Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of Senior Corporal Norman Smith who died in the line of duty on January 6, 2008. An 18-year veteran of the Dallas Police Department, Sr. Cpl. Smith spent his career bravely serving the residents of Dallas, TX. With a heavy heart, I pay tribute to him and the impact he made in our city. My condolences are extended to his family and his fellow officers who are mourning the loss of a husband, father and friend.

Sr. Cpl. Smith, 43, joined the Dallas Police Department in 1991 and most recently served as a member in the Gang Unit for the past 12 years. Deeply committed to stamping out the influence of gangs, he worked tirelessly to free neighborhoods crippled with violence, crime and drugs. He was instrumental in taking back neighborhood blocks long controlled by gangs in Dallas for years. His work in this area is now credited as a textbook case for Federal and local officials working to rid communities of criminal organizations. Throughout his career, he received numerous commendations and was honored as a Dallas Police Department Officer of the Year.

There is no doubt that Sr. Cpl. Smith was not only exemplary of those who choose to serve and protect, but admired and deeply respected by all he met. He will be remembered for his strength of character, respect for all those he encountered and his deep commitment to his police work. He is described by his own Police Chief as having the ``heart of a warrior.'' Dallas has truly lost a hero, and we will forever remember the positive changes he brought to the community. His life was a testament to all that can be achieved through dedication to public service.

My prayers are with his wife, Dallas Police Lieutenant Regina Smith, and his teenage son and daughter. He first met his wife while she was a young police officer, noting that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. During the time they had together, there is no doubt there was much happiness and a unique shared passion for their life's work.

Madam Speaker, today we mourn the loss of one of Dallas' finest--Sr. Cpl. Norman Smith. Our city is forever grateful for the sacrifice he has made in the line of duty. His legacy will live on in our hearts and in the community he served.

Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Sixty years since its inception, the Declaration of Human Rights continues to be a foundation for the protection of rights and a statement to the world that human rights abuse is an abomination of the human race.

On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration was established from the horrific religious and racial bigotry of World War II. The declaration represented the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled. This declaration expresses to the world that human rights are not just a principle for the few, the wealthy, or for those who live in economically developed nations--human rights are universal and for all humankind.

Today, we still live in a world where people murder their neighbors over religion, the color of their skin, and national ideologies. This is unacceptable. It is my hope that we as a world of nations can settle our differences through dialogue and treat our fellow man with dignity and respect.

Madam Speaker, today I pay tribute to the life of one of my long time friends, Fred Baron.

Widely known as one of the best trial lawyers in America, Fred Baron dedicated his life to making sure fairness was represented in the law and that the rights of the marginalized could not be trampled over. He was truly a champion of the working man, spending his whole career representing workers who had developed occupational illnesses. He was a pioneer in uncovering the harm that asbestos exposure causes.

I was most proud of Fred Baron when he advocated on behalf of several hundred children in the west Dallas section of my district who lived near a lead smelter that polluted their neighborhood. Thanks to his efforts not only were those families able to move, but the area has now been cleaned and is being made once again livable.

Fred Baron will long be known for the charitable work he and his wife were committed to. In 2002 he and his wife Lisa founded the Baron and Blue Foundation to help nonprofit organizations fight the problems of homelessness and displacement. The foundation was exceptionally helpful in helping many of the hurricane evacuees Dallas has seen in the last few years. Fred even spent many days after Hurricane Katrina consoling and counseling the victims who had made their way to Dallas, bringing them food, toiletries, and helping them out however he could.

Madam Speaker, Frederick Martin Baron is survived by his wife Lisa Blue-Baron, his son Andrew; daughter Courtney and her husband Brad Singer and their daughter Liza; daughters Alessandra, Caroline, and Nathalie; brother Robert and sister Joan; and the countless others he touched in the years he spent with us.

Madam Speaker, I rise to address the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, DBE, and the Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, ACDBE, programs that are vitally important components of the aviation programs we are extending today. These programs are aimed at remedying discrimination to ensure that all American businesses have a fair chance to participate in the business opportunities available at our Nation's airports. The DBE and ACDBE statutes and regulations have been carefully crafted and narrowly tailored to meet the rigorous constitutional standards established by the Supreme Court in Adarand v. Pena. As a result, all of the U.S. Federal circuit courts that have considered the constitutionality of the DBE program since the end of the Adarand litigation have found the statute and corresponding Federal regulations to be constitutional.

The bottom line is that, despite the assertions of some critics, the DBE and ACDBE programs remain necessary. Discrimination against minority and women business owners continues to plague airport-related industries in both the traditional contracting arena and in the concessions context. Here in Congress, we see the academic and statistical evidence and we hear the stories of business owners that confront discrimination. We know that the evidence is compelling and abundant. For instance, disparity studies have been conducted across this Nation make clear that minority and women owned businesses receive far fewer contract dollars than we would expect in a discrimination- free market. Each disparity study is a little bit different, but most of them contain both statistical and anecdotal evidence of the ongoing existence of discrimination. When these studies are considered as a group the results couldn't be clearer: discrimination continues to be a problem for African-American, Hispanic-American, Asian-American and Native American business owners and for women business owners. This is true in every airport-related industry and in every comer of our Nation.

Earlier this month, Don O'Bannon, chair of the Airport Minority Advisory Council, AMAC, testified in the Senate about the discrimination that airport-related businesses confront. His testimony revealed the severity of the bias that minority and women owned airport-related businesses continue to confront. At that same hearing Mr. O'Bannon also submitted to the record a few of the many disparity studies that have documented discrimination in airport contracting with statistical evidence. While these studies, from Dallas, Texas, the State of Maryland, Denver, Colorado, Phoenix, Arizona, Nashville, Tennessee and Broward County, Florida, represent only a fraction of the airport-related studies that have been conducted, they all tell the same story: discrimination still makes it impossible for our Nation's minority and women owned businesses to contribute fully to our national economy.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to support the continuation of the DBE and ACDBE program and look forward to working with my colleagues to strengthening and improving these programs in the months ahead.

Madam Speaker, my constituents are justifiably anxious about the threats this financial chaos poses to their savings, their children's future and their retirement security. I share their outrage that this administration and its supporters in Congress failed to prevent this foreseeable crisis and punish those responsible. I appreciate their anger and their opposition to using their tax dollars to bailout the executives of corporations who profited from the lax oversight of the past 8 years.

I have been told that this crisis is called an economic Pearl Harbor. In those war days, American credit, which is necessary for all commerce, had stalled. Investors were pulling record amounts of money from even the safest investments, which meant that money for the short- term loans that businesses use every day were either unavailable or cost three to four times more than they had cost just a few days prior.

If allowed to continue, the result would have been catastrophic for individuals and businesses alike. The war-time government developed a plan to have the government buy the troublesome securities on the books of financial institutions in order to rescue our Nation's and world's economy.

Since the Reagan administration, deregulation has spiraled out of control. Executive compensation and buyout packages have outraged millions of Americans, and rightfully so. We cannot continue with the path we currently are on. This measure is aimed to do that.

Madam Speaker, I truly understand that the cost of this rescue package may also limit discretionary spending. Federal spending also might be hampered by the much larger commitments that the government has made for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

Regional economies, such as ours in north Texas, may have to fight even harder for scarce Federal dollars for roads, bridges and sewer projects. Creative solutions will be needed to find pragmatic ways to fund these needs.

We need credit in order for this country to operate economically.

Madam Speaker, state and local governments rely on their ability to borrow to finance special projects. Think of how new schools get built: a district issues bonds through a bond house, the bonds are sold to raise money, the money is paid back over time with interest. It's like a mortgage.

Texas companies rely on free-flowing credit to finance both day-to- day operations and long-term needs. Credit is tighter for businesses across the region at the moment, something of particular concern to manufacturers. And individuals rely on credit to buy homes, cars, and to pay for college.

In a troubled economy, now made more difficult by the credit crisis, it is more important than ever to work together to nurture job growth in north Texas. From worker training to transit to luring new business to helping existing businesses expand, a lot is at stake right now.

If this really is our economic Pearl Harbor, then the way we, as a nation and as individuals, act in the coming days will be the measure of whether we meet the challenge with the same resolve as our parents and grandparents.

For that, I intend to vote for this measure.

Madam Speaker, there is a reason that the American people are demanding real change this year. Nearly 8 years ago, this administration inherited a Nation that was well respected abroad, fiscally sound and economically stable.

Today, thanks to misguided policies and arrogance, President Bush has left our Nation's security in a more precarious and dangerous position. On the budget front, President Bush and congressional Republicans have turned a projected 10-year budget surplus of $5.6 trillion into a projected 10-year deficit of $3.4 trillion.

On the economic side, home foreclosures are at record highs, wages are stagnant. More than 600,000 jobs have been lost this year alone, and Wall Street is in crisis thanks to this administration looking the other way for 8 years.

The administration is now looking for a $700 billion recovery package with absolutely no strings attached. While they are trying to recast themselves as the agents of change, we know better. They have built a record of failure over the last 8 years, and America cannot afford more of the same.

Madam Speaker, today I mourn the passing of a dear friend of mine, the Reverend Doctor Harvey J. Johnson.

Madam Speaker, born and raised in the Gulf Coast region of Texas, Rev. Dr. Harvey J. Johnson was a fixture of Texas. For the last 24 years he served as pastor of the Cathedral of Faith Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, where I had the pleasure of counting him as my friend.

Madam Speaker, Rev. Dr. Johnson was a member of many important Dallas area community groups including the Together Dallas Task Force, the Dallas Independent School District's Advisory Board, the City of Dallas Board of Adjustment of which he was chairman, and he was a member of the Texas Attorney General's Child Support Board.

Madam Speaker, Rev. Dr. Johnson is survived by his wife of 35 years, Elnora Johnson; a son, Reverend Nathan (Michelle) Johnson; four daughters, Candy S. Wade, Sharon D. Brown, Felicia D. (Craig) Holloway, and Helena J. (Michael) Hill, 15 grandchildren; 2 great grandchildren; one brother, Melvin Byrdlon; one sister, Vinnell (James) Briscoe; and a host of nieces, nephews, other family members, church members, and friends.

Madam Speaker, Rev. Dr. Johnson cared deeply about his community and dedicated his life to serving it. For this our community was always better and he will be missed.

Mr. Speaker, the financial crisis on Wall Street did not happen overnight. For 8 years, this Bush administration refused to regulate the very financial institutions that they are now asking American taxpayers to bail out.

Congressional Democrats want to work in a bipartisan fashion to clean up this mess and to insulate Main Street from Wall Street. We will not be pressured into approving a $700 billion blank check for Wall Street that does not include any safeguards or any independent oversight.

We simply cannot hand over $700 billion of the American taxpayers' money to the Department of Treasury and hope for the best. Any bailout package needs to ensure that the actions of the administration are being watched by an independent observer who can report back to both Congress and the American taxpayer.

We also need to include some protections for homeowners who are in danger of losing their homes and some reasonable limits to the executive compensation for CEOs and top executives.

House Democrats will work in a bipartisan fashion to improve the economic recovery package.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to make my colleagues aware of an exciting new facility opening in my district. The Dallas Arts District will soon be home to the Dallas Center for Architecture.

Officially opening on October 7, 2008, the DCFA will add another facet to the ever-expanding Arts District in downtown Dallas. The Center will be at 1909 Woodall Rogers Freeway and will face the Woodall Rogers Plaza. In fact, the first exhibit at the DCFA will be about the soon-to-be-constructed plaza.

I am excited about this addition to the already world renowned arts district in my hometown. The DCFA is designed for those interested in learning more about the art and science of architecture and will feature a wide variety of exhibits on topics such as environmentally sustainable design, historic preservation, adaptive reuse of buildings, urban planning, and a personal interest of mine--brownfield redevelopment.

The DCFA, in addition to the exhibits for the public, will be a place of continuing education for the architecture community and the home of the Dallas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

I know this project is the culmination of the work of many people. Specifically I would like to acknowledge Tip Housewright, of the AlA, for being the commissioner of the Dallas Center for Architecture during its construction. This large project has been funded by gifts from 25 of the top local architecture firms and will be sustained by events hosted by the Dallas Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Finally, as a Texan I need to note that the size of the Dallas Center for Architecture--it will cover over 9,000 square feet--will make it the second largest Center for Architecture in the Nation. It will be quite an asset in the continuing enhancement of Dallas.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to honor a great leader in the Dallas community: Dr. Claytie Odessa Searcy. Dr. C. O. Searcy was Pastor Emeritus and Founder of ``The House of Love Church.'' A native Texan, Dr. Searcy made history by becoming the first Black woman to receive a Masters degree from the University of Texas. She was the second person in the history of the university to complete a Masters program in only nine months.

Dr. Searcy first began community work at the Moorland Branch YMCA in Dallas, Texas. Concerned about the boys' moral and spiritual life, she secured bibles for the entire boy's division and recognizing the need to strengthen the ``total family'', she organized a mothers' club which provided funds to send underprivileged boys to camp each summer.

Dr. Searcy launched her community activities when she founded the C.O. Searcy Youth Foundation. The C.O. Searcy Foundation enabled Dr. Searcy to provide food, clothes, household merchandise and other much needed items to the families of her community. She offered the adults and youth extended GED courses in conjunction with the Dallas Independent School District.

In 1966, Dr. Searcy then organized The House of Love Church, where she served as Pastor Emeritus. As Pastor Emeritus of the House of Love Church, Dr. Searcy spent her life serving others. When asked what ``life'' means to her, her response was, ``Life is about helping someone else see who he/she really is.'' Today, Madame Speaker, I would like to celebrate the full life of Dr. Claytie Odessa Searcy, on this the occasion of her birthday.

Madam Speaker, today I mourn the passing of one of my political heroes, the legendary U.S. District Judge Harold Barefoot Sanders, Jr.

Madam Speaker, Judge Sanders is best known for overseeing a desegregation plan for the Dallas Independent School District from the 1980s until 2003. Judge Sanders also directed the overhaul of state schools for mentally retarded people and served as a legislative counsel to President Lyndon Johnson.

Madam Speaker, from his core, Judge Sanders symbolized civil rights. He knew that fairness took work, and his diligence is why he was able to make history and inspire a generation of my Texas colleagues. As an assistant attorney general in the Department of Justice, he was credited with helping pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965. As a Texas legislator, he helped write the Texas Mental Health Code. And as a federal judge, in a ruling that I believe took more courage than any other, he declared Dallas' segregated schools illegal.

Madam Speaker, President John F. Kennedy appointed Judge Sanders as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas in 1961.

President Jimmy Carter elevated him to the federal bench in 1979. Judge Sanders was a help to me personally with my acclaimed national and international Peace Initiative. His counsel and assistance were instrumental to its success. I know Judge Sanders as a man revered for his intellect and compassion. I will truly miss him; the void he is leaving will not soon be filled.

Madam Speaker, Judge Harold Barefoot Sanders, Jr., born in Dallas, graduated from North Dallas High School in 1942 and went on to serve as a lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve until 1946. He received his law degree from the University of Texas in 1950 and served three terms in the Texas Legislature. In 1952 he married Jan Scurlock, who survives him. He is also survived by daughters Martha Kay Crockett of Dallas and Mary Frances Korsan of Santa Monica, CA; a sister, Martha Ann Schneider of Dallas; brother, Charles Addison Sanders of Durham, NC; and 10 grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, this September marks the 25th anniversary of the Resource Center of Dallas, a long standing institution in the 30th Congressional District of Texas. The center's parent organization--the Dallas Gay Political Caucus, later known as the Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance--incorporated what was then called the Foundation for Human Understanding in 1983.

In 1988, the center established the Nelson-Tebedo Clinic for treatment, clinical drug trials and HIV testing. Today, the renamed Nelson-Tebedo Health Resource Center also offers HIV dental, STD testing and treatment, medical case management, insurance assistance, prevention and transgender health services. Nutritional services are available as well as hot lunches.

To recognize the history of and the struggle for GLBT rights in Dallas, the Phil Johnson Historic Archives and Research Library was established at the Community Center in 1994. The Library also operates a 24-hour information helpline, which first started in 1985.

In 1998, the Foundation for Human Understanding changed its name to the Resource Center of Dallas. It operates the John Thomas Gay and Lesbian Community Center, named after the founding executive director, and the Nelson-Tebedo Health Resource Center. Through its health and medical services, the center is a leader in HIV/AIDS education, prevention and services, and provides a full spectrum of STD prevention education, screenings and treatments.

More than 1,100 volunteers and a paid staff of 44 make the Resource Center of Dallas one of the largest centers of its kind in the United States. More than 50,000 people each year use the Resource Center through its programs and services. From its roots as an advocacy group for civil rights regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, the center continues its dual mission: to develop programs and offer services for the GLBT community, as well as individuals and families affected by HIV and AIDS.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 3986) to amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Senate amendment to H.R. 3986. The bill will authorize the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for 5 years, from fiscal year 2008 through fiscal year 2012. The House passed this bill on December 7, 2007, and the Senate amended the bill to extend the authorization period from 3 years to 5 years. I support the amendment.

The building's 1.5 million square feet on 17 acres have been upgraded, refigured and transformed to more easily and graciously accommodate the center's 2 million annual visitors and patrons. The center is to be commended for giving a commitment not only to the center's programmatic side, but also the more mundane bricks and mortar side that makes up the presidential memorial. The fact is that, first and foremost, this building is a memorial to President John F. Kennedy.

I am pleased to support the amended bill, and urge the passage of H.R. 3986 with the Senate amendment.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I reserve my time.

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

I just want to comment a bit on his closing statement. The Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act underscores real differences between really the Democrats and Republicans when it comes to energy.

The comprehensive Democratic plan is America's own 21st century energy policy that the country has been waiting for. It lowers prices for consumers and protects taxpayers, it expands domestic drilling offshore and on land, it expands renewable sources of energy, increases our security by freeing America from the grip of foreign oil, requires big oil to pay what it owes to the taxpayers, ends the subsidies for the big oil companies and creates good-paying jobs here in America.

The Republican bill presented was nothing more than the same Bush- Cheney energy policy, written by and for the energy companies. Big oil gets more land, more oil, more taxpayer dollars and all the record profits, while American families suffer because of the big prices.

Members of Congress made a clear choice last night. Some Republicans joined with the Democrats in siding with the American taxpayers and consumers struggling with these energy costs. I am puzzled how any Republican can oppose a policy that will create good-paying American jobs and increase the Nation's security, while it lowers the price for gas for our consumers.

Madam Speaker, I would urge the passage of the John F. Kennedy Center reauthorization bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6460) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to provide for the remediation of sediment contamination in areas of concern, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and add any extraneous materials on

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

H.R. 6460 reauthorizes appropriations, at increased levels, for sediment remediation purposes in the Great Lakes' areas of concern.

The presence of these contaminated sediments, a toxic legacy of the industrialized past for the Great Lakes basin, have plagued its waters for decades. These sediments have contributed to over 90 percent of the near-shore waters of the lakes being unsafe for fishing, swimming and wildlife habitat.

In 2002, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, under the leadership of our current chairman, Congressman Oberstar, and Congressman Vern Ehlers, took action to begin the healing process for the Great Lakes community.

In that year, the Great Lakes Legacy Act was signed into law. The 2002 Legacy Act was enacted to encourage greater cooperation and expedited clean-up of the areas of concern. To accomplish this goal, the Legacy Act targeted Federal resources toward the remediation of contaminated sediment within the 31 areas of concern located within the United States or shared with Canada.

In many ways, the Legacy Act has been successful in laying the groundwork for addressing the areas of concern, but progress toward addressing and delisting these areas of concern has been very slow. Of the approximately 70 individual sites within the U.S. areas of concern, only four have been completely addressed. This is simply too slow, and the citizens of the Great Lakes basin demand that we take action to accelerate this process.

It is my hope that this legislation will set that in motion. Over the past year, my subcommittee has investigated why progress has slowed and has received several recommendations for targeted changes to the Legacy Act from stakeholders closely related with clean-up projects. H.R. 6460 encapsulates many of these recommendations, and it is intended to address the lessons learned as implementation of the Legacy Act program has matured.

First, H.R. 6460 significantly increases the authorization of appropriations for sediment remediation projects in the areas of concern, from $50 million to $150 million annually through 2013. The committee strongly believes that the increase in overall authorization and appropriations for this program will accelerate the pace of clean- up of the areas of concern. With full appropriation of the authorized amounts, it is our hope to complete the clean-up of all U.S. areas of concern within the next decade.

Second, in order to facilitate better understanding of the types, nature and volume of toxic sediment at contaminated sites, H.R. 6460 authorizes the administrator to carry out a site assessment of eligible projects at Federal expense.

This authority should overcome two difficulties identified in the implementation of the Legacy Act, the lack of sufficient information on the extent of the contamination and the identification of potential non-Federal cost-share partners for subsequent phases of remediation projects.

The language in H.R. 6460 attempts to replicate the successful model of the Corps of Engineers reconnaissance studies for Great Lakes sediment remediation projects. Again, this important change should accelerate the process of identifying the scope of contamination projects and quickly move projects from the conceptual stage to planning, design and construction phases.

Third, H.R. 6460 authorizes Legacy Act funding to be utilized for the restoration of aquatic habitat, provided that this restoration activity is carried out in conjunction with a sediment clean-up project.

Oftentimes, contaminated sediment has caused harm to neighboring aquatic habitat, and it is the presence of both contaminated sediment and the degraded aquatic habitat that results in sites being deemed as impaired. By allowing the simultaneous remediation of sediment, along with corresponding aquatic habitat, the Legacy Act should accelerate the process of delisting sites.

Finally, H.R. 6460 includes language requiring the administrator to provide assurance that the Environmental Protection Agency has conducted a reasonable inquiry to identify parties that are potentially liable for sediment contamination before a site can proceed under the Legacy Act. The committee believes that this provision is consistent with the intent of the original Legacy Act, as well as the ``polluter pays'' principle. In addition, this provision should help maximize the leveraging potential of contributions from non-Federal sources through the identification and encouraged participation of responsible parties in remediation activities.

While some have expressed concern that this provision will require additional time, it should neither present an opportunity to excessively delay clean-up projects, nor to divert additional sites to other Federal and State clean-up authorities. In addition, EPA is encouraged to coordinate this effort with State authorities and, where appropriate, utilize existing State efforts to identify responsible parties as a basis for its responsibilities under this Act.

Again, let me congratulate Congressman Ehlers and Congressman Oberstar for moving this important legislation forward. It is my hope that this legislation will mark another turning point in our joint efforts to remediate the Great Lakes areas of concern, and that by the time this legislation is again ripe for reauthorization, we will be within reach of completing the task of remediating the toxic legacy of the Great Lakes' past.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I recognize Mr. Stupak from Michigan for 2 minutes.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).

Madam Speaker, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Emanuel).

I yield the gentleman an additional minute.

Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve.

Madam Speaker, I rise in full support of the Great Lakes Legacy Act and express my appreciation to Mr. Oberstar, Dr. Ehlers, and to Mr. Boozman, who provided leadership on this bill.

I have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate joint resolution (S.J. Res. 35) to amend Public Law 108-331 to provide for the construction and related activities in support of the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) project in Arizona.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and add any extraneous materials to S.J. Res. 35.

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

I rise in support of S.J. Res. 35, which amends Public Law 108-331. This public law provided for the construction and location and related activities in support of the VERITAS project in Arizona.

Madam Speaker, this Senate resolution amends this law by identifying another location for the VERITAS project. S.J. Res. 35 authorizes the Smithsonian to relocate the telescope to Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory Base Camp on Mount Hopkins, Arizona, from the original site at Kitt Peak, Arizona. This is a simple but necessary change, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I just urge support and yield back the balance of my time.