Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Dr. J.W. Remke, Jr. of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. Dr. Remke was a dedicated community leader, a distinguished optometrist and businessman admired throughout Tennessee for his willingness to help others. Dr. Remke was always happy to use his time and his energies to build a better life for his community and its families.

Joe Remke knew early in life what he wanted to do and where he wanted to live. After graduating from the University of Tennessee and the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, he returned to his hometown of Lawrenceburg and soon opened his own business, the Remke Eye Clinic. For the next 50 years, Dr. Remke could be found helping his friends and neighbors see better--in Lawrenceburg, Waynesboro, Hohenwald or Lewisburg, even a few politicians in Nashville and Washington, D.C. For Dr. Remke, work was a joy, more a hobby than anything else, and something he looked forward to. Even at the age of 79, Dr. Remke saw patients every day, right up until the time of his brief illness.

Dr. Remke's commitment to his patients was truly outstanding--just like his commitment to his community. He was a founder of the 21st Century Council, the first economic and community development organization in Lawrence County. Thanks to his leadership, major employers including the Jones Apparel Group soon established operations in the area. I don't know of any community leader in Tennessee who has done more to attract industry to his community. Whenever there was a local need, Joe Remke gave generously. He had served as President of the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce, as Chairman of the Lawrenceburg Power Board and as president of the Lawrenceburg Lions Club. Dr. Remke, along with his late wife, Peggy Jo Remke, were equally dedicated to supporting the activities of their church, Lawrenceburg's Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Even with all of his work with community organizations and local businesses, Dr. Remke was perhaps celebrated most for his generous spirit and wise counsel. I benefited tremendously from such advice when he was kind enough to help me in my earliest campaigns. Whether it was a new business idea that needed help or just a relaxed visit with an old friend, folks from Lawrence County to Nashville, Memphis, and Knoxville always knew they'd find the support and guidance they were looking for in a chat with Dr. Remke.

On behalf of his many friends in the Fifth District of Tennessee, I send my deepest condolences to Dr. Joe Remke's wonderful family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the remarkable life of Mr. Charles Hawkins of Nashville, Tennessee. Mr. Hawkins was a beloved figure in our community, recognized for his leadership in the business community, his enthusiastic and generous support to so many Nashville organizations and his constant willingness to offer a helping hand to anyone in need.

Charlie Hawkins was Nashville through-and-through. You might say it was a role in life he was simply born to do. His ancestors first called Nashville home in the 1860s, making Charlie, who was born there in 1932, the fourth generation in his family committed to building a greater Nashville for all.

Whatever Charlie did, he did with passion, loyalty and a commitment that was lifelong. He graduated from Montgomery Bell Academy in 1950 where we was named an all-city athlete in three sports. Years later, he would return to serve the school in many ways, including time spent on its board of directors. And Charlie's love of MBA went beyond his affection for the school itself. It was through MBA that he met the love of his life and his wife of 49 years, Lee Ann Allen Hawkins, the daughter of Howard Lee Allen, his high school coach.

From MBA Charlie went to Vanderbilt University and graduated in 1954. Charlie followed in the footsteps of his father and played baseball at Vanderbilt from 1952 to 1954. He became a star pitcher for the Commodores, celebrated as the first Vanderbilt pitcher to earn all- Southeastern Conference honors. His time on the Vanderbilt baseball team was just the beginning of his commitment to the sport, the Vanderbilt team and sharing his passion for the game with others. He donated $2 million to Vanderbilt for the construction of new stadium for the Commodores which opened in 2002. Today, the Charles Hawkins Field is enjoyed by Nashville families and the university community alike, as well as being recognized as one of the best baseball stadiums in the South.

Charlie Hawkins was a generous financial supporter of the Vanderbilt Commodores but it was his generosity of spirit and daily support to the individual students on the team that was truly outstanding. He never missed a game. He rode on the bus with the team to away games. His daughter, Leslie, baked `good luck' cookies for the team before every game. And his door at home was always open to any player in need of a home cooked meal or a little grandfatherly advice and support. As news of his recent battle with cancer became known, this year's Commodores rallied to his support. When his illness prevented his joining the team for one recent road trip, the team took the bus to Charlie, dropping by for a good luck send-off as they headed out of town. Even though he was not able to make some of the Commodores' final games this season, Charlie was there on the field with his team who had his initials added to their baseball caps. Clearly, Charlie inspired his beloved team. The Commodores finished the season with its best record ever, winning its first NCAA Regional title and its first appearance in an NCAA Super Regional.

Charlie Hawkins touched and helped Nashvillians in many walks of life. He founded one of the city's most respected real estate development companies, the Charles Hawkins Company. Headquartered in downtown Nashville, Charlie and his company were active in bringing new growth to the area in recent years. He served on the board of the Nashville Red Cross, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Watkins Institute, Big Brothers of Nashville, the Junior League of Nashville and the Downtown Rotary of Nashville. He also served as President of the Nashville Board of Realtors and a member of the Metropolitan Port Authority. He was also a charter member of the Woodmont Christian Church where he served as an elder and Sunday school teacher. In addition for 20 years, he conducted church services at the Retired Teachers Home in his Green Hills neighborhood.

My hometown lost a very special friend with the recent death of Charlie Hawkins at the age of 72. On behalf of the fifth district of Tennessee, I send my deepest condolences to Lee Ann Hawkins and to their four children, daughters Leslie, Mary, Julia Ann and son Bill. Charlie Hawkins' generous and joyful presence will be missed in Nashville but his spirit lives on in the many programs and individuals he inspired and supported every day.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the remarkable life of Dr. Dorothy Lavinia Brown, of Nashville, Tennessee. A pioneering force in both medicine and politics, Dr. Brown rose from humble beginnings to become one of our nation's most inspiring figures. Our country lost a great leader when Dr. Brown passed away on Sunday, June 13, at the age of 90.

Dr. Brown led a life of setting ``firsts'' and was not only the first African-American woman surgeon in the South but the first African- American woman to serve in the Tennessee State legislature. She was also the first woman to head a surgical unit of a major hospital, and the first African-American woman to be made a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Her courage, perseverance and vision are what made her so admirable. Soon after her birth, her mother placed her in an orphanage, where she lived until her mother reclaimed her at the age of 13. By then, she was already determined to become a surgeon, and she pursued that dream despite the difficult circumstances in which she was raised. She was abused by her mother, and at age 14 was pulled out of school to work as a domestic.

Describing her perseverance, Dr. Brown said, ``I tried to be not hard, but durable.'' And indeed she did not give up. She eventually won a 4-year scholarship to Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina, from which she graduated in 1941, ranked second in her class. Thereafter, she enrolled at Meharry Medical College, where she also served a 5-year residency in surgery and overcame the doubts of those who said that a woman could not withstand the rigors of surgery. She went on to pursue a brilliant career, and from 1957 to 1983, Dr. Brown served as chief of surgery at Nashville's Riverside Hospital, clinical professor of surgery at Meharry and educational director for the Riverside-Meharry Clinical Rotation Program.

Dr. Brown was not only a brilliant surgeon but a compassionate one. When a young unmarried patient implored Dr. Brown to adopt her newborn daughter, she agreed. And in 1956, Dr. Brown became the first single adoptive parent in Tennessee.

Dr. Dorothy Brown stands as a remarkable visionary and role model, not only for women in medicine, but for all Americans. Her relentless perseverance and indomitable spirit opened doors for her and others to follow. She once said that she wanted to be remembered ``not because I have done so much, but to say to young people that it can be done.''

On behalf of the fifth district of Tennessee as well as my colleagues in Congress, I send my deepest condolences to Dr. Brown's family and loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding me this time.

Many Members here today are voting for this motion to recommit for a very important reason, because if we care about State tax fairness, if one is from one of those seven States like Florida or Texas or Tennessee or Washington or Nevada or South Dakota that rely primarily on a State sales tax, the best way to give one's citizens relief is through their Rangel motion to recommit because tax relief there is permanent, not temporary. All that is being offered in the majority bill here is 2 years of relief.

What are they going to tell their people back home when they have given them a tax break for 2 years, not the permanent relief that my friend from New York is offering?

So it is very important for folks who are sincere about this issue, who really care about tax relief for their citizens, to vote for the motion to recommit. If one is from one of these seven States and do not vote for the motion to recommit, they are not truly serving their people.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Tanner and I rise today to celebrate the life of Mrs. John Wilder of Tennessee.

Mrs. Wilder was recognized across the state for her devotion to her husband, Lt. Gov. John Wilder, to her church and to the people of Tennessee. With the passing of Marcelle Ann Morton-Wilder on June 7th, Tennessee lost a passionate and generous spirit whose lifelong commitment to supporting her state, her community and her family inspired so many others.

Marcelle Wilder and John Wilder's partnership was itself an inspiration for all those who knew them. Married for 62 years, Marcelle Wilder met her husband-to-be as a young student in Fayette County. Following his election to the Tennessee Senate in 1958, and then to Lt. Governor in 1971, Marcelle joined her husband in working on behalf of all Tennesseans. She made frequent trips to Nashville to be at her husband's side as he led the Tennessee legislature. At the same time, she gave generously of her time and energy to many community organizations. She was a co-founder of the Tennessee Waltz Organization, a fund-raiser for the Tennessee State Museum. She served on the Southern Legislative Conference Ladies Committee and the National Conference Ladies Committee for many years. In addition, she was a visible and energetic member of the Tennessee Bicentennial Committee in 1996. She also was an active member of her church, the Braden United Methodist Church, and was recognized for her work in researching and writing the history of the church.

On behalf of all Tennesseans, I offer my deep condolences to Lt. Gov. Wilder, their two sons, four grandchildren and five great- grandchildren. Their loss is one that all Tennesseans share as we pause to remember the many gifts Mrs. Wilder shared with all of us during her lifetime.

Mr. Speaker, every year, the National Endowment for the Arts honors an elite group of master folk and traditional artists for their lifetime contributions to the Nation's musical and artistic heritage. The prestigious National Heritage Fellowships, awarded by the NEA, honor artists not only for their artistic excellence but for their commitment to passing on their skills and cultural traditions to a new generation.

I am especially proud that one of this year's winners hails from the Fifth District of Tennessee. Mr. Jerry Douglas, of Nashville, is a peerless player of the steel guitar, the ``Dobro's matchless contemporary master,'' according to the New York Times. He is a musical innovator often compared to Jimi Hendrix and Charlie Parker, having garnered eight Grammy Awards among his myriad accolades. He is in fact one of the few artists to have a special model of the Dobro named in his honor.

Mr. Douglas learned music at an early age, first as a singer and a player of the mandolin and guitar. But he says that once he discovered the Dobro, ``I stopped singing because it was like I'd found another way to have a voice.'' Since finding that voice, Mr. Douglas has influenced all forms of American music, including bluegrass, country, rock, jazz, and blues. He has taken the Dobro from its Southern rural roots into Celtic and even classical music, adapting his instrument to embrace all styles.

This prolific career has yielded Mr. Douglas more than 1,000 recordings. He has worked in the company of a diverse array of well- known artists, including Garth Brooks, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Reba McEntire, and the late Ray Charles. He is acclaimed by fellow musician Alison Krauss as ``the greatest Dobro player the world has ever known'' and by Life Magazine as one of the top ten best country musicians of all time.

I am honored to recognize Mr. Douglas for his achievements and contributions to American music and congratulate him on his recognition by the NEA. It is thanks to artists such as Mr. Douglas that Nashville continues to be proudly known as Music City, USA.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to take a few moments today to recognize an extraordinary young woman from Nashville, Olivia Evans.

Olivia is 13 years old and was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes three years ago. Rather than allowing this disease to defeat her, Olivia has become a tireless advocate for diabetes research and the search for a cure. I first met Olivia in my Nashville office this spring and was impressed from the start by both her courage and charisma.

I am proud to say that her advocacy has also recently won her wider recognition. Olivia was just named the winner of the Spirit of Women Foundation's regional youth Spirit of Women Award for her work on behalf of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. This award is generally reserved for young women aged 14 and older, which makes Olivia's achievement all the more remarkable. In addition, Olivia was one of only two Tennessee delegates to the 2003 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Children's Congress, which came to Washington to raise awareness about diabetes research among national policymakers.

Type I diabetes currently afflicts 1.3 million Americans, and there are 13,000 new diagnoses of juvenile diabetes every year. Olivia is fighting hard to educate all of us on the importance of funding research and finding a cure. The sooner we find a solution, the sooner we can ensure that Olivia will grow to lead a life that is unburdened by the complications of diabetes.

I applaud the Spirit of Women Foundation for recognizing this remarkable young woman, and I congratulate Olivia on her achievement. I call on my colleagues to further honor Olivia and the thousands of American children like her who live with diabetes by supporting all efforts to find a cure now.

Mr. Speaker, every fair-minded Member of this House should be outraged at the rule we are being forced to debate under today. Two hours, a giant piece of legislation will be rammed through this House in 2 hours, less than 15 seconds per Member of this body; less than 15 seconds for each 700,000 group of constituents that we have the honor of representing; less than 15 seconds each to talk about over one-half of all the domestic discretionary spending of the United States of America; less than 15 seconds per Member to talk about the defense budget of the United States at a time of war; less than 15 seconds per Member to talk about a defense budget that is larger than every other defense budget in the world put together; less than 15 seconds per Member to talk about the needs of our troops in the field while they are fighting a war.

There will be no real debate allowed under this rule for properly funding our troops. It is true, thank goodness, that finally under pressure that the Republicans have put in $25 billion to fund our troops in kind of an emergency supplemental, but the truth is our troops need more money than that. They are running out of money now. Let me repeat, our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are running out of money now.

The Pentagon is already having to raid every cookie jar in the building to try to fund their needs. We should do better by our troops. We should fully fund their needs. We should tell the truth to the American people about the real cost of this war, which is a lot

closer to $200 billion than any other number.

I had an amendment that we wanted to debate and discuss that would have put in $67 billion for our troops so that funding would not just start in October, as intended by the Republican majority and, as they put it, end in December and January. They are fully funding about 3 or 4 months of this war to disguise the true cost of it. We should fund the needs of our troops for an entire year, and we should be proud of it.

With all the life-threatening risks that our men and women face in uniform overseas, financial uncertainties should not be an additional risk; yet that is what is being imposed on them by this body with this simplistic rule which is 2 hours of debate, less than 15 seconds per Member to talk about the true needs of our troops.

The gentlewoman from North Carolina, unfortunately, was absent from the Committee on Rules when I testified. There were only two Members there. They are hurrying through this so quickly in a rubber-stamp fashion that we are not able to properly discuss one of the most important bills of the year and perhaps of the decade.

Mr. Speaker, our committee has been rated by CSIS, the Center For Strategic and International Studies, as one of the worst Committee on the Armed Services in decades. Why? This is one of the reasons, inability to do our job correctly.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend, the gentleman from Missouri, for yielding me the time.

Mr. Chairman, unfortunately, we will not be allowed to debate the true cost of this war. That is ironic because I think most Americans, whether they are for or against the conflict, at least want honest answers from this body. They want to know what the real casualty rate is, something that, unfortunately, Secretary Wolfowitz could not recall in a hearing the other day. They also want to know about the dollars and cents.

In the first Iraq war, which I proudly supported, the American taxpayer really did not have to pay even $10 billion for that war. This cost is already approaching $200 billion. That is not necessarily a bad thing because I think most Americans not only support the war; they want us to win and bring our troops home safely.

Here with this bill, despite the many fine things that are in the legislation, most every Member of this House, Republican or Democrat, has already voted for a budget which contained $50 billion for our troops, $50 billion, five zero billion dollars. But what is in this bill? $25 billion dollars for the troops. Why the difference? Why the difference?

Actually, the $25 billion is a partial victory, and I congratulate the chairman because, before, the White House did not want any money in the bill for the troops in Iraq or Afghanistan. They wanted that to be handled entirely separately. So, finally, we have an acknowledgment of $25 billion.

But is Iraq safer than it was a few months ago? Is that why the number is less than the $50 billion that we have all already supported? No. Iraq is more dangerous than it was before.

I am worried a false impression is being created here. There are many good things in this legislation, but when it comes to funding Iraq and Afghanistan, we are pretending with this

bill, and we are allowing no amendments to this section, we are pretending that the cost is $25 billion.

This $25 billion is pretty curious because it really does not kick in until October 1 of this fall, the new fiscal year; and then it will last us a whopping 3 or 4 months, so that our men and women in uniform in Iraq and Afghanistan are going to have to start worrying about Christmastime whether the new Congress and a possible new White House is going to be as supportive of their efforts. We know our troops are going to be there. We know our troops are going to be there in large numbers. Why do we not go ahead and properly fund them?

The current policy in this bill is as silly as knowing you are running out of gas when you are on a long car trip, refusing to buy any new gas until way down the road somewhere, about October, and then when you finally get to the pump, you are buying $25 worth of gas when you should be filling up the tank.

Mr. Chairman, this bill refuses to fill up the tank. It refuses to fully fund our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. It does fund them for 3 or 4 months; but that is a piecemeal, shortsighted funding scheme that does a disservice to our men and women in uniform.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, this is a sad night for this House. The budget of the United States of America should be a blueprint for our Nation, but this budget only extends 1 year. We used to make 10-year budgets, and then our friends on the other side of the aisle got more modest in their expectations. It was reduced to 5 years because they were afraid for the American people to see what lay in the 5 years beyond. Now, they are apparently afraid for the American people to see what lies beyond 1 year.

We should be preparing for the future. We should be living within our means. And for all the good things that have been said about this budget, it hides the largest budget deficit in American history.

Now, if that were temporary, that would be one thing. But what we are looking at are permanent structural deficits that will burden this economy and burden our children and grandchildren for generations. They are doing irreparable harm to our Nation.

There were some good reasons for a temporary deficit, but not for a permanent structural deficit. My Republican colleagues on the other side of the aisle are good people, but they have been misled by ideology into abandoning principles like pay-as-you-go, which helped rescue our Nation before from a sea of debt. They have abandoned the principle of fiscal responsibility that used to be the lodestar for the Republican Party.

It is so important that we pull together and live within our means, spend responsibly, and tax responsibly so that we can have a stronger Nation.

Mr. Speaker, we welcome today Pastor Maury Davis, who delivered our prayer.

Pastor Davis was arrested at age 18 for the crime of first-degree murder. Following his trial and conviction, he served 8\1/2\ years in the Texas Department of Corrections. During his incarceration, Maury found his Savior in Jesus Christ and led a revival among his fellow prisoners.

Following his unexpected release from prison, Maury served on the pastoral staff of Calvary Temple in Irving, Texas, under the leadership of Dr. J. Don George where he served as the Youth Pastor. There he met and married his wife, Gail, and in 1986 they became the parents of triplets, Gabrielle, Danielle and Galen. In 1994 their son, Dillon, was added to their family.

After 5 years at Calvary Temple, Maury answered the call to full-time

evangelism and the young family traveled across the United States preaching in churches, youth camps, Bible schools and speaking to teens in public schools.

In 1991, after preaching one Sunday at the 250-member Cornerstone Church in Madison, Tennessee, Maury was offered the position of Senior Pastor. He accepted that appointment and has led Cornerstone to its current average attendance of 2,200 people every Sunday. He is also serving as an Executive Presbyter of the Tennessee District of the Assemblies of God.

We welcome Pastor Maury Davis to the House of Representatives today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of popular music's most effective and accomplished champions, Frances Williams Preston, on the occasion of her retirement. Ms. Preston, whom Fortune magazine has called ``one of the true powerhouses in the pop music industry,'' steps down this year after 18 years as President and CEO of Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI). And while her daily presence as the leader of BMI will be missed, she will no doubt continue to make her mark on the industry that she has come to lead.

Since entering the music business through the mailroom of WSM Radio in Nashville forty years ago, Ms. Preston's passion for music and acumen for business have shaped the art both in Nashville and nationwide. Tapped by BMI to open its Nashville office in 1958, Ms. Preston oversaw the growth of an industry giant which now employs 400 people in Nashville and thousands all over the globe. Under Ms. Preston's leadership, BMI became a driving force in Nashville's music scene, helping songwriters make a living doing what they loved, much as she did, herself. And although she eventually left Music City for New York in 1986 to take the helm of BMI's national and international operations, she has always remained an active fan and supporter of Nashville music and Southern artists.

Ms. Preston's numerous awards and commendations barely do justice to her lifetime of achievement, yet she retires as one of the most decorated individuals the music industry has ever seen. Ms. Preston has received nearly every honor available to a music industry executive, including a Trustees Grammy in 1998, and membership in the Country Music, Gospel Music, and Broadcasting & Cable

Halls of Fame. Her three honorary degrees include one from the Berkelee College of Music, and she has received more than two dozen national awards recognizing her leadership and ingenuity. Esquire Magazine's designation of Ms. Preston as ``the most influential and powerful person in country music'' is typical of the respectful and admiring treatment she deservedly receives in the press.

Her expertise on songwriters' issues has also made Ms. Preston an effective and valuable resource on Capitol Hill, to the equal benefit of both her ``constituents'' and of lawmakers, and her influence has been broadly felt in the law of intellectual property. Over the years, policymakers in all levels of government have sought her counsel, including Tennessee Governor Winfield Dunn, Vice-President Al Gore, and President Jimmy Carter.

Despite her many accolades from the music industry, Ms. Preston still considers her community contributions to be among her greatest achievements. Her proudest accomplishment, she says, was her pivotal role in creating the Frances Williams Preston Research Laboratories at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. In addition to her numerous board memberships and community leadership roles, Ms. Preston was the first woman board member of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, and the first woman Rotarian in Tennessee. It is a person of commendable character who looks back on a star-filled life to see her community service as the highlight of it all.

On behalf of the Fifth District of Tennessee, I applaud Frances Williams Preston's contributions to music, business, her community, and our Nation, and I wish her a happy and healthy retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I would urge all of our Members who are from Texas, Washington, Florida, South Dakota, Tennessee, Nevada, or Wyoming to pay close attention. This may be your best time, it may be your only time in your congressional career to get basic Federal income tax fairness for your State. Let me repeat. If you are from Texas or Florida or Wyoming or South Dakota or Tennessee or Washington, this may be your only chance to get basic tax fairness for the citizens of your State. This is not a partisan issue. This is an issue of basic unfairness that has existed in this country since 1986 when the tax laws changed to deprive the citizens of our States basic tax fairness.

The citizens of those States I just named, Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Washington, South Dakota, Nevada, Wyoming, pay more Federal income tax per capita than citizens equally positioned in other States. Why? Because our basic tax mechanisms are the sales tax, not the State income tax, and we cannot deduct the State sales tax from our Federal income. So this is your best chance, this is your only chance, and you must vote against the previous question. That idea is anathema to some of our colleagues, but I think we need to rise above the petty proceduralisms of this House, rise above what your House leadership may be telling you or not telling you; and this is a choice to stand up with your people back home or to obey the rules of Washington.

Let us stand up for our people back home. Let us get basic tax fairness to our citizens. To do that, you have to vote against the previous question. This is not an ordinary vote on a regular Wednesday in Washington, D.C. This is your best chance, this is your

only chance to get tax fairness for your people back home.

Mr. Speaker, I do have the privilege of representing Nashville, Tennessee, and outlying communities in the United States Congress, and we commonly go by the name Music City, U.S.A. We are very proud of that because we may have more creative individuals in our area than perhaps any other community of the world. Some say that everyone who lives there is either a musician or a songwriter, and some just haven't cut their demos yet.

We are very proud of that musical tradition and heritage, and we believe music should be included in the curriculum in our public schools. Music education is vitally important, not only for the reasons that my two colleagues have given, and I would also like to thank the original cosponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham) for his strong support.

Music education I think is even more important than the reasons that have been given so far. When our Founders started talking about the values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, surely in the pursuit of happiness, they were talking about music. Music is literally the joy of life, the soundtrack of our lives. It accompanies our most important and most intimate moments. Whether it is a tune or a lyric that you carry in your heart forever, that is an important part of being fully human. It is also an important part of our educational system. A shocking number of our young people, some 30 million or more, are being deprived of this music education. They are being deprived of a well-rounded education.

Many Americans have seen the movie called ``Mr. Holland's Opus'' in which Richard Dreyfuss played a high school music teacher who did a superb job over decades teaching young people how to play an instrument in a band, how to appreciate music, and develop their minds and hearts to the fullest extent. Of course in that movie, Mr. Holland's job was terminated because the local school board did not think music was important. They considered it a luxury rather than a necessity.

But I think all thinking Americans realize music is important, it is not a luxury, it is a necessity, and it is very important for our young people to learn those skills. The music historian Jules Combarieu said, ``Music is the art of thinking with sounds.'' I hope that all of our young people will be able to learn to think with sounds and learns how to play a musical instrument.

The International Music Products Association deserves a lot of credit for helping focus our attention during this month on the needs of our students who need the ability to learn a musical instrument.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the many Members of this House who strongly support this resolution. I would like to thank the members of this committee who brought forward this measure with unusual speed using an unconventional mechanism, and we appreciate the recognition of music as a key part of our public education.

However, it is very important that we do not just pay lip service to this

goal because there is no funding in this bill. This is a concurrent resolution. This just encourages, this just asks the many school districts around the country to include music as a priority. Let us make it real. Let us make sure that our public schools do have music education in the curriculum and that all of our children around this great Nation have the chance to learn the sound of music.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have the honor today of congratulating the Donelson Senior Center in Nashville, Tennessee, for its recent first-place award in the 2004 Older Americans Month National Photography Contest, sponsored by the National Council on Aging.

The theme for this year's contest was ``Aging Well, Living Well,'' and it is a fitting motto for the extraordinary seniors who are the members of the Donelson Senior Center. Under the leadership of Director Jane Schnelle, the Donelson Senior Center is one of the leading community organizations in Nashville and offers a wide variety of services to thousands of seniors in the Nashville area. In recent years, the Center has become especially renowned for its theatrical productions and promotion of the arts. We in Nashville have been especially proud to support the Center's recent efforts to build the Donelson Senior Center for the Arts, one of only a few of its kind in the country.

The winning photo submitted by the Donelson Senior Center, taken by member Bob Churchwell, perfectly captures the exuberance and community spirit of the Center's membership. Titled ``Red Hat Honeys Revving Up to Age Well,'' this photo is a portrait of one of the Center's most popular groups, the Red Hat Honeys. In addition to their distinctive attire--purple dresses and red hats--the Red Hat Honeys are well-known for their many contributions to the community. Last year, the Red Hat Honeys lent their assistance to a variety of local causes, including a battered women's shelter, a school and the humane society. The group also collected items for children in foster care and for our troops in Iraq. An essay that accompanied the winning photo includes the following lines about the Red Hat Honeys: ``The Donelson Senior Center Red Hat Honeys are taking each day and living it to the fullest not only by just having a good time but by giving back to each other and the community--they are aging well and living well.''

The Donelson Senior Center and its many members are a vital and vibrant part of Nashville's community, and I am proud of the national recognition they have achieved. On behalf of the people of the Fifth District of Tennessee, I extend the heartiest congratulations and thanks to each of the seniors of the Donelson Senior Center--and especially to the Red Hat Honeys--for setting us all such a fine example of what it means to live and age with grace.