Leonard Boswell

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. BOSWELL. I rise to support the fair and necessary funding for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The CFTC acts as a Wall Street watchdog, overseeing American markets that directly impact our Nation's workers, businesses, and families. Refusing to responsibly fund this Commission puts our constituents in danger of higher gas prices, higher food prices, and a greater likelihood that Wall Street will once again take advantage of them. While the derivatives market has grown by 400 percent over the last 10 years, the U.S. Government has failed to match that growth in regulators. Now the majority wants to take even more cops off Wall Street, and as someone has said, it's like putting the Little League champions up against the New York Yankees. With speculators making up 70 percent of market players and an industry that invests $25 billion in technology each year, the Commission that regulates behavior on Wall Street cannot afford to be left behind. Our taxpayers cannot afford to pick up the bill again. To monitor and regulate this market, and to protect American taxpayers, last Congress we passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act. And I might add that that was not a knee-jerk operation. We took months and months, many, many hearings, as you well know, working across the aisle together to try to do something that would prevent a re-happening of what we were going through and still have the aftereffect of. As ranking member of the subcommittee that oversees the CFTC, I have heard from countless witnesses, including Chairman Gensler himself, that we must properly fund the CFTC to protect American consumers and market end-users. They need and must have the tools and the resources to do their job. Adequately funding the CFTC would allow the Commission to increase staff to do the job that Congress directed them to do, which is to prevent another 2008 financial crisis. It would allow the Commission to keep pace with the growth of the market they are charged to regulate and invest $66 million in technology to improve oversight of electronic trading. Still, the majority is dead set on delaying and defunding the CFTC. This legislation returns the CFTC to their 2008 level funding--the same level of funding that led to the taxpayer bailout of Wall Street and only allows half of what they need now to do the job correctly. Defunding and delaying this implementation is the majority's handout to Wall Street millionaires and billionaires, who have already been caught red-handed gambling with the pension plans of middle class Americans and speculating the cost of oil $20 a barrel beyond actual cost. This is why I support and have cosponsored the amendment to increase CFTC funding to the fair level of $308 million. To fund the CFTC at 2008 levels is an insult to the American taxpayers who were asked to foot the bill in 2008 as a result of Wall Street's reckless behavior. Our Nation has seen the effects of the 2008 funding level and what happens when our market lacks proper oversight. We must protect our constituents from the vulnerable situation that led to a financial collapse, and we must fairly fund the CFTC. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of this amendment and to stand up for rural America and our Nation's farmers. The appropriations bill in front of us today eliminates a program that helps rural communities invest in energy-efficient and renewable energy projects to improve their quality of life and local economies. The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) has given Iowa farmers and businesses more than $57 million in grants and $74 million worth of loan guarantees since 1993 when it started, according to the USDA. The majority of the projects have helped growers purchase higher- efficiency grain drying equipment which saves them thousands in propane costs. Additionally, helps farmers install geothermal heating and cooling systems and wind turbines. Just this year, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the Department would begin award grants to rural gas stations to install gas pumps for ethanol-blended fuel. Iowa is the largest beneficiary of REAP funds, and I am committed to working with my colleagues in the House and Senate to reach a compromise on its funding. REAP has already been cut by 25 percent for this fiscal year and the majority's intention to reduce its funding from $75 million to $1.3 million is unacceptable. When the House Appropriations Committee passed this legislation, Members chose to dismantle a program that helps rural communities thrive and their economies grow in order to maintain tax breaks for oil and gas companies and incentives for companies that outsource American jobs. This is not about reducing spending. It is an outright attack on Middle America to protect Corporate America. I will not stand by as appropriators blindly cut spending in programs that truly grow the economy and support rural businesses and communities. Every American needs an affordable and accessible food supply grown in the most efficient way possible. Effectively terminating the REAP program will reduce efficiency in food production, increasing prices in the grocery store, and, in the end, hurting every American family, not just rural America. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment which will slowly rebuild the REAP program and send a message to the Senate that this program is important to every American.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to oppose this legislation and to focus on the importance of the health of the many women in my district and across our nation. I stand against H.R. 3, because I believe that a woman deserves the same respect as a man. She deserves this respect as an employee, a wife, a mother, a sister, simply just for her humanity. And that respect must be real and must include important matters like access to health care. During the 111th Congress, we made it illegal for insurance companies to charge a woman a higher premium just because she is female. We did this because to do anything else is blatant discrimination. Yet here we are today, with a bill that would circumvent the very discrimination we stopped and would direct the Internal Revenue Service to tax a woman based on her health needs, just because her needs are different from that of a man. Even worse, at this critical time in our economy, we are now going to tax any business that provides comprehensive health care to a woman. So, instead of fighting for the most critical need of our nation right now, job creation, H.R. 3 picks a fight with a woman and her employer. Why do any one of us seek to have health insurance? We choose to have health insurance in order to plan for the unforeseeable, the unknown, those emergencies that arise and for which no one can plan. No one plans to have cancer, but many Americans do. Health insurance is how each of us protects ourselves against the unknown. This legislation says that a woman--with her own money--cannot have comprehensive health insurance without a penalty. It creates a new barrier to access to care, and puts in place a system of discrimination, backed by statute in the United States Tax Code. For my colleagues who argue that this is to reduce the rate of abortion services, it will not. The facts show otherwise. Access to family planning services is what reduces the need for abortion services. It is family planning services that have proven to cut the rate of abortion by more than 200,000 per year and reduce unintended pregnancies by more than 600,000 per year. This bill was titled the ``No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,'' but it reads more like a ``Tax our Daughters Act.'' Stop this boldfaced attack on American women. Let us instead provide them with jobs and a fair paycheck. Vote against H.R. 3. Show the women of your district, and your family, that you respect them.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. BOSWELL. In its present form, I am opposed.

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, this motion is very simple. It serves as a final amendment to the underlying legislation and would not kill the bill. What it does do is prohibit insurance companies from participating in health insurance exchanges if they deny coverage for cancer or other preexisting conditions, especially for seniors and future Medicare recipients. My recommit motion is an opportunity for everyone in this Chamber to put the angry rhetoric surrounding health care reform aside and stand up for seniors and future Medicare recipients and every American who has been diagnosed with cancer and other preexisting conditions. This recommit motion holds special meaning for me because I am a cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer that was most likely caused by my service in the Vietnam War and exposure to Agent Orange. Fortunately, as a career soldier, I had access to affordable, quality public health insurance to help me beat that nasty disease. Many other Americans are not so lucky. With this in mind, this final amendment is more important than ever. Medicare accepts all seniors; private insurance companies do not. This must change, and requiring these companies to prove that they do not charge more or deny coverage to seniors and the 129 million people under 65 who have a preexisting condition is an important first step. I would submit that probably every one of us in this Chamber have received calls from some of our constituents who have been paying for insurance for years and years, they got a malady, they got cancer, they're in the hospital, they're getting treatment, insurance comes due and they can't renew it because they've got a preexisting condition. That's got to stop. Health insurance exchanges will be a one-stop shop for tens of millions of Americans who purchase individual policies. This market must be open only to the companies that provide affordable insurance to all Americans, young, old, sick and well, male and female. My recommit motion, this final amendment, would require just that. Our role as a government is to protect the well-being of our citizens, not the bottom line of insurance companies, which are doing just fine by the way. America's health insurance companies increased their profits by 56 percent in 2009, while 2.7 million people lost their private coverage. The Nation's five largest for-profit insurers reported a combined profit of $12.2 billion the same year, according to a report by Health Care for America Now. I support American companies making profits. However, these numbers indicate there is no reason why private insurance companies should deny coverage to seniors or Americans struggling with cancer and other preexisting conditions. My amendment would ensure that if they want to expand their insurance pool to include Americans purchasing through health care exchanges and grow their customer base even more, then they must cover everyone fairly--seniors, future Medicare recipients, and cancer patients included. Let's be clear. The passage of this amendment will not prevent the passage of the underlying bill. If the amendment is adopted, it will be incorporated into the bill, and the bill will be immediately voted upon. So, even though we may disagree on the bill today, we have the opportunity to stand together for those afflicted with cancer and other preexisting conditions and our Nation's future Medicare recipients who would lose guaranteed health care benefits under the Ryan plan. It's up to us. I urge everyone to vote ``yes'' on this final amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I regret my absence in the House yesterday, May 2, 2011, as I was in my district attending to personal business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall vote 278.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to continue a discussion started by a good friend and former Iowa Congressman, Berkley Bedell, in yesterday's Des Moines Register, page 9A. In Congressman Bedell's column titled, ``Those Who Own America Should Help Pay for Government,'' Congressman Bedell argues that Congress's budget focus on cutting costs instead of generating revenue is fundamentally skewed and not good business. He writes, ``Show me a company that ignores revenue and focuses on cutting costs, and I will show you a firm that is headed for failure. Show me a government that ignores revenue and focuses on cutting costs, and I will show you a government that is a failure.'' Congressman Bedell writes that corporations and the richest Americans need to properly contribute to the government through taxes that are relevant to their wealth. For me, this means eliminating billions a year in subsidies to multibillion-dollar oil and gas companies; it means ending mortgage deductions for vacation homes and yachts that cost taxpayers billions a year in lost revenue; it means ending the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest 2 percent to increase our revenue by more than $40 billion a year. Americans deserve a government that works, and blindly cutting costs and services doesn't accomplish that. [From the Des Moines Register, Apr. 12, 2011] Guest opinion: Those who own America should help pay for government (By: Berkley Bedell) I started a fishing tackle manufacturing business, Berkley and Co., with $50 saved from my newspaper route when I was 15 years old. From the beginning, my main focus was on sales and revenue. The business was successful. In my 50s, I ran for Congress. I won and appointed a person to run the company. He focused on cutting costs rather than building revenue and the business was soon headed for bankruptcy. My son, Tom, came back to Iowa to run the company. He focused on marketing and research to build revenue, and when he sold the company a few years ago, it was by far the largest most successful fishing tackle manufacturing company in the nation. Show me a company that ignores revenue and focuses on cutting costs, and I will show you a firm that is headed for failure. Show me a government that ignores revenue and focuses on cutting costs, and I will show you a government that is a failure. Today that is exactly what we have in our state and federal governments. Like most people and most corporations, I would prefer not to have to pay taxes. I am now 90 years old. I lived during the middle of the 1900s when our top income tax rate varied between 70 and 91 percent--more than double that of today. I saw what we can do when we properly tax ourselves to build a better nation. Today the top 1 percent of households have over 38 percent of all privately held stock, 60 percent of financial securities and 62 percent of business equity. The top 10 percent own 80 percent to 90 percent of stocks, bonds, trust funds and business equities, and over 75 percent of non-home real estate. Since financial health is what counts as far as control of income-producing assets, we can say that just 10 percent of the people own the United States of America. My wife and I are part of that 10 percent. We are heroes in our hometown, just as Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are national heroes. Like them, we are not bad people, we want to be good people and contribute so we have formed a foundation for alternative medicine (FAIM.org) to try to do good with our money. But our government is all screwed up. Instead of using everyone's wealth to build a better society as we did in the 1950s, we are cutting taxes to the rich and corporate America while we cut back on services and jobs for the masses. You do not create jobs by firing teachers and lowering wages. People are starting to rise up in Wisconsin, Ohio and other states. They are correct to be disturbed and to protest. I hope they will keep it up. I hope they realize the basic problem. It is, revenue matters! Until we properly tax corporate America and those of us who can afford it, and use those revenues to put our people back to work, clean up the environment, replace fossil fuels, reduce the deficit and bring back the prosperity we had in the middle of the last century, I believe we all need to join those protesters. Having served in Congress, I have seen how political contributions from the wealthy, and now corporations, control our government. It is time for the people--all of us--to do as did the people of Egypt and join the street marches to demand that our government bring back the time we had in my youth, when we worked together, rich and poor, to contribute the tax revenue needed to build a nation that was the envy of the world.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. First, I thought I would start off by acknowledging the efforts to have open rules and so on and by giving you a little praise, but you're doing enough to give yourselves praise, so I guess I won't have to do that today. Madam Speaker, I rise to oppose this rule. I rise to address yet another attack on our Nation's workers and the middle class which have been snuck into the FAA Reauthorization Act. As a senior member of the committee and as a pilot myself, I am appalled that Republicans have chosen to play politics with legislation as important as this--one that ensures our skies are safe and operating at peak performance. In H.R. 658, Republicans march on in their crusade against working Americans and middle class families by targeting union representation elections for hardworking Americans. Under this legislation, Republicans would deny transportation workers and their unions the basic tenets of democracy by ordering an absent vote in a representation election to be counted as a ``no'' vote. By this math, not a single one of us serving in the House today would be here when we compare voting populations in our districts with the percentage of the ``yes'' votes we all mustered. On average, we would have earned about 25 percent of the vote. In targeting our Nation's transportation workers, Republicans have once again drawn a line in the sand between the needs of middle class America and protecting the interests of CEOs and Wall Street, and it is obvious which side they're on. Instead of stripping our aviation and rail workers of their democratic rights, why don't the Republicans look within their own ranks and apply this election concept to Wall Street? From here on out, make every corporation that received government assistance count an absent shareholder vote as a ``no'' vote when considering executive compensation and bonus packages. But that won't happen. Instead of focusing on real issues like jobs and education, Republicans are attacking middle class rail and aviation workers who do dangerous jobs to keep our transportation system going. I urge my colleagues to stand with the middle class workers who put their lives on the line every day at work to make sure that goods and people are being moved across this Nation. Vote ``yes'' on the amendment to be offered by Congressmen LaTourette and Costello.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this. And, again, I want to say this amendment does not kill the bill. Republicans have put forth a bill that again forces our middle class and our working families to sacrifice, sacrifice, and sacrifice so they can continue the giveaways for Big Oil, billionaires, and corporations that outsource American jobs. As a former professional soldier, I approach our economy with a military eye to take the hill and get our economy going again, and we need all of our troops behind us. In this case, our troops are our workers, the middle class Americans who must be healthy and armed with the tools to rebuild the economy. Our camps are the communities that must have the resources to do just that. So why are our troops and communities in rural America being left behind? Rural Main Streets in Iowa have been devastated as Republicans have rewarded outsourcing. Manufacturing plants in my district, like Maytag--all of you know who Maytag is--in Newton, Iowa, they have packed up and moved their jobs to Mexico. Many of you have similar situations. Rural workers have lost jobs in ethanol, biodiesel, and wind turbine plants because we have given tax breaks to Big Oil while cutting investments in renewable energy. These communities have weathered farm crisis after crisis, as Republicans defend Wall Street speculators tinkering with the markets that they depend on. I urge my colleagues to say ``yes'' to rural America and the middle class by supporting this amendment to H.R. 861. Rural America is not blue or red. Rural America is simply hardworking communities that are already struggling to keep the American Dream alive for their residents who live, work, and believe in them.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today as a cosponsor of House Resolution 49, the Staff Sergeant Salvatore A. Giunta Medal of Honor Flag Resolution. As the first living Medal of Honor winner since the Vietnam War, Staff Sergeant Giunta richly deserves to be honored by this House. The resolution is simple: It provides every Medal of Honor winner or their family with a flag flown over the Capitol in tribute to their service. In addition to this resolution, tomorrow we all have the opportunity to join the Chief of Staff of the Army and distinguished guests at a ceremony and reception in the Congressional Auditorium to honor this soldier of whom all Iowans and Americans are incredibly proud. I am not surprised that, in spite of this praise, Sergeant Giunta has humbly refused to be seen as exceptional. He has at every moment sought to deflect recognition onto his fellow soldiers, men and women in uniform, who serve us bravely every day to support and defend our country and the Constitution. I know all too well that Sergeant Giunta is right and that every day our men and women in uniform, and their families, offer courageous service that deserves to be recognized. My hope is that as we honor Sergeant Giunta for gallantry above and beyond the call of duty, we may by extension offer to every member of our Armed Forces and their families our profound gratitude on behalf of the country, his country, our country, and the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who is a courageous leader and fierce ally for her State of Arizona and for all Americans. Congresswoman Giffords, her staff, and her constituents were subjected to a tragic act of violence on January 8, 2011, when a gunman opened fire at a public event for the Congresswoman in Tucson, Arizona. The entire State of Iowa is praying for her recovery, and for the family members and loved ones of every American affected by the Arizona shooting. Madam Speaker, Congresswoman Giffords and I served on the House Armed Services Committee and are both members of the Blue Dog Coalition. I know firsthand her commitment to making our Nation better for all Americans. She is a tireless advocate for every man and woman in uniform and their families. Today, we are all praying not only for her recovery, but for her return to Congress. When Congresswoman Giffords, her staff, and her constituents gathered to participate in one of the most basic American rights in our great Nation--the right to civil discourse--no one expected the day to end tragically. The shooting on January 8, 2011, is a national tragedy and an attack on the right of every American to participate in free and open dialogue with the men and women they elect to represent them in Congress I would like to recognize Congresswoman Giffords's staff members who were wounded in the shooting, including Gabe Zimmerman, who lost his life, and the five other Americans who were killed: Christine-Taylor Green, Dorothy Morris, U.S. District Court Judge John Roll, Phyllis Schneck, and Dorwin Stoddard. We are all praying for their families and loved ones. Madam Speaker, today, our hearts are with our friend, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I regret my absence in the House today as I was in my district attending to personal business. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall votes 9, 10, and 11.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I would concur with what was just last said. I have great respect for the committee. Nobody wants your job. I came here 14 years ago, and looking back on years that have gone by, I met Charlie Rangel as a colleague here, and then I learned sometime after that we were fellow veterans and fellow soldiers. I realized that he had served with honor and distinction. One year ago last December, I led a codel and we flew to Korea. And reflecting back on my time as a student, a teacher in the Command and General Staff College, and read a lot of that history, the conflict that I served in, as many of you, I thought of Charlie. And he was valorous and did his job. Charlie's erred. We know that. I'm not going to repeat those things. He's erred.

Mr. BOSWELL. But I think censure is too much. A reprimand is appropriate, and he would accept that. And I would ask this House to recognize that, his history, and do the right thing. I would support the reprimand.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. I rise today to bring to light my concerns about the growing epidemic of domestic violence in our country, and to vehemently voice my support for H. Res. 1637, commemorating October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking are crimes of epidemic proportions that impact millions of individuals and every community in our Nation. To address and prevent these crimes, the Federal Government created the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). VAWA programs administered by the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Health and Human Services (HHS) have changed Federal, tribal, State and local responses to these four crimes. In 2007, crimes by intimate partners accounted for 23 percent of all violent crimes against females and 3 percent of all violent crimes against males. This rate jumped in 2008, when 35 percent of female murder victims were killed by an intimate partner. These staggering statistics are just a few examples of how serious this problem has become. These figures compel us to raise awareness in the health care community about the devastating effect that domestic violence has on families and communities. The current economic crisis has a disproportionately high and devastating impact on victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking. When victims of these heinous acts take the difficult step to reach out for help, many are in life-threatening situations and must be able to find immediate refuge. Given the dangerous and potentially lethal nature of these crimes, we cannot afford to ignore these victims' needs. We in Congress continue to support the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services as they continue their efforts to put an end to domestic violence in our country. I urge my colleagues to continue to raise awareness about this grave issue by supporting H. Res. 1637 and designating October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Speaker, just a couple of things before we close. There are an estimated 283 million pets and 2.3 billion farm animals in our country. That's a lot of animals, Frank, don't you think? It is. There are nearly 86,000 veterinarians in the U.S.; however, the majority of them focus on pets--cats and dogs. Twenty-eight veterinary schools in the country, and something that's very important to this legislation, veterinary graduates have an average debt of $120,000. So I think this is something that we ought to be aware of when we think of food safety and so on. So the demand for large animal veterinarians is increasing, and the lack of these faceless in many areas of the country will continue to put our agricultural economy and the safety of our food supply at risk. H.R. 3519, the Veterinary Services Investment Act, will help address this shortage and continue to ensure Americans have access to the safest, most plentiful, and most available food supply in the world. So I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill, H.R. 3519.

Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. BOSWELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3519, the Veterinarian Services Investment Act, which was introduced by my good friend and colleague from Nebraska (Mr. Smith). I had the privilege to be the lead Democrat on this legislation which is vital to growing our rural communities across America and securing our Nation's food supply. Our veterinary workforce is responsible for ensuring that the food we eat is safe, but they are facing a critical shortage in the public, private, industrial and academic sectors, and the problem is growing. Our Nation's large-animal vets are truly on the front lines of food safety, public health, animal health and national security. The demand for large-animal veterinarians is increasing, and lack of these specialists in many areas of the country will continue to put our agricultural economy and the safety of our food supply at risk. I know firsthand how important large-animal veterinarians are to farmers and ranchers. When I left the Army, I returned to my family farm and realized that much had changed in agriculture during the 20- plus years I had served. I decided to sit down with my local veterinarian and have a discussion on the new animal health practices that science and research had given agriculture. I was lucky because in the small town of Lamoni in Decatur County we had a food animal veterinarian who I could turn to; however, many are not so lucky today. We are experiencing a shortage in large-food animal veterinarians across the country. I have worked over the years to try and correct the shortage of livestock and large-animal veterinarians. Research has shown that the demand for large-animal veterinarians will increase by 13 percent a year, with four in every 100 positions remaining vacant. With just over 250 graduates from veterinary schools going into livestock-related fields, this crisis is a problem that not only affects rural America but also our major cities. These large animal veterinarians are the first line of defense against animal disease, outbreaks that can occur and cause serious health problems. Food and animal veterinarians not only identify, treat, and prevent naturally occurring diseases but are also on the front line of agroterrorism. For all of the reasons above, I urge my colleagues to join me in passing the Veterinary Services Investment Act today. This legislation will authorize grants to address workforce shortages based on the needs of underserved areas. For example, grants could be used to recruit veterinarians and veterinary technicians in shortage areas and communities. It could add veterinarians expanding and establishing practices in high-need areas. It could establish mobile portable clinics and televet services and establish education programs, including continuing education, distance education, and factor recruitment in veterinary science. Our Nation faces major challenges to relieve veterinary shortages, and the Veterinary Services Investment Act is a step in the right direction. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3519, the Veterinary Services Investment Act. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3519) to amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 to establish a grant program to promote efforts to develop, implement, and sustain veterinary services, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise to commend State Representative Roger Wendt, former Chair of the Iowa House Education Committee for his work protecting Iowa's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students from bullying and harassment in schools and communities. All students need a safe, supportive environment in which to learn, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. There is extensive evidence that LGBT students are disproportionately targets for harassment and discrimination in schools. The climate of fear experienced by LGBT students frequently results in increased absenteeism, decreased academic performance and increased risk of suicide and other high-risk behaviors. On September 1, 2010, Iowa Safe Schools will recognize Alicia Claypool, State Representative Roger Wendt, and State Senator Mike Connolly for all their work protecting Iowa's LGBT students and all other students from bullying and harassment. This date will mark the 3rd year anniversary of the Iowa Safe Schools Law going into effect. This legislation protects Iowa's 500,000 students from bullying and harassment in our schools on the basis of 17 categories which include sexual orientation and gender identity. Representative Wendt led the fight in the Iowa House for this critical piece of legislation. His years-long efforts resulted in its bi-partisan passage in February 2007. Iowa educators, administrators, and other policy makers hold Representative Wendt in high esteem for his tireless commitment to improving the lives of Iowa youth. Parents, community leaders, and students have been well-served by this advocate for equality, and I am proud to honor him.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise to commend Alicia Claypool, Chair of the Iowa Civil Rights Commission on her work protecting Iowa's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students from bullying and harassment in schools and communities. All students need a safe, supportive environment in which to learn, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. There is extensive evidence that LGBT students are disproportionately targets for harassment and discrimination in schools. The climate of fear experienced by LGBT students frequently results in increased absenteeism, decreased academic performance and increased risk of suicide and other high-risk behaviors. On September 1, 2010, Iowa Safe Schools will recognize Alicia, State Representative Roger Wendt, and State Senator Mike Connolly for all their work protecting Iowa's LGBT students and all other students from bullying and harassment. This date will mark the 3rd year anniversary of the Iowa Safe Schools Law going into effect. This legislation protects Iowa's 500,000 students from bullying and harassment in our schools on the basis of 17 categories which include sexual orientation and gender identity. Without the efforts of Alicia, this law would not have passed, and Iowa Safe Schools, an organization committed to protecting Iowa's students would not exist. Iowans can never thank Alicia enough for all her efforts in creating and fighting for those without a voice.