Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I am pleased today to recognize Florence Crittenton Services in Topeka. Kansas, on the occasion of the 125th Anniversary of The National Crittenton Foundation.

Florence Crittenton Services in Topeka, one of the 22 Crittenton agencies nationwide, is

justifiably proud of their more than 100 years of service to the State of Kansas' most vulnerable girls and young women.

In 1900, this agency began in Topeka with a contribution of just $100, which was given to provide much-needed community services and shelter to young women in the community.

It is worth our time to take a moment and realize just how much that small $100 contribution has created.

Today, 100 years later, Florence Crittenton Services provides not just shelter, but cutting edge, comprehensive services to Kansas' most vulnerable girls and young women. Currently, Florence Crittenton is the only Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility in Kansas that serves female clients only.

Many people who know the Crittenton name associate it with support for unwed mothers. While this is an important part of the Crittenton legacy. the program has evolved over time to meet the increasingly complex and acute needs of at-risk young women and their families all across Kansas.

Most importantly, this array of services to girls and young women in Kansas provides opportunities for growth and support that would not exist otherwise. I am proud to acknowledge Florence Crittenton Services of Kansas for their long-standing and worthwhile efforts that give girls the tools and skills to change the course of their lives.

On this historic occasion, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Florence Crittenton Services in Topeka for their ongoing commitment to at-risk girls, young women and their families.

Mr. Speaker, on February 5, 2008 the President sent Congress his proposed budget. This budget is out of touch with the values of the good people who reside in the Second District of Kansas. I am deeply concerned about the President's funding cuts in early childhood education.

Head Start is a successful national school readiness program. It provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families. Unfortunately, Head Start has experienced a 12 percent decline in funding from Fiscal Year 2002 through Fiscal Year 2009. These recent cuts have left individual Head Start programs strapped for funding and only able to serve about 40 percent of the eligible population of children and families. Without increased funding, this percentage will continue to decrease due to the reality that more families are having difficulty making ends meet. For Kansas, this means putting in jeopardy the over 50,000 children who currently use these services. I joined with my colleagues in sending letters to the Budget Committee and the Appropriations Committee asking them to make funding for Head Start a priority and hope we will soon vote to increase funds for Head Start.

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program provides funding for child care for low income families. Child care costs continue to skyrocket--Kansas families pay an average of about $9,000 a year for an infant in full-time center care. Yet federal support for affordable child care hasn't kept pace. Because of funding shortfalls, only about one in seven children eligible for federal assistance actually receives it. Over the last six years about 150,000 children lost child care due to CCDBG funding shortfalls. Congress must renew its commitment to making sure our children--our future--aren't the ones bearing the burden of tight financial times. Kansans rely on CCDBG--in 2005, 18,800 Kansas children were served by the CCDBG. We need to make sure that Kansas' working parents have access to low-cost, high-quality child care so they can continue working and supporting their family. I joined in sending a letter to the Appropriations Committee asking them to support funding for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program and hope to vote for an increase in funding this year.

My fellow colleagues, it is time that we have a frank and open conversation with the American people. The decisions that this Congress is going to have to make for this next fiscal year are going to be tough, but they must be done. Over the next months, we must work together to restore fiscal responsibility and, at the same time, make sure we deliver services to our constituents. Being fiscally responsible does not mean that we can forget about the importance of early childhood education. Programs like Head Start and CCDBG are important for everyone involved: they enable lower income families to work and improve their economic situation; they make sure that dedicated public servants, like child care providers, receive the compensation they deserve; and they ensure that all children get the social and educational start that will serve them throughout their lives.

Madam Speaker, I rise to share the conclusion of a dramatic story that began in the early days of World War II. This testimony underscores the heart and commitment of our Kansas Airmen. In 1944, the crew of a B-24 Liberator bomber was brought down by anti- aircraft fire in the Pacific near Palau. That crew was not found until March of this year. Sixty-four years after the crew of the U.S. Army Air Forces gave their lives for America--the Joint P-O-W/M-I-A Accounting Command recovered the men from their watery graves. Volunteer Kansas Air National Guardsmen from the 190th Air Refueling Wing returned them home to the United States. The fallen men will, finally, be able to rest in peace in the soil of the country they fought to protect. I'd like to give a profound ``thank you'' to the Kansas Coyotes for their role in helping to provide the long overdue closure for the families of the Babes in Arms crew. I commend you for your spirit and dedication to your fellow soldier.

Mr. Speaker, I just had to come down to the floor and speak on this. No one, there isn't anybody who disagrees that we ought to be wiretapping the terrorists. No one disagrees with that. Democrats, Republicans, everyone wants to keep this country safe.

Let's make something real clear about what's at stake here. What's at stake is whether we wiretap Americans. That's what we're talking about.

The bill that we proposed that we have here, it can be summarized in one thing: wiretap first, get permission later. Go out and be aggressive. As a matter of fact, you can spy on Americans. You can do anything. You can spy, you can go out there and keep our country safe.

But when it comes to spying on Americans, that's the difference here. We believe that you need a warrant to do that, even after the fact of 6 or 7 days later to go back and tell the court what you've done.

I, for one, do not, and am not able to stand here and say, as the other side says, that the terrorists have already won; we need to give up our basic constitutional right. I don't believe that the terrorists have won, and I find it extremely discouraging.

What I find so troubling is the same, same rhetoric that we heard for this march to Iraq and, quite honestly, lately this march to Iran. Its the same rhetoric that we're hearing now. It's ``trust me.''

Well, I'll tell you what. I didn't get sent to Washington, DC not to speak up. A lot of people are worried sick that a 30-second ad is going to kick them out of office. And I'll tell you what, I will not put my own re-election ahead of the absolute determination that I have to make sure, first and foremost, that my family and your family are safe, but that we do not shred that Constitution to do it. This is not an either/ or, and we need to find a balance. I do not believe the terrorists have won.

Madam Speaker, I rise today because earlier this week the House passed H.R. 948 to recognize the University of Kansas football team on their astonishing accomplishments of the last season and their victory at the Orange Bowl.

I also rise this morning with great sadness because just this Monday KU lost one of its great all-time athletes. Otto Schnellbacher was an all-American who, in 1948, led KU to its very first Orange Bowl appearance. He was a wide receiver whose career 58 catches was a record for almost three decades. As a professional athlete, he played in both the NFL and the NBA.

This man was an American and an astonishing athlete. Otto was a giant of Kansas athletics. He was a very good friend. He leaves behind many admirers and a legacy that will last forever.

To the University of Kansas, congratulations again on a historic season. To Otto Schnellbacher, we will miss you. To his widow, Jane, God be with you.

Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. It has been a pleasure to work with you on behalf of our active duty military and the two VA hospitals that we have in the Second District of Kansas. It's such an important issue for so many people in my district, and they want to know that somebody is fighting for them.

I would just say that it's almost laughable if it weren't so sad to hear the gentleman from Wisconsin talk about this debt as if for the last 7 years we haven't seen a tremendous increase in our national debt.

I, too, am absolutely worried sick about the fact that my children are going to have to pay the $4 trillion of debt that we've incurred since they've been in the majority, or actually, in the last 7 years. But Mr. Chairman, let me just say that what makes me feel so good about this new majority and this budget that we've brought forward, in those years since we've seen that increase in debt that's going to be so devastating to us, what have we gotten for it? In 12 years, we've seen the debt double, and yet we only saw $16 billion go into veterans benefits at a time when they needed them so badly. In the last year, with our fiscally responsible budget, we will have added in the last 2 years $17 billion. It's just a matter of priorities.

We all are very concerned about the budget deficit that the Republicans have just escalated beyond control. You and I are working together to make sure that we have priorities that reflect the priorities of the American people. Since 2003, the backlog has increased by 50 percent. We have cut so much funding out. And so, thank God that we have put some of this money back in.

And I know the people of Kansas want to make sure that the money they are sending to Washington, D.C. is used well and is used for the veterans that have gone out and fought so bravely for our country.

Mr. Chairman, I am so pleased to be a strong supporter of this budget and a strong supporter of the veterans. It's easy, very easy to put a yellow ribbon on your car. And I agree with the gentleman from Pennsylvania who just spoke, we need to have action, not just words.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce House Resolution 948, which honors the University of Kansas football program on their recent victory at the Orange Bowl and their most successful year in program history.

On January 3, the KU football team won the 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl, marking their first major bowl victory in university history. Leading up to the bowl game, the team placed 12 wins on their roster, setting a new school record for wins in a season. KU also reached the number two spot of the AP national poll, which marked the highest national ranking that the program has ever received.

Among their athletic accomplishments this season, the team also produced three students who received All-American titles for their performances on the field and two other students who were Academic All- American recipients. Head Coach Mark Mangino also received multiple national Coach of the Year honors.

Please join me in recognizing these accomplishments and congratulating KU on their amazing victories this season.

Madam Speaker, earlier this month, the University of Kansas and Fort Leavenworth agreed to conduct a pilot program that would allow Wounded Warriors, both active duty and retired, the opportunity to complete a graduate degree program and then return to the Army to work in assignments at Fort Leavenworth related to their recently earned degrees. In a ceremony at the Lewis and Clark Center at Fort Leavenworth on February 6, 2008, Secretary of the Army Pete Geren and University of Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway welcomed eight Army Wounded Warriors into the pilot program.

The concept for the program was developed in September 2007 and presented to the Secretary of Defense, who encouraged the Army to proceed. Soldiers accepted for the program will be assigned to the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth with duty at the University of Kansas. There they will work to complete master degree programs in areas that can support programs or academia at the Combined Arms Center. The cost of the degree awarding program will be covered by the Army. The University of Kansas was asked to be the partner in this program due to its strong relationship with the Combined Arms Center and its superior academic reputation and accessibility for disabled students.

I am so pleased that these two great institutions have come together to provide a way for wounded Soldiers who may not be able to return to battle the ability to continue to serve their country. I congratulate both the Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth for their initiative and I invite my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, we heard a lot of debate recently that focused on the threat of passing the New England National Scenic Trail Designation Act. The other side of the aisle attacked the bill with the proclamation that private property owners would have their land seized by the Federal government. This clearly wasn't the case. As stated before, the bill only allowed the National Park Service to purchase land from willing sellers. But in the spirit of that debate, I'd like to take a moment and discuss eminent domain.

I know that myself, the constituents of the Second District of Kansas, nearly every American has the same feelings towards eminent domain. No one wants a federal official knocking on their door asking for their keys and telling them to ``pack up and move.'' Our founding fathers created this country to throw off such tyrannical uses of power by the Government, and we must continue that legacy today.

State, local and Federal Government has a duty to its citizens to preserve their right to private property and use eminent domain only in the rarest of circumstances when it is absolutely necessary. Those occasions should be few and far in between. And in every circumstance, the Government must look at all options and alternatives to seizing someone's home, business and livelihood. We must ensure proper compensation to private property owners, and not force our citizens into untenable situations.

What was truly upsetting about our debate was the other side of the aisle throwing out this term, getting the American people in an uproar, with no factual basis that eminent domain would be used. It would seem that the Minority's only goal is to further divide this country and make the passage of legislation impossible. We have seen this time and time again. The Minority would rather sit in their corner making baseless attacks against good legislation when they should be fulfilling their constitutional role as Representatives, as leaders, and work with my colleagues to do what is best for the country.

I was pleased to see both sides coming together to quickly pass an important economic stimulus package, but more cooperation is needed for children's health insurance, the Farm Bill and this year's upcoming appropriation process. I hope in this new session we see more of what we saw during the passage of the economic stimulus bill, and not a return to the same old politics that plagued our Chamber last year.

Madam Speaker, Rev. Wes Davis left the beaches of California in the early 1990s to pastor a small church in Kansas in the town of Riverton. He helped to construct the building that is the Riverton Friends Church in Cherokee County, and he helped to grow the congregation from about 100 to nearly 400 people. He did this while sharing his knowledge and faith from around the world, from Haiti to Liberia to Hungary.

In addition to being a pastor, family man, and missionary, Pastor Davis is the executive director of STOA Ministries. STOA in Greek means ``porch.'' In Solomon's day, people gathered on area porches to discuss theology and their faith. Wes Davis is a man of faith who has made the world his porch, always striving to help others learn God's grace.

Pastor Wes Davis, thank you for expanding your porch to the Halls of Congress today.

Madam Chairman, I rise today to ask my esteemed colleagues for their enthusiastic support for an amendment that Representative Chet Edwards and I are offering.

Quite simply, this amendment makes certain that children and dependents of active service duty members can afford higher education. It guarantees in-State tuition for the dependents of military family members, and it ensures that these students may maintain their in-State rates even if a parent or guardian is reassigned out of State.

In Kansas, we have always believed that everyone who works hard should have the chance to succeed. Kansans believe that education should open doors, not close them. Education should create opportunities. Requiring military dependents to pay out-of-State tuition leaves military students, the children of our Nation's heroes, sometimes with debt as far as the eye can see.

I am proud that my State of Kansas, like many others, extends both benefits to military dependents. But now Congress must act to support servicemembers in all 50 States. All but five States in America offer in-State tuition to military dependents, and all but 17 preserve those in-State rates even if a loved one is reassigned.

Military parents, like all parents, want a high-quality and affordable education for their children. Due to the nature of their jobs, which often requires frequent moves, military families are too often faced with the extra challenge of making sure their children receive an affordable education without endlessly transferring schools.

Our country's servicemembers are making the ultimate sacrifice for us. It is our duty to do everything within our power to help them take care of their loved ones. We must help them serve with a clear mind, unworried about the financial security and educational futures of their children. The very last thing a soldier needs to worry about while navigating the streets of Baghdad is whether his or her child can pay for college.

I rise today to ask my esteemed colleagues for their enthusiastic support for the children of these heroes of our Nation's military.

Madam Speaker, I hope the House will join me today to pay tribute to an exceptional patriot and Officer in the United States Army, Colonel H. Michael Davis, upon his retirement from active military service.

Colonel Davis's distinguished career spans over 30 years of service to our great Nation, culminating as Chief of Staff of the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. A native of South Carolina, he was commissioned Regular Army as an Armor Officer from the University of Tennessee in 1978. He has commanded with distinction at every level from company to regiment including the 2nd Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, Blackhorse, and Operations Group, Combat Maneuver Training Center. He has held instrumental staff positions from troop executive officer to the Chief of Staff at the National Training Center and now at the Combined Arms Center.

Colonel Davis has attended several military schools, including the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the Naval War College. He holds a bachelor of science degree in industrial management from the University of Tennessee and a master of arts degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College. He also served as a Professor in the Joint Military Operations Department at the Naval War College from 1997-1999.

In his more than 30 years of service, he has earned the Legion of Merit with one Oak Leaf Cluster, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Army Achievement Medal with one Oak Leaf Cluster. He also holds the Parachutist Badge and the Ranger Tab. Upon his retirement, he will be awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.

I ask my colleagues to join me today to thank Colonel Davis, his wife Ann, and his entire family for the commitment, sacrifice and contribution that they have made throughout his honorable military career.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 261) commemorating the centennial anniversary of the sailing of the Navy's ``Great White Fleet,'' launched by President Theodore Roosevelt on December 16, 1907, from Hampton Roads, Virginia, and returning there on February 22, 1909.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the concurrent resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support House Concurrent Resolution 261, commemorating the centennial anniversary of the sailing of the Navy's Great White Fleet launched by President Theodore Roosevelt on December 16, 1907 from Hampton Roads, Virginia, and returning there on February 22, 1909.

I would like to thank my colleague from Virginia, Mrs. Thelma Drake, my friend and colleague on the House Armed Services Committee, for bringing this measure before the House. It was the Atlantic Fleet, later to be known as the Great White Fleet for its pristine decor that launched the United States into the realm of the maritime overnight. Over 14,000 sailors made an extraordinary voyage around the world, from Virginia in the Atlantic Ocean, around South America's Cape Horn to San Francisco. From there, the crews sailed the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, through the Mediterranean Sea, and back to the United States, stopping in such great nations as Australia and Italy to forge and secure the diplomatic friendships that continue to this day.

In 14 months, the Great White Fleet demonstrated to the entire world that the United States is committed to both military maritime presence as well as international humanitarian aid. This coming Sunday, December 16, marks the 100th year since the beginning of that voyage. In the past 100 years, we have maintained these commitments and continued deployments of the naval ships, including the hospital ships Mercy and Comfort, to provide aid and assistance to those in time of need. This centennial is an appropriate time to celebrate and renew our continued commitment to responsible international stewardship.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 261.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I would just like to close by saying that as the proud daughter of a naval veteran from World War II, I again thank my colleague from Virginia for bringing forth this resolution and I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 261.

I am prepared to close if my colleague is.

I yield back my time.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast my vote for rollcall vote 1138 for H.R. 4253 as I was visiting a constituent who was receiving treatment at Walter Reed Army Hospital. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, tonight Americans across the Southeast are praying for rain. As drought conditions have stretched from weeks into months, residents face a stark reminder of how one of our most precious resources, water, can also be one of our most unpredictable.

The lessons of natural disaster all too familiar to the good folks back home in Kansas. In the past year, nearly every county in Kansas has suffered from disastrous conditions.

The weather has been hard on many of us, but especially on our farmers and ranchers, who depend on nature to earn their living. It's hard to find words to express their concern, their worry. Many have worked the same acreage for decades, and they've always trusted that if they treat their land right, if they plow its soil and they plant it carefully and tend it for many months, it will reward them with a crop that will earn their living.

But in so many counties, disaster conditions have slashed crop yields. Ranchers face their own problems as animal feed prices soar.

Kansas farmers and ranchers are good hardworking people, but lately they've found that the land and the weather are betraying them. That's why it's so important that earlier this year Congress passed a critical agricultural disaster relief package. These funds helped Kansans continue to farm and ranch in spite of the ever-present threats of drought, fire and other catastrophes.

Today I urge America to come together once again to show the same compassion to our brothers and sisters in the Southeast. Farmers are finding that no matter how much they care and the effort that they devote to their land, their crops simply won't grow. These hardworking families can't make ends meet and they need a helping hand from Congress.

I urge my colleagues to remember the struggles of farmers and ranchers in the Southeast, in Kansas and across America who continue to confront the challenge of this difficult weather.

And again, we're praying tonight for the rain for the Southeast, and it looks like we might get some rain, and we are just blessed.