Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Honorees of the 2013 Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Dinner. Founded in 1911, the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce serves Bangor and 21 surrounding communities. The positive economic effects of the Bangor Chamber's committed advocacy can always be felt throughout the state.

Each year, the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce recognizes local businesses, business leaders, and individuals who promote and advance a vital and healthy business environment. These individuals and businesses are committed to strengthening opportunity and prosperity in Maine.

This year's award recipients include Peter Vigue of Cianbro Pipe Fabrication and Coating Facility, recipient of the Norbert X. Dowd Award; Senator Richard Rosen, recipient of the Catherine Lebowitz Award for Public Service; Andy Hamilton of Eaton Peabody, recipient of the Arthur A. Comstock Professional Service Award; Geaghan's Pub and Craft Brewery, recipient of the Bion and Dorain Foster Entrepreneurship Award; WBRC Architects and Engineers, recipient of the Business of the Year Award; Hammond Street Senior Center, recipient of the Community Service Award; Children's Miracle Network Hospitals of Eastern Maine Health Care Systems, recipient of the Non-Profit of the Year Award; and Kathy Hunt of Starboard Leadership Consulting LLC, recipient of the Volunteer of the Year Award.

These eight recipients are among the best that Maine has to offer. Through their leadership and incredible commitment to their communities and to the region, Maine is a better place to live and do business.

Mr. Speaker, please join me again in congratulating the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce and these individuals on their outstanding service and achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Honorees of the 2013 Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet Dinner. The Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce serves the people and business community of the Lewiston-Auburn area, working hard to strengthen economic opportunity throughout the region and the State.

Each year, the Androscoggin Chamber of Commerce recognizes local businesses, business leaders, and individuals who promote and advance a vital and healthy business environment. These individuals and businesses are committed to strengthening opportunity and prosperity in Maine.

This year's award recipients include Barbara Dagley of Carbonite Inc., recipient of Business Leadership Award for a Larger Company; Kurk Lalemand of Next Level Business Coaching and John Stass of Katandin Furniture, recipients of the Business Leadership Awards for Smaller Companies; Larry Raymond of Issacson and Raymond, recipient of Ray Geiger Award; Rita Dube, Julia Sleeper and Kim Pelletier, recipients of the Community Service Leadership Awards; Rick Jones of Jones Associates, recipient of the Poland Business Award; Nick Benoit of Benoit's Bakery and Wine Cellar, recipient of the Lisbon Business Award; Nancy Ricker of Ricker Hill Orchards, recipient of the Turner Business Award; Russ Barlow, recipient of the Education Award; Sherry Spencer of Proctor and Gamble-Tambrands, recipient of the ``Cool Chamber Award;'' Dick Roy of Mechanics Savings Bank, recipient of the Ken Addition Small Business Advocate Award; Kim Jacques of Revelation Massage, recipient of the 2013 New Member of the Year Award; and Susan Hall of the Vault and Kevin Dean and Emil Clavet of Electricity Maine, recipients of the President's Award.

These recipients are among the best that Maine has to offer. Through their leadership and incredible commitment to their communities and the region, Maine is a better place to live and do business.

Mr. Speaker, please join me again in congratulating the Androscoggin Chamber of Commerce and these individuals on their outstanding service and achievement.

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

First of all, I would like to thank the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and the staff of both the majority and the minority for their work in putting these two bills together before us today.

I rise today in support of this bill, H.R. 4057, a bill requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop a policy to improve outreach and transparency to veterans and members of the Armed Forces through the provision of information on institutions of higher learning, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, our brave men and women of this country put their lives in harm's way to ensure that our freedom is protected. Their actions are without reservation or consideration to what may become of their lives. We must honor their service by ensuring that they have the opportunity to pursue the American Dream when they come home. This includes making it affordable for them to buy a home, protecting their employment while they are deployed, and allowing them to pursue a postsecondary education.

Our servicemembers are trained for the worst when they are deployed, ready to fight in combat, and, if necessary, make the ultimate sacrifice. But when they return home, the battle to transition to civilian life can be difficult and frustrating. With the passage of the post-9/11 GI Bill, which provided generous education benefits, many veterans and their dependents took this opportunity to pursue a higher education and a better life.

However, it is not enough to provide a benefit if the veterans do not have the proper information on the educational opportunities available to them. They need the right tools at the right time to help them determine which school is the best one for them. That is why I support strongly H.R. 4057.

This bill will provide our veterans with the necessary information to make an intelligent and informed decision when deciding to pursue a postsecondary education or vocational training opportunity.

Education is a key factor for a successful professional life, particularly for servicemembers that may have some difficulty translating their military skill to civilian employment. This bill requires a collective effort from agencies, institutions of higher learning, and Congress to help veterans succeed. Furthermore, this bill can help ensure a better, well-trained workforce for a more competitive America.

I ask my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 4057, and I respectfully reserve the balance of my time.

At this time, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

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

The bill before us today, the Dignified Burial and Other Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2012, S. 3202, is a minibus collection of veterans measures that primarily focus on ensuring that our veterans receive proper burials that reflect and honor their service. The bill also establishes and expands several health care and transition assistance benefits, and it names four VA health facilities after Americans with distinguished honor.

I appreciate the hard work of all of our colleagues in the House and in the Senate and of our staffs on the measures that were included in this bill. We all share the same goal--helping our veterans and their families receive the benefits that they have earned and deserve. This bill advances that goal, and I support its passage.

Title I of this bill will allow the Secretary of the VA to provide a casket or urn to those veterans who die without a known next of kin, without identification or without financial means, thereby ensuring that these veterans are laid to rest with the utmost dignity.

Mr. Speaker, there is also an allocation of $5 million in this title to attempt to address the longstanding maintenance, operation, and ownership issues at Clark Veterans Cemetery in the Philippines. Along with soldiers and civilians of other nationalities, over 2,200 American veterans are buried at Clark. This provision will honor their sacrifices by setting up the process for Clark to become a permanent

cemetery administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission. Clark continues to accept burials, including those from the Iraq war; and to ensure a smooth transition, it is critical that an agreement is reached between the two governments before it can become a permanent cemetery. I am confident that the ABMC will bring this cemetery up to its impeccable standards and that Congress will provide it the resources to do so.

Title II of the bill contains a vital provision requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs, with help from the Department of Defense, to establish a burn pit registry. This registry would be for our men and women who may have been exposed to toxic airborne chemicals and fumes caused by open burn pits. Every time we send our men and women into combat, we need to do all that we can to properly assess their risks of exposure to toxins. It has been decades, and we still do not fully understand the risks associated with one's exposure to agent orange, an exposure causing many veterans to suffer without compensation. We should learn from this history, and this bill puts us on track to avoid repeating it again.

Title II would also enhance VA transportation services to help more veterans access VA health care, and it contains a very timely measure that would extend the reporting requirement for posttraumatic stress disorder through 2016. The rate of PTSD remains high in the veteran population, and we must continue to keep this issue at the top of our radar as well as before Congress and the public so that we can continue to provide the funding that's needed.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, title III of this bill contains an important section that would direct the Department of Labor to provide the Transition Assistance Program, TAP, at locations other than at military installations. This 2-year pilot program will benefit our servicemembers and their spouses by providing additional opportunity to attend TAP and to learn about their earned benefits. Too many returning servicemembers are unable to take advantage of TAP. This is especially true for members of the National Guard and Reserve who often return from war to find that they lack the support military communities provide them. The TAP program is critical to a servicemember's successful transition back into civilian life, and I am glad to see it expanded.

Again, I want to thank the members and Chairman Miller for their leadership on this bill, and I urge all of my colleagues to support its passage.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today to offer my support of H.R. 3197, a bill to name the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Spokane, Washington, the Mann-Grandstaff Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Private First Class Joe Mann served with the 101st Airborne division during World War II. He lost his life in the Netherlands, courageously absorbing the blast of a hand grenade with his body to protect those around him while in battle. Later, in 1954, Private First Class Mann received the Medal of Honor.

Platoon Sergeant Bruce Grandstaff also received the Medal of Honor after his death. Having served in Vietnam, Sergeant Grandstaff found his platoon

surrounded by the enemy near the Cambodia border and crawled through the front lines to save his comrades. Despite his wounds, he was able to notify the U.S. helicopters of their location and valiantly called for artillery in order to prevent the enemy from advancing.

Private First Class Mann and Sergeant Grandstaff went above and beyond the call of duty and made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation. It is most appropriate that the VA Medical Center in Spokane be renamed in honor of these two heroes.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to yield to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) such time as she may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I now would yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch).

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

I rise today to offer my support of H.R. 6443, a bill to designate a Department of Veterans Affairs facility in Sunrise, Florida, as the ``William `Bill' Kling VA Clinic.''

Mr. Kling was a World War II veteran, having served as a radar technician in the United States Navy.

He went on to serve as a staunch advocate for the veterans of Florida, including: 27 years as President of the Broward County Veterans Council, 8 years as Florida's Commissioner of Veterans Affairs, and Memberships with The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Jewish War Veterans and Disabled American Veterans.

Mr. Kling fought for greater access to healthcare for his fellow veterans, which after 13 years of advocacy, led to the opening of this facility in Sunrise in 2008.

Moreover, Mr. Kling was also a key player in the opening of the South Florida National Cemetery in 2007 and the State Veterans Nursing Home in Pembroke Pines in 2001.

While Mr. Kling is no longer with us, his tireless advocacy on behalf of our Nation's veterans lives makes him the perfect candidate for the naming of the VA clinic in Sunrise.

Before yielding back my time, I'd also like to thank Chairman Miller and your entire staff for working with the minority staff to bring these two bills before the House. But I also want to thank you for your friendship and your guidance over the years as we both served on the Veterans' Affairs Committee. I look forward to my new role as the ranking member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and look forward to working with you and your staff as well.

I want to thank you for your strong advocacy for our veterans. That's one of the reasons why I think we work very well together--we have a common goal, a common purpose to help our veterans and their families out. So I want to thank you and look forward to working with you in the upcoming Congress as well as the remainder of this Congress.

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

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a

quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Representative DeLauro of Connecticut and I introduced legislation to increase the specifics and the strength of U.S. enforcement efforts of Russia's WTO membership. As our experience with China has shown, if there isn't a robust enforcement mechanism, American jobs will be lost.

I am pleased that the bill being debated today includes similar language to strengthen our enforcement of Russia's WTO membership, but I do have lingering concerns that USTR may be reluctant to fully implement these provisions, both in letter and in spirit.

First, I am worried that USTR may not interpret the bill's reporting requirements in a way that will make it possible for Members of Congress or American businesses to fully understand Russia's WTO commitment. The Working Party Report, alone, is hundreds of pages and is hard to decipher. In addition, I'm concerned that USTR may not include in their report when they decide not to take action against Russia, even when they are not in compliance.

Can you assure me that you will work with me to ensure that Members of Congress and our businesses are made aware of all of Russia's WTO commitments and whether or not they are in full compliance?

I yield to the gentleman.

I thank the gentleman for his answer.

My next concern is that USTR's report that Congress may not give sufficient attention to Russia's compliance with their manufacturing- related commitments. I know you and I share a deep commitment to American manufacturing. Will my friend work with me to ensure that USTR reports to Congress include assessments on their compliance with manufacturing-related obligations?

I thank my friend for his response. And I know it will come as no surprise that I have approached this legislation and debate with skepticism. Since China joined the WTO more than 10 years ago, nearly 2 million U.S. jobs have been shipped overseas. Although I have advocated for and supported U.S. enforcement efforts at the WTO, these actions have not been enough to counter China's persistent trade violation, including their currency manipulation. I do not want us to repeat this mistake with Russia.

I think the enforcement provisions in this legislation are a good start, but it will take a proactive Congress to make sure our businesses benefit from this agreement. Can my friend assure me that he will work with me to use all the tools at our disposal, including section 301 authority, if needed, to make sure that Russia lives up to the WTO commitment?

I appreciate the gentleman's comment, and I look forward to working with him on these issues. You and I have worked closely together on trade enforcement over the past few years, and I sincerely hope this effort between our offices will further strengthen our dialogue and collaboration on trade policy going forward. It will be even more important that we work together to make sure that TPP is a good deal for American workers and that its implementation legislation as well, should it ever reach the floor, include strict enforcement measures.

This legislation represents an unprecedented step towards improving enforcement of our trade agreements. I want to thank you for working with us to improve this legislation and for agreeing to work with me on my outstanding concerns that we currently have. As a result of these improvements and the strong human rights language in the bill, I'll be supporting this legislation when the House votes on it today. And I want to thank the gentleman from Michigan very much for his efforts in that regard.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the honorees of the 2012 Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Dinner. The Franklin County Chamber of Commerce serves the people and the business community in order to strengthen economic opportunity throughout the region and the State of Maine.

Each year, the Franklin County Chamber recognizes local businesses, business leaders, organizations and individuals who promote and advance a vital and healthy business environment. Each honoree is committed to strengthening opportunity and prosperity in this western Maine county.

This year's honorees are Barclays, the Daily Bulldog and the Wilton Blueberry Festival. These recipients are among the best that Maine has to offer and through their leadership and incredible commitment to their communities and the region, Maine is a better place in which to live and do business.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce and these honorees on their outstanding service and achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Paul Caron for his work in writing and composing ``Lewiston: A New Home''--the definitive musical history of Lewiston-Auburn, Maine.

Dr. Caron is a tremendously gifted educator who has taught courses in math and science at St. Joseph's College, and the University of Southern Maine. In addition to his distinguished credentials in mathematics, science, and administration from Boston College, Paul has also studied musical theater at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. He has been a mainstay in the local theater community for over 35 years.

A few years ago, Dr. Caron decided to devote himself to the composition of a musical about his hometown of Lewiston-Auburn. His work chronicles the rise and decline of one of Maine's great cities through the perspective of its families. Paul expertly wrote each of the show's 17 songs, which reach across a broad spectrum of time and style. The production has since received the prestigious Moss Hart Award from the New England Theater Conference. Meanwhile, the script, musical score and a DVD of the production are being formally held and cataloged in the Library of Congress.

The success of Dr. Caron's opus is a remarkable achievement that will undoubtedly by treasured by the community for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, please join me again in congratulating Dr. Paul Caron on his spectacular musical, ``Lewiston: A New Home.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Adrian J. Cyr, who will be celebrating his 100th birthday on November 9, 2012.

I am honored to have the opportunity to share in the celebration of a centenarian. As a devoted family man, a proud veteran, and an entrepreneur, Adrian Cyr can look back on a life well lived.

A native of Van Buren, Adrian began his lifelong dedication to education in a one room school house and went on to study at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. During the Great Depression, he enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps and built roads in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Adrian served in the U.S. Soil Conservation Service to help protect potato fields from wash-outs, and was a certified inspector for the Maine Department of Agriculture. This is all before he began a 34-year career as a licensed water treatment plant operator at Loring Air Force Base in Limestone and as an owner of several local businesses.

Adrian proudly served his country in World War II. On January 26, 1943, he entered the U.S. Army Air Corps and after completing Basic Training was assigned to Battery D, 539th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion.

He is beloved by his wife Aurore, whom he married within a year after leaving the Army, as well as the Van Buren and Caribou communities. On November 10, Adrian's family and friends will gather together at the American Legion Post 49 to celebrate this remarkable milestone.

Mr. Speaker, please join me again in congratulating Mr. Cyr on his 100th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the historic Claremont Hotel in Southwest Harbor, Maine, for its continued commitment to showcasing world-renowned lecturers and talented performers each summer. Since 1884, the Claremont has provided a getaway for travelers across the world and a gateway to Bar Harbor, Mount Desert Island, and Acadia National Park.

Every summer, the Claremont brings knowledgeable and interesting lecturers and talented performers to the Maine Coast to share their insights and gifts with native Mainer and tourist alike.

Please join me in honoring each of the Claremont Hotel's 2012 summer lecturers for their contributions to this year's successful program: Nancy Wetzel, Landscape Gardener and Garden Historian for the Sarah Orne Jewett House, ``Shoals & Tidewater: Thaxter's Island Garden to Tyson's River Garden''; William Bigelow, M. Div., Student of Jungian Psychoanalysis, C.G. Jung Institute of Boston, ``Shadow and Light: Carl Jung, and the Opposites That Dwell Within Each of Us''; Susan Danly, Senior Curator, Portland Museum of Art, ``Apogees: Mount Desert and Katahdin in the Art and Life of Frederic Edwin Church''; Tom Hayward, Humanities Reference Librarian at Bates College, ``George Gershwin, 1898-1937: A Sampling of His Music from the Year of His Death''; Walter Butts, Poet Laureate of New Hampshire, ``The Language of Cinema: Techniques of Image and Composition in Poetry & Film''; David Hanna, Author, Knights of the Sea, ``Knights of the Sea: The True Story of the Boxer and the Enterprise and the War of 1812''; Peter Der Manuelian, Phillip J. King Professor of Egyptology at Harvard University, ``The Giza Pyramids in 3D: Ancient Egypt and the Harvard--MFA Expedition''; Dr. Ralph Nurnberger, Professor of International Relations at Georgetown University and Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, ``The Potential of a Nuclear Iran in the New Middle East''; and David Arnold, a freelance writer, photographer of coral reefs, and web video producer of travel/adventure stories targeted to newspapers, magazines, and websites, ``Climate Change: Photographing the Reality Above and Below the Waterline.''

The hotel also welcomed many talented performers this summer. Please join me in recognizing Anastasia Antonacos, classical Pianist and founder of the Bayside Trio; the Hot Club of Portland; the Acadia Chamber Players; the Thomas Snow Trio; Jerks of Grass; and, Judith Gordon, classical pianist and assistant Professor of music at Smith College.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the Claremont and its guests on a wonderful 2012 summer season.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate St. Joseph Hospital on being recognized as a Thomson Reuters Top 100 Hospital.

Founded in 1947 by the Felician Sisters, St. Joseph Hospital has proudly served community members from the Bangor area for three quarters of a century. St. Joseph is committed to wellness promotion and holistic healing by providing healthcare services which embody compassion, competence and community. It is this commitment that has helped them secure the Reuters Top 100 Hospital designation.

The Thompson Reuters 100 Hospital study evaluates performance in a variety of areas, including patient safety, average patient stay, expenses, medical complications and patient satisfaction. St. Joseph was chosen from nearly 3,000 U.S. hospitals for demonstrating high- quality patient care and overall organizational excellence.

St. Joseph Hospital, under the umbrella of St. Joseph Healthcare, is a 112-bed acute community hospital. They provide a comprehensive range of health care services, including primary care, specialty services, diagnostics imaging and screening, outpatient and inpatient surgery. The Hospital is consistently recognized for its quality of care and patient satisfaction scores. In addition to this

praise, the St. Joseph's commitment to providing low cost care reinforces the organization as an indispensible piece of the greater Bangor community.

Mr. Speaker, please join me again in congratulating St. Joseph Hospital, and their parent organization St. Joseph Healthcare on their designation as Thomson Reuters Top 100 Hospital.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the members of the James W. Williams American Legion Post 12 for their commitment to the City of Bangor. I would also like to congratulate them as they celebrate their 92nd anniversary.

The James W. Williams Post No. 12 was founded in August of 1920, and they will celebrate their 92nd anniversary this year. The post is named for Cpl. James W. Williams of Bangor, who proudly served in the Maine National Guard during World War I. Cpl. Williams was killed in action on July 17th, 1918 at the battle of Champagne-Marne in Germany.

From its founding, members of the James W. Williams Post No. 12 have dedicated themselves to serving our veterans, members of the armed forces, and the Bangor community. Its members have long been known to offer financial support to the Boy Scouts, the American Cancer Society, and the Eastern Maine Medical Center. The Post also established a Bangor High School JROTC scholarship and Boys State scholarship. Post members were instrumental in supporting the construction of a fifth Veterans Home in Bangor, and they continue to regularly provide comfort to its residents.

Today, we celebrate the tremendous success of the James W. Williams American Legion Post 12 and 92 years of community support and engagement. They have truly made a difference to the city of Bangor and our veterans population.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the members of the James W. Williams American Legion Post 12 on their 92nd anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of Roy Driver who will be retiring after 32 years of outstanding work for the Vet Centers and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Roy has dedicated more than 30 years to improving the lives of veterans and their families. Prior to his time with the Vet Centers, Roy served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1960-1970 as a Sonar/ Oceanographic Technician. He has attended the Greater Hartford Community College, Central Connecticut State College and Southern Connecticut State College. From 1974 to 1978 he served as a Veterans Affairs Coordinator for two colleges in Connecticut.

In 1980, he was the Team Leader of the Hartford Connecticut Vet Center, one of the first in the nation. During his time in Hartford, two additional Vet Centers were opened as satellites. Maine veterans were fortunate that in 1991, Roy moved to the Portland, Maine Vet Center, where he remained until 2004, when he became Team Leader of the Lewiston Vet Center.

It is always with some lingering sadness that I pass along my best wishes for the retirement of people like Roy. Throughout his career, he has been an important part of the lives of many combat veterans and their families, helping them to work through the issues that resulted from their service to our nation. You can never truly quantify the work of such an individual. On behalf of the people of Maine, I congratulate Roy and wish him the best of luck on his retirement and in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Roy Driver for his unwavering dedication to our veterans and their families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Franco American War Veterans (FAWV) on their 80th Anniversary, and Post 31 of Lewiston, Maine on their 25th Anniversary.

In early 1932, veterans of World War I began meeting in Massachusetts to establish a veteran's organization for veterans of French decent. They gathered signatures and were granted a charter by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In the succeeding years, posts were formed around Massachusetts, and quickly expanded to Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maine.

This year, Post 31 of Lewiston, Maine celebrates its 25th Anniversary. Post 31 is an integral part of the Lewiston/Auburn community. Members of the Post have served as national officers in FAWV, and as leaders in the community. Among their many accomplishments, members of Post 31, through their work on the L/A Veterans' Council, helped establish and maintain the Veterans' Park in Lewiston and helped convince the Department of Veterans' Affairs to locate its new community based outpatient clinic in Lewiston. In addition, the Post 31 Color Guard participates in many ceremonies each year, and their presence helps enhance the ceremony.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the Franco American War Veterans on their 80th Anniversary and Post 31 of Lewiston, Maine, on their 25th Anniversary.