Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Carole Haas for her service to our community.

When Carole Haas read a newspaper report about a young mother who left her baby in a dumpster, she vowed to make a difference. With four young children at home, she opened Bridgeway in 1986 to support young pregnant women.

The facility provides shelter, counseling, life skill classes and complete support for young women age 16 to 21 during and after pregnancy. The residents must either attend school or hold a job.

For the first 15 years, Ms. Haas managed all the residents herself. She now has the help of a staff. Carole Haas continues to dedicate herself to overseeing what has grown to be a thriving, sustainable non- profit that has assisted 525 young women.

As the founder and director of Bridgeway, Ms. Haas has devoted her life to providing compassion, love and support to young pregnant women during a highly vulnerable time in their lives.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Dawn Gifford Engle for her service to our community.

Eleven years ago, Dawn Gifford Engle and her husband cofounded PeaceJam, which coordinates educational programs to inspire young people to provide peaceful solutions to the root causes of violence and suffering in the world. So far, half a million young people from the United States to East Timor have created and implemented 300,000 community projects. Dawn is committed to increase the number of young people inspired by PeaceJam to one billion by the year 2016.

In 2006, the Arvada resident brought the world to Denver when the PeaceJam Foundation celebrated its 10th anniversary here. The Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and other Nobel Peace Prize Laureates attended the program.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Hannah Hayes for her service to our community.

Hannah Hayes is deeply dedicated to helping people restore their lives to a healthy creative balance through oriental medicine. In 1993, she and her husband Donn started Oriental Herb Company, known as OHCO, in Evergreen. Cold Snap, Eye Ching and all their other products are created by Donn, who is an acupuncturist with extensive training in Chinese herbology. Ms. Hayes runs all facets of operating the business, from manufacturing to marketing and shipping.

Hannah Hayes enthusiastically teaches others about the benefits of listening to their bodies, evaluating their lifestyles, and exploring ways to live healthy balanced lives.

Ms. Hayes remarks, ``It's rewarding when a customer calls and has had some incredible insight about how to customize our general formulas into their own particular needs.''

Hannah Hayes teaches creative balance through Chamber of Commerce gatherings, presentations at health food stores, and a column in the local weekly.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Sylvia Brockner for her service to our community.

Wildlife, nature, and open spaces are the focus of Sylvia Brockner's community leadership. ``Anytime I help save land, I'm pleased,'' she states. ``It's a legacy for future generations.''

Sylvia Brockner brought with her the conservation and naturalist leadership expertise she honed as chairperson of the Western New York Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. She was instrumental in organizing the Mountain Area Land Trust, which she likens to a local Nature Conservancy. A lifelong bird watcher, she helped establish the annual Christmas Bird Count, and in 1978 she and her husband founded the local Audubon Society.

Sylvia successfully lobbied the Army Corps of Engineers to protect the wetlands at Evergreen Lake. She also helped convince JeffCo Open Space to preserve Lair O'The Bear Park in Bear Creek Canyon.

For 30 years, she has written and illustrated the Canyon Courier's weekly feature about nature, instilling her passion in her readers.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Ding-Wen Hsu for her service to our community.

Ms. Ding-Wen Hsu enriches both the economic and cultural well-being of our community. She is cofounder and majority shareholder of Pacific Western Technologies Ltd., one of the fastest growing companies in Colorado. She is also a founder of the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival and actively involved in her family foundation, the International Multi-Cultural Institute.

As a national fellow of the Asian Pacific American Women's Leadership Institute, she attended a training program that focused on self- discovery. ``I discovered that I need to lead and make a difference,'' Ding-Wen comments. ``I feel very fortunate that I got to live in two very different cultures. I felt I should use my gift.''

She does so primarily through her community endeavors. The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, for example, offers a unique cultural experience that builds awareness, knowledge and understanding among the diverse Asian communities. The mission of the International Multi-Cultural Institute is to promote harmony, eliminate prejudice and discrimination, combat community deterioration, and defend human and civil rights.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Irma Wyhs for her service to our community.

For half a century, as a writer, historian and citizen advocate Irma Wyhs has been showing how deeply she cares about her community. She is admired for her adeptness at advising, encouraging, cajoling, and publicizing community leaders and their organizations. Clear Creek Living History Museum, which Irma founded, exemplifies her tenacious spirit.

Ms. Wyhs has left her imprint on many other establishments in our community, such as the Foothills Art Center where she was the first director and the Golden Pioneer Museum.

Irma Wyhs has written for numerous publications, including the history page of the Golden Transcript. Currently she is writing articles for the Fence Post about Zebulon Pike and his descendents to mark the 200th anniversary of his exploration of the Southwest.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Katherine Redmond for her service to our community.

Kathy Redmond was the first person to use Title IX as a remedy for rape by an athlete in a higher education institution. Her Title IX case against the University of Nebraska and the rape perpetrators was settled in 1997.

Shortly afterwards, she formed the National Coalition Against Violent Athletes. Kathy has forged herself as a national expert in athlete violence and response, and counseled more than 250 women affected by athlete violence. Intent upon eradicating the problem, she has started INTERCEPT, a 3-day violence prevention and response program for athletes.

Kathy volunteers for the First Judicial District attorney's office diversion program teaching victim empathy to men in the program. She has also authored and lobbied rape shield legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Clarene Shelley for her service to our community.

When Lakewood's first mayor swore Clarene Shelley into the Lakewood Department of Public Safety in 1972, she became the department's first female agent. When she retired, she held the position of division chief of the city of Lakewood Police Department.

Upon graduation from the Denver Police Academy, Clarene Shelley was assigned to the Investigations Division, where she made her mark by working cases of family abuse, child abuse and juvenile crime. As a sergeant, she developed investigative procedures for child abuse cases that were adopted by all of the agencies in Jefferson County. In 1989, the American Association of University Women named her ``Police Woman of the Year,'' a title that she was awarded several times.

Ms. Shelley's leadership was instrumental in developing better methods of recruiting, hiring and training. She trained thousands of people in the academy, the FBI, hospitals and many other organizations. She also began Lakewood's first Youth Police Academy and headed the Jefferson County Officer Involved Shooting Investigations Team.

It's said Clarene Shelley was at her best when helping others: offering support, giving sound advice, and celebrating the successes of those she mentored.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1074, I was unavoidably delayed in a meeting and did not get to the floor in time to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, this weekend and next Monday we will

honor those who have served this Nation on the front line of freedom and democracy.

This Veterans Day, the Democratic-led Congress is working to honor our troops, military families, and veterans with quality-health care.

Today, the House will give final approval to a veterans funding bill that provides the largest increase for veterans in the 77-year history of the VA, and I hear our friends on the other side of the aisle complaining that that's 8 weeks overdue. Well, they had 12 years to do this and they chose not to.

Over the last decade, while the number of veterans has doubled, our Nation's investment in their health care needs has simply not been enough. Unlike the President, this new Democratic Congress vowed to fulfill our promise to our veterans; and, today, we will pass a final veterans funding bill that has been endorsed by all major veterans groups.

This new Democratic Congress has also made major strides in addressing the military health care crisis and the inadequacies of the disability system brought to light by the Walter Reed scandal.

Madam Speaker, as Veterans Day approaches, our Nation's veterans and military families should know that the promises that have been made to them will be fulfilled.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule for H.R. 2262 and the underlying legislation in hopes of reforming the 1872 Mining Law.

Chairman Rahall has been working toward this goal for many years, and I have tremendous respect for the expertise and dedication he has brought to this effort. I offer this support, though, with some reservations about the bill.

I favor cleaning up abandoned old mines, and we have more than our fair share in Colorado. And we need funding to achieve this worthwhile goal.

But I am concerned that generating this revenue by an 8 percent royalty may defeat the purpose of the bill. If mining moves offshore, which some economists tell us could happen, we won't have any mining from which to collect the royalties.

And I'm also concerned about the thousands of jobs, of high-paying manufacturing jobs, that are generated by mining.

We need to reform this old law. It's way overdue. I reiterate my support for this legislation, which has many, many positive attributes and is a good step towards reforming the law. But let's be sure we don't create one problem while we are solving another.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

And I thank my friend from Florida. This is a place where the Democrats and Republicans have come together to look after kids from hardworking families across this country. This is not something that is just given out, and it doesn't make any fiscal sense or anything else. This is for people coming from hardworking families where the kids don't have insurance. And instead of going to the doctors, which is the most fiscally prudent way for a kid to be treated, they have to go to the emergency room, and at the emergency room, then, we, the taxpayers, pick up the bill. It's the most expensive form of medical care we could have. So it makes utter sense that we provide insurance to 10 million kids across this country from hardworking families so that they don't have to go to the emergency room, so they can go to their doctor, get proper treatment. But that just doesn't seem to be acceptable to the President of the United States.

Here we are wanting to bring change. We promised our constituents that we were going to change the way this Nation's being run, and one of those places is providing insurance in a prudent fashion for kids from hardworking families. But we have a President who wants the status quo, does not want to assist the hardworking people in the middle, and those are the folks that make up my district. It's not a rich district. It's not poor. Financially, it's right down the middle and people are struggling. And one of the first things to go when you're putting food on the table is insurance. And we want to make sure that 10 million kids have that insurance in this country. We passed it once; we passed it twice. This President says he's going to veto it again. He's about the status quo. He calls himself prudent fiscally, a fiscal conservative. Just the opposite, ladies and gentlemen, just the opposite.

So my friends, you know, we came here to change the direction of this Nation. We passed a stem cell bill which would have provided relief to millions of people across this country or hope for them who have debilitating diseases. We passed the SCHIP bill for 10 million kids.

But this President, he doesn't want change. He wants things as usual. He wants Washington to run as usual. We are going to keep knocking on his door until we change the direction of this Nation. And I'm happy to be part of a class that is going to fight every day to do the right thing for our constituents and for the future of this Nation.

And with that, I'll yield back to my friends from Florida or Minnesota or New Hampshire, although he's not my friend, because I lost a bet on the Boston Red Sox game. But I would yield back to my friends.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Department of Energy (DOE) on the groundbreaking of their Research Support Facility (RSF) on October 30, 2007.

The Research Support Facility will be an important building for the DOE and NREL. The building will house several hundred DOE and NREL staff in over 200,000 usable square feet without sacrificing high priority special spaces. The building will include shared spaces to assist in optimizing human performance, enhancing creativity and recruiting the workforce of tomorrow.

The RSF is designed to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ``Platinum'' rating as defined by the U.S. Green Building Council. The building will be a shining example of sustainable high-performance design. It will demonstrate the integration of high performance design features and practices, showcase technology advances, and capture the public's imagination for renewable and energy efficient technologies.

Investing in and expanding the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is good for national security, good for the climate and good for jobs.

I am honored to have the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the future Research Support Facility in the 7th Congressional District.

Madam Speaker, I thank Chairman Thompson and I want to thank Ms. Harman and Mr. Reichert for conducting a number of hearings across the country to really focus our attention on what could be a very big problem if we don't get in touch with it right now.

As the global war on terror continues, America dedicates much of its resources to tracking foreign terrorists at home and abroad. But in recent years, we have seen a rise in the number of U.S.-born criminals inspired by, but not necessarily affiliated with, groups like al Qaeda. And we have had, from Ms. Harman and Mr. Reichert and Mr. Lungren as well, a list of a number of incidents that we have seen recently.

It is vital that our Nation do what it can to understand the growing threat of homegrown terrorists and what we can do to prevent it. The Homegrown Terrorism and Violent Radicalization Act finally focuses attention on this matter. The bill establishes a national center of excellence to bring in the top minds in the world to explore the causes of radicalization. The legislation also enhances our international cooperation so we may learn from our allies who have extensive experience with homegrown terrorism.

But the centerpiece of this legislation is the establishment of a national commission to report to Congress the causes and preventive measures that we can take. The commission consists of academics, religious experts, counterintelligence officials, prison administrators, and many others with the experience provided for this input.

And I must make it clear this bill has strict oversight of the privacy officers within the Department of Homeland Security to ensure it respects personal and religious freedom.

As Americans, it is very difficult to understand why one of our citizens would want to terrorize his neighbors and countrymen. But it is a question we must face in order to protect our security. This bill tackles this head on, and I would like to thank our chairman and ranking member for bringing this bill forward.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House bill 1680, the Secure Handling of Ammonium Nitrate Act. On many of the 728 farms in my district and those throughout the country, hardworking farmers rely on ammonium nitrate as a trusted fertilizer that can produce more nutrients than natural fertilizers, but by its very chemical nature, ammonium nitrate is also a substance that, if mixed with certain fuels, can be used as a powerful explosive. The Oklahoma City bombing of 1995 is perhaps the most notable and frightening example of ammonium nitrate's potential. Therefore, we must do all we can to prevent criminals and murderers from obtaining this legal substance while maintaining easy access for our Nation's farmers.

The Secure Handling of Ammonium Nitrate Act creates a national registry to monitor the purchase and sale of ammonium nitrate. It further matches the names of applying farmers against the terrorist screening database so we can keep ammonium nitrate out of terrorists' hands. In particular, I am pleased to have worked with Mr. Lungren and with others throughout the committee to craft an expedited appeals process for farmers who have been adversely affected by the name check process. The Department of Homeland Security must either approve or deny an application within 3 days. If someone is denied a registration number under the program, they may appeal and get a resolution from the government within 3 days. The provision ensures that farmers who are misidentified do not jeopardize their livelihoods due to a governmental mistake. This is a commonsense bill that guaranties that ammonium nitrate in our country is being used for legitimate agricultural purposes and not for harm.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to adopt this bill.