Michael Burgess

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote for this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment.

Mr. BURGESS. I yield to the gentleman from Alaska.

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I intend to ask unanimous consent to withdraw this amendment, but before I do, I would like to engage the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young) in a brief colloquy on this issue. Mr. Chairman, in 1998 Congress passed TEA-21. And as enacted, TEA-21 contained congressional intent and guidance language to the United States Department of Transportation to implement design-build contracting rules. But, Mr. Chairman, the final rules did not mirror Congress' intent in the slightest. H.R. 3, as introduced and passed by the committee, included section 1501 on design-build, and I thank the chairman, the ranking member, and the committee staff for recognizing the level of importance that design-build holds in the reauthorization debate. However, the language currently in the bill does not repair conflicts in the law. My concern is that the Federal Government has been slow to respond to initiatives at the State level that advance those goals. Current Federal rules dampen the efficiency of design-build with a complicated procurement process, taking the wind out of the sails of innovation. Federal processes still favor a consecutive approach to project development, requiring separate environmental review, design and construction contracts. This causes unnecessary delay, added cost and reduced efficiencies in delivering critical transportation projects. I want to work with the committee in conference to repair the design- build law so States can benefit from its intended efficiency. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Alaska has visited my State, and I am grateful for that. The gentleman has heard from our constituents and our commissioners and our governor. This is necessary to take our work to the next level. Sure we talk about changing funding formulas, but that alone is not enough to satisfy everyone, and we all know that. All I am asking for is a chance to show that we can be innovative in using the limited funds that we receive.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take my time out of order.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, we hear a lot of talk about Social Security and what is the right word to use. Is it a crisis? Is it just a problem? Is there no problem with a system awash in cash that perhaps just needs some minor adjustments down the road? Well, Mr. Speaker, I do believe there is a crisis, or at least a serious problem that is looming. There is no question we are held captive by our demographics. In order for our Social Security System to work, we need large numbers of young people to pay into the system. We also need people on retirement to not live very long after they retire. But the reality is our birth rates in this country are down, and our retirees are living longer lives. Both situations are arguably good news, but they do portend a serious situation for our Social Security System. I would draw attention to this graphic. This was produced by the Congressional Research Service. It is not a partisan chart. But here is the year I was born, 1950, and we have a little over 16 workers working away to support every retiree. Fast forward, and here we are in 2005. We have three workers working to support every retiree. But as we move down the line, we go to two workers to support every retiree. Now, Mr. Speaker, make no mistake about it, I believe very strongly in the American economy. And I would bet on the American economy over and above any economy in the world. And I just bet we can make those two workers a lot more productive in those out years, in 2040 and 2050. But I do not know if we can make them productive enough for two workers to support one retiree. I think we have to look at some other things. A lot of people talk about the trust fund, and, gosh, there is just money in the trust fund, and we will spend that money on retirees when the time comes. Again, I will go to the Congressional Research Service, and this is a graph produced by them just a few weeks ago. It is on the Web site. Anybody can go access it that wants to. Well, this shows the money in the trust fund. And again, you will see that there is a great deal of money coming in, and it is projected to increase. But we reach a point, looks to be about 2028, when the money starts coming down, and it comes down very rapidly. This includes paying back the money that is in the trust fund that was borrowed. This includes monetizing the Social Security debt which in and of itself can be pretty painful for the markets when that time comes. Mr. Speaker, there is a question of fairness here because 12 percent of the country's payroll pays into the Social Security system and does not really pay a fair rate of return. It pays by anyone's estimate 1.14, 1.19 percent interest. What Albert Einstein, probably the finest mind of the last century, described as the miracle of compound interest, this miracle is being denied to American workers. The old axiom states we tax what you do not want, but surely we want jobs for tomorrow's American. Increasing the payroll tax is really not a solution that I can accept. So what are the solutions? What about cutting benefits as suggested by one of the other speakers. I did not come to Congress to cut benefits on Social Security. We could raise taxes, but I do not want to do that. Taxes on jobs are going to drive jobs overseas. We already create a punitive environment in this country for the creation of new jobs with our legal system, cost of health care, and our Social Security payroll tax. I do not think we need to contribute to that, and this Congress should make a pledge that it will not contribute to driving jobs overseas by increasing the payroll tax. I have already alluded to growth in the economy, and I believe in this country and I believe our economy will grow, but I do not know that we can count on that to cover all of the projected problems with the shortfall in the Social Security fund. So that leaves one lever left to pull, and that lever is getting a fair rate of return on the money that is invested in the Social Security system. The problem is if we leave that money for us in Congress, and I have only been here for 2 years, but I know what other Members know, if we leave that money in Congress, we will spend it. We will spend it so quickly, we will not even know we have spent it. And when it comes time to pay the interest, we will write an IOU to pay the other IOUs we have in that filing cabinet in West Virginia. The only way to protect the Social Security funds is to put them in accounts controlled by individuals where we cannot get at it. A question always comes how are we going to pay for this. We are already paying a great deal of money into the Social Security funds. We are paying a surplus into the Social Security system. So why not take that money in surplus, invest it and earn a fair rate of return on that investment. There is debt that is owed to the Social Security system. That debt will some day have to be monetized. That money continues to grow as we pay the interest on it and as we continue to borrow from those funds. Why do we not just borrow the money? The obligation is already there. Let us refinance it like any American family would refinance a mortgage if they were trying to work their way out of a difficult financial situation. Refinance the money, make it real debt with a real interest rate. I think the markets would take a great deal of comfort in that. Markets do not like uncertainty, and I do not think in 10 or 15 years' time they are going to like the uncertainty when we monetize the debt that we owe the Social Security system. So let us recognize it up front, call it what it is, it is a loan, we borrowed it, let us set a fair interest rate on it, and pledge to pay it back and set up a repayment schedule that we can all live with. So the current obligation is already present. Let us finance the transition with that debt and convert an unknown obligation into bonded indebtedness and give the markets some measure of comfort that we in Congress recognize the problem and know what we are doing to alleviate the problem. Mr. Speaker, it has been 70 years since Social Security was founded. Here in this House, let me just give a quote: ``It is proposed that the Federal Government assume one-half of the cost of the old age pension plan which ultimately ought to be supplanted by self-supporting annuity plans.'' These words were spoken in this House in a joint address before Congress by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1935. I think he had it right, and I think it is time for us to work on that.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to comment on that. For a number of years, ever since the Institute of Medicine study came out, and I bought the book and read through it, I felt that their study methods were significantly flawed. While I agree with their premise that if there is one death from medical errors, that is too many, the book is worth reading if only to look through the very tortured methods that they went through to come up with the number at the end of 98,000 deaths a year. They look at two hospital wards, one back in 1984, one in 1992; and from these two wards extrapolated the data that they have. In fact, there was a significant reduction in medical errors between 1984 and 1992, and that never got really much in the way of any headlines, but they go through this very tortured analysis; and at the end they say since we are not sure that we are underestimating the figure, they doubled it. That gives Members some idea of the scientific rigor with which they approached the task. Again I agree one death is too many, and we need to be moving toward a system that is a no-fault system. We strive for error-free medicine in a world that is sometimes all too human. But I also feel compelled to talk about the good news. We have heard a lot of information and how serious the situation is across the country, and it is serious. I do not mean to diminish that, but there are some good news items out, and I would like to share them with this House. I am especially thankful to the Georgia medical delegation that has allowed me to appear on stage with them. The State of Texas, which is so often a leader in so many areas across the country, 18 months ago dealt with the crisis in medical liability insurance by passing a State law that allowed for caps on noneconomic damages in medical liability suits. It was patterned after the Medical Injury Compensation Reform Act of 1975 done in California that we have all talked about here as a standard that we should aspire to. Our Texas law updated that for the 21st century. There is a cap of $250,000 on the doctor for noneconomic damages, not for real damages, but for noneconomic damages capped at $250,000. The hospital is capped at $250,000, and a third health care entity, a nursing home or hospital, is capped at $250,000. That is a significant change from the California cap of only $250,000 that was passed back in 1975. What have the results been in the State of Texas since this constitutional amendment passed? The results are worthy of our study here. The first thing is when I was running for Congress in 2002, we had medical insurers fleeing the State. We went from 17 to two in a very short period of time. Just like the stories we heard earlier, as I was campaigning for this office, a young woman who is about 40 came up to me and said, I have lost my insurance coverage because my insurer left the State, and now I cannot practice my specialty of radiology. I cannot get insurance anywhere, so I am now a stay-at-home mom. What a travesty. She had gone to a State school, so the citizens of Texas essentially paid for her education. She came to her peak earning years, her peak power, and her profession is taken away from her, and not because as the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price) pointed out, not because she forgot how to read a chest X-ray, but because she could not get insurance coverage. This system has changed with the passage of the Texas liability reform law. What the Texas Department of Insurance has seen since the law was passed in September 2003 is that we have now reacquired I believe it is up to 14 liability insurers. We have gone from 17 down to two, we are back up to 14, but the most important thing is those insurers have come back into the State without the type of rate increases that have occurred in neighboring States. Insurers have come back into the State of Texas, but they did not up their premiums like they did in Oklahoma, and that is a terribly significant event. The other thing that we have seen is Texas Medical Liability Trust, my old insurer of record, immediately cut its rates by 12 percent after the constitutional amendment passed. There was some discussion as to whether or not this rate reduction would hold, but in fact this year they have put on top of that an additional 5 percent rate reduction for a total of 17 percent in rate reductions. Again, remember what we are talking about here is not cheaper insurance for doctors; what we are talking about is permitting doctors to stay in the practice of medicine because, after all, patients cannot have access to a health care system if they do not have access to a physician somewhere along the line. The other unintended benefit from passing caps in the State of Texas has been what hospitals who self-insure, the benefits they have seen. The Christus health care system down in South Texas reported in the Dallas Morning News almost a year ago, so very shortly after these caps went into effect, that they had achieved savings of $22 million in the 6 months after this law, this constitutional amendment was first passed. That means $22 million going into nurses' salaries, capital expansion. The types of things you want your community hospital to be doing, they were allowed to participate in, again, because of the savings brought about by simply instituting a series of caps on noneconomic damages, those awards that are for pain and suffering in medical liability suits. The other thing that has happened which is pretty good news for Texas doctors is the number of suits have plummeted. That has been truly a significant breathing spell for the past 18 months for physicians of a State who were significantly beleaguered. I am frequently asked, if Texas has done such a good job of solving the problem, why do you care about doing something on a national scale. I do care because it is important. As a Member of Congress, I have been privileged to travel around the country. Two years ago with the Committee on Transportation and the Infrastructure, I visited the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge. On the way home, we stopped in Nome, Alaska. We had a chamber of commerce lunch there. When they found out there was a doctor who was a Congressman, all of the medical staff at their local hospital came out to talk with me. What they wanted to talk about is are you going to be able to do anything about medical liability rates, because we cannot afford the insurance rates for an anesthesiologist at our hospital. I said, My gosh, how do you practice without an anesthesiologist? And they said, We do the best we can. I asked what kind of doctor he is, and the doctor said, I am an OB/ GYN just like you. I said, Wait a minute, how do you practice obstetrics without an anesthesiologist? What do you do for a C-section? He said, We arrange for an airplane and get the mother transferred to Anchorage. Mr. Speaker, that is an hour and a half by air, assuming the weather is okay; and they sometimes have bad weather in Nome, Alaska. I fail to see how we are advancing the cause of patient safety by allowing this situation to continue. The gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey) eloquently pointed out how much of our Federal budget goes for health care, and this is a key point on why we need to involve ourselves with a national solution to this problem. A 1996 study done out in Stanford, California, estimated that the cost of defensive medicine within the Medicare system is in excess of $30 billion a year. That is in 1996, almost 10 years ago. I bet those numbers are higher today if someone were to rerun those numbers. That is the crux of the problem. We are talking about an amount of money that would almost pay for our prescription drug benefit that we are squandering on the practice of defensive medicine because our doctors are afraid that they are going to be pulled into court and they want to be sure their cases look good when presented on the stand. That is why this is so critical for us on a national level. Mr. Speaker, I thank the doctors for putting this together. I certainly want to thank Georgia for their indulgence in allowing a non- Georgia physician to appear out here tonight. It has been a pleasure to be here. I thank you for doing this.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Chairman, I rise to oppose this amendment. Our State department of transportation is very opposed to the language in the Kennedy amendment and would ask that the House defeat this amendment and use the language that is in the main bill. In Texas, we have such a unique problem because we have such a large geographic footprint, second only to Alaska. Yet at the same time, we receive nowhere near the Federal funding the State of Alaska receives. As a consequence, we are constantly behind and constantly looking for ways to finance necessary and needed road projects in my State. We have farm-to-market roads and State highways in my State that carry traffic, burdens of traffic they were never intended to carry, and they cannot be financed with the gas tax alone. We need the flexibility to take the money from a toll road and move it to a near neighbor, near-time project, which I understand that this amendment would prohibit. Finally, we cannot allow the sunsetting of the tolls on a toll project. The prototype for that was the Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike 30 years ago. That was a 1960s solution, and we have a 21st-century problem.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago this month, this House passed a meaningful bill to reform medical liability in this country. Since that time, of course, the other body has failed to even have a vote on this important piece of legislation, so now we are going to see this legislation again in this Congress. But in the 2 years that have intervened, in my home State of Texas, we passed a bill and a constitutional amendment that allowed caps on noneconomic damages within the State of Texas. I think it would behoove this House to examine what has happened in the State of Texas since that time. Since then, medical liability insurers have returned to the State. We had fallen from 17 insurers to two, and now we stand at 14, with several insurers having come back into the State with rates that were flat or, in fact, lower. In fact, Texas Medical Liability Trust, my old insurer of record, has dropped rates from 12 percent right after the constitutional amendment passed and another 5 percent this year, for a total of 17 percent. But most importantly, Mr. Speaker, the Cristus Health Care System in south Texas, a self-insured hospital system, realized a $12 million savings in the first 9 months of this legislation, money that was put back into nurses' salaries, capital expansion, the types of things that we want hospitals to be doing, not paying for noneconomic damages.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Corporal Barron Smith of the Flower Mound Police Department, located in the 26th Congressional District of Texas, for his heroism in saving another man's life. Corporal Smith, without regard to his own life, quickly leapt into a local lake after seeing a man beginning to drown. In the summer of 2004, Corporal Smith and his wife were camping at Grapevine Lake when they noticed a group of people having difficulty swimming in the lake. As two men began to go under, Corporal Smith decided to jump in with a life vest in an attempt to rescue the individuals. One man was able to swim to a buoy just as Corporal Smith reached the second man and helped him to shore. Corporal Smith's act of bravery represents the best of ``Texas' Finest.'' Officers like Corporal Smith are exemplary and are ideal citizens. His continuing service to his community, on-and-off duty, makes our community safer. I am proud of the Flower Mound Police Department and especially our attentive citizens, like Corporal Smith, who commit their lives and time to protect and serve our community at any time, anywhere.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Jessica Pope of Little Elm High School, located in the 26th Congressional District of Texas, for her win of the Distributive Education Clubs of America's (DECA) state competition. Winning this competition puts her on DECA's International Team competing in Anaheim, California later this spring. I congratulate Jessica Pope for this outstanding achievement. Jessica first had to qualify for the state competition through a series of tests and district competitions. At the state competition, Jessica excelled past the 100-question test plus a role-playing event, which Jessica completed in front of a panel of judges. Out of about 150 contestants in Jessica's event, she was named one of the top nine. Jessica's teacher, Diana Reynolds, also deserves recognition because she urged Jessica to compete at the Distributive Education Clubs of America events. Teachers, like Ms. Reynolds, encourage our youth to perform at their highest potential helping to build a better America. I am proud of the education system in Texas, especially our involved parents and teachers at Little Elm High School, who commit their lives and time to fostering growth in their students. Jessica is a stellar example of how our combined efforts are paying off. Congratulations to Jessica, her parents, Diana Reynolds and Little Elm High School.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give tribute to Dr. Donald Arthur Brooks, from the 26th Congressional District of Texas, for his lifelong contributions to his community and to his fellow citizens. Dr. Brooks was the first African-American general surgeon in Ft. Worth and the first to be a board-certified surgeon in Texas. Dr. Brooks died on March 4th at the age of 83. I would like to recognize and celebrate Dr. Brooks' life today. Dr. Brooks set high standard by which all American citizens should strive. Born into a financially disadvantaged family, Dr. Brooks proved himself as an exceptional student graduating near the top of his class. After receiving his Bachelor of Science at Prairie View A&M in 1941, he then served two years in the United States Army. Upon returning from active duty, Dr. Brooks saved his money and went back to school to receive his Medical Degree at Howard College of Medicine. Dr. Brooks returned to Ft. Worth in 1957 to become the first African- American to practice general surgery. He and his brother worked side- by-side and quickly became among the best-known health care providers for the African-American community. Later, Dr. Brooks would be named Chief of Surgery at St. Joseph's Hospital. He continued to practice and was distinguished as a pioneer of his community. When he retired from surgery in 1993, Dr. Brooks continued to provide medical service to the community by becoming a staff physician at Tarrant County Jail. Dr. Brooks became the patriarch of medical dynasty which resulted in a family tree of six doctors. It was my honor to represent Dr. Brooks. My extend sympathies to his family and friends. May the example of this ``Southern Gentleman'' be a lesson to us all, that our deeds should represent us well.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, the American people are hearing a lot of information about our Social Security system, and I am sure they have got legitimate questions: Is there a crisis or not? If there is a crisis, then is there a trust fund or not? If there is not a trust fund, where did it go, who took it and when? There are, of course, those who say that there is no crisis, that we have a system that is awash in cash and can fund all future benefits but it needs minor tweaking to ensure solvency. Perhaps crisis is the wrong word. Captive may be a better selection because certainly we are held captive by our demographics. If our current system is to work and work well, we need large numbers of young people to pay into the system, and we need retirees to live relatively short intervals after their retirement; but in fact, neither of these situations reflects reality. Birth rates are down in this country, although not to the degree as seen in some Western European countries, still resulting in a smaller pool of younger workers to support retirees. Life expectancy is up, largely because of the unbelievable advances in medical care that have occurred in the last 70 years since 1935. Both situations are arguably good news, but they do portend a serious situation for our Social Security system. For example, in the country of Japan there are now four retirees to be supported by every new job that is created. It becomes extremely difficult to remain competitive in such an environment. Raising taxes to deal with the Social Security shortfall arguably has been done several times in the past 70 years; but, unfortunately, that makes the problem even worse. The old axiom states that you tax what you do not want, but surely we want jobs for tomorrow's Americans, but increasing the payroll tax may mean ultimately there are fewer such jobs. In 1937, the Supreme Court ruled that excess Social Security funds were to be placed in the general revenue fund. Mr. Speaker, that is what happened to the trust fund. In fact, nonnegotiable government instruments housed in a metal filing cabinet in West Virginia represent the surplus in Social Security, and that surplus has been spent over the last several decades by Congress. Congress spent the money, Congress wrote out an IOU for the money, and we continue to write IOUs for the interest. Mr. Speaker, where is the fairness in a system that holds captive 12 percent of the country's payroll and pays no interest on the money? This, I think, is the heart of the problem. What Albert Einstein described as the miracle of compound interest is denied to American workers. What are the solutions that might be there for us to help with Social Security? We could cut benefits. I did not come to Congress to do that. We could raise taxes. Not this guy. There are, of course, those who feel that growth in the economy will help those two workers that are going to have to support every retiree into the future; and I will tell my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, I will bet on the American economy every time, but I am not sure if we can improve productivity to that degree. Mr. Speaker, what we can do is take those excess funds being paid into Social Security and place them into individual accounts that would not be accessible to government spenders and not be accessible to congressional appropriators. Allow these accounts to earn interest by following a conservative investment strategy, and now perhaps we begin to see the opportunity to preserve Social Security and ensure its solvency well into the future. The question is always asked how to pay for this transition. I have already excluded a tax increase or benefit cut as a viable mechanism. The money to finance the transition would have to be borrowed; and in fact, this does not represent new debt because the obligation has already been incurred. The borrowing is only to refinance an obligation that already exists, a situation analogous to refinancing a mortgage. Mr. Speaker, we should always be for good government. The principle of good government would suggest that the current obligation is present, but we are not acknowledging its presence. By financing the transition, we can convert an unknown obligation into bonded indebtedness. It becomes a marketable instrument; and that, in fact, would be a commitment to good government. Financial markets are not known for their courage. They do not like uncertainty; and, clearly, the uncertainty of monetizing the Social Security debt in the future is one that they will deal with fairly severely. But by making that a known obligation, we are giving the markets more comfort into what our intentions are with regard to the unfunded Social Security liability. Mr. Speaker, I would like to close with a quotation that was delivered in this House some years ago: ``Voluntary contributory annuities by which individual initiative can increase the annual amounts received in old age. It is proposed that the Federal Government assume one-half of the cost of the old-age pension plan, which ought ultimately to be supplanted by self-supporting annuity plans.'' These words were spoken in this Chamber 70 years ago by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the father of Social Security. Mr. Speaker, it is our obligation to deal with this problem this year. I applaud the President for pushing it on the national agenda, and I look forward to the debate.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to speak out of order.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Denton's Link bus system, located in the 26th Congressional District of Texas, for its recognition as an ``Outstanding Metropolitan Transit System'' for 2004 by the Texas Transportation Association. Denton's Link won the award for increasing its ridership by more than fourfold from 2003 to 2004. With better routes and an influx of new riders from the local universities--Texas Woman's University and University of North Texas--Link has helped limit congestion on our streets. The ``Outstanding Metropolitan Transit Award'' is given for designing and implementing programs that demonstrate innovative concepts or effect problem-solving techniques. But a company must not only initiate these programs but also successfully implement the techniques. The Texas Transportation Association also awards transit systems that enhance safety measures, make their operating systems more efficient and improve customer service. Denton's Link sets a wonderful model for other Texas public transit systems looking to make improvements. I am proud of the Denton public transportation system and citizens of Denton who continued to better their community through the use of Denton's Link.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend those who support music education in North Texas. Music serves as both an enjoyable pastime and an important educational tool for our children. On March 1, 2005, I voted in favor of House Concurrent Resolution 45 which recognizes many key benefits of school-based music education. Specifically, H. Con. Res. 45 recognizes that school-based music programs enhance intellectual development and enrich the academic environment for all ages. Students who participate in music programs are less likely to be involved with drugs, gangs, or alcohol and have better attendance. Additionally, skills gained through sequential music instruction include discipline and the ability to analyze, solve problems, communicate, and work cooperatively which are vital for success in the 21st century workplace. This House Concurrent Resolution also recognizes music as a core academic subject and that every student in the United States should have an opportunity to reap the benefits of music education. I voted for H. Con. Res. 45 because of the overwhelming success of these programs in the 26th District. In 2004, the Denton Independent School District and the Lewisville Independent School District, both located in the 26th Congressional District of Texas, were recognized as among the ``100 Best Communities for Music Education'' in America. On a recent visit to Westlake Academy, I learned that the 5th graders attended mandatory violin lessons as it was shown to greatly improve their mathematics skills. These school districts realize the great importance of school-based music education. I believe these programs are vital to the overall development of our youth. I am proud of the education system in Texas; especially our involved parents and teachers at the Denton Independent School District, the Lewisville Independent School District and Westlake Academy who commit their lives and time to fostering our children.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life-long service of Joe Harris. Mr. Harris, hailed as a man who always put everyone before himself, spent the last 34 years of his life serving my constituents as a fire fighter in the City of Denton, Texas. Mr. Harris not only served the people of Denton County but also his family and co- workers with the encouragement, warmth and generosity that defined his life. The recent death of Mr. Harris came after years of fighting cancer. He had recently retired so he could spend more time with his family. During his career as a public servant, Mr. Harris took pride in each task that he was given. His contagious personality and love for those whom he saw day after day went far beyond his call of duty. A life-long citizen of my district, Mr. Harris served not only my constituents but our country in the United States Coast Guard. Mr. Harris was steadfast in his life of service, and I have no doubt that he has inspired everyone who came to know him. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I stand here today to commemorate the life of Joe Harris; one of our fellow public servants. May his work be a guide and inspiration to us all.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I also want to make a few remarks on this legislation before us, the Tuskegee Airmen Act, and I want to speak on that because this is so personal to me. My mayor of Highland Village, Texas, a city that is central to my district, my mayor, Bill Lawrence, is the son of one of the original Tuskegee Airmen. Today, I will be happy to vote for this legislation honoring a proud group of African American heroes of World War II. The House of Representatives should pass H. Con. Res. 26 to honor the Tuskegee Airmen for their bravery in fighting for our freedom in World War II and for their contribution in creating an integrated U.S. Air Force. The Tuskegee Airmen are the fighter pilots of the 99th Pursuit Squadron, which was later incorporated into the 332nd Fighter Group, who fought during World War II in the U.S. Army Air Corps and were trained at Tuskegee Army Field in Tuskegee, Alabama. No better time exists than during Black History Month to put forth such outstanding legislation. Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago, I was in the country of Iraq and, in fact, visited with the current 332nd Fighter Group, the original Tuskegee Airmen; and there is a mural honoring their proud heritage displayed at their base. This group is so important to our current activity in Iraq, this is the group at Blaad Air Force Base that transfers injured soldiers from the field in stable intensive care environments back to Ramstein, Germany, and then back to the United States. This outstanding group of men and women serving today have transferred over 19,000 patients with only one intertransfer death, truly an outstanding record.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for bringing this legislation before us today, and let me just say that I agree with the gentleman from New York (Mr. Towns), that we need to be sure that people are educated, tested, and treated because, certainly, no other area of AIDS treatment has seen the success of preventing the transmission of AIDS from a mother to a newborn if that mother is tested, identified, and treated during her pregnancy.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, as we approach the 96th Anniversary since the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) it gives me great honor to recognize the Denton County NAACP for their continued support of equality and justice in the 26th District of Texas. I also congratulate the Denton County NAACP on the election of their new officers: President, Catherine Bell; Vice President, Vanessa Sims; Secretary, Brenda Crawford; Treasurer, Carol Hinkle-Kuykendahl; Assistant Secretary, Cassandra Berry; and Assistant Treasurer, Tonya Demerson. It is the historic fight of the NAACP for civil, political and social equality which has significantly advanced the causes of democracy and freedom, and continues to improve the status of African Americans in the United States. Mr. Speaker, this week in Congress I have voted in favor of legislation honoring the Tuskegee Airmen and supporting the goals and ideals of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. I can think of no better time to pay tribute to the rich history of the NAACP and to congratulate the local chapter on the installment of their new officers.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the service of CPT Jim Horn, son of Denton County Judge Mary Horn. CPT Jim Horn was recently promoted following 6 months of training at the U.S. Army's Infantry Captain Career Course in Fort Benning, Georgia. Captain Horn's continued skill and leadership is evident in his service with the 3rd Infantry Division in Iraq and Kuwait for which he received two Bronze Stars. The resolute dedication of Captain Horn and his fellow service men and women to the people of the United States and Iraq exemplifies the need for democratic leadership throughout the world. It is the work of these fine soldiers that continues to lead us to success in our overseas endeavors. The distinguished service of Captain Horn has resulted in his appointment to the Battalion Adjutant for the 6th Ranger Training Battalion at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. It is my honor today to recognize the vital and resourceful leadership of Captain Horn and his commitment to Texas and the United States.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Majority Leader for yielding. Mr. Speaker, two Sunday mornings I was in Baghdad inside the Green Zone, an idyllic morning in the cradle of civilization, if you will. But we had a wide-ranging discussion with Prime Minister Allawi about what lay ahead for Iraq. The Prime Minister said that what matters most is the kind of Iraq that we have at the end of this process. His feeling was that Iraq had its roots in ancient civilization. He now relished the opportunity for Iraq to spread the cause of democracy and liberty to other areas of the Middle East, which will make the cost and the risk of liberating Iraq worthwhile. Terrorism will continue after the elections because there will always be those who resist stability, but it will become more and more difficult to unravel the community. The Prime Minister became fairly philosophical and said he had spent the best part of his life fighting for freedom for his country, and now that freedom lay at the doorstep. He would not allow those individuals, meaning the Sunnis, to distract the process. He stated that if they cannot participate now, there will be a space open for them to participate in the future. To quote the Prime Minister, ``We don't want the radical forces to win now, nor do we want the outside forces from Syria or Iran to take over. I am a practical person. The Sunnis are changing. The process is slow, but our only hope for everyone is to engage in the process and distance ourselves from the terrorists. February 1 begins the next chapter in our country's history.'' From the Prime Minister Dr. Allawi.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise today to recognize Ronnie Gage for his commitment to the people and City of Lewisville, Texas. Mr. Gage, Director of Athletics for Lewisville Independent School District, was recently selected as ``Citizen of the Year.'' The honor and dedication of Mr. Gage to his community should serve as an example to us all. His service extends from aiding and guiding students in their pursuit of higher education, to overseeing a ``Fill- the-Helmet'' fundraising drive for an injured player. Mr. Gage's efforts to promote Lewisville continue today as he serves as President of the Texas High School Coaches Association. His talents are now recognized around the state. Coach Gage chooses not only to involve himself in his community, but also to recruit others to be involved. His effort to help those who need it most grew out of his philanthropic life through organizations such as Christian Community Action and the YMCA. For thirteen wonderful years, Mr. Gage has honored the City of Lewisville with his care and devotion. He has touched the lives of so many, and we are truly thankful. It is the servant leadership of Mr. Gage, and those like him, which truly makes our Nation great. Once again, Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize Lewisville's ``Citizen of the Year'' Mr. Ronnie Gage.

Mr. BURGESS

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Glen Park Elementary, located in the 26th Congressional District of Texas, for its recognition as a 2003-2004 Blue Ribbon School. I congratulate Glen Park Elementary, under the leadership of Principal Dr. Cassandra Morris-Surles, for this outstanding achievement. Glen Park Elementary is only one, of fifteen, Texas schools, and 250 schools nationwide, honored as a ``No Child Left Behind'' Blue Ribbon School. No Child Left Behind is the landmark education reform law designed to change the culture of America's schools by closing the achievement gap, offering more flexibility, giving parents more options and teaching students based on what works. Foremost among the four key principles is an insistence on stronger accountability for results. As we work to improve our education system, it is important that we have accurate information about the performance of our schools and our ability to teach our students. With that information, we need to praise these schools, teachers and administrations which meet the high standards of ``No Child Left Behind.'' Glen Park Elementary is a stellar example for Texas school and is a strong example for all American schools. Glen Park has high scholastics marks and continues to be a premier school in our community. I am proud of the education system in Texas; especially our involved parents and teachers at Glen Park Elementary who commit their lives and time to fostering growth in their students. Congratulations to the student, parents, teachers and administration at Glen Park Elementary.