Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I too want to recognize Chairman Peterson and Speaker Pelosi for the hard work and the dedication that they have exhibited as they have pursued this farm bill and the great job that they have done and continue to do to get us a farm bill.

As I listened to these discussions, and I have heard them year after year, we go through this when we do the appropriations, we always have those that consider that they are more knowledgeable than the people that are actually in the business and have to make these businesses work and make them profitable. They know more about how to make this happen than the people that really do make it happen.

One thing that we know, the only reason for a farm bill and a farm bill is to guarantee adequate production and processing capacity so that our people have a reasonably priced food and fiber supply.

In a global marketplace, and we are certainly in a global marketplace in agriculture today, every country that has food security has a stronger farm bill than we do.

They have a better safety net than we do in this country.

We absolutely know, just like the chairman said, these prices come up and they go down. Right now the price that you can see on the Chicago Board of Trade is in some cases 25 percent higher than a farmer can actually receive. And even then the prices that are available to them aren't too bad.

But as the gentleman from Texas recognized, production costs, when some of these numbers were put in this bill or in the other bills that we have had, diesel fuel was 30 cents a gallon. It is $4 a gallon today, or over $4. You can say that about all of the production costs that a farmer has to face. The cost of machinery has gone up a great deal in the last couple of years. All of these things are necessary to have efficient production of food and fiber in this country. The same thing can be said about a farm bill. Without a farm bill as a safety net, this system cannot continue to function. And I offer as evidence that it has functioned successfully for a long time, that the American people feed themselves for a lot less of their disposable income than people in any other country in the world.

Now you can't pick up a newspaper today or hear a broadcast news story for very long that doesn't talk about the high price of food. If you really want to see some catastrophic prices, just keep doing what these guys have tried to do over and over, year after year and continue to chip away at this safety net.

Like the chairman said, I believe, or maybe it was the gentleman from Texas, they want the government to decide how big your farm can be. They don't even want you to be able to decide that I will farm part of it, my son will farm part of it. They want to use every tool that there is to try to mix that up and make it less efficient.

In the South, in rice and cotton country, 2,000 acres is no longer a viable economic unit. You cannot be prepared to put in a crop on 2,000 acres with a million dollars worth of machinery and another nearly million dollars worth of fuel and fertilizer and seed and chemicals. And there are those who don't think you ought to use fertilizer, and there are those who don't think you ought to use chemicals. But if you do those things, just be ready to produce whatever you are going to eat and your family is going to eat in your own backyard because we are not going to have the efficient production machine that we have in this country today that farm bills have made possible.

And these people may have huge dollars invested, but they don't make huge profits. This is a very dangerous thing. We all know the damage that

high fuel costs and high energy costs are bringing to our economy today. That is going to be an insignificant event when we lose the ability to be the most efficient producers of food and fiber that has ever existed in the history of the world.

The American farmer doesn't have to take a second place to anybody in their ability to feed our people. They do it. It is the hardest work in the world. All they ask is a fair chance. All they ask is enough safety net so that they can get a loan from the bank and continue to do what they love to do and what they are really, really good at.

We should be doing more to allow these wonderful entrepreneurs to do what they have to do to be successful and to produce food that is inexpensive enough for us to buy it. There is no shortage of food in the United States of America today. But what these proposals will do is create a shortage that you can't fix. It will create a situation that you cannot take care of in any kind of a short time frame. You just get one crop a year.

So I would ask this Congress, and I would ask the gentlemen, I know they have good intentions, unfortunately they have got bad ideas. This is something that we should not gamble with. We have got a system that we know works. I think it is inadequate, but at least give us this so that our producers can have the ability to continue to be successful.

I once again thank the chairman for all of his hard work.

Madam Speaker, I rise here today to recognize retired Brigadier General and former State Representative Bobby G. Wood. Wood's service to his country may have begun as a Korean war veteran, but his civic contributions continued for decades. His recent death was a great loss to his community, his State and this Nation.

Bobby G. Wood was born March 19, 1931, in Lake City to Gaines E. and Hallie Bob Wood. He was a 1949 graduate of Lake City High School and graduated from Arkansas State University in 1953 with a degree in business administration.

Upon graduation from ASU, Wood was awarded an Army ROTC commission as a 2nd lieutenant in the corps of artillery. During his 33-year tenure in the Army National Guard, he served on active duty in the Korean war, attained the rank of brigadier general, served as the commander of the 875th Engineer Battalion, and was the Arkansas Assistant State Adjutant General.

In addition to his outstanding military career, Wood represented Craighead County for 20 years in the Arkansas State House of Representatives. Wood was a charter member of the Northeast Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, serving as president for 2 years. He was inducted into the ASU ROTC Hall of Heroes and was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus by the ASU Alumnus Association in 2007. He was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Jonesboro and served as a church deacon.

Woods was business manager and part owner of Delta Gas & Oil and Delta Farms, Inc. of Lake City.

On behalf of Congress, I extend my deepest sympathies to Mr. Wood's family and gratitude for the countless hours he spent serving others. He leaves behind a legacy of accomplishment, but it was his dedication to give back to the community that deserves recognition. Wood was a devout family man and a distinguished Arkansan, and I am honored to recognize him today in the United States Congress. His friendship will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Madam Speaker, I rise here today to pay tribute to a dear friend, Michael Evans Wilson, who was a longtime advocate for advancement of education and a veteran who honorably served our country. His passion for improving the lives of Arkansans will be missed, as well as his unwavering friendship. He delighted in asking penetrating questions, and his friendship was a treasure.

Mike was a compassionate and caring family man who loved his wife and children more than anything else in the world. He had a never-ending and burning desire to help people, and he made a lasting impression on each and every individual who knew him.

Mike was the son of the late Robert Edward Lee Wilson III and Patte Evans Wilson. He was the great-great-grandson of Robert Edward Lee Wilson, who founded Lee Wilson and Co. of Wilson in 1886.

He attended high school at the Baylor School in Chattanooga, TN, and graduated from The Citadel at Charleston, SC, in 1965. He served in the United States Army in Korea, and he achieved the rank of captain in air defense artillery prior to his honorable discharge in 1967.

Following his tour of duty in the Army. Mike returned to Wilson to work at Lee Wilson and Co. He served as chairman and chief executive officer of Lee Wilson and Co. from 1987 to the present.

Mike loved the State of Arkansas. Throughout his life, he became well known and highly

respected for his philanthropy, his willingness to devote countless hours to charitable endeavors and for his passion for the advancement of education, both on a statewide and national level. Because of his commitment to his community, he was elected mayor of the City of Wilson from 1986 to the present.

I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Michael Evans Wilson. He was an incredible person who made a difference in the lives of so many Arkansans. He will be remembered as a great friend and will be missed by all who knew him.

Madam Speaker, I rise here today to pay tribute to an outstanding citizen and dear friend. I am proud to recognize one of Arkansas greatest public servants Vada Sheid. Her recent death was a great loss for our community and our Nation.

Vada Sheid was the first woman to be elected to both the Arkansas House of Representatives and the Arkansas State Senate. Her career in public service, which also included positions in numerous county offices, boards, commissions and committees, spanned across five decades. Mrs. Sheid was instrumental in securing significant road improvements for north central Arkansas as well as the creation of Arkansas State University-Mountain Home.

Vada Webb was born on August 19, 1916, in Izard County. She grew up in Calico Rock and entered public service working at the Izard County welfare office when she was 19. Shortly after she married Carl Sheid in 1941 the couple moved to El Dorado and eventually settled in Mountain Home.

In 1958, Mrs. Sheid ran for Baxter County treasurer and lost. In 1960, she ran again, won, and served as treasurer through 1965. In 1966, she was elected to the State house of representatives and served four terms. She was only one of four women who served during the 1967- 1968 term. In 1976, Mrs. Sheid was elected to the State senate and became the only woman to serve in both houses in Arkansas.

In 1987, Governor Bill Clinton appointed her to the State Police Commission. In 1992, after a resignation of the local State representative, Mrs. Sheid ran for office again and won, serving in the house again until 1995.

Her work to improve education and ASU Mountain Home earned her an honorary doctor of law degree from the college in 1998. Her dedication to serving the community is remembered by the Mountain Home Area Chamber of Commerce's Vada Sheid Lifetime Achievement Award, which is given to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the community.

On behalf of Congress, I extend my deepest sympathies to Mrs. Sheid's family and gratitude for the countless hours she spent serving others. She leaves a legacy of accomplishment in Arkansas as well as inspiring memories for all who knew her.

Madam Speaker, I rise here today to offer our thoughts and prayers to the victims of the recent tornados that have devastated many parts of Arkansas and the surrounding region. On behalf of the Congress I especially extend our sympathies to the families who have lost a loved one in this terrible tragedy.

As we move to rebuild our State, I commend all those who have reached out to their neighbors to provide assistance in this time of need. As families and businesses begin the cleanup process, I am committed to helping these individuals get the resources they need to rebuild their lives and communities.

Arkansans are great people who exemplify Southern hospitality and I have great faith our communities will persevere and prevail through this difficult time.

Madam Speaker, ensuring health care, including physical therapy services, is available to those who need it most is vital to our Nation. I support the Sestak amendment to H.R. 4137, The College Opportunity and Affordability Act, which would add physical therapists to the ``national need'' section of this legislation so that they may qualify for student loan forgiveness. As a lead sponsor of the Physical Therapist Student Loan Repayment Eligibility Act, H.R. 1134, I understand the student loan debt challenges faced by physical therapists, who along with nursing, are currently the only health care profession listed in shortage on the Department of Labor's Schedule A classification. I am joined on H.R. 1134 by Representative Jo Ann Emerson and 113 bipartisan cosponsors who support adding physical therapists who agree to practice in rural and underserved areas to the list of providers eligible to participate in the National Health Service Corps Student Loan Repayment Program. The Sestak amendment, while it does not address access to care for every patient in rural and urban underserved areas, would help begin to address this need by granting student loan forgiveness to physical therapists who care for children, adolescents or veterans.

Physical therapists treat patients of all ages who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. These services are essential to many children with disabilities in Arkansas and across our Nation. Physical therapists also work with patients to prevent the loss of mobility by developing fitness and wellness oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles which are essential in addressing our Nation's obesity crisis.

I encourage my colleagues to support the Sestak amendment and also to join as a cosponsor on the bill to include physical therapists in the National Health Service Corps, H.R. 1134.

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, January 17, I was unable to vote on rollcall votes Nos. 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 due to unavoidable circumstances. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall votes Nos. 13, 14, 15, and 16; and ``aye'' on rollcall votes Nos. 12, 17, and 18.

Madam Speaker, first, I would encourage everyone to remember our men and women in uniform and their families and reach out to them.

The Arkansas delegation rises this morning to pay tribute to a man that has made magnificent contributions to the State of Arkansas, to college athletics, to this country. His leadership, working together with the people of Arkansas, has demonstrated the great value of the people working together for the common good.

His contributions are unmatched. He has demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt the value of integrity and decency, always take the high road. He has made us all very proud to be Razorbacks, as has just been alluded to from my colleague in northwest Arkansas, but he has also demonstrated to the human race what it means to not only be a Razorback, but to be a man of great class and integrity and always take the high road.

Madam Speaker, I rise here today to pay tribute to a fine American, a hard-working family man and a good friend, Jim Williams.

Jim was born in Jonesboro, AR, on January 9, 1928, and graduated from Valley View High School. Jim and his wife Joyce were married on December 27, 1953, in Bono, AR. After school he joined the United States Air Force and honorably served our country overseas for 2 years. After serving, he returned home to Arkansas to become a farmer and eventually took a job working for the tool and die shop.

When he realized that working in a factory was not what he wanted to do, he moved to Detroit to learn automechanics from the Wolverine Trade Institute. Armed with specialty training and knowledge, he returned to Jonesboro to become a service manager at Aycock Pontiac and soon became one of the most highly regarded service managers in the country. Jim retired from Aycock when he was 62 after more than 20 years of loyal service to the business. Today he is enjoying his retirement years by spending time with his family and is an active member of the Walnut Street Baptist Church.

Whatever endeavor Jim decided to do, from being a service manager to driving the tractor on the family farm, it was evident that he had an impeccable work ethic. In addition, he always treated everyone with respect and dignity, which is one of the many reasons he was a successful service manager at Aycock Pontiac and well regarded throughout his community.

Jim has been married to his wife Joyce for 53 years. They have one daughter, two grandchildren and are expecting their first great- grandchild in the spring. Jim's commitment to our country and his decades of service to his community and his family are remarkable. In honor of his 80th birthday, I ask my fellow members of Congress to join me in congratulating Jim on this special occasion.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an honorable lifelong farmer, fine American and dear friend who made significant contributions to the agricultural community for our nation.

Frank Sollars was born in 1921 in Concord Township, Ohio to Walter Eugene and Mabel Blanche Bowers Sollars and graduated from Washington High School in 1939.

Although he was a farmer by profession, Frank was also a leader in agricultural cooperatives, the insurance business and agricultural financing. As an International Cooperative Alliance Central Committee member, Frank hosted delegations from Russia, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, China, Japan, and Taiwan on the farm. Frank served as president of the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and the Ohio Agricultural Marketing Association. He served as a board member of the American Farm Bureau Federation, the American Agricultural Marketing Association and served on the Board of Governors of the National Agricultural Hall of Fame. He was a board member on the first Soil Conservation Service Board in Fayette County for ten years and was chairman for five years.

Frank held numerous leadership roles in the finance industry including Chairman of the Board of Nationwide Insurance, Chairman of the Board of the National Cooperative Business Association, a director of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Ohio Consumers council and a director of the Fifth Third Bank of Columbus. He served on the Federal Reserve Bank Advisory Committee and was instrumental in establishing the National Cooperative Bank in Washington, D.C. where he served as Board Chairman from 1980-1998 after being appointed by Presidents Carter, Reagan and Bush.

Commonly referred to as the ``Founding Father of the National Cooperative Banks,'' Frank was awarded the Stanley W. Dreyer Spirit of Cooperation Award in 2006 for his commitment and dedication to banking. In recognition of Frank as an international cooperative mentor, The Frank B. Sollars Fund for International Cooperation was established in 1998.

Locally, Frank was a member of the Fayette County Farm Bureau, Fayette County Agronomy Committee and Agronomy Club, and the Concord Township Farm Bureau Advisory Council. He served as board member of the American Red Cross of Greater Columbus representing Fayette County and was a trustee of the Southern State Community College Foundation. Frank served on the board as chairman of the Fayette County Bank and Sollars Brothers Corporation.

Frank received numerous honors throughout his life including being inducted into the Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame, Fayette Agricultural Hall of Fame, National Cooperative Business Association Hall of Fame and the Ohio Soil and Water Conservation Hall of Fame. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the Ohio Farm Bureau and was named the Outstanding Young Farmer by the Ohio Jaycees in 1956.

Although Frank has been recognized for numerous honors, he always believed his family was his greatest accomplishment. Frank gave many years of his life to improve and promote the agricultural industry he loved, because he truly believed it was his duty to serve his family and his country. He was a member of the Grace United Methodist Church.

A devout public servant, Frank was a man of honor and compassion. On behalf of the Congress, I extend sympathies to his family and gratitude for all he did to improve agriculture for our nation. His service and friendship will be missed by all.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for my name to be removed as a cosponsor of H. Res. 106.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great Arkansan and a fine American, Judge Richard S. Arnold. I'm proud to recognize Judge Arnold in the United States Congress for his years of service as a legal scholar. His carefully reasoned and articulate opinions set new standards in the legal profession. Although Judge Arnold rose to one of the highest levels of his profession, he always maintained a sense of grace and humility that was admired by all.

Judge Arnold received his bachelor's degree summa cum laude from Yale and later graduated magna cum laude and first in his class from Harvard Law School. In addition to serving as a clerk to Justice William Brennan at the U.S. Supreme Court, Arnold served as a legislative assistant to Senator Dale Bumpers of Arkansas and was eventually appointed Judge for the U.S District Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas. He was appointed to the Eighth Circuit in 1980 and finally Chief Judge on January 8, 1992 where he served until his untimely death.

According to his colleagues, Judge Arnold's intellect was unmatched and his compassion for others is a trait that is rarely found today. He was respected for his continual search for truth and justice that he applied to each of his opinions, which are often used today as models for judging. He worked tirelessly to improve the judiciary and supported efforts to help other judges across the nation improve their skills and in turn the legal profession.

Judge Richard Arnold has been recognized by the dedication of the United States Courthouse in Little Rock, AK where his life and his work can continue to be remembered. He was a fine Arkansan and a fine American and will be greatly missed by all.

Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. Chairman, first of all, I want to thank the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Financial Services for his magnificent leadership on this issue of modernizing and reforming FEMA's flood insurance program.

I rise to offer this amendment along with my colleagues, Mrs. Emerson and Mr. Hulshof from Missouri, Mr. Costello and Mr. Hare of Illinois, and Mr. Ross of Arkansas.

This amendment addresses concerns that we have heard from property owners, local governments, small businesses, Realtors, lenders, and others regarding FEMA's flood maps and the uncertainty they have caused in our local communities. The arbitrary and technically deficient blanket warning note that FEMA currently uses has caused confusion as to whether or not some areas are in a floodplain or not, whether flood insurance is needed or not. This has placed an unnecessary burden on property owners and threatens economic development in some of the most impoverished areas of the Nation.

This amendment dramatically improves FEMA's current policy, requiring any note placed on flood maps to more fully and accurately inform the property owners about the protection value of their levees. This amendment will continue the objective of educating property owners and reminding them of the importance of honestly assessing their risk, reminding them that they may consider optional purchase of flood insurance, even if they are not in a special flood hazard area.

I believe this is a reasonable amendment which maintains the important objectives of providing accurate information about the safety of the levees, encouraging honest assessments of flood risks, while eliminating the uncertainty that FEMA has created. I urge my colleagues to adopt this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to my colleague from south Arkansas (Mr. Ross).

Mr. Chairman, I appreciate very much the bipartisan way this amendment has been developed and I think it demonstrates that we can work together on both sides of the aisle to do commonsense things.

It is unfortunate that we have been put in the position by a Federal agency because of severe mismanagement to where we have to become involved in such matters. But I thank everyone for their approach to this, and particularly thank the committee.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great Arkansan and a fine citizen of DeWitt, Arkansas. I am proud to recognize Dr. John Hestir in the United States Congress for his 50 years of service as the leading medical professional in DeWitt, Arkansas. He has made numerous invaluable contributions to his community, his state and our Nation.

Originally from Des Arc, Arkansas, John Hestir attended University of Arkansas and later the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas for graduate school. While attending school in Texas, he accepted an offer to serve as the primary doctor of DeWitt, Arkansas.

When Hestir first moved to the small town, DeWitt had limited capacity for medical services. The town had no hospital or ambulance and the closest emergency medical facility was a 12 bed hospital in Stuttgart, which is over a half an hour away by car. However, the sparse amenities did not discourage Hestir from providing the citizens of DeWitt the medical care they needed. With some perseverance and ingenuity Dr. Hestir engineered miracles that went beyond medicine.

Dr. Hestir knew that in order for him to better serve the people of DeWitt he needed an improved medical facility. In 1962, Hestir convinced the mayor, Jim Colvert, to apply for a government grant to build an 18 bed hospital. Today, the hospital has been expanded to a 35 bed facility, serving DeWitt and the surrounding areas. Hospital capacity is not the only expansion happening in DeWitt. With this new hospital and other improved medical care, people are living much longer. When Dr. Hestir first arrived in DeWitt, the life expectancy was 58 for men and 62 for women, today the average stands at 78 for men and 84 for women.

Dr. Hestir embodies the old fashion values of service, leadership and commitment to his community that have made our State and our Nation great. He has dedicated his life to serving the people of DeWitt as a leader in both his profession and his community. On behalf of the United States Congress, I extend congratulations and best wishes to my good friend Dr. John Hestir, for 50 years of outstanding personal and professional achievements.

I thank the gentleman from Minnesota. I can't say enough good things about the wonderful work he has done as chairman of this committee. He can be forever proud of the way he has brought the real bill together.

It is an interesting thing that the people that have risen in support of the Kind amendment, which I oppose, none of them serve on the committee. None of them have recognized that the committee bill passed by unanimous consent out of the committee. That, in and of itself, is enough for us to support the committee bill.

The only reason for a farm bill and to have farm and food policy is to ensure adequate production and processing capacity so that the American people have enough to eat and clothes on their back. The committee bill does this; the Kind amendment destroys that safety net that has made that possible.