Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, today I am happy to rise before you and ask my colleagues in the 110th Congress to honor former Bay City Mayor Robert Katt.

Robert Katt was born in Pontiac, Michigan on July 30, 1942. His family then moved to Bay City where he attended Washington Elementary School. In 1960 Mr. Katt graduated from Bay City Central High School. He went on to attend Delta College before joining the U.S. Army. Bob served his country in the U.S. Medical Corps from 1962 to 1965. During that time, he married his wife Barbara. He is also survived by two children and two grandchildren.

In 1981 Robert Katt decided to further serve his community and was elected Bay County Commissioner. He served as 6th Ward Bay City Commissioner from 1987 to 1993 and from 1995 to 2003. Bob served as Commission President from 1991 to 1993 and from 2000 to 2003. In 2003 Mr. Katt decided to begin his campaign for Bay City Mayor, and was elected to the position in November of that year, where he remained until his death in 2006.

Aside from his elected positions, Mayor Katt was active throughout his community. He was affiliated with the Bay City Central Booster Club and served as chairman of the South End Citizens District Council. Bob was a member of UAW Local 362, having worked at General Motors Corporation for 38 years.

Madam Speaker, once again I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Robert Katt and his legacy to Bay City, Michigan.

Madam Speaker, it is with deep sadness that I ask the House of Representatives to join me in honoring the memory of Larry E. Foster. Larry passed away Sunday, June 10, at the age of 66, after suffering with cancer for the past several months.

Larry Foster started in public service fighting for the rights of senior citizens after graduating from Mississippi Industrial College with a bachelor of arts degree. He was the director of the Detroit Street Senior Citizen Center and the Hasselbring Senior Center. Elected to the Beecher Board of Education in 1977, Larry has held elected office ever since. He served on the Beecher Board of Education for 14 years.

He went on to be elected as the Mt. Morris Township supervisor in 1992 and has held that position ever since, He was the first African- American ever elected to the supervisor post in the history of the township. He was a devoted servant of the people and worked tirelessly to make Mt. Morris Township a great place to live and work.

Larry was enthusiastic about his community and spent many hours volunteering with Beecher Community Schools. He was the junior high school basketball coach for the past 31 years and a coach for the elementary football and basketball teams. In addition Larry served on the boards of many community organizations and was a member of St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church.

Madam Speaker, Larry Foster was a wonderful friend, a great advocate for Mt. Morris Township, and a revered figure in Mt. Morris for the past 30 years. He leaves a lasting legacy of breaking down barriers, and compassion for his fellow human beings. The mark he left on the community is a true blessing and he will be greatly missed.

Madam Speaker, I am happy to rise before you today, and to ask my colleagues in the 110th Congress to join me in celebrating Bay County's sesquicentennial anniversary. This momentous occasion will be marked by a series of events to take place Friday, June 15 through Sunday, June 17, 2007.

In 1857, a village, made up of land once used as a campground for the Chippewa Indians, was formed east of the Saginaw River. In 1865, this village, known as Bay City, was formally incorporated as a city. To the west of the river, the villages of Banks, Salzburg, and Wenona joined together forming West Bay City. Eventually, both Bay City and West Bay City joined together as ``Greater'' Bay City in 1905.

Bay County was formally recognized as an independent county in 1857, and consists of four cities: Bay City, Essexville, Pinconning, and Auburn; two villages: Munger and Linwood; in addition to fourteen townships.

Madam Speaker, in the 150 years since the formation of Bay County, we have seen a rise from a collection of small lumber villages to one of Michigan's most vibrant areas. The shipyards and sawmills of the past have given way to worldwide corporations that create opportunities each day. Bay County's rich heritage is seen in its renowned architecture and diverse history. For generations, the kind hearts and friendly manner of the residents have made Bay County a warm and welcoming community.

Madam Speaker, once again I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Bay County, Michigan on the 150th anniversary of its formation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

As Democratic chairman of the Congressional Native American Caucus, I am honored to speak in support of H.R. 2358, the Native American $1 Coin Act. I am pleased to be the chief sponsor of this bipartisan legislation.

I would like to extend a special thank-you to my friend and colleague, Chairman Barney Frank, for his support of this legislation.

I would also like to acknowledge the other original cosponsors of this legislation: Congressman Boren, Congressman Renzi, Congressman Cole, and Congressman Castle.

Mr. Speaker, this bill will honor the strength and wisdom of Indian country by authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue coins that commemorate and honor the outstanding contributions of Native Americans by changing the design annually on the reverse of the Sakakawea dollar coin.

This bill establishes a process for selecting designs for the reverse side of this coin. These designs will take the American people through a journey of different experiences of native peoples by exposing them to their unique histories while preserving the memory of Sakakawea, the young Shoshone woman who assisted Lewis and Clark on their expedition to the Pacific Northwest more than 200 years ago.

It is my hope that this coin will one day depict the contributions of the 12 tribes of my own State of Michigan whose historical roots lie with the Chippewa, Ottawa, and Pottawatomi Nations. I can think of no better way to pay tribute to the Native American people than to honor their contribution to the development of the United States and her history.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, today is a day of mixed emotion for all of us who work with the House Page Program. It is time to say goodbye to 70 aspiring young individuals who have served the U.S. Congress for the last several months.

On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I would like to thank you all for your hard work, your commitment and dedication to the Page Program. I know you have made your families, friends and communities back home proud, and I am certain that they will be glad to receive you back home.

As difficult as it is to say goodbye, I trust that you will take with you memories, experiences and friends that will last a lifetime. Take with you also our sincere thanks for a job well done. Your hard work and your dedication have proven that you are young people with strength, courage and character. We look forward to hearing about all your many future successes.

The gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Sutton) joins me in these thoughts, but we will not say goodbye but rather farewell until we meet again. And Mr. Speaker, before I yield to other Members, I would like insert the names of the pages at this point in the Congressional Record.

Spring 2007 House Page List

Sam Balasz

Joshua Britton

Abullah Binshaeig

Geoffrey Blumenthal

Ian Cameron

Bryant Canales

Allison Clark

Elizabeth Cotton

Daija Covington

Sarah Coughlan

Ann Crawford-Roberts

Christopher Day

Richie Day

Skukuae Edwards

Taylor Farquharson

Kelsey Griffee

Tarel Hairston

Portsha Franklin

Elizabeth Hartig

Kelsey Hill

Jeffrey Joh

Robert Joyce

Abebe Kebede

Keegan Kirkpatrick

Nathan Khosla

Alexa Klein

Breanna Lai

Noah Lindenfeld

Jonathan Lesser

Rachel Licata

Isabella Miller

Amanda Markovich

Blair Matthews

Victoria Milkovich

Soreya Moody

Liliana Palacios

Jake Petzold

Elon Rhodes

Taylor Riddle

Paige Romer

Arriel Rubenstein

Alexander Seiden

Corey Shears

Virginia Smith

Shaan Yadav-Ranjan

Meghan Ward

Briana Aleman

Amy Brinkerhoff

Marion Burke

Starla Burton

Joseph Cannella

Logan Craghead

Katelyn DeFrangesco

Ryan Drager

Callie Farlow

Nicholas Hall

Rachel Koroknay

Nicholas Lanoue

Nickolas Lupo

Aubrie-Marks

Colleen Mattingly

James ``Matt'' McClure

Bryan Quach

Heaven Randolph

Adam Reynolds

Katie Rieder

Christine Salomon

Ryan Till

James ``Carson'' Ure

Cassandra West

I yield now to the ranking Republican member of the Page Board, the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from West Virginia.

I would yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) who's been very active in supporting the Page Program.

From the bottoms of our hearts, we thank you, God bless you.

I would be happy to yield.

I thank the gentleman for his very fine words.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. Godspeed to you all.

Madam Speaker, today I would like to take the opportunity to extend congratulations to the UA Local 370 Plumbers and Pipefitters as they commemorate their 100th anniversary. A celebration will be held on June 7 in Flint Michigan.

Local 370 was chartered on June 4, 1907 with 15 members. As a part of the United Association, Local 370 worked to change the 10-hour workday and the working conditions of its members. Over the years the benefits enjoyed by the membership have changed and grown. Base wages, initiation fees, and window dues have all changed to reflect changing economic times. The pension fund and insurance fund were created by in response to the needs of the membership.

Over the past 100 years Local 370 has been an integral part for worker rights. Chartered 30 years before the famous UAW sitdown strike in 1937, members of Local 370 built the building where the sitdown strike took place. The members have been committed to protecting prevailing wages, working for laws to mandate plumbing licenses for anyone working in the plumbing industry, working with other labor organizations to improve the day-to-day lives of workers everywhere.

Committed to the United Association motto, ``We Do It Right the First Time,'' Local 370 has created a first-class training center for apprentices to develop their skills. The current roster of almost 500 members can earn up to 70 different certifications from United Association. The members strive to be the best trained and most up to date in their professions.

Madam Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Local 370 for their assurance to their craft, their customers, the public and to the American worker. We have all benefited from their desire to work in a safe, conscientious environment.

Madam Speaker, today I would like to recognize the 40th anniversary of the Flint Community Schools' Citywide Title I Parent Advisory Council. The council will hold a celebration on June 5 in my hometown of Flint, Michigan, in honor of this event.

Dr. Edward Hansberry founded the Citywide Title I Parent Advisory Council in 1967. The advisory council was born from the idea that parents should be honored for the work they do on behalf of their children. It has grown into a vehicle to teach parents and give them a voice in the education of their children. The advisory council allows for the parents to have positive interaction with teachers and social workers. This builds bonds between parents and administrators and gives parents a mechanism to provide feedback on the programs.

David Solis, director of State, Federal and local programs for the Flint Community Schools will host the celebration. Named the ``40th Parent of the Year Celebration--A Journey of Joy, Challenge and Change'' this celebration will highlight the dedication and success of the students, parents and educators benefiting from title 1.

Madam Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating the Citywide Title I Parent Advisory Council for 40 years of successfully involving parents in the title I program.

Madam Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in honoring the memory of Galen Jamison. Galen passed away on Thursday, May 17, in my hometown of Flint, Michigan at the age of 71. Galen was a committed public servant, always striving to improve the quality of life for the people of the greater Flint area. He was a dear friend and a valued advisor. I will miss his knowledge and wisdom.

He was a graduate of Central Michigan University and he had attended Arkansas State College and GMI. Mr. Jamison married Shirley J. Earns in 1955 and moved to Flint Township where he resided for over 50 years. Galen worked for General Motors as a General Supervisor. He was deeply committed to public service. Galen was elected as Flint Township supervisor and served 4 years. He was also elected 2 terms as Trustee on Flint Township Board of Trustees. Galen held several appointed positions over the years. These included State of Michigan Registered Codes Official and Inspector, Commercial Plan Reviewer, and 11 years on the Liquor Advisory Board where he drafted the first ordinance. He served on the Planning Commission for 9 years, the Board of Appeals for 6 years, the Economic Development Authority, the Central Business District Authority, the Bicentennial Committee, and was the Anti Annexation Drive Coordinator.

Galen served on many Genesee County Boards including service as the Chairman of the Auto and Theft Grant Board. He held positions with the Water and Waste Board, the Retirement Board, the Parks Board, the Library Steering Committee, and as Genesee County Michigan Township Association Trustee. He had previously served on the CAMEO Executive Board and as a Flint Junior Achievement Advisor. He served as the Chairman for the Flushing Road Action Committee for Water for 4 years. At the time of his death Galen was currently serving as the Flint Township Chief Building Director and Chairman of the Genesee County Road Commission. Because of his commitment to public service Galen was awarded the G.M. Truck and Bus Plant Award for excellence in Community Activities.

Galen is survived by his wife of 51 years, Shirley, his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, brothers, sister, numerous nieces and nephews and a Godchild.

Madam Speaker, please join me in paying respects to a wonderful man and a true public servant, Galen Jamison. The Flint area mourns his passing and will miss his leadership, insight and zeal to make the Flint community a better place to live and work.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 40th anniversary of the Beecher Community School District Project Head Start. A community celebration is planned for Friday, May 18th in Flint, Michigan. The celebration will be attended by alumni, current and former staff, parents, students and other members of the community.

The Beecher Community School District is a delegate program of the Genesee County Community Action Resource Department. Over the past 40 years the Beecher Head Start program has served over 6,000 students. It is a comprehensive program providing medical, dental, nutrition, and child development. The teachers and social workers make home visits to assess the needs of the child and work to fully involve parents in the child's progress. This year 357 pupils benefited from participation in the program.

Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating the Beecher Community School District Project Head Start on 40 years of successfully preparing youngsters for school and enhancing the social and reasoning skills of thousands of students.

Madam Speaker, this week is National Teacher Appreciation Week, a time to express our deep appreciation for the dedication of our nation's teachers.

It is therefore timely to also recognize the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, which celebrated its 20th anniversary earlier this month, for its dedication to teacher excellence.

National Board certification is among the highest credentials in the teaching profession. Teachers speak of National Board certification with great pride.

There are 55,000 National Board certified teachers nationwide and I look forward to seeing more National Board certified teachers in our schools as we seek to improve student achievement and close the achievement gap.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Kevin D. Lyons the Illustrious Potentate of the Oman Temple Number 72 Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine Prince Hall Affiliated. The Temple membership is honoring him at the Potentate's Ball on May 19th in my hometown of Flint, Michigan.

A native of New Jersey, Kevin attended East Orange High School with an emphasis in College Preparatory Music. He graduated from Delaware State University with a major in Music Education and obtained his masters degree at Howard University in Performance and Jazz Studies.

Bringing his love of music to Michigan, Kevin works for the Beecher Community School District as the district-wide assistant director of bands. He also provides private lessons in drum and percussion instruments and is a professional drummer with the music group ``Deep Blue.'' He is a life member of the Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity and the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America. He belongs to the Music Educators National Conference, National Association of Rudimental Drummers, the Percussive Art Society International Conference, the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, and all Prince Hall Masonic Houses.

In addition to being a committed music teacher, Kevin also uses his talent for the worship of Our Lord Jesus Christ. He is a member of Vermont Christian Church and is the Chairman of the Media Ministry. He is the former president of the Christian Men's Fellowship, a former co- sponsor of the Youth Ushers, and a participant on the Finance Team.

Madam Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in applauding Kevin D. Lyons's devotion to his community, his students, his church, and to congratulate him for his service to the Oman Temple Number 72.

I want to thank my chairman for yielding to engage in a colloquy on a matter of great importance to Native Americans.

Congress has long been concerned about addressing the social ills that plague our Native American communities which stem from the policies of the United States that were designed to terminate tribal nations and their culture.

While we cannot erase the deplorable history of Indian policy in the United States, Congress has sought to honor the political status of tribal governments by enacting a wide range of laws designed to promote Indian self-determination and economic self-sufficiency. The entirety of title 25 of the United States Code is a compilation of all Federal laws relating to Indians that seek to achieve those goals.

Congress has established the Native 8(a) program in furtherance of those Federal policies to foster strong economies in Native communities. The program is an important tool which has significant benefits to Native communities.

I understand that the authorizing committees have concerns relating to the Native 8(a) program, and I thank Chairman Waxman for agreeing to placeholder language at section 211 so we may continue our dialogue with the participants of that program to find a permanent solution to the committee's concern.

In addressing the committee's concerns, however, it is my strong desire that we balance the interest of all parties and that any change to that program take into account our trust relationship with tribal nations and the communities they serve.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, today I would like to recognize the accomplishments of Dr. Fritz Bruening. Dr. Bruening is the 2007 recipient of the Jack Hamady Good Scout Award from the Burton Rotary Club. He will receive the award at a luncheon on May 10th.

Dr. Bruening graduated from high school in Decorah, Iowa, where he was a member of the wrestling team, the Honor Society and Valedictorian of his graduating class. He continued his education at Notre Dame University, where he was the captain of the wrestling team, graduated Cum Laude and was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree.

After completing his studies at the University of Iowa, School of Medicine, Dr. Bruening finished his internships at Good Samaritan Hospital and East Mesa Emergency Center in Arizona. His residency in Ophthalmology was completed at North Carolina Baptist Hospital and Wake Forest Medical Center, where he was Chief Resident from 1984-1985.

In 1994 Dr. Bruening relocated to Flint, Michigan, and joined the Park Eye and SurgiCenter after 6 years in private practice in Winston- Salem, North Carolina. At the time he was one of a handful of surgeons capable of performing the Clear Cornea cataract surgery. He has subsequently published two articles, ``Clear Cornea Surgery'' in the March issue of the Genesee County Medical Society Bulletin and ``Placement of a Secondary Foldable Intraocular Lens over a Capsule Remnant'' in the August issue of the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Dr. Bruening has devoted countless hours to assisting the indigent and working poor. He continues to take referrals from optometrists to perform surgeries on patients without insurance and incapable of paying. He counts the restoration of sight to a man that had not been able to see for 20 years as his greatest achievement.

Madam Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Dr. Fritz Bruening as he receives the Jack Hamady Good Scout Award from the Burton Rotary Club.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, in March, the Education and Labor Committee overwhelming passed by a vote of 42-1 H.R. 1429, which was my privilege to introduce with both Democrats and Republicans as cosponsors. I hope at the close of today's debate the full House will do similarly.

Head Start has served our most vulnerable children and families well for 42 years; and more recently, early Head Start has done the same for infants and toddlers.

Head Start works, and this bill will make it work even better. This bill increases Head Start's authorization by $461 million to benefit as many as 10,000 more children, and increases funding for Indian and migrant and seasonal Head Start programs. It sets aside 60 percent of new funds for activities such as teacher salaries, professional development and extended program hours. It suspends the flawed national reporting system. It improves teacher qualifications. It increases access to Early Head Start. It improves training and technical assistance to help programs identify their strengths and weaknesses. And it strengthens the quality of Head Start boards and maintains strong parental involvement through shared governance of Head Start programs.

I would note that we are expecting a motion to recommit that would allow faith-based programs to discriminate in hiring based on religion using Federal funds. Before supporting this bill by 42-1, the committee considered and rejected such a policy. Faith-based programs can and do participate in Head Start and have done so for many years, and I support that strongly. However, this motion is wrong, and I encourage my colleagues to oppose it.

In closing, I want to thank Chairman Miller for his outstanding work through the years on this program and for his specific work this year. This is a very good bill. I want to thank Ranking Members McKeon and Castle, it was really a pleasure to work with them, and all the members of the committee for their hard work on this bill.

I would like to thank the staff, especially Ruth Friedman, Chairman Miller's senior policy adviser; Susan Ross and James Bergeron with Ranking Member McKeon; and Jessica Gross with Ranking Member Castle; and Lloyd Horwich of my staff.

Mr. Chairman, I look forward to passage of this bill today and to working through the conference committee to see that this bill becomes law.

Mr. Chairman, I would just say in reading the amendment that States should generally follow the standards. I served in a State legislature for 12 years in appropriations, and I know what license that word ``generally'' gives to a State legislature in a State government. Generally it does not keep these really good high standards that we have worked on for 42 years on in this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

It has been suggested that we put this in the Higher Education bill, but the Higher Education bill has been kind of stalled. And I always believe you put your cargo on the train that is moving, and this train is moving.

The Senate reported its version out of committee. I think we have a much better chance to get this done if we put it on this bill. This train is moving.

Mr. Chairman, I don't question the motives of Mr. Mica, but his amendment would jeopardize program quality by speeding up the deadline for the 50 percent of the Head Start teachers having their bachelor's degrees.

Budgets have really forced Head Start centers to make very difficult, sometime impossible decisions to reduce services or to serve fewer children. And I fear that the Mica amendment would exacerbate the hard choices which Head Start programs have faced over recent years because this Congress has not appropriated the kind of money we need.

The bill that came out of committee, by 42-1, establishes, I think, a rather reasonable and ambitious time line for 50 percent of our Head Start teachers to attain their bachelor's degrees. Under this time line, the bill ensures that Congress can provide the necessary funding to achieve this goal. We have to, as I think we have done in this bill which came out of committee, we have to balance the improvements in the program with the real resources. If we had unlimited resources, we could do all these things. But I think the bill balances the improvements with the resources.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to oppose the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, the Putnam amendment would jeopardize the seamless services that many high-quality Head Start programs with very deep roots in their communities provide to disadvantaged children. Because the quality of our Head Start programs is critical to ensuring that disadvantaged children receive the benefits of Head Start, this bill, which passed out with only one dissenting vote from committee, implements a new process to recompete underperforming programs. The amendment by Mr. Putnam guts the bill's provision to ensure that high- quality Head Start programs do not have to recompete for their grants.

They are reviewed by a panel of experts we put in place to look at them. They are reviewed and have to satisfy that review, but they do not then have to recompete.

The Putnam amendment also eliminates the bill's provisions to ensure a fair and equitable process for recompeting underperforming Head Start programs. And we worked hard to get a fair and equitable process for that.

By striking those provisions, which he does in his amendment, the Department of Health and Human Services is authorized to create its own system for recompetition.

We worked hard with the Head Start community to try to ensure that we would have a panel of experts that would assure that the unperforming programs were really improved or put out of the system but not have the high performing have to go through the recompetition process every 5 years, but be reviewed by the panel of experts.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak in support of the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, we support the amendment.

Many of these are included in the regulations, but you would put it in the statute now and expand them, and I think you have done a very good job in your expansion of that.

I commend you for your work on this. I commend you for your concern for children. It is very important. We certainly want to protect our children, and I think this is a very good amendment and we support it.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 518, the International Solid Waste Importation and Management Act of 2007, and am proud to join Chairman John Dingell, the Dean of the House of Representatives, my bi-partisan colleagues from Michigan and others in strong support of its passage.

This legislation would require the U.S. to implement the ``notice and consent'' provisions of the 1992 bilateral U.S.-Canadian Agreement on municipal solid waste, and adds the necessary statutory enforcement authority. It also provides criteria to ensure that the views of the affected State and local governments are properly taken into account.

The importation of foreign trash is of great concern to the residents of Michigan's Fifth Congressional District, and citizens across the State vocally oppose the importation of foreign trash.

Nationally, more than 4 million tons of waste--about 400 truckloads per day--is transported from Canada to the U.S. each year, with three- quarters of it coming to Michigan. In Michigan alone, Canadian trash deposits have increased more than five-fold from 1999 to 2006--from about 710,000 tons to 3.67 million tons.

The growing amount of foreign trash coming into Michigan is polluting our environment, clogging our roadways, increasing the health and safety risks in our State, and poses a growing a homeland security threat. In 2006, the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General released a report finding that U.S. Customs does not have an effective method to screen and inspect the hundreds of truckloads of municipal solid waste that enter the U.S. daily through the Detroit and Port Huron ports of entry. In addition, multiple incidents have occurred on Michigan roadways where Canadian trash trucks have spilled waste on our roads.

Congress has had numerous opportunities to address this problem, either through legislation or the implementation of a bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Canada from 1992, which would allow Michigan to manage foreign waste being disposed of within its borders.

Madam Speaker, the time has come for Congress to take action to address this serious matter. H.R. 518 has broad, bipartisan support reinforced by its clear passage through the House Energy and Commerce Committee earlier this year without objection.

Once again, Madam Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 518, and urge my colleagues to pass this important legislation.