Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Sarah Yang of Ramsey, Minnesota. Sarah is serving as the Minnesota representative for the National History Day competition and it is my honor to call attention to the hard work and dedicated effort she has put into her project.

Since October, Sarah has been researching information on Xang Vang, a Hmong community advocate in Minnesota, in concert with the competition theme of, ``The Individual in History: Action and Legacies.'' She was first selected as a winner from Anoka High School and then selected among 30,000 students from Minnesota. Her project, ``Restoring Roots: Xang Vang & the Regeneration of Minnesota's Hmong Economy'' has culminated in a website that chronicles the life and work of Vang.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Sarah Yang and all the students who have participated in National History Day. We're often told, ``We can't know where we're going until we know where we've been.'' Sarah is just one representative of thousands of students who have taken ambitious strides to learn the history that will guide them to a bright and successful future. Congratulations to Sarah for making it this far and I hope we will continue to see more students taking part in National History Day every year.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Samuel Kampa, who was recently selected as one of the top 10 finalists in the 2009 Holocaust Remembrance Project national essay contest. Mr. Kampa, a recent graduate of Dassel-Cokato High School, was chosen out of 7,000 entries for his essay on preserving the memory of millions of victims of the Holocaust.

In his essay, Mr. Kampa wrote, ``I discovered that the Holocaust was not a distant, abstract occurrence that merely comprised yet another chapter in world history. Rather, the Holocaust forever transformed the actual lives of men, women, and children--human beings who were subjected to inhuman sadism.''

He continued, ``When the last survivor passes on, who will be there to share the stories and thus make Holocaust history tangible, accessible, alive, and meaningful? The answer is clear: we must take the next step, for it is absolutely imperative that we educate future generations and perpetuate Holocaust remembrance by reiterating their stories . . . Forgotten history profits nothing, and the mistakes of the past will become the mistakes of the present if we neglect to remember. When we forget the stories, it is easy to lapse into old sins.''

The recent anti-Semitic tragedy at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. reaffirms Mr. Kampa's timely essay. He reminds us of the need to continuously remember the tragedy and the events that led up to the disaster that ended the lives of millions of individuals and impacted so many more.

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Sixth District of Minnesota, I want to commend Mr. Kampa not only for his impressive accomplishment, but for his insightful thoughts into how our world can avoid another monumental catastrophe, such as the Holocaust.

Madam Speaker, I rise to share in the nation's shock, outrage, and sorrow at the tragic shooting today at the U.S. Holocaust Museum here in Washington. My heart and prayers go out to the family of the young security guard, Stephen Tyrone Johns, who was killed in this senseless crime.

Senator Frank Lautenberg, who serves on the board for the museum, noted the irony that this hateful act took place in this beautiful, peaceful place; a sort of thoughtful sanctuary dedicated to ensuring that the evil of the holocaust never again gains a foothold on this earth. How right he is. How many times must this museum serve to teach the world about the horrible power of hate?

Earlier this week, this body considered two resolutions, one condemning the killing of Dr. George Tiller and one condemning the killing of Army Private William Long and the wounding of Army Private Quinton Ezeagwula. Like today's killing, these acts were simply reprehensible. The taking of innocent life cannot be justified.

Our society has traveled down a road that should never have been trodden. Human life has been devalued. Violence has been glorified. The gift of living has lost its meaning. In accepting his Nobel Prize, Dr. Martin Luther King said, ``Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.'' As a people, we must promote life, we must celebrate this miracle. And, as a Congress, we must lead the way with laws that protect all, particularly the most vulnerable amongst us, and that encourage loving, life-affirming ways.

I want to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio, Congresswoman Jean Schmidt. She is the head of the Women's Pro-Life Caucus, and she has done such a remarkable job for us. There aren't that many women who are pro-life women here in the United States Congress, and Jean has done a wonderful job taking that effort forward.

Thank you, Jean, for hosting the hour this evening, and I appreciate the honor of being with you and Ms. Foxx and with my colleagues this evening to be able to address this important issue.

I come here tonight as a female Member of Congress, as a strong pro- life Member of Congress, and also as a mother. I have been gifted to be able to bear five children, and I'm grateful for that honor, grateful to have known what it's like to be able to hold a little baby and be able to know what it's like to carry a little baby to full term. It is a thrill. It is a blessing.

And I know for many women across America, they've made decisions in their lives regarding abortion that have affected them, that have affected them for good and for not so good. And for women who are abortion-minded, who have made that decision to abort their baby, they know what I'm talking about. They have made a decision that has radically altered their life. And whether that's a memory that they've tried to put under the carpet or whether it's a memory they are still dealing with, they know in the center and in the core of their being that something huge happened when they made that decision.

And I don't stand here this evening, Mr. Speaker, condemning any women that have made that decision. To the contrary, what I am saying is that there is a way out for women who have made that decision. They can find peace. They can find forgiveness.

But we also want to tell the truth about abortion. We want to tell the truth, that it leaves a gaping hole in the soul of a woman when she makes that decision.

Many women are pressured to make that decision, pressured by a boyfriend who tells them they'll leave the woman if they don't make the decision, pressured by parents who are embarrassed or who don't want their daughter to have to deal with a baby or maybe who themselves don't want to deal with a grandchild that they're just not quite prepared to deal with. And I think part of the message that we want to give tonight is that there are alternatives. There are positive alternatives for women and for men who find themselves in that situation.

There are loving alternative pregnancy centers in nearly every community in the United States who will offer free pregnancy testing, who will offer free sonograms or ultrasounds so that you can hear your baby's heartbeat and see your baby on a screen and make that decision. And I think what we're trying to let a lot of American women know across this country this evening is that choosing life is probably one of the most gratifying decisions any woman, any man can make. We want to let them know they're not alone.

You're absolutely right, Congresswoman Schmidt. They are all across America and they are doing a fabulous job. They do it on very little money. They aren't receiving money from the Federal Government the same way that Planned Parenthood does. Planned Parenthood receives well over $300 million a year in grants from the Federal taxpayer. We don't see that for these pro-life centers. And these are centers who people give donations to.

And for women who find themselves in a situation where they're torn, trying to figure out what they should do about this unplanned pregnancy, Mrs. Schmidt is exactly right, because they offer not only just the sonogram and just a pregnancy test, but they offer clothes if you need maternity clothes. They offer baby clothes. They offer a little bassinet. They might offer a stroller, a little baby carrier, free diapers. They are there to help women at their most vulnerable time.

And you will find in a Planned Parenthood that a woman walks in and they say that they're full service, but there is actually only one option usually when you go into Planned Parenthood, and that's to end the life of that little baby. And what the pro-life centers try to do is offer women life-giving choices and to let them know they can keep their dignity. Whether they choose to keep their baby or not, they can keep their dignity, but they can give the greatest gift they can ever give, and that's that they give the gift of life to the next generation. It's one of the most beautiful decisions than can ever be made.

You've had the pleasure of being a mother. I've had the pleasure of being a mother, and it is truly one of the greatest treasures anyone can ever have, to be entrusted with giving life to the next generation.

So I think as we start this discussion on abortion, on what it means, and there are a lot of opinions on either side, but one thing we have seen that has occurred recently, the American people, for the first time, the public opinions show that over 51 percent of Americans claim they are pro-life. This is one of the highest ratings we've ever seen. Part of that, I think, is because of science, because science shows us the human development of the unborn child. And the more that we learn about the unborn child, the fascination, the intricacy, the beauty of the unborn child, the more we embrace giving life to this beautiful treasure and to this beautiful gift.

And that brings us to our subject this evening, dealing with D.C., and there are a few things I wanted to mention in my remarks. The taxpayer funding of abortion also increases the number of abortions. So when we put tax money into the equation, we'll get more abortions. And it makes sense. It's practical. And that's according to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, which is the research arm of Planned Parenthood.

The Guttmacher Institute also routinely reports showing that when public funding is not available, 30 percent fewer women who receive Medicaid have abortions. Now, this is interesting because it means 30 percent more babies whose mothers receive government-subsidized health care survive because of abortion-funding restrictions. And this is, I think, particularly important for women and men in the African American communities, in the Latino communities. In communities of color, we see a very high percentage of abortions. And I know one of our colleagues, Congressman Trent Franks, speaks about this often. He has a tremendous heart, as we do as well, for unborn children in the minority community because such a grossly high percentage of babies in the African American/Latino community are aborted, and we don't want to see that.

These babies add to the richness of the American fabric just as Caucasian babies do. All babies are valuable, but what we're seeing is an even higher percentage of babies who are losing their lives in the minority community. In particular, we see this with minorities as they access Medicaid funding. If they have Medicaid funding, government funding, we'll see more abortions, and we'll see that particularly in the minority communities.

This is a common-ground issue, I think, that we can share with those who embrace a pro-abortion view and with those who embrace a pro-life view because the polls have shown very clearly that the majority of Americans do not support taxpayer-funded abortion. They don't support it. We are here to represent the will and the interests of the American people. That's not where the American people are right now. They don't want to see us spending their money when we don't have much, when this government is in the red--in red ink up to our eyeballs. We don't have money to pay for the intentional murder of unborn children.

The Obama budget changes this Dornan amendment, as my colleague Mrs. Schmidt has said, to the Financial Services' appropriations bill, so the publicly funded abortions will, once again, be available in the District of Columbia. Right here where we stand this evening, this is the District of Columbia. So now, once again, President Obama is expanding abortion. Instead of making it rare, instead of making it safer, this is making more abortions, particularly for pre-born babies of color.

The District of Columbia has a record of abusing taxpayer funds for abortion. It's bad news, but it's true news. In the 80s when the District had the most permissive abortion funding policy in this country, abortions were funded for anyone, not just for Medicaid recipients.

Elizabeth Reveal was the D.C. budget director at the time. She confirmed that the District's government has a policy of funding abortion on demand and does not attempt to determine the circumstances of the pregnancy. D.C. allows minors--that's children--to receive abortion services without the consent of their parents.

So imagine that. Here in D.C., children can receive abortions without their parents' consent, which means that the American taxpayer will be funding abortions, paying for them for children, and minors could easily be brought in from other States. Remember, D.C. is only about 10 miles square, so minors could be transported across State lines and brought to D.C. from other States to have abortions paid for by the American taxpayer right here in Washington, D.C. to avoid the parental notification laws in their home States. That's according to the Alan Guttmacher Institute. According to Planned Parenthood, they don't have accurate numbers on abortions in D.C. due to women from other States coming to D.C. for abortions.

There are problems here with this, deep problems with this measure. That's why we had the Dornan amendment. It made sense. It was only reasonable. So, unfortunately, under the Obama administration, we are taking the Band-Aid off this problem and are exposing it to even more infection. The infection is more money, and we know that more money will lead to more abortions and particularly to more abortions for babies of color.

This is really a sad story. We don't want to just talk about sad stories, because life is such a wonderful story. We would love to just be here this evening and talk about the positive story of life--and it's a beautiful story--but this is a really ugly story because it's about expanding more abortion; it's about more misery for women who are forced into abortions often against their will, who are given incomplete and inadequate information and who may be headed for a lifetime of addiction, depression or of a sense of loss and grief that they may have to deal with for 10, 15, 20 years. We don't want this to happen. We want women to be dignified. We don't want women to be brutalized. That's why we're here this evening, because we really believe in women, and we believe in women's choices and in empowering women. This doesn't empower women to put them in a situation where they're forced to do something quite often by pressure from boyfriends who are careless or from parents who don't want to be bothered.

So I just want to, again, thank Representative Jean Schmidt. She has a heart of love. She has a heart of love on this issue. With her courage and with her dignity, she has brought together this group of men and women here on the House floor this evening who believe very strongly that American women will be hurt by this bill. Certainly, American children will be hurt by this bill.

I thank you for your courage in bringing this forward this evening.

I thank the gentleman from Missouri for calling this together so that we could call attention to the job losses that are happening all across the United States. It's in your district. It's in my district. It's every one of our districts here that are represented this evening.

And I was absolutely shocked, as I've been watching this play out, of the Federal Government jumping in and taking over private businesses, beginning with Chrysler and then now with General Motors. We're seeing something that we haven't seen. I don't know if we ever have seen anything like this in the history of our country, and I am still livid over the conversation I had today.

I do. I had met with dealers in my district before from Chrysler, and they looked me in the eye and they said they were just flabbergasted. They couldn't believe that they got a pink slip that they were going to be out of business by the end of the month. All the cars that they had on their lot they'd have to sell. They were going have to wrap up and go out of business by the end of the month. And they told me that they were one of the most successful Chrysler dealerships, not just in Minnesota, but in the Nation. They performed 160 percent better than the top performers in the country. They met all the criteria for staying open for Chrysler, and still they were pink- slipped. No one could understand.

This particular family, Congressman, had put $5 million into this dealership just prior to receiving this notice. They were slated to adding another Jeep dealership to the Chrysler business that they already had. Significant amount of money, and they produced tax revenue to the amount of $3 million every year on that 5-acre parcel that they utilized.

This particular dealer had been in the business since the early 1920s. The one that I spoke with today had been in business for 90 years. They were a General Motors dealership.

There's a recent appraisal done on this dealership, very successful dealership. They have all the debts paid. They own everything outright and clear, and the appraiser said this dealership is worth $15 million.

Was worthless. Now the only thing that their dealership is worth today is the underlying property that the building sits on. They put all sorts of money into building their building, which is now free and clear. They worked hard to make sure they could pay for it, and now it's a dealership building. And as most Americans know who are listening to us speak this evening, if you have a dealership building, you can't use it for much else other than a dealership. And trust me, there's no one out there right now who's too interested in buying an old used dealership building because there's not new car dealers going up out there.

I thank the gentleman from Missouri.

And I'm very concerned again about these motor takeovers from the Federal Government. One thing that I am very concerned about, a story came out today where there's been approximately 1,500 letters that have gone out to GM dealerships.

One story that came out today, there is a dealership that I know of that applied to their Democrat Senator to appeal for help so that they could stay open. That Senator was able to arrange a meeting between the dealer and the officials at GM. We all know GM is now Government Motors because it's owned by the American people. It's been nationalized. There is no private corporations the way we used to think of GM. Now, the main stockholder is the American Government. So this Democrat Senator who was applied to for help was able to secure a meeting with General Motors and a car dealership, and they were able to get their dealership back.

Well, that's great, that's wonderful.

There is also another article I saw today where a constituent had contacted one of the representatives, a Democrat representative here in this Chamber, Representative Barney Frank. Barney Frank was able to go and talk to the right people and get this dealership back open. Is that what we have come to in this country, that rather than a private business with a private contract with another private corporation, they're no longer able to work out their agreements because, as columnist Michael Barone has called, he said, Now we've moved into the realm of gangster government. We have gangster government when the Federal Government has set up a new cartel and private businesses now have to go begging with their hand out to their local--hopefully well politically connected--Congressman or their Senator so they can buy a peace offering for that local business. Is that the kind of country we are going to have in the future?

When I was on the phone today for over an hour with one of my local dealers, the very first thing out of her mouth was this, she said, This is the most un-American thing I have ever seen in my life. I can't believe that I lived to see the day that my country would come to this point where, having my dealership for 90 years, I get a letter FedExed to me that tells me I have until Friday to sign this document to not only give up my company that was made worthless--worth $15 million, made worthless overnight--now GM is demanding that she hand over her customer list, her service customer list to GM. Why? GM most likely will use those customer lists, they will give it to her former competitors. What is she getting for this? What is her remuneration? She had the rug pulled out from her and from her husband. They virtually lost everything overnight to what? To what Michael Barone calls a gangster government.

We need to call this for what this is, my colleagues. We need to call this for what this is. Call it out. The American people need to get outraged and figure out that it could be them next. No business is safe when you see the administration appoint czars--car czars, wage czars-- there's over 20 czars that have been appointed. And what do those czars do? They bypass the Congress. We are the people's elected representatives; we have been bypassed.

We now have an imperial presidency where the President has appointed various czars reporting directly to him. And now he is reaching into the confines of private businesses and overnight rendering them virtually worthless--unless, unless they have a special tug, a political tie to a local Democrat Congressman. Is that what we've come to? And I yield back.

If the gentleman would yield, the Founders went so far as they began a revolution over a stamp tax, over a stamp tax. This is the actual outright taking of someone's personal property. And the Founders were unwilling to pass the Constitution without the Bill of Rights. And as the gentleman knows, the Bill of Rights was to protect individuals, people, not to protect government, but to protect people from the encroachment of big government upon their leaders. And the Fifth Amendment guarantees the right of your personal property. Big government cannot come in, they are prohibited from coming in and taking your personal property without just compensation. Here is a perfect example of violation of these citizens' Fifth Amendment rights.

Last weekend my family sat down and we were watching the commercial movie ``Titanic.'' And as I was listening to Dr. Burgess from Texas talk about the debt and the burgeoning debt load that the United States takes, once the ice gash came in the side of the Titanic, which we all remember was called the ``unsinkable Titanic,'' we think of the United States. Nothing can possibly sink the United States. We will always be a superpower. But one thing that has kept us a superpower has been freedom, free market economists. We are in the process of watching the deconstruction of free market economists before our very eyes, something we have never seen. But as the ice ripped that hole in the Titanic, water started being taken on, and the engineer came out and brought the blueprint of the Titanic. Water came into the first chamber, spilled over to the second, spilled over to the third, and by the time it filled up so many chambers, it was over. It was impossible to resurrect that ship.

That's, I think, Mr. Akin, what you have been bringing before this body this evening. You've been showing to the American people that at a certain point when we have such excessive levels of spending that in turn leads to such excessive level of taxation that in turn leads us to excessive levels of borrowing that at a certain point we wonder what that tipping point will be if the United States will not be able to recover.

We do have an alternative, as Dr. Broun said. We have a positive alternative that next quarter we could already see growth in our economy. But this plan that President Obama has put forward is the kind of plan that we could watch last night, or last weekend on TNT in the movie ``Titanic.'' If we follow that plan that President Obama has put before us, we know what that outcome will be and a lot of very innocent people may go down with that ship.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the accomplished students who earned the Certificate of Congressional Merit for their exemplary citizenship and academic excellence. Fourteen students from Minnesota's Sixth District were nominated by their schools for this prestigious award and it is a great privilege to be able to share their accomplishments with this Congress.

These students have shown that they can set and achieve goals, work as a team member or a leader, contribute to a larger cause, all while making time for study and friendships as well. They have made significant contributions to their schools and communities and stand out to faculty and staff as students that would never ask for recognitions for their efforts.

I rise today, Madam Speaker, to honor these fourteen students for their successful high school careers and to wish them all he best in their bright futures:

Mr. Chris Neumann of Winsted, Holy Trinity School; Mr. Joshua Putnam of Woodbury, New Life Academy; Mr. Kevin Capp of Andover, Andover High School; Ms. Jacqueline Lee of Becker, Becker High School; Ms. Mysee Chang of Corcoran, Buffalo High School; Mr. Michael Roth of Delano, Delano High School; Mr. Tyler Rausch of Elk River, Elk River Senior High School; Mr. Thomas Linn of Watkins, Kimball Area High School and ALC; Ms. Kayla Ruff of Monticello, Monticello High School; Mr. Russell O'Fallon of Paynesville, Paynesville Area Secondary School; Ms. Tracy Skluzacek of Cold Spring, Rocori High School; Mr. Jacob Horn of St. Michael, St. Michael-Albertville High School; Ms. Courtney Ledo of Stillwater, Stillwater High School; and Ms. Rebecca Lauer of Albany, Immaculate Conception Academy.

It was best said by beloved children's author, Dr. Seuss, ``The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.'' These students are the bright future we have to look forward to in Minnesota and in our nation. We are looking forward to the successes they will have and the dreams they will follow and, the places they will go.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Sixth District farms that have been recognized as 2009 Century Farms by the Minnesota State Fair and the Minnesota Farm Bureau. Being a Century Farm is no easy task. Farms must be at least 50 acres and stay in a continuous family ownership for 10 years. Since the program began in 1976, more than 8,700 Minnesota farms and families have been named a ``century farm.'' As the family farming tradition that made America strong is encroached upon by development and urbanization, this designation becomes an even more significant accomplishment. It is my honor to recognize these farms before this Congress today.

America was founded as an agricultural nation full of hope and promise for bountiful harvests year after year. The families that tilled the first soil on Minnesota's golden plains instilled a work ethic that today's farmers still follow. Two hundred years ago it was not uncommon to have three or even four generations involved with a single farm at any given time. Between sowing and harvest, feeding livestock and maintaining equipment and buildings, farm life was a full time job for entire families. But as the times have changed, to see one family still taking care of the land and homes their parents worked on and lived in is a great a joy. In fact, I can recall the time that I spent living and working on my in-laws' dairy farm in Wisconsin--a farm that my mother-in-law and brothers-in-law still call home.

I rise, Madam Speaker, to honor these families and the past generations that have made this accomplishment possible:

Corrigan family of Foley, since 1909.

Magnuson family of Foley, since 1909.

Burggraff family of Royalton, since 1898.

Bernard J. and Natalie Niewind of Eden Valley, since 1909.

Leilani Rolfes of Freeport, since 1883.

Brothers Andrew and Richard Holdvogt of Melrose, since 1907.

Kenneth Schaefer family of Melrose, since 1897.

Harvey and Marilyn Lieser of Paynesville, since 1892.

James A. Moores of Monticello, since 1903.

Madam Chair, on rollcall No. 308, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Winkelman Building Corporation on its 40th anniversary as a business leader in the St. Cloud community. Success at their level of expertise could not have been achieved without hard work, long hours, and many sacrifices. I know that everyone at Winkelman Building Corporation can be very proud of the accomplishment that brings them together at this milestone.

Winkelman Building Corporation has been working with communities across the nation to build structures that serve a purpose and make a statement. They have been recognized 18 times by local and national groups for their innovation and excellence since 1993. Most recently, they were awarded the Project of the Year by the Minnesota Construction Association for the Kennedy Community School in St. Joseph, Minnesota. This school is the pride of the community and one of the first Leader in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified schools in the nation. When I toured the Kennedy Community School I was impressed by the amount of thought that went into making it not only an innovative facility, but a welcoming place in which children could learn.

I rise today, Madam Speaker, to honor the tireless efforts of the employees at Winkelman Building Corporation that have brought this company four decades of success. The backbone of our local and national economies is America's small businesses, and through good times and bad, companies like Winkelman are pulling through with resolve and optimism. I join other community and business leaders in St. Cloud in looking forward to another 40 years of groundbreakings, grand openings and award celebrations.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. and Mrs. Wally and Mary Grotz of Delano, Minnesota, on the occasion of their sixtieth wedding anniversary. For the last sixty years, they have raised four children and lived in the homestead Wally built while the town of Delano grew into a city. But this is no ordinary couple; they are some of America's ``Greatest Generation'' and both have tremendous wisdom to share from their personal histories.

Wally was a B-24 bomber pilot during World War II and at one point served under American film legend, Jimmy Stewart. But Wally's story goes much deeper. He was shot down over Germany in 1944 and taken as a Prisoner of War until May of 1945. When he returned home he found a job at the local post office where he worked for 34 years, serving as Postmaster for 16 years.

Mary spent her time working for Minnesota-based food producer, General Mills. Her job was as unique as she is; she answered cooking and baking questions as Betty Crocker, the General Mills kitchen icon. She still remains active in her church and the Delano community today.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and honor Wally and Mary Grotz. Their accomplishments as individuals and dedicated citizens would be enough to warrant recognition, but the love and devotion they have shown to one another sweetens their story as American heroes. I wish them a happiest anniversary and another sixty years together!

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Marge Johannes of Sauk Rapids, Minnesota as she celebrates her 90th birthday. Marge is known as ``Grandma Marge'' to the students at Pleasantview Elementary School, where she volunteers as a Foster Grandparent, a role she has played for over 20 years.

As a Foster Grandma, Marge spends four hours a day helping students and assisting the teachers. She even takes time to provide childcare for the Adult Basic Education classes. When many students and teachers are taking a break from school, Grandma Marge helps with the summer school programs in the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District. She is the definition of grace, bringing a love of learning to the schools at which she volunteers and sharing a smile with all she meets. All the students know that her favorite book is the dictionary, because she likes to learn something new every day and she spreads that kind of earnest enthusiasm everywhere she goes.

It is my honor to rise to wish Grandma Marge a ``Happy Ninetieth Birthday'' today and to thank her for her lifetime of service to her community. She is a teacher to us all, demonstrating the important values of service and citizenship. But, to the children, she is so much more: She's a member of their family; their Grandma Marge.

Madam Speaker, to congratulate and honor St. Cloud Hospital and Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater, Minnesota for being named to the Top 100 Hospitals list by Thomson Reuters. The people of St. Cloud and Stillwater know how great their hospitals

are and I'm thrilled to see the staff members and administrations receive this recognition.

The Top 100 Hospitals evaluates short-term, acute care and non- federal hospitals on the overall care of a patient, including rate of medical complications and adherence to clinical standards, fiscal responsibility and patient satisfaction. We are fortunate to have high medical standards in this country and St. Cloud and Lakeview Hospitals demonstrate day in and day out that they take the Hippocratic oath to ``do no harm'' very seriously.

Lakeview Hospital was listed as a Small Community category winner. St. Cloud Hospital was recognized for its work in the Teaching Hospitals category, which only makes this hospital's achievements that much more important as it is a place where future doctors and administrators can learn how to create the best patient experience. St. Cloud Hospital was also one of 23 hospitals to receive the Everest Award, which recognizes the hospitals with the most improvement over a five-year period.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor these two institutions, St. Cloud and Lakeview Hospitals, as some of the top hospitals in the nation. Their recognition by Thomson Reuters as Top 100 Hospitals validates the pride Minnesota takes in their hospitals and other care facilities. As a small business owner working closely with the medical community, I am pleased to see that the people of St. Cloud and Stillwater have some of the best hospital care available to them in the country. Congratulations to everyone who works with these hospitals and to the communities that support them as their own.

Madam Speaker, I congratulate and honor St. Cloud Hospital and Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater, Minnesota for being named to the Top 100 Hospitals list by Thomson Reuters. The people of St. Cloud and Stillwater know how great their hospitals are and I'm thrilled to see the staff members and administrations receive this recognition.

The Top 100 Hospitals evaluates short-term, acute care and non- federal hospitals on the overall care of a patient, including rate of medical complications and adherence to clinical standards, fiscal responsibility and patient satisfaction. We are fortunate to have high medical standards in this country and St. Cloud and Lakeview Hospitals demonstrate day in and day out that they take the Hippocratic oath to ``do no harm'' very seriously.

Lakeview Hospital was listed as a Small Community category winner. St. Cloud Hospital was recognized for its work in the Teaching Hospitals category, which only makes this hospital's achievements that much more important as it is a place where future doctors and administrators can learn how to create the best patient experience. St. Cloud Hospital was also one of 23 hospitals to receive the Everest Award, which recognizes the hospitals with the most improvement over a five-year period.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor these two institutions, St. Cloud and Lakeview Hospitals, as some of the top hospitals in the nation. Their recognition by Thomson Reuters as Top 100 Hospitals validates the pride Minnesota takes in their hospitals and other care facilities. As a small business owner working closely with the medical community, I am pleased to see that the people of St. Cloud and Stillwater have some of the best hospital care available to them in the country. Congratulations to everyone who works with these hospitals and to the communities that support them as their own.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor two truly amazing individuals, Wayne and Shannon Marklowitz of Clear Lake, as they begin to create a foster care community, ``Hope Blooms'', in Becker, Minnesota. Wayne and Shannon are working hard to provide a safe, welcoming environment for some of the 650 Minnesota children between the ages of 0 and 18 who are waiting to be placed with a foster home. And, they also hope to provide a close support network for the families that want to provide the love and care these children so desperately need.

It is not often we see such dedication toward such a selfless goal, particularly amidst these troubling times when people honestly turn their focus inward. Wayne works as a fire fighter and Shannon is studying to become a counselor, so there are plenty of very legitimate excuses to hold off on this endeavor. But the inspiration of a similar program in Texas, the prayers of their family, the support of their community and their unconditional faith have moved this project closer to fruition with each day. In fact, Wayne and Shannon received their not-for-profit status from the federal government in just one month, even thought they had been told the process takes a year. Even government appears to have been inspired by their dreams.

After fostering 23 children with my family, I know the personal joy a foster child can bring to a home. I am so grateful to for that gift that I received as a foster parent, and I am equally grateful to the Marklowitz' for helping other families experience that same joy. Shannon and Wayne are taking on this endeavor as a leap of faith, as they acknowledge, answering the call from Christ's apostle James, who asked true believers ``to look after the orphans and widows in distress.''

I rise to honor this amazing young couple for their faith and work to meet such important goals. The month of May has been designated as ``National Foster Care Month'' and I encourage all Americans to look into foster care options and to support the families that have foster children. The future of our country rests firmly on the shoulders of our children and the hundreds of thousands of children in foster care are an important part in carrying on the principles of freedom and community on which America was founded. I look forward to seeing the success and joy Hope Blooms brings to foster families and children in and around Becker. May God continue to bless the homes that have opened their doors to the children in need.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Lieutenant Colonel Richard L. Kirchner for his 29 years of service to the Civil Air Patrol. Col. Kirchner retired in February after developing the Anoka Composite Squadron and serving as its Commander three times.

After joining the Civil Air Patrol in 1980, Col. Kirchner started the Anoka Composite Squadron in 1982 with just one member. Today, it stands at nearly 100 members and has produced leaders in the Civil Air Patrol, the U.S. Air Force, in business and the public sector across the country. Col. Kirchner was involved

with every aspect of the Civil Air Patrol including Emergency Services, Aerospace Education and the Cadet program to help develop anyone interested in civil service. I am confident that the Squadron will be led by other fine commanders and engage in new and challenging missions in years to come, standing on the firm foundation laid by Col. Kirchner.

It is my privilege to honor Lieutenant Colonel Richard L. Kirchner for his three decades of dedicated service to the Civil Air Patrol and I want to thank Col. Kirchner for the role he has played in so many Minnesota lives. His commitment to honor and duty, country and community and his nurturing relationship with the members of the Squadron are a model for all of us on how to lead and teach. We are all so grateful for his service.