Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5341) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 100 Orndorf Drive in Brighton, Michigan, as the ``Joyce Rogers Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

On behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to present H.R. 5341 for consideration. This measure designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 100 Orndorf Drive in Brighton, Michigan, as the Joyce Rogers Post Office Building.

H.R. 5341 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Michigan, Mr. John Dingell, on May 19, 2010. It was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which waived consideration of the measure to expedite its consideration to the floor today. It enjoys the support of the entire Michigan delegation to the House.

Joyce A. Rogers was born March 16, 1931, in Birmingham, Alabama, and passed away at her Brighton, Michigan, home on November 4, 2009, at the age of 78. Joyce Rogers was married to John Rogers for 57 years, and was the mother of five sons, including Michigan State Representative Bill Rogers, Major General James Rogers of the United States, and Congressman Mike Rogers.

Beyond her devotion to her family, Joyce Rogers was also a dedicated public servant who worked tirelessly to improve the Brighton community, serving an integral role in the economic development of the Brighton business community during the 1980s and 1990s.

She was an active member of the Livingston County Board of Commissioners from 1985 to 1992, and completed her public service career as executive director of the Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce. Through her efforts, Brighton was able to transform into a thriving business community, attracting new residents and customers to the area. She is especially remembered as a tireless advocate for small businesses and a mentor to many women in the Brighton business community.

In closing, she has left a lasting impression on the Brighton community as well as a legacy which demonstrates the importance of public service. I therefore urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure.

I reserve the balance of my time.

May I commend the gentleman from Michigan for his honor to his mother, whom I'm sure would be particularly proud of him as he should be proud of what we do today in her name.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1513) congratulating the Saratoga Race Course as it celebrates its 142nd season, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

On behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, it is my privilege to rise in support of H. Res. 1513. This measure congratulates the Saratoga Race Course on its 142nd season. H. Res. 1513 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from New York, Representative Scott Murphy, on July 13, 2010. It was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which ordered it favorably by unanimous consent on July 15, 2010. The measure enjoys the support of 60 Members of the House.

The Saratoga Race Course was opened August 3, 1863, and it is the oldest organized sporting venue of any kind in the United States. The course is a top destination for tourists from all over the country and from all over the world. It now receives over 1 million visitors each year and supports thousands of jobs in Saratoga Springs and the surrounding communities.

Mr. Speaker, this venerable race course is one of the world's greatest sporting venues. It has continued many of its original traditions since its founding and has contributed to the town of Saratoga receiving the First Great American Place award from the American Heritage Magazine in 1997.

Let us now take the time to congratulate this historic race course on its 142nd season through the passage of this measure. I urge my colleagues to support it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to respond, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

If I had a dime for every trivial bill the minority has put on this floor, I could retire as a rich woman. This is not a trivial bill. This is the oldest racing course in the United States, a historic racing course that has been so recognized by the American Heritage Foundation. It ill-behooves the other side to trivialize a bill by a Member of this proportion. I know that my good friend on the other side would not like me to go through and call the roll on bills that would make us laugh. Nobody can think that this bill commemorating the oldest sporting venue in the United States would make us laugh. It ill-behooves us not to respect the bills each side puts up, particularly since the minority gets to put up an equal number of such bills that have been requested by their constituents, and we all ought to at least grant one another that privilege without demeaning it.

I'm pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Murphy), who proudly sponsored the bill before us today, and I commend him for doing so.

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

I did not hear the gentleman rise to voice the same opposition to a resolution that will be voted on in the next series of resolutions by a Member from his side of the aisle, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina; and it says congratulating the University of South Carolina Gamecocks on winning the 2010 NCAA Division. If you're going to rise because you think some bill shouldn't be on the floor, then you ought to rise all the time.

As for what we should be devoting our time to, both sides of the aisle give time to resolutions requested by their constituents, and we give equal time. That doesn't mean we don't give time to very important matters, and we have given very significant time to very important matters this session, which is why it is considered one of the most historic sessions of the Congress of the United States.

I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Tonko).

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Well, just to indicate for the record, this has been called a historic Congress, not by the Democrats, but by historians who have looked at prior Congresses, including Republican-controlled Congresses, and, indeed, the last Congress before this side took control, which was especially historic in taking the country down to its knees, leaving it to a new, an entirely different administration in Congress, to pick the country up.

I do commend the gentleman for saying he will vote against Mr. Wilson's bill, having been called out, I guess he has to, to show he has any guts at all. But then we are going to be looking to see if he votes against all such bills in the future.

I want to say again that it is quite possible to make a point about what you want to see on the floor without trivializing a bill that is perfectly in order, perfectly respectable, in fact, helps the economy, commemorating a venue that helps the economy of another Member's district.

If you want to make the point that you think the Congress ought to be doing other things, then make the point, but don't do it by putting down other Members. That's not the model of civility either side should be offering on this floor.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Does the gentleman yield back or does he want to keep this going?

I just want to say to the gentleman, it has been pointed out to me that the gentleman cosponsored a resolution, H. Res. 942, commending the Real Salt Lake Soccer Club for winning the 2009 Major League Soccer Cup.

* * *

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove from the Record an idiomatic expression that apparently was misunderstood. I never called the gentleman dishonest. I want to strike the words ``lie in his mouth,'' which is an idiomatic expression that means the gentleman has no business saying what he said. But if it is construed to mean that I'm calling him a liar, then I would certainly ask that that be stricken from the Record. Indeed, my comments were begun with words about civility here, so I certainly did not intend to call the gentleman dishonest or a liar.

Well, I appreciate that the gentleman is withdrawing his objection, and I appreciate that he understood. He knows me well. He is the ranking member of one of my committees. He knows that I do not engage in pointless, uncivil remarks. Indeed, the whole import of my objection to the issues with the gentleman's resolution from Saratoga was I wanted to make sure everybody understood that we ought to respect one another, and I certainly respect the gentleman and certainly would not have meant otherwise through my remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, I accept the gentleman's change on how he thinks these matters ought to be considered. I certainly don't think we ought to take it out on the Member from Saratoga, and I ask that we approve the resolution that was before us commemorating the 142nd anniversary of the Saratoga Race Course.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the District of Columbia National Disaster Insurance Protection Act. This bill amends federal law to exempt from federal income taxation catastrophic insurance reserves and the investment income derived from such reserves if held by insurance companies in the District of Columbia. Under current federal law, these funds are subject to federal income taxation, which has led property and casualty insurers to hold billions of dollars in reserves, either directly or indirectly through reinsurance, in foreign jurisdictions, such as the Cayman Islands and Bermuda, where they are not subject to U.S. income taxation.

This bill serves important national purposes. This bill will help protect individuals and businesses with property and casualty insurance across the country, as well as U.S. taxpayers. Today, if a catastrophe occurred in the U.S. but foreign insurance companies did not pay the claims, U.S. taxpayers likely would be on the hook for the claims. In fact, after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the U.S. Government had to establish a federal backstop for losses related to terrorist attacks, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, which is still in place today. As the recent financial crisis showed, the U.S. Government has a strong interest in preventing systemic financial risks. Transparency, for example, is a major feature of the pending Wall Street reform bill, but there is little transparency in the catastrophic insurance market, posing a risk to the U.S. economy and taxpayers. Instead, individuals and businesses must rely on small foreign jurisdictions to preserve and protect catastrophic insurance reserves.

I chair the subcommittee that has primary jurisdiction over disasters. Since 9/11, we have plugged all of the most obvious holes in U.S. security. There is no reason to leave the funds necessary to recover from disasters offshore. By locating these funds in the nation's capital, the most protected and secure city in the U.S., Congress would be shoring up an existing but overlooked security vulnerability.

I'd like to thank Chairwoman Waters for not only today's bill but for her comprehensive bill, the first since 1994; also Chairman Frank for his work, making sure we got to the floor today as well.

I chair the subcommittee with primary jurisdiction over FEMA and understand how important the chairwoman's comprehensive bill is. I understand also that Katrina was a wake-up call. As controversial as these maps are, and they have been controversial in my district, the most important thing we do in this bill is the 5-year grace period and appeal period delay. It's the least we can do instead of facing property owners with a new and expensive mandate in the middle of an economic crisis that began in a mortgage crisis with hundreds of people waiting to close on homes, others newly in a flood map zone. This is needed relief and the least we can do before we go home. We've had our separate fights. Let's get this temporary bill done and then get on to comprehensive reform.

I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding, but I particularly thank him for his leadership on many issues in our subcommittee, not the least of which is this issue which he has shepherded to the floor so rapidly. And I certainly want to thank Mr. Sarbanes, add my kudos to those he's already heard from the leadership, what he has shown when he was a member of our subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, this bill does nothing more than give us a presumption in favor of teleworking, and I believe that's the most important thing the bill does. You have heard we have been doing something called teleworking for decades, but that was whatever agency chose to move forward, whatever employees chose to participate.

I can't imagine what the ranking member is talking about when he says millions of dollars this is going to cost the Federal Government. Mr. Wolf, from his side, essentially rebutted that by getting up and talking about how much money it saved and citing examples.

Let me cite an example of something that is almost intuitive. I had occasion to speak to a practitioner, small practitioner, and he was glowing about how his practice has, in fact, developed and expanded. He didn't have to have an office anymore. He has a tiny hole on Tenth Street, and he's got about 15 lawyers working out of their homes.

In a real sense, the Federal Government is behind. There is no case to be made that when you allow people to work at home, you somehow are costing the government more money. Perhaps it costs a few dollars in administrative costs, transaction costs to set up the system, but anybody from the private sector hearing a Federal official get up and say, ``Oh, we're going to teleworking and boy is that going to cost us an arm and a leg'' will scratch his head and say, ``What is he talking about? Don't they know this is one of the first and most important things the private sector has done, invested money in doing, precisely to save money?'' They look at the bottom line. That's the conclusion they reached long before today.

When I speak of the presumption in favor of telework, notice that an agency has a 20 percent goal every 2 weeks of doing telework. We wouldn't have set that goal if they were already doing it. And the fact that you have to do it gives us a some uniformity across the government, and with the appropriate exceptions allows many, many workers, many, many employees to buy into what has now become essentially a workforce practice everywhere with a workforce as large as ours.

The bill, it's very careful. Managers are going to have to be trained. Many are old-school managers. They do not know perhaps as well do I feel instinctively as at home with employees under their supervision who telework. They're going to have to learn how it's done. And importantly, teleworking, as opposed to coming in, does not affect your job performance evaluation. So people are not going to have to think, if I'm in the boss's face for 8 or 9 hours a day, I've got to do better than this mother who is at home and producing as much work as I do.

Continuitive operations has been talked about here.

Post 9/11, the closest thing we have even had to continuity of operations is the kind of teleworking that goes on anyway in the Federal Government. Everybody in the Federal Government at certain levels does teleworking. They take their work home. Employees have been voting with their feet. Managers have been allowing them to vote with their feet and take the work home.

The flexibility, we cannot say enough about the flexibility. We're in an era where fathers and mothers feel responsibility for their children and where, because they are adept at technology, they are able to get as much done and more done. They're doing it at home rather than spending what in this region could easily be an hour or so back and forth each way.

Everybody teleworked in the snowstorm. There weren't a lot of people just sitting at home. We are doing it anyway. We are just not doing it systematically. We are doing it episodically. Doing it that way, we are, in fact, wasting money. Let's, in fact, save money by making sure that as many as are capable are doing what they can given the new technology.

Madam Speaker. I rise today to introduce a bill to clarify that the federal government, like private citizens and corporations, must take responsibility for the pollution it produces. This bill will clarify that the federal government has a responsibility to pay fees assessed by local governments for managing polluted stormwater runoff from federal properties.

Recently, the Government Accountability Office issued letters to federal agencies in the District of Columbia that instructed them not to pay the District of Columbia's Water and Sewer Authority's, D.C. Water's, Impervious Area Charge. D.C. Water calculates the charges based on the amount of impervious land occupied by the landowner. Impervious surfaces, such as roofs, parking lots, sidewalks and other hardened surfaces are the major contributors to stormwater runoff entering the sewer system and local rivers, lakes and streams, which causes significant amounts of pollutants to enter these waters.

D.C. Water's Impervious Area Charge simply is to defray the cost of reducing water pollution caused by stormwater runoff. In fact, D.C. Water's fees are the result of a federal mandate to reduce sewer overflows from excess stormwater and to improve water quality in local waters, such as the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. It is, therefore, unfair, at best, for the federal government to turn around and refuse to pay these fees. Moreover, it is contrary to President Obama's commitment to preserve the Chesapeake Bay and the Anacostia River, as outlined in Executive Order 13508, which I have applauded many times.

When I looked into this issue further, I found that at least nine states faced the same issue of federal agencies refusing to pay the local fees associated with controlling the stormwater pollution originating from their properties. Surely, the federal government understands that these local governments still must cover the cost of managing the pollution from federal properties. So, in effect, what the federal government is doing is passing on that cost to already financially burdened citizens. In a city such as the District of Columbia, where nearly a quarter of the land is owned by the federal government and still more is leased by the federal government, the refusal by the federal government to pay these fees will impose substantial and burdensome costs on individual citizens.

It is important that we continue to work to improve the quality of our waters. Reducing pollution and improving water quality in the District has been a priority for me. My bill to secure funding for the Anacostia River cleanup plan became law in 2007 and the plan was released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in April. Additionally, my bill to amend the National Children's Island Act of 1995 to make

Kingman and Heritage Islands a center for environmental education recreation and restoration of the Anacostia River ecosystem passed in the House last year and I am working hard to get it through the Senate this year. This bill simply requires the federal government to continue its recent commitment to protecting and cleaning our waters, as well as to be a good neighbor here in the District and throughout the country.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3913) to direct the Mayor of the District of Columbia to establish a District of Columbia National Guard Educational Assistance Program to encourage the enlistment and retention of persons in the District of Columbia National Guard by providing financial assistance to enable members of the National Guard of the District of Columbia to attend undergraduate, vocational, or technical courses, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, as amended, H.R. 3913 would require the Mayor of the District of Columbia to establish a program to provide financial assistance to members of the District of Columbia National Guard to assist in covering higher education expenses. The Mayor would establish this program in coordination with the commander of the District of Columbia National Guard. Assistance would be capped at $6,000 per year per National Guard member.

H.R. 3913, as amended, authorizes appropriations to the District of Columbia for the assistance program. The bill would also authorize the transfer of funds from Federal agencies for providing assistance under the program. The initial authorization for the program is $370,000 in FY 2011. The bill would permit annual adjustments in succeeding years based on the tuition inflation index used by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for educational benefits. As amended, H.R. 3913 complies with PAYGO requirements.

Mr. Speaker, in addition, the bill seeks to name the bill after former General David Wherley of the District of Columbia National Guard.

Mr. Speaker, I told the D.C. National Guard's 547th Transportation Company when they were deployed to Iraq about a year ago that I would introduce several D.C. National Guard bills concerning their service. Today, we consider the Major General David F.

Wherley, Jr. District of Columbia National Guard Retention and College Access Act to permanently authorize funding for a program to provide grants for secondary education tuition to the members of the D.C. National Guard.

The bill authorizes an education incentive program recommended by former Major General David Wherley and his successor, Major General Errol Schwartz, who suggested that education grants would be useful in stemming the troublesome loss of members of the D.C. Guard to units, in part, because surrounding States offer just such educational benefits.

I am grateful that the Appropriations Committee has allotted funds in some years, with smaller contributions from the District, in the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill. A permanent authorization is necessary, however, to ensure that D.C. National Guard members receive equal treatment and benefits with other National Guard members on a regular basis, especially with surrounding States that do, in fact, have the higher education benefits we seek for the D.C. National Guard. The Guard for the Nation's Capital is competing for members from the pool of regional residents who find membership in Maryland and Virginia Guards more financially beneficial.

Mr. Speaker, last week, on June 22, we marked the 1-year anniversary of the commemoration of the Metro collision here involving two Red Line trains that took the lives of nine area residents, seven from the District of Columbia, including a local hero, Major General David F. Wherley, Jr., and his wife Ann. This bill is named in honor of General Wherley, who not only served his country all his adult life and never forgot the men and women who served under him at home or at war, but also was particularly attentive to the residents of the District of Columbia, especially the city's most troubled youth. Thereafter, Congressman Jose Serrano, chair of the Committee on Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee, was good enough to offer this renaming in his appropriations bill last year and to appropriate the funds without authorization this year or in prior years.

Under General Wherley's command, the D.C. National Guard deployed several of its units to the global war on terrorism. General Wherley himself served courageously in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but at home he spent hours with me figuring out ways to get funds for programs for the District's children. We were successful, because he would show up, not only in my office, but wherever he was needed to get the funds to do the service for his men and for the children of this city.

General Wherley was a full-service leader. He not only commanded the D.C. National Guard; he worked closely with me and with city officials on programs for our city and its disadvantaged youth and for keeping our Guard competitive as a premier force at home as well as abroad.

The education incentives in this bill serve not only to encourage high-quality recruits, but, when appropriated, have had the important benefit of helping the D.C. National Guard to maintain the force necessary to protect the Federal presence, because this funding helps equalize an important benefit compared with what is offered by Guard units in surrounding jurisdictions which also are open to D.C. National Guard members.

While the appropriators have been good enough to provide funding for the D.C. National Guard by considering it a programmatic request, it is imperative that this important educational initiative be authorized appropriately to ensure its permanent sustainability.

I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1439) congratulating the Chicago Blackhawks on winning the 2010 Stanley Cup Championship.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members shall have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government

Reform, I am pleased to present H. Res. 1439 for consideration. The bill congratulates the Chicago Blackhawks for their victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League Stanley Cup Finals.

H. Res. 1439 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Illinois, Representative Mike Quigley, on May 25, 2010. It was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which ordered it to be reported by unanimous consent on June 14, 2010. The measure has the support of over 50 Members of the House.

Mr. Speaker, on June 9, 2010, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Philadelphia Flyers in Philadelphia to win the NHL's Stanley Cup Final hockey series. With that win, the Chicago Blackhawks ended 49 years of Stanley Cup frustration with a 4-3 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in a game that was numbered game six and clinched the National Hockey League's best-of-seven championship series. The Philadelphia Flyers were worthy opponents and should be congratulated for a hard-fought Stanley Cup series.

Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, who scored seven goals in the playoffs and had 22 assists, including one on Chicago's first goal, was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for most valuable player for his team in the NHL playoffs.

The Philadelphia Flyers fought hard, but they were no match for the hard-hitting, exciting brand of hockey of Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman and head coach Joel Quenneville.

Not since the days of Hall of Famers Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and goalie Glenn Hall had the Blackhawks hoisted the cup, and Chicago unleashed nearly 50 years of frustration with a euphoric celebration on Philadelphia's home ice.

I join my colleagues in congratulating the National Hockey League champions, the Chicago Blackhawks, on their victory in the 2010 Stanley Cup Finals.

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 1510) to transfer statutory entitlements to pay and hours of work authorized by the District of Columbia Code for current members of the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division from the District of Columbia Code to the United States Code, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1510, the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division Modernization Act of 2010. The bill was introduced by Senator Joseph Lieberman. It passed the Senate by unanimous consent on October 13, 2009. S. 1510 makes a long overdue change by transferring the personnel and pay authorities for the Secret Service's Uniformed Division from the District of Columbia Code to the United States Code. The bill creates a new salary table for the Uniformed Division and also provides the Secret Service with enhanced hiring flexibilities.

S. 1510 deals specifically with the Secret Service's Uniformed Division. There are approximately 1,300 Uniformed Division law enforcement officers who help protect the President, the White House, foreign dignitaries, and mission offices. The Uniformed Division helps provide protective arrangements for the President and other foreign dignitaries at venues around the world. The measure in S. 1510 was endorsed by the Bush and Obama administrations to respond to ongoing concerns about recruitment and retention within the UD.

According to the Secret Service, the Uniformed Division is currently operating under a salary schedule that is out of parity with other Federal police forces. It performs similar protective tasks as Federal police forces but has the additional duties and responsibility of frequent travel in support of the Service's protective mission. In addition, the Uniformed Division has stricter suitability requirements. Every officer must hold a top secret clearance and undergo a polygraph exam. The Secret Service tells us that staffing shortfalls have continued to increase, despite new recruitment initiatives, and these shortfalls result in the Division incurring overtime costs that would not be required if it were at full staffing.

This is an important bill that ultimately will build a better, more effective Uniformed Division. However, there are costs associated with these improvements. CBO estimates that this legislation would increase direct spending by $14 million over 10 years. Under House and statutory PAYGO rules, this direct spending must be offset--and this bill is offset. The Oversight Committee has identified an appropriate set of costs associated with the Secret Service bill. The bill we are considering today will actually result in a small amount of net savings for the government. The savings are captured in title II of the suspension amendment, which would add the text of H.R. 2495 to the Secret Service legislation.

H.R. 2495, or the Federal Real Property Disposal Enhancement Act, which is now title II of S. 1510, will make it easier for Federal agencies to sell property that they no longer need. This addresses a longstanding concern of the Government Accountability Office, the Oversight Committee, as well as both the Bush and Obama administrations.

H.R. 2495 was introduced by Representative Dennis Moore of Kansas on May 19, 2009. It enjoys bipartisan support, as similar legislation did in the last Congress. The Oversight Committee approved a similar bill in the 110th Congress, and it also passed by voice vote when it reached the House floor.

Lastly, in addition to strengthening the Secret Service and enhancing government efficiency, this legislation would correct an injustice for approximately 40 individuals who returned to government service after September 11. The provisions in title III authorize the Secretary of Defense to retroactively waive repayment of voluntary separation pay for certain individuals who were reemployed in temporary positions by DOD to help respond to terrorist attacks. Before accepting reemployment, these individuals were assured in writing that they would not be

required to repay their separation pay. In making these assurances, the DOD components were apparently following guidance from the Office of Personnel Management on filling emergency positions. Unfortunately, this guidance was not applicable to DOD at that time, and DOD lawyers have determined they do not currently have the authority to retroactively waive the repayment requirement. As a result, even though these individuals received written assurances that they would not be required to repay, the Department has since taken steps to collect the payments for these individuals. This is an injustice created by bureaucratic error and needs to be corrected. This bill provides the Secretary of Defense with the discretionary authority he needs to waive the repayment requirement for these individuals.

I want to thank Representative Hank Johnson and the Armed Services Committee for their work and support on title III of this legislation.

I encourage all Members to support the good government efforts in this legislation. These efforts will strengthen the Secret Service, enhance government efficiency, and correct an injustice for civilian DOD employees.

House of Representatives,

House Committee on Armed Services,

Washington, DC, June 28, 2010.

Hon. Edolphus Towns,

Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Government, House of

Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Towns: I am writing to you concerning S.

1510, the United States Secret Service Uniformed Division

Modernization Act. There are certain provisions in the

legislation which fall within the Rule X jurisdiction of the

Committee on Armed Services.

In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed

expeditiously to floor consideration of this important

resolution, I am willing to waive this committee's right to

jurisdiction. I do so with the understanding that by waiving

consideration of the resolution, the Committee on Armed

Services does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over

the subject matters contained in the bill which fall within

its Rule X jurisdiction.

Please place this letter into the committee report on S.

1510 and into the Congressional Record during consideration

of the measure on the House floor. Thank you for the

cooperative spirit in which you have worked regarding this

matter and others between our respective committees.

Very truly yours,

Ike Skelton,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to reiterate my strong support for S. 1510, as amended. The bill is PAYGO-neutral. It makes important improvements that will strengthen the Secret Service. It improves government efficiency and helps a handful of DOD civilian employees who have been wronged. I encourage all Members to support this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5395) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 151 North Maitland Avenue in Maitland, Florida, as the ``Paula Hawkins Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

On behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to present H.R. 5395 for consideration. This measure designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 151 North Maitland Avenue in Maitland, Florida, as the Paula Hawkins Post Office Building. H.R. 5395 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Florida, Representative John Mica, on May 25, 2010. It was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform which waived consideration of the measure to expedite its consideration on the floor today. It enjoys the support of the entire Florida delegation.

Paula Hawkins was a Republican Member of Congress who served a single term as a Senator from Florida, fighting to protect children and blazing a trail for women. Paula Hawkins was born on January 24, 1927, in Salt Lake City and passed away on December 3, 2009, at the age of 82. Paula Hawkins was the eldest of three children born to Paul, a naval chief warrant officer, and Leone Fickes. In 1934, the family moved to Atlanta, where her father taught at Georgia Tech. Her parents split when Paula was in high school, and Leone and the children returned to Utah. She finished high school at Richmond, Utah, in 1944, then enrolled at Utah State University. On September 5, 1947, Paula Fickes and Walter Eugene Hawkins were married and moved to Atlanta. The couple had three children before moving to Winter Park, Florida, in 1955, where Paula Hawkins became a community activist and Republican volunteer.

Ms. Hawkins was the first woman elected to a full Senate term without being preceded in politics by a husband or father. She was also the first woman to be a Senator from Florida. While in the Senate, she was the leading sponsor of the Missing Children's Act of 1982, which requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation to enter descriptive information on missing children into a national computer database that can be used by law enforcement agencies across the country.

With incredible courage, she shocked her colleagues by disclosing in a congressional hearing that she had been molested as a child by a neighbor. Besides her daughter Genean and her husband, both of Winter Park, her survivors include another daughter, Kelly McCoy, also of Winter Park; a son, Kevin, of Denver; a sister, Carole Fickes of Sacramento; 11 grandchildren; and 10 great grandchildren. Paula Hawkins was truly an inspiration to Members of Congress and to women everywhere. I therefore urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman from Florida for his kind and generous comparison of my service with that of Paula Hawkins. She was much admired for the breakthroughs that her service represented.

I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I can only say that the gentleman from Florida learned all too well the lessons of persistence from Senator Paula Hawkins. And may I say, as well, whenever the gentleman from Florida is right in his persistence, he will find the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia right there beside him and in his corner.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Chair, on June 24, 2010, I was not able to be present for votes on amendments to H.R. 5175, the Democracy is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections Act. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall 388 and ``aye'' on rollcall 389

Madam Speaker, the District of Columbia gathered on June 11, 2010, in a great hall of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to honor one of our own, out of S.E. and Ballou Senior High School, Anthony ``Little Benny'' Harley, for his distinctive contributions to our musical identity as a city. We gathered to celebrate our native son, whose magnificent trumpet brought joy to the world and acclaim to the District of Columbia. Little Benny became the living proof that a godfather could have godsons, when Little Benny showed the world that go-go music was no one-man passing fad--from the time Little Benny listened and learned from the go-go Godfather himself, Chuck Brown, to the day Little Benny died after performing alongside the Godfather.

Few cities produce musical talent so deep that it comes to symbolize the town itself. Motown did that for Detroit. Go-go has done that for D.C. Little Benny's sound kept us from having ``Government Town'' plastered on our backs. His funk was the musical background for our fight for our vote and for statehood and against the autocrats in Congress who try to step on D.C. and on our rights. Little Benny's non- stop funk, his beat, and his chants said ``Don't Mess with D.C.'' better than anything I could ever say on the floor of the House of Representatives. All too prematurely, Little Benny now joins our city's own hall of fame for musical geniuses, who have put D.C. on the musical map, from Duke Ellington to Sam Cook. Music comes and music goes, fast, but Little Benny has helped carve out a special brand of funk that distinguishes him and his hometown alike. We want Little Benny to rest in peace, but his sound will keep us all moving to his never ending beat.

Madam Speaker, in April 2010, more than 1,200 students from across the country took part in the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution national finals in Washington, D.C. I am proud to announce that a class from Cesar Chavez Public Charter School--Capitol Hill Campus represented the District of Columbia at this prestigious national event. These outstanding students, through their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, won their city-wide competition earning the chance to compete at the national level.

While in Washington, the students participated in a three-day academic competition that simulated a congressional hearing, in which students demonstrated their knowledge and skills as they evaluated and defended positions on historical and contemporary constitutional issues. Annual surveys consistently show that high school students who take part in the We the People academic competition outperform other students in the National Assessment of Educational Progress political test by at least 22 percent.

Madam Speaker, the names of these outstanding students from Cesar Chavez Public Charter School--Capitol Hill Campus are: Kim Diaz, Marco Gomez, Karen Mejia, Jason Allen, Jesse Balderas, Briana Bullock, Joel Carela, Jaleel Dyson, Kendra Goodwin, Ely Guerrero, Corey Johnson, Jose Maheda, Anthony McCannon, Christian Mondragon, Nakea Paige, Ryan Pope, Alexis Rhett, Leticia Rivera, Elizabeth Rogers, Paul Schmidt, Jaztina Somerville, and Jade Vaughn.

I also wish to commend the teacher of the class, Dionna Shinn, who was responsible for preparing these young constitutional experts for the national finals. Also worthy of special recognition is Julie Harris, Director of Public Policy at Cesar Chavez Public Charter School, for her tireless commitment to the students on the District's team and implementation of the rigorous curriculum at the Cesar Chavez Public Charter School.

I congratulate these young constitutional experts on their outstanding achievement at the We the People national finals.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the 20th Annual DC Black Pride celebration, which will be held in Washington, DC on May 26-31.

The DC Black Pride celebration is a multiple-day festival that features music, dance, fashion shows, films, poetry slams, church services, community town hall meetings, a health and wellness expo, and much more. The DC Black Pride celebration is widely considered to be one of the world's preeminent Black Pride celebrations, drawing more than 30,000 people to the nation's capital from across the United States as well as Canada, the Caribbean, South Africa, Great Britain, France, Germany, and the Netherlands.

At the very first Black Pride, the DC Black Pride celebration fostered the beginning of the International Federation of Black Prides and the ``Black Pride Movement,'' which now consist of forty Black Prides on three continents.

The DC Black Pride celebration has deep roots in the DC community, dating back to 1975. It grew out of the Club House's annual Memorial Day weekend celebration, called the Children's Hour. After the Club House closed in 1990, local individuals and groups kept the tradition alive by organizing the first DC Black Pride celebration on May 25, 1991, at Banneker Field. The celebration has grown from a few hundred people who attended that first festival to the thousands expected for the 2010 celebration.

Fittingly, the celebration's organizing body, Black Lesbian and Gay Pride Day, Inc., chose ``20 Years Later, The Legacy Lives!'' as the

theme for this year's celebration. This theme reflects the 20 years of DC Black Pride of fulfilling the mission, which is to increase awareness of and pride in the diversity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender in the African American community, as well as support for organizations that focus on health disparities, education, youth and families.

DC Black Pride is led by a volunteer Board of Directors, which coordinates this annual event and smaller events throughout the year. The 2010 Board consists of: Patricia Corbett; Jimma Elliott-Stevens; Earl Fowlkes, Jr.; and Jhahbriel Moore, Sr.

I ask the House to join me in welcoming all who are attending the 20th Annual DC Black Pride celebration.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the 35th Annual Capital Pride, a celebration of the national capital area's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender, GLBT, communities and their families and friends.

In 1975, Deacon ``Super Hero'' MacCubbin, owner of Lambda Rising Bookstore, in Dupont Circle, launched the first Capital Pride. It began as a block party on 20th St, between R and S Streets, NW. Six years later, in 1981, the annual Pride Parade became part of the festivities. Now Capital Pride consists of more than 10 days of events organized by the Capital Pride Planning Committee and dozens of local community partners.

This year's Capital Pride theme, ``You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet,'' both reflects Capital Pride's past and anticipates its future.

Capital Pride's producer, the Capital Pride Alliance, Inc., predicts an attendance of 250,000, making Capital Pride one of the largest GLBT festivals in the United States.

This year Capital Pride culminates with what the Washington City Paper has declared D.C.'s Best Parade for three years running, the Capital Pride Parade, on June 12, and ``The Main Event,'' a street fair on Pennsylvania Avenue in the shadow of the U.S. Capitol, on June 13.

I have marched in Pride parades since coming to Congress to emphasize universal human rights and the importance of enacting federal legislation to secure those rights for the GLBT community. Congress has much work to do. We must pass the Family Leave Insurance Act, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act, the Respect for Marriage Act, the Safe Schools Improvement Act, the Military Readiness Enhancement Act, the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act, the Tax Equity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act, the Family and Medical Leave Inclusion Act, the Uniting American Families Act, and the Responsible Education About Life Act.

This year our nation's capital joined Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire in extending equal marriage rights to its GLBT residents.

I ask the House to join me in welcoming those who are attending the 35th Annual Capital Pride.