Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, it is with deep sadness that I inform the House of the death of Mayor Bob Wasson of Sedalia, Missouri. Bob was a lovely man and a dedicated servant to the city of Sedalia, his family, and his friends.

Bob was born on October 20, 1933, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He was raised in Sedalia, Missouri, and graduated from Hughesville High School. In 1953, Bob dedicated his services to the country by volunteering for the army during the Korean War. He spent his time in Korea as a typist and played a pivotal role in hiring KATUSA soldiers, Korean Augmentation Troops to the United States.

In 1962, Bob married his wife, Eleanor. In 1974, they moved back to Missouri, where Bob spent the remainder of his years dedicating his time and efforts to the community. He began his service as owner of his local grocery store, Bob's AF Super. It was through his store that Bob began to meet and interact with residents of Sedalia. In addition, Bob also spent several years as the director of the Sedalia Senior Center. In 1994, he began to reach out to the community by preaching at the Broadway Baptist Church. He was ordained in 1997 and spent time preaching at the Dresden Baptist Church and the Lamine Baptist Church before becoming the pastor at Mt. Herman Baptist Church, where he remained pastor up until his death. As Bob steadily became a noticeable figure in the Sedalia area, the decision was made to run for public office in 2002. Having no previous political experience, Bob was victorious in his first mayoral election, defeating the 11-year incumbent, winning more then 70 percent of the votes.

As a politician, Bob is noted for starting the new recycling program, building a new community center, supporting Whiteman Air Force Base, and developing the economy. However, he is most known for his visibility in the community and his interaction with Sedalia citizens. Councilwoman Wanda Monsees framed it well when she said, ``When I think of Mayor Wasson, the image I get, is of how he would be in the parades, and he would have his young grandsons with him. That just personifies the kind of guy he was to me.''

In 2008, Bob was diagnosed with a brain tumor and in April he underwent surgery to remove it. In May, he underwent a second surgery to remove a tumor discovered in his colon. However, even while battling cancer, Bob continued to serve Sedalia as Mayor. I admire the tenacity he displayed as he battled cancer and the courage it took to continue working and providing sound advice during difficult times.

Madam Speaker, Bob Wasson was a great man. It was a pleasure to work with him on issues that affected Sedalia and central Missouri because he fought hard to make it a better area. I will miss him terribly and I hope the

House will join me in expressing our deepest condolences to his family and friends. He was a dedicated servant to the Sedalia community, but above all he was a dedicated husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, son and friend.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 432) providing for passage of the bill (H.R. 2101) to promote reform and independence in the oversight of weapons system acquisition by the Department of Defense, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong support of this measure, the Weapons Acquisition System Reform Through Enhancing Technical Knowledge and Oversight Act of 2009 and, of course, H. Res. 432, under which we will consider the bill today.

By voting for H. Res. 432, we will be adopting the bill reported out of the House Armed Services Committee 59-0, and initiating a conference with the Senate and their related bill, S. 454, which passed the Senate on a vote of 93-0. This legislation is in keeping with the best bipartisan traditions of the Congress, and the bipartisan leadership of both the House and Senate have committed to passing this legislation as quickly as possible.

The need for this legislation is urgent. It's indisputable. GAO tells us that the Department of Defense currently estimates it will exceed its original cost estimates on 96 major weapons systems by $296 billion. That's more than 2 years of pay and health care for all of our troops. Much of this cost growth is already baked into the pie because of decisions made that will be difficult or impossible to reverse. At the same time, however, a lot of this is money that we have not yet actually spent, meaning we will feel the effects of this waste for years. We cannot wait to take corrective measures.

On April 27 Ranking Member McHugh from New York and I, along with our partners, Rob Andrews and Mike Conaway, the leaders of our panel on Defense Acquisition Reform, introduced the WASTE TKO Act. After introducing the bill, the committee held two hearings on the bill and held a markup. On the basis of the testimony we received and on the basis of the committee's long experience on acquisition reform issues, I can say with confidence that this legislation will substantially improve the oversight of major weapons system acquisition.

Let me briefly summarize the bill's provisions. It requires the Secretary of Defense to assign responsibility to independent officials within his office for oversight of cost estimation, systems engineering, and performance assessment. It also assigns additional responsibility to the Director of Defense Research and Engineering for assessing technological maturity and to the unified combatant commanders for helping to set requirements.

It promotes competition in our acquisition strategies, and it promotes the consideration of tradeoffs between cost, schedule, and performance. It limits organizational conflicts of interest and tightens the Nunn-McCurdy process.

Perhaps most importantly, it requires an increased focus on programs in the early stages of acquisition when most costs are determined, and it focuses oversight on programs which have demonstrated poor performance.

Lastly, the bill authorizes the Secretary of Defense to award excellence in acquisition.

Let me clarify an important issue about this bill that has arisen. Mr. McHugh and I have worked to make clear that this bill is tailored to match the scope of S. 454 in the Senate. We did this to speed its enactment into law.

As a result, like S. 454, it deals almost exclusively with major weapons systems acquisition, which is only 20 percent of the total that the Department of Defense spends on acquisition on an annual basis. There are also serious problems with the other 80 percent of the acquisitions systems. As a result, we established the Panel on Defense Acquisition Reform in our committee, led by Rob Andrews and Mike Conaway.

They did excellent work on this bill, and we will get a lot more good work out of them before the day is done. We are fully committed to continuing the work on these issues in the upcoming National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 and in subsequent legislation.

I ask all Members of the House to support H. Res. 432 and the underlying bill and vote to move it forward to a conference with the Senate on this very, very vital matter.

I reserve the balance of my time.

First I want to again thank the ranking member, my good friend, John McHugh, for the good work on this excellent legislation, as well as his hard work on the Armed Services Committee. It is very much appreciated.

I yield 5 minutes to my friend, the kind colleague and the chairman of the Armed Services Committee on the Special Oversight Panel on Defense Acquisition Reform, the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Rob Andrews.

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

I yield the gentleman an additional minute.

May I inquire as to the number of minutes I have left?

Before I yield to the next speaker, I wish to add to what my colleagues on the other side have said. What outstanding work our staff has done on this legislation--complicated. And they glued it together and the jigsaw puzzle has an absolute clear picture as to acquisition reform. We hope to go from here to conference with the Senate with a successful outline.

I yield 2 minutes to my friend and colleague, a member of the Armed Services Committee, the gentlelady from New Hampshire (Ms. Shea- Porter).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my friend and colleague, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Kratovil).

I yield an additional 15 seconds.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my friend and colleague, a member of the Armed Services Committee's special oversight panel on defense acquisition reform, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Ellsworth).

I reserve the balance of my time.

I wish to mention, Madam Speaker, that this is landmark legislation. It will go a long, long way in making sure we get the best weapons systems possible for our men and women who wear the uniform, and also more in budget, and it is extremely important. A special thanks to Mr. McHugh, to the panel, Mr. Andrews and Mr. Conaway. A special thanks to the staff members, Andrew Hunter, especially, and Erin Conaton. And we urge a solid vote on this piece of legislation.

With that, I yield back.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to clause 12 of House rule XXII, I move that meetings of the conference between the House and the Senate on S. 454 may be closed to the public at such times as classified national security information may be broached, provided that any sitting Member of Congress shall be entitled to attend any meeting of the conference.

The SPEAKER tempore. Pursuant to clause 12 of rule XXII, the motion is not debatable, and the yeas and nays are ordered.

Madam Chair, let me take this opportunity to express my support for an amendment offered by my good friend and colleague from New York, Congressman Anthony Weiner.

Like the gentleman, I have heard concerns about how Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have established new, nationwide requirements relating to the guarantee of mortgages for condominiums. These new rules require condominium buildings to place 70 percent of the units under contract before any one mortgage will be guaranteed. Fannie and Freddie had previously required 51 percent of condo units to be under contract.

In areas of the country experiencing a severe glut in the condominium market and large numbers of foreclosures, restrictive requirements may be appropriate. But in parts of our nation that have not experienced the same degree of foreclosures, like rural Missouri, this one-size- fits-all approach is hindering the sale of condominiums to creditworthy borrowers.

Congressman Weiner's amendment would give Fannie and Freddie the flexibility to consider the health of a local or regional housing market when determining pre-sale thresholds. This flexibility is very important to realtors, bankers, and prospective homeowners in Missouri and especially those near the Lake of the Ozarks.

I would ask that letters from Central Bank of Lake of the Ozarks and from Lake Ozark Property, which explain how the rules are hindering business in Missouri, be submitted.

I commend Congressman Weiner for offering this amendment and look forward to working with him and with Financial Services Committee Chairman Frank to ensure the language can be retained in a conference with the Senate.

I urge my colleagues to support passage of this amendment.

Central Bank

of Lake of the Ozarks,

Osage Beach, MO, April 20, 2009.

Re Legislative appeal

Hon. Ike Skelton,

House of Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Congressman Skelton: I would like to bring your

attention to a couple of issues that have negatively impacted

the economy and the lives of thousands of condominium owners

at Lake of the Ozarks. These issues have to do with the

changes concerning the financing of condominiums implemented

by two of the GSEs (Government-Sponsored Enterprise): Freddie

Mac and Fannie, Mae.

For as long as we can remember, we have been operating

under a Master Agreement that contained special waivers

approved by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which allowed us to

make condominium loans on new condo projects. These waivers

had been predicated on the resiliency of our condominium

market at the Lake of the Ozarks and Central Bank of Lake of

the Ozarks' history of quality underwriting on loans sold to

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. While our condominium sales have

slowed too in response to economic conditions, neither Fannie

Mae nor Freddie Mac have incurred any significant losses on

the portfolio of condominium loans our bank has sold them. In

spite of this stellar performance, both Freddie Mac and

Fannie Mae have now eliminated the waiver that allowed us to

finance condominiums in new projects already under

construction and for condominium projects that have an on-

site nightly rental desk. By taking these actions without

regard to the specific performance of local markets they are

sure to make the issues of a handful of states a national

crisis.

While it is undeniable that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have

incurred unprecedented losses in the so called ``sand

states'' of Florida, California, Nevada and Arizona, our

market has remained stable but that stability is now being

threatened by these shortsighted, ``one size fits all''

restrictions.

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have implemented presale

requirements of 70 percent on new condominium developments.

This single change in midstream for many projects that are in

various stages of development will cause catastrophic damage

to an otherwise stable market. You talk about changing the

rules in the middle of the game and tanking a segment of the

real estate market. This means that consumers who want to

purchase a new condo in a new development cannot get 30 year

fixed rate financing. If the consumer cannot purchase, then a

developer cannot sell, and if a developer cannot sell, then a

bank cannot be repaid for the commercial loan, and everyone

involved loses. This change will work to make a regional

crisis a national crisis. The Freddie and Fannie Account

Representative abilities to negotiate agreements that are

common and customary to local markets have been eliminated.

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have removed the ability to lend

in established condominium projects where there are nightly

rental desks that are diminutive in size and impact the

project very little. This will decrease the marketability and

value of the units in those projects where consumers cannot

get 30 year fixed-rate financing.

The consumers, condominium owners, and developers are

losing out on the opportunity to purchase, refinance, and

sell condominiums in a very favorable interest rate

environment. We think the President of the United States,

Department of the Treasury, Federal Reserve, and Congress are

working hard to create a favorable market to sell real estate

and stabilize the market. Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae policy

changes, as they pertain to the condominium market at the

Lake of the Ozarks, have done just the opposite. They have

managed to take a market segment of the real estate market at

the Lake of the Ozarks and bring it to a standstill.

The primary reason we have been given for the removal of

these waivers by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae is because of

problems they have experienced with condos in the ``sand

states''. This is a prime example of Freddie Mac and Fannie

Mae painting every market and bank (underwriter) with a broad

brush and then making decisions that have a negative impact

on good markets and banks (underwriters) with a long history

of outstanding performance.

We need your help. Please contact the people in charge at

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and ask them to get in touch with

us to address these issues.

Thank you for your time and help in this matter.

Very truly yours,

Gregory J. Gagnon,

President & CEO.

Russell Clay,

Vice President, Mortgage Department Head

Madam Speaker, let me take this time to honor a fellow Missourian, Lieutenant General Clyde A. Vaughn, who will be retiring as Director of the Army National Guard, after having served the nation for 35 years in the Army National Guard.

While General Vaughn has performed a number of important roles during his time in the Army National Guard, he has served as Director of the Army National Guard since 2005. During his tenure as Director, he has overseen a period of increased operating tempo and helped to transform the Army National Guard.

As Director, General Vaughn has implemented policies to increase the end strength of the Army National Guard and to ensure new members of the Guard are well trained and well equipped. He has overseen important Army National Guard missions at home and abroad, including missions along the U.S. Gulf Coast during and after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, within California during wildfires, and along the U.S. border.

Overseas, General Vaughn has helped to coordinate an important program in Afghanistan with the help of Missouri National Guardsmen and those from other states who are also experts in agriculture. In that troubled country, the Guard has partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Farm

Bureau to develop and deploy Agribusiness Development Teams. These teams have helped to improve Afghanistan's agricultural livelihood. They have provided outreach, education, and infrastructure support to officials from the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock and to local farmers. The advice given by these Guardsmen who are also agricultural experts betters the changes for economic stability and alternative livelihoods for Afghanistan's rural citizens.

For the families of Army National Guard personnel, General Vaughn has overseen the development of the 325 Army National Guard Family Assistance Centers. These centers provide long-term informational, referral, and outreach support for geographically dispersed military families.

General Vaughn's leadership has strengthened both the National Guard and the United States. I am proud that he is a Missourian who has given so much of his time to our country. I trust that Members of the House will join me in congratulating General Vaughn and his family for their contributions to the United States of America.

Madam Speaker, let me take this moment to recognize the Battle of Lexington State Historic Site, as they celebrate their 50th anniversary. For 50 years this state park has captured and commemorated a pivotal battle of the Civil War in the city of Lexington, which I proudly represent.

On January 1, 1959, the site was donated to the State of Missouri to be designated as a state historic park. Received in a preserved and quality condition, the State Park has since provided visitors with information, reenactments, and guided tours to this historic site. In 1991, the visitor center was completed and opened for the public. In 2000, a monument was established which tells the Confederate's side of the story. Later this year, a second monument will be put up to tell the Union side of the story.

The Battle of Lexington State Historic Site teaches visitors how Missouri played an important strategic role in the Civil War. Not quite in the south, yet a slave state nonetheless, Missourians were sharply divided over what side of the conflict their state should enter. In addition, its position along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers was critical to controlling the West, and as a result, many battles erupted between Confederate sympathizers and Unionists.

Though Missouri eventually cast its lot with the Union, by September 1861, it could have gone either way. It was then that Union Colonel J.A. Mulligan found himself and his troops surrounded by General Sterling Price, leader of the Confederate Missouri State Guard. Price had just led his troops to victory at Wilson's creek the previous month, and was looking to expand on his success with the capture of Lexington, a small but strategic town located near the Missouri River. Capturing the town would allow Confederate recruits from Northern Missouri to cross over the river.

Though the battle of Lexington was one of the longest, most fiercely contested engagements in Missouri during the Civil War, the casualties were surprisingly light. The Union lost only 40 dead and 120 wounded; the State Guard lost only 25 dead and 72 wounded. In addition, Price's triumph was short-lived. Shortly after the defeat at Lexington, General John C. Fremont, the Union commander in Missouri, organized a large force with the purpose of driving out Price's State Guard. Faced with this threat, Price retreated back to Southwest Missouri, and the Missouri River was returned to Union control.

Madam Speaker, the Battle of Lexington State Historic Site has been an important landmark in this country. I know the members of the House will join me in recognizing the site on its 50 years of success and in expressing hope that it will continue to provide a quality experience to the thousands of visitors who come every year.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 339, and I thank my friends, Congressmen Langevin and Welch, for introducing this bill and their leadership on this subject.

Captain Phillips' brave leadership in the defense of his crew and ship, along with the outstanding service of the men and women of the United States Navy, allowed for the safe return of the crew of the motor vessel Maersk Alabama. Both Captain Phillips and his crew's actions clearly demonstrate the bravery that is present in our American Merchant Marines. I commend the sailors on the USS Bainbridge and Halyburton, as well as the Navy SEALs who were involved in the lengthy standoff with the Somali pirates.

On Easter Sunday, every American could be proud and thankful for the commitment and excellence of our servicemembers. The actions of our men and women in uniform highlight the dedication and professionalism present in our Navy servicemembers. This also demonstrates the critical need for the high level of training these sailors have been given which allows them to successfully conduct such a high-risk and complicated operation.

I have long warned of the dangers associated with international piracy. Just last month, I called for and chaired a full Armed Services Committee hearing on international piracy on the high seas. The inherent danger in allowing these types of criminal activities to go unchecked is evident throughout our history. We see prime examples of this when we look as far back as the days of the Barbary pirates, where the pirates were eventually defeated ashore in Algiers; or the recent example of the Straits of Malacca, where it took the combined forces of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore working together to secure their waters.

In both of these instances, the international community was dealing with criminals whose sole objective was monetary gain; and when faced with superior forces, they retreated. The pirates off the coast of Somalia are no different. However, like the pirates of the past, they will only retreat as far as they are pushed.

Establishing a working government in Somalia is a solution, but this is a long-term solution. In the short term, it is imperative that the international coalition, already operating in the area, uses its superior force to continue to pursue these pirates into the safe havens where they are operating. This will be the only way to convince these criminals that the risks now outweigh the rewards. The authorities needed to conduct such operations have already been provided in United Nations Security Council Regulations 1846 and 1851.

I applaud the commitment of the international community to solve the problem, but additional work must be done to advance the current international coalitions operating in the region. Just this weekend we were reminded of the imminence of the ongoing problem. Hostages were freed by Dutch forces, but the gang of pirates responsible were subsequently released due to the lack of a detainment policy within the NATO task force.

The United States must encourage all of our coalition partners to adopt a single set of rules of engagement and authorities. I am encouraged by Secretary Clinton's call on the international community to hold these criminals accountable and agree with her comments about pursuing the pirate sanctuaries along the Somalia coast. Denying the ability of the pirates to operate ashore is the best solution for stopping these attacks in the short term.

Until the international community decides that it will no longer tolerate piracy in any way, we will continue to see history repeat itself, and the merchants operating in the surrounding waters of Somalia will continue to be at risk.

Mr. Speaker, we will not forget the heroic actions of our United States Navy, the United States Navy SEALs, and the brave men aboard the Maersk Alabama.

We sent a clear signal to the pirates that such a brazen attack on American people will not be tolerated. I look forward to working with my colleagues and friends in the administration to find a short-term solution to the ongoing piracy problem, and I am hopeful that we can work with our international partners to find a permanent solution to this issue.

I thank the gentlemen, Mr. Langevin and Mr. Welch, for their foresight in offering this resolution.

I thank the gentleman so much for yielding.

And, Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join in supporting H. Res. 247, which would express support for recognizing March 22 as National Rehabilitation Counselors Appreciation Day. I want to thank my friend, Phil Gingrey, the gentleman from Georgia, for joining me in offering this resolution.

On March 22 in 1983, Martha Lentz Walker of Kent State University provided testimony to Members of the U.S. House of Representatives regarding the valuable services provided by qualified rehabilitation counselors. Due in large part to events of that day, rehabilitation counselors today are required to have proper certification in order to provide a higher level of service.

Vocational rehabilitation counselors are dedicated professionals. Their good works assist disabled Americans across the country in living independent and productive lives. An honest day's work is a source of pride, but many individuals with disabilities who want to work just don't have the training, support, or tools they need to enter the workforce. Vocational rehabilitation counselors step in to provide the necessary services that succeed in bringing thousands of disabled Americans into the workforce every day.

Today, we have injured veterans seeking to gain, retain, or regain employment. Today, we have older workers staying in the workforce longer in these difficult economic times. Today, many other individuals want nothing more than to pursue a career. Rehabilitation counselors play an important role in helping them to reach their goals, and I believe the service is worthy of our recognition and our thanks.

Madam Speaker, let me take this opportunity to honor Joe Scallorns of California, Missouri.

Mr. Scallorns has been awarded the Department of the Air Force Scroll of Appreciation for his tireless dedication and leadership on the Whiteman Air Force Base Community Council. The scroll is awarded for meritorious achievement or service to the Department of the Air Force by civilians not employed by the United States government. It was presented to Mr. Scallorns at the B-2 Twentieth Anniversary Gala on January 17.

Mr. Scallorns has supported the Whiteman Air Force Base community throughout his tenure as president of the Whiteman Air Force Base Community Council and through his continued service as an active member of the board. He also currently serves on the commander's group of Air Combat Command and is a participating member of the Air Force Civic Leaders Group and Air Force Association.

Joe Scallorns has been honored to serve and support Whiteman Air Force Base and its community. I hope Members of the House will join me in honoring this outstanding citizen and in wishing him the very best in his future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, let me take this opportunity to recognize the service of Dr. John F. Eisold, former Attending Physician of the United States Congress. From 1994 to 2009, Dr. Eisold dedicated himself to the medical welfare of the Members and staff of Congress. His services were essential to the Members of Congress and should not go unrecognized.

Dr. Eisold was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1946, and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland. He received a Bachelor's degree in Physics from Dartmouth College in 1968 and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Dartmouth College in 1976. From 1976 to 1979, Dr. Eisold completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the National Naval Medical Center. Upon receiving his American Board of Internal Medicine Certification, Dr. Eisold established the General Internal Medicine Division and Hypertension Clinic at the National Naval Medical Center. In 1985 he was selected as a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow and worked for Senator Kennedy's Health Staff on the Labor and Human Resources Committee. From 1988 to 1994 Dr. Eisold was reassigned back to the National Naval Medical Center and was selected as chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine. He was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1995.

Dr. Eisold has been recognized for his work to the Congress during the anthrax attack in 2001. He and his staff were awarded the U.S. Surgeon General's Crisis Response Service Award, the Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Citation and the Navy Unit Commendation. In addition, Dr. Eisold has been awarded the National Defense Medal with two Bronze Stars, Meritorious Unit Commendation with three Bronze Stars, Navy Commendation Medal with Gold Star, Defense Commendation Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with Gold Star, and the Distinguished Service Medal.

I am certain that Members of the House will join me in thanking Rear Admiral Dr. John F. Eisold for his service to the United States Congress and in wishing him the best of luck in future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, it is with sadness that I inform the House of the death of Gurnie C. Gunter, Colonel, United States Army (Ret.) of Kansas City, Missouri.

Col. Gunter was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and graduated from Lincoln University with a B.S. Degree in Biology. In addition to his B.S. degree, Col. Gunter received both a bachelor's and master's degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois, a master's degree in military science from the Command and General Staff College, a master's degree in business administration management from Shippensburg University, as well as graduating from the United States Army War College, Carlisle Barracks, PA.

In 1955, Col. Gunter was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. While in service, Col. Gunter served in a variety of command and staff positions including engineer instructor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and retiring as a member of the U.S. Army of Engineer Crops in 1984.

Outside of the military, Col. Gunter was an active participant in the community. He was a member of the Lincoln University board of curators, chairman of the board of the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City, member of the board of the Heartland Presbyterian Center, vice president of the Swope Ridge Geriatric Center, moderator of Heartland Presbytery, chapter president of the Greater Kansas City American Red Cross, chairman of the Linwood-downtown YMCA, president of the Ivanhoe Club, chairman of the Kansas City Area Employer Support of Guard and Reserves, past president of the Midwesterners Club of Kansas City, and active member of the Presbyterian Church USA.

For his outstanding military and civic work, Col. Gunter has been honored with numerous awards, which include the Association of Metropolitan Sewer Districts Distinguished Performance Award, the American Society of Civil

Engineers Lifetime Achievement Award, the Citizen of the Year Award from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., the American Public Works Association Heart of America Award, and Kansas City Globe's 100 Most influential African Americans.

Madam Speaker, Col. Gurnie C. Gunter was an honorable officer in the military and influential leader in the Kansas City community. I am certain that the members of the House will join me in extending their heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.

First, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns) for yielding. I rise in strong support of his bill, H.R. 1804, and I thank him for his partnership on this bill.

In addition to the many good things this legislation does for Federal civil servants, I am pleased to report that this bill includes a provision of great importance to the surviving spouses of servicemembers who have died as a result of service-connected conditions.

I want to thank Chairman Towns for his great assistance in making it possible to address this issue in this bill. Members of the Committee on Armed Services, which I am privileged to chair, are very appreciative of the cooperation that made the legislation possible, because it is unlikely that the funding required to support the change could have otherwise been found.

I would also commend my colleague, my friend, a member of the Armed Services Committee, Congressman Solomon Ortiz, who has introduced legislation on the SBP offset and has been a great leader and advocate for the military families affected by this issue.

The provision would increase the monthly special survivors indemnity allowance beginning in fiscal year 2010 with a $35 increase, resulting in a monthly payment of $95, and concludes in fiscal year 2016 with a $245 increase, resulting in a monthly payment of $345.

Although the improvements are substantial and a welcomed addition for our surviving spouses, the proposal is an incremental change that falls short of the ultimate objective to eliminate the offset of the Survivor Benefit Plan, or SBP as it is called, by the amount of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, or DIC, received from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

This so-called widow's tax has long denied surviving family members the full payment of their SBP benefits. I can assure our surviving spouses and my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee that we will continue to explore every opportunity to pursue legislation that brings us closer to eliminating the widow's tax, just as we are doing today, with the help of Chairman Towns. H.R. 1804 provides a robust step in that direction, and I encourage my colleagues to vote for it.

Mr. Speaker, students of history know that hyperinflation in Germany was a significant factor in the rise of Hitler. The economic decay of the Soviet Union led to regime change across Eastern Europe. And a serious economic crisis preceded the French Revolution. So the record is clear that economic crises can have consequences for national security of the highest order. Here in the United States, our economic strength has always been the foundation of our national power and our national security. Economics plays no less important a role in the fate of many other nations.

Knowing this, the House Armed Services Committee decided to explore how the current global financial crisis is affecting national security by holding a hearing last week with a distinguished panel of economic and national security experts. We had been working to hold such a hearing since November, but the urgency of this effort was only emphasized when the Director of National Intelligence, Admiral Dennis Blair, stated in this annual threat assessment that the global financial crisis represents the primary near-term concern for U.S. national security. During our hearing, we learned more about the many ways the world has been thrown into serious turmoil by this sudden global shock and that many if not most of the international consequences are yet to come.

We learned that, at a minimum, the global financial crisis will exacerbate an already growing set of political and economic challenges facing the world. In country after country, the crisis is increasing citizen discontent and anger toward their leaders and providing an excuse for authoritarian regimes to consolidate their power. It distracts and strains our allies and generates conditions that could provide fodder for terrorism. Financial turmoil can loosen the fragile hold that many countries have on law and order and increase the number and size of ungoverned spaces.

While most of the experts we heard from agree that the strongest economies will weather this storm, it is the fragile states that worry me the most. Emerging democracies throughout Eastern and Central Europe, Africa, and Asia will turn to the Western world for support. If we cannot or do not help them, they may be forced into economic alliances of necessity with long-term consequences. When Iceland recently turned without success to its friends in the West, it found a ``new friend'' in Russia. Jamaica has received significant financial assistance from China. The list of countries in critical regions in need of such assistance is long indeed. Economic pressures within European countries might even become so severe as to seriously weaken or unravel the ties that bind the countries of the European Union and NATO Alliance together.

Perhaps most serious, at a time when U.S. leadership is sorely needed, our international credibility is at an unprecedented low. The crisis is causing the emerging nations to question the Western model of market capitalism. Flawed policies, poor decisions, weak regulation, and questionable behavior have led to a widespread perception that American-style capitalism is unsustainable. This perception may be the most corrosive effect of the current crisis.

Mr. Speaker, our response to the global economic crisis must be far reaching and far seeing. We must restore our economy, maintain and enhance our key instruments of national power, including the Department of Defense, and take an approach with the world that reestablishes our credibility and claim to world leadership. We must support our friends and maintain our alliances. We must not become so self absorbed that we fail to recognize our long-term strategic interests. And we must be very clear, in today's world a strong national defense is not a luxury, it is an imperative.

Madam Speaker, it is with deep regret that I inform the House of the death of Margaret Louise Gray of Lexington, MO.

Margaret was born October 27, 1931, in Ottawa, Kansas. She was married to William R. Gray, who preceded her in death on September 27, 1986. She is survived by a brother, Stephen Swaim, and two sisters, Doris Boyd and Betty Chatman.

Margaret was a member of the First Baptist Church of Lexington, the Lexington Business and Professional Woman's Club, War Dads, Elks, and a member of SORT. She was the Director of Family Services in Lafayette County for many years. Both her husband and she were active in developing the Lexington Senior Center and subsequently the 4-Life Center. The senior center was later named the Margaret Gray Senior Center in honor of her hard work and financial support.

Madam Speaker, Margaret L. Gray was an influential member in the Lexington community. I know the members of the House will join me in extending their heartfelt condolences to her family and friends. She will be greatly missed.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 64) urging the President to designate 2009 as the ``Year of the Military Family''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 64, which I introduced, along with my ranking member, John McHugh, and the majority of my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee.

House Concurrent Resolution 64 calls for the President to designate 2009 as the ``Year of the Military Family.''

For over 7 years, our Nation has been in sustained conflict. Our servicemembers are facing multiple deployments, but they are not the only ones who are shouldering the burden of the war. Nearly 2 million of our military families have also shared in that burden.

While I am proud of Americans across this great Nation who have volunteered or contributed funds and supplies to support our deployed and injured troops, those who have been on the forefront of those efforts are the military families. Over the last several years, military families have faced months of separation, some as long as 18 to 20 months. With over 1 million children between the ages of birth and 23 years of age who have parents in uniform, there have been many missed birthdays, graduations, holidays, and a child's first words and other major life accomplishments that are all too common as troops continue to experience back-to-back deployments.

Military families endure such hardship and sacrifices so their servicemember can proudly continue to serve the Nation. Military families often provide moral support, as well as comfort, to each other, especially during these difficult times. However, many families, especially those in the Reserves and Guard, do not have that luxury. Often these families must face these hardships alone, far from support programs and far from facilities that are located on military bases.

The President and Mrs. Obama have stated that military families will be a top priority for this administration. I applaud the President and Mrs. Obama for their commitment to their military families.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the President to continue this commitment and recognize the sacrifices of military family members who have given support to their servicemember and this nation, and declare this to be the ``Year of the Military Family.''

I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this important resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra).

I yield such time as he may consume to a cosponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Berman).

Most of us Members of Congress have had the opportunity to witness military units as they are ready to deploy. We have also seen military units as they have returned, or individual members of our service returning, and watch their families greet them with happiness and with tears. It is difficult to put ourselves in their places, but the best we can do is to show our appreciation, and that our thoughts and our prayers are with them as well as their loved ones who are serving. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.