Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Captain Don Grigg, who lived a life of service to his country.

Grigg proudly served in the Vietnam War where his selflessness earned him the Silver Star, a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.

He was a veteran who always remembered what an honor it was to fight for freedom and defend liberty. He continued his fight off the battlefield as a strong supporter of veterans and worked to get them the benefits they earned.

Grigg's hard work on behalf of our nation's veterans was noticed by people across Arkansas. In 2008 Governor Mike Beebe appointed him to the Governor's Commission on Veterans Affairs.

As a man who devoted his life to the United States and our veterans, it is fitting that Captain Grigg will be laid to rest with his comrades at Arlington National Cemetery.

We appreciate his service to our country and our veterans appreciate his work on their behalf.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Stephanie McConnell, for her achievement of being named the Arkansas Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year for her work at Helen Tyson Middle School in Springdale.

A graduate of the University of Arkansas with a master's degree from Harding University, McConnell is never far from the classroom even after work hours are over because she's working towards a specialist's degree from Harding.

McConnell's hard work and leadership has been an inspiration at the school and for the entire Springdale School District. She attributes her success at Tyson Middle School to her colleagues and her students. Her passion, dedication and enthusiasm for seeing our students succeed is something we can all learn from.

I am proud of Stephanie McConnell for her commitment to education and her efforts to improve the lives of students in Arkansas. This recognition is a well deserved honor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of America's bravest, Lance Corporal Richard Penny, who sacrificed his life in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Corporal Penny graduated from Greenland High in 2006 where he was a standout football player. His hard work earned him the title of all-conference defensive tackle his senior year. Besides being a great athlete, he had an infectious personality that was loved by all who knew him.

Those who knew him best say he always had a special place in his heart for his country, and they knew that he would make a great Marine, fighting for liberty and defending freedom. Joining the Marine Corps in 2009, Lance Corporal Penny was a machine gunner assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He deployed to Afghanistan in March. Last month he was honored with a promotion to lance corporal.

Lance Corporal Richard Penny made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. He is a true American hero. I ask my colleagues to keep his family and friends in their thoughts and prayers during these very difficult times, and I humbly offer my appreciation and gratitude to this Marine for his selfless service to the security and well-being of all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of America's bravest, Lance Corporal Richard Penny, who sacrificed his life in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Lance Corporal Penny graduated from Greenland High in 2006 where he was a standout football player. His hard work earned him the title of all-conference defensive tackle his senior year. Besides being a great athlete, he had an infectious personality that was loved by all who knew him.

Those who knew him best say he always had a special place in his heart for his country, and they knew that he would make a great Marine, fighting for liberty and defending freedom. Joining the Marine Corps in 2009, Lance Corporal Penny was a machine gunner assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He deployed to Afghanistan in March. Last month he was honored with a promotion to lance corporal.

Lance Corporal Richard Penny made the ultimate sacrifice for his country. He is a true American hero. I ask my colleagues to keep his family and friends in their thoughts and prayers during these very difficult times, and I humbly offer my appreciation and gratitude to this Marine for his selfless service to the security and well-being of all Americans.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Lonnie Myers for earning the Iverson Riggs Memorial Citizen of the Year Award for his dedication and commitment to Van Buren, Arkansas.

Mr. Myers, an assistant superintendent for the Van Buren School District, has been a big influence in the school system first as a teacher and coach, then as an assistant principal, principal and athletic director. Many in the community regard him as the driving force behind the creation of Van Buren High School Hall of Honor and he played a big role in getting a multi-billion dollar tax package passed to upgrade school facilities.

Neighbors and community leaders agree that Mr. Myers is a caring man with a big heart who always leads by example and is always working in the best interest of the community and students of the school district.

It's clear that Mr. Myers is very deserving of the Iverson Riggs Memorial Citizen of the Year Award. Now, after decades of calling Van Buren home, he's moving to take a job in a nearby community. Lonnie Myers will be greatly missed in Van Buren, but his impact and influence won't be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Pastor Bobby L. Johnson for 30 years of leadership at Van Buren's First Assembly of God.

Under Pastor Johnson's guidance, First Assembly of God has enjoyed much success, and it continues to reach new heights. From revivals and youth camps to ministers' retreats and mission crusades, Pastor Johnson's message resonates with community members, both young and old. Its Sunday school program, which started with 270 students, now has more than 2,000 students. In addition, its campus houses a retirement center, which enables it to reach more seniors.

Pastor Johnson has served in the ministry for many years and has touched the lives of countless individuals, including myself. In addition to being pastor at First Assembly of God, Pastor Johnson serves as a General Presbyter of the Assemblies of God. Prior to joining the First Assembly of God, Van Buren, he served as the Arkansas District Assemblies of God Youth Director.

Mr. Speaker, Pastor Johnson's dedication to spreading the gospel is unparalleled; his leadership is unsurpassed. I ask that my colleagues recognized Pastor Johnson for his commitment and service to the ministry and continued success.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Lonnie Myers for earning the Iverson Riggs Memorial Citizen of the Year Award for his dedication and commitment to Van Buren, Arkansas.

Myers, an assistant superintendent for the Van Buren School District, has been a big influence in the school system first as a teacher and coach, then as an assistant principal, principal and athletic director. Many in the community regard Myers as the driving force behind the creation of Van Buren High School Hall of Honor and for having played a big role in getting a multi-billion dollar tax package passed to upgrade school facilities.

Neighbors and community leaders agree that Myers is a caring man, with a big heart who always leads by example and is always working in the best interest of the community and students of the school district.

It's clear that Myers is very deserving of the Iverson Riggs Memorial Citizen of the Year Award. Now, after decades of calling Van Buren home, Myers is moving to take a job in a nearby community. He will be greatly missed in Van Buren, but his impact and influence won't be forgotten.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Ralph Williams, who after dedicating his life to education, is retiring after 39 years of service to the Fort Smith Public Schools.

Mr. Williams has worn many hats during his time as an educator. From teacher, principal, social worker and now Student Services Supervisor for the school district, he has always stepped up to a new challenge with enthusiasm.

His commitment to students earned well-deserved honors, including being named the Regional Principal of the Year, the Arkansas Principal of the Year and the National Distinguished Principal--all while a principal at Fairview Elementary School.

Mr. Williams has always worked to create a learning environment that can benefit all students. His efforts to bring technology into the classroom and provide challenging programs are helping mold our future leaders. Now at his current position Mr. Williams works to encourage at-risk students to do better in school and make the most of their educational opportunities.

I am proud of Mr. Ralph Williams for his commitment to education and his efforts to improve the lives of students in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and wish him the best of luck in retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Professor David Krueger, who after 50 years of teaching at Arkansas Tech University gave his final lecture earlier this week.

Professor Krueger's love of teaching turned into a lifetime of work. What is so great about his commitment to education and his students is that through all of those years he maintained the passion for teaching, earning the Professor of the Year award four times, in addition to being the first recipient of the Arkansas Tech University Faculty Award of Excellence in teaching in 1996.

I commend Professor Krueger for his enthusiasm and dedication for educating our youth, and wish him success as he ends his amazing career, which earned him countless honors and touched even more lives.

I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring an educator whose accomplishments and devotion to Arkansas Tech University will be missed, but never forgotten.

Congratulations and best of luck to Professor Krueger.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Taylor Mills, a student leader at the University of Arkansas.

A dedicated student and an active individual, Taylor Mills has quickly distinguished himself as an influential leader among the students of the University of Arkansas. He has served in various leadership positions around campus, such as the president of the Red Cross, vice president of Hogs for Haiti, and as the president of One World RSO. Maintaining his motivation to be a well rounded individual, Mills conducts research for the Terrorism Research Center as well as serves as the intern coordinator for Winrock International. All of this has culminated in his nomination as Student Leader of the Week.

Taylor Mills serves as an inspiration for all of us, showing what hard work and dedication can lead to. I have seen his hard work first hand as an intern in my office and am proud of what he has accomplished. I believe this man is capable of great things not only for the State of Arkansas, but also for the entirety of the United States. Thank you, Taylor Mills, for all you have done at your time at the University of Arkansas and all you will continue to do. We look forward to seeing what you will accomplish.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Pete Joenks for the honor and recognition of being named Assistant Principal of the Year for the State of Arkansas.

Mr. Joenks earned his masters in education from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville and went on to teach physics and chemistry for 15 years prior to becoming assistant principal at Springdale High School. The innovative programs he created like The Sophomore Center at Springdale High School which led to higher achievement and less absenteeism among students is a testament to his character and passion to educate. This program truly helped those at-risk students at Springdale High School to perform better in school and to make more of their education. Mr. Joenks also created Adopt-A-Pup, which assigns every at-risk student with a mentor to help them achieve better in school.

I am proud of Mr. Pete Joenks for his commitment to education and his efforts to improve the lives of students in Arkansas, and this is a well-deserved honor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mitch McCorkle, who has devoted his life to protecting the citizens of West Fork, Arkansas and is now retiring after 50 years of serving as the only fire chief in West Fork.

During his time as fire chief, Mitch has demonstrated his ability to innovate time and time again by building fire trucks that are uniquely suited to the landscape of northwest Arkansas. The longest serving fire chief in all of Arkansas, Mitch was a visionary in terms of what can be done with a volunteer department. Mitch's pride in doing his job and serving his community is an example to be followed and has made West Fork a better place.

West Fork will undoubtedly be losing an amazing fire chief. I commend Mitch for his service as the fire chief of West Fork, his passion for protecting our citizens, and his continued commitment to our safety. I wish him continued success in his endeavors and today I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mitch McCorkle, a fire chief whose continued devotion to the Third District of Arkansas has not gone unnoticed and will never be forgotten.

Mr. Chairman, H.R. 4715 reauthorizes the National Estuary Program found in section 320 of the Clean Water Act and adds some important accountability provisions. These improvements require performance measures and goals in order to track implementation of management plans for estuaries. The EPA will evaluate every 4 years and report on the implementation of each management plan. In addition, after the EPA evaluates and reports on a plan, each management conference will be required to update their plans.

I note that H.R. 4715 increases the authorized level of funding by 43 percent from $35 million per year to $50 million a year. The average appropriation over the past 5 years for this program has been only $26.8 million. The President's recent budget requests $27.2 million.

While I support the National Estuary Program and improvements made here in H.R. 4715, I know many of my colleagues, as well as myself, are concerned about increasing authorized levels of spending for programs when Congress has not been able to fund the program close to its current authorization.

Certainly in our current economic crisis we should carefully weigh any proposed increase in authorization levels. We must also consider the importance to estuaries. They are the nursery grounds for much of the planet's sea life and the source of the seafood that we enjoy. They are a unique habitat for a unique group of fish and wildlife.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he might desire to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo).

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 15 seconds.

I do want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Bishop) for the very positive changes in the bill of accountability and transparency.

Mr. Chairman, I will continue to reserve. We don't have anymore speakers.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey).

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition, though I am not opposed to the bill.

Again, I just rise to say that we are very much in support of the amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition.

I rise to support the amendment.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment will pull money out of the National Estuary Program and send it to address the needs of the Great Lakes.

The National Estuary Program is meant to assist those in important ecological areas in our country where the freshwater of rivers meets and mixes with seawater. By any scientific definition, there are no estuaries in the Great Lakes.

Over the years, Congress has created and funded a number of programs to address the needs of the Great Lakes. We have established an entire office in the EPA to work on the Great Lakes issue. While there are many worthy projects that could be done in the Great Lakes, I believe we should use existing Great Lakes programs to address those needs and not dilute the National Estuary Program. If the gentleman believes that more should be done for the Great Lakes, then we should have the debate on whether or not to modify the existing Great Lakes program. Members who have true estuaries in their States which are very coastal in nature should be concerned about this amendment diluting the intent and the dollars associated with this important program.

To my colleagues in the Great Lakes States who understandably might be tempted to a support this amendment, I would say this amendment makes about as much sense as suggesting that the Great Lakes Legacy Act dollars should be used to address the needs of the Chesapeake Bay. The Great Lakes and the Nation's estuaries are both important areas. Let's address them in the context of their own separate legislation and not make one complete with the other.

With that, I urge Members to oppose the Schauer amendment.

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

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

Again having great respect for our chairman, the point that I am trying to make is that I understand the problems that we face in the Great Lakes. And this is a body of such significance. And yet, again, my feeling is that we should take care of that problem within the structure that we have within the Great Lakes program. I see no need to expand the estuary program to take care of the Great Lakes.

If we need additional moneys, if we need additional infrastructure in fighting the battles with the invasive species and things that were mentioned, then I feel like the place to do that is within the Great Lakes programs rather than diluting the moneys, a relatively small amount of money, diluting the money from the estuary program.

With that, I reserve my balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica).

I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition.

We just want to go on the record as supporting this amendment and urge its adoption.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition.

Mr. Chairman, we do not oppose this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition.

Mr. Chairman, again, we do not oppose the amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of H. Res. 1215, a measure expressing the support of the American people for Bangladesh's return to democracy.

Mr. Speaker, the United States and Bangladesh have been friends for more than a half a century. We have worked together to build a strong and lasting democracy. The United States welcomed the free, fair, and transparent elections that occurred in December 2008. The United States is proud to have supported that effort, and we will continue to support efforts to improve and promote development, democracy, social harmony, and mutual tolerance.

The United States attaches a great importance to South Asia. In this context, the good news coming out of Bangladesh related to democratic development, economic progress, and rejection of violent extremism. All of this is being strongly welcomed in Washington. In this regard, we are all pleased that ties between our two countries continue to deepen. Our two governments are working closely to address global challenges, including climate change, food security, terrorism, and pandemic disease.

I would particularly like to highlight longstanding U.S. efforts to empower women at the grassroots level, including through helping local governments be more transparent and accountable to the Bangladeshi people. Meanwhile, the growing voice of the Bangladeshi American community in Arkansas and elsewhere around the country is helping to strengthen and extend people-to-people ties between our two vibrant societies.

In conclusion, I support the adoption of the resolution.

Having no further speakers, I yield back the balance of our time.

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

Madam Speaker, America is a democracy, not a monarchy; but you wouldn't know it by the way the American people's voices have been ignored by President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Senator Reid. The American people are angry. They are not adequately represented in Washington. As representatives of the people, it is necessary that we fix this bill and give Americans what they want: quality and affordable health care reform, not increased taxes and sweetheart deals.

We must fight to repeal and replace this bill. We must fight to uphold the Constitution of the United States. I am here today to speak for the people of Arkansas and the people of America who are overwhelmingly in opposition to the flawed health care bill. We see how the government is infringing on our rights. The American people have had enough and want to see legal action. I too am concerned that this bill is unconstitutional, and I am supportive of States challenging this flawed health care bill. We must abide by States' rights. This bill is just another violation of those rights and it is something we must undo.