Leonard Boswell

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to thank the chairman of the committee and my good friend the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) and Ranking Member Bachus for their leadership on this issue, as well as Chairwoman Waters and Ranking Member Capito. Unfortunately, the Iowans I represent know all too well how flooding can ravage a farm, a neighborhood, a city. Much of the State is still recovering from the devastating floods of 2008, as high rivers and creeks are threatening their homes and businesses yet again. Neighborhoods are sandbagging, and some residents have left their homes. For Iowa, flooding is a real and a tangible threat. Just last weekend, as I arrived back in my district, in my capital city, I met the mayor, I met the city manager, I met the public works director, and we went to the levees, and we really, really were worried whether we were going to make it through the night. So we understand it very well. The bill before us is a good bill. I intend to support it. However, I rise today to offer a straightforward amendment that will strengthen this legislation for Iowans and the residents of other States that are often affected by flooding. I certainly understand, after being there and seeing the aftermath, the threat and the concerns that Congressman Taylor and his constituents had when they faced Katrina. Where to go, how to get there. Under section 6 of this bill, State and local governments must provide flood risk and crisis information to residents in order to be eligible for a 5-year delay in the effective date of the mandatory purchase requirement of new flood hazard areas. This amendment would require that these entities also provide appropriate evacuation routes. Floodwaters rise quickly, and when people are forced to evacuate, we must make sure that residents have the information they need to do so in a way that is safe. Additionally, my amendment would help residents and property owners to obtain flood insurance by including information about flood coverage in the outreach activities listed under section 1326. This amendment is about providing our constituents with the best possible information to keep their families and their property safe. I ask my colleagues to support this important amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOSWELL. I thank the gentlelady for her support, and the chairwoman. I thank you very much, and I encourage passage. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to engage the chairman in a colloquy. I would like to briefly clarify an important point with the chairman regarding the intention of one of the exclusions from the definition of ``swap.'' The exclusion from the definition of swap for ``any sale of a nonfinancial commodity or security for deferred shipment or delivery, so long as the transaction is intended to be physically settled,'' is intended to be consistent with the forward contract exclusion that is currently in the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC's established policy on this subject. Physical commodity transactions should not be regulated as swaps as that term is defined in this legislation. This is true even if commercial parties agree to ``book-out'' their delivery obligations under a forward contract. For those who may not be familiar with terminology used in the trade, a book-out is a second agreement between two commercial parties to a forward contract who find themselves in a delivery chain or circle at the same delivery point. They can agree to settle their delivery obligations by exchanging a net payment if there has been some change arising since the initial forward contract was entered into. Simply put, book-outs reduce transaction costs, and that saves consumers money. Can the chairman clarify this for me? I yield to the chairman.

Mr. BOSWELL. I thank the chairman for the clarification.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Speaker, I regret missing morning votes in the House on June 29th due to a flight cancellation. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall votes 395 and 396 and ``nay'' or rollcall vote 397, and I ask that my statement be placed in the appropriate place in the Record to reflect this.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I rise to support the en bloc amendments, of course. When we did this in committee last week, I was called to the floor and I didn't get to talk about the little item I had in there to do with a study on breast cancer in women soldiers. It passed. I am proud of that, and I want to thank you for it. I want to thank the ranking member as well. But it occurs to me we need to talk about this just a little bit. I stand before you as a person that a surgeon told me what I went through was Agent Orange, but we didn't do anything about it until way down the line. I have a lady veteran in my office that went to a reunion after Iraq. In that small group, five of the women got breast cancer, and they had no connection to anything else in their lives. I feel like that we can't just let this go. Fifteen percent of our force is women. It is going to be 20 percent in a short time. We have to do some things different. So I appreciate the fact that we have asked the Department of Defense to take a look at this and see if it is something they will study. I don't want it to be another Agent Orange. I hope it won't. But I am very adamant about supporting the troops, you know that, you know my history, and I am not going to ever back off from that. We have to do all the things we have to do. But the women of the United States Armed Forces deserve some special attention in this, and I think that we ought to give some serious thought as we go into the future, maybe the very near future, to give this consideration beyond what we have done. My intuition tells me that this is important. What checking we have done, there seems to be a problem, and we ought to get to the bottom of it as fast as we can for the sake of these outstanding women that serve in our Armed Forces. For one little reunion, to find out that five women soldiers are afflicted, is kind of a startling thing. It needs some attention, and I just would hope that as we go forth, in the time ahead, that we will make the effort to be sure that this is looked into, and we don't look back a few years from now, like we have on Agent Orange, and say oh, my, I wish we had known. It won't cost us that much to find out when we decide to do it, and I hope we decide to do it relatively soon.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Speaker, I regret missing two evening votes from the House on May 24th, 2010. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall votes 292 and 293.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1177, the 5-Star Generals Commemorative Coin Act. I believe this legislation is very important to not only recognize the contributions of the Command and General Staff College to our U.S. military, but also to ensure that the program at the college remains strong for our future military leaders. For over 129 years, the Command and General Staff College has produced some of the best military leaders in the world, including the five 5-star generals who taught or studied at the college, as mentioned, Generals George Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower, Hap Arnold, Omar Bradley. I might add that Colin Powell and David Petraeus also graduated from the school. As Mr. Moore mentioned, I had the honor to both attend the college as a student and then become an instructor during my military career, and I can attest to the fact that those I served with were truly the best in the world. Last fall I had the privilege to be the keynote speaker at the flag ceremony for the international military students at the school. A lot has changed from my time there, and I had the opportunity to see the state-of-the-art training that our military personnel are receiving. This legislation will require the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar coins in recognition of the five U.S. Army 5-star generals. The surcharges in the sale of such coins will be paid to the Command and General Staff College Foundation to help finance support for the college. The foundation, I can report, is capably led, and I appreciate the dynamic leadership of Ret. Col. Ulin. Some of the activities that the foundation performs include research grants for the faculty, support for the International Military Officer program, and support for guest speakers, professional development and other activities. During my career in the Army, I had the privilege to serve alongside many great men and women. The passage of H.R. 1177 will ensure that the Command and General Staff College remains the world-respected military institute of higher education that it is today. I would like to thank Mr. Moore for introducing such an important bill, and urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1177.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I hope I convinced the ranking member. I appreciate your hard work. You have been doing some excellent work for all of us, for our country, for our future. The COMPETES reauthorization provides for important investments in STEM education that I believe will move our students and Nation forward. I have always held that education and innovation are two of the best investments we can make, for they guarantee a turnaround and are proven to enhance the quality of life for all Americans. This legislation will bring greater innovation and stability to our institutions of education at all levels and to our Nation's economic vitality. This amendment, which I am proud to offer with Mr. Michaud, makes a very simple and very important modification to the COMPETES reauthorization. This amendment ensures that when the Department of Energy assists in the expansion of energy-related courses or degree programs that biomass technology systems education can be utilized. It will guarantee that the grants, scholarships, and training programs offered under this program can be used by students and schools that are moving us forward in the study and business of biomass technology systems. Biomass production is an important component of our economy and energy security that we must foster. We all know very well the importance of biofuels and its benefits to our environment and our national security by ending our dependence on foreign oil. My constituents in Iowa have experienced the successes of ethanol biodiesel. However, corn-based ethanol is just one piece of the larger puzzle. We're seeing great advances in alternative fuels and increased production of native plants that can be reaped for maximum energy use. My home State of Iowa continues to play a critical role in the development of the biomass industry in the United States. As leaders in agriculture, we have access to the resources and expertise to produce advanced biofuels, biopower, and bioproducts. Many young minds at various schools in Iowa are moving forward to study the production of biomass, how to maximize the use of alternative fuels and produce plants that maximize the best return possible when harnessed for their energy. Supporting this amendment will ensure that this technology can expand across our great Nation, and it will affirm for our researchers, students, teachers, and scientists that they can move forward with this innovation and bring us closer to a Nation that is reliant on its own resources and not on OPEC. So I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment and vote on behalf of students, innovation, and energy dependence.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Speaker, on the hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America, I rise to recognize six exceptional young men in my district who are involved in the Cub Scouting program from Johnston, Iowa. Carter Lundgren, Hunter Norris, Liam Sullivan, Jordan Kirkman, Jarred Dannels, and Jonah Blondino are Webelos Scouts in Pack 98, chartered to the Urban Heights Evangelical Church in Urbandale, IA. Later this month, they will cross over into Boy Scouting as newly minted scouts and recipients of Cub Scouting's highest honor, the Arrow of Light award. The Boy Scouting program, incorporated in America in 1910, and Chartered by Act of Congress in 1916, aims to encourage boys' growth of moral strength and character, participatory citizenship, and mental and physical fitness. I had the honor of working with these boys this fall to help install several flower beds that they donated to their home school, Horizon Elementary School, located in Johnston, Iowa. These young men are active in their community; Carter Lundgren has performed with the Des Moines Metro Opera, is a Qualifier for the Iowa Games in bowling, and a Member of the Kingdom Hoops Basketball Team. Hunter Norris has been very active in the Des Moines area youth bowling league as well as a participant in the Johnston Little League. Jordan Kirkman is an accomplished coronet player in the Horizon Elementary school band. Liam Sullivan has been an ELP (Extended Learning Program) student in math and reading, as well as a participant in Horizon Elementary's Math Olympiads team. He is an avid ice hockey player in the Des Moines Youth Hockey Association, and was a member of a bronze medalist team in youth hockey for the Iowa Games in 2007. Mr. Sullivan is also a relative of Bertrand Hollis Snell, a Representative from New York who honorably served in this body from the 64th through 75th Congress, and who supported the original charter of the Boy Scouts of America. Jared Dannels is a member of the Horizon Elementary band as trombonist and was invited into the ELP (Extended Learning Program) for math and the Math Olympiads team. He also has participated in Johnston Little League. Jonah Blondino plays the saxophone in the Timber Ridge Elementary school band, and is an avid Little League player in the Des Moines area. I extend my hearty congratulations to these young men as fine examples of their community and wish them the best in their future endeavors.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. I do rise in support. I understand you had the debate, but I would feel remiss if I didn't make a few comments for my fellow airmen that have served and serve with great distinction. It has probably been said, but Congress established the Distinguished Flying Cross 80 years ago, and today it is America's oldest military aviation award. The medal was created to symbolize sacrifice and heroism. I applaud Mr. Calvert for introducing this legislation, which will finally give Distinguished Flying Cross recipients the national recognition they deserve. Many may know that I served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, including a couple tours in Vietnam. I had the opportunity to serve with many great aviators who were also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. I was truly honored to not only serve with these aviators but, in some cases, to supervise them. I had the opportunity to recommend brave individuals for the Distinguished Flying Cross. Their heroism and valor oftentimes inspired me and kept me going in the face of adversity. This bill today honors my fellow aviators I served with during my 20 years, in addition to the men and women who now are protecting us in the skies domestically and abroad. My experience in the Army has a strong influence on me and added to many positives in the rest of my life. When I look back at that time, I remember those I served with who gave the ultimate sacrifice to our country, those who served and gave their lives for our freedom. And I feel honored I had the opportunity to serve. Because of this experience, I truly relish what a tremendous gift and what a privilege it is to be an American. Today I am extremely pleased to honor those aviators and all aviators. I strongly urge my colleagues to join in supporting H.R. 2788.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Chair, I would like to engage the chairman of the Intelligence Committee for the purposes of a colloquy.

Mr. BOSWELL. I would like to clarify the intent of section 312 of H.R. 2701 regarding the authorization of the Intelligence Officer Training Program. As I understand it, that section will authorize the Director of National Intelligence to provide grants to institutions of higher learning to develop, among other things, innovative methods of teaching high-priority foreign language skills. Is my understanding of this provision correct?

Mr. BOSWELL. My understanding is that Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, has a highly innovative foreign language skills program. Under that program, Drake students work with native speakers in groups of five or fewer three times a week. Such students may also take a ``strategies'' course, which has several goals, including helping students approach the culture they are studying through a nonethnocentric lens. Former students of this program have gone on to teach in China, become Fulbright Scholars, provide translation services, perform nonprofit and missionary work in El Salvador, complete advanced degrees in languages, and excel in the corporate world more generally. Is Drake University's language program the type of program that the intelligence community believes would be a good candidate to receive a grant from the ODNI under section 312 of H.R. 2701?

Mr. BOSWELL. Thank you, Chairman Reyes, for that comment and that visit. That is correct. I appreciate that. I want to thank you for the clarification.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. I thank the chairman for this opportunity. I appreciate it. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Health Insurance Industry Fair Competition Act. An original cosponsor of this legislation, I believe that our health insurance companies need to be held to the competitive standard our free market demands. For too long, these companies have told our constituents what they will insure and what they will be paid. Just recently, 80,000 Iowans were told that their insurance rates would jump by an average of 18 percent, with many facing increases of as much as 25 percent. These same individuals have seen their rates increase by 10\1/2\ percent each year since 2005. I insist that light be shed on the pricing of health care costs and that consumers have access to how their premiums and copays are determined. I would particularly like this information for my constituents whose premium increase is twice what it was in 2009. Iowans in the Third District are struggling to make ends meet. They deserve to know how a company can spend as much as perhaps $200 million on a new headquarters and turn around and double their premium increases from 2009 to 2010 and then claim these two things have nothing to do with one another. Our support for this legislation will make it illegal for companies to price fix, practice bid rigging, and market allocation simply to drive up costs on American consumers.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Madam Speaker, the United States has the safest, most plentiful, and most affordable food supply in the world. This abundant food supply didn't happen by accident. The United States has put policies and production practices in place which allows us to continue to feed the world at affordable prices. However, animal agriculture and those production practices are under attack. Some in Congress would ban the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture. As a lifelong farmer still managing a cow-calf operation in Iowa and former chairman of the Livestock Subcommittee, the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture is an issue I have personally been involved in. As a livestock producer, I can attest that the industry is committed to using antibiotics responsibly and has developed responsible use guidelines. Producers didn't develop these guidelines because Congress told them to do so. They developed the guidelines because it was the right thing to do for their animals and their consumers. Those in Congress who would ban the use of antibiotics for nontreatment purposes have a noble goal--improving human health. However, scientific evidence does not exist that this ban would reduce antibiotic resistance in humans. They are looking to penalize an industry without appropriate data to back up their claim. A 2006 report from the Institute of Food Technologists said ``eliminating antibiotic drugs from food animal production may have little positive effect on resistant bacteria that threaten human health.'' In fact, eliminating animal antibiotics may be detrimental to public health. I believe that a ban on non-therapeutic antibiotics in animal agriculture will have detrimental effects, not only on our farmers who feed the world safe and wholesome meat and meat products, but also on public health.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. I first have to say on opening to Mr. Garrett, my friend across the aisle, you often say that we don't need more government. Well, maybe so, if under the previous administration and our friends, that you would have done the job that we have to try to do cleanup on now. I would like to personally thank Chairman Peterson for his leadership in bringing oversight to the over-the-counter derivatives markets. For too long, regulators did not have the tools necessary to police these markets. As a consequence, large financial institutions like Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, and AIG got into trouble before anyone knew it. Had these provisions been in place, the government would not have had to spend billions to rescue AIG to prevent its collapse from sending shock waves throughout the financial system. The compromise which the Agriculture and Financial Services Committees reached will bring greater transparency and oversight to the over-the-counter derivatives markets. We must provide necessary oversight of these markets without hindering legitimate consumers from operating within them. This compromise strikes a careful balance that protects the use of derivatives by so-called ``end users'' who utilize these markets to hedge the cost of their operations. Whether dealing with grain, energy, steel, or financing, American companies use derivatives to lock in prices to effectively plan for the future. When the Agriculture Committee first considered the regulation of over-the-counter derivatives markets, I offered an amendment to require mandatory clearing. And I'm pleased to see that this compromise, which the chairman will be offering today, maintains this concept. Clearing exposes and mutualizes the counterparty credit risk which, up until now, has been hidden behind closed doors. While every derivative does not need to be cleared, the compromise will ensure that regulators look at all derivatives to identify what classes should require clearance. The notional value of the over-the-counter derivatives markets ranges from $400 to $600 trillion. To allow something this massive that impacts every American to continue to operate unregulated is simply not acceptable. This legislation will strike a good balance of consumer protection without obstructing individuals and companies from conducting their business and managing their risk. I urge support for this amendment.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. I rise in support of this bill. The people in my area are waiting and so is my State and our country. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. Today, I am pleased to vote for the most transformative piece of legislation that I have considered during my 13 years in Congress. I am voting to grant access to health care coverage for 18,000 uninsured constituents in my district and to make it more affordable for another 440,000 insured. I am voting to guarantee that 6,400 of my constituents with preexisting conditions could never be denied coverage and to reduce insurance costs for 14,800 small businesses. I am voting to finally address how Iowa's hospitals and providers are reimbursed for the care they provide. Under this legislation, the Government will not force individuals and families with employer-based coverage to give up their insurance plans. However, as a result of the insurance reforms in this bill, they will no longer be required to pay co-pays or deductibles for preventive care; no more rate increases or coverage denials for preexisting conditions, gender, or occupation; and guaranteed oral, vision, and hearing benefits for children. The public option offered in the health insurance exchange would drive down costs across the board by fostering competition and expanding insurance choices. Iowa's hospitals and providers have shouldered the burden of unfair Medicare reimbursements for the high-quality care they provide for too long. This bill will require studies on the reimbursement formula and move toward a payment system based on quality, not quantity. Providers who participate in the public option would be reimbursed through negotiated rates that balance what private insurance companies pay for services with the current Medicare rates.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. I am taking a little bit different tack here. I don't object to what we are trying to do, but as I have thought about this over the last few hours, I have a concern, and this concern has to do with I think there has been very little discussion with those that produce our food and fiber in this country, which I have been involved in most of my life, as well as many others here. I am told that there has not been too much coordination. So I am not saying don't do this. I am wondering if we could just pause for a minute and take some time to discuss the impact on another area of security, if you will, homeland security and the production of food and fiber. Our farmers in this country, dairy farmers by the multitudes, are going under. Pork producers are down about $22 per head over the last 24 months. Beef producers can't meet the cost of input. Corn producers in my State are not meeting the cost of input. And I think maybe it would be time well spent if we could just pause and think about the impact of these things on what we are trying to do. Yes, we need to protect our environment. Yes, we need to protect our water. Nobody is arguing about that. We in agriculture think that very strongly. But probably who I need to be talking to is not here listening on the floor today to be able to cause this pause to take place. Mr. Chairman, I think this is deserving of some careful consideration because one thing that we haven't done in this country compared to some places around the world, we haven't been hungry. If that should happen, we would certainly, surely have a very, very serious security situation. I think the intent is good, but I think we need a little pause to talk for a day or two about the possibility, about the impact that this has on food and fiber production in this great country of ours.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my marks. I rise today in support of the manager's amendment, and the underlying bill, H.R. 3854, the Small Business Financing and Investment Act of 2009. Thank you Chairwoman Velazquez for including an amendment I submitted to Rules. This amendment will ensure that Small Business Administration loans may be used to purchase facilities and equipment that have been left behind by closed manufacturing plants. Each of us has seen communities devastated by the loss of a factory-- from the closing of automotive businesses, to the buy-out of Maytag Corporation in my own district. On Tuesday, many of us read in the Washington Post that an electronic car company will be taking over a GM building in Delaware. I believe we must continue to incentivize this practice--but on a broader scale. In my own district I have seen companies from within and outside Iowa purchase Maytag campus facilities, our own Iowa Telecom, Trinity Towers wind energy, and a new and locally owned small business, Madhouse Brewery. The empty factory buildings scattered across our nation represent the loss of jobs, tough times, and hard choices for families and community leaders. I believe these buildings can be used to better our districts and states. By helping small businesses that are rooted in the community purchase these buildings or equipment, we will help bring hope to our towns that have suffered such losses. This amendment and legislation will empower the financial stability of America's small businesses. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and H.R. 3854.

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentlewoman yielding me this time, and I appreciate that you took into account the factories and the equipment that has become available because of closings and so on, like Maytag, for example, in my district. A lot of good things have happened with the small businesses going in there, and you have really taken measures that will benefit that and will help our country and certainly help those communities that have been hit very hard. So we compliment you for your work, and see that is happening other places around the country as well. The need is there, and this will be a big asset. Well done. Thank you very much.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the important strides Congress is making toward our Nation's health care reform. I am pleased the Senate will be including a public option in their version of the health reform bill. A public option is absolutely essential. America's health insurance industry needs a mechanism that will level the playing field and protect consumers. The public option that we create must be fair and pay doctors and hospitals accordingly. Many of us are very concerned that our rural doctors and hospitals are having many troubles. That is why I support language that will direct the Institute of Medicine to study the Medicare reimbursement formula and direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to fix these flawed reimbursements. Medical professionals in my home State of Iowa were recently ranked second by the Commonwealth Foundation for providing some of the best care in the Nation. Yet when we are reimbursed by Medicare, they receive half as much per enrollee compared to many other States. Without fair pay, these providers will be pushed further into the red and out of Iowa and other States with the same problem. The studies that we have proposed to revise Medicare reimbursement rates and create quality measures will pave the way.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution. On a personal basis, Dr. Borlaug was one of the most unusual people I met in my life. He was so impressive in so many ways. On September 12, we lost one of the greatest humanitarians and scientists of our century. Dr. Borlaug has been credited to have saved more than 1 billion lives through his breakthrough work in agriculture. He was a truly remarkable man. He was born on a small farm outside of Cresco, Iowa. After earning his Ph.D from the University of Minnesota, he joined a research project in Mexico in 1944. Through this work he developed what was called ``miracle wheat'' that tripled grain output and helped move Mexico to agriculture self-sufficiency. He then shared this new breed of wheat with Pakistan and India and helped those nations to avert the mass famine and starvations that had appeared imminent. In a recent article in the Washington Post on Dr. Borlaug, it was stated that ``in India, Mexico and other nations susceptible to hunger and famine, he was known as one of the great Americans of modern times.'' Not only was he a great scientist, he was a world renowned humanitarian. Dr. Borlaug was one of only five people in history to win the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Congressional Gold Medal. He is in the company of Nelson Mandela, Elie Wiesel, Mother Theresa, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was also named by Time magazine in 1999 as one of the 100 most influential minds of the 20th century. After Dr. Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970, the only time in its history the award was given for achievements in agricultural science, he set out to create an award dedicated for significant breakthroughs in food and agriculture. In 1986, Dr. Borlaug founded the World Food Prize to recognize lifesaving achievements that increased the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. Then in 1990, the prize was moved to my district in Des Moines, Iowa. Now in its 23rd year, the award has recognized individuals from around the world and has continued to promote global world security. I mourn the loss of a great Iowan and American, yet I am also reminded of many wonderful memories. He was truly a great person who has had, and will continue to have, a profound impact on all of us. His contributions in the field of agriculture and his commitment to the human condition have fed so many around the world. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this true American hero and father of the Green Revolution with a ``yes'' vote on H. Res. 739.