Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5972) to make technical corrections to the laws affecting certain administrative authorities of the United States Capitol Police, and for other purposes, as amended.

I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill under consideration.

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

I am pleased to present the United States Capitol Police Administrative Technical Corrections Act of 2008. As its title suggests, H.R. 5972 is not intended to make substantive policy changes for the Capitol Police. It corrects drafting errors, modernizes outdated terms, and repeals redundant and inconsistent provisions already on the books.

My favorite correction is a long overdue repeal of the 1868 law requiring Capitol Police officers to buy their uniforms. Congress decided years ago to provide their uniforms, but has never repealed the 1868 law. Chief Phillip Morse requested most of these corrections, the committee found others, and we included several excellent suggestions offered by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers). Again, it was a pleasure to work with him and his staff, as always.

The bill has the support of Chief Morse and our House Sergeant-at- Arms, Wilson Livingood, and I urge an ``aye'' vote.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I have no further speakers.

Again, I thank the gentleman from Michigan. He is right: it is a pleasure to work together. I look forward to working together with you in your interest on the Capitol Police Board. With that, I urge an ``aye'' vote.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Joseph Sellers, Jr., President and Business Manager of Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 Union. Throughout his career, Mr. Sellers has exemplified exceptional labor leadership for the Sheet Metal Workers, the city of Philadelphia, and beyond.

Mr. Sellers began his career as a sheet metal worker apprentice in 1980, and became a journeyman four years later. In the years since, Mr. Sellers has been honored with a number of leadership positions within the Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 19. He was first appointed Training Coordinator in 1996, and was then elected to the position of Business Representative four and a half years later. Just two years after that, he was unanimously appointed by the Local 19 Executive Board to his current position as President and Business Manager. He was overwhelmingly elected to the same position in 2003 and 2006, and is currently serving a three-year term.

During his current tenure, he also holds a number of prominent leadership positions, including President of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey State Councils of Sheet Metal Workers, Vice-President of the Philadelphia AFL-CIO, President of the Mechanical Trades District Council of Delaware Valley, President for the Metropolitan Association of Presidents and Business Representatives, and many other prestigious positions. Mr. Sellers has also been active on behalf of a number of charities throughout his career, and is a long time supporter of the Unico Salute to Labor.

Mr. Sellers's unwavering dedication to organized labor is commendable, as are his enthusiasm and proficiency in leadership. He truly

embodies the Unico motto, ``Service Above Self.''

Madam Speaker, on the occasion of his retirement on June 30, 2008, I rise to thank Mr. Frank Jones for his 32 years of outstanding service to the United States House of Representatives.

Frank graduated from Brook High School in Calvert County, MD and moved to DC in 1962. He started working at the Washington Post selling subscriptions. He wanted to learn a trade and decided on printing. Frank went to work at A&E Blueprinters learning all facets of the trade from 1963-1969.

Looking for a change in profession, he obtained a job at Seibert Decorators in Washington, DC in 1969. It was there that he began to learn and hone his skills as an accomplished upholsterer. Frank came to the House upholstery shop in February 1977 and worked there until his retirement.

Over the next 15 years he artfully upholstered many pieces of House furniture. Among his list of accomplishments is the upholstery shop's most valued piece of furniture, the Turkish Chair. He has trained numerous employees, teaching the techniques, touch, and feel needed to upholster this chair. He redesigned and tufted the ``Sam Rayburn Chair'' for the then Clerk of the House, Donald Anderson. Over the years he has worked on the Lincoln Catafalque several times, preparing it for ceremonies for Presidents lying-in-state at the Capitol. For the last 17 years he has served as Foreman of the House Upholstery Shop, passing on his wealth of knowledge and talent in the trade.

On a more personal note, Frank has always gone out of his way to ensure that all of his customers are completely satisfied. Frank has operated his own upholstery business for almost 40 years and the quality of his work and dedication to his craft are well known in the DC-MD-VA area. In addition, Frank is part owner and driver of Millennium Tours bus service. He has always been interested in team sports and played with many of his co-workers on the House Rockers softball team from the late 1980s to the 1990s in the Congressional Softball League. He now enjoys bowling and travels around the country participating in tournaments. Frank is, and always has been, very involved with his church, singing with the choir, performing solos, and participating in services.

On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I personally congratulate Frank on his retirement and thank him for all he has done for this institution. I wish Frank the best and good luck in all his future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to announce the recipients of the 2008 Awarding CAO Excellence, ACE Awards, being recognized by Dan Beard, the House Chief Administrative Officer, CAO, for their particular contributions to the House community over the past year.

This year's award winners are Monica Bar nabae, Nicholas R. Gar ner, John J. Heeb III, Joseph L. Adams, Saint Juan ``Angel'' McFadden, Angel M. Goldsborough-Lee, Susan Marone, Andrew C. Graeub, Brent S. Conran and Marie Bums. Their ACE Awards acknowledge the exceptional efforts made by these employees to provide the highest quality service to the Members, Committees and offices of the House of Representatives. Considered the highest honors awarded to CAO staff, the foundation of these awards are exemplary customer service, a commitment to delivering solutions and the highest standards of performance excellence.

These recipients of the 2008 CAO ACE Awards represent many areas of the CAO organization, perform a variety of jobs and provide a wide range of services to the House community. Whether working directly with Members or staff, supporting CAO inter nal operations or ensuring the technical infrastructure is operational, each serves as an exemplary role model for the entire CAO community. Collectively, and individually, they deliver solutions that fulfill the CAO organization's goal of providing a quality customer experience.

Monica Bar nabae and Nicholas Gar ner are the recipients of the 2008 ``Darrell Norman Excellence Award.'' This award is named after an exemplary CAO employee who died in January of 2007 and whose long-time career with the House exemplified the customer service standards, the performance excellence and the ``can do'' spirit of the CAO organization.

In her role as Director of the House Child Care Center, Monica Bar nabae has been instrumental in directing her staff through several critical undertakings over the past year. She worked to address a number of issues vitally important to the continuing enhancement of the team and the work environment, creating additional professional development opportunities for the staff and improving their job satisfaction. Monica's commitment to, and communications with, both the staff and the parents have been instrumental in improving the Center's operations. Under her leadership this past year, the facility was awarded the revised accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children NAEYC, making it one of the first programs in the country to go through this extensive re-certification process. The center received an 80% or better rating in each of the critical areas of assessment, including teaching, evaluation of child progress, relationships, families, health and leadership and management--all reflective of the attributes of the CAO's standard of excellence.

Nicholas Gar ner, a Senior Office Coordinator in the CAO/AOC Joint Service Center in the Capitol, serves as the primary point of contact for coordinating major renovation projects and events for the House's Leadership Offices and Officers. Nick regularly goes above and beyond the expectations of his customers to meet the offices' needs and to provide a quick and complete solution. He supports a very large number of clients and coordinates an extensive array of customer requests, but yet consistently manages that workload without a hitch. Nick has built and continues to foster solid relationships with the Members and staff he serves--relationships reliant on Nick's approachability, integrity, trust, knowledge, experience and problem solving skills. All of these hallmarks are criteria for selection as a recipient of the ``Darrell Norman Excellence Award.''

John Heeb III and Joseph Adams have been selected for the 2008 ``Knowledge Award.'' John Heeb of the CAO Advanced Business Solutions (CABS) team is recognized for his work in developing the business process designs for the Accounts Receivable Module as part of the ongoing development and configuration process of the House's new financial system (known as ATLAS). His work has been critical in addressing and mitigating potential problem areas with the required Treasury Reports that can be difficult to transition with financial system installations. John took the initiative to master a significant amount of new subject matter and he engaged the appropriate resources in developing the desired reporting capability. He developed an independent analytical tool and drove a meticulous and detailed analysis with the project team to get to the right solution, which included the development of the training materials.

Joseph Adams of CAO Technology Infrastructure Solutions is being acknowledged with the ``Knowledge Award'' as the embodiment of one of the CAO organization's critical attributes: providing expertise and advice to customers. With his exceptional technical ability and his tireless work ethic, Joe seeks constant feedback from his customers by asking the right questions to get to the fundamental user requirements. He is the ``go-to'' person for House data network technical questions and implementation issues. Joe not only directs the day-to-day operations of nine senior engineers and five contractors, but he is responsible for reviewing and approving all network designs. He has directed the Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery, BC/DR, designs for the Alter nate Computing Facility, as well as the Capitol Visitor Center, and he has personally designed voice applications in response to the industry-wide convergence of voice and data technologies.

Saint Juan ``Angel'' McFadden of the CAO Payroll and Benefits team is the recipient of the 2008 ``Simplify the Day Award.'' Angel has the reputation of going the extra mile for her customers, whether they are the staff in Member and Committee offices or her colleagues in the Payroll and Benefits office. When the Payroll and Benefits office carried out an innovations project this past April, Angel was a member of the Payroll ``help desk'' during the project. She was on the front lines of responding to customers by phone and in-person. Although not in a supervisory capacity, and not directed to do so, Angel took the initiative to create a set of procedures for her colleagues on the ``help desk'' that resulted in considerable improvements in client service. Specifically, her ingenuity and persistence in identifying unnecessary processing steps resulted in reducing average cycle time for document imaging from about 39 days to 10 hours, while also eliminating seven unnecessary processing steps.

Angel Goldsborough-Lee of the CAO Technology Support team is being recognized with this year's ``One Team Award.'' Angel consistently demonstrates an ability to reach across teams in support of important CAO and House initiatives. Charged with the oversight of the Escalations Team, she is responsible for managing a dynamic group of support engineers who assist the Technical Support Representatives, TSRs, in the field with identifying and resolving complex problems and keeping customers informed of system outages, house-wide email delays and system failures. Angel's ability to engage and drive team collaboration has been particularly evident this past year in her work with the Exchange 2003 migration effort, the execution of the Daylight Savings Time workstation software upgrade and her coordination with the Committee on House Administration in the delivery of the ``Working Smarter Series,'' which familiarizes House staff with information and services to enhance their day-to-day productivity.

Susan Marone of the Resume Referral/Outplacement Services office is the ``Personalized Solutions'' award recipient. Susan is being recognized for the practical resolutions she devises in response to the unique and varied needs of Member and Committee offices that post their vacancy announcements with the CAO's Resume Referral Service. Relying on her extensive knowledge of Capitol Hill and her exceptional understanding of the day-to- day operations of a Congressional office, and by asking the right questions to help offices identify and articulate their hiring requirements and selection criteria, Susan has been able to tailor her standard posting processes to the needs of each requesting office. This has resulted in a reduction in the time for the requesting office to not only post, but to fill, the

vacancy. In 2007 alone, Susan posted over 486 positions for nearly half of the House Member and Committee offices.

Andrew Graeub and Brent Conran are the recipients of the 2008 ``Jay Eagen Dedicated Award,'' renamed by CAO Dan Beard in honor of the House's previous CAO, whose years of unwavering dedication to the organization and the House have become a standard. Andrew Graeub of the CAO Technology Infrastructure Solutions team is being recognized this year for his dedication and energy as the driving force for the successful design and implementation of data networks for a critical Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) project. Like so many other projects Andrew manages, this one necessitated an exhaustive identification of user requirements from across the House community as well as maintaining proficiency in current networking technologies, while anticipating and expertly evaluating emerging ones. As with most projects of this magnitude, obstacles and challenges arise. Andrew consistently manages and solves those challenges through his blend of technical know-how, customer focus, exceptional interpersonal skills and an infectious positive attitude--all reflective of his dedication to his customers throughout the House community and to his colleagues across the CAO organization.

Brent Conran of CAO Information Systems Security is our second recipient of the ``Jay Eagen Dedicated'' award. Brent is being acknowledged by the CAO organization for his dedication in managing his team of security engineers, responsible for keeping House production security systems up and running, 24/7. Brent is responsible for making sure the network remains secure from hacker attacks, viruses and spam. By staying current with the latest technology and through his ability to maneuver through CAO systems and processes, he has implemented new firewalls, spyware filtering and intrusion detection upgrades that have guaranteed the ongoing security and integrity of House systems. Brent has an insatiable appetite for keeping up with the newest detection technologies. The House benefits from his dedication to keep the institution's computer network secure and his desire to constantly do things better and quicker, staying ahead of the newer and more creative technology threats.

The CAO's final award recipient for 2008 is being acknowledged with the newest ACE award: the ``Green the Capitol Award.'' This new award recognizes an employee who exhibits a commitment to the Green the Capitol Initiative by seeking innovative, cutting-edge approaches to traditional ways of doing business, promoting resource conservation and supporting an environmentally-sustainable and healthier workplace.

Marie Bur ns of the Office Supply/House Gift Shop is the recipient of the first CAO ``Green the Capitol Award.'' Marie is being recognized for her commitment to the Green the Capitol Initiative and her effort to promote its goals within the CAO organization and the larger House community. Specifically, Marie has been involved in driving the purchase and availability of more environmentally-friendly products in the Office Supply Store and the House Gift Shop. As an example, by selling only 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper in the Office Supply Store, the House is helping to save 29,400 grown trees. Marie's personal commitment to the goals of the Green the Capitol Initiative and her leadership in focusing on the sustainability of the House supply chain has been instrumental in raising environmental awareness among her colleagues and the customers she serves.

On behalf of the entire House community, I extend congratulations to Monica Bar nabae, Nicholas Gar ner, John Heeb III, Joseph Adams, Angel McFadden, Angel Goldsborough-Lee, Susan Marone, Andrew Graeub, Brent Conran and Marie Bur ns for their tireless efforts and outstanding service to the Members and staff of the U.S. House of Representatives. I wish this year's group of CAO ACE Award recipients continued success in their endeavors and I look forward to their ongoing contributions in support of the vital work of ``the People's House.''

Madam Speaker, on the occasion of her retirement in April 2008, I rise to thank Mrs. Patty Korin for 11 years of outstanding service to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Patty joined the Chief Administrative Officer, CAO, Financial Solutions Staff in the summer of 1997 as a senior accountant. Patty brought a wealth of accounting expertise relating to the creation of financial statements. Her attention to detail has been a significant contribution to the Accounting department. She has instructed CAO staff on proper accounting usage and written beneficial procedures to assist others. Her passionate customer service, organizational skills, resourcefulness and dedication to her work have benefited Member offices and staff over the past years.

In 1999, Patty received the Distinguished Service Award in recognition of her contribution to the first clean audit opinion for the U.S. House of Representatives.

On behalf of the entire House community, we extend congratulations to Patty for her years of dedication and outstanding service to the U.S. House of Representatives. We wish Patty many wonderful years in fulfilling her retirement dreams.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5493) to provide that the usual day for paying salaries in or under the House of Representatives may be established by regulations of the Committee on House Administration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5493 is a bill to address the frequency of staff pay periods in the House. It provides that the day for paying staff may be regulated by the Committee on House Administration. The House of Representatives currently pays the staff once a month. The executive branch, the Senate, and most private companies pay their employees twice a month or every two weeks.

We are considering a change because once-a-month pay can be difficult for staffers budgeting on a tight paycheck. In addition, the committee's oversight experience with payroll software suggested adopting a more common approach will save money, reduce errors and increase efficiency. Unfortunately, the committee can't change the pay schedule for House staff until we change the law.

This bill will give the committee the authority to change the date that staffers are paid. It won't change the pay schedule right away. Once this bill is enacted, the committee will adopt regulations that change the pay cycle.

I would like to thank my friend and colleague, Mr. Ehlers, for cosponsoring this bill.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1068) permitting active duty members of the Armed Forces who are assigned to a Congressional liaison office of the Department of Defense at the House of Representatives to obtain membership in the exercise facility established for employees of the House of Representatives, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 1068 responds to a specific request from the liaisons who serve in each branch of the military and assist us daily in the House of Representatives. They have just a simple favor to ask that they be allowed to use the House staff gym since they work here far away from the ordinary military fitness facilities.

In order to ensure that the military liaisons can maintain the physical fitness and readiness while they serve in the House, this resolution will allow them to use the House staff gym. The committee will adopt regulations for the use of this facility.

We anticipate that the Armed Forces personnel who use the facility would do so consistently with military policy and, to the extent possible, during off-peak hours.

Again, I would like to thank my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers), for cosponsoring this resolution.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to discharge the Committee on House Administration from further consideration of S. Con. Res. 71 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, would the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, the concurrent resolution provides for the use of the Capitol Rotunda to award the Congressional Gold Medal, and I support the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Michael DeBakey is a pioneer in the field of heart surgery and research. Dr. DeBakey honed his skills as an Army doctor during World War II. While chairman of the Department of Surgery at the Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. DeBakey performed the first heart bypass surgery. He has saved countless lives.

Dr. DeBakey has received a Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Science, as well as awards from the American Medical Association, the American Heart Association, and the Academy of Surgical Research.

We are honored to authorize the use of the Capitol Rotunda to present Dr. DeBakey with the Congressional Gold Medal, and again, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for his support.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks in the Record on the concurrent resolution just considered.

Madam Speaker, on the occasion of his retirement in March of 2008, I rise to thank Mr. Steve Mathis for 21 years of outstanding service to the United States Government, working at the House recording studio here in the U.S. House of Representatives.

A native Californian, Steve graduated from San Diego State University in 1978. He then worked 5 years as a shift supervisor for KPBS-TV. Steve began his House career in the House recording studio's production department in 1980 when ``live'' House television coverage was only a year old. For the next 15 years, Steve was an indispensable member of the House's television floor coverage, recording studio, and radio production crew serving around the clock whenever House sessions required.

After a detour as a production operator at CNN for 6 years, Steve returned to the House in 2002, becoming a television director for both studio shows and House floor coverage. Highlights have included directing the 2008 State of the Union broadcast along with working on numerous other joint sessions with world leaders.

On behalf of the entire House community, I extend congratulations to Mr. Mathis for his many years of dedication and outstanding contributions to the U.S. House of Representatives. We wish him and his wife Paula many wonderful years fulfilling his retirement dreams of visiting every Major League ballpark in the country and taking bicycle trips throughout the world.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate joint resolution (S.J. Res. 25) providing for the appointment of John W. McCarter as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the Record on this Senate joint resolution being considered today.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, Senate Joint Resolution 25 would appoint John W.

McCarter, Jr. as a citizen regent of the Smithsonian for a 6-year term. Mr. McCarter is currently the president and CEO of the Field Museum in Chicago, which is one of our Nation's great cultural institutions.

Mr. McCarter has had a diverse background in government and business in addition to his role in heading one of the Nation's great museums. A native Chicagoan, he previously was senior vice president of Booz Allen & Hamilton, president of DeKalb Corporation, and was budget director of the State of Illinois under Governor Richard B. Ogilvie. He was a White House Fellow during the administration of President Lyndon Johnson.

Mr. McCarter brings a wealth of useful skills to the board. As an experienced museum director, he may prove especially valuable in helping to implement governance reforms at the institution.

Passage of this joint resolution would fill a vacancy on the Smithsonian Board of Regents that has lasted for nearly 1 year. It continues the necessary process of bringing new blood into the Smithsonian Institution. Passage now would allow Mr. McCarter to join the board in time for a vote to appoint a new Secretary, which is expected later this month.

There is still one vacancy remaining among the citizen regents of the Smithsonian. I urge the board to send Congress a recommendation soon, so we can bring it back up to full strength.

I urge approval of the joint resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5159) to establish the Office of the Capitol Visitor Center within the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, headed by the Chief Executive Officer for Visitor Services, to provide for the effective management and administration of the Capitol Visitor Center, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks in the Record on H.R. 5159.

Mr. Speaker, the legislation that I bring to the floor today is the end result of a long journey that goes back to the 104th Congress, when the Capitol Visitor Center, or the CVC, was first debated. Bills were introduced and none were passed. After the 1998 entry by a gunman into the Capitol and shooting of two Capitol police officers, money was appropriated in the Omnibus Consolidated and Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for fiscal year 1999 for the planning, construction, and design of the CVC.

While that bill provided for the bricks and mortar of the CVC, H.R. 5159, the Capitol Visitor Center Act of 2008 is the administrative blueprint or framework for the day-to-day operation and management oversight of the CVC.

H.R. 5159 defines the duties, responsibilities, and roles for a variety of administrative offices such as the Chief Executive Officer of Visitor Services, Office of the Capitol Visitor Center, and the Office of Congressional Accessibility Services. The bill also provides for visitor center services, restaurants, and the gift shop.

This bill does not affect or change staff-led tours in any way.

H.R. 5159 is a bipartisan initiative that received unanimous support and was reported out favorably with an amendment from the Committee on House Administration. I would like to take this time to thank my colleague and cosponsor, the ranking member, Mr. Ehlers, for his assistance and cooperation.

H.R. 5159 will be the first bill by the House to deal with the internal operations and organization of the CVC. H.R. 5159 is a necessary instrument to ensure that the CVC will be able to carry out its main objectives: security, visitor education and comfort. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for all of his cooperation on a day-to-day basis, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 307) expressing the sense of Congress that Members' Congressional papers should be properly maintained and encouraging Members to take all necessary measures to manage and preserve these papers.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks in the Record on H. Con. Res. 307.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is very easy for Members to get caught up in the day- to-day responsibilities of their job. In between regular correspondence, speeches, and vote recommendations, Members accumulate a lot of paper. Most will not give consideration to the importance of this paper until the end or middle of their careers.

The papers generated by Members while in office reflect the issues of the day and are of historical benefit to students, scholars, and citizens in understanding the role of the House of Representatives in the Federal Government.

Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 307 is a concurrent resolution that reminds Members of the importance of maintaining and archiving their papers so that future leaders and citizens of history may learn and understand the decisions that we have made. I urge passage of H. Con. Res. 307.

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

I thank the ranking member, Mr. Ehlers, for your cooperation. It is a pleasure working with you from day to day.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 989.

Madam Speaker, on February 12th the Committee on House Administration unanimously recommended dismissal of the election contest relating to the 13th Congressional district of Florida. The late Chairwoman Juanita Millender-McDonald had established a task force to investigative this contest election in which over 18,000 ballots did not show a vote cast for the U.S. Congressional race in Sarasota County, Florida. Former judge, and our colleague, Representative Charles Gonzalez was appointed Chair, along with Representatives Lofgren and McCarthy as members of the task force. After the task force established the need to investigate, every vote to determine the scope and direction of the investigation was unanimous.

The task force engaged the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to explore whether the voting machines used in Sarasota County contributed to the unusually high number of undervotes. GAO also was instructed to assess whether additional voting machines testing was needed. When GAO recommended further testing in October 2007, the task force directed the GAO to design and execute testing protocols to determine the reliability of the Sarasota County voting equipment.

Last week, the GAO presented its findings and conclusions to the task force. They found that the Sarasota County voting machines did not contribute to the large undervote in the Congressional race for the 13th District of Florida. The GAO acknowledged that the undervote could have been caused by voters who chose not vote for that race, or by voters who did not properly cast their ballots because of poor ballot design. In any case, the machines were not the culprits. Since that time, some groups have attacked the GAO study as imprecise for a host of speculative reasons. However, the Contestant's central argument in the election contest before the committee was that voting machine malfunction caused the abnormal undervote, and GAO's focus of analysis was directed solely to the voting machine malfunction issue.

Under the Federal Contested Election Act, a Contestant must submit allegations that, if proven, would have altered the election outcome. The task force and the Committee on House Administration have conducted a thorough investigation and believe that the findings of the GAO are compelling. Therefore, the Contestant's argument that malfunctioning electronic voting machines caused the 18,000 undervote in Sarasota County was not supported. For this reason, I urge members to support to passage of House Resolution 989 to dismiss this election contest.

Madam Speaker, on the occasion of her retirement in January 2008, we rise to thank Ms. Elaine Comer for 32 years of outstanding service to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Elaine began her career at the House as a Programmer Analyst at House Information Resources (HIR) and has held and mastered many positions, each with increasing responsibility as she continually served this great institution as a valuable employee of HIR within the Office of the Chief Administrator.

In the mid-1970s, when the House first began using minicomputers, Elaine designed, developed, and implemented the first House-developed Member Office Support System, as well as mission-critical legislative systems. Elaine was selected to represent the House in a cross- government team with the Senate and the White House that resulted in the House-wide implementation of an integrated Local Area Network (LAN) to support House committees. These accomplishments led to her instrumental involvement in an HIR-wide PC LAN implementation automating project management and time accounting.

Elaine's management abilities were showcased as she oversaw project support to 30 mission-critical House applications, provided key coordination in the modernization of the Data Center, was appointed the HIR representative to the CAO Business Process Improvement Team, and led the Process and Procedures project that supports the House Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery Program. Elaine's contributions to the House culminated in her expert management of the Configuration Management and Quality Assurance programs for the CAO.

On behalf of the entire House community, we extend congratulations to Elaine for her many years of dedication and outstanding contributions to the U.S. House of Representatives. We wish Elaine many wonderful years in fulfilling her retirement dreams.