Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2478) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 59 Colby Corner in East Hampstead, New Hampshire, as the ``Captain Jonathan D. Grassbaugh Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of S. 2478 which names a postal facility in the town of East Hampstead, New Hampshire, after Captain Jonathan D. Grassbaugh.

S. 2478, which was introduced in the Senate by Senator John Sununu on December 13, 2007, and passed by the Chamber under unanimous consent on December 19, 2007, has been considered and reported out of the Oversight Committee by voice vote as of January 29, 2008.

Like many of the postal naming measures in which this body has previously considered and passed over the past couple of years, S. 2478 seeks to honor the service and dedication of a heroic American serviceman, the Honorable Captain Jonathan D. Grassbaugh, by naming after him the post office in his hometown of East Hampstead, New Hampshire.

Born and raised in the fine city of East Hampstead, New Hampshire, Captain Grassbaugh is held in high esteem by friends and family alike who recall him as an exceptional student and active community volunteer. After graduating from high school with honors, Captain Grassbaugh attended Johns Hopkins University where he graduated in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in computer science. During his collegiate pursuits at Johns Hopkins, Captain Grassbaugh also served as the battalion commander for the school's ROTC program.

After completing U.S. Army Ranger School in April 2004, Captain Grassbaugh was assigned to the 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Sadly, however, on April 7, 2007, while serving in Iraq, Captain Jonathan Grassbaugh was tragically killed when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit in Zaganiyah, Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, given Captain Grassbaugh's commitment to his community, his vocation and, of course, his country, I think it only fitting that we pass the underlying measure to designate the post office on Colby Corner in East Hampstead, New Hampshire, as the Captain Jonathan D. Grassbaugh Post Office.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she might consume to Representative Carol Shea-Porter from New Hampshire.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this resolution and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2272) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service known as the Southpark Station in Alexandria, Louisiana, as the John ``Marty'' Thiels Southpark Station, in honor and memory of Thiels, a Louisiana postal worker who was killed in the line of duty on October 4, 2007.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of S. 2272, which names the postal facility in the town of Southpark Station in Alexandria, Louisiana, as the John ``Marty'' Thiels Southpark Station in honor and memory of Thiels, a Louisiana postal worker who was killed in the line of duty on October 4, 2007.

S. 2272, which was introduced on October 31, 2007, in the Senate by Senator David Vitter of Louisiana and passed by the Chamber under unanimous consent on November 16, 2007, has been considered and reported out of the Oversight Committee by voice vote as of January 29, 2008.

S. 2272 comes to us today from our friends from the State of Louisiana as a way of acknowledging and honoring the work of one of the postal service's own, John Thiels. Affectionately referred to as Marty, Mr. Thiels spent a significant portion of his professional career working for the United States Postal Service. In fact, Thiels served as a letter carrier for nearly 30 years, and 24 years out of those 30 he spent delivering mail to the downtown section of Alexandria, Louisiana.

A devout husband and a loving father of four, Mr. Thiels' life was cut dramatically short when on October 4, 2007, a distraught 64-year- old gunman went on a shooting rampage near the Rapides Parish Courthouse in Alexandria, Louisiana, wounding three and killing two, one of whom was John Thiels, and the other was Camille Giordano, II, a 32-year-old assistant district attorney.

An obvious and heartbreaking misfortune, Mr. Thiels lost his life while doing something that he had done so diligently for so many years, delivering mail. John Marty Thiels will long be remembered by many in the Alexandria, Louisiana, area for his years of service and his virtuous reputation.

Mr. Speaker, let us pay tribute to the life of this gentleman by passing S. 2272 and renaming the Southpark Post Office Station in Alexandria, Louisiana, as the John ``Marty'' Thiels Southpark Station.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3936) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 116 Helen Highway in Cleveland, Georgia, as the ``Sgt. Jason Harkins Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues, particularly the gentleman from Georgia, in the consideration of H.R. 3936, which names a postal facility in Cleveland, Georgia, after a fallen hero, Sergeant Jason Harkins.

Introduced on October 23, 2007, H.R. 3936 is sponsored by Congressman Nathan Deal, the Representative from Georgia's Ninth Congressional District and cosponsored by the entire Georgia delegation. Mr. Deal's measure, H.R. 3936, was reported from the Oversight Committee on January 29, 2008, by voice vote.

This morning's postal-naming bill honoring Sergeant Jason Harkins brings to light the special story of a staunch soldier who, along with five of his comrades from the Army's 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division out of Fort Lewis, Washington, were tragically killed while serving our country nobly in the Baqubah region of Iraq. Sadly, none of the six soldiers killed in one of the deadliest attacks on the Fort Lewis unit lived to see his 30th birthday. Yet, as soldiers, Sergeant Jason Harkins and his fellow servicemen, all of whom had entered active duty service within only the past 6 years, bravely placed their lives on the front line in allegiance and service to this great country of ours.

At the heart of this story is the subject of H.R. 3936, Sergeant Jason R. Harkins. Sergeant Harkins was only 25 years old and serving his second tour of duty in Iraq when he succumbed to wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device that detonated near his vehicle during combat operations.

A native of the northern Georgia town of Clarksville, Sergeant Harkins attended and graduated from the State's public school system before enlisting in the Army Reserve in 1999 and later volunteering for active duty service in December of 2002.

Described as a true God-fearing country boy, Sergeant Harkins proudly served over 3 years in the U.S. Army Reserves and is a recipient of the Bronze Star of Valor and the Purple Heart.

In addition to these honors, Mr. Speaker, let us also pay tribute to the life of Sergeant Harkins and pass H.R. 3936 and designate the Helen Highway Post Office Building in Cleveland, Georgia, in his honor.

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

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3803) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3100 Cashwell Drive in Goldsboro, North Carolina, as the ``John Henry Wooten, Sr. Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to extend and revise their remarks.

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

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 3803, which names a postal facility in Goldsboro, North Carolina, after John Henry Wooten, Sr.

H.R. 3803, which was introduced by Representative G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina on October 10, 2007, was reported from the Oversight Committee on December 12, 2007, by a voice vote.

This measure has the support of the entire North Carolina congressional delegation. A native of Goldsboro, North Carolina, John Henry Wooten, Sr. was a graduate of the city's Dillard High School where he would later serve as the last principal of the school before it closed after integration. Mr. Wooten's postsecondary educational pursuits took him to North Carolina A&T State University where he earned both his undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Beyond his educational accomplishments, Mr. Wooten also was a World War II veteran having served as surgical technician in the Pacific theater for the 2nd Infantry, 10th Army Division. A loyal servant to his community, Mr. Wooten held seats on the Board of Trustees of North Carolina A&T University, Wayne County Board of County Commissioners, and on President Lyndon B. Johnson's White House Commission for Education.

Mr. Speaker, for the years in which Mr. Wooten gave unselfishly of himself for the betterment of his community and our country, I wholeheartedly agree that he is worthy of the admiration and recognition of having the postal facility on Cashwell Drive in Goldsboro, North Carolina, named in his honor. Therefore, I would urge swift passage of this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the chief deputy whip and sponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from North Carolina, Representative G.K. Butterfield.

Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers. I would urge passage of this legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4454) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3050 Hunsinger Lane in Louisville, Kentucky, as the ``Iraq and Afghanistan Fallen Military Heroes of Louisville Memorial Post Office Building'', in honor of the service men and women from Louisville, Kentucky, who died in service during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, now I would like to yield such time as he might consume to the sponsor of this legislation, Representative John Yarmuth from Kentucky.

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

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I join Representative John Yarmuth and his fellow colleagues from the Bluegrass State of Kentucky in considering H.R. 4454, which renames the postal facility at 3050 Hunsinger Lane in Louisville, Kentucky, as the Iraq and Afghanistan Fallen Military Heroes of Louisville Memorial Post Office Building.

As stated in the measure at hand, it was first introduced by Congressman John Yarmuth on December 11, 2007, and is cosponsored by all members of the Kentucky congressional delegation. The measure was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, where it was considered and passed by voice vote on January 29, 2008.

H.R. 4454 is intended to remember the lives, service, and legacy of dozens of military men and women from the Louisville, Kentucky, area, who died in service during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. By renaming this particular Louisville, Kentucky, post office, H.R. 4454 would set into motion the creation of a living tribute to the sacrifices made by so many of Kentucky's sons and daughters who gave their lives abroad in order to ensure our protection here in the homeland, an honor befitting the thousands of military men and women, past and present, from every State of the Union, that have unselfishly given themselves in service and battle for America.

H.R. 4454 will help to memorialize for generations to come the memory of Louisville, Kentucky's fallen loved ones.

So, Mr. Speaker, I ask that we too pay tribute to the sacrifices made by these great American heroes and sheroes and pass H.R. 4454.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I would urge passage of this legislation, and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

I want to commend the committee, especially Chairman Miller, Ranking Member McKeon, and all of the members, actually, of the committee, for such an outstanding bill.

In particular, I want to thank the committee for its consideration of items and issues of particular interest to me, students with disabilities, the handling of Pell Grants and student loans, veterans and their needs, especially those who are returning, and the efforts to strengthen the Historically Black Colleges and Universities so that those institutions can have master's degree programs that allow students access to them. It's an outstanding bill; and, again, I commend Chairman Miller and Ranking Member McKeon for an outstanding piece of legislation.

Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Madam Chairman, I yield myself 2 minutes.

Unlike most kinds of debt, student loans of all types are currently nondischargeable in bankruptcy, except on a judicial finding of undue hardship. Under this amendment, government student loans, Federal and State, and loans made directly by nonprofit entities would remain nondischargeable. Other student loans made by for-profit banks and other lenders would continue to be nondischargeable for the first 5 years after they come due, but after that, they would be treated like other unsecured consumer loans in bankruptcy.

This amendment also closes the loophole that lenders were beginning to pursue just before the 2005 changes went into effect. Currently, loans that are funded in whole or in part by a nonprofit institution are nondischargeable. Lenders offering private student loans were setting up affiliations with nonprofit institutions in order to take advantage of this loophole, even though the nonprofit was not the source of funding.

The current law is unfair to students. Students who take out student loans are trying to better themselves and contribute to the advancement of our economy. Unlike Federal student loans, private loans lack basic consumer protections, such as limits on

interest rates, loan limits, and flexible payments; yet the bankruptcy law treats student loan borrowers who face financial tragedy in the same severe manner as people trying to escape child support payments, alimony, overdue taxes, and criminal fines. People should not be punished for trying to get an education.

Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the chairman of the Education Committee, the Honorable George Miller.

Madam Chairman, it's my pleasure to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Georgia, a member of the Judiciary Committee, Representative Hank Johnson.

Madam Chairman, I yield myself the balance of our time.

For many of these students who secure loans without the protection of bankruptcy, it's like receiving a life sentence with no appeal. That is to say, they get a loan that is supposed to help them get a college degree, an education so that they can pay the loan off. Unfortunately, many of them are stuck on $70,000, $80,000, $90,000, $100,000 that they're never able to pay. And so they struggle along for the rest of their lives trying to pay off a loan that was supposed to have secured for them a level of financial ability.

I would urge that we pass this amendment to give those hundreds and thousands of students throughout the country the simple protection of bankruptcy that is provided for individuals with any other consumer loan.

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

Madam Speaker, I was unable to cast votes on the following legislative measures on January 22 and 23, 2008. If I were present for rollcall votes, I would have voted ``yea'' on each of the following bills:

Roll 19, January 22, 2008: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass: H.R. 4211, Naming the Judge Richard B. Allsbrook Post Office.

Roll 20, January 22, 2008: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree: H. Res. 866, Honoring the brave men and women of the United States Coast Guard whose tireless work, dedication, and commitment to protecting the United States have led to the Coast Guard seizing over 350,000 pounds of cocaine at sea during 2007, far surpassing all of our previous records.

Roll 21, January 23, 2008: On Ordering the Previous Question: H.R. 3963, Children's Health Insurance Program Extension and Improvement.

Roll 22, January 23, 2008: Passage, Objections of the President Not Withstanding: H.R. 3963, Children's Health Insurance Program Extension and Improvement.

Mr. Speaker, I know we are going to be looking at economic stimulus packages, and we are going to be trying to jump- start and help our economy. It is my belief that one way that we can do that is to make sure that we provide a jobs training program for the 1 million young people across the country who don't have any money, no job, no employment, many of them are out of school.

Let's consider a job training program for our young people as a part of the economic stimulus package.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4240) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 10799 West Alameda Avenue in Lakewood, Colorado, as the ``Felix Sparks Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I'm pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 4240, which names a postal facility in Lakewood, Colorado, after Felix Sparks.

H.R. 4240, which was introduced by Representative Perlmutter on November 15, 2007, was reported from the Oversight Committee on December 12, 2007, by voice vote. The measure has the support of the entire Colorado congressional delegation and provides us with yet another opportunity to pay tribute to an extraordinary American citizen.

Felix Sparks served his country proudly as a World War II Army brigadier and served his community diligently as a member of the Colorado supreme court. For his service in World War II, Mr. Sparks was awarded a Silver Star and two Purple Hearts after being wounded on the battlefield.

Additionally, for over 20 years, Mr. Sparks worked to protect and improve the environment in the great State of Colorado by serving as director of Colorado's Water Conservation Board.

Mr. Speaker, given Mr. Sparks' contribution to Colorado, and to America in general, he deserves to be commended. Therefore, I would urge swift passage of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers and would urge passage.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2110) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 427 North Street in Taft, California, as the ``Larry S. Pierce Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

As a member of the House Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, I'm pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of S. 2110, which names the postal facility in the town of Taft, California, after Larry S. Pierce.

S. 2110, which was introduced in the Senate by Senator Dianne Feinstein of California on September 27, 2007, and passed by the Chamber with unanimous consent on November 16, 2007, was considered and reported out of the Oversight Committee by voice vote on December 12, 2007.

Mr. Speaker, the bill before us seeks to pay tribute to a great American serviceman by requesting that the postal facility in Taft, California, be renamed in honor of Staff Sergeant Larry Pierce, who lost his life at the young age of 24 while fighting for our country in the Vietnam War. A recipient of the Medal of Honor, Staff Sergeant Pierce stands as a reminder to us all of the great sacrifice our men and women in uniform are making on a daily basis to protect America.

And so, Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues from California in recognizing the contributions of Staff Sergeant Larry S. Pierce and urge swift passage of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would continue to reserve.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time and urge the passage of this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Chairman, I represent one of the largest concentrations of public housing in the United States of America in the third largest city. And I can assure you that the mayor of the City of Chicago strongly supports HOPE VI. The Governor of Illinois strongly supports HOPE VI. Every member of our delegation from the City of Chicago strongly supports HOPE VI. It gives hope to those individuals who are homeless, who have given up, who are left out.

I strongly urge passage of this legislation. And let's keep the hope in it.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 1896) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 11 Central Street in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, as the ``Officer Jeremy Todd Charron Post Office''.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

As a member of the Government Reform Committee, I join my colleague in the consideration of Senate 1896, legislation naming a postal facility in Hillsborough, New Hampshire, after the late Officer Jeremy Todd Charron. This measure was sponsored by Senator John Sununu, Republican of New Hampshire, on July 30, 2007, and unanimously reported by our committee on October 23, 2007.

A member of the New Hampshire Police Department, Officer Charron died in the line of duty, gunned down while questioning two individuals. He passed away on August 24, 1997. Naming a postal facility after Officer Charron is a fitting way for the Hillsborough community to honor his memory.

Madam Speaker, I urge swift passage of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I was unable to cast votes on the following legislative measures on the morning of December 18, 2007. If I were present for rollcall votes, I would have voted ``yea'' on each of the following bills: rollcall 1174, rollcall 1175, rollcall 1176, and rollcall 1177.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for yielding, and I am pleased to join with my colleagues as we pay tribute to Representative Julia Carson.

Julia and I were elected at the same time and soon discovered that we knew many of the same people because a large number of individuals from the town where I grew up migrated to Indianapolis and became very much involved in the affairs of the city.

We also discovered that Julia and my cousin were good friends because they were the longest serving African Americans elected in Indiana. They both had been trustees for a long time, Julia in Indianapolis and Dozier Allen in Gary.

But Julia and I worked together on something called responsible fatherhood legislation that we had been working with Senator Evan Bayh from Indiana and Senator Barack Obama from Illinois. We introduced that legislation and actually planned to give it a real push in 2008. If we are able to really move it, I would like to see us actually name it the Julia Carson Responsible Fatherhood Act.

And so it's been a pleasure working with Julia.

She actually would drive. Well, she wouldn't always drive herself, but sometimes she would, from Indianapolis to Chicago. We had a hearing at the Federal Reserve Bank, and I get there downtown Chicago, there's Julia in her van, coming to testify. And all of us knew that she'd been ill. All of us knew the difficulty that she had. And I said, Julia, how did you get here? She said, Ain't nothing but a little sport.

And so Julia, we're going to miss you. You were a brave soul, had a great heart. Julia is a legend in Indianapolis. I mean, those of us who know her here, we know her in a sense. But in Indianapolis, she's an absolute legend.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 215) supporting the designation of a week as ``National Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillator Awareness Week,'' as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

First of all, I want to thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) for standing in for me.

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H. Con. Res. 215, as amended, which supports the designation of ``National Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillator Awareness Week.''

H. Con. Res. 215, which was introduced by Representative John R. ``Randy'' Kuhl, Jr. on September 19, 2007, was reported from the Oversight Committee on November 8, 2007, by voice vote. This measure has been cosponsored by 84 Members.

Mr. Speaker, it is a sad statistic that 95 percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims die before reaching the hospital. Prompt CPR and use of an automated defibrillator, or AED, can more than double a victim's chance of surviving cardiac arrest. Seventy-five to 80 percent of all cardiac arrests occur within the home. Unfortunately, 60 percent of the public have never seen an automated external defibrillator, much less put it into use.

It is time we do all that we can to raise awareness of these much- needed emergency tools and urge training to combat heart disease at the community level.

I commend the sponsor for introducing this measure, thank all the organizations throughout the country for their support, and urge swift passage of this resolution.

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

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