Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act.

Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Miller

Project Name: Flight Test Operations Facility (413 FLTS)

Account: Air Force

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Eglin Air Force Base

Address of Requesting Entity: Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, 32542

Description of Request: $9,400,000--Flight Test Operations Facility (413 FLTS). I requested these funds to provide the 413th Flight Test Squadron the necessary facilities to conduct developmental and qualification testing of aircraft. The entity to receive funding for this project is Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, 32542. The funding would be used to upgrade facilities necessary to ensure mission success, minimize acquisition costs and fielding delays. Functional areas include administration, operations and special purpose areas including open storage area with SIPRNET, workshop/maintenance area with compressed air, a hoist system and an electrical system capable of providing multi-phase power and covered outside storage. The squadron is currently operating at 50% of the net office space recommended by AFH 32-1084. Aircrew life support equip lockers, printers, shredders and other office machines are stored and operated in hallways because of the lack of space and overcrowding. The unit does not have a dedicated facility but is provided space in other units' facilities. The 413th occupies 19,101SF in four separate facilities, two on base and two leased off base. I certify that this project does not have a direct and foreseeable effect on the pecuniary interest of my spouse or me. Consistent with the Republican Leadership's policy on earmarks, I hereby certify that this request (1) is not directed to any entity or program named after a sitting Member of Congress; (2) is not intended for a ``front'' or ``pass through'' entity; and (3) meets or exceeds all statutory requirements for matching funds where applicable.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization bill.

Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Miller

Project Name: AFSOC Injury Prevention and Human Performance Initiative

Account: RDAF

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: University of Pittsburgh School of Health and Rehabilitative Services/Andrews Institute

Address of Requesting Entity: 1040 Gulf Breeze Parkway Gulf Breeze,

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Department of Interior and Environment Appropriations request.

Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Miller

Project Name: Santa Rosa County for Navarre Beach water clarifier

Account: STAG Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Project

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Santa Rosa County, FL

Address of Requesting Entity: 6495 Caroline Street, Milton, FL 32570

Description of Request: $220,000--Santa Rosa County for Navarre Beach Water Clarifier, Milton, Florida. I requested these funds to allow for Navarre Beach residents to have a safe and reliable source of water. Currently there is no reliable backup beyond three days for citizens. It would also increase compliance with both State and Federal regulations. The entity to receive funding for this project is Santa Rosa County, Florida, located at 6495 Caroline Street, Milton, FL 32570. The funding would be used to complete the Navarre Beach Water Reclamation Facility clarifiers to protect the area's water quality. I certify that this project does have a direct and foreseeable effect on the pecuniary interest of my spouse or me. Consistent with the Republican Leadership's policy on earmarks, I hereby certify that this request (1) is not directed to any entity or program named after a sitting Member of Congress; (2) is not intended for a ``front'' or ``pass through'' entity; and (3) meets or exceeds all statutory requirements for matching funds where applicable.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dan McKenzie, a Northwest Florida community leader and businessman who passed away on June 22, 2009. Mr. McKenzie spent his entire life serving his community and family. I am proud to honor his life of dedication and service.

Mr. McKenzie grew up in Pineapple, Alabama, the son of a sawmill owner. He chose to branch out and not follow in the family business, instead trying his hand at ranching. As a young man, continuing health issues forced him to seek medical care in Foley, Alabama where he was told he would have to leave the area completely in order to regain his health. He spent the night in Milton, Florida and said he was never sick again. Milton became his permanent home after his miraculous recovery, where he became entrenched in the local business community.

Upon settling in Milton, Mr. McKenzie began a new career in the automotive industry. His first day on the job, he sold a brand new Mercury sedan for $3,000. From there, he built a family owned automotive business that still stands to this day. For over 40 years, McKenzie Pontiac GMC Buick has provided for the automotive needs of the people of Northwest Florida. Billing themselves as a hometown dealership, their motto of ``We will treat you like family'' was a promise and not just a slogan.

Mr. McKenzie was not only a businessman, but a dedicated family man. In 1945, he married his childhood sweetheart, Mary Till, and often credited her as his inspiration. They were the parents of five daughters. Sadly, Dianne passed away at the age of 9, but left to cherish his memory are Janet, Linda, Lisa and Dana.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am privileged to honor Mr. Dan McKenzie as a man reflective of the true spirit of Northwest Florida. Mr. McKenzie will be remembered by all as a loving husband and father, a successful businessman and an important part of our Northwest Florida community.

I do rise in support of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010. As the ranking member of the Terrorism and Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, I think we have put together a good and an excellent mark. And I'd like to thank the chairman of the subcommittee for all of his cooperation in putting this together.

The members of the subcommittee have worked hard to address the many issues that face special operations, information technology, and science and technology investments, just to name a few of the areas that our subcommittee has handled.

We have provided important support to the Department's effort to enhance NATO capabilities so that our forces do not bear the entire burden of the efforts in Afghanistan and elsewhere around the globe.

I believe we should support additional efforts to increase NATO's ability to contribute, especially at a time when irregular threats are only increasing and partnerships will prove of the utmost importance.

Our bill also addresses the needs of our special operators by increasing the budget request to address the command's unfunded requirements. These forces are at the tip of the spear in our military's efforts to counter terrorism and to bring stability to regions on the brink of chaos.

The bill includes measures to strengthen the Department's ability to operate in cyberspace and to address vulnerabilities to our information technology systems. The bill directs the establishment of a joint program office to better coordinate the acquisition of cyber capabilities across the Department and continues to push the Department to establish processes for the timely acquisition of needed information technology systems.

Finally, this bill continues our previous support of science and technology programs. Sustained investment in this area is very important for our military forces to maintain their warfighting capability not just now, but well into the future.

I would say that we need to continue to work on strategic communications, combating the potential use of weapons of mass destruction, and ensuring our national defense strategy addresses appropriately the range of threats found in our security environment today.

We must not lose sight of the importance of these issues and to ensure our forces have the resources, the authorities, and the equipment needed to provide for our Nation's defense.

Before finishing, I'd like to thank our former ranking member, Mr. John McHugh, for all of his help, confidence, and advice. We wish him Godspeed. With that, I ask for my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 National Defense Authorization bill.

Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Miller

Project Name: STARBASE Freedom

Account: Civilian Education and Training

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Okaloosa County Schools/Eglin AFB

Address of Requesting Entity: Eglin Air Force Base, Florida 32542

Description of Request: $484,000-STARBASE Freedom, Okaloosa County/ Eglin AFB, Florida. I requested these funds to provide a science and mathematics education improvement program for at-risk youths in the Eglin AFB community. The entity to receive funding for this project is Eglin AFB/Okaloosa County Schools located at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. I certify that this project does have a direct and foreseeable effect on the pecuniary interest of my spouse or me. Consistent with the Republican Leadership's policy on earmarks, I hereby certify that this request (1) is not directed to any entity or program named after a sitting Member of Congress; (2) is not intended for a ``front'' or ``pass through'' entity; and (3) meets or exceeds all statutory requirements for matching funds where applicable.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, it is an honor for me to rise today in recognition of Bluford and Betty Ward on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary.

Bluford Ward and Betty Crutchfield met growing up in the small farming community of Allentown, Florida. The two met while in school at Allentown School, now known as Central High School, and their friendship grew into something more over the years. Bluford and Mrs. Betty married on June 20, 1959 at Calvary Baptist Church, right down the road from where they grew up.

Bluford and Betty Ward live the American dream. They began their life together in Allentown where they live to this day. Bluford and Betty are the proud parents of three children--Sherry, Terry, and Jennifer-- and four grandchildren. I am honored to call Bluford and Mrs. Betty my friends.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am proud to recognize Mr. and Mrs. Ward on their 50th wedding anniversary. They are truly an outstanding family from the First District of Florida.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 413, I was detained in a meeting. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor retired Navy Captain John J. Coonan, Jr., who passed away on June 12, 2009. Captain Coonan served our nation, our Navy and the people of Northwest Florida with honor and distinction, and I am humbled to recognize him.

Known to his friends as Captain JJ Coonan, John was an American patriot who served over 30 years as a career Naval Officer. He worked as a single-seat jet pilot in carrier aviation and accumulated over 5,000 flight hours and 1,000 carrier landings. JJ's command assignments varied among squadron, Carrier Air Wing, and deep draft ship command. His most notable assignment came in 1988 when he served as Commanding Officer of the USS America, a Kitty Hawk class supercarrier of the U.S. Navy. Captain Coonan's distinguished naval career is a testament to his profound dedication to his country.

Upon his retirement from active duty in 1996, Captain Coonan joined the staff at the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation in Pensacola, Florida. He began as Director of Development and later transitioned to a position as Vice President of Education and Chief Operating Officer. Captain Coonan's leadership at the Foundation had a tremendous impact on all those who visited the museum; however, his most lasting contribution is his stewardship of the National Flight Academy. The academy will be the leading aviation-inspired education program in the country. In a tribute to the life of Captain Coonan, today the National Flight Academy broke ground on the new facility, paving the way for construction and completion of the academy in May of 2011. His dedication to the service of others will live on through the academy long after his passing.

The people of Pensacola and our entire area have many reasons to be proud of Captain Coonan. My wife Vicki and I will keep his entire family, especially his wife, Kathryn, children Michael and Kelly, and grandchildren in our prayers. Northwest Florida will truly miss Captain JJ Coonan.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Lane Gilchrist, Mayor of Gulf Breeze, Florida, who passed away on June 12, 2009. Mayor Gilchrist served the people of Northwest Florida with honor and distinction, and I am humbled to recognize this community leader.

Lane Gilchrist spent a lifetime serving others. After graduating from Auburn University in 1958, Lane joined the United States Navy. He spent over twenty years both on active duty and in the reserve, retiring in 1979 as a Lieutenant Commander. He also began a career at Gulf Power, and quickly rose through the company to become Fuel and Environmental Affairs Manger. Mr. Gilchrist spent 35 years with Gulf Power, retiring in 1996.

In 1982, Lane Gilchrist was elected to the City Council of Gulf Breeze. With a salary of only one dollar a year, the city council is truly a place for those who want to give back to their community. After serving as Mayor Pro Tem for ten years, Mr. Gilchrist became mayor in 1992 where he remained ever since. In fact, Mayor Gilchrist was one of the longest serving active public officials in Florida. His dedication to the people of his community was superb. As mayor, Mr. Gilchrist guided Gulf Breeze through four devastating hurricanes-Erin and Opal in 1995, and Ivan and Dennis in 2004 and 2005. His leadership through these trying times will be forever remembered by our community.

The people of Gulf Breeze have many reasons to be proud of Lane Gilchrist, and I am honored to be able to recognize such a great leader and friend. My wife Vicki and I will keep his entire family, especially his wife, Suzie, and sons, Lane, Jr. and Michael, in our prayers. Mayor Gilchrist will be missed by all of us in Northwest Florida.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of the Fiscal Year 2010 Commerce, Justice Science and Related Agencies Appropriations bill.

Requesting Member: Congressman Jeff Miller

Project Name: Escambia Emergency Radio Infrastructure Replacement

Account: COPS Law Enforcement Technology

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Escambia County, FL

Address of Requesting Entity: 221 Palafox Place, Suite 420, Pensacola, FL 32502

Description of Request: $1,000,000--Escambia Emergency Radio Infrastructure Replacement, Escambia, Florida. I requested these funds for emergency radio infrastructure and equipment in Escambia County, Florida in Fiscal Year 2010. The entity to receive funding for this project is Escambia County, Florida located 221 Palafox Place, Suite 420, Pensacola, FL 32502. The funding would be used to upgrade the county's emergency radio equipment and infrastructure and bring Escambia County into compliance with the Federal Communications Commission's mandated changes to the emergency radio spectrum. I certify that this project does have a direct and foreseeable effect on the pecuniary interest of my spouse or me. Consistent with the Republican Leadership's policy on earmarks, I hereby certify that this request (1) is not directed to any entity or program named after a sitting Member of Congress; (2) is not intended for a ``front'' or ``pass through'' entity; and (3) meets or exceeds all statutory requirements for matching funds where applicable.

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

I thank the ranking member, and I appreciate you bringing up the fact that our friends on the majority are, again, talking about the bipartisan efforts that have been made with the Armed Services Committee, all of the extensive negotiations that have taken place. I serve on the Armed Services Committee. I am the ranking member, as Ms. Ros-

Lehtinen just said. There has been absolutely no negotiation with any member of the minority side of the House Armed Services Committee.

You know, it sounds like a great thing to support when you look at the bill, at least the title of the bill, but when you start looking at it, reading it, listening to the people who it actually is going to affect, like General David Petraeus who I met at CENTCOM last week and had an opportunity to talk to him about these specific issues, he said it is going to tie their hands, not allow us to do what we need to do and the military needs to do to train and assist in this very important issue.

Nobody, I think, has any qualms or quarrels with the majority side saying this is something that needs to be done. The issue is a jurisdictional problem with regards to whether State or DOD has input or actually controls what goes on in this program.

Look, I've been to Pakistan and Afghanistan three times in the last year. I understand what's going on there. I know how hard the Pakistanis are fighting to control what's going on in their country. We need to do what we can do to help with the counterinsurgency problem. But it's my understanding that the President does not support this particular piece of legislation and, as has already been said on the floor today, that Senator Kerry does not support this particular piece of legislation.

So those are the facts. Others may not want to necessarily address those facts and say that they are, in fact, true, but they are. And I heard a Member on the floor of the House yesterday trying desperately to get Members to understand and believe that Foreign Service members, as a whole, are actually on the front lines.

Look, the State Department cannot compel any State Department employee to go into a combat zone. This is a DOD issue. This is a counterinsurgency issue. It needs to be in the basket, if you will, of the Department of Defense. The majority's tendency to use diplomacy for every single thing should not result in a career State Department bureaucrat running a military counterinsurgency operation. It just shouldn't be so.

Look, as I said, they can't legally compel their people to go into a combat zone, but what they do is they use money for programs to fly Muslim people from the United States of America to Sweden to talk about issues in regards to Islamic outreach, which I have serious concerns with that particular program, but that's the State Department and that's what they want to do. I think they probably would have thought that the diplomatic efforts that Pakistan made in the Swat Valley was the thing that we should have done. It was not something that should have been done, and we know the Taliban broke the truce real quickly after that was done.

But look, the Department of State should not be taking the lead in this vital issue. It should be the Department of Defense. And I think that, ultimately, Members of this body on both sides of the aisle understand that.

So I urge a defeat of this flawed particular piece of legislation.

Madam Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today to recognize the retirement of Joseph Arthur, Special Assistant to the Commander 919th Special Operations Wing, Eglin AFB, Duke Field, Florida.

Lieutenant Colonel Arthur was commissioned through the Air Force Officer Training School in 1981 and entered Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) in 1982. Upon graduation from UPT, he was assigned to the 711th Special Operations Squadron as an AC-130A Spectre Gunship Pilot. In 1997, he joined the 5th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) flying the MC-130P. During his service with the 5th SOS, Lieutenant Colonel Arthur served as Aircraft Commander, Instructor Pilot, Chief Pilot, Chief of Training, Director of Operations and Combat Mission Commander.

Lieutenant Colonel Arthur has deployed and supported combat operations in the air and on the ground in support of Operations Just Cause, Restore Democracy, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. His command experience in support of the Global War on Terrorism includes serving as Mission Commander, Air Force Special Operations Detachment- South, Jacobabad Air Base, Pakistan, Deputy Commander, Joint Special Operations Air Component, Masirah Air Base, Oman. His other deployments include peacetime aerial reconnaissance missions in Central America and participation in military operations over Haiti.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I am proud to recognize Lieutenant Colonel John M. Arthur for his excellent leadership and selfless service in the United States Air Force and wish him well in his retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Mr. Claude Davis on the occasion of his 101st birthday for his lifetime of service to his community and to his country. Throughout his life, Mr. Davis has been leader in Northwest Florida, and I am pleased to honor such an admirable American.

Born in 1908, Claude Davis enlisted in the United States Navy in 1926 at the age of 18 and served for over twenty years. Mr. Davis fought in World War II and was aboard the USS Saratoga aircraft carrier during two separate torpedo attacks by the Japanese. He also commissioned the USS Antietam in 1945. Recently, Mr. Davis visited the WWII Memorial for the first time as part of the Second Emerald Coast Honor Flight.

After his retirement from the Navy in 1946, Claude purchased a farm in Santa Rosa County, Florida and began a lifetime of service to his local community. He was the first agent for the Florida Farm Bureau Fire Insurance Company, where he remained for 25 years. Mr. Davis became president of the Farm Bureau, and helped organize the annual Santa Rosa County Farm Tour, an event conducted each year by the Santa Rosa Agricultural Committee to increase agricultural awareness in the area. As one of the original organizers of the Warrington Presbyterian Church and the Warrington Kiwanis Club, Claude's record of service to the community is outstanding and deserving of this recognition.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I would like to thank Claude Davis for his lifetime of dedication and service to others. My wife Vicki and I wish to congratulate him and his entire family on this momentous occasion.