Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation, and I yield to the gentleman from California as much time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I do not have any further speakers.

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

I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. We have worked with the majority to address pressing matters that impact students and families. This bill will ensure the smooth implementation of the bipartisan higher education reforms enacted last year. It will help student loan borrowers who have fallen behind to rebuild their damaged credit, and it will postpone a student loan auction that, whether or not it was a good idea 2\1/2\ years ago, simply does not make sense in the current economic climate.

I thank the majority for working with us. I have particularly enjoyed working with my colleague, Mr. Hinojosa from Texas, and I appreciate him for working on these important matters and timely changes. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes.''

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Jiten Shah for his service to western Kentucky. He has effectively served as the Executive Director of the Green River Area Development District (GRADD) since 1987, where he has worked to create economic opportunity for this mostly rural region.

Recently, Federal Computer Week recognized Mr. Shah as one of the magazine's Federal 100 of 2009. This award recognizes the top executives from government, industry, and academia who had the greatest impact on the government information systems community in 2008.

Mr. Shah was the driving force for the creation of ConnectGRADD, Inc., a regional broadband internet network. This extraordinary enterprise brought affordable, high-speed wireless Internet to a rural seven county region, which is larger than the state of Delaware. Mr. Shah developed the plan and built the coalition of support to make this project a reality.

By providing a united vision and strong advocacy, Mr. Shah helped level the playing field for the 212,000 residents of these seven counties. Now, this region is in a better position to spur economic development and entrepreneurship among its residents.

Mr. Shah's outstanding effort is an example for all Kentuckians to follow. I thank Mr. Shah for his commitment to the people of western Kentucky.

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

This bill names the United States courthouse currently under construction in Rockford, Illinois as the Stanley J. Roszkowski United States Courthouse.

Judge Roszkowski was raised in Royalton, Illinois, and during World War II he volunteered for the Army Air Corps and served as a nose gunner on a B-26 bomber, flying more than 35 missions in Italy and Germany.

After the war, he earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois in 1949, and a law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1954. In 1955, he moved to Rockford, Illinois, and began his practice of law, until his appointment in 1977 by President Carter to the U.S. District Court, Northern District of Illinois. In 1991, Judge Roszkowski assumed senior status on the Federal bench, and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1998.

Among his many accomplishments, Judge Roszkowski was a member of the Illinois, Florida, and American Bar Associations, and served on the board of directors of the Federal Judges Association. He also lectured extensively at seminars for various bar associations in U.S. courts, and participated in countless workshops and mediation courses sponsored by the Federal Judicial Center.

Early in his career, he was elected a fellow with the American College of Trial Lawyers, and served as the chairman and member of the Rockford Fire and Police Commission.

Naming this new courthouse in Rockford, Illinois seems appropriate in recognition of Judge Roszkowski's dedication to public service and the legal profession. I have no objections to the passage of this bill, and support its adoption.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 210, expressing the sense of the House that providing breakfast in schools through the National School Breakfast Program has a positive impact on classroom performance.

Created as a pilot program in 1966 and made permanent in 1975, the National School Breakfast Program helps schools serve breakfast to ``nutritionally needy'' children. The program focuses on those schools where assistance is needed to provide adequate nutrition for students. In fiscal year 2007, over 10.1 million children participated in the school breakfast program each day. Of those, 8.1 million received their meals for free or at a reduced price. Participation has steadily grown over the years from only half a million children in 1970.

The School Breakfast Program is administered in nearly 84,000 schools and institutions by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service through State education agencies, in agreements with local school food authorities.

Public or nonprofit private schools serving grades K-12 and public or nonprofit private residential child care institutions may participate in the school breakfast program. School districts and independent schools that choose to take part in the breakfast program receive cash subsidies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for each meal they serve. In return, they must serve breakfasts that meet Federal requirements, and they must offer free or reduced-price breakfasts to eligible children.

Last week schools throughout the country celebrated National School Breakfast Week. During the week, school cafeterias nationwide encouraged students to begin their day with a healthful, nutritious school breakfast.

While many States that have implemented school breakfast programs have seen encouraging outcomes, the problem of childhood hunger persists. The Federal child nutrition programs are helping to end childhood hunger and promote nutrition and wellness, especially in terms of assisting those most in need of beneficial nutrition.

I stand in support of this resolution recognizing the importance of the National School Breakfast Program and the positive impact a nutritious breakfast can have on a child's ability to learn, grow, and develop to their fullest potential.

I ask for my colleagues' support.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 222, which congratulates the National Assessment Governing Board on its 20th anniversary in measuring student academic achievement. Over the last two decades, the governing board, better known as NAGB, has served an important role in evaluating the condition and progress of the American public education system.

The National Assessment Governing Board was created by Congress in 1988 to set policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress, or NAEP, which is commonly known as the Nation's report card. It was established as an independent, bipartisan board so that the Nation's assessment system will be conducted independently and free from inappropriate influences and special interests.

The governing board is currently made up of 26 members, including governors, State legislators, local and State school officials, educators, researchers, business representatives and members of the general public. In overseeing the Nation's report card, the governing board identifies subjects to be assessed, determines the content and achievement levels for each assessment, and approves all the assessment questions.

It also works to inform the public about the Nation's report card by communicating results to a wide range of Americans, including elected officials and policymakers at the national, State and local levels, educators and the media.

Because of this important work, the Nation's report card is one of the most widely respected assessment tools in the country. Federal, State and local officials rely on NAGB and NAEP to get an accurate picture of the academic achievement levels of the Nation's students.

In 2002, Congress passed the Education Sciences Reform Act, which reauthorized the activities of the governing board and largely maintained its independent and bipartisan nature. While requiring States to take part every 2 years in its reading and mathematics assessments in grades 4 and 8 in an effort to measure student performance, the bill continues the long-standing practice that State participation in NAEP assessments are voluntary.

All student who participate in NAEP do so on a voluntary basis, and NAEP is forbidden by law to maintain a report or report information on individual students or schools. House Resolution 222 congratulates the National Assessment Governing Board on its 20th anniversary in measuring student academic achievement and recognizes the past and present members of the governing board for their service to the Nation in improving elementary and secondary education.

I want to thank my colleague from Delaware (Mr. Castle) for introducing this resolution. Mr. Castle served on the governing board when he was Governor of ``The First State,'' and I want to thank him for his service and for his strong support for ensuring that students have access to a high-quality education in this country.

I am pleased to rise in support of this important resolution and ask all of my colleagues to support it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle).

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Holly Walker for her service to the students at Elizabethtown High School in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. She has taught as a special education teacher for the last 9 years and was recently recognized as the 2008-2009 ExCEL Award recipient for her school district.

Ms. Walker's teaching philosophy is simple--everyone can learn and everyone counts. She is an outstanding educator who shows genuine concern for special needs students. Ms. Walker expects more of the students than they ever thought they could accomplish. Her patience and flexibility enable them to succeed and build confidence.

Ms. Walker deeply cares for her students beyond the classroom. She takes food baskets to their homes at Christmas, drives them to decorate the homecoming float, and goes to school dances with them so they will not feel alone. Her students are her extended family.

When asked why Ms. Walker deserved this award, one of her students wrote, ``She never gives up on her students. She makes us feel like family. I spend five hours a day in the classroom with Ms. Walker and wouldn't want to be anywhere else.''

Ms. Walker's passion for making a difference in the lives of her students is an example for all Kentuckians to follow. I thank Ms. Walker for her commitment to the students in Elizabethtown.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Peggy Newton for her service to the students at Hodgenville Elementary School in Hodgenville, Kentucky. She has taught for more than 30 years and was recently recognized as the 2008-2009 ExCEL Award recipient for her school district.

Ms. Newton's teaching philosophy is simple--everyone can learn. She is an outstanding educator who shows tireless devotion to her students. Ms. Newton shows her students how to believe in themselves and in their accomplishments by quietly and efficiently guiding them.

Ms. Newton's compassion for students is her first priority. She treats her students as her own as she works to encourage, inspire, and educate. She never forgets to set high expectations in her classroom.

When asked why Ms. Newton deserved this award, one of her colleagues wrote, ``Because Peggy has a passion for teaching, her students have a passion for learning. She exemplifies the essential fruits of teaching that have enabled her to be such a successful teacher.''

Ms. Newton's passion for making a difference in the lives of her students is an example for all Kentuckians to follow. I thank Ms. Newton for her commitment to the students in Hodgenville.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the bicentennial of President Lincoln's birth. Today, as we celebrate the 200th birthday of one of our greatest Presidents, I take great pride in representing the district where President Abraham Lincoln was born. From a one-room log cabin in Hodgenville, Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln rose to the highest office in our land, where he worked diligently to heal our Nation from deep wounds.

As the place of his most formative years, Kentucky played a primary role in forging the family and political life of President Abraham Lincoln. It was in the Bluegrass State that he began the path to the highest office in our Nation. It was in the Bluegrass State that the foundation for President Lincoln's ideals and beliefs were laid. It was from the Bluegrass State that President Lincoln met his closest friends and mentors.

Often remembered for his physical height, measuring over 6 feet, 4 inches tall, Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday also reminds us of his height of character--a character that was formed on the banks of Knob Creek, Kentucky. A man of faith and wisdom who loved his country, President Lincoln's birth is clearly worthy of commemoration.

I would be remiss if I did not take a moment to thank Tommy Turner, the County Judge/Executive of LaRue County, Dan Kelly, my

former colleague in the State Senate, and the rest of the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission for their tireless work since 2004 to organize and coordinate the many events celebrating President Lincoln's birth. Judge Turner and Senator Kelly's roles to ensure that Kentucky played an essential part in the national celebration of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday deserve recognition.

I trust that my colleagues will join me in commemorating this historic day for Kentucky's Second Congressional District, the entire Commonwealth, and our nation.

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

I rise in support of House Resolution 114, supporting the goals and the ideals of National Girls and Women in Sports Day.

Sports play an important role in the lives of American children. Millions of children participate in sports every day, and many look to professional athletes as role models. In the past few decades, female athletes have made innumerable accomplishments and contributions to the athletic world. Women have set world records for speed, have won hundreds of Olympic medals and have excelled as highly watched professional athletes. They have become the first college basketball coach to win 1,000 games, have been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and have been named among the top 10 most influential people in sports history.

Female athletes also have the opportunity to compete and win championships throughout their educational careers, like my daughter Caroline. Caroline plays for the Greenwood High School Fastpitch Softball team, which won back-to-back Kentucky State championships in 2007 and 2008. I am very proud of my daughter, of her teammates and of all the other women and girls who compete in sports. Clearly, the accomplishments and importance of girls and women in sports are worthy of commemoration.

With that, I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

We have no further speakers, Mr. Speaker.

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

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

I rise today in support of House Resolution 60, a resolution recognizing the academic and athletic achievements of Sam Bradford, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner.

Samuel Jacob Bradford, the University of Oklahoma's quarterback, beat out the University of Florida's Tim Tebow and the University of Texas' Colt McCoy to win the Heisman Trophy

last year. Bradford was the second sophomore and the fifth Oklahoma football player to ever win the Heisman Trophy. He is only the second person of Cherokee descent to ever start as quarterback for a Division I institution. During the quest for the Heisman, Bradford led the Sooners to the national championship game against Florida while maintaining an exemplary grade point average of 3.95 as a finance major at Oklahoma.

I am pleased to stand in support of this resolution honoring the fine academic and athletic achievements of Sam Bradford, but I would be remiss if I did not speak up on his behalf and on behalf of all the young people in America today to express my reservations about the massive increase in our national debt and in our budget deficit that would come from the stimulus spending package currently making its way through Congress.

We need economic stimulus and we need it now, but if we do not provide the right mix of tax relief and benefits to working families and to small businesses, I am afraid that we may well make this recession far more worse than it already is. I hope we can work together to develop a conference agreement on the stimulus package that excludes nonemergency government spending but works to truly stimulate job growth and a more stable economy. I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlelady from Oklahoma (Ms. Fallin).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole).

I have no further speakers, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I support this resolution, House Resolution 60, and urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes.''

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 912, the Airline Flight Crew Technical Corrections Act, and I yield myself such time as I consume.

Mr. Speaker, we just heard this bill is needed to address a very narrow, very specific concern. At issue is the fact that some airline personnel are subject to a unique scheduling process in which they are paid for being on-call but, in some cases, are not credited with those hours in the calculation used for Family Medical Leave Act eligibility. The practical impact of this technicality is that some flight crew personnel may work a full-time schedule but fail to qualify for family and medical leave. This is a real concern for those grappling with health conditions or family obligations.

Many Members have been uneasy about efforts to open the Family Medical Leave Act for small changes when it is clear that broader reforms are necessary. The FMLA has worked well for 16 years, offering workers the flexibility to tend to their own health or to care for a loved one in their time of need without fear of losing their job.

But despite the law's many successes, it has also become clear that changes are needed. The realities of today's workplaces are different than those of a decade and a half ago. Courts have offered evolving interpretations, and as is often the case with such a sweeping change to employment law, there have been unintended consequences for both employers and employees.

I know the majority has worked with Members on our side of the aisle to craft this legislation carefully and to avoid some of the pitfalls that could come with piecemeal reform of the FMLA. I want to thank them for ensuring this bill does exactly what it intends, no more and no less.

Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today is an important opportunity to extend the protections of the FMLA to flight crew who might otherwise be denied benefits under the law. I hope we can follow the example set with this legislation and work together to find sensible solutions to the challenges facing all of America's working families.

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

No, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I support this narrowly crafted legislation and urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes.''

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, February 12 is going to be an interesting day in Kentucky. On February 12, at the birth place of Abraham Lincoln, we're going to have a ceremony celebrating the 200th birthday of our great President. And we had planned for it to be at the log cabin. The actual log cabin still exists on its site. Unfortunately, we had to move it because of the damage from the ice storm that we had the last couple of weeks.

First, let me say that the citizens of Kentucky are very thankful to the outpouring of help that we received around this country. Today, as I was driving to the airport, there are still convoys of utility trucks heading into our State continuing to bring our people back onto power. I toured a shelter, and there was a nurse from Alabama, a volunteer from Indiana, and they're all over. And Saturday morning, I ran into a crew from North Carolina that came to help remove debris.

But unfortunately, the great trees that surround the log cabin of our President, several of them have had damage. Therefore, they're having to move it to the LaRue County high school. It was actually in Hardin County where Abraham Lincoln was born, but it's now LaRue County. The high school will be hosting a celebration on February 12.

And we understand that there's been a lot of talking about Abraham Lincoln and Illinois in the last few weeks and last few months, but Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky. He's a Kentuckian, and we're very proud what he has meant to our State, and we invite people throughout this country--as you look at the Lincoln heritage--we invite you to come to LaRue County. And you can go to Washington County where his mother and father were married. There is usually a reenactment during the summertime where you can go to the Tom and Ms. Hanks wedding, Tom Lincoln and Ms. Hanks wedding. I saw that re-enactment this summer.

The Lincolns then moved to the spot in LaRue County where Abraham Lincoln was born. And the City of Hodgenville has a beautiful downtown square that's been remodeled for the State for the purposes of the bicentennial. And there is a beautiful statue of Abraham Lincoln as a young boy as he would have been when he lived in that area before he moved to Indiana and then on to Illinois.

So I think it's extremely important that we do recognize the great decisions that were made by Abraham Lincoln. As we sit here today, and as I've been in the House for the last few weeks, I'm new at this, a freshman. I've been in this the last few weeks. The decisions that we've had to make. And you wonder what was going

through--how Abraham Lincoln was able to withstand the pressure that he had for the decisions that he made that meant men and boys and the women that were sent, that were in harm's way, cities that were in harm's way and nothing--I did a dome tour when I first came here. And we went to the top of the Capitol dome, the great cast iron dome that we have. And it was built--a lot of people don't realize, but the dome to this building from which we speak was built during the Civil War. And people were asking why would you use cast iron and build a dome when we're at war when the iron could be used in the war effort.

And Abraham Lincoln, our great 16th President, thought it was vitally important that we continue to build this building to show the union of this country. It was symbolic. And that was just a small decision, but a symbolic decision that he made.

And Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to address this body.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Bishop John J. McRaith for his faithful service to the Catholic Diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky. He has served the church and his community with distinction for over 26 years. Bishop McRaith, the third bishop of Owensboro, resigned from his position on January 5, 2009.

Bishop McRaith graduated from St. John's Prep School in Collegeville, Minnesota, and Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. Then, he graduated from the School of Theology, St. Bernard Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa, in 1960 and was subsequently ordained a priest of the Diocese of New Ulm, Minnesota, on February 21, 1960.

Bishop McRaith began serving the Diocese of Owensboro on December 15, 1982. The diocese encompasses 32 counties and covers approximately 12,500 square miles. It includes 79 parishes, three high schools, two middle schools, and 13 elementary schools. In a testament to Bishop McRaith's dedication, he would typically log more than 25,000 miles a year traveling across the diocese.

Known for his humble spirit, Bishop McRaith is quick to credit others with the successes over the last 27 years, including one of the highest church attendance rates in the Nation. Last week he said, ``The good things that have happened while I was here, many, many people made them happen.''

Beyond his service to the Catholic Church of Western Kentucky, Bishop McRaith serves the community as a board member for Brescia University, the Daniel Pitino Center, the McAuley Free Clinic in Owensboro, and Lourdes Hospital Foundation in Paducah.

Bishop McRaith's devotion is an example for all Kentuckians to follow. I thank Bishop McRaith for his many years of service and commitment to western Kentucky.