Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the gentleman from Tennessee for yielding, and I'd like to thank the leadership on the Transportation Committee for the creative solution that you have brought back with H.R. 1773 because it places important restrictions upon the pilot program planned by the Department of Transportation to allow Mexican trucks to operate across this country.

My first concern with the pilot is its impact on the safety of our Nation's highways. This Congress gave this department specific criteria to ensure adequate safety and security measures were taken prior to allowing Mexican trucks to travel on our highways. I believe it is important that all of these criteria are met prior to the start of any pilot project on our Nation's highways.

I am also very concerned about the economic consequences of allowing Mexican trucks to operate within the United States. It is my hope that if this pilot program is indeed implemented, the Department will work closely with State and local law enforcement to ensure that the prohibition on point-to-point deliveries within the United States by Mexican trucking companies is enforced.

I am especially pleased that this bill will require a plan to enforce existing English proficiency regulations prior to the start of any pilot program. It is critical for the safety of anyone on the road that truckers are able to understand traffic and warning signs and are able to communicate with law enforcement and emergency management officials.

It is absolutely critical that we stop the Department from implementing their pilot program until we can ensure the safety of our American motorists and our American highways.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize four constituents in my district who achieved the distinguished rank of Eagle Scout. As members of the Pendleton County Boy Scouts and the brotherhood, Order of the Arrow, they demonstrate the high standards of Scouting and citizenship. I would like to take a moment to highlight their individual accomplishments:

Mathew Tyler Putz of Franklin, West Virginia achieved the rank of Eagle Scout on February 19, 2006. In addition to Scouting activities; Mathew plays football and track for Pendleton County High School and is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Future Farmers of America.

Jeremy Allen Hottinger was officially recognized as an Eagle Scout on August 2, 2006. He plays football for the Pendleton County Wildcats and is a member of the Upper Tract Volunteer Fire Department.

Julian Achetta Siapno became an Eagle Scout on August 22, 2006. He is currently serving our country in the United States Air Force.

For their final project, Matthew, Jeremy, and Julian worked together to improve a picnic shelter at a local Navy Base in Sugar Grove. Matthew built a wooden bridge across a ravine; while Jeremy made a gravel path at both ends of the bridge. Julian painted and improved the picnic area. They are members of Scout Troop 162 in Franklin, West Virginia.

Travis Allen Day, a member of Troop 499 in Circleville, joined the prestigious league of Eagle Scouts on December 28, 2006. He cleaned and remodeled the United States Forest Service public rifle range at Brandywine, West Virginia. Travis also plays baseball for the Petersburg High School Vikings baseball team.

I would like to congratulate these four young West Virginians for their adherence to the Boy Scouts of America. I want to extend to them my most sincere gratitude for preserving and improving their communities. I look forward to the future accomplishments of these promising young citizens.

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

House Concurrent Resolution 124 authorizes the use of the Capitol grounds for the annual National Peace Officers' Memorial Service to be held Tuesday May 17, 2007. The Grand Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police and its auxiliary annually sponsor this event honoring some of America's bravest men and women.

Since the first recorded police death in 1792, there have been more than 17,900 law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. The memorial service will honor the 145 Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice while protecting their communities in 2006, as well as all law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.

This will be the 26th time that this event has been held on the grounds of the Capitol. This memorial service is part of National Police Week, which was created by law in 1962 and runs this year from May 8 through May 15.

Police Week draws officers, their families and survivors of fallen officers from around the country and includes such events as the Blue Mass at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, the candlelight vigil at the National Law Enforcement Memorial, and a police unity tour featuring officers and historic vehicles.

The memorial service begins at noon on Tuesday. Following the ceremony on the Capitol Hill grounds, there will be a procession to the Law Enforcement Memorial and a wreath-laying ceremony.

I encourage my colleagues to attend this much deserved memorial service and honor those who protect our communities on the front lines.

I support the measure and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Lady Vols on winning the 2007 national women's basketball championship.

You are probably wondering why someone from West Virginia is joining in the celebration. That is because Alexis Hornbuckle, a starting guard for the Lady Vols, is a native of West Virginia, and I actually have been privileged throughout the years to watch Alexis play not only with my daughter in AAU, but also since she was an 8-year-old girl she was a phenom on the court and we knew only great things were ahead of her. She is a wonderful student. She played on a four time State championship basketball team in high school. She is from a wonderful West Virginia family, and we join today as West Virginians to say congratulations to UT and congratulations to Alexis.

I would also like to say congratulations to her coach, Pat Summitt. She is a phenomenal coach of young women, and is growing future leaders of America.

Just to show you the quality of Pat Summitt, when she recruited Alexis, when she knew she was going to UT, Pat Summitt came to Alexis' church to meet not only her parents, her friends, but also her church family.

So I say a job well done to the University of Tennessee Lady Vols, and especially to West Virginia's own, Alexis Hornbuckle.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 289, which is intended to raise awareness of the problem of sexual assault in the United States and encourage ways to prevent it.

The statistics outlined in the resolution speak for themselves and are nothing less than horrific. A person is sexually assaulted in the United States every 2\1/2\ minutes. Children and young adults are the most at risk. Forty-four percent of sexual assault victims are under the age of 18.

The emotional and physical scars from sexual assaults exact a terrible toll on our loved ones, our families, our communities, and our country. In my view, we can and we must do better. We have made important strides in this battle. We have expanded the use of DNA to solve sexual assault crimes, reduced the backlog in the testing of rape cases, and solved more sexual assault crimes, and ensuring that those who commit these heinous offense are put behind bars.

Last year, we passed the Adam Walsh Act to protect our children from sexual predators. Over 100,000 sex offenders were lost or unaccounted for by the States. The Adam Walsh Act will fix that problem and make sure that sex offenders are registered, that the public is aware of sex offenders in their communities, and help parents protect their children.

In my home State of West Virginia, domestic violence complaints have increased 400 percent since 1989. More and more, victims are feeling empowered to approach law enforcement officers with these problems. Although we all would like to see an end to domestic violence, it is a good step that more and more victims are reporting the crimes committed against them, allowing the perpetrators to be tried for their crimes. We must continue to work with victims, helping them come forward with their complaints. This can often be a difficult task, especially when the person committing the crime is a spouse, companion or family member, which is sadly often the case.

Madam Speaker, this resolution recognizes the important role that awareness and prevention can play in reducing the incidence of sexual assault. The crime of sexual assault is so hurtful and so tragic, we must redouble our efforts and make sure that we use every tool at our disposal to protect everyone from this horrible crime. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I would like to close with a strong statement that this resolution recognizes the important role of awareness in prevention of sexual assault in this country. It is a scourge on our Nation, it is a scourge on our young people, our women and other victims, and I urge all Members to join together to pass this resolution.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 119, honoring National Crime Victims' Rights Week. This resolution supports the missions and goals of National Crime Victims' Rights Week to increase public awareness of the rights, needs, and concerns of crime victims in the United States during this week and throughout the year.

The theme of the 2007 National Crime Victims' Rights Week is ``Victims Rights: Every Victim, Every Time.'' In honor of every victim, we renew our commitment to protecting the rights of crime victims and to providing them effective assistance programs. We also commend the countless numbers of professionals and volunteers who dedicate their lives to helping victims and survivors of crime.

This week is marked by many special events held across the Nation, including the national observance and candlelight ceremony held here in Washington, DC, a 5K run/walk and Victims' Rights Fair in Sierra Vista, Arizona, a Crime Victims' Rights Rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and many more.

While these events provide excellent opportunities to focus on victims rights, this is an issue that requires our utmost attention year-round. That is why it is encouraging that there are over 10,000 victims assistance programs providing emotional, financial, physical and spiritual support every day.

As the gentleman from Virginia said, a week honoring the victims and survivors of crime is especially poignant following last week's tragedy at Virginia Tech. The loss of innocent lives affects so many others who are left behind. The outpouring of prayers and condolences reminds us that victims and survivors of crime will not be forgotten and will continue to receive much needed community support.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot), who is a champion of crime victims rights and a member of the Judiciary Committee.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers and urge passage of this important legislation. As

has been said by all of the other speakers, victims' rights is a very important issue and we don't want to forget those who have been victimized by crimes across the Nation.

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

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

Madam Speaker, S. 521 is a companion bill to H.R. 187 which was introduced by the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar). This bill designates the Federal building and United States courthouse and customhouse at 515 West First Street in Duluth, Minnesota, as the Gerald W. Heaney Federal Building and United States Courthouse and Customhouse. The bill honors Judge Heaney's dedication to public service.

As we have heard previously, after serving in the Army during World War II and acquiring a law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School, Judge Gerald Heaney entered into the private practice of law from 1946 to 1966. Judge Heaney's career as a judge began in 1966 with an appointment to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit by President Lyndon Johnson.

Judge Heaney had a reputation for championing equal justice for underprivileged and vulnerable citizens. He retired after 40 years of service on August 31, 2006.

I support this legislation and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Missouri. I look forward to our second debate, our second civil debate on a new topic.

Before we move to the subject at hand, I would like to join with my colleagues in expressing my deep sorrow at the passing of our colleague, Juanita Millender-McDonald. Just briefly, she was a kind and gentle person. She was a great advocate for many things that she believed in. She was a pioneer. But, for me, she was just a very helpful and warm and friendly person.

When I came to Congress, she had already been here for several years. She was the chairman of the Caucus on Women's Issues, and I was the vice chair for the Republican side. Juanita was always very helpful, always very concerned that I was making my way in my first several months in Congress, and I think the way she crossed the aisle, the way that she treated me with kid gloves, so-to-speak, in the beginning of my term, is something that I will never forget. So my thoughts and prayers are with her. Bless her family during this very tough time, and know that she will be missed.

I would also like to express publicly before this body and before this Nation my deep sadness over the tragic events at Virginia Tech last week. I haven't spoken publicly on the House floor about this, but it is deeply crushing to all of us, has been, and it has sort of set a pall or a feeling of helplessness for all of us.

I have college age children. I can't imagine the despair the families are feeling who have lost a loved one, to realize that that phone call that you are waiting for is never going to come.

So, to my friends in the Virginia Tech community, many West Virginians attend Virginia Tech. We have a great fondness for Virginia Tech, except possibly when we are playing them in football. But certainly our collective hearts go out to them during this difficult time.

I yield back to my friend from Missouri, and we will kick off the evening.

Thank you, I appreciate your opening statements. This may be a very civil debate because I couldn't agree with you more in that our civil justice system should be readily available, should be the place for the individual to seek redress when they have been wronged by either a corporation or corporate injustice or product failure. And I think that is the intent of our court system.

However, what we are experiencing now in the United States is an overabundance, a glut of lawsuits that are clogging our courts, that are in some cases awarding outrageous jackpot types of awards, and because of that, because of that jackpot sort of mentality, many people with their legal assistance are clogging the courts so that those people who have suffered injustices and those people who are due awards are unable to get there.

One of the issues that I think is extremely important is the cost to our economy. We talk all of the time on the floor about the importance of small businesses in the United States. I come from a small State, and I think small business comprises close to 90 percent of the businesses in our State. When you look at the burden of the current tort system on our small businesses, we are breaking the backs of our small business people.

I would like to refer to my chart over here: effect on small business, the tort liability price tag for small businesses in America is $88 billion a year.

Small businesses bear 68 percent of business tort liability costs, but only take in 28 percent of business revenue. And for the very small businesses, the tort liability price tag is $33 billion.

These are statistics that show, and this is from an independent resource, it is not from a group that is shaded one way or the other. It has shown the rise in the cost of tort claims in this country.

Very small businesses pay 44 percent of tort liability costs out of pocket as opposed to through insurance. And so what happens is a lot of times small businesses, one small business is one large case or one frivolous lawsuit away from having to close their doors.

I yield back to the gentleman from Missouri to see if he has a reaction to that.

I am glad you brought up medical malpractice reform because in West Virginia we have lived this subject since I have been in Congress. In the campaign of 2002, many doctors were leaving the State of West Virginia, closing up shop, early retirement, choosing to try another State because of either the unavailability of medical malpractice insurance or the astronomically skyrocketing escalation of medical liability reform.

So an interesting thing happened. West Virginia is known to be a State that is very tort friendly. So people asked me how did the State legislature, which is predominantly Democratic, and the Governor, who was Democrat, how were they able to pass with relative ease such massive medical malpractice reform legislation. I know exactly how because I was in that campaign in the 2002 year.

It was people coming up to you on the street saying my doctor's leaving. It was grandparents, it was seniors, it was pediatricians, OB/ GYNs, neurologists, trauma specialists. Our largest hospital in my community had to close and be downgraded in terms of their trauma because the trauma surgeons left because of the high cost of medical liability reform causing, in one case, a young child in Putnam County, which is like 30 minutes away, had to drive all the way to Cincinnati, he and his parents, 4 hours away, to have a penny removed from his windpipe because there was no one to do it in our local area. That could have been a life-ending experience for that family, a very, very tragic one, and actually had a happy ending.

So the legislature got on board, the Governor got on board and passed State medical malpractice reform with a cap. I believe it is a half million dollars on noneconomic damages. I am not 100 percent sure. There was a debate on 250 or 500, but I think it was 500. They created a West Virginia Mutual Insurance Company, and according to the statistics that I have in front of me, those medical malpractice premiums have gone down 5 percent in not only general practice but also in the specialties.

The large hospital I referred to earlier, where they could not recruit and retain physicians, they now are adding 49 and 50 new positions a year, whereas before they were afraid they were not even going to be able to attract 15 or 20.

So this medical liability reform has had a phenomenal effect in our State of West Virginia. And if I can get my other chart out here real quick, this shows some States that are considered to be in crisis, which I notice your State is in crisis over here, and West Virginia would have been in the red, in the crisis area, but we moved ourselves out to caution. We are in the yellow area, where we were actually considered one of the most difficult climates for practitioners of medicine to come. We are not a State where we are able to retain and control, and it is directly attributable to the medical liability reform bill that we passed, that the State passed in 2003.

Stable. They are considered stable. Look over here, California, which is held up to be one of the States that passed medical liability reform in the 1970s, it is considered stable, and West Virginia was modeled after what was done in California.

You have skyrocketing costs of your medical liability. A lot of doctors, and I am sure you have had this conversation with the doctors, they practice basically with one arm tied behind their back because they are practicing medicine defensively. Nearly 80 percent of the doctors say they order unnecessary tests, and 74 percent say they make unnecessary referrals to specialists due to the fear of being sued. A lot of doctors are practicing defensive medicine, ordering many more medical procedures and tests to cover themselves in the case of a legal test or a lawsuit, and that raises the cost of not only their insurance but it also raises the cost of every individual's health insurance because it raises the cost of practicing medicine or delivering health care in a general sense.

I think that a comprehensive solution is certainly part of what we need

to look at here, and that does include the insurance companies most certainly, but it also includes looking at what has happened in some manufacturing segments that have had extreme loss of jobs; 52,000 to 60,000 jobs have been lost in the manufacturing segment of this country because of bankruptcies being caused by massive and huge tort lawsuits. And so I think that there is a median here, there is an easy median that we can find here.

But I would recommend to you that the experience that we had in West Virginia with medical liability reform, across the board, bringing more specialists in as a result, bringing the cost of medical liability insurance down, recruitment and retention of physicians is something that we need to look at nationwide, and that is why I support a Federal medical liability reform which I am sure is no surprise to you that I would support that and have been pushing for it over the last 7 years.

But I think there is also a cost to just the individual person as we inflate the cost of defending ourselves, businesses defending themselves, doctors defending themselves, hospitals defending themselves.

My final chart here, and I do not know if you can read it or not, but I will read the bottom line here. It shows that in 2005, the U.S. population being approximately 296 million, that the tort cost per capita for each individual is $880.

Whereas when you were talking about 1990 with the physicians, in 1990, that cost was only $522, which is still too much. So I think that we need to find a medium here where we can control frivolous lawsuits, where we can control the ability of people to have mass torte actions and seek friendly environments for those torte actions. And we tried to address that in Congress with a class action reform. And we need to make sure that those people that are damaged, hurt, have access to court, but also in a timely manner. With all this massive torte legislation or lawsuits in our courts, it is bogging up the courts and it is really hurting those people who are genuinely hurt and need to have remedies.

Well, I think you are getting to the point here where you are talking about the difference between a legitimate claim and a frivolous claim.

I don't have statistics in front of me, but I know they exist in every court in America where certain frivolous lawsuits are put out on the table, they overreach in terms of not only are they suing maybe a business, but they are going to sue the manufacturer, they are going to sue the car they rode to go to work in, they are going to sue, you know, anybody with deep pockets is going to get sued for an alleged wrong. And it is absolutely a fact that some of these cases and more and more of these cases are not founded in legitimate fact. They are frivolous. They are trying to get into the system to get a quick fix, to get a lottery mentality, to have the corporation settle, or whoever settle, so they can get in and get out of the court system, and then have their attorney take a 40 or 50 percent cut from that.

I had a very startling thing happen to me. A gentleman approached me at a political gathering a couple of years ago. He had oxygen, he was walking very slowly. And he came up to me and he said, I have asbestosis, and I have lung disease from that. And I took my case to court with my lawyer. And he didn't tell me how much he was awarded, but he was awarded some remedy for that. And it was very obvious that he had difficulty breathing, and it was very obvious that he needed some help, a lot of help.

But what he wanted to show me that day was the invoice. He got a settlement every month or every two months, a pay-out, or it might have even been every year. But he showed me how much he got, and I think it was around $1,500. And every single time he gets that he has to take off 40 percent of that, or 45 percent of that, I think it was 40 percent in this case, for his attorney. Every single time he gets a payment, his attorney gets 40 percent. And this guy was on oxygen, could barely walk. And I think, you know, there is something wrong with the system where the harmed person who needs the help and has a legitimate claim, and certainly I know lawyers take risks by taking cases, I understand that part of it, but sometimes it just seems astronomical to me that the fees are 40, by the time you get expenses, and 50 percent of what the court has determined that victim is due and willing. I think that is an injustice in the system, along with the frivolous lawsuits that we see clogging up our courts so this gentleman can get his case heard.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for staying up late, and I thank all those who are listening.

I think we have talked a lot about our different perspectives on tort reform. I have talked about the need to rein in the system, because we are losing jobs. We are costing the American public, each individual, $880 is the cost for every individual for the lawsuit glut that we have in this country. Unfortunately, some of those who are damaged or who are due and willing are unable to get into a clogged-up court system.

We are losing jobs in some of our manufacturing segment because of the exorbitant cost of litigation. In many States, we have a medical liability crisis where physicians are paying exorbitant amounts of their hard-earned dollars for the cost of medical liability insurance, and it has proven in my State, at least, if you pass good sense medical liability insurance reform, you can rein in the cost of insurance and can make the system better. I understand there are other players at the table here. There is the Bar, there is the individual, there is certainly the business community and there is the insurance community.

I think the best solution to this enormous problem, this very costly problem to the American economy, is to get everybody at the table for common sense reform. We passed class action reform, and it is helping to weed out some of those large and unwieldy cases and make them adhere to more stringent requirements.

With that, I yield back to the gentleman from Missouri to close on this topic.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Missouri for participating tonight. He is a very able debater. I learned in our first debate when we debated tax reform that you are a wonderful closer too, so I hate to close.

But I would like to talk a little bit about civility, because it is very important to me. It is about being polite. It is understanding that we have different views and that we don't disrespect one another because of that. It is about believing that our ideas, yes, we believe our ideas are the right ideas, but it doesn't necessarily mean that the opposite ideas or a different idea doesn't have merit. It also doesn't mean that because we are in different parties, we don't have a lot of to give and we don't have a lot to share. I think a lot of that gets lost here on the floor of the House.

My great fear is because of the partisanship and the evolved incivility of our debate, that when that person turns on that TV or that young person turns on C-SPAN to watch debate, they see the rancor and they see the acrimonious debate and some of the language that is used, and what do they do? They turn it off. And then what are they doing? They are not listening to the merits of the topic. They are not listening to tax reform ideas or medical malpractice reform ideas or the war in Iraq differing ideas, because of the tone, and the way it is delivered and the words that are used have lost their way and have turned the American public off.

Now, when I go and speak to people in my district and I begin to talk like that, people start nodding their heads, you are right. We do stop listening. We are no longer interested.

So I think while these hallowed halls have had more than their share of vigorous debate, there is a good way to do it, and there is a good way to convey our ideas in a very civil way.

I really appreciate the way, when you said that Gerald Ford and Hale Boggs used to drive over together and then have lunch afterwards, I think it is a little late for lunch tonight, so I think we will have to do that another time. But I have enjoyed debating this topic. I look forward to the next topic that we debate. I hope that when we get together again, maybe we can get some of our other colleagues here and have more of a round-robin so we can get our colleagues not only involved in the debate on the topic, but also demonstrating a civil way to present ideas to the American public.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support for the reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act. I would like to thank Chairman Oberstar, Ranking Member Mica, Subcommittee Chairman Johnson and Ranking Member Baker for their hard work in getting this legislation to the floor.

It has been too long since the water resources bill has become law, and it is important that we continue to move this and make this reauthorization a reality. Projects authorized in this bill are critical to our national waterways transportation system that businesses and industry in every State and congressional district rely on to move their products.

In my State of West Virginia, a well-maintained system of navigable waterways is crucial to moving coal from our mines to plants across the country to power this Nation's economy. The bill addresses local needs. I am pleased that this legislation recognizes the important water and wastewater challenges in West Virginia by continuing the authorization for the Central West Virginia Environmental Infrastructure Program.

This program has provided access to clean water and wastewater treatment to many rural West Virginians who otherwise would be without these critical utilities. I am pleased that this Corps of Engineers program will be able to continue assisting local public service districts to address these important community needs.

I want to thank the committee for their hard work. I look forward to the final passage and the President's signature on this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the long life and continuing achievements of Mr. Frank Buckles. One of four known surviving veterans of the WWI, Frank recently celebrated his 106th birthday.

Frank was born in Missouri in 1901 and was only 16 when the United States entered the First World War. Frank's age, however, did not prevent him from serving his country. After being turned away by the Navy and Marines, he convinced an Army recruiter he was old enough to enlist.

Frank served in England and France during the war; first as a car and ambulance driver and later as an escort for returning German POWs. After the war, he returned to America and worked for the White Star Line Steamship Company and the Banker's Trust Company.

In 1941 Frank became entangled in the Second World War. The Japanese Army invaded while Frank was working in the Philippines and he spent three years as a prisoner in Japanese war camps.

These remarkable experiences could easily fill two full lives, but for Frank it was only the first half. He came home from the war and settled down to start a family, moving to West Virginia in 1954 and managing Gap View Farm.

Frank has been there ever since. At 106, he is still active on his 330 acre cattle farm.

Madam Speaker, in a time when America faces a grave external threat, we can find comfort and strength in our Nation's history. During the 106 years since Frank Buckles' birth, the United States has grown into the greatest Nation on earth. The service, determination, patriotism and love that Frank has shown throughout his life represents the very best of this great country. West Virginians are honored to call Frank one of our own.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize a young leader in my district, Justin Dahmer, who was recently awarded the rank of Eagle Scout. Justin is the 17-year-old son of Roger and Pam Dahmer of Franklin, West Virginia, where he attends Pendleton County High School.

Justin is truly representative of the Scout Oath; to do duty to God and country, help others, and maintain physical and mental strength. He is a member of Boy Scout Troop 162 and the Boy Scout honor society, Order of the Arrows. Justin's final project to qualify for Eagle Scout Rank was refinishing a portable water tank for the Pendleton County Emergency Services Department. Thanks to Justin's hard work, respondents will now have additional equipment that would otherwise have been unusable.

Justin's contributions are not limited to his scouting activities; the high school junior is a stand out member of the Pendleton County High School football team and last fall was named all conference offensive lineman. In the off season, Justin throws shot put for the Cougars' track team. He is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is an usher at Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church.

I am pleased to recognize this young man who truly exhibits service to God and country and thank his parents for raising such a fine citizen. It is an honor to recognize the future community leaders like Justin Dahmer.

Mr. Speaker, ``hero'' is not a label that should be employed carelessly, and in a time when our country has many heroes serving abroad, I rise today to honor a hero at home: Corporal Ronald Fletcher.

A member of the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department, Corporal Fletcher was pursuing a burglary suspect into a home last month when he was shot twice in the chest and once in the arm.

At only 26 years old, he lay seriously wounded in the house with the suspect until his fellow deputies were able to remove him safely.

Today, just one short month after the incident, I am proud to share that Corporal Fletcher is home and well on his way to recovery. As a testimony to his profound sense of duty, he recently complained about being bored in his home full of fruit baskets and is eager to return to service.

Mr. Speaker, I salute the heroism of Corporal Fletcher and the valor of the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department. West Virginia is sincerely grateful for their service.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act, of which I am a cosponsor. The House will consider this important legislation today.

Roughly one in five military personnel returning from active duty suffers from a debilitating condition called post-traumatic stress syndrome. Unfortunately, the effects of PTSD have hit close to home for one family in my district. Their son, Sergeant

Charles Call, of the United States Army, always dreamed of serving his country. He even left his unit, which was not being sent to Iraq, and joined another that was being deployed so he could be with those fighting for our freedom and safety. He loved his country and was willing to make that sacrifice.

After returning from Iraq, he developed the symptoms of PTSD. Despite his attempts to seek help from the local veterans hospital, he did not receive the treatment he so desperately needed; and, sadly, Sergeant Call took his own life on February 3, 2006.

With the passage of this legislation, we can finally provide a safety net for our veterans coming home and prevent tragedies like that of Sergeant Call. It is crucial that they have the resources needed to pursue healthy lives upon returning to civilian life. Screening of all returning combat veterans and 24-hour access to counseling are just some of the options we must offer.

I support this in the name of Sergeant Charles Call.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to respectfully request that my colleagues here in the House of Representatives join me in congratulating Robert M. Steptoe for being named the 2007 Distinguished Citizen by the Shenandoah Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Born on May 15, 1920 in Clarksburg, WV, Robert M. Steptoe has spent his entire life in

service to his family, community, and country. He and his wife, Sarah, will soon celebrate 65 years of marriage and are the proud parents of 4 children, Robert, Philip, Sally, and James. They also have 9 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren with one on the way.

He served his country faithfully during World War II in the United States Navy in both Europe and the Pacific, attaining the rank of lieutenant commander. His long list of public service also includes a stint as assistant prosecuting attorney for Berkeley County, four terms in the West Virginia House of Delegates, and two terms in the West Virginia State Senate. The Honorable Judge Robert M. Steptoe also served on the West Virginia Court of Claims from 1989 to 2001. In addition, Mr. Steptoe served as chairman of the board for Peoples National Bank for several decades and has been an active member of Trinity Episcopal Church since 1949.

Throughout his life, Robert Steptoe has been an active supporter of the Boy Scouts of America. As a youngster, he was a Boy Scout and all four of his children followed in his footsteps as Scouts with his wife, Sarah, serving as den mother. His contribution to Scouting will always be appreciated and I am pleased to see that he is being recognized for his lifelong service to his community.

In closing, I want to thank my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives for joining me in recognizing Mr. Robert M. Steptoe as the 2007 Distinguished Citizen of the Shenandoah Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

I would like to thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today realizing the seriousness of this resolution and the importance of the debate on the war in Iraq.

As we continue this debate, I hope that all of us remember we have serious disagreements about what this resolution says or intends to do, but that we cannot and should not besmirch one another's opinions and the right to that opinion and belief.

I would also like to say how proud I am to be an American, to realize the bounty of our Nation, to appreciate the strength of our forefathers, and to stand in awe of our democracy.

As the daughter of a World War II Purple Heart veteran, I have a great understanding of the sacrifices that have been made in the past to allow us to live freely. I understand and fullly appreciate the men and women who have so bravely put themselves on the frontline to protect our country.

I have thought a great deal about what I want to say today and how I want to say it. When the President announced his plan for a troop surge last month, I expressed my disagreement. And as we debate this resolution today, I still harbor those grave concerns. While I have voiced a disagreement over tactics on how to achieve success in Iraq, the fact remains that I have not backed away from my belief that success in Iraq is vital, and that leaving Iraq prematurely would be disastrous for our Nation's security and the stability of the Middle East.

And let me stress that I will never back away from my commitment to the men and women who serve in our military, and I will not support anything that I believe endangers their safety while they serve in harm's way to protect our country.

So I rise today in opposition to this resolution. My opposition lies not in what this resolution says, but what it intends to do; and that is, to lay the foundation to begin cutting funding for our troops as they fight the radical jihadists who want to destroy our Nation. My fear is not based on wild assumptions or partisan politics, but what leaders are already saying they are planning to do.

The passage of this resolution has been called a baseline. And the Speaker of the House has called it a first step. And then she added that approval of this resolution will set the stage for additional Iraq legislation which is set to come before the House.

Leaders have been tight lipped about the pending legislation. But we have learned that what they want to do is set the stage for legislation that will fence off and limit funding by tying the hands of our commanders on the ground, by presenting benchmarks that will be written so that certainly those funds cannot be spent. To be sure, such actions would restrict funds and tie the hands of our commanders in Iraq. I cannot and will not support any effort to systematically disassemble our greater effort, to defend our liberties and our way of life, and to provide our enemies with a breath of hope that we have lost our will.

Let me be very clear to my constituents and the men and women in uniform. I will never vote to cut funding for our troops, nor will I allow my vote on a symbolic resolution, one that has the force of politics and not the force of law, to be used as a baseline or a first step towards cutting funding for our troops.

I will assertively maintain my support for the troops in my words and my vote, and I will continue to analyze how I can best help achieve success in Iraq so that we may begin to bring our men and women home.

In that spirit I plan to vote against this resolution.