Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, first of all, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) could not have selected a better person to chair this historic Subcommittee on Homeland Security of the Committee on Appropriations than the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) who is as tough as nails, very diligent, thorough, knowledgeable. I served under him on the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, Judiciary and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations, and he is the right man for this task. He could not have selected a better professional staff to carry out these most important responsibilities.

We have had incredible cooperation, despite the gentleman from Wisconsin's (Mr. Obey) words, and some of those are very well-taken and well-spoken. This is for the most part a bipartisan product where there is widespread agreement on most of the issues. We are going to differ today on some substantive issues, but we have worked together very well. And the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Sabo) and his professional staff have done an excellent job.

This is really a great work product. When you consider the Container Security Initiative, Project Bio-Shield, some of the brand new programs that are so critical to program ramp up quickly for our homeland security needs and extend, frankly, the proverbial borders of our country around the world to protect us before it is too late, before things do come in and happen. We have made great strides very quickly.

I do not think the President could have selected a better Secretary than Tom Ridge for Homeland Security, also tough as nails, very thorough. We have had multiple hearings and done a lot of good work together. So while we differ today a little, we need to stick together in a bipartisan way to do the work of the country. This is just like national security, a whole new frontier.

Let me also say one other thing. In national security, there is the Berry amendment that says we have got to buy American products and use American vendors for these things. I want to do more. And I want it said today that we need to do more on homeland security. We need domestic producers, American manufacturers for pharmaceuticals for Bio- Shield to protect our interests. We need American companies in our manufacturing base to expand to provide the technologies and the equipment that we need to protect Americans first.

So as we move forward, let us say beginning today we will do more to strengthen this and have an amendment just like the Berry amendment, so that we can guarantee Americans that American people will be used to carry out the homeland security needs.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 2754) making appropriations for energy and water development for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, and for other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, on September 4, I recorded a ``yes'' vote on rollcall vote No. 463 ordered on the previous question for H. Res. 351. My vote should have been ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 1472.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the historic town of Cumberland Gap, Tennessee as they celebrate their 200th anniversary of postal service.

Cumberland Gap has long been a place of historic passage. In pre- Colonial America, the Gap served Native Americans as a pivotal crossing for their trading and hunting routes through the Appalachian Mountains. Later, Daniel Boone and his 29 ``axe men'' blazed a 208 mile trail into central Kentucky providing a route for pioneer families to travel west. During the Civil War, Cumberland Gap gained military significance, becoming known as the ``Gibraltar of America'' and the ``Keystone of the Confederacy.''

Today however, in the age of flight, travelers through Cumberland Gap come not to get through the mountains, but to escape into them. The natural beauty of the surrounding area and the Gap's rich cultural history make it a popular destination for travelers of all ages and interests. From hikers to historians, people continue to be drawn to the ``gap between the mountains.''

Time has almost stood still in the small Appalachian town of Cumberland Gap. As you walk through the quiet streets, you are greeted with architecture from the late 1800's and the 1920's. The streets are snap shots from the past, illustrating the progression of history even through today. The town's rich history, quiet charm and natural beauty are especially appealing for cultural tourism.

Just as the historic parade marched through the Gap for more than 200 years, the procession is not yet finished. Today the town of Cumberland Gap, the natural starting point for an journey into the Cumberland Gap National Park, is a haven for day hikers, adventure hikers and cycle enthusiasts. Whether you are seeking history, culture or adventure, Cumberland Gap is always a great place to be.

On July 19, this historic town celebrates 200 years of postal service with a day of interpretive presentations of what life was like in the early 1800's including ``living history'' exhibits throughout the town. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join them on this important day and I wish the town of Cumberland Gap many years of continued success.

Mr. Speaker, just over 3 years ago, the University of Tennessee-Battelle team took over the contract to operate the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, TN. Our Lab Director, Dr. Bill Madia will soon be leaving ORNL to take a new position. I would like to take a moment today to recognize Bill's tremendous accomplishments and thank him for all he has done in East Tennessee.

Bill came to ORNL with over 25 years of experience in research and research management, with more than 15 years leading public and private research labs. That experience is evident in all the recent successes of ORNL, including receiving the laboratory's first-ever ``outstanding'' rating for overall performance from the Department of Energy for fiscal year 2002.

Under his watch, the construction of the Nation's largest civilian science project, the Spallation Neutron Source, has moved forward on time, on budget and on scope. Adjacent to SNS, atop Chestnut Ridge, is the site for the Center for Nanophase Materials Science, the first of DOE's Nanoscience centers. Another new facility is the recently completed Center for Computational Sciences, one of the world's most modern computer laboratories.

Along with these examples of cutting edge major research user facilities, Bill tackled the needs of a laboratory that dated back to the Manhattan Project. In June 2003, only 16 months after breaking ground, ORNL celebrated completion of the first of 12 new facilities in the Laboratory's ambitious modernization program. The new buildings represent an unprecedented partnership among the private, state, and federal sectors. This unique effort can be attributed to Dr. Bill Madia.

In the Oak Ridge community, Bill Madia has been active in promoting economic growth and providing leadership in the role that science and technology can play in education, the workplace, and our daily lives. He has served on the boards of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, East Tennessee Economic Council, and the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation. He has also been supportive of the next generation of scientists by supporting funding for high school science laboratories and the University of Tennessee's Academy for Math and Science.

Mr. Speaker, Bill has contributed mightily to the Lab's success during his tenure in East Tennessee. I am pleased he will continue his commitment to the lab and our community by serving as a member of the UT-Battelle Board of Directors. In my judgment, he is by far the greatest, most innovative ``lab director'' in the United States. He is my personal friend and I will miss him very much.

However, because of his amazing vision and tireless work, the people of Oak Ridge, East Tennessee and the Nation face a brighter, more prosperous future. I would like to thank Dr. Bill Madia for his remarkable leadership and extraordinary commitment to the great state of Tennessee.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time.

To my colleagues, several of us on the Committee on Appropriations have fought now for many years to try to hold the line on spending and have a record there and are in agreement with these efforts to do this. But this is not only not workable; it is actually the wrong thing to do at the wrong time, and let me explain why.

OMB, if you have not worked with them since this administration took over, ``OMB'' are the three most dreaded letters in Washington, D.C. They are about the business of carving and cutting, and rightly so, in many directions. But they are not offering offsets, they do not have offsets for this spending, and the administration has requested the money without offsets because even those carvers at OMB cannot find the offsets. You gentlemen know it, and you know that it will not work because of that.

I hope we do not just cede the constitutional responsibility to spend money to the executive branch. That is not in our best interests, it is not in the constitutional best interest, and I do not want to just say, administration, you can start spending money discretionarily or saving money discretionarily. That is the power that belongs here in the Congress, and that is our responsibility.

Now, the money you are talking about offsetting in the final 2 months of the fiscal year is not from mandatory programs; it is not Social Security, Medicare, any of the mandatories. It cannot come from that. It cannot come from defense, it cannot come from homeland security. So the offsets must come from about 14 percent of the Federal budget, and then it is only for one-sixth of the fiscal year. So now you are down to a very narrow pool of discretionary funds to take the offsets from. And then it does not work out to 29 cents on every $100. It gets into specific small accounts, most of which are already obligated, most of which are obligated to be spent in the final 2 months of the fiscal year.

So, frankly, it is not a workable solution. Even though I am all for offsetting early, you cannot wait until the end of the fiscal year and say we are going to have offsets. The money is obligated by the end of the fiscal year.

Once again, the most important thing here is that we have to carry out our responsibilities and not just say, White House, you find these offsets.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome one of Chattanooga, Tennessee's finest citizens, Pastor Ben Haden, to the House of Representatives as our guest chaplain for today. It is very special to introduce Ben, because he is a humble man of God with a ministry that has touched thousands of lives.

Ben's first career was in the newspaper business; but in the middle of his life, Jesus Christ touched his heart and 4 decades of ministry began. He came to First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga in 1967 and quickly gained a reputation for his passion, his heart, and his sermons. His popularity and ability to draw worshipers soon resulted in closed-circuit televisions being set up in the chapel and fellowship hall for overflow crowds.

Not long after coming to First Presbyterian, Ben launched his own radio ministry, ``Changed Lives,'' on a radio station in Chattanooga. This ministry eventually grew to include a television program watched regularly by thousands, including the Reverend Billy Graham.

In March of 1999, Ben stepped down as senior pastor from the First Presbyterian Church to devote his full energies to his radio ministry ``Changed Lives.''

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Father Coughlin for inviting Ben Haden to offer our invocation on this day that the Lord hath made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.

Mr. Chairman, I rise as a member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development of the Committee on Appropriations to applaud the chairman for just an excellent work product in this bill and the ranking member, the gentleman from Indiana

(Mr. Visclosky). They really have been aggressive, traveling, looking at the problems, restructuring, reforming programs and really have done their homework. So they deserve a lot of credit.

I also rise as the co-chairman of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus with the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) in support of renewables and increased funding for renewables, energy efficiency, and energy conservation. The dilemma we face, though, is that in our attempt to increase the funding, the offset that the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) proposed, working with his friends in Nevada, is the wrong way to go; and I say that because I believe that nuclear power is green power, is clean power, and we absolutely must solve the waste stream problem in order to clean up the air in this country with new nuclear production. That is the truth. They know it in Europe. They know it around the world; but in this country, some of our friends in the environmental world believe that nuclear energy is not clean energy and it is, but the waste stream is an issue.

We have got to get on with it. They are exactly right to be saying the top priority in this bill is the Yucca Mountain repository. We cannot cut that budget. I am sorry to our friends in Nevada. It is not in our national interests to do that.

On the renewable front, I want more money. The chairman has pledged to work with us through conference. I know that there are friends in the Senate that will work with us on raising renewables at the conference. I have every intention of advocating through the process as a conferee for increased funding on renewables. I would like to get that $16 million figure that the chairman referred to up to a level of funding amount, even though, as he points out, we are at the President's request on the key renewables of wind and solar and biomass.

I do believe, though, that we can go further; and I want to do that. We can do that. We could have done that today. We talked through the night last night about ways to find the offset, but this is the wrong way to go because of the offset from Yucca. All that does is hold up our ability to clean up the air and to work out the waste stream with nuclear energy in this country.

I come from the TVA region, and we have five nuclear reactors. They are the most efficient, they are the cleanest, and they are the most productive sources of energy we have in the TVA system. That is 8 million customers, nuclear; and we have worked the bugs out of those reactors where they stay on line. They have a very high efficiency rate, but we have to have a place to store that waste; and Yucca Mountain is that option that has been chosen, and we must move forward.

I will be happy to yield to my friend from Colorado, who is my co- chairman of the Renewable and Energy Efficiency Caucus, to talk about how we can work together after this amendment is defeated today, because it needs to be; and in the best interests of the bill and moving the process forward, we are going to defeat this amendment, but I would love to yield to my friend and engage in a little conversation about how we can continue to work together this year because he and I both know and believe that we must do more in this renewable front to make our country independent and secure because energy independence in this country is homeland security.

We have got to wean ourselves off of the reliance on Middle Eastern oil, and that means advancing solar and wind and biomass and geothermal and all of our renewable sources, and he is passionate about it and so am I; but we have got to find a way to do it within the context of this bill. We will work together through conference.

I yield to the gentleman from Colorado.

Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, over half of this House are members of the bipartisan caucus, and we want to continue to build support for this most important national security issue of energy independence through the advancement of renewables and energy efficiency, energy conservation programs. I urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment respectfully.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the historic town of Cumberland Gap, TN as they celebrate their 200th anniversary of postal service.

Cumberland Gap has long been a place of historic passage. In pre- Colonial America, the Gap served Native Americans as a pivotal crossing for their trading and hunting routes through the Appalachian Mountains. Later, Daniel Boone and his 29 ``axe men'' blazed a 208 mile trail into central Kentucky providing a route for pioneer families to travel west. During the Civil War, Cumberland Gap gained military significance, becoming known as the ``Gibraltar of America'' and the ``Keystone of the Confederacy.''

Today however, in the age of flight, travelers through Cumberland Gap come not to get through the mountains, but to escape into them. The natural beauty of the surrounding area and the gap's rich cultural history make it a popular destination for travelers of all ages and interests. From hikers to historians, people continue to be drawn to the ``gap between the mountains.''

Time has almost stood still in the small Appalachian town of Cumberland Gap. As you walk through the quiet streets, you are greeted with architecture from the late 1800s and the 1920s. The streets are snap shots from the past, illustrating the progression of history even through today. The town's rich history, quiet charm, and natural beauty are especially appealing for cultural tourism.

Just as the historic parade marched through the gap for more than 200 years, the procession is not yet finished. Today the town of Cumberland Gap, the natural starting point for a journey into the Cumberland Gap National Park, is a haven for day hikers, adventure hikers, and cycle enthusiasts. Whether you are seeking history, culture or adventure, Cumberland Gap is always a great place to be.

On July 19th, this historic town celebrates 200 years of postal service with a day of interpretive presentations of what life was like in the early 1800s including ``living history'' exhibits throughout the town. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to join them on this important day and I wish the town of Cumberland Gap many years of continued success.

Yes, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the distinguished chairman of the full Committee on Appropriations.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), the chairman of the Subcommittee on the District of Columbia.

(Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Chairman, I want to make two points: one, if my colleagues like what they see with our Armed Forces and what they have seen in the last several months around the world in terms of our men and women in uniform, I want them to know that what we are trying to do with homeland security is essentially the same kind of bipartisan cooperation here in the Congress so that we adequately resource and establish the priorities for homeland security that mirror what we have done in the Congress to support national security throughout the years, so that the technology that is deployed and the efficiencies that are created, the accountability that is instilled in the Department of Homeland Security is the same as the Department of Defense, and it is difficult. We can always spend more money, but I want my colleagues to know that this bill adequately and effectively resources the needs that we have today.

I also want to point out that a lot is going to be said about tax cuts as we debate all of the appropriations bills, it already has been, but this is not a tax bill. We cannot cut taxes or raise taxes in an appropriation bill. We are charged with spending the money within the budget agreement, and that debate was in April. It obviously lingers here, but that debate was in April. Now we have the responsibility within the budget agreement to spend the money and set the priorities; and in doing so at homeland security, we have had extraordinary cooperation.

I salute the professional staff, I think one of the best staffs that has ever been assembled here; and it was important that we put the best people on the field that we could possibly find, on both sides of the aisle. Our committee work and our chairman and our ranking member, the leadership has been extraordinary; but this is such an important issue. It needs to be the best possible.

So we are off to a good start. Let us stay focused.

Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me, and I certainly appreciate the privilege of having my name associated with anything that the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) does here.

The Buy American provisions that we have talked about a lot in the past on this floor are very germane to this debate. I appreciate the fact that we can offer this amendment, hopefully without anyone raising a point of order against it, because it is essential that in this appropriations bill, as we prioritize the homeland security needs of the future, that we put all the language we can in the bill to encourage United States business and enterprise to produce and provide the goods and services that we need to secure our homeland.

Let me give an example, one very large example. In this bill we actually fund into the future a program called BioShield, where the administration leads and we scrub and fund and hold the hearings on an effort to provide the stockpiles for vaccines and immunizations in the event that we are attacked. Companies all around the world make these products. But when we are talking about chelating agents that would actually provide relief and support to those people affected that we may stockpile in a dozen locations around the country in very large quantities, I want a United States manufacturer, if at all possible, to make those products, and I want those products stockpiled here in the United States, if at all possible.

That is all that this language says, is that wherever we can we buy American for these products and services. And on this BioShield initiative in this bill, it is $5.6 billion over the next 10 years, including a 2004 appropriation, the coming year appropriation of $890 million. That is a lot of money. It is a lot of procurement. It is very important that wherever we can we look to United States companies.

Mr. Chairman, there are countries around the world that have not been particularly supportive of us in recent years that have the advanced capabilities of providing these products and services and goods from time to time. And we do not want to respond in a punitive way whatsoever. If they have the products, and we need them, and we have good relations, that is great. But what we want to say is there are businesses and workers and interests in this country that support our country with their taxes. We want to support them wherever we possibly can.

That is the intent. That is the reality of this legislation. Many have come before us and attached Buy American amendments to a host of legislative matters, some big, some small, but I have to say, as we begin this new Department of Homeland Security, as we properly resource it, I cannot think of a more important issue that we attach Buy American provisions to than securing our homeland, to make sure that we actually control as much as possible what these products actually are, to make sure that they are what they say they are, and that we know what we are getting if an event happens once again.

So, Mr. Chairman, I applaud the author, he and I are going in the same direction, and we have teamed up on this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the city of Cleveland, Tennessee, which I have the awesome privilege to represent and join them in celebrating the upcoming Flag Day ceremonies on June 14th.

Beginning in the late 1800s, communities across the nation began envisioning a special day for celebrating our flag and the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. In 1949, President Harry Truman signed a Congressional Resolution designating June 14th of each year as Flag Day.

The ``Stars and Stripes'' is a symbol to the world of the eternal principles that our nation was founded upon. Our flag is also a powerful reminder that our freedoms and liberties exist only because of the incredible sacrifices made by countless Americans in defense of our country. It is for that reason we must honor and pay tribute to our flag.

I invite my colleagues to join me in commending the work of a very special group of individuals from Cleveland, Tennessee who came together as a community to find a truly patriotic way to celebrate Flag Day. Members of the Cleveland Kiwanis Club raised over $22,000 from community businesses and volunteers and organized efforts to fly over 500 American flags on the streets of Cleveland.

It is a humbling sight and a perfect tribute to America and to the veterans who defended her. When a noble idea is coupled with a dedicated group of people--great things can happen.

I would like to personally thank Mayor Tom Rowland, State Senator Jeff Miller, State Representatives Dewayne Bunch and Chris Newton, the Cleveland Kiwanis Club, and the citizens of Cleveland and Bradley County, Tennessee for their efforts in this endeavor. It is an honor to represent and serve a ``flag city.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the work of the Chattanooga Bar Association in my hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee and join them in celebrating their upcoming Law Day luncheon on May 7, 2003.

In 1957, American Bar Association President Charles S. Rhyne, a Washington, D.C. attorney, envisioned a special day for celebrating our legal system and the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower proclaimed a ``Law Day'' to strengthen our great heritage of liberty, justice, and equality under the law. In 1961, May 1st was designated by a joint resolution of Congress as the official date for celebrating Law Day.

On this Law Day 2003, we have the opportunity to re-examine how we, as a nation, want our judiciary to function. At a time when partisanship and special interests try to shape a judiciary, we have the responsibility to reaffirm

our commitment to an independent third branch of government.

This year on May 7th, the Chattanooga Bar Association will honor the legal community of Chattanooga, Tennessee with their annual Law Day luncheon. During the luncheon, the Chattanooga Bar Association will honor Judith P. Medearis with the 2003 ``Liberty Bell Award.'' This award, given to a person who is not in the legal profession, is one of the CBA's highest honors. The purpose of the ``Liberty Bell Award'' is to recognize community service that has strengthened the American system of freedom under law. In selecting the recipient of this award, the Chattanooga Bar Association considers activities which (1) promote a better understanding of our Constitution and the Bill of Rights; (2) encourage a greater respect for the law and the courts; (3) stimulate a deeper sense of individual responsibility so that citizens recognize their duties as well as their rights; (4) contribute to the effective functioning of our institutions of government; and (5) foster a better understanding and appreciation of the rule of law. I ask all Members of the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Judith Medearis for her contribution to the Chattanooga community.

Beginning in 1999, the CBA began awarding a college scholarship to the winner of the Annual Law Day Essay Contest. This year's theme was ``Celebrate Your Freedom--Independent Courts Protect Our Liberties''. Megan Galbreth, a Junior at Girls Preparatory School is the winner for 2003. I join the CBA in congratulating Megan for her award-winning essay.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the United States House of Representatives join me in thanking the Board of Governors of the Chattanooga Bar Association for their contributions and commitment to the legal profession and to the Chattanooga community. The members of the Board of Governors Executive Committee are: Lynda Minks Hood, Executive Director; Honorable Rebecca J. Stern, President; Alan L. Cates, President-Elect; Michael K. Alston, Secretary-Treasurer; Harold L. North, Jr., Immediate Past President. Board members include: William H. Cox, III; James M. Haley, IV; Cynthia D. Hall; Steven M. Jacoway; Jason L. Thomas; Joseph R. White and Wade Hinton.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the bravery of Rhea County Commission Chairman Ronnie Raper. Earlier this week, Chairman Raper risked his own life to save Melinda Andrews, 13, from the raging waters of the Richland Creek in Rhea County, Tennessee.

On Monday, April 7th Ronnie Raper, a building inspector, happened to be in his car and heard a 911 call over his radio indicating

that a 13-year-old girl had fallen into the dangerous Richmond Creek and needed immediate assistance. Mr. Raper ran 200 yards to the creek and instinctively jumped into the freezing water to help the young girl. Risking his own safety, he quickly secured her to a large concrete structure in the middle of the creek until firefighters were able to throw them a rope. Mr. Raper calmed the young girl and led her to the shore.

The doctor who treated Ms. Andrews said the freezing temperatures of the creek water could have been detrimental to the 13-year-old girl if she hadn't been pulled to safety so quickly.

This story did not have a terrible ending because a man like Ronnie Raper was there and was willing to put the safety of another person above his own. He is not only an excellent public servant through his work as the Chairman of the Rhea County Commission; Mr. Raper is good neighbor and a heroic man.

I ask the United States House of Representatives to join me in commending Mr. Ronnie Raper for this brave act.

Mr. Speaker, certainly I thank the authors of this resolution for coming to the floor today, just a few hours after there was significant rancor and division, to a point of unity here, to recognize the best in college athletics.

There is no doubt that Geno and Diana and the entire UConn team deserve the national championship, one of the greatest games I think in the history of women's basketball, certainly the two most prominent programs in the land. And as a basketball player myself, and I appreciate the compliment, but great is a relative term, and the older I get, the better I used to be. That is the way most of us are.

The best lessons I have learned in my life were in the game of basketball. Sports are very important at every level. Also, I am the chairman of the Congressional Fitness Caucus, and it is important that we promote physical activity and to see the example of these female college athletes, the heart that they have, the dignity that their coach displayed, in victory and, a long time ago, in defeat. It has been a long time since the UConn Lady Huskies have not had a good year. It is really incredible.

I just have to tell my colleagues, I am a Lady Vols fan, rooted for them, so proud of our program. But I tell my colleagues, this was a very special team and a very special year for a great bunch of ladies. And to see Geno, I watched every minute of the game and watched Geno's comments, and for him to even hail the proud Italian heritage that we saw demonstrated in the heart and soul, just the hustle, the determination.

Of course, Tennessee played their hearts out as well: Karen, the Jacksons, incredible female athletes.

This game of women's basketball is one of the fastest moving sports climbs in the history of this country. There is excitement filling up the greatest domes in the country with sports fans and enthusiasts of all shapes and sizes and ages. It is just really good that women's sports are doing so well. And boy, the apex I think of the competition was the University of Connecticut's victory for the national championship.

So I applaud my colleagues. In a time of unity today on the House floor, we can come and praise this dedication. It is just wonderful that physical exercise and athletic competition can bring out the best in people, both physically and mentally, because I think that there is a tremendous respect between Pat Summit and Geno and the greatest coaches in the land in female sports. It is great for women's basketball that these two teams made it all the way to that final game. I do not know what the ratings were, but they had to be high; and I know many of my colleagues were glued to the television that night as they knew the two most successful programs in women's basketball had made it to the final game of the national championship. They played their hearts out, and my hat is off to the Connecticut Huskies. They deserved to win, they deserve to be champions, and they are true champions with dignity. They have the respect of every person, I think, in this country.

So this brings out the best in America where two good teams compete and the best team won. So congratulations, Connecticut. We will see you next year.