Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Harold Reynders as the recent recipient of the St. Jude Medal from the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg. A dedicated volunteer at the St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church for nearly two decades, Harold has given his time and energy to help his fellow parishioners.

Born in Lancaster, NY, Harold ran his own construction company in Buffalo for 37 years. Moving with his wife Corinne to Spring Hill, FL in 1988 in search of warmer weather, Harold began attending St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church in 1989.

Each day Harold would go to church, work throughout the sanctuary and help keep the church neat and clean. His efforts were eventually brought to the attention of Monsignor John Cippel, who gave Harold Keys to the church and an official position as a sacristan.

For the next 10 years, Harold prepared the altar for the Mass and cleaned up following the sermon. He also was given the responsibility of opening the church doors each morning, and served as a lector and minister at the Sunday Masses.

This past November, Harold was presented with the St. Jude Medal that ``honors individuals who have consistently given of themselves to living the gospel of Jesus Christ by their generosity and service.'' Presented on the Feast of Christ the King Day at the Cathedral of St. Jude in St. Petersburg, Harold was truly humbled to receive the honor.

Madam Speaker, Harold Reynders has spent a lifetime as a devout Catholic, working to make his parish and his church a better place to worship. He should be commended for his years of service and for being honored with the St. Jude Medal.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 514, which will rename the aviation post office in Brooksville, FL, after Sergeant Lea Robert Mills.

Lea was a resident of my district in Masaryktown who gave his life for his country while serving in Iraq.

At 21 years old, Lea was proud to serve his fellow citizens, and even requested to be sent to Iraq.

After being inspired to volunteer for the military after the September 11 attacks, he felt it was his duty as a Marine to go where the mission was.

Lea told his father that the marines would give him the best opportunity to make a difference in people's lives.

He joined right after graduating from Hernando High School in 2002, and had just recently re-upped for a second stint with the Marines.

Tragically, he was killed by an lED explosion, leaving behind a young wife and a grieving family.

Sergeant Mills was a true patriot and a brave hero, and our community feels his loss immensely.

His dedication to his country and turning his ideals into actions are truly inspiring.

It is a sad truth that in a cynical world, we are surprised by courageous acts.

Learning about Lea from his family and friends helped me to have faith that not everyone is just trying to get by--some are trying to change the world for the better.

I hope that in renaming this post office, we will memorialize Lea's courage and never forget his sacrifice for this great Nation.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, over the last 2 years Americans have heard story after story about what my constituents very frequently call, ``Members Gone Wild.''

Duke Cunningham, James Traficant, Bob Ney, Frank Ballance have all been convicted of crimes and are serving time in prison. These are all former Members of Congress and hail from both sides of the partisan divide.

Madam Speaker, constituents are fed up with this behavior. They expect their elected representatives to be held to a higher standard.

When the FBI gets an authorized search warrant and enters the office of a sitting Member accused of taking bribes, it just makes sense to constituents and to me that Congress should not interfere.

Last week, I reintroduced my legislation, H. Res. 88, a resolution that declares to our constituents that we agree with them: Members of Congress should not be above the law.

Listen up, America. Turning a blind eye to alleged indiscretions by elected Members of Congress will no longer pass muster.

I urge my colleagues to join with others who are cosponsoring this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I rise today about my bill, H.R. 514, which passed the House earlier today. The bill will rename the Aviation Post Office in Brooksville, Florida, after Sergeant Lea Robert Mills. This is the Post Office that Lea used because it is close to his parents' home in Masaryktown, Florida.

Lea was a resident of my district who gave his life for his country while serving in Iraq. At 21 years old, Lea was proud to serve his fellow citizens, and he actually requested to be sent to Iraq.

After being inspired to volunteer for the military after the September 11 attacks, he felt it was his duty, as a Marine, to go where the mission was. Lea told his father that the Marines would give him the best opportunity to make a difference in people's lives.

He joined right after graduating from Hernando High School in 2002, and he had just recently ``re-upped'' for a second stint with the Marines. Tragically, he was killed by an IED explosion, leaving behind a young wife and a grieving family.

Sergeant Mills was a true patriot and brave hero, and our community feels his loss immensely. His dedication to his country and turning his ideals into action are truly inspiring. It is a sad truth that in a cynical world, we are sometimes surprised by such courageous acts.

Learning about Lea from his family and friends helped me to have faith that not everyone is just trying to get by. Some are trying to change the world for the better.

Dee Mills, who is Lea's mother, was so brave and so patriotic at the funeral. I don't think I will ever, ever forget that. While others who have lost loved ones grieve in very different ways, Dee Mills, like her son, decided to help change the world. Dee has put together a 501(c)(3), and it is called Lea's Prayers and Postage. And the purpose of this organization is to raise money to send packages to our young men and women currently serving in Iraq. What a wonderful cause, what a wonderful way to work out one's grief at losing her son.

I can only hope that in renaming this Post Office we will memorialize Lea's courage and never, ever forget his sacrifice for this great Nation.

Both Lea Robert Mills and Dee Mills, his mom, have given so much to the community and so much to America that I am very proud to represent the Masaryktown area and certainly the Mills family.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in very strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 5.

When men and women of our country separate from the military, they leave with some of the best training and discipline in the whole wide world. While one would think that the private sector employers would jump at the opportunity to hire those individuals, that unfortunately is not always the case. In fact, recently discharged veterans see a higher unemployment rate than the national average.

Today's bill supports the goals of Hire a Veteran Week and sends an important message to support both our Nation's veterans and employers.

Moreover, employers will receive a strong reminder of the highly motivated and skilled segment of our labor force that is sometimes overlooked.

Listen up, America; it is time to help our veterans find jobs as they transition back from the military. I urge my colleagues to support this important measure.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Robert ``Bob'' Clement on the occasion of his retirement. A dedicated public servant for more than 40 years, Bob worked for many years in law enforcement and customs inspection, eventually finishing his career leading a youth mentoring program in New York City.

Bob began his career in government service when he entered the Army in December, 1963. Serving 6 years in the U.S. Army, including 2 years in Vietnam, Bob was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for ground action. Honorably discharged from the Army in April, 1970, Bob left with the rank of Staff Sergeant.

Entering civilian government service in November 1970 as an original member of the Air Marshal Program, Bob served there throughout the 3 year pilot program commission. He then became a U.S. Customs Inspector, where in addition to the normal duties of a Customs Officer he volunteered in 1991 for the colateral duty of serving as the advisor for a youth program sponsored by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The program is known as Law Enforcement Exploring and may be sponsored by any Federal, State or local law enforcement agency. The program is open to young men and women, ages 14 to 21. Throughout the U.S. there are over 20,000 youth involved with this program. in the Greater New York Area there are over 4,000 explorers.

As the leader in youth law enforcement mentoring, Bob has been recognized by various governmental agencies for his dedication and hard work. Bob has twice been awarded the coveted Commissioner of Customs Award, twice named the Advisor of the Year in the Greater New York area, and awarded the title of Partner in Education for his contributions of leadership, expertise, service, and support to the youth in the New York City public school system. Finally, Bob was named the first ever recipient of the National Advisor of the Year Award in 2004.

Madam Speaker, Bob Clement has worked a lifetime helping others. His commitment to protecting our borders and to mentoring our children is to be commended. This Congress should take this moment to honor Bob on the occasion of his retirement and thank him for his service to our children and to our Nation. .

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Hjalma E. Johnson, the recipient of the 4TH Annual Lincoln Heritage Award presented by the East Pasco Political Club. This prestigious award was established to recognize an outstanding community member for his or her commitment to the principles practiced and espoused by Abraham Lincoln, as well as for their humanitarian services to the community and to Pasco County.

An unassuming country boy whose reputation precedes him in the global marketplace, Mr. Johnson is President of Investment Advisors, Inc., and Triple J. Ranch, Inc. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Hyde Park Capital's Advisory Board, Moore, Clayton LLC, a London based merchant bank and Crews Banking Corp., Wauchula, Fl. He is also a past President of the Florida Bankers Association and the American Bankers Association.

Mr. Johnson graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor's in Industrial Engineering with High Honors in 1958. A U.S. Army veteran, Mr. Johnson served as a Counter-Intelligence Officer at the U.S. Army's European Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany. He received a Juris Doctorate from Birmingham School of Law in 1965, is a member of the Alabama Bar, and is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. He is a 1968 graduate of the Stonier Graduate School of Banking, Rutgers University. In addition, he served on the University of Florida's Warrington College of Business Advisory Council and is the immediate past President of the University of Florida Gator Boosters.

A former Chairman of the Trustees of Saint Leo University, St. Leo, FL, Mr. Johnson served on the Salvation Army Service Committee, was inducted into the Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame, and was a board member of the Fannie Mae National Advisory Council.

Mr. Johnson recently celebrated his fiftieth wedding anniversary with his high school sweetheart, Laura. Their son, Len, is a practicing attorney in Dade City, FL, where he resides with his wife, Nancy. Mr. Johnson's grandson, Brock, is a senior at the University of Florida, and his granddaughter, Paige, is a freshman at the University of Alabama.

Madam Speaker, Hjalma Johnson is well known for his compassion for others and for his commitment and passion to his community and profession. I am proud to honor him as an exemplary executive, husband, father and grandfather in Florida's 5th Congressional District, and as the 2007 recipient of the Lincoln Heritage Award from the East Pasco Political Club.

Mr. Speaker, Americans are fed up with elected officials acting like they are better than everyone else. We have seen scandal after scandal on a bipartisan basis, and people are sick of it.

Just last year, in the face of several inappropriate acts from Members of this Congress, some of our leaders decided that we were above the law. I cannot disagree more. When a local business fails to file its taxes, we investigate. When a parent abuses a child, we investigate. If a Member of Congress abuses his or her position, law enforcement officers must have the authority to follow the evidence regardless of where it may lead.

Listen up America. Last week I introduced H.R. 88 that declares to our constituents that we agree with them: Members of Congress should not be above the law. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this important legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H. Res. 78.

This bill reverses the last 12 years of precedent and returns our House Rules to a questionable practice of delegates voting in the Committee of the Whole.

Our Constitution clearly states that Members of Congress should be chosen by residents of States.

As much as we appreciate the contribution of our great territories and the District of Columbia, they are not States.

If the other side would like to change that, they are welcome to propose a constitutional amendment.

Instead, this bill makes an end run around the Constitution by granting Delegates this privilege.

Opponents are arguing that the courts approved this practice as long as the House re-votes on an issue if the Delegates make a difference in the outcome.

We are taking time away that we could be spending on more important issues by forcing a superfluous voting exercise on every closely divided issue.

This was a bad idea in 1992. A Chicago Tribune article at the time said: ``This change would subvert the Constitution to give the territorial delegates the power to vote, but guarantee that any time their votes really count, they won't be counted.''

And this is a bad idea today. Today's Washington Times editorial said: ``Despite Democratic protestations to the contrary. it's hard to see this rule change as anything other than an attempt to add four more votes to their majority.''

Frankly, we are creating a rule today that will waste our time and waste the American people's time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Winonah Greene of Hernando County, Florida. Winonah has done something that all of us strive to do, but that very few of us will ever accomplish, celebrate her 100th birthday.

Born January 13, 1906 in Petersburg, Virginia, Winonah graduated from high school with honors and received a four-year scholarship to college. Her fondest childhood memories are of the times she spent in school and church and her involvement in many community programs and services.

Hired as a schoolteacher, Winonah taught at different schools in Virginia and Pennsylvania for twenty years. She then began working as a government clerk at the Veterans Administration's offices in Pennsylvania, where she worked for another twenty years. An active member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority for 80 years, she has been a member of the Omega Omega Chapter since 1946, which recently celebrated its 80th year.

During her years as a teacher, Winonah proudly took part in the civil rights movement and attended an event where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Was a speaker. She spoke of this personal experience as a part of America's history in her classroom teachings.

Winonah married Ervie Greene in 1942 and was blessed with one daughter. Following her husband's death in 1983, Winonah lived alone in Pennsylvania until she moved to Hernando County in January of 2006 to be closer to her family.

Winonah now spends time with her two grandchildren and three great- grandchildren. She says the advantage of being close to so many businesses and the friendliness of the community is what she likes best about Hernando County. Winonah says the proudest moment in her life was a surprise celebration of her 100th birthday!

Her advice to young people today is, ``Work hard, stay in school, select a dream and work towards its success. You can do it if you try!'' Madam Speaker, I ask that you join me in honoring Winonah Greene for reaching her 100th birthday. I hope we all have the good fortune to live as long as her.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Vera Wentworth of Hernando County, FL. Vera has done something that all of us strive to do, but that very few of us will ever accomplish, celebrate her 100th birthday. Born December 19, 1906 in Hartland, ME, Vera received her degree in the 1920s from a college in Farmington, ME. One of the early teachers who worked in a one-room schoolhouse, Vera kept a pot-belly stove filled with wood to keep the children warm. As a testament to the hardiness of Maine residents, Vera taught at different schools throughout Maine for 49 years. Her fondest childhood memory was the day her father bought her a new car while she was in college.

Married to Neal Felker in the early 1920s, Vera was blessed with three children, two boys and one girl. While her husband sadly passed away in the late 1940s, Vera remarried Harold Wentworth in 1954. She also raised Harold's 2-year old son, and she now has a combination of seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Vera gets the most pleasure these days from being with her family. Although she lived alone surviving cold winters in Maine till she was 97 years old, she moved to Hernando County in 2002 to be closer to her daughter and her son-in-law. Vera's daughter says the proudest moments in her mother's life was the ability to teach for 49 years, and that she would have taught longer if they didn't require her to retire.

Vera's advice to young people today is, ``go to church, respect your parents and get an education.'' Madam Speaker, I ask that you join me in honoring Vera Wentworth for reaching her 100th birthday. I hope we all have the good fortune to live as long as her.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Joseph Mennella of Hernando County, Florida. Joseph has done something that all of us strive to do, but that very few of us will ever accomplish, celebrate his 100th birthday.

Born September 2, 1906 in the ``Little Italy'' section of New York City, New York, Joseph lived and worked there for many years before moving to Florida in 1991. Joseph has fond memories of attending school as a child, although he readily admits that not everyone else agrees with him on that issue.

When he was young, Joseph was very ill and taken to the hospital. While recuperating, he was cared for by an Italian immigrant nurse named Mother Cabrini. Mother Cabrini later was canonized as the well- known St. Cabrini of today. In 1918, Joseph and his mother came down with the Spanish influenza, which killed 53 million people throughout the world, including approximately five thousand in New York. Joseph gives credit for his long life to those tough experiences as a child growing up in New York City.

Completing his formal education at the sixth grade level, Joseph went to work as a plaster contractor, and eventually opened a wheels and rims business that he ran for more than fifty years. Given his background, Joseph's advice to young people is to, ``get an education.'' Following his marriage to Josephine in 1929, the happy couple was blessed with two healthy sons and two grandchildren.

In 1991, at the age of eighty-five, Joseph moved to Hernando County and built his own home that he still lives in today. He says he loves Hernando County because of the warm weather and sunshine. His goal now is to live to be 110, and says that ``if he doesn't make it, then sue me.''

Asked about the proudest moment in his life, Joseph recounts that reaching 100 years old and having the St. Petersburg Times do a front- page story on him was his best experience. Joseph enjoys reading the newspaper, and says that he would not change a thing if he had the chance to do his life over.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join me in honoring Joseph Mennella for reaching his 100th birthday. I hope we all have the good fortune to live as long as him.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to let Florida's seniors and all of America's seniors know the scary truth about H.R. 4, the legislation to, quote, negotiate prescription drug prices in Medicare. While the rhetoric would lead you to believe that H.R. 4 is the same legislation from the past that I actually supported, kind of like GM said, it is not your father's Oldsmobile. This is not the same bill as last year.

Last year's legislation, I believe, was based on sound policy. Unfortunately, the bill before us today was crafted kind of like in the middle of the night, with no real input from the other side, and it could be described as a bait-and-switch game foisted on America's seniors.

As I said at the outset, I believe that this bill will actually harm America's seniors. Supporters of the bill talk about negotiation. The government doesn't really negotiate.

Let me give you an example. Here is the example of the Medicare part D, actually, the AARP plan, where over 100 great drugs are covered.

However, if you look at when government does negotiate, it excludes some very important drugs to seniors, such as Crestor, Detrol, Evista, Flomax, Lipitor, Prevacid and Vytorin. How many seniors are on medicines such as Lipitor? A large number. It is absolutely necessary for lowering cholesterol. But when you start to negotiate, that array of drugs that are available is suddenly shrunk.

Prescription drug access is not a partisan issue. My constituents know that I am not afraid to cross party lines to get things done. Throughout this entire 2-week period, I voted for legislation, but I don't support this bill because it is a bait-and-switch.

I do not stand alone in this belief. Veterans' organizations, mental health organizations and even CBO say it is a bad bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to let Florida's seniors know the scary truth about H.R. 4, legislation to negotiate prescription drug prices in Medicare.

While the rhetoric from the other side would lead you to believe that H.R. 4 is the same legislation debated in the past, I rise to tell you that H.R. 4 is not your father's Oldsmobile.

In the I09th Congress, I supported bipartisan legislation introduced by Representative Jo Ann Emerson that would have allowed HHS to negotiate prescription drug prices for Medicare.

Mrs. Emerson's legislation was based on sound policy, and would have been open to amendment on the House floor.

Unfortunately, the bill before the House today was crafted by Democrats in the middle of the night, and with no Republican input. It is nothing but a dangerous bait and switch game foisted on American seniors.

Even more damning to the Democrat's commitment to open government, this bill is being debated under a martial law rule, with no possibility to offer amendments or make improvements.

As I said at the outset, this bill will harm American seniors.

Supporters of H.R. 4 hold up the Department of Veterans Affairs as a resounding prescription drug success. And I agree this is a great program.

However, these misinformed Members are comparing apples to oranges.

The VA does not haggle over prices with pharmaceutical companies; rather, it follows certain formulas set in federal law.

Medicare has 4,300+ drugs approved; the VA only has 1,300 drugs approved.

Medicare supports the newest and most widely used drugs; the VA relies on older and less effective drugs. Lipitor, for example, which helps lower cholesterol and prevents heart attacks, could be eliminated. The VA does not offer it!

These three examples make it clear that if the Democrats follow the VA model, seniors will have fewer choices and older, out-of-date drugs.

In fact, groups like the Military Order of the Purple Heart and the American Legion believe that Medicare drug negotiation will actually increase drug prices and cost American veterans even more each month!

You know, all of us fill our shopping cart at the grocery store each week. The consequence of H.R. 4 will be to force your grocery store to offer fewer items and limit your shopping choices. Here's just one example.

Eighteen months ago, I met a World War II veteran who told me that he and his wife were paying $2,000 a month out of pocket for a breakthrough medication that her doctor prescribed (Glevac).

This was a severe financial burden, just to purchase the medicine to keep her alive.

Today, with the Medicare Prescription Drug plan, this couple not only gets Glevac medication, but has had their costs cut to almost nothing.

If H.R. 4 were to become law, it is likely that anti-cancer drugs like this one would be taken off the Medicare list and replaced with older and less effective ones.

Let me be clear to everyone watching on C-SPAN.

Prescription drug access is not a partisan issue.

My constituents know that I am not afraid to cross party lines to get things done.

Just yesterday I voted to support stem cell research. The day before that I voted to raise the minimum wage.

And, I do support allowing HHS to negotiate prescription drug prices.

But this bill is a bait and switch tactic.

The Democrats have crafted a seriously flawed plan, one that I believe will cause irreparable harm to millions of seniors.

And I do not stand alone in this belief. Veteran's organizations, mental health organizations, and others all have come out in opposition to H.R. 4. The non-partisan CBO says it will not save money.

Listen up America--let's be cautious on this issue. The last thing Congress needs to do is to take steps that unwittingly hurt our seniors.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in very strong support of H.R. 3, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.

I stand with 500 of America's most respected research groups in support of this bill. The bottom line is that this bill is about saving and improving lives.

As a mother and grandmother, I fear that the untapped potential of stem cell research may be falling by the wayside. Let us remember, only when the embryo is implanted in a uterus to grow can life be sustained.

Unless a couple has an option of donating remaining embryos, a failure to pay storage fees means the embryos will be disposed of as medical waste.

Listen up, America. H.R. 3 gives us a choice. We can use the promise of embryonic stem cell research to save lives, or we can let that promise be thrown away.

Millions of people around the country support this life-affirming and life-enhancing research. People with cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's want this bill to pass. Your friends and neighbors and your constituents back home want this bill to pass because it gives hope where hope doesn't exist now.

It will let the research on stem cells continue under ethical guidelines and will provide millions of Americans suffering from debilitating and terminal diseases the hope that they need and want.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill. And I certainly commend Ms. DeGette, as well as Mr. Castle, for their leadership on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the four departing Members of the Florida Delegation. These Members, Mike Bilirakis, Jim Davis, Katherine Harris, and Clay Shaw, are leaving with a combined 64 years of congressional service. Our State is losing dedicated public servants who have worked on behalf of their constituents and the Nation. Their input will be sorely missed in the 110th Congress.

Mike Bilirakis is a shining example of heartfelt dedication to veterans' issues and is someone whose passion for veterans is hard to duplicate. Having shared many flights back and forth to DC with Mike, I can tell you that I learned a great deal from him during my time in Congress.

I always found Jim Davis to be a thoughtful, respectful, and thought- provoking Member of Congress. I enjoyed serving with him because of his southern genteel manner.

Katherine Harris brought an amazing amount of energy to the House. We served together on the Financial Services and Homeland Security Committees, where I saw her dedication to the issues and the people of Florida. She is especially known for helping those looking to join the ranks of homeowners by fighting to pass the American Dream Downpayment Act.

Clay Shaw worked tirelessly to find alternative approaches for preserving Social Security for future generations. While never the most flashy Member, Clay was instead known for his legislative accomplishments as a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee. Not only was he was the foremost proponent to save the Everglades, Clay made America a better place by helping push welfare reform through Congress.

While each of these public servants will be replaced in the 110th Congress, their memories will not be forgotten. Mike, Jim, Katherine, Clay, we will miss you up here in Washington and wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.