Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, my colleague, Dr. Ron Paul, and I have once again introduced legislation to stop Members of Congress from receiving the next scheduled automatic pay raise. Earlier this year, we introduced legislation to block the fiscal year 2010 pay raise, and we were joined by a bipartisan coalition of more than 100 of our colleagues in the process. Thanks to their help, as well as that of our leadership, the fiscal year 2010 pay raise was blocked.

With unemployment so high and so many families struggling to make ends meet, we believe that it would be wrong for Congress to now raise its own pay in fiscal year 2011. Right now, we need our focus to be on getting people back to work, shoring up the economy, and keeping our families and communities safe, not on giving ourselves a pay raise. The American people are not getting a raise. Neither should Congress.

I encourage my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to do the same and join Dr. Ron Paul and me in stopping the next automatic pay raise from taking effect by supporting H.R. 4255, the Stop the Automatic Pay Raise for Members of Congress in Fiscal Year 2011 Act.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a member of the Armed Forces from my home state of Arizona. Each month, Scottsdale Healthcare honors servicemembers who perform diligent service to this country. For the month of December, they have recognized retired Master Sergeant Roger Cowart.

I commend Scottsdale Healthcare for paying tribute to such an outstanding servicemember for his bravery and service to our country.

Mr. Cowart served more than 25 years as a medic in the United States Air Force. He distinguished himself in the performance of outstanding service to the United States in numerous duties, culminating as Flight Chief, Pediatrics, 48th Medical Operations Squadron, 48th Medical Group, 48th Fighter Wing, and Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England.

As an Independent Duty Medical Technician, he provided medical care and practitioner mentoring in the most austere conditions. He is now a member of Scottsdale Healthcare's prestigious Military Training Partnership Team. As the technician for the high-tech simulation lab, he expertly uses his military and medical experience to create realistic trauma training scenarios. This training gives military medical personnel an excellent idea of what to expect when deployed to a war zone and ensures that the men and women who accept the call to duty receive the best care possible.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing this Airman's outstanding contributions and for serving our country and protecting the lives of his fellow service men and women.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the State of Arizona's

gift to the U.S. Capitol and to the American people. The Capitol Christmas Tree has been a tradition at the United States Capitol since 1964. This is the first time that Arizona has gifted the Capitol Christmas tree, and it is also the tallest ever.

On December 8th, 2009, this majestic 85-foot Blue spruce, originally harvested from the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests in Eastern Arizona, was unveiled on the west lawn of the United States Capitol. The Capitol Christmas Tree, also known as ``The People's Tree,'' is decorated with more than 6,000 holiday ornaments made by Arizona's school children. These ornaments were made from recycled materials and were made specially to survive the winter elements of this colder Washington climate.

The tree's journey to the United States Capitol began when it was cut down on November 7th, and embarked on a 10-day tour of Arizona, during which the tree stopped in 28 of our communities. The tree eventually travelled over 4,600 miles before arriving at its final destination in Washington, D.C., but before arriving, it stopped at cities across the nation so that thousands of Americans could marvel at the seven-story, 9,000-pound spruce. Moving such a large tree for so great a distance was a challenge, and was successful due to the efforts of Harry Baker and his crew from Southwest Industrial Rigging.

Madam Speaker, please join me in thanking the U.S. Forest Service, and especially the employees of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, for their devotion to this wonderful project. These employees gave up their Thanksgiving holiday with their families to assist with the transportation of the tree to Washington, D.C. I would especially like to thank Rick Davalos, the District Manager of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, and Jim Payne, the Forest Service's Public Affairs Officer, who headed up this extensive project. And lastly, I would like to commend the Steering Committee of the Capitol Christmas Tree 2009 Project, and the project's many volunteers, for their time and hard work.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dennis K. Burke on his investiture as the United States Attorney for the District of Arizona.

I have had the honor of knowing and working with Dennis for many years on numerous issues. I have supreme confidence that his long and distinguished law enforcement career and record of public service will serve Arizona's 8 million residents extremely well as he faces his newest and most important challenge.

Most recently, Dennis held one of the most important behind-the- scenes roles in Arizona state government as Chief of Staff for Governor Janet Napolitano. He also assisted Napolitano in her transition to Secretary of Homeland Security, serving as a senior advisor. He also worked in the Arizona Attorney General's Office and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Arizona, where he prosecuted drug trafficking cases and organized crime. In addition, Dennis has served in the Department of Justice, as a staff member on the Senate Judiciary Committee and at the White House.

Because of this truly impressive record of accomplishment and service, I was elated when President Barack Obama nominated Dennis earlier this year. Madame Speaker, please join me in congratulating Dennis Burke and wishing him well as he takes on the challenge of leading the District of Arizona as its newest U.S. Attorney.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Bradley Garr, a young Eagle Scout from my district, for his inspiring and conscientious efforts to protect Arizona's fragile Sonoran Desert.

Bradley, an 8th grader at Copper Ridge Middle School in Scottsdale, recently developed and led a day-long conservation effort to remove and relocate cacti and other delicate desert plants along a major power line corridor. The plants would otherwise be destroyed to provide maintenance access to the lines.

Bradley first built a partnership between the Boy Scouts, the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy, Arizona Public Service and the City of Scottsdale. He then led a team of more than 50 volunteers to complete the work. This was Bradley's fourth major conservation project completed as part of his Eagle Scout responsibilities. In addition, Bradley is also a past winner of the Boy Scouts Medal of Heroism for helping his father, Bill Garr, pull a woman from a wrecked and burning vehicle two years ago.

For his outstanding conservation and environmental efforts, the Boy Scouts of America have nominated Bradley for the prestigious Silver Hornaday Medal. Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating Bradley on these outstanding accomplishments and in wishing him well in his future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate John ``Hut'' Hutson, William C. Jenkins, David F. Lucier, Peter Martinez, Pat Chorpenning, Joan E. Sisco and Carl G. Schneider, the Class of 2009 inductees to the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame. These citizens are recognized for their exemplary service for our country.

For both bravely serving our country and inspiring those outside their military service, 19 Arizona residents were selected to be part of the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame. In a state boasting more than 600,000 veterans, I am truly honored to represent five of this year's recipients.

The Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Society annually rewards and honors veterans for their continued service to the community. Each recipient of the prestigious award is personally selected by the Office of Governor Jan Brewer in partnership with the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services.

These veterans represent the courage and patriotism that is so revered by many Americans. It is people like this that I am continuously thinking of and am proud to serve. As members of the Hall of Fame Society, I am sure these veterans will carry on inspiring and serving our community.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognition of John ``Hut'' Hutson, William C. Jenkins, David F. Lucier, Peter Martinez, Pat Chorpenning, Joan E. Sisco and Carl G. Schneider's exceptional service.

Madam Speaker, as the holiday shopping season approaches, I want to urge my colleagues to consider the benefits of buying local, and join me in sharing your support for strengthening our local economies, creating local jobs, and ensuring local, sustainable economic development in our communities.

Buying locally strengthens the viability and competitiveness of local businesses. For every $100 in consumer spending, the total local economic impact is only $13 when goods and services are purchased at a national chain store.

The same amount spent with a local merchant, small business, or retailer yields more than three times the local impact, nearly $45 for every $100 spent.

Buying locally benefits small businesses, retailers and merchants who maintain a healthy and competitive marketplace for goods and services. Doing so ensures choice, diversity and competition in the marketplace for goods and services.

Moreover, as a former Mayor, I know that buying locally from independent businesses raises the standard of living in local neighborhoods because they take their profits and buy products and services from other local businesses in the area. As a result, local jobs are created in the community and the unique character of our neighborhoods and towns is preserved.

I want to recognize the work of Local Arizona First, a non-profit organization consisting of independent businesses, in making Arizona communities aware of the economic impact independent businesses have on local economies. Their mission is to promote, support, and celebrate a vibrant and sustainable Arizona economy by educating citizens about local business ownership, social equity, cultural diversity, environmental kinship, and collaboration.

On Friday, November 27, 2009, Local Arizona First will be launching their ``Buy Local Week'' in Arizona. I applaud their work and wholeheartedly support their efforts in showcasing the economic benefits of buying locally in our community.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3791, the Fire Grants Reauthorization Act of 2009.

Firefighters are often the first and the last to leave an emergency scene. Whether it's putting out a house fire or wildfire or responding to terrorist attacks or a car accident, we depend upon firefighters every day.

But firefighters also depend on us. They depend on the public and their elected officials to make sure they have the resources, equipment, and training they need for their jobs. Without those tools, we put them and all of us at unnecessary risk.

H.R. 3791 reauthorizes the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, or AFG, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response program, or SAFER. This bill also makes several key improvements to those programs to assist the cities and towns in Arizona and across the country which are facing major budget shortfalls and cuts in services.

Since the AFG program was established in 2000, this program has provided more than $5 billion directly to fire departments through competitive award grants. These FIRE grants have also provided critical support to Arizona's fire departments. Between 2005 and 2008, Arizona received 165 AFG grants for a total of approximately $22.5 million. These grants are made available to local fire departments to purchase response equipment, training, and fire trucks. The AFG program also supports fire prevention and safety grants, which are used for smoke detectors, fire prevention education, and research to reduce the causes of fire-related injuries and death. The SAFER program provides competitively awarded funds for the hiring, recruiting, and retention of firefighting personnel.

Over the past 4 years, this program has provided nearly $700 million to local fire departments nationally, and Arizona has received 26 SAFER grants for a total of approximately $16 million. This funding is especially critical during these difficult economic times.

Based on testimony that the Science and Technology Committee heard from fire service representatives, H.R. 3791 makes several key improvements to this legislation.

First of all, this bill will change the matching requirements to enable fire departments with the greatest need to take advantage of the programs. The bill sets the matching requirement for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant program from 20 percent to 10 percent, with fire departments serving populations under 20,000 paying a 5 percent match. This greatly benefits rural and less urban areas.

H.R. 3791 also modifies the matching requirements for the SAFER program. Based on the recommendations of fire service organizations, reflecting the hardships faced by our State and local governments, SAFER will require instead a 20 percent match for each of 3 years.

This bill also gives the administrator the authority to waive the matching requirements for both programs in case of exceptional economic hardship. Such waivers may also be given for the programs' budget maintenance requirements and SAFER provisions that restrict the funding to hiring only additional firefighters, rather than retaining current firefighters. This is a necessary step at a time when fire departments in many areas of the country are confronted with the prospect of laying off firefighters.

This bill is the result of a consensus among the fire service organizations, including the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Fire Protection Association, the National Volunteer Fire Council, and the Congressional Fire Services Institute.

I would like to take a moment to thank Chairman Gordon, Chairman Wu, and the Science and Technology Committee for their tireless work on this legislation. In particular, I would like to thank Meghan Housewright, Mike Quear, Louis Finkel, and Lori Pepper for their hard work. I would also like to thank the majority leader, Mr. Hoyer, and Congressman Pascrell for their leadership on this important issue.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation that provides vital resources to our Nation's firefighters. During these tough economic times, this support is crucial to our public safety.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding member of the Armed Forces from my home state of Arizona. Each month, Scottsdale Healthcare honors military personnel who perform exceptionally in the medical field in defense of our country. Scottsdale Healthcare has recognized Major Nancy J. Johnson for the month of November.

I commend Scottsdale Healthcare for paying tribute to Major Johnson for her life-saving expertise and honorable service to our country.

Major Johnson distinguished herself through her outstanding performance as a Chief Nurse in Qatar. She led her team and provided superior medical support to more than 8,000 deployed military members. Her clinical expertise and management skills guaranteed expeditious transport of critically wounded soldiers to higher levels of care that saved lives, limbs and eyesight.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing this courageous Air Force Nurse Corps leader for serving our country and protecting the lives of her fellow service men and women in combat.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Mesa Fire Department Volunteer Corps for winning the 2009 Award of Excellence. Sponsored by the International Fire Service Training Association, this award recognizes the department's outstanding performance in delivering fire and emergency services.

The Mesa Fire Department created the Volunteer Corps in 1998 in order to better connect residents to vital community services after recognizing a gap in their own service. After emergency personnel responded to an initial 9-1-1 call and left the scene, residents were often unaware of further resources available to them. What began as a small cadre of 10 committed volunteers has since grown into a far- reaching program of 130 volunteers responding to over 3,800 calls every year.

The Volunteer Corps is made up of several programs which provide services such as emergency scene transport, grief support, and home safety inspections. In 2008, the Corps provided 29,000 hours of service and saved the community $585,599.

Particularly during these tough economic times, it is heartening to see so many members of our community devoting their time and energy toward serving one another. I think these volunteers should be proud of what they have accomplished, and know that we are all grateful for their service.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I rise today on behalf of H.R. 3360, the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2009.

This is important legislation that will significantly improve the safety and security of cruise passengers.

A Senate version of this bill has earned committee approval earlier this year, and in October, the House overwhelmingly approved this measure by a bipartisan vote of 385-11, as part of the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act of 2010.

The bill will bring many of the same, commonsense security measures to cruise ships that a lot of us take for granted in major hotels-- things like latches and peep holes for guest rooms and video surveillance to document criminal activity.

In addition, the bill will ensure that cruise ships are equipped to provide emergency assistance to victims of sexual assaults.

Finally, and perhaps most significantly, the bill will require that serious criminal incidents on board are reported to the proper authorities.

I want to thank Representative Doris Matsui for her leadership on this legislation.

I also want to thank Kendall Carver, an Arizonan whose tireless efforts on this issue have been truly incredible.

As many of you know, in 2004, Ken's daughter, Merrian, mysteriously and tragically disappeared aboard a cruise to Alaska. And, as the Arizona Republic recently reported, ``Instead of reporting her absence, the ship's staffers packed up her belongings and cleaned up her cabin. They did nothing for five weeks and only filed a missing-persons report with the FBI after being questioned by a private detective.''

This is not just wrong--it's beyond wrong.

Cruise passengers deserve better. Their families deserve better.

That's why I want to encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Don Brandt, who was recently named Utility CEO of the Year by the Solar Electric Power Association. This award honors Don's exemplary leadership and the outstanding progress the Arizona Public Service Company has made under his guidance.

Don has spent more than 25 years in the electric power industry, most recently as the Chairman and CEO of APS's parent company, Pinnacle West Capital Corporation. Under his leadership, APS has undertaken significant solar initiatives including the construction of Solana, which will be the world's largest solar plant near Gila Bend, Arizona. At the same, APS has committed to invest $500 million to develop 100 megawatts of utility-owned solar generation, and created the Community Power Project, a pilot program to install solar panels on customer homes with no upfront cost. Don

also partnered with the National Park Service to power the Grand Canyon Visitors Center with solar panels.

According to Solar Electric Power Association Executive Director Julia Hamm, ``Don Brandt has positioned APS to take full advantage of Arizona's most abundant natural resource, the sun. APS is creating viable business models around solar energy that not only push the envelope but also push our industry forward.''

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing Don Brandt's contributions to making Arizona the solar capital of the world, and congratulating him on this prestigious award.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Arte Moreno, who has been honored by the Tempe Community Council with this year's Guiding Light Philanthropy Award. The Tempe Community Council seeks to recognize individuals who have a direct impact on the success of Tempe programs and services through generous financial support, and Arte's contributions to the community have been outstanding.

As a lifelong resident and former mayor of Tempe, I am incredibly proud of Arte's incredibly generous gift to the Tempe Community

Foundation, which will create positive and dramatic impacts now and for generations to come. Arte is also the founder of the Moreno Family Foundation, which is dedicated to supporting non-profit organizations in the area. Through the foundation, Arte has made significant contributions to many notable organizations, such as the American Heart Association, the Heard Museum, the Society of St. Vincent De Paul to name only a few. In addition to Arte's inspiring philanthropic efforts, he has become a towering figure in the world of sports as the owner of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball team, which conducts its spring training in Tempe, and which has won the American League Western Division championship in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2009.

Through the kind gifts of Arte Moreno, Tempe is a more prosperous and successful city to benefit all of its residents.

Madam Speaker, I hope you will join me in recognizing Arte's remarkable benevolence and goodwill towards his community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate John ``Hut'' Hutson, William C. Jenkins, David F. Lucier, Peter Martinez, Pat Chorpenning and Carl G. Schneider, the Class of 2009 inductees to the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame. These citizens are recognized for their exemplary service for our country.

For both bravely serving our country and inspiring those outside their military service, 19 Arizona residents were selected to be part of the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame. In a state boasting more than 600,000 veterans, I am truly honored to represent five of this year's recipients.

The Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Society annually rewards and honors veterans for their continued service to the community. Each recipient of the prestigious award is personally selected by the Office of Governor Jan Brewer in partnership with the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services.

These veterans represent the courage and patriotism that is so revered by many Americans. It is people like this that I am continuously thinking of and am proud to serve. As members of the Hall of Fame Society, I am sure these veterans will carry on inspiring and serving our community.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognition of John ``Hut'' Hutson, William C. Jenkins, David F. Lucier, Peter Martinez, Pat Chorpenning and Carl G. Schneider's exceptional service.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of a member of the Armed Forces from my home state of Arizona. Each month, Scottsdale Healthcare honors service members who perform diligent service to this country. For October, they recognized Major Leslie G. Wilson.

I commend Scottsdale Healthcare for paying tribute to such an outstanding service member for her bravery and service to our country.

During her military career, Major Wilson has been deployed three times as a military nurse officer. Most recently, Wilson was deployed in

Iraq where she saved lives, cared for the wounded and served her country with great distinction.

Beyond her tours of duty, Wilson is devoted to educating and training our military personnel. She teaches life-saving skills to military personnel so they will be able to provide the best possible care when deployed and under wartime conditions.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing this outstanding Air Force Nurse Corps leader for serving our country and protecting the lives of fellow service men and women in combat.