Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Alabama for giving us the opportunity to honor the memories of Addie Mae Collins, Denise McNair, Carole Robertson, and Cynthia Wesley. These four girls were killed over 40 years ago in the firebombing of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. I would also like to commend the efforts of the Alabama Attorney General's Office for its role in prosecuting the perpetrators of this evil and cowardly act of terror.

The Sixteenth Street Church, a rallying point for the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, was firebombed. Let us honor the memory of these girls by ensuring their sacrifice was not in vain. Let us work to bring about Martin Luther King's color-blind America. Let us not forget that although we have come a long way, there is still much further to go.

Since this incident, which occurred in the lifetime of most of my colleagues in the House, our country has changed profoundly. Black parents can thankfully now send their children to church knowing that the chances of them being murdered by segregationists is not that great. Sadly, they cannot send their children to school confident in the belief that they will be educated or safe. Instead, many of them must fear they will fall prey to the drugs and violence that plague our inner city schools and inner city communities. They may fear they will fall prey to poverty, as 4 million additional families did last year. Or that they, like 45 million Americans, will not have access to health care. I hope that these problems can be addressed as rapidly as earlier problems were during the Civil Rights movement.

So, Mr. Speaker, this day gives us the opportunity to celebrate lives that were lost, but also to ensure and make sure that those lives were not in vain.

Mr. Speaker, I simply rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 500, honoring the goals and ideals of National Nurse Practitioners Week. I also want to commend the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Bilirakis), chairman of the subcommittee, and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), ranking member, for the tremendous work that they do on health and health-related issues.

A great deal of my personal health care is provided by a nurse practitioner, and I simply commend her and all of the other nurse practitioners throughout the country who make up an integral part of our health care delivery system. And I would urge agreement to this concurrent resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5204 and commend the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo) for her sponsorship of this legislation.

I represent a congressional district that has five medical schools and 28 hospitals, including Children's Memorial in Chicago, which is one of the best in the Nation. This legislation is going to be very helpful to several of these institutions.

I simply rise in strong support of this legislation, urge passage, and commend again the leadership of this subcommittee for its tremendous activity related to health care and the health care needs of people in these United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) manage the time on our side for this bill.

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

I am pleased to join with the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis) in consideration of S. 129, the Federal Workforce Flexibility Act of 2004, which would provide a variety of personnel flexibilities for Federal agencies.

Among other things, these government-wide flexibilities would provide Federal agencies with additional tools for recruiting employees for difficult-to-fill positions and for retaining employees with unusual qualifications. I am pleased that the flexibilities in this bill apply government-wide, and I view this as a better approach than the agency- specific reform bills that Congress has passed in recent years.

During the subcommittee markup of S. 129, this subcommittee accepted my amendment that prohibits recruitment, relocation and retention bonuses from being paid to political appointees. There is no evidence that the Federal Government is having difficulty recruiting or retaining political appointees, and therefore, such bonuses are not needed for this group of employees.

In addition, my amendment requires the Office of Personnel Management to report the number of bonuses paid under the bill. This will allow Congress to evaluate whether these bonuses are effective in improving the recruitment and retention of highly qualified employees.

Earlier this month, we were reminded of how important it is to make these kinds of determinations. The Government Accounting Office, or GAO, report found that agencies are not using all of the hiring flexibilities that Congress has given them over the years. This troubling GAO finding deserves this committee's further oversight. After all, it does no good to authorize recruiting tools that are never used.

Furthermore, the minority amendment recommends that OPM monitor recruitment bonuses paid by one Federal agency to hire an individual working in another Federal agency that is located in the same geographic area. OPM also will have to study bonuses that are used to keep current employees from leaving a position at one Federal agency for a position at another Federal agency. It is not generally in the government's best interest for agencies to engage in bidding wars over each other's employees. OPM should ensure that bonuses paid to employees moving within the Federal Government are an effective use of the government's resources and do not negatively impact the human capital needs of the entire Federal Government.

Finally, I want to highlight one provision in this bill that provides compensatory time for Federal employees when they travel on official business during nonworking hours. If it is necessary for an employee to travel on Sunday to attend an out-of-town meeting on Monday, that employee should receive some type of credit for giving up his or her weekend to travel for the government. I am pleased that an effort to place caps on compensatory time was dropped from the bill.

I want to commend the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) and the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), for their leadership in bringing this legislation to the floor. I urge its support.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, 14-year-old 8th grader Andrew Wojtanik from Lakewood Middle School in Overland Park, Kansas, took top honors at the 2004 National Geographic Bee, which was held here in Washington, D.C. in May.

Andrew should be an example for all young people because he won a $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society, and a week at a Sea World Busch Gardens Adventure Camp.

The winning question was: ``Peshawar, a city in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan has had strategic importance for decades because of its location near a historic pass.''

Andrew answered correctly when he replied, ``Khyber Pass.''

How many of us would have answered that question correctly? Well, I do not know. But for a $25,000 scholarship I am sure that there are many young people who would try.

I congratulate Andrew and urge all of my colleagues to vote affirmatively for 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, House Concurrent Resolution 464, introduced by my distinguished colleague from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes), honors 10 American cities for receiving the National Civic League 2004 All- America City Award. The American cities are Concord, North Carolina; Evansville, Indiana; Cottage Grove, Oregon; Spokane, Washington; Springfield, Ohio; Montevideo, Minnesota; Pembroke Pines, Florida; Stockton, California; Philippi, West Virginia; and Hidalgo, Texas.

Established in 1894, the National Civic League is one of America's oldest community advocacy organizations. The league's motto is ``strengthening citizen democracy by transforming democratic institutions.''

Their mission is to make democratic institutions and systems more accountable, inclusive, and responsive to citizens in communities across the country by informing, uniting, and empowering citizens. The National Civic League's annual award, the All-America City Award, is America's original and most prestigious community recognition award.

The award encourages and recognizes civic excellence by honoring communities of all sizes where community members, government businesses, and nonprofit organizations all work together to address critical local issues. Each year 10 cities are chosen to receive the All-America City Award. Each of the 10 cities demonstrates an efficient government, a willingness to help its less fortunate citizens, and a strong sense of community.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I commend again Concord, Evansville, Cottage Grove, Spokane, Springfield, Montevideo, Pembroke Pines, Stockton, Philippi, and Hidalgo for their awards. I commend the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) for introducing House Concurrent Resolution 464.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is easy to see why the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes), especially from Concord, is such a distinguished gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa), a proud representative of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he might consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), one of the other proud sons of Texas.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleague in consideration of H.R. 5051, legislation naming a U.S. postal facility in Ignacio, Colorado, as the ``Leonard C. Burch Post Office.''

The gentleman from Colorado (Mr. McInnis), a Republican, introduced this measure which enjoys the support and cosponsorship of the entire Colorado delegation on September 9, 2004.

Leonard C. Burch was the long-time leader of the Southern Ute tribe of Colorado. He is credited with bringing his tribe from the brink of bankruptcy and into solvency. Through his efforts, the tribe became a major player in the energy development market with assets of $1.5 billion.

As part of the Council For Energy Resource Tribes, Burch was instrumental in improving energy development in tribes throughout the country. Mr. Burch was also regarded as a skilled diplomat and testified before Congress on numerous occasions advocating for greater tribal control over its own resources.

Mr. Burch passed away last year after suffering a heart attack at the age of 69. We join the Southern Ute Tribe in their loss, for not only have they lost a great leader, but also the United States has lost a truly great man. I urge swift passage of 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, as a member of the House Committee on Government Reform, I am pleased to join with my colleague in consideration of H.R. 4807, legislation naming the U.S. postal facility in Rio Vista, California, after Adam Kinser.

This measure, which was introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose) on July 9, 2004, was unanimously reported by our committee on September 15, 2004. H.R. 4807 enjoys the support and cosponsorship of the entire California delegation.

Adam Kinser, a native of Rio Vista, California, joined the United States Army Reserve during his senior year of high school. A high school football player and hardworking member of his family's business, Adam was no stranger to hard work and dedication. He served with the 304th Psychological Operations Company, U.S. Army Reserve, based in Sacramento, California.

Last summer, Specialist Kinser was sent to Afghanistan. Earlier last year, he married his childhood sweetheart and learned prior to his deployment that his wife was expecting. Sadly, he was killed early this year, January 29, when an arms depot exploded in Ghanzi, Afghanistan. He left behind a wife and a son.

Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague for seeking to honor the sacrifice of Specialist Kinser and urge swift adoption of this bill.

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 strong support of S. 2415, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4141 Postmark Drive in Anchorage, Alaska, as the Robert J. Opinsky Post Office Building.

Mr. Opinsky was an outstanding, hardworking postal employee who worked his way up through the ranks. He was known as a man who delivered mail through rain, sleet or snow. It is fitting and proper that we designate this facility in his honor.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join in consideration and urge strong support for H.R. 4847, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 560 Bay Isles Road in Longboat Key, Florida, as the Lieutenant General James V. Edmundson Post Office Building.

Lieutenant Edmundson was an outstanding pilot during the early days of the Army Air Corps and helped lay the groundwork for the United States Air Force to become the entity that it is today. It is fitting and proper that we would name a postal facility in his honor. I urge the passage of the bill.

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

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

I am pleased to urge support for H.R. 4968, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 25 McHenry Street in Rosine, Kentucky, as the Bill Monroe Post Office. As we have already heard, Mr. Monroe was an outstanding musician and is known as the father of bluegrass. His music can be heard all over the world. I must confess that I am indeed a fan. I think it is proper that we name a postal facility in his honor.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join in support of H.R. 5053, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1475 Western Avenue, Suite 45, in Albany, New York, as the Lieutenant John F. Finn Post Office.

As we have just heard, Lieutenant John Finn lost his life protecting, serving, and looking after the well-being of others. If ever there are individuals that should be remembered by our society, it is those who give of themselves and lose their lives for the benefit of others. It is appropriate that we name a postal facility in honor of Lieutenant Finn. I would urge the passage of this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. McNulty).

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join in consideration of H.R. 4232, to redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4025 Feather Lakes Way in Kingwood, Texas, as the ``Congressman Jack Fields Post Office.''

Congressman Fields represented himself extremely well as a Member of this body, has an outstanding record of service not only to the people of his community but to the people of the Nation. It is appropriate that we would name a postal facility in his honor.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne).

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. McNulty).

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Boyd).

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Napolitano).

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) for his indulgence, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join in support of H.R. 4829, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 103 East Kleberg in Kingsville, Texas, as the Irma Rangel Post Office Building.

Irma Rangel was an outstanding civic, community and political leader who became an institution in her community, and I commend the gentleman from Texas for seeking to honor her in this manner.

I would urge passage of this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa)

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez).

Mr. Speaker, I do not have any additional requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.