Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, we have a substantive bill here, and I appreciate the leadership bringing it up in the committee we are working on.

One of the things we haven't done enough on Government Oversight, and I think the American people say we haven't done enough as a Congress as a whole, is to look at those things that we are doing in the government that are not efficient, not effective, and, frankly, can be very wasteful not just of the taxpayers' money but in their time.

This bill is a commonsense approach. It changes the accounting process and really makes the system much more user friendly for those who are serving.

As the lady from California pointed out, those of us from California know how important the Federal firefighters can be. We just recently had massive fires break out again, and we are sadly looking forward to another season that could be very, very damaging. These firefighters are not just those covering military installations but actually protect homes throughout the country, especially in those fire-prone areas such as California.

I would again just say that I think this is appropriate. It is those little things that add up that the American people have been asking us to do more of, and I think this is one of those bipartisan issues. We can go back to our districts and say there is a lot of stuff we haven't done, we really need to do more, but at least we got together and got this item done. And this item could not only save money but may be able to make the system work efficiently.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

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

Mr. Speaker, when we look at this bill, we have got to think about what if 9/11 had happened 6 months before or 9 months before. And what if on Inauguration Day terrorists decided that is the time that America's leadership would be the weakest, that how could they really cause havoc not just with an attack but be able to catch America when its political leadership was at its weakest point. I think this bill is trying to make sure we avoid that vulnerability.

It is still a threat I think we must still be concerned about, but I think this helps to address the potential gap that exists today, and hopefully we'll close that gap to make sure that we tighten up the process and make it more outcome-based, and basically reflecting the fact that Washington gets it that the world is changing and we need to change too. We need to improve. Just because this is the way Washington has done something, it doesn't mean that is the way we should not only do it in the future. But it is not only that we can't do it in the future; we can't afford to do it in the future. If we are going to uphold our responsibility to defend this country, to serve this country, then we not only have the right to change our procedures; we have the responsibility to make these changes. I think this bill fulfills that responsibility in a very small manner, but it could be very important.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

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

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the chairman's action on this item. Let me just say as probably the only Member of Congress of Australian ancestry, I want to point out that the British, we might have had a couple of run-ins with the British every once in a while over the last few centuries, but the only country, the only country that fought in every war in the last century and this last century alongside the United States was those men and women from Australia.

I am very proud to be able to serve here in Congress and be able to support this bill in this forum. I think that we just have to remember that too often we take our allies for granted, our truly close friends, who are close to us in many ways. But in some of us, it is closer than others, and I hope that somewhere I can be able to stick this to my cousins in Queensland, Australia, and point out that I was here to at least speak in favor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), and I ask unanimous consent that he be allowed to control that time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer a resolution to support the inaugural USA Science and Engineering Festival to be held here in Washington, D.C., and, more importantly, to be held in 49 other locations across this country between October 10 and October 24. I say ``more importantly'' because of the fact that sometimes those of us in Washington forget that we are the capital of the Nation, but we are not the Nation. The foundation of this concept of our Federal republic is to make sure that we represent those communities out throughout this Nation, not just here in D.C.

This festival is actually going to be centered here in D.C. and in 49 other locations, and I think it is one of those bipartisan efforts that I would like to thank my colleagues for, those such as Chairman Gordon, Pete Olson of Texas, Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Brian Baird of Washington, two colleagues from Washington.

This is a unique opportunity for thousands of Americans to learn more about science and engineering from exhibits, participation, demonstrations, performances and discussions.

For those of us in San Diego who firsthand witnessed the wonderful event we had in 2009, the inaugural event of the San Diego Science and Energy Festival that attracted over a half-million participants, we are really kind of excited for the rest of the Nation to experience this.

Our Nation finds itself in the midst of a terrible economic recession, a crisis that is one that has been growing for generations, not one that was just spurred in the recent past. One of the key answers to pulling ourselves out of this economic trouble is to activate those entrepreneurial spirits in the scientific research that has always led America on the cutting edge of technology, and of economic and social prosperity.

Our Nation needs this kind of stimulus. Frankly, I think the USA Science and Engineering Festival is a great opportunity and can help the private sector work with the public sector. In fact, I think the latest I saw was that there were millions of dollars being put into this by the private sector because they see how important this investment of not just money, but of minds and creativity is going to be for all of us.

Madam Speaker, I think that we can recognize that though we have been successful in the past, only if we recognize that science, math, technology is going to be essential for a prosperous future, I think that we can look at each other and say maybe we need to spend more time focusing on those things that we have taken for granted for much too long.

I am happy to say I think culturally America is waking up to the fact that science is cool, that science is a neat thing to be involved with. In fact, I think that those of us who remember when the chairman and I were growing up, the great heroes of law enforcement were Joe Friday and the cops carrying the badge, who are still the heroes, but now our young people are learning it is the scientists who can find that little particle that leads to the answers. And every day, every night we can always turn on the television now, and we don't just see the strong cop on the beat, we see the scientists in the laboratory being our heroes.

Hopefully this will help to continue to grow the culture that being smart is cool, being a scientist is something to aspire to be. And maybe in our own little way, in our small way by supporting this festival, we can cultivate those minds and that creativity out there and maybe we will see the future Alexander Graham Bells, the Thomas Edisons, the Robert Fultons and many other great Americans who have been able to create the America we know today and the world we see around us that too often we take for granted that science and technology made it all possible.

With this event, maybe we will be able to remind all of us how lucky we are to be in America, where freedom of mind goes along with freedom of spirit.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate this bill on two points. I appreciate the fact that the chairman of the Science and Technology Committee has been willing to bring forth this bill, which is very critical at a very critical time. I also want to thank the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Mrs. Dahlkemper) for raising this issue.

From the Science and Technology Committee's point of view, this is an appropriate action to take. Sadly, Madam Speaker, we should have sitting on the podium next to our chairman the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, because I think all of us will agree that all of the funding and all of the studies do not accomplish anything if we do not have access to the material to make it reality. One of the critical things we need to do is to bridge the gap between what we know we need to do and what we allow to be done.

One of the sad things right now is the fact that we keep talking about great breakthroughs. We have got to recognize that all of us are so excited about high-tech electrification of transportation systems, about the efficiency and energy saved there and about the reduction in the carbon footprint. If we want to drive our Priuses, then we have to be brave enough not only to support this bill but to tell our colleagues that we have to open up the public lands to allow the mining to be done so that we will have access to create these miracles. Too often we are willing to talk about spending money to do the kinds of things that need to be done, but we are not willing to say we need to reform our Federal regulations and our processes to make those things possible.

One hears all the time that what America needs for energy independence is a new Manhattan Project. Well, ladies and gentlemen, as somebody who has worked on environmental issues for over 30 years, the Manhattan Project would be illegal to do today. Federal regulation would not allow a Manhattan Project. As the committee that works on science, we need to understand that we can only do so much. The jurisdiction of the Natural Resources Committee needs to be partners in this effort. We need to tear down the barriers of government regulation which do not allow access to those important components that are public property and public resources. The American people own these resources, and they should be able to have access to them.

I am very sensitive to the environmental impact of exploiting resources in an inappropriate way. Yet, as a former member of the Air Resources Board, I am very, very aware of the great environmental threat if we do not utilize our own native resources to address these issues.

So I want to thank the chairman. This is probably one of his last bills to be before this committee. It is a great, great bill at a critical time. I hope the committees of jurisdiction, such as the Natural Resources Committee, will be as strong and as brave to bring these items forward so the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania's bill can not only see the light of day here in this body but actually can see the implementation of one of the most important things that is facing us as an economy and as a free people, which is just making sure that we have the access to those items that make these miracles possible.

Thank you very much for this bill, and I support it.

I thank the ranking member. I appreciate the fact of this bill being brought forward.

Madam Speaker, I know there is very little being brought forward, but at least we have something to discuss today. And I have to agree with my colleague that we wish the general tax cut, something that we hear all around, the American people want us to talk about.

But this is an item that hasn't been talked about enough anywhere. And I want to thank my colleague from New Mexico for cosponsoring this with me. And I want to congratulate the gentleman's State of New Mexico because, I tell you something, as a Californian, I am sort of envious. California spent lots of money on our universities, lots of money on our research. We have some of the best scientists in the world. And as the gentleman from New Mexico knows, our scientists in San Diego developed the ability to create this algae fuel, but, sadly, because of California's regulations and the lack of reform and its government oversight, the scientists in San Diego had to pack up and go to New Mexico to be able to produce this product. And the jobs will be created in New Mexico in the production because California hasn't reformed its government regulatory oversight.

And I think that is a challenge for all of us to look at that, hopefully, as the Federal Government will set an example that jobs aren't being taken overseas, because we are quick to write checks and maybe do research, but we are not quick at making the private sector viable to be able to create the jobs that all of us know the American people are desperate for.

You know, the algae-based fuel is one of the most promising fuels, Madam Speaker, when we talk about the next generation, second or third generation biofuels. We all know, any reasonable person knows, that the mandates of adding renewable fuels in our fuel stream, the mandate that you cannot sell legally gasoline in the United States unless it has a 10 or 8 percent by volume content of renewable fuels, that mandate never, ever meant to leave us with first generation renewable fuels. We all knew that first generation was a necessity, something we had to get through, something that was expensive, maybe not as environmentally friendly as we like, but a transition we hoped would come eventually.

Algae fuel has the capability of building that bridge to the future to lead the first generation renewables behind and move forward. The fact is that algae fuel is not only highly effective; algae fuel equals the fossil fuel one-to-one in energy capabilities.

The fact is that algae fuel, as it gets developed, is capable of not just driving our cars, but flying our airplanes, of actually replacing diesel. Algae fuel has the capability of total compatibility with the existing infrastructure. Unlike other fuels, you do not have to ship algae fuel by truck from one location to the other, thus creating a whole new group of environmental and air pollution problems. You can transport it within the pipe systems that exist today. You can refine it in the refineries that exist today.

Algae fuel has the capability of being 1, 2 percent, or 90 percent of the fuel stream within the existing infrastructure. It is totally compatible to be phased in, a huge benefit that does not exist with the first generation.

Algae fuel has the ability to consume and sequester massive amounts of CO2, something that other fuels do not have the capability of doing along the line at the capability that they have here. And the drop-in capability and the capability is something we do not talk enough about.

Algae fuels have been tested. We have had one aircraft that flew with algae fuel and not only was compatible, but was 4 percent more efficient than fossil fuels of comparable weight and volume.

And the fact is, Madam Speaker, that we have the ability now to even the playing field when it comes to taxes. Why should Washington continue to choose winners and have alternatives that should be allowed to win hamstrung and punished because they weren't here with their lobbyists years ago when these laws were passed?

This bill helps to correct the mistakes made in the past in our tax laws where Washington was choosing some to be winners and cutting out other people from participating in the system. We should allow winners to earn the right to be called winners and not be anointed by Washington or the legislators here in Washington. We should allow the technology and the products to compete on an open market, but equal tax benefits for everyone to be able to prove that America allows people to be innovative, to be creative, and we will not punish them just because they went down one technological road rather than the other.

Our Tax Code should be equal. It should be neutral, and it should be outcome-based, not profit-based and, most importantly, not Washington lobbying-based. This bill now equalizes that to some degree; and that degree, I think is appropriate at this time.

So it may not be doing everything we would like to do this week. It is not going to accomplish what I know we all know the American people want us to get accomplished before January 1 of 2011, but it does take a step in the right direction, helps to correct the mistake.

And yes, Congressman, I will go back to talk to Arnold Schwarzenegger and say, damn it, we have got to change our regulation so we can produce this algae in California so you don't get all the jobs from this great technology breakthrough.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 535, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 536, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

I appreciate the gentleman yielding.

I wanted to take this chance because I saw you on the floor. I think there are a lot of issues that are controversial and a lot of people see Democrats and Republicans disagreeing on.

I want to use this time to compliment the gentleman from Iowa for the fact that he has introduced the most moderate, the most logical and I think the most American bill when it comes to the immigration issue. This is something that really, really hits to the core of the problem and doesn't blame the immigrant, but goes to the source of illegal immigration, and that's the illegal employers who are exploiting them.

I think if there was one place that Democrats and Republicans should be able to work together, that all Americans could agree on, that this Congress, this month, should eliminate the absurd situation to where illegal employers get to write off the expense of hiring people illegally in this country and be able to have the Federal Government subsidize their commission of a crime when they hire somebody who is not legally present.

And your bill is right to the core of what the American people are asking for, Democrats, Republicans and independents, saying, come on, why don't we get together in Washington and do the right thing and eliminate these absurd situations.

And this one is so logical, it is so moderate, and it's so appropriate for the time. And if there is nothing else that we can agree on before we adjourn this year, I would like to see, we should agree, that the taxpayer should not be subsidizing the employment of illegal aliens and the exploitation of those workers.

I want to thank the gentleman for coming forward with this bill.

Madam Speaker, as Chairman of the Central America Caucus, I would like to extend my sincerest condolences to the people of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador for their suffering as a result of the devastating effects of Tropical Storm Agatha. Beginning on May 29, 2010, Tropical Storm Agatha left a wake of death and destruction in its path through Central America, leaving more than 200 people dead and almost 100,000 people displaced into shelters by this devastation.

As a San Diegan, I am no stranger to how devastating natural disasters can be. In October 2007, 400,000 acres burned across our county while more than 1 million individuals were evacuated from their homes and more than 115 firefighters were injured while fighting to contain the fires. Any natural disaster tests the resolve of a community so our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by Tropical Storm Agatha.

In addition to affecting the long term functionality and prosperity of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, Tropical Storm Agatha has also severely affected the countries' critical and physical infrastructures, damaging buildings as well as water and sanitation systems, and agricultural stock.

It is a testament to the generosity of the American people as well as the innate goodness of human nature that so much aid from both American and international organizations have contributed to the relief efforts of Tropical Storm Agatha. I am proud to report that the United States has participated in providing relief supplies while governments and humanitarian organizations globally have contributed millions of dollars in relief funds.

I would like to reiterate the profound sympathy we have for those affected by Tropical Storm Agatha, as well as laud their perseverance and progress in recovery. I urge the United States to continue to assist their recovery efforts, both in the short as a well as the long term. Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected, and for these reasons I ask my colleagues to support the underlying resolution.

I would like to thank the gentleman from Utah for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I enjoyed working with Patrick Murphy, the gentleman from Pennsylvania, developing this bill, really looking at creating a transparent process so the American people can finally see what they have been telling Washington for a long time existed.

While this is a small step, it is a good example of what the American people have been demanding over the years, but especially just recently. I think all of us that go home and talk to our constituents understand that the exchanges with the average citizen for a Member of Congress has been let's just say brisk to say the least. And one of the greatest things that the American people are upset about is the feeling that their money is not being handled appropriately, that the dollars and cents that the Federal Government is taking from them after they work hard for every dollar and cent is not being handled in an appropriate way that they feel confident with.

Today we are going to take an action that is a small step. It's not going to solve the problem, but it is very much an indication of the kind of action the American people have been demanding. The fact is it's time that the bipartisan forces in this Congress and in future Congresses understand that our greatest responsibility and obligation is not to the party leaders of either Republican or Democrat, but to the taxpayers who pay our salary, but more importantly, trust us with their hard-earned money to use it appropriately and responsibly.

Mr. Speaker, when we talk about this year facing a $1.3 trillion deficit, I think that we have got to recognize it's time that we start doing what the American people are demanding. Ending improper payments is the low-hanging fruit right now. Basically, it's there for the picking. And that's probably why we are able to do it today.

Frankly, according to the Office of Management and Budget, we are talking about approximately $98 billion. Now, $98 billion seems to be an abstract, but consider the fact that that is almost twice what we spend on the homeland security budget. We talk about defending our neighborhoods, trying to secure our borders, trying to make sure terrorism stays out of our communities, we talk a lot about that. But when we recognize that we are now giving away, wrongly, twice as much money as we spend on our own homeland security, I think the American people have a reason to be outraged, and justifiably so.

By working in a bipartisan manner, we have been able to get the Senate to cooperate and craft a solution for this long-standing problem. And frankly, I think our bill really does set the goal that we should try to follow, and that is, let's find out how much more we can cooperate, how many more dollars we can save, and how much more credibility we can finally start bringing back to this body from the American people, for the American people. Our bill is endorsed by the budget watchdog organizations liked the National Taxpayers Union and the Council on Citizens Against Government Waste.

Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of serving as the ranking member for the Subcommittee on Procurement. I not only strongly ask my colleagues to support this bill, but I would like to leave you with a question, a question for Republicans and Democrats, but most importantly a question the American people would like to ask. And that

is, how much more could we save if this Congress was brave enough to look deeper into our budget and our expenditures? How much more could we be saving for the taxpayer or providing to the citizens if we were brave enough to really audit our own books the way we expect the private sector and citizens to do every year?

If we only had the bravery to look in and find the truth and take action on it, I think that when we go back to our districts there would be a different welcome, a different type of response. And frankly, I think the response we have received in the past is one that we have deserved. Hopefully, we will earn the right to deserve a more positive response from the constituents when we take this action and follow it up with more concrete action to make sure that we do maintain the trust.

So again, I ask Congress let's take this as a first step. I appreciate the support from my colleague from his great State to be able to say let's work together, let's make the move, but let's stop being in denial that there isn't more that Congress ought to do to maintain the integrity of our budget process.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to join with my colleague, the Delegate from Washington, D.C. This bill quite appropriately is named in honor of an individual within the Federal District who served the community well and, more importantly, the context and the substance of this bill gives equity to those men and women who serve in the National Guard for the Federal District of Columbia and gives them equity with those States that surround the Federal District.

I think many times Congress is asked to give special attention to our residents in the Federal District, and I think this is one of fairness, equity, one that I think is well within our constitutional, not only our rights, but our responsibilities to represent not just those in our own districts, but to recognize that the Federal District is a district for all Americans.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, as somebody that resides in north San Diego County, I spend a lot of time in the water at the Pacific Ocean, but I have never spent very much time on the ice. As a San Diegan, I find it very interesting the entire concept of somebody playing a game on the ice. But I join today in supporting this resolution and congratulating the Blackhawks in their victory.

I still would love to learn more about the game, but I'd like to do it from afar, as long as I can stay warm.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. NORTON Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois, the sponsor of the bill (Mr. Quigley).

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the gentleman again, and Chicago, which has had a pretty good run the last couple of years. Seeing that I know how committed the hockey fans are, I will join with my colleagues in urging the Members to support the passage of H.R. 1439.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I compliment the author of this bill. It is one where priorities are being made. It may be small in the bigger picture, but at least the priority is being made. Right now, we're talking about that we have a need in this country to help enhance the compensation for some very critical public servants--not just us personally, but for the country at large.

The fact is, this bill will create a $15 million savings by looking at surplus property that the taxpayers not only own but have to maintain at this time. Sadly, Mr. Speaker, that $15 million is a drop in the bucket of what we could be doing. As the Office of Management and Budget estimated, the Federal Government has $18 billion worth of real property it does not need, and rather than selling this property or marketing it, we usually give it away one way or the other to local governments, States, or nonprofits, rather than getting the fair market value.

I know historically we have always taken this attitude of, if the Federal Government can't use it, let's give it to somebody else. But I think we all agree with the budget crisis the way it is, we need to rethink those priorities and make sure that we recognize that the Federal Government is not in the position of giving their largesse out to other governments or nonprofits.

I have to remind all of us that this bill does make that priority decision. Instead of issuing it to other governments or to nonprofits, it says we need the money within the Federal family, and thus we will liquidate this asset and create the revenue so we can spend it at another location which is a higher priority.

I join in supporting this bill. I think that it sets an example that we should all be looking at, and that is: As we take this step, the question will be, If $15 million is a good idea, where do we go when we're looking at the $18 billion that is out there? I think most of us on Government Oversight, especially on the subcommittee that I have the privilege of being the ranking member on, Organization and Procurement, not only have a right, but a responsibility, to take a look at where else do we have resources that are not being tapped for the American people. Where else should we be liquidating our real estate and putting it back into the private market and allowing it to do the magic that the private sector has done for this country for so long? And how much longer will we horde this real estate when we do not have a foreseen or foreseeable use for it?

Mr. Speaker, I join in not only providing the resources to be able to pay our men and women who protect us every day, but I also join in a policy that says we will now look at the resources of the American people as being that of the American people as a general welfare issue and that we will look at how best to be able to pay our bills with the resources we can generate by liquidating unneeded assets.

Mr. Speaker, I think that Mr. Chaffetz of Utah just 2 weeks ago brought up a bill that looked a lot like this. I know this body did not support his bill to go after and try to create that $18 billion fund for the American people, but I think this bill gives us something we can work with, following the leadership of the gentleman from Utah, and that is, Let's take a look like any family is doing today--what do we own that we do not think we can use, and how do we liquidate that so we can get the resources and the funds that we desperately need to pay our bills?

So at this time I would again encourage my colleagues to join with us in passing this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Richard Allyn Burton and the contributions he has made to our nation. Mr. Burton, born to Clarence and Fern Burton in Pleasant Hill, Missouri, is a shining example for future generations to follow.

Mr. Burton came to California during the Great Depression with his four brothers and

mother in search of work. Denied access at the state line, they made the arduous journey back to Missouri, yet upon their return they received word that Richard's uncle had found work for them in Escondido, California. After making the trip once again, the Burton family settled down in Escondido.

Upon the United States' entry into World War II, the Burtons answered the call to service and all four brothers enlisted in the military. After completing basic training and 16 weeks of ``A'' School to become an Electrician's Mate, Mr. Burton served with Task Forces 92 and 94 in the North Pacific supporting offensive operations against the Japanese. He then passed through the Panama Canal and supported operations in the Caribbean. Upon his separation from the military, Mr. Burton had been awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (with a bronze star), the American Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.

After returning from the war, Richard married Ms. Eloise Flanders of Escondido, and the two enjoyed 53 years of marriage. They raised two children, two grandchildren, and a great-grandchild.

Mr. Burton is the epitome of what we now refer to as the ``Greatest Generation.'' He served his country well in her time of need, and he has exemplified the hard work and determination that makes America great.

Madam Speaker, I would like to bring to your attention today the many outstanding achievements of Susan Toft, the outgoing president of the Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary Club. Susan's leadership during the 2009-2010 Rotary year has contributed significantly to the Hi-Noon Rotary Club, the community of Carlsbad and the mission of Rotary. During her tenure, the Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary Club sponsored Interact, a youth service club; RYLA, a youth awareness leadership conference; a Christmas party and provided meals and gifts to needy elementary school children; an Oktoberfest fundraiser that benefited the Carlsbad Women's Resource Center, Carlsbad Boys and Girls Club and other charitable organizations; sponsored a golf tournament which funded scholarships for Carlsbad high school students and provided financial support to needy military personnel and their families; promoted literacy by providing dictionaries for English and Spanish speaking elementary school children; made 1,200 books available to the Jefferson Elementary School students; conducted a business and ethics conference for high school students; participated in a matching funds program with a local college to provide scholarship funds for returning Marines; supported the Boy Scouts of America Food Drive Program; teamed with the Assistance League to provide footwear to needy elementary school students and provided food and support to La Posada, a facility for the homeless.

In addition, under President Susan Toft's leadership the Carlsbad Hi- Noon Rotary and its membership completed a number of other projects. We assisted in the distribution of food, clothing, and toys to over 400 needy Carlsbad families in conjunction with the Carlsbad Christmas Bureau. Through our Gazebo project, a city landmark structure was refurbished and relocated for public enjoyment. In addition, support was provided to the Veteran s Association of North Country.

In the international arena, under Susan Toft's leadership, a team of Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotarians joined with others to build a house in Mexico for a needy family. Through our support of the Paul Harris Foundation, we co-sponsored numerous other humanitarian projects all over the world including the effort to eradicate polio world-wide, and provided funding for the Micro-banking project enabling third world countries to develop entrepreneurial skills and become self sufficient. We also participated in the Shelter Box program to help the needy in Haiti; helped provide computers to students in Belize, collected shoes for Haitian relief and provided support to the needy of Mulege, Mexico as a result of hurricane Jimena. In addition, one of our members made the largest bequest ever to the Rotary International permanent fund so that it may continue to carry out its international humanitarian efforts. I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing the many fine achievements of Susan Toft. Without question, her leadership and the fine work of the Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary Club are worthy of recognition by the House today.