Floor Statements

I certainly appreciate the gentleman yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise to support the rule, but I strongly support the underlying bill.

We are back here again today because this House, in my estimation, must act to give those who are struggling in our challenging economy the help that they need. Too many working families in my district, in my home State of Michigan are having serious difficulties finding work and making ends meet.

Not only have too many workers lost their jobs, but other factors have stymied their efforts to find work. Gas prices of over $4 a gallon are making it increasingly difficult to travel longer differences to find work. The housing crisis, which is particularly acute in my home State of Michigan, has made it nearly impossible for families to sell their homes, which would allow them to move closer to areas where jobs could perhaps be found.

Some have argued that this bill would alter very long-standing Federal policy as a reason to vote against it and perhaps it does, but that is no comfort to those who cannot find work. They are not interested in Federal policy changes, they are interested in keeping their homes or feeding their families or having money to buy gas so that they can go out and find a job. I understand some of the concerns about granting this extension of benefits, but I believe strongly that those concerns are far outweighed by the needs of struggling American families.

I urge all of my colleagues to join together and to take this important step to provide a helping hand to fellow Americans in need.

Again, I oppose this rule, but I strongly support the underlying bill.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and, Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation.

There certainly is no question that the American economy is struggling, and that is certainly true for my home State of Michigan. Michigan working families have been hit very, very hard by the restructuring, the economic transition that's happening in the domestic auto industry which has cost thousands of jobs and closing of factories.

A collapse in the housing market and skyrocketing gas prices have restricted mobility, making it much more difficult for people to find work.

And some would argue against this bill by saying that it's an impediment

to urging people to actually find work. I would say that argument is nonsense. People cannot find work if they can't even sell their house. People cannot travel long distances to find a job if they can't afford $4 per gallon for gasoline. People cannot find a job if there are no jobs to be found.

This legislation will provide all unemployed workers 13 extra weeks of benefits as a bridge to better times, and it will give workers in hard-hit areas, like my home State of Michigan, an additional 13 weeks beyond that.

I believe that this is a very appropriate and compassionate action for this Congress to take, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting this critical legislation.

General Leave

I certainly appreciate the gentleman yielding time to me.

Madam Speaker, I am opposed to the rule, but I do wholeheartedly support the underlying bill.

As my colleague said, my dad was an aeronautical engineer and actually worked for the Chrysler missile plant that was down at Redstone with Wernher von Braun and was one of the original rocket scientists. So I certainly have always marveled at everything that NASA has done.

I do support this bill, H.R. 6063, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008. I think a strong and a vital space program is absolutely crucial to ensuring America's place at the forefront of technological advancement. Most people today take for granted so many of the incredible contributions that our space program had made toward improving the quality of our every day lives.

Many of them have been articulated today, but we certainly recognize GPS, global positioning systems, and weather forecasting and advanced medicine, cell phones or BlackBerries, satellite TV and even microwave ovens. They all exist today in large measure due to America's space program.

From Mercury, to Gemini, to Apollo, to the Skylab, to the space shuttle, to the International Space Station, NASA has led the way in sending Americans from the earth to the moon and our technology to heights unimagined, I think, by previous generations.

We currently are on the edge of a very exciting new scientific breakthrough as NASA begins to shift, really, to the technologically advanced Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and to the new Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle, which could eventually lead to a manned mission to Mars.

And I recognize that while some might debate the cost of the space program, or they might argue that money can be better spent elsewhere, I would also respond with the fact that those same arguments were presented more than a generation ago. Where would we be today if in the 1960s America had not answered President Kennedy's call to reach for the stars?

In fact, I would bet that Columbus may have had some debate with the Queen of Spain that the Spanish Treasury needed to finance his exploration of the New World when everybody was absolutely convinced that the world was, in fact, flat.

So who knows what discoveries or advances to the world that we might miss if we do not continue to challenge the scientific and creative imaginations of the entire world? I absolutely believe that it is in the best interest of this Nation to continue our commitment to space exploration, and I wholeheartedly support this bill.

Again, I do oppose the rule. I am distressed that it has been brought to the floor like this, but I certainly would urge all of my colleagues to support the underlying legislation and to continue to reach for the stars.

Madam Speaker, consistent with House Republican Earmark Standards, I am submitting the following earmark disclosure and certification information for two individual project authorization requests that I made and which were included within the text of H.R. 5658, the ``Duncan Hunter Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009.''

Bill Number: H.R. 5658--``The Duncan Hunter Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009.''

1. Requesting Member: Congresswoman Candice Miller.

Bill Number: H.R. 5658.

Project Amount: $2.5 Million.

Account: Operations and Maintenance, Army PE# 423012.

Receiving Entity: Army Manufacturing Technical Assistance Production Program (MTAPP).

Address: U.S. Army TACOM, Industrial Base Office, AMSTA-LC-I10 6501 E. Eleven Mile Rd., Warren, MI 48397.

Description of Request: MTAPP focuses on solving supply chain problems that impact the Army and Department of Defense. MTAPP solves the above-mentioned problems using small manufacturing businesses. The problems that are solved by MTAPP lead to improvement in mission capability and availability rates of Army/DoD combat and tactical vehicles. In addition, the small manufacturing businesses provide a sustainable industrial base of suppliers to support the maintenance of weapons platforms. The small businesses also provide the Defense commercial sector with a viable pool of small businesses to meet the Federal Government mandated socio-economic goals.

Matching Funds: Not applicable (Federal entity).

2. Requesting Member: Congresswoman Candice Miller.

Bill Number: H.R. 5658.

Project Amount: $2 Million.

Account: Research, Development, Test & Evaluation, Navy, PE # 0602123N.

Receiving Entity: Autonomous Superconducting Fault Current Limiting Systems.

Address: Office of Naval Research One Liberty Center 875 North Randolph Street, Suite 1425 Arlington, VA 22203-1995.

Description of Request: Modern shipboard power systems are susceptible to catastrophic high current surges (i.e. fault currents) that may result in permanent equipment damage and total power system shutdown. Efficient, reliable, and reconfigurable shipboard power systems are critical to the operation of present and future naval surface combatants, such as the DDG-1000 next-generation destroyer. High power Fault Current Limiters (FCLs) enable the integration of shipboard propulsion and distribution power systems, thus allowing propulsion power to be used for other loads under the most adverse conditions of warfare. High Temperature Superconductor-Superconductor/ Metal Matrix Composite Fault Current Limiter can effectively meet the needs of the DDG-1000 and enable the integration of the shipboard propulsion/distribution power system.

Matching Funds: Not applicable.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 325, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Mackinac Island State Park Commission's Historical Preservation and Museum Program. This program is of special importance to the people of my state as it has preserved Mackinac's valuable history for generations to come.

From Mackinac's roots as an American Revolutionary War post, a battleground during the War of 1812, and a Civil War prison, Mackinac has been an important site in shaping American history. It was the Historical Preservation and Museum Program which restored the remarkable treasure of Fort Mackinac and opened its doors to eager and interested tourists in 1958. Now for 50 years, visitors have been able to step back in time and experience the setting of the old Northwest and frontier.

In addition to the undeniable preservation undertaken by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission's Historical Preservation and Museum Program, I value the strong impact the program provides the tourism economy of Michigan. Mackinac is a tourist destination because of its beautiful scenery and captivating history, and has welcomed more than 10 million visitors to the Mackinac State Historic Parks since 1958.

The people of Michigan are blessed to continue to share stories from our state that shaped the nation. We recognize the vital role the Mackinac Island State Park Commission's Historical Preservation and Museum Program has played in preserving our noteworthy history and conveying it in such an exciting way. The Commission's restoration and reopening of Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in 2004, which further added to the rich traditions enjoyed on Michigan's waterways, is another example of history coming alive.

For these reasons and more the Mackinac Island State Park Commission's Historical Preservation and Museum Program deserves recognition for 50 years of preserving Michigan history while working to make history accessible and engaging.

I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my wholehearted support of honoring members of the United States Armed Forces who were held as prisoners of war during the Vietnam conflict and to ask for a full accounting of those great Americans still listed as missing in action.

The hardship bestowed upon our men and women in the Vietnam war prison camps is well documented. I have two dear friends who spent years as prisoners of war in Vietnam. One is a constituent of mine named Digger O'Dell who spent more than 5 years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. The other, my colleague in the House, Congressman Sam Johnson.

Their bravery, their commitment to our nation and their desire to fight for the freedom of every individual is unquestionable. I rise today in tribute to the service and sacrifice of Digger O'Dell, Sam Johnson, and that of their fellow POWs whose bravery under incredible circumstances did great honor to America.

Additionally, we can never forget the 1,729 members of our Armed Forces that remain unaccounted for from this conflict. This is unacceptable to me. This number represents families, loved ones, and comrades who have been left wondering about their fate for the past 30 plus years.

Those families that still await word of the fate of their loved ones deserve the sense of closure this information would bring. I feel that it is our duty as Members of Congress to at the very least work to provide them the opportunity for that closure.

My district is home to thousands of veterans of the Vietnam war and my husband is a member of one of the largest chapter of Vietnam Vets in the Nation. Each time I see a veteran of that conflict I say ``Welcome Home'' because too many were not welcomed properly when they returned from Vietnam.

That ``Welcome Home'' means even more to those who spent time in captivity and endured unspeakable abuses because upon their release they returned to the loving embrace of family and friends. And they did so with their honor intact and love of country strengthened.

For those who never returned and whose fate is unknown, we must never stop in our effort to leave no one behind.

I urge you as my friends and colleagues to join me in honoring the courage and sacrifice of all those members of our Armed Services who valiantly served our great Nation in Vietnam. And to every Vietnam Veteran--Welcome Home.

I certainly thank the gentleman for yielding and certainly appreciate his work and the chairman's very, very diligent work on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of the 2007 farm bill. This bipartisan legislation will ensure a secure food supply and the continuance of a strong agricultural sector. A very important part of that agricultural sector in my district, actually, is the production of sugar beets, which is helped greatly by this bill.

The increase in sugar loan rates, the first since 1985, is widely supported by Michigan farmers.

Also including sugar producers in the development of alternative energies I think is very important and can help to make them an integral part of developing energy resources that will only help consumers and reduce our dependence on foreign sources of energy.

While the sugar program faces some criticism, which we have all heard on the floor today, I think it is important that Members be reminded that this program comes at little or no cost to the taxpayers.

As well, our specialty crop farmers will also be protected in this bill while ensuring that the wealthiest farmers are not receiving government subsidies.

I don't believe anyone understands more about how to strengthen our agricultural sector than farmers themselves, so I certainly listened, as I am sure all Members did, to our local farmers while this bill was being negotiated and I sought their input and their counsel, and I am glad that much of what they stated was needed was included in this legislation and they strongly support this final product.

I believe this bill is a great example of bipartisan compromise, and I also believe it is good for the future of American agriculture and thereby our entire Nation. I would urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation.

Madam Speaker, this week the Michigan Board of Education designated five schools across the entire State as Blue Ribbon Exemplary Schools. You might ask why this is significant. Well, I will tell you why.

The Blue Ribbon is the most prestigious education award in the state and it distinguishes schools for their excellence in leadership, teaching, curriculum, student achievement, parent involvement and community support.

Well, I am proud to inform you that 2 of these schools reside in the 10th Congressional District.

Powell Middle School Bulldogs in Romeo and Malow Junior High Mustangs in Shelby Township rightfully earned this prestigious distinction. The Bulldogs and Mustangs under went a rigorous examination process which even included on sitevisits from state education officials.

Under the leadership of Principal Jeffrey LaPerriere, Powell became the first school in the Rome Community School District to receive this honor. On the other hand, Malow Principal Robert Hock continued Utica Community School District's strong Blue Ribbon tradition by becoming the 22nd school to get the award.

I commend all the teachers, parents and students for their steadfast commitment and dedication to achieve such a remarkable accomplishment! This is a great day for all Macomb County schools so congratulations on a job well done!

Mr. Speaker, our entire Nation honors the brave men and women in our armed services who have sacrificed so greatly in the effort to bring freedom and liberty to the people of Iraq, and we also recognize the sacrifice of the American taxpayers, who have shouldered the financial burden of this effort to protect America.

It is now time for Iraq to stand up and shoulder the burden of protecting their own freedoms, and it is long past time for Iraq to start paying its own way. With the cost of oil, and the money that Iraq is making on their oil, they need to be paying, at a minimum, entirely for their own reconstruction.

As we continue to transition from American forces to Iraqi security forces, we also need to quickly transition from the American taxpayer footing the entire bill to the now free country of Iraq paying to protect their own freedom and rebuilding their own country.

Americans understand that freedom is not free, and the Iraqi people need to understand that securing their own freedom will require their own investment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5613, Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008.

I believe that any society can be judged on how they treat the most vulnerable--namely seniors, children and the disabled.

This measure places a 1-year moratorium on Medicaid regulations and cuts put forward unilaterally by the administration that could have a devastating effect on each of those groups.

Some of these cuts would slash access to rehabilitation services, decrease services for foster care and abused children, limit services to the elderly, and persons with developmental disabilities.

In fact, these cuts could have a disastrous impact in Michigan on the 21,000 developmentally disabled and 27,000 children with medical conditions--the very people who need our help the most.

With Michigan's struggling economy, the high price of gas and home heating, and an overall increase in cost of living, many families need access to these services.

The proposed cuts to the Medicaid program have the potential to cost the State of Michigan over 15,000 jobs and the loss of $732 million dollars in Federal funding in the first year alone. And it's set to get worse over the next 5 years resulting in an estimated $3.9 billion in Federal cuts.

Delaying these draconian cuts for 1 year will give Congress the opportunity to work together on these issues so that we can better serve those in need across our Nation.

I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. Speaker, since the time of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, the people from the great State of Michigan have been at the forefront of technical innovation, and that tradition continues today, this time led by the Thunder Chickens.

And you might ask, who are the Thunder Chickens? Well, they're a great group of students from the Utica Community Schools in my district who were part of a winning team at the First National Robotics Championship held this past weekend at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Out of 340 competitors, the Thunder Chickens team built a robot that won a race, ran around a track, knocked plastic balls off a 6-foot overpass, picked the balls up and threw them back over an overpass. This was a robot that they designed.

The Thunder Chickens victory proves once again that the innovative spirit is in the State of Michigan. My congratulations to the mentor, the team's lead engineer, and to the entire team for a job well done. And I have no doubt that in the future we will see some of these Thunder Chickens grow up to be engineers who invent the fuel efficient vehicles of the future.

So when you think of Michigan innovators in the future, remember Henry Ford and Thomas Edison, and now think of the Thunder Chickens from Utica Community Schools.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I would like to associate myself with his opening comments in regards to both the previous question as well as the rule. However, I'd like to speak to the underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2830, the Coast Guard Authorization Act. I believe this legislation is of tremendous importance for our magnificent Great Lakes actually because of title V which at long last provides for Federal regulations of ballast water in the lakes.

And why is this important? Because since the Great Lakes were opened to international shipping in the fifties and the sixties, many invasive species have entered the lakes through the untreated ballast water of the oceangoing freighters, also known as salties.

Let me just share with you some of these species and the problems that they have caused on the very delicate ecosystem of our Great Lakes.

The round goby was introduced to the Great Lakes in the late eighties through untreated ballast water. This fish is an aggressive and voracious feeder that can forage in total darkness. They can take over prime spawning grounds for native fish and upset the ecosystem. These unwanted invaders are flourishing in the Great Lakes and they are causing great damage, Mr. Speaker.

The ruffe entered the lakes in 1986 through untreated ballast water from Eurasia. This spiny perch is capable of explosive population growth that threatens native fish like walleye and pike, and their spiny gills make them very difficult for native predators to eat.

Another species, the spiny water flea, also entered the lakes around 1986 from its home in Great Britain and Northern Europe from untreated ballast water. These are actually not insects, but they're tiny crustaceans that have resource managers very worried because they compete for food directly with young native perch and other small fish. It also makes it very difficult for small fish to consume, so only larger fish can actually feed on them, again leading to explosive growth of this invasive species.

Another species, the zebra mussel, which was first discovered in 1988 and introduced into Lake St. Clair actually by the Caspian Sea, again from untreated ballast water. These species have had a tremendously negative impact on recreational watercraft and drinking water intake pipes throughout Southeast Michigan, and now have spread throughout the entire Great Lakes.

In addition, they have filtered the water to such a degree that when combined with the historic low lake levels that we are currently experiencing, and increased nutrients in the water, it's led to very destructive and dangerous algae blooms throughout the lakes, which are causing beach closures and all kinds of other problems.

These unwanted species have cost State and local governments tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars to combat the damage that they have caused. And all of this is why I have been fighting for ballast water regulation since I came to the Congress, and why I worked very hard to see that it was included in this important legislation.

The passage of this legislation will place new requirements on oceangoing vessels entering the Great Lakes. Vessels operating in United States waters will be required to operate ballast water treatment systems that meet interim standards beginning next year, and more stringent standards will take effect in the year 2012.

Until ballast water treatment systems are installed, vessels bound for United States ports must exchange their ballast water and perform salt water flushing.

And States like my State of Michigan, which have grown tired of waiting for Federal action, and have actually initiated their own ballast requirements, will be able to operate our own programs until the final Federal standards do take effect.

I certainly want to thank Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica for their leadership on this issue. Again, I oppose this rule; however, I do support the underlying legislation. I think it is long past time to act on this issue. I urge my colleagues to support the Coast Guard Authorization piece of legislation that will greatly assist in protection of a great national treasure, our magnificent Great Lakes.

I certainly appreciate the gentleman yielding.

Madam Chairman, I rise in very strong support of H.R. 2537, the Beach Protection Act, and I want to applaud Chairman Oberstar for his leadership in bringing this to the floor and working with Ranking Member Mica. Certainly our subcommittee Chair, Eddie Bernice Johnson, has done extraordinary work on this, and our ranking member on the subcommittee, Mr. Boozman, as well, for bringing it to the floor, I think, in a very bipartisan way.

I actually was not in the Congress in 2000 when the original BEACH Act became law, but I really feel this program could have been designed with my district in mind. In Michigan, we are unbelievably blessed to be surrounded by the Great Lakes which provide incredible recreational opportunities for boating or fishing or swimming.

Millions of Michigan residents from all over the world come to Michigan to enjoy our magnificent Great Lakes. In fact, there are more than 30 million people who find their way every year to our beaches.

We also have some especially unique challenges in the Great Lakes region in regards to quality. Unfortunately, due to inadequate underground infrastructure, many areas suffer from combined sewer overflows during our wet weather events. We often see sewage discharges right into the Great Lakes, right along the beaches near big cities like Detroit or Chicago, other populated areas.

My district faces additional challenges in that we have a very long liquid border that we share with Canada. In fact, on the Canadian side of the river next to my district is an area which we call Chemical Valley, which is the largest concentration of petrochemical manufacturing plants in North America. So we need to worry not only about discharges on the American side, but on the Canadian side of the border as well.

Frequent and proper monitoring is a critical tool in this area to ensure that those who come to enjoy our State's natural beauty can do so knowing that the waters are clean and pure.

The BEACH Act has provided resources to help State and local governments ensure that our beaches are safe for recreational activity. In many ways, the BEACH Act has been successful and this reauthorization bill and the bipartisan cooperation that went into it has improved an already outstanding Federal program, but I do believe that we can do better.

A 2007 GAO report about the impact of the BEACH Act on the Great Lakes noted that there were some important successes, but also some areas where we need to improve. First, the GAO found that the formula EPA has used to distribute the BEACH Act grants does not accurately reflect the monitoring needs of the respective States. The EPA takes into account three factors to determine the allocation of these grants: beach season length, beach miles, and then beach usage.

At the current funding levels, the beach season factor has a much greater influence than the factors of beach miles and coastal population. Great Lakes States, which have beach seasons of little longer than 4 months, lose out when compared to southern and western States, of course, that have a full year season, even though the number of people who use the beaches might be similar.

Just an example, my home State of Michigan is disadvantaged by the minimal consideration given to beach miles. In 2006, Michigan, that has 3,224 shoreline miles, received a grant out allocation of only $278,000. By contrast, one of our neighboring States, that has only 63 shoreline miles, received $243,000. Due in part to this funding disparity, Michigan is only able to monitor 212 of its 905 beaches.

I am glad that this legislation helps address this problem by requiring the EPA to conduct a study of the formula for the distribution of grants in accordance with the needs of the States. EPA must report their findings back to the Congress and suggest possible revisions for a more equitable distribution of the funds.

A second recommendation from the GAO report was that Congress should consider providing more flexibility for the grant so that they could be used to investigate and remediate contamination sources. Because of the increased monitoring, we are better able to predict which beaches would be contaminated.

But most cases local officials do not know the source of the contamination and are unable to take the action to address the cause. If they did they would still not have adequate funds to address the issue.

This legislation will allow States to use their BEACH Act grants to track sources of pollution. This change will provide the valuable information that we need to help clean up our waters and reduce pollution before it gets into our waters.

I urge my colleagues to support the passage of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, hopefully in the very near future Congress will be ready to vote on a new farm bill, one that would help our farmers and our agricultural community continue to do what they do so very well, feed America and help feed the entire world.

We recognize and we encourage the very hard work and the ongoing negotiations between the House, the Senate and the administration as we face the expiration of the current farm bill on April 18. But planting season is here, and our farmers are faced with difficult decisions about what crops to plant and how much without knowing what direction the Federal Government is moving, and yet we look to our farmers to provide us with a stable food supply. There are many issues affecting the development of every farmer's business plan this year and into the next, certainly the rising prices of fuel and other costs as well, but the uncertainty of the national farm program needs to be resolved as quickly as possible.

I look forward to working together with our House and our Senate leaders and the administration on a successful piece of legislation that will serve our farmers and all Americans fairly and well.

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

I rise today to fully support this resolution, which speaks to this Congress, appropriately recognizing and honoring the brave Americans, the great patriots, who work to protect us all through their service at the Department of Homeland Security.

And I believe that the first and foremost responsibility of the Federal Government is to provide for the national defense. That is actually in the preamble of our Constitution. Additionally, for all of us who have the honor to serve in this House, protecting our homeland and securing our borders against those who would harm us is something that we all take an oath to do.

Before those horrific attacks on our Nation on 9/11, we thought about national defense more in terms of having a strong military, the best trained, the best resourced, facing down enemies overseas in conflicts where we had a national interest in spots around the world. We didn't usually think in terms of actually being attacked or continuing to be threatened with attacks on American soil here in our homeland.

9/11 changed all of our lives, as on that day cowardly terrorists murdered nearly 3,000 of our fellow Americans, innocent people who were just going about their daily lives. And the terrorists used the tools of our own freedoms against us. And why? Because they hate us, and they especially hate our freedoms.

They sought to weaken us, to destroy us, and instead they united us. They awoke us, and instead, made us begin to take the necessary steps to protect ourselves from future attacks.

We knew we had to change the way we practiced security measures at our airports, on our railways, on our roadways, at our ports, and at our border crossings. We knew we had to secure our infrastructure, that we had to better prepare our first responders and local emergency management agencies, that we had to share intelligence, that we had to tear down silo mentalities and do a much better job of sharing intelligence and resources.

And we also knew we had to create an agency here at the Federal level and task them with implementing this seemingly impossible job. And so the Department of Homeland Security was created 5 years ago, and what a remarkable success story it has been.

The brave men and women of the 22 agencies, more than 213,000 individuals that make up the department, deserve our respect, and they deserve our gratitude. We have not had another successful attack on our shores since that day, in no small part due to the vigilance and the hard work of the Department of Homeland Security and their efforts to provide for our common defense against America's enemies, against the enemies of freedom, those who are truly cowards, those who hide in the shadows and who prey on the innocent.

Mr. Speaker, as Congress recognizes and pays tribute to the Department of Homeland Security for the dedication and the commitment they have made to our homeland security during the past 5 years that they have been in existence, we also look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with them as we look towards the future.

We understand that we need to do more to clearly define the lines of congressional committee jurisdiction, to streamline, to make more effective and cost efficient many of the department's missions. We recognize that the largest room is always the room for improvement, and that the department is looking to Congress to continue to assist them and not to hobble them.

Mr. Speaker, I am a new member of the Committee on Homeland Security, and I am proud to represent my district in Michigan, a border State with many unique dynamics, such as the first and second busiest international border crossings on the northern tier and the busiest rail entry in the country, the magnificent Great Lakes, fully one-fifth of the freshwater supply of the entire planet, a long liquid border that we share with our wonderful neighbors, the Canadians.

These are issues and items that require the attention of the Department of Homeland Security, and yet, Mr. Speaker, every Member, every Member of this House, could tell us of particular dynamics in their district, or their State, or their region of the country that also require the attention of the department.

Identifying and dealing with the threats to our homeland are done each and every day, 24/7, by the remarkable men and women of the Department of Homeland Security. And it is certainly appropriate that we honor those who serve us so well, that we thank them for their vigilance, we salute them for their dedication, we appreciate their commitment to democracy and liberty and freedom.

I urge my colleagues to pass the resolution before us and formally thank the great Americans who make up the Department of Homeland Security for keeping our Nation safe.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, it is my great honor to recognize for as much time as he may consume the distinguished ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security, the gentleman from New York (Mr. King).

Yes, I have no further speakers at this time, Mr. Speaker. And so I would certainly urge my colleagues to pass the resolution before us and honor the brave men and women of the Department of Homeland Security, and I yield back the balance of my time.