Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1383, and I commend our colleague, Mr. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, for introducing it. I appreciate Mr. Wilson's formation of the Bulgaria Cancus to promote the partnership of Bulgaria and America. Bulgaria declared its independence 100 years ago, on September 22nd, 1908.

Like so much of the rest of Europe, however, Bulgaria then suffered through a very difficult and tumultuous 20th Century.

After suffering through two world wars, Bulgaria was then trapped for over four decades behind the ``Iron Curtain'' that fell across Eastern Europe, and its people suffered from the repression and stagnation that accompanied the imposition of the Bulgarian communist regime by the former Soviet Union.

After the communist bloc in Eastern Europe fell apart, Bulgaria was at last able to hold a truly free election in June 1990.

It then faced fresh difficulties, however, as it went through a period of social and economic turmoil that culminated in a severe economic an financial crisis in 1996 and 1997.

With the help of the international community, the Bulgarian government initiated a series of difficult but necessary economic reforms.

Those reforms continue even today, but their results so far have helped Bulgaria noticeably improve its economic situation.

In fact, according to the World Bank, in 2006 Bulgaria attracted the highest levels of foreign direct investment--as a share of GDP--of all of the countries of Eastern Europe.

Challenges remain, but the market reforms undertaken so far have pointed Bulgaria in the right direction.

Bulgaria must also be commended for the political reforms it has implemented since 1990.

Right at the start, in 1991, the country adopted a new constitution, which created a parliamentary democracy that limited the powers of the President and also balanced those powers against the position of the Prime Minister--with the Prime Minister ultimately held accountable to the legislature.

So, Bulgaria has made progress toward a future of democracy and economic prosperity, but it nevertheless faces continuing challenges, including a rather serious problem in the form of corruption and organized crime.

We remain supportive of Bulgaria's efforts to address those twin scourges, and I note that, in the wake of very strong concerns expressed by the European Union, the Bulgarian government has indeed begun to reform its Interior Ministry and has created a State Agency for National Security to fight such corruption and organized crime.

We certainly wish it great success in that specific effort.

Finally, I note that, while continuing with its reform efforts at home, Bulgaria has also become an active member of the international community, contributing military personnel to participate in international missions in the countries of Cambodia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Furthermore, in a very important step in March 2004, Bulgaria became a formal ally of the United States by becoming a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization--NATO.

In its new role--as a member of the NATO Alliance--Bulgaria has proven itself to be a constructive and positive force in working for stability in the Black Sea region, and we are grateful for that.

This year, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary as an independent state, we commend Bulgaria on the great progress it hade in just the past eighteen years.

I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution honoring the independence of our friend and ally, Bulgaria.

Madam, Speaker, I rise today in honor of a great American hero, SGT Marco Robledo from the Third District of Arkansas.

Marco has selflessly served in the United States Army. The commitment he showed his fellow soldiers and his country is something we can all be proud of.

On May 26, 2007, Marco was injured in Iraq. He lost his left arm and his left leg, but he still has a strong spirit and he's made lasting impressions with me and with others who've had the opportunity to meet him.

In honor of his sacrifice Albert Casewell wrote the following poem:

Re . . . Marco . . . Ble . . .

A Tribute to An American Hero

SGT Marco Robledo

The United States Army

1st platoon A.CO. 875th en bn

Re . . . Marco . . . Ble . . .

Re . . . Marco . . . Ble . . .

While, cheating death . . . one of America's very Best . . .

One of America's very finest . . . who he has her our nation

so blessed . . .

A Hero who goes off to war . . .

Upon, battlefields of honor . . . who but gives up his arm

and leg for us, would bore . . .

All so Freedom can endure, while standing alone at death's

dark door . . .

As he walked through The Valley of Death!

Returning home, as there he lie right at the very edge . . .

At the abyss, all the between life and death . . . with but

only his fine courage

left . . .

And then!

To rebuild, where non lies left . . . moment by moment, as he

would etch . . .

As most thought that he was left for dead, but not him . . .

with his courage pledged . . .

As Day in and out . . .

While, all around him such pain and heartache was but his to

tout . . .

As against all odds, his fine heart would shout . . .

It's not my time . . .

Some way I'll find, my way back . . . with but my heart and

soul, and mind . . .

Just Amazing, in what his life is saying . . . Just Re . . .

Marco . . .Ble . . . a soul which shines!

Such a young heart . . .

And yet, such a strong soul and mind . . . who has already

lived two lifetimes of gold . . .

As a Warrior and Hero first, then one of inspiration . . .

facing but the worst so bold . . .

Put upon this earth . . .

To but show mankind's great true fine

worth . . .

Our Lord's messenger to teach us, to reach us so deep down

inside so first!

In our times and in our lives . . .

What is it that we have so strived?

That's so Re . . . Marco . . . Ble . . . that so defines . .

. as most have not lived such fine lives!

Madam Speaker, frustration is mounting in the Third District of Arkansas because of the high cost of gasoline. This stack of e-mails which I have with me is just a small portion of the comments my constituents have sent me. And several of them have offered their own ideas of what needs to be done to resolve this energy dilemma and help increase the American energy supply and provide relief at the pump.

The ideas they've proposed are ones we've heard before: We need to increase our production of American energy in a clean, efficient way through wind, solar and hydrogen, as well as tapping into the vast majority of natural resources we have available.

I agree with my constituents that we need to use an ``all of the above'' energy strategy. That's why I cosponsored the American Energy Act. This encompasses the ideas many of my constituents have been writing me about, increasing our American-made energy supply in an environmentally friendly way, encouraging energy conservation, and promoting renewable and alternative energy technology. We need to act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 296, which expresses the sense of Congress that August should be designated as Heat Stroke Awareness Month, which will provide opportunities to educate parents, educators, and athletes about heat stroke, and prevent future deaths.

On August 7, 1995, 13-year-old Kendrick Fincher of Rogers, Arkansas was at football practice for the Elmwood Riders when he experienced heat stroke. After 18 days in intensive care at Children's Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas, Kendrick died from complications of heat stroke. I was on the school board in Rogers during this time, and this truly was a terrible tragedy for our community.

Since then, Kendrick's parents, Mike and Rhonda Fincher, have committed themselves to ensuring that no other

parent has to experience the heartache of a very preventable death. They established the Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation to make certain children have proper hydration during athletic activities and that they have squeeze bottles with them at all events. Because of their dedicated work, procedures have been changed in sports programs at the local schools to help prevent a similar accident.

In addition, Gatorade and the National Football League have worked with the foundation to lead a nationwide Beat the Heat campaign aimed at educating parents and football coaches about the importance of hydration in order to keep athletes safe in the hot summer months.

This resolution also recognizes the Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation for all of its efforts in promoting awareness about heat stroke, and it encourages other national and community organizations to get involved in this important fight.

I would also like to thank Chairman Dingell, Ranking Member Barton, Mr. Pallone, and Mr. Terry for their help in bringing this forward now as we go into August during the season when, as we are experiencing today, these things are very, very possible. I appreciate them bringing it in a timely fashion, and I encourage my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 296.

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

H.R. 6340 designates the Federal building and United States Courthouse located in White Plains, New York, as the ``Charles L. Brieant, Jr. Federal Building and United States Courthouse.''

Charles Brieant served as the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York from 1986 until 1993. His original appointment to the bench by President Nixon in 1971 began a 36-year career with the Southern District Court.

Prior to his service on the Federal bench, Judge Brieant served honorably in the United States Army Air Force during World War II. After his service in the Armed Forces, Judge Brieant returned to Columbia University, where he had begun his college education before being called into the service, and graduated in 1947. He received his law degree in 1949 and began a life of public service, working as a town justice, assistant district attorney, town supervisor, and a county legislator.

It is fitting that we give Judge Brieant's name to the courthouse where he served for so many years. Judge Brieant worked for many years to help build the courthouse in White Plains and another in Manhattan. He was particularly proud of the White Plains courthouse which opened in 1995. His work helped ensure that new courthouses would meet the needs of the court for many years.

As we honor him today by naming this Federal building and courthouse, we ensure that Judge Brieant, who passed away just last week, will not be forgotten. Judge Brieant leaves behind his wife of 60 years, Virginia Brieant, three daughters and a son, nine grand-children and two great-grandchildren.

We hope that the naming of this courthouse will bring comfort to his family in their time of loss, and honor his legacy of service to the court.

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

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4255 as amended, a bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide assistance to the Paralympic Program of the United States Olympic Committee, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the bipartisan manner in which this bill moved through the committee. I want to especially acknowledge Chairman Filner for introducing H.R. 4255, the United States Olympic Committee Paralympic Act of 2008, and working with Subcommittee Chairwoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and myself to incorporate several provisions from Ranking Member Steve Buyer's bill, H.R. 1370, Disabled Veterans Sports and Special Events Promotion Act of 2007, into the amended version of the bill.

In 2005, the VA and USOC concluded an agreement to increase efforts to increase participation by disabled veterans in sports at all levels as part of their rehabilitation from their injuries. Ranking Member Buyer was proud to play a role in encouraging the USOC and VA to reach that agreement. By combining those two bills, we will give VA and USOC Paralympics some of the resources they will need to meet that goal.

Through the grant program, this bill uses the USOC and its partners to equip, train, and support disabled veterans' sports, and I look forward to seeing the VA, USOC Paralympics, and their partners to ramp up their efforts.

Most importantly, I am excited that we will have at least 11 disabled veterans participating as members of the U.S. Paralympic team in Beijing. Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize these dedicated Americans who are the beginning of a larger disabled veteran participation in future games.

Disabled veterans on this year's Paralympic Team are:

Chuck Lear from Jacksonville, Illinois, archery;

Carlos Leon from North Lauderdale, Florida, track and field;

Kari Miller from Washington, D.C., sitting volleyball;

T.J. Pemberton from Guthrie, Oklahoma, archery;

Oscar Sanchez from Los Angeles, California, cycling;

Jennifer Schuble from Houston, Texas, cycling;

Melissa Stockwell from Minneapolis, Minnesota, swimming;

Kevin Stone from Kodak, Tennessee, archery;

Casey Tibbs from San Diego, California, track and field;

Scott Winkler from Grovetown, Georgia, track and field; and,

Russell Wolfe from Williamsburg, Virginia, archery.

I am also pleased to see a renewed commitment to providing training opportunities for disabled veterans at all levels of participation.

Mr. Speaker, as I said earlier, I believe Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer have created a bill that will encourage more disabled veterans to participate in sports from the local level up through elite competition such as the Paralympic Games beginning with games in Beijing. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4255, as amended.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, I just want to associate myself with Mr. Filner's remarks. I think he said it very, very well. For many individuals, for many soldiers this is such an important thing and truly is part of the healing process. And, again, I just associate myself with his remarks. I also want to again reiterate how much I appreciate Mr. Filner working with Mr. Buyer to give us such a good bill.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6225, as amended, the Injunctive Relief for Veterans Act of 2008. This bill as amended would amend title 38, United States Code, relating to equitable relief with respect to a State of private employer.

Mr. Speaker, once again, working in a bipartisan manner Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin of the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity worked with me to pull together several fine bills into one cohesive package to provide new USERRA and SCRA protections to our military servicemembers and their spouses.

H.R. 6225 as amended incorporates provisions of H.R. 2910 introduced by Representative Susan Davis of California, H.R. 3298 introduced by Representative Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania, and H.R. 6070 introduced by Representative John Carter of Texas. And I appreciate their hard work in bringing to the committee such excellent bills.

This legislation would encourage the courts to utilize their equity powers when deemed appropriate in USERRA cases. During the full committee markup of this section of the legislation, Subcommittee Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin and Ranking Member Buyer had a very good colloquy on the intent of this section of the bill, to clarify that injunctive relief is available under the discretion of the judge hearing the facts, and that this section is not intended to create a new avenue of appeal in USERRA cases.

The bill, as amended, would also require colleges and universities to refund a student's tuition and fees for

unearned credit for the semester or quarter when they are called up for active duty, and allow these same students to re-enter the institution with identical and academic status that they had when they were activated to duty.

Finally, this bill would also extend Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protections to enable servicemembers with deployment orders to more easily terminate or suspend service contracts without fee or penalty for such services to include cellular phones, utilities, cable television or Internet access. It would also add penalties to those creditors under the SCRA who refuse to reduce interest rates, as currently required.

Additionally, H.R. 6225, as amended, would extend the same residency protections to military spouses as those granted to the military members for purposes of voting and paying taxes.

Mr. Speaker, I am re-emphasizing the Court's injunctive relief in USERRA cases requiring schools to refund tuition to those ordered to active duty, giving servicemembers the option of terminating certain service contracts, and making sure that military spouses are treated equitably for residency.

H.R. 6225, as amended, provides our men and women in our Armed Forces the protections they need to transition back to civilian life when their tour of duty is completed.

I congratulate Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin for once again doing yeoman work in crafting some very good bipartisan legislation. I support H.R. 6225, as amended, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I want to compliment Mr. Murphy for bringing forward this part of the legislation that is included in the bill. We appreciate you bringing it to our attention, and we appreciate your hard work in getting this done. The cell phone, the Internet, things like that that we take for granted truly are a hassle.

The other thing I want to compliment you on is listening to Sergeant Campbell. And so many times we hear of these instances and we don't follow up. So that really is important. So we thank you very much.

At this time, Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield as much time as he would like to Mr. Carter, the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I might consume.

I want to thank Mr. Carter for bringing forward the legislation that he did that was included in this bill, the ability to designate a residency along with the husband, and not go through the hassle of having split residencies, which, again, it is little things like that as he alluded to, that truly are a hassle, and that the committee is working hard to address and trying to fix these things.

I also want to thank Mrs. Davis from California. Again, very much the same thing. You are working hard, you are in school and all of a sudden you get called up. You do your duty in a very glad way, to serve your country, but then you come back and you have got the hassle of half a semester that has to be dealt with. Most of the time the institutions are good about doing that, but they are not always, as we are hearing.

So I very heartily support this bill. I want to thank Ms. Herseth Sandlin and her staff. And I want to thank my staff for their hard work in getting it together.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I might consume.

I rise in support of H.R. 6221, as amended, the Veteran-Owned Small Business Protection and Clarification Act of 2008.

H.R. 6225, as amended, makes three important improvements for our veterans. First, it closes a loophole in title 38, United States Code, to require that contracts awarded on behalf of Department of Veterans Affairs by agents of the Department include provision to comply with the disabled veteran-owned small business provisions in public law 109- 461.

Second, the bill would expand the types of VA work-study jobs on college campuses to provide more jobs for student veterans and widen interaction between veterans, the faculty, staff and, most importantly, other students.

Finally, H.R. 6221, as amended, would take provisions from H.R. 6272 introduced by Congressman Welch to create the Military Occupational Specialty Transition (MOST) program, a modernized version of the old Service Members Occupational Conversion and Training Act, or SMOCTA.

Focusing on veterans whose military specialty does not translate well into civilian life and who do not have other training opportunities available under title XXXVIII, this bill will benefit veterans whose job skills no longer match what is needed by today's economy.

For example, today's army or marine infantryman is experienced with some types of technology related to their specialty, but most of their training is in small unit tactics and weapons. They are not like the technicians who service and operate sophisticated systems on a daily basis. While an infantryman has developed soft skills such as leadership and initiative that are valuable in many work places, many hands-on skills are usually not part of the resume.

Or take a sailor whose main job is to move aircraft around on the flight deck of a carrier. He works in a very dangerous environment but other than working the light line at an airport, his skill is not very transferable.

Or take the airman who is a load master who is responsible for the safe loading of cargo on aircraft. Outside of working for an airline in the same capacity, the load master has few directly transferable military skills.

I appreciate our colleague from Vermont (Mr. Welch) for his initiative to renew funding for the old Service Members Occupational Conversion and Training Act, or SMOCTA. Again, in a bipartisan manner, the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee has brought us a bill that meets Mr. Welch's goal of providing a training program for veterans who finish military service with few or no skills that are transferable to regular life.

Mr. Speaker, I extend my gratitude to Chairman Filner, Ranking Member Buyer, and subcommittee Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin for working together to bring this bill to us as a bipartisan effort to make veterans more competitive in the job market. I also want to thank our staffs for their hard work.

Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to support H.R. 6221, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers also.

Again, I want to encourage my colleagues to vote for the bill, and I also want to thank Mr. Welch for his hard work in bringing forward, I think, this reauthorization. With the changes that are being made with his help is really going to help the servicemember that comes out who is disadvantaged because he hasn't received as much training in specialized fields as the other members.

I yield back the balance of my time.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, I spent an afternoon at JV Manufacturing in Springdale, Arkansas, listening to hardworking Arkansans talk about how the high price of gas is affecting their families. I promised them that I would bring their stories back to Washington and that I would put pressure on Congress to enact a commonsense energy policy that would help lower what they're forced to pay at the pump.

Arkansans are paying an average of $4 per gallon, and many families in my district are having a hard time just making ends meet at all as all of their disposable income is going straight into the gas tank. Now is the time for this Congress to act. Let me mention a couple of stories that I heard, and then let me urge a few actions that we could take that would have immediate relief.

I met a single mom who is working full time at a good-paying job, but she is still having trouble meeting the needs of her kids and filling up the gas tank.

I met a family who bought a Jeep, who planned to use it for recreation, but now they can barely afford the expense of driving back and forth from work.

One woman told me about her husband, who is an independent owner and operator of a diesel truck, who has already spent as much on diesel in the first half of 2008 as he had spent all last year.

So what should Congress do? First, we need to increase the production of American energy through more energy exploration and production here at home. Congress needs to open up a small sliver of ANWR in Alaska and in the Outer Continental Shelf for energy exploration. Congress needs to encourage the construction of new refineries and of more nuclear power plants. They need to promote efficiency and new sources of American renewable energy.

Each of these would reduce pain at the pump. It's very important to understand that gas prices and other types of energy prices are related to each other. For example, if we want to start using more plug-in hybrids, we're going to have to increase our electricity production to charge up these electric cars. That's why it's so important to support nuclear, clean coal and alternative energy sources.

Also, if this Congress will take these steps, it will send an immediate signal to speculators and to other investors that we are serious about increasing production, and costs will come down in the short term as well as in the long term. We saw this when the President lifted the executive order banning offshore drilling.

Congress has waited too long to help provide relief to Arkansans and to the rest of the American people. We must act now and pass sensible legislation so that residents of the Third District of Arkansas don't have to choose between keeping gas in their cars and meeting the needs of their families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of J. Fred Patton, a gracious contributor to the Third District of Arkansas, who passed away earlier this week.

For more than 101 years, Mr. Patton showed passion for Arkansas through his compassion for neighbors, community service and education that he provided for future Arkansans. He authored ``The History of Fort Smith,'' now in its seventh edition, and taught Sunday school for more than six decades.

Throughout his life, Mr. Patton received numerous professional, civic and humanitarian awards, including the honor of being selected as one of 10 outstanding citizens in western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma in 1989. I had the privilege to meet and get to know Fred over the years, and he truly was an amazing person who wanted the best for his community.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Patton certainly will be missed. However, his legacy will live on for generations to come. I thank my colleagues for the opportunity to celebrate and honor the life of this wonderful man.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a brave American soldier who sacrificed his life for freedom, SFC Anthony Lynn Woodham from Rogers, Arkansas.

A mechanic assigned to the Arkansas National Guard Delta Company, 39th Brigade Support Battalion, 39th Brigade Combat Team of Heber Springs, Anthony put himself in harm's way to make this world a better place.

His commitment to this country is second to none. Anthony considered his service an honor, first enlisting in 1989, and re-enlisting after he returned from his deployment in 2005. He died Saturday, 6 months shy of 20 years in the military. He will be remembered as a soldier, a son, a husband and a father who cared about everyone around him. His wife Crystal describes Anthony as a loving husband and great father.

Mr. Speaker, Anthony is a true American hero. I ask that my colleagues keep his family and friends in their thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to support American Religious History Week. This great country was founded on religious principles, and the ideal of our founders can be seen in the halls of this very building, the symbol of American democracy, the Capitol.

Statuary Hall, the former meeting place of the House of Representatives, now home to statues donated by individual States, was the site of church services for over 50 years, and the Speaker's podium was used as the preacher's pulpit during that time.

Several of the statues in that great hall are of religious figures important to the growth of this great nation.

John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania was persuaded by his father to study the ministry. He was ordained in the Church of England. From there God called him into the life of politics; serving in the House of Burgesses and becoming a commander in the Continental Army during the revolution. Then he was elected to the first Congress and also served as a senator.

Like so many of the other religious figures in these halls, these men have made significant contributions. Men like Roger Williams, a priest in the Church of England, founded the colony of Rhode Island and wrote the declaration of the principle of religious liberty.

Thomas Starr King, a Unitarian minister, was a fiery orator who spoke favorably of the Union in California in the 1860s, and is credited with saving California from becoming a separate republic.

Father Damien's statue is one of the most recognizable. He was an ordained priest in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, Hawaii in the mid 1860s. He risked his health ministering to lepers, building chapels and comforting the sick before leprosy took his own life.

The accomplishments of these religious men honored in Statuary Hall are felt coast to coast. Now, hundreds of years later, religion is still important, and I'm committed to continuing the efforts started by these great men.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Conaway).

Mr. Speaker, as a Nation we are blessed with many things. We have a Constitution that sets the standard for freedom around the world.

We have a land that provides us with bountiful food and superb scenery. But most importantly, America is blessed to have sons and daughters willing to put themselves in harm's way to protect the 99 percent of Americans who do not serve.

Unfortunately, that feeling of patriotism and sacrifice way too often results in disability that affects the veteran for the rest of their life. Often, the disability is small. But sometimes the injury, whether physical or mental, has a significant impact on the veteran's quality of life and their ability to support their families. In such situations, the disability has affected more than just the veteran. As a part of our debt to these men and women, taxpayers compensate them for their injuries and provide a range of benefits unmatched in any other country. But we can and should do something more symbolic of disabled veterans' service to the Nation, and that is to designate a week that will remind Americans that disabled veterans are with them every day.

By giving disabled American veterans the recognition of a week named in their honor, we demonstrate to the American people the importance of the sacrifices made by disabled veterans and their families. This is a way to honor our disabled veterans, and I certainly urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Scalise for bringing this forward. It's important for us periodically to pause and think about the tremendous sacrifice, especially while the men and women that made all of this possible are still with us, that we can pause and just think of the sacrifice that they did on this day.

I also want to welcome Mr. Scalise to the Veterans' Affairs Committee again, that he has volunteered to become a part of that committee and to work in a very bipartisan way so that we can do our best for veterans.

On June 6, 1944, the United States participated in the largest seaboard invasion in history. Countless men and

women served their country that day, and I stand before you to ask for your support for the designation of National D-Day Remembrance Day.

Preparations for D-day began long before June 6, 1944. In fact, discussions about an allied invasion began in 1942. The Germans expected an invasion along the north coast of France and built up forces along the narrowest portion of the channel. However, the Allies planned to land just south of the German build-up. In order to execute a successful campaign, our men and women, along with Allied forces in other countries, not only had to plan an attack, but also to contend with many of the same issues we ourselves are faced with today.

War planners projected 5,000 tons of gasoline would be needed daily for the first 20 days after the initial invasion. 3,489 tons of soap would be needed in the first four months after the invasion. Approximately 300 planes would drop bombs along the coast of Normandy. Six parachute regiments, including 13,000 men, needed to be transported. 5,000 vessels would transport men and 30,000 vehicles across the English channel.

It's clear that the efforts that led to D-day and the many days afterward were that of dedicated men and women who sacrificed their jobs, their families and in many cases their own lives to ensure that the United States of America and the Allied forces would be successful.

Words cannot express our gratitude for their courage and spirit. However, by designating a National D-Day Remembrance Day, we can continue to remember the sacrifice unwavering commitment to our country, and determination of the men and women who fought and won World War II. I urge my colleagues to remember and honor these men and women by supporting this resolution.

I also want to comment on Mr. Obey, what he said in regard to the actual monument. And I've had the opportunity to be there. My daughter, while she was vacationing in Europe, in her early twenties, she and her friends enjoyed it so much that they actually were just going and planning on spending an afternoon, wound up spending the night, and were so impressed with the way that everything's portrayed that, again they did a good job.