Michael Castle

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. I thank the distinguished gentleman from California for yielding. I do rise today in support of the ADA Amendments Act entitled H.R. 3195. Since 1990, the landmark civil rights legislation, the Americans With Disabilities Act--ADA as we know it--has provided numerous benefits. Over the last decade, however, people with serious health conditions, including diabetes, have faced serious difficulties meeting the definition of ``disability'' following the Supreme Court's decision that disability must be determined in light of the mitigating measures, like insulin, that a person uses. These decisions have created a situation where people with serious health conditions who use medications and other devices in order to work are not considered ``disabled enough'' to be protected by the ADA even when they are explicitly denied employment opportunities because of that health condition. Just briefly, I would like to mention Stephen Orr, a pharmacist from Rapid City, South Dakota, who was fired by his employer for taking lunch breaks to eat and manage his diabetes. After Stephen lost his job, he decided to file a claim under the ADA. The employer responded that Stephen did not have a disability because he was able to manage his diabetes with insulin and diet. The courts agreed. And this, I'm afraid, is only one example. H.R. 3195 will remedy this problem. Passage will secure the promise of the original ADA and make clear that Congress intended the ADA's coverage to be broad, to cover anyone who faces unfair discrimination because of a disability. At the same time, it strikes an appropriate balance between the needs of individuals with disabilities and those of employers. I am pleased that H.R. 3195 enjoys the backing of a broad coalition of supporters from both the employer and the disability communities. I am also proud it has bipartisan support here, and I thank and congratulate all those that had anything to do with putting this together. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the measure.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the legislation's amendment before us today. I never thought I would be involved in a love fest in a discussion for reauthorization of Amtrak. I would like to credit that to Chairman Oberstar and everybody on the committee who put this together. On Monday I submitted an important amendment to the Rules Committee which fortunately has been included as part of this manager's amendment. For anybody who has driven on I-95 recently, it is strikingly clear that highway congestion has become a critical problem threatening business productivity, increasing safety risk and hindering efforts to improve air quality. In fact a recent study found that road congestion in the top four metropolitan areas cost Americans 4.2 billion hours and 2.9 billion gallons of fuel sitting in traffic delays. Try multiplying that by $4. In contrast, passenger and commuter rail systems have proven to be the most efficient options for travelers in heavily congested areas of the country. Between Boston and Washington, ridership on Amtrak has surged 20 percent with nearly 2,000 trains operating along the corridor every day. Clearly the Northeast's entire transportation system would stagger to a halt if these trains ever stopped running. In fact, a few weeks ago, I was pleased to welcome Ranking Member Mica to my home station in Wilmington, Delaware, to discuss the importance of rail transportation in alleviating congestion in the Northeast. In this era of high gas prices, congested roadways and overcrowded airports, rail transportation has become imperative for many travelers. For this reason, I strongly support the provisions in the bill to begin developing a high-speed rail corridor between New York and Washington, D.C. My amendment to this bill will simply ensure that proposals to build a high-speed rail system in the Northeast allow for station stops at the corridor's busiest rail hubs. For example, last year nearly 1 million people boarded or exited a train in Wilmington, Delaware, which is centrally located on the corridor between New York's Penn Station and Union Station here in Washington. As a regular Amtrak commuter myself, I can attest to the fact that thousands of travelers rely on the Wilmington train station when it comes to visiting friends and relatives who are traveling for business, making it the fifth busiest station on the Northeast Corridor. Therefore my amendment makes clear that heavily utilized high-ridership stations like Wilmington should be included in any proposal for building a high-speed rail system in the Northeast. As co-chairman of the House Passenger Rail Caucus, I commend Chairman Oberstar, Congressman Mica, Congresswoman Brown, Congressman Shuster and everyone who has worked hard to expand transportation options and cut delays for travelers in this part of the country. Mr. Chairman, I thank the committee for including my amendment as part of the legislation before us today. I believe this bill is vital to exploring the untapped potential of passenger rail, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on these critical transportation issues.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to recognize the 2008 Graduating Class of the James H. Groves Adult High School. These students have worked diligently to complete their education and are an excellent example of perseverance and dedication to the State of Delaware. The James H. Groves Adult High School provides students who have officially withdrawn from high school the opportunity to earn a State of Delaware diploma and further their education. Additionally, the institution provides technical and workplace training to the citizens of Delaware. This institution carefully tailors their program to meet each individual's needs and help them receive their diploma in a timely and affordable manner. Graduates from James H. Groves Adult High School are provided with the foundational knowledge to achieve social, political, and economic independence so they may excel in a technological and global society. The class of 2008 is comprised of forty-five graduates, twenty-three male and twenty-one female students. Their ages range between eighteen and fifty-eight years of age. Some of these students have been working diligently to achieve their diploma since 1999. One exemplary student has had a perfect attendance record for the three years she attended the institution, earning 8.5 credits towards her diploma. These citizens have toiled industriously and thoroughly to complete their high school education. The highest commendations should be awarded to this 44th graduating class of James H. Groves Adult High School. I acknowledge the 2008 graduating class of James H. Groves Adult High School for their commitment to finishing their education and the exceptional example they provide to all citizens seeking to complete their high school education. The James H. Groves Adult High School is extremely proud of their graduates and I am confident they shall go on to perform outstanding in their fields and become a vital part of the workforce of Delaware.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman for yielding, and I do rise in opposition to the rule and the bill. I don't think in my entire time in Congress I have ever opposed anything that provides additional funding for education, but I think this bill has many underlying elements we have to pay some attention to. I don't disagree with virtually anything I've heard from the other side of the aisle in terms of what this might do. There is, as Mr. Miller indicated, a desperate need for rebonding and renovation. We do need good schools. I think it would help our children. I'm in full agreement with all of that. I'm also in full agreement with the gentlewoman from Ohio who said there's hundreds of billions of dollars of these kinds of renovations which are needed out there in the referenda for many of those things which are going on. The issue is what else is needed to be done in education and what can we afford to do at the public government level. If you look carefully at this bill and analyze the bottom-line expenditures, it's $6.4 billion for the first year of fiscal year 2009. It sets some thereafter for the basic renovations. There's $100 million for each of 5 years for emergency help in those States which were so devastated by storms which perhaps could be done separately, and I would have no problems with them, Louisiana, Mississippi, et cetera. The title III provision is the green provision which calls for a percentage of this money to be spent for green aspects of our schools, as we should be doing. This is something the Federal Government has not done heretofore. We have had certain responsibilities either assigned to us or done by statute in some way or another, and one of those is an amendment which I introduced saying that before we do this, we should fully fund the authorization of title I. It is very arguable that if we have good schools, our students will do better. I think it's even more arguable that if we have the necessary teachers and other personnel to make absolutely sure the kids are going to be well-educated, they will do even better than that. In title I last year, we appropriated $13.9 billion, but we have authorized $25 billion for title I. IDEA is not a part of this bill in particular, but again, we're not up to the statutory mandate of that which is up to 40 percent of contribution by the Federal Government; and if we were to add the $6.4 billion to that, we would get very close to that number which would be $17.3 billion. This is money that we should be spending, and we can't afford to for one reason or another. I've heard the old saw about spending on the war, or whatever it may be. But the bottom line is there's going to be so much spending on education and other resources this year, and my judgment is that we are really opening the door here. If we open this door at $6.4 billion without hundreds of billions of dollars that are needed, we're going to find that that's going to double almost overnight when they find out there is a Federal resource for it. The pressure in this place to take that up to $10 billion, $15, $20 billion a year is going to be overwhelming, and all of a sudden, the education programs which we have a responsibility to be funding, which was so important to the basic instruction of kids, will fall by the wayside. I would urge all of the Members oppose this rule.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. I thank the distinguished gentleman from California for yielding. Let me try to put this in perspective. We are talking about Federal dollars here. We have never at the Federal Government level funded school construction. Perhaps in emergency situations, but other than that, we have not. We do have certain responsibilities that we do need to fund, and one of those is clearly under the No Child Left Behind. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act is title I. The ranking member from California has already pointed this out. But the bottom line is that when you look at the funding which we have here, which fundamentally is $6.4 billion in title I. There's another $100 million in title II of this legislation. But if you take that $6.4 billion and you add it to title I, you get very close to that amount of money that we have already authorized in our committee under the jurisdiction of all of us involved with this committee. I think we clearly recognize the importance of title I. It brings in the teachers, it brings in the help. It brings in the people who are going to help our children in schools which are most in need of money. And we would get at least a lot closer to the $25 billion. Right now we only have $13.9 billion appropriated. And then you look at IDEA. Everybody here, Republicans and Democrats alike have fought hard in recent years to increase IDEA to help our children with disabilities, the Individual Disabilities Education Act, and with that extra $6.4 billion, as this chart shows, IDEA could be funded at $7.3 billion, getting very close to the 40 percent requirement in the statute with respect to where we should be with helping those children with disabilities. My concern is, where are we spending our Federal money? My other concern is, and I hope my friends in the Blue Dogs are listening to all of this, but my other concern is we are opening a door here. We are opening a door which is very large, and we're opening it somewhat wide. You haven't even begun to see where we're going to go. The $6.4 billion for fiscal year 2009 is followed by whatever sums thereafter, that's going to go up dramatically very, very quickly, in my judgment. And when all of the local entities realize that perhaps they can come to the Federal Government and get money, maybe they'll try to whittle down the title III of this so they don't have to worry about the green aspect of it quite as much, and they're going to go for more money. That's going to be the key to it and you're going to see huge increases. I think the 6.4 is merely a beginning. And all this is going to, in my judgment, take away from whatever money is needed for education. Yes, we can argue that the money could come from war or this or whatever it may be. It's not that simple. The bottom line is that people are going to look at education, and I'm afraid they're going to say, we're putting it in construction, therefore we can't put it in title I, we can't put it in IDEA, and I think that would be a mistake. I believe that this bill is well-intended, and I agree with everything that's being said on the other side about the good it can do as far as schools are concerned. But I have a strong disagreement with where the Federal Government should be in this. I think it should be a local and State issue in terms of construction, and we need to fund those things that we have agreed to fund. We need to fund title I. We need to fund IDEA. We do not need to open up a whole new source of funding that we simply cannot afford at this time. So I would encourage defeat of the legislation and, hopefully, we can make sure that we're funding programs we should be funding in education.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I submit the following: Name of Project: Physical Fitness Center. Requesting Member: Congressman Michael N. Castle. Bill Number: H.R. 5658. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Dover Air Force Base. Address of Requesting Entity: Dover, DE. Project Description: The existing fitness center at Dover AFB is not large enough to accommodate the needs of all personnel in sports, wellness, and fitness programs. A new facility is necessary to meet the Air Force's new requirements and emphasis on physical fitness, health, and wellness. The existing facility is insufficient to accommodate year-round use necessary for mission readiness. The new facility will provide for an additional gymnasium and fitness rooms, as well as incorporating a Health and Wellness Center. The project has been included in the President's FY09 Budget Request. Name of Project: Information Operations Communication Facility. Requesting Member: Congressman Michael N. Castle. Bill Number: H.R. 5658. Legal Name of Requesting Entity: Dover Air Force Base. Address of Requesting Entity: Dover, DE. Project Description: The current Delaware National Guard Information Operations Unit operates from a cramped, overloaded, inadequate facility. Because of the specialized nature of this new mission, there are no facilities on the New Castle Air National Guard base that can accommodate the unit. Without a new facility, the unit will not be capable of properly training or supporting active combat missions with respect to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. This project has been included in the President's FY09 Budget Request.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Chairman, this group of en bloc amendments includes an amendment I have offered. Although often overlooked, each military service offers active duty personnel and eligible members of the Guard and Reserve tuition assistance to take college courses during off-duty hours. For example, the Armed Forces Tuition Assistance Program offers active duty personnel up to $4,500 each year to take college courses. These important programs help active duty soldiers to plan ahead by getting an education and setting goals that match their career aspirations. However, with the demands of deployments and training, many active duty soldiers have difficulty finding time to use these education benefits and face obstacles in attending the institution of their choice. In response, Congressman Hinojosa and I have introduced this straightforward amendment which gives military installations the ability to enter into partnership with educational institutions for the purpose of making course schedules and curriculum more accessible and flexible for active duty troops. Such partnerships have proven effective in certain areas of the country, and our amendment makes clear the importance of working with local institutions to assist servicemembers in taking better advantage of their educational benefits. I thank the ranking member for yielding and I thank the chairman for their work on this legislation and their cooperation on this issue.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in reluctant opposition to H.R. 2419, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008. Although I support many of the provisions included in the legislation before us today, I continue to oppose elements of the commodity title, which fall short of adequate reform. I have long opposed policy inequities in farm law that have resulted in large subsidies going to a few, mostly larger entities, leaving many small and family farms behind, including those in the state of Delaware. Under this legislation, millionaires will still be able to collect subsidies, even with the implementation of a means test, and direct payments are only cut by a minimal amount at a time when farm income is expected to reach a record high. Instead, we should be working toward maintaining an adequate safety net for farmers when food prices drop. Addressing this issue would bring down the cost of the overall legislation. Conferees working on H.R. 2419 have used last year's baseline to score the bill, thereby avoiding pay-as-you-go-rules, in order to hide a $2.9 billion increase in the deficit. It is clear to me that these issues need to be addressed before moving forward with this legislation. With that said, I am pleased that H.R. 2419 would increase funding for many of Delaware's priorities, including an additional $7.9 billion for conservation programs. Specifically, I support funding for the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, which would be doubled above current levels to provide the necessary resources to prevent farmland from conversion into non-agricultural usage. Critical funding of $400 million would also be provided to aid producers in reducing run-off, improve water quality, and restore the wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay, a project that I strongly support. This farm bill would also make significant boosts to nutrition programs of $10.4 billion over current levels, including school nutrition programs, and expands the number of families eligible for food stamp assistance. This legislation provides increased assistance to food banks at a time when many Americans are struggling to pay their monthly bills. Funds would also be authorized to provide relief to those facing hunger around the world. Furthermore, investments in energy are also included in this conference agreement as the ethanol tax credit is reduced, and instead, the tax credit for cellulosic energy production is increased which may alleviate some of the pressure corn-based ethanol has placed on food prices. With initiatives like these, we are working toward real alternatives to fossil fuels and moving one step closer to decreasing our dependence on fossil fuels. While I do support many of the provisions in H.R. 2419 and feel that conferees have made significant strides toward a compromise farm agreement, the commodity title has been left without substantial reform, resulting in costs to the American taxpayer. I look forward to working with my colleagues to address these issues.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the three amendments before us today to H.R. 2642. Our troops have done incredible work in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it is critical that we provide them with the protective equipment, operating funds, and counterterrorism resources necessary to execute their missions. For this reason, I support the funding in this package for vital priorities like mine resistant ambush protected vehicles, IED jamming devices, military healthcare, traumatic brain injury research, and military family support programs. As a leader of the House Committee on Education, I have long advocated for a permanent expansion of GI Bill education benefits for veterans. For the first time, the funding in this package would reward those soldiers who stepped forward in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks by allowing them to receive expanded education benefits in proportion to their period of service. The men and women who serve in our Nation's armed forces deserve the opportunity to pursue an education and I believe this provision represents a significant step towards the realization of that goal. In addition to financial assistance, our government must help veterans cut through the red-tape surrounding GI bill benefits and I have introduced legislation to aid our soldiers in making this transition. There has to be an incentive for the Iraqi government to make political progress and it is critical that we begin shifting the day- to-day combat mission over to the Iraqi security forces. I continue to oppose proposals in Congress that would hamstring our troops by setting a hard deadline for troop withdrawal. Last September, General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker outlined a responsible plan for gradually redeploying our troops from Iraq and I believe this plan should move forward in a way that maintains security and stability in the Middle East. Therefore, I support provisions in this bill that would set a goal of redeploying a majority of our combat troops from Iraq by the end of 2009, while permitting forces to remain in the region to conduct counterterrorism operations and assist the Iraqi security forces. Clearly, our military and foreign policy leaders must retain the ability to react to conditions on the ground and I believe this provision allows them the appropriate flexibility in executing their mission without conditioning troop funding on arbitrary timelines or an immediate deadline for troop withdrawal. Additionally, I support language in the bill that would improve transparency and oversight of contractors to prevent waste and abuse in government spending. In the same way, I support sections of the bill that would require better accountability from the Iraqi government by providing an incentive for a greater Iraqi investment in the country's reconstruction. Embracing a comprehensive regional diplomatic initiative, ensuring American soldiers are properly trained and prepared for deployments, and prohibiting torture are also key provisions which I continue to support. Lastly, while I intend to vote in favor of this emergency spending package, I continue to have deep concerns about the manner in which it was brought forward. In my estimate, the leaders of the House have unfairly manipulated congressional rules in severely limiting debate on this measure and restricting input from both Republicans and Democrats. Rather than using this issue as a tool to score points politically, Members from both sides of the aisle should come together in support of a workable policy to bring our troops home. To date, over 4,000 American soldiers--including sixteen brave Delawareans--have lost their lives in Iraq. Close to 500 U.S. service members have also died in Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues to embrace the substantive areas of this bill where we can find agreement, and join me in committing to a bipartisan approach for achieving stability and bringing our troops home to their families.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fill Suspension and Consumer Protection Act, H.R. 6022, which suspends the acquisition of oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve for the rest of this year, unless the average price of oil over a 90-day period drops below $75 a barrel. Earlier the Senate adopted an identical amendment, by a vote of 97-1. As Memorial Day approaches and the summer driving season begins, there is little relief in sight for Americans from high prices at the pump, as gasoline prices quickly climb close to $4 a gallon and diesel fuel prices reach over $4 a gallon. Suspending acquisitions to the SPR, presently at 96 percent capacity, will free up 70,000 barrels of oil per day for supply and could reduce gasoline prices by 2-5 cents per gallon. Last month I was pleased to join Republican colleagues in calling on House leadership to temporarily suspend acquisitions to the SPR, and while such action will only free up a fraction of world oil supplies, I am pleased to lend my support to this first step in easing the financial pinch for families and truck drivers across the country. The laws of supply and demand are real and high gas prices are one aspect of the bigger picture, and the fact remains that oil dependence affects our economy, security, and environment. In my view technology will take us to the next level in clean and alternative transportation fuels, and this requires robust investments now. Congress should address the cost-crunch today and act to ensure we have a comprehensive, clean, and secure energy policy for tomorrow. In addition to the temporary suspension of acquisitions to the SPR, I believe we should also consider increasing refining capacity in the United States, without compromising environmental permitting, as well as ask transparency from oil producing countries to help verify available oil reserves and production capacity. Individual consumers too can take action by driving 55 miles per hour or less and proper tire inflation, which will slow gas consumption and save money. Looking forward, long-term extensions for renewable energy and energy efficiency tax credits are paramount; I have repeatedly supported efforts in the House to extend these important incentives and believe solutions to the present logjam over oil and gas subsidies are long overdue. I recently joined colleagues in the House as a supporter of the Clean Energy Tax Stimulus Act of 2008, which would provide for the limited continuation of clean energy production incentives and incentives to improve energy efficiency that would otherwise lapse under current tax law legislation. There will be ongoing discussions about energy policies in Congress, and proposals will range from domestic drilling to lowering demand. As demand for world oil continues to climb, supply concerns are real. I support looking for alternatives before drilling in some of our most sensitive coastal areas, however Congress did open an additional 8.3 million acres in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, ``Lease 181,'' to new oil and gas leases in December 2006, and I read with interest the oil discovery in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico that was just announced by Chevron. Last year, Congress worked in a bipartisan manner to reduce our demand for oil by increasing the fuel economy standards for cars and trucks. It is my great hope that members on both sides of the aisle will continue to work on policies to reduce consumption, encourage innovative technology development, and promote energy self-sufficiency. I am pleased to support this temporary suspension to the SPR and hope it begins a meaningful dialogue about energy policy in this country, which is so important not only for national security but also for tackling global warming.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) such time as he may consume.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield back the balance of our time and encourage everybody to support the resolution.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1173, recognizing AmeriCorps Week. Throughout the history of the United States, Americans have valued an ethic of service. As Alexis de Tocqueville wrote over a century and a half ago, this ethic of service ``prompts Americans to assist one another and inclines them willingly to sacrifice a portion of their time and property to the welfare of the State.'' AmeriCorps gives Americans an opportunity to make a difference in their own lives and in the lives of others by meeting critical needs in the community. In 1990, President George Herbert Walker Bush signed the National Service Act, a network of national service programs that engage Americans in intensive service to meet the Nation's vital needs in education, public safety, health, and the environment. In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the National and Community Service Trust Act which established the Corporation for National and Community Service and brought the full range of domestic community service programs under the umbrella of one central organization. In September of 1994, the first class of AmeriCorps members, 20,000 strong, began serving in more than 1,000 communities. Today, AmeriCorps offers 75,000 opportunities for adults of all ages and background to address a myriad of needs in communities all across America such as tutoring and mentoring disadvantaged youth, fighting illiteracy, improving health services, building affordable housing, and managing after-school programs, just to name a few. This year's theme for AmeriCorps Week is ``Getting Things Done.'' This organization is doing just that. Since its inception, 542,000 citizens have taken the AmeriCorps pledge and have served a total of more than 705 million hours in 4,100 nonprofits throughout the country. Last year, AmeriCorps members recruited and supervised more than 1.7 million community volunteers demonstrating AmeriCorps value as a volunteer channel. In return for their service, members have earned $1.4 billion to further their educational advancement in our Nation's colleges and universities and our communities. Volunteerism is a way for Americans to connect to their communities, learn more about the problems facing their communities, and to simply make a difference. This week, we salute current and former AmeriCorps members for their powerful impact, and we thank all community partners who make the AmeriCorps program possible and bring more Americans into service. I want to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues, Ms. Matsui, Mr. Shays, Mr. Platts, and Mr. Price for introducing this resolution and ask my colleagues to support the resolution. I reserve the balance of our time.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I also rise in strong support of the legislation. I think mental health is something that needs awareness in this country. What this resolution does in dedicating the month to it is very significant, and I would encourage support of all Members here. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I don't believe we have any other speakers at this time, so I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. I thank the distinguished chairwoman of the House Railroads Subcommittee for yielding me this time. We have heard many words of accolade for our railroads. I would like to second some of that. This marks the 139th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, indeed a very strong engineering feat in our country's history. Today, with gas prices soaring, which we have had a debate already on this floor, congestion building on our highways, and concern about greenhouse gases on the rise, we need to address this. The I-95 corridor is in difficult shape with respect to all of these issues. Highway congestion has become a critical problem, costing Americans 4.2 billion hours and 2.9 billion gallons of fuel, sitting in traffic delays. In contrast, passenger railroads are one of the cleanest forms of transportation. It emits only 0.2 percent of transportation industry's greenhouse gases. Between Boston and Washington, D.C., ridership on Amtrak has surged by 20 percent, representing enough new passengers to fill 2000 757 jetliners. As a co-chair of the House Passenger Rail Caucus, and as one who takes Amtrak on a regular basis, and I've seen the increase in the crowds on it and talked to many people on it, I realize that this truly the future, and something that Congress should be paying a lot of attention to in terms of supporting the need for future legislation in dealing with the issues of Amtrak and rail travel in our country. I thank Chairwoman Brown for her strong leadership, and encourage all the Members of the House to support this legislation. I'd just like to point out, as I often have in speaking about Amtrak, Mr. Speaker, we really need to look at our highways and our airports as well. This is one way of relieving a good number of those burdens. And hopefully we can pass this legislation and pay a lot more attention to what we're dealing with on rail travel in this country in the future.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank and congratulate the gentleman from Minnesota with respect to Winona State University's great year and great record over the last 3 years. By sort of coincidence, I happened to watch part of this game on television, I think the last half of the game, and they had a remarkable comeback as they beat the Augusta State University team. They are really a superb basketball team. I had the pleasure of playing a little bit of Division III basketball many years ago. And either basketball's improved tremendously in those intervening years, or Division II is a heck of a lot better than Division III. These guys could really play basketball, and they were extremely impressive in terms of what they did. I also congratulate the young men for their academic prowess. This is a college of some distinction. For that, they and all administrators deserve congratulations as well. We congratulate the head coach, Mike Leaf, who was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference coach of the year four times, and national coach of the year two times. This is a team which has won two national titles and three straight North Central Region titles from 2006, 2007 and 2008, and four straight regular season championships and three straight conference tournament championships. Not many teams at any level of sports can make claims such as that. The college, as the sponsor has indicated, is a significant institution in Minnesota, and does a wonderful job in its programs preparing young people for the rest of their lives. We congratulate the President, Judith Ramaley, and the Athletic Director, Larry Holstad, the head coach, as I've indicated, and all the friends and supporters of a fine university which had a tremendous year this year in basketball. But just recognizing the tremendous school which they are and for which they deserve great credit. I urge everybody to support the resolution, and I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield to the distinguished Congresswoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Bachmann) such time as she may consume. She is the sponsor of the resolution.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am also a strong believer in what we are doing here in honoring foster care with this month. This is an opportunity to give these children a sense of well-being, a home, a stability, nurturing adults. We've seen it work time and again, as the gentlewoman from Minnesota has explained. There are currently over 500,000 children in foster care in the United States, and the majority of these children have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect. So those who welcome these children in, give them that opportunity, deserve our plaudits in terms of what they've done to help in our society. Just over half of all foster children complete high school, 30 percent continue to rely on public assistance into adulthood, and 25 percent will experience homelessness at one point in their lives. So we're dealing with circumstances, in many instances, in which we have to try to intervene and to make a difference. We should pay tribute to the public child welfare agencies, the nonprofits and the private entities that provide these services for these children because, indeed, they are reaching out and making a difference in the lives of many of these individuals. The groups we honor today provide invaluable resources to foster families, teachers, counselors, physicians, clergy and others who work closely with the children in the foster care system. They sponsor research, develop best practices, and offer assistance to youth transitioning out of the system to ensure they receive adequate support as they reach adulthood. There are an estimated 12 million foster care alumni in the United States representing all walks of life. We pay tribute to those individuals in this resolution, and I would hope that all of our colleagues would be supportive of the resolution. I thank the gentlewoman for her sponsorship and all those who brought it to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 789, honoring public child welfare agencies, nonprofit organizations and private entities providing services for foster children. May is National Foster Care Month. We take this time to bring awareness to the many sides of foster care. Children are placed in foster care when their parents are no longer able to ensure their essential well being. These children need stable, loving care until they can either safely reunite with their families or cultivate other lasting relationships with nurturing adults. Foster care is essential to protecting abused and neglected children. There are currently over 500,000 children in foster care in the United States. The majority of these children have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect. During this month we recognize the unique challenges foster children experience based on the instability in their home and school environments. Just over half of all foster children complete high school, 30 percent continue to rely on public assistance into adulthood, and 25 percent will experience homelessness at one point in their lives. Today, we pay tribute to the public child welfare agencies, nonprofit organizations and private entities that provide services for foster children. These organizations work tirelessly to improve the lives of foster children by considering the best interest of each child, focusing on keeping families together when possible, and recruiting loving foster families. The groups we honor today provide invaluable resources to foster families, teachers, counselors, physicians, clergy, and others who work closely with children in the foster care system. They sponsor research, develop best practices, and offer assistance to youth transitioning out of the system to ensure they receive adequate support as they reach adulthood. There are an estimated 12 million foster care alumni in the United States representing all walks of life. Today, we honor the contributions of public child welfare agencies, nonprofit organizations and private entities dedicated to finding homes for foster children and assisting foster families in securing the future success of their foster children. These groups are committed to raising awareness related to the special needs of foster children. That is why I stand in support of this resolution and I ask for my colleagues' support. I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this is simple legislation, as Mr. Gutierrez has said, that directs the creation of an investment-grade coin of palladium made available to those who seek to invest in precious metals as a hedge against inflation. I'm happy to be a sponsor of this bill, along with Mr. Gutierrez, the chairman of the Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology Subcommittee that I once chaired. With the spike in value of precious metals, investors who recently may have bought gold to put in IRAs have nothing in the standard 1- ounce size investor coin between $18 or so and about $1,000, with gold having jumped in the last couple of years from maybe $400 an ounce to more than $900. Palladium, known as the fourth precious metal and approved as an investment vehicle by Congress a decade ago, along with gold, silver and platinum, would fill that gap. Yesterday it was trading at about $422 an ounce. Palladium is also mined in quantity in the United States. I'm told that more than 400 people work in the Palladium mine in Montana. Mr. Speaker, investors do want a choice in their precious metals. And while gold may always be king, if the Mint is going to have a bullion program, it needs to present alternatives. Unfortunately, for many investors, platinum, once valued at nearly the same as palladium, has leapt to nearly $2,000 an ounce, and once-healthy sales of platinum bullion coins shrank to a mere 9,000 ounces last year. Creating a palladium bullion coin will offer investors another option. Additionally, Mr. Speaker, this legislation calls for a limited number of the palladium coins to be made with the exact design as the famous gold 1907 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Ultra-High Relief coin, of which only about a dozen were made because of technical limitations at the time. I understand Mint Director Moy plans to make gold replicas of that coin, and if so, this bill provides that a limited number be sold in a special presentation case with numismatic versions of the palladium coin. Mr. Speaker, I want to call Members' attention to a report required at the end of the bill. For some time now we've been hearing of the import and sale into the United States of high-quality fakes of both collectible and investor coins, and more recently of counterfeiting of the special containers that certify a coin's quality as set by an independent grading firm. Mr. Speaker, counterfeiting must be stopped, whether it's of U.S. $100 bills, ancient Greek coins, or high-quality fashion ware. The report required in this bill will, I hope, focus the various parts of the government with jurisdiction over this crime so we can determine the scope and source of the problem and begin taking appropriate action to stop it. I urge quick passage of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I ask support of the legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I have been deeply involved in working to expand the Federal policy on stem cell research over the last several years with my friend Diana DeGette, and I am encouraged to see the House Energy and Commerce Committee hold its first hearing on the subject of stem cell policy and the foundation for future cures. I look forward to hearing from the expert witnesses testifying today, everyone from Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Director of the National Institutes of Health, leading scientists, Dr. George Daley of Children's Hospital Boston, and Dr. John Gearhart of Johns Hopkins University, and Weyman Johnson, Jr. who chairs the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, about the ever important field of regenerative medicine. There have been a couple of very exciting developments in the field recently, underscoring the critical role of the United States' scientific community and the need for even more coordinated Federal research. Announcements from scientists about removing single cells from embryos to develop embryonic stem cell lines, and using human skin cells in ways that offer similar promise as embryonic stem cells, underscores the importance of pursuing all avenues of science that could advance human health. The recent discoveries are significant, but we must remember that important scientific advances do not always translate to medical advances. It is for this reason that I believe, and scientists agree, it would be irresponsible to abandon embryonic stem cell research, which continues to show the most immediate promise. My passion for advancing and expanding research on stem cells comes from years of meeting with those who are suffering from diabetes, Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, Parkinson's and their loved ones-- and from the many scientists I have had met over the years who have hailed the promise of the pluripotency, that is the ability to become any cell in the body, of embryonic stem cells, and the breakthrough of induced pluripotent stem cells, iPS, which are believed to have the same qualities. There is no greater promise for better treatments and potential cures than there is with a strong Federal investment in ethical forms of medical research of all kinds. American scientists should be leading the world. iPS is a major scientific breakthrough, however many have said the viruses and genes used in the process to create the embryonic-like state of the human skin cells can cause cancer. If the cancer factor cannot be eliminated, and only further research will tell, iPS cells may be better suited for learning more about cancer, for example, or for improving pharmaceutical drugs. So, if it is the case that iPS cells might prove better for some uses and embryonic stem cells better for others, how could we abandon one for the other? It is apparent that with the availability of new stem cell lines, the ability of medical researchers to alleviate the suffering of millions will be bolstered. The United States should support comprehensive stem cell research of all kinds, instead of tying the hands of researchers and asking patients with some of the most debilitating diseases to wait even longer. Federal policy must be updated to reflect science advancements. Moving forward, I believe we need to look for ways to strengthen the ethical framework which guides all forms of regenerative medicine. Policies should be in place to allow scientists to pursue fundamental science inquires. It will also be essential that Congress work with the National Institutes of Health to ensure that any change in policy can be implemented with ease. When Congress votes to expand the Federal policy or when the next Administration changes the policy, which I am confident will happen, we must have the capacity to move forward quickly to expand the Stem Cell Registry to include the many lines derived post August 9, 2001, and to supply new Federal grants. We simply must pursue all avenues of science that show promise for advancing human health--and the role of the Federal Government in carrying this out is paramount. For more than a century, the National Institutes of Health has promoted cooperation among the scientists who receive Federal research dollars, and has made knowledge sharing a priority. While state-funded stem cell initiatives are important, without the support of Federal Government there remains a void. In just 10 short years since Dr. James Thompson announced the first embryonic stem cell line, we have made great strides. Without the Federal funding restriction, who knows where we would be today. Nearly three-quarters of Americans from all walks of life support embryonic stem cell research, as does the majority in Congress who support expanding the Federal stem cell policy to allow for funding and oversight of embryonic stem cell research and who voted for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, which with great disappointment was vetoed twice by President Bush. I cannot stress enough the promise of stem cell research of all kinds for alleviating the suffering of the 100 million American patients and so many more around the globe who are living with devastating diseases for which there are no good treatments and for which there is no cure. As Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Director of the National Institutes of Health, stated in Senate testimony in March 2007: ``It is clear today that American science will be better served and the nation would be better served if we let our scientists have access to more cell lines.'' We must work to remove the barriers to Federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to recognize the Dover Air Force Base upon receiving the prestigious 2008 Commander-in-Chief's Award for Installation Excellence. This is the first time in the 23-year history of the award that an Air Mobility Command installation has been recognized as the best in the Air Force. The Commander-in-Chief's Annual Award for Installation Excellence honors the efforts of those who operate and maintain U.S. military bases. The Dover Air Force Base was one of only five recipients of this award, given for their outstanding support of Department of Defense missions through exceptional practices, which enhance the quality of life for members of our military and allow for better mission performance. The Dover Air Force Base competed against 117 wings throughout the entire Air Force to win the award and $1 million to be used to further enhance the quality of life for base residents. Team Dover was distinguished for its many efforts to increase efficiency, including the opening of a technologically advanced Air Freight Terminal and its use of Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century. In addition, the base was named the Air Force's Outstanding Housing Installation Team for a Privatized Location. The award money will be used to continue to keep Dover Air Force Base top among the nation's air bases in terms of quality of life for its residents. Selected projects include making needed upgrades to the base's movie theater, repairing the running track and football field, constructing a jogging and walking path, and putting in a new wireless audio system in the Fitness Center. Part of the funds will also go toward installing flush-mounted lights along three crosswalks to better alert drivers to pedestrians on the street. The goal of these projects is to keep the fitness and safety of our soldiers and their families at the top of Team Dover's list of priorities. I congratulate the military and civilian employees at the Dover Air Force Base for the momentous achievement of receiving the Commander-in- Chief's Award for Installation Excellence. It is a compelling testament to the excellence with which each and every duty is performed by the men and women of Team Dover. The superiority of their work is vital to the critical task of maintaining our military's prominence in the world.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 4 minutes. Madam Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 5937, a bill to preserve the affordability of the Starrett City development, the largest federally subsidized housing project in the country. This bill is a bipartisan effort with our colleagues from the New York delegation in the House, as well as Senator Schumer, to maintain affordable housing in one of the most unaffordable cities, New York City. The current owners of Starrett City intend to sell the project. This legislation will ensure that Starrett City remains an affordable housing resource for Brooklyn residents when the sale is completed. H.R. 5937 allows HUD, per the request of the project's private owners, to convert the project's section 8 and rental assistance payments contract into project-based section 8 contracts. All existing tenants receiving housing assistance under the existing contracts will remain eligible for assistance under the new project-based section 8 contracts. If this bill is enacted, 5,881 affordable housing units will be preserved for 14,000 residents. This bill will not result in any additional cost to the Federal Government. In fact, by preserving existing housing, this bill could result in cost savings. The owners of Starrett City are in favor of this legislation, in addition to the State of New York and the residents of Starrett City. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this important piece of legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, at this time I yield back the balance of my time and urge support from all Members for this legislation.