Floor Statements

Offered By: Mrs. Musgrave

Amendment No. 8: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following new section:

Sec. 700. Each amount appropriated or otherwise made

available by this Act that is not required to be appropriated

or otherwise made available by a provision of law is hereby

reduced by 0.5 percent.

Offered By: Mrs. Musgrave

Amendment No. 9: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following new section:

Sec. 503. Each amount appropriated or otherwise made

available by this Act that is not required to be appropriated

or otherwise made available by a provision of law is hereby

reduced by 0.5 percent.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I would like to commend the chairman for his work on

this bill, and I would like to commend the ranking member for the yeoman's job that you have done, for the work you have had before you. I very much appreciate it.

In Colorado, we have a very unique situation. We have a maneuver site that the United States Army uses, and it is 236,000 acres presently. The Army is wanting to expand this by 418,000 additional acres.

If you drive in that area of our State, you will see this sign. This was created by a high school teacher from La Junta: ``Our land is our life. It is not for sale.''

As a very strong supporter of the United States military, but also a very strong supporter of our private property rights, I am opposed to this expansion, and my amendment would say that no funds in this bill would be used for the expansion.

A month ago in Colorado, our Democratic Governor, Bill Ritter, signed into law a bill to withdraw the State's consent to give up any land that the United States Army might acquire through condemnation. So there is a very strong message that comes from our State legislature, from our house and senate and from our Governor. But the most poignant opposition that I hear about is from the farmers and ranchers, many of them who have been there for five generations who will lose their land, who will lose their way of life.

When you look at the opposition to the Pinon Canyon expansion, it goes on and on. But, interestingly enough, it is very diverse. The opposition comes from the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. It comes from property rights groups. But it also comes from groups such as the Sierra Club, Colorado Springs Chapter. This is all over the political spectrum that this expansion is opposed.

As we think about what could happen in that area, it is interesting to look at the National Trust for Historic Preservation issues and their 2000 list of America's most endangered places: ``Pinon Canyon, Colorado. In Southeastern Colorado, under uninterrupted blue skies, Pinon Canyon is an area of scenic buttes, river valleys, family ranches and historic and archeological sites that span 11,500 years. The area is threatened by the United States Army's plan to expand its maneuver training ground by as much as 418,000 acres, a move that could lead to forced condemnation of private lands and damage or destroy historic Santa Fe Trail monuments, ranches and historic and prehistoric archeological sites.''

That is what is at stake in southeastern Colorado. As we look at how much land the government already owns, in the red area you can see how much of our State is already government land in Colorado. The expansion of the Pinon Canyon maneuver site would be as large as the State of Rhode Island. It is striking.

Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Salazar).

Would the gentleman yield?

Mr. Chairman, I would just like to point out that my son-in-law served in Afghanistan, and I would like to commend Mr. Salazar, his father and his son for their service to this great Nation and point out that in the 1970s the land was thought about in the Colorado Springs area in El Paso County, and the landowners there fought it.

And so when anyone would imply that Mr. Salazar and I, Mr. Chairman, are responding to political pressure, what we are doing is standing up for private property rights and balancing that with our concern that our soldiers have the proper training.

It is like Mr. Salazar said, you oppose it in your own yard, but it is okay for someone else. I am standing up for those ranchers. You might as well cross southeastern Colorado off the map if this expansion goes forward. So I respectfully look at the opinion of my friend from Colorado and I do say, though, that in this country the government owns enough land. There are alternatives to this that would be satisfactory in balancing our support for private property rights and our support for our troops.

Offered By: Mrs. Musgrave

Amendment No. 18: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), add the following new section:

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

Mr. Chairman, we have heard comments in this Chamber today that there are attempts on this side of the aisle to obstruct. I'll tell you what the attempt is that we are making over here. It is to shed light on a topic that is now of interest to Americans. We had a Member come into the Chamber last evening, and he was talking about an earmark that he had requested, the ``Bridge to Nowhere.''

There aren't a lot of people that understood our jargon. They didn't understand our acronyms. It seems like every occupation has its own language. But when the American people started reading about the ``Bridge to Nowhere,'' when it was on the cover of Parade magazine, when you were in the doctor's office waiting and you picked up the Reader's Digest trying to kill a little time, golly, here was an article in the Reader's Digest about the ``Bridge to Nowhere.''

So suddenly the term ``earmark'' has come to be understood by the American public. They started reading a little more, and they started finding out about earmarks and how people in Congress with seniority, with a great deal of power because of their seniority, had the ability to direct spending.

It is like when I talk to a high school or a junior high or middle school class. I always tell them, Government has no money of its own. The only money that government has is the money that is extracted from its citizens.

Mr. Chairman, I try to impress this upon young people and try to get them prepared for the first day after they have worked on a job. They get their paycheck and then they take a look at it, and they see how much government is taking out of their paycheck. I want them to start thinking right away about how government spends its money.

I think a lot of Americans, whether Democrat, Republican, if you looked at the political spectrum, whether they were conservative or moderate or liberal, they got a little upset to think about how some individuals had that much power to take tax dollars from people all over the United States and spend them on a project that they deemed important.

I will never forget the first time I was in a press conference, Mr. Chairman, with a number of other Members when we were looking at an omnibus bill, and the visual, just having all those pages right there on a chair was startling. There were all those things in there called ``earmarks,'' and some were just downright silly. I mean, the American public would groan when they would think that Members would take money from citizens around the country and then spend them that way.

So as we worked through this reform process, as we talked about it, we had heroes in our midst that would get up time after time and try to go after some of these egregious earmarks and get beaten back. But you can't always determine who is going to win the war when you look at individual battles.

Although those individual battles were lost, we are going to win the war on this earmark thing because the American people know right from wrong. They know there should not be an abuse of power where someone on their unelected staff, and I have to tell you, I admire the staffers on Capitol Hill, most of them are young, because we have long days and we have hard work and it takes someone with a sharp mind and dedication to work, but they are not accountable to anybody's constituent.

When I go home to my district, I can read letters to the editor about me. People can call me personally on the phone. People can come to my office. Even though each of us represents over 600,000 people, we are approachable, and we have to be accountable. But staff is not accountable when you have power vested in one individual.

In my family we have a little saying. We say, Does somebody think they are God? And because we are God-fearing Christians, we do not believe that we are talking about capital G-O-D. What we are talking about is G-A-W-D. Who does an individual think they are when they try to exercise this kind of power?

The American public has an innate sense of right and wrong. The public's business should not be done in private, with one all-knowing individual surrounded by staff, getting in letters or comments whether this earmark is good or this earmark is bad. Maybe eventually we will have a sign that says ``thumbs up'' or ``thumbs down'' just to conserve time. That is not right. The American people know it, and we all know it.

There has been a problem with earmarks for a long time. Today is the day that we need our friends on the other side of the aisle to admit what we know what they know, and what they know we know, and reform this process.

Mr. Chairman, today is the day that we know the American people deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent. If we're going to have earmarks, let's have the whole Congress, 435 of us, duly elected by our constituents, give it an up-or-down vote and have individuals who want an earmark have the courage to stand up and convince them, again, whether Republican, Democrats, conservative, moderate, liberal, wherever you put them on the political spectrum, the American people's business should be conducted in public, and the American people know that.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Andrew Bartlett who was chosen as one of the 10 national winners in a Risk Management Agency sponsored essay contest for FFA members. Andrew is a member of the Merino, Colorado Future Farmers of America Chapter and he has recently been elected President of the Merino FFA Chapter and President of FFA South Platte District for the 2007-2008 school year.

Andrew's parents are Charlie and Patty Bartlett and he is following the footsteps of his father who has been a farmer all of his life. Being a successful farmer today requires business and marketing skills, knowledge of advanced technology, and knowledge of crop and soil science. Farmers face the challenge of providing consumers with the safest, highest quality food at the lowest price. Andrew demonstrated his understanding of the demands and requirements of becoming a successful farmer is his essay detailing his farming experiences.

For his FFA Supervised Agricultural Experience, Andrew planted, irrigated and harvested alfalfa hay, hay millet and winter wheat. In his essay, Andrew described his decision making process in determining which crops to plant in an area where 6 years of drought have posed numerous challenges for farmers. Andrew also discussed his decisions about the use of fertilizers and chemicals to eliminate risk and the importance of sound financial management and diversification of his crops and choice of crops that were intended for different markets to expand his marketing choices. He explained the importance of using specific and accurate record keeping to assist in monitoring his financial standing. He is aware of the need to carefully analyze each of his decisions. He also understands the importance of being vigilant in minimizing his costs while staying informed of local markets.

Andrew has an impressive awareness of the many factors involved in becoming a successful producer in today's market. Andrew's family and his FFA advisor, Mr. Todd Everhart, are to be commended for their efforts in supporting, encouraging and mentoring Andrew and for their part in helping him develop the knowledge and skills necessary for him to be successful in his first farming endeavor.

Andrew is the future for a way of life which honors the land while helping to feed the world. I am proud to honor Andrew Bartlett for his success as a Future Farmer of America. My heartfelt congratulations to him and his family.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a true American hero who proudly served our country in World War II. Howard L. Brigham was born in 1925 in Denver, Colorado, the oldest of eight children. After serving our country in the war, Howard served Colorado for 37 years as an educator and administrator.

In December of 1942, one year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Howard joined the United States Navy at the young age of 17. He was unable to be present for his own high school graduation. Howard manned a 20 millimeter gun and served as a deck boss's mate on the Seaplane Tender, USS Matagorda. Howard served primarily in the Atlantic theater, but he also spent time in the South Pacific. He was briefly in port in Iceland, England, Wales, North Africa, and Brazil. He was away from his family the entire 4 years of the war and spent most of that time at sea. Howard's father passed away during this time and he was unable to leave his duties to attend the funeral. Seaman 2nd Class Brigham was awarded the American Theater Medal, the European Theater Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.

Following his heroic service, Mr. Brigham attended the University of Denver earning both a bachelors and a masters degree in education. For the next 37 years he served as a teacher, counselor, and principal in the Denver Public School system and the Poudre School System in Fort Collins. He and his wife Jeanie will celebrate 60 years of marriage in June of this year. Together they raised three children, Jerry Brigham of Broomfield, and Randy Brigham and Kay Rich of Sterling.

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 whose citizens willingly volunteer to put themselves in harm's way to defend and protect our great Nation.

I am proud to honor Mr. Brigham for his dedicated service to our Nation. Howard is an

American hero who left his home to defend our Nation, and then returned home to be a valued member of his community, showing his children and grandchildren how to live meaningful lives of service. Howard is the embodiment of all the values that have molded America into the great Nation it is today. May God bless Mr. Brigham and his family, may God bless our precious veterans, and may God continue to bless America.

Mr. Speaker, my resolution, H. Res. 290, recognizes the goals and the ideals of the 30th annual Rocky Mountain Senior Games, which will be held in the next few weeks in my district in Colorado.

The Colorado Senior Development Council began hosting athletic competition for adults 50 and older in 1978; and today, the City of Greeley, and the Greeley Department of Recreation have partnered with the Colorado Senior Sports Development Council to host this popular event in the Rocky Mountain region.

The games originated in Colorado as a 1-day competition featuring four athletic events, including swimming, track and field, and basketball. Today, the Rocky Mountain games are among the oldest of its kind in the Nation and are among the most popular.

This year's games will be held from June 6-10, and there will be a wide range of events that include basketball, track and field, swimming, billiards, tennis, badminton, cycling, weight lifting, skeet and trap shooting, archery, a 5k and a 10k road race, a triathlon, and many others. The popularity of these events are made most evident by the high number of competitors.

Last year, for instance, there were more than 1,400 individuals who competed in the games, many of whom succeeded in qualifying for the bi- annual national games.

In fact, Colorado will be well represented at this year's national games, which will be held later this summer in Louisville, Kentucky. There are 640 Colorado athletes who have already qualified.

The individuals who participate experience friendly fellowship, camaraderie, and the exhilaration of competition. For a long time, fitness has been synonymous with Colorado. I think that's because of our wonderful sunny climate and our natural treasures that encourage people to get out and enjoy themselves. It's not surprising, then, that so many seniors continue exercising and seek out active competition, even as they begin to get older.

My bill recognizes these competitors and the benefits they are making towards their long-term health. I am pleased my colleagues in Congress, especially those in Colorado, are joining me today to approve this bill.

General Leave

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the entrepreneurial spirit of Mrs. Maury Dobbie and congratulate her on receiving the Small Business Administration's Women in Business Champion Award.

At the age of 19 Mrs. Dobbie started her first business and began a life of entrepreneurship that would eventually lead to the establishment of five different companies. Mrs. Dobbie currently owns MediaTech Productions, a multimedia production company in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Over the years, Mrs. Dobbie has served as President of the Women's Economic Development Council and has garnered recognition from a number of prestigious organizations. In 2005, Mrs. Dobbie was recognized as the Businesswoman of the Year by Office Depot in its annual recognition of the nine top businesswomen in the nation. She has also been honored as the first female recipient of the Emerging Entrepreneur Award in northern Colorado and was named the Woman Leader of Excellence in 1995. I am particularly impressed by Mrs. Dobbie's establishment of the Young Women of the West program. This program fosters entrepreneurship among female high school students and encourages these young women to begin their own businesses.

Mrs. Dobbie currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation. In her role as CEO, Mrs. Dobbie dedicates her time to strengthening existing employers, supporting expansion projects and marketing northern Colorado to new employers. Prior to her appointment as CEO, she served as both a board member and chairperson of this organization.

In addition to her many professional accomplishments, Mrs. Dobbie has selflessly dedicated her time and talents by serving on the boards of a number of civic organizations including the United Way, Rotary and Hope Lives Cancer Center. She has also served on the advisory board of Front Range Community College. As a second degree black belt, Mrs. Dobbie has even earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic Taekwondo team. Mrs. Dobbie is married to Steve Dobbie and has two grown children.

Madam Speaker, it is an honor to represent Mrs. Dobbie in Congress. Her entrepreneurship and commitment to strengthening the economy of northern Colorado are a demonstration of the American spirit and a testament to the American dream. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the varied accomplishments of Mrs. Maury Dobbie.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a man whose bravery in the face of danger is now being honored some 63 years later.

Robert Speed served in the Air Force during World War II. During a bombing mission over the Ploesti Oil Fields on July 15, 1944, the B-24 that Mr. Speed and his crew were flying in came under heavy anti- aircraft fire. The plane lost an engine and lost contact with their squadron. Although the aircraft took on significant damage, the crew managed to evade enemy aircraft, complete its bombing mission and return to Pantanella, Italy.

The Ploesti Oil Fields, located in eastern Romania, were a significant source of petroleum Hitler used to fuel his war machine. The bombing runs well into enemy territory were dangerous, but crucially important to the Allied effort.

The very next day after the Ploesti bombing mission, Mr. Speed and his crew were shot down and held as POWs for the remainder of World War II. This turn of events resulted in an administrative oversight on the part of the Air Force and Mr. Speed and his crew went unrecognized for 63 years.

The oldest in a family of 9 children, Mr. Speed was born May 21, 1922, in Blue Mountain, Alabama. After the war he moved to Mobile, AL to get a job at Brookley Air Force Base where he was employed as a civilian until he retired. He still lives in Mobile. His son describes his father as typical of his generation in that ``he never talked much about what happened in the war and never asked for anything. He really is just a regular guy who found himself in extraordinary circumstances while serving his country.''

I am pleased that Mr. Speed will finally be recognized with the Distinguished Flying Cross award on April 24. I congratulate Mr. Speed on the long overdue reception of his award and I thank him for his honorable service to our Nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Mr. John Waltershausen of Littleton, CO.

Mr. Waltershausen was born in Chicago, IL, and served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II from 1944-1946. During his military service, he played a heroic role in an incredibly significant moment in history, what many historians now believe to be the end of World War II. I believe his story is most worthy of being preserved in the Congressional Record.

Five days after the bombing of Nagasaki, copilot John Waltershausen and the other nine crew members of the B-29B Super Fortress Boomerang flew, along with 142 other bombers, in what is now known as the ``Last Mission.''

Awaiting word of surrender from Japan, John and his crew were ordered on one last assignment, to bomb an oil refinery in Akita, Japan. The Japanese did not think that the U.S. could reach Akita from Guam and, as such, did not build strong defenses there.

Even though the crew of the Boomerang knew they might not have enough fuel to get back, the crew proceeded in the mission to take out 67 percent of Japan's remaining oil refining capacity, as well as causing an air raid blackout alert.

Unbeknownst to them, a group of Japanese officers attempted to prolong the war by staging a coup d'etat in seizing Japan's Imperial Palace and with it Emperor Hirohito. Upon the takeover of the Imperial Palace, the rebel leader Hatanaka learned that Emperor Hirohito had left the palace. Knowing that Hirohito had recorded a message of surrender that had not yet been broadcast on Japanese radio, the rebel officers hoped to sway the Japanese military into continuing the war with the U.S. However, because of the blackout caused by the U.S. bombing mission that included John Waltershausen's B-29B Boomerang, the rebel officers were unable to find the emperor's recording or to broadcast their own message to the Japanese people and soon lost their control of the situation. The message of surrender from Emperor Hirohito was broadcast the next morning.

The ``Last Mission'' was 3,800 miles and the longest mission flown up to that time. By a bizarre twist of fate, it also marked the end of World War II.

After the war, John married Sally Erwin and they had two daughters, Karen and Karoline. Today, they have 4 grandsons--Gregory, Benjamin, Jacob, and Samuel. John spent the last 45 years of his life in Colorado, with his happiest days being in the beautiful Colorado mountains.

Madam Speaker, I am grateful for Mr. Waltershausen's selfless service to our Nation. His story should be preserved for posterity. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing a man worthy of our honor, Mr. John Waltershausen.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Dr. Karl Carson of Fort Collins, Colorado. Dr. Carson was quoted in 2005 saying he lived by a simple pledge: ``I hope, when I leave this place, I contributed to making it a better place.'' His legacy in Fort Collins was indeed a life of community service and devotion to family.

Karl was born on September 27, 1915, in Wichita, Kansas, to Daniel and Clara Helfrick Carson. He was raised on the family dairy farm and every day before he went to school he milked cows and bottled milk. In high school, he met his lifelong sweetheart Wilma Schull and they married August 23, 1936. To this union five children were born: Allen, James, Daniel, Thomas and LuAnn. The Carsons also have eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Karl Carson attended Fort Hays State University in Kansas a music scholarship. He paid his way through college by singing at weddings and parties. He served in the U.S. Navy Reserve during World War II. Mr. Carson was a communications officer on the U.S.S. Strive, a mine sweeper.

Following his military service, Mr. Carson attended the University of Nebraska and received his doctor of dental surgery degree in 1951. The Carson family moved to Fort Collins where Dr. Carson started his dental practice in 1954. His practice thrived and continued until his retirement in 1994. For 30 of those 43 years he practiced dentistry with his son, Tom. In 1991, the Colorado Dental Association gave him its Distinguished Service award.

Dr. Carson was a member of the Fort Collins City Council from 1965 to 1973. He held the city's top post, mayor, for five terms from 1968 to 1973 at a time when City Council elected the mayor. He considered his support of adding fluoride to Fort Collins water supply among his greatest achievements. During his tenure, he started a program called Designing Tomorrow Today, which led to the construction of the Lincoln Center, city hall, and the downtown library.

Dr. Carson's community service is legendary. He was the director of downtown Fort Collins development, president of Colorado Municipal League, and the Colorado League of Cities. He was also a member of Kiwanis since 1938. Continuing his love of music and youth, he lent his expertise to participants in the Kiwanis annual Stars of Tomorrow Talent Show.

Madam Speaker, Dr. Karl Carson indeed fulfilled his legacy of leaving this world a better place. The citizens of Fort Collins, Colorado will never forget him. He was a man of love and commitment to his family and community. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dr. Karl Carson.

Madam Speaker, I rise tody to honor Dixie Loucks of Fort Collins, CO. She has led a life of service to her family, community and country.

Dixie was the third of nine children born to Charles and Netha McFarlane. She was raised on the family farm in Chugwater, WY, where she learned the value of family and hard work.

Dixie's family moved to Cedaredge, CO, when she was sixteen. It was there Dixie met the love of her life, her husband Jack Loucks. He was the boy next door and they married on February 22, 1948.

Jack joined the Air Force in 1949 and left for Korea in 1951 as an F- 80 fighter/bomber pilot. He flew 101 missions. During this time Mrs. Loucks continued to live on the family farm and raised their daughter, Cristine. She provided support to her husband by sending him letters and pictures of their new daughter. These letters were a constant inspiration for Jack.

Throughout Jack's military career, Mrs. Loucks served her family and community. She began her community service at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey at the local hospital, coordinating Red Cross blood drives. As their daughters Cristine and Erylene began school, Mrs. Loucks was a tireless volunteer at their school and with Girl Scouts and Campfire Girls. When the family as stationed in Tripoli, Mrs. Loucks made dresses for the local girls from flour sacks provided through the U.S. Agency for International Development.

After Jack's retirement the family moved to Fort Collins. Mrs. Loucks worked in the Public Trustee's office and served on the U.S. military academy selection committees. Additionally, she served as a volunteer at the family's church, Harbor Hope First Free Methodist Church. She has served as a Sunday School teacher, a nursery leader and as a member of the leadership council.

For the last 2 years Mrs. Loucks has been a member of the `Knit and Knot' group who make fleece blankets, hats and layettes for babies of mothers in the Alpha Center for Women.

Madam Speaker, our country is certainly better because of Mrs. Loucks' commitment to her family and the years of volunteer service within the military, her community and her church. Hers is a life well lived and a pattern for others to follow. I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dixie Loucks.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dennis Everhart of Woodrow, Colorado, for his impressive contributions to Colorado agriculture. Dennis touched many lives and shared his love for agriculture as a Vocational Agriculture teacher for 26 years. Recently, Dennis received the high honor of induction into the Colorado Agriculture Hall of Fame.

Dennis was raised on a ranch in New Raymer, Colorado, where his family ran a cow and calf operation. After working several years in the oil fields and with his parents in a custom haying operation, Dennis joined the Marines. Following 52 months of active duty, Dennis returned home and earned his bachelor of science degree from Colorado State University in 1970. Dennis taught Vocational Agriculture at Woodlin School in Washington County from 1970 to 1998, taking 1 year off to teach in Golden and 2 years off to manage a commercial hog operation. After retirement, Dennis ran for county commissioner and is currently serving his ninth year as Washington County Commissioner. Dennis and his wife Evelyn are the parents of three grown sons: Doug, Todd and Dennis.

Dennis taught a complete program in vocational agriculture, including crop science, livestock science, agricultural mechanics, marketing and management, and leadership skills. Both he and his students enjoyed a great deal of success. Twenty-six of his students earned the American Farmer/FFA degree; 81 students received the State Farmer/FFA degree. There were also a number of State winners of proficiency awards as well as several State officers from the Woodlin Future Farmers of America chapter. Several of Mr. Everhart's students are currently teaching agriculture education in Colorado. Dennis was a mentor to other young educators as well, supervising student teachers for 23 years. Additionally, Dennis was a sponsor of a successful Colorado Young Farmers Education Association Chapter.

As an individual, Dennis earned many awards through the years, including: honorary membership in the Woodlin FFA chapter; Honorary State Farmer Degree; Honorary American Farmer Degree; Friend of Washington County; 4-H Outstanding Young Farmer Advisor; Outstanding Young Member of Colorado Vocational Ag Teachers Association; Outstanding Region II Teacher for National Association of Ag Educators; Distinguished Service Award from Production Credit Association and officer of the Colorado Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association (serving as president 1987-1988). Dennis was also named U.S. Steel's Ag Teacher of the year and 1998 Ag Teacher of the year by Western District Ag Education.

Dennis led by example and his enthusiastic community involvement demonstrated his passion for making a positive impact on the world around him. I am extremely proud to have the opportunity to honor Dennis Everhart today for his commitment and devotion to Colorado agriculture.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable American, William E. Hudson, and congratulate him on his promotion to the rank of Brigadier General.

During my time in Congress, I have come to greatly respect and admire Brig. Gen. Hudson's profound patriotism and sense of duty to his country. Brig. Gen. Hudson is currently the Acting Chief of the Joint Staff of the Colorado National Guard and Commander of the Space Operations Group of the 140th Wing at Buckley Air Force Base. In a matter of days Brig. Gen. Hudson will assume the role of Assistant Adjutant General for the Colorado Air National Guard.

As the former commander of the 137th Space Warning Squadron at the Greeley Air National Guard Station, Brig. Gen. Hudson was responsible for ensuring the squadron performed its vital--and unique--mission of providing immediate, global missile warning and space launch detection in the event of an attack against our Nation.

Brig. Gen. Hudson received his commission from the Reserve Officer Training Corps at New Mexico State University. Over the course of his illustrious career, he has served our Nation in a variety of capacities. He was recently the Battle Watch Captain at European Command's Joint Operations Center in Stuttgart, Germany. Additionally, Brig. Gen. Hudson has served as Weapons Controller, Chief of Training, Chief of Plans, Chief of Intelligence, Chief of Communications Operations, and Director of Operations for the 154th Air Control Group at Buckley Air National Guard Base.

As an officer, husband, and father, Brig. Gen. Hudson is truly an extraordinary American. I am humbled by his patriotism and sincerely grateful for his life of service to our Nation. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing and thanking Brigadier General William E. Hudson.