Jeb Bradley

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Once again, it has been a pleasure to serve under the gentleman from California's (Mr. Hunter) leadership, to have watched the Committee on Armed Services start the process of rebuilding our Nation's military, in particular, making sure that we have given a pay increase to members of the military for the last couple of years; that we have done a better job of providing the bulletproof vests and the retrofit kits for the Humvees and that type of thing. It is a process that needs to continue. I thank you once again for your leadership and certainly look forward to continuing to work with you.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Madam Speaker, I rise this evening to pay tribute to two New Hampshire residents. First, I pay tribute to a New Hampshire resident who recently passed away after fighting a long battle against a tough and debilitating illness. Rachel Granger died on Saturday, June 5, after a brave fight with Lou Gehrig's disease, or ALS. ALS is a fatal neurodegenerative disease that leaves its victims paralyzed, but still mentally alert. On average, a person who has been diagnosed with ALS will die within 2 to 5 years of diagnosis, and 50 percent of patients die within 18 months. ALS is truly one of the most debilitating diseases to affect patients and their families. In the last few months of her life, Rachel was unable to speak and to enjoy many of the activities she once loved, such as needlepoint and boating on Lake Winnipesaukee. Rachel showed tremendous courage in attending a town meeting I hosted in Wolfeboro last year. Though she was afflicted with ALS and had many difficulties with mobility, she wanted to attend the meeting in order to shed light on a problem that affects thousands of other terminally ill patients. Rachel was having trouble getting her Social Security disability claim processed in enough time to actually receive any benefits before she passed away. Her courage to bring this problem to my attention has encouraged me to work with my colleagues and the Social Security Administration to address this situation for all terminally ill patients. Rachel's determination to help others who face the same situation is commendable and inspiring. Rachel's friends remember her as someone who was full of life and always made others laugh, despite her physical handicap. I am fortunate to have met Rachel during her lifetime and have been able to share in some of her triumphs and tragedies. Her courage and determination should not, and will not, be forgotten. Madam Speaker, the second New Hampshire resident I rise tonight to honor is Kyle Baker of Milton. Mr. Baker is the national winner in the 2004 Veterans of Foreign Wars' Voice of Democracy Scholarship contest. This contest is held each year to give high school students the opportunity to voice their opinion on their responsibility to our country. The following is Mr. Baker's essay: ``It is a bright summer day, and a soft breeze gently whispers through the maple leaves. A little boy is playing alone in the driveway at his grandmother's house. Above him the American flag billows and waves, trying to remove itself from its anchor at the top of the flagpole and drift down in front of him to make its presence known. The boy plays on, not realizing what it took to keep that flag flying high. ``A few years later, on the 11th of September, 2001, the same boy, now a bit older, stares at the television in shock and disbelief. He watches as the towers collapse, ending so many lives and bringing anguish to so many families. The boy's classmates sitting all around him reflect in their eyes the desperation, sorrow and helplessness the boy himself feels. He realizes at that moment how precious the freedoms are that he sometimes takes for granted. He realizes what a privilege it is to live in America, and that the future of his country is now changed forever. He goes home that night wondering what he can do for his country at such a time of loss, what commitment can he possibly make to the future of America after such a tragedy: ``Now it is July of 2003, and the boy stands in front of the Vietnam Memorial seeing `The Wall' for the very first time. He is overcome by how many names there are. He walks solemnly and slowly, passing by the countless flowers, letters, photographs, even teddy bears left at the wall by the families of the fallen. He wonders if some of the people walking near him are searching for one of the names, an uncle maybe, or even a father. He can picture a young man only a few years older than himself, crouching, frightened in the thick jungle brush, wondering if he will ever come home. He can picture this young man removing a photograph wrapped in plastic from his pocket. It is a photograph of the young man's high school girlfriend, the same girl this man had decided he would ask to marry as soon as he came home from the war. `Be mine forever,' he would have undoubtedly said as he kissed her good- bye. `Was it their last good-bye,' the boy wonders? `Was this young man's name engraved here on the wall somewhere?' ``The boy walks on, gazing at panel after panel, feeling sadness, but also an immense gratitude with the passing of each and every name. He reads the names, trying to imagine what each man might have looked like. He wonders how many children they might have had or whether or not they, like the other young men he pictured, left a sweetheart behind when they went to fight for their country. So many names. So many faceless reminders of the highest commitment one can fulfill. ``The boy keeps moving slowly, when something at the foot of the wall catches his eye. He bends down to look, and there sits a small American flag, resting amongst a bouquet of flowers. Tears well up inside of him for a moment, and the boy can think of only one thing that he can do to show his appreciation for those lives reflected in the marble. He places one hand on a panel, closes his eye, and whispers `thank you.' It is October 22, 2003, and that same little boy who used to play in the driveway at his Grandma's house underneath a billowing American flag sits in a classroom, wondering how he can write about his commitment to America's future. He wonders whether or not he should promise to do great things with his life, or whether or not he should tell the story of someone else who had. Yes. That little boy is me. Upon preparing for this essay I realized that it would not do to recite the words of our country's great leaders or prominent citizens, regardless of how moving and profound those words may be. I realized that this essay was not about how much research I had done, or how much I knew about the political structure of our nation. No. I realized that this time I needed to convey what I considered to be my commitment to America's future, using my own words, and expressing my own feelings. Well, here is what my commitment to America's future is. My commitment to America's future is simply to remember America's past. I will remember our fallen heroes, those brave souls who paid the ultimate price to ensure the safety of future generations. I will remember those that live on, continuing with the task bestowed upon them by the voices of days gone by. I will never lose sight of all that it took to provide me with the freedoms that I once took for granted, and I do not, and should not, stand alone with my commitment. When I see the flag in Grandma's driveway billowing proud and tall in the same soft breeze, I am reminded of why that flag is still flying. This is my commitment to America's future, and it is something that not only I, but all of us, as Americans, must never forget.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 17 New Hampshire students who graduated at the top of their high school class and are being recognized for their academic achievements by the Knights of Columbus in Rochester, New Hampshire. The Rochester Knights of Columbus Council founded the Future Unlimited Banquet in June of 1998 to honor students from the Greater Rochester area who have achieved high levels of scholastic excellence. The ``brainchild'' of Don Leeman, the banquet honors valedictorians and salutatorians from eight high schools in the region for their academic excellence and contributions to the community. The Council has had much positive feedback from the greater community for their efforts to promote intellectual fellowship, and plan to extend this successful recognition banquet across the state and country. The students to be honored for their scholastic achievements are: Bryn Paslawski of Durham, valedictorian at St. Thomas Aquinas High School; Marie Osborn of Portsmouth, salutatorian at St. Thomas Aquinas High School; David Thompson of Kittery, Maine, salutatorian at St. Thomas Aquinas High School; Trevor Sherwood of Barrington, valedictorian at Dover High School; Brittany Soper of Dover, salutatorian at Dover High School; Kristen Couture of Somersworth, valedictorian at Somersworth High School; Danielle Daigle of Rollinsford, salutatorian at Somersworth High School; and Khari Lizotte of Rochester, valedictorian at Spaulding High School. Kimberly Montini of Rochester, salutatorian at Spaulding High School; Katy Huppe of Farmington, valedictorian at Farmington High School; Casey Raasumaa of Farmington, salutatorian at Farmington High School; Jacqueline Elliott of Milton, valedictorian at Nute High School; Kayla Gagne of Milton, salutatorian at Nute High School; Tonya Prescott of Laconia, valedictorian at Alton High School; Meredith Roy of Alton, salutatorian at Alton High School; Meaghan Maguire of Wolfeboro, valedictorian at Kingswood Regional High School; and, Jamison Costello of Wolfeboro, salutatorian at Kingswood Regional High School. These 17 students are excellent examples of the hard work, energy and dedication that is necessary to pursuing higher academic goals. They are among the brightest students in the state and offer much hope for the future. They truly exemplify what is good about today's youth. I congratulate all of the students for a job well done, and I also congratulate the members of the Rochester Knights of Columbus for their efforts to recognize outstanding students.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of the greatest leaders of the past century, a man who committed himself to making our Nation more powerful, united, secure, prosperous, and proud. By definition, a leader is one who guides, and as President of this great country, Ronald Wilson Reagan guided us with grace and dignity through one of the most critical periods in our country's history. His optimism led our county into a new era and brought hope and freedom to millions of people in the world. When the Cold War pitted the United States and the Soviet Union against each other in an ideological struggle of the highest stakes, President Reagan steered the nation and led the free world with steady resolve and confidence. Throughout his time in office, President Reagan stood for the principles and ideals of the American people. His steadfast moral clarity was not expressed in political rhetoric but implemented by action. His style was clear and bold. He redefined and transformed his political party with a new image and momentum. He set a new standard of political cooperation in American government. He created a new economic policy. Finally, he reestablished American leadership through the force of his vision and the power of his personality. Most poignantly, it was with that vision that he spoke boldly before the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin in 1987 to demand Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev to ``open this gate . . . tear down this wall''. The rest is history. Within months the wall came down, Eastern Europe was free, and the Soviet Union collapsed. Ronald Reagan spent 8 years turning American hopes and dreams into reality and affirming our status as the greatest nation on earth, and for that, America is forever indebted to him. God bless Ronald Reagan.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I rise to support the committee and to support the 2-year delay in the BRAC process and oppose the Kennedy amendment. Why? Number one, BRAC's estimated costs are $15 billion and savings are not expected to be realized until at least 2011. These funds can be better used to equip our Humvees or pay hazard duty pay for members of our military or any other function today in winning the war on terror. Furthermore, the dynamics of the 2005 BRAC process are very different from previous rounds. There will not be a requisite force structure reduction as before. Our military will have to do the same or more in the future on a smaller footprint, with a smaller industrial base and with fewer critical assets. These assets cannot be reconstituted. BRAC will result in the permanent loss and knowledge of skills and industrial capacity. I urge my colleagues to support the committee and oppose the amendment.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I would like to salute the leadership of the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. English) on this issue. Mr. Speaker, what we face with the alternative minimum tax is a sleeping giant, a sleeping giant that is starting to wake up and gobble the hard-earned funds of millions of American taxpayers. Today it is 3 million taxpayers; but tomorrow if we do not pass this legislation, it will be 11 million taxpayers. And if we do not have the time necessary to have a longer-term solution for the alternative minimum tax, by the end of the decade it will be 30 million taxpayers, one in three Americans, will fall victim to this tax that was originally designed to catch about 150 very wealthy Americans that did not pay their fair share of taxes. What we have today, though, with the alternative minimum tax is a situation where middle-income Americans will be paying more than the wealthier Americans because they lose their personal exemptions, they lose the exemption for State and local taxes, and they lose the exemptions for itemized deductions. Most of the benefits of the tax cuts in 2001 and 2003 will be evaporated for these taxpayers; and for anybody that has had to go through the alternative minimum tax, the compliance costs of having to fill out taxes in a dual universe, the normal way and the alternative minimum way, is much higher. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4227 and allow us this year of time to have a long-term solution to fix the alternative minimum tax.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, once again, I salute the hard work of my colleague from Pennsylvania in bringing this issue to the attention of the full House. Mr. Speaker, I oppose the substitute amendment. Why? This corporate tax increase that is proposed would be a job killer. That is why. Right now at 35 percent for a corporate tax rate, we have the second highest corporate tax rate in the world. We have a 5.7 percent unemployment rate. And though we have seen progress over the last several months due to tax reduction, the time is not appropriate right now to raise corporate taxes. The second reason is the WTO. The WTO tariffs have increased just recently to 7 percent. We need to be addressing this with the FSC/ETI reform package, and the way that we are going to address this is reducing corporate taxes, not raising corporate taxes. So the message of the substitute motion to raise corporate taxes is a job kill and it will not enable us to deal with the looming crisis of the WTO issue. So let us pass the underlying bill, H.R. 4227, which gives a 1-year fix, an inflation adjustment to the alternative minimum tax. It ensures that couples who today are earning $58,000 will be exempt from the AMT or for single individuals who are earning $40,000 will be exempt, and not moving those brackets down to $45,000 for a couple or $33,750 for a single individual. This bill, the underlying bill, will allow us to address the long- term issues that are a sleeping giant of the alternative minimum tax. The fact that today 3 million people pay it, tomorrow, if we do not pass the underlying bill, 11 million people pay it, and by the end of the decade, it will be one in every three taxpayers who will fall victim to the AMT. We need the underlying bill today. We do not need the substitute motion.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Ron Rioux for his outstanding work in helping low income New Hampshire residents achieve the goal of home ownership. Ron is the President and CEO of St. Mary's Bank, a not-for-profit, member-owned association and home of the Nation's first credit union. St. Mary's Bank, under Ron's careful guidance, is a company that faithfully upholds the ideals of corporate responsibility, good citizenship and core values. The bank's commitment to giving back to the greater community is evident in its many partnerships with local nonprofit organizations and its sponsorship of a scholarship program for local high school seniors. Ron's leadership has extended to other organizations as well, including the New Hampshire Credit Union League, which is comprised of 31 consumer-owned credit unions across the State. The Credit Union League has undertaken a new venture providing financial and loan assistance to deserving families. In 2003, the New Hampshire Credit Union League announced a 5-year, $35 million commitment to reach out to financially disadvantaged New Hampshire residents. Credit unions across the State recognized the need to improve the availability of affordable housing in New Hampshire and established a community loan program, in conjunction with Neighborhood Housing Services of Manchester, in order to provide affordable housing, financial counseling and loan programs to this underserved population. Ron serves as chairman of the committee that secured the participation of New Hampshire credit unions in this program and was the driving force for creating the financial assistance fund in the first place. This new program is an excellent example of the working partnerships that help make the dream of home ownership a reality for many financially disadvantaged families. Ron Rioux believes strongly in the adage that each credit union is an integral part of the community it serves. The formation of this new community loan program exemplifies just that. The program will not only allow many first-time home buyers the ability to lay a foundation to build wealth that they can pass on to future generations, it will rebuild the community and grow livable and safe neighborhoods. Ron and the New Hampshire Credit Union League saw an imperative need to make home ownership an affordable reality for many New Hampshire families and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to put this plan into action. Always humble, Ron refuses to take credit for the formation of this community loan program, instead pointing the spotlight on the efforts of the entire league and its members. His tireless commitment to assisting first-time home buyers is a wonderful example of his perseverance and his dedication to improving the community and State in which he lives. Ron's hard work, determination and ability to motivate those around him to reach greater heights is truly commendable. I am honored to represent concerned and conscientious citizens such as Ron Rioux in the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess).

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman very much for his leadership of the Committee on Armed Services. It has certainly been a pleasure to serve with him. Mr. Chairman, I was in Iraq in November, and there is no question what I saw. Iraq is a war zone in some places. We saw that when we were on the ground. We saw the fact that there are challenges and obstacles that face us. The gut wrenching scenes that we have seen on our TV are without doubt something that all Americans find very difficult to endure. But we have also, Mr. Chairman, seen what we are fighting. I was in the Abu Ghraib prison. I stood in the execution chamber where 80,000 Iraqis were hung. It is a life altering experience to have been in a place where so many people were so barbarically killed.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, that story was in the Washington Post just after I returned from Iraq. It was about 40 or 45 young high school students. We all do crazy things when we are young, but graffiti should not be a reason that one gets executed. But we saw that when we were in Iraq. What most Americans are not seeing, which you so correctly note, is the reconstruction that is taking place, the fact that electricity is now at pre-war levels and is evenly distributed through the country, the fact that water systems are coming back online, the fact that there is adequate food in the country, that there is gasoline, that there is traffic on the streets, that the major oil refineries are working, that oil is at pre-war export level. Mr. Chairman, this is significant success in a short period of time. And yes, we need to get the security situation under control. Our soldiers are doing a terrific job in some of the most trying and difficult circumstances. Over 700 of them have paid the ultimate sacrifice, and we must be forever thankful and supportive of their efforts. And I would like to, if I could just have another couple of moments, read from an e-mail of one of those soldiers because I think it is certainly far more telling in his words than any of our words. This is a soldier who is in the U.S. Army serving in the 16th Combat Engineer Battalion in Baghdad. I will not read the entire e-mail. I will read excerpts from it but it is very telling. ``The news you are hearing stateside is awfully depressing and negative. The reality is we are accomplishing a tremendous amount here, and the Iraqi people are not only benefiting greatly but are enthusiastically supportive.'' He goes on to say, ``I am not out of touch with the negative side of things. In fact, I think my unit has it harder than many other Army units in this whole operation. That said, despite some attacks, the overall picture is one of extreme success and much thanks. The various terrorist enemies we are facing in Iraq are really aiming at you back in the United States. This is a test of will for our country. We soldiers of yours are doing great and scoring victories in confronting the evil terrorists.'' He concludes by saying, ``Yes, there are terrorists who wish to strike these things down, but this is a test of will. We must win. We can do this as long as Americans at home keep faith with the soldiers in this war. We are Americans after all. We can and must win this test. That is all it is.'' So, Mr. Chairman, let me conclude by saying that based on my experience of having been in Iraq and what we knew absolutely about Saddam Hussein, that he had started two wars, that he had territorial aspirations, that he had used weapons of mass destruction not only against the Iranians but against the Kurds, as you so aptly noted, that he was funding suicide bombers, and that over 300,000 people were killed and laid in mass graves. That is what we know. Mr. Chairman, our world is a much safer world with Saddam Hussein in prison, not in power.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, there were six of us in this congressional delegation and all of us had the chance to meet with various members of the military from our own State. So I met with 12 or 13 New Hampshire soldiers. At that time their morale was extremely high. We knew that we were asking them to do a very tough and a very dangerous job and they knew it too. They missed their loved ones. There is no question about that. They would obviously prefer to be home and not in a far away land as they are. But they also said to a man that the reaction that they were getting from the Iraqi people was extremely positive. They do not all love us there. That is clear. But the vast majority of Iraqi people are glad that we have liberated their country and they are glad for the fact that these soldiers are helping rebuild schools, get hospitals on line, improve the water systems, all of the reconstruction projects that we are asking them to do, and the vast majority of the Iraqi people are glad that there is now an interim constitution and there is going to be a successful handover of power on June 30. Certainly in talking to the New Hampshire soldiers, this is precisely what they told us and felt that if we stand behind their mission they will finish the job and they will finish it and have done a great job.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I propose this amendment for consideration by the Congress so that it can strictly apply to the State of New Hampshire, raising the weight limits on trucks that travel on Interstate 89 and Interstate 93. Currently, right now, Mr. Chairman, we have trucks avoiding our main highways and driving through some of the most populated towns in our State in order to avoid the weight limit. Mr. Chairman, when I proposed this amendment to the Committee on Rules, I submitted for the record letters from many public safety people throughout our State, including the Department of Safety, the Department of Transportation, local police chiefs, as well as town councilors, and others supporting this amendment. The reason people in New Hampshire support this amendment, Mr. Chairman, is that our trucks are riding on roads where there is no weight limit up to 99,000 pounds, presenting significant public safety issues, going by schools and other places of assembly. We need to get these trucks on our highways where they are safer and where they are designed to be operated. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume to respond that perhaps my esteemed colleague is not aware of the fact that New Hampshire requested this exact type of study to be done in the last transportation authorization on Route 95, which is the north-south route that goes all through New England. When a study was done by the Maine Department of Transportation, while it has not been published, all indicators are that there have been no safety impacts and negligible costs to the infrastructure from raising the weight limits from 80,000 pounds gross vehicle weight to 99,000 pounds, exactly what we are asking for Route 93 and Route 89. So, Mr. Chairman, the money has already been appropriated in the last transportation appropriations bill. There is no impact on the budget. We will not permanently raise the weight limit in the absence of this study. We are asking for the authorization to go ahead with the weight limit increase while the study is being performed. And as I said, all of the public safety officials in my State are supportive of this weight limit increase. Because currently, right now, we have large trucks avoiding the weight limitation station and driving through two of the most populous communities in the State, where there are schools and where there are many kids on bicycles. We need to get these trucks on the highway. As I said, the study that was done on Route 95 will show no negligible safety or infrastructure effect. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume to respond to the criticisms of my esteemed colleague from Massachusetts, and remind my colleague from Massachusetts that I, from New Hampshire, ask only the same consideration and the same laws with regard to truck weight limit that now apply in his State of Massachusetts, which on all highways, to the best of my knowledge, allow at least 99,000 pounds gross vehicle weight, and in some instances, with a waiver, up to 120,000 pounds. I would also remind my colleague that when we are talking about public safety with regard to New Hampshire, the commissioner of the Department of Safety, the commissioner of the Department of Transportation, local police chiefs, fire chiefs, town councilors, elected officials from the impacted communities where trucks are leaving the highway and going downtown, where there is traffic, where there are kids, where there are schools and churches, and where there are community centers, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, we all want to try and get these trucks on our highways where the safety impact to people's lives and well-being will not be hurt. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and in closing I would ask the consideration of the body for this request. This applies only to the State of New Hampshire. All of the public safety officials in my State are supportive of this change. It is designed to protect the lives of people in the communities where there are, as I have mentioned before, schools, traffic, downtown crossings. I would ask the consideration of the Congress for this sensible change. There is no impact on the budget, as the money for this study was appropriated in the last transportation authorization bill. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, Route 93 in New Hampshire is indeed a toll road, and we are asking for the same consideration that Massachusetts currently enjoys, which is 99,000 gross vehicle weight limit. And what is good for Massachusetts clearly should be good for New Hampshire.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, so I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2057) to require the Secretary of Defense to reimburse members of the United States Armed Forces for certain transportation expenses incurred by the members in connection with leave under the Central Command Rest and Recuperation Leave Program before the program was expanded to include domestic travel.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on S. 2057.

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder).

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire

Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to pay tribute to the life and the memory of a great American, Mr. Joseph Ford. Following a brief illness, Joe passed away on March 16. His death, a loss to us all. As the veterans community in New Hampshire and throughout the Nation celebrates the life of this exceptional person, I would like to take an opportunity to honor a beloved New Hampshire resident. Joe served our country valiantly in the United States Air Force and retired after more than 20 years of service. Following his service, Joe became an active member of the New Hampshire chapter of the Disabled American Veterans and was to be installed as the next DAV commander at the State convention in June. Recently, Joe received letters of encouragement and appreciation from President George W. Bush, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and New Hampshire Governor Craig Benson for his work within the veterans community. Mr. Speaker, we are all at a great loss because of Joe Ford's passing, but can be comforted by knowing he made a lasting impact through his life's work. I am honored to bring his life to the attention of this body of Congress and to our Nation today. My thoughts are with Joe's wife, Lillian; his two children, Paul and Mary; and all those who knew Joe, especially those throughout the veterans community during this difficult time of bereavement.