Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, we can handle this quicker than 20 minutes. Just accept the amendment. Just do a unanimous consent and accept this amendment, and we are out of here.

I cannot believe the discussion I have heard on homeland security funding. Anybody watching this debate would have to conclude that the integrity and the honor and what America stands for throughout the world and throughout history is all about money. That is all that matters. Nothing else matters.

We are talking about giving to a company that has renounced its U.S. citizenship a $10 billion contract and putting them in charge of border security. What a ridiculous idea. A foreign company in charge of our borders, rewarding a company that said, We don't want to be an American company anymore. That is not important to us. What is important to us is money. Give us more money.

This company has a great history of just being interested in money. They have demonstrated throughout the time that they have been in existence all they care about is money. Being an American is not important.

I think this absolutely desecrates the Declaration of Independence and those great men and women, or the great men that signed it, women would have if they had been allowed to, and especially that last sentence that says: ``In support of this declaration, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.''

Is the security of this Nation and the future of this country not any more important to those that would vote against this amendment than to say it is about money? Throughout history this country has been willing to pay any price, we have been willing to sacrifice whatever we had, to keep this country great, to keep it strong, to do what was necessary to preserve freedom and liberty and the pursuit of happiness and opportunity for everybody.

Yet, you come to this floor, and I hope I would get to be there for those of you who will vote against this amendment, so you can explain to your children and grandchildren, Son, granddaughter, it is not about being an American, it is not in your heart, it is not about what you have to do to make this place what it is. It is about money. And we failed. We failed because we did not want anybody to have to sacrifice just a little bit. We made it possible for companies to put themselves together, move offshore and cheat good, honest, hard-working taxpayers, and take advantage of them.

How can you face those men and women that are going to come back from the Middle East and that put their lives on the line, and they are going to have to go to work and pay taxes? How are you going to face them when you say, Well, I thought it was a good idea to take care of this bunch of shysters that put this company together and went offshore and cheated you out of a few hundred million dollars. I think that is a great idea, and I wanted to support that.

If you want to support it, that is the thing for you to do. Stand up today and be counted. Say it is not about integrity, it is not about honor, it is not about that great spirit that lives in the hearts of all Americans. It is about money, and we are going to make sure that all of the rich people we can find, we are going to give them all the money they can get.

You are going to keep doing this, and you are going to destroy this great Nation. Anybody that could watch this debate can only conclude that the people that are in charge of this House care about only one thing, making their rich friends richer. And if you can vote for this, God help you.

Mr. Chairman, I object.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.

I yield to the gentleman from Kentucky.

Mr. Chairman, with all due respect, I do not think there is anything more important than the debate we are having today. I think that those that have something more important to do, I think it is perfectly all right for them to go ahead and do it.

Mr. Chairman, we are having this debate. We are making decisions that are going to affect the future of this country. This is a very serious matter. We have gotten ourselves, this administration has gotten this country in a terrible mess, and one of the things they have done to cause this to happen is to outsource, to take jobs that belong, that should be done by the government and contract them to somebody else.

I am beginning to wonder if we are going to see a resolution on this floor that says all government functions will be contracted to Halliburton with a sole source contract agreement, and to ask this House to approve such a ridiculous thing.

We have a serious problem on our borders. It needs to be handled by serious people. We have gotten in trouble in Iraq because we have hired people to do what should have been a military function or a function of the government and turned it over to something else, to somebody that had no accountability, somebody that does not have to prove that they have done it right. We need to have this debate.

This administration just simply does not understand the difference in getting the job done for the American people and a good excuse when they fail. That is where we are right now. And the generations that come after us are going to have a terrible mess on their hands to deal with. It is all because we have not been responsible in seeing that the job got done, and it is time for this body to uphold its responsibility and hold these people that are running the government accountable. This amendment will make it possible for us to do that.

I urge the Members of this House to take this bill and what it means in this amendment very seriously. We know that when Americans are given the task that they will do the job and do it well. When we start contracting out these responsibilities of our agencies like this amendment prohibits, we do not have any way of knowing what is going to happen. We are going to just turn it out. My goodness alive, I cannot imagine what kind of ridiculous things might pop up after what we have already seen that this administration is willing to do. It is time for this body to exercise oversight that we are responsible for using.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York for yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose this rule for a very simple reason: my citizenship in the United States of America is not for sale.

In the State of Arkansas, when they began to call up the National Guard and Reserves to serve, they went willingly. They are still there. They are doing their job. In Arkansas, we have some really wonderful companies. One of those companies is Wal-Mart. What Wal-Mart did was this: they said the employees that we have that are in the National Guard and Reserves that are going to have to take a pay cut to serve, we are going to make up the difference. We are going to give them out of our pockets that money, and they did. And those men and women in uniform today who are on the battlefield are having to pay taxes on that generous contribution that Wal-Mart is making to them.

That is an honorable and proper thing to do.

But now, we have the Committee on Rules determined to make it possible for a company of questionable reputation at best, called Accenture, that chose to renounce their American citizenship and renounce any obligation

that they might have to our men and women on the battlefield and say to the whole world, money is the most important thing to us. That is what we care about, money. We will give up our American citizenship. That is what they said, and that is what they did.

But this rule makes it possible for them to get by with it and get a $10 billion contract from the Department of Homeland Security. I cannot imagine why in the world the Department ever agreed to give them that contract in the first place. It is absolutely irresponsible. I do not understand why the leadership on the Republican side decided to take this out of the bill. I do not understand that. I know that people work hard to develop a good Department of Homeland Security bill, and the American people deserve better, and if we allow this company to thumb their nose at being an American and turn around and give them a $10 billion contract paid for by hard-working Americans that pay their taxes and do not complain about it, we have done the wrong thing.

I urge this House to reject this rule and have the Committee on Rules come back to us with a good rule.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to insert into the Record testimony submitted by the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare to the Senate Finance Committee regarding the new Medicare discount card program. This statement correctly identifies some of the concerns Seniors have with discount cards and the Medicare Prescription Drug Law in general.

Mr. Chairman, we believe the problems evident in the

discount card program have provided Congress with a unique

opportunity to correct the flaws in the new Medicare bill

before it goes into effect.--Barbara B. Kennelly, President

and CEO, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and

Medicare.

Statement for the Record--Senate Finance Committee, Medicare Drug Card:

Delivering Savings for Participating Beneficiaries, June 8, 2004

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee: On behalf of the

3.2 million members and supporters of the National Committee

to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, we applaud Chairman

Grassley and Senator Baucus for holding this hearing today.

We

have discovered through many meetings with seniors around the

country that they remain confused and skeptical about the new

discount card program. This is unfortunate, because there are

some seniors--particularly those who qualify for the low-

income benefit--who will clearly benefit from the new

discount cards. In our written materials and many meetings,

we have urged seniors everywhere to research the cards and

determine whether they will benefit from them. We welcome

hearings such as this, because we believe they can provide

critical information to millions of seniors struggling to

understand the new benefit.

Unfortunately, we believe most of the problems with the new

cards are inherent in the design of the program and cannot be

corrected by the end of 2005. More importantly, we believe

the discount cards are a metaphor for the entire new Medicare

law. Unless the law is rewritten, the same fundamental flaws

that have made the discount cards so frustrating to seniors

today will make the new drug benefit equally disappointing

when it becomes effective in 2006, and could undermine public

support for the entire Medicare program.

The National Committee to Preserve Social Security and

Medicare spent the last six years advocating for a

comprehensive, affordable prescription drug benefit offered

through the Medicare program, because that is what our

seniors have been telling us they need and we believe they

deserve. If Congress had worked directly through Medicare

rather than a system of private providers to provide both the

temporary discount card and the permanent drug benefit, it

could have taken advantage of the universal, consistent,

inexpensive delivery system that is already inherent in the

Medicare program. The result would have been a simple,

meaningful benefit to seniors.

Unfortunately, that is not what has been implemented

through P.L. 108-173. We understand that the wide variety of

discount card providers was intended as a service to seniors,

to give them the broadest array of card choices. But instead

of providing a benefit to seniors, the multitude of options

has proved to be extremely confusing, particularly with so

few seniors comfortable using the Internet. Allowing sponsors

of the cards to change both the drugs covered and the

discounts on the drugs weekly was intended to encourage

competition between providers, further lowering prices. But

experience to date has shown the listed prices can go up as

well as down, and even those seniors who research the cards

carefully cannot be certain they will end up with the best

deal. Meanwhile, because seniors are only allowed to have one

Medicare-approved card at a time, and they are locked into

their chosen card until the end of the year, they worry about

being forced to stay with a plan that ultimately does not

provide them with significant benefits. This worry can result

in paralysis, with seniors preferring not to purchase a card

at all rather than risk buying one that does not serve their

needs.

This problem will be exacerbated when the permanent benefit

begins. We do not know today how many companies will opt to

provide the permanent prescription drug benefit in 2006, so

it is not clear whether seniors will be faced with a choice

between as many providers. Even if the number of options is

smaller, however, their choices will be even more complicated

than with the discount card. Not only will they be confronted

with a confusing array of multiple providers covering

different drugs at a variety of prices, in some cases they

will also be faced with choosing between managed care

companies with completely different menus of standard health

services as well.

If they choose wrong in the case of the discount card,

their only loss is the price of the card and whatever

discounts they might have received with a different card. But

if they pick a health care provider that does not serve their

needs once the permanent benefit begins, the financial

consequences could be catastrophic. And unlike the discount

card, where taking time to make the right choice does not

have adverse consequences, seniors delaying enrollment in the

permanent benefit could pay increased premiums for the rest

of their lives.

But the most significant problem with the new Medicare law,

Mr. Chairman, is the lack of cost containment. As you know,

most seniors are on relatively fixed incomes, dependent upon

Social Security for a significant portion of their income in

retirement. They are extremely sensitive to price increases

because they rarely have a cushion of disposable income to

protect them from the ravages of inflation. They are well

aware of the skyrocketing increases in prescription drug

costs that have been confirmed in two recent studies.

Families USA found prices of the 30 most popular drugs used

by seniors increased at four times the rate of general

inflation during 2003, and AARP found a 28% increase in a

broader list of drugs from 2000 to 2003. Small wonder that

seniors are less than impressed by a discount card program

that offers reductions of 10 to 25 percent.

CMS has said it intends to monitor the cards to make sure

senior discounts are not based on artificially inflated

prices, but without a clear definition of what is an

acceptable price increase, and considering the issues of

artificially inflated prices represented by Average Wholesale

Prices, protecting seniors will not be easy. And we are not

aware of any federal agency investigating the significant

increases prescription drug prices have experienced in recent

years, to determine whether those increases were warranted in

the first place.

If the new prescription drug benefit is offered through

Medicare, the purchasing power of its 41 million seniors can

be harnessed to negotiate for the lowest possible prices,

with all the savings passed along directly to seniors. But

without effective cost containment, the new prescription drug

benefit could well turn out to be an illusion for many

seniors, offering limited federal assistance in paying for

drugs whose cost keeps skyrocketing unchecked, much as the

discount card program appears to many seniors today. And

unfortunately, the drug benefit that looks meager today will

only become worse with time. According to Medicare's own

Trustees, within a few short years seniors will need to have

over $8,580 in covered drug costs to trigger the catastrophic

coverage. At that point, seniors will be paying over $6,000

in out-of-pocket costs, in addition to an estimated $730 in

annual premiums, and only $2,500 will be picked-up by

Medicare.

Many in Congress, including you, Mr. Chairman, have

acknowledged the lack of cost containment in the new

prescription drug program by advocating for reimportation of

drugs from Canada and other countries. While the National

Committee supports reimportation, we believe any relief it

offers will be temporary.

Mr. Chairman, we believe the problems evident in the

discount card program have provided Congress with a unique

opportunity to correct the flaws in the new Medicare bill

before it goes into effect. We urge you to revisit the

program while there is still time to make the fundamental

changes that will be needed to provide seniors with the kind

of access to affordable drugs that they truly require. We

look forward to working with you toward this goal as the

process continues.

Mr. Speaker, in the 1st Congressional District of Arkansas, the greatest health care problem we have is the fact that this government, this Congress, this majority, this President has made it possible and even more able for the drug companies to steal and rob from our senior citizens. It is an incredible act, the Medicare reform that was passed. That is the only thing it accomplished, was make it possible so that the drug companies could continue to rob and steal from the American people.

In Arkansas, we usually think of thieves as coming in the dark of night or committing a violent act to steal your property, but now, because of the Medicare Reform Act and these Medicare cards, we have made it possible for the drug companies to steal, cheat and rob our senior citizens without hardly putting out any effort, and we have created so much confusion that it is an easily accomplished act. It is time to put an end to this.

Mr. Speaker, as I listen to the retorts from the other side, I think they must have adopted that great Republican philosophy that has kind of come back here recently, ``Do not worry about the mule going blind, just load the wagon.'' And that sure is what we are doing right now: loading the wagon for our children and grandchildren.

I hear them talking about drug cards. You just call that 800 number and see what happens. Nothing. It is just like the drug card. You get nothing. It is another way to trick people.

We are going to be asked this week to raise the debt ceiling again, by $700 billion, and to put our children again deeper and deeper and deeper in debt. It is insane to continue to do this to the next generations. If we are doing so frazzling good, then how come we are broke? I just do not understand that.

I hear them get up here every day and talk about how good things are. It is time to do the right thing.

Mr. Speaker, every American should be confident that whether they lose their job, change jobs, get sick or just grow old, they should be able to find affordable, reliable health care.

We know how to do this. I agree with the gentleman on the other side of the aisle. We have the ultimate association health plan available. We could make every American eligible for the Federal Employees Benefit Plan at their own expense. That would be the ultimate in the association health care plan. We can also make people over 55 eligible for Medicare. We can make low-income working families eligible for Medicaid.

We know how to provide health care coverage for the American people. If we are going to do this, we also know that we have to provide a fair, reasonably priced pharmaceutical product to these same people. We cannot continue to allow the drug manufacturers to rob the American people.

Mr. Speaker, to die for one's country, while tragic, is the ultimate honor. To die for the freedom of others may not carry with it an adequate expression to illustrate the debt it generates. Today, I rise to honor Staff Sergeant Billy Joe Orton who was killed during his tour of duty in Taji, Iraq. He was 41 years old.

Staff Sergeant Orton dedicated his life to serving our Nation bravely. He served in Panama from November 1993 to November 1996; Egypt from October 2001 to August 2002, and was ordered to active duty for ``Iraqi Freedom'' on Oct. 12, 2003, with the 39th Infantry Brigade in Arkansas.

His dedication to his country was surpassed only by his love for his family, friends and community. The lives he touched were evident as more than 150 people recently gathered outside the Orton home where Staff Sergeant Orton lived with his wife, Margarita, and their three children. The crowd gathered carrying lit candles and a heavy heart as the community came together to share the grief with the Orton family.

Arkansans have always been proud of their tight-knit communities, but to see such an outpouring of support is proof of the magnetic personality Orton possessed.

Staff Sergeant Billy Orton fought honorably to establish freedom and democracy, and we are all struck by the enormity of this tragedy. We will remember Staff Sergeant Orton for his honor, his mettle and his bravery. On behalf of the Congress, I extend the utmost respect for- a fine American, a loving father, husband and son, and the perfect model of a patriot.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a true American hero. Specialist Kenneth Alan ``Kenny'' Melton was killed when the convoy he was riding in was hit by a roadside bomb and small fire by insurgents near Baghdad. Specialist Melton was 30 years old.

Specialist Melton joined the Army in 1992 and served in Iraq as a member of the Arkansas National Guard's 39th Infantry Brigade. He was following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who also served their country in the Army. His service is a testament to his dedication to the spirit of this nation and should be admired and respected.

Despite his notable dedication to his country, he was a husband and a father first. A son, a brother and a friend to the community, Specialist Melton was a very positive young man with an overwhelming sense of patriotism.

We can ask nothing greater from a human being than to anonymously fight to help people they may have never met. To die for the freedom of others may not carry with it an adequate expression to illustrate the debt it generates. Specialist Melton has the respect of those whose lives he touched, and, now, grieving family and friends who I offer my deepest sympathies.

Specialist Melton will be remembered for his honor, his mettle, his bravery and his commitment to his family, his God and his country. On behalf of the Congress, I extend my utmost respect for a fine American, a loving father, husband and son, and the perfect model of a patriot.

Mr. Speaker, to die for one's country, while tragic, is the ultimate honor. To die for the freedom of others may not carry with it an adequate expression to illustrate the debt it generates. Today, I rise to honor Staff Sergeant Stacey Brandon who was killed during his tour of duty in Taji, Iraq. He was 35 years-old.

Staff Sergeant Brandon joined the National Guard in 1990 and when he was called to active duty for ``Iraqi Freedom'' on October 12, 2003, he answered the call and served his country with honor. His ability, intelligence and dedication quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of Staff Sergeant in February 2004.

Despite his notable dedication to his country, he was a husband and a father first. A son, a brother, a friend, an athlete and a light of optimism others were drawn to always. Along with the many lives he touched, Staff Sergeant Brandon carried God in his heart. He was a passionate singer of gospel music and he and his wife, April, joined the Hazen First Baptist Church upon their move to Hazen, Arkansas.

We can ask nothing greater from a human being than to anonymously fight to the end to help people they may have never met. Unfortunately for those left behind, this soldier has a name. He has the respect of those whose lives he touched, and, now, grieving family and friends who I offer my deepest sympathies and utmost respect.

Staff Sergeant Brandon will be remembered for his honor, his mettle, his bravery and his commitment to his family, his God and his country. On behalf of the Congress, I extend the utmost respect for a fine American, a loving father, husband and son, and the perfect model of a patriot.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an Arkansan who loves this country as much as any person I've ever met. Forrest L. Wood is an entrepreneur who has proved Americans can get as far in life as their talents will take them.

It was his own fortitude that made Ranger Boat Company what it is today. The company was founded in 1968 and almost as quickly was destroyed by fire in 1971. With no insurance and armed only with 60 salvaged boat orders, the Wood family nailed a telephone to a scorched tree, cleaned off the blackened site and began rebuilding. Within 40 days the company was back in operation building boats.

Mr. Wood's simple business philosophy continues to drive the Ranger Boat Company today, ``You must build a good product--price it fairly-- let folks know you have it, and treat your customers right.''

In addition to his many business achievements, all leading to revolutionizing the Bass Fishing Boat industry, Mr. Wood is an aggressive conservationist. His efforts to save the environment for sportsmen are as legendary as the equipment he provides them to enjoy those lands. As a result, in 1998, he was named to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Mr. Wood, his wife, Nina Kirkland, and their four daughters work together, simultaneously running a cattle ranch, construction company, and fishing guide operation. Unlike so many other business success stories, Mr. Wood's drive is based on a true desire to further his community and this country. On behalf of the Congress, I extend gratitude for all the Wood family does to make the world a better place.

Mr. Speaker, public officials are held to a higher standard. We are held to a higher standard because we have been selected by our neighbors and our communities to serve their interests.

Claud Cash was an elected official who exceeded the high standards his constituents laid before him. His death took a pillar of the community from us; he was a leader in the state of Arkansas and an example of how to serve those we represent.

Mr. Cash served as past presidents of the Trumann Lions Club and the MidSouth Farm Equipment Dealers Association and on the Boards of Directors for Liberty Bank and St. Bernard's Foundation Board. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Jonesboro, AR, the University Heights Lions Club and Trumann Masonic Lodge #693.

As a public servant, Mr. Cash served two terms in the Arkansas House of Representatives where he became the first freshman representative to be elected to the Joint Budget Committee. He later served one term in the Arkansas Senate. Throughout his public service, Mr. Cash had a reputation for bipartisan leadership, an unwavering dedication to his constituents and a sharp, legislative mind.

His business dealings were honorable and he was trusted by friends and competitors alike. His word was his bond as was the golden rule.

As we recall Mr. Cash's exceptional career, we find his accomplishments as an elected official pale only in comparison to his strong devotion to his family and his community. On behalf of the Congress, I extend sympathies to his family, and gratitude for all he did to make the world a better place.

Mr. Speaker, today more than ever, we must recognize commitments made by Americans who realize the best way to grow an economy is through continued investment infrastructure. I rise today to pay tribute to a great business and civic leader and a great Arkansan; I am honored to recognize Doyle Rogers in the Congress.

In a day and age when the presiding belief is in order to grow up and succeed you must escape Rural America, Doyle Rogers and his family lived in Batesville, Arkansas for more than 50 years, proving success comes with hard work, not a change of zip code.

His commitment to local business development is unparalleled. Mr. Rogers has started many businesses in Batesville--including the one which bares his name, the Doyle Rogers Company, a commercial real estate development firm. It was with that company in 1982 he developed and opened the Excelsior Hotel, now the Peabody Hotel, and the adjoining Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.

The opening of the Peabody--one of the finest hotels in the country-- would suffice as anyone's crowning achievement, but Mr. Rogers did so much more. He bought Metropolitan National Bank, headquartered in Little Rock, in 1983. Today, it is Central Arkansas' largest independently-owned bank employing more than 350 people. In 1985, he developed the 25-story Rogers Building, now the Stephens Building, in downtown Little Rock.

He holds honorary doctorates from Lyon College in Batesville and Philander Smith College in Little Rock. He is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Hendrix College and has served on the Advisory Board of the School of Business at the University of Arkansas. He has served as the President of the Batesville Chamber of Commerce.

In 2001, he was named Business and Professional Person of the Year by the Rotary Club in Little Rock and was presented the William F. Rector Memorial Award by Fifty For

the Future, a group of business and professional leaders in Greater Little Rock.

Doyle Rogers and his wife Josephine Raye Rogers have proved like- minded people tend to attract each other. In 2001, the White River Medical Center in Batesville received a unique Valentine's Day gift when Doyle Rogers and his wife Raye announced a gift of $1 million to the hospital. It is the largest gift in the hospital's 25-year history. The gift was used as seed money for the Josephine Raye Rogers Center for Women and Imaging.

Raye, as she's known to her friends, complements Doyle well, proving her commitment to the community is as strong as her love for her husband. The Rogers' are truly a perfect match--and a shining example of the compassion our country occasionally lacks.

Mr. Rogers knows the people of Rural America will move this country ahead. He is a great business man, an impassioned community leader and a devoted family man. On behalf of the Congress, I extend a deep sense of appreciation for all he did to drive Arkansas and this nation forward.

Mr. Speaker, our county courts are a key component of the example America sets for the rest of the world; but it is only as admirable as the men and women who serve within it. I am honored to rise today to pay tribute to a proud servant of the Monroe County Court, Tom Catlett, for the positive mark he has left on Monroe County and the courthouse he has dedicated his life to serving.

Mr. Catlett has served Monroe County for nearly 40 years, making him the longest serving county judge in Arkansas. Unfortunately for us, he has recently announced his intent to retire at the end of this year. This will end a journey which began on July 26, 1966 when Judge Catlett won the Democratic primary and was sworn in later the same year--he was 40 years old.

Since then, Judge Catlett has served 19 terms as county judge and has always called Monroe County home. He has shown the courthouse unmatched respect, specifically through a major renovation which raised the standard for beautifying county courthouses in Arkansas and across this country. It cannot be debated: Tom Catlett was a citizen who worked tirelessly for the growth and prosperity of Monroe County.

Perhaps his service is best summarized by a statement he recently made when he announced his retirement, ``I am sure that when I look back on my life, I will see the last 38 years as the happiest times of all.'' Judge Catlett is a man who took pride in his work and is honored to be in a position to help his county excel. Judge Catlett's thirst for improving his community remains unquenched and I expect even after his retirement this year, the name Tom Catlett will permeate the accomplishments of Monroe County for years to come.

On behalf of the Congress, I extend the utmost respect and deference for a man befitting such titles as county judge, community leader and example to us all. Tom Catlett is a roll model and I am honored to recognize him in this Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an American hero. Donald Dunn, chief

of Engineering and Construction Division with the Army Corps of Engineer in Little Rock, is currently in Iraq where he is helping bring oil production systems back online for the people of Iraq.

Mr. Dunn is currently serving as the Deputy for Program Management for Task Force Restore Iraqi Oil (RIO). Established in May 2003, RIO was staffed with personnel originally targeted for other positions in engineering and most had little or no background as project managers. Mr. Dunn is responsible for establishing, training and leading the Programs and Project Management team and developing a group of motivated men and women who are now getting the job done.

His dedication to this task, attention to the training and developmental needs of his staff, and his leadership have been exceptional. In addition, he gave considerable time and attention to locating and selecting the replacement program and project management personnel for future rotations.

Further, Mr. Dunn displayed ample flexibility and imagination when he retooled his staff to respond to unforeseen challenges, such as the requirement to provide approximately 400 megawatts of stand-alone power to critical oil infrastructure locations throughout Iraq. He worked tirelessly to build and improve vital relationships with contractor partners including the Coalition Provisional Authority.

Perhaps most significantly, Mr. Dunn has nurtured new relationships with Iraqi Ministry of Oil officials and local oil and gas company engineers and technicians. He has helped the people of Iraq in all his endeavors and contributed significantly to our ability to build lasting and effective relationships in the Middle East.

Recently, Mr. Dunn won an award from the Federal Executive Association for his hard work and dedication to service. His response was, ``I believe that no one exists in a vacuum, and that it takes the contributions of everyone to have a successful team.'' On behalf of the Congress, I commend Mr. Dunn for his commitment, for his intelligence and for his unwavering dedication to seeing our efforts in Iraq end in success.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding citizen; I am proud to recognize Larry Allen McCool in the Congress. His recent death was a great loss to his community, his family, his state and this nation.

Larry McCool was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi. He earned an education degree and taught history in a Jackson, MS, high school. When he wasn't teaching, he traveled around the country buying and selling unusual antiques and collectibles. Mr. McCool ended his teaching career in the early 1970s to pursue his own dreams and opened a shop in Jackson where he realized his potential in appraising antiques.

A four-time president of the Mississippi Auctioneers Association and president of the National Auctioneer's Association (NAA), Mr. McCool was a self-taught auctioneer who became one of the industry's foremost authorities on the appraisal and sale of antiques, fine arts and antebellum real estate. He continually pushed NAA to improve educational programs, increase its membership and revenues, and, most importantly, widen the charities NAA supported.

Despite his drive and dedication to auctioneering, Mr. McCool will be most remembered for his passion for charity auctions. On the day of his passing, he had planned to conduct an auction for a children's cancer fund, one of the many charities for which he raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for more than 25 years. Mr. McCool was named honorary chairman for the Hinds County chapter of the American Cancer Society, worked for the American Heart Association and volunteered his time to numerous charitable groups over the years.

On behalf of Congress, I extend my deepest sympathies to Mr. McCool's family and gratitude for the countless hours he spent serving others. He leaves a legacy of accomplishment in the industry as well as inspiring memories for those who knew him.