Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize the following individuals for their work on behalf of the people of the first congressional district of the State of Ohio and for their dedicated service to the 111th United States Congress. I offer my sincerest appreciation to Alyson Budd, Jay Stolkin, Robert George, Danielle Vizgirda, Sean Kelley, Ozie Davis III, Steve Brinker, Victoria Parks, Mary Ellen Sullivan, Shannon Faulk, Alex Kisling, Colby Nelson, Morgana Carter, Sarah McHugh, Aaron Wasserman, Tim Mulvey, Heidi Black, Greg Mecher, and Sarah Curtis.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Joseph Donald Lind, Sr., who passed away November 7, 2010. Mr. Lind was an inspirational leader to his community, city, and country.

Mr. Lind graduated from Elder High School in 1953, where he put himself through school working as a maintenance man at St. Joseph Church in the West End. Upon graduating from Elder, Mr. Lind joined the United States Army where he earned an honorable discharge. Mr. Lind continued to serve his community by joining the Cincinnati Police Department for the remainder of his professional career.

It would have been easy for Mr. Lind to stop giving back to his community after his long career of public service; however, he continued to give back until his last day. Mr. Lind served as president of the Elder Dad's Club for 23 years and continually volunteered his time and energy for any cause that benefitted Elder High School. His impact on the Elder community will live on for generations to come.

Mr. Lind's charisma and commitment through service will not be forgotten and will serve as an example for years to come. Mr. Lind has showed us that serving your community is not a short sprint of a few years but a marathon that lasts a lifetime. Mr. Lind's community and country gave him countless opportunities and he worked a lifetime to give back to those that gave to him. Although Mr. Lind will no longer be with us, his legacy will continue on.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to withdraw my motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6014) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 212 Main Street in Hartman, Arkansas, as the ``M.R. `Bucky' Walters Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2853) to require the purchase of domestically made flags of the United States of America for use by the Federal Government, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2853, the All-American Flag Act, ensures that the flags purchased by the Federal Government will be made right here in the United States, ensuring that tax dollars used for these purchases will stay here in our economy.

H.R. 2853 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Iowa, Representative Bruce Braley, on June 12, 2009. It was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which ordered the measure reported by unanimous consent on July 28, 2010.

This bill requires that all flags of the United States of America, of any size, purchased by the Federal Government be 100 percent manufactured here in the United States. This also includes any articles, materials, or supplies used to manufacture or produce those flags. Those materials must all be produced here. This represents a vast improvement over existing law, which only requires 50 percent of these materials to be American made.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2853 ensures that the flag of this country, flown by this country, will be made in this country.

I would like to thank my colleagues for their hard work on this bill, and I encourage them to join me in supporting this commonsense legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, again, this bill is about creating American flags in the United States of America purchased by the Federal Government.

I very much appreciate the gentlelady's concern over small businesses and business creation. That is why this House and the Senate came together

and passed the Small Business bill last week, which the President signed yesterday, creating more jobs and small businesses, allowing capital to flow into small businesses through our community banks. It is a step in the right direction to create businesses here in the United States. I am pleased that we passed it. I am sorry that the Republicans didn't join us in that vote and support for small businesses.

Again, I will remind the gentlelady that small businesses benefit from the health care bill as well, getting a tax credit for providing health insurance for their employees for the first time. The small business community had been shut out of the process of receiving tax credits for providing health insurance. I am proud of what we have done for small businesses here in this Congress and will continue to work on behalf of small businesses.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Again, I would like to comment on the lady's comments regarding the supposed failure of the Recovery Act.

I would invite her to come to Cincinnati, Ohio, where the Banks Project, the largest project in Cincinnati, is moving forward because of the Recovery Act. She can meet the hundreds of workers that she calls a failure. Or she can go to the bridge that is being painted by 90 employees, also funded by the Recovery Act, that crosses the Ohio River. It is the Roebling Suspension Bridge that connects Kentucky and Cincinnati. Again, I don't consider that to be a failure. Nor do I consider to be a failure the hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs in the State of Ohio that police and firefighters now have, the thousands of jobs that teachers now have because the Recovery Act.

As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, I think it was crystal clear in the CBO report that came out just a few weeks ago that the Recovery Act in fact saved or created 3.5 million jobs here in the United States.

I will remind the lady of the failures of the Bush economic policies that led us into the worst recession in our lifetime. A failure was the last 6 months of 2008, when we saw the loss of 3 million jobs in this economy.

I don't call saving and creating 3.5 million jobs a failure, and I would challenge her to come to Cincinnati and look those workers in the face that are working on I-75, that are working on the Banks Project, and suggest to them that their paychecks are a failure of the Federal Government.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I very much respect the gentleman's remarks, and I too have the flag of my father's coffin in my office. We buried him two years ago last week. So it means something very special to me that we have come together today to support this legislation, because when it comes to our Federal tax dollars being spent on American flags, those jobs should be in the United States, those flags should be made in the United States, the parts of those flags should be made in the United States.

I appreciate the support of all the Members of the committee, and I applaud Representative Braley for bringing the bill forward.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4602) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1332 Sharon Copley Road in Sharon Center, Ohio, as the ``Emil Bolas Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

On behalf of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, I am pleased to present H.R. 4602 for consideration. This legislation will designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1332 Sharon Copley Road in Sharon Center, Ohio, as the Emil Bolas Post Office.

Introduced by our friend and colleague Representative John Boccieri of Ohio on February 4, 2010, H.R. 4602 was favorably reported out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee on December 9, 2010. This legislation enjoys the support of the entire Ohio delegation to the House.

Mr. Speaker, Emil Bolas dedicated his life to the service of his beloved community of Sharon Township and Medina County, Ohio. As noted in The Medina County Gazette, Mr. Bolas' mission in life was helping people and improving his community.

As a young man, Mr. Bolas served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1961. After finishing his service in the army, Mr. Bolas focused his time and attention on making his community a better place. Mr. Bolas served as zoning appeals board chairman, as a Sharon Township trustee, and was also active in a wide array of community organizations, including the Medina County Drug Task Force, the Highland Foundation For Educational Excellence, the Boy Scouts of America, the Ohio Township Association, and the Sharon Township Heritage Society.

Sadly, Mr. Bolas passed away on August 14, 2008, following a long battle with cancer. His memory will live on through his adoring family and the countless individuals whose lives he improved through his tireless work on behalf of his community.

Mr. Speaker, let us further honor the life and legacy of Emil Bolas through the passage of H.R. 4602, which will designate the postal facility located at 1332 Sharon Copley Road in Sharon Center, Ohio, in his honor. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the support of the Buckeyes in this case, and I thank Congressman Boccieri for bringing this measure before the House. I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5606) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 47 South 7th Street in Indiana, Pennsylvania, as the ``James M. `Jimmy' Stewart Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am proud to present H.R. 5606 for consideration. This legislation will designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 47 South 7th Street in Indiana, Pennsylvania, as the ``James M. `Jimmy' Stewart Post Office Building.'' H.R. 5606 was introduced by our colleague, Representative Mark Critz of Pennsylvania, on June 25, 2010. It was favorably reported out of the Oversight Government Reform Committee on July 28, 2010. In addition, this legislation enjoys the support of the entire Pennsylvania House delegation.

As we all know, Jimmy Stewart was an American film and stage actor who worked in Hollywood during its ``Golden Age.'' Mr. Stewart was born on May 20, 1908, in Indiana, Pennsylvania, and attended Mercersburg Academy Prep School. After graduating from Mercersburg in 1928, Mr. Stewart went on to attend Princeton University, where he developed a lifelong love for acting.

In 1939, Mr. Stewart starred in one of the great films about American politics, ``Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,'' which portrays the experience of a young senator learning the ropes in Washington. The film was a great success and was nominated for 11 Academy

Awards in 1939, and won the Oscar for Best Writing and Original Story.

In 1941, Mr. Stewart enlisted in the Army, where he was assigned to the 445th Bombardment Group stationed out of Sioux City Army Base in Iowa. Mr. Stewart was eventually promoted to the rank of captain and commanded the 703rd Bombardment Squadron for the duration of World War II. Notably, in 1959, Mr. Stewart was promoted to brigadier general in the Air Force Reserve and served as a non-duty adviser during the Vietnam War.

In 1989, Mr. Stewart became a cofounder of the American Spirit Foundation, which applied entertainment industry resources and talent to help develop innovative approaches to public education and to assist emerging democratic movements in the former Soviet satellite states. Mr. Stewart also worked with President Reagan and Chief Justice Warren Burger on initiatives to promote awareness of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Sadly, Mr. Stewart passed away on July 2, 1997.

Mr. Speaker, let us honor the life and legacy of Jimmy Stewart through the passage of H.R. 5606, which will designate the postal facility located at 47 South 7th Street in Indiana, Pennsylvania, in his honor. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5606.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 3 minutes to the sponsor of the legislation, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Critz).

(Mr. CRITZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5605) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 47 East Fayette Street in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, as the ``George C. Marshall Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield such time as he may consume to the author of the legislation, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Critz).

(Mr. CRITZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I would just remind the Members that this is a consent agenda, an agenda for which Republicans and Democrats have come together and for which the Members are not here to cast votes. They will be here tomorrow for our votes for the week. This is an opportunity for Members of both sides to bring legislation forward which we have recognized, certainly throughout my year and a half in Congress, and it is due to the bipartisan nature of the work that is done in Oversight and Government Reform, which we should be proud of.

So I don't apologize for bringing these bills to the floor today. I think the Republicans have made laudable efforts here, and I think we have made laudable efforts here. I would like to remind the Members that this is a consent agenda which has been agreed upon by both parties.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentleman for his support in the legislation before us. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6014) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 212 Main Street in Hartman, Arkansas, as the ``M.R. `Bucky' Walters Post Office.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am proud to present H.R. 6014 for consideration. This legislation will designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 212 Main Street, in Hartman, Arkansas, as the ``M.R. `Bucky' Walters Post Office.''

H.R. 6014 was introduced by our friend and colleague, Representative John Boozman of Arkansas, on July 30, 2010. It was favorably reported out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee on September 23, 2010. The legislation enjoys the support of the entire Arkansas House delegation.

M.R. ``Bucky'' Walters was born on May 22, 1920, in Lincoln, Nebraska; and he dedicated his life to the service of his country and to his beloved Hartman, Arkansas. Mr. Walters served his country proudly for 58 years, spending 5 years in the Army during World War II and an astonishing 53 years with the United States Postal Service.

After serving as a master mechanic in the Arkansas National Guard at Camp Robinson in Little Rock, Arkansas, Mr. Walters was appointed as a full-time letter carrier for the Hartman Post Office in Hartman, Arkansas, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. After 11 years of exemplary service, Mr. Walters was appointed postmaster of the Hartman Post Office by President Lyndon Johnson.

As both a letter carrier and as a postmaster, Mr. Walters developed a reputation as a tireless employee who always went the extra mile for his community.

Sadly, Mr. Walters died on March 16, 2010, at the age of 89. He is survived by his wife, Maurine; his son, Neal; his sister, Doris; and by his two grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, let us further honor the life and legacy of Mr. Walters through the passage of H.R. 6014, which will designate the postal facility located at 212 Main Street in Hartman, Arkansas, in his honor.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6014.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1442) supporting the goals and ideals of United States Military History Month.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1442, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of United States Military History Month.

H. Res. 1442 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Tennessee, Representative John Duncan, on June 15, 2010. It was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which ordered it reported favorably by unanimous consent on September 23, 2010. The measure enjoys the support of over 50 Members of the House.

Mr. Speaker, from the Revolutionary War to the present conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the actions and leadership of our Armed Forces have shaped the history of our Nation and helped to preserve our freedoms. One cannot understand our country without understanding our history, and our military has always had a critical role in our history.

For all that they've done for our Nation, our soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardians, and marines deserve our appreciation and respect. One of the ways we can do this is by helping to ensure that Americans understand the role that our military has played in the development of our Nation and in the history of our world. I, therefore, ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 1442 and encourage all Americans to take time to learn more about our Nation's military history.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, last weekend, a shining light went out in the City of Norwood, Ohio when Bill Graff passed away.

Before he moved to Norwood eight years ago, Bill was one of the millions of Americans whose work formed the backbone of our nation. He retired from General Motors after a career that took him from his native Michigan to Tennessee.

It was after he retired that Bill brought his charisma and commitment to Norwood, and spent the last years of his life changing that city for the better. In the relatively short time he called Norwood home, Bill Graff wove himself into the fabric of that community. Whether carrying out a restoration that breathed new life into one of Norwood's magnificent older buildings, leading the charge to get new equipment for Norwood's police and first responders, or brainstorming about their next project with Vivian, his wife of 45 years, Bill was always looking for new ways to give back and strengthen the bonds that hold Norwood together.

Through his tireless actions, Bill showed us that community means more than just a group of people sharing a street or a neighborhood. He showed us that community is built upon service to one another, concern for our neighbors and our children, and a dedication to improving the lives of those around us as well as our own families.

Especially in these tough times, we look at Bill's life as an example of what a single person can do to lift up so many others. He will be dearly missed.

Madam Speaker, today I want to recognize the 100th birthday of someone who is not only a constituent of mine, but a woman very dear to my heart, my great aunt, Kathleen Schuermann.

Our family will soon gather to mark this occasion, and there's so much to celebrate.

Over the past century, Aunt Kathleen has been a public servant in the State Liquor Department and Hamilton County Juvenile Sheriff's Department. She has been a ballet teacher to a generation of young dancers in Cincinnati. She has been a proud supporter of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and a faithful parishioner at Holy Cross- Immaculata. She has been the loving mother of seven children, grandmother of 21, and great-grandmother of 36.

Though she was born ten years before women in America had the right to vote, Aunt Kathleen has her whole life embraced and extolled the importance of civic involvement. Whether working the polls or attending presidential inaugurations, advocating to save Cincinnati's streetcars or offering her own brand of political advice, Kathleen remains an example of the sort of concerned and active citizenship we too seldom see. As a public servant, I draw inspiration from her undimmed interest in governance and community.

We can be certain in coming weeks to see Aunt Kathleen at the Immaculata church festival or making the rounds at the Delhi Senior Center. And so, on her 100th birthday, we not only reflect on her life's journey thus far, but we look forward to the days ahead.

Happy birthday, Aunt Kathleen.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 454, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

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

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

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman of the committee, Ms. Waters, for her tremendous work on this legislation. Also, the cosponsors of this amendment, Mr. Welch and Mr. Hinchey. This amendment is pretty straightforward. It would authorize the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to reimburse property owners or entity or jurisdiction acting on their behalf for any expenses that they incurred in order to file for a letter of map amendment if they are ultimately successful in petitioning the exclusion of their property from a flood zone between fiscal year 2007 to the present, and in the future.

The problem is this, Mr. Chairman. We have thousands of property owners who are challenging these maps as FEMA has currently drawn them. They find out about them after the maps have been drawn, after the maps are official. They then want to challenge that designation. They hire the surveyors. They hire the engineers. They go ahead and incur that cost. And in many cases, when we find out that in fact the property owner was correct and they should not have been included in the designation to begin with, they're excluded. Yet they have incurred the cost. This amendment simply says that if that's the case and we find that the property owner is correct or if we find that the municipality or jurisdiction is correct in challenging the map, that they will be reimbursed by FEMA. CBO has scored this and said it would be negligible in terms of cost, yet it would relieve thousands of homeowners from the burden that they currently see in terms of incurring these costs.

Just a little background. Under current law, FEMA is authorized to reimburse property owners, lessees, and communities for engineering and surveying expenses that they incur for petitioning the inclusion of the property in a flood zone prior to the enactment of a new flood map. But this doesn't serve the folks that we're talking about. I've got a community in Harrison, Ohio, where over 370 households have been included in the flood map. Now, they didn't start the process of challenging the map until after the map was already official. So they're well beyond the time period that FEMA currently allows for that amendment to take place. This would address what is currently wrong in that situation--and that is, it would allow the homeowners to be reimbursed for their expenses.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I appreciate the concerns of my colleague from West Virginia. I take those very seriously. Although, FEMA does have rulemaking authority that allows them to address the concerns that were raised. This is really an issue of fairness--an issue of fairness for property owners. You've got the Federal Government coming onto your property, telling you that you have to purchase flood insurance because you're now designated within the map. When you find FEMA to be wrong, that payment shouldn't be incurred by you, the property owner, but it should be reimbursed by FEMA. It's just that simple. This is a taking. And the Federal Government shouldn't be in the business of taking property, which is what they're doing in this case, in the form of the expenses that are incurred by the homeowners. This has impacted thousands of Americans. And it's wrong that the Federal Government is making them pay the price to challenge the Federal Government.

With that, Mr. Chairman, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey), the cosponsor of the amendment.

Madam Speaker, last week Cincinnati lost an iconic figure in our religious community when Bishop Abraham I.J. Swanson XII left this world. More than 65 years ago, Bishop Swanson became the founding pastor at the BibleWay Church of God in Christ. Whether preaching to his congregation or to those listening to his forty years of broadcasts on 1480 WCIN, Pastor Swanson offered words of encouragement, hope, and faith to those struggling the most. His words inspired perseverance in the face of adversity, a reflection of his own faith and his commitment to our community. Those who knew him are profoundly grateful for his service, and in his absence we continue to draw strength from his words: ``Hold on to your hope, keep the faith, stand your ground until reinforcement comes; it will come in the morning.''

Mr. Speaker, in 2002 Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones introduced legislation to crack down on predatory lending and subprime borrowers. Acting then to protect American homeowners could have helped prevent the foreclosure crisis, which led to the financial crisis, which led to the deepest recession in generations.

But instead of acting in 2002 or 2003 or every other year they controlled Congress and the White House, my Republican colleagues stood by and did nothing. We can now clearly see the result of that inaction.

This week we will take long overdue steps as we vote on the most sweeping reform of our financial system since the Great Depression. Instead of leaving decisions about our financial system in the hands of Wall Street bankers, this legislation will curb the risky practices and fix the systemic flaws that brought our economy to the brink. Instead of allowing predatory lending and dangerous speculation to go unchecked, these reforms will provide real protections for Americans looking to invest or to buy a home.

We cannot undo the failures of past leadership, but we can help prevent another economic crisis like this one. By passing the Wall Street reform conference report, we can chart a new course that puts America first.