Nancy E. Boyda

Madam Speaker, This year, I have the great pleasure of seeing one of the finest constituents of Second District of Kansas honored as an Angel in Adoption. This award was given by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, of which I am proud to be a member. The story of the Second District's Angel in Adoption, Michelle Reed, is a story of hard work, commitment, and humility. It is a story that I am proud to share today.

In addition to adopting two children from Kazakhstan, Michelle has become an advocate for international adoption by facilitating support groups and by serving on the board of Two Hearts for Hope. Michelle is truly an Angel in Adoption.

Michelle's story begins in 2004 when a cousin and a friend announced that they were adopting children from Korea and China. To support her loved ones, she began looking into the process. As Michelle says, ``My husband and I had not discussed adopting. We had two children. My son, Jonas, was just starting high school in the fall and our daughter, Libby, was in middle school. The pictures of the children available for adoption were endless on the Internet. I began to think that we could give a home--a family--to one of these children.''

In March of 2004, the Reeds signed an agency contract to adopt their son Jess, who was 3 at the time, from Kazakhstan. They traveled to Kazakhstan in November 2004 and lived there for 6\1/2\ weeks. In May 2005, they signed a contract to return for a little girl that they met on their first trip who was also 3 years old. They left in October, 2005 and returned home in December with a new daughter, Jsera.

When Michelle returned from her adoption journey in Kazakhstan, she started working to help other families. ``After our first adoption, we both became passionate about helping those that were thinking of adoption.'' She is now the moderator of three Internet groups that provide support for families that are in the process of adopting internationally or integration assistance for those that have already adopted. They try to facilitate heritage knowledge, for example, by teaching parents to cook their child's native foods. Michelle and her family also hosted an exchange student from Kazakhstan this year who taught them so much about their children's heritage.

Michelle is also a board member of the newly formed organization, Two Hearts for Hope, which raises donations to send supplies to orphanages in Kazakhstan. Most of the supplies she works so hard to find are those that many of us take for granted, like shoes and warm clothing. ``The facilities aren't perfect--there are broken windows and sometimes there's no heat. Because it's just south of Siberia, the need for warm clothing is magnified.''

When speaking about her visits to Kazakhstan she said, ``Once you leave those other children behind, you are not allowed to forget them.'' The love, warmth, faith and passion for helping others that Michelle posses shines through when you meet her. I am pleased to say that once you meet Michelle, you are not allowed to forget her or the joy she has brought to others.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize CPL Kody Wilson of Erie, Kansas. Corporal Wilson was serving in our armed forces in our efforts abroad and was injured. Upon his injuries he was taken to Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

While at Walter Reed, Corporal Wilson was an inspiration to others. One individual was truly moved by his story and wrote a poem to honor this soldier. I would like to share this poem with you:

From Out of the West

(By Bert Caswell)

From Out of The West . . .

As over the years, as have come from so here . . . all of our

best . . .

Fine Women and Men, of honor so then . . . sons and

daughters who our nation have blessed . . .

As over the years . . .

Have been shed many a tear, for all those lost and injured

loved ones . . . so very dear . . .

Who are but all our finest daughters and sons, who so bring

us to tears . . .

Who but live by a code . . .

Who but carry that burden, who but teach us all so . . . as

they carry that load . . .

As now once again, such a very fine man . . . by the name of

Kody, so shows us the way . . .

What the word hero so means!

Like Bob Dole of Kansas, they are both one and the same . . .

Who from this great heartland the word hero can claim!

Without his one leg . . .

He lives by a code of honor and faith so strode . . . that

would make any heart beg . . .

For there in his darkest of pain, in what God has so left to

him . . . so remains . . . the greatest I say . . .

As we so watch him and learn . . .

As Kody so teaches us all to discern . . . how a heart full

of courage can burn . . .

As the leg he has lost, but like all our great heroes of the

past he accepts that great cost . . . in turn . . .

You see, he's got a life to live . . .

And so much more to this our world to so give . . .

To teach us, to reach us . . . as we so watch in wonder, as

his most magnificent heart gives . . .

For on this day . . . we must understand . . .

This Army Man, so shows us the way . . . as taller than most

he now so stands . . .

And if I have a son, I pray he'd be like this one . . . who

runs with his heart all the way to Heaven's sun . . .

From Out of The West . . .

Once, again . . . as here has so come one of our Nation's

best . . .

Who our hearts will so bless, who leave us breathless . . .

In Honor of Kody Wilson

Madam Speaker, I proudly ask that you join me in honoring CPL Kody Wilson, and recognize his courage, commitment and patriotism to serving the United States and the people of Kansas. I truly wish all the best for him in his future endeavors and will remain grateful for his service to our country.

Mr. Spreaker, the Department of Justice estimates that, in the last year, one in five children between the ages of 10 and 17 received a sexual solicitation or approach while they were using the Internet, With so many threats out there, Congress must provide a unified message that we, as a society, will not stand for anything less than a safe Internet. We will do that today when we pass five good pieces of legislation that will help keep our children safe. I am proud that my legislation, H.R. 4120, Effective Child Pornography Prosecution Act will be a part of that message.

A man from Kansas, William Schaefer, was found guilty of both ``knowingly receiving'' and ``knowingly possessing'' child pornography that had been ``transported in interstate commerce, by any means including by computer.''

Sadly, the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned this decision and the offender was not prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The Court ruled that just because images are obtained on the Internet, does not mean they were transmitted across state lines and issued the following statements:

We decline to assume that Internet use automatically

equates with a movement across state lines.

Congress' use of the ``in commerce'' language, as opposed

to phrasing such as ``affecting commerce'' or ``facility of

interstate commerce,'' signals its decision to limit federal

jurisdiction and require actual movement between states to

satisfy interstate nexus.

The Court essentially asked Congress to clarify its intent that the Internet is in fact Interstate Commerce and we did that with passage of the Effective Child Pornography Prosecution Act of 2007. This legislation closes the jurisdictional loophole that allowed a guilty man to escape punishment.

As concerned citizens, parents, and Members of Congress, we must do all we can to keep our children safe. That means we must make a commitment to being tough on crime--to make sure that those who violate the law are fully prosecuted--to ensure that the law is so clear that it deters such heinous crimes from happening.