Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1064, adoption of the conference report to accompany H.R. 3222, Defense Appropriations, I was unavoidably detained and missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 762, supporting the goals of National Bullying Prevention Awareness Week.

According to the Health Resources and Services Administration of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, bullying is aggressive behavior that is intentional, repeated over time, and involves an imbalance of power or strength.

In practical terms, bullying happens when one child purposely hurts, scares or intimidates another. Bullying can seriously affect the mental and physical health as well as the academic work of children who are targeted.

Bullying can take place face to face, online or through other types of technology, such as text messaging over cell phones. The person being bullied has a difficult time defending himself or herself and feels victimized or abused. Usually bullying happens repeatedly, and studies show that between 15 and 25 percent of U.S. students are bullied with some frequency.

Bullying is prevalent, and children are concerned about it. In a 2003 Harris poll of 8- to 17-year-old girls commissioned by the Girl Scouts of America, bullying topped girls' lists of concerns regarding their safety. When asked what they worried most about, the common response was being socially ostracized, being made fun of, or being teased. To protect kids who are bullied, parents and adults must understand what bullying is, how harmful it can be, and the best ways to stop bullying behaviors.

According to the American Psychological Association, the most effective prevention strategies are comprehensive in nature, involving the entire school as a community working to change the climate of the school and norms of behavior. It's crucial that parents, educators and administrators, health care professionals and researchers work together to reduce bullying. Campaigns are taking place in the U.S. and abroad to teach children that they play an important role in the prevention of bullying and to raise awareness of the problem among adults. Children should feel comfortable in their communities and in their schools. They should not have to fear harassment, abuse or exclusion. We must continue to support efforts to combat bullying.

I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy) for introducing this resolution. I ask for my colleagues' support.

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

Madam Speaker, I might inquire as to whether or not the gentlewoman from New York has any additional speakers.

Madam Speaker, I would thank the gentlewoman for bringing this resolution to the floor once again, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 472, congratulating and commending the Wichita State University's bowling team for winning the 2007 United States Bowling Congress Intercollegiate Bowling National Championship. On April 21, 2007, the Wichita State University Shockers, as they are called, women's bowling team defeated McKendree College two games to none to claim their eighth national championship.

In game one, both teams went head-to-head in a low-scoring match. However, the Shockers were able to capitalize on a McKendree split and pull out a win 138-128. Close match. In the second match, the Shockers completely outplayed McKendree as senior Felicia Wong and junior Emily Maier doubled in the third and fourth frame and again in the eighth and the ninth to close out the match and claim the title.

This year's title is the team's first since 2005 and the eighth overall, which is the most in all of college bowling history. This title also adds to the amazing legacy of Wichita State bowling, as it is the 15th in school history, eight women's titles, seven men's titles.

Founded in 1895, Wichita State University offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in six undergraduate colleges. The graduate school offers an extensive program, including 44 master's degrees in more than 100 areas and a specialist in education degree. It offers doctoral degrees in applied mathematics and chemistry, communicative disorders and sciences, psychology, educational administration and aerospace, and electrical, industrial and mechanical engineering.

Together with the City of Wichita, Wichita State University has built one of the most unique partnerships in Kansas, one that over the years has propelled each to new heights.

I extend my congratulations to head coach Gordon Vadakin, women's coach Mark Lewis, assistant women's coach Kristal Scott and President Donald Beggs, all of the hard-working players, certainly the fans and to Wichita State University. I am happy to join my colleague, Representative Todd Tiahrt, in honoring an exceptional team in all its accomplishments and wish all involved continued success. I ask my colleagues certainly to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Yes, Madam Speaker, I have one, and if it would be appropriate, I yield 5 minutes at this time to my colleague Mr. Tiahrt from Kansas.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor on House Resolution 106.

Madam Speaker, the poem below was written by Albert Carey Caswell in honor of Corporal Jason L. Dunham of the United States Marine Corps. Corporal Dunham gave his life for his country while serving in Iraq, absorbing the brunt of a grenade explosion in a selfless act of bravery on April 14, 2004, thereby saving the lives of two of his fellow Marines. Corporal Dunham's undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of certain death earned him the Medal of Honor, our Nation's highest award for valor, on January 11, 2007. Corporal Dunham is survived by his family in Scio, New York.

One,

One Fine Thing . . .

As to this our world, your heart so surely brings!

All in your choices,

All through your most sacred inner

voices . . .

As to our Nation, the blessings you've bestowed upon her . .

. which so ring!

All in The Face of Death,

When, your oh so magnificent courage so seems to crest!

For in these, are the things which so makes an angel's heart

sing . . . no less!

All in that moment!

There between life and death, A Freedom Fighter . . . at his

best!

All in these moments, of which we are now so left . . . to

carry with us, until our deaths!

Children of God!

Who cry, when their brothers and sisters in arms . . . so

fall and die!

Yet, marching on . . . ever onward until the evil is gone, as

where courage is born!

To Give All!

To Hear That Most Noble Of All Calls!

To go forth, in that of death's course . . . for One Fine

Thing, While Standing Tall!

To give up your young promising life!

To go so boldly forth, all in your course . . . and so

gallantly to sacrifice!

But All, to stand In The Shadow of Death . . . and not look

away, nor think twice!

Rise . . . to Heaven, my Fine Son!

Jason, for you in your angelic glow . . . have Heaven so won!

As you died, so others may live . . . your life, the most

precious of all gifts one could give!

While, in That Moment,

When, who lives and who dies . . . where the most splendid of

all courage so lies!

As it was you, Jason the one so who my fine son . . . The

Congressional One, who so gave his life!

As now I cry!

Knowing full well, how so beautifully you died . . .

Maybe a child, who'll save the world . . . a boy or girl,

from that One Fine Thing unfurled which lies!

To bring, in your being . . . and in your life . . .

Could you, would we, would you . . . the courage find, in

this your life's meaning so divine!

To somehow find, to give to this our world all in our time .

. . but, One Fine Thing!

Mr. Speaker, on Friday of this past week, New York's Governor, Eliot Spitzer, announced his immigration policy, which allows immigrants, including those entering the country illegally, to obtain driver's licenses. This decision solidifies the need for more aggressive immigration legislation in these United States.

Why are we rewarding the people who are coming here illegally at the expense of others who are law-abiding citizens?

Inviting potential terrorists into the State and allowing them to drive whenever they wish undermines the preventive measures that protect our country from national security threats.

Let's not forget that September 11, 2001, hijackers had at least 35 licenses which helped them to rent cars and open bank accounts.

In addition, it will wreak havoc on our social services programs and create a massive flooding of illegal immigrants to New York State, straining our resources in our schools and our hospitals.

We need real immigration legislation that strengthens our borders and does not diminish our national security by granting more privileges to those who have entered this country illegally.

Madam Speaker, for the last several years my colleagues on the Education and Labor Committee have worked to renew, and indeed improve, the Higher Education Act.

Last Congress, we passed H.R. 609, the College Access and Opportunity Act, which made important reforms to the Pell Grant program, the Perkins loan program, and provided more accountability in the area of college costs. Unfortunately, the Senate was not able to act, and the legislation died.

This Congress, the House has passed the reforms to address some of the problems that have arisen in the student loan industry and has passed legislation that made changes to the mandatory spending programs under the Higher Education Act through the reconciliation process. As of yesterday, the Senate has passed both the reconciliation bill and the Higher Education Act reauthorization bill.

The latest extension of the Higher Education Act expires on July 31, 2007. Today, we are passing another extension through October 31, 2007. It is my hope that the House will soon renew the remaining Higher Education Act, but in the meantime Congress must once again act to extend this bill, which we have done so previously on several occasions with bipartisan support. So today I rise in support of legislation to do so once again.

S. 1868, the second Higher Education Act of 2007, will ensure that vital Federal college access and student aid programs continue, I repeat continue, to serve those students who depend upon them. This legislation extends the Higher Education Act for a brief time, just 3 months. At the same time, S. 1868 also gives Congress additional time to complete a review of the remaining higher education programs as well.

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill before us today and work with us in the coming months to complete a fundamental reform package so that we can better serve the American students pursuing a college education.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, we have been doing some serious work here. While the Members are departing for a district work period, I want to inform the rest of the House that 2 nights ago, a horrible accident happened in my district, in Canandaigua, New York, that took the lives of five young women from Fairport who were on their way to spend time on Keuka Lake, which is where I live.

All five of these young women were cheerleaders at Fairport High School and had just graduated from high school a week ago. They were all looking forward to a bright, fun summer together on the lake with friends, four of

whom were riding in a car behind them and were, thankfully, uninjured.

Madam Speaker, I am here to mourn the loss of Hannah Congdon. Hannah was known by friends as ``constant sunshine.'' She never said a negative word about anyone and was always smiling.

Bailey Goodman. The girls were headed to Bailey's family cottage on Keuka Lake. Bailey was the team's entertainment, according to her friends, and could always make her teammates laugh.

Meredith McClure. Meredith was known as the team's hardest worker, always the first one to try a new jump or a stunt.

Sara Monnat. Sara was jokingly referred to as the team ``boss.'' She would motivate and encourage her team in an amiable way, and was a born leader.

And Katherine Shirley. Katie loved her friends. She would spend hours putting together scrapbooks and surrounding herself with photos of her and her friends.

I offer my prayers and condolences to the families, friends and neighbors of these beautiful young women who were so violently taken from us.

I also rise, Madam Speaker, to ask that the House pause for a moment of silence in remembrance of Bailey, Hannah, Katie, Sara and Meredith.

Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize the achievements of Ms. Kathryn Wood-Bacher as President of the Yates County American Legion Auxiliary in New York. Kathryn has devoted many hours to serving our veterans as a mental health counselor, making herself available to them night and day, whenever they are in need of assistance.

Recently, Yates County endorsed Kathryn for the position of Seventh District Vice President, and because of her tireless dedication and good work, she will most likely be elected to this office at the New York Department Convention in Niagara Falls this July.

Over the years, Kathryn has served as District Junior Coordinator, Certified Community Emergency Safety Responder, Fifth generation Auxiliary member of the Johnson Costello Unit #355, and of course, Yates County President. Kathryn has selflessly devoted her time to caring for our veterans, our Nation's bravest heroes who have put themselves on the line to defend freedom and democracy, and I am proud to recognize her efforts today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize several outstanding students from the Roberts Wesleyan College, which is located in my congressional district.

In today's world, if we needed an innovative cutting-edge solution to a challenge, we look to our institutions of higher education. Each year, the Motion Picture Association of America partners with Students in Free Enterprise to host a national competition to produce a public service announcement regarding the importance of intellectual property rights. For the second year in a row, Roberts Wesleyan College placed among the top 3 of over 40 competitors.

These talented Roberts Wesleyan students won a cash award, and their broadcast now has a chance to achieve national exposure. Their outstanding accomplishment will have an impact on both the local and the national level.

I commend the efforts of these students.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about Dr. Al Simone, an outstanding individual in the community of Rochester, New York. Dr. Simone retires this month from the presidency of the Rochester Institute of Technology. He was RIT's eighth president, the eighth in 177 years.

Dr. Simone came to Rochester from a place where the weather is a little bit more predictable. He was the president of the University of Hawaii system and chancellor of the University of Hawaii at Manoa for 9 years.

Dr. Simone has led RIT to become the one of the Nation's leading career-oriented universities with 15,500 students from all 50 States and more than 100 foreign countries, 2,800 faculty and staff, and an annual operating budget of more than $490 million. RIT is now the tenth largest private university in the Nation in terms of full-time undergraduate enrollment. The endowment has climbed to more than $570 million during his tenancy.

Dr. Simone is a prolific writer and has written several books and numerous journal publications on the application of mathematics, statistics, and computers to economics and business. In fact, Dr. Simone is collecting data and information for a book right now on higher education, which he expects to write within the next few years during his retirement on the sunny shores of Keuka Lake.

Dr. Simone is a real trailblazer. He was the first American university president, for instance, to officially visit North Korea, Vietnam, and Vladivostock when these areas were closed to the United States except for cultural and educational exchange.

A native of Boston, Dr. Simone received his B.A. in economics from Tufts University and his Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has taught at Tufts, MIT, Northeastern University, Boston College, Boston University, University of Cincinnati, and the University of Hawaii.

The community will certainly miss Al's leadership and I know I will miss working with him.

Mr. Speaker, I hope you will join me in wishing him and his wife, Carolie, a long, happy, healthy retirement with their children and their grandchildren.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, constituents of mine have wisely questioned the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's plan to require United States citizens to present passports to travel between Canada and the United States.

In addition to standard application fees, the plan will require American citizens to pay for passport photos and travel to a passport application center just to take their families to the Toronto Blue Jays game or to Niagara Falls.

There is no question in my mind that we must protect our borders, I think all of our citizens agree with that, from illegal immigrants and potential terrorists. But we should not turn away legitimate business and visitors, as the U.S. and Canadian economies have become interdependent.

Therefore, my amendment requires that the Governmental Accounting Office conduct a study of the potentially adverse economic impact that this new requirement for land and sea travelers may have upon American business. I believe that we have a long, long way to go before our borders are finally and fully secured. But I believe that this amendment gets us moving in the right direction, without slamming the door on our neighbors to the north.

Mr. Chairman, I understand that there is potentially a legal problem with this amendment. Having actually put it before the Congress for its consideration, certainly the chairman, I believe it's appropriate to withdraw the amendment at this time, and I would do so.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, earlier this month a security breach occurred along our northern border when an individual on the no- fly list carrying a dangerous strain of tuberculosis successfully crossed the United States border.

This breach highlights the security gaps at our northern border that must be immediately addressed. If the Department of Homeland Security cannot adequately meet our Nation's growing security needs, then we in Congress must step in to provide our citizens with the oversight and action that they deserve, so that both our northern and our southern borders will be safe from future threats.

I am offering this amendment to take us a step in the right direction of securing our northern border. Most of the action that you are hearing today in this Chamber is dealing with the southern border. This amendment requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study examining the security of the northern border.

Specifically, it requires that the GAO evaluate the Customs and Border Patrol's ability to identify and eliminate all potential threats to the northern border under current funding levels.

In closing, this is a commonsense amendment that will take us a step in the right direction towards securing our northern border, and I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment.

I also understand, Mr. Chairman, that my colleague, the ranking minority member, has a problem with the correctness of this amendment.

So not dealing in wanting to further challenge this, I would withdraw my amendment and my statement addressing the needs that I feel are appropriate at this time.

Offered By: Mr. Kuhl of New York

Amendment No. 114: Page 8, line 5, insert before the period

the following: ``: Provided further, That the Comptroller

General of the United States and the Secretary of Homeland

Security conduct a study that examines the potentially

adverse economic impact of the requirement for land and sea

travelers of the Western Hemisphere Travel Implementation Act

(WHTI) upon businesses in neighboring regions.''.

Offered By: Mr. Kuhl of New York

Amendment No. 115: Page 8, line 5, insert before the period

the following: ``: Provided further, That the Comptroller

General of the United States and the Secretary of Homeland

Security conduct a study that examines security at the

Northern Border, evaluates the ability of United States

Customs and Border Protection to identify and stop all

potential threats from crossing the Northern Border, lists

all breaches of security and the reason for such breaches

since 2005, and contains recommendations to concerning how

and what must be done to improve United States Customs and

Border Protection and security at the Northern border.''.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the special environmental achievements of a vibrant small business located in my district.

Southco, a manufacturer of access hardware, has reduced the amount of hazardous waste it generates from more than 3,200 pounds in 2002 to zero just 3 years later in 2005. Through systematic changes in their manufacturing process, they have completely ceased producing hazardous waste.

Moreover, Southco has committed to reducing its consumption of electricity by 15 percent over the next 3 years. Clearly Southco is a role model for our Nation's businesses when it comes to preserving our precious resources. There is a lot of talk about environmental conservation and energy independence, but through innovative thinking, Southco has delivered tangible results in the private sector and provided an excellent example.

This month, the Environmental Protection Agency has made Southco a member of its National Environmental Performance Track Program, designed to honor leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to reducing their negative impact on the environment.

I would like to personally thank Southco for being an excellent corporate citizen.

Madam Speaker, Southco is a leader in these efforts, and deserves our praise for its forward-thinking, socially conscious practices.