Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to request my colleagues to join me in supporting House Resolution 901.

In 1956, the Orleans Parish School Board was ordered to develop a school desegregation plan. After years of delay, a young girl by the name of Ruby Bridges became one of the first black children to attend an integrated school. Upon her arrival, every white parent came to remove their child. All but one white teacher refused to teach. That one teacher instructed Ruby in a room by herself for a full year.

This experience did not deter Ruby, who not only completed her education but went on to found the Ruby Bridges Foundation. The foundation's mission: To promote the values of tolerance, respect, and appreciation of all differences.

I was honored to have met Mrs. Bridges in New Orleans on a number of occasions, and she still expresses the same radiant smile now as she did in 1956. She is truly an extraordinary woman.

At a time when my city is fighting to rebuild its schools and build up young people, I am thankful to have her as an ally and an inspiration for future generations. And, having lived in New Orleans all of her life, I am sure she would like to join me in proclaiming ``Who Dat.''

I hope that my colleagues will join me in supporting House Resolution 901, recognizing the 49th anniversary of the first day of integrated schools in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Mr. Speaker, the New Orleans Saints are going to the Super Bowl for first time in franchise history. As their representative to Congress, I want to congratulate them in an official manner by acknowledging words of encouragement from constituents on the House floor.

Sunday's thrilling and historic win was an inspiration to the residents of Orleans and Jefferson Parishes, who continue to struggle to rebuild their lives 4 years after Hurricane Katrina. I'm proud to be their Congressman, and I look forward to an exciting Super Bowl in which they will defeat the Indianapolis Colts.

Tonight, I will read several statements from my district in their honor. The first statement is from Kay Higginbotham, a teacher at the Academy of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans. Kay writes, Do the Saints have an impact on education? As a school administrator, I believe the impact is immeasurable and far exceeds economics. The value lessons are much greater than an awareness of team colors. Students certainly enjoy spirit days or completing math problems with a Saints bent, but they also spend time discussing the job of a professional athlete, what it means to stay focused, eat healthy food, get plenty of exercise and sleep, follow rules, work as a team, and be a good sport, win or lose.

Teachers help students understand the importance of following parent and teacher directives, and when talking about the Saints, they link it to the attention each player must pay to the coaches' play-calling. They discuss the pride one feels in the hard work of a job well done, the discipline it takes to make a wise choice, both on and off the field, and the consequences that ensue if one doesn't.

Is the job of a student so different from the job of a New Orleans Saint? When interviewed, Saints players speak about having faith in their team and giving back to the community. They talk about developing self-confidence and leadership and overcoming adversity, values important in a game, but even more important in life. And parents report something incredible: Dinner conversations that include the whole family. Brothers are amazed at how much their sisters understand about first-downs and touchdowns. And sisters actually want to hear what their brothers know about Drew Brees and Reggie Bush.

Do the Saints have an impact on education? Yes, indeed. They give us lessons worth teaching and learning.

The second statement is from Cindy Hilbrink of New Orleans. Cindy writes, While city accountants calculate the financial impact of the Saints football team to New Orleans, citizens know, as one writer to the local paper said, that despite failures of Federal, State, and local governments after Katrina, and suggestions that we don't merit help, we are, nevertheless, deserving--deserving of a winning team, of good schools, the best health care, safe roads, bridges and reliable levees.

When the population was only trickling back into New Orleans that summer of 2006 after Hurricane Katrina, when politicians and pundits urged that the city be abandoned, the sign on the dominant building in New Orleans, the Superdome, with its patched roof and iconic status as the symbol of suffering, said, `Our team, our home.'

Bumper stickers in the Saints' black font read, `Faith.' Drew Brees, the new quarterback who took a chance on the team and the city, printed T-shirts to benefit children that implored, `Believe, New Orleans!' A popular Saints song contends `This is the way we live,' meaning we are enabled to survive by clinging to our faith in this team. Our devotion to the New Orleans Saints, win or lose, keeps our battered spirits alive.

Finally, I want to close tonight with a prayer for the Saints delivered by Archbishop Philip Hannan at the first Saints and Sinners banquet in 1968.

Our heavenly Father, who has instructed us that the Saints by faith conquered kingdoms and overcame lions, grant our Saints an increase of faith and strength so that they will not only overcome the Lions, but also the Bears, the Rams, the Giants and even those awesome people in Green Bay. May they continue to tame the Redskins and fetter the Falcons as well as the Eagles. Give to our owners and coaches the continued ability to be as wise as serpents and simple as doves, so that no good talent will dodge our draft. Grant to our fans perseverance in their devotion and unlimited lung power, tempered with a sense of charity to all, including the referees.

May our beloved Bedlam Bowl be a source of good fellowship, and may ``The Saints Come Marching In'' be a victory march for all, now and in eternity.

Thank you very much for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, as America embarks on its 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade tomorrow, thousands will participate in the March for Life in our Nation's Capitol. But, fundamentally, this year's anniversary of Roe v. Wade should have deeper meaning than previous years. Amid the current debate on health care reform, the abortion issue has once again risen to paramount importance. Unfortunately, the current bill has made an unsuccessful attempt to address affordable health care by ignoring the controversial issue of abortion.

Abortion is an inhumane perversion in our society. As I have stated previously, it is a distorted emphasis on rights, to the disregard of individual responsibilities. When President Obama addressed a joint session of Congress last September, he said, ``under our plan, no Federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and Federal conscience laws will remain in place.''

Why then is the current health reform under the Senate plan being touted as the right plan for America? The health care legislation passed by our friends in the Senate does not reflect the longstanding Federal policies that ban abortion funding, and I will absolutely not support it as it is written.

The fundamental right to life in this country was reinforced and more succinctly elaborated in the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. These 10 amendments, more commonly known as the Bill of Rights, have

served as the heart and soul of our legal tradition and the foundation upon which we have built the most powerful democracy in the history of the world. Yet the balance between rights and responsibilities have served as a basis for an ethical context, but now it is skewed.

Our society has distorted this view of individual rights versus responsibility so that good somehow gets distorted with evil. We have misrepresented the rights to individual freedom, and now we basically have no regard for human life. The result is a social policy devoid of moral coherency. To protect individual rights, we have distorted the continuity of human development to portray the human fetus as something less than human and, therefore, can be disposed of. And there are those who diminish the words of pro-life advocates and aim to demean their passion for life by citing a woman's right to choose or a woman's right to protect her health. But I say that this is a distorted view of protecting a woman that is actually endangering the woman.

An abortion causes mayhem to the psychology of the mother and the future life of the entire family. Her emotional health is never the same, and though anesthesia may provide some physical relief, there is no anesthesia for her mental and spiritual health.

A study in New Zealand, where abortion is legal, showed negative effects in women who had abortions. Researchers for the Christchurch Health and Development Study conducted a 25-year study on the long-term effects of abortion on the mental health of young women between the ages of 15 and 25. These scientists reported to the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry that those having an abortion have elevated rates of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, suicidal behaviors and drug-use disorders.

Another study conducted by researchers at the University of Oslo in Norway compared 40 women who had had miscarriages with women who chose to have an abortion. Although miscarriage was associated with more mental distress in the 6 months after the loss of the baby, abortion had much longer lasting negative effects. The proportion of women having had a miscarriage who were suffering distress decreased during the study period to 22.5 percent at 6 months and to just 2.6 percent at 2 years and 5 years respectively. But among the abortion group, 25.7 percent were still experiencing distress after 6 months and 20 percent after 5 years. The researchers also said that women who had an abortion had to make an effort to avoid thinking about the event.

Mr. Speaker, I just came back from Southeast Asia on a CODEL to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Japan. While I was in Cambodia, I had the opportunity to visit the killing fields in Cambodia. And while visiting the killing fields, they showed us a tree where the followers of Pol Pot would hang and would slam innocent little children on the trees. The Pol Pot regime killed approximately 1.6 million of its people between 1976 and, if I remember correctly, 1980, and the world screamed in outrage at the deaths of 1.6 million people. The Holocaust killed 6 million, and we continue to scream in outrage at the 6 million Jews who were killed during World War II by the Nazi regime in the Holocaust.

From 1973 to the present, in the United States alone we have murdered over 40 million children. Just imagine that: If we scream in outrage at the innocent children that were slammed and hung on the tree in the killing fields, yet, after 40 million children killed in this country, we still hold a policy that allows for the legal killing of innocent children. If that is not a skewed sense of ethics, I don't know what is.

I agree that America needs responsible health care reform, and I agree that we all have the right to exercise the freedom of individual liberties but not at the expense of our children and the future of our families. The majority of the American people, including those in my home State of Louisiana, stand firmly on the side of life, and they will not support any measure that seeks to fund abortion with their hard-earned income.

Again, as we arrive at the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I ask America to reflect deeply on the value of all life, born and unborn, and that we not consider any piece of health care legislation unless it includes sufficient language to prohibit this inhumane act.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1008, to honor the contributions of Catholic schools in providing excellent academic opportunities for our youth.

Catholic schools throughout the United States provide an exceptional education for our children. They produce students strongly dedicated to their faith, values, families, and communities by providing an intellectually stimulating environment which is rich in spiritual, character, and moral development.

Statistics confirm the success of Catholic primary and secondary schools. The Catholic high school graduation rate is 99 percent, with 80 percent of graduates attending 4-year colleges and 17 percent attending 2-year colleges or technical schools.

The National Conference of Catholic Bishops stated, ``Education is one of the most important ways by which the church fulfills its commitment to the dignity of the person and building of community.'' They continue by saying, ``Education of the individual Christian is important not only to his solitary destiny but also the destinies of the many communities in which he lives.''

Having spent 6 years studying to become a Jesuit priest and having served as a professor in a Jesuit institution, I have a deep appreciation for the importance of education guided by principles embodied by the Catholic church. Education has always been a priority for me as a student, professor, and now as a Member of Congress.

Representing a district still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, my mission in Congress is to ensure that children in the Second District of Louisiana get the education they need. It is unacceptable that almost half of the students displaced by Hurricane Katrina were unable to complete their education.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Representative from Illinois for bringing this important resolution honoring the contributions of Catholic schools throughout the United States. I strongly support this resolution honoring the contributions of Catholic schools and Catholic Schools Week, and I would urge my colleagues to do the same. In the words of my Jesuit brothers, ``Ad majorem Dei gloriam.''

Madam Speaker, the New Orleans Saints' historic season continued this past Saturday with a 45-14 playoff victory. Next week, they will compete for the NFC championship title, and they will win.

Their success has benefited our city and inspired our district, so I have provided my constituents with a chance to honor them.

Today's statement is from Tripp Roy of New Orleans, Louisiana. Tripp writes:

``The Saints' positive impact on our city is immeasurable. They have done more for New Orleans than any other professional sports franchise has done for any other American city.

``Aside from the short-term joy the team's success has brought to New Orleans, the Saints' record has put the city back on the map, displaying to the Nation that we are back for the long term.

``The endless media coverage, nonstop showcasing of the region's unique culture, and undeniable camaraderie created among the New Orleans `Who Dat' nation are all the results of the Saints' incredible season.

``This is just the rallying cry the city needed. New Orleans is better than ever, thanks in large part to the Saints.''

Madam Speaker, the New Orleans Saints are having a historic season. This success has benefited our city tremendously. And with their first playoff game kicking off this Saturday, I wanted to give constituents a chance to honor them. Today's statement is from Jewelyn Wellborn.

Jewelyn writes: ``The reason we are proud of the Saints, the reason we rally behind them, has less to do with the scoreboard and more to do with the heart, soul, and fire of the city. Your average New Orleanian is characterized by different concepts that seem so opposite of one another. There are those who have always called New Orleans home and some who came for only a few years and fell in love.

``Watching the Saints helps us escape from rebuilding, yet reminds us of why we came home. The Saints are an exact reflection of us, our city, our home, and that's why the Saints are my home team.''

Mr. Speaker, the New Orleans Saints are having an historic season. Their success has provided our city so much hope that I wanted to give constituents a chance to honor them.

Today's statement is from Michael DesJardins of New Orleans. Michael writes:

``I believe! Finally. It's been 40 or so years of hope and disappointment--much more disappointment. As I bask in the glow of another victory by the Saints, I have finally let my heart believe that this could be the year. They have the spirit, the talent and the determination. They seem to like and support one another. Their success is not a product of stardom but of common effort by the whole team. They have transformed the Saints into a powerful organization that lifts up the whole community. We can all learn from them.

``Long-suffering, leading to hope, only to be dashed by the heartbreak of defeat and disappointment. This story of the Saints' past could be the story of our city government.

``Our Sainted team has been transformed into a constellation of bright shining stars. Dare we believe that New Orleans can share in that transformation?''

Thank you, and I yield back. Who Dat!

I want to thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding, and I just want to thank him personally for his continued commitment and compassion for the people of the gulf coast.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I offered a bipartisan amendment to the Tax Extenders Act of 2009 for myself and my colleague, Charlie Melancon. This amendment would have extended the place-in-service deadline for low-income housing tax credits under GO Zone for 2 years. If included, it would have freed up more than a billion dollars in delayed housing projects and supported thousands of jobs in the gulf coast and would have contributed greatly to the sustained redevelopment of the hurricane-impacted areas.

The amendment had bipartisan support in both Chambers of Congress. Representatives from HUD, the Obama administration, housing groups and private companies called and wrote letters in support of this amendment. Yet even with this level of support, the Rules Committee voted along party lines not to allow it in the bill.

I cannot say how disappointed I am that this happened. It is disappointing that the committee would choose to act in a partisan fashion rather than with the best interests of the people of the gulf coast in mind.

I have spoken before about how Congress is at its best and serves the people the best when we put partisanship aside and attend to the people's business. It is part of our job description as Representatives to represent their issues and concerns to the best of our abilities.

When we conform to party politics, we fail to make the right decisions for the American people. While it is not unusual to mix policy and politics in our line of work, there are some issues which ought not to be partisan. The development of affordable housing for hurricane victims is one of them. Among the projects placed in jeopardy by this deadline is the Lafitte Housing Project in New Orleans. It is one of the city's oldest and was once made up of 896 units. This site was slated for redevelopment with the same number of units to allow any resident who wished to return the opportunity to do so. Additionally, the site would have had parks, support centers, and homes for sale. Now it looks as though it will remain in limbo because of party politics.

I challenge my Democrat colleagues to look low-income families in the eyes and say that the decision that they made was best for hardworking families.

Low-income families along the gulf coast trying to survive the ravages of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita do not care about party politics. The only thing that they care about is: Will I have affordable housing to shelter my children from the cold? We have to get beyond party politics to address the needs of American families. And I hope that we can correct the language in the tax extenders bill in order to address those who are in need along the gulf coast.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3951 to designate the Uptown post office building located at 2000 Louisiana Avenue in New Orleans, Louisiana, in honor of Roy Rondeno, Sr., a 34-year USPS letter carrier and military veteran, who was the epitome of a loyal and beloved public servant and community member.

In late September 2009, while working on his day off because the postal service was short-staffed, Mr. Rondeno was sorting through mail in the back of his truck when he was hit by a car. The vehicle blew through a stop sign

and critically injured him. Six days later, on October 2, 2009, he died from heart failure during surgery, a few weeks short of his plan to retire and spend time with his family and recently founded outreach ministry.

Mr. Rondeno, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, lived in Metairie and worked at the USPS Uptown Station in New Orleans. He was known as a dedicated, charismatic, and beloved letter carrier. Survivors include his wife Shirley of Metairie; and sons Richard of Houston, Ryan of Los Angeles, and Roy, Jr. of Metairie.

Mr. Rondeno's accident and subsequent death came as a complete shock to those whom he loyally and lovingly served for and with during the past 37 years. The merchants and community members whom Mr. Rondeno served established a donation fund in his honor and organized a block party to raise funds for his family. Shortly thereafter, the community members and Louisiana district postal employees asked that we dedicate this post office in his honor.

According to the Times-Picayune, those whom Mr. Rondeno served said they formed a ``close bond'' with Mr. Rondeno and described him as a ``happy man with a kind word for everyone and a dutiful postman who introduced himself to new residents, never delivered junk mail addressed to previous tenants, and would stand outside in pouring rain to deliver even the smallest package.''

As one constituent, Susan Hereford, expressed to the Times-Picayune regarding Mr. Rondeno's service to and passion for those whom he served: ``To have that constancy with someone who doesn't just have his head down and drop mail in your box, he connected with everyone on his route. And they connected with him.''

To those whom he served, Mr. Rondeno was a great letter carrier, civil servant, New Orleanian, American, veteran, and friend. To those he leaves behind, he was a loyal and loving husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend. I am proud of his service to the postal service, the United States Military, and the citizens of New Orleans, and I am proud to dedicate this post office in his honor.

As another constituent, Mary Nass, said to the Times-Picayune: ``The outpouring of grief on the part of hundreds of people following Roy's death should teach us that we do not need to know others intimately to positively impact their lives. Here was a kind, humble, and conscientious man who made each and every person whose path he crossed feel a little happier, a little more connected to the human race, after his daily passing. No one could have left us a finer legacy.''

Mr. Rondeno was beloved by the community, his colleagues, and his wonderful family. And I can think of no greater way to honor him than to dedicate the Uptown post office located at 2000 Louisiana Avenue in New Orleans, Louisiana, in his name as a reminder for all who go there of the dedication and passion of this public servant.

I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 3951.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4017, which designates the United States Postal Facility located at 43 Maple Avenue in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, as the Ann Marie Blute Post Office.

Ann Marie Blute was born on May 30, 1925 in Boston, Massachusetts. As the oldest of eight, she helped raise her siblings, which would only help prepare her for raising 11 children of her own one day. In 1947, she married Dr. Robert Blute, Sr., an Army doctor, and sailed to Germany where they lived for 2 years. After returning to the States, her husband began practicing medicine in Worcester, Massachusetts, while she raised her family and volunteered tirelessly within the Catholic church.

A parishioner at St. Mary's Church in Shrewsbury since 1954, Mrs. Blute served on many committees as a mother at the school. She taught catechism, worked with the Women's Guild, and was a Eucharistic minister. In 1994, she received the ultimate honor for all of her service to the Shrewsbury community through the Catholic church with the title of Dame of Malta, one of the oldest Catholic religious orders dedicated to charitable service.

Her generosity extended outside of her family and her neighbors. After her children had left for college, Mrs. Blute offered her home and her hospitality to young Vietnamese immigrant, Lucy Hoang, who was searching for a better life. Ms. Hoang, now 44 years old and a chemical engineer, said of her host, ``When I first came here, she was standing at the door waiting for me with arms wide open. I felt shaky, but as I came to her, she hugged me.'' Ann Marie Blute's kindness knew no bounds.

Mrs. Blute sadly passed away at the age of 84. She is survived by her husband, children, and large extended family. Please join me in supporting this bill in honor of Ann Marie Blute who fervently served her community in Shrewsbury.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 4017, and I would like to congratulate Mr. McGovern.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to my friend and colleague from the State of Michigan (Mr. Rogers).

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

When we passed this bill out of the Oversight Committee on September 9, this bill only applied to FBI officers who died in the performance of official duties. After working with our Democratic colleagues, this bill, as amended, would authorize the employing agency of any Federal law enforcement officer who dies in the performance of his or her duties as defined under title 5, section 5541, to pay the moving, transportation, and relocation expenses due to a change of residence within the United States of the immediate family of the officer. It would also authorize the employing agency to cover the expenses of preparing and transporting the remains of the deceased to the place where the family will reside following the employee's death.

Federal law enforcement officers are often asked to relocate to new areas all across the country and the world, and, frequently, these officers bring their

families with them to these new areas. In the case of Federal law enforcement officers who die in the performance of official duties, the family is often left stranded, with no means to return to an area they call home. Caring for the families of these heroes who have died while serving this Nation is a priority for Congress, and the costs of H.R. 2711 are relatively insignificant.

Mr. Speaker, I support this measure and I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 2711.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call upon the administration and Congress to ask the Vietnamese Government to unconditionally release Father Nguyen Van Ly to his family.

Father Ly is one of many Vietnamese citizens who have been harassed for religious and democracy advocacy. He has been placed on trial without defense and imprisoned more than once for a total of almost 17 years.

As a Roman Catholic priest and prominent Vietnamese dissident, Father Ly has become a powerful icon in the ongoing fight for human rights. For his continuous imprisonment and nonviolent protests, Amnesty International adopted him as the Prisoner of Conscience in 1983. His support for the Bloc 8406 Manifesto, which called for a democratic Vietnam, has led to his most recent sentence on March 30, 2007, for an additional 8 years in prison. Sadly, Father Ly suffered his second stroke just 5 days ago, leaving the right side of his body paralyzed.

In a letter to His Excellency Nguyen Tan Dung, the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Members of Congress asked the government of Vietnam to unconditionally release Father Ly on humanitarian grounds; provide access for his immediate and long-term medical care; and grant his family unencumbered admittance to lend moral, physical, and spiritual support during this difficult time.

We believe Father Nguyen Van Ly to be a prisoner of conscience held solely for the peaceful expression of his dissenting political and religious beliefs. Asking for his release is an opportunity for Congress to take a bold stand for human rights.

Thank you, my friend from New Jersey, Christopher Smith, for yielding me time.

I just want to say that you have been my mentor, and you have been my friend, and I have been very honored to be part of your life and to have known you all of these years. So thank you very much.

Madam Speaker, abortion is a destructive perversion of our society. It is a distorted emphasis on rights to the disregard of individual responsibilities.

Our country was founded on fundamental human rights, and rightly so. ``We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.''

These rights were reinforced and more succinctly elaborated in the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. These 10 amendments, more commonly known as the Bill of Rights, have served as the heart and soul of our legal tradition and as the foundation upon which we have built the most powerful democracy in the history of the world.

But life is ``short and brutish,'' said Sir Thomas Hobbes, and if left to our devise, absolute right will lead to anarchy and chaos. Rousseau, Hobbes, and other thinkers of The Enlightenment saw the dangers of absolute rights, and proposed a social contract upon which to build a civil society where mutual obligations are imposed on all parties to the agreement.

The balance between rights and responsibilities has served as a basis for an ethical context, but our society has disrupted this delicate balance between rights and responsibilities by accentuating rights, and it has contrived an anthropology detached from the moral conscience and has called it ``social progress.'' The result is a skewed social politic devoid of moral coherency.

In his encyclical ``Caritas in Veritate,'' Pope Benedict XVI loudly proclaimed, ``Individual rights detached from a framework of duties can run wild.'' This is what we have seen in our society today.

We provide rights to convicted murderers, but at the same time, sanction the slaughter of the innocent. We protest in rage at the slaying of dogs, but barely blink an eye at the murder of millions of innocent children. Traditional principles of social ethics, like transparency, honesty and responsibility, have been ignored or attenuated. As a result, our moral tenor does not respect the right to life and the dignity of a natural death.

To protect individual rights, we have distorted the continuity of human development to portray the human fetus as something less than human and, therefore, as something that can be disposed of.

What happened to personal responsibility--the responsibility to respect and nurture a human life who happens to be one's own child?

Our children cry out for life, for justice, and until the U.S. Supreme Court can garner enough courage to overturn Roe v. Wade, it is up to the voices of the Christopher Smiths, of the Bart Stupaks, of the Jean Schmidts, of the Marsha Blackburns, and of others like myself to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.

Yes, health care reform is important, and I support responsible reform; but, Madam Speaker, as my friend Christopher Smith so eloquently articulated, abortion is wrong, and I can never support a reform bill that seeks to fund abortion with the tax dollars of hardworking Americans.

Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, health care reform is an issue of paramount importance, and we must be deliberative in solving the main question, which is: How can we make our health care system affordable, accessible, and accountable? Unfortunately, the health care reform forum has not been used to address the problem of affordable health care, but to expand the controversial issue of abortion.

When President Obama addressed a joint session of Congress on September 9, he said, ``Under our plan, no Federal dollars will be used to fund abortion, and Federal conscience laws will remain in place.'' The health care reform plan presented by Speaker Pelosi does not reflect the long-standing policies that ban Federal abortion funding.

America needs responsible health care reform, and it should not be a vehicle for expanding the abortion agenda. The majority of the American people, including those in my home district of Louisiana, are against the Federal funding of abortion. Real health care is about saving and nurturing life, not about taking life.

Thank you very much for allowing me to speak on behalf of my resolution.

I rise today in support of House Resolution 828, to designate October 24, 2009, as Louisiana HonorAir Day in honor of the invaluable service of World War II veterans to our Nation. October 24, 2009, marked the 20th charter flight of World War II veterans from Louisiana

to D.C. through Louisiana HonorAir to visit the National World War II Memorial. Louisiana HonorAir's mission is to provide every World War II veteran who is physically able to travel the opportunity to view the World War II Memorial for the first time. World War II veterans are granted a charter flight from Louisiana to Washington, D.C., for a day- long, all-expenses-paid-trip to visit the National World War II Memorial, the Marine Corps Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial and other memorials and to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The World War II Memorial was dedicated in 2004 for a generation whose youngest members are in their late seventies. Therefore, many of the men and women who fought and sacrificed for our country have not had the opportunity or ability to visit. Sadly, a few of the World War II veterans scheduled to go on the October 24 flight passed away or became too ill to travel and were, therefore, unable to be properly honored for their tremendous sacrifices.

As Louisiana HonorAir prepares to fly its final flight on April 10, 2010, I am proud that these last three fall flights were out of New Orleans, Louisiana, home to the National World War II Museum. Mr. Speaker, I had the great opportunity to welcome home several members of the veterans community on their flights back from Washington, D.C., 3 weeks ago, and I have to say that from the receptions that I have received and from the faces of the many members who came back from Washington, D.C., on that HonorAir flight, they were very grateful and honored to be able to participate in the program. Under the leadership of T.D. Smith, the Louisiana HonorAir reminds our Nation's World War II veterans how indebted we are to them for their service. As the son of a war veteran, I consider it a personal honor to sponsor this legislation, and I strongly urge my colleagues to vote in favor of House Resolution 828.