Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity today to recognize the Ravonics Revolution robotics team from Olathe Northwest High School in Olathe, KS. The Ravonics Revolution team was one of over 1,100 schools across the country to participate in the 2007 FIRST Robotics competition, and were so successful that they were named Midwest Regional Champions.

FIRST Robotics, which was founded by Dean Kamen, the inventor of the Segway, is creating programs where kids can compete in sports-like environments, using math/engineering/technology/science skills rather than traditional athletic skills. The organization's vision is: ``To create a world where science and technology are celebrated . . . where young people dream of becoming science and technology heroes.''

Olathe Northwest High School formed their FIRST Robotics team two years ago and has been led by Sue Rippe, a Kansas Teacher of the Year in 2000. Sue and her husband, Cliff, have dedicated themselves to this program, providing guidance and support, but the kids are the real leaders of the team. They appointed a CEO, COO, CIO, CFO and other leaders within their group to divide responsibilities.

The team raised their own money to attend competition--more than $38,000 this year--and obtained sponsorships from over 25 companies and individuals. And, their hard work and dedication has not gone unnoticed. In addition to winning their regional championship in Chicago, IL, earlier this year, they won other awards in entrepreneurship, website design, video production and safety. They were further recognized at the championship event in Atlanta, GA, with the Autodesk Visualization Award for Best Lighting (CG Animation).

Success isn't enough for them, however, which is why they will be hosting a robot scrimmage this summer for all area teams to encourage more students and schools to join the FIRST Robotics league.

Thanks to their teacher, Sue Rippe, the leadership of the Olathe school district and the FIRST Robotics organization, these students are able to focus on subjects they enjoy and on what they're good at. The program not only allows kids to be surrounded with teachers and classes that help to build on their strengths, but it also brings together kids with like interests so that they can learn from each other and develop their leadership and teamwork skills.

A very wise man once said that the really fundamental debts, like the ones that students owe to their teachers and parents, can't be paid back. They are too big for that. They can only be paid forward to those who will come after us. I know that each of these students will find a way to ``pay forward'' the debt they owe by using their amazing talents to help explore worlds and ideas we never thought possible.

Madam Speaker, the Ravonics Revolution team at Olathe Northwest High School is an example of what happens when students work together to create a highly talented, focused team and seek to achieve a goal greater than themselves. I join the residents of the entire Third Congressional District of Kansas in applauding the Olathe Northwest High School Ravonics Revolution team for their success in the 2007 FIRST Robotics competition and look forward to their continued success in all future endeavors.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

As a cosponsor of this amendment, I rise in support of the effort of my colleagues from Illinois, Texas and California to amend and clarify language in H.R. 1427. I have served on the Financial Services Committee since I was elected to Congress in 1998, and in that time I have learned about the regulation of financial institutions.

I strongly believe, Mr. Chairman, that the regulators of financial institutions likes GSEs, should have its authority to assess the risk of an enterprise and to protect the safety and soundness of those entities.

H.R. 1427 grants the new regulators strong authority to promote safety and soundness. Within the scope of that authority is the power to require the GSEs to alter their portfolios in accordance with that goal. I am not aware of any financial institution whose regulator has the power to alter their business on the basis of potential risks it poses to the broader financial markets.

Passage of this amendment would clarify the duties of the new regulator to focus on risk to the enterprises, which is consistent with the authority that other regulators to financial institutions currently possess.

Mr. Chairman, GSEs fill a vital role in the housing market by providing stability, liquidity and affordability. The new regulator has the responsibility of ensuring the safety and soundness of GSEs, and in doing so it will protect the viability of the GSEs.

In keeping with the purpose of H.R. 1427, the Bean-Neugebauer-Moore- Miller amendment will ensure that there is certainty within the markets so that Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae will be able to continue to serve their charter, while being subject to new, robust regulation.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to adopt this.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 634) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of veterans who become disabled for life while serving in the Armed Forces of the United States, as amended.

Madam 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 any other material.

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

Madam Speaker, this legislation that we are considering today is a simple, straightforward bill that would take a small but important step to recognize and honor the more than 3 million American veterans currently living with disabilities as a result of their sacrifice and service in our United States Armed Forces. In fact, of 26 million American veterans today, nearly one in 10 embody the physical cost of their service in permanent disability.

While there are many other steps that Congress should take to improve the lives of disabled veterans, by passing this bipartisan legislation today, which I have introduced with my friend and colleague, Mr. Kirk of Illinois, we hope to honor and show our gratitude for their sacrifice and the toll this has taken on their lives. Specifically, Madam Speaker, this legislation provides for the design, manufacture and sale of special commemorative silver coins and authorizes special surcharges on these coins to be contributed toward the construction of a memorial to disabled veterans.

The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial will occupy an impressive 2-acre site located just southwest of the Rayburn House Office Building adjacent to the National Mall within full view of the United States Capitol. The memorial will embody America's lasting gratitude for the men and women whose lives are forever changed in their service to our country. It will also serve as an important reminder to Members of Congress of the human cost of war and the need to support our veterans. We must never forget the sacrifices these American heroes made and continue to make in order to promote a better world for our fellow citizens.

Building this long overdue memorial is something we need to do and should do as Americans.

Madam Speaker, I include the following letter exchange for the Record:

House of Representatives,

Committee on Ways and Means,

Washington, DC, May 2, 2007.

Hon. Barney Frank,

Chairman, Financial Services Committee, Rayburn House Office

Building, Washington, DC.

Dear Barney: I am writing regarding H.R. 634, the American

Veterans Disabled for Life Commemorative Coin Act.

As you know, the Committee on Ways and Means maintains

jurisdiction over bills that raise revenue. H.R. 634 contains

a provision that establishes a surcharge for the sale of

commemorative coins that are minted under the bill, and thus

falls within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and

Means.

However, as part of our ongoing understanding regarding

commemorative coin bills and in order to expedite this bill

for floor consideration, the Committee will forgo action.

This is being done with the understanding that it does not in

any way prejudice the Committee with respect to the

appointment of conferees or its jurisdictional prerogatives

on this bill or similar legislation in the future.

I would appreciate your response to this letter, confirming

this understanding with respect to H.R. 634, and would ask

that a copy of our exchange of letters on this matter be

included in the Record.

Sincerely,

Charles B. Rangel,

Chairman.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to again thank my colleague from Illinois (Mr. Kirk) for the wonderful display of bipartisanship here. I wish we could set an example and hope we set an example for all of our colleagues here to work on other matters together.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak).

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

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

Madam Speaker, from April 28-30, 2007, more than 1,200 students from across the country visited Washington, D.C., to take part in the national finals of We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, the most extensive educational program in the country developed to educate young people about the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Administered by the Center for Civic Education, the We the People program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education by act of Congress.

I am proud to announce that a class from St. Thomas Aquinas High School of Overland Park, Kansas won the Unit Three: Constitution Shapes Institutions Award at this prestigious national event. Six unit awards were presented to the schools achieving the highest scores, based on the first two days of competition in each of the six units of the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution text. These outstanding students, through their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, won their statewide competition and earned the chance to come to our Nation's Capital and compete at the national level.

While in Washington, the students participated in a three-day academic competition that simulates a congressional hearing in which they ``testify'' before a panel of judges. Students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of constitutional principles as they evaluate, take, and defend positions on relevant historical and contemporary issues. It is important to note that independent studies of the We the People program indicate that alumni of this nationally acclaimed program display a greater political tolerance and commitment to the principles and values of the Constitution and Bill of Rights than do students using traditional textbooks and approaches. With various reports and surveys that reveal the lack of civic knowledge and engagement, I am pleased to support such an outstanding program that continues to produce an enlightened and responsible citizenry.

Madam Speaker, the names of these outstanding students from St. Thomas Aquinas High School are:

Elizabeth Berra, Andrew Billam, Hannah Cisper, John Clark, Greg Correia, Lindsey Drilling, John Drouhard, Shanna Gast, Whitney Gremillion, Kyle Hauesser, Brigid Halling, Michael Hare, Thomas Hartung, Jordan Herbert, Kaitlyn Hirt, Kelly Jefferson, Ryan Johnson, Andrea Lickteig, Joseph McGroder, Mason Miller, Helen Mubarak, Andrew Peck, Derek Peterson, Erin Peterson, Andrew Robison, Christopher Sevedge, Dylan Slaven, and Melissa Smith.

I also wish to commend the teacher of the class, Spencer Clark, who is responsible for preparing these young constitutional experts for the national finals. Also worthy of special recognition is Lynn Stanley, the State coordinator, and Ken Thomas, the district coordinator, who are among those responsible for implementing the We the People program in my State.

I congratulate these students on their exceptional achievement at the We the People national finals.

Madam Speaker, joined by Representatives Jerry Moran, Thornberry, Boswell, Tiahrt and Boyda, I am today introducing legislation which would make a variety of technical changes to the statute establishing the Eisenhower Memorial Commission.

The Eisenhower Memorial Commission was created by the U.S. Congress in 1999 as a bipartian commission for the purpose of considering and formulating plans for the location, design and construction of a permanent memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower to perpetuate his memory and his contributions to the United States. Since being fully appointed in 2001, the Commission considered 26 different sites in the District of Columbia. In 2005, it selected a site between the Department of Education and the National Air and Space Museum, two institutions resulting from and greatly influenced by President Eisenhower's leadership. In 2006, Congress approved the memorial's location within Area I, in compliance with the

Commemorative Works Act. The Commission secured full approval for the selected site following extensive review by the National Park Service, the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission, the National Capital Planning Commission, and the Commission of Fine Arts.

Since its inception, the Commission has also taken great care to study and analyze the Eisenhower legacy. It produced a report by leading scholars and experts on Eisenhower that provides a definitive statement on the transcending elements of Eisenhower's enduring legacy. He ranks as one of the preeminent figures in the global history of the 20th century. Dwight Eisenhower spent his entire life in public service. His most well-known contributions include serving as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in World War II and as 34th President of the United States, but Eisenhower also served as the first commander of NATO and as President of Columbia University. Dramatic changes occurred in America during his lifetime, many of which he participated in and influenced through his extraordinary leadership as President. Although Ike grew up before automobiles existed, he created the Interstate Highway System and took America into space. He created NASA, the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, and the Federal Aviation Administration. He added Hawaii and Alaska to the United States and ended the Korean War. President Eisenhower desegregated the District of Columbia and sent federal troops into Little Rock, AR to enforce school integration. He diffused international crises and inaugurated the national security policies that guided the nation for the next three decades, leading to the peaceful end of the Cold War. A career soldier, Eisenhower championed peace, freedom, justice and security, and as President he stressed the interdependence of those goals. He spent a lifetime fulfilling his duty to his country, always remembering to ask what's best for America.

Eisenhower's legacy provides hope to all of us--like him, through education and public service, we as a Nation and individually can rise to meet any challenge. The Eisenhower Memorial Commission now needs to move into the design phase. As design begins, the Commission's organization, specifically with regard to contracting and staffing, needs to be updated and revised to enable efficient management and responsible stewardship. This legislation provides for the necessary reorganization. The legislation enables the Commission to retain the services of full, part-time, and volunteer staff as government employees, without the restrictions of the competitive service requirements. It also provides the authority for the Commission's Executive Architect to manage technical and administrative aspects of design and construction. It provides for staff to be released on the completion of the memorial and enables the Commission to work in collaboration with federal agencies. In addition, the legislation will allow the Commission to receive direct appropriations, easing the burden on both the Commission and federal agencies that previously served as conduits for Commission funding. I have also enclosed a detailed justification of the proposed legislation for your review.

Very similar legislation, S. 890, has been introduced by Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, who serves with me and Senator Ted Stevens on the Executive Committee of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission. I am joined today in introducing this measure by Representatives Jerry Moran, Thornberry and Boswell, who serve as members of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission, and by our fellow Kansans serving in the U.S. House, Representatives Tiahrt and Boyda.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 179, in support of establishing a National Foster Parents Day.

On any given day in the United States, half a million children and youth are in foster care, removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect. On average, these young people will wait more than 3\1/2\ years in the foster care system before finding a permanent home--20 percent wait 5 years or more.

Foster parents have one of the hardest tasks on earth. Children who spend many years in abusive or neglectful homes are substantially more likely than other kids to face emotional, behavioral, and academic challenges. Foster parents have the daunting task of trying to make the foster child feel at home, gain their trust, provide some sense of stability and normality, and prove that they do care.

Foster parents give of themselves unselfishly, opening their homes, families, lives, and loving arms to help protect children who are not safe in their own homes. For some children, foster parents are literally lifesaving. For too many children, what should be a short- term refuge becomes a long-term saga, involving multiple moves from one foster home to another.

I have come to appreciate that foster parenting is perhaps one of the most challenging and most important components of the child welfare system. As a foster parent, you respond to the calling to care for children, to take them into your homes, and to transition them into the next phase of their lives--sometimes for weeks, and sometimes for almost the child's entire youth. I describe this response as a calling--not a job, they don't get paid enough to call it a job; and not a choice, because if they had the wherewithal to choose, they certainly would choose not to expose themselves to all of the trials and tribulations of fostering. It is a calling, a response to some inner drive to respond to the difficulties of kids who desperately need them.

It is this selflessness which I applaud today, which I believe is deserving of national recognition. For all the time, love, and resources foster parents dedicate to their foster children, I would simply like to say thank you. They truly are a gift to the world.

I urge my colleagues to join in support of H. Res. 179, expressing support for the establishment of a National Foster Parents Day.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 289, to raise awareness and encourage prevention of sexual assault in the United States and support the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

Violence against women--rape, sexual assault and domestic violence-- affects women worldwide. Violence not only affects women in the home, but in the workplace, school and every arena of life. Having served as Johnson Country District Attorney for 12 years, I know first hand the devastating consequences of domestic and sexual violence, assault, rape and child abuse and incest. Those experiences encouraged me to become a cofounder of SAFEHOME, a local shelter for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, and highlighted the importance of public awareness, effective prevention policies and law enforcement working hand in hand to stop these horrific crimes.

Sexual assault is an epidemic that knows no boundaries on the basis of age, socioeconomic status, race, religion, nationality or educational background. My home State of Kansas is no exception. In 2005, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation reported over 1,000 reported incidents of rape. And that number cannot possibly reflect the harsh reality of how many incidents occurred but were not reported. The tragedy of injustice exacerbates the victimization.

A person is sexually assaulted in the United States every two-and-a- half minutes; 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men have been victims of rape or attempted rape.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month is essential to bring attention to this problem, educate the public, and help protect survivors from future victimization and prevent the continuation of the cycle of violence from generation to generation. Protecting and helping survivors, as well as creating an environment where survivors can seek justice, is the key to removing sex offenders from public, so that they do not have the opportunity to assault again.

I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 289, in support of the goals and ideals of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, to support programs to help survivors heal and prevent incidents in the future.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity today to recognize the 100th anniversary of my community of residence, the city of Lenexa, Kansas, one of the leading communities in the Third Congressional District of Kansas. Lenexa officially became a city on May 8, 1907, and the community is coming together for an eight-day celebration from May 5-12 of this year.

Lenexa was platted in 1869 by French-born civil engineer, Octave Chanute, who, in addition to designing the original Hannibal Bridge over the Missouri River in Kansas City, also served as a mentor to the Wright Brothers in their quest for flight. Lenexa was named for Na Nex Se, a highly respected, hard-working Shawnee Indian woman, the daughter-in-law of Chief Black Hoof. Thirty-eight years later, on May 8, 1907, Lenexa was incorporated as a City of the Third Class in Kansas.

In Lenexa's earliest days, people from various backgrounds and cultures came together to form this great city. With a population of approximately 300, the young city boasted a healthful location, graded schools, three churches, suburban train service, excellent telephone service, and an electric railway station.

Today, Lenexa, which has grown to a population of 46,000 residents and enjoys a healthy business base, is considered a city of choice for a variety of high tech and bioscience companies. The city also is looked to as a leader in local government initiatives such as watershed management and public safety.

Lenexa, which is known as the City of Festivals for the numerous festivals and events it hosts each year, will hold a week-long community celebration (May 5-12, 2007) to mark the occasion of its 100th anniversary.

Madam Speaker, Lenexa cherishes its rich history, heritage and culture, and with this celebration marking the city's 100th anniversary, Lenexa honors its past while looking forward to the future. I join with my neighbors, friends and constituents in Lenexa in honoring this important milestone.

Madam Speaker, the Lawrence, Kansas, Community Nursery School [LCNS] was founded in 1948 after a group of mothers attended a conference on preschool play offered by the University of Kansas Extension School and sponsored by the Lawrence League for the Practice of Democracy. They founded the school on three main principles--that the school must be: a parent cooperative; integrated, both racially and religiously; and low-cost. Today LCNS is the second oldest operating parent cooperative preschool in the Nation, and those principles remain at the corner of the school.

On April 17, 1948 the school opened with its first class of 10 mothers and 14 children. Financial support for the school came from the Lawrence League for the Practice of Democracy and the Oread Meeting of Friends. The tuition was set at $1.00 per week. In 1951 the Kansas State Board of Health licensed the school, and in July of 1952 the school was incorporated under Kansas State Law as the Lawrence Community Nursery School. The school received its permanent license to operate in 1961.

The school was housed in various churches and schools for its first 6 years. After at least eight different locations, in the spring of 1955 the members of the advisory board, the board, and the general membership voted to start a 3-year building fund campaign chaired by Dr. Helen Gilles, a well known local pediatrician, to raise money to buy a permanent home for the nursery school.

The campaign was a huge success. With support of local businesses, members of the cooperative, and the community at large, they were able to raise over $2,000 in their building fund by May 1956, more than 2 years ahead of schedule. In March 1956, Dr. Gilles presented the idea of buying the Wesleyan Methodist Church at the comer of 7th and Alabama Streets. In August 1956, they put a down payment on the church. In September 1956, the board voted to paint the school ``barn red with white trim.'' This is how the building remains today, and it has become a permanent fixture in the Old West Lawrence neighborhood and the greater community as a whole.

Several months of renovations and sharing the school with the church followed. Although the site was used by the school in the fall of 1956, the church remained. In the summer of 1957 the church moved out, and the Little Red Schoolhouse was the home of the Lawrence Community Nursery School. Madam Speaker, I join with the LCNS community and with all Lawrencians in celebrating the completion of the 50th school year at their permanent home at 645 Alabama Street.

Madam Speaker, the Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church has been an important presence in the City of Overland Park and Johnson County, Kansas, since 1967.

In 1970 the Church, sited on historical grounds that date to the 1871 Breyfogle Farm, the 1913 Mathey Farm, and the 1948 Burgdorfer Farm, purchased the house and barn, vintage 1913, from a previous church congregation. This site will be the location of the Church's 40th anniversary celebration, following its worship service on May 20, 2007.

The Church has provided liberal religious services and education for adults and children, has sponsored forums with knowledgeable speakers on public issues, has initiated a pathfinding Coming of Age program for youth in the denomination, and has presented a nationally-recognized World Religion Series. Additionally, the Church has promoted democracy by serving as a voting site in the community and has encouraged members to support many local, national, and international charitable efforts including SafeHome, Johnson County Interfaith Hospitality Network, Habitat for Humanity, Crosslines, American Indian Center, Million Voices for Darfur, UNICEF, and many others.

Through the years the Church has been a good neighbor to the surrounding residential area through its maintenance of buildings and

grounds, including the front garden which has been recognized as a Certified Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. The Church also is a member in good standing of the Unitarian Universalist Association [UUA], the international umbrella group of UU congregations and has been certified as a Welcoming Congregation by UUA.

Madam Speaker, the members of the Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church are celebrating the past and present successes of their church community and are planning for the future of their church community. I am pleased to join with, Johnson County, the City of Overland Park and with men and women of goodwill throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area in recognizing and congratulating the Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church upon its 40th anniversary as a vibrant member of the metropolitan area's interfaith communities.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Ken Gibson, who recently announced his retirement, effective June 30th, following nine very successful years as president of Donnelly College of Kansas City, Kansas.

Donnelly College is an important part of the Kansas City, Kansas, community, and offers more than just an education to students. As Dr. Gibson reflected in a recent article in the Kansas City Kansan, ``Donnelly College is essentially about hope. If you are not satisfied, you can change it and you can achieve what you are capable of. We have some really good students and I think we give them a great education.''

The recipient of a master's degree from the University of Kentucky and a Ph.D. from

Southern Illinois University, Dr. Gibson began his career with Kentucky's Henderson Community College, where he later served as dean of instruction. Prior to returning to Henderson Community College, he was affiliated with John A. Logan College, of Illinois. In 1981, Dr. Gibson moved to Kansas, where he served as Hutchinson Community College's dean of instruction; he later took the same position at Johnson County Community College, located in my congressional district, where he worked until becoming president of Donnelly College in 1998.

Under Dr. Gibson's leadership, Donnelly College reversed a significant drop in enrollment and received over $12 million in donations and grants, including awards from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Among the programs offered by Donnelly, the Henry W. Bloch Scholarship offers full tuition to students and is transferable to Rockhurst University or the University of Missouri- Kansas City. Donnelly also participates in Kansas Bridges to the Future, a transferable scholarship to Kansas State University.

Additionally, during Dr. Gibson's tenure, Donnelly College introduced a bachelor's degree program, began development of a licensed practical nurse joint program with Johnson County Community College, and implemented a college extension program at the Lansing Correctional Facility, establishing an opportunity for inmates to earn an associate's degree. As Dr. Gibson noted in the Kansas City Kansan, ``It makes a difference for inmates' lives. Of 66 students (involved with the program), only one has gone back to prison.''

Madam Speaker, Dr. Ken Gibson has been a distinguished educational leader in the Kansas City community, which is a better place due to his enlightened leadership. He has been a trusted advisor to me on matters of education policy and other concerns involving the Third Congressional District of Kansas. I commend him for his successful tenure with Donnelly College and wish him and his family many happy returns upon his well-deserved retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a distinguished, courageous Kansan, NASA astronaut Steve Hawley, who will be inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame on May 5th.

Steve Hawley, age 55, flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery during its maiden voyage in 1984 and is a veteran of four other shuttle missions. An accomplished astronomer, he helped deploy two of NASA's four Great Observatories, spacecraft that have shed unprecedented light on the origins and evolution of the universe. He flew aboard Columbia on a mission that landed just 10 days before the January 1986 Challenger accident. He helped deploy the Hubble Space Telescope during a 1990 Discovery mission and then serviced NASA's flagship observatory during a 1997 Discovery flight. His final shuttle mission was a 1999 Columbia flight during which the Chandra X-Ray Observatory was deployed. He now serves as director of NASA's Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate at the Johnson Space Center.

Bom in Ottawa, Kansas, Dr. Hawley considers Salina, Kansas, to be his home town. He received a B.A. in physics and astronomy (with highest distinction) from the University of Kansas in 1973 and a Ph.D. in astronomy and astrophysics from the University of Califomia in 1977. His research involved spectrophotometry of gaseous nebulae and emission-like galaxies with particular emphasis on chemical abundance determinations for these objects. He was selected as a NASA astronaut in 1978.

A veteran of five space flights, Dr. Hawley has logged a total of 32 days in space. Closer to home, he has visited with student groups and community organizations in the Third Congressional District of Kansas on six occasions: in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006. I look forward to his retum to my congressional district next month, on April 11th. On behalf of the people of Kansas' Third Congressional District, I commend Steve Hawley on his upcoming induction into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame, congratulate him on his five successful space shuttle missions, and thank him for the many hours he has spent making space exploration and space technology come alive for his audiences in my congressional district.

Mr. Chairman, today with this budget resolution the majority party, the Democratic Party, takes an important step towards restoring fiscal discipline as a priority of our government, something the Blue Dogs in Congress have advocated for years.

When the administration took office in 2001, it inherited a projected surplus of $5.6 trillion. Within 2 years, the surplus was gone; and, since 2001, $3 trillion in new debt, to my friends here, $3 trillion in new debt was added to our country's bottom line.

Because of the previous majority's lack of fiscal discipline, our gross national debt now stands at over $8.8 trillion. They talk about tax cuts, and they are just not providing accurate information at all. It is not true information.

They say that our budget proposes tax increases, which simply is not true. They wrote the tax cuts back in 2001 that were implemented in 2001, and they were to last for 10 years, and they still will be going until 2010. The Democrats are not doing a thing in their budget to raise taxes, not one single thing, to the contrary of what our friends across the aisle are saying.

In fact, our friends across the aisle have added $3 trillion of debt to our country, to our children and grandchildren. That is the way you paid for the tax cuts, was by adding $3 trillion of debt.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to note an important event in the Third Congressional District of Kansas. On April 10, 2007, the Volunteer Center of Johnson County in Overland Park, KS, will honor outstanding youth volunteers. Eighty young people have been nominated by school personnel and nonprofit organizations for their dedication and service to the community. Youth volunteerism continues to grow and be a strong force in Johnson County. These 80 youth exemplify the true meaning of volunteerism and giving back to their community, and it is my honor to recognize each student volunteer and his/her school.

Alexander Abramovitz, Shawnee Mission North; Molly Allison-

Gallimore, Homeschool; Sydney Ayers, Barstow; Ava Azad, Blue

Valley; Lisa Barry, Olathe South; Lindsay Beardall, Shawnee

Mission South; Alexandria Bieber, Mill Valley; Abbey Blick,

Shawnee Mission East; Ashley Boots, Olathe Northwest; Sarah

Briggs, Trailridge Middle; Kristina Buchanan, Trailridge

Middle School; Kim Burnell, Olathe North; Amy Byarlay, Olathe

South; Sarah Campbell, Blue Valley North; Kelsey Charles,

Blue Valley West; Jenna Christensen, Shawnee Mission North;

Becca Doran, Shawnee Mission West; Katherine Ebling, Blue

Valley; and Marissa Erickson, Olathe South.

Evan Gage, Blue Valley Northwest; Jennifer Garren, Shawnee

Mission West; Kathryn Garrett, Shawnee Mission West; Kevin

Garrett, Shawnee Mission West; Michael Garrett, Westridge

Middle; Lindsey Gerber, Olathe North; Jean Gianakon, Shawnee

Mission North; Allison Golub, Blue Valley West; Kaley

Hagemann, Olathe East; Jessica Hebenstreit, Pembroke Hill;

Tess Hedrick, Shawnee Mission East; Logan Heley, Antioch

Middle School; Lauren Hiatt, Olathe North; Spencer Hill,

Shawnee Mission Northwest; Jing Jian, Olathe North; Janelle

Johnston, Shawnee Mission West; Michele Kerns, Blue Valley

West; Rachel Knapp, Westridge Middle; and Jessica Kruger,

Olathe North.

Hailey Lapin, Blue Valley Northwest; K. Clemence Lawson,

Olathe Northwest; Jake Ludemann, Shawnee Mission North; Sarah

Martin, Shawnee Mission West; Magdalena May, Olathe North;

Kaela McWherter, Blue Valley North; Courtney Miller, Blue

Valley West; Rebecca Miller, Olathe North; Jovana Mirabile,

St. Thomas Aquinas; Peri Montgomery, Shawnee Mission West;

Megan Moomau, Olathe North; Alyssa Morrison, Mill Valley High

School; Stephanie Nemer, Spring Hill High School; Evan

Neuman, Trailridge Middle; Alexandra Olsen, Prairie Trail

Junior High; Sam Parkinson; Sweta Patel, Olathe North;

Meredith Pavicic, St. Teresa's Academy; and Lauren Peterson,

Shawnee Mission Northwest.

Angela Podoll, Westridge Middle; Courtney Rathke, Olathe

North; Kaytlin Renfro, Shawnee Mission East; Bryce Reynolds,

Olathe Northwest; Kyle Reynolds, Olathe Northwest; Cassie

Rhodes, Spring Hill High School; Kaitlyn Rittgers, Olathe

Northwest; Alex Rorie, Mission Valley; Beth Russell, Olathe

Northwest; Michael Shoykhet, Olathe North; Devin Smith,

Olathe North; Elaina Smith, Prairie Trail Junior High; Haylee

Solcum, Trailridge Middle School; Peter Spitsnogle, Shawnee

Mission East; Jessica Stack, Olathe Northwest; Alexandria

Szalawiga, Olathe South High School; Nicole Tepper, Mill

Valley High School; Irene Wang, Olathe North; Danielle

Weathers, Mill Valley; Marin Willis, Spring Hill Middle;

Jessica Wilson, Spring Hill High School; Alexis Young,

Chisholm Trail Junior High; and Jenny Zhong, Blue Valley

Northwest.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of House Resolution 106.