Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Joel M. Carp upon the occasion of his retirement after 28 years of service with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Carp has supported continued social work, social planning and advocacy in the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, and the country as a whole.

For over 30 years, Mr. Carp has dedicated his professional and personal life as an advocate for numerous social policy efforts serving on a number of government task forces and advisory boards, including the City of Chicago Mayor's Task Force on Hunger, the Cook County Task Force on Welfare Reform, and the Governor's Task Force on Services for the Homeless to name just a few. Additionally, Mr. Carp has served as a member of numerous local, state, and national professional and community service organizations as an advocate for the welfare of the Jewish community.

As an effective leader and tireless advocate, Mr. Carp has received several awards in recognition of his work, including the Melvin A. Block Award for Professional Distinction from the Associated YM-YWHAs of Greater New York, the City of Chicago's Commission on Human Relations Award, and a special award from the YMCA of the USA for helping to restore Agency for International Development funding for human services in Lebanon.

Upon his retirement as the Senior Vice President for Community Services and Government Relations of the Jewish Federation/Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago, Mr. Carp leaves behind a long legacy of social advocacy within the Jewish community. Mr. Carp is an inspiration to all for his dedication and leadership in shaping and improving social policy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Joel M. Carp in recognition of his distinguished and tireless work and service to his community.

Offered By: Mr. Johnson of Illinois

Amendment No. 14: Page 82, after line 14, insert the

following:

Sec. 853. The Secretary of Agriculture shall request the

Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to

conduct a study of the specific food consumption and the

nutritional value of foods purchased by households that

participate in the food stamp program. The National Academy

of Sciences shall issue recommended guidelines based on the

results of the study for the creation of a nutritional food

list for use by such households for potential food purchase

incentives.

Offered By: Mr. Johnson of Illinois

Amendment No. 14: Page 82, after line 14, insert the

following:

Sec. 853. The Secretary of Agriculture shall request the

Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences to

conduct a study of the specific food consumption and the

nutritional value of foods purchased by households that

participate in the food stamp program. The National Academy

of Sciences shall issue recommended guidelines based on the

results of the study for the creation of a nutritional food

list for use by such households for potential food purchase

incentives.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 137 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express regret for my absence during roll call vote 141. I was on the floor, but was unable to record a vote on an amendment offered by my colleague Virgil Goode during consideration of H.R. 5122, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007. However I want to make it clear that I intended to vote `aye' for I am a strong supporter of this amendment.

Representative Goode's amendment authorizes the Secretary of Defense to assign members of the armed forces to assist the Department of Homeland Security in the performance of border protection functions. Securing our borders against terrorists, drug traffickers and illegal aliens is of great importance to our national security. I would like to point out that

I voted for this exact same amendment last year when Representative Goode offered it during consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006.

I am a strong supporter of H.R. 5122, the National Defense Authorization Ad for Fiscal Year 2007 and I voted for its final passage. Again, I apologize for being unable to cast my vote on the Goode amendment and I am pleased this important amendment made it into the final bill which I supported.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because on April 2, 2006, Agnes Dale Smith will celebrate her 100th birthday. Those who know and love her call her ``Aggie'' and she was born in Willow Hill, Illinois, in 1906. Such longevity is truly special and certainly deserves to be recognized and respected. It is truly amazing to think of all that America has experienced in the past century and to know that Aggie has witnessed it all.

In 1925, Aggie graduated from Robinson High School in Robinson, Illinois, where she served as Vice President of her senior class. She also wrote for the school newspaper and played intramural basketball and field hockey. On October 16, 1930, Aggie married Victor L. Smith. They would have one daughter, Emily Carol. Aggie went on to earn her Associate in Science degree from Vincennes University in 1967. Aggie then studied at Trinity College in Dublin during the summer of 1969. She also studied at American University in Washington D.C. as well as four other mid-western locations, including Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Illinois.

During her life, Aggie has seen and experienced much. For instance, she was appointed as a Volunteer Services Director during World War II and traveled to Chicago on three occasions to attend conferences. She also witnessed the investiture of Prince Charles in Wales. Aggie has attended four Republican National Conventions in her lifetime. She was elected National Vice President of Delta Theta Tau philanthropic sorority. Aggie also proudly served the Illinois Daughters of the Revolution as Division VI director for two years. In 1987, Aggie was named a Distinguished Citizen by the Robinson Chamber of Commerce.

Again, I rise today to celebrate Aggie Smith's 100th birthday and recognize her many accomplishments. I hope my colleagues will join me in wishing her many happy years to come.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 597, I was inadverently detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I come to the house floor today to pay tribute to William E. Lightfoot, PFC, of Lexington, IL, as well as the 13 other Navy and Marine Corps airmen of Flight 19. On December 5, 1945, a five-plane squadron took off from Ft. Lauderdale Naval Air Station in Florida. This would be the last time anyone would see these brave men, as all five planes mysteriously vanished while flying over the Bermuda triangle. A Mariner rescue plane, comprised of 14 crew members, was sent to look for survivors but they also vanished without a trace. In all, 27 men died in this unexplainable tragedy.

To this day, no wreckage from any of the six planes has been found and no explanations have been realized. However, today, the House of Representatives approved H. Res. 500 to honor these men and recognize the 60th anniversary of the disappearance. Unfortunately, when this vote was called today, I was unable to cast my vote. Had I been able, I would have voted ``yes.'' I was a proud co-sponsor of this resolution and strongly support honoring these brave men. My heartfelt sympathy and admiration go out to Private William E. Lightfoot and his surviving family members.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 520 I was inadvertently detained. Had I been present, I would have vote ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the hardworking postal employees around the country and especially in my district. In the wake of passing the first postal reform bill in three and a half decades, I believe it is only appropriate to acknowledge the hard work and tireless effort of postal employees.

The Postal Service has been around since 1775. It has come a long way since the days of the Pony Express and steamboats and despite the fact that e-mail and online bill paying are becoming increasingly popular, the United States Postal Service remains more vital than ever.

I stand here today to deliver a heartfelt thank you to the men and women of the United States Postal Service. I think sometimes we take their efforts for granted. Their work is not only stressful at times, but it is their efforts in keeping all of our correspondence flowing smoothly that provides the glue that hold our communities together. The closing of a Post Office can be devastating to a small rural community, so I understand the importance of the preservation of this service. I feel strongly that my colleagues and I did a good thing last night when we passed the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.

I urge all of my colleagues as well as every American to take the time out of the day and thank their local letter carrier or postmaster the next time they see them. In closing, I would like to thank all of the postal employees in the 15th district for their part in strengthening our communities. Their efforts are sincerely appreciated.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 432 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately yesterday, July 11, 2005, I was delayed in the Cincinnati Airport due to a mechanical failure of my plane, a parts swap, and a new plane having to be brought in for my flight from Cincinnati to Washington. There were no other flight options for me to arrive in Washington before the votes occurred on H. Con. Res. 168 (Rollcall No. 363) and H. Res. 333 (Rollcall No. 364). Had I been here to cast my votes, I would have voted ``aye'' on both H. Con. Res. 168 and H. Res. 333 and wish the Record to reflect as such.

As a member of the Human Rights Caucus and a stern believer that every human being has certain irrevocable rights, I stand in strong favor of both of these pieces of legislation. We cannot and should not stand by as gross human rights violations such as the kidnappings in Korea and the genocide in Darfur continue. I applaud my colleagues, Representative Henry Hyde and Representative Donald Payne, for introducing these bills and bringing them to the floor for our consideration.

Almost 3 years ago North Korean leader Kim Jong-l admitted that North Korea had ordered abductions of Japanese citizens and promised that it would never do so again. However, evidence has surfaced that the North Korean government has continued to order the abductions of numerous foreign citizens and has placed these captives, along with prisoners of war, in forced labor camps. To stand by and do nothing in response to these gross violations of human rights is unthinkable and this bill clearly states to Kim Jong-l and the North Korean government that the United States will not let this continue.

I am also pleased that we were able to debate H. Res. 333. I have been a huge supporter of our past funding for aid to Darfur and our condemnation of the genocide occurring there and can think of no better way to compliment these actions than by praying for and reflecting on this horrible situation. The better we personally understand this situation, the better we as a Congress will be able to respond to and prevent situations such as these from occurring in the future. As a man of faith, I will stand with my family, my colleagues, and fellow citizens and pray for the people of Darfur and reflect on the ongoing atrocities that they face on a daily basis.

Mr. Speaker, thank you again for allowing me to express my support for these two bills as I was unfortunately delayed on my way to Washington.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 367 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, on April 25, 2005, the Illinois State University (ISU) Police lost one of its finest when Anthony ``Tony'' Hosey tragically died at the young age of 37. Yet in those 37 years Tony accomplished a great number of deeds significantly benefiting the safety and the welfare of his community.

Tony Hosey twice received his department's highest honor, the ``Chief's Award of Merit-Meritorious Service Medal.'' In 2003, Tony played a strong role in ``Operation Shakespeare,'' which led to the seizure of over 2,000 tablets of Ecstasy, 121 grams of Ketamine, and 931 grams of GHB. The individuals arrested were responsible for the distribution of over 9,000 tablets of ``Ecstasy'' on the Illinois State University Campus.

In 2004, he received the award for arresting 5 individuals responsible for the selling of 500 tablets of Ecstasy on the ISU campus: At the time of the arrest, they possessed 200 tablets of the drug. His work has allowed for a safer University and community, and has saved many individuals from falling victim to the devastating effects of drugs.

While Tony's record speaks for itself, his numerous contributions to the community have impacted not only his fellow citizens, but also his peers. Illinois State Police Special Agent and friend Earl Chandler put it best when he said, ``I've never met or known anybody that was more of the epitome of what a good police officer should be.'' Yet beyond the job, Tony was a caring husband and father of four. He was a bodybuilder and motorcycle rider, but was described as being a ``gentle giant.'' His memorial website has been flooded with hundreds of reflections and it is with a thankful heart that I rise to pay tribute to Tony. His impact and sacrifice for his neighbors, friends, family, and community will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Many people have recently seen and heard a lot of well deserved praise for the university's men's basketball team as Coach Bruce Weber guided the team to a record tying 37-2 record and place in the National Championship game. The season brought a great sense of pride to me, my staff, the university, the Urbana-Champaign community, and State as a whole. This praise was not only as a result of the great accomplishments of the team, but the manner in which the team went about achieving its goals. The players played with such heart and determination, all the while truly playing unselfishly as one cohesive unit, not as individual players. I would ask my colleagues to take this opportunity to congratulate and honor Coach Weber, his staff, and the young men who put on the uniforms and played the game the way it was meant to be played.

While many Americans may have first been exposed to the university during this special basketball season, I have had the distinct privilege to represent the university for almost 30 years; first as a State Representative and now as a Congressman from the 15th District of Illinois. I would therefore like to rise today to also pay tribute and bring recognition to the other highly successful athletic programs and the highly recognized and honored academics at the university.

Mr. Speaker, this year alone the university has been honored to be represented by the nationally ranked No. 2 men's tennis team, the No. 3 men's gymnastics team, the No. 6 men's wrestling team, the No. 14 women's soccer team, and the No. 20 women's cross country team. Let me take this time to honor and thank Coach Craig Tiley, Coach Yoshi Hayasaki, Coach Mark Johnson, Coach Janet Rayfield, Coach Karen Harvey, and all of the young men and women who have strived for greatness and brought a great deal of pride to me, my staff, the Urbana-Champaign community, and the university.

While these are all great accomplishments, without the same degree of success in the academic realm, these feats would all be for naught. I am proud to say that the university, President B. Joseph White, Director of Athletics Ron Guenther, the faculty, the coaches, and the students at the University of Illinois have all helped make this one of the top academic institutions in the world and its graduates some of the most successful. In 2004 U.S. News & World Report ranked many undergraduate programs at Urbana-Champaign campus in their Top 10 in the country, including: accountancy, 1st, materials science, 1st, civil engineering, 2nd, computer engineering, 5th, real estate, 7th, and marketing, 10th. In 2003, the University of Illinois earned the distinction of being the only U.S. public university to have two of its faculty members, Anthony J. Leggett, physics, and Paul C. Lauterbur, medicine, win Nobel prizes in the same year. The list of distinguished alumni is far too long to include here, but it includes: CEO's, government officials, world class researchers, astronauts, and Pulitzer Prize winners, to name a just a few.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to everyone who is involved in the University of Illinois and to thank them for their dedication, hard work, and vision to make the 15th Congressional District, the State of Illinois, the Nation, and the world as a whole a better place to live for all of us.