Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Lydie H. Masse, recently awarded the 2008 Congressional Volunteer Recognition Award by the 2nd Congressional District of Maryland's Veterans Advisory Council.

Lydie Masse works as a hospice night nurse at the Baltimore VA Rehabilitation Extended Care Center (BRECC). While many of the night duty personnel leave once their shift is over, Lydie always stays to escort patients to breakfast, where she plays the piano as breakfast is served and encourages singing among the patients. Fellow workers and volunteers admire how her music enhances the quality of life among the patients. Her gentle, friendly manner endears her to the patients, and whenever she plays music, encouraging them to join in, a sense of good will pervades the room and brightens the day of many of her patients.

An injury caused Lydie to work with a brace on her leg for several weeks, but despite her long recovery she continued her work, never hurried or impatient with the veterans and always in a positive mood. After her arduous night duty is completed every morning, she stays as long as she is needed to help the patients start with their day, tending to any need her patients may have. She volunteers much of her free time to the patients she works with every night, doing her best to better their lives.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Lydie Masse. She is a remarkable volunteer for Maryland's veterans. Through her ongoing efforts, she has brightened the lives of the veterans she works with, making their stay at the BRECC as pleasant as possible. Lydie has gone above and beyond the call of duty to aid those who have sacrificed to serve our great Nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Charles ``Chuck'' LaHatte, recently awarded the 2008 Congressional Volunteer Recognition Award by the 2nd Congressional District of Maryland's Veterans Advisory Council.

Chuck LaHatte is a dedicated volunteer with the Disabled American Veterans, DAV, driving a DAV van to help disabled veterans get to and from Fort Howard for their medical treatment. A veteran himself, Chuck truly cares about the disabled veterans he assists on a weekly basis. He serves as an encouraging example in their lives.

Volunteering about 70 hours a month with disabled veterans, Chuck helps teach other DAV volunteers how to interact with the disabled veterans and how best to serve them. Chuck realizes the importance of the service he provides for disabled veterans, and goes above and beyond the call of duty in order to give the disabled veterans he transports the best possible service.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Chuck LaHatte. He is a remarkable volunteer for Maryland's veterans. Through his ongoing efforts, he has helped dozens of veterans to receive the medical care they need. Chuck has gone above and beyond the call of duty to aid those who have sacrificed to serve our great Nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Bafford Hope Harrison, recently elected and installed as Grand Master of the Masons in Maryland. Born in Talbot County, Maryland, he graduated from Hurlock High School in Dorchester County in 1942. It was there he met his wife, Willa Catherine Jaynes Harrison. They have two daughters and a son, Jerry Hope Harrison, who is following in his father's footsteps as a member of Granite Lodge #177.

During World War 11, B. Hope Harrison served in the United States Navy on a radar/sonar training ship until his honorable discharge in 1946. At age 24, after becoming an operative mason, he started his own masonry contracting business in St. Michaels. Maryland. Over the next few years, B. Hope Harrison expanded his business to general construction on residential and light industrial projects as well as development. He spent the next 40 years in construction and real estate.

The long hours and pressures of his ever-expanding business were such that he did not petition his masonry lodge until the age of 39. Since that time, he has dedicated himself to the fraternity, holding such respected titles as Worshipful Master of Granite Lodge #177, Worthy Patron of St. Michaels Chapter, W. Grand Standard Bearer, and Senior Grand Warden, and he has maintained active membership in both the York and Scottish Rite bodies while serving on the Board of Trustees since 1978.

In addition to his Masonic service he has served the Methodist Church in almost every capacity from Sunday School Superintendent to Church Lay Leader, a position he still occupies. Active in his community, he has served Talbot County and the town of St. Michaels through membership on several boards and commissions.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Grand Master Harrison. His legacy as a committed and active member of his community, church, and the Masons in Maryland ensure that he will be remembered for the consistent, dedicated service he has provided. It is with great pride that I congratulate Grand Master B. Hope Harrison on his achievement and volunteer service to the State of Maryland.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Wendy Cramer, recently awarded the 2008 Congressional Volunteer Recognition Award by the 2nd Congressional District of Maryland's Veterans Advisory Council.

Wendy Cramer is a dedicated employee with the Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA) Supplies, Processing and Distribution (SPD) program. In her physically demanding role in the program, Wendy is responsible for the retrieval of supplies from the Baltimore VA Medical Center and the distribution of the supplies to various centers. When she has an idea for a way to improve a service, she devotes her free time to making the improvements a reality.

Aside from her numerous work-related responsibilities that benefit our Nation's veterans, she also volunteers several hours a month for the veterans. She has volunteered her time toward such activities as National Salute, Veterans Day, and welcome home events. Every Christmas, she brings her family to VA hospitals to deliver gifts to wounded or ill veterans.

Members of the Veterans Advisory Council as well as patients and staff she interacts with every day praise her attitude and energy with the veterans. She is supportive and encouraging, and patients say her genuine enthusiasm is so infectious she can put everyone around her in a positive mood. The veterans Wendy interacts with can feel her honest empathy for them, and their appreciation for her work is obvious with the awarding of this honor.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Wendy Cramer. She is a remarkable volunteer for Maryland's veterans. Through her ongoing efforts, she has helped hundreds of veterans receive the supplies they need and served as a positive influence in their lives. She has gone above and beyond the call of duty to aid those who have dedicated their lives to serve our great country.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor the United States Pharmacopeial Convention on the inauguration of its expanded headquarters in Rockville, Maryland. Since 1820, the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention has established standards for drugs, both manufactured and compounded, and more recently for foods, including dietary supplements and food ingredients. These standards are developed by hundreds of volunteer experts from all over the Nation and the world.

The U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention plays a vital role in our Nation's efforts to promote public standards and help ensure the integrity of our Nation's food and drug supply. The organization's standards are widely recognized in the United States and around the world because they are authoritative, science-based, and developed through a transparent and credible process with established integrity. For this the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention's work is recognized truly as the ``standard of quality''.

Since the 19th century, Congress has continually enacted laws that bring United States consumers the best, the most beneficial and the safest food and drugs in the world. These laws tie the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Pharmacopeial Convention together as premier public health bodies. They support the enterprising spirit of our Nation's citizens who have brought forth an abundance of life- saving drugs.

Recent incidents at home and abroad demonstrate the continued importance of protecting the public and ensuring our drugs and food are safe. The U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention deserves our thanks for its efforts to protect the health of our families. From the medicines that heal our Nation's people to the food that nourishes us, the organization is working to ensure our safety.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention and recognize it for its commitment to public health. It is with great pride that I congratulate the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention for its work over 188 years and encourage its volunteers in continuing their exemplary standards-setting activities in the years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Abe and Donna Lee Goldstein for their contributions to the Cub Scout program. Growing up in Wilmington, DE, Abe belonged to the Civil Air Patrol. He attended the University of Delaware and earned a bachelor's degree in geology and a master's degree in geophysics. After marrying Donna Lee, the two moved to Maryland to raise their new family.

When their oldest son Greg joined the Cub Scouts as a Tiger, the Goldsteins became active members in Maryland's Pack 880. Donna Lee served as the Pack's Den Leader and Song Mistress, while Abe took on the responsibility of being the Committee Chair. Even after their oldest son, Greg, had bridged out from the Cub Scouts and 3 years before their youngest son, Max, could become a Tiger in the Pack, Abe and Donna Lee continued their involvement, opening their personal workshop for the scouts' Pinewood Derby clinics and assisting with the building of the new race track. For his years of consistent dedication to the program, Abe was recently named Cub Master of Pack 880.

The Cub Scout program gives adults the opportunity to have a positive influence on children's lives. People like the Goldsteins have helped sustain the Cub Scout program throughout its history, encouraging more families to become involved. By donating their time, resources, and talent to this worthwhile program, the Goldsteins have enriched the lives of countless children in the Cockeysville community.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Abe and Donna Lee Goldstein. Their commitment and dedication to the scouting program through the years is truly commendable. The impact of the Goldsteins' contributions will affect the youth of their community for years to come. It is with great pride that I congratulate Abe and Donna Lee Goldstein on their exemplary involvement in the Cub Scout program.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Joseph H. ``Jim'' Zarzycki, director of the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. Graduating with honors in chemical engineering in 1969 from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Joseph Zarzycki went on to earn a master's degree in industrial engineering from Texas A&M University in 1970. He is also a graduate of the Defense Systems Management College's Program Management Course and holds a master's degree in public administration from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He is a licensed professional engineer in Maryland and New Jersey.

Jim has over 25 years of leadership in public and private organizations dealing with toxic and hazardous materials. He has worked in the Army's Chemical Demilitarization and Installation Program, as well as the Army Chemical Systems Laboratory, now the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center. Throughout most of the 1990s, Jim worked in the environmental consulting industry, directing the functions of waste management locations across the nation.

In 1998, Jim returned to government service as the director of the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center at Aberdeen Proving Grounds. There he has directed the efforts of over 1,600 scientists, engineers, and technicians working in the areas of chemical and biological defense, smoke obscurants, and non-lethal weapons technologies. He also manages technology development efforts in support of several important national security programs including chemical demilitarization, the chemical and biological warfare treaties, and chemical and biological counterterrorism.

Jim is a recipient of the 2002 Presidential Rank meritorious Executive Award. In both 2002 and 2007 he was named Federal Laboratory Consortium Technology Transfer Department of Defense Director of the Year. Most recently, his organization, the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, was selected as the Army Laboratory of the Year in 2007.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Joseph H. ``Jim'' Zarzycki. His legacy as a brilliant engineer will be forever remembered in his service to our domestic agencies as well as our armed forces. It is with great pride that I congratulate Jim Zarzycki on his exemplary career in chemical and biological defense.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor David M. Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Carlyle Group, an American private equity firm. Born and raised in Baltimore, David Rubenstein graduated from Baltimore City College and went on to graduate magna cum laude from Duke University and earn his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School, where he was an editor of the Chicago Law Review. Prior to founding The Carlyle Group, David served as the Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy during the Carter Administration.

Most recently, David has become more well-known thanks to a Sotheby's auction item he purchased in December. On December 17, 2008, with a winning bid of over $21 million, David acquired the last copy of the Magna Carta remaining in the United States. The original Magna Carta, first signed in Britain in 1215, established the rights of the English citizens and placed checks on the power of the ruling monarch. Our own U.S. Constitution incorporates ideas and phrases almost directly from this historic document. The copy David purchased in December is a copy from 1297 when it was signed into law by the British Parliament.

Since 1985, it has been displayed at the National Archives as part of the Charters of Freedom exhibit, alongside the original Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights. David has announced that the copy will continue to be housed at the National Archives in Washington, DC.

David is an active member of several Boards of Directors or Trustees, including Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, University of Chicago, Lincoln and Kennedy Centers for the Performing Arts, and the Council on Foreign Relations. David is also a member of The Business Council, the Madison Council of the Library of Congress, the Trilateral Commission and the National Advisory Committee of J.P. Morgan Chase and the Washington Economic Club, of which he is President-elect.

In addition to his extensive involvement in numerous organizations, David is also active in philanthropy. He has made significant contributions and donations to the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Duke's Terry Stanford Institute of Public Policy, the Lincoln Center and the Johns Hopkins Medical System here in Maryland.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor David M. Rubenstein. His legacy as a leader in policy and finance will be matched only by his devotion to philanthropic projects. It is with great pride that I congratulate David Rubenstein on his exemplary career in business, law and government.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this conference report. We all should be proud of the bipartisan, bicameral product. I want to thank Chairman Reyes and also Ranking Member Hoekstra for your leadership in helping us put this together. It's very important for our country and our national security.

It has been 3 years since an intelligence authorization bill has been in front of the President for signature. We worked across the aisle with our Republican counterparts to put America first. We must pass this conference report.

We are the most powerful country in the world because we control the skies. Our country faces serious threat from China and Russia. These countries are working continuously to outpace our security efforts, particularly in space.

This intelligence authorization addresses those, as well as other critical national security issues. This past year, we have scrutinized all aspects of the intelligence community and insisted upon accountability and results.

My congressional district includes the National Security Agency. The men and women of the NSA work tirelessly to keep our soldiers and our civilians on the the front lines safe. They're fighting the war on terrorism 24 hours a day all over the globe. I'm proud that this conference report gives NSA the infrastructure and tools they need to protect our country.

This conference report also addresses some critical satellite issues. I assure you this Congress is looking into the problems associated with the space industry. We have made hard decisions. We've recommended changes, and we look to hold the administration accountable in the days ahead.

I support this conference report, and I recommend its passage.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1162, I was delayed because I was meeting with constituents from my district and I was taking them on a tour of the Capitol. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to recognize The National Anthem Project a 3-year national education campaign, led by our Nation's music educators, to raise awareness of the importance of music programs in our Nation's schools.

The National Anthem Project was launched by the National Association for Music Education in 2005, in response to a survey conducted by Harris Interactive. The Harris Poll showed that two out of three Americans did not know the words to ``The Star-Spangled Banner.'' The National Association for Music Education believes that this lack of knowledge, concerning the words and history of our national anthem, is a direct reflection of the quality of music education in our Nation's schools.

Music programs are considered an important part of a well-rounded education. Research shows that music programs help students perform better in math and science. Music education also provides students with a greater appreciation of America's musical heritage and history, as most Americans learn the national anthem and other patriotic songs at school.

The goal of the National Anthem Project was to ``restore America's voice,'' by re-teaching Americans to sing ``The Star-Spangled Banner'' and by spotlighting the important role of music programs in our Nation's schools. The 3-year project began on March 10, 2005, with a kick-off celebration on Capital Hill. The kick-off was followed by a nationwide Road Show tour in 2006 and hundreds of additional project- inspired events. The National Anthem Project came to a close in June of 2007, with a 3-day Grand Finale on the grounds of the Washington Monument. The Finale featured over 5,000 participants, including celebrities, Drum Corps International, music teachers, and students from all across the United States, who gathered together to celebrate the achievements of the National Anthem Project and, of course, to sing the national anthem.

The National Anthem Project has been a great success. Not only has the project succeeded in re-teaching the words and history of our national anthem, but it has also inspired people all over the country to have a greater appreciation of America's musical heritage and the importance of music education in our Nation's schools. The National Anthem Project has garnered significant news coverage from thousands of news outlets across the country, including Fox News, CNN, and Good Morning America. The success of The National Anthem Project has even received the attention of the Senate, which passed a Resolution in July of 2007 in support of the project's goals and ideals. It is my pleasure to share with you today the achievements of the National Anthem Project.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1095, I was unable to vote due to medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1096, I was unable to vote due to medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1097, I was unable to vote due to medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1098, I was unable to vote due to medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1099, I was unable to vote due to medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1100, I was unable to vote due to medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1101, I was unable to vote due to medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1102, I was unable to vote due to medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''