Honoring the life and accomplishments of Harry Kalas for his invaluable contributions to the national past-time of baseball, the community, and the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 350) honoring the life and accomplishments of Harry Kalas for his invaluable contributions to the national past-time of baseball, the community, and the Nation.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to present House Resolution 350 for consideration. This resolution honors the life and accomplishment of Harry Kalas.

House Resolution 350 was introduced by my colleague, Representative Joe Sestak, on April 21, 2009, and was favorably reported out of the Oversight Committee by unanimous consent on June 18, 2009. Additionally, House Resolution 350 enjoys the support of over 50 Members of Congress.

Born on March 26, 1936 in Naperville, Illinois, Harry Kalas graduated from Naperville High School in 1954 and from the University of Iowa in 1959, after receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech, Radio and Television.

Following his graduation, Mr. Kalas served in the United States Army for 2 years, after which he began his distinguished career in broadcasting by calling baseball games for the University of Hawaii, as well as the Hawaii Islanders of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.

In 1965, Mr. Kalas made his major league baseball debut as a sportscaster with the Houston Astros. Six years later he embarked on what would become a 39-year Hall of Fame career as a sports broadcaster with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he was ultimately paired with his good friend and Phillies' Hall of Famer, center fielder Richie Ashburn.

Nicknamed ``Harry the K'' by Phillies fans, Mr. Kalas originated his now-famous ``Outta Here'' home run call in the mid-1970s and, as the nearly 40-year voice of the Phillies, called a number of memorable Philadelphia and Major League Baseball moments. Among them were the first games played at the Houston Astrodome, Veterans Stadium and Citizens Bank Park, also Mike Schmidt's 500th home run, and every one of Steve Carlton's starts from 1972 to 1986, and, of course, the Phillies' two World Series championships in 1980 and in 2008.

In recognition of his distinguished career, Mr. Kalas received the Ford C. Frick Award in 2002 from the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which actually bestows the award to broadcasters who have made major contributions to the game of baseball.

However, Mr. Kalas' career was not limited to baseball. In addition to his work with the Phillies, Mr. Kalas called a variety of notable sports events over the course of his nearly 50-year career and served as the longtime voice of NFL films, as featured on the HBO program ``Inside the NFL.'' Mr. Kalas also lent his voice to a number of well- known commercials and television specials. But most importantly, Mr. Kalas will be equally remembered as a devoted husband to his beloved wife, Eileen, and father to his three sons, Todd, Brad, and Kane.

Regrettably, Harry Kalas passed away on April 13, 2009. In honor of their beloved friend and colleague, the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies can be seen wearing a black ``H.K.'' patch over the heart of their jerseys, and Mr. Kalas' famous home run call can currently be heard playing in Citizens Bank Park after every Phillies homer.

Additionally, the Phillies have renamed their TV broadcast booth the Harry Kalas Broadcast Booth.

Mr. Speaker, let us further honor this distinguished American through the passage of this commemorative resolution to honor his life and achievements.

I urge my colleagues to do so and support House Resolution 350.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman from Florida for his remarks and adding that personal touch.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers at this time, and I will reserve.

Mr. Speaker, having no further speakers, I do want to ask all of our colleagues to join with the lead sponsor of this resolution, Mr. Sestak, in supporting his resolution honoring Mr. Kalas.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield as much time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague and friend from the State of Florida, Mr. Rooney.

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

I rise in support of H. Res. 350 honoring the voice of the Philadelphia Phillies legendary broadcaster, Harry Kalas, for his contributions to the national pastime of baseball, to the greater Philadelphia community, and to this Nation.

Mr. Kalas graduated from the University of Iowa in 1959 with a degree in Speech, Radio and Television. Upon graduation he was drafted into the United States Army, and when discharged he began working as a broadcaster.

He began his 44-year career as a Major League Baseball broadcaster with the Houston Astros in 1965. Kalas called the first game at Houston's famed Astrodome.

In advance of the 1971 season, he was hired by the Philadelphia Phillies. There he would remain for the next 39 seasons, 27 of which Kalas was paired in the booth with Richie ``Whitey'' Ashburn.

Harry Kalas made many memorable calls while broadcasting for the Phillies, including every start of Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton's Phillies career, and Mike Schmidt's 500th home run on April 18, 1987. Of course, when Harry called the dramatic Schmidt home run, he intoned the player's full name, Michael Jack Schmidt.

His most memorable call, however, came last October 29 at the culmination of the Phillies championship run. As the pitcher struck out the last batter, Kalas' golden voice erupted: ``The Philadelphia Phillies are the 2008 world champions of baseball.''

He had a number of signature calls, but none was more famous than ``That ball is outta here!'' home run call.

Mr. Kalas' contribution to baseball did not go unrecognized during his years as a broadcaster. He was inducted into the broadcaster's wing of the baseball Hall of Fame in 2002, and was named Pennsylvania Sportscaster of the Year 18 times.

In addition to his work with the Phillies, Kalas was also the voice of NFL films and called various sporting events over his career, including Notre Dame football.

Sadly, Mr. Kalas passed away here in Washington, D.C. at Nationals Park in the visiting team's broadcast booth on the afternoon of April 13, 2009, while doing what he loved, preparing to cover a Phillies game.

I ask my fellow Members to join with me in honoring Harry Kalas for his exceptional contributions to baseball and, through that, for his contributions to the community and to the Nation and people like Mr. Rooney, who grew up hearing his voice and coming to enjoy that.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, you know, I wasn't planning on speaking tonight, but earlier this evening Mr. Chaffetz informed me that you were commemorating the life of Harry Kalas. And even though I represent the 16th district of Florida, as many Floridians, I came from somewhere else. I was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and my entire childhood could probably be summed up as being a diehard Phillies fan. And I can remember clearly going down to the Jersey Shore in the summer times, as so many Philadelphians did. And after being put to bed at night by my parents, sneaking out behind the couch there was a table, and I stored an AM radio there, and night after night listening for hours to the voice of Harry Kalas, the mellow, laid back voice that so many Phillies fans just came to admire and love. And how many people listened to that voice for so many hours in the City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia region.

He truly will be missed. And you know, I always told people that I wanted to grow up and be a baseball announcer, and it was because of Harry Kalas. And somewhere I went off track. But I wanted to take the time here on the House floor to commemorate the life of Harry Kalas. And someday I hope to be a baseball announcer and I hope to be as good as Harry Kalas was.

Madam Speaker, I rise to a question of the privileges of the House and offer the resolution previously noticed.

Yes, Madam Speaker.

Under rule IX, questions of the privileges of the House are those that affect its rights collectively, its safety, dignity, and the integrity of its proceedings.

Madam Speaker, this privileged resolution allows us to rectify the problems that the Democrat leadership has created out in California. If we move forward with this today, 40,000 people can go back to work and we can move on and everybody will be fine.

So I urge the passing of this resolution today, and I yield back.

Madam Speaker, I appeal the ruling of the Chair.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to table the appeal of the ruling of the Chair.