Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2415) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4141 Postmark Drive, Anchorage, Alaska, as the ``Robert J. Opinsky 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 S. 2415, the Senate bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, S. 2415 honors a devoted Postal Service employee of more than four decades, Robert Opinsky. Bob Opinsky began his career with the Postal Service in 1956 as a $1.50-an-hour temporary clerk. Through hard work and dedication, he was able to work up the ranks of the Postal Service and become the district manager of the Postal Service in Alaska. He retired in 1996.

Bob Opinsky was a terrific leader within the Postal Service community; therefore, I am pleased to support this post office designation in his honor, an exceedingly appropriate tribute to his postal career.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Senator from Alaska, Mr. Stevens, for advancing this legislation. I support it, and I urge passage of the bill.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4847) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 560 Bay Isles Road in Longboat Key, Florida, as the ``Lieutenant General James V. Edmundson 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. 4847, the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4847, a bill that designates the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 560 Bay Isles Road, in Longboat Key, Florida, as the Lieutenant General James V. Edmundson Post Office Building.

All Members of the Florida congressional delegation have cosponsored this legislation, and I am pleased to join with them today in urging the passage of this bill.

Lieutenant General James Valentine Edmundson was an American hero and veteran of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. General Edmundson flew more than 10,000 hours, including 107 combat missions during World War II. In 1973, after 35 years of highly distinguished service in the United States Air Force, General Edmundson retired as Deputy Commander in Chief of the U.S. Readiness Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. General Edmundson's incredible list of distinctions includes the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 4847, a bill that honors the valor and achievements of Lieutenant General James Valentine Edmundson. I thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Harris) for her work on H.R. 4847.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Harris).

(Ms. HARRIS asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4968) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 25 McHenry Street in Rosine, Kentucky, as the ``Bill Monroe Post Office''.

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 the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, most Americans know that the heart of bluegrass music country is accordingly located in the Bluegrass State of Kentucky. This bill, H.R. 4968, names this Rosine, Kentucky, post office after the father of bluegrass music, Bill Monroe. Bill Monroe is credited with almost singlehandedly creating the musical art form of bluegrass. In 1939, Mr. Monroe started a band called the Bluegrass Boys, which became one of the most popular musical groups in the Nation during that era. The highly decorated Monroe was ultimately inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, and he remains a musical legend to this day.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Lewis) for sponsoring this honor for Bill Monroe. I support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Lewis), the sponsor of this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5053) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1475 Western Avenue, Suite 45, in Albany, New York, as the ``Lieutenant John F. Finn Post Office''.

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 the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, Lieutenant John F. Finn, a 12-year veteran of the Albany Police Department, was shot three times while chasing a robbery suspect on December 23, 2003. Lieutenant Finn was immediately admitted to Albany Medical Center, and he remained in critical condition for 7 weeks. He sadly succumbed to his wounds on February 12 of this year, as I said, approximately 7 weeks later. H.R. 5053 remembers the life and service of Lieutenant Finn.

Mr. Speaker, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, an average of 163 law enforcement officers have been killed annually in the line of duty over the last 10 years. Our Nation's police officers make themselves vulnerable every day in working to maintain the peace in American communities. We mourn with the citizens of Albany on this occasion and the House intends for this post office designation to serve as a lasting tribute to Lieutenant John F. Finn's patriotism, courage, sacrifice, and service to this Nation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney).

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

I certainly agreed with everything that our colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney), just said. I commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. McNulty) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney) for this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4232) to redesignate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4025 Feather Lakes Way in Kingwood, Texas, as the ``Congressman Jack Fields Post Office''.

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 the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4232 honors a very distinguished former Member of this body, Congressman Jack Fields of Texas, with whom I had the privilege of serving. Congressman Fields, who made a living as a businessman and attorney, was elected as a Republican Member of the 97th and to the seven succeeding Congresses. He served in the House from 1981 until 1987.

Many of us had a chance to work alongside Congressman Fields, and we could not be happier about this post office designation in his honor. He was a very devoted Representative of the people of Texas and the Nation as a whole. He was a leading member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and contributed to this body and to this country in ways too numerous to mention at this time.

I commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady) for honoring Congressman Jack Fields in this legislation. I urge passage of this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady), the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter).

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I urge passage of this bill to honor our good friend and colleague, Congressman Jack Fields.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4829) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 103 East Kleberg in Kingsville, Texas, as the ``Irma Rangel 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. 4829.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4829 designates the post office in Kingsville, Texas, as the Irma Rangel Post Office Building. I congratulate the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) for garnering the cosponsorship of each Member of the Texas delegation and for advancing the bill to the floor today.

Mr. Speaker, Irma Rangel was the first Mexican-American woman elected to the Texas State House of Representatives. She was a political institution in the State of Texas and very deserving of this honor today.

Irma Rangel sadly lost her valiant struggle against cancer on May 18, 2003. On June 2, 2003, the House unanimously agreed to a resolution that expressed sorrow following Irma Rangel's death. Today's legislation will be a more lasting tribute to Irma Rangel's groundbreaking service, and I support its passage.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady).

Mr. Speaker, I have no other additional speakers, I urge passage of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill. With the modern technology found in most weapons today, the U.S. military needs a more highly educated force than it needed years ago. Also, the United States does not need the large numbers of soldiers our armed forces required in previous large wars. Our all-volunteer military is working well, and we have raised pay and benefits up to higher levels than most would be making in the private sector.

Secretary Rumsfeld agrees. In recent testimony before the Armed Services Committee in the other body, he noted:

``We've got 295 million people in the United States of America. We need 1.4 million to serve in the active force. We have no trouble attracting and retaining the people we need.''

``We are not having trouble maintaining a force of volunteers. Every single person's a volunteer. We do not need to use compulsion to get people to come in the armed services. We got an ample number of talented, skillful, courageous, dedicated young men and women willing to serve. And it's false.''

Service in our armed forces is one of the most honorable ways anyone can serve this Nation, and our military is attracting very good people. However, in a society that prides itself on individual liberty and personal freedom, public service is not the only way to serve the common good. A free country should never force anyone to work for the government unless there is no other reasonable alternative.

We can teach our children to love and appreciate this country without forcing any young person to serve in the military against his or her will. There are plenty of professions where people honorably serve others, a good many of which are in the private sector.

Farmers serve this Nation well providing food for the people. Bankers serve the Nation well by creating the capital and financing for small businesses to create jobs and hire hard-working people.

Nurses and doctors serve the Nation well by working long hours protecting us from disease and injury.

Farmers, doctors, teachers, business people--these are just a few of the countless people in countless professions who work hard at honest jobs serving others in service to this Nation.

For every person we force into the military against his or her wishes, we are taking away the ability of that individual to fulfill the God-given right to pursue one's own happiness, a right that Thomas Jefferson made the centerpiece of the Declaration of Independence.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons) for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage the House to approve S. 2319 which was first introduced by my Tennessee colleague, Senator Lamar Alexander.

Simply put, S. 2319 is a jobs bill that will keep 2,000 jobs through a land exchange between the ALCOA Corporation and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

This bill ratifies an agreement between ALCOA and a large number of Tennessee and North Carolina State and local officials, Federal agencies and nonprofit conservation groups.

Specifically, this bill allows the relicensing of the Tapoco Project, an ALCOA-owned-and-operated hydroelec- tric project that is federally licensed under the Federal Power Act.

Originally licensed in 1955, the Tapoco Project was constructed on the Little Tennessee and Cheoah Rivers. It contains more than 8,000 acres that are located between nearly 10,000 acres of lands owned by ALCOA, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests.

Senate bill 2319 creates a legal barrier that prevents the relicensure of the Tapoco Project because a portion of the Chilhowee Reservoir floods four side streams containing approximately 100 acres of land within the authorized boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Although these lands were included within the park when it was created in 1926, the Federal Government decided for financial reasons not to acquire flooding rights that were then held by ALCOA's corporate predecessor.

However, the Federal Power Act and the 1926 Great Smoky Mountains National Park law each prohibit the licensing of hydroelectric projects inside the park. Thus, it appears the Tapoco Project was erroneously licensed in 1955 to include four areas flooded by Chilhowee Dam.

Although ALCOA owns valid property rights to flood these lands, FERC does not have the legal authority to issue a new license. Under Senate bill 2319, the Park Service and ALCOA will exchange lands to correct this 50-year-old mistake and allow FERC to relicense the Tapoco Project.

Specifically, the bill directs the Secretary of Interior to acquire 189 acres of ecologically valuable lands located within the authorized boundaries of the park, in exchange for 100 acres of land located within the park and the Tapoco Project. This is a net gain of 89 acres for the park.

The legislation also authorizes the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture to adjust the boundaries of the park and adjacent U.S. forests and accept the lands that are expected to be transferred by ALCOA to a nonprofit organization and subsequently by the nonprofit organization to the Federal Government.

In conclusion, without this legislation, ALCOA would no longer be able to provide power for its operations in East Tennessee and would be forced to halt its operations. This would be a major blow to 2,000 hardworking families in my district and an annual economic loss of over $400 million to a region that already has lost thousands of jobs overseas.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this bill. I especially thank my colleague in the other body, Senator Alexander, for his work on this legislation. I thank my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons) for so graciously yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4731) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to reauthorize the National Estuary Program.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 4731, to reauthorize the National Estuary Program. Estuaries are unique and highly productive waters that are important to the ecological and economic bases of our Nation. Fisheries, wildlife, recreation, and tourism are heavily dependent on healthy estuarine systems. Yet despite their value, most estuaries in the United States are experiencing stress from physical alteration and pollution, often resulting from development and rapid population growth in coastal areas.

In the 1980s, Congress recognized the importance of and the need to protect the natural functions of our Nation's estuaries. As a result, in 1987 Congress first authorized the National Estuary Program. Today this program, the National Estuary Program, is an ongoing nonregulatory program designed to support the collaborative, voluntary efforts of Federal, State, and local stakeholders to restore degraded estuaries. Currently all 29 estuaries in the National Estuary Program have developed and are implementing restoration plans. Under this program, $35 million a year is authorized to allow the EPA to help these State and local restoration efforts. The program's current authorization expires in 2005. Thus, the need for this legislation.

H.R. 4731 reauthorizes the National Estuary Program at the same level of funding for an additional 5 years. The bill contains no Federal mandates and imposes no costs on State or local governments. I certainly want to congratulate the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Gerlach) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Tauscher) on sponsoring this bill and on the great leadership they have provided on this. I urge all my colleagues to support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Gerlach), the author of this legislation.

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

Sometimes some of the best and most important legislation that this Congress does comes to the floor without much fanfare and does not receive a lot of attention because it is noncontroversial. This is such a bill. But I can tell the Members that it is a privilege for me, as chairman of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, to bring such vital legislation to this floor and urge its passage.

I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Gerlach), the sponsor, and I want to thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for her assistance and cooperation on this, and I especially want to thank the staff that has worked on this very important bill. I urge passage of this bill.

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

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 the bill, H.R. 4731.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the very distinguished chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), for yielding me this time, and for his work on this legislation and his work on so many other important bills before this body.

I also want to commend the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Akin) for his outstanding leadership on this issue.

Mr. Chairman, in a 1952 Supreme Court case, Zorach versus Clawson, in an opinion written, I think, by Justice Douglas, it said, there is ``No constitutional requirement which makes it necessary for government to be hostile to religion and throw its weight against efforts to widen the effective scope of religious influence.''

Similar to that, a few years ago the great columnist for the Washington Post, William Raspberry, who I am sure most people would describe as being fairly liberal on most issues, when he was writing about an issue similar to this, he said ``Is it not just

possible that anti-religious bias, masquerading as religious neutrality, has cost this Nation far more than we have been willing to acknowledge?''

Mr. Chairman, I spent 7\1/2\ years as a circuit court judge or State trial judge in the State of Tennessee. For years, I have heard and read Federal judges complaining about how Congress is putting too much into the Federal courts, expanding their jurisdiction too much, and how overworked they are, and how there should be more limits on the jurisdiction of these courts and that we should stop taking so many cases away from State courts. This is a very minimal limitation on the jurisdiction of the Federal courts. Very minimal. A very reasonable limitation.

As the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence) pointed out a few moments ago, there is almost no question that it is within the scope of congressional jurisdiction, or Congressional power to limit the jurisdiction of the Federal courts.

Alexander Hamilton, writing many years ago in Federalist paper number 81 said, ``To avoid all inconveniences, it will be safest to declare generally that the Supreme Court shall possess appellate jurisdiction that shall be subject to such exceptions and regulations as the national legislature may prescribe. This will enable the government to modify it in such a manner as will best answer the ends of public justice and security.''

And Thomas Jefferson, in a letter written in September of 1820, said this, responding to the argument that Federal judges should be the final interpreters of the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson wrote this: ``You seem to consider the Federal judges as the ultimate arbiters of all constitutional questions, a very dangerous doctrine indeed and one which would place us under the despotism of an oligarchy. Our judges are as honest as other men and not more so. They have with others the same passions for party, for power, and the privilege of their corps. Their power is the more dangerous, as they are in office for life and not responsible as the other functionaries are to the elective control. The Constitution has erected no such single tribunal.''

Mr. Chairman, I am sorry my time has run out. I urge support for this very reasonable, very minimal limitation on the Federal Courts' jurisdiction.

Mr. Speaker, on July 23, 2004, McMinn County, Tennessee lost one of its sports legends. Mary Grace Ramey served as a teacher and cheerleading coach for McMinn Central High School since it opened in 1966. She was 73 years old.

Mrs. Ramey touched the lives of hundreds of cheerleaders and thousands of students who passed through the halls of McMinn Central High School. Her colleagues said she was always positive and cared deeply about her students.

Mrs. Ramey, a mother of one and grandmother of three, will be missed by all those who knew her.

I would like to call this Daily Post-Athenian article from July 26, 2004, on Mary Ramey to the attention of my colleagues and other readers of the Record.

[From the Daily Post-Athenian, July 26, 2004]

Ramey Loss Leaves Hole in the Central Family Fabric

(By Jack Slayton)

She never hit a home run, sank a clutch basket, or scored a

touchdown, but McMinn County was stunned by the loss of a

sports legend in her own right this past Friday.

Teacher and cheerleading sponsor Mary Grace Ramey passed

away at Chattanooga's Erlanger Medical Center on Friday.

Ramey, who taught Family and Consumer Sciences, was

discovered behind the school on Friday, July 16, by two

students where she had either accidentally fallen or suffered

a seizure and struck her head, suffering a concussion.

Ramey (age 73) had shown some improvement and had been

moved from the intensive care unit to a private room before

her sudden passing Friday.

``Mary Grace,'' as I had known her over the past 30 years,

had been a teacher for more than half a century and the

cheerleadering sponsor at Central High School since the doors

opened in the 1996-97 school year.

``It's a sad day at Central High School,'' said Principal

Roger Freeman of the last remaining member of the original

staff at the school. ``She was a legend--an icon of what

everybody should aspire to be as both a person and a teacher.

She was dedicated to her profession and students, always

prepared and way ahead of the game.''

Ramey touched the lives of hundreds of cheerleaders and

countless thousands of students who passed through her

classroom over the past 51 years.

``I don't know of anyone who didn't like Mary Grace--she

was always so positive and cared deeply about her students,''

Freeman said. ``It will be difficult, no impossible, to

replace her. People like Mary Grace are rare.''

Rare, indeed. In a day and time where most people can't

wait to call it quits, Mary Grace never discussed retirement,

despite being well beyond the required age and with her

lengthy years of service.

She had returned earlier in the week from a stay in

Knoxville where her latest batch of cheerleaders had attended

a camp at the University of Tennessee.

She loved what she did and continued to serve the students

of Central with a level of excellence and commitment equally

rare today.

I would more often as not run into Mary Grace and husband,

Jack, who recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary,

going into games at Central or on the road--it seemed we

always arrived at about the same time.

She always had a smile and chipper attitude as we exchanged

pleasantries walking into the gym or stadium together.

I recall one time several years ago at a basketball game,

with the skies threatening, Mary Grace asked me if I thought

it was going to snow.

``Not a chance,'' I said.

Of course, it did and we faced a slippery ride home that

night. She never let me forget it.

From that time on, regardless of the conditions, Mary Grace

would look at me with that wry smile of hers and asked me if

I thought it was going to snow.

The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. tonight and

funeral services will follow with Bordwine Funeral Home in

charge of arrangements (see Page 2 for complete obituary

information).

Friends and family will gather at Sunrise Cemetery in

Englewood at 11 a.m. Tuesday for the burial service.

And no, Mary Grace, I don't think it will snow.

Mr. Speaker, almost every Member of this Congress wants us to have a strong military, and we all want to support our troops. Yet almost everyone realizes, too, that the Defense Department unfortunately wastes a lot of money.

It seems to me that we have an obligation to the taxpayers to speak out against this waste, or it will get even worse.

Now national news organizations and publications have reported that the Defense Department has paid for 556 breast enlargements and 1,592 liposuctions for soldiers and dependents from 2000 through the first 3 months of 2004. These are very expensive operations.

I realize the Federal bureaucrats can rationalize or justify almost any expense, especially since it is not coming out of their pockets, but soldiers have an obligation to stay in shape and meet physical fitness requirements and should not need liposuction for severe obesity.

Certainly, it does not make any sense to say that breast enlargements will make women better soldiers.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time and bringing this rule to the floor. She is one of the great leaders in this Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and the underlying bill that was originally authored by the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hostettler).

For 7\1/2\ years before I came to Congress I served as a circuit court judge in Tennessee. For many years, I have heard Federal judges complain about the Congress expanding Federal jurisdiction too much, so they are greatly overworked. This is a very reasonable, minimal limitation of their jurisdiction and I am sure that even if this legislation passes, the Federal judges will still claim that they are very much overworked.

On July 12, 1996, the House passed and on September 10, 1996, the Senate passed the Defense of Marriage Act. That act said the word ``marriage'' means only a legal union between one man and one woman as husband and wife, and the word ``spouse'' refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or wife. I repeat that. That legislation said the word ``marriage'' means only a legal union between one man and one woman.

That legislation further said no State shall be required to give effect to any public act, record or judicial proceeding of any other State respecting a relationship between persons of the same sex that is treated as a marriage under the laws of such other State, Territory and so forth.

That legislation, Mr. Speaker, passed by the overwhelming margin of 342 to 67 in this House, and by the even more overwhelming margin of 85 to 14 in the Senate. That is 85 Senators voted for that legislation. Further, it went to the President, President Clinton at that time, and he signed that legislation into law.

This legislation, authored by the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hostettler), is a reasonable expansion of that legislation limiting the jurisdiction because it is true that many, many people in this country have been upset that unelected judges have assumed so much super- legislative power in this country in recent years. The overwhelming majority of the American people do believe that the only true marriage is that between one adult man and one adult woman. There are other limitations on marriage such as prohibitions against marriages by family members or bigamist marriages, and I think the overwhelming majority of the American people feel that our society, our families, and especially our children would be better off if we defined marriage, the only true marriage, legal marriage, as that of being between one man and one woman.

Mr. Speaker, I know that many outstanding people come from broken homes, but I also know that the greatest advantage that we can give to any child is a loving mother and father. That is so important to the future of this country. That is a greater advantage than unbelievable amounts of money.

Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a man who was one of the most respected Members of the Senate, a Senator from the other party, said several years ago that we have been, unfortunately, defining deviancy down, accepting as a part of life what we once found repugnant. We should stand behind traditional marriage. We should stand behind this legislation and support it as strongly as we possibly can.

Mr. Chairman, I raise a point of order against the paragraph.

Mr. Chairman, at the request of the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young) and on behalf of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure I rise to raise a point of order against page 2 line 23 beginning with ``provided further'' through page 3 line 5.

Let me say, first of all, that I want to commend the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Hobson) and the gentleman from Indiana (Ranking Member Visclosky) who have done such an outstanding job on this legislation. But this provision, this particular provision, violates clause 2 of rule 21. It directs the Secretary of Army to include additional analysis in the southwest Valley Flood Damage Reduction Study and, therefore, constitutes legislating on an appropriations bill in violation of House rules.

Mr. Chairman, once again, I will say that I certainly commend the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Hobson) and his staff for the fine work they have done on this bill, but I do have six points of order that I am required to raise at this time.

Mr. Chairman, I raise a point of order against section 105. This section violates clause 2 of rule XXI. It changes existing law and, therefore, constitutes legislating on an appropriations bill in violation of House rules.

Mr. Chairman, I raise a point of order against section 106. This provision violates clause 2 of rule XXI. It changes existing law and,

therefore, constitutes legislating on an appropriation bill in violation of House rules.

Mr. Chairman, I raise a point of order against section 107. This provision violates clause 2 of rule XXI. It establishes a deadline for completing the general reevaluation report for the Mill Creek, Ohio, project and adds a planning requirement. This constitutes legislating on an appropriations bill in violation of House rules.

Mr. Chairman, I raise a point of order against section 108. This provision violates clause 2 of rule XXI. It authorizes the Secretary to provide certain credit to the non-Federal sponsor for the project at Ashtabula River, Ohio. It, therefore, constitutes legislating on an appropriations bill in violation of House rules.

Mr. Chairman, I raise a point of order against section 109. This section violates clause 2 of rule XXI. It directs the Corps of Engineers to proceed to the design phase of the Central Riverfront Project on the Ohio riverfront in Cincinnati. This, therefore, constitutes legislating on an appropriations bill in violation of House rules.

Finally, Mr. Chairman, once again, on behalf of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young), I raise a point of order against section 110. Mr. Chairman, this section violates clause 2 of rule XXI. It prohibits amounts in the Corps of Engineers revolving fund from being used for certain maintenance work on corps dredges. It limits the use of funds not made available in this bill and, therefore, constitutes legislating on an appropriations bill in violation of House rules.