Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Melissa Hensley, of Milan, MO. Melissa Hensley is the recipient of the Missouri American Star of Teaching Award.

Melissa serves as a Literary Coach for Milan C-2 Elementary in Milan, MO. She works closely with other educational professionals and parents to increase students' reading abilities. Melissa also acts as a mentor to beginner teachers and represented Missouri schools by presenting at the National Reading First Conference in Reno, NV. Currently, she is working on completing her master's degree in Reading.

Each year, American Stars of Teaching receives over 4,000 nominations for this award. From this, the organization picks one educator from each state. This year, Melissa represented Missouri by earning the American Star of Teaching Award.

Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in honoring Melissa Hensley whose dedication and service to the people of Milan has been truly exceptional.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Regional Economic and Infrastructure Development Act of 2007 reauthorizes two economic development commissions, the Delta Regional Commission and the Northern Great Plains Regional Commission. The bill also creates three new commissions, the Southeast Crescent Regional Commission, the Southwest Border Regional Commission and the Northern Border Regional Commission.

First, I want to thank Chairman Oberstar and Subcommittee Chairwoman Norton for working with me to add several counties in northwest Missouri to the Northern Great Plains Regional Commission and for working with other members of the committee to add their counties to the bill as well. I appreciate it very much.

The Northern Great Plains Regional Commission borders my district in the north and the west. The counties added by this bill are contiguous to the counties in the commission. Additionally, these northwest Missouri counties are experiencing problems similar to the counties in the commission already, yet they have higher levels of economic distress.

The Northern Great Plains Regional Commission will set the stage for economic growth by creating an effective Federal-State partnership for attracting new businesses, creating new jobs and developing the infrastructure in northwest Missouri. The commission will encourage local economic development by making use of local resources for the benefit of the community. The commission is designed to successfully leverage other public and private funds, providing northwest Missouri with a very valuable economic development tool.

Economic development plays a very vital role in maintaining our rural way of life by keeping folks in those communities and keeping that culture alive. A major component to economic development is the build- out of broadband services throughout many regions in the country.

No matter where you live, broadband can bring a world of opportunities and possibilities to your doorstep. It is imperative to our rural way of life that we push broadband out to every corner of the country. Where you live should not limit your opportunities for education, commerce, and medical care.

Many citizens in rural America's small communities do not have broadband access at a reasonable cost. It should be available to everyone no matter where they live at a reasonable rate. Through this legislation and other efforts that my colleagues and I have taken on, grants will be available to further establish an infrastructure that can support this important tool to rural economic development.

Additionally, I must commend two members of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Mr. Hayes and Mr. Boustany, who have been tireless advocates for their districts. I would like to recognize Mr. Hayes for his dedication to stimulating economic development and job promotion in the State of North Carolina and leading efforts to create the Southeast Crescent Authority.

Additionally, he has championed efforts to recruit new industry and create new jobs while sharpening the competitive proficiency of existing industries in the Eighth Congressional District of North Carolina.

Mr. Boustany has also worked tirelessly to promote development and create opportunities for communities in

his district and has been a leader on the issue for the entire State of Louisiana.

Again, thank you, Chairman Oberstar and Chairwoman Norton for working with Members and working with me to bring this legislation to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I know we have a few speakers out there, so I will cut mine short.

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

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany). He has worked tirelessly for his district. And since, not so much Hurricane Katrina, but Hurricane Rita, which devastated his district, he has been working very hard to bring some economic development to his district.

I yield such time as he may consume for his remarks.

I don't. Just my own final words before the chairman closes.

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

Mr. Speaker, we have heard now from folks talking about Louisiana, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, myself from Missouri; and I think folks can see that we have a lot of areas in the United States that are very economically distressed, and for various reasons. Every one of those regions, and, traditionally the Appalachia region, are distressed for different reasons. This bill allows these commissions to leverage public and private dollars. It is a great partnership.

Mr. Speaker, again, I want to thank the chairman for allowing me to add counties in northwest Missouri. It is very important to the folks there. I know he has been working on various aspects of these commissions for a long, long time. I appreciate his expertise and his willingness to be very open in this process and work with us.

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

Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Nathan Michael Kelly, a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 205, and by earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout.

Nathan has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the years Nathan has been involved in scouting, he has earned 47 merit badges and held numerous leadership positions, serving as Historian, Bugler, Scribe, Patrol Leader, Librarian, Assistant Patrol Leader and Chaplain.

For his Eagle Scout project, Nathan completed a landscaping project around a mausoleum at the Blue Springs Cemetery in Blue Springs, Missouri. Nathan has also earned several special awards including the 12 Month Camper Award, Internet Safety Award, Leave No Trace Award, Snorkeling Award, World Conservation Award, and the 50 Miler Award.

Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Nathan Michael Kelly for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Wyatt Hoffman, a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Venturing Crew 2633, and by earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout.

Wyatt has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the years Wyatt has been involved in scouting, he has earned 28 merit badges and held numerous leadership positions, serving as Assistant Senior Patrol Leader and Chaplain's Aide. Wyatt is also a Hardway Warrior in the Tribe of Mic-O-Say.

For his Eagle Scout project, Wyatt generated community support for soldiers in Operation Iraqi Freedom through providing care letters and boxes of morale support items currently in short supply with the US Armed Forces.

Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Wyatt Hoffman for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

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

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 657 was introduced by Mr. Walz of Minnesota on September 17, 2007. The resolution expresses the heartfelt sympathy of the House of Representatives for the victims of severe flooding in the States of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin during August of 2007. These storms took the lives of 14 people, injured countless others, and damaged or destroyed thousands of homes and devastated businesses and institutions.

In addition, this resolution conveys gratitude to local, State and Federal officials and emergency personnel who responded swiftly to the crisis. Their selfless actions saved lives and helped their communities in their efforts to recover from this disaster.

Additionally, this resolution is a fitting commendation to the generous and selfless support of local citizens, businesses and volunteer organizations. They have shown their heroism and compassion for their fellow citizens while facing such destruction.

The citizens of the States of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin will work hard to rebuild and make every effort to ensure the recovery of their communities. In recognition of their efforts, this resolution reaffirms our support to help the victims of the flooding rebuild their homes and lives. I extend my heartfelt sympathy to all those affected by this tragedy, and to their families.

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

Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to associate myself with the words of Mr. Kind and Mr. Walz.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I don't have any other speakers and I am going to talk about the bill, but I know it is Ms. Norton's bill and she may want to say something before I do. I would reserve the balance of my time and would like to speak after her if that is all right.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3068, introduced by Subcommittee Chairwoman Norton, adds an additional level of security to our Federal buildings by prohibiting the Federal Protective Services from awarding contracts to convicted felons.

I would like to commend Chairwoman Norton for her commitment to the security of Federal buildings, government employees and visitors. She probably has more than anybody else in the House.

The protection of the employees and visitors at Federal buildings remains a high priority. This legislation will increase the standards of safety and security for Federal properties across this country.

The Federal Protective Service serves as one of the first lines of defense for our Federal buildings. We entrust the security of Federal courthouses and buildings and their employees and visitors to FPS personnel. From day-to-day security screening, to protection from riots and terrorist attacks, the FPS force plays a vital role in facilitating the work of the Federal Government.

The Federal Protective Service employs more than 1,000 trained employees and more than 15,000 contract security guards. H.R. 3068 prohibits FPS from contracting with security firms that are owned or operated by convicted felons. It's a very simple measure. The security of Federal buildings must be managed by those that have the best interests of the American people in mind.

This legislation will ensure the integrity of the forces protecting our Federal buildings, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3068.

Mr. Speaker, I think this is a fantastic idea, and again, I want to applaud Chairwoman Norton for the work that she's done on this, again, to push it through.

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

Mr. Chairman, I first would like to thank Ranking Member Chabot and Chairwoman Velazquez for moving forward with this bill.

Mr. Chairman, this bill is critically important to small businesses. I am glad I could be a part of this very important process. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. Access to capital is essential to their survival and growth. I want to thank you for your support and thank them for their support on these provisions.

I also want to note the bipartisan nature of how the Small Business Investment Expansion Act passed through committee and is here before us on the House floor. Some initial concerns were brought up over the legislation. I am pleased to report that those concerns have been resolved due to the open and transparent manner in which this bill is being considered.

Lastly, I would like to thank the staffs of Chairwoman Velazquez and Ranking Member Chabot for all their hard work on this issue. This bill has been a work in progress for roughly 3 years. I appreciate all the work that they have done on my behalf. This is a very important issue to me, my constituents, and small businesses everywhere. I am very glad to see it before the House today.

The Small Business Investment Expansion Act improves small business access to capital. Whether it is from the Small Business Administration, SBA, or through private investment, capital helps small companies bring their products to market and succeed. With an economy dependent on the success of small companies and firms, it is essential to pass this legislation.

I want to speak to title V of this bill for a brief moment. The language included in this title deals with the SBA affiliation rules and has been an issue of utmost importance to my constituents and to me over the past few years. Private investment in small business is a good thing and should be encouraged, not discouraged. The language will exclude the employees of these private investors when determining the size of a small business, thus allowing them continued access to important programs under the SBA.

This is important because many small firms and capital intensive fields rely on private investment to continue the very promising research and development that has attracted such development. The SBA has a number of programs that have proven vital to the success of small businesses and want to ensure our small businesses have continued access to them.

American innovation is what drives this country and its economy, and as Members of Congress we need to create an environment that will keep American innovation at the forefront of the global market. As a member of the Small Business Committee, I work to advocate on behalf of small businesses. The passage of this bill is a tremendous help to the competitiveness of those small firms, which is why I support its passage.

Again, I would like to thank the chairwoman and ranking member.

Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Jacob Adam Hendricks, a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 261, and in earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout.

Jacob has been very active with his troop, participating in many Scout activities. Over the many years Jacob has been involved with Scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community.

Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Jacob Adam Hendricks for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Damon Joseph Arredondo, a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 261, and in earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout.

Damon has been very active with his troop, participating in many Scout activities. Over the many years Damon has been involved with Scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community.

Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Damon Joseph Arredondo for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Brendan William Waters, a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 261, and in earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout.

Brendan has been very active with his troop, participating in many Scout activities. Over the many years Brendan has been involved with Scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community.

Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Brendan William Waters for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Christopher Brandon Goodale, a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 261, and in earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout.

Christopher has been very active with his troop, participating in many Scout activities. Over the many years Christopher has been involved with Scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community.

Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Christopher Brandon Goodale for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Colton David Price, a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 261, and in earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout.

Colton has been very active with his troop, participating in many Scout activities. Over the many years Colton has been involved with Scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community.

Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Colton David Price for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Thomas David Adams, a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 261, and in earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout.

Thomas has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the many years Thomas has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community.

Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Thomas David Adams for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Conor Frederick Killen, a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 261, and in earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout.

Conor has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Over the many years Conor has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community.

Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Conor Frederick Killen for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.

Madam Speaker, I proudly pause to recognize Kyle Joseph Coday, a very special young man who has exemplified the finest qualities of citizenship and leadership by taking an active part in the Boy Scouts of America, Troop 214, and in earning the most prestigious award of Eagle Scout.

Kyle has been very active with his troop, participating in many scout activities. Kyle's Eagle Scout project involved the construction of a pergola in the outdoor classroom of St. James Catholic Church and School. Over the many years Kyle has been involved with scouting, he has not only earned numerous merit badges, but also the respect of his family, peers, and community.

Madam Speaker, I proudly ask you to join me in commending Kyle Joseph Coday for his accomplishments with the Boy Scouts of America and for his efforts put forth in achieving the highest distinction of Eagle Scout.