Commending and congratulating the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.

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

Madam Speaker, I need to stand in opposition to this. Certainly, the Hollywood Walk of Fame has provided enjoyment for untold numbers of people. It's a great destination. Hollywood is certainly a unique treasure that is unique to the United States of America and specifically southern California.

To my colleagues who wholeheartedly support and endorse and stand behind this resolution, maybe I'm a wet bucket of water on a parade; but I've got to tell you, I just don't feel like it's the proper role of the United States Congress to recognize the Hollywood Walk of Fame on its 50th anniversary.

There are plenty of ways to recognize and to thank and congratulate the stars of Hollywood and the impact that they've had on the American ideal and the American entertainment industry. I just don't feel like it's the proper role of the United States Congress to do this, with all due respect. Recognizing educators, absolutely. We're about to recognize Flag Day, of course. Hollywood Walk of Fame? Maybe not so much.

So with all due respect to the 50-plus colleagues on both sides of the aisle that have supported this resolution, I, for one, as a Representative of the United States Congress, simply cannot stand here and voice my support that this is a good use of the Congress' time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, Chairman Towns is one of my favorite people. I have really come to grow and appreciate him; I just happen to disagree with him on this.

There are a lot of people on the Hollywood Walk of Fame who have done some amazing and great things, and for that they should be congratulated, but not necessarily from the United States Congress. There are a whole lot of people on that Walk of Fame we probably shouldn't recognize in any way, shape or form.

The point I'm trying to make is there is a certain segment of our population, from the entertainment industry and those involved in sports, that gets more adulation from the public than they could possibly take, and yet we have true heroes, real heroes who don't get an ounce of appreciation from this body that really do deserve it.

The other day I was watching television--this was just recently--and there was a National Guardsman who pulled around a corner--and I can't remember what State it was, I want to say it was the State of Washington, but I could be wrong on that. All of a sudden, there was a truck that had overturned in a river, and suddenly this guy found himself in a situation where there is somebody who is struggling for his life. He and a few other people, just citizens who woke up that morning and had no idea that they were going to be the heroes that day, went down that river, they smashed open that window, they grabbed a rope and saved this person's life. Where are the recognitions for those true heroes?

I don't think Sophia Loren needs any more congratulations from the United States Congress. And as important as it is to the economy in southern California--I've got an amusement park in northern Utah called the Lagoon. I'm not coming to the United States Congress asking for recognition of it.

Sure, I would be happy to yield.

Reclaiming my time, good point. I'm happy to recognize Ronald Reagan, and I appreciate your support. I'll bring a resolution at some point recognizing Ronald Reagan. There's a corner worth standing on. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Look, these issues come before the United States Congress. I think there is a time and a place to recognize significant achievements within the United States of America. I am going to ask for a recorded vote on this. It will be an interesting question.

My point is, the economy is struggling; we've got real issues out there. Like I said, there is a time and a place to make these kinds of recognitions. I just don't know that this rises to the same level as recognizing teachers or nurses who hold people's hand as they are there in the final days of their lives.

There are a lot of things that I think we could unanimously look at and recognize. I, for one, don't think that Hollywood needs more recognition. And with all due respect, I, for one, at least will be voting against this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, look, there are lots of reasons America and the world like Hollywood. I just don't believe, in my heart of hearts, that the United States Congress, in a resolution by the House of Representatives, is the right way to recognize the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

From my vantage point, you certainly don't look to the Hollywood Walk of Fame or to Hollywood in general for the principles and values that are representative of the United States of America. That Paul Reubens' Pee-wee Herman has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is a far cry from Ronald Reagan's having a star.

Again, I am just one voice here in this body, but I've got to tell you, as to the people I represent, I'll have a hard time going back to them, saying, You know what? I did the work of the people, and I'm back there, spending the people's money, and we recognized the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I just can't do it.

Again, with all due respect, there are a lot of good Members back there, and that might be an interesting debate to take the few thousand people and go back and forth. I'm going to start with Paul Reubens, and I appreciate your starting with Ronald Reagan. Somewhere in between is probably the right answer.

We need to get on with the Nation's business, with the debt and with the other crises that we are dealing with. That is my point with this, Madam Speaker. I won't take any more of the people's time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1357) commending and congratulating the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak today and to vote for H. Res. 1357, a bill I introduced to honor one of the most well-known historical landmarks in the world, the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

For 50 years, the Hollywood Walk of Fame has existed as a tribute to those who have contributed to the unparalleled success of America's entertainment industry. As the chairwoman of the Congressional Entertainment Industries Caucus and a Representative from the City of Los Angeles, I am uniquely aware of the role Hollywood has played in presenting the values, the culture, and the creativity of the United States to audiences around the world. Across the globe, Hollywood means glamour and excitement, and in our district it also means solid jobs and revenue.

In 1953, E.M. Stuart, the president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, came up with the idea of creating the Hollywood Walk of Fame as a tribute to the industry, and on March 28, 1960, filmmaker Stanley Kramer was awarded the first star. Fifty years later, an average of two stars are added each month, and the Walk of Fame has become one of the top visitor attractions in the City of Los Angeles and also a destination in the United States.

I was proud to submit H. Res. 1357 to recognize this important cultural landmark, and I urge my colleagues to vote in support of the resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I am now proud to yield such time as he may consume to my good friend, my distinguished friend from the State of New York, Representative Towns.

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

Madam Speaker, I proudly come before this body representing the United States members from all over this country because I think Hollywood reflects who we are as a people. And I heard and I am so pleased that my colleague, Representative Towns, mentioned that the legendary and iconic President, Ronald Reagan, has a star on the Walk of Fame. I also want everyone listening to know, Madam Speaker, that Senator Fred Thompson, who was a star of a crime series over a period of years, has a star on the Walk of Fame and even ran for President of the United States. And I want you to know, Madam Speaker and my colleagues, that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Terminator, has a star on the walk of fame. He is a Republican and proudly serves as a Republican. He represents the great State of California where Hollywood is.

I want you to know that I recently took down to South Africa, Madam Speaker, a project named after a gentleman who was the face of Hollywood, because I was told several years ago that they were getting ready to close the Rosa Parks Library and Information in Cape Town South Africa. That is the information center attached to our embassy, the U.S. Embassy. They were going to close it down because they said the Cold War was over.

So I took 100 of America's best and loved films, films which are loved all over the world, which show our principles, our values, our beliefs, and our humanity, because everyone is influenced by our movies.

I also want to say, Madam Speaker, that, as our image has been tarnished, I feel that our classic movies and the people who starred in those movies, who have stars on the Walk of Fame, could be recognized in other countries and could help improve our image.

So I would hope that all Members, Madam Speaker, recognize that they represent the people of America, and I would hope that the Members here will vote to support an industry that really speaks to the world about our mores, our principles, our great talents, and our arts. It is an industry that speaks proudly and distinctly to the rest of the world. So I would hope that we would have, really, a unanimous vote on celebrating, through this resolution, the Walk of Fame.

I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

I would like to thank the chair of the subcommittee for yielding time to me because I wanted to respond to a couple of things that my good friend on the other side of the aisle said. First of all, I know him. I know that he's a very dedicated and committed human being--and of course outstanding kicker in his day, and of course set records as a kicker. I think that he probably misunderstood what this bill is named. It's the Hollywood ``Walk'' of Fame. I want to make certain that he understands that. And many people who have walked there have contributed so much to society, contributed so much to organizations.

When you look back and you see in terms of the contributions that these people have made, then I think that my colleague would probably review it and probably would withdraw his objections. When you look at the amount of money they've given to breast cancer, when you look at the amount of money they've given to AIDS and all these diseases that we need to do extensive research on, that people that have walked these streets and walked the Hollywood Walk of Fame, when we think about the things that they've done, then I really feel that if he did, he would say wait a minute.

You know, every now and then we make a mistake or we say some things that we wish we had not said, and I think this is the situation now with my colleague because if you think about the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the contributions of the people that are listed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, then I really feel that he would join us in supporting this legislation.

On that note, I ask my good friend on the other side of the aisle to reconsider.

Will the gentleman yield?

When I think about the Hollywood Walk of Fame, I think about the man who signed the Martin Luther King Holiday bill by the name of Ronald Reagan. He's on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I just want the gentleman to know that.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H. Res 1357, a resolution congratulating the Hollywood Walk of Fame on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.

The star-studded sidewalks at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street are an iconic symbol of the American entertainment industry. First envisioned by former Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President E.M. Stuart, the Hollywood Walk of Fame today prominently fulfills its mission to maintain ``the glory of a community whose name means glamour and excitement in the four corners of the world.''

Since its inception in 1960, over 2,000 individuals have been awarded stars on the walk in the categories of motion picture, television, music, radio broadcasting, and theater. Individually, these stars honor the talents and extraordinary achievements of artists as varied as Sidney Poitier, Carol Burnett, Elvis Presley, Gloria Estefan and Bob Hope. Collectively, the Hollywood Walk of Fame celebrates an entertainment industry that is an engine of creativity and ingenuity and an emblem of American culture at home and abroad.

Today, our Nation is proud to honor the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which attracts an estimated 10 million visitors a year, and its development as a lively hub for tourism and a thriving monument. It is most certainly a destination worth visiting and commemorating.