Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today, joined by my colleague, The Hon. James Moran, to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new Habitat for Humanity development in Northern Virginia. This new development, Perry Hall, will provide homes to 12 families in Arlington County, Virginia.

Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia, an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, was founded in 1990 and is entering its 20th year serving Arlington and Fairfax Counties as well as the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church and Fairfax. Since 1990, Habitat for Humanity has built homes for 73 Northern Virginia families.

Habitat for Humanity is dedicated to the belief that all people deserve a safe and decent place to live. To qualify for a Habitat for Humanity home, the applicant must have lived in Northern Virginia for at least 1 year prior to application, currently live in either substandard or inadequate housing which may include overcrowded or unsafe living conditions, be willing to complete 300-500 hours of ``sweat equity'' to building of their home, earn only 25-50% of the area median income, and have adequate income to pay a 20-30 year zero interest mortgage with a 1% down payment.

The successes of Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia would not be possible without the support of their partnerships with individuals, corporations, civic organizations, associations and faith based groups from throughout the community. Equally important are the committed employees and volunteers who dedicate countless hours to achieve the goal of providing homes for those in need.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the groundbreaking of Perry Hall and in recognizing the invaluable contributions that Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia has made to the entire region. I would also ask that my colleagues join me in thanking the supporters, employees and volunteers of this wonderful organization for their ongoing dedication.

Madam Speaker, I rise today, joined by my colleague, Congressman James Moran, to recognize the recipients of the 19th Annual Best of Reston Awards for Community Service. The Best of Reston Awards are presented to individuals, organizations and businesses that have put forth tremendous effort in their commitment to community service and improving the lives of others. Local businesses, organizations, and individuals are recognized at this event for their contributions enriching our community. The Best of Reston Awards are the result of collaboration between Reston Interfaith and the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce.

Reston Interfaith is a volunteer organization dedicated to providing social services to vulnerable individuals in Reston, Herndon and the surrounding area. Their mission is to ``promote self-sufficiency through direct support and advocacy for our neighbors in need of food, immediate shelter, affordable housing, quality child care, and other human services.'' Founded in 1970 with the goal of making housing affordable, Reston Interfaith has grown to serve 13,000 residents and has expanded its service areas to include programs in housing, child care, food services and nutrition, social services, and other critical areas.

Recipients of the 2010 Best of Reston Awards for Community Service are:

Individual Community Members: Imam Mohamed Magid and Rabbi Robert Nosanchuk, Holly Norris, and Emily Ward.

Civic/Community Organization: Reston Historic Trust.

Small Business Leaders: The Virginia Spine Institute and Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc.

Corporate Business Leaders: Reston Heights Hotels: The Sheraton Reston Hotel and The Westin Reston Heights.

Fairfax County 2009 First Responder Officers of the Year: Officer Eric R. Glueckert of the Fairfax County Police Department, and Ronald A. McNew and Craig S. Furneisen, Jr. of the Fairfax County Fire Department.

We congratulate the recipients of the 2010 Best of Reston Awards for Community Service as well as Reston Interfaith for its 40 years of work to better the lives of residents throughout the Reston area.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join Rep. Moran and me in paying tribute to Reston Interfaith and its 2010 honorees for their demonstrated commitment to our community. I also would like to express my sincere gratitude to these individuals for contributing their time and energy to make our community a better place for us all.

Madam Speaker, today I would like to recognize the members of the Auxiliary of Inova Fairfax Hospital, a group of volunteers dedicated to quality support to the hospital, patients and community, and commend them as they celebrate their 50th anniversary.

The Auxiliary of Inova Fairfax Hospital is the largest corps of volunteers serving the hospital. A small group of local women got together while the hospital was still in the planning stages, as a way for interested citizens to help make the hospital a reality. The first formal meeting of the Executive Board of the Auxiliary was in the fall of 1960, when the Auxiliary numbered fewer than 100 active members. Today, when you join the Auxiliary, you are joining an organization of about 1,200 volunteer members whose mission is to provide quality volunteer services, support and financial resources to the hospital, its patients and the community. The excellent health care services our community enjoys today are a result of their hard work.

In the organization's first year, volunteers logged more than 14,000 service hours. Since then, volunteers at Fairfax have contributed millions of hours of service to assist patients and allow hospital staff to focus on patient care.

Among the many successful results of the volunteers' fundraising efforts was a $3 million contribution--the largest gift in the Inova Health System's history at that time--to help build the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute, a 156-bed state-of-the-art cardiac facility that opened in 2004. The volunteers also raised money to contribute $1 million each to the Inova Fairfax Hospital Women's and Children's Center and the Physician's Conference Center.

Madam Speaker and my esteemed colleagues, I ask you to join me in congratulating the Auxiliary of Inova Fairfax Hospital on 50 years of extraordinary dedication for the betterment of Inova Fairfax Hospital and the greater Fairfax community.

Mr. Speaker, thanks to this Congress, hundreds of millions of Americans have received hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts, in fact, more than $800 billion.

If that sounds like an astounding number, it is. It astounded President Reagan's Domestic Policy Advisor, Republican Bruce Bartlett, who said ``Federal taxes are very considerably lower by every measure since Obama became President.''

The proof of these tax cuts is clearly evident in the latest tax refund data: The average refund in America increased by 10 percent this year, to a record $3,000. Thanks to the tax cuts passed by this Congress, we've returned more money to American taxpayers than ever before.

The Recovery Act we passed last year was enacted to stabilize the economy. It created 25 separate tax cuts now benefiting 95 percent of all Americans. While they haven't received the same level of attention as the jobs and infrastructure we worked on in that bill, the tax cuts actually make up the largest component of that act. More than 241,000 families in my district, the 11th District of Virginia, benefited from Making Work Pay tax cuts that provided $400 to individuals and $800 to every family.

The Act also included a tax credit of $250 for Social Security recipients, providing some relief to 79,000 seniors in my district, and to 1.3 million Virginia seniors throughout the Commonwealth.

We prevented 26 million Americans from being subjected to the AMT tax. We expanded the child tax credit to families of 16 million children. In total, the Recovery Act was a $288 billion tax cut bill.

In addition to expanding health care coverage and lowering insurance premiums, the recently passed health insurance reform will provide billions of dollars in tax relief. It provides $40 billion in tax cuts for small businesses to help them afford health insurance. Currently, only 43 percent of those companies are able to afford that coverage. Eight percent of companies that do provide insurance said that without reform they'd have to cut health insurance this year. The new law provides billions of dollars in tax credits to those small businesses, the engine of economic growth and job creation in America, so that they can provide necessary health care coverage to their employees.

Small businesses are the Nation's job creator, and represent the backbone of our economy. Congress has provided billions of dollars of tax relief to these small businesses. We expanded business deductions, increased the loss-carryback ratio, and provided greater deductions for research and development. In addition, the HIRE Act provided businesses with tax incentives to hire new employees throughout the country. A full economic recovery will depend on the expansion of the private sector, and the HIRE Act is a way of incentivizing through tax cuts those businesses to make those hires.

We also extended tax cuts for homebuyers to encourage demand and stabilize the housing market, thereby safeguarding the equity of existing homeowners. Homeowners making their residence more energy efficient received tax cuts as well, enabling them to benefit from lower taxes along with the lower energy bills they got. Car buyers also received tax cuts through a sales tax deduction in last year's Recovery Act.

That's just a sampling, Mr. Speaker, of how the more than $800 billion in tax cuts are benefiting the American people.

But we're not done. We've got at least another $285 billion in proposed tax cuts. For example, the House passed a revised estate tax that will dramatically lower taxes starting next year, and we now await Senate action. In addition, the House and Senate are finalizing the American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act that would allow individuals to continue to deduct State and local taxes from their Federal taxes, preserve the standard deduction for State and local real property taxes, and expand additional business taxes cuts.

And I have introduced bipartisan legislation, I might add, to completely eliminate the antiquated telephone excise tax that was first implemented to fund the Spanish American War. This bill provides millions of dollars in tax relief, especially to our seniors.

Mr. Speaker, perhaps you're wondering why we don't hear the other side of the aisle touting these tax cuts. Maybe it's because not a single one of them voted for the 25 tax cuts provided in the Recovery Act. Not one voted for the small business tax cuts of the HIRE Act. Not one voted for the Estate Tax Relief Act.

These are real tax cuts that have put real money back in the hands of America and into the hands of working Americans and seniors, back into the hands of America's small business owners. That is the leadership of this Congress, and this leadership will continue providing strength to strengthen our families, our small businesses and our economy through additional tax relief.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding member of the Virginia State Police. This individual has demonstrated superior dedication to public safety and has been awarded the prestigious Valor Award by the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The Valor Awards recognize remarkable heroism and bravery in the line of duty exemplified by our public safety agencies and their

commitment to the community. Our public safety and law enforcement personnel put their lives on the line everyday to keep our families and neighborhoods safe.

One member of the Virginia State Police is being honored this year for his exceptional service. It is with great pride that I submit his name into the Congressional Record:

Recipient of the 2010 Investigative Merit Award is: Trooper Edward J. Miskin.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the men and women who serve in the Virginia State Police. Their efforts, made on behalf of the citizens of Virginia, are selfless acts of heroism and truly merit our highest praise. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding this group of remarkable citizens.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize outstanding members of the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue. These individuals have demonstrated superior dedication to public safety and have been awarded the prestigious Valor Award by the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The Valor Awards recognize remarkable heroism and bravery in the line of duty exemplified by our public safety agencies and their commitment to the community. Our public safety and law enforcement personnel put their lives on the line everyday to keep our families and neighborhoods safe. The individuals are receiving awards at the 2010 ceremony in three categories: The Bronze Valor Award, the Lifesaving Merit Award, and the Lifesaving Award.

Thirty members of the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue are being honored this year for their exceptional service. It is with great pride that I submit their names into the Congressional Record:

Recipients of the 2010 Bronze Valor Award are: Technician II Daniel Beck, Technician I Allan Kehrer, Captain Kim Pumphrey, Technician I Shane Barnett, Technician II Michael Moore and Technician II Michael Mishler

Recipients of the 2010 Lifesaving Award are: Technician II Michael Moore, Technician II Jonathan Moore, Technician II Jeremy Moore, Technician II Rob Ardaiolo, Captain Kim Pumphrey, Technician I Shane Barnett, Technician II Scott Coloe, Technician I Andrew Marsh, Captain Scott Dixon, Technician II Sean Trainum, Technician II Jason Scott, Technician I Mike Shannon, Lieutenant Ed McNally and Technician II Michael Mishler

Recipients of the 2010 Certificate of Valor are: Technician II Walt Hunt, Technician II Dan McCleese, Technician I Matt Livingston, Technician I Steve King, Technician II Michael Mishler, Technician II Michael Moore, Technician I Cameron Malone, Technician I Chris Klahr, Technician II Clarence Voundy, Technician II Matt Norman

Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the men and women who serve in the Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue. Their efforts, made on behalf of the citizens of Prince William County, are selfless acts of heroism and truly merit our highest praise. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding this group of remarkable citizens.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Manassas Park/Manassas City/Prince William County Regional Narcotics Task Force. The Task Force demonstrated superior dedication to public safety and has been awarded the prestigious Valor Award by the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The Valor Awards recognize remarkable heroism and bravery in the line of duty exemplified by our public safety agencies and their commitment to the community. Our public safety and law enforcement personnel put their lives on the line every day to keep our families and neighborhoods safe.

The Regional Narcotics Task Force is being honored this year for its exceptional service with an Investigative Merit Award. It is with great pride that I submit the Task Force into the Congressional Record.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the men and women who serve on the Manassas Park/Manassas City/Prince William County Regional Narcotics Task Force. Their efforts, made on behalf of the citizens of Northern Virginia, are selfless acts of heroism and truly merit our highest praise. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding this group of remarkable citizens.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize outstanding members of the Prince William County Police Department. These individuals have demonstrated superior dedication to public safety and have been awarded the prestigious Valor Award by the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The Valor Awards recognize remarkable heroism and bravery in the line of duty exemplified by our public safety agencies and their commitment to the community. Our public safety and law enforcement personnel put their lives on the line every day to keep our families and neighborhoods safe. The individuals are receiving awards at the 2010 ceremony in a variety of categories: The Silver Valor Award, the Lifesaving Merit Award, the Lifesaving Award, the Hillary Robinette Award, and Investigative Merit Award.

Seventeen members of the Prince William County Police Department and the Department's Street Crimes Unit are being honored this year for their exceptional service. It is with great pride that I submit their names into the Congressional Record:

Recipient of the 2010 Silver Valor Award is: Officer Gary Mendoza.

Recipients of the 2010 Lifesaving Merit Award are: Officer Joseph Westerman, Officer Tiffany Hill, Officer Brandon Fields, and Officer Heath C. Oyler.

Recipients of the 2010 Lifesaving Award are: Officer Daniel Carton, Officer Adam Gardner, Officer Mark Depatie, Officer Jennifer Ingraham, and Officer Nelson Rocha.

Recipients of the 2010 Hillary Robinette Award are: Officer Donald A. Hoffman, Officer Juan Sanchez, Detective Melvin Negron, Detective Victor Cordero, and Detective William Colindres.

Recipients of the 2010 Investigative Merit Award are: Detective Cameron B. Crouch, Officer William E. Whited, and the PWCPD Street Crimes Unit.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the men and women who serve in the Prince William County Police Department. Their efforts, made on behalf of the citizens of Prince William County, are selfless acts of heroism and truly merit our highest praise. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding this group of remarkable citizens.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize outstanding members of the Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department. These individuals have demonstrated superior dedication to public safety and have been awarded the prestigious Valor Award by the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The Valor Awards recognize remarkable heroism and bravery in the line of duty exemplified by our public safety agencies and their commitment to the community. Our public safety and law enforcement personnel put their lives on the line everyday to keep our families and neighborhoods safe.

Eight members of the Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department are being honored this year for their exceptional service. It is with great pride that I submit their names into the Congressional Record:

Recipients of the 2010 Bronze Valor Award are: Rescue Chief Ed Craig, Chief James McAllister, Captain Richard Slusher, Assistant

Chief John M. McGovern III, Lieutenant Steve Godin, Captain John Roberts, Technician Jason Lowery, and Technician Michael Skeele.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the men and women who serve in the Occoquan-Woodbridge- Lorton Volunteer Fire Department. Their efforts, made on behalf of the citizens of Prince William County, are selfless acts of heroism and truly merit our highest praise. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding this group of remarkable citizens.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize outstanding members of the Fairfax County Police Department. These individuals have demonstrated superior dedication to public safety and have been

awarded the prestigious Valor Award by the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The Valor Awards recognize remarkable heroism and bravery in the line of duty exemplified by our public safety agencies and their commitment to the community. Our public safety and law enforcement personnel put their lives on the line everyday to keep our families and neighborhoods safe.

Three members of the Fairfax County Police Department are being honored this year for their exceptional service. It is with great pride that I submit their names into the Congressional Record:

Recipients of the 2010 Bronze Valor Award are: Pilot Chuck Angle, Officer Tim Schilling and Officer Jon Karninski.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the men and women who serve in the Fairfax County Police Department. Their efforts, made on behalf of the citizens of Fairfax County, are selfless acts of heroism and truly merit our highest praise. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding this group of remarkable citizens.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize outstanding members of the Dale City Volunteer Fire Department. These individuals have demonstrated superior dedication to public safety and have been awarded the prestigious Valor Award by the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The Valor Awards recognize remarkable heroism and bravery in the line of duty exemplified by our public safety agencies and their commitment to the community. Our public safety and law enforcement personnel put their lives on the line everyday to keep our families and neighborhoods safe.

Two members of the Dale City Volunteer Fire Department are being honored this year for their exceptional service. It is with great pride that I submit their names into the Congressional Record:

Recipients of the 2010 Bronze Valor Award are: Sergeant Joe McCann and Firefighter Aaron Kollmorgen.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the men and women who serve in the Dale City Volunteer Fire Department. Their efforts, made on behalf of the citizens of Prince William County, are selfless acts of heroism and truly merit our highest praise. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding this group of remarkable citizens.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize outstanding members of the Manassas City Police Department. These individuals have demonstrated superior dedication to public safety and have been awarded the prestigious Valor Award by the Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce.

The Valor Awards recognize remarkable heroism and bravery in the line of duty exemplified by our public safety agencies and their commitment to the community. Our public safety and law enforcement personnel put their lives on the line everyday to keep our families and neighborhoods safe. The individuals are receiving awards at the 2010 ceremony in two categories: The Lifesaving Award and the Investigative Merit Award.

Three members of the Manassas City Police Department are being honored this year for their exceptional service. It is with great pride that I submit their names into the Congressional Record:

Recipient of the 2010 Lifesaving Award is: Officer Donald W. Hylton.

Recipients of the 2010 Investigative Merit Award are: Senior Detective David E. Abbott, Jr. and Darwin A. Guyton.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the men and women who serve in the Manassas City Police Department. Their efforts, made on behalf of the citizens of Manassas City, are selfless acts of heroism and truly merit our highest praise. I ask my colleagues to join me in applauding this group of remarkable citizens.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia and to congratulate them on the occasion of their 10th Anniversary.

All of us who have a daughter or niece, or even know a young or pre- teen girl, understand very well the difficulties that many experience on their journey to adulthood. Peer pressure, the media, and other external influences can often cause our young daughters to feel inadequate or simply not good enough. Girls on the Run seeks to address this issue by encouraging healthy choices and instilling confidence that all girls belong ``just the way they are.''

Girls on the Run was originally founded in 1996 by Molly Barker, a four-time Hawaii Ironman triathlete to celebrate the gifts of girlhood and fight what she calls ``Girl-Box'' issues. Girl-Box is a place where girls and young teens are valued more for their outward appearance than their character inside. This can result in low self-esteem and a distorted body image which have been linked to eating disorders, teen pregnancy and substance abuse. Girls on the Run focuses on the development of a healthy, positive self-image and strives to empowers all girls to have a strong sense of identity, resist peer pressure, stand up for themselves in a healthy manner, and understand their importance as individuals and as part of the larger community. In just 15 years, Girls on the Run now serves over 60,000 girls annually throughout the United States and into Canada.

Girls on the Run came to Northern Virginia in 2001 and initially had only 2 sites serving 27 girls. In 2010, Girls on the Run of NOVA, as the largest chapter in the national organization, will offer over 200 programs in 172 locations and serve more than 6,000 girls. Based out of public and private schools in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William counties as well as the cities of Alexandria, Manassas, Manassas Park, Fairfax City and Falls Church, Girls on the Run NOVA reaches across all ethnic, racial and socio-economic lines. No girl is ever denied because of inability to pay the modest fees assessed for this program--financial aid is offered to qualifying individuals. In 2008 over one-third of all participants received financial assistance.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia on the occasion of their 10th Anniversary and also in thanking them for their commitment to instilling self-respect and dignity to all of our daughters in Northern Virginia.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Helen Cram and her substantial contributions to political and civic life in Prince William County.

Ms. Cram's political career began when she spent the fall of 1952 handing out ``grip cards'' for her father's successful candidacy for North Dakota State Secretary. The family's victory launched Ms. Cram into a political career that spanned over four decades and consisted of positions in the offices of local, state and federal elected officials.

After two sessions as a Page in the North Dakota House of Representatives and six years in the personal office of a Public Service Commissioner, Ms. Cram moved to Virginia. She joined the staff of the late U.S. Senator from North Dakota, Quentin Burdick, in 1962 and remained in his office for six years. She spent the rest of her time in the federal government working for U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd, Jr. until she retired in 1982. Discovering that retirement life was not for her, Ms. Cram ended her retirement one month later when she went to work for Delegate David Brickley in the Virginia General Assembly. Ms. Cram served as Delegate Brickley's legislative assistant until 1998.

Throughout her time as a public servant Ms. Cram has remained active in Democratic politics. Ms. Cram became a member of the Prince William County Democratic Committee in 1970 and served seventeen years as secretary of that committee. She was Campaign Manager many times for David Brickley for Delegate; served as Campaign Manager for Chuck Colgan for Senate in 1988; was co-campaign manager with Charlie Gnadt for Prince William County for Senator Harry Byrd; managed five magisterial districts for Paul Ebert for Commonwealth's Attorney; she was the campaign treasurer for Leo Harrison and Lyle Cram when they each ran for Woodbridge District Board of County Supervisors, and served as campaign manager for the Prince William County Road Bond Committee in 1985. She also served for a short time as the aide to the late Coles Magisterial District Supervisor, G. Richard Pfitzner, when he was on the Prince William Board of County Supervisors.

Somehow Ms. Cram also found time to volunteer for several community organizations in Prince William County. She served on the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross; held every office of the Woodbridge Little League Ladies Auxiliary; was District Director for the Little League Ladies Auxiliaries for District 9 (Prince William and part of Fairfax Counties); and was a volunteer for the Boy Scouts of America Troop 1357. Ms. Cram has been the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program coordinator at Potomac Library for thirty-one years. She currently serves as secretary to the Prince William County Board of Elections and has been on the Board nine years.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in commending Helen Cram; a truly dedicated community activist. I would like to extend my personal appreciation to Ms. Cram for her immeasurable impact on the Prince William community.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1206) remembering the victims of the attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and supporting the goals and ideals of the National Week of Hope, 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 want to commend Congresswoman Mary Fallin and our colleagues from Oklahoma for introducing this resolution. This resolution commemorates the lives of the Federal employees and other victims of this savage terrorist attack and reminds us of the ongoing terrorist threat in our borders.

House Resolution 1206 was introduced by the gentlewoman from Oklahoma, Representative Mary Fallin, on March 23 of this year and was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. It comes to the floor today with the bipartisan support of over 50 cosponsors.

Over the last year, we've witnessed a rise in violent rhetoric by extremist groups in America. In the most recent incident, Andrew Joseph Stack intentionally crashed his small plane into a Federal building in Austin, Texas, that included offices of the Internal Revenue Service, among others.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, there have been over 75 violent attacks by domestic terrorists since 1995, Mr. Speaker. The resolution before us today is especially poignant because it is but the most destructive example of a recent frightening trend in domestic terrorism, that is to say, the incident in Oklahoma City.

At 9:02 a.m. on April 19, 1995, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols used a truck full of explosives to attack the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Their vicious attack, conducted at a time when most of the building's employees were at work and their children at a day care center, killed 168 people and wounded 850 others. The explosion was so powerful it reduced much of the building to rubble and damaged at least six adjacent buildings, including an apartment building, a church, and a YMCA. Some of the victims of the Murrah Federal Building were children who were in the day care center for building employees.

McVeigh and Nichols appear to have been motivated by similar anti- government ideology as the dozens of domestic terrorist who have attacked America in 15 years subsequent to that bombing.

Seven emergency response crews responded to the attack after receiving a call reporting it in at 9:03 a.m., with Fire Station One's crew arriving first at the scene. Oklahoma City's police force set up an incident command system to manage a massive search and rescue operation. Average citizens, as well as the Civil Air Patrol, American Red Cross, and other organizations assisted with responses to the attack.

After the attack, Oklahomans and other Americans responded with generous offers of assistance. Immediately after McVeigh detonated the explosives in the truck, many bystanders ran to the building to try to save people who were still in it. Oklahoma City restaurant owners gave first responders free meals. Blood drives were so overwhelmed with volunteers that long lines forced the city to ask blood donors to wait for the next drive.

Workers actually left their boots on-site after response crews ran out of work boots. This collective sacrifice and outpouring of support earned the moniker ``Oklahoma Standard,'' which describes an extraordinary, spontaneous outpouring of community support in times of tragedy.

Thank you again, Congresswoman Fallin, our colleague, for introducing this legislation which I'm a proud cosponsor of.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank my friend from Tennessee for his kind words. And now I am pleased to recognize our colleague and friend from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum) for 4 minutes.

(Ms. McCOLLUM asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I again offer my deepest sympathies to the victims of the attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, as well as to the families and friends of those victims. Fifteen years later, we remember and mourn their tragic loss.

I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H. Res. 1206.

I yield back the balance of my time.