Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3118) to designate the Orville Wright Federal Building and the Wilbur Wright Federal Building in Washington, District of Columbia.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3118, offered by the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes), designates the building located at 800 Independence Avenue, Southeast as the ``Orville Wright Federal Building,'' and the building located at 600 Independence Avenue, Southeast as the ``Wilbur Wright Federal building.''

Recognized as the fathers of aviation, Orville and Wilbur Wright were raised in Dayton, Ohio, the sons of Bishop Milton Wright and Susan Catherine Wright. The two brothers were raised in a home where education was important and creativeness was encouraged. At an early age, the boys showed an aptitude for mechanics, a skill that was useful in their early career making and selling bicycles.

In 1901, the boys built their first aircraft. Not much more than a glider and flown like a big kite, this initial step was critical in determining the aerodynamics of flight. The brothers tried various designs in their quest for flight and 2 years later, on December 17, 1903, they flew the world's first powered airplane.

Planes are still using the aeronautics developed by the Wright brothers. Their design of the propeller and wing are still the basic shapes we use today. They truly are the fathers of modern aviation.

It is fitting that we grant the Wright brothers this important honor at this time. This December will mark 100 years since the Wright brothers took their Wright Flyer aircraft on to the dunes of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, and ushered in the age of flight. It is doubly fitting that we grant this honor as the buildings in question are in use by the Federal Aviation Administration.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes).

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 394) recognizing the American Concrete Institute's 100-year contribution as the standards development organization of the concrete industry and for the safe and technologically current construction activity it has enabled, which contributes to the economic stability, quality of life, durability of infrastructure, and international competitiveness of the United States.

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

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 394 recognizes the American Concrete Institute's 100-year contribution as the standards development organization of the concrete industry. ACI has made a valuable and lasting contribution to our Nation's infrastructure and economy and improved the quality of life for all our citizens.

Concrete is the world's most consumed man-made material and is the predominant material of choice in a construction industry that built $843 billion of construction in the year 2001. Virtually every construction project uses concrete, from roads and bridges to homes and skyscrapers.

Major concrete operations continually function in every congressional district, creating well-paying jobs and boosting local economies. In 2002, concrete construction provided 2 million jobs in the United States. The concrete industry provides employment for numerous skilled employees, including batchers, truck drivers, iron workers, laborers, carpenters, finishers, equipment operators, and testing technicians, as well as professional engineers, architects, surveyors, and inspectors.

The American Concrete Institute has, through its 18,000-member network of public and private sector volunteer citizens, developed and operated a review system that has provided concrete standards and guides for durable, safe, and uniform construction in the United States. ACI's achievements over the past 100 years have strengthened our Nation both structurally and economically.

I commend the American Concrete Institute for 100 years of service to the people of the United States as the technical society for the concrete industry and look forward to working with them in the future to help improve our Nation's infrastructure.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 280) recognizing the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association for reaching its 100th Anniversary, and for the many vital contributions of its members to the Nation's economy and to improving the quality of life through the constantly expanding roles stone, sand, and gravel serve in the Nation's everyday life.

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

Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 280 recognizes the National Stone, Sand, & Gravel Association for reaching its 100th anniversary and for the many vital contributions that its members make to the Nation's economy.

The National Stone, Sand, & Gravel Association is an international trade association representing approximately 800 members with more than 10,000 operations across North America. Its members are producers of construction aggregates, sand, gravel, and crushed stone. And by product volume this association is the largest mining trade association in the world.

The National Stone, Sand, & Gravel Association is a key member of the Transportation Construction Coalition and a founding member of Americans for Transportation Mobility, whose objective is to improve the Nation's roads, bridges, mass transit systems, waterways, airports, and water and waste water treatment that are the backbone of this Nation's economy.

This association has advocated tirelessly for a strong infrastructure and a comprehensive transportation system that serves the Nation's needs and interests. I commend them for their achievements, and I look forward to working with them as we move forward with the reauthorization of the aviation, water, infrastructure, and surface transportation infrastructure programs.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes).

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3118, H. Res. 394, and H. Con. Res. 280.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month on behalf of the Hampshire County Cancer Coalition. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a disease that will kill an estimated thirty-nine thousand, eight hundred women along with four hundred men in the year 2003 alone. It is through the extensive work of medical experts, as well as awareness groups like the Hampshire County Cancer Coalition, that there is hope to extinguish this horrible disease.

I am proud to recognize two Hampshire County residents, Clara Belle Lee and Nellie Lew, who are the two oldest living breast cancer survivors in our state of West Virginia. Ms. Lee has been a survivor for fifty-two years, and Ms. Lew has been a survivor for fifty-seven years. I was honored to have met these women, along with the rest of the Coalition, at the fourth Annual Breast Cancer Survivors Luncheon and wreath hanging ceremony. Their passion and their enthusiasm for life are characteristics of these two incredible women, who have beaten the odds of this fatal disease.

I would like to take some time to recognize the Hampshire County Cancer Coalition and their work. This organization has been instrumental in the state of West Virginia with educating the general public about cancer, as well as striving to initiate the early detection of cancers among women.

The Hampshire County Cancer Coalition was formed in 1993 under the direction of the Appalachia Leadership Initiative on Cancer, a cooperative agreement between the National Cancer Institute and Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, to address cancer control issues in our county. The Coalition has sought to increase public awareness and promote early detection of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer throughout Hampshire County.

The Coalition has collaborated with various community entities in its cancer awareness efforts. Shortly after its formation, the Coalition sponsored two ``Friend to Friend Summits,'' with one held in Romney and one in Capon Bridge. These summits brought together community members, cancer survivors, doctors and nurses for a sharing of the latest information regarding breast cancer awareness, prevention and treatment.

The Coalition has sponsored the Tower of Hope, which is a photo display of county breast cancer survivors dedicated to a charter member of the Coalition who is now deceased. The Tower is displayed in churches, libraries and the courthouse as a testimony to a courageous fight against a powerful disease.

Another focus area has been community education. Placemats with the warning signs of cancer were used in about twenty restaurants around the county. Business owners as well as patrons reported positive feedback. In addition, the Coalition recently joined forces with the Tobacco Control Coalition to increase opportunities for promoting awareness.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great admiration and pride that I honor this wonderful organization as well as these incredible women and their strides to beat this disease. This disease is the leading cancer sited in women, yet with proper awareness and prevention, this disease does not have to be the leading cause of cancer deaths among women between the ages of forty and fifty-nine years of age. With organizations like the Hampshire County Cancer Coalition, and amazing women survivors, there are rays of hope for people diagnosed with breast cancer.

Mr. Speaker, we most certainly today are going to be making very important decisions concerning the situation in Iraq. But Friday is the self-imposed deadline of the Medicare conference. We all need to make a concerted effort to work towards pushing this important legislation of a prescription drug plan for our seniors through Medicare through this Congress.

This is an opportune time for movement forward to improve our Nation's Medicare system. With the rising price of prescription drugs, preventive care and innovative medical technologies, we need to make sure that our seniors are able to access these privileges. Medicare needs to be reformed now so that these seniors who need assistance paying for prescription drugs will receive it.

I urge my colleagues serving on the conference committee to rise above partisanship so we can deliver to America's seniors a prescription drug benefit. The time is now. We are closer than ever. It is time to deliver the prescription drug plan to our seniors through Medicare.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of declaring October National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Domestic violence encompasses all acts of violence against women within the context of a family or intimate relationships. It is an issue of increasing concern because it has a negative effect on all family members, especially the children.

It is also leading cause of injury to women in the United States, where they are more likely to be assaulted, injured, raped or killed by a male partner than by any other type of assailant.

During 1998, an average of two domestic homicides occurred in my State of West Virginia each month. Across the United States, it is estimated that as many as 4 million instances of domestic abuse against women occur yearly.

We must fight this scourge. These statistics are devastating, but behind every statistic there is a face, a family, a woman, a child who is in a violent relationship and the children are trapped in these violent unstable homes living in fear.

I am asking every Member of Congress to spread the word about domestic violence so we can help these women and children live a life free of fear. This epidemic is something in our communities that we need to be aware of, and October is a month to shine a light on the problem of domestic violence throughout our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Manny Arvon, Superintendent of Berkeley County Schools, West Virginia, in recognition of his commitment to education and talent as an administrator. Mr. Arvon was recently honored by being named West Virginia School Superintendent of the Year for 2003-2004. Mr. Arvon is now under consideration for the National School Superintendent of the Year.

As the son of a school superintendent and a teacher, Mr. Arvon was raised with a spirit of education. From a very early age, he showed great enthusiasm for education while being involved with his parents as they performed their educational endeavors. This spirit has thrived throughout the years in the Arvon family with many of Manny's relatives working in education and his son planning to enter the field in the near future.

Mr. Arvon began a career as an elementary school teacher before moving on to administrative responsibilities first as a principal and then as an assistant superintendent before being named Superintendent of Berkeley County Schools in 1996.

While Mr. Arvon has proven himself to be more than capable of performing the everyday tasks of a superintendent, his leadership abilities also have shone through greatly as Berkeley County has weathered the demands of a rapidly increasing enrollment, infrastructure needs, and budget challenges. Furthermore, Mr. Arvon has made strides in fostering an excitement for education among both his staff and the community.

I commend Mr. Arvon for his outstanding performance as Superintendent of Berkeley County Schools. This award is greatly deserved and only confirms Mr. Arvon's wonderful job performance throughout his thirty- year tenure in education. The students of Berkeley County, West Virginia have benefited greatly from his dedication and innovation. I wish him the lest of luck in the national competition and I am proud to recognize him as an example of leadership for educators everywhere.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognition of Mr. Manny Arvon, 2003-2004 West Virginia School Superintendent of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Bishop Earnest Eugene Baltimore of Ranson, West Virginia. Bishop Baltimore passed away in 1999 after serving as senior pastor of King's Apostle Holiness Church of God for 51 years. On August 17. 2003, Bishop Baltimore's achievements were recognized through the establishment of a scholarship fund in his honor and the placing of a memorial plague at Lancaster Circle in Ranson.

Bishop Baltimore's accomplishments and dedication to the community are countless. Many remember him as the former President of the Jefferson County NAACP; President of the South Jefferson Ministerial Association, Vice President of the School of Hope, and Councilman and Member of the Sanitation and Finance Committees for the City of Ranson. He also served as a Board Member for the United Givers Fund and Free Our Citizens of Unhealthy Substance Abuse (FOCUS). Bishop Baltimore was also an active Board Member of the Jefferson County Memorial Park.

As a man of devout faith, Bishop Baltimore preached every Sunday and presided over hundreds of weddings, funerals, revivals, and baptisms in West Virginia and around the country. He also provided local radio ministering during Sunday worship service and traveled and ministered extensively across the United States and throughout the World.

In honor of Bishop Baltimore's longstanding commitment to his community, I ask my friends in West Virginia and my colleagues here in Congress to join me in remembering the great accomplishments of Bishop E.E. Baltimore.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of myself, the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia, and the 19 servicemen from West Virginia who are still missing as a result of their military service in the Vietnam War. Following Operation Iraqi Freedom, support for our missing soldiers and their families has been in the hearts of all Americans. The successful rescue of Army PFC. Jessica Lynch reminded America of the amazing strength and courage exhibited by American prisoners of war. In a salute to our missing soldiers, I would like to personally acknowledge the League's efforts and recognize these missing West Virginians, so that their strength, courage and patriotic service may be lastingly praised remembered and cherished:

John Scott Albright II of Huntington, Albert Harold Altizer of Squire, Joseph Clair Austin of Moundsville, Jerry Edward Auxier of Dixie, Keith Royal Wilson Curry of Salem, James Edward Duncan of Point Pleasant, Robert W. Hunt of Beckley, Carroll B. Lilly of Morgantown, Danny G. Marshall of Waverly, Michael Robert Norton of Eskdale, Edward Milton Parsley of Naugatuck, Marshall l. Pauley of Milton, Ronald Keith Pennington of Hambleton, Joe Harold Pringle of Homer, James Ray Sargent of Anawalt, Hughie Franklin Snider of New Cumberland, Dean Calvin Spencer III of Morgantown, James Lawrence Taylor of Nitro, and David Wallace Wickham II of Wheeling.

Many of us will never experience the pain of uncertainty that the families of POWs live with. Adding insult to injury, these missing soldiers have slowly slipped from our nation's collective memory. It is our sober duty to never forget our unaccounted-for soldiers, and to show our appreciation for their service by flying the POW/MIA flag.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride and honor that West Virginia remembers the service of these men. We will continue to fly the POW/MIA flag, and we laud The National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia for their continued diligence in locating our missing sons and daughters and for their unwavering commitment to the memory of our nation's POWs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the recently opened Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences. My hometown of Charleston, West Virginia, has been eagerly awaiting the opening of this magnificent cultural and entertainment center over the course of the past 2 decades.

The center, which began as a farfetched idea, progressed through arduous fund-raising and construction, finally opened its doors on July 12.

This impressive project would not have been possible without John McClaugherty's vision, as well as generous contributions by Lyell and Buckner Clay, the Clay Foundation and Clay extended family, the Benedum Foundation, the Maier Foundation, the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation, the City of Charleston, Kanawha County, and the West Virginia State Legislature.

The Clay Center offers the combination of a first-class art museum, a 1,800-seat performing arts center, and state-of-the-art science center, complete with a 180-seat planetarium.

This outstanding center will undoubtedly enhance cultural, educational, and economic opportunities for West Virginians. I am proud to have this new center in my State and in my district, and I look forward to the wonderful opportunities that it will provide for West Virginia's future. I also would like to welcome all of America to visit the Clay Center.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 1472.

Offered By: Mrs. Capito

Amendment No. 1: Strike all after the enacting clause and

insert the following new text:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate 80 years of aviation service at Shepherd Airfield in Martinsburg, WV by the Berkeley County Airport Authority and the Experimental Aircraft Association, Chapter 1071.

On June 17, 1923, Captain St. Clair Streett, accompanied by flight mechanic Sergeant Roy Hooe, landed their U.S. Army D.H. 4 at Shepherd Field in Martinsburg, WV. This event was the result of many years of dedicated effort by aviation enthusiasts in Berkeley County to bring Shepherd Field into the mainstream of modern aviation. This historic landing 80 years ago today spurred many important developments at Shepherd Field, including the establishment of the 167th Air National Guard Unit and the Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport. With a major expansion planned for the 167th and the construction of a new commercial terminal at the Regional Airport, the airport in Berkeley County will continue its role in protecting our national security while also improving economic opportunity for all of West Virginia.

In honor of 80 years of aviation service at Shepherd Airfield, I ask my friends in West Virginia and my colleagues here in Congress to join me in recognizing June 17, 2003 as a day to celebrate the history of aviation in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, both houses of Congress are continuing the difficult task of drafting comprehensive Medicare reform legislation this week.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to keep moving forward in the spirit of compromise on this extremely important issue.

Mr. Speaker, as time passes, the expectations of our constituencies continue to grow. We cannot return to our respective districts on the Fourth of July without some news of progress in the halls of Congress on a prescription drug plan for our seniors through Medicare.

Our colleagues in the other body have set the goal of reaching an agreement by the next recess, and I strongly urge my colleagues in this body to work on a bipartisan basis in order to reach a compromise.

Mr. Speaker, this is not a partisan issue and we can not allow it to fail because of partisan differences.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Schrock).