Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today it is with great pride that I commemorate the 50th anniversary of Versailles High School's 1962 Kentucky state football championship. This commemoration has a special significance to me as my late grandfather, former Governor of Kentucky A.B. ``Happy'' Chandler, was on the sidelines cheering the football team to victory in the county where I was later born and raised.

The 1962 Yellow Jackets were one of the smallest football teams ever to win a Kentucky state championship, but what they may have lacked in size they made up for in their sheer determination and athletic skill. Led by the 1962 Central Kentucky Conference Coach of the Year John Snowden, this group of gritty underdogs confounded the experts by winning game after game and defying expectations.

On the day of the state championship game, more than half of the population of Woodford County was in attendance to root on the fan favorite Yellow Jackets. On that cold, windy Thanksgiving Day, the fans watched their Yellow Jackets overcome a bigger, stronger, and heavily favored opponent. The Yellow Jackets emerged victorious and claimed their memorable 1962 Kentucky state championship trophy.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor to have this momentous anniversary celebrated in my home district. The ``Boys of '62'' truly represent Kentucky's passion and dedication to the game of football. This group of individuals will always be remembered as one of Kentucky's finest, and we will continue to celebrate their accomplishments for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career and contributions of a Central Kentucky educator and one of my constituents, Barbara Schaars.

After graduating from North Hardin High School in Radcliff, Kentucky, Barbara received both her bachelor's and master's degrees in special education from the University of Kentucky. A proud member of the Kentucky Education Association, she taught special education, gifted education, first grade, and art in the Anderson County School District for over 30 years before finally retiring in 2007. Along the way, she touched the hearts and minds of hundreds of students.

Barbara's accomplishments speak for themselves. She served twice as president of the Beta Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an honor society for women educators. She received a citation for outstanding elementary art program from the Kentucky State Legislature and was honored with the Golden Apple Award from Ashland Oil. As coach of Anderson County Schools' academic teams and creative problem solving teams, her dedication to her students went beyond the classroom.

Since her retirement, Barbara has been pursuing her Masters of Divinity at Lexington Theological Seminary. She is a student minister at Bethany Christian Church, Disciples of Christ and previously served as the president of the Women's Fellowship at the First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ in Lawrenceburg.

Barbara's passion for education, whether in the classroom or at church, inspires those around her and challenges all of us to make a positive difference in everything we do. Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing one of Central Kentucky's finest educators, Mrs. Barbara Schaars.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of one of Kentucky's most distinguished and long serving journalists, Keith Runyon. Mr. Runyon retired from the Louisville Courier-Journal after 43 years this last April, and it is an understatement to say that Kentucky will miss this giant in the journalism field.

A lifelong resident of Louisville, Keith Runyon joined the Courier- Journal at the age of 18 while he was a student at the University of Louisville. His relationship with the Bingham family left an indelible impression on his career, and I know Keith is proud to be the last serving member of the Bingham-era editorial board. From his early days as an obituary writer, Keith worked his way through the ranks of the paper before quickly joining the editorial board in 1977. Always seeking a greater challenge, he also started attending the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law the same year and later became the editor of the Courier-Journal's book page in addition to his editorial page responsibilities.

Whether tackling education reform or tax referendums, Keith's judgment and talent

shaped the editorial board for more than 40 years. Throughout his esteemed career, Keith has received many awards and accolades but perhaps none as impressive as his most recent. This spring, he received the Society of Professional Journalists' gold medal, one of the most prestigious honors for editorial writing in the country, for his work on the proposed merger of the University of Louisville hospital.

A proud graduate of Leadership Louisville, he is a vibrant participant in the great issues confronting all of Kentucky. He constantly strives to promote equal rights for all and to advance the progressive principles of the New Deal, the New Frontier, and Great Society. Long after his retirement, the work he did both in and outside of the newsroom will continue to have an impact on Louisville and all of Kentucky. Keith Runyon leaves big shoes to fill at the Louisville Courier-Journal, and I wish him, his wife Meme, and his family the best in their future endeavors. I congratulate him on his stellar career and thank him for all he has done for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

First, I want to start by saying just how wonderful it is to be a part of a committee that actually works well together, and I thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Ruppersberger for that. In this place these days, it seems a bit unusual, but on this committee, in my view, they are not Republicans and Democrats; there are patriots and Americans, and I appreciate that.

I'm proud to support this bill, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. This bill authorizes vital funding for our intelligence activities which we need to protect America and American interests.

Congress has an obligation to support intelligence gathering while also protecting our civil liberties and considering our fiscal responsibilities. I believe this bill does just that, ensuring that we have resources and tools needed to keep our country safe even in this tough economic time.

We live in complicated times, when terrorists can execute a cyberattack from halfway around the world, bringing down a nation's infrastructure or compromising individuals' identities and bank accounts. Now, more than ever before, our intelligence capabilities are critical to the safety and security of our country.

In my tenure on the Intelligence Committee, I've had the privilege of working with the fine men and women of the intelligence community, and I'm here to tell you they are committed patriots who protect our Nation and our way of life every day. I cannot overstate how important the work they do is to the safety of our Nation.

This bill, which passed out of the committee with overwhelming bipartisan support, allocates resources to critical national programs, including those that detect, prevent, and disrupt terrorist attacks against Americans. It enhances counterterrorism efforts to continue the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates around the world. Furthermore, this bill shows the committee's commitment to giving our intelligence professionals what they need to do their jobs while providing oversight and protecting personal privacy.

The world just saw how first-rate our intelligence community is after the successful mission to kill Osama bin Laden last year. This legislation ensures that we can continue to have the world's premiere intelligence capabilities.

Again, I thank the chairman and I thank the ranking member for the tremendous way that they cause the committee to work together. It's an honor

to serve on this committee, and I thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the significant bipartisan effort to reauthorize FDA user fee legislation. This reauthorization provides an opportunity to update the relevant FDA laws to reflect changes and challenges in the important area of prescription drugs and medical devices.

One critical area that Congress must continue to focus on is the safety and security of the pharmaceutical supply chain. Counterfeit drugs are a growing problem and put patient safety and health at risk. Patients who rely on certain medications should not have to live in fear they are not receiving the treatment they need because their medicine has been compromised.

This is unacceptable, and we must work to find a national solution to this growing problem of counterfeit drugs. Because so much of the pharmaceutical supply chain relies on interstate commerce, I believe our federal government must ensure that properly licensed entities are involved in our national pharmaceutical supply chain, particularly third-party logistics providers (3PLs).

The way prescription drugs are moved from the manufacturer to the consumer has changed over the past several years with the emerging role of 3PLs. These providers are not in the business of manufacturing, buying, selling, or dispensing prescription drugs; they provide or coordinate warehousing, distribution, or other services on behalf of the manufacturer, wholesaler, or dispenser. We cannot realistically expect to have a thorough and comprehensive national supply chain track-and-trace system without providing for a clear and accurate definition of third party logistics providers. Our federal laws need to reflect this new reality.

I applaud the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Energy & Commerce Committee for their leadership and diligent work on this bill, and I encourage them to ensure that the final product from the House-Senate conference implements a uniform federal serialization policy covering all pharmaceutical supply chain participants.

Mr. Speaker, I am the proud sponsor of a resolution congratulating the University of Kentucky Men's Basketball team for winning the 2012 NCAA championship.

Since the days of Adolph Rupp, the University of Kentucky Wildcats have been a part of the fabric of our Commonwealth, and the success of this year's team will be remembered for generations to come.

The University of Kentucky boasts one of the proudest and most celebrated basketball programs in the whole country. As an alumnus, I may be biased on this point, but I also believe that the statistics speak for themselves.

The UK Wildcats are the winningest team in the history of college basketball and have won the second most national championships. They've appeared in more NCAA tournaments and won more games in the tournament than any other team.

Even in the great tradition of Kentucky basketball, this year's team was special. They shattered the NCAA record for shots blocked and set a new record for single season wins with 38 victories. The Wildcats dominated the NCAA tournament with a combination of explosive offense, suffocating defense, and team chemistry.

This season wouldn't have been possible without Head Coach John Calipari, known far and wide as Coach Cal. Although known as a skilled tactician and recruiter, the key to Coach Cal's success has always been how much he cares about his players.

He mentors these young men so they are primed to succeed, both on and off the court, and I think I can speak for all Wildcat fans when I say that we hope to see him on the sidelines at Rupp Arena for many years to come.

From top to bottom, every member of this team played an important role in their drive to the championship, but there are three players in particular that deserve special recognition.

Anthony Davis had one of the most remarkable college basketball seasons in recent memory, winning eight National Player of the Year awards and setting an NCAA record for most blocks in a season by a freshman.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was unquestionably the heart and soul of the team.

And Darius Miller, a native of Mason County and former Mr. Kentucky Basketball, ended his stellar career on a high note by setting a school record for most appearances in a Kentucky uniform and joining the prestigious 1,000-point club.

Finally, this team was supported every step of the way by its fans, the Big Blue Nation, who made Rupp Arena one of the toughest places to play in the country. They prove time and time again why Kentucky is the best State for college basketball.

This year was an especially proud year for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, as we sent two teams to the Final Four. I want to congratulate the University of Louisville Cardinals and Head Coach Rick Pitino on an outstanding season and a hard-fought rivalry game that lived up to its immense hype.

I also commend the University of Kansas and The Ohio State University on their terrific years and for making it all the way to New Orleans.

As the Member privileged to represent the University of Kentucky, I am honored to introduce this resolution today, and I look forward to welcoming the Wildcats to Washington next month.

I rise today to honor the third annual celebration of National Teach Ag Day, on March 15, which is a day designed to raise awareness of the need for more agriculture teachers. It encourages people to consider a career as an agriculture teacher, and it celebrates the positive contributions these teachers make in their schools and communities.

Every day, agriculture teachers help students develop the skills necessary to become leaders and contributing members of society. These educators teach by doing, not just by telling. And by sharing their passion with young people, they prepare students for successful careers, whether they choose to go into the field of agriculture or not. There are currently over 10,000 agriculture teachers serving almost 1 million students in all 50 States and in Puerto Rico, but it is estimated that there will be hundreds of unfilled positions across the United States this year.

National Teach Ag Day is a nationwide effort to bring attention to the need for more agriculture educators in the U.S. and to raise awareness of the valuable role these teachers fill in our schools and communities.

I thank the gentleman from Maryland for yielding.

Osama bin Laden, one of the worst men to walk the Earth since Adolf Hitler, is dead. While on the run for many years, bin Laden continued to plan and coordinate attacks against Americans. He was only found and killed because of the brave men and women in our military and in our intelligence community. We have some of the best intelligence operations in the world, and if we want to continue the fight against terrorism, we need to keep it that way. This bill does just that.

The bill authorizes funding for the dedicated men and women of the intelligence community to help them do their jobs and protect American citizens. In my tenure on the intelligence committee, I have had the privilege of visiting with many of the courageous and extremely bright people who work in intelligence. After meeting them, there is no doubt in my mind that we are in good hands, and I have a greater appreciation for the work they do to keep America safe every day. It is incredibly important that we support those efforts, especially in light of the extraordinary job the intelligence community did in finding and killing bin Laden.

These are tough times with our budget, but the security of our people has got to be our priority.

Last year, under the leadership of Chairman Reyes, Congress passed its first Intelligence authorization act since the 2005 bill. I applaud both Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Ruppersberger in their efforts to work out a bipartisan compromise that would help maintain and strengthen our impressive intelligence community. They've done a tremendous job, and it's a breath of fresh air to see everybody working so well together.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of a very important man in one of Kentucky's signature industries. Bill Samuels is stepping down as president of Maker's Mark after an outstanding 44- year tenure with the company, a career which saw him introduce Maker's Mark to the world and re-invent the way that bourbon was seen around the world.

A 7th generation bourbon maker, Bill Samuels is well versed in the tradition of making bourbon. Although his father, Bill Samuels Sr., was the inventor of the Maker's Mark recipe, bourbon wasn't always in the blood of the younger Bill. In fact, after growing up in Bardstown, Kentucky he set off to college and became, of all things, a rocket scientist. When the solid propellants he worked on became outdated, he earned a law degree from Vanderbilt University. After law school, Bill returned to work for his father, all the while not intending to permanently join the family business. Little did he know that he would be largely responsible for taking Maker's Mark from a local institution to a brand recognized and enjoyed worldwide.

When Bill started working at Maker's Mark, it was still a local company. They didn't have an advertizing agency create a fancy marketing campaign, so Bill put his superb sense of humor to work and started making his own ads. He paired his now-famous one-liners with his family product, and created a worldwide phenomenon. In a business which to that point was nothing but serious, Bill Samuels' ability to make people laugh and catch their attention changed the game. Today, few brands' advertisements are more recognizable than the Maker's Mark bottle with the wax on top. Despite Maker's Mark's status as a worldwide brand, Bill made sure that he stuck to his family's methods, carefully supervising each batch to give the whole world a taste of small-town Kentucky.

Bill Samuels' legacy at Maker's Mark is unforgettable. Not only did he introduce the country and the world to one of the signature products of the Commonwealth, he also saw his family's distillery become the first one in the United States to be named a National Historic Landmark. While his company is now known worldwide, Bill has stayed true to his Kentucky roots. He is still a pillar in his community, serving on a number of boards and as a guest lecturer at several universities.

Bill Samuels leaves big shoes to fill at Maker's Mark, and I wish him the best in his future endeavors. I congratulate him on his success at Maker's Mark and all that he has done for the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of a constituent of mine, Shannon Elizabeth Mudd from Mt. Sterling Kentucky, who died due to complications from treatment she received by medical personnel who were not aware of an underlying medical condition and the use of blood thinners. Shannon was 17 years old and today would have been her 19th birthday. Mr. Speaker, this tragedy should prompt us to look more closely at protecting people who use anti-coagulant drugs to treat blood clots and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). It is my hope that more awareness and better labeling might help prevent what happened to Shannon from happening to other patients on anti-coagulant drugs.

Shannon was diagnosed on September 4, 2009 with neuroendocrine carcinoma, a rare form of cancer, and was beginning to respond well to new treatments when a visit to her doctor revealed she had deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or a blood clot, in her chest. Rather than put Shannon through an invasive procedure, her doctor instead prescribed an anti-coagulant drug used to treat DVT. Like any anti-coagulant drug, the medication included a warning that there was a risk of severe bleeding associated with it. However, the medication warning did not alert her to the risk associated with internal bleeding that could become life threatening if a minor injury were left untreated.

When Shannon received some encouraging news about her cancer prognosis, she went to lunch with her father to celebrate. While at the restaurant, Shannon fell and hit her head. Because her father was not informed of the danger of internal bleeding associated with the drug Shannon had been taking, paramedics were not made aware of her history with the anti-clotting medication. Since it appeared it was a minor injury, Shannon was not taken to the hospital. Later that day, Shannon complained of dizziness and exhibited signs of a stroke. Her father called 911 and Shannon was flown to the University of Kentucky Medical Center where emergency physicians began treating her for massive brain hemorrhaging. By this time, little could be done for Shannon and she slipped into a coma. Shannon passed away almost a month later and just 5 weeks shy of her 18th birthday.

In memory of her daughter, Shannon's mother, Angela Visone Mudd, took up the cause of educating the public about the risk of traumatic brain injury associated with anti-coagulant drugs and minor head injury. Ms. Mudd developed bands for patients taking these medications to wear, communicating the risk of internal or external bleeding to medical personnel in the event of an accident.

Shannon was taken from her family much too soon. I applaud Shannon's mother and her many supporters for their courage and efforts to help other families avoid the same tragic set of circumstances that ultimately led to Shannon's death a year ago. Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that through sharing Shannon's story, more tragedies like this can be prevented and more lives saved.

Well, it is good to be here with you tonight. It is a tremendous opportunity to talk about something that is also very important to me. But I want to just start out by saying to my colleague from Oregon, Mr. Blumenauer, how appreciative I am and I think how appreciative so many people are across this country of your championing of public broadcasting over the years. You have been an incredible champion of that effort, and I just think it is marvelous because of what public broadcasting means to all of us.

As you mentioned earlier, we heard some of our Republican colleagues talking earlier about some of the budget efforts that were going to be made, and I must say we do need to have that discussion here in Washington. There is no question about it. It is a discussion that our President is now engaging in and the Congress is going to be engaging in in the next little bit about what programs we can cut, and there is no question that there are some that need to be cut.

We certainly need to get our fiscal house in order in this country. But zeroing out funding for one of the most successful public-private partnerships responsible for 21,000 good American jobs isn't the thing to do. In these tough economic times, more than ever, we need to support American jobs and invest in our people, and cutting funding for public broadcasting does neither.

Until now, public broadcasting has enjoyed strong bipartisan support. In fact, in my home State of Kentucky--and, by the way, I heard the gentleman from Oregon talk very much about the success that his public broadcasting system has had. I must say, ours in Kentucky has done rather well also, and it is something we are very, very proud of.

But in my home State of Kentucky, a Republican Governor actually provided Kentucky Educational Television, or KET, with its first operating budget in 1968, helping KET hit the airwaves, and it is now being very ably run by the daughter of one of my Republican predecessors in this office, Shae Hopkins. This station has touched countless people throughout the years, and today it is used by more than 1 million Kentuckians each week, in a State of only around 4 million. So that is a pretty significant number. You can see how important it is to our State.

But completely cutting all Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding will make KET cut at least 31 full-time jobs and 20 part-time jobs. These cuts would be on top of the 24 percent workforce reduction that KET has already endured in the past 3 years. KET has said that this loss of staff could hinder their ability dramatically to serve our Commonwealth.

And our public radio, just like public radio all across the country, will certainly be affected. How many people across our great Nation wake up to NPR and ``Morning Edition'' and drive home to ``All Things Considered''? It is a very, very important part of life, I know.

In my home State, we have stations like WEKU in Richmond, Kentucky, and WUKY in Lexington that touch all parts of Kentucky, including very rural parts of our Commonwealth. WEKU radio out of Richmond has been serving Kentucky since the 1930s, and they have already gone down 30 percent recently. And this, of course, again would force more layoffs.

Public broadcasting is uniquely American and should stay that way for future generations. My three children grew up watching Sesame Street just like I did when I was a kid, and countless others receive basic skills and workplace education, and some even receive help with college credit courses through KET. WEKU and WUKY provide local programming and local news that can't be found elsewhere.

So, please, please join me today in support of public broadcasting. These stations are too important, and we just simply cannot let them go away.

Well, another thing that it does, of course, if I may, it increases the civility of our discourse. In a time when so many stations are sensationalizing the news, there is one place that we can be sure that we can get a civil dialogue and both sides of the story, and that is public broadcasting.

So thank you so much for all you do.

Boy, does our community volunteer. In all of our communities, I know we see an enormous number of volunteers.

I appreciate what you just said, Mr. Farr from California and Mr. Owens from New York. Thank you all for your strong support over the years with this and for pointing out the importance of education. I mean, as we all have said, this is the only public entity that educates us on television and radio on a regular basis, and that is an incredibly important thing.

The other thing that is so important about it is it truly broadens our horizons. It doesn't narrow us like so much of what we see on the television. It, rather, broadens our way of thinking. In what other place can you get that on a regular basis in our culture? This is a special American institution.

It has always had such bipartisan support.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 50th anniversary of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, NASBLA, a Lexington, Kentucky based nonprofit organization.

Recreational boating is one of our Nation's most popular pastimes, with an estimated 78 million recreational boaters in the United States and nearly 13 million recreational vessels registered. In my State of Kentucky alone, there are nearly 200,000 registered boats and hundreds of thousands of Kentuckians who enjoy this great recreational activity.

In 1958, Congress passed the Federal Boating Act, which authorized the states to take over specific boating safety functions. This, in turn, led to the creation of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, NASBLA, in 1960. NASBLA is a national, nonprofit association of state officials responsible for the development and implementation of state boating programs.

NASBLA's mission is to strengthen the ability of state and territorial boating authorities to reduce death, injury and property damage associated with recreational boating and ensure a safe, secure, and enjoyable boating environment. NASBLA addresses its mission by fostering partnerships among and between the states, the Coast Guard and others, crafting model boating laws, maintaining national education and training standards, providing members with critical knowledge and skills, assisting in the homeland security challenges on our waterways, and advocating for the needs of the state boating programs before Congress and federal agencies.

The number of recreational boating fatalities has declined by more than half since 1970, thanks in part to the increased use of life jackets, cooperative boating safety education, enforcement efforts between the Coast Guard and state governments, and safer vessels and equipment manufactured in accordance with Coast Guard standards. Continued emphasis on accident prevention can reduce recreational boating fatalities still further, and in particular, deaths by drowning which remain the leading cause of recreational boating fatalities.

Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating and recognizing the accomplishments of this Kentucky nonprofit, which in its 50 years, has significantly contributed to the safety of this popular pastime for all Americans.

Madam Speaker, the Bluegrass Region of Central Kentucky is one of the most picturesque spots in our country. Central Kentucky has miles of rolling fields of pasture partitioned with plank fencing. These fields and farms house some of the most spectacular athletes on the planet--horses--giving our region its name: the Horse Capital of the World. And in a few short weeks, the world is coming to see it.

For the first time since its start in 1990, the World Equestrian Games are coming to America and more specifically, to the Kentucky Horse Park. Lexington will take its place alongside other host cities to showcase the magnificence of the horse. Lexington and Central Kentucky will be on an international platform that in the past has included Stockholm, The Hague, Rome, Jerez in Spain and Aachen, Germany.

For 16 days, visitors and spectators from every state in the union and more than 50 other countries will see championship level competition in dressage, eventing, endurance, driving, reining, vaulting, jumping, and para-dressage marking. And, for the first time, all eight competitions will be held at a single venue.

Truly this event will benefit the region and one of Kentucky's signature industries. In addition to an economic impact of millions, hundreds of members of the media from 40 or more countries will attend this event. Televised coverage of this event will represent the largest major network broadcast of equestrian sport in U.S. television history and presents a tremendous opportunity to portray the scenic beauty of Central Kentucky in a manner that may never be rivaled again.

Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in recognizing that the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games will make the people of my district special ambassadors of good will by bringing the focus of international equestrian sport to what truly will be the Horse Capital of the World.

Madam Speaker, I stand before you today to honor the contributions of

a Central Kentucky educator, Coach Tim Cahill. By promoting a positive attitude in his students, Coach Cahill has mentored countless high school students to excel in athletics, in education, and in life.

Coach Cahill started as a swimmer for Saint Xavier High School in Cincinnati. He received a degree in Special Education from the University of Cincinnati, and received a Masters in Education from Xavier University before choosing to be a swimming coach. He has pursued that passion for over thirty years.

Coach Cahill's record speaks for itself. He has coached 40 state champions, one National Champion, one U.S. World Team Member, seven Olympic Trial Qualifiers, and one Paralympic Champion. In 2005, he received the Balfour Coach of the Year award for all Kentucky High School Athletic Association Sports. He has been nominated for National Coach of the Year four times: 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2010. This year, he finally received that honor, becoming National Coach of the Year 2010.

In addition to coaching at an outstanding level, Mr. Cahill teaches in the College of Health Sciences at Eastern Kentucky University. He has also volunteered numerous hours with Special Olympics of Kentucky. He and his wife Judy have three children who all went on to swim at the collegiate level.

Coach Cahill was diagnosed with pancreatic and liver cancer in April of this year. True to his character, he is fighting the disease and working with the American Cancer Society to make a difference for others suffering from the disease. Thus far, Team Cahill has raised over $13,500 dollars for the American Cancer Society.

Coach Cahill's passion for swimming extends beyond teaching his students to excel--he challenges all of us to make a positive difference in everything we do. Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing the great achievements, the generosity, and the resilient spirit of Coach Tim Cahill, truly an outstanding Kentuckian.

Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise before you today to

honor the military and public service of a true legend in Kentucky, Mr. Fontaine Banks. Throughout his many decades of service, Mr. Banks has made countless contributions to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and to our nation.

Mr. Banks showed his desire to serve the public at an early age, starting out as president of the Student Government Association at Belfry High School, and later, serving as the president of the Student Council at Berea College.

But Mr. Banks' sense of service extended far beyond his education. Two weeks after graduating from college, Mr. Banks volunteered for the Marine Corps and reported to Parris Island. After basic training, he was deployed to Cho-do Island to fight in the Korean War, where he served two tours of duty in the fall of 1952 and the spring of 1953. He fought courageously with his fellow men and sustained injury while on the battlefield.

After his tour ended, Mr. Banks returned home to Kentucky and transitioned to the Marine Corps Reserve where he reached the rank of Colonel. He then began his civilian career with IBM and the Kentucky Department of Education, where he quickly moved up in state government. Mr. Banks eventually served as chief of staff to Governors Bert Combs and Ned Breathitt. To this day, he is the only person ever to serve as chief of staff to two Kentucky governors.

Madam Speaker, Mr. Banks has served his country in so many ways: in combat in Korea, as a Marine Colonel, as a public servant, and as a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He is a fine example of a man dedicating his life to making the lives of those around him better. Mr. Banks has made a career of exemplary service, both to his state and country, and it is with great pride that we thank him for his service today.