Floor Statements

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

H.R. 2802 has been adequately explained by the majority, and we support the legislation. We commend the work of Mr. Delahunt and the gentleman that he is.

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.

We believe that the bill has been adequately explained and studied, and we commend the efforts of Mr. Rahall in his working with the Members on both sides of the aisle.

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.

I appreciate the kind words and comments from my colleague Ms. Bordallo, and I thank my Democratic colleagues for supporting this bill to help the Magna Water District meet unfunded Federal mandates.

My legislation authorizes limited Federal assistance to help a community remove arsenic and perchlorate while producing more high- quality

drinking water. We have very limited water supplies in the West, and we need every tool in the water toolbox to help meet our water supply needs. This and similar legislation before us today will help stretch our supplies to meet the growing needs of our communities.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

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.

I rise today to support H.R. 2522, legislation introduced by my Natural Resources Committee colleague, Elton Gallegly, and cosponsored by Congresswoman Lois Capps.

This legislation extends limited Federal participation in the Calleguas Municipal Water District Water Recycling Project. This project is already underway to help over 600,000 water consumers with their water supply needs by recycling wastewater. The residents of the region are entirely dependent on imported water, and this bill will help alleviate that dependence by extending the Federal financial cap on the project.

Because he's flying back to Washington, DC, from his California district, Congressman Gallegly is unable to be here for debate on this bill; therefore, his statement will be included in the Record.

I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation.

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.

I rise to support legislation offered by our colleague, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden). This bill authorizes limited Federal participation in a water recycling project for the city of Hermiston, Oregon. The goal of the bill is to help the city recycle wastewater, to provide extra water for endangered salmon, and deliver water for irrigated crops. It also helps the city meet unfunded Federal mandates.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, we have no additional speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

On April 19, 234 years ago, the British commander in Boston sent a detachment of troops to nearby Lexington and Concord to impose what I am sure he thought was a perfectly reasonable gun control measure. After all, there wasn't any reason to allow people to possess guns in the park-like green commons of those pleasant little towns.

Unfortunately for General Howe, the patriots disagreed. Fortunately for us, the men who stood their ground at Lexington, at Concord, and later at Trenton, at Saratoga and at Yorktown are the men who wrote our Constitution.

And when they met in Philadelphia a decade later to form a more perfect Union, they still believed that we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights. They therefore set out to devise a government with only limited, enumerated powers so that they and their descendants would, they hoped, be citizens of a free Republic, not submissive subjects of an ever-expanding government.

Our Constitution was written and ratified by the very Minutemen and patriots who fought for freedom in New England, the Middle Atlantic States and the South. That is why we have the Bill of Rights. They knew that private property rights, free exercise of religion, the individual right to keep and bear arms, and State's rights will always have opponents. That's why they are in the Constitution.

So it is appropriate that we take time to honor the Minutemen who left us a legacy of freedom on this, the 50th anniversary of the Minute Man National Historical Park.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, with no additional speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 688, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I want to commend the Nevada delegation for this resolution urging the public to adopt the 18,000 wild horses waiting for adoption. However, it is a little confusing. Just 2 months ago, both the Democratic sponsor and cosponsor of this bill voted in favor of H.R. 1018, a bill that even the Obama administration said would make the problem worse, not better.

I am also perplexed, with Nevada's unemployment rate at 13.2 percent, how both of our Democratic colleagues from that hard-hit State could vote for a bill that would spend close to a billion dollars to expand a failed welfare program for wild horses.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H. Res. 688.

Having no additional speakers on this topic, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 670 would congratulate the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary on the 75th anniversary of its establishment as the world's first refuge for birds of prey.

From its humble beginnings in 1934 when Miss Rosalie Edge deeded 1,400 acres to the private nonprofit Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association, more than 60,000 people visit this sanctuary each year to enjoy the majestic flights of more than 12,000 eagles, falcons and hawks that live there.

This resolution also commends the sanctuary for its dedication to the conservation of wildlife and for its efforts to educate the public and the international community on the vital role that birds of prey play in the ecosystems throughout the world.

I would like to compliment Congressman Charlie Dent of Allentown, Pennsylvania, for his outstanding leadership in proposing this legislation. I am happy to join with him in congratulating the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary on its 75th birthday.

I urge an ``aye'' vote, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent).

Mr. Speaker, with no additional speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 441, honoring the Catholic sisters in the United States, who have contributed greatly to the Catholic church and to the communities where they have lived and worked.

The first Catholic sisters to live in the United States came from France in 1727 and settled in New Orleans. From this small beginning, their presence and contributions to society grew over the years. Today, there are about 59,000 Catholic sisters in the United States. Although their numbers have decreased over the years, their influence is strong and vital.

Catholic sisters founded, staffed and managed the largest private school system in the United States. They founded more than 110 colleges and universities in the United States, thus providing educational opportunity for millions of young people. In addition to schools, the Catholic sisters established hospitals, orphanages and other charitable institutions that have served millions of Americans.

Catholic sisters have long been recognized for their fair and equal treatment of all persons. They have worked tirelessly for the eradication of racism and poverty in the United States and around the world.

In recognition of the women who have added substantially to the lives of many of our citizens, I stand to recognize the Catholic sisters for their untiring dedication and for their many contributions to the fabric of the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2215, a resolution to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service, located at 140 Merriman Road in Garden City, Michigan, as the ``John J. Shivnen Post Office Building.'' I also commend Representative McCotter for bringing this forward to this body.

A graduate of Garden City High School, John Shivnen believed in hard work, humility and community service, and he lived with these three qualities in mind throughout his life.

Appointed postmaster as a young man, Mr. Shivnen served for 30 years, making him the longest-serving postmaster in Garden City. As postmaster, he was actively involved in the site selection and construction of the current Garden City Post Office. He was also an active member of the National Association of Postmasters of the U.S. for 41 years, serving in numerous leadership positions.

Mr. Shivnen's passion for community service was shown through his many efforts to help the community where he spent most of his life. He established the Garden City Post Office annual Christmas Basket program, and was an active member of the Garden City Lions Club.

Generous and compassionate, Mr. Shivnen's deep commitment to his community did not end after his retirement in 1996. He volunteered at the local senior center as a handyman, and his last large community project was his creation of a replica of a rural post office for the Garden City Historical Museum. Purchasing most of the replica items and working with others, the project continued until his declining health prevented him from leaving his home.

His dedication and service for his community is exemplary, and it is fitting to name the post office in Garden City, Michigan, in his honor.

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

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

I rise today to discuss House Concurrent Resolution 163, expressing support for the designation of September 23, 2009, as National Job Corps Day.

The Job Corps organization has been training young adults for careers since 1964. Job Corps's mission is to ``attract eligible young people, teach them the skills they need to become employable and independent, and place them in meaningful jobs or further education.'' By committing to this mission, Job Corps is able to successfully train thousands of youth in the United States each year.

Job Corps involves youth and a free career development program, which integrates the teaching of academic, vocational, employability skills and social competencies. This gives young people the opportunity to prepare themselves for a fruitful future, with help from the dedicated employees who ensure this program runs smoothly and effectively. These people should also be commended.

Keeping our Nation's youth in productive programs like Job Corps helps to steer the youth of the United States in the right direction. The staff and students have contributed to their communities millions of hours of community service, showing the importance of giving back to the United States of America.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for this bill designating the post office located at 630 Northeast Killingsworth Avenue in Portland, Oregon, as the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Post Office.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., became one of the most important public figures of our times. His leadership during the Civil Rights Movement helped to make America the country it is today. Because of Dr. King's many accomplishments in the pursuit of justice and liberty, it is clear that he deserves this honor and recognition.

Dr. King began his career as a Baptist minister who was also a leading civil rights leader during the 1950s and 1960s. It's hard to forget Dr. King's stirring and often quoted ``I Have a Dream'' speech that established him as one of the great American orators of all time.

Dr. King's lifelong crusade to end all forms of racial inequity was instrumental in turning the entire country towards civil rights for all citizens. His cry against segregation and other forms of discrimination brought this issue to the forefront of American culture.

Dr. King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, which helped show the world that racial discrimination could be ended through nonviolent means. He was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal. In recognition of his many accomplishments for our country, in 1983, Congress established a national holiday as a tribute to his memory.

As one of the most pivotal figures in the battle to end bigotry and discrimination on the basis of race, Dr. King led the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955, helped found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in 1957, and was instrumental in orchestrating the famous Birmingham, Alabama, protests. Realizing that his message of freedom applied to all impoverished Americans, Dr. King expanded his crusade for fair treatment for all citizens. Dr. King expanded his message to apply to impoverished Americans.

Towards the end of his life, he expanded his outreach to all races and cultures. Dr. King dedicated his life to ensuring these principles this country holds so dear, those of liberty and justice for all citizens.

I would like to thank my respected colleague, Earl Blumenauer, for introducing this important legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I want to thank Chairman Towns and I want to thank Ranking Member Issa for the bipartisan support and effort to move this bill forward. It's an important piece of legislation.

H.R. 22 is needed to avoid a taxpayer-funded bailout to the United States Postal Service. The United States Postal Service is the only Federal entity required to prefund its pension and retiree health plans. H.R. 22 would enable the United States Postal Service to use its existing revenues that have been funded over the years through its own operations to pay for retiree health benefits as opposed to using this year's operating revenues.

While the United States Postal Service needs to continue to reduce costs, one of the impressive things that has happened is that they have reduced their workforce by 22 percent since 1999, a 22 percent reduction in their workforce since 1999, compared to a 13 percent increase in the Federal workforce in other parts of the government.

The main driver of the United States Postal Service debt has been the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act's requirement to prefund 80 percent of its future retiree health benefit costs, a 75-year liability, in just 10 years. No other business or government entity in the United States does that. Had it not been for this prefunding, the United States Postal Service would actually have shown a profit, and that's why I think you see broad bipartisan support with 339 cosponsors on this bill in support of H.R. 22.

I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this so that we can avoid a taxpayer bailout that would be needed.

Finally, let me just mention the good men and women who work so hard, so diligently, that care so much. My hat's off to them for the good work that they do for this country and the United States Postal Service.

Madam Speaker, volunteering in America 2009 found that a total of 61.8 million Americans volunteered through an organization in 2008.

For the fourth year in a row, Utah was the top volunteer state with a volunteer rate of 43.5%. With a whopping 62.9% volunteer rate, Provo, Utah again led the nation in volunteering rates from mid-sized cities.

Every day millions of Americans are helping to solve some of our toughest challenges. Instead of turning inward, Americans are responding to tough times by reaching out to help others in need.

Volunteering is a great way to address pressing community needs and the people of

Provo, Utah are demonstrating that on a daily basis.

During this prolonged economic recession, the need of volunteers is growing. I am proud of the many Provo city residents who are pitching in to help.

Mr. Speaker, the United States has the best health care in the world, but if you don't have insurance, you have that sinking pit in your stomach that is scary. It is very scary.

But I think I feel like most Americans. I want insurance that I can own. If I lose my job or move to another job or my job leaves me, I want to be able to make sure that I have something that is portable. I am willing to pay my fair share. I want to be able to be covered for catastrophic events.

But I also want to make sure that others pay their fair share. I want to find insurance, even if I have a preexisting condition, and I want the freedom to choose the insurance that best fits our family's needs.

But, most of all, I don't want a Washington, DC, politician making decisions that should be made between my wife and our doctor. When our sons or daughters need help, I don't want somebody in Washington, DC, to deny it. If my mother or father needs help, I don't want to wait for a government bureaucrat to decide whether or not they are going to be cared for.

In other words, we must stop the government takeover of health care. We need reform, but we don't need more government.