Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1051) congratulating James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, for 100 years of service and leadership to the United States, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert any extraneous material on H. Res. 1051 into the Record.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1051, which celebrates James Madison University's 100 years of service and leadership. Founded in 1908, the State Normal and Industrial School for Women eventually became what is now known as James Madison University. Beginning with only 150 students and 15 faculty members, the small school has grown into a prestigious university.

Today, James Madison enrolls over 17,000 students and offers a wide range of courses. With 68 undergraduate majors, 40 graduate and certificate degrees and six doctoral programs, JMU boasts a strong academic program. By coupling this strong educational base with student support, the university is able to graduate 81 percent of its students. According to the United States Department of Education, JMU is ranked 16th nationally for its graduate rate and is first among all schools in the South.

Much has changed in James Madison University's 100 year history, but some of the core principles have remained consistent. The university still strives to empower its students to make a difference and use their education to positively impact the world around them. In fact, JMU ranks 14th on the Peace Corps list of top volunteer producing universities and the ONE campaign listed the school among their top 100 most active schools in the Nation.

This year, James Madison University grew its impact with the graduation of its 100,000th student. As the university community celebrates this accomplishment, JMU will take a moment to reflect on a century of achievement. The university will also take a look ahead to the next 100 years of inquiry, learning and discovery.

Madam Speaker, once again I express my support for James Madison University, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I don't know what James Madison would have thought specifically about the issue raised, but I know he had an abiding confidence in the ingenuity of the American people, as did all of our Founding Fathers and I think every President since. And we have been held back from the kinds of investments and partnerships that the American people could join with that ingenuity to move us forward, we have been held back by a lack of investment and emphasis on that kind of investment from the current administration. So I look forward to a time when we can join in partnership with the American people and take advantage of that ingenuity that James Madison and so many others recognized from the earliest days.

What an accomplishment for any university to just be there for 100 years. The fact that James Madison University has reached this milestone with such a terrific list of accomplishments is truly deserving of the recognition that we seek to bestow upon the university today, and I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 1051.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 2) expressing the sense of the Congress that schools in the United States should honor the contributions of individuals from the territories of the United States by including such contributions in the teaching of United States history, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 2 into the Record.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 2, which recognizes the contributions of individuals from Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands to the United States. Many individuals from these territories have added and continue to add tremendous cultural, political, and athletic contributions to America.

Some examples of these remarkable individuals include Roberto Clemente, David Hamilton Jackson, and Agueda Iglesias Johnston. Roberto Clemente, a native of Puerto Rico, was a legendary major league baseball player with the Pittsburgh Pirates and an altruistic global public servant. I will say as an aside that Roberto Clemente put the Baltimore Orioles in fits during the World Series when I was growing up, and I have a vivid memory of that. While displaying extraordinary athletic feats on the baseball diamond, his selfless nature, not his play, cast him as an national icon and an exemplary role model. Unfortunately, Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash as he was trying to deliver aid to Nicaraguan earthquake victims.

David Hamilton Jackson is another outstanding individual to recognize. Jackson spearheaded the transfer of the United States Virgin Islands territory from the Danish into the hands of the local residents. Jackson, born in the Virgin Islands, parlayed his power into making local Virgin Island residents also United States residents. Jackson served as an educator, legislator, labor leader, and lawyer, and is known as one of the most important figures from the West Indies.

Agueda Iglesias Johnston was Guam's leading educator and well-known patriot. After Japan invaded the island in 1942, she both served as a teacher and principal during dangerous times in Guam. Amidst the perilous state, Johnston showed bravery when many feared. She communicated over

the radio about the progress of the war, and she also aided an American Navy soldier, George Tweed, to escape capture by the Japanese. In Guam, she is known for her outstanding commitment, bravery, and service.

Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands have many, many historical figures, events, and pivotal historic moments that highlight the legacy of their respective homelands. Children in the United States should understand and appreciate the contributions of citizens from the territories of the U.S. Ensuring America's youth know the contributions of these great territories and their impact on American culture creates a better understanding of our Nation's history.

Madam Speaker, once again, I express my support for recognizing the important contributions of individuals from these territories of the United States.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, it is my privilege at this time to yield such time as she may consume to the gentlelady from the Virgin Islands, the sponsor of this important bill, Mrs. Christensen.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, at this time it is my pleasure to yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo), and I would say I have benefited from having my office right across the hall from her office because she has sponsored a number of cultural activities in the hallway between our offices, so I have learned a lot about Guam since I got here.

I inquire whether the gentlelady has any additional speakers.

Madam Speaker, in that case, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I know it is incredibly difficult for the minority to resist the impulse to lob this energy rhetoric into every single discussion we have here on the floor. I am not going to take the bait, particularly on this resolution because this is such an important resolution that has been put forward. It encourages and it guides us on how we can teach this valuable, valuable history of the U.S. territories to all Americans so that they can gain a deeper appreciation of it. I want to thank those who spoke today, Congresswoman Bordallo and Congresswoman Christensen, for contributing their perspective on this important bill, and I want to urge my colleagues to support it unanimously if they could.

I thank my colleague very much.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of Senate bill 1692 which will grant this Federal charter to the Korean War Veterans Association. This day, as has been said already, is long, long overdue. Later this summer will mark the 55th anniversary of the armistice that ended the full-scale fighting in Korea.

I am very pleased the House will today pass legislation to finally grant the Korean War Veterans Association a Federal charter. My father, Senator Paul Sarbanes, introduced this legislation over several Congresses in an effort to get these veterans the recognition that they deserved. And although this legislation had been a priority of his and Leader Hoyer's for many years, we had been unable to get certain opponents to move out of the way and allow it to pass.

Now, thanks to the majority leader and to Senator Ben Cardin and to others who stepped forward with their support, we will finally send this legislation to the President for his signature, and it will become law.

Madam Speaker, this is about recognizing the 5.7 million veterans who fought in the Korean War and more than 36,000 Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country in that conflict.

This is also about fairness. A Federal charter will give the Korean War Veterans Association the same status as other major veteran services organizations and allow them to more efficiently assist their membership.

The Korean War is often called the ``forgotten war.'' By passing this legislation, we take a modest step to reassure the Korean War veterans that we will never forget them and their tremendous sacrifice to our Nation.

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. 5540.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1233, I call up the bill (H.R. 5540) to amend the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998 to provide for the continuing authorization of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5540, legislation that will reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network which will otherwise expire at the end of 2008.

First, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Rahall and Chairman Grijalva for their leadership in getting this bill to the floor. They've been stalwart advocates in this effort.

The Chesapeake Bay has a tremendous tale to tell.

The Chesapeake Bay Gateways Program connects those who live in the Chesapeake Bay watershed to the natural, cultural and historic resources of the bay, and thereby encourage individual and citizen stewardship of these resources.

I guess the best way to describe the Gateways program is an insurance policy on our larger investment in the Chesapeake Bay. There are three parts to cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay; there is funding, which of course is extremely critical, there is regulatory guidance, and then there is citizen stewardship. Without individual responsibility, without widespread engagement by the 16 million people that reside in the watershed, it would be impossible to achieve and maintain the goal of cleaning up the bay. For a very modest investment, the Gateways program helps to foster the citizen stewardship that will be necessary to advance bay clean-up and maintain the gains that we hope to make.

As many of my colleagues know, the Chesapeake Bay is our Nation's largest estuary. It is a national environmental treasure and an economic catalyst as it pertains to the region's tourism and seafood industries. Unfortunately, as many also know, the bay's health in recent years has been significantly and negatively impacted by multiple factors, such as increased nutrient runoff, chemical contaminants, and other forms of pollution. As a result, there has been a severe deterioration in the bay's water quality in recent years and a rapid loss of living resources and natural habitat.

To combat these trends, in 1983 the Chesapeake Bay Program was created. It is a partnership between the States of Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia and the Federal Government, which is dedicated to restoring and protecting the bay. I am also committed to reversing these trends and restoring the bay's water quality and natural habitats, and that is why I have introduced this legislation to continually reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network.

The Gateways program is the National Park Service's component of the greater Chesapeake Bay program. The Park Service has entered into a memorandum of understanding under the Chesapeake Bay program that tasks the Park Service with ``conserving the Chesapeake Bay's national and cultural heritage for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations.'' It goes on to say that the Park Service will provide assistance to the bay program through resource planning and grants management, rivers and trails conservation assistance, public education, interpretation, and cooperative heritage planning support.

That is precisely the purpose of the Gateways program. It provides grants and technical assistance to parks, volunteer groups, wildlife refuges, historic sites, museums, and water trails throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. It also provides assistance to the critical volunteer groups that have stepped forward to support the Gateway sites.

The network ties these sites together to provide meaningful experiences and to encourage individual citizens to invest their own time and energy in the clean up of the Chesapeake Bay. Since 2000, the network has grown to include 156 gateways in six States and the District of Columbia. That is why the Park Service has repeatedly praised the Gateways program.

In September of 2004, the Service released a special resource study recommending that Gateways be a permanent Park Service program. It goes on to say that an enhanced version of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network would be the most effective and efficient way for the National Park Service to help protect and tell the story of the Chesapeake Bay.

In 2005, the White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation recognized Gateways as ``a cooperative conservation success story.'' And therefore, Mr. Speaker, it is critical that we act now to reauthorize this program so that the network and its partners can continue to educate residents of the Chesapeake Bay watershed about the natural, cultural, historic and recreational sites throughout the bay region, and how their communities relate directly to the health of our largest estuary and a national treasure, the Chesapeake Bay.

By maintaining the network and providing access to these sites, we can help develop the next generation of environmental stewards, which is one of the best ways to truly save the bay.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure at this time to yield 3 minutes to Representative Scott, who is a leader on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to note a couple of things. First, that this is a bipartisan bill, and I want to salute, as Representative Scott did, the partnership of Congressman Wittman from Virginia in helping to marshal support for this bill.

I also want to point out that the annual appropriation process will determine the funds that go to support this authorization. Otherwise, the claims that it's sort of breaking through the cap or not are not correct.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen), who is another leader with respect to the Chesapeake Bay and co-chairs the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force.

I want to thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) for his career's work on behalf of the environment and the Chesapeake Bay and thank him for his support.

Mr. Speaker, it is my extreme pleasure now to yield 1 minute to the majority leader, another champion of the Chesapeake Bay.

How many minutes remain?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I am gratified that Representative Bishop intends to vote for the bill. I did want to point out that this is about as far as from an earmark as you can get. The projects under this particular

Gateways program are determined at the discretion and based on application to the agency by the National Park Service.

At this time, I would like to yield such time as he may consume to another champion of the Chesapeake Bay and someone who understands the importance of reaching out to partners throughout the watershed, and that is the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings).

I want to thank, again, Congressman Wittman for his support and his lifelong commitment to the Chesapeake Bay.

Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger has been a champion of the Chesapeake Bay throughout his career, earlier in his career as county executive for Baltimore County, Maryland, and now as a Congressman from the Second District of Maryland. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ruppersberger).

Mr. Speaker, just a couple of other points I wanted to make. First of all, I am pleased to indicate that we have a letter that came to Chairman Rahall and to Ranking Member Young from the six Governors of the six States that make up the watershed and from the Mayor of the District of Columbia. So that is the Governors of Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York and West Virginia, and the Mayor of the District of Columbia, who have written to indicate their very, very strong support for this legislation.

June 5, 2008.

Hon. Nick J. Rahall,

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Longworth House

Office Building, Washington DC.

Hon. Don Young,

Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Natural Resources,

Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Rahall and Ranking Member Young: We are

writing to express our strong support for H.R. 5540, the

Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Continuing

Authorization Act.

The Chesapeake Gateways Program (``program'') plays a

vitally important role in our efforts to restore the

Chesapeake Bay by improving public access, enhancing public

education, and fostering citizen stewardship of the many

natural, cultural and historical resources of the Bay region.

Since its establishment in 1998, more than 150 sites and

water trails have been designated as Gateways throughout the

watershed in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West

Virginia, New York, and the District of Columbia. These

Gateway sites are helping to promote a greater understanding

and appreciation of the Chesapeake Bay and a greater

commitment to the Bay's restoration. The relatively modest

federal investment in the program has leveraged substantial

matching contributions--both financial and in-kind--from our

States, community organizations and other partners. For these

reasons, among others, the program was recognized by the

White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation in 2005 as

a cooperative conservation success story.

However, there is still a tremendous need for improved on-

site interpretation, enhanced public access, and additional

strategies to engage visitors and residents alike in the

Chesapeake Bay restoration and protection effort. In 2004,

the National Park Service completed a Chesapeake Bay Special

Resources Study which recommended, as its preferred

alternative, that the Gateways Program be made permanent and

expanded. The Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrail Network

Continuing Authorization Act would codify this recommendation

as well as enable implementation and fulfillment of the

original vision for an expansive Gateways and Watertrails

Network. It is critical that the Congress reauthorize this

important program and reject efforts to weaken the

legislation or sunset the Network. Doing so will pay

significant dividends in the years ahead by helping to

preserve and enhance our nation's largest estuary.

Thank you for your consideration of this important matter.

Sincerely,

Martin O'Malley,

Governor, Maryland.

Timothy M. Kaine,

Governor, Virginia.

Ruth Ann Minner,

Governor, Delaware.

Edward G. Rendell,

Governor, Pennsylvania.

David A. Paterson,

Governor, New York.

Joe Manchin III,

Governor, West Virginia.

Mayor Adrian Fenty,

Mayor, District of Columbia.

Mr. Speaker, I did want to just mention one site, because we talked about the 156 sites and I wanted to bring that to life a little bit. The Patuxent Wildlife Refuge, which is not far from here, located in Maryland between Baltimore and Washington, is the oldest and really only National Wildlife Refuge that conducts wildlife research. It is 13,000 acres. It is the largest contiguous block of forest in the Baltimore-Washington corridor and it is the site of a tremendous amount of environmental education.

Not too long ago we had the opportunity in connection with some other environmental education legislation that I have sponsored to do a field hearing at the Patuxent Wildlife Refuge, and in the morning we had six schools represented from Maryland that came there with busloads of children to participate in activities of environmental education. If you could have seen the look on their faces and how excited they were to be outdoors and engaged in this kind of learning you would have I think been very, very impressed with the resource that exists there.

That is just one site of 156 sites across the bay watershed that are providing a tremendous opportunity to our citizens to connect not just to the environment, but to the heritage and cultural history of this area.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, a couple of points.

First of all, the gentleman from Utah spoke to the livelihood of people who work on the Chesapeake Bay, but the biggest threat to those who make their living on the Chesapeake Bay is the decline in the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the fisheries in particular that are in the Chesapeake Bay. So if we have the interests of those people at heart, we ought to be committing ourselves wholeheartedly to this continuing authorization of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network, because it is designed to enhance and improve and protect over the long term the health of the Chesapeake Bay.

To address another point, one of the reasons that the Democratic majority has been so steadfast in urging the pursuit of alternatives to fossil fuels in terms of energy sources is to reduce our dependence there, which obviously could go a long way towards the concern over fuel prices and gas prices. But another reason is because it will reduce these greenhouse gas emissions, which, again, impact the environment. If we don't take steps to do that, then there is not going to be any environment for us to enjoy.

The Chesapeake Bay Gateways Program, it has been alluded to the fact that this is noncontroversial bill, that it should have come up on suspension. I agree. The minority resisted our desire to have it permanently authorized, and that is why we are in the process we are in today. But that permanent authorization I think is very much a part of the strong statement that we are seeking to make to the citizens in the watershed and to the many millions of visitors who come to the watershed every year, that our national government stands steadfast in this partnership with our citizenry.

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

Mr. Speaker, again, I am gratified the gentleman from Utah plans to vote for this bill. I do note that the reason that we are here, the reason this was under a rule in part was to allow the gentleman to present an amendment, which I guess is going to be coming next.

In terms of safeguards, the appropriations process provides that on an annual basis in terms of looking at the program and deciding what kind of support ought to be given to it. The permanent authorization is about making a statement, making a statement to the citizen partners that we are asking to step up and be part of this effort to preserve the Chesapeake Bay.

The way we are going to save the bay, the way we are going to enhance its health over time is not by turning it over to experts, but by taking ownership at the community level, having every citizen understand what they can do in their own backyard, working with nonprofit groups, working with museums, with wildlife refuges, with historic sites, et cetera, to stake a claim in the future of the bay. And that is what the Chesapeake Bay Gateways program is all about; it is a gateway to this national treasure, 156 sites, 1,500 miles of water trails, and a tremendous investment on the part of ordinary citizens in the future of this national treasure. That is why we sought a permanent authorization. That is why we continue to seek it. That is at the heart of H.R. 5540, and I urge my colleagues to support it when it comes to the vote.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the Bishop amendment.

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman indicated some anxiety that the program would languish if it was permanently authorized. And I can assure him that this is one program that will not languish, because it has so stimulated the interest and the engagement of so many citizens and volunteer groups across the six States and the District of Columbia that make up the Chesapeake Bay watershed. And that is the point. That is the point of permanently authorizing it, because the citizenry has stepped up and they have shown that they are ready to work in partnership with their national government, and it is time for the national government to make an equally powerful statement to the citizenry that, when it comes to the Chesapeake Bay, we are going to be here as a steadfast ongoing supporter of that partnership.

Gateways has a proven track record. Initially authorized in 1998 and reauthorized in 2002, the Park Service conducted a special resource study on the program in 2004, and it concluded that Gateways should be made permanent and expanded. That is because the program is tested and proven. Park Service has already made the Gateways network a permanent unit of the Park System. Again, another reason it certainly will not languish, and a reason why the kind of oversight that the gentleman from Utah is concerned about will be there in terms of the agency's responsibility.

The appropriations process, which he dismissed as a significant way of overseeing the program and providing scrutiny to it, is there on an annual basis and can certainly serve that purpose.

So it is the essence of this bill in fact that we permanently authorize it, because we want to make the statement to those volunteers and citizens who stepped into this tremendous partnership to preserve the Chesapeake Bay that we understand the commitment they have made, and we are prepared to make an equal commitment from our side.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am new to Congress, but I have already sat through a number of hearings in the

Natural Resources Committee where we scrutinize the appropriations requests and presentation of various agencies that are under our jurisdiction. So I have high confidence that the congressional oversight that is needed for this kind of program will be there through the annual appropriation process.

And I say again that this is about making a statement to all of those citizens who stepped forward and have supported the Gateways program, that are there to back these sites, to preserve our environment and the Chesapeake Bay, its heritage, its cultural legacy. And if we vote today as I hope we will, to permanently authorize this program, we will be saying to all of those citizen stewards that we are thankful for the commitment that they are making, and that their national government is ready to step up and make an equal commitment to protecting and preserving the Chesapeake Bay.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose the motion.

Mr. Speaker, this is an odd motion as you read it and one that I don't think takes full account of how aware people are of the effect of gas prices, which is the issue that the other side has talked about all day. It says that there will be education of the public regarding the effect of high fuel prices. I think the public is fully able to educate itself with respect to that impact.

This is a distraction. It doesn't really connect to the underlying bill. It was not offered in committee. It was not offered as part of the rules process. But more importantly than that, this is styled, as was just indicated, as a ``promptly'' motion and, therefore, effectively would kill the bill. And I can't imagine why anybody would want to kill this bill.

What this is designed to do is to recognize the incredible commitment that has been made by ordinary citizens on behalf of the Chesapeake Bay. It would reauthorize on a permanent basis the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Program and Watertrails Network, which was first enacted in 1998. This is a successful, efficient and effective program. The White House Conference called it ``a cooperative conservation success story.''

It includes 156 sites across six States and the District of Columbia, parks, wildlife refuges, museums, historic sites, watertrails, and most importantly, it reaches out to volunteer groups that have stepped forward to take stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay, millions of visitors from around the country and around the world every year.

It's an efficient and effective program, and this reauthorization makes an important statement. And that's why I object to the motion because the ``promptly'' nature of it would effectively kill this bill, and we need to make a statement now to those citizens that have stepped forward, that just as they have made an important and steadfast commitment to the health of the Chesapeake Bay, so their national government will make a similar commitment to the Chesapeake Bay and the watershed by stepping forward and permanently authorizing this outstanding program.

I urge my colleagues on both sides to vote ``no'' on the motion to recommit.

Parliamentary Inquiry

I want to thank the chairman of our subcommittee, Representative Davis, for yielding this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4106, the Telework Improvements Act of 2008.

As a daily commuter from Baltimore to the District of Columbia, I know how frustrating it can be to spend hours a day traveling. And with a focus on gas prices that we've heard repeatedly today, we need to explore pragmatic and innovative alternatives.

I've worked closely with Subcommittee Chairman Davis and with Chairman Henry Waxman on this legislation, and I thank them for their leadership. Last year, when I offered a similar amendment to the energy bill, they helped to ensure that the amendment passed the House by voice vote, and I am pleased we will now pass this measure so that we can begin to expand telework options for the Federal workforce.

This is a win, win, win. A stronger telework policy will be good for the Federal Government, it will be good for the Federal worker, and of course it will be good for the environment. At a time when a large percentage of the Federal workforce is at or approaching retirement age, we need to recruit and retain the best and brightest of a new generation of workers. By crafting strong and effective telework policies, agencies can compete for these workers and retain them.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Defense Information Systems Agency, which have some of the most robust telework policies in the Federal Government, are perfect examples of how agencies can utilize telework to recruit and retain a first-rate workforce. USPTO and DISA have retained workers, despite having a workforce that is in high demand elsewhere.

The private sector is still far ahead of the government in terms of embracing telework as a recruiting tool. We must catch up if we want to compete. In fact, the Federal Government can and should be a model employer and a driving force for increasing productivity while striking the right balance between family and work.

If you want to understand the competitive edge that comes from telework, you don't have to take my word for it, just listen to what one major CEO said. ``What would I say to a CEO who resists greater employee flexibility because of concerns about loss of accountability and productivity? I would hope he was a competitor, and I would keep my mouth shut. Companies that don't believe in this are going to be trapped by it in the end.'' We don't want the Federal Government to be trapped either, and that's why it is important to embrace telework.

Telework is also beneficial to Federal workers by helping to improve quality of life and strike a better work/family balance. It would have the effect of giving back a couple hours a day to commuters who would otherwise be stuck in traffic, time they could spend with their families. At a time when gas prices are soaring, it could also have a profound economic benefit for families that are struggling in the current economic climate.

So again, in conclusion, I want to say that telework is a win, win, win. It's good for the Federal Government, it's good for the Federal workers, and it's great for our environment.

I am pleased the House has taken up this legislation, and look forward to working with the Senate to ensure that it becomes law.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Israel's 60th anniversary.

My first visit to Israel was in 1985. It was during the time of the Ethiopian airlift, before the first Intifada, before the second Intifada, and a decade before the tragic assassination of Prime Minister Rabin.

I can remember feeling deeply moved by the powerful mix of history, culture and religion, the sheer humanity that pulsated through the tiny nation of Israel and those charged with its stewardship. I realized, too, that America's stake in the existence and preservation of Israel was nearly as fundamental as the stake of Israel's own citizens, not

just because of Israel's role as a strategic military ally in what is a notoriously unstable part of the world, although that alone would justify the maintenance of strong aid and assistance to Israel, not just because of Israel's status as the only true democracy in the Middle East, although that, too, would call upon the United States to give its unwavering support. Beyond those things, for many Americans there is a deeper, usually unspoken reason that the United States must never depart from its staunch support for the State of Israel. In the wake of World War II and its tragic legacy for the Jewish people, the existence of Israel will always be a profound moral and spiritual imperative for the United States.

On a return trip just 2 years ago, I had the opportunity to witness the growth and change that has occurred in Israel since my first visit a generation earlier. From the technology being developed in the ``Silicon Wadi'' to the advances in health care and preservation of the ecosystem, Israel is a model for other industrialized nations.

Mr. Speaker, in the last 60 years, Israel has demonstrated time and time again its value to the world, not just in geopolitical terms, but in what its people have given us in ingenuity, innovation and expression. This anniversary offers us an occasion to thank the people of Israel for their strength, their courage, and their enormous contributions to our global community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, during public service recognition week, in honor of Maryland's Federal workers.

The work of our Federal employees often goes unnoticed in our daily lives. Without these men and women, though, we would not have made enormous progress in areas such as medical research and the protection of clean water and clean air. We would not have a mail system that our communities, families and businesses can rely on--rain or shine. The list goes on and on.

This year, the Baltimore Federal Executive Board will give gold, silver and bronze awards for excellence in job performance to 217 Maryland Federal employees and military servicemembers in nineteen different job excellence categories. These awards are one effort to showcase the remarkable work that is going on in our Federal sector and I congratulate this year's outstanding class of awardees.

Madam Speaker, on the occasion of National Public Health Week, I rise today to focus attention on the effects of climate change on the health of the nation's most vulnerable citizens.

Scientists from around the world have issued clear warnings that the Earth's temperature is rising as a result of the release of harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere by human activity. Climate change negatively affects the environment in a fundamental way. It affects the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, and it contributes to the spread of disease. Extreme weather events such as heat waves, drought, and stronger hurricanes further illustrate the dangers associated with climate change.

Climate change looms large for everyone in our Nation, but it disproportionately impacts our Nation's vulnerable populations-- children, the elderly, the poor, and people diagnosed with chronic illness. These populations are not only most vulnerable to adverse health conditions as a result of climate change, they also lack the resources to mitigate the impact of these conditions on their daily lives.

We must act now to prevent dangerous, irreversible warming of our planet and to ensure a promising future for other generations. That is why I have joined as a cosponsor of H. Res. 1081, recognizing the week of April 7, 2008 to April 13, 2008, as ``National Public Health Week'' and designating the theme of the week as ``Climate Change: Our Health in the Balance.'' I have also cosponsored legislation offered by Representative Henry Waxman that seeks to create a national framework for the reduction of greenhouse gases.

I want to congratulate Representative Hilda Solis and Representative Waxman for putting forward these important bills and for drawing attention to the threat of global climate change on public health.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Women's History Month. Though we have designated March as the particular month for this celebration, every day could rightly be designated to honor the contributions of women to our society. On this occasion I would like to highlight the achievements of two women who through their work have deeply impacted Maryland's Third District and our State as a whole.

Just this past year Karen Rothenberg, Dean of the University of Maryland Law School, was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame. The Maryland Women's Hall of Fame was established through the efforts of the Maryland Commission for Women and the Women Legislators of Maryland in 1985. Its purpose is to honor Maryland women who have made unique and lasting contributions to the economic, political, cultural and social life of the State, and to provide visible models of achievement for tomorrow's female leaders.

This year, Dean Rothenberg is being honored by the Daily Record as Maryland's Top 100 Women. Dean Rothenberg has demonstrated leadership and scholarship in her role at the University of Maryland Law School, and in her field. She graduated as part of the first class of women at Princeton University. She has served as a member of the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Legal and Ethical Issues Relating to the Inclusion of Women in Clinical Studies, on numerous NIH panels on prenatal care, the recruitment and retention of women in clinical studies, and the ethical, legal and social implications of genetics. I have had the privilege to work with Dean Rothenberg this year on an effort to bring more lawyers into public service. This is an area in which she has been recognized on numerous occasions for her efforts. She has established loan repayment programs, grant opportunities and scholarships for law school graduates that wish to pursue careers in public service, and they in turn have enriched our community. She has worked with students to provide volunteer relief in New Orleans, and has facilitated opportunities for students to pursue public interest studies abroad. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

In addition to having been the first woman elected to serve as Mayor of Baltimore City, Sheila Dixon has spent more than 20 years in public office, dedicating her career to improving the lives of women, children and minorities. She has worked tirelessly on public health issues, and brings a wealth of experience and insight into business development in the city.

Among her numerous awards and honors, Mayor Dixon was recently admitted to the Daily Record's Circle of Excellence for her third selection as one of ``Maryland's Top 100 Women.'' She serves on numerous boards, including the Institute of Human Virology, the Transplant Resource Center, the Urban Health Initiative, the Baltimore Public Markets Corporation, the Living Classrooms Foundation, and the Walters Art Gallery.

This year Mayor Dixon launched the YouthWorks campaign, which brings together businesses, community organizations, foundations and city and State agencies in an effort to engage Baltimore youth in meaningful summer activities. She is strongly committed to accomplishing the goal of ensuring that any Baltimore youth who wants a summer job can have one. This program will not only benefit youth by providing valuable work experience, it will also provide businesses with talented and motivated workers.

Though I have not had the privilege of working with all of the following women, I would also like to take this opportunity to highlight Maryland's Top 100 Women for 2008 as honored by the Daily Record:

Judge Theresa M. Adams, Circuit Court for Frederick County; Dr. Susan C. Aldridge, University of Maryland University College; Dr. Janet D. Allan, University of Maryland School of Nursing; Dr. Sharon D. Allison- Ottey, The COSHAR Foundation; Judge Nancy V. Alquist, United States Bankruptcy Court; Rev. Dr. China M. Ashe, Hope Ministries; Judge Vicki Ballou-Watts, Circuit Court for Baltimore County; Lisa R. Bands, My Cleaning Service, Inc.; Judge Mary Ellen Barbera, Court of Special Appeals of Maryland; Traci A. Barnett, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland; Buffy Beaudoin-Schwartz, Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers; Cathy S. Bernard, CSB Management Corporation; Dr. Meredith Bond, University of Maryland Baltimore School of Medicine; Annie L. Burton- Byrd, The Signature Group, LLC; Ellen A. Callegary, Callegary & Steedman, PA; Wanda G. Caporaletti, Law Office of Wanda G. Caporaletti; Diane Lillibridge Caslow, MedStar Health; Marie A. Cavallaro, Cavallaro Cleary Visual Art Foundation; Rev. Mary W. Conaway, Register of Wills for Baltimore City; Patricia E. Cornish, PEC Financial Consulting; Dr. P. Ann Cotten, University of Baltimore Schaefer Center for Public Policy.

Diane D'Aiutolo Collins, Tydings & Rosenberg, LLP; Janine M. DiPaula Stevens, Vircity; Anna M. Dopkin, T. Rowe Price Associates; Councilmember Valerie Ervin, Montgomery County Council; Carolyn Wilson Evans, Sengstacke & Evans, LLC; Margaret (Meg) Z. Ferguson, Baltimore County Executive Office; Jodi Finkelstein, Domestic Violence Center of Howard County; Ellen R. Fish, Towson Community Bank, a div. of AmericasBANK; Mary Ellen Flynn, Andalman & Flynn, PC; Taylor L. Foss, LifeBridge Health; Commissioner Jan H. Gardner, Frederick County Government; Sandra N. Harriman, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Carrie Harris-Muller, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc.

Dr. Elizabeth A. Hunt, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Sara T. Jacoby, The Legacy Group, Inc.; Deborah E. Jennings, DLA Piper U.S., LLP; Senator Verna L. Jones, State of Maryland; Leronia A. Josey, Law Office of Leronia Josey; Pamela J. King, Open Society Institute- Baltimore; Julie Lenzer Kirk, Path Forward International; Marcy K. Kolodny, Dyslexia Tutoring Program; Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp, State of Maryland; Jennifer Kozak, J Kozak Creative; Senator Rona E. Kramer, State of Maryland; Judge Sherrie L. Krauser, Circuit Court for Prince George's County; Dr. Martha Joynt Kumar, Towson University.

Judge Theresa A. Lawler, Orphan's Court for Baltimore County; Linda Thater Layton, Attorney at Law; Cynthia L. Leppert, Neuberger, Quinn, Gielen, Rubin & Gibber, PA; Eileen M. Levitt, The HR Team, Inc.; Dr. Leslie D. Mancuso, JHPIEGO; Sister Patricia McCarron, SSND, Notre Dame Preparatory School; Annette Merz, LENPEX, LLC; Bonnae J. Meshulam, Junior Achievement of Central Maryland, Inc.; Dr. Redonda G. Miller, Johns Hopkins Hospital and School of Medicine; Elise Davison Morris, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP; Paula T. Morris, Kids of Honor; Nhora Barrera Murphy, The Media Network; Alice Neily Mutch, Capital Consultants, BaySmart Gardening, LLC.

Myra W. Norton, Community Analytics; Sylvia Ontaneda-Bernales, Ober Kaler Grimes & Shriver; Beth Pepper, Law Firm of Beth Pepper; Trudy E. Perkins, Office of U.S. Representative Elijah E. Cummings; Beth S. Perlman, Constellation Energy; Liz Pettengill, Greater Baltimore Committee; Bonnie Lamdin Phipps, St. Agnes HealthCare; Barbara Portnoy, PLDA Interiors; Randi Alper Pupkin, Art with a Heart, Inc.; Stephanie L. Reel, Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System; Dr. Donna L. Reihl, The Community College of Baltimore County; Juliette Rizzo, U.S. Department of Education; Dr. Marcella L. Roenneburg, Mercy Medical Center.

Karen H. Rothenberg, University of Maryland School of Law; Dr. Lisa Rowen, University of Maryland Medical Center; Dr. Cynda Hylton Rushton, Johns Hopkins University and Children's Center; Hannah Sassoon, Montgomery County Office of the Sheriff; Judge Katherine D. Savage, Circuit Court for Montgomery County; Lynne C. Schaefer, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Rosa M. Scharf, Howard Bank; Mary Fulton Shock, Philanthropist; J. Patricia Wilson Smoot, Prince George's County Office of the State's Attorney; Felicita Sola-Carter, Social Security Administration; Yolanda F. Sonnier, Randall & Sonnier, LLC; Sally L. Sternbach, Rockville Economic Development, Inc.; Ferrier R. Stillman, Tydings & Rosenberg, LLP.

Karen D. Stokes, Greater Homewood Community Corporation; Anita H. Thomas, University of Baltimore; Dr. Rosemary M. Thomas, Salisbury University; Suzanne C. Thompson, Heritage Financial Consultants, LLC, Advanced Benefit Solutions, Inc.; Margaret Witherup Tindall, Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger & Hollander, LLC; Marlene Trestman, Office of the Attorney General; Jenny J. Trostel, Saab of Baltimore; Judith Vaughan-Prather, Montgomery County Commission for Women; Laura Neuman Volkman, Springboard Enterprises; Stephanie T. Willey, Comcast Spotlight; Deborah Smith Williams, M&T Bank; Jeanne M. Yeager, Mid- Shore Council on Family Violence; Terry Slade Young, The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore; and Gina Monath Zawitoski, DLA Piper U.S., LLP.

I salute these women as examples of the many others who have made, and continue to make our country great.

Madam Speaker, on the occasion of its 21st annual TUgis Conference, I rise today to recognize Towson University for its excellence in geographic information sciences.

In 1984, Dr. John M. Morgan III, with tremendous vision, created a GIS lab at Towson University. He hosted the first statewide GIS conference in 1988. Since then, the Towson University Center for Geographic Information Sciences, CGIS, has grown to include approximately 35 full-time, degreed professionals dedicated to assisting government agencies, businesses, and non-profit organizations that use GIS to carry out their mission. As the program has grown in size, its reputation has also grown. CGIS has developed strong partnerships with several organizations throughout Maryland and has attracted first-rate students to Towson University who are interested in CGIS and its enormous potential.

The theme for TUgis 2008 is ``Democratizing GIS: New Tools for Meeting the Public Demand for Geospatial Information.'' As a member of Congress, I have been interested in better understanding the needs of those I represent. One way I have been able to gain this understanding is through geospatial information about my district. One of our interns, Matthew Sadecki, who will be graduating from Towson University with a master's in GIS, has been able to construct maps of the district displaying a wide range of information. These maps help me to visualize statistical information related to the geographical layout of Maryland's Third Congressional District and better address the needs of those who live there.

Madam Speaker, I want to again thank Dr. Morgan and Towson University for all they have done to advance GIS to its current form and wish them great success with all they have yet to achieve.

Madam Speaker, it is my honor to rise today in recognition of the 187th anniversary of Greek independence. The Greek people have proven to be the greatest of allies to the United States over many decades.

Today we have new opportunities to demonstrate our support of Greece on key issues. Most immediate is the dispute over the name of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. I urge the administration to help us celebrate Greek Independence Day by supporting Greece's position on this important issue. Greece's position makes sense for NATO, it makes sense for the United States, and it makes sense for peaceful international relations.

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend Chairman Miller, Chairwoman McCarthy, and others for putting together the GIVE Act, which reauthorizes the National Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973. This act supports the Nation's priorities in a number of important areas.

Mr. Speaker, Americans are hungry to serve. Last year, 62 million Americans contributed 8.2 billion hours of volunteer service. And the question is, are we ready to absorb that energy? Do we have a way of capturing it and channeling it?

What the GIVE Act does is it creates that infrastructure; and that's why we need it, because if we don't have an infrastructure to respond to that volunteer energy, then people will go away even more disillusioned. So the GIVE Act steps up and does exactly the right thing.

And here are some of the things that it does: it sets a goal of 100,000 AmeriCorps volunteers by 2012 putting 25,000 additional volunteers into our communities; it engages youth through a summer of service; and it creates a new energy conservation corps. That corps will focus our service corps apparatus on some of the Nation's most pressing problems: energy efficiency and conservation training for green jobs and rehabilitation of our Nation's critical infrastructure. It will enlist both seniors and young people in that enterprise.

The act will also do right by our veterans. I was pleased to work with Mr. Miller and Mrs. McCarthy to include language in this bill that would require the Corporation for National and Community Service to initiate a national conversation by commissioning a study to develop and test a service corps program that both targets veterans as recipients of community service and utilizes their service as participants and volunteers. This national conversation would provide a framework for better targeting the needs of veterans in the community.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the committee on its work on these important issues. It is said that the pulse and time of a Nation are best reflected in its service to others. The GIVE Act launches a new era of service and, in so doing, will showcase the best of what America has to offer.

Madam Chairman, I rise today to commend Chairman Miller, Chairwoman McCarthy, Ranking Member McKeon, and others for putting together a very strong reauthorization of the National and Community Service Act of 1990 and the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973.

It supports the Nation's priorities in a number of important areas. In particular, I'd like to thank the committee's leadership for recognizing the critical role that veterans and older Americans can play in solving problems and strengthening communities, by recommending several new provisions.

Our veterans are simply the best of what this country has to offer, both with respect to their exemplary character and the technical, professional, and administrative expertise which they acquire during their years of service. They are an invaluable and untapped resource to underserved communities. America should embrace the opportunity to establish a well-defined veterans-centered and -integrated community support system based on national and community service. The GIVE Act begins a national conversation on how to make this happen.

Every day nearly 8,000 of the Nation's 78 million baby boomers turn 60. We know from research that the vast majority plan to work or stay engaged in their community well past traditional retirement age. This is a wonderful opportunity, given their stated interest in helping others and the ever-worsening labor shortage in education, health care, government, and nonprofit work.

I'm a strong supporter of the idea that those who have finished their mid-life careers can be a force for social good in the 21st century. By turning the aging of America into a positive story, we can tap into this energy. It is going to take creativity, experimentation, bold action, and looking to the future more than the past. Congress has a critical responsibility, along with the States and the private sector, to ensure baby boomers will have the opportunity to serve.

We talk about this wave of returning veterans, and we talk about the demographic wave of aging Americans. How you respond to a wave depends on how you position yourself. That wave can either come crashing down on us, or it can be a wave that lifts us up and moves us forward.

I look forward to continuing to work with the committee and this Congress to explore additional proposals to capture the energy, idealism, and talent of our veterans and millions of older Americans who want to make a major contribution to the public good.

Mr. Chairman, I rise as well to oppose this amendment, which really overlooks the incredible positive impact that a summer of service can have on our youth.

The Summer of Service is a program which fills a policy gap which helps communities create positive alternatives for young teens. The middle school years in particular are extremely pivotal years for young people. Most youth are making the difficult transition from middle school to high school, and many of them have no organized activities during those periods when they are out of school. Many are left unsupervised and at risk of being engaged in potentially harmful activity. We want to engage them. We want to make sure that they have something to do.

I was recently, Mr. Chairman, at a conference held in Baltimore that is focusing on what some refer to as the summer learning slide or summer learning lost. Basically, what do you do to engage students over those summer months to make sure that you are complementing the educational opportunities that they have during the regular school year? And the Summer of Service is a perfect opportunity to do that and to support them so that continuum, that trajectory is always upward. It is not a kind of roller coaster where you get two steps forward and you slip one step back.

How our youth spend their time during the summer period may determine whether they embark on a course of active citizenship and civic engagement and engaged learning or whether they go down a different path. This was a conclusion of a conference that the White House convened in 2000 to look at the issues that are facing teenagers. The Summer of Service initiative will offer youth the chance to spend a summer in service to their communities. I urge that we vote against the Flake amendment that would eliminate the Summer of Service.

Mr. Chairman, I just want to say that I am in strong support of this amendment. I am glad to cosponsor it with Congressman Inslee.

The way we are going to make improvement with our environment is when hundreds of thousands of people develop the habits that clean up the environment instead of having the habits that hurt the environment. There is no better way to do this than to establish this Energy Conservation Corps which brings a service dimension for our young people and for our seniors in the Learn and Service programs to support this green frontier that we are embarked upon.

So I think it is a critical boost to the other efforts that we are making on the energy horizon.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation to reauthorize the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network (CBGN), which will otherwise expire at the end 2008. The CBGN provides grants to parks, volunteer groups, wildlife refuges, historic sites, museums, and water trails throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Network ties these sites together to provide meaningful experiences and foster citizen stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay. Since 2000, it has grown to include 156 Gateways in six States and the District of Columbia, and over 1500 miles of established and developing water trails.

My own Congressional District includes several such Gateways sites. For example, the Annapolis Maritime Museum, which sits on the banks of Back Creek, promotes an understanding of the maritime heritage of Annapolis and how that history has influenced the evolution of the State of Maryland. The museum campus occupies the site of the old McNasby's Oyster Packing Company. For years, from the shores of the Back Creek and other tributaries, watermen came and went delivering their daily catch. Boatwrights and craftsmen ran boatyards to sustain the industry. Employees of McNasby's and other businesses shucked, canned, and shipped oysters and other seafood as far as the Rocky Mountains. The maritime and seafood industry made Annapolis a prosperous town--and they were all connected to and dependent upon the Chesapeake Bay. The Annapolis Maritime Museum teaches current residents and youth about this connection to the water and how it continues to influence our culture and economy to this day.

As reported in the Baltimore Sun late last year, the museum has established a program with Eastport Elementary School to connect students with the Chesapeake Bay through activities that fit into their studies in reading, math, and science. The students participate in activities such as ``measuring water temperature, salinity and clarity; they observe, measure and document the museum's terrapins and oysters; and account for funds they're raising to support the upkeep of the terrapins.'' These kinds of programs have a profound and long lasting impact on students as evidenced by the feedback from one parent who said, ``My child has become more excited and interested in the bay and what it means to the area where he lives.''

By maintaining the Gateways network and providing access to sites such as the Annapolis Maritime Museum, we can help develop

the next generation of environmental stewards, which is one of the best ways to truly ``Save the Bay.'' It is therefore critical that we act now to reauthorize the Gateways program so that the Network and its partners can continue to educate residents of the Chesapeake Bay watershed about how their communities relate directly to the health of our largest estuary and a national treasure--the Chesapeake Bay.