Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this very responsible funding bill. I commend the Chair and the ranking member for working together in a bipartisan way to come up with an outstanding bill.

Mr. Chairman, you are a true leader, and I respect the way you've handled yourself throughout the process.

In my former position as a Baltimore County Executive I was required to submit a $2 million operating budget each year, and I did so without raising taxes and without cutting vital public safety or economic development programs.

I call this bill today our Law Enforcement and Investment Budget for America. This is where we fulfill our obligation to protect our citizens from crime. It is where we invest in our economy, our sciences and new technologies. This is where we keep America competitive in a global economy.

I learned in my former position as county executive that if you neglect public safety, and you neglect public investment, the taxpayers end up paying a higher price down the road and get less for their money. They pay in more crime, a lagging economy and a higher price tag on new infrastructure.

Some of my friends on the other side are proposing across-the-board cuts. Congress should never impose such cuts for two reasons. First, you cut the meat with the fat, the good programs with the bad. Second, as a leader, you fail in your duty to make tough choices and to provide vision and direction for our country.

A proposed 1 percent cut would mean we can fund about 7,000 fewer bulletproof vests for cops in your police and sheriff departments.

A proposed 6 percent cut means $12 million less for STOP grants to fight violence against women.

For many years Congress has neglected the law enforcement budget in the CJS appropriations bill. We have underfunded law enforcement.

As a former prosecutor, I was shocked this year when the administration proposed a hiring freeze for the DEA at a time when drugs are the scourge of so many of our communities. This bill corrects that.

These are tough fiscal times, yet this is the first time in the history of our country that we have cut taxes while we are at war. We borrow from our children and countries like China, and then continue to spend and spend in Iraq. What kind of fiscal management is this? It leads to huge deficits, and it is fiscally irresponsible.

This CJS bill reflects new priorities and new direction. Congress would never propose a 1 percent cut in the funding of our troops in Iraq. Congress should never have a 1 percent cut in funding for cops on the beat in our communities. It is time we stand up for our cops and first responders, just like we stand up for or troops.

It is bad fiscal policy to have across-the-board cuts in the vital economic development programs of Commerce, Department and Census Bureau. Cuts in the census harm our local communities and leave us behind in the information economy.

Mr. Chair, if we did not have this deficit we confront today, I would support even more funding for law enforcement.

Madam Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise before you today to honor the outstanding lifetime achievements of Hanan Y. ``Bean'' Sibel, one of Maryland's most successful business leaders and strongest community advocates. Hanan Y. ``Bean'' Sibel is an active and respected business and civic leader in all walks of life in greater Baltimore.

He is the founding chairman of the Maryland/Israel Development Center, a nonprofit partnership of the state of Maryland, Government of Israel and The ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore, an organization that promotes trade and investment between Maryland and Israeli businesses. Under his leadership, the MIDC became one of the most respected US-Israel trade promotion organizations in the country. The MIDC was awarded an unprecedented five grants exceeding $3.5 million from the bi-governmental US-Israel Science and Technology Foundation.

He also serves on the board of The ASSOCIATED. He chaired The ASSOCIATED annual campaign in 1987 and has served on numerous strategic committees and task forces. He was also President of Israel Bonds for the state of Maryland and Vice President of the Jewish National Fund.

Hanan has been an outstanding leader beyond the Jewish Community as well. He is Chairman of the Baltimore County Revenue Authority. A graduate of the University of Maryland School of Law, Bean also serves on that school's Board of Visitors. He also served as President of the Signal 13 Foundation and the Governor's Mansion Foundation. Widely recognized as an important business leader in the state, Bean was a leader in Maryland's food brokerage industry for 45 years. He was elected to the Food Hall of Fame of Maryland in 2005 and has also served as a Board Member of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Maryland and First Mariner Bank.

Bean and his wife Carole, a community leader in her own right and past chairman of the board of The ASSOCIATED, have three married children, Todd and Amy Sibel, Steve and Joyce Sibel and Cara and Jay Cohen, as well as seven grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today in honoring Hanan Y. ``Bean'' Sibel, a man whose deep commitment to the business community, civic groups and philanthropic organizations has improved the quality of life for thousands of residents of the State of Maryland and the State of Israel.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Marine Lance Corporal Jeremy L. Tinnel, who died the first of July 2007 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lance Cpl. Jeremy L. Tinnel, 20, of Mechanicsville, Virginia, died of injuries sustained from a non-hostile accident during combat operations on the Euphrates River just off the shore of Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Tinnel was assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Jeremy was promoted to Lance Corporal January 1, 2007. His military decorations include the Combat Action Ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. Tinnel left for his second deployment to Iraq on March 7, 2007.

In May 2007, Marine Lance Cpl. Jeremy L. Tinnel was injured by an improvised explosive device. Lance Corporal Tinnel was a turret gunner on a Humvee during a routine patrol on May 14, 2007 when an IED detonated near the right side of the vehicle. The blast blew away the wheels, hood and engine block, and sent the wreckage screeching across the road. However, he remained in Iraq and returned to duty after about a week's recovery.

Born in Richmond, Virginia, Jeremy grew up in Highland Springs and Sandston, Virginia and was home-schooled. He lived in Mechanicsville, Virginia before joining the Marines in August 2004. While in North Carolina, Tinnel met ``the love of his life.'' He and his wife, Angel Nichole Tinnel of Havre de Grace, Maryland, were married in December, 2006 during a small ceremony in Mechanicsville.

Before joining the Marine Corps, Tinnel volunteered for many summers in eastern Henrico County, Virginia at the New Bridge Baptist Church's summer camp ministry and created a puppet character for the church's children's ministry that had a pointy green head, red hair and an English accent.

In addition to his wife, survivors include his father, Herold Tinnel, and stepmother, Joyce

Tinnel, of Sandston, Virginia; two sisters, Christy Flowers of Charles City County, Virginia and Laura Tinnel of Sandston, Virginia; and a brother, James Tinnel of Sandston, Virginia.

Madam Speaker, today I ask that you join with me in honoring the life of a man truly dedicated to serving his country.

Mr. Chairman, I'd like to address this important issue--accountability.

All of us in government service have an obligation to be accountable for our actions and we all take an oath to follow the laws of this country.

Unfortunately, it appears the Vice President believes he should be held to some different standard that applies only to him.

The news that the Vice President as advanced a legal argument that he is not a part of the executive branch and not a part of the legislative branch but has some special status which means he does not have to comply with Executive Orders or the law in safeguarding classified material is nothing less than shocking.

As a member of the House Intelligence Committee I can report to my colleagues that if we stand by and allow the Office of the Vice President to exempt itself from the same rules that apply to any employee in our intelligence services, we will deal a serious blow to the morale of these patriotic Americans defending our country.

I will therefore support every measure in this Financial Services Subcommittee bill, at every step in the process as it becomes law to compel the Vice President to follow the law of the land.

The Vice President should be leading by example. He should be setting the highest standards of conduct and accountability.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the fiscal year 2008 Financial Services Appropriation, and I urge Members to vote for this bill. It is an excellent bill approved by the subcommittee unanimously. It is below the President's request, and fulfills our obligation to be efficient with the taxpayers' dollars. I commend Chairman Serrano and Ranking Member Regula for their leadership and their bipartisan achievement.

As a former prosecutor and county executive, I am especially proud of several initiatives in the bill. I would like it highlight one program specifically. There is $226 million, a $6 million increase, over the President's budget for high-intensity drug trafficking areas. HIDTA funding enables local, State and Federal law enforcement to work together in fighting the war against drugs.

As a county executive in Baltimore County, we worked with HIDTA to bring everyone to the table who had a stake in stopping drug trafficking. We don't stop drug buys with just a single piece of information. It takes solid policework, intelligence, and trained experts analyzing information to help officers make the drug arrests.

The HIDTA program is making a major impact in areas like Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New York and other locations. Statistics show that drugs are connected to over 70 percent of all violent crime in the United States. This increase in HIDTA funding helps protect this country and our communities against drug dealers and other violent criminals.

I urge my colleagues to support the Financial Services appropriations bill.

Madam Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise before you today to honor the outstanding career of William J. Quigley, on the occasion of his retirement from the United States Coast Guard.

CDR William J. Quigley is the Prospective Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Cryptologic Group. He assumed his current duties as the Coast Guard Liaison Officer to the Commander, Naval Security Group, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland in 2004. Immediately prior to this assignment, he served as Chief, Intelligence Resource Management Office, Intelligence Directorate, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, DC.

Commander Quigley was born in Lowell, MA, and grew up in Hudson, NH. A 1984 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy, Commander Quigley began his career as a deck watch officer aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Alert (WMEC-630) in Cape May, NJ. Commander Quigley's service included numerous afloat assignments and is a qualified Coast Guard Cutterman.

Commander Quigley's shoreside assignments include duty as a Watch Officer at the Coast Guard Intelligence Coordination Center in Washington, DC; the supervisor of the Coast Guard Detachment at the Navy Operational Intelligence Center in Suitland, MD; the Coast Guard Liaison Officer to the Department of State in Washington, DC, and Chief, Operational Analysis and Planning Division, Office of Operations Strategic and Business Planning, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters.

Commander Quigley holds a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, CT, and a master of science degree in strategic intelligence, earned at the Joint Military Intelligence College, Washington, DC. Individual military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, Coast Guard Commendation Medal with gold star and operational distinguishing device, the Coast Guard Achievement Medal with gold star and operational distinguishing device, the Commandant's Letter of Commendation, the National Defense Service Medal with bronze star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal. Commander Quigley is married to the former Paula May Harris of Hampden, MA. They currently reside in Millersville, MD, with their two sons, Kyle and Connor.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today in honoring CDR William J. Quigley, a man whose deep commitment to the United States and the United States Coast Guard has gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to our great country.

Madam Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise before you today to honor the outstanding career of William J. Quigley, on the occasion of his retirement from the United States Coast Guard.

Commander William J. Quigley is the Prospective Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Cryptologic Group. He assumed his current duties as the Coast Guard Liaison Officer to the Commander, Naval Security Group, Fort George G. Meade, Maryland in 2004. Immediately prior to this assignment, he served as Chief, Intelligence Resource Management Office, Intelligence Directorate, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

Commander Quigley was born in Lowell, Massachusetts and grew up in Hudson, New Hampshire. A 1984 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy, Commander Quigley began his career as a deck watch officer aboard the Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) ALERT (WMEC-630) in Cape May, New Jersey. Commander Quigley's service included numerous afloat assignments and is a qualified Coast Guard Cutterman.

Commander Quigley's shore side assignments include duty as a Watch Officer at the Coast Guard Intelligence Coordination Center in Washington, D.C.; the supervisor of the Coast Guard Detachment at the Navy Operational Intelligence Center in Suitland, Maryland; the Coast Guard Liaison Officer to the Department of State in Washington, D.C. and Chief, Operational Analysis and Planning Division, Office of Operations Strategic and Business Planning, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters.

Commander Quigley holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE) from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Connecticut and a Master of Science degree in Strategic Intelligence (MSSI), earned at the Joint Military Intelligence College, Washington, DC. Individual military awards include the Meritorious Service Medal with Gold Star, Coast Guard Commendation Medal with gold star and operational distinguishing device, the Coast Guard Achievement Medal with gold star and operational distinguishing device, the Commandant's Letter of Commendation, the National Defense Service Medal with bronze star, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal. Commander Quigley is married to the former Paula May Harris of Hampden, Massachusetts. They currently reside in Millersville, Maryland with their two sons, Kyle and Connor.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today in honoring Commander William J. Quigley, a man whose deep commitment to the United States and the United States Coast Guard has gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to our great country.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Army Specialist Casey W. Nash, who died the eighteenth of May two- thousand seven in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Specialist Nash and two other soldiers were killed by an improvised explosive device in Tahrir, Iraq. He died of serious injuries when the roadside-improvised explosive device detonated near his unit. Specialist Nash enlisted in the Army in February 2003, shortly after graduating from Eastern Technical High School, where he played football. Casey was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas. Casey served as a fire support specialist and his duties included mapping coordinates and driving a Humvee. He was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq.

Casey Nash was born in Pasadena, Texas, and moved to Middle River, Maryland with his family when he was a child. He attended Victory Villa Elementary School and Middle River Middle School before attending Eastern Technical High School. Casey moved to Essex, Maryland with his mother, Sandra Nash, and his sister while he was in high school.

The Eastern Technical High School alumnus is succeeded by his father, Lewis Nash, his mother, Ms. Sandra L. Nash, his sister, Sara Nash, and many family members in Middle River and Essex, Maryland.

Madam Speaker, today I ask that you join with me in honoring the life of a man truly dedicated to serving his Country.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 396, I missed the vote on passage. I was chairing a briefing in the Intelligence Committee with NSA. I missed the vote by 30 seconds. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Chairwoman, I want to first say that I rise in support of H.R. 2082, the Intelligence Authorization Act.

Our Nation is at war. We are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, and we are battling terrorists worldwide. We are also witnessing the rise of nuclear powers in Iran and North Korea. We are facing major challenges from China and Russia, who want to gain a technological edge on the United States.

America has to stay on the offensive, and the way to do that is with stronger technology. This bill will strengthen our intelligence capabilities and invest much needed resources in new research and development.

I am the chairman of the Technical and Tactical Subcommittee, which is responsible for overseeing technical intelligence assets, including the National Security Agency. The subcommittee has been working hard to ensure that this bill provides the necessary resources so that the Intelligence Community has the latest cutting-edge research and technology. This is the foundation for good intelligence.

Other countries are gaining the ability to take out intelligence assets, such as orbiting satellites. Al Qaeda is finding innovative ways to communicate over the internet to plan attacks.

We need to develop smarter tools to collect this information about threats to the U.S. and our allies. This bill refocuses the Intelligence Community on these new and emerging threats. The number one priority is preserving our technical workforce. This bill invests in our scientists and engineers.

This bill also addresses the future of research and development across the Intelligence Community. Let me emphasize; we must invest more heavily in research and development. The committee is looking to the Director of National Intelligence to establish an aggressive R&D investment strategy that promotes cooperation among various agencies while allowing each agency to conduct research that fulfills its specific needs. During this time of growth, we need to maintain the good working relationships the Intelligence Community has with our Nation's research centers.

In closing, we need to maintain our technology. We should vote for this bill.

I have been on the Intelligence Committee for 4 years. I feel very strongly that this committee should be USA first. What we have to deal with is very important. I am very distressed and concerned that the minority at this point, who I have worked with and are excellent friends and I respect, the first bill that we have coming out of as a majority are voting ``no.''

We need to bring consensus together. We need to work as a team. There are some things that we have and some that we don't, but I hope that we will be able to work together in the future and go beyond this tonight.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Linda R. Hall, in celebration of her 20th anniversary with the Baltimore City College High School Choir.

Linda Hall, a native of Baltimore, MD, has taught music education in the Baltimore Public School System since 1976. She assumed the position of choral director at the Baltimore City College High School in Baltimore in 1987. She is the artistic director for the school's four choirs: the Mixed Chorus, the Concert Choir, the Singing/Swingin' Knights, and the Knights and Daze Show Choir.

Under Ms. Hall's direction, the City College choirs have delighted audiences throughout Europe: in Verona, Italy at the International Choral Music Days Festival, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Milan, Italy, as well as other performances in Rome, Spain, and France. The choirs perform extensively along the eastern seaboard of the United States, competing and performing in numerous festivals. The choirs have consistently won superior ratings, awards and trophies for their performances. Early in 2007, the choirs were used in the promotional package and on the Web site for the Disney Honors Program.

Among the many awards Ms. Hall has received are the Shenandoah University Alumnae of Excellence Award, the Excellence Merit Achievement Initiative for Maryland's Minority Students Award, the Baltimore City Council's Teacher of the Year Award, and the Outstanding Teacher Award from Baltimore City College. Her greatest reward she says, ``comes from working with students who have a passion for singing and a talent waiting to be developed.''

Linda Hall has served as minister of music and guest conductor for many churches and choirs including the Baltimore County Honors Choir, the Prince Georges County Honors Choir, and in the summer of 2005, the American Choral Directors Association Voices United Summer Conference Festival Chorus.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Ms. Linda R. Hall. She is an outstanding and dedicated member of the faculty at Baltimore City College High School She has shown a unique and committed work ethic in teaching young people in choral arts education for over 30 years. It is with great pride that I congratulate Linda Hall on her 20th Anniversary as Choral Director at Baltimore City College High School.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Cheryl A. Wuensch, in celebration of her ordination as a Methodist Minister in the Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church on May 26, 2007.

Nearly 20 years ago, she wrote on a scholarship application: ``the first time my heart heard the Gospel was in her classroom.'' To some degree, that statement was true. While she was very active in high school youth group, she did not begin the process of owning a mature faith in Christ until she attended an undergraduate university. Cheryl double majored in political science and religion, with a vague interest in attending law school and a burning desire to immerse herself in the life, teachings, and world of Jesus. Ultimately, she felt the Spirit's call to pursue a vocation of teaching, seeking advanced degrees in the New Testament at Yale and Princeton. Cheryl taught various courses in the New Testament and related areas at Princeton Theological Seminary and at Lancaster Theological Seminary for several years.

Cheryl has spent the past 9 years at Timonium United Methodist Church, 2 years as program director and 7 years as Associate Pastor. Her primary areas of spiritual giftedness are in teaching and preaching, leading worship, shepherding, and outreach/evangelism. One of her fundamental philosophies is to equip others for ministry based upon their own giftedness.

Cheryl fervently believes that the Gospel can be embodied in new and lifechanging ways through outreach oriented mission activities. She led several trips to Appalachia with approximately 40 youth and adult volunteers. She participated in a trip to Costa Rica with a group from the Baltimore North District. Timonium United Methodist Church continues to be active in two soup kitchens in Baltimore City and sponsored a Habitat House for 11 consecutive years. Over the years, Cheryl focused a great deal on pastoral care and visitation, including ministering to the sick and dying, working with young couples, performing many weddings and baptisms. She has the ability to adapt to a variety of worship settings, enjoying both a traditional liturgy as well as preaching and leading worship in a contemporary setting.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Ms. Cheryl A. Weunsch. She is an outstanding and dedicated member of the Baltimore Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church. Through her tireless efforts in over 9 years of service to the community of the Timonium Methodist Church, she has shown a unique and committed work ethic that few can emulate. It is with great pride that I congratulate her on her ordination as a Minister in the Methodist Church.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Jessica Long, in celebration other selection as 2006 U.S. Paralympian of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee.

Jessica Long was born in Siberia and was adopted from a Russian orphanage at the age of 13 months along with her brother Joshua by Steven and Beth Long of Middle River, Maryland. Because of lower leg anomalies, her legs were amputated when she was 18 months old. She learned to walk with prostheses and has been unstoppable ever since. Long has been involved in many sports including gymnastics, cheerleading, ice skating, biking, trampoline, and, of course, she loves to swim. She began swimming in her grandparent's pool before joining her first competitive team in 2002. The next year, Jessica was selected as Maryland Swimming's 2003 Female Swimmer with a Disability of the Year. Jessica made the international swimming world take notice at the 2004 Paralympic Games, winning three gold medals. Only 12 years old at the time, Jessica was the youngest athlete on the U.S. Paralympic Team.

Jessica had a phenomenal year in 2006 with a long list of impressive accomplishments. She set five world records and earned nine gold medals at the 2006 International Paralympic Committee Swimming World Championships in Durban, South Africa in December. Her gold medal performances were in free style relay (world record), 100-meter backstroke, 100-meter freestyle (world record), 100-meter fly (world record), IM relay, 100-meter breast stroke, 200-meter IM (world record), 400-meter freestyle (world record), and 50-meter freestyle. She also set three world records at the 2006 U.S. Paralympic National championships in August; two world records at the GTAC Open in Ypsilanti, Michigan, in May; two world records at the Belgian Open in Antwerp, Belgium in May; and four world records at the Spring Can-Am in London, Ontario, in April. She currently holds world records in 12 events, one as part of a

relay. She is Swimming World's 2006 Disabled Swimmer of the Year and was named a finalist for the Women's Sports Foundation's Sportswoman of the Year.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Ms. Jessica Long. She is an outstanding and dedicated member of the United States Paralympic Team. In spite of her disability, she has shown a unique and committed work ethic in sports training and competition. Jessica has shown the world that no limitation can prevent an individual from achieving great success. It is with great pride that I congratulate her on her selection as the 2006 United States Paralympian of the Year.

Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 238, I voted ``no,'' put card in and I guess it did not register. I was present and voted ``no.''

Amendment No. 7 Offered by Mr. McHenry

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor John Heibel, who serves as a Storekeeper Second Class Petty Officer in the United States Coast Guard. Recently, Mr. Heibel was awarded Baltimore Area Coast Guard Enlisted Person of the Year.

The Coast Guard requires the recipient of this award to demonstrate pride, professionalism, dedication, and to represent the Coast Guard's core values. Mr. Heibel has excelled in all of these categories, over- qualifying him for this prestigious award.

Mr. Heibel possesses a solid set of leadership skills and he has utilized them in the noblest way possible: serving this country. Throughout his career, Mr. Heibel's leadership skills have propelled him forward. He began as a Seaman Recruit, then moved up to Storekeeper Third Class, and currently serves as Storekeeper Second Class. In all of these positions, Heibel demonstrated a commitment to customer service, setting a respectable example for his colleagues to follow. He continues to challenge himself as a leader by enrolling in Officer Candidate School.

Mr. Heibel has also committed himself to community service, volunteering for several causes and organizations. He has volunteered for the Fort Meade Turkey Donation, helping to prepare turkey dinners for low-income families in the Baltimore area. Heibel also served as a unit Morale representative and organized a series of Morale events. He planned a picnic at a Baltimore Orioles game which featured the ELC color guard in the opening ceremony. Heibel coordinated a private viewing of the movie ``The Guardian,'' an event which produced a significant turn-out. He also helps to fundraise by selling raffle tickets and concessions at Coast Guard softball games.

Mr. Heibel's accomplishments extend into the classroom as well. After earning a bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Heibel has decided to continue his education by pursuing a master's degree. He has enrolled in and completed a series of challenging courses such as Business Calculus and Intermediate Accounting.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today in honoring John Heibel. This outstanding individual will never stop challenging himself and his record of success demonstrates that there is no limit to all he can achieve. Mr. Heibel's aspiration for knowledge, strides as a leader, and service to his country all prove that he is worthy of recognition. Let his outstanding accomplishments serve as an example to us all as we work to improve our communities and our country.