Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1327) congratulating the 2008 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Baseball Champions, the Fresno State Bulldogs, on an outstanding and historic season, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1327 into the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the California State University Fresno State men's baseball team for winning the 2008 Division I College World Series.

Since June 14, the first day of the College World Series, Fresno State made an improbable run at the championship. As a fourth seed, they fought and clawed their way into the College World Series. Just to make the College Word Series, Fresno State had to win the Western Athletic Conference. Though they edged their way into the CWS, their presence was definitely felt. They gave college baseball fans across the country special treat with their amazing play.

The Bulldogs belted their way through their matchup with Rice University. This lopsided affair ended with

the final score being 17-5. The Bulldog team had a pair of home runs and eight out of the nine starters had a hit. The team steamed forward to play the second-seeded University of North Carolina. In this best- of-three series, Fresno won the first game 5-3, lost a tight second match 4-3, and sealed their championship fate beating UNC 6-1 in the final affair.

In the championship series against the University of Georgia, the Fresno Bulldogs ended up losing their first game in the best-of-three series. The Fresno players bounced back with a vengeance. They cruised to a 19-8 victory with run after run. In the final game, Fresno brought home a championship after defeating University of Georgia 6-1.

I want to extend my congratulations to Coach Mike Batesole who was named the 2008 National Coach of the Year--the second time he has won this award. He has led them through an amazing College World Series. Assistant Coaches Matt Curtis, Mike Mayne, and Pat Waer complete the coaching staff. All of them have done a stellar job preparing this confident group.

Congratulations are always in order for Tommy Mendonca for winning the College World Series MVP and for being invited to play with the USA National Collegiate Baseball Team. Mendonca hit .285 with 19 home runs, 70 RBIs and eight doubles for the College World Series champions this season. He also hit four home runs and drove in 11 runs during the College World Series.

Winning the national championship as an underdog has brought national acclaim to Fresno State. They are the lowest seed to win a College World Series and the first men's team to win a national championship for their school. These Bulldogs have earned a special place in Fresno State sports history.

I once again congratulate Fresno State for their amazing success.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to extend as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa).

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1088) recognizing and commending the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for 50 years of service as a vital American cultural ambassador to the world, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1088 into the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1088 and thank Mr. Nadler for introducing this resolution. H. Res. 1088 commends the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater for its excellence, impact and service to the arts.

Alvin Ailey's Dance Theater is referred to by many as the world's premier dance company. AAADT promotes aspects of the African American experience while preserving modern dance heritage to millions across the globe. Its long-standing accomplishments and the rich global impacts speak volumes about the company's caliber of talent and unique mission.

Alvin Ailey founded AAADT in 1958. As a child, Ailey developed a keen interest in art. In his high school years, he began taking dance classes with Katherine Dunham, a pioneer of African modern dance. However, Ailey's most important influence came from Lester Horton. Horton led a team of racially mixed dancers. Ailey, however, took over the team once Horton passed away in 1953. Five years later, Alvin Ailey founded AAADT.

Both the founder and other leaders of the organization have made outstanding accomplishments and have been recognized for their contributions to the arts. In 1982 Ailey received the United Nations of Peace Medal. President George W. Bush recognized AAADT and Artistic Director Judith Jamison with the National Medal of Arts in 2001. Until that point, a dance ensemble had never received such an award. The recognition this dance company receives is well-deserved.

AAADT has performed for an estimated 21 million people in 48 States, 71 countries, and 6 continents. This company tours more than any other performing arts company. The Joan Weill Center for Dance, the studio for AAADT, is the largest facility dedicated exclusively to dance in the United States.

AAADT has performed before numerous distinguished audiences, including President Johnson, President Carter, President Clinton, and President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya. They have also represented themselves at famous historical engagements such as the Rio de Janeiro International Arts Festival, the First Negro Arts Festival in Dakar, the fabled New Year's Eve performance for the Crown Prince of Morocco, the Paris Centennial performance at the Grand Palais Theatre, South Africa, and two Olympic games.

In addition to the stellar performances, AAADT has also worked with more than 100,000 young folks every year to assist them in discovering their creative talents and help build their self-esteem through their artistic skills. The Arts in Education and Community Programs includes nine Ailey Camps across the United States. They also have implemented an Ailey II, a junior company, to train less experienced dancers to perform across North America. These young people come from various cultural, social, and economic backgrounds to come together to empower themselves and to learn art.

In recognition of 50 amazing years of excellence, let us commend AAADT for their contributions to the United States and the rest of the world. It has established an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training, and community programs for all people while using the beauty and humanity of the African American heritage and other cultures. AAADT is irreplaceable.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I express my support for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1261) congratulating East High School in Denver, Colorado, on winning the 2008 ``We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution'' national competition, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1261 into the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the students of East High School in Denver, Colorado, on winning the 2008 ``We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution'' national competition.

``We the People'' is a program that encourages civic awareness and responsibility in middle school and high school students through hands- on activities. Students discover firsthand how the Constitution and the Bill of Rights impact their everyday lives and participate in a simulated Congressional hearing. At the national level, students utilize higher order thinking skills as they demonstrate their knowledge of constitutional theory by defending a historical or contemporary issue.

For the second consecutive year, Denver's East High School won the national title. In order to receive this high honor, 27 students from East High School competed against 1,200 other participants from all 50 States. The 3-day long competition took place on Capitol Hill and involved the students completing a mock hearing. They were judged by law school professors, State supreme court justices, mayors, and others on their opening statements and their responses to follow-up questions on 17 different constitutional topics.

This competition makes the Constitution come alive and helps students connect what they are learning to contemporary issues and events. This type of learning is important not only for its academic aspects, but also for the way in which it improves our democracy. Students are able to analyze and evaluate their rights and responsibilities and apply this new knowledge to their surroundings.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I wish to congratulate the students of East High School and all the other students across the Nation that took part in the ``We the People'' competition. I hope all students have the opportunity to see civics come alive, and I encourage my colleagues to pass this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlelady from Colorado (Ms. DeGette).

Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank my friend from Illinois, who is truly a friend, and I thank him for his passion on this issue.

I would simply say that we understand and agree that we need to expand our development and research and drilling for additional supplies of energy. And I would just ask all of my friends on the other side of the aisle to join us on this side of the aisle in passing use- it-or-lose-it legislation. It is estimated by the Minerals and Management Service of the Department of the Interior that 81 percent of the known reserves of oil and natural gas are already available for lease and the vast majority of those leases are not being acted upon. So we are going to try to pass, on this side of the aisle, use-it-or-

lose-it legislation, and I would ask my friends on the other side of the aisle to join us in that effort.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the residents of eastern Long Island, I would like to commend Chairman Oberstar, Chairwoman Johnson and Congressman LoBiondo for their leadership and unwavering dedication to clean water issues. I would also like to thank the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee staff for their hard work and commitment to advancing this legislation to the full House today.

Madam Speaker, the EPA estimates that sewer overflows discharge roughly 850 billion gallons of raw or partially treated sewage annually into local waters. These discharges, laden with potentially harmful chemicals and pathogens, often end up in local rivers, lakes, streams, and the ocean.

In response, the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee has taken appropriate measures to restore the federal commitment to our Nation's wastewater infrastructure. In the 110th Congress, we have passed the Water Quality Financing Act, authorizing funds for the State Revolving Fund; and the Beach Protection Act, to carry out coastal recreation water quality monitoring and notification programs. Today, we take our commitment to water quality one step further by passing the Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-know Act.

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure: The best way to avoid human health and environmental concerns from sewer overflows is to ensure that they never occur in the first place. However, even with significant increases in investment, sewer overflows will continue to occur. Therefore, it is imperative that we provide the public with comprehensive and timely notification of sewer overflows. We need to make sure that the public is aware of sewer overflows to give communities the opportunity to protect themselves.

It makes no sense for operators of local sewer systems to know where and when overflows are occurring, but not to promptly notify the public. Notification of sewer overflows will help the public avoid direct contact with potentially harmful chemicals and pathogens, and it will facilitate rapid response to overflows in order to minimize the potential harm to the environment.

Accordingly, the Bishop/LoBiondo Sewage Overflow Community Right-to- know Act provides for the monitoring, reporting and public notification of sewer overflows from Publicly Owned Treatment Works by requiring POTWs to institute and utilize programs to alert operators to overflows, notify the public within 24 hours of discovery of an overflow by an operator, and notify public health officials when human health is endangered.

The bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency establish criteria to guide POTWs in assessing whether a sewer overflow has the potential to affect human health and developing communication measures to ensure the public is notified. The bill also establishes a process for EPA to determine if a State's existing notification program is substantially equivalent to, or better than, the requirements established in this bill, and should be allowed to continue.

This bill is a result of hard work by several organizations who believe that Americans deserve clean, safe waters. Without their many insights this legislation would not have been possible. Therefore, I would like to thank American Rivers, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the Water Environment Federation, and the California Association of Sanitation Agencies for the countless hours they have given to refine the bill's language to ensure that public health and the environment are protected.

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this commonsense legislation, and I again thank my friend and colleague, Mr. LoBiondo, for his leadership and support in authoring the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 3035) to temporarily extend the programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on S. 3035 into the Record.

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

I rise in support of S. 3035, a bill to temporarily extend programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965. At the beginning of February, the House took the next step in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act in passing H.R. 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act. Now we find ourselves in the final phase in completing the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act as we work towards a compromise bill with the Senate to ensure that the doors of college are truly open to all qualified students.

It is our goal to ensure that a final bill encompasses the major issues addressed in H.R. 4137, including skyrocketing college prices, a needlessly complicated student aid application process, and predatory tactics by student lenders.

The bill under consideration today, S. 3035, will extend the programs under the Higher Education Act until June 30, 2008, to allow sufficient time for final deliberations on the two bills reported out of the respective chambers. It has been nearly 10 years since the Higher Education Act was last reauthorized, and I believe Members on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers are anxious to complete work on a compromise bill in this Congress, and we believe it can happen.

I look forward to joining my colleagues on the committee in completing this work with the respective members on behalf of our Nation's hardworking families and students. I urge my colleagues to support this extension.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, let me first associate myself with the heartfelt comments of Mr. Keller regarding Senator Kennedy. I know that everyone in this Chamber hopes and prays for his speedy recovery.

With that, I'd like to yield 4 minutes to a fellow member of the committee, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the business in order under the Calendar Wednesday rule be dispensed with tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, I send to the desk a privileged concurrent resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1142) recognizing May 25, 2008, as National Missing Children's Day, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1142 into the Record.

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

I rise today in support of H. Res. 1142, which recognizes May 25, 2008, as the 26th National Missing Children's Day and urges everyone to do what they can to prevent the tragedy of a missing child.

In the late seventies, a succession of high-profile missing children's cases helped heighten the awareness and underline the seriousness of child victimization.

When Etan Patz went missing on his way to school in 1979, the first major national media campaign surrounding a missing child took place. The considerable media attention and comprehensive search helped highlight the problem of child abduction nationwide.

Etan's case and others helped expose a flaw in the system. At that time, there was no national response system in place to coordinate State and local cooperation or a central mechanism to support searching families. In 1983, May 25 was proclaimed National Missing Children's Day, and a nationwide movement was born. May 25 was chosen because it is the anniversary of Etan's disappearance.

More than 2,000 children are reported missing every day, but strides have been made to change this disturbing statistic. Programs such as the AMBER Alert Program, which notifies law enforcement officials and the public of child abduction cases, have done a lot to help return missing children to their families. To date, 329 children have been recovered because of the AMBER Alert Program.

Each May, we reflect on missing children and renew our efforts to reunite those young people with their families. National Missing Children's Day is an opportunity to remind families of the importance of maintaining up-to-date photographs of their children and to encourage everyone to give their full attention to the photographs and posters of missing children. Anyone can be a hero and offer the tip that helps return children to their families.

Protecting young children is one of our Nation's top priorities. On May 25 we will pause to remember the children whose lives have been lost, celebrate those who have been reunited with their families, and renew our efforts to continuing searching for children that are still missing.

Mr. Speaker, once again, I express my support for National Missing Children's Day, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

We have no further speakers, so I would yield back the balance of our time as well.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1147) congratulating the Northern Kentucky University Norse women's basketball team, champions of the 2008 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II tournament, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1147 into the Record.

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

I rise today to congratulate the Northern Kentucky University Norse women's basketball team for their victory in the NCAA 2008 Division II tournament. On March 29, women's basketball fans were treated to an exceptional game as Northern Kentucky University overcame a nine-point deficit, with 6 minutes remaining, to clinch its second national team title. The show-stopping 63-58 defeat over third-ranked North Dakota broke the Coyotes' 31-game winning streak. The Norse women's basketball team had been strong all season, but was unranked going into the tournament. By winning 10 of their last 11 games, they were able to prove that they should indeed be considered number one.

I want to extend my congratulations to coach Nancy Winstel, who returned to her alma mater to lead the team to an impressive 28-8 record in her 25th season as head coach. Coach Winstel has been involved with the women's basketball program for 30 years at NKU, and reached the 500-win plateau as a college coach 3 years ago. Assistant coaches Matt Schmidt, Danielle Zimmerman, and strength and conditioning coach Livey Birkenhauer round out the coaching team.

Congratulations are also in order for senior Angela Healy of Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Healy, a strong inside scorer and rebounder, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. During the final game she produced a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, to lead her team to victory.

The Northern Kentucky University women's basketball program is the only school in the State of Kentucky to win a national championship in a women's sport, and it now boasts two. The Norse women's basketball program is top notch, and the extraordinary achievement of this season is a tribute to the skill and dedication of the many

players, coaches, students, alumni, families, and fans that have cheered NKU along the way.

Winning the national championship and finishing the season with a 28- 8 overall record has brought national acclaim to Northern Kentucky University. I know the fans of the university will revel in this accomplishment as they look forward to next season.

Mr. Speaker, I once again congratulate Northern Kentucky University for their success.

I reserve the balance of my time.

We yield back the balance of our time as well.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2744) to amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to clarify the eligibility requirements with respect to airline flight crews, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials on H.R. 2744 into the Record.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Let me begin, Mr. Speaker, by thanking Chairman Miller and Ranking Member McKeon for supporting this bill and helping to bring it to the floor so quickly. I have been proud to be the primary sponsor of this bill. I also want to thank Mr. McCotter of Michigan, who was the primary cosponsor of the bill on the Republican side.

The Family Medical Leave Act has been a great program for working families in this country since it was passed in 1993. No one can question the benefit it has provided for working women and men by being able to take time off from work to care for themselves or family members.

The original intent of the law was to provide for 12 weeks of unpaid leave if an employee has worked 60 percent of a full time schedule over the past year, which is about 1,250 hours. So in order to qualify for FMLA coverage, an employee has to have logged in 1,250 hours over 12 months to be eligible.

While 1,250 hours adequately reflects 60 percent of a full-time schedule for the vast majority of employees in this country, that equation does not work for flight attendants and pilots. Flight attendants and pilots work under the Railway Labor Act, rather than the Fair Labor Standards Act, which covers most nine to five workers. Time between flights, whether during the day or on overnights and layovers, is based on company scheduling requirements

and needs, but does not count towards crew member time at work. Flight attendants and pilots can spend up to four to five days a week away from home and family due to the nature of their job. However, all of those hours will not count towards qualification.

The courts have strictly interpreted the law and insisted that crew members must abide by the 1,250 hours for qualification, even though the intent of the law was 60 percent of a full-time schedule. Airline flight crews have been left out of what was intended to cover them. Therefore, a technical correction is needed to ensure that FMLA benefits are extended to these employees. This legislation seeks to clarify the intent of the law.

This legislation simply states that an airline crew member will be eligible for FMLA benefits if they have been paid for or completed 60 percent of their company's monthly hour or trip guarantee and have worked 504 hours. This brings these transportation workers in line with the intent of the original legislation and as promised when the law was passed.

Last month in our Education Committee we heard from Jennifer Hunt, a flight attendant for US Airways. Jennifer was denied FMLA coverage when she applied to take time off to care for her ill husband, an Iraq war vet. Jennifer, like many other flight attendants and pilots as well, unfortunately did not meet the hourly requirement. This bill corrects that oversight.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his support and for bringing this legislation to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to adopt this legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, let me just close by thanking also the great deal of support we had on the Republican side of the aisle for this bill. I also want to thank the flight attendants for their tireless advocacy of their bill and the many long hours of work that they put in to secure approximately 240 cosponsors for this bill. I think the fact that we were able to generate so many cosponsors is a testament to the fact that this is a carefully and narrowly crafted bill that addresses an inequity that was never intended in the original law.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6022, at a time when oil prices are reaching record highs, suspending the Federal Government's oil purchases is a win for consumers and for the Federal budget.

Regular gas now costs over $3.73 a gallon, compared to only $1.47 in 2001 before the President began implementing his disastrous policies. Families and businesses on eastern Long Island and across the country are calling on Congress to take action to lower these soaring gas prices and reduce our Nation's unsustainable addiction to oil.

In response, I am pleased to cosponsor this bill, which takes a good, first step. Economists and government agencies agree that suspending the filling of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve would directly impact gas prices this summer by making more oil available. In contrast, it would take at least a decade for consumers to benefit from Republican plans to hand over America's wilderness areas to big oil.

Moreover, it is not fiscally prudent for the Federal Government to continue to pay such high premiums to stockpile oil when we currently have sufficient reserves.

In the 108th and 109th Congresses, as Bush administration policies drove the price of gas to record highs, I introduced similar legislation to halt the filling of the Petroleum Reserve.

Today the need for such action is even greater, Mr. Speaker. Therefore I call on my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 6022.

Madam Speaker, earlier today I travelled back to my district and was honored to participate in a ceremony dedicating a memorial to Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, a Long Island native and constituent who was killed while serving in Afghanistan and posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Had I been here, I would have voted in the following manner:

Rollcall vote No. 267, I would have voted ``nay'';

Rollcall vote No. 268, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote No. 269, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote No. 270, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote No. 271, I would have voted ``nay'';

Rollcall vote No. 272, I would have voted ``nay'';

Rollcall vote No. 273, I would have voted ``nay'';

Rollcall vote No. 274, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote No. 275, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote No. 276, I would have voted ``nay'';

Rollcall vote No. 277, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote No. 278, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote No. 279, I would have voted ``nay'';

Rollcall vote No. 280, I would have voted ``nay'';

Rollcall vote No. 281, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote No. 282, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote No. 283, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote No. 284, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote No. 285, I would have voted ``nay'';

Rollcall vote No. 286, I would have voted ``nay'';

Rollcall vote No. 287, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote No. 288, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote No. 289, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote No. 290, I would have voted ``aye'';

Rollcall vote No. 291, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1512, the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) Reimbursement Protection Act.

SCAAP is vital to my district on eastern Long Island by providing much needed assistance to municipal governments that incur the large cost of incarcerating undocumented immigrants. In fact, in my district of Suffolk County, officials estimate that 10 to 12 percent of those incarcerated are undocumented individuals with a cost to the County of approximately $12 million in 2006.

Unfortunately, SCAAP does not reimburse States for all of the costs to incarcerate undocumented individuals. Presently, the only funding that SCAAP provides is the cost of incarcerating undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of a felony or two or more misdemeanors.

This legislation will reimburse States incarcerating undocumented individuals charged with a felony or two or more misdemeanors. This small change will greatly assist local governments who are overburdened by recent escalating costs.

While my district and many others across the Nation have greatly benefited from SCAAP funding, the Bush administration continues to eliminate funding for the program. I was proud to cosign a bipartisan letter to House appropriators asking that they reject the President's short-sighted elimination of the program and increase SCAAP funding.

I am a strong supporter of comprehensive immigration reform and as Congress continues to debate immigration reform, we cannot deny that State and local governments are on the frontlines of immigration enforcement. I will continue to work to ensure that they receive adequate funding and resources for the important role they play.

I want to thank my colleague, Congresswoman Sanchez, for introducing this much needed legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise with profound sadness to recognize a fallen marine from my district, Lance Corporal Jordan Christian Haerter who was only 19 years old when he was killed in Iraq last week.

Lance Corporal Haerter was from the small Peconic Bay community of Sag Harbor, New York, and is the village's first war casualty since World War II. He is the 30th of our brave troops from Long Island, and the eighth constituent of mine, who has fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lance Corporal Haerter had been in Iraq for only a month when he died a hero while defending a checkpoint in Ramadi. He was killed while firing at the driver of an enemy truck full of explosives that was running a barrier and about to crash into dozens of his fellow marines. His noble sacrifice was honored earlier this week when hundreds of Long Islanders paid their respects outside the Old Whalers Church in Sag Harbor. They remembered his youth, his love of the Marine Corps, and his determination to be the best marine he could be. He was always faithful.

On behalf of New York's First Congressional District, I extend our heartfelt condolences to his family. Their loss will never be forgotten, and we will always remember Jordan's noble sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding, and I thank the chairman and the ranking member of the full committee and also of the subcommittee for working together so quickly and so cooperatively to bring this legislation to the floor. It is very badly needed, and the passage of it will allow us to expand upon the gains that this Congress has made in the dual goals of access and affordability. And let me just quickly reflect on those.

We have significantly reduced student loan interest rates. We have significantly increased the Pell Grant maximum. We have overridden the administration's recommendation to eliminate the SCOG program. We have overridden the administration's recommendation to eliminate the Perkins Loan program. We have done all of this on a bipartisan basis, and we have done all of this with a focus on keeping student need and student interests uppermost in our mind.

There are several very positive features of this bill. Let me talk just about three of them. The first is seeing to it that we maintain liquidity in the student loan market, a situation that is forced upon us by factors that have nothing to do with the Student Loan program. The second is the increase in loan limits on an annual basis. The most important element of this is that it will reduce student reliance on private lending, and that certainly is a goal of ours, to see to it that students have access to government regulated loans as opposed to private loans. And, lastly, the easing of the repayment requirements for the parent loan will be enormously helpful to needy families and the students of those families.

So I again want to commend leadership on both sides of the aisle and both sides of the Capitol for working so quickly on this. I want to commend the Education Department and the administration for their willingness to be supportive, and I urge speedy passage.