylvania State University. Today, Penn State offers 160 different majors, and over 43,000 students are enrolled at the university's main campus in State College, Pennsylvania, just miles from my home town.

Penn State has a strong reputation for its academic, athletic, and civic excellence. It is known as one of ``the public ivies'' and also is known for its community involvement. The Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital at the Penn State Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, is the only Children's Hospital located in south central Pennsylvania and the home of the region's only level 1 NICU. The hospital is a leader in several specialties and has ranked higher than 90 percent in patient satisfaction.

The Four Diamond Fund for the Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital was established to conquer childhood cancer by assisting children and their families through treatment. The fund has helped more than 2,000 families by offsetting the cost of treatment and additional expenses incurred during treatment.

The Penn State Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic organize a yearly dance marathon known as THON to raise funds for the Four Diamond Fund. The first THON took place in 1973 and has raised more than $68.9 million since then. THON now has 15,000 student volunteers and is part of a year-long effort to raise funds and awareness. This year's THON raised over $7.8 million just last weekend for pediatric cancer patients. THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world and helps to make a difference in the lives of children with pediatric cancer.

As a proud Penn State alumnus and Member representing them here in Washington, I want to congratulate Penn State--the dancers, the students, the individuals who make the donations, and the organizations involved in the THON event. I want to recognize them for their commitment to helping others. Their activities have truly touched the lives of so many.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.