Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, Ben Lewis Atuahene--also known as Kofi Kwarteng--was born to Dora Yaa Akyea Kyerematen and Samuel Kwadwo Atuahene on January 23, 1942 in Kumasi, Ghana. He attended Ghana National Secondary School in Cape Coast and briefly worked at the President's Castle in Ghana before moving to London, England in 1965 to study law. In 1969, he was admitted to the Honorable Society of the Inner Temple, and was called to the Bar in 1971. During that same time he met and married the love of his life, Beatrice Achampong, in London. They later moved to New York in 1972, where they started their family. Opportunities arose for the couple in California and they moved with their two daughters, Nannette and Bernadette, to Los Angeles in 1976, where he began work as legal counsel for C & R Clothiers in Culver City. In 1984, he passed the California Bar and immediately began the independent law practice he ran until his untimely death. Ben was an invaluable asset to the Ghanaian community and touched the lives of thousands of people through his legal practice, philanthropy, and mentorship. Ben's untiring generosity, strength of character, determination to succeed, and desire to make those around him realize their full potential survive in his daughters, Nannette and Bernadette, and his grandchildren, Abdeena, Alieu, Alim, and Afia Nyarko. He is also survived by brothers, Yaw Kankam, Oppong, Frimpong, Dixon, Kwame, Ernest, and sister, Eva Atuahene, as well as extended family both here and abroad. Ben will be deeply missed by his family and his

community, where he served as a guide, a counselor, and a friend.

Mr. Speaker, the House acted in a bipartisan way this week to address the issue of extending unemployment benefits. It was an important act in this very difficult economic time to reach out to those who through no fault of their own have lost the lifeline to be able to support their own families.

However, with the way that this was done, it was looking at unemployment levels State by State. That meant that even areas of tremendous economic distress in certain States did not benefit from this program.

There are parts in my district in southern Virginia with over 20 percent unemployment, but this act as written will not apply to them. Rural counties with 12 to 18 percent unemployment are not covered.

While this was an important act of bipartisanship to help those who are struggling in this economy, we must do better. We must find a way to make sure that unemployment benefit extensions and other relief efforts are targeted at the areas of greatest economic distress, even if those exist in States that are doing relatively well.

I hope that the areas around the country that are like southern Virginia, small manufacturing towns and farming communities, are not left out of these future efforts. I will continue to fight to make sure all those that are struggling get relief.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Today I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 3221, the Student Financial Assistance and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009.

Simply stated, a well-educated citizenry is the bedrock of democracy. H.R. 3221 will help to renew America's global leadership in education. The bill will accomplish this important goal by making college more accessible, reforming quality early education opportunities, and by strengthening community colleges and training programs to help build a highly skilled and innovative 21st century workforce that is ready for the rigors of a global economy.

Study after study has validated the important role that early childhood education plays in a student's future educational success. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, recently testified before Congress, noting that ``too many children are entering school without the basic skills they need to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.'' The Secretary went on to say what many of us already know: ``Children who start off

school behind their peers are more likely to stay behind throughout their school lives and into adulthood, meaning they never reach their full potential.''

As a representative of a rural district, I know all too well the myriad of challenges faced by our rural public schools, many of which are faced with the evolving responsibility of providing our children with a first-class education while operating on less than adequate resources. In light of these disparities and the critical nexus between quality early childhood education and future educational success, I believe that affirmative steps must be taken to ensure that all public schools, regardless of geographic location, receive equal treatment in Federal education reform initiatives.

To that end the amendment I offer today would require that those States participating in the U.S. Department of Education's Quality Pathways Grant Program will evaluate and report to the Secretary of Education a description of any disparity by geographic area, rural and urban, that exists in ongoing high-quality, early learning programs for low-income children. The amendment would also require that participating States outline the steps the State will take to address any such disparities. The Congressional Budget Office has determined this amendment would have no direct effect on Federal direct spending or revenues and thus would have no PAYGO impact.

The key here is to do two things: First, to focus on the vital issue of early childhood development and education; and, second, not to punish those rural areas where disparity exists but rather to reward those areas that have identified that problem and laid out a plan for moving forward. This is not about punishing but about rewarding success, rewarding innovation, and moving forward, particularly in those crucial rural areas where it's so important that our children, our young people, get these same opportunities. As a Nation, we have a responsibility to ensure that all of our children have access to a high-quality education and the American Dream.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this amendment and the underlying legislation so that we may move forward with our commitment to America's future.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman for his remarks, and I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Madam Chair, I ask that my colleagues support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of recognizing the importance of sustaining the United States hardwoods industry.

As an Eagle Scout growing up in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, I developed a deep respect for our country's great natural resources. Today we will recognize that our hardwood industry also plays a crucial role in sustaining not just the local economies of our Nation but many of the counties in central and Southside, Virginia. Across the Commonwealth of Virginia, over 180,000 jobs are provided in the forest products industry, a number that must be maintained during these tough economic times.

The impact of hardwood as an industry in Southside, Virginia, includes businesses like Columbia Forest Products, which produces a formaldehyde-free hardwood plywood, and also Swedwood, the first Ikea manufacturing plant in the United States. I am committed to continuing my work to put Southside, Virginia, at the forefront of advanced wood products manufacturing. This includes the Danville Community College's Center for Advanced Manufacturing in Wood Products Technology and ensuring that forestry is given its due consideration in carbon offsets and efforts for this country's energy independence. Products from our forestry industry provide innovative ways to continue on the path to energy independence while maintaining American jobs.

I thank Mr. Ellsworth and other colleagues and other allies for their support of the hardwood industry.

I thank Mr. Boccieri for yielding.

As I said before, the people who have been against this bill, there are two things that bother me about them that I want to mention.

One is these people aren't just climate skeptics; they're America skeptics. I am sick and tired of hearing the word ``can't.'' They are the same ones who said we couldn't possibly take the lead out of gasoline. We couldn't possibly solve the sulfur dioxide problem or clean up our water and streams. We couldn't integrate our troops or go to the Moon. Can't, can't, can't. Well, when I was growing up I had coach after coach in sports say get the word ``can't'' out of your dictionary. That is not an American word. America is all about how are we going to solve the problem.

We know there is nothing we can't do if we put our minds to it, put our innovative spirit to it. And we see that here. People keep saying on the other side of this debate, well, let's just let China do it. That's basically what they're saying. We don't want to go ahead of China. We would rather have China invent all the technologies so we buy it from them? I'm sick and tired of buying everything from China. I want us to be making it right here in America and exporting that technology back to them.

So these people aren't climate skeptics; they are America skeptics. They have given up on the idea that America can do it better than other countries, but I don't believe that. We are still more innovative than any other country. We are better capitalists than any other country. We are going to be the first to crack carbon capture sequestration technology. We are going to be at the cutting edge again of wind and solar and biomass.

The farmers in my district want to be freedom fighters on the front lines in the struggle for energy independence that makes this country safe and makes it competitive again. That's because we are better at this than anyone else. That word ``can't'' that seems to echo across the other side of the aisle does not have any place in this Hall because America is better than that.

And there is a second thing that bothers me about those who seem so angry about this bill in this body of ours, which is the intense partisanship of it. The worst kind of partisanship is when you think an idea is a good idea until the other side agrees with you and then all of a sudden it becomes the worst idea ever.

Cap-and-trade, to their credit, is a Republican idea. The first President Bush was a visionary and a leader on this in solving the acid rain crisis because it was a Republican notion that

we can use the power of the free market to solve these environmental threats.

We saw it again when Senator McCain and then Governor Palin both agreed that some form of cap-and-trade was a good idea. Former Senator from my State, John Warner, a great war hero, a great American, also saw the power of a tradable permit. This was fundamentally a Republican idea. And in our spirit of bipartisanship we say, we think this problem is so big, of energy dependence, it is threatening our security so much we will look anywhere. We don't care if that idea comes from one side of the aisle or the other. We just want to solve the problem.

And as soon as we agreed and said, these are good ideas coming from the Republican side, all of a sudden, the only play they had in the playbook was to suddenly say Oh, it must be a bad idea because you agree with us. We can't even do bipartisanship when you agree with one of our ideas. This is something that is upsetting the American people when the problems run this deep. That's not what this country's about. It's about putting problem-solving ahead of partisanship.

So Mr. Boccieri, thank you for doing this hour. It's so important for our national security, for our national competitiveness, but also for the very culture, the very soul of this country. It is all about that infinite horizon of possibility that says there is nothing we cannot do as a Nation, particularly when we unleash the power of the free market and that call to serve the common good that has led generation after generation to leave this country stronger than they found it.

Well, I just wanted to pick up on what Mr. McMahon was talking about as far as turning trash into energy. We're trying to do that in my district in southern Virginia. We're even trying to turn waste into energy. And by that, I mean manure. We've got poultry waste. We've got cattle farmers ready to turn this into power. Talk about a country that was built on the idea of making lemonade out of lemons. With what some of our forefathers were handed, this is it. We're literally making energy out of that.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated that by 2015 this will deliver over $1 billion to our farmers; and in the decades ahead, it could be up to $15 billion a year extra to our farmers. That's because our farmers are the hardest working people in this country. They're ready to be those freedom fighters.

There's one other thing I wanted to mention. You talked about rates. Not only are there lies out there about what it's going to do to rates and

taxes, but the most important thing, I think, in this bill and the one thing I hear so much about, whether it's from farmers or from business owners or just from people who are trying to keep the lights on in their own homes, is the crazy fluctuation in prices. You know, all of a sudden, you're at $4.60 a gallon last summer. Then you're down to $2. Then you're heading back up to $3 a gallon.

That fluctuation is driven, in part, by these speculators out there who are just gambling on the kitchen table budgets of the American people. For years and years, both parties have known that this huge Enron loophole was out there which was driving the speculation. For once, we finally went after it, and we actually protected consumers in this bill.

The CBO figures, which Mr. McMahon mentioned, about there being a $12-a-month increase is the maximum it would be. That's assuming we do nothing to reduce our energy consumption, and it doesn't take into account that we're going after these speculators who have been driving up the price. These people are making billions of dollars at the expense of the average American home. That's part of what we've done here, too, which is to go out and to protect consumers. So it's a smart bill.

You know, one quick thing before I yield back: people sometimes say, Have you read the 1,200 pages in this bill? Then I say, Have you? There's a lot of good stuff in there. There's a lot of good stuff that's going after these speculators and that's protecting consumers. Some of the best things for our farmers are in those 1,200 pages.

There are a lot of serious people here who were looking out for consumers, for farmers and for small business owners. Mr. Boccieri fought hard to get more money in this bill for manufacturing areas that have been hit hard with jobs going overseas. There's a lot of good stuff in here.

As Americans, we know that freedom isn't free. Part of that means you step up to the duties of citizenship, that you go out there and that you read the bill. Look at it as an opportunity, as an invitation to be part of this great freedom struggle for our country. We can do this, and this is a great step in that direction.

With that, I yield back.

Well, I was listening to some very important conversation about the choice that we're going to give to patients under this plan, but I also want to talk a little bit about the choice we're giving the doctors. I come from a family of pediatricians, and the thing that I hear over and over again from our primary care doctors in particular is that they will prescribe something to a patient, and will be told by the insurance company that it's not all right. We have insurance companies invading this relationship between the doctor and the patient.

So many people got into medicine because they wanted to make people well or, better yet, because they wanted to prevent them from getting sick in the first place, but they get zero reimbursement in many cases for doing the very preventative medicine that we should be encouraging. So, when my sister takes a call late at night from a patient who's sick or when she follows up a couple of weeks later to make sure a person is doing whatever routine she has prescribed to him, she gets reimbursed zero for that.

We are literally bankrupting our primary care doctors for doing the very things they got into medicine to do, which is to take care of people and to help cure people. So I think this is also about trying to re-empower our doctors and to protect that relationship and to get the insurance companies to not be standing there every second between that doctor and that patient.

With that, I yield back.

Thank you very much, Mr. Boccieri.

It's very easy to focus on the normal misinformation and all of the bad news that people expect from politics, but what we miss in that is this tremendous opportunity, the excitement of this moment. We are betting on America again. We're betting on innovation. We are better at this than any other country on Earth.

And the fact of the matter is I'm sick and tired of going to the gas pump and knowing that my hard-earned dollars are going to support petrol dictators overseas instead of American innovation back at home. Sometimes you have to put America ahead of Ahmadinejad, and this is one of those moments.

We can make a choice that America will be at the forefront of the clean energy economy. This is our time. Both parties, for the last couple of decades, have had a disastrous strategy on international trade and other things that have sold the middle class and the working class of this country down the road.

It is time to reinvest in America again, and the new energy economy is a big part of that. We are one of the only countries in history that have been funding both sides of a war. Under President Bush's Department of Defense in 2003, they wrote the risk of abrupt climate change should be elevated beyond a scientific debate to a U.S. national security concern.

We spent $357 billion last year on foreign crude oil, 2.3 percent of our GDP. That's the bad news. But the good news is we are getting ahead on this now. And this bill helps create the incentives to reward success, to reward leadership instead of continuing to reward failure and reward the lack of innovation that we've seen in recent years.

And with your discretion, Mr. Boccieri, I would like to brag on south side Virginia for a second.

My part of the country has been hurting. We've had 20 percent unemployment in parts of my district. We've been hit hard by the exporting of manufacturing jobs, textile, furniture, tobacco farming. But we're now hearing phrases like ``first in the Nation,'' ``best in the Nation,'' moducraft homes, the first and best on energy-efficient modular homes.

Red Birch, a truck stop owner who turned his truck stop into the front lines of the freedom fight for energy independence by developing the first farm-to-fuel closed-loop system, not only is he keeping those dollars in America, he's keeping them in the community. When you go to that truck stop to buy a high cetane premium diesel fuel, 92 cents on every dollar stays in the community. Moducraft homes, Red Birch, Windy Acres, these are things to be proud of.

And let me mention one other thing, Mr. Boccieri. I don't care whether a good idea comes from the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. I only care that it's a good idea. And the fact is you wouldn't know it from this debate, but cap-and-trade was a Republican idea. The tradable permit scheme was invented and produced under the first President Bush in the effort to combat acid rain.

One of the most efficient and effective environmental laws ever created

under the leadership of Bill Riley at the EPA and the first President Bush, tradable permits were a smart Republican idea that said we can use the free market and capitalism to drive that innovative edge and that competition.

It's something that Senator McCain and the former Senator Warner and others have supported as being the right mix of a national security solution using free-market strategies.

So this was a Republican idea that was good enough for this country until Democrats also supported it, and this is what Americans are sick of. They're sick of the idea that we're going to put scoring political points ahead of patriotism and problem-solving.

The fact is this was about putting the best ideas on the table to solve what is one of our leading national security threats, one of our leading economic threats, and get America right back on to the cutting edge.

It's a great thing that we've done. We've stood up to the special interest groups, and for once, in a few years, we're going to be able to start supporting an energy economy that's creating jobs right here in America and selling that technology all around the world.

Well, you know, Mr. Huckabee is a great man of faith, and I was meeting with a number of evangelical leaders today, and they were talking about the frustration they've had with some people in the pews about the seriousness of this issue. And they say, you know, some people get so caught up on whether climate change is a partisan issue, whether this is about some Democratic conspiracy theory to tax or whether it's some Republican denial of scientific evidence.

And the evangelical leaders were saying to me that do you realize over the next 10 years 250 million of God's children in Africa could be denied access to water because of the effects of climate? How willing are we to roll the dice on this uncertainty to do nothing, to accept inaction when we know that our national security demands it, when we know that our innovation and our job creation demands it, when we know that our conscience demands it, when so many of those who had nothing to do with creating the problem, the most vulnerable amongst us, 250 million in Africa alone could be denied that access to water?

Mike Huckabee has been a leader on this. He's talked about the importance of climate, as has John McCain, as has Sarah Palin and others.

The reality is, we all know how important this is, but somehow in this body here we can get lost in scoring political points for the next election instead of doing what's right for our country and for our economy. You served in uniform, and we appreciate that service, and once again, here we're doing what we need to do to keep this country safe and to keep it strong.

I think the gentleman from Ohio makes a great point. These people aren't climate skeptics, they're America skeptics.

We all come from manufacturing areas in this country that led the world. And we sat by while both parties let that manufacturing go overseas.

We have a chance to be the first to craft carbon capture and sequestration technology. We have a chance to lead on nuclear and lead on biofuels and bio refineries. And this isn't just about switching from one fuel to other. It's: Who's going to make those wind turbines? Who's going to make those batteries for those hybrid cars that could free us from this dependence on foreign oil? Who's going to make those?

Do you want to buy them from China or do you want to sell them to China as they are building what will become the biggest auto consumer market in the world.

I want to build them here. And those climate skeptics or America skeptics want to sit on the sidelines and let all that technology and let all that manufacturing happen overseas. We are better than that. We can lead. We can do this better than anyone else. We can out-innovate. We are better entrepreneurs. We will do that.

But we don't do it by sitting on the sidelines. We don't do it by making easy choices and waiting for others to lead. We do it by putting solutions above special interests, by putting this country first--even if it means an unpopular vote, and going out and explaining to the American people that this is why this is going to be great for our country and great for our region.

I am proud that we have put ourselves back in a position to lead. That's what the American people deserve. I yield back.

In many ways, if I may, it's also a chance to reward the people who are already innovative. In my district, I have poultry farmers coming who want to turn the waste into energy; not only energy, but produce a low-sulfur fertilizer that's even better for our aquifers and our Bay.

I have dairy farmers who want to take the manure from their farms and turn that into energy. What's stopping them? We aren't on the cutting edge of smart-grid technology. We don't have the technology in place, and we don't have the incentives that this provides.

What this does is give a profit motive to people for doing the right thing. I think we have had far too much in our financial system and elsewhere of rewarding people for failure, rewarding people for irresponsibility. For once, we have a system that's going to reward everyone, from the homeowner to the capitalist, for doing the right thing.

Again, I know I'm surrounded by folks from Ohio, but I can't say enough about the people----

Hey, you know, my grandparents grew up outside of Toledo, Ohio, in Sylvania, but we're from Virginia, and I will tell you that we have farmers ready to do this. Like you all, we have a lot of manufacturing plants that have shut down. We have hardworking people who are ready to go to work, and they would love nothing more than to have a job and to have a job that's making this country safe, that's keeping our country safe. Now you've done that in uniform. This is a chance for every worker to be part of that effort of national security, and we're fired up to do it.

I wanted to pick up on something that Congressman Ryan said which is to cull out what I call paper tiger patriotism, this ability to talk tough about Chavez, Ahmadinejad and Putin until you actually have to do something about it. It's one thing to give speeches against these guys on the floor, but then to not have the guts to vote for the very policies that will cut them off at the knees. Here we are at one of the most crucial moments in Iran's history, where we have people risking their lives in the streets of Tehran; and then people in this body will stand up and vote for the very policies that keep a petro-dictator in place. This is about crushing that paper tiger patriotism and putting in its place the courage that American people deserve because we do, in our core, have it in us to lead in all of these areas.

This is an unprecedented renaissance for clean coal technology. It's the first bill in a generation that actually opens up opportunities for nuclear at the same time that we see wind, solar and biofuel. But we also know that the cheapest energy is the energy you never have to buy in the first place because of energy efficiency technologies. And that's what we can see through smart grid technology, through the advanced battery manufacturing. This is our chance to crack that technology for the whole world in the same way we did when we had the guts to go to the Moon.

This really is one of those moments. And I go back to the point where you started, Mr. Boccieri, which is, why was this idea good enough for Republicans when it was their idea but as soon as we started to support it, they ran away from it as cap-and-trade? Cap-and-trade was something the Republicans should be proud to have come up with. The first President Bush was a great conservationist, a true conservative, who understood the challenge of acid rain, the challenge of the Earth's summit and other things, that this was a time for America's leadership heading into the 21st century. We need to focus on, what are the ideas that keep us safe and keep us strong, not what are the ideas that score us points for the next election cycle. I think all of us came in and changed elections because people were sick and tired of that. These are the kinds of solutions the American people deserve.

First of all, your reference to back to the future, he also says that where we are going, we don't need roads. And as a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I have to take issue with that. But otherwise, I support the amendment.

On a serious note, every one of us here, I believe, is also a supporter of the Second Amendment. We are pro-freedom people. And what you described before is about the freedom for me to go to the gas pump without having to support petro-dictators because of that decision. It is the ability to buy a car with a battery that is manufactured here in the United States. That is the kind of freedom that we believe in.

This is also about honor and integrity. And part of integrity means being true to your word. I just want to say that I think this is about rising above partisanship in the way that you said. Sarah Palin wrote an op-ed recently bashing the cap-and-trade bill. But there is a quote from her in the campaign where she was asked, Do you support capping carbon emissions? And she said, I do, I do. You have a quote from John McCain. These are leaders. These are leaders who understood when they were ready to lead that this is what it looked like.

It looked like taking on the biggest national security challenges we face and doing so using the free market and the innovation that makes America great. If those ideas made sense then, they need to make sense now when you have to make the tough votes to do what is right for our country.

I think it is a very exciting time for America. It is an exciting time for south side Virginia. I believe we are on the cusp of a great, new economic revolution, full of innovation that is going to bring those jobs back to the United States. I'm proud to be part of it. I think we will look back on this and be very, very proud.

I rise to express my support for the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations.

For the first time in a long time, we have a President with a balanced foreign policy focused on smart power that balances might and right.

Having worked in Afghanistan, I know firsthand the importance of diplomacy and the rule of law. Our success internationally depends on both the full funding and support of our military and of our diplomatic corps. Every crisis averted through good diplomacy, multinational cooperation and economic development reduces the burden on our military and our military families.

This bill also includes support language for the City of Hope project. This project is managed by the nonprofit Teamwork Ministries International based in my district in Martinsville, Virginia. Their work to help educate, nourish and train future leaders of Africa is a worthy investment to bring hope to communities and to nations around the globe. This project is a great example of dedicated yet humble Americans putting their values into action, being the face of the greatest of all nations to those who are suffering the most. I thank the team at the City of Hope project, and I thank the chairman for this great step forward for our country's security and its greatest values.

This project is making a difference in the lives of children who have been orphaned as a result of the HIV/AIDS crisis affecting Tanzania and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Duke University, the University of Virginia, Campbell University, Howard University, St. Mary's University of Tanzania, and Teamwork Ministries International are working together to advance the City of Hope project.

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has left millions of African children alone, homeless, and without hope. UNICEF estimates there are over 12 million orphaned children in sub-Saharan Africa, and over 1.5 million in Tanzania alone. In some communities, the majority of adults have either died or are infected with HIV/AIDS, and their children carry the burden of raising the family. These children are at a high risk of being misused and exploited at the work place as they try to earn a living to support their siblings. Many of these children wander into towns, live on the streets, and resort to stealing in order to survive. Others are kidnapped and sold as slaves.

The City of Hope is a revolutionary concept, of building facilities and initiating assistance programs not only to provide living quarters, health care, clean drinking water, food and education for children, but also to help educate and train future leaders of Africa. It is an innovative way of bringing transformation to those in despair, and bringing hope to communities and to nations.

Through construction of campuses for orphans in Tanzania providing clean drinking water, residential facilities, schools, and health care facilities, the City of Hope project will provide safe havens for children in the region. A

principal objective is to provide training in leadership skills and in microenterprise, especially agribusiness and sustainable farming, and environmentally beneficial land-use practices. This approach is intended to provide economic opportunities for future leaders in an area in which 80 percent of the economy is agricultural.

Teamwork Ministries is benefiting from the commitment of skilled professionals in such areas as medicine, nursing, nutrition and health, sustainable agricultural practices, and design of ``green buildings'' to conserve energy. The government of Tanzania is assigning doctors and medical staff to the City of Hope project, and Duke University School of Nursing, the University of Virginia, Campbell University, Howard University, and St. Mary's University of Tanzania are all offering their expertise.

In 2009, the first City of Hope campus in the northern Tanzanian community of Ntagatcha will be home to 300 orphaned children and will provide employment and health care to benefit adults in the local community. Teamwork Ministries' objective is to replicate the City of Hope model elsewhere, to serve communities in which the need is greatest. With adequate funding and support in the years ahead, Teamwork Ministries' goal is to establish up to 100 Cities of Hope throughout Tanzania and other sub-Saharan African countries.

I want to thank the State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Chair, Congresswoman Lowey, and my colleague Congressman David Price, a member of the Appropriations Committee, for their support of the City of Hope project. I believe this project, which has strong support in my Congressional District, will be a worthwhile expenditure of USAID funding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Enhancing Small Business Research and Innovation Act. Small businesses drive economic growth and create over two-thirds of new jobs. They play a vital role in research and development of new technologies. Small businesses are at the cutting edge of the new clean energy economy.

Before leaving for the 4th of July, we bravely passed an energy bill declaring our independence from oil executives and petro-dictators. As we return to do the people's business, we must pass legislation that will help our small businesses drive and promote the research in energy and alternative fuels.

There are many businesses in my district leading the Nation on new technology, from the production of biodiesel at Red Birch in Henry or Windy Acres in Pennsylvania, to nanotechnology at Luna nanoWorks or NextGen Technology around Danville. We must ensure that our small businesses, the dynamic engine of our economy, are not left behind in the conduct of new breakthrough research.

While I share concerns about opening the program up to venture capitalist firms, I urge my colleagues to support the small business owners over the petro-dictators. Vote for science. Vote for this bill.

Madam Speaker, today I recognize the First Baptist Church of Danville, Virginia, which celebrates its 175th anniversary on June 28, 2009. Since its founding in 1834, the First Baptist Church has been a source of fellowship, education, and service in its community and beyond.

Although the First Baptist Church has suffered from a terrible fire, moved its location several times, seen the town it serves grow from 1,000 to almost 50,000, and faced countless other changes throughout its long history, it remains true to its founding principles. Under the leadership of Reverend Stephen Cook, today the church is a community of strong relationships, where individuals bond over worship, meals, study, and music. Their affinity extends beyond just Sunday mornings to include weekly dinners, small group meetings, choirs and instrumental ensembles, programs for seniors and children, cultural outings, and engagement in the larger community through service.

I commend the First Baptist Church and its leadership on this commitment to hands-on service, whether locally, elsewhere in our nation, or abroad. The church has stated, ``When our worship together ends, our service truly begins,'' and it has undoubtedly abided by this principle. The numerous organizations that have benefitted from the dedication and generosity of the church's congregants include Hope Harbor, Hope Tree Family Services, God's Storehouse, Klothes 4 Kids, the Danville Homeless Shelter, Habitat for Humanity, and Baptist World Aid. The efforts of the First Baptist Church to live out its mission in its works are an inspiring example: we should all strive to be so diligent in following the call to love and serve our fellow man.

The Book of Isaiah tells us, ``And if you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness, and your gloom will become like midday.'' I congratulate the First Baptist Church on its tireless efforts to meet both the physical and spiritual needs of the Danville community, and I hope that its light will continue to shine for many years to come.

Mr. Chairman, I am proud to rise today with my freshmen colleagues from Virginia, Gerry Connolly and Glenn Nye, for this commonsense solution.

When our men and women in uniform are deployed, they should not be punished; they should be celebrated. This is a commonsense fix to ensure that there are no termination fees when cutting off a cell phone contract or an auto leasing deal for our troops when they deploy.

This is the sort of thing that I think the new class came here to do; see a problem, find a solution, and bring it to this floor. We are proud today to do this for all of those who serve, and we request support for the amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of consumers facing rising prices at the pump. How is it that demand for oil can drop, supply can rise, and yet costs can increase? This defies the rules of the free market.

And the answer is the speculators who continue to drive up the price of oil.

We hear talk here about protecting consumers, but I'm sick of seeing crocodile tears shed for consumers that are filling up the swimming pools of our speculators.

We hear an energy plan, particularly from the other side of the aisle, that has no long game, no short game, and no medium game. It's like taking our country into the U.S. Open with no short game on the greens, no long game for the tees, and trying to get out of the rough with a putter.

It's time that we have the courage to protect consumers immediately by going after the speculators and developing a real energy policy that is in keeping with the courage of this country, the innovation of our private sector, and the desire to step up as each generation to the challenge at hand.

Madam Speaker, today I wish to commemorate the official unveiling and dedication of the Light of Reconciliation Memorial in Prince Edward County, Virginia. The Light of Reconciliation, in the bell tower of the Prince Edward County Courthouse, is a permanent monument created to honor the memory of the historic events in Prince Edward County during the era of public school segregation, to recognize the role of local students in ending school discrimination in Virginia and across the United States and to call on each of us to shine our own Light of Reconciliation in the world.

In 1951, a group of dedicated high school students led by Barbara Rose Johns organized a strike to protest the disgraceful condition of Robert Russa Moton High School in Farmville, Virginia. The school lacked a gymnasium, a cafeteria, heat, desks, blackboards, and in some cases even classrooms: a school bus parked outside served as one classroom for the overcrowded and underfunded school. The student strike ultimately led to Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, one of the five court cases that would make up Brown v. Board of Education. The Davis case was the only one of the five to arise from student activism. Following the Supreme Court's decision that ``separate educational facilities are inherently unequal,'' Prince Edward County closed its public schools for the years of 1959 to 1964 rather than allow black and white students to attend school together. After five years and the Supreme Court decision in Griffin v. County School Board, the schools were finally reopened and integrated. The Light of Reconciliation and the memorial stand as both a reminder of the mistakes of the past and a celebration of the students from R.R. Moton High School and from other schools across the country who continued the fight for education for all.

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the action that would close the Prince Edward County public schools, one of the darkest moments of Virginia's civil rights struggle. Acknowledging this part our history is painful, and I commend the Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors for their courage in publicizing past transgressions against our fellow citizens in hopes of preventing future ones. It is only in seeking truth about our past that we can hope to pursue justice for our future, and this memorial is a public expression of our renewed commitment to justice for all.

On this occasion we are reminded that each of us is called to work to bring our nation closer to its fundamental ideals of equality. If one 16-year-old student can spark the protests that would ultimately galvanize a nation in the cause of civil rights, we should all ask of ourselves what we can do to fight for human dignity and the common good. As long as inequality and suffering persist in our nation and in the world, our work is incomplete. This memorial not only looks back to the dreams deferred by locked schoolhouse doors, but also forward to a better nation, one of ever-expanding opportunity for all. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ``Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.'' Let this light in Prince Edward County, Virginia be a permanent reminder of our ongoing struggle for a fairer world.

I rise in honor of the lives sacrificed by our brave men in uniform on the beaches of Normandy 65 years ago. This Saturday, let us remember the morning of the 6th of June, 1944, and the bravery of those involved. In the town of Bedford, Virginia, 19 of the 34 servicemen who landed on the beaches gave their lives for freedom. Bedford suffered the largest per capita death toll of any American community during the invasion. These were the famous Bedford Boys, and we mourn the recent loss of the last of the survivors. Our Nation should not forget their sacrifices, which is why this Chamber recognized the D-day Memorial in Bedford as the National D-day Memorial. Sadly, that memorial faces financial difficulties in these grim economic times. Because of this and the sacrifice these men made, I am introducing legislation to ensure this memorial in the memory of the servicemen does not fade. The men we lost were local heroes, but the freedom and security bought with their sacrifice is a national treasure. So too is our D-day memorial, and I urge my colleagues to join me in making this a permanent part of our Nation's life.

Madam Speaker, today I recognize Gary Holmes Fagan upon his completion of 34 years of service to Albemarle County Public Schools. For 32 of these years, he served as the Band Director at J.T. Henley Middle School, imparting to thousands of young students the lasting gift of a musical education. As one of the many students privileged to have studied with Mr. Fagan, it is an honor to acknowledge his contribution to the community.

Gary Fagan was born and raised in Frederick, Maryland, the son of a teacher and a musician. He earned his undergraduate degree in Music Education at Bridgewater College and his master's degree in Music Education from James Madison University. He has taught music since 1973, moved to Albemarle County to teach in 1975, where he lives today with his wife, Phyllis. A fellow lover of music, Phyllis will also retire this year from her position as Choral Director for Henley Middle School. He is active in the Music Educators National Conference and the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, and the National Band Association, as well as playing percussionist with the Charlottesville Municipal Band and composing over 30 original pieces of music.

During his time at Henley Middle School, Mr. Fagan was the recipient of numerous accolades and honors from the community and beyond, including the Piedmont Council of the Arts Outstanding Educator Award, the Central Virginia Outstanding Middle School Teacher of the Year by the UVA chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, the WINA Teacher of the Month, National Band Association ``Band Booster Award,'' membership in the James Madison University Music Education Advisory Council and the Phi Beta Mu International School Bandmasters Fraternity, and a Presidential Citation from the Governor's School of Virginia for the Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Richmond. Under his tutelage, the Concert Band has consistently attained superior ratings at the District Band festival, the Jazz Band has brought home 1st place at the Tri- State Jazz Festival for 3 out of the past 5 years, and the Marching Band has received scores of prestigious awards, including trophies from the Dogwood Parade, the Harrisonburg Poultry Parade and the Culpeper Firemen's Parade.

Throughout his career, Mr. Fagan has consistently brought out the best in each student, whether the student began middle school having played music for years or never having read a note of music. His students have widely varying backgrounds, abilities, and unique

talents, but he is always patient, even with a future Congressman who struggled to extract melodious sounds from a baritone saxophone. By the end of each school year, however, the students have become a cohesive team, an accomplishment made evident in the annual spring concert in which his students play while marching in formation down Charlottesville's Market Street. In helping each student reach his or her potential, he has consistently created accomplished ensembles of young musicians dedicated to ensuring the school music program's continued success. He has been important to my whole family, particularly my late father, Vito Perriello, who found in Gary a like- minded music lover as well as a teacher he could trust to share such a love with his--and others'--children.

Many of Mr. Fagan's students have been inspired to enter the field of music and performing arts as a career, and their accomplishments will continue his legacy. For those of his students who have gone to other fields, his invaluable lessons of teamwork, dedication, and striving for personal excellence still persist. On behalf of Albemarle County and Virginia's 5th District, I thank Mr. Fagan for his generosity and devotion in sharing his talent throughout the years and wish both him and Phyllis all the best in their retirement.