Congratulating the University of North Carolina men's basketball team for winning the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship.

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

I rise in support of House Resolution 348, congratulating the University of North Carolina men's basketball team for winning the 2009 NCAA Division I National Championship. I am pleased to have the support of the entire North Carolina delegation as original cosponsors of this resolution.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a special place to the entire State of North Carolina and, as the Nation's first public university, has long been a beacon of light and liberty in the South. The academic tradition of excellence and unyielding commitment to public service is what drew me across the mountains from Tennessee to Chapel Hill 50 years ago and largely shaped my life's further course.

This year's success caps a remarkable history. UNC has played in a record 18 Final Fours and won the NCAA National Championship in 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, and 2009.

While Head Coach Roy Williams inherited a first-class program, he deserves special credit for the exceptional success and character of his teams. Coach Williams, who is a native of the mountains of North Carolina, has the highest winning percentage of any active coach in men's basketball, and unquestionably sits at the top of his profession. Since he came to Carolina as head coach in 2003, the Tar Heels have won two NCAA championships, four Atlantic Coast Conference regular season championships, and two ACC tournament championships. The 2008-2009 season marks their third consecutive 30-win season.

Like the whole community of Carolina basketball fans, I'm exceedingly proud of this entire team--the players, the coaches, and the staff--for their outstanding performance in the Nation's most competitive and most watched college athletics tournament. In addition to their on-court success, the team has consistently shown academic commitment, appreciation to their fans, good sportsmanship toward their opponents, and respect for the game of basketball. I'm particularly proud that Inside Higher Education also crowned UNC its national champion in its annual academic NCAA tournament, signifying that UNC has the single best academic performance rate of any NCAA tournament team. These coaches and players have ably upheld the tradition of excellence--both on the court and in the classroom--established by legendary coaches Dean Smith and Bill Guthridge and now continued by Roy Williams.

As an alumnus and Chapel Hill resident, this program and most recent championship make me very proud. These are my friends and neighbors-- Joan Ewing, my dear friend and former district director, is Dean Smith's sister--and it is my honor to represent all of them in Congress.

But this year other alumni and I were not the only fans in Washington cheering the Tar Heels from afar. President Obama himself picked Carolina to bring home the title and played a pickup game with the team last spring before the North Carolina primary election. It's important to note that he did so while employing a former Duke basketball player as his closest personal aide. As the Member of this institution who represents both institutions and a Carolina alumnus who teaches at Duke, I can only salute such a feat of athletic bipartisanship with great admiration! It's very reassuring to have this display coming from our new President.

So, colleagues, I urge the House to join President Obama and the North Carolina delegation in celebrating the Tar Heels. This is an institution and team who are worthy of our praise; not only because they found success, but because they did it the right way, the Carolina way.

Hark the sound and go Heels.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman.

I am now pleased to yield such time as he may consume to my friend and colleague, another UNC alumnus, Brad Miller of the 13th District of North Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my colleague from the Seventh District of North Carolina and yet another UNC alumnus, Mike McIntyre.

(Mr. McINTYRE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Kentucky, knowing him and how much he knows and cares about basketball and knowing about that Kentucky tradition. Those words really mean a great deal coming from him. I think we are all grateful.

Now I yield 3 minutes to yet another Carolina Representative from the Second Congressional District, Bob Etheridge.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the comments of my colleague. As you might guess, from what he said and the way he looks, he knows whereof he speaks when he talks about playing basketball at the collegiate level.

So we are grateful for these words of support and commend this resolution to all of our colleagues.

I yield back the balance of our 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.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 348, a resolution congratulating my alma mater, University of North Carolina, men's basketball team for winning the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship.

I can tell you as an undergraduate, who was in the class of Phil Ford, as many of our friends will remember, who had the famous four- corners offense under Coach Dean Smith and as one who also went to law school at University of North Carolina when Sam Perkins and several other fellows, James Worthy and Matt Doherty, were all involved in the program, we saw some great years of basketball and Final Fours. And throughout, I know my life and the lives of many of us who have gone to the University of North Carolina, folks from all over--not just the State--but the Nation indeed, we take great pride in the winning tradition that we all have personally witnessed throughout the years by the University of North Carolina basketball team.

In fact, both of my sons, Stephen and Joshua McIntyre, are now in law school at Carolina and were undergraduates when Carolina won its first title under Roy Williams just a few years ago in St. Louis, when we were there to watch the March to the Arch. And I had the great pleasure to be in Detroit for the Final Four to witness Carolina win this championship by our great coach, Roy Williams, his wonderful assistants and, of course, the great players for the Carolina team.

The precedent that has been set by Dean Smith, the great tradition that he had, the wonderful work that Coach Roy Williams clearly has done, sends a strong message that success can be found through dedication and hard work. In fact, I would say that they

have shown that despite all difficulties this team faced when they were chosen as preseason number one, and everybody expected them to win the championship--but then they went through difficult times--but then they came back and proved that, indeed, they were the national champions. It showed that the three Ds in the real world, dreams, dedication and determination, lead to success such as this Tar Heel team found in winning the national championship.

Having a dream, being dedicated to it as those players worked and worked, despite the difficulty, the coaching staff worked, the managers that supported the team, and then they came together through that dedication to that dream, they were determined to prove they, indeed, were the number one team in the Nation. That they did in Detroit.

I cannot say enough about the great program that this is in terms of what it exemplifies in terms of the values of teamwork, commitment, loyalty, courage and being able to stand up against adversity. It sends a strong message of success that others can emulate in other programs around this country; and it speaks to young people everywhere. Five NCAA championships for the University of North Carolina, plus the championship, a national championship prior to when the NCAA was formed. So, really, six national championships have been won now by the men's basketball team.

On behalf of the United States Congress, let me join my colleagues in saying, and as a proud fellow alumnus of the University of North Carolina and as one who has family members attending the University of North Carolina now, we are very proud of our Tar Heels. The citizens of North Carolina and the United States Congress are proud of the exemplary role that they have played in college sports and the example they have set for our Nation.

God bless the Tar Heel boys.

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

I would like to congratulate the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. I don't have the same level of connection with North Carolina as does Mr. Price, but I did pick them in my basketball pool, which I didn't win, by the way, but at least I won on that aspect of it; so I congratulate them for that.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to Mr. Latham. He, too, will congratulate North Carolina, but he wants to comment on the previous bill, which, unfortunately, he couldn't quite get here for, on community colleges.

(Mr. LATHAM asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

I thought somebody who's not from North Carolina should say something nice about North Carolina basketball in North Carolina, and I have a full statement, which I will submit.

But I just want to congratulate the team and the university. And it's happened a lot before. We all know the excellence of North Carolina basketball. This is their sixth national title. Roy Williams has won twice now in his 6th year in coaching the team, improving to 594 wins and 138 losses in 21 seasons as a head coach, which gives him the highest winning percentage of any active coach in men's basketball. The individual players who are graduating this year excelled, obviously, and they deserve a tremendous amount of credit. Junior Wayne Ellington was the Most Outstanding Player. He, too, deserves a great deal of credit.

And to our friends from North Carolina, I also recognize the academics of the institution and the great work which they have done not only for the State of North Carolina but other States such as my State of Delaware and other places that the North Carolina graduates have gone. North Carolina is in its third century. It has 71 bachelor's, 107 master's, 74 doctorate, and four professional degree programs, and they're all very important for the future of North Carolina and for America.

So we offer our congratulations to the entire University of North Carolina, to their athletic department as well as the basketball team, and obviously the academic school for all the great work which they have done. They are a shining example for the rest of us in this country.

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

Madam Speaker, I had yielded back the balance of my time, but the distinguished gentleman from Kentucky has arrived and would like 2 minutes.

I ask unanimous consent to yield him 2 minutes.

Before he starts, I am just surprised that the gentleman from North Carolina didn't object to somebody representing Kentucky basketball speaking, but Mr. Rogers is a distinguished gentleman.

I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers).

Madam Speaker, I urge everybody to support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleague David Price to speak in favor, to take the pro side of this debate.

I am a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I spoke a moment ago about the importance of community colleges in creating opportunities for people who otherwise would not have them. That is emphatically true for me and, for the University of North Carolina, the role it has played in my life. I could not be a Member of this body if it were not for the opportunities that the University of North Carolina, my State university, created for me and creates for thousands of middle class kids from North Carolina, kids from the middle class, people who are from families that are struggling to get into the middle class.

I do trust my friend and colleague of longstanding from North Carolina, David Price, also a graduate of the University of North Carolina. I know that he also has been a professor at a nearby institution of lesser reputation, so I wanted to make sure there was someone here with absolutely unmixed loyalties who could speak in favor of this resolution.

The men's basketball team this year was an exceptional group of athletes. The starting five, Tyler Hansbrough, Deon Thompson, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, others coming off the bench, Bobby Frasor, Ed Davis, Tyler Zeller, others, was an extraordinary group of athletes. There was no doubt that they would be at the Final Four in the mix for the title throughout the season.

Mr. Price has already mentioned the frequency with which my university has won the national championship, but it bears repeating: 1957, 1982, 1993, 2005, and 2009 the University of North Carolina has won the championship. But beyond just that accomplishment, that athletic accomplishment, we have done it with a basketball program that we can be proud of. Our academic standards have remained high. Our graduation rate for our basketball players, for our athletes is exceptionally high. Dean Smith, a revered figure in college athletics, in addition to being the coach of the men's basketball team for many years, in the 1960s when it was not such an easy thing to do, led with one of the leaders of the fight for racial justice in North Carolina, something that I think all North Carolina graduates can be proud of.

I am proud that we have those banners hanging in the rafters that I mentioned, 1957, 1992, 1993, 2005, and 2009, but I'm even more proud of knowing that we will never have to take those banners down. We will never hear from the NCAA that we have violated the rules so flagrantly that we have to give our banners back.

I am proud of this year's team. I'm proud of our men's basketball program. I'm proud of my university. And I urge all Members to vote for this resolution.

I thank my colleague from the Fourth District for yielding. He has the great privilege, my colleague from Kentucky, he has the great privilege of representing an outstanding university in academics and research and now a school that has added to their joy with another national championship. But as my colleague from Kentucky said, I think all of us need to keep it in perspective.

We are awful proud of the Tar Heels because they showed what, really, athletics are about: tenacity, having a commitment for excellence and strong academics. UNC is one of those institutions that anchors the corner through the Research Triangle, one of the fine research universities in this country and one of the regions that employs an awful lot of our people.

So we are awful proud of the young men who come to North Carolina, who have added to the reputation of that great UNC institution in bringing home a national championship.

I think for people who have played basketball, you can really appreciate what it takes, the pressures that are on those young men anywhere from 18 to 21 years of age, tremendous pressure over a full season and in several weeks leading to a championship where every game is a championship game. All you have to do is lose one game and you are out.

I don't know of any greater pressure that a young person can have, and yet they showed the kind of class, the kind of strength, tremendous will. A lot of congratulations go to the coach, to the university and especially to those young men.

Let me thank my colleague for bringing this resolution forward. I encourage all of my colleagues to join in supporting this resolution and congratulating an outstanding group of young men from all over the country who came to North Carolina to go to school, to get an education and play a sport that allowed them to get an education.

I think folks begin to forget sometimes what we are talking about are student athletes. They are students first and then athletes. I thank you for doing this resolution. I am proud to have an opportunity to join him in congratulating these young men and the alums for that.

I would close by saying that my daughter had our first grandson, she was a graduate, undergraduate, graduate school and law school, and the first thing she taught him to say was ``Go Heels.'' She didn't even get him to say, ``I am glad to see you, Grandaddy.'' It was ``Go Heels.''