Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on the occasion of her retirement, I would like to commend the recognition of the House to an individual who has had an immeasurable influence on the lives of young people in the Sixth District and the State of Alabama, Donna Griffin Williams.

One of my longest-serving staff members, Donna has devoted a large part of her working and volunteer life to creating opportunities to help young people achieve their dreams and to highlighting the many positive things that our students are doing in their schools and communities.

Donna's role as the Special Projects Coordinator in my district office has touched the lives of countless young people.

As a congressman, some of my proudest moments have come when I have met with young people who feel called to defend freedom and serve our country in the U.S. military. That is why a function of my office that I have always taken most seriously is the nomination of students to attend a Service Academy. Donna has expertly coordinated this process for me, and over the years it has been a privilege and an honor to have been of help to so many outstanding young people with high character and an abiding love for America.

Donna has also served as our local organizer for the annual Congressional Art Competition, which provides students with the opportunity to have their original artwork displayed at the U.S. Capitol. This competition attracts entries from schools across the Sixth District and is a public showcase for the positive accomplishments of our students.

Donna has also been a principal organizer of a program that brings great joy to my wife Linda and I during each Christmas season, the Holiday Card Call for Art. This program, run in cooperation with the University of Alabama at Birmingham, invites students with visual impairments to submit artwork for our annual Christmas card. The breadth of the creativity is inspiring and Donna has always worked to encourage an excellent level of participation by students and their schools.

Donna's concern for young people has extended beyond work to her civic and volunteer activities. She has provided service as President of the Alabama PTA Board of Directors, a National PTA Board Director, a member of the Mayor's Education Committee, past president of the Vestavia Hills City School Foundation, and member of the A+ Foundation Board. Donna's many other community contributions include her service on the Board of the American Village Citizenship Trust, VIP for United Cerebral Palsy, and her involvement with Leadership Vestavia Hills and Leadership Alabama.

Donna would be the first to say that she has been blessed with a supportive and loving family which includes her husband of 46 years, George, three grown children, and five grandchildren with a sixth soon on the way.

For her service to the residents of the Sixth District and especially the young people who will be the future leaders in our communities, Donna Williams is well-deserving of this recognition and I extend my heartfelt gratitude to her for her loyalty and friendship.

Mr. Speaker, a true friend of veterans in the State of Alabama, Bill Kreitlein, is retiring after many years of loyal service in my district office in Birmingham. On this occasion I would like to bring to the attention of the House of Representatives his dedicated work on behalf of our men and women in uniform as well as the entirety of his service to the district.

Bill was one of the first people I asked to join my district office staff when I was originally elected in 1992. He has been a primary liaison for my constituents to a variety of federal agencies. Bill has served two ``tours of duty'' as a permanent full-time employee and more recently as an invaluable part-time staff member. His personal style has been to work in a respectful and determined way to try to solve problems for people.

As a member of the Alabama National Guard from 1966 to 1972, Bill was the natural choice to handle military and veterans affairs issues in my district office. The members of our military, their families, and veterans have greatly benefited from his concern, diligence, and effectiveness. He has worked tirelessly to help veterans obtain rightfully-earned benefits, health care, and military honors and to address challenges facing active duty members. Bill's unique blend of maturity, experience, and insight has provided relief and comfort to many military families during times of great distress. As a result, Bill is held in the highest regard by veterans groups in the Birmingham region and the State of Alabama.

Bill is a native son of Alabama, having been born in Mobile on May 11, 1941. After attending high school in Pensacola, Florida, he received his bachelor's degree from Livingston State College in Livingston, Alabama. Like many conservatives of his generation, he began his involvement in politics during the presidential campaign of Barry Goldwater in 1964. He has been active on the Republican State Executive Committee in Alabama, run for the Jefferson County School Board, and worked on my first campaign for Congress.

Because of his unwavering devotion and steadfast pursuit of excellence in his duties, Bill has been a great asset to me and the people of the Sixth District. The quality most associated with Bill by anyone who has come in contact with him on either a professional or personal basis is ``kindness.'' He has demonstrated how to achieve success by living out one's faith and principles and by treating all individuals with respect and decency, and that is a wonderful and satisfying legacy to have established during a distinguished career in public service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Bipartisan Budget Control Act of 2013. Allow me to thank Chairman Ryan for his hard work in producing this important agreement. It is my belief that we must begin to address our debt and deficit problem on a bipartisan basis.

To that end, I would like to briefly discuss Section 203 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013. This section establishes a program under which the Secretary of Commerce restricts access to the information contained in the Death Master File for a three-year period beginning on the date of the individual's death, except to persons who are certified under a program to be established by the Secretary of Commerce.

The purpose of this provision of the law is to prevent misuse of the Death Master File that leads to waste, fraud and abuse committed against the Internal Revenue Service and other government agencies. The law is designed to achieve this purpose by restricting access to information contained in the Death Master File for three years after the date of a person's death. In fact, my office has been contacted by a woman who has been struggling with basic functions of life such as opening a bank account or obtaining a driver's license because the Death Master File proclaims her dead when she is in fact alive. It is my firm belief that in addition to this step the Social Security Administration must improve its systems to ensure that death information is accurately updated on the Death Master File.

At the same time, the law also is designed to ensure that persons, companies, financial institutions, government agencies, and other types of entities continue to have access to the DMF in order to facilitate legitimate commerce and business purposes.

The law requires the Department of Commerce to set up a program to certify entities that are permitted access to the Death Master File. The intent is that the certification criteria contained in the law encompass the range of important functions that the DMF helps to facilitate.

The use of the Death Master File has important purposes such as preventing fraud, authenticating individuals, and preventing unauthorized transactions. Using the Death Master File for these important purposes helps to protect consumers from fraud and identity theft. Businesses and government agencies need access to the Death Master File to carry out these and other legitimate responsibilities.

Mr. Speaker, on the occasion of her retirement from my office, it is my pleasure to recognize the lifetime of public service that Betty Jean Robinson Bennett has provided to Chilton County, the State of Alabama, and our country.

For a Member of Congress, a staple of good representation is listening to the concerns of constituents and addressing community needs identified by local officials and business, education, agricultural, and civic leaders. The role of the congressional field representative is essential to connecting what is happening on a daily basis in our communities to the work being done in the U.S. Congress. In Betty Bennett, I have had an effective, dedicated, and loyal staff member who has helped me to represent the Sixth District in Washington.

Betty, or ``Miss Betty'' as she is affectionately known, has deep roots in Chilton County. She attended Clanton Elementary School and Clanton Junior High School and graduated from Chilton County High School with honors and responsibilities including her position as editor of the school magazine in her senior year and membership in the National Beta Club.

In 1968, Betty began an association with government service and political activity that became a lifetime vocation. Her career and experiences provide a fascinating reflection on Alabama's recent political history. One of many originally-enrolled Democrats to later join the Republican Party on principle, Betty is the only person to have been the President of both the Democrat and Republican Women's Clubs in Chilton County. She continues to serve on the Chilton County Republican Executive Committee and on the Alabama Republican Executive Committee representing Chilton County.

Betty's leadership skills were recognized when she was chosen as the Selective Service Director for the State of Alabama, a presidentially- appointed position, in May 1990. She was recommended by Governor Guy Hunt and appointed by President George H.W. Bush through the National Director of the Selective Service System, Samuel K. Lessey, Jr. Betty was the first woman to serve as a state director and is the only woman to ever serve in that capacity in Alabama.

As director, Betty coordinated the appointment of all local Selective Service Boards and directed personnel in three National Guard and Reserve Unit detachments in Montgomery and Birmingham. She was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal of Alabama by Governor Hunt for her achievements after being nominated by officers of the National Guard and Reserve and the Alabama Adjutant General.

Betty began her congressional duties in January 1997 as a field representative for then-Congressman Bob Riley in the Third District. She joined my staff in January 2003 after Bob was elected Governor of Alabama and has provided more than a decade of diligent service to the people of the Sixth District.

During that time, Betty has ably represented my office during the development of a number of important projects, including the establishment of the Jefferson State Chilton-Clanton Center. With her deep knowledge, she has always been my liaison to the agricultural community and has worked closely with the Alabama Farmers Federation, whose President Jimmy Parnell is also from Chilton County. Betty is an advocate for the local peach industry and can always be counted on for her support of the Chilton County Peach Festival. Above all, Betty has always cared about helping people and finding solutions to problems.

Betty's service and love of her home county has been commemorated, appropriately enough, at Chilton County High School. In 2006, then- Principal Larry McHaffey started the Betty Robinson Bennett Leadership Scholarship for a senior exhibiting academic achievement as well as leadership in school, community, and church activities. What was more meaningful to Betty than a scholarship being named in her honor, I am sure, is the help it offered to a student and future leader.

On Friday, December 6, Betty's legacy of service will be celebrated during a reception at Jemison City Hall. Her many friends know very well that ``retirement'' is just a word to Betty and that she will remain visible and active in her community for many years to come.

Let me close by again expressing my appreciation to Betty for her service to my office, the people of the Sixth District, and the State of Alabama during a most remarkable career.

I appreciate the chairman yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I have great respect for Mr. Conyers. He has been my chairman and is now my ranking member.

I, too, see this as a very simple proposition. However, I have a different point of view. I believe that sunshine is the best disinfectant, and I think that light can expose things that need to be exposed; and that is, really, the essence of this bill. This bill is about transparency. It is about revealing how much people are being paid in a claim.

America is a country that helps deserving people in their time of need, and for that reason, when we had tens of thousands of asbestos exposures which caused serious injury and death, a trust fund was specifically set up to compensate those individuals whose health had been harmed. However, as with almost anything we establish, there are those that would take advantage, there are those who would commit fraud, there are those who would abuse it. And that is the case here.

There have been inconsistent claims. Trust fund money has been diverted from these victims and from future victims to where it should properly go--to those people that truly could demonstrate health needs. Instead it went, in many cases, to the undeserved.

Don't take my word for it. An article published by The Wall Street Journal just this past March revealed that nearly half of all trusts have reduced payments to new victims at least once since 2010, partly in an effort to preserve assets for future victims. The same article cited a number of disturbing examples of money being drained from the system by waste and fraud--it is not something we made up--leaving less to those who truly suffered. We have had judges appear and tell us about those problems. We have had others.

For example, the article disclosed that, after virtually no examination

and no transparency, over $26,000 was awarded to a person who never existed. It also found that 2,700 claimants to the Manville Trust alone--just one of many trusts--couldn't have been older than 12 years of age at the time they said they were exposed to asbestos in an industrial job.

The FACT Act would combat fraud through sunshine by increasing transparency and accountability in the system. In doing so, it strengthens the asbestos trust fund and system for present and future claimants. It would improve information-sharing in the trust fund process while fully respecting privacy--and let me stress that--fully respecting privacy and protecting confidential medical information, which is very important when personal health is involved.

As we have said many times, sunshine is a disinfectant. I said it at the start of the speech, and I will say it now.

This is a commonsense, bipartisan bill that would help asbestos victims get the compensation they need and deserve by protecting the asbestos trust fund from fraud, waste, and abuse.

Let me close by commending Mr. Farenthold from Texas and Mr. Matheson from Utah for bringing this bipartisan legislation. I urge you to support them and others and bring this bill to the floor and pass it to increase accountability.

I thank the chairman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, for one night, let us talk about what is good for this country and not about the other party because it is going to take both parties to solve our problems.

As chairman emeritus of the Financial Services Committee, I am very aware of the direct connection between a strong dollar and a vibrant economy so necessary to create jobs, and that is what we need for America--jobs.

The U.S. dollar is the reserve currency of the world. Globally, the dollar and U.S. Treasurys are two of the most preferred safe haven investments. Their reserve status has been a benefit and blessing to all of us economically. It has traditionally brought this country good jobs and a higher standard of living.

However, the dollar is under attack today. Out-of-control spending, unless addressed, will become more and more of a threat to a strong dollar and our currency. It will continue to erode our economy and cost jobs.

However, two wrongs don't make a right. A default would further weaken the dollar, destroy jobs, and be a self-inflicted wound I am not willing to deliver. Therefore, I will be voting ``yes'' on this bipartisan agreement, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary, I want to extend commendations to the Old Elyton Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The members of the Old Elyton Chapter are guardians of our nation's cherished history of freedom and, through their educational initiatives with young people especially, are ensuring that there will be continuing respect and reverence for the democratic principles that are the foundation of America. Through their service, they fulfill the motto of the National Society of the DAR: God, Home, and Country.

The Old Elyton Chapter has deep roots in Alabama. In fact, its very name is historical and is associated with the formation of the City of Birmingham. The chapter was organized by Mrs. J. Morgan (Kate Duncan) Smith and her daughter, Mrs. Samuel L. Earle, on January 4, 1913, just 23 years after the formal organization of the National Society of the

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to talk about an opportunity before us to help some courageous children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Duchenne affects nearly 20,000 babies a year, arresting proper muscle development during childhood.

Children with Duchenne, like young Gabe Griffin of Birmingham who I have personally met, are full of strength, spirit, and hope. They are an inspiration to all of us.

Thanks to medical research and the advocacy of Gabe's parents, Scott and Traci Griffin, and many other parents including Joel and Dana Wood here in Washington, new therapies and treatments are being developed for children with Duchenne.

But we all want progress to come even faster.

The Food and Drug Administration is considering whether to allow accelerated use of a potential breakthrough therapy. It is a drug called Eteplirsen.

While properly taking safety into account, it is important for the FDA to reach a timely decision on making this drug available to the children who would benefit from it.

When you have had the privilege to be with wonderful kids like Gabe, you know that we must do everything possible to help them progress through a healthy and happy childhood.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my delegation colleagues-- Congressman Robert Aderholt, Congressman Mo Brooks, Congresswoman Martha Roby, Congressman Mike Rogers, and Congresswoman Terri Sewell-- it is with great respect and admiration that we recognize the service of Congressman Jo Bonner to the First District of Alabama, his state, and his country. A determined and effective advocate for the people of Alabama, Jo Bonner has distinguished himself through his accomplishments in office, his integrity, and his deep humility. The members of the Alabama delegation have always worked together when the best interests of our state are involved and Jo Bonner has been integral to our cohesiveness. We have been honored to serve with him as a colleague and count him as a friend.

Jo's calling to serve began early. The ethic was instilled by a close-knit family that valued the principles of hard work, honesty, and fair play. The many public officials and community leaders in his extended family included his father, Judge Josiah Robins Bonner of Wilcox County, and his mother Imogene, who was an Army nurse during World War II.

The decision Jo made to attend the University of Alabama, where he earned a journalism degree, began a love affair with a great institution that has only strengthened over the years. An internship with Congressman Jack Edwards gave Jo his first intimate exposure to the U.S. House of Representatives. In a few years, Jo would return with Congressman Edwards' successor, Sonny Callahan, ascending to the position of Chief of Staff.

Perhaps because he served for 18 years as a staff member himself, Jo Bonner has always been known for hiring excellent people and treating his staff with professionalism and respect. By doing so, he has developed a loyal and experienced team--led most recently by Chief of Staff Al Spencer--widely acknowledged as one of the hardest-working and most effective on Capitol Hill.

Upon his election to the House in 2002, Jo faced enormous expectations in continuing the legacy established by his two outstanding predecessors and mentors. But Jo had listened and observed closely over the years and quickly established himself as a leader in our state's delegation and the House, achieving influence through his knowledge, attention to detail, diligence, and ability to form personal relationships.

A constant passion of Jo Bonner has been to promote economic opportunity and thereby improve the quality of life for citizens in the First District and the State of Alabama. He played a key role in such seminal economic development victories as the ThyssenKrupp steel complex, the Austal contract for construction of new ships for the U.S. Navy, and the decision by Airbus to build its new plant in Mobile. These transformational projects will provide a solid foundation for the South Alabama economy and indeed the economy of our entire state for decades to come.

Jo is keenly aware of the importance of the Gulf to the economy and identity of the Mobile area. He has been an ardent supporter of the Port of Alabama. After the devastation caused by Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina, Jo mobilized the full resources of his office to bring needed relief to storm victims and accelerate economic recovery. Our delegation turned to him for guidance after the disastrous BP-Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Jo's skillful leadership in navigating the RESTORE Act into public law was a testament to his successful ability to move complex legislation in a thoughtful and inclusive manner. The RESTORE ACT is a signature accomplishment that will have long-lasting benefits for the Gulf Coast economy and help assure the environmental protection of the Gulf waters.

Jo has taken special pride in providing the best level of service to his constituents. His high school workshops have touched thousands of students in South Alabama. A stalwart supporter of veterans, Jo helped establish the Alabama State Veterans Cemetery in Spanish Fort to honor the service of our men and women in uniform. He has placed an emphasis on open communications with his constituents and the news media.

For the many of us who deeply care about this institution, Jo has stood out as a Member dedicated to making the House of Representatives work as the American people rightfully expect. A principled conservative, he commitment has been to a fair legislative process, to bridging political divides, and to civility. Jo was appointed to the important Appropriations Committee and entrusted to serve in the position of Chairman of the Ethics Committee during the 112th Congress. We have all gained enormously from his sound judgment and wise advice.

Jo will be the first to admit that none of his achievements would have been possible without the support of his lovely wife Janee and his children, Robin and Lee. We thank them for sharing Jo with us and our nation.

Now, Jo will be entering a new phase in public life as the Vice Chancellor for Economic Development and Government Relations for the University of Alabama System. His presence and counsel will further strengthen an educational institution in which Alabamians rightly take tremendous pride and which is an asset of incalculable value to our beloved state.

We will greatly miss Jo Bonner as a colleague and friend, but know that he will continue to work with all of his considerable talents and energy to improve the lives of the people of Alabama.

Our tribute today is just a small way of showing how much we appreciate Jo and how much he has meant to us and to the institution to which he has devoted so much of his life, the United States House of Representatives. On his last day of service representing Alabama's First Congressional District, we want Jo to know that he and his family have our most heartfelt best wishes and will continue to be in our prayers as they enter an exciting new chapter in their lives.

The gentleman from Fairfax, Virginia, has just told us that we have avoided the fiscal cliff. I wonder if our children and grandchildren can take any comfort in that. I had no idea that the deficit and the debt had gone away. I had been told they were increasing by billions of dollars every day.

We have another difference of opinion across the aisle. Our colleagues are saying we need more Federal regulations--those that are covered by this bill that cost $100 million or more. We on this side of the aisle think that we could do well with a few less more regulations. Yes, every President has added regulations, every administration--and we're supposed to say that that is a good thing?

Regulations today cost $11,000 per American worker. Now, that's not taxes; that's not your Social Security; that's not their expense. That is just the Federal regulations. Fourteen percent of our national income, according to Dr. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, our former Congressional Budget Office director, 14 percent of our national income is being absorbed by Federal regulations.

Now, the gentleman from Tennessee says there were all these regulations before, and the Obama administration, they passed very few regulations. Well, not according to Dr. Holtz-Eakin. He

actually says that in the last 4 years, the Obama administration has added over a half-trillion dollars worth of new regulations. Boy, so it may be Groundhog Day, but we're another half-trillion dollars deeper in Federal regulations.

But let's talk about one family. Let's talk about one family and what regulations mean to them. One regulation caused American families to pay $20 more for a bronchial dilator. That was despite the fact that in 1987, in Montreal, there was an accord. And the reason is, the FDA said we're not going to allow an ozone-depleting substance to come out of these bronchial dilators, so they banned it. And immediately, in 2008, the cost of these bronchial dilators went from $6 and $8 up to as much as $30. Well, you know what the effect of that was? Let me tell you what The New York Times said. The New York Times described this as a rough transition to new asthma inhalers because several million Americans suddenly were paying $20 more and some couldn't afford it.

Some couldn't afford it, I'll say to the gentleman from Virginia, the gentleman from Georgia, and the gentleman from Tennessee. Several million Americans were suddenly being forced--some elderly, some children--to pay $20 more for what had been a $7 or $10 item. And you know what happened? A lot of them couldn't afford it, and there were more asthma attacks and there was more bronchitis, and emphysema increased. That was despite the fact that in Montreal, in 1987, there was an accord that said, number one, that substance in a medical inhaler was essential and was excepted from the accord because the ozone was improving, number one. But number two, even if you banned all non-industrial discharges of ozone-depleting substances--all of them-- it wouldn't do any good; it would have an insignificant effect. And of the non-industrial discharges, the amount from medical inhalers was infinitesimal. We denied millions of Americans an essential health item.

Mr. Speaker, it's an honor to talk about some courageous children who are changing the way that we think about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. It affects nearly 20,000 babies a year in the United States, robbing them of the muscle development they need to grow into a healthy childhood.

These children, like Gabe Griffin of Birmingham, who you see in this photo, are full of strength, spirit, and hope. They inspire all of us. As he grows into adulthood, his muscle development will be arrested if we don't make progress.

Thanks to research and advocacy by parents like Gabe's, Scott and Traci Griffin, as well as Joel and Dana Wood, here in Washington new treatments are being developed for Duchenne. But for families, the progress needs to come faster. The FDA is now considering whether to grant accelerated approval to a potential breakthrough therapy. It's a drug called Eteplirsen. While properly taking safety into account, it is important for the FDA to make a timely decision on this drug.

When you look at this picture, you know that we must do everything possible to help these amazing young people to enjoy the happy and healthy childhood that so many of us were blessed with. Let's do everything we can to urge the FDA to research this drug and make it available to the general public.

I thank the chairman.

The chairman and I have had several small businesses in Alabama-- marble businesses, granite businesses, stone businesses--that have contacted me and have told me that this discretionary permission to request a research order or a promotion is very important to them.

They've been struggling over the past several years since our what was almost a depression, and they're small businesses. I'm talking about businesses of 10 people, 30 people, 100 people. This is predominantly a small business venture, and we all have them in our communities.

I would urge a ``no'' vote, although I do respect the gentleman from Michigan and many of his endeavors.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I bring a very simple but a very important amendment for consideration.

Several agencies of government have small business review panels. They are advisory in nature; and as our agencies go through the rulemaking process, they get input on how their regulations will affect small businesses. This amendment really takes advantage of the Regulatory Flexibility Act, which was signed into law by President Clinton in 1996, which allows the agencies to form these panels.

Mr. Barrow of Georgia, myself, Mr. Graves of Missouri, and Mr. Matheson, actually in the next week or two, will be introducing language to really improve these small business panels. The SBA Advocacy Office recently said that small businesses pay about 45 percent more in annual cost in complying with regulations. They spoke very favorably of these panels.

I have a letter I will include from the NFIB urging strong support for this amendment.

National Federation

of Independent Business,

Washington, DC, June 17, 2013.

Hon. Spencer Bachus,

House of Representatives,

Rayburn Building, Washington, DC.

Dear Representative Bachus: The National Federation of

Independent Business is pleased to support your amendment to

the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of

2013 (H.R. 1947). This amendment would expand critical small

business regulatory impact analyses and outreach requirements

to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Farming remains an integral part of the American economy

and is at its core one of the most basic entrepreneurial

endeavors. The federal government needs to be sure to use

care when regulating the farming industry to ensure its

viability.

Our farming members continually tell us about the

difficulty and expense of complying with ever-increasing

federal regulation. In fact, in our most recent Small

Business Problems and Priorities, unreasonable government

regulations ranked third out of 75 issues important to small

businesses in the agriculture industry.

This amendment would help address this problem by requiring

the USDA to conduct important small business impact analyses

and outreach to small farmers. Specifically, the amendment

would require USDA to convene Small Business Advocacy Review

panels for rules that the department determines would have a

``significant economic impact on a substantial number of

small entities.'' These panels are critical tools that allow

small businesses to provide feedback to the agency before

rules are proposed, therefore allowing the opportunity for

more compliance flexibility.

NFIB supports this commonsense amendment because it will

help alleviate compliance burden on small farmers while at

the same time ensuring USDA can meet its regulatory aims. We

urge the House of Representatives to approve the amendment to

help America's agricultural community.

Sincerely,

Susan Eckerly,

Senior Vice President,

Public Policy.

I yield to the gentleman from Oklahoma.

I do want to say, as the chairman knows, the Judiciary Committee, as well as the Small Business Committee, has been looking at the effect of regulations on small businesses, and we've heard several horror stories. I welcome and applaud the Agriculture Committee and its leadership for being in support of this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is the privilege of the State of Alabama and the City of Homewood to be the site of the renowned Lakeshore Foundation, a center whose focus on personal fitness and competitive athletics has benefited countless individuals with physical disabilities throughout my state, our country, and the world.

Lakeshore started as a hospital dedicated to treating the national scourge of tuberculosis in the 1920s. In 1984, it became fully focused on its current mission: to provide rehabilitative recreational and sports programs to improve the lives of people with disabilities. At Lakeshore, the connection between physical activity, from basic fitness to competitive athletics, and emotional restoration is understood and nurtured.

The world-class athletic facilities at Lakeshore Foundation are used by individuals of all ages, from young children to senior citizens. It is a training location for the U.S. Paralympic Team. After 9/11, it created a special program called ``Lima Foxtrot'' to help courageous wounded warriors recover their physical skills after severe injury.

Most recently, Lakeshore Foundation and the University of Alabama at Birmingham have formed the UAB/Lakeshore Research Collaborative. The joint effort between Lakeshore and UAB is a world-class research program in rehabilitative science. The collaborative links Lakeshore's extraordinary programs for people with physically disabling conditions with UAB's research expertise.

A special event took place from March 7 through March 9 of this year when Lakeshore Foundation teamed with the University of Alabama and the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) to successfully host the National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Association Tournament. The University of Alabama is known for having one of the top adaptive athletic programs in the nation.

Eight men's teams and four women's teams from across the country competed in the tournament.

In the women's finals, the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater team defeated the University of Alabama team 55-41 to become the 2013 Women's National Champions.

In the men's finals, the University of Alabama team came out victorious, defeating the University of Texas-Arlington 71-52 to become the 2013 Men's National Champions.

The wheelchair play on the Lakeshore basketball courts was every bit as intense as you would have seen during the NCAA's ``Final Four.'' The lesson that athletes on each of the participating teams taught us about determination and overcoming obstacles made them all champions. The event brought great pride and honor to the State of Alabama.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the combined efforts of the achievements of all the players, coaches, and staff who contributed to the championship season and to congratulate Lakeshore Foundation and the University of Alabama for successfully hosting the 2013 National Intercollegiate Wheelchair Basketball Association Tournament. Under the leadership of President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Underwood, the Lakeshore Foundation will continue to change the way we think about physical disabilities and challenge all of us to expand our horizons.

Mr. Speaker, in Congress, there are some legislative staff professionals who are known for their policy expertise. Others are recognized for their ability to build political alliances and move legislation. Still others are noted for their ability to manage a staff and develop relationships. It is rare to find all of those qualities in a single staff member, but I have been most fortunate to have one in Warren Tryon.

As Warren prepares to leave Capitol Hill after 20 years of public service, I am pleased to have this opportunity to publicly express my gratitude for his advice, loyalty, and friendship. Warren has a keen insight into the inner workings of the House, the movement of legislation, and the way Members think and achieve their goals. The privilege that I was given to serve as Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee would not have happened without the contributions that Warren made to my talented staff team.

Warren joined me in 2000 and his loyal service has spanned some of the most momentous events in our nation's financial sector since the 1930s: 9/11, the accounting scandals at Enron and other major companies, and the financial crisis of 2008 and subsequent legislative response. He performed with distinction as my Deputy Chief of Staff on the Financial Services Committee. Warren's ability to learn about an issue, seek out all opinions, and provide me with his honest opinion served this Congress and our nation well during these stressful times.

Warren can take pride in his role in helping to pass hallmark legislation including federal deposit insurance reform, the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, the money laundering provisions in the PATRIOT Act, Check 21, and the JOBS Act.

Warren's personal story is both fascinating and uniquely American. The son of a U.S. diplomat, Warren spent a portion of his early childhood in Thailand. Raised in a family of Democrats, like many young people in the early 1980s he was inspired by the leadership and conservatism of President Ronald Reagan. His journey took him from being a Republican student leader at the University of Vermont to presidential campaign work and then legislative staff work for Senator Slade Gordon, Representative Linda Smith, and Representative Rick Hill.

But a listing of resume accomplishments, impressive as they are, cannot begin to capture Warren's pure inimitability. With a distinctive laugh that ought to be trademarked and the seeming ability to be in three places at the same time, Warren has sometimes been referred to-- only partly in jest--as the ``mayor'' of Capitol Hill. There are Members of Congress, myself included who would like to have his name recognition.. What this speaks to, in a serious vein, is his ability to form personal friendships across any line, his reputation for always being willing to provide help and offer advice, and the fact that he is just a fun person to be around.

As Warren prepares for a new chapter in his career, I know that his delightful wife Emily and his entire family are justifiably proud of his achievements. The great admiration that he has earned from so many in the Capitol Hill community is a reminder that, whatever, the policy and political divisions, Congress is still a place where personal relationships matter. When you treat others with respect, civility, and friendship, it comes back your way many times over.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to commend the We the People program for its continuing commitment to promoting civic knowledge and responsibility among students in our elementary schools and high schools. As a source of special pride, I would like to bring the House's attention to the representatives of the State of Alabama in this year's 26th annual national competition, the Vestavia Hills High School academic team from the Sixth District.

We the People helps to shape our next generation of leaders by instilling the principles of good citizenship and active participation in the democratic process. More than one million students from every state take part in this program each year. Students learn to be enlightened citizens by studying the enduring ideas of America's founders and the principles of constitutional government.

After competing locally in a hearing-styled, question and answer competition based on the U.S. Constitution, the top performing teams are invited to Washington to participate in the national finals on Capitol Hill. It is here that they gain firsthand knowledge of Article I, Section I of our Constitution--the legislative branch--by competing in a format that simulates the congressional hearing process. As Chairman Emeritus, I am pleased to announce that the Financial Services Committee hearing room will be used in this year's competition.

It takes hard work and commitment to qualify for the We the People national finals. At this time, I would like to extend recognition to the students from Vestavia Hills High School who are representing the State of Alabama. With teachers Mrs. Amy Maddox and Mrs. Jane Schaefer, I congratulate: Christian Sitarz, Carrie Clower, Reagan Cline, Patrick Sipe, Rachel Caskey, Aashka Patel, Anna Dennis, Enrico Camata, Daniel Moran, Amy Li, Sisi Zheng, Peter Adamo, Farhan Khan, Luis Jimenez, Hopson Nance, Hannah Skjellum, Botong Ma, Joseph Stahl, Molly Rhodes, Brian Stahl, Shannon Bewley, Marisa Pierluisi, and Kaustubh Udipi.

The knowledge and commitment demonstrated by all of the students who take part in We the People should give us all great confidence in the future of our precious American democracy.