Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Esther Shipp on her 90th Birthday. Born September 7, 1913, Esther has been a resident of Boulder City since 1941. I am pleased to join Esther's friends, her five generations of relatives, and all of Boulder City in congratulating her on reaching this milestone.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Alice May Larson on her 100th birthday. Alice was born in Duluth, Minnesota, on October 4, 1903, and currently resides in Boulder City. I am pleased to join Alice's friends, relatives, and all of Boulder City in congratulating her on reaching this milestone.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sherman Frederick on his election to the Nevada Newspaper Hall of Fame. I am pleased to join with all Nevadans in honoring him for his contribution to journalism and our community.

Sherman Frederick began his career in journalism as an intern at the Review-Journal, the paper he currently publishes. He also serves as President of the Stephens Media Group, allowing him to share his experience and expertise with newspapers around the country.

All of us who have been sworn to uphold the Constitution recognize the vital role our newspapers play in protecting our freedoms by remaining vigilant against any violations of our First Amendment. I urge all Nevadans and all members of this House to join with me in congratulating Sherman on winning this high honor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the passing of my good friend and neighbor L.W. ``Joe'' Lappin. Joe passed away Monday, September 8, at the age of 85.

Joe, as everyone knew him, was a pillar of our community, as a member of the Boulder City Elks Club, Archeo Nevada, and the 31ers Club. Joe was a fountain of knowledge about Boulder City for all of those, including myself, who wanted to know about the origins and traditions of this unique community. As a former Mayor of Boulder City, I knew that I could count on Joe to know what needed to be done, and more importantly, what I was doing wrong.

Joe is survived by his wife Patricia, his two children and three grandchildren. We will all miss Joe, and I urge the members of this House to join me in expressing our condolences to his family and friends.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2998 offered by my friend and colleague, the distinguished Chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Mr. Young of Florida. This vital legislation will benefit thousands of our men and women in uniform, including one brave Nevadan in particular, Staff Sergeant William L. Murwin.

Staff Sergeant Murwin is a Marine Reservist from Nevada whose unit was activated for service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. While in Iraq, he was injured while patrolling with his unit. Sergeant Murwin suffered grave injuries, and was evacuated to the United States for treatment. He received care and treatment for a month at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC, and was then released from active duty and returned to Nevada. He was deeply shocked to receive a bill from the Federal government for more than $200 for the food he received while being treated for his combat injuries.

Fortunately for Staff Sergeant Murwin, Mr. Young and his wife Beverly visited Walter Reed and personally paid Sergeant Murwin's bill. Then, motivated by his desire to make sure this did not happen to any service member ever again, Bill Young introduced H.R. 2998 to ban this practice forever. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this legislation, and urge every Member of the House to become a co-sponsor of this vital, non- partisan legislation.

On behalf of the people of Nevada, I want to thank Chairman and Mrs. Young for the service and compassion they have shown Sergeant Murwin and all of our men and women in uniform. I am proud to serve in the House with Chairman Young and hope that he continues his career of public service here for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 3193. My name was added to the list of cosponsors inadvertently.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the passing of Shannon Bybee, executive director of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' International Gaming Institute and a pillar of our community, who passed away last week at the age of 65.

Shannon Bybee was born Aug. 29, 1938, in Tropic, Utah. Shannon Bybee graduated from the University of Utah College of Law in 1969 and clerked for Nevada Supreme Court Justice Jon Collins. He was appointed to the Nevada Gaming Control Board in 1971. Shannon went on from that position to run casinos in both New Jersey and Nevada.

After his successes in the gaming industry, Shannon joined UNLV in 1994, teaching classes at the school's College of Hotel Administration and the William S. Boyd School of Law, and directing UNLV's International Gaming Institute.

Shannon is survived by his wife Norma Reid Bybee, daughters Kelli Poll and Erin Belanger, and sons Sean Bybee, Brendan Bybee and Reid Bybee, as well as 12 grandchildren. He is also survived by sister, Molly Adams, and brothers Patrick Bybee and Evan Bybee.

People like Shannon Bybee helped make Las Vegas what it is today. Shannon always demonstrated, in his industry and educational careers, his commitment to the people and well-being of Las Vegas and Southern Nevada. My condolences are with his wife Norma and their family.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service and sacrifice of Staff Sergeant Cameron Sarno. Sarno lost his life on Monday, September 1, 2003, while on active duty in Kuwait. Cameron Sarno was serving with the 257th Transportation Company when he was killed while helping transport much needed supplies to US forces in Iraq.

A native of Hawaii, Staff Sergeant Sarno moved to the Las Vegas Valley five years ago where he continued his more than nineteen years of service with the Army and the Army Reserve in the 257th, based at the Nellis Air Force Base Reserve Center. Sarno had been deployed in Kuwait since February of this year, where he operated in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

A man whose loyalty to family, friends, and comrades was a byword of both his personal and military lives, Cameron Sarno gave the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the values and ideals that he wished for us all. Staff Sergeant Sarno was a patriot and a hero; his dedication to our country will remain a reminder of the struggles that we face in the name of freedom. I urge all Members of this House to join me in honoring his sacrifice and in sending our condolences to his family and friends.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 323, honoring the goals and ideals of National Marina Day.

In every State in the country, marinas provide millions of Americans the opportunity to enjoy our greatest national treasure, our waters.

Marinas today are working with their communities to increase knowledge of the importance of our rivers, lakes, and oceans in our communities, and to provide opportunities for people from all areas and walks of life to experience our waterways firsthand.

The Marina Operators Association of America has designated August 9, 2003 as National Marina Day, and is using this opportunity to encourage Americans to learn more about their waterways and how they can be enjoyed safely while protecting the environment.

Across the country, marinas employ more than 140,000 people at more than 12,000 locations.

Marinas are often at the center of efforts to convert underused waterfronts into exciting cultural, recreational, and commercial areas that highlight the potential of a community.

National Marina Day exists to highlight these contributions, encourage community

celebration of their waterways, and to facilitate ways to make our waterway environments healthy, safe, and accessible for future generations.

In my own State of Nevada, which is erroneously thought of as being just a desert State, the marinas at Lake Mead and along the Colorado River provide hundreds of thousands of people, not just the opportunity to relax and enjoy their vacations, but the opportunity to take a trip in time, from the ancient canyon walls of the Colorado River to the twentieth century wonder of the Hoover Dam complex, to the exciting resort community of Laughlin, Nevada.

I recently wrote a letter to the Secretary of the Interior asking her to support improvements to the boat ramps and adjacent facilities on Lake Mead to attract more users to this magnificent body of water.

I am pleased to be the sponsor of this bi-partisan resolution, and look forward to its passage by this House. I urge all my colleagues to lend it their support.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure be discharged from further consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 323) supporting the goals and ideals of National Marina Day, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, the resolution is referring to marinas across the United States of America and the impacts they have on the economy. We are having a day in Nevada, at Lake Mead, to honor the marinas on August 9, and I invite everyone to be in attendance.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the patriotism and dedication of Ken Brown, or as he is known in Southern Nevada, ``Mr. Veteran.''

Mr. Brown honorably served in the United States Navy during World War II. After receiving his honorable discharge from the Armed Services, Mr. Brown dedicated himself to improving the quality of life for the military veterans of Nevada and our great nation.

Mr. Brown was the driving force behind the creation of the Veteran's Cemetery in Boulder City, Nevada. Using his own personal savings, Mr. Brown purchased 83.5 acres of land in Boulder City to be used as a veterans' cemetery site. On Friday, April 6, 1990 Mr. Brown's dream was realized and the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery was officially dedicated. In honor of his contributions, Friday, April 6, 1990 was proclaimed ``Ken Brown Day'' by the Governor of Nevada.

Mr. Brown has received numerous honors paying tribute to his fifty years of service to veterans and their families including the God & Country Award from the United States Navy Armed Guard and the key to the City of Las Vegas for heroism and vision in supporting veterans in Nevada.

I am honored to join with all Nevadans in honoring Ken Brown on his many accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deepest sympathies to my dear friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley).

Yesterday, Estelle Auslander, the mother of the gentlewoman from Nevada, passed away after a long battle with cancer at the age of 74. As many of my colleagues know, the gentlewoman from Nevada left Washington last week to be with her mother during this very serious time.

My thoughts and prayers are with my colleague and all of Mrs. Auslander's friends and family. I know that my colleagues will join me in these sentiments.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to voice my extreme opposition to H.R. 2754, the FY 2004 Energy and Water Appropriations bill that unfairly targets my home State of Nevada, a State with no nuclear reactors, as the final destination for 77,000 tons of high-level nuclear waste produced by the U.S. commercial nuclear utilities, most of which are located in the East.

This bill tramples on decades of environmental policy, ignores public health and safety, and exposes the American taxpayer to billions of dollars in costs to solve the private industry's waste problem.

H.R. 2754 contains some features that serve the general food of the United States, such as flood control and renewable energy research.

Unfortunately, they are dwarfed by the bill's massive funding for the Yucca Mountain Nuclear storage facility.

This bill increases funding for the site by more than 29 percent, even though it has yet to be licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

At a time when our budget must meet the challenges of providing economic growth and security against terror, I urge my colleagues to reject this bill that over funds an unnecessary, unsafe, and unapproved nuclear repository at Yucca Mountain.

Mr. Chairman, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the chairman for engaging in this colloquy today.

For the last 20 years, I have fought against the Yucca Mountain project and believe to this day that the facility is a danger to the people of Nevada and unnecessary for the people of the United States.

While Congress has authorized the Yucca Mountain site, we in Nevada continue to use every avenue available to resist the establishment of this facility. Interim storage of spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain, which has not been approved by Congress, is intolerable to the people of Nevada.

I appreciate the help of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hobson), and I appreciate the fact that he has agreed that the interim storage of spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain is not the intent of his committee or of this Congress, and that he will oppose any and all efforts to include language recommending interim storage in any conference report presented to this House.

I would like to thank my colleagues from Nevada. I appreciate the gentleman yielding me time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment would restore funding to critical renewable energy research and development programs that have been cut from other programs.

America's energy consumption is at an all-time high, and rising. In order to address the imbalance between consumption and domestic production, one part of the solution is to continue the advances in research and development of renewable energy resources. In my home State of Nevada, the sun shines more than 300 days out of a given year. We are also blessed with an abundance in the amount of other renewable resources, such as geothermal, wind, and biomass.

As a Congressman from Nevada, and representing the mightiest renewable resource in the West, the Hoover Dam, Nevada can also boast that we have one of the top research centers in the country for renewable energy, the Desert Research Institute.

The people of Nevada have chosen not to have nuclear power and rely instead on the natural treasures of our State. Unfortunately, Nevada has been selected to become the country's nuclear waste dumping ground at Yucca Mountain.

This amendment will benefit all Americans and my constituents by moving funds from an unapproved, unnecessary, unsafe facility by redirecting them to renewable energy research. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment and restore the funding for renewable energy programs.

I would like to thank my colleagues from Nevada, especially the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley), who could not be here today. On many occasions in politics we are on opposite sides of the fence; however, when it comes to Yucca Mountain, we supercede politics, and I commend her for her efforts on her fight against Yucca Mountain.

Mr. Chairman, I represent the Clark County School District in the great State of Nevada, the seventh largest school district in the country.

Nevada is the fastest-growing State in our Nation and has grown more than 75 percent since the 1990 census. Clark County School District is accepting close to 12,000 new students a year, opening more than a dozen new schools and hiring over 1,800 teachers a year.

Education funding levels are not keeping pace with the population growth occurring in Clark County, Nevada. A major problem the Clark County School District faces is the number of new students moving into the district that come from other school districts, many from other States, where funds previously allocated for that student are not following them to Nevada.

Currently, the Census Bureau has been conducting biannual updates to calculate and update current population to be used in establishing Federal education funding in Title I of No Child Left Behind.

Nevada, more specifically Clark County, would benefit significantly from an annual poverty update to be provided for in the Labor-HHS- Education appropriations bill. I commend the committee for including the language to provide $3.5 million to the Census Bureau to conduct an annual poverty update. This language will help track population changes as closely as possible.

While I appreciate the committee's efforts to address the needs of fast-growing States, Mr. Chairman, you understand the degree to which Nevada suffers Federal funding shortfalls due to our exponential growth.

Therefore, I would request that the chairman of the subcommittee continue to work with me to secure additional funds to help Clark County and the State of Nevada fill some of the funding gaps we have been facing.

I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for his attention to this matter.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Joe Alcorn of Henderson, NV, on being recognized as Volunteer of the Month. I am honored to represent one who has shown such devotion and dedication to our community.

Joe has been a Henderson Senior Center member since 2000. In that time he has made himself an invaluable asset to the center. By taking pictures of the seniors as they dine, dance, or relax, Joe captures the most pleasant experiences at the center, and displays them for all to enjoy. He further captures these memories by videotaping special events. Alcorn has made a documentary of the center's history, which was rerun for all Henderson residents to commemorate the city's 50th anniversary, earlier this year.

Born in Pittsburgh, Joe grew up and graduated from high school in Iowa. Cypress, CA, became his home for the next 46 years. He attended the RCA TV School where he honed his skills and became an expert in his profession. He worked as a TV service worker for a few years until beginning his own business. Joe's work was a labor of love which continued in his dedication to the Henderson Senior Center.

I rise to acknowledge the dedication that Joe Alcorn has shown to the seniors of southern Nevada. The use of his professional skills in this worthy pursuit deserves the recognition of myself and all southern Nevadans.