Congratulating the United States Military Academy at West Point on being named by Forbes magazine as America's Best College for 2009.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to come to the floor with my good friend, Congressman Jones, and also two members of the Board of Visitors, Congressman Hall, who also represents that area, and Congressman Marshall, who served honorably in the Vietnam conflict and is a great friend. They both serve on the Board of Visitors, which I have recently been named on. I look forward to doing the job I guess next week, when we meet to continue the job.

Congressman Marshall did mention the mission of the United States Military Academy, which is, ``To educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country, and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer of the United States Army.''

As was noted, I graduated in 1980. I had many of my classmates who are major commanders and leaders in the areas of battle today. The number one responsibility of the Federal Government is the protection of our citizens. We do that by having a standing military. We have learned that the importance of having a professional military force is critical. Thomas Jefferson learned that and instituted the development of the United States Military Academy in 1802. The important thing that Thomas Jefferson did that was different, though, was he focused on raising the professional military Army out of the regular citizens of our country, thus developing this process of which we nominate and we accept. So that it is not an elite from the elite, but it is a perspective of all Americans.

Every young man or woman who achieves good grades, are kids of character, strong moral conviction, athletically fit and sound can compete for this opportunity for an education, which has been noted by the magazine article. But they do it for more than just a good education, because it is at great risk. Because what they have agreed to do is serve their country. And that is not a small decision to make in this environment.

I would like to submit for the Record since the global war on terror, since September 11, 2001, a list of those West Pointers who fell in the line of duty.

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) William E. Bowers...................USMA 1979 Colonel James W. Harrison, Jr., U.S. Army.....................USMA 1981 Lieutenant Colonel Dominic R. Baragona, U.S. Army.............USMA 1982 Colonel Brian D. Allgood, U.S. Army...........................USMA 1982 Colonel Theodore S. Westhusing, U.S. Army.....................USMA 1983 Lieutenant Colonel Michael J. McMahon, U.S. Army..............USMA 1985 Mr. Douglas B. Gurian.........................................USMA 1986 Lieutenant Colonel Paul J. Finken, U.S. Army..................USMA 1989 Lieutenant Colonel James J. Walton, U.S. Army.................USMA 1989 Major Curtis D. Feistner, U.S. Army...........................USMA 1990 Major William F. Hecker III, U.S. Army........................USMA 1991 Major Guy Barattieri, U.S. Army...............................USMA 1992 Major Stephen C. Reich, U.S. Army.............................USMA 1993 Major Jason E. George U.S. Army...............................USMA 1994 Captain Bartt D. Owens, U.S. Army.............................USMA 1994 Captain James F. Adamouski, U.S. Army.........................USMA 1995 Captain John F. Kurth, U.S. Army..............................USMA 1995 Captain Joshua T. Byers, U.S. Army............................USMA 1996 Captain Matthew J. August, U.S. Army..........................USMA 1997 Captain Philip T. Esposito, U.S. Army.........................USMA 1997 Captain Michael J. MacKinnon, U.S. Army.......................USMA 1997 Captain Mark C. Paine, U.S. Army..............................USMA 1997 Captain Eric T. Paliwoda, U.S. Army...........................USMA 1997 Captain Ian P. Weikel, U.S. Army..............................USMA 1997 Captain Nathan S. Dalley, U.S. Army...........................USMA 1998 Captain Stephen W. Frank, U.S. Army...........................USMA 1998 Captain Ralph J. Harting III, U.S. Army.......................USMA 1998 Captain Christopher B. Johnson, U.S. Army.....................USMA 1998 Captain Dennis L. Pintor, U.S. Army...........................USMA 1998 Captain David A. Boris, U.S. Army.............................USMA 1999 Captain Douglas A. Dicenzo, U.S. Army.........................USMA 1999 Captain Brian S. Freeman, U.S. Army...........................USMA 1999 Captain Benedict J. Smith, U.S. Army..........................USMA 1999 Captain Corry P Tyler, U.S. Army..............................USMA 1999 First Lieutenant Leif E. Nott, U.S. Army......................USMA 2000 Captain Benjamin D. Tiffner, U.S. Army........................USMA 2000 First Lieutenant David R. Bernstein, U.S. Army................USMA 2001 Captain John L. Hallett III, U.S. Army........................USMA 2001 Captain Andrew R. Houghton, U.S. Army.........................USMA 2001 Captain Joe F. Lusk II, U.S. Army.............................USMA 2001 Captain Andrew R. Pearson, U.S. Army..........................USMA 2001 First Lieutenant Michael R. Adams, U.S. Army..................USMA 2002 First Lieutenant Todd Bryant, U.S. Army.......................USMA 2002 Captain Brian M. Bunting, U.S. Army...........................USMA 2002 Captain Mark A. Garner, U.S. Army.............................USMA 2002 Captain James M. Gurbisz, U.S. Army...........................USMA 2002 Captain Drew N. Jensen, U.S. Army.............................USMA 2002 First Lieutenant Kevin J. Smith, U.S. Army....................USMA 2002

Captain Torre R. Mallard, U.S. Army...........................USMA 2002 Captain Timothy J. Moshier, U.S. Army.........................USMA 2002 Second Lieutenant Leonard M. Cowherd, U.S. Army...............USMA 2003 First Lieutenant Derek S. Hines, U.S. Army....................USMA 2003 Captain Rhett W. Schiller, U.S. Army..........................USMA 2003 First Lieutenant Laura M. Walker, U.S. Army...................USMA 2003 First Lieutenant Garrison C. Avery, U.S. Army.................USMA 2004 First Lieutenant Benjamin T. Britt, U.S. Army.................USMA 2004 First Lieutenant Amos ``Camden'' R. Bock, U.S. Army...........USMA 2004 Captain Michael A. Cerrone, U.S. Army.........................USMA 2004 Captain John R. Dennison, U.S. Army...........................USMA 2004 Captain David M. Fraser, U.S. Army............................USMA 2004 Captain Paul W. Pena, U.S. Army...............................USMA 2004 First Lieutenant Robert A. Seidel III, U.S. Army..............USMA 2004 Captain Adam P. Snyder, U.S. Army.............................USMA 2004 Captain Daniel P. Whitten, U.S. Army..........................USMA 2004 First Lieutenant Dennis W. Zilinski, U.S. Army................USMA 2004 First Lieutenant Jonathan W. Edds, U.S. Army..................USMA 2005 First Lieutenant Matthew C. Ferrara, U.S. Army................USMA 2005 First Lieutenant Jacob N. Fritz, U.S. Army....................USMA 2005 First Lieutenant Thomas M. Martin, U.S. Army..................USMA 2005 First Lieutenant Phillip I. Neel, U.S. Army...................USMA 2005 Second Lieutenant Emily J. T. Perez, U.S. Army................USMA 2005 First Lieutenant Timothy W. Cunningham........................USMA 2006 First Lieutenant Nick A. Dewhirst, U.S. Army..................USMA 2006 Second Lieutenant Michael R. Girdano, U.S. Army...............USMA 2007 First Lieutenant Daniel B. Hyde, U.S. Army....................USMA 2007 First Lieutenant Tyler E. Parten, U.S. Army..................USMA 2007.

Notably, there are three from the class of 2007 so far in this campaign. So these are real patriots and these are young men and women who since the attacks--in fact, if you are at the academy and you go out to Lake Frederick and climb up on the hill and get on one of the old fire stands, you can see the outlines of New York City. And when I was there as a young man, you could see at that time the World Trade Center, which is no more.

West Point still inspires dedication, commitment, and young men and women who want to serve their country at a great institution of higher learning, being prepared to put their lives on the line in the defense of their country.

So I appreciate this time just to highlight what we do at West Point, but also at our other academies, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy--that is hard for me to say--Coast Guard Academy, Merchant Marine Academy. And we want to make sure that all our young men and women know that they have a great opportunity to serve their country, the best one being at West Point. And I look forward to working with my colleagues to make sure that commitment to excellence continues for many years to come.

I thank my colleague for giving me the time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 747) congratulating the United States Military Academy at West Point on being named by Forbes magazine as America's Best College for 2009.

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

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

I rise today to support House Resolution 747, which was introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hall), which honors the recent accomplishments of the United States Military Academy at West Point for being named by Forbes magazine as America's Best College for 2009. I would like to thank my friend and colleague from New York (Mr. Hall), who is a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, for authoring this resolution and bringing it to the House floor.

The tradition of the West Point Military Academy has always been one of great achievement, and I am happy to be here today to recognize their excellence. I am particularly pleased to be here because my father and grandfather are both West Point graduates, now deceased. I should add that both Mr. Hall and myself are members of the Board of Visitors at West Point. So as you might imagine, we were pleased by the news that West Point had been named America's Best College by Forbes.

West Point has a tremendous history. Since the establishment of the academy at the direction of President Thomas Jefferson in 1802, West Point has been educating some of our Nation's best and brightest, who have gone on to distinguished service as officers in our United States military. West Point's mission is, and I quote, ``To educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country, and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army.'' This mission exceeds the scholastic aims of most academic institutions, and it reflects America's need for military leaders with integrity and a commitment to service.

West Point continues to provide exceptional education that prepares officers for their roles as future military leaders year after year. While many institutions have long traditions of academic success, few match the continued contributions West Point Military Academy graduates make year after year to their country. It is no wonder that two Presidents of the United States, 74 Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, 88 Rhodes Scholars, 33 Marshall Scholars, and 28 Truman Scholars have graduated from West Point.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would like to yield such time as he

may consume to Mr. Hall of New York, who is the author of this resolution. He is also a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and chairs the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. He is a great Member of Congress, and he is also a great member of the Board of Visitors at West Point.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the words of Mr. Shimkus. I appreciate his service. I hope everybody takes those words to heart.

I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu).

Madam Speaker, earlier this year, the President made an announcement concerning troop buildup, the proposed plan where Afghanistan is concerned and the plan to increase the presence of American soldiers there. He made the announcement in Eisenhower Hall at West Point. I was privileged, along with Mr. Hall and a few other Members of Congress, to attend that. I was really struck by the fact that the Commander in Chief, our President, was talking to thousands of young men and women, some of whom, for sure, will wind up being injured, protecting our country in Afghanistan.

I am wearing my infantry tie today. I have my CIB on. I had the privilege of having a couple years of service back during the Vietnam War. And I say it's a privilege, and I view it that way. People will often say to me, Thank you for your service. And sometimes I will respond, You don't really need to thank me. I got more out of this than I gave.

I encourage all young Americans to think about attending one of our academies. West Point has received its recognition as the best college in the United States, but all of the academies give wonderful educations, and they give you a wonderful opportunity to serve. It almost certainly will wind up being the most extraordinary thing that you do during your lifetime should you choose to go through one of the academies and then serve in our military. That's certainly the case where I am concerned, and I have done a lot of things in my life.

The most extraordinary time in my life was when I was in service, particularly when I was in combat. So I thank the country for having given me that opportunity. And if you're a kid and you are thinking about college, you ought to think about our service academies. You not only get a great education, but you have an opportunity to serve in a way that you will not be able to serve in any other capacity in this country, and you will really feel good about it if you do it well.

So I thank Mr. Jones. He is a great member of the Armed Services Committee, a great Member of this Congress, and a real supporter of the military.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Thank you, Mr. Marshall, and thank you, Mr. Jones, for your kind words of support of my legislation, House Resolution 747. Thank you as well to Chairman Skelton and Ranking Member McKeon for bringing this legislation through the Armed Services Committee to the House floor.

Madam Speaker, H. Res. 747 recognizes the achievement of the United States Military Academy at West Point for being named Forbes magazine's best college in 2009. Not best military academy, but best college overall. In fact, the headline on the front of that issue of Forbes said, ``Why West Point Beats Harvard.'' And I think it is something that many of us don't realize, that not only is the academy turning out exemplary officers who will serve this country with great creativity and loyalty and imagination and energy, but they are turning out well- rounded students who know about a variety of very important subjects that are taught as well or better at that school as at any public or private university in the country.

I have the honor of representing West Point in the 19th Congressional District of New York, and the 4,400 cadets who make up the student body at the United States Military Academy. I also have the honor, along with my friend, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Marshall), of serving on the West Point Board of Visitors.

The Forbes rankings were based on evaluations of students, the success of the graduates of the school, and on the average debt incurred by graduates. It is a great tribute to the caliber of the cadets, the faculty, and the administration of West Point to be ranked with and now above the other great institutions of higher learning in this country based on these important criteria.

Graduates of West Point have served their Nation with the highest level of skill, honor, and devotion for more than 200 years. More than 70 West Point grads have received the Medal of Honor for their service to our country. Each of the senior commanding generals in Iraq and Afghanistan are alumni. And 74 West Point graduates have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq.

West Point's cadets fully embody the academy's motto, ``Duty, Honor, Country.'' West Point is a national treasure and a jewel of the Hudson Valley, where today's heroes and tomorrow's leaders are trained. I am proud of their accomplishments and pleased that they have gotten the recognition that they have earned. I am especially proud of my nephew, who will be one of the graduates of the class of 2010.

I ask my colleagues to join us in supporting H. Res. 747.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 747, ``Congratulating the United States Military Academy at West Point on being named by Forbes magazine as America's Best College for 2009,'' brought forth by my esteemed colleague, Representative John Hall of New York.

Forbes Magazine describes the Academy as, ``Marked by an intense work ethic and drive to succeed on all fronts.'' This approach to learning is the representation of what these great United States was founded on and, in the present day, what we make every effort to maintain. The belief system of the United States Military Academy doesn't just prepare a group of students to become soldiers, but it prepares individuals for life and molds them into the moralistic citizens that will help reshape and reform the United States as we embark upon a new era in history. This academy is a leader in development and engineering with the mission to educate, train, and inspire future leaders.

I have always been an advocate for our troops and it just gives me such pride and joy to see that the origins and belief system, upon which all our troops are grounded, are on display as being the prime elements of success in these pressing times. Texas, as many may know, deploys the most soldiers to various parts of the world. So it does my heart a great service to know that the U.S. Military Academy at West Point equips our soliders with the skills needed to protect and advance our nation's interest.

Madam Speaker, it is commendable that this top ranking school stresses among its students the importance of good solid values that seem to have lost their luster over time. For example, its policies include a curfew of 11:30 p.m. and no alcoholic beverages in the dorms; rooms must be meticulously clean; self-pride in students' appearance is a must and being a debtor is not an option--the only debt that is owed upon graduation is the debt of duty to one's country. It is not surprising that this institution is top ranked.

The United States Military Academy at West Point in the state of New York has earned the title of Best College for 2009 because of its attention to detail and its great distinction in proficiency, in addition to their undisputed service to our nation. I can see no better way for this 111th Congress to acknowledge and praise this fine institution of ``life learners,'' for its diligent work in producing well-rounded citizens, leaders, innovators and protectors than to congratulate the institution here on the House floor.

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

I rise in strong support of House Resolution 747, congratulating the United States Military Academy at West Point on being named by Forbes magazine as America's Best College for 2009. I want to commend Representative John Hall of New York for sponsoring this legislation.

As our history shows us, West Point has a tradition of excellence that began with its establishment in 1802. For more than 200 years, our Nation in peace and war has been made a better place by the excellence of the leaders produced by the Military Academy. This most recent recognition of West Point by Forbes magazine is just the latest indication that the tradition of excellence continues.

For those of us whose duty it is in the House to be in close contact with Military Academy graduates, this recognition by Forbes magazine comes as no surprise. We are reminded frequently of the professional excellence and commitment to this Nation that West Point graduates consistently demonstrate. Those qualities in and of themselves are reason enough that we should remain supportive of this institution that has traditionally and consistently inspired young men and women to live such lives. I urge all Members to support this worthy resolution.

Madam Speaker, at this time I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would like to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus), a West Point graduate himself.

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

Madam Speaker, I just want to briefly thank Mr. Hall and everyone who has spoken today.

I do not know a bigger thrill for me, as a congressman, when I call a young person in my district, whom I have nominated to one of the three academies, to tell them to expect a letter of appointment. It is a thrill that every time I make the call, every time it is a thrill.

I want to thank Mr. Hall for this resolution today and also Mr. Marshall and those who have spoken.

I yield back the balance of my time.