Michael Burgess

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I hope the gentleman from Illinois will be helping his seniors sign up for this program. It is a good program, and my constituents in Texas are benefiting from it. But I came tonight to talk a little bit about the President's pandemic plan from a legislator's perspective. The past is prologue. We saw in 2003 the beginnings of an outbreak of an illness called SARS. SARS ended up killing 800 people which is a significant number of deaths, but nowhere near as high as it could have been. Did we defeat SARS with an antiviral, no. Did we defeat SARS with a vaccine, no. In fact, we did not get a vaccine for SARS even though the CDC and the NIH very quickly came up with the genetic sequencing for the DNA on the SARS virus. But SARS was beaten the old-fashioned way, by carefully epidemiology sleuthing and quarantine. I had a radio host ask me the other day, he thought SARS was perhaps a sham. He kind of dismissed the idea, but the reality is that this disease was contained by those old-fashioned methods, and in fact, it never materialized to the threat we thought it would be. In fact, ask the good people in the tourism business in Toronto if they felt that SARS affected them in that area. But as we move on to the discussion of avian flu, I am a Republican. I believe in limited government. So do we need a big government solution to the pandemic profile that we may be presented? Well, I have also believed in empowering the individual and believe there is a degree of inertia in big government that hampers the ability to respond to a rapidly evolving crisis. Look at what happened down at the gulf coast with the hurricanes. But there is a role for government in this situation because the potential for human death and destruction is so vast. It is going to involve the public sector, the private sector, and academia, and all of those areas will need to be on their best game in order to defeat this virus. What can Congress do and what should Congress do and specifically, what should the House of Representatives do? Well, we hold hearings and we do that pretty well. We have held several hearings in Energy and Commerce about the problem of the pandemic flu. They have educated Members. Congress can certainly travel. We do that well. In fact, several Members have traveled to other areas in Asia. I know Secretary Leavitt from HHS traveled to Southeast Asia to see what is happening with the virus in birds in that part of the world, and I know several Members who are planning travel in the future. That is a good thing. We can communicate and talk to the press and talk to the media and talk to each other. We can educate each other and make certain that we are all individually educated about this threat and that we communicate with our State departments of health and our local health departments. This has the potential for being such a big issue that 1 to 2 million Americans dying is so significant that it requires a commitment. It requires reform. It requires change, and I would like to add that it requires a promise. Under commitment, we have got to commit the money for research and development on vaccines and technologies. We have to streamline the regulatory process at the FDA. The FDA is very close to approving a vaccine for the current bird flu. But the reality is if the virus becomes active in humans, it will change. It will do that through mutation, and this virus may not be effective against the vaccine that is being developed. So if the virus mutates, there has got to be a way to quickly get that approval through the FDA for the new vaccine. The distribution network. We are still seeing areas of the country that cannot get the current flu vaccine to distribute to their citizens, so the distributive network for this vaccine is going to have to be significantly improved. Most importantly, these manufacturing facilities are going to have to be sited within the United States. With all due respect to the former speaker, and wanting to get drugs from Canada and other areas, can we count on the good people in Belgium to give us the vaccine if we need it when their citizens need it as well? This vaccine will have to be manufactured within our shores. We have to improve the science on producing vaccines. We saw what happened last year with the egg-based vaccine for the flu vaccine: A bacterial contamination ruined a large batch and it was unavailable. We are going to have to progress to the cell-based system. It is time for vaccine manufacturing to come out of the 1950s and get into the 21st century. Our commitment of research and development money will help that happen, and when that happens, the time required to develop the vaccine and get it available to people will vastly improve. Under the reform criteria, medical liability reform. The medical justice system has to be fair. We are going to need to provide some limits on liability for not just the vaccine itself, but adjuvants that might be added to the vaccine, preservatives that might be added to the vaccine. And what if the outbreak is so severe and the vaccine is in short supply, and it is required to dilute the vaccine. We need some degree of liability production, but at the same time, to ensure indemnification of those first responders who we are going to require to be on the front lines if this pandemic really picks up speed. We need to change. There is going to have to be some degree of antitrust reform, and this Congress may have been called upon to do that. Some companies have been proactive in discussing what can be done to ramp up productions of vaccines or antivirals, such as Tamiflu. And finally, a promise. The concept of guaranteed purchase or product or advanced purchase. We need to look to the future. We need to find a universal vaccine. Mr. Speaker, The Los Angeles Times, on November 14, 2005, wrote, ``Instead of being bamboozled by the flu virus' showy costume changes, scientists would pick dowdy, less prominent parts of the virus, the housekeeping features that do not change year to year and are common to all strains. Presenting these pieces to the human immune system would prompt the vaccinated person to recognize and fight off any influenza virus.''

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Courtney Rafes of Justin, TX, on her commitment, contribution and success in this year's Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix. Courtney is the youngest daughter of Richard and Tommye Rafes of Denton, TX. Dr. Richard Rafes is the senor vice president for administrative affairs for the University of North Texas. Tommye Rafes is a science teacher at Gene Pike Middle School in Justin, TX. As part of a science project, Ms. Rafes devised a railroad warning system that uses ultrasonic sound to detect broken rails and to warn two trains before a collision. Working over a period of several weeks, Ms. Rafes collected data from eight experiments and more than 2,000 tests run on a model train track system constructed in her living room. She was selected for the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Phoenix after earning a top honor with her railway project at a regional competition at the University of North Texas in Denton. At the national competition, Ms. Rafes earned a $20,000 scholarship from the Department of Homeland Security for her project and was offered an internship with an engineer for the department. Her project has been featured on the Today Show, CNN, ABC and the Discovery Channel. I extend my sincere congratulations to Ms. Courtney Rafes for her research and for receiving this commendable award. Her commitment to science and to helping others serves as an inspiration to all.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Virginia McNeill for receiving her bachelors in applied arts and sciences from the University of North Texas. Ms. McNeill has owned McNeill's Furniture and Appliance in downtown Denton since 1962. She began pursuing a degree in business in 1951 but left college a year later with only 40 credit hours completed to help with the family business. After a brief return to school for a semester in 1984, Ms. McNeill made the decision to return to the University of North Texas in 2002 and not to quit until she had her college degree. Ms. McNeill's determination and dedication has been an inspiration to her professors and fellow students alike. Fifty-five years after she began working towards her degree, Ms. McNeill will graduate on December 17, 2005, at the age of 77. It is with great honor I stand here today to recognize Ms. Virginia McNeill for her commitment to fulfilling her lifelong dream.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Daniel Funderburk of Ft. Worth, Texas for being selected as a finalist in the fourth annual TCU Texas Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The TCU Texas Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Award recognizes high- school entrepreneurs for their successes in business. To be eligible, a high school student must run a business for at least a year. These students are the best of the applicants who applied and their talent, leadership, time management and commitment are remarkable. Finalists are eligible for a series of scholarships valued up to $20,000. One of those finalists was Daniel Funderburk, a senior at Grace Preparatory Academy. Mr. Funderburk started X-Press Cuts Lawn Service with his brother in the summer of 2002 at the age of 15. The business grew over the years from mowing local neighborhood lawns to expanding into new neighborhoods to eventually adding a commercial customer. Mr. Funderburk's focus has always been on doing quality work and being reliable. His target market has been those who are not able to take care of their own lawn, either by old age and disabilities, lack of proper equipment, or simply not enough time. In most cases this means he serves the elderly and occasional business person. He plans to continue to grow his business through targeted advertising. So far in 2005 X-Press Cuts Lawn Service has earned $15,000 in revenue. I extend my sincere congratulations to Mr. Daniel Funderburk for his efforts and for his success in business at such a young age. His dedication and commitment to helping others serve as an inspiration to all.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, during August of 2003, I was with a bipartisan CODEL in Iraq. We were in one of Saddam Hussein's old bunkers and had a briefing from members of the Coalition Provisional Authority. United States State Department, General Sanchez, was there. They outlined their plan for reconstituting the Government of Iraq and civil society in Iraq. This plan involved selecting Iraqi citizens to form an interim constitution leading to the institution of a provisional government, which would then set the stage for selecting representatives to the Transitional National Assembly, who would write the final Iraqi constitution which, after ratification, would culminate with the election of the new Iraqi government. All but the last step have now been accomplished, basically adhering to the time line set up by the administration, the only deviation being a somewhat condensing of the timeline at the request of cleric al-Sistani. There is no question that there are those in the country of Iraq who feel they would be better served by continued chaos in the region. This is not the position of most of the people who live in the country of Iraq. The insurgency, the terrorists, hold no tactical advantage. They hold no territory. This is a fight that they know they cannot win on tactical grounds. The only way for us to lose this fight is to lose our political will at home. Our soldiers have done everything which we have asked. Congress should not desert them now.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, certainly the last 2 weeks we have seen a great deal written and spoken about the conflict in the country of Iraq. The middle of this month we will see the third popular election held in the country of Iraq this year. Stay the course or pull out now, these seem to be the two recurrent themes debated in this House and on the editorial pages across the country. Our military action was really never popular with the press here at home, and it has been portrayed in the most negative possible fashion for the past 2\1/2\ years. The result, predictably, is declining popular support for military activity in Iraq in this country and the very real possibility that the United States will lose its political will to complete the mission in Iraq. This would be truly tragic as we are so tantalizingly close to success in this effort. I was not a Member of Congress when the vote was taken to provide the President the necessary authority for military action in Iraq. I do believe it was the right decision, and I believe I would have voted affirmatively had I been here. I do not recall ever believing that it would be easy, but I do recall believing that it was justified and necessary. When the House and the Senate considered and approved the resolution authorizing the President to use military force to bring Saddam Hussein in compliance with the United Nations resolutions, several strong reasons were made for the foundation of this decision: weapons of mass destruction, to be sure; a gathering threat; violation of the no-fly zone; targeting our aircraft; endangering our pilots; violations of U.N. sanctions; violations of the terms of surrender from the first Gulf War in 1991; failure to account for Kuwaitis taken prisoner in the first Gulf War; failure to make restitution to the country of Kuwait; mass murder; mass graves; and the only world leader to have ever used weapons of mass destruction in an offensive fashion. These were the details of the resolution supported by a bipartisan majority of Members of Congress. The policy of the United States as laid out by law in 1998, passed by the Congress, signed by the President was to effect regime change in the country of Iraq. In 2002, by approving this resolution, the Congress and President Bush were finally enforcing this long-standing U.S. foreign policy goal in an environment radically changed by September 11, 2001, and the gathering threat that Iraq and other rogue nations represent to the safety and the security of the American people. The failure to find warehouses stockpiling weapons of mass destruction has now somehow morphed into allegations that the President misled the American public. Opponents of this war argue that President Bush and other leaders misled the American people through dishonorable misrepresentations of the Iraqi intelligence; but those allegations are, in fact, themselves lies, refuted and discredited; and this type of representation has only emboldened our enemies to target the United States personnel overseas. Debating how the war has been executed is a debate that we should be having in this country, but attempting to change the facts in the lead- up to the war is disingenuous and has more pernicious ramifications than temporary political advantage. I have been to Iraq four times in the past 2 years. It is my impression that one day the big story will be that the press missed the big story in Iraq. What you see in the country of Iraq and what is reported by the press in this country are two completely different worlds. Every time I have been there, I have been struck by how much progress has been made by American troops. Each time I have traveled to Iraq, I have been moved by the dedication of our military and their commitment to the completion of this mission. My first visit to the Baghdad airport in August of 2003 left me thinking that the place looked like the city dump. During visits in January and August of this year, the airport was a clean environment, with obvious evidence of commercial aviation having resumed. This is a picture of the Baghdad power plant in August of 2003. This is a rusted, burned up generator that Saddam Hussein had charged his engineers with keeping running under pain of death. Contrast that to August of this year, 2005. This is a generator in the city of Kirkuk called the ``mother of all generators.'' This generator was taken across the desert at great risk to our Marines and has been installed in the city of Kirkuk. It is now providing about 12 percent of Iraq's generating power, truly an amazing success story by our Marines. I do not recall having read about it in the press back home here. Another picture, flying over the town of Kirkuk, and I was taking pictures randomly out the window of our Black Hawk helicopter and did not notice until later, there are two small figures here. One is waving at the helicopter; and if you look very closely and I have done this, she is waving with all five fingers but, very importantly, next to her is a small male child, probably her brother. Think of this, Mr. Speaker, in the city of Kirkuk, prior to our taking out Saddam Hussein, this sister could not mention the fact she had a brother. In fact, her family probably has a crawl space in the wall of this house where the boy could be hidden when Saddam's conscriptionists came through town. It truly is an amazing transformation in that country. We are very close to having the third and final election for this year. We are close to having sufficient Iraqi forces trained and equipped to participate in their own security operations. Our soldiers are very close to having completed their mission. Congress should not desert them now.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Tommy Kincaid, Mayor of Sanger, Texas for nearly 10 years. Mr. Kincaid was a natural leader who loved his community and always kept its best interests at heart. Mayor Kincaid was born June 18, 1936, in Vernon, Texas, to Carl Thomas and Lesta Hill Kincaid. He graduated from Sanger High School in 1954 and married Betty Burns on June 30, 1956, in Sanger. Mr. Kincaid worked as a postal clerk for the U.S. Postal Service in Sanger before retiring in 2001. During the 1970s, Mr. Kincaid served on the Sanger school board. From 1983 to 1991, he served on the town's Planning and Zoning Commission and on the City Council from 1991 until his death. Mr. Kincaid is survived by his wife, Betty; their two children, Roger Kincaid and Tammy Armstrong; and seven grandchildren. I had the good fortune to meet Mayor Kincaid on several occasions. He introduced me at my Sanger Town Hall back in July of 2003, and he joined me on a tour of the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Sanger. He was a dedicated public servant and a generous individual. It was my honor to have known and worked with Mayor Tommy Kincaid. I extend my deepest sympathies to his family and friends. He will be deeply missed and his service to his community will always be greatly appreciated.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dale Douglas and New Shoes for Little Feet Foundation. The New Shoes for Little Feet Foundation collects and distributes new shoes to needy children within the community of The Colony, Texas. The H. E. Douglas, Sr. Memorial New Shoes for Little Feet Foundation was founded by Dale Douglas and his wife. The idea for the foundation stemmed from the experience of Douglas' father, H. E. Douglas, Sr., who was a poor fieldworker who did not own a new pair of shoes until he was sixteen years old. Nine years ago, Dale and his wife decided to turn their annual Christmas party into a catalyst for community service by asking their guests to bring a new pair of shoes to give to needy children within the community. The effort continued to grow with each subsequent year and has challenged an entire community. The New Shoes for Little Feet Foundation works with area schools to collect the correct shoe sizes of needy students so that they can be matched with the right pair of shoes. The foundation has also partnered with The Colony Police Department to increase its outreach. Last year, the organization collected and distributed 377 new pairs of shoes to area schoolchildren. It is with great honor that I stand here today to recognize the H. E. Douglas, Sr. Memorial New Shoes for Little Feet Foundation. It is the dedication that is personified by this organization that makes us certain that the future is bright for our nation and for our communities.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize The Colony, TX, for hosting the moving exhibit The Wall That Heals, honoring the 58,349 fallen soldiers of the Vietnam War who paid the ultimate price in service to our country. The exhibition features a half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. ``Bringing The Wall Home'' to communities throughout our country allows the souls enshrined on the memorial to exist, once more, among family and friends in the peace and comfort of familiar surroundings. The traveling exhibit, known as The Wall That Heals, allows the many thousands of veterans who have been unable to cope with the prospect of ``facing The Wall'' to find the strength and courage to do so within their own communities, thus allowing the healing process to begin. The Wall That Heals also features a Traveling Museum and Information Center providing a comprehensive educational component to enrich and complete visitors' experiences. The museum chronicles the Vietnam War era and the unique healing power of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, while the information center serves as a venue for people to learn about friends and loved ones lost in the war. It is with great honor that I stand here today to recognize The Colony for hosting The Wall That Heals. I am proud to represent a city dedicated to promoting education about the impact of the Vietnam War.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to go out of order and address the House for 5 minutes.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, this morning at a breakfast, Chairman Alan Greenspan was talking to a group of us, and he made mention of the fact that one of his concerns about those of us who were members of the baby boomer generation, despite the fact that we may have lavish pensions or Medicare, Social Security awaiting us upon retirement, that we may suffer because there are not enough of those in the generation coming after us to provide the things that we may want; and of course one of those things we may want will be physicians to take care of us in our old age on Medicare and Social Security. Well, there is an event happening at the end of this year that I think is particularly pernicious to the upcoming crop of young medical students and physicians, and that is a planned 4.4 percent negative update, that is, a pay cut for doctors who provide care for Medicare patients. As a Member of Congress, and as a physician, I can strongly empathize with the medical community, particularly the younger medical community as they face an impending 26 percent cut in reimbursement over the next 6 years, law already in place, cuts already programmed to happen unless this Congress takes action. Medicare payments are already lower than the cost of delivering the care. Medicare payments do not pay the freight for overhead in a doctor's office. According to a survey conducted by the American Medical Association, a tremendous number of physicians, 38 percent, responded that they would be forced to reduce the number of Medicare patients that they accept, based on the 4.4 percent reduction that they face just for this coming year. This data is reflective of the first installment of a series of cuts. This is of great concern to me, as access to health care is crucial for the Medicare population. We have seen the roll-out yesterday of the availability to the part D Medicare prescription drug benefit; and many of us, myself included, have argued on the floor of this House that the Medicare prescription drug benefit is crucial to providing 21st-century medicine to our seniors. But if we have no doctors present to write the prescriptions, then all of the prescription drug benefit in the world will be of no benefit to tomorrow's seniors. It is not just that we have doctors dropping out. We have doctors restricting the types of services that they might offer to Medicare patients, and we have doctors restricting where they might go into practice. Well, in addition, based on these reduced reimbursement rates, doctors will be less able to invest in things that we are asking them to do, things like information technology and necessary and up-to-date medical equipment. All of these combined factors will negatively impact the quality of care that our seniors receive. Simply put, we are driving doctors out of the Medicare system, and we can no longer afford to do that. Now, one of the proposed solutions deals with what is called Pay For Performance; and true, we should explore the concept of Pay For Performance by addressing whether this system is an improvement over the current one. It is important to establish the true quality indicators, and this is best done in conjunction with the specialty societies themselves, with the doctors themselves who will be delivering the care. What are the goals of Pay For Performance? Well, the number one goal is better clinical outcomes. In partnership with that, we want improved patient satisfaction, and that goes hand in hand with improved physician satisfaction. The fact is, Mr. Speaker, that doctors will support a concept like Pay For Performance if they believe in what it is trying to accomplish; but if it is just simply empty rhetoric, doctors will be among the first to recognize that and will abandon any attempts by Congress to drive a concept like Pay For Performance. Ultimately, if Pay For Performance is structured appropriately and the cost of delivering care comes down, well, that is good. We save some dollars in the Medicare part B system, but that money cannot be used to offset other debt. It has to be put back into the system and reward those doctors who have improved quality and lowered costs. Well, Mr. Speaker, fortunately, in my committee, in the Committee on Energy and Commerce, we are going to hold a hearing on physician reimbursement tomorrow, and it is timely. I am grateful to the chairmen, both the full committee chairman (Mr. Barton) and the subcommittee chairman (Mr. Deal of Georgia), for having this hearing. We are going to have good panels of witnesses present to receive our questions, and I think it is timely that my committee be involved in that discussion because, after all, that is the jurisdiction where this particular argument resides.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. The answer is, if it is over $2,250, it would be $750.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me, and I thank him for once again bringing this subject to the floor of the House. It is a timely subject. Here we are celebrating Medicare's 40th birthday; and, Mr. Speaker, as the Members will recall, 2 years and 1 week ago we actually passed this legislation, on November 22 of 2003, which now has become the Medicare Modernization Act and with it the prescription drug plan. Mr. Speaker, I have been doing town hall events and informational groupings throughout my district, and my district is pretty diverse. I have been very fortunate. I have had someone there from CMS with me, and together I think we have been able to answer a lot of the questions that come up. I do not want to get ahead of the program that Dr. Gingrey has proposed for this evening, but the concept of the worksheet, the concept of prearranging some of the information in an organized fashion, is a critical one. It is so important because we are coming up on a time of year of celebration of holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday, when families are going to be together. It is a great opportunity for them to talk, after they have had all the football and turkey that they can handle, to sit down and talk about what are the changes that are coming up in this Medicare program. The gentleman alluded to calling 1-800-Medicare. I must admit I have not had the courage to do that myself, but I do go on the Internet, and we can go into the plan selector part on www.Medicare.gov. They do ask for their Medicare number, but if they scroll down that page just a little bit, they can actually fill out the plan finder information without giving up any information, if they just want to check and see what is available. I have done this for Texas. We have got in excess of 40 plans available to seniors in the Lone Star State, and they are good plans. Some of them come in with less of a premium and less of a deductible than what Medicare proposes. In fact, I have seen premiums as low as $10 and $20, and I have seen some programs with a zero dollar deductible. A lot has been made about the so-called gap in coverage that occurs at some levels. And do remember, Mr. Speaker, we passed this legislation 2 years ago, and what were we trying to do? We knew we could not cover every last single person in this country, so we wanted to provide the greatest amount of coverage to those who were the poorest and those who were the sickest, and I think we did a good job in accomplishing that. But it does leave a gap in coverage, or at least the Medicare proposal, the proposal for the Medicare prescription drug plan, was to leave a gap. But, actually, there are some plans in Texas where, if they are willing to accept generics, there is, in fact, no gap in coverage. So there is complete coverage from the first dollar spent up and to the so-called catastrophic ranges. I have had some people complain about the time frame that is available to sign up for this program. It starts today, and for the next 6 months people can sign up for any of the Medicare-eligible programs. Those who have not signed up by May 15, right now Medicare is proposing a 1 percent penalty per month. That will be 32 cents penalty the first month of June of 2006, and it will continue at a 1 percent per month increase thereafter. But realistically, this should be thought of as insurance and not an entitlement. That is what I have tried to explain to my constituents when they say they do not like the idea that you are forcing me to sign up. It is a voluntary program. If you decide it is not for you, you are absolutely free not to sign up. But when I was a physician and I offered health insurance to my employees, they would be expected to pay a small part of it. If they chose not to pay that part, they could opt not to take the insurance. But they could not just wait until they got sick and then say, I would like to sign up for the insurance. Otherwise, it would not be fair to the rest of the people who have been paying their premiums all along. The program is structured to look like commercial insurance. It is on purpose not scheduled to look like an entitlement, because it is not. It is insurance coverage for seniors who need help with paying for their prescription drugs. Mr. Speaker, I would just stress as a last point that when people evaluate these plans for their families or for themselves, that they look at cost, coverage, and they look at convenience. Many of the plans cost less than what Medicare has proposed. The coverage part is important. You want to be certain that you pick a plan that covers the medicines that you are actually taking. Talk it over with your doctor. If your doctor is watching a problem like a mildly elevated blood pressure, be sure that those medications would likely be covered. Every plan lists on the Web site how many of the top 100 prescriptions covered by Medicare that particular plan covers. Most are in the high-90 range. I have not seen one less than 82 or 83 of the top 100 prescriptions covered by Medicare. But check out the coverage. Finally, convenience. They will provide a pharmacy that is close by. If your neighborhood pharmacy is the one you want to use because they have a delivery boy you like, use that tool to help you decide which one of those pharmacies you want to use. There is also mail order. There is a lot of flexibility in these plans. Yes, it is complicated. Health care is complicated in the 21st century. These are not easy decisions. Yet at the same time, Tom Brokaw called you the Greatest Generation. You beat the Nazis, solved the problems of the Great Depression, and solved a lot of the problems related to civil rights. Seniors can solve these problems as well. This program will become streamlined over time. I am happy about things like disease management and physicals that will be offered now. It is good legislation. Mr. Speaker, it is good medicine.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, my understanding is you will be offered the top three plans based on cost to evaluate. Then you can go to the next three plans and the next three plans. So the information is given in those sorts of segment. My understanding is cost, since cost is one of the principal concerns in people's minds, cost is one of the parameters upon which the three plans are picked. Here are the top three plans in your area based on cost, covering some portion of these medications, and whether there would be a stand-alone prescription drug plan or one of the PPO- or HMO-type products that would include a prescription drug plan, those are also included in the choices as they are given. We have some 47 prescription drug plans in Texas that are recognized by Medicare as being good products. You cannot evaluate all 47. So give me the top three based on cost, and let me figure out the coverage and convenience aspect of those. If you have expanded the search to include a HMO or PPO product, let me make the decision based on can I see any doctor I want or would I have to see a select panel of doctors. Those are the kinds of decisions, the same kinds of decisions people would make in starting a new job, when they went and met with their employee benefits manager. Just like we did when we started in the House 3 years ago, they asked, do you want a HMO, PPO product, and went through the litany of things that might be available to us. This would be the type of information that would be given to someone. And again, this may be too much for an individual 85 years of age to deal with three plans that are somewhat different in their construct. That is why it is going to be helpful to have a child, a nephew, a grandchild to be able to help make those decisions. Probably the person who helps arrange for those prescription purchases on a regular basis would be the best person to advocate for that particular senior and help them make those choices.

Mr. BURGESS. That is correct, and that information is listed on the Web site.

Mr. BURGESS. That is correct. The Internet would provide some transparency that probably is not available to that senior today.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Lyndon LaPlante of Keller, TX, on his dedication and outstanding athletic achievement at the Keller v. Richland high school football game on October 7, 2005. Mr. LaPlante is an 18-year-old Keller High School senior, who has played on the Keller football team for 4 years. He has attended every practice, summer camp, team meeting and football game since he was a freshman. On October 7, 2005, Mr. LaPlante played in his first football game against Richland High School. At this inaugural game, Mr. LaPlante, who has Down syndrome, brought a home crowd of more than 4,000 to its feet as he ran 99 yards for a Keller touchdown. Mr. LaPlante was also named football player of the week and gave a speech at Keller High School's football pep rally. Prior to his recent game success, Mr. LaPlante participated on the Keller football team by acting as assistant head coach and running plays with the team in pre-game warm-ups. He also took photographs at every game, which were set to music and shown at the end of every year. On Friday mornings, Mr. LaPlante joins his football teammates to mentor and read stories to elementary school students. He talks to children and signs autographs at Florence Elementary School, which he attended. I extend my sincere congratulations to Mr. Lyndon LaPlante for his commendable achievements on and off the Keller High School football field. His dedication to his team, to his school, and to his community serves as an inspiration to all.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 40th year of Medicare. Two years ago, the 108th Congress passed significant legislation that filled in a missing link in Medicare. That missing link was the missing part of prescription drugs. Significant changes in the Medicare program are going to result in more services, more coverage, and more responsiveness from a program that, quite frankly, no longer lived up to what it needed to do, which is taking care of our seniors in a timely fashion, allowing them access to prescription drugs on a timely basis. Mr. Speaker, a lot of people are complaining that there are too many plans and it is too complex. Two years ago we heard the opposite, that not enough plans would show up, and that it would be a default position that would only be offered to Medicare beneficiaries. The situation is complex because health care is complex, but these are important decisions. I urge people over this holiday season coming up to sit down with their mothers and fathers, to sit down with the Medicare beneficiaries in their families and help them work through this process. I think we will find this to everyone's betterment.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Michael A. Conduff, retiring City Manager of Denton, Texas, for his outstanding service to the local community for the past four and a half years. Since Mr. Conduff assumed the duties as Denton's City Manager on May 14, 2001, the City was able to accomplish many goals including the completion of the Downtown improvements, implementation of computer aided dispatch in the police department, and the opening of the North Branch Library and the Water Works Park. Mr. Conduff was also implemental in multiple economic development projects including Denton Crossing, Presbyterian Hospital of Denton, improvements to Denton Regional Medical Center, and Peterbilt expansion. Additionally, Mr. Conduff has won over 130 awards, including 3 Texas Municipal League Awards and personal awards, during his time in Denton. Mr. Conduff earned his B.S. in civil engineering at the University of New Hampshire, graduating Cum Laude. His M.B.A. is from Pittsburg State University. He is also a charter graduate of the Carver Policy Governance ' Academy in Atlanta, Georgia, and serves on the Board of Directors and as Secretary of the International Policy Governance ' Association. Prior to assuming the City Manager's position in Denton, Mr. Conduff was a nine-year City Manager of Bryan, Texas. Before he came to Texas, Mike served as City Manager in Manhattan, Kansas, home of Kansas State University, for five years. He also served as City Manager of Pittsburg, Kansas, home of Pittsburg State University, for five and a half years. Prior to his city managerial roles, Mr. Conduff was City Engineer for Pittsburg. I am honored to today to recognize the exceptional service of Mr. Michael A. Conduff as Denton City Manager. His leadership and dedication to the improvement and development of Denton, Texas deserves the highest thanks and recognition. Michael, his wife, and grandchildren have my best wishes and prayers for the future.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ms. Darion Albert, Ms. Brittany Carey, Ms. Christian Hargers, Ms. Brittania Jones, and Ms. De'Ona Stafford of CJ's Studio of Performing Arts, located in my district, for their opportunity to dance in the Moscow Ballet's presentation of The Nutcracker in Dallas. The Moscow Ballet is a classical ballet company that brings the grand tradition of a century of Russian ballet to audiences throughout the world, and it is considered a great honor to be part of the troop. Moscow Ballet's The Great Russian Nutcracker combines the family favorite with a special prayer for peace. Unlike many American adaptations, The Great Russian Nutcracker ends not in the ``Land of the Sweets,'' but in the ``Land of Peace and Harmony.'' The Russian Nutcracker has charmed us for more than a century because it takes its audience to a world of enchantment and peace where dreams are made real, language is no barrier, and it is always the season of love and giving. The five young ladies of CJ's Studio of Dance were selected this year to perform in this timeless tradition and performance. Ms. Albert, Ms. Carey, Ms. Hargers, Ms. Jones, and Ms. Stafford have all attended CJ's for a number of years, under the direction of Ursula Gibbs. Ms. Gibbs serves as the studio's artistic director and dance instructor and is to be congratulated for her skillful dance instruction. I extend my sincere congratulations to these young ladies for this distinguished opportunity. I wish them the best of luck in their dedicated pursuit of dance and the performing arts.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Flower Mound High School speech and debate team for being recognized as 13th out of the top 50 speech and debate teams in the country. The ranking was announced by the National Forensic League on Oct. 22, 2005. The National Forensic League is comprised of 103 districts that govern the affiliate and charter schools in all 50 states. The purpose of the National Forensic League is to promote interscholastic debate, oratory, public speaking, and interpretation of literature by encouraging a spirit of fellowship and by conferring upon deserving candidates a worthy badge of distinction. The National Forensic League works to accomplish this mission by promoting debate and speech through a nation-wide network of competitive tournaments and by honoring students for their achievements. The culmination of the year is a National Speech and Debate Tournament in the month of June. This year's topic will be whether or not the U.S. government should reduce its authority to detain without charges or search without probable cause. The Flower Mound High School speech and debate team has 25 students traveling during weekends from speech to debate tournaments. At Flower Mound High School, each member of the speech and debate team is guaranteed to compete in at least five rounds per year. If a student performs well, he or she can enter additional tournaments. Students are awarded a degree of merit for each round they compete in, which then gets accumulated by the team. Flower Mound was the 13th team nationwide with the most accumulated degrees of merit. Today I congratulate the Flower Mound High School speech and debate team and Head Debate Coach, Eric Mears, on ranking 13th out of the top 50 speech and debate teams in the country. Their dedication and hard work in perpetuating intellectual debate, oratory and public speaking deserves the highest recognition and praise.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute those individuals and organizations that opened their hearts and dedicated both financial and emotional support to the evacuees of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. All of the states along the Gulf Coast have endured terrible hardships during this hurricane season, and I know that the generosity of North Texans played a vital role in bringing some peace into their lives. Today, I want to specifically thank the students from Northwest ISD for their outstanding collective fundraising effort. Northwest ISD students collected $13,517.58 for Hurricane Katrina victims. Additionally, Gilley-Tarpley Associates agreed to match the donation up to $5,000.00, for a total of $18,517.58. The district-wide relief effort, which began in September, was organized by the Northwest High School Student Council, PAL, and the Key Club organizations. I stand here today to sincerely thank the students in Northwest ISD and Gilley-Tarpley Associates for their generous donation. I am proud to call these people fellow Texans. Through their contribution, they not only stand as devoted and giving American citizens, but they serve as an inspiration to others.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Argyle High School Marching Band on winning the Class 2A State Championship. The Music Program of the University Interscholastic League, UIL, is designed to support and enrich the teaching of music as an integral component of the public school curriculum in the state of Texas. Each year approximately 500,000 middle school, junior high and high school students reap the benefits of participation in the 10 UIL music events. This year the UIL State marching band championship was held in the San Antonio Alamodome on November 7-8, 2005. The Argyle High School Marching Band won the state title 2 years ago, when they were last eligible to compete. This year, after successfully competing in regional and area UIL contests, the band was able to advance to the UIL State competition. After performing their original music and marching routine, the band was selected as one of the 7 top finalists out of a total 18 2A bands at the competition. The final performance determined that the Argyle High School Band won the UIL Class 2A State Championship. I sincerely commend the Argyle High School Marching Band and their Director, Cindy Mikel, for winning the UIL Class 2A State Championship. Their hard work, dedication, desire to excel, and success in promoting and performing music deserves the highest recognition and congratulations.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. David White for receiving the Gold Medal of Achievement in Royal Rangers. Royal Rangers is an achievement program of the Assemblies of God which utilizes an outdoor theme to teach positive character, responsibility, leadership, citizenship and service to God, men and country. The Gold Medal of Achievement is the highest achievement that can be earned in the Royal Ranger Program. Mr. White is a freshman in Roanoke, Texas. His achievement represents many years of diligent work completing merits, camping and nature skills, leadership training camps, memorization, essays and service projects. A special service honoring Mr. White's accomplishment is planned for November 27, 2005 at Grace Community Assembly of God in Flower Mound, Texas. I extend my sincere congratulations to Mr. David White on receiving the Gold Medal of Achievement. His hard work and dedication to excellence warrants the highest achievement given by the Royal Rangers Program.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ms. Sue Ann Slay of Fort Worth, Texas on completing the Redman Iron Distance Triathlon on September 24, 2005 in Oklahoma City. Currently, only five Ironman Triathlons occur every year in the United States. On September 14, 2005 Mayor Mick Cornett of Oklahoma City announced the first annual Redman Iron Distance Triathlon to be held at Lake Hefner on September 24, 2005. The Redman Triathlon consisted of a 2.4-mile swim in the open waters of Lake Hefner, a 112- mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile marathon run. Nearly 125 people participated in this Iron distance race. The Redman Iron Distance Triathlon began at 7 a.m. on September 24, 2005. Ms. Slay crossed the finish line 16 hours, 36 minutes, and 20 seconds later at 11:36 p.m. Many participants in triathlons battle cramps, fatigue, heat, and humidity just to complete the 140.6-mile race. In order to prepare for these intense conditions, Ms. Slay began training for the race in 2003, getting up at 6:00 a.m. to run 7 days a week. Today I congratulate Ms. Sue Ann Slay on competing and completing the Redman Iron Distance Triathlon sponsored by Valir Health. Ms. Slay's dedication and commitment to fitness and her recent accomplishment is worthy of recognition.