Timothy Bishop

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank my friend from Illinois, who is truly a friend, and I thank him for his passion on this issue. I would simply say that we understand and agree that we need to expand our development and research and drilling for additional supplies of energy. And I would just ask all of my friends on the other side of the aisle to join us on this side of the aisle in passing use- it-or-lose-it legislation. It is estimated by the Minerals and Management Service of the Department of the Interior that 81 percent of the known reserves of oil and natural gas are already available for lease and the vast majority of those leases are not being acted upon. So we are going to try to pass, on this side of the aisle, use-it-or- lose-it legislation, and I would ask my friends on the other side of the aisle to join us in that effort. With that, Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the students of East High School in Denver, Colorado, on winning the 2008 ``We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution'' national competition. ``We the People'' is a program that encourages civic awareness and responsibility in middle school and high school students through hands- on activities. Students discover firsthand how the Constitution and the Bill of Rights impact their everyday lives and participate in a simulated Congressional hearing. At the national level, students utilize higher order thinking skills as they demonstrate their knowledge of constitutional theory by defending a historical or contemporary issue. For the second consecutive year, Denver's East High School won the national title. In order to receive this high honor, 27 students from East High School competed against 1,200 other participants from all 50 States. The 3-day long competition took place on Capitol Hill and involved the students completing a mock hearing. They were judged by law school professors, State supreme court justices, mayors, and others on their opening statements and their responses to follow-up questions on 17 different constitutional topics. This competition makes the Constitution come alive and helps students connect what they are learning to contemporary issues and events. This type of learning is important not only for its academic aspects, but also for the way in which it improves our democracy. Students are able to analyze and evaluate their rights and responsibilities and apply this new knowledge to their surroundings. Mr. Speaker, once again, I wish to congratulate the students of East High School and all the other students across the Nation that took part in the ``We the People'' competition. I hope all students have the opportunity to see civics come alive, and I encourage my colleagues to pass this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlelady from Colorado (Ms. DeGette).

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1327) congratulating the 2008 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Baseball Champions, the Fresno State Bulldogs, on an outstanding and historic season, as amended.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1327 into the Record.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1088) recognizing and commending the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for 50 years of service as a vital American cultural ambassador to the world, as amended.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1088 into the Record.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1088 and thank Mr. Nadler for introducing this resolution. H. Res. 1088 commends the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater for its excellence, impact and service to the arts. Alvin Ailey's Dance Theater is referred to by many as the world's premier dance company. AAADT promotes aspects of the African American experience while preserving modern dance heritage to millions across the globe. Its long-standing accomplishments and the rich global impacts speak volumes about the company's caliber of talent and unique mission. Alvin Ailey founded AAADT in 1958. As a child, Ailey developed a keen interest in art. In his high school years, he began taking dance classes with Katherine Dunham, a pioneer of African modern dance. However, Ailey's most important influence came from Lester Horton. Horton led a team of racially mixed dancers. Ailey, however, took over the team once Horton passed away in 1953. Five years later, Alvin Ailey founded AAADT. Both the founder and other leaders of the organization have made outstanding accomplishments and have been recognized for their contributions to the arts. In 1982 Ailey received the United Nations of Peace Medal. President George W. Bush recognized AAADT and Artistic Director Judith Jamison with the National Medal of Arts in 2001. Until that point, a dance ensemble had never received such an award. The recognition this dance company receives is well-deserved. AAADT has performed for an estimated 21 million people in 48 States, 71 countries, and 6 continents. This company tours more than any other performing arts company. The Joan Weill Center for Dance, the studio for AAADT, is the largest facility dedicated exclusively to dance in the United States. AAADT has performed before numerous distinguished audiences, including President Johnson, President Carter, President Clinton, and President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya. They have also represented themselves at famous historical engagements such as the Rio de Janeiro International Arts Festival, the First Negro Arts Festival in Dakar, the fabled New Year's Eve performance for the Crown Prince of Morocco, the Paris Centennial performance at the Grand Palais Theatre, South Africa, and two Olympic games. In addition to the stellar performances, AAADT has also worked with more than 100,000 young folks every year to assist them in discovering their creative talents and help build their self-esteem through their artistic skills. The Arts in Education and Community Programs includes nine Ailey Camps across the United States. They also have implemented an Ailey II, a junior company, to train less experienced dancers to perform across North America. These young people come from various cultural, social, and economic backgrounds to come together to empower themselves and to learn art. In recognition of 50 amazing years of excellence, let us commend AAADT for their contributions to the United States and the rest of the world. It has established an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training, and community programs for all people while using the beauty and humanity of the African American heritage and other cultures. AAADT is irreplaceable. Mr. Speaker, once again, I express my support for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the residents of eastern Long Island, I would like to commend Chairman Oberstar, Chairwoman Johnson and Congressman LoBiondo for their leadership and unwavering dedication to clean water issues. I would also like to thank the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee staff for their hard work and commitment to advancing this legislation to the full House today. Madam Speaker, the EPA estimates that sewer overflows discharge roughly 850 billion gallons of raw or partially treated sewage annually into local waters. These discharges, laden with potentially harmful chemicals and pathogens, often end up in local rivers, lakes, streams, and the ocean. In response, the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee has taken appropriate measures to restore the federal commitment to our Nation's wastewater infrastructure. In the 110th Congress, we have passed the Water Quality Financing Act, authorizing funds for the State Revolving Fund; and the Beach Protection Act, to carry out coastal recreation water quality monitoring and notification programs. Today, we take our commitment to water quality one step further by passing the Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-know Act. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure: The best way to avoid human health and environmental concerns from sewer overflows is to ensure that they never occur in the first place. However, even with significant increases in investment, sewer overflows will continue to occur. Therefore, it is imperative that we provide the public with comprehensive and timely notification of sewer overflows. We need to make sure that the public is aware of sewer overflows to give communities the opportunity to protect themselves. It makes no sense for operators of local sewer systems to know where and when overflows are occurring, but not to promptly notify the public. Notification of sewer overflows will help the public avoid direct contact with potentially harmful chemicals and pathogens, and it will facilitate rapid response to overflows in order to minimize the potential harm to the environment. Accordingly, the Bishop/LoBiondo Sewage Overflow Community Right-to- know Act provides for the monitoring, reporting and public notification of sewer overflows from Publicly Owned Treatment Works by requiring POTWs to institute and utilize programs to alert operators to overflows, notify the public within 24 hours of discovery of an overflow by an operator, and notify public health officials when human health is endangered. The bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency establish criteria to guide POTWs in assessing whether a sewer overflow has the potential to affect human health and developing communication measures to ensure the public is notified. The bill also establishes a process for EPA to determine if a State's existing notification program is substantially equivalent to, or better than, the requirements established in this bill, and should be allowed to continue. This bill is a result of hard work by several organizations who believe that Americans deserve clean, safe waters. Without their many insights this legislation would not have been possible. Therefore, I would like to thank American Rivers, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the Water Environment Federation, and the California Association of Sanitation Agencies for the countless hours they have given to refine the bill's language to ensure that public health and the environment are protected. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this commonsense legislation, and I again thank my friend and colleague, Mr. LoBiondo, for his leadership and support in authoring the bill.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on S. 3035 into the Record.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of S. 3035, a bill to temporarily extend programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965. At the beginning of February, the House took the next step in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act in passing H.R. 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act. Now we find ourselves in the final phase in completing the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act as we work towards a compromise bill with the Senate to ensure that the doors of college are truly open to all qualified students. It is our goal to ensure that a final bill encompasses the major issues addressed in H.R. 4137, including skyrocketing college prices, a needlessly complicated student aid application process, and predatory tactics by student lenders. The bill under consideration today, S. 3035, will extend the programs under the Higher Education Act until June 30, 2008, to allow sufficient time for final deliberations on the two bills reported out of the respective chambers. It has been nearly 10 years since the Higher Education Act was last reauthorized, and I believe Members on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers are anxious to complete work on a compromise bill in this Congress, and we believe it can happen. I look forward to joining my colleagues on the committee in completing this work with the respective members on behalf of our Nation's hardworking families and students. I urge my colleagues to support this extension. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, let me first associate myself with the heartfelt comments of Mr. Keller regarding Senator Kennedy. I know that everyone in this Chamber hopes and prays for his speedy recovery. With that, I'd like to yield 4 minutes to a fellow member of the committee, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu).

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 3035) to temporarily extend the programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I send to the desk a privileged concurrent resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the business in order under the Calendar Wednesday rule be dispensed with tomorrow.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1147) congratulating the Northern Kentucky University Norse women's basketball team, champions of the 2008 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II tournament, as amended.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1147 into the Record.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today to congratulate the Northern Kentucky University Norse women's basketball team for their victory in the NCAA 2008 Division II tournament. On March 29, women's basketball fans were treated to an exceptional game as Northern Kentucky University overcame a nine-point deficit, with 6 minutes remaining, to clinch its second national team title. The show-stopping 63-58 defeat over third-ranked North Dakota broke the Coyotes' 31-game winning streak. The Norse women's basketball team had been strong all season, but was unranked going into the tournament. By winning 10 of their last 11 games, they were able to prove that they should indeed be considered number one. I want to extend my congratulations to coach Nancy Winstel, who returned to her alma mater to lead the team to an impressive 28-8 record in her 25th season as head coach. Coach Winstel has been involved with the women's basketball program for 30 years at NKU, and reached the 500-win plateau as a college coach 3 years ago. Assistant coaches Matt Schmidt, Danielle Zimmerman, and strength and conditioning coach Livey Birkenhauer round out the coaching team. Congratulations are also in order for senior Angela Healy of Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Healy, a strong inside scorer and rebounder, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. During the final game she produced a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, to lead her team to victory. The Northern Kentucky University women's basketball program is the only school in the State of Kentucky to win a national championship in a women's sport, and it now boasts two. The Norse women's basketball program is top notch, and the extraordinary achievement of this season is a tribute to the skill and dedication of the many players, coaches, students, alumni, families, and fans that have cheered NKU along the way. Winning the national championship and finishing the season with a 28- 8 overall record has brought national acclaim to Northern Kentucky University. I know the fans of the university will revel in this accomplishment as they look forward to next season. Mr. Speaker, I once again congratulate Northern Kentucky University for their success. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1142) recognizing May 25, 2008, as National Missing Children's Day, as amended.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1142 into the Record.

Mr. BISHOP of New York. We have no further speakers, so I would yield back the balance of our time as well.

Mr. BISHOP of New York

Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials on H.R. 2744 into the Record.