Honoring the life of Wayman Lawrence Tisdale and expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives on his passing.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill to honor a great American and a great Oklahoman, Wayman Lawrence Tisdale. I would like to thank Chairman Towns and Ranking Member Issa for their work on the bill. As the gentlelady from the District of Columbia so aptly noted, Wayman Lawrence Tisdale was an all-star basketball player and a brilliant jazz musician. However, Tisdale was not only an exceptional athlete and musician, he brought a positive spirit to everything he did and should serve as a role model to all Americans. Even when he faced personal adversity, he maintained an optimistic attitude and brought joy to all of those surrounding him.

Wayman Tisdale was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and the youngest of six children of a distinguished Baptist minister and a loving wife. At 6'9", Wayman excelled as a basketball player at Booker T. Washington High School where he was named Oklahoma's only McDonald's All American and was named Converse National High School Player of the Year. Though Tisdale had many scholarship offers, he chose to remain close to home and attend the University of Oklahoma.

After arriving at the University of Oklahoma, Tisdale quickly distinguished himself as one of the greatest basketball players the school has ever seen. In his 3-year college career, he received the honor of being named Big 8 Player of the Year in 1983, 1984, and 1985. Mr. Speaker, he was also named to the All American Team three times in 3 years while at the University of Oklahoma.

Tisdale averaged 25.6 points a game and 10.1 rebounds a contest during his career with the Sooners. He still holds Oklahoma career records for points and rebounds. Tisdale also owns the school's single- game scoring mark and career marks for points per game, field goals, and free throws attempted and made. Tisdale was a member of the gold medal U.S. Olympic team of 1984 and was the number two NBA draft pick in 1986. While in the NBA, Mr. Speaker, Wayman Tisdale played with the Indiana Pacers, the Sacramento Kings, and the Phoenix Suns scoring more than 12,800 points and pulling down more than 5,000 rebounds in a 12- year professional career. On November 22, 2009, Wayman Tisdale will be formally inducted into the National College Basketball Hall of Fame.

Mr. Speaker, in addition to a remarkable basketball career, Mr. Tisdale distinguished himself as a jazz musician. As the son of a Baptist minister, he became intrigued by the bass guitarists at his father's church and began teaching himself to play guitar and bass. He recorded and released eight albums of jazz, one of which reached No. 1 on Billboard's Top 10; another one reached No. 4 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart.

In addition to his solo career, Tisdale also collaborated with some of the most popular musicians in smooth jazz, including solo artists Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Kirk Whalum, David Sanborn, Jonathan Butler, and Everette Harp. In 2002, Wayman received the distinction of the Bassist of the Year in the National Smooth Jazz Awards.

Though Tisdale was a remarkably talented basketball player and musician, it's perhaps his positive spirit that distinguished him above all else. Mr. Speaker, in my home State of Oklahoma, we are justly proud of Will Rogers who liked to say he never met a man he didn't like. Well, I can't testify as to whether that was true of Mr. Tisdale or not, but I'm certain that Mr. Tisdale never met a man who didn't like him.

Friends and relatives have noted that Wayman was also upbeat, had a remarkable ability to smile at everyone he met, even in the darkest circumstances. Former coaches and players have said that Tisdale was able to turn the national spotlight on the University of Oklahoma basketball program not only by his incredible talent on the court, but by his positive spirit and his sheer charisma as a player and as a person.

Our Governor, Governor Brad Henry, referred to him as ``one of the most inspirational people I have ever known.'' Fellow Olympic team member and close friend, Sam Perkins, said that Tisdale was ``a real friend who's got your back and would do just about anything for you.''

In 2007, Wayman Tisdale was diagnosed with bone cancer, which ultimately resulted in the removal of part of his leg. During this ordeal, Tisdale maintained a very positive spirit, which should serve as an example for all Americans and all people who struggle with hardship and disease. When referring to his battle with cancer, he said, ``You don't change because things come in your life. You get better because things come in your life.'' Tragically, Mr. Tisdale passed away due to complications from cancer on May 15, 2009.

Despite his personal struggles, Tisdale excelled at two separate careers. His strong spirit and the positive attitude that he brought to everything that he did should serve as an inspiration to everyone. It's only fitting that Congress should pay tribute to this outstanding American.

Again, I urge the passage of H. Res. 469.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia, and I, of course, support the resolution in front of us.

I rise, however, today to recognize the nine individuals who perished in the June 22 Metrorail crash on the Red Line. I pray that we'll never have to experience such a tragedy again.

One of those individuals was my constituent, Jeanice McMillan of Springfield, Virginia. She was the operator of the train, and she took heroic measures to try to have manual override on an automatic system that apparently failed to detect a stationary train in front of her. Her efforts saved lives; and in the course of her heroic efforts, she, of course, sacrificed her own. Her memory is an important memory, and it needs to be honored here in the United States Congress along with the other victims of that tragedy. Hopefully, the measures we are going to try to undertake this next week will go a long way to mitigating the possibility of such a tragedy recurring in the system.

Metro is important to metropolitan Washington; it's important to the Nation's Capital. It is America's subway. We need to invest in it. And in the name and memory of my constituent, Jeanice McMillan, and the other victims of that tragedy on June 22, I

would hope we'll take such actions soon.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize each of the nine individuals who perished in the June 22 Metrorail crash on the Red Line and I pray that we will never have to experience such a tragedy again.

However, I want to single out the life and service of my Northern Virginia constituent, Jeanice McMillan of Springfield, who was the operator of one of the trains involved in the crash.

In the moments before she lost her life in the line of duty, Ms. McMillan's prompt and professional actions undoubtedly saved the lives of many passengers riding in the front cars of the train.

Investigators have determined that Ms. McMillan successfully activated the manual emergency brakes in an attempt to slow down the train as it hurtled toward the Fort Totten station after the train's automatic controls failed to react to the presence of another train on the tracks ahead of it.

Unfortunately, Ms. McMillan and eight passengers died when the front car of her train telescoped in the horrific crash.

Ms. McMillan began her career at Metro in 2007, after a decade of service in the United States Postal Service. By all accounts, she was an exemplary and conscientious public employee who put the welfare of others ahead of her own in her private and professional lives.

Ms. McMillan made sacrifices at home to help fund her son Jordan's college education just as she made the ultimate sacrifice at work to save the lives of others in the moments before the two Metro trails collided on that fateful day.

As I have done privately, I express my deepest condolences to the McMillan family, particularly Vernard and Jordan, and I wish them all the best.

Since the wreck, there has been renewed interest in the relatively poor safety record of the aging 1000-series cars, like the one that telescoped so dramatically in the wreck. Today, 290 of these 1000- series cars are in Metrorail's fleet of 1,126 cars. If Congress and the President approve funding the Federal Government's $150 million matching share of dedicated funding, there will be sufficient revenue to replace these with much safer cars that are less prone to telescoping.

The regional delegation has been working tirelessly to ensure that the Federal government matches the $150 million that Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., have already identified to ensure that the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) can conduct the necessary maintenance to prevent disasters like this in the future.

I appreciate the leadership of Chairman John Olver from the Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee for including this request in his mark up this week, and I thank my colleagues-from the National Capital Region for their commitment to ensuring that WMATA has the resources it needs to provide the safest possible transit service.

I ask my colleagues to join us in honoring the lives of those lost by supporting the necessary investments to help ensure such tragedies are prevented in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 469) honoring the life of Wayman Lawrence Tisdale and expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives on his passing.

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

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

On behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to present H. Res. 469 for consideration, honoring the exceptional life of Wayman Lawrence Tisdale and expressing sincere condolences on his passing.

H. Res. 469 was introduced by our colleague, Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma, on May 21, 2009, and reported out of the Oversight Committee by unanimous consent on June 18, 2009. Additionally, this resolution enjoys the bipartisan support of over 50 Members of Congress.

Born in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 9, 1964, Wayman Tisdale grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he developed his dual affections for the sport of basketball and what Wayman considered his first love, music. Notably, while Wayman was considered one of the most heavily recruited high school basketball players in the Nation, he always continued to play bass guitar during morning services at his father's Tulsa church.

Wayman subsequently accepted a basketball scholarship from the University of Oklahoma where he was a three-time All-American from 1983 to 1985, including his freshman year, marking the first time that a freshman has been named as a first-team All-American since freshmen were allowed to play again in the 1971-1972 season. During his collegiate career with the University of Oklahoma Sooners, Wayman was also honored as Big Eight Conference player of the year for three consecutive seasons and still holds Oklahoma's career record with 2,661 points and career rebounding record with 1,048 rebounds. In addition, he remained devoted to music, as he continued to play bass guitar at Sunday services in Tulsa and even played in the Oklahoma Sooners band.

In honor of his remarkable achievements as a Sooner, in 1997 Wayman became the first player in any sport to have his jersey number, number 23, retired by the University of Oklahoma and in April of 2009 was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.

Prior to his selection as a second overall pick in the 1995 NBA draft by

the Indiana Pacers, Wayman honorably represented his country as a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic basketball team which won the gold medal in Los Angeles. He then embarked on an impressive 12-season professional basketball career as a power forward and center with the Pacers, the Sacramento Kings and the Phoenix Suns.

Upon his retirement from the NBA in 1997, Wayman continued to develop his musical talent and subsequently became an award-winning contemporary jazz musician. Wayman had launched his professional music career with the 1995 release of his jazz album, Power Forward, which reached number four on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. He subsequently released seven additional jazz albums, all of which reached the Top Ten on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart, including three albums that went to number one.

In addition to his success on the basketball court and his influence on jazz music, Wayman will be equally remembered for his exceptional character, positivity and heart. As noted by his former Indiana Pacers teammate Reggie Miller, Wayman ``was the nicest man in the world with the biggest heart and an even bigger smile. I thank him for befriending me and for showing me there is more to life than just basketball.''

Regrettably, Wayman Lawrence Tisdale passed away on May 15, 2009, at the young age of 44. Mr. Speaker, let us honor this exceptional athlete, musician and man through the passage of H. Res. 469. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my friend and regional Member, Mr. Connolly of Virginia.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers so I am prepared to reserve.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 469, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague, my friend and the author of this resolution from the State of Oklahoma (Mr. Cole).

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of the Members to support the passage of H. Res. 469.

I rise in support of H.R. 469 honoring the life of basketball star and jazz musician Wayman Tisdale and expressing condolences to his family on his death.

Today, we honor Wayman Tisdale, for his life accomplishments and for his demonstration of positive thinking, particularly in the last couple of years of his life as he battled cancer.

Mr. Tisdale's inspirational and enthusiastic way in which he lived his life serves as an example for us all. He was a star basketball player, showing a profound gift for the sport during his time at Oklahoma University in the mid-1980s. He is considered an OU basketball legend, having been a three-time All-American during his time at the university and was OU's all-time leader in scoring and field goal percentage. Mr. Tisdale was a member of the men's basketball team in the 1984 Olympics and assisted in their gold medal win.

He went on to be the second overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers, and played for a total of 12 NBA seasons for the Pacers, the Sacramento Kings, and the Phoenix Suns until his retirement from the NBA in 1997.

Though his professional basketball career came to an end at that point, Mr. Tisdale did not, in any sense, slow down. He continued to participate in basketball camps for youngsters. He also became known as a talented jazz musician, releasing his first CD in 1995, which achieved the Number four spot on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart and also gained a spot on the R&B charts. His subsequent albums were also successful, with many earning spots on Billboard's Top 10.

Mr. Tisdale's accomplishments in his life are a reflection of his motivational frame of mind. He was noted and admired for his positive thinking, even after he was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2007. The diagnosis led to surgeries and eventually the amputation of his right leg, but Mr. Tisdale never lost his positive outlook.

Sadly, Mr. Tisdale passed away suddenly on May 15, 2009. Though he has left this world, he will forever be remembered for the optimistic and confident manner in which he led his life and, by example, encouraged us to do the same.

In a press interview in June of 2008, he said ``You go through things. You don't change because things come in your life. You get better because things come in your life.''

Many people can attest that they are better for having had Mr. Tisdale as a role model and a part of their lives. I rise today and ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Tisdale and expressing our condolences to his family in his passing by supporting H. Res. 469.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately I missed recorded votes on the House floor on Tuesday, July 14, 2009.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall vote No. 531 (on Motion to Adjourn); ``nay'' on rollcall vote No. 532 (on Motion to Adjourn), ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 533 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 612), ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 534 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Res. 469), ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 535 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 1037), ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 536 (on motion to suspend the rules and agree to H.R. 402).