Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this Peruvian Trade Agreement. We know that it has been increasingly difficult to pass measures out of this Congress in a bipartisan fashion, and it is unfortunate. I still believe that this Congress functions best when you can work in a bipartisan manner.

The vote tomorrow on the Peruvian Trade Agreement will be different. It will be different because we are embarking upon a new historic template on these trade agreements, one that embodies core international labor standards and environmental standards for the very first time in these trade agreements, fully enforceable, like any other provision in the agreements.

This debate tonight isn't about whether the United States of America should remain positively engaged with other countries around the world, whether we should be trading. We are less than 4 percent of the world's population. Of course we have to trade.

Rather, the debate is what the rules of trade should be, and will we do everything we can to begin elevating standards upwards across the globe or to continue to see this race to the bottom for the lowest common denominator. With core labor standards and environmental standards in the body of the agreement, we are, for the first time, leveling the playing field for our workers so they can successfully compete in the global marketplace.

But I also believe that trade is more than just goods and products and services crossing borders. It is an important part of our diplomatic arsenal, because when goods and products do cross borders, I believe armies don't.

I commend the leadership of our committee, the leadership of our respective parties, and also the President and Susan Schwab, our USTR, for coming to agreement on this historic trade measure.

But there is one cautionary note I would give to the current administration and future administrations, and it is the best argument that the opposition has here tonight, and that is if administrations refuse to enforce these provisions, it will prove increasingly more difficult to pass future trade agreements out of this body and we will continue to lose the confidence of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the agreement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3997, the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax, HEART Act of 2007. This bill provides a number of much-needed and deserved tax benefits to members of the military, their families, and veterans. Specifically, I am proud that the Qualified Veterans' Mortgage Bonds, QVMB, program, which impacts my home State of Wisconsin, was renewed and reformed so that the dream of home-ownership will continue to be a reality for thousands of veterans.

Under the HEART Act, the QVMB program will be expanded to allow $100 million annually in tax-exempt bonding for the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, WDVA, State veterans home loan program--enough funding to aid about 600 State veterans in obtaining low-interest rate home loans. This program is more important now than ever before with the ongoing credit crisis in this country, and I am proud we were able to expand this crucial program, In Wisconsin alone, the WDVA has made over 54,000 home loans to veterans through this program.

Our military servicemen and women have sacrificed a great deal to protect the freedoms that we so deeply cherish in this country. Their sacrifices and extended tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, however, have placed greater economic hardships on their families here at home. The bill before us today will help alleviate some of those hardships by giving military families much needed and deserved tax relief and making permanent some of the temporary provisions that Congress has previously enacted.

The HEART Act is one simple but significant way we can thank our troops for their service to our country. I thank Chairman Rangel and Ranking Member McCrery for their bipartisan leadership on this legislation and I urge my colleagues to support our men and women in the military by passing this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 770 which encourages the designation of a National Veterans History Project Week. This resolution encourages increased public participation in the Veterans History Project.

As you may know, the Veterans History Project collects and saves the stories of America's veterans who have bravely served this country from World War I to today's conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. This project provides Americans an important way to honor our soldiers: by preserving the story of their service, in their own words, for the use and benefit of future generations.

In 2000, I authored and Congress unanimously passed legislation creating the Veterans History Project. Since its beginning, the project has collected more than 50,000 stories and documents. In addition, the Veterans History Project was honored by Harvard University as one of the finalists for the Innovations in American Government Award competition in 2005.

We must get the word out to all veterans about this important initiative. We have millions of wartime veterans and civilians in this country and their stories are a reminder to us all of the costs of the freedoms we so deeply cherish. Let this resolution also serve as a reminder to the distinguished members of this body that the decisions we make here in Washington have a far-reaching impact in the homes and communities all over this great country. We must support these brave men and women whom we send out to the front lines to fight for the freedoms we are privileged to enjoy.

Since the beginning of our Nation, the soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines of the armed forces have been called on to risk their lives and fight for the ideals that make America great. Regardless of what one thinks about the wars that they fought in, or the wisdom of our involvement, all Americans must agree that the men and women of our armed forces have responded to the call of their country and performed with honor and dignity. War veterans and the civilians who have supported them all across this Nation have stepped forward once again, this time answering the call of civic duty by recording their stories and contributing personal documents for the Veterans History Project. Their participation ensures that their accounts are recorded and preserved, becoming a part of this Nation's memory and history.

The volume of materials already collected by the Veterans History Project is a testament to its success. I believe, however, we can do even better. By passing this resolution today, we can encourage more participation in this important program and ensure that this vital collection of American history continues to grow even further.

Capturing the stories of our war veterans is more important now than ever before. Every day, America loses over 1,000 of our aging World War II veterans and with them, their firsthand accounts of that war. As our country faces new challenges and threats in foreign policy, we must not forget the events and lessons of World War II. That is why it is imperative that we capture the stories and personal histories of those veterans today before it is too late. The Veterans History Project is instrumental in accomplishing this important goal.

I call upon all members of this body to publicize and promote the Veterans History Project in their own districts and communities. I cannot think of a better way to honor our veterans than by trying to preserve as many of their memories and stories as possible.

I commend the gentleman from Nevada for introducing this resolution and I strongly urge my colleagues for their support.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2262 because it will finally compensate American taxpayers for the minerals that are extracted from public federal lands and, at the same time, dedicate this revenue to restoring wildlife habitat, drinking water supplies, and other natural resources that have been ruined by mining operations. Mr. Chairman, these changes are long overdue, and I commend Chairman Rahall for bringing this bill to the floor today.

The importance of mining to the settlement and development of the West and to western economies today cannot be overstated. Therefore, this bill does not seek to destroy the U.S. mining industry, but to bring it out of the 19th century and into the 21st. The Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act at long last will force U.S. law to recognize that our public lands belong to all U.S. citizens, and any activities or industries that utilize those lands must do so for the benefit of all Americans. This bill will hold the mining industry responsible for the public minerals it extracts and for the environmental consequences of their operations.

For the past 135 years, the mining industry has had easy access to federal lands and was free to take what it wanted and then leave the lands in whatever condition they chose. The American taxpayer gave up their rights to these minerals and then took up the bill for cleaning up lands polluted with toxic chemicals. H.R. 2262 rightfully imposes a royalty fee on mining companies, similar to that paid by oil, coal, and natural gas companies who drill and mine on federal lands, which the Department of the Interior will use to fund environmental restoration and reclamation of abandoned mines. It is only fair that the mining industry pay to repair the damage it has done to natural resources, including drinking water supplies and prime habitat for wildlife and outdoor recreation.

This last point is very important to me. As an avid hunter and outdoorsman, it is critically important to me that we maintain our Nation's natural heritage for current and future generations. Federal lands harbor some of the most important fish and wildlife habitat and provide some of the finest hunting and angling opportunities in the country. For example, public lands contain more than 50 percent of the Nation's blue-ribbon trout streams and are strongholds for imperiled trout and salmon in the western United States. More than 80 percent of the most critical habitat for elk is found on lands managed by the Forest Service and the BLM, alone. Pronghorn antelope, sage grouse, mule deer, salmon and steelhead, and countless other fish and wildlife species are similarly dependent on public lands.

That is why sportsmen's organizations around the country support reform of the Mining Law of 1872. By passing this bill today, we will ensure the continued viability of wildlife habitat and the continued ability of hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts to pursue and pass on our sporting heritage.

Mr. Chairman, H.R. 2262 just makes good sense. By holding the mining industry accountable for its own actions and making it live up to certain basic environmental standards, this bill will protect the rights of all American citizens while ensuring that mining will continue in a balanced and responsible manner. I support H.R. 2262, and I urge my colleagues to vote for its passage today.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of the Trade and Globalization Assistance Act so that all American workers will be able to realize the benefits of the global economy. H.R. 3920 will update our system of trade adjustment assistance, TAA, to include service sector employees, strengthen benefit levels and duration, improve worker training, and stimulate economic recovery in affected communities. These are needed changes to ensure that workers affected by globalization are taken care of if their job is lost.

International trade is an essential part of the American economy today and in the future. In fact, total U.S. trade of goods and services last year totaled $3.6 trillion. The reduction of trade barriers in recent years has led to a corresponding increase in trade volume, to the benefit of both American businesses and American consumers. Knowing that these benefits do not accrue evenly across all industries, however, Congress established the TAA program to help smooth the transition for workers who have to make the shift to a more competitive field.

The safety net for outsourced jobs, which consists of extended unemployment benefits, worker training, and a health care tax credit, was first enacted in 1962 and updated in 2002. This update, however, did not go far enough to bring the program up to date with current trade and labor realities. For one, the benefits currently extend only to workers in the manufacturing sector, despite the fact that a growing percentage of jobs shifted overseas have been from the services sector, such as telemarketing and financial services. Since the nature of the American economy has moved away from a reliance on manufacturing, it only makes sense that workers in the services sector be eligible for the same support as industrial workers.

The bill makes a number of other changes to strengthen TAA benefits, including an increase in the health care tax credit, an extension of income support and training period, and a large increase in the overall funding level to ensure that no eligible worker is turned away due to lack of program funds.

But H.R. 3920 also takes the TAA program beyond the effects on individual workers by offering new tax incentives for investment in distressed communities that have lost manufacturing jobs. The whole notion of worker assistance is meaningless without creating new jobs for displaced employees. Targeting investment into communities with an available workforce would benefit employers and employees alike and maintain vibrant towns and cities across this Nation.

Finally, this bill considers the needs of the larger Federal-State unemployment insurance (UI) system by dedicating $100 million annually for the States to improve UI administration. Additional funding for this purpose would also be available from Federal unemployment trust funds. This money would be an incentive for States to cover part-time, low-wage, and other workers in State UI laws.

I look forward to passing this bill today in anticipation of also passing pending trade deals in the coming weeks and months. By giving our businesses the freedom they need to sell American goods and services abroad, we are ensuring that the American economy will stay strong and competitive in the future. By assuring our employees that there will always be a place for good American workers, we will ensure a strong labor force capable of evolving along with the global economy.

I support H.R. 3920, and I urge my colleagues to vote for it today.

I thank the gentleman for yielding to me and commend him for his leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I reluctantly rise in opposition to the substitute being offered to us today and in strong support of the Trade and Globalization Assistance Act that we have been debating this afternoon.

I believe that in order to forge a renewed consensus in support of trade in this country, we really need to accomplish three things: One is we need a new template on trade agreements, one that I think will be reflected with the Peru trade agreement that will come to the floor next week that calls for core international labor standards and environmental standards in the bulk of the agreement so we begin to level the trading field.

Another important ingredient is the strong enforcement of trade agreements by this administration and future administrations so that workers and businesses alike know that everyone is playing by the same rules and if they are not, there will be consequences.

Finally, there has to be assurance to the workers of this country that when they do feel the adverse affects of globalization and job displacement or downsizing or outsourcing, there will be adequate programs there to assist them to get on their feet, from job training funding to adequate health care coverage during a very difficult and oftentimes traumatic moment in their lives.

Unfortunately, the substitute falls short in regards to the support mechanism. It precludes service workers from qualifying for these TAA benefits. It prohibits manufacturing workers whose jobs are offshored to China and India from qualifying for these benefits. It also cuts worker training benefits by capping it at $8,000, even though we know that the average State today is spending close to $15,000 for job training benefits.

Finally, they pull up short on the crucial aspect of adequate health care. They move from 60 to 70 percent support for the premiums of workers, whereas we go to 85 percent. And even at 85 percent, that remaining 15 percent can be very, very expensive for the average worker when they have lost their job and they don't have an income. They also don't minimize the gaps in coverage as we do. And they also don't allow the continuation of COBRA coverage for employees as we do in the substitute.

I would encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 3920 and oppose the Republican substitute.

Madam Speaker, I was detained in my district and was unable to have my votes recorded on the House floor on Monday, October 22, 2007, for H.R. 189 (rollcall No. 983), H.R. 523 (rollcall No. 984), and H. Res. 762 (rollcall No. 985). Had I been present, I would have voted in favor of these measures.

Madam Speaker, I was detained in my district and was unable to have my vote recorded on the House floor on Tuesday, October 23, 2007 for H. Res. 767 (Roll No. 986). Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 767, the Refuge Ecology Protection, Assistance, and Immediate Response Act, which I authored. Passage of this legislation today will bring us one step closer to giving our National Wildlife Refuge System a vital tool in the war being waged against invasive species.

For too long, our National Wildlife Refuges have been overlooked and neglected. The Refuge System has forged on as a System under siege from a number of fronts. Paramount among these has been the steady march of invasive plants and animals that have come from other places and literally taken over, crowding out the very wildlife and habitat the refuges are charged with protecting. Experts and refuge managers at the Fish and Wildlife Service have identified invasives as the number one threat to the biological integrity of our National Wildlife Refuges. Nevertheless, without the resources to maintain even the most basic functions and infrastructure--indeed, many refuge units do not have any dedicated staff at all--refuges have been able to do little to respond to invasive species.

This House has affirmed its commitment to our wildlife refuges by approving the largest-ever budget increase for the Refuge System in the FY08 Interior Appropriations bill. This money will begin to bring the System's budget to a level where it can stop cutting employees and shuttering refuges and begin to address its pressing maintenance and management needs. This is a good start. But with all the challenges that face our refuges, there is still a great need to focus resources on preventing the spread of invasive species. That is why we must pass the REPAIR Act here today.

H.R. 767 authorizes new grants that will bring the Fish and Wildlife Service together with State agencies, community groups, and private citizens to form a united front against invasives. The bill confronts the challenge of invasive species through a two-pronged approach. First, it authorizes immediate response grants when a harmful non- native species has been identified as an immediate threat to a refuge at a stage at which rapid eradication is possible. This way we will be able to prevent new invasive species from taking hold and wreaking havoc on refuge ecosystems.

The second line of defense in the bill are REPAIR grants, which contribute to a more long-term strategy for combating existing invasives. These grants would go to States, local governments, community groups, or individuals to remove harmful non-native species and promote native species and their habitat on lands and waters in and adjacent to National Wildlife Refuges. Additionally, the grants could be used to complete assessment projects consistent with existing State wildlife conservation plans to identify invasive species, assess the needs on the ground, and target resources to address the problem adequately and efficiently.

All grants would be awarded on a competitive basis and include monitoring and reporting requirements to ensure proper oversight ability by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Federal grants would cover 100 percent of the cost for projects within refuges and for immediate response projects, but a non-Federal cost share of at least 25 percent would be required for REPAIR grants on adjacent lands.

In short, Mr. Speaker, the REPAIR Act brings together the public and private sectors to ensure the future of our Wildlife Refuge System. These are special places unlike any other in the world. They are the only Federal land system devoted primarily to the preservation of our unique wildlife resources. I know from my countless hours spent taking in the grandeur of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, admiring the special beauty of Trempealeau NWR, or proudly watching the whooping cranes take off from Necedah NWR behind their ultralight guide, that these places are an integral part of the American experience that deserve special protection.

I would like to thank my fellow co-chairs of the Congressional National Wildlife Refuge Caucus, Jim Saxton, Mike Thompson, and Mike Castle for helping promote our Refuge System here in the House, and for their support of H.R. 767. I also extend my great thanks to Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rahall and Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee Chairwoman Bordallo for their support and for helping this bill get through the committee process and to the floor today. Finally, I thank Dave Jansen and the rest of the committee staff for their expertise and tireless work on behalf of our Nation's tremendous natural endowment.

H.R. 767 makes good policy by fostering cooperation between government and private entities in pursuit of a common goal in the national interest. I urge my colleagues to support its passage today so we can begin to protect America's National Wildlife Refuges from further attack and degradation. We owe it to future generations of hunters, anglers, wildlife enthusiasts, and nature lovers of all types to preserve creatures and habitats that are distinctly American.

Madam Speaker, on Monday, October 1, 2007, I was detained in my district and was unable to have my votes recorded on the House floor for H. Con. Res. 185 (Roll No. 924), H.R. 2276 (Roll No. 925), and H.R. 3325 (Roll No. 926). Had I been present, I would have voted in favor of these measures.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre upon his achievement of throwing his 421st NFL touchdown and breaking the all-time NFL record for touchdown passes.

From my days as Harvard quarterback, I can say firsthand that I have a deep appreciation for the sport of football and for the strength and dedication it takes not only as an athlete, but as a team leader as well. While growing up in western Wisconsin, I spent countless Sunday afternoons watching the Green Bay Packers through both good and bad seasons. I have watched Brett Favre grow from his first season as a Packer, to a Super Bowl MVP, and to a well respected legend.

Throughout the sports community, Brett Favre is a symbol of stamina, leadership, toughness, and sportsmanship. Not only has Brett Favre broken the NFL record for touchdown passes, he holds the records for most number of wins by starting quarterback, most consecutive games as a starting quarterback, and the only three-time winner of the NFL's Most Valuable Player Award. During his 16 years on the Green Bay Packers, Brett Favre has led the team to two Super Bowls and given Wisconsin a good reason to look forward to winter.

Brett Favre is more than an outstanding athlete; he is a dedicated humanitarian who has demonstrated leadership both on and off the field. The Brett Favre Fourward Foundation has donated more than $1.5 million for disadvantaged and disabled children in Wisconsin and Mississippi. When Hurricane Katrina devastated the Mississippi coast, Brett Favre played a leading role in rallying fundraising and aid for his home state. After his wife, Deanna, was diagnosed with breast cancer, the Favres founded the Deanna Favre Hope Foundation to provide support to uninsured or underinsured women living with this terrible disease.

I believe NFL Hall of Fame Coach Vince Lombardi captured it best when he said: ``Individual commitment to a group effort--that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.''

On behalf of the residents of the state of Wisconsin, I would like to congratulate Brett Favre on his many accomplishments, including his 421st touchdown pass, and to wish him the best of luck for the rest of the season.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join Mr. Walz here today to offer this resolution expressing our concern and support to the victims of the flooding that ravaged our congressional districts and so many other States during those fateful days in August, but also to take a moment to express our eternal gratitude and thanks to the countless numbers of official agencies, to private organizations, to individuals who rose to the call of many people in great need during this time.

I personally saw Mr. Walz and the action that he immediately took when I visited southeastern Minnesota along with Senator Klobuchar from Minnesota to see some of the damage and get together with many of the first responders who were working around the clock to come to the aid of so many businesses and families and individuals affected by the flooding.

The rains started on August 18, and it seemed as if they were never going to stop. It was literally a torrential downpour; in some areas, from 12 to 20 inches in just a very short period of time. It's amazing to personally witness the severe devastation that an intense amount of rain can accomplish in a very short period of time.

Fortunately for Mr. Walz and myself, we represent two very beautiful congressional districts, but part of that beauty is the fact that we have a lot of hills and valleys and coulees that act like a funnel effect when you have the so-called ``1,000-year rain'' take place within a 24-hour period. That is exactly what happened; the rain came, the water backed up and started devastating community after community.

Unfortunately, at the end of the rain, there were 14 people who lost their lives. Fortunately for myself, there were none in my congressional district, but we did have some loss of life in Mr. Walz's district. There were also three electrocutions associated with the rain and the flooding that occurred in Madison.

Short of loss of life or physical injury, there is nothing more devastating than having your personal belongings washed away, whether it was in your home or in your businesses or on your farm.

I was down in one of my communities in the southern part of my congressional district, Gays Mills, shortly after the flooding, and they described to me horrific conditions where the rain came so quickly that within a matter of an hour there was five feet of water standing on the main street in their downtown area. I was talking to two teenage girls who, that evening, literally left their homes only to see the rising water and the swift current coming through the main street; and they jumped into a tree in order to get out of the way, it was coming so quickly, only to be rescued by a volunteer fire department personnel in a boat that took them to high land. You heard countless stories of this.

I guess it's times like this during great personal tragedy when you also witness the greatness of humanity and the response that occurred, from the various agencies at the Federal, State and local level that immediately geared up and started rushing in help and supplies, to the private organizations and businesses, to the Salvation Army, Red Cross, Catholic charities that were on the ground with their staff and their volunteers to provide assistance, to also FEMA.

One of the fortunate aspects at the time of this tragedy was Hurricane Dean didn't hit landfall in the United States, so FEMA, in preparation for Hurricane Dean, had a lot of supplies, they had a lot of personnel ramped up in the southern part of our country anticipating the worst of the hurricane. When it didn't arrive, they were able to redeploy a lot of their personnel and resources up to our area to provide assistance immediately.

I also want to take a moment to thank Director David Paulison of FEMA, who personally came on an inspection tour shortly after the flooding to see the devastation himself, and his office out of the Chicago regional office who were there very quickly.

With the help of Representative Walz and our respective Senators, as well as Governor Jim Doyle of WI, we were able to get quick State declarations, to be followed by a Natural Disaster Declaration in order to provide much-needed relief to the victims of the flooding. There's still a lot of work that needs to be done. There's still a lot of assistance that is going to have to occur in the community and in our respective States to try to make people whole.

On a lighter, happier note, I was fortunate to be home on Sunday to visit Gays Mills during their annual apple festival celebration and parade. This was a little more than a month after the floodwaters that were 5 feet deep in their town, yet they strove to make sure that they were going to keep this celebration, try to keep that continuity of tradition in their community. It was a wonderful day; the sun shown on us, the kids were having a great time, and that little sense of normalcy brought some smiles on a lot of faces in that community.

But if it wasn't for the quick reaction, again, of the agencies, but especially the family, the friends, the neighbors who responded to people in need, we could have suffered a fate much worse than what we did.

Again, I want to thank Representative Walz for the work that he did. I look forward to continuing the work that still needs to take place, because this isn't going to get fixed overnight. It's going to be a slow, laborious process. There's nothing worse than being denied access to a home or businesses. Just now, people are able to go in and have access for the first time.

Many of our farms, too, were devastated just before the crop was supposed to be harvested. Many livestock were lost in the flooding. Again, you work so hard and long all year long, and then just at the time you are going to go to market with the fruits of your labor, something like this takes place.

We also were fortunate that 20 earthen dams in Vernon County in my congressional district held up. It is a great tribute to the engineers and their foresight over 20 or 30 years ago that constructed these earthen dams that they held up, or the damage and devastation could have been much worse if they had given out and those floodwaters had released further down the valley.

So I want to thank all of those that were involved in providing much- needed and quick assistance to the individuals and to the communities that were affected by it. I again want to express my gratitude to FEMA and their quick reaction, Director Paulison and his team on the ground. But there is still more work to be done. It is good to see in a tragedy like this that there is that type of capability, both at the local and Federal and State level, in order to come to the aid of many citizens who needed it.

In particular, I would like to thank the many people who were involved in the recovery effort, only a few of which are named here. In Vernon County: Cindy Ackerman, Glenda Sullivan and the Emergency Management staff; Elizabeth Johnson and the Public Health staff; Pamela Eitland and the Human Services staff; Gene Cary and the Sheriffs Department staff; Mark Rahr and the Viroqua Police Department staff; Steve Skrede and the Viroqua Fire Department staff; Kelly Jacobs and the Land Conservation staff; Virgil Hanold and the Highway Department staff; Pat Peterson and the Aging Department staff; Bethel Butikk Food Pantry; Linda Nederlow, Public Information Officer; Thomas Spenner, County Board Chair; Cathy Lewison and the Farm Service Agency staff.

In Crawford County: Roger Martin and the Emergency Management staff; Laurel

Hestetuene of Soldiers Grove; Larry McCarn and Maura Otis of Gays Mills; Jerry Moran and Sheriff's Department staff; Ron Leys, County Board Chair; Dennis Pelock and the Highway Department staff; Gary Knickerbacker; John Baird and the Farm Service Agency staff; Russ Hagen and the Land Conservation staff; Sara Ryan and the Human Services staff; Gloria Wall and the Public Health staff.

In La Crosse County: Keith Butler and the Emergency Management staff; Lynetta Kopp, Town of Shelby Chair; Dennis Osgood and the Highway Department staff; Randy Roeck and the Shelby Fire Department staff; Steve Doyle, County Board Chair; Ben Bosshart and the Farm Service Agency staff.

In Richland County: Darin Gudgeon and Emergency Management staff; Darrell Berglin and the Sheriff's Department staff; Randy Schoeneberg and the Highway Department staff; Ann Greenheck, County Board Chair; Jared Reuter and the Farm Service Agency staff; Marianne Stanek and the Public Health staff; Cathy Cooper and the Land Conservation staff; Dean Winchell and family; Bob Naegele and members of the Pine Valley Repeater Club ARES/RACES; Harriet Pedley, Ron Fruit and the WRCO radio station staff; Kim Clark and the Richland County Ambulance Service; Wes and Michelle Starkey; Richland Center Police Department; Rudy Nigel; Ken Anderson; Bob Bindl, Darrell Slama, Brian Jones, Dan Wilson, and the staff of the Richland County Fire Departments; Richland Center Public Works; DNR Warden Mike Nice and the DNR staff.

In Sauk County: Jeff Jelink and the Emergency Management staff; Marty Krueger, County Board Chair; Randy Stammen and the Sheriff's Department staff; Steve Muchow and the Highway Department staff; Cindy Bodendein and the Health Department staff; Joe Van Berkel and the Land Conservation staff; William Orth and the Human Services staff; Trish Vandre and the Commission on Aging staff; Curtis Norgard and the Farm Service Agency staff.

In Grant County: Steve Braun and Julie Loeffelholz, Emergency Management; Eugene Bartels, County Board Chair; John Wiederholt and the Farm Service Agency staff; Jeffery Kindrai and the Health Department staff.

In Iowa County: Ken Palzkill and the Emergency Management staff; Judy Lindholm and the Commission on Aging staff; June Meudt and the Health Department staff; Leo Klosterman and the Highway Department staff; Jim McCaulley and the Land Conservation staff; Darin Smith and the Social Services staff; Mark Masters, County Board Chair; Ned Johnson and the Farm Service Agency staff.

Further, I would like to thank: Ashley Furniture; AmeriCorps volunteers; Cheryl Hancock and the American Red Cross staff; Terri Leece and the Salvation Army staff; Deacon Richard Sage and the Catholic Charities staff; the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection; the Wisconsin State Patrol; the Wisconsin Department of Corrections; the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; the Wisconsin National Guard; the Natural Resources Conservation Service; and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly support this resolution and urge my colleagues to join me in voting for its passage.

Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, we would be remiss, too, if we didn't acknowledge the help and the work that our respective staffs did during this time. They were 24/7 on the spot trying to provide assistance. I know my staff didn't get much sleep during those weeks following the flooding. I know Mr. Walz's staff was the same way. I just want to take a moment to acknowledge their hard work.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Petty Officer 2nd Class Jaime S. Jaenke of Bay City, WI. Jaime courageously answered the call to serve her country in its time of need, and she made the ultimate sacrifice on June 5, 2006 when she was killed by an improvised explosive device that detonated near her convoy while she was conducting security operations in the Anbar Province of Iraq. As a Seabee reservist, Jaime was assigned to the Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 25 based at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. Today, I bear witness that Jaime's efforts and the efforts of all our service men and women will forever be remembered. On Saturday, August 25, 2007, at the courthouse in Ellsworth, WI, a plaque will be dedicated in Jaime's memory.

Jaime is a true national hero who dedicated her life to helping and serving others. Beloved daughter of Susan and Larry, Jaime served as an emergency medical technician in Ellsworth, WI, before answering the call to serve in Iraq. As a medic for her unit, Jaime will be remembered by her comrades as a generous and compassionate individual. Friends and family will remember and cherish her caring and contagious smile and sense of humor. Jaime will be dearly missed by her loving daughter, Kayla. When we step back and realize the incredible service of our men and women in uniform, we must always remember Jaime, for she was one of our finest.

The men and women from Wisconsin serving in Iraq are doing a terrific job under very difficult and dangerous circumstances. They are simply the best that our nation has to offer. We will be forever grateful for the sacrifice made by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jaime Jaenke. She was a true patriot, serving her country selflessly while giving the Iraqi people the greatest gift of all, their freedom. She also gave the American people a great gift, the chance to live in a safer world.

As a mother, daughter, and friend, Jaime will live on in our hearts as a hero and her legacy will never be forgotten. I pledge to do all that I can to ensure that Jaime's life was not lost in vain.

Perhaps President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said it best: ``She stands in the unbroken line of patriots who have dared to die, that freedom might live, and grow, and increase its blessings. Freedom lives, and through it, she lives--in a way that humbles the undertakings of most people.''

May God bless Jaime, and take her into his care. And may God's special blessings bring comfort to Jaime's family and friends always.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Genoa National Fish Hatchery for 75 years of dedicated aquatic resource conservation.

Established in 1932 through the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Act, Genoa National Fish Hatchery is one of 69 Federal hatcheries managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The location was selected because of its proximity to the Mississippi River and its reliable source of broodfish and artesian well water, both of which are used to raise fish and fill ponds. Hatchery construction was completed in 1939 by Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression.

To support ongoing fish management and restoration programs, Genoa provides millions of eggs, fry, and fingerlings to State fishery stations, Federal hatcheries, National Wildlife refuges, Department of Army installations, and seven Native American Tribes.

Genoa's location and its ability to create different rearing environments and water temperatures makes it one of the most diverse hatcheries in the Nation. Nineteen ponds ranging in size from one-tenth of one acre to thirty-three acres, six raceways, and seven intensive rearing buildings make it capable of collecting, culturing, and rearing cold, cool, and warm water fish species. Genoa raises, holds, and rears more species of fish and freshwater mussels than almost any other Federal fish hatchery in the Nation.

Genoa's mission has changed and evolved over the years. Initially, its purpose was to raise bass and panfish for area waters. In the 1950s, it evolved to sportfish restoration, predominantly northern pike and walleye. As science developed and needs for fishery conservation in the country changed, so did the hatchery's mission. In the 1990s, the value of hatcheries as important tools for recovering and restoring threatened and endangered fish and aquatic species was recognized. Genoa expanded its traditional missions to include recovering and restoring endangered mussels, lake sturgeon and coaster brook trout. Today, eggs, and fry are still provided to State conservation agencies to assist them in their fishery management programs.

On multiple occasions, I toured this amazing facility and witnessed the ongoing and award-winning research performed by its hardworking, dedicated staff. Two staff members have received awards this year through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Doug Aloisi received the Project Leader of the Year Award for his leadership on imperiled native mussels and lake sturgeon and his strong outreach efforts. Roger Gordon received the National Recovery Champion Award for being the driving force behind mussel conservation. I am proud to have the hatchery in Wisconsin's Third Congressional District.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, 2 days ago our Nation watched with shock and horror as the I-35 bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Many of the residents of my congressional district in western Wisconsin make a daily commute to their jobs in the twin cities. Many of them over this very bridge. Their safety and the safety of all of our residents is our utmost concern. Our thoughts and prayers go out this evening to the victims of that great tragedy along with their families and the community.

But at moments of great tragedy, Mr. Speaker, there are also moments of great triumph, of strangers coming to the aid of strangers, the first responders answering that emergency call, health care providers administering first aid and taking care of the injured during this great tragedy. And now it's our turn. It's our turn as a Nation. It's our turn as a Congress to come together and make sure we pass this authorization for the appropriation of funds so we can begin rebuilding this important bridge but also help the community rebuild and to ensure that this tragedy is never repeated anywhere else throughout the country.

I commend the leadership of the Transportation Committee, the chairman and the ranking member, the members of the committee, but especially the Minnesota delegation for how they've been able to rally amongst themselves but also to get this body to come together during this time of crucial need to do the right thing, step up and to assume our responsibility as a great Nation and come to the aid of those who have suffered during this tragedy.

I encourage my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, last fall, my 8-year-old son Matt, while he was sleeping, fell off the top of his bunkbed, broke his clavicle. As Tawni and I were driving to the emergency room to get treatment to this kid in excruciating pain, I thought of the numerous parents throughout America who fear the financial consequences of taking care of their child in an emergency or if they had an ear infection or an abscessed tooth or an asthma attack because they didn't have adequate health care coverage for that child. That is wrong. That is unacceptable. And we change that today.

The CHAMP Act expands health coverage to 5 million more children, and with the reforms we make under the Medicare system, we extend the solvency of Medicare for three additional years, unlike the Republican- passed Medicare reform bill passed just a few years ago that called for the largest expansion of entitlement funding in over 40 years, with no ability to pay for it.

We pay for this bill with a modest increase in the cigarette tax, which is also the best thing we can do to prevent these kids from being addicted to that poison and incurring smoking-related illness with associated life-long health costs.

I ask my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of HR 3162, the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act. The CHAMP Act makes crucial investments in children's health, preventive care, rural providers, and improved services for Medicare beneficiaries. I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Over the past several months, this Congress has debated how best to resolve serious problems facing this country's healthcare system: how do we provide responsible, reasonable healthcare coverage to children of working families? How do we modernize the benefits package provided to seniors under Medicare? How do we ensure that physicians and other providers caring for these seniors are paid fairly under Medicare? And finally, how do we accomplish all of these goals while at the same time adhering to the responsible budgeting rules this Congress has adopted for itself through pay-as-you-go budgeting rules?

As a member of the Ways and Means Committee faced with these issues, I can tell you that it has not been easy. I do not believe, however, that our constituents elected us to come to Washington and make the easy decisions. We are here to govern, to balance competing and often equally deserving interests, and to arrive at a solution that we think is best for this country. I believe the CHAMP Act accomplishes all of these goals.

This legislation will expand health care coverage to some 5 million new children across the country, allowing them to receive the vital preventive care that we know is essential for a healthy future. The CHAMP Act pays for this new investment through an increase in the federal tobacco tax, a move that itself will improve the health of our children by making cigarettes more expensive to buy. The forty-five cent tobacco tax increase included in this bill will reduce youth smoking rates by almost seven percent and will result in significant future savings in healthcare costs.

The CHAMP Act also invests in this country's seniors by eliminating cost-sharing for preventive services under Medicare. This move will allow seniors to get essential services--such as check-ups, cancer and diabetes screenings, and flu and pneumonia vaccines--for no out-of- pocket costs.

We know that in order to improve seniors' quality of life and to prevent and detect life-threatening diseases, we must make this investment in prevention and primary care. I am proud of this important advance.

Lastly, this legislation ensures that rural healthcare providers are paid fairly for the services they provide to seniors. The Medicare program provides a vital healthcare safety net for seniors living in rural areas. The CHAMP Act ensures that this level of care can continue by providing fair payments to physicians, ambulance providers, home health agencies, and other practitioners who care for the more than 9 million seniors living in rural areas.

The CHAMP Act is the right choice for Wisconsin and the right choice for this country.