Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of the Conference report accompanying H.R. 2996--Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (AL)

Bill Number: H.R. 2996

Account: NPS, Acquisitions, $1,500,000

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Conservation Fund

Address of Requesting Entity: 4500 Hugh Howell Rd., Suite 470, Atlanta, GA 30084

Description of Request: ``Little River Canyon'' Taxpayer justification--It is my understanding that the funding would be used to allow the National Park Service (NPS) to acquire key parcels, only through willing sellers, within the new acquisition boundary of the Little River Canyon National Preserve.

Madam Speaker, I would like to request the House's attention today to pay recognition of the 100th Anniversary of the Pine Grove Baptist Church located in my Congressional district right outside of Lineville, Alabama.

In 1909, a small group of Christians organized Pine Grove Baptist Church. In August of 1911, the congregation voted to build a new church, and over the years, the church has been renovated into what stands today. In 1988, a fellowship hall with a baptistery was added and stained glass windows were installed in the church. In 1997, the lightning-damaged steeple was replaced with a new lighted one.

In 2004, Brother Gwen McCollum, Jr. was licensed to preach and in 2009, Brother Terry Helms was ordained to preach.

On Sunday, November 8, 2009, the congregation will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Pine Grove Baptist Church. I congratulate this church on this important milestone, and wish the congregation all the best in its next century of ministry to the community.

Madam Speaker, I would like to request the House's attention today to pay recognition to the memory of my friend, Mr. Lea Fite, of Jacksonville, Alabama.

Mr. Fite was born in Anniston, Alabama, and was later married to Judy. They were blessed with four children, Laurie, Wes, Trae and Jared. Lea attended Jacksonville University and owned several supermarkets across Calhoun County.

Mr. Fite was elected to the Calhoun County Commission in 1998 and then to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2002. He served tirelessly on behalf of his constituents in the 40th District.

Mr. Fite unexpectedly passed away on October 26, 2009. He will be sorely missed, but remembered as a man who gave selflessly for his fellow Alabamians. He was a man of principle, of dignity, and a true American and Alabamian who was always willing to lend a hand whenever needed.

Mr. Speaker, the Democrat majority likes to say this is about choice and competition when, in fact, they know this is about a road to universal, government-run health insurance.

The President says if we get this public option, you will have a choice between your insurance company. If you like it, you can keep it; if you don't, you can go into the public option. What he doesn't say is that after 2 or 3 years of this so-called competition, the private- sector companies won't be there any longer.

The fact is our insurance companies have to make a profit. They have to pay taxes, they have to meet Federal regulations, and if they have a tough year, they have to just eat it and hope they can do better the next year. If they have a couple of tough years, they go out of business.

This new government plan does not have to make a profit, will not have to pay taxes because it's the government, will not have to meet the same regulations because it's the government, and if it has a bad year, it's going to be subsidized by us.

If anybody in the majority tells you that we're not going to put money into this program, they're not being straight with you. And if they say they're going to let this program go under because it has tough times meeting its obligations, they're not being straight with you.

It will be subsidized. It will be unfair competition. It will end up with no private-sector competition, and we will all wind up in universal health care.

Madam Speaker, I respectfully request the attention of the House to pay recognition to the memory of much-loved ``Bulldog,'' Mr. Clifford ``Pete'' Tomlin.

Mr. Tomlin died in September 2006 at the age of 42. He suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, but his ailment didn't stop him. Tomlin was named the Calhoun County's Outstanding Handicapped employee of the Year in 1989. Tomlin served as the voice behind the Anniston High School Bulldogs including the varsity, junior varsity and junior high football games for both WHMA and WAMA radio stations in Anniston, Alabama.

Although Mr. Tomlin is sorely missed, he would be proud today to know the Press Box at Chink-Lott Stadium of Anniston High School will now proudly bear his name. Mr. Tomlin will always be remembered as the voice behind the football games at his alma mater and this great honor will help keep his spirit alive.

Mr. Speaker, the folks in east Alabama, as across most of America, are hurting right now. In my home county, we have 11 percent unemployment, and that's the lowest unemployment in that region of the State. I have several counties in my district with 15 percent unemployment, and I have one county with 17 percent. That's real pain. And instead of this Congress and this administration finding ways to help small businesses create jobs and get these people back to work, they're talking about raising taxes on small businesses and creating government-run health insurance and mandating it on small businesses.

We need to find ways to help small businesses create jobs. We need to offer tax credits if you'll hire new employees. We need to offer tax credits if

you'll buy new equipment, expand your plants and create jobs. We need to find ways to help these small businesses provide health insurance by allowing association health plans, simplified billing, allow us to purchase health insurance across State lines and passing tort reform.

It's time for us to come up with the ways to help small business create jobs instead of finding ways to hinder them.

Madam Speaker, I respectfully request the attention of the House to pay recognition to an important day in the lives of two constituents and dear friends of mine, Mr. and Mrs. Lamar Denkins.

On October 25, 2009, Lamar and Joyce Denkins will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Lamar was born on March 12, 1935, and his wife, Joyce, was born on October 4, 1938.

Lamar and Joyce met while working at Anniston National Bank in Anniston, Alabama. They married on October 25, 1959, at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church.

Over the years, Lamar and Joyce have been blessed with two children, Susan and Jeffrey, as well as two grandchildren. Lamar has spent his life as a public servant as a minister and working for two different Members of Congress. He also served proudly in the Armed Forces.

On Sunday, October 25th, the couple along with their family and friends will celebrate their anniversary at West Weaver Baptist Church.

I would like to congratulate my friends, Lamar and Joyce, for reaching this important milestone in their lives. They are shining examples of love and dedication for us all, and I wish them and their family all the best at this important occasion.

Madam Speaker, I would like to request the House's attention today to pay recognition to the special life of Anne Forrester Lybrand of Oxford, Alabama.

Mrs. Lybrand was born on November 11, 1906 in Talladega County. She was married to Mr. Eule Lybrand in 1928 and was blessed with two sons, Eule Lybrand, Jr. and Fred Ray Lybrand.

Mrs. Lybrand and her husband owned their own business and she also worked as a City Clerk for the City of Oxford. She has been an active member of First United Methodist Church of Oxford since 1946 where she taught Sunday school, and is past President of the United Methodist Women's Group.

She also has been involved with Interfaith Ministries and is a Charter Member of the Oxford ``Meals on Wheels'' program.

On November 7th, her friends and family will celebrate her birthday at her church. Today I would like to wish Mrs. Anne Forrester Lybrand a very Happy 100th Birthday.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of the Conference Report accompanying H.R. 2997--Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010.

Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (AL)

Bill Number: Conference Report accompanying H.R. 2997

Account: ARS, Salaries and expenses account, $1,293,000

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Auburn University, Auburn, AL

Address of Requesting Entity: 102 Samford Hall, Auburn, Alabama 36849

Description of Request: ``Improved Crop Production Practices'' Taxpayer justification--It is my understanding that this funding will provide $1,293,000 to develop and assist in adopting cropping systems that reduce production cost primarily by reducing the need for nitrogen fertilizer, pesticides, fuel, and equipment. Federal funding would allow the program to expand reniform nematode research throughout the State, develop more intense mature management research that includes bioenergy crops, and expand research on the development of alternative substrates for nursery crop production. Current and future profitability of agronomic based crop production in Alabama is dependent on the research and outreach efforts. Use of precision technologies associated with these studies have resulted in practices that saves fuel, herbicides, and fertilizers and protects Alabama's vital natural resources. The project's total budget is $8,874,000. Specifically within the budget, $1,298,734 will go toward permanent personnel salaries, $360,760 for research expense, and $240,500 for equipment. This request is consistent with the intended and authorized purpose of the Agricultural Research Service, ARS Account. Auburn University will meet or exceed all statutory requirements for matching funds where applicable.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the dedicated employees at the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama. This Friday, they will graduate their 500,000th trainee through the first responder training program.

As many of us here know, the CDP is a valuable training facility operated by the Department of Homeland Security. This facility is one of a kind in its mission as the only weapons of mass destruction training facility that provides hands-on training to civilian emergency responders, which includes the use of live agent training.

This graduation ceremony is a tremendous feat that we should all be proud of, not only because of this important milestone, but also for the unique and cutting-edge training that the CDP continues to provide to our Nation's first responders to this day.

To all the proud employees at the CDP in east Alabama and on behalf of all of us, congratulations.

Madam Speaker, I respectfully request the attention of the House today to pay recognition to an important educational institution in Montgomery, Alabama, as it celebrates 40 years of excellence in higher education.

In September 1969, the doors to Auburn Montgomery were formally opened to students. Since that time, the student population has grown by a factor of nine and the areas of study from sixteen to over 90. Through its 40 years, Auburn Montgomery has conferred more than 31,000 degrees.

Like so many of East Alabama's proud institutions of higher education, Auburn Montgomery has produced great leaders and thinkers who have made enormous contributions to our state and our nation. We are all proud of AUM for achieving this important milestone, and look forward to its continued growth and prosperity in its next 40 years of academic excellence.

Madam Speaker, I respectfully request the attention of the House to pay recognition to Supervalu in Anniston, Alabama, for earning accreditation from the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.

The Cambridge Center, along with a consortium of universities, consulting firms and insurance companies, developed accreditation criteria in 2001. It was formed to bring behavioral-based safety programs to the work place. Supervalu is one of only seven facilities in the world that has been recognized for its behavior-based safety programs since audits began.

This accreditation demonstrates Supervalu's commitment in Anniston to help employees support and encourage each other, resulting in a positive work environment that is productive, safe and effective.

In congratulate Anniston's Supervalu for this important distinction.

Madam Speaker, in accordance with the Republican Conference standards regarding Member initiatives, I rise today to provide a description for how funds appropriated in response to my requests submitted to the House Appropriations Committee will be allocated. In making those requests, I submitted a financial certification letter to Chairman Obey which accompanied my requests, and included the following information:

I hereby certify that to the best of my knowledge these requests (1) are not directed to any entity or program that will be named after a sitting Member of Congress; (2) are not intended to be used by any entity to secure funds for other entities unless the use of funding is consistent with the specified purpose of the earmark; and (3) meet or exceed all statutory requirements for matching funds where applicable. I further certify that should any of the requests I have submitted be included in the bill, I will place a statement describing how the funds in each of the included requests will be spent and justifying the use of federal taxpayer funds.

In order to fully comply with these standards, Madam Speaker, I hereby submit a description of how the funds appropriated in the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010 will be used for the projects to follow.

Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (Alabama)

Bill Number: H.R. 3326, Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010

Account: RDT&E, Army

Legal Name of Receiving Entity: SCRA, Institute for Solutions Generation (funding will benefit the Anniston Army Depot)

Address of Receiving Entity: 5300 International Boulevard, N. Charleston, SC 29418

Description of Request: Provide $2,500,000 in funding for the Highly Integrated Production for Expediting RESET. This funding was requested by the Calhoun County Chamber of Commerce to benefit the Anniston Army Depot, located at 7 Frankford Avenue, Anniston, AL 36201. A critical readiness issue facing the military today is repairing and restoring

military equipment that has been damaged or worn out in battle. Resetting small arms and crew served weapons is particularly challenging, given their sheer numbers and the fact that, there is a growing incidence of non-conforming parts used to support reset operations there. In addition, under the current system, a lot of time and cost are required to design and apply product improvements during reset. HIPER ensure a quick and efficient RESET turn-around for weapons to the theater. The requested funding will drive downstream efficiencies in manufacturing and quality inspection by enabling the utilization of laser scanning technology to significantly shorten the time and lower the cost for resetting and modernizing the military's small arms and crew-served weapons. This funding will provide for integration, collaboration, scanning and reverse engineering technology, and supply chain improvements to enhance and expedite RESET efforts.

Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (Alabama)

Bill Number: H.R. 3326, Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010

Account: RDT&E, Army

Legal Name of Receiving Entity: BAE Systems

Address of Receiving Entity: 1101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 2000, Arlington, VA 22209

Description of Request: Provide $2,000,000 for the Paladin Integrated Management for work to be completed in Anniston, AL. The FY 10 President's Budget contains funding for research and development Army funds to assist in making the M109A6 Paladin and its companion vehicle the Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicle (FAASV) sustainable through the year 2050. The changes to this vehicle will incorporate the Bradley's drive train and suspension components that will reduce the logistics footprint thereby reducing operational and support costs. This funding is needed for this program be reinstated to its original schedule (the program was Congressionally reduced by that same amount during the FY09 budget process). Procurement funds to initiate low rate initial production are in the FY 10 procurement budget. The Army intends to fund this program through completion. This is a national defense program which provides firepower to our troops engaged in combat.

Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (Alabama)

Bill Number: H.R. 3326, Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010

Account: RDT&E, Army

Legal Name of Receiving Entity: Electric Fuel Battery Corporation (Arotech Subsidiary)

Address of Receiving Entity: 354 Industry Drive, Auburn, AL 36832

Description of Request: Provide $2,500,000 for the Novel Zinc Air Power Sources for Military. This funding will develop Zinc-Air battery technology that will provide the soldier with a high energy density power source that significantly reduces battery carry weight. Previous advances in the technology have helped to cut warfighter battery carry weight in half. Continued development of body-worn energy distribution systems, coupled with further development of Zinc-Air battery technology, promises to cut warfighter battery carry weight further, while reducing battery quantities carried on long missions. Reducing battery type and count lowers operational risk by reducing the need for re-supply. In addition, Zinc-Air battery's intrinsic safety (cannot combust or explode even when penetrated by hot projectiles) enhances warfighter safety. Lithium-Air battery technology is in its infancy but has the highest possible energy density of any battery system promising a quantum leap in the warfighter mission length.

Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (Alabama)

Bill Number: H.R. 3326, Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010

Account: RDT&E, Army

Legal Name of Receiving Entity: Auburn University

Address of Receiving Entity: 102 Samford Hall Auburn, AL 36849

Description of Request: Provide $1,500,000 for the Logistical Fuel Processors Development to Meet Army/TARDEC/TACOM Needs. The technical focus of this program is the development and demonstration of logistical fuel processor-fuel cell combinations that operate at significantly higher efficiencies than current IC engines used by the Army. System attributes to be optimized include: overall efficiency, fuel flexibility, activity maintenance and poison tolerance of the various catalysts, startup/shutdown time-scales, process robustness, reliability/ruggedness, safety, thermal/acoustic signature and integration, and reductions in overall weight and volume. Additional efforts will be conducted to design and adapt fuel processor/fuel cell systems to appropriate electrical loads with respect to voltage, current, AC/DC operation, peak power requirements versus average power and overall autonomy time. More efficient forms of energy conversion and power production are of key importance to the Army and can be leveraged many times as a gallon of fuel or a pound of food is transported from its point of origin to a forward deployed base of operations. For reasons of inter-operability, the Army must utilize existing and readily available fuel sources such as JP-8 and diesel.

Requesting Member: Congressman Mike Rogers (Alabama)

Bill Number: H.R. 3326, Department of Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010

Account: OM, Army

Legal Name of Receiving Entity: Intergraph Corporation

Address of Receiving Entity: 170 Graphics Drive, Madison, AL 35758

Description of Request: Provide $5,000,000 for the Fort Benning National Incident Management System (NIMS)-Compliant Installation Operations Center. In January 2009, the Department of Defense (DOD) released an instruction sheet (NUMBER 6055.17) on the Installation Emergency Management (IEM) program to establish policy, assign responsibilities, and prescribe procedures for developing, implementing, and sustaining IEM programs at DOD installations. IEM directly supports the Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD)- 5, which orders the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and administer a National Incident Management System (NIMS). A NIMS- compliant installation operations center provides a unified approach to incident management, standard command, and management structures, as well as creates an emphasis on preparedness, mutual aid, and resource management. Without this system in place, it is very difficult for responders from different jurisdictions to communicate and work together effectively. Because Fort Benning extends across the Alabama- Georgia border, the implementation of a NIMS-compliant installation operations center directly supports HSPD-5 by providing interoperability and cross-jurisdiction capabilities among local and multi-state response agencies. The request will allow Fort Benning to create a NIMS-compliant state-of-the-art operations center. This system will provide Fort Benning with the critically needed capability to track and protect new incidents and existing activities. The final solution will integrate first responder force protection and the fire fighting common operational picture into one comprehensive command and control/decision support capability that will provide visibility to the commander to gain status and direct response, analyze the current anti- terrorism and force protection mission, and allow for appropriate reporting to other operations centers throughout the country.

Madam Speaker, I would like to request the House's attention today to pay recognition to the special life of Mrs. Pauline Elliott of Anniston, Alabama.

The daughter of Lena Geneva Rosamond Morrison and James Edward Morrison, Pauline Morrison Elliott was born on August 13th, 1906. Pauline is the first of six children, and today is the sole survivor of her siblings. Mrs. Pauline Morrison Elliott was married to Mr. William Hoyt Elliott of Rome, Georgia for sixty-seven years.

Mrs. Elliott was an active member in the Broadmoor Church of God serving as the clerk, a Sunday school teacher, and a member of the choir. Because of the Elliotts' dedicated service, Broadmoor Church of God added a new wing to the church in honor of Hoyt and Pauline Elliott.

Since joining Harvest Church of God, this past Mother's Day Mrs. Elliott was honored with an award for being the eldest mother in their congregation. She resides with one of her three nieces, Ms. Helen Chastain Bennett, in Anniston, Alabama.

Today I would like to wish Mrs. Pauline Elliott a very Happy 103rd Birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the Democrat majority's government-run health care plan. That is a phrase that the Speaker of the House does not want us to use. She's told us we can't use it in our mail. We're supposed to use the ``public option.''

Well, to use the word that the President apparently likes, the American people aren't stupid. They know it's government-run health insurance, and they don't want it. They know the Democrat majority proposes to cut costs by rationing care by deciding whether or not you get to go to the doctor, which doctor you get to go to; if you need a specialist, which specialist you need to go to, when you need to go; if you need surgery, when you get to go, if you get to go.

And most importantly, end-of-life care for our seniors. The government wants to decide whether or not certain seniors will get procedures they need to enhance their quality of life and whether or not the computer model determines that that's not the highest and best use of their health care dollars.

American people don't want that. They want real reform just like the Republicans do. We want to have cost control, we want quality, we want access with real reform like tort reform.