Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

I rise in support of the amendment that Mr. Flake has proposed, and I rise in strong opposition to the underlying CR.

Mr. Chairman, the consequence of this whole discussion about dealing with the deficit and the budget reduction that is being recommended by the Republicans is going to be jobs. If you look at what is being proposed, the other side has had nearly 2 months but has brought zero bills that create jobs. These cuts amount to 1 million jobs that will be lost.

There will be no jobs for nurses. $51 million will be cut from the National Park Service; that is a loss of jobs. $256

million will be cut from State and Federal law enforcement; that is the local police that will be cut. $889 million will be cut from renewable energy programs; those are jobs creating solar panels and outfitting and retrofitting homes so they will be energy-efficient. $1 billion will be cut from the National Institutes of Health, which will be a loss of jobs in research and in providing direct public health care to the American citizens. $1.3 billion will be cut from community health centers; that means no jobs and increased costs in the emergency rooms, where people with very acute illnesses will be--people who will not be able to find health care because they will have nowhere else to go. There will be cuts in rural development--a loss of jobs. There will be a $1.6 billion cut for the Environmental Protection Agency--a loss of jobs. There will be a $96 million cut for substance abuse and mental health services--a loss of jobs.

One of the realities is that we must invest. It has been said over and over again that the point of dealing with this deficit that we have in this country has to be a pragmatic, measured process. It has taken us 10 years to get into the hole that we are in, and we need to plan to get out of that with the same amount of time, if not more.

We also need to talk about revenue generation. We are not going to cut our way out of this deficit, and you are certainly not going to cut your way out of this deficit when you are only concentrating on 14 or 15 percent of the Federal budget, which is why I support this amendment as it is an attempt to deal with defense.

We must create revenues. We must quit giving huge subsidies to Big Oil and Big Gas. We must ask mining companies, for once, to begin to pay royalties on the extractions provided them by the public lands. We must close the corporate loopholes that exist that created the financial collapse of housing in this country, and we must ask Wall Street to pay its fair share through a transaction fee, which will generate billions and billions of dollars for the taxpayers of this country.

In order to deal with this deficit, there must be a corresponding generation of revenue so we can continue to invest in the things that are important to the American people: their families, their lives, their education, their health care, their futures. That is an investment, and with additional revenue we will be able to begin to cut the deficit.

The continuing resolution is not an effort to deal with the deficit. It is a calculation to deal with programs and projects that have helped the middle class succeed, poor people survive, the disabled endure. They are programs and projects that have made this country stronger with their support for education and health care.

I urge all of my colleagues to vote against the continuing resolution.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank our ranking member, Mr. Markey, for the opportunity.

This resolution is, quite frankly, an unfortunate use of our time. Rather than discussing jobs proposals, we are discussing a resolution that is telling ourselves to do something we are already doing, which is the regulatory review. The majority is intent on talking about what they perceive the unemployment problem to be while spending no time at all attempting to work on some real solutions.

In the New West--and the chairman of our subcommittee, Mr. Bishop, mentioned that--there is high unemployment. I would suggest that we need to look deeper than the regulatory issues that he pointed out. The West leads the country in foreclosures. Those were the manipulations of banks and mortgage companies and shenanigans that Mr. Markey called. And as a consequence of that, we lead the Nation in unemployed construction workers. We lead the Nation in unemployed labor. And that is a deregulated industry. So I would suggest that if we are going to use unemployment as an example, we look at the root problem of where our unemployment is in the West.

The Republican majority on the Natural Resources Committee seems to think that American people have to choose between healthy, vibrant national parks, forests, and public lands or jobs. If you ask them for their ideas regarding job creation, what you hear is that we have got to roll back existing environmental protections and open up the ever- expanding areas of public lands to unregulated, destructive resource extraction. This is a horribly false choice created by those who care more about increasing the profits for oil, timber, and mining companies than really about creating jobs. This is a false choice because with a little bit of forward thinking, we can create jobs that will not only provide people with paychecks but will actually improve our environment and the economy and at the same time take care of our public lands.

We have heard many examples from Members on this side of the aisle, and we will continue to hear that today, and I am proud to try to do my part as well. Yesterday I reintroduced, with the senior member of our committee, Mr. Markey, the Public Lands Service Corps legislation, H.R. 587. This legislation passed the House last Congress, and I am pleased to reintroduce it.

At the same time that we are facing high unemployment, we also face huge backlogs of labor-intensive work needed on national park lands, forests, wildlife areas, historic sites, and Indian lands. Years of inadequate funding have put land management agencies far behind on the vital maintenance work while infrastructure continues to crumble.

Our legislation would provide opportunity through three Departments: Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce; provide service learning opportunities on public lands; help restore our natural, cultural, and historic resources; train a whole new generation of public land managers; and promote the value of public lands. This legislation will modernize the scope of the corps projects to reflect the new challenges, such as climate change and adding incentives to attract new participants, especially from underrepresented populations.

By providing job training, by providing opportunity, we are providing people with a chance to succeed. I would suggest that as we talk about legislation and we talk about jobs, that we talk about job creation and not merely talk about the need for jobs but talk about the specificity, what are going to be the mechanisms and the techniques to put people back to work.

To use the misery of unemployment in this community as a reason to give away our natural resources is cynical at best. It doesn't create jobs; it doesn't protect Americans; and it doesn't empower our communities or protect our very valuable and cherished public lands.

And to do so, this bill begs the question. It does not talk. It does not specify what we need to do. It merely reiterates an ideology that says, no regulation. We've seen that history. We have seen its consequences, and I urge a ``no'' vote on this.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Judge John Roll, a tireless advocate for justice and a model public servant. By designating the Federal courthouse under construction at 98 West First Street in Yuma, Arizona, as the ``John M. Roll United States Courthouse,'' Congress has chosen to pass the legacy of a champion for justice to many generations of Arizonans and Americans.

A native Pennsylvanian, Judge Roll moved to Arizona as a child. He graduated from the University of Arizona with his Bachelor's Degree in 1969 and his J.D. in 1972. He began his legal career as a bailiff in the Pima County Superior Court later that year.

Judge Roll became an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Tucson and Deputy County Attorney for Pima County, prosecuting criminal cases until 1980. He later joined the U.S. Attorney's Office where he led the organized drug crimes task force, specializing in large drug cases, from 1982 to 1986. From 1987 to 1991 he served as a judge on the State Court of Appeals, and in 1991 also held a post on the Pima County Superior Court.

Judge Roll was appointed to the Federal bench in 1991 by President George H.W. Bush and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate. He served as the chief judge of the District of Arizona from 2006 until his tragic death on January 8, 2011. He displayed remarkable fairness and evenhandedness in his rulings, and was often recognized by peers and colleagues for setting aside his personal beliefs in service of the law.

According to multiple witnesses, Judge Roll died protecting Congresswoman Giffords' district office director, Ron Barber, who continues his recovery. His sacrifice will never be forgotten by the Arizona community. I believe many join me in extending heartfelt sympathies to his widow Maureen, his three sons and his five grandchildren.

For many years, Judge Roll pushed for the construction of a new Federal courthouse in Yuma. He worked diligently with my office and Ms. Giffords' office to secure the funding, which finally came through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. His determination and persistence were key factors, and it is fitting that the building will bear his name.

John Roll was a great example to everyone of what a legal career can mean to a nation and a community. His passing was a very sad day for our State, and I can think of no greater tribute than to pass on his name to future generations through the courthouse he fought so hard to bring to Yuma.

Mr. Speaker, former Secretary of the Interior and Arizona Congressman Stewart L. Udall captured the essence of the life and legacy of Jesuit missionary and explorer Eusebio Francisco Kino when he wrote ``His vision--and his ability to command the affection and loyalty of the native peoples he encountered--made him the preeminent pathfinder and mission builder in the West. . . . [He] dared to believe that, armed only with love, he could mount a horse and discover new lands and peoples and at the same time serve his Lord by extending the boundaries of Christendom.''

Padre Kino was a mission builder and itinerant priest who made 50 expeditions totaling over 19,000 miles beyond the then Spanish frontier into today's Arizona and California. Kino's phenomenal horseback rides of great distance and breakneck speed required all the physical and mental strength that only the best of the world's horsemen could possess. For this reason Padre Kino is historically known as ``The Padre on Horseback.''

Padre Kino was born Eusebio Chini in 1645 in the village of Segno located in the Italian Alps--twenty miles from the birthplace of the grandfather of Arizona's former U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini. Padre Kino gave up his career as an Old World university professor to become a missionary in the New World. For his last 24 years he labored tirelessly as a Catholic priest in his Sonoran Desert parish--the 50,000 square mile Pimeria Alta (now southern Arizona and northern Sonora).

Before this assignment, Padre Kino worked for 3 years in the inhospitable deserts of Baja California but the ill-fated settlement effort was abandoned under order of the Spanish King. Padre Kino was saddened to leave the native people of Baja, but for the rest of his life Padre Kino never forgot them. He helped renew the missionary efforts and supplied much needed food and supplies from his missions farms and ranches on the other side of the Gulf of California.

As part of his work, Padre Kino was an accomplished builder, agriculturist, and cattleman.

He founded 24 missions including the beautiful Arizona mission San Xavier del Bac near Tucson--still an active parish church in the heart of the San Xavier District of the O'odham Nation. He also founded the missions at Tumacacori and Guevavi which are now part of our national park system's Tumacacori National Historical Park. He was among the first Europeans to see the Casa Grande Ruins--now another of our country's national monuments.

Padre Kino introduced horses, cattle and other herd animals, and the cultivation of Old World fruits and wheat into Arizona. Under his instruction the native people quickly learned new agricultural practices which stabilized their food supply. By his words in official reports to his superiors and by his actions in his work Padre Kino expressed his heartfelt conviction that missionary efforts begins with respect for the native people and the physical betterment of their lives.

Padre Kino was also a frontier diplomat who promoted peace among the warring tribes he encountered, and between the native people and the Spanish military. He demanded that the Spanish military and settlers respect the native people as their fellow humans. Before his arrival to the Pimeria, Kino obtained a decree from King Carlos II that prohibited the native people from being enslaved to work in the Spanish mines and haciendas. He defended the native people from the claims of powerful interests who coveted their lands and labor and who relentlessly attempted to undermine his missionary efforts right up until his final days on earth.

Padre Kino was a gifted scientist and cartographer having been a student and a professor in Europe's greatest universities. His careful scientific observations made during his journeys of exploration resulted in the first reliable definitive historical chronicles and accurate maps of these previously unknown lands. His maps of the Pimeria Alta and its adjacent regions were widely published in Europe during his lifetime and were used for over a century afterwards.

During Padre Kino's lifetime it was the commonly held belief that California was an island and separated from the North American mainland. At the Blue Shell Conference at San Xavier Mission he consulted with the native people throughout the region about the widespread trading of abalone shells. He heard from them that the shells originated on the Pacific Ocean coast of Baja California. Padre Kino then hypothesized that California was not an island and that a land route to Baja California did exist. Numerous expeditions to the Colorado River and its delta were necessary to prove his hypothesis. His discovery led to renewed efforts to build new missions serving the destitute native peoples of Baja California during his lifetime. It also prepared the way for the founding of the City of San Francisco, in present day California, by the De Anza expedition. These undertakings could have only succeeded with the support provided by the extensive chain of missions, farms and ranches built by the native people and Padre Kino.

Padre Kino died in Magdalena, Sonora on March 15, 1711 after saying the Mass for dedication for a new chapel for St. Francisco Xavier, his patron saint. His death bed consisted of his usual bed on the ground. His bed was made from his horse blankets with his saddle as a pillow. Padre Kino died at the age of 66.

Through his great faith and intellect, his gentle charisma and stamina, Padre Kino forever transformed the lives and hearts of all people living in the Pimeria Alta and the Californias. The native peoples of the region still revere and love their Padre on Horseback.

In 1965 Padre Kino was honored by the citizens of Arizona as the State's founder and its preeminent pioneer by the dedication of his statue in the Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol Building. The ceremony was attended by dignitaries from all over the world. This event was the catalyst to the Federal Government of Mexico to successfully complete in May 1966 Padre Kino's mortal remains. This ended a 40-year search for his grave. In May 2006 the Archdiocese of Hermosillo submitted the official documents to the Vatican to start the process of Canonization for Padre Kino's formal recognition as a saint by the Catholic Church.

Now on this day, March 15, 2011 which is the 300th year anniversary of his death, the Kino Heritage Society is issuing its own designed private U.S. postage stamp and cancel mark. This stamp will be cancelled by the United States Postal Service at a community-wide event honoring Padre Kino at the Postal History Foundation in Tucson, Arizona.

Other extensive celebrations of Padre Kino's life and legacy are being held this year in Italy, Mexico and other communities in the United States for this heroic man described by the noted historian Lawrence Clark Powell as ``the noblest Southwesterner of all.''

Thank you, Mr. Miller.

I rise today in opposition to a regressive and unfair piece of legislation, H.R. 2. We must protect the American people from the Republican NoCare agenda. Their agenda for America is simple:

NoCare if you lose your job.

NoCare if you or your child has a preexisting condition.

NoCare if you are a senior in the doughnut hole.

NoCare if you're under 26 and on your parents' plan.

NoCare if you get sick and your insurer drops your coverage.

NoCare if your insurer hikes your premiums higher than you can afford.

NoCare for Indian health care services reauthorization.

NoCare for community health centers.

NoCare for closing the disparity gap in America's health care delivery system.

I urge my colleagues to vote against this repeal that would take away the progress that we are making to protect our constituents. I urge my colleagues to stop protecting insurance companies

and, finally, finally, take a step toward empowering the American people.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memories of Gabe Zimmerman, Judge John Roll, Christina-Taylor Green, Dorothy Morris, Dorwan Stoddard, and Phyllis Schneck. I rise also to voice my sincere hope for the recovery of our friend and colleague, Representative Gabrielle Giffords, and the others who were injured in Saturday's terrible shooting. The loss to the Congressional community and to Tucson has already been great. We can only hope the loss will not become even greater.

Representative Giffords serves a politically divided community. As long as I have known her, she's worked honestly and tirelessly to bridge that divide. There are few greater goals in public life than bringing people together and creating unity. Whatever your politics, Representative Giffords is a listener and a seeker of solutions. In politics and in life, that is a rare thing.

She spread that ethic to her staff, as Tucson knows very well. Gabe Zimmerman, her director of community outreach, had an incredible and contagious desire to help people and make their lives better. When we speak of public service, we sometimes forget the many unelected but no less dedicated men and women whose work enriches the city, district, state or country they serve. Tucson, and I hope the country, will never forget public servants like Gabe. He will be missed by more people than he could ever know.

Judge Roll was a strong, honest and effective advocate for the American justice system, and his loss will be deeply felt. Christina Green, at only 9 years old, had already made an impression on everyone around her and will be long remembered. Dorwan Stoddard, a committed and long-time church volunteer, reportedly died saving his wife's life by shielding her from gunfire. Dorothy Morris and her husband, George, were together on that tragic day as they had been for the past 55 years of their happy marriage, and her daughters and family will hold her memory very close. Phyllis Schneck was an outgoing mother and grandmother known for her generosity and devotion to her family, and our thoughts go out to her and her loved ones today.

Alongside the victims of this tragedy, I would like to take a moment to recognize the many heroes of that day--people who offered medical assistance, alerted law enforcement, prevented further violence or assisted in too many other ways to count. This resolution names Patricia Maisch, Army Col. Bill Badger, Roger Sulzgeber, Joseph Zimudio, and Daniel Hernandez, Jr. To that list we can add brave people like Steven Rayle, an MD who was at the event and offered emergency medical attention to the wounded, and many others whose names may emerge over time.

It is in the spirit of unity that we all go forward together. As difficult as this time has been for Tucson and the Nation, this can be a moment when the best is truly in each of us. This can be a time when the truest values of humanity join us all--values that let us mourn appropriately, reflect together, take time for ourselves, and bring us closer. At this moment, there is no greater goal than to heal our wounds and grow stronger.

Out of great tragedy and sorrow, there will be a new America. Pain brings people together and reminds us of the time we all share on this Earth. It also reminds us of the value of being good to one another, and how easily we forget ourselves in a heated moment. Pain, as horrible as it is, is inevitable. Our lives cannot be free of it. What matters now--what always matters--is how we respond to it.

Our most important response will not be political--it will be simply human. It will be to build bridges and remember those who have died. Public life should be about bringing people together; so should private life. We are stronger and more human when we are together. That's true of a family, a community, and a country. In a very real sense, a country--our country--is a family. Families may fight, disagree and say things they regret, but

in the end, they come together. They rejoin their hands and make peace. This is a time to make peace in America.

There are few occasions to offer a call for national unity, and in our lifetimes there will be few others. I sincerely hope the next is not another tragedy. With that hope, today I add my voice to the many who call for a stronger national family. There is nothing more important.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Steve Martin, who has unselfishly given over 35 years of exceptional service to the nation as a steward of our national parks.

During his years as a park ranger and superintendent, Mr. Martin has championed the mission of the National Park Service in protecting the nation's many natural and cultural resources, has resolutely defended parks from degradation and harm, and has generously nurtured new generations of park employees and managers to serve as park stewards.

His career encompassed exemplary service in leadership positions at Grand Teton, Denali and Gates of Arctic National Parks, and in staff positions at Yellowstone and Voyageurs National Parks, where he persistently fostered Americans' deep love for their parks.

In his time as superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park, Mr. Martin served as a tireless advocate for the park, its staff, and its many visitors. Through his efforts to initiate and complete extensive upgrades to the crumbling infrastructure at the Grand Canyon, he helped improve the quality of life for the Havasupai tribe and for park employees, as well as enriching the experiences of the 4.5 million people who visit the Grand Canyon each year.

Mr. Martin fought to protect the South Rim of the Canyon and the Grand Canyon watershed from the toxic threat of uranium mining, which would have polluted the lifeline of the west, the Colorado River, and put at great risk the wildlife and people that call this area home.

He has provided crucial leadership in establishing science as the decisive tool in policy decisions, particularly in his tenacity in demanding Colorado River flow rates that benefit the riparian ecosystem found at the heart of the Grand Canyon.

Serving as the Intermountain Regional Director and the Deputy Director for the National Park Service, Mr. Martin was instrumental in preserving critical management policies which will continue to guide the National Park Service as it prepares to celebrate its centennial.

Madam Speaker, it is fitting that we honor the 35 years of service that Steve Martin has given to the National Park Service, and that we recognize his passion and advocacy to protect and preserve our National Parks.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3984) to amend and extend the Museum and Library Services Act, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on S. 3984 into the Record.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Senate Bill 3984, which reauthorizes the Museum and Library Services Act. This bipartisan bill updates the MLSA to better reflect the role that libraries and museums play in our Nation's communities, and it ensures the preservation of collections for future generations.

Our Nation's libraries serve an important role in providing our communities with free access to all types of information and telecommunications services. During these difficult economic times, libraries are a lifeline to many without home access to computers or to the Internet in order to search for employment, to conduct research, or to access training resources. According to the American Library Association, two-thirds of our Nation's libraries report that they provide the only free access to computers and the Internet in their communities.

Within the last 2 years, libraries have experienced significant increases in demands for services, including helping patrons complete online job applications, creating resumes, and accessing job databases. This bill will enable libraries to continue offering these critical services to the American people.

The Senate bill will also help the Institute of Museum and Library Services to encourage more collaboration between agencies and programs to promote family literacy, technology education, and workforce development. These efforts will help libraries fully leverage their role as resource facilities and community centers. Additionally, this reauthorization enhances current training opportunities for professionals, and it supports the development of a diverse workforce, capable of meeting the 21st-century information needs of our communities.

Our Nation's museums are also a critical part of our country's educational and economic infrastructure, stimulating tourism and partnering with schools to support the local curriculum. According to the American Association of Museums, these centers of discovery and learning employ as many as half a million Americans nationwide and contribute approximately $20.7 billion to the American economy each year.

Museums attract nearly 850 million visits per year and an additional 542 million via the Internet. Museums also include aquariums, botanical gardens, nature centers, and zoos. Over 175 million people visit accredited zoos and aquariums annually, and these institutions generate $8.4 billion in annual U.S. economic activity. Zoos and aquariums provide millions of children with their only firsthand experiences with wildlife.

This bill also acts to strengthen capacity for conservation and preservation of museum collections and requires that museums and diverse geographic regions of various types and sizes be supported.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the original Senate sponsors of this bill, Senators Reed, Enzi, Harkin, and Burr, as well as chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, Mr. George Miller, and Ranking Member Kline for their leadership in bringing this important bipartisan legislation to the floor.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation to reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act to help us preserve and enhance the critical role which libraries and museums play in our Nation's communities.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this is a good piece of legislation. It enhances the quality of life for the American people. I urge its support, and I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill

(S. 1275) to establish a National Foundation on Physical Fitness and Sports to carry out activities to support and supplement the mission of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise, extend and insert extraneous material on S. 1275 into the Record.

I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of S. 1275, which establishes a National Foundation on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition to carry out activities to support and supplement the mission of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

According to a 2009 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 33 States currently have an obesity prevalence rate of 25 percent or greater, and roughly 25 million children, one in three kids, over the age of six are obese or overweight. These numbers represent a dramatic and concerning increase in obesity in the United States over the past 20 years.

These growing rates require that we take some action. The creation of this foundation is a move in that direction.

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, adults 18 and older need 30 minutes of physical activity. Unfortunately, 25 percent of American children do not participate in any free-time physical activity, and 92 percent of our youth have no year-round daily physical education or activity. It is vital that we encourage our children to be healthy and active individuals.

The President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition is a volunteer advisory committee created by President Eisenhower in 1956. The council collaborates with Federal, State, and local agencies, the private sector, and nonprofit organizations to promote physical fitness in sports. However, despite its critically important mission, the council's budget has been reduced over time and is now approximately just $1.2 million per year.

This legislation would establish a foundation to work in conjunction with the council to bring much-needed private resources to the fight against youth inactivity and obesity. Not only will this foundation increase the reach and impact of the council in promoting physical fitness, sports, and nutrition programs across the country; it will not use any taxpayer resources.

With the support of private funds, the foundation will make strategic grants and increase public awareness of Federal policies and programs to improve physical fitness and nutrition. To oversee such activities, the foundation will be governed by a bipartisan, 11-member board of directors.

Establishing this independent foundation will contribute to our national efforts to end childhood obesity and improve child nutrition. Yesterday, the President signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act to dramatically improve children's access to nutritious meals and enhance the quality of meals they eat in and out of school.

Additionally, the First Lady's Let's Move campaign has set a goal of ending childhood obesity in a generation. The Let's Move campaign is a collaborative and community-oriented initiative which engages every sector of our society that impacts the health of children. It seeks to provide schools, families, and communities the simple tools they need to help kids be more active, eat better, and get healthy. The bill adds to these efforts by enhancing the tools available to improve the health and well-being of our children.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the sponsor of the Senate bill, Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, and the sponsor of its companion legislation in the House, Representative John Sarbanes of Maryland, for their leadership in bringing this important legislation to the floor.

I also want to thank Chairman Waxman of the Energy and Commerce Committee for working with the Education and Labor Committee to allow this bill to move quickly to the floor.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation to establish a National Foundation on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Energy and Commerce,

Washington, DC, December 14, 2010.

Hon. George Miller,

Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor, Rayburn House

Office Building, Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Miller: I am writing to confirm our

understanding regarding S. 1275, the ``National Foundation on

Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition Establishment Act.'' The

Committee on Energy and Commerce has jurisdictional interest

in the bill. In light of the interest in moving this bill

forward promptly, I am not exercising the jurisdiction of the

Committee on Energy and Commerce regarding S. 1275, with the

understanding that taking this course does not prejudice the

Committee's jurisdictional interests and prerogatives on this

or similar legislation in the future.

I would appreciate your including this letter during

consideration of the bill on the House floor. Thank you for

your cooperation on this matter.

Sincerely,

Henry A. Waxman,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes), the sponsor of the companion legislation in the House.

I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1759) expressing support for designation of January 23rd as ``Ed Roberts Day''.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House Resolution 1759 into the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1759, which supports the establishment of ``Ed Roberts Day.'' Mr. Edward Verne Roberts was a pioneering leader and a champion in the disability rights movement.

Mr. Roberts was born January 23, 1939, in San Mateo, California. Mr. Roberts acquired polio at the age of 14 in 1953, 2 years before the Salk vaccine put an end to that epidemic. After 18 months in the hospital, he returned home paralyzed from the neck down except for a few fingers and toes.

Roberts continued his high school education while spending vast amounts of time resting and sleeping in the iron lung. When a high school administrator threatened to deny him a diploma because he had not completed drivers and physical education requirements, he protested and began an early career of activism. Later, Roberts became the first student with severe disabilities to attend the University of California at Berkeley.

At UC Berkeley, other students with significant disabilities joined Roberts in an empty wing in which the university had placed him and, over the next few years, began to call themselves the ``Rolling Quads.'' The Rolling Quads began advocating for curb cuts, opening access to the wider community, and creating the first student-led disabilities service program at any university in the Nation. That student program led to the creation of the Nation's first Center for Independent Living, and Roberts assumed leadership of the center and guided its development as a model for disability advocacy and self-help service.

After earning a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in political science at UC Berkeley, in 1975, Roberts was appointed the Director of the California Department of Rehabilitation. In 1983, he cofounded the World Institute on Disability, an organization committed to eliminating the barriers to full social integration for persons with disabilities.

Mr. Edward Verne Roberts died from natural causes on March 14, 1995, leaving behind a legacy as the modern father of the disability rights movement. Roberts' efforts helped to reduce barriers, increase access, and improve the lives for persons with disabilities across this Nation and world. It is with these contributions in mind that this resolution calls for the establishment of ``Ed Roberts Day.''

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the sponsor of the resolution and chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, Mr. George Miller, for his leadership in bringing this important resolution to the floor. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of House Resolution 1759, which supports the designation of an ``Ed Roberts Day.''

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a teacher from my district who recently retired. This teacher has given the past 40 years of his life to improve the quality of public education in his community of Yuma, Arizona.

Dr. Jay Sheridan has been a teacher at Yuma High School in Yuma, Arizona for almost 40 years. He was born in Clinton, Iowa in 1943. His father was a B-26 pilot in the 8th Air Force in Europe, and Sheridan and his mother resided with her parents in the village of Thomson, Illinois in the months after his birth. In November 1948, Sheridan, his parents and his sister moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Sheridan attended kindergarten in Greendale, Wisconsin, one of President Franklin Roosevelt's planned communities from the 1930s. He continued his elementary education at Valley View School, a small country school near Hales Corners, Wisconsin. Sheridan's family then moved to the Elm Grove, Wisconsin area in 1959, and Sheridan graduated from Brookfield Central High School in 1962. Sheridan then moved to the great State of Arizona to study at the University of Arizona, my alma mater. He graduated eight short semesters later with a degree in English and a minor in philosophy.

After graduating, Sheridan went to law school at Valparaiso University. Shortly after entering law school Sheridan was drafted into the military in 1967. He honorably served our country in Vietnam from August of 1968 to July of 1969 in the 1st Battalion, 69th Armor (4th Infantry Division).

After Sheridan was honorably discharged, he enrolled at Northern Arizona University to pursue a Master of Arts degree in English. He was awarded his degree in May of 1972 and accepted an offer as an English teacher at Yuma High School. In the summer of 1972, Sheridan met his wife Sally, a Yuma native. The two were married the following summer and have now been married 37 years. Sally, also a teacher, gave countless years to the Yuma community just as her husband did.

Sheridan was appointed Chair of the English Department at Yuma High in 1973 and spent his entire professional career at Yuma High. He taught every level of English during the course of his teaching career. Beginning in the early 1980s, he began teaching the National Advanced Placement (AP) English Literature and Composition course and assisted hundreds of students in earning passing scores on the national exam.

Sheridan completed his Ph.D. dissertation at the University of Arizona in August 1979 on the high school English department chair position in secondary schools west of the Mississippi River. He became chair of the Modern Languages department (in addition to the English department), with supervisory responsibilities over English as a Second Language, French, German and Spanish classes. At one time, in addition to his teaching duties, Sheridan had supervisory responsibilities over more than thirty teachers at Yuma High School. Sheridan also taught part-time for Northern Arizona University/Yuma for a number of years (advanced composition and English teaching methods).

In 2001, Sheridan was awarded the honor of Yuma County High School Teacher of the Year by the Education Foundation of Yuma.

Sheridan accomplished a great deal during his time at Yuma High School. His proudest achievement was helping Yuma High earn first place in the district on the state AIMS writing exam for 2006, 2007 and 2008. He also recalls with fondness the yearly student trips to the Old Globe Theater in San Diego, which he organized and supervised for more than a decade. Students read, analyzed, and discussed a Shakespeare play in August and September of each year, and then two busloads of Yuma High students would travel to San Diego to view the play they had studied. Students were able to engage in analytical conversations with the actors immediately following the performances. Sheridan again gave Yuma High students opportunities that many could otherwise not afford.

Dr. Sheridan retired from Yuma High School in May of 2010. He remains in touch with a few hundred of his former students and he continues to encourage them in their college and professional endeavors. In almost 40 years Sheridan has touched the lives of thousands of students who have passed through the halls of Yuma High School. He encouraged students who doubted they were ready for advanced placement classes to work hard and pass the test. He kindled students' love for literature and Shakespeare in one short year. He pushed students to their limits and encouraged higher education for all of them.

Dr. Sheridan is a rare teacher that only comes around once in a lifetime. I am honored that he chose to give almost 40 years of his life to a public school in my district. He will be irreplaceable.

Jay and Sally are looking forward to spending their retirement productively by traveling and writing. The couple has two grown children, Jill and Jay Jr. Jill is an RN in Grand Junction, Colorado. Jay Jr. recently received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Parks and Recreation Management from Northern Arizona University.

Madam Speaker, the legislation before us includes many important improvements to the child nutrition programs that millions of our nation's children rely on for daily nutrition. As a result of this bill, it will be easier for children in low-income families to get the meals they need. Just as important, the meals they get will be healthier.

The provisions included in the bill have important ramifications for Latino children in particular. Latino children currently make up more

than one in five children in the U.S. and are the fastest-growing segment of the child population. Latino children are also the hungriest in America--making up almost 40 percent of the children struggling against hunger. They are more than four times as likely as white children to be food insecure and hungry. Ironically, they also have one of the highest risks for obesity.

Latino families often experience barriers to participation in federal programs based on language access issues. The number of children who speak English as a second language has grown over the years and families who struggle with English proficiency are now located in many parts of the country where there is no mechanism in place to meet their language access needs. School districts in these areas need guidance and support to help them communicate effectively with parents who do not speak English fluently. Such guidance and support will ensure that eligible children receive the proper nutrition they need during the day through the school meals program. It is of the utmost importance that all eligible children have access to the federal food assistance programs regardless of what language their parents speak or whether their parents can read. Access to our meal programs is essential no matter what language is spoken at home.

Six years ago, in the last reauthorization of the child nutrition programs, Congress clarified that program administrators must communicate with parents in a manner that they can understand. Congress set a clear standard, but left it to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement that standard by explaining to school districts and other program operators what they must do to live up to it. To date, USDA has failed to provide this guidance.

As a result, the 16,000 plus school districts in the U.S. have been left to interpret the statutory terms themselves. While the method of assistance to families may differ across states and localities, the federal standards for the level of service should be consistent. In the absence of federal guidance, it is likely that many school districts will not know that a standard exists and may fail to comply. USDA needs to offer guidance so that there is consistency in implementation around the country. There is no reason why a Romanian-speaking parent in Florida, for example, should have more or less help with applying for school meals than a Romanian-speaking parent in Michigan.

School districts are well-positioned to comply with Congress' requirement. They routinely identify the language spoken in the homes of their students. Moreover, for other school matters, they are already required to communicate with parents in a language they can understand. That standard applies to communications regarding the school meals program as well. But school districts need additional direction and support from USDA and states. I urge USDA to clarify when written translations must be used, when oral interpretation will suffice, and how to communicate with parents with limited literacy.

USDA could also strengthen implementation of Congress' standard by supplementing policy guidance with technical assistance. USDA already provides support by making available school meals enrollment materials in 25 languages. School districts around the country need to know where to find these materials and how to obtain oral interpretation services if written materials are not available. USDA could identify and share best practices so that school districts in geographic areas that are experiencing an influx of families who do not speak English fluently will have resources to help them best serve all families with children attending their schools.

Moreover, USDA needs to hold school districts accountable for compliance. For example, school districts could be required to have a written plan in place explaining how families with limited English proficiency will be served. Plus, all reviews of state and local program operations should include a review of compliance with the requirements related to communications with households.

It is unfortunate that several years after Congress took action to ensure that communications with families would be understandable to all families, regardless of what language is spoken at home, we still have so far to go. I call on the USDA to take action quickly to fully implement these standards. Every eligible child should be able to get the healthy meals that the federal government provides and language should not be a barrier to good nutrition. Congress, USDA, states, and school districts must continue to work together to make that goal a reality.

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise today to honor the Arizona State Museum on achieving re-accreditation from the American Association of Museums.

Accreditation comes after a comprehensive and rigorous performance appraisal which recognizes only the highest professional standards of operation. The Arizona State Museum joins an impressive group of 778 institutions accredited by the AAM.

The official curator for the archaeological treasures of the great state of Arizona, Arizona State Museum is located in Tucson, on the campus of the University of Arizona. Established in 1893, it pre-dates the state and stands as the oldest and largest anthropology museum in the Southwest region.

Its archaeological repository is the largest and busiest in the nation, second only to the Smithsonian itself.

Its vast and various collections, coupled with the collective body of research conducted there over the past century, are among the world's most significant resources for the study of southwestern peoples and the archaeology and history of the southwest.

Among the millions of objects it holds in trust for the people of Arizona is the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of Southwest American Indian pottery--some 20,000 whole vessels. Equal in number and significance is its collection of Southwest American Indian basketry.

The nation's museums play an important role in education, tourism and to the quality of life it provides for every community it resides in. The Arizona State Museum is one of these organizations and the people of Arizona have these and many more reasons to be proud of their state museum.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend Reverend D. Grady Scott as he celebrates 20 years of leading the spirit-filled congregation of the Grace Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Tucson, Arizona. With Reverend Scott's guidance, Grace Temple has become an exemplary model of community ministry. When Katrina ravaged the states along the Gulf of Mexico, Reverend Scott lead the way for churches throughout Tucson and Pima County to become involved and to welcome those seeking refuge. He opened Grace Temple for meetings and encouraged elected officials Supervisor Ramon Valadez, Mayor Bob Walkup, and, myself, Congressman Raul Grijalva to participate and, subsequently, to organize and to contribute resources.

Reverend Scott has worked diligently to improve the quality of life for the community. He has often been at the forefront of issues seen by others as controversial. When he learned that HIV and AIDS were an epidemic in the community, he invited expert speakers, non-profit organizations, community people and other ministers to attend meetings at Grace Temple so all could understand the need to speak out and to educate. He supports an on-going HIV Speakers Bureau; he was and continues to be active in educating others about the dangers of drugs, especially methamphetamine, through community sessions held with the Meth Free Alliance. In addition, because of the experience with Katrina, Reverend Scott is a strong advocate of Emergency Preparedness and promotes community involvement with both the national and the local Office of Homeland Security.

Through his leadership, Grace Temple has become a community center of learning and caring. In addition to the activities of its many church ministries, Grace Temple provides senior citizens with computer training; the Pima County One Stop has an active satellite office for assisting the unemployed to find jobs; there is an active Nurses Guild that regularly provides health fairs for both the congregation and the general public; a Fine Arts Ministry works with the community; the youth and adult Re-entry Community are actively assisted with resources and information. In addition to his many responsibilities as pastor, Reverend Scott personally visits and ministers weekly to the Pima County Adult Detention Center population.

Reverend D. Grady Scott's personal outreach and accomplishments are many. Currently, he serves as Executive Secretary of the National Baptist Convention USA, Incorporated Prison Ministry and Criminal Justice Commission; as a member of the Tucson City Magistrate Merit Selection Commission; and as the President of the Minister's Conference for the Southern District Association. Reverend Scott has served on the Governor's Advisory Board for Faith-based and Community Initiatives since 2002. He recently completed serving as President of the Paradise Missionary Baptist State Convention; the Moderator of the Southern District Association; President of the Interdenominational Minister's Alliance of Tucson and Vicinity; and President of the Congress of Christian Education for the Southern District Association.

His contributions to the well-being of the community and to civil rights have been recognized through his many service and civic awards including: the LULAC Presidential Citation, the FBI Community Service award, the NAACP Community Service Award, the Rosa Parks Community Service Award.

Reverend Scott has a close and loving family that is equally committed to service and is active in church ministries. He is married to Theressa E. (Teel) Scott and they have three grown children: son, Lonnie, and daughters, Lauren and Leslie. They have one grandson, Kameron Scott. Reverend Scott has two sisters and one brother; Roberta (Scott) Guary, Reverend Pearl (Scott) Johnson and Deacon Cornelius Scott, Jr.

Today I honor Reverend D. Grady Scott for his faithful service of 20 years to Tucson and the Pima County, Arizona, community. May his example provide a path for others to follow.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Michael Jones of Yuma, Arizona.

Mr. Jones served his country in Vietnam, receiving two Purple Hearts as well as many other citations for his service. He is the Past Commander of the Yuma Chapter of the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH). He was past National Vice President of the 173d Airborne Brigade as well as a committee member of the 173d Airborne Memorial Foundation serving in an advisory capacity for the construction of their memorial currently under construction in Ft. Benning, Georgia. He was also nominated for National Patriot of the Year for the MOPH.

In 2005, Mr. Jones responded to a plea for help from the Arizona Department of Veterans Services, the Military Affairs Committee and the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce in an effort to complete the Yuma Armed Forces Park. The construction of the park had been stopped for some time after completion of Phase I due to lack of funds, all of which were donated by the community through various fundraising events.

Mr. Jones had a lifetime of experience in all phases of construction. After learning of their dilemma and meeting with the different entities, it was determined that not only was there a lack of funds to complete the park, but the park could not be completed as planned. Mr. Jones took it upon himself to lead the community through this crisis by scheduling various fundraisers, stimulating plaque sales and donations and becoming the supervisor for the construction of the remainder of the park. This included supervision of volunteer workers, all of which were active duty or disabled veterans who were members of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Yuma Chapter 433.

Phase II of the park consisted of the construction of the amphitheater, and was the most difficult portion of the project. This phase involved a daily presence by Mr. Jones and members of the MOPH as well as the Ladies Auxiliary. These men and women, most of whom were 50-60 years of age, worked six and sometimes seven days a week to meet any deadline presented to them.

The project continued over 3\1/2\ years as funds became available through the various fundraisers, donations and plaque sales. Mr. Jones was a key player in these activities. Not only did Mr. Jones donate his time, he also donated thousands of dollars worth of tools and equipment to complete the park. He worked non-stop, making the park the most important task in his life, knowing that his fellow veterans needed to be recognized. During this time he put the completion of the park ahead of family health issues that in most cases would have been a priority.

Madam Speaker, Michael Jones was a leader when serving in Vietnam, and he continues to be in his civilian life. I want to thank him for his service to this country and to his community.