Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I submit the following:

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill Number: H.R. 3293

Account: Elementary and Secondary Education

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Alabama School of Math and Science

Address of Requesting Entity: 1255 Dauphin St., Mobile, Alabama 36604

Description of Request: Provide $100,000 for curriculum development and training for teachers of Advanced Placement (AP) courses, along with upgrades to server and computer networks for the Alabama School of Math and Science (ASMS). Approximately, $25,000 (25%) will be used for curriculum development and an AP workshop for faculty; $35,000 (35%) will be used for computer lab equipment; $34,000 (34%) will be used for computer upgrades for faculty and staff; and $6,000 (6%) for server upgrades to accommodate new technology. ASMS is Alabama's statewide public school for science, technology, engineering, and math, grades 10-12. ASMS' AP program has been recognized for being in the top ten schools in Alabama for AP scores. A school with the mission of science and technology education must have adequate technological resources to carry out its purpose, and ASMS' computer network is badly outdated and in need of replacement. As STEM education continues to be a national and regional priority, ASMS is working to educate Alabama's future doctors, scientists, manufacturers and engineers.

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill Number: H.R. 3293

Account: Museums and Libraries

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: City of Daphne, Alabama

Address of Requesting Entity: 1705 Main St., Daphne, AL 36526

Description of Request: Provide $100,000 to fund improvements to library equipment at the Daphne Public Library. Of the requested funds, approximately $20,000 (20%) will go to acquisition of fiber optics cable; $20,000 (20%) for server equipment upgrades; $25,000 (25%) for computer hardware and peripheral equipment; $10,000 (10%) for computer software; $10,000 (10%) for instructional computer equipment; $3,500 (3.5%) for a computer lab printing server; $3,000 (3%) for computer lab furnishings; $3,200 (3.2%) for instructional computer materials; and $5,300 (5.3%) for other library books and materials. Daphne Library is a public library serving a rapidly growing city in one of the fastest growing counties in Alabama. Ensuring its citizens have access to relevant and effective information and new technology is an important part of sustaining the county's growth and ensuring the success and stability of the community.

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill Number: H.R. 3293

Account: Museums and Libraries

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center

Address of Requesting Entity: 65 Government St., Mobile, AL 36602

Description of Request: Provide $100,000 to fund equipment and programs to help teachers teach science and technology curriculum so area children may become more interested in science and its related industries. Approximately, $35,000 (35%) is to develop and produce teacher training modules and science and engineering learning kits that address skills development used in the engineering design process; $25,000 (25%) for the acquisition of computer technology to implement the project; $25,000 (25%) for the acquisition of science and engineering learning kits; and $15,000 (15%) to train teachers on the fundamentals of the engineering sciences. This request aligns with national, statewide and south Alabama priorities for workforce development in support of new area industries. Congress and the administration have also committed to increasing student interest and participation in science and technology education, a need the Exploreum directly addresses.

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill Number: H.R. 3293

Account: Health Resources and Services Administration--(HRSA) Health Facilities and Services

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Infirmary Health System, Inc.

Address of Requesting Entity: 5 Mobile Infirmary Circle, Mobile, Alabama 36609

Description of Request: Provide $250,000 to assist with the implementation of an Electronic Health Record System through the purchase of hardware and software, along with implementation and training as a part of phase two of Infirmary Health System's adoption of an integrated electronic health records system across four non- profit acute care hospitals and a network of other facilities. Approximately, $75,000 (30%) is for the purchase of computer equipment for use by clinicians in direct patient care areas; $50,000 (20%) for education and training of physicians and other clinical users; $75,000 (30%) for software and networking costs associated with the EHR; and $50,000 (20%) for implementation assistance from certified clinical or software specialists. Electronic Health Records (EHR) improve efficiency and reduce costs by eliminating duplicative, and potentially dangerous, tests and prescriptions. EHR also helps hospitals manage beds and operating rooms more effectively. Transitions to EHR are a priority of the Department of Health and Human Services and are a necessary component in controlling health care costs while improving quality. Infirmary Health System has committed to matching these funds fully.

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill Number: H.R. 3293

Account: Health Resources and Services Administration--(HRSA) Health Facilities and Services

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Providence Hospital

Address of Requesting Entity: 6801 Airport Boulevard, Mobile, AL

Description of Request: Provide $250,000 to fund components for future installation of 2 generators and a 3000 amp ATS including conduit to future generator location. Of the funds requested, approximately, $22,579 (9%) will be used for a generator to provide temporary power; $8,300 (3.3%) for engineering and permit; $6,000 (2.4%) for concrete pads for equipment support; $120,000 (48%) for materials; and $93,121 (37.2%) for labor. This installation will allow the hospital to use a temporary generator during major power outages at a much reduced cost of installation. The Mobile area has been significantly impacted by 14 hurricanes in the last 19 years, accompanied by widespread power outages. During these storms and others, Providence works with public health agencies to take on patients from many other local and regional facilities. Because hurricane season coincides with the hottest months of the year, reliable air conditioning is necessary for infection prevention, disease control, and sufficient ventilation.

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill Number: H.R. 3293

Account: Administration for Children and Families (ACF)--Social Services

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: University of Alabama

Address of Requesting Entity: 201 Rose Administration Building, Box 870117, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487

Description of Request: Provide $355,000 to expand the University of Alabama West Alabama Autism Outreach Center to enhance community services, physician outreach, and education programs serving the needs of rural and underserved west Alabama families, who are among 30,000 people struggling with ASD in Alabama. Funds will be used to implement community education and outreach programs using personal and telemedicine visits. Approximately, $125,000 (35%) will be used for early recognition and screening training within community medical settings; $175,000 (50%) will be used for community-based intervention services in both early intervention and education settings; $55,000 (15%) will be used to evaluate program effectiveness. This program is designed to address a public health crisis in Alabama where autism diagnoses are made one and a half years later than in other parts of the country and where children receive only 4% of nationally recommended early intervention hours.

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill Number: H.R. 3293

Account: Health Resources and Services Administration--(HRSA) Health Facilities and Services

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: University of South Alabama

Address of Requesting Entity: 1660 Springhill Avenue, Mobile Alabama 36604

Description of Request: Provide $2,500,000 for facilities and equipment. Of the requested funds, approximately $1,250,000 (50%) will be used by the Mitchell Cancer Institute (MCI) to purchase a triple photon linear accelerator, a piece of advanced cancer treatment equipment for the MCI, the only research state university-based cancer center along the upper Gulf Coast, an area with cancer infection and fatality rates higher than the national average. Approximately $892,300 (35.7%) will be used by the USA National Center for the Study of Medical Disaster Response for demolition and renovation of existing facilities; $89,230 (3.5%) for architectural and engineering fees; $18,470 (.7%) for video projection equipment and associated furniture; and $250,000 (10%) to develop and/or purchase best of breed training simulators and training videos with the overarching goal of establishing a national library for use in training. The University of South Alabama, located in Mobile, Alabama, is a public university based in the heart of hurricane country, with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the field of disaster response. The center provides hospital and health personnel in Alabama and the gulf coast region with disaster management training. The center equips hospitals, first responders, and public safety officials with the necessary information and training to prepare for and manage patients and communities' critical health and safety needs in the event of a disaster.

Madam Speaker, I submit the following:

Project Name: Elevated Water Tank Construction

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill: Department of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Account: Housing & Urban Development, Economic Development Initiatives

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: The City of Atmore, AL

Address of Requesting Entity: 201 East Louisville Avenue, Atmore, AL 36502

Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $350,000 for engineering and construction of a 500,000 gallon elevated water tank to provide a potable water supply and fire protection for the City of Atmore's industrial development park and will also augment existing water service to the Holman Correctional Institute by providing backup water supply. The total project cost is estimated to be $1,000,000. Approximately, $75,000 [or 21%] of the earmark is expected to be used for engineering; $25,000 [or 7%] for environmental assessment; $50,000 [or 14%] for in ground lines and infrastructure connected to the tower; and $200,000 [or 58%] for construction of the tower itself. The City of Atmore will provide a minimum of a 45/55 cost share and this funding will come directly from the City.

Project Name: Atmore Airport Access Road, Runway Lights, and Safety Improvements, AL

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill: Department of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Account: Airport Improvement Program

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: The City of Atmore, AL

Address of Requesting Entity: 201 East Louisville Avenue, Atmore, AL 36502

Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $475,000 for engineering and improvements to Atmore's airport, including construction of an access road to the airport terminal, rehabilitation of the airport runway lights, and improved safety zones at and surrounding the airport. The total project cost is estimated to be approximately $2,300,000, of which $1,140,000 was appropriated in FY2009. This appropriation should complete the project. Approximately, $75,000 [or 16%] of this year's earmark will be used for engineering; $100,000 [or 21%] for replacement lights and electrical equipment; and the remaining $300,000 [or 63%] will be used for construction. The City of Atmore will provide the required federal match. Improvements to runway lights and correction of grading in the safety zone area will enhance safety to the flying public while complying with FAA regulations.

Project Name: Mobile Downtown Airport Taxiway A Improvements, AL

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill: Department of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Account: Airport Improvement Program

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Mobile Airport Authority

Address of Requesting Entity: 1891 Ninth Street, Mobile, AL 36615

Description of Request: Provide $1,500,000 for airfield improvements at Mobile Downtown Airport (BFM)--Taxiway ``A'' South Rehabilitation and Drainage Improvements. Approximately, $225,000 [or 15%] will be used for engineering; $187,500 [or 13%] will be used for milling; $652,500 [or 44%] will be used for asphalt; $150,000 [or 10%] will be used for the drainage system; $37,500 [or 2%] will be used for pavement marking; $52,500 [or 3%] will be used for shoulder dressing; $195,000 [or 13%] will be used for joint sealing/repair. The Mobile Airport Authority will provide the required local matching share for these federal funds. This project will consist of rehabilitating the asphalt surface and drainage system of the southern portion of Taxiway ``A''. The existing drainage system located below Taxiway ``A'' has caused a failure in the asphalt surface of the taxiway that is located between the intersection of Runway 36 and Runway 32. If the existing drainage system is not repaired, it will continue to cause deterioration of the asphalt surface, ultimately resulting in complete failure. Taxiway ``A'' is the only connector for aircraft landing and taking off on Runway 14/32. Over 63,000 aircraft utilized Taxiway ``A'' in 2008, which is over 170 aircraft per day traveling on a failing surface.

Project Name: Alabama PALS, Coastal Cleanup Equipment

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill: Department of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Account: Economic Development Initiative

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Alabama PALS

Address of Requesting Entity: 340 North Hull Street, Montgomery, AL 36104

Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $250,000 to Alabama PALS, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Funding will be used to provide garbage and recycling supplies, education materials, volunteer crew equipment and public awareness campaign expenses. Approximately $90,000 [or 36%] will be used directly for the fall Coastal Cleanup Program; $60,000 [or 24%] for the spring ``Don't Drop It on Alabama'' Cleanup program; $40,000 [or 24%] will be used for a Clean Campus Program; $10,000 [or 4%] will be used for its Adopt-A-Stream Program; $10,000 [or 4%] will be used for its Adopt-A-Beach Program; $10,000 [or 4%] will be used for its Adopt-An-Area Program; $30,000 [or 12%] will be used for an environmental assessment and economic analysis. Alabama PALS will provide the required local match. In conjunction with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Alabama PALS has over 4,500 annual volunteers who dedicate their time and resources to this important coastal cleanup project. This coastal cleanup program will continue to benefit the entire state by keeping area waterways clean of debris thereby furthering Alabama's tourism industry.

Project Name: Clarke County Economic Development Initiative Infrastructure Improvements

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill: Department of Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010

Account: Economic Development Initiative

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: The Clarke County Commission

Address of Requesting Entity: 114 Court Street, Grove Hill, Alabama,

Mr. Speaker, the people in South Alabama and, really, all across our country want to know: Where are the jobs? Where are the jobs that were promised by the administration and by the Democratic leadership of this Congress back in February?

Without a single Republican vote, a $787 billion stimulus bill was forced on the backs of the taxpayers of our country with one simple promise: that it would keep unemployment below 8 percent and that it would create some 3.5 million jobs over the next 2 years. Where are those jobs? Instead of creating new jobs, almost 2.5 million jobs have been lost just since the stimulus bill has been passed.

Nationally, the unemployment rate is 9.5 percent, inching up closer and closer to double digits. In five of the six counties that I represent in South Alabama, that unemployment rate is already at double-digit unemployment.

Mr. Speaker, there is a serious lack of credibility in our Nation's capital. Don't take my word for it. Just listen to the American people. They want to know: Where are the jobs?

Madam Speaker, I submit the following:

Project Name: Auburn University, Biomass to Liquid Fuels and Electric Power Research

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill Number: H.R. 3183

Account: Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Auburn University

Address of Requesting Entity: 102 Samford Hall, Auburn, Alabama 36849

Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $1,500,000 to help solve our energy and security needs by creating renewable options for electrical power and liquid transportation fuel. Approximately, $375,000 [or 25%] of the funding will be used to provide laboratory analytical equipment; $375,000 [or 25%] will be used for laboratory personnel; $750,000 [or 50%] will be used for operations and maintenance expenses for conducting feedstock research, operation of fractionation, gasification, and gas-to-liquids production studies. The total project cost is $13,750,000; this particular phase will cost a total of $4,000,000. The Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts has recently commissioned several unique research facilities dedicated to processing biomass feedstocks and converting them into liquid fuels, electrical power, and higher value chemicals. This proposed initiative will capitalize on this infrastructure investment by using systems- based approaches to develop bioenergy solutions based primarily on forest residues, previously unmarketable small-diameter trees, and other underutilized woody biomass feedstocks. Alabama has been a leader in the nation in biomass fuel and this project will allow the continued research and development of this renewable fuel source.

Project Name: Western Baldwin County, AL Grid Interconnection

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill Number: H.R. 3183

Account: Department of Energy, Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Utilities Board of the City of Foley, AL

Address of Requesting Entity: 413 East Laurel Avenue, Foley, AL 36535

Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $500,000 to this public utility to construct a new interconnection point to the transmission grid for the purpose of providing additional electric capacity and increased reliability to a rapidly growing section of southwest Alabama. $500,000 [or 100%] will be used to purchase transformers, arresters, breakers, regulators and other equipment. The total estimated cost of this project is $2,500,000 and the Utilities Board of the City of Foley will provide approximately 80 percent of required funding. Project will provide stability and recovery of the electric system in the event of a natural disaster and will employ at least 20-- 30 contract employees.

Project Name: Alabama River Lakes, AL

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill Number: H.R. 3183

Account: Operations & Maintenance

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: U.S. Corps of Engineers

Address of Requesting Entity: Mobile District, Mobile, AL 36602

Description of Request: Provide an earmark (which was also requested by The President in his FY 2010 annual Corps priorities) in the amount of $16,785,000 to the U.S. Corps of Engineers to fund annual operations and maintenance at Alabama River Lakes including the old Alabama-Coosa, Millers Ferry Lock and Dam, Robert F. Henry Lock and Dam, the Claiborne Lock and Dam, and 315 miles of navigational channels. $16,785,000 [or 100%] of funding will be used to provide dredging of the Alabama River navigation channel to its authorized depths of nine feet deep and 200 feet wide. These dimensions will allow the waterways to accommodate fully-loaded barges of 1500 tons per barge or greater. A lack of dredging reduces the efficiency of a tow as silt reduces channel depths reducing the loading capacity of barges which in turn increases the costs of transportation. Funding will be used to ensure the economic viability of the waterways will accommodate economic development projects along the waterways in Alabama.

Project Name: Mobile Harbor, AL

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill Number: H.R. 3183

Account: Operations & Maintenance

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: U.S. Corps of Engineers

Address of Requesting Entity: Mobile District, Mobile, AL 36602

Description of Request: Provide an earmark (which was also requested by The President in his FY 2010 annual Corps priorities) in the amount of $23,996,000 to the U.S. Corps of Engineers to fund annual operations and maintenance of the Mobile Harbor. $23,996,000 [or 100%] will be used for dredging of the channels in keeping with the Corps of Engineers' requirements to ensure depth is adequate for ships that utilize the harbor. The Mobile Harbor will help support economic development of the entire state of Alabama, Florida panhandle, southern half of Mississippi and western Tennessee through increased international trade and support. Current vessel traffic supports a new container terminal, McDuffie Coal Terminal, and two raw material terminals supporting Alabama's steel production. Funding will assist in keeping the harbor dredged and operational not only to large ships from the Gulf of Mexico but also for the barges that utilize the waterways north of Mobile, Alabama. Post hurricane-Katrina, the Alabama State Port has become the tenth largest port in the United States.

Madam Speaker, I submit the following.

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill Number: H.R. 3170, Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2010

Account: Federal Buildings Fund

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: The Judiciary; U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)

Address of Requesting Entity: Thurgood Marshall Federal Judiciary Building One Columbus Circle, NE Washington, DC 20544; 1800 F. Street, NW, Washington DC 20405

Description of Request: Provide a judicially directed earmark of $96,000,000 to construct a new Mobile United States Courthouse, Alabama (approximately $2,600,000 for additional site acquisition; $6,000,000 for additional design; $87,400,000 construction account). The existing courthouse was originally constructed in 1932. There are major security concerns, such as the need to use public hallways and public elevators to transport prisoners, and no holding cells adjacent to the courtrooms. There are HVAC and mold problems in most of the courthouse and a serious lack of space, making it necessary to stack court documents and office supplies in hallways and on stairwell landings. Once GSA constructs the facility, the court will occupy the new courthouse and pay rent to GSA for the building. The Mobile metro area is projected to be among the fasting growing metropolitan areas in the country. The Judiciary FY10 request was $190,300,000; therefore, approximately $94,300,000 is needed to complete construction of this ongoing project.

Madam Speaker, the state of Alabama recently lost a dear friend, and I rise today to honor him and pay tribute to his memory.

Robert Milton Hope, Sr. was a native of Mobile and a 1942 graduate of Murphy High School. Following graduation, he joined the Merchant Marines and served in the Pacific on a cargo ship during World War II. After the war ended, Mr. Hope attended the University of Alabama and earned a degree in business administration. He then went on to serve in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

In 1952, Mr. Hope began working for the Alabama State Docks and dedicated almost four decades to the port of Mobile. He served in management positions at various Alabama State Docks facilities. He was appointed docks director for three terms under Alabama Governors George C. Wallace, Fob James, and Wallace again from 1976 until 1987. During his tenure, he oversaw the development of the McDuffie Coal Terminal.

In 1986, the Alabama State Docks honored Mr. Hope by dedicating the overpass that takes traffic over a set of railroad tracks into the docks' property as Hope Overpass. Following his retirement from the state docks, he served as a consultant for Volkert & Associates for several years before he retired.

In 1984, Mr. Hope was one of two U.S. participants invited to present a paper at the International Association of Ports and Harbors in Hamburg, Germany. In 1986, he received a White House appointment as a U.S. Representative to the Coal Industry Advisory Board of the International Energy Agency. He also served as president of the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce in 1982 and 1983 and as president of the Gulf Ports Association. He served on the Alabama-Mississippi District Export Council and on the board of directors of the National Waterways Conference Inc.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a dedicated community leader and friend to many throughout the state of Alabama. Mr. Robert Milton Hope, Sr. will be deeply missed by his family--his wife of 57 years, Tee Hope; his daughter, Page Hope Sute; his sons, Robert Milton Hope, Jr. and Gregg Hope; and his five grandchildren--as well as his many friends.

Our thoughts and prayers are with them all at this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, it is with great pride and pleasure that I rise to honor the distinguished career of Michael Sullivan on the occasion of his retirement as executive director of the Gulf Coast Exploreum Science Center after 11 years of service.

Mike served as a consultant for the Gulf Coast Exploreum for eight years before becoming its executive director in 1998. He and his wife, Eleanor Kulin, worked together planning and marketing the museum's major events.

In 1998, Mike oversaw the museum's relocation to its high-tech home at Government and Water Streets. Throughout his career, Mike brought 28 traveling exhibitions and 46 large-format films to the J.L. Bedsole IMAX Theater. The Exploreum was also named Alabama's Attraction of the Year in 2008 during the Governor's Conference on Tourism. The Exploreum was the most visited attraction in south Alabama and the seventh most visited in the state.

Under Mike's leadership, the Exploreum has brought one ``blockbuster'' exhibit after another to Mobile--bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors and millions of dollars to the local economy. In 2005, ``The Dead Sea Scrolls'' attracted 205,661 visitors to Mobile and an estimated $13.4 million to the local economy--in just 109 days.

In recognition of his many remarkable accomplishments, Mobile Mayor Sam Jones declared ``W. Michael Sullivan Day'' earlier this year. The J.L. Bedsole IMAX Dome Theater lobby was named in Mike's honor by the Exploreum board of trustees.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing a dedicated leader and friend to many throughout the Gulf Coast. On behalf of all those who have benefited from the Gulf Coast Exploreum, permit me to extend thanks for enriching the lives of so many.

On behalf of a grateful community, I wish Mike and Eleanor the best of luck in all of their future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, south Alabama and indeed the entire state recently lost a dear friend, and I rise today to honor him and pay tribute to his memory.

Leroy Hill was born in Eagle Lake, Florida, and was a longtime resident of Grand Bay. He served in the Korean War as a staff sergeant ranger in the Airborne division of the U.S. Army.

Following his career in the Army, Mr. Hill moved to Savannah, Georgia, and began his career in the coffee business. He worked as a Maxwell House route man for the Belford Company earning $40 a week. In 1956, he transferred to Mobile and created his own coffee business, the Leroy Hill Coffee Company,

Inc. Mr. Hill purchased the Mobile operation of the Belford Company in 1968 and soon expanded the company into the Florida panhandle. Leroy Hill Coffee Company, Inc. today has 22 locations throughout the Southeast, and its products can be found in restaurants, grocery stores, and convenience stores.

Mr. Hill and his wife, Debbie, also ran a successful cattle business that started with the purchase of his first acreage in Grand Bay in the late 1960s. He was a longtime member of the Alabama Cattlemen's Association and ABBA Shrine. He also made many charitable donations as a way of thanking his community; he donated the playground equipment for Breitling Elementary School in Grand Bay.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a dedicated community leader and friend to many throughout the state of Alabama. Leroy Hill will be deeply missed by his family--his wife, Debbie; his three sons, Roy Wayne, Todd, and Brian; his daughter, Debra Stewart; his stepdaughter, Brandy Ramsay; his 13 grandchildren; and his two sisters, Doris Gatlin and Dorthy Brooks Hicks--as well as the countless friends he leaves behind.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, the state of Alabama recently lost a dear friend, and I rise today to honor him and pay tribute to his memory. Bert Bank, a World War II hero, an Alabama state legislator and radio pioneer, was an Alabama legend.

Mr. Bank attended the University of Alabama Law School and graduated in 1940. He served his country in the Air Force during World War II rising to the rank of major. He survived the Bataan Death March as a prisoner of war for 33 brutal months. When he returned to the United States, he spent two years in the Valley Forge General Hospital recovering from malnutrition. He later wrote the book Back From the Living Dead, which recounted his experiences as a prisoner of war.

When he returned to Tuscaloosa, he started the radio stations WTBC-AM and WUOA-FM and, in 1953, he started the University of Alabama Football Network.

In 1966, Mr. Bank was elected to the House of Representatives and served two terms. In 1974, he was elected to the Alabama Senate and served one term before running for lieutenant governor. During his twelve years in the Alabama House and Senate, he introduced legislation making it a felony to burn the American flag--Alabama was the first state to pass such legislation. He also authored legislation to make it a felony to burn a draft card, another first for the state of Alabama.

Mr. Bank was a champion for veterans. He introduced legislation that made it possible for veterans of the Gulf War to participate in the state sponsored college education program. He also authored legislation that rewarded the 21 Alabama Vietnam Prisoners of War with a $500 bonus.

Mr. Bank's years of service to Tuscaloosa, the broadcast industry, and the state of Alabama were recognized with numerous awards throughout his life. He received the Thad Holt Distinguished Broadcasters Award in 1969 and the Alabama Broadcasters Association Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2008, he was inducted into the Alabama Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. He was also awarded the Silver Medal as Man of the Year by the Tuscaloosa Advertising Club and was named a Distinguished Service and Outstanding Alumnus by the University of Alabama College of Communication and Information Sciences. Mr. Bank was also presented the Bronze Star by the U.S. Air Force for his service during World War II.

Mr. Bank was a member of the disabled American Veterans, the American Legion, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He also established The Bert Bank Endowed Patriotism Scholarship Fund at the University of Alabama.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a dedicated community leader and friend to many throughout the state of Alabama. Mr. Bert Bank will be deeply missed by his family--his wife, Gertrude, and his two sons, Jimmy and Ralph--as well as his many friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all at this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise to honor the long and distinguished career of Dr. John Johnson, on the occasion of his retirement as president of Alabama Southern Community College.

Dr. Johnson received a bachelor's degree in mathematics and physics/ chemistry from Troy University, a master's degree in counseling from the University of Alabama, and a Ph.D. in college administration from the University of Alabama.

He devoted almost four decades of his life to higher education. For the past 20 years, Dr. Johnson served as president of Alabama Southern Community College, and prior to his tenure as president, he served on the faculties of Birmingham-Southern College and the University of Alabama, as well as the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education.

While serving as president, Dr. Johnson raised Alabama Southern Community College to new heights. During his tenure, Alabama Southern has been recognized by the Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education as having ``achieved the most dramatic turnaround of any college in the history of the Alabama College System.'' Alabama Southern was selected as a top ten finalist for the 2006 Bellwether Award for Workforce Development and was also selected as the 2005 National Bellwether Award for Instructional Excellence by Community College Futures Assembly and National Council for Instructional Administrators.

In 2004, Alabama Southern was designated as a National Center for Pulp and Paper Technology Training, the highest award given by the National Science Foundation for Advanced Technology Education. This distinction made Alabama Southern the only national center in rural America. In 1998, Alabama Southern was selected as one of the 10 best examples of the management of change in the American Association of Community College's report Managing Change: A Model for Community College Leaders.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing a dedicated educator and friend to many throughout Alabama. I am certain that his family--his wife, Laurie, and their three children, Adam, Russell, and Bess--along with the faculty and staff at Alabama Southern Community College and his many friends in Monroeville and throughout the State join me in praising his accomplishments and extending thanks for his considerable service to southwest Alabama. On behalf of a grateful community, I wish Dr. Johnson the very best of luck in all of his future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of one of Alabama's finest who recently made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of his city and the people he protected.

Mobile Police Officer Brandon Sigler was killed in the line of duty earlier this month. Officer Sigler was shot while responding to a domestic disturbance. He was off-duty trying to break up a fight in the parking lot of his apartment complex.

Brandon Sigler was a bright light in the Mobile Police Department as well as in his community. Brandon attended McGill-Toolen High School and was a graduate of Murphy High School. He played football at Tennessee Tech University and Delta State University. Brandon graduated from Faulkner University in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. He served as an officer in the Mobile Police Department for less than two years and, in that short time, he became known as an outgoing and positive individual. He always had a smile, a smile by which so many came to know him.

Mobile Chief of Police Phillip Garrett told the hundreds of people who attended Brandon's funeral, ``In his short years, he meant a lot to a lot of people. And every one of them talked about his smile.''

Madam Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to take a few moments to pay tribute to Officer Brandon Sigler of the Mobile Police Department. I ask that you remember him as a man who always put other people first. He was a young man who loved his family, friends, and community with unquestionable devotion. The city of Mobile has lost a true role model and hero.

We should also remember Brandon's parents, Nina Gordon and Herman Woods; his brothers, Timothy and Joel Gordon; his sisters, Sarita and Adrienne Woods; and his fiance, LaKenda Craig; her daughter, Katlyn McCormick; and his colleagues at the Mobile Police Department--as well as his many other family members and friends. We should keep all of them in our prayers and ask that God will comfort them through the difficult days ahead.

Officer Brandon Sigler was an honorable and courageous man who died serving the city of Mobile. May he rest in peace.

Madam Speaker, I submit the following information:

Project Name: Washington County Commission Sewer Extension

Requesting Member: Congressman Jo Bonner

Bill Number: H.R. 2996

Account: STAG Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Project

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Washington County Commission

Address of Requesting Entity: 45 Court Street, P.O. Box 146, Chatom, Alabama 36518

Description of Request: Provide an earmark of $500,000 for Phase II of an ongoing project for unincorporated areas of Washington County not currently served by sanitary sewers. The soils in some areas of the county are generally conducive to percolation and some areas are on soils that have higher water tables that absorb water very slowly. Approximately, $500,000 [or 100%] of funding will be used for construction, labor and materials of a low pressure, decentralized sanitary sewer collection and treatment facility. The county is currently working on phase I of this project and phase II would construct a 30,000 GPD on-site treatment and disposal facility, collection mains, interceptor tanks and pumps to provide homes and businesses with sanitary sewer. Washington County, the most economically challenged county in the state of Alabama, is home to a new steel plant that is providing 25,000 new construction jobs and 2,000 fulltime jobs. This much needed project will allow the county to continue to grow and recruit even more industry. The Washington County Commission will provide dollar for dollar match for this project.

Madam Speaker, the city of Mobile and indeed the entire state of Alabama recently lost a dear friend, and I rise today to honor him and pay tribute to his memory. Joseph William McCray Jr. was a devoted family man and an outstanding community leader.

A native of Pensacola, Mr. McCray was raised in the Carver's Court neighborhood in north Mobile. He was a graduate of Central High School and attended Tennessee State University.

A veteran of the U.S. Army, Mr. McCray dedicated over three decades to the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission Area Agency on Aging serving as the nutrition coordinator. He was instrumental in the development and operation of nutrition centers for the elderly in Mobile, Baldwin and Escambia counties. Following his retirement, he served as the director of the U.J. Robinson Memorial Adult Day Care Center. He had also served as the District 2 commissioner for Mobile's Human Relations Commission.

Mr. McCray joined the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association (MAMGA) in the early 1970s and quickly became involved in all of the association's committees, including serving as financial secretary. He was instrumental in organizing MAMGA's joint functions with the Mobile Carnival Association. In 1992, Mr. McCray was elected as the third president of MAMGA and served until 1996. He is one of only a few men widely known as ``Mr. Mardi Gras.''

Mr. McCray was a past president of 100 Black Men of Greater Mobile, and he recently received their coveted Achievement Award. He was also a 3rd Degree Knights of St. Peter Claver and was a past president of the Comrades Social Club. An active member of his church, Prince of Peace Catholic Church, Mr. McCray served on the Parish Council, the Building and Grounds Committee, and many other affiliations within the parish.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a man who dedicated his life to south Alabama. Mr. McCray will be dearly missed by his family--his wife of 44 years, Faye C. McCray; his son, Joseph McCray III; his sisters, Jolita Dorsett and Severia Norton; and his grandchildren, Julian Christopher and Reagan Michelle McCray--as well as the countless friends he leaves behind.

Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, Thomasville and indeed all of Clarke County recently lost a dear friend, and I rise today to honor him and pay tribute to his memory.

Edward Jackson Day, known to his friends and family as ``Jack,'' served the people of Clarke County as a law enforcement officer for nearly four decades--as a sheriff's deputy, chief deputy, and eventually as sheriff of Clarke County. He devoted his 71 years to his family, his faith, and to keeping the residents of Thomasville and surrounding communities safe.

Jack began his law enforcement career as an auxiliary state trooper in 1967, and was promoted to a full-time deputy three years later. In 1978, he became chief deputy under Sheriff Roy Sheffield. When Sheriff Sheffield retired in 1993, Jack was appointed sheriff of Clarke County and served in that capacity until his retirement in January of 2007. He was a past president of the Alabama Sheriff's Association and a member of the National Sheriff's Association, the Fraternal Order of Police and the Democratic Executive Committee. In addition, Sheriff Day was an avid hunter and a member of Oliver Lodge No. 334 F&AM.

Sheriff Day was also an active member of his church, Pineview Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon. He served on the board of the Southwest Alabama Children's Advocacy Center, as well as the advisory boards of the Department of Youth Services and Life Tech community. He was also a former board member and chairman of the Boys and Girls Club.

As he prepared to retire as sheriff, Jack noted, ``You learn to take the bad times with the good times. We've had some tragedies, but we've had a lot more good times and I'm glad for that. You always remember you're there to protect and serve the people.''

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a dedicated community leader, a friend to many throughout south Alabama, as well as a wonderful husband, loving father, grandfather, and great- grandfather. Jack Day will be dearly missed by his family--his wife, Wilma Gates Day; his son, Mayor Sheldon Allison Day; his daughter, Daphne Elaine Day; his two sisters, Mary Ellen Day Parten and Jerry Ann Day Little; his five grandchildren, Jeffrey Devin Deas, Brittney Elaine Deas, Leslie Allison Dellinger, and Kaitlin Elizabeth Day and Thomas Zachary Day; and his three great-grandchildren, Carrigan Elizabeth Day, and Malya Elizabeth Deas and Devin Baine Deas--as well as the countless friends he leaves behind.

Our thoughts and prayers are with them all during this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, south Alabama and indeed the entire state recently lost a dear friend, and I rise today to honor him and pay tribute to his memory.

Chris C. De Laney, a devoted family man, lawyer, and philanthropist was dedicated to the continued growth and prosperity of Mobile. A 1948 graduate of the University of Alabama Law School, Mr. De Laney was the first attorney for the University of South Alabama (USA) and was instrumental in the school's negotiations to obtain the old Mobile General Hospital.

He also helped found The University of South Alabama foundation as well as USA Hospital, Southland and Doctor's hospitals, the Historic Blakely Foundation, The Southland Foundation, The Dauphin Island Foundation, and First Small Business Investment Company of Alabama.

Mr. De Laney was appointed as Mobile's acting district attorney in 1979. He also served as chairman of the Alabama Consumer Protection Council, chief executive officer and chairman of Altus Bank, as well as many other business, civic, and religious organizations including Boy Scouts of America and the Isle Dauphine Club.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering a dedicated community leader and friend to many throughout Alabama. Mr. Chris De Laney will be deeply missed by his family--his loving wife of 64 years, Cleo J. De Laney; his four sons, David C. De Laney, Bryan C. De Laney, Michael C. De Laney, and Robin C. De Laney; his nine grandchildren; and his four great grandchildren--as well as the countless friends he leaves behind. Our thoughts and prayers are with them all at this difficult time.