Floor Statements

I thank my colleague very much for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I stand here today to raise awareness about a problem affecting hundreds of families in Hampton Roads, Virginia, and thousands across the United States: the problem of toxic Chinese drywall. Chinese drywall has induced serious health problems, created severe financial hardships, and driven thousands of American families from their homes.

Since January 2009, over 1,300 cases have been reported from now over 26 States and the District of Columbia. I have seen firsthand the physical, emotional, and financial burden toxic Chinese drywall creates. Just the other month I visited homes in my district that had the drywall installed. The toxins released by the drywall reeked of rotten eggs and had corroded the electrical wiring of the homes. In fact, there are homes that have had to replace expensive air conditioning units, televisions, microwaves, and other valuable appliances several times because of the harmful chemicals contained in the drywall.

Toxic Chinese drywall can also cause deep coughs, bloody noses, and severe

eye irritation. And those are just the short-term health effects that we know about. I wouldn't be surprised if even more serious health effects are soon found. Affected families have been left with an impossible choice: live in a home and put their family at risk, or shell out tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars, to replace the drywall. While some more fortunate families have been able to get help from friends, relatives and neighbors, many others have moved into rental housing, forcing them to pay both rent and the mortgage on the contaminated home. At a time when the economy is already struggling, this hardship is more than families can sustain.

Today, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution encouraging banks and mortgage servicers to work with their customers by allowing a grace period on their mortgage payments until they get back on their feet. Many banking institutions have already voluntarily provided mortgage forbearances for many of their customers, and I applaud the benevolence of these institutions. This can be a life-saver for affected families.

Madam Speaker, as we work to create long-term solutions, we must also find a way to give these families some relief now. I want to thank my friends Mr. Wexler and Mrs. McCarthy; my colleague from Virginia (Mr. Wittman); Mr. Buchanan; as well as Ms. Waters and Chairman Frank for working with me on this important legislation, and I hope the rest of my colleagues will join me in its support.

Mr. Speaker, the financial crisis that led to the current economic downturn has caused our small business credit markets to dry up. There has been much discussion in recent weeks about the difficulty that small firms face in securing affordable credit. Somewhat less attention has been paid to the other side of the capital equation, namely investment.

For early stage businesses, investment from venture capital firms makes more sense than taking out a loan. After all, fledgling businesses typically do not have the cash flow to make regular payments on debt. For these enterprises, investment from venture capital firms is usually a better way to raise capital. These early stage businesses engage in some of the most promising research areas like defense, medicine, and renewable energy. Breakthroughs in these fields mean new products, and more importantly, they mean new jobs.

In my home State of Virginia, we have seen the importance of venture

funding to job growth. Virginia ranks ninth in the Nation for jobs created or saved by venture capital, and over the past 6 years, we have been able to trace the creation of 13,000 Virginia jobs to venture capital investments.

If our economic recovery is going to be sustained, we will need high growth, high-risk firms that will spawn nascent innovative products, break new ground, and hire out-of-work Americans.

That kind of progress will require investment from venture capital communities.

My bill, the Small Business Early Investment Act of 2009, will help promote a new wave of venture capital investments by creating a new Small Business Early Stage Investment program at the SBA. Under the program, carefully screened companies that invest in new enterprises will be eligible for SBA grants. These grants will match the capital that investors have already raised from the private market.

Once these investments mature and the venture capital companies exit their investments, the SBA will be paid back at the same rate as traditional investors. These grants will go to those who invest in early-stage companies that are doing work in some of our most promising sectors, like alternative energies, biotechnology, and defense technology. These are fields in which we want the United States to maintain its competitive edge. So these grants will not only stimulate growth but will also advance our national priorities.

Mr. Speaker, we all know that entrepreneurs will be central to our economic recovery; however, for these firms to perform their traditional job-creating role, they need capital. The legislation before us would, for the first time, create a program at the SBA that is dedicated to ensuring America's small businesses can access venture capital. This will help new companies get off the ground and early- stage companies fully develop. Most of all, this bill will invest taxpayer dollars wisely by creating new jobs, sparking technological progress, and fostering entrepreneurship.

I want to thank Chairwoman Velazquez and Ranking Member Graves for their leadership on the committee and for working with me on this important initiative.

I urge my colleagues to support and pass this bill for our small businesses and for the recovery of our economy.

Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Chairman, I'd like to thank Chairwoman Velazquez, Ranking Member Graves, Mr. Schrader and all my other esteemed colleagues on the Small Business Committee for their work to bring about the Small Business Financing and Investment Act and bring it to the floor, and for including my bill, the Small Business Early Stage Investment Act, in this omnibus bill.

Small businesses are the engine of our economy and they are key to our recovery. Any effort to create jobs must start with an investment in small businesses. But the financial crisis and the economic downturn have been hard on small businesses as the credit markets have dried up.

When I meet with my Small Business Advisory Board back in Virginia's Second District, they tell me their number one concern is accessing the capital they need to support their business. It is now more important than ever to improve the flow of capital to our small businesses, particularly for the early stage research that will lead to new technologies--and the SBA programs outlined in this bill will do just that.

I am also proud to bring to the floor an amendment--a very important amendment to the underlying bill--together with my friend from Florida (Mr. Buchanan) which addresses a serious problem facing homeowners across the United States--imported toxic drywall.

In 30 States and the District of Columbia, thousands of homes have been reported to have been built with toxic foreign drywall, mainly from China. The drywall releases poisonous gases that can cause serious health problems and can make a home uninhabitable. The fumes even corrode metals--damaging electrical wiring, appliances, and piping systems.

In my district, I have visited these homes and spoken with the families. Many of them have been forced to move in with friends or relatives; many others are now living in rental housing--paying for both the cost of a mortgage and the cost of rent--or, even worse, living in the home, unable to afford repairs.

The CPSC and the EPA have recognized toxic drywall as a serious problem and they are conducting a detailed investigation. But many families simply cannot afford to wait for the test results and there is no guarantee anything will come of these efforts. We owe it to them to try every means possible to provide them relief.

These homeowners are the victims of a calamity beyond their control-- just like any family whose home is damaged by a major disaster such as a hurricane or tornado--and they deserve the same assistance.

This amendment allows these families to access low-interest disaster loans from the Small Business Administration to repair or replace toxic drywall in their homes. While it may take more time and legislation to ultimately eradicate this problem, we can take immediate action today for these struggling families.

I urge my colleagues to join me and my colleague in passing this amendment to help these American families rebuild their homes and begin rebuilding their lives.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

At this time I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to my colleague from Virginia (Mr. Wittman).

Madam Chair, might I inquire as to how much time I have remaining?

I would like to ask unanimous consent to have an additional minute added to my time.

Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to my colleague from Florida (Mr. Klein).

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, today I rise to urge my colleagues to support a commonsense, yet necessary, amendment which will make clear the Coast Guard's critical role in the homeland security of America.

The Coast Guard security mission is not new. Since 1790, the Coast Guard has served as America's principal law-of-the-sea entity with a maritime responsibility of 6 million square miles. However, today the Coast Guard must manage multiple security responsibilities as it faces the extremely difficult challenge of enforcing increasingly complex laws against highly sophisticated adversaries.

Since 9/11, the U.S. has expanded dramatically its port security activities to the more than 300 U.S. ports and millions of Americans who live, work, or recreate near them. This is especially important to my constituents in Hampton Roads. I represent one of the largest ports in the United States, the Port of Virginia. The Port of Virginia is the deepest, newest, and biggest port on the east coast, capable of handling ships loaded 26 containers across.

Last month alone, Virginia's Norfolk International Terminal processed 89,359 container units. With the expanded reopening of the Panama Canal in 2014, the port will only grow, and it will be the mission of the Coast Guard to ensure the safety of all of those affected by its commerce.

The purpose of this amendment is simple. The Coast Guard is a multiple-mission armed force that must have uninhibited freedom to flex its military and security powers and respond to numerous concerns and threats in the maritime domain. This amendment makes clear that this is the most important mission of the Coast Guard, and nothing shall hinder that responsibility.

It is important to note that this amendment does not create new authorizations. It simply makes clear the continued importance of protecting our waterways and ports, maintaining defense readiness and coastal security, and securing our borders against aliens seeking to unlawfully enter the United States.

Americans deserve to know that they will continue to be safe from maritime threats. This amendment does just that by clarifying the Coast Guard's homeland security missions.

I commend to all of my colleagues this commonsense amendment, and I urge its support.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

I will yield.

I thank the chairmen of the committee and the subcommittee for their support, and I yield back the balance my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Filner for his leadership on this issue and also Chairman Michaud. I am proud to rise in support of this legislation that will bring a commonsense solution to a long-standing problem.

For far too long, the VA health care system has been plagued with budgets that were too little, too late. Insufficient funding for veterans' health care leads to waiting lists, delayed care and veterans being turned away from VA hospitals and clinics. Underfunding threatens the very quality of care that the VA has worked so hard to achieve.

But just as important as how much funding the VA receives is when the VA receives that funding. With just three exceptions, the budget has been late for 20 of the past 23 years, this year included. When funding is late, the budget levels are uncertain, and it makes it harder to plan ahead for the needs of our veterans.

H.R. 1016 will solve this problem by authorizing VA's medical care budget in advance. Moreover, to help ensure that we have sufficient funding, H.R. 1016 adds transparency to the budget process by requiring the Government Accountability Office to audit the VA's internal budget. This way, we can see if the budget request accurately reflects the projected needs of our veterans.

Mr. Speaker, the commitment of our men and women in uniform does not stop at the end of the fiscal year nor do the needs of our veterans. Our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines stand ready to defend our Nation whenever they are called upon. We can plan for the future security of the United States because we know that our troops will be there. We owe them that same commitment in return.

The passage of this legislation is critical to ensure that our veterans receive their benefits on time, and it will allow the VA to plan ahead to meet the needs of the new veterans returning home each day from Iraq and Afghanistan. No longer can we allow the care of our Nation's veterans to be affected by the unstable budgetary process.

I am proud to support this legislation. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life, service, and sacrifice of Private First Class William L. Meredith of Virginia Beach, Virginia, who was killed in action while serving our country in Afghanistan on September 21, 2009.

Private Meredith, or Lee as his friends called him, grew up in Virginia Beach where he attended Ocean Lakes High School. Lee was a kind and thoughtful young man who was close to his friends.

As the oldest of three brothers in a military family, he often spoke of joining the military himself. In April of 2008, Lee enlisted in the Army and was assigned to the 569th Engineer Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado.

The mission of the 4th Engineers is both critically important and highly dangerous. They specialize in locating and disposing of bombs in order to keep supply routes open. With IED attacks

continuing in Iraq and on the rise in Afghanistan, their skills are in high demand.

In February of this year, Lee's unit shipped out to Iraq, but in April they were redeployed to Afghanistan as part of the renewed effort to defeat the Taliban.

Last Monday, just weeks after his 26th birthday and 10 days before he was scheduled to return home on leave, Private Lee Meredith was tragically killed in action in Kandahar when a roadside bomb detonated near his vehicle.

Lee was proud to be in the Army and to wear our country's uniform. In the 7 months that he served overseas, Lee earned both the Afghanistan and Iraq Campaign Medals, the Combat Action Badge, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart.

As a soldier, a brother, a son, and a friend, he made a lasting impact on those who knew him, and as an American hero, his service and sacrifice will always be remembered.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service and sacrifice but, most importantly, the life of First Lieutenant Michael E. Johnson of the United States Marine Corps, who gave his life to defend our Nation.

Mike Johnson grew up in the sand and surf of Virginia Beach, along with his twin brother Dan and his younger brother Steve. At Hickory High School in Chesapeake, he was an accomplished athlete and a member of the crew team. From an early age, he always talked of following in his grandfather's footsteps and becoming a marine.

Mike loved the outdoors, and after visiting relatives in Oregon, he decided to attend college at Oregon State. In college, he met his soul mate, Durinda, and in 2007 they were married in her hometown of Keizer, Oregon.

Mike told his friends that, one day, he hoped to become a park ranger, bringing together his love of the outdoors with his commitment to public service; but for Mike, duty came first, and with our country at war, Mike decided that his own dreams would have to wait.

He joined the Marines. After training at Quantico, Mike and Durinda moved to Okinawa, Japan where, First Lieutenant Johnson was assigned to the Seventh Communications Battalion, Third Marine Headquarters Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force.

Two months ago, Mike was deployed to Afghanistan where he was assigned as part of an embedded team that was training the Afghan Army. On September 8, his unit was attacked by insurgent fighters as they approached a village in eastern Afghanistan. In a firefight that lasted over 8 hours, Mike and three other Americans were killed.

As a husband, a son, a brother, and a friend, Mike was a positive influence on everyone around him. He loved his family and his friends, and he cherished every moment he had with them.

Mr. Speaker, across Virginia today, flags are flying at half-staff in honor of Lieutenant Johnson and his memory; but for those lucky enough to have known him, he will always be remembered for the smile that never left his face and by the words he lived by: carpe diem and Semper Fi.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of our troops and our military families and in support of a provision in the manager's amendment to the Defense appropriations bill which will help our military families.

Mr. Speaker, injured military personnel and veterans, including many who live in my district, often have to travel far from home to receive specialized medical treatment, taking them away from their families during a difficult time. The Fisher House Foundation is a public- private partnership which provides housing to allow military family members to be close to their loved ones during hospitalizations or medical treatment. Each year the Fisher House program serves about 10,000 families at no charge, enabling them to focus on their husbands and wives, parents, sons and daughters.

This amendment includes a provision which I offered to give more support to the Fisher House Foundation to provide housing to more military families. Mr. Speaker, the troops I worked with in Iraq and Afghanistan were willing to put their lives on the line for our country, and we should do everything in our power to ease the burden on our wounded warriors and their families. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this valuable program and in supporting our military families.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank Chairwoman Velazquez for helping me bring my bill to the floor today. I can't thank my good friend enough for the hard work and the bipartisanship that she has shown in her leadership of the committee. I couldn't ask for a better chairwoman. I would also like to thank Ranking Member Graves and Mr. Thompson for their support.

Mr. Speaker, I have the honor to represent Virginia's Second Congressional District, home to the largest concentration of veterans, military personnel and military families anywhere in the country. We know firsthand that our community is stronger not only because of the service of our military personnel but also because of the contributions of our veterans.

The same drive and dedication that leads men and women from Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore to serve our country in uniform also leads many of our veterans to take on the challenge of entrepreneurship. Like small businesses all across the country, veteran-owned small businesses are a

crucial part of our economy, helping to create jobs and spur economic growth.

It's no secret why they are successful. The skills and training that our veterans learn in the military are incredibly valuable in the private sector. However, despite their experience, many veterans leave the military without the resources to translate their skills to the challenges of starting and running a business. This bill will make sure our veterans have the support they need by establishing a nationwide network of Veterans Business Centers.

These centers will provide counseling and business training. They will assist in accessing capital and securing loans and credit, and they will help veterans navigate the procurement process to compete more effectively in the Federal marketplace.

Earlier this year, I spoke with a veteran in my district who started his own small business just 3 years ago; and as of this year, he has already created hundreds of jobs. Despite years of experience in the military, he told me that the only way that he got started was because of the support from other veteran business owners who showed him the ropes.

While he was fortunate, not all of our veterans are in the same position. The Veterans Business Centers will ensure that all veterans have access to the same resources and information so that they too can launch and grow their own businesses. We know already from the existing outreach centers and Small Business Development Centers that the model can be very successful. My bill will build on what works and expand access to these critical services, especially in areas of the country with large numbers of veterans.

The Veterans Business Center Act of 2009 has the support of both the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars; and most importantly, it will help spur the growth of small businesses and create jobs because at a time when we are working to rebuild our economy, America must draw upon the ingenuity of our small businesses and the dedication of our veteran entrepreneurs. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill.

I would like to thank Chairwoman Velazquez for her leadership here and also Ranking Member Graves.

Mr. Chair, as chairman of the Small Business Subcommittee on Contracting and Technology, together with Ranking Member Schock, I've held several hearings to discuss how we can do more to help our small businesses research and develop the technologies of tomorrow. From those hearings two things became absolutely clear. Small businesses are the single most innovative sector of our economy; and with the right support, they have the power to lead us out of this recession. SBIR is a vital program that limits the risk that small business innovators face. The SBIR program is critical to innovative technology created by small businesses. Each year the program helps 1,500 companies get off the ground. Startups that receive SBIR grants are productive job creators. In fact, the employment growth rate for these businesses is nearly four times that of larger firms, employing 40 percent of all high-tech workers.

These firms have triggered extraordinary achievements. Take, for example, night vision goggles or technology for unmanned aviation. In fact, the SBIR program is crucial to improving tools that support our national security. At $1.23 billion, the DOD makes up more than half of all SBIR funding. Were it not for SBIR, critical breakthroughs accounting for improvements of technologies from our defense to health care may have never made it to market. And yet countless other new technologies don't make it past the laboratory doors. Innovation is a risky, resource-intensive process. Without proper funding, even the most brilliant invention may never make it.

Mr. Chair, SBIR and STTR are important tools for developing new products but not just as a means for invention. By sparking innovation, they mark the surest path to unlocking new markets, expanding new industries and, most importantly, creating new jobs. This bill is an important step towards lasting growth, and I look forward to its passage.

I would like to thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, a lot of the legislation that comes through this House deals with obscure technical points in Federal programs that most Americans have never and will never hear of.

However, the amendment that I have introduced, along with my good friends and colleagues from Virginia, Mr. Gerry Connolly and Mr. Tom Perriello, is a commonsense solution to a common problem faced by our military personnel.

In my district of Hampton Roads, many men and women are regularly deployed overseas to Iraq and Afghanistan. When a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine is preparing to leave their home and family to serve their country in harm's way, the last thing he or she should have to worry about is paying a cell phone contract termination fee.

In the last Congress, legislation was passed to allow deployed servicemembers to exit an individual cell phone contract without paying a penalty, and this amendment will extend that same protection to military personnel whose phones are registered through family plans.

The amendment is supported by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in easing the burden on our men and women in uniform.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 2352, the Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act of 2009. And I want to thank our chairwoman and our ranking member. I appreciate all your efforts to move this comprehensive package of legislation forward and especially want to thank our chairwoman for working with me on title I of the bill, the Veterans Business Centers Act, which will help our Nation's veteran entrepreneurs.

In my district, we have the second largest concentration of veterans of any congressional district in the country. My district is home to Norfolk Naval Base, the largest naval base in the world. In our community, there are countless veteran-owned businesses that are vital to the local economy.

The measure that we are considering today will give veteran entrepreneurs everywhere the support they need to launch new enterprises and to grow existing businesses. The cornerstone of this effort will be a new nationwide network of services dedicated to veteran entrepreneurs, called Veterans Business Centers, the first nationwide business assistance program for veterans. Establishing this network will provide veterans with dedicated counseling and business training, with access to capital and to securing loans and credit and with help in navigating the procurement process.

We know already, when they have access to the right tools, veterans can succeed in business, and I believe that we can build on what works and that we can expand access to these critical services. I strongly urge the passage of this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Job Creation Through Entrepreneurship Act. In fact, I authored title I, the Veterans Business Centers provision, and I am in strong support of the title as it is. Today, however, I would like to make a minor addition to that bill, the Military Entrepreneurs Program.

Mr. Chairman, it takes a special kind of person to be an entrepreneur. Small business ownership takes leadership. And in times like these, it takes resilience. So it is not surprising that, as they reenter civilian life, many of our returning servicemembers decide to launch their own enterprises. After all, these are the same attributes that they have exhibited while serving our Nation.

Our veterans leave the military with valuable skills and experience. But they often don't have the resources to apply those skills to the challenge of starting and running a small business. This bill will make sure our veterans have the support they need to launch successful small businesses. And by supporting our veterans and our small businesses, we will help create jobs and get our economy going again.

The cornerstone of this effort will be a new nationwide network of services dedicated to veteran entrepreneurs called Veteran Business Centers. Establishing this joint public-private network will provide veterans with the dedicated counseling and business training they need to launch new enterprises or grow existing businesses. By creating a new program to assist veterans in accessing capital and securing loans and credit, we will help them overcome some of the most significant hurdles blocking them from becoming successfully self-employed.

By creating a new program to help our veterans to navigate the procurement process, they will be able to compete more effectively in the Federal marketplace.

The Recovery Act is expected to create work in many sectors that are veteran dominated, like engineering, telecommunications, project management and construction. This bill will help veteran entrepreneurs take advantage of these opportunities.

In coordination with these new Veteran Business Centers, this amendment, the Military Entrepreneurs Program, will direct the SBA to provide servicemembers transitioning to civilian life entrepreneurial information, training and financial guidance, the things they need to start up a business.

This amendment specifically targets young entrepreneurs and proactively reaches out to them, letting them know the immense resources that are available to them. This ensures our returning warfighters have the know-how to land firmly on their feet after they have honorably served our country.

Our veterans made every sacrifice necessary to defend liberty, justice and American values; and they deserve every chance at a fair shot at the American Dream. For that reason, the Veteran Business Centers provision has the support of both the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

I strongly urge passage of this amendment and the bill.

And I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield back.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor America's entrepreneurs, those distinguished individuals who support our communities, drive innovation, and keep our nation strong. Small businesses bring fresh ideas to the table, develop the resources to meet the demands of an ever-changing world, and make a meaningful impact on our neighborhoods. Entrepreneurs are responsible for providing 60 to 80 percent of all new jobs, giving them the potential to propel rapid economic growth and expand ever-developing fields. Some of the country's largest companies began as start-ups in small offices, homes and garages exploring these new fields. Limited only by their imagination, these firms performed cutting-edge work in emerging industries that have become the very foundation of our society.

As our nation and the world face the most difficult economic conditions in decades, entrepreneurs have the potential to lead us back to prosperity. The resiliency and adaptability shown by small businesses in past recessions demonstrate their capability to meet the challenges standing in their way and emerge stronger than ever. America's small businesses will drive the economic recovery from this downturn and our economy will emerge stronger than ever. Times may be tough, but America's entrepreneurial spirit is tougher.

To recognize the monumental achievements of our nation's small firms, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has declared May 17-23 as the 46th Annual National Small Business Week. The House Small Business Committee is celebrating all our country's hard-working entrepreneurs by saluting the Heroes of Small Business, those men and women who have shown the strength, leadership, and resourcefulness that keeps our economy moving forward.

I ask that you, Madam Speaker, and the entire U.S. House of Representatives join me in recognizing and thanking Ms. Dona Storey for her tremendous accomplishments on behalf of small businesses. Ms. Storey is president and CEO of Quality Technical Services, Inc. (QTS), a minority and woman-owned small disadvantaged business. Founded in 1980, QTS provides strategic management consulting and manages multiphase, multi-location interior design projects. QTS counts among its clients some of the nation's largest corporations such as Time Inc. and Johnson & Johnson, and has contracted with federal, state and local governments.

Ms. Storey has garnered several accolades for her entrepreneurial success and contributions to the business community, including being named by the Small Business Administration in 2007 as Virginia's ``Women in Business Champion of the Year.'' She participates in speeches and mentoring programs to educate other entrepreneurs about navigating the government contracting process, and is the creator of an online guide that provides information on how to succeed in the federal marketplace.

Madam Speaker, Ms. Storey has exemplified the remarkable accomplishments of which America's entrepreneurs are capable. This week, she will testify before the House Small Business Committee to share her story. I ask that you and the entire U.S. House of Representatives join with me in honoring her for the extraordinary work she has done for the small business economy. Her efforts demonstrate that if given the right resources, America's small businesses can be the catalysts that lift our economy from the current downturn and put us on the road to recovery.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life, the service and the sacrifice of Petty Officer Second Class Tyler Trahan, who was killed in action by a roadside bomb outside Fallujah, Iraq, on April 30.

Petty Officer Trahan was an explosive ordnance disposal technician, one of the most dangerous assignments, assigned to Unit 12 based in Norfolk, Virginia, and at the time of his death, he was deployed with the SEAL team based out of Virginia Beach.

Three years ago, like his father and grandfather before him, he signed up to bravely serve his country in uniform, telling his hometown newspaper, ``I want to go and fight for the freedom I enjoyed growing up.''

During his service, he earned numerous commendations and medals, including a Bronze Star with a Combat ``V'' Distinguishing Device and a Purple Heart.

On Sunday I had the opportunity to have dinner with the warfighters of the EOD Unit 10, which was based in Norfolk, like Trahan's unit. In an asymmetric conflict, where we are faced not with tanks and planes, but with roadside bombs with cell phone triggers, our EOD personnel, like Tylar Trahan, are critical for our success in the region.

Tyler Trahan was killed while performing his duties in al Anbar Province. While we may never know how many lives were saved by his actions, we must ensure that his life, his service and his sacrifice are never forgotten.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of our merchant mariners from World War II and to urge this House to provide them with the compensation that is many years overdue.

I would first like to thank Chairman Filner for his tireless work and his commitment to this issue. As a representative from an area with a long maritime tradition, it means a lot to me personally.

The Merchant Marines were an integral part of our fighting forces during the Second World War. Just like our war fighters, they answered the country's call. And just like those brave soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines, many of our merchant mariners made the ultimate sacrifice.

Over 1,500 Merchant Marine ships were sunk during the war, many of them by German U-boats during the perilous crossing of the North Atlantic. By the end of the war, our merchant mariners had suffered the highest casualty rate of any service. Of the approximately 250,000 Americans who served on our Merchant ships, more than one out of every 26 was killed.

But despite these sacrifices, they were not granted the same benefits that other veterans received. They were promised benefits by President Roosevelt, but they were systematically cut out of the GI Bill, health care, loans, and the other tools that our grateful Nation provided to our ``Greatest Generation.''

Even though many of our merchant marines were eventually granted veteran status many years later, the effects of their unequal treatment put them at a disadvantage that continues to this day.

That is why I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 23. This bill will provide each qualifying merchant mariner with a $1,000 monthly stipend, a small step in the right direction of acknowledging the great sacrifices that these brave men made.

Madam Speaker, this is an injustice that should never have happened. It should have been fixed long ago. But with every year that passes, there are fewer and fewer of these men left among us. It is now 2009, over 63 years after the end of World War II, and it is long past time for us to right this wrong.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.