Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, if we are really serious about national security, especially given the bipartisan

outrage over the Dubai Ports World situation earlier this year, we must reject the Oman Free Trade Agreement.

The Oman agreement allows foreign tribunals to second-guess American decisions about who can operate our ports and dictate to us what is in our national security interest.

Simply put, foreign tribunals should not determine what is a security threat to the United States. We should. This provision should not be in this trade agreement, period.

It is bad enough that we are asked to support agreements that will ship our jobs overseas, that undermine our environment, and ask us to stick our head in the sand over serious human rights violations, but it is simply outrageous to ask Congress to support legislation that can undermine the security of our Nation.

Whether you consider yourself a free trader or not, I cannot think of one Member of Congress who would support weakening our national security, and this agreement does that. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the Oman Free Trade Agreement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4843, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2006.

This is a good bipartisan bill.

It will help to ensure that the real value of the benefits earned by our veterans does not decrease as prices rise.

These benefits are critical for many veterans and their families to help make ends meet.

Veterans and their families need to know that the purchasing power of their earned benefits will not decrease over time.

This legislation also includes a provision similar to my bill, H.R. 1573.

Last Congress, in response to a VA evaluation, we passed legislation to provide an increase of $250 to the monthly DIC, Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, benefit for surviving spouses with children under 18 for the first 2 years of eligibility.

While I believe that we should make this benefit permanent, especially in light of the brave men and women giving their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan; the provision in today's bill is extremely important and will ensure that this benefit maintains its value over time.

I want to thank Ms. Berkley for her amendment in Committee to include this provision.

This is a good bill that will help veterans and their families across the country and I urge my colleagues to support it.

I hope that this is the first of many bills that we will now move forward to improve the benefits and quality of care provided to our veterans and their families.

I congratulate Chairman Miller of Florida for introducing this important bill, and I thank full committee Chairman Steve Buyer and full committee Ranking Member Lane Evans for moving this legislation forward.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak against this politically motivated resolution. Our country is under a real and serious threat from extremists. We do not have time to waste on cheap political resolutions that distract us from the unity and sense of purpose that we should all have together, as Americans, in confronting the real threat.

We need to have a real debate on real solutions to determine an effective course of action in Iraq. An honest debate does not undermine our soldiers' morale, as some have suggested in an attempt to silence all questions. What is actually demoralizing to our service men and women is to be sent into harm's way lacking body armor and supplies and a definitive plan for success; and then coming back as veterans only to be harassed by creditors because the VA did not take steps to protect them, or not receiving the necessary treatment for medical issues like

Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing H.R. 5524, the Rural Veterans Health Care Act of 2006, to strengthen and improve access to health care for rural veterans.

The Memorial Day weekend has recently passed us by. The holiday reminded us all of the great sacrifices made by our Nation's veterans and their families. It is important that we honor our veterans with action and not just words. We must not forget that we have soldiers in harm's way in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they too have earned the support of a grateful nation, just as generations before them.

Meeting the needs of our veterans and their families should be a top priority. While the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) does a good job in delivering quality medical care, treatment is sometimes harder to access for veterans in rural areas.

Rural communities have always answered their Nation's call to service. Nationwide, more than 44 percent of recent U.S. military recruits come from rural areas. This tradition of service is true in my home State of Maine where approximately one in six residents is a veteran--one of the highest proportions in the country. Across the country, one in five veterans who is enrolled to receive VA health care lives in a rural area.

Veterans who live in rural settings are often older and have more physical and mental health diseases as compared to veterans who live in suburban or urban settings. According to the 2005 Institute of Medicine report, The Future of Rural Health, ``the smaller, poorer, and more isolated a rural community is, the more difficult it is to ensure the availability of high-quality health services.''

It is important that we address the unique challenges that rural veterans face in accessing health care. At my request last summer, the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health held a hearing at Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor to raise awareness of this issue and to search for solutions. The field hearing focused on rural veterans' access to primary care and gave the Chairman and me the opportunity to hear directly from veterans and health care providers in Maine.

It was clear to the Chairman and me that if our rural veterans are going to get the care they deserve, the VA needs to have a focused effort to increase access to quality health care for those living in non-urban areas of our country.

My legislation is a result of the findings from the Maine field hearing, an ongoing dialogue between my office and Maine veterans and health care providers, and reports published by the Institute of Medicine that focused on improving health care in rural areas.

Specifically, my bill would help rural communities address the needs of returning veterans who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan by requiring the VA to conduct an extensive outreach program to these veterans who reside in rural communities. The VA would be required to collaborate with employers, state agencies, community health centers, rural health clinics and the National Guard to conduct this extensive outreach program to ensure that returning troops have access to the benefits they have earned.

The legislation would also build on the strength of the Vet Centers program. Vet Centers are located in the community outside of the larger VA medical facilities, in easily accessible, consumer-oriented facilities. They are highly responsive to the needs of local veterans. In 2005, the 206 Vet Centers saw over 132,853 veterans. For nearly one out of four veterans seen at Vet Centers, these centers are their access to VA programs and benefits. This core group of veteran users primarily received counseling for military-related trauma. My bill would require the VA to expand its presence in rural areas and to establish a pilot program to have mobile Vet Centers that could help reach veterans in the most rural and remote areas.

Consistent with the promise made to veterans in the CARES process, my legislation would hold the VA accountable for improving access for rural veterans through Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) and other access points by requiring the VA to develop and implement a plan for improving veterans' access to quality care in rural areas. The May 2004 Secretary's CARES decision identified 156 priority CBOCs and new sites of care nationwide. The VA Secretary would also be required to develop a plan for meeting the long-term care needs of rural veterans, expanding adult day-care and respite care programs for rural veterans, expanding the use of telemedicine to enhance the care of rural veterans, and expand access to mental health care for rural veterans.

The 2005 groundbreaking Institute of Medicine report on The Future of Rural Health recommended that the federal government incorporate a rural focus in planning and developing a national health information infrastructure. The VA has been a leader in developing an electronic medical record system to enhance patient safety and improve quality of care. This legislation recognizes that VA has a leading role and responsibility to help rural veterans and their providers. The bill would establish a health information technology pilot to ensure a continuum of quality of care for veterans that rely on VA provided care, VA fee-basis care and contracted care. The pilot would have the VA partner with a range of providers including community health centers, rural health clinics and critical access hospitals, where appropriate.

Rural veterans, veteran service organizations and other experts need a seat at the table to help the VA consider important program and policy decisions that affect rural veterans. The legislation would establish a Rural Veterans Advisory Committee to harness the knowledge and expertise of representatives from other federal agencies, academic affiliates, veterans and other experts to recommend opportunities to meet the challenges of veterans' rural health care.

This legislation would also put VA in the forefront of researching, developing and evaluating innovative approaches in the delivery of rural health care by establishing four Rural Health Research, Education, and Clinical Care Centers. These centers of rural health care excellence will conduct research on rural health services, allow the VA to pioneer models for furnishing services to treat rural veterans, provide education and training for health care professionals, and develop and implement innovative clinical activities and systems of care. These centers would maximize the investment of federal tax dollars by collaborating with Department of Health and Human Services Rural Research Centers.

Health workforce shortages and recruitment and retention of the health care workers are key challenges to rural veterans' access to care and quality of care. Rural Americans face a unique combination of factors that create disparities in health care not found in urban areas. Only 10 percent of physicians practice in rural areas despite the fact that one-fourth of the U.S. population lives in these areas. State offices of rural health identify access to mental health care and concerns for suicide, stress, depression, and anxiety disorders as major rural health concerns. The 2005 IOM report recommended that the federal government initiate a renewed, vigorous and comprehensive effort to enhance the supply of health professionals working in rural areas.

The VA's involvement in medical and nursing education of future rural providers is essential. Almost 28,000 medical residents and 16,000 medical students receive some of their training in the VA every year. In addition, over 32,000 associated health students, including future nurses, pharmacists, dentists, audiologists, social workers, psychologists, physical therapists, optometrists, respiratory therapists, physician assistants and nurse practitioners, receive training through the VA.

This legislation would place VA at the forefront of enhancing the rural education and training of health professionals. The legislation requires the VA Secretary to institute additional rotations for medical residents in rural areas; establish programs to enhance the education, training, recruitment and retention of nurses in rural areas; and create programs to enhance the education, training, recruitment and retention of allied health professionals in rural areas.

Helping homeless veterans in rural and remote locations recover, rehabilitate and reintegrate into society is complex and challenging. The VA has no specific programs to help community providers who focus on homeless veterans in rural and remote locations. This legislation would authorize special grants to community providers to meet the needs of homeless rural veterans.

Native American, Native Hawaiian and Native Alaskan veterans have unique needs. This legislation would expand VA's health care presence in these rural and remote communities.

Rural America has always answered the call to service. We should do everything we can to ensure that rural veterans have the same reasonable access to the high quality care available through the VA as veterans in suburban and urban areas. I urge my colleagues to support the Rural Veterans Health' Care Act of 2006.

The American Legion,

Washington, DC, June 5, 2006.

Hon. Michael Michaud,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representative Michaud: On behalf of the 2.7 million

members of The American Legion, I would like to express our

support for your legislation addressing rural veterans health

care.

The American Legion understands the dire straits that many

veterans who reside in rural and highly rural areas find

themselves. As the Global War on Terror and the ongoing

conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq continue to escalate, the

need for the nation's Active Duty, National Guard and Reserve

service members to deploy not once, twice, but three times is

becoming the rule and not the exception. The need for the

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reach out to these

veterans, many of them in rural communities, has reached an

unprecedented scale. The time is now for VA to take

responsibility to bring those veterans in and provide them

the services they not only need, but also earned.

Adequate and directed outreach, rural mental health

services, trained medical staff, rural health research and

homeless rural veterans are all key components of your

legislation that address the growing dilemma that is access

to rural health care.

The American Legion believes this legislation will go a

long way in addressing this crucial issue and we thank you

for your continued leadership and support of America's

veterans and their families.

Sincerely,

Steve Robertson,

Director,

National Legislative Commission.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for S. 1235, the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2005.

This legislation will improve the benefits provided to our veterans and their families.

During war and equally importantly, after our soldiers come home and take off the uniform, we as a nation must support them fully. The Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2005 contains many provisions that will help us achieve this goal.

I would like to point out one particular provision that is similar to a bill, H.R. 821, which I have introduced.

Like H.R. 821, the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act will amend title 38 to extend the requirement for reports from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on the disposition of cases recommended to the Secretary for equitable relief due to administrative error. Extending this reporting requirement will assist the VA in its efforts to properly care for our veterans and their families.

Adminstrative error should not prevent a veteran or their loved one from receiving the benefits they have fully earned.

I would like to thank and congratulate Chairman Buyer and Ranking Member Evans as well as the other chairmen and ranking members from our committee who have worked so hard to move this important legislation forward.

It is my hope that we will also be moving a health bill forward with the same bipartisan spirit our veterans have come to expect from our committee.

I support this legislation and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to make my colleagues aware of a GAO study being released today.

GAO studied services at the Department of Defense and the VA to help identify and treat veterans of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom who may be at risk for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

GAO found only 22 percent of personnel who were at risk for PTSD were referred by DOD providers for further evaluation.

When 78 percent who were at risk do not get referrals, then this is clear the assessment system is not working. Health assessment and reassessment are absolutely the right thing to do, and I applaud DOD for these programs.

But if we are not confident that those who need further evaluation will actually receive it, what purpose does it serve?

We need early assessment, diagnosis and counseling to prevent the effects of PTSD. This Congress needs to press both DOD and VA to do a better job in helping veterans with PTSD and other mental health issues.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Congressman Dan Boren, who represents the Second Congressional District of Oklahoma, for his leadership in introducing H.R. 3829. I would also like to thank Chairman Buyer and Ranking Member Evans for helping to bring this legislation to the floor.

H.R. 3829 pays tribute to World War II hero Jack C. Montgomery by designating the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Muskogee, Oklahoma, as the Jack C. Montgomery Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Jack Montgomery is a recipient of the Medal of Honor, the highest award for valor and combat bestowed upon an individual serving in the armed services. For his distinguished service, he was also recognized by the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart with Cluster.

During World War II, Jack Montgomery served as a first lieutenant in the United States Army's 45th Infantry Division. On February 22, 1944, in Italy, he fearlessly risked his life above and beyond the call of duty by single-handedly attacking three strong enemy infantry positions that threatened the rifle platoons under his command. His fearless, aggressive and brave action that morning accounted for a total of 11 enemy dead, 32 prisoners and an unknown number wounded. Late that night, while supporting an adjacent unit, he was seriously wounded by mortar fragments.

The citation accommodating his Medal of Honor recognized that his courage and heroism inspired his men to a degree beyond estimation. Upon his release from the Army, he began a career in the Veterans Administration, Muskogee, Oklahoma.

It is fitting that Congress designate the Muskogee VA Medical Center to Jack C. Montgomery, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. I rise in support of this legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma, a gentleman who cares very dearly about veterans and a fellow Blue Dog, Congressman Dan Boren.

Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate that we in Congress recognize the heroism of the men and women who have served our Nation in the Armed Forces. It is an important and enduring symbolic tribute to name a VA medical center in honor of this World War II hero.

As we near Memorial Day and our thoughts turn to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, we in Congress must continue to pay tribute to our living veterans with both symbols and tangible benefits and services.

We have much work to do, and veterans and their families are counting on us to act. I know that we are united in this commitment to honor our veterans. I appreciate the hard work and look forward, as I have over the last 3\1/2\ years, to work with Chairman Buyer to make sure that we do all we can to help our veterans and continue to look forward to working with Chairman Buyer, Chairman Brown and Ranking Member Evans and other Veterans Affairs Committee members to pass needed health care and benefit legislation to meet this obligation.

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

Madam Speaker, last fall, Canadian nickel producers Inco and Falconbridge merged. Canadian regulators have approved the deal, and decisions from both the United States and EU regulators are pending.

However, a minority shareholder of Falconbridge, Xstrata, is trying to scuttle the deal to maintain its control in the market. The controlling shareholder behind Xstrata is the secretive Swiss commodities trader Glencore.

Last year, a CIA report raised allegations that Glencore paid millions in illegal kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's regime. Glencore was founded by Marc Rich, a man who faced jail for tax fraud, racketeering and arms trading. His influence and personnel are still involved in Glencore.

Whatever one's view on the Inco-Falconbridge merger, when it comes to this commodity that is important for our military and to our commercial interests, the actions of Glencore clearly raises concerns that regulators and this House should monitor.

Mr. Speaker, the Department of Veterans Affairs has underestimated the need for mental health services for returning veterans.

The Kansas City Star recently reported that the number of troops back this year from Iraq and Afghanistan who will seek care far post- traumatic stress disorder from the VA will be five times higher than the VA projected.

Earlier this year the VA reported that it anticipated 2,900 new PTSD cases from returning veterans for fiscal year 2006. But in just 3 months, in fiscal year 2006, VA had already seen 4,700 new cases of possible PTSD.

I am very concerned that the VA will not have the staff and programs to help the new combat veterans and to meet the need of veterans from past wars. VA may be forced to ration care. This is wrong. This issue needs to be addressed.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that the article of David Goldstein from the April 30 issue of the Kansas City Star be inserted in the Record.

[From the Kansas City Star, April 30, 2006]

Number of Troops Needing Help Threatens to Overwhelm Veterans

Administration

(By David Goldstein)

Washington.--The number of troops back this year from Iraq

and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder could be

five times higher than the Department of Veterans Affairs

predicted.

Instead of 2,900 new cases that it reported in February to

a veterans advocate in Congress, the increase could be 15,000

or more, according to the VA.

At the Kansas City VA Medical Center, only nine vets from

current combat were diagnosed with PTSD in 2004.

Last year, it was 58. In just the first three months of

fiscal 2006, the hospital saw 72.

``It's absolutely incredible,'' said Kathy Lee, at the

Missouri Veterans of Foreign Wars.

A former Army nurse in Vietnam who works at the hospital,

Lee said, ``Every single Iraq vet who comes in, I give them a

list and say, `How many of these (PTSD) symptoms do you

have?' It's almost nine out of 10.''

A top VA mental health official said it was difficult to

predict the number of new PTSD cases because of unknown

factors like the troop discharge rate and how many veterans

will use the VA.

But Laurent Lehmann, associate chief consultant for mental

health, disaster, post-deployment and post-traumatic stress

disorder, acknowledged that 2,900 new cases ``would be an

underestimate.'' He said the VA hoped recent increases in

funds and new programs ``would catch'' unanticipated cases.

``Are we ahead of the curve?'' Lehmann said. ``That's the

question I don't think I can answer except to say we're going

to be monitoring our heads off on this.''

John Baugh, who attends a PTSD support group at the Kansas

City VA Medical Center, said many soldiers still in combat

zones are suffering from the disorder.

``They think that the numbers are high right now,'' said

Baugh, 31, a former driver for an Army construction battalion

in Iraq. ``Wait until those guys get out and try to start

functioning in the civilian world. There's going to be hell

to pay.''

The miscalculation on PTSD echoes last year's

underestimation by the Bush administration of how many Iraq

and Afghanistan veterans would need medical treatment. It had

underfunded VA health care by $1 billion, despite assurances

to Congress that the department had enough money.

Congress subsequently added $1.5 billion to the VA's

budget, but money problems still loom.

``They're going to be short and they're going to be playing

catch-up,'' Cathy Wiblemo, deputy director for health care at

the American Legion, said of the VA's PTSD treatment.

``They're not going to have the money, and the waiting list

will grow.''

PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can follow combat or other

traumatic experiences. Symptoms include survivor's guilt,

flashbacks, nightmares, depression and irritability. It can

lead to drug abuse and even suicide.

The war in Iraq presents a higher PTSD risk than other

wars, said Robert Ursano of the Department of Psychiatry at

the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.

``Since it's a terrorist war, one could be under attack in

any spot,'' he said. ``There is an enduring sense of a lack

of safety.''

Among the half million veterans who have served in Iraq or

Afghanistan, more than 144,000 have gone to the VA for health

care. Nearly a third have been diagnosed with mental

disorders, with nearly half of those PTSD, according to the

Mr. Speaker, does anyone here or watching at home wear one-size-fits-all clothing? It never fits right. It never looks good. What works for one person doesn't work for another. When it comes to trade agreements, a one-size-fits-all approach does not work either.

So then why are we negotiating trade agreements that take a one-size- fits-all approach to very different countries? Electronic comparison of the labor chapter in CAFTA versus the same chapter in Oman and Peru FTAs shows that Peru's FTA text is word-for-word identical to CAFTA. The Oman text contains only four syntax changes that do not alter the underlying meaning.

The labor chapter simply requires that each country enforce its existing labor laws. It does nothing to require countries to improve their laws to reflect fairness to working people.

There are also no safeguards in the agreement to prevent countries from weakening their labor laws. This is the same failed CAFTA approach: Squeeze it into one-size-fits-all clothing and slap it on to two different countries, Peru and Oman.

In Peru, the United States State Department has indicated that child labor remains a serious problem. It is estimated that 2.3 million children between the ages of 6 and 17-years-old are engaged in work. In Oman, the revised 2003 law remains in serious violation of the International Labor Organization's most important and fundamental rights, the freedom of association and the right to organize and bargain collectively.

The Sultan of Oman allows for no independent unions in the country. Whatever worker representative committees exist in the country, they are also subject to the government's approval. Such committees may not discuss wages, hours or conditions of employment. Needless to say, these are flawed agreements. They borrow weak labor rules from CAFTA and apply them to the countries that are in dire need of better labor standards for their workers. They do nothing to improve the lives of the work or the working conditions of these people. And, make no mistake, what is bad for them is also bad for us here in the United States.

Any vote for the Oman or Peru FTA must take into account the broader economic reality that we are facing here today. Our trade deficit hit a record shattering $726 billion last year. We have lost more than 3 million manufacturing jobs since 1998. Average wages have not kept pace with inflation this year, despite healthy productivity growth. The number of people in poverty continues to grow, and the real median family income continues to fall.

Offshore outsourcing for white collar jobs is increasingly impacting highly educated, highly skilled workers. Record trade and budget deficits, unsustainable levels of consumer debt, stagnant wages, all paint a picture of an economy living beyond its means, dangerously unstable in a volatile global environment.

These trade deals are not working for us. They aren't working for this country or for the countries we trade with either.

I urge all Members of the House to send our new United States Trade Representative an important message: All future agreements must make a real departure from a failed NAFTA and CAFTA model in order to succeed.

American workers are willing to support increased trade if the rules that govern are fair, if they stimulate growth, create jobs and protect fundamental rights, both in America and abroad. I am committed to fighting for better trade policies that benefit U.S. workers and the U.S. economy as a whole.

We simply cannot afford more of the same, one-size-fits-all clothing, because what you will get is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Chief Michel A. Lajoie of the Lewiston Fire Department. Chief Lajoie began his career as a firefighter in the Lewiston Fire Department in 1970. After taking a short break to pursue a career in the automotive industry in 1972, Michel Lajoie returned to the Lewiston Fire Department in 1976 and rose through the ranks of lieutenant, captain, and deputy chief, before finally becoming chief in 1994. This year he retires, having served over 30 years in Lewiston.

Chief Lajoie exemplifies what it means to be a public servant. In addition to managing a department of 79 uniformed and civilian personnel, he has earned an Associate Degree in Fire Science from Southern Maine Community College and is a graduate of the Androscoggin Leadership Development Institute. Chief Lajoie is a member of a Standing Ad-Hoc Committee for the State of Maine Bureau of Labor Standards and has been instrumental in the continued review and updating of the standards and requirements governing the State of Maine's Fire Service.

His colleagues in Maine selected Chief Lajoie as Fire Chief of the Year in 2003 and also nominated him for Fire Chief of the Year in 2003 for the Fire Chiefs Magazine. Chief Lajoie has served as President of the New England Division of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, representing the fire service and the Fire Chiefs throughout the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. He also has served as President of the Maine Fire Chiefs Association, representing the fire service and Fire Chiefs throughout the State of Maine and he currently holds Board positions in several professional associations.

I am proud to honor Chief Lajoie as he embarks on a very well deserved retirement. The City of Lewiston and the State of Maine will miss him.

Mr. Speaker, early in November I had the pleasure of attending the opening of the Lincolnville Central School in Lincolnville, ME. In Lincolnville, as in so many small towns across this country, the local elementary school is an important part of the community.

As Lincolnville opens a modern new school building, it honors its past by displaying an old bell, formerly housed in the old school building. The old bell will be a reminder of the many teachers, staff, and students who were a part of the old school. It will challenge the Lincolnville community to continue its long tradition of quality education.

The school bell is named for Rufus Knight, a former teacher at the old Lincolnville school. The bell was honored in a poem by his great- grandson, John A. Knight, which was read at the school opening:

This is the bell that called to us to drink at springs of

learning.

This is the voice of the silver tongue that satisfied our

yearning.

The tocsin sound of wisdom this ancient bell awakened and

horizons of us rural folks no longer were forsaken.

The light of education Our knowledge is expanding. This

ancient bell awoke in us deep thoughts of

understanding.

And, for many generations we did study and excel with the

beauteous sounding of this old bell.

Mr. Speaker, today our nation has lost a great champion of civil and human rights. Coretta Scott King's courage and commitment should be an example to all of us.

After the assassination of her husband, the late Martin Luther King, Jr., Mrs. King devoted herself to carrying on his legacy. Only four days after his death, she took her husband's place at the head a march in support of sanitation workers in Memphis. She went on to found and lead, for over two decades, the King Center. The Center stands as a memorial to her husband, but also is an active force in the struggle to achieve equality between all people, confronting issues of hunger, unemployment, voting rights and racism. King remained active throughout her whole life, participating in protests against apartheid in South Africa in the 1980's and speaking out against the war in Iraq in early 2003.

It is the responsibility of each of us, who sit in this House and pledge to uphold the Constitution, to continue to fight for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream of equality, which Coretta worked so unselfishly to sustain.

Mr. Chairman, today, the House will likely vote not to reject the recommendations of the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, moving the BRAC process one step closer to an end. This has been a very difficult BRAC round for the State of Maine. When the list came out 5 months ago, all of Maine's three facilities were in great jeopardy, and few believed that we had a chance of saving any of them. But the entire delegation, the governor, and the communities came together and presented the best possible arguments in all three cases, and as a result, Maine did better than anyone thought we could. We saved Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and in a victory that would have been unthinkable only a few months before, we actually grew DFAS Limestone, bringing jobs to an area that desperately needs them. These two actions represent tremendous victories for the people of Maine.

I strongly disagree with the recommendation to close Naval Air Station Brunswick. It was the wrong decision and I have fought it every step of the way together with the whole Maine delegation.

Today's vote is difficult. I deeply believe that Naval Air Station Brunswick should not be closed. Yet, when this process began, Maine stood to loose everything, and now we have

saved and expanded two of the three endangered facilities. The likely alternatives for the State were far worse. Indeed, if this resolution were to pass today and the BRAC process were to be reopened from scratch, there would be no guarantee of saving Brunswick, but Portsmouth could be closed and Limestone with its planned increase in jobs could be lost. That is why I am going to vote against the resolution to disapprove the BRAC list.

As we approach the end of this very difficult BRAC round, it is important that we remain focused on promoting the best interests of the entire State and that we continue to work as one Maine. I will do whatever I can to make sure that we build upon the successes of saving Portsmouth and growing DFAS Limestone, and that we make the best of a difficult situation by enabling the Brunswick community to build a bright future.

Mr. Speaker, Maine has a long tradition of honoring men and women who have made a positive impact on the community and the people around them. This is why I would like to recognize George Hale. George has spent his life working with and helping others.

George first began working with others when he was in the Navy. He would then go on to serve in Korea as a medic, working with the sick and wounded. A Cleveland native, George eventually found his way to Maine where he has had a distinguished 50 year career doing what he loves: broadcasting. During this career he has become an icon to a vast number of Mainers and he has become a legend as a high school basketball announcer. He has used his broadcasting skills to the benefIt of others too. For the last 15 years George has helped host the Muscular Dystrophy Telethons on WABI TV. He has also done important work for the Maine Chapter of the March of Dimes and countless communities around Maine.

For these reasons George is being honored by the Maine Chapter of the March of Dimes tonight for a lifetime of achievement and involvement with the community. On behalf of the residents of Maine's Second Congressional District, and for myself personally, I would like to congratulate George Hale on this honor and also thank him for all the work he has done for the people of Maine.