Floor Statements

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

I rise to urge my colleagues to support my amendment to H.R. 4061, the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2009. This amendment is simple, necessary, and beneficial to veterans. It will add veteran status as an additional item of consideration when selecting individuals for the Cyber Scholarship for Service program.

In light of recent attacks on both government and commercial technology infrastructure, it is critical that America be on the forefront of cybersecurity. Our veterans and servicemembers have a proven track record of successfully protecting American interests at home and abroad. The experiences and skills that our veterans have gained through their service are exactly what we need to improve our cybersecurity.

My amendment helps veterans continue their service to our country by increasing the likelihood that a veteran or servicemember will be selected for this competitive scholarship. The scholarship program will provide funding to individuals seeking B.A.s, M.A.s, and Ph.D.s in the field of cybersecurity. This amendment will allow our veterans and servicemembers to afford a better education and continue to serve their country.

Additionally, many veterans and servicemembers have already received cybersecurity and other relevant training during their service in the military. They are uniquely qualified to defend our Nation from cybersecurity threats we face. Furthermore, upon successful completion of their degree, scholarship recipients will be eligible for Federal employment in the field of cybersecurity. With thousands of veterans returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan, and more than 20 percent of veterans under the age of 24 unemployed, it is critical that they are given every opportunity to continue serving their country.

Our veterans and servicemembers have sacrificed to protect our country and our freedom. We owe them all the assistance we can give them in helping them to better education and job opportunities in their civilian lives.

I would like to thank the committee and the chairman for working with my colleague from New Hampshire and me to introduce this amendment. Once again, I rise in strong support of the amendment, and I urge my colleagues to vote in support of it.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

With that, I yield 1 minute to my colleague, the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Shea-Porter).

I yield the remainder of my time to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski).

In closing, I just urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

I want to thank Congressman Pallone. I would also like to thank my colleagues for recognizing me on behalf of this very important and timely resolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1011, commemorating the goals and ideals of Cervical Health Awareness Month, and I urge my colleagues to support its passage. January has long been recognized as Cervical Health Awareness Month, particularly throughout the public health, women's health, and cervical health advocacy communities.

Today we commemorate the hard work and sacrifice that has been made by these patients, their families, and those who have been confronted by this disease. We also honor the health care providers and advocates that tirelessly work to treat this disease and work to educate the general public on its causes and treatments.

Madam Speaker, cervical cancer is usually a very slow-growing cancer that may not present any symptoms. And it is primarily caused by the human papillomavirus, HPV, but can be detected by early detection tests. It is estimated that 4,000 women in the United States die of cervical cancer every year, and approximately 11,000 new cases will be detected just this year. Half of those women diagnosed with the disease are, as has been said, between 35 and 55 years of age. And approximately 20 percent of all those diagnoses are made in women who are older than 55 years of age. In the vast majority of cases, these deaths could be prevented with early detection, and by being educated and aware of causes, screenings, and medical treatments.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control, cervical cancer is the easiest female cancer to prevent, and yet it was the number one cause of death from cancer in women. But for the first time in history, we have the potential for significantly reducing, if not eliminating, the number of victims of this cancer through advancements in treatments and procedures that aid in prevention.

So in keeping with the goals and the ideals of Cervical Health Awareness Month, I encourage the people of the United States to learn about cervical cancer, its causes and its treatments, and I encourage health care advocates to continue to raise public awareness about cervical cancer and the importance of early detection, because the earlier cervical cancer is detected, the better the chance a woman has in surviving cervical cancer.

Once again, I would like to thank you all for allowing H. Res. 1011 to come to the floor today, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of its passage.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall 13, I was in the Chamber but unable to record my vote. I intended to vote ``yea'' on that question.

Stated against:

Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize a great day in American history. On December 3, 1818 Illinois joined the United States of America. This month marks the 191st anniversary of this event. I join over 12 million Illinoisans in celebrating our great state's inclusion in the Union.

For nearly two centuries, Illinois has occupied an important position within our country. From Illinois, great, transformative leaders have risen to national prominence. In 1830, our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, moved to Illinois where he practiced law in Springfield and served in our state legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives before winning the presidency in 1860. It was in Illinois where Lincoln and foe, Senator Stephen Douglas, debated the issue of slavery, the first of which was in Ottawa. Lincoln proclaimed that, ``A house divided against itself cannot stand.'' It was Illinois that answered Lincoln's call by being the first state to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery. Today, we are proud to have another Illinoisan following Lincoln's legacy in the White House, our 44th President Barack Obama, with whom I served in Springfield and who served our great state in the U.S. Senate.

Illinois is home to a wide array of historic sites testifying to its important role in our nation's history. From Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, a physical remnant of the 1893 World's Fair, to the Cahokia Mounds, a pre-Columbian settlement in the southern part of the state, Illinois bears many of our nation's historical riches.

In addition, Illinois serves as one of the leaders in our nation's economy. Illinois is at the forefront of agriculture. It is the number two producer of corn, number one producer of soybeans in the United States, and a major producer of pork. Illinois is one of our nation's leading transportation hubs, which contribute greatly to our local economy. My district is home to the largest intermodal in the country, which provides thousands of local jobs. Many large corporations call Illinois home, such as State Farm Insurance of Bloomington, which is a major employer in Illinois' 11th Congressional District. Many motion pictures have been filmed in Illinois including the classic film Blues Brothers.

Within Illinois, communities from large urban cities to small rural villages come together to form the fabric of the fifth most populous state in the nation. In my own 11th District, I am proud to serve communities ranging from Peotone, in the near Chicago, to smaller communities, such as Streator and Princeton. In my district and across the state, farmers and urban professionals, teachers and firefighters all compose the diverse body of Americans known as Illinoisans. I am proud to join them today in celebrating our great state.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize the Village of Tinley Park in Illinois, which was recently named ``America's Best Place to Raise Your Kids'' by Business Week Magazine. The village was recognized primarily for its top-rated schools, low crime, beautiful parks, affordable housing, and easy access to jobs.

Founded in 1892, Tinley Park rests just a Metra ride from the city of Chicago, and a short drive from Illinois' vast farmlands. Established on the Rock Island Railroad, Tinley Park grew over the years through both agricultural industries, including a grain elevator and a windmill, and manufacturing plants, including a soft-drink bottling plant. The population grew slowly prior to World War II; however, it grew rapidly after the war, doubling every decade from 1950 to 1980.

In recent years Tinley Park has grown in recognition, with all three main high schools ranking among the top 100 in the state. Students of Andrew High School help at neighborhood shelters, libraries, and nursing homes through a requirement they complete 24 hours of community service. This requirement keeps the students closely tied to their community and, as a result, only three percent of the student body of 2,400 move away during high school, compared with the state average of 14 percent. Tinley Park is also home to many exceptional citizens, including Olympic swimmer Christine Magnuson and former Major League Baseball player Kevin Sefcik.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize the Joliet Arsenal Development Authority (JADA) for being named the 2009 Base Redevelopment Community of the Year by the Association of Defense Communities. I join the Association of Defense Communities in honoring JADA for bringing permanent jobs and revenue to the community in an environmentally friendly manner.

JADA was created in 1995, after Congress passed legislation allowing the former Army munitions facility in Joliet, IL, to be redeveloped with a transfer of ownership. The site has been developed into the largest intermodal facility in the Nation. An intermodal involves the transportation of freight in a container or vehicle, using multiple modes of transportation without any handling of the freight itself when changing modes. The development of the 3,000-acre site has already created 2,000 permanent jobs with approximately $150 million in annual wages. A portion of the site will be devoted to a state-of-the-art facility engineering training facility for the development of a range of engineering skills. There remains enormous potential to create many additional high-paying manufacturing and engineering jobs at this site.

Throughout the process of this redevelopment, special attention has been devoted to mitigating the environmental impacts of ammunitions waste on the site. A dozen public and private agencies worked to clean up the site and provide quality groundwater and soil. They finished this important work last year, three years ahead of schedule.

Will County and the Joliet area have greatly benefited from the efforts of the Joliet Arsenal Development Authority. It comes as no surprise JADA is being recognized on the national stage as a leader in redevelopment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of women across the country and protecting their access to cancer screenings. As the daughter of a breast cancer survivor--my mother got breast cancer under the age of 50--I understand the importance of regular mammograms and know they save lives.

I have met so many women across my district who are still with us today because of preventive care. We should always encourage women to get screened, and we should never allow insurance companies to stand between a woman, her doctor, and a procedure which may save her life. This is a disease that has affected so many of us in this Chamber and so many of our constituents back home.

I call on my colleagues to support this resolution and support women's health.

Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about an important issue, indirect land use change, which affects many of my domestic ethanol producers. It assumes that biofuel production displaces other crops which are then grown in other parts of the world, leading to deforestation, and that American biofuel producers should be penalized for that indirect release of carbon due to the unrelated actions of foreign countries.

The facts are that deforestation, particularly in the Amazon, has decreased, while domestic biofuel production has doubled over the same period. The House included a provision in the Energy bill that prevents EPA from implementing this rule for 6 years while it is studied to see whether the theory is scientifically sound.

Meanwhile, EPA is slated to release a rule in December which would presumably include this theory. This provision could have harmful effects on our ethanol producers, and I urge EPA to refrain from implementing ILUC until proper science can support it.

Madam Speaker, this fall Pam Heavens celebrates her twentieth year as Executive Director of the Will-Grundy Center for Independent Living. On behalf of the 11th Congressional District of Illinois, I would like to commend Pam for her years of selfless service on behalf of disabled Illinoisans.

As Executive Director, Pam has fought on behalf of thousands of disabled Will and Grundy County residents. The Center serves disabled citizens young and old, including our brave veterans. By offering services ranging from the Low Vision Loan Center to the Home Ownership Program, the Will-Grundy Center for Independent Living helps people with disabilities achieve their goals.

Pam has successfully led the Center through challenging times. The Center has increased services in the midst of a financial climate that has forced many organizations to cut services as they lose important funding sources.

Aside from her duties running the Center, Pam has worked with non- profits and governmental agencies at the local and state level to improve the lives of disabled persons. For example, through the Accessible Cities Alliance, Pam worked to ensure disabled consumers had access to local businesses through such efforts as the creation of accessible indoor walkways and the construction of wheelchair ramps.

Pam knows firsthand the importance of fighting for disability rights because she lives with cerebral palsy. Despite this challenge, Pam routinely works a sixty-hour work week on behalf of disabled individuals. Pam's dedication and perseverance should serve as an inspiration to all of us.

Mr. Speaker, we are in the middle of a health care crisis and doing nothing is not an option. I support health care reform.

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

Mr. Chairman, as a small business owner and as a member of the Small Business Committee, I understand the challenges that small business owners face on a day-to-day basis. I offer this amendment to help small chemical facilities in meeting some of those challenges.

My amendment is straightforward and necessary. It would improve this bill by giving the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security the authority to provide facilities with less than 350 employees the guidance, tools and software to help them comply with the security requirements of this bill.

We have a responsibility to make sure chemical facilities are safe, but we also have a responsibility to make sure that small businesses have the assistance and the resources that they need to comply with new security requirements. That is what my amendment does. It helps small chemical facilities to comply with security standards in an effective and profitable manner.

Based on DHS analysis, we can expect that 15 to 20 percent of the chemical facilities across the country have

less than 350 employees onsite. That's a significant number of small businesses that we cannot forget as we move forward on security requirements. These are facilities that create jobs that invest in economic growth. In a tough economic environment, these small businesses need to have the tools available to compete and succeed and, again, that's what this amendment does.

The bottom line is that we need small chemical facilities to be secure, but we also need them to be successful. This is an important amendment, and it will help make sure that those two critical goals are accomplished. We can't forget that as we move forward.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson).

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 752, a resolution I introduced to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Great Cherry Mine Disaster.

The Great Cherry Mine Disaster was a tragic coal mining accident that took place in Cherry, Illinois, which is a small town in Bureau County in my district. House Resolution 752 recognizes the historical significance of this mining accident, which led to the passage of landmark mine safety and worker safety legislation both in Illinois and at the Federal level.

I want to thank Chairman George Miller and Ranking Member John Kline for bringing my resolution to the floor. And I also want to thank Calla Brown, Jody Calemine, and Richard Miller from the majority staff on Education and Labor for working with my staff on this resolution.

Madam Speaker, on Saturday, November 13, 1909, 419 employees of the St. Paul Mine Company showed up to work at the company's coal mine in Cherry. The majority of them were immigrants working to achieve the American Dream. Most were Italian or Slovenian, but others were German, Greek, French, Irish, and British. These workers were represented by the United Mine Workers of America.

In 1909, coal mining was an extremely dangerous line of work. In that year alone, there were 2,642 recorded coal mining fatalities in the United States. Two years earlier, coal mining disasters in West Virginia and Pennsylvania resulted in over 200 deaths. These deaths and disasters were often the result of inadequate workplace safety regulation, which was the case in Cherry.

On November 13, 1909, the workers at Cherry were using kerosene lanterns and torches because of an electric outage in the mine. About 500 feet below the surface, one of the torches ignited some flammable material and the fire spread rapidly. Two shafts were closed in an attempt to smother the fire, which cut off oxygen to many of the workers. The lack of oxygen created a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen known as black damp, which made its way throughout the mine, suffocating many of the workers.

Two hundred of the miners quickly made their way to the surface, but the rest were trapped in the mine. One of the mine managers, a man named John Bundy, led a courageous group of miners back into the mine to rescue their fellow workers. On the seventh trip, Bundy and his rescue group caught fire and burned to death. Another group of 21 miners, who became known as the ``eight-day men,'' managed to survive in the mine for 8 days before they were rescued. When the disaster was over, 259 miners had died, including four children.

The Great Cherry Mine Disaster was the third deadliest mine disaster in American history. The Great Cherry Mine Disaster and other similar mine disasters moved lawmakers to enact landmark mine safety and worker safety reforms. In 1910, the Illinois General Assembly passed legislation requiring mine operators to maintain firefighting equipment and certain mine workers to pass safety tests. Also that year, Congress passed legislation creating the U.S. Bureau of Mines. In 1911, Illinois enacted its first worker compensation law.

The United Mine Workers and organized labor played a very important role in pushing for these reforms. Over the last century, we have made great progress on mine safety, but we still have more work to do. We learned this the hard way with the tragic Sago Mine disaster in West Virginia in 2006, which killed 13 coal miners.

As we move forward, we need to continue to update and improve our Nation's mine safety laws. House Resolution 752 honors the memory of those who lost their lives in the Great Cherry Mine Disaster and recognizes the important mine safety reforms enacted as a result of this and similar disasters. As we look into the future, it's important that we always remember the important lessons of the past.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting House Resolution 752.

Madam Speaker, I stand today in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I stand today to recognize the thousands of individuals who have bravely fought this tragic disease. I stand today to also remember those who didn't make it.

There isn't a single person who doesn't know someone affected by this disease. I will always remember my mom's fight with breast cancer. I will never forget the doctor's visits and the medication, or my parents' struggles fighting doctor's payments when she was just trying to fight the cancer. Today, there are so many just like her who must suffer through this alone and without the resources necessary to win their battle.

It is up to us to be there for them and to support them through their tough times and it is up to us to encourage early screenings and to fight for better care. This month will come and go, but we must always recognize those afflicted with this disease and help them fight for what they need and for their lives.