Floor Statements

Reserving the right to object, the title said ``for other purposes.'' Would you elaborate?

I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my objection.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Martin D. Gefland, on the occasion of his recognition as the 2006 Distinguished Recent Graduate by the Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

The CWRU School of Law annually recognizes a member of the alumni who, through his or her accomplishments and civic participation, enhances the perception of the profession, as well as the School of Law, in the community. Over the course of his legal career, Marty consistently has demonstrated the zeal and legal acumen to meet these requirements easily.

After completing his commission in the United States Navy, Marty embarked on his professional and educational careers, where he has evinced an unparalleled commitment to jurisprudence and the law. As a student at St. John's College, Marty served as a legislative intern to State Senator Gerald Winegrad. As a student at the School of Law, Marty was the president of the CWRU Environmental Law Society, as well as an editor for the Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law.

Since graduating from the School of Law and being admitted to the Ohio bar in 1997, Marty has employed his legal passions in pursuit of environmental and labor justice, as well as community health. As my senior counsel, Marty has been a tireless advocate for the residents of the 10th District of Ohio, and throughout Ohio. Marty was instrumental in saving hundreds of jobs, and millions of dollars in community resources, during the Primary Health System bankruptcy case and the Conrail merger. Marty continues his pursuit for environmental and labor justice by fighting to keep vital manufacturing jobs in Northeast Ohio, protect NASA Glenn Research Center, and maintain Cleveland's greatest natural resource, Lake Erie.

Marty also displays a commitment to community development through his involvement with myriad community service organizations, as well as his advocacy with Federal administrations to ensure that Cleveland receives all the resources it needs.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Martin D. Gelfand on this special occasion. I and the residents of the 10th District are grateful for his tireless advocacy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the first anniversary of the Saigon Plaza Community Center, sponsored by the Friendship Foundation of American Vietnamese. Saigon Plaza has excelled in its first year, having established valuable links and bridges of friendship between the people of America and the people of Asia, especially Indochina.

The Saigon Plaza has been a beacon within the community promoting peace, progress, justice, and friendship. The Saigon Plaza

has opened its facilities up to various groups and agencies throughout Northeast Ohio area for gatherings, events, celebrations, and other community activities. Under the sponsorship of the Friendship Foundation, the Community Center has presented many worthwhile events and services including art exhibits, festivals, veterans' memorial events, job and employment events, and other community activities. The Saigon Plaza and Friendship Foundation have also assisted members of the Vietnamese-American, Kampuchean-American, and Laotian-American communities by providing various services for them, including tax educational activities, financial counseling, and utility assistance.

The Saigon Plaza also has spread its marvelous works outside Ohio and the United States. They have established programs of economic development, women's enterprises, and handicapped people in Vietnam as well as countries of Southeast Asia, establishing an outlet for their goods and handicrafts. The Plaza is a vital source of Vietnamese and Asian culture locally, and bridges international communities.

I ask my colleagues to join me in recognition and appreciation of the Saigon Plaza and the Friendship Foundation of American Vietnamese. Their work and dedication has reached across borders to aid communities locally and internationally.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory and recognition of Charles J. Germana whose personal service to the greater Cleveland Community and the United States alike are a shining example of the all- American spirit. Charles' life is marked by his dedication to his country, community, and his family.

Charles valiantly defended freedom in World War II in the United States Navy. He transformed his courage and core values to civilian life when he actively led his community by founding the Seven Hill Democratic Club. Charles continued his leadership by proudly being elected as the Mayor of Seven Hills from 1967 to 1973. His public service career did not end there as he went on to selflessly serve as the Council President in Seven Hills.

Throughout his long and distinguished life, Charles did not only serve his community in elected positions. He was also a devoted and enthusiastic Boy Scout for 50 years. His strong leadership skills were cultivated heavily throughout a lifetime of volunteering and brotherhood in the Boy Scouts of America. Charles was also a very spiritual man, showing his faith as an active member of the Columbine Catholic Church.

Family was very important to Charles. His legacy continues through his wife, Mae; three children, Chuck, Joe, and Janet; and the memory of his daughter Emily; eleven grandchildren; and seven greatgrandchildren. Charles' love and concern for his family reflected in his hard work and Four Star Insurance Agency, which he founded in 1954, still remains in the control of his family. Charles Germana's love of his family and his dedication to public service continue on as his son Chuck carries the family torch of public service as the President of Parma City Council. Charles nurtured these values of leadership, service, brotherhood, and giving in all of his family--making him truly an honorable statesman and father.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, I am honored to ask you to join me in recognition of Charles J. Germana as a loving community leader, member, and pillar. Charles' unwavering commitment to his family, church, and community is a great example of how one man can in deep faith dedicate his life to helping others.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in joyful remembrance of the life and work of Robert Lockwood, Jr., a giant of Delta blues, whose music and spirit will leave a lasting legacy in Cleveland, his hometown since 1961.

Born in Turkey Scratch, Arkansas, Robert Lockwood, Jr., began playing the guitar at the age of 11. Under the tutelage of master bluesman Robert Johnson, Lockwood was playing professionally by the age of 15.

Over time, Lockwood developed a unique musical style of his own, going beyond the Mississippi Delta Blues he mastered as a youth. Two of his albums, ``I Got to Find Me a Woman'' and ``Delta Crossroads'' were nominated for Grammy Awards. He is the recipient of numerous honors, including the National Heritage Fellowship presented to him by Hillary Clinton in 1995, two National Blues Music Awards from the Blues Foundation, induction into the Blues Hall of Fame, and honorary doctorates from Case Western Reserve and Cleveland State Universities.

Home of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland's diverse cultural community thrives on music and art. Robert was a regular performer for years in the popular Fat Fish Blue, a blues-themed restaurant and bar in Cleveland, and in venues all over the city. Robert's infectious music and hypnotic finger-picking has left an indelible stamp on Cleveland as well as a whole musical genre.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the memory and legacy of Robert Lockwood, Jr., protege to Robert Johnson, mentor to B.B. King, and entertainer to generations of fans. His soulful blues and personality will live on in our hearts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in esteem of Jeanette Grasselli Brown's lifetime of profound accomplishments. Ms. Grasselli Brown has contributed immensely to the world through her distinguished career as a chemist, and since retiring she has been just as busy working to improve northeast Ohio.

After beginning her career as the only female chemistry major at Ohio University, Ms. Grasselli Brown continued to work for 39 years at BP America, retiring as the director of corporate research. At BP, Ms. Grasselli Brown fought to ensure that female employees received salaries equal to their male coworkers, and that they received flexible schedules while raising their children. While working full time, she earned her master's degree in organic chemistry, and wrote a monthly column called ``Letter from America,'' for a European spectroscopy journal. Ms. Grasselli Brown also has served as an advisor for The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the International Women's Forum, the Ohio Academy of Sciences, the Smithsonian Institute, and the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. Furthermore, Ms. Grasselli Brown is a champion within the scientific world and is considered the outstanding woman chemist in the United States. She received the Garvan Medal in 1986 from the American Chemical Association, and the Fisher Award in 1993 from the American Chemical Society. In 1999, she followed these accolades with the American Chemical Society's Award for Encouraging Women into Careers in the Chemical Sciences. She has been recognized by the Society for Applied Spectroscopy with their Distinguished Service Award; she has received 13 honorary doctoral degrees from universities in both the United States and Hungary; and she is listed in both The World's Who's Who of Women and Foremost Women of the Twentieth Century. In 1989, Ms. Grasselli Brown was inducted into the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame, and she was the first woman to be inducted into the Ohio Science and Technology Hall of Fame. In addition to her full time job at BP, she has been a director of six corporations, three of which are Fortune 500 companies.

Ms. Grasselli Brown has been a tireless worker in the corporate, civic, and philanthropic realms, and continues her commitment to northeast Ohio through her work on numerous committees and boards of regents, acting as trustee and chair.

Today I am honored to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the life and achievements of this amazing woman, Ms. Jeanette Grasselli Brown.

Mr. Speaker, President Bush has cited oil as a reason for our continued presence in Iraq. The Iraq Study Group is recommending that Iraq oil law be changed to facilitate privatization of Iraq's oil resources. The Iraq report says as much as 500,000 barrels per day, that is $1.3 billion per year in Iraqi oil wealth, is now being stolen, which is interesting since the oil ministry is the first place our troops were sent after the invasion. And we have 140,000 troops in Iraq.

How can we expect the end of the Iraq war and national reconciliation in Iraq while we advocate that Iraq's oil wealth be handled by private oil companies? And it is ironic that this report comes at the exact time that our Interior Department's Inspector General says that oil companies are cheating us, the U.S. people, out of billions of dollars and the administration is looking the other way. Is it possible that Secretary Baker has a conflict of interest, which should have precluded him from co-chairing a study group which promotes privatization of Iraq oil assets, given his ties to the oil industry? Is it possible that our troops are dying for the profits of oil?

Madam Speaker, the American public did not vote for the Iraq Study Group. They voted for a new Congress and a new direction in Iraq: Out.

Now, many who voted for change will be surprised to learn that there are some who say they oppose the war and will continue to fund it in the name of supporting the troops. We will not abandon our troops in the field, some solemnly pronounce, while continuing to fund a war that even generals say cannot be won militarily.

Well, then, we have already abandoned our troops in the field. We have abandoned them to lies about why the war was being fought. We have abandoned them to getting shot at from all sides. We have left them in a type of hell where we profess a strange love for them by keeping them there.

The money is in the pipeline right now to bring the troops home now; $70 billion was appropriated for Iraq on October 1. The administration will ask for another $160 billion in the spring. That is a total of $230 billion for the Iraq war. In less than 2 years the war on the so- called defense budgets will cost more than $1 trillion.

Stop wasting money. Stop wasting lives. Bring the troops home now and cut off funds for more war.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Dr. Mark H. Collier, a distinguished leader and man of rich faith and vision whose unparalleled commitment to the Baldwin-Wallace College community, especially the learning, growth, and development of its student body, has touched the lives of all at B-W.

Dr. Collier, the seventh president of Baldwin-Wallace, has served in this capacity since 1999. Prior to assuming this role, he served as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College for 18 years. He guided the curriculum and instruction, enrollment, continuing education, and multicultural affairs with strength, passion, and vigor. Dr. Collier came to B-W in 1974 as chaplain and professor of religion, before serving as pastor of the North Olmsted United Methodist Church. His academic expertise and contributions are equally significant.

During his time leading Baldwin-Wallace, he led multiple planning efforts, including a campus-wide master plan, which have enhanced Baldwin-Wallace's ability to continue to achieve its mission in the future. He continued to shape the culture of Baldwin-Wallace to reflect values of diversity, expression, global interconnectedness, and spirituality. His numerous accomplishments are not only reflected in the success of the college and campus atmosphere, but perhaps most important, in the societal contributions of its students and graduates.

In addition to serving Baldwin-Wallace, Dr Collier's considerable commitment to the Cleveland-area community and beyond is evident in his volunteer work with the United Way, Leadership Cleveland, the Greater Cleveland Roundtable, and groups.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Dr. Mark H. Collier, as he leaves the post of President of Baldwin- Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, an academic institution which I know has benefited in tremendous ways through his time, effort, and leadership throughout the past 31 years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the efforts of Mr. Jim Rokakis, who has dedicated his life to public service in Ohio. Mr. Rokakis has improved life for all residents of Cuyahoga County as he initiates sweeping reform from the treasurer's office. He has been dedicated to both economic development and job creation and retention. .

Mr. Rokakis has served diligently both Cuyahoga County and Ohio. Mr. Rokakis represented Cleveland's Ward 15 as councilman for 19 years, the final seven of which he served as Chairman of the Finance Committee. As councilman, Mr. Rokakis aided in upgrading Cleveland's bond rating, improving the city's investment returns, was a leader in developing the Gateway Sports Complex, responsible for Cleveland's gun buy-back program, the Indoor Clean Air Act, the creation of Cleveland's Housing Court, and a law aimed at fighting car thefts. Since 1997, Mr. Rokakis has excelled as Cuyahoga County Treasurer where his innovative ideas have revolutionized the county's investment and collection procedures.

Mr. Rokakis has significantly improved Cuyahoga County's investment function, increasing the county's return and the diversification of the portfolio, while significantly reducing the fees spent on advisory services. He worked successfully to pass several Ohio House bills to better serve the state. In addition, Mr. Rokakis' work has earned him the recognition of The Cleveland Plain Dealer who in 1999-2001 awarded the county's portfolio as having the best performance among those evaluated for the period; as well as being honored by the State of Israel Bonds for his values and ideals rooted in democracy and the inalienable rights of working men and women. Specifically, Mr. Rokakis developed the Home Enhancement Loan Program, the first of its kind in the country, which has received the Community Impact Award from Dominion East Ohio/Inside Business Magazine, an award from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, and won the 2003 EPA Smart Growth Award. As treasurer, Mr. Rokakis has aided in developing numerous programs to better all residents from students to seniors.

Mr. Rokakis is a proud graduate of Oberlin College and Cleveland- Marshall School of Law. He serves the important role of husband and father to his wife Laurie and their three children.

Mr. Speaker and my fellow colleagues, I ask you to rise with me in recognition of Mr. Jim Rokakis' contributions within Ohio. I anticipate seeing what great accomplishments Mr. Rokakis holds in his future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Richard W. Durst, as he assumes the role of president of Baldwin- Wallace College, an extraordinary institution of higher learning in Berea, OH.

Mr. Durst comes to the Cleveland area after 6 years as dean of the College of Arts and Architecture and executive director of University Arts Services at the Pennsylvania State University. He will undoubtedly succeed in continuing to build Baldwin-Wallace's academic recognition, especially in the areas of arts, music, and theater as an international expert in theater set design and the role of the arts in academic training.

His creative work has been featured in group exhibitions in Beijing and Seoul, and he was invited to design the world premiere of The Belltower for the Paris Opera. He also was the codesigner of the United States' exhibit for the 1999 Prague Quadrennial, the world's largest and most prestigious exhibition of theater design and theater architecture.

He brings to B-W demonstrated strengths in curriculum development and review, administration, recruitment and retention planning, fund raising and facilities construction and management. He has already received distinction for receptiveness, presence, and academic stature which has connected with all of the portions of the college community.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognition and welcome to Mr. Richard W. Durst, an individual with both significant academic accomplishments and a record of community involvement which will positively add to the campus community of Baldwin-Wallace and the Cleveland area in general, and I look forward to working with him to further enrich the College and all elements of higher education.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Tim Satola. A model citizen throughout his life, Tim's enthusiasm, motivation, and personal drive to help people is echoed in his accomplishments.

A leader all his life, Tim was high school linebacker for the Garfield Bulldogs. His energy and spirit was an inspiration to his teammates and anyone who knew him. On the football team, his passion and energy earned him a reputation as ``the light of the team.'' Tim went on to graduate from nursing school and began his career as a registered nurse shortly before his untimely passing.

Tim's commitment to helping people continues even after his death with the establishment of the Tim Satola Scholarship Fund. His parents, Donna and Dennis Satola, set up the scholarship fund to help students of Garfield Heights High School with the financial burdens of attending college. Already, the fund has awarded two $500 scholarships.

The Tim Satola Memorial Scholarship Fund honors students who share Tim's zest for life and his commitment to helping others. The fund continues the tremendous compassionate spirit that Tim would have wanted to inspire in the students of his high school alma mater.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honoring the memory of Tim Satola and the continuing inspiration he brings through the Tim Satola Scholarship Fund to the students of Garfield Heights High School.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the contributions of Mr. Loree Soggs to both Cleveland and Ohio. Mr. Soggs has been a member of and advocate for unions since he entered the workforce over 40 years ago. He has also serves the community diligently through his extensive civic participation.

Mr. Soggs entered his union as an operating engineer, and he has served his IUOE Local 18 as a business agent, apprenticeship coordinator, steward director, officer and fringe benefit fund trustee. In 1994, Mr. Soggs was elected to the office of executive secretary for Cleveland's Building and Construction Trades Council, being the first operating engineer to hold this office in the council's history. He has successfully negotiated numerous contracts fighting for the betterment of working men and women within the community. He further supports the realm of labor by serving as president of the North Shore Federation of Labor, vice president of the Ohio State Building and Construction Trades Council, executive director of the Northern Ohio Building Trades Real Estate Investment Program, trustee of the Union Construction Industry Partnership, and serves as a board member on four other labor related organizations.

The civic realm has benefited equally from Mr. Soggs' years of dedicated work. As an advocate for senior citizens, he strives to improve the quality of life of the elderly, specifically focusing on housing efforts. He is very politically involved, serving on the executive committee of the Cuyahoga Democratic Party and as a board member of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. Due to his civic dedication, Mr. Soggs is being honored by the State of Israel Bonds for his values and ideals rooted in democracy, and the inalienable rights of working men and women.

Mr. Soggs' work is rooted in his bachelor of arts degree from Defiance College, as well as the support from his wife, Barbara, and their five children.

Mr. Speaker and my fellow colleagues, please join me in celebration of the efforts of Mr. Loree Soggs to the labor and civic communities in Ohio. His contributions have not gone unnoticed, and will surely multiply and reach new levels of excellence in the upcoming years.

Mr. Speaker, on September 30, 2006, this House appropriated $70 billion in bridge funds for the war in Iraq. There is talk now of another appropriation of $130 billion in the spring, bringing the total for the war in Iraq to $200 billion for a single fiscal year.

This House is going to have to make an historic decision in the spring, and I want the American people to know right now that the money is in the budget to bring our troops home. There is no need for an additional appropriation of $130 billion. That will only keep the troops there. You want the troops to come home, the money is there right now in the budget to bring the troops home. We don't have to keep this war going.

The American people voted for a new direction in November, and that new direction is something they are entitled to. We don't have to dig a deeper grave in Iraq. We can bring the troops

home and bring them home now because the money is there now to bring the troops home. The money is there now to bring the troops home. The money is there now to bring the troops home.

Mr. Speaker, one week ago, the American people sent a message to this Congress; that message had to do with Iraq. Were the American people asking us to send more troops? No, they want the troops to come home. Were they looking to expand the war? No, they want to end the war.

There is only one way to end this war: cut off funds. The White House doesn't believe Congress will exercise this power. That is why the President is determined to stay in Iraq through the end of his term. He may have let go of Rumsfeld, but he is not going to let go of the war. The President is trapped, trapped by lies, fabricated intelligence, pretensions to empire, desire for oil and prophetic illusions.

The truth shall set the President and the Congress free; the truth that it was wrong to go into Iraq. It is wrong to stay there. It is time to bring our troops home. It is time to get the world community involved in a transition to help secure the Iraqi people. The truth is we broke Iraq, but we can't fix it by staying. We can fix it only by admitting we were wrong and paying for reconstruction financially but not with the lives of our brave troops.

It is time to cut off the funds; time to end the war against Iraq; time to bring our troops home; time for a new energy policy; time to reconnect with the world; time for hope, not fear.