Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as our Nation honors Gold Star Mothers, I rise today to honor a Gold Star mother from Colorado. JoAnn Rehn was born and raised in Milbank, South Dakota, on a dairy farm called Schmidt Dairy. She married her husband Charles Rehn about 40 years ago. They had 3 sons. The oldest, Joe, the middle Randall, and Jimmy the youngest.

They moved to Colorado 33 years ago and settled in Longmont, where JoAnn lives today. For many years she has run a small business out of her home. She is a hardworking, industrious woman.

The military heritage comes from a great, great grandfather on the father's side. He was a Swedish General. JoAnn's son Randy joined the military in the mid-80's. Jobs were scarce, he was a gung-ho guy, and there was lots of opportunity in the military.

Sadly, Randy lost his life on April 3, 2003 in battle during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Despite the heartbreak of losing Randy, the family still believes he died for a noble cause. When asked why his mother should be honored, Randy's brother Joe said, ``She believed in what he was doing, fighting for our freedom, and despite the loss, she would make the sacrifice again. Our freedom is worth more than dollars. Having Randy gone is a negative for me and our family. But here is the positive part: freedom for America is what it is all about and God bless everyone else that feels the same way.''

Randy's brother Joe also thinks it is really hard on his Mom to hear about more soldiers being killed on the news everyday. ``You have to continually re-live the loss over and over, and that makes moms and families hurt continually. Hopefully it ends soon and we can all move on,'' Joe said.

Up to 1,000 people attended Randy's funeral in Longmont, paying the highest respect to him and his loved ones. It is my hope that Randy Rehn's family, especially his dear mother, feels the continued respect, admiration, and heartfelt sympathy from Members of Congress and Americans across this great nation.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

First of all, I want to commend the chairman on the good work that he did. This bill really increases competition and accountability in the Head Start Early Childhood Program.

While the vast majority of Head Start programs are of very high quality, I have been concerned about recent reports of mismanagement in some of the Head Start programs. That is why I am pleased that H.R. 2123 infuses the Head Start program with increased competition.

This amendment I am offering would ensure competition and access to high-quality services for these needy children. It would allow a for- profit agency that can demonstrate that it can provide a higher level of services for the same number of Head Start children at a lower cost, to keep a small portion of the administration's savings as profit.

I firmly believe Congress should be doing everything possible to encourage the highest-quality providers to become involved in Head Start. I believe my amendment will provide an incentive for high- quality for-profit providers to apply for Head Start grants and serve our Nation's neediest students.

I would also like to point out that for-profit entities are already an allowable grantee under current law, as well as H.R. 2123, so we would not be setting a new precedent in terms of for-profit participation in the program.

My amendment is bipartisan. It is supported by the National Child Care Association and the Early Care and Education Consortium. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Boehner), and commend the gentleman for his good work.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, due to meetings during the series of votes on Thursday, September 15, I did not make it back to the House floor in time for the last vote (rollcall vote No. 475).

H. Res. 473 was to establish the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina.

Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have votes ``yes'' to establish the hurricane commission.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the bravery and heroism of Lance Corporal Joshua Butler of the United States Marine Corps. Lance Corporal Butler's valiant and selfless actions during his tour of duty in Iraq make him a true American Hero.

On the morning of April 11, 2005, only three days after his twenty- first birthday, Lance Corporal Butler helped thwart an insurgent attack against the Marines of India Company stationed at Camp Gannon, near the Syrian border. While standing guard in a lookout tower, an explosive- laden dump truck charged the camp's gate. Lance Corporal Butler opened fire on the truck, causing it to swerve and miss the gate before exploding.

Even though the explosion threw Lance Corporal Butler to the ground and covered him with debris, he quickly returned to his feet in time to intercept an armored fire truck manned by two suicide bombers bearing down on the camp. Again, Lance Corporal Butler opened fire on the bombers, sending over 100 rounds into the fire truck. The truck detonated without being able to breach Camp Gannon's gate. So powerful was this second explosion, that it sent debris over 400 yards away and hurled Marines from their bunks.

Despite a third suicide bomber attack and over 30 armed insurgents, who at one point cowered behind a group of school children, the Marines at Camp Gannon were able to escape serious injury in large part because of the courageous actions of Lance Corporal Butler. ``Butler--that day, that Marine--that's the critical error the insurgents made. They thought they could keep the Marine's heads down. But he gets back up,'' remarked camp commandant Captain Frank Diorio.

The actions of Lance Corporal Butler and his fellow Marines on April 11th make me proud of our men and women in uniform and grateful for their service. I ask my colleagues to join me in commending Lance Corporal Joshua Butler for his heroism and thanking him for his patriotic dedication to this great nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Paul Baye who was recently awarded the 2004 Air Force Outstanding Scientist of the Year. Mr. Baye, a computer scientist with the 22nd Space Operations, was recognized on June 29, 2005.

Paul Baye's effort to develop the first defensive counter-space architecture for Electromagnetic Environmental Monitoring System, EEMS, earned him this distinguished award.

Mr. Baye worked for the Air Force Space Command Space Analysis Center and the Space Warfare Center before joining the 22nd Space Operations as an operations analyst.

This award is a very unique honor, and proves the success of his hard work and dedication for the Air Force and the American people. Approximately 3 years ago Mr. Baye became involved in radio frequency spectrum monitoring. The project needed to be able to handle information from several disparate databases, none of which were originally designed to communicate with one another.

Fourteenth Air Force had told then Colonel Suzanne Vautrinot, of the 50th Space Wing Commander, that the wing needed a way to protect Air Force Satellite Communications Network traffic from radio-frequency or electromagnetic interference.

Mr. Baye used a computer software architecture originally developed at the Rome Battlelab evolving it to fit the AFSCN's needs. Implementing the combination of science and technology was the crux of the project.

Colonel Vautrinot asked for a demonstration, which the Space and Missile Center and AFSPC provided in January 2004 in a downselect between competing products. Mr. Baye's project was selected and moved from concept to prototype. Once the EEMS project became available, Mr. Baye took over the project development.

What makes this project unique is that the 14th Air Force requirement was unfunded. This project was provided and funded by the 50th Space Wing, which was a large sacrifice on their part.

Using an open architecture will allow developers to quickly and cheaply modify software to fit their needs. That, in turn, will save the Air Force even more time and money as it steps further into the frontier of defensive counterspace.

We are standing at the threshold of defensive counterspace, and it is my great honor to recognize Paul Baye, a great scientist and a great American.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Maxine Freemyer. Maxine Freemyer is the perfect example of a successful older American. At 93 years young, she refuses to allow her advancing age, failing eyesight or

other health problems get her down. She makes every day count.

As a long-standing volunteer at the Bent County HealthCare Center, she has dedicated the past 25 years to helping the elderly. Some of the duties she has willingly performed include serving snacks each day, communicating with family and friends on their behalf, and just spending time listening to the residents reminisce about the past.

She has received several prestigious awards for her volunteerism, including Colorado Volunteer of the Year and the Colorado Cares award, presented by Governor Bill Owens. Serving others is her passion, which helps keep her active and spry.

Maxine Freemyer's gardening abilities are second to none. Her hard work and special skill in tending to her flowers are showcased in a dazzling display of color from early spring until late fall. Her magnificent garden is a gift to her neighbors and community.

Caring, compassionate, hard working and dedicated are all words that describe Maxine. Her zest for life is inspiring to young and old alike. I am proud to represent such an individual in the U.S. Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Luke A. Hochevar on being chosen by the Los Angeles Dodgers as the 40th pick in the 2005 Major League Baseball draft. Being drafted by a Major League Club is a rare accomplishment achieved by only about 1,500 high school and college ballplayers across the country each year. To be selected in the first five rounds means this talented young man is considered one of the top 150 or so prospects in the entire nation.

Luke was born September 15, 1983 in Denver, Colorado, to Brian and Carmen Hochevar. He has one brother, Dylan, and a sister, Brittany. Mr. Hochevar attended Fowler High School in Fowler, Colorado, where he was coached by his father. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 39th round following his senior season of 2002. Luke, however, chose to attend the University of Tennessee and play baseball there.

Mr. Hochevar's college baseball career was successful, playing three years for the Tennessee Volunteers. He pitched 273 strikeouts and ranks second on Tennessee's career list. As a student he studied Sport Management and made the Academic Honor Roll his sophomore year. I commend his athletic and academic achievements.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the hard work and great accomplishments of Luke Hochevar. I applaud Luke for his dedication to the game and to his studies. I also commend his family for their support. I wish Luke the best of luck as he starts his professional career with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the groups and individuals who made the Prairie Horizons Trail a reality for Southeastern Colorado. It has been an extremely long process, but the hard work has come to fruition with the official opening of the Prairie Horizons Trail. This trail is a part of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail.

This trail crosses the United States from Yorktown, VA to Astoria, OR and it passes through the beautiful Eastern Plains of Colorado's 4th Congressional District, with more than 100 miles of Highway 96.

Eastern Colorado communities and counties have come together to work on a plan for the trail corridor in the region, which has been named the Prairie Horizons Trail.

On July 1,2005 Joy Lujan with the National Parks Service and Janet Frederick, Executive Director for the Kiowa County Economic Development Foundation, were met in Sugar City, Ordway, Crowley, and Olney Springs by county commissioners, mayors and community activists as the Prairie Horizons trail was officially opened.

Lujan and Frederick presented business owners with commemorative ``Cyclists Welcome'' signs and spoke briefly about the new brochures about the trail.

I am proud to represent Crowley County Commissioners Dwight Gardner and Matt Heimerich along with Sugar City Councilwoman Eleanor Neiffert, Ordway Mayor Nancy Moore, Wendy Pettit with the Colorado Department of Transportation, Crowley County School Superintendent John McCleary, Olney Springs Mayor Deb DeVore, and the many other citizens who assisted in making this project possible. This is a wonderful addition to the Eastern Plains and to the communities in which this trail passes. It is my great honor to recognize the opening of the Prairie Horizons Trail.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased, to offer my bill H.R. 481, the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Act. I want to thank Chairman Pombo of the Committee on Resources for the expeditious way in which this bill moved through committee and onto the floor.

This bill is not only important to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian tribes, the citizens of the 4th district of Colorado and the entire state, but it is also important to help secure a permanent reminder in America of the tragic event that forever altered the course of Western frontier history.

On November 29, 1864,700 Colorado Volunteers commanded by Colonel John Chivington attacked a village of Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians who were camped along Big Sandy Creek in what is now Kiowa County, Colorado--part of the district that I represent today. More than 150 Indian people were killed in the attack, the majority of whom were woman and children. This event is now known as the Sand Creek Massacre.

On March 13, 1865, this event was addressed in Congress by the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War. Today, 141 years after the Massacre and 140 years after the first congressional hearings, Congress is again discussing this tragedy. This time we are here to honor the victims and preserve a historic parcel of land in Southeastern Colorado where this event took place.

In 1998, Congress authorized a study to investigate the suitability and feasibility of designating the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site in the State of Colorado as a unit of the National Park System. In November 2000, after the completion of the site location study, Congress passed the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Establishment Act. This Act instructs the Secretary of the Interior to establish the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site as a unit of the National Park System once sufficient land is acquired to interpret and commemorate the massacre.

Today, we consider H.R. 481, to place 1,465 acres of tribally owned land inside the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site boundary into Tribal Trust. This would allow the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal property within the Historic Site to be managed by the National Park Service in partnership with the Northern and Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and consistent with the purposes of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site Establishment Act of 2000.

The passage of H.R. 481 is an important step in establishing this National Historic Site. With passage of this bill, the National Park Service would be given management responsibility over an additional 1,465 acres and would bring the total acreage of the managed site to almost 2,400 acres. Many involved in this project believe the addition of 1,465 highly important acres to the Park Service's previous holdings will amount to a ``sufficient portion'' to complete the establishment of this National Historic Site. When the Secretary of Interior finally designates this site an official National Historic Site, the Northern and Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, the State of Colorado, Kiowa County and other stakeholders can begin the planning necessary to open this massacre site to the public.

I truly believe my bill will help heal the wounds of the past. I ask for the support of my colleagues on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a true hero, William R. Rutter. Mr. Rutter is a proud American who served our country in two major wars. After serving in World War II, Bill Rutter entered the U.S. Army Reserves, however, when the Korean conflict began he immediately volunteered again for active duty. After the Korean War he returned to the Reserves, serving a total of 37 years.

On December 15, 1950 in Korea when Bill Rutter was a Sergeant First Class with Fox Company, 7th Infantry, 3rd Regiment I.D., he volunteered to take a combat patrol out to probe and locate the enemy position and strength. Easy Company, 7th Infantry Regiment was pinned down. When they reached a position approximately opposite Easy Company they drew extremely heavy fire from the enemy force. There appeared to be two reinforced rifle companies with attached units. All of this patrol, with the exception of Sergeant Rutter, sustained wounds. He located a position that was protected where they couldn't be hit. He instructed his men to start walking back down the hill slowly one at a time while he and one of his men who was unable to walk provided cover fire. When they were all down the hill, Mr. Rutter strapped the wounded young Private on his back with his rifle belt and ran down the hill under extremely heavy fire. Sergeant Rutter was able to get all his men out alive that day.

Following his heroic service Bill Rutter served as a Deputy Federal Marshall and spent time working with the Federal Bureau of Prisons in several locations, including Alcatraz in California. He concluded his service in Colorado working for the Youth Conservation Core under the Bureau of Land Management. He retired in 1981 and lives the small Eastern Colorado community of Fleming.

Mr. Speaker, we are so fortunate to live in this great country where freedom is something that we rarely have to think about and often take for granted. It is simply a way of life for us, and we are truly blessed to live in a country with citizens who willingly volunteer to put themselves in harm's way to defend and protect our great Nation.

I am proud to honor Bill for his courage and sacrifice on behalf of all Americans. I applaud Bill for his courage and selfless dedication to duty. He has helped protect our democracy and kept our homeland safe by placing his life on the line. Bill truly is the embodiment of all the values that have molded America into the great Nation it is today.

We can maintain the blessings of our freedoms only because we have citizens like Bill Rutter.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Vernon Parker. Little did I know as I sat in my Colorado history class in seventh grade my teacher, Mr. Vern Parker, was an extraordinary man.

The community where I grew up was small, and everyone knew everyone else. The school in Galeton was small, too. There were 17 students in my class. When we were in the seventh grade, one of our favorite classes was Colorado History. Evidently classroom space was limited, because we met in the music room and sat on folding chairs. It seemed a little odd not to have desks but we juggled our books on our laps and managed quite well.

Mr. Parker was enthusiastic about the subject and kept us all interested. I remember one quiz that he gave us, in particular. He gave us a list of towns and instructed us to identify those that were located in Colorado. Although I'm a native of the State, I wasn't sure about some of them. When I saw ``Parker'' on the list, I was convinced it was a trick question. After all, it was my teacher's last name. Needless to say, I didn't get 100 percent on that quiz.

Even though one of the boys in our class was Mr. Parker's nephew, who called him by his first name, I still was in awe of my teacher and I tried to do my best. Once Mr. Parker complimented me on my performance in a talent show and his praise gave me confidence and helped me more than he could ever know.

We were unaware of the incredible experiences Mr. Parker had before he came to be our teacher. We didn't know the hero that stood before us.

Mr. Parker served in the United States Army in the special unit known as ``Wolfpack'', which worked with friendly South Korean troops during the Korean War, and he was struck by lightning at Fort Riley between tours in Korea. He served from 1949 until he was wounded in 1953. During this time, he was awarded two Silver Stars for gallantry in action during a battle in which he destroyed a Communist tank using a bazooka. In that same battle, he was wounded by an exploding artillery shell and was awarded the Purple Heart.

When he went home, he married his sweetheart Sylvia Howard in 1953. Vern and Sylvia made sacrifices, and he earned his Master's degree from Colorado State College of Education in 1959. They were blessed with three children--Jim, Jerry, and Joe.

Mr. Parker began teaching school at Galeton, Colorado in 1958. He went on to become the principal of Galeton's elementary and junior high schools. He was the school Superintendent in Briggsdale, Colorado, for three years and he continued teaching in Weldona, Colorado, from 1976 to 1979.

When Mr. Parker retired he opened and ran a small business. He was a member of the Lions Club and the V.F.W., a Boy Scout leader, and a volunteer fireman. Vernon's love of teaching and working with young people has stayed with him always and he takes great pleasure in the accomplishments of his former students and scouts. He has served his community and his country well.

My classmates and I liked him a lot, and we thought he had a good sense of humor. Recently, I acquired one of the textbooks we used in his class. Every time I come across the book, it brings back good memories and I always stop and thumb through it.

I am proud to have been a student of Vernon Parker, and I know Congressman Franks is as well. Mr. Speaker, I'm very thankful for the positive influence Vern Parker had on my life as my teacher and I'm also very thankful as an American for the sacrifices he has made for our freedom and liberty. May God bless our teachers who positively influence young people, and may God bless our precious veterans who have made sacrifices on our behalf.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a true American hero, SPC Derrick Lutters of Burlington, Colorado.

On May 1, 2005, Specialist Lutters died while serving south of Baghdad, Iraq, when attacked by a suicide bomber while his unit was inspecting a bridge for enemy tampering along a supply route.

As a member of the Kansas National Guard, Specialist Lutters was in Detachment 1 of the Guard's 170th Maintenance Company and assigned to the 891st Engineer Battalion.

In 1999, after Derrick graduated from Goodland High School in Goodland, Kansas, he moved to Burlington, Colorado, where his mother currently lives.

Coming from a military family, he joined the service in 1998 and followed in the footsteps of his brother and sister.

I am proud to honor SPC Derrick Lutters for his courage and sacrifice on behalf of all I Americans. His courage has helped to protect our democracy and keep our homeland safe. I urge all of my fellow colleagues to applaud Specialist Lutters for his service to our great Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the fine city of Eads, CO.

The Economic Developers' Council of Colorado (EDCC) recently presented their annual achievement awards at the organization's Annual Awards Luncheon held in conjunction with the Spring Conference in Burlington, Colorado. The ``EDIE Awards'' recognize outstanding achievement in economic development by honoring individuals, businesses, and communities throughout the State of Colorado.

The award for Small Community of the Year is presented to a community under 20,000 in population that demonstrates support for economic development through an organized economic development program and strong leadership. The community must also illustrate long-term planning and investment in the development of the community through infrastructure planning, permanent economic development funding and strategies. Realization of a special project or development is also a criterion.

The 2004 Small Community of the Year is the Town of Eads, located in Kiowa County. The Town of Eads epitomizes the criteria for this award. Eads has been actively working with the Arkansas Valley Marketing Coalition (a five county organization) to establish itself as a community in search of expansion for its citizens. The town was awarded a $22,000 scholarship by ``Your Town'' for the recreation of their downtown. They are near completion of the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, and are working actively with surrounding counties on a coalition tourism project. The Town of Eads is also actively involved with CRDC and Action 22 on tourism and economic development efforts.

In addition, the acquisition of the 800-acre Jackson Property is, and will continue to create, great economic opportunities for Eads and Kiowa County. Efforts to comprehensively plan how the property might best be utilized have included many areas and groups within the community and county. Working with all elected officials, businesses and most impressively, the youth have established a human capacity and formula for success that would be difficult to top anywhere.

Congratulations to the Town of Eads, the 2004 Economic Developers' Council of Colorado's Achievement Award recipient for Small Community of the Year. It is an honor to represent this community in the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

As we were looking at this, it came to my attention through an article in USA Today that the FBI's entertainment office consists of five agents. They are responsible for responding to requests from Hollywood for information. When I was elected to Congress, one of the things that I wanted to be aware of the whole time that I was here is that we have a responsibility to spend taxpayers' dollars wisely. I do not think that the United States taxpayers should be subsidizing Hollywood in any way. I wanted to express to the chairman of the committee, with my gratitude for his good work and to others interested in this issue, that I hope that these agencies can be more fiscally responsible with these taxpayers' dollars, and I do not think that we ought to be subsidizing Hollywood in any way when they want information.

That was what I wanted to make very clear today. The sum total of that amount is $250,000 each year that goes for Hollywood liaisons. I wanted to respectfully make the gentleman aware of this.

Mr. Speaker, I recently had a granddaughter born. I looked at that little baby, and I was in love with her when I went to ultrasound and we saw her, even before she was born. When I saw the little snowflake children, I thought about their humanness. I thought about what joy they brought to their families. I thought about little children that needed to be comforted when they were hurt, little children that wanted to be put to bed at night with a kiss and a story, their wonderful humanness, and I thought about what the American people think of babies and how we cherish them. When I see these little children, I know their intrinsic value; and how we treat people, in whatever form of development, depends on how we perceive them.

The embryo is a human being at an early stage of development. When we talk to many who have great knowledge about this, and I appreciate the doctors in our presence, we should never spend the American taxpayers' dollars to take the life of an innocent human being.

As I look at this bill, I know it is very complex; but we need to always support human life.