Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I express congratulations to Ms. Kenya Ray for her outstanding achievement in the area of screenwriting.

I also applaud the initiative by Scenarios USA and their collaborative partners, BET and the Kaiser Family Foundation, in creating a national story and script writing contest that attracted 500 youth across America who addressed issues dealing with the topics ``What's the Real Deal, on Growing Up in the Age of AIDS?''

I am filled with pride that one of my constituents developed the award-winning script--a story about three young women trying to survive and sustain themselves amidst an environment filled with danger and pain. I am anxious to read Kenya's story about these three women creating and maintaining strong and lasting bonds with each other and members of their families. Our community needs real stories that show real heroes conquering adversity and having happy and healthy lives.

I also want to commend the village of Maywood for supporting this project and I look forward to professional film-makers shooting footage in the Maywood community. I am delighted that Kenya will work directly with professionals in making her script ``come alive.'' Furthermore, it is exciting to realize that Kenya's feelings and perceptions will be seen on BET next February and will be shared with young people across America via Rap-It-Up curriculum kits promoted through cable in the classroom.

Mr. Speaker, each year the Columbia College Arts, Entertainment of Media Management Department pays tribute to those who support, the business of culture with its Arts Entrepreneurship award. The Maywood Fine Arts Association has been a unique entity for many years which offers an environment where children can develop skills and appreciation for the arts.

To develop and sustain what is essentially a grassroots cultural and arts group is no easy task and yet Lois Baumann has been able to generate community support sufficient to keep this effort alive and on course. She and her family have worked day in and day out, they have scrubbed, patched and painted, to make the center a great place. They have given of their own time, energy and resources to make this program and to make this center work. I commend Ms. Lois Baumann and her family for making the Maywood Fine Arts Association a real program for Maywood and its surrounding communities.

Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to commend the Ad Council and WCPX-TV for creating a program and using valuable airtime to improve the quality of life for people in my Congressional District and wherever the influence of their work can be felt.

I also commend the Ad Council for being the stimulus behind this action.

I am pleased to know that for more than 60 years the Ad Council has marshaled the pro bono resources of the advertising agency and media communities to deliver thousands of inspirational messages for the American people. I am indeed pleased to know that during 2005, the media donated an unprecedented 1.8 billion dollars in free airtime and space.

My hat is off to Mr. Tony Cannata, Business Manager, WCPX-TV and Ms. Peggy Conlon, President and CEO, The Advertising Council Inc.

I commend them both for this very effective collaboration and look forward to their continuous work.

Mr. Speaker, congratuIating WBBM-TV and the Advertising Council for their collaboration to communicate important messages to residents of the Illinois 7th Congressional District and the Public-At-Large.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to note that WBBM-TV has been singled out by the Advertising Council Inc., for its outstanding display of public service through the pro-bono placement and airing of Public Service Announcements.

I am also pleased to note that for more than 60 years, the Ad Council has marshaled the resources to deliver thousands of inspirational messages to millions of people. These messages have dealt with under- age drinking, childhood obesity, early childhood development, obesity and urging parents to use booster seats.

Mr. Speaker, this collaboration has produced very positive results and I take my hat off to Mr. Joseph Ahrn, Vice President and General Manager of WBBM-TV and Ms. Peggy Conlon, President and CEO of the Advertising Council, Inc.

Mr. Speaker, this collaboration and its results are a prime example of what can happen when two well-meaning and well-run business entities team up for the public interest, good things happen.

Mr. Speaker, I would yield myself such time as I might consume.

Mr. Speaker, this bill creates, for the first time, a matching grant program administered by the National Archives for the construction of a private Presidential library. I am pleased that the Woodrow Wilson Library Foundation is expanding, and I hope it can develop into a vital research center.

While I fully support the private Presidential libraries and will not oppose this bill, I do, however, want to raise two concerns about this method of funding these libraries.

First, I want us to be clear that we are not establishing a precedent here. Private Presidential libraries have always sought funds from private donors and have been successful in doing so. I do not want passage of this bill to encourage them to turn away from these sources of funding in favor of the Federal Government. The Federal Government simply does not have the resources to support all private Presidential libraries.

Secondly, I have been concerned that this grant would cut into the operating funds of the Archives. The National Archives is the Nation's depository of all valuable and preserved documents and materials created in the course of business conducted by the Federal Government. This is a huge responsibility that must be met with its limited budget.

The bill before us is different from the introduced version, and I want to thank the sponsors of the bill for revising the bill to give the Archivist discretion regarding the provision of the grant. This provision ensures that any grant made to the Woodrow Wilson Library Foundation does not jeopardize any of the Archives' important work because it ensures that any grant to the library must be from funds appropriated specifically for that purpose.

Mr. Speaker, with these expressions of concerns and provisions, I would support this legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2146. This bill would provide the authority of the General Services Administration to extend pilot programs on the relocation expenses of Federal employees for an additional 4 years. The Federal Government spends more than $800 million each year to relocate its employees, and reducing those expenses has long been a goal of Congress.

Under the pilot program, agencies are given the flexibility to experiment on how to reimburse relocation expenses. Two agencies are currently participating in the pilot program. These agencies generally provide lump-sum payments so employees are not required to keep receipts and then be reimbursed.

This test program has shown promise in reducing relocation expenses so the House should join the Senate in extending this pilot.

I urge my colleagues to support S. 2146.

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

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

The mission of the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation is to ensure public awareness, early diagnosis, and proper treatment of gynecologic cancer preventions and to support research and training related to gynecologic cancers.

For 15 years, GCF has advanced this mission by increasing public and private funds that aid in the development and implementation of programs to meet these worthy goals.

This year, over 77,000 American women will be diagnosed with a reproductive cancer. In 2002, more than 27,000 women died from some form of gynecologic cancer. GCF works with gynecologic oncologists, survivors, and advocates throughout the year to increase the public's knowledge about reproductive cancers, so that these cancers can be either prevented or detected at their earliest and most curable stage.

September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, so it is an appropriate time to recognize the efforts of the GCF, gynecologic oncologists, and all those who work to save lives by educating Americans about gynecologic cancers. This is indeed a worthy piece of legislation.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, the term ``infant mortality rate'' is given to the number of infant deaths during the first 12 months of life for every 100,000 births. In the United States, infant mortality increased in 2002 for the first time in more than four decades. The rate reached seven deaths per 1,000 live births, which was the first increase since 1958.

American babies are three times more likely to die during their first month of life than children born in

Japan, and newborn mortality is 2\1/2\ times higher in the United States than in Finland, Iceland, or Norway. Only Latvia, with six deaths per 1,000 live births, has a higher death rate for newborns than the United States, and Latvia is near the bottom of the list of industrialized nations, tied with Hungary, Malta, Poland, and Slovakia with five deaths per 1,000 births.

Newborn death rates are higher among American minorities and disadvantaged groups. For African Americans, the mortality rate is nearly double that of the United States as a whole, with 9.3 deaths per 1,000 births.

The primary causes of infant mortality are premature birth and low birth weight. A common reason for low birth weight infant mortality includes respiratory distress syndrome, which may involve a collapsed lung, low oxygen absorption, and high carbon dioxide level.

All children, regardless of where they are born and regardless of their race or ethnic group, deserve a healthy start in life. Mr. Speaker, I have always been told that if infant mortality rates are high, it means that the quality of life is low. If infant mortality rates are low, then it means that the quality of life is high.

It is pretty obvious, Mr. Speaker, that we need to do more to deal effectively across the board with the quality of life for people in our country, a great Nation, in an effort to make it even greater.

I strongly support this resolution and urge all of my colleagues to do so.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, Yorktown was established by Virginia's colonial government in 1691 to regulate trade and to collect taxes on both imports and exports for Great Britain. Over time, the waterfront with wharves, docks, storehouses, and businesses developed. On the bluff above the waterfront, stately homes lined Main Street. Taverns and shops were scattered throughout the town. By the early 1700s, Yorktown had emerged as a major Virginia port and economic center.

Today, Yorktown is best known as the site where the British army under General Charles Lord Cornwallis was forced to surrender on October 19, 1781, to General George Washington's combined American and French army. Upon hearing of their defeat, British Prime Minister Frederick Lord North is reputed to have said, ``Oh, God, it's

all over.'' And it was. The victory secured independence for the United States and significantly changed the course of world history.

H. Res. 748 recognizes the 225th anniversary of the American and French victory at Yorktown, Virginia, during the Revolutionary War; and I strongly support its passage.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, when any baby or child dies, there is deep grief for the hopes, dreams, and wishes that will never be. Left behind are a sense of loss and a need for understanding.

Every year, many lives are touched by miscarriage or the death of an infant or child. According to a 1996 study by the Center for Disease Control, 16 percent of the more than 6 million pregnancies that year ended in either a miscarriage or a stillbirth, and 26,784 births ended in infant death.

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Day, which will be held on October 15, will assist in bringing the process of healing to families and will help to heal families who are coping with and recovering from a miscarriage, stillbirth, or the loss of an infant.

Families will always struggle to cope with the devastating crisis of a miscarriage or loss of an infant child. Parents often cry, feel ill or depressed, or have other emotional responses for months or years after a death. The pain is a normal part of grieving. Parents often want to talk about their pain and are pleased when others take the time to listen. People who come into contact with a grieving family have a role in helping to resolve the family's grief. The role of each person will be determined by his or her relationship with the family and the family's stage of grief. As a community, we should remember that no one can take the pain away from a grieving family. We can, however, provide comfort, sympathy, and understanding.

There will always be the need for compassionate support for grieving families, and I hope that all Americans will take the time on October 15 to show their compassion for families that have experienced the loss of an infant or a child.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me congratulate Mr. Westmoreland and all of his neighbors and friends and residents of Columbus. I can imagine the tremendous sense of pride that that entire community feels and how proud they are of the accomplishments of their young people.

Mr. Speaker, Little League Baseball is the world's largest organized youth sports program, with nearly 2 million Little Leaguers playing, and more than a million adult volunteers throughout the United States and in dozen of other countries. No other youth support comes close to having the same level of participation.

On August 28, 2006, the Columbus Northern Little League team defeated the Kawaguchi Little League team of Japan by a score of 2-1. Both teams played an excellent game and represented their country and their league well.

In the end, the Columbus Northern Little League team concluded its season with an impressive record of 20 wins and only one loss. Columbus Northern is Georgia's second team to win the Little League World Series.

The 11 young men of the Columbus Northern team should be proud of their great accomplishment. Pitcher Lyle Carter made history by striking out 11 batters and became the first pitcher in history to win four times in the Little League World Series.

Cody Walker knocked a two-out pitch over the right field fence for the two runs that won the game over Japan.

Manager Randy Morris and Coach Richard Carter deserve recognition for guiding these young and committed players to victory.

Mr. Speaker, while we congratulate the Columbus Northern team, and while I urge passage of H. Res. 991, I can tell you there is no better sight to see during spring or summer, when you can see groups of young people out participating in an organized sport with their parents and neighbors and friends watching.

I guarantee you, Mr. Speaker, if we had more Little League teams, we would have fewer young people in juvenile delinquency settings, and our prisons could get emptied down, if not out.

Again I commend the Columbus Northern team and especially all of the coaches and volunteers and people of the community who really made it possible.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to reclaim my time and then to yield such time as he might need and use to another son of Georgia (Mr. Bishop).

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5108, introduced by Representative Ted Poe, designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1213 East Houston Street in Cleveland, Texas, as the Lance Corporal Robert A. Martinez Post Office Building.

This measure was unanimously reported by the Government Reform Committee on September 21, 2006.

A native of Texas, Robert Martinez was a young Marine serving his second deployment to Iraq where he was killed by an improvised explosive device on December 1, 2005, while conducting combat operations in Fallujah, Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, here is another instance where a young person who had completed one tour of duty, engaged in his second tour, gave the very best and the most that one could possibly give, and that is his life, for the benefit of creating, hopefully, a different and a better world. I can think of no better way to remember him than to have people in his community and in his hometown know of his diligence, of his exploits and of his courage than to name a post office in his honor.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding. I also want to commend Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Miller for the tremendous display of bipartisanship which brought this legislation to the floor. I also want to congratulate Chairman Tiberi and Ranking Member Hinojosa for the tremendous work they were able to do in subcommittee and all of the processing that actually took place.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6197, the Older Americans Act. I was very pleased to see the interests that I expressed included in the final outcome of the legislation. We were able to see kinship caregivers have an opportunity to participate at an earlier age, reduced from 60 to 55. We were also able to work with Mr. Ehlers and make sure that there was serious consideration given to the mental health needs of seniors.

It is obviously a very good piece of legislation, and it is a good note for us to be preparing to leave on, because it means that we have looked after the interests of those in our society reaching their golden years. I have been told that you can measure the greatness of a society by how well it takes care of its young, how well it takes care of its old, and how well it takes care of those who have difficulty looking after themselves. This legislation does indeed look after the older members of our society.

I thank again the Education Committee for an outstanding job, and I want to thank my staff person who worked with the committee, Dr. Jill Hunter-Williams, to make sure our interests were totally displayed. It has been a pleasure to see the process.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 6075, legislation sponsored by Representative Joseph Pitts, was unanimously passed by the Government Reform Committee on September 21, 2006. The bill designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 101 East Gay Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania, as the ``Robert J. Thompson Post Office Building.''

Robert Thompson, a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate since 1995 and Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, passed away in January of 2006.

Madam Speaker, Robert Thompson was a distinguished citizen who gave much of himself and much of his life to public service, and one way of recognizing and remembering the contribution that he made is to name this postal facility in his honor.

Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, H.R. 6078, legislation introduced by Representative Kevin Brady of Texas was unanimously reported by the Government Reform Committee on September 21, 2006.

The bill designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 307 West Wheat Street in Woodville, Texas, as the ``Chuck Fortenberry Post Office Building.''

Chief Warrant Officer Chuck Fortenberry and his gunner, Chief Warrant Officer Shane Colton were killed in action in Iraq on April 11, 2004, when they responded to an urgent call for help from an Army field convoy pinned down by enemy fire near Fallujah.

Madam Speaker, two individuals who have given their life in such a manner as to demonstrate not only courage but also commitment, I can think no better way of honoring Mr. Fortenberry than to name this postal service in his honor in his hometown

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.