Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 150th anniversary of St. John Lutheran Church in Dieterich, IL.

On January 1, 1860, 14 men signed the constitution of St. John, a document that has continued to govern the church to this day. St. John is one of the oldest churches in the Central Illinois District of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.

I would like to congratulate the members of St. John Lutheran Church for reaching this milestone and wish them a blessed and joyous celebration as they mark 150 years of service to God and their community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark the unveiling of a commemorative mural at Fort Massac in Massac County, Illinois.

Fort Massac was built on the bank of the Ohio River in 1757 by the French during the French and Indian War. In 1794, during the Northwest Indian War, President George Washington ordered the fort be rebuilt. For the next 20 years Fort Massac protected U.S. military and commercial interests in the Ohio Valley.

In the fall of 1803, the Lewis and Clark Expedition stopped and recruited two volunteers at Fort Massac as they journeyed west. The Fort Massac site was designated a State Park in 1908, becoming the first Illinois State Park.

Every October, the Fort Massac Encampment draws 80,000 visitors to re-create the lifestyles and atmosphere of the late 1700s. As a part of this year's celebration on October 17th and 18th, the Fort Massac Museum is unveiling a mural depicting a restored cabin from the early 1800s. More than 100,000 visitors are expected to attend the celebration to take part in the mural unveiling.

I want to congratulate the volunteers, supporters, and everyone else who helped make this mural and museum such a great success. I wish them my best as they open this new exhibit to offer a glimpse into the fascinating history of the United States and Illinois.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Gaskin City Missionary Baptist Church, which celebrated its 100th anniversary this past August.

Pastor Andrew Yates and the congregation of 160 held its first service on August 21, 1909. Although the congregation is smaller today, its members still make an impact on both the local community and the mission field worldwide. Their commitment to service can be seen in many ways, such as singing at local care centers and retirement homes and sending pens to Botswana that are used to copy chapters from the Bible.

I would like to congratulate the members of Gaskin City Missionary Baptist Church for reaching this milestone and wish them a blessed and joyous celebration as they mark 100 years of service to God and their community, both at home and around the world.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 125th anniversary of St. Cecilia's Catholic Church in Bartelso, Illinois.

In the mid-nineteenth century immigrants of primarily German descent settled in the area. By 1880 there were about 75 Catholic families living in the vicinity, most of whom were members of St. Boniface Church. However, flooding of the Kaskaskia River and Shoal Creek made the roads leading to St. Boniface virtually impassable.

In 1884, St. Cecilia's Catholic Church was built to better accommodate the area's families. Building supplies were hauled from the surrounding area to the construction site by horse-drawn wagons. The project culminated in the beautiful church that is still one of the finest in Southern Illinois. The town of Bartelso flourished with the new attention that St. Cecilia's brought.

I would like to congratulate the members of St. Cecilia's Catholic Church for reaching this milestone and wish them a blessed and joyous celebration as they mark 125 years of service to God and their community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor World War II veteran Earl Daniels of Strasburg, Illinois, as Strasburg American Legion Post #289 holds a dinner in his honor this Saturday, October 3, 2009.

Mr. Daniels was drafted into the United States Army at the age of 18. After he had completed training he joined the 28th Infantry Division. His unit served admirably in France, Belgium, Czechoslovakia and Germany.

In November 1944 he was taken prisoner and held in Cologne, Germany. He was later sent to Stallag 3G, near Berlin. After his release he returned home to the United States and was eventually discharged.

I am pleased to honor Mr. Daniels and all of our brave veterans for their service to our great nation. May God continue to bless him and may God bless America.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Bethel Baptist Church in Caseyville, Illinois.

Bethel Baptist Church was founded in 1809 and immediately became a leading institution on the Illinois frontier. Bethel has been an active force for positive change since its inception, advocating abolition nearly 60 years before the ratification of the 13th Amendment. The first pastor at Bethel, James Lemen, Sr., was such a strong abolitionist that the church's original constitution prohibited any member from owning slaves or promoting slavery. As the abolition movement grew, the church became an important part of the Underground Railroad.

As Bethel Baptist Church celebrates its proud history, it can look to a bright future. While the congregation has grown and changed over the past two centuries, it has never forgotten its mission in the community and continues to work for a better tomorrow.

I would like to congratulate Reverend Michael D. Evans and the entire Bethel Baptist Church family on their 200th anniversary. I wish them the best as they continue to build on their rich history.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a distinguished public servant, devoted husband and loving father.

James Donnewald, a man who spent his career serving the people of Illinois as a legislator and state treasurer, passed away September 18th, at the age of 84.

From an early age, Mr. Donnewald had a desire to serve his country. Before beginning his career as a lawmaker, he volunteered for military service in both World War II and the Korean War, but was honorably discharged due to a heart murmur.

After returning from the service, Mr. Donnewald attended St. Louis University and later Lincoln College of Law. In 1960, he was elected to the Illinois state House of Representatives, where he served two terms. After serving as a Representative, James Donnewald was elected to the state Senate in 1964. Throughout his distinguished tenure, he garnered the respect of his colleagues rising to the office of assistant Democratic leader and chairman of the Reapportionment Committee.

In 1982, Mr. Donnewald was elected to one term as Illinois State Treasurer. After his time in public office, he continued to serve our community through his law practice in Breese, IL.

I extend my heartfelt condolences to Mr. Donnewald's daughter Jill, his sons Craig and Eric, his sisters Irene and Juanita and his five grandchildren. He was a respected member of his community and will be deeply missed.

Madam Speaker, the United States has an operating national missile defense to protect our west coast. Why would we leave our east coast undefended?

In an ABC story today, it reads, ``The Obama administration believes Iran has now lied to inspectors three times. In addition to today's news there were revelations in 2002 about a different clandestine plant, and news discovered in 2007 that Iran had been working to design a nuclear warhead.''

Our response should be: Don't trust, but defend.

If the Obama administration believes that Iran has lied to the United States on nuclear weapons, why would we drop our defenses on the east coast?

Our national government is constituted to protect our citizens. By scrapping national missile defense for our east coast, we fail in our job.

Mr. Speaker, a national missile defense: I am aghast at its being dropped by this administration.

First of all, we have a missile defense program, and that protects the west coast against a launch by a rogue nation, namely, North Korea. The national missile defense site proposed plan for Europe was designed primarily to defend our eastern coast against a rogue attack by Iran, so that's why I reject the arguments of this administration. This administration is citing concerns into Europe.

The benefit of the national missile defense site was that we got a twofer from this. Not only did we get a system, again, that's already in application on the western coast--we have a system in place to protect our eastern seaboard from a launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile, armed by a nuclear warhead by Iran against our eastern coast--but it also gives coverage to our allies and friends in the vast majority of Europe.

Our allies, the Poles and the Czechs, worked hard to educate their public to bring together consensus and to support the two sites--one being a radar site in the Czech Republic and another being an interceptor site in Poland.

What did they do based upon the negotiations with us? What is our response to them? Our response to them is to now reject and to turn away from this site.

Now, the launch sites in Poland are a few interceptors, not the hundreds of offensive missiles that are placed in Russia. The interceptors were never a threat to Russia. However, this administration now bows to the totalitarian regime in Russia at the rejection of our friends and allies in the democratic countries in Eastern Europe--our friends the Poles and the Czechs--who have worked hard, who have solid democratic institutions, who support the war on terror, and who are our allies in the battle of freedom. So we side with the Russians in opposition to our Eastern European friends and neighbors.

You know, Russia may have been successful in causing this administration to back away from its commitment, but I want them to understand there are still many, many Members in this Chamber who will not kowtow to you or bow to the threats imposed by a reemergent Russia. Russia has meddled in the affairs of the Eastern European countries for long enough, most recently in the invasion of Georgia, meddling in the Ukraine and trying to destabilize their neighbors on the borders.

We will continue to fight for those freedom-loving, democratic institutions in Eastern Europe, especially for the countries I mentioned before--the Ukraine and Georgia--and for the people who want democracy in Belarus. We will not allow a reemergent Russia to try to build a new sphere of influence that will deprive these people of freedom.

This battle on national missile defense is the first victory for Russia in, again, attacking the credibility of the leadership of our country and in causing us to back down to commitments we made, not only to our citizens on the eastern coast but also to our allies and friends in Europe as a whole, and particularly to the Eastern European countries.

For years, the Eastern European countries have been called the ``captive nations'' because these were the countries which were under the totalitarian regime, under the old Soviet Socialist Republic system. They were deprived of their freedoms for decades. Of course, that is the desire of this new emergent Russia--to bring them back into that sphere. It is disappointing that this administration didn't stand strong in support of freedom and democracy and keep the movement on the national missile defense reaching forward.

We look forward to continuing this debate. I just want to send a message to our friends in Europe that you will not be forgotten.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight the importance of September 26, which the Illinois House of Representatives has declared as Mesothelioma Awareness Day.

According to the National Cancer Institute, about 2,000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States. Understanding that diagnosing mesothelioma is often difficult and could be years and years after exposure, a biopsy is required to make a confirmation. This means that many people may go without proper diagnosis and medical care.

Research is being conducted, funded by the National Cancer Institute, pharmaceutical companies, and the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation. The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is the beneficiary of a fundraiser on September 26 in Alton, Illinois--the Miles for Meso 5K.

I want to congratulate the law firm of Simmons Browder Gianaris Angelides & Barnerd, the many volunteers who put together Miles for Meso, and all the participants in the 5K run and walk.

The Simmons firm and its employees and John and Jane Simmons personally have shown their commitment to the region as evident in their efforts at Miles for Meso and through many other community service projects and donations.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight the actions of 3 men who unselfishly risked their lives in the defense of others.

At the early service on Sunday morning, March 8, 2009, an armed gunman entered the First Baptist Church of Maryville, Illinois. He confronted, shot, and killed Pastor Fred Winters as he was conducting the service. Three church members, Keith Melton, Terry Bullard, and Patrick Presson, rushed to the aid of Pastor Winters and to subdue the gunman. In the ensuing confrontation Mr. Melton was the first person to reach the gunman. He was immediately stabbed and forced to withdraw.

Undaunted, Mr. Bullard and Mr. Presson, at great personal risk, engaged the gunman and managed to physically subdue him. In the struggle Mr. Bullard was critically wounded. Once the gunman was under control Patrick's attention instantly turned to assisting his friend Terry. With the assistance of another churchgoer, Jason Shutty, Mr. Presson carried Mr. Bullard to the entrance of the church, secured transportation, and took Mr. Bullard to the emergency room of Anderson Hospital a short distance away.

The immediate, decisive, and courageous actions of these three men undoubtedly saved other lives on that Sunday morning. Mr. Presson's continued actions are credited with saving Mr. Bullard's life. These men are the embodiment of courage and heroism. They are deserving of recognition by and in the United States House of Representatives, in order that a permanent record of their individual and collective character can be preserved.

In a time when the term is often overused, these men are true American heroes, who, when faced with danger, unselfishly launched themselves into harm's way. Their actions were taken without consideration or regard for their personal well-being and unquestionably prevented a horrible situation from becoming worse. These individuals should be held up as examples of ordinary citizens whose behavior and exemplary character shined through in a most dangerous situation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight the actions of Robert Chiles as well as honor all American citizens who embody the spirit of our early patriots.

Beginning on April 15, 2009, Mr. Chiles began circulating a Tea Party Declaration in Springfield, Illinois, requesting the end of ``massive government driven bailouts,'' ``so-called economic stimulus plans,'' ``trillion dollar spending schemes,'' and ``out of control government spending.''

This petition is nearly 60 feet long and contains about 1,000 signatures. The organizer, Mr. Robert Chiles of Rochester, Illinois, says that the petition is signed by ``electricians, plumbers, construction workers, doctors, lawyers, nurses, ministers, teachers, democrats, republicans, law enforcement officers, retired military, stay at home moms, small business owners, you name it.''

The document begins, ``When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for like-minded patriotic Americans to rally as one against the powers that threaten to alter, diminish and destroy this country we love. Proper respect for the opinions of our fellow citizens requires that we should clearly state the grievances that impel us to gather at this Springfield, Illinois, tea party to protest peacefully, but passionately in the tradition of our forefathers whose Boston Tea Party resonated around the world.''

I salute these modern day patriots and want to publicly thank them for this petition.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the actions of Mr. Tom King of Saint Jacob, Illinois.

Mr. King rode his bicycle halfway across the United States to commemorate the life of Caleb Zarzecki, a former student who lost his battle with cancer last year. King, a teacher at Collinsville Middle School, described his ride as ``a journey of faith and healing.'' The cross-country journey raised funds for a scholarship established in Caleb Zarzecki's name.

Mr. King started his journey on June 26 in Seattle, Washington, and traveled more than 2,000 miles to his home in Saint Jacob, Illinois. He rode 40 to 60 miles every day, sleeping at local campgrounds and churches in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and finally Illinois.

Mr. King's actions exemplify a teacher's devotion to his students. It is my hope that this model of dedication may inspire us all. As we honor Mr. King, I extend my heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the family of Caleb Zarzecki.

I will be brief, my colleagues and friends.

You see the trophy here, it's in the middle of the Chamber because this is one of the events where it's a bipartisan game. Last night, the Members of Congress defeated a team from the American League of Lobbyists in the 11th annual Hoops for Hope charity basketball game.

After being pummeled last year, we came roaring back with a surprising 52-39 win. This could not have been possible without the assistance of my co-captain, Brad Ellsworth, and Members Jeff Flake, Frank Kratovil, Todd Tiahrt, Mike Arcuri, John Boccieri, and Member emeritus Kenny Hulshof.

I want to thank Visitation High School in Georgetown for their support, winning coach John Thompson from Georgetown, Coach Karl Hobbs from George Washington, Dave Johnson, who is a radio play-by-play announcer from WTOP, and the American League of Lobbyists, especially Paul Miller and Dave Weingold.

Over the 11 years of this charity event, we have raised over $400,000 in money going to Horton's Kids, Servant Christian Community Foundation, St. Anthony's Scholarship Fund, Washington Jesuit Academy, and the Luke Tiahrt Foundation.

I want to thank my colleagues for their support.

Lobbyist Team 1

Coach: Keith Urgo, Asst. Head Coach, Villanova University

Jess Peterson, Western Skies Strategies

Jack Kelly, American Trucking Assn.

Josh Brown, CBS

Paul Kanitra, Carfax

Stephanie Holland, Squadra Films

Antonio Payne, IOPFDA

Casey Dinges, ASCE

Ray Bucheger, Friedman, Beaubien, Bucheger Federal

Relations

Brian Wagner, ATK

Chaka Burgess, Amgen

Jesse Kerns, Amgen

Melissa Shannon, Kountoupes Consulting

Lobbyist Team 2

Jim Martin, 60 Plus

Brad Knox, AFLAC

Bill Johnson, ATK

Booth Jameson, HP

Dan Cohen, ?

Danny Leonard, The Leonard Group

Monte Ward, Advanced Capitol Consulting

Brian Pallasch, ASCE

Paxton Baker, BET J

Michael Meehan, Blue Line Strategic Communications

Announcement by the Acting Chair

Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my most sincere condolence to the family, friends and colleagues of Norman E. Borlaug-- the Father of ``Green Revolution.'' Dr. Norman Borlaug applied scientific innovation, compassion for the poor and expert knowledge of agricultural practices to develop and introduce groundbreaking technologies that will forever change the prospects of the hungry and impoverished around the globe.

Borlaug's development of high-yield and disease-resistant wheat varieties bore results in Mexico, Pakistan and India that stretched the imagination of viable agriculture in developing countries. Recently, Borlaug worked to apply farming practices and methods of increasing food production to Asia and Africa and has continued to advocate the use of biotechnology to combat world famine.

World leaders will honor and continue his legacy by further applying his practices and technologies to future agriculture and food production. Dr. Borlaug has been an example for so many of us who see the hope and promise the science of biotechnology holds.

Farmers who can produce greater yields with less through agriculture biotechnology applications