Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the many contributions of Dr. Pradeep Khosla and to thank him for his many years of service to Pittsburgh.

Dr. Khosla is one of the finest technical minds of our time, and for nearly 30 years, Pittsburgh has had the honor of calling him one of our own--first as he worked towards a PhD from Carnegie Mellon University, which he received in 1986; then later as a professor at CMU; and then finally, beginning in 2004, as Dean of CMU's Carnegie Institute of Technology. Additionally, as the founder of CyLab, he began cutting- edge work in the realm of cyber security years before many recognized the vital importance of these issues. He has done much to both enrich CMU students' day-to-day experiences and elevate CMU's national and international reputation.

Sadly for us, he has been offered and has accepted a new position as Chancellor of the University of California, San Diego. He leaves us in August, but he leaves behind a city and school that are better because of his residency and tenure there.

Pittsburgh has not been the only beneficiary of Dr. Khosla's considerable talents though. Corporations and non-profits, nation-wide and worldwide have sought his expertise and counsel. He has lent his skills and time to countless boards of directors, councils, and advisory boards. He has served as a consultant for companies, venture capital funds, and start-ups.

Amidst all of this, it's amazing that Dr. Khosla had time to do anything else, but his research work has remained exemplary. He has authored or co-authored 3 books and over 350 articles, and has served on many journals' editorial boards.

Pradeep Khosla has had a considerable impact on the life of the mind of both CMU and Pittsburgh. He has also helped transform southwestern Pennsylvania into a leader in high-technology research, development, and commercialization. I've worked closely with Pradeep on a number of issues and initiatives over the years, and through those experiences, he's also become a good personal friend. He will be sorely missed.

I want to congratulate the city of San Diego and the University of California at San Diego. You are gaining an incredible scientist, administrator, and teacher. Pittsburgh is a better place as a result of his work, and San Diego will be, too.

I want to thank Dr. Khosla for his many contributions to our city, congratulate him on his new position, and wish him continued and much- warranted success.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ketaki Desai, Elizabeth Cullinan, Tim Kelly, and Reginald Cox, four graduate students from Carnegie Mellon's Heinz School of Public Policy and Management, for their first place finish at the Hult Global Case Challenge.

Their innovative program, One Laptop Per Child, seeks to provide durable, low energy laptops for children in 3rd world countries with limited educational resources. This idea garnered the top prize at the Hult Challenge, where these CMU grad students were awarded $333,000 to encourage and further their initiative.

The Hult Global Case Challenge, now in its third year, is focused on bringing some of the brightest minds in the world together to find ways to solve key social challenges. This year, the three categories-- education, energy, and housing--had hundreds of entrants from over 130 countries around the world. Such luminaries as Muhammad Yunus, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize judged the final round; and President Bill Clinton handed out the top awards for each category. CMU's Ketaki Desai, Elizabeth Cullinan, Tim Kelly, and Reginald Cox won first place in the education category.

One Laptop Per Child seeks to provide greater educational resources for children ages 6 through 12 in impoverished areas of the world. OLPC has designed laptops with several key features geared towards helping these children. They cost significantly less to manufacture than the standard laptops we use here in the U.S.; they are pre-loaded with lots of educational software, and have wireless internet built in; they are low energy, ensuring that even children in communities without electricity can use them, then recharge the laptops using solar energy; the laptops' screens can be read in sunlight--an important feature because so many of these children go to school outside; and, perhaps most importantly, these laptops are extremely durable and rugged, because, let's face it, kids are going to be kids, no matter where they are in the world.

By providing children with these laptops, One Laptop Per Child hopes to broaden children's worldview, and enrich their educational experiences, because, as they see it, education is the foundation for the other solutions to problems like a lack of shelter or running water. Their goal is to donate and distribute 20 million laptops to poor children throughout the world over the next 5 years.

This is just one more example of the innovative work that's being done in Pittsburgh, and I am proud to be their representative.

Congratulations to these grad students and to all the bright minds in Pittsburgh working so hard to solve the world's problems. I thank them for their dedication.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this motion to instruct.

Like Mr. Barrow and many of my friends on the other side of the aisle, I support building this pipeline in a way that protects the environment and creates good American jobs--but not in the manner that this motion to instruct would have us do.

I've come to the floor many times to talk about the Keystone pipeline. Many times my concern was that we're not using enough American-made steel in this project, that a lot of what we were told initially about the steel worker jobs and the things that would be created just didn't come to materialize. But my biggest concern with this motion to instruct is we're once again talking about a 30-day timeline for approval from an agency, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which has nothing to do with oil pipeline siting and permitting.

We're tasking FERC with the regulation of wholesale electricity. We task them with ensuring reliability, hydropower permitting, and natural gas pipeline siting. FERC doesn't have the authority or the expertise to permit and site oil pipeline at all, and it is unrealistic to expect that they can do it in 30 days. And if FERC doesn't issue a permit in 30 days, it doesn't matter; this motion would allow the permit to be deemed as issued, to build the Keystone XL pipeline even if FERC doesn't approve a permit within 30 days.

A 30-day arbitrary and rushed approval for this pipeline is not worth holding up our entire highway bill conference. The Keystone XL pipeline will be built in due time with appropriate permitting. It will create good-paying jobs and strengthen our relationship with our neighbor Canada. Let's not hold up the highway bill conference that can bring even more good jobs and improved infrastructure that our country so badly needs.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this motion to instruct.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the artistic ability of a young woman from my Congressional District, Iesha Grady from Penn Hills High School. Ms. Grady is the winner of the 2012 14th Congressional District of Pennsylvania's High School Art Competition, ``An Artistic Discovery.'' Ms. Grady's artwork, a composition in oil pastels entitled ``Harmless Apple Juice?'' was selected from a number of outstanding entries to this year's competition.

In fact, 45 works from ten different schools in Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District were submitted to our panel of respected local artists. It's a real tribute to her skill and vision that her work was chosen as the winner of this year's competition. I am certain that Ms. Grady's family is proud of her artistic talents and this impressive accomplishment.

Ms. Grady's artwork will represent the 14th Congressional District of Pennsylvania in the national exhibit of high school students' artwork that will be displayed in the United States Capitol over the coming year. I encourage my colleagues as well as any visitor to Capitol Hill to view Ms. Grady's artwork, along with the winning entries from the high school art contests held in other Congressional Districts, which will be on display in the Capitol tunnel. It is amazing to walk through this corridor and see the interpretation of life through the eyes of these young artists from all across our country.

Maggie Morgans from West Mifflin High School was awarded second place for her pastel composition ``Snowmaggedon.'' Sara Hopkins from Northgate High School received third place for her pencil drawing entitled ``Britney.'' Jasper Means from Penn Hills High School was awarded fourth place for his watercolor ``Life Saving Station #7.'' Stephanie Taylor from South Allegheny High School was given fifth place for her oil painting ``Shades of Green.'' I should note, by the way, that this is the third year in a row that one of Stephanie's works has placed in this competition. Last year she took Second Place, and in 2010 her painting was the winner. Clearly, this young lady has a lot of talent.

In addition, Honorable Mention Awards were presented to works by Erin Hart of Riverview High School, Julian Moriarty from Woodland Hills High School, Alexis Yauch of McKeesport High School, Morgan Turner of Northgate High School, Mikaila Hoffman from Pittsburgh Allderdice High School, Dan O'Leary of Riverview High School, Stephanie Taylor of South Allegheny High School, Elizabeth Thornton from Sto-Rox High School, Sara Hopkins of Northgate High School, and Ashley Reid of Riverview High School.

I would like to recognize all of the participants in this year's 14th Congressional District High School Art Competition, ``An Artistic Discovery:'' from the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Adam Linn; from McKeesport High School, Jordan Armstrong, Jake Hall, Cortez Snooks, and Alexis Yauch; from Northgate High School, Sara Hopkins and Morgan Turner; from Penn Hills High School, Ebony Black-Yancey, Serena English, Stephan Godbolt, Iesha Grady, Jasper Means, and Roomel Reese; from Pittsburgh Allderdice High School, Justin E. Dumas, Sarah Fehl, Mikaila Hoffman, Asma Qutyan, and Olivia Savisky; from Riverview High School, Bailey Conroy, Erin Hart, Demetrius Kokales, Lauren McKee, Dan O'Leary, and Ashley Reid; from South Allegheny High School, Eric Raynes and Stephanie Taylor; from Sto-Rox High School, Shane Jenkins, Melissa Fowkes Palitti, Samantha Reiss, and Elizabeth Thornton; from West Mifflin High School, Kasey Angel, Victoria Cooper, Chelsey Earnest, Katie Fahringer, Kristine Lype, and Maggie Morgans; and from Woodland Hills High School, Madison Harding, Julian Moriarty, Manuel Russell, and Jacqueline Zollner.

I would like to thank these impressive young artists for allowing us to share and celebrate their talents, imagination, and creativity. The efforts of these students in expressing themselves in a powerful and positive manner are no less than spectacular.

I hope that all of these individuals continue to utilize their artistic talents, and I wish them all the best of luck in their future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ketaki Desai, Elizabeth Cullinan, Tim Kelly, and Reginald Cox, four graduate students from Carnegie Mellon's Heinz School of Public Policy and Management, for their first place finish at the Hult Global Case Challenge.

Their innovative program, One Laptop Per Child, seeks to provide durable, low energy laptops for children in 3rd world countries with limited educational resources. This idea garnered the top prize at the Hult Challenge, where these CMU grad students were awarded $333,000 to encourage and further their initiative.

The Hult Global Case Challenge, now in its third year, is focused on bringing some of the brightest minds in the world together to find ways to solve key social challenges. This year, the three categories-- education, energy,

and housing--had hundreds of entrants from over 130 countries around the world. Such luminaries as Muhammad Yunus, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize judged the final round; and President Bill Clinton handed out the top awards for each category. CMU's Ketaki Desai, Elizabeth Cullinan, Tim Kelly, and Reginald Cox won first place in the education category.

One Laptop Per Child seeks to provide greater educational resources for children ages 6 through 12 in impoverished areas of the world. OLPC has designed laptops with several key features geared towards helping these children. They cost significantly less to manufacture than the standard laptops we use here in the US; they are pre-loaded with lots of educational software, and have wireless internet built in; they are low energy, ensuring that even children in communities without electricity can use them, then recharge the laptops using solar energy; the laptops' screens can be read in sunlight--an important feature because so many of these children go to school outside; and, perhaps most importantly, these laptops are extremely durable and rugged, because, let's face it, kids are going to be kids, no matter where they are in the world.

By providing children with these laptops, One Laptop Per Child hopes to broaden children's worldview, and enrich their educational experiences, because, as they see it, education is the foundation for the other solutions to problems like a lack of shelter or running water. Their goal is to donate and distribute 20 million laptops to poor children throughout the world over the next 5 years.

This is just one more example of the innovative work that's being done in Pittsburgh, and I am proud to be their representative. Congratulations to these grad students and to all the bright minds in Pittsburgh working so hard to solve the world's problems. I thank them for their dedication.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Girls of Steel robotics team on winning the prestigious Engineering Inspiration Award as well as the Website Award at the Pittsburgh Regional ``For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (F.I.R.S.T.)'' Robotics Competition on March 8 and 9. I also want to congratulate them for winning the Innovation in Control Award at the Queen City Regional F.I.R.S.T. competition in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 5 through 7.

As the founder of the Congressional Robotics Caucus, I am a proud supporter of F.I.R.S.T. and the tremendously important purpose it serves in introducing young people to the fields of technology and engineering. Through its mentor-based programs, F.I.R.S.T. will inspire nearly 300,000 students this year while providing them with confidence, leadership, and communication skills. It is critical that we continue to encourage young people to get involved in these fields if our country is to remain competitive in the global economy in the future. The F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Competition instills a sense of pride in the individuals who participate in it and allows them to apply their natural creativity in the demanding and competitive field of robotics.

The Engineering Inspiration award is given to the team that best advances appreciation and respect for engineering through recruitment and outreach within their community and is the second highest team award F.I.R.S.T. bestows. It also qualifies the Girls of Steel to compete in the National competition in St. Louis at the end of April. The Website Award is presented to the team that best demonstrates excellence in a student-designed, built, and managed F.I.R.S.T. team website. The Innovation in Control Award celebrates an innovative control system or application of control components to provide unique machine functions.

The Girls of Steel beat over 40 other robotics teams in receiving the two awards in Pittsburgh, and they beat over 50 other robotics teams in receiving the Innovation in Control award in Cincinnati.

I would like to mention each of these dedicated young women by name. They are Christina Ambrosino, Sonia Appasamy, Katie

Ashwood, Jaden Barney, McKenna Barney, Tammy Bevilacqua, Elizabeth Bianchini, Claire Brunson, Dakota Calvert, Abby Ceraso, Rachel Clapper, Ananya Cleetus, Claudia Contreras, Kaylie Cullison, Maureen Deken, Laurel Donatelli, Mackenzie Ferris, Kiran Gaulee, Naoka Gunawardena, Grace Handler, Heather Harrington, Rosanne Harrison, Kathryn Hendrickson, Erin Higgins, Samantha Holland, Imani Horton, Natalie Janosik, Campbell Konrad, Elizabeth Kysel, Sylvie Lee, Shana Leshko, Murong Li, Serena Mani, Mansi Mann, Pragna Mannam, Elise Medeiros, Grace Mitro, Sruthi Muluk, Lindsay Myer, Remy Niman, Raina Oravec, Olivia Parks, Jennifer Rickens, Kaylyn Rocher, Alex Roth, Rachel Round, Chelsi Sayti, Katelin Shreve, Amrita Singh, Jessica Slain, Nancy Soliman, Lauren Spence, Lynn Urbina, Bryce Volk, Rebecca Volk, Molly Walsh, Giulia Watkins, and Melanie Young.

Pittsburgh is proud of the Girls of Steel for their hard work and dedication to the fields of robotics and engineering and for inspiring others within their community to get involved in this important industry. I wish them the best of luck in St. Louis in April and congratulate them once again on their continued success in the F.I.R.S.T. Robotics Competition.

Thank you to my colleague and friend, Anna Eshoo, the ranking member of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 3309, the FCC Process Reform Act. This legislation would place severe procedural burdens on the FCC at a time when telecommunications is such a major part of the lives of my constituents and the American public. H.R. 3309 would create harmful restrictions on the FCC's ability to enact consumer protections, and it could also limit the Agency's ability to respond to communications-related emergencies and cybersecurity threats.

One of the restrictions imposed by H.R. 3309 is a requirement that the FCC issue a Notice of Inquiry before the Agency begins work on an actual rulemaking unless the FCC can demonstrate that a Notice of Inquiry is not necessary. A Notice of Inquiry, Mr. Chairman, is basically an information-gathering exercise that lets the public know about the FCC's intention to examine an issue and collects initial comments from stakeholders. While in many cases a Notice of Inquiry is a very important part of the FCC's rulemaking process, a congressional mandate to conduct a Notice of Inquiry in every FCC proceeding would be an enormous procedural burden for the Agency.

Mr. Chairman, I'm concerned that the potential impacts of this legislation have not been fully considered.

If I could, I would like to share just one example of the harmful potential consequences this legislation would have, even for bipartisan goals.

Last year, Congress enacted a bill that I authored to create more community-run radio stations around the country. This bill was broadly supported by both sides of the aisle because so many of our constituents will benefit from more news reporting on local issues and emergency responses. The FCC is currently implementing that law and expects to open a window for radio station licensing sometime next year. But provisions in H.R. 3309, such as the requirement for a Notice of Inquiry, could slow down the implementation of this law and many other rulemakings by several years by adding procedural hurdles for the Agency to jump through before it can implement rules.

In the case of my legislation, the FCC would have to delay its licensing window because of an unnecessary Notice of Inquiry, forcing communities to wait longer to get their new radio stations. I think most people would find this kind of delay very frustrating. And this is just one example, Mr. Chairman. In the case of more contentious policy issues, this bill would create years, maybe decades of deadlock at the

I have an amendment at the desk, Mr. Chairman.

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

Mr. Chairman, despite all the controversy surrounding this pipeline, I think this is a good opportunity for us to examine some of the claims that the applicant for the Keystone XL pipeline has made.

Now let me say at the onset, I support building this pipeline in a way that protects the environment and helps create American jobs. I don't support the rushed 30-day manner that this bill would have us do, but I do support the pipeline.

When I started reading about the 800,000 tons of steel to be used in the Keystone XL pipeline, like everyone else, I was pretty excited about the prospects for our U.S. manufacturers, and especially coming from Pittsburgh, our steel manufacturers. So I have to tell you, I was a little confused when I talked to my friends in the U.S. steel industry and they told me they weren't making any of the steel for this project. Now, I knew this had to be a mistake because TransCanada had told us that there would be 7,000 direct manufacturing jobs created by this project, so surely someone somewhere in the United States has to know what these jobs are.

I've also heard folks talking about the wonderful jobs being created at steel mills in southwestern Pennsylvania. The trouble is I can't find a steel mill in southwestern Pennsylvania that's making steel for the Keystone XL pipeline. In fact, I'm having trouble finding a single U.S. steelmaker that has any orders for any of this pipe.

Now, I've reached out to the permit applicant, TransCanada, and several other sources for some clarifying information regarding their claim that 75 percent of the steel used in the Keystone XL pipeline will be sourced from North America. Unfortunately, the best I seem to get is that there's a single pipe manufacturer in Little Rock, Arkansas, that is providing much of the steel pipe for the pipeline. The trouble is that manufacturer doesn't actually use U.S. or North American steel to make the pipe. In fact, the Little Rock plant very clearly told me that they make their pipe out of foreign steel imports. They also told me they have imported and are housing on their site 140 miles of ready-made pipe that they got from India to be used in the Keystone pipeline.

So all my amendment does is ask for some truth in advertising. TransCanada has told us that they make every effort to source as much steel from U.S. mills as they can. I'm simply asking the applicant to certify their claims.

Along with other members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I have sent a letter to TransCanada asking for this information, but I have yet to receive a response. I think Members deserve this information. If there is, in fact, a U.S. steelmaker out there that is making all or some of the steel for the Keystone XL pipeline, I think we have a right to know about it.

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

Mr. Chairman, at this time I would like to yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from Ohio (Ms. Sutton).

Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have?

I would like to yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green).

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

My good friend from Kentucky, and he is my good friend, more or less has just said that the amendment can't go through because it's impossible for TransCanada to certify what they said was true. They've misled us. I think we just ought to be honest with the American people. It's obvious from the discussion today and from past discussion that this steel is not being manufactured in North America. It may be finished in North America at some of these plants, but no steel was made in North America. Congress has been misled. This is not a way for a company to do business. They're a private company. They can use anybody they want. What they can't do is lie to Congress.

Mr. Chairman, I ask for a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity this morning to talk to you about bipartisan legislation I've just introduced: the Federal Research Public Access Act.

When a federally-funded researcher writes a paper, too often that paper gets locked away behind a ``pay-wall'' and anyone who wants to learn from that federally-funded research has to pay exorbitant subscription or one-time fees.

Our nation benefits when scientists are able to share their research and collaborate--sometimes across different fields of study.

The public benefits when it's able to learn about a rare disease whose only discussion is in a scientific paper. Or when science students are able to access and draw from a broad array of work by other scientists to enhance their research.

Other major funders of scientific research--especially in health-- such as the U.K. government or private foundations are increasingly requiring the papers they fund to be available to the public.

Some universities such as Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, and the University of Kansas require papers written by their professors to be made available to the public.

In 2008, the Appropriations Committee expanded the public access policy requirements of the National Institutes of Health. The NIH has since implemented an online public access system called PubMed, which has gotten tremendous support from the scientific community.

I believe we'd all benefit from greater access to cutting edge research, but several specific groups would probably benefit most: Scientists, whose research will be more broadly read; Scholars, who will have fewer barriers to obtaining the research they need and whose research will also be more broadly read; Funders, who will gain from accelerated discovery, facilitation of interdisciplinary research methodologies, preservation of vital research findings, and an improved capacity to manage their research portfolios; and Taxpayers, who will obtain economic and social benefits from the leveraging of their investment in scientific research through effects such as enhanced technology transfer, broader application of research to health care, and more informed policy development.

It's not hard to think of the high school student who wants to major in medicine or science digging around the database looking for ideas.

Nor is it hard to foresee investigators looking at research in other disciplines to get ideas they can apply to their own field.

Or a college student at an undergraduate institution getting access to a journal their college has never been able to purchase.

Or a researcher's publication getting cited more often in other studies because it's easier to find and its reach extended past its original journal's readers.

That's why I've introduced the Federal Research Public Access Act, which would require federal agencies with annual extramural research budgets of $100 million or more to provide the public with online access to research manuscripts stemming from federally funded research no later than six months after publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

My legislation is a bipartisan effort, and I thank my colleagues, Congressman Kevin Yoder of Kansas and Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay of Missouri for joining me to express their strong support for public access to federal research. I'm also pleased to note that my colleagues in the United States Senate have also introduced identical, bipartisan legislation.

I've been working on this issue since the 2006 debate on the reauthorization of the National Institutes of Heath. I'm pleased to note that since 2006, the NIH has implemented a public access policy. But it still only applies to the NIH, while research funded by other federal agencies remains difficult or expensive to access.

In 2009, the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy, OSTP, expressed interest in public access policies and issued a request for public comment on mechanisms that would leverage federal investments in scientific research and increase access to information that promises to stimulate scientific and technological innovation and competitiveness. In recent months, the OSTP continued this process by collecting a second round of public comments to inform its development of public access policies for federal agencies.

My bill would give the OSTP Congressional direction to assist it in crafting public access policies. I want OSTP to write the strongest, best rule possible. But even they need help and this legislation will provide them with guidance.

I believe that this bipartisan bill strikes a good balance among the needs of scientists, the rights of taxpayers, and the financial interests of companies that have historically published this research in peer-reviewed, usually expensive subscription publications. The bill gives publishers an exclusive six-month period in which the information will be available to subscribers, and it allows them to continue to market the additional value they add to these manuscripts when they publish them.

Mr. Speaker, I hope that we can move this bill through Congress before the end of the year.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great American and a proud son of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Andrew G. Roman, known as Andy, died peacefully January 4, 2012 at the age of 87.

Born to Greek immigrants on June 27, 1924, he was raised in Pittsburgh. By all accounts, Andy was a true patriot. During World War II, he served as a combat soldier in Italy with the 88th Infantry Division--Blue Devils, receiving two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars. After his honorable discharge, he returned to marry his childhood sweetheart Tresa and started his aerospace career working on the DC-6 and Harry Truman's Sacred Cow, with Douglas Aircraft.

Traveling extensively throughout the world during his time with McDonnell-Douglas, he worked on many programs critical to the security and technological pre-eminence of the United States, including the Thor, Delta, Nike Zeus (based on Kwajalein in the South Pacific), Apollo, and SkyLab programs. Andy completed his 35 year-career as the Director of Factory Operations for McDonnell Douglas in Titusville, Florida on the Dragon and Tomahawk missiles. Throughout his career, he was honored to work with many wonderful colleagues and friends who represented the McDonnell-Douglas family, an organization he truly revered.

Andy is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Tresa, and an extensive family that includes four grandchildren and seven great-

grandchildren. I know that many of his family still reside in our great city of Pittsburgh.

Andy's family and all those who knew him are exceedingly proud of his fine career and service to our country. I want to join with them today by expressing my best wishes for Andy's family as we honor Andrew G. Roman--an American patriot.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Clairton Bears on another perfect high school football season and their third consecutive PIAA Class A state championship victory.

The Bears' win in Hershey, PA extended their current winning streak to 47 games, the longest in the nation at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels.

These outstanding achievements are the culmination of years of hard work and dedication on the part of the coaching staff and players.

The staff included head coach Tom Nola and assistant coaches Tim Bukowski, Jim Dumm, Eric Fusco, Marc Gambino, Wayne Wade, Jr., and Remondo Williams, Sr.

The players consisted of ten seniors--Trenton Coles, Devante Gardlock, Dakota Halcomb, Remondo Williams, Capri Thompson, Reuben Kelley, Carvan Thompson, Garnett Gallmore, Erik Walker, and Donte Thomas--as well as underclassmen Tyus Booker, Bryon Clifford, Terrish Webb, Titus Howard, Vinny Moody, Robert Boatright, Armani Ford, Ryan Williams, Damion Rump, Devontae Hammonds, Tyler Boyd, Esaias Hammonds, Hasson Petty, Devonte Harvey, Dyran Davenport, Kenny Mason, Garrett Santoline, Jordan Gressem, Vance Gibson, Robert Wellington, and Israel Melvin.

Pittsburgh is proud of the Clairton Bears for continuing the rich tradition of athletic success which our community has come to expect. I congratulate the Bears once again on their victory and flawless season, and I wish the returning players and coaches further success next season. Thank you.

Madam Speaker, the last time the Republicans controlled the House back in 2006, a newspaper columnist called it ``the Seinfeld Congress,'' because like Seinfeld, which was a show about nothing, the 109th Congress was a Congress about nothing. Absolutely nothing got done.

Now the House Republicans have upped the ante. They have an agenda filled with Seinfeld legislation--a bunch of bills about nothing. Tomorrow, for example, we're considering the so-called farm dust bill. Now, ignore for a moment the fact that it's more about mines and smelters and concrete plants than it is about farms, House Republicans want to ban an EPA rule that the EPA administrator has said she has no intention of issuing.

Why are we wasting time prohibiting a rule that's not being issued when we've got real problems like a struggling economy and millions of people out of work.

As Seinfeld might say, yada, yada, yada.

Mr. Speaker, I missed the following votes on December 1, 2011.

Roll 874: Jackson Lee (TX) Amendment (#2).--Exempts all rules promulgated by the Department of Homeland Security: ``yes,'' failed 173-244.

Roll 875: Cohen (TN) Amendment.--Exempts from the bill any rule that relates to food safety, workplace safety, consumer products safety, air or water quality: ``yes,'' failed 171-248.

Roll 876: Peters (MI) Amendment.--Exempts from the bill all rules that OMB determines would result in net job creation: ``yes,'' failed 179-243.

Roll 877: Jackson Lee (TX) Amendment (#5).--Requires a GAO report to determine the cost of carrying out the underlying bill and the effect it will have on federal agency rule making. In addition, the report would need to contain information on the impact of repealing the ability of an agency to waive provisions in the Regulatory Flexibility Act when responding to an emergency: ``yes,'' failed 172-250.

Roll 878: Johnson (GA) Amendment.--Creates an exception for any rule making that seeks to carry out the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act: ``yes,'' failed 170-250.

Roll 879: Democratic Motion to Recommit H.R. 527: ``yes,'' failed 188-233.

Roll 880: Final Passage of H.R. 527--The Regulatory Flexibility Act (Rep. Smith (TX)--Judiciary): ``no,'' passed 263-159.

Roll 881: H.Res. 364--Designating room HVC 215 of the Capitol Visitor Center as the ``Gabriel Zimmerman Meeting Room'' (Rep. Wasserman Schultz--Transportation and Infrastructure) Suspension bill: `` yes,'' passed 419-0.

Mr. Speaker, America was founded on the principle that everyone should get a shot at the American Dream. But with so much unemployment, so many mortgages underwater, so many people struggling just to get by, it's not surprising that half of all Americans think the American Dream is dead.

This Congress should be making job creation our top priority. But what has the majority in the House done to create jobs? Nothing.

What's even worse, every job proposal that President Obama has sent to this House has been met with a resounding ``no.'' And what's their alternative? To do nothing.

Democrats have been working to pass legislation to grow this economy and create new jobs. After 42 weeks of doing nothing, it's time for the Republican majority to join us in giving the American people the jobs they need and deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support of this

bill. I'm happy to support legislation that would designate a commemorative coin for the Baseball Hall of Fame. I want to thank my friend and colleague, Richard Hanna, for introducing this legislation and for working to get strong bipartisan support in the House of Representatives. I also want to thank my good friend, Joe Barton, for his work not only in the congressional baseball game itself but for working with me to help bring legislation to the floor.

The Baseball Hall of Fame is more than just a shrine to the Nation's pastime. The Baseball Hall of Fame is proof of shared American values, that baseball is not merely a part of American history but has tracked the peaks of the American experience. Baseball is a game with roots in both England and the United States, which signifies the dual roots that define the birth of this country.

Major League Baseball players like Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams gave up years in their prime to fight against fascism and for the future of democracy in World War II. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947, 7 years before the Supreme Court desegregated schools in Brown v. Board of Education and nearly 20 years before the Civil Rights Act.

And the entire world, even Arizonans, rooted for the Yankees as they played in the World Series just weeks after the country was attacked on September 11.

I'm also a supporter of the bill because baseball is an essential part of the experience of my district, more specifically, the city of Pittsburgh. The Pirates are one of the original Major League Baseball teams founded in 1887 and played in the first ever World Series. As someone who's lived in Pittsburgh my entire life, I have experienced the thrill of victory and more recently the agony of defeat as I've watched my beloved Pirates.

As a young fan, I had the honor of watching my most favorite person ever to wear a baseball uniform, Roberto Clemente, a 12-time All-Star, a 12-time Golden Glove winner, MVP, with an impressive .317 lifetime batting average. He was not only a great baseball player but a great humanitarian. After Roberto singlehandedly helped the Pirates win the World Series in 1971 over the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles, Roberto was tragically killed in a plane crash just a few months later bringing relief supplies to victims of the Nicaraguan earthquake in 1972. He will forever be remembered and beloved, not only by his native homeland of Puerto Rico and his adopted home of Pittsburgh, but by baseball fans across the world.

You know, other sports may have more followers or more revenues or more popularity, but no other sport is so tied to the core of American experience as baseball. And now, because of this bill, Americans, as well as international visitors, can be assured that they can visit the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

Commemorative coins celebrate and honor American traditions. As well as commemorating important aspects of American history and culture, these coins help raise money for important causes. This coin will raise funds to ensure that Cooperstown will not only be open to the Nation and the world now, but also for generations and generations beyond us, and will cost the government and the American taxpayer absolutely nothing.

This bill couldn't come at a better time. We're at a point in our history when the defining standards of American life can seem lost; the idea that hard work ensures a decent life, that the future is always better than the past, that what unites us is always stronger than what divides us. There was a time when these notions were not just truths, but reliable truths. They were promises.

We are now at a time when people feel a little less secure about the truth of American greatness. Well, I still believe in American greatness, and I think most Americans still believe in American greatness. And I believe that we need to celebrate that greatness wherever possible. This bill does just that.

The Baseball Hall of Fame has personal importance for me because it reminds me of a time when the country's game was defined by great teams and great players, not large bankrolls and corporate-named stadiums. It's a reminder of when the game was ruled by talent and love of the game. That's why we need the Hall of Fame. That's why I'm proud to support this bill, and that's why I ask all my colleagues to vote for it.