Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to our nation's Reserve and National Guard members. In particular, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome home reservists from Ft. Meade in the 2nd Congressional District of Maryland--my home district. This includes members from the 323rd Military Intelligence Battalion and the 444th Personnel Service Battalion, Detachment 2. These men and women have rejoined their families after serving in the Middle East for as long as 14 months and we are thrilled to see them return home.

But Mr. Speaker, such home comings are bitter sweet in light of ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. As the number of wounded and casualties continues to rise--as the length of deployment for many reservists expecting `temporary' activation continues to be extended-- there is much concern and worry at home. Loss is always difficult and war is never easy. But America's support for our men and women in uniform, for their dedication and service, for their sacrifice, for those who have already paid the ultimate price . . . America's support shall not waver. And I for one vow to continue to do all I can to support our Armed Forces.

For me, that support has meant many different things. From the creation of Operation Hero Miles to help soldiers returning home on R&R to founding a Veterans Advisory Council in the Maryland 2nd Congressional District to work with local veterans on national issues, I believe lawmakers need to put their efforts where their rhetoric is. I am less interested in what people say than what they do and I urge my colleagues to consider this edict as we look at the legislative agenda for the remainder of this congressional session.

Our nations' Reserve and National Guard members are facing daunting problems largely created by the realities of the post-September 11 War on Terrorism. With a leaner full time active military, we are relying on the talent, dedication and service of reservists in unprecedented ways. Not since the Korean War have such a large percentage of boots on the ground been filled by reservists and not since they have reservists served for such extended periods of time. But even in Korea, that percentage has never been as high as it is today.

Today, reservists face unprecedented problems. Military benefits that exist today simply were not a concern back in the 1950's when our forces were largely involuntary. Today, America's reservists are serving side-by-side with full time active military men and women . . . and yet they are not recognized equally when it comes to their benefits. Parity is the key word for reservists today and little legislation is actually moving through Congress to solve their problems. Their retirement plans are unequal. Health care prior to activation is non-existent for many and creating readiness issues. Reservists are plagued with payroll problems causing bankruptcies, divorces, and unfair heart ache. There are critical questions about gap pay for reservists working in the private sector when not serving. Extended deployments are creating unforeseen hardships for families, employers, small business owners, and the self employed.

Mr. Speaker, it doesn't matter if you were for or against the war in Iraq. The reality is we are there now and the troops deserve our support with the same unwavering dedication. I urge leadership in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle to help our nation's Reserve and National Guard members. Yes, we should continue to salute and pay tribute as they return home. But we should do so with our actions here in this chamber to ensure that our actions reflect how truly grateful we are.

Mr. Speaker, I will support this resolution as an expression of our Nation's gratitude and pride of our men and women in uniform who were ordered to war in Iraq by their Commander in Chief. Whether you are for or against the war, the fact is we are there now and we need to support our troops.

These military servicemembers are working around the clock to make Iraq a better place for the Iraqi people. Many of them have left their young families behind to serve their country,

and they deserve our thanks here on the floor of Congress.

I recently returned from Iraq as part of a bipartisan group of Members from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. I truly believe that good intelligence is the best way to prevent terrorist attacks in our country, as well as Iraq. The members of our intelligence community who are also working on the dangerous front lines of this war deserve our gratitude. They serve in silence with little thanks.

I was proud to join with my Republican colleagues and visit the Iraqi police training academy and honor 23 Iraqi police officers killed in a recent bombing. Even in the face of tragedy, the resolve of the Iraqi people to take back their country and start governing themselves was strong.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution should have simply expressed our support for our Armed Forces working and living in harm's way. Regrettably, however, the majority has handled this resolution in a manner intended to divide us, not unite us.

Mr. Speaker, I share the view that the Middle East and the world are better off without Saddam Hussein and his brutal regime; but success must be our only exit strategy. When those goals are accomplished, we can say with certainty that the world is a safer place. We owe our military men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country in Iraq nothing less.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate and acknowledge March as American Red Cross Month.

For over 122 years the American Red Cross has helped people through man-made and natural disasters. Last September after my district took a huge hit and was smashed by Hurricane Isabel the American Red Cross was there to help.

Hurricane Isabel will not be forgotten and neither will the good work of the American Red Cross. From broad measures to help entire communities to individualized care, the American Red Cross acted swiftly and without hesitation. By creating temporary shelters and providing food and water and medical care to those who needed it, the American Red Cross made an extremely difficult situation bearable. Thousands of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed by the hurricane and without the American Red Cross countless people would have suffered.

The American Red Cross saves lives. In addition to disaster relief, the American Red Cross' biomedical services program provides life saving aid through their blood and tissue donation efforts.

The American Red Cross has a long history of serving the people of the United States. Established by Clara Barton in 1881 as a disaster relief and battlefield assistance organization, the American Red Cross carries on the fundamental principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence, Voluntary Service, Unity, and Universality are the guiding forces behind the work and service provided by the American Red Cross.

The American Red Cross is truly a blessing to all who benefit from their services. It is impossible to adequately show my appreciation to all of the volunteers and members of the American Red Cross who tirelessly aid people in need. Thank you for this opportunity to honor the American Red Cross and the people who make it a truly wonderful organization.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Master Sergeant Rodger F. Dewey.

Master Sergeant Dewey, a career Marine, will be retiring after 24 years of honorable and faithful service to this country.

Master Sergeant Dewey has served with distinction. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1980 while still in High School. He has had numerous duty assignments. Some of these assignments included the Naval Academy, Marine Barracks Washington, DC, the 1989 Presidential Inauguration Committee and the Navy and Marine Corps Liaison Office for the House of Representatives.

Master Sergeant Dewey provided incredible support to the Members of Congress. While in the Liaison Office, he addressed congressional inquiries fielding constituent questions. Master Sergeant Dewey was instrumental in educating Members and staff about the policies and goals for the Department of Navy and the Marine Corps.

Master Dewey has volunteered in many organizations and programs both with the Marine Corps and throughout Baltimore County. Over the past 6 years he has been instrumental in providing gifts and food for families in Eastern Baltimore County and Annapolis. As the Toys for Tots Coordinator he has collected and distributed over 90,000 toys to those children in need. Also, with the help of his wife Betty, a Baltimore County Police Officer, they have distributed over 600 holiday food baskets to families in the Dundalk and Essex areas. His satisfaction is in seeing the families and the children sharing a happy holiday.

In 2003 Master Sergeant Dewey was selected as the Naval Cryptologic Veterans Association's Marine of the Year for 2002. This award is presented to the Marine that best supports the Naval Cryptologic missions. As Administrative Chief for a Battalion consisting of eight separate and remote companies co-located with the Navy Security Group Activities and National Intelligence Agency sites around the world, Master Sergeant Dewey's superior sustained performance was noteworthy. Through his dynamic leadership and unswerving dedication to duty, he ensured that Marine Cryptologic Support Battalion was successful in every endeavor, and he personally ensured every company's overall administrative requirements were fully met; regardless of where the company was; the United Kingdom, Hawaii, and throughout the United States.

The Marine Corps has been a career and home to Master Sergeant Dewey for 24 years. He has touched the lives of all who he has come in contact with. His leadership and guidance will be missed. The Marine's of his past and present will miss him.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Master Sergeant Dewey for his service to the United States Marine Corps and to our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I have interest in a company that does business with a financial institution that one way or another might be impacted by this legislation, so I have decided to vote present on S. 1920, the Bankruptcy Extension Act and the accompanying amendments and motions on January 28, 2004. This includes all rollcall votes starting at No. 8 until the end of the consideration of this measure. It also includes any motion to recommit and final passage.

Appointment of Conferees

Mr. Speaker, I have introduced this legislation today to stop the Federal Detention facility from being built in Dundalk, Maryland.

This past month the Office of Federal Detention Trustees (OFDT) in the Department of Justice solicited proposals for a new detention facility for the Baltimore-Washington region. One of the proposed sites was in Dundalk, Maryland. I was concerned that this office took action without consulting the community. OFDT solicited proposals without bringing the communities into the process. OFDT took action without the input of Federal, State, and local officials. This is wrong.

The Dundalk community is undergoing revitalization efforts, and even proposing such a facility might have cooled businesses and new residential interest in this community. As the former Baltimore County Executive, my administration spent over $130 million to revitalize the area. It is very important to me that we help our older communities. It is important that we allow these communities that have generations of families living there to revitalize and attract new jobs and new businesses.

Also, the eastern part of Baltimore County was hit hard by Hurricane Isabel. It has caused extensive damage and many of the residents and businesses are still struggling to get on their feet. Hurricane Isabel damage estimates for Maryland alone are valued at six million dollars. We must continue to work to help this area.

The Maryland Congressional delegation has worked tirelessly to stop the detention center, and I remain committed to its defeat. We worked together to insert language into the FY' 04 Omnibus appropriations to stop this facility. I want to thank Senator Mikulski and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer for all their efforts. We knew the actions of OFDT would do more harm to our community and we fought to stop it.

This legislation takes an additional strengthening step to ensure that this facility and no new detention center or prison is built in my district. This legislation prohibits the OFDT from building or proposing any sites and it prohibits the Attorney General from building a detention center or prison in Dundalk.

In the past few months this area has experienced major problems. They saw thousands of Marylanders lose their jobs with the restructuring at ISG. They saw severe damage from Hurricane Isabel. This prison would be one more concern for the community. It is important to allow this area to revitalize and to grow. I remain committed to fighting for Dundalk and for my fellow Marylanders.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great American journalist, Michael J. Wellbrock.

Michael J. Wellbrock has been a faithful employee of WBAL Radio in Baltimore for the past 21 years and just a few days ago he turned 40 years old.

Michael J. Wellbrock has been instrumental in the long term success of WBAL Radio and served the past two decades as a producer, executive producer, and general allaround go-to guy and trouble shooter.

Michael J. Wellbrock was the technical wizard whose expertise has enabled the station to pull-off many high-quality, award-winning broadcasts, including the visit of Pope John Paul II, the All-Star game, the Orioles trip to Cuba, the Preakness Stakes, and several national political conventions.

Michael J. Wellbrock was the genius behind the re-design and re- building of studios at WBAL Radio and helping to bring the station into the 21st century.

Michael J. Wellbrock has been the guiding force in the career development of many young, aspiring broadcasters.

Michael J. Wellbrock has been the creative force behind many successful programs on WBAL Radio.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Michael J. Wellbrock for his service and for his work on behalf of America's citizens and our nation.

Mr. Speaker, on November 20, 2003, I was attending the funeral of my long time friend and one of my dearest colleagues, Maryland State Delegate Howard P. Rawlings, chairman of the Maryland's House Appropriations Committee. Because of the services, I was unable to make rollcall vote 648.

If I were present, on rollcall vote 648, I would have voted ``yea.''

A rookie with a bad wing, Mr. Speaker. First, I thank the chairman for accepting this report, and I thank the ranking member also for yielding me this time.

I rise in support of the motion to instruct conferees to insist upon section 344 of the House-passed bill requesting an intelligence lessons learned report on Iraq and strongly support asking for this report to be submitted to Congress as soon as possible.

I was a former Baltimore County executive of one of the larger counties in the country, and I know well the challenges, the exhilarations, and the pains of leading large organizations. Usually, one does not have time to get beyond the crisis that is filling one's inbox. But every so often, especially after a major milestone, a critical part of leadership of an organization is making sure you are asking your people to look back at their failures and successes with the benefit of hindsight to see what has worked well and what can be done better. It is all part of this experience of improving what you do for the next time around so that you are doing the best you possibly can for your constituents and taxpayers. It is even more important to do so when the lessons you learn about the past can directly help your work today.

This is absolutely the case in our work to win the peace in Iraq. I know that our intelligence community had some great successes in Operation Iraqi Freedom. I have no doubt that there were some serious problems. Leadership is about taking on the responsibility to examine what has worked well and what can be done better and making sure those lessons are learned and implemented.

The message here is a bipartisan one, and it is a simple one. Let us not waste any more time. Let us turn talk into action. Let us turn yesterday's problems into tomorrow's solutions. The purpose of this motion is to put behind us debates about who is right and who is wrong and move on to the next step of fixing problems. It is too important for the national security of this country and for our troops protecting this Nation in Iraq and around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1588 the Defense Authorization Conference Report. While this conference report has some deficiencies it also has a number of positive points that I support.

Inititally when this Defense Authorization was drafted compromises were reached that would allow the DoD to have flexibility and at the same time providing labor protections. Unfortunately, the conference report language has been redrafted and allows DoD to wipe away these protections. It is unfortunate that civilian defense employees are not receiving the same protections. I would hope that we can work to ensure workers rights at the Pentagon. These men and women serve our country and are also fighting to protect our freedoms.

While this conference report has begun to address the issue of concurrent receipts for veterans it does not fully solve the problem. We need to make sure all veterans receive this benefit. It takes a step in the right direction, but it does not fully solve the problem.

This conference report also calls on the Secretary of Defense to submit to the House Intelligence Committee a report on the preparation for and conduct of our military operations under Operation Iraqi Freedom.

I am thankful that the F-22A Raptor received additional funding. The Raptor is the new front line jet fighter for our Air Force. This aircraft will give us complete air superiority. I am proud to say that we build this radar system in my district.

The Authorization also contains additional funding for the Shadow 200 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. This vehicle which is again built in my district played a vital role in Iraq in providing our troops with an aerial view of the battlefield to give our troops a tactical advantage. Because of the success of this vehicle the National Guard is now interested in the unit and has requested funding for it.

I am happy to say an amendment I inserted into the Defense Authorization has been accepted and will be a part of this authorization. My Amendment calls for employee surveys of leadership and management performance. This survey will help to promote efficiency and allow for the recognition of achievement and increase best practices in an agency. It is important that we allow employees to take ownership of where they work and to make them part of the team.

Again, I rise in support of this conference report.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great American, Lt. Col. Robert Hagen.

Col. Hagen is a career Army officer with 24 years of service. He has served in the Guard, Reserves and Active Duty--and he is currently a Reservist on his 16th tour in 7 years.

Col. Hagen was in Saudi Arabia for a temporary tour of duty during the September 11 attacks on the base just outside of Riyadh and he was responsible for keeping the soldiers on the base informed. I'm sure all Americans abroad at that time--particularly those in uniform--would have preferred being closer to home and protecting those on the home front in harm's way. This was especially true for soldiers like Col. Hagen who knew many working at the Pentagon and lost six friends that fateful day. But through that terrible time in our Nation's history, so many like Col. Hagen remained abroad, steadfast in protecting American democratic principles throughout the world.

Col. Hagen returned to Washington in December 2001 on assignment to the Pentagon as deputy chief of Army Communications in the office of the chief of Public Affairs. In this position, Col. Hagen oversaw the public affairs duties at Baltimore-Washington International Airport for troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan on the Rest & Recuperation program. It was in this capacity that I had the great fortune to first meet the Colonel.

Always calm and assured speaking simultaneously into a cell phone, making decisions, answering questions and enthusiastically welcoming troops home as they disembark from planes, Col. Hagen has been an incredible force at BWI during this historic R&R program that brought troops stateside for the first time in DoD history. Always committed to doing what is best for the soldiers, I am grateful to Col. Hagen for his work and his efforts each day.

I am also grateful for his support for Operation Hero Miles, a program coordinated through my office to correct a great injustice. For soldiers coming home on R&R and facing the incredibly unfair financial burden of paying for last minute flights home from BWI, Operation Hero Miles collects frequent flier miles to give soldiers in need free tickets home. Col. Hagen was on board with this program from the start and helped us to understand what was needed to make it work. Again, this is just another example of his commitment to do what is best for the soldiers.

Col. Hagen's last day on this Washington assignment is November 14, 2003 and then he will begin home for his 29th cross-country drive back to the west coast. As he does so, I wish to thank him for his dedication to this Nation and to the service men and women who so bravely protect it. I thank his wife Sharon Hagen for her support when Col. Hagen's work took him so far away from home so often.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Col. Hagen for his service and for his work on behalf of America's service men and women and our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation to designate the postal facility in Aberdeen, Maryland as the Ripken Post Office Building in honor of the Ripken family and their contributions to this great city in the Maryland 2nd Congressional District.

It is difficult to think of baseball and not think of the Ripken name. The accomplishments of Cal Ripken, Jr. are literally the stuff legends are made of. He appears throughout the record books after 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles--as one of only seven players in baseball history to have 400 home runs and 3,000 hits. Of course, few in my home state of Maryland or this nation will ever forget his Iron Man record or the number 2131--signifying when Cal Ripken, Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played. Cal ended his own streak in 1998 after playing 2,632 games consecutively.

Bill Ripken had a 12 year major league baseball career as a second baseman with incredible successes including a .9927 fielding percentage in 1992--the best of any major league second baseman that season. In the spring of 2002, Bill Ripken was honored for his career accomplishments with an induction into the Maryland Sports Hall of Fame.

Those achievements alone are certainly deserving of admiration and acclamation, but there is so much more to the Ripken family philosophy and that is why this designation is for the Ripken family as a whole. Starting with Cal Ripken, Sr. and his wife Vi, the work ethic both Cal Jr. and his brother Bill exhibited throughout their professional careers can be attributed to this Ripken philosophy of hard work, dedication, sincerity of effort, and commitment.

Even more, the Ripken Way embodies the memory of Cal Ripken, Sr. and his pure belief in the joy and craft of baseball. For 37 years, Cal Ripken, Sr. played, coached and managed in the Baltimore Orioles organization. He was responsible for developing a method of teaching that shaped the Orioles' minor league system and became known as ``The Ripken Way.'' That way has become the centerpiece of the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and its state-of-the-art baseball academy.

This is a family with a history of giving back to the community--both the communities of Baltimore and Aberdeen. Through the Baltimore Reads/ Ripken Learning Center to the creation of the Cal Ripken Baseball and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, the Ripkens continue to give of themselves in very tangible ways. The Aberdeen Complex has brought minor league baseball, jobs and prestige to the Aberdeen community. Both Cal and Bill Ripken are actively involved in youth camps, coaches clinics, tournaments and, of course, The Cal Ripken World Series.

In a world when sport and commercialism is so often intertwined, the Ripken family--the individuals and the family as a whole--serve as incredible role models for what baseball means to this nation and what it was meant to be. These are real sports heroes and truly admirable people. Mr. Speaker I am honored to introduce this legislation on behalf of this incredible family from my home state and I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in Baltimore, Maryland, metropolitan area.

We need little reminder today of the courage and sacrifice of our service men and women. Whether protecting us in past World Wars, in North Korea, Vietnam, or the Persian Gulf, or fighting today in the deserts of Iraq and Afghanistan, our military has rarely questioned their mission to protect the freedoms and liberties we American citizens enjoy every day. In exchange for their service, we promised to take care of our veterans in life and in death. This bill addresses the most basic of those promises for our veterans of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Maryland has a long-standing tradition of military service and sacrifice dating back to the Revolutionary War--when the Old Line Soldiers were considered General Washington's favorite after saving the Continental Army from destruction as only the Marylanders were left standing. This historical tie was reinforced when the Secretary of the Navy established the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 1845--a testament to Maryland's contribution to the future service of our nation.

That tradition continues today with bases in Ft. Meade, Aberdeen, Ft. Detrick, and Andrews Air Force Base, just to name a few. Maryland is home to over 45,000 active, reserve and guard service men and women, as well as their families. And there are over half a million civilian veterans residing in the State of Maryland.

Yet there is no longer federal or national cemetery space for first interments--for veterans who wish to have a casket burial. While there is state cemetery space, I stand here today on behalf of the veterans I represent, on behalf of their families, and on behalf of the veterans throughout my home state of Maryland to ask my colleagues to keep the national promise to all veterans. At the very least, we should offer choices to veterans between national and state cemetery burials. Families should not be forced to travel great distances to visit their loved ones.

There are approximately 27 million veterans in the United Sites today--10 percent of our national population. And Roll Call on September 29, 2003, said that we are losing 1,500

veterans a day. It is for these brave veterans that I introduce this bill and ask my colleagues for swift passage.

Mr. Speaker, as Congressman from Maryland's Second Congressional district home to Aberdeen and Fort Meade . . . I know what it means to represent our brave military men and women who continue to defend this nation abroad and here at home.

Many who protect us do so with weapons . . . and many protect us in otherways. . .

Fort Detrick is the premier military base for medical and biological research. The men and women that work at the Detrick have led the way in infectious disease and chemical warfare research.

Detrick began as a chemical research facility housing the research branch of The Army Chemical Warfare Service. It is also the home

to the Armed Forces Medical Intelligence Center (AFMIC).

Detrick is also home to U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Disease (USAMRIID). These state of the art laboratories are continuing to develop vaccines and treatments to defend against offensive bioweapons. USAMRIID also has a large staff dedicated to finding cures for cancer.

I am proud that the United States has dedicated a military base to these problems and I am proud it is in the my home state of Maryland. It is imperative in this day of terrorism to be prepared for the new chemical and biological weapons. Today I am happy to honor the 60 years of research that Detrick has provided for the National Security of this Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, this issue goes beyond politics. I sincerely respect and honor the active and retired members of our Armed Forces, as well as their families. I believe they deserve the respect of all Americans, and that respect should be demonstrated through words and actions.

The concurrent receipts issue was new to me when I first took Federal office. Learning about a policy that is tantamount to taxing veterans for being disabled infuriates me, and ending it simply makes sense. That is why I chose to cosponsor H.R. 303 and look forward to its passage in the House.

I am obviously not the only Member of this Chamber to feel this way. H.R. 303 has 366 cosponsors which is about as bipartisan as legislation can get these days. The idea of ending this disability tax appears to make sense to a supermajority, and we should have passed it months ago.

Here we are again, in yet another Congress, with concurrent receipts locked up in committee since January of this year, a full nine months ago. Our actions are not matching our words. Veterans' groups and individuals across the country and in my home district, the 2nd Congressional District of Maryland, have told me that passing H.R. 303 is one of their top priorities. They want it sooner rather than later, and frankly, they deserve it.

We seem to understand this on this side of the aisle, but we do not have the power to report it out of committee. We do not have the power to bring it to the floor, and we do not have the majority to pass it, but with 366 cosponsors, that should not matter.

So my Democratic colleague from Georgia filed a motion to discharge the bill to bring it to the floor. The entire Democratic Caucus has signed that petition, and as of today, two Republicans have signed on. Could someone please explain to me 366 cosponsors and only 203 signatures to discharge? What is going on?

I have heard that the majority leadership in the House and Senate are considering offering some version of concurrent receipts in the Department of Defense authorization. Some would prefer to wait for that option. I ask them, how much longer must we make our veterans wait when the language the veterans support, the bill they want, has already been introduced, has already been referred to committee and is ready for a vote and that is H.R. 303?

The veterans' disability tax or concurrent receipts, whatever one likes to call it, has been a partisan football in the political game for a while now. I cannot comment on that, I am a freshman, and this is my first try for the end zone on this bill. Whether Democrats or Republicans win or lose in this game, the veterans do need our help. Our citizens, who served and sacrificed for freedom we enjoy every day, deserve better. If the majority leadership is serious about that issue, then let us just bring H.R. 303 to the floor and vote on it. They control the agenda, and they can bring it to the floor today, right now.

Are words of respect enough? Should we not show the veterans how much we truly do respect them and their action and their sacrifices, including their families? Our side of the aisle has. We have done everything within our power. We have cosponsored the bill. We have signed the discharge petition. We have come to the floor today to speak on behalf of this bill, and we have vowed to vote for it when it reaches the floor. Our actions have matched our words.

We challenge our colleagues on the other side of the aisle to do the same.