Recognizing Brooklyn Botanic Garden on its 100th anniversary as the preeminent horticultural attraction in the borough of Brooklyn and its longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship and education for the City of New York.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Ms. Norton, for giving me this opportunity to share with everyone how proud I am to rise in support of H. Res. 1428, which recognizes and salutes the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens on the occasion of its 100th anniversary as the preeminent horticultural attraction in the borough of Brooklyn and its longstanding commitment to the environmental stewardship and education for the City of New York.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden opened its doors to the public in 1910. Today, this 52-acre urban oasis features more than 11,000 different kinds of plants from around the world and specialty gardens, including the Japanese Hill and Pond Garden, the Children's Garden, the Native Flora Garden, the Cranford Rose Garden, the Alice Recknagel Ireys Fragrance Garden, and the Steinhardt Conservatory.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is an important part of the Brooklyn community, reaching over 150,000 children every year through various programs on site, in schools, and throughout the community. This garden contributes to the environmental and public education in Brooklyn and throughout the city of New York through partnerships with the Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment High School. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden hosts an annual Cherry Blossom Festival and has become an integral part of the cultural life and economic development of the city of New York and provides an invaluable service to its residents.

Today, under the leadership of President Scot Medbury and Board Chairman Frederick Bland, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden thrives in a dense urban setting in the heart of New York's 11th Congressional District and welcomes more than 725,000 visitors annually.

The garden serves more than 150,000 youth annually through a wide range of on-site, in-school, and community-based initiatives. It is a leader in building stronger, healthier communities through programs such as GreenBridge, which involves over 60,000 residents annually in neighborhood greening projects. Through its scientific research, plant conservation projects, and award-winning publications, the garden is a vital source of public awareness and understanding of the essential role plants play in our lives.

While the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has had 100 wonderful years of establishment, I am excited to see what the future holds for this great institution. I am happy to see that it is revitalizing its 52 acres by developing more than 4 acres of new and enhanced gardens for the enjoyment and education of the public, improving facilities to orient and serve visitors, and expanding its community horticulture programs.

The new herb garden opened in the spring of 2010 and is the first of several new and re-imagined gardens to come. The Visitor Center, currently under construction, will be an extraordinary demonstration of what can be achieved through environmentally sensitive design and will help the garden better welcome its growing audience. A series of exciting projects will continue to unfold over the next several years in response to the urgent call for beauty and renewal in urban life and for environmental stewardship at all levels of society.

As a Brooklyn native, for years I have seen how this dynamic institution has educated people of all diverse urban neighborhoods about the importance of enhancing the quality of their surroundings through the cultivation and enjoyment of plants. It has done an outstanding job of bringing public awareness to the importance of sustaining our environment and providing access to the tools and ways in which we can conserve and protect it.

I urge anyone who has the chance to visit the garden and witness firsthand the abundance of breathtaking plant life that resides in the middle of Brooklyn. All of us in Brooklyn appreciate the role that the Brooklyn Botanic Garden plays in our lives, and we look forward to continuing the enjoyment of this beautiful institution. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is truly a national treasure.

This recognition is well deserved, and I urge my colleagues to join me in passing this very important legislation.

Let me thank the gentlelady for yielding this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today for two reasons. First, to offer my support for H.R. 1428, the measure that was offered by the gentlelady from Brooklyn, New York (Ms. Clarke). That is a resolution recognizing the Brooklyn Botanic Garden on its 100th anniversary. That is a good resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I also rise today in support of H. Res. 1475, which was a resolution that I offered some months ago. Unfortunately, I was not on the floor a few moments ago when this matter was taken up, and I regret that I was not here at that very moment. But I wanted to come to the floor now to offer my strong support for H. Res. 1475, which is a resolution congratulating the town of Tarboro, North Carolina, on the occasion of its 250th anniversary. I introduced this resolution in June of this year, with 54 original cosponsors, including the entire North Carolina House delegation. I thank my North Carolina colleagues for their very strong support.

Most people, Mr. Speaker, may not know about Tarboro, North Carolina, or the tremendous impact the town made on the history of our State and Nation.

On November 30, 1760, the North Carolina General Assembly approved the charter for the town, and Tarboro was born, making it the 11th oldest colonial town in our State. President George Washington visited the town during an historic visit through the South in 1791, choosing to overnight in this small town. Settled as a trading post on the Tar River in the mid 18th century, Tarboro thrived as a river port.

Mr. Speaker, Tarboro was also an early political incubator and produced two Congressmen who both represented the Second Congressional District of North Carolina in this House.

Congressman George H. White was elected to Congress in 1897 and served until 1901. He was the last Reconstruction-era African American from the South to serve in Congress until the 1970s. Rising racial tension made it impossible for George H. White to win a third term in Congress. His final speech before his congressional colleagues right here on this House floor has inspired Americans for over 100 years. He said, and I quote: ``This, Mr. Chairman, is perhaps the Negroes' temporary farewell to the American Congress, but let me say, Phoenix- like, he will rise up someday and come again.'' That statement was made right in this Chamber.

Congressman L.H. Fountain served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1953 until 1983. He is remembered for being a stalwart advocate for small towns such as Tarboro during his service in the House.

Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffs, Retired General Hugh Shelton of the United States Army, who served in that position under President Bill Clinton, was born in Tarboro and reared in the neighboring town of Speed, where he continues to live today.

Today, Mr. Speaker, Tarboro is home to some 11,000 residents. They are my constituents. Its ideal location on the banks of the Tar River historically served as a thriving river port and trading post, and today offers extensive fishing, boating, and recreation for people of all ages.

Tarboro's downtown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, where many original structures are still in use today, including restaurants and theaters and quaint shops, and even the home of Congressman George H. White and the home of Congressman L.H. Fountain. Its town commons joins Boston, Massachusetts, as the only original remaining town common on the East Coast. The town continues to grow and evolve while maintaining its connection to history and originality.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent this town. It is indeed an historic day for the residents of Tarboro, and I sincerely congratulate the town on the occasion of its 250th anniversary. I am pleased that the House is considering this resolution. I urge my colleagues to vote ``aye'' when it is presented for a vote.

Again, I would like to thank the gentlelady and I also would like to thank my friend Mr. Bilbray from California for their courtesy.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1428) recognizing Brooklyn Botanic Garden on its 100th anniversary as the preeminent horticultural attraction in the borough of Brooklyn and its longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship and education for the City of New York.

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

Mr. Speaker, I now yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H. Res. 1428, a resolution recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

H. Res. 1428 was introduced by our colleague, the gentlewoman from New York, Representative Yvette Clarke, on June 9 of 2010. It was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which ordered it reported favorably by unanimous consent on July 28, 2010. The measure enjoys the support of 50 Members of the House.

Mr. Speaker, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a top cultural and environmental attraction in New York City, attracting over 730,000 visitors each year. It is a superb example of urban gardening and horticultural display, serving local residents and international visitors alike, and also features a number of educational programs through a partnership with the Brooklyn Academy of Science and the Environment High School.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden features a number of specialty gardens and collections on its 52 acres, including a collection of cherry trees that allows it to host a world-renowned Cherry Blossom Festival each spring. Its other collections hold over 11,000 different varieties of plants from all over the world, representing an invaluable cultural and scientific resource.

I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Brooklyn Botanic Garden on its 100th anniversary and for its commitment to education, community service, and environmental stewardship.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield time to the sponsor of the bill, our colleague, Representative Yvette Clarke, for such time as she may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield).

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, today I wish to lend my support for H. Res. 1428, which seeks to recognize Brooklyn Botanic Garden on its 100th anniversary, as the preeminent horticultural attraction in the borough of Brooklyn, and its longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship and education for the City of New York.

Built from a site that functioned as an ash dump in the 1800s, the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens have become a preeminent example of the finest urban gardening, and a model for environmental stewardship.

The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens prides itself on a strong commitment to education, community outreach, and scientific research. Programs like Project Green Reach and the Garden Apprentice Program provide a science-focused educational program for over 2,500 K-12 participants annually from Brooklyn's public Title I schools. The program provides youth with unique, hands-on opportunities for personal growth and career development, through learning about science, ecology, and the environment in their classrooms, in their neighborhoods, and right at the Garden.

Its 52 acres in the heart of Brooklyn, New York serves as a premier environmental education site for New York City's youth, a get-away for the 730,000 annual visitors, and an exquisite recreational spot for New Yorkers.

I commend the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens for its numerous achievements over the last 100 years, and I wish them luck over the next century as it continues to serve the community.

Madam Speaker, I regret that I was unable to participate in a series of votes on the floor of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, November, 16, 2010.

Had I been present to vote on rollcall No. 569, on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 716, I would have voted ``aye'' on the question.

Had I been present to vote on rollcall No. 570, on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1475, I would have voted ``aye'' on the question.

Had I been present to vote on rollcall No. 571, on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 1428, I would have voted ``aye'' on the question.