Robert Brady

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, on the occasion of her retirement on August 7, 2009 we rise to thank Mrs. Karen Wess for her seventeen years of distinguished service to the United States House of Representatives. Karen has served this great institution as a valued employee of House Information Resources (HIR), in the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO). Karen began her tenure with the United States House of Representatives in 1992 as a Systems Programmer working with the mainframe Customer Information Control System (CICS) transaction services. Her technical expertise in the delivery of mainframe CICS transaction services led to Karen being selected to work on a team tasked with the initiative to combine several disparate e-mail systems into an efficient and sustainable enterprise e-mail system for the House. Karen has been involved with the House e-mail systems since their early inception and has helped to make them the mission-critical service the House relies on today. Karen applied her leadership abilities to help deploy an anti-spam component for the House e-mail service and currently serves as a Senior Systems Engineer in the CAO's HIR Enterprise Technology Systems Branch. Karen has been one of the primary engineers providing the House's Internet e-mail functionality. She has acted as a technical liaison between the House, other legislative organizations, and government agencies in the field of e-mail connectivity. She has provided consulting services to House customers, internal and external, making the delivery of House e-mail systems the success they are today. On behalf of the entire House community, we extend congratulations to Karen for her many years of dedication and outstanding contributions to the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, as I did last year, I rise today to congratulate and recognize outstanding employees of the Officers (Clerk of the House, Sergeant at Arms, and Chief Administrative Officer) and Inspector General of the U.S. House of Representatives who have reached the milestone of 25 years of service to the U.S. House of Representatives. Our most important asset in the House is our dedicated employees, and their work, often behind the scenes, is vital in keeping the operations and services of the House running smoothly and efficiently. The employees we recognize today are acknowledged and commended for their hard work, dedication, and support of House Members, their staffs and constituents, and for their contributions day-in and day-out to the overall operations of the House. These employees have a wide range of responsibilities that support the legislative process, assure the security of the institution, and maintain our technology and service infrastructure. They have accomplished a great many things in a wide range of activities, and the House of Representatives and its Members, staff, and the general public, are better served because of them. The individuals we honor today have collectively provided 225 years of service to the U.S. House of Representatives: Tina M. Agee, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer; Peter L. Baer, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer; Joseph M. Dean, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer; Alan Deluca, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer; Patrick T. Kenealy, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer; John A. King, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer; Patricia A. Mattimore, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer; Thoa N. Nguyen, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer; Charles D. Woodson, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer. On behalf of the entire House community, I extend congratulations and once again recognize and thank these employees for their commitment to the U.S. House of Representatives as a whole, and to their respective House Officers and Inspector General in particular. Their long hours and hard work are invaluable, and their years of unwavering service, dedication, and commitment to the House set an example for their colleagues and other employees who will follow in their footsteps. I celebrate our honorees, and I am proud to stand before you and the nation on their behalf to recognize the importance of their public service.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to discharge the Committee on House Administration from further consideration of House Resolution 682 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on House Administration be discharged from further consideration of Senate Concurrent Resolution 35 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I urge the Members to support H.R. 2510, a bill to amend the Help America Vote Act. This bipartisan bill, sponsored by Representatives Susan Davis and Kevin McCarthy, and reported unanimously from the Committee on House Administration, will reimburse states for the cost of tracking and confirming absentee ballots. More voters than ever cast their ballots by mail. Many remain anxious that their ballots may not reach election offices on time--they question whether their votes are actually counted. H.R. 2510 provides incentives to states to develop systems allowing voters to track their ballots. Voters will be able to use the internet or a voter hotline to track whether the elections office has sent out a ballot, whether the completed ballot has arrived back at the registrar's office, whether the registrar has counted the ballot, and if not, why. Highly effective systems like these are already in place in counties in California, Washington, Virginia, Kansas and my home state of Pennsylvania. Voters and election offices both benefit from ballot tracking technology. With voters able to track their ballots, transparency and voter confidence in America's election system will be greatly improved. Voters will be able to receive accurate and updated information on the status of their ballots and confirm whether they were counted. Once this legislation is fully implemented, it will save costs for local governments and take the strain off election offices. I urge all my colleagues to vote for this bipartisan legislation.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I rise in opposition to the amendment. The gentleman from Texas does not seem to understand that this money does not go to the art museum. The art museum is located in the city of Philadelphia, and it benefits the entire region. This isn't private property. It's a public street that runs around a city-owned building. The contracts for this work will be let by Pennsylvania's transportation department, administered by the city of the Philadelphia, and this is already an approved TIP project. The museum is located in one of the most dangerous high-traffic areas in the city of of Philadelphia, where major roadways, as the gentleman indicated, I-76, Martin Luther King Drive, Kelly Drive, Schuylkill River Trails and the Ben Franklin Parkway converge. This area has proven to be extremely dangerous for drivers and pedestrians alike. Just a month ago, a father and son were struck by an SUV, critically injuring them while biking on Martin Luther King Drive on the south side of the art museum. Such accidents are frightening and common in this area, as anyone who has visited the art museum can attest. I requested funding for this earmark because it's vitally important for the safety and well-being of my constituents, as well as the millions of others who visit Philadelphia every year. I fully support this amendment. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I find it ironic that people think the citizens of Philadelphia and of Pennsylvania don't pay Federal taxes, but they do. The reason why government was formed is to protect our citizens. So I thank the gentleman for offering his amendment, to allow me to stand here and represent my constituents, the constituents of the city of Philadelphia, in my district, and also to be able to do my job to show them I am bringing back resources to keep not only them safe, but to keep the millions of visitors, the children, everyone that does visit this art museum, keeping them safe. That's exactly what this funding would do. Again, I ask for a ``no'' vote on this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania, City of Philadelphia (Mr. Fattah).

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, in the frenetic pace we maintain in Washington, we too seldom acknowledge the invaluable role played by our staffs. As chairman of the Committee on House Administration, on this occasion I wish to note the recent departure of my invaluable committee staff director, S. Elizabeth Birnbaum. Since her arrival in 2007, Liz has served the committee, the House and the country with distinction, providing me and my colleagues with wise counsel honed during her years of service with the Department of the Interior; with the House Interior and Natural Resources Committee, as it was then known; as a tireless advocate for the health of our nation's waterways at the environmental organization American Rivers, and elsewhere. In addition to her policy advice, Liz also proved a strong, effective, compassionate leader for the committee staff from whom her colleagues could and should have learned much during her tenure. Madam Speaker, the House Administration Committee may be the most important committee that many Americans have never heard of. We don't write tax or spending bills, we simply run this place. I can assure the House that the committee could not have run this place for the past two years without Liz Birnbaum. We grapple with dozens of administrative matters every day, large and small, each crucial to someone. Although I cannot be certain, because she has so many from which to choose, I suspect Liz might consider her greatest accomplishment to be her legislative and oversight roles in the December 2008 opening of the Capitol Visitor Center, already toured by nearly 1.5 million people. Liz will be greatly missed, but we can all take comfort that she will not be far away. The President lured Liz back downtown to the Interior Department, where she will direct the Minerals Management Service implementing the Administration's policies concerning resources on federal lands. While the committee's loss is definitely the President's gain, as Liz herself knows, Capitol Hill never lets go of alumni completely. So, on behalf of my committee, the House, and the country, I thank Liz Birnbaum for her dedicated service, wish her well in her next assignment, and fondly look forward to seeing her again soon.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Mrs. Mamie Nichols, a pioneering activist and community organizer for more than 60 years, who died July 1 at the age of 91. Born Mamie Melton in Norfolk, Virginia her family moved to Philadelphia and settled in the Point Breeze section of South Philadelphia when she was a young child. She grew up in Point Breeze and married and raised her six children in Point Breeze. But her 88-block neighborhood had been given a death sentence by officials in the Philadelphia Office of Housing and Community Development. Mamie Nichols said she was told by city officials that Point Breeze could not be saved from urban decay and the city was letting it die a natural death. But Mamie Nichols fought back. Fueled with anger, pride, determination and charm, Mrs. Nichols is credited with saving her neglected community. She founded the Point Breeze Federation and she was a prime mover in the founding of the Childs Elementary School Home and School Association. Her organization established the Point Breeze Performing Arts Center and transformed the long shuttered Landreth School into senior citizens apartments and a community center. She was also named to the Philadelphia Planning Commission and served as a member of the board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Philadelphia Green and the Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition. And, along her journey she planted flowers in what was to be the greening of Point Breeze. Mamie Nichols is remembered with deep love and respect by what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. referred to as the beloved community.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, there are many people who work very hard behind the scenes to enable the House to fulfill its legislative responsibilities, and Pope Barrow is unsurpassed in his craft. As ``the'' House Legislative Counsel for the past dozen years, and as ``a'' legislative counsel for 28 years before that, Barrow has helped me and every Member to prepare and perfect our legislation, that is, the actual words on the papers that Congress enacts into the law of the land. He is a gruff yet genial fellow who takes great pride in his work, and rightly so. He has much to be proud of over the course of his career, as many of my colleagues have already described. I frankly don't know about Barrow's other genres, but as Legislative Counsel his professional work product here can be indecipherable. Even Shakespeare's prose makes lighter reading. With the Bard one needs only an English-language dictionary nearby. For Barrow's works, one needs, at a minimum, not only Webster's but Black's Law Dictionary, the Revised Statutes of the United States, the Statutes-at-Large, the United States Code, and a pot of strong coffee. Writing federal legislation is obviously a unique skill and a decorative art form. Pope Barrow and his office colleagues have mastered it. As a practical matter, all of us Members untrained as lawyers in our former lives would always find ourselves at a disadvantage in any legislature, so we owe Pope Barrow and his colleagues an extraordinary debt of gratitude. He evens the playing field so a carpenter like me can compete with any other Member in this place. Madam Speaker, on behalf of myself and my own staff, and on behalf of the staff of the House Administration Committee, I wish Pope well in his next endeavors, whatever they may be. May Pope Barrow always look back over his 40 years here as fondly as will his office colleagues and every Member of this House.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, on the occasion of his retirement on May 1, 2009, we rise to thank Mr. Robert ``Bob'' Warnick for thirty-one years of distinguished service to the United States House of Representatives. Bob has served this great institution as a valuable employee of House Information Resources, HIR, in the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer. Bob began his tenure with the United States House of Representatives in May of 1978 in House Information Resources, HIR, as a Senior Systems Analyst, SSA. As an SSA, he successfully implemented a system to generate the Committee Calendar for the Committee on Public Works and Transportation using HIR's Legislative Information Management System, LIMS, developed a case history and mailing list system for the Helsinki Commission, and successfully implemented the first Correspondence Management System, CMS, on the Hill. In 1987, he transferred to the Administrative Systems Division as the Senior Project Leader for LIMS. In 1995, he was promoted to Senior Systems Specialist and transferred to the Integration Group. As a senior member of this group, he was tasked with the design and implementation of several applications using Standard Generalized Mark- Up Language, SGML. As a proof of concept project, his group successfully converted and produced three House documents using SGML. In 1996, he was transferred to the Cyber Congress task force within the Integration Group. He was appointed to the position of Senior Internet Systems Specialist when the Cyber Congress task force was renamed the Web System Branch, WSB. His important contributions as a team member in the CAO Advanced Business Solutions Web Solutions Branch have resulted in continued success of the Web Solutions Design team where he designed and implemented Member and Committee Web sites and provided a wealth of knowledge of the Web Indexed Document Automation, WIDA, service application to staff and Member offices. On behalf of the entire House community, we extend congratulations to Robert ``Bob'' Warnick for many years of dedication and outstanding contributions to the United States House of Representatives. We wish Bob many wonderful years in fulfilling his retirement dreams.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, on the occasion of her retirement on December 31, 2008, we rise to thank Mrs. Lillian Bethea for twelve years of distinguished service to the United States House of Representatives and 36 years of service in the United States Government. Lillian has served this great institution as a valuable employee of House Information Resources, in the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer. Lillian began her tenure with the United States House of Representatives in 1996 as a Systems Analyst working in the Member Information Network (MIN) Group and later for the Quality Assurance Team. Lillian specialized in the support and maintenance of in-House applications including but not limited to Federal Funds Reports, Grants and Contracts and Bulletin Board services. She became a Federal Funds Trainer based on her extensive knowledge and attention to detail on the project. Lillian has played an important role in many information technology projects including Quality Assurance and Integrated Services and Information Systems (ISIS) testing. During the Y2K remediation efforts, she played an instrumental role in quality assurance and data testing of systems resulting in the successful transfer of services from the mainframe to their new platforms. Since 2004, Lillian has been a Team Leader for the Web Solutions Call Center. Her attention to detail and quality assurance experience were again highlighted as she managed the customer request tracking system, team assignments, and day to day customer requests for the Web Group. Her duties included managing customer requests for web services using the Customer Tracking System (CTS) and coordinating with external teams to process Secure ID Web Manager requests, establishing Listserv lists, and providing permissions and access to Web Site Statistic services. Again, her detail orientation and quality work ethic assured the security of the House Web infrastructure through oversight and management of the necessary processes involved. Lillian also played a vital role in the preparation of materials and coordination of efforts for the House Services Fair, ensuring the Web Solutions Branch was properly represented during the event. On behalf of the entire House community, we extend congratulations to Lillian for many years of dedication and outstanding contributions to the United States House of Representatives. We wish Lillian many wonderful years in fulfilling her retirement dreams.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, as Vice Chairman of the Joint Committee on Printing, I rise in tribute to Ms. Virginia Saunders, Program Operations and Evaluation Specialist for Congressional Documents, in the Office of Congressional Publishing Services at the Government Printing Office, who died June 19, 2009, as she was entering her 65th year of dedicated Federal service. Ms. Saunders was the recipient of other tributes in this House from my friend, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), when she reached the 50th and 60th anniversaries of her Federal service. Recently she was the subject of a profile in the Washington Post. All this attention and adoration was well deserved. Born in Darlington, Maryland, Ms. Saunders spent her entire career in service to her fellow Americans. After working briefly at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, she joined the GPO in February 1946, as a war service junior clerk-typist in the division of public documents, stock section. Two years later, she was promoted to the division of public documents reference section. In 1951, Ms. Saunders was promoted to indexing clerk and earned subsequent promotions in the same classification. In 1958, she was promoted to library technician. Becoming a congressional documents specialist in 1970, she was then promoted to supervisor of the congressional documents section in 1974. In 1983, Ms. Saunders assumed the position of congressional documents specialist in the congressional printing management division, and in 2004--with 58 years of Government service behind her--she was promoted to her current position. Since 1969, Ms. Saunders was responsible for the Congressional Serial Set, a compilation of all House and Senate documents and reports issued for each session of Congress. Published continuously since 1817, and distributed to the House and Senate libraries, the Archives, the Library of Congress, and Federal depository libraries nationwide, the Serial Set joins the Congressional Record in offering students and historians a rich insight into the record of our of our Government. In the words of historian Dee Brown, the Serial Set ``contains almost everything about the American experience . . . our wars, our peacetime works, our explorations and inventions . . . If we lost everything in print, except our documents, we would still have a splendid record and a memory of our past experience.'' As the GPO's 1994 Report of the Serial Set Study Group pointed out, researchers and librarians agree that the Serial Set is ``without peer in representative democracies throughout the western world as a documentary compendium.'' This was the document that Ms. Saunders prepared faithfully for Congress and the American people for the past 40 years. Throughout her career, Virginia Saunders worked tirelessly to improve the Serial Set. In late 1989, she submitted a suggestion regarding the appendix to the Iran-Contra Report to Congress, which contained identical reports from the House and the Senate. She proposed that this 40-volume publication be bound only once for the Serial Set volumes of House and Senate reports that were sent to depository libraries. This common sense idea resulted in a reduction of 13,740 book volumes to be bound, saving the taxpayers more than $600,000. In recognition of her work, Ms. Saunders received a letter of commendation from President George H.W. Bush, who said, ``You have demonstrated to an exceptional degree my belief that Federal employees have the knowledge, ability, and desire to make a difference.'' Ms. Saunders generously shared her knowledge of the Serial Set with document librarians across the country. She delivered presentations at library associations and conferences and was an invaluable resource to the library community nationwide. In tribute to her work, in 1999 Ms. Saunders received the James Bennett Childs Award from the Government Documents Roundtable of the American Library Association, one of the library community's highest honors. The ALA honored Ms. Saunders' ``distinguished contribution to documents librarianship,'' and paid ``grateful recognition'' to a lifetime of exceptional achievements in this important field of endeavor. Recently, Ms. Saunders told the Washington Post, ``As long as my health is pretty good, I intend to hang in with my boots on. I have to keep this program going.'' Shortly afterward, in a statement released by the GPO, she said, ``I never thought I would thank the good Lord for work. Retirement has crossed my mind, but what else would I do? This is where my heart is.'' On behalf of the Joint Committee on Printing, I offer condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Virginia Saunders, and extend our gratitude and commendation for her lifetime of work on behalf of Congress and the Nation.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2010. I want to thank Chairwoman Wasserman Schultz and all of the members of the subcommittee for their hard work. It is no secret that we are in the middle of the most trying economic times that we have seen in decades. This has made a hard job even harder for the Appropriations Committee, as difficult decisions had to be made. I commend the Subcommittee for finding a balance that supports the necessities of running the Legislative branch while restraining spending. A year ago at this time we were still anticipating the opening of the new Capitol Visitor Center. Today we are seeing it flourish, as it has already welcomed more than one million visitors to the Capitol. I want to commend Chairwoman Wasserman Schultz for her part in opening the doors to the CVC, and for her work on this bill that supports its continued success and growth. I am very pleased to see that this bill includes funds to renovate the east underground garage and for design work necessary to renovate the Cannon House Office Building. The garage renovation is a must-fund project for the safety of anyone who uses the facility. Maintenance projects have been deferred for too long and parts of the structure are literally beginning to crumble. Furthermore, the Cannon building has historic significance and we owe it to the institution to preserve the structure. These are just the first elements of long-deferred maintenance of the Capitol complex, and I am pleased to see the initiation of a capital fund to address these multi-year expenses. I am sure that many members here share in my excitement for this bill's inclusion of funds to modernize the Electronic Voting Display in the House Chamber. The EVS has not been upgraded significantly since it was first installed more than 30 years ago. The proposed changes to the display will not just reduce malfunctions, but also make it easier for Members to read at a glance. It will also remove any confusion about what is being voted on. This upgrade is long overdue and will ensure the system's ability to adapt to advancing technologies. Additionally, I'd like to voice my support for funding a number of initiatives from the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer. I'm glad to see the continued support for the CAO's greening efforts. These efforts have greatly improved the House's energy efficiency, lowered our carbon footprint, and reduced our costs. In this bill, funds have been specifically set aside for energy demonstration projects. This appropriation will make the House a showcase for the possibilities of a greener, and more responsible, tomorrow. Another CAO initiative that I am happy to see funded in this bill is the Wounded Warrior program. Wounded veterans face innumerable challenges when they return home. This program is a small way that we can ease that burden for some, and hopefully set an example for other employers to follow. Finally, I'm pleased to see the inclusion of staff benefits aimed to create parity between the executive and legislative branches. In particular, I am glad to see funds for a tuition reimbursement program and extended childcare benefits. All of the benefits the CAO has recommended already exist in executive agencies, and the Committee on House Administration will soon consider extending them to House employees to retain and recruit the best staff. Before closing, I just wanted to mention the importance of the funds incorporated in the supplemental for the Capitol Police to upgrade their radio system. Their antiquated radio system has been an ongoing problem that affects the safety of everyone who works in or visits the Capitol. We have increasing security concerns and an expanding campus, making effective communication more important than ever. Including that money in the supplemental accelerated the installation of the new system; otherwise, funding would have had to be included in this bill. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill. It represents a wise and careful use of taxpayer dollars in a difficult economic time. Meanwhile, it effectively addresses the necessities of running the legislative branch. These appropriations make it possible for all of us to do our jobs effectively for the American people.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, this week, we in the House lost one of our own. It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I rise today to honor the memory of Edward ``Scott'' Hood and his years of exemplary service to the Members and staff of the House of Representatives. Scott Hood lived in Point of Rocks, Maryland with his wife, Karen, and sons, Zachary and Luke. He served the House of Representatives with distinction and excellence for almost twenty-three years, beginning his Congressional career in the House Cabinet Shop. Scott worked in that shop for eleven years, where he learned and honed his skills in the woodworking trade. ``Scotty'' was a valued craftsman and a remarkable talent, with many of his pieces still in use throughout the Capitol complex. The highlight of Scott's portfolio was a sideboard which he made for then Speaker of the House, the Honorable Newt Gingrich, in August of 1996. It can still be viewed in room H-230 of the Capitol. When the position of Office Coordinator was created in the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) in 2002, Scott saw this as an opportunity to enhance his career path by applying his knowledge of cabinetry to advise his customers on furniture choices and selections. He continued to build and cultivate relationships with offices over the next few years, ultimately working his way up to Supervisor of the CAO Capitol Service Center in 2004. In addition to his supervisory duties, he was assigned to the responsibility of coordinating and responding to the furniture and equipment needs of the Leadership offices, as well as representing the CAO organization in the logistical coordination of high-profile events in the Capitol Building. In 2007, he was awarded the Darrell Norman Excellence Award--the highest recognition of service bestowed on an employee of the Chief Administrative Officer. The summation of his recognition then is a fitting testament to his entire career with the House. ``Scott Hood inspires and motivates his staff to deliver quality services and solutions to the furniture and equipment problems of the offices located in the Capitol. Scott has also been a keen contributor to our efforts to enhance customer satisfaction and to work across the organization and with a variety of service partners to deliver solutions that exceed the expectations and needs of their customers. He has been particularly effective in bringing his change management and leadership skills to bear in developing an effective partnership with the Architect of the Capitol to deliver seamless solutions to House Leadership Offices.'' Scott was able to use his inherent honesty and integrity to build trusting relationships and to be a valued advisor to both his offices and staff at all levels. Scott not only embraced and lived the CAO mission, vision, values, and brand, but inspired and motivated his staff and other organizations to do the same. Admired by the people who knew him and appreciated by those he served, Scott was an exceptional role model. His colleagues tell us that they will miss his shy smile and the ``will do'' spirit and positive attitude that he brought to work each day. When asked to describe him, the most common phrase mentioned was, ``He was `The Rock' that we relied on.'' Besides his loving wife and sons, Scott is survived by his parents, Darlene G. and Edward Hood, of Germantown, MD. He was the son-in law of Edith Jenkins, the loving grandson of Otis and Margaret Smith, and the brother of Kevin Hood and his wife Zaida, all of Germantown, MD. It is a privilege to pay respects to a man who lived the spirit of unconditional and unwavering service to this great institution. On behalf of the entire House community, we extend our condolences to Scott's family, friends and colleagues in mourning the loss of this truly special public servant. I am honored to stand before the House and to commend him for his service to the Congress and our Nation.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge an important milestone. At some point early this afternoon, the Capitol Visitor Center will welcome its one millionth visitor. While the specific individual will not be identified, that person will represent the millions of annual visitors who journey to the United States Capitol Complex to witness firsthand our democracy at work. These schoolchildren, senior citizens, families and international visitors hopefully depart with a greater understanding of the unique and extraordinary nature of our system of government and the history of this great nation. Officially opened on December 3, 2008, the Capitol Visitor Center serves as the gateway to the United States Capitol Complex. With the opening of the Visitor Center and renewed interest in government, we are seeing more than twice as many visitors as we did before. The Visitor Center's one million visitors compares to 467,800 visitors during the same five-month period just one year ago. That represents a 114-percent increase in the number of people visiting the Capitol. During the 12 days of the Cherry Blossom Festival, the Capitol Visitor Center welcomed 187,000 people--an average of 15,500 visitors a day. More than 90 percent of the visitors during this period had reserved their tours through their Members of Congress. Since its opening, the CVC's peak day was Monday, April 20th when 19,500 people visited the Capitol. I am told that, in past years, that many visitors would have led to a four-hour wait time. The current average wait time is six to ten minutes. With all of these accomplishments, I am most proud to confirm that, as promised, we continue to offer staff-led tours! And in its first few months of operations, the Visitor Center staff has made many adjustments to ensure that the Visitor Center provides flexibility to Members of Congress in serving their constituents. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my congratulations to the CEO of the Capitol Visitor Center, Ms. Terrie Rouse, and to her team of professionals who are often the first individuals to greet our constituents during their Capitol visits. I offer special thanks to the tour guides, visitor assistants, Capitol Police, gift shop and restaurant staffs and the many, many others who ensure that visitors have an informative and inspirational visit. I would also like to thank my colleagues and the various staff members who have taken the time to offer their input and work with the CVC staff to improve the visitor experience. We thank you for your service and look forward to welcoming the next one million visitors.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us today is in honor of a former colleague of the House of Representatives who served the House for 18 years, Jack Kemp. Kemp was elected to the House in 1970, serving the western part of New York for nine terms. He later served the public as United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Although he is best known for his position on tax cuts and supply side economics, he championed a variety of social causes supporting tax incentives for inner city enterprise zones to combat urban blight, speaking out in favor of affirmative action, expansion of home ownership to inner city poor, supporting D.C. voting rights and fighting to preserve cuts in education aid for magnet schools. Kemp believed in a country where all people despite their differences were welcome and could succeed. He will be missed. I urge all Members to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. May I inquire how much time is left on both sides?

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis).

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. I yield the gentleman an additional minute.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution now under consideration.

Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 401) honoring the life and recognizing the far-reaching accomplishments of the Honorable Jack Kemp, Jr.