Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Grace Community Church in Boulder City, Nevada, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.

The Grace Community Church began as an inter-denominational Protestant religious church in April of 1932, and the first service was held on January 29, 1933. The church was officially dedicated on February 22, 1933, ``to the glory of God and the Blessing of Man.'' The church quickly became a center for various community groups, and assumed a key role in the development of the community.

The Reverend Thomas Stevenson of California, who gave his first sermon in the unfinished basement of the church, was chosen as the church's first minister, and led the church's congregation until 1937. The Reverend Harold Eymann replaced Reverend Stevenson, and the formal by-laws for the congregation were adopted and the church was incorporated under state law during Reverend Eymann's ministry. Reverend Eymann left Grace Community Church in 1942, feeling he should serve as a military chaplain during World War II. Reverend Winston Trever from Azusa, California served from 1942-1949. The Reverend Olaf Stoeve ministered at Grace from 1949-1953. The Presbyterian Reverend Earl Seymour Fox (1953-1961) found the congregation growing and recommended that two services be held on Sunday and a building be added next to the American Legion Hall, which soon became Fox Hall.

Boulder City incorporated as a Nevada Municipality in 1960 and inherited all government land leases. The Reverend Guy Holliday (1961- 1978) became the minister, and Grace Community Church entered a 50-year lease for the land under the church facility. The Reverend Melvin Pritts (1978-1982), from First Methodist Church of Phoenix, succeeded Reverend Holliday. The Reverend M. Kenneth Criswell (1982-1985) arrived from Ventura, California in time to give support and leadership to the committee working on the church's 50th anniversary. He found a debt- free church and a vital, caring congregation. The Reverend Dr. John J. Rousseau (1985-1990), who served three Methodist churches in Hawaii, arrived on July I, 1985. The Reverend Dr. Richard Smith (1990-1999), was serving

Grace Community Church when the land was purchased from Boulder City in 1990. The Reverend Dr. Ronald S. Freel (1999-2004), who was worshipping with and volunteering as an Associate Pastor, became the Senior Pastor. Pastor Kevin Roach, the new senior pastor, preached his first sermon on July 18, 2004, and continues to serve today. Serving under the direction of Senior Pastor Kevin Roach are: Associate Pastor Gard Jameson, Music Director Carol Simak, Assistant Music Director Barbara Walker, and Sharon Wieczorek, who served as the Office Manager for the past 7 years is retiring, and is being replaced by Jan Liebhauser.

The church recently recognized 14 people who have been members for 48 years or longer, and four who have been members for more than 60 years. Carol Bourne, Jack and Dorothy Rants, Lin Diebold, Roy and Elnor Gear, Byron Miller, Robert Austin, Del and Eloise Blue, Agnes Lockette, Lillian Rigney, and Bob and Virginia Moore have all been members for 48 years or longer, and at the age of 94, Mary Eaton has been a member for 72 years, Violet Tracht at 96, has been a member for 63 years, with Velma Stice a member for 65 years and Innis Risley being at the 60 year mark.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Grace Community Church and its accomplishments in Nevada's history. I commend the church for its long history of service to the city of Boulder City and wish them good fortune for the next 75 years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the brave men and women of our Armed Forces for their service and dedication to winning the Global War on Terror.

On September 11, 2001 a group of 19 hijackers commandeered 4 commercial aircraft and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., with the intent on destroying our economy and way of life. Over 3,052 innocent men, women, and children lost their lives in this unprecedented attack. Sadly, the events that transpired on September 11th were the result of years of training and preparation by an enemy that does not value human life, liberty, equality, or religious freedom.

Our great Nation lost 473 American lives both civilian and military to the hands of terrorist from 1983 to 2001 for a total of 3,525 victims. With each passing decade our enemies have become more sophisticated and desperate to accomplish their aims of a global jihad. Individuals such as, Osama bin Laden, the founder of al Qaeda, have declared war on the Untied States and created worldwide networks of hate to accomplish their aims.

On several occasions, bin Laden has explained, that it should be every jihadists mission to obtain nuclear weapons and use them against the United States and its allies. The last 26 years have taught us that we must remain diligent and take every opportunity possible to find and destroy these ruthless killers wherever they reside. In order to accomplish this mission, the brave men and women of America's Armed Forces have answered the call with honor and an intense dedication to the mission of preserving our way of life.

One of our most important responsibilities as members of Congress is to make sure our troops have every resource they need while advancing democracy overseas. By visiting these heroes where they serve, we're able to get a much better understanding of what we can do to make their jobs as safe as possible. With this in mind, I decided to lead a Congressional delegation to the Middle East that traveled to Kuwait, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Germany.

The leaders of these nations understood the importance of ensuring that we remain vigilant in fighting the Global War on Terror and expressed confidence in the abilities of the coalition forces. In Iraq, Kuwait, and Germany I had the special privilege of visiting with members of our Armed Forces and I found their moral to be high and their dedication to the cause unyielding. Soldiers like Sgt. Mark Gregory, Thomas W.. Rigaey, 1st Lt. Marathana Loddy, Lt. Mike Schilling and Staff Sgt. Leonard Campbe1.Vall from my home state of Nevada expressed their determination to see the mission through and understood that it will take time to achieve.

Since toppling Saddam Hussein's ruthless government, the people of Iraq have created a 275 member parliament, confirmed the selection of the top seven posts for a national unity government, and laid a foundation for democracy. Now more than ever we must stay the course and support our Iraqi friends as they continue to strengthen the infrastructure of their government.

Last week on June 7, 2006 Coalition forces killed Abu Musab al- Zarqawi and his top lieutenant and spiritual advisor Sheik Abd aI- Rahman. Zarqawi was the operational commander of the terrorist movement in Iraq and was personally responsible for the deaths of many American forces and thousands of innocent Iraqis. The killing of Zarqawi is a testament to the notion that we must stay the course and remain committed to the mission and the Iraqi people.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride and heartfelt gratitude that I salute the men and women of our Armed Forces and thank them for their service and dedication to our great nation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Sensenbrenner, the majority leader, Mr. Boehner, Mr. McKeon, and my good friend, Mr. Kirk, who has helped me organize this agenda for the country, and the 50 some cosponsors.

Mr. Speaker, we have an epidemic in the United States. We have an epidemic of sexual predators following our children, whether it be on the computers, whether it be in our public parks, whether it be in the workplace, or even our schools.

I would suggest that all Members of Congress take a look at maps that local law enforcement have of the sexual predators that hang around our schools, that move into our school areas, if not adjacent across the streets from our schools. We need tools. We need additional tools to help our teachers and professionals, our administrators in our schools to streamline the process to get as much information as possible.

As Chairman Sensenbrenner mentioned the Michigan example, it is unacceptable that a teacher could change his name legally and still teach, having been in prison for having molested an 8-year-old child. Currently, only 26 States are in the compact approved by Congress in 1999 giving States the tools to do background checks through the FBI. That means there are 27 million students in 24 States that do not have this same tool available to them to make sure their environment is safe.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is common sense. It streamlines the process for all 50 States. It allows access by all 50 States to this information, and will not circumvent existing background checks and procedures by our school districts, who I know are trying to do the right thing.

We are fortunate to have some of the greatest and best teachers in the world, but we want to make sure that those few that try to sneak through the system are caught in advance.

As a Member of Congress from one of the fastest growing States in the country, we hire close to 2,500 new teachers a year, close to 5,000 support staff and faculty. We need to make sure that the fast-growing States and the balance of States in this country have as much information as available because I cannot imagine the pain as a parent myself of having my child molested by someone in our schools.

Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of our teachers and administrators and school boards for what they are doing. We need to make sure they have the latest in technology available. Through this bill, all school districts will have access to this information. I would ask for the support of this body for H.R. 4894. I appreciate the time we have today.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to engage the chairman in a colloquy.

Mr. Chairman, it is my understanding that included in the Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007 is $227 million for the Office of National Drug Control Policy's High Impact Drug Trafficking Areas Program, an increase of $2.27 million over last year's enacted level; is that correct?

Mr. Chairman, the Nevada HIDTA office has done an outstanding job making my State's communities safer. Last year alone, they were successful in removing $12 million worth of narcotic from the streets of Nevada. While the HIDTA office is currently funded at a baseline of 1.4 million, rather than the 2.5 million or more that the other 26 HIDTA offices are funded at, in my district in southern Nevada, which sees thousands of new people a month moving into the area and tens of millions of visitors a year, coupled with the epidemic of methamphetamine and other drug abuses, would the chairman agree that the Nevada HIDTA office funding should be increased to a level more reflective of the challenges the district faces?

Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for his offer and look forward to working with him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Staff Sergeant Emmanuel Legaspi, who died of injuries sustained in Tal Afar, Iraq on May 7, 2006.

Sergeant Legaspi had lived in the United States for only a year when he signed up with the Army. At 32, he was much older than the typical recruit. But for the native of the Philippines, military service was a opportunity to show how much he appreciated a chance at life in America. Sergeant Legaspi, who was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany, was injured, and later died, when his unit came under enemy small arms fire during combat operations. For his valor, Sergeant Legaspi was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor the life of Staff Sergeant Emmanuel Legaspi. Sergeant Legaspi made the ultimate sacrifice for his country while fighting the War on Terror and defending democracy and freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Sergeant John Griffith, who was killed in action May 5, 2006, while trying to rescue other soldiers in the mountains east of Abad in the Kunar province of Afghanistan.

Sergeant Griffith's Chinook helicopter, to which he was assigned as a door gunner, crashed and none of the 11 men aboard survived. Sergeant Griffith was in the Nevada Third Battalion, 10th Aviation Regiment, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry).

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor the life of Sergeant John Griffith. Sergeant Griffith made the ultimate sacrifice for his country while defending democracy and freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Billie Bates, who was recently honored in Boulder City, Nevada with a mayoral proclamation naming the 13th of May Billie Bates Day.

Mrs. Bates, who is now in her 94th year, was born and raised in Aldrich, Missouri. At the age of 24, while working as a school teacher, Billie met and married Russell Bates in July of 1936. In 1942, Billie, her husband, and her two children, Cornelia and Laurel Jean, moved to Boulder City, Nevada.

While working on the Hoover Dam Project, Billie's husband was injured and Billie had to return to the workforce. Billie began work for the Bureau of Reclamation and became the longest serving executive secretary in the local bureau's history. She served underneath six

different Hoover Dam project managers in her 30 years of employment, and retired in 1975.

Upon retirement, she became a champion for women's rights. Billie, along with the late Nevada women's rights activist Jean Ford, formed a non-profit organization in 1994. In 2005, the group was responsible for getting the statue of Northern Paiute Sarah Winnemucca placed in the hall of the United States Capitol building.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize Mrs. Billie Bates on the floor of the House. I commend her for her contributions to Boulder City and continued service to the women's rights movement of southern Nevada.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Law Enforcement Exchange Program, sponsored by the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. I am proud to recognize this organization for its progress in better training law enforcement officials in the prevention of and response to terrorist attacks.

Since the events of September 11, 2001, the prevention of and response to terrorism have become important aspects of law enforcement training. While American law enforcement officials have been a vital asset in the war on terrorism, they require more training in order to become more effective in their fight to prevent terrorist attacks at home.

Because they have had many years of experience and have developed specialized skills in dealing with all aspects of terrorism, the Israel National Police are considered the number one police force worldwide in prevention of and response to terrorist attacks. In 2002, the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) created the Law Enforcement Exchange Program (LEEP) in coordination with the Israel National Police and other Israeli agencies to help improve the training for American law enforcement officers in the counter-terrorism realm. The program consists of three core aspects: a trip to Israel for selected high-ranking law enforcement officials to learn first-hand Israeli police tactics; conferences held in the United States to reach a broader law enforcement audience; and finally, a process of dissemination, in which the practices learned are extended throughout the law enforcement community to those unable to attend conferences. This three-part program will provide immediately useful information to law enforcement officials nationwide.

I am pleased to say that one such conference will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada. A reception recognizing the program will be held on June 11, 2006 at the Bellagio Hotel, and I am honored to recognize a few of the distinguished guests of this event. The current Vice President of JINSA, David Justman, will offer the welcoming remarks. Steve Pomerantz, former Assistant Director of the FBI, now serves as the Director of counter-terrorism for JINSA. In 2004, Yoram Hessel retired as Director of the Global Operations, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations Division of the Mossad, after holding the position for 4 years. ``Rolli'' is currently a Senior Officer of the Israel Security Agency, a department for which he has dutifully served 15 years. Assistant Sheriff Rod Jett of the Las Vegas Police Department, a Las Vegas native and distinguished law enforcement official, will share with us his experiences in the 2005 LEEP program and how he believes the conference will benefit the Las Vegas community. These fine men have all contributed immensely to this important issue and I am glad to have the privilege of speaking along side of them.

I rise to acknowledge the hard work of these individuals and all who have participated in making LEEP a vital component of law enforcement training across America in the difficult fight against terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Debbie Dauenhauer for her outstanding service to the community of Laughlin, Nevada as a member of the Laughlin Town Advisory Board.

Debbie served on the Advisory Board from 1999-2006, and served as the chairperson for 2 years. She has also served as a member of Rotary International, Kiwanis International, the Colorado Food Bank and the Close Closet Board of Directors.

In 2002, Debbie was selected as the Laughlin Citizen of the Year.

As a strong proponent for animal protection, Debbie has worked with numerous charities, civic organizations, and local private animal shelters. Debbie also began a campaign to place warning signs around Laughlin, to prevent people from leaving their animals in the car during the summer months. She also has helped rescue countless animals as well as homeless men and women in need of assistance in her community.

Debbie was also member of the Southern Nevada Transit Coalition's Board of Directors. While representing Laughlin, she worked hard to see the coalition deliver superb bus service to the community. Debbie also initiated a move to build a truck ramp on SR 163 and Casino Drive, to prevent large trucks from having to cross the intersection in order to minimize accidents. She later became an officer of the board of directors and was appointed to the executive director position.

Debbie has been a model citizen to the city of Laughlin and I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to bring attention to her remarkable benefit to the community.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize Debbie Dauenhauer on the floor of the House. I commend her for her continued service to the residents of Laughlin, Nevada.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my dear friend Candy Schneider who is retiring after 33 years of service in the Clark County School District.

Candy has been a teacher of art, humanities and the academically talented at the junior school level as well as a Visual Arts Administrative Specialist for grades K-12 for over three decades. During her career as an educator, Candy has served as the Assistant Director for the School-Community Partnership Program, Chairwoman of the Nevada Arts Council, and Chair of the Arts in Education. Among Candy's many achievements, she has been honored with the Nevada Educator of the Year award, the Excellence in Education Award and a National Gallery of Art State Scholarship. She is also a member of the Arts Council of Henderson and an honorary member of the Henderson Art Association. In addition, Candy has done a tremendous service to my office by coordinating the Congressional Art Contest for the Third Congressional District of Nevada.

Through the years, Candy has served on a variety of local, regional, and national boards and committees including the National Art Educators Association, the National Endowment for the Arts, Nevada School for the Arts, and a host of Clark County School District committees. It is through her work with these institutions that she and I have become good friends. Candy is a lovely woman who pours all her heart and energy into expanding and enriching humanities and art-oriented programs for the children of Clark County.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Candy Schneider for her years of dedicated service to the students in the Clark County School District. Her passion for arts education has truly enriched the lives of the students, colleagues and community members who have been inspired by her over the years. I wish her the best in her retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor ``Tante'' Gertrude Zahner on her 100th birthday.

Gertrude was born in Stuttgart Germany on June 15, 1906. She had three brothers and was the only daughter in the Zahner family. In 1923, when Gertrude was 17 years old the family moved to the United States. Gertrude worked for a number of years at the Ford plant in Michigan. She greatly enjoyed her tenure with the company and even worked for Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ford in their home. In 1979 Gertrude's service to the Ford family ended with her retirement.

Gertrude loved actively participating with her friends in the ``Women's Guild'', the ``German Society'', and the ``Card Club'' while she was living in Detroit. Every year several of the ladies in the ``Card Club'' would make a journey with her to Las Vegas, where Gertrude had a number of family members. In 1990, Gertrude moved to the greater Las Vegas area to be closer to her family. She has one nephew, Horst Maile, and a niece-in-Iaw, Elfriede Maile. Gertrude is also god- mother to Rolf and Marvin, her grand-nephews.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor ``Tante'' Gertrude Zahner on her 100th birthday. I wish her many more years of happiness with her family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Vernon and Darlene Burk for their 55 years of marriage and for their service to the Boulder City community.

Their 55 years of marriage exemplify a loving relationship. They both are hard-working, generous, compassionate, resourceful, wise and are outstanding role models for their four children, Dianna, Karen, Jackie, and Michael and six grandchildren.

Vernon and Darlene's exceptional character is evident in their professional lives as well. Vern served the Clark County School District for 30 years, retiring as the Associate Superintendent of Facilities and Transportation. He now serves on the Boulder City Hospital Board. As a small business owner, Darlene ran the Burk Fine Arts Gallery for 25 years. Darlene not only participated in the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce, she also served as President. During her time with the Chamber of Commerce, she was instrumental in creating the Old Town Merchants Association and was named ``Woman of the Year.''

Both Vernon and Darlene are extremely active in Bethany Baptist Church, where Vernon is on the Board of Elders and Darlene had served as treasurer. Five years ago, the Burk Horizon Academy, an alternative high school in Las Vegas, was named in their honor. They also managed the renovation of the Boulder City Dam Hotel, a historic landmark and place to be for the rich and famous during the 1930s.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to recognize Vernon and Darlene Burk on the floor of the United States House of Representatives. They are very good, personal friends of mine, and I thank them for their continued service to the State of Nevada.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Brigadier General Randall E. Sayre, who is retiring as the Commander of the Nevada Army National Guard.

General Sayre has had a long and distinguished career. General Sayre earned his Commission through Army ROTC at the University of Nevada, Reno, graduating in 1975 with a Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice. Over the next 2 decades, General Sayre served in a number of different capacities: his initial tour of duty was in Korea, serving as an Aviation Operations Officer; he also served tours of active duty as a pilot, commander and instructor pilot. In 1981, General Sayre was transferred to the Nevada Army National Guard, where he first served as an Evacuation Pilot with the 1150th Medical Detachment based out of Reno, and subsequently as a Section Leader, Flight Operations Officer, and Detachment Commander. General Sayre also served as Battalion Commander of the 151 Battalion, 113th Aviation, based in Reno, Nevada and as Deputy Commander, Nevada Army National Guard. In February 2003, General Sayre was appointed Commander, Nevada Army National Guard and Assistant Adjutant General for the State of Nevada. In this role, he was responsible for all policies, programs and plans for the Nevada Army National Guard.

Over the course of his long career, General Sayre has also earned a number of accolades. He has been awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with 7 oak leaf clusters), and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit, along with many others.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor the career of Brigadier General Randall E. Sayre. His long and illustrious record of service to his country shows that he is a true patriot and American hero. I thank him for his service and wish him the best in his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ronald and Wanda Martinson for their 25 years of marriage.

Ron and Wanda are both from Minnesota and are career civil servants. Ron fIrst came to Washington in 1969 to work for Congressman John Blatnik of Minnesota, and subsequently went to work for a Congressman from Texas. After spending six years in the House of Representatives, Ron went to work for Marty Hoffman, the Sergeant of Arms for the Senate, as an Administrative Assistant for six years. Ron then accepted a position in the Executive Branch at United States General Services Administration (GSA). Toward the end of his service at GSA, Ron was detailed to Tom Davis, who was then Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, where he worked for three years. Following this detail, Ron retired. In 2003, after six years in retirement, Chairman Tom Davis of the House Government Reform Committee persuaded Ron to come out of retirement to be Staff Director for the Government Reform Subcommittee on Federal Workforce and Agency Organization.

Wanda came to Washington in 1974 and worked as Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun's secretary for twenty-five years. Following her tenure at the Supreme Court, Wanda went to work at Immigration and Naturalization Service and Wanda now works for the Department of Justice.

Wanda and Ron fIrst met at a bible study in Northern Virginia and began dating. Their courtship was not always ``smooth sailing''; in fact, the couple broke up two different times. In keeping with their dedication to civil service and love of the Washington, D.C. political culture, Ron proposed to Wanda in one of the House buildings one evening while returning from a political event Ron and Wanda were married on April 25, 1981 at the National Presbyterian Church in D.C. and their reception was held in the foyer of the Rayburn House Office Building.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor the marriage of Ronald and Wanda Martinson. Their twenty-fIve years together is both impressive and inspiring. I wish them many more years of happiness together. I now yield the remainder of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jack Porrino for his years of dedicated military service and for his commitment to serving the community.

Jack was born in Italy and came to the United States when he was 8- years-old. At age 18, he became a United States Citizen. Jack enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1969, and began what was to become a distinguished career in the service of this country. He served in the Air Force from September 1969 to May 1972. He then joined the Air National Guard, where he served until October 1989. After 20 years of service, Jack retired from the Armed Services with the rank of Master Sergeant.

In 1993, Jack started working as a groundskeeper at the Southern Nevada Veterans' Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City, Nevada. Within a year, he was promoted to Superintendent of the Cemetery and maintains that position to this day. As Superintendent, Jack has had an overwhelming influence on the improvement of the Cemetery. He established an aggressive fundraising effort by instituting several programs to promote donations

and recruit volunteers. As a result of the programs, countless individuals have donated time and funds that enabled the Cemetery to purchase trees, benches, pavers, floral vases and other items that have improved the aesthetic value and made it easier for individuals to pay their respects to the veterans who are interred at the Cemetery. During Jack's tenure as Superintendent, the Southern Nevada Veterans' Memorial Cemetery has undergone many expansions and has become the second busiest cemetery in the Nation. As part of the expansion and improvement efforts, Jack redesigned the monument section, converted several areas to water efficient desert landscaping, and assisted in the building of the Cemetery Chapel. As the final resting place for over 20,000 of our Nation's military heroes, the Southern Nevada Veterans' Memorial Cemetery has truly become a beautiful place to honor those veterans. This is due, in no small part, to Jack Porrino's dedication to making the Cemetery the best it can be.

In addition to his dedication to the Veterans' Cemetery, Jack is committed to strong family values and community involvement. He and his wife Kathleen have been married for 36 years. Together, they have three children and one grandchild. Jack coaches Little League Sports and serves on the Board of Directors in his Home Owners Association. He also teaches Bible study classes at his church for children and adults and regularly speaks to Veterans' and civilian organizations.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to honor Jack Porrino. He has dedicated his life to serving his country and honoring America's Veterans. As a result of his leadership and advocacy, the Southern Nevada Veterans' Memorial Cemetery has become a place of dignity, honor and beauty.