Danny Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. I want to thank Chairman Brady for yielding, and I also want to commend him for the introduction of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I have always been a great fan of libraries, and, obviously, I'm a great fan of the Library of Congress. And I believe that having as much information and material as we can possibly have is of great benefit not only to the preservation of our history and culture but also a benefit to those who are seeking information, those who want to be educated in many of the different and various ways that education takes place. So I rise in strong support of this legislation.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1114) supporting the goals and ideals of the Arbor Day Foundation and National Arbor Day.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Nebraska for introducing this resolution. I am reminded that my mother was a serious conservationist who just loved the beauty of flowers and trees. I would urge passage of this resolution as I close by remembering the words of Joyce Kilmer who had a poem called ``Trees.'' He said that: I think that I shall never see A poem so lovely as a tree. A tree that may in summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately sleeps with the rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree. I would urge passage.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1734) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 630 Northeast Killingsworth Avenue in Portland, Oregon, as the ``Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Post Office''.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time and urge support for this resolution.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5477) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 120 South Del Mar Avenue in San Gabriel, California, as the ``Chi Mui Post Office Building''.

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 might consume. Mr. Speaker, I introduced H.R. 4106 on November 7, 2007, to improve the efficiency of the Federal workforce by allowing more employees to telework. Telework has a number of benefits for both agencies and employees. A happy workforce is a productive workforce, and giving employees the opportunity to telework can help boost productivity by cutting down on commuting time, reducing absenteeism, and allowing for greater organizational flexibility. Improving telework can also help reduce pollution, traffic congestion, and the significant financial burdens that Federal employees face from high gas prices. Unfortunately, telework is not being used to the fullest extent, and according to a report on telework released by the Office of Personnel Management in December 2007, only 6 percent of Federal employees participated in telework programs in 2006. H.R. 4106 will improve telework in many key ways, while also allowing the government to maintain security of government information and to uphold performance standards. The bill defines telework and requires the Government Accountability Office to evaluate agency telework programs. The bill requires the head of each agency to establish a telework policy authorizing employees to telework. The bill sets a consistent standard by providing that an agency will only be considered to be in compliance with the bill's requirements if employees who are authorized the telework are allowed to do so at least 20 percent of the hours worked in every two workweeks. Under H.R. 4106, each agency is required to either appoint a telework managing officer or designate their chief human capital officer or a career employee to carry out the responsibilities of a telework managing officer who will serve as the agency's primary point of contact on telework. The bill also improves the ability of the government to respond to emergencies by requiring larger agencies to incorporate telework into their continuity of operations plans. This bipartisan bill was amended and approved by the Oversight Committee by a voice vote on March 13, 2008. A number of changes were made during the committee's consideration of the bill to address suggestions raised by the ranking minority member of the committee, Representative Tom Davis, such as requiring that essential personnel be equipped to telework during a catastrophe. We are considering the bill today with an amendment that makes further changes to the bill based on feedback from the Office of Personnel Management. For example, the amendment clarifies the definition of continuity of operations to cover a situation such as the 2006 flooding of the Internal Revenue Service headquarters building. The amendment also requires GSA and OPM to jointly find and operate a central telework Web site. This bill will allow more Federal employees to telework but at the same time ensures that agencies have the necessary flexibility, guidance, and oversight. And so, Mr. Speaker, I urge swift passage of H.R. 4106. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

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

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 923) recognizing the State of Minnesota's 150th anniversary.

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

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. 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 the consideration of H. Res. 923, which recognizes the 150th anniversary of the State of Minnesota and highlights its contributions to America's economy and heritage. H. Res. 923 was introduced by our colleague, Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota, on January 16, 2008, and was considered by and reported from the Oversight Committee on May 1, 2008, by voice vote. This measure has the support and cosponsorship of 120 Members of Congress, including all of the Members from the State of Minnesota. On March 2, 1849, Minnesota was established as a territory, and it became the 32nd State on March 11, 1858. Also known as the Gopher State, the North Star State, and the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Minnesota's name comes from the Dakota word ``minesota,'' meaning ``water that reflects the sky.'' Minnesota has been and continues to be a leader in innovation in science and education. It is home of the Mayo Clinic, which is known for its cutting-edge medical work, and over 30 institutions of higher education, including the University of Minnesota, a world-class research university, which performed the first open heart surgery and the first bone marrow transplant in America. I should also mention that Minnesota is currently home to more than 35 Fortune 500 companies and is leading the Nation in the production and use of renewable energy. So, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Minnesota for sponsoring the measure at hand. Given the 150th anniversary of Minnesota's statehood and the enormous contributions Minnesota has made to our Nation and the world, I urge passage of this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield such time as he may consume to one of the cosponsors of this resolution, Representative Walz from Minnesota.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, over the weekend I had the opportunity to visit three schools in my congressional district, and I want to take the opportunity to commend and congratulate all three of them. The Walter Lutheran High School in Melrose Park, Illinois, where I attended their graduation Sunday, and I was pleased that my nephew Dante Davis was one of the graduates; then the Austin Polytechnical High School, which focuses on manufacturing, in Chicago yesterday; and last night I had a town hall meeting at the Richard T. Crane High School in Chicago on stopping school violence. All of them are outstanding, and I commend them.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. 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 move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 138) supporting National Men's Health Week, as amended.

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 the consideration of H. Con. Res. 138, as amended, which expresses Congress's support of Men's Health Week, which is designed to raise awareness of men's health issues and the importance of preventative health care in order to improve the lifespan of American men. H. Con. Res. 138, which was introduced by the gentleman from Maryland, Representative Elijah Cummings, on May 1, 2007, was amended and reported from the Oversight Committee on May 15, 2008, before being passed by voice vote. The measure has the support and sponsorship of 59 Members of Congress, and expresses support for increased medical awareness that will improve the health and well-being of American men. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all of the 10 leading causes of death among Americans, such as cancer and heart disease, affect our Nation's men at a higher rate than our women. On average, the male life expectancy in America is 6 years lower than the life expectancy of their female counterparts. A leading cause of this disparity is that men are 100 percent less likely to visit a doctor for screening and preventative medical checkups. This reluctance is tragic, as many life-threatening conditions are mitigated when found through early detection. Congress recognized the need to encourage preventative medicine by increasing health awareness in American men when it established National Men's Health Week in 1994. Now, 14 years later, this commemorative week has helped to raise awareness and lower illness among American men. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge the swift passage of this measure, as it will continue to encourage the men of our country to take a more active and preventative role in safeguarding their health, and, therefore, the health of America. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, as we observe and promote Men's Health Week, I am pleased to note that both the Illinois Department of Public Health and the City of Chicago's Department of Public Health, under able leadership of their commissioners, place great emphasis on men's health, and have two activities coming up this week; Saturday at Malcolm X College, and next week, the day before Father's Day, at Malcolm X Community College, where the focus is men's health. I urge passage of this measure. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.