Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

There are over 15 million Asian Americans living in the United States, from the early Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Filipino immigrants to recent Vietnamese, Laotian and Hmong communities. The United States has benefited many ways from the contributions of these diverse cultures.

Through the telling of the Asian Pacific American experience, we illuminate the quality of opportunity that makes our country the wonderful place it is. From community involvement to business entrepreneurship, many Americans of Asian descent came to this country with very little and have been able to achieve the American Dream.

Asian Americans have also played a critical role in protecting our freedoms. During World War II, the Federal Government chose to intern 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent, including my mother and father and their entire families. The country learned the importance of balancing civil liberties

with national security, and today, more than ever, we must be aware of the significance of this fine balance.

I am proud to honor the courageous Americans who fight against injustice and recognize the strength and vibrance of our country.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California for yielding me time.

I rise today in strong support of the rule we are considering on the conference report to H.R. 2419, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act.

Mr. Speaker, this important conference agreement outlines the funding for our country's agriculture policy, its conservation approaches, and its nutrition programs. These initiatives touch each of us in some way. Whether we're from a rural area, suburban or urban area, the farm bill has impact on every single one of us.

As a farmer's daughter, I understand how the food we produce is truly the backbone of our country. I am proud of our Nation's commitment to a strong farm economy and a long-standing tradition of providing a safe and secure food supply, not only for our country but for the world.

That is why I support this bill. From the $10 billion increase in nutrition programs to the $7.7 billion increase in conservation funding, this legislation provides for our entire country. I've spoken to our producers, and this legislation gives them the safety net they need to continue producing the food supply our Nation relies upon. I am pleased with the balance and vision in this bill, and that is why I will strongly support it.

I'd like to thank Chairman Peterson and Ranking Member Goodlatte for all of their work on this bill. The chairman has shown exceptional leadership and patience through this process. This bill turns the page and helps start a new era of farm and nutrition policy.

I also want to thank Chairman Peterson and the committee for their inclusion of provisions of the House-passed Regional Water Enhancement Program. By including the Sacramento River Watershed as a national priority in the conference report, my region will be able to preserve farmlands, as well as provide a comprehensive approach to ground and surface water.

Our initial focus should be on building a strong consensus on conservation and its value for our region. We have a truly unique opportunity to shape the vision for the watershed from the beginning. This will help ensure that we build upon solid, local input.

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to be standing here today in support of this well-crafted bill. I ask my colleagues to support the rule and the final passage of the farm bill conference report.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for yielding me this time.

I rise today to offer the ``Recognizing AmeriCorps Week'' resolution and give special thanks to AmeriCorps volunteers and organizations.

This week marks AmeriCorps Week, a nationwide acknowledgment and celebration of all that America volunteers have done for our country. The AmeriCorps program is vital to the growth and prosperity of our Nation. AmeriCorps members can be found in our small towns and in our big cities. They're motivated young men and women from every background imaginable.

For the past 15 years, more than 540,000 men and women have given over 705 million hours of service to our country and the citizens. Equally valuable, these men and women are experts in mobilizing local volunteers, allowing millions more to serve their communities in an organized and effectual way.

Like AmeriCorps volunteers, AmeriCorps Week is important because it inspires others to become involved. By recognizing the program and its accomplishments, we motivate individuals to become engaged and add one more person to the growing list of those offering optimism and aid.

Throughout this week, AmeriCorps organizations across this country are hosting hundreds of special events, making it even easier to become involved. In the gulf coast, for example, Habitat for Humanity and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project will build tens of homes in a single week. This single event will involve 700 AmeriCorps members and thousands of other volunteers.

Additionally, this year's AmeriCorps Week pays special attention to the life-long contribution of AmeriCorps alumni. A recent study of AmeriCorps show that alumni of the program are much more likely to remain involved in the community long after their service has ended. Nearly 87 percent of former AmeriCorps members will go on to work in public service. They become our future leaders, public servants, government employees, and nonprofit organizers. Simply put, AmeriCorps

members learn to give for the rest of their lives.

AmeriCorps Week also provides a platform to highlight the valuable community organizations that deserve our support. Earlier this week, critical new AmeriCorps grants were announced. This funding provides necessary resources to some of America's most innovative and effective community organizations.

Those who support this resolution and AmeriCorps Week will be in good company. Dozens of State governors have issued AmeriCorps Week proclamations from local leaders to professional baseball teams. Thousands of diverse Americans are expressing their support for the AmeriCorps programs and its volunteers. These supporters recognize that AmeriCorps members do more than volunteer their time. They are ambassadors of hope, good will, and personal initiatives.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me, my fellow National Service Caucus cochairs, and the 40 bipartisan cosponsors of this resolution in support of AmeriCorps Week and these amazing volunteers.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize many of Sacramento's outstanding individuals and businesses as members of the Sacramento community gather at the Child Abuse Prevention Center's annual Inspirations luncheon. The men and women being honored this afternoon are dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and well-being of Sacramento's children and families. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring these fine Sacramentans.

David Ballard and the Children's Receiving Home of Sacramento are receiving the community service provider award. The Children's Receiving Home of Sacramento is a shelter for abused and neglected children in Sacramento County. The only shelter of its kind, the Children's Receiving Home serves over 1,800 children each year. I would like to commend them on their ability to help these children in their time of need. David is being honored for his contributions to a variety of campaigns that have secured funding to help improve and expand the facilities and make changes in the care children receive there. In addition to his dedication to the Children's Receiving Home of Sacramento, Mr. Ballard has served on the Children's Coalition's board, the human services planning council, the family support collaborative executive committee and the child welfare redesign steering committee.

The hearts and hands award is being presented to Anthony Pico for his work with our foster care system. Mr. Pico was raised in foster homes and at 15 he began working with other youth in the California Youth Connection and the Y.O.U.T.H. Training Programs. He has worked with the American Bar Association, Casey Family Programs, Pitzer College, the California Institute for Mental Health, the John Burton Foundation for Children Without Homes, and has held positions with the San Francisco Youth Commission--Mayoral Appointee Commission and the Blue Ribbon Commission on Children in Foster Care. For his dedication to improving our foster care system, Mr. Pico was the 2005, 2006, and 2007 recipient of the Youth Leadership Award from the City and County of San Francisco and is now being honored by his Sacramento partners.

This year, the Board of Directors Award goes to a coalition of health care providers and agencies in Sacramento for launching California's first Shaken Baby Syndrome Prevention Program (SBS). The Sacramento County Departments of Health and Human Services, Child Protective Services, and Public Health Nursing in conjunction with Catholic Healthcare West-Mercy, Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento, the DC Davis Medical Center and the Child Abuse Prevention Center have championed this important cause. This program is modeled after a program in New York which has greatly reduced incidents of SBS by 50 percent in that State. With this program hospitals will provide educational materials to new parents on the dangers of shaking their babies and the prevention techniques that parents can use to avoid this heartbreaking form of child abuse. These organizations have come together to reduce the incidence of SBS and most importantly protect our children.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize these individuals and businesses for their extraordinary work on behalf of children and families in the Sacramento area, and I would like to thank the Child Abuse Prevention Center for their dedication to our children's safety. On behalf of the people of Sacramento and the Fifth Congressional District of California, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring their unwavering commitment to Sacramento's youth.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule and the underlying legislation.

The housing crisis has had an unprecedented effect on our economy. Our families, our neighborhoods, our communities are facing daily challenges, seeing increased foreclosures and vacancies everywhere they turn.

My own hometown of Sacramento is among the hardest hit in this country. Just last quarter, nearly 5,300 homes were foreclosed on. And sadly, there is no end in sight. My district is fifth in the Nation in adjustable rate mortgages, many of which are reset to higher rates in the near future.

To make matters worse, Forbes magazine ranks Sacramento among the highest in homeowner debt. Twenty-eight percent of homeowners in my district hold second mortgages and/or home equity lines of credit, making it much more difficult for them to save their homes.

This crisis is affecting everyone; homeowners who are in danger of foreclosure, renters who are being forced to move, and even families who are secure in their mortgages are seeing their home values fall, and increased neighborhood blight.

Mr. Speaker, this year I have met with many Sacramento families that are struggling with their mortgages in today's volatile economy. I have seen the sadness in their eyes and the emotional toll this crisis has taken on them. It is truly devastating. I met Susan at a foreclosure workshop. She had a traditional mortgage that was in good standing. Then, after repeated calls, she was steered by a lender to refinance her traditional loan into an adjustable rate loan so she could do home improvements. Now the loan is scheduled to reset soon, and she will have a difficult time making ends meet.

Another constituent, Jeanie, e-mailed me just last week. She has been forced to move twice already this year because the homes she was renting were foreclosed on. Without some stability in the housing market, Jeanie and her family, including their young daughter, will be forced to move again.

Mr. Speaker, we need to help these honest, hardworking homeowners immediately. This legislation is a step in the right direction. I urge support of this rule and this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Jan Schori's 14 years of service as general manager of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. Ms. Schori leaves a lasting legacy in Sacramento and her leadership and expertise will be deeply missed. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring one of Sacramento's finest public servants.

After earning her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Berkley, and her law degree from the University of California, Davis, Ms. Schori has spent nearly the last three decades advocating for environmentally friendly and affordable energy in Sacramento. She began her career with SMUD in 1979 as an attorney; and spent 15 years on the utility's legal staff, five of which were as their general council. In February of 1994 she was appointed as SMUD's general manager. During her time with SMUD, Ms. Schori has held various other leadership positions in the utility industry. She has served as chair on the boards of the American Public

Power Association, the Large Public Power Council, the California Municipal Utilities Association and the National Business Council for Sustainable Energy. In addition, she has been a tireless advocate for clean energy and is on the board of the California Climate Action Registry and the National Alliance to Save Energy.

Under her leadership, SMUD has made many significant improvements in lowering their rates, improving their reliability, increasing their renewable energy programs and their overall customer satisfaction. Ms. Schori helped keep rates 20 to 30 percent below private energy companies, and earned bond rating upgrades from the major credit rating agencies. During her tenure, Ms. Schori worked to establish and expand SMUD solar programs, new energy efficiency goals, and a Greenergy program that has become one of the largest in the nation. SMUD is now a leader in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Due to these efforts, SMUD has been ranked by JD Power and Associates as one of the top providers in California for residential customers and one of the top in the nation for commercial customers.

Ms. Schori's 14 years as general manager of SMUD is the longest of any general manager in SMUD's 61 year history. Her dedication to our community is apparent through her work both with SMUD and with other local non-profits. She serves on the board and is treasurer of Valley Vision. She also actively supports the United Way California Capitol Region's Foster Youth Initiative and was the 2006 recipient of the DeTocqueville philanthropy award. Personally, Ms. Schori has been a pleasure to work with. Her thoughtfulness and intelligence has empowered employees to work diligently with an open door policy. She has also routinely testified in front of Congressional committees on energy issues.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Jan Schori's distinguished commitment to Sacramento and our energy needs. Ms. Schori's outstanding leadership and dedication to SMUD, has helped promote the use of clean, renewable energy resources that not only benefits our community, but also sets an example for other providers across the state nation. We all are thankful for her efforts. As Ms. Schori's husband Case Butterman, colleagues, family and friends gather to honor her service, I ask all my colleagues to join me in wishing her continued good fortune in her future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the staff and volunteers of the Rio Linda Union School District and the services they provided to local students. For 94 years, the dedicated staff of the Rio Linda Union School District has carefully selected fully credentialed teachers, involved the community in the education process and worked tirelessly to meet the needs of students. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring some of Sacramento's finest educators.

Established in 1914 as a one-room school house, the district has grown into a 22 school, K-6 district. This award winning district is now Sacramento County's largest elementary school district, teaching 10,500 elementary students in the northern Sacramento area. These communities include Rio Linda, Foothill Farms, North Natomas, North Highlands, and McClellan Park.

Rio Linda Union School District offers rigorous educational programs for all students and aligns their curriculum and textbooks to state standards with the integration of arts and sciences into the classrooms. The district prides itself on sustaining a quality learning environment, maintaining school grounds and ensuring a safe place for children to learn. Students have succeeded due to improved special education classes, expanded summer school, Reading Recovery program, family outreach workers, and before and after school activities to keep the children engaged in learning.

This district is made of a diverse population of students, bridging ethnicities and backgrounds. More than 36 different languages are spoken in this district and 26 percent of students have a limited proficiency in English. This is a challenge facing educators across our Nation, and the Rio Linda Union School District has met the challenge head on.

Rio Linda Union School District is driven by community volunteers. The efforts of the volunteers that help this district run are truly admirable. Approximately 3,000 parents volunteer each year to work in classrooms, chaperone field trips and serve on committees. Two annual events that showcase the dedication of volunteers in this district are the Volunteer Luncheon and the Principal for a Day program. More than 400 parents attend the annual Volunteer Luncheon where a ``Volunteer of the Year'' from each school is chosen. Their Principal for a Day program attracts community leaders making the program a state model.

This school district will soon be seeing a change due to the passage of Measure B which consolidates four northern Sacramento County school districts. In July of 2008, Rio Linda Union School District, Grant Joint Union High School, North Sacramento School District, and Del Paso Heights School District will merge to become Twin Rivers Union School District. Frank Porter, who is currently the Superintendent for Rio Linda Union School District has been hired as Interim Superintendent for this new district. Mr. Porter has worked as Superintendent for more than 6 years, during which eight Rio Linda schools received California Distinguished School Awards.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to the Rio Linda Union School District's commitment to education and our community. Over the past 90 years, their success stories have been truly inspiring. As members of the Sacramento community gather at the Aerospace Museum, I ask my colleagues to come together and honor the tireless dedication shown by the Rio Linda Union School District's staff and volunteers in providing quality education for our children.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the everyday heroes in Sacramento whose commitment in the areas of business, education, and community involvement are unparalleled. The men and women being honored this afternoon are dedicated to a diverse Sacramento and their tireless efforts have made a substantial difference in our neighborhoods. As they gather to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring these fine Sacramentans.

With the month of May being Asian Pacific American Heritage month, it is important that we take time to honor individual members of the Asian Pacific Islander Community who go above and beyond in their commitment to community service. One such individual is a Moses Auwae, a retired Army serviceman. Upon his departure from the military, Mr. Auwae dedicated himself to improving the lives of future generations. Mr. Auwae's work with developmentally disabled children at the Laurel Ruff School helped him win the Outstanding Service to Children and Adults with Developmental Disabilities Award in 1991 from the Association for Retarded Citizens. Additionally, Mr. Auwae has been an active community volunteer, making a difference in many lives.

Over the last few decades, Tom Fujimoto has been a diligent advocate for preserving the heritage of Japanese Americans. Working as the trustee to the Wakamatsu Tea & Silk Colony, Mr. Fujimoto has been instrumental in safeguarding this historical landmark, one of the first Japanese settlements in the United States. In addition to his efforts in ensuring Japanese American's proper place in history, Mr. Fujimoto has lent his expertise and knowledge to numerous Sacramento groups. He has served on the Board of the Sacramento Regional Historical Project, the National Japanese American Historical Society, the Tule Lake/ Linkville Cemetery Project and was President of the Sacramento Japanese American Citizens League. Mr. Fujimoto has served the community admirably and his efforts have made significant strides for the betterment of our region.

Throughout the years, Ms. Aeyon Lee has been a leader in the Sacramento community helping to promote healthy living to ensure that the concerns of the neediest among us are heard by policymakers. From her work encouraging civic participation to her volunteering at the WIND Youth Services, Ms. Lee recognizes the importance of giving back to the community. Serving on the board for the Placer County American Cancer Society and currently as the President of the Sacramento Korean American Cancer Support Group, Ms. Lee has been a fundamental link in connecting community organizations with the resources they need to succeed.

Ms. Linda Ng has actively worked to ensure the civil rights of all Sacramentans and has strived to end discrimination in our neighborhoods. From her work with the Satendar Singh Justice Coalition to her appointment by Governor Schwarzenegger to the Fair Employment and Housing Commission, Ms. Ng has provided a steady and unwavering voice for every ethnicity. As President of the Organization of Chinese Americans, Sacramento, Ms. Ng organized Chinese New Year celebrations and the Pacific Rim Street Festival, both which have helped raise cultural awareness and encouraged community participation. Ms. Ng's leadership also accounted for a very successful OCA National Convention this past summer in Sacramento.

As the only Vietnamese American to attain the rank of captain in all law enforcement in California, Captain Trang Tro has been an inspiration to Asian Pacifc Americans everywhere. As a community leader and member of the Sacramento County Sheriffs Department, Captain Tro understands the need to protect and serve all of Sacramento's neighborhoods. Working as a public safety liaison, Captain Tro has been involved in many worthy endeavors such as OCA's Hate Crime Conference and the District Attorney's Citizens Academy. I thank Captain Tro for his efforts to strengthen the ties between law enforcement and Sacramento's diverse neighborhoods.

Madam Speaker, I am honored to recognize these worthy honorees who have worked tirelessly and often behind the scenes to ensure that Sacramento is a better place to live. As we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, I applaud the spirit embodied by these local heroes. On behalf of the people of Sacramento and the Fifth Congressional District of California, I ask all my colleagues to join me in acknowledging the efforts and important role these individuals have played in helping Sacramento flourish.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2008.

This needed legislation is based on the principle that our Nation's transportation system should be safe and accessible to all people. Motorists, bicyclists, transit users, pedestrians, the disabled, and the elderly all use our country's transportation network each and every day. The Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2008 will ensure that the needs of all of these users are accommodated during the transportation planning process.

Complete streets are an essential part of well-designed communities that are livable for children, families, the elderly, and people of all ages and abilities. By providing our constituents with sidewalks on which to walk, well-lighted transit stations in which to wait for the bus or light rail, clear lanes in which to drive, and bike lanes in which to ride, we can encourage them to utilize alternative modes of transportation. This can make our transportation system most effective and useful.

Madam Speaker, our constituents are struggling to deal with the skyrocketing cost of gas. As their pocketbooks are hit increasingly hard at the pump, many Americans are turning to alternative methods of transportation. In my hometown of Sacramento, where gasoline is nearly four dollars per gallon, my local newspaper recently reported on the growing number of my constituents who are riding their bicycles to work because of the prohibitive price of filling a car up with fuel.

For these reasons, Americans around the country are eager for transportation alternatives. The Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2008 is a strong step toward a future where travelers are presented with a range of transportation options. By requiring States and metropolitan planning organizations to accommodate the needs of all users of the transportation system in their planning processes, this legislation will broaden access to the streets that tie our communities--and our Nation--together.

Incorporating these kinds of complete streets principles will help us move away from the kinds of transportation planning that causes seniors to avoid walking to the store because of the lack of sidewalks. It will help usher in a day when commuters feel safe riding to work on their bicycles because the streets now accommodate bikes. It will ease the fears of parents across our country who hesitate to allow their children to walk to school because of the danger posed by so many cars driving near sidewalks. It will reduce the risk posed to disabled Americans who are forced to deal with a transportation system short on painted crosswalks and audible walking signals. And it will encourage people to take public transit because they will no longer have to wait for the bus at a stop that is nothing more than a pole in the ground.

Complete streets also have a number of non-transportation-related benefits. In a country where nearly one-third of adults are obese and the number of overweight children has tripled since 1980, giving people options to walk or take public transit can play a major role in reducing these disturbing trends. In terms of fighting global warming, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommends as a key climate change mitigation strategy the shifting of travel modes from driving to walking, taking transit, and bicycling. There is ample room for complete streets to help bring about this needed paradigm shift in the way we travel--65 percent of trips in the United States under one mile are now made by automobile. In one Colorado city, local efforts to

take transit, use bicycles, and carpool have helped reduce carbon dioxide by half a million pounds. If one city can achieve such success in reducing emissions by changing transportation patterns, the possible emissions reductions through implementing a nationwide complete streets policy are staggering.

Madam Speaker, we live in a time when local governments are strapped for cash. In such a fiscal climate, we should make investments today that will pay out over the long term, and that will help us avoid the need to make costly adjustments to our current transportation system down the line. Incorporating complete streets principles today will help communities save precious dollars in the future by eliminating the need for costly retrofits.

I know this to be true because of the experience of my own congressional district, where the City of Sacramento is preparing to spend $12 million to update a bridge that was built in the 1930s without adequate sidewalks. Another example of the power of complete streets to save money is from Illinois. There, the legislature passed a complete streets law last year after the state was forced to spend nearly a million dollars adding a foot and bike path to a bridge where several pedestrians and bicyclists were hit and killed by motorists.

But the bottom line, Madam Speaker, is that the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2008 is good policy because of what it can help us do for our communities, not for the costs it can help us avoid. Encouraging people to use all the various modes of transportation available to them will strengthen public health, reduce congestion, improve air quality, and increase the interconnectedness of our communities. It will help create a national transportation network that works for all Americans regardless of their age, income, or preferred mode of getting around town.

The time has come for this Congress to start thinking about what we want the legacy of American transportation to be. I know I speak for many of my colleagues when I say that we want this to be one where all users of our streets feel safe and accommodated. The Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2008 is a first step toward creating this kind of practical, efficient, and inclusive transportation system, and I am proud to introduce it here today.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize many of Sacramento's outstanding individuals and businesses as members of the Sacramento community gather at the 32nd Annual Clean Air Awards Luncheon hosted by Breathe California of Sacramento Emigrant Trails. The men and women being honored this afternoon are dedicated to the success of Sacramento and have worked tirelessly to advance the region's environmental conditions. I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring these fine Sacramentans.

Gary Federico and the Federico Beauty Institute will be presented with the ``Business Award.'' Gary has partnered with Sacramento Municipal Utility District to implement a recycling program, changed his light bulbs to energy efficient compact fluorescent lights, established a photovoltaic carport system, and installed occupancy sensors to save energy. These changes will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 165,643 pounds, which is equivalent to annually removing 14 cars from the road. Gary and the Federico Beauty Institute are an example of how even individuals and small businesses can truly make a difference.

Tony Powers is receiving the Clean Air ``Individual Award,'' for his tireless dedication to air quality by focusing on bicycle-friendly alternatives to driving. Tony has worked with the City of Folsom to build a new Lake Natoma Crossing and has inspired people to trade in their cars for bicycles. Tony has made bicycling easier and safer for the Sacramento community. Due to his efforts, Sacramento is ranked among the top 10 cities in the Nation for bicycle commuting.

The Natomas Unified School District is receiving the Clean Air ``Government Award'' for its dedication to air quality and energy- saving techniques. These techniques include solar panel use, conversion of school buses to biodiesel, synthetic turf playing fields and promoting walking and bicycling to school with the Safe Routes to School program. This program reduces traffic and encourages safe driving. The Natomas Unified School District has also been designated as the State's only ``Climate Action Leader'' due to their participation in voluntary greenhouse gas emissions reporting programs.

The Clean Air ``Regional Award'' will be presented to the Million Mile May Program. This program challenges individuals in the Sacramento Region to not only bike to work, but also to use their bicycles for their errands and leisure time as well. So far this year, over 2,500 individuals have pledged to ride over 600,000 miles and this number continues to rise. In 2007, the Million Mile May Program nearly reached its 1 million mile goal and saved nearly 19,000 gallons of gasoline. I would like to commend this program for its dedication to promoting clean air and exercise.

9onF is being awarded the Clean Air ``Smart Growth Award'' for their work in developing more eco-friendly homes in the Sacramento area. These homes feature state-of-the art energy performance combined with environmental responsibility. They come equipped with geothermal heating and cooling systems, the SMUD ``Solar Smart'' Program and they are LEED-for-Homes certified. This project improves air quality in building design and construction materials as well as in its location. 9onF is built within walking distances of restaurants, stores, entertainment venues, and employment bases.

Keelan Shaw-Connelly is receiving the Clean Air ``Youth Leadership Award'' for her involvement in air quality issues. Keelan joined the Breathe California Youth Advisory Board as a freshman in high school and has done a wonderful job giving her peers a voice in all of the organization's outreach activities. Now as a Sacramento Country Day School junior, Keelan has become a role model for others. Active in her community, Keelan organized a tree planting day at Arcade Middle School, bringing together student volunteers from Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths.

Madam Speaker, as we celebrate the Clean Air Champions, I am honored to recognize these individuals and businesses for their contributions to the environment and to the Sacramento region. On behalf of the people of Sacramento and the Fifth Congressional District of California, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring their unwavering commitment to our region.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the International Association of Skateboarding Companies for their work promoting increased participation and safety in skateboarding among children and adults alike. The association, and skaters across the country, will recognize and celebrate National Go Skateboarding Day on June 21, 2008.

Skateboarding, a native sport of my home State of California, continues to attract new riders every day and has grown into a major domestic industry and employer. Today, we see the sport throughout our country. From major metropolitan cities to small heartland towns, we see skateboard shops and skateboard parks creating opportunities for outdoor recreation, at a time when the health and physical activity of our citizens is in crisis.

This truly unique sport has grown up with our younger Americans, and has influenced untold aspects of our culture and society. While once thought of as a sport for the young, many of the top tier skateboarders are now older than many top tier athletes in more traditional sports, proving it is simply a sport for the young at heart.

Anyone who has seen skateboarding in the media or watched a skateboarder perfect their trade knows that it is a sport of intense discipline. As is true with traditional sports, many skateboarders learn larger life lessons from the activity. Persistence, discipline, creativity, individuality, community, risk-taking skills, and accomplishing one's goals are all important character traits that can carry over into real world success.

Go Skateboarding Day will further promote this worthwhile sport. According to the association, ``Go Skateboarding Day, an international event, began in 2004. Each year the holiday grows bigger and better than last. Skateboard parks, skateboard shops, cities and skateboarders plan events such as barbeques, fundraisers, contests, or simply took to the streets.''

The work of the International Association of Skateboarding Companies has promoted skateboarding and encouraged young people to enjoy the outdoors and exercise while strengthening their coordination, focus, and cardiovascular health. Skateboarding builds confidence and self- esteem while promoting teamwork and group participation. As a representative in Congress, one of my most important priorities is promoting and maintaining healthy living opportunities, and I thank the International Association of Skateboarding Companies for their efforts toward this important goal.

I ask my colleagues to join me in acknowledgement and support of Go Skateboarding Day, this June 21st.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Over 10 million Americans travel on cruise lines each year. Unfortunately, many are unaware that they are at risk of being victims of crime while on their vacations. And, it concerns me even more that these victims have inadequate access to assistance or law enforcement in the aftermath of a crime.

In recent years, the media has reported on a number of high-profile cases of passengers falling overboard, passengers going missing, and passengers being raped and sexually assaulted. Sadly, many of these cases remain unresolved, and the perpetrators of sexual violence and other violent crimes on cruise ships are rarely brought to justice.

I became personally involved after a constituent of mine, Laurie Dishman, came to me for assistance after she had been a victim of a violent crime on a cruise ship.

As a result of continued cases of crimes on the high seas, and with the leadership of Chairman Cummings, this Congress has held two hearings on safety on cruise ships. We learned that we must take action to inform people of exposure to risk while on cruise vacations. Mr. Chairman, sometimes even cruise ships need sunshine.

Our amendment seeks to do just that by requiring the Coast Guard to post on-line the number of deaths, missing persons, and reported crimes committed on cruise ships. The amendment also requires cruise lines to include a link to this data base on their public web sites. Our amendment would create transparency and promote a culture of accountability by allowing the public access to the number of crimes reported.

Prevention can be just as powerful as enforcement, and we all know that prevention starts with making people aware of the potential for a crime to occur. With prevention and enforcement, it is our hope that the tragic events that so many passengers have endured will not be repeated. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe).

Madam Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).

And I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Connecticut.

In closing, Madam Chairman, providing public access and crime statistics is an important part of crime prevention. I thank my cosponsors and supporters of this amendment, and urge my colleagues to support transparency in the cruise industries.

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

Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

Madam Chairman, the bill before us today is a good one. I would like to commend Chairwoman Velazquez, Chairman Gordon and Chairman Wu for their hard work on this timely legislation.

Madam Chairman, in many cities and towns across the country, business incubators provide a valuable service. They help young businesses survive and grow.

They provide guidance, business tools, space, contacts, and the know- how to run a company. Incubators can dramatically increase the success of new companies. Across the United States, incubators have already nurtured tens of thousands of new companies to great success. Their efforts have helped grow our economy and create both jobs and profit.

In these challenging economic times, a good idea is often not enough to guarantee success. Many young companies need further business expertise in order to avoid failing.

In my hometown of Sacramento, the CleanStart incubator is helping grow a whole suite of clean energy companies. These businesses are developing the cutting-edge technologies that will power our economy and protect our environment in the future.

However, many businesses receiving SBIR grants devote most of their capital to research. This leaves little left over for business development. These are the type of businesses that can benefit most from the services provided by incubators.

My amendment ensures that SBIR dollars will continue to work with incubators across the country to drive economic development. It will allow incubators to do what they do best, translate good research conducted by small businesses into commercial technologies that create jobs and economic growth. I urge all Members to support this commonsense amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, my amendment complements the goals of today's legislation by helping to ensure that taxpayer-funded research is maximized. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, today I am proud to introduce the Energy Conservation through Trees Act. On this Earth Day in 2008, my legislation builds on an innovative program developed in my hometown of Sacramento that will help Americans lower their energy bills while increasing energy conservation and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Through the targeted and strategic planting of specific species of shade trees around residences, homeowners and utilities can conserve significant amounts of energy.

Planting shade trees in strategic locations is a proven method to help homeowners manage the amount of electricity they need to run their air conditioners and heaters. For more than a decade, the Sacramento Municipal Utility District has partnered with the Sacramento Tree Foundation to offer their customers free shade trees to help reduce energy consumption.

This program has succeeded in planting more than 400,000 trees, which will help conserve enough energy to cool 9,000 homes in Sacramento. In addition, these trees will contribute to the fight against global warming by

absorbing an estimated 2 billion pounds of carbon dioxide. They will absorb 5 billion gallons of rainwater as well, and will eliminate or avoid the production of about 61 million pounds of air pollutants. Most important, they will save my constituents millions of dollars in energy costs, and will relieve SMUD from having to purchase expensive and dirty power during periods when demand is at its peak.

Madam Speaker, the benefits of strategically planted trees to the environment, to energy conservation, and even to public health are many, and the Federal Government certainly has a role to play in helping to encourage more utilities to utilize them. With this in mind, the Energy Conservation through Trees Act creates a grant program at the Department of Energy to help residential power providers institute targeted tree-planting initiatives dedicated to reducing residential energy consumption.

In order to qualify for financial assistance under this legislation, utilities must partner with local tree-planting organizations to serve as experts in the siting, planting, and care of the shade trees provided to homeowners. These tree-planting organizations must employ science-based guidelines to ensure that planted trees do not interfere with pre-existing solar panels, wind turbines, septic systems, building foundations, and other essential infrastructure. These guidelines are also meant to ensure that ecologically appropriate trees are distributed to homeowners.

Madam Speaker, the American people are concerned about our Nation's energy policy. They want us to take action to combat global warming. They are demanding relief from energy bills that continually rise year after year. Utilizing strategic planting of trees to increase energy conservation is a proven and reliable way for Congress to take action to address these concerns. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Energy Conservation through Trees Act. Doing so will send a strong signal to our constituents that we are taking steps today to create a more affordable and energy-conscious future for them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Con. Res. 322, a resolution to recognize the 60th anniversary of one of our most steadfast and vital allies: Israel.

Although it was created at a time of great international uncertainty, from its inception Israel has been a determined ally of the United States. Its history is a prime example of the strength that a commitment to political liberalism and equality of opportunity can afford even the smallest and most vulnerable state.

Israel is a nation that has weathered constant threats from outside its borders, indeed, that was born out of war and conflict. But despite its harsh beginnings, this inspirational country along the River Jordan has, for over half a century, fended off threats to its sovereignty and to its survival. And it has done so even as it has built a pluralistic society grounded in the highest ideals of equality, representative government, and democratic principles.

Mr. Speaker, a nation as threatened as Israel could certainly be excused for turning inward on itself, focusing on defending its territory and citizens against terrorism, and withdrawing from an international community that has increasingly targeted it with unfair sanctions and biased political statements. It is a testament to the character and inner strength of the Israeli people that they have not allowed their country to do so.

Instead, Israel has repeatedly volunteered its resources, manpower, and experience to help victims of disasters around the world. It has sent humanitarian aid and emergency medical supplies to war zones in Rwanda; disaster areas in Turkey, the Indian Ocean, and along the Gulf Coast; and, to fire-scorched areas in Greece. Israel's national mission is a higher calling than mere survival or self-perpetuation. It is an example to the world of the power of a determined national spirit, a citizenry dedicated to justice, and a set of founding principles that cannot be corrupted even by the constant threat of terrorism.

Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, terrorism is a serious and ever-present threat to Israel's sovereignty and menaces innocent Israeli citizens on a daily basis. As the number of rockets aimed at Israel by Hamas and other terrorist organizations has increased in recent days, the world has been reminded of the ugly intentions of those who refuse to discuss peace with the only democracy in the Middle East.

By contrast, Israel has demonstrated time and again that it is willing to make concessions to other countries in the name of peace. As a result, it now lives beside its Jordanian and Egyptian neighbors in relative calm.

However, organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah, along with countries like Syria and Iran, have refused to take meaningful steps to forge similar agreements that could begin to heal the regional divisions that restrict the Middle East from reaching its full potential. For the past six decades, Israel has been strengthening its ties to the land upon which the Jewish people have lived for over 2,000 years. It is the security and identity of this land which Israel has the inalienable right to defend against existential and tactical threats.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that H. Con. Res. 322 recognizes the many similarities between Israeli and American values, ideals, and interests. Our two peoples maintain an equal respect for the rule of law, democratic principles, and progressive ideals that have provided the foundations of our two societies for decades.

I join with many of my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives in highlighting my admiration for all that the nation of Israel has accomplished in the last 60 years. May this resolution before us today serve as the impetus for many more years of Israeli and American friendship, cooperation, and prosperity.