Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a fellow Tennessean, but a man whom I never had the privilege of meeting. Samuel Francis was a nationally syndicated newspaper columnist and a leading voice of traditional conservatism. He passed away several days ago, just after the Congress had gone into recess, at the too-young age of 57 from complications after heart surgery.

No two people, not even husbands and wives or best friends, agree on everything; and I did not always agree with Sam Francis. But I admired his courage. He was politically incorrect on almost everything, which made him right on most things, but also very controversial. He was a leading critic of neo-conservatives, Big Government conservatives who really are not very conservative at all.

Raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Dr. Francis had a bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins and master's and Ph.D. degrees from the University of North Carolina.

Sam Francis did not believe in world government and multiculturalism. He was a patriotic American who put his own country first and was a brilliant and brave writer.

Mr. Speaker, I was disappointed to learn that China is drafting an anti-secession law, aimed at annexing Taiwan. The Taiwanese people are very concerned with China's action and understandably so.

China has long presumed that it and Taiwan are unified. However, the reality is, since 1949, they have been two nations existing side by side with neither having control over the other.

The proposed law also assumes that the only outcome of cross-strait negotiation is annexation of Taiwan by China. This would deny the 23 million people of Taiwan the right to decide their own future and would go against the intentions of the Taiwan Relations Act.

Many believe, if enacted, the law would be used to justify the legal basis for the Chinese government to punish anyone speaking or acting against the reunification of Taiwan and China. Moreover, Chinese leaders might that this law permits the use of force against Taiwan if China considers Taiwanese leaders to be engaging in separatist activities.

Clearly, China is seeking to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. If enacted, this law would destroy any good feelings the Taiwanese people might have gained for China through increasing economic interdependence. It would also make them less willing to sit down and discuss their future with China.

In the end, military tension in the Taiwan Strait will rise, affecting regional peace and stability. This is not in the best interests of either Country.

Mr. Speaker, we should all speak out against China's proposed law. It is a bad law with potentially serious consequences.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, and I want, first of all, to commend the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley) for introducing this resolution.

The Boy Scouts emphasize God and family and country, and I will tell the Members this: there are many fine charitable religious and civic organizations in this country, but I do not see how there could be any that are finer than the Boy Scouts of America.

I spent 7\1/2\ years as a criminal court judge before I came to Congress, trying felony criminal cases. I was told on the first day that I was judge that 98 percent of the defendants in felony cases came from broken homes. I went through 10,000 cases in that time, and I read thousands of times reports saying defendant's father left home when the defendant was 2 and never returned, defendant's father left home to get a pack of cigarettes and never came back. And I know that many outstanding people come from broken homes, but I also know that there are many young boys growing up in this country today without a good male role model in their lives.

In fact, I remember one Friday afternoon going to National Airport after one of the horrible school shootings that we had in another part of the country where a junior high school boy had shot up a school, and the national head of the YMCA was on the CBS national news saying that children were being neglected in this country today like never before. I do not know if that is true and I hope it is not, but certainly it is an epidemic-type problem that the Boy Scouts are in the forefront of working against, of fighting, of trying to make sure that boys are growing up with good male role models and are growing up with good guidance in their lives and are not being neglected as never before like the national head of the YMCA said.

Also, the gentleman from Colorado mentioned the ACLU. I know in the lead case brought by the ACLU, they received $690,000 in legal fees and $160,000 in court costs, $950,000 from the taxpayers. The gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hostettler) has introduced a bill to not make the taxpayers pay those types of legal fees. We should pass that type of bill.

But above all, the first good start is to pass this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and express our very strong support for one of the most outstanding organizations in this country today, the Boy Scouts of America.

Mr. Speaker, this month, the McMinn County, Tennessee Soil and Water Conservation District will celebrate its 50th anniversary. This milestone is much more than a birthday. It is a celebration of a voluntary conservation program that has involved more than 30,000 farmers, and other land users.

This program has benefited thousands of East Tennesseans by implementing flood prevention plans, creating recreation areas, and putting many other soil conservation projects in place.

I have enjoyed working with the McMinn County Social and Water Conservation District in the sixteen years I have served in the House. My father also worked closely with this program when he served in this seat from 1964 to 1988.

Mr. Speaker, let me again congratulate the McMinn County Soil and Water Conservation for fifty years of excellent service to east Tennessee. I have enclosed a written history of the program that I would like to call to the attention of my fellow members and other readers of the Record.

The History of the McMinn County Soil Conservation District

The McMinn County Soil Conservation District was founded on

December 28, 1954, The original charter members were Rex

Moses, Clarence Miller, Carl D. Stager, J. G. Wilson, and J.

K. Pickens.

Conservation Districts are local government subdivisions

established under state law to carry out a program for the

conservation, use and development of soil, water and related

resources.

In 1972, The McMinn County Soil Conservation District,

along with nine other sister districts, took an active part

in the drive to establish the ten county Southeast Tennessee

Resource Conservation and Development Districts. We met with

other SCD Boards several times in making and submitting an

application to the Secretary of Agriculture for and RC&D

project. This project was approved and funded in September

1972. The Board asked for and received active support on this

project from the County Council, City Governments, Farm

Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, and others interested in the

resources of McMinn County.

The Sweetwater Creek Watershed District was organized in

1958 by local landowners with the help of the three

sponsoring organizations--McMinn, Monroe, Loudon Soil

Conservation Districts. A flood prevention plan for the

Cities of Sweetwater and Philadelphia and all the low-lying

land along the Sweetwater Creek from its origin in McMinn

County to the outlet at the Tennessee River in Loudon County

was completed in 1970.

Sweetwater Creek Watershed Program is a local project with

technical and financial assistance from the United States

Department of Agriculture. The principal problems were

floodwater and sediment damage to agricultural lands,

industrial, commercial and residential properties and roads.

There are 37,460 acres in this watershed.

With the help of the sponsoring districts the watershed

board requested funding from the three counties and the City

of Sweetwater for operational and maintenance expenses in the

amount of $6,600.00 annually. Funding was provided in 1974.

Congress authorized funding for the Sweetwater Creek

Watershed Project in July 1972. Without the help of the

Honorable John Duncan, Sr., the project would not have been

funded.

The McMinn Board of Supervisors asked the County Council to

budget $600 per year for maintenance of dams on the

Sweetwater project. The council was very happy to comply with

this request.

Four flood retarding structures have been completed in

McMinn County, channelization for the creek in the City of

Philadelphia, and 9 miles of clearing and snagging of the

creek between the Cities of Sweetwater and Philadelphia. The

construction on the first flood retarding structure begins in

October 1975. In 1989 the fourth flood retarding structure

was completed. This was the final phase of the project for

federal funding. The total cost of the work was 4.6 million

dollars. Benefits to the area have been substantial. The

Cities of Sweetwater and Philadelphia have not been flooded

since the structures were built and the channelization

complete.

Every year the watershed board maintains the flood

retarding structures and the channel. The retarding

structures are mowed annually; any trees removed from the

embankment, and eroding areas are seeded. The channel is

inspected and cleared of any fallen trees, logs or trash that

may cause problems. Sand bars are removed from the channel.

Benefits to the area have been substantial. The Cities of

Sweetwater and Philadelphia have not been flooded since the

structures were built and the channelization completed.

Preventing damage to the agricultural, industrial, commercial

and residential properties has saved millions of dollars.

The McMinn County Soil Conservation started Tree Day in

March 1972. We gave away 10,000 white pines which were

donated by Bowater. The District requested the assistance of

the City of Athens to distribute the trees in 19--. Later,

Arbor Day and the State Forest Service absorbed Tree Day.

Citizens National Bank joined the District and City in

sponsoring this event, which continues today.

The County Council requested the District assist in

planning and implementing a nine-acre recreation area at the

County Landfill. The District supplied tuff-cote Bermuda

sprigs for the ball fields and supervised planting and land

grading. The District Board assisted in three seminars on

landfill operations, and site selection at the request of the

County Council, for visiting county officials, schools,

health departments, etc.

In 1982, the Chestuee Creek Special ACP Demonstration Area

was co-sponsored by the Soil Conservation District.

Approximately thirty-five thousand (35,000) acres of land in

the McMinn County Soil Conservation District is within this

watershed. At a dedication ceremony held in April, over 500

people from East and Middle Tennessee attended to close out

this project. The Board of Supervisors was very proud to have

had a part in the success of the Chestuee Creek project.

This project brought over $1,250,000 in federal funds to

the area. Many conservation practices were installed by

local farmers, which they would not have otherwise been

able to accomplish.

The District signed a Memorandum of Understanding with

McMinn County in March 1983. The Memorandum spells out the

responsibilities of both parties in our joint conservation

efforts. The district has been able to lead the state in many

areas of conservation application because of the support of

our County and City officials. The commitment to the

conservation effort by these groups makes the job much easier

and satisfying.

The orphan strip mines continued to be a problem in the

county. The District completed an inventory of these mines in

1984. Special funds were requested to reclaim these areas

through a Special ACP funding for critical area treatment. We

are awaiting approval of this project.

Our Conservation District was pleased to have our local

nominee named as a Five Star Farmer by TVA for outstanding

soil conservation accomplishment. Lowry Dougherty won the

award for the excellent progress to controlling erosion on

his 240-acre dairy farm.

In 1984, the Upper Oostanaula Creek Specal ACP

Demonstration Area was co-sponsored by the Soil Conservation

District. Approximately twelve thousand acres of land in the

McMinn County Soil Conservation District is within this

watershed. This is the second national project that has been

approved for McMinn County. The Board of Supervisors was very

proud to have had a part in the success of the Oostanaula

Creek Project which brought over one million dollars in

federal funds to the area. Many conservation practices were

installed by local farmers, which they would not have

otherwise been able to accomplish.

Work was started on the Flood Hazard Study on Oostanaula

Creek in October 1987, A series of public hearings were held

in November and survey work has proceeded on schedule. The

final plan was completed and ready for funding by September

1988.

In 1987, a group of volunteer conservationists formed an

``Earth Team'' to assist the McMinn Soil Conservation

District with their conservation programs. The members

included Hugh ``Doc'' Lamb, J. Neal Ensminger, Harold

``Prof'' Powers, Herbert ``Dick'' Williams, F. W. Adsit, Rex

Moses, Charles Engle, E. H. Looney, Clarence Streetman, and

Ginger Wheeler.

The McMinn ``Earth Team'' was the first recipients to

receive state and national recognition for their volunteer

efforts in conservation, They were cited by the National

Association Conservation Districts for their exemplary

volunteer efforts to attain conservation goals. They were

honored at the NACD National meeting in February 1988 at

Little Rock, Arkansas. The ``Keep McMinn Beautiful''

committee was formed as a direct result of the Earth Team.

Some of the projects carried out by the Earth Team were:

I. Conservation Education Program

a. Conducted conservation school camps for city and county

schools.

b. Presented programs to civic and garden clubs.

c. Contacted farmers to explain the provisions of the Farm

Bill.

d. Developed a forest information program for area woodlot

owners.

e. Assisted with conservation tours, meeting, etc.

II. Water Quality Concerns

a. Conducted an extensive public awareness campaign on the

water quality problems in McMinn County.

b. Developed a slide presentation on roadside litter and

dumps.

c. Assisted the county in locating suitable landfill sites.

III. Formed a Speakers Bureau

a. Sent out brochures to civic, school, and church groups

on conservation speakers available for programs.

IV. Conservation Application

a. Located farm boundaries on maps.

b. Compiled list of Highly Erodible Land (HEL).

c. Assist with layout of strip cropping, animal waste

systems and waterways

d. Gather information on soil loss for SL-1 referrals.

e. Contact farmers concerning sodbuster-swampbuster

provisions of Farm Bill.

In 1993, The Tennessee Department of Conservation and

Environment published a list of all streams in Tennessee,

which have water pollutants. Oostanaula Creek was identified

as having pollutants nitrogen and pathogen. Best Management

Practices were installed and cost shared through funds

received from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture with

the help of the Southeast Tennessee Resource Conservation and

Development. Water Quality practices included stream fencing

to prevent livestock having direct access to the creek,

stream crossing, alternative livestock watering systems,

conservation buffers strips and animal waste management

systems

The Farm Bills bring many programs under Conservation

Compliance. To participate and receive benefits from USDA is

voluntary to the farmer. The District strives to make program

participation clientele friendly and manageable to the

farmers as it can, while meeting conservation goals.

In 1993, 484 landowners received assistance from Field

Office staff. To date, 23,546 acres of highly erodible land

were identified with 20,996 acres under conservation plan,

and 13,084 acres plan applied and on the ground. The ACP

program had 171 referrals. There were 25 LTA's, 13 Farm Bill

Status Reviews, 1 569 compliance investigation, and 7 water

quality complaints were investigated.

The McMinn County Water Quality assisted the Tennessee

Department of Health & Environment with investigations of

citizen complaints involving water pollution from animal

waste and dairy operations waste, poultry operations waste,

mining runoff, and disposal of dead animals Investigations

were conducted of numerous potential groundwater pollution

problems (wells and springs in the county), Through these

investigations, samples were collected to be analyzed by

private laboratories. The test results were then analyzed and

possible solutions were recommended.

Local industry and utility districts with potential

groundwater problems were assisted. The County Board of

Education was assisted with assessment of periodic well water

sampling requirements to comply with State Regulations. Well

water samples were collected for determination of lead in

drinking water from several homes in response to requests.

The laboratory determination results were then analyzed and

citizens advised as to further action. Also, assistance was

given in determing aquatic weed problems and treatment was

recommended for several farm ponds.

Consultation was provided for two established watershed

districts in response to water quality assessment needs.

Sites for drinking water sampling were selected and samples

collected to establish the need for extension of Riceville

water lines to additional areas in the county.

The Water Qualify Office responded to many requests for

information and questions concerning appropriate authority

for assistance.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Home & Garden Television on the occasion of its tenth anniversary. I am proud to say that HGTV calls Knoxville, Tennessee, home.

HGTV was born of humble beginnings in East Tennessee and over the years has grown to be one of the most successful cable networks in existence today. It is one of four networks owned by the E.W. Scripps Company.

Ross Bagwell, Sr., a television production innovator, created the network that would become HGTV. A creative genius, he started Cinetel Productions in 1973 and produced many different shows. In 1994, Mr. Bagwell sold Cinetel to the Scripps Company, and soon after, HGTV was born.

The E.W. Scripps Company President and CEO Kenneth Lowe, the founder of HGTV, led the network to an explosion in popularity. Ken spurred the creation of the Scripps Networks division and played an instrumental role in the development of Scripps' other networks, the Food Network, Do It Yourself (DIY), and Fine Living.

Scripps Networks is a great corporate citizen in my District and a large employer of a skilled and creative workforce.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Ken Lowe and all of the employees of Scripps Networks and especially HGTV on the occasion of its tenth anniversary. Our Country would be a much better place today if there were more good corporate citizens here like the E.W. Scripps Company.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute and honor to two of our retiring colleagues, Congressman Phil Crane and Congressman Bill Lipinski, two of the finest men I have ever known.

I first met Phil Crane in 1966 when he spoke to a conservative student group at the University of Tennessee and a few years later invited him to speak to my law school class at George Washington University. Phil Crane was one of the early national leaders of the modern-day conservative movement, a highly-respected professor, author and legislator. His life has been a true inspiration to countless numbers of young people all across this Nation.

Bill Lipinski served as my Ranking Member for the entire 6 years I chaired the Subcommittee on Aviation. I said then that I do not believe any Chairman and Ranking Member got along or worked together better than Bill Lipinski and I did. Bill Lipinski never forgot where he came from. I have always considered him to be a master politician in the very best sense of the word and the epitome of what a Congressman who truly serves his constituents should be.

I will miss seeing these two men on such a regular basis, but this Nation is a better place today because of the service of two gentlemen from Illinois, Phil Crane and Bill Lipinski.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I would like to also congratulate all of the Red Sox, but I especially would like to congratulate my longtime friend Johnny Pesky. Johnny Pesky, at the age of 85, still dresses out every day with the Red Sox. Nobody loves the Red Sox more than Johnny Pesky, a longtime player, coach, manager, broadcaster, one of the most popular figures in all of New England.

I had the privilege as an 11 and 12-year-old boy of serving as his batboy for the Knoxville Smokies minor league baseball team and got to know him starting in 1959. He has had me right in the dugout at Fenway Park. I know that no one is more excited or happy over these great events of the last few weeks than my friend Johnny Pesky. I would like to offer a special congratulations to a really fine man and great American, Johnny Pesky.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take the time of the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones).

Mr. Speaker, in yesterday's Congress Daily published by the National Journal, there was an article stating that some of the Nation's largest high-tech companies are pushing for a big increase in the H-1B visa program. This is the program that grants visas to so- called skilled foreigners such as computer specialists, engineers, and technical medical researchers. This program already allows 65,000 foreigners each year to come in and take some of the best jobs this country has to offer.

Now, these giant corporations are waging what Congress Daily described as an ``intense lobbying'' campaign to get 30,000 to 40,000 more of these foreign workers, and this goes on every year and has undoubtedly let in hundreds of thousands or even more over the last several years.

This, of course, is on top of the many millions of illegal aliens we already have here, probably at least double or triple the ten million illegals the government estimates are here based on what I have read and heard and seen.

I realize the H1-B program is a way to get here legally, and I do commend those involved for at least going through the proper legal channels. But over the last 16 years since I have been in Congress, I have had many parents and grandparents bring me their college graduate children or grandchildren who cannot find good jobs. And these are good-looking young people with very good grades.

All over this country there are many thousands of college graduates who cannot find good jobs so they work as waiters and waitresses and go to graduate school or more often law school. Sometimes people with masters degrees or even PhDs are having trouble finding good jobs. Our unemployment is low, but our underemployment is terrible. Yet we bring in many thousands more foreign workers each year while we continue to send huge numbers of good jobs to other countries with our astounding $1 million-a-minute trade deficit.

Many years ago I read that our government estimated that half the people of the world wanted to come here to live. Consistent with that I read in the last few months that half of the people in the world have to get by on $2 or less a day and do not have a second pair of shoes. We simply cannot take 3 billion more people in to this Nation, especially over a short period of time. Already our schools and hospitals are overrun with illegal immigrants in areas near our borders.

God has blessed every nation in this world with either natural beauty and natural resources and usually both that could make those countries rich if they had a free market, free enterprise system. However, all over this world people have fallen for the myth that government can solve all problems, and they have either voted in or had governments forced on them that were liberal, left-wing or socialist. And all over this world all big government has done is to ruin economies and wipe out the middle class.

Big government means a few elite rulers at the top, a huge underclass, usually near starvation, and almost no middle class. Today with many of our trade and immigration policies, our own big government is slowly wiping out our own middle class to try to benefit a small number of huge multi-national companies. The big giants are growing bigger in large part because of government favoritism, government contracts, tax breaks, free land. Big government, though, really only helps extremely big business and the bureaucrats who work for the government. Everyone else gets the crumbs or the shaft.

There really cannot be such a thing as big government conservatism. That is an oxymoron. Only in a very small government, truly free market system does the little man or a person without great capital have a real chance.

Big government liberalism, while always claiming to help the little guy, has actually been the best friend extremely big business has. And this proposed expansion of the H1-B program is just another example of this big government, big business duopoly that is in the long run bringing down American small business and our great middle class.

Mr. Speaker, to find out how chaotic, how messed up the situation in Iraq is, all you need to do is read the front page of yesterday's Washington Post. The top headline said, ``Trouble Spots Dot Iraqi Landscape.'' The subhead read: ``Attacks erupting away from Fallujah.''

The story says:

``The fighting started in Mosul 2 days after U.S. tanks entered Fallujah. Armed men appeared in a sudden tide on a main street in Iraq's third largest city, a wide avenue where so many American convoys had been ambushed that locals nicknamed it `Death Street.'

``At 11 a.m. Thursday, the target was an armored SUV. Witnesses said that after its Western passengers were chased into a police station, the driver was burned alive atop the vehicle as the attackers shouted, `Jew!' The city of 1.8 million people then devolved into chaos. Thousands of police officers abandoned their precinct houses. The governor's house was set alight. Insurgents took the police chief's brother, himself a senior officer, into his front yard and shot him dead.

``By Sunday, the dawn of a 3-day festival celebrating the end of Ramadan, control over sections of the city remained in doubt. In streets emptied by fear and gunfire, insurgents battled hundreds of Iraqi National Guard reinforcements dispatched by the interim government to quell an uprising that was at once largely expected and disquieting.''

This is a story about fighting in Mosul.

U.S. troops have taken control of Fallujah, but the insurgents have simply moved out to fight alongside supporters in several other Iraqi cities. At least 38 additional U.S. troops have been killed and at least 320 more wounded in this most recent fighting.

Fortune magazine, Mr. Speaker, in its November 25, 2002 edition, a couple of months before the war started, had an article entitled ``Iraq--We Win--What Then?'' The Fortune article said:

``A military victory could turn into a strategic defeat. A prolonged, expensive, American-led occupation could turn U.S. troops into sitting ducks for Islamic terrorists.'' How right this article was.

James Webb, a hero in Vietnam and President Reagan's Secretary of the Navy, wrote in The Washington Post before the war: ``The issue before us is not whether the United States should end the regime of Saddam Hussein but whether we as a Nation are prepared to occupy territory in the Middle East for the next 30 to 50 years.'' Secretary

Webb was strongly opposed to such an occupation.

Charley Reese, the very popular conservative columnist, wrote, again before the war: ``Just let the United States try to occupy the Middle East, which will be the practical result of a war against Iraq, and Americans will be bled dry by the costs both in blood and treasure.''

A few months ago, our own government took a poll and found that 92 percent of Iraqis regard us as occupiers rather than liberators. These people really do not appreciate what we have done for them. No one can legitimately criticize our troops, and I certainly would not. They are simply following orders and doing a great job. But when people say we made a mistake going in there but now that we are there we have to stay, we have to get the job done, that is like saying we know we are going the wrong way down the interstate, but we have to keep going anyway. I think you get off at the next exit.

We should announce to the world that we have done far more than any other nation has done for another country in the history of the world. We have spent almost $200 billion, more than 90 percent of the money and casualties have been American, but we really cannot help any more until Iraqis stop killing our young soldiers and stop blowing each other up. That is what we should announce.

For those who say Iraq would go into chaos if we leave, they should read yesterday's Washington Post. The chaos is already there.

Columnist Georgie Anne put it best: ``Critics of the war against Iraq have said since the beginning of the conflict that Americans, still strangely complacent about overseas wars being waged by a minority in their name, will inevitably come to a point where they will see they have to have a government that provides services at home or one that seeks empire across the globe.''

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 815) congratulating Andrew Wojtanik for winning the 16th Annual National Geographic Bee, conducted by the National Geographic Society.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 815.

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

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 815 congratulates Andrew Wojtanik for winning the 16th Annual National Geographic Bee conducted by the National Geographic Society.

Mr. Speaker, this is a terrific and well-deserved honor for a terrific and deserving young man. I strongly support the resolution and urge all of my colleagues to do the same.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore), the author of this resolution, and I urge passage and congratulate Andrew Wojtanik.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 464) honoring the 10 communities selected to receive the 2004 All-America City Award.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 464.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 464. This measure honors the 10 communities selected to receive the 2004 All- America City Award. I commend our colleague, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes), for introducing this resolution.

Each year the National Civic League announces the recipients of the All-America City Award, perhaps our country's most prestigious civic recognition program. In an effort to promote community development, the All-America City Award is given to communities where citizens, government, businesses, and nonprofit organizations work together to effectively achieve the highest levels of civic participation.

Since 1949, more than 4,000 communities have applied for the award and about 500 have been selected as All-America cities. This year 10 communities received this honor. The 2004 award winners are Stockton, California; Pembroke Pines, Florida; Evansville, Tennessee; Montevideo, Minnesota; Concord, North Carolina; Springfield, Ohio; Cottage Grove, Oregon; Hidalgo, Texas; Spokane, Washington; and Philippi, West Virginia.

I offer my congratulations to these 10 communities. I urge my colleagues to join with the 10 co-sponsors of the resolution and myself in honoring these 10 cities for winning the All-America City Award.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes), the author of this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hostettler) to speak on behalf of Evansville, Indiana.

(Mr. HOSTETTLER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I have no other speakers on this.

Let me close simply by saying that the All-America City Award was a program that was carried on for many years by Look magazine, one of our largest national circulation magazines, and I am very proud that in 1962 my hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, received one of the very earliest All-America City Awards.

My father served as mayor of Knoxville for 6 years, from 1959 to 1964, and Look magazine recognized Knoxville not only for many civic improvements but also because of my father's work in leading the peaceful integration of the city, which made sure that Knoxville did not go through many of the troubles that most other cities in the North and the South went through during that time period.

So this is a great, great award. It is one that the people of Knoxville were always proud of; and these cities should be proud of it, too.

I thank the sponsor the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) and the cosponsors. I urge passage of this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that, notwithstanding clause 7 of rule XII, the Union Calendar print of H.R. 10 may reflect additional cosponsors submitted by the Speaker.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5051) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1001 Williams Street in Ignacio, Colorado, as the ``Leonard C. Burch Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5051, the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the distinguished gentleman from Colorado, the sponsor of H.R. 5051, I rise in support of the Leonard C. Burch Post Office Designation Act.

Leonard Burch was chairman of the Southern Ute Tribal Council for more than 32 years. He was the first elected tribal chairman in 1966, making him the youngest ever at age 32. Chairman Burch was an effective, ambitious leader for the Southern Utes and helped to economically develop this tribe based in the Rocky Mountains.

Mr. Speaker, Leonard Burch died in August 2003 after suffering a heart attack. This post office will be a deserved honor for Leonard Burch, and I know it will make his family very proud.

I thank the sponsor, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. McInnis), for bringing this bill to the floor today. I am pleased to urge passage of

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, I urge passage of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4807) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 140 Sacramento Street in Rio Vista, California, as the ``Adam G. Kinser Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 4807, the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4807 that would establish the Adam G. Kinser Post Office. I congratulate the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose) for introducing this bill and for securing the cosponsorship of the entire 53-Member delegation from California to comply with Committee on Government Reform policy.

All Americans mourn the loss of those who die in the service of their country in the Armed Services. Brave, dedicated 21-year-old Specialist Adam Kinser was one of these tremendous Americans. Adam proudly fought for his country in Afghanistan as part of the war on global terror.

In his senior year of high school, Adam felt a calling to serve his country and enlisted in the Army Reserves. In July 2003, the Army sent Specialist Kinser to Afghanistan as part of the Army Reserves' 304th Psychological Operations Company. On January 29, 2004, Kinser and eight fellow soldiers were working near a weapons cache in Ghanzi, 60 miles southwest of Kabul, when an explosion took the life of all nine men.

Mr. Speaker, Adam Kinser was a loving son and brother, dedicated student athlete, husband, and father. He was, in short, an American hero. The House joins with the community of Rio Vista and the family of Adam G. Kinser in grieving the loss of their beloved star student athlete. This post office will forever commemorate Adam's sacrifice to his grateful Nation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to our colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose), the author of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, there is really no adequate way that we can show appreciation to this young man for giving his life in service to this Nation, but certainly, this is a very appropriate way to recognize the contributions that Adam Kinser gave to this Nation, and I guess you could say, in a way, it is the least that we can do.

I know that all Members of this Congress, on both sides of the aisle, join me and the sponsor, the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose), in expressing our condolences and our appreciation and the thanks of a grateful Nation to the family of Adam G. Kinser, and I urge passage of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.