Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Government Reform be discharged from further consideration of the resolution (H. Res. 40) honoring the career and philanthropic contributions of Johnny Carson, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I will not take that much time.

I want to rise in support of House Resolution 40 that honors the life and career of Johnny Carson. Mr. Speaker, the former Tonight Show host passed away on Sunday after 13 years of retirement at the age of 79. His show delighted viewers every weeknight for three decades during an incomparable late-night run from October of 1962 until May of 1992.

Much has been said in recent days about Johnny Carson, and rightfully so. Carson's career was extremely decorated. He was a six-time Emmy Award winner and a member of the Television Hall of Fame. Carson was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992, and he received the Kennedy Center Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993.

But, undoubtedly, Johnny Carson's greatest accomplishment was in making millions of people laugh at the end of days that were not always that funny. The Tonight Show aired during a period that included some of the most sobering events in American history: the Civil Rights Movement; the Vietnam War; the Watergate saga; the assassinations of President Kennedy, Senator Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., to name a few. Johnny Carson's grace through his 30 years was as important to his longevity as was his sense of humor.

Since his Tonight Show in 1992, Americans everywhere have longed for his return. His personal life was always intensely private; so we have seen or heard little of him over the last 13 years. With his passing on Sunday, we know we will never see Johnny Carson. And as David Letterman, whose own program followed the Tonight Show each night for 10 years, said this week, ``We will not see the like of him again,'' either.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), our new colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King).

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

I want to thank the distinguished gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry) for composing this resolution, and I thank my colleagues for their comments.

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

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Res. 40.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for yielding me this time.

Most of our colleagues may not know that we not only had an election in Ohio but we had a recount that was funded by two third-party candidates that got less than 1 percent of the vote, and knowing this was going to happen today, I called my boards of election back home to see how that recount went.

In Ashtabula County after the recount, each candidate picked up one vote.

In Geauga County there was a net gain of two votes for President Bush, and the 72 provisional ballots that were not allowed were not allowed because the people did not live and were not registered in the State of Ohio. In Lake County, not one ballot changed from November 2, and all of the 201 provisional ballots tossed were tossed because the people were not registered in the State of Ohio.

In Summit County, there was a four-vote swing for Senator Kerry.

In Cuyahoga County, the county that I am lucky enough, home of the City of Cleveland, to share with the objector and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich), the net swing was 23 votes for John Kerry.

On this day, we should be praising the dedication and hard work of our election officials and not castigating them.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Financial Services be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 4116) to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins celebrating the recovery and restoration of the American bald eagle, the national symbol of the United States, to America's lands, waterways, and skies and the great importance of the designation of the American bald eagle as an ``endangered'' species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill just passed.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 1533) to amend the securities laws to permit church pension plans to be invested in collective trusts, with a Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Financial Services be discharged from further consideration of the Senate bill (S. 1368) to authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. (posthumously) and his widow Coretta Scott King in recognition of their contributions to the Nation on behalf of the civil rights movement, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1533 and S. 1368.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 5294) to amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize appropriations for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

I thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) for yielding under his reservation.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5294 is virtually identical to H.R. 3198, the John F. Kennedy Center Reauthorization Act of 2003, which passed the House of Representatives on November 17, 2003.

The legislation reauthorizes the programs of the Kennedy Center for 4 years. This is a bipartisan bill. I urge our colleagues to support the bill.

I want to thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the distinguished ranking member of the full Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for his work; also the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), the ranking member of our subcommittee, for the outstanding work on this bill and so many others during the 108th Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4470) to amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to extend the authorization of appropriations for the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program from fiscal year 2005 to 2010, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4470, to reauthorize the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Program. Working with the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson), the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker) and other Members, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter) developed legislation during his very first year in the Congress to authorize EPA to help people in Louisiana and Mississippi address pollution problems affecting Lake Pontchartrain.

Their legislation, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Act, was enacted into law as title V of the Estuaries and Clean Water Act of 2000. Now, 4 years later, it is now time to reauthorize Lake Pontchartrain Basin Program.

H.R. 4470, introduced by the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Jefferson) the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), would reauthorize the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Restoration Program for an addition will 5 years.

I want to commend all of the sponsors for their efforts to restore the ecological health of Lake Pontchartrain, and I urge all Members to support this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), the author and champion of the legislation and, again, in his very first year in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4794) to amend the Tijuana River Valley Estuary and Beach Sewage Cleanup Act of 2000 to extend the authorization of appropriations, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4794, to amend the Tijuana River Valley Estuary and Beach Sewage Cleanup Act of 2000.

For years the United States Congress has been trying to address a public health and environmental problem that exists along the U.S.- Mexican border. Raw or partially treated sewage from the Tijuana, Mexico area flows spot United States and ends up on California beaches.

In 2000, Congress addressed this problem by authorizing the United States to contract with a plant in Mexico for waste water treatment services that would meet the clean water standards. That law required the United States and Mexico to negotiate a new treaty. That negotiation was completed in February of this year. Now the United States must negotiate a contract.

It is my understanding that those negotiations are finally underway, but before a contract can be signed, the Tijuana Valley Estuary and Beach Sewage Cleanup Act authorization must be extended and updated. H.R. 4794 provides that authority.

I want to congratulate and commend the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner), the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham), the gentleman from California (Mr. Issa) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis) for their persistence. This is a good piece of legislation. I urge my colleagues to support it.

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Hunter), one of the champions of this legislation

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5163) to amend title 49, United States Code, to provide the Department of Transportation a more focused research organization with an emphasis on innovative technology, and for other purposes, as amended.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Norman Y. Mineta Research and Special Programs Improvement Act Reorganizes the current Research and Special Programs Administration to two new administrations: the Research and Innovative Technologies Administration, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

The new Research and Innovative Technologies Administration will have the research authority currently exercised by the Research and Special Programs Administration. This includes the coordination, facilitation, and review of the department's research and development programs and activities; the advancement of innovative technologies and intelligent transportation systems; and any other research authority that the Secretary deems appropriate.

The new Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration will hold the authority currently exercised by the Research and Special Programs Administration with regard to pipeline safety and will also include all current law hazardous materials authority exercised by the Office of Hazardous Materials.

As the caption of the bill indicates, Mr. Speaker, I would say that, when I was first elected in 1995, Norm Mineta was the ranking Democrat on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. I found him to be, and he continues to be a wonderful, was a wonderful Member of Congress, a true leader in transportation. He is now, of course, the current Secretary of the Department of Transportation, and I can think of no more fitting honor than to name this new administration in his honor. I urge all of our colleagues to pass the bill.

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

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

At this point I will insert into the Record an exchange of letters between the chairman of our full committee, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) regarding

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 1134) to reauthorize and improve the program authorized by the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965.

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

Mr. Speaker, S. 1134, the Economic Development Reauthorization Act of 2004, which was passed by the Senate last night, reflects the bipartisan, bicameral work of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Environment and Public Works Committee of the Senate. This bill is virtually identical to H.R. 2535 which passed the House by a voice vote on October 21 of last year.

The changes that were made to the bill in the Senate, I believe, are very straightforward, and while we may not agree with all of them, were agreed to in the spirit of compromise.

This legislation will provide the important resources in these economically distressed areas to support the revitalization of communities through public works projects, creation of business incubators, support for business clusters, as well as a number of other important programs.

I encourage our colleagues to support this legislation.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello), who was the ranking member in our subcommittee in the last Congress and is a great bipartisan partner. I want to congratulate the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for working with us on this bill. I want to thank not only our staff on the Republican side, but also the staff on the Democratic side for making this be a truly bipartisan, good piece of legislation. I want to thank Dr. Sampson who is the Assistant Secretary for shepherding this bill through both chambers and achieving a successful result. Lastly, I want to thank Danielle from the Majority Leader's office for making sure we could speak tonight and get this good piece of legislation taken care of.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, on that, I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4470, H.R. 4794, H.R. 5163, and

Mr. Speaker, the guest chaplain today is the Reverend William Alvey from the Park United Methodist Church in Madison, Ohio.

His appearance here today started out last Memorial Day. He was giving the invocation at the J. Wilson VFW Post on Memorial Day and indicated that he was thinking about retiring in the near future, and one of the things that he would like to do was give the opening prayer at the House of Representatives.

I am honored to have known Reverend Alvey for nearly a decade, I want to welcome him and 47 people who rode up on a bus from Madison, Ohio, to be with Reverend Alvey today and who have joined us this morning. Reverend Alvey is in his 41st year with the United Methodist Church, and has been at the Madison Park United Methodist Church since 1995. Reverend Alvey is a fixture in the Madison community, and I want to thank him for his distinguished service to the church and to our community, and it is my pleasure to welcome him here this morning.