Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

I recognize myself for as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, the Hooley-McCaul-Matheson amendment is a very simple and straightforward amendment that would authorize a study of the tremendous impact green schools have on the environment, school operational costs, test scores and student health. Usually we simply equate green building with energy efficiency, but the benefits are much broader than just that. The global impact of these efforts on the environment alone is enough of a reason to take action. Just as the energy bill before us today begins to address this challenge, our amendment focuses on the positive impacts our actions can have on improving our environment and bettering people's lives.

The study I am proposing today with my good friends, Mr. McCaul and Mr. Matheson, is necessary because, while both the Federal Government and the private sector have conducted some green building research, knowledge gaps exist in the important area of green school research.

Upon the conclusion of the study I am proposing, we will finally be able to quantify the important benefits green schools provide by way of economic savings, environmental stewardship, and the health and academic performance of students.

At this time, I yield 30 seconds to my good friend, Chair of the Energy Committee, Mr. Boucher.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), my fellow cosponsor of this important amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to remind my colleagues that if all new school construction and school renovation went green starting today, energy savings alone would total $20 billion over the next 10 years.

Since I see no opposition, I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Gordon for giving me a chance to speak on this important legislation. I applaud your leadership and that of your subcommittee Chairs on these issues and for the expediency by which this conference report was put together.

America's greatest resource for innovation resides within our classrooms in Oregon and across this country. We must give our students more opportunities to be highly trained in math and science and technology so they can turn ideas into innovation.

Too many of our family wage jobs go overseas and too many of our children are falling behind their international counterparts in math and science achievement. With this legislation, we've taken bold steps to increase America's global competitiveness and to ensure that we have a robust, world-class science and technology workforce here in America.

The key to the United States maintaining its position at the forefront of global innovation and technology is to get more students interested in the science and math fields. This legislation does just that.

I urge the passage of this conference report.

Madam Speaker, over the last 10 years, the Children's Health Insurance Program has been a success story, significantly reducing the number of children living without health insurance at a time when employer-sponsored insurance continues to erode.

When CHIP was created in 1997, the number of uninsured children under the age of 19 was 23 percent. Over the last decade, that has fallen to 15 percent. That is a great improvement, but still unacceptable.

That is why Democrats will bring the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act to the House floor today for a vote. The CHAMP Act invests in our children by ensuring that nearly every child eligible for the CHIP program is signed up and is receiving the essential preventative health care they need to live longer and healthier lives. If we do not take care of our children's health now, we will pay a lot more later on.

Madam Speaker, with the passage of the CHAMP Act later today, this House will move us significantly closer to ensuring that every child in America has access to health insurance.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Michigan for yielding.

This bill is important to children. It was important to our legislature. It was important to our governor. That is why they passed it this session.

But I want to tell you why health insurance for children is so important by telling you about Katelyn, a 6-year-old from Corvallis. Katelyn's hardworking parents make too much money to qualify for SCHIP under current Oregon eligibility levels but far too little to afford the $520-a-month premium for insurance through her father's employer.

Katelyn was ill for several days and her parents had been trying all night to help her stop coughing. Without insurance, the couple had no doctor.

However, the county health department offered pediatric services for low-income children every Monday at reduced costs. So Katelyn's parents decided to wait and take her to the clinic on Monday, 3 days later. By Sunday, Katelyn was worse. Through tears, Katelyn complained that her sides hurt.

When she was able to get to the doctor on Monday, Katelyn was diagnosed with pneumonia. With insurance, Katelyn's parents could have taken her right away to the doctor. Instead, she suffered for days.

This story could have had dire consequences. It is why SCHIP is critically important. The CHAMP Act will provide Oregon with the resources they need to expand health insurance coverage to more children, and hopefully, stories like Katelyn will rarely exist.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for yielding.

I rise today supporting Resolution 515, congratulating the Oregon State University Beavers baseball team for winning the 2007 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I College World Series.

As a representative of Oregon's Fifth Congressional District, the home of Oregon State University, it is my privilege to offer this resolution on behalf of my constituents. As a graduate of Oregon State University, it is with personal pride that I now speak on its behalf.

Ours is an institution set in a small town far removed from the national stage. Yet for those who have ventured there, OSU has always been a source of inspiration. We do not have the tradition of championships upon which the better-known programs of the Pacific-10 Conference have built their reputations. What we do have is a sense of self and determination.

Titles have come rarely to our school. Prior to 2006 only once had a Beaver team claimed a crown, nearly 50 years having passed since then. And in that time we have had our successes, our share of All-Americans or individual champions in the Olympic sports. But such achievements all too often pass unnoticed. It is the team sports that register in our national consciousness. For us, that has been very elusive.

Our inspiration has not always come from championships. Our inspiration has come from the character and determination of our student athletes. It is in their perseverance that we have found the meaning of sport. Corvallis is a small town, shadowed by clouds and rain, set in the beautiful Willamette Valley. It is here these student athletes have quietly studied and trained, here they have known the same trials and tribulations as those who have come from programs lauded on the national stage, and it is here that generations have formed a community.

I cannot bring this resolution to the floor without first mentioning the community which the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Division I baseball champions call home. These championships were won by a single team, but these team championships were not won for themselves. These championships are for the community. They are for all the student athletes of Oregon State. They are for the University, for Corvallis. They are for Oregon. Indeed, they are for Beaver Nation and the tradition it supports.

On behalf of the whole of Beaver Nation, on behalf of all the student athletes at Oregon State, I congratulate and thank the 2006 and 2007 Beaver baseball team for being an inspiration to all of us.

Before Coach Pat Casey took the helm of Beaver baseball, there were questions about the ability of Corvallis to draw top baseball talent away from schools of the Sun Belt. There were questions, but these questions did not come from those that knew Oregon State and Corvallis. Under Coach Casey's tutelage, the Beavers have become the latest team to take their turn at the vanguard of the PAC-10 Conference, ``The Conference of Champions.'' The Beavers are the third PAC-10 team to win consecutive national titles in baseball. To be sure, the Beavers have entered into an elite company as one of only five teams in the history of Division I baseball to win consecutive national titles.

The Beavers took their journey, as we knew they would, by virtue of the perseverance and the character that is so indicative of Oregon State. In 2005, the team entered the College World Series only to lose their first two games in the double-elimination tournament. In 2006, the team entered the College World Series to lose their first game and faced elimination in every game before starting anew in the championship series, where they won their first title, two games to one.

After losing seven of nine position players and the strength of their 2006 pitching staff, the Beavers had a strong preseason in 2007 but slumped in the intra-conference competition of the PAC-10. One of the last teams to be selected for the field of 64 by the committee, the defending national champions were unseeded and undaunted. The Beavers played their way through the regional tournament and the super regional tournament to earn a berth in the College World Series for a third consecutive year.

Returning to Omaha, this team had first known loss. This team had faced elimination before victory. This team was almost not selected for the tournament. This team won five straight games against the Nation's best, won their second straight title, and now enters the annals of the one of the great teams in college baseball history.

My colleagues, the Oregon State Beaver baseball team has written a storybook tale, inspiring all of us. I thank them for this, and I ask that you join with me in congratulating the 2007 Oregon State Beaver baseball team, your NCAA Division I collegiate baseball champions.

I ask my colleagues for their support

Madam Speaker, battling the meth epidemic is one of my top priorities here in Congress. Last year we passed the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act and I was pleased that the legislation included several important international meth precursor controls that I drafted. We've made good progress with controlling the supply of meth precursors and other enforcement issues, but so far treatment issues have been largely neglected.

This is why I am introducing the Enhanced Methamphetamine Treatment Grants Assistance Act. My legislation will create three separate grant programs under SAMHSA, each one targeted at a particular treatment need.

The first grant program will award grants to community organizations to coordinate wrap-around services for meth addicts rejoining the community. I've heard over and over again just how important these wrap-around services are, like housing and transportation assistance, job training and ongoing mental health counseling. Meth treatment does not end when an addict leaves a treatment facility. They need comprehensive services that will help keep them off meth and rebuild their lives, which is why my bill will help communities build a network of these vital wrap-around services.

The second grant program is an expansion of the existing substance abuse treatment program for pregnant and postpartum women to include all parents. Priority will still be given to those pregnant and postpartum women, but we're also going to make sure that parents can get treatment too so that they can get clean and keep their children out of the foster care system.

Finally, the third grant program will target those addicts who actively seek treatment, only to find out that they will have to wait months before a bed will be available to them. My legislation directs grant money to treatment programs that are going to target the people who just can't get treatment, no matter how badly they want it, so they don't have to go through the criminal justice system to receive help.

I am committed to expanding treatment resources so providers have the resources to reach more people and addicts can get the help they need. I urge my colleagues to join me in this goal and to support the Enhanced Methamphetamine Treatment Grants Assistance Act.

Mr. Speaker, on July 12, 2007, during consideration of H.R. 1851, the Section 8 Voucher Reform Act, my vote on final passage was not recorded. I respectfully request that the Record reflect that had my vote been recorded properly on rollcall 629, it would have been registered as an ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the City of Salem, OR for being recognized as a community proud of its heritage, proud of its history, and committed to preserving its historic resources so that they may be enjoyed for generations to come.

I was not surprised to learn that First Lady Laura Bush and the Preserve America Initiative had recognized Salem for its historic and cultural preservation efforts and had named the city a Preserve America Community. I grew up in Salem and know that it is exactly the type of community that we want to preserve.

Salem, Oregon's capital is one of Oregon's oldest communities. It grew as a pioneer settlement around the Oregon Institute that is now Willamette University, and Salem's location in the center of the fertile Willamette Valley has allowed it to play an important role in Oregon's agricultural economy since statehood.

Over the past few years, a 33-member citizens' taskforce created the Downtown Revitalization Toolbox which has sought to address vacancy and rehabilitation concerns in the Historic Downtown by providing matching grants for historic building improvement projects. Through public- private partnerships, thousands of volunteer hours have been logged and over $8.5 million invested in Salem's Historic Downtown District.

There is a saying that good citizens are the riches of a city. Knowing the effort that has been made by the citizens of Salem to preserve historic treasures and create economic opportunities for local businesses, I can safely say that Salem is a wealthy city indeed.

I invite all my colleagues to join me in congratulating the City of Salem and the other communities across the country that have been designated as Preserve America Communities. It is through their efforts that our collective history and culture will be secured for future generations.

Madam Speaker, I rise today with the solemn duty of memorializing the passing of an American Hero.

Corporal Kory D. Wiens and his canine partner Cooper were killed while on patrol in Muhammad Sath, Iraq.

Some of us remember the news reports about Kory and his companion; it was a heartwarming story of a special bond between a young man and very special retriever. Once introduced to each other at Lackland, they were never far apart.

Even in death, Kory and Cooper remain a team. Together they gave their last full measure of devotion performing their duty--together they earned the peace of knowing they lived a good, meaningful life.

Today, Kory lives on in our memories.

Sadly he is not the first--and will not be the last--to fall in this war.

However, we cannot allow the mounting enormity of loss diminish the sacrifice--the life and loss--of Kory or those that follow.

Colleagues, I ask you to put down pen and paper; pause for a moment and reflect upon our circumstance.

Take this moment: honor the service of Kory Wiens--mourn his passing--and accept the gift of life and liberty he freely gave.

Kory Wiens was born and raised in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.

He was a cub scout, a wrestler, and a quarterback at West Albany High School. Kory was an all-American: a young man that believed our Nation was worthy of its promise; a patriot that lived a life of standing up for those that could not stand on their own.

Kory and his brother Kevin, who is still serving in Iraq, exemplified the kind of courage that made our Nation, State, and community the home of the brave, and land of the free.

Today, we know that Corporal Wiens' law enforcement career will not extend beyond his service in the Army.

We know that the ``Brotherhood of Wiens'' is now one member smaller, but that Kory, Kevin, and Kyle will never again fully celebrate their special bond.

And we know that we as a people--that we as a Nation--will never be what it could have been without him.

Kory wanted to serve his community. His life can serve as a lesson for us all, if we choose to embrace its meaning and we choose to honor his legacy.

What if we all took our responsibilities as seriously?

What if we worked at being selfless more, selfish less?

What if we helped each other realize the promise of our ideals and cooperated with each other to make America the kind of place worthy of young men like Kory Wiens?

We have that choice.

Together we can use the life and legacy of Kory Wiens to rekindle the spirit of our America.

Together we can keep the spirit of Kory Wiens--and all those like him--alive through a daily commitment to make this place better than we find it.

And together we can work for a time when peace replaces war, when service and sacrifice are celebrated without loss.

Let us commit ourselves anew to earning the gifts given.

I thank my colleague.

Mr. Speaker, today is not cause for celebration, nor is it a time for high rhetoric. Instead, today is a moment of conscience. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent, 3,600 of our best and brightest have been called upon to sacrifice in the unforgiving sands of Iraq.

When in a hole, it is best to stop digging. We must make plans to protect those we can best protect, to institute a rational response capability

within the region. But first we must make immediate plans to disengage ourselves from Iraq.

I urge my colleagues to find consensus on this issue. We owe it to the brave men and women that have sacrificed and will continue to sacrifice until we find and implement resolution.

Once we have disengaged ourselves from the Iraqi civil war, maybe, with patience, dialogue and an open ear, we may find new relationships within the Middle East to help our partners secure the peace we have thus far found so elusive.

Let us renew our commitment to finding a solution for Middle East conflict. It is time we used our heads and hearts rather than fists and force.

I urge my colleagues to join me in voting once again for changing course in Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, I am particularly pleased that H.R. 2900 includes a provision I authored and worked on with my colleague Mr. Doyle from Pennsylvania that will require the FDA to establish a unique device identification (UDI) system for medical devices.

Currently, most medical devices cannot be tracked or identified in any systemic fashion. A UDI will enable the FDA to better pinpoint devices associated with adverse events and look for patterns across event reports. A more sophisticated reporting system will thus strengthen FDA's post-market surveillance capabilities.

A UDI system will not only provide FDA with the tools to discover warning signs of a defective device earlier, thus potentially savings lives, but will also improve the agency's ability to promptly respond to device recalls. I believe our current system for notifying patients in the event of a recall is deficient. When defective medical devices are recalled, the absence of a standard identification system hinders the FDA's ability to notify patients. These UDI provisions take an important step toward improving the ability of the FDA, device manufacturers, and physicians to quickly and effectively communicate risk information to patients.

Madam Speaker, I rise honor Captain Mark Sponenburgh, a remarkable and distinguished constituent of mine from Seal Rock, OR. On this 63rd anniversary of the ``D-Day'' landings in Normandy, a ceremony is being held in Washington, DC to celebrate the dozen remaining ``Monuments Men'' who served our country with honor and valor during World War II. While Captain Sponenburgh was unable to attend today's ceremony, I wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge the countless contributions he has made to our country and community.

Over the years, Captain Sponenburgh has served others in a variety of capacities. He volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1942 where he was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers. Stationed in Britain, he served campaigns in Normandy, Northern France, and Luxembourg before requesting to be transferred to the Monuments, Fine Arts & Archives section program under the Civil Affairs and Military Government Sections of the United States Armed Forces.

During World War II, Nazi dictator Adolph Hitler ordered covert missions to locate and secure art from every region his regime conquered in Europe. As a member of the ``Monuments Men,'' Captain Sponenburgh joined an elite multinational force of more than 350 men and women serving on frontline military units during and after WWII to preserve, protect and liberate artistic and cultural treasures in countries occupied by the Allied armies.

Responsible for having tracked, identified and catalogued millions of priceless works of art and irreplaceable cultural artifacts stolen by Hitler and the Nazis, the heroic deeds of these unsung heroes continue to benefit us all today.

In addition to having studied and taught in Britain, France, Egypt, and Pakistan, Captain Sponenburgh brought his many years of experience and skills to the University of Oregon as well as Oregon State University. Admired by his students for his passion and intellect, he was sorely missed when he entered retirement.

I joined my colleagues in this chamber last month in passing a resolution honoring the great contributions made by all members of the ``Monuments Men,'' but today I rise, Madam Speaker, to ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Oregon's last living member, Captain Mark Sponenburgh.

Mr. Chairman, I thank you and Chairman Ortiz for including my bill providing for reimbursement for superior helmet liners to protect soldiers with severe head injuries and for adjusting the testing criteria for helmet pad systems.

Thankfully, this bill calls for another round of testing and evaluation on all qualified combat helmet pad systems to be conducted by an independent test laboratory outside the government. I just want to thank you for doing that, for again protecting our soldiers.

I rise today to ask for your help to expand the reintegration programs for members of the National Guard included in this year's National Defense Authorization Act.

In Oregon, our Adjutant General has put together a program that helps to ease returning Guard members through the transition back to civilian life. The Yellow Ribbon National Guard Reintegration Program provides for 5 days of reintegration activities after demobilization. I would ask that the program be expanded to keep returning servicemembers on active duty for up to 15 days after demobilization. Not all need or want the full 15 days, but commanders should have the flexibility to provide extra time to those who need it.

I also want to thank the Chair for including report language that acknowledges the success of the Oregon National Guard Reintegration Program. I believe that the program can be a model for other States developing their own programs.

I thank you, Mr. Chair, for all that you do for our soldiers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a course correction in foreign policy. The bills before us today reflect the will of the American people and the reality on the ground.

We have invested 4 years in a war that was predicated upon the fantasy that Iraq would, Iraq could, become a bastion of democracy without a massive investment of time, talent, and treasure. This President had no plan to win the war he wanted to fight. He had no strategy to finish the job he started.

We must bind the wounds of a Nation that has lost over 3,300 men and women in a war precipitated by the arrogance of an administration that made decisions based upon the world they wanted instead of the world that is. We must extract ourselves from what has become a civil war in Iraq. We must stand up to a President that is so insulated that members of his own party cannot even persuade him to change course.

I have stood in this Chamber to mourn the passing of fallen heroes. Sadly, but most assuredly, I will stand here again to mourn more.

But today I stand here asking you to explore your own conscience and stand up for our country, our families, and our troops. Let us renew our commitment to making the difficult choices we were sent here to make, and let us begin today.

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that when we talk about Hurricane Katrina, a horrible disaster that affected hundreds of thousands of lives, left people homeless; we talk about the recent tornado or hurricane wiping away a city, people ask me, particularly those from the urban areas, why they should vote for this. What is in it for them?

Well, this is just as much a disaster, but it is a different kind of disaster. This has salmon money. We have fishermen who can no longer pay for their boat. They can't pay for their crew or housing, and they are hurting. That is what supplemental budgets are for.

We have rural schools laying off teachers, disappearing sheriff departments, rural roads not being able to be fixed. This is a bill that impacts every single person in this room. This is a disaster. That is what supplemental budgets are all about. Please vote ``yes.''