John Boozman

Mr. BOOZMAN

Mr. BOOZMAN. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOOZMAN

Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank Mr. Hastings, the gentleman from Florida, and his Florida colleagues for bringing this resolution forward. On September 16, 1928, one of the worst storms in Florida's history made landfall. While no reliable wind readings are available and the Saffire-Simpson hurricane scale had not been developed, there were reports of minimum pressures of 27.43 inches, making this the fourth strongest hurricane of record to hit the United States. With wind speeds being recorded of up to 160 miles per hour, significant damages affected Caribbean nations, the United States, and its territories. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this hurricane would have been a strong category four storm when it struck the United States coast. The damage to property was immense, estimated at $50 million in Puerto Rico and $25 million in Florida, equating to almost $35 billion when adjusted to today's dollars, making it the eighth most damaging hurricane in the Nation's history. More importantly, this hurricane caused heavy casualties and catastrophic destruction along its path from the Leeward Islands to Florida. The worst tragedy occurred at inland Lake Okeechobee in Florida, where the hurricane caused a lake surge of six to nine feet that inundated the surrounding area. In some cases, the flood waters exceeded 12 feet, trees were uprooted, crops destroyed, homes torn from their foundations, and entire families drowned. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Hurricane Center, up to 3,000 died in the United States and its territories. Small towns south of the lake were wiped from the Earth in this hurricane. Only the storm at Galveston, Texas, in 1900 caused greater loss of life. While hurricanes still assault America's coastline, the Nation is better prepared today to respond to these types of events. Storm damage reduction projects, warning systems, and mitigation efforts have helped to reduce the catastrophic loss of life as was witnessed in 1928. As we commemorate this tragic event of 80 years ago, let us also recognize that today's investments in hurricane and flood risk reduction projects save both lives and property. There are many ways to reduce the risk of storm damage in low-lying coastal areas, some are structural, such as levees and flood gates; some are nonstructural, such as zoning, response planning, and insurance. All levels of government must use their abilities and their budgets to reduce hurricane and flood damage in the Nation. I urge all Members to support the resolution. And again, I want to thank the gentleman from Florida for bringing this forward. Certainly, we need to remember events like this and prevent their occurrence in the future.

Mr. BOOZMAN

Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, as ranking member of the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, I am delighted with the product of our negotiations with the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. This is an excellent bill, and I think we can declare a victory for America's veterans. I want to especially thank Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer. This truly is an excellent product, and I appreciate your leadership in bringing it all together. I would also like to acknowledge the excellent bipartisan manner in which Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin has led the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity. She has done a tremendous job, and I congratulate her for a successful 110th Congress, and look forward to reversing roles with her again next year. S. 3023 has a wide range of improvements for employment, education, vocational rehabilitation, housing programs, and servicemembers' rights. This bill improves protections for our servicemembers under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, and we require training for Federal human resource officials to increase the number of veterans in our Federal workforce. We will finally study the employment needs of Native Americans and increase the court's discretion when ruling on veteran's employment cases. Along with our disabled veterans, we owe so much to the spouses and children of those who lose their life while on active duty or become 100 percent disabled in service. Therefore, we extend the time to use their chapter 35 education benefits to 20 years. Those who need vocational rehabilitation will find it easier to qualify for independent living. We will also require the VA to conduct a 20-year study on 3-year groups of veterans who use voc. rehab benefits to determine the effectiveness of those benefits. The recent stimulus bill increased conforming loan limits for VA guaranteed loans, and we will extend those temporary limits through 2011. Under the temporary increased limits, VA may be able to guarantee up to nearly $730,000, depending on the location of the home. We are also renewing the VA's authority to guarantee adjustable and hybrid adjustable rate loans. These types of loans are ideal for some veterans, and I am pleased we were able to renew VA's authority. Disabled veterans will see increased opportunities in sports through an imaginative integrated adaptive sports program operated by VA, U.S. Paralympics, Inc., and partners such as Disabled Sports U.S.A., National Parks and Recreation Association, Blaze Sports, the DAV and Paralyzed Veterans of America. The program will support disabled athletes from the grassroots level through elite competition such as the recently completed Paralympic Games in Beijing. Finally, there was some confusion at the VA regarding their authority to use funds for mass TV and radio advertising to promote veterans' benefits. S. 3023 makes it clear that VA will now have the authority to conduct advertising campaigns using modern media methods to reach more veterans. Again, Madam Speaker, this is a great bill. I want to again thank our chairman, Mr. Filner, and our ranking member, Mr. Buyer, and also Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin for their great work in bringing this forward.

Mr. BOOZMAN

Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, John McDonnell is known as the legendary track coach at the University of Arkansas. His 47 national titles are the most by any single-gendered coach in the history of college athletics. Every single outdoor and indoor track and field event record is held by one of his student athletes. Winning 84 conference titles including 34 straight in cross country, he took very little credit, often crediting his assistant coaches with the success. He was committed to mentoring, educating, and developing thousands of young men in the classroom and on the track. He pushed his student athletes to strive for excellence. Coach McDonnell is much more than just a coach. He often spoke about the importance of family in his life. During his retirement announcement, he talked of wanting to spend time with his wife Ellen, daughter Heather, and son Sean. His contributions as a coach, educator, and leader have brought great pride to Razorbacks all across the Nation. He has given so much to Arkansas, and all Arkansans thank him for his work. I congratulate Coach McDonnell for 36 years of excellence at the University of Arkansas.

Mr. BOOZMAN

Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I support the bill's purpose to transfer administrative jurisdiction over a light station and approximately 24 acres of public land in the State of Oregon from the Coast Guard to the Secretary of the Interior. The land and structures will be held in trust for a federally recognized tribe and would be available for tribal and public interests that were approved by the Secretary of the Interior. Lastly, the bill would prohibit the use of the land for any commercial activity that is not expressly approved by the Secretary. However, I am disappointed that the bill is being brought to the floor without a map specifically detailing the location and amount of land which is to be transferred under the bill. The land has not been surveyed, and there is a question between the Department of the Interior and Coast Guard on the boundaries of this land that is proposed for transfer. I support the bill, but I do have reservations about the lack of a precise description of the land to be transferred. I hope that the majority, under Mr. DeFazio's leadership, will work with our side to ensure that the land is surveyed promptly and that the final transfer should be delayed until such maps are available. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, again, I support H.R. 6370, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOOZMAN

Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6524. This legislation will allow the General Services Administration to remove the public use deed restriction on a former National Park property in the community of Eastlake, Ohio, and dispose of a surplus property in Koochiching County, Minnesota. Since its transfer to Eastlake, Ohio, in 1964, the former National Park Service property has met its public use requirements by serving as a senior center. Because the community has built a new center to replace the aging John F. Kennedy Senior Citizen, Eastlake desires to make use of the property for other purposes. The city of Eastlake would pay the General Services Administration $30,000 for removal of the restrictions on the use of the property. For more than 40 years, the real estate has served the purpose intended in the initial agreement. And this bill will allow the property to be repurposed to continue to serve the community. The community of Koochiching County, Minnesota, has similar plans for a parcel of property that has for years served as a military training facility. The changing needs of the U.S. Army Reserve and the community now mean that the property can serve the public interests better by housing several local government agencies. The conveyance of property in Koochiching has restrictions that will ensure that the property continue to serve the community. GSA does not oppose either of those provisions. In fact, in conversations with staff, GSA indicated that if GSA had the authority, it would remove the deed restriction on the property and convey the Minnesota property at no cost because GSA believes the public interest has been and is being served by the provisions in the bill. Each of these properties has served the General Services Administration purposes well, but the changing needs of the communities of Eastlake and Koochiching County now require that the properties be repurposed. In both cases, the needs of the community can be better served through adaptive reuse of these properties. I support the bill and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. BOOZMAN

Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of House Resolution 1466, which honors the life and accomplishments of an amazing man, astronaut Dr. Guy Bluford, Jr. Guy Bluford was born in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on November 22, 1942, and he is perhaps best known as the first African American in space. He was selected for NASA's astronaut program in August 1979, and he became a mission specialist on the eighth space shuttle mission, which launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on August 30, 1983. This was the third flight of the space shuttle Challenger and the first mission with a night launch and with a night landing. Dr. Bluford is a veteran of four space flights. After STS-8, Dr. Bluford went on to serve as mission specialist on STS-61-A, on STS-39 and on STS-53, and he logged over 688 hours in space. These early missions paved the way for the scientific research and international cooperation that today are vital aspects of the International Space Station. Prior to his service with NASA, Guy Bluford received a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1964, a master's of science degree with distinction in aerospace engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1974, a doctor of philosophy in aerospace engineering with a minor in laser physics from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1978, and a master's of business administration from the University of Houston, Clear Lake, in 1987. What is, perhaps, less well-known about Guy Bluford is the service he has given to the Nation since leaving the astronaut corps. After leaving NASA in July 1993, he retired from the Air Force and held several executive-level positions in America's aerospace industry. Dr. Bluford also served the Nation in other capacities, including as a member of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. He has been a member of the National Research Council Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board. He has served on the board of trustees of the Aerospace Corporation and on the board of advisors for the Coalition for Space Exploration. I am proud to support this resolution honoring such a prominent American citizen, executive and astronaut. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 1466. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOOZMAN. If the gentlelady has no other speakers, I will go ahead and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOOZMAN

Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, today my colleague Mr. Meeks and I are introducing the Microfinance Capacity Building Act of 2008. This bi- partisan effort aims to build the human capacity of microfinance networks working to empower the poor in developing countries across the globe. Microcredit--the provision of small, collateral-free loans to the poor in developing nations enable poor families to increase their income and have an immediate and lasting impact on quality of life--the ability to afford food, shelter, education and healthcare. As business income increases, the business is able to expand, and the effect spreads beyond the family into the local community, through employment and contribution to the local economy. Thus, the benefits of microfinance help grow not just businesses, but stronger communities as well. It is widely recognized that the lack of human capital is the greatest constraint to the growth of practitioner organizations in the microfinance industry. According to some industry estimates, in order to meet the anticipated demand for microfinance, the industry will have to hire 1.6 million new loan officers alone in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Near East, assuming a loan officer to client ratio of 1:300. And that figure does not include the skilled middle and senior managers that microfinance organizations are struggling to find and retain. The microfinance capacity-building activities supported by this legislation are intended to drive innovation and provide comprehensive solutions that address the lack of human capacity in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. These activities will provide a framework for a regional and sub-regional approach to maximizing economies of scale and should focus predominately on educating and training country nationals in order to build capacity in the microfinance industry in developing countries. Through its strategic investment in building microfinance human capacity, this bill would make it possible for more of the world's poor to access financial services to enable them to start or expand a business, develop a steady income and create jobs for their neighbors.

Mr. BOOZMAN

Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. McCotter).

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

Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, I want to first commend our colleague from Michigan, Dr. Vern Ehlers, for his years of work with stakeholders from the Great Lakes to advance the Great Lakes Legacy Act. The Great Lakes are a vital source for both the United States and Canada. The Great Lakes system provides a waterway to move goods; water supply for drinking, industrial and agricultural purposes; a source of hydroelectric power; and swimming and other recreational activities. But the industrialization and development of the Great Lakes Basin over the past 200 years has had an adverse impact on the Great Lakes. Although safe for drinking and swimming, in many places fish caught from the Great Lakes are not safe to eat. Lake sediments, contaminated from the history of industrialization and development in the region, are one of the primary causes of this problem. By treaty, the United States and Canada are developing clean- up plans for the Great Lakes and for specific areas of concern. The Great Lakes Legacy Act, passed in 2002, has helped citizens restore the water quality of the Great Lakes by taking action to manage contaminated sediments and to prevent further contamination. The Great Lakes Legacy Act authorized the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out qualified sediment remediation projects and conduct research and development of innovative approaches, technologies and techniques for the remediation of contaminated sediment in the Great Lakes. Legacy Act funding must be matched with at least a 35 percent non- Federal share, encouraging local investment. By encouraging cooperative efforts through public-private partnerships, the Great Lakes Legacy Act provided a better way to address the problem of contaminated sediments. At some sites, removing sediments will be the best way to address short and long-term risks. At other sites, the last thing we want to do is go in and stir up contaminated sediments by dredging, causing more harm to the environment. Obviously, how to address contaminated sediments at each Great Lakes area of concern will be very much a site-specific decision. The Great Lakes Legacy Act does not try to presume any particular clean-up option. It simply encourages stakeholders to take action and to make sure that the action they take will make a real improvement to human health and the environment. This legislation is strongly supported by both environmental groups and business groups in the Great Lakes region. The Great Lakes Legacy Act reflects a consensus approach to addressing sediment contamination in the Great Lakes. While the authorization for the Great Lakes Legacy Act expires this year, I remain concerned over tripling the authorized level of spending. The Act has been funded at a level between $22 million and $35 million per year, far short of the current $50 million annual authorization. In addition, the bill authorizes that habitat restoration be included as one of the authorized purposes. Unfortunately, this may mean less clean-up of contaminated sediments in the Great Lakes. By expanding this program to cover other purposes, there will be less money for the primary purpose of getting pollution out of the water. Again, by all measures, the Great Lakes Legacy Act has been a successful program. There is some concern that we might delay ultimate clean-up by spending some of the Federal funds on activities other than sediment remediation. Again, I want to congratulate Dr. Ehlers so much for his hard work in this area. He has been a true champion in this and for his persistence in bringing it to the floor today. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk).

Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Rogers).

Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton).

Mr. BOOZMAN. Can I inquire how much time we have left?

Mr. BOOZMAN. I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, I want to thank our chairwoman, Eddie Bernice Johnson from Texas, for her leadership in this matter, for pushing this forward. Also, our chairman, Mr. Oberstar, who also has been very, very active on behalf of the Great Lakes, Ranking Member Mica, and again, as Mr. Ehlers mentioned earlier, which we probably don't mention enough, for our staffs that do a very, very good job of working hard and getting these very difficult things together so that we can bring them to the floor. I also want to congratulate Dr. Ehlers for his hard work. This has been something that he's worked so hard on for so many years, for such a long time. It really is great that we're able to bring it to the floor and vote on it. I look forward to coming back 5 years from now when we reauthorize again and hearing about, on both sides of the aisle, in a very bipartisan way, the people that live along the lake telling the story, telling the difference that this reauthorization has made and the tremendous improvement that we're going to make over the next 5 years. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).

Mr. BOOZMAN

Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, the Democratic bill manager has adequately described H.R. 3437. We have no objection to the one-time solution in this bill. Federal water projects throughout the western United States are crumbling due to age and limited resources at all levels. The Jackson Gulch project is a frustrating symbol of what could happen to other projects. In the coming years, Congress and the next administration have to resolve this aging infrastructure problem to leverage government and private assistance and remove unnecessary red tape to keep our water running and our lights on. We look forward to working together to resolve this nonpartisan problem. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOOZMAN

Mr. BOOZMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commend Fayetteville's First Christian Church on its 160th anniversary. This great country was founded on religious principles and the ideals of our Founders and can be seen in the works and service that is carried out every day by this church. First Christian welcomes people from all walks of life with open arms, and its commitment to not only teaching but showing the love of God is something that we can all be very proud of. I honor First Christian Church and its members for the dedication and commitment of their faith and their strength in service to the kingdom of God. The church is truly doing the work of the Lord and is reaching out to help people in need. It is an integral part of the community, and its members have played an important role in shaping northwest Arkansas. I'm grateful for the efforts of all church members who serve as stewards of Jesus Christ. It is through their commitment to God that the legacy of First Christian Church lives on.

Mr. BOOZMAN

Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1383, and I commend our colleague, Mr. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, for introducing it. I appreciate Mr. Wilson's formation of the Bulgaria Cancus to promote the partnership of Bulgaria and America. Bulgaria declared its independence 100 years ago, on September 22nd, 1908. Like so much of the rest of Europe, however, Bulgaria then suffered through a very difficult and tumultuous 20th Century. After suffering through two world wars, Bulgaria was then trapped for over four decades behind the ``Iron Curtain'' that fell across Eastern Europe, and its people suffered from the repression and stagnation that accompanied the imposition of the Bulgarian communist regime by the former Soviet Union. After the communist bloc in Eastern Europe fell apart, Bulgaria was at last able to hold a truly free election in June 1990. It then faced fresh difficulties, however, as it went through a period of social and economic turmoil that culminated in a severe economic an financial crisis in 1996 and 1997. With the help of the international community, the Bulgarian government initiated a series of difficult but necessary economic reforms. Those reforms continue even today, but their results so far have helped Bulgaria noticeably improve its economic situation. In fact, according to the World Bank, in 2006 Bulgaria attracted the highest levels of foreign direct investment--as a share of GDP--of all of the countries of Eastern Europe. Challenges remain, but the market reforms undertaken so far have pointed Bulgaria in the right direction. Bulgaria must also be commended for the political reforms it has implemented since 1990. Right at the start, in 1991, the country adopted a new constitution, which created a parliamentary democracy that limited the powers of the President and also balanced those powers against the position of the Prime Minister--with the Prime Minister ultimately held accountable to the legislature. So, Bulgaria has made progress toward a future of democracy and economic prosperity, but it nevertheless faces continuing challenges, including a rather serious problem in the form of corruption and organized crime. We remain supportive of Bulgaria's efforts to address those twin scourges, and I note that, in the wake of very strong concerns expressed by the European Union, the Bulgarian government has indeed begun to reform its Interior Ministry and has created a State Agency for National Security to fight such corruption and organized crime. We certainly wish it great success in that specific effort. Finally, I note that, while continuing with its reform efforts at home, Bulgaria has also become an active member of the international community, contributing military personnel to participate in international missions in the countries of Cambodia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. Furthermore, in a very important step in March 2004, Bulgaria became a formal ally of the United States by becoming a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization--NATO. In its new role--as a member of the NATO Alliance--Bulgaria has proven itself to be a constructive and positive force in working for stability in the Black Sea region, and we are grateful for that. This year, on the occasion of its 100th anniversary as an independent state, we commend Bulgaria on the great progress it hade in just the past eighteen years. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution honoring the independence of our friend and ally, Bulgaria.