Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, the week of September 17-23 has been officially designated as Constitution Week. This marks the 220th anniversary of the signing of our Constitution.

The guardian of our liberties, our Constitution established our republic as a self-governing nation dedicated to rule by law. This document is the cornerstone of our freedom. It was written to protect every American from the abuse of power by government. Without that restraint, our founders believed the republic would perish.

The ideals upon which our Constitution is based are reinforced each day by the success of our political system to which it gave birth. The success of our way of government requires an enlightened citizenry.

Constitution Week provides an opportunity for all Americans to recall the achievements of our founders, the nature of limited government, and the rights, privileges and responsibilities of citizenship. It provides us the opportunity to be better informed about our rights, freedoms and duties as citizens.

Madam Speaker, at this time I particularly want to take note of the outstanding work of the Prairie Rose Chapter of the Kansas Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, which is actively involved in the Third Congressional District in events this week commemorating Constitution Week. The Prairie Rose Chapter has been involved with this effort in our communities for a number of years and I commend them for doing so.

Our Constitution has served us well for over 200 years, but it will continue as a strong, vibrant, and vital foundation for freedom only so long as the American people remain dedicated to the basic principles on which it rests. Thus, as the United States continues into its third century of constitutional democracy, let us renew our commitment to, in the words of our Constitution's preamble: ``form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity . . .'' I know that the Prairie Rose Chapter of the Kansas Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution joins with me in urging all Americans to renew their commitment to, and understanding of, our Constitution, particularly during our current time of crisis, when Americans are fighting overseas to defend our liberties here at home.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my disappointment regarding the House of Representatives' approval of S. 1927, legislation greatly expanding the Bush Administration's eavesdropping authority beyond even what Administration officials requested. I urge the House Judiciary Committee to promptly consider and report improved legislation that will provide the necessary surveillance authority our intelligence services need to protect our nation, while protecting our citizens' most basic expectation of privacy and fundamental civil liberties that are guaranteed by our constitution. Specifically, the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states plainly: ``The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.''

I have been a longstanding supporter of efforts to provide our intelligence and law enforcement agencies with all the necessary tools they need to monitor potential agents with terrorist intentions against the United States. Following the awful terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, on our country, I joined 356 of my House colleagues to vote for the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001 (P.L. 107-56). The legislation gave federal officials greater authority to track and intercept communications, both for law enforcement and foreign intelligence

gathering purposes. Among other additional provisions, the law also created new crimes, new penalties, and new procedural efficiencies for use against domestic and international terrorists.

The law contained, however, provisions that allowed for enhanced surveillance procedures that many citizens were concerned restricted civil liberties. I subsequently supported several amendments to various appropriations measures that would have improved civil liberties protections, namely: (1) Rep. Bernie Sanders' amendment to fiscal year 2006 Science, State, Justice and Commerce Appropriations Act which would have exempted libraries and bookstores from section 215 of the PATRIOT Act while increasing congressional oversight; and (2) Rep. Butch Otter's amendment to a fiscal year 2004 appropriations measure that would have prevented the use off section 213 of the PATRIOT Act that extended so-called ``sneak and peek'' authority to local police that previously was made available only to foreign intelligence investigators. Previously, police had to ``knock and announce'' their intention of searching before executing any warrant. Even though the Sanders amendment passed the House by a vote of 238-187, and the Otter amendment passed by a vote of 309-118, they both were unfortunately pulled from their respective appropriations measures before they were signed into law by the President.

Several sections of the PATRIOT Act were set to expire on December 31, 2005, unless they were extended. These ``sunset provisions'' included wiretapping privileges, sharing wiretap and foreign intelligence information, FISA authority and jurisdiction, voicemail warrants, and various other powers. On July 21, 2005, the House approved H.R. 3199 by a vote of 257-171. This legislation would have made permanent 14 of the 16 provisions that were set to expire in 2005. The remaining two provisions, involving the government's ability to use roving wiretaps and the government's access to business and library records, were assigned 10-year sunsets, at which point they will either be renewed or will expire. While the majority of the sections remained unchanged, during consideration of this legislation, the House adopted a few measures that would help protect government abuses of civil liberties. Among these were amendments that would require the Director of the FBI to personally review any and all requests for library or bookstore records under Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, as well as an amendment that would allow the recipient of a national security letter (NSL) to consult with an attorney and challenge the issuance of the letter in court. I voted for both of these amendments. I voted against H.R. 3199, however, because I didn't believe it was a good idea to make permanent policy for the United States concerning our fundamental rights and freedoms during extraordinary times of war. We must never allow terrorists to alter the freedoms that define our country and make us the greatest nation in the world.

On July 29, 2005, the Senate approved legislation that would also make permanent 14 of the 16 provisions set to expire in 2005; however, it would have placed 4-year sunsets on the two remaining provisions and would have placed additional checks on government power that would help ensure the preservation of our valuable civil liberties. These two pieces of legislation were sent to a House-Senate conference committee to resolve their differences; In December 2005, a new agreement was reached in conference proposing 4-year expiration dates for the two provisions involving the government's ability to use roving wiretaps and the government's access to business and library records, as well as a 4-year sunset to a provision in the 2004 intelligence overhaul law (P.L. 108-458) that allows law enforcement to seek warrants against ``lone wolf'' terrorists not connected to foreign powers. On December 14, 2005, the House agreed to the conference report by a vote of 251- 174. I voted for the final version of the legislation because I was satisfied with the shorter expirations on some of the more contentious provisions and I was concerned about the possible effect on our national security if these provisions of the PATRIOT Act were allowed to expire.

After being approved in the House, however, several members of the Senate remained concerned about the government's ability to acquire records and obtain administrative search warrants. Several Senators later announced an agreement they had reached with the White House, to make three changes to the previously agreed-to conference report relating to the government seizure of records. Specifically, these changes: (1) Allow recipients of a business records request to challenge a gag order, although to overturn it they would have to wait one year and prove the government acted in ``bad faith''; (2) remove a requirement that recipients of national security letters, which do not require court approval, disclose the name of any attorney they consult or intend to consult; and (3) clarify language in the 2001 law to ensure that libraries operating in traditional roles and not as Internet service providers would not be subject to national security letters. The House later agreed to these amendments by a vote of 280- 138, which I supported. On March 9, 2006, President Bush signed the final version of H.R. 3199 (P.L. 109-177) and the S. 2271 amendments (P.L. 109-178) into law.

In order to effectively fight the war on terror we need intelligence, but this intelligence should be gathered in a legal manner and consistent with our constitution. Traditionally, the NSA's intelligence-gathering role has been limited to intercepting international communications as part of the government's foreign spying activities. Under the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA, P.L. 95-511), the federal government is required to obtain a warrant to conduct domestic wiretaps, but the NSA program disclosed by President Bush and his administration appears to have operated outside the FISA law.

In the 109th Congress, Rep. Heather Wilson introduced H.R. 5825, the Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act. This legislation would have given the President expanded authority to authorize electronic surveillance of communications by suspected terrorists without first obtaining approval from the FISA court. Specifically, it allowed the President to authorize warrantless electronic surveillance for up to 90 days in three circumstances--an armed attack against the United States, a terrorist attack against the United States, or if there is an ``imminent threat'' that is likely to cause death or widespread harm. The measure also would have extended the amount of time intelligence agencies can conduct warrantless electronic surveillance in ``emergency situations'' to seven days, from the current three-day limit.

The FISA law then contained certain exceptions for intelligence operations on U.S. soil--it permitted the president to authorize the Justice Department to conduct electronic surveillance or physical searches without approval by the FISA court to gather foreign intelligence for up to 15 days after Congress enacted a declaration of war. In addition, it allowed the federal government to conduct electronic surveillance without the court's approval in ``emergency situations,'' provided that the government seeks approval from the FISA court within three days of initiating emergency surveillance.

The Electronic Surveillance Modernization Act, however, represented a significant departure from the protections put in place under FISA in 1978. Nowhere in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act does it state that the president can bypass the process of seeking a court order to spy on American citizens through an executive order. I was concerned that this legislation was a political attempt to retroactively justify the President breaking the law. I fully believe that if the President followed the law and approached the FISA court and Congress for approval of such programs, that Congress and the FISA court would gladly give the President the powers he needs to combat terrorism. For these reasons, I voted against H.R. 5825 when it was brought to the House floor for a vote on September 28, 2006. This legislation was approved in the House by a vote of 232-191, but did not receive a vote in the Senate, effectively killing the legislation in the last Congress.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced on January 17, 2007, that the FISA court authorized and issued orders on January 10, 2007, granting wiretaps that the Administration requested. Subsequently, the Justice Department has shared those classified documents with the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, as well as the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees.

The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General released a 126-page audit report on March 9, 2007, entitled ``A Review of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Use of National Security Letters.'' In this report, it was revealed that FBI agents were using national security letters to obtain personal information such as phone, internet, and financial records of individuals without court orders. The audit also found that 22 percent of these letters were not recorded and of those that were recorded, some were issued without proper authority. Senators Arlen Specter and Patrick Leahy have voiced concern over the findings of this report. I am deeply troubled by this report and strongly believe vital intelligence should be gathered in a manner that is fully consistent with our laws and constitution.

The congressional leadership spent many months in 2007 negotiating a reauthorization of the FISA law with the Bush Administration and Admiral Michael McConnell, Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Both Democrats and Republicans agree that we need to update the FISA law to incorporate new technologies, such as cell phones and e-mail, which did not exist when the original FISA law was written. Prior to the August District Work Period, the Bush Administration pressed the

congressional leadership to pass a short-term FISA update. During negotiations, Director McConnell told the congressional leadership that he supported several technical changes that: (1) allowed foreign targets to be added a ``basket warrant'' after the warrant was approved; (2) expanded the draft bill to apply to ``all foreign intelligence'' from only intelligence ``relating to terrorism''; and (3) eliminated the requirement that the FISA court adjudicate how recurring communications into the United States from foreign targets would be handled. Following these improvements to the draft bill, the DNI told congressional leadership that with these changes, he could support the bill because it would ``significantly enhance America's security.'' I voted for the final version of this legislation, H.R. 3356, the Improving Foreign Intelligence Surveillance to Defend the Nation and the Constitution Act of 2007. Even though a majority (218- 207) voted in favor of H.R. 3356, the bill did not pass as it was considered under suspension of the rules (2/3 vote to approve required).

The Senate passed a much different version of FISA legislation, S. 1927, the Protect America Act sponsored by Senators Mitch McConnell and Kit Bond. This legislation greatly exceeds what the Bush Administration requested in legislation, providing a virtual blank check for intelligence agencies to eavesdrop, including on the conversations of U.S. citizens, with essentially no oversight by the FISA court or Congress. The legislation allows the U.S. Attorney General to decide when to eavesdrop on any e-mail message or phone call without a warrant, so long as one of the people communicating is ``reasonably believed'' to be outside the country. That is a vague term that the Administration is allowed to interpret however they want, greatly expanding its surveillance powers, while the legislation does not provide the courts with any real power to supervise this surveillance. Proponents of S. 1927 point out that the legislation has a six month sunset and will expire in February 2009. This sunset is artificial, as the orders in effect in February 2009 could last for up to a year, essentially for the remainder of the Bush Administration with no oversight. For these reasons, I voted against S. 1927 when the House considered the measure on August 4, 2007. The House approved the legislation by a vote of 227-183, and the President signed it into law on August 5, 2007 (P.L. 110-55).

Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote a letter to Judiciary Chairman John Conyers and Select Intelligence Chairman Silvestre Reyes on August 4, 2007, urging that the House of Representatives should consider comprehensive FISA reauthorization legislation. I agree with her statement that: ``Many provisions of this legislation are unacceptable, and although the bill has a six-month sunset clause, I do not believe the American people will want to wait that long before corrective action is taken.''

As a co-equal branch of government, it is necessary that Congress fully understand how the Bush Administration executes intelligence activities in order to exercise proper oversight. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to ensure that law enforcement agencies have strong, flexible tools to intercept the communications of terrorists, and at the same time protect our citizens' civil liberties from unwarranted government probing.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 544, recognizing the victims of floods in Kansas.

On June 26, a storm brought several days of torrential rainfall to Kansas, leading to major damage, including the destruction of 3,100 homes and businesses, and even more tragically, one person's death.

Within a 4 day period, some communities received 21 inches of rain. Communities in 20 counties were evacuated.

This resolution simply expresses heartfelt sympathy for the victims of these devastating thunderstorms, in addition to conveying gratitude to the local, State, and Federal officials and emergency personnel who responded swiftly to the crisis, including the Kansas National Guard and Kansas Highway Patrol and recognizing the generous support of volunteers, private and corporate donors, religious groups, and charitable organizations that have given generously toward the relief efforts following the destructive flooding.

Most importantly, this resolution commends the spirit of the people of Kansas, who consistently demonstrate their strength, not only in rebuilding their own lives in the face of adversity and hardship, but also through their outpouring of compassionate care for neighbors.

``Ad astra per aspera,'' is our Kansas motto--``to the stars through difficulties.''

I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 544, acknowledging the destruction left behind by recent severe weather in Kansas, yet celebrating the resilience of the Kansans rebuilding homes, businesses, lives, and dreams.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the House of Representatives for its approval of S. 1, legislation providing for the codification of important new lobbying and ethics rules. I also would like to take this opportunity to urge the Senate and President to promptly approve this important legislation.

I have been a longstanding supporter of efforts to make government more transparent, and to hold public officials and those who influence the legislative process accountable for their actions. Unfortunately, in recent years the influence of money in politics and a number of ethics scandals have tarnished the integrity of the Congress and led to increased public cynicism. There is a national crisis of confidence in our political system because of the influence of money in the legislative process, and the American people share a widely held belief that special interests, lobbyists, and the very wealthiest campaign contributors wield too much influence in government.

S. 1 is the logical continuation of the efforts that have already been undertaken in this Congress to provide greater transparency and to restore a sense of accountability to the Congress, and I am pleased that Congress is moving to establish new lobbying disclosure requirements and ethics enforcement mechanisms that will provide further additional deterrents to engaging in unethical behavior. I am also pleased that it would establish a new rule in the Senate regarding earmark transparency, specifically requiring that lists of earmarks, limited tax benefits, and limited tariff benefits included in bills, joint resolutions, or conference reports be made available on the Internet to the general public for at least 48 hours before consideration.

For several months I have advocated adding a similar requirement to the House rules so I am disappointed, however, that this requirement was not extended to the House of Representatives. In fact, on February 15, 2007, I introduced H. Res. 169, a House resolution that would bring the earmark disclosure requirements of the House in line with those of S. 1, which would ensure that lists of earmarks, limited tax benefits, and limited tariff benefits included in House bills, joint resolutions, or conference reports be made available on a publicly accessible website at least 48 hours before consideration. I believe that this is a commonsense reform to the House rules that would provide American taxpayers with easily accessible information on congressional earmarks and bring an additional level of transparency and accountability to the process. I encourage my colleagues in the House to join me in this to make the earmarking process in the House as open and transparent as possible.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3034, legislation I have introduced with the rest of the Kansas delegation to rename the Gardner, KS, postal service facility the ``Private First Class Shane R. Austin Post Office.''

Private First Class Shane Austin grew up in Edgerton, KS, and attended Gardner-Edgerton High School before joining the U.S. Army. PFC Austin was 19 years old when he was killed on October 8, 2006, while serving in the United States Army's First Armored Division, during combat operations in Ramadi, Iraq. For his heroism, and for saving the lives of several fellow soldiers, Shane was awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.

According to Captain Daniel Costin, Shane was a quiet, unassuming man who worked hard, whether it was cutting grass in rear detachment or conducting maintenance on his tank.

Shane's father Terrance also said that while Shane was a bit on the wild side before leaving for boot camp, when Shane came home after finishing basic training he stood tall, stared you straight in the eye, and had a firm handshake.

On October 8, 2006, Shane courageously sacrificed the most precious thing a person can offer to his country--his life; and our country, the state of Kansas, and the Gardner-Edgerton community owes Shane and his family absolute gratitude for the rights and freedoms that he so heroically fought to protect.

Shane also follows in the path of a long line of brave and courageous individuals from the Gardner-Edgerton area who have given the ultimate sacrifice to protect those same rights and liberties. In fact, soldiers from the area have given their lives in service to their country in the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, and their sacrifice must also be remembered and honored.

So today I am proud to join with my colleagues in remembering these brave individuals, and in offering this remembrance so that our community never forgets the sacrifice that a brave soldier from Kansas made for his country.

The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, was read the third time, and passed, and a motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the late Eugene Barrett, Jr., who died on July 20, 2007.

A former Wyandotte County, KS Treasurer, Eugene Barrett, Jr., was born on January 26, 1930, to Eugene and Margaret Barrett of Kansas City, KS. A lifelong Kansas City resident, he served in the Korean War, after which he became a part of the local banking community at Kaw Valley State Bank, served as Wyandotte County Treasurer, and was appointed Kansas State Banking Commissioner by Governor John Carlin, a post he held from 1984 to 1987. With a long range vision for the future of Wyandotte County, he donated his time and service to many organizations, a few of which included the Wyandotte County Planning Commission, the Wyandotte County Parks Foundation Board, and the Wyandotte County 4-H Fair Board. He also served as a member of the Donnelly College Board of Trustees. Joined by his family, he also had a lifelong affiliation with the Sister Servants of Mary.

Eugene Barrett, Jr., was preceded in death by his loving wife of 42 years, Betty. He is survived by his five children: daughter Mary and husband Gary Batson; daughter Jenny Scheve; son Mike and wife Lori; son Paul and wife Erin; and son Gene and wife Anna, all of the Kansas City area. Additionally, he is survived by a sister, Sally and her husband Jim Sanders, of Lenexa, KS, 13 grandchildren, one great grandchild, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Madam Speaker, in the words of his family, Eugene Barrett, Jr., lived a meaningful and eventful life filled with loving family, and many friends will miss him dearly. I commend him for his service to our community and our state and appreciate this opportunity to pay tribute to him before the full U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. Chairman, with today's passage of the fiscal year 2008 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill I am pleased to acknowledge the inclusion, in this important legislation, of funding to begin the implementation of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program.

In 2004, the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act, legislation championed by Rep. Randy Neugebauer and myself, became law. On its road to passage, H.R. 2608 (P.L. 108-360) enjoyed widespread support in both the House and the Senate. The enactment of this legislation established the interagency National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP) to improve windstorm impact assessment and streamline the implementation of federal mitigation efforts to minimize loss of life and property due to severe windstorms like hurricanes and tornados.

All states and regions of the United States are vulnerable to windstorms, and we all share in the cost of repairing the several billion dollars in economic damage caused each year by these storms. Vulnerabilities also continue to grow as our communities grow, but improved windstorm impact measures have the potential to substantially reduce future losses. Sadly, up to this point few resources have been committed to research and program coordination in this area, and no funding has been appropriated to begin the implementation of the NWIRP.

While federal programs cannot eliminate the occurrence or dangers of future windstorms, the programs authorized as part of the NWIRP, if properly funded, will help policymakers, private industry, and individual homeowners adopt strategies for reducing risks to human life and economic loss. The NWIRP also provides an important new opportunity to initiate badly needed research to understand how wind affects structures, to enhance windstorm damage collection and analysis, and to develop and encourage the implementation of mitigation techniques.

The language included in the House version of the fiscal year 2008 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill will direct much needed funding to the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology that will allow each agency to begin the implementation of each distinct component of the NWIRP for which it is responsible. Again, I am very pleased with the inclusion of this funding in the House version and strongly encourage its inclusion in any conference agreement on this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Father Francis Hund, who celebrates his 25th anniversary in the priesthood this Sunday, July 22nd.

Born July 31, 1956 in Paxico, KS, he was the oldest of Wilfred and Margaret Hund's eight children. He graduated from Paxico High School in 1974 and received a bachelor's degree from Benedictine College in Atchison, KS, in 1978, where he majored in music with a focus on organ. Although he had considered a vocation to the priesthood, he hadn't shared his thoughts with his parents; they thought he would be a music teacher until they read his career choice printed in his senior organ recital program!

He was selected to do his seminary studies in Rome at the North American College and was ordained to the priesthood at his home parish in Paxico in 1982. He served as associate pastor at four Shawnee Mission, KS, parishes: Queen of the Holy Rosary, Cure of Ars, St. Joseph; and Holy Trinity, before entering a graduate program in liturgical studies at St. John's University in Collegeville, MN. Returning in 1990 he served three rural parishes at Burlington, Waverly and Westphalia, KS, and was campus minister at Washburn in Topeka.

In 1992, Fr. Francis was appointed pastor of St. Theresa's in Perry, KS, and also St. Aloysius in Meriden, KS in 1993. In addition to pastoring those two parishes, he was appointed Director of the Archdiocesan Office of Liturgy and Worship, a position he held for 9 years prior to his appointment as pastor to Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Shawnee, KS, in 2001. He currently serves this parish of 1,700 families as well as being chairman of the Johnson County Regional Priests and a member of the archdiocesan Priests Personnel Board.

His family currently includes his mother, 2 brothers, 5 sisters, in- laws and 24 nieces and nephews. Madam Speaker, I know that all Members of the House of Representatives join with me in paying tribute to this dedicated servant of God upon the 25th anniversary of his entering the priesthood.

Information technology has significantly changed the way we live and do business, making it easier to communicate with others, manage our personal finances or even track a package we ship across the country. Unfortunately, the health care industry lags far behind other sectors in its utilization of information technology. The inefficiencies and redundancies that result from this lack of automation costs the industry billions of dollars a year, but, more importantly, it costs lives and reduces quality of care.

As Congress considers health care reform proposals, focus should be given to system changes providing patients with more choices, more convenience and control over their health care records. That is why today I will be introducing the Independent Health Record Trust Act. I will introduce this with Congressman Paul Ryan from Wisconsin, and we have over 30 original cosponsors, to establish a market-driven approach to building a national health information network through the establishment of federally certified organizations called Independent Health Record Trusts. Individuals would have the option to sign up for an account to be managed by a health record trust similar to the way banks offer and maintain credit card accounts. Patients will have ownership of their electronic records and can create multiple health entries so their dermatologist will not see their mental health history. We will be introducing this today. We hope for speedy passage through the Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1065) to streamline the regulation of nonadmitted insurance and reinsurance, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

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

I would like to thank, Mr. Speaker, Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite for her help and leadership on H.R. 1065, the Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act of 2007, as it has moved through the legislative process both in this Congress and in the 109th Congress, when it passed by 417-0. It has been a pleasure working with the gentlewoman and again I appreciate your leadership on this issue.

I also would like to thank the Capital Markets Subcommittee Chair Paul Kanjorski and Ranking Member Spencer Bachus of the committee for their support of this measure, as well as Chairman Barney Frank for his support in moving this legislation to the House floor.

I reintroduced this bill along with Congresswoman Ginny Brown-Waite in February with strong bipartisan support and strong support from the Financial Services Committee. As I previously mentioned, this legislation is virtually identical to legislation that passed the House unanimously by a vote of 417-0 in the 109th Congress. The bipartisan support for this bill is a good example of how both sides can come together to introduce and pass legislation that is not about partisan politics, is not about Republicans or Democrats.

In short, H.R. 1065 would significantly improve the regulation of two specific areas in the commercial insurance marketplace, namely, surplus lines and reinsurance transactions.

Disparate and sometimes directly conflicting State laws in the surplus lines market create unnecessary inefficiencies and make it difficult, if not impossible in some cases, for producers and others to comply with their legal duties.

Testifying in 2005 in front of the Capital Markets Subcommittee on behalf of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the Pennsylvania insurance commissioner acknowledged the need for reform of surplus lines regulation, specifically with regard to the way premium tax allocation is handled. According to Commissioner Diane Koken, ``Either Federal legislation or another alternative such as an interstate compact may be needed at some point to resolving conflicting State laws regulating multi-state transactions. The area where this will most likely be necessary is surplus lines premium tax allocation. Federal legislation might also be one option to consider to enable multi-state property risks to access surplus lines coverage in their home States under a single policy subject to a single set of requirements.''

This legislation, Mr. Speaker, addresses the area of surplus lines reform

that I just mentioned as well as necessary reforms in the area of reinsurance. Specifically, this legislation would prohibit the extraterritorial application of State laws and allow ceding insurers and reinsurers to resolve disputes pursuant to contractual arbitration clauses. This reform is long overdue and necessary to restore regulatory certainty to the reinsurance market.

Finally, I would like to note that while many legislative attempts to reform the insurance industry encounter some industry opposition, this bill, Mr. Speaker, is supported by the insurers, the reinsurers and the agents and brokers as well as by most of the State regulators.

I look forward to the passage of this legislation today.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) who is a member of the Financial Services Committee as well as chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Education.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to return the compliment to Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite, the gentlewoman from Florida, and thank her very, very much for her hard work on this legislation and for her leadership. She also works in a bipartisan manner in the times I have seen her in our committee and on the House floor. I very much appreciate it. We need more of that.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Suneil Iyer, a seventh grade student at Indian Trail Junior High School in Olathe, Kansas, who recently finished in second place at the 2007 National Geography Bee.

Suneil, who received a $15,000 college scholarship prize award, qualified for the national bee by winning the Kansas National Geographic Bee for the second year in a row. Like his family, friends and neighbors, I am very proud of Suneil, and welcome this opportunity to share news of his success with my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Madam Speaker, I include with this statement two recent articles from the local press regarding Suneil Iyer's success: an article from the Kansas City Star that was published prior to the national bee, and an article from today's Olathe Daily News summarizing the results of that competition.

[From The Kansas City Star, May 18, 2007]

Three-Peat Not on Geography Whiz's Map: Indian Trail Student Placed

Fourth in National Geographic Bee Last Year

(By Martha Zirschky)

Suneil Iyer has always loved animals, his mother says. The

Indian Trail eighth-grader is intrigued by the wildlife in

Antartica and says he'd love to travel there.

A year ago, Suneil Iyer missed a question on the ``Somers

Islands''--aka Bermuda--at the National Geographic Bee finals

in Washington, D.C. and was eliminated.

Many would find consolation in being the youngest finalist

and still finishing fourth on the national stage. But not

Suneil, now a 12-year-old Indian Trail Junior High seventh-

grader who's again qualified for next week's final round.

If he places in the top three and wins scholarships worth

$25,000, $15,000 or $10,000, he would be ineligible to return

again in 2008. That's his goal.

``I want to win and get it over with,'' he said.

Suneil qualified for the national bee by winning the Kansas

National Geographic Bee for the second-straight year. Next

Tuesday, he'll be one of 55 fourth- to eighth-graders who

advanced from an original field of 5 million contestants to

compete in the national preliminaries. Tuesday's top 10

winners will move on to Wednesday's finals with Alex Trebec,

the Jeopardy host, serving as moderator.

Suneil will join geography bee winners from the 50 states,

Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, United States Territories and

Department of Defense Dependents schools. His trip and that

of his seventh-grade social studies teacher, Jill King, are

being paid for by National Geographic.

Contestants can miss one question, Suneil said, and still

stay in the running. Miss again and you're eliminated. Suneil

made it to question 95 last year before his second miss.

The questions are both oral and written, and contestants

have 12 seconds to answer, Suneil said. Both physical and

cultural geography are fair game.

His goal, of course, is the $25,000 college scholarship.

Second or third would be an improvement over last year. The

main thing, he says, is to win and not have to return to the

pressure mill of a national contest.

Suneil has a large support system of family, friends and

school community.

``This is a nice cooperative community,'' his mother, Lila,

said. ``It is a great community in which to raise kids.

Suneil's father, Ramakrishnan, is his main tutor, but he's

also mentored by Eswar, an older brother. Although Suneil

beat his brother last year at the state bee to win the trip

to nationals, Eswar remains one of his biggest fans.

At Indian Trail, students even help Suneil by researching

geography questions and putting them on cards for Suneil to

study.

``The school supports Suneil with its `Suneil, did you

know?' (program),'' Assistant Principal Margo Twaddle said.

Twaddle dispels the notion that Suneil is a one-trick pony.

He's been the school spelling bee champ, participated in the

Science Olympiad, been to math camp and played on a

recreational softball team.

His career goals include becoming a pilot or marine

biologist, or--not surprisingly--a geographer. He won his

first geography bee when he was in fourth grade and began

drawing animals at age three.

``As a little guy, he was always interested in animals,

real or fictional,'' his mother said.

Suneil's father travels extensively and occasionally the

family accompanies him, as they did on a ``trip of a

lifetime'' to the Galapagos Islands. The best part, Suneil

said, was the islands' animal inhabitants, such as the iguana

and giant tortoise.

On Suneil's dream itinerary? Egypt for the antiquities, he

says, and Antarctica for the wildlife.

But first, there's a trip to Washington D.C.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding young community leader from my congressional district, Jennifer Knopke, who was named Kansas Outstanding Junior Member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and will be so recognized at the DAR's August convention.

Jennifer is a dedicated teacher of at-risk students in the Shawnee Mission School District, and is an active volunteer in American Cancer Society Relay for Life, as well as her DAR volunteer activities.

To be considered for this award, young women must be between 18 and 35, and must be active in furthering the ideals of ``God, Home, and Country'' of the Daughters of the American Revolution, as well as other community service activities. State winners will compete in the national contest. I know Jennifer will represent the Kansas DAR well.

The Outstanding Junior Member Contest began in 1963 to honor young women active in their chapter and community activities, and to encourage young members to become involved in DAR activities and programs.

Outstanding young leaders like Jennifer are the backbone of every community. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize Jennifer for this well-deserved award.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Keil Hileman of DeSoto, KS, who in April was awarded the national Daughters of the American Revolution [DAR] Outstanding Teacher of American History award. This award honors notable, full-time teachers of American history and related fields, such as social studies, government, and citizenship education. The teacher must have the ability to foster the spirit of American patriotism and loyal support of the United States and constitutional government and demonstrate the ability to relate the subject to modern life and events.

Sponsored by the Prairie Rose Chapter of the DAR, which is located in Overland Park, KS, in the Third Congressional District, Mr. Hileman was top winner in the state of Kansas and then selected for the national tribute from state winners from across the Nation and overseas. On June 30, 2007, Mr. Hileman will receive his award at DAR Continental Congress in Washington, D.C.'s Constitution Hall.

Mr. Hileman, who teaches at Monticello Trails Middle School in Shawnee, Kansas, says his passion is to make history a part of the students' quality world. His success centers on his ``classroom museum,'' filled with a potpourri of 20,000 artifacts he uses to teach events in American history. He began his museum by bringing heirlooms from his own collection to his class, and it has grown to thousands of items from contributions by families of students and community members. The historical artifacts, ranging from the ordinary but old to the extraordinary and rare, are all available for close examination by the students.

Among his many honors, Mr. Hileman was: the 2004 Kansas Teacher of the Year; the first Kansan to win the Horace Mann-National Education Association Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence, in 2004; and was one of four finalists for The National Teacher of the Year award. He has taught at the middle school level for 14 years in the DeSoto Unified School District, where his courseload includes an elective class using his artifacts collection called ``Museum Connections.'' Additionally, he teaches a hands-on archaeology course at Johnson County Community College, a classroom museum course for teachers at MidAmerica Nazarene University and a graduate/undergraduate, artifact- supported history class at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Keil Hileman's classroom credo is: ``explore your world, empower yourself and those around you, excel in everything you do!'' I am proud to represent this outstanding educator and caring individual in the United States Congress. I join with the Prairie Rose Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in commending Mr. Hileman for this truly well-deserved honor and I hope that his dedication to educating young people serves as an inspiration for others to enter the teaching profession.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the White Church Christian Church of Kansas City, Kansas, which will celebrate the 175th anniversary of its founding on June 2, 2007.

White Church Christian Church is the oldest continuously operating church in the State of Kansas; the church and the Delaware Indian Cemetery west of the church are listed on the Register of Historic Kansas Places. The inside walls of the original log building were whitewashed, so the native Indians referred to it as the ``white church.'' As a result, the surrounding area became known as White Church, Kansas.

In 1830, the Missouri Conference of the Methodist Church met in St. Louis to establish the mission society that would soon begin its work among the Kansas Indians. The Rev. Thomas Johnson was appointed to serve as superintendent of what was then known as the Kansas Indiana Missionary District. Two years later, Rev. Thomas Johnson, his brother Rev. William Johnson, and Rev. Thomas Markham established a mission school and church at the site of today's church. In the 1834 annual report of the Missionary Society, it was reported: ``The church has forty members, some serving as exhorters, and they were regular in attendance at preaching and other means of grace. There are twenty-four native children in the mission school who are learning well.'' In 1844, the original church was destroyed by fire and a new church was built. Beginning in 1850, the land in the reservation was deeded by the government to Indians individually. Some sold their ground and soon the area began to be settled by white people.

In 1870, a school district was established and a school located near the church adopted the same name, White Church School. Disaster struck the church for a second time on May 11, 1886, when the walnut-framed White Church and the original White Church School building were destroyed by a tornado. In the following year, a two-story school building was erected on the present site of the White Church Elementary School. On May 4, 1904, the cornerstone of the present native stone church structure was laid. The Gothic building included 21 memorial stained glass windows.

The adjoining Delaware Indian Cemetery is the oldest area cemetery in which burials are still conducted, with the earliest recorded burial having taken place in 1881. For approximately 100 years, White Church, under the direction of the Methodist Church, served both Native Americans and White Americans. In 1931, the White Church withdrew its affiliation from the Methodist Church and organized a Community Church at White Church. Later, in 1956, the congregation voted to become affiliated with the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ and was renamed White Church Community Christian Church. In 1968, the word ``Community'' was removed from the church name. In 1965, an educational unit was built on top of the stone foundation at the south end of Fellowship Hall, and in 1966, the church board established a pre-school and child care center to serve the community. Expansion of the congregation and improvements to the property have continued to the present day, as we approach the 175th anniversary of this anchor of the Kansas City community. As a history of the church, published in 1996, notes, ``It is the prayer of the present generation of God's servants, that there always be a Church at this place, and that the generations which follow will continue to serve the Lord to the End of Time.''

Madam Speaker, I know that you and all members of the House of Representatives join with me in commending the White Church Christian Church on its upcoming 175th anniversary celebration and I thank you for the opportunity to place this statement of commendation in the Congressional Record.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the outgoing president/chief executive officer of the University of Kansas Hospital, Irene Cumming, who is leaving KU's hospital after 11 years to become chief executive officer of the Oak Brook, Illinois, based University HealthSystem Consortium, a group of 97 academic medical centers and their affiliated hospitals.

During her tenure as president/CEO of the University of Kansas Hospital, Irene Cumming compiled what the Kansas Legislature recently described as a ``stunning list of successes and achievements.'' As Lawrence Journal-World editor Dolph Simons, Jr., recently noted, ``Cumming became CEO of the hospital in 1996 after serving as its chief financial officer since 1994. The hospital was in bad shape in terms of the number and excellence of its doctors, staff and patients. Staff morale was very low, and its perceived excellence in the minds of greater Kansas City residents was suffering. Today, it is the best hospital in Kansas City. Its patient load is growing each year, it enjoys a solid financial base and it provides great support for the KU medical school both in the quality of training it provides to residents and in the dollars it provides to the school. Cumming helped to build a true winner and model for other hospitals, particularly those with close historical ties to a medical school.''

The improvements and accomplishments credited to the University of Kansas Hospital under Irene Cumming's leadership are numerous, including:

Since 1998, patient volume has grown by 50 percent to nearly 20,000 patients, shattering all existing patient volume records in the 100 year history of the hospital;

Financial health has improved steadily every year, with revenue climbing 185 percent to more than half a billion dollars since the Hospital Authority was established;

Financial strength has allowed significant capital investment in resources and facilities, totaling nearly $450 million in the 8 years following the establishment of the Hospital Authority;

This financial strength has also permitted a 340 percent increase in support provided for the hospital for the university since 1998, with $31 million this year alone;

After purchasing the outpatient cancer program from a for-profit corporation to which the university had transferred it in the 1990s, the hospital has invested $75 million in cancer services, including the construction of the largest outpatient cancer center in the region, opening this summer on the hospital's Westwood campus;

In 2000, the heart program at the hospital was revitalized, culminating in the 2006 opening of the $77 million Center for Advanced Heart Care;

The hospital became, and continues to be, the region's only nationally-accredited level 1 Trauma Center;

The hospital's Bennett Burn Center is the only adult/pediatric burn center in Kansas City accredited by the American College of Surgeons and the American Burn Association;

The quality and safety of patient care has improved dramatically and gained national recognition; in 2006, the hospital ranked 11th among the Nation's 81 academic medical centers in overall safety and quality rankings;

The hospital ranks in the top 17 percent of institutions in the University HealthSystem Consortium database in mortality;

The hospital earned Magnet designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center of the American Nurses Association, the first designation for a Kansas-based hospital [only 3.5 percent of the Nation's health care organizations are Magnet hospitals];

The hospital received the first Annual Performance Achievement Award from the American Heart Association for stroke care in a six-state region;

The hospital's cancer program received the 2004 Commission on Cancer Outstanding Achievement Award, achieved by only eight percent of cancer programs in the country;

The hospital is a nationally recognized leader in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's 100,000 lives campaign;

The hospital pioneered the creation of partnerships between physicians and hospital staff to raise quality, with a model so successful it has been adopted by many institutions across the country;

Patient satisfaction ratings have climbed more than 900 percent since 1998 in the Kansas City area;

Employee turnover has dropped from 33 percent in 1998 to 11.69 percent, the lowest among Kansas City hospitals;

Sixty-one percent of the hospital's nurses have BSN degrees, compared to a 33 percent national average, and the hospital has the second lowest nursing turnover rate among large hospitals in Kansas City;

The hospital's staffed beds have nearly doubled, from 275 to 508; and

The hospital has achieved all of this while still providing care for those who can't afford it; fiscal year 2007 projections are to absorb nearly $100 million in uncompensated care charges.

Prior to joining KU Hospital, Irene Cumming was associate director of medical affairs for St. Luke's Health System and chief executive officer of St. Luke's Medical Development Corporation in Kansas City, Missouri. From 1989-1993, she was executive vice president and chief financial officer of Allegheny Health, Education and Research Foundation of Philadelphia. Additionally, she previously was a partner in the national health care division of Price Waterhouse, where she was one of the first women to be admitted to the partnership.

Clearly, Irene Cumming is a woman of vision, distinction and achievement. The University of Kansas Hospital was very fortunate to have her as its president/CEO for the past 11 years and her departure leaves an exceptional pair of shoes to fill. Madam Speaker, on behalf of all residents of the Kansas City region and all consumers of KU Hospital, I thank Irene Cumming for her many accomplishments while associated with the University of Kansas Hospital and wish her every success in future endeavors, as well.