Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Association of American Boyers on the occasion of its 100th year anniversary.

In 1905, the Association of American Boyers held its first reunion in Dryville, Pennsylvania. The original attendees of that grand day have now grown to over 4,000 members. During the first reunion a mission statement was adopted which read ``The object of this Association is educational, to hold reunions, and to foster, encourage, and develop the family spirit of the Boyer people.''

A two-day celebration to commemorate 100 years of existence for the ``Association of American Boyers, Inc.'' will be held Saturday and Sunday, July 24-25, 2004, on the grounds of the Central Pennsylvania College. On these dates Boyers from around the United States and various overseas points of destination will gather to celebrate their heritage, history, and family accomplishments.

The legacy of the Boyer name can be traced to the fourth and second centuries before Christ. Carrying the name of Boiare early settlers moved into Germany, France and England. Many variations of the Boyer name such as Bayer, Baier, Beyer, Beier, Byer and Bowyer arose in the years to follow.

Segments of these first ``Boyers'' came to the United States in the 1600's. Transition of some family members brought a Boyer presence to Pennsylvania in the early 1700's. Approximately forty Boyers had settled in Eastern Pennsylvania by 1775 and many served as soldiers under George Washington. Boyers have since spread throughout all of Pennsylvania, maintain large populations in Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, New York, California, and Maryland and are present in some number in all fifty states.

Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in acknowledging the long standing history of Boyers and their impact since coming to the United States and thank them for the many contributions they have made to the growth of our great nation.

Mr. Chairman, earlier today I missed several votes so that I could travel back to Pennsylvania to survey damage from a tornado strike yesterday afternoon in my Congressional District.

I respectfully request the Record to reflect that, had I been present, I would have voted:

``Yea'' on rollcall vote 377 on agreeing to House Resolution 615;

``Yea'' on rollcall vote 378 on agreeing to House Resolution 713;

``Yea'' on rollcall vote 379 on agreeing to House Concurrent Resolution 462;

``No'' on rollcall vote 380 on agreeing to the Sherman amendment to

Mr. Chairman, I will be brief, and I thank the chairman for accepting the amendment, and I thank him and the ranking member for their significant work in bringing this bill to the floor.

As the chairman of the authorizing subcommittee has mentioned, we do have a tremendous problem with technical assistance, and when we passed the farm bill in 2002 it was never our intent, as we talked about that record-setting investment in conservation, to have the funds come from one program to be transferred to another. So I want to thank the chairman for accepting the amendment and thank my chairman for offering the amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Government's vital role in developing a healthy and growing information technology sector.

A variety of national and international studies indicate that the broad-based deployment

of information technology can have a substantial impact on our nation's economic productivity and growth as well as the educational and social success of our citizens. Accordingly, it is our task to ensure that the Government formulates policies that foster the continued development of the IT sector while also providing for citizens' access to technology and opportunity for economic advancement.

Among the most important ways that the Government can assure the robustness of our information technology sector and broad deployment of technology are by continuing to fund IT research and development and by adhering to technology-neutral policies that support market-based innovation, including by enabling firms to capitalize on the intellectual property they add to government-funded technologies. Private firms are generally willing to commercialize publicly funded research only if they can protect the intellectual property they contribute to the development process in a manner that allows them to secure a return on their investment. Thus, for example, it is vital that the government licenses software developed with public research funds under terms that enable private resources to develop such software into commercially viable products.

Over the years, U.S. businesses and industry have proven extremely adept at developing successful new products from cutting-edge technologies. Many of the private sector's most successful products and technologies have been developed in no small part due to sound public policy that fosters innovation. This is especially true in the information technology sector. With the support of the Federal Government--both through funding and through technology-neutral policies that promote commercialization--we can ensure that the information technology sector remains robust and continues to innovate for the benefit of our economy and the health and welfare of our citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Pennsylvania State University

on its 150th year serving the citizens of Pennsylvania and beyond. As the Commonwealth's only land grant institution, Penn State has played a vital role over the years in promoting agricultural and scientific research, workforce development, education, as well as many other initiatives; fulfilling the mission that Congress laid out in The Morrill Act of 1862.

Since its founding in 1854, Penn State has proven to be a leading institution of higher learning. The most recent U.S. News and World Report survey of graduate schools ranks a number of programs at Penn State among the nation's top ten, encompassing a wide array of subjects ranging from nuclear engineering to vocational/technical education.

Penn State has also continued to be a leader in Pennsylvania's largest industry: Agriculture. The University has a long history of innovations in this field, beginning in 1861 when it was the first American institution to confer baccalaureate degrees in agriculture. Today, Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences continues to lead the way in agricultural research and promotion through such programs as the Penn State Cooperative Extension, a number of international exchange programs, and the Penn State Agricultural Council. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, I have seen first hand the exceptional work that College of Agricultural Sciences does and the services it provides to Pennsylvania's farmers.

Penn State University is also nationally recognized for the exceptional research and patient care provided at the College of Medicine, located in my Congressional District in Hershey, PA. This includes the recent partnership with the National Naval Medical Center to conduct cancer research. This joint venture will lead to important new advances in discovery, early detection, evaluation, treatment and prevention of cancer that will benefit both the military and civilian population. The Penn State College of Medicine has demonstrated great benefits to the local community as well as the state in general. According to a recent study, the College of Medicine has generated nearly $35 million in state tax revenue and created more than 13,500 jobs both directly and indirectly. In a state that has recently experienced a lack of new and competitive jobs, the value of this cannot be overstated.

Mr. Speaker, over its 150-year history, the Pennsylvania State University has proven to be an invaluable asset not only to Pennsylvania, but also to the entire nation as well. I'm extremely proud to have three Penn State Campuses located within my Congressional district. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating the Pennsylvania State University as we celebrate its 150th Anniversary.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to congratulate the ranking member and the chairman of the subcommittee for bringing this important legislation to the floor. And I would like to associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews).

First, let me say to my friend from Philadelphia that I understand his desire to have the Delaware River channel dredged for commerce reasons, particularly with the container ships getting larger, but as the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews), who has been the leader on this issue for many years, has stated, it needs to be done in an economically sound and environmentally friendly manner.

The proposal that is before us is, as the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews) has pointed out over the years, is not economically sound. The return to the taxpayers is not cost efficient. It does not make an awful lot of sense. The proposal also is not environmentally friendly. One of the proposals to take the dredged material out of the Delaware River and truck it or put it on rail and take it 100 miles northwest to my congressional district to the anthracite coal fields and dispose of it there.

The Army Corps of Engineers should be sensitive to local concerns, whether that be in New Jersey or Delaware or the anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania. And, quite frankly, the boroughs of Tamaqua and the boroughs of Coaldale in Schuylkill County do not want these dredged materials dumped in their backyard. They have been on record with that at their borough council meetings. They have gone to the State legislature. They have gone to the county commissioners.

Also, I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for this meager investment of $300,000. That, quite frankly, I believe, will stop this project and not allow it to go forward.

So I again thank the chairman, I thank the ranking member, and I really want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews) for being the leader in this fight over the years.

Mr. Speaker, this weekend marked the passing of one of the most influential Presidents of our era. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Nancy, and his children at this difficult time.

President Reagan was an American icon. No matter what your politics, he had a special way of making every citizen feel good about their country. He made us proud to be Americans. He will be forever remembered for his warmth and the respect he accorded others.

Even when he disagreed with those who did not share his political philosophy, President Reagan lived by the noble ideal that at the end of the day, partisanship ended and we are all fellow Americans and friends. He taught us that there is a big difference between strong beliefs and bitter partisanship.

President Reagan is credited with many great accomplishments, not the least of which is ending the Cold War. In spite of all he achieved, he once said that the greatest leader is not the one who does great things--it is the one who gets the people to do the greatest things. Ronald Reagan's glass was always half full. His optimism, his patriotism and his sense of duty inspired several generations of Americans to do great things.

In life, President Reagan enjoyed the affection of a grateful nation. We all join together to mourn the passing of this great American.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 3473.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we join together at the United States Capitol to observe the national commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Also known as Yom HaShoah, a Hebrew term for ``The Holocaust,'' this is an internationally recognized day set aside each year to remember the victims of the Holocaust and to remind each of us what can happen when bigotry and hatred are not confronted.

The Holocaust's magnitude of destruction with more than 12 million deaths--6 million Jews, including 1.5 million children (more than \2/3\ of European Jewry) and 6 million others--challenges comprehension. Studying the Holocaust presents a framework of many relevant moral issues. The Holocaust illustrates the consequences of prejudice, racism and stereotyping on a society. It forces us to examine the responsibilities of citizenship and confront the powerful ramifications of indifference and inaction. The Holocaust also shows us how a combination of events and attitudes can erode a society's democratic values.

As we commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day, we must acknowledge that anti-Semitism and other dangers still exist. Acts of anti-Semitism in countries throughout the world, including some of the world's strongest democracies, have increased significantly in frequency and scope over the last several years. During the first 3 months of 2004, there were numerous instances of anti-Semitic violence around the world. For instance:

In Australia, poison was used to ignite, and burn anti-Semitic slogans into, the lawns of the Parliament House in the state of Tasmania;

In St. Petersburg, Russia, vandals desecrated approximately 50 gravestones in a Jewish cemetery, painting the stones with swastikas and anti-Semitic graffiti;

In Toulon, France, a Jewish synagogue and community center were set on fire;

And just 4 weeks ago in Toronto, Canada, vandals attacked a Jewish school, a Jewish cemetery, and area synagogues, painting swastikas and anti-Semitic slogans on the walls of a synagogue and on residential property in a nearby, predominantly Jewish, neighborhood.

Anti-Semitism in old and new forms is also increasingly emanating from the Arab and Muslim world on a sustained basis, including through books published by government-owned publishing houses throughout the Arab region.

The sharp rise in anti-Semitic violence has caused international organizations such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to elevate, and bring renewed focus to, the issue, including the convening by the OSCE in June 2003 of a conference in Vienna dedicated solely to the issue of anti-Semitism. The OSCE will again convene a conference dedicated to addressing the problem of anti- Semitism on April 28-29, 2004, in Berlin, with the United States delegation to be led by former Mayor of New York City Ed Koch.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the manner in which Congress has consistently supported efforts to address the rise in anti-Semitic violence. In that spirit we must ensure the United States Government remains strongly committed to supporting international efforts to address anti-Semitism through bilateral relationships and interaction with international organizations such as the OSCE, the European Union, and the United Nations. It is in this spirit that we can truly say, ``Never Again.''

Mr. Chairman, I want to take this opportunity to commend the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), and the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri), and the ranking members, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski), for all their hard work in bringing this legislation to the floor.

This legislation is very important to my home State of Pennsylvania where we have more road miles to maintain than our friends in New Jersey, New York and New England combined. But, Mr. Chairman, this is not only important to Pennsylvania; it is important to every one of our congressional districts where we have congestion problems, safety hazard problems, and economic development needs and concerns.

I want to thank my leader and my friend, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), for personally not once but twice coming to my congressional district and looking at the problems we face, where we are, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, looking at that unbelievable amount of truck traffic that comes through every day; and in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, where we have the Norfolk Southern coming through 50 times a day, not only disrupting traffic but also the safety concerns of having ambulance crews and fire companies being able to address concerns in the city; and in Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania, where there is a bike path that has been on the books for 2 decades.

This legislation will allow us to move forward on projects like that. So I want to commend the big four for all their hard efforts in bringing this legislation to the floor. And as was mentioned by the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) and by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan), not only is this good for our highway and transit systems, this legislation is good for our economy.

This legislation truly is a jobs bill, and I commend the big four for all their hard efforts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a member of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus to report on an extraordinary sports history that soon unfolds. This April 8th, at USA Wrestling's U.S. Nationals in Las Vegas, Peter J. Wirs, the elected State Constable for the City of Harrisburg's Fourth Ward, will become the first diabetic ever to step onto an international freestyle wrestling mat; notwithstanding that Mr. Wirs is 49 years old; suffered a heart attack December, 2001; and suffers from acute and chronic asthma.

Constable Wirs' success story of overcoming diabetes to participate in a sport he has longed to compete in since junior high school marks an important lesson for all of us. Today, diabetes is now epidemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the National Institutes of Health, the American Diabetes Association and other national healthcare leaders. This is all the more critical as more and more Americans are suffering from obesity.

Unfortunately, this problem is not new. President Kennedy, speaking at the 1962 Army-Navy Game in Philadelphia, asserted that: ``We are under-exercised as a Nation.'' Kennedy initiated the President's Council on Physical Fitness to urge America to pursue more exercise and sports in our daily lifestyles.

Today, over one-third of all Americans are obese, and more then 60 percent of Americans are overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Obesity is a major precursor for Type II diabetes, where the pancreas produces too much insulin or the body otherwise cannot process the insulin the pancreas creates.

Diabetes is now an epidemic, as reported by Time magazine this past December 8th, 2003. 16 million Americans are expected to contract Type II diabetes. ``Type II diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in children and adolescents,'' according to the ADA National Diabetes Fact Sheet. Type II now appears to be at the ``highest risk'' during puberty, according to the ADA's October, 2003 issue of Diabetes Forecast. While approximately one in every 400 children and adolescents have Type I diabetes; recent Government reports indicate that one in every three children born in 2000 will suffer from obesity, which as noted is a predominant Type II precursor.

Among adults age 20-55; 8.3 percent of all adult men will be inflicted with diabetes, while 8.9 percent of all adult women age 20 will contract it.

Diabetes is even more prevalent among minorities. 13 percent of African-Americans age 20 and older, and 10.2 percent of all Hispanic- Latino Americans have or will have diabetes, meaning that on average, Hispanic Americans are 1.9 times more likely to have diabetes than non- Hispanic whites of similar age.

As a result, diabetes represents a substantial economic toll. In 2000, $91.8 billion was spent on direct medical costs for diabetes, while an additional $39.8 billion was spent on disability, work loss, premature mortality, etc., resulting from diabetes. In other words, the annual cost is $7,764 for every U.S. diabetic. Medical expenditures per capita for diabetics is 6.5 times that of nondiabetics.

Yet, studies universally show that ``lifestyle interventions''--this is to say a regimen of diet and exercise--can reduce development of diabetes by 40 percent to 60 percent. However, lifestyle intervention requires discipline with a tangible end result that is within reach. It requires personal resolve, a lifelong commitment.

That's what makes the story unfolding this April 8th at the USA Wrestling's Nationals so impressive. Constable Wirs, a constituent and good friend of mine, two years ago weighed over 250 pounds. Two years ago, his Type 11 diabetes was so out of control that Wirs would lose a whole day a week from insulin shock, a situation where a diabetic loses motor movement coordination, the only remedy is in essence to sleep it off. This means that Pete Wirs would lose 52 days or over seven weeks a year to diabetes. Over the past 25 years, diabetes has cost Mr. Wirs over 1,300 days or 185 weeks out of his life. It took all of his energies and effort to simply pursue his professional career as a journalist, publisher and political leader. He had nothing left for personal pursuits, leisure or sports, let alone a social life.

However, Pete Wirs always wanted to compete in wrestling, the one sport he was shown to be good at in junior high school physical education classes. However, back in the 1960's and 70's, we didn't know about Type II diabetes, only what today we call Type I or insulin- dependent diabetes. Because Wirs' Type II diabetes was unknown, no one was able to ascertain why he was so heavy, sluggish and constantly out of breath. His diabetes was finally diagnosed in 1975 by the late Philadelphia Councilwoman Dr. Ethel D. Allen.

Two years ago, Pete Wirs finally said enough was enough, in his own words he was ``sick and tired of diabetes controlling him, now he was going to control diabetes.'' Pete Wirs started to exercise every day. I would repeatedly see him exercise at the Harrisburg YMCA. Pete Wirs also started jogging, and now jogs five miles a day up and down Harrisburg's Riverfront Park through City Island. He dropped from 250 pounds to 167 pounds. And Pete Wirs got involved in the one sport he always wanted to compete. It wasn't an easy sport like golf, but among the most physically and emotionally demanding sports man partakes in-- wrestling.

Today, Pete Wirs had his life back, so much that this past November 22nd, he got married, to the very attractive Anna May Casper in Historic Old St. George's Methodist Church inside Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.

And on April the 8th, Pete Wirs, despite being 49 years old and a heart attack victim, will become the first diabetic ever to step onto an international freestyle wrestling mat in the USA Wrestling Nationals and Veterans Championships at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Mr. Speaker, we don't know whether Constable Wirs will win or lose his first match. Although in the Veterans Division, competitors are divided into both age and weight, there is no doubt that Pete Wirs will be up against seasoned, experienced amateur wrestlers. But no matter what the score, Pete Wirs will have scored a morale victory by simply stepping onto the mat; by getting his diabetes under control, and proving to all of us that physical fitness is not a diet, a fad, but a life-long commitment to healthy eating, continuous exercise and sports activity.

Mr. Speaker, so important is this milestone for all diabetics, the Pennsylvania Wrestling Club of which Constable Wirs serves as executive president, is administering a nationwide public service program to encourage diabetics to commit themselves, as has Mr. Wirs, to a lifestyle of dietary control and exercise. Entitled ``Going for the Gold,'' the campaign will award up to 500 ``Diabetic Control Points'' for diabetics engaging in continuous exercise and participation in an organized amateur athletic sport, all while raising money for the American Diabetes campaign.

Mr. Speaker, Constable Wirs is an inspiration to all diabetics and indeed to all of us. In

President Kennedy's words, Pete Wirs becomes a ``profile in courage'' when he steps onto the freestyle wrestling mat this April 8th for his first competitive match. Our congratulations to Constable Wirs, and all of his fellow team members, coaches and boosters in this important sports history in the making.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me the time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Baldwin amendment, which simply seeks to extend chapter 12 of the bankruptcy code on a permanent basis once and for all. This amendment represents an achievable solution to a problem that has existed for more than 6 years.

In 1997, the National Bankruptcy Review Commission recommended that chapter 12 of the Federal Bankruptcy Code, the chapter that contains bankruptcy protection for family farmers, be made permanent.

Chapter 12 is by no means a controversial issue. It was enacted in 1986 as a measure to allow family farmers to repay their debts according to a plan under court supervision. Chapter 12 prevents a situation from occurring where a few bad crop years result in the loss of the family farm.

In the absence of chapter 12, family farmers are forced to file for bankruptcy relief under the bankruptcy code's other alternatives, none of which work quite as well for farmers as chapter 12 does. Chapter 11, for example, will require a farmer to sell the family farm to pay the claims of creditors. How can a farmer be expected to come up with the money to pay off his debts without his farm? Chapter 11 is an expensive process that does not accommodate the special needs of farmers.

This Congress, just as in previous Congresses, the larger Bankruptcy Reform Act, H.R. 975, includes a provision that permanently extends chapter 12. Also in this Congress, just as in previous Congresses, the larger Bankruptcy Reform Act, while enjoying a majority of support in the House, remains a controversial bill whose consideration by the other body remains a question. Simply substituting the text of H.R. 975 into this bill and sending it back over to the other body will not bring us any closer to extending chapter 12, even on a temporary basis.

For years now, family farmers have been held hostage by the contentious debate surrounding the larger bankruptcy issue. Since at least the 105th Congress, they have been made to sit on pins and needles waiting to see if we will extend these protections for another few months as we try to work out the larger bankruptcy issue.

Mr. Chairman, the family farmers have waited long enough. Family farmers cannot make long-term financial plans based on 6-month extensions. Permanently extending chapter 12 will give farmers the kind of protection they desperately need, the kind of protections we have already voted for time and time again since the 1997 National Bankruptcy Review Commission recommendation.

I urge my colleagues to accept the Baldwin amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 280 and congratulate my friends at the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association on the occasion of reaching their 100th anniversary.

For 100 years, the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association and its 800 members have made vital contributions to the Nation's economy and to improving the quality of life through the constantly expanding roles stone, sand, and gravel serve in the Nation's everyday life.

Mr. Speaker, each man, woman and child across the nation ``uses'' about 10 tons of aggregate (crushed stone, sand and gravel) each year. These aggregates are so essential to human activity that there is a quarry or sand and gravel pit in almost every county in the Nation.

Four hundred tons of crushed stone, sand and gravel are used in the construction of the average home, 38,000 tons of aggregate go into each mile of interstate highway. Pulverized minerals from rock are used in the manufacture of paint, paper, plastics, vinyl, pharmaceuticals, toothpaste, chewing gum, glass, cleansers and dozens of other everyday household items.

Without aggregates, there would be no paved streets, roads, sidewalks, airport runways or railroad beds. In fact, more than 94 percent of asphalt pavement and more than 80 percent of a concrete sidewalk is aggregate.

The National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association is a key member of the Transportation Construction Coalition and a founding member of Americans for Transportation Mobility, whose objective is to improve the Nation's roads, bridges, mass transit systems, waterways, airports, and water and wastewater system that are the backbone of the Nation's economy.

The association invests valuable resources in improving the professional development of industry employees by sponsoring educational seminars, and advocates that members maintain a strong and unwavering commitment to safety and health at workplaces.

Research and development supported by the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association is creating increasingly superior asphalt and concrete products that are cost-effective, easier to maintain, and have a longer life span, resulting in significant savings for taxpayers.

The leaders in the aggregates industry are continuously demonstrating their willingness and desire to act and operate responsibly in serving the construction needs of the country by respecting and observing the well-being and the environmental sensibilities of the communities of which they are an important part.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand in support of this resolution and give recognition to the 100th anniversary of the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association. I strongly urge you to vote aye on H. Con. Res. 280.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mother Teresa of Calcutta and to recognize the many contributions she has made to the world. She knew no limits in her caring for other people. She offered unconditional love while asking for nothing in return.

Born in Albania on August 26, 1910, Mother Teresa decided to become a Roman Catholic sister in 1928. She went on to create a religious order based on caring for the sick, disabled, or dying, whether it was a gutter in Calcutta, under a thatched roof in Africa, or in an apartment complex in Harlem.

Mother Teresa is one of the most magnetic figures in the history of the world. Wherever she went, crowds followed in hope of seeing her or hearing her speak. When she did speak, it was with great humility, employing simple yet moving phrases.

Few people in the history of the world have done more to help their fellow human beings than Mother Teresa. She was truly the ultimate example of what it means to be a caring person. I ask my fellow Members of Congress to join me in formally paying tribute to the many contributions of Mother Teresa.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today not only in support of the gentleman from New York's motion to instruct conferees, but also in support of the brave men and women who actively serve in the National Guard and Reserves. Their commitment to service is second to none, whether it is providing aid during natural disasters, the war on domestic terrorism, or on the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Pennsylvania boasts the largest Army National Guard, as well as the fourth largest Air National Guard, making it the largest National Guard in the country. Many of these men and women serve at Ft. Indiantown Gap, the largest National Gaurd base in Pennsylvania in the heart of my Congressional District. Beyond all of this, the National Guard is the sixth largest employer in Pennsylvania and has a presence in over 100 communities throughout the commonwealth.

Mr. Speaker, as you can see, the National Guard and Reserves are an integral part of my district and of Pennsylvania. But I also know they are essential to every state and commonwealth, as well as the country as a whole. The protection they provide for us should be given back to them in their healthcare coverage. This is why I strongly support providing TRICARE coverage for these men and women.

Medical readiness is essential for National Guard and Reserve members if they are to continue their role as part of a cohesive, seamless force. These men and women train hard, take time off from their civilian jobs, and make many family sacrifices in order to serve. They are expected to be a ready force when deployed. To facilitate the use of the National Guard and Reserve as an integral part of our armed forces, we need a consistent health care option that covers our members and their families whether they are deployed or not.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, TRICARE should be an option for all members of the National Guard and Reserves and I support the motion to instruct conferees.