Russ Carnahan

On this last day of the year and on one of the last days of this 112th Congress, we are awaiting a fiscal deal that will strengthen the fiscal health of this country. I want to take a few moments to reflect on my service here in the House of Representatives and to personally thank many who helped me get here and to do the work of the people whom I represent and love in the State of Missouri.

First, Mr. Speaker, Debra Carnahan, my wife but also an accomplished attorney, a former State and Federal prosecutor. She's really been the rock of our family and has been with me through the great highs and tough lows of this job. So I want to thank her.

Also, our two great sons--Austin and Andrew--who have shared me with thousands of constituents for several years. They have grown into amazing young men, young men who I think will, in their own rights, make a difference as they work their way through their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I want to also thank some of my amazing staff who are too numerous to name--dozens over many years--but there are four in particular who worked with me through the entire 8 years that I served in this Congress: Jeremy Haldeman, who has

staffed the Foreign Affairs Committee for me and the Oversight Subcommittee, and who has also been my chief of staff in the Washington office; Jim McHugh, who has been my district director and longtime friend and colleague in St. Louis; Suzanne Archer, who has been my deputy director; and Kathy Waltz from Sainte Genevieve, Missouri, a former mayor there but an invaluable part of our constituent outreach team. There are many other staff members, but I thank those in particular for their long and loyal service and for the difference they make in so many people's lives.

To the Missourians whom I've had the great honor to represent, I am gratified and humbled beyond belief to have been able to represent them in this U.S. House of Representatives for 8 years and to also have represented many in the State house of representatives for 4 years prior to that. In working with them and for them we've been able to get some great things done on big national issues but also on important local issues back home.

From ribbon cuttings and orange cones and construction signs all across the St. Louis region to investments in our infrastructure, which have created real jobs at home and have helped rebuild our region's roads, bridges, ports, lochs, dams, levees, flood walls, airports, high-speed rail, light rail, and our bus systems, those have made a real difference in people's lives. It was the reason I got on the Transportation Committee in the first place. We had two of the most deadly roads in America in Jefferson County, Missouri, and we got special funding to help rebuild those roads--to not only help their economy but to save lives. Recently, our firefighters were able to obtain a Federal grant for special patrol boats-rescue boats on the Mississippi River, which will serve the region for years to come.

These kinds of investments are important, and I want to urge this new Congress that will be taking over in just a few days to pass a major transportation bill. It's one of the best investments we can make in this country in order to continue to grow this economy.

We've seen after growing out of this Great Recession over the last few years the Recovery Act passed, the auto industry saved, major Wall Street reforms passed, health care reform passed, and stem cell research measures adopted in unprecedented bipartisan ways. I'll never forget the mothers with their young children who were sitting in my office the day that the health care bill was approved. There was not a dry eye in the room because all of their kids had preexisting conditions. Because of the new health care law, that cannot be the case anymore. I was also proud to serve on our House Foreign Affairs Committee and to chair the international organization's committee, so I just want to urge this Congress to take on the needed reforms to make this Congress work better for the American people.

In closing, we recently greeted World War II veterans here at the monument built in their honor. They said that this Congress needed to take on the spirit they had in World War II--to put the country first and to put our differences aside--and that we could achieve great things.

I rise today on behalf of H.R. 6582, the American Energy Manufacturing Act. This is truly a commonsense, bipartisan bill. I've been proud to work on it with my friend and neighbor, Representative John Shimkus of Illinois, and also with Congresswoman Judy Biggert, who has been my cochair of the High-Performance Building Caucus. I want to thank Congressman Whitfield and Congressman Waxman for their leadership on this matter here on the floor today.

And, finally, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt) for his leadership in moving this bill forward today and for including legislation that I sponsored in 2010, the Small Duct, High Velocity Energy Efficiency Standards for America Act. Small duct, high velocity systems are a special type of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. It is more energy efficient than traditional units, especially for older and historic homes and buildings with limited space for new duct work.

Even though it's more efficient, the Department of Energy lumped these new systems in with a rulemaking for regular systems in 2002. The Department eventually granted a waiver, basically saying that these new small duct systems could be sold anyway as efficient products. But the legislation before us today will codify that waiver into law so that American manufacturers and consumers can truly benefit from the advantages of these types of products.

Unico is a company that is one of several that manufacture these systems. It is a small business of about 80 employees in my hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. I've toured the Unico plant, and I've met with their employees. I've seen the pride in their work, the craftsmanship that they display. And those products go not just around the U.S., but around the world.

Unico is an American success story. It's a small business created in America, manufacturing products in America, and creating good-paying manufacturing and construction jobs--exactly what this Congress and this country should be all about. And when the actor Brad Pitt, also a Missouri native, and the Make It Right Foundation unveiled plans to build over 100 super-energy-efficient homes in New Orleans, they looked around the world to find low-cost, energy-efficient systems, and they chose Unico, creating more jobs in my hometown. We're proud of that. But it isn't just about jobs, though. It's about becoming more energy efficient as a Nation.

Heating and cooling account for 56 percent of energy use in the typical house, making it the largest energy expense for most families. Air conditioners alone use roughly 5 percent of all electricity nationwide, at a cost of

over $11 billion to homeowners, releasing nearly 100 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Domestic manufacturing and use of high-energy heating and cooling systems like the ones produced by Unico will reduce energy up to 50 percent, save consumers billions of dollars a year, and create jobs. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill and thank my colleagues for their work today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize one of St. Louis' finest citizens and community leaders, Mr. Chris Saracino. Chris Saracino comes from a restaurant family that has been serving St. Louisians for over 50 years. His father Bartolino Saracino, Sr. opened his first restaurant in the 1960's. Chris has been working in his family's business since he was a young boy.

Currently Chris and his brothers own three of the most profitable restaurants in St. Louis; Bartolino's Osteria, Bartolino's South and Chris' Pancakes and Dining. His service to the Italian American Community is exemplary. Chris has been President of the Hill Business

Association for several years, an organization residing in one of America's most famous Italian-American neighborhoods. As President, Chris has promoted and helped grow businesses on the Hill, creating jobs for his fellow citizens. Chris has also led the Hill Business Association in numerous community improvement initiatives such as successfully organizing neighborhood parades and festivals, raising money for local park improvements, and securing funding for beautification projects.

Chris is very active with St. Ambrose Catholic Church where he volunteers helping the school prepare healthy lunches for the students. Imagine running a business, volunteering for community and business organizations, raising a family, and still having time to go to your church and make meals for school age children. Chris is a very special person.

This is the kind of citizen our founding fathers hoped our Nation would have--engaged citizens in the private sector and the public square. This October, The Italian Club of St. Louis, celebrating its 90th Anniversary, will recognize Chris Saracino for his outstanding contributions to St. Louis and the Italian-American community by presenting him with the Club's Italian Heritage Award. This award salutes Chris Saracino for demonstrating excellence in business, leadership in the community, and compassion for others. I congratulate my good friend Chris Saracino for this well deserved honor. St. Louis, Missouri, and America are fortunate to have such a committed and unselfish citizen. May he continue to lead and inspire others to do the same.