Danny Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is easy to see why the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes), especially from Concord, is such a distinguished gentleman. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa), a proud representative of Texas.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 464, introduced by my distinguished colleague from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes), honors 10 American cities for receiving the National Civic League 2004 All- America City Award. The American cities are Concord, North Carolina; Evansville, Indiana; Cottage Grove, Oregon; Spokane, Washington; Springfield, Ohio; Montevideo, Minnesota; Pembroke Pines, Florida; Stockton, California; Philippi, West Virginia; and Hidalgo, Texas. Established in 1894, the National Civic League is one of America's oldest community advocacy organizations. The league's motto is ``strengthening citizen democracy by transforming democratic institutions.'' Their mission is to make democratic institutions and systems more accountable, inclusive, and responsive to citizens in communities across the country by informing, uniting, and empowering citizens. The National Civic League's annual award, the All-America City Award, is America's original and most prestigious community recognition award. The award encourages and recognizes civic excellence by honoring communities of all sizes where community members, government businesses, and nonprofit organizations all work together to address critical local issues. Each year 10 cities are chosen to receive the All-America City Award. Each of the 10 cities demonstrates an efficient government, a willingness to help its less fortunate citizens, and a strong sense of community. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I commend again Concord, Evansville, Cottage Grove, Spokane, Springfield, Montevideo, Pembroke Pines, Stockton, Philippi, and Hidalgo for their awards. I commend the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hayes) for introducing House Concurrent Resolution 464. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, 14-year-old 8th grader Andrew Wojtanik from Lakewood Middle School in Overland Park, Kansas, took top honors at the 2004 National Geographic Bee, which was held here in Washington, D.C. in May. Andrew should be an example for all young people because he won a $25,000 college scholarship, a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society, and a week at a Sea World Busch Gardens Adventure Camp. The winning question was: ``Peshawar, a city in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan has had strategic importance for decades because of its location near a historic pass.'' Andrew answered correctly when he replied, ``Khyber Pass.'' How many of us would have answered that question correctly? Well, I do not know. But for a $25,000 scholarship I am sure that there are many young people who would try. I congratulate Andrew and urge all of my colleagues to vote affirmatively for this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to join with the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis) in consideration of S. 129, the Federal Workforce Flexibility Act of 2004, which would provide a variety of personnel flexibilities for Federal agencies. Among other things, these government-wide flexibilities would provide Federal agencies with additional tools for recruiting employees for difficult-to-fill positions and for retaining employees with unusual qualifications. I am pleased that the flexibilities in this bill apply government-wide, and I view this as a better approach than the agency- specific reform bills that Congress has passed in recent years. During the subcommittee markup of S. 129, this subcommittee accepted my amendment that prohibits recruitment, relocation and retention bonuses from being paid to political appointees. There is no evidence that the Federal Government is having difficulty recruiting or retaining political appointees, and therefore, such bonuses are not needed for this group of employees. In addition, my amendment requires the Office of Personnel Management to report the number of bonuses paid under the bill. This will allow Congress to evaluate whether these bonuses are effective in improving the recruitment and retention of highly qualified employees. Earlier this month, we were reminded of how important it is to make these kinds of determinations. The Government Accounting Office, or GAO, report found that agencies are not using all of the hiring flexibilities that Congress has given them over the years. This troubling GAO finding deserves this committee's further oversight. After all, it does no good to authorize recruiting tools that are never used. Furthermore, the minority amendment recommends that OPM monitor recruitment bonuses paid by one Federal agency to hire an individual working in another Federal agency that is located in the same geographic area. OPM also will have to study bonuses that are used to keep current employees from leaving a position at one Federal agency for a position at another Federal agency. It is not generally in the government's best interest for agencies to engage in bidding wars over each other's employees. OPM should ensure that bonuses paid to employees moving within the Federal Government are an effective use of the government's resources and do not negatively impact the human capital needs of the entire Federal Government. Finally, I want to highlight one provision in this bill that provides compensatory time for Federal employees when they travel on official business during nonworking hours. If it is necessary for an employee to travel on Sunday to attend an out-of-town meeting on Monday, that employee should receive some type of credit for giving up his or her weekend to travel for the government. I am pleased that an effort to place caps on compensatory time was dropped from the bill. I want to commend the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) and the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), for their leadership in bringing this legislation to the floor. I urge its support. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4504. There are currently approximately 540,000 children in foster care in our country. In my home state of Illinois, 5 percent of our children, approximately 28,460 children are in foster care. The number of kids in foster care has doubled from 1987 to 2004. Nearly half of today's population of foster kids are under the age of ten. I commend the gentleman from Texas, Mr. DeLay for this legislation. The idea of providing an opportunity for children who could not experience family life, to give them the opportunity to have the well- being, the nurturing of a family rather than being institutionalized or as a ward of the State is of tremendous value. I simply want to add my voice in support of it.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, the percentage of children and adolescents who are defined as overweight has more than doubled since the early 1970s with nearly 15 percent of children and adolescents now being overweight. Congress has asked our schools to encourage health eating and physical activity to decrease the obesity epidemic in our Nation. We have encouraged our physicians to educate our constituents and parents to be better eating role models to their children. The CDC has even stated to begin to stop and reverse this upward obesity trend ``will require effective collaboration among government, voluntary, and private sectors, as well as a commitment to action by individuals and communities across the Nation''. It then only makes sense that we now ask the insurance industry to join us in the fight to reduce obesity in our country. As we know, there are serious health consequences that are caused when an individual is overweight or obese such as high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, congestive heart failure, stroke, as well as some types of cancer. These can all be very costly diseases, especially if they are not managed correctly. According to a study of national costs attributed to both overweight and obesity, medical expenses accounted for 9.1 percent of total U.S. medical expenditures in 1998 and may have reached as high as $78.5 billion. Approximately half of these costs were paid by Medicaid and Medicare. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2023, the Asthmatic Schoolchildren's Treatment and Health Management Act. Nearly one-third of all people with asthma in our Nation are children under the age of 18, according to the American Lung Association. This figure translates to more than 6.3 million children. Asthma is now the most common, serious, chronic disease among children, accounting for 14 million absences from school each year. I commend this legislation and believe it is great to allow students to self-administer medication to treat that student's asthma. We are encouraging the child to control their condition with correct management of it as well as giving them the responsibility to go get their nebulizer for a breathing treatment or get their inhaler when they know they need it. However, we still need to do more for our asthmatic children through education and outreach. Doctors say that asthma is a disease that can be managed, treated and prevented. Yet across our country, in cities like Chicago, there are no centralized asthma programs, and many States do not keep an up-to-date count of how many children have the disease. We have seen asthma continue to strike black children the hardest, especially those who live in low-income areas. The 2002 National Health Interview Survey, a project of the CDC, found that 12 percent of all children under age 18 were asthmatic, and half had suffered an attack in the previous year. Black and low-income families get it far more often: 18 percent of black children had been diagnosed with asthma, and 9 percent had suffered attacks, versus 10 and 4 percent for Latino children, and 11 and 5 percent for whites. Due to a lack of health care, crowded housing, and more exposure to asthma triggers such as cockroach feces and dust mites, the asthma rate was also higher for children from families whose incomes were less than $20,000 a year. Although, most children have mild to moderate problems, and their illness can be controlled by treatment at home, too many of our asthmatic children are ending up in our emergency rooms. The CDC reports that in 1999, 658,000 pediatric emergency room visits were due to asthma. The estimated annual rate for emergency room visits among children 5 years old or younger is 137.1 per 10,000 persons--the highest rate of all age groups. Asthma cost more than $4.6 billion in medical care and time lost from school or work. African Americans have nearly four times the asthma related emergency room visits as whites and are more than three times as likely than whites to be hospitalized for asthma. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, Chicago, where I reside, is commonly called an epicenter of the Nation's asthma epidemic. I believe that my State of Illinois, Chicago and our Congress need to encourage that more is done to help our asthmatic children, like education and, as the doctors suggest, managing, treating and prevention of this disease as a way to keep more of our kids out of the emergency rooms.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 261. Currently, about 35 million Americans either don't know where their next meal is coming from, or they have to cut back on what they eat because they don't have enough money for groceries. Thankfully, there are organizations like Second Harvest who provide when it is most needed. America's Second Harvest is the largest domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. The America's Second Harvest mission is to feed hungry people by soliciting and distributing food and grocery products through a nationwide network of certified affiliate food banks and food-rescue programs and to educate the public about the nature of and solutions to the problem of hunger in America. America's Second Harvest's network of more than 200 regional food banks and food-rescue organizations serves all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico by distributing food and grocery products to approximately 50,000 local charitable hunger-relief agencies including food pantries, soup kitchens, women's shelters, Kids Cafes, Community Kitchens, and other organizations that provide emergency food assistance. As we approach fall and the holiday season, many of our food banks will not have enough food. I urge our citizens who are fortunate to have the necessities in life to share with their neighbors who are more in need--not just around the holidays when we are reminded but throughout the year. I hope one day Congress is able to report to our Nation that the number of hungry citizens in our Nation is decreasing. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation as a way to thank those organizations that have assisted in feeding the hungry for so many years and encourage more people to assist in this fight.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, Walt Disney once said that ``Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children.'' Today we honor the Festival of Children Foundation, an organization with the specific purpose to improve the lives of children and families throughout Orange County, California by fostering education, community involvement, and the arts by collaborating with local children's charities. Through their hard work and efforts, the Festival of Children Foundation has been able to showcase the work of non-profit groups as a way to increase exposure and sustain volunteer, leadership and financial support for these groups. The Foundation, being an umbrella organization, has made it possible to serve as a free recourse to these groups by encouraging collaborative efforts to serve the community as well as a place for groups to share ideas and lessons on community mobilization, planning and overall best practices. In the last two years, over 100 non-profit groups in southern California have benefited enormously from the exposure, partnership and assistance from the Festival of Children Foundation. As another way to truly reach out and assist children, the Festival of Children Foundation had declared September 2004 as a month to ``Celebrate the Magic of Childhood,'' working with 52 agencies and organizations to serve the children of southern California with high profile exhibits to continue with the Foundation's mission. I would like to congratulate the Foundation on their excellent work and assisting to strengthen their community--most importantly, their efforts to benefit the lives of children.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, a few minutes ago my colleague from New York said that this was absolutely crazy, and I will simply say that it is about as crazy as it can get without being absolute. Every bit of information that we have available to us lets us know that gun violence is unnecessarily killing people. In 2001, 29,000 people in this country died from gun violence. Fifty percent of all the African American youngsters between the ages of 15 and 19 who die, die from gun violence. We talk about the Constitution. Please be reminded that when this Constitution was enacted, my ancestors were counted as three-fifths of a person and women did not have the right to vote. The Constitution was created at a time when there was need for what it created itself for. This is a different era, a different time. If you want to help the people of D.C., give the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) a vote on the floor of this House. Give them two Senators who can vote in the other Chamber. That is how you help the people in D.C.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the United Negro College Fund for providing assistance to allow minority students the opportunity of achieving their dream of a college education for 60 years. The Fund is the nation's largest, oldest, most successful and most comprehensive minority higher education assistance organization. Over those 60 years, the United Negro College Fund has raised more than $2 billion to help a total of more than 300,000 students attend college and has distributed more funds to help minorities attend school than any entity outside of the government. UNCF administers over 450 scholarships and fellowships that support students at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral level. Of those students UNCF helps, 60 percent are the first in their families to attend college and 62 percent have annual family incomes of less than $25,000--reinforcing the fact that without UNCF, those individuals may not have been able to finance their education. It was the dream of Dr. Frederick D. Patterson in 1943 to raise money collectively with other black college presidents through an ``appeal to the national conscience.'' His call was heard and answered by the Nation. UNCF does amazing work--but more students would get the opportunity of attending and graduating from college if the maximum amount for Pell grants were increased and students were relying less on student loans. Mr. Speaker--the United Negro College Fund has proven its slogan to be fact--``a mind is a terrible thing to waste''.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, he has been called the ``quintessential American composer'' and considered to be one of ``great musicians along with Bach and Beethoven and Shoenberg.'' Duke Ellington brought a level of refinement and elegance to jazz. The Duke's first piano lessons began around the age of seven--but like many youngsters--he was more interested in going to the Washington Senators baseball games than practicing. It took seeing a few great live performances, even sneaking out of school to seek out and listen to ragtime pianists in Washington and, during the summers, in Philadelphia or Atlantic City, where he and his mother vacationed. Duke was taken under the wings of Oliver ``Doc'' Perry and Louis Brown, who taught Duke how to read music and helped improve his overall piano playing skills. Duke found piano playing jobs at clubs and cafes throughout the Washington area. In late 1917, Duke formed his first group: The Duke's Serenaders, which years later was renamed as The Washingtonians. By the late 1920s, Duke's band became the most sought-after band in the United States and even throughout the world. Duke Ellington and his band went on to play everywhere from New York to New Delhi, Chicago to Cairo, and Los Angeles to London. Ellington and his band played with such greats as Miles Davis, Cab Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett and Louis Armstrong. They entertained everyone from Queen Elizabeth II to President Nixon. Duke Ellington did not just make an impact on music to the world, but he made his hometown of Washington, DC, proud. Thirty years ago Washington, DC, honored him by renaming one high school the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. It only makes sense that in 2005, Washington, DC, will be able to honor The Duke of Jazz once again by hosting 2 days of concerts on the National Mall each year as the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, today we celebrate the life of William ``Count'' Basie and his influence on jazz and swing music. Born in Red Bank, New Jersey, William ``Count'' Basie began to learn the piano under his mother's direction. In 1924, he moved to New York City to perfect his talent and begin his remarkable career. In 1927, Count Basie began playing piano accompaniment to silent movies. He then joined Walter Page's Blue Devils and from there along with several other members joined Bernie Moten's Kansas City Band. Throughout the years, he was developing and advancing his own music style. In 1935, Basie formed his own 9 piece group, Barons of Rhythm, gaining much attention from live appearances. The Barons of Rhythm style was a powerful swing, intensified by Basie's frequent playing with the rhythm section alone using short phrases called ``riffs'' exchanged back and forth between sections, giving the band a unique sound and identity. This raised Basie's stature in the community onto an even keel with Duke Ellington, earning him the nickname ``Count''. By the end of the 1930s, the Basie band was one of the most popular in the world, with massive hits like ``One O'clock Jump'' and ``Jumpin at the Woodside.'' William ``Count'' Basie continued to share his talent with the world through the 1970s. One year after his death, on May 23, 1985, Basie was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ronald Reagan. He was also honored in 1996 with a United States Postal Service commemorative postage stamp. Mr. Speaker, we honor the 100th anniversary of the birth of Count Basie and acknowledge the tremendous impact he had on music.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Committee on Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica), in consideration of H.R. 5147, which names the post office in West Hills, California, after Evan Asa Ashcraft. Sergeant Ashcraft, a native of West Hills, California, joined the U.S. Army in 2000, specifically the 101st Airborne Division, the Screaming Eagles, based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. As a member of Company A, 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry of the 101st, Sergeant Ashcraft was deployed to Iraq in March of 2003. Shortly after his arrival, he rescued two wounded soldiers, saving their lives. Sadly, he lost his life in 2003 after the Humvee he was driving was hit by enemy rockets. Sergeant Ashcraft was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. He leaves behind a wife, his parents, a brother, and many other family members. I commend my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), the ranking member of the Committee on Government Reform, for seeking to honor the sacrifice of Evan Asa Ashcraft by naming a postal facility in his hometown, and I urge swift adoption of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4657) to amend the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 to improve the administration of Federal pension benefit payments for District of Columbia teachers, police officers, and fire fighters, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4657, the District of Columbia Retirement Protection Improvement Act of 2004. I agree with the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) that the time has come to simply provide protection, and the best of protection, to those individuals in the District of Columbia who are in need of reform of their pension. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with my colleague from Florida (Mr. Mica) in consideration of H. Res. 784 which commends the resiliency of the people of Florida and the work of those individuals who have assisted with the recovery efforts after the devastation caused by Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan. As residents of Florida return to their homes to rebuild their lives and communities, they demonstrate the very resilient character of the American people. It is impossible to know why we Americans embody this characteristic. Perhaps it has been passed down to us from our ancestors who survived the most difficult of circumstances upon their arrival here. They were tested fiercely, and we as Americans find ourselves tested again and again. But rather than back down from these challenges, it seems that we are at our finest during times of difficulty and in times of crisis. Our spirit is resolute, our generosity is seemingly boundless, and our determination is unyielding. The devastation caused by Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Ivan, not to mention Jeanne, have left many people in Florida to repair damaged homes or to rebuild their lives. Despite the frustration and sadness they feel, the residents of Florida have proven to us once again that they can prevail over tragedy and hardship by working together. Whether a family member lends shelter and food to another family member in need or a neighbor helps another salvage keepsakes from a destroyed home, or a person offers a bottle of water or the use of a phone to a stranger, the people of Florida are bravely doing what is necessary to help one another get through this tragedy. We Americans can be proud of the people of Florida, so I am pleased to join my colleague as we offer words of support, words of comfort and words to know that no matter how difficult the circumstances, Florida will continue to rise and rise and rise again. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleague in consideration of H.R. 4046, legislation naming a United States postal facility in New York, New York, after Sergeant Riayan Tejeda. This measure, which was unanimously passed by our committee on September 15, 2004, was introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) on March 25, 2004. H.R. 4046 enjoys the support and cosponsorship of the entire New York delegation. Riayan A. Tejeda was a Dominican citizen who came to the United States at the age of 12. He graduated from the Fashion and Design High School in New York and joined the United States Marines. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment in Camp Pendleton, California. Sadly, Staff Sergeant Tejeda was killed in a battle that followed the fall of Baghdad on April 11, 2003. He was awarded the Silver Star, and he later received his citizenship posthumously. Sergeant Tejeda left behind a wife and two young children. Mr. Speaker, I commend my good friend and colleague for seeking to honor the sacrifice of Marine Staff Sergeant Riayan Tejeda by naming a United States postal facility in his honor. I know that the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) had hoped to be here to make some comments relative to this legislation. Unfortunately, he was unable to do so. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 461, which expresses the sense of Congress regarding the importance of life insurance and recognizes and supports National Life Insurance Awareness Month. Like so many Americans, I worry about the financial security and solvency of my own family. With the economy worse than it has been since the early 1990s, many American families are strapped for money and forced to make difficult decisions about where to spend the precious resources they have and still make ends meet. During these difficult times, some parents are forced to choose between providing for loved ones now or securing their future. Life insurance is an important financial resource for loved ones in the event of death, and it should not be overlooked when financial resources are limited. The necessity of life insurance is well documented. Recent studies have found that when a premature death occurs, insufficient life insurance coverage on the part of the deceased often results in the surviving family members being placed under an insurmountable burden. Adult members are forced to work longer hours or take on extra jobs, borrow money, and spend less time with their children. Worse yet, this occurs when it is most important that family members spend time together in order to heal and recover from their tragic loss. By designating September as Life Insurance Awareness Month we are putting aside a time for families to learn and to educate themselves about life insurance. As a society, we must take steps to make sure that our children are provided for and are safe. Almost 50 million Americans say that they have insufficient life insurance to care adequately for their loved ones in case of death. By supporting Life Insurance Awareness Month, we are signaling to the American people that this is an important issue that they should consider for the well-being of their families. I know that oftentimes people will come by my office after the death of a loved one, and they will often have insufficient funds even for a burial, and collections are taken up. By making sure that we have life insurance coverage prevents these situations from occurring. I want to commend the maker of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I do not believe that I am going to have any additional requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleague in consideration of H.R. 5027, legislation naming the U.S. postal facility in Mascotte, Florida, after Eric Ramirez. This measure, which was unanimously reported by our committee on September 15, 2004, was introduced by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite) on September 8, 2004. H.R. 5027 enjoys the support and cosponsorship of the entire Florida delegation. Eric Ulysses Ramirez was born and raised in Florida. He was a graduate of Mount Dora High School in Mount Dora, Florida. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy, served in the National Guard, and was working as a sheriff's deputy in San Diego, California, when his unit was activated. Specialist Ramirez was deployed to Iraq in February 2003. Sadly, Specialist Ramirez was killed when his unit was attacked. He died on February 12, 2004. He left behind a wife, Tracy; daughter, Isis; and son, Chase. Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague for seeking to honor the sacrifice, the diligence and the giving of himself of Eric Ramirez, and I urge passage of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I simply would want to commend the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran) and the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis) for their leadership in bringing this important measure to the floor. I urge its passage.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as the ranking member of the Special Panel on Postal Reform and Oversight of the Committee on Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 5039, legislation designating a U.S. postal facility in Ridgeway, North Carolina, after Eva Holtzman. This measure unanimously reported by our committee on September 15, 2004, was introduced by the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield) on September 9, 2004, and enjoys the support and co- sponsorship of the entire North Carolina delegation. As a lifelong resident of Ridgeway, Eva Holtzman was a well- respected, hard-working community leader. She worked at the Ridgeway Post Office for an extraordinary 50 years, serving 38 of those years as postmaster. Her dedication went far beyond a plaque on the doorway, however. A perfect example of Ms. Holtzman's dedication to her fellow residents came in the early 60s when, following the closing of the local post office, she constructed her own post office and operated it herself. Known to people who knew her well as Miss Eva, Eva Holtzman donated a substantial amount of her time to the community as well, starting a 4-H center and initially operating it out of her own home. The gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield) has described her as being a model citizen: ``With the uncertainty and chaos that exists in our world today, I can think of nothing better than to honor the memory of one of North Carolina's finest citizens by naming the post office she loved and worked so hard for, the Eva Holtzman Post Office.'' Mr. Speaker, I urge swift passage of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.