Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues, Lynn Westmoreland and Senator Saxby Chambliss, in support of this legislation, which will strengthen for the future one of the crown jewels of southwest Georgia--the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center at Fort Benning.

The National Infantry Museum sits on a 200 acre site that serves as a tribute to the Infantry's legacy of valor and sacrifice. The Museum honors infantry soldiers--from those who crossed the icy Delaware River with George Washington to those serving in Afghanistan today--for their selfless service to our country, while preserving their stories for future generations.

It also serves as a functional area for basic training graduations and other special and community events. Since its opening in 2009, for example, Infantry School classes regularly graduate on the facility's parade field.

In addition, the National Infantry Museum hosted a Congressional Military Family Caucus Summit just over a month ago, which connected military families with Members of Congress, officials from the Department of Defense, personnel from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and various military and veteran support organizations to discuss pressing issues impacting America's service members and their families.

In 2008, the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center Commemorative Coin Act was enacted to raise funds to complete the facility as well as create an endowment to support its maintenance. No taxpayer funds have been involved and the U.S. Mint even made a profit for the taxpayers from the coin sales.

With the current economic challenges, however, the National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center hopes to direct the coin proceeds to pay down a portion of the $16 million in bank loans that the Foundation incurred in order to complete the facility as well as reduce interests costs.

Accordingly, this legislation makes a technical change that will allow the coin proceeds to be used ``for the retirement of debt associated with building the existing National Infantry Museum and Soldier center and for any future capital improvements.'' It is within the letter and the spirit of the original measure, and it will go a long way toward keeping our proud Army Infantry past alive so we as great nation never forget the sacrifices of our brave Infantry soldiers.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, it is my great honor to extend a heartfelt congratulations to the Georgia Peanut Commission as it celebrates 50 years of providing support to Georgia farmers. The Commission will be celebrating this great milestone with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Commission's new location in Tifton, Georgia on Tuesday, July 31, 2012.

The Commission, funded by Georgia peanut growers, began operations in 1961 and has represented farmers through programs in research, promotion, education, and communication. For 50 years, Georgia peanut farmers, through the Commission, have been successful in improving the profitability of peanuts and peanut products by reducing the cost of production through research and by working to promote and increase consumption. The Commission is recognized nationally and internationally by its little red bags of peanuts found in all Georgia Congressional offices on Capitol Hill.

When the Commission was first formed in 1961, farmers harvested 475,000 acres of with an average yield of 1,200 pounds of peanuts per acre. In 2011, farmers harvested 475,000 acres with an average yield of 3,520 pounds per acre, a 300 percent increase and a testament to the hard work on behalf of the Georgia Peanut Commission.

I take much pride in the fact that Georgia leads the Nation in production of peanuts with nearly 50 percent of the annual peanut crop. Georgia has 14,000 farms with peanuts and about 4,500 active farmers. Approximately 200 businesses in Georgia are peanut-related. Two million bags of peanuts are distributed annually and the industry contributes more than 50,000 jobs and an estimated $2 billion to the economy of the State of Georgia.

Since George Washington Carver discovered the many uses for the peanut in the early twentieth century, peanuts have become a household food staple and a source of dietary fiber, protein and other healthy nutrients. Although peanuts are produced in other parts of the country, I am a firm believer that no peanuts are of higher quality or more delicious than Georgia peanuts.

On a personal note, I would like to thank Don Koehler, Executive Director of the Georgia Peanut Commission, and the rest of the wonderful staff as well as Chairman Armond Morris and all those who serve on the Board of Directors. Their hard work and dedication has contributed to the success of the Commission in many ways.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the residents of Georgia's Second Congressional District, the state of Georgia, and all those nationwide and worldwide who enjoy our tasty Georgia peanuts, I ask my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute to the Georgia Peanut Commission for their exemplary services and dedicated efforts to support Georgia's 4,500 peanut growers over the past 50 years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an inspiring community leader and beloved Pastor of First Missionary Baptist Church, Dr. I.L. Mullins, Sr. Sadly, Dr. Mullins passed away on Wednesday, July 18, 2012. His passing leaves a tremendous void in the hearts of his family, friends and the Thomasville, Georgia community.

On Thursday, July 26, 2012, a Musical Memorial Service will be held in honor of Dr. Mullins at First Missionary Baptist Church. On Friday, July 27, 2012, a funeral service will be held at First Baptist Church in Thomasville, Georgia.

Dr. Mullins was born on August 26, 1930, and grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War in the 1950s.

Over the course of his lifetime, Dr. Mullins admirably mastered the balance of his civic responsibilities with his academic accomplishments and religious commitments. After he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Morehouse College in 1957, he went on to obtain his Masters of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center & Gammon Theological Seminary in 1960. In 1979, Dr. Mullins received his Doctor of Divinity degree from Faith College in Birmingham, Alabama.

A fierce believer in equality and justice for all, Dr. Mullins was not only a profound theologian but also a strong civic leader. He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and was instrumental in organizing the local Thomasville branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP. Additionally, Dr. Mullins served effectively as Thomas County Commissioner for five-terms that spanned over two decades.

Ordained as a minister on December 29, 1957, Dr. Mullins has served as the Pastor of the First Missionary Baptist Church since 1961 and was honored by the church for 50 years of dedicated pastoral service last year in a Golden Jubilee Extravaganza.

Mr. Speaker, one of the things that I will always remember about Dr. Mullins is his dedication to helping others and his passion for promoting equality and peace among individuals from different walks of life. A man of integrity and high moral values, his understanding, compassion and kindness made him a guiding light within the community.

On a personal note, I have been truly blessed by Dr. Mullins' warm friendship and support and I am deeply grateful for his counsel and advice as well as for being a fountain of inspiration for me over the last several years. His motto was, ``God's Preachers give their hearers fruit, not flowers.'' Indeed, Dr. Mullins gave his congregation and all those who have sought his counsel the fruit of the Word to satiate and sustain them throughout the journey of life.

Mr. Speaker, my wife Vivian and I, along with the almost 700,000 people in the 2nd Congressional District of Georgia, would like to extend our deepest sympathies to Dr. Mullins' wife the former Josephine Lovejoy Ferrell, their children, grandchildren and the members of First Missionary Baptist Church during this difficult time. May they be consoled and comforted by their abiding faith and the Holy Spirit in the days, weeks and months ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my sincerest congratulations and Happy Birthday wishes to Mrs. Buena Wooten Long, who will be celebrating her 100th birthday on Wednesday, July 25, 2012. On this day, Mrs. Long will be honored with a birthday celebration and dinner at the James H. Gray Senior Citizen's Center in Albany, Georgia.

Born in Whigham, Georgia on July 25, 1912 to Archie and Ada Wooten, Mrs. Long is the youngest of six children: Malachi, Charlie, Wadis, Leah, and Ruth. Although all her siblings preceded her in death, she is the second member of her family to become a centenarian; her paternal grandfather lived to be 106 years old.

Mrs. Long fondly remembers plowing a mule on the family farm as a child. As an adult, she worked as a seamstress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Detroit, Michigan. She is now an active participant at the Golden Retreat Senior Citizen's Center. Although she enjoys all the activities at the Center, bingo is her favorite.

Mrs. Long is the mother of Mrs. Helen Murphy-Prince; grandmother of Mr. Craig Wendell Prince; great-grandmother of Mr. Randall Murphy and Mr. Brian Murphy and great-greatgrandmother of Miss London Taylor Murphy.

Mrs. Long credits her longevity to her faith in God, a strong work ethic instilled in her by her parents and good genes. She is an active member of the Institutional First Baptist Church under the pastorate of Dr. Eugene G. Sherman.

George Washington Carver once said, ``How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong because someday in your life you will have been all of these.'' Mrs. Long has advanced far in life because she never forgot these lessons and always kept God first.

The race of life isn't given to the swift or to the strong, but to those who endure until the end. Mrs. Long has run the race of life with grace and dignity and God has blessed her over her lifetime.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute to an outstanding citizen and woman of faith, Mrs. Buena Wooten Long, as she, her family, and the seniors and volunteers of the Golden Retreat at the James H. Gray Senior Citizen's Center prepare to celebrate her 100th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Bishop Gregory Keith Blue, D.Min., Presiding Prelate of Perfecting Ministries Worldwide, Inc. and Overseer of Body of Christ Church International, who is celebrating 30 years of Pastoral Ministry this year. He will be honored at a banquet on Saturday, July 21, 2012 and at a church service on Sunday, July 22, 2012, in Columbus, Georgia.

A native of Miami, Florida, Bishop Blue holds five degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, Master of Arts in Psychology, Master of Divinity, and Doctorate of Divinity.

Stepping out of the United Methodist Church, Dr. Gregory Blue stepped into apostolic purpose birthing Perfecting Ministries Worldwide and Body of Christ Church International. Following Ephesians 4:11-13, ``So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets,

the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ,'' the revelation became manifestation in July 2000 on a store front property in Columbus, Georgia.

Bishop Blue is responsible for establishing, developing, and perfecting the five-fold ministry by equipping and teaching followers of God and sending them out across the globe to found churches with Christ as the Chief Apostle.

A strong leader with an exceptional work ethic, Bishop Blue has spoken and shared the Word of God as a pastor throughout the State of Georgia since 1983. He had the honor of speaking at the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, DC in 2002 and has received many civic and social awards both locally and nationally. He is also affiliated with Potter's House International Pastoral Alliance (PHIPA) in Dallas, Texas and Summerfield Ministries in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Bishop Blue has been sought out by local and state officials for his counsel and prayers. In late 2005, he traveled with Dr. Sherlock Bally to Israel to meet with key Israeli leaders. Since then, Bishop Blue has been traveling around the United States consecrating bishops and teaching true worship.

A father of five, Bishop Blue meditates upon Psalm 66:12, ``You have caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment--abundance.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Bishop G.K. Blue for 30 outstanding years of Pastoral Ministry. He has transformed the lives of countless people and his leadership has inspired others to also help lead the way to eternal life.

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure and honor to extend my sincerest appreciation and personal congratulations to Presiding Judge Herbert E. Phipps for his distinguished service on the Court of Appeals of the State of Georgia. On Monday, July 23, 2012, his legacy as a judge will be recognized at the Unveiling and Hanging of His Portrait at the Judicial Building in Albany, Georgia, where he first began his career as a judge in 1980.

Presiding Judge Phipps was born in Baker County, Georgia to J.W. Phipps and Marion Gadson Phipps. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Morehouse College in 1964. He has traveled throughout Europe and Asia and taught English at Thammasatt University and private schools in Thailand. He earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1971 from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio where he also served as an editor of the Law Review. In 2004, he was awarded a Master of Laws in the Judicial Process from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Presiding Judge Phipps returned to Albany, Georgia in 1971 to practice law, focusing on civil rights litigation. In 1980, he was appointed part-time Magistrate and Associate Judge of the Dougherty County State Court and in 1988, he was appointed to the Dougherty Circuit Juvenile Court. In 1995, he was appointed Judge of the Dougherty County Superior Court by Governor Zell Miller and in 1999, Governor Roy Barnes appointed him to the Court of Appeals. In April 2010, he became a Presiding Judge of the Court of Appeals.

Due to his enduring dedication and his strong leadership, Presiding Judge Phipps has received many awards, including the Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service from the State Bar of Georgia. In 2007, he was inducted into the Society of Benchers of Case Western Reserve School of Law and his Commencement Address to the Class of 2007 of Case Western Reserve School of Law, ``Lawyers--the Guardians of Truth and Justice,'' is published at 58 Case Western Reserve Law Review 483 (2008).

In conjunction with his professional accomplishments, Presiding Judge Phipps has served on a number of boards and commissions and has been involved with many law and professional organizations. He also lives a life of service and faith, attending Bethel A.M.E. Church in Albany and serving as a past President of the Albany Association for Retarded Citizens, the Albany Sickle Cell Foundation, the Faith Fund Foundation and The Criterion Club, as well as being a member of numerous community organizations.

Presiding Judge Phipps has accomplished many things in his life but none of this would have been possible without the enduring love and support of his wife Connie, children Herbert and India, son-in-law Will J. Epps and granddaughter Zoe Olivia Epps.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Presiding Judge Herbert E. Phipps for his outstanding professional achievements and dedicated service to the people of the state of Georgia.

I move to strike the last word.

Madam Chair, I'd like to voice my opposition to the amendment sponsored by Mr. Kingston and Ms. McCollum, aimed at banning pro-sports sponsorship by the Department of Defense.

Truly, we are in an era where the people's government should take proactive efforts to trim excesses from the budget wherever possible. This measure, Madam Chair, does not attack an excess of government. If accepted, the U.S. Government would be cutting out a proven successful investment in our Nation's military personnel.

The Army, the National Guard, and the National Guard Association strongly oppose this amendment. Last year, over 280 Members, in a bipartisan vote, opposed this amendment.

Appropriations Committee Chairman Rogers and Defense Subcommittee Chairman Young have both been opposed to this measure in committee votes and floor votes. Chairman Young has repeatedly said in 2012 that he opposes it.

Our military deserves access to the most qualified potential recruits available. A vote in favor of this amendment would handicap our military's recruiting efforts.

Starting in 1999, marketing the military through sports opened the door for the DOD's efforts to brand and to showcase their services to a specific target audience. The National Guard cannot advertise on broadcast television, so professional sports sponsorships become an efficient, effective means of reaching target markets for recruiting and retention of citizen soldiers and airmen.

Our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines are athletes. It only makes sense to advertise and market to professional sports venues. Athletes share common values with the military such as honor, integrity, individual responsibility, teamwork, and self-sacrifice.

Additionally, athletes are a key demographic in the men and women we want to serve. With the DOD's strict requirements for a recruit to qualify, only one in every four young people is even eligible to join. The DOD's success rate in recruiting stems from their direct access to potential recruits and influencers of men and women, like-minded about their interest in joining the military, often found at sporting events.

Pro sports sponsorships increase the DOD's visibility, generate recruitment opportunities at events, and provide a national platform to promote each branch's image.

In addition to recruitment and a recognizable national profile, military sponsorships in motorsports spotlight a good return on investment, dollar for dollar. In 2011 alone, the Army National Guard spent $44 million on motorsports sponsorships. But based on market value, the total media exposure the Guard received totaled over $150 million, a 336 percent return on investment.

If less is spent on advertising, history proves that DOD will have to increase dollars for bonuses to retain current military personnel and increase dollars for recruiting bonuses.

DOD motorsports partnerships have resulted in key transfers of technology. For example, the first Humvee sent to Iraq had canvas doors. Additional armor added created challenges to the Humvee's suspension systems. The marines turned to NASCAR engineers to help solve the problem.

An additional project developed by the marines is the mine roller. Pushed in front of trucks, the roller can detonate explosive devices, while protecting the marines in the vehicle. One of the first rollers in Iraq took a blast and saved the three marines inside. The mine roller uses new suspension technology developed by the Joe Gibbs NASCAR racing team. Base commanders say that cooperation between base workers and businesses across the country is saving troops' lives.

Beyond the direct investment, DOD pro sponsorships positively influence communities surrounding our Nation's personnel. For example, the National Guard works together with their partners in Panther racing and IndyCar to address unemployment affecting servicemembers and their families by sponsoring hiring fairs, outreach efforts, and employer education.

This amendment would likely limit the military from participating in the Olympics, flyovers over games, sponsoring marathons such as the Marine Corps Marathon, as well as the Blue Angels, the Thunderbirds, and the Golden Knights.

Cutting all funding towards DOD pro sports sponsorships hinders military recruitment of qualified candidates, impairs employment resources for our Nation's military families, and severely damages a positive financial investment for our military.

To directly quote the DOD:

To ensure the Nation fields a military fully capable of

performing any assigned mission, we must recruit highly

qualified men and women from across America. This amendment

will directly impact the recruiting quality and overall

mission requirements, increasing costs, and forcing

reductions in the standards for accessions.

A vote for this amendment is a vote against the effectiveness of our military. Please join me in opposing this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a beloved role model and gracious woman of faith, Mrs. Bessie Mae Rudolph Anderson. On Saturday, July 14, 2012, Mrs. Anderson will be honored at an event celebrating her 100th birthday in Albany, Georgia.

Mrs. Anderson was born on July 6, 1912 in Mount Willing, Alabama to lsiaah and Ada Eula Cabble Rudolph. She was the fifth of nine children. She and her brother, Will Arthur, are the only living siblings today.

As she grew up, Mrs. Anderson helped her father on the farm and her mother in the house. In her free time, she was the ``Belle of the Ball'' as she loved to dance. She has always enjoyed fishing, reading, telling stories about her childhood, and cooking her famous biscuits.

In 1924, Mrs. Anderson met William Anderson, a ``Georgia Boy.'' After dating for five years, they were married on July 28, 1929. They began their life together in Alabama where they had five children: William, Jr., Mattie Pearl, John Samuel, Rosie Maxine and Ernestine. In 1940, they moved to Georgia where they had six more children: Katherlean, Sim Hill, Lee Ernest, Lottye, Freddie Mae, and Charles Edward. Mrs. Anderson was a devoted wife and loving mother and worked hard to make a home for her family.

When her youngest child started school, Mrs. Anderson began working for the Pope family in Thomasville, Georgia as a housekeeper and caregiver for their three children: Sissy, Dusty, and Miller. She was like family to the Popes and she loved those three children as her own.

Mrs. Anderson often said she was a chemist and a nurse licensed in all states because whenever and wherever anyone fell ill, she was always willing to go and nurse them back to health using her own homemade medical remedies.

Mrs. Anderson has achieved numerous successes in her life, but none of this would have been possible without the love and support of her late husband, William, her eleven children, and her 194 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Most important to Mrs. Anderson is her sturdy and enduring relationship with the Lord. She is a longtime member of Mercy Seat Christian Church. She served as treasurer for the church for many years and still serves as Mother of the Church.

The race of life isn't given to the swift or to the strong, but to those who endure until the

end. Mrs. Anderson has run the race of life with grace and dignity and God has blessed her over her lifetime.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute to Mrs. Bessie Mae Rudolph Anderson as she and her family prepares to celebrate her 100th birthday.

Madam Speaker, when I first ran for Congress in 1992, I pledged to my constituents that I would use the political process to improve the lives of people and communities of the Second Congressional District of Georgia. For this reason, I supported the Affordable Care Act in 2010 because I believed that it would make a significant difference in making health care more affordable and more accessible.

I still believe in the effectiveness of the law more than two years after its enactment. In fact, it is needed now more than ever. My District has high rates of diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and obesity. Many of my constituents cannot get health insurance because they have reached their lifetime limit or they have a pre-existing condition. I also have heard from seniors who cannot afford their prescription drugs because they have fallen into Medicare's ``donut hole,'' small businesses owners who find the cost of health insurance to be too high, and residents of rural communities who must travel long distances to find a doctor.

They deserve better. We all do.

Repealing the Affordable Care Act would be a significant setback for these Georgians as well as the entire nation. According to a Washington Post editorial Tuesday, since the health reform law was enacted, increases in national health expenditures have slowed, saving Americans more than $220 billion. In Georgia alone, the closure of the ``donut hole'' in coverage to date has saved Medicare recipients over $13 million. Already over three million residents are free from worrying about lifetime limits on coverage. The law's insurance reforms, which already have taken effect, will allow 123,000 young Georgians stay on their parents' plan until age 26 and ensure the protection of over 26 million children nationwide with pre-existing conditions.

Now that it has been upheld by the United States Supreme Court, we must work together to ensure that the Affordable Care Act remains the law of land so that America can be a healthier, more prosperous, and more just nation.

What I said two years ago still holds true today. As a man of faith, I know that Jesus taught us to provide and care for others, especially the ``least of these,'' or those that have few advocates. I believe He would take care of this immediate need of the people and not let them fend for themselves. This law goes a long way toward living up to this moral principle, and I urge my colleagues to oppose its repeal.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to extend my personal congratulations to the Reverend David L. Stanley, the beloved pastor of Union Baptist Church in Macon, Georgia, who will be celebrating 25 years at this wonderful church. On Sunday, July 8, 2012, he will be honored by his congregation at Union Baptist Church for this important milestone.

Rev. Stanley, the second youngest of five children, was born to Charles and Anna Stanley. He grew up in Dublin, Georgia and attended M.M. Burdell Elementary School and Northeast High School in Macon, Georgia.

Rev. Stanley went on to receive a Certificate of Diploma in Old and New Testament Studies from Moody Bible College. He also obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Studies from Carolina University in Lincolnton, North Carolina. However, Rev. Stanley's studies have not concluded as he strives to continue to understand and keep abreast of the Word of God.

Before becoming pastor of Union Baptist Church, Rev. Stanley served as a Sunday School teacher, Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent. He received God's call to the ministry in 1985 and accepted pastoral duties at Union Baptist Church two years later in 1987.

Union Baptist Church has had an enduring history. After relocating many times since the church was founded in 1893, a church at the present site was built in 1963. Many improvements and additions have been made since then and groundbreaking for the new edifice was held on November 27, 1999, during Rev. Stanley's tenure. Two years later, on April 1, 2001, the new sanctuary was unveiled and dedicated to the Lord.

Under Rev. Stanley's leadership, Union Baptist Church has grown not only in size, but also in faith. Always pressing towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, in order to better improve the craft of Christian discipleship, Rev. Stanley's philosophy emphasizes the importance of instructing his flock and others in becoming more knowledgeable about God's Word. Putting his philosophy into action, he implemented the Union Baptist Non-Accredited Bible School to enhance regular Bible study among members of his congregation and the community.

As a servant of God, Rev. Stanley is also a servant of others. He has received a ``Key to the City'' for his community work. Always endeavoring to motivate others, he was chosen as one of Macon's Most Inspirational Speakers by the residents of the city. He is also involved in the Union Baptist Association, the Georgia Baptist Convention and the Baptist Minister's Union.

Rev. Stanley is a great and inspirational leader, but none of this would have been possible without the love and support of his wife, Deborah, and his son, David, Jr.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me today in congratulating Reverend David L. Stanley for 25 outstanding years of pastorship at Union Baptist Church in Macon, Georgia. He has truly implemented the Word of God in his congregation and in the community. I am profoundly grateful for his outstanding Christian stewardship and dedication to his church and family.

Truly to God be the glory!

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to extend my personal congratulations and happy birthday wishes to Mr. Lawrence Wright Jordan, Sr., who will turn 85 years of age on July 8, 2012. On this day, he will be honored by his family and friends at a celebration at Crawford County Board of Education Auditorium in Roberta, Georgia at 1:00 p.m.

Mr. Jordan, the second of nine children, was born on July 8, 1927, to Mattie Lee (Barnes) Jordan and Graham Jordan, Sr. in Roberta, Georgia. He started working at a young age and served as the ``house boy'' for the family whose land his own family lived on.

As he grew up, Mr. Jordan had a great desire to serve his country and wanted to enlist in the United States Army at age 18. However, he was required to wait as his older brother was in the Navy and his mother did not want two sons in the military at the same time. He was finally able to enter the Army at the age of 25.

In the 1950s, Mr. Jordan served two tours of duty in the Korean War before receiving honorable discharges from the Army. He is one of the very few Korean War Veterans still alive today.

On October 11, 1958, Mr. Jordan married Anola Preston, also of Roberta, Georgia. They would go on to have six beautiful and loving children: Barbara Ann (Jordan) Snowden, Lawrence Wright Jordan, Jr., Linda Joyce Jordan, Sam Edward Jordan, Tammy Renee (Jordan) Jones, and John Howard Jordan as well as Shirlene Tennyson, who, sadly, passed away. Additionally, Mr. Jordan has 18 grandchildren and 10 great- grandchildren.

George Washington Carver once said, ``How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong because someday in your life you will have been all of these.'' Mr. Jordan has advanced so far in life because he kept these lessons with him throughout his childhood, his service in the Army, and his adult life.

The race of life isn't given to the swift or to the strong, but to those who endure until the end. Mr. Jordan has run the race of life with

grace and dignity and God has blessed him over his lifetime.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in paying tribute to Mr. Jordan, a distinguished veteran and beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Dan Bollinger, Sr. as he retires after over thirty years of illustrious service as an executive of regional development organizations in Georgia. A celebration will be held in his honor on Thursday, June 28, 2012 at the Camilla Depot in Camilla, Georgia at 5:30 p.m.

Mr. Bollinger, a native of Missouri, was raised in a small town of 600 people. He graduated from the University of Missouri--Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He also pursued a higher level of education in the field of Community and Economic Development.

A strong leader with an exceptional work ethic, Mr. Bollinger is currently the Executive Director of Southwest Georgia Regional Commission, a planning agency that serves 14 Georgia counties including Baker, Calhoun, Colquitt, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Lee, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Terrell, Thomas, and Worth. The SWGRC is responsible for assisting local governments with comprehensive planning in land and economic development. Mr. Bollinger has held the position of Executive Director since 1994.

I. the past, Mr. Bollinger has also served as president of the National Association of Development Organizations and of the Georgia Association of Regional Development Centers as well as serving as Executive Director of the Missouri Bootheel Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission for 11 years. Additionally, he was vice president of the Bank of Chaffee in Missouri.

Mr. Bollinger also served our country for four years in the United States Air Force. He volunteered as president of the Chaffee, Missouri Chamber of Commerce for two terms. Additionally, he umpired baseball and fast pitch softball and refereed basketball for 25 years on the amateur level. Since moving to Georgia, he has become an avid tennis player and golfer.

George Washington Carver once said, ``How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong because someday in your life you will have been all of these.'' As a leader, Mr. Bollinger recognized the importance of serving others.

It cannot be disputed that Dan Bollinger, Sr. has achieved numerous successes in his life. However, none of this would have been possible without the enduring love and support of his loving wife, Lynn, and wonderful children and grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Mr. Bollinger for his outstanding professional achievements and his dedicated service to Southwest Georgia.

Mr. Speaker, it is my great honor to extend a heartfelt congratulations to the volunteers, employees and representatives of United Way as they celebrate 125 years of motivating millions of people to advance the common good.

On June 21, 2012, the worldwide network celebrated their United Way Day of Action, a day dedicated to volunteer and community service activities and encouraging others to pledge to become readers, tutors, or mentors. Also, on June 28, 2012, they will be celebrating the official United Way Founders Day, commemorating community leaders Frances Wisebart Jacobs, the Rev. Myron W. Reed, Msgr. William J. O'Ryan, Dean H. Martyn Hart and Rabbi William S. Friedman for founding the Charity Organizations Society, the first ``United Way'' Organization in Denver, Colorado in 1887.

In 125 years, United Way has expanded beyond Denver and Colorado and beyond the United States to become a network of almost 1,800 community- based United Ways in 45 countries and territories around the world. In as many years, United Way has become one of the biggest and most influential charity organizations in the world. To emphasize this point, United Way, in a partnership with the National Football League (NFL), raised more than $1 billion dollars in 1974--the first time in history that an annual campaign of a single organization had raised this much money.

United Way envisions ``a world where all individuals and families achieve their human potential through education, income stability and healthy lives.'' For this reason, in 2008, they set forth a 10-year program to achieve three goals by 2018: (1) Improve education and cut the number of high school dropouts (1.2 million students every year) in half; (2) help people achieve financial stability and get at least half of lower-income families (1.9 million families) on the way to economic independence; (3) promote healthy lives and increase by one-third the number of youth and adults who are healthy and avoid risky behaviors. These are ambitious goals but I am confident that the thousands of United Way advocates will work tirelessly to achieve them.

I would like to especially recognize the local United Way organizations in Georgia's Second Congressional District: Greater Valdosta United Way, Inc., United Way of South Central Georgia, United Way of Southwest Georgia, Bainbridge--Decatur United Way, United Way of Colquitt County, and United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley. I applaud the members and volunteers of these organizations for dedicating their time and efforts to support their neighbors in need.

Mr. Speaker, in closing I ask that my colleagues join me in expressing our collective and profound gratitude to the volunteers, employees and representatives of United Way for all they have done to improve the quality of life for the residents of Georgia's Second Congressional District and all around the world.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the members and supporters of the Muscogee Retired Educators Association (MREA) as they commemorate its 50th anniversary this year. A celebration luncheon will be held on Friday, June 22, 2012 at 11:30 a.m. at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center in Columbus, Georgia.

MREA was established as the Muscogee Retired Teachers Association (MRTA) in 1962 when Mr. Boyd B. Littlejohn and a small group of other retired Muscogee teachers decided to organize themselves in order to better attend to the needs and concerns of retired teachers in the area. Mr. Littlejohn, a retired principal who served St. Elmo, Clubview, and Mcllhenney schools, became the first president before going on to serve as president of GRTA from 1965-1967.

In its early existence, members of MRTA would meet in their homes or in churches. Ms. Ruth Plumb and Mrs. Rex Lavender served as presidents until MRTA became inactive for a short period. In 1972, J. Zeb Morris, retired principal of Waverly Terrace and jazz pianist, became president. After this, MRTA began to grow in membership and was able to improve its service to retired teachers.

Throughout the years, the association has been led by distinguished retired educators such as Lucile David, Lyda Hanna, Nathan Hunter, Brice Carson, Jack Shepard, Laura Haygood, L.B. Hickson, Sumter Blackmon, John Little, O'Neal Hendricks, Kathryn Hunt, Esto Smith, Anita B. Walters, Dr. Jeanette Marshal and its current president, Diane Boss, among others.

Mr. Nathan Hunter also served as GRTA President from 1979-1980 and Mrs. Lucile Hunter, his widow and an MRTA member, presented his GRTA gavel to the MREA. The gavel is a treasured keepsake and is passed on to each succeeding MREA president.

In 1998, the GRTA changed its name to the Georgia Retired Educators Association to include all those who work in the field of education and are under the Teacher Retirement System of Georgia. MRTA followed suit, changing its name to the Muscogee Retired Educators Association (MREA), as it is called today.

In addition to having served as teachers, mentors, and role models throughout their career, members of MREA continue to serve the

community in retirement by volunteering their time to help out at schools, churches, hospitals, nursing homes, museums, libraries, health screening venues and other places. A number of members also volunteered at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Columbus for fast pitch baseball.

In past years, MREA has consistently been presented with competitive Membership awards from GREA. Also, MREA strives to help active teachers by awarding scholarships to those seeking graduate degrees.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in applauding the exceptional efforts of the Muscogee Retired Educators Association for all they have done and will continue to do to address the needs of our retired educators. Not only did MREA members provide a great service during their careers teaching our young people, but they have continued that legacy of service in the community in retirement and for that, I thank each and every one of them.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to extend my personal congratulations to Mrs. Carolyn Henry, a beloved citizen of Thomasville, Georgia, who will be celebrating her 31st year as the Minister of Music and 51st year as a member of the First Missionary Baptist Church in Thomasville, Georgia. On June 23, 2012, Mrs. Henry's relatives, friends, colleagues and church family will pay tribute to her for her outstanding musical stewardship and years of dedicated service at First Missionary Baptist Church.

Mrs. Henry is a graduate of Fort Valley State University where she received her bachelor's degree in Music Education. Following her graduation from Fort Valley State University, Mrs. Henry enrolled in Valdosta State University where she would receive her master's degree in Music Education. She attended the University of Georgia for advanced studies in Vocal Pedagogy and received training in Choral Conducting from renowned conductors Rodney Eichenberger and Dr. Andre Thomas of Florida State University.

As an advocate for quality education and sound musical training for our nation's school children, Mrs. Henry served as a public school music teacher for 37 years in both Thomas County and Berrien County, Georgia. Over the course of her teaching career, Mrs. Henry also served as the Director of the Community Choir at Thomas University and as an Adjunct Music Instructor at Georgia Southwestern University.

To go along with her many academic and music education accomplishments, Mrs. Henry has received acclaim as a vocalist and music administrator. She is an original member of the world renowned Georgia Mass Choir and she was selected as one of the choir members to perform in the movie, ``The Preacher's Wife,'' starring Whitney Houston and Denzel Washington.

Currently, Mrs. Henry is the Founder and Artistic Director of the C.H.A.R.M. School, a private music studio for voice and piano students in Thomasville, Georgia. This studio serves as a preeminent training center for future musicians and artist performers. In conjunction with her musical commitments at the C.H.A.R.M. School and at First Missionary Baptist Church, Mrs. Henry also serves as the Music Director of Bethany Congregational Church in Thomasville, Georgia.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Mrs. Carolyn Henry, a beloved educator, magnificent vocalist and outstanding role model, as she and her loved ones celebrate her many years of musical achievement and dedicated community service on behalf of First Missionary Baptist Church and the Thomas County, Georgia community.

Enjoy your anniversary celebration Mrs. Henry! May God continue to bless you and may you have many, many more years of musical excellence.