Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, thank you for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I am really pleased to rise today for this whole package but in particular H.R. 2807, which permanently extends conservation easement tax incentives. This worthy provision incentivizes property donations to groups who maintain the property for conservation purposes, encouraging good stewardship of our environment.

Mr. Speaker, the area in Illinois that you and I represent, suburban Chicago and areas outlying, are incredibly significant. There are beautiful places in the five counties that I represent and the many counties that you represent, Mr. Speaker, and this is an opportunity for the Tax Code to work in favor of land preservation and open space and to do it in a way that is thoughtful, to do it in a way that is inclusive, and to do it in a way that ultimately saves and preserves these precious natural resources and uses them not just for our generation but for the generations to come.

I want to thank the chairman for his leadership on this issue, and I urge its passage.

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

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

Mr. Chairman, we have had a great deal of discussion today on the floor about the activity of the IRS, and these stories have been known to us. We have had a great deal of testimony--hours and hours and hours of testimony--in the Ways and Means Committee overseen by Chairman Camp.

What we know is this: that the IRS has grossly overstepped its bounds in asking questions of groups filing for tax-exempt status that go so far as to ask about the content of an organization's prayers.

Now, think about this, Mr. Chairman. The First Amendment to the Constitution has as its first freedom our freedom of religion in this country, and what have we seen? We have seen the Internal Revenue Service reach its long arm into different tax-exempt organizations and have made inquiries about what is happening as it relates to prayers.

Here is an example, Mr. Chairman, that I have. This is a document, official document from the Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, et cetera, et cetera, to the Coalition for Life of Iowa. Under Penalties of Perjury, on page 2, Mr. Chairman, of this official document from the Internal Revenue Service, the IRS asked this in writing:

Please explain in detail the activities at these prayer

meetings. Also, provide the percentage of your time with

organizations spent on prayer groups as compared with other

activities of the organization.

Mr. Chairman, are you kidding me?

The Internal Revenue Service is using its power and its influence to try and intimidate organizations, organizations that have as their base the faith that they freely wish to extend and they wish to communicate. Some lists were lists of questions that the IRS was so onerous that they asked for list after list after list.

Here is another one. They went after a group and they said, well, tell us all about whether each person, board member, officer, key employee, or member of their family, has, was, or plans to be a candidate for public office.

Now, of all the ridiculous inquiries. Do you know what that tells me? It tells me, Mr. Chairman, the enforcement division of the IRS has too much money, that is what it tells me.

What I am trying to do with this amendment is to follow up on action that the House has already taken, and a House that took this action unanimously not long ago in February by passing a bill that I introduced, Protecting Taxpayers from Intrusive IRS Requests Act, that is now pending in the other body.

I am very simply trying to get the attention of the Internal Revenue Service, the attention of the employees, the attention of the Commissioner that is all to say that you don't have this kind of authority; and if you have got this kind of money to spend messing around with American groups and so forth, and as the Internal Revenue Service is now declaring itself to be the entity that decides who gets to participate in the public square and who doesn't get to participate in the public square, then they clearly have too much money.

Very simply, Mr. Chairman, here is what I am trying to do. I am trying to take money out of that enforcement fund, which excludes the exempt services, which has been up to their eyeballs in this whole mess, and direct it over to an area that can actually defend taxpayers.

I urge its consideration.

I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

Reclaiming my time, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, there is no need to attack the IRS if the IRS doesn't attack the American public. The IRS is the manipulator. The IRS is the entity that used this power of manipulation to ask this question:

Explain in detail the activities at your prayer meetings.

That is nothing that the IRS has anything to do with. That is nothing that they should have anything to do with.

And I am not for a second saying that we need to continue to go after the IRS until the IRS says, Here's all the emails, we've come clean, and so forth, but somehow the IRS being a victim here, I don't know. The IRS is no victim. The people that are being targeted unfairly are the victims. When they sought to assert their First Amendment right, Mr. Chairman, they are the victims.

I am not asking you to accept every amendment. I am just asking you to accept the Roskam amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a member of America's Greatest Generation, Mr. Jack Loane. Jack was a World War II Navy veteran. He passed away this June, and is survived by his children and grandchildren.

Jack was present at the naval base in Pearl Harbor during the attack and later joined the Navy on the western front. Jack's bravery knew no bounds as he was involved in the Naval Armada taking troops to Normandy, France for the D-Day Invasion. He holds the distinction of being one of the few veterans to take part in both the attack on Pearl Harbor and the counter-offensive of D-Day.

Jack will be remembered as a loving husband, father, and grandfather. He was active in the community, and tremendously proud of his service to our country. He was a frequent speaker and attendee at veteran's events, and was even honored this year at a Blackhawk's game for his service and sacrifice in defense of our freedoms.

Mr. Speaker, and my distinguished colleagues of the House, please join me in honoring Mr. Jack Loane, a true American patriot. I know I join his friends, family, and brothers in arms in celebrating his life and service and honoring his legacy as a veteran and an outstanding American.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize St. Charles Episcopal Church's ``Mission in the Mountains'' and to celebrate the service of seven high school participants in this effort. In June, the St. Charles Episcopal team traveled to poverty stricken areas of the Appalachian Mountains where they invested their time and energy rebuilding and repairing homes. This was the 13th year in a row members of the St. Charles community participated in a mission trip to Kentucky.

Liz Ryan, director of youth & children's development at the church, led the mission trip for the 13th time. She described the mission as life changing, saying ``One of the things that we profess to in our religion is that we respect the dignity of every human being, when you go to someplace where the need is so evident, it changes your perspective on the world.'' Ryan believes that no two trips have ever been the same and that the students take home a new perspective on how to positively impact the world.

The students, Shannon Foran, Mandalee Manning, Rachel Peyton, Johanna Matthiesen, Ian Rhead, Avery Manning, and Grace Ditch, were trained in using power tools and equipment and a variety of tasks needed to complete the building and repair projects comprising the mission. They used these skills to repaint walls, ceilings, homes, and build wheelchair ramps and fix leaky roofs.

Mr. Speaker, these hardworking young people could have been spending time at home, with friends, playing video games, or any of the other ways so many choose to spend their days. Instead, they showed leadership, compassion, and commitment to help build a better world. They chose to roll up their sleeves and get to work. They improved the lives of those less fortunate, and they set a terrific example for the rest of us.

Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in celebrating these ``Mission in the Mountain'' participants and their efforts and encouraging them to continue to lead by example.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, we all know that short-term tax policy is bad for business, bad for the economy, and bad for jobs, yet we have heard today from our friends on the other side of the aisle a couple of things.

Number one, some have argued that we are too busy, and there are too many other things to be dealing with

in Congress and so forth, and we ought to be doing other things rather than this. I guess you could make that argument. I don't think it is really persuasive. We can do all of these things, and they are not mutually exclusive.

There is some argument that said that this proposal somehow is a manipulation. That is how the gentleman from Texas described it. I think the manipulation is having something in the Tax Code that we know we need to make permanent and not making it permanent, so let's manipulate the adverse effect out of the Tax Code. That is what we should be doing.

There are some who have said that this is insignificant. I heard that a couple of minutes ago. This is not insignificant. According to the Tax Foundation, they say:

Permanent bonus depreciation would grow the economy by 1

percent.

That is not insignificant.

It would increase capital stock by over 3 percent.

That is not insignificant.

It would increase wages by 1 percent, and it would create

over 200,000 jobs.

That is not insignificant. That is according to the Tax Foundation.

So what is the choice? The choice is to vote ``no'' and walk away from that type of growth, Mr. Speaker. Now, who would do that?

You get these types of numbers, according to the Tax Foundation, by just pushing the green button. You get that type of growth by voting ``yes'' and then by getting out of the way and letting the economy come back.

The gentleman from Ohio is not overcharacterizing this. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Tiberi)--who has great insight, by the way--is not somebody who is saying this is the panacea, and it all goes away. That was the hype we heard during the stimulus debate.

Do you remember that, Mr. Speaker? It was the characterization of, if you just spend $1 trillion, it is all going to be roses after that. There is hardly anybody who uses the word ``stimulus'' anymore on the other side of the aisle with a straight arrow. It has been completely eviscerated from the talking points of the White House.

The point is we can do something significant today--not monumental, not colossal--but to characterize the type of growth that the Tax Foundation has said this will yield to as ``insignificant'' is either not a clear view of economic reality or it is just too dismissive and too much a view that we can just be saviors in this situation.

We can do some good things today, and we can support the gentleman from Ohio. We can make permanent this proposal, and we can move this economy forward.

I urge an ``aye'' vote.

Will the gentleman yield?

You make a fair point, and that is that permanency is something that we need to strive for. You and I would be on common ground with the idea of permanently fixing this provision.

Will the gentleman yield 20 seconds?

I take your point that permanency is a good thing.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to address two of the criticisms that I heard from my colleague.

The gentleman from Michigan makes a fair point about permanency. Look, permanency is a great goal. Permanency in tax reform is an outstanding goal. In this current environment it becomes clear that the President of the United States has made raising marginal rates a precondition for tax reform. We are of the view that that doesn't help grow the economy. The President clings to his orthodoxy that it does, and so it is not likely that this is going to be--a massive tax reform effort is going to be completed.

So then the alternative is, all right, well, so what do you do in the meantime? I think in the meantime what we do is we make this provision permanent. It keeps open the opportunity for us to revisit tax reform in the future. But we ought not to be leaving the types of numbers that I mentioned a minute ago.

Just to refresh your recollection, Mr. Speaker, those numbers were, by voting ``yes'' on this, according to the Tax Foundation, it grows the economy by 1 percent, increases capital stock by over 3, increases wages by 1 percent, and creates over 200,000 jobs.

Now, the gentleman from Wisconsin made an interesting point. There were several assertions, but one of them I found to be very, very broad. He says, substantively, this doesn't make any sense. Those were his words. Those aren't my words. Those were his words.

Now, think about that assertion, Mr. Speaker, in the context of dozens and dozens and dozens of business groups who say this does make sense, including, from his home State, the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce; the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association; American Farm Bureau; the Associated Equipment Dealers; Illinois Manufactures', from my home State; and, Mr. Speaker, from the great State of Kansas, which is near and dear to you, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, all of which say that this makes sense.

This is not dubious, as the gentleman from Wisconsin said, that-- what?--dozens of economists from all over the world have said, oh, this is a nefarious plot and it is completely not going to do anything. That is ridiculous. This is good.

The gentleman from Ohio has been working on this for months and months and months. And while it is not about him, he brings great insight to this debate. There is an opportunity, by voting ``yes,'' according to the Tax Foundation, to grow this economy. We should vote ``aye.''

I thank the chairman for yielding.

Madam Chair, I am happy to see $20 million included in this appropriations bill for the reimbursement of uranium and thorium cleanup.

I also want to highlight the language in the bill that directs the Department of Energy to provide sufficient resources in future budgets to eliminate the reimbursement backlog, which stands at $54 million, and return to a more normal reimbursement schedule to ensure that a backlog doesn't occur again.

The current backlog of $54 million grows year by year, with sites in Illinois, Colorado, Wyoming, Washington, South Dakota, and New Mexico.

The way this works out in my constituency is that, in the community of West Chicago, Illinois, it had an adverse situation years and years ago with thorium that was spread throughout the community. They have done a tremendous job in the cleanup, but the cleanup needs to continue.

I commend the chairman for his commitment, and I look forward to being part of this solution for the full remediation of this issue in West Chicago, Illinois, and in other places around the country.

Thank you very much. I want to thank you for yielding and thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

To your point, Alzheimer's is a devastating illness, and it is absolutely ravaging our Nation. Five million Americans are suffering from it, and the cost of Alzheimer's is in the billions and billions and billions of dollars. In fact, there are some estimates that suggest it will be in the trillions of dollars between 2010 and 2050.

There is some good news and there is some hopeful news that we are on the verge of some new treatments, but we need effective coordination to ensure that the money is spent on research that is being utilized effectively. The devastating cost of this disease is proof in the numbers.

Nearly 1 in 5 Medicare dollars is spent on a person with Alzheimer's and other dementias. This year, the total cost of Alzheimer's will be $214 billion, including $150 billion on Medicare and Medicaid expenditures, and this will skyrocket in the years ahead.

This is not just a dollars-and-cents issue. Yes, it is very important, and, yes, we discuss dollars and cents in this Chamber and we all bring strong feelings and strong opinions, but setting aside, for a moment, the dollars-and-cents issue, this is inextricably linked to the health of our families, to the health of our communities, and the burden that goes not just on the person who is struck with Alzheimer's, but the burden on the caregiver and the family that has to come along. It is an overwhelming thing. Frankly, it is too overwhelming to bear alone.

So we all have stories of either family members or people that we are close to or people that we knew. I think fondly of a schoolteacher and a Sunday school teacher of mine growing up who was struck down by this disease. To watch her just atrophy over the years was an incredible heartache, and to watch her family come around and love her and care for her and do everything they could to lift that burden and to bear that burden alongside from her.

Now we have an opportunity. We have an opportunity in this Chamber to do something that is transformational, that brings us all together, that brings a sense of hope and optimism and possibility about trying to wrestle this disease to the ground. What an incredible time to see the science come together in ways that transcend normal partisan politics, and we can put those things aside and really cling to this notion of giving hope to people.

I want to thank the gentleman for his leadership. I want to thank him for his attention in driving this issue and to bringing all of us together around it. I definitely, on behalf of myself and my constituents in Illinois' Sixth Congressional District, want to be part of the solution moving forward.

I am a cosponsor of both of those pieces of legislation, one authored by a Republican, one authored by a Democrat.

I think the point is there has got to be a sense of clarity. We have limited resources here. There is an incredible upside in the outyears in particular if we wrestle this disease to the ground and that notion of a holistic approach, because that is really what you are talking about. You are talking about not taking a rifle shot, not saying, well, let's do this, that, or the other thing, but, instead, take a step back, look at it in its entirety; let's use the full weight and influence of research dollars and health care dollars on the Federal side and leverage this to the best of our ability.

If you begin to think that way about some of these problems and we begin to think about, well, what is it that brings us together, there is real optimism here. Unfortunately, people look at Congress and say why can't you people get along and so forth, yet they don't see maybe some of this type of work where we are able to come together and we are able to represent constituents who are struggling mightily under this.

I think both of those bills that you referenced, I am honored to cosponsor them and to support the Members that are playing a leadership role. One of the things that you and I can do as Members of Congress is to bring attention to things and to talk to our colleagues and to lead our districts and to persuade people and try and bring people together.

Can you imagine what it would be like if, instead of waiting for this disease to wake up with a slow awakening or a realization that either you have been struck with Alzheimer's yourself or you are observing this in a loved one, if, instead, there is a day that would come in the future where there was a cure for this and you are able to anticipate it and say: Look, you don't have to walk this journey. You don't have to walk that difficulty and that turmoil and bear that burden. There is something that, based on the work that people did in 2014 and the predecessor years and all the incredible progress that has been made, that there is some day in the future. That was sort of pie-in-the-sky talk a few years ago. That is not pie in the sky anymore. That is a possibility.

If we are advancing this legislation that you referenced earlier, the legislation on a global basis that brings in worldwide partners that Congressman Smith is advocating, the cumulative effect of all of those things can lead to, really, a transformational moment.

I want to compliment you and say thank you to the gentleman from California for your leadership on this issue, your leadership on the Alzheimer's Task Force, and your bringing people together on both sides of the aisle and trying to leverage resources, be wise in how we do this, but recognizing the responsibility that you and I and our colleagues have--and that responsibility is to do everything that we can to try and alleviate this burden and ultimately drive towards a cure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a distinguished member of the law enforcement community from the Sixth Congressional District of Illinois, Chief of Police Michael Alsup at William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, Illinois.

Chief Alsup has faithfully served the public for over 42 years. Currently, he works as Chief of Police at Harper College, where he has spent the past 14 years ensuring the safety and improving the lives of students, teachers, administrators, and parents alike. While Chief Alsup is set to retire at the end of the month, his legacy of service will live on at Harper's thriving campus.

Mr. Alsup's tenure began as a Deputy Sheriff and Detective for Kendall County in 1972. He has since then served as the Chief of Police of the Sandwich Police Department and as Lieutenant at the College of Dupage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. After leaving the College of Dupage, he began working for Harper College, where he serves as both the Chief of Police and a member of the College's Adjunct Faculty in the Criminal Justice Program in addition to serving as the College's Emergency Management Coordinator.

Chief Alsup can proudly conclude a distinguished career having made an impact on the lives of thousands of students. I know I join his family, colleagues, students and friends in wishing him much success in this next chapter.

Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in commemorating Chief Alsup and his many years of service.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

One in 68 is diagnosed with autism, Mr. Speaker, and we have an opportunity to come alongside those families that are dealing with this diagnosis by supporting the Autism CARES Act. It is a holistic approach, one that takes on research, education, early detection, and intervention for those all across the autism spectrum.

There are so many times that we can get into dollars and cents and chapter and verse and future savings in all of these things, but think about it. Beyond all of that is something that is much more important, and it is this: we can be a part of helping children reach their potential as adults. It is the desire of every parent to see their child reach full potential. So we can do that by coming together with this legislation. Think about the joy that is involved in that.

I am pleased to associate myself with the work of Congressman Smith in this effort and to be a cosponsor of the Autism CARES Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a dedicated public servant from the Sixth Congressional District of Illinois, Mayor A. George Pradel of Naperville. Mayor Pradel was recently presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber presents this award annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to the Naperville community through their business, service, and philanthropy.

As a resident of the city of Naperville since 1939, Mayor Pradel has a long legacy of service to the city and our country. He enlisted in the Marines in 1956 and served until 1959, at which point he joined the Naperville police force until 1995. Shortly after retiring from the Police Department, Mr. Pradel was elected mayor and has since become the longest serving mayor in Naperville history.

During his tenure as mayor, Mr. Pradel has been an exemplary leader and public servant. Nicki Anderson, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce said it best when she reflected, in presenting him with the Lifetime Achievement Award, ``Mayor Pradel's love and energy for our community has never been in short supply. His vision and passion has changed our community for the better and his legacy of service before self could be our city motto. We can never fully honor all of his contributions to our community and Chamber, but we will celebrate, toast and recognize him at this community event.''

Mayor Pradel has represented his community well and though his term ends in 2015, he will undoubtedly play an important role in a number of development and community projects which will continue to shape Naperville for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker and Distinguished Colleagues, please join me in congratulating Mayor Pradel for receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring his many years of selfless service, and in wishing him all the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Michael Severino, M.D., an outstanding physician from Illinois. Recently, AbbVie, a cutting-edge pharmaceutical company with a large Illinois presence, named Dr. Severino Executive Vice President of Research and Development (R&D) and Chief Scientific Officer. AbbVie's selection of Dr. Severino to lead corporate innovation and product development reflects a company-wide commitment to developing new therapies and continuing to push the bio-tech industry to new frontiers.

Dr. Severino's responsibilities will include leading AbbVie's R&D, Medical Affairs and Regulatory Affairs organizations, bringing his years of experience to bear on guiding the company's 7,000 worldwide employees engaged in scientific discovery. Collectively, they will be working to develop a steady stream of new medicines for patients.

Dr. Severino has most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at AbbVie. He is a leader in clinical development strategy across therapeutic areas including immunology, neuroscience, oncology and cardiovascular disease. Over ten years at AbbVie, Dr. Severino has consistently taken on positions of increasing responsibility, particularly in the area of R&D.

AbbVie's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Michael Gonzalez, praised Dr. Severino stating, ``We are fortunate to have a leader of his caliber to steer our efforts to develop treatments for today's toughest health challenges. He will be instrumental in moving our pipeline and strategy forward.''

Mr. Speaker, and my distinguished colleagues in the House, please join me in congratulating Dr. Severino on his new position and wishing him many future successes as he works to understand and treat a wide array of ailments to help others live happier, healthier lives.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman and the ranking member.

It is not often that we get to see a major social movement bringing us, both sides of the aisle, together, but that is absolutely happening right now. There is a buoyancy to that, and there is a joy in that. The joy is not about us, but it is recognizing that we as Members of Congress and the communities that we represent can do an amazing amount of good right now. The amazing amount of good is reflected in what is happening all across the country.

In my constituency in the western suburbs of Chicago, there is an organization called the West Chicagoland Anti-Trafficking Coalition. These are people who have come together, focused in on this issue, trying to bring attention to what is actually happening.

We have heard speaker after speaker regale against the trafficking itself, but there is a brightness to us coming together. There is something very good that is happening in my home State in Illinois.

Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez is a national leader in her office, along with a member of her staff, Jack Blakey, who is the chief of special prosecutions, who have come together to come up with something that is known as the Chicago model.

What is the Chicago model? What they are doing is they are coming in and they are saying that there has to be close coordination between victim services, law enforcement, and prosecutors to the point where victim service advocates are accompanying along on raids, coming alongside to make sure that these young people are rescued. The approach also uses evidentiary and prosecutorial methods that help minimize a victim's exposure in the courtroom itself to minimize her contact with her trafficker.

Did you hear that? There is something incredible that is happening in Chicago that is leading the way, and it is protecting people and minimizing the exposure that victims have to traffickers. In other words, building up a legal case that doesn't have the victim as the focal point in terms of testimony, but creating these types of evidentiary approaches.

We can do something significant. There is something significant that is happening today, and we are all reflecting the mood and the desire on the part of our constituents to be forthright and aggressive in taking on this scandal.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Heather Blaney, a sophomore at Westmont High School in my district. Heather is organizing a human trafficking panel at her school on May 14, 2014.

Human trafficking, also called modern-day slavery, is a major worldwide problem that the Polaris Projects, a leading anti-trafficking group, defines as ``people [profiting] from the control and exploitation of others.'' It takes many forms, including forced sexual exploitation and forced labor. The hidden nature of the crime makes it difficult to get an accurate sense of its scope, but according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, there are more than 20 million victims worldwide in this $32 billion-a-year industry.

Heather is completing an assignment in her ``Changemakers'' class, where she researched the issue and talked with local law enforcement and health workers. The forum she organized will feature numerous speakers, including the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Salvation Army, and other local groups who are active in the fight against human trafficking.

The Chicagoland area's position as a popular tourist and convention destination with one of the busiest international airports in the world unfortunately makes it a hub for human trafficking as well. Heather's forum will go a long way toward bringing much-needed awareness to the community about the evils of human trafficking.

Mr. Speaker, and my distinguished colleagues of the House, please join me in thanking Heather Blaney for taking the initiative to make her community better and help those in need and congratulating her for her hard work in organizing this important human trafficking forum at her high school.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the passing of a great Illinois businessman and philanthropist, Michael Heisley, Sr. who passed last Saturday at the age of 77. He was a classic American success story. In 1979, he mortgaged his house and took out a loan to buy a bankrupt industrial equipment company which he then turned around to become profitable. He purchased other Rust Belt manufacturing companies, including some in the 6th District of Illinois, and in the process turned his Heico Companies into one of the largest private companies in the Chicagoland area. He did not buy businesses to flip them, but to fix them and make them thriving enterprises once again.

Mr. Heisley not only kept manufacturing jobs in the United States, he also brought jobs back to the United States. He was able to move the NBA's Vancouver Grizzlies to Memphis, Tennessee. Like the companies he fixed, he left the Grizzlies in far better shape than he found them. Mr. Heisley was a philanthropist who donated to numerous charities including: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, St. Patrick's Catholic School in St. Charles, his alma mater Georgetown University, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, in honor of his brother Joseph who served and his best friend Rocky who died in Vietnam.

Mr. Heisley never lost track of his ties to St. Charles, IL his home of 35 years. He served on the St. Charles School Board and was a longtime parishioner at St. Patrick's in St. Charles. He is survived by his wife of more than fifty years Agnes, five children and 12 grandchildren. Mr. Speaker and my distinguished colleagues in the House, please join me in honoring Michael Heisley, his family, and his legacy of service and achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sue Magner, an outstanding volunteer of AARP from Illinois. Recently, Sue was named the first ever winner of the AARP Director's Award for Distinguished Service. This award is given to an outstanding volunteer who consistently exceeds what is asked of them and provides exceptional service to the community.

Sue Magner preforms many different activities as an AARP driver safety volunteer. She is an instructor, trainer, and VMIS data manager.

During her time at AARP, Sue has jumped at the challenge of familiarizing new volunteers with computer systems knowledge and computer-based technology and is always looking for new methods on how best to teach incoming volunteers and optimize their experience.

Sue's colleagues report that she is eager to answer any coworker's questions and does everything she is asked with a smile. Her kindness and ability to her help others is truly commendable. Through hard work and tireless dedication, Sue Magner has helped make a difference in countless lives.

Mr. Speaker, and my distinguished colleagues of the House, please join me in congratulating Sue Magner on receiving this distinct honor and wishing her many future successes as she continues her work with