Madeleine Bordallo

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the resolution under consideration.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 390, honoring the 28th Infantry Division. I join my colleagues in recognition of the brave men and women who have answered the call of duty and contributed in so many ways to our Nation's safety and security. The history of the 28th Infantry Division is truly remarkable and a testament to the dedication and sacrifice of those who have served in the division. Officially established way back in 1879, the 28th Infantry Division is one of the oldest divisions in the Army. Its roots trace back to the Revolutionary War era to units in Benjamin Franklin's battalion of Associators in Philadelphia, as well as General George Washington's Continental Army. In World War I, the 28th Infantry Division fought in six major campaigns: Champagne, Champagne-Marne, Oise-Marne, Lorraine, and Meuse- Argonne. They paid greatly for their efforts, losing over 14,000 men. Recognizing its tough and relentless fighting prowess, General of the Armies John J. Pershing labeled the 28th Infantry Division the Iron Division. During the Second World War, the division fought some of the fiercest battles in the European theater. Perhaps most notably during the Battle of the Bulge, the 28th Infantry Division held its ground against overwhelming German forces until Allied reinforcements arrived. Their sacrifice will never be forgotten, and the importance of their victory as a turning point in World War II remains etched in the history of this division. Today, the 28th Infantry Division is an active National Guard division, with armories in towns and cities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Soldiers of the 28th Infantry Division have served and are currently serving abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan, and were also recently deployed in Bosnia and Kosovo as part of the NATO peacekeeping missions. Since September 11, over 10,000 soldiers of the division have deployed overseas. The men and women of the 28th Infantry Division serve their community selflessly while balancing full-time careers and families. Through the years, their names and faces have changed, but the commitment and the dedication with which they serve our Nation remains the hallmark of the 28th Infantry Division. So I am very proud to join my colleagues in honoring these men and women, past and present, and to express my sincere gratitude for their sacrifice to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Nation. And I urge my colleagues to vote for the adoption of this resolution that recognizes our citizen soldiers. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5293) to approve the settlement of the water rights claims of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation in Nevada, to require the Secretary of the Interior to carry out the settlement, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. BORDALLO. 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 bill under consideration.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. (Ms. BORDALLO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. BORDALLO. The Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of Duck Valley Reservation Water Rights Settlement Act sponsored by our colleague from Nevada, Congressman Dean Heller, would ratify and finalize the tribes' water rights settlement agreement with the State of Nevada and with the United States. This bill has faced many obstacles, but through bipartisan work, it is here today. In the last few weeks of July, representatives from the Department of the Interior--the tribes and the staff--engaged in last-minute negotiations about the administration's concerns on waiver language. In the future, it is our hope that these concerns are addressed during committee consideration of legislation and not after the bill has been reported from the committee. We will work with the minority on addressing the need for more consistent waiver language in the next Congress. So I ask my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 5293. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments. I will certainly be watching for transparency and accountability in this bill. And let us hope that this is included when we are debating on the floor. Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support the bill at hand. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I again urge all Members to support the bill.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1200) honoring the dedication and outstanding work of military support groups across the country for their steadfast support of the members of our Armed Forces and their families, as amended.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the resolution under consideration.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. I rise today in support of House Resolution 1200, honoring the dedication and the outstanding work of military support groups for their steadfast work on behalf of the members of the Armed Forces and their families. Over 1.7 million military men and women have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since September of 2001, many of whom have been deployed more than once. These military men and women have left behind beloved parents, siblings and spouses. More than 782,000 children have had parents leave the confines of their home to serve the Nation nobly. These soldiers and their families face a daily struggle with constant and sustained deployments. Children are left to cope with the difficulties of a sustained deployment with one parent supporting the family, and some are even left with other family members. Military men and women and their families make tremendous sacrifices every single day to serve and protect our country. These heroes deserve all the medical, the financial, the educational and moral support that our Nation can provide them. Military support groups, with that mission in mind, work diligently to provide essential support and services to the members of the Armed Forces and their families. They provide a compassionate community of supporters to military families, whether their loved ones are at home or abroad. Whether it's finding a job, replacing a broken oven in a home, or offering moral support by sending care packages to soldiers abroad, our American military support groups and their volunteers work tirelessly to serve the men and women who serve to protect our way of life. The positive impact that military support groups have on our soldiers and their families is invaluable. As Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recognized, the families and community members who support America's troops are ``the power behind the power.'' You can go to the America Supports You Web site which lists the hundreds of military support groups across our country. The Web site also has many stories of dedication, hope, kindness and generosity. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1200 is our way, in Congress, of honoring the commitment and the outstanding work of military support groups and their volunteers across the country for their unwavering support of America's troops and their families. We honor their selfless service to American troops and their loved ones. As a cosponsor of House Resolution 1200, I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this very important resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to my friend and colleague, the original sponsor of this important resolution, the gentlelady from Ohio (Ms. Sutton).

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1255) honoring Toby Keith's commitment to members of the Armed Forces.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the resolution under consideration.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole) for co-managing the bills here. I've enjoyed it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1255 to honor Toby Keith's commitment to strengthening the morale of our Armed Forces and working with the United Services Organizations, the USO, to accomplish this important task. I thank my colleague from Oklahoma, Mr. Tom Cole, for bringing this measure before the House. Toby Keith has gone above and beyond his celebrity to bring members of our Armed Forces the joy and laughter of entertainment no matter where in the world they serve. From Cuba to Kosovo, Italy to Africa, and many more locations, both welcoming and dangerous, Mr. Keith has played for more than 135,000 men and women in uniform. In April of this year, Mr. Keith performed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, where the nervous sounds of mortar fire disrupted his concert. However, Mr. Keith continued to travel to remote and dangerous locations bringing a bit of the American spirit and character alive on stage. His travels are a testament to the importance of morale in the men and women who continue to serve our Nation abroad every day. By working with the USO, Mr. Keith has helped bring together two very different worlds: the world of an average American who can work during the day and watch a concert at night, and the world of the military abroad who must keep constant guard both day and night. Mr. Keith's performances and even the free meals he gives the military at his restaurants remind both Americans working at home and those serving abroad that we must keep each other in our minds and hearts and we must keep our morale high. Like Mr. Keith, we should all find something positive to contribute to each other as we face these dangerous times. By passing this resolution, we are honoring a person who has used his talents to serve the men and women in uniform as they continue to serve our country. Toby Keith is just one of the hundreds of entertainers who have volunteered to entertain the troops with the support of the USO to generate a spirit and morale that is invaluable to this Nation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 1255. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I represent Guam, a small little island in the Pacific where we have today more active National Guardsmen reservists serving in Afghanistan and Iraq per capita than any other State in the Union. Just last month I led a codel to Pakistan, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq and found 181 National Guardsmen and reservists from Guam deployed in Afghanistan serving in the most dangerous provinces in that country. I want to speak to this bill because on Guam, because of the numerous soldiers deployed all over the world today, the support group is exceptional, made up of family and friends. I have visited their headquarters, and it's made up of housewives, families, and friends all supporting our soldiers. And I want to go on record to say that I applaud our soldiers and families on Guam for their dedicated support and loyalty, and I go on record as supporting this bill. Mr. Speaker, at this time I have no further requests for time, and I am prepared to close after my colleague has yielded back his time. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I want to go on record to thank the co- manager of the bill today, Mr. Cole, a good friend of mine whom I've traveled with on numerous occasions, and I truly appreciate the kind words that he has noted of Guam and, of course, his own State. And as he said, each Member going on these congressional delegation trips is always meeting with their troops, and this is one of the great pleasures, shall we say, of the trip, not only to investigate and see how we are doing and how our troops are treated, but to meet with troops from our district.

Ms. BORDALLO. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. BORDALLO. The Mancos Project delivers water from Jackson Gulch Dam to residents, farms and businesses in Montezuma County, Colorado. The project and the Jackson Gulch Dam provide supplemental agricultural water for about 8,650 irrigated acres and at least 237 agricultural businesses. The project is also a domestic water supply for the Mesa Verde National Park. For almost 60 years, the project has outlived its expected life and is in dire need of rehabilitation. This bill will aid the repair and the rehabilitation of this vitally important project in southwestern Colorado. I would like to commend our colleague from Colorado, Congressman John Salazar, for his hard work on the bill before us today. I urge my colleagues to support its passage. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I again urge Members to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.