Danny Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she might consume to the author of this legislation, Mrs. Boyda of Kansas.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, to get us back to H.R. 6113, to amend title 44, United States Code, to require each agency to include a contact telephone number in its collection of information in order to assist people with filling out government forms, I urge passage. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6073) to provide that Federal employees receiving their pay by electronic funds transfer shall be given the option of receiving their pay stubs electronically.

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

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. H.R. 6073 would require the Office of Personnel Management to allow Federal employees to receive electronic pay stubs. Most Federal employees receive their pay electronically, which is faster and less costly than using paper checks. This bill helps extend that cost savings to the rest of the payroll process. More than a decade ago, Congress passed a law requiring that almost all Federal employees be paid by electronic funds transfer, commonly known as direct deposit. Electronic funds transfer is more secure and costs less than printing and distributing paper checks. Employees also have access to their funds sooner, because they do not have to deposit or cash their checks. However, many Federal agencies still print and distribute paper pay stubs for their employees, limiting the gains in efficiency from using electronic funds transfer. This bill will encourage agencies to handle their entire payroll process electronically. The Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget have no objections to this bill. It's a commonsense measure that will help make payroll faster and more efficient, and I want to commend and thank Representative Foxx for introducing it. I appreciate her work in helping us get this bill to the floor and all of her work on the committee. I also want to thank Chairmen Waxman and Towns and Ranking Member Tom Davis for their support for the bill and urge its swift adoption. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

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

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 Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to stand in support of H. Res. 1143, which recognizes and supports the goals and ideals of the Apple Crunch and the Nation's domestic apple industry. H. Res. 1143 was introduced by our colleague Representative Todd Platts of Pennsylvania on April 23, 2008, and was considered by and reported from the Oversight Committee on July 16, 2008. The measure has the support of 52 Members of Congress and gives us a chance to recognize and celebrate the contributions of the apple and apple growers of our country and their impact to our economy. Whether it's ``as American as apple pie'' or the fact that ``an apple a day keeps the doctor away,'' one thing we do know is that the apple is core to the American way. Therefore, I would urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Nation's apple industry and the annual Apple Crunch event by agreeing to H. Res. 1143. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H. Res. 1143, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6208) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1100 Town and Country Commons in Chesterfield, Missouri, as the ``Lance Corporal Matthew P. Pathenos Post Office Building''.

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

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues, particularly the gentleman from Missouri, in the consideration of H.R. 6208, which names a postal facility in Chesterfield, Missouri, after a fallen hero, Lance Corporal Matthew P. Pathenos. Introduced on June 9, 2008, H.R. 6208 is sponsored by Congressman Todd W. Akin, representative of Missouri's Second Congressional District, and cosponsored by the entire Missouri congressional delegation and a total of nine Members of Congress. H.R. 6208 was reported from the Oversight Committee on July 17, 2008, by voice vote. A native of Ballwin, Missouri, Corporal Pathenos lost his life while serving in Iraq. According to military records, Corporal Pathenos was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marine Regiment, from the 4th Marine Division out of Bridgeton, Missouri, 108th, when he was killed on February 14, 2007, while conducting combat operations in the Anbar province of Iraq. Described as a disciplined, dedicated, and patriotic gentleman, Corporal Pathenos served his country proudly. In tribute to his sacrifice, Mr. Speaker, let us honor the life of Corporal Pathenos and pass H.R. 6208 and designate the post office building in Chesterfield, Missouri, after this fine American Marine. I urge its passage. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve.

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

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6437) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 200 North Texas Avenue in Odessa, Texas, as the ``Corporal Alfred Mac Wilson Post Office''.

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 Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in consideration of H.R. 6437, which names the postal facility in Odessa, Texas, after a fallen hero, Corporal Alfred ``Mac'' Wilson. Our colleague, Representative Mike Conaway of Texas's 11th Congressional District, introduced H.R. 6437 on July 8. The bill is cosponsored by the entire Texas congressional delegation. H.R. 6437 was reported from the Oversight Committee on July 16, 2008, by a voice vote. Born in 1948 in Olney, Illinois, Alfred ``Mac'' Wilson moved to Odessa, Texas, with his family in 1950. After graduating from Odessa Senior High School in 1967, he enlisted with the United States Marine Corps Reserve. In 1968, Mr. Wilson joined the regular Marine Corps, where he went through recruit training and obtained the rank of Private First Class. After his training was completed, he was deployed to the Republic of Vietnam in July, 1968, and his assigned duty was a rifleman. On March 3, 1969, while serving with M Company, 3rd Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, Private First Class Wilson heroically and unhesitatingly threw himself onto an enemy grenade, absorbing the full force of the explosion and saving his fellow marines. It was for this conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty that Alfred ``Mac'' Wilson was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on April 20, 1970. Corporal Wilson was extraordinarily dedicated to this Nation, earning numerous other accolades, including the Purple Heart with a Gold Star, the Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon, and the Presidential Unit Citation. In honor of his noble sacrifice, Mr. Speaker, let us pay tribute to the life of Corporal Wilson and pass H.R. 6437, which designates the North Texas Avenue post office in Odessa, Texas, after this outstanding American soldier. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I would continue to reserve.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of this legislation, and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1296 into the Record.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1286) recognizing and celebrating the 20th anniversary of the National Black Arts Festival.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1286 into the Record.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. I rise today in support of H. Res. 1286, which recognizes the contributions of African American artwork to the United States. African Americans use dance, music, visual arts, theater and variations of these art forms to express their cultural heritage and personal identity. The annual National Black Arts Festival based in Atlanta, Georgia, celebrates the artistic contributions of people of African descent to the rest of the world. After a study in 1987 commissioned by the Fulton County Arts Council, the local agency unveiled a need to commemorate the artistic accomplishments of the African diaspora. In 1988, the first National Black Arts Festival took place in Atlanta, Georgia. Today the festival lasts 10 days and includes major events like the Pan African Film Festival, which is the Nation's largest event dedicated to showing black films. It will also include a dance tribute to Judith Jamison, Oprah Winfrey's presentation of ``The Color Purple,'' creative conversations with Cornell West and Alice Walker and a jubilant musical evening with Gladys Knight. The festival is full of performances, speaker series, visual arts and a number of student and family programs. NBAF has evolved into a year-round cultural institution dedicated to serving artists, audiences, teachers and students by providing opportunities for artistic and creative expression and sponsoring an educational and humanities program. Every year there is a summer institute, an African American history elementary quiz bowl, and a children's education village for the youth to learn about African American history. Black artists have influenced history, education and culture, and African Americans continue to make instrumental contributions to all facets of art. Within their organization, NBAF organizes pieces of black art to educate and entertain fans of African American talent. NBAF helps educate the Nation about components of black culture by hosting such an extensive program in Atlanta. We therefore recognize the contribution of the organization as well as acknowledge the number of black artists affecting our Nation. Once again I express my support for the National Black Arts Festival and urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1355) expressing support for designation of Disability Pride Day and recognizing that all people, including those living with disabilities, have the right, responsibility, and ability to be active, contributing members of our society and fully engaged as citizens.