Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information for publication in the Congressional Record regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 1105, the Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers.

Bill Number: H.R. 1105.

Account: Cooperative State Research Education and Extension Service--

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 140 to honor Congressman John D. Dingell for holding the record as the longest serving Member of the House of Representatives.

John D. Dingell's exemplary record of public service and dedication to serving the American people began at the age of 18. During World War II, he served as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army and received orders to take part in the first wave of a planned invasion of Japan. Fortunately, the war ended, probably saving the life of Mr. Dingell.

After finishing his military service, Congressman Dingell attended Georgetown University where he studied Chemistry, and later continued his studies at Georgetown Law School. Mr. Dingell returned to Michigan to work successively as a National Park Ranger, a prosecuting attorney for Wayne County, and he also ran his own private law office.

In 1955, John D. Dingell took office in the U.S. House of Representatives after winning a special election to replace his father. Congressman Dingell was elected to his 28th term this past November, and has served as Dean of the House since the 104th Congress.

As a scientist, I recognize that John D. Dingell's background in Chemistry and his experience as a National Park Ranger helped him understand science and environmental policy. In fact, Congressman Dingell has authored or been instrumental in the passage of some of our nation's most important environmental laws, including the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990.

Mr. Dingell's more than 53-year length of service has given him considerable wisdom and a deep understanding of Congressional procedures. He has earned the titles ``Dean of the House'' and ``Dean of the Michigan Delegation''. He is a model public servant, and we all benefit from his wisdom and good counsel. New Members of Congress and our youth should seek his advice.

On a personal note, I am deeply grateful for Congressman Dingell's helpful guidance when I joined the U.S. House of Representatives after winning a special election. Also, I sincerely appreciate his willingness to work with me on environmental policy issues. I truly value Mr. Dingell's friendship and certainly wish him many more years of successful work in the U.S. Congress.

Congressman has tirelessly advocated on behalf of his constituents and the people of Michigan. He deserves to be honored for his lifelong commitment to public service, and his dedication to the U.S. Congress should be celebrated.

Please join me honoring John D. Dingell by supporting this important resolution.

I thank the gentleman for yielding. And I suspect most of you are surprised to see me rise to join in the accolades for Miami University, because most of you know that I come from Grand Rapids, Michigan, where I taught at Calvin College, and before that was at the University of California at Berkeley where I got my doctorate and taught for 6 years. But yet I have a history in Ohio as a well.

I spent my high school years living in Willard, Ohio, and I recall hearing numerous references to Miami University. I was urged to consider attending Miami University because it was such an outstanding school, and that has been engraved on my mind. As I got

into higher education and became a professor myself, I began to appreciate even more the quality of Miami University as well as the quality of their faculty and their curriculum. So I am pleased to join everyone here in giving accolades to Miami University.

Surviving for 200 years as a university of that stature, with strong emphasis on academic studies and background, is not an easy task for a university, and very few American universities have achieved that other than those along the east coast. So I am very pleased to congratulate Miami on their 200th anniversary, and wish them very well for the next 100 or 200 years as well. If every university in this Nation were as dedicated to academic learning as Miami University, this would be an even more wonderful Nation than it is. I am pleased to support this resolution.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

It is a great honor to speak about Martin Luther King. I don't have a prepared statement because I was not aware this resolution was coming up, but over the years I have just been tremendously impressed by him, by his talent, by his ability, and particularly the way in which he handled himself and his movement. And I use the term ``his movement'' advisedly, because he became the leader of it, the right man, at the right time. I am always amazed at how the Lord seems to provide the right leader at the right time for good causes such as this.

Monday morning, I went to the annual breakfast in Grand Rapids, Michigan where we honor Martin Luther King. The room was filled with people honoring him and just joyous about his contributions to our Nation and its future. That evening, close to 3,000 people joined in another celebration. You may think this is a little surprising in the frozen North, which was not heavily involved in the Civil Rights program, but we feel very strongly about it in our community. We have an excellent community in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In particular, Mr. Walter Brame, who heads the Urban League in our area, has been a strong leader for years in providing equal opportunity for minorities in the workplace, in schools and other places.

Martin Luther King started something wonderful, which ended up being even more wonderful, and for that I am grateful to him. I am also grateful to God for sending us the right man at the right time to resolve a major national crisis.

It is with great pleasure that I rise today in support of House Resolution 39 offered by a good friend of mine, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski). This resolution increases our awareness of Catholic education while honoring the contributions of America's Catholic schools. I am also very pleased to be a cosponsor of this resolution. I have a long background with education and religious schools. My father was a pastor, and our denomination has supported Christian day schools for a considerable length of time and shares the approach and the ideas of the Catholic schools. Our schools were very effective in educating students. Emphasis was on academics, but also on how that applied to the world today and what responsibility we as students, and later adults, had to use our religious beliefs in the benefit of our fellow human beings and our Nation. Catholic schools have followed in this tradition.

I am pleased that January 25 through January 31, 2009, has been designated Catholic Schools Week, an annual tradition in its 35th year, and jointly sponsored by the National Catholic Education Association, as well as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. With this resolution, we recognize the vital role Catholic elementary and secondary schools play in providing an education with high standards of quality and excellence to the nearly 2.3 million students enrolled in Catholic schools across the country.

One thing I have always admired when I visit Catholic schools and speak to their students is the tremendous discipline in the classroom. And I wish all of our schools in this Nation had this discipline and that attention on learning.

According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic schools have a graduation rate of over 98 percent, and about 97 percent of Catholic high school graduates go on to post-secondary training at 4-year colleges, community colleges or technical schools. This success can also be attributed to the importance Catholic educators place on character and morals. By making the development of moral and social values an integral part of the curriculum, Catholic schools are ensuring that their students are not only good academicians, but also good citizens.

The theme for Catholic Schools Week this year is ``Catholic Schools Celebrate Service.'' This theme highlights the mission of Catholic schools to provide a faith-based education that supports the whole child academically and spiritually and impresses upon them the importance of civic engagement. Catholicism has a long and rich tradition of direct service to those in need. Catholic schools incorporate service projects into the curriculum, teaching students the value of helping others as an expression of faith and good citizenship.

Catholic schools demonstrated an enormous amount of character and compassion in their response to the devastating hurricanes that hit the gulf coast nearly 4 years ago. In the wake of this national disaster, more than 300,000 students were displaced from their homes, schools and communities. Catholic schools opened their doors and hearts and welcomed these students into their classrooms. They provided these children with the opportunity to continue their studies without stopping to consider how to cover the cost of that education. Instead, the Catholic schools knew their first priority was to educate these children and worry about the financing later on.

I appreciate the great work being done by Catholic schools, their administrators and teachers as well as their parents and volunteers. Catholic schools carry out their servant mission by building the academic achievement, character and values of their students.

Again, I commend the gentleman from Illinois for introducing this resolution and urge my colleagues to support it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx).

Madam Speaker, I thank you for your competent and professional manner in presiding today, and I yield myself the balance of my time in wrapping this discussion up.

I am very pleased to participate in this discussion today because I believe that Catholic schools and religious schools play an extremely important part in our American educational system.

I often deplore the fact that the Catholic schools and other religious schools, Christian and otherwise, do not get a fair shake in this Nation as compared to many other nations. I know when I lived in Europe for a year you could designate on your income tax how much you wanted to be delegated to schools of your choice, and they could be private schools, public schools, religious schools, what have you. That struck me as an eminently fair system. I don't expect we will ever have that in this country, but I do regret, given the excellent work that the Catholic schools do, and that other Christian and religious schools do in

educating students who are troubled, that we do not call upon these schools more often to help educate more of the children of this Nation.

I recall years ago when I joined some others in helping to raise money for scholarships for children who were troubled in their public schools, and who had great difficulties with their fellow students, and were getting into fights. We raised scholarship money so they could attend the Christian schools. Then a remarkable transformation occurred. Many of them became far better students and graduated and went on to good careers. I am convinced we can multiply this effort many times over, and I hope that the people of this country continue to contribute to these schools.

I was sorry to hear Mr. Lipinski say that the school that his wife attended is closing. That is a story that we are hearing far too often across this land. We are losing something very important when we have schools this good, with the superb records that we heard outlined by several speakers here, that they are closing while at the same time the students who would go there are going to other schools which are not serving them as well.

So I just want to do a little editorializing here because I do think that the Catholic schools, and many other schools in this country, do so much for our Nation, and yet do not receive the recognition and certainly do not receive any financial support from either Federal or State governments. I think it is our loss if they close and are no longer able to help the students that they do help so well.

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

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

I rise today in support of House Resolution 56 offered by the Representative from California, Ms. Linda Sanchez, and I am very pleased to join her as the lead Republican cosponsor of this important resolution.

National School Counseling Week is celebrated annually the first full week of February to help focus public attention on the unique contribution of professional school counselors. School counselors are employed in school districts in public and private schools of all levels across America to help students reach their full potential. They are actively committed to helping students explore their abilities, strengths, interests and talents as these traits relate to academic success and career awareness and development.

School counselors serve as a vital resource for parents by helping them focus on ways to further the educational, personal and social growth of their children. They work with teachers and other educators to help students explore their potential and set realistic goals for themselves. They often seek to identify and utilize community resources that can enhance and complement comprehensive school counseling programs that help students become productive members of society. These comprehensive developmental school counseling programs are considered an integral part of the educational process which enables all students to achieve.

National School Counseling Week highlights the impact that counselors can have in helping students achieve academic success and plan for a career. It is particularly important that school counselors encourage students to pursue challenging academic courses to prepare them for college majors and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. This year's theme, ``School Counselors: Making a Difference,'' truly sums up the results of the efforts they put forth daily to ensure that no child is left behind.

I have a personal interest in this aspect of counseling. As many here know, I have spent a good deal of my time trying to improve elementary and secondary school math and science education because that is going to be crucial for the jobs of the future. And if the students do not take math and science, they are not likely to get good and meaningful jobs in the future. School counselors can make a huge difference by making students aware of the need for those subjects in their future workplace, but, secondly, to assure them that, regardless of the reputation of these courses as being tough, the students can make it through and they can improve their learning.

I wish to close by expressing my sincere gratitude to all school counselors, not only from my State of Michigan, but from across this great Nation.

Again, I thank the Representative from California, Ms. Sanchez, for her work bringing this resolution forth today. And I also want to thank Chairman George Miller's and senior Republican Buck McKeon's staff, especially Chad Miller, for their input and assistance in bringing this resolution to the floor in a timely manner.

I urge my colleagues to support school counselors and this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Let me conclude by giving a personal example of why counseling is so important, even though I was not counseled by a school counselor, but my example illustrates the importance.

When I was a senior in high school, I had no idea what I was going to do with my life and my career. I didn't even intend to go to college; fortunately, my father persuaded me to do that. But I had no idea what I wanted to do. That summer I was driving a truck. I ended up sitting in a diner next to another person. We began speaking, and he told me that he was a mechanical engineer at Ford Motor Company. He talked to me about what he did, and it sounded really interesting and it sounded like fun. So when I got to college, I went through the registration line and at one point someone said, what is your major? I said, I don't know, I have no idea. They said, well, you have to declare a major. I said, well, I'm not sure. So they said, well, you have to pick something. I said, okay, I'm going to be a mechanical engineer. And I found it amazing that based on a 10-minute conversation with a total stranger I decided what the rest of my life was going to be like.

That illustrates the important impact that a school counselor--or for that matter a teacher--can have in advising students on what to do with their lives. As it so happens, after one year as a mechanical engineering student, my physics professor persuaded me to be a physicist instead, but nevertheless, the point is still made: Counseling is crucial, and counseling must be done and must be done well and professionally if we're going to provide a good service for the students of this Nation. And because of that, I am pleased to be a principal cosponsor of this resolution, and I urge its adoption.

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

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Mr. Stearns from Florida control the time on this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and service of William Spoelhof, president emeritus of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was born in 1909 in Paterson, New Jersey, and passed away on December 3, 2008, at the age of 98.

William Spoelhof graduated from Calvin College in 1931, and began teaching history and civics at the secondary level. He received his masters of arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1937, and began his doctoral studies there.

During World War II, Mr. Spoelhof enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and served our country in the Office of Strategic Services. Following the war, he completed his doctoral work, and went to Calvin College to teach history and political science in 1946.

After becoming president of Calvin College, Dr. Spoelhof oversaw the process of moving Calvin College from its original Franklin Street campus, located in urban Grand Rapids, to its current Knollcrest campus in southeast Grand Rapids.

Dr. Spoelhof carefully balanced the college's vision for excellent academics with its relationship with the Christian Reformed Church, as he effectively steered the college through occasional church conflicts and the tumultuous, nation-wide student protests of the 1960s.

In 1976, Dr. Spoelhof announced his retirement after 25 years, the longest serving president in Calvin College's history. After his formal retirement, he was named president emeritus and maintained an office and steady presence at the College, offering continued support and goodwill whenever needed.

Dr. Spoelhof was a Christian role model and mentor to many faculty members, staff and students, as he provided wisdom and counsel to thousands during his more than 8 decades of service to Calvin College.

On a personal note, Dr. Spoelhof recruited me from the University of California at Berkeley to teach physics at Calvin College. I am deeply grateful for his guidance and for leading me to teach at a wonderful, Christian liberal arts college.

Dr. Spoelhof is fondly remembered for his contributions to daily discussions with retired faculty and students at the ``Emeritorium'', and for his kind words to passers-by around the campus.

In 1935, William Spoelhof married Miss Angeline Nydam, and they had three children, Robert Spoelhof, Elsa Scherphorn, and Peter Spoelhof. Ange, as Dr. Spoelhof lovingly called his wife, passed away in 1994.

Dr. Spoelhof lived a life of gratitude, and desired to bring God glory in all he did. On December 3, 2008, the Calvin College community lost a visionary leader and wise friend. He is to be honored and recognized for his outstanding devotion and service as a member of the military, a Calvin College professor, and president and friend.

I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank you for the accommodation.

As soon as I discovered this issue was before us, I rushed to the floor so that I could participate in this discussion.

I worked closely with Ms. Millender-McDonald for several years. When I was Chair, she was ranking member, and when she was Chair, I was ranking member.

The word that comes to mind the second I think about her is ``elegance.'' She was a very elegant person. I mean that in a very positive sense. I'm not talking just about elegance in dress, elegance in bearing, but to the core of her being she was an elegant, wonderful human being.

I enjoyed working with her. We accomplished a lot together on the committee. We obviously had our differences now and then, but we always worked through them. And what always struck me as something really wonderful about her and about our Nation, and to show how far we've come, that a sharecropper's daughter could become the Chair of a major committee in the Congress of the United States. That's amazing, but it speaks very well of her in the way she comported herself, the way she had taught herself, the accomplishments that she had made during her life. Just a very remarkable person in every way.

The only regret I had was that she never shared with me anything about her illness or the seriousness of her illness. I believe she felt she had to carry that burden alone. And I would have been delighted and honored had she shared with me more of the details so that I could help her on this journey towards death, and that I could have been at her side praying with her and comforting her.

But it's just a great delight to see this honor bestowed upon her. I certainly hope this is an elegant highway that we're dedicating to her, because it would be befitting of her and her accomplishments, and above all, her presence as a human being, that this highway reflect her greatness, her elegance, her ability, and her dedication to her people and to this Nation.

I thank you.

I thank the gentleman for yielding. I appreciate his comments. I especially appreciate his support of this bill. I also commend the gentleman from Minnesota for his thorough discussion of the history of the Great Lakes pollution problems and the solutions that we have developed. I certainly appreciate his support for this bill.

I rise today in strong support of the reauthorization of one of, if not the most, effective Federal environmental cleanup programs ever developed. Those are not my words, those are the words I have heard from many individuals about the Great Lakes Legacy Act which we put in effect a few years ago. This bill today will continue that act.

In 2002, I authored the original Great Lakes Legacy Act, which was passed into law with broad bipartisan support. The Great Lakes Legacy Act provides Federal funding to clean up contaminated sediments in the tributaries of our Great Lakes. These contaminated sediments are a legacy of our industrial past, and the longer we wait to clean them up, the greater the likelihood that they will be transported into the open waters of the Great Lakes, where cleanup is virtually impossible.

Just to give one example, the city of Kalamazoo, Michigan, has been renowned for years for the paper plants which developed high quality paper using the forests of Michigan. When PCBs were discovered, that seemed like an ideal thing to include in the composition of the coatings on the paper. No one realized their poisonous, toxic nature, and today the Kalamazoo River bottom is littered with remnants of that time with considerable amounts of PCBs.

Earlier this year, Congressman Oberstar and I introduced H.R. 6460 to reauthorize and expand the Great Lakes Legacy Act. In addition to making a number of improvements to the original law, our bill also dramatically increased the authorization for Great Lakes cleanup from $50 million per year to $150 million per year. If fully appropriated, this funding level has the potential to clean up all of the known toxic hot spots within 10 years, which will save a considerable amount of money over the cost which will be incurred if we do not clean it up and those toxic materials get into the Great Lakes.

On September 18, the House passed the Great Lakes Legacy Act by an overwhelming majority of 371-20. Unfortunately, the Senate was unable to overcome the objections of a few Senators who did not appreciate the necessity to authorize enough money to clean up all of the contaminated sediments within the next decade. Because the Legacy Act expires on September 30th, which is rapidly approaching, supporters in the Senate, most notably Senator Levin and Senator Voinovich, worked hard to draft a compromise amendment that ensures this vital cleanup program continues.

The Senate approved the amended Legacy Act by unanimous consent on September 25. That is the bill which is before us. It is not what I had hoped to have. It is not what I think we should have. But the Senate amendment, although it decreases the $150 million per year authorization, does continue the current $50 million per year authorization, plus $4 million per year for ancillary activities.

The amendment also decreases the authorization from 5 years to 2 years. This is not because we want to shorten the period of time this bill is in effect, but because the Senators wanted to reintroduce the bill with us next year and put in place a longer bill with greater authorization.

Although I am disappointed that this funding authority has been decreased, I am pleased with for the broad support this program has garnered. Congressman Oberstar has mentioned some of that broad support. I especially appreciate the commitment of Chairman Oberstar to revisit this authorization in the 111th Congress.

I once again want to thank Chairman Oberstar, Chairwoman Johnson, and especially Ranking Members Mica and Boozman for their hard work and for moving this bill so expeditiously. It is not always easy for individuals from other parts of the country to appreciate the importance of the Great Lakes and the importance of cleaning up the toxic materials. I personally want to thank Chairman Boozman for his very diligent work in examining this issue, fully understanding it, and getting the bill through the process.

I also want to thank all the members of the Great Lakes Task Force, and there are many, who have joined in cosponsoring this particular bill.

I ask my colleagues to once again join me in supporting H.R. 6460. Let's immediately get this bill on the President's desk for his signature, so that this important work can continue unabated.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information for publication in the Congressional Record regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2638, the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act of 2009.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers.

Bill Number: H.R. 2638.

Account: Rdte,A Research, Development, Test And Evaluation, Army.

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Grand Valley State University.

Address of Requesting Entity: 301 Michigan Street, NE, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 49503

Description of Request: I am requesting funding for the Midwest Traumatic Injury Rehabilitation Center at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in fiscal year 2009. The funding for this project will help Grand Valley State University partner with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital to develop a specialized educational curriculum, and an integrated model of total patient care in order to help those servicemembers and veterans who suffer from a traumatic brain injury and/or limb loss. This bill provides $1,460,000 for this project. Out of this amount, GVSU plans to spend $400,000 on the educational design, $985,000 for twenty veterans in treatment, and $75,000 for evaluation and continuous improvement. I certify that neither I nor my spouse has any financial interest in this project.

Requesting Member: Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers.

Bill Number: H.R. 2638.

Account: Rdte,N Research, Development, Test And Evaluation, Navy.

Legal Name of Requesting Entity: GE Aviation.

Address of Requesting Entity: 3290 Patterson Avenue, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49512

Description of Request: I am requesting funding for GE Aviation in fiscal year 2009 for the Micro-munitions Interface for Tactical Unmanned Systems (MITUS). The funding would be used to develop an interface between Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) and micro-munitions, which are defined as weapons weighing less than 100 pounds. Integration of micro-munitions onto UAS's requires a stores/weapons management interface that provides a safe and effective integration between the weapon and the unmanned system. This bill provides $1,600,000 for this project. Out of this amount, GE Aviation plans to spend $250,000 to complete the development of key technologies for the MITUS project to include: high-speed communication network, airborne weapon emulator, interface for micro-munitions, unmanned safety architecture, universal stores management system; $200,000 to conduct lab demonstrations of these enabling technologies and validation of the SAE industry interface standard; $400,000 for the integration of these capabilities into various unmanned systems leading up to a flight demonstration; and $750,000 for flight demonstration in FY09/FY10 to test the interoperability of tactical unmanned systems integrating the MITUS technologies with various micro-munitions, which includes items necessary to support flight test including: Safety board reviews, range time, UAS operation, munitions and targets. I certify that neither I nor my spouse has any financial interest in this project.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Robert A. Gleich, Jr., on the occasion of his retirement from his position of Deputy Superintendent, House Office Buildings.

Bob Gleich began his career with the Architect of the Capitol in November 1976 in the AOC's Construction Management division, where he worked on many sizeable projects, including final construction of the Madison Building. His experience in overseeing large-scale construction projects proved helpful as he then transitioned to the A/C Engineering Division, where he was assigned to oversee the construction of the Hart Senate Office Building. Bob's engineering expertise and construction management skills were instrumental in the successful completion of this high profile project, which was finished on time and on budget.

Following a promotion in August 1987 to Assistant Superintendent, House Office Buildings, Bob was named Deputy Superintendent, House Office Buildings, in December 1992, a position which he holds today on the eve of his retirement from public service.

In his role as Deputy Superintendent, Bob has been involved in many initiatives which have transformed the AOC into an organization that is dedicated to completing its mission with a commitment to exceptional performance, and a focus on quality customer service. He played a critical role in developing the first automated work order system in the AOC. He also chaired a group charged with developing a computer aided facility management (CAFM) system for the AOC designed to improve the Architect's facility management data collection.

This system which was implemented in 1999, was enhanced in 2004, and remains a key component in the AOC's successful management of the facilities that comprise the Capitol Hill complex.

Bob continued to build on his accomplishments by streamlining the Congressional office-moves process for the House of Representatives. Through his efforts, the room selection process has been transformed from a labor-intensive process where information and data required manual display, forcing Members and staff to spend an extensive amount of time monitoring the process, to a fully automated process that can be monitored via the Web, reducing Member and staff time by approximately 90 percent. This transformation has made the Congressional office-moves process easier to execute, and has increased the customer satisfaction scores to greater than 95 percent during the last three Congressional move cycles.

Upon his retirement, Bob will be embarking on a new career in the private sector. We wish Bob our best as he begins this exciting new chapter of his life, and extend our good wishes to him, his wife Petra, and his six children, Aaron, Robbie, Ryan, Dana, Dustin, and Derrick.

Madam Speaker, due to illness, I unfortunately was unable to be present and to vote on the legislation considered by the House on September 15, 16, and 17, 2008.

On rollcall numbers 589, 590, 591, 600, and 601, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

On rollcall numbers 592, 593, 594, 595, 596, and 597, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

On rollcall number 599, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' Though the Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act (H.R. 6899) included some good provisions, many of which I had supported in the past, the bill also included many provisions that concerned me. I was very troubled by the legislative process. The drafting and introduction of this legislation included no Republican Members, and the bill was offered under a closed rule, prohibiting any Republican amendments for consideration.

On rollcall number 598, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.'' A bipartisan compromise was presented in the form of the Republican Motion to Recommit.

I regret that I did not have the opportunity to vote on these important measures.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S.J. Res. 45, the Great Lakes--St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact. This resolution represents the culmination of efforts, which started nearly a decade ago, to create a framework to govern water withdrawals from the Great Lakes Basin.

The Great Lakes comprise the largest source of freshwater in the world--20 percent of the Earth's total and 95 percent of the surface freshwater in the United States--and they provide drinking water, transportation and recreation to tens of millions of people in the United States and Canada. Although the Great Lakes contain copious amounts of fresh water, less than one percent of the water in the Great Lakes is renewed every year through rain, snow melt, and groundwater recharge, with the remaining ninety-nine percent remaining in the lakes each year. In other words, the Great Lakes are a non-renewable resource that is currently at jeopardy from large-scale water diversions outside the Great Lakes Basin.

The catalyst for the creation of a Great Lakes Compact came in 1998 when the government of Ontario granted a permit to a private Canadian company to ship up to 160 million gallons of water per year to Asia. Thankfully, the public outcry was so strongly opposed that the deal died.

In the wake of this incident, Congress included language in the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2000 which prohibited the export of Great Lakes water from the basin unless the request for withdrawal received unanimous approval of all eight Great Lakes governors. WRDA 2000 also encouraged the Great Lakes states, in consultation with Canada, to develop and implement a compact that would govern withdrawals of water from the Great Lakes Basin.

In 2005, the 8 Great Lakes governors, in collaboration with the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, local governments, and other stakeholders, endorsed the Great Lakes Compact and referred it to the state legislatures for consideration.

On July 9, 2008, my home state of Michigan became the last Great Lake state to approve the Compact--sending it to Congress for final ratification.

The Senate passed S.J. Res. 45 by unanimous consent on August 1 and the House Judiciary Committee approved a similar House version (H.R. 6577) by voice vote on July 30. I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 6577.

The Great Lakes Compact prohibits new or increased out-of-basin, large-scale water diversions except under special circumstances, and it requires all of the Great Lakes states to develop water conservation and efficiency programs.

With respect to small-scale water diversions (containers less than 5.7 gallons), such as for bottled water, beer, and canned foods, the Compact allows states to choose how to regulate these small transfers. For instance, Michigan regulates bottled water under the Compact by requiring producers to obtain a state permit for new or increased water withdrawals of more than 200,000 gallons per day. Under Michigan law, a permit may be granted if, among other requirements, there are no individual or cumulative adverse impacts, the water withdrawal is reasonable under common law principles, and the producer has certified that it is in compliance with water conservation measures.

Although some have voiced concern over this ``bottled water exemption,'' I believe these small-scale withdrawals are better left to the states to regulate. In addition, much of the bottled water will likely remain the Great Lakes watershed, and changing the agreement now would mean the entire process must start over. With water predicted to become the oil of the future, it is imperative that we pass this agreement now so that we ensure the water in the Great Lakes Basin stays within the basin.

I hope my colleagues will join me, the Great Lakes governors, state legislatures, the U.S. Senate, and President Bush in supporting the Great Lakes Compact. Vote for S.J. Res. 45.

Mr. Speaker, (Mr. Chairman), on rollcall No. 600 and 601, I missed these votes due to illness (influenza). Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on both.