Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Rhonda Baker as the recipient of the Stephen Tsai Award for Excellence in Autism Education and for her commitment and enthusiasm as a teacher in the Jefferson-Scranton School District in Iowa.

The Stephen Tsai Award recipient is selected by the Autism Society of Iowa and is presented at its annual fall conference. Sonya Wills, who has three sons with autism, nominated Rhonda for her exceptional work that positively touched each of their lives.

Rhonda's success in working with autistic children is attributed to her ability to build upon her students' strengths in order to increase their confidence. The confidence she instills in her students opens doors to endless growth and learning opportunities. Rhonda is gifted with the immense patience and determination required to give autistic students the individual attention they need and she diligently undertakes research to find the right teaching techniques for each unique case.

I congratulate Rhonda Baker on her well-deserved award, and I'm certain that she will continue to touch the lives of many children in her community. It is a great honor to represent Rhonda in Congress, and I wish her continued success.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Cub Scout Pack 203 of Clear Lake and Ventura in North Central Iowa on their 50th Anniversary.

Chartered in December of 1955, Cub Scout Pack 203 provides teaching, service and leadership opportunities to approximately 50 boys in first through fifth grades. Aided by the participation of their families and adult leaders, each member practices Cub Scouting's Twelve Core Values that include citizenship, compassion, cooperation, courage, faith, health and fitness, honesty, perseverance, positive attitude, resourcefulness, respect and responsibility. Pack 203 participates in many service activities such as Earth Day events, collecting uniforms and supplies for stricken Gulf Coast scout units, and sending care packages to our military overseas.

The mission of the Boy Scouts of America is ``to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law.'' For 50 years Pack 203 has instilled these respected values in young men, preparing them to be productive and honorable citizens in their communities.

I congratulate Cub Scout Pack 203 of Clear Lake and Ventura, Iowa, on this historic anniversary. It is an honor to represent each member of this remarkable Pack in Congress, and I wish them continued success.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Duane Hahn of Eldora, Iowa, on being named a runner-up in the 2007 Excellence in Education Award, given by the Iowa State Education Association.

The Excellence in Education Award is a special recognition that was created as a way to honor many of the excellent teachers across Iowa that go the extra mile to make a difference in students' lives. Duane was nominated for this honor by several of his students and colleagues.

For the past 40 years Duane has given his time and talents to the Eldora school district, reaching out to touch the lives of many students. During his time at South Hardin High School he has instructed students in chemistry, physics, and physical science, serving as a personal motivator that inspires students to excel in the classroom and beyond. He has helped many a student through a difficult time by saying, ``I promise I won't give up on you, if you don't give up on me.'' Often mentoring fellow teachers as well, Duane is truly an outstanding role model that has earned great respect and admiration from all who know him.

I am honored to represent Duane in Congress, and I wish him the very best as he continues to serve as a mentor and role model to the students and teachers of South Hardin High School.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the Norwalk, Iowa, High School varsity cheerleaders on

placing first in their team's first national competition.

On October 27, 2007, the Norwalk cheerleaders competed against 13 teams and emerged as champions at an official National Cheerleaders Association event at St. Francis High School in St. Louis, Missouri. The Norwalk cheerleading coach, Melissa Priest, and the parents of the 16 members of this cheerleading squad are also to be congratulated for this great accomplishment. They have instilled the importance and value of hard work, dedication, persistence and teamwork in these students, which has helped them to perform with the spirit and camaraderie required of champions.

I commend each of the Norwalk High School cheerleaders and their coach on this great accomplishment in representing their school and community. I consider it an honor to represent these cheerleaders and their coach in Congress, and I wish them continued success in the future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Anna L. Orr on the recent celebration of her 100th birthday on December 1, 2007.

Anna was born on December 1, 1907, in Wright County, Iowa. On July 17, 1927, she married Enos Orr. Anna and Enos had 10 children and have 132 direct descendants. Anna has traveled extensively during her lifetime and currently lives in her own home in Eagle Grove, Iowa. She loves going for walks to the local nursing home to visit with residents, fishing, and working in her garden.

There have been many changes that have occurred during the past one hundred years. Since Anna's birth we have revolutionized air travel and walked on the moon. We have invented the television and the Internet. We have fought in wars overseas, seen the rise and fall of Soviet Communism and the birth of new democracies. Anna has lived through 18 U.S. Presidents and 24 Governors of Iowa and, in her lifetime, the population of the United States has more than tripled.

I know that my colleagues in the United States Congress join me in sending warm wishes to Anna on the milestone of her 100th birthday. I am extremely honored to represent her in Congress, and I wish her happiness and health for many more years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the excellence of the education system in Norwalk, Iowa and to specifically congratulate two outstanding teachers from the area who recently received awards in recognition of their important contributions.

Andy Mogie, the Norwalk High School family and consumer sciences teacher, was named Iowa Teacher of the Year by the Iowa Department of Education. He is one of the few male teachers in Iowa who teach family and consumer sciences, and has been doing so for 8 years. Norwalk High School Principal Dale Barnhill nominated Andy for his success in building the family and consumer science program into one of the highest enrolled curriculums in the school. Andy has incorporated the program of study in his classroom into his students' daily lives and motivates them by raising their expectations to the same professional expectations he has set for himself.

Jodie Irlmeier, the Norwalk seventh- and eighth-grade computer teacher, was awarded the Iowa Technology Educator of the Year award by the Iowa Technology and Education Connection. Jodie is currently in her eighth year teaching in Warren County. She is known as an exceptionally conscientious and caring teacher, as evidenced by her crediting her co- workers for her achievement. Jodie's team oriented mentality has produced optimum results for herself, her co-workers and most importantly, her students. Jodie's colleague, Sandi Lathrum recommended her for the award after seeing her develop a solid curriculum that has engaged her middle school students.

I consider it a great honor to represent Andy Mogie, Jodie Irlmeier and all of the teachers and staff of the Norwalk Community School System in the United States Congress. I wish Andy and Jodie the best and look forward to hearing more great stories about the positive impact they have as role models and educators for the children they serve.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Steve Schainker for reaching an important milestone as a public servant to the people of Ames, Iowa.

For the past 25 years, Steve has served as Ames City Manager. After receiving his master's degree in public administration at the University of Indiana's School of Public and Environmental Affairs, he became the assistant to the Ames City Manager in 1979, taking over the city manager position in 1982.

Steve values citizens' opinions, thriving on direct contact and open accessibility with residents to aid in making decisions for the betterment of the community. He also works to foster a positive relationship with city employees, the city council, the Chamber of Commerce, and Iowa State University to bring the Ames community together. While serving as city manager, Steve has facilitated many successful projects to improve the lives of citizens including City Hall, CyRide transportation, and the new aquatic center.

I know that my colleagues in the United States Congress will join me in commending Steve Schainker for his leadership and service to Ames. I consider it an honor to represent him in the United States Congress and I wish him the best in his future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ronald and Jennifer Milne, residents of Perry, Iowa, on recently becoming United States citizens.

Both Ronald and Jennifer are originally from Scotland. Ronald was naturalized on June 29, 2007, in Des Moines, while Jennifer was later naturalized on September 17, 2007 in West Branch, Iowa. The long journey to U.S. citizenship began in the late 1980's when their son was attending Dartmouth College and later married an American woman. Their daughter also came to America and eventually married an American. After Ronald and Jennifer made several trips to the United States to visit their children, they decided they wanted to be close to their family and move to America.

After years of filling out forms, interviews with the American Embassy, waiting for the processing of their papers, passing the American History test, and paying naturalization fees, Ronald and Jennifer's citizenship was finally granted.

The Milne's love for their family and for this country is extremely admirable, and I commend Ronald and Jennifer for all their hard work and commitment to becoming citizens of our country. I am extremely honored to represent the Milnes in the U.S. Congress and I know that I can speak for all of my colleagues here in officially welcoming them as American citizens. I wish Ronald, Jennifer and their family all the best as Americans and Iowans.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Sun Dial Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution on their 100th anniversary. The chapter has been organized in Ames, IA since October 7, 1907.

The Sun Dial Chapter is named in honor of one of the original members, Hattie Willey, who had a sun dial that belonged to a family ancestor who was a pastor of the Plymouth Colony. A duplicate of that original sun dial was marked in 1914 and is displayed in the Ames Cemetery.

Ada Hayden, one of the most notable members of the Sun Dial Chapter, received her doctorate from Iowa State University in 1918 and was the first woman to do so. Many founders of the chapter left a boundless impression on the community and the state of Iowa. These distinguished names include Adams, Agg, Knapp, Kellogg, Marston, Stanton, Tilden and Willey.

The early goals of the organization remain the same today. They include promoting historic preservation, education and patriotism. During the years of war and depression, Sun Dial collected money, clothing and other necessary items to give to the poor and send to the soldiers serving abroad. Today the chapter contributes to National Daughters of the American Revolution projects and gives an award annually to an outstanding ROTC student at Iowa State University.

Again, I congratulate the Sun Dial Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution on this historic anniversary. It is an honor to represent this historic chapter and her members in Congress, and I wish them an equally storied future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Van Harden and Bonnie Lucas of the ``Van and Bonnie in the Morning'' radio show. Van and Bonnie are Iowa radio icons and winners of multiple Marconi Awards, including the 2007 ``Personality of the Year'' among medium-sized market radio stations.

Van Harden was raised in Adel, Iowa, where he developed a deep love for small Iowa communities and dreamt of being on the radio when he grew up. His dream became a reality after graduating from Drake University in 1973, where he majored in broadcast journalism and got his first on-air job with KDLS-AM in Perry, Iowa. After jobs in Tulsa, Oklahoma at KWEN-FM and KRNT-AM in Des Moines, he became the host of the morning program at 1040 WHO-AM in Des Moines in 1986.

Van's current co-host, Bonnie Lucas of Monroe, Iowa, has been with the WHO morning program for 13 years. Bonnie's first job in radio began in 1979 at KRNT, where she was a former co-worker of Van's. In the seven and a half years Bonnie spent at KRNT, she worked in the traffic department, served as secretary to the General Manager, worked as the Assistant Sales Manager and finally went into sales for KRNT. After Bonnie started her own small fitness center business and worked for a communications company, she tried out for Van's co-host position in August 1994 and has been with the program ever since.

Van and Bonnie are up every morning by 3:30 a.m. and on the air at 4:59 a.m. Their creativity, family-friendly humor and enthusiasm have made WHO's morning show the most listened to in the state. They do a phenomenal job at connecting with Iowans and starting their day off with a smile.

Van and Bonnie provide a valuable service to the state of Iowa, and I am honored to recognize this most recent accomplishment. I wish Van, Bonnie and all of their coworkers at WHO the best of luck and continued success.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate a student from Gilbert Middle School in Ames, IA, for a recent academic accomplishment.

Jackson Holcomb received a distinguished award at the Belin-Blank Recognition Ceremony on October 6, 2007, at the University of Iowa. Jackson's award is in honor of his top one percent score on the Belin- Blank Exceptional Student Talent Search EXPLORE test. This test measures academic development in English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning.

Jackson's parents, Todd and Jane Holcomb, and his teachers are also to be commended and congratulated for this great accomplishment. They have instilled the importance and value of education in Jackson that has helped him to excel in school and beyond.

I commend Jackson Holcomb for his hard work in the classroom. I consider it an honor to represent Jackson and his family in Congress, and I wish him continued success in his academic studies.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the efforts of several individuals and groups in Boone, Iowa, for their contributions to the Muscular Dystrophy Association: Fire Chief Ed Knight and the Firefighters of Boone, and interim Wal-Mart manager C.J. Brown and Wal- Mart of Boone.

The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is a national voluntary health agency which is dedicated to conquering neuromuscular diseases and is funded almost entirely by individual private contributors. MDA seeks no government grants or fees from those it serves. Muscular dystrophy is not a specific disease, but actually a term that encompasses a variety of hereditary muscle destroying disorders that vary in inheritance pattern, age of onset, initial muscles attacked, and rate of progression. These muscle debilitating diseases affect over one million Americans including 560 families in Central Iowa and 38 families in Boone County.

The Boone Firefighters recently raised money for MDA through their annual golf tournament, and Wal-Mart of Boone generously matched the first $1000 raised. I admire all the hard work and contributions made during this fundraiser to aid those who are stricken with this disease. It truly is a sign of the great compassion Iowans show to those in need.

It is a great honor to represent the Boone Firefighters and all the employees of the Wal-Mart of Boone in the U.S. Congress, and I know my colleagues join me in recognizing them for yet another job well done.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Helen Irene Mors on the recent celebration of her 100th birthday on November 3, 2007.

Irene was born on November 3, 1907 in Thornton, IA, to Frank and Alberta Arnold. She is one of four brothers and three sisters. In 1928 she married John C. Mors in the world famous Little Brown Church in the vale in Nashua, IA. They happily lived together and had two sons. She was a proud homemaker for her family and loved to sketch and paint during her free time. Irene still lives in her own home in rural Iowa.

There have been many changes that have occurred during the past 100 years. Since Irene's birth we have revolutionized air travel and walked on the moon. We have invented the television and the Internet. We have fought in wars overseas, seen the rise and fall of Soviet communism and the birth of new democracies. Irene has lived through 18 U.S. presidents and 24 governors of Iowa. In her lifetime, the population of the United States has more than tripled.

I congratulate Helen Irene Mors on reaching the milestone of her 100th birthday. I am extremely honored to represent Irene in Congress, and I wish her happiness and health for many years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Bill Overman, City Clerk of Rhodes, Iowa, for his distinguished public service and dedication to the Rhodes community on the occasion of his retirement from that position.

For the past 28 years, Bill has served as city clerk. A life-long resident of Rhodes, Bill previously served as mayor from 1970 until 1979 before taking over the clerk position. He also retired from Lennox in Marshalltown in 2005 as a lean materials analyst after working for 37 years. As city clerk, Bill has been the chief administrator of services with a strong understanding of the needs and desires of the community.

I know that my colleagues in the United States Congress will join me to commend Bill Overman for his leadership and service to Rhodes, Iowa. I consider it an honor to serve Bill in Congress and I wish him the best in the future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Luther Holland of the McCallsburg Lions Club for his longtime service to the International Lions Club.

Luther has been named a Melvin Jones Fellow, which is one of the highest forms of recognition conferred by the Lions Clubs International Federation. The International Lions Club is a volunteer organization which works together to answer the needs that challenge communities around the world, including an end to preventable blindness, cleaning local parks and providing essential supplies to victims of natural disasters.

Luther was nominated because of his tireless dedication to improving his community. He has always attended and volunteered for community dinners and given his time for many fundraisers. He is a great example for this community, and I commend him on his enduring commitment.

I consider it an honor to represent Luther Holland in Congress, and I wish him the very best in his continued voluntary service.