Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commend the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of St. Louis. In 2005 alone the AGC has been involved in more that $52 billion worth of construction projects that employed approximately 80,000 workers. The members of the AGC provide the skill, teamwork and spirit of innovation that makes a lasting contribution to our community; building facilities that support and enhance the quality of life in the St. Louis region. Whether it is a church or school, road or utilities, these skilled craftspeople conduct themselves and their work in a safe manner so as to avoid accidents and injuries. Their commitment to exceptional standards has been recognized by both the U.S. Department of Labor and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) along with receiving the coveted first place award for safety excellence from the National AGC Safety Awards (NASA) Program for 2004 and prior years. The AGC has also created a special safety training unit, Operation Safesite, which includes two full-time construction professionals who provide on the jobsite training along with construction training school classes. I applaud the AGC's vision and commitment toward improving construction safety in the St. Louis metropolitan community. I would like to recognize February 21-February 28 as Construction Safety Week in St. Louis County.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues in honoring the important role that Catholic schools play in educating the children of America, including in my hometown of St. Louis. Catholic schools not only teach our kids how to think, but also teach them how to live.

Catholic schools have always been known for their high academic standards and excellent teachers, but I would like to draw your attention to their ability to provide more than just an excellent academic education. The Catholic schools in my district are a perfect example of this--providing children from a young age with a moral foundation which leads them to serve their community through out their lives.

It was strong religious and moral beliefs that drove our Nation's Founders to develop a country where individual freedom is coupled with individual responsibility. Catholic schools across our great Nation continue to produce students who understand their responsibility and act accordingly. The values imparted and the strong faith that Catholic schools develop in their students produces citizens who understand the importance of service and diligently work for the good of our country.

I am honored to represent a district where numerous Catholic schools provide a rigorous academic education and a moral compass to guide students through their lives. Catholic schools in Missouri's Second Congressional District and throughout the St. Louis region produce well-rounded and morally grounded members of our community. The teachers, administrators, parents, and students of Catholic schools deserve this recognition for the tremendously positive impact they have on our Nation. These schools will continue to play a significant role in developing responsible American citizens for our future generations.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to strongly support the passage of the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005. This bill will encourage and support the most promising avenue of stem cell research available to us today, and will do so without ending a human life, as is required in embryonic stem cell research. Cord blood is one the most exciting areas of medical research today and successful treatments have been developed for a wide range of diseases, from sickle cell anemia to leukemia.

The promise of medical research using the stem cells found in umbilical cords is truly amazing. Stem cells from cord blood have already resulted in treatments for at least 67 different human afflictions and future research looks immensely promising. Just one example of this is the successful treatment of numerous children afflicted by Krabbe's Disease. Dozen's of children across the country have been saved from an early death by cord blood transplants. This legislation will make cord blood more readily available to save lives and treat numerous conditions.

This summer I had the opportunity to visit a leading center of cord blood-based stem cell research. The St. Louis Cord Blood Bank at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital is one of the leaders in this field and is the second largest cord blood bank in the world. It was exciting to see the research being done and hear stories about the lives that have been radically altered by successful cord blood treatments. I believe that the work being done by the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank is just a taste of what can be accomplished in the future.

While embryonic stem cell research may draw more media attention and certainly produces many improbably optimistic promises for the future, cord blood stem cells are already producing treatments. Embryonic stem cell research requires the death of an innocent embryo, but cord blood stem cells are a gift from God that we would be irresponsible to waste. Cord blood stem cell research has already resulted in numerous successful medical treatments, and I believe that this research has a bright future. The support and coordination of cord blood banking and research efforts across the country will benefit our citizens in numerous ways in the years ahead. I urge my colleagues to support the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005.

Mr. Speaker, in his first State of the Union address, President Abraham Lincoln said, ``It is as much the duty of government to render prompt justice against itself in favor of citizens as it is to administer the same between private individuals.'' President Lincoln said this in reference to the United States Court of Claims which he proposed Congress to establish for the purpose of justly resolving the claims of citizens against the United States. One of the most fundamental rights we enjoy in this nation is the right to know that our property is free from confiscation absent the protections of the Fifth Amendment. When the government does confiscate a citizen's property, the United States Constitution requires the government to provide the citizens from whom the property is confiscated full and fair compensation for the property that has been taken.

A matter has come to my attention in which the United States government falls tragically short of meeting this obligation. I refer to those individual property owners in St. Louis County whose property has been confiscated by the Federal Government for use as a public recreational trail under the Federal Trails Act. These citizens' property was taken more than 12 years ago when it was converted to a recreational trail under the Federal Trails Act, and they have still not received compensation. This is so despite the fact that the Justice Department has admitted in a settlement agreement and in numerous court pleadings that the Federal Government has confiscated their property and that the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires that the Federal Government pay these property owners the fair value of the property taken. The Justice Department and the property owners each hired appraisers who determined the fair value of the property and after 6 years of litigation in the Federal Court of Claims a settlement agreement was reached.

Yet, two days before this agreement was to be approved by the judge, the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision in a Georgia case called Caldwell v. United States. The

Justice Department and the U.S. Court of Claims have interpreted that case as announcing a new rule for the time when a property owner must file a claim to recover the value of his property taken by operation of the Trails Act. This ``new rule'' is inconsistent with the understanding of Congress when we enacted the Trails Act and, as announced by the dissenting opinion in the Caldwell case, is ``contrary to all authority''. The Federal Circuit decision ruled that the statute of limitations for Trails Act compensation claims begins to run, not when the property owners land is actually taken from the landowner, but when the Surface Transportation Board issues a notice that there is a possibility that the land might be taken in the future.

Mr. Speaker, this ``new rule'' announced by the Caldwell court, as it has been interpreted and applied by the Justice Department and the lower courts, will work a great injustice to a limited number of property owners whose property has been confiscated but will now be denied compensation, while at the same time requiring the Federal Government to pay compensation for property that might never be converted to a public recreational trail. The new Caldwell rule will cost the Federal Government plenty--requiring taxpayers to pay significantly greater interest for compensation claims during the time before the property was ever taken from the land owners.

Mr. Speaker, this injustice is best illustrated by the letter I received from Gale and Sara Illig. Mr. and Mrs. Illig live in my home county of St. Louis, Missouri and their property was taken for a recreational trail. I incorporate Mr. and Mrs. Illig's letter in these remarks.

Dear Congressman Akin: We have a small business. Gale is in

commercial holiday decorating and Sarah helps in the

business. After a number of years of saving, in 1984 we

bought our home in Grantwood Village. By most standards it is

a modest home but it is a home that we love and have worked

hard to care for and improve over the years. This home is

where we have raised our family and now spend our retirement

years. We are not a family of great wealth and our home

represents our most significant asset.

When we bought our home in 1984, one of the features that

appealed to us was the quiet and secluded community and

location. A screened-in sun porch on the south side of our

home is one of our favorite rooms. Outside the sun porch and

further to the south is the now abandoned Missouri Pacific

Railroad right-of-way. We own the property over which the

MoPac held an easement for this branch-line of their

railroad. The tracks themselves were just a single line and

they were infrequently used. Between the tracks and our home

was a large, attractive hedge which gave us privacy.

In 1992 a not-for-profit nature trail group negotiated with

MoPac to acquire this now abandoned railroad right-of-way. We

have been told that the federal government gave the trail

group the authority to acquire this abandoned railroad right-

of-way and to prevent us from using our property. We

understand that the federal Trails Act gave them this ability

to take our property even though under Missouri law we had

the right to use and occupy this property once it was

abandoned by MoPac. We wrote to Senator Bond in 1992

expressing concern about the effect this trail would have

upon our home and property value. While the railroad had a

full 100 foot width easement, they only used a very narrow 12

feet that was occupied by the train tracks and, as noted,

that was used infrequently. Because of the Trails Act, the

trail organization now claims the right to use the full 100

foot width of the original railroad easement, including the

right to cut and remove all of the foliage on this part of

our property. Additionally, with the trail use we now have,

quite literally, hundreds of people biking and walking

through our property where previously we enjoyed a quiet and

secluded home.

Now, we want to make clear that we do not oppose

recreational hiking and biking trails and we think parks and

recreational trails are a fine thing. It is just that when,

as in our situation, the federal government runs the trail

through our property without our consent we believe that we

should be fairly compensated for this taking of our property.

This public trail runs just several feet from our sunroom and

across almost the entire southern third of our property.

We have always understood that the U.S. Constitution

provided us the guarantee that if our property were to be

taken we would be compensated. I mentioned that we are a

family of modest means and this is true. This causes us to

feel even more painfully the effect that this taking of our

property has had upon our own home value.

The government took our property almost 13 years ago. We

spent more than 6 years in a lawsuit with the government

seeking to be compensated for the government's taking of this

property. In that lawsuit, the Justice Department agreed that

this taking of our property represented a value of $72,065

taken from us by the federal government. The Justice

Department also agreed that they would pay us this money and

that they were responsible to make this payment under the

Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Justice

Department also agreed to pay us interest on this because it

has now been 13 years since our property was taken. The

Justice Department's agreement that they would pay us was

long overdue but was very welcome.

As we get older we face the realistic understanding that we

will not be able to live in our home forever. During the

twelve years since the trail was created, Gale has suffered

both cancer and a multiple heart valve replacement. The value

that we have built up in our home is an asset that we look to

provide for our needs when we reach a point where we can no

longer care for this home and need to move into other living

arrangements. For this reason the $72,065 plus interest since

1992, while not much money to the federal government, is

quite literally huge to us. This is why we were so pleased

when the settlement was reached last December.

* * * what happened next, * * * is still one of the most

outrageous experiences in our life and represents a great

injustice to us personally. Two days before the hearing with

the Judge to approve the settlement, we understand that the

Court of Appeals decided a Georgia Trails Act case. The

government claimed this case changed the law and meant that

now they now no longer had to pay us what they had agreed

they were obligated to pay us for the confiscation of our

property.

We are not lawyers so maybe that is why we cannot

understand the nuances of this, but, to us, a very simple

principle is involved. The government has taken our property,

the government agreed that they have taken our property (I am

told by [our attorney] that the government agreed to this not

just once, but on multiple occasions in formal statements

filed with the Court), the government agrees how much they

owe us for the property, including interest, and the

government is required by the U.S. Constitution to pay us

this money. Then, at literally the last minute, they claim

the law has changed because of a case in Georgia so they

no longer have to pay us. This is just flat wrong! And, no

amount of legal nuance can make it right.

Congressman Akin, a lot of us in St. Louis experienced the

same sense of outrage during the October 16th Cardinals game

against the Astros when the home plate umpire, Cuzzi, called

what was clearly a ball to be a strike on Jim Edmonds and

then threw Jim Edmonds out of the game. That bad call did not

necessarily change the outcome of the game. But the tragic

effect of this bad call by the Court in the Georgia case and

the bad call by the Department of Justice to use that case as

an excuse for the government to escape its obligation to pay

us for our property represents a devastating financial

setback for our family.

We have always worked hard, saved our money, and paid our

taxes and expected that the federal government would treat us

in a fair and just manner. We must tell you that we see this

effort by the government to now escape their clear

constitutional obligation to pay us (and the other one

hundred property owners from whom they admit taking property)

as a very fundamental injustice. For that reason, we are

extremely grateful to have you represent us in the Congress

and greatly appreciate your efforts to address this

injustice. We are grateful for your help on this matter of

such great importance to us.

Warmest regards,

Sarah and Gale Illig.

Mr. Speaker, this letter demonstrates my initial point that the Federal Government has dramatically fallen short of President Lincoln's standard of ``providing prompt justice against itself in favor of citizens''. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4581 remedies this injustice and also returns administration of the Trails Act to a manner consistent with Congress' intention when initially passed.

The Purpose of H.R. 4581, the Easement Owners' Fair Compensation Claims

Act of 2005

The Easement Owners' Fair Compensation Claims Act of 2005 will remedy the injustice worked by the Federal Circuit Decision in Caldwell v. United States. It will establish clearly Congress's intent regarding when the Trails Act is intended to interfere with a property owner's interest and it will provide that those property owners in the limited number of cases affected by this Caldwell decision are, in fact, provided full, fair compensation for the property that the Federal Government took from them while, at the same time, assuring that the Federal Government does not use taxpayers' funds to pay for claims where it did not take any property and where ultimately, no recreational trail is ever created. In so doing, we will bring justice on behalf of those owners whose property is taken and we will also preserve and steward the taxpayers' resources by not paying for claims where no recreational trail for public use is ever created. This bill will provide the constitutionally mandated compensation to those property owners whose lands have been confiscated (as the Justice Department has already admitted) while on a broader level saving the Government from having to pay money for property that is never taken for a public recreational trail and prevent the Federal Government from having to pay interest for a ``taking'' of property years before the property owner's State law right to use and possess the property is ever interfered with.

In short, H.R. 4581 restores the date for starting the statute of limitations to the date

when the property owners' rights to the property are actually taken by the Federal Government. This is consistent with Congress's intention when the Trails Act amendments were passed in 1983 and will assure compensation to those property owners whose property the Government already acknowledged taking but not require the Government to pay compensation or interest for property never converted to trail use. H.R. 4581 will not undercut the operation of the Trails Act but will actually make it more cost efficient and will fairly treat those property owners whose property is actually taken for a trail.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to support the Ryun amendment. What this amendment does is it protects that long-standing and high standard that is affirmed by our oath of allegiance, and it has been referred to that this is a solemn moment, a proud moment, and for many people, it is a dream that has come true.

Let us try to put this in a little bit of a perspective. This is, in a sense, a form of what is sometimes called in old-fashioned language a covenant, a covenant between a people and a person who wants to join a nation.

What are other types of covenants? One of them is a marriage, where a man and a woman pledge allegiance to each other equally. So this is a solemn moment. Try to picture yourself getting married and saying, yes, I want to get married, but I have got a couple of other marriages going, too. That is not going to fly very well.

What this does, this is a dream come true. This is a commitment to a country and to a way of life and to a set of principles. It is something that has always been held in high regard. I think it is totally appropriate for this Chamber to control some bureaucrats that just want to change language and water it down.

Mr. Speaker, it was my great pleasure to serve this year as the Congressional Co-chair for the House of Representatives for National Bible Week, November 20 though November 27, 2005.

The Bible was foundational to development of our country. The English Puritans came to the New World to follow the Bible according to the convictions of their own consciences. Of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, 24 had what today would be considered Bible college or seminary educations. Only a few years later, in 1782, Congress itself authorized the printing of the Bible.

The Bible has found its way into everything from casual conversation--expressions like ``by the sweat of your brow'' and ``''the salt of the earth'' and myriad others all come from Scripture-- to the landscape of America. From Corinth, Maine to Bethel, Alaska, the Bible has marked our national map.

More than any map, however, the Bible has marked who we are as a people. Earlier generations of Americans almost inhaled the words of Scripture as they inhaled the air. To read the inaugural addresses of our Presidents, from George Washington to George W. Bush, is to read repeated allusions to or quotations of biblical texts.

The Bible speaks to the uniqueness of man--that we are all made in the image and likeness of God. It speaks of the greatness of God--that He is the object of true worship, the fount of all blessings and the Redeemer, Lawgiver, Friend, Savior and Judge.

Historically, we have been a people of the Book. We lose our allegiance to and our reliance on the Bible to our grave peril.

The Bible can be hard to understand. Yet as the theologian R.C. Sproul has written, ``We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work.''

And it is worthwhile work. There can be nothing nobler than seeking not only to know the Bible's teachings but to know the Bible's God.

It was President Lincoln who said, ``I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book.'' Or, as Jesus Himself remarked, ``Search the Scriptures . . . for they testify of Me.''

Today, Mr. Speaker, I echo Abraham Lincoln's comments and urge my colleagues and all Americans to reacquaint themselves with the Bible. As literature, it is unmatched. As philosophy, it is unparalleled. And as truth, it will make you free.

I commend the National Bible Association for its outstanding work to bring the Bible to the attention of all Americans of every faith and creed. And I am humbled by the opportunity to serve in such a way as to draw attention to this most precious of books.

Mr. Speaker, in anticipation of National Philanthropy Day, I rise to draw attention to the generosity of the American people and the organizations that work to give hope and help to so many in our country. National Philanthropy Day is recognized by the Association of Fundraising Professionals on November 15.

More specifically, I rise today in recognition of the many Missourians who give selflessly of their time, talent and finances to assist neighbors in need as well as victims of poverty, natural disaster and conflict. I commend the good work of the volunteers and staff of non-profit organizations and the financial donors who underwrite their efforts.

According to a study by the U.S. Department of Labor and Purdue University, more than 30 percent of Missourians volunteered their time in 2003. The paid staff of charitable organizations should be commended highly for their good work. However, most would agree that they simply could not do what they do without the hearts, minds and hands of dedicated volunteers.

So, today, I recognize not only the organizations but the people who brighten the days of those in need. It was Theodore Roosevelt who charged all of our fellow citizens to ``Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.'' Many of my constituents in the St. Louis area are doing just that.

Following is a small sampling of the numerous charitable organizations doing great things in and around Missouri's Second Congressional District. Each of these charities has distinguished itself in a variety of ways and should be commended for its good work in the St. Louis area. Their sacrifice and compassion is building a better society for all, and we all are in their debt.

Boone Center, www.boonecenter.com. BCI is a St. Charles County non- profit organization committed to providing employment opportunities for adults with disabilities. Established in 1959 as a one-employee candle making shop, Boone Center now employs over 200 adults with disabilities.

Catholic Charities of St. Louis, www.ccstl.org. A federation of 12 agencies and more than 100 programs providing services to people in need including housing services, elder and child day care programs, substance abuse recovery, legal assistance, foster care, emergency shelter and community outreach programs just to name a few. Last year they provided direct services to more than 111,000 individuals.

Connections to Success, www.connectionstosuccess.org. An organization which defines itself as devoted to breaking the cycle of poverty one family at a time. Programs include; Dress for Success, Professional Women's Group, Wheels for Success, Wheels of Hope and a faith-based mentoring program.

Extra Hands for ALS, www.extrahands.org. Based in St. Louis, Extra Hands for ALS is a national voluntary service charity assisting people with ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease. Extra Hands partners high school and college students with families affected with an ALS diagnosed individual to assist them in everyday tasks.

Joyce Meyer Ministries World Outreach, http://www.joycemeyer.org/ proiects/wo_sub/index.php. Provides humanitarian aid to the world's poor and in response to natural disaster such as the recent tsunami. Assistance includes personal items such as food, water, clothing, hygiene items, and items necessary for rebuilding communities such as boats, bicycles and sewing machines.

KidSmart, http://www.kidsmartstl.org/, KidSmart works to provide children and their classrooms with the basic tools for learning by transferring, at no cost, the community's surplus supplies and merchandise into the hands of teachers for school children in need.

Mercy Ministries, http://www.mercyministries.org/, Mercy Ministries is a full-time residential care ministry for young women who are struggling with life-controlling issues such as eating disorders, depression, abuse, and chemical dependency. Each girl stays free-of- charge. She comes voluntarily and spends, on average, six months in the home as she deals with the underlying causes of her difficulties.

Mission Gate Prison Ministry, www.missiongateministrv.org, Provides residential guidance and counseling to 75 former alcoholics, drug users and convicts in both S1. Louis after -care and Fort Good Shepherd Ranch. They also provide evangelistic services in prisons and shelters and the Christmas Angel mission reaching thousands of prisoners' children with gifts, the gospel of Christ and church referral.

Pregnancy Resource Center, http://www.prcmo.net/index.php, The Pregnancy Resource Center provides support and counseling to pregnant women and girls including free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, counseling, parenting education, mentoring programs for men and essential items for newborns. Women are also referred for prenatal care, which is often their first contact with a healthcare provider.

Service International, www.serviceinternational.org, Service International (SI) works in the U.S. and abroad, working to empower individuals and communities in crisis by providing leadership training, volunteer coordination, medical care, materials and supplies, and hands-on rebuilding. SI brings fresh hope and tangible help through sustained recovery, with the goal of honoring God and helping people.

Saint Louis Crisis Nursery, http://www.crisisnurserykids.com/, Works to prevent child abuse and neglect by providing emergency intervention, respite care and support to families in crisis through short-term care for young children, helping families resolve crisis, offering ongoing support and education to families, providing community outreach and awareness, and advocating for children and families.

Saint Patrick Center, www.stpatrickcenter.org, Saint Patrick Center has impacted the lives of more than 65,000 homeless persons and is recognized nationally for programs that help individuals and families move from homelessness to independence in measurable, costeffective ways. The Center serves 10,000 individuals and families annually.

These organizations could not function effectively without the support of individual donors and philanthropic grantmakers. Mother Teresa said, ``To keep a lamp burning, we have to keep putting oil in it.'' Donors give staff and volunteers the financial tools that they need to do the charitable work to which they are committed.

Some of the key foundations fueling charitable organizations in St. Louis include: Anheuser-Busch Foundation, Boeing-McDonnell Foundation, The Crawford Taylor Foundation, Daughters of Charity Foundation, Deer Creek Foundation, Emerson Charitable Trust, Employees Community Fund of Boeing-St. Louis, James S. McDonnell Foundation, Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis, Monsanto Fund, National Children's Cancer Society, Inc., and the St. Louis Cardinals Community Fund.

The charities and grantmakers mentioned in this statement are just examples of the thousands of American NGO's endeavoring to improve the lives of others both at home and abroad.

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to reflect on the hard work and dedication of so many who take to heart the words of Scripture, ``It is more blessed to give than to receive'' (Acts 20:35). It is with admiration and respect that I commend the charitable community for stepping in to provide aid to the most vulnerable among us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 525, the Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2005.

In 2003, there were an estimated 45 million Americans without health insurance. Small businesses employ over 60 percent of those currently uninsured.

Without question, cost is often the biggest barrier to affordable health insurance for small businesses. Too often, I hear from small businesses owners back in my district in Missouri that the affordability of health insurance is their number one concern. This problem has been deepened in recent years as the overall cost of health care has risen. While large employer-sponsored health plans have seen an average 12-percent increase in health insurance premiums, small businesses have been

faced with annual premium increases of up to 50 percent, forcing many firms to drop coverage altogether.

By allowing small firms to join an association health plan as H.R. 525 would do, small employers would enjoy greater bargaining power because they would become part of a larger bargaining force, enabling them to offer their employees the same advantages and benefits that are currently available to larger companies.

I doubt that many of my colleagues here would deny the fact that small businesses are leaders in innovation. They pay the majority of our Nation's taxes and employ the majority of our Nation's workforce. Yet we have burdened them with excessive regulations to the point that they cannot afford to provide health insurance to their employees. We must not deny quality, affordable health care to these hard-working Americans who want to safeguard their own health and provide their families access to such protections.

I urge my colleagues to support the Small Business Health Fairness Act.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment for several reasons. The first thing, it is a very basic kind of principle of politics and how we do government, that is, the idea of a use tax. When we buy gasoline at the gas pump, there is a tax on it and the purpose of that tax is to be able to build roads.

In this case, there are tow boats and barges and they pay a gasoline tax and the purpose of that tax is to help build our infrastructure. Through the years, the people that have been going up and down the Mississippi and the Ohio river valleys with the barges and the tow boats have been paying this tax. The tax, I believe, should be used to rebuild these locks.

I am from the St. Louis area, and some of these locks are just antiques. We do not even know when they are going to break sometimes. We have to move goods up and down the river. There are some critical supplies that have to get to various cities, such as fuel oil to Chicago and other things like that, not to mention the grain that is going out of the country. That is why it is very important to rebuild these locks. We are using a gasoline tax effectively to do that.

Mr. Chairman, on rollcall Nos. 336, 337, 338, 339, and 340, I was absent to attend my son's induction into the U.S. Naval Academy. Had I been present, I would have voted: ``nay'' on 336, ``nay'' on 337, ``nay'' on 338, ``nay'' on 339, ``nay'' on 340.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of the outstanding citizens of my District.

Jerry Clinton is a native St. Louisan who is Chairman and CEO of Grey Eagle Distributors. Grey Eagle employs more than 175 people in St. Louis and has been recognized as one of America's premier Anheuser- Busch wholesalers.

Through Grey Eagle and his own personal generosity, Jerry Clinton provides financial support to hundreds of philanthropic organizations in the St. Louis area each year. One such organization is The St. Louis Backstoppers, an organization which assists the families of police officers and firefighters who lose their lives in the line of duty. Jerry created and sponsors the Budweiser ``Guns 'N' Hoses'' annual event that features friendly sports competition between area police and firefighters. The event has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for The St. Louis Backstoppers.

Jerry's vision as a civic leader found its greatest expression in his pivotal role in the construction of one of St. Louis' most significant public buildings, the Edward Jones Dome. St. Louis residents benefit extraordinarily from his dedication and vision for a domed stadium in the downtown area. Not only did the Dome return St. Louis to the ranks of the NFL, but it provides a venue for numerous concerts and cultural events, and has hosted both Pope John Paul II and the Rev. Billy Graham. The Dome sparked the revival of professional sports in St. Louis, as reflected in the Bowl victory and the selection of St. Louis to host the 2005 Final Four NCAA basketball tournament.

In addition to providing a location for world-class sporting and cultural events, the Edward Jones Dome has proven to be an important economic engine, attracting major conventions to St. Louis that would have gone to other cities apart were it not for Mr. Clinton's financial leadership in the development of the Dome.

Having joined Grey Eagle as a dispatcher/cashier when it opened in 1963, Jerry Clinton personifies what is possible in America with hard work and dedication. His generosity and hard work have made St. Louis a better place for all its citizens. I ask my colleagues to join with me in honoring this fine American today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2520, the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005. This bill is significant because it would encourage one of the most promising, and ethically sound, avenues of medical research in our time: The stem cells within umbilical cord blood.

This is a matter of great interest to me, both because of the importance of the research itself and also because I represent the greater St. Louis area, which is home to the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital.

Cord blood has proven successful in treating 67 diseases including sickle cell disease, leukemia, osteopetrosis and Diamond Blackfan Anemia. Just last year, a North Korean woman who had been paralyzed for 19 years was seen walking with the assistance of a walker for the media. Only a month prior she had received a cord blood treatment.

This type of extraordinary result demonstrates why we should invest in cord blood stem cells research and treatment.

An early pioneer in cord blood collection and storage, the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank has amassed the second largest inventory of cord blood in the world and has provided the second largest number of cord blood units for transplant. I commend the work of centers like the one at Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital and am pleased to support his important legislation.

The men and women at the St. Louis Cord Blood Bank deserve our thanks for their integrity, dedication and commitment to bettering human life through ethical research. The promise of adult stem cell research is both substantial and uncontroversial, which is why I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2520.

Mr. Chairman, I am the cochair, with the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), and I rise in support of this good amendment of the gentlewoman from Virginia.

I am a father of four Eagle Scouts, and I have to say I am a little proud of that. I have had a chance to work with Eagle Scouts and Boy Scouts now for a good many years, more than I would care to publicly admit. I have to say that this is an institution just as American and just as fine as any American tradition. I have seen so many young Boy Scouts come in, and they hardly know their right hand from their left hand, and after a couple years of scouting, they emerge as young leaders. It is always an encouragement to work with them.

Now, what the Jo Ann Davis of Virginia amendment would do would be to reaffirm the Boy Scouts' long-standing partnership with the Department of Defense. I was really opposed to and offended by the fact that the Department of Defense gave instruction to its bases worldwide that precluded official sponsorship of Boy Scout troops. While this policy allows military personnel to sponsor scouting events and troops in a private capacity, this unsound policy was reached as a partial settlement to a lawsuit filed against the Department of Defense in 1999 by the ACLU, because the ACLU did not like the scouting oath of allegiance to God.

Now, this is particularly ironic, is it not, that they do not like the Boy Scouts having a pledge saying that this is under God, and, yet, the armed services take the same oath when they join the armed services. There seems to be some sort of an irony here, I suppose.

The amendment would further clarify that relationship between the Department of Defense and the Boy Scouts of America, and it would specifically authorize meetings, jamborees, camporees or other scouting activities on Federal property as long as the scouting troops obtain the appropriate permission.

So I think this is an excellent amendment, and I thank my colleagues so much for their consideration of this amendment.

Hats off to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Davis), and I strongly urge the support of my colleagues.

Mr. Chairman, I once again come to this floor, to this body to a debate on the issue of abortion in overseas military hospitals. And I would urge my colleagues to honor the consciences of the caregivers and also the taxpayers who fund these facilities.

As a member of the Armed Services Committee, as a former military officer, but also as a father with two sons in the military, I have seen the dedication of our troops. I have even heard very-close-to-home accounts of people that are willing to sacrifice their lives so that we could have life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness in this land. And is it so odd then to make the next step to understand that the young men and women who are entering our medical divisions of the armed services also hold the same set of values? And now, are we going to compel these people to be active and to take part in destroying life when they are risking their lives to protect life? It seems to make no sense whatsoever to compel them to do this thing.

Well, in fact when the Clinton administration overturned the DOD policy against abortion in 1993 through 1996, military physicians refused to perform or assist in elective abortions, thus forcing the administration to spend additional taxpayer dollars on recruiting and hiring civilians who would do the abortions.

Now, this government should never condone abortion by turning military hospitals into abortion clinics with the taxpayers picking up the tab. Now, I understand that supposedly this woman is going to pay for it. But certainly, even if she does, you are still going to have to hire these new doctors that are going to come in and all of the other services to support that all come out of taxpayer expense. This is unconscionable. Our policy is reasonable the way it is stated, and the language before us has been debated and rejected year after year since 1996.

I ask my colleagues to defeat this amendment.

I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I rise today to oppose public funding for the destruction of human embryos.

There is actually a very simple reason for that, and that is because you and I were once embryos.

Now, an embryo may seem like some scientific or laboratory term, but, in fact, the embryo contains the unique information that defines a person. All you add is food and climate control and some time, and the embryo becomes you or me.

Now, there are people who want to use public money to destroy embryos, and they talk about this bill as being a good first step. What happens if we run the clock to step two or step three?

My own daughter wrote a little story, and I will read it, about step three: ``I lived with 40 others in a compound supervised by cool, efficient orderlies. Instead of playing, I stood pondering a troubling dream from the night before. It was of a loving father giving his child a name. I have always been just 52561B.

``I started imagining what it would be like to be named when the lab technician called me down the sterile white hall to my monthly checkup. I was given the usual clear injection and scanned. The medic flipped through the images which showed my organs and wrote, `healthy, still usable' across the file.

``Several weeks later, I heard footsteps outside my cell and low voices. The door unlocked and I was led again into the clinic and placed on the stainless table, but the injection this time was amber colored and I immediately sensed that something was wrong. Numbness started spreading across my body, great agony, no breathing, and the table was lifted and I slid down a chute into a large, steel box with waste paper and garbage from the lunch room.

``My body now thrashed uncontrollably, but as everything grew dark, there was a bright figure who seemed to protect me. He looked at me with such love and said, `I have given you the name Tesia, which means ``Loved of God.'' '

``I awoke to see a wrinkled face with twinkling dark eyes framed by white hair. He must have seen my questioning expression. He explained, `You were a clone being held as a source for body parts, but when a recipient dies, the clone is considered useless and is given a lethal injection. I managed to get to you before the poison finished its work.'

``I was stunned. After a pause, he said, `What shall I call you?' At first I was startled until I remembered. I said, `Tesia.'' '

Mr. Speaker, this building was built by our Founders on pillars, but not just pillars of marble. One pillar was the conviction that God grants life as an inalienable right, and they fought so that pillar would not be toppled by tyrants. And our sons and daughters fight so that pillar will not be toppled by terrorists. We must vote today so that that pillar will not be toppled by technology that is run amok.

Oppose public funding which destroys little you's and me's, and oppose this harvest of destruction.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to draw the attention of the House to the passing of my friend and one of Missouri's finest elected officials, the Honorable Richard Byrd. Richard Byrd was known for his ready helping hand and his deep commitment to the people he represented.

Returning home last Saturday, the day after the first half of the 96th Session of the Missouri General Assembly was completed, Representative Byrd collapsed of an apparent heart attack after carrying his suitcase into his home. A friend to many, his death was a shock to all who knew him.

Richard Byrd received his JD from Washington University Law School and practiced commercial litigation law while serving as a Kirkwood, Missouri city councilman from 1994-2000. He served in the Missouri State House representing the Kirkwood area since 2000, where he made his mark by always listening both to colleagues and constituents, by his consistent willingness to help draft bills and amendments, and by explaining the legal ramifications of complex legislative proposals.

Richard Byrd worked hard to the very end. He was known for burning the midnight oil, always happy to help those who came to him for advice, and had a quick eye for detail. He had the ability to influence those around him and when he spoke, others listened and respected what he had to say.

A man involved in his community, he served on the St. Louis County Charter Commission, on the board of directors of the Missouri and St. Louis Easter Seals organizations, and assistant district commissioner of the St. Louis Area Boy Scouts. He was a member of the Kirkwood Rotary, Chamber of Commerce and coached soccer at St. Genevieve DuBois Catholic Church.

We extend our deepest condolences to his lovely wife, Moira, and their children Richard and Eleanor. We are also thankful for his life-- a life of service well-lived. Richard, you will be missed.