Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Peter Myers, Missouri State Representative for the 160th legislative district. Rep. Myers is retiring from the Missouri General Assembly after eight years of distinguished service.

Rep. Myers was born on January 4, 1931 in Racine, Wisconsin. Upon graduation from William Horlick High School in Racine, Wisconsin, he earned a Bachelor's degree in agriculture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1953. Rep. Myers proudly served his country from 1953-1955 as a 1st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Ordinance Corp. Rep. Myers then moved to Southeast Missouri in 1955, to own and operate a farm on the outskirts of Sikeston, MO. From 1955-1982, Rep. Myers worked the land and spent countless days in the fields cultivating crops. During this time, Rep. Myers gained a reputation as being an extremely knowledgable and skilled farmer.

In the early eighties, Rep. Myers ventured into public service by accepting positions with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Although Rep. Myers had been involved in many civic organizations and recognized as a leader in Missouri Agriculture, he was able to bring his expertise to a national level. He served in several capacities throughout USDA, and eventually rose to the level of Deputy Secretary of Agriculture during the Reagan Administration. After Rep. Myers' service to USDA, he remained a strong voice for the American farmer.

In 1998, Rep. Myers decided to further serve Missourians in the General Assembly. He won a seat in the Missouri House of Representatives, representing the 160th District. Rep. Myers eventually rose to become the Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture. Missourians have been fortunate to have such a devoted and well-versed member of the General Assembly. In addition to Rep. Myers' legislative duties, he advises Adopt a Farm Family of America, Inc., which is a Christian organization that provides support to rural citizens. Rep. Myers has committed his life to bettering the lives not just of farmers or his constituents, but of all Missourians.

As Rep. Myers completes his final term in the Missouri General Assembly, he can rest assured his actions in Jefferson City are well- respected by all Missouri farmers. His wife Mary and five children deserve to be commended as well, for they have supported Rep. Myers through the years. I once again congratulate Rep. Myers on his devoted service to the citizens of Missouri's 160th District. While Rep. Myers' time in office is winding down, I am certain he will remain a prominent figure in Missouri public life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and contributions of Kathie Simpkins from East Prairie, Missouri, who passed away on July 16, 2006. Kathie was a standout individual, a dedicated public servant, and a true friend. As the City Administrator for East Prairie, Kathie brought innovative ideas and unbridled enthusiasm to her job.

Kathie's sense of community is strong and deep-rooted, which has made her a successful individual in East Prairie. She was even recognized as East Prairie Woman of the Year in 2005. Kathie demonstrated the kind of pragmatic, problem-solving ability that is rare anywhere in the Nation and a real blessing to us in Southern Missouri. As City Administrator, Kathie was responsible for securing and administering more than $12 million in state and federal grants.

Spending her life living in her hometown, Kathie was Southern Missouri through-and-through. She was a 1973 graduate of East Prairie High School and a 1978 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, where she majored in business administration and marketing management. Kathie was a fixture at professional and other local organizations' meetings. She was always in search of another way to serve her neighbor.

Kathie Simpkins' family and friends have lost a dear part of their life, but the entire region has lost a tremendous advocate for Southern Missouri. It will take the hard work of many individuals to fill the void Kathie has left in our community. We are fortunate to have known Kathie and been inspired by her. She leaves a legacy of good management and great investment in the people of East Prairie.

I feel very fortunate to have known Kathie, and I want to ensure that she is remembered for her wealth of good works. She is a true model of civic pride and community service. Kathie Simpkins has made an immeasurable contribution to our district, our state, and our Nation. Thank you, Kathie, and God bless you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Riverview Bible Baptist Christian School Boys Basketball Team of Forsyth, MO, On March 18, 2006, the team won the National Championship of the National Association of Christian Athletes 2006 Boys Division V, an outstanding accomplishment.

Using the work ethic and good sportsmanship which are our core values in Southern Missouri, the young men of this team cooperated to accomplish an incredible goal. Their perseverance embodies a striking lesson for our Nation as an example of what can be done when all of the members of a team work as one. In an age where sports offers so many examples of selfish play and self-promotion, the Riverview Bible Baptist Christian School Boys Basketball Team shows what is right with sports in America. These young men and their coaches also serve as an example of how teamwork can result in remarkable success. The concept of team is perfectly illustrated by these young men.

I want to applaud the Riverview Bible Baptist Christian School Boys Basketball Team, their coaches and their many supporters on an outstanding season, ending in a great victory. I also want to recognize them for providing a meaningful lesson in the value of teamwork and thank them for representing the Eighth Congressional District so well through their play in the tournament.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this commonsense amendment to protect the ability of religious groups to continue their ministries in Cuba. I am aware that opponents of this amendment will claim it is misguided and could result in tying the hands of expanded religious travel to Cuba. But experience tells a different story.

Nothing in our experience of working with the administration on Cuba policy leads to a conclusion that a liberalization of our Cuba travel policy is likely. In fact, experience tells a different story, a story of increased regulations, increased hurdles and increased difficulties in all forms of travel and trade with one of our closest neighbors.

It is a tribute to the work being accomplished by religious groups that the religious travel license has received so much support. However, we, the supporters of the right to conduct nonpolitical religious work, must remain vigilant in protecting the ability of those workers to travel to where they are called.

This amendment will accomplish that goal. Some may call it prospective. Some may call it misguided. Experience would call it necessary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mrs. Marlys Smith, a teacher at Matthews Elementary School in Sikeston, Missouri. Marlys is retiring after 31 years of service in Missouri's Public Schools.

Marlys was born on November 18th, 1952, on the Marine Base at Quantico, Virginia, to Monda and Jim Davis. The oldest of six children, she spent her early years in Mississippi County, Missouri, and graduated from East Prairie High School. She went on to receive her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from Southeast Missouri State University in 1975. Later, she obtained her Masters Degree from William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri.

As a young girl of 10, Marlys contracted a disabling bone disease that caused her to be hospitalized for nearly three months. Because of the radical surgery she needed, she lost the ability to use her right hip, until extensive corrective surgery in the last year. Rather than allow this physical impairment to hinder her in any way, she turned her energy from outdoor activities to music. The young girl from Mississippi County who became a teacher and taught everything from high school special education to first, third and sixth grades also had time to develop her voice. She sang with ``Young Americans in Concert'' in New York at Carnegie Hall, in Europe, and also for President Nixon in the White House in the summer of 1971. And then in 1993, my late husband, Congressman Bill Emerson, invited this beautiful, young lady to sing ``Amazing Grace'' to 4000 participants at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington DC. She again shared her voice in a rendition of ``Amazing Grace'' in 1996 at Bill's funeral in Missouri and in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.

Marlys Smith, the school teacher, has been a Girl Scout Leader, Sunday School teacher and a mentor to thousands of girls and boys in Southern Missouri and a friend to all who have known her. And I count myself as one of those friends. Marlys and her husband, Lloyd, who is my Chief of Staff, are family. We have shared many wonderful and tearful times over the last 25 years.

Although Marlys has been a leader in her field and a dedicated volunteer in a host of groups, her most special role has been that of a wife to Lloyd and mother to their three children, Trista, Sam and Tiffany. A working mom who, because of her husband's travels, was many times the only one at home to go to scouts, ball games and church events or to help with homework. She never complained and always has a smile on her face. Indeed the young girl who nearly died at age 10 turned into a beautiful woman who has shown a zest for life and shared her love with all those who have known her.

I congratulate Marlys on her retirement and wish her the best in all of her future endeavors. From the Emerson Family to Marlys Smith, we say thank you, and we pray you continue to spread your wonderful gifts for years and years to come.

How much time do we have remaining on our side?

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Pearce).

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

Mr. Chairman, allow me to stand up for this provision in which my friend Mr. Hobson and our subcommittee and staff have worked so hard to assemble.

We talk big about energy independence, Mr. Chairman, but here we are discussing Mr. Flake's amendment today because some of us talk the talk but we don't walk the walk. The Missouri Forest Foundation would get $750,000 from a $30 billion budget to help solve the crisis of our time, American reliance on foreign oil.

I believe that most of our colleagues would agree that this investment would pay off by finding a viable source of cellulosic ethanol in wood waste from mostly unmanageable parts of our forests.

As a source of green energy, cellulosic ethanol is limited only by our ability to harvest small trees from overgrown, unmanaged forests and generate cellulosic ethanol on a profitable scale. This project would remove many of those barriers to our energy market, and in the meantime, we will add value to our forests, 14 million acres of them in Missouri alone, and will create another value-added product to help our rural economist.

We talk a lot and we have been talking a lot lately in this body about the future of alternative fuels. This project is how we also walk the walk, and I believe it is unconscionable to turn our backs on any project to put something besides oil in the tanks of American cars and trucks, especially when it is one that is as promising as this.

Yet there is also, Mr. Chairman, a larger issue at work here: Who do you trust with these tax dollars? Some Members put their trust in the Office of Management and Budget to choose what is best for their districts, and some Members, well, they choose to put their trust in their districts back home. I trust my district, and I trust the men and women behind this project. Together we worked on this proposal. It was my idea, and we brought it to the Congress.

So now, at this point, Congress can say yes or no. But as others have said before me, I am standing up for my district, and I say it is worthwhile and we should invest in it.

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

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson).

Mr. Chairman, I yield one-half minute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky).

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

Mr. Chairman, I think everybody in Congress understands our need to get away from the addiction we have to oil, and anything we can do to develop alternative sources of energy is critical to our national and our economic security.

I want to say, too, the appropriations process is local control at its highest level, and we have to keep this authority within the Congress and not abdicate our responsibility to represent our own districts.

I urge a ``no'' vote on the Flake amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I am pleased that the gentleman has decided to withdraw his amendment, because if he had been studying this issue as long as we had in Missouri you would find, number one, that the cost of moving the mapping facility to Denver, Colorado, is an increase to taxpayers of $2,069,322, and a 13.8 percent increase over the cost today of managing this program.

Now, let me just give you a little bit of history about this. Originally the goal was to consolidate the four USGS mapping sites and find the office that would be most competitive against the private sector. This is according to the former USGS Director. And Rolla, Missouri, the facility that we have today, has scored the best out of all of the criteria that the USGS committee put together for this planning. As a matter of fact, it scored 4.18 out of a possible 5, and Denver scored 2.84 out of a 5. The USGS planning committee actually recommended that the mapping center be located in Rolla, but it was subsequently decided by one individual within USGS to move it arbitrarily, so that it would lose against private competitors.

And let me also say that the Inspector General who did a report at the request of Senators Bond, Talent and I, has found that USGS ``failed to effectively and transparently demonstrate the entirety of its criteria or communicate the magnitude of its rationale.'' In effect, the decision was made by one person who dismissed an entire team and planning process which was convened to select the site.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to yield to my colleague from Missouri (Mr. Hulshof).

Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I want to thank the gentlemen from Missouri. I also want to point out to my colleagues from Colorado that the USGS facility in Rolla provides geospatial data to the border health issue, which I know is of great interest to the gentlemen.

And I do want to correct a mistake. I did say that Denver scored 2.84 out of 5 as compared to Rolla, which was 4.18. Denver actually scored 3.11 out of 5, as compared to 4.18 for Rolla.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of the Meadow Heights High School boys basketball team in Patton, Missouri. They broke the state and national record for three point goals in a single game. On February 11, 2006, the Panthers made 36 three point goals in a 131-66 win against visiting Marquand.

The Panthers, who average about 21 three point goal attempts a game, made 16 in the first half. They broke the state record of 24 three point goals with 1:26 left in the third quarter. The basketball team scored one more three point goal in the quarter and 10 additional three point goals in the fourth quarter.

The feat surpassed the national record of 34 three point goals set by Juniata Valley High School of Alexandria, PA, according to the National Federation of High Schools, NFHS. NFHS certified the new school record on February 25, 2006.

This accomplishment was made possible by the hard work and cooperative effort of the Meadow Heights High School boys basketball team. These young men are a great example of teamwork and sportsmanship for the youth of Southern Missouri.

I extend my sincere congratulations to Head Coach Tom Brown, as well as the members of the Meadow Heights High School boys basketball team.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Steve Lukens, Assistant Principal at R.O. Hawkins Junior High School in Jackson, Missouri. Recently, Mr. Lukens announced his retirement after 31 years of distinguished service in Missouri's Public Schools.

Mr. Lukens was born on June 23, 1947, to Harry and Ella Lukens in St. Louis, Missouri. Upon graduation from high school he joined the U.S. Navy and served as an air traffic controller from 1967 until 1972. After his honorable discharge, Mr. Lukens pursued a degree in education from Southeast Missouri State University, which is also where he met his future wife, Ellen. Upon graduation from the Southeast Missouri State, he commenced what would be a long and laudable career in education.

Mr. Lukens has dedicated his life to public education over the past 31 years. He embarked on his teaching career in the Cape Girardeau, Missouri, public school system, where he served as a language arts teacher for 21 years. Throughout his time in the Cape Girardeau Public Schools, he served in several capacities for many extracurricular activities, including sponsor of the Red Dagger Club and set director for theatric productions. In order to play an active role in the lives of even more students, Mr. Lukens pursued a position in school administration.

In 1996, Mr. Lukens accepted a position as Assistant Principal at R.O. Hawkins Junior High School and has served the school in this capacity for the past ten years. During his tenure, Mr. Lukens has overseen several massive construction projects to the school, a growing student population, and the everyday challenges associated with the instruction of adolescents. As the faces change every year in the halls of R.O. Hawkins Junior High, Mr. Lukens' dedication to education and cultivating the leaders of tomorrow remains a constant. To the students of R.O. Hawkins Junior High, Mr. Lukens is more than just a school administrator, he is a friend and mentor.

Although Mr. Lukens has led an exemplary career in education, it would not have been possible without the love and support of his family. Mr. Lukens' wonderful wife, Ellen, and two loving children, Jennie and Laura, undoubtedly enhanced his ability to change the lives of area youth. As I commend Mr. Lukens, I also recognize the efforts of his family to further his career. I once again congratulate Mr. Lukens on a successful career in education and wish him well in all his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a loyal friend, a steadfast patriot, and a man without whom I could not provide the level of service to the people of Missouri's Eighth Congressional District. Lloyd Smith has devoted his professional career to our district. This month, we celebrate 25 years of his service and leadership.

For all but a few months of those 25 years, Lloyd has been a chief of staff in the Emerson office. He earned the job soon after being hired by Bill Emerson in 1981 and kept it until Bill's final days in 1996. It was Lloyd who urged me to run for this seat, and there was no hesitation when I immediately asked him to serve as my chief of staff. He has advised me in that capacity ever since.

Many things are different about the way I represent the Eighth District and the way Bill did. Lloyd has been the constant. He knows more about the Eighth District, from his Mississippi County birthplace to the sole of the Bootheel, the width and breadth of the Ozarks, the length of the Mississippi River, and all the wonderful people who live in the towns that dot our map. He knows Southern Missouri like the back of his hand.

He knows policy, politics and people just as well as he knows the topography of the district. Lloyd gets to the point quick. He is smart, true to his beliefs, and unafraid to lead. He has a tremendous sense of humor, a confident charisma, and a genuine kindness in his heart. To the many individuals who have served under him, he has been a mentor and a role model. To the two individuals he has served in Congress, Lloyd is the man to turn ideas into results. And when I run out of ideas, Lloyd always has some of those, too.

It is appropriate to thank Lloyd Smith in this venue, in an institution that has felt his influence for the past 25 years. He has served Bill and me, Missouri's Eighth District and our Nation; but, Lloyd has led each of these entities, too. I want to congratulate him, thank him, and express my deepest gratitude for all of his good work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the accomplishment of Lieutenant Brent Davis of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. After 31 years of service, Lieutenant Davis is retiring, and he leaves a long legacy of honorable service behind.

Our first responders are rare people who prize service to others above all else. Highway Patrol officers like Lieutenant Davis put their lives on hold to perform a demanding, stressful job protecting the public. In Missouri, our Highway Patrol officers do more than supervise our highways. They are reliable first responders, they are vigilant in preventing crime, they are essential in our war against illegal drugs. They are also brave, considerate, fair and tough--and no one is a better example of these qualities than Lieutenant Davis.

Lieutenant Davis joined the Missouri State Highway Patrol on January 1, 1975, and was stationed at Sikeston after graduating recruit training. On August 1, 1986, he was promoted to corporal and became the assistant zone commander for Zone 6, Sikeston. On August 1, 1989, Davis was promoted to sergeant and moved to Poplar Bluff as a zone sergeant. He worked on the road for 17 years. In September 1992, he became the Public Information Officer. Davis said he really enjoyed the Public Information/Education Officer for Troop E, where he served for 10 years. He was promoted to Lieutenant in September 2002, becoming the enforcement lieutenant for Troop E. In October 2003, Davis became the Special Services Lieutenant, in charge of Drivers Examination, Motor Vehicle Inspection and Commercial Vehicle Inspection Divisions.

Congratulations to Lieutenant Davis on his outstanding, selfless accomplishment of 31 years of service through the Missouri Highway Patrol. My thoughts are with Lieutenant Davis, his wife Janna, and the rest of his family and friends as they look back on his proud record of service and ahead to his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the accomplishment of Three Rivers Community College basketball coach Gene Bess. Coach Bess is a fixture of the southern Missouri community of Poplar Bluff and a legend of college basketball coaching. This season, he will accomplish a tremendous feat for a coach in any sport at any level: Coach Bess will win his 1,000th game.

Three Rivers Community College is lucky to have a great coach--a model of perseverance and service. In Coach Bess, the Three Rivers Raiders have a mentor, a leader, and a friend to coach them both on and off the court. For southern Missouri, Coach Bess is more than an expert on basketball and leadership--he is a student of the game of life. He is also a reminder that accomplishing our goals requires planning, hard work and plenty of sacrifice. After notching 1,000 wins, Coach Bess has also become an expert on sportsmanship. His players are instructed in the art of fair play right along with the other fundamentals of the game.

Most remarkable about Coach Bess to me and to many is that the basketball team is not the first priority in his life. He is proud of the fact that his faith and his family always come before his work. This is just one secret of his success.

But today I join with Coach Bess's family, his friends, his colleagues at Three Rivers, the hundreds of young men who have played on his teams, and the proud fans of the Eighth Congressional District to congratulate Coach Bess on achieving a rare milestone. In his long tenure as coach of the Three Rivers Raiders, Coach Bess has never had a losing season. His 1,000th victory marks a record that is unsurpassed at any level.

We are proud of this tradition, proud of this record, and most proud of Coach Bess.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to echo the concern of the President, who recently told this body and the American people that he is afraid our Nation is becoming ``addicted to oil.'' Not only is America dependent on foreign sources of this increasingly politicized resource, but supplies of that resource are dwindling and increasingly expensive. In order to assure the national security and economic prosperity of our Nation, we must find alternative sources of energy.

America's farmers have found it already--in the rows and rows of corn and soybeans I drive past each time I go home to Missouri.

Alternative sources of energy must be part of the solution to our dependence on foreign oil. We cannot ask Americans to drive to the grocery store or doctor's office less, we cannot ask our manufacturers to ship fewer goods, we will not all pick up and move from rural America to the city so we can ride the subway. The Americans who suffer most from high fuel prices live in places like Southern Missouri, where goods are shipped in from far away and our agriculture and manufacturing products are shipped out even greater distances to far- off markets. We drive farther in a day than most urban Americans drive in a week. We use tractors, semi-trailers, and heavy-duty trucks on our farms and at our factories. Energy is the lifeblood of our rural economy, and high energy costs are a crushing burden on families, farms and businesses. Rural America, in particular, depends on our freedom to travel. And in that same rural America, there is fuel growing in the fields.

Those same farmers are growing crops that could power all their vehicles. When I am out on the highway in Southern Missouri, I see literally fields of fuel--corn and soybeans that can be converted into Ethanol and bio-diesel. In Southern Missouri, we are starting to build Ethanol and bio-diesel refineries. The first few E85 stations are opening for business, selling fuel for cars designed to run on 85 percent Ethanol and only 15 percent petroleum. America is leading the way in these technologies, just as we lead the way on our farms producing the world's safest, most secure food supply. It is in the very best interests of our country to support these efforts in every possible way. Oil is the most politicized natural resource in the world, it is limited, and its use will eventually become archaic. But there are fields of renewable fuel, Mr. Speaker, everywhere.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the heroism of nine individuals in Missouri's Eighth Congressional District whose quick thinking and brave actions saved the lives of a family of five.

In the early morning hours of December 14th, a billion-gallon flood from the Taum Sauk Reservoir swept through the Johnson Shut Ins State Park. Park Ranger Jerry Toops, his wife and their three children, ages 5, 3, and seven months, were awakened to a harrowing scene as the freezing cold floodwaters crashed through their home and carried them all away.

Their rescuers were immediately set into motion. Mr. Josh McCarty, Mr. Gary Maize, Mr. Tyler Wright, Mr. Robbie Jordan, Mr. Ryan Wadlow and Fire Chief Ben Meredith of the Lesterville Fire Department, Reynolds County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Fox knew the Toops family had been in the path of the flood and raced to the scene. Also on the scene was a good Samaritan--Mr. Greg Coleman--a truck driver who had been stranded on the roof of his semi truck and heard Jerry Toops calling for help from a tree. He called the local emergency dispatcher and, as soon as the icy water receded, met the fire department and set out to find the family. Mr. Butch Walker, a neighbor, used his truck to clear a path through the flood debris for the emergency responders. They found the five members of the Toops family alive, but in urgent need of medical care.

On the ensuing ambulance rides, the lives of the three children hung in the balance. Their parents, the county, the State and the Nation all prayed that they would survive. They did. But a moment later, a minute's delay, or a notch less of urgency and the outcome could have been grim for the Toops family, laying in their nightclothes on the cold, wet ground.

If not for these nine men with their training and determination, acting fast, in the dark, frozen moments after the flood, one, some, or all of these five lives would have been lost. It is this character, selflessness, and reliability for neighbors in need that make Southern Missouri a wonderful place to live. They are heroes of whom we are proud, though they would say they are just doing their jobs or doing what anyone would do in their position. Yet they responded without hesitation, and we owe them a great debt of gratitude. I commend them today in the U.S. House of Representatives and thank God for their great deeds.