Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Barbara Snopek, Principal of Saint Francis Xavier in La Grange, Illinois and recipient of the 2005 National Distinguished Principal Award.

The National Distinguished Principals Program was established in 1984 as an annual event to honor exemplary elementary school principals who set the pace, character, and quality of the education children receive during their early school years. One principal is chosen from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and this year Ms. Barbara Snopek has been selected as a National Distinguished Principal.

Before arriving at St. Francis in 1989, Snopek served as principal at St. Genevieve in Chicago and St. Suzanna in Harvey, Illinois. In her first year at St. Francis she worked closely with the staff to create and implement new curricula for the school. Since Ms. Snopek began her work at St. Francis, enrollment in the school has increased greatly and the majority of the students are testing above the 75th percentile in all academic areas on standardized tests.

Aside from initiated programs that benefit students, Ms. Snopek is also credited with an excellent ability to recognize the talents of her teachers. She helps develop staff members by providing them with varied opportunities for professional growth, including pursuing advanced degrees. Teachers and administration alike recognize Ms. Snopek as one who merges her responsibilities as a spiritual and educational leader to the benefit of her students and staff.

It is my honor to recognize Ms. Barbara Snopek who serves as an example of one of the best in PreK-8 school leadership and helps to foster a greater understanding of the principal's key role in meeting the challenging responsibility of educating children.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor as a community St. Xavier University and to celebrate its 50th Anniversary. St. Xavier is located in Chicago's Mount Greenwood neighborhood.

When founded in 1846 by the Sisters of Mercy, St. Xavier was a Catholic institution grounded in the tradition of the liberal arts. As one of 18 colleges and universities sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy, St. Xavier has evolved into an institution that seeks to provide its students with the meaning of scholarship, the support of the community, and the spirit of moral and ethical sensibility.

Although a Catholic university of approximately 5,700 students, St. Xavier welcomes students of all faiths and religious backgrounds. Because of its rich traditions and commitment to excellence St. Xavier has become one of Chicago's premier collegiate institutions for students studying nursing, business, as well as education.

It is my honor to recognize this school and its many achievements both academically and athletically. In addition, I commend St. Xavier University for fostering the intellectual and cultural growth of the administration, faculty and students who all play a vital role in the success of the university's existence in today's society.

Mr. Speaker, there is one issue of great concern that I hear about over and over again when I am back home, the needlessly complicated Medicare prescription drug program.

Seniors are confused and frustrated as they attempt to study 60 plans in order to first decide whether to join and then to choose a plan to sign up for. Many are simply giving up.

I have already held half a dozen informational seminars on the program and every session has been packed. There is clearly a problem.

Congress could and should make the progress better, more affordable, and less confusing by allowing Medicare to negotiate prices with drug companies. But the very least that Congress must do is pass a Medicare Informed Choice Act which would delay the enrollment penalty, prevent beneficiaries from losing their employer-based coverage, and allow seniors to switch plans if they make a mistake.

Given the current confusion, it is essential that we allow beneficiaries to take their time, check the facts, and know their options without being rushed to choose. We owe no less to our seniors.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend from Colorado for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, this is a great day for the countless number of Americans who may receive the gift of health and prolonged life because of what will be provided in this bill.

Cord blood and bone marrow stem cell treatments have been proven effective in combating over 65 different debilitating diseases, including leukemia, sickle cell anemia and osteoporosis.

Cord blood transplants have proven to be a viable alternative for those with difficulty finding an exact bone marrow match. Since the match does not have to be exact, this research benefits both children and adults alike and is especially helpful for people of various races and ethnicities. This bill will offer a much greater opportunity for a cure for thousands of Americans around this country who often struggle with blood matches.

But cord blood also holds the great potential of producing pleural potential cells that could cure many other diseases such as juvenile diabetes, a disease that I live with every day.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud that we are acting to advance the possibility that this type of treatment will provide. A national cord blood bank will facilitate the expanded use of proven treatment to improve the health of so many Americans inflicted with these horrible diseases. This is a great Christmas gift of health to the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Helen Cairo McCarthy as she retires from an exceptional career in education.

Mrs. Cairo-McCarthy has devoted twenty-six years to the Catholic education of students in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Just over twenty- one years of her profession were spent as a teacher at St. Louis de Montfort School in Oak Lawn, Illinois.

St. Louis de Montfort School is located in the heart of Oak Lawn Illinois. Since its foundation in 1963 the small, progressive Catholic school has been committed to excellence in education and Catholic values. A dedicated faculty and staff work diligently to serve students in the offered classes, preschool through eighth grade.

Since 1984 Mrs. Cairo-McCarthy has touched countless lives with her gentle, caring manner at St. Louis de Montfort. She has taught students spanning from grades fourth through eighth, has served as a Eucharistic Minister, has been a Minister of Care for the Homebound, has been a facilitator of the Rainbows for All God's Children program. Mrs. Cairo- McCarthy has truly been a tremendous role model for the children as well as the faculty, family and friends of St. Louis de Montfort School.

It is my honor to recognize Mrs. Helen Cairo-McCarthy of St. Louis de Montfort School for her many achievements both within and outside of the classroom, fostering the growth of a community as well as helping solidify a foundation for our future. I ask my colleagues to join me in extending many wonderful wishes for Mrs. Cairo-McCarthy as she enters into retirement. While she may not be in the classroom each day, I am sure she will continue to influence many lives throughout her new endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Mayor John J. Sinde of Westchester, IL.

Mayor Sinde passed away in the village he loved so dearly on November 17, 2005. After serving 24 years as mayor, Sinde retired from public life due to health issues.

Mayor Sinde was born in Chicago in 1925 and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He married his wife Marilyn in 1954 and moved to Westchester in 1963. Ten years later he began his public service on the Park Board and was elected as Village President in 1981.

During his tenure as Mayor, Sinde oversaw the construction of Westchester's administrative building, post office, Westbrook Towers and the Westchester Park District swimming pool which was renamed for him in June.

Mayor Sinde also helped the village of Westchester to receive its own ZIP code, 60154. This act helped to lower insurance rates by allowing insurers to look at the village apart from neighboring communities. Additionally, he assisted in the development of the southwest part of Westchester, including the shopping center at 31st Street and Wolf Road, the subdivisions along Wolf Road, and Westbrook Towers.

It is my honor to recognize and pay tribute to the life of Mayor John J. Sinde who always had the best interests of the village of Westchester at heart.

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege, as a U.S. Representative, to acknowledge my constituent, Mr. Joseph Stachon, on his retirement from the Chicago Police Department, after serving a loyal career of 30 years with the force.

Not only a dutiful police officer, Joe Stachon has been a loving husband to his wife Barbara, and a loving father to his three children, Joseph, Julie and Jon, and most recently a new title of grandfather-- one he will cherish the most, I am sure.

Joseph Stachon has lived his adult life dedicated to protecting his Nation, his city and his fellow veterans proudly. Joe served in the United States Army from 1968 to 1969 in the turbulent Vietnam war and earned the distinguished Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals for his courage and valor. After the war, he then started at the Chicago Police Department, working 12 years in the 12th, 2nd and 14th districts of Chicago. It was that experience and endless training that earned Joe his last 18 years with the forensic division of the Chicago Police Department.

His contribution to his fellow man doesn't stop there. Joe joined Johnson-Phelps VFW Post No. 5220 in Oak Lawn and, when asked, served five times as their post commander. His dedication to his fellow veterans continued as he served as the Third District commander and was a member of the VFW's State of Illinois Ways and Means Committee.

It is fitting this evening that Joseph Stachon be remembered as a loyal brother in the Chicago Police Department, a compassionate comrade to his fellow veterans and last but not least, a devoted husband and father to his wife and family. Joe, you have continually shared your time with many, have accomplished your life's achievements; it is time now to sit back and enjoy these memories with your family.

It gives me great pleasure to acknowledge the lifetime achievements of Mr. Joseph Stachon. I ask that my colleagues join with me in honoring this fine individual on his great service to our Nation and his community and wish Joseph great things as he celebrates the commencement of a new chapter in his life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Cub Scout Pack 88 of the Boy Scouts of America's Des Plaines Valley Council on their 60th anniversary.

In 1930, the Boy Scouts of America created a new opportunity called Cub Scouting for boys younger than Boy Scout age. A year-round, home- centered program used by chartered organizations, Cub Scouting emphasizes involvement between boys and their parents, adult leaders, and friends. In the multidimensional plan of the Boy Scouts of America, Cub Scouting is where it all begins.

For the past 60 years, Cub Scout Pack 88 has been a cornerstone of service in the Des Plaines Valley communities. They have combined fun with educational activities and lifelong values. Parents and sons of Pack 88 spend quality time together going places, doing projects, talking, and reading. Pack 88 also provides a healthy, safe environment in which boys learn important values and develop self-confidence.

For these reasons, it is my honor to recognize Cub Scout Pack 88 on their 60th anniversary. I look forward to many more years of their continued service to our community and our youth.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. M. Vali Siadat, Professor at Richard J. Daley College and recipient of the Illinois Professor of the Year Award.

The U.S. Professors of the Year Award Program was created in 1981 to increase awareness of the importance of undergraduate instruction at all types of higher education institutions. This program recognizes faculty members for their achievement as undergraduate professors. The State Professors of the Year Award Program selects outstanding educators in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands and this year Dr. M. Vali Siadat of Richard J. Daley College in Chicago was chosen as the 2005 Illinois Professor of the Year.

Richard J. Daley College located on the southwest side of Chicago has been offering university-bound students a solid liberal arts education in their own neighborhoods since 1981. Richard J. Daley College has a full-time faculty of 81 members and a student body of 4,500.

Dr. M. Vali Siadat has been valuable asset to the success of Richard J. Daley College. Dr. Siadat received his bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and after working in the engineering field, he began teaching at the Chicago Technical College and later at various schools in California. In the early 90s, Dr. Siadat started teaching at Richard J. Daley College as a Mathematics Professor in 1982. The Keystone Project which was pioneered by Dr. Siadat is a method of learning basic mathematics. The Keystone Project shows students how to concentrate through cooperative learning, precision teaching, and dynamic assessment of the student. Besides for this project, Dr. Siadat is the director of Chicago PREP (Proyecto Access Chicago), which is an intensive mathematics-based academic summer program targeting low income and minority students.

It is my honor to recognize Dr. M. Vali Siadat who serves as an outstanding example in school leadership and continues to exemplify excellence in education.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to all the dedicated men and women who have served, and those who continue to serve and protect this great Nation.

Veterans Day is a day of remembrance and rededication. We pause to remember the noble service and great sacrifices of those who have worn our Nation's uniform. And we rededicate ourselves, in the words of President Lincoln, ``to care for him who shall have borne the battle.''

As our Nation is at war, we look to the brave mothers, fathers, sons and daughters that have answered the call to defend us. With courage and character, American soldiers continue to put themselves on the line to defend our freedom, and so many have paid the ultimate sacrifice.

On this Veterans Day, let us remember the service of our veterans, and let us renew our national promise to fulfill our sacred obligations to our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much so that we can live free.

On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. As a nation, let it be our pledge that when they return home, we leave no veteran behind. As more veterans return home from the battlefield, let us honor the service of all veterans, young and old, that have stood guard and fought so bravely to ensure our freedom. Our Nation must provide sufficient access to healthcare, adequate benefits, and the supplemental resources our veterans were promised and so dearly need. We owe our heroes no less.

Today and every day, the prayers of the American people are with those who wear our country's uniform. They serve a great cause and they follow a great tradition, handed down to them by America's greatest heroes, our veterans. Veterans from every era are the finest of citizens. We owe them the life we know today. They command the respect of the American people, and they have our everlasting gratitude.

May God bless our troops. May God bless our veterans and their families. And may God bless the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ed and Harriet Niemiec on their 50th Wedding Anniversary.

Ed and Harriet both grew up in the Back of the Yards neighborhood in Chicago. They knew each other as kids, even though they attended different schools. Eventually Ed and Harriet became engaged and then married on November 6, 1955. They had their only child, Ed, Jr. in August of 1956.

Following in his parent's footsteps, Ed, Jr. and his wife Maria have been married for 27 years. They have two children, Mark and Christina.

Besides an active involvement with their family, Ed and Harriet have many hobbies. Ed spends a lot of time taking care of his yard and tending to his flowers. According to his son, one would be hard pressed to find a blade of grass out of place or a visible weed. Harriet is a consummate volunteer and organizer. Her philanthropies started while she was working at Dry Storage where running the football pools spilled over into organizing senior trips, church functions and working at Christ Hospital as a ``Pink Lady.''

Ed and Harriet are fine examples as parents and are wonderful role models as grandparents. I would like to extend my best wishes to Ed and Harriet as they and their family celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Catholic Community of Saint John of the Cross of Western Springs, Illinois on celebrating their 45th Anniversary of the parish.

St. John of the Cross was created in May 1960 with the appointment of Rev. William J. Bennett. In September of 1961 the one million dollar building was completed, which included the living quarters for the parish priests, the worship space, and the classroom space for 600 students. The parish was built on 5.5 acres of land but over the years through fundraising, the parish doubled to the present size of 11 acres.

In 1980, Father Bennett retired, and Rev. Joseph McDonnell became the second pastor of the parish. The parish began to expand through various programs such as religious education, liturgical ministries, and other social organizations. Additional space was then needed to accommodate for the growing number of organizations within the parish, so in 1988, Father McDonnell and the Parish Council agreed to construct a Parish Center. This Parish Center included space for daily worship, private prayer, the day school, religious education, parish meetings, staff offices, choir rehearsal and many more activities.

After 16 years as pastor, Father McDonnell retired in August of 1996 from the parish. Reverend Richard Hynes, the current pastor, was appointed by Cardinal Bernardin to succeed Father McDonnell. Father Hynes has been committed to spreading the awareness of the Catholic tradition to the parish community.

It is quite obvious that over the 45 years of Saint John of the Cross, the parish community has grown stronger through their worship, formation, and charity.

It is my honor to recognize Saint John of the Cross of Western Springs, Illinois on celebrating 45 years of service to spreading the Catholic faith throughout the community.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to assume the time of the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).

Madam Speaker, I rise today to raise an issue of great importance to our Nation that I fear is being overlooked, the future of the oil sands of Alberta, Canada. Aside from Saudi Arabia's oil fields, these sands contain the largest deposits of oil in the world, and thus, could be critical to our future energy security.

Just a few months ago the Chinese National Offshore Oil Company, CNOOC, attempted to purchase Unocal.

CNOOC is very different from most other companies because it is owned by the Chinese government. It could be directed to sell oil only to the Chinese, taking a large portion of its resources off of the international oil market. As a result of this possibility, the sale of Unocal raised great concerns in the American public. If it had occurred, the Chinese government would have gained control of a significant American player in the energy industry, just as we are struggling with sky-rocketing gas prices and concerns about a secure supply, especially from the volatile Middle East.

Although CNOOC withdrew its bid to buy Unocal, it did not stop looking for other sources of oil. The interest of Chinese companies in Canadian oil is especially troublesome. In May, CNOOC purchased almost 17 percent of MEG Energy Corporation, a Canadian-owned company that owns oil sand leases on almost 33,000 acres of Alberta land. Another Chinese company, SinoCanada Petroleum, has formed a joint venture with Canada's Synenco Energy to develop oil sands projects in Canada which are estimated to produce 5 tons of synthetic crude oil. These initial investments illustrate the worrisome growing Chinese interest in the estimated 178 billion barrels of recoverable oil in Alberta.

Canada is our highly respected neighbor, and our strong relationship has provided many benefits for both of our countries. Canada is our greatest trading partner with more than $1 billion a day in goods and services traded. Canada exports almost 99 percent of its oil to the U.S., and the U.S. imports more oil from Canada than from any other country, with 16 percent of our total imports coming from our northern neighbor. With the increasing development of Alberta's oil sands, this percentage could significantly increase.

If CNOOC had purchased Unocal, it would have owned an American company but few oil resources in North America. But now, China is interested in not just in North American companies, but in Canadian oil reserves as well, the most secure source of oil outside of our own borders.

As the Chinese become more involved, the U.S. needs to become more engaged with the Canadian government and the provincial government of Alberta in discussing the potential ramifications. Let me be clear on this: Neither Congress nor the Bush Administration can or should ever be seen to be telling Canada or Alberta what to do. However, our government should utilize our good relations and strong economic ties to learn more about the Chinese interests in Canadian oil and to discuss the potential shared security concerns.

The administration has shown an interest in this important issue. Treasury Secretary Snow visited Alberta in July and Vice President Cheney was scheduled to tour the area in September before Hurricane Katrina forced him to cancel his visit. The Senate sent a delegation to Alberta in August. I strongly encourage the Vice President to reschedule his trip, as well as encourage other Members of Congress to travel and to learn more about this close energy source.

This is a critical time to be concerned about secure energy supplies for the future of the United States. We need to be more diligent about conservation and energy efficiency. We need to be working harder to develop alternative sources of energy. But no matter what we do and how successful we are in weaning ourselves from oil, gas and other conventional energy sources, our Nation will still be in need of foreign fossil fuels for many years to come. In the unpredictable world in which we live today, it would be best to rely on secure sources of energy close to home.

That is why I urge Congress and the administration to learn more about Alberta's oil sands and the potential to supply U.S. energy needs. We must continue to work closely with our neighbors on the north on this important security issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ed and Harriet Niemiec on their 50th Wedding Anniversary.

Ed and Harriet both grew up in the Back of the Yards neighborhood in Chicago. They knew each other as kids, even though they attended different schools. Eventually Ed and Harriet became engaged and then married on November 6, 1955. They had their only child, Ed, Jr. in August of 1956.

Following in his parent's footsteps, Ed, Jr. and his wife Maria have been married for twenty-seven years. They have two children, Mark and Christina.

Besides an active involvement with their family, Ed and Harriet have many hobbies. Ed spends a lot of time taking care of his yard and tending to his flowers. According to his son, one would be hard pressed to find a blade of grass out of place or a visible weed. Harriet is a consummate volunteer and organizer. Her philanthropies started while she was working at Dry Storage where running the football pools spilled over into organizing senior trips, church functions and working at Christ Hospital as a ``Pink Lady.''

Ed and Harriet are fine examples as parents and are wonderful role models as grandparents. I would like to extend my best wishes to Ed and Harriet as they and their family celebrates their 50th anniversary.