Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak briefly about the State/ Foreign Operations division of this omnibus package.

As the ranking member of the subcommittee, I am pleased that I have been able to work closely with Chairwoman Lowey this year. She and her staff have worked to address concerns by committee Republicans and by me, and I thank her for her commitment to bipartisanship.

I also thank our Senate colleagues and our staff for working together to achieve common ground in the conference agreement. In the end, many priorities were preserved: funding a new compact for the Millennium Challenge Corporation; fighting drug trafficking in Mexico, Central America, and Colombia; and continuing security assistance to key allies like Israel, Egypt, and Jordan.

Funds provided in this bill will allow State and USAID to hire more than 1,000 new staff, which will help balance the three D's of smart power, the approach to national security. The increase for development and diplomacy will, in turn, support our Nation's defense and allow our military men and women to refocus on their core mission.

As the Congress provides additional staff and increases foreign assistance funding, the level of commitment to reform must be equal to funding commitment made. Oversight must be a priority. For that reason, the bill provides $149 million for inspectors general, and many oversight provisions and reporting requirements are also included.

The conference agreement retains language that prevents U.S. tax dollars from going to organizations that support or participate in involuntary or coercive methods of family planning. There are legitimate plans about family planning funding that goes abroad, and legislative safeguards will remain in place the next fiscal year.

I regret that this package lumps six bills together in a package of close to half a trillion dollars and does not allow this body to address appropriations bills individually and fully vet them so that I could support them. I support the many programs in this bill. However, we must be aware of the tremendous debt held by this country and work competently, being aware of this issue.

Again, I thank Chairman Lowey, our excellent committee staff, and our Senate colleagues for working together to address shared priorities.

Madam Speaker, as the House considers H.R. 320, ``CJ's Home Protection Act,'' I encourage my colleagues to support its passage. As a cosponsor of this bill, I believe it is important to reflect back on why this legislation is crucial to saving lives in our communities.

In June 2007, devastating storms, tornadoes and flooding hit my district over a few days' time and left large amounts of property damaged and displaced thousands of families. Tragically, the flooding also took the lives of 11 individuals and injured others.

At Skyline Mobile Home Estates in Haltom City, I met with Haltom City Mayor Bill Lanford after the floods to see the damage and to also meet with local residents. About 100 mobile homes were impacted by the storms because there was not enough time for residents to know what was happening and to prepare for the coming disaster.

One of the most devastating impacts to this community was the death of 4-year-old Alexandria Collins. She was torn from her mother's grasp by the water's current as they fled to a neighbor's boat.

CJ's Home Protection bill requires that NOAA weather radios be installed in new mobile homes as they are being manufactured in order for residents to receive emergency broadcasting information and alerts. This bill will help save lives during emergency situations by providing people with the time and the information they need to take care of themselves and their families.

Thank you, and I urge the House to pass this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition on behalf of District 12 on this job-killing bill that cuts Medicare, piles debts on our children, raises health care costs, and raises taxes on the American people.

Mr. Speaker, unemployment is over 10 percent in this Nation. Our debt is nearly $12 trillion. Our deficit is $1.4 trillion.

Families are sitting at their kitchen tables trying to figure out how to pay their bills. Businesses have cut everything they can cut just to keep their doors open. Grandparents are taking in their kids and their grandkids.

We are going to vote another $1 trillion so government can take over our health care, cost those families more money, throw more mandates on our States, add 118 new departments and agencies to this already bloated Federal Government, take Medicare Advantage away from our seniors, let the health choices commissioner take the

place of our family doctors, mandate health insurance with jail for not complying with or for paying a tax, and ignore the voices of thousands of people who came here and who said, Listen to us. Don't pass this bill.

Mr. Speaker, what are people in this Chamber thinking of?

Mr. Speaker, I have criticized the majority of the provisions in H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, and I will vote against it. However, I am pleased that H.R. 3962, as well as the Republican Substitute Amendment that I support, both include language relating to biosimilar products.

The provisions related to the creation of a market for biosimilar products is one area of the bill that strikes the appropriate balance in providing lower cost options to consumers without destroying a healthy and functioning industry in this country. These provisions were one of the few areas in the bill adopted in a bipartisan vote for the Eshoo-Inslee-Barton amendment in the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Creating a pathway for new products that doesn't destroy the ability or the incentives for innovator companies to develop breakthrough technologies and at the same time providing a safe and effective way to bring competition to benefit patients is a laudable achievement. I wish we could remove this provision from this bill so that I could vote for it on its own. I believe that if this provision was considered on its own it would pass the House of Representatives with bipartisan support.

The biosimilar provisions in this bill are only the first step in a long path to the marketing of these new products. New research and clinical testing will have to occur and the FDA will write rules that will ensure this research is done safely and effectively.

One of the reasons I have long supported the U.S. biotechnology industry is that it is a homegrown success story that has been an engine of job creation in this country. With this week's news that unemployment has reached 10.2 percent, it is critical that we preserve jobs in the United States. Testing and research on these generic biosimilars should take place in the United States to ensure that it is done properly and safely while benefitting our economy.

Innovative biotechnology companies have created jobs here in the United States and we must continue to support them.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my congratulations to an elementary school in my District. E.M. Daggett Elementary in Fort Worth, Texas is celebrating its 100th anniversary. This is particularly noteworthy because Daggett Elementary is only the second elementary school in the country to reach this milestone.

Named after a pioneer settler of Fort Worth, E.M. Daggett Elementary opened in September of 1909. At that time, Fort Worth was experiencing a tremendous amount of growth and a new school was needed to serve the families moving into the southern parts of the city. As the city has continued to grow, so has E.M. Daggett Elementary. Buildings were added in 1914, 1926, and 1988 to increase the number of classrooms and the overall size of the school so it would be better equipped to serve the community.

E.M. Daggett Elementary has always been a site of innovation and progress for the Fort Worth Independent School District. In the 1940s, the regional day school for the deaf was established. This school served deaf students from all over Tarrant County and surrounding counties. In 1983, Daggett Montessori School became the first public Montessori school in the school district. E.M. Daggett Elementary recently began a Parents as Teachers Program.

As a former teacher, I know that quality education is the foundation of a successful future. E.M. Daggett Elementary has been able to provide that essential foundation to countless people from Fort Worth. It has been a vital part of Fort Worth for the past 100 years, and I hope it will continue to be an invaluable part of the community for many years to come.

Again, I congratulate E.M. Daggett Elementary on its 100th anniversary.

Madam Speaker, on September 12, taxpayers sent an unequivocal message to lawmakers that smaller government, limited regulation, responsible spending, and keeping government out of people's lives are principles that too many in Washington need to be reminded of.

Hundreds of Texans took to the streets of Washington, D.C., to protest Big Government and the devastating policies the Obama administration and this Congress are pursuing. Their voices were heard and we had better not forget what they say.

Now we need everyone's voice more than ever as we are asked to pass a $1.2 trillion government takeover of our health care system. Through town hall meetings and the thousands of e-mails and letters we receive each week, my constituents have been clear: They don't like this bill.

It's now Congress's responsibility to listen to our districts and respond, representing the constituents who sent us here. They're speaking loud and clear--and they expect a response.

Madam Speaker, Bill's family asked me to say a few words about my memories of him as I first knew him and as so many of you knew him as you worked with him.

If I were talking about someone else, I would say something like ``those of you who knew him in his professional position'' or something like that, but that would be such a wrong idea of what Bill Smith was and why we all have such wonderful memories of him.

He was Bill Smith-Principal, Superintendent, friend, cohort, buddy.

I've often wondered if when people are experiencing the ``best of times'' if they knew it was the best of times.

I didn't know those early years at Richland High School would be some of the best years of my life, the best years of many of our lives, but I knew it was great fun and great excitement and Bill Smith made it so.

His own creativity brought out the creativity of the rest of us.

Whether you were on the ball field

On the stage

In the science club

Or the yearbook staff

He made it important to be a winner and enjoy the role you played.

His own sense of what was important and what was trivial infected us all and has stayed with me for years.

The trivial was treated by him as amusing. He just got a kick out of people and events.

He was a great storyteller and did some very good impersonations, but he didn't have a mean or petty bone in his body.

He loved what he did and he loved that school. The newness of a school can be exciting in and of itself, but the establishment of traditions, the development of an identity, those stay with a faculty, graduates, and a community forever.

He just had so much joy in it all. He was unabashedly proud and loyal to the school--and encouraging of all of us who were a part of it.

The whole community was in such a period of growth, and Bill was such a part of that so that the school and the community couldn't be separated.

It was as if the future were all in front of us, and he had found himself leading the band.

Paula Good said it so well after we talked and shared some memories. She said, ``You know, I often felt he was a little bit surprised to find himself in his position.''

I agree. And that added so much to the energy and enthusiasm he had.

He was never about his position or title.

And that is what helped him look at it so as to enjoy and soak up every day.

He approached life with such humor and such humanness.

He was funny and fun-loving and wouldn't take himself too seriously or let any of us around him.

He was so positive about everything. The smile never left his face, and the humor was always right on the surface.

I made so many mistakes in those years as a young teacher.

I finally decided to ask permission and seek some advice, but in the beginning, I just came up with an idea and did it!

And when it didn't work out exactly as I had planned, he would walk down to my room, he would put his hands behind his back, sort of lean back, grin and say, ``Well, Ms. Granger, what have we been up to now?''

The time that remains vivid in my mind was a day when the school was closed but the yearbook staff was trying to meet a deadline.

They all trooped to the school to meet me but we had never checked to see if the school was unlocked, just assumed it would be.

It wasn't, but one of the kids said, ``No problem, Ms. Granger, I can let us in.''

He did and we were hard at work, when in walked Mr. Smith, the principal!

Same stance, same words, except he was accompanied by some of the city's finest--in blue uniforms.

A neighbor had reported a break in of the school. They had called Bill and all came to see who had come into the school from the roof.

Ooooh. Not good . . .

From Bill . . .

Same grin. Same question, and some advice he gave to me more than once: ``Try it once. If it doesn't work, don't do it again.''

That was the way he managed.

He never doused the enthusiasm. Never stopped the flow of energy. Always encouraging and believing anything was possible

With his teachers

With the students

With the community.

There are so many memories of that time and all are good ones.

And every picture in my mind has him smiling and finishing with his chuckle, and he is probably still thinking: ``Ms. Granger, what are you up to now?''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 772, 773, and 774, I was absent from the House.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, the global threat of Iran's nuclear program is growing every day. The luxury of time has vanished and the need for Congressional action is absolute.

What we already knew about the Iranian nuclear program, compounded with the recent revelations of an additional uranium enrichment facility outside of Tehran and Iran's continued testing of long-range missiles, only continues to build on an already disturbing scenario.

The Iranian regime is furiously building its nuclear program and threatening anyone who walks the streets of Paris, Beijing, London and New York. Every day that goes by without weakening the regime or its ambitions, the world becomes less safe. We MUST act now.

I wholeheartedly support increased sanctions and divestment efforts and hope the U.S. Congress responds immediately to provide these critical tools to the President.

The United States needs to show strong leadership to show the world that we are serious in taking down this imminent threat from Iran. U.S. actions should be matched by other world leaders--especially Russia and China.

Iran's potential peril to the world is global, so too should be the response.

Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to welcome Dr. Vaughn Baker, his wife, Jacqueline, and his daughter, Amanda, to the House of Representatives this morning to lead us in prayer. Dr. Baker is the senior pastor of Christ United Methodist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, and has various churches around Texas and the Republic of Ireland.

Dr. Baker earned his undergraduate degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and worked on his postgraduate degrees at the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. Dr. Baker is also finishing his doctorate of theology dissertation from the University of South Africa in the field of missiology, the area of practical theology that investigates the mandate, message, and work of the Christian missionary.

Dr. Baker's family has also made service a core part of their lives. Dr. Baker's wife, Jacqueline, is a special education teacher in Weatherford, Texas, and his daughter, Amanda, is currently finishing two degrees at the University of Texas in Austin. Amanda has been involved in overseas education programs and has also been involved with mission work in Turkey. Dr. Baker and his wife currently live in Weatherford, Texas.

We thank Dr. Baker very much for leading us in prayer this morning.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Fort Worth Zoo, the oldest zoo in Texas.

This nationally renowned zoological park opened in Trinity Park in 1909 with just two bears, a lion, a coyote, an alligator, a peacock, and a few rabbits. Today, it is home to over 5,000 exotic and native animals.

The Zoo moved to its present home in Forest Park in 1912 after flooding from the Trinity River killed all of the animals. The first permanent structure was built to house Queen Tut, the Zoo's first Asian elephant.

The Zoo's early years saw many changes. In 1924, amusement rides were added. This included the Zoo train, which is still in use today. Throughout the 1930s, many improvements were made to include additional exhibits. In the1940s, another elephant was added, as well as a hippo. The 1950s brought exciting changes. The Zoo not only formed the Fort Worth Zoological Association, but the aquarium opened with 100 tanks and 400 species. The herpetarium was added in 1960. The 1980s and 1990s included the opening of the Asian elephant breeding facility, the World of Primates, Asian Falls, and numerous exhibits featuring animals such as penguins, meerkats, koalas, and flamingos. The eight-acre Texas Wild! Complex opened in 2001 and showcases seven separate exhibits with animals that are all native to our great state.

The future is bright with the planned Museum of Living Art, which will house amphibians and reptiles. It will also serve as an educational facility so that visitors can learn about wildlife conservation.

All of these incredible additions have made the Fort Worth Zoo one of the most popular attractions locally, as well as a destination for people from across the United States.

Madam Speaker, it is my honor to recognize the Fort Worth Zoo on its 100th anniversary and to offer my sincere congratulations to an outstanding facility and its staff that have provided countless memories to children and adults over the years.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 728, 730, 731, 732, and 733, I was absent from the House. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on all.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 727, 729, & 734, I was absent from the House.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on all.

Madam Speaker, the Republics of Turkey and Armenia took a major step forward in August moving closer to normalizing diplomatic relations and developing productive bilateral relations. Such a step chips away at the past tension between the two nations.

The protocols agreed to by the two parties will ultimately lead to the opening of the border between the two countries. This will not only ease tensions between Armenia and Turkey but will also enhance stability in the region. These protocols also established a timetable and process for normalizing relations. As a Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Turkey, I support the statements by the international community such as the NATO Secretary General and the U.S. Department of State in welcoming improvements in Turkey-Armenia relations.

These efforts are a tremendous step in the proper direction, but there are still further steps to come. I encourage the two governments to move forward with their internal consultations and parliamentary ratifications of the protocols as quickly as possible, so that a new chapter in the Turkish-Armenia bilateral relationship can begin to unfold. This is an historic change that will benefit both nations, and the United States wholeheartedly supports these actions.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I, Kay Granger, submit the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3326, the Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2010.

For the priority titled ``Army National Guard UH-60 Rewiring Program'' which received $10 million in H.R. 3326, Army Utility Helicopter Mods account, the legal name and address of the receiving entity is InterConnect Wiring, 5024 West Vickery Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107. The UH-60 rewiring program is a vital recapitalization of critical aviation assets within the Army National Guard. Replacing Kapton insulation used in aircraft wiring harnesses during modification, work order and retrofit is a key component. After many years of use, Kapton insulation becomes old and brittle and can lead to wet or dry arcing. Arcing can lead to intermittent or catastrophic failures. The only solution for this potential problem is to replace the wiring harnesses with new wiring harnesses. The rewiring of aging UH-60 aircraft will ensure a single, standardized aircraft configuration, reduce extensive maintenance time requirements needed to isolate electrical malfunctions, and enhance operational safety due to the age of the wire within these aircraft.

For the priority titled ``Nautilus: Multi-Mission Unmanned Surface Vessel'' which received $2.5 million in H.R. 3326, Navy Force Protection Applied Research account, the legal name and address of the receiving entity is Elbit Systems of America, 4700 Marine Creek Parkway, Fort Worth, TX 76179. This priority makes the 77 ft Sea Lion stealthy, semi-submersible craft into an unmanned surface combat craft with multiple sensors and weapons, operated from a Remote Control Station. The mission modules will have full range of flexibility to include E/O IR, LASER Designation/Range Finder, data links and satellite communications, electronic warfare package, stabilized remotely controlled gun, short/medium range missiles, disposable UAVs and non-lethal weapons. Nautilus represents a major step in the introduction of large scale, fully weaponized unmanned surface vehicles into the US Navy. Investment in this priority will enable achieving operational capabilities comparable with those of much larger and complex platforms, but without the risk to personnel/naval assets and at a much lower operational cost.

For the priority titled ``Remote Aiming and Sighting Optical Retrofit (RASOR)'' which received $3.8 million in H.R. 3326, Marine Corps Ground Combat/Supporting Arms Systems account, the legal name and address of the receiving entity is L-3 Electro-Optical Systems Division, 3414 Herrman Drive, Garland, TX 75041. RASOR will significantly extend the service life of the currently fielded AN/PVS-14 NVD, while accelerating the fielding of next generation mission essential imaging technology. It also provides a very affordable path for image fusion technology mandated by combat developers that will enable future improvements in tactics, techniques, and procedures. At the same time, RASOR will allow the Marine to maintain positive control (both hands on the weapon) and fully operate the weapon in a stand-off fashion with increased safety, mobility, and agility, while reducing the combat load. By presenting and fusing the imagery from each sensor, the user will be able to see around corners without being exposed to enemy fire and remotely view weapon sight imagery. Situational awareness will be dramatically improved as well as the ability to detect, recognize, identify, and accurately engage targets. Overall, RASOR will significantly increase the user's survivability and mission effectiveness.

For the priority titled ``Recovery, Recycle, and Reuse (R3) of DOE Metals for DoD Applications'' which received $2.4 million in H.R. 3326, Army Weapons and Munitions Advanced Technology account, the legal name and address of the receiving entity is e-PEAK INC, 311 Diamond Oaks Drive, Weatherford, TX 76087. R3 provides an efficient, low cost method of obtaining lightweight specialty metals that are used in advanced armors, vehicles, and weapon systems. It provides technologies that allow for the safe, secure, and environmentally sound recovery and reuse of more than one million tons of discarded metals currently stockpiled at DOE facilities.

For the priority titled ``Vision Integrating Strategies in Ophthalmology and Neurochemistry (VISION)'' which received $4 million in H.R. 3326, Army Research, Development, Test And Evaluation account, the legal name and address of the receiving entity is University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76107. The research performed by the VISION team will target the various causes and effects of visual damage resulting from both ocular injuries and eye exposure to the elements during combat operations. This research will be used to develop compounds and novel therapeutic strategies to more quickly return an injured warfighter to his unit. More significantly, the goal is to have the Services be able to equip warfighters and combat medical personnel with therapy solutions that can be (1) administered preventatively, (2) self-administered or (3) easily deployed and administered in the field. This

will enable the effective delivery of therapies that take advantage of the narrow time window that eye injuries have for most effective treatment once damage has occurred. In addition, the development of effective treatments for these conditions could save the U.S. government hundreds of millions of dollars annually in preservation of combat readiness, improvement of the visual performance of reenlisting soldiers and in reduction of long-term health care related costs.

For the priority titled ``Flashlight Soldier-to-Soldier Combat Identification System (FSCIS)'' which received $4.5 million in H.R. 3326, SOCOM Special Operations Technology Development, the legal name and address of the receiving entity is ATR Electronics, 109 Ridgemont Ave, San Antonio, TX 78209. Friendly Fire (FF) is a serious problem for the U.S. military and its coalition partners. FF incidents occur frequently and cause unnecessary death and injury, and it weakens the resolve of some coalition partners. Per capita, U.S. FF casualties increased 300 percent during the 2003 Iraq invasion phase compared to 1991 Desert Storm. Efforts to reduce FF casualties through doctrine, training, and Blue Force Tracking have not succeeded. The Flashlight Soldier-to-Soldier Combat Identification System (FSCIS) RDT&E priority develops 13-prototype M4 rifle mounted/body worn radio communication devices that immediately identify friendly soldiers and equipment at the point of engagement. Follow-on Flashlight antennas can be mounted on vehicle platforms (tanks, etc.) and aircraft to create a single- system Combat ID capability that can be integrated into advanced communications systems. Congress provided $2M in FY 2008 and $5.6M in FY 2009 RDT&E funding. USSOCOM is the FSCIS sponsor.

For the priority titled ``Field Deployable Hologram Production System'' which received $4.5 million in H.R. 3326, Army Military Engineering Advanced Technology, the legal name and address of the receiving entity is Zebra Imaging, 9801 Metric Boulevard, Suite 200 Austin, TX 78759. The Field Deployable Hologram Production System is needed by DOD to reduce the time now required to provide 3D imagery to deployed combat forces in Iraq and Afghanistan for intelligence and operation planning.

For the priority titled ``Mobile, Oxygen, Ventilation, and External (MOVES)'' which received $3.4 million in H.R. 3326, Navy Medical Development account, the legal name and address of the receiving entity is SVTronics, 3465 Technology Drive, Plano, TX 75074. MOVES will provide critical life-saving capabilities to combat casualties in the field, and significantly reduce logistical costs and hazards. The MOVES anesthetic module will also eliminate the waste, work hazards, and need for additional training associated with anesthetic delivery technology currently used in field hospitals.

For the priority titled ``Mobile Firing Range'' which received $1.5 million in H.R. 3326, Army Training Devices, Nonsystem account, the legal name and address of the receiving entity is Texas Army National Guard, PO Box 5218, Austin, TX 78763. Currently there is no opportunity to fire weapons for training or qualification without traveling to a certified range on a military installation. The TXANG Guard currently does not have access to any indoor ranges that can be used to fire the M16/M4 which is the current armament for 90 percent of the soldiers within the Texas Army National Guard. The Mobile Firing Range will allow soldiers to train with their assigned weapons at home station. The value added is soldiers can train more than once a year during their annual qualification. The ability to have mobile ranges allows them to be collocated as needed to support deploying unit needs. This system is a training and force multiplier due to the negation of travel and lodging, and staging needed when conducting this training on a military facility.

For the priority titled ``Intelligent Energy Control Systems'' which received $3 million in H.R. 3326, Army Electronics And Electronic Devices account, the legal name and address of the receiving entity is Williams Pyro, 200 Greenleaf Street, Fort Worth, TX 76707. This priority fully supports the Army Science and Technology Master Plan which requires focus on Logistic technologies that reduce logistics demand and technologies that reduce demand for consumables such as fuel and enhance the nation's assurance of sufficient energy for Army missions. Additionally, this is a follow on Priority to a Phase II award for the Small Business Innovative Research.

For the priority titled ``NSW Protective Combat Uniform'' which received $2.5 million in H.R. 3326, Special Operations Forces Operational Enhancements account, the legal name and address of the receiving entity is Naval Special Warfare Development Group, 1636 Regulus Ave, Virginia Beach, VA 23461. This is an unfunded priority for the community. The use of the Protective Combat Uniform will reduce the detectability of SEALs by enemy forces. The textiles used in the PCU ensemble address signature reduction against visual and near-infrared sensors.

For the priority titled ``Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation'' which received $2 million in H.R. 3326, Administration And Servicewide Activities account, the legal name and address of the receiving entity is Women In Military Service For America Memorial Foundation, 200 N Glebe Rd Ste 400, Arlington, VA 22203. The purpose of this funding is to bridge the difference between operating and maintenance expenses and the funds raised by the Women's Memorial Foundation to pay those expenses so that the Memorial and the Foundation can continue in operation. Without this funding, it will be impossible for the Foundation to stay in operation and keep the Women's Memorial open as one of the Mall's major Memorials. The Foundation is the only place in the country solely dedicated to researching and making available to DoD and Veterans Affairs officials, other government agencies, various organizations, and other interested persons, information about the history and achievements of military women. It is a source of strong, positive female role models for young boys and girls. About 200,000 people from around the world visit the Memorial each year and some 2.0 million have visited it to date. The Memorial has been designated as a ``Safe Haven'' in the event of a catastrophe in the District of Columbia or Northern Virginia as well as a site potentially being used as a command post by Homeland Security in the event of a disaster in this same area. The Memorial and the Foundation with its unique archive and collection of artifacts is one of the Nation's treasures and must be kept in operation.

For the priority titled ``Portable Sensor for Toxic Gas Detection'' which received $2.6 million in H.R. 3326, Army Missile Technology account, the legal name and address of the receiving entity is General Atomics, 3550 General Atomics Ct., San Diego, CA 92121. The Portable Sensor for Toxic Gas Detection priority will save lives and tax dollars by delivering to the soldier on the battlefield a single, hand-held detector that can sense any combination of several toxic chemical weapon vapors in less than harmful concentrations. Currently, a separate team is dedicated to sensing and reporting deadly concentrations of chemical weapons on the battlefield. This was an acceptable model in battles past. The asymmetric tactics of today's enemy demand a more prevalent and protective sensor capability for our men and women in the urban warfare environment. This priority will deliver that needed capability required today and in the future.