Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to take this opportunity to commend Michigan State University Dean George E. Leroi for his service to the students of Michigan State University, and his significant contribution to the success of the College of Natural Sciences. George Leroi's long career includes service as an assistant professor of chemistry at Princeton University and as a professor of chemistry at Michigan State University. During his tenure at both of these fine academic institutions, Dr. Leroi guided, supported, taught, befriended, and counseled numerous students throughout both their academic and professional careers.

Dr. Leroi was awarded a Ford Foundation Fellowship, a SURF Research Fellowship with the U.S. National Bureau of Standards, and served as a Research Collaborator with the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory. In 1996, George Leroi was named as the Dean of the College of Natural Sciences at Michigan State University, and he continues to serve in that position today. Dr. George Leroi's significant experience in chemistry and his personal commitment to the success of the Michigan State University College of Natural Sciences brings great credit to himself, the State of Michigan, and the United States of America, and we recognize him upon the date of his retirement, October 6, 2006.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the success of Building Safety Week 2006, an annual, nationwide event sponsored by the International Code Council, ICC, that took place from May 7 to 13. The goal of Building Safety Week is to increase awareness of building safety and fire prevention issues through a variety of activities on the national, State and local levels.

This year, the ICC Board of Directors and members of the ICC Government Relations Advisory Committee, GRAC, gathered here in Washington, DC and spent a day visiting with Members of Congress to help spread their message of public safety. I personally met with one of my constituents, Mr. Henry Green of Lansing, MI, who serves as president of the Board of Directors. It is my hope that my colleagues here in the House and the Senate will carefully consider the legislative priorities presented to us in these meetings.

I would like to thank these men and women for their service and dedication to ensuring that we all live, work and play in a safe built environment. Along with Mr. Green, these individuals include: Immediate Past President Frank Hodge, Vice President Wally Bailey, Secretary/ Treasurer Steven Shapiro, Jimmy Brothers, Terrence Cobb, John Darnall, Gerald Geroge, John LaTorra, Ron Piester, Ed Berkel, Bill Duck, Bill Dupler, Greg Johnson, Barbara Koffron, Ron Lynn, Tim Ryan, Adolf Zubia, GRAC Chairman Ron Nienaber, Becky Baker, Bill Chambless, Ross Montelbano, Betts Nixon, Emory Rodgers, Lynn Underwood and George Wiggins.

Congratulations again to the hardworking and dedicated members of the

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in support of the Disaster Recovery Personal Protection Act, H.R. 5013, of which I am a cosponsor.

While looting and other criminal activity were taking place in New Orleans, many civilians chose to protect themselves and their property. Many of these citizens kept firearms for the safety of themselves, their businesses, their families, and their property. They used firearms individually or in concert with their neighbors for protection against crime.

However, these lawful weapons were confiscated at gunpoint by nonconsensual entries into private homes, traffic checkpoints, by stopping of boats, and otherwise by force. The citizens from whom firearms were confiscated were either in their own homes or attempting to flee the flooding and devastation by means of motor vehicle or boat and were accosted, stopped, and arbitrarily deprived of their private property.

The means by which the confiscations were carried out, which included intrusion into the home, temporary detention of persons, and seizures of property, constituted unreasonable searches and seizures and deprived these citizens of liberty and property without the due process of law, in violation of fundamental rights under the Constitution.

Many of the confiscated firearms were family heirlooms, gifts given as a child, or were collectors' items. All firearms were taken with a handwritten receipt on a stray piece of paper or no receipt at all. Individuals with proof of purchase and serial number are still not able to get their firearms back. Of the few firearms that have been returned, some are ruined beyond repair due to water damage. Many of the firearms lost or stolen will never be returned.

H.R. 5013 clearly states the rights of people who own firearms during a major disaster or emergency. H.R. 5013 protects civilians' rights to bear arms, and H.R. 5013 allows people the right to protect themselves and their property as our forefathers intended.

Mr. Speaker, medical research in the United States has for decades been the envy of the world. That embryonic stem cell research holds the key to potential treatment for all manner of disease is already well documented in this debate.

As a physician, I am dismayed at the claims that adult stem cells and umbilical cord cells hold the true pluripotentiality of embryonic stem cells. This is simply not true.

I ask my colleagues to vote to override the veto of this bill. Embryonic stem cell research will continue apace in other parts of the world. It is sad that the great progress and potential in this field won't happen in the United States with our superb academic scientific facilities. It is sadder yet that those who oppose this bill don't recognize that embryonic stem cells represent the epitome, the ultimate, in those things prolife, that is, to save the lives of our fellow members of the human race.

Mr. Speaker, this bill, while well- intentioned, raises obfuscation and disingenuousness to an art form. It says nothing that truly supports embryonic stem cell research. It promotes technology which does not exist in a form which will help cure human disease.

Only the central cell mass of the blastocyst, in this case those which would be used in in vitro fertilization but instead will be tossed in the trash, are pluripotent.

While I strongly support adult and umbilical cord stem cell research, and there are clinical uses for both now, and they should be supported and research continued.

The true stem cell bill is H.R. 810, the Castle-DeGette bill. It is the bill endorsed by the legitimate scientific community, and the bill which holds the most promise for cures for diseases which today have no cure. It is the bill which is truly pro-life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to recognize the life of Judy Wolpe. Judy was the wife of former Congressman Howard Wolpe of Michigan, who served in this Chamber from 1978 until 1992. Tragically, Judy was the victim of a drowning accident while on vacation with her husband in Guatemala.

Judy was a distinguished public servant in her own right, serving as board chairwoman of Lansing Community College, and in administrative posts for former Michigan Governor Jim Blanchard and former Indiana Governor and current U.S. Senator Evan Bayh.

Judy and I shared a hometown, Battle Creek, Michigan. We graduated

from the same high school. Judy was a distinguished educator, with degrees from Michigan State University and Western Michigan University. She was a devoted mother of four sons and grandmother of five. Additionally, she is survived by her father, two sisters, and her brother.

Judy had great zest for life. She was a giving and warm person, and she will be truly missed.

Mr. Chairman, while I credit my colleague from Michigan for doing a great deal of work on this bill, and I know it is a tremendously difficult bill, rail passenger service in the United States is the worst in all of the industrialized world.

It does not have to be that way. Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Scandinavian countries, Spain and Portugal have better rail service, more rapid rail service, more frequent rail service, more efficient rail service than the United States. It does not have to be this way.

The degradation of the Amtrak system goes on apace, whether it is the right-of-way or equipment. Equipment needs to be replaced. Right-of-way needs to be maintained. The Canton area, the electric, the Canton area in the Northeast Corridor needs to be maintained as well. Witness the blackout just 2 weeks ago.

We need to have a modern, efficient, dependable rail passenger service in the United States. The only way we can do it is to fund it. It is the most efficient way to carry people. And I must say that no system in any industrialized country in the world is profitable. They are all subsidized. It is part of the cost of doing business. It is part of the cost of running an efficient government. It is part of the cost of keeping our economy going.

Please support the LaTourette amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, the emerald ash borer started in the State of Michigan, in southeast Michigan, probably another unwanted import from someplace in Southeast Asia where it does not affect the ash species, only apparently in North America, but it has now killed tens of millions of ash trees in the Midwest, and the destruction continues.

It affects the baseball bat industry, baseball bats are made from ash; the nursery industry; Native American culture, basket weaving; hardwood flooring and furniture industry; beautification projects; et cetera. It has moved out from southeast Michigan now to central Michigan into the northern

part of the State and into the upper peninsula, Ohio and Indiana and, unfortunately with some nursery trees, into the State of Virginia as well.

It is expected, if we do not go after this effectively and aggressively, that all the ash trees east of the Mississippi River will soon be destroyed by the emerald ash borer. For that reason, I support the Weiner-Schwarz amendment. I am hopeful that the chairman will as well.

Michigan State University in my State is doing a great deal of research and trying to find an easier way than the methods now used to exterminate this pest. That has not been done yet, and as a result, all of the ash trees in the United States, but especially those east of the Mississippi, are at risk.

I would say this. We appreciate the $20 million. The $20 million is not quite enough, and I do not think, unless you live in that part of the country, one understands the magnitude of what is going on with the emerald ash borer.

If we cannot pass our amendment, I would hope the chairman would consider changing the report language in the bill to include the lower peninsula of Michigan as well as the upper peninsula and Indiana and Ohio. For some reason yet unknown to me, the lower peninsula of Michigan is not in that language, but in any event, the emerald ash borer, which is the reason I am here and the reason I so strongly support this amendment, is something that has to be eradicated. If it is not eradicated, every ash tree in the United States itself will be eradicated.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in support of President Bush's proclamation declaring May 2006 as Jewish American Heritage Month.

Jewish American Heritage Month recognized the wonderful cultural heritage of the Jewish people in America. It will be a time to honor all of the benefits and successes that Jewish Americans have experienced as well as recognizing the achievements and the diversity their culture has provided to the United States.

Jewish American Heritage Month will also provide a venue for education of the Jewish American culture. It allows an opportunity to further educate and ultimately end anti-Semitism for future generations.

Today, I join my colleagues as well as President Bush to establish the month of May to observe and celebrate the rich history of the Jewish people in America and honor the great contributions they have made to our country.

Offered By: Mr. Schwarz of Michigan

Amendment No. 10: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following new section:

Sec. 7_. It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of

Agriculture should use the transfer authority provided by

section 442 of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7772) to

implement the strategic plan developed by the Animal and

Plant Health Inspection Service for the eradication of

Emerald Ash Borer in the States of Michigan, Ohio, and

Indiana.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce today the Science and Mathematics Education for Competitiveness Act. The bill expands and strengthens math and science education programs at the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy to improve the math and science literacy of our nation and prepare our young people for the high-tech, high-wage jobs of tomorrow.

President Bush, in his State of the Union Address, articulated the link between math and science education and national competitiveness. I agree with the President. Like him, I want to ensure that the 21st Century remains ``the next American century.'' And, like him, I want to ensure that Americans continue to enjoy the highest standard of living in the world.

The jobs of today require a higher level of math and science skills than ever before. The jobs of tomorrow will be even more demanding. And we know that the rest of the world is not standing still. In an increasingly globalized economy, our children and grandchildren will be competing with highly-skilled, highly-educated workers around the world for high-wage jobs in high-value-added industries. I want to make sure that those industries and those jobs stay here in America. To do that, our nation's business leaders tell us that we have to boost the math and science skills of American students.

I know of no better way to improve math and science education in this country than to build upon the successful programs of the National Science Foundation and to expand the ability of some of America's most brilliant scientists and engineers in the Department of Energy to lend their talent and expertise to the education of U.S. students.

In crafting my bill, I focused on what already works and I sought to minimize the creation of new programs. Based on testimony offered in a series of hearings in the Science Committee, and on recommendations offered in a series of reports by American business and academic leaders, my bill focuses on encouraging more teachers to specialize in teaching math and science, and encouraging more students to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in math, science, and engineering.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that so many business and educational organizations have endorsed my bill, including Texas Instruments, AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association), the Telecommunications Industry Association, the Electronics Industries Alliance, the Council on Competitiveness, the Battelle Memorial Institute, the American Chemical Society, the National Education Association, the National Science Teachers Association, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the American Association of Physics Teachers, the American Geological Institute, the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Education Coalition, the Council of Graduate Schools, the Association of American Universities, and a host of other organizations. I am grateful for their support. Together, we can ensure that America remains the most competitive nation in the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 91st anniversary of the Armenian genocide, to remember the victims, to recognize the survivors, and to keep the memory of this atrocity fresh and alive.

The Armenian genocide began April 24, 1915 with the Ottoman Empire's campaign to eradicate the Armenian presence within its borders. The alarmed American ambassador at the time protested Ottoman policy and wrote to Washington describing what was happening on the ground as a ``campaign of race extermination.'' By the time the genocide ended eight years later it claimed one and a half million souls and forced another half a million Armenians to flee their homes and leave their country in order to survive, many coming to the United States where the community would go on to thrive.

This despicable mass murder, torture, and killing of innocents was indeed a genocide; that fact can neither be denied nor ignored. It is outrageous that 91 years later the governments of the United States and Turkey still refuse to acknowledge this slaughter for what it was. This is shameful in light of the magnitude of suffering the Armenian community has endured since their victimization and the subsequent historical denial of their persecution.

It is time to act by appropriately condemning this horrific event. I join my colleagues from

the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues in calling upon this administration and the government of Turkey to formally recognize the Armenian genocide.

Mr. Speaker on rollcall No. 93 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Chairman, the National Uniformity for Food Act deserves our full support. The issue is important to consumers and has achieved bipartisan support.

This act is consistent with our long tradition of prudent Congressional oversight of interstate commerce to protect American consumers. The act is simple. Its purpose is to provide equitable protection of consumers by requiring the States and the FDA to provide consumers with a single standard for food safety that is based on a consensus interpretation of all available science.

I believe the National Uniformity for Food Act is the best way to ensure that the safeguards we now have over meat, poultry, drugs, and many other products be applied to packaged food. Under the bill, States would retain their important functions such as sanitation, inspections and enforcement. The act contains mechanisms to review State food safety laws and consider them for national application.

This act provides important Federal protections, while retaining valuable input from States and coordination between State and Federal food safety experts. There is no better way to assure Americans that packaged food they find on our store shelves is safe for them and their families. I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting this important act.

Mr. Speaker, I have had the pleasure of meeting the Tuskegee Airmen, the survivors, on a number of occasions. A number of them live in my home State of Michigan, especially Major General Lucius Theus, who lived in Detroit, a distinguished member of the Tuskegee Airmen. They last rallied in Michigan at Jackson, Michigan, in the summer of 2004; and our colleague from the other body, Senator McCain, and I were privileged to be at that meeting and greet the airmen.

As the unit approached its first year in action, it learned that it was being transferred to the 332nd Fighter Group, a unit activated at Tuskegee in mid-1942 and transferred to Michigan in 1943 where it conducted training at Selfridge Air Base and Oscoda Air Base, both in the eastern side, on the eastern side of the State of Michigan, before deploying to Italy. The 332nd was composed of four African American squadrons, the 99th 100th, 301st, and 302nd under the command of Colonel Davis.

Not long after arriving in Italy, the members of the 332nd were heavily involved in combat missions. Assigned to bomber escort with the 15th Air Force, it escorted the bombers on missions around Italy, flew on the raids to the access oil refineries in Ploesti, Romania, and strafed German troops retreating from Greece. It established a reputation for protecting its bombers. The pilots always followed Colonel Davis' orders. Your job is to protect the bombers and not chase enemy aircraft for personal glory, he said. The Germans called the 332nd the Schwartze Vogrl Menshen, the black birdmen, and began to see a plane with a red tail as something to fear.

On March 24, 1945, the 332nd went on the longest mission flown by the 15th Air Force to the Daimler-Benz tankworks in Berlin. On this mission, it downed three of the new Messerschmitt ME-262 jet fighters. The group received a distinguished unit citation for its performance that day.

At the end of the war, the Tuskegee Airmen returned to an America that was as segregated as the one they had left.

Some of the veterans became leaders in the fight for desegregation, both military and civilian. With their own community, they offered pride and encouragement. And to the white community they offered an example of the equality of men. The Air Force became desegregated in April of 1948. Unfortunately, the rest of the Nation would take much longer. But there is no doubt that the example, professionalism, and expertise of the Tuskegee Airmen hastened that day.

It is fitting today, then, Mr. Speaker, that this bill would bestow the Congressional Gold Medal, our body's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions, upon the members of the Tuskegee Airmen in recognition of their service to our country during World War II and in the years after that conflict. They are living examples of what is possible when racism is defeated and opportunities are equally available to all members of our great country.