Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Mr. Daniel Hahn, in celebration of his over fifty years of federal service.

Daniel Hahn, a Tool Room Mechanic at the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, Maryland, often tells people he feels like he's been at the Coast Guard Yard his whole life. Except for a few years while he served in the United States Marine Corps, he has spent his whole life at the Yard. In 1933, Daniel Hahn was born in a brown shingle house just outside the Coast Guard Yard's main entrance. His father, Louis, a 30- year Coast Guard Yard veteran, met his mother Elizabeth through a co- worker at the shipyard. Five of his uncles in the Hahn family also devoted their federal careers to the Coast Guard Yard. When Daniel was 3 years old, he and his family attended the Yard's Christmas Party, held in the on-base movie theater. That memorable afternoon, Daniel won a handmade wooden rocking horse--a now cherished possession that he keeps to this day. Not only did Daniel enjoy the rocking horse he won at the Coast Guard Yard, but his 3 children, 13 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren have also enjoyed many hours of play on the Coast Guard Yard holiday prize from 1936.

While attending Glen Burnie High School, Daniel worked the summer of 1951 at the Coast Guard Yard. He graduated the following year and joined the United States Marine Corps. However, within 3 years he returned to the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay and after a brief period of outside employment, has worked at the Coast Guard Yard ever since.

Most of Daniel Hahn's federal career at the Curtis Bay shipyard was as an electrician in the Electric Shop. Since 1990, he has worked in the Yard's Central Tool Room as a Tool Room Mechanic. On April 5, 2007, the United States Coast Guard will extend honors to Mr. Hahn in recognition of his 50 years of dedicated service. He is 1 of only 4 current Coast Guard civilian employees who have attained their Golden Anniversary with the federal government. Mr. Hahn plans to continue his work at the Coast Guard Yard beyond his 50th anniversary. Four months after this unique career achievement, Daniel Hahn will celebrate another milestone in life. He and his wife, Thelma, will celebrate their 52nd wedding anniversary on August 30, 2007.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Mr. Daniel Hahn. He is an outstanding and dedicated employee at the Coast Guard's Curtis Bay Shipyard. Through his tireless efforts in over 50 years of public service, he has shown a unique and committed work ethic that few can emulate. He has gone above and beyond the call of duty in his devotion to the United States Coast Guard and the United States of America.

Madam Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise before you today to honor the outstanding career of George A. Roche, one of Maryland's most successful business leaders and strongest community advocates.

George Roche retired as Chairman and President of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. in December of 2006 after nearly 39 years with the firm. After earning his B.A. degree from Georgetown University in 1963 and his MBA from Harvard Business School in 1966, he joined T. Rowe Price Associates in 1968, serving as an analyst primarily covering natural resource industries. He performed much of his work for Mr. Thomas Rowe Price, who started the New Era Fund in 1969. The New Era Fund was designed to invest in inflation-resistant companies with a natural resource emphasis. Mr. Roche proceeded to serve as President and Portfolio Manager of the New Era Fund from 1979 to 1997. He also served as the Chief Financial Officer of T. Rowe Price Associates from 1984 to 1997 and Chairman and President of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. from 1997 to 2006.

Mr. Roche currently serves on the Board of Directors of McCormick and Company, Inc. In the past, Mr. Roche served on the Boards of the Greater Baltimore Committee, the Baltimore Downtown Partnership, The Walters Art Museum, the Enoch Pratt Library and the Roland Park Country School. Mr. Roche also was Chairman of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society of the United Way of Central Maryland from 1999 to 2000.

Mr. Roche demonstrated the ideals of corporate leadership, continuing the success of the company with a fervent commitment to ethics and integrity. Under Mr. Roche's leadership, Baltimore-based T. Rowe Price Group grew to a company-record $244 billion in managed assets in 2005. He was also named the recipient of the Loyola College of Maryland's Sellinger School of Business and Management Business Leader of the Year Award in 2005.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today in honoring George A. Roche, a man whose deep commitment to the business community, community groups and civic and philanthropic organizations has improved the quality of life for thousands of residents of the State of Maryland.

Madam Speaker, it is my great honor to rise before you today to salute a man who has spent many years working toward bettering the quality of life in the State of Maryland. Sadly, after almost a half-century serving the citizens of the great State of Maryland, J. Joseph Curran has retired from public office.

1. Joseph Curran, Jr., served as Attorney General of Maryland from 1987 to 2007. Mr. Curran was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, on July 7, 1931. He attended Baltimore parochial schools, Loyola High School, the University of Baltimore, and the University of Baltimore School of Law. Mr. Curran served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean conflict, with duty in Japan and Korea.

Attorney General Curran began his career in public service in 1958 when he was elected to the House of Delegates as a law student. In

1962, he was elected to the State Senate. During this time, despite angry demonstrators picketing his home, he advocated open housing laws for Maryland. In 1967, Mr. Curran became chair of the Judicial Proceedings Committee and held that position for sixteen years.

In the General Assembly, Mr. Curran sponsored or fought for significant bills, including those creating the Court of Special Appeals and the District Court system. He consistently supported bills to improve the courts and the corrections system, toughen drunk-driving laws, guarantee equal rights, and require handgun permits. He also worked to modernize Maryland's divorce and alimony laws, reform adoption and guardianship, and protect victims of domestic violence.

In 1986, Mr. Curran was elected Attorney General after serving four years as Lieutenant Governor with Governor Harry R. Hughes. In 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002, he won re-election. Under Mr. Curran, the Attorney General's Office has been a national leader in consumer protection, criminal investigations, Medicaid fraud prosecution, securities regulation, and antitrust enforcement.

During his tenure, Mr. Curran worked tirelessly on behalf of children and teens, parents, seniors, victims of domestic violence and sexual predators, and all Marylanders concerned about crime, gun violence, prescription drug abuse, and the potential impact of casino gambling.

As Attorney General, Mr. Curran launched a variety of initiatives to help Maryland's children. To protect them against sexual predators, he championed a 2004 law making it a crime to solicit a minor by computer or other means to engage in unlawful sexual conduct. He also proposed lifetime parole supervision for sex offenders and better notification to communities when sex offenders are released from prison. To reduce teen tobacco use, he led Maryland's participation in the landmark $206 billion national settlement with the tobacco industry, which garnered $4.4 billion for Maryland, and industry concessions on advertising and marketing cigarettes to teens. He filed suits to stop unlawful Internet cigarette sales and the use of hip-hop themes to target youth, and reached agreements with national cigarette retailers to prevent sales to youth. He led a multi-state initiative to encourage the motion picture industry to decrease smoking in youth-rated movies. To reduce juvenile crime, Mr. Curran issued a report on the link between children's exposure to media violence and youth aggression and delinquency, and distributed 600,000 media violence diaries to help parents monitor their children's consumption of media violence. Mr. Curran promoted juvenile crime prevention programs to help at-risk youth, including a mentoring program within his own office, and he conducted a statewide youth listening tour to make recommendations in his report, In Their Own Words, about how adults can improve their response to teens' problems.

Mr. Curran led efforts to empower people in taking control of difficult decisions they may face at the end of their lives. He began with a groundbreaking opinion early in his tenure that a competent, terminally-ill patient can refuse life-sustaining treatment, and continued with broad educational outreach and dissemination of advanced directives. In 2005, he expanded that outreach by making living wills available in Spanish. He has issued the Nation's first comprehensive guide to the role and responsibilities of a health care proxy, as well as a report on policy issues related to Alzheimer's disease. He also successfully promoted legislation that created a state advisory council on end-of-life care, as well as legislation providing additional protections for Marylanders who become subjects in medical research.

To help Marylanders without insurance, Mr. Curran created a first-of- its-kind drug-pricing website, which allows consumers to compare retail prices charged by different pharmacies in Maryland for commonly used prescription drugs. He developed educational outreach materials to help seniors make good decisions about Medicare Part D, the complex federal prescription drug benefit.

In a landmark 1990 case, Maryland v. Craig, Attorney General Curran successfully urged the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Maryland's law permitting victims of child abuse to testify via one-way television. Also before the Supreme Court, the Attorney General successfully litigated Maryland v. Wilson (1997). The Attorney General argued that police officers, who routinely conduct traffic stops that sometime turn deadly, may order the passenger out of the car to allow the officer to safely process the traffic stop. Mr. Curran was a long-time champion of efforts to reduce the epidemic of gun violence. He has worked for better laws and resources to help law enforcement keep guns out of the hands of criminals, including calling for restrictions on the ownership of handguns and establishing a firearms trafficking unit dedicated to the prosecution of persons who unlawfully purchase or attempt to purchase firearms.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me in thanking J. Joseph Curran for his many years of dedicated and distinguished career in service to the citizens of Maryland. He will be remembered for raising the bar and setting the precedent for future Attorney Generals in the State of Maryland.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Kenita Carter, M.D., who was awarded the 2006 Congressional Volunteer Recognition Award by the Second Congressional District of Maryland's Veterans Advisory Group.

Dr. Carter is a compassionate and dedicated physician who provides patient care for over 1,000 veterans. She has been an innovator at the Department of Veterans Affairs Loch Raven Campus Community Based Outpatient Center and has worked untiringly to improve the lives of Maryland's veterans.

Dr. Carter developed a MOVE program at the Loch Raven Campus on the grounds of the Baltimore Rehabilitation and Continuing Care Facility. MOVE is a national initiative of the Department of Veterans Affairs to address the problem of diabetes and obesity among the veteran population. Dr. Carter established and chaired a planning committee that developed the program that included exercise, nutritional planning and healthy lifestyle challenges in a group setting. In the voluntary program, the first 14 participants lost 187 pounds collectively while they developed healthier lifestyles. Dr. Carter constantly works with veterans on ways to improve the weight loss program to encourage maximum participation.

Even though the MOVE program is a national initiative, Dr. Carter was the first and only physician to embrace the project throughout the entire Department of Veterans Affairs' Maryland Health Care System. She made the program fun for veterans on a shoestring budget by taking walks with the veterans, playing shuffleboard with the veterans and providing lectures on healthy lifestyle habits to keep the veterans motivated throughout the program.

Dr. Carter managed this program in addition to her regular patient caseload. Her passion and excitement to see patients succeed is matched only by her compassion for her patients. The veterans who complete this program receive a framed certificate as recognition of their efforts to improve their own lives.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Dr. Kenita Carter. She is a remarkable volunteer for Maryland's veterans. Through her onoing efforts, she has helped hundreds of veterans receive their medical care from the Department of Veterans Affairs. 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 Harold Lee Davis, who was awarded the 2006 Congressional Volunteer Recognition Award by the Second Congressional District of Maryland's Veterans Advisory Group.

For over 18 years, Mr. Davis has provided a variety of activities and amenities for the veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs Baltimore Rehabilitation and Extended Care Center. From monthly entertainment shows to cookouts, crab feasts and puppet shows, Mr. Davis puts smiles on the faces of many veterans each month. During the long periods of a veteran's stay at the center, he often brings his grandson along to brighten their day. They work as a team to pass out snacks, provide some bedside entertainment and friendly smiles to the veterans they visit. Mr. Davis truly has the ability to communicate with veteran patients in a very caring and compassionate way.

Mr. Davis began his volunteer work for veterans by pushing wheelchair-bound veterans from the Fort Howard Community Based Outpatient Clinic to the local area carnival. He quickly learned of the veterans' needs for a friendly smile and someone to talk to during their stay at a veteran's facility. He now spends days assisting veterans at the Department of Veterans Affairs downtown Baltimore Medical Center, the Baltimore Rehabilitation and Extended Care Center and the Perry Point Medical Center. He often travels to the USO International Gateway Lounge at Baltimore-Washington International Airport, Dover Air Force Base, the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home and the Elsmere, Delaware VA Hospital.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Harold Lee Davis. He is a remarkable volunteer for Maryland's veterans. Through his tireless efforts, he has helped hundreds of veterans receive their medical care from the Department of Veterans Affairs. He 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 Neil Koski, who was awarded the 2006 Congressional Volunteer Recognition Award by the Second Congressional District of Maryland's Veterans Advisory Group.

Mr. Koski is a dedicated volunteer at the Department of Veterans Affairs' Fort Howard Community Based Outpatient Clinic. He provides morning coffee to the out patients at the clinic five days a week. He helps complete the mission at Fort Howard by providing a supplemental service to the veterans which could not have otherwise be provided through normal operations at the clinic.

Relying upon his experience as a veteran, he provides companionship and camaraderie that few can supply to the veterans attending the clinic. Mr. Koski is a Disabled American Veteran who, because of his experiences overcoming his physical disability, is able to provide unique encouragement and friendship to the veteran patients at the Fort Howard clinic. His ability to share stories and tales of his accomplishments is legendary.

Mr. Koski is also a member of the National Honor Guard for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He serves as the VAVS Representative for the Veterans of Foreign Wars at the Department of Veteran Affairs Baltimore Rehabilitation and Extended Care Center. Mr. Koski ensures that members are volunteering to provide services to patients as well as making monetary and in-kind donations to support patient needs at the Center. The pride that Mr. Koski feels representing the Veterans of Foreign Wars is constantly evident in his work as a volunteer.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Mr. Neil Koski. He is a remarkable volunteer for Maryland's veterans. Through his tireless efforts in 34 years and 9,000 hours of volunteering, he has helped improve the lives of hundreds of veterans as they receive their medical care from the Department of Veterans Affairs. He 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 Tommie Hawkins, who was awarded the 200 Congressional Volunteer Recognition Award by the Second Congressional District of Maryland's Veterans Advisory Group.

Mr. Hawkins coordinates scheduling, maintains vehicles and manages volunteer drivers who drive Disabled American Veterans vans, pick up veteran patients and transport them to the Glen Burnie Community Based Outpatient Clinic. He continually solicits new volunteer drivers, maintains driving records and files all reports required by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Mr. Hawkins, despite the challenges, effectively manages the maintenance and rotation of an aging transportation fleet for veterans. He ensures that volunteer drivers are available on a moment's notice for veterans' transportation requests. In addition to driving a regular shift himself, he never hesitates to cover unscheduled driving assignments. He has significantly improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the Disabled American Veterans' transportation operations by automating the driver management procedures. Upon receipt of a veteran's request for transportation assistance, he confirms the request with the Department of Veterans Affairs and provides the veteran with a reminder phone call with pick up confirmation.

Mr. Hawkins truly has the ability to communicate with veteran patients in a very caring and compassionate way. It would be hard to find an individual that contributes more than Mr. Hawkins to guarantee the success of the Disabled American Veterans' transportation program.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Tommie Hawkins. He is a remarkable volunteer for Maryland's veterans. Through his tireless efforts, he has helped hundreds of veterans receive their medical care from the Department of Veterans Affairs. He has gone above and beyond the call of duty to aid those who have dedicated their lives to serve our great country.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

I rise today in support of H.R. 556. This bill will make national security an important factor in foreign business transactions. Last year's news that the Government of the United Arab Emirates was going to take control over a number of U.S. ports shocked many Americans and it alarmed us here in Congress as well, even though the United Arab Emirates is a close and respected ally.

Congress came to understand that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS process is broken. This process by which the United States sells property and assets to a foreign entity is not fully disclosed, has no congressional oversight and merely glances at the national security implications before a decision is made. Today we are working on passing the National Security FIRST Act to fix this problem.

As cochairman of the Port Security Caucus and the Member who represents the Port of Baltimore, we must commit to strong security while not adversely impacting commerce. After an initial review is conducted, CFIUS would immediately conduct a full-scale investigation on the effects the transaction has on national security. Understanding the national security implications is vital to these transactions, but it must be done in a reasonable time frame. We live and conduct business in a global environment and we must remain competitive. But we need to make sure that we keep our national security at the forefront of any decision.

Announcement by the Chairman

I thank you, Chairman Reyes, of the Intelligence Committee.

Madam Speaker, this resolution before the House today is very clear: Congress and the American people support our troops who serve bravely in Iraq, and Congress disapproves of President Bush's decision to send an additional 20,000 troops to Iraq.

There is not a Member of this body who does not pray for our Nation's success in Iraq and in the global war on terror. Our brave servicemen and women have performed in Iraq with valor and honor. They have done everything that a grateful Nation has asked of them since the beginning of the war.

Whether you are for or against the war, we must support our troops. This resolution does that.

The only people sacrificing in this war are the troops and their families. Many military personnel have served two and three tours of duty. It has been difficult on their families here at home. More than 3,100 of our finest sons and daughters have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country. More than 25,000 troops have been wounded.

I do not believe we need new troops in Iraq. I believe we need a new strategy in Iraq. The current strategy is clearly not working.

We have increased the number of American troops in the past, and it has not done anything to calm the violence. In fact, in certain circumstances the violence has increased. Even General Abizaid, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East has stated, ``More American forces prevent the Iraqis from doing more, from taking more responsibility for their own future.'' I completely agree with him.

I serve on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; I have been to Iraq four times and have met with America's top generals, U.S. and Iraqi troops, and Iraqi elected officials. We must give the Iraqis more responsibility to take control of their own country. We must cut the apron strings and let the Iraqis patrol their own streets. American troops will guard the perimeter areas and back up the Iraqis in an emergency. I call this the Perimeter Plan.

Redeploying troops to perimeter areas, the Green Zone, and lowering the profile of American forces will break the dependency the Iraqi military has on U.S. forces.

The Iraqis will gain more confidence in their own ability to secure their own country, and we will begin bringing our men and women home.

It has been said by my friends on the other side of the aisle that the Democrats don't have a plan. That is not true. Other Members of our party have a plan and I have a plan. In fact, I shared the Perimeter Plan with the President and members of his Cabinet on two occasions at the White House. I also gave a copy of the Perimeter Plan to the Iraqi Study Group that reviewed it before issuing its recommendations that have been largely ignored by the President. This is not cut and run like some on the other side of the aisle would like you to believe. It is a way to force the Iraqis to take more control of their country, while also allowing the U.S. military to do what it does best.

We have some of the best operations forces, Marines and Rangers, and the best technology in the world. These forces can focus on backing up the Iraqi military.

As Thomas Payne insisted during the American Revolution: ``We need to let those who want independence test their will and try their soul.'' More American troops hinder the Iraqi democracy from testing its soul, and hurt the world in the global war on terror. More than $400 billion has been spent on this war by American taxpayers with little or no oversight by Congress. From the invasion of Iraq and the start of the

war, a Republican House and Republican Senate have given the President almost whatever he wanted both in money and strategic resources. The days of the blank check are over. The stakes are too high to allow this money and resources to be spent unchecked.

In the first 6 weeks of this new Congress, the Democrats have held 52 House and Senate hearings on Iraq. We are conducting oversight and holding the administration accountable.

Iraq was not a hotbed for terrorists before the war, but it is now. The country has become a magnet for those who want to harm Americans and Iraqis and disrupt a new democracy. Terrorists have used Iraq against us to recruit and spread their twisted ideology worldwide.

But the global war on terror is much more than Iraq. While we are spending much of our precious resources in Iraq, we are not focused on fighting terrorism worldwide. We are taking our eye off the ball. We must refocus our efforts on other parts of the Middle East, Asia, South America, Africa, and other parts of the world. Good intelligence is the best defense against terrorism. This takes resources. We must prioritize where we put our money. It is not about Republicans or Democrats. It is about all Americans and keeping this country safe for our children and our grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, this is a critical moment in the war in Iraq. More troops will not help Iraq. A new strategy will.

Democracy is rooted in independence and self-sustainment. By implementing the Perimeter Plan, we encourage the Iraqis to take control of their own country. This strategy will allow us to be successful in Iraq and win the war on terror. This is why we must vote for this resolution. I urge Members to support it

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to acknowledge the outstanding lifelong accomplishments of Reverend Doctor Herman M. Williamson. A resident of Havre de Grace, Maryland, Reverend Dr. Williamson is a native of Evergeen, North Carolina, where he attended public schools and graduated with honors. After moving to Baltimore, Maryland, he completed studies at the Cortez Peters Business College. Reverend Dr. Williamson continued his education in engineering and administrative procedures in the Officers School while serving for five years in the United States Army. After his military service, Reverend Dr. Williamson attended Morgan State College.

After moving to Havre de Grace, Maryland, he joined and attended St. James A.M.E. Church before being called to the ministry. Reverend Dr. Williamson decided to return to his roots in the Baptist Church and joined Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church. He was licensed to preach and served as Assistant Pastor to the late Reverend Milton C. Phillips. During this time, he completed his course of study at the Maryland Bible Institute. He was called to the pastorate of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church on October 25, 1974 and two days later accepted the pulpit of the Havre de Grace church.

Over the years, Reverend Dr. Williamson has been an advocate of faithful service and positive change to assist the members of his church and the residents of Harford County. His outreach to the communities in and surrounding Havre de Grace has been unsurpassed. He supported and was instrumental in the establishment of the Harford County Fuel Fund, the Harford County Food and Nutrition Program and the St. James Cemetery Preservation Council. He is President Emeritus of the Deacon and Deaconess Union of Baltimore, Harford and Cecil Counties and President Emeritus of the Ministerial Alliance of Baltimore, Harford and Cecil Counties. He has also served as auditor of the United Baptist Missionary Convention and Auxiliaries for the State of Maryland, Inc.

Reverend Dr. Williamson was the first black chaplain appointed to serve the Harford County Detention Center. He s served on the Executive Board of the Harford Interfaith Community Service, Inc., the Neighbor to Neighbor Summit Advisory Committee for Harford County and the Hicks Advisory Board of Harford County. He was granted an Honorary Doctoral Degree from the Bread of Life Ministries in Whiteville, North Carolina, in February 2002. In early 2007, Reverend Dr. Williamson was the recipient of the Joseph Bond Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award from Harford County.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today in congratulating Reverend Dr. Herman Williamson for his lifelong and caring devotion to the people of Havre de Grace, Harford County, and the State of Maryland.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Robert L. Curbeam, Captain, United States Navy and National Aeronautics and Space Administration Astronaut. Over the years, Captain Curbeam has served his country to the best of his ability and deserves recognition for his leadership and accomplishments.

Captain Curbeam was raised in Turner's Station, and graduated from Woodlawn High School in Baltimore County, Maryland, in 1980. He received his bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 1984. He received his master of science degree in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1990 and a degree of aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School in 1991. He is currently a member of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and the Association of Old Crows. Captain Curbeam's numerous awards include Fighter Wing One Radar Intercept Officer of the Year for 1989 and the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School Best Developmental Thesis Award.

Upon graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy, Captain Curbeam commenced Naval Flight Officer training in 1984. In 1986 he reported to Fighter Squadron 11 and made overseas deployments to the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, and the Arctic and Indian Oceans on board the USS Forrestal. During his tour with Fighter Squadron 11, he also attended Navy Fighter Weapons School. Upon completion of Test Pilot School in December 1991, he reported to the Strike Aircraft Test Directorate where he was the project officer for the F-14A/B Air-to-Ground Weapons Separation Program. In August 1994, he returned to the U.S. Naval Academy as an instructor in the Weapons and Systems Engineering Department.

Selected to be an astronaut by NASA in December 1994, Curbeam reported to the Johnson Space Center in March 1995. After completing a year of training and evaluation, he was assigned to the Computer Support Branch in the Astronaut Office. A veteran of two space flights, STS-85 in 1997 and STS-98 in 2001, Curbeam logged over 593 hours in space, including over 19 EVA hours during three spacewalks. Curbeam served as a spacecraft communicator (CAPCOM) responsible for relaying all voice communication between Mission Control and crews aboard the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. During the spring of 2002, he served as Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety and Mission Assurance, at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. Currently, Curbeam serves as the Safety Branch Chief for the Astronaut Office.

Captain Curbeam was named to NASA's most recent mission STS-116 in 2003. The mission launched on December 9, 2006. During Space Shuttle Discovery's 13-day mission to the International Space Station, the STS- 116 crew continued construction of the station during the first of four spacewalks. The next two spacewalks rewired the station's power system, preparing it to support the station's final configuration and the arrival of additional science modules. A fourth spacewalk was added to allow the crew to retract solar arrays that had folded improperly.

As the only STS-116 crew member to participate in all four spacewalks, Captain Curbeam set a Space Shuttle Program record for the most spacewalks performed by one astronaut during a single mission.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor CAPT Robert L. Curbeam. He is a remarkable leader and has served the citizens of Maryland and the United States exceptionally throughout his career.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to recognize a man who led by example not only on the field but continues to lead off the field as well. Cal Ripken Jr., a son of Maryland who is known to many as Baseball's ``Iron Man'', was inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame on January 9, 2007. He garnered 98.53% of the votes--the third highest total in Major League Baseball history.

Calvin Edwin Ripken, Jr. was born in Havre de Grace, Maryland on August 24, 1960. He has dedicated his entire baseball career playing for the Baltimore Orioles organization and contributing to life in Maryland.

Cal made his debut for the Orioles in August of 1981. He quickly impressed baseball fans and professionals alike with his play at the shortstop position, and was honored for his play by being named the American League's Rookie of the Year in 1982. His continuing excellence on the field led to many additional awards throughout his career. Cal was named the American League's Most Valuable Player in 1983 and 1991. He was a 19-time American League All-Star, winning Most Valuable Player awards in the 1991 and 2001 All-Star games. However, none of his career accomplishments matches his consecutive games played record, previously held by Lou Gehrig at 2,130 games. Cal broke the longstanding record on September 6, 1995, eventually playing 2,632 consecutive games, a record for which he was nicknamed ``Baseball's Iron Man''.

Cal Ripken, Jr. retired from professional baseball on October 6, 2001, but that was not the end of the Iron Man's service to baseball or Maryland. He has been an active member of the local community throughout his career and beyond. In 2001, Cal and other members of the Ripken family began the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, which is dedicated to providing access to baseball and softball camps for underprivileged youth. He continued to support baseball in the community when he built a stadium in Aberdeen, MD, for the Aberdeen IronBirds, the Single-A affiliate of the Orioles, of which he is a part owner.

He is known as the ``Iron Man'' because of his dedication to the Baltimore Orioles and to baseball due to his consecutive games streak record. However, his efforts on and off the field for the Baltimore area, the state of Maryland, and fans of baseball everywhere are what really make him the ``Iron Man'' to all. Just as he could be counted on to show up every day on the field to play for the Orioles, he is counted on by the people of the Baltimore area and Maryland to show up off the

field, and I am proud to say that the ``Iron Man'' has always come through.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2, the Fair Minimum Wage Act.

This much needed increase in the minimum wage is long overdue. During the last 9 years since the minimum wage was last increased, 28 states and the District of Columbia have come to the aid of their citizens and passed laws implementing a higher minimum wage rate than the federal standard.

Increasing the federal minimum wage is not about giving high school students who work part-time a raise. It is about helping individuals and families meet their daily basic needs. Almost one-third of hourly workers earning less than $7.25 lived in families with incomes of $20,000 or less.

As prices for energy, health care, and daily living expenses including child care and college tuition continue to increase, the minimum wage has remained the same. This increase in the minimum wage is necessary to help families pay for the rising cost of these goods and services.

To understand what minimum wage earners are dealing with, imagine how much income you earned in 1997 and the cost of your daily expenses. For example, in Baltimore in January 1997, a gallon of whole milk was $2.87. In January 2006 a gallon of whole milk was $3.39, an increase of 18 percent.

Imagine now earning what you earned in 1997, but forced to pay at least 18 percent more for your daily living expenses. For many people, an increase of 18 percent over 9 years would not be noticed because typically job salaries would also increase. But for people earning minimum wage, any increase in the price of goods and services is noticed.

For a more dramatic example, consider the cost of a gallon of gasoline. In January 1997 a gallon of gas cost $1.22 and in January 2006, the same gallon cost $2.27, an increase of 94 percent. Increases of this magnitude impact the entire population but those who make the least will be hit the hardest.

How can we expect people earning the current minimum wage to keep up with the increasing costs of everything?

An increase in the minimum wage is essential to helping all Americans achieve economic security and for working adults to be able to meet the basic needs of their families. For this reason, I support H.R. 2 and raising the federal minimum wage.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 35.

The 9/11 Commission recommended that we change the way Congress oversees the intelligence activities. I am very familiar with those activities as a member of the Committee on Intelligence and also representing constituents who work for the National Security Agency. NSA is in my district.

At a time when we have reformed our intelligence agencies and required them to communicate and cooperate and unified their management through the new Director of National Intelligence, it is only right that we unify our oversight of the intelligence community.

H. Res. 35 does just that. It will allow us to make more informed and more effective funding decisions. It will enhance the ongoing work of the Intelligence and Appropriations Committees.

Our job on national security should be to do what is best to put the safety and the security of our Nation first, above all. We can't get bogged down with our own individual complaints about jurisdiction and power. We have to do what is best for America.

I will be proud to vote for H. Res. 35.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this motion to instruct conferees. As co-chair of the Congressional Port Security Caucus and a member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I cannot stress enough the importance of adequately securing our ports.

The proposed sale of shipping operations to Dubai Ports World earlier this year was a wake-up call for this country, not because it would have jeopardized shipping operations here on the ground. Our longshoremen, terminal operators, Coast Guard, Customs and Border Patrol will do a great job no matter what company manages shipping operations. The Dubai deal was an eye opener because it did just that, it put the spotlight on our ports and showed the vulnerabilities that America could no longer ignore. The UAE spends a huge amount of money on securing its Dubai ports, and their ports are the safest in the world. The Dubai ports are safe because of the money invested in their ports and because they make their ports a priority.

We have not paid sufficient attention to our ports. We have not made our ports a priority. There are 539 ports in this country, making them an economic engine for America. The Port of Baltimore, which I represent, alone handles about 400,000 containers each year. A major event at a port would result in economic damages ranging from $58 billion to $1 trillion.

With so much at stake for our safety and economy, it is essential that we know what is coming in through our ports, where it came from, and who is sending it. Ironically, Dubai Ports World's failed attempt to take over shipping operations here in America was what finally got our country to focus on securing our ports. The SAFE Port/GreenLanes bill is a critical piece of legislation and a bipartisan effort. It is a comprehensive first step to make our ports safer. We must make port security a high priority.

I strongly support moving this bill through Congress.