Floor Statements

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

I rise today in support of H.R. 5366, the Overseas Contractor Reform Act. The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform over the years has uncovered numerous instances in which government continued doing business with bad actors. This legislation will augment the U.S. government's efforts to combat waste, fraud, and abuse in contracting. It will ensure that we are awarding contracts and grants only to parties with integrity.

The bill requires a Federal agency to propose for debarment from receiving any new grants or contracts a person or entity found in violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977.

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act makes it a crime to offer a bribe to a foreign official for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business from a foreign government.

Since the passage of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the fraud section of the Department of Justice has prosecuted individuals and entities accused of bribing foreign officials. These parties are now subject to fines, and although proposed debarment was already a possible consequence, this bill sends the message that Congress, without question, desires agencies to take administrative action against parties convicted of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

This bill also provides agencies with a modicum of flexibility. If the agency head finds it is in the best interest of the government to waive the requirement for proposed debarment, a waiver is permissible. However, the agency head must report the waiver to Congress and provide a justification.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5366.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise today in support of House Resolution 1612, expressing support for and honoring September 17, 2010 as ``Constitution Day.''

Madam Speaker, I would first like to commend my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta), for introducing this bipartisan resolution for the second year in a row. It serves as an important reminder of the ideals and principles contained within a document that we have all sworn to uphold and protect.

Madam Speaker, Friday marks the 223rd anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States of America. On September 17, 1787, 12 State delegations, comprising a total of 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, signed a historic document that has guided our Nation for centuries. While this concluded the Constitutional Convention, the Constitution didn't truly take effect until New Hampshire became the ninth State to ratify it on June 21, 1788.

At some 4,400 words, the Constitution is not only the shortest charter of government for any major country in the world, but also the oldest. Madam Speaker, it is truly remarkable that a document authored over two centuries ago has been able to stand the test of time and continues to provide a foundation for our Nation even to this day.

I encourage every American to take time this Friday to celebrate and remember the freedoms and values contained within this document that sadly we have all too often taken for granted.

Madam Speaker, it is truly an honor and privilege to be able to speak on the floor of the House of Representatives about the Constitution, and I urge all Members to join me in strong support of this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, we have two additional speakers, but at this time I would like to yield such time as he may consume to the prime sponsor of the resolution, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta).

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett).

Madam Speaker, we have no additional speakers. I would just urge my colleagues to please get behind us in support. This is something that, again, should unite us. The beauty and the profound nature of the Constitution, the very first three words of ``we the people,'' this is something that is so profound and inspired within this Nation. I just urge all of my colleagues to get behind us and to support this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this timely resolution, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, the raging floodwaters that have battered much of Pakistan since late July are at long last finally beginning to recede. But the challenges are no less today than they were earlier this summer. Indeed, if anything, they may be even greater as Pakistan and its friends abroad begin to assess the full magnitude of the economic and human costs of this devastating calamity. The heavy monsoon floods that struck the Indus River and its tributaries have caused enormous damage to the economy and the people of Pakistan.

The numbers are staggering. Nearly 20 million people have been affected by the floods, including millions of men, women, and children who have been physically displaced from their homes destroyed by the ravages of the rampaging waters. As one Pakistani commentator has noted, ``In the mounting humanitarian disaster, survivors have been engaged in a desperate daily struggle for food and shelter as well as a battle against deadly disease.''

Pakistan's already shaky economy has been dealt a body blow. Growth is now expected to fall by half, with widespread losses to agriculture and livestock. Meanwhile, the floods have also wreaked havoc on Pakistan's public infrastructure, with bridges and roads cut off, power stations shut down, and gas and petroleum supplies suspended. In this dire circumstance, the United States has responded generously and with great dispatch to assist the people of Pakistan in their hour of need. The executive branch has mobilized expertise and resources at the Departments of State, Defense, and USAID, while the private sector, including Pakistani-Americans, religious communities, and nongovernment organizations have provided impressive financial and on-the-ground assistance.

Meanwhile, new and formidable challenges will present themselves to Islamabad and its friends abroad once the full extent of Pakistan's rehabilitation and reconstruction needs become known.

Madam Speaker, the enormity of this tragedy for the Pakistani people is grounds enough to merit a robust and compassionate response by the United States of America and the people. Our hearts go out to the millions of victims whose lives have been literally uprooted by the havoc that accompanied this unprecedented flooding.

At the same time, we need to be mindful that Pakistan is also a close friend and ally. It plays a large role in the United States' strategic policy towards Afghanistan and the broader reaches of South and Central Asia. It is a country that remains engaged in a deadly struggle against violent extremists seeking to destabilize its already fractured society. It is a nuclear weapons state in which the maintenance of domestic stability and the success of democratic governance bear directly on our own homeland security. To be sure, this is an enormously complex relationship.

Madam Speaker, in this context it is clear that the United States needs to

remain deeply engaged with Pakistan and the Pakistani people as they recover from the ravages of this crisis, including through continued humanitarian aid and related forms of effective, transparent, and targeted assistance. I therefore support the passage of this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to get behind this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, we support the passage of this resolution. Our hearts and prayers go out to the people of Pakistan who are dealing with untold tragedies and difficult situations. I urge passage of this resolution.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I come before the House of Representatives to honor an extraordinary young man, Jed Wunderlich, from the heart of Utah's third congressional district, Milford, Utah.

Jed was born with hydrocephalus, and has undergone numerous surgeries for his condition. Jed has experienced more physical pain in his short life than many of us wily ever experience throughout our lifetimes. Yet through his many surgeries and hospitalizations, he has remained positive and serves as an inspiration for his Milford All South Cal Ripkin summer all-star baseball team.

Although Jed has never been on a baseball team before, he has proven himself to be an important member of Milford's team. Despite having no experience pitching, Jed's coach, Jacob Ihde, recently put Jed in as pitcher. Jed proceeded to strike out three batters.

Jed is an inspiration to his classmates, the people of Utah, and those who suffer from hydrocephalus. I am proud to honor his accomplishments and hope to see many more from this motivating young man.

[From the Deseret News, July 22, 2010.]

Milford Boy Inspires Team, Community

(By Cynthia Kimball Humphreys)

Milford, Beaver County.--Jed Wunderlich's positive attitude

is probably why he wasn't cut from Milford's All South Cal

Ripkin summer all-star baseball team even though he'd never

been on a team before.

And perhaps it was why coach Jacob Ihde, after noticing the

11-year-old seemed down after sitting on the bench for the

first four innings of a recent game, asked him if he wanted

to pitch. There was just one small problem. Jed had never

pitched before.

For a split second, Jed looked at his coach in disbelief.

Then he bolted to the mound as though he knew what he was

doing.

``I was afraid for him,'' said Jed's mother, Trish

Wunderlich. ``But I trusted the coaches knew what they were

doing.''

Three strikeouts later, Jed was flying high, smiling

incessantly.

The crowd went wild standing and cheering on their feet,

moved to tears.

``I just bawled,'' said Milford coach Gary Mayer.

Even umpire Merlin Figgins took off his mask to wipe away

tears.

Trish Wunderlich couldn't contain herself. After all, she'd

seen her boy in pain and held him so many times when it was

unbearable--especially in 2006 when he had what she calls

``the big surgery'' at Primary Children's Medical Center

where he had his whole face moved forward. An incision was

made from ear to ear, skull bone was cut then made bigger and

eventually put back together again in an 11-hour surgery.

A mid-face distracter was inserted behind his right ear

that Jed's parents would have to turn twice daily to help his

skull grow. The pain was excruciating for Jed and for his

parents, who not only had to turn the distracter, but also

had to watch and hear Jed scream and cry out in agony.

Jed was born with hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and

had undergone 60 surgeries by the time he turned 11, the

first when he was just 8 months old after his parents

wondered why his head was so large at 2 weeks old. By age 7,

he would be diagnosed with Crusins Syndrome, a genetic

disorder characteristic of swelling on the brain. Most of his

many surgeries were shunt surgeries, where fluid is drained

from the brain. The Wunderliches know Primary Children's

Medical Center all too well, often staying there with Jed for

30 days at a time.

Even so, when his mother asks him, ``How come you smile so

much?'' He simply and matter-of-factly replies, ``Because I'm

happy.''

``He just draws people to him wherever he goes,'' she said.

``I've had a couple of complete strangers come up to us and

say they get some kind of vibe off of him,'' added his

father, Ryan Wunderlich. ``They don't even know his name or

circumstances.''

``How did you feel when you where pitching?'' Trish

Wunderlich later asked her son.

``Excited and happy,'' is all he said.

``None of his teammates say, `Why are you putting Jed in?'

'' said grandmother Susan Nettle proudly.

Milford Elementary School Principal Ben Dalton, who has

known Jed for five years, spoke of how Jed was in and out of

school for several years, but worked hard to keep up with his

studies, never complaining, so that he kept on track with his

class.

``He never asks to be treated differently,'' he said.

``The other kids in school really like him. He has a lot of

friends. He looks out for them, and they look out for him

even though Jed's been described as socially backward,

uncoordinated and quite shy,'' Trish Wunderlich said. ``In

addition, he's been self-conscious of his surgeries and the

medical equipment.''

When asked how he likes playing on the baseball team, Jed

said, ``I'm having a lot of fun,'' unaware of the positive

impact he has on others.

``He's always smiling, always happy, always pumped up,''

Ihde said. ``There aren't even words to describe what he

means to our team. We appreciate what he does. . . . It makes

us closer.''

Asked to describe Jed in one word, 12-year-old teammate

Garreth Mayer quickly replied, ``Inspirational. We're happy

he's on our team. He's the heart of our team.''

``There's a lot more to coaching young kids than wins and

losses,'' said tournament director Greg Excel.

And with determination and opportunity, anything is

possible.

Even three strikeouts from a boy who never pitched a day in

his life.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to thank and to honor Ms. Kaziah FIancock, a true American patriot serving her country in a very unique and special way.

America's heroes come from all walks of life. Many of them, perhaps most, remain unsung heroes as they go quietly about, offering their service out of love for their country and countrymen with little or no fanfare or recognition.

One such hero is Ms. Hancock. From the bedroom studio of her little goat ranch at the base of Utah's mountains she expresses, through her love of painting, her love and respect for the men and women who have given their lives while serving in uniform. She refers to this effort as Project Compassion.

``It is our view that every fallen hero deserves to be honored and remembered and we will make every effort to that end,'' Ms. Hancock says on Project Compassion's Web site, heropaintings.com. She and her volunteer team of artists have sent over 1,750 painted portraits of fallen service members to grieving parents and families who live in nearly every state. They're currently seeking to complete at least 3,000 more.

Ms. Hancock asks no price for this touching gift, and won't accept payments offered. She considers her time, time which might have been spent on other paintings she could sell for thousands of dollars, a small sacrifice compared to the sacrifice made by these service members and their families. For those who have already paid the ultimate price, she feels it is the least she can offer. ``There is nothing that I'll ever paint, that will be more appreciated than that,'' she says.

The American Legion Auxiliary, the largest patriotic women's service organization in the world with over 900,000 members, noted in awarding Project Compassion its 2007 Public Service Award: ``Project Compassion struck a chord with us: healing through art.''

Ms. Kaziah Hancock has struck a chord with me as well. I am honored to have her as a constituent in Utah's Third District, and grateful to join with her in expressing our love and support for the men and women serving in the United States Armed Forces.

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

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 5751, the Lobbying Disclosure Enhancement Act. The purpose of the bill is to provide flexibility to the executive branch for the enforcement of the provisions in the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.

H.R. 5751 directs the Attorney General of the United States to establish a task force towards this end. The task force is given the primary responsibility to investigate and prosecute possible violations of the Lobbying Disclosure Act. The task force is also directed to collect and disseminate information with respect to compliance with the enforcement of the act.

Legislation specifies that with the information gathered by the task force, the Attorney General may make recommendations to Congress with regard to improving enforcement of the Lobbying Disclosure Act and the resources it needs. We expect the task force created by this bill to become a new point of contact. It will be up to the Attorney General to determine where to locate the task force and the responsibilities under the Lobbying Disclosure Act within the Justice Department's organizational structure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I do want to express concern about the process and the development of the execution or the bringing of this bill forward.

I have expressed support of it, it makes some sense--it doesn't, quite frankly, do much--but it should also be noted that there should be a proper way and process by which we move these bills forward.

This bill was introduced on July 15. It didn't show up on the whip notice until late last night. This morning, in a very bipartisan way-- and I thank both sides for working together with the staff--but we have a copy of this bill that came across at 12:15; it is now just after 2 o'clock.

The title of the bill, as read, talks about a fee that would be imposed, a penalty that would be imposed. My understanding is--and I'm happy to yield to the gentleman who is managing this bill to help talk about this--but the title of the bill talked about a new fee and penalty, but I don't think there's fees and penalties even in the bill.

There was no hearing, there was no subcommittee work, there was no committee work on this.

I would be happy to yield to the gentleman if he can help clarify any of those points.

Reclaiming my time, the annual fee, I guess, was going to be $50. To impose a penalty of $500 for failure to file timely reports--these lobbyists walk around with $5,000 bills in their pockets. I would like to see, if we had time to discuss this in committee, a $500 penalty. They get that in a half hour's work. That isn't much of an incentive for them to file in a timely manner.

The bigger, broader point, Mr. Speaker, is these are the types of discussions that really should happen in the subcommittee and in the committee, the timing of these issues, why we would make this change.

Mr. Speaker, I would just make a further point on H.R. 5751. While it moves the structure slightly and gives more flexibility to the Attorney General, obviously we want to see these laws and the compliance fulfilled as much as possible. If this will in any way help the Attorney General in doing so, so be it; we're happy to support this bill.

I still must reiterate that the speed in which this bill was offered, the lack of opportunity for members within the Judiciary Committee to properly debate this, vet this, the fact that we were still dealing back and forth with some staff--and, again, I appreciate the bipartisan way in which it was done, but at the same time, these are the types of things that get vetted and ferreted out with better discussion and review. I think we could have made it stronger, quite frankly. We could have added some real teeth to it, that's unfortunate, but nevertheless, we do urge its passage.

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

Will the gentlewoman yield for a question?

Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, my question is about the fees. Originally, the title said there was going to be a fee and that there was going to be a penalty. And suddenly, why did those come out? If you want accountability, why would you take out the penalty?

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember and honor the late Arnold Friberg, a proud Utahn and world-renowned artist. Mr. Friberg passed away July 1, 2010 at 96 years young, just nine days following an agreement to create the Arnold Friberg Museum of Art. The Utah Cultural Arts Foundation will manage the museum and ensure the masterpieces of Mr. Friberg will be enjoyed by generations to come.

Mr. Friberg's patriotic depictions of General George Washington, his sketches for the famed ``The Ten Commandments'' movie, and his paintings of individuals and events from The Book of Mormon will forever be remembered in this newly created Museum.

In preparation of what became Mr. Friberg's defining artistic moment, Mr. Friberg traveled to Valley Forge, in the dead of winter, to identify with the bitter conditions General George Washington and the Continental Army experienced during the winter of 1777-1778. As Mr. Friberg put it, ``Art to me is a service, to bring enrichment to people's lives. That's why I want my art to be perfectly understood. One of the

things I work for is clarity.'' The completed piece was released during an American bicentennial ceremony and captures the very essence of American pride and patriotism. For those of you who have seen ``The Prayer at Valley Forge'', the suffering, the pressure, and General Washington's faith in America is perfectly understood and visualized.

In the 1950's, Mr. Friberg partnered with Hollywood producer Cecil B. DeMille to serve as chief artist and designer for DeMille's epic motion-picture, ``The Ten Commandments.'' Mr. Friberg's 15 paintings for ``The Ten Commandments'' served as the pictorial basis for the scenes, characters, and costumes of the legendary film. For his efforts, Mr. Friberg earned an Academy Award Nomination in 1956.

Other famous works include Mr. Friberg's work for his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Mr. Friberg painted and designed covers for the children's magazine, The Friend, and has depicted well-known scenes and moments from The Book of Mormon. These paintings are loved and celebrated by members of the LDS Church around the world.

Mr. Friberg was born in a Chicago suburb, but by the 1950's, he was an established resident of Utah. Utah Governor Gary Herbert recently called Mr. Friberg Utah's ``adopted son.'' His Utah family will miss him, but his memory and his artwork will live on forever.

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

I rise today in support of H.R. 5341, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 100 Orndorf Drive in Brighton, Michigan, as the Joyce Rogers Post Office Building.

Mr. Speaker, it is altogether fitting and proper that we name this Post Office in Brighton for Joyce Rogers, a woman who fought day and night, day in and day out to promote business development and spur economic growth in and around Brighton, Michigan.

Known by many as the queen bee and matriarch of Brighton, Joyce Rogers was born in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1931. Mrs. Rogers and her husband, John Rogers, moved to Brighton in 1968. Within a few years of her relocation to Brighton, Mrs. Rogers became an executive director of the Greater Brighton Area Chamber of Commerce. When Mrs. Rogers took over the fledgling organization back in 1972, it consisted of roughly 50 members. Remarkably today, the chamber boosts well over 1,000 members. And under her stewardship, the chamber embarked on an ambitious journey to put Brighton on the map. The economic expansion that has followed in and around the Brighton area is truly remarkable and can be attributed to the leadership and perseverance of Mrs. Rogers.

For her tireless efforts, Mrs. Rogers was named the Most Powerful Person in Livingston County in 1996, and fittingly the Chamber of Commerce building has been named the Joyce A. Rogers Business Center. Aside from being executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, Mrs. Rogers also served in various other local organizations, including the Livingston County Board of Commissioners, the City of Brighton Downtown Development Authority, and the Livingston County Economic Development Council.

In 2001 Mrs. Rogers' health began to decline. In that year, she underwent open heart surgery. The following year she decided to step down from the chamber after three decades as the executive director. Sadly, on November 4, 2009, Mrs. Rogers lost her long battle with a chronic illness and passed away at the age of 78. She is survived by her husband of 57 years and her five sons.

The legacy left behind by Mrs. Rogers is not only marked by the economic development seen around Brighton, but also in the family that survives her, a family that, like their mother, is truly dedicated to public service. In fact, her youngest son, Mike, is a colleague of ours here in the House of Representatives. It is truly a great privilege to have the opportunity to speak on the floor today to honor the mother of this distinguished colleague.

Aside from my colleague from Michigan, Mrs. Rogers' eldest son, Bill, served on the Livingston County Board of Commissioners and now represents Michigan's 66th district in the Michigan State House of Representatives. Another son, Jim Rogers, is a major general in the United States Army, making us all proud.

And still today her husband, John, is serving his community as the trustee of the Brighton Township Board of Trustees.

Mr. Speaker, it is proper that we pass this legislation to honor the memory of a true leader and public servant, Joyce Rogers. I urge all Members to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague from Michigan, Mike Rogers.

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

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

Bills brought before the House, the majority gets to direct which bills are brought up and which are not brought up, and with all due respect to Mr. Murphy, a great Member of Congress, this is a wonderful race course--I know there are many Americans that enjoy horse racing-- but candidly, I struggle to go through this and understand why on the floor of the House of Representatives that this seems to rise to the level of recognition.

We have so many problems and challenges facing this country, so many issues that we could and should be debating. We should be debating a budget, for instance, which is not being brought before this body. We should be talking about the debt and the deficit and those other things that are going to affect every Americans' life. And I recognize that there are times when we need to step up and recognize some truly worthy accomplishments, and we honor and name post offices and whatnot, but when it comes to the world of sport, I continue to voice my opposition that this is the time and the place to actually have a ``debate'' about whether or not the 142nd season is worthy of recognition in a resolution from the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I'm sure there are some young kids that are here. They're going to go back and talk about their time at the House of Representatives, and they're here in the audience. And they're going to go back and talk to their teachers and the teachers are going to ask, What did you talk about? Did you talk about the war on terror? Did you talk about the debt? Oh, no. They were honoring a race course. A race course. So it's terribly frustrating.

There is a way to honor and recognize, through Members of Congress, great accomplishments and a new racing season at a local race track, but, honestly, I just don't believe this is the way to do it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Again, Mr. Speaker, I voice my opposition. The idea, the notion that while there have been silly bills passed and offered by the minority, it's certainly not an argument to continue the status quo. I think the frustration of the American people is we're not dealing with the serious business. We're not offering a budget resolution. We're not debating appropriations bills. We're down here talking about racetracks. That's the frustration. You've got people at home right now watching on C-SPAN because they don't have a job, and we're here talking about race courses? Seriously?

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

My colleagues here, these are good Members of Congress. My point is, we need to raise the bar and start doing some serious work around here. I would agree, this is a historic Congress, because we are doing nothing right now. We are doing nothing.

I would agree with you, I will stand here, and I will have the political guts

to vote against the resolution for the South Carolina recognition of the men's--I think it's the Men's College World Series.

It's ridiculous that we bring it up. I don't care if it's a Democrat, I don't care if it's a Republican. If it's in the world of sport, they get enough recognition.

And to cite this as, oh, it's important because Sports Illustrated recognized it, well, they have a swimsuit edition. I haven't seen a resolution on that yet, and I hope we never do. The people of the United States deserve better than to debate whether or not to recognize a racetrack on its 142nd anniversary.

We have got important business. We have troops that are in harm's way. We have yet to bring up a supplemental that the President is asking for.

We have not, since, I think it was 1974 when they changed the budget rules, we have not brought before this body--for the very first time since then--we have not brought up a budget resolution to discuss the outrageous deficit that we are suffering through.

This body has not brought up appropriations bills. These are the important things that we should be doing here. We flew in yesterday to do what, debate this, men's baseball and a racetrack?

The Democrats have the House, the Senate, and the presidency. They get to determine what bills are brought up, and I will grant you, there are silly bills offered by both sides, but it's time to get serious about the people's work. There are people who are suffering out there, and the frustration is that we waste our time on this.

These people in the audience travel from around the country, around the world, to come see us, what, debate a racetrack? It's an embarrassment. It is an absolute embarrassment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I am trivializing it because it is trivial. It is trivial. There are other ways to recognize a racetrack without taking the time of this body and this country on this floor. I am trivializing it, and I think that's the proper course.

Weeks ago I took a position I would not vote in favor of any sports resolutions. I don't care if they are Republican, I don't care if they are Democrat. I think the principle is these people receive more than adequate recognition for what they have.

And, hey, look, I have stood behind some of these in the past. I am here long enough. I am just a freshman. I didn't create this mess here, but I am here to help clean it up. And given my months in Congress, yes, I took a position I am not going to support any of them. I don't care who offers them, and it's time this body starts to operate on principle.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to take the gentlewoman's words down.

Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I just want to be clear; our intention here is pure. If she were asking for civility, I will take her word for it. We do have certain decorum here in the House. I just ask that we abide by that. To suggest that any Member is being dishonest or deceitful or a liar is obviously not within the history of the ongoing proceedings of this House. That's all I ask.

I withdraw my reservation of objection.

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

Let me make the point that, yes, I've voted for sports resolutions, I've even cosponsored resolutions, but I came to realize what a waste of time that is. So a number of weeks ago, I took the pledge that I was no longer going to participate. But there are examples in my past, and being a freshman year, I made some mistakes. That's one of them. But I just believe that there are more important, more worthy things that this body ought to be participating in. And probably the next thing we ought to be doing is voting on some things today; so I urge my colleagues to vote against House Resolution 1513.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I come before the House to pay special tribute to Pearl Rex-Hartzell, who passed away recently.

Pearl's life was dedicated to serving others. She said once, ``As long as I live I have to serve.'' Living up to her motto of service, she could be found constantly smiling, dancing and participating in numerous organizations. Pearl believed that ``we can't just sit back and enjoy freedom. We must work to preserve it.'' This remarkable woman had a deep love of God, country, and family, and she selflessly dedicated her life to helping all those in need.

Pearl represents the reality that a single person can make a positive difference in the lives of those around her by smiling, serving and standing by their principles.

It is appropriate that we honor her accomplishments, her example and her lifelong dedication to community service. I wish nothing but the best to her family and hope they feel the deep gratitude of Utah and truly remember this remarkable woman. She has served our community well, and we will miss her.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Senate bill 1508, the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act of 2010. The amount of waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayer dollars by Federal agencies is absolutely staggering. The Office of Management and Budget, the OMB, has reported that nearly $100 billion is wasted each year as a result of mistakes by our Federal agencies when paying for products and services. Last year, roughly $98 billion was lost in improper payments, $98 billion, the result of fraud or poor financial management. Half of this came from Medicare and Medicaid programs alone.

Ninety-eight billion dollars is more than double the budget of the Department of Homeland Security. At a time when our country is facing record budget deficits, we cannot afford to lose billions of dollars each year to mistakes and fraud.

Mr. Speaker, in April of this year, the House passed H.R. 3393, the companion to Senate bill 1508. The Senate has since made improvements to the legislation that will strengthen our ability to eliminate improper payments and recover lost funds. Like H.R. 3393, Senate bill 1508 helps prevent improper payments by requiring agencies to report their corrective action plans and improper payment reduction targets used to remedy their payment error problems, lowers the reporting threshold for improper payments, and expands the use of recovery auditing by requiring that all agencies with outlays of more than $1 million perform recovery audits on their programs and activities to increase the recovery of overpayments.

Senate bill 1508 strengthens H.R. 3393 by requiring additional reporting and training related to fraud, and ensures that agencies take action to mitigate overpayment vulnerabilities by requiring agencies to report to the OMB and the Congress on the measures that they are taking.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation to help stop the waste, fraud, and abuse of the taxpayer dollars. We should expect nothing less.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to one of the key people in the development of this legislation, my colleague from California (Mr. Bilbray).

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

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

I rise today in support of H.R. 5390 to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 13301 Smith Road in Cleveland, Ohio, as the David John Donafee Post Office Building.

I appreciate the good work that my colleague Mr. Kucinich has done on this and his heartfelt and sincere approach to recognizing this great gentleman and the tragic situation but also the great life that he led.

Mr. Speaker, it is altogether fitting and proper that we honor Mr. Donafee by naming this post office in Cleveland for him. It was out of this post office that he was based.

On February 14, Valentine's Day, 2008, David Donafee was delivering the mail on foot along his usual route in Parma Heights, Ohio, only minutes from the post office on Smith Road. As he was crossing York Road near Independence Boulevard, Mr. Donafee was struck and killed by a vehicle driving recklessly down the street.

Tragically, the 42-year-old husband and father of two was run over only blocks from the post office to be named in his memory. Mr. Donafee was killed on a route that is notorious among local mail carriers for dangerous drivers. I hope that the tragic circumstances of Mr. Donafee's death will serve as a call for safer driving on all roads across our country.

Prior to his career of delivering mail, Mr. Donafee had worked in a Cleveland area steel mill which he had told family members he felt was too dangerous of a place to work. His older brothers recall that David took the job in the post office so that he could have a safer place to work. Sadly, the 14-year veteran of the postal service couldn't escape the danger he had tried to get way from.

Mr. Donafee is remembered by his wife as a great father and by coworkers as a generous man who ``would do anything for you.'' He had a wonderful sense of humor, and according to fellow mail carriers, he was the guy that made the place a little better.

An active member of his community, Mr. Donafee was very involved with his town of Brunswick's youth hockey league.

Mr. Donafee was born on April 29, 1965, in Parma, Ohio. He leaves behind his wife, Sandi, of almost 18 years, and his two teenage sons, Derek and Liam. Our heart goes out to this family.

Mr. Speaker, it is proper that we pass this resolution to honor the memory of David John Donafee. I call on all Members of this House to support this measure and hope they know that members of the postal community, the greater postal community, those who work and serve every day in their lives, if by this small gesture we can remember them and give some degree of comfort to that family and that we always remember them.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4840, designating the United States Postal Service located at 1981 Cleveland Avenue in Columbus, Ohio, as the Clarence D. Lumpkin Post Office.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4840 was passed by this body on March 21, 2010, by a vote of 420-0. The bill was originally passed with an incorrect street number in the address. With the address now accurate and the correction being made, I fully support the passage of H.R. 4840. I urge all Members to join me in supporting this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5450, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3894 Crenshaw Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, as the ``Tom Bradley Post Office Building.'' Mr. Speaker, it is altogether fitting and proper that we name this for the late Mayor Tom Bradley, a man who tirelessly and selflessly served the citizens of Los Angeles, and who truly embodies the quintessential American success story.

Born in Calvert, Texas, on December 29, 1917, Mayor Bradley was the son of sharecroppers and the grandson of a slave. In 1924, he moved to Los Angeles, where he was raised by his single mother and excelled in school and athletics. Upon graduation from high school, Mayor Bradley attended the University of California at Los Angeles, or UCLA, where he ran track and field, as well as achieving multiple records, and eventually became the team captain. When he graduated from UCLA in 1940, Mayor Bradley joined the Los Angeles Police Department and eventually was promoted to the rank of lieutenant. He was the first African American in the department's history to attain that rank. While working for the LAPD, Mr. Bradley attended Southwestern Law School at night and graduated in 1956. He passed the State Bar of California on the first try, and in 1961 resigned from the LAPD so he could practice law full time.

Mr. Speaker, like so many of us, Tom Bradley entered politics because he cared about the community in which he resided. In 1949, he volunteered for an Los Angeles City Council campaign and during his time at the LAPD he became active in the Democratic Minority Conference and the California Democratic Council. In 1963, he threw his hat into the political ring and was elected to the Los Angeles City Council, representing the city's 10th District. That year marked the first time in the city's history that an African American was elected to the city council, Bradley being one of those three.

After winning reelection in 1967, the always ambitious Bradley ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 1969. After winning the primary, Bradley lost in a runoff in his bid for mayor to Sam Yorty. Not discouraged by the outcome of his first try for mayor, Bradley ran again in 1973, this time beating Sam Yorty. Bradley became the first African American elected as mayor of Los Angeles. Mayor Bradley was able to win by building a multiethnic coalition that transcended race and united residents from all walks of life.

Tom Bradley would go on to serve five consecutive terms. During his 20 years in office, Mayor Bradley did much for the citizens of Los Angeles. Under his stewardship, Los Angeles became the financial capital of California and gained international prominence as the gateway to the Pacific Rim. Not only did Bradley promote and expand international trade and travel through Los Angeles, he improved social services and the lives of those struggling most in the inner city. Mayor Bradley doubled the number of minorities and women working in City Hall. And though he endured much opposition, he successfully brought civilian control over the Los Angeles Police Department.

Aside from the economic development and skyline of new and impressive buildings in downtown Los Angeles, many would argue that Mayor Bradley's greatest accomplishment surrounded the 1984 Summer Olympics hosted in Los Angeles. Amid much skepticism, Mayor Bradley was able to not only bring the games to Los Angeles, but he helped make them a huge success. Los Angeles received fame and publicity. And when the games left town, Los Angeles had a $250 million surplus that evidently continues to grow. After serving five terms as mayor, Tom Bradley resigned in 1993. He was the city's longest-serving mayor.

Tragically, in 1996, Mayor Bradley suffered a debilitating stroke that left him partially paralyzed and not able to speak. Then, on September 29, 1998, Mayor Bradley passed away after suffering a heart attack. He was 80 years old. Surviving him was his wife of 57 years, Ethel Arnold Bradley, as well as his two daughters, Lorraine and Phyllis.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I leave this body with a quote from Mayor Bradley upon his resignation as mayor, where he said, ``Let us all, every one of us, pledge to make Los Angeles a beacon of mutual respect, justice, and tolerance from this day forward.'' I firmly believe this is a pledge that not only Angelenos should take, but that all Americans should consider.

Mr. Speaker, it is proper that we pass this legislation in honor of the memory of Mayor Tom Bradley, a true American hero and success story. I urge all Members to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.