Michael Burgess

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ashley Byrd for earning a spot on the Texas Girls Coaches Association's All-State Volleyball Team. This honor is awarded to top female athletes for their superior performance on the court. The Texas Girls Coaches Association is the largest group of girls' athletic coaches in the Nation, and serves the coaches and administrators at every level of education. The elite All-State Volleyball Team is selected by a committee panel of coaches and administrators, and is comprised of the most competitive female athletes in the State. As a senior at Denton Ryan High School in the 26th District of Texas, Ashley manages to give her absolute best efforts when the team requires it most. Ms. Byrd has led the Lady Raiders to their first playoff berth since 2000, and was named the District 4-5A Most Valuable Player. I extend my most sincere congratulations to Ashley Byrd and wish her the best of luck in her academic and athletic career.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the city of Frisco and the Frisco Economic Development Corp. in the 26th District of Texas for receiving the Community Economic Development Award. The City of Frisco excels in bringing leadership, partnership, and creativity to the economy, and is the winner of the 40,000 to 100,000 population category. The Texas Economic Development Council presents this prestigious award to member cities in recognition of exceptional contributions to their community. Superior projects in Frisco include the T-Mobile USA Technology Campus, DebtXS, Technisource, Inc., and the National Breast Cancer Foundation. These projects have created and maintained over 1,600 jobs for the community, and brought new investments of nearly $64.2 million to the city of Frisco. I am proud to recognize the city of Frisco as recipients of the 2006 Community Economic Development Award. Under the capable direction of Mayor Mike Simpson, City Manager George Purefoy, and the Economic Development Corp., the city of Frisco has cultivated a standard of excellence and leadership, and serves as a role model for all other communities.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I would like now to recognize the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey), a fellow physician who is the author of this fine piece of legislation for 5 minutes.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the superior performance of the L.D. Bell High School's Blue Raider Marching Band of the 26th District of Texas. L.D. Bell placed second at the Bands of America Grand National Competition in Indianapolis. The Grand Nationals Competition is considered to be the most elite marching band contest in the nation. L.D. Bell's Band of 300 students was also recognized with the National Outstanding Music Award. Earlier in the week, the band received second place at the rigorous UIL 5A State Marching Band Contest in San Antonio, Texas. The Blue Raiders' achievements are the combined efforts of many extremely talented students, dedicated school administrators, the H-E-B School District, and a support network of parents and community. The students have excelled under the capable direction of Directors Jeremy Earnhart, Jolette Wine, Nick Thomas, Brandon Holt, and Wes Cartwright. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize the achievements of the L.D. Bell High School Blue Raider Marching Band. I extend my sincere congratulations to these hard-working students, and I look forward to their future successes.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding achievements and commitment of Faith Ellis to the people of the 26th Congressional District of Texas. Faith has been a trusted employee and friend of mine for several years, and her expertise, humor and true love for north Texas and her local Fort Worth community will be sorely missed. Faith was invaluable in her outreach role within Fort Worth. Her experiences growing up and assisting her father, Reby Cary, in the Texas State House provided her a unique training ground to understand the intersection and balance of community representation and the legislative process. It also provided her with a very early exposure to elected officials at all levels within the State that afforded her a professional comfort to associate with them in her outreach and representative capacity. This experience, followed by her role as a loving mother, and her community efforts, make her an inspiring role model. She always brought the best out in people and gently guided us all to a better understanding of the world around us. Her compassion was evident to all, and she searched for practical solutions to any stumbling blocks that ever arose. Combined, these life experiences allowed Faith Ellis the unique skill set needed to carry with credibility the commitment I have offered to southeast Fort Worth to actively represent their needs, and put forth the effort and leadership needed to identify and address their economic challenges at the federal level. In a community harboring partisan wounds resulting from Texas, this was no small challenge. Faith faced the challenges with determination, professionalism, and hard work and there is no question that she will be impossible to replace. The community will likely never fully appreciate her impact, but she has clearly laid the foundation for the efforts of me and my staff. Her work, both personal and professional for her fellow man, will bring outstanding long-term benefits. I only hope that Faith knows how much she is loved and how much she meant to all of us. The outreach model she set forth in southeast Fort Worth and indeed, throughout the 26th District, will certainly stand the test of time. Thank you Faith, for all you are and all you have done.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church for 50 years of service and involvement in the Fort Worth Community. Mount Sinai is located in the 26th District of Texas. Since opening its doors in 1956, Mount Sinai has encouraged the ministry, fellowship, and outreach of its members. Under the faithful guidance of Bishop B.C. McPherson II, Mount Sinai has flourished as a cornerstone of worship in our community. The event will be celebrated with a Mass Choir Musical, and a service the following day by guest Pastor Carl Woodard. Current and former Mount Sinai members and prominent members of the community will be on hand to celebrate the anniversary. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent this congregation. I congratulate the Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church as they celebrate 50 proud years of commitment to ministry, and look forward to many years to come.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of Janet Fitzgerald as the Denton Parks and Recreation Director. Ms. Fitzgerald will be retiring from 15 years of service to the city of Denton in the 26th District of Texas. Ms. Fitzgerald joined the city of Denton as a park planner in 1991. After demonstrating years of leadership and dedication to the city of Denton, Ms. Fitzgerald became the parks and recreation director in 2003. Under her visionary direction, Denton's parks have received national recognitions and awards, including Excellence in Aquatics, the Gold Medal for Excellence in Parks and Recreation Management, and the Texas Gold Medal, the highest award from the Texas Recreation and Parks Society. Ms. Fitzgerald has the enriched lives of Denton community citizens through comprehensive recreation initiatives and a wide variety of local programs. Denton Mayor Perry McNeill noted that the city will miss her presence in the city of Denton. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize Janet Fitzgerald for her service and leadership in the Denton community. Retiring to spend more time with her daughter and volunteer at her church, I wish Ms. Fitzgerald the best of luck in her future endeavors. Her contributions and commitment to the city of Denton should inspire us all.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Medical Center of Lewisville, located in the heart of the 26th district of Texas. The Medical Center of Lewisville provides state-of-the-art medical services in its beautiful new facility, and is administered by a truly supportive and caring staff. Beyond saving lives, the Center has been very active in promoting comprehensive health initiatives and participating in a wide variety of local programs to benefit the community for the past three decades. After working and serving at the Medical Center of Lewisville, it is particularly heartwarming to know that it is celebrating its 30th year. The staff, physicians, and nursing personnel truly make the Medical Center of Lewisville a unique institution. It provides exemplary, cutting-edge medical care without losing its sense of humanity and compassion. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the Medical Center of Lewisville on its 30th anniversary. I am proud to have this facility in my district and look forward to many more years of quality health care and service to our community.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Pantego Bible Church for 100 years of service and involvement in the Fort Worth and Pantego communities. Pantego Bible Church is located in the 26th District of Texas. Since opening the doors of a small, thatched shelter in 1906, Pantego Bible Church has encouraged the ministry, fellowship, and outreach of its members. Pantego Bible Church has grown through the years and now conducts services in a beautiful campus. Under the faithful guidance of their five senior pastors, Pantego Bible Church has flourished as a cornerstone of worship in our community for the past century. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent this congregation. I congratulate Pantego Bible Church as they celebrate 100 proud years of cultivating a commitment to ministry. I look forward to many years to come.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his kind comments. Of course, the gentleman from Georgia has already done a great task with the posters this afternoon, but let me just reuse one that was seen a little bit earlier today. This one tells such a great story, but unfortunately, it only tells a portion of the story. The year I took office was 2003. That means my last active year in practice was the year 2002, and missing from this graph, the year 2002, is a similar downward bar when doctors received the 5.1 percent what we euphemistically called a negative update. So the actual physicians' compensation for the 5- or 6-year moving budgetary window that we are all so fond of talking about has in fact been much less than is actually shown on this graph. And that is an important point to be made because, as we can see, all of the other aspects that deal with health care reimbursement once a year receive a cost of living, a market-basket update, but physicians' offices are expected to bear the brunt of cost reductions on a year-by-year basis. As you so eloquently pointed out a few moments ago, that is unsustainable for any small business. If you are losing something on every transaction, you do not make it up in volume and stay in practice for very long. One of the things that I think is so important that we discuss, we spend some time discussing this afternoon, as hopefully we get to a resolution of this problem in the conference committee that is now going on, is to talk a little bit about the pay-for-performance aspect of it. So much of the physicians' reimbursement is tied up in the talk of the pay-for-performance concept. I would just like to submit that if we drive the best doctors out of providing Medicare services, if we really let the train run off the tracks on this, we will not be able to pay enough for performance in the future if we do not recruit our best and brightest to be the physicians of tomorrow, as Dr. Price has so eloquently stated, or if we drive out doctors who are in their mid-forties to their mid-sixties, doctors who are at the peak of their diagnostic abilities, the peak of their skills in the operating room. If these individuals stop seeing Medicare patients, we then make the whole system more expensive to administer if we have only the second and third tier of providers involved in that care. Well, one of the things that we hear talked about is a pay-for- performance indicator, one that has the initials PVRP that stands for Physician Voluntary Reporting Program. Now, this is a program that is going to be articulated by CMS some point later in this year, and the reason I am concerned about it is we are being asked to accept the PVRP performance indicators as the standard against which we are going to judge physician practices for years to come, and we have not yet seen them in their totality. These are rules that will be put out by CMS some time later this year, perhaps April, perhaps May or perhaps June. My understanding of the PVRP program is that it is largely a structural program and not necessarily outcomes-based. That is, does every diabetic receive a hemoglobin A1C test every so many months, rather than do we look at the world of diabetic patients within this physician's care and make certain that the emergency room visits and the out-of-control hospitalizations are, in fact, in line with what would be expected. Earlier this year, I introduced bill, H.R. 5866, to repeal the SGR formula in its totality, in order to acknowledge that there is a growing sentiment out there that some type of performance measure has to be built in. I did ask that the individual quality organizations that are already in place be allowed to provide voluntary guidelines for physicians to follow. These quality measures taken as a whole provide a balanced overview of the performance of an individual doctor or clinic or billing unit, if you will. The whole idea was that they would be consistent; they would be relevant. They would be not overly burdensome time to collect and they would account for patient satisfaction. The goal of the system was fair assessment to reduce health care costs, improve health care outcomes, but very importantly, not contribute to the problem that we already have in this country of health care disparities in some communities. Therefore, in order to account for the differences in patient population, health status and compliance, these formulas would need to be very tightly drawn. In addition, there would be a measure reported back to the physician himself or herself as to how they did in comparison with their peer groups. These report cards, if you will, would not necessarily be made generally available to the public, but whether or not a physician or a clinic complied with the data that was required, would be made public. I think it is important to give providers, to give clinics, to give doctors some measure of flexibility in this regard, and whether it be the participation in a medical home, whether it be the participation in the PVRP program, whether it be the participation in the national quality forum programs, that any of these should be seen as complying with the intent of the legislation to provide quality measures. They should be voluntary, and any increase in reimbursement should not necessarily be tied to the baseline of quality reporting, but an additional increase in reimbursement would be provided to those physicians and clinics and offices that did indeed provide some type of reporting data. Again, I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia for bringing this very timely issue to the floor of the Congress. I do know there is a lot of work going on on this very issue right now, and my goal in this is to be helpful in the overall process and make certain that in the future we do not saddle physicians' offices and physicians' practices with additional reporting requirements that are not voluntary, that are mandatory, that are punitive in their nature and end up decreasing the overall quality and character of medicine that we have grown to enjoy in this country. I thank the gentleman from Georgia.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Denton Police Detective Danny Fletcher for his valiant efforts in saving a family trapped in their burning car. He was recently awarded the Meritorious Conduct Bar for his heroism by the Denton City Police Department in the 26th District of Texas. Detective Fletcher witnessed the family get into the auto accident as he was driving home from work on June 13, 2006. He responded without hesitation and called for the help of emergency services. He then heroically approached the flaming vehicle and pulled out three young children, aged 4, 2, and 2 months, trapped in the backseat of the car. He continued to assist the family to safety, while smoke and fire entered the car, and the vehicle's tires began to explode. Detective Fletcher was awarded the Meritorious Conduct Bar by the Denton Police Department for his role in saving the lives of the three children. His calm and rational thinking is to be applauded. This award is the second highest honor an individual can receive in the Denton Police Department. Mr. Speaker, I commend Detective Fletcher for his display of active heroism during the car accident. His service to our community both on and off duty is inspiring. Detective Danny Fletcher is an asset to the Denton City Police Department and the Denton community, and I am honored to represent him in Washington, DC.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Assistant Chief of Police John David Lynn as he retires from 34 years of service in the North Richland Hills Police Department. Assistant Chief Lynn began his career in 1973 as a patrolman. He was assigned to the Criminal Investigations division, and by 1975 he had been promoted to Sergeant. Throughout Mr. Lynn's career, he has served as a patrol supervisor, been promoted to the rank of Captain, and served as the Investigative Services Division Commander for 11 years. During his service as Captain, Mr. Lynn attended the 139th Session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. In May of 1993, Mr. Lynn was promoted to his current rank of Assistant Chief of Police. As commander of the Management Services Bureau, Assistant Chief Lynn was awarded his second Meritorious Service Award. He also served as Interim Chief of Police for several months in both 1998 and 2005 for the Police Department. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I recognize Assistant Chief of Police John David Lynn's 34 years of dedicated service to the North Richland Hills Police Department and Community. I am proud to serve as his representative in Washington, D.C.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Texas Motor Speedway for celebrating 10 successful years of racing. The facility is located in the heart of North Texas, between Fort Worth and Denton in the 26th District of Texas. The Texas Motor Speedway has hosted several NASCAR, Indy Racing League, and other prestigious motor sport races since its inaugural year in 1997. Millions of enthusiastic fans have flocked to enjoy the modern racing and entertainment facilities at one of the fastest tracks in the Nation. The Texas Motor Speedway has a tremendous impact on the North Texas economy by bringing millions of dollars to businesses, hotels, restaurants, and attractions in the area. The Speedway continues to exceed predictions of its regional economic impact each year. As an avid racing fan, I regularly attend events at the Texas Motor Speedway. I am pleased to have such a fine facility in the North Texas community, and I proudly boast of its accomplishments on my Congressional Web site. In addition to hosting races, the Texas Motor Speedway also supports a number of worthy charities in the North Texas community. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the Texas Motor Speedway for 10 distinguished years of serving the racing and Texas communities. I look forward to many more.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the superior performance of the Marcus High School Marching Band of the 26th District of Texas. The band won the State championship at the UIL Class 5A Marching Contest in San Antonio, TX. The breakdown of a travel bus did not deter the Marcus High School Band from capping off their marching season with excellence. At the rigorous UIL competition, Marcus surpassed 35 elite Texas programs before receiving the top honor of State champions. Marcus competed against all 5A Texas high schools reserve a spot in the State competition. The band's achievements are the combined efforts of many extremely talented students, dedicated school administrators, and a strong support network of parents and community. The students have cultivated strong leadership skills among their peers, and excelled under the capable direction of Director Amanda Drinkwater. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize the achievements of the Marcus High School Marching Band. I extend my sincere congratulations to these hard-working students, and I look forward to their future successes.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Everman Independent School District as they celebrate their 100th anniversary of providing quality education for its students. The Everman School District has been a fixture in southwest Fort Worth since 1906. The School district was first established in 1906 when the Enon School and the Antioch School consolidated to make the Everman School. After the merger the School district prospered, experiencing massive growth in the community as well as the student body population. During its 100-year history, Everman ISD has earned state and national recognition in academics, athletics, fine arts, leadership, and service disciplines. The mission of Everman Independent School District is to provide all students with an educational program which allows them to develop their full potential intellectually, physically, and socially in order to be responsible citizens and contributing members of society. With a century of success behind them, I am more than confident that Everman ISD will continue to educate and inspire the young adults that walk the halls of their schools. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I stand here today and honor the 100th anniversary of the Everman Independent School District for their dedication and continuing commitment to education in Everman, Texas.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Charles Clark for his commitment to the students, faculty, and alumni of Trinity High School of Euless, Texas, where he has served as Lead Custodian for over 14 years. I also congratulate Mr. Clark on being recognized as a true ``Friend of Youth'' by the Mid-Cities Optimist Club in the 26th District of Texas. Mr. Clark began working for the Hurst-Euless-Bedford School District as a night custodian, and began his own custodial business to provide for his son's college education. After his son graduated from college, Mr. Clark closed his business and took a position as Lead Custodian to make a difference in other students' lives. A caring and honorable man, Mr. Clark serves as a role model and mentor for all those who pass through Trinity High School. He supports the school by attending students' athletic and fine arts events. When students visit years after graduation, they continue to seek out ``Uncle Charles.'' Mr. Clark has been honored with the H-E-B School District's ``Extra Mile Award,'' given to school district support personnel who go above and beyond what their job requires of them. After Hurricane Katrina devastated his boyhood home in Mississippi, Mr. Clark organized a collection drive at the school for water and cleaning supplies, and delivered them personally to Mississippi. Mr. Clark and his wife Ellen of 37 years have raised a deeply spiritual, loving family in Fort Worth, Texas since 1967. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to represent a man so selfless and dedicated to serving youth as Mr. Charles Clark. Congratulations to Mr. Clark for being recognized as a ``Friend of Youth'' by the Mid-Cities Optimist Club.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give tribute to Dr. James David Thomas, from the 26th Congressional District of Texas, for his lifelong contributions to his community and to his fellow citizens. Dr. Thomas will be remembered as a loving and caring husband, father and physician. He died at the age of 87. Dr. Thomas served his community and nation in WWII as a physician for the United States Army. After his tour of duty, Dr. Thomas returned to the City of Denton where he was actively involved in the medical community. His dedication led him to be one of the founding members of the Medical Surgical Clinic in Denton. As a member of the American Medical Association, the Texas Medical Association and a Charter member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Dr. Thomas ensured that families in the Denton community had a qualified and committed physician to care for their general health. Dr. Thomas was involved with several organizations throughout the Denton community including serving the Denton ISD school board as well as the Denton Parks and Recreation Board. He was also a longtime member of the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, where he served as a deacon and elder. It was an honor to have worked with Dr. James David Thomas as a doctor and a privilege to represent him in Congress. I extend my sympathies to his family and friends. He will be deeply missed and his service and dedication will always be appreciated.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in memory of Army 2nd Lieutenant Johnny Craver from the 26th Congressional District of Texas, for serving our country during Iraqi Freedom. Second Lt. Craver died Friday 13, 2006 with two other soldiers south of Baghdad when a roadside bomb detonated next to the Bradley Fighting Vehicle he was commanding. I would like to recognize and celebrate Army 2nd Lieutenant Johnny Craver's life today. After a miraculous recovery from an automobile accident during his teenage years, 2nd Lt. Craver told his mother at the young age of 17 that he was going to join the armed forces. While serving as a Ranger and later, a Ranger instructor, 2nd Lt. Craver was stationed in Hawaii, Alaska, and Washington, DC, before being deployed to Iraq. He was 37 years old. In 2005, 2nd Lt. Carver trained for and participated in the 2005 Best Ranger Competition on TV. When his partner twisted an ankle climbing a steep hill, Craver never faltered, and carried his partner's 80-pound backpack, in addition to his own, to reach the top of the hill. A natural leader, 2nd Lt. Craver was near completion of his Master's degree in business administration. He leaves behind a loving wife, Natalie, and their three children, Savannah, Caelen, and Emma. When told he was a hero, 2nd Lt. Craver would always reply, ``I'm not a hero, I'm just doing my job.'' It was my honor to represent Army 2nd Lieutenant Johnny Craver, and I extend my deepest sympathies to his family and friends. He will be deeply missed and his honorable service was greatly appreciated.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the First Baptist Church of Lewisville's 125th anniversary in the 26th district of Texas. The Church has been a pillar of leadership and worship in the Lewisville community. The rich history of First Baptist Church of Lewisville began with just 13 members in 1869, and has continued to thrive and grow into the prominent worship community that it is today. Under the dedicated leadership of Senior Pastor Dr. Stephen Hatfield, it serves the needs of its members by offering both traditional and more informal worship services, student ministries, and Bible Study classes for all ages. The First Baptist Church of Lewisville plans to commemorate this momentous occasion with a celebration worship service, followed by a Gospel Gathering Music Celebration. I am honored to have the First Baptist Church of Lewisville in my district. I am confident that the First Baptist Church of Lewisville will continue to foster stewardship and faith among the citizens of our community for another 125 years.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Robert Allen Gray who passed away after 90 glorious years on Friday, September 22, 2006. Mr. Gray will forever be remembered by family and friends as a man of integrity and strong values. In his lifetime, he experienced many of the major events in the last century, including the Great Depression and as a soldier in the United States Army during World War II. In his civilian life, Mr. Gray was an engineer. He was interested in working on cars as well as watching the Indianapolis 500. Mr. Gray's enthusiasm for engineering was closely followed by a passion for gardening. His love of nature was given to him by his father, a florist. Mr. Gray has passed this passion on to his children and grandchildren. As a family man, Mr. Gray will always be remembered as affectionate and caring. He was the caregiver for many of his elderly aunts and helped his wife as she struggled with Alzheimer's disease. As a father, Mr. Gray was committed to teaching his children and grandchildren the importance of respecting and caring for others. I extend my sympathies to his family and friends. May this man, whose displays of compassion and love touched the hearts of so many, be an inspiration to us all.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Nika Maples for being recognized as the 2007 Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year. She is an English teacher at Fossil Ridge High School in the Keller Independent School District in Fort Worth, Texas. After suffering a stroke at the young age of 20, Nika has dedicated her life to making a difference in the lives of others. She began by teaching illiterate adults how to read and write. Nika has volunteered abroad in Japan, Thailand, and Germany to teach English as a Second Language. As a 10th grade English teacher, Nika gives her students the confidence to reach their fullest potential. Her unique life experiences have encouraged an enthusiasm for teaching, and reaffirmed her commitment to make learning come alive in the classroom. Nika demonstrates how students should embrace life and live a life of abundance every day. She was also honored as the Keller I.S.D. Secondary Teacher of the Year for the 2005-2006 school year. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to represent such a dedicated and passionate teacher in the 26th District of Texas. Nika Maples serves as a role model not only for her students, but for all teachers around the Nation who share her devotion to helping others.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 3661, the Wright Amendment Reform Act of 2006. As a representative of D/FW International Airport, I have always felt strongly in protecting the economic engine of north Texas. To this day, I still believe in the integrity of the original Wright amendment; however, I am pleased that the local entities' constructed a compromise that met the needs and wishes of all parties. It was long in coming, but thorough in its mission. Not only will the airports and airlines benefit from the compromise but also the tens of thousands of employees and residents of north Texas. I commend all the parties associated with this historic compromise. At the urging of Congress, Mayor Moncrief of Fort Worth and Mayor Miller of Dallas spent endless hours working on the best deal possible for the region. Together with DFW International Airport, American Airlines, and Southwest Airlines, they brought to Congress an agreement that will protect and benefit my constituents and allow for better service at Love Field. I sincerely thank the mayors for their commitment and dedication to this delicate and complicated task. Also, the north Texas delegation has worked endlessly on this matter, and the passage of this legislation today is a testament to the determination and dedication of my colleagues. We have all had to make concessions, but at the end of the day, the enactment of this legislation is crucial for our districts. I ask for my colleagues to support the north Texas delegation and as we try to solve a unique problem with this unique and important legislation.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ann Hamilton from Gainesville in her quest to provide outdoor carriage rides to disabled and handicapped citizens. Ms. Hamilton's mission is to build carriages designed for disabled and handicapped individuals so that they too can experience the magnificence of the outdoors. These equestrian excursions allow disabled persons to make a connection with nature that they would normally have the opportunity to do. I admire Ms. Hamilton's passion and willingness to take the initiative to bring new opportunities to people with limited mobility. Her dedication to this project will ensure equal opportunities to citizens of the 26th District of Texas as well as the rest of the state.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Specialist Conrad Streeter, Texas Army National Guard, for receiving Soldier of the Year award. He has also received awards for Soldier of the year for the 1st Battalion, 71st Brigade, and 36th Infantry Division. To receive the award, Specialist Streeter competed in several events including; an M-16 rifle marksmanship event, a physical fitness test, completing land map day and night courses, and a written test comprised of 50-70 questions. Specialist Streeter has served with the Texas Army National Guard for the past 4\1/2\ years. His job as a personnel Sergeant is a vital component to ensure deploying troops have the things they need before heading oversees. Specialist Streeter has also been serving and deployed to Romania and the Louisiana coast line to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In civilian life Specialist Streeter works for the Lewisville Independent School District teaching both science and mathematics. The State of Texas is blessed to have an individual such as Specialist Streeter serving not only in our armed forces, but as a teacher in our community. I extend my sincere congratulations to Specialist Conrad Streeter for receiving the Soldier of the Year Award for the Texas Army National Guard. His contributions and service are a shining example to us all, and I am honored to be his representative in Washington.