Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate one my constituents in South Carolina, Assistant Chief Gregory A. Bulanow of the North Charleston Fire Department, for successfully completing the Executive Fire Officer Program, or EFOP, on February 27th of this year.

The EFOP is an intensive program designed to give senior fire officers a broad perspective on various aspects of fire administration by providing them with knowledge that they can to apply during emergency situations that occur in their own communities.

It is no small feat to complete such a program, as it is made up of four extensive courses, stretching over a span of years.

As an ardent supporter of all of our nation's fire fighters and emergency personnel, I speak for the people of Charleston and the surrounding areas in saying that we are lucky to have well trained and skilled individuals like Assistant Chief Bulanow looking out for us every day.

I commend Assistant Chief Bulanow on his achievements and thank him for his devotion to the protection of the people of South Carolina.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Title II of H.R. 1804, the Federal Retirement Reform Act. Congressman Towns is to be commended for taking up the cause that Congressman Ortiz and I, along with many others, have championed with H.R. 775, The Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act. While this bill doesn't repeal the widows' tax imposed by the offset of Survivor Benefit Plans by Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, it helps military survivors during a difficult time for all of us.

When Congress established the Military Survivors' Benefit Plan, or SBP, in 1972, they did so in order to give members of the military a sense of security about their spouses in the event of their death. The plan is voluntary, can be purchased by retirees or will be provided to survivors of active duty servicemembers who are killed in the line of duty. Through the SBP that was bought, spouses and children can receive up to 55% of the servicemembers' retired pay. While SBP is an annuity, survivors of military retirees and veterans may also receive Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) if their spouse died a service connected death. Under current law, widows are forfeiting, dollar-for- dollar, the SBP annuity their spouse paid for by the amount of the DIC benefit.

It's simply wrong, and unfair to our military surviving spouses who were tasked with supporting their spouses during the most difficult of war times and peace times, to take away that which was intentionally paid for because of a benefit intended to serve another purpose. We don't do this with private life-insurance, we don't do it with the federal survivor benefit, and we shouldn't do it to the families of those who paid the greatest cost for freedom.

This bill, while it doesn't repeal the offset of SBP annuities by the DIC benefit, will be a needed help for widows, widowers and their children. However, I hope that it will not be considered the last step towards equity. By increasing payments by $35 beginning in 2010, surviving spouses will receive a monthly payment of $95 and will continue to receive increased payments until fiscal year 2016 with a $245 increase resulting in a monthly payment of $345. It's the least we can do; we need to repeal the offset.

Finally, I want to thank the veterans service organizations, particularly the Gold Star Wives of America, and Representative Solomon Ortiz, for their hard work towards equity for surviving spouses. While I've sponsored a bill to repeal the SBP/DIC offset since my first term in Congress, even such small steps as the one we took today wouldn't be possible without their help.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight a unique and innovative economic stimulus proposal that doesn't rely on large amounts of government spending, borrowing from foreign governments, or rebate checks. Instead, the Fair Tax would be a permanent economic stimulus that would have none of the transparency issues of conventional spending, or of the current tax code under the IRS. As a co-sponsor of H.R. 25, the Fair Tax Act, I believe that simplification of the 45,000 page tax code will empower the American people through returning their earned spending power to them, and by reducing government spending.

The Fair Tax replaces all federal income and payroll based taxes with a progressive national retail sales tax, a prebate to ensure no American pays federal taxes on spending up to the poverty level, dollar-for-dollar federal revenue neutrality, and, through companion legislation, the repeal of the 16th Amendment. It abolishes all federal personal and corporate income taxes, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, and self-employment taxes and replaces them with one simple, visible, federal retail sales tax administered primarily by existing state sales tax authorities.

As April 15th approaches, imagine this: no tax forms to wade through, no worries about deductions, withholding, or underpayment, and no payroll tax. Instead you, just like every American, would have more take-home income that could be put towards things like mortgage bills, thereby addressing one of the root causes of this economic crisis.

I hope that in the future we will consider such innovative proposals as the Fair Tax, and I thank my colleagues Rep. John Linder from Georgia who has done so much to publicize the idea of the Fair Tax, and Rep. Steve King of Iowa who called this Special Order.

Madam Speaker, we can do something better than haphazard spending to get us out of this economic mess. We can simplify a tax code that destroys wealth, and replace it with one that lets Americans keep their entire paycheck. It's time for new solutions, and not more of the old tax and spend.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to introduce legislation today to financially assist some of the most endangered, charismatic and landmark wildlife species on this planet.

This measure is modeled after highly successful efforts to raise money for breast cancer research, to fund domestic violence prevention programs and to assist the families of rescue workers killed or disabled in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Under the terms of my proposal, the U.S. Postal Service would issue a semipostal stamp depicting highly imperiled African and Asian elephants, Rhinoceros, Tigers, Great Apes and Marine turtles. The stamp would be issued at a premium price so that the Postal Service could recapture their costs and would provide any additional revenues to the Multinational Species Conservation Funds.

While it is unclear how much money would be raised through the sale of semipostal wildlife stamps, we do know that since 1998, 802 million breast cancer stamps have been sold to the public which has raised a remarkable $59.5 million for critical breast cancer research. It is also important to note that these new wildlife stamps will not replace or undermine the breast cancer stamps which by law will be available until at least December 31, 2011. I am also convinced that stamp enthusiasts will not only buy more breast cancer stamps but will purchase wildlife flagship species stamps.

For the past twenty years, the United States Congress has enacted Multinational Species Conservation Funds to assist African and Asian elephants, Rhinoceros, Tigers, Great Apes and Marine Turtles. Money appropriated to these funds are the only continuous source of revenue in the world for these species and approved conservation projects have stopped several of these animals from sliding toward extinction. Nevertheless, there is no denying that there are now less than 40,000 Asian elephants, 15,000 Rhinoceros and 5,000 tigers living in the wild and that six of the seven species of marine turtles are highly endangered. Without further assistance several of these species will disappear in our lifetime and it is, therefore, essential that new creative funding mechanisms be developed to save these imperiled species. The semipostal wildlife stamp has the potential to raise millions of dollars at no cost to the U.S. taxpayer.

Since 1988, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has funded more than 1,600 conservation projects to assist these species. What is not well known, however, is that the agency was unable to support an additional 1,300 meritorious projects which could well determine whether these species survive in the future.

Since coming to Congress, I have worked together with a number of conservation organizations to establish and extend funding for the Multinational Species Conservation Funds. I am pleased that 24 conservation organizations have endorsed this legislation including the African Wildlife Foundation, American

Veterinary Medical Association, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Born Free USA, Caribbean Conservation Corporation, Cheetah Conservation Fund, Conservation International, Defenders of Wildlife, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Fauna and Flora International, Feld Entertainment, Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society International, International Elephant Foundation, International Fund for Animal Welfare, International Rhino Foundation, Jane Goodall Institute, The Nature Conservancy, Ocean Conservancy, Safari Club International, Wildlife Alliance, Wildlife Conservation Society, The WILD Foundation, and the World Wildlife Fund. These diverse groups which represent tens of millions of people understand that additional funding for these landmark species is essential.

Finally, I would like to thank my Subcommittee Chairwoman Madeleine Bordallo, the former Chairmen of the Committee on Natural Resources, Congressmen Don Young and George Miller, Congressman Ron Kind, Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack, Congressman Peter King, Congressman John Tanner and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for joining with me as co- sponsors of the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Act.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 1105, the Omnibus Appropriations Act 2009:

Requesting Member: Henry E. Brown, Jr.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Juvenile Justice

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Darkness to Light

Address of Requesting Entity: 7 Radcliffe Street, Suite 200, Charleston, SC 29403

Description of Request: Darkness to Light (D2L), a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Charleston, SC. D2L is continuing its effort to increase utilization of its ``Stewards of Children'' adult prevention training program to increase help adults recognize, react, and respond to child sexual abuse. With the help of past federal support, D2L has trained over 1,000 facilitators in 44 states, affecting millions of children. These dollars will be matched one-to- one by D2L.

Requesting Member: Henry E. Brown, Jr.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Construction General

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: USACE Charleston District

Address of Requesting Entity: 69A Hagood Avenue, Charleston, SC 29403-5107

Description of Request: Conduct construction activities related to the authorized dredged material disposal area at Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC.

Requesting Member: Henry E. Brown, Jr.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Operations and Maintenance

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: USACE Charleston District

Address of Requesting Entity: 69A Hagood Avenue, Charleston, SC 29403-5107

Description of Request: Conduct authorized maintenance activities on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway in South Carolina.

Requesting Member: Henry E. Brown, Jr.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Operations and Maintenance

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: USACE Charleston District

Address of Requesting Entity: 69A Hagood Avenue, Charleston, SC 29403-5107

Description of Request: Conduct authorized maintenance activities at Charleston Harbor, Charleston, SC.

Requesting Member: Henry E. Brown, Jr.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Operations and Maintenance

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: USACE Charleston District

Address of Requesting Entity: 69A Hagood Avenue, Charleston, SC 29403-5107

Description of Request: Conduct authorized maintenance activities at Georgetown Harbor, Georgetown, SC.

Requesting Member: Henry E. Brown, Jr.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Historic Preservation Fund, Save America's Treasures

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Georgetown Old Market/Rice Museum

Address of Requesting Entity: 633 Front Street, Georgetown, SC 29442

Description of Request: The Old Market Building in downtown Georgetown, SC will undergo extensive renovation and repair to maintain its structural integrity. On the National Historic Register, it is the most visited and photographed site in Georgetown and the center of tourism traffic. Dating to 1853, it must undergo extensive renovation and repair to maintain its structural integrity.

Requesting Member: Henry E. Brown, Jr.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Department of Education, Funding for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: The College of Charleston

Address of Requesting Entity: 66 George St., Charleston, SC 29424

Description of Request: The College of Charleston's School of Science and Mathematics, in partnership with several state, regional, and federal agencies is developing a new Lowcountry Hazards Center to act as a nexus for natural and social scientists working collaboratively to formulate the most effective means to evaluate natural hazard risks and to develop mitigation strategies. The funds would support the purchase of equipment needed to educate students, policymakers, and the community; to strengthen research efforts; support interdisciplinary research; and to help make the Lowcountry a more disaster-resilient community.

Requesting Member: Henry E. Brown, Jr.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Department of Health and Human Services, HRSA, Health Facilities

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Medical University of South Carolina--Children's Hospital

Address of Requesting Entity: 169 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29425

Description of Request: The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Children's Hospital is South Carolina's largest and most comprehensive pediatric healthcare center. MUSC Children's Hospital's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, the only one in the region, is staffed exclusively by trained pediatric critical care physicians and nurses. Funding will purchase of pediatric cardiology lab equipment.

Requesting Member: Henry E. Brown, Jr.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Department of Transportation, FTA, Bus and Bus Facilities

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA)

Address of Requesting Entity: 36 John Street, Charleston, SC 29403

Description of Request: CARTA is currently constructing a new Intermodal transportation center for the entire Charleston region. This center, located near an exit with Interstate 26, will provide AMTRAK with a new passenger terminal, serve as a hub for local bus service, and provide easy access to the nearby Charleston International Airport. Additionally, this project will be the first-ever Transit Oriented Development project in the Charleston-region, with plans to construct mix-use office and residential space on the property.

Requesting Member: Henry E. Brown, Jr.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Transportation, Community, and System Preservation

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Horry County

Address of Requesting Entity: 1301 Second Avenue, Conway, SC 29526

Description of Request: The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is currently working through the environmental process with local stakeholders to identify options for improving mobility in the South Strand and Waccamaw Neck area of Horry and Georgetown Counties. This is especially important as the area sees some 14 million tourists annually during the height of hurricane season. Funding will allow SCDOT to work on completing the project's final EIS.

Requesting Member: Henry E. Brown, Jr.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105

Account: Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Transportation, Community, and System Preservation

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Town of Mount Pleasant

Address of Requesting Entity: 100 Ann Edwards Lane, Mount Pleasant,

Madam Speaker, in the 106th Congress, we enacted the Shark Finning Prohibition Act of 2000. At the time fisheries managers were unable to quantify the number and the species of sharks being harvested in some fisheries and this made shark management unsuccessful. The Shark Finning Prohibition Act required that fishermen land the carcass of the shark along with the fins so that fishery managers could track shark mortality.

Unfortunately, some shark fin buyers attempted to create a loophole in the law by purchasing fins without the carcasses at sea from fishermen and then ``transferring them to transhipment vessels. This clearly violated the intent, if not the actual provisions, of the law.

To make things worse, a court ruling seems to have sanctioned this unintended loophole in the law.

This legislation closes that loophole and I support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, as a co-sponsor of H.R. 80, I rise in strong support of this legislation. During the last Congress, a similar bill was approved by the House on a vote of 302 to 96.

In fact, this year's version is an improvement because it addresses the needs of certain non-profit humanitarian organizations who utilize nonhuman primates to assist permanently disabled Americans. These service monkeys have for over 30 years significantly improved the lives of dozens of Americans who suffer with polio, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries and other severe mobility impairments.

I would also like to compliment my distinguished Subcommittee Chairwoman, the Honorable Madeleine Bordallo who was willing to work in a bipartisan fashion to improve this legislation. During our Committee deliberations, two amendments were adopted to ensure that all non-human primate pets are treated in a humane manner.

The first improvement allows owners to transport their beloved nonhuman primates across state lines when it becomes necessary to obtain essential veterinary care. During the debate on this measure, it became clear that there is a very limited number of veterinarians in the United States that have the expertise and even the interest in treating non-human primates.

The second humanitarian improvement allows the transportation of nonhuman primates across state lines upon the death of their human owners. It is not unusual for many of these non-human primate species to live 25 or even 40 years and it becomes critical that they can be relocated to a safe, secure and health environment.

Without these improvements, it was my fear that these monkeys would not receive adequate medical care or proper living conditions and that they would be dumped at an overcrowded zoo, wildlife sanctuary or animal shelter or simply abandoned to die.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``aye'' on H.R. 80, the Captive Primate Safety Act.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 36th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision and in particular the efforts of those who have worked for the right to life that the decision made so tenuous. Today, as they have since 1974, thousands of people marched on Washington to show their dedication to a movement that has seen many gains in the past few years. These people march for a culture where 50 million innocent lives would be saved, and where people are valued beyond their simple worth as a thing. They also march to mourn these lives of the unborn. They march, ultimately, for the dignity of humanity which has been denied for too many people.

This year's march is particularly poignant, because these hundreds of thousands have come after millions, including myself, came to celebrate the election of American's first black President. We also celebrated the life and accomplishments of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I'm proud of how far America's come, as we break down racial and ethnic barriers that many thought were invincible, but we know there's more to do. As Dr. King's niece, Alveda King commented after the election of President Obama, ``[Dr. King's] dream of full equality remains just a dream as long as unborn children continue to be treated no better than property.''

Madam Speaker, we've made many gains towards a culture of life in recent years. The number of abortions has fallen every year since their peak in 1990, and there have been successes at both the state and federal level: federal funding for research requiring the destruction of human embryos has been restricted, we continued to observe the Mexico City Policy, ``partial birth abortion'' has been banned, and many states have policies requiring parental consent for minors. I hope that President Obama and this Congress will continue down this road, and remember the culture of life that we recognize today.

Madam Speaker, I am today pleased to introduce the Marine Turtle Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2009.

There are 7 species of marine turtles which were once abundant throughout the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Sadly, 6 of those species including the Green turtle, the hawksbill, the Kemp's ridley, the leatherback, the loggerhead and the Olive ridley, have experienced tremendous over-exploitation and they are now listed as critically endangered under our Endangered Species Act. In fact, only the flatback turtle which lives in the inshore waters of Australia has managed to maintain a healthy population.

While there are many reasons for the dramatic decline in marine turtle population numbers, the leading factors include foreign fishing practices, the destruction of essential nesting habitat, massive poaching of turtle eggs, meat and shells, the degradation of grass beds and coral reefs, light pollution from onshore development and the dumping of tons of plastic products into our oceans.

In response to this crisis, the Congress enacted the Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004 which I strongly supported. While this law authorized up to $20 million in Federal funds over the past 4 fiscal years, only $2.2 million has been appropriated to finance worthwhile conservation projects. Despite these funding limitations, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has leveraged nearly $4 million in private matching funds and together this money has funded 78 meritorious conservation projects in more than 60 countries. While more than 200 grant proposals have been submitted, sadly, the Service has only awarded grants to less than 40 percent of the eligible recipients.

Nevertheless, a number of extraordinary projects have been funded. These included a project to assist loggerhead turtles in Oman which has the largest nesting population of this species in the world; a project to protect leatherback turtles at their 4 primary nesting beaches in Mexico and a project to assist the highly depleted Chiriqui Beach hawksbill nesting population in Panama.

Madam Speaker, marine turtles have been a vital component of our ocean ecosystems for more than 100 million years. They have long symbolized longevity, fertility and strength. We are proud of the fact that populations of loggerhead sea turtles nest on our beaches in South Carolina where they are highly protected.

Like canaries in a coal mine, declining populations of marine sea turtles are a bellwether species for the health of the world's oceans. The Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004 sent a powerful message of the international community that the United States was willing to take proactive conservation efforts to save these flagship species from extinction. It is essential that this law which has yet to reach its full potential be reauthorized beyond this fiscal year.

The legislation I am introducing today would extend the authorization of appropriations for the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund until September 30, 2014. Despite severe funding limitations, this law has conclusively demonstrated that it is an effective and essential lifeline to marine turtle populations throughout the world. We should not allow any of these 6 species of marine turtles to disappear during our lifetime.

I urge early consideration of the Marine Turtle Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2009.

Madam Speaker, I am writing to notify that I was absent for votes on January 9, 2009. Had I been present, I would have voted:

Rollcall Vote No. 7: On Motion to Recommit with Instructions the Paycheck Fairness Act--``yea.''

Rollcall Vote No. 8: On Passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act-- ``nay.''

Rollcall Vote No. 9: On Passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009--``nay.''

Rollcall Vote No. 10: On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to Recognizing Israel's right to defend itself against attacks from Gaza, reaffirming the United States' strong support for Israel, and supporting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process--``yea.''

Madam Speaker, please permit me to take this opportunity to extend my personal congratulations to the 2008 Myrtle Beach High School Football Team. By beating the Chester Cyclones in ``Death Valley'' at Clemson University, the ``Seahawks'' led by Coach Scott Earley returned the Class AAA State Football Championship Trophy to Myrtle Beach after a hiatus of 24 years. This outstanding victory exemplifies the drive, ambition and teamwork of these young men.

Madam Speaker, I submit the following:

Requesting Member: Congressman Henry E. Brown, Jr.

Bill Number: H.R. 2638--Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009.

Account: RDT&E, Defense-wide.

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: GenPhar.

Address of Requesting Entity: 600 Seacoast Parkway, Mount Pleasant,

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this historic and forward looking legislation. Freight and passenger rail play an incredibly important role in our Nation's transportation system and our economy. The legislation before us will serve to strengthen that important contribution, and I was proud to have worked on it with Chairman Oberstar, Ranking Member Mica, Chairwoman Brown, Ranking Member Shuster, and all the members of the Transportation Committee.

Today's legislation will foster introduction of new intelligent transportation systems technologies at highway-rail grade crossings. New technologies being researched now will one day provide the ability to use an in-vehicle warning of danger at highway-rail crossings and, perhaps, even provide the means to intervene before a collision occurs. H.R. 2095 will speed up the development and deployment of these technologies by allowing innovative partnerships between the private sector, State DOTs and the Federal Government.

Even more important, this legislation contains a new commitment to high-speed rail for our country. High-speed rail can play an important role in reducing congestion in places like the Grand Strand, which sees 14 million tourists a year and Charleston, which is the most congested small city in the country. By engaging the private sector along with public partners, H.R. 2095 calls for more than just paper plans for high-speed rail projects--it calls for action.

Our constituents are paying record high prices for gasoline and spending $78 billion a year due to highway congestion. The time is now to make progress on high speed rail for our country, and this bill will do just that. H.R. 2095 sets the foundation for a privately-funded high speed rail line along the eastern seaboard connecting the population centers of the north to the tourism centers of the South, including Charleston and Myrtle Beach in my district. This is not only a sound business decision, it is a sound public policy decision that will benefit our nation.

Madam Speaker, I will proudly be voting ``yes'' on H.R. 2095, and I ask all my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6980, a bill to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the amount of the Medal of Honor special pension provided under that title by up to $1,000.

I especially want to thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for working with me on this legislation, and to thank Chairman Michaud for joining me in introducing the original version of this legislation,

Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge the passage of H.R. 2933, the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Act of 2007.

H.R. 2933 was introduced by my good friend and colleague Congressman Gary Miller and I have paid special attention to this bill as it as made its way through the legislative process of the Committee on Natural Resources of which I am a member.

H.R. 2933 is an important bill for the residents of coastal South Carolina and I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation.

The current Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program funds preservation and conservation efforts at many famous Civil War battlefields across the Nation. It is very important that we preserve these sites for future generations to observe and visit these sites that are so important to our Nation's history.

Some of the more famous locations in my district include, Fort Sumter, the target of the first shots of the Civil War as well as the assault on Morris Island's Battery Wagner, which is the battle which inspired the Academy Award winning movie Glory.

Other famous battles fought at Secessionville, Grimball's Landing, Simmon's Bluff and sites in and around the Charleston Harbor would also be eligible to receive funding for preservation and conservation.

Madam Speaker, reauthorization of the Civil War Battlefield Preservation Program could not come at a better time. In just 3 years, America will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War.

I know that in my district the planning has already started and many residents of coastal South Carolina are planning to observe this important date from where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.

I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill as swift passage of H.R. 2933 would help in the preparation, preservation and conservation of many of these hallowed sites in advance of this important anniversary.