Barbara Cubin

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise with sadness today to note the passing of one of Wyoming's most prominent and able public servants-- former Congressman Teno Roncalio. Congressman Roncalio died on March 30 at the age of 87. He will be forever remembered for a body of legislative accomplishments that truly benefitted the state he loved so well. Known to all in Wyoming as simply Teno, the Congressman was born in 1916 in Rock Springs, WY, the eighth of nine children of an immigrant Italian family. He attended the University of Wyoming, graduated in 1939, and then went to Washington to work for Wyoming Senator Joe Mahoney. He enrolled in Catholic University Law School, only to have his studies interrupted by World War II. He served with distinction in the 18th infantry, and saw combat in seven campaigns including Africa, Italy, France and Germany. He earned a Silver Star for gallantry during the D-Day Invasion at Normandy. After World War II, he returned to his beloved state and earned a law degree at the University of Wyoming. After practicing law and serving a stint as a deputy county attorney, he was elected to Congress first in 1964 and then, after losing a Senate race, won our House seat again in 1970. He served another four terms with distinction, retiring in 1978. During his time in Congress, Teno worked diligently on critically important issues to Wyoming. He helped boost Wyoming's share of mineral royalties, a driving force in our state's economy to this day. He wrote legislation to create a number of recreational areas in the state, including Flaming Gorge, Big Horn Canyon and Fossil Butte. After he left Congress, he continued to serve Wyoming, acting as Special Master in the adjudication of water rights on the Big-Horn-Big Wind River. His commitment to environmental concerns and preserving the beauty and history of Wyoming constitute a lasting contribution to the state. Only last year, the Wyoming congressional delegation was successful in securing approval of legislation to name the United States Post Office in Rock Springs in Teno's honor. It was a privilege to have a part in recognizing a man with such a distinguished career of devoted public service to our state. My thoughts and prayers are with Teno's family. He was a man of great heart and compassion who will truly be missed. Though he is gone, his legacy in Wyoming will live forever.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 762, the Reasonable Right-of-Way Fees Act of 2003, which I introduced February 13, 2003. This bill will help to facilitate the deployment of critical infrastructure to States that are made up largely of Federal lands, such as Wyoming and almost every western State. While exploring ways to bring advanced telecommunications services and pipeline infrastructure to Wyoming, I found that Federal land management agencies were considering ways which would actually discourage deployment of critical infrastructure. The Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service had started down a road to abandon a commonsense right-of-way fee schedule that had been in place for many years by charging a per- line fee for fiberoptic deployment instead of a fee based on linear footage of the pipe. In other words, when fiberoptics were being deployed to rural areas, the agencies wanted to charge a right-of-way fee for every single line that went down the pipe which would obviously make it financially impossible to deploy fiberoptics to rural areas. My bill ensures that rights-of-way fees are reasonable and that private users of public lands pay a fair price for that privilege. This bill creates a policy that protects the value of our Federal lands and at the same time helps to ensure that these Federal lands continue to be available to a multitude of compatible uses. This bill will not increase the environmental impact of the rights-of-way corridors, nor will it reduce any environmental monitoring. I am confident as we work to place the Reasonable Right-of-Way Fee Act into law that there is little public interest in turning our Federal lands into roadblocks on the information superhighway or along the path of any of our Nation's critical infrastructures.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, our Tax Code is unfairly penalizing livestock producers during the present drought that is affecting a large area of this great country. Under current law, ranchers who were forced to sell their cattle because of the drought are limited to a time period of just 2 years before they either have to pay taxes on that sale--or buy new livestock--even though the drought persists. The problem is, we are now in the third year of this drought, and there's no end in sight--experts have called this the worst drought in a century in many parts of the West, including my home, Wyoming. In fact, it is so bad out West that we had a city in Wyoming actually run out of water last summer. If the cities are out of water, imagine how hard it is for ranchers to raise their livestock on drought-ravaged land. A good first step to help drought-stricken ranchers is to extend the period of time we allow for them to weather the drought. That's why I support the McInnis amendment in H.R. 1308, the Tax Relief, Simplification, and Equity Act of 2003, which would allow ranchers an additional 2 years to either replace their herd or pay a capital gains tax. The impact on the Treasury would be small, but the impact on Wyoming ranchers is huge. It is the difference between sinking and swimming. The 2-year limit in current law is unworkable in our present situation and serves as a disincentive to those who raise this valuable commodity that feeds millions of people. A poorly designed Tax Code should not force these small business men and women to choose between closing their doors or paying their tax bill. Mr. Speaker, these are desperate times for our agricultural community, and they demand our attention. This change can provide hope to those who are on the verge of closing the barn doors for good. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, in April 1997, John Hirth of Buffalo, Wyoming, and his co-pilot lost their lives when their air tanker crashed near Blandburg, Pennsylvania. They were on a firefighting mission for a government agency, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry. At the time, John was making an aerial scouting of the fire, referred to as a dry run. Fire conditions were gusty, and turbulent wind patterns resulted from the fire itself. Immediately after dropping the fire retardant, their tanker encountered smoke which affected visibility. Just as the air tanker flew out of the smoke, its right wing hit an oak tree which stood above the tree line. The aircraft rolled 90 degrees left and flew into the mountainside a quarter mile from the initial tree strike, exploding on impact and instantly killing John and his co-pilot. In the mid-1990s, John tried to obtain life insurance through various agencies. He was turned down due to his occupation as an aerial firefighter. At the time of his death, the business still had to meet payments on the 1997 fire contract operation (which included liability insurance, contract-paid pilots, fuel, oil, parts, etc.), as well as on a second tanker and one sprayer aircraft. The financial loss from this crash was so devastating that his wife, Connie, did not have the money to pay for her husband's funeral. While this is heartbreaking to us, it is a very stark reality that many families face when aerial firefighters are lost in the line of duty. There were seven fatalities last year alone involving air tankers and fire suppression helicopters. The fact is that the vast majority of those pilots lost were serving under a government contract at the time. They were providing aerial fire suppression services for the government when they lost their lives. My reason for being here today is to correct a provision in law that is blatantly unfair. I am introducing legislation that will provide some financial security to aerial firefighters and their families. This legislation recognizes all pilots and crew involved in aerial fire suppression as public safety officers. In doing so, the bill makes these deserving individuals eligible for death benefits under the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program, also known as PSOB. Under current law, aerial firefighters who are under contract with the government are not afforded these benefits simply because they work for private companies that contract with the government. However, without these contract pilots and crew, the federal government would not have the capabilities to deal with wild land fires. This legislation is a matter of common sense. Aerial firefighters are public safety officers in every sense of the word. With dedication and enthusiasm, they protect our natural resources, our communities, and often our very lives. Every day, when our men and women in the Armed Forces go out to do their job, they say to us, ``I am willing to risk my life for you today.'' Our local police officers say it as well and, yes my friends, so too do aerial firefighters. John Hirth was the primary wage earner in his air tanker business and his family. If PSOB had been available to them at the time of John's death, the financial hardships endured by his wife could have been minimized. It is time we start giving back to aerial firefighters because, if we don't, we will be losing a valuable resource. With no aerial firefighters to protect our natural resources, where will we turn? I don't think any of us want to face that question, so let's make sure we don't. Please support this legislation. It is the right thing to do.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor a true pioneer in the fight for women's rights; a woman who 183 years ago this month set out on a life and career that would earn her a place in history--Susan B. Anthony. She is perhaps best remembered for her struggle to obtain equal rights for all, regardless of age, race, or gender. To her, life was about the dignity of all people--from the most oppressed of women to the most innocent and defenseless of all, the unborn. As a pro-life woman, I can very much identify with her deeply held belief in the rights of the unborn. I personally believe that life begins at conception. That means that I want to protect and nurture human life in every stage of development. Partial birth abortion is not an option. It is a death sentence. It is my hope that this Congress will pass, and the President will sign, a measure outlawing this repulsive procedure. Susan B. Anthony was truly a compassionate sole and a protector of women and children. I feel it very appropriate to recognize her on this anniversary of her birth.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, as I have traveled through Wyoming, my fellow citizens have made their feelings very clear on the threat posed by Saddam Hussein, the threat posed by his weapons of mass destruction and the threat posed by his support of terrorism. They support the President's actions to ensure that Saddam Hussein's arsenal of chemical and biological weapons is totally dismantled, his ties to terrorist organizations are severed and the people of Iraq are given a chance to emerge from Saddam's oppressive shadow. The people of Wyoming hope and pray for peace, but they will not accept peace at the price of fear. Wyoming has a proud history of defending our Nation, from the Peacekeeper and the Minuteman missile silos based in our State that helped win the Cold War, to our many sons and daughters who made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of liberty. One of the first casualties in our war on terror was a young man from Cheyenne, Wyoming. His name was John Edmunds. Should we let this threat build and tell John Edmunds' widow and his parents, Donn and Mary, that his death was in vain, that it did not mean anything? How would we explain that we lacked the will to finish what we started? By explaining that the U.N. was not ready? Saddam Hussein has long been an enemy of humanity and freedom. He has murdered his own people with poison gas. He has attempted to assassinate an American president. He heaps praise on homicide bombers and rewards their families. Right now, as we debate in this Chamber, agents work to provide him with nuclear weapons. Should we wait a little longer to see if he gets it right this time? I understand that some in Congress are concerned about international support of his actions. But our first obligation is not to European governments like Paris or Berlin. It is to the safety and the security of the people of the United States of America. In an ideal world, we would not have to go it alone, and I believe we will not have to go it alone. But thanks to the likes of Saddam Hussein, this is not an ideal world. Saddam has made it clear to the world where he stands. Now Congress must let the world know where we stand, against him and with our President. Mr. Speaker, I end with a final question: Ask yourselves, why does Saddam Hussein seek an atom bomb? The people of Wyoming know. I know. I believe we all know.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise very reluctantly today to oppose this bill. First of all, this is occurring in my State. We tried to get through to the chairman's staff, to his chief of staff, all day today. We could not find out that this Martin's Cove bill was on the Senate bill, S. 434, until late this afternoon, at which time we had to call the Democrat side to find out that it was hooked on to this bill. I have agreed that I would work with the chairman on finding a way to get a vote on this bill in the Senate because it did pass the House. However, Mr. Speaker, we all know the backlog of House bills, over 60, that are sitting at the floor of the Senate, and for us to attach a piece of legislation in a Member's district without the Member having any knowledge whatsoever of this until late this afternoon on a Tom Daschle bill, Mr. Speaker, this is just wrong. There has to be another way for the chairman to deal with the Martin's Cove bill. I am willing to work with him, but I have to speak against this right now because we were totally left out of the loop. I believe that the chairman's chief of staff deliberately would not call us back and let us know. He e-mailed us finally late in the afternoon after many attempts to find out. We certainly thank the gentleman from West Virginia and his staff for letting us know what happened, or what was going to happen before this came up. At any rate, Mr. Speaker, I am opposed for that reason. I think we need to look at these things separately. I will be calling for a vote, and very regretfully so.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding time to me. Madam Speaker, the vast majority of physicians across this country are highly qualified medical doctors who look out for the best interests of their doctors. My husband has been in the practice of medicine in a sole practice for over 30 years. My son now is in his second year of medical school, and I know this insurance problem intimately. The very principle that governs the medical profession is the concept of ``do no harm.'' So what does it say about our society when one of the greatest preoccupations for physicians these days is fear of being sued? In fact, a survey conducted by the organization known as Common Good found that 87 percent of physicians now fear potential medical malpractice lawsuits more than they did when they started their careers, 87 percent. Health care costs are drastically inflated when doctors order tests that they feel are truly not medically necessary, but they have to order those tests in case a lawsuit should be brought against them. What they want is to do the right thing by their patient healthwise and pocketbook-wise. We are not talking about limiting economic damages, we are talking about limiting punitive damages. The median medical liability award jumped 43 percent in 1 year, from $700,000 in 1999 to $1 million in the year 2000. This is having a critical effect on health care in many States, many of the lower-populated States, such as Nevada, Oregon, and my home State of Wyoming. Wyoming goes far beyond what is traditionally known as a rural State. The vast majority of Wyoming has the designation of ``frontier,'' which means there are fewer than 6 people per square mile. Wyoming's population is sparse, with roughly 490,000 spread out over 100,000 square miles. Providers are few and far between, and health care facilities are very limited. Madam Speaker, what it means when excessive malpractice litigation takes hold is professional liability insurance skyrockets and physicians scramble for coverage. There are only two companies in the State of Wyoming that provide coverage. What happens is the doctors close their doors and have to go to other places to find a job. This is a travesty of twofold dimensions: Wyoming loses a good physician; but even worse, patients in frontier Wyoming lose access to vital primary care. That is unacceptable to me. I urge everyone to support this rule and support this legislation for physicians and patients alike.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, the Grand Teton National Park Land Exchange Act was introduced by Senator Thomas and cosponsored by Senator Enzi, and is supported by all five of the Wyoming State elected officials, along with the National Park Service and the local communities. The measure passed the Senate on October 17, 2001, by unanimous consent. This bill presents a very unique opportunity regarding Federal land management in our national parks that will greatly benefit the American people, as well as Wyoming school children. Grand Teton National Park was established in Congress on February 29, 1929, to protect the natural resources of the Teton range and the Jackson Hole area's unique beauty. On March 15, 1943, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt established the Jackson Hole National Monument, which is adjacent to the Grand Teton National Park. The Grand Teton National Park was expanded to its present size by Congress on September 14, 1950, to include a portion of the land from Jackson Hole National Monument, which is probably a little more than Members wanted to know. Now comes the important part. The park currently encompasses about 310,000 acres of wilderness and some of the most amazing mountains anywhere in our country. However, when Wyoming received its statehood in 1890, sections of land were set aside for school revenue purposes. All income from the State lands, rents and grazing fees, sales or other sources, is placed in a special trust fund for the benefit of the public schools in Wyoming. The establishment of these sections predates the creation of most national parks in the United States. Currently, over 1,406 acres of State surface and mineral lands are held by the State of Wyoming in isolated plots within Grand Teton National Park itself. This legislation would allow the State of Wyoming to trade or sell these precious State lands locked up inside the park for other Federal lands, minerals or appropriated dollars to address public school funding needs. Further, the American public can then consolidate under the National Park Service all of the lands within the Grand Teton National Park's borders and protect them from development pressures. There are still some inholdings in Grand Teton National Park that are privately owned, and I think we can all agree we need to buy those or get easements on those privately held lands that are within the park, too, to prevent development. Mr. Speaker, this is a win/win situation for all of the groups involved. Basically, S. 1105 identifies approximately 1,406 acres of state lands and mineral interests within the park and makes them eligible for exchange for other Federal assets such as mineral royalties, appropriated dollars, or Federal lands set aside for disposal under FLPMA. It can even be a combination of all three of these elements. Within 90 days after this bill is signed, the land would be valued through an agreement by the Wyoming Governor and the Secretary of Interior. If there is no agreement, then an appraisal process would start so that the value of the minerals or the lands in question would be assured fairness in all cases. There would also be an appeals process on the value to ensure fairness if any of the parties feel that it is not the right price. Within 100 days after the land value is determined, the Secretary of Interior, in consultation with the Governor, will exchange the Federal assets of equal value for the State lands. Mr. Speaker, I respectfully request that the House of Representatives act favorably upon the Grand Teton National Park Land Exchange Act. I think this body has an incredible opportunity to allow the consolidation within Grand Teton National Park borders, and to allow the State of Wyoming to capture fair market value for their property to benefit their schools.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mrs. CUBIN. I would just like to make the offer, Mr. Chairman, in exchange for the Martin's Cove issue that was quite controversial in my State, we are building a new maximum security prison. If the gentleman from West Virginia wanted to amend his amendment, we would probably be happy to name our new maximum security prison after him.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I have listened to the entire debate today and I cannot help but think of a television program I was watching about crime the other day about pickpockets and purse snatchers. There are groups of people that create a diversion so that someone else can go up and commit the evil deed, but the diversion takes place, and this debate today reminds me of that. Being accused of trying to eliminate a brutal, violent, inhumane act for political purposes for, or questions of constitutionality simply reminds me of pickpockets because the diversion just does not cut it. According to Ron Fitzsimmons, executive director of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers, and some other medical sources, it appears that partial birth abortions are performed 3,000 to 5,000 times annually. Even those numbers could be low. Based on published interviews with numerous abortionists and interviews with Mr. Fitzsimmons in 1997, the ``vast majority'' of partial birth abortions are performed in the fifth and sixth months of pregnancy on healthy babies of healthy mothers. We have already heard that the statement from former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop that ``partial birth abortion is never medically necessary to protect a mother's health or her future fertility. On the contrary, this procedure can pose a significant threat to both.'' Dr. James McMahon, who is considered to be the developer of this method, explicitly acknowledged that he performed such abortions on babies with no flaw whatsoever, even in the third trimester for reasons such as the mere youth of the mother or psychiatric difficulties. These abortions do occur. It is arrogant of anyone to regard human life as flawed, and we need to support this bill and stop this violent process.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3401) to provide for the conveyance of Forest Service facilities and lands comprising the Five Mile Regional Learning Center in the State of California to the Clovis Unified School District, to authorize a new special use permit regarding the continued use of unconveyed lands comprising the Center, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mrs. CUBIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, having no other requests for time, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to be working with the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega). H.R. 3401, introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Radanovich), my colleague and chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands, provides for the conveyance of Forest Service facilities and lands comprising the Five Mile Regional Learning Center in the State of California to the Clovis Unified School District. The bill authorizes also a new special use permit for the continued use of unconveyed lands used by the center. The regional learning center is an outdoor education center that serves several thousand elementary school students throughout the State of California, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3258) to amend the Federal Lands Policy and Management Act of 1976 to clarify the method by which the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture determine the fair market value of rights-of-way granted, issued, or renewed under such act to prevent unreasonable increases in certain costs in connection with the deployment of communications and other critical infrastructure, as amended.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I know many of my colleagues, especially from the West, are strong advocates of fair and reasonable Federal land rights-of-way fees. This Nation's system of roadways and railways was born of effective partnerships in planning and construction between the Federal Government and private industry. Today, we face the challenge of expanding the next generation of technology and energy infrastructures to the underserved areas of the country and bringing commercial benefits to citizens set apart by geographic, economic and digital divides. I serve as a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. As such, I have been exploring ways to facilitate the expansion of telecommunications infrastructure in my home State of Wyoming. In doing so, I became aware of a significant Federal obstacle to infrastructure development nationwide. Recent applications of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, which I will call FLPMA, have resulted in exorbitant increases in fees to cross Federal lands. Telecommunications providers, particularly those building the next generation of fiber optic broadband infrastructure, have been specifically targeted for these fee increases, while other infrastructure providers have been put on notice of changes to come. FLPMA requires that private users of public lands pay a fair price for that privilege, a policy that protects the value of our Federal lands, helps ensure that those resources continue to be available to and accommodating of a number of a multitude of compatible uses. Recent interpretations of FLPMA, however, have motivated policies which reach way beyond the value of Federal lands, attempting to associate the right of way to cross Federal lands with the revenues generated by the use of telecommunications technologies. In the exercising of our public trust, the Federal Government protects and preserves the public interest in our Federal lands. I am confident, however, that there is little public interest in turning our Federal lands into toll booths or roadblocks on the information superhighway or along the path of any of our Nation's critical infrastructures. In 1999 and 2000, revisions to the right-of-way rental fee schedules by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service led to some fiber optic telecommunications companies receiving fee increases of 100 to 150 times their previous annual bills. Congress put a temporary halt to these interim revisions to existing right-of-way regulations in the fiscal year 2001 appropriations bill. As the agent situation proceedings toward the rulemaking process required to change existing right-of-way fees, it is important that their responsibilities regarding the determination and collection of right-of-way fees be clear and that we avoid a reiteration of the previous misguided proposals. A permanent solution must be found. H.R. 3258, the Reasonable Right- of-Way Fees Act, is that solution. H.R. 3258 clarifies the responsibilities we have to protect the value of Federal lands, explicitly limiting fees we charge for rights-of-way to the value of those lands. As a representative of the most rural State in the country, I recognize the tremendous value the vast open spaces of our rural West has, including the lands managed by the Federal Government. These lands should not become an obstacle to infrastructure development. Charging fair market value for the use of Federal lands does not mean a share in the revenues associated with the facilities crossing Federal lands. H.R. 3258 was introduced to help guarantee that Federal lands will continue to be protected as valuable national resources and ensures that these lands will not present unnecessary obstacles to infrastructure deployment and improvement. During the Committee on Resources's legislative hearing on H.R. 3258, the BLM witness testified that the methodology laid out in the bill may be too prescriptive and would mandate the BLM and other agencies do more than one appraisal when determining the rental fee right-of-way for an individual. During the Committee on Resources' consideration of H.R. 3258, I offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute that simply codified the existing BLM regulations. These regulations, which were promulgated in 1987, lay out a formula for the right-of-way fee schedule based solely on the value of the land. This methodology will prevent the spikes and fluctuations many telecommunications and pipeline companies found when the BLM and Forest Service valued the right-of-way by the revenue generated by the products that crossed Federal lands. The substitute that was accepted by the committee will ensure a fair return to the Federal Government by directing the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to annually assess the changes in the land values and predicate the fee schedule formula on those land value increases. We all know that land values typically will increase over time. They do not, however, increase by uncontrollable increments like a throughput valuation that had been used does. H.R. 3258 is endorsed by, among others, the TelROW Coalition, which represents the interests of telecommunications companies providing services throughout the country. I want to thank the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture for their help in providing guidance on this complicated issue and for their instruction memorandum issued to field officials ensuring that the right-of-way rental fees will be based solely on land values. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the House's swift passage of this bill and prompt consideration by the Senate. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CUBIN

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3917) to authorize a national memorial to commemorate the passengers and crew of Flight 93 who, on September 11, 2001, courageously gave their lives thereby thwarting a planned attack on our Nation's Capital, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is truly an honor for me to manage this bill introduced by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha). He certainly is a statesman in this body, and it is an honor for me to be able to work with him on this issue. H.R. 3917 would establish a national memorial in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, at the site where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed on September 11. The legislation would designate the memorial as a unit of the National Park System, while also establishing a 15-member advisory commission comprised of various stakeholders, including the family members of victims, rescue workers, landowners, locally elected officials, and other important stakeholders to advise the Secretary of the Interior regarding the design, construction, and long-term management of the memorial. The commission would then dissolve upon the dedication of the memorial. Mr. Speaker, I am sure that I speak for every Member of this body when I express my deep gratitude for the heroic efforts of the crew and the passengers that fought to keep Flight 93 from carrying out their intended act of terrorism on this Nation's capital. As thousands and thousands of people have visited the crash site in Pennsylvania to pay their respects and to reflect upon what took place that day, it has become even more clear that this deep gratitude is shared by all Americans. I believe that this is an appropriate way of honoring these heroes and keeping their memory alive. Thousands and thousands of future Americans will no doubt visit this site and reflect upon the courage of those who were first to begin to fight back against America's attackers in its war on terrorism. While the establishment of this memorial does depart from the normal process of studying a potential site prior to its establishment, and allowing the passage of time in order to permit history to make its judgment about the historical significance of a particular site, we share the opinion expressed by the National Park Service that this site is so clearly nationally significant and important to contemporary America that recognition now is totally appropriate. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is supported on both sides of the aisle, as well as by the administration; and I urge support for this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise now to speak on behalf of our friend and colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), who has worked very hard getting this bill to this point. He is stuck in traffic right now, and so I just wanted to rise to let the body know that he is in great support of this bill, has done a great job in getting it through the committee, has addressed all of the concerns that anyone has had, and he is very much committed to getting this memorial built, and hoping that in doing so will bring some comfort to the families of those people that died, as the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega), has just expressed for us. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and just say how much I have enjoyed working with the gentleman for the past 8 years now. He is a gentleman, a statesman, and always interested in what is best for the United States and for American Samoa, and I am very grateful.