Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to rise to congratulate the students of the Washington High School Science Olympiad Team for winning the North Carolina State Science Olympiad. Competing against 250 teams from around the state, the young men and women from Washington defeated some of the premier science and math high schools in the State.

Washington High School is becoming known in North Carolina for its excellence in science education. This year's victory represents the second straight year Washington High School has been named North Carolina's top team and the third time in the last four years.

This week they will travel to Bloomington, Indiana, to compete in the National Science Olympiad against equally capable schools from around the Nation. I am confident that the students of Washington High School will demonstrate their expertise again in competing to the best of their abilities with some of the best funded specialty schools in the country.

The students and faculty of Washington High School continue to show they can achieve great things with what little they are given, and it is my hope that my colleagues will agree that with the proper means, these students can achieve anything. Again, I congratulate the students of Washington High School for their great achievements and wish them the best of luck on May 17. We are very proud of them.

Mr. Speaker, today is the 130th day of 2006. Guess how many of those days this House has been in session to address the needs of the American people? Twenty-nine. Twenty-nine. This is only the 29th voting day of the year here in the House of Representatives.

No wonder, Mr. Speaker, the American people have lost confidence in this Congress. The Republican majority would rather recess than tackle the tough issues of our day.

Or could it be that the Republicans are simply incapable of governing? House Republicans have yet to pass a budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Before the April recess, the House Republican leadership brought a bill to this floor, but was forced to pull it from consideration after determining that it would fail.

Regardless of whether or not Republicans are able to pick up enough Republican votes this week, the fact remains that they have presided over the largest fiscal collapse in American history. Five years ago they inherited record budget surpluses, and they have turned those into record deficits.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition even though I support the amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, it is critical that our Department of Defense provides clearances to the right people to get access to the right information so they can do their jobs in support of our troops. Access to classified information should be need driven rather than budget driven.

For this reason, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment. I want to thank the gentleman for bringing this amendment forward. It is a fair amendment, and I ask and urge its adoption.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the anniversary of the founding of the Eta Nu Chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, on the campus of East Carolina University that took place on April 3, 1971. This Fraternity is the first Black Greek organization to be chartered on a campus where the percentage of African American enrollment is less than 13 percent. Under the direction of eight men, A.A. Best, J.J. Wise, W.G. Keys, O.T. Faison, C.H.G. White, J.C. Bryant, J.P. Harrison, and A.D. Moseley Eta Nu was established on the campus of East Carolina University. Those persons first initiated into the Eta Nu Chapter were known as the Undisputed Truth. The members of this Chapter are as follows: David Franklin, Gregory Clark, Jerry Congelton, John Clark, Tony Sedgewick, Jimmy Louis, Tommy Patterson, James Mitchell, Kenneth Hammond, James Johnson, and Kenneth Wright.

Over the years the Eta Nu Chapter has excelled and raised the bar for others to follow and has maintained high standards of scholastic achievement and service to the community. Following a brief period of suspension, the Eta Nu Chapter was resurrected in fall 1999 with the initiation of four young men known as the Four Knights of Resurrection. Since returning, members of the Eta Nu Chapter have worked diligently to increase the number of opportunities available to our youth; they have engaged in relentless efforts toward the improvement of the campus and the community as a whole.

The chapter currently participates in several community service initiatives; one such measure is the Jarvis Memorial After School Program where our youth are nurtured and directed on a positive and productive path.

This Chapter of Eta Nu holds several distinguished honors. The current SGA President is a member of this chapter as well as the second African American SGA Vice-President. Further, the first, second, and third African American Homecoming Kings of ECU were members of this Chapter. The highest Fraternal GPA at ECU for the past 4 out of 5 semesters were represented by a member of the Chapter, and lastly, the founders of the Black Student Union at ECU were members of this Eta Nu Chapter.

Mr. Speaker, it is my understanding that the members of the Eta Nu Chapter at East Carolina University are committed to distinguishing themselves as the most exemplary Chapter. I ask my Colleagues to join me in wishing the members of this Chapter the very best with their future endeavors.

Mr Speaker, I rise today to remember a great American warrior and patriot. Chief Warrant Officer Michael J. Novosel was a veteran of three wars, a Medal of Honor recipient, and a major figure in Army aviation history. He passed away on April 2 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center after a long battle with cancer. CWO Novosel spent his last days as he spent most days at Walter Reed, talking with soldiers that were recovering from injuries sustained in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Novosel received the Medal of Honor for his ``gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.'' His citation reads:

He unhesitatingly maneuvered his helicopter into a heavily

fortified and defended enemy training area where a group of

wounded [South] Vietnamese soldiers were pinned down by a

large enemy force. Flying without gunship or other cover and

exposed to intense machine gun fire, CWO Novosel was able to

locate and rescue a wounded soldier. Since all communications

with the beleaguered troops had been lost, he repeatedly

circled the battle area, flying at low level under continuous

heavy fire, to attract the attention of the scattered

friendly troops. This display of courage visibly raised their

morale, as they recognized this as a signal to assemble for

evacuation.

On 6 occasions he and his crew were forced out of the

battle area by the intense enemy fire, only to circle and

return from another direction to land and extract additional

troops. Near the end of the mission, a wounded soldier was

spotted close to an enemy bunker. Fully realizing that he

would attract a hail of enemy fire, CWO Novosel nevertheless

attempted the extraction by hovering the helicopter backward.

As the man was pulled on aboard, enemy automatic weapons

opened fire at close range, damaged the aircraft and wounded

CWO Novosel. He momentarily lost control of the aircraft, but

quickly recovered and departed under the withering enemy

fire.

In all, 15 extremely hazardous extractions were performed

in order to remove wounded personnel. As a direct result of

his selfless conduct, the lives of 29 soldiers were saved.

The extraordinary heroism displayed by CWO Novosel was an

inspiration to his comrades in arms and reflect great credit

on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

As a dustoff pilot, CWO Novosel flew 2,543 missions and rescued 5,589 wounded or stranded soldiers, according to Army records. He was an excellent soldier and an extraordinary American. May God bless him and his family.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a constituent, a public servant, an American patriot who laid down his life in support of the ideals of our great nation.

On March 2, 2006, David Foy, a Department of State Facilities Manager for our Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan was killed, along with three other individuals, by a suicide bomber. We will never forget David's service, nor its premature end.

David Foy served his country by dedicating 23 years of his life to the United States Navy retiring as a Senior Chief. But David

wanted to keep serving his country. After several years as a civilian employee at Fort Bragg, he moved over to the Department of State's Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations where he became a Facilities Manager. For the last three years he has served in areas at the heart of our War on Terror, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan.

David's eulogy says everything you need to know about him as a man and him as a servant. He is a hero and a warrior. He was a devoted family man who deeply loved and adored his wife and their four daughters.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on May 5th will honor this loyal patriot by presenting to his wife, Donna, and his daughters the Department of State's Thomas Jefferson Star Award for sacrifice in the performance of his duties.

Mr. Speaker, David Foy is a hero both to his country and to his wonderful family. We salute his dedication to this country that he served so long and so well. David and other civil servants like him are the reason why we rise every morning in the warmth of a blanket of freedom. May he not be forgotten and may his mission continue in the work of this body and the hearts of all Americans.

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

Mr. Speaker, I too rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 371, honoring and congratulating the Minnesota National Guard for its dedication and service to the State of Minnesota and to the people of this Nation. The role of the National Guard has been and will continue to be extremely important to the security and freedom of the United States, and it is especially appropriate that we recognize this great organization. And so I join my colleague from the other side of the aisle in supporting this measure.

I would also like to recognize the gentlemen from Minnesota, Mr. Kennedy and Mr. Kline, for bringing this resolution forward today.

Mr. Speaker, the National Guard represents the spirit of our Founding Fathers and our country's first citizen soldiers who formed the Guard before there was an Army. And the Minnesota National Guard traces its origins to

the formation of the Pioneer Guard in the Minnesota territory in 1856, 2 years before Minnesota became the 32nd State in the Union. The 1st Minnesota Infantry was among the first regiments in the Nation to respond to President Abraham Lincoln's call for troops in April of 1861, when these courageous soldiers volunteered for 3 years of service during the Civil War.

Since then, the Minnesota National Guard has served our Nation in countless ways. Its historical accomplishments are too numerous to list, and its recent contributions have been extraordinary.

Today, Mr. Speaker, we are a Nation at war. Since the September 11 terrorist attacks, members of the Minnesota Guard have been keeping America's airports and waterways safe, and over 11,000 members have been called up for full-time service.

More than 600 troops have been deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom. More than 2,600 citizen soldiers have been sent to Iraq. Other members of the Minnesota Guard are conducting important national defense missions in Pakistan and Kuwait and Qatar and Oman.

And so I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution. The Minnesota National Guard deserves strong recognition, strong recognition for 150 years of dedicated service, and this is a fitting opportunity to honor its members, the sacrifices they are making every day, and their valuable contributions to the security and freedom of our Nation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the ranking member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to my friend and colleague from Minnesota, the ranking member of the House Committee on Agriculture, Mr. Peterson.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is with great importance we have the opportunity to discuss Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to Washington this April. During his visit, a number of issues will be discussed with President Bush, especially the issue of Taiwan.

We welcome President Hu Jintao and we hope his visit will help reduce mounting tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

As President Hu Jintao visits Washington, we urge the administration and the international community to help China accept the universal values of democracy, freedom and human rights and to renounce the use of force to resolve the Taiwan issue.

Mr. Speaker, I welcome President Hu Jintao to the United States and hope that he has productive meetings with the administration on a wide range of issues, especially the issue of Taiwan.

Mr. Speaker, gasoline prices are once again on the rise. Over the last 2 weeks, prices are up by 14 cents, 40 cents higher than at this same time last year. Americans are looking to Washington for relief, but no relief has occurred. That is because House Republicans rubber-stamped an energy plan that was written in secret by a Cheney energy task force, whose participants are still not known to the American people.

Based on the final law, one can only assume that the American consumer was not represented at those closed-door meetings. The Bush administration, Mr. Speaker, has admitted that this energy law will do absolutely nothing to reduce the pain Americans feel when they fill up at the pump.

In fact, according to the President's own administration, the final energy law will actually lead to higher gasoline prices. As gas prices increase in the coming weeks, the American people should blame House Republicans who rubber-stamped an energy policy written by and for Big Oil at the White House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Emanuel).

Mr. Speaker, after I was elected to Congress more than 18 months ago, it became apparent to me that the decision of the United States Navy to site an outlying landing field in Washington County, North Carolina, was a decision with no rational basis. As a representative of the people of Washington County, I have spent countless hours trying to convince the Navy that this decision is extremely flawed.

The existing landing field at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia has become undesirable for a landing field. There are houses all around the field,

and the landing field no longer simulates an aircraft carrier, not to mention the unbearable noise. And so the Navy is correct in its decision to construct an outlying landing field, but it needs to be in a different location. Our Navy pilots need and deserve a suitable landing field to practice their landings, but the decision to place this field in the middle of a wildlife refuge is ill conceived.

Mr. Speaker, the citizens of Washington County have challenged the Navy in the Federal courts, and they have won. The District Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit decided that environmental impact statements submitted by the Navy are flawed. They do not fully disclose the environmental or safety concerns about the 31,000 annual aircraft landings amid the 20,000 tundra swans and the 65,000 snow geese which winter nearby at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge.

The citizens of Washington County are determined to prevent this landing field from being constructed in their community. This site puts our navy pilots and our navy aircraft and the community at risk. There are better and safer alternatives, and it is the duty of the Navy to fully explore these possibilities.

Despite the Federal Court order, and despite the language in the 2006 Military Construction Appropriations bill directing the Navy to look at alternative sites, the Navy's Chief of Naval Operations recently admitted during a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing that the Navy's focus is to make the preferred site work rather than considering other alternatives.

The Navy has failed to fulfill its obligation to engage in a clear, full, fair and objective process carried out in the light of day. This is a $186 million taxpayer funded project that seeks to remove about 30,000 acres of farmland from the private hands of about 75 families, and we are determined to continue to persuade the Navy to explore alternatives.

North Carolina, Mr. Speaker, has a long and proud history of supporting the Navy, and I certainly want to be a part of continuing that tradition. Our Governor, the Honorable Mike Easley, has diligently worked with the Navy in an effort to find an alternative site, and other Members of Congress from North Carolina have also offered to find a site. I trust that the U.S. Navy will respect the people of Washington County, respect the environment that we all treasure, and respect the rule of law. That landing field, Mr. Speaker, needs to be constructed at one of the alternative sites in eastern North Carolina and not in Washington County.

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

Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise in support of House Resolution 698, which expresses the sense of the House that all Americans should reflect upon the service and sacrifice of members of the United States Armed Forces. I want to thank and recognize the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Drake) for her leadership on this matter. I also want to acknowledge the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg) for bringing this measure forward.

Mr. Speaker, there are over 2.4 million men and women in uniform, who have volunteered to defend this Nation. Today, over 281,000 of these extraordinary individuals are deployed in over 120 countries around the world. Active and reserve component personnel are answering the call to duty in the global war on terror, as we, the homeland, defend challenges back at home.

It is only fitting, Mr. Speaker, that we recognize the service and sacrifice they make each and every day. The resolution before us calls upon all Americans to participate in a moment of silence and reflect upon the service and sacrifice that is being made by our Armed Forces, both here at home and abroad.

I would like to take this opportunity to also remind all Americans that in the coming months, May, in particular, the month of May, will be National Military Appreciation Month. It is another opportunity for us to recognize and honor those who serve and have served in our Armed Forces. I urge my colleagues to work with their communities to raise awareness and honor those who chose to serve their Nation in uniform.

Today we have thousands of soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, and Coast Guardsmen who serve in harm's way.

I urge our communities throughout this Nation to reach out to those brave and honorable Americans and recognize their contributions by adopting a servicemember or unit or a family that is left behind. While we should take a moment to reflect upon these sacrifices these individuals are making, there are also tangible efforts that Americans can take to show their love and appreciation to our Armed Forces.

I urge all Americans to continue their strong support for our troops and to express their support in appropriate venues.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this great resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo).

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 354, which expresses Congress' continued support to require institutions of higher education to provide military recruiters the same access to students as they provide to other employers.

I am pleased to join with the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Drake) in support of this measure. I would also like to recognize the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) for bringing this measure forward today.

Mr. Speaker, on March 6, 2006 just a few days ago, the United States Supreme Court affirmed the statutory provision that requires institutions of higher education to provide access to students at least equal in quality and equal in scope to those that are provided to other employers in order to be eligible for receipt of Federal funds.

The statutory provision, commonly referred to as the Solomon Amendment, was first enacted in 1994, and has subsequently been amended over the past several years. However, the basic underlying premise of the provision is that a college or university that denies military recruiters access equal to other recruiters would lose their Federal funds.

The Supreme Court found that the Solomon Amendment does not violate the first amendment, and that Congress can require law schools to provide equal access to military recruiters without violating the school's freedom of speech or association as schools are free to not accept Federal funding.

We are a Nation at war, and military recruiters need to be able to recruit individuals from all walks of life, from the high school graduate, to the person completing their doctorate and all of those in between, whether they are undergraduates in liberal arts, whether they are law school students or medical professionals completing their residency.

The military, in many ways, is just a microcosm of our society as a whole. And Congress has a responsibility to ensure that all Americans, all Americans are afforded the knowledge and the opportunity to serve their Nation if they choose to do so.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).

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

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for yielding the additional minute. I am not sure I am going to be using all of that time, but thank you so much for your kindness.

To the ranking member of the committee, my friend from Michigan, Congressman John Conyers, thank you so very much for your leadership as well.

Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor this evening to recognize the life and work of Mrs. Coretta Scott King. The greatest contribution of this great American was her willingness to cheerfully share her husband with the world. On the day of her husband's assassination, April 4, 1968 Dr. King was due in my home community to lead a voter registration drive. But 2 days before the drive was scheduled to commence, he was diverted to Memphis, Tennessee; and that is where his life was ended. I went to his funeral in Atlanta, Georgia. In fact, the ranking member and I stayed in the same hotel there in Atlanta in 1968, and we have many memories of that week.

But I want to thank Dr. King and Mrs. King for the contributions that they have made to America. Dr. King would have been very proud of my home community. My congressional district in eastern North Carolina now has 302 African American elected officials, and the voter registration drive that Dr. King was scheduled to lead was designed to improve and increase the number of black elected officials. And so, on behalf of the First Congressional District of North Carolina, on behalf of the 660,000 people that I have the honor to represent, I extend my condolences to the King family. May God bless the memory of Coretta Scott King.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of one of the finest educators ever produced by the great State of North Carolina.

This year, Superintendent Larry Price of my hometown of Wilson was named the 2006 North Carolina Superintendent of the Year. This is the highest honor for an educator in our State. The award was given by the North Carolina Association of School Administrators and the State school boards' association and announced at an awards banquet Monday night.

Larry Price has served as superintendent in Wilson County since 1998, overseeing 13 elementary schools, 6 middle schools, 3 high schools, and 2 learning centers. Under his guidance, Wilson County schools have produced thousands of students who have gone on to become doctors, lawyers, teachers, ministers, businessmen, and other professions. An increasing number each year meet or excel in reading and math at all grade levels since 1998.

I rise to congratulate Mr. Price on his accomplishment, and wish him many more years of success. Larry, we expect many more great things from you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today and ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Mr. Bill Lewis, a great American. Mr. Lewis passed away Saturday, November 26, 2005 at the age of 84. As an outstanding resident of Wilson County and as its first Director of Agriculture, I know that I speak for the masses when I say that he will be greatly missed.

Mr. Lewis was born in Fairmont, North Carolina and attended North Carolina State University where he graduated in 1942 with a degree in Agricultural Education. He served the United States of America from 1942 until 1945 as a member of the Army Air Corps in the Pacific Theater. He was discharged as a Captain.

Mr. Speaker, after leaving the Army Air Corps, Mr. Lewis began work with the Agriculture Extension Service in 1948 as an Assistant County Agent working with Turkish tobacco at North Wilkesboro. Two years later he relocated to Wilson County.

Mr. Lewis served the people of North Carolina his entire life. He established Wilson County's Agriculture Extension program which continues to serve the County well. He served as President of the North Carolina Association of County Agricultural Agents (NCACAA) from 1968- 1969 and was also Chairman of NCACAA in 1971. He was a member of the National Committee of Extension programs in 1971. Mr. Lewis also served as Agriculture Advisor to North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt where he was able to ensure North Carolina's agricultural success.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Lewis was awarded for his great contributions to North Carolina agriculture when he was presented with the Distinguished Service Award from Wilson's Kiwanis Club in 1962. Mr. Lewis was also recognized in 1972 by Southern Tobacco Journal and served as Chairman of the extension programs committee of NACAA from 1973 until 1974. Under his Directorship, the Wilson County extension staff was recognized on two occasions by the Epsilon Sigma Phi Fraternity for team work and total performance.

Mr. Speaker, I value this opportunity to pay tribute to such an outstanding citizen. I ask my colleagues to join me in acknowledging the outstanding contributions of Mr. Bill Lewis to the state of North Carolina and to this Nation.