Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate the 500th anniversary of the first use of the name America, to describe areas in the Western Hemisphere. These areas are named after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian Explorer on a quest to find new lands. He is one of many from that era who craved the exploration of new worlds and ideas. Although Vespucci's intention was to conquer land for Italy, he ultimately helped to create a place that today is one of the most diverse places on earth. Vespucci took a bold step, defying previous thinking that the land we live on was part of India.

Today we recognize the anniversary of Amerigo's discovery as a reminder of how important it is to challenge preconceived notions, and how critical it is that we keep exploring new ideas and sciences.

We are a people who live and breathe discovery. Our history holds many examples of our desire to explore. This country has gone to the Moon and intertwined computers into our everyday lives. We have created vaccines to help eradicate polio and other life threatening diseases. We use our ambition to explore, and as a means to be competitive in the world we live in.

Today we must continue to honor our historical drive for exploration. Unlike Vespucci's quest which was to only benefit a small subset of people, today we must give anyone the opportunity to be involved with the exploration and to partake in the benefits of our successes. Only about 6 percent of practicing physicians are Latino, African American and Native American today, and according to an analysis by the Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology, the percentage of African Americans receiving bachelor's degrees in engineering is only 4.7 percent of all engineering graduates. Minorities and women are often left out of these fields. There is no reason for these discriminations. We should push all young people to discover science and mathematics and to understand there are jobs that interact with those fields. We especially need to push minorities and women who have not gotten those opportunities to achieve in those fields.

We have made progress since the last election in helping every young person to become involved with math and science. The house recently passed The 21st Century Competitiveness Act of 2007, which establishes, revises, and extends specified science, mathematics, education, engineering, technology, research, and training programs, however; we need to keep improving math and science education for young people. We should increase computer interaction in poverty stricken areas and increase young minority student's interactions with math and science at a younger age.

In the celebration of America and Amerigo Vespucci, let us pledge to continue our quest for exploration and discovery. Let us continue to take bold steps as he once did to move in a direction where we can use new technology and discoveries to improve the lives of millions not just those in positions of power, but for even the most underprivileged in our society.

Mrs,. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 287 which honors the 500th Anniversary of the name ``America.''

The story of the origin of our country's name is one of great discovery and dedication that embodies our national spirit.

On April 25, 1507 cartographer Martin Waldseemuller of the research group Gymnasium Vosagense in Saint-Die, France changed the way Europeans perceived the world by first depicting the Western Hemisphere in his 1507 World Map. He labeled the land ``America,'' marking the first official use of the word. The only remaining copy of this map is housed next door in the Library of Congress.

Waldseemuller named the land after Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci. Although explorers like Christopher Columbus already discovered what we now know to be the Western Hemisphere, Vespucci was the first to realize that it was not India but an entirely new continent.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor the name ``America.'' Truly encompassing the American spirit, this name was derived from those challenging the status quo to improve our world and persevering in the face of doubt. Today we are not only honoring the name America but all Americans who have the great privilege of sharing this name and all it embodies.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Kentucky for yielding, and although I'm from Illinois, it's via Arkansas, and so I'm pleased to be here this evening to join with my colleagues to recognize the tremendous accomplishments achieved and, even more importantly, the tremendous legacy created by the University of Central Arkansas. Founded as a Normal School in 1907, it has since fervently and continuously striven towards greatness.

The University of Central Arkansas is a place where knowledge is not just about completing assignments or attending classes but, rather, a place where knowledge comes to light. With a tradition of exceptional administration, faculty and students, Central Arkansas manages to simultaneously create the nurturing environment for its over 10,000 students, all the while challenging them to achieve and maintain excellence.

The University of Central Arkansas enrolls students from every county in Arkansas, from 35 States and from 55 foreign countries. With a current enrollment that exceeds 12,000 students, the University of Central Arkansas has conferred over 52,000 degrees in its 100 years.

My colleague from Arkansas, Representative Snyder, mentioned many of the accomplished individuals who have attended and graduated from the University of Central Arkansas, and the one that I happen to know best is Scotty Pippin, who grew up 12 miles from where I grew up, and where, at the time that I was growing up, there wasn't a high school for Scotty Pippin in his small town of Hamburg, Arkansas. But Scotty was able to go to the University of Central Arkansas, distinguish himself as an outstanding athlete, and then, like many others, made their way from the Arkansas delta, and places similar to it, to Chicago, where he helped to make the Chicago Bulls a namesake, not only throughout America but throughout the world.

The thing about Central Arkansas that many people don't know is that it has a strong program of recruiting and helping to nurture minority students and to try and make absolutely certain that they achieve and excel. And so it is for this reason that I'm pleased to commend my colleague, Representative Snyder, for introducing this resolution, commend the University of Central Arkansas, and like Vic, I would hope that they have another 100 years of great achievement and accomplishment.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman Serrano for yielding to me. I appreciate the opportunity to work with the gentleman from New York on this issue.

As the chairman of the Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce Postal Service and District of Columbia, I look forward to working closely with my colleagues on issues within our subcommittee's jurisdiction.

In 1971, Congress made the Postal Service self-sustaining. However, Congress continued to subsidize the mailing cost of the blind, nonprofit organizations, local newspapers, and publishers of educational material. It did so by providing an appropriation to the Postal Service to cover the revenues it had given up or ``foregone'' by charging below cost rates to these groups. Appropriations for these subsidies increased as postage rates and the number of nonprofits grew, approaching $1 billion annually in the mid-1980s.

In the early 1990s, Congress did not appropriate enough to cover these costs and refused to let the Postal Service invoke its statutory right to raise rates to cover the shortfall. The Postal Service pleaded that providing social subsidies was not part of its mission, hindered its competitiveness, and was more regressive than taxation with its impact.

The Revenue Forgone Reform Act of 1993 eliminated appropriations to support reduced rates for nonprofits, which effectively transferred the costs to other mailers. The Act retained free postage only for the blind and for overseas absentee ballot materials. Appropriations for subsidizing that narrow purpose have been in the range of $60 million to $100 million each year.

The 1993 Act also provided for an annual payment of $29 million each year for 42 years to pay off the debt accumulated in the early 1990s. Congress has appropriated this amount every year from 1994 through 2006, even though the President's fiscal year 2005 and fiscal year 2006 budgets proposed to eliminate the payment. Failure to fund this authorized appropriation places the remaining debt of more than $800 million at risk of nonpayment which would significantly increase postal costs. In addition, not providing funds for these services over time will require the Postal Service to record these obligations as a bad debt and will unfairly transfer these costs to postage ratepayers whose costs have already increased due to the recent rate determinations by the Postal Rate Commission.

It is important to note that Congress entered into this arrangement and has covered the $29 million each year without fail since the 1993 Revenue Foregone Act was enacted. By reneging on our obligation, we place the fiscal well-being of the Postal Service at risk. We also send a signal that Congress will not stand behind free mail for the blind and overseas absentee balloting materials, something we should not be doing.

For the record, I note that in addition to our subcommittee letter to the Appropriations Committee requesting that the $29 million in revenue foregone reimbursement be restored, a number of postal stakeholders echoed the request: Postal labor unions and management, the Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers, and the postmaster general all want the revenue foregone payment honored.

I ask the chairman: Will the chairman support restoring this important funding when the bill goes to conference with the Senate?

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Interior Appropriations Bill; especially do I support the increase in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.

I know that we have great concern for National Security, Homeland Security, funding for military warlike activities, education, health, other social welfare issues, infrastructure improvements, job creation and all other aspects of life; however, it is not my feeling that these concerns out-weigh the need to keep art and culture high on our list of concerns.

Art is a connector, a bridge builder, a motivator, a stimulator, an activator and a way

for people, especially our children to have experience that otherwise they would never ever have the opportunity to have.

Art is, and should be a great part of every child's learning experience and it is our opportunity to make sure that is available.

Mr. Speaker, the institution of marriage is one of the most effective traditions in civilized society which organizes, holds together and perpetuates continuation of

civilized humanity and to many it is both a civil and religious act and whereas, Tom and Lois Miller have shared 50 years of holy matrimony, I am pleased to pause and wish them well as they reach this important milestone. Tom and Lois met in McCool, Mississippi while teenagers and were married after coming to Chicago by Rev. Daniel A. Williams on January 14, 1957. Tom worked at CELO Steel and later went to the R.C. Cola Company where he retired after a long and satisfying career. Lois pursued a career in cosmetology, became one of the best in her field and subsequently opened her own business, the L & L Beauty Salon which has been in existence for 47 years.

Mr. Speaker, Tom and Lois Miller became and still are pillars of their community. They raised 4 daughters, have 4 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. Ever since their marriage they have been rocks of the Greater Zion MB Church. They were founding members of the 4500 W. Congress Block Club in Chicago, have been active in many other civic and social endeavors and for the past 10 years have lived in Westchester, Illinois, where they have immersed themselves into community life.

Madam Speaker, 50 years is a long time and when you can spend those 50 years in a state of peace, happiness and productive engagement, you have been truly blessed, just as you have blessed others. I have been told that ``to those to whom much is given, much is expected in return.''

The Millers have been fortunate to have a great family, great children, grandchildren, friends and other relatives. Their children, grandchildren, other relatives and friends have been fortunate to have the Millers in their lives and I close my comments with congratulations to Tom and Lois Miller, wish them well and trust that they will have many more years of happy and blissful marriage.

Madam Chairman, I rise to engage the subcommittee chairwoman, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, in a colloquy to express my concerns regarding the Comptroller General's implementation of the Human Capital Reform Act of 2004 and the resulting unionization effort at the Government Accountability Office.

For the past 18 months, the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia, which I chair, has been investigating certain personnel actions taken by the Comptroller General.

Our investigation culminated in a joint House and Senate hearing on May 22, where CRS's legal division and the General Counsel for the GAO's Personnel Appeals Board testified that, based on current statute, GAO did not have the authority to deny over 300 employees who met and, in some cases, exceeded expectations, their 2006 and 2007 annual across-the-board increase.

GAO says that it took this action based upon a compensation-based study conducted by Watson Wyatt. However, when the subcommittee's staff, working with experts in market-based pay, reviewed the documentation, they were unable to validate that the employees who did not receive their across-the-board increase were overpaid, as asserted by GAO.

In addition to meeting their performance expectations, these employees were among the most experienced, with over 25 years of service to GAO.

The workforce at GAO has been severely disrupted by these personnel actions. In reaction to them, a majority of GAO's 1,500 analysts filed a petition with the GAO's Personnel Appeals Board to be represented by the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers.

Unfortunately, GAO has responded by hiring the law firm Venable, LLC, to represent it before the PAB. It is uncommon for a Federal agency to use taxpayers' dollars to hire private sector counsel for such purposes. In addition, GAO is asserting that one-third of the petitioners are supervisors and, therefore, cannot unionize.

Furthermore, GAO has indicated that if its challenge is successful, and it can show that the alleged supervisors were involved in the solicitation of authorization cards for the remaining eligible employees, it will not commit to recognize and bargain with the employee group.

I yield to the chairwoman to ask what steps has the Appropriations Committee taken to address Member and employee concerns about the situation at the GAO.

Thank you, Chairman Wasserman Schultz. My committee will continue to closely monitor this situation as well. I look forward to working with your subcommittee on this matter in the future.

Representatives Wynn, Van Hollen, and Majority Leader Hoyer regret that they could not be here to speak on this issue. However, I have statements from them, and will submit them for the Record, along with a letter dated June 21, 2007, from the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers to Comptroller General David Walker alleging unfair labor practices.

International Federation of Professional & Technical

Engineers, AFL-CIO & CLC,

Silver Spring, MD, June 21, 2007.

Hon. David M. Walker,

Comptroller General, Government Accountability Office,

Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Walker: Enclosed is an unfair labor practice

charge against you. Accept this letter and enclosure as your

30 day advance copy of the charge pursuant to GAO Order

2711.1Sec. 15(b). We request that you review the allegations,

and to prevent any future violations we urge you to cease any

activity related to those described herein. Further, we trust

that you will instruct all other Agency officials that such

improper conduct will not be permitted.

We anticipate an informal resolution of this charge

pursuant to GAO Order 2711.1Sec. 15(b). However, if this

matter cannot be resolved informally within the next 30 days,

the charge will be filed with the GAO Personnel Appeals Board

Office of General Counsel and further action will result.

Sincerely,

Gregory J. Junemann,

President.

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH22JN07.005

Instructions for Filing an Unfair Labor Practice Charge Against the

Government Accountability Office

Use this form if you are charging that the U.S. Government

Accountability Office (GAO) or its agents committed an unfair

labor practice under GAO Order 2711.1, Sec. 12(a). File an

original signed copy of the charge with the Personnel Appeals

Board, Office of General Counsel (PAB/OGC) at 820 1st St. NE,

Suite 580, Washington, D.C. 20002. If filing a charge by fax

(202.512.7522), you must promptly submit the signed original

to the PAB/OGC. You may, but are not required to, submit

evidence or documents supporting the charge. If you choose to

do so, these materials must be delivered, not faxed, to the

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Mr. Tom and Mrs. Lois Miller on the occasion of their 50th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, the institution of marriage is one of the most sacred and effective traditions in civilized society which organizes, holds together and perpetuates continuation of civilized humanity. And to many it is both a civil and religious act. And whereas Tom and Lois Miller have shared 50 years of holy matrimony, I am pleased to pause and wish them well.

Tom and Lois met in McCool, Mississippi, while teenagers and were married after coming to Chicago by Reverend Daniel A. Williams on January 14, 1957. Tom worked at CELO Steel, and later went to the R.C. Cola company, where he retired after a long, satisfying and productive career.

Lois pursued a career in cosmetology, became one of the best in her field, and subsequently owned her own business, the L & L Beauty Salon, which has been in existence for 47 years.

Mr. Speaker, Tom and Lois Miller became and still are pillars of their community. They've raised four daughters, have four grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Ever since their marriage they have been rocks of the Greater Zion Missionary Baptist Church, where they have both displayed tremendous leadership, with Tom Miller becoming chairman of the deacon board.

They were founding members of the 4,500 West Congress Block Club in Chicago and have been active in many other civic and social endeavors, and for the past 10 years have lived in Westchester, Illinois, where they have immersed themselves in community life.

Mr. Speaker, 50 years is a long time. And when you can spend those 50 years in a state of peace, happiness and productive engagement, you have been

truly blessed. And just as you have been blessed, you have also blessed others. I've been told that ``to those to whom much is given, much is expected in return.''

The Millers have been fortunate to have a great family, great children, great grandchildren, friends and relatives. Their children, grandchildren, other relatives and friends have been fortunate to have the Millers in their lives. And I wish all of them a great day as they gather for a tremendous celebration on Sunday.

And so I close my comments, Mr. Speaker, with congratulations to Tom and Lois Miller, wish them well and trust that they will have many more years of happy and blissful marriage and that this relationship will continue until the end of time.

Madam Speaker, I rise to extend congratulations to two of the citizens of my community, two of my constituents who have made invaluable contributions to the lives of people in the neighborhoods where they live, as well as people throughout America.

Madam Speaker, Tom and Lois Miller became and still are pillars of their community. They raised four daughters, have four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Ever since their marriage, they have been rocks of the Greater Zion Missionary Baptist Church. They are founding members of the 4500 West Congress Block Club in Chicago, and have been active in many other civic and social endeavors. For the past 10 years, they have lived in the village of West Chester, Illinois, where they have immersed themselves in community life.

Madam Speaker, 50 years is a long time and when you can spend those 50 years in a state of peace, happiness and productive engagement, you have been truly blessed, just as you have been able to bless others. I have been told that ``to those to whom much is given, much is expected in return.''

The Millers have been fortunate to have a great family, great children, grandchildren, friends and relatives. They have given much to those who have known them, and have received much in return.

Mr. Miller has retired after having worked at Alcola Company for more than 30 years, a productive career. Mrs. Miller established her own business, a beauty shop, that has been in operation now for more than 47 years. And so I simply pause, take this opportunity to commend them for their tremendous civic and religious involvement, wish them well as they celebrate their 50 years of marriage, and trust that they will have many more productive, happy and beneficial years.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. described the end result of education as a person having the ability to think intensively and critically. He embraced the idea that intelligence plus character should be the true goal of our education system. This truly is the goal that we must strive and work towards.

Helping our children to think is crucial; however, the blocks to build to that point are difficult to create. It takes support, resources, confidence and opportunity, but most importantly, these pieces must be available for each individual no matter who or where they come from.

Today we find our public school systems throughout America in many places in disarray, underfunded, overpopulated, and, in many districts, underattended. As a Nation, we have moved forward, and then there are times when it looks as though we're doing the Watusi, that is, two steps forward, and two steps back.

I can remember a time when, in almost any community that you went, people realized and recognized that education was the absolute key to progress.

According to the Abecedarian study, the importance of early childhood education is critical. The report shows that children who receive a formal early childhood education overwhelmingly do better in school.

Unfortunately, 55 percent of children whose families are below the poverty line do not receive a formal early childhood education. An overwhelming number of these children, whose mothers are unemployed, do not have access to early childhood education. These numbers are astonishing, especially given what we already know.

We are engaged in competitiveness, not just in communities and neighborhoods or States, but from a global perspective, and unless children get an early beginning, they find themselves continuously behind and finding it difficult to catch up.

And finally, Mr. Speaker, one of the areas that I have a tremendous amount of concern about is the fact that African American males are graduating from high school at a rate of less than 50 percent. As a matter of fact, many of them drop out as early as third or fourth grade.

And it's my contention that they drop out because, for many of them, they have never seen a male figure with a book in his hand. They've never had a male teacher who looked like them. They've never seen a male at home with a book. And so they contend that education is a female or woman or girl kind of thing.

And we must find ways to get more male teachers in the classroom, more male teachers involved in Head Start. And we must get communities totally engaged and totally involved, so that as children grow up, they will know that education has been and will continue to be the great equalizer, and without it they don't have a chance.

So I thank you, Mr. Speaker. I thank the Congressional Black Caucus, our chairman, Representative Kilpatrick, for setting aside this time to address education issues, especially affecting African American communities.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank the gentleman for yielding, and I want to commend my colleague, Representative Cohen, for introducing this resolution that talks about the impact of Stax Records. Although I am not from Memphis, but Memphis is essentially a part of the Delta, and I grew up in the Mississippi Delta, but in the State of Arkansas. So Memphis was always a part of where we were.

Then, of course, Chicago was the beneficiary of a great migration of African Americans who migrated from Mississippi, from Memphis, Memphis being the largest town in the area. Individuals would oftentimes leave their rural communities and first get to Memphis. Then after they got to Memphis and stayed for 2, 3 years, they would make their way to Saint Louis, or they would make their way to Chicago.

So we have a great affinity for the City of Memphis. It's almost like being home.

But also Stax knew where to find talent, and so they came to Chicago and found people like the Staple Singers, whose friends and associates took them out of the church and put them on a stage and a platform far beyond what they otherwise would have been able to do.

In addition to its music, Stax was also always seriously engaged and involved in what we called, especially during the 1960s and 1970s, the Civil Rights Movement, relative to putting on concerts to benefit events, activities, raise money for marches, demonstrations. So they were more than just purveyors of music. They were purveyors of music, but they were also part of the liberation movement, part of what those of us who grew up during the 1960s and 1970s call ``the era of struggle.''

So, again, I simply want to commend my colleague, and, of course, one of the Staple Singers, a young lady named Cynthia, used to actually work in the same organization that I worked in, and she was a member of the Staples family. The rest of the group, Pervis and Mavis and Pops, they were part of our community.

So I commend Stax. I also commend my colleague from Tennessee for taking the time to honor their tremendous contributions.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 1352) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 127 East Locust Street in Fairbury, Illinois, as the ``Dr. Francis Townsend 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 as much time as I might consume.

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleague in consideration of S. 1352, which names a postal facility in Fairbury, Illinois, after Dr. Francis Townsend.

S. 1352, which was introduced by Senator Richard Durbin on May 10, 2007, was reported from the Oversight Committee on June 12, 2007 by a voice vote.

Dr. Francis Townsend was born in 1867 into an impoverished Illinois farming family. Shortly after he was born, his family moved to Nebraska, where he graduated from high school and began a varied career. He tried farming and selling in Kansas, land speculation in Los Angeles, and worked as a laborer in Colorado.

In 1899, he enrolled in the Omaha Medical College, and graduated in 1903 at the age of 36. He served as an Army doctor in World War I and during the Great Depression, and took a job as the assistant director of the City Health Office in Long Beach, California. At the age of 66, Dr. Townsend lost his job and found himself both poor and out of work.

There were millions of elderly people just like him who were barely making ends meet. One day he had a vision of how to help the elderly and the country as a whole. He wrote a letter to a newspaper outlining his ``old-aged pension plan for seniors.'' This plan created a Federal pension of $200 a month paid to every citizen 60 and older on the condition that the pensioner spend the entire sum within 30 days in order to stimulate the economy. His efforts influenced the passage of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Social Security Act.

Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague from Illinois, Senator Richard Durbin, for introducing this legislation, and I urge swift passage.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would just close by noting that here is an excellent example of a citizen with an idea, an idea that was promulgated into legislation, legislation that all of us, if we live to be 65 or somewhat close to, benefit from. And so I think it is indeed appropriate.

Again, I want to thank Senator Durbin for introducing this legislation.

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 agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 155) recognizing the historical significance of Juneteenth Independence Day, and expressing the sense of Congress that history should be regarded as a means for understanding the past and more effectively facing the challenges of the future.

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

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 142nd anniversary of Juneteenth Independence Day. On June 19, 1865, MG Gordon Granger and Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, with the news of the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the Civil War. News of President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, did not reach the frontier areas of the United States, especially the Southwest, for almost 2\1/2\ years. General Granger's General Order No. 3 on June 19, 1865, is recognized as the day that all slaves in the United States were finally freed.

Juneteenth has become recognized as a State, regional, and national event that honors the freeing of slaves in the United States. As Americans, we must never forget how precious freedom is. Juneteenth is the day that all Americans of all races, creeds and ethnic backgrounds can celebrate freedom and the end of slavery in the United States. Its historical significance should be regarded as a means of understanding the past and more effectively facing the challenges of the future.

As the sponsor of H. Con. Res. 155, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this legislation and urge President Bush to issue a proclamation observing Juneteenth Independence Day with appropriate ceremonies, activities and programs.

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Idaho for his remarks and comments and for his support of this resolution. I also would just note that I attended a Juneteenth celebration in the neighborhood where I live on Saturday, and,

of course, they had speeches, poems, readings and historical proclamations that people did.

To make sure that all Members of the House and of the Senate have an opportunity to participate in an observance, Senator Barack Obama and I are sponsoring an observance on tomorrow in the Gold Room in the House Office Building, and certainly would welcome all to attend.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this concurrent resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 148) recognizing the significance of National Caribbean-American Heritage Month.

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.

Mr. Speaker, 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. 148, a bill that recognizes the significance of National Caribbean-American Heritage Month.

H. Res. 148, which has 53 cosponsors, was introduced by Representative Barbara Lee of California on May 14, 2007. H. Con. Res. 148 was reported from the Oversight Committee on June 12, 2007, by a voice vote.

National Caribbean-American Heritage Month was established to recognize the historical relationship between people of the Caribbean and the United States of America. Caribbean Americans present a rich diversity of countries, cultures and colloquialisms which are dispersed throughout communities in the United States. Caribbean immigration to the United States reached its peak in the last 5 years, with approximately 6 percent of the more than 7 million immigrants coming from the Caribbean.

Since the founding of the United States, Caribbeans have had a significant role in shaping the conscience of America and are among our great leaders, entrepreneurs and entertainers, including such individuals as Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Colin Powell, James Weldon Johnson, Shirley Chisholm, Marion Jones, Juan Carlos Finlay, Oscar de la Renta, Malcolm X, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the founder of Chicago, Marcus Garvey, and many others.

Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague for introducing this legislation and I urge its passage.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2563) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 309 East Linn Street in Marshalltown, Iowa, as the ``Major Scott Nisely Post Office''.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, 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. 2563, which names the postal facility in Marshalltown, Iowa after Major Scott Nisely.

H.R. 2563, which was introduced by Representative Tom Latham on June 5, 2007, was reported from the Oversight Committee on June 12, 2007, by voice vote. This measure has the support of the entire Iowa congressional delegation.

Major Scott Nisely was killed in combat near Al Asad, Iraq on September 20, 2006. He served in the Marines as an officer on Active Duty and as a reservist with the 133rd Infantry Battalion Charlie Company.

He worked 12 years for the U.S. Postal Service in Marshalltown, Iowa. Due to his strong desire to serve his country, he accepted an enlisted rank in order to fill a vacancy in the Iowa Army National Guard. Major Scott had served a tour of duty during Operation Desert Storm as a marine, in addition to Operation Iraqi Freedom as a guardsman. He will be fondly remembered for his patriotism and love of family.

Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague, Representative Tom Latham, for introducing this legislation, and urge its passage.

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

Mr. Speaker, I continue to 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. 2127) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 408 West 6th Street in Chelsea, Oklahoma, as the ``Clem Rogers McSpadden 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 on H.R. 2127.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the author of this bill, the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Boren).

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

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleague in the consideration of H.R. 2127, which names a postal facility in Chelsea, Oklahoma, after Clem Rogers McSpadden. H.R. 2127, which was introduced by the gentleman from Oklahoma, Dan Boren, on May 3, 2007, was reported from the Oversight Committee on June 12, 2007, by a voice vote. This measure has the support of the entire Oklahoma congressional delegation.

Clem Rogers McSpadden was born on November 9, 1925, on a ranch near the small town of Bushyhead in Rogers County, Oklahoma. He served in the United States Navy during World War II from 1944 to 1946.

He was first elected to public office in November of 1954 to the Oklahoma State senate. In November of 1972, he was elected to the 93rd Congress and served one term from 1973 to 1975. Mr. McSpadden ran for Governor of Oklahoma in 1974 and lost the Democratic nomination. Presently, Mr. McSpadden is retired and living in Chelsea, Oklahoma.

Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague, Representative Dan Boren, for introducing this legislation and urge its swift passage.

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

Mr. Speaker, to simply close, let me again commend Dan Boren for his introduction of this legislation.

I guess Representative McSpadden was kind of a chip off the block, and I asked if he could also make people laugh, and Dan said that he could indeed, as well as do any number of other things. So he is indeed a tribute to the Rogers and McSpadden families. I would urge passage of this bill.

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