Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an exceptional Kentuckian, Mayor Charles ``Charlie'' Beach III. After serving 32 years as mayor of the City of Beattyville, Kentucky, Mayor Beach is leaving office. I want to express my deepest gratitude for his many contributions and years of public service.

Throughout his tenure, Mayor Beach has led a number of initiatives to improve the lives of Lee County residents, build hope in our Appalachian region, and serve as an economic and community development leader for the entire Commonwealth. Southern and Eastern Kentucky has been plagued with inadequate water and sewer infrastructure and poor housing opportunities. Mayor Beach has been the driving force behind construction of two water plants, a sewage treatment plant, and installation of necessary piping to serve and reach the rural residents of Beattyville and Lee County. In addition, Mayor Beach is well- regarded throughout the Commonwealth for his vision of providing quality, affordable housing.

Since 2002, Mayor Beach has been a critical partner in our regional anti-drug initiative ``Operation UNITE.'' Beach was a key early supporter and critical ally in getting drugs off our streets and cleaning up our communities. He has consistently backed efforts to educate our children on the dangers of drug use and our program to help drug users find treatment options.

In addition to his duties as mayor, Charles Beach is also the Vice- Chairman of the Peoples Exchange Bank where he provides business development and public relations leadership. He is the former President of the Kentucky League of Cities and has served as the Chairman of the Kentucky River Area Development District. These organizations promote the welfare and economic growth of Kentucky's rural and urban areas.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank Mayor Beach for his selfless sacrifice and service on behalf of the people of the City of Beattyville, Lee County, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. His dedication and integrity are an inspiration to us all and I know his contributions will live on for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ms. Eula Hall, an exceptional Kentuckian. On October 27, 2006, friends and colleagues of Eula Hall gathered at the Mud Creek Clinic on Kentucky Route 979, KY 979, in Grethel, KY, to celebrate the life and accomplishments of a brave mountain woman. As a result of a resolution passed unanimously by the Kentucky General Assembly, KY 979 will be renamed Eula Hall Highway.

For the past 40 years, Eula Hall has probably traveled Kentucky Route 979 more than anyone else. She was a woman with a mission--to bring quality health care to people who had no medical insurance and could not afford to pay for things like visits to the doctor, shots, prescription medicine, much less surgery, physical therapy, and other more expensive treatments and procedures. She's made it her life's work to make sure that no one within her reach goes without the basic health care they need to live full, productive lives.

Born on Greasy Creek in Pike County, Eula didn't start school until she was 9 years old. She remembers crying on her last day of the eighth grade because she knew she couldn't continue her education. The closest high school was about 20 miles away, and school buses did not travel that far out in the county. She had six brothers and sisters; her parents didn't own a vehicle and as farm workers they couldn't afford to send her to boarding school or college.

In 1973, as a young mother raising five children on her own, she realized the terrible toll that lack of proper health care took on people without money or insurance. She organized screenings using medical students from the University of Kentucky and Vanderbilt as well as volunteer nurses and physicians. They found undiagnosed tuberculosis, pneumoconiosis--black lung, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Shortly afterward, Eula managed to get a clinic licensed to operate on Mud Creek in Floyd County. The Mud Creek Clinic opened in a rented house on Tinker Fork, which it quickly outgrew. Hall moved the facility to her own home on Mink Branch. Her house was bigger and easier to get to. But it meant moving her family into a mobile home. Eula Hall picked up patients and took them home because many of them had no means of transportation.

By 1977 the clinic merged with Big Sandy Health Care, which remains its parent organization today. Today, there are 24 employees, including two full-time physicians, a full-time certified physician assistant, and a part-time doctor. The clinic is housed in a modern brick building with another facility behind it that houses a dental clinic and food pantry. Now she even works to get people their rightful Social Security and other benefits. Eula Hall is 78 years old but still goes to work at 8 o'clock every morning.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my colleagues and myself, I want to thank Eula Hall for her sacrifices and service on behalf of the people of Floyd County, KY. Her dedication and integrity are an inspiration to us all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay to pay tribute to an exceptional Kentuckian, Judge Clyde Thomas. After serving 16 years as Rowan County Judge Executive, Judge Thomas is retiring and embarking on a new stage of life. I want to express my deepest gratitude for his many contributions and years of public service.

Clyde Thomas' service in Kentucky began almost 50 years ago as a dispatcher for the Kentucky State Police. In 1964 he graduated from the Kentucky State Police Academy and 6 years later was promoted to Detective Sergeant after earning the highest test score in the history of the Kentucky State Police. Clyde Thomas was later promoted to Lieutenant and graduated from the FBI National Academy. Before his retirement in 1984, Clyde Thomas made many positive changes and contributions to the Kentucky State Police, including serving as the first president of the Kentucky State Police Professional Association.

With this keen law enforcement background and a commitment to our community, Clyde Thomas was elected Rowan County Judge Executive in 1989. During his tenure, Judge Thomas has been a strong leader for various job creation and community development projects transforming this rural county into a formidable, regional economic engine. Judge Thomas has championed countywide sewer and infrastructure improvements including the recent expansion of the Morehead Wastewater Treatment Facility. Through his efforts, more than 1,500 homes and businesses have adequate sewer. Another 100 sub-standard road bridges have been upgraded, and over 250 miles of roadway paved all under his careful watch.

Judge Executive Thomas has kick-started several long-term growth initiatives including securing a new Army National Guard Readiness Center, expanding regional healthcare and educational facilities, and working with county neighbors to construct industrial development zones. I particularly want to acknowledge the Judge's strong backing of the new airport in Rowan County which will be a general aviation hub and important gateway to eastern Kentucky. By bringing local leaders together and working with the State and federally elected leadership, including myself. Judge Thomas has brought a first-rate, 5,500 foot, safe and secure airport to our region. This project will bring economic benefits and a robust aviation industry well into the future.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Judge Clyde Thomas for his sacrifice and service on behalf of the people of Rowan County, KY, and the entire Commonwealth. Although his days as Rowan County Judge Executive are drawing to a close, I know his contributions will live on for many years to come. I want to wish him and his family all the best for this new chapter in life.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include tabular and extraneous material on the conference report to accompany H.R. 5441.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution

1054, I call up the conference report to accompany the bill (H.R. 5441) making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 10 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today for the consideration of the fiscal 2007 conference agreement for the Department of Homeland Security.

Mr. Speaker, I bring good news for all Americans who want to see our borders are secure from those who are crashing those borders. We are ending the age-old catch-and-release program that has allowed millions of illegal aliens to flood our country. You will hear more about that during this debate today, I hope.

The recent anniversaries of the 9/11 attacks and the 2005 hurricane disasters keep us focused on why we are here today: to protect our citizens and our homeland from any threat to our society and our economy, be it terrorism or natural catastrophe. The funding in this conference agreement ensures the Department of Homeland Security can address the perils that face our communities and reduce our vulnerability to them.

The fiscal 2007 conference agreement provides a total of $34.8 billion for the Department, including an additional $1.8 billion in emergency funds devoted to border security. The total provided is $2.3 billion above the current year and $2.7 billion above what the President asked us for, when you exclude disaster relief funding for Katrina.

This includes more than $21.3 billion for border security and immigration enforcement; $4.34 billion for port, container, and cargo security; $3.4 billion for first responders across the country; $6.4 billion for transportation security; $1.4 billion for research, development, and deployment of innovative technologies; and $1.8 billion to protect national and critical infrastructure.

Five years ago our Nation suffered its most devastating terrorist attack. Since that tragic day, a vigorous national debate over our vulnerabilities, fueled by historic levels of illegal immigration, has resulted in one very clear conclusion: we must do all we can to gain control over our borders and our coastlines to preserve the sovereignty and integrity of our immigration and preserve the strength of our economy.

This conference agreement will provide the resources and direction to build upon the Department's progress and transform our approach to border security from a fragmented, uncoordinated effort into a truly integrated system capable of producing results.

This includes a staggering $1.2 billion to secure the borders with a system of fencing, a system of infrastructure, a system of technology, 1,500 new Border Patrol agents, 6,700 new additional detention bed space for those caught, 650 additional CBP officers, and over $1.7 billion for the procurement of aircraft and vessels to patrol those borders. This massive infusion of moneys will accelerate the Department's goal of obtaining operational control of these borders in less than 5 years, a goal that has become an unquestioned necessity since 9/11.

I want to emphasize that with all these resources we are pouring into this effort will come accountability. We are requiring bi-monthly status reports on the Department's performance and their expenditure of funds on border security. We want to know what is happening every 2 weeks. We are withholding $950 million until the Department provides a detailed border security expenditure plan. They won't get the money until we see the plan. I believe in planning your work and working your plan.

And we are requiring, in bill language, strategic plans for the Secure Border Initiative and port and cargo security. We are absolutely committed to holding the Department accountable and providing the American people with the results that they are demanding of us.

In addition to border security and immigration enforcement, the conference report balances resources across other critical areas of homeland security including:

One, almost $900 million to prevent weapons of mass destruction from entering the country. These funds will enable DHS to speed the deployment of radiation detectors and significantly enhance screening for vehicles and cargo.

Two, $2.5 billion to fund and reform FEMA. The funding and direction contained in the conference agreement will ensure that we do not repeat the errors of 2005, by putting in place the planning, assessment, training, logistics, and communications to enable DHS to prepare for and respond to acts of terrorism and natural disasters.

Three, $6.4 billion for transportation security. The recent disruption of the terrorist plot in London reminds us that transportation security remains a top priority. This report includes critical resources for new cutting-edge technologies to strengthen protection from all modes of travel as well as to increase the capabilities of the Federal air marshals. While we are much safer than 5 years ago, we must sustain that effort to anticipate and defeat threats to our transportation system.

In addition to these significant levels of funding, the conference agreement includes several legislative provisions that will fortify our homeland security, including legislation to criminalize for the first time the construction or financing of a tunnel across or under the U.S. border; two, legislation that significantly strengthens and improves FEMA, a whole new authorizing law; and, thirdly, breakthrough legislation requiring the Department of Homeland Security to regulate security at chemical facilities across the land.

Our homeland security needs are both numerous and they are complex, but I believe this conference report will make a major contribution towards those needs. So I urge my colleagues to support the agreement.

Before I sit down this time, Mr. Speaker, I want to pay special tribute to our staff on both sides of the aisle who have worked long, hard, and laboriously over these last several months. I want to especially thank Michelle Mrdeza, who could not be with us in these final days because of an illness in her family which required her to be absent. But she is retiring from this body. She has been a great servant of the public on this committee for a number of years. Her service has been invaluable and expert, and we will miss her terribly. I want to thank Stephanie Gupta too and the staff of the subcommittee and staff on both sides of the aisle for the great work that they have done.

And, finally, I want to say a word about Marty Sabo, ranking member of this subcommittee, who will be finishing 27 years of service in this body and to the Nation when he leaves office in January seeking greener pastures. This man is a personal friend of mine and all of ours, but he is also an expert on budgetary matters and has become an expert on the homeland security efforts of the country. A huge void will exist on the horizon of this body when Marty Sabo leaves this body.

I cannot say enough in tribute to this man. He has been a helpmate to me and the subcommittee and the country on this bill for a number of years now, as well as before that we served in the same capacities on the Transportation Subcommittee; and of course, as you know, he was chairman of the Budget Committee for a number of years sometime past.

A great public servant whose work is now soon to be finished in this body, but I am confident that his record will stand for the ages. Very few Members of Congress can retire from this body with a greater sense of accomplishment of greatness than our friend, Marty Sabo. The gentleman will be missed in this body.

Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

That is correct, except for the new authorizing languages that are in the bill. You are correct, except for the newly authorized items that are in this bill.

That is correct.

I thank the gentleman for his very, very kind remarks; and I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, who has been extremely helpful on this bill, as all of the others.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. King), the very distinguished chairman of the authorizing Committee on Homeland Security in the House, whose cooperation on this bill has been fabulous, for the purpose of a colloquy.

Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, both gentlemen are correct. WHTI is vital to our homeland security, and I am absolutely committed to ensuring it is put in place.

The conference report requires the Departments of Homeland Security and State to implement WHTI no later than 3 months after the security requirements are met or by June 1, 2009, whichever is earlier.

We urge DHS and State to quickly develop the PASS card technology, card readers, and procedures to enable the earliest possible deployment of the system at our sea and land ports of entry.

Again, let me make this clear. The conference report does not force a delay upon WHTI. It is up to DHS and State to make sure the program works securely and is implemented as soon as possible, which can and should be in accordance with the original WHTI deadline of January 1, 2008.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp), a very valuable member of this subcommittee, hardworking, and a conferee on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Latham), a very valuable member of the subcommittee and of the conference.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney), another very important member of this subcommittee who has helped us enormously.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo), chairman of the Coast Guard Subcommittee in the House.

If the gentleman will yield, I agree with the gentleman from New Jersey that this is an important program; and I can assure him that, should we receive information that the Coast Guard has addressed our concerns, we will give the program favorable consideration in the future.

I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. King), the chairman of the authorizing committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), who is Chairman of the Emergency Management Subcommittee of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

(Mr. SHUSTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. Speaker, this year has been a difficult year for this bill, as they all are. We did not have all of the allocation that we could have used. However, I think we judiciously have spent the moneys that were allocated to us.

There is no more important chore that the Congress has, in my judgment, than to protect the country as best we can from its enemies and from natural disasters. That is what this bill is all about. It is such a huge undertaking. We have got 7,500 miles of borders with our neighbors, we have 12,000 miles of coastline, including the Great Lakes, 440 commercial airports with 600 million passengers a year internally and many millions more from outside the country, rail and subways and tunnels and bridges and cyber structures, and the financial system. Everything we have is subject to attack, and it is a very, very difficult chore for the government, both the executive branch and certainly the legislative branch, to try to get our arms around the mission and to try to find the moneys there to try to finance the effort to defend the country against its enemies.

But I think we have done that within this bill as best we can. We have covered practically every angle that you can think of with plenty of funding. I am especially pleased that we found huge new sums to spend on border security. We can't exist as a country if we can't protect that border, and that is what this bill is all about in its main emphasis.

Again, I want to thank Marty Sabo for his years of service and friendship, he and Sylvia. Marty, you and Sylvia, we wish you Godspeed.

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1 of rule XXII and by direction of the Committee on Appropriations, I move to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 5441) making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, we need not worry about America's future if all our up and coming leaders believe in her as does a high school student in my District who delivered the following ``Message for America'' to an audience of young people.

Nikita Rodrigues lives in my hometown of Somerset, Kentucky and is an outstanding person, as you can tell.

``my message for america''

Ladies and Gentlemen, I speak to you today as a young

American. Let that serve as sufficient warning that what I

have to say contains equal proportions of young Hope and

American Pride. These are the priceless ingredients of my

Message for America, which is, ``America: Be, all that you

can be.''

As a young American I am sick and tired of the naysayers

that predict the end of the American dream. I am sick of

reading about the differences between the red and the blue

states and how those insurmountable differences will

suffocate our future as Americans. I am sick of hearing about

Americans being described as consumers, not producers. And I

am sick of people taking pot shots at my country as being

past her glory years. To all these naysayers, divisionists,

and pessimists I have only one thing to say, ``Your mistake

lies in under-estimating the youth of America.''

It was our past-President Bill Clinton who once said,

``There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by

what is right with America''! America's most priceless asset

lies not in her immense natural resources, not in her huge

factories, not in her stores of gold, not her natural beauty

nor her system of incredible highways. America's greatest

assets still are the character of her people and the optimism

of her youth.

We the youth of America must believe that we can make a

difference. We must participate in the political process and

hold our 1eaders accountable when partisan politics stymies

our progress. If American high-schoolers are lagging behind

the rest of the world, it is time to demand that our schools

foster excellence and competitiveness rather than comfortable

mediocrity. In the flat world of today, American youth must

step up and compete. Yes, we are more diverse than we ever

were, but that diversity can and must be our strength.

In his book, ``What's so Great About America'' Dinesh

D'Sousa had this to say about our country. ``America is the

greatest, freest and most decent society in existence. It is

an oasis of goodness in a desert of cynicism and barbarism.

This country, once an experiment unique in the world, is now

the last best hope for the world.''

That hope and responsibility rests firmly on our young

American shoulders. We can either shrug it off or bear down

and accept the daunting challenge to each do our part to make

America--All That She Can Be!

Nikita Rodrigues, Somerset, Kentucky

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleague from Kentucky's Sixth Congressional District, Ben Chandler, in support of his resolution expressing our deep sorrow and condolences to the families, friends, and loved ones who are

grappling with the loss of 49 lives in an early morning August 27, 2006 plane crash--Comair Flight 5191.

The passengers on board Flight 5191 represented the rich diversity and commitment to community emblematic of the Commonwealth. A horse trainer, a UK faculty member, the wife of an East Kentucky University Board Member, newlyweds. A business leader, a youth basketball coach, a technology innovator, and a young father.

Mr. Speaker, all of Kentucky grieves with these families realizing their tremendous loss of a brother, a husband, a sister, a daughter, and our tremendous loss in our community of leaders. I specifically want to recognize my constituents Mike Finley, Hollie Gilbert, John and Scarlett Parsley Hooker, and Marcie Thomason and extend my heartfelt sympathy to their families. Their commitment to southern and eastern Kentucky created jobs and opportunities for young people, helped keep kids in positive pursuits by modeling hard work and supporting our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to join my colleagues in commending federal, state, and local officials who cooperated not only at the crash site, but throughout Kentucky to respond to the emergency, investigate the accident, and provide assistance to families devastated by the loss of loved ones.

On behalf of the entire congressional delegation from Kentucky, we offer our most sincere condolences to the families of the victims and all those that were affected.

Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Kentucky's Third Congressional District, Anne Northup, along with her husband, Woody, suffered the tragic loss of her son Joshua on Wednesday, July 12, 2006. By all accounts, Joshua was an outstanding young man who will be truly missed by his family and friends. Joshua was a 1998 graduate of Saint Joseph's College of Rensselaer, Indiana. In 1995, Joshua ventured to Tanzania, Africa with a priest from Saint Joseph's, where he continued his education and volunteered in a leper colony to help those most in need.

Joshua was employed at Humana, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky, where he was clearly a valued employee. Upon hearing the sad news, Humana issued the following statement: ``Joshua was an exemplary Humana associate, beloved by his colleagues and held in high esteem by his supervisors. We are deeply saddened by his death and extend our thoughts, prayers and heartfelt sympathy to his family.''

Funeral services were held for Joshua at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday, July 15, 2006. Joshua is survived by his parents, Anne and Woody Northup, and five brothers and sisters: David, Katie, Kevin, Mark and Erin.

On behalf of the entire congressional delegation from Kentucky, as well as her colleagues from across the Nation, we offer our most sincere condolences to the entire Northup family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mrs. Lou Handy, an exceptional lady and all around great Kentuckian. Mrs. Handy recently celebrated her 90th birthday. She has enjoyed a remarkable life and her wealth of knowledge and wisdom makes her a most treasured individual.

On behalf of myself and my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives, I want to honor Mrs. Lou Handy and wish her and her family the very best. I ask that an article that ran in the London Sentinel-Echo on Monday April 10, 2006, appear in the Record.

Happy Birthday Lou Handy

Lou Handy celebrated her 90th birthday this past weekend.

``Mrs. Handy'' taught me English at what was then Laurel

County High School. She was my favorite high school teacher.

It was in her class that I first read Hemingway, Fitzgerald

and Faulkner and was encouraged to write creatively. I have

loved books for as long as I can remember but it was Mrs.

Handy that encouraged me and gave me the confidence to

believe in my ability as a writer.

When I graduated from high school and headed off to college

it was because of Mrs. Handy I felt I could succeed when I

first set foot on the campus at the University of Kentucky. I

earned Phi Beta Kappa there, and Mrs. Handy was part of the

reason for the grades that led to the honor. I finished

college in three years and Mrs. Handy was part of that as

well. I finished law school early and passed the bar at the

age of 23, and Mrs. Handy was a contributor to that

achievement.

In the years that have followed, I have tried many cases

across the state and still had the time to write and publish

stories and articles across the world and I thank Mrs. Handy

for giving me the confidence to believe I could do those

things. I'm in seminary now and every time I sit down to

write another paper I think of Mrs. Handy and the

encouragement she gave me to help me along the way. It has

been 31 years since Mrs. Handy was my teacher yet she is

still there influencing and affecting my life and the lives

of others through me.

I am not a unique example of the impact Lou Handy has had

on people. From my 1975 graduating class alone there are

three lawyers, two doctors, two PhD's, three engineers, one

record producer in Nashville, many teachers and countless

successful business people and most of us had Mrs. Handy for

a teacher. When you look at the years Mrs. Handy taught you

realize the profound impact she has had on this community and

the state as a whole. I think Mrs. Handy is proud of what her

students have accomplished although I doubt she would ever

take credit for what any of us have done but she deserves her

share of the credit anyway.

Good teachers are a treasure for their communities and

should be acknowledged as such. We are quick to point out the

politics and disagreements of our public school system, and

if we are not careful we can lose sight of the wonderful

things that go on every day in our classrooms. Lives are

being changed, young people are being awakened to the

potential that lies before them and good teachers are making

it happen.

A functioning school system is the bedrock of any

community. When industry looks at a community to consider

locating a factory or office there the quality of the school

system is one of the first things the company wants to know

about. A school system that is in turmoil or is

underperforming or underfunded drives business away. No one

wants to move their business to a community that fails to

adequately educate the workforce. That is why we must stay

involved with, and concerned about, our public schools. They

are the great melting pot of London. Rich kids, poor kids,

white, black, Asian and Hispanic kids are all there together.

We learn to live together in public school so we can work

together the rest of our lives. Public school can be trying

at times as it struggles to meet the needs of the various

constituencies that it serves but our school system cannot be

allowed to fail. If we are unable to fashion a school that

succeeds for our children then our community will never

succeed.

When students learn to believe in themselves then the

possibilities are limitless. Mrs. Handy knew that and I think

that is why she was such a positive, affirming educator.

Those of us who learned from her were blessed indeed.

So, if there is a teacher who made a difference in your

life, who helped you get to where you are, tell them thanks.

Support our public schools as they carry on the effort to

educate and inspire Laurel County's children.

Thank you Mrs. Handy. Happy birthday!

Brian C. House is an attorney in London. His column appears

every other Monday in The Sentinel-Echo.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for yielding me time.

This association, as the gentleman said, was formed in 1987, this association of 42 of Kentucky's counties covering five out of the six congressional districts.

What sets these counties apart, however, is their extreme poverty. These are rural counties in an impoverished coal mining region of the State who have seen the jobs in the mines disappear through mechanization and otherwise; and these counties are searching for a way to live, to survive. They are too poor to do it on their own, to form an association to try to create tourism, train people, create the small jobs that it takes to run tourism entrepreneurships. So they banded together, 42 of them, into an association where they pool their resources.

The State of Kentucky helps fund this association, as well as the Federal Government and locals. But for this association, these counties would not be able to advertise and attract to the very, very beautiful part of the country, the mountains, the streams and the hills, the history. It is the home of country music. US 23 that runs north and south through eastern Kentucky is known as Country Music Highway, a National Scenic Byway now, thanks to this association.

They are the ones that promoted that National Scenic Byway. There are two others, the Red River Gorge Scenic Byway, National Scenic Byway, and the Daniel Boone Trail. The Cumberland Gap is a part of this area.

So this association works to promote the region. It is providing jobs to those who otherwise would be drawing Federal handouts, Federal welfare. We are trying to work to get people a job rather than take a check from the Federal Government. I look upon this as not a handout but a hand up, and these communities are now beginning to realize income that provides real jobs for people that would otherwise be drawing welfare.

Now, is it unique that we would look to the Federal Government to help a region help itself grow into something better and provide the jobs? No, it is not unique. I would support today the earmarks over the years for the central

Arizona water project that enabled Arizona to grow and prosper and boom as it is now and providing jobs for people. That is what the Federal Government should be doing, and I do not begrudge a minute the gentleman from Arizona and the boom that is occurring in Arizona, but it was caused because the Federal Government over the years earmarked hundreds of millions of dollars to provide water out of the Colorado River so that Arizona in the desert would bloom.

It is a good thing. I would support that and continue to do so, but I would hope the gentleman would realize there are other parts of the country with much much smaller needs but equally as important to the people that live there.

So, Mr. Chairman, I hope we will turn down the amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, in great pride and pleasure, to inform the House of a wonderful event that has taken place in my family.

On June 20, 2006, my stepdaughter Emily and her husband Allen West, of Nashville, Tennessee, gave birth to their first child, a daughter. I am proud to report that Dakota is a happy, healthy baby girl. Cynthia and I, along with Allen's parents George and Julie, are delighted with this joyful addition to our family. She reminds us again that, as Art Buchwald once said, ``The best things in life aren't things.''

Looking into the face of this beautiful new person causes me to marvel again at God's miracle of life and to celebrate Dakota's safe arrival. She also elicits from me the renewed responsibility that I, and we in Congress have, to see that she and her generation will live in freedom, in a safe and prosperous nation and world.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and all of our colleagues join me in wishing all the best to Dakota Stewart West.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Tara Elizabeth Connor, a native of Russell Springs, Kentucky, who was recently crowned Miss USA 2006.

The entire Bluegrass State celebrated on April 21, when Tara not only captured the Miss USA title but also became the first Kentuckian in the pageant's 54-year history to do so. Although she is only 20 years old, Tara showed remarkable composure during the week-long Miss USA competition, which culminated in the nationally televised pageant on

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the MINER Act.

Mr. Speaker, I am the proud representative of 21 coal producing counties and 15,000 Kentucky miners stretching along the Appalachian coal seam in eastern Kentucky. These are good paying jobs in challenging economic areas, generational jobs passed down through families and neighbors for years, requiring training, education and, most importantly, hard work. Anyone who has been in these mines a mile underground, as some of us have, knows that underground mining also comes with a great amount of risk.

My constituents have and are willing to take those risks in order to provide for their families. By also to provide the Nation the coal that we need to keep our homes warm and economic engines running. These risks and the dangers of coal mining have been brought directly into the living room televisions of many Americans over last 6 months. In my district it has been much closer to home. The Holmes Mills tragedy in Harlan County, Kentucky, underscores the need for comprehensive mine safety legislation that provides critically needed protections for miners and strengthens the Federal Government's ability to enforce safety regulations now.

We have not had comprehensive mine safety reform in the country for decades. Technology has changed, communication equipment has changed, our laws have not changed. With that said and with our thoughts and prayers still with the families touched by these accidents, Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my coal State colleagues in support of this MINER Act.

First, I want to thank Chairman Norwood and Chairman McKeon for working together with the majority leader to move mine safety legislation now, not later, not next year, not next month, not after some conference committee where the Senate sits on it for 6 months but now, and I thank them for that. We should not delay one more day putting into place requirements to further protect these brave miners going even as we speak into the dark of these mines.

This bill honors the brave men, 11 in Kentucky and in my district this year who have died in mine-related accidents. They are not forgotten. Mining has always been a dangerous occupation and make no mistake, this legislation will not make mining injury free, but it does go a long way toward that end. With this legislation we reaffirm our commitment to seeing miners have the proper training, rescue equipment, communications devices and plans in place should an accident occur.

I have met with industry leaders, met with the miners, and everyone agrees there is room for measured and achievable improvement. This bill strikes a reasonable compromise and seeks to put the best available technology in the hands of our mining men and women while encouraging development of new technologies.

The Senate wisely moved this legislation quickly and unopposed, and I hope we do the same here. I am particularly pleased the bill includes some of these provisions. One, it requires the use of wireless two-way communications and tracking systems within 3 years. It requires each mine's emergency response plan to continuously be reviewed, updated and recertified by MSHA every 6 months. It also gives MSHA the power to request an injunction, that is to say, shut down a mine in cases where the mine has refused to pay a final order or MSHA penalty.

It would require rescue teams to be close to mines and granted immunity. It would require each miner to have a minimum of 2 hours' supply of air and require storage of additional breathing devices along the escape routes from the mine.

These measures, Mr. Speaker, go straight to the trouble we have seen and should give comfort to our mining families. This legislation, Mr. Speaker, honors Kentucky's 17,000 hardworking coal miners, but all the others in the country as well who bravely go into the heart of the Earth to put bread on the table and to bring light into the lives of all Americans.

Our hats go off to these miners, and I urge that we pass this bill in their honor and in their memory.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the further consideration of H.R. 5441, and that I may include tabular material on the same.