Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate White Castle on its 90th Anniversary. White Castle is considered America's first fast-food hamburger chain and owns and operates more than 400 restaurants in 11 states.

White Castle was founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas by Walter A. Anderson and Edgar Waldo ``Billy'' Ingram. In 1933, the company moved its headquarters to Columbus, Ohio where they continue to be an integral part of the community.

White Castle is known for its small, square hamburgers called ``sliders.'' With these tasty little burgers as their mainstay item, White Castle became the first hamburger chain to sell a million hamburgers and, later, the first chain to sell a billion hamburgers. Additionally, White Castle ``sliders'' have been sold in the frozen foods section of grocery stores nationwide since 1987 and have been available in vending machines since 1993.

Today, White Castle remains a family-run business having been lead by three generations of the Ingram Family. Their unique porcelain steel buildings are an icon in many neighborhoods across the Midwest.

White Castle is truly an American original and is inspiring because it is a story about the success of the American Dream. I am grateful to White Castle for being a pioneer and innovator of the fast-food industry. I congratulate White Castle and its owners and team members on their 90th Anniversary and on having provided what America craves for 90 years.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in recognition of Marine Corps Capt. Jason ``Duke'' Dequenne, who on October 15, 2011, began a run like no other: 236.2 miles to celebrate the 236th birthday of the Marine Corps and, more importantly, to honor those Marines who gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

On November 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, PA, the Marine Corps was founded under the commission of Samuel Nicholas, who promptly began recruiting from a local pub, Tun Tavern. Though it no longer exists today, Dequenne laced up his shoes and hit the pavement outside that very pub known now as the birthplace of the Marines for the first day of his history-making feat on October 15, 2011. In order to accomplish his 236.2 mile route, Dequenne will run a punishing 15 miles each day until finishing with the 36th Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC on October 30, 2011.

However, the birthday of the Marine Corps is not the sole motivation behind his unfathomable trek; each mile will be dedicated to telling the story of a fallen soldier. Dequenne felt the individual stories and sacrifices were not being relayed effectively to the public, who often only see lists of names and ranks of fallen heroes. In attempts to change this, Capt. Dequenne will participate in speaking engagements along this Philadelphia to DC route after each run to tell the stories of Marines who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Each step of the 236.2 journey will not only embody the memory of a fallen Marine, but will raise money through the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation. All proceeds will be donated to military and law enforcement families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty.

Capt. Dequenne enlisted as a Marine in 1996, before completing Office Candidate School in 2005. He currently serves at The Basic School in Quantico, VA, as the assistant logistics officer.

As a serving member of the Ohio Army National Guard and veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, I thank Capt. Jason Dequenne for honoring our fallen heroes and raising support and awareness for their families. One foot in front of the other, Oo-rah!

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Ohio State University's ``Script Ohio'' on its 75th anniversary. Script Ohio is a band formation tradition that has played a major role in football game days at Ohio State throughout the years.

In October of 1936, the OSU Marching Band marched into its first Script Ohio, a formation where the cursive word ``Ohio'' is spelled out by the members of the band, with the letter ``I'' dotted by the sousaphone player. The inspiration for this famous band formation came from the band director at the time, Eugene Weigel, and band member, Ted Boehm. 75 years after its first OSU appearance, the tradition continues to be an important part of every home football game.

As graduate of the Ohio State University, I take great pride in the traditions of my alma mater. Ohio State Football is definitely one of those traditions--and Script Ohio is certainly part of that tradition. Football games would not be the same without Script Ohio, and I offer my congratulations on its 75 years. I look forward to seeing Script Ohio march in the Horseshoe for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Columbus Clippers on winning their ninth, and second consecutive, Governor's Cup. The Governor's Cup is a baseball tradition dating back to 1933 and is awarded annually to the International League's champion.

First at Cooper Stadium and now at Huntington Park, since 1977 the Columbus Clippers have been a Central Ohio institution. The Clippers are a world-class organization, and attending a game at Huntington Park is a world-class experience. I have enjoyed many warm summer evenings cheering on the Clippers, and I know countless other Ohio families have shared similar fun-filled experiences enjoying America's favorite pastime in each other's company.

In Columbus, we take our sports seriously, and the Clippers have always been a point of pride for us. Their past two seasons have been particularly impressive with the team winning back-to-back championships. A single Governor's Cup win is an impressive achievement but two in a row is truly extraordinary. Over the years the Clippers have made their city and state proud with similar championship streaks, including holding on to the Governor's Cup for three consecutive years from 1979-1981.

A winning season takes hard work and many hours of practice and a great deal of effort. The team's success brings City of Columbus together to celebrate as a community. To the Columbus Clippers, I offer my congratulations on this season' championship and my best wishes for a strong season next year.

Columbus Clippers, RING YOUR BELL!

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor CPT William Smith, who passed away July 15, 2011, at the age of 93. A true American hero, CPT Smith charged the beaches of Normandy, survived the Battle of the Bulge, and continued on to serve in the Korean Conflict.

D-Day for CPT Smith began hours before thousands braved the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944. Under the cover of darkness, he rowed alone onto Omaha Beach, making ready for his duty as a forward observer. Burying himself for hours beneath a concrete slab and under heavy enemy fire, CPT Smith used only the lights of German artillery to locate their guns, calling in the targets to US Naval ships protecting the invasion. CPT Smith survived D-Day, spending 12 grueling hours alone in his make-shift post with nothing but infantry assault elements to protect him.

CPT William Smith also fought in the invasions of North Africa and Sicily. In total, CPT. Smith served in seven European campaigns, including the infamous Battle of the Bulge, never once putting his own safety before that of his country. For his service in the 32nd Field Artillery, 1st Infantry Division, he was awarded the D-Day medal, World War II medal, French Freedom and Jubilee medals and the Bronze Star with V for Valor.

Less than a decade later, CPT Smith once again answered his country's call to duty, serving as an invasion specialist in the Korean Conflict. Upon returning home, he built Kisco Photo Service into a dominant force in the camera and film market. Smith then went on to serve as the Chairman of Sales and Marketing Technology at Columbus Technical College at age 53. Bill never lost touch with his comrades in arms, joining both the VFW Lodge #2398, Worthington, Ohio and AMVETS, Worthington Post #239. He was a member of New England Lodge #4, F & AM and a 32nd degree Mason, Valley of Columbus.

Married 70 years to wife Berni, with two children, Bill and Shirley, Smith fully lived his family values. Smith's son, Bill E. Smith, spoke of his late father as a man of faith, of family, and of community. And that is just how we will remember him.

It has been said, ``A journey of a thousand miles begins with a small step.''

Today, with a looming national debt of over $14.2 trillion, we need to take dramatic steps to decrease spending, but we can make a difference by taking small steps as well. Throughout our Nation's economic crisis, I've heard from constituents who have said they want to do more to pay off the national debt.

I voluntarily give back $700 from every paycheck to help pay down the national debt, and I wanted to make it easier for like-minded citizens to do the same. That's why I've sponsored the Debt Contribution Act, which creates a checkoff box on the tax return for individuals who want to donate money to pay down the national debt. It ensures 100 percent of those proceeds are used to pay down the national debt, and it makes sure that it's still a tax deductible contribution, which it has been since 1964.

So with a national debt of over $14.2 trillion, we won't be running a surplus anytime soon, but we can allow patriotic Americans who want to volunteer and give money to pay down the national debt to do that, and I hope my colleagues will help me support and pass the Debt Contribution Act.

Mr. Speaker, sometimes small steps can make a big difference, and often the best legislation comes from our constituents. That's the case with legislation that I have introduced called the DEBT Contribution Act, which gives Americans simpler ways to make a tax- deductible contribution specifically to reduce our national debt.

Recently, I have received letters from constituents like this one asking how they can donate funds to pay down our national debt. I voluntarily give $700 out of every paycheck to go toward paying down the national debt, and I want to make it easier for like-minded citizens to do the same. That's why I've sponsored the DEBT Contribution Act. It does three things:

First, it creates a check-off box on the individual tax return form to make it more user friendly to give a tax-deductible contribution to pay down the national debt.

Second, it makes sure that 100 percent of those funds are used to reduce the national debt and not redirect it for any purpose.

And, finally, it makes it clear that it is tax deductible, as it has been to give that charitable contribution.

Our national debt is now $14.2 trillion, and we need to do everything we can to pay down our national debt. I urge my colleagues from both sides to support this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate The Columbus Dispatch for 140 years in business as a leading news source in Ohio. When I am home, I start each morning at the table with my daughter Sarah, eating breakfast and reading the Dispatch.

From the inaugural publication on July 1, 1871, to this morning's edition dropped on my doorstep in Columbus, the Dispatch has become a staple in Central Ohio as the region's daily printed and on-line source for local, state, national, and international news. With a proven track record of trustworthy and in-depth analysis, unbiased relaying of the facts, and heartfelt community editorials the Dispatch exemplifies excellence in reporting.

The important events of the past 140 years have been delivered into the homes of our community by the Dispatch. The paper relayed the sinking of the Titanic and the outbreak of WWI. It told of the tragedies of Pearl Harbor and gave us hope after September 11, 2001. And the paper has celebrated our local victories with us, like the Buckeyes National Football Championship in 2002.

Since 1905, the Wolfe family has owned and operated the newspaper, allowing it to become one of the most widely read newspapers in the nation. To the Wolfe family and all Dispatch employees, I offer my congratulations and may your next 140 years be as informative, innovative, and inspiring as your first.

I would like to thank the chairwoman for yielding me time.

I rise in support of the Speaker's resolution. With 26 years of military service, my experience has taught me many lessons, and those lessons give me pause and concern with regard to the Kucinich resolution. I think we need to be prudent, thoughtful and measured in the way we end our involvement in Libya, and I don't believe that the Kucinich resolution does that.

Even though the President did not follow proper procedures and even though he should have allowed Congress to debate and decide the issue, a 15-day withdrawal would cause other issues. Currently, the U.S. is providing important refueling, logistics and other support functions for our NATO allies. Unfortunately, if you create a 15-day time line, those allies might not have time to plan or build capacity to resource their plan and effectively continue their operations.

I don't agree with how the President has handled our current military mission in Libya, and I don't think he has currently explained the national security interest of our mission. However, I think the troops that have been called to action have performed admirably, and I thank them for their service. But now we are involved, and the time frame for withdrawal in the Kucinich resolution would hurt our NATO allies, the same allies who have stood by us in Afghanistan for 10 years. They deserve our cooperation in any transition. I support the Speaker's alternative resolution on Libya. I think it asks tough questions of the President, and requires him to explain our national security interests and to justify his strategy to Congress and to the American people. If the President doesn't answer those questions within 14 days, I believe Congress should continue to assert its constitutional authority.

In response to the gentleman from California, I would like to say that I think it is important we get information to make timely decisions. Therefore, I support the Speaker's alternative resolution as a way forward in Libya.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss some of the major challenges that face our Nation. We face a spending crisis, a debt crisis, a jobs crisis; and in order to solve those, the best thing we can do is focus on jobs because creating jobs will empower families, it will increase our economic power, and it will improve our government budget situation.

From my many travels around my district in Ohio, from Franklin County to Madison County to Union County, it has become clear that both individuals and businesses need more certainty when it comes to health care costs, energy costs, taxes, and regulation.

I visited Stanley Electric in London, Ohio, and they would like to expand. They have temporary workers they would like to make permanent full-time workers, but government regulations out of Washington are preventing them from doing that.

I held a jobs roundtable in Hilliard with small businesses, and from those small businesses I heard that we need Congress to get out of the way of job creators. We need to bring more certainty to the banking system so that they will start lending to small businesses. Capital and credit need to be available if small businesses are going to create jobs.

They asked us to change the culture in Washington so that people here understand that government does not create jobs; small business owners and entrepreneurs create jobs. We need to allow those local employers to focus their resources on hiring and to growing their businesses. If we allow them, business can and will create jobs. We just need to give them the incentives, and innovation will be there. Business owners need the flexibility to invest back in their businesses, and they need the ability to keep more of what they have earned if they do well.

I held a jobs forum in my district at Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business to discuss with central Ohio job creators what they need to invest and create jobs. A number of good ideas came out of that forum.

Dwight Smith, who is with Sophisticated Systems in Columbus, Ohio, said that Ohio and the Nation need to do a better job of putting together job training with unemployment. He said whole categories of jobs are being eliminated in this economy, and we need to make sure that the people that are out there are looking for jobs that are here today and are going to be here tomorrow. I think that is a great idea. We need to focus on training and preparing our workforce for jobs that are here today and here tomorrow. We need to tie our workforce development dollars together with our unemployment programs so they work together well.

Kathy Ivan, the owner of Fabric Farms, a small business owner in my district, was very concerned about the onerous small business regulation of the 1099 provisions that were in the health care bill. I am glad to say that particular portion of the health care bill has been repealed, but we have to take further steps to make sure that business owners have certainty with regard to health care costs and energy costs so that they will be willing to hire new employees.

John Ness of ODW Logistics shared that government ``has stepped on the hands and needs to stay out of the way'' of small business owners. We need to remove the obstacles for these business owners, and the United States Government needs to make tax rates competitive with the rest of the world. John Ness is in a global business, and America's tax rates are making him less competitive.

Dr. Michael Camp, who is with the OSU Center for Entrepreneurship, spoke about the importance of accelerator projects, and how collaboration with Ohio's Third Frontier can yield positive results.

We have a lot of work to do; but if we can stay focused on getting government out of the way and giving businesses more certainty, you'll see businesses creating a lot of jobs. Those are just a few of the great ideas that were shared at my jobs forum, and I will continue to work on those ideas and other ideas and reach out so that we can grow our economy because the best way to solve our problems is through creating jobs.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to support the amendment offered by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Clarke).

I represent Columbus, Ohio, which in the past has been one of the Tier II cities that has received Urban Security Initiative funds. The current version of this bill would restrict Urban Security Initiative funds to only Tier I cities, which would be the top 10 riskiest cities. The problem is the risks don't stop

at number 10, and it's not clear that there is any significant reduction in risk between the tenth-riskiest city and the 11th-riskiest city. This is an arbitrary decision, and the Clarke amendment ends the arbitrary 10-city restriction and allows the Department of Homeland Security to have discretion in funding risks. It does not increase funding one cent.

I urge adoption of the Clarke amendment. And I would just like to make it clear that the whole point of this amendment is to remove an arbitrary restriction and give the Department of Homeland Security the ability to fund where the risks are. This amendment does not add a dime to the cost. It increases flexibility. And it won't necessarily cost cities like New York or any other city any funds. All it does is allow cities to be eligible so that if there is real risk there and the Department of Homeland Security chooses to fund that city, then they can fund it. So it's a commonsense approach.

I ask my colleagues to support the Clarke approach.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Teddy Osborn of Grove City, Ohio for making Boy Scouting history in Ohio. Teddy, a highly decorated Eagle Scout, is an active member of Ohio's largest Boy Scout troop, Troop 200, chartered out of Northwest Methodist Church in Columbus.

Today I would like to commend Teddy for earning the maximum number of Boy Scouts of America badges--all 129. While accumulating the mandated number of 21 merit badges can be tough; earning all 129 badges is not only going above and beyond, but is an outstanding accomplishment.

An 18-year-old senior at Columbus Bishop Ready High School, Teddy attained what less than one percent of all Boy Scouts annually achieve when he earned his 100th merit badge. In earning all 129 merit badges, Teddy is the first boy scout in Ohio's 100 years of scouting history to earn all available merit badges.

On behalf of the citizens of Ohio's 15th Congressional District, I congratulate Teddy Osborn on this historic scouting accomplishment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Yvonne Austin of Grove City, Ohio. Yvonne has been selected as a 2010 Great Comebacks Award recipient for the Central Region. Each year, Great Comebacks presents regional awards to 12 individuals throughout the United States who have struggled with a chronic intestinal condition and have exhibited extraordinary strength and courage for managing to live full and productive lives despite daily struggles.

An 18-year-old freshman in college, Yvonne was balancing two jobs with her education, while secretly struggling with symptoms she could not explain. A year later, she finally sought medical advice and was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Despite this diagnosis Yvonne was determined not to let the disease hinder her tenacious work ethic or interrupt her active lifestyle.

With a great desire for travel, Yvonne set out to explore the world. Her adventurous spirit led her to the Great Barrier Reef, spending her time scuba diving, swimming with sharks, and even taking up waterskiing. However, Crohn's disease continued to invade her life with painful flare-ups and numerous hospitalizations. After 15 years of managing her symptoms with medications, Yvonne consented to a temporary ostomy in 2002 and opted for a permanent ileostomy in 2004.

Three friends nominated Yvonne for the Great Comebacks Award, describing her as a confident and inspirational woman who radiates positive energy and goes the extra mile for her family and friends. Yvonne's friends also recalled how she quickly rushed to the aid of a friend's mother who had received an emergency ostomy.

Today, Yvonne is a successful mortgage banker, and led by her adventurous spirit has for the past three years been a nationally- ranked competitive water skier. She is also an avid golfer, fundraises for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, and volunteers at a local children's hospital to provide support to parents and children who are living with an intestinal disease and/or an ostomy. Yvonne believes faith, humor and a positive attitude can overcome any adversity.

Offered By: Mr. Stivers

Amendment No. 247: Page 187, strike the proviso beginning

on line 6.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Our focus this Congress should be on supporting job creation. I would like to refocus this debate a little bit, because I support a pretty simple proposition when it comes to regulation, and that is the benefits of regulation should exceed the costs.

Last week, in Worthington, Ohio, I heard from over a hundred small business owners at a local chamber of commerce. They are worried about uncertainty. They are worried about limited transparency in this current regulatory environment, and it causes them to slow down on job creation and it stifles our economy.

Over the past couple of weeks, the House committees have had hearings on jobs, including the Financial Services Committee, that talked about job growth. We discussed the need to compare the benefits of the costs of regulation to those benefits even with the independent agencies. Experts suggested that we review overly burdensome and duplicative regulation, which hurts access to capital and job growth.

I believe the Office of Management and Budget should be required to analyze the tradeoffs between proposed regulations and what they have on affecting job creation, economic growth, innovation, and competitiveness.

We must ensure that our new Federal regulations don't interrupt consumers' ability to obtain credit, or prevent small businesses from adding jobs or hindering economic growth.