Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my deepest condolences on the passing of Congressman Tom Lantos, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and my respected colleague from California.

As news spread on Monday of Chairman Lantos' passing at age 80 due to complications from cancer, a great sadness resonated throughout the House of Representatives and all of Washington. This House, the Nation, and especially the people of California have lost a great champion for human rights, a very personal cause of Representative Lantos. He was the only Holocaust survivor to ever be elected to Congress and his own experiences enlightened his service and enriched his service in this body.

Throughout his 14 terms in the House of Representatives, Representative Lantos conducted himself with dignity, grace, and a passion for human rights. As co-chairman and founder of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, a group that highlights human rights violations worldwide, he was able to provide a platform and a voice for persecuted peoples around the globe.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Representative Lantos' wife Annette, their two daughters, their 18 grandchildren, and two great- grandchildren in their time of mourning. It was an honor and a privilege to serve with Tom Lantos these last 28 years in the House of Representatives. I know that he will be remembered in the hearts of his family and friends for all the love and support he has given to them and so many others throughout the years.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of two counties in my district, Mercer and Monroe, which have again received the honor as two of the Nation's ``100 Best Communities for Youth 2008'' by the Alliance for Youth. This is the third such award for Mercer County and the second award for Monroe County, both of whom were also honored last year.

These counties competed against 750 participants from more than 300 communities in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, who were all vying for this unique distinction.

This award is well-deserved, as these communities have dedicated themselves to fostering a healthy, safe, and caring environment for our young people. I share this vision and am deeply honored to once again have the only two localities in West Virginia recognized located in my district.

I pledge to continue my work to make the communities in the Third District a healthy and nurturing environment for our children, by supporting legislation and programs that will keep our children safe. Last year, I supported full funding of both the Drug Free Communities grant program and the Safe and Drug Free Schools Program against the budget cuts recommended by the administration. These programs make a visible difference in our communities and are invaluable when it comes to preventing and reducing substance abuse, particularly with our teenagers and young adults.

While these programs are effective, it is by far not the end of our work. As the folks of Mercer and Monroe counties can attest, we must not waver from our commitment to our youth. As much as we accomplish, we must strive to do better.

West Virginia native and renowned author Pearl S. Buck once said, ``If our American way of life fails the child, it fails us all.''

These are words to live by, words that Mercer and Monroe counties have once again proven they are living by everyday. I again commend the entire community--the teachers, the civic leaders, the parents, and the children as well, who are all so very bright--for the hard work they have done and continue to do.

I encourage other communities in the Third District and across West Virginia and our Nation to follow the fine example set by Mercer and Monroe Counties in showing what it means to keep America's promise to our young people. As the Alliance for Youth said, ``It is our hope that these 100 Best inspire communities across the country to create environments where children and families have boundless opportunities.''

Madam Speaker, today I am pleased to introduce legislation to designate additional areas as wilderness within the Monongahela National Forest in our State of West Virginia. Joining me in this initiative are my West Virginia colleagues Representatives Shelley Moore Capito and Alan Mollohan.

Our senior Senator, Robert C. Byrd, is fond of noting that: ``West Virginia is one of the most beautiful and unique places. It is the most southern of the northern and the most northern of the southern; the most eastern of the western and the most western of the eastern. It is where the East says good morning to the West, and where Yankee Doodle and Dixie kiss each other good night.''

Indeed, West Virginia is a most beautiful and unique place. And with the introduction of our legislation, ``Wild Monongahela: A National Legacy for West Virginia's Special Places,'' we are striving to keep it that way.

This is about the heart and soul of West Virginia. Our southern mountains have been yielding their coal for generations and our northern ridge lines are being targeted by the merchants of wind power. More development is coming, and, in most cases, it is welcomed.

But as West Virginians we are intimately connected to our land. Our roots are planted deep in our misty hollers and our majestic mountains. We know that we will be judged by future generations on our stewardship of this land that is West Virginia. And so I believe that it is of paramount importance that we, once again, set aside some of God's handiwork in our forests by preserving these Federal lands in their pristine state.

We hunt these woods; we fish these streams. These few areas that we are proposing to conserve in their natural state represent a significant national resource. But more importantly to us, they constitute a fundamental right of West Virginians to retain a vital link to our heritage, and to know that, forever more, these lands will remain in their natural state as our Creator forged them. We cherish this as nothing less and nothing more than our birthright as West Virginians.

By way of background, the Monongahela National Forest is comprised of over 919,000 acres of Federal land in 10 counties of the eastern portion of West Virginia. The forest is a major recreational resource for West Virginians as well as people from neighboring States, hosting approximately 3 million visitors annually. Currently, the forest has five federally designated wilderness areas comprising 78,041 acres: Otter Creek, Dolly Sods, Laurel Fork North and South, and the Cranberry Wilderness.

As part of the revision of the Forest Plan completed in 2006, 18 roadless areas were inventoried and evaluated for their wilderness potential. As a result of this process, the West Virginia Delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives is proposing to designate seven of the evaluated areas as wilderness. Totaling 47,128 acres, three of the areas are additions to existing wilderness: the Cranberry Expansion in Webster and Pocahontas Counties, the Dolly Sods Expansion in Tucker County and the Dry Fork Expansion in Tucker County to the Otter Creek Wilderness. The other four are proposed new wilderness areas: Big Draft in Greenbrier County, Cheat Mountain in Randolph County, Roaring Plains West in Pendleton and Randolph Counties and Spice Run in Greenbrier and Pocahontas Counties.

Under the new Land and Resource Management Plan for the Monongahela National Forest, all seven areas are now being managed essentially as wilderness. Cheat Mountain, the Cranberry Expansion, the Dry Fork addition to Otter Creek Wilderness and Roaring Plains West are under Management Prescription 5.1, Recommended Wilderness. Meanwhile, the Big Draft area, the Dolly Sods Expansion and the Spice Run area are under Management Prescription 6.2, Backcountry Recreation. This management prescription emphasizes a non-motorized setting with a largely natural environment and a lack of management-related disturbance.

Before I describe the special attributes of the seven areas contained in our legislation, I would like to note the support this initiative has among working men and women in West Virginia. I am proud that the West Virginia AFL-CIO passed a resolution last October in support of additional wilderness in the Monongahela National Forest. Their resolution states that ``wilderness forest areas and the outdoor recreation, hunting and fishing they provide improve the quality of life for all West Virginians.'' The resolution further notes that ``protected wilderness helps diversify and stabilize economies by attracting and retaining business, residents, and a local workforce, in addition to generating travel and tourism, one of the fastest growing sectors of West Virginia.''

I am also proud that people of faith in West Virginia support additional wilderness. The Reverend Dennis Sparks, executive director of the West Virginia Council of Churches, wrote to me as follows: ``An area of federal land belonging to all Americans, the Monongahela National Forest can uniquely provide opportunities for reflection and inspiration that are becoming ever scarcer in our rapidly modernizing and developing world. We believe that carefully protecting this wonderful national forest and its wilderness-quality lands not only has a sound Biblical basis, but is also the best and most practical course of action for safeguarding the world which we will pass along to our children.''

Similarly, Bob Marshall, D.V.M., wrote: ``Like me, you were probably raised by parents who took you to church, where you learned many of the morals and ethics that guide your decisions today. I was taught to `Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself.' These words still speak to me today, and have led me to believe that West Virginia needs to preserve as much of our wild lands as possible, through the Wilderness proposal.''

This proposal also enjoys the support of various West Virginia chapters of Trout Unlimited. The vice president of the Mountaineer Chapter, Randy Kesling, wrote to me as follows: ``National Forest Wilderness Areas are the tap-roots into the landscape of our beginnings--the original forest. The U.S. Forest Service itself calls them `ecological anchors in a fragile landscape.' Today we are at another crossroad in the natural history of this great forest. This is in every sense a watershed moment--to set this fragile forest on the path to recovery.'' He concluded: ``The Mountaineer Chapter of Trout Unlimited believes that Wilderness Designation provides the best path to that recovery.''

Mr. Don Gasper, who worked for the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources for many years, and who is a highly respected fish biologist, wrote: ``You lawmakers in Congress have an important opportunity right now to permanently protect some of the most special remaining wild places in the Monongahela National Forest.''

Many communities across West Virginia have registered their support for wilderness. The Honorable John Manchester, the mayor of the City of Lewisburg in Greenbrier County, and that city's Council, passed a resolution which in part states: ``wilderness forest areas encompass the development of rural communities as people are attracted to, or stay in, places that are clean, beautiful and where they have ample opportunities to connect with nature. . . .''

The Honorable Martin Saffer, a Pocahontas County Commissioner, wrote: ``I encourage you to take quick action to introduce legislation to protect some of our most special landscapes. This is truly a watershed moment. The time is now.''

In addition, the Fayette County Commission wrote in support, stating: ``Wildlands in the National Forest enhance our area's natural resource based tourism economy, increase the

quality of life for Fayette County residents, protect our hunting and fishing lands, clean air, clean water, and protect the headwaters of some of Fayette County's rivers from disturbance, thus reducing the threats from flooding.''

The Greenbrier County Convention and Visitors Bureau wrote to me and specifically requested the inclusion of the Big Draft and Spice Run areas as wilderness. They noted: ``From the luxury of The Greenbrier Resort to the primitive Monongahela National Forest, visitors can choose their own unique experience while visiting Greenbrier County.''

The Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau has also weighed in, stating: ``We feel that designating additional wilderness areas will increase the strong economic base that outdoor recreation in Pocahontas County relies on. Benefits associated with designated wilderness are far reaching for the people of West Virginia, our wildlife populations and the land itself. Protecting our last few remaining wilderness areas will ensure that present and future generations can use and enjoy parts of the forest in their natural state.''

Following is a brief description of the seven areas the West Virginia Delegation propose to be designated as wilderness--

Big Draft: This 5,242-acre area in the southern tip of the forest is located about 5 miles from White Sulphur Springs, the home of the famed Greenbrier Resort. According to the Forest Service evaluation of the area, the primary vegetative type is oak and hickory with pockets of hemlock and white pine as well as black hickory and sassafras. The evaluation makes note of the area's ``natural untrammeled appearance, and natural ecological processes that are the primary factors affecting the area.'' Trout and small-mouth bass fishing is considered excellent. The area has also been popular for wilderness quality whitewater trips down Anthony Creek, and the trout and rock bass fishing is excellent.

Cheat Mountain: Comprised of 7,955 acres, the area ranges in elevation from 3,000 to 3,800 feet and is a relatively flat forested plateau. The area is dissected by six streams flowing through rugged terrain dropping steeply to the river. According to the Forest Service evaluation, the vegetation consists of northern hardwood stands with some red spruce. It has a ``natural untrammeled appearance'' and ``the opportunity to experience remoteness is good.'' Special features of the area include the High Falls of the Cheat, which is a major waterfall, and a favorite destination for hikers and excursion train visitors. Cheat Mountain is a favorite of hunters and anglers.

Cranberry Expansion: A proposed 12,032-acre addition to the highly popular Cranberry Wilderness, the expansion is located between the Williams River on the north and the Cranberry River on the south and west. According to the Forest Service evaluation, ``both natural integrity and appearance are considered high over much of the area . . .'' It contains an excellent trail system and is held in high esteem by hunters, anglers and hikers. The combination of the Cranberry Wilderness, Cranberry Backcountry and Cranberry Expansion would create the largest area of non-motorized recreational opportunities in West Virginia--a vast silent forest primeval.

Dolly Sods Expansion: Another well-known and popular wilderness area, Dolly Sods, is proposed to be expanded by 7,215 acres to the north. Most of the area is a rolling plateau of over 3,800 feet in elevation. The Allegheny Front drops 2,200 feet on the east, just outside the proposed wilderness boundary. According to the Forest Service evaluation, ``the bog and heath eco-types are more typical of what one would expect to find in Maine or southern Canada rather than West Virginia.'' Views west from Cabin Mountain across the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge are outstanding.

Dry Fork Expansion: This small 740-acre proposed expansion of the Otter Creek Wilderness area has a high natural integrity and appearance and is dominated by spruce at its higher elevations with a mixture of northern hardwoods. This area occupies the northern and eastern flanks of McGowan Mountain leading down to the Dry Fork of the Cheat River. It provides much of the scenic view for this popular river, which contains excellent whitewater recreation opportunities and trout fishing.

Roaring Plains West: This 6,820-acre area located southwest of Dolly Sods ranges in elevation from 3,700 feet to over 4,700 feet and is, according to the Forest Service evaluation, minimally affected by outside forces. The Roaring Plains and Flatrock Plains areas encompassed by the proposed wilderness comprise the highest plateaus in the eastern United States. They are part of the geologic backbone of West Virginia called the Allegheny Front. The evaluation also notes it is remote backcountry, providing a good opportunity for solitude. Special features include an area known as Mt. Porte Crayon, with exceptional views.

Spice Run: A proposed 7,124-acre new wilderness, this area rises from the Greenbrier River on its western boundary and is an extremely remote place primarily accessible from the river. There are no system trails within the area. The elevation ranges from 2,000 feet along the Greenbrier River to 3,284 feet on the top of Slab Camp Mountain. Spice Run, along with Davy Run and Kincaid Run, cut steep hollows which delineate the terrain. Spice Run is one of the most remote places in the State and provides excellent opportunities for solitude and backcountry recreation.

In conclusion, I thank my colleagues in the West Virginia Delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives in joining with me to introduce this bill, ``Wild Monongahela: A National Legacy for West Virginia's Special Places.''

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1528, introduced by our friend and colleague, Representative John Olver.

This is a straightforward bill which would enhance the protection and interpretation of a network of trails that have been in existence for more than 50 years. This trail system is extremely popular and is managed and maintained by an enthusiastic army of volunteers.

The route that would be added to the National Trails System carries hikers through the heart of Massachusetts and Connecticut, past scenic vistas, unique geological formations, dinosaur footprints, and rare plants and animals. The trail provides recreation and relaxation for visitors from near and far, and valued open space for the many communities along the way.

H.R. 1528 has strong, bipartisan support and is important not only to the people of Massachusetts and Connecticut but also to visitors from around the world wishing to experience the beauty of New England on foot.

Given the popularity of the existing trail and the support for a federal designation, it is surprising that anyone would oppose H.R. 1528. In our view, such opposition is based on a misunderstanding of this legislation.

In the first place, the bill is based on a National Park Service study that found no need--let me repeat--no need, for direct Federal trail ownership or direct Federal trail management. The trail will be managed by state and local groups under cooperative agreements with the National Park Service.

Further, the bill itself expressly states, and I quote: ``The United States shall not acquire for the trail any land or interest in land without the consent of the owner.''

It is perfectly clear that this bill does not threaten property rights. In fact, the trails groups who have managed this trail network for half a century or more have gone out of their way to avoid those conflicts. There is no Federal land involved, and no Federal acquisition anticipated.

I strongly support this bill, and I want to take this opportunity to thank the bill's sponsor, Representative Olver, for his hard work on the legislation, as well as his nine cosponsors from Connecticut and Massachusetts.

In the end, this is about providing Federal recognition and support to local, non-profit, volunteer organizations who want nothing more than to help people take an enjoyable walk through the woods. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1528.

Madam Speaker, the New River Gorge National River in southern West Virginia was designated as a unit of the National Park System in 1978. At times referred to as the `Grand Canyon of the East' we in West Virginia refer to the Grand Canyon as the `New River Gorge of the West.' The national river is comprised of over 70,000 acres of mostly rugged terrain and is renowned as a destination for its world- class whitewater recreation, rock climbing and other outdoor activities. But it is also a place where generations of West Virginians have hunted and fished. Unfortunately, the ability to hunt in the gorge is now being drawn into question.

As the Congressman from New River Country, today I am introducing legislation to ensure that hunting remains a purpose of the New River Gorge National River.

I view it as a God given right for West Virginians to hunt in the New River Gorge. This area is not immune from activities such as housing developments that are placing a premium on lands where hunting by the general public may take place.

Unfortunately, the National Park Service, as part of the development of a new general management plan for the park unit, has included a no hunting alternative. It is doing so because the legislation which established the New River Gorge National River states that hunting ``may'' be permitted. The enabling statute for the nearby Gauley River National Recreation Area, on the other hand, states that hunting ``shall'' be allowed. In fact, this is the case for the vast majority of the 62 units of the National Park System in which hunting is permitted.

The bill I am introducing today simply changes the ``may'' to a ``shall'' in the law which established the New River Gorge National River. While there is no doubt in my mind that the current Superintendent of this park unit will do the right thing and allow hunting to continue in the final general management plan, this is too important of an issue to remain at the discretion of future managers of the park unit.

Madam Speaker, West Virginia recently lost an outstanding daughter, Margarette Leach. Margarette passed away on December 23, 2007, but today I rise to celebrate a life well lived and to remember with fondness the accomplishments of a remarkable woman who, over her many years, was a torchbearer in the arenas of healthcare and politics in West Virginia.

The unfortunate news of her passing has brought sadness to so many throughout West Virginia, including those who did not have the opportunity to meet Mrs. Leach but who have

come to benefit from her passionate support for the field of healthcare.

Margarette, a West Virginia native, was born in Goodwill, WV on December 4, 1926. She graduated from Beaver High School in 1944 and from St. Mary's School of Nursing in 1948. She would go on to dedicate her life to helping other by serving as a nurse and elected official for the next 60 years, 14 of which she spent as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates representing District 15.

In April of last year, Delegate Leach was honored with The Center for Rural Health Development's 2007 Rural Health Leadership Award. The year 2007 would see another honor bestowed on Margarette, when the Prestera Center for Youth and Families was named after her. She pushed hard for the Merritt Creek connector from Interstate 64 to State Route 2 and helped to obtain funding for the Jenkins Plantation Museum and the Madie Carroll House. She also helped to bring the bronze statue of Carter G. Woodson to its current location in Huntington.

In 2004, Margarette was named a West Virginia History Hero, but to those she diligently served over the years, she was already a hero many times over.

She will be greatly missed by her family, in particular her husband of 58 years and their family, as well as, the community she served so faithfully over these many years. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Margarette Leach. I join with West Virginians in honoring her remarkable life and the legacy she left behind.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and personally congratulate my dear friend, Mrs. Nita Gore of Huntington, WV, on her 80th birthday this Friday, January 18, 2008.

Thomas Jefferson once said, ``None deserve better than those who contribute to the amelioration of that form (government).'' As a nurse at St. Mary's Hospital, a life-long Democrat, and member of Our Lady of Fatima Church, she has spent a lifetime serving the residents of Huntington. Her unwavering dedication to bettering the lives of others is very much appreciated by the people of southern West Virginia.

In her amazing 80 years, she has been a devoted mother, wife, and friend. At the same time she has been a nurse, volunteer, and public servant and has endlessly battled for the betterment of southern West Virginia. I agree with Mr. Jefferson. None deserve better than Mrs. Gore.

Mrs. Gore has spent many years encouraging others to become active in our government. She brings an irreplaceable enthusiasm to her community and the State of West Virginia. As her birthday approaches, I wish to thank my dear friend, Mrs. Nita Gore, for the extraordinary effort she has put into our State.

Mrs. Nita Gore is a true pillar of the community, whose list of accomplishments far exceeds her years of service. Her devotion to her family and commitment to her community are examples to us all. Southern West Virginia is lucky to have her.

I salute Mrs. Gore for her 80 years of friendship and service, thank her for the contributions she has made to the city of Huntington and southern West Virginia, and wish her the best of health and happiness in the years to come.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the distinguished chairman of the Education and Labor Committee for yielding me this time, and commend him for his career, lifelong service of dedication to our working men and women of this country. Chairman George Miller has certainly shown over his career in this body that there is no person that will take a second seat to him as far as protecting the health, safety, and well- being of our working men and women.

Mr. Chairman, there are those who have argued on the other side that this measure, coming on the heels of major mine safety legislation in 2006, is too much too soon. They argue that the Mine Safety and Health Administration is struggling to fix numerous problems and must be allowed to implement one bill before additional legislative mandates are hefted upon them.

Now, that argument has a valid point. And yes, the industry is making strides to improve safety, especially in my home State of West Virginia.

But an equally valid argument can be made that the Congress should not simply sit back and hope that MSHA follows through on needed improvements. To do so would be to neglect our duty to serve as a check, and we must not return to the hands-off mentality that allowed MSHA to slip into its recent dismal state of decline.

This legislation seeks to return to MSHA the business of protecting our Nation's miners, plain and simple. This should be our overall goal. MSHA has strayed too far from its mission, and the MINER Act did not touch some challenges that most agree need to be addressed. This bill supports a course correction that now is taking place. It sets a high bar because its purpose is the highest: the protection of the lives of our coal miners. And in this regard, we can never be too vigilant when it comes to protecting the health and safety and well-being of our Nation's coal miners.

Most coal companies in my State work hard to ensure improved workplace safety, and they are making significant investment, for which they deserve commendation. Likewise, most of the employees of MSHA, including those in my home State, are well-intentioned, dedicated and hardworking. These individuals put their lives on the line to save other lives, and they should be recognized for that.

As well, my home State of West Virginia, above all others, has taken the challenge of improving mine conditions seriously. But none of this excuses the management of MSHA from doing its job, and it certainly does not excuse the Federal legislative branch from its responsibility to ensure that the senior Federal agency charged with the safety of our coal miners fulfills its statutory mission.

First and foremost, MSHA is supposed to inspect mines to ensure that they are abiding by the law to operate as safely as possible. That is its most fundamental job, its reason for existence. But yet, we found that MSHA last year failed to complete more than 40 percent of its required quarterly inspections in my own congressional district alone. That fact speaks most compellingly for the need for this legislation.

This bill would address that deadly lack of inspections at mines in southern West Virginia. It aims to provide for badly needed increases in the ranks of highly trained inspectors, including bringing experienced retirees back into service and directing limited resources into the field where they are needed most.

So given these conditions, Mr. Chairman, again I commend Chairman Miller and urge passage of this legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the distinguished chairman for yielding, and I rise in opposition to this Republican substitute.

Pure and simple, the substitute kills the bill. It guts all of the bill's health and safety protections that the committee has worked so long and hard on and upon which the committee has heard expert testimony and heard testimony from our Nation's coal miners. So the fact that this legislation has been developed as it has shows that the committee has utmost in its consideration the protection of the health, safety and well-being of our Nation's coal miners.

This Republican substitute requires a one-size-fits-all mandatory drug testing program, for example, with a national blacklist of miners. It creates company dominated safety committees to stifle miners' voices; whereas, the committee bill, crafted as well as it has been, does allow for all sides to be represented in these safety committee deliberations. That is most important, because it is important that these committees have the involvement of coal miners that are on the job working, those who know the mines and the particular features of each mine, because, as we all know, not all coal mines are structured in the same fashion.

It is worthy to note as well that all of those that work in our Nation's mines, the United Mine Workers of America, the AFL, the Food and Commercial Workers, all of our Nation's unions that are concerned with the health and safety of our coal miners, oppose this Republican substitute amendment.

So, as I conclude, I say to my colleagues, just remember, this is an effort to gut the bill, pure and simple, and we all know that this bill still has a process through which it has to travel, including the other body. And if the administration cannot see in its wisdom and compassion to sign the bill, then certainly we have a basis upon which to proceed for further safety measures in the next Congress. I would urge rejection of this Republican substitute.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3079, a bill which would extend U.S. immigration laws to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and also authorize a non-voting Delegate from the Northern Marianas to the U.S. House of Representatives.

At the start of the 110th Congress, as the Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, I set out an agenda which included revisiting the CNMI's control and enforcement over immigration policy. Many in this House will recall that for at least two decades, our government and this Congress expressed our concerns with how immigration policy in the CNMI was envisioned and implemented.

When the Northern Marianas was transitioned from being a trust territory of the United Nations to a U.S. territory under our stars and stripes, temporary control over immigration and minimum wage laws were placed in the hands of the new local government. This was done in light of their small, mostly indigenous, population and their undeveloped economy. Their control was never meant to be a permanent fixture of their government.

Throughout the 1990s the CNMI economy grew by taking advantage of its control over immigration and wage policy. A garment industry, much of it owned by nationals of China, saw fit to make the CNMI their new home. In so doing, the industry was able to fill practically every position in their operations with a foreign worker at a minimal cost to their operations.

In 2000, garment exports from the CNMI to the U.S. were estimated to be worth about $1 billion annually. To support this industry, the U.S. Census estimated the foreign guest worker population at 40,000 outnumbering the local population by at least 10,000 and because of lax protections of foreign guest workers under CNMI law many were subject to abuses by their employers. Much of this abuse had been documented by our national media, human rights organizations, and our Committee's former Chairman George Miller.

In that decade of the 90s and into the 21st century, despite the clear need to reform the system in the CNMI, any attempts at extending U.S. immigration law or minimum wage laws were met with resistance in Congress.

I loathe thinking that Members of this body would want such a system to flourish. Or that anyone would view what occurred in the CNMI as an economic experiment, grown in a ``petri dish'' because of the CNMI's distance and relative isolation from the U.S. mainland.

Mr. Speaker, with the enactment of H.R. 3079, the dismal and degrading decade of the 90's will be put to rest--never to repeat itself again.

H.R. 3079 would also authorize a non-voting Delegate from the CNMI to be a Member of the House of Representatives. In previous Congresses, similar legislation has passed the Natural Resources Committee more than once and with broad bipartisan support. This goodwill and collaboration has continued in this Congress with the inclusion of the Northern Mariana Island Delegate Act as Title II of H.R. 3079.

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentle lady from the Virgin Islands, Mrs. Christensen, for her leadership throughout this process. As the chairman of Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, she took on this very complex issue at the start of this Congress. Her Subcommittee has been very active on this issue and made every attempt to address concerns raised by different interests in the CNMI before bringing this legislation to the Floor.

I would also like to thank the leadership of the Judiciary Committee who collaborated with us on this legislation. We do appreciate their involvement with this bill and their constructive input as we prepared to have it considered under the suspension calendar.

I support H.R. 3079 and urge its passage.

Under clause 2 of rule XII, bills and reports were delivered to the Clerk for printing, and bills referred as follows:

Mr. RAHALL: Committee on Natural Resources. H.R. 3079. A

bill to amend the Joint Resolution Approving the Covenant to

Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and

for other purposes; with an amendment; referred to the

Committee on Judiciary for a period ending not later than

December 11, 2007, for consideration of such provisions of

the bill and amendment as fall within the jurisdiction of

that committee pursuant to clause 1(k), rule X (Rept. 110-

469, Pt. 1). Ordered to be printed.

Madam Speaker, on November 20, 1917, in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the world received Cornelius Calvin Sale. Born to a poor, struggling couple, the child was too soon taken from the arms of his loving mother, when she fell victim to the devastating influenza epidemic. The loss of his mother separated him from his siblings and from his father, a man with talented hands and an honest heart, when he was sent to live with an aunt and uncle in the coalfields of southern West Virginia. There his name was changed and so was the course of history for my State and our Nation.

This November 20 marks the 90th birthday of Robert C. Byrd. He holds the title of the longest-serving Senator in the history of our Nation. He has held more leadership positions than any other Senator, has cast more rollcall votes than any other Senator, and served on a Senate committee longer than any other Senator. In fact, he has achieved so many records during his tenure of public service that the Guinness people could devote an entire book just to him.

Here in the Congress, Robert C. Byrd has seen majorities come and go. He has occupied the suite of the Majority Leader and been banished to the Elba of the Appropriations wing. He has felt the sting of legislative defeat, relished in legislative victory. He has watched good men, full of hope, come to the Congress and build long successful careers in public service. He has seen many ambitious men leave public life, sometimes bitter and frustrated, sometimes drawn to the big paychecks of the private sector. Through it all, his love of the U.S. Senate and his faith in our constitutional form of government has never wavered.

In both his public and private lives, he has been guided by the old values he learned growing up in the West Virginia hills, reading the Bible, and listening to his ``old Mom's'' prayers, offered up in dim lantern light.

And he has been the most devoted of husbands. In fact, he remains so. Even after his dear Erma left this Earth to become an angel in Heaven, his love for her--true love--has endured and bolstered him in times of trial.

So much has been written, so many speeches delivered, about the senior Senator from West Virginia, that it may be a fool's errand to even try to say anything about him that has not been repeated many times over. However, in anticipation of this special occasion, I choose to mention one particular thing for which the people of our State are most grateful to him--Robert C. Byrd has given us the gift of hope.

From his youthful days of coal camp life in an era of depression, through his climb to the pinnacle of governmental power, Robert C. Byrd's life has been and remains an inspiration to me and to every man, woman, and child who has ever doubted themselves, or been afraid to try to overcome life's considerable challenges. He is our hero.

Madam Speaker, I thank the Creator for Senator Byrd and all that he has done for this Nation. May he have the happiest of birthdays, and may he some day look back on his 90th year as just one notch on his way to scoring yet another amazing record.

Madam Speaker, for each of us, there are a handful of moments in life that stay with us forever, moments that years later we can still recall with clarity and conviction. Moments that shook our core and move our hearts still. For the people of Huntington, West Virginia, a rainy evening in 1970 is one of those moments.

On November 14th, 1970 the Marshall University football team, coaches and supporters were returning home from their game against East Carolina University when their plane crashed into a hill just short of the Tri-State Airport. All 75 people on board were killed. In an instant the lives of everyone at Marshall and within the community of Huntington were changed.

Every November 14th, the Marshall University Student Government Association hosts a memorial ceremony to honor the victims of the crash by laying a wreath at the base of the Memorial Fountain in the center of Marshall's campus. This year marks the 37th anniversary of the plane crash. This annual ceremony draws together the families of those who died that night, as well as members of the community, the school and the football team, who attend the memorial service every year. At the end of each ceremony, the fountain is turned off until spring.

The fountain was dedicated in 1972 in front of the Memorial Student Center. The 75 points of the sculpture represent each of the 75 lives lost that rainy night. Sculptor Harry Bertoia hoped that the fountain would ``commemorate the living--rather than death--on the waters of life, rising, receding, surging so as to express upward growth, immortality and eternality.''

A year ago this December, the movie ``We Are Marshall'' premiered across the Nation, telling the story of how Marshall University and this community rose from the ashes of tragedy. It told how the Young Thundering Herd found a way to keep the football program together in the fall of 1971 and gave the community of Huntington hope in one of its darkest hours. The team that suited up that year in green and white may not have had a winning season, but by taking the field every Saturday, the players and coaches taught us that it isn't just about winning, that sometimes it's about simply showing up and playing the game.

The foundation laid by the Young Herd in 1971 paved the way for Marshall to become a football powerhouse during the 1990's and beyond. The legacy of the 1970 team lost in the crash and the team that took the field in 1971 is still with us today and is once again being honored with the ceremonial turning off of the Memorial Fountain.

The bronze plaque on the fountain bears this simple, eloquent inscription:

They shall live on in the hearts of their families and

friends forever, and this memorial records their loss to the

university and to the community.

We will never forget the loss of those 75 lives on that hillside in 1970. We will continue to honor their memory every time the Thundering Herd takes the field and the stadium fills with the cheers of family and friends. We Are Marshall.

Madam Speaker, it was the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the guns fell silent on European battlefields, echoing the cease-fire agreement between the Allied Nations and German Forces and America's first victory in a battle for freedom in a world at war.

One year later, on November 11, 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed and commemorated the first Armistice Day. Thirty-five years later, this day would come to be known as Veterans Day--a day in which our Nation takes the time to recognize the service and sacrifice of the men and women who have heeded the call to service in defense of our Nation.

Over the years, our Nation has fought many battles, on many continents, amongst many enemies, and in defense of those who cannot defend themselves. Throughout these battles, our country has seen some of our best and brightest commit the ultimate sacrifice for a cause that they believe in, a cause called freedom.

To many across the world, freedom is a work in progress, a quest toward the ability to do and say what you feel, and live in a world of peace, to provide for your family, and to live without the fear of persecution for your beliefs and ideas. As Americans, we enjoy these freedoms many others do not, because of the unyielding sacrifice made by our brave men and women in uniform who have served our Nation over the course of history to defend our liberty.

Let us take this day to remember those who have served and those who have fallen, who selflessly gave of themselves, knowing that they were protecting and representing the greatest Nation on Earth. Let us remember that it is our duty to see that our veterans have access to quality and affordable healthcare. And let us remember to always honor and recognize all veterans with the respect and admiration that they have earned.

Our veterans, as our soldiers fighting today, remain foremost in the thoughts and minds of West Virginians, and will always remain one of my top Congressional priorities. May God continue to bless all those who have returned and those who have not on this Veterans Day.

Mr. Speaker, this year the week of November 18-24th has been designated ``National Bible Week,'' a week to renew our interest in the Bible and to recognize the influence that the Bible has had in our lives and on our nation throughout its history.

As a child growing up in West Virginia, I was encouraged by my father to read the Bible daily, because he found such solace and comfort in the Word. As Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13, ``I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want, I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.''

Knowing this soothes and comforts my soul in times of distress. It is my guiding light that keeps me centered and focused and I derive great joy from reading the scriptures during my time of mediation and reflection.

Today, God's Word written in the Holy Scriptures of the Bible is important to me both as an individual and as a leader. It is the Bible that guides me through the day, as I seek to make decisions that will affect people in my state and in our nation--decisions that require a wisdom that is found throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

It is the Word of God written in the Bible that gives me the fortitude I need to carry out my responsibilities as a friend, a father, a husband, and a Congressman. The Bible provides the wisdom to know how to respond to my family and constituents during times of dire crisis.

For these reasons, and many more, I thank God that we have a manual for our daily living in the Bible.

As we face the unforeseen challenges that lie ahead, both at home and abroad, I encourage all Americans to read the Bible and read it often, to study its teachings, and to make it an important part of their lives.

I first thank the gentlelady from California (Ms. Matsui) and the Rules Committee for fashioning a rule today which provides for a free and open debate on a historic measure, refining the Mining Law of 1872.

I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa) who has so ably taken the reins of leadership on the Subcommittee on Mines and Minerals, a subcommittee I once chaired over 20 years ago. We had extensive hearings at that time across the country, including in Alaska. And the gentleman from California has conducted himself in the same fashion and with the same knowledge of this bill. I certainly thank him for his help.

This legislation, it should be noted, is sponsored by, or, rather, enjoys the support of a number of Members from both sides of the aisle and from all political persuasions. It should be noted that Members from mining States affected by this legislation support this bill, including the gentlelady from Arizona (Ms. Giffords), who just spoke.

The rule does make a number of amendments sponsored by Members from the other side of the aisle in order that touch upon key features of the legislation. Indeed, the Rules Committee was very generous, extremely generous to the other side.

We are going to have a vote on the amendment today that will continue the 19th century practice, for example, of giving away mineral-rich public lands, the deed of which lies with all American citizens, for $2.50 an acre. That is an amendment that we will debate at the proper time. I say to my colleagues that this is not a Democrat or a Republican issue. It is a nonpartisan issue. It is bipartisan. Indeed, similar legislation has passed this body, not this Congress, but previous Congresses, by large, overwhelming margins.

We are dealing with a law that has been relatively unchanged that was enacted when Ulysses S. Grant resided in the White House. Union troops still occupied the South. The invention of the telephone and Custer's stand at Little Bighorn were still 4 years away.

In 1872, Congress passed a law that allowed people to go on to public lands in the West, stake mining claims, and if any gold or silver were found, mine it for free or to purchase those claim mine lands for as little as $2.50 an acre.

Let me speak for a moment on the process leading up to our consideration of this matter; a fair process, I might add. The genesis of H.R. 2262 dates back to 1879, 7 years after the enactment of the mining law of 1872. At that time, Congress created the first major public land commission to investigate land policy in the West. One of its major recommendations included a thorough rewrite of the 1872 law, which, even then, was believed by many to undermine efficient mineral development.

Several decades later, in 1908, President Roosevelt created the National Conservation Commission to study Federal land policy in the West, and it, too, made a number of recommendations for reforming the mining law.

Again, in 1921, a committee appointed by the Director of the Bureau of Mines recommended a series of reforms developed in concert with mining industry representatives interested in improving the mechanics of the law. Following this effort, the next call for reform came at the onset of World War II, when then Secretary of the Interior, Harold Ickes, endorsed a leasing system for hardrock mining.

In 1949, the Hoover Commission recommended a series of changes to the mining law. This effort was succeeded by the President's Materials Policy Commission in 1952, which also recommended revisions, including placing hardrock minerals under a leasing system.

Once again, the criticism centered on inefficiencies in mineral development caused by the law. Beginning in 1964 and 1977, Congress went through another period of debate on the mining law reform until 1977, when efforts collapsed.

In 1985, this gentleman from West Virginia became Chair of the Subcommittee on Mining and Natural Resources, and delved into the matter. I conducted a large number of hearings, including in four western States. It was not until 1992 that I brought a bill to the House floor for consideration.

Following that effort, on November 18, 1993, the House passed my bill by a vote of 316-108. Unfortunately, during that 103rd Congress, a House-Senate conference committee on mining law reform was unable to reach a final agreement.

We were then shut out, locked down on the consideration of any meaningful mining law reform during the 12 years of a Republican majority in this body. This Congress, the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa) became the chairman of the subcommittee that I once chaired and took up the reform banner. He held a number of hearings, took testimony from 33 witnesses, and subsequently, the Committee on Natural Resources marked up H.R. 2262.

Subsequently the Committee on Natural Resources marked up H.R. 2262 over one 2-day period and considered countless Republican amendments. Nobody was denied their ability to offer amendments. I repeat: nobody was denied their ability to offer amendments.

The legislation considered at the time was offered to Members and their staffs well ahead of time for ample dissection. I will stack this record up to anyone's with respect to the consideration of the bill by this body. Again, I defend our process as fair, as accountable and as transparent as a process can be in the House of Representatives, just as this legislation is worked and drafted in the same manner.

I urge adoption of this rule and the underlying bill.