Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great American who was a good friend of mine and a good friend of north Alabama--Lieutenant General Larry Dodgen. General Dodgen passed away this past Saturday leaving a void in our Huntsville community. He was a battle tested soldier, having led his battalion into war in 1993 during Operation Desert Storm. Later in his career, he became commander of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM) at Redstone Arsenal. He assumed this command on September 10, 2001, and led during a trying and transformative time in our nation's history. Following that duty, in 2003, he was tapped to command the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command headquartered at Redstone (SMDC/ ARSTRAT). He was fully invested not only in the Arsenal, but also in the Huntsville community. He was a leader in the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process on Team Redstone. Following his retirement from his distinguished career in the United States Army, he remained in the community and became the corporate lead executive of Northrop Grumman's Huntsville operations. Men such as General Dodgen are rare; he was a true servant who was fully involved both in his profession and his community. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Leslie, and his many friends and family who are mourning at this time. Next month I will join with many others to honor him as he is laid to rest among his fellow heroes at Arlington National Cemetery. We will all truly miss this great man, and are better for having had the opportunity to know him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of NASA and the Constellation Program. I am disappointed that the administration seeks to discontinue manned space exploration. Last week, an administration official was quoted in The Orlando Sentinel as saying it was not necessary for us to return to the moon. Language like this is a slap in the face. It's disrespectful for the lives lost, the thousands of hours of research and development that have gone into manned space flight. As we are being challenged internationally by China, Russia and others, this administration is not accepting the challenge as President Kennedy did in the 1960s. This administration is asking us to walk away from this challenge, and we will not do so.

We, the scientists, the American public, deserve to be number one in space exploration. The things that NASA has done for medicine, for regular space flight, for regular airlines, the safety, all that's concerned in our society, has been touched by NASA. The very idea that this administration is lowering the expectations of America as far as manned space flight is concerned is a disgrace and we, in Congress, will reject it.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 17, 18, and 19 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 22 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Thank you very much for this opportunity. This is a very, very important day for us, and certainly it will be an even more important day for us tomorrow.

As a lawmaker and a physician for over 40 years, I recognize the importance of continuing to protect the sanctity of life. The 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade tomorrow reminds us all that life is precious and should not be taken for granted. Fortunately, we can be thankful that a majority of the Congress can see that taxpayer-funded abortions is morally abhorrent to most Americans.

So with the current health care legislation before us, I commend my colleagues for supporting the Stupak amendment, which passed the House with an overwhelming majority of 240-196, with one voting present. I fully support protecting the unborn in any and all future bills. The Stupak amendment is clearly a high-water mark for opposition to government funding of abortion and a critical firewall to keep abortion from being mainstreamed as a routine medical procedure.

As the 111th Congress presses forward on the eve of the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I would like to remind Members on both sides of the aisle of the importance of continuing to protect the sanctity of life in all policy.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding career of Jerry Hayes of Huntsville, Alabama.

In the Tennessee Valley, Jerry's decades of responsible journalism have earned him the respect and trust of hundreds of thousands of people. His 30 years at WHNT News 19 in north Alabama have brought inspiration and guidance to an untold number of aspiring journalists looking to begin their careers.

When he is not in the studio or at the scene of a story, Jerry is bettering the community around him. His work for Tennessee Valley children is near to my heart, and north Alabama parents owe him a debt of gratitude that is almost impossible to repay.

Each year, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences recognizes individuals who have made a meaningful contribution to broadcasting by inducting them into the Silver Circle. Jerry epitomizes the type of excellence that the academy looks for, and I congratulate him on this achievement.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Mr. Jerry Hayes for his 30 years of service to north Alabama. Our community would not be the same without his dedication to the families of the Tennessee Valley.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask Congress and the administration to permanently eliminate a punitive tax that has plagued family farms and businesses for over 100 years. The estate tax only serves as a double taxation to those who have worked tirelessly to build their estates for themselves and their family. These entrepreneurs are not only working for themselves; they are working for their children and their grandchildren, and future generations of Americans.

Building a small business from the ground up is the very fabric of the

American dream, and the estate tax tears that fabric apart. This punitive tax inflicts great harm on the hardworking families of America. The estate tax costs small business owners thousands of hours in manpower and millions of dollars in legal counsel. It is time to eliminate the estate tax.

Madam Speaker, I urge Congress to prioritize the quick and permanent abolition of the Federal estate tax in order to accelerate our economic recovery and foster a greater environment for business and rural development.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize yet another achievement by north Alabama's Marshall Space Flight Center. Last week, Time magazine named NASA's Ares rocket as the best invention of 2009. We have seen time and again that tireless work and flawless execution breeds brilliant results, and that is exactly what we have seen out of the short history of Ares.

A few weeks after an impressive and successful test-flight, Ares received this review from Time magazine, calling the project ``the best and smartest thing built in 2009.'' The review of Ares said that the finest moments from our space program come when bureaucrats give the designers a clean sheet of drafting paper and let them dream. Our brilliant men and women in the American space program can do just that if they receive the funding they need to bring manned space flight to the outer reaches of our universe.

This recognition and the recent Ares flight further prove that the Constellation program is exactly what our country needs--a safe, innovative, affordable, sustainable human space flight exploration vehicle.

Madam Speaker, almost one in seven residents in my home State of Alabama is over the age of 65, a sector of the American population that is expected to grow dramatically over the next 2 decades. As our citizens age, many will develop costly and debilitating health conditions that will require additional care and additional expenditures for the Medicare system.

Advanced home health treatments are now targeting some of the most serious illnesses and have been successful in keeping more of the elderly out of the hospitals and reducing the cost to Medicare. There are numerous cases in Alabama where home health care has been instrumental in preventing emergency room visits and hospital readmissions and helping older residents to live more independently at home for as long as possible.

Our goal is to improve the care of Americans and control rising costs, especially in our Medicare population. Home health care is meeting these goals and has the potential to do even more.

Yet there are provisions in the House health reform legislation that would cut $57 billion from the Medicare home health program over the next decade. If these reductions remain in the bill, they will surely have an adverse effect on the access to home care for our senior citizens.

The cuts in home health care services in the bill are significantly disproportionate to other provider sectors. The bill seeks 14 percent of all Medicare cuts from home health care, while home health makes up only 4 percent of the Medicare program currently. This disproportionate impact is further magnified by the fact that, unlike most other health care providers and insurers, expanding health insurance will have no meaningful increase in the home health care business.

Home health patients average nearly 80 years of age and are already insured by Medicare and Medicaid. This means that the Medicare cuts to home health agencies are not offset by new revenues from newly insured patients. Instead, the proposed cuts of over 14 percent of spending on home health services will be as can be.

For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to reject the proposed cuts to home health care and support better care at home for all older Americans.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Dr. Gaines Roland Partridge. Dr. Partridge had a rewarding career in education that spanned over five decades. The scope of his accomplishments and contributions transcended every level of academia in various capacities, as he served our community as a teacher, principal, Dean, Professor, Department Chair and, in retirement, a student liaison.

Dr. Partridge's rich legacy was as impressive as it varied. His relationship with and influence on students continues. Few individuals can measure the impact of their accomplishments in such significant numbers. As a result of his passionate advocacy on behalf of minority applicants to Loma Linda University, nearly 800 African American students have become alumni of the institution during his tenure.

Affectionately referred to as ``Doc,'' Dr. Partridge was steadfast to the cause of self-determination in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. He provided leadership in the fight to determine the pace, direction, and outcome of their efforts to establish and implement ministry priorities.

Madam Speaker, I wish to recognize Dr. Gaines Partridge on a phenomenal life as educator. His legacy will continue to empower students for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of former Congressman and the 21st Secretary of the Army John McHugh.

In more than 8 terms in Congress, Secretary McHugh has served as a steadfast and reliable advocate for our men and women in uniform. His drive and determination for our soldiers have played a major role in the way we repay our troops.

Throughout his career, Secretary McHugh has always sought new ways to serve his country, and America is better for it. Over the last eight years, he has made fourteen official visits to Iraq, Afghanistan, and multiple other deployed locations to visit United States forces.

In his own words, Secretary McHugh has inspired many. Earlier this year, he summed up perfectly what it means to be an American--in uniform or civilian--when he asked, ``What else can I do to serve?''

The United States Army has been placed in the capable hands of Secretary John McHugh, and I wish him the best of luck in his new position.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a friend, Mr. Bobby Hayden, a scholar, a soldier, a community advocate and a family man.

Bobby Hayden, who resides in my district, was one of the first African Americans on a Presidential Honor Guard. He took the first watch over President Kennedy's body. He became active in our community and has added a great deal to his alma mater, Alabama A&M.

As a middle and high school teacher, Bobby has spent decades of his life shaping the lives of north Alabama's youth. He has been at the forefront of many activities, specifically working to preserve historical landmarks in the Tennessee Valley.

Mr. Hayden is a dedicated Alabama A&M alumnus, a Bulldog, and has held several positions in the college alumni association. He was inducted into the Alabama A&M Sports Hall of Fame and currently serves as the secretary for the Hall of Fame Association.

It is a privilege for me to mention his name on the floor, as he has gone somewhat unrecognized as one of the first African Americans on President Kennedy's Honor Guard, standing with the family through the ordeal.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Amelia Platts Boynton. Mrs. Boynton is member of the civil rights group that formulated strategies for nonviolent social resistance in Alabama and is most widely known as an activist and organizer for the march over the Edmond Pettus Bridge in Selma, AL.

Mrs. Boynton was a proud supporter of Dr. Martin Luther King and used her home in Selma as a center for Selma's civil rights battles, which was used by King and his lieutenants, Congressmen and attorneys from around the nation, to plan the demonstrations known as the ``Selma to Montgomery Marches''.

On March 7, 1965, during a march which later became known as Bloody Sunday, Boynton was viciously attacked. Following that event, her character and courage helped lead to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Mrs. Boynton is Vice Chairwoman of the International Schiller Institute. She is a 98-year-old author, playwright, speaker and organizer, speaking out publicly for justice, and inspiring people of all ages, nations, and backgrounds.

Madam Speaker, I wish to congratulate Amelia Boynton on a remarkable career and a heroic life and wish her the best as she continues to be an influential civil rights pioneer.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career of Dr. Tom Richardson. Dr. Richardson is the Chief Scientist and Technical Director at the Missile and Space Intelligence Center in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

Tom began his career at MSIC in 1974 working primarily in the areas of sensor data analysis, weapon systems stimulations, and analysis methodologies. Over his tenure, he has held supervisory duties for several organizations involved with analyses of air defense, and theater and strategies ballistic missile defense systems.

Dr. Richardson has received the DIA Director's Award for Exceptional Civilian Service and the National Military Intelligence Association John T. Hughes Award. His leadership and service to the Defense Intelligence Agency has been exceptional and he has represented North Alabama well.

Madam Speaker, I wish to congratulate Dr. Tom Richardson on a phenomenal career and wish him continued success.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the American people about the current situation in the Middle East. On September 28, Iran launched and tested a Shahab-3 missile which has a range of 1,200 kilometers and puts American soldiers and our allies in the Middle East in danger. These tests must be met with stern opposition.

Having recently returned from Israel and Egypt, I had the opportunity to meet with officials and members of the

defense community who are directly involved in their missile defense decisions. I was able to see firsthand the stability and security that American missile systems provide for our allies. Recently, the administration announced a change of plans, eliminating missile silos in Poland and radar in the Czech Republic, which raised concerns both in our missile defense community and among our international allies. Clearly this logic must be questioned as a successful launch of the long-range Shahab-3 missile shows that we must protect our allies in the region and, most importantly, the eastern United States.

These Iranian tests demonstrate a need for ground-based interceptors, if not on Poland, then on the eastern coast of the United States. American safety and security is essential to our soldiers abroad and citizens at home. Because national defense is a nonpartisan issue, we in Congress will work together to make sure our decisions are well thought out and executed.