Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, let me just say first off I think we all owe a great debt of

gratitude to the chairman of the subcommittee and also the ranking member.

The chairman of the subcommittee has approached the extended unemployment benefit issue with the sense of urgency that it deserves, and it has been a privilege for me to serve as a cosponsor of the initial legislation that was reported out of our committee.

Today, I think it is very important that we act, because in my neighborhood on the west side of Erie, Pennsylvania, people have been increasingly uncomfortable about the growing financial challenges facing our country. But for them, their highest concern and their most immediate concern is their job. And with rising unemployment rates and big challenges in the economy, it is important that we act today to give everyone on unemployment extra weeks of benefits in order to develop a sound footing, to be in a position to have extra time with extra weekly paychecks in order to meet their needs, in order to cover their mortgage, in order to put money back into the community. This will have a positive multiplier effect in many communities in this country and in neighborhoods like mine on the west side of Erie, Pennsylvania.

I think it is important, having acted today to stabilize Wall Street, that we reach out to Main Street and beyond to West 6th Street in Erie, where people are facing real concerns about their employment prospects, where people need to know that the safety net is going to be there if they are laid off.

This is a bipartisan issue, one that should rise above partisan politics, one that I think should speak to the philosophy of virtually everyone in this chamber. I urge the passage of this legislation. I urge that we act now to get it done and we reassure the working families of America that this safety net is going to be there for them.

Mr. Speaker, it's a rare privilege for me to rise here tonight.

As the senior Republican in the Pennsylvania delegation, I have certain opportunities and certain obligations. The one that I'm exercising this evening is one that I am particularly pleased to do, not without a certain reluctance, because I'm rising to honor a colleague of ours who is retiring and who has done a great deal for the State of Pennsylvania.

I have known Representative John Peterson, really, since 1981. John Peterson came to this body in 1996, and he has served with distinction for the last 12 years, but when I first knew John Peterson, he was then a member of the State House. He had been elected in 1977. He was recruited by local Republicans as the obvious choice when that vacancy occurred, and I first knew him as one of the most energetic members of the State House within the district of my boss and mentor who was then serving in the State Senate.

When Senator Kusse retired in 1984, again, John Peterson was the obvious person to succeed him into the State Senate. There, John Peterson became known as one of the authorities on rural health care and as one of the strongest advocates for transportation improvements in western Pennsylvania.

So it was an obvious thing in 1996 when Congressman Bill Clinger decided to retire that John Peterson was an obvious but not an uncontested candidate for that seat. After a vigorous primary, which included some fairly famous names, John Peterson won the Republican primary, and went on to win a convincing election in the fall.

My colleague John Peterson has made a great mark on this institution in 12 years.

When he came to the House, he, rather rapidly, established himself as an advocate for rural issues, not only in western Pennsylvania but all over the country, and he has always been a prominent member of the Rural Caucus. Surprisingly, for a member of a delegation from one of the States, from a Commonwealth that was one of the original 13 colonies, he has also been a leading member of the Western Caucus because of the infinity of the issues within his district with western concerns.

Perhaps one of the great distinctions about John Peterson is his representing one of the largest districts, if not the largest district, east of the Mississippi. He has brought an extraordinary energy to the job of representing a district that runs from the Titusville area, in my neighborhood, all the way down to some of the farthest bedroom communities within our State capital area.

John Peterson, after a term in the House, naturally gravitated to a higher assignment, and he was selected by our party to be a member of the Appropriations Committee.

I have to tell you he has served there with extraordinary distinction. Early on, he has become an advocate and an expert in rural health care, and he has played a particularly critical role in increasing Medicare reimbursements for many rural health care providers.

As the individual who has represented the area that covers the Allegheny National Forest, one of the gems of our national forest system, he has become a strong advocate consistently for that area and for its potential to be an economic driver as well as a source of natural beauty in the region. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, he has been a strong and consistent advocate of resources for the Allegheny National Forest and for recreation in the region.

He has also been recognized as one of the strongest advocates of rural economic development, particularly in western Pennsylvania but particularly with a focus on job training. He has played consistently a critical and active role in encouraging local economic development organizations to develop a regional outlook and to become effective advocates across county lines.

He has been a strong advocate in this Chamber of a pro-growth energy policy, and it was John Peterson who before most other Members of this body had focused on the issue, and he became a strong and consistent advocate of opening up new opportunities for drilling within the United States to reduce our energy dependence.

It was John Peterson who repeatedly brought up within the Appropriations Committee, in the face of opposition from some Democrats and also from some Republicans, legislation to open up the Outer Continental Shelf for drilling, initially for natural gas but also for petroleum.

John Peterson, before most people in this Chamber saw the critical importance of this issue as a way of driving down prices in the United States, became a strong advocate of addressing this issue head-on in lifting the ban that had been created by both Congress and the executive branch on drilling.

And I think it is a great tribute to him and, as he retires, must be a great source of satisfaction to see that this Congress has not continued that ban. This, I realize, is a controversial issue, but the beauty of my colleague is he's been able to engage people on both sides of the aisle on this issue and in a way that has even reached out to many people who he has initially disagreed with.

I, myself, have never seen my colleague more engaged than on the issue of tolling Interstate 80. I partnered with John Peterson just last year when this issue came up in this body in the wake of a decision by leaders in Harrisburg in our State capital and by the Turnpike Commission to attempt to toll the length of Interstate 80 utilizing a pilot project provision embedded in our Federal law. I had the privilege of seeing firsthand John Peterson's advocacy and his energy as he aggressively engaged both State officials and, ultimately, our U.S. Department of Transportation.

I must say the fact that we have recently received a decision from the U.S. Department of Transportation that effectively bars the tolling of Interstate 80 is a great tribute to his advocacy and also his ability to work with people like me and others to make the case.

John Peterson has decided this year to retire. I think that is a tribute to the love he bears for his family above everything else. But he leaves behind him a truly remarkable record as a public servant, as someone who's made his mark first in the State legislation, now in this body, someone who has always retained the vision and the inventiveness that comes from having been a small business man.

It's been a great privilege to serve with John Peterson, and my distinguished colleague from Pennsylvania will very much be missed. Certainly if there were ever a solution to the energy crisis, it would be to tap into his

energy and try to channel it into others in this body.

I know we have a couple of other members of our delegation present here, and I'm particularly interested to yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania, such time as he may consume, the gentleman originally from western Pennsylvania but now from southeastern Pennsylvania and a great advocate for the State, my friend, Mr. Gerlach.

I would now like to yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Altmire) such time as he may consume. We're grateful for his presence here on the floor as well as his leadership.

Reclaiming my time.

I would like to yield to the gentleman from Lehigh Valley, the distinguished Member, Mr. Dent, such time as he may consume.

I want to thank the gentleman for his generous comments that certainly capture the spirit of our colleague, and I would like to finally yield to one other Member of our delegation, a gentleman whose name is synonymous with transportation in Pennsylvania and who has done an extraordinary job as an advocate for rural Pennsylvania and whose district has bordered that of our colleague. I'd like to yield to the gentleman from Altoona, Mr. Shuster.

Mr. Speaker, I think the remarks we've heard from the various Members of our delegation are a great tribute to the versatility and tenacity of Representative Peterson, and I think give everyone an appreciation, whether they are from his district or have never met him before, of why he's going to be missed and the large hole that he leaves in this institution.

I must tell you, I have some small experience in filling John Peterson's shoes. When we did reapportionment in 2002, I had the opportunity to take over some territory from John Peterson. What I quickly discovered was that in terms of personal representation he had set the bar very, very high. There are few communities in that vast district that he wasn't a regular visitor to, that he wasn't accessible to, that he wasn't familiar with, that he didn't have a personal contact with local leaders in the community. That is going to be a challenge to his successor, and it's going to be a challenge to every Member of our delegation who tries to fill his role in our Pennsylvania leadership.

I want to thank you, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to provide this tribute, and I thank all of the Members of our delegation for participating.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 9 o'clock and 23 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Saturday, September 27, 2008, at 10 a.m.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting

the following information for publication in the Congressional Record regarding earmarks I requested which were included as part of H.R. 2638, a bill making continuing appropriations.

Bear Metallurgical Corporation ($1,600,000, Defense Health Program). The entity to receive funding for this project is the Bear Metallurgical Corporation, located at 679 E. Butler Rd., Butler, PA 16002. Budget: product safety studies, $2.262 million; lung toxicity model development, $250,000; data analysis, $200,000; program expenses, $788,000. The funding would be used to research vanadium safety in military applications.

Software Technology Concepts ($1,000,000, RDT & E, Army). The entity to receive funding for this project is Software Technology Concepts, located at 2214 W. 8th St., Erie, PA 16505. Budget: Initialization and preliminary research/review, $550,000; Integrated Resolutions Development, $500,000; Hardware upgrades, $650,000; Final TACOM Tech Transfer, $750,000; Technology Extensions, $850,000; Administration, $500,000. The funding would be used for an Extended Lifecycle Management Environment project to coordinate product and service specifications for Army processes.

INRange Systems, Incorporated ($1,400,000, RDT & E, Army). The entity to receive funding for this project is INRange Systems, Incorporated, located at 220 Lakemont Park Blvd., Altoona, PA 16602. Budget: research staff, $1.64 million; equipment, $650,000; materials, $4.151 million; report generation $239,000. The funding would be used to continue development of telepharmacy robotic medicine devices.

LORD Corporation ($2,000,000, RDT & E, Air Force). The entity to receive funding for this project is the LORD Corporation, located at 2000 W. Grandview Blvd., Erie, PA 16509. Budget: Personnel, $1,989,741; Materials, $ 366,000; Equipment, $ 273,000; Outside direct costs, $ 537,000. The funding would be used for technology to electronically balance C-130 propeller blades.

eV Products, a division of II-VI, Incorporated ($1,600,000, RDT & E, Defense-wide). The entity to receive funding for this project is eV Products, a division of II-VI, Incorporated, located at 373 Saxonburg Rd., Saxonburg, PA 16056. Budget: DTRA G & A: $0.3 million; Materials & Supplies: $1.4 million; General & Administrative (G & A): $.4 million; Labor: $0.5 million. The funding would be used for development of Next Generation Intelligent Portable Radionuclide Detection systems.

Boeing-SVS, Incorporated ($1,200,000, RDT & E, Navy). The entity to receive funding for this project is Boeing-SVS, Incorporated, located at 183 Northpointe Blvd. Suite 600, Freeport, PA 16229. Budget: $3.6 million for complete phenomenology studies, collecting data over open water; optimize and re-design a brass-board visual interruption system for operation under environment extremes of mission use; update the Laser Threat & Mission Planning System model in concert with the Naval Health Research Center; develop, integrate, and test an environmentally robust prototype. The funding would be used to deign and develop a multi-function laser system.

Madam Speaker, I rise this evening to pay tribute to Vincent Darcangelo, a constituent of mine who was recently elected State Commander of the Pennsylvania branch of the Disabled American Veterans at the organization's 78th annual state convention.

As state commander, Vince will be responsible for the oversight of the organization and its programs and services. The Hermitage resident also has a seat on the Pennsylvania Veterans Commission and on the ``War Council.''

I am proud to call Vince my friend and pleased to be able to congratulate him on his achievement. His fellow veterans could not have chosen a more diligent or effective leader.

Vince Darcangelo served in the Air Force from 1967 to 1971. He suffered a permanent disabling injury in 1968 while serving in South Korea. Serving in the security forces, he was assigned to a three-man vehicle patrol at a base bomb depot. A passenger on a Jeep, Vince was assigned to man an M-60 machine gun. While on patrol immediately after a monsoon, the road became very muddy, and the driver lost control of the Jeep which rolled over an embankment where he was injured.

He joined the Disabled American Veterans organization immediately after being discharged in 1971 and has been an active leader ever since. Vince has been the elected commander of the Mercer County Chapter of the DAV for over 20 years. He has served in numerous chairs at the chapter, district and state level of the DAV and recently retired after serving 25 years as a veterans employment representative at the Mercer County CareerLink.

On a personal level, Vince has been married to the former Donna M. Villard for 37 years. They met while he was assigned to a fighter interceptor squadron in Maine in 1969.

Vincent Darcangelo is a man who has served his nation, his community, his state and his family with equal dedication and effectiveness. His service sets an example for us all.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida, and I particularly want to thank the chairman and my good friend and colleague, Mr. Altmire, for making the timely consideration of this legislation possible on the floor today.

I arise to ask all of my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1594. It does something that I think every veterans' organization in Mercer County has asked us to do, which is to designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic in Hermitage, Pennsylvania, as the Michael A. Marzano Outpatient Clinic.

Marine Sergeant Michael Marzano, as you have heard, was killed on Saturday, the 7th of May, 2005, while on assignment in Iraq. I arise here to ask you to support this legislation with a great deal of emotion because this man was the first soldier from Mercer County to give his life in the global war on terror.

I can't express myself on this as well as his commanding officer expressed it in a letter which I was given and which I would like to read a portion of.

``On 08 May 2005, enemy insurgents fired from positions within the local hospital attacking U.S. Marines in the city of Haditha, al Anbar province, Iraq. Patients and the medical staff were forced to remain in the hospital while enemy forces triggered this attack that included a Suicide Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device. The SVBIED exploded approximately 30 feet from the hospital patient ward, killing four Marines from 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines and igniting a fire within the hospital.

``Lance Corporal Lance Graham watched his platoon from above as he always did above his machine gun. Sergeant Michael Marzano's leadership and humor rubbed off on everyone round him. Sergeant Aaron Cepeda always welcomed new members to his platoon like they were part of his family. Finally, one Sailor who we will always call 'Marine' because he continuously acted like one, Petty Officer 3rd Class Jeffrey Wiener, all gave their lives that day. They had the job of protecting the force as the Quick Reaction Force and many more lives were saved due to their sacrifice. All four gave the rest of the platoon precious minutes that allowed the Marines to return fire immediately, resulting in the insurgents going on the defensive.

``Because the bravery of the men of Mobile Assault Platoon 7, the remainder of the force of over 70 Marines and Sailors sustained the attack and protected the hospital. The members of the 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, will always honor and remember what they did. We remember our friends fondly. The memory of their leadership, courage, and sacrifice live on in the Marines and Sailors who served with them. Even in passing, they still continued to protect their brothers.''

Signed, Captain John A. Kasparian.

Mr. Speaker, on October 16th, 2006, after a lot of work by several of us in the delegation, the veterans hospital in Butler, Pennsylvania, opened a Mercer County Outpatient Clinic in Hermitage. Almost immediately, veterans from Mercer County contacted me asking to have the new clinic named for Sergeant Marzano.

My staff confirmed their tales of Sergeant Marzano's heroism, and I requested input from my veterans' advisory panel to determine if there were

other candidates for this honor. All of the respondents, including the families of other fallen soldiers, universally agreed that Michael Marzano deserved this honor. He was the first to die in Iraq from Mercer County. He epitomizes the bravery and the dedication of all of our country's best. He deserves to be remembered, as does everyone who has given their lives in that conflict.

Sergeant Marzano's friends and family have already mourned his death. But with this legislation, we will honor his courage and present his life as a worthy example for future generations of young men and women.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in this worthy honor to this remarkable soldier.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to recognize the Revitalization of Youngsville (ROY) organization and their extraordinary efforts to promote energy conservation in Warren County, Pennsylvania.

In response to the rising food and energy costs, the members of ROY started an innovative project in their community called ``Night Out/ Lights Out.'' Starting June 1st, members have been asking residents to turn off all of their lights, televisions, computers and other electrical appliances from 7 to 9 p.m. every Sunday during the summer in an effort to cut electric costs and promote awareness of rising electric and fuel prices. The secondary purpose of the event is to encourage residents to go outside and socialize with their neighbors.

This simple, yet innovative solution to the looming energy crisis is a great example of how every American can do his or her part to conserve energy. In addition to helping local citizens reduce their energy consumption, this program has revived a deep sense of community among the residents of Youngsville.

Madam Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating the members of ROY on their successes thus far and encourage them to continue their efforts to promote energy conservation and awareness.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the life of George R. Sample, Jr. of Corry, Pennsylvania.

Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Mr. Sample was the longtime publisher of the Corry Journal and had worked there daily since he graduated from college up until becoming ill a few months before he passed away. This outstanding newspaperman got his start in journalism serving as the managing editor of the Collegian newspaper at Pennsylvania State University, where he completed his bachelor's degree in 1946. Throughout his career he strived to make newspapers better.

In the 1960s, Mr. Sample was one of the founders of what would eventually become the American Publishing Co., which was later sold to Hollinger International. He served as vice chairman for Hollinger's American Publishing Co. and was credited for making improvements to the Chicago Sun-Times and the Jerusalem Post. He also created the family- run Sample News Group, which owned two newspapers in Maine and five in Pennsylvania.

In addition to being a well-respected local publisher, George Sample, Jr. was very involved in other aspects of the Corry community. As longtime chairman of the city's Golf Commission, he was known as the driving force behind the North Hills Municipal Golf Course, Corry's top-notch course that has become a vibrant attraction for the community. Much of the course's growth and success can be attributed to Mr. Sample's efforts.

The life of George Sample, Jr. serves as a role model for us all to follow. He cared about his community and was always working to improve the city.

Madam Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in commemorating the life of George Sample, Jr.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Carlo J. DiMarco for his appointment as the 112th president of the American Osteopathic Association, the national organization that represents over 61,000 osteopathic physicians.

Dr. DiMarco has established himself as a distinguished leader within osteopathic community. A graduate of LaSalle College and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), DiMarco spent more than 30 years working in Delaware County in Philadelphia, where he worked to strengthen and expand the ophthalmology residency program at PCOM. He has served as a board of trustees member and past president of several prestigious osteopathic organizations including the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association, the American Osteopathic Association, as well as the American Osteopathic Colleges of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology.

In 2005, DiMarco was recruited to LECOM, located in my hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania. As the Professor and Regional Dean of Clinical Medicine, DiMarco is further developing the instructional and training programs at LECOM. By building relationships with students, residents and physician colleagues, DiMarco continues to contribute to his profession. He also serves as the director of the Ophthalmology Residency Program at Millcreek Hospital in my hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania.

Dr. DiMarco has truly been a community leader in the ophthalmology field. An outstanding physician, he continues the osteopathic tradition of assuring exemplary ophthalmology.

I hope my colleagues will join me in congratulating Dr. Carlo DiMarco and wishing him the best for a successful and rewarding tenure as the 112th president of the American Osteopathic Association.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of a fine outstanding citizen, Tommie Ann Gibney.

Ms. Gibney is a shining example of a woman who tries hard and succeeds brilliantly. She does it all. She is a professional, a distinguished attorney, friend of many, wife, mother, and last month Ms. Gibney was able to add the title of President. She is one of only three women to ever hold the prestigious position as President of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America/New Jersey, an organization of over 2100 attorneys, paralegals, law clerks and law school graduates who protect New Jersey families by advocating for safer products and workplaces, a cleaner environment, and quality health care.

Ms. Gibney attended Seton Hall University for her undergraduate, graduate and law school degrees. As an associate at Andres and Berger in Haddonfield, New Jersey Ms. Gibney fights tirelessly for victims of nursing home abuse and neglect. She volunteers her services and vast legal knowledge to Trial Lawyers Care, 9/11 Legal Assistance and to the Hyacinth Aids Foundation. She is a role model for all law professionals both in and outside of the courtroom.

My congratulations to Tommie Ann Gibney and her family.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak about the New Markets Tax Credit, a vital community development financing tool which is set to expire at the end of this year unless Congress takes action to extend it.

The New Markets Tax Credit was signed into law in 2000 with the goal of using a modest Federal tax credit as an incentive to attract private investment capital to viable urban and rural markets that private investors often overlook--and I am happy to report that the credit has done just that.

As of July 1, 2008, the Treasury Department reported that the credit was responsible for $11 billion in new investment in economically distressed communities across the country.

As a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Ranking Member of the Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee, I am interested in seeing how Federal tax credits influence investor behavior. I was particularly interested in GAO's findings on the NMTC in 2007 that found 88 percent of NMTC investors surveyed would not have made the investment in the low income community if not for the credit. The report further found that 69 percent of the investors surveyed indicated they had not invested in low income community projects prior to working with NMTC.

These GAO findings are very powerful in my view because they indicate that the $11 billion in low income community investments reported by the Treasury Department would not have occurred were it not for the New Markets Tax Credit.

As I mentioned, the credit was created with a clearly articulated goal: To generate private investment in low income communities by financing business and economic development activity. I am pleased to see that in a relatively short period of time a vibrant New Markets Tax Credit industry including community development organizations and investors has emerged to embrace this goal. In my home State of Pennsylvania, community development organizations have been awarded more than $413 million in NMTC allocations that have been used to finance a range of businesses and economic development projects in some of the State's most economically distressed areas in both urban and rural parts of the State.

For example, in the East Liberty section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the New Markets Tax Credit was instrumental in preserving the historic Nabisco Bakery building. The Commonwealth Cornerstone Group, a nonprofit created by the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency that received a $60 million allocation of credits in 2006 to use throughout the State, used a portion of its allocation to revitalize the Nabisco Bakery building into a mixed use development to house neighborhood retail businesses as well as a 110-room hotel. The project, once complete, will create approximately 1,200 jobs for neighborhood residents.

While I am pleased to point to the Nabisco Bakery project as a prime example of how the credit is being used to revitalize our distressed urban centers, more than 40 percent of my constituents live in rural areas. For this reason, I am pleased to see that the Treasury Department established rules to ensure that rural communities secure a proportional share of the investments generated with the credit. As we know, it is often the isolated rural communities and businesses that face the most significant barriers in terms of attracting outside private capital and the credit would be a powerful tool in bringing private equity capital to rural markets.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting an extension of the New Markets Tax Credit which is currently set to expire at the end of this year. Our cities and rural towns stand to benefit greatly from this program and it should be extended.

Madam Speaker, I want to bring to the attention of my colleagues the important accomplishments of Tommie Ann Gibney. Ms. Gibney is a shining example of a woman who tries hard and succeeds brilliantly. She does it all. She is a professional, a distinguished attorney, friend of many, wife, mother, and in June of this year Ms. Gibney will add president. She will be one of only three women to ever hold the prestigious position as president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America/New Jersey, an organization of over 2100 attorneys, paralegals, law clerks and law school graduates who protect New Jersey families by advocating for safer products and workplaces, a cleaner environment, and quality health care.

Ms. Gibney attended Seton Hall University for her undergraduate, graduate, and law school degrees. As an associate at Andres and Berger in Haddonfield, New Jersey, Ms. Gibney fights tirelessly for victims of nursing home abuse and neglect. She volunteers her services and vast legal knowledge to Trial Lawyers Care, 9-11 Legal Assistance, and to the Hyacinth Aids Foundation. She is a role model for all law professionals both in and outside of the courtroom. My congratulations to Tommie Ann Gibney and her family.

Madam Speaker, there was a time when our national leaders publicly felt the ability to invoke the Creator and invite His blessings on our national causes.

On D-Day, June 6, 1944, President Franklin D. Roosevelt read a nationally broadcast prayer as our troops landed at Normandy. I'm going to read this prayer in the House today, to both commemorate this event and honor the men and women of our Armed Forces.

``Almighty God, our sons, pride of our Nation, this day have set forth upon a mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our republic, our religion and our civilization and to set free a suffering humanity.

``Lead them straight and true. Give strength to their arms, stoutness to their hearts, steadfastness to their faith.

``They will need Thy Blessings. Their road will be long and hard, for the enemy is strong. He may hurl back our forces. Success may not come with rushing speed, but we shall return again and again, and we know that by Thy grace and by the righteousness of our cause, our sons will triumph.

``They will be sore tried by night and by day, without rest until the victory is won. The darkness will be rent by noise and flame. Men's souls will be shaken with the violences of war.

``For these men are lately drawn from the ways of peace. They fight not for the lust of conquest. They fight to end conquest. They fight to liberate. They fight to let justice arise and tolerance and goodwill among all Thy people. They yearn but for the end of battle for their return to the haven of home.

``Some will never return. Embrace these, Father, and receive them, Thy heroic servants into Thy kingdom.

``And for us at home, fathers, mothers, children, wives, sisters and brothers of brave men overseas whose thoughts and prayers are ever with them, help us, Almighty God, to rededicate ourselves in renewed faith in Thee in this hour of great sacrifice.

``Many people have urged that I call the Nation into a single day of special prayer. But because the road is long and the desire is great, I ask that our people devote themselves in a continuance of prayer as we rise to each new day and again, when each day is spent, let words of prayer be on our lips invoking Thy help to our efforts.

``Give us strength too, strength in our daily tasks, to redouble the contributions we make in the physical and the material support of our Armed Forces.

``And let our hearts be stout, to wait out the long travail, to bear sorrows that may come, to impart our courage unto our sons, wheresoever they may be.

``And, O Lord, give us faith. Give us faith in Thee, faith in our sons, faith in each other, faith in our united crusade. Let not the keenness of our spirit ever be dull. Let not the impacts of temporary events, of temporal matters of but fleeting moment, let not these deter us in your unconquerable purpose.

``With Thy blessing, we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy. Help us to conquer the apostles of greed and racial arrogancies. Lead us to the saving of our country and with our sister Nations into a world unity that will spell a sure peace, a peace invulnerable to the schemings of unworthy men, and a peace that will let all of men live in freedom, reaping the just rewards of their honest toil.

``Thy will be done, Almighty God.

``Amen.''

Madam Chairman, I rise the claim the time on this side in favor of this amendment.

Madam Chairman, I rise today in strong support of this amendment, which would require local education agencies to use American steel and iron for modernization, renovation, or repair projects, such as at a public school facility. As the past chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus and as the current vice chairman of that body, I have been working for some time on a bipartisan basis to promote policies to provide for the use of American steel precisely in these sorts of settings.

Madam Chairman, you may recall one of my favorite books which was Robert Penn Warren's remarkable novel, All the King's Men, in which the anti-hero Willie Stark is thrust into prominence because he takes on the local political machine, the local political machine which is building a schoolhouse with cheap materials at risk to students. He raises this issue; he is ignored, but in the end he is vindicated because once the schoolhouse is built, because of cheap steel ultimately many children are hurt and killed in a terrible accident.

Today, we are contemplating a similar set of circumstances and the same risk. Just a few months ago, our Steel Caucus held a hearing to examine the dangers with imported Chinese steel products. What we discovered is that there are serious and legitimate concerns regarding the quality of these imports and whether they are adequately monitored. We currently have no mechanism for evaluating or for stopping steel that does not meet specifications at the border. And once it is inside our market, this steel is used on bridges, buildings, power plants, and even schools. In fact, in the fall of 2007, the California Department of General Services posted an alert on Chinese steel tubing fabricated for school construction projects that had been found to be defective.

Through independent tests and studies we know that there are frequently deficiencies in Chinese steel, yet we also know that American steel consistently has met the highest standards.

Madam Chairman, if the goal of the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public Schools Facilities Act is to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for children, we should be insisting that we are using steel of a clearly determined quality; and, we would be doing a disservice to the parents and to the children of our country by not ensuring that the school's infrastructure is built with steel of a guaranteed quality. The difference between

steel that makes the grade and steel that doesn't meet required standards could very well be a matter of life and death.

The use of deficient or structurally inefficient steel for renovations or repair projects is a clear public safety hazard. Such a blunder could increase the overall cost of projects and increase construction time. If the school construction projects provided under this legislation are truly going to meet the high standards that we expect of any structure for our children, we must ensure that the steel used is from American companies that will follow the proper safety and quality standards in its products.

Madam Chairman, this is a commonsense amendment that mirrors legislation that I have introduced with the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky) earlier this year. I am delighted that the author has seen fit to offer it as part of this legislation. I would strongly urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chairman, at this time, if the gentleman has no other speakers, we would be delighted to yield back.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the Republic of Azerbaijan, a fast growing young democracy which secured its independence in 1991 after the dissolution of the former Soviet Union. There are few countries in the world which gain a second opportunity for independence, like Azerbaijan. This May 28 the Republic of Azerbaijan celebrates the 90th anniversary of Republic Day, the day the nation and people first gained their independence.

It was May 28, 1918 when Azerbaijan declared independence from the Russian Empire. The February 1917 fall of the tsarist monarchy in Russia had created favorable conditions for the development of national movements within its border lands. By establishing its independence, Azerbaijan, then the Democratic Azerbaijan Republic, became the first ever secular democratic republic in the world with a predominantly Muslim population. Although independence lasted only 2 years before Soviet forces invaded in 1920, the period was distinguished by nation building, the arts, education, and economic growth.

The Republic of Azerbaijan's re-independence in 1991 did not come easily. As independence fervor was sweeping through the former Soviet Republics in 1990, peaceful demonstrations were taking place throughout Azerbaijan. Tragically, on January 1990, then President Mikhail Gorbachev sent troops to Baku. Civilians were no match for the onslaught of tanks and fully armored military personnel. The excessive force resulted in more than one hundred and thirty civilian lives.

The Azerbaijani people eventually prevailed when the Soviet Union collapsed. On August 30, 1991, Azerbaijan's Parliament adopted the Declaration on the Restoration of the State of Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and on October 18, 1991, the Constitution was approved.

Located in a highly political, dynamic and sensitive region between Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan is a confident member of the Council of Europe, United Nations, Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe, and participates in NATO's Partnership for Peace program.

Azerbaijan is a strategic partner to the United States, and cooperates with the U.S., both bilaterally and multilaterally, (through the GUAM framework (Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldova) to prevent illegal trafficking and to secure borders Azerbaijani troops, like U.S. troops, are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan on behalf of their country and in support of the global effort against terrorism.

The United States recognized the sovereignty of Azerbaijan in 1918 and again in 1991. I applaud their leadership as a democratic republic and strategic partner in the region and worldwide. Congratulations to all Azerbaijani citizens, and Azerbaijanis around the world, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary of Republic Day.