Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the many South Dakotans who have helped fight the effects of widespread flooding throughout the northeast and southeast portions of the state in recent weeks.

About one month ago, South Dakota faced the threat of significant damage and cost due to flooding. The northeast and southeast portions of the state had high water tables and the winter's snow was beginning to melt. That meant rising water on our rivers and creeks and a danger of flooding that threatened our agricultural economy, roads and homes.

But South Dakotans didn't flinch in the face of these developments. Instead they banded together as they always do and developed plans to mitigate the worst of the dangers and deal with the smaller inconveniences.

County emergency managers worked with state officials from the Department of Public Safety and Office of Emergency Management. Red Cross volunteers worked with mayors of small towns. The National Guard mobilized to help the city of Aberdeen, and the Civil Air Patrol scouted flood damage from the air. Local law enforcement officials and the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department, patrolled and offered assistance to those in danger. And neighbors worked with and for each other, filling sandbags to protect their homes and their communities.

Our federal partners did their share as well. The Federal Emergency Management Agency helped train state Office of Emergency Management staff in the weeks before the heaviest flood activities and has already begun assisting the state in planning for recovery operations. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stepped up with a levee project to protect the city of Watertown, completing it on time and amidst concerns over flooding.

Today, I am proud to report that, while the danger is not entirely past and there remains much recovery work to do, South Dakota once again has come together to successfully meet a challenge head on.

We still have some roads closed, dozens of homes suffered some flooding damage and it may be some time until we can determine the extent of the damage. But we have, so far, avoided the kinds of catastrophic damage that was feared.

Madam Speaker, I remain proud as ever to represent the people of South Dakota and their enduring ability to rise to whatever challenge they must. I offer my sincere thanks to all who worked so hard to limit the effects of this flooding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to S. 1147. While I acknowledge the importance of curbing underage smoking and respect this bill's intent to prevent funding of terrorist groups, I believe the bill threatens the government-to-government relationship with Native American tribes set out by our founders in the U.S. Constitution.

Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the authority to regulate commerce with Indian tribes. However, this bill would open the door to allowing States to bring felony charges against tribes and tribal businesses who participate in tribe-to-tribe transactions.

Two of the tribes I have the honor of representing, the Rosebud Sioux and Yankton Sioux, have contacted me with their concerns. They also do not object to this bill and support reducing cigarette trafficking. They simply ask that the bill be amended so that tribal sovereignty, recognized through hundreds of treaties and reaffirmed through executive orders, judicial decisions, and congressional action, not be encroached.

I urge this body to respect tribal sovereignty and it is for this reason I could not support this bill today.

Madam Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to honor the 100th Anniversary of the South Dakota State Capitol building.

The South Dakota State Capitol building is located in Pierre, South Dakota. The South Dakota State Capitol building was designed by Minneapolis architects C.E. Bell and M.S. Detwiler and assembled between the years of 1905 and 1910. The building is more than 114,000 square feet in size and is made up of materials such as native field stone, Indiana limestone, and Vermont and Italian marble. The building is 161 feet tall, 190 feet wide, and 292 feet long and includes carved woodwork and marble, special cast brass, and hand laid stone. In 1977 the State of South Dakota decided to restore the building back to its original 1910 appearance. The restoration was completed in 1989 to the original color and style of the walls and drapes.

Some of the many important architectural features of the South Dakota Capitol building include the capitol floor, which is made of terrazzo tile, and was created by 66 Italian artists. Terrazzo tile is a type of marble flooring that consists of chips of marble meshed together through a process of layering which creates multicolored designs and patterns. The rotunda, an important feature of the capitol, encompasses a large 96-foot dome which can be seen outside the capitol. The inside bottom ring of the dome looks like ribbons strung together and joined as one to resemble government as eternal in nature. The dome also displays the pasque flower, which is the South Dakota state flower. The third floor holds both the House of Representatives and Senate floors where all the state's laws are debated and voted.

Over its 100 years of history, the capitol has stood as a testament to the beauty and strength that represents South Dakota, and I trust that this historic building will continue to remain a landmark for the next 100 years.

Mr. Speaker, I believe it's critical that we control rising health care costs, increase quality and value within our health care system, and that we improve access to health care and affordable health care insurance coverage.

H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, represents one of the most important votes of the year, on an issue that has been a priority for me since I first was given the honor of representing South Dakotans in Congress. I have long believed that the strength of our communities in South Dakota depends on the health of our people and that, unfortunately, quality, affordable care remains out of reach for far too many South Dakotans.

I am convinced this Congress and the President will achieve fundamental reform because our country must fix what's broken in our health care system. The status quo is unsustainable. There is simply too much at stake for South Dakota's families and businesses, who have either seen their premiums rise sharply year after year, or who still have no access to an affordable plan.

Done right, health care reform will both ensure that more people have access to quality health care, and, just as critically, make the common-sense reforms that are necessary to fix an unsustainable system that threatens our fiscal future. These twin goals of addressing access, quality and costs on the one hand, and solidifying our fiscal future on the other are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are complementary.

Unfortunately, the House bill misses this critical opportunity. While it does include many good provisions, it is not the right answer for South Dakota, it could threaten existing access to health care in our state, and it does not include nearly enough cost-containment and deficit reduction measures.

I am concerned by the projected impact of the bill's Medicaid provisions on South Dakota's state budget, and the reductions in payments for long-term care under Medicare. I have recently discussed the state's budgetary situation with Governor Rounds, along with a number of community leaders, business people and others across South Dakota, and we must take this situation very seriously. The growth in the state Medicaid program due to the recession will produce a projected 25 to 30 million dollar deficit in the state Medicaid program in 2010, and, after the expiration of the Recovery Act enhancement in the FMAP rate, a 50 to 60 million dollar deficit in FY2011.

Early analysis suggests that the House bill Medicaid provisions would impose at least $87.6 million more in new Medicaid costs on the state than the Senate Finance Committee bill. Given that budgetary impact, we have to consider the likelihood that dramatic service cuts would be the end result in South Dakota if the House bill were implemented, and that is a source of serious concern for me. It should be for every South Dakotan.

I have discussed the long-term care provisions of the House bill with a number of long-term care providers in South Dakota and have serious concerns about how the House bill would affect the future of care in our state for our seniors. While the original House legislation again has been improved in this respect by the addition of some incentive payments under Medicaid, overall, I am concerned that the cuts under Medicare to long-term care are unsustainable, and put undue financial pressure on this essential part of the health care infrastructure of South Dakota. Nursing homes will not derive the same benefit from universal coverage that hospitals will, so this is another issue that needs to be addressed as the process continues.

Another of my top priorities is the Indian Health Care Improvement Act reauthorization that has been incorporated into the broader bill. Together with the nine sovereign Native Tribes I represent, I have worked hard to advance the Indian Health Care reauthorization in the House of Representatives. I share the concerns of the Great Plains Tribal Chairman's Association (GPTCA) regarding aspects of the current version of that legislation. The GPTCA is comprised by the elected leaders of the sovereign Indian Tribes and Nations of the Great Plains, including South Dakota. I have consulted closely with the Tribes I represent. For years, the Tribes and the GPTCA have supported the Indian Health reauthorization and have been disappointed at the great length of time it has taken to bring the legislation to this point in the House. The GPTCA has reviewed the current version of the Indian Health reauthorization contained in the broader health reform bill and has serious concerns about certain provisions in the bill, principally the fact that urban Indian non-profit organizations are, in various sections outside of Title V of the reauthorization, treated on a par with federally-recognized tribes.

The federal government has a unique relationship with the 562 federally-recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes. This government-to-government relationship is established by our founders in the U.S. Constitution, recognized through, hundreds of treaties, and reaffirmed through executive orders, judicial decisions, and congressional action. Fundamentally, this relationship establishes the responsibilities to be carried out by one sovereign to the other. That is why these requests by nine sovereign Sioux tribes located in South Dakota are essential. I will continue to provide my full support to GPTCA's requests to improve the reauthorization in conference with the Senate, and to properly fund Indian health services.

Turning again to the broader House health care reform bill, underlying my concerns relating to Medicaid and long-term care and other issues is a fundamental concern about the effect of broader House health care reform bill

on the nation's long-term deficit, and more specifically, my view that it doesn't do enough to start bringing down the deficit and health care costs in the long term. As President Obama noted earlier this year: ``If we do nothing to slow these skyrocketing costs, we will eventually be spending more on Medicare and Medicaid than every other government program combined. Put simply, our health care problem is our deficit problem. Nothing else even comes close.'' He's right. Skyrocketing long-term costs will bankrupt the Medicare trust fund by 2017--and that's just part of the problem we need to fix.

But when it comes to the net change in the federal budgetary commitment to health care, the House bill is seven times greater in budgetary commitment of dollars than the Senate Finance Committee bill, while falling far short of the long-term cost containment in the Senate bill. In my view, any bill with such a significant increase should have a similar commitment to cost containment. Otherwise, we'll find ourselves in the same situation we find ourselves in with Medicare--an essential program for South Dakotans that is going broke because we can't make the tough choices now and are putting those choices off until we face an immediate crisis. That's not reform--that's a recipe for fiscal disaster.

Now, the House bill does include a number of good provisions on which the vast majority of South Dakotans I have talked to agree. For instance, I strongly support provisions in this bill to require insurance companies to cover people with preexisting conditions, and to end the insurance companies' ability to cancel coverage when someone becomes sick. These practices must end. I was surprised and dismayed to see that the House Republican proposal that we also will vote on refuses to end the unconscionable practice of denying coverage for preexisting conditions. The Congress will ultimately agree on a bill that ends this practice. In addition, I support establishing health insurance exchanges to provide a transparent and competitive marketplace for individuals and businesses to buy more affordable health care plans.

Unfortunately, in my view the House bill has not come far enough from where it started, and the bill does not yet represent the right formula for South Dakota. Nonetheless, I am very optimistic that, with the House and Senate working together with the President, we will achieve a good bill for South Dakota during this Congress, because the time has come for fundamental reform.

Again--I believe the Congress has a responsibility to pass health care reform legislation that is deficit neutral, that ensures access, fairness and affordability of coverage for South Dakotans, and that takes a responsible approach to long-term costs with a focus on achieving higher quality health care outcomes. This bill meets some of these goals but not all, and I can't support it. I remain steadfastly committed to improving this legislation and I am optimistic that through the legislative process we will achieve what South Dakotans deserve, which is a fiscally responsible and sustainable reform of the health care system that will dramatically improve coverage and quality for all.

Mr. Chair, today the House is considering H.R. 2868, the Chemical and Water Security Act of 2009. Chemical and water security is essential and of course we must take every sensible step to support the establishment of adequate security programs for drinking water and wastewater facilities and a continuation of efforts to properly improve security measures and risks related to chemical facilities.

However, I have heard serious concerns from agricultural retailers and farm groups in South Dakota about the potential implications of this legislation and am concerned that it is being rushed through the House. Specifically, these constituents are concerned about the inclusion of Inherently Safer Technology (IST) requirements, which will affect products important to agriculture in our state such as anhydrous ammonia fertilizer. Anhydrous ammonia fertilizer is a widely-used and essential lower-cost source of plant nutrients on which many farmers in South Dakota rely. The South Dakota Agribusiness Association has informed my office that, while the bill does not require smaller Tier 3 and 4 facilities to switch to a safer product or process, in the face of higher regulatory costs and increased liability concerns, these facilities may well opt to stop handling this product. While there are replacement fertilizers that could be substituted for anhydrous ammonia, the South Dakota Agribusiness Association anticipates that the cost per acre would increase for farmers as more product application would be needed to obtain the same nitrogen levels needed for certain leading crops, like corn. Farmers in South Dakota are already struggling with increased input costs and I believe we should not rush to put in place new rules that could further raise these costs.

This is especially true, where, as here, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is currently engaged in implementing Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS), which were authorized as part of the Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2007, which I supported. The crop-related chemical facilities have been working cooperatively with DHS throughout the CFATS process to establish appropriate risk-based standards and ensure compliance. This rulemaking process is not yet complete and I would prefer to allow the Department time to implement CFATS so we can more fully assess the effectiveness of current regulation before authorizing further significant changes to the program. In addition, during testimony before the Committees on Homeland Security and Energy and Commerce, Administration officials expressed concern over whether DHS had the necessary resources and expertise to properly administer IST requirements. Such uncertainty over a critical section of the proposed regulations further supports the view that it is more appropriate to allow the current regulatory process to continue.

At this point there is no companion authorization bill in the Senate. However, as the legislative process continues to move forward, I will continue to work with my colleagues in the House and Senate toward a bill that achieves the goal of properly protecting our citizens, in South Dakota and across the country, from risks posed by accidents or terrorist attacks on chemical, drinking water and wastewater facilities, and ensures that agricultural and other businesses will be protected from overly burdensome regulations. Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unable to participate in three votes on the floor of the House of Representatives today because I was participating in a panel on public safety and housing as part of the White House Tribal Nations Conference.

The first vote was on the Senate Amendments to H.R. 3548-- Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on that question.

The second vote was H. Con. Res. 139--congratulating the first graduating class of the United States Air Force Academy on their 50th graduation anniversary and recognizing their contributions to the Nation. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on that question.

The third vote was H. Res. 880--Recognizing the efforts of career and technical colleges to educate and train workers for positions in high- demand industries. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on that question.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend for yielding, for his service to our country, and for his tireless advocacy on behalf our Nation's veterans.

I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1168, the Veterans Retraining Act of 2009, which the Veterans' Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee passed on October 8 and the full committee approved last week. I would like to thank the ranking member of the Economic Opportunity Subcommittee, Mr. Boozman, for his outstanding leadership in introducing this important legislation, and full committee Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for their leadership as well and their support of this legislation.

The bill offers important updates to the employment training assistance available to veterans. It directs the Secretary of Labor to provide a monthly assistance allowance to veterans who are enrolled in an employment and training program. It teaches a skill in demand.

In addition, the veteran would be eligible to receive a monthly housing allowance, as well as a moving stipend of up to $5,000 for moving expenses directly related to the receipt of this training. In order to be eligible for this assistance, veterans must be unemployed for no less than four months and ineligible for other education and training assistance.

Employment assistance is one of the essential benefits that our country gives its veterans. These benefits help our veterans adjust to life outside of the military and successfully transfer the skills and experience they acquired while serving in the Armed Forces to the civilian job force.

Again, I want to thank Chairman Filner and particularly the hard work of Ranking Member Boozman for their support on this issue, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3949, the Veterans' Small Business Assistance and Servicemembers Protection Act of 2009, which the full Veterans' Affairs Committee approved with bipartisan support last week and which contains legislation I introduced, along with the ranking member of the Economic Opportunities Subcommittee, Mr. Boozman, to verify the veteran status of small businesses listed in the VetBiz Vendor Information Pages, known as the VIP database.

I would like to thank full committee Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer for their leadership and support for this legislation.

The overall bill under consideration by the House combines the provisions from a number of other bills into strong legislation that will assist a broad array of veterans in a variety of ways, and I applaud Chairman Filner for moving this legislation forward.

The bill updates the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act and burial regulations for national cemeteries. It creates a scholarship program to improve the eye care available to veterans and improves the Department of Veterans Affairs' outreach efforts by improving coordination among key offices within the VA.

The Veterans Small Business Verification Act that Mr. Boozman and I introduced follows up on legislation Congress passed in 2006 requiring the VA to

maintain its VIP database and verify that applicants for inclusion in the database were veteran-owned small businesses or service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses. Once firms register in the VIP database, they qualify to receive set-aside or sole-source awards.

The Economic Opportunity Subcommittee learned through hearings and meetings with VA staff and the veterans community that the database contained firms that didn't qualify because the verification process was voluntary. This voluntary process meant that while the VIP database included over 16,000 businesses, less than 1,000 had received verification of their veteran status or had voluntarily submitted information to be verified.

While I'm pleased that Veterans Affairs Secretary Shinseki has taken steps since these hearings over the past 6 months to improve the process by which businesses are verified, this bill will ensure our veterans are afforded the small business opportunities they're due.

The Veterans Small Business Verification Act would amend title XXXVIII to clarify current law and require the VA to verify that firms are veteran-owned small businesses or service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses in order to be listed in the VIP database. Furthermore, it requires that the VA notify small businesses already listed in the database of the need to verify their status.

In conclusion, H.R. 3949 takes important steps toward providing needed assistance in a number of areas to those veterans who have bravely served their country. I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 3949.

Madam Speaker, on October 30, 2009, I will be proud to host two of my constituents, Branden Stackenwalt and his father, Dave Stackenwalt, for a visit to the U.S. Capitol.

Branden is proud to be a combat engineer with the U.S. Army, serving with the 569th Mobility Augmentation Company, 4th Engineer Battalion. On September 21, 2009, the vehicle Branden was traveling in ran over a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan. One member of the vehicle's four-man crew was killed and the other three, including Branden, were critically injured. In the blast, Branden suffered severe fractures to vertebrae in his back, both legs, elbow and heels.

Thanks to his enduring spirit and courageous determination--as well as the excellent medical care he received from our Nation's Army doctors--Branden is vastly improved today and on the road to recovery. He was first flown to Germany, and then to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he has received care since September 27.

Since the incident, Branden has undergone multiple surgeries to repair his legs. Although he still faces an arduous road to full recovery, he has made significant progress, all the while maintaining a positive attitude. I am quite certain that Branden's personal strength of spirit, along with the loving care of his family, has been instrumental in the progress he has made.

During his recovery, I have had the privilege to get to know both Branden and his family. His parents, Dave and Kim, are wonderful people who love their son very much. Branden also has a younger sister, Savannah, in South Dakota who I know is eager to see him again soon.

Branden is now able to get around well in a wheelchair, and I have learned that he will soon be transferred to the Minneapolis VA facility to continue his recovery. I am pleased that he was able to visit us at the Capitol.

Madam Speaker, it is with great pride and respect for one of South Dakota's brave young soldiers that I rise today in recognition of Branden Stackenwalt and his service to our country. I am so very proud to represent him, his family, and all South Dakotans who serve in our Nation's Armed Forces. I thank Branden and all those who serve for their courage and fortitude in the face of danger.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge support of H.R. 2489, the National Land Remote Sensing Outreach Act, bipartisan legislation that I introduced with my colleague Steve LaTourette, that would authorize a program at the U.S. Geological Survey enhancing the use of satellite remote sensing data for research and education.

For almost a decade, the USGS has partnered with a nonprofit organization called AmericaView to help citizens, researchers, and public agencies solve real world problems using satellite imagery. Over these years, the USGS has provided satellite data and grants to AmericaView. AmericaView, in turn, has supported a network of university partners now in a total of 36 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa , Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Thanks to this outreach program, a great trove of satellite data and information, which is archived at the USGS Earth Resources Observation Data Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is put to work throughout our country. Each state program tailors its efforts to each state's needs, applying the data for use in a range of useful activities, including science education projects, the calculation of drought effects, designing irrigation protocols, or planning flood response. In short, USGS is enabling an amazing and varied array of remote sensing data applications through these ongoing outreach efforts and partnerships.

Despite receiving appropriations in past fiscal years, the USGS geospatial imagery outreach program has never formally been authorized. Passing this legislation today will officially authorize the USGS' existing outreach activities, helping to boost the program's recognition, expand the program to additional states and territories, and provide for Congressional direction and oversight.

The legislation before us today was amended in Committee to reflect input from the Department of Interior and colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and I'd like to thank the Administration and my colleagues for their willingness to work together on this bill. I'd also like to recognize the contributions of our former colleague, Representative Ralph Regula of Ohio, who introduced this legislation in the previous Congress.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2489, the National Land Remote Sensing Outreach Act.

Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to recognize Mr. Jerry Rasmussen, Principal of Dakota Valley High School in North Sioux City, South Dakota. Mr. Rasmussen was named South Dakota High School Principal of the Year by the MetLife/National Association of Secondary School Principals, NASSP, National Principal of the Year Program. This award recognizes the achievements of secondary school principals like Mr. Rasmussen who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students as well as demonstrating exemplary contributions to the profession.

Mr. Rasmussen has proudly devoted 21 years to education, including 10 years as an administrator. Mr. Rasmussen is most proud of his efforts to create a caring, student-centered culture which permeates throughout the community in North Sioux City. Mr. Rasmussen's devotion to the success and well-being of all of his students and efforts to ensure that all are welcomed at school is an example readily followed by his fellow teachers and staff.

I send best wishes and congratulations to Mr. Rasmussen on this noteworthy honor and commend him for his years of service as an educator in South Dakota.

Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to recognize Mrs. Debra Johnson, Principal of Chamberlain Middle School and High School in Chamberlain, South Dakota. Mrs. Johnson was named South Dakota Middle School Principal of the Year by the MetLife/ National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) National Principal of the Year Program. This award recognizes the achievements of secondary school principals like Mrs. Johnson who have succeeded in providing high-quality learning opportunities for students as well as demonstrating exemplary contributions to the profession.

Mrs. Johnson has devoted 29 years to education, including more than 17 years as an administrator. One of her proudest achievements was combining separate buildings for grades 5-8 and grades 9-12 into a joint middle school and high school in Chamberlain, where staff can work together to address issues, implement effective teaching strategies, and design plans so that all students can achieve at their highest level. Mrs. Johnson recognizes the value of a well-rounded education beyond just the classroom and has been a strong supporter and advocate of quality afterschool activities. Her leadership, organization, and planning skills have served students, teachers, and fellow administrators well throughout her career.

I send best wishes and congratulations to Mrs. Johnson on this noteworthy recognition and thank her for her years of service as an educator in South Dakota.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was unable to participate in a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives today.

The vote was on H.R. 1327 as amended, the Iran Sanctions Enabling Act of 2009. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on that question.

Madam Chair, the House is considering H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. I support many of the goals of this legislation, including finding savings in the current student loan program and directing these funds toward expanding student grant aid that will help make higher education a reality for more South Dakotans. However, I have heard from constituents who work in the Federal Family Education Loan Program, FFELP, in my State, and in particular from The Student Loan Corporation in Sioux Falls, that the enactment of this bill could result in the loss of hundreds if not thousands of jobs in South Dakota during this period of continuing higher unemployment, as the country works its way out of economic recession. I also have concerns about completely eliminating a role for the private sector in providing student loans and about the potential disruptions in access to loans for students that could occur during the proposed transition to the new system over the next months.

I have helped to lead the effort in the House of Representatives with my colleague and fellow Blue Dog. Allen Boyd of Florida, and we've been joined by a number of our colleagues in the House of Representatives in sharing our concerns on this subject with U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan and with the House Education and Labor Committee. I urged the Secretary and the Committee to more fully consider all possible alternatives that would substantially increase funding for Pell Grants and other important sources of financial access to higher education, while maintaining jobs in our districts and ensuring continued access to loans for students. Over the course of the FFELP's decades of existence, it has proven that private competition in the student loan system provides benefits to students. I believe that the FFELP has been a cost effective alternative to ``direct lending'' for many students in South Dakota. In addition, I am concerned that the Department of Education may not have the resources adequate to handle the origination,

administration and servicing of all student loans beginning in July 2010.

The assumption of complete responsibility for providing federally- backed loans to students by the Department of Education Direct Loan, DL, program presents very real risks of job losses and ends the reliable administration and servicing of student loans at the more than 4,000 schools that are not currently enrolled in the DL program, including most colleges and universities in South Dakota. While a number of these schools have begun exploring a transition to DL with the Department of Education, the risks of a possible disruption in students' ability to access student loans is very real during the rapid transition of these 4,000 schools to DL by July 10, 2010. Further, we do not want to put undue resource burdens on schools and States that are already facing increased budgetary pressures during this economic downturn.

While the bill does present potential opportunities for some lenders in South Dakota, overall, the possible downsides of the bill for South Dakota are substantial, and what's more, I believe they could be addressed in this legislation while preserving the goal of increasing financial assistance for higher education. Thus, while I fully support the goal of finding savings within the current student loan program to provide students with much-needed increases in federal financial aid for higher education, I cannot support today's bill, which I believe should be improved before being passed by the House.

As the legislative process moves forward in the Senate, I will continue to work towards a bill that achieves significant increase in financial assistance for students seeking higher education, that preserves jobs for South Dakotans, and ensures our students receive the specialized attention and information needed to make the best choices for funding their higher education.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Naomi Jane Durst Bowden.

Mrs. Bowden was born in Custer, South Dakota, on June 13, 1915, and lived there until 1948. She was the daughter of pioneers and a loving mother and homemaker. She moved to Jesup, Georgia in 1948 and was an integral part of the community, serving as a founding member and Lay Leader of the Epworth United Methodist Church. She taught as a substitute teacher in the Jesup schools, and, for a number of years, hosted a women's radio program on WBGR in Jesup. She had six sons, eighteen grandchildren, and twenty-four great grandchildren. Up until a short time before her death, she could name the names of all her grandchildren and great grandchildren--something she routinely did before she fell asleep. At age 93, Naomi Jane Durst Bowden passed away in her sleep on Monday, May 25th in Athens, Georgia.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the life and works of Naomi Jane Durst Bowden.