Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Grace Church in the Borough of Madison, Morris County, New Jersey, a vibrant community I am proud to represent! On November 4, 2006, the good citizens of Madison celebrated Grace Church's 150th Anniversary.

Grace Church, the oldest building in Madison, New Jersey still being used for its original purpose, is one of the largest congregations in the Episcopal Diocese of Newark. The first church service was held on April 13, 1856. When completed, the building, including bell and organ, cost about $9000 and seated two hundred persons. One hundred and fifty years later Grace Church is undergoing a $3,000,000 capital campaign to enlarge the existing structure to meet the needs of a still growing congregation.

The earlier years in the history of Grace Church were marked by building and consolidating, participation of a wide segment of the community: black and white, abolitionist and slave owners, recent immigrants and colonial heirs. A new era for Grace Church arrived when more than ninety millionaires moved to Morristown and neighboring towns, many of whom were Episcopalian. Their generosity enabled the church to enlarge, but, unfortunately, membership did not grow as there was no need to broaden the financial base with increased membership. That changed after World War II, with the population explosion that followed the war and the resulting exodus to the suburbs. This brought Grace Church to a new era in its history and in the 1950's the church underwent a major expansion.

Today Grace Church's congregation includes parishioners from all the neighboring towns and its primary focus is outreach. A wonderful choir, with members of all ages, a large and active youth program, and many adult ministries fill the church 7 days a week. Under the leadership of the Reverend Lauren Ackland, the membership continues to grow.

Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating Grace Church of Madison on the celebration of its 150 years serving its parishioners County.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor St. John's Episcopal Church in the Town of Boonton, Morris County, New Jersey, a vibrant community I am proud to represent! On October 21, 2006, the good citizens of Boonton will celebrate St. John's Episcopal Church's 150th Anniversary.

St. John's Episcopal Church was established in 1856, when the Reverend Charles F. Hoffman began holding services at a building on Main Street in Boonton. The Reverend Francis D. Canfield became Rector later that year and was responsible for leading his congregation to finance and build their own church. The plans were drawn by an architect renowned for the designs of such magnificent structures as Trinity Church, Trinity Chapel and St. Thomas' in New York City. The cornerstone of St. John's Church of Boonton was laid on July 8, 1863. The total cost of the building amounted to $3,600. The building was completed in three months and consecrated on October 13, 1863. Two years later the grounds were graded and enclosed in stone. The Reverend Canfield, in addition to his regular responsibilities, was responsible for raising much of the money needed to build the church.

St. John's is also graced by its E. & G. G. Hook Company Opus 394 pipe organ, which was installed in the north transept in 1893. The organ company was one of the foremost makers of fine pipe organs in the 19th century. The organ has been in continuous service since its installation and is dedicated to Eleanor Bidwell, St. John's organist- choirmaster for 37 years, through 2001.

St. John's continues to be a vital part of the greater Boonton area to this day, hosting regular luncheons for the needy and helping to support the local Cedar Street Community Development Corporation, the Boy Scouts, the Seamen's Church Institute, and the Boonton Food Bank.

Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating St. John's Episcopal Church of Boonton on the celebration of its 150 years serving Morris County.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the New Vernon Volunteer Fire Department, in the Township of Harding, Morris County, New Jersey, a patriotic community that I am proud to represent! On September 30, 2006 the good citizens of Harding Township and the surrounding area will celebrate the New Vernon Fire Department's 85th anniversary at their 54th annual auction.

New Vernon, in the early 20th century, was a small community within Passaic Township with about 300 scattered homes with no electricity or radio. The Postmaster and keeper of the general store owned a large coach with a long seat on each side, which he used to take groups on picnics and other outings. When someone heard of a fire, he hitched his team to the coach and took the available men to the site of the fire. In the absence of a water supply and pumps, the best they could do was to pass buckets of water from hand to hand. Residents were eager for a fire department. The New Vernon Volunteer Fire Department was formally incorporated in 1921 with approximately 21 members along with the Ladies Auxiliary of approximately 35 members.

The all volunteer fire department has never received financial support through taxation. A large portion of the financial support in 1924 came from a carnival fundraiser, dinners and square dances; today, and for the past 54 years, an all-day auction, annual steak and lobster dinners, pancake breakfasts and soup contests have successfully raised a majority of the money needed to support the fire department. These events also are known to be opportunities for town residents to get together.

During the first 50 years of the department's history, the fire department responded to over 1,000 calls. In 1995, along with the First Aid Squad, they responded to more than 400 calls in that year alone.

Today, New Vernon Volunteer Fire Department Chief Ken Noetzli and his 60 volunteer firemen respond within an area that includes over 1,000 homes and a major interstate highway. The number of members has grown from 21 to 60.

Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating the New Vernon Volunteer Fire Department on its 85 years of protecting one of New Jersey's finest municipalities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Morris Land Conservancy, located Morris County, New Jersey, a county I am proud to represent! On October, 19, 2006, the Morris Land Conservancy will celebrate its 25th Anniversary with a reception to honor twenty-five years of land preservation within Morris County.

Incorporated on July 30, 1981, the Morris County Parks and Conservation Foundation was created by Russell W. Myers, the first director of the Morris County Park Commission. A seven member Board of Trustees guided the original organization. Today the organization, now known as Morris Land Conservancy, is governed by a board of twenty-five outstanding civic and business leaders. The mission continues to be ``to preserve land and protect water resources, focusing on northern New Jersey; to conserve open space; to inspire and empower individuals and communities to preserve land and the environment.''

During its history, the Conservancy has evolved from an all-volunteer organization to a state leader in open space preservation. Over 10,000 acres of open space land has been preserved in northern New Jersey. Programs developed to further the Conservancy's mission include: the award winning Partners for Greener Communities, which offers technical assistance on open space planning and land preservation to municipalities; a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Resource Center that produces professional maps for use throughout the state to target critical open space lands for preservation; and the nationally recognized Partners for Parks Program which has organized over 5,200 volunteers from 65 corporations and civic groups to do one day community service projects in seventy-three different parks in the past ten years!

In the early 1990's, the organization became actively involved in the movement to preserve the Highlands. The Conservancy helped organize the Farny Highlands Watershed Coalition, a partnership of more than thirty towns and conservation groups dedicated to preserving the region known as ``heart of the Highlands''.

The Conservancy has grown dramatically since it was established in 1981. The original 56 members now number more than 1400, all working to preserve important properties and add them to the network of local, county and state parks throughout the region.

Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating Morris Land Conservancy on its twenty-fifth Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Great Swamp Watershed Association, based in Harding Township, Morris County, New Jersey, a vibrant community which I am proud to represent. On November 17, 2006, the Great Swamp Watershed Association will be celebrating 25 years of preserving land and water resources in over forty municipalities throughout New Jersey.

In 1981, the Great Swamp Watershed Association was formed to protect land and water and encourage good management policies and practices in the 36,000 acres in the watershed. The Association was formed by a group of citizens concerned about the potential development of a jet port where the refuge is currently located. Starting as a small grass- roots organization, the Great Swamp Watershed Association has today grown to cover 55

square miles and serves thousands of households in over forty municipalities in New Jersey. Five streams in the watershed form the Passaic River, which provides drinking water for over a million New Jersey residents!

In 2002 the Great Swamp Watershed Association produced ``Doing Water Right,'' a video and instruction manual to demonstrate the benefits and application of ``blue-water'' technologies in support of proposed state storm water regulations. The Association's programs have received local, regional and national awards.

The Great Swamp Watershed Association has preserved local streams, protected environmentally sensitive land threatened by development, and promoted environmental education for all age groups. The Association also is responsible for land advocacy and water quality testing within the watershed. Most of this work is done by a dedicated and devoted group of volunteers from across the area.

Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating the members of the Great Swamp Watershed Association on its 25th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, taking Mr. Murtha's admonition, I rise in strong support of the bill and especially draw attention to the need to get the money out the door through the bridge fund.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5631, making appropriations for the Department of Defense of FY '07.

I commend the leadership of the Committee--Chairmen Lewis and Young, and Ranking Members Obey and Murtha--for their hard work in producing well-balanced bill that meets the needs of our warfighters today and lays the foundation for a strong national defense in the future.

This conference agreement provides $447.6 billion, including $70 billion in ``bridge funding'' to support our missions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and global war on terrorism.

The total is about $4.1 billion less than the President's budget request, but it is over $19 billion more than last year's DoD appropriations act.

Yet still, within this limited allocation, the conference report provides important resources for our warfighters:

aircraft

F/A-22 Raptor--$2.7 billion to procure 20 F-22s next year, nearly double what was requested by the Administration.

F-35 Lightening Joint Strike Fighter--almost $5 billion for development and procurement of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).

Hercules Cargo Planes--$787 million for nine Air Force C-130Js, and $243 million for Marine Corps KC-130Js.

ships

New Assault Ship--$2.6 billion for two of the Navy's next-generation surface combat ship, the DD(X).

LHA Amphibious Assault Ship--$1.1 billion for the LHA Amphibious Assault Ship.

Attack Submarine--$2.5 billion, equal to the administration's request, for procurement of the next Virginia-class new attack- submarine.

Missile Defense

The conference report provides $9.4 billion for missile defense programs--$110 million more than the President's budget request, and almost $1.6 billion (20%) more than current funding. We also provide for the initial deployment of a national missile defense system based in Alaska and California.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution marking the fifth anniversary of the vicious attacks on America.

It was 5 years ago this past Monday, our Nation utterly changed as tragedy struck in the streets of Lower Manhattan, the fields of Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon.

On that day we also saw good rise in the face of evil and heroes rise in the face of danger. In Lower Manhattan, many of our brave first responders knew the risks they were taking, but they were determined to do their job. Police officers and EMS workers escorted workers out of the burning buildings as firefighters raced up stairwells of these same buildings to rescue those trapped high above.

When the day was over and as we learned more about the tragic and, yes, murderous attacks, we lost nearly 3,000 Americans, including 700 from my home State of New Jersey, and that is why I am here this afternoon. We witnessed neighbors and friends consoling one another and watched as Americans from all walks of life stood united.

As America rebounds and recovers, our Nation is responding to these acts of terrorism with the might of our military.

The war we continue to fight today began before September 11, as others have stated. But on September 11 it began without provocation and without warning. It was not a war of our choosing, but rather was made our priority. It was the slaughter of innocents by people with a twisted sense of religion who play by no rules.

So many of our heroes currently fighting terrorism around the globe put their lives on hold after September 11 to join the Guard and Reserve to serve our country and defend our freedom. They serve side by side with the regular military, volunteers all. We see the character and resolve of America in these brave young men and women, and we are grateful for their service and sacrifice and that of their families each and every day. They truly are doing the work of freedom, and they deserve our support and prayers.

May God bless those who continue to defend those freedoms, and may we

never forget September 11, 2001, and those who lost their lives on that day of infamy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join with me in paying tribute to a man who dedicated his life to the United States Armed Forces. John Basilone, born in 1916, served in the United States Army from 1934 until 1937 and in the United States Marines from 1942 until his death in 1945. Each year, since 1981, the good citizens of the Borough of Raritan, Somerset County, a vibrant community I am proud to represent, sponsor a parade in memory of John Basilone. The 25th Annual John Basilone Parade will take place on Sunday, September 25, 2006.

John Basilone, native of Raritan, New Jersey, served an honorable career in defense of our country. For heroics performed on the invasion of Guadalcanal in August of 1942, Mr. Basilone was awarded The Congressional Medal of Honor. Without fear for his life, he unabashedly commanded his fellow troops and sought to bring the United States to victory.

After returning from duty in Guadalcanal, John went home to Raritan to be honored by his friends and family for his courage and bravery. However, it was not long before Basilone sought another mission on behalf of his country. The Marines granted his wish to be sent back overseas in December of 1943.

On February 19th of 1945 the Marines, including John, landed on the island of Iwo Jima. After giving the Marines a chance to wade ashore, the Japanese opened fire on defenseless United States soldiers. Brave men with leadership ability were needed to rally the troops. John Basilone rose to the occasion. Many survivors of the battle recall that in the midst of fighting there was one Marine out in the open, directing and rallying the men. It was John Basilone.

Mr. Basilone was hit with a mortar shell and died of his wounds shortly thereafter on the island of Iwo Jima. For his actions that day, John Basilone was awarded The Navy Cross. According to his official biography, John Basilone remains the only soldier, non-officer, in United States history to be awarded both The Congressional Medal of honor and The Navy Cross.

Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating the citizens of Raritan and the John Basilone Parade participants for celebrating the life of a fine man and true American hero.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Boonton Fire Department, in the Town of Boonton, Morris County, New Jersey, a patriotic community that I am proud to represent. On Saturday, September 2, 2006 the good people of the Town of Boonton celebrated the Fire Company's 115th Anniversary with their annual parade and carnival.

For 115 years, the Boonton Fire Department has been protecting and serving the residents of their community and nearby towns. Featuring five companies, each with their own unique and vibrant history, this Fire Department embodies the ideas of brotherly love and teamwork for the betterment of their communities.

Currently, the fire department, led by Fire Chief Pete Herbert, is made up entirely of volunteers, who live in or around the Town of Boonton. They are men and women who ``volunteer their time to protect and educate the residents of Boonton.''

Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating the volunteers of the Boonton Fire Department on celebrating 115 years of a rich history in the protection of one of New Jersey's finest municipalities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Chatham Township, in Morris County, NJ a vibrant community I am proud to represent. On September 9, 2006, the good citizens of Chatham Township are commemorating their bicentennial anniversary celebration with a day long extravaganza featuring a Fireman's Parade and an old-fashioned country fair.

In 1806 the Commonwealth of New Jersey officially incorporated the 23 square miles of land to the north and east of the Great Swamp and west of the Passaic River as the Township of Chatham. It originally included the areas that are now the boroughs of Chatham, Madison and Florham Park. The coming of the Morris and Essex Railroad in 1837 led to sharp increases in the population of the township which resulted in incorporating Chatham, Madison and Florham Park as separate boroughs.

In the late 1870s and 1880s the area became a center of the rose- growing industry. The specialty of one of the greenhouses was the American Beauty rose with a 5-foot-long stem. At Christmas they were sent to European royalty. Fifty were also sent to Queen Victoria in recognition of her golden anniversary.

After a 5-year construction ban during World War II, large farms gave way to luxurious home sites. Former rose farms became two major shopping centers at the comer known as Hickory Tree, named for a hickory tree planted during President James Madison's term.

In 1959 the Port Authority of New Jersey and New York considered the Great Swamp to be the ideal location for a major metropolitan airport. Through the massive efforts of area residents, the Great Swamp was secured through donations as a federally protected wilderness area now known as the Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge, a national treasure.

High above the Passaic River on the east side of town, the Little Red School House was built in 1860. A school until 1928, the building eventually became the property of the township and housed the police and administrative offices until 1988. Today the historic building appropriately houses the Township Museum and Historical Society.

Today Chatham Township consists of 9 square miles housing 10,000 people. The

horse farms, dairy farms and rose greenhouses are gone, but the five- person township committee form of government continues as it was in 1806.

Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating the residents of Chatham Township on the celebration of 200 years of rich history and the building of one of New Jersey's finest municipalities.

Madam Speaker, I rise to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo), chairman of the Committee on Resources, for bringing through the House of Representatives S. 203, the National Heritage Areas Act of 2005, legislation that establishes the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area and designates a number of other National Heritage Areas.

This legislation will establish a National Heritage Area that enables New Jersey's critical role in the American Revolution to be fully understood and appreciated. It would combine the opportunity to protect and preserve historic sites, retain the aesthetic character of the landscape, and provide recreational opportunities.

New Jersey was quite literally the crossroads of America's Revolutionary War. New Jersey represented a turning point in the Revolution, too, as America's struggle for Independence was nearly lost. More Revolutionary War battles were engaged in New Jersey than in any other state, nearly 300, and it is high time our state receives the recognition it deserves.

The establishment of the Crossroads National Heritage Area has long been in the works. In the 107th Congress, I introduced the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Act along with Representative Holt.

In the Fiscal Year 2000 Interior Appropriations Act, I secured funding for the Secretary of Interior to conduct a ``Special Resources Study'' of the Crossroads region in New Jersey. On July 8, 2002 the study was released. The study specifies that the Crossroads of the American Revolution region and the people of New Jersey will create a unique sense of place; one of protected Revolutionary War landscapes and cultural sites, recreational opportunities and compatible economic development. The study area included 15 counties spanning the state from Morris, Bergen and Passaic in the north to Camden and Gloucester in the south. It is within this region that most of the Revolutionary War actions occurred and it contains a preponderance of New Jersey's existing American Revolutionary resources.

This legislation highlights New Jersey's unequaled heritage and shows how our spectacular landscape contributed to the winning of the Revolutionary War. In conclusion, I believe the establishment of the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area will provide the direction and resources needed to maintain what the area has to offer for generations to come. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Noah's Ark Animal Welfare Association. This summer, Noah's Ark Animal Welfare Association celebrates its 40th Anniversary of caring for animals in a sheltered environment.

Eight very kind-hearted women from Morris County started Noah's Ark in 1966 with hopes of curtailing the pet overpopulation problem and promoting animal welfare. Noah's Ark provides homeless animals with a clean and comfortable living environment, food, veterinary care, and lots of warm attention. Under no circumstances are any of the animals taken to Noah's Ark subject to euthanization.

Since 1966, life expectancy for animals has increased significantly thanks to more specialized food and improved health care. Comprehensive spay and neuter operations have expanded dramatically. With these improvements in the quality of life for animals comes an increase in cost of caring for a pet! Noah's Ark continues to be an instrumental resource for those families that can no longer afford to keep their pets.

Thanks to the hospitable residents of Northern Jersey, thousands of animals have been saved in the past 40 years. By selflessly opening their homes to wonderful cats and dogs and generously offering monetary donations, a very supportive network of donors and volunteers have helped Noah's Ark to grow.

Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to join me in applauding the impressive efforts of the Noah's Ark Animal Welfare Association over the past 40 years and for their fine example of service to our community.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Science, State Justice and Commerce Appropriations bill for Fiscal 2007 and commend the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the full committee and the subcommittee for producing a bill that is worthy of support.

While there are many laudable provisions of this bill, I would like to turn the House's attention to an amendment offered in full committee last week by the gentleman from New York, Mr. Sweeney.

My colleagues, many American families have long stood vigil on behalf of their family members who were murdered on December 21, 1988 on Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie Scotland. We must never forget the pain and suffering of the families affected by this horrible act and Muammar Qadhafi and others must be held responsible.

It is our job today to ensure that America requires Libya to fully honor its commitment to the victims of Pan Am 103.

In recent years, the Libyan government has come forward and expressed an interest in becoming a member of the international community.

However, at the same time, I remain concerned that Libya has yet to meet its financial

commitments to the families of the Americans killed in Pan Am Flight 103 and may be implying that all claims in this case are settled.

It is imperative that the Libyan government meet its commitments before diplomatic relations are restored. We must be resolute in the face of terrorism and we must hold Libya to their commitment to their victims' families.

As we are aware, Libya made a commitment in 2003 to pay compensation to these families in the amount of $2.7 billion. While part of that package has been paid, $536 million of the settlement is still outstanding.

Under the agreement reached with the families, this money was to be paid upon Libya's removal from the list of state sponsors of terror. Now that this has happened, the United States Government must stand on principle and prevent our families from being victimized again.

The Sweeney amendment has a simple purpose--to bar our Government from funding any activity related to restoring diplomatic relations with Libya until Libya honors the financial commitments it made to the families of the victims of the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103.

And, even more important than the financial obligation is the need to bring those responsible for the destruction of Flight 103 to justice. Money can never compensate for the cold-blooded murders by state- sponsored acts of terror.

Mr Chairman, I urge support for the amendment and the base appropriations bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Denville Fire Department,

in the Township of Denville, Morris County, New Jersey, a patriotic community that I am proud to represent. On June 27, 2006, the good citizens of Denville will begin commemorating the 80th anniversary of their esteemed fire company with the Fire Department's Annual 5 day Carnival.

In 1926, members of the Denville Athletic Club convened to discuss the growing need for fire-protection service for the town's 1200 residents. On June 26, 1926, the Denville Fire Department's first division--the Main Street Company--was officially born, led by inaugural chief Benjamin Kinsey. The Department began with more than 20 men, starting an all-volunteer tradition that continues to this day. Among the fledgling department's first purchases was a gleaming 1926 American La France pumping engine, which today remains one of the department's most treasured heirlooms.

The Denville Fire Department responded to its first distress call on August 11, 1926, and capably extinguished a dangerous roof fire. That successful operation signaled the beginning of a long history of dependable fire protection.

Since that time, the Denville Fire Department has consistently demonstrated its commitment to protecting Denville's citizens, as well as providing mutual aid to surrounding municipalities. Currently, the department is comprised of three separate divisions--the Main Street Company, the Union Hill Company, and the Valley View Company, all of which are overseen by Chief John Egbert. Today, the Denville Fire Department boasts a membership of 70 volunteers who proudly ensure the safety of local residents.

Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating the volunteers of the Denville Fire Department on the celebration of 80 years of a rich history protecting one of New Jersey's finest municipalities!

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Brookside Engine Company No. 1 in the Mendham Township Fire Department and the Mendham Township Police Department, in the Township of Mendham, New Jersey, a patriotic community that I am proud to represent. On July 4, 2006, the good citizens of Mendham Township will celebrate two historic occasions with a special festivities and a parade: the 90th anniversary of Brookside Engine Company No. 1, and the 50th anniversary of the Mendham Township Police Department.

Brookside Engine Company No. 1 was founded on January 16, 1916, with 20 devoted charter members. During the ensuing 90 years, Brookside Engine Company No. 1, composed entirely of volunteers, has been dutifully serving the community and surrounding towns.

Today, Brookside Engine Company No. 1 is led by Fire Chief Sam Tolley, who presides over a membership of 45 regular volunteers and a junior division of more than 12 members between 16 and 18 years of age.

The Mendham Township Police Department was officially established on March 12, 1956. During its 50 years of existence, the department has employed a total of seven chiefs, a testament to its sterling reputation.

In 1994, Thomas J. Costanza was promoted to chief, a position he holds today. To support him, the department has 15 full-time officers. These courageous police officers continue to serve their community with integrity and honor, providing safety and protection to the residents of Mendham Township.

Mr. Speaker, I urge you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating the volunteers of Brookside Engine Company No. 1 on 90 years of rich history, and the officers of the Mendham Township Police Department for 50 years of commendable service.