Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Academy for Global Citizenship in Chicago, Illinois, for its recognition by the U.S. Department of Education as a ``Green Ribbon School.''

Green Ribbon Schools (GRS) is an award program launched in 2011 that recognizes schools participating in activities that promote and encourage a healthy and environmentally friendly learning environment. This year, the Department of Education recognized 78 schools across the United States, including the Academy for Global Citizenship located in Garfield Ridge on Chicago's Southwest Side.

The Academy for Global Citizenship engages students in a green experience from the moment they set foot on campus. Its asphalt parking lot was transformed into an organic garden that the students help sow, cultivate, and tend throughout the year. Inside the school students are fed organic and locally-sourced meals each day, after which they separate their garbage and recyclables, as well as their compost waste which is used to fertilize the gardens around the campus.

In class, students learn about sustainable and renewable energy and lifestyles, including a transportation unit that includes the study of walking, biking, and alternative fuels, and a wellness class that focuses health, nutrition, and environmental sustainability as a lens to understand how the world works.

Through these formal and informal activities, teachers enhance students' education as they teach the biology and chemistry behind composting and fertilization, the energy physics behind alternative energy sources, and the health-science behind good nutrition.

The Academy for Global Citizenship is also green at the administrative level. The school hosts community workshops on topics such as small space gardening, backyard composting, and energy use reduction. In addition, the school tracks its energy and water usage, setting reduction goals each year, and purchasing 100% of its electricity from a provider that produces only wind power.

Green schools, like the Academy for Global Citizenship, benefit our communities in numerous ways. In buying food from local sources, they contribute to the local economy and local jobs. In reducing their energy usage, these schools help improve our energy independence. In producing a rich and interactive curriculum on green living, they educate our children and create the workforce needed for the future of our economy. I am happy to see such important work being done on a local level and the Academy for Global Citizenship acting as a model for other institutions.

I commend the Academy for Global Citizenship and I hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating all 78 of the Green Ribbon School award winners.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Eddie Blazonczyk, Sr., who passed away on May 21, 2012 at the age of 70. Mr. Blazonczyk was a Polish-American icon who spread the beauty and joy of polka music around the world.

Mr. Blazonczyk was born the son of Polish immigrants in Chicago on July 12, 1941. His parents owned Polish music clubs in the city, influencing their son to play the accordion, drums, guitar, and bass guitar, and to sing in classic Polka tradition.

Eddie was so versatile and talented that he was signed to play pop music by Mercury Records, even making an appearance on American Bandstand. However, Eddie returned to his polka roots and founded The Versatones, one of the most popular polka bands in the world. Eddie and his band spread his unique Chicago Style polka around the world, introducing the fun music to people of all backgrounds. Eddie would become known as the ``Polka King'' as he opened one of the most prestigious polka music recording studios in America, Bel-Aire Recordings, in 1963. He then founded the International Polka Association in 1968 to promote the genre of music throughout the world, and is now enshrined in the Association's Hall of Fame.

Eddie played the music he loved with The Versatones until 2001. During his tenure with The Versatones, the band gained many honors including a Grammy Award for Best Polka Album in 1987 with their hit record, Another Polka Celebration. Mr. Blazonczyk was also awarded a National Heritage Fellowship in 1998 for his work in celebrating the art of polka music.

I ask my colleagues to join me in offering condolences to Mr. Blazonczyk's family, and to thank Eddie Blazonczyk for spreading his art, his joy, and his passion to generations of polka fans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize America's engineers, architects, and skilled workforce who construct our new state-of-the- art new buildings and to speak in support of H.R. 2866, the Mechanical Insulation Installation Incentive Act.

Next week is High-Performance Building Week, and America's leading trade groups will come together to promote their efforts to design, build, and maintain buildings to a higher level of performance. Throughout the week, the High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition--a diverse group of building professionals--will hold a number of briefings on high-performance basics and new technological breakthroughs, conduct tours of local green roofs, and offer other outreach opportunities. These activities will remind attendees that these buildings are not only attainable, but can improve the quality of our lives.

High-performance buildings have eight specific attributes that ensure that the buildings are designed for the people they serve and the environment they impact. These buildings should be accessible, cost- effective, functional, productive, safe, sustainable, aesthetically pleasing, and mindful of historic preservation.

While all of the attributes of high-performance buildings are important, efficiency and cost-effectiveness are increasingly vital given the rising costs of energy. H.R. 2866, the Mechanical Insulation Installation Incentive Act, will help alleviate these rising costs, promoting the construction of truly high-performance buildings. H.R. 2866 will create tax incentives to encourage commercial and industrial entities to go beyond current minimum building requirements--as set by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers--in new construction or retrofit projects, and to also keep up with regular and timely maintenance of their mechanical insulation systems.

Over a five-year period, these incentives have the potential to save American companies $35 billion in energy costs and reduce our CO2 emissions by 170 million metric tons. In addition, this bill will not only help building owners save money and use less resources, it will also create jobs. It is estimated that this initiative could support the development of more than 89,000 sustainable jobs for skilled craft personnel to install and maintain mechanical insulation systems.

H.R. 2866 is just one step this body can take to help achieve all these goals and make our country more competitive. During High- Performance Building Week, I encourage my colleagues to learn more about the work of building professionals and join me in supporting this measure. Our residential, commercial and industrial buildings are more than just places where we live, work, and shop. They can inspire us and reflect our values, and be engines for energy independence and job creation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Fr. Thomas Bernas, Pastor of St. Richard Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois, for his 15 years of dedicated service to the parish.

Born in 1958 in Evergreen Park, Illinois, Fr. Tom has spent his life in service to the local community. Attending St. Pancratius Grammar School and then Quigley Preparatory Seminary South, Fr. Tom started his Catholic education at an early age. Graduating from high school in 1976, he enrolled at the Loyola University of Chicago, completing his degree at the university in 1980.

Fr. Tom entered seminary in 1989 at the St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois. Ordained in 1994 at Holy Name Cathedral, seat of the Archdiocese of Chicago, by Cardinal Bernardin, Fr. Tom was assigned to St. Richard Catholic Church in 1997 as an administrator; his conscientious and tireless work for the parish resulted in his appointment as pastor in 1999.

Throughout his 13 year tenure as pastor, Fr. Tom devoted his time and energy to improving the community of St. Richard Catholic Church and the surrounding area. Through prudent financial practice, he overhauled the parish's finances, paying off its debt and keeping it debt-free. Upon becoming pastor of St. Richard's, Fr. Tom completed several renovation projects initiated by his predecessor that included re- painting the church, replacing the organ, and installing an elevator to facilitate handicapped access. He also oversaw the construction of the St. Richard Parish Center that now houses all parish offices and a gymnasium used by the St. Richard Grammar School children as well as many community groups. Additionally, he supervised a complete renovation of the priest's residence and further transformed the health of the church with a recent building renovation and floor plan reconfiguration to enrich the spiritual experience of all worshippers.

Fr. Tom has continued to engage in all aspects of community life far beyond his expected duties. Each year he has hosted the Archer Heights Civic Association Halloween Party for community children in the church hall and an annual blessing of Chicago firefghters, paramedics, and police officers.

Through a diligent and caring approach, Fr. Thomas Bernas has transformed the fortunes of St. Richard Catholic Church and touched the lives of many members of the local community. Please join me in celebrating the accomplishments of Fr. Tom, a model citizen and an inspiration to us all. I thank him for his service and wish him the best as he starts his new assignment at St. Rene Goupil Parish.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the motion to instruct offered by my good friend, the ranking member of the Transportation Committee, Mr. Rahall. Mr. Rahall has been a true advocate for the American worker, and certainly for our Nation's transportation system. He understands the key importance of not only passing this bill, but making sure that this bill is putting Americans to work.

This Congress, I have been working to improve Buy American requirements through my Buy American Improvement Act. Mr. Rahall introduced the Invest in American Jobs Act of 2011. Unfortunately, we have been unable to move either of these bills here in the House, and we were unable to include language in the House version of the bill that we worked on in committee. But over in the Senate, they came to a bipartisan agreement to include these important provisions in the bill, including prohibiting the segmentation of transportation projects, guaranteeing transparency and opportunities for public comment on requests for waivers to Buy American provisions, requiring longstanding waivers to be reconsidered, and requiring DOT to report annually on the waivers it grants.

Now why is this important? It's important because all too often there are loopholes that are either purposely used in order to get a product from overseas, or sometimes just simply overlooked.

I had an issue with a contractor, a defense contractor in my district, who lost a job, lost a bid to make a product to a South Korean company. They knew that the law was not followed. But far too often, someone who has a product to offer, someone who has a product that can be used in a transportation project, does not even know that they were passed over. It's critical that we put this Senate language in the final bill, the conferees do that, so we can know when an American company can do the job, and we get that to American workers.

If we ensure that all of the iron, steel, manufactured goods used in Federal highway, transit, and railroad projects is produced in the United States, it creates jobs for American manufacturers and stops needless outsourcing. In addition, by closing loopholes, those provisions will guarantee that when projects are funded by U.S. taxpayers, they will be made by American workers and create American jobs instead of being outsourced overseas.

There's a reason that the Chinese insist on ``Buy Chinese,'' just as India insists on ``Buy Indian,'' and Brazil on ``Buy Brazilian.''

We're here to say that we need to do the same thing, to send the message that U.S. taxpayer dollars should be spent in the United States, not in China, not anywhere else.

These are provisions our country needs now more than ever. The American taxpayer funds for transportation should be used to create American jobs. It's just common sense. If you go home, any of us, we go home and we talk to our constituents, they understand it. They know that it's common sense. Unfortunately, it's far too infrequent that we do what is common sense here.

The Senate managed to do what is common sense and put in important, key Buy American provisions in their version of the transportation bill. The conferees should accept that Senate position, that bipartisan position, the commonsense position, and make sure that we get this transportation bill passed as soon as possible and make sure that those taxpayer funds are used to put Americans to work, not to be outsourced.

I urge my colleagues to support this motion.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor two long time residents of the 3rd Congressional District of Illinois, Concetta, Connie to her friends, and Carmen Cacciottolo who will be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on May 3rd, 2012.

Their story starts back in 1937 when Connie and Carmen met in their kindergarten class at St. Mary of Mount Carmel School in Chicago. At the age of five, Connie and Carmen became very good friends; and now, 75 years later, they are celebrating 60 years of marriage. They attended classes together throughout grade school and split for their four years of high school with Connie attending Lourdes and Carmen attending Tilden Tech. On May 3, 1952, Connie and Carmen were married at St. Richard Church on Kostner Avenue in Chicago.

Carmen served our country proudly in the United States Army during the Korean War for two years. Upon returning home, Carmen worked as a full-time printer and lithographer for Raynor/Carquivelle Company while running the family-owned Italian store on Kolin Avenue in the Archer Heights community with Connie.

Connie went on to become a real-estate agent, insurance sales representative, and finally retired from her job at Talman/LaSalle Bank after 23 years. Carmen retired after 38 years with Raynor/Carquivelle. Connie and Carmen have raised three beautiful children: James, born in 1957, Albert in 1963, and their daughter Mary Ann who was born in 1964. All three of them still live close to their parents in the Chicago area preserving their strong family bonds.

Since their retirements, Connie and Carmen have enjoyed spending time with their five grandchildren: Kristin, Anthony Connor, Jenna and their angel Megan. Connie and Carmen have selflessly given their time for their community. They have been active residents in the Chicago Archer Heights neighborhood, at their schools, church, and community, including the local American Legion and V.F.W. After moving to Palos Park in 1995 they once again became active in their new church, Sacred Heart, with the local senior club, along with their neighbors and the Palos Park Women's Club.

Today as Connie and Carmen Cacciottolo celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary with their children, grandchildren, neighbors, friends, and bridal party, I would like to extend my best wishes to the happy couple. This is truly an amazing event in their lives, and as they celebrate together their 60 wonderful years of love and marriage, I wish them great happiness and joy for many more years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Saints Peter and Paul Baseball Club for one hundred years of service to Chicago's McKinley Park community. This year, the club will celebrate a century of quality athletics and social outreach by hosting the Centennial Celebration and Annual Dinner Dance. The Saints Peter and Paul Baseball Club has been a valuable asset to the community for many years, and I thank all those involved in the club and the current president, Mr. William Gonerka, for their dedication to our community.

The club was founded in 1912 by a group of parishioners from Saints Peter and Paul Church who realized the need for a community organization that could provide both athletic and social outlets for youth in the area. Growing with the community, the club soon expanded its sponsorship to other sports such as basketball, softball, and touch football and broadened its fundraising efforts for parishes and local schools. For the last twenty years, the club has continued its stewardship to the neighborhood by hosting communion breakfasts, trips to White Sox and Bears games, and other parish social events. Although Saints Peter and Paul Church has since joined with St. Maurice and Our Lady of Good Counsel to form the Blessed Sacrament Parish, members of the club have continued to hold events under their original name.

For the last one hundred years, the Saints Peter and Paul Baseball Club has worked to form healthy relationships and camaraderie among the people of McKinley Park. In supporting numerous athletic programs and acting as a social organization, the club has created a safe and productive outlet for many members of the local community. The work of this organization has helped members of the community develop vital leadership skills, appreciate the value of teamwork, and cultivate self discipline. I am grateful for the Saints Peter and Paul Baseball Club's outstanding one hundred years of service and am proud of the members who keep the club active.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Alfredo Guzman, Ulises Trejo, Vanessa Campos and Alondra Arciga of Hurley Elementary School, and their coaches Ms. Jazmine Smith-Falicetti, Ms. Roxana Del Real, and Ms. Shellie Affolter for earning the opportunity to compete in the 2012 National Science Bowl.

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet with these outstanding students and congratulate them and their teachers on their success. They clearly represent our country's bright future. Their confidence, intellect, and respectfulness will take them far, and I encouraged them to pursue studies in science, engineering, and math.

The National Science Bowl is a nationwide academic competition that tests students' knowledge of mathematics and science. This competition was launched by the Department of Energy as a new way to encourage students' interest in math and science career opportunities. During the bowl, competitors participate in a fast paced question-and-answer quiz, as well as attend science seminars and workshops. Middle school teams also compete in the Lithium-Ion Battery-Powered Model Car Challenge. This challenge stimulates creativity and fosters engineering skills as students compete to design, build, and race model cars.

Since the beginning of January, regional tournaments have been held across the country narrowing the competition to the best and the brightest in the nation. Hurley Elementary was the only school from the Midway Network of the Chicago Public School system that qualified to compete in the Chicago Regional Science Bowl. Likewise, the national competition was extremely tough this year as only 44 middle school teams earned the opportunity to compete in the final rounds in Washington, D.C.

As a team of sixth graders competing against students up to two years older, it has been an amazing accomplishment for Hurley to make it to the national competition. Although they did not bring home any awards this year, I am proud that they advanced as far as they did. Their hard work coupled with natural talent will take them far in life. I commend Ms. Smith-Falicetti, Ms. Del Real, and Ms. Affolter, for motivating these excellent young minds as well. Their leadership and guidance has been an invaluable asset to this team. I am proud of these bright students and I look forward to seeing what they accomplish in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the owners and employees of the Gold Eagle Company of Chicago, Illinois. On May 17, 2012, they will receive the prestigious President's ``E'' Award from the Department of Commerce. The ``E'' Award is presented to select American companies that demonstrate excellence in their ability to export American goods abroad. I appreciate the work of the employees and management at this company who have demonstrated leadership and resilience over the past several years.

Creative and successful in its business growth model, Gold Eagle utilizes innovative international marketing strategies that have led to four years of dynamic export expansion. Moreover, Gold Eagle has demonstrated its ability to overcome export barriers, selling its products in more than 75 countries and five continents. To reward rising global sales and its commitment to entering international markets, the Department of Commerce will recognize Gold Eagle at its 50th Annual President's ``E'' Award Ceremony. The Secretary of Commerce, John Bryson, will present the award. For strengthening America's trade portfolio and creating high-paying jobs, I commend everyone at Gold Eagle for their hard work in pioneering product development and market expansion.

Located on Chicago's Southwest side, Gold Eagle has been an unwavering stalwart of the local economy. The company, founded in 1932, is an industry leader in the manufacturing of automotive and marine engine additives, fluids, and cleaners. This is not the first time Gold Eagle's excellence has been recognized: the company was named by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity as 2008's Manufacturer of the Year, and Chairman Bob Hirsh and Vice President Rich Hirsh were named Ernst & Young's Illinois Entrepreneurs of the Year in 2002. In its mission to create innovative chemical products that help ``protect, preserve, and perform,'' Gold Eagle has been committed to community development, sustainability, and employee satisfaction for over eighty years.

For their efforts in creating manufacturing jobs and providing quality products around the world, I am proud to have Gold Eagle in my district. I wish them my sincerest congratulations as they receive this prestigious award, and thank them for their efforts in driving export growth in this challenging global trade environment.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to respectfully request to engage in a colloquy with the distinguished gentleman from Virginia, Chairman Wolf.

As you know, I've been a strong supporter of science, education, and innovation programs to spur economic growth and job creation. I greatly appreciate the strong funding levels for these programs in this bill, especially the NSF, and also, Chairman Wolf, your eloquent defense of NSF on the floor here a short time ago.

I specifically would like to thank you for inviting me to testify before the CJS panel this year to share my strong support for the NSF Innovation Corps program, which provides NSF grantees with an opportunity to learn from and collaborate with entrepreneurs in order to increase the likelihood that their research can be turned into new products. This program will turn our investments in science and research into American innovation and American jobs and will produce enormous value for the relatively small cost of $19 million. The early results of I-Corps are promising: out of the first 21 grantees, 19 are pursuing commercialization of their technology in, hopefully, future American jobs.

Chairman Wolf, I understand this bill does not provide line items for most NSF funding, but I hope you agree that the I-Corps programs are a wise investment that will educate America's brightest so they can make the best use of Federal research funding to boost America innovation and job growth.

I yield to the chairman.

Reclaiming my time, I want to thank the gentleman for his response and, again, for his commitment to this program. I look forward to working with you on ensuring success of the I-Corps program and more generally for the continued increases in NSF and science funding as we lead the way to American innovation and American jobs.

I yield back the balance of my time.

The Acting Chair. The Clerk will read.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2096, the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act. I'd like to first thank my colleague, Mr. McCaul, for his hard work on this critical piece of national cybersecurity policy.

As cofounder of the House Cybersecurity Caucus, Mr. McCaul has played a key role in this policy area that is becoming increasingly important to our Nation. Our work together on this legislation, which began last Congress, demonstrates that this bill is good, bipartisan public policy that should once again receive overwhelming support in this House.

In 2009, the President called for a comprehensive 60-day review of U.S. cyberspace policy. That call and the subsequent expert recommendations contained in the report led to a series of hearings on cybersecurity R&D and resulted in the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2010, which I sponsored and worked on with Mr. McCaul in the Science and Technology Committee in the last Congress. That bill passed this Chamber by a vote of 422 5. Unfortunately, it was not taken up by the Senate.

Since that time, cyberthreats have only increased. So last May, Mr. McCaul and I introduced this bill once again to address the pressing education, research, and development and standards and practices aspects of cybersecurity.

In America, every individual and every organization, including the Federal Government, is vulnerable to cybercrime. Our most sensitive data are stored on computers, and around the world there are countless individuals, groups, and nations relentlessly focused on exploiting gaps in our cybersecurity system.

The Federal Trade Commission estimates that identity theft costs consumers about $50 billion annually. The Department of Commerce was targeted this month in a cyberattack that required the Economic Development Administration to completely unplug from the network. And just yesterday, the Homeland Security Committee heard from witnesses about Iran's development of a cyberarmy.

Cybercrime evolves as quickly as technology itself. Thus, it will take a collective effort by the Federal Government, the private sector, our scientists and engineers, and every American to defeat it. And H.R. 2096 will help to do this.

The first step is education. This bill builds on existing partnerships, such as the NSF-sponsored Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois. This community college has trained hundreds of teachers and college faculty in cybersecurity-related areas since 2003, individuals who are now teaching at colleges and technical training programs nationwide.

H.R. 2096 also provides scholarships for students pursuing degrees in cybersecurity in exchange for their service in the Federal IT workforce. This approach not only provides for the immediate workforce needs of the Federal Government, but it also builds a pipeline for private industry.

Now, in addition to a skilled IT workforce, our Nation also needs advances in basic R&D. Cyberthreats are constantly evolving, and cybersecurity must reflect the comprehensive efforts that build towards a more secure foundation in the short and long terms.

So this legislation requires relevant Federal agencies to work with the National Science and Technology Council to develop a national strategic plan for cybersecurity R&D that sets priorities based on risk assessments, focuses on transformational technology, and strengthens technology transfer programs. It will build on infrastructure that we need to get the best ideas out of the lab and into the marketplace. And because people are perhaps the weakest link in many IT systems, the research strategy will include the social sciences to help us better understand how humans interact with technology.

Promoting public awareness of good computer hygiene can go a long way to protecting our systems. The dissemination of simple concepts, such as installing antivirus software and not opening emails from unknown sources, can go a long way in reducing the threat of cybercrime.

The legislation also calls on the National Institute of Standards and Technology to be a leader in both domestic

and international cybersecurity standards. As Mr. McCaul said, H.R. 2096 tasks NIST with developing a comprehensive international cybersecurity strategy that defines what working and IT technical standards we need, determines where they're being developed, and ensures the United States is represented.

Finally, in recognition of the Federal Government's increasing effort to utilize remote data centers, known as cloud computing, in this Congress, I worked to add language so that the bill now directs NIST to work with other agencies and with experts in the private sector to ensure the consistent and secure standards on cloud computing are put in place across the Federal Government. As cloud computing is used more and more by the Federal Government, we must make sure that this data is safe.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is a necessary and vitally important step toward securing our public, private, and personal IT systems. It is a good bipartisan bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I'd like to yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin) 5 minutes.

(Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlelady from Texas, the ranking member of the committee, Ms. Johnson.

Just myself. I am ready to close.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Langevin, the other cochair of the Cybersecurity Caucus, for all of his work. I want to thank Ranking Member Johnson for her work, Chairman Hall, and especially Mr. McCaul for coming together on this bill.

We started this in the last Congress. Hopefully, we will get it finished in this Congress. We know that cyberthreats are everywhere-- from cyberarmies that are threatening our Nation to cybercrime that threatens the financial security of all Americans. This bill addresses three key pieces of protecting our Nation: improving education, R&D, and the development of standards. All of these are key pieces we have to continue to develop as the threats develop, and this will help us to do that.

So I want to urge my colleagues to vote for this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3834, Advancing America's NITRD Act of 2012.

I would like to thank Chairman Hall and Ranking Member Johnson for their important work on this bipartisan legislation. It's been nearly 3 years since we last reauthorized and updated the NITRD Program. I was a cosponsor of that bill in 2009, and while the Senate never acted on it, I'm hopeful that this will be a first step in taking action this year.

The NITRD Program evolved from the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991, which funded the development of Mosaic, the first commercial Web browser, which made the Internet user friendly and facilitated the cyber-revolution in the 1990s. This innovation was created by a team of programmers at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois. Marc Andreessen, one of the lead programmers on this project and founder of Netscape, summed up the importance of Federal investment in this research saying: ``If it had been left to private industry, it wouldn't have happened, at least, not until years later.''

Innovative breakthroughs like the Mosaic Web browser changed their everyday lives and established the United States as a world leader in networking and information technologies. But today we find ourselves in a world in which we can no longer take U.S. supremacy for granted. We must make measured choices to prioritize cutting-edge, large-scale R&D and effective technology transfer policies to focus on the most advanced areas of network and information technology.

H.R. 3834 achieves these ends through the development of a coordinated Federal R&D investment strategy. This bill requires Federal agencies and the NSTC to develop 5-year plans specifying near- and long-term objectives and to assess and evaluate progress periodically to ensure we maintain U.S. leadership in these fields.

In order to guarantee groundbreaking advancements, the strategic plans will be required to encourage innovative and high-risk research projects that address long-term challenges of national importance. The increasingly complex challenges we face require sophisticated solutions that will draw not just on expertise from across economic fields, but across the public and private sectors as well. This legislation encourages collaboration among universities, industries, nonprofit research institutions, and Federal laboratories to tackle our biggest challenges and provides impetus needed to spur research on high-risk areas that might otherwise not be taken up.

We also need to be cognizant of how the R&D we fund will actually impact and benefit our economy and our society. While basic research is critical, the effective transfer of the results of research into products, companies, and jobs is necessary for our Nation to remain a leader in networking and information technology. This bill promotes effective technology transfer policies by requiring strategic plans and large-scale research projects to incorporate plans and policies that promote commercialization.

It is vital that we get our scientific development out of the lab and into the marketplace. We've put a lot of investment into our labs. We need to make sure that this provides the economic engine of growth for our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will focus our scientific community through innovative, large-scale, and collaborative R&D. We need to remain a leader in networking in information technologies. This is a good bipartisan bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Chief William Villanova for receiving the

2012 Police Chief of the Year award from the Illinois State Crime Commission and for his thirty-five years of exceptional service to the citizens of Oak Lawn.

Chief Villanova first joined the Oak Lawn Police Department on March 22nd, 1977, and quickly earned the respect of officers and village officials alike with his caring, methodical, and unselfish work. In his first year alone, Chief Villanova made 7 felony arrests and 11 misdemeanor arrests, and issued 52 traffic and 74\1/2\ village ordinance citations. Continuing his record of excellence, Chief Villanova went on to earn several awards of distinction including the Police Club Officer of the Year in 1991 and the Cook County Sheriff's Law Enforcement Award of Merit in 1997.

In addition to his many achievements, Chief Villanova has also bravely served in times of great danger. In 1978, Chief Villanova negotiated with an estranged spouse to diffuse a hostage situation which resulted in the victim being released unharmed. Also, in 1980, Chief Villanova persuaded a suicidal subject to surrender. And in 2005, Chief Villanova successfully prevented an armed robbery of an Oak Lawn jewelry store. I speak not only for myself, but also the community, when I thank Chief Villanova for all of his hard work and dedication to the Village of Oak Lawn.

Chief Villanova has touched countless lives as a police officer, leader, and mentor. It is fitting that such an upstanding member of society should receive the high honor of Police Chief of the Year. This prestigious award is cause for celebration for Chief Villanova and his family, including his wife Linda, three children, and five grandchildren. Please join me in congratulating Police Chief William Villanova for his outstanding achievement and career of service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Eugenia Muros Mallis who will celebrate her 100th birthday on May 2, 2012. Known as Jennie to her family and friends, Mrs. Mallis has been devoted to children's bilingual education in Summit, Illinois for many years.

Born in Slimnitsa, Greece on May 2, 1912, Mrs. Mallis immigrated to the United States in September of 1927. Becoming an American citizen on February 19, 1928, she immediately kindled a strong relationship with her neighborhood Greek-American community. She married her loving husband, Constantine J. Mallis, on April 22, 1934. After settling in the Chicago suburb of Bedford Park with her three daughters, Jennie's love of children led her to seek employment with the local area school district. As a teacher's aide in an English-as-a-second language program at Walsh Elementary School in Summit, Illinois, she helped children translate their native languages into English. Mrs. Mallis worked with hundreds of immigrant students from countries such as Albania, Greece, and Yugoslavia to help them overcome a challenging educational barrier.

A devout Christian and active member in the Chicago-area Greek Orthodox community, Mrs. Mallis is one of the founders of the Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church in Justice, Illinois. She is active in many fellowship and philanthropic organizations including the Brotherhood of the Grammos, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Philopticos, and the American Legion. She also enjoys classical music, reading, baking, and spending time with her three daughters and her granddaughter.

On behalf of the residents of the Third District of Illinois and the students who have benefited from her dedication, it is my honor to wish Eugenia ``Jennie'' Muros Mallis a happy and healthy 100th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Lenore Goodfriend on the occasion of her retirement from federal service. This week, Lenore will retire from her position with my office after over 20 years of public service. She is truly a remarkable person, having dedicated two decades to addressing the concerns of the many constituents in the 3rd Congressional District who contact my office on a daily basis, and someone I can call a friend to myself and my family.

I have been honored to know Lenore for many years beyond my time in Congress. Lenore is a compassionate and selfless public servant who has been active in her community in Oak Lawn and serves on the Johnson- Phelps VFW Post 5220 women's auxiliary. During her time in my office, she has helped countless members of the military with everything from dealing with the VA to obtaining medals they earned but never received. More than one constituent has remarked that her last name is no accident: she is truly a ``good friend'' to those in need of assistance.

Between balancing personal obligations and serving the public, Lenore is a true inspiration for her family, friends, and colleagues. I admire her strength and determination, and will miss her presence on my staff. I know Lenore will not be far away, I am sure I will be seeing her in the community, and I look forward to hearing about the next stage in her life's journey with her husband Dave, a veteran who served our nation in the Army.

I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Lenore Goodfriend on her many years of dedicated public service. May she enjoy her retirement to the fullest.