Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

I represent a coastal community and we take seriously threats to our Nation's coastline. The Thompson-Woolsey amendment would clarify that H.R. 3408 would not open drilling along the northern California coast.

Proponents of H.R. 3408 claim that northern California does not meet the minimum production potential to be eligible for offshore drilling; however, I do not simply want to take the House majority's word for it. In a Congress that has seen an unprecedented push to weaken safety standards for our environment, I don't want to leave the door open for alternative interpretations. The people of the north coast of California want to make sure that their environmentally unique and critical coast is protected, period.

Because this amendment is a clarification of the legislation's intent, there is no cost associated with it. It's important to me and to my constituents that H.R. 3408 makes clear that drilling will not occur in the northern California planning area along the coast of Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte, Sonoma, and Marin Counties. The coastal area of my district is one of the most productive ecosystems in the world and supports salmon, Dungeness crab, rockfish, sole, and urchin populations.

It also boasts an important and successful tourism industry which represents millions of dollars to the local economies and to the working families of our area. If an oil spill were to occur in this area, the environmental and economic cost would be staggering. Response and cleanup efforts would be hazardous and minimally effective given the rocky shores and rough waters. Drilling for oil or gas off California's north coast would cause serious harm to a unique and productive ecosystem, abundant marine life, and tourism businesses. This amendment will simply clarify that this bill does not require drilling off the north coast of California.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on the amendment, and I yield 2 minutes to Ms. Woolsey.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I don't see how this is going to do anything to affect oil production or jobs if your own Web site says that there's little oil there and we wouldn't be drilling there. So you can't have it both ways. Either there's little oil there and we're not going to drill there, or you have something else up your sleeve.

I want to point out that this area is an area that's historically prone to earthquakes, which would make any kind of drilling there extremely dangerous, and that it's one of four major upwellings in the entire world's oceans. This is a critical area to our marine life and the businesses that thrive because of it. And my friend from Washington is 100 percent right on one thing that he said, and that is that this coastline belongs to all the people of the United States of America; and for that reason alone, we ought to break our pick to make sure that we do everything to protect it, to protect the fisheries jobs, the tourism jobs and that beautiful area, so that not only the people today can enjoy it, but for future generations to enjoy, as well.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Will the gentleman yield?

Do you believe that we should be drilling off the coast of northern California in an area that's one of four major upwellings in the world's oceans, in an area that is prone to earthquakes, in an area that everyone knowledgeable about this particular issue claims that there's not enough resources to drill for?

Thank you. I just want to point out that my amendment doesn't affect southern California. It only affects the area in the counties that I mentioned--Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma and Marin--an area that has been designated by the scientists and the people in the oil business that there is not enough oil there to bother with and an area that I pointed out before that is very, very important.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1892, the Intelligence Authorization Act for FY12.

As the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Human Intelligence, Analysis, and Counterintelligence, I am pleased that we were able to work together to bring a bipartisan, bicameral intelligence authorization bill to the House floor for the third year in a row. This is a testament to the hard work and leadership of our chairman, Mr. Rogers, and ranking member, Mr. Ruppersberger.

This bill will increase information sharing throughout the intelligence community. It includes a provision that is important to my home State of California, requiring the Director of National Intelligence to compile a threat assessment of foreign drug traffickers that are destroying our public lands here in the United States and causing unacceptable levels of violence because of their drug-growing operations in our public parks and forests. This bill requires the DNI to share this information with Federal land management agencies like the Forest Service so that we can take back our public lands.

The bill also includes a provision that I authored, working with my friend and former committee colleague, Representative Anna Eshoo from California, requiring the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency to provide a full report on the events surrounding the May 2011 Osama bin Laden raid. We are all very proud of the intelligence community's extraordinary efforts in carrying out this operation. We believe it's important that the intelligence community document this operation in our permanent record as to how the operation was conducted and its importance on our counterterrorism efforts.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will improve our national security, will enhance the capabilities of the intelligence community, and will make our Nation stronger.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize, along with my colleague, Rep. Geoff Davis, the date of November 15 as America Recycles Day, an annual event intended to raise awareness and promote the social, environmental, and economic benefits of recycling and purchasing products made from recycled materials.

I also wish to highlight the automotive recycling industry, which reduces our need for already scarce landfill space, and makes important strides toward preserving precious natural resources. During the recycling process, more than 80 percent of an entire automobile by weight can be reused, remanufactured or recycled. This process saves an estimated 85 million barrels of oil, which would have otherwise been used in the manufacturing of new or replacement parts.

In addition, the automotive recycling industry employs more than 108,000 workers throughout the United States. A majority of the businesses in this industry are small, and in many cases are owned and operated by families.

The Automotive Recycler's Association (ARA) is an international trade association which represents businesses in an industry devoted to the removal and reuse of still-viable automotive parts, and to the safe disposal of inoperable motor vehicles. Our Nation owes a great debt to the 4,500 automotive recycling facilities represented by the ARA, which help to recycle more than 11 million retired vehicles each year. ARA also serves as a regulatory body, utilizing a program that ensures each automotive recycling facility meets specific business, environmental, safety and licensing standards.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing the annual occurrence of America Recycles Day, and in my commendation of the automotive recycling industry for all that it does to protect our environment.

I thank the gentleman from Texas for bringing this bill to the floor. I also thank the ranking member for his good work on this and for yielding me time to speak on this.

This is very near and dear to me. The California Veterans Home in Yountville, California, is in the heart of my district and my home county. I've known it my entire life, and it's been home to many brave men and women who have served courageously in our military. These are heroes and heroines who put their lives on the line for everything that we as Americans believe in and everything that we enjoy today.

There is a post office on that facility that provides mail service for 1,100 heroes and heroines at the California Veterans Home. These guys get their mail there every day. It saves them from having to make an impossible trek to the closest town. If they were forced to do that, it would put them again in harm's way because it is a very dangerous route to travel; and in their advanced age, it makes no sense for them to have to do that. So this is a very, very important facility.

And here just recently, a very distinguished hero at the California Veterans Home, Alejandro Ruiz, passed away. The reason we want to name the post office after Alejandro Ruiz is because he earned a Congressional Medal of Honor. Now, it has already been noted on the floor the heroic activities of the day in question, but here's a man who, without any concern for his own safety, charged an enemy pillbox filled with enemy combatants, avoiding rifle fire, avoiding grenades, and took this responsibility on to save his comrades who were there fighting with him.

When his weapon became disabled, he returned, got another weapon, more ammunition, and again charged this pillbox. On the second attempt, he was able to reach the pillbox, get on top of it, and dispatch all those who were trying to kill his comrades. Had it not been for his activities, many Americans would have lost their lives that day, and the advancement of the American troops would have been stopped.

This man is a true hero, and that is probably redundant given he has received the Congressional Medal of Honor, and I think it is the appropriate tribute to name this postal facility after Alejandro Ruiz.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Kelley House on the Mendocino Coast in Northern California. Located in the picturesque village of Mendocino, the Kelley House was originally a private home. Since 1972 the Kelley House has been a museum and quality research facility which collects, protects, preserves, and shares the rich history of the coastal community through its museum and quality research facility.

William Henry Kelley first came to Mendocino in 1852 to work for the California Lumber Manufacturing Company. After working his way up in rank, he returned to his birthplace of Prince Edward Island, Canada, married Eliza Lee Owen, and returned to Mendocino with his new bride in 1855. William built the Kelley House in 1861 on an acre of beautifully landscaped, ocean view property in downtown Mendocino. The gardens include a pond and two resident geese. William had the pond built and stocked so that the neighborhood children could fish.

Through its staffed research office, the museum has preserved over three thousand entries of maps, documents, books, photographs, oral histories, and artifacts representing more than 150 years of history along the Mendocino Coast.

Through the combined efforts of a dedicated board of directors and staff, volunteers, local sponsors and generous donations from community members, the Kelley House Museum continues to serve its community with annual events and accessible historic information.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, it is my honor and pleasure to recognize the 150th anniversary of the Kelley House, a fixture of downtown Mendocino, for its invaluable service and historic importance to the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Doctor Robert W. Darter's receiving the Frederick K.M. Plessner Award for serving families in a rural county by the Napa County Medical Society.

Dr. Darter was born and raised in Berkeley. He graduated from UC Berkeley with honors in public health in 1954 and received his medical degree from Northwestern University in 1958. He began working as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Office with the Center for Disease Control in 1959 and continues to be the Chief Epidemiologist at the St. Helena Hospital and Health Center.

In 1970 he and his two partners formed what is now the Napa Valley Family Medical Group, which was one of the first incorporated medical groups in the state of California and who now includes eight family physicians. Dr. Darter also had the vision in 1976 to buy a 16mb IBM to document finances, patient appointments and other aspects of a medical practice.

In 1976 he became President of the Napa County Medical Society and has been active in several organizations throughout the years, such as the Napa County Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Advisory Board, and the Napa County Health and Disability Prevention Board. He obtained the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006 from the St. Helena Chamber of Commerce.

He has also given back to his community by being a founding member of the St. Helena Public Library and is working on obtaining a charitable status for the St. Helena Public Library Foundation. Dr. Darter began serving as the side line team physician in 1970 for the St. Helena High School Saints and he continues to follow to the team to away games. Through the Kiwanis Club of St. Helena he has made several trips to El Fuerte, Mexico to bring much needed medical care to the local hospital. Yet, his long time passion has been the Boy Scouts, starting as a Troop One assistant scout master in 1962 through 1982. In 1991 he won the Silver Beaver Award, which is the Boy Scouts highest award given to adult leaders.

Dr. Darter is well known in the Napa Valley for his continued work in the community and is fortunate enough to be surrounded by his loving family and life-long friends. He and his wife Jan have five children, Robert Darter IV, Michael Darter, James Darter, John Darter and Kimberly Darter.

Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time that we acknowledge Dr. Robert W. Darter for his decades of devoted service to the Napa Valley community on this day.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the tremendous public service of Mr. James Charles Robbins, who served honorably and admirably for 44 years as a fireman, 37 of which were as a fire chief of the Lucerne Volunteer Fire Department in Clearlake Oaks, California.

In addition to his duties with the Fire Department, Chief Robbins worked with the Lucerne Business Association and held the title of the ``Moose'' of Clearlake Oaks. Chief Robbins coached football and baseball for youth and high school teams, mentoring several generations of athletes and teaching them the values of team sports and leadership.

His professional activities were always dedicated to the betterment of the fire department and the protection of his district. He was instrumental in maintaining the special fire tax, which keeps the doors open at Lucerne Volunteer Fire Department. Perhaps, Chief Robbins' greatest accomplishment of his career was the reorganization and consolidation of four fire districts into one, known now as the Northshore Fire Protection District. This district is one of the largest in California, covering more than 350 square miles.

Chief Robbins was born in San Francisco and went to high school in Upper Lake, California. He pursued his degree at Santa Rosa Junior College, taking many classes related to fire science and management of personnel.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I believe it is appropriate at this time that we recognize and honor James Charles Robbins for his career of fire protection and community leadership. We congratulate him on his retirement, and extend our best wishes for many years of health and happiness. His dedication to the safety and protection of Northern California is truly commendable, and his leadership will be missed.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleague, Representative

Lynn Woolsey, to honor Dennis Ziemienski, the 2011 Sonoma Treasure Artist. An internationally known artist from Glenn Ellen, California, Mr. Ziemienski is also a prominent supporter of art events in the Sonoma Valley.

Born and raised in San Francisco, Dennis graduated from the California College of Arts and Crafts before moving to New York for a successful career in illustration and painting. He worked with Time- Life, Levi-Straus, Rolling Stone, and the New York Times and has created compelling images for many high profile clients such as Super Bowl XXIX, the Napa Mustard Festival, the Kentucky Derby, the California Railway Museum, and the San Francisco Zoo.

An internationally acclaimed painter, Dennis has had several solo exhibitions, won numerous awards, taught at prominent art schools, and illustrated well-known book covers. He has also volunteered his teaching skills at local schools and has donated auction paintings or created posters for local Sonoma Valley nonprofits.

Dennis' work is marked by fine draftsmanship and strong, richly colored images inspired by early 20th century painting and posters. He travels frequently to develop different ideas and sensibilities. ``I love to paint my native California and the West,'' he says, ``but the land of my ancestors, Italy and the Mediterranean, has also been a frequent subject . . . it is also important for me to use a romantic sense of history and place, when required, to create a vision that lures the viewer into the picture, creating the desire to `be there.' ''

Dennis is married to artist Anne Ziemienski, and the couple's daughter, Sofia, attends the University of the Redlands.

Mr. Speaker, we are pleased to congratulate Dennis Ziemienski for his designation as the Sonoma Treasure Artist of the Year for 2011. Please join us and the Sonoma Valley Community in celebrating his accomplishments and contributions.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to place my statement in the Record.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this bill. A new poll today suggests that the 9-9-9 campaign theme of the new Republican Presidential front-runner is starting to gain traction. And it appears that the majority has taken a page from the Cain playbook with their 10-10-10 program, because this is the 10th month without a jobs bill on the floor, the 10th time we've put polarizing social issues and attacks on women's health before job creation and economic security, and the 10th attempt at repealing parts or all of the Affordable Care Act.

This bill creates no jobs, it doesn't help the economy, and it inserts the government smack in the middle of people's health care decisions.

I urge a ``no'' vote on this bill and urge the majority to get to work helping the economy and creating jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mrs. Pamela Ann Cochrane, a resident and servant of the County of Lake for over three decades and among the most cherished and appreciated members of her community.

Mrs. Cochrane has been a public servant for 40 years, beginning her career of service in Lake County as an accountant in the Auditor- Controller's Office in 1980. Since that time her responsibilities and contributions have only increased. She became a supervising accountant in 1988, was promoted to Chief Deputy Auditor-Controller in 1994, served as Interim County Clerk/Auditor-Controller in 1998, and was successfully elected by the citizens of Lake County to the post of County Clerk/Auditor-Controller in 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010.

Always a leader who valued versatility and adaptability among her staffers, Mrs. Cochrane made good on her campaign promise to ``cross train all employees of the Auditor-Controller's Office,'' and is regarded by many of her colleagues and peers as an outstanding boss and coworker, and a great friend. She has always been quick to champion the accomplishments of her staff and department, which has won awards for excellence in financial reporting from the Government Finance Officer's Association and the State Controller's Office.

Mrs. Cochrane is also a model citizen and an enduring participant in a number of community organizations and groups. She is treasurer and a long-time member of the Lake County Hospice Board of Directors, a very active member of the Lakeport Rotary Club, a proud mother of three and grandmother of four.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I believe it is appropriate at this time that we commend and applaud the tremendous contributions that my friend, Mrs. Cochrane, has made to the County of Lake and her fellow members of that community. We wish to extend to her our deepest gratitude and best wishes for many years of happy retirement with her husband, James.

I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Colombia trade bill.

Trade agreements must be balanced, facilitating reciprocal two-way trade between nations. It's absolutely necessary that we also take into consideration small, family-owned, domestic industries that are sensitive to cheap foreign imports. Unfortunately, the Colombia trade bill falls flat in accomplishing these goals.

For more than 20 years, Colombia has benefited from the duty-free access to the U.S. market under the Andean Trade Preference Act. At the same time, some Colombian industries have received big government subsidies from the Colombian Government, and oftentimes our own U.S. foreign aid dollars benefit them. These policies have slowly eroded one of California's most unique and innovative industries.

California is home to the vast majority of domestic cut-flower growers in the United States of America. They account for more than 10,000 jobs across our State and represent hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity every year. Because of these failed trade policies, Colombia now has a stranglehold on 75 percent of the U.S. cut-flower market, creating a marketplace dominated by cheap foreign flowers, produced with cheap, unregulated labor. This puts our small family-owned businesses at an extreme disadvantage.

You can't tell me that it's cheaper to import flowers from Colombia than it is to grow them in our own backyard. I drive through northern California on a very regular basis and see collapsed, dilapidated, and unused greenhouses littering the small towns and rural communities of California. It's clear this industry has taken a major hit over the last few decades due to this flawed trade policy.

As we see more and more flower farms and greenhouses closing all over California, this reminds us of the last time we did business with Colombia. This agreement is anti-family business and it's anti-American jobs. I urge a ``no'' vote on the Colombia trade bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mr. Kim Clymire, Public Services Director for the County of Lake where he has lived and worked as a public servant for more than 30 years.

In his time working for Lake County, Mr. Clymire has spearheaded a number of groundbreaking projects and has been a member or leader of several community groups focused on improving the quality of public resources enjoyed by the residents of the region. He was a founding member of the Lake County Land Trust Board of Directors, was a Board member, 1986-1990, and President, 1990, of the California Park and Recreation Society District 1.

In his terminal position as Public Services Director, Mr. Clymire has been in charge of the county's Parks and Recreation program, the county's Integrated Waste Management program, the county's Museums and the Buildings and Grounds Division. For several years he was in charge of the county's Office of Emergency Services, OES, and managed OES operations during several natural disasters. Mr. Clymire was also in charge of the county's Visitor Information Center for three years.

Mr. Clymire has been very successful in writing grant proposals through which funding has been obtained to develop new parks and other county facilities. He was instrumental in the acquisition and development of several new county parks during his career, including the Kelseyville Community Park, Upper Lake Community Park, Clearlake Oaks Nylander Park, Hammond Park in Nice, Lower Lake Park, and the 107- acre nature preserve known as the Middletown Trailside Park. He was also heavily involved in the acquisition of 1,520 acres of land on Mt. Konocti which will be preserved for future generations. The new Mt. Konocti Park will be opening to the public on September 24, 2011, shortly before Mr. Clymire's retirement on October 3.

Known widely and in high esteem by his friends, colleagues and other members of the community--especially for his friendly nature and good sense of humor--Mr. Clymire has made an impressive and indelible contribution to the landscape of Lake County and to the lives of the people who live there. He is deserving of our praise and gratitude, without reservation.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time for us to congratulate, thank and applaud Mr. Clymire for his remarkable career of public service. We wish him and his wife, Olga, much happiness and fortune in their retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Charles Krug Winery, Napa Valley's oldest and most historic winemaking establishment, and among the region's most highly acclaimed and admired firms. Charles Krug will be celebrating its 150th anniversary this year and in so doing will salute the century and a half of rich traditions and extraordinary wines cultivated under the esteemed brand.

In its long, storied history, Charles Krug has played host to and benefitted greatly from the hard work and immense accomplishments of some of the most famous and brilliant Wine Country luminaries. Among them were founder Charles Krug himself, Robert Mondavi, proprietor Peter Mondavi, Sr., and the current winemakers, brothers Peter, Jr., and Marc Mondavi. Today, the winery produces a line of super-premium and reserve wines, all made with estate-grown, sustainably farmed fruit from each of Napa Valley's esteemed sub-appellations: St. Helena, Cameros, Howell Mountain and Yountville.

Charles Krug was the first outfit in the Napa Valley to implement a handful of revolutionary techniques and technologies including the use of the cider press in 1858, the differentiation of product labels by vintage and varietal, the use of glass-lined tanks and the use of French oak barrels in 1963. The winery's estate vineyards have also been the sites of some historic innovations in the field of viticulture. Krug was the first vintner to purchase and develop vineyard land in the Howell Mountain area of Napa Valley. Peter Mondavi, Sr., avoided a costly replanting of the winery's vineyards when he bucked industry and rejected recommendations to plant the AXR1 rootstock, which was later found to be vulnerable to industry-ravaging phylloxera damage. More impressive still, he was among the first vintners to develop vineyards in and around Carneros, demonstrating that Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot wines made from the grapes of this sub-appellation could reach high standards of quality.

Though Charles Krug Winery emerged as an early leader in the Napa Valley wine community, the company's commitment to serving the greater needs of the industry has always been a constant. Krug founded the St. Helena Viticultural Society in 1875, and assisted shortly thereafter with the establishment of the Napa and Sonoma Wine Company, a collaborative effort between producers to improve the quality of wine shipped to the East Coast. Today, after a century and a half's worth of work, the Charles Krug brand retains its place as one of the premier winemaking establishments in the Napa Valley region with a portfolio of wines that compete with the highest ranks of the national and international arenas.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time for us to congratulate and applaud the proprietors and staff of Charles Krug Winery for their outstanding and ongoing work, embodying and representing some of the best that Napa Valley and California have to offer. We wish them all much success in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) at the University of California, Davis. ITS-Davis is the world's leading university research center on sustainable transportation. Through research, education, outreach, and the use of advanced models and analytical techniques, the Institute develops business and public- policy strategies for a healthy transportation future.

When ITS-Davis was established in 1991, alternative fuels and vehicles were nowhere near commercial reality. California's Zero Emission Vehicle mandate had just been adopted. Hybrid cars were the stuff of dreams.

Founding director Dr. Daniel Sperling, a UC Davis engineering professor, wanted to build an academic institute where several academic worlds--engineering, social science and public policy--would merge; where modelers and lab technicians shared ideas with consumer-behavior and marketing experts; and where academia engaged with industry and government to craft creative real-world solutions to help transport people and goods to make the world a better place.

Today, the Institute is the world's leading university center on sustainable transportation. It has more than 60 affiliated faculty and researchers, 125 graduate students, and $12 million in annual research funding. ITS-Davis has redefined transportation research with its unique multidisciplinary approach encompassing transportation technology, fuels, basic science, human behavior and public policy.

At the core of ITS-Davis' success are its strong partnerships with the automobile and energy industries; governments here and abroad; and the environmental community. Together they integrate research with university and public education, for the benefit of all of us.

The Institute has been an innovative and inspirational leader in helping California and the nation envision, develop and implement pioneering public activities that unite transportation stakeholders in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Those include: California's Assembly Bill 1493, which required rules to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light-duty trucks (2002); the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32), which set goals to cut emissions statewide to 1990 levels by 2020; the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (2007); the Sustainable Communities Planning Act (SB 375), intended to reduce the vehicle miles an average family travels (2008); the Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Research Roadmap (2011); and the U.S. Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which is now nearing completion.

Throughout, the Institute has been an essential partner to our federal agencies, working on cleaner systems, fuels and vehicles with scientists and policy planners at the U.S. Departments of Transportation, Energy and Agriculture, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

We also benefit from the Institute's work as forum leader and collaboration builder. Earlier this month, ITS-Davis hosted the 13th biennial Asilomar Conference for the U.S. Transportation Research Board of the National Academies. This is the highest-caliber international conference dedicated to transportation-sector energy issues. The Asilomar meeting exemplifies how the Institute's inclusive approach creates the basis for constructive long-term dialogue.

Our country's transportation future shows great promise, in part because of what ITS-Davis has accomplished over the past 20 years. After 100 years of reliance on the internal combustion engine, today we see hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles everywhere, with plug-in electric vehicles coming up fast. On the horizon are vehicles powered by biofuels, electric batteries and hydrogen; intelligently planned cities where walking replaces driving; and transit networks that let us travel between communities quickly and cleanly.

Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time for us to congratulate and thank the faculty, students, staff and supporters of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis, who have done so much to ensure that our transportation options are sustainable and secure. We wish them continued success in their second 20 years.