W. Akin

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Unchartered waters.

Mr. AKIN. So we came up with a solution that cost a whole lot of money, when there was actually a much lower cost way to solve the problem. And we are in danger of doing the same thing again in the near future if we don't use the right kind of tools to turn things around. I hear what you are saying. The gentleman from Ohio.

Mr. AKIN. Do you know what happened to the first $350 billion? Is it your sense that in the last month or two that that has really given a whole lot of value for that $350 billion?

Mr. AKIN. Could you imagine if you were the Governor and you talked to your State of Louisiana and you said, hey, we are in economic hard times, so I have decided we are just going to spend a whole lot more billions of dollars. What would people do to you? Would they lock you up?

Mr. AKIN. So the responsible people are saving money, yet the people in this Congress are talking about spending it when we don't have it. Go ahead. I yield.

Mr. AKIN. Before we list off a whole lot of these different specific solutions, if I could just cut in for a moment and sort of let's step back a little bit and be a little more professorial. You know, we have this tranche, it sounds like something on an ACT test or something. You are a medical doctor, you are probably smart at knowing all the meanings of these words. But there are two general theories, aren't there, in economics. One of them was basically called ``Keynesian'' because of this Little Lord Keynes that came up with this idea. It was something that FDR used to turn a recession into the Great Depression. Obviously it didn't work very well, and yet there are some people that still want to say, well, FDR got us out of the Great Depression using Keynesian economics. And the theory of Keynesian economics is take a whole lot of money away from all the taxpayers and go spend it all on a whole bunch of pork- type government projects. Maybe some are good, some are bad, dams across certain rivers to build hydroelectric plants, or building schools and stuff. It was politically popular stuff, but it didn't help. It made the Depression worse, and we ended up getting out of the Depression by getting into World War II. Now, I would just as soon that we don't use that approach to get out of our depression this time around and get into another world war. But that was called Keynesian economics. The idea was you just spend a whole lot of money and, wallah, something is going to happen. Well, if you think about that logically, we have got trillions of dollars in deficit, and if Keynesian economics worked we would be in a great economy right now. We have already spent much more money than we have. And yet that is one approach, and it has traditionally been something the Democrats do. It is politically popular, but it hasn't worked very well. The other approach is what you are talking about, which is more commonly called ``supply side.'' It is the idea of not taking money, but allowing the businessmen and the people who create the jobs to invest and let that small business engine through productivity pull us out. That is what the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Jim Jordan, a fantastic lineup of some different proposals to try to solve the problem of where we are in the economy. But we have a gentleman from Louisiana. I would yield to you if you would like to comment on this.

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of our Missouri of University Chancellors. Several weeks ago, Dr. Thomas Friedrich George was honored by the University of Szeged in Hungary. Chancellor George was awarded the honorary title Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Szeged in recognition of his outstanding and cooperative scientific work that has been carried out in support of the University of Szeged over many years. While serving as Chancellor at the University of Missouri--St. Louis, Chancellor George also serves as a professor of chemistry and physics and researcher in chemical, materials and laser physics at the University. This recognition of Chancellor George is not only a significant personal achievement; it is also an honor for the University of Missouri System and the St. Louis region. I am pleased to be able to honor Chancellor George today. He is a shining example of the great leadership we have in Missouri and I know all of my colleagues join me in congratulating him on this distinguished honor.

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor one of our brave men and women in uniform. LTC Andrew W. Brown, United States Air Force Reserve, was inducted into the Parkway Alumni Association Hall of Fame in St. Louis on November 15, 2008. The Parkway School District is located in my district and Lieutenant Colonel Brown graduated from Parkway West High School in 1982. Among the many career highlights that recommended him for induction into the Parkway Hall of Fame is his service in Afghanistan. As a flight surgeon with the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, then Major Brown performed and assisted in over 100 combat casualty surgeries and procedures from 22 April to 31 August 2005. Under severe time constraints and throughout the day and night, his involvement saved the lives of numerous United States, Coalition, Afghan Army and Police forces. Lieutenant Colonel Brown was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal on 17 April 2006 for this outstanding achievement. I am honored to represent Lieutenant Colonel Brown's family in the United States Congress and to honor him today.

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. My colleagues, a week ago we were approached by Secretary Paulson, and he told us that there was a crisis and that he had a solution. He gave us the horns of a dilemma, two sharp, shiny points that we could impale ourselves on. One, that the financial system was going to collapse and implode, and the sky was going to fall. Certainly we wouldn't want to choose that. The other, we could write a $700 billion blank check. Those were our two choices. Reasonable people started to ask there has got to be a better alternative than this, and at every turn, we saw a resistance to a clear definition of the problem and an ability to talk about the different alternatives or possibilities. Now, one of the things that is very dangerous in problem solving is not being careful in defining what the real problem is. What we find when we look back and start to talk to other authorities is that this is not the first time this kind of thing has happened, and that it did not need $700 billion. It needed very little public money to solve the problem back in the Reagan days in the savings and loan crisis. So what we have before us, and our leadership has led us into, first into the Pelosi Congress not allowing the committee process to operate properly; and, second, by some Republican leadership also trying to force us onto one of these two alternatives, is a solution that doesn't fix the problem. Mark my words, that if we pass this bill, in another couple of months we will be back here with a lot of failed banks and say, oh, my goodness, something is wrong. The banks are failing. The problem is, this doesn't solve the problem. It's nice to take a bullet for the team if it's going to do some good, but this isn't going to solve the problem. All the people I hear in favor of this say we have got to give up some principal in order to save principal. You never save principal by giving it up.

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Madam 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 23 though November 30, 2008. The Bible was foundational to the 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 also 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, Madam 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. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Madam Speaker, in accordance with House Republican Conference standards, and Clause 9 of Rule XXI, I submit the following member requests for the record regarding H.R. 2638, The Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act. Project: Heuristic Internet Protocol Packet Inspection Engine. Account: Army, RDT&E. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: TechGuard Security, LLC. Address of Requesting Entity: 743 Spirit 40 Park Drive, Chesterfield, MO 63005. Description of Request: Provide $2,000,000 for Army, RDT&E, PE# 0305208A, Line # 177, Distributed Common Ground/Surface System solely for the research, development and test of Heuristic Internet Protocol Packet Inspection Engine (HIPPIE). The advanced concept HIPPIE technology can be rapidly prototyped and deployed in a filtering appliance that sits in front of an existing firewall or router and uses unique filtering algorithms to quickly classify large numbers of packets--i.e., the country of origin for an IP address--without using slow and CPU intensive rule sets. The objective of the program is to miniaturize the HIPPIE through the use of nanotechnology to the point where it can be placed on a chip and placed directly on a computer for offensive or defensive cyber warfare use. Project: High Power, Ultra-Lightweight Zinc-Air Battery. Account: RDT&E, Navy-Marine Corps Landing Force Technology. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Energizer Battery Manufacturing, Inc. Address of Requesting Entity: 25225 Detroit Road, Westlake, OH 44145. Description of Request: Provide $2,500,000 for the continued development (Phase II) of a high-rate capability air electrode for a zinc air battery system. The objective is to increase the rate capability by an additional 65 percent so as to support the high power requirements for equipment used in military and commercial applications. The subject zinc-air battery will provide the same energy and power of the incumbent battery (lithium-sulfur dioxide) for about half the weight and in a 60 percent smaller package. Approximately 63 percent is for labor; and 37 percent is for materials and other allowable indirect costs. On average, a U.S. soldier consumes the equivalent of 1 AA battery per hour in combat, and an infantry platoon, for a 3-day mission, will require approximately 2,500 batteries, weighing a total of almost 400 lbs. Carrying this added weight induces fatigue and ultimately limits their effectiveness and ability to carry out their missions. Thus, with our heavily armed and battery laden troops increasingly confronting light and irregular forces, issues of battery weight and equipment reliability are more important than ever. The total project cost is expected to be approximately $14,000,000. Energizer will provide the balance of this funding and will continue to devote tens of millions of private R&D dollars to support the continued development of this technology for high power military and commercial applications. Project: Hyperspectral Imaging for Improved Force Protection (Hyper- IFP). Account: Army RDT&E, (CERDEC, NVESD, Special Projects). Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Clean Earth Technologies, LLC. Address of Requesting Entity: 13378 Lakefront Drive, Earth City, MO. Description of Request: Provide $1,600,000 to complete the design, assembly, integration, test and evaluation of the Hyperspectral Integrated Force Protection sensor system (Hyper-IFP). Approximately 40 percent will be used for engineering development modeling and simulation; 20 percent will be used for subsystems assembly and testing; 15 percent will be used for system integration and ground testing; 15 percent will be used for a deployed full system field test and evaluation. The request is consistent with the Army NVESD Special Projects office mission to develop advanced sensor systems that provide an operational advantage or that increase survivability of the warfighter. Taxpayer value is substantially enhanced by dual/multi-use capacity to serve a number of Homeland Security (DHS) missions in addition to military force protection. Project: Mission Execution Technology Implementation. Account: Army, RDT&E. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Westar Aerospace & Defense Group, Inc. Address of Requesting Entity: 36 Research Park Court, St. Charles MO 63304. Description of Request: Provide $3,200,000 for technology improvements urgently needed by combat units in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. This program will result in significant increases in mission effectiveness and safety for our war- fighters. Funding is required to continue development of enterprise- enabled, integrated Aviation tools and provide this ability to all Army Aviation systems to include UH-60 series, OH-58D, AH-64D, Fixed Wing, and UAS systems. The complete integrated aviation solution includes implementing the automated maintenance test flight tool, automated weight and balance software, and integration with current logistics and Aviation Mission Planning systems. The Aviation community has consistently requested an enhanced, fully Automated Maintenance Test Flight Tool for in-cockpit use, eliminating manual and repetitive Maintenance Test Pilot tasks and significantly reducing the labor required to return aircraft to full service. This solution would also fulfill the Army directive for a paperless system, storing the maintenance test flight check sheets into the Common Logistics Operating Environment, eliminating the paper form. Improved integration of automated weight and balance tools with the CLOE and the Aviation System of System infrastructure is critical, eliminating error-prone manual entries and expanding aircraft flight envelopes by eliminating manual lookup and interpolation of paper performance charts. The amount of time in calculating and recalculating loads during OPTEMPO will be greatly reduced from hours to mere minutes. This effort will include the application of commercial Aviation best practices to data and data processes in support of airworthiness, and the development of processes to support airworthiness assessments of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Airworthiness of UAS will improve safety in training and combat operations as well as permit the routine use of these critical capabilities within national airspace during natural disasters and homeland defense operations. Project: Out of Autoclave Composite Processing. Account: U.S. Navy ONR Industrial Preparedness 0708011N. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: GKN Aerospace North America. Address of Requesting Entity: 142 J.S. McDonnell Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63042. Description of Request: Provide $1,600,000 to develop out of autoclave composite processing. Most composite lamination processes require the use of large, expensive autoclaves to cure lightweight composite structures for today's high technology military aircraft. The size of the parts fabricated is often limited by the size of the autoclave. This project will help develop composite curing processes that do not require an expensive or size limited autoclave for the manufacture of composite aircraft structures. This will result in lower cost aircraft structures and open additional opportunities outside of aerospace for high strength lightweight composites.

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, I would comment that one of the things that the public would really like to see in Congress is for us to come down here, put our partisan differences aside and actually solve some problems. We don't always do a good job in that regard on many topics. But this is quite an exception today. And I think it's a time that the public can be very thankful for Chairman Skelton from the great State of Missouri and also for Ranking Member Hunter. Both of them have rolled their sleeves up and have put together an authorization bill that actually deals with the problems that face our country and have a very credible solution. This is a ``hats off'' for people who've worked very hard. We're very thankful to have a chance to get the bill passed, and it's that tone of our leadership that is willing to solve problems instead of squabbling like a bunch of cats. This is a very bright day. We're thankful for that leadership.

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor a man of passion, spirit and service--former Kirkwood Mayor Mike Swoboda, who struggled against incredible odds after tragedy and on September 6, 2008, was released from his suffering and went Home. Mike Swoboda will be remembered for his innovation in the city of Kirkwood, Missouri, creating ``Mayor for a Day'' program for youths, his endless enthusiasm for all things Kirkwood, and his years of faithful service. He was a man of hope and optimism who loved the people he served. He will be remembered for striving to do great things and as a man of his word. I want to extend my condolences to the family of Mike Swoboda and echo family and friends in saying ``He will always be remembered.''

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. America by this time understands that we have not been developing American energy. There are three things required to develop American energy. First, you have to have natural resources. America is blessed with a great supply and diversity of natural resources. The second thing you have to have to develop American energy is the technology to be able to develop energy in a scientific and an environmentally friendly way. We are very clever with our technology. We have that in America. And the third thing that you need is political will, the desire to develop American energy; and in that regard this Congress has failed. The Pelosi Congress refuses to put the gears in motion and take action. Now, I can understand if you like $4 a gallon gasoline, you prefer to see it go to $6, that is a political policy. If that is what the Democrats want to do, if that is what Pelosi wants, fine. But what we have on the floor today is a sham. It pretends to be an energy bill and pretends to say it is going to drill, and it doesn't. It has nothing in there for clean nuclear and nothing to allow real drilling in Alaska. We have 748 sites to drill, every one blocked by a lawsuit. There is no reform in this bill. This is a sham.

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6169, a bill I introduced to honor the life of Peter J. Navarro by designating the post office in Baldwin, Missouri, as the ``Specialist Peter J. Navarro Post Office Building.'' A resident of Wildwood, Missouri, Specialist Peter Navarro was part of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 70th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. On December 13, 2005, Specialist Navarro was one of four soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their Humvee during combat operations in Taji, Iraq. A graduate of Lafayette High School, Peter declined his acceptance at Truman State University so he could join the Army right after graduation. When Peter returned home for his younger brother's funeral, he was faced with the undeniable risks of serving his country; however, he returned to Iraq, telling friends and family ``they need me there.'' Peter was a dedicated soldier willing to give the ultimate sacrifice to protect his country and the men and women who reside there. As Peter's father, Jose Navarro, said, ``He cared for the soldiers he worked with. He would do anything for his friends. And he told me he believed in the mission that he was involved in.'' As a father of two marines, one of whom has served in Iraq, it is a privilege to stand here today to honor one of our fallen soldiers. Peter's commitment and dedication to his country is a shining example of how our military men and women are the finest our Nation has to offer. His and his family's sacrifice should serve as a reminder to all that the freedom we enjoy as Americans is not free, but the result of the tremendous bravery and selfless service of men and women willing to put themselves in harm's way for freedom's cause. Our Nation will be forever indebted to Specialist Peter Navarro. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me today in honoring Peter by voting ``yes'' on H.R. 6169. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6168. It's a bill that I introduced to honor the life of Drew W. Weaver by designating the post office in St. Charles, Missouri, as the Lance Corporal Drew W. Weaver Post Office Building. A resident of St. Charles, Missouri, Lance Corporal Drew Weaver was part of the 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. On February 21, 2007, Lance Corporal Weaver died while conducting combat operations in the al Anbar province in Iraq. As Captain Mark C. Brown noted, Drew was ``known for his enthusiasm and his ability to motivate people around him.'' Drew's contribution to his country was honored by his community when hundreds of people showed up to his memorial service and procession. A graduate of St. Charles High School, friends and family of Drew remember him as an energetic young man who was eager to serve his country. Ryan Hanson, his best friend and a fellow serviceman, said, ``Drew loved what he was doing and was proud of what he was doing for the Marine Corps.'' As the father of two Marines, one of whom has served in Iraq, it is a privilege to stand here today to honor one of our fallen heroes. Drew's commitment and dedication to his country is a shining example of how our military men and women are the finest our Nation has to offer. His and his family's sacrifice should serve as a reminder to all that the freedom we enjoy as Americans is not free, but the result of tremendous bravery and selfless sacrifice of men and women willing to put themselves in harm's way for freedom's cause. As Reverend James Benz noted during Drew's funeral, ``I think we can learn from them that the freedom we enjoy in this country is precious, that it is special, and it must be preserved sometimes at great personal cost.'' Our Nation will be forever indebted to Lance Corporal Drew Weaver. Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me today in honoring Lance Corporal Drew Weaver. Vote ``yes'' on H.R. 6168. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I agree completely with my friend from St. Louis here, and H.R. 6575 makes a whole lot of sense. When we face direct threats, it's easy to assume that the best thing to do is to conceal, protect, or hide information, and, in fact, it's probably the worst thing that we can do. That's what the 9/11 Commission decided as it reviewed the American classification process that existed before the 2001 attacks. This is a quotation: ``Current security requirements nurture over-classification and excessive compartmentalization of information among agencies. Each agency's incentive structure opposes sharing, with risks, criminal, civil, and internal administrative sanctions, but few rewards for sharing information. No one has to pay the long-term costs of over- classifying information though these costs, even in literal financial terms, are substantial.'' The result is that the United States for a long time has tried to protect a huge body of secrets using an incomprehensibly complex system of classifications and safeguard requirements. Worst still, this body of secrets is growing and no one can say with any degree of certainty how much information is classified, how much needs to be declassified, or whether the Nation's real secrets can be adequately protected in a system so bloated it often does not distinguish between the critically important and the merely embarrassing. Our classification practices have been highly subjective, inconsistent, and susceptible to abuse. Over-classification often confuses national security with bureaucratic, political, or diplomatic convenience. With this legislation we intend to reduce improper and over- classification and consequently increasing government-wide information sharing and the availability of information to the public. We accomplish this by instructing the Archivist to promulgate regulations which will standardize decisions on the classification documents. The legislation also establishes systems for challenging whether information ought to be classified and instructs agency IGs to randomly audit classified information to assess whether proper classification decisions are actually being made. Finally, this legislation creates a record attached to each classified document stating who made the decision to classify. The current system of organizational silos restricts the free flow of information from agency to agency. This system reduces this Nation's overall security by making sure no one gets a view of the entire mosaic. The legislation presents a government-wide solution to protect what must be protected but requires sharing what ought to be shared. Mr. Speaker, our future safety depends on moving from a ``need to know'' culture to a ``need to share'' culture. This legislation will help us reach that goal. I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Archbishop Raymond Burke who, for the last 4 years, has served as the head of the archdiocese in St. Louis. Recently, Archbishop Burke was appointed to the position of the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura in Rome. During his short tenure in St. Louis, Archbishop Burke helped to revitalize the Catholic community. Under his leadership, the seminary has continued to flourish with respect to the enrollment of the archdiocesan seminarians. I have no doubt that any man with Archbishop Burke's firm convictions and leadership capabilities will flourish wherever he goes. I congratulate Archbishop Burke on his recent appointment to the position of the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura. It's my hope that St. Louis will always be a place he can call home. Those of us who know him personally know him as a guileless man and a committed defender of truth. Very best wishes, Archbishop Burke, in your new position.

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6208, a bill that I introduced to honor the life of Matthew P. Pathenos by designating the post office in Chesterfield, Missouri, as the Lance Corporal Matthew P. Pathenos Post Office Building. A resident of Ballwin, Missouri, Lance Corporal Matthew P. Pathenos was part of the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division of the Marine Forces Reserve. On February 7, 2007, Lance Corporal Pathenos was killed during combat operations in the Anbar province of Iraq. Matthew was often described by friends and family as a friendly young man who always had a joke to tell, had a smile on his face. Matthew decided to join the military in order to follow his older brother into the country's service with the hope of helping those who could not help themselves. Matthew's then girlfriend, Erin, calls Lance Corporal Pathenos her hero and wishes that she might one day ``possess a fraction of his bravery and discipline.'' As a father of two marines, one of whom has served in Iraq, it's a privilege to stand here today to honor one of our fallen soldiers. Matthew's commitment and dedication to his country is a shining example of how our military men and women are the finest the Nation has to offer. He and his family's sacrifice should serve as a reminder to all that the freedom we enjoy as Americans is not free but it is the result of the tremendous bravery and self sacrifice of men and women willing to put themselves in harm's way for the cause of freedom. Throughout the many, many years of our Nation's existence, America has been unique at one particular regard and in many particular regards. America is the only Nation that has a political and religious motto, a code that we go by. It's expressed and it was expressed as the reason why we fought our war to gain our independence in that great sentence. It says that we believe that there are certain inalienable rights that come from God. Among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The sentence goes on to say that governments are instituted among men to protect those basic God-given rights. That has been the reason why we have gone to war, to protect our God-given rights down through the ages, in the War of Independence and other wars as well, and this war is no different. Matthew Pathenos understood in his heart and in his gut the basic idea that he was defending his family and his homeland. And so he joins the ranks of those who are still on patrol, whose names we will regard. He joins the ranks of the people who made the ultimate sacrifice; that you and I and future generations of Americans may go free. And in that regard, we honor him by naming this post office after Matthew Pathenos. Please join me by voting ``yes'' on H.R. 6208.

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Madam Speaker, America has a problem because we have not been developing our American energy. The tip of the iceberg is particularly obvious now at $4 a gallon, but there were warning signs-- nuclear reactors, 1960s vintage technology, no new refineries sited in 30 years. That's going back to the Vietnam era. We have not been developing American energy. Why? It is not because we don't have American energy. We have plenty of varieties of American energy that we could be developing, and it is not because we don't have the technology or the innovation to be able to develop American energy. No. Unfortunately, this is strictly a matter of will. It is a decision, and it is strictly a party-line decision. Over the last 8 years, Democrats on all kinds of votes on energy have voted 90 percent of the time not to develop American energy. Republicans have voted 90 percent too. Whether it is recycling nuclear fuel, drilling in ANWR or in the Outer Continental Shelf, we need to agree that the time has come to develop American energy.

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Madam Speaker, on the afternoon of June 18, 2008, I erroneously voted to override the President's veto on H.R. 6124, (roll call No. 417), the Food, Conservation and Energy Act. I intended to vote ``nay'' and sustain the President's veto.

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Madam Speaker, I was unable to participate in the following votes. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: June 17, 2008: rollcall vote No. 414, on motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended--H.R. 2964--To amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to treat nonhuman primates as prohibited wildlife species under that Act, to make corrections in the provisions relating to captive wildlife offenses under that Act, and for other purposes, I would have voted ``nay''; rollcall vote No. 415, on motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended--H.R. 3702--Montana Cemetery Act of 2007--I would have voted ``aye''; rollcall vote No. 416, on motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended--H. Res. 1275--Honoring the life of Timothy John Russert, Jr., public servant, political analyst, and author--I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. AKIN

Mr. AKIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the St. Louis Kiwanis Club on their 90th anniversary. The St. Louis Kiwanis have been providing community service since 1918. The Kiwanians have one common goal: To serve the children of the world. Kiwanis advocates this vision everyday by providing opportunities to serve for every member of a community through Service Leadership Programs. Through these opportunities, youth and young adults around the world become competent, capable, and compassionate leaders. The St. Louis Kiwanis have served their community in many ways, including supporting local charitable organizations including, but not limited to: The Boys and Girls Club of St. Louis, Kiwanis Camp Wyman, Key Clubs, and the Kiwanis Children's Dental Foundation Mobile Clinic. They serve by providing manpower at local events and promoting other children's related causes. The Kiwanis have reached out to their fellow citizens in need and, in the process, have enriched their own lives. I want to congratulate and thank the St. Louis Kiwanis for the time and service they dedicate to the Second District of Missouri and the people of the United States.