Wm. Clay

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2868) to provide increased access to the General Services Administration's Schedules Program by the American Red Cross and State and local governments, as amended.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kilroy).

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut.

Mr. CLAY

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

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, again, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I want to thank our colleague from Wisconsin for bringing to the attention of this body the service of Captain Rhett Schiller to this country. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I continue to reserve.

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. On behalf of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, it is my honor to rise in support of H.R. 5873. This measure designates the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 218 North Milwaukee Street in Waterford, Wisconsin, as the Captain Rhett W. Schiller Post Office. H.R. 5873 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Wisconsin, Representative Paul Ryan, on July 27, 2010. The measure was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which ordered it reported favorably by unanimous consent on July 28, 2010. The measure enjoys the support of the entire Wisconsin delegation to the House, and I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin for introducing this measure. I would also like to thank Chairman Towns and Ranking Member Issa for their support for the bill. Captain Rhett W. Schiller was born on November 7, 1980 in Racine, Wisconsin. His family later moved to Waterford, Wisconsin. In 2003, Schiller graduated from West Point and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, first as a platoon leader in Company B, and later Executive Officer for Company A of the 3rd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment. Schiller's brigade was deployed to New Orleans in September, 2005 to assist with relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina. His unit was deployed and conducting relief operations only 7 hours after the assignment was announced. The standard deployment time is 18 hours after notification. In 2006, Captain Schiller was assigned to 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. On his 100th day in country, while leading a squad of six paratroopers and six Iraqi Army soldiers on a canal clearing operation near Balad Ruz, Diyala Province, Captain Schiller's unit came under small arms fire. Captain Schiller was killed in action on November 16, 2006. Mr. Speaker, Captain Schiller is remembered as a hard-charging leader who did everything he could to take care of his soldiers, raising the spirits and motivation of everyone around him. His life and achievements over the course of his service speak volumes about all of our brave servicemen and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of our Nation. Let us now pay tribute to the life of Captain Rhett Schiller through the passage of this legislation. I urge all of our colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5873. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1612) expressing the support for and honoring September 17, 2010 as ``Constitution Day''.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is no exaggeration to say that the United States Constitution is one of the most important documents in history. Its framework for our representative and democratic system of government has served the American people well for over two centuries, making it the oldest federal constitution still in use in the world. Its separation of powers, checks and balances, and preservation of rights has been an example to burgeoning democracies everywhere. I think that all Americans should take time to read and study the Constitution. The values and principles it enshrines are central to our Nation's identity. House Resolution 1612 was introduced on September 14, 2010, by my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta). It enjoys the bipartisan support of 50 cosponsors. And I am sure that my colleagues will agree that it is a privilege for us to serve in this Chamber, serving, protecting, and defending the United States Constitution. I am glad that we are taking the opportunity today to honor that most treasured document. In closing, let us all be sure to keep the principles of the Constitution in our hearts and on our minds every day as we continue to work for a more perfect union. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, in closing, I thank my colleague from Ohio for bringing this legislation to the attention of the body, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time on this side, and I continue to reserve.

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY

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

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. CLAY. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, contractors have been tarnishing the name of our good country by bribing foreign officials with the very tax dollars our country pays them. In our effort to win the hearts and minds of the people of foreign countries, we must show that we take integrity and honesty seriously. As such, we must take action against those contractors who hinder our efforts and inappropriately utilize the money we pay them. H.R. 5366, the Overseas Contractor Reform Act, will provide the government with the means to appropriately respond to those contractors. H.R. 5366 was introduced by my colleague, Representative Peter Welch, on May 20, 2010, and referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, where we worked hard to get this important legislation to the House floor. This bill requires that any person convicted of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 be proposed for debarment from any further contracts or grants with the Federal Government within 30 days after final judgment of the violation. The bill defines ``final judgment'' as occurring when all appeals of the judgment have been determined or all the time for filing such appeals has expired, so there is no question regarding the person's guilt. Additionally, this bill authorizes the head of a Federal agency to issue a waiver, allowing contracts or grants to be awarded to the contractors, but the agency head must justify the decision and report the waiver and accompanying justification to Congress within 30 days. This bill also makes it Federal policy that no more contracts or grants should be awarded to any individuals or companies who violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. This policy statement sends a strong message to all that such waste, fraud, and abuse will not be tolerated. This bill helps fight waste of tax dollars, protects the image of the country, and helps ensure fair play in competition for contracts. H.R. 5366 is a common sense, good government bill, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. I thank my colleague from the District of Columbia for yielding. Madam Speaker, H.R. 1320, the Federal Advisory Committee Act Amendments, strengthens one of our central open-government laws. Advisory committees provide the President and agencies with expert advice on complex issues. Current examples include the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform that was established to advise the President on policies to achieve fiscal sustainability and the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. FACA is intended to ensure that advisory committees like these provide objective advice and operate in a way that is open and accessible to the public. But over time, FACA has been undermined by inconsistent implementation. This bill closes loopholes that allow agencies to get around the act and makes the advisory committee process more transparent. This bill is being brought up with an amendment that addresses feedback we received from the Office of Government Ethics. The primary change addresses how agencies appoint members to advisory committees. The GAO has identified improper designation of committee members as one of the primary problems with implementation of FACA. GAO found that some agencies are avoiding Federal ethics rules by appointing members that should be appointed as special government employees as representative members. The amendment to H.R. 1320 will require agencies to properly designate committee members and require agency ethics officials to certify the designation. If an agency appoints a member to represent a specific interest, the agency has to put information on its Web site justifying its decision and identify the interest the member represents. The amendment also makes improvements to the bill proposed by Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Issa. Specifically, these changes include requiring agencies to establish a process that allows the public to nominate potential committee members and requiring agencies to disclose when a committee member is recused because of a conflict of interest. A section has also been added to the bill to make the bill consistent with the way trade advisory committees are treated under the Trade Act. Trade committees are exempt from FACA's open meetings requirement and H.R. 1320 will preserve that exemption. H.R. 1320 will shed light on who is advising the government, how they are advising the government, and what they are saying. I urge any colleagues to support this important open-government legislation.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor William Taylor, a Washington area lawyer who played a critical role in civil rights issues across the country. Taylor was instrumental in the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and dedicated over 40 years of his life to ensuring every American, regardless of race or creed, enjoy the freedom that is the promise of this great country. William Taylor was born in Brooklyn, New York, on October 4, 1931, to two Jewish immigrants. Though Taylor was subject to racial slurs and discrimination throughout his childhood, he chose to devote his life to guarantee equal rights for all. Taylor understood that the power of the voting booth was vital to liberty, and one's color, religion, social status, and should never restrict access to freedom. Upon his 1954 graduation from Yale Law School, Taylor joined the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, serving under the great Thurgood Marshall. During his tenure, Taylor aided desegregation enforcement efforts, ensuring school districts abide by the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision. Taylor was then appointed to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, composing civil rights recommendations that were the basis for the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. I had the pleasure of working with Bill for a number of years as a member of the Missouri State Senate. During this time, I was witness to his brilliance and perseverance, while we crafted an amicable legislative solution that settled the long-running St. Louis Public School Desegregation issue. This feat concluded in the largest voluntary metropolitan school desegregation plan in the country. Madam Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Mr. Taylor, a man whose visionary leadership helped usher in a new era of justice. I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. William Taylor.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support the refugees living at Camp Ashraf in Iraq. I am disturbed by reports of continued abuse of these Iranian refugees by the same Iraqi forces that are responsible for ensuring their safety. In light of the recent announcement of an upcoming U.S. troop withdrawal from the camp, I urge Congress to support the residents at Camp Ashraf by ensuring they receive the protection that they deserve. These refugees, who have been forced from their homes in Iran, are exactly the kind of defenseless people the international community needs to ensure are protected. Unfortunately, they have been subject to bloody incursions from the Iraqi army, such as the travesty of last year's attack which killed 11 people and injured over 400. It is critical that the United States and international community work to ensure that the residents of this camp are treated humanely. I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting the refugees at Camp Ashraf.

Mr. CLAY

Mr. CLAY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Marvin Teer, Sr., a valued member of the St. Louis community. Mr. Teer passed away on May 27, 2010, at the age of 93. His efforts greatly enriched the city of St. Louis, and his legacy will continue to inspire his residents for years to come. Mr. Teer grew up against a backdrop of adversity and racial tension. He was born in Meridian, Mississippi, and at the tender age of 5, his family suffered the tragic loss of Mr. Teer's uncle, who was lynched. Mr. Teer's parents moved the family to East St. Louis in search of new opportunities for themselves and their children. Mr. Teer took full advantage of those opportunities, graduating from Lincoln Senior High School and going on to earn his bachelor's degree in education and two master's degrees, one in education and another in administration. In World War II, he fought courageously in the Army, which was at that time segregated. He rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant, where he worked to secure equal resources and equal respect for his fellow black soldiers. Mr. Teer returned to St. Louis in 1946 to teach history and urban studies at Lincoln Senior High School and later Vashon High School. Being a dedicated teacher, he shared his knowledge and energy with students for a full 30 years. Mr. Teer had a passion for working to improve St. Louis, and that commitment to his city extended far beyond his position as a teacher. Mr. Teer participated in a diverse array of city organizations, including the Metropolitan Youth Commission, the St. Louis Board of Equalization, the Board of Building Appeals, and the St. Louis Area Agency on Aging. Upon his retirement, Mr. Teer directed his enthusiasm for serving his community toward the goal of providing transportation to the seniors of St. Louis. He co-founded Available Citywide Transportation, which grew from one van to a fleet of 43 under his watch. Madam Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to Mr. Teer, a citizen whose commitment to his community was a testament to Missouri and to America. I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Marvin Teer, Sr.