Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor my friend, Anne Therese McCuskey, who died September 4, 2014, in our hometown of Charleston after a long illness. Anne was an exemplary public servant and avid Republican. She always exhibited common sense about political issues, personal issues and was a tireless advocate. I have always been grateful that Anne was willing to work in my first Congressional campaign and serve as my District Director when I entered Congress in 2001.

Born in 1949 and raised in Erie, Pennsylvania, Anne graduated from Villa Maria Academy high school and was among the first women to graduate from Gannon University. She came to West Virginia University as a graduate student in 1971. At WVU, she earned a master's degree in social work, met her beloved husband John, and developed an abiding affection for the Mountain State. She loved her adopted home state and devoted the next 40 years to inspiring West Virginians to reach their true potential.

After graduating from WVU, she and John moved to Bridgeport, where Anne served as Clinical Director for Summit Center, an eight-county regional mental health center, and held leadership positions in the United Way of Harrison County. Anne and John moved their family to Charleston in 1985, when my father, Governor Arch Moore, appointed John as the state's Commissioner of Finance and Administration. As a Charleston resident, Anne expanded her professional efforts on behalf of West Virginians. She was appointed to the Commission for National and Community Service, as well as the West Virginia Governor's Committee on Crime Delinquency and Corrections, the West Virginia Parole Board, the West Virginia Behavioral Health Advisory Council, and the Governor's Advisory Committee on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. She served as Vice President of Government Relations for the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Director of Government Relations for the Charleston Regional Chamber of Commerce and Development, and President of the Black Diamond Girl Scout Council.

Anne took great pride in finding talented people and cultivating their talents on behalf of West Virginia. She turned this pride into a career as a campaign professional, working on campaigns throughout the state. In addition to serving as my District Director, Anne later became Executive Director for the West Virginia Republican Party. But Anne always had two favorite candidates, her husband and her son, both named John McCuskey. Beyond her impact at the state and national level, Anne's efforts had a personal impact on everyone in her path.

Although leading an active civic and social life, Anne's first devotion always was to her family. She leaves behind her husband of 38 years, John F. McCuskey, and their children, John B. McCuskey and daughter-in-law Wendy, their daughter, Elizabeth McCuskey and her partner, Victor, as well as an extensive, extended family.

Anne was a truly a great wife, parent, public servant, and patriot. I am so honored to have known and work as closely as I did with her. All, who had the pleasure of knowing her, will experience a void as a result. She had a determined confidence and I will always remember her sage words of advice, ``always soldier on and politics isn't Sunday school.''

Mr. Speaker, the State of West Virginia, and indeed, the United States of America owe Anne McCuskey a debt of gratitude for her many years of distinguished service in her professional and personal life. I am honored to call her my friend and fellow West Virginian.

Mr. Speaker, later today, the House will consider the Employee Health Care Protection Act, and I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation.

As I traveled West Virginia during the August recess, I heard from small business owners and workers across the State that their health insurance premiums are increasing. I also heard that their deductibles are increasing quite rapidly.

Given that the Obama administration's own Centers for Medicare & Medicaid studies found that 11 million small business employees will see their premiums increase due to ObamaCare, it was sad, but not surprising, that businesses in West Virginia and around the country are feeling the pinch of this law's misguided policies.

Yesterday a report issued by the American Action Forum found that the Affordable Care Act regulations are reducing small businesses' pay by $22.6 billion annually, and the rising premiums spurred by the law have cost our Nation's economy more than 350,000 jobs.

In my State of West Virginia, more than half of our private sector workers are employed by small businesses. Making sure that health insurance on the small group market is affordable is important to both the family budgets and to make sure those small businesses can continue to grow and provide jobs.

We saw last fall the tremendous problems and uncertainty that occurred when roughly 5 million Americans who purchased insurance on the individual market received cancelation notices, but recent testimony at the House Energy and Commerce Committee has indicated that millions more workers who have employer-sponsored plans could get similar notices starting as early as this year.

If a worker is forced to change health insurance policies, their new plan might not include their doctor or their community hospital. This is another example of overreaching government that is taking away the freedom of individuals and businesses to make the health care decisions that best fit their unique circumstances.

The bill the House will consider today is very simple. If a plan was offered on the group health insurance market in 2013, that plan can continue to be offered for the next 5 years. Any worker covered by one of these plans will not be fined under the individual mandate. The Employer Health Care Protection Act keeps the President's promise that people who like their insurance, health insurance, can keep it.

It also provides more affordable alternatives for small businesses whose health care costs are soaring. This bill is a commonsense step forward.

There is still much more work that needs to be done. We need to go back to the drawing board and enact true health care reform. We should build on the good ideas, like helping those with preexisting conditions and allowing children to remain on parents' benefits until the age of 26. These are good things.

We should get rid of bad ideas like the job-killing employer mandate, the individual mandate, and regulations that have cost many Americans the insurance plan and the doctor that they choose. We should enact meaningful medical liability reform, we should help spur association health plans, and allow insurance to be sold across State lines to broaden competition in the individual insurance market.

We need to come together to fix our broken health care system. But today, the least we can do is keep the promise that the President made to the American people and allow current plans to continue to be available. I ask my colleagues to support the Employee Health Care Protection Act.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman of the full committee and the ranking member as well.

I stand in strong support of H.R. 5078 because it represents another administration overreach that will impact our entire economy. Under the vague regulation proposed by the EPA and the Corps, Federal power will grow and tie up our agriculture, construction, and energy industries in even more red tape.

Expanding the scope of Federal jurisdiction will require many more Clean Air permits, which will mean more permitting delays, and more permitting delays means fewer jobs.

During the August recess, I traveled all across the State of West Virginia and met with farmers who were particularly concerned, construction workers, miners, and many others, who are very, very upset about the EPA's regulatory assault that is costing us West Virginia jobs.

We should support this bill today, reject this proposed rule, and send Federal officials back to the drawing board to work with State and local leaders on a jurisdictional water rule that makes sense for our economy and our environment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Aplin Ridge Methodist Church located in Gay, Jackson County, West Virginia, who is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a Centennial Celebration on September 20 and 21, 2014.

Aplin Ridge Methodist Church was constructed in 1914, built with hand tools by church members over several months. There was no electricity during construction, so lanterns were used by workers to illuminate the site during work at night. The land and the timber for the church were donated by Ester Aplin Waybright Thomas. The church was named for her father William Henry Aplin and was dedicated on November 2, 1914.

Charles Westfall, a member of the church remembers hearing stories of his father standing on a ladder holding a lantern, while putting the final touches on the steeple and securing the church bell in preparation for the church's grand opening. Others recall that during winter months, dozens of lanterns could be seen lighting the ridge as church members headed to Aplin Ridge Methodist Church on foot, horseback or by wagon for evening worship services. Worshippers were warmed by a wood stove and the church was illuminated by oil lamps and candles until 1946, when electricity was made available. It is stories such as these, passed down from generation to generation, that enrich the history of the beloved church.

Many Aplin Ridge members answered the call to service for World Wars I and II, Korean and Vietnam Wars, Iraq and Afghanistan. The church survived and pulled together during many significant events, in addition to the wars, ranging from the Great Depression to Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon and the horrific attack on this country on September 11, 2001. Throughout its existence, Aplin Ridge Methodist Church has conducted hundreds of baptisms, weddings, and family celebrations. The church is proud of its 80 member congregation, of all ages, many of which are fourth generation members. The church is also known for its benevolence by providing substantial help and financial relief to community members experiencing difficult times. The motto of the Aplin Ridge Methodist Church follows the teachings of Jesus, ``Love thy Neighbor.''

Mr. Speaker, I would like to close by thanking Pastor Danny Cummings for his commitment to Aplin Ridge Methodist Church and its congregation for celebrating its greatness through this special Centennial celebration. Hopefully, this will be the beginning of the next 100 years of service Aplin Ridge Methodist Church will have as the spiritual, loving beacon of the community of Gay and Jackson County. I am truly privileged to serve such a distinguished group of West Virginians.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dick Callaway, Mayor of the City of St. Albans, who has been honored by his peers at the West Virginia Municipal League recognizing him as 2014 Mayor of the Year. He has dutifully served the City of St. Albans as its Mayor for eight years, elected in 2009 and 2013. I have had the honor to work with Mayor Callaway on numerous occasions, and have always admired his professionalism, his vision and his concern for his constituents and the community.

Mayor Callaway is very involved with other organizations that affect the quality of life of the City of St. Albans and Kanawha County. He currently holds seats on the Board of Directors for the Charleston Area Alliance, Regional Development Authority, and Bridge Valley Community and Technical College Foundation. In addition, he is the Past President of the WV Municipal League and is currently Chairman of the Regional Intergovernmental Council, which provides an array of services that support economic development, infrastructure, planning and intergovernmental cooperation.

Before serving the City of St. Albans, Callaway was involved in broadcasting and education. He is a past president of the WV Associated Press Broadcasters Association. He is the former owner and operator of radio stations in both Charleston and Boone County, WV. He has served as a member of the executive council for AARP West Virginia. While with AARP, he produced and hosted the AARP West Virginia television broadcast. Before becoming mayor, Callaway produced and hosted several television programs in the Charleston viewing area. Callaway is the current host of ``Community Issues'' for the West Virginia Library Network. In the field of Education, he served as the President of the WV Vocational Education Association.

These experiences have proven invaluable in his duties and performance as Mayor. Under his leadership, the St. Albans Drug Prevention Task Force was established; St. Alban's Main Street was opened for economic development; the old Alban Theater was purchased and transformed into a theatrical production house for theatrical performances and as a home for the Alban Arts Academy for classes in the performing and visual arts. He also oversaw the reconstruction of the Dick Henderson Bridge, an essential span over the Kanawha River connecting the Cities of St. Albans and Nitro. Callaway also saves the St. Albans Municipal Utility Commission at least $75,000 annually by serving as its General Manager.

Callaway, and his wife Libby, celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary in July of this year. He and Libby have two daughters, six grandchildren, and are the loving pet parents to Becker the beagle and Roz the terrier. Even with his hectic schedule, Mayor Callaway takes his 90+ year-old Mother to the beauty parlor and shopping every Saturday morning.

His leadership gifts shine not only on the professional front, but also in his personal life. Callaway is a Deacon and Adult Bible Study Teacher at First Baptist Church in St. Albans. He is kind hearted, mild mannered and always ready to help others, which has gained him the support, love and respect of not only the citizens of St. Albans, but his employees as well.

Mr. Speaker, the State of West Virginia, City of St. Albans, and indeed, the United States of America owe Mayor Dick Callaway a debt of gratitude for his many years of distinguished service. I would like to close by offering Congratulations to Mayor Callaway on this prestigious, much deserved honor. I am truly privileged to call him my friend and fellow West Virginian.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4626) to ensure access to certain information for financial services industry regulators, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and submit extraneous materials for the Record on H.R. 4626, currently under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Safe Act Confidentiality and Privilege Enhancement Act, legislation that I introduced this year.

One of the lessons learned from the financial crisis of the last decade was there were significant gaps in communication between State regulators. Duplicitous mortgage originators were able to move from State to State, virtually undetected, perpetuating fraud on consumers. In response, Congress passed the SAFE Act, which required all mortgage loan originators to be licensed and registered through the National Mortgage Licensing System and Registry. The SAFE Act also set minimum licensing standards that States must meet.

Since its creation in 2008, this registry has allowed State regulators to efficiently search a mortgage loan originator's history and detect previous fraudulent behavior.

The success of this registry has not gone unnoticed. Since April 2012, State regulators have been working with other financial services providers to use the NMLS as a platform for the licensing and registry of other financial services providers, like money service businesses, debt collectors, pawnbrokers, and check cashers. In fact, my home State of West Virginia is now using this platform for their money service businesses.

The use of this national licensing system not only provides efficiencies for the regulated businesses, but it also strengthens consumer protections for the licensed products. The licensing of these providers and the sharing of information between State regulators helps ensure that the consumers are properly protected from fraudulent lending. These registries will allow State regulators to better track fraudulent actors, making it less likely that these fraudsters can obtain a license to do business and harm consumers.

H.R. 4626 provides a minor amendment to the SAFE Act, ensuring that information shared between the State financial services regulators is protected. My legislation simply clarifies that information that is shared with these State regulators receives the same privileged and confidential treatment that is currently afforded to State banking and mortgage regulators. Without this minor change, there will be gaps in the system that could limit information sharing.

During a hearing in the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee 2 weeks ago, West Virginia Division of Financial Institutions Commissioner Sally Cline said: ``This possible gap limits the States' ability to use NMLS as a licensing system for nonmortgage financial services providers. The change proposed by H.R. 4626 addresses this uncertainty and would provide me and West Virginia- regulated entities with certainty that confidential or privileged information shared through NMLS would continue to be protected under State and Federal law.''

Ensuring the confidentiality of the shared information will bolster the effectiveness of these national registries. Expanding licensing to new lines of business and tracking those that are licensed will better protect consumers in my State and across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

I would like to thank my friend from Colorado for his support of this and for his service on the committee. He is a great member of the Financial Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to reiterate that ensuring confidentiality will bring about more effectiveness with the national registers. We are responding basically to what a lot of our State regulators have asked us to do, to make sure that they better protect consumers and are able to keep the information in a privileged and confidential manner.

With that, I would urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5062) to amend the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to specify that privilege is maintained when information is shared by certain nondepository covered persons with Federal and State financial regulators, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and submit any extraneous materials for the Record on H.R. 5062, as amended, currently under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, this bill is very similar to the previous bill that we just passed. I rise in support of H.R. 5062, the Examination and Supervisory Privilege Parity Act of 2014--we always want to have a nice, long name for everything--and congratulate my colleagues on the Financial Services Committee, Mr. Perlmutter and Mr. Barr, for their hard work on advancing this legislation.

This bill clarifies that the sharing of information between Federal banking regulators and State agencies that license, supervise, or examine the offering of consumer financial products or services will not be construed as waiving, destroying, or otherwise affecting any privilege or confidentiality right that a person could claim.

Americans are familiar with the concept of privilege. Under current law, legal privilege exists with respect to certain communications, so long as they are not shared with a third party. Attorney-client privilege, for example, is destroyed if the client shares what he communicated to his attorney with his colleague at work.

This legislation provides assurance for financial institutions that privileged information shared between Federal banking regulators and State regulatory agencies will be protected and remain confidential.

This will encourage a greater amount of sharing between institutions and their regulators and will allow our Nation's financial regulators to do their jobs to ensure that our financial institutions are operating lawfully while, at the same time, able to offer consumer credit products that are critical to Americans to finance their everyday purchases and start small businesses.

The Examination and Supervisory Privilege Parity Act is a simple bipartisan bill that clarifies that this is not always the case. I, again, congratulate Mr. Barr and Mr. Perlmutter on their work, and I would reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr), the author of the bill and a great member of the Financial Services Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I again would like to thank the sponsors of the legislation, Mr. Barr and Mr. Perlmutter, for working together to seek a fix that will result in good things for the coordination aspect of the State regulators and Federal regulators. I encourage passage of the bill.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the esteemed military career of Transportation Corporal Carl F. Aylestock. Corporal Aylestock's service and devotion are to be commended, and the people of West Virginia and the United States owe him an immense debt of gratitude.

Corporal Carl Aylestock began serving his country in 1941 when he enlisted in the United States Army during the Second World War. He went overseas in 1942 with the 29th Infantry Division for 18 months of rigorous training in England, specializing in amphibious operations. The 29th was one of the first divisions to arrive in the European theatre.

After landing on Omaha Beach during the Normandy invasion, serving in the Battle of the Bulge and participating in the occupation force in Germany, Corporal Aylestock was honorably discharged from service. In honor of his accomplishments, Corporal Aylestock was awarded a series of awards and decorations including: the Good Conduct Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Service Ribbon with a Bronze Arrowhead, and the Combat Infantryman's Badge with three stars. In addition, his regiment was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for their valor on D-Day.

Now, 70 years later, Corporal Aylestock lives in Jane Lew, West Virginia, and is about to turn 100 years old in September. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the State of West Virginia and the United States of America, I would like to thank Corporal Carl Aylestock for his years of selfless service to our State and country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about education. A quality, affordable education is vital to ensuring that American students are prepared for the jobs of the 21st century. For West Virginians, for Americans to compete for jobs, they need to have the skills, knowledge, and training to make them attractive to employers.

Education opens doors. A diploma or degree brings with it the promise of a better future, better wages, a better quality of life, a better future for one's family. Without a quality education, the possibilities of life are truly limited, not limitless.

In the House of Representatives, we are taking action today to ensure that every American has access to quality education and an education that is affordable and understandable.

Later today, we will pass two bills to help students pay for college and better manage the debt that they accrue. The Empowering Students through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act will better educate students about the financial implications of student loans and help them borrow the money they need, not all of the money that they are offered.

We hear time and time again of the crushing debt that our students are coming out of college and higher education with. We want to help them better manage that and understand that.

So with counseling on the front end, they will know what they are actually getting into, instead of waiting until the back end and hitting them with the hammer of this is where you are now, so you have got to deal with it.

We will also pass the Student and Family Tax Simplification Act which, very simply, makes permanent the American Opportunity Tax Credit.

West Virginians want to work. Americans want to work. West Virginia's employers want to hire at home. They want to have access to an educated workforce, and by investing in education, we invest in our Nation's future. We invest in growing our Nation's economy, and we invest in the future of generations yet to come.

Mr. Speaker, the people of West Virginia want to invest in the future of our State and our Nation. We want safe roads and the opportunity to work.

This week, we took steps in the House to invest in our infrastructure and our domestic energy production, actions that will help create and sustain American jobs. On Tuesday, we passed a bill in the House to invest and rehabilitate our Nation's infrastructure. Roads create jobs. Investing in our roads and bridges creates not only construction jobs, but also grows the economy by ensuring reliable interstate commerce and travel.

I have seen firsthand the difference that good infrastructure can make. Whether it is in Berkeley County or U.S. Route 35 in Putnam and Mason Counties, it has helped to grow that local economy.

Yesterday, my bill, the Coal Jobs Protection Act, passed in the House Transportation Committee with bipartisan support. A robust mining industry is not only good for the miners and their families, but good for the businesses who depend on these workers to buy goods and services and good for the communities who depend on those tax dollars.

Investing in our roads and our energy production will create more prosperous times for my State of West Virginia and for our Nation.

I want to thank Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member Rahall for bringing this bill to the floor today.

Mr. Speaker, more than 700,000 jobs and 6,000 road and bridge projects could be in jeopardy if payments from the Federal highway trust fund are delayed. I rise today in support of the Highway and Transportation Funding Act, which would prevent this catastrophic scenario.

In my home State of West Virginia, more than 200 projects are currently receiving Federal funding. If we fail to act now, we risk layoffs at the height of the summer construction season. Inaction would cripple the efforts of our State highway department to maintain our roads and bridges after a particularly harsh winter and to build new projects like U.S. Route 35, Corridor H, and the King Coal Highway in West Virginia.

American motorists, construction workers, and small businesses deserve certainty that the Federal Government will continue to invest in our Nation's infrastructure. Today's bill provides that certainty for the remainder of this construction season, but I wait, as most of us do, to complete the work on the longer term bill. I ask my colleagues to join me in passing the Highway and Transportation Funding Act.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to get America back to work. The people of my State, West Virginia, want to work. They want to provide for their families and they want to build a better future. But in today's economy, finding a job has been very, very difficult.

That is why I am pleased to support the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which the House will vote on later today. We will make sure that American workers will have the training they need for the jobs available in their communities and an efficient use of the resources so that that will be the best way to train for the jobs of tomorrow.

Employers want to hire in their communities. Workers want to have the skills and training to secure good-paying jobs in their communities. In West Virginia, this means getting additional resources to train workers for jobs available in our growing natural gas industry or to provide health care services for our elderly citizens.

We can use existing resources like community colleges and career and technical centers to offer group training that directly addresses the needs of local employers, as this bill would do.

By aligning workers' skills with employers' needs, we can help get West Virginia and America working again.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of this Energy and Water Development Appropriations bill, which makes important investments in our communities, our energy jobs, and our Nation's energy future.

This bill prioritizes using abundant coal reserves to produce clean, efficient energy. I am very pleased that the bill makes a strong investment in fossil energy research and development, including work on clean coal technologies. I ask my colleagues to join me in opposing amendments that would strip this funding.

West Virginia is a leader in this technology, with the National Energy Technology Lab in Morgantown conducting much of this important research.

This administration has continued to attack coal and the people who rely on coal for energy and employment. This bill not only rejects the administration's 15 percent cut to fossil energy research, but sends a clear message: coal is, will be, and must be an important part of a national all-of-the-above strategy, and we will continue to invest in developing ways to make it more efficient and cleaner.

The Energy and Water Appropriations bill also rejects the Army Corps of Engineers' and the EPA's proposed rule to expand Federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act. Finally, this bill maintains funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission, underscoring its importance to local communities.

My State of West Virginia is the only State that is entirely within the boundaries of the ARC, and the people of West Virginia have truly benefited from the ARC's proven record of spurring economic development and of improving access to health care and education in lower-income communities.

I want to thank the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Hal Rogers, and the chairman of the subcommittee, Mike Simpson, for bringing this piece of legislation to the floor, which makes the right choices and sets the right priorities for our country's energy future.

With that, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

I would like to thank my colleague from California for his leadership on the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act.

This legislation would require the DOE to act quickly in considering applications to export liquefied natural gas.

New technologies have unlocked vast resources of natural gas across the country. Our natural gas production will increase by 56 percent between 2012 and 2014.

If you want to see what real natural gas development looks like in a place that could really use the economic development, come to northern West Virginia or to southwest PA. More production means more American jobs and more West Virginia jobs.

The Marcellus shale production in West Virginia is surging, and the possibility of LNG exports will mean more good-paying jobs here at home--and a lot of them. By 2035, LNG exports are expected to create 8,600 West Virginia jobs and put $1.7 billion in State revenues.

We need to do everything possible to put West Virginia resources to work for West Virginians, and today's legislation will make a real, positive difference for working families and communities in my State and in States across the Nation.

This bill would allow us to import jobs and economic opportunity, while we export both energy and physical security to our friends and allies. More than a third of the natural gas consumed in Europe comes from Russia, and I am sure our allies would rather be buying natural gas from the United States.

Passing this bill will create jobs in West Virginia and across the country. It will grow our Nation's economy and strengthen our relationships with our allies. I encourage my colleagues to vote for this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my cocaptain, and I would like to thank the Members of the Senate who played with us as well. It was wonderful.

You all will be happy to know that we did not exploit the youth and inexperience of the press too much, because we had several grandmothers on the team, and for the poor folks who aren't grandmothers, I felt a little sorry for them.

I would like to call down our other coach, Mr. Ed Perlmutter, who helped us every morning when we got up.

I would also like to give special recognition to two new members of the team this year--Katherine and Jaime. They did great.

To our Members who did not play with us this year, they were dressed and cheering right by the sidelines, so thank you all for coming.

Thanks to all of you who came out and supported us. Thanks to all of you for supporting such a great cause.

Sorry we beat you--not really.

We are on to next year because we do enjoy it. It is a labor of love because we are up early in the morning in the wind and in the rain. Thanks so much for all of the support that you give us.

Thanks, everybody.