Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H. Res. 5, the new Republican Majority's rules for the U.S. House of Representatives.

H. Res. 5 contains a provision that reverses a long-standing policy, known as Clause 3, which requires the Appropriations Committee to fully fund transportation requests at levels authorized in the highway bill. The purpose of this rule was to ensure that the level of spending from the Highway Trust Fund was not greater than revenues that come in, which are paid by the users and taxpayers. This mechanism works; it ensures that obligation levels are known and fully used on an annual basis for transportation improvements.

Instead, the new rules package eliminates this guarantee of minimum annual spending from the Highway Trust Fund and puts road, transit and airport projects--and jobs--at risk. Removing the funding certainty that States rely on to secure contracts, make long-term infrastructure plans and hire employees will have a negative effect on the economy. Further, the proposed modification to current House rules could lead to reduced transportation obligation levels, less efficiency, a backlog of transportation projects, and unexpected cuts for states already facing severe budget deficits.

In Illinois, lower national obligation levels will translate into a reduced highway improvement program. With reduced Federal funds, the Illinois Department of Transportation, IDOT, will not be able to deliver its planned program, and many important projects that need additional Federal funds may be deferred.

As a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am opposed to this process of using the rules package to strip budgetary planning certainties from States. Repealing Clause 3 will not cut transportation spending; rather it will merely allow the gas tax and other revenues being put into the trust fund to accrue without being spent, leaving critical infrastructure safety improvement projects languishing.

In the 112th Congress I expect to debate a new transportation reauthorization bill to replace the current law, which expired in September 2009. The Highway Trust Fund and obligation limitations are issues that will be

discussed as the gas tax has not been increased since 1993 and available funds are decreasing every year.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly believe that maintaining an efficient, multi- modal transportation system is critical to regional and national economic growth. H. Res. 5 repeals an important policy that will hurt investment in transportation infrastructure and reduce jobs. Twenty-one transportation and economic groups are also opposed to this change in the rules package, including State Departments of Transportation.

I urge my colleagues to vote against H. Res. 5.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Army Sgt. 1st Class John P. Fleming, who was recently awarded the Silver Star Medal by U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates while on active duty in Afghanistan.

The Silver Star Medal is the third highest military decoration to be bestowed by the U.S. Army, after the Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross. First established as the Citation Star by an Act of Congress in 1918, the Silver Star is awarded for gallantry in action while engaged in military operations. The required gallantry must have been performed with marked distinction.

John Fleming grew up in Alton, Illinois, and attended Marquette High School, graduating in 1996. He enlisted in the Army in 2001. John's family has a proud tradition of military service. Both of his grandfathers served in the Army and he has a brother who served in the Air Force.

In 2010, Sgt. Fleming was in his first deployment in Afghanistan after three deployments to Iraq. On November 17 his platoon was engaged with the enemy in a Taliban stronghold in the Pech Valley of Kunar Province. Cut off from their main support, Fleming and his men came under heavy fire. Fleming had just put on his helmet before the bullets and shrapnel came raining in on them which no doubt saved his life. He took three shots to the helmet and one to his chest, which was protected by his body armor.

While under intense enemy fire, Sgt. Fleming tended to his platoon, including patching wounds in a fellow soldier's chest and back. When support aircraft were sent to his position, Sgt. Fleming provided directions to the enemy locations so covering fire could enable evacuation of the wounded. Six soldiers from Fleming's platoon died as a result of wounds suffered during the battle.

Sgt. John Fleming's courage and decisive action under the most extreme circumstances contributed to saving the lives of many in his platoon. For this tremendous gallantry, he was awarded the Silver Star, which was presented to him in a ceremony on December 7, 2010, by Secretary Gates.

Sgt. Fleming and his wife, Helen, have two sons, Thomas, and John Jr.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Sgt. John Fleming on receiving the Silver Star and expressing our sincere gratitude for his service to our country.

Madam Speaker, I join our colleagues today in offering my condolences to the victims and families of last weekend's shooting in Tucson, Arizona. They are in our thoughts and prayers during this extremely difficult time. Our friend Congresswoman Giffords remains in the hospital, and we are hopeful that her recovery will continue to progress and that she will be back here on the House floor in the near future.

The passage of a few days has done little to make this attack any more comprehensible. As much as anything, it is a chilling reminder of the fragile nature of our lives. It gives us all pause that Gabrielle was hurt doing the same things that we do every day as part of representing our constituents, that staff members were killed and injured as part of their service, and that in a public setting such as this we cannot absolutely guarantee anyone's safety.

As I said immediately after the event, without drawing conclusions about what happened here, I hope that as a country we agree to tone down the volume and animosity that has become so much a part of our political discourse. We can disagree without being enemies.

Madam Speaker, contrary to popular belief, most, if not all of us, ran for office because we want to help people--because we believe we have something to offer through public service. That is certainly true for Gabrielle. Through our grief, despite the potential risks, I think we still all agree that this work is worth doing, that we can and do make a difference, and that with Gabrielle as our example, we must push ahead as a country, as a society, to help each other the best that we can.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H. Res. 26, a rule to provide for debate on H.R. 2, the Republican attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

In September 2010, the Republican Party offered a ``Pledge to America.'' They outlined their promises to create a more transparent and open Congress; to bring bills to the floor under regular order, following consideration by committee; to allow a bipartisan debate under

open rules allowing any member to come forward and have an up or down vote on amendments to major pieces of legislation; and to reject bills that increase the deficit. Most importantly, Republicans promised to work in the best interest of American families.

Just two days after Republicans have taken over the majority in the House, we are back to business as usual under Republican control. This hypocritical rule violates each promise made by Republicans during their campaign and in the rules they adopted for the 112th Congress.

The rule brings to the floor a bill that has never been considered in committee but will repeal a law that was discussed and debated for over a year in committees in both houses of Congress. That is not the regular order Republicans promised.

Democrats brought 30 amendments to the House Rules Committee, seeking an up or down vote to preserve provisions of the Affordable Care Act that prevent insurance companies from denying coverage for those with pre-existing conditions, from canceling insurance coverage for young adults up to age 26, from dropping individuals when they get sick, from maintaining the Medicare Part D Coverage gap. Not one amendment was made in order. That is not the open and bipartisan debate Republicans promised.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill this rule brings to the floor will increase the deficit by $230 billion over 10 years, a cost Republicans conveniently excused themselves from ever having to pay in their rules for the 112th Congress. That is not the fiscal responsibility Republicans promised.

The rule will bring to the floor a bill that takes away health insurance from 32 million people, raises health insurance premiums for millions of American families, increases out-of-pocket expenses and prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries, and puts control over health care decisions back in the hands of insurance companies. That is not the best interest of America's families and seniors Republicans promised.

For these reasons, I strongly oppose this rule that violates the promises made by Republicans and the promises we each made to represent the best interest of our constituents. I urge my colleagues to oppose this rule and the underlying bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5116, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010.

I commend Chairman Gordon for his leadership in developing this important legislation, passing it through the House, and working with our colleagues in the Senate to move the measure forward.

In 2005, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) released its landmark report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm, which recommended Congress and the administration more heavily invest in science education, research, and technology to preserve the U.S. role as the world leader in innovation.

In response to this report, Congress passed the America COMPETES Act with bipartisan support in 2007.

In the three years since COMPETES was signed into law, we have made great strides in innovation, education, and technology.

However, a 2010 follow-up report, Rising Above the Gathering Storm, Revisited, clearly indicates the U.S. remains at risk of falling behind in developing and patenting new technology; publishing cutting edge research; training the next generation of scientists and engineers; and maintaining the most competitive workforce in the world.

H.R. 5116 builds upon the accomplishments of the 2007 America COMPETES in a fiscally responsible manner.

The bill reauthorizes ongoing federal research and development programs for three years at a lower authorization level than what the House passed in May, creates opportunities for innovation in the private sector through programs like ARPA-E, and trains the most innovative, competitive workforce in the world.

In addition, I am pleased the bill contains important investments in two STEM education programs.

First, the bill invests in community colleges and other two-year institutions of higher education by building connections between community colleges and Manufacturing Extension Partnerships, other institutions of higher education, research institutions, and regional innovation hubs. These investments will ensure that students have the job training necessary to secure good-paying jobs in their communities and manufacturers have a workforce with the right skill set to promote innovation.

Second, the bill ensures the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) STEM education programs mirror the important research being conducted by the agency on carbon capture

and sequestration (CCS) technology, the future of coal-powered energy; which is the nation's most abundant and affordable energy source and a vital part of Illinois' economy. Including CCS in DOE's STEM education programming will ensure that we continue to expand deployment of this important technology and train a new generation of CCS scientists.

I urge my colleagues to support the Senate Amendment to H.R. 5116.

Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the congressional career of our colleague, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar. It is hard to imagine the Congress and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee without him.

Jim began his legislative service as a clerk on the Subcommittee on Rivers and Harbors for his hometown congressman, John Blatnik. Ten years later, he succeeded his boss and won election to Congress, representing the Iron Range region of Minnesota, where he was born and raised. Over the ensuing 36 years, he has distinguished himself as an undaunted leader of our Caucus and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, working in a bipartisan way with great results even when partisanship gripped Congress as a whole. He is the foremost expert in the field, and his vision for how a reliable, efficient transportation network is critical for our national economy is reflected in every major piece of transportation law over the last 40 years. Moreover, he is a personal friend and has been a teacher and mentor for countless members and staffers, including myself.

Above all else, Jim Oberstar is a true public servant, representing his constituents and the Nation with great dedication, skill and selflessness. I know our appreciation of his efforts will only grow over time, and I also know that while it will be in a different capacity, he will continue to work to meet the transportation needs of our country. While I look forward to continuing our work together, it is with great respect and appreciation that we honor Jim's work in Congress. It is truly the end of an era.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5987, the Seniors Protection Act. When the Social Security Administration announced there would not be an automatic cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) for the second consecutive year, I urged the House leadership to bring H.R. 5987 to the floor. The bill provides a onetime payment of $250 which equals roughly a 1.8 percent increase in retirement benefits to seniors, veterans, persons with disabilities and railroad retirees.

Social Security has been a reliable source of income for 58 million Americans living on fixed incomes. Today, six in ten seniors rely on Social Security for more than half of their income; about a third of retirees have little other than Social Security to live on. In the 12th Congressional District of Illinois I am privileged to represent, 125,810 people receive Social Security and 19,365 receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.

While there was no inflation from the third quarter of 2008 to the third quarter of 2010, health care and prescription drug costs continue to significantly outpace inflation; yet seniors have not received a COLA adjustment to make up for these burdens. Swiftly enacting H.R. 5987 is necessary to ensure my constituents and Americans across the country are able to make ends meet.

Not only is this payment critical to beneficiaries during this economic discovery, the Economic Policy Institute 2010 report concluded the $250 Social Security and SSI payment provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act increased GDP by roughly 0.5 percent in the second quarter of 2009, which translates to approximately 125,000 jobs created or saved because of these payments.

Mr. Speaker, for 75 years, Social Security has served our seniors well. They have worked hard and earned their retirement benefits. Congress must act quickly to enact H.R. 5987 to demonstrate our steadfast support for our seniors. I strongly urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5987, the Seniors Protection Act. When the Social Security Administration announced there would not be an automatic cost-of-living-adjustment, COLA, for the second consecutive year, I urged the House leadership to bring H.R. 5987 to the floor. The bill provides a onetime payment of $250 which equals roughly a 1.8 percent increase in retirement benefits to seniors, veterans, persons with disabilities and railroad retirees.

Social Security has been a reliable source of income for 58 million Americans living on fixed incomes. Today, six in ten seniors rely on Social Security for more than half of their income; about a third of retirees have little other than Social Security to live on. In the 12th Congressional District of Illinois I am privileged to represent, 125,810 people receive Social Security and 19,365 receive Supplemental Security Income, SSI, benefits.

While there was no inflation from the third quarter of 2008 to the third quarter of 2010, health care and prescription drug costs continue to significantly outpace overall inflation; yet seniors have not received a COLA adjustment to make up for these burdens. Swiftly enacting H.R. 5987 is necessary to ensure my constituents and Americans across the country are able to make ends meet.

Not only is this payment critical to beneficiaries during this economic recovery, the Economic Policy Institute 2010 report concluded the $250 Social Security and SSI payment provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act increased GDP by roughly 0.5 percent in the second quarter of 2009, which translates to approximately 125,000 jobs created or saved because of these payments.

Mr. Speaker, for 75 years, Social Security has served our seniors well. They have worked hard and earned their retirement benefits. Congress must act quickly to enact H.R. 5987 to demonstrate our steadfast support for our seniors. I strongly urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6473) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, to amend title 49, United States Code, to extend the airport improvement program, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 6473.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6473, the Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2010, Part IV.

I want to thank Chairman Oberstar of the Committee on Transportation for bringing this bill to the floor today.

At the end of September, we passed an FAA extension that will expire on December 31. H.R. 6473 is a clean 3-month extension that runs through the end of March. However, I am hopeful that we can still pass a long-term FAA reauthorization bill before the 111th Congress adjourns.

There are many important provisions in the FAA reauthorization bill, such as binding arbitration for the air traffic controllers, addressing the consolidation and realignment of FAA facilities, and making investments to accelerate NextGen. In addition, the bill will create thousands of jobs at a time when our economy continues to struggle and too many Americans are out of work. Our aviation system plays a significant role in our national economy, and I will continue to push for a comprehensive, long-term FAA reauthorization bill.

I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the chairman of the full Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the gentleman from Minnesota, Chairman Oberstar.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland, a member of the committee and also a subcommittee chairman, Mr. Cummings.

I yield the gentleman an additional minute.

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

Let me also say to Chairman Oberstar, I want to thank him for his kind words about this legislation and the work that both myself and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) has done. But actually every team has to have a captain and a leader and he has been the leader. He is the person that drove every transportation bill in the last several years coming out of the Transportation Committee on the floor of this House.

I have said many times both here in Washington and back in Illinois that no one in the Congress of the United States or in my opinion in the entire country knows more about transportation issues than Jim Oberstar. He's given all of his adult life to serve his country. His entire time here both as a staff person and as a member and then as chairman of the Transportation Committee, he has left us with a legacy that we can be very proud of. And I am very certain that as we end this Congress and move on to the 112th, as we are taking up our business, we will all turn to him and continue to ask him for his advice and to help us guide our way into the future as to how we can improve the quality of life for the people of this country by improving our transportation system.

I thank him for not only his service, but personally for his guidance to me. He has been a mentor. Everything that I have learned about aviation I learned from Jim Oberstar. I wish him well and look forward to having him take my phone calls many times in the future as I turn to him for advice.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for strong support for this legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Albert Brown, a World War II veteran and Bataan Death March survivor who, after celebrating his 105th birthday on October 26, is reported to be the oldest living veteran of World War

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the distinguished career and significant regional contributions of Mr. Sam Wolf.

Sam Wolf, a resident of Granite City, Illinois, served 18 years in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1974 until he retired in 1992. Among his more notable accomplishments during his time in the General Assembly was legislation establishing community college voting sub-districts. This was important to ensure equitable representation of the different geographic areas covered by a community college district.

Sam Wolf has been a strong proponent of Southwestern Illinois College and was a driving force in the establishment of the college's Granite City Campus in 1984. Sam worked to secure funding for the Industrial Technology Center at the Granite City Campus and the development of the Automotive Collision Repair Technology program there. Sam has been a member of the Southwestern Illinois College Board of Trustees since October 1995.

In recognition of Sam's tireless efforts to expand and improve Southwestern Illinois College, the Granite City Campus is named the Sam Wolf Granite City Campus. This is a fitting tribute for a man who has done so much to provide quality educational opportunities for current and future generations.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in an expression of appreciation to Mr. Sam Wolf for his many contributions to the Southwestern Illinois region and to wish him the very best in the future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the exemplary life of Mr. Joe Hubbard, a tireless advocate and dedicated servant for people in need.

For fifty years in the East St. Louis community, Joe Hubbard has been the person that people turn to when they have nowhere else to turn. When a single mother needs shelter and food for her children; when a family has seen all their possessions destroyed in a fire; when an unemployed father has lost all hope of finding a job; or when an elderly person comes to the end of life with no family or friends to see them through their final days, there has been one response--call Joe Hubbard.

Joe Hubbard learned about families in need the hard way. His father experienced a debilitating workplace injury when Joe was young,

forcing his family into financial hardship and requiring them to accept assistance from others. No doubt this early experience, in concert with Joe's deep Christian faith and the example of some compassionate mentors, played a significant role in setting him on his life's mission of helping those less fortunate.

As a young man, Joe became involved with the St. Vincent de Paul Society and began to expand his work with the poor through that organization. Realizing the need to provide an organizational foundation to capitalize on Joe's dedication and energy, the Catholic Diocese of Belleville began Catholic Urban Programs with Joe as Coordinator, a position he has held to this day.

There are those who say that Joe Hubbard can accomplish more with one phone call than others could with a week's work. In the past 50 years, Joe has developed many contacts and knows how to pull the right resources together to solve a problem. But Joe Hubbard is not just a high-level administrator. Joe goes into the broken homes and squalid apartments to deliver assistance. He visits the sick and elderly and those in prison. He delivers the food and clothing to families. He holds the hands of people as they lay dying, listening to their final words and seeing to it that they are laid to rest with dignity.

Joe Hubbard has received many accolades for the work he has done ministering to the poor and needy in his community but that has never been what drives him. Joe's faith, his family and many friends and service to his fellow man are important to him. Joe has been quoted, ``When you are created in the image and likeness of God. . . . We all have a common bond of love.'' This statement probably best explains what has kept Joe Hubbard doing God's work for his fellow man for these past 50 years.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in an expression of appreciation to Mr. Joe Hubbard for a lifetime of compassionate care and to wish him the very best in the future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the distinguished career and significant regional contributions of Mr. Sam Wolf.

Sam Wolf, a resident of Granite City, Illinois, served 18 years in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1974 until he retired in 1992. Among his more notable accomplishments during his time in the General Assembly was legislation establishing community college voting sub-districts. This was important to ensure equitable representation of the different geographic areas covered by a community college district.

Sam Wolf has been a strong proponent of Southwestern Illinois College and was a driving force in the establishment of the college's Granite City Campus in 1984. Sam worked to secure funding for the Industrial Technology Center at the Granite City Campus and the development of the Automotive Collision Repair Technology program there. Sam has been

a member of the Southwestern Illinois College Board of Trustees since October 1995.

In recognition of Sam's tireless efforts to expand and improve Southwestern Illinois College, the Granite City Campus is named the Sam Wolf Granite City Campus. This is a fitting tribute for a man who has done so much to provide quality educational opportunities for current and future generations.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in an expression of appreciation to Mr. Sam Wolf for his many contributions to the Southwestern Illinois region and to wish him the very best in the future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the exemplary life of Mr. Joe Hubbard, a tireless advocate and dedicated servant for people in need.

For 50 years in the East St. Louis community, Joe Hubbard has been the person that people turn to when they have nowhere else to turn. When a single mother needs shelter and food for her children; when a family has seen all their possessions destroyed in a fire; when an unemployed father has lost all hope of finding a job; or when an elderly person comes to the end of life with no family or friends to see them through their final days, there has been one response--call Joe Hubbard.

Joe Hubbard learned about families in need the hard way. His father experienced a debilitating workplace injury when Joe was young, forcing his family into financial hardship and requiring them to accept assistance from others. No doubt this early experience, in concert with Joe's deep Christian faith and the example of some compassionate mentors, played a significant role in setting him on his life's mission of helping those less fortunate.

As a young man, Joe became involved with the St. Vincent de Paul Society and began to expand his work with the poor through that organization. Realizing the need to provide an organizational foundation to capitalize on Joe's dedication and energy, the Catholic Diocese of Belleville began Catholic Urban Programs with Joe as Coordinator, a position he has held to this day.

There are those who say that Joe Hubbard can accomplish more with one phone call than others could with a week's work. In the past 50 years, Joe has developed many contacts and knows how to pull the right resources together to solve a problem. But Joe Hubbard is not just a high-level administrator. Joe goes into the broken homes and squalid apartments to deliver assistance. He visits the sick and elderly and those in prison. He delivers the food and clothing to families. He holds the hands of people as they lay dying, listening to their final words and seeing to it that they are laid to rest with dignity.

Joe Hubbard has received many accolades for the work he has done ministering to the poor and needy in his community but that has never been what drives him. Joe's faith, his family and many friends and service to his fellow man are important to him. Joe has been quoted, ``When you are created in the image and likeness of God . . . We all have a common bond of love.'' This statement probably best explains what has kept Joe Hubbard doing God's work for his fellow man for these past 50 years.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in an expression of appreciation to Mr. Joe Hubbard for a lifetime of compassionate care and to wish him the very best in the future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the distinguished career and significant regional contributions of Mr. Sam Wolf.

Sam Wolf, a resident of Granite City, Illinois, served 18 years in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1974 until he retired in 1992. Among his more notable accomplishments during his time in the General Assembly was legislation establishing community college voting sub-districts. This was important to ensure equitable representation of the different geographic areas covered by a community college district.

Sam Wolf has been a strong proponent of Southwestern Illinois College and was a driving force in the establishment of the college's Granite City Campus in 1984. Sam worked to secure funding for the Industrial Technology Center at the Granite City Campus and the development of the Automotive Collision Repair Technology program there. Sam has been a member of the Southwestern Illinois College Board of Trustees since October 1995.

In recognition of Sam's tireless efforts to expand and improve Southwestern Illinois College, the Granite City Campus is named the Sam Wolf Granite City Campus. This is a fitting tribute for a man who has done so much to provide quality educational opportunities for current and future generations.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in an expression of appreciation to Mr. Sam Wolf for his many contributions to the Southwestern Illinois region and to wish him the very best in the future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 50th Anniversary of the Godfrey, Illinois Lions Club.

The Godfrey Lions Club, chartered in February 1960, has been a model service organization in the Riverbend region of Southwestern Illinois for half a century. As part of The International Association of Lions Clubs, the Godfrey Lions Club is part of a 45,000 club association with 1.35 million members worldwide. The Lions Clubs are known for their work assisting those with vision and hearing impairments and the Godfrey Lions Club has followed that service goal by providing eyeglasses, hearing aids and eye exams to students in the Alton School District.

Some of the other community services they provide include infant hearing screenings, support of centers that provide service for battered women and children, stocking food crisis centers, and support of diabetes education programs at area hospitals.

While service to individuals in need is an important role of the Godfrey Lions Club, they contribute to their community in many other ways as well, such as planting flowers at a local park and participating in community and holiday festivals.

The Godfrey Lions Club is made up of people who believe that communities are built by people helping each other. The Lions Club motto is very simple, ``We Serve,'' and throughout its 50-year existence the Godfrey Lions Club has been true to that basic premise.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the members of the Godfrey, Illinois Lions Club on their 50th Anniversary and wishing them the very best for many more years of service to their community.