Floor Statements

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all of our chairmen and ranking members of the 12 Appropriations subcommittees for their work this year because it is important work. It is the only ``must do'' work that the Congress has every year, which is part of the power of the Appropriations Committee. I do think that just blaming each other for our shortcomings is not particularly helpful, but I want to point out a couple of things.

Chairman Edwards is our chairman of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee, and I am the ranking member. It is an incredible privilege for both of us to carry out those functions. Chairman Edwards is a true patriot and does an excellent job. We have got a great staff. Our bill is certainly not the controversial part of this omnibus bill at all. As a matter of fact, our bill passed the House 415-3, and it passed the Senate unanimously.

So there is huge consensus here, and we deserve bipartisan praise for doing right by our Nation's veterans and by the men and women and their families who are in uniform today. That is what we are supposed to do. But I have to say this:

We had hearings every week through the spring, and we always asked, What is the most important thing we can do for you? We heard virtually every week, The most important thing you can do for us is to get our bill passed and enacted into law on time--by October 1.

As a matter of fact, that is the battle cry for why we need advance funding, which is that they have to rely on the funding flow in veterans affairs and in military construction, and here we are more than 10 weeks later just now passing our bill. Last year, we got our bill done on time. That's not Mr. Edwards, and it's not me. It's somebody else on the scheduling of when these bills come up. This bill had such consensus, it could have just flown through in late September, and everyone under the $78 billion funding profile would have had their money on time.

That is a problem. I don't care whether you are Republican or Democrat. That is a problem especially when you come and say, Let's start funding them in the future, 2 years out, so that they have the knowledge that the money is going to be there. Yet you don't get the bill done on time, and you're 10 weeks late or more. That makes no sense. It's not only ironic; it's unfortunate.

Maybe they were holding this bill in case they needed a vehicle for all of the other bills that they couldn't pass. I hope not. I hope you're not doing that to our men and women in uniform and to their families and to our veterans. We can do better than that, I know.

I was a conferee. I was there on Monday night as we negotiated this bill. I tried to take the TARP money, of which now there is $200 billion left, and put it back against the debt. I would put it in the Treasury because now there is a plan to go spend that money on things that may or may not work. Why not pay our debt down? The Chinese are worried about whether we will

ever pay our debt. We are sinking as a Nation under a mountain of government debt, and we've got to do something about it. Neither party has got a lot to brag about, but you all are in charge. We can do better.

Madam Speaker, I rise today a proud Chattanoogan with the distinct privilege of recognizing the 100th anniversary of the world famous Chattanooga Choo-Choo. As one of the city's oldest and most well-known attractions, the appeal of the Choo-Choo has stood the test of time reaching far beyond the banks of the Tennessee River.

History recalls a bitterly cold winter morning of December 1, 1909, as a crowd of several hundred gathered in the 1400 block of Market Street for the dedication of Chattanooga's ``Gateway''--Terminal Station, and the first train pulled into the station that day. At its pinnacle, the depot grew to serve nearly 50 passenger trains a day. Over the years, the Choo-Choo has welcomed many honored guests including three United States Presidents--Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, and my political role model, Theodore Roosevelt.

This Terminal Station's place in history was literally recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1941 in the movie Sun Valley Serenade. Over the years, those words, ``Pardon me boy . . . is that the Chattanooga Choo-Choo,'' have actually become more well known than the movie that introduced the Choo-Choo to the world.

Even though the last train stopped on August 11, 1970, the Chattanooga Choo-Choo has thrived as a unique vacation and business gathering complex. As part of the Centennial Celebration, the Chattanooga Choo-Choo will join the prestigious group of Historic Hotels of America as one of HHA's two-hundred plus unique historic properties, hotels and inns across the country. This is a remarkable accomplishment for a facility that was spared the wrecking ball in 1973 by a group of local businessmen. In 1974, it was most appropriately added to the National Register of Historic Places. The Choo-Choo is a great testament to the citizens of Chattanooga who have remained committed to preserving our city's history for future generations to enjoy.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, Republicans are united against the Pelosi-Obama health care takeover, but it is not a partisan issue. This week, seven Democrat governors came out in strong opposition to the plan, including my Governor, Phil Bredesen, who called the plan ``the mother of all unfunded mandates.'' Why? Because it adds millions of people to the State's Medicaid rolls, makes them cover them, without the money down the road to pay for it.

States have to balance their budget. They can't borrow $1 trillion and just print the money and add it to the next generation. They have to balance their budget. The 10th Amendment gives rights to the States. The Federal Government is handing mandates to the States, and they have nowhere to turn except to raise taxes or dramatically cut their budgets. This is not fair to the States. It is the wrong thing to do.

Reject the Pelosi-Obama health care takeover.

Madam Speaker, I thank all of the authors and supporters of this resolution, but I come as any Member of the House of Representatives could come, because we all have the distinct privilege of nominating and then appointing great Americans to all of our service academies. So, literally, today all 435 of us could come and tell stories of great young people who commit to serve their country in a very meaningful way that we have had the privilege of nominating and appointing to the United States Air Force Academy or the other service academies.

But I come today in support of this resolution honoring the United States Air Force Academy because a year-and-a-half ago, in February of 2008, I had the distinct privilege and one of my highest privileges in my 15 years of service of being the keynote speaker at National Character Day at the United States Air Force Academy.

When you fly in to Colorado Springs and you are able to go and be greeted there in the way that you are and have dinner with them, and then go into Arnold Auditorium and you are able to present to 2,800 cadets in their dress blues at the United States Air Force Academy, it will raise the hair on the back of your neck because it is such an exhilarating and inspirational experience.

But something happened during the hour that I spent with them that I want to share with the House today. It was supernatural, in a way, but it speaks to the culture, the commitment of those cadets at the United States Air Force Academy, and in doing so honors this 50th anniversary of the first graduating class at the United States Air Force Academy.

They did not know that I committed John Stuart Mill's quote to memory, nor did I know that they all have to commit John Stuart Mill's quote to memory. So in the course of my address, I began to say, War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A person who has nothing for which they are willing to fight, nothing they care more about than their personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of ever being free unless those very freedoms are made and kept by better persons than themselves.

I was saying that so that they would understand that the people, the better persons than themselves that John Stuart Mill was talking about, is those 2,800 cadets and all those that came before them. What I didn't know is they all have to memorize it. So I was no more than about six words into it and it became a chorus of 2,801 persons together quoting John Stuart Mill's eternal quote about the value of our men and women in uniform who will stand between the threat and our civilian population and preserve our way of life, and we must remember that our very freedoms are kept by those better persons.

So, today we honor, rightly, this particular institution which has made extraordinary contributions to our way of life, our freedom, everything that we hold dear, all of our constitutional liberties. These men and women dedicate themselves to excellence and to service above and beyond all measure, and we honor every single one of them today and all of our service academies.

I commend so much this resolution to the House, and I know that we will all stand together to honor the United States Air Force Academy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 866, expressing support for designation of a National Veterans History Project Week to encourage public participation in a nationwide project that collects and preserves the stories of the men and women who served our nation in times of war and conflict. I joined with my colleague, Mr. Kind, to introduce this legislation.

Our Nation loses at least 1,000 veterans every day, and along with them we lose their stories of courage and memories of comradeship and sacrifice. In October 2000, Congress recognized the urgency of collecting these wartime memories, accounts and documents and created the Veterans History Project.

Today we honor all the lives of veterans and the project by supporting the designation of National Veterans History Project Week. We encourage Americans to join in the effort to preserve and honor the service of our wartime veterans by interviewing those in their families and communities to contribute to the Veteran's History Project. It is a unique opportunity to help document the personal accounts of our Nation's veterans for today's generation and future Americans.

More than 600 stories of veterans in the Tennessee Valley have been permanently archived at the Library of Congress as part of the Veterans History project. More than 100 of these local veterans' memories were aired on Chattanooga's WRCB-TV. Through WRCB's television coverage, many veterans were inspired to share their stories and more were collected than we could have ever expected. Some of these memories include those of fresh-faced high school graduates who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-day, officers who fought through the Battle of the Bulge and left Europe as decorated heroes, and young women who voluntarily served in the Army Corps of Nurses helping our soldiers heal from their battle wounds. Theirs are the stories we may not have heard if not for the Veterans History Project.

Our Nation's history of freedom is passed down from one generation to the next by American patriots who were willing to stand between a threat and our civilian population. It is essential that we work together to preserve their memories and experiences for future generations who have much to learn from those who have so honorably served our Nation.

Madam Speaker, as a leader on earmark reform, I am committed to protecting taxpayers' money and providing greater transparency and a fully accountable process. The Conference Report on H.R. 2996, the Fiscal Year 2010 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act contains the following funding:

Requesting Member: Rep. Zach Wamp

Account: National Park Service--Construction

Legal Name Entity Receiving Funding: Moccasin Bend National Archeological District

Address: Moccasin Bend Road, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37405

Description of Request: Moccasin Bend National Archeological District, a unit of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, has a rich and varied cultural history with evidence of occupation dating back to the earliest human cultures in North America. Moccasin Bend was designated as a unit of the National Park Service to preserve the area's rich heritage for future generations. There are no facilities for public enjoyment of these nationally significant resources. Moccasin Bend National Archeological District received $500,000 for design and construction of an Interpretive Center and educational exhibits to promote awareness of the archeological district.

Distribution of funding:

Design development and construction--100%

Requesting Member: Rep. Zach Wamp

Account: Environmental Protection Agency--State and Tribal Assistance Grant

Legal Name Requesting Entity: City of Harrogate, Tennessee

Address: 138 Harrogate Crossing, Harrogate, Tennessee 37752

Description of Request: The Mayor and City Council of Harrogate requested funding to extend a wastewater collection system to the Tri- State Health and Rehabilitation Center, residences and businesses. Upgraded sewer capabilities are critical to support the increasing residential and commercial development in Harrogate. The proposed expansion will allow residents in the area to have safe, adequate wastewater service. The City of Harrogate received $500,000 for the wastewater improvements.

Distribution of funding:

Construction--83%

Survey/Fees--1%

Engineering--6%

Inspection--3%

Project Contingency--4%

Environment Review--1%

Administration--2%

I thank the distinguished ranking member and chairman of the subcommittee and the ranking member and chairman of the full committee, and especially Ms. Berkeley for her initiative on this important resolution.

One of the greatest privileges of my service here over the last 15 years is representing Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which played a critical role in the defense of our country, from the Manhattan Project forward. As we know, since 1942, almost three-quarters of a million people have worked in this industry, the nuclear industry.

Some of our citizens in this country have been called during war to serve in

the uniform of our country. Some volunteered, some mandatorily; many were in tanks, in airports, ships, submarines. Many were in our plants and our facilities doing the same kind of work in a different venue, just as patriotic, just as sacrificial, and they haven't received, at different times, the due that they deserve. But the day after tomorrow, October 30, 2009, all across the country in different places, people will come together for this important commemoration, a day of recognition and remembrance, remembering those that have gone on.

As the chairman said, many have died from the very illnesses that they got from their service and their sacrifice. Their families suffered a lot with them because they became ill doing this work in very difficult and unhealthy environments.

Years ago here, in the Congress, about 10 years ago, I was one of the original authors of the legislation to compensate those people that became ill, commonly known as the Sick Worker Legislation, the acronym is EEOICPA, the hardest one to memorize. With a Democratic administration--the Clinton administration--and a Republican Congress, we hammered out and forged a benefit program for these sick workers.

I want to thank on the floor of the House today Senator Fred Thompson, who stood up as a Republican with me at the time and others in a bipartisan way to provide this benefit to these families. Many of these families received $150,000 for the direct illnesses that they received from their extraordinary sacrifice.

As we remember those that have died, we need to thank as a Nation all of those who became ill because of their exposure to these very chemicals and these toxicities that have been talked about on the floor today, but also recognize those that are still out there that are working that have survived. Maybe they've retired. It's so very important that we do this, because these are patriots who helped us win the Cold War and helped us create the deterrent that has kept the world safer.

This nuclear industry is important. These facilities are important. The Department of Energy has played an important role, we knew it as the Atomic Energy Commission at that time, which evolved into the Department of Energy. It's a labor of love to work in a bipartisan way, in the Congress, to have this official day of recognition and remembrance for all of these workers, past and present and future, frankly, because we are still cleaning up the legacy of this Cold War investment. That's an important investment as well for our country to make.

It's an honor and a privilege to coauthor this resolution with Congresswoman Berkley. Again, I want to close by thanking her for taking this initiative, because it is an important step. While many of us, because the House will be in session on Friday, October 30, will not physically be there at these remembrances, we are there with you 100 percent in a bipartisan way as the Congress of the United States comes together. The Senate passed their resolution on May 20 for this official day of recognition and remembrance for all of these nuclear workers through the years and into the future.

The United States of America and the Congress of the United States thanks you and recognizes you and remembers those who have given so much in defense of our liberties.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to oppose the inclusion of hate crimes legislation within the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 2647). Throughout my 15 years in Congress, I have always been a passionate supporter of our military and their families. I stand on my strong record of support for our brave service men and women. Regrettably, however I cannot, in good conscience, vote for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010.

Using the broad admiration for our military, the majority has hijacked this Defense Authorization bill to pass a hate crimes provision that could not pass on its own merits.

Every jurisdiction in the United States prohibits battery and murder. If we prioritize crimes based on the victim's status, we threaten the very notion of equal protection under the law that is the foundation of our legal system. Instead, all violations of the law should be dealt with in a manner that delivers justice on behalf of victims and their families. As a society, we must do what we can to prevent all crimes.

The use of violence against any innocent person is wrong, regardless of that individual's race, religion, nationality, or sexual orientation. Crimes of violence should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

With two wars waging overseas, now is not the time to be playing politics with the lives of our brave service men and women. They deserve a clean defense bill, but today's vote sends the wrong message to all those who stand in defense of our Nation.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 707, which seeks to designate the week of September 13, 2009, as National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week and to raise the awareness of adult literacy programs. I am also a cosponsor of this resolution.

Education spans from conception to the grave. Earning a high-school diploma makes people better qualified for the work force, for raising a family, and for improving their standard of living. For those who were unable to complete their education in their youth, adult education programs can provide a second chance.

Unfortunately, according to a 2005 study by the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 45 percent of all adults function below the high school reading level. For these adults, it is much harder to get a good job that can sustain them or their family. Sadly, when faced with this reality, some adults turn to crime. The more than 1 million incarcerated adults in the Nation had lower average literacy scores than adults in households on nearly every comparable scale--age, gender, and ethnicity.

The inability to read not only affects individuals' lives but also the lives of their family. Children of parents who are unemployed and have not completed high school are five times more likely to drop out than children of employed parents. In turn, parents who can read are more likely to be employed full time and receive a higher income. When parents can read, especially the mother, they will be more involved in their children's lives. They will read to their children and discuss school topics.

The importance of education and the ability to read doesn't end with the family. Its benefit also helps improve the community and even saves us all money in the long run. Putting that 2005 study into real terms, 93 million adults can't read or follow medical instructions. Individuals with limited literacy skills are more likely to have chronic conditions and are less able to manage them effectively or be aware of preventive care. These individuals will make greater use of emergency room and hospital services and less use of services designed to prevent health complications. Greater use of the emergency room raises health care costs for all of us.

In addition, American businesses lose more than $60 billion in productivity each year due to employees' basic skill deficiencies. For our country to remain competitive in the global market place, more and more jobs will require advanced skills, and public schools produce only 2 percent of the workforce annually. Without adult education programs, important jobs could go unfilled holding back development or, worse yet, the jobs will go abroad to other nations.

Madam Speaker, literacy and education benefit so many aspects of our lives. I encourage my colleagues in the House to support this resolution and to raise the awareness of adult and family education programs.

Madam Speaker, as a leader on earmark reform, I am committed to protecting taxpayers' money and providing greater transparency and a fully accountable process. The Conference Report on H.R. 3183, The Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations Act contains the following funding:

Requesting Member: Rep. Zach Wamp

Account: U.S. Corp of Engineers--Construction

Legal Name Requesting Entity: U.S. Corp of Engineers--Nashville District

Address: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District at 110 9th Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee

Description of Request: The Chickamauga Lock is a major economic engine in the Tennessee Valley region. Commodities passing through the lock have origins and destinations in 17 states in the South, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, traveling an average 1,400 miles. Over the last several years, 2.5 million tons passed through the lock annually, and the forecasted traffic demand is expected to grow considerably. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers indicates that replacement of the existing lock is far more economical than continuing costly maintenance and repair. Funding in the amount of $1 million is included for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to replace the Chickamauga Lock.

Distribution of funding: Construction 100%

Requesting Member: Rep. Zach Wamp

Account: U.S. Corp of Engineers--Operations and Maintenance

Legal Name Requesting Entity: U.S. Corp of Engineers--Nashville District

Address: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District at 110 9th Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee

Description of Request: The current Chickamauga Lock has been in operation on the Tennessee River since 1940 and is a major economic engine in the Tennessee Valley region. As use of the lock is increasing, the infrastructure is severely aging, jeopardizing its ability to support additional traffic loads. An extensive maintenance program, well beyond what is normally conducted, is underway to extend the life of the current lock until the replacement lock can be built. Funding in the amount of $3.775 million is required for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to fix and replace gates, pumps, piping and tension connections to the guide wall.

Distribution of funding: Maintenance 100%

I want to welcome this morning to the House of Representatives my pastor, Dr. Adam Dooley, who hails from Berea, Kentucky, graduated from Clear Creek Bible College, and went on to receive his Doctor of Divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

He was the senior pastor at the Red House Baptist Church in Kentucky before he came to my home church of Red Bank Baptist in Red Bank, Tennessee.

Dr. Dooley, his wife, Heather, and their son, Carson, bless our large congregation there in Chattanooga, and today we welcome him to the House of Representatives as the guest chaplain and thank him for that extraordinary opening prayer this morning.

Welcome, Dr. Dooley.

I thank the chairman, and I thank the ranking member and the Speaker. It's my 15th year here. I have been on this committee for 13 years, and I inherited a district that is really heavy in this bill, and I know that. I represent Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The committee has been incredibly good through the years to recognize the needed investments in science, energy research, national security and environmental management, and yet again this conference report recognizes those critical priorities on behalf of our country, and I'm grateful for that. But much like Paul Revere, I have come to the committee, the subcommittee, and the House again today to say we have a huge problem at the Chickamauga Lock on the Tennessee River.

We began construction of the replacement lock a few years ago. The cofferdam is complete. Inside this cofferdam, we will dry out the Tennessee River in the next few months to test that the cofferdam works. The cofferdam is about the size of this entire building, the Capitol Building, in the middle of the Tennessee River.

We are ready now to begin pouring the foundations in the middle of the river to replace the lock. The current lock will close. I just had the briefing today from the Corps.

Yesterday at the conference committee closing this out, and I signed the conference report, I offered an amendment to put language and up to $14 million in the bill to make sure we can move the project forward. It failed on a 10-8 vote. I appreciate Lincoln Davis, the only member of the majority for voting ``yes.'' Everyone in the minority voted ``yes.'' This is a critical problem.

I say to the administration, you only made a $1 million funding request. It's not sufficient to move it along. The current lock will close. The Corps just briefed us again today. They cannot keep it open. It will be the largest inland waterway system in the history of our country to close.

The current lock was set to close at 2014. We are not building the lock yet. The cofferdam is complete. The Kentucky lock only got $1 million, but their stimulus money allows them to start construction. We could not. I made this case at the subcommittee, at the full committee, and on the House floor Mr. Pastor helped us. We put $14 million in, and just like happens in this place, somehow by the time we got to the conference meeting, it was taken back out. We tried to restore it yesterday, change of support, went down virtually party lines.

I'm telling you, we got a problem. We need help. And it's not me. It's the entire eastern system. It's the largest inland waterway system in the country. It is going to close. We've got to do something.

Please, to the committee, to the Senate, to the House, both parties, administration, when there is an emergency supplemental, let's get together ahead of time and fix the Inland Waterway Trust Fund problem. This is a crisis for all the inland waterway system, and the first big failure will be Chick Lock unless we exert the leadership that we are elected to do. It's a can that has been kicked down the road too long.

I plead with you on behalf of the constituents, not just in my district, not just in my State, but in the entire eastern part of our country. From Peoria to south Georgia, you will have truckloads of cargo and goods, 150,000 18-wheelers a year added to carry the cargo that currently goes through this lock, and it is about to close because we're not doing our job. That's the truth. And I hate it. And I have done my best, but I am only one. I need help. Our people need help. Our country needs help. We need leadership.

Let's keep the Chickamauga Lock open. If there's an emergency supplemental that moves, we need to step up and fix this problem before the 2011 cycle. I'm going to do everything I can. I've been here long enough to know how to cooperate, how to get it done and sometimes how to keep the trains from going any further until the right things are done. That's not a warning. I need your help. That's a plea.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 685, the United States Civil Rights Trail Act. I joined with my colleague, Mr. Clay, to introduce this legislation.

From 1954 through 1968, many significant events of the Civil Rights Movement took place in the United States. On February 1, 1960, in Greensboro, North Carolina, four courageous African-American students from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College took their seats at the lunch counter of the F. W. Woolworth Company, but the store refused to serve them at the counter. One of the students stated that, ``We believe, since we buy books and papers in other parts of the store, we should get served in this part.'' Over the next several days, they sat peacefully at the lunch counter in quiet protest, and close to a hundred others joined them. Soon, thousands across the South joined the students' protest and conducted lunch counter sit-ins of their own.

While many may only think of events that occurred in southern and eastern States, there were important events in other parts of the country where individuals overcame injustice. In Washington, D.C., in 1961, 13 individuals of different races, known as the Freedom Riders, boarded a bus bound for New Orleans, Louisiana, in an attempt to desegregate places of public accommodations. Their courage and sacrifice led to the desegregation of all public places under Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. To learn more about other events, the Civil Rights Trail System Act would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to study the feasibility of establishing a national trail system to mark locations in the United States (including its territories) of historically significant events related to the struggle for racial equality.

With this study and the help of an advisory committee of experts in historic preservation and African-American history, the Secretary of the Interior would provide information about the many people and places that played such an important role in the Civil Rights Movement for all Americans, and everyone would have the opportunity to stand and breathe the air where history was made. The Secretary would first establish at least six national trails in States where significant civil rights events occurred, with other trails sure to follow as documentation is available.

This legislation provides the U.S. Congress an opportunity to honor those who were a part of a movement that ensured that everyone was created equal and that everyone had the freedom to achieve the American dream. The trail system would serve as a marker for how far our country has come and would remain for future generations so that our history is accurate and instructive on all that is necessary for justice and equality to reign down on our land.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I just would like to add that we want to thank Dan Tate, Sr. with the PGA. We want to thank the First Tee program, which is much more than golf, ladies and gentlemen. It is a leadership, development and training program for young people. They now have First Tee facilities compliments of, frankly, the Congress at military bases all across the country and in 19 foreign countries.

The only highlight of this year's loss was that our three freshmen, Mr. Roe of Tennessee, Mr. Rooney of Florida and Mr. Hunter of California, performed admirably. So there is hope for next year and for the future. With that, congratulations to the Democrats. It is now 4-4. We look forward to raising money for First Tee in the future. From this year and in previous years, this event in 7 years has raised well over $1 million for the First Tee program, and for that, we should all be grateful.

I yield back to the gentleman from California.

Madam Speaker, today I rise to honor Lawrence A. Hahn of Oak Ridge, Tenn., as he retires as the Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Oak Ridge.

For more than 55 years, Lawrence has dedicated himself to the youth of Oak Ridge and surrounding areas as Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club. He has worked considerably more than ``40 hours-a- week'' and has contributed from his own finances to create a better quality of life for countless young people. He has helped change lives by providing a safe environment and great role-models that have helped many become caring, responsible and productive citizens.

He has served hundreds of thousands of youth with his service on the Tennessee Area Council as its Executive Secretary in addition to his service to the National Boys and Girls Clubs.

The local Boys and Girls Club Alumni Chapter that Lawrence established has been recognized as one of the largest and most effective in the nation. He continues to lead this group, which includes past Club members now working as professionals across the region and around the nation.

He has been an inspiration to hundreds of volunteers who have served on the Club's Board of Directors as educational tutors and athletic coaches--giving them the same desire that he has to carry on the unwavering compassion and commitment to the mission of the Club.

The national headquarters of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America has given Lawrence their highest professional award and he continues to be honored at national forums.

Lawrence is without a doubt one of the most respected, honored and legendary citizens of Oak Ridge. His 55 years as the Boys and Girls Club Executive Director far exceeds the years of service than that of any other person in the history of the National Boys and Girls Clubs movement. It is with great pleasure that I honor my friend, Lawrence Hahn, for his commitment to the youth of Oak Ridge and East Tennessee.