Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to LTG Gary Ace who will be leaving his position as Legislative Liaison officer in the Army House Liaison office on February 18, 2005. Gary has volunteered for assignment to United States Central Command with duty in Iraq and Kuwait. During his tenure, Lieutenant Colonel Ace has distinguished himself as a friend, trusted resource, and an officer who epitomizes the modern American professional soldier.

The quality of Lieutenant Colonel Ace's leadership, management, and inter-personal skills, led him to be specially selected to serve in the Secretary of the Army's Legislative Liaison office in the United States House of Representatives. In that capacity, he has been responsible for maintaining liaison with 435 Members of Congress, their personal staffs, and 20 permanent or select legislative committees. Over the past year, Gary devoted himself to getting to know more than 100 Members personally. His dedication, candor and professionalism while serving in this capacity has earned him the reputation of being a go-to person on Capitol Hill to resolve issues pertaining to the Army.

Gary's fine service to his country has seen him recognized with many awards and decorations, including the Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Achievement Medal, the Ranger Tab, the Parachutist Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and the Expert Infantry Badge. Lieutenant Colonel Ace has repeatedly stood for the defense of this Nation, her citizens and their

freedom. This devotion and steadfast commitment to the defense of freedom and liberty around the world is the hallmark of a great American.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to extend my personal gratitude to Lieutenant Colonel Ace for his service to the House of Representatives, and I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Gary for his service to our country. The United States will be well served as Lieutenant Colonel Ace furthers his career at CENTCOM in Iraq and Kuwait.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall vote No. 18, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, homecare represents a tremendous value for millions of Americans' healthcare dollar by providing a family-friendly and clinically proven way of receiving quality healthcare where they prefer to receive it--at home. Homecare is about superior healthcare and a quality life for at least 8 million households across the United States.

Recent studies of homecare services show that it can shorten inpatient hospital stays, reduce the overall cost of care, improve clinical outcomes, expand patient and caregiver satisfaction, advance functional independence, and reduce the risk of institutional placement. For some Medicare beneficiaries, formal homecare is the most cost-effective strategy for achieving functional improvement.

Homecare does not require brick-and-mortar investments and with the rapid advances in technology virtually every service, short of surgery, can be delivered in the home. For these reasons, I join homecare patients and caregivers throughout the United States in celebrating November as National Homecare and Hospice Month.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Joe Damore for his outstanding leadership and commitment to improving healthcare as the President and CEO of Sparrow Hospital and Health Systems in Lansing, Michigan. Mr. Damore has led the Sparrow Health System to its success as one of the top healthcare providers in the greater Lansing area. Since his arrival in 1990, the Sparrow Health System has become mid-Michigan's first and only Level 1 Trauma Center, and increased its medical staff from 500 to 850 physicians. Under the direction of Mr. Damore, the Sparrow Health System has expanded its residency programs with Michigan State University, allowing young health professionals to gain the valuable experience needed for the future, while providing quality healthcare to mid-Michigan residents.

The Sparrow Health System has a mission to provide quality, compassionate and affordable healthcare to the residents of mid- Michigan. In the past fourteen years of dedicated service, Mr. Damore has guided the Sparrow Health System to exceed this mission with expanded facilities and increased inpatient admissions from 18,000 to 29,000 per year. It is because of his exceptional leadership and success that we offer Mr. Damore a fond farewell as he has been offered a position as the President and CEO of Mission Health and Hospitals in Asheville, North Carolina. Mr. Damore will certainly be an asset to the Asheville healthcare community.

Mr. Speaker, during his tenure at the Sparrow Health System Mr. Damore has brought affordable and superior healthcare to the residents of mid-Michigan. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mr. Joe Damore for his extraordinary commitment and dedication to provide top quality health services, and to wish him success in all of his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize A&F Wood Products, a family-owned and operated business in Howell, MI, for earning the 2004 Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award. Founded upon the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the New Freedom Initiative works to ensure that Americans with disabilities have the same opportunities to learn and develop skills, engage in productive work and make choices about their daily lives to participate fully in their communities. A&F Wood Products is just one of five companies nationwide to be recognized for their commitment to these ideals.

A&F Wood Products has embraced the philosophy on which the New Freedom Initiative was founded. Working with Michigan Rehabilitation Services, A&F Wood Products is able to provide employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities through accessibility support, training, and a user-friendly workplace environment. Today, 35 percent of A&F Wood Products' workforce are persons with disabilities.

Mr. Speaker, when President Bush announced the New Freedom Initiative in 2001, unemployment for the disabled was as high as 70 percent by some estimates. Today, businesses like A&F Wood Products are working feverishly to slash that number. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing A&F Wood Products for earning the 2004 Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative Award and for their commitment to the disabled.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the groundbreaking of the Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, Michigan. The Great Lakes National Cemetery will serve as Michigan's second national cemetery and serve the needs of the nearly 460,000 veterans living within 75 miles of Oakland County, Michigan.

In 1987, the Detroit region was one of ten areas identified by the Veterans Administration as having a large veteran population not served by either a national or state veterans cemetery within a reasonable distance. The new 544 acre Great Lakes National Cemetery will meet the needs of Michigan's finest men and women for the next fifty years.

Mr. Speaker, every American that wears the uniform deserves a final resting place that honors and remembers their service to America. However, the families of these veterans should not be required to travel great distances to pay their respect to their loved ones. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the service the Great Lakes National Cemetery will bring to the Veterans and their families in Southeast Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding work ethic of some of Michigan's finest workers at the TRW Automotive plant in Fowlerville, Michigan. On September 15, 2004, TRW Automotive announced that its Kelsey-Hayes Company automotive braking facility in Fowlerville, Michigan, earned a place on Industry Week's prestigious list of ``10 Best Plants'' in North America for 2004.

Industry Week awards its 10 Best Plants award to facilities that have made credible changes in the way they run their operations, aligning production processes with customer needs and harnessing people's desire to make things better. The Fowlerville TRW is well deserving of this distinction, the plant boasts a 100% on-time delivery performance to 15 assembly locations, less than five days' on-hand inventory levels, and a defect rate of just three parts per million, down from 64 ppm in 2000.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the workers at TRW Automotive for their strong commitment to quality manufacturing. American automotive workers are the best trained, most highly skilled workers in the world. Industry Week's profile of these fine manufacturers is a testament to their aptitude and steadfast commitment to quality.

Mr. Chairman, our antiquated federal pay system does not adequately account for the unique needs of federal law enforcement officers.

For example, the current salary, including all overtime payments, for a FBI Special Agent in San Francisco is $56,453. But even a ``low- income home'' within a 60 to 90 minute commute from San Francisco costs $300,000, requiring a mandatory income of $86,000. As a result, agents commonly face four hour daily commutes on top of their regular ten hour plus shifts. Because staffing decisions are based on the needs of the nation, today many federal law enforcement officers are being asked to live beyond their means in order to serve their country.

Mr. Chairman, the 9/11 Commission Report's specific policy recommendations are underpinned by two important general conclusions. First, that the FBI is central to the war on terrorism and second, the need to provide adequate resources to FBI Agents. In fact, on pages 425-426 of their report, the 9/11 Commission says:

A specialized and integrated national security workforce

should be established at the FBI consisting of agents,

analysts, linguist, and surveillance specialists who are

recruited, trained, rewarded, and retained to ensure the

development of an institutional culture imbued with a deep

expertise in intelligence and national security.

Mr. Chairman, developing and maintaining an ``institutional culture imbued with deep expertise'' is severely undermined by the Bureau's inability to retain highly skilled agents in high-cost of living areas. Often, agents will seek to transfer out of high-cost of living areas, like New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, to name a few. The disincentive to stay in high-cost of living areas makes it more difficult for the FBI to recruit the best agents to serve in supervisory positions, and thus creates an obstacle to creating the type of institutional culture the Report calls for. If the high-cost of living in certain areas was mitigated, this disincentive could be removed, and it would be easier to create a more healthy seniority system that would allow a strong intelligence culture to flourish.

Also on page 426, the 9/11 Commission says ``The FBI should fully implement a recruiting, hiring, and selection process for agents and analysts that enhances its ability to target and attract individuals with educational and professional backgrounds in intelligence, international relations, language, technology, and other relevant skills.''

Mr. Chairman, the status quo's inability to fairly compensate FBI agents in high-cost areas is undermining the Bureau's ability to recruit and retain highly skilled individuals in crucial locations. For instance, cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco are uniquely vulnerable to terrorist threats. The Report makes it clear that Congress must undertake efforts to ensure that the FBI is able to attract and retain employees possessing high-level skills. These employees must be fairly compensated with consideration of the cost of living in these areas in order for the Bureau to retain their services.

Mr. Chairman, H.R. 10 takes a positive first step by providing recruitment and retention bonuses to federal law enforcement, particularly the FBI. However, it is imperative that this Congress act on fundamental pay reform in an expeditious manner.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the retirement of Captain Robert J. Aprill of the United States Naval Reserve. Captain Aprill joined the Reserve Officer Candidate program in February of 1974 while pursuing dual degrees at Eastern Michigan University in Political Science and History. After his graduation, Captain April attended Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island and received his commission in the Naval Reserve in December 1975.

In his twenty nine years with the Naval Reserves, Captain Aprill has served America honorably. His many reserve duty assignments included: Training Officer and Executive USS W.S. Sims, Commanding Officer USS Elmer Montgomery and Gaining Command Liaison Officer USS Elmer Montgomery.

Mr. Speaker, since 1915 it has been the mission of the United States Naval Reserve to maintain a state of constant readiness and availability, able to deploy rapidly and effectively in times of peace or war. With the new threats facing America in the War on Terror, this mission has been paramount to America's security, but it cannot be accomplished without dedicated civilian soldiers like Captain Aprill. I would like to ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Captain Aprill for his service to America and to wish him the best in his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dale Glynn of Everett High School in Lansing, Michigan for being named Michigan High School Principal of the Year. Mr. Glynn was presented with this honor by the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals on September 27, 2004.

During his tenure as Principal, Dale Glynn has striven to provide his students with access to the best education by developing rewarding after school programs and creating an environment of inclusiveness for all of the students at Everett High School. Mr. Glynn has been honored by his peers and is loved by his students because of his steadfast commitment and determination to provide his urban school the same access to quality education as suburban counterparts.

Mr. Speaker, providing quality public education to all our nation's students has been a top priority of this Congress. Educators like Dale Glynn who make tremendous strides to providing high caliber education to all students must be recognized and commended. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dale Glynn for being named Michigan High School Principal of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, on the legislative day of Thursday, September 30, 2004, the House had a vote on Res. 792, a resolution to honor the United Negro College Fund on its 60th anniversary. On House rollcall vote No. 486, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, on the legislative day of Thursday, September 23, 2004, the House had a vote on H.R. 1057. On House rollcall vote No. 468, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Deputy Director Bruce Gebhardt for his 30 years of distinguished service to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. His breadth of knowledge and experience in national security, terrorism and intelligence issues have made America markedly safer in the wake of September 11, 2001.

Mr. Gebhardt entered on duty as a Special Agent with the Bureau on July 7, 1974, and began his career investigating organized crime and narcotics. Mr. Gebhardt was the recipient of the FBI Medal of Valor as a result of action taken during an airplane hijacking event in Denver, Colorado in 1976. More recently as a Special Agent in Charge, Mr. Gebhardt oversaw numerous operational success in organized crime, counterintelligence, counterterrorism, cyber crimes and white collar crimes. But today, more than ever, America owes a debt of gratitude to Bruce Gebhardt for his work to retool and reshape the FBI after September 11, 2001.

In August 2002, Mr. Gebhardt was appointed by Director Mueller to serve as Deputy Director for the FBI and for the last 2 years he has been responsible for restructuring the FBI into a counterterrorism and intelligence focused agency. As Deputy Director, Mr. Gebhardt has made important contributions to the national security of the United States and more fully prepared the Federal Bureau of Investigation to fight terrorism both at home and abroad.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to offer my best personal regards to Deputy Director Gebhardt on his retirement from the FBI and wish him all the best in the future. I would also like to ask my colleagues to join me in thanking him on behalf of the American people for his service and commitment to our collective security.

Mr. Speaker, on the legislative day of Tuesday, September 14, 2004, the House had a vote on an amendment to H.R. 5025. On House rollcall vote No. 452, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Chairman, I rise to support the Capito amendment.

As a former FBI agent, we would be asked to get a subpoena to get the records contained in a tax filer's information, even as a Federal law enforcement agent in an agency right next door. Why, because it is the most invasive information the government asks of its citizens. And not only asks, but tells us we must submit. This is information worth protecting.

Any slip, any slide that takes away the faith and comfort and belief in the Federal Government to protect that information is wrong. They have not clearly shown in any way that they can protect this information.

I would strongly urge that we all stand together on this. For those of us who disagree with positions of the IRS or do not disagree, the information does not belong to the government, it belongs to the people. We should do everything in our power to keep it, including keeping inherently governmental functions within the government. At least there is accountability.