Michael Doyle

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to lend my support to a provision in the Extenders Bill that is being debated in the Senate to extend and clarify a tax credit for the production of Steel Industry Fuel, SIF. Last Fall, my colleagues and I introduced a similar bill to extend and clarify the SIF credit. SIF is used by the domestic steel industry as a feedstock for the manufacture of coke, which is coal that has been carbonized and is used as a fuel in steel making. In October, 2008, Congress enacted a new refined coal tax credit under Section 45 of the tax code for the production of steel industry fuel, which is made from coal waste sludge and coal. The availability of the steel industry fuel tax credit provides a subsidy for projects that may not otherwise be commercially viable on account of materials, process, technology and other transaction costs. As originally enacted, the SIF credit was available for only one year. The placed-in-service period for the credit expired as of December 31, 2009, so new steel industry fuel projects cannot be brought on line without an extension of the credit. The use of Steel Industry Fuel provides significant energy, environmental, and economic benefits, all of which argue for an extension of the SIF credit. The primary benefit of manufacturing SIF is that the production process recaptures the BTU content of coal waste sludge. The Environmental Protection Agency has approved the production of SIF as a method for disposing of coal waste sludge, and the production of SIF is the preferred method of coal waste sludge disposal. In addition, our domestic steel industry can become more competitive by using SIF because it lowers production and operation costs. From an energy resource and environmental standpoint, the production of SIF is the superior method of disposing of coal waste sludge, it would otherwise be treated as a hazardous waste under applicable Federal environmental rules. The alternative methods of disposal are incineration and land-filling, each of which requires the physical conveyance of a waste product off-site. These disposal methods fail to recapture the energy content of the coal waste sludge because the coal waste sludge, which has a high BTU content, is not used as a fuel. An extension of the Steel Industry Fuel tax incentive is of critical importance in the current economic downturn, and its expiration has had a negative impact on our domestic steel industry. Steel companies and coke plant operators have suffered large losses as steel demand has declined significantly. These companies have been forced to lay off thousands of workers in my State of Pennsylvania, as well as in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, and elsewhere. Domestic steel manufacturers have had to operate at low capacity utilization rates and coke batteries have been placed on ``hot idle,'' which is a holding pattern to prevent the coke battery bricks from cooling and damaging the battery. The extension and clarification of the SIF credit will help these manufacturers mitigate their losses as the economy recovers. The one-year credit period and short placed-in-service deadline for SIF facilities have had a negative impact on SIF producers' ability to attract the outside investment needed to finance SIF projects. This negative impact has been compounded by the economic conditions that have prevailed since the enactment of the credit. SIF projects typically involve lengthy negotiations to implement the transaction structure necessary to claim the SIF credit, address environmental considerations, and negotiate the relevant economic terms. This in turn effectively reduced the one-year credit period to a lesser period for certain projects. The short time period to place projects in service-- slightly over one year after the enactment of the credit--meant that there was too little time to get projects up and running. For these reasons, the intended subsidy of the SIF credit did not operate as designed and the extension of the credit--from one year to at least two years--and the extension of the placed-in-service deadline--from December 31, 2009 to December 31, 2010--are needed. Included in the legislation I cosponsored is an important clarification on an issue that has slowed negotiations with respect to SIF projects. I very much hope that the final extenders package will include this and other clarifications. It is expected that, for the convenience of the parties and for environmental safety, facilities producing SIF will typically be located on land leased from a steel company or other owner of a coking operation. Such a lessor will not be treated as having an ownership interest in the SIF facility under the clarification because it leases land and related facilities, sells coal waste sludge or coal feedstock, and/or buys SIF so long as such person's entitlement to rent and/or other net payments is measured by a fixed dollar amount or a fixed dollar amount per ton, or otherwise not determined by reference to the profit or loss of the facility. Similarly, a licensor of technology will not be treated as having an ownership interest in the SIF facility because it is entitled to a royalty and/or other payment that is a fixed amount per ton or otherwise not determined by reference to the profit or loss of the facility. Such arrangements may also cause facilities that produce SIF to operate at a loss before the credit is taken into account. However, it is intended that the occurrence of such a ``pre-tax loss'' will not affect entitlement to this credit, regardless of whether such ``pre-tax loss'' is caused by the terms of the lease, license, supply or sales contracts between the parties. To that end, the bill provides necessary flexibility for varying circumstances of ownership interests and clarifies that the existence of such arrangements will not prevent the equity owner of a facility from receiving tax credits for its sales of SIF. This amendment would provide greater tax certainty to potential investors in SIF projects. SIF is typically produced at facilities that are located on the premises of coke plants that are owned by integrated steel companies that are unrelated to the SIF producers. The SIF production facility is situated on or near conveyor belts that may be leased from the integrated steel company and production of SIF may occur while coal-- and coal blended with petroleum coke--is transported on the conveyor belts. SIF producers may purchase coal from the integrated steel producer, taking title and having risk of loss while such coal is transported on the conveyor belt. The bill provides a safe harbor that establishes that the SIF producer shall be treated as the producer and seller of SIF that it manufactures from coal to which it has taken title. The bill further clarifies that the sale of SIF shall not fail to qualify as a sale to an unrelated party for purposes of the SIF credit solely because the sale is to a party that is also a ground lessor, supplier, and/or customer. Our bill also establishes that SIF may also be made using coal or coal that is mixed with some petroleum coke or other coke feedstock. Such ``pet coke'' has traditionally been used by steel companies/coke operators in a blend with coal as a feedstock for coke. Steel companies also have explored and presently contemplate the use of other coke feedstocks to manufacture SIF. The bill provides that the use of pet coke or other coke feedstocks in the production of SIF does not invalidate or otherwise reduce the credit. The steel industry is still prominent in my district in Pittsburgh and I'm hopeful that SIF projects will expand our domestic energy resources by using what would otherwise be a hazardous waste of the coking process in a fuel product. The availability of the tax credit will attract outside investment to the steel and coke production industries and promote job growth in the domestic steel production industry and in related industries that service the steel and coke production industries. The extension of the SIF credit will spur the investment of millions of dollars that will create hundreds of new jobs--in construction and processing--and maintain other jobs in the domestic steel industry, in Pittsburgh and around the country. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and hope the Senate will extend this credit and make these much needed technical corrections.

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise to honor the memory of my mentor and my dear friend, Congressman Jack Murtha. This is a tough day for all of us in the Pennsylvania delegation. Our State has lost its 800-pound gorilla and our dear, dear friend. Jack Murtha personified the people of western Pennsylvania, tough, hardworking, salt of the Earth. He loved his family. They always came first, his beautiful wife, Joyce, to whom he was married for over 50 years, his three children, his grandchildren. Family always came first to Jack Murtha. He loved his country, and he most especially loved the men and women who wore the uniform of the United States of America. He was their champion. There wasn't any Member in this body who fought harder for those troops than Jack Murtha did. He loved this institution too. I remember he especially was helpful to new Members. When I got elected in 1994, Jack took me under his wing and one day he sat me right back there in the Pennsylvania Corner, right next to his chair, and he said, I am going to give you two pieces of advice. He says, number one, sit here on the floor and learn the rules and the procedure, because if you master the rules and the procedure of the House, someday you're going to get a chance to offer a bill, and the people that understand the rules will always win. He said, secondly, find out what you are passionate about and be the best person you can be in that field. Be the person that other people come to and ask for advice on that issue. I never forgot that advice. Sixteen years later, every day, we still come over to that corner, and those of us who were smart enough would come over there to seek Jack's counsel. He didn't just do it for the members of the Pennsylvania delegation, he did it for anyone who was smart enough to come back there and introduce themselves to Jack and seek his counsel. It didn't matter what their party affiliation was either. Much has been said about Jack's ability to work across the aisle. He truly did. When he chaired the Defense appropriations committee, it didn't matter to him what your party was. What mattered to him is that you had something that was going to be good for the troops and good for the country, and if you had a good idea, Jack was willing to help you turn that idea into reality. When you think about the appropriation bills and how long it takes us sometimes to pass bills and how long that we go sometimes without passing bills and have to throw them in an omnibus at the end of the year, there was always one bill that we never had a problem passing. I can't remember in the 16 years that I have been here in the House of Representatives it ever taking more than 10 minutes to pass the Defense appropriations bill. Jack just had it all worked out from the beginning, and he worked it out with both sides. That was the beauty of it. You know, it was said that when Jack wasn't in the majority anymore and not the chairman of the committee, it was hard to tell who was the chairman of the committee, because Jack and his good friend, Bill Young, they worked together as a team. They were both the Chairs of the committee every year, regardless of what party was in control. It was his dear friend, and it was a pleasure to see those two work. To sit on these opposite ends, we hear so much rancor in America today about the division in our country and the division here in the House of Representatives, how Democrats and Republicans can't work together. These two gentlemen worked together their entire careers. They were an example for the rest of us to follow. Jack Murtha is not with us anymore. It's hard to imagine coming to the Pennsylvania Corner, and I think the toughest thing for all of us this week was to stand in that corner and see that chair empty and know that our friend wasn't coming in. It's going to take us a while for that to sink in that it's really happened, but one thing lives on. Jack would want us to move forward. Jack wouldn't want us to spend a lot of time dwelling about him or how we feel because he is gone. Jack would want us to get back to work. He would want to make sure that we were working for this country and for our districts. He always told every Member that came over there, vote your district first. Regardless of what anybody tells you on this floor, you vote your district. I watched Jack Murtha chase some of the leadership of our party back from Pennsylvania Corner when they were trying to make some of our members not vote their districts. Jack made sure that that didn't happen. Jack, we're going to miss you. You've been a great teacher. To those of us in the Pennsylvania delegation, you were a great friend, to many of us a father figure. We stand here today to honor your memory and to pledge to you that we will continue to work hard in your memory and make sure that the people of western Pennsylvania and the great State of Pennsylvania continue the tradition that you set for all of us, the example that you set for this delegation. To his family, our deepest sympathies. Jack Murtha, Godspeed, God bless.

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to inform my colleagues of an upcoming landmark event in Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District-- the 140th anniversary of Chatham University, one of the oldest women's colleges in the country. On December 11, 1869, the Pennsylvania Female College was founded in the City of Pittsburgh by the Reverend William Trimble Beatty, the founder and pastor of the Shady Side Presbyterian Church. The college was originally housed in the Berry mansion on Woodland Road in Pittsburgh's Shadyside neighborhood. The college's original mission was to provide educational opportunities for women of comparable quality to those available at that time at the best colleges for men. Chatham University is one of the outstanding institutions of higher learning that call the city of Pittsburgh home. For the past 140 years, this school has been committed to providing a high-quality education to young women. Chatham's motto is ``Filiae nostrae sicut antarii lapides''--``That our daughters may be as cornerstones, polished after the similitude of a palace''--and for well over a century, the faculty and staff of this respected institution have labored hard to live up to that standard. Graduates have gone on to leadership roles in business, government, and academia locally and across the country. Chatham's most famous graduate so far is probably Rachel Carson, of the class of 1929--the individual almost single-handedly responsible for the birth of the environmental movement in this country. Over the last 140 years, a number of traditions have become an important part of the school's identity--the Opening Convocation, the passing of the class colors from graduating seniors to the incoming first years, the song contest, May Day activities, and the Closing Convocation, to name a few. Needless to say, many alumnae retain treasured memories of these traditions for the rest of their lives--and while many wonderful traditions have been established and preserved, the school has changed and grown as well. In 1890, the Pennsylvania Female College was renamed the Pennsylvania College for Women. Over the years, the student body grew and the school expanded into the buildings and grounds of several adjacent mansions, including those previously owned by Andrew Mellon, Edward Stanton Fickes, James Rea, and George M. Laughlin, Jr. In 1955, the Pennsylvania College for Women was renamed Chatham College, in honor of William Pitt, the Elder--the first Earl of Chatham, the statesman who led Great Britain to victory in the Seven Years' War, and the man for whom Pittsburgh was named. In 1992, Dr. Esther Barazzone became the school's 16th President, and under her leadership, the school has undergone substantial growth. New construction was undertaken, coeducational graduate programs were established, and the school's endowment was increased substantially. On April 23, 2007, the school was granted university status by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and it officially changed its name to Chatham University a year later on May 1st, 2008. Today, the university is home to three colleges. Chatham College for Women continues the school's original mission of providing a high- quality undergraduate education for women. The College for Continuing and Professional Studies offers a number of certificate, masters, and doctoral programs, and on-line degree programs were begun in 2005. The College for Graduate Studies offers masters' and doctoral programs for both women and men in more than 20 fields, including art, architecture, business, health sciences, teaching, and creative writing. In 2007, Chatham University's Creative Writing M.F.A. program was singled out by The Atlantic Monthly as one of the top five innovative and unique programs in the country. Today, Chatham has more than 2,200 students enrolled. The university is home to several outreach centers as well, including the Center for Women's Entrepreneurship, the Pennsylvania Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy, the Rachel Carson Institute, and the Pittsburgh Teachers Institute. In 2008, Chatham University expanded dramatically to accommodate the growth in a number of academic programs. On May 1, 2008, the Eden Hall Foundation gave Chatham University the Eden Hall Farm in Gibsonia, a suburban municipality near the city of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County. This 400-acre farm had been the summer home of philanthropist and H.J. Heinz Company Vice President Sebastian Mueller in the early 1900s. At Mr. Mueller's death in 1938, his entire estate, including Eden Hall Farm, was committed in his will to benefiting women. For the next 70 years, it was operated as a vacation and respite destination for the H.J. Heinz Company's working women. The Eden Hall Foundation was established in 1983 to further Mr. Mueller's goals of supporting other charitable efforts. Chatham University's Eden Hall Farm Campus now is home to a number of educational, environmental, women's leadership, and community programs. It also provides a convenient campus for serving Chatham University certificate and degree program students who live in the suburban communities north of Pittsburgh as well as young participants in the school's Summer Music and Arts Day Camp. In September of 2008, Chatham purchased a building in Pittsburgh's East Liberty neighborhood to hold its architecture and health science programs. The new facility is less than a mile from the university's main campus in nearby Shady Side. Establishment of this new facility, named Chatham Eastside, both benefited from and contributed to community efforts to redevelop and revitalize East Liberty. Madam Speaker, Chatham University has grown from a college of 100 undergraduate students 140 years ago to a university with more than 2,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students today. It is a highly respected institution of higher learning that has faithfully carried out its mission of educating young women and promoting women's leadership for nearly 150 years. I want to congratulate the faculty, staff, students, alumnae, and friends and supporters of Chatham University on the 140th anniversary of its founding, to express the appreciation and deep respect that the residents of Pennsylvania have for this venerable local institution, and to wish Chatham University continued success in the years to come.

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are trying to scare our seniors. They are telling tall tales, saying that passing health care reform will destroy Medicare. For Americans watching this debate, I want to make this clear: This bill will strengthen Medicare. My good friend from Michigan, John Dingell, helped write the law that created Medicare, and he authored this health care reform bill we will vote on today. This bill protects seniors and gives all Americans access to quality, affordable health insurance. This bill will start to close the Medicare prescription drug doughnut hole and ban insurance companies from dropping people for having the audacity to get sick. This bill makes sure that preventive services are free to seniors in Medicare and all Americans with insurance. This bill extends the Medicare's solvency by at least 5 years, it pays for itself and it will reduce the national debt. Finally, this bill is endorsed by doctors, nurses, patients, the Autism Society of America and the AARP.

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Well, I guess all day we're going to hear from the party of ``no,'' no health care plan, no ideas for America. To the people who have lost their jobs and can't get health insurance because the insurance companies said, No, you have a preexisting condition, they say ``no.'' Well, our party has an answer for that. Our health care plan will stop that. For people in this country who have filed bankruptcy because insurance companies stopped paying on their chronic conditions, this party over here says ``no.'' Well, Democrats say ``yes.'' Our health care bill will cure that. For our senior citizens who need help with their drugs and closing the doughnut hole, the party of ``no'' doesn't have a plan. This health care bill will help close the doughnut hole. So I say to my friends over there, the negative nabobs of negativity, ``no'' is not a solution for America. Democrats have a plan that will cover all Americans and provide health care and reform this insurance industry that has abused so many people in this country.

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce the Pet Safety and Protection Act--legislation that I believe is essential to protect family pets, bring our nation's research policies into the 21st century, and end the unnecessary and illegal abuse of cats and dogs that's widespread in the Class B dealer system, which provides a number of animals to biomedical research labs. Class B dealers are licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to acquire animals from ``random sources,'' including individuals who claim to have bred and raised the animals, but oftentimes haven't actually done so. Then the dogs and cats are sold to labs across the country that conduct important biomedical research. Most scientists agree that animals with certain genetic characteristics or medical conditions are necessary for some types of medical research. So-called random sources are often the best sources for such animals. Unfortunately, the Class B dealer system that was set up to address this need has been plagued by widespread and flagrant violations of the Animal Welfare Act--including complaints that family pets have been swept up and sent to labs and used in biomedical research. While USDA has tried to monitor Class B dealers and make sure these laws are followed, it simply has never had the resources to ensure the dealers' compliance. USDA's efforts, have, however, resulted in a number of investigations that forced many bad dealers out of the business. Today, 7 of the 10 remaining licensed Class B dealers are being investigated for alleged violations of the Animal Welfare Act. An additional dealer has had his license suspended for 5 years. That record should give anyone an idea of the magnitude of the problems that exist in the current Class B dealer program. If anyone still doubts the need for action, I urge them to watch a 2006 HB0 program documenting in graphic, disturbing detail the inhumane and illegal treatment of animals by Class B dealers. This remarkable documentary contains video footage shot undercover in a Class B dealer's facility. Among the abuses documented in this film are overcrowded cages, rotten food, food contaminated with feces, frozen drinking water, dogs with serious untreated injuries and diseases, and live dogs caged with the carcasses of dead dogs. This investigation also documented the beating, strangulation, and shooting of dogs by a Class B dealer. I have been working for a number of years to pass legislation that would change the way animals with random source characteristics are acquired for biomedical research. This legislation, the Pet Safety and Protection Act, would prohibit the sale of dogs and cats by Class B dealers for experimentation. Its goal is to stop the illegal supply of dogs and cats to laboratories--as was intended when the Animal Welfare Act was first adopted by Congress in 1966. The Pet Safety and Protection Act also provides an alternative to Class B dealers for acquiring such animals. Research labs could acquire them from Class A dealers, from certain publicly owned and operated animal pounds, and through donations from people who have owned the animal for at least a year. I believe that this law would end the abuses running rampant in the Class B dealer system and make the process for acquiring animals necessary for medical research far more humane. This legislation has the strong support of the Animal Welfare Institute and the Humane Society of the United States. In previous years, this bill has been derailed by concerns that it might prevent or delay life-saving biomedical research. Consequently, the 110th Congress directed the National Academies to examine the issue and determine whether the Class B dealer system should be continued. Earlier this summer, the National Academies released its report on the Class B dealer system. The National Academies concluded that: Although random source dogs and cats represent a very small percentage of animals used in biomedical research, this small number is not commensurate with their potential value, and it is desirable to assure continued access to animals with random source qualities. This access can be accomplished with existing alternative mechanisms other than Class B dealers and can be assured with additional effort. The Committee thus determined that Class B dealers are not necessary for supplying dogs and cats for NIH-funded research. I believe that the National Academies study puts to rest any remaining concerns about the desirability of eliminating the Class B dealer system. In closing, Madam Speaker, let me reiterate my belief that enactment of the Pet Safety and Protection Act is necessary to end the inhumane and illegal treatment of animals acquired and sold by Class B dealers, protect families' pets from being used for biomedical research without their permission, and achieve those goals without hindering essential biomedical research. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this long overdue legislation.

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I rise to observe the 40th anniversary of Focus On Renewal, a community service organization serving the municipalities of Stowe Township and McKees Rocks in Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District. Forty years ago, Father Don Fisher and Sister Paulette Honeygosky laid the foundation for Focus On Renewal. Together, they envisioned an organization made up of individuals who believed that every person must be treated with dignity. In 1975, Father Regis Ryan assumed the leadership at Focus On Renewal. He was amazed by all the service activities that had been initiated during the first six years of Focus On Renewal. For instance, a pediatric health center had opened in the basement of a storefront at 610 Chartiers Avenue. Within that small facility, lunch was served five days a week; a dental hygienist provided preventive oral care; books were acquired and distributed as a rudimentary library was forming; crisis care needs were addressed on a daily basis; community meetings were called; and one simple, donated van was used to transport elderly folks to medical appointments. Initially, Father Ryan believed he would remain only a few years, but everyone is glad that didn't happen. Instead, he has become known in the Sto-Rox community as a loving, generous and respectful leader. What started as a small storefront serving the social service and health needs of the community has become a major non-profit agency. Today, Focus On Renewal operates more than a dozen programs from various sites throughout Allegheny County, providing comprehensive health services, early childhood and adult education programs, transportation services, a library, an arts center, a credit union, employment and training classes, and a broad range of social services. Countless members of staff, boards, administration and volunteers have spent the last 40 years creating and fostering the community of care into which Focus On Renewal has evolved. Beyond the many human services, which have touched thousands of lives, Focus On Renewal has offered employment to hundreds of men and women, some of whom have served for more than 30 years. Focus On Renewal is like the weaving of a great patchwork quilt, bits and pieces old and new, held together with common threads, worked by many hands, bordered with love, and blanketing the community with its warmth. I want to thank Father Ryan and everyone at Focus On Renewal for the important services they have provided the Sto-Rox community over the last 40 years and wish them well as they continue to serve this community in the same exemplary fashion in the coming years.

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I rise to observe the 85th anniversary of the Church of the Nativity of the Theokotos, a Serbian Orthodox Church in Clairton, Pennsylvania. For those of us who may be unfamiliar with Orthodox Christianity, Theokotos is Greek for ``God-Bearer'' or ``one who gives birth to God,'' and it is the Greek title for Mary, the mother of Jesus. Consequently, the Church of the Nativity of the Theokotos is also sometimes referred to as St. Mary's Serbian Orthodox Church. Serbs began settling in southwestern Pennsylvania in large numbers about 100 years ago. Until they obtained their own church, the Serbs in Clairton attended services as the Serbian Orthodox Church in McKeesport. But once the number of Serbian families in Clairton exceeded 40, they established their own parish and began working to establish their own church. In 1924, the nascent congregation purchased a Presbyterian church, and moved it to its current location in the 500 block of Third Street in Clairton. Work on the church was completed and it was consecrated 2 years later. Soon Serbian Orthodox Christians from the nearly communities of Elizabeth, Monongahela, and further up the Monongahela River came to worship at the church and eventually the parish came to include these communities as well. The church hall was substantially expanded in 1941, and in 1945, the parish purchased a rectory across the street. On September 19, the congregation will celebrate the 85th anniversary of the church and the Slava celebration, or feast day of their patron saint, with a Holy Hierarchical Divine Liturgy at 10 am. This will be a bittersweet occasion as it will be the last such celebration at the Church of the Nativity of the Theokotos. The congregation has shrunken from 600 people 50 years ago to less than 50 today, making it the smallest parish in the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Eastern America. The church is closing after the last liturgy there on Sunday, September 27, 2009, bringing to a close nearly a century of serving as a place of worship and community fixture for the Serbian Orthodox faithful in Clairton and the surrounding communities. I want to recognize this occasion by congratulating the congregation and friends of the Church of the Nativity of the Theokotos on 85 years of the Serbian Orthodox community of the Mon Valley.

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Chairman, I rise to oppose the amendment.

Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Chairman, I would like to yield any remaining time to our friend and colleague from Ohio, Mr. Ryan.

Mr. DOYLE. The goal of this project is to promote partnerships between various biotech industries and encourage growth in biosciences. Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse is a private-public partnership that provides entrepreneurial life science enterprises in Pittsburgh and western Pennsylvania with the resources and tools they need to make global advances in research and patient care. Both Pittsburgh and Cleveland are hubs of innovation and entrepreneurship. There are currently 800 companies in the biosciences sector employing more than 25,000 people in this tech belt region. This project will foster growth in the biotech sector by linking companies between the two cities. Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse has worked with companies in over 20 counties throughout western Pennsylvania since its inception in 2001. Due to their extraordinary work, 14.5 million has been committed in over 60 companies which have leveraged over $300 million in additional funding from venture capitalists and angel investors. 228 companies have been launched or grown using Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse services. Over 300 jobs have been created or retained in the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse-invested companies. The Tech Belt Biosciences Initiative takes these activities to the next level by creating, with its counterpart in Cleveland, an organization called BioEnterprise. Together, Pittsburgh and Cleveland pull in $1 billion in combined NIH research dollars which can spin off hundreds of companies and, in turn, create jobs. The Tech Belt Biosciences Initiative is designed to maximize this tremendous opportunity to improve public health, generate economic growth in a region in need of jobs, and ultimately make the region an international destination for biosciences and high-tech innovation. Promoting such growth and development not only benefits the State of Ohio, but the State of Pennsylvania and the entire country as a whole. It's now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to my friend from Pittsburgh (Mr. Altmire).

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. For those industries that invest and become more efficient, we give them more rewards. We encourage efficiency in our markets at the same time, giving them a level playing field with their competitors. We do the same thing in the electricity markets. Every one of my constituents get their electricity from coal. We protect those ratepayers. Thirty-five percent of the allocations in this bill go towards protecting residential, commercial and industrial ratepayers. This is not a job loser. This is not a rate hike for consumers; $173 a year for the average family in America as a result of this bill. That's a small price to pay for a cleaner planet and more jobs for America.

Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, today we have a historic opportunity to create thousands of clean-energy jobs, to secure this country's energy future, and to give our kids and grandkids a brighter, cleaner planet. Madam Speaker, we do that while protecting our basic industries like steel, aluminum, cement, and our ratepayers, both residential, commercial and industrial. I was proud to work on this committee with my friend and colleague Jay Inslee to develop a formula that looks at our carbon intensive industries like steel, that have trade pressures, and level the playing field for them so that we don't lose jobs. This bill wasn't going to cause any jobs to be lost. This is a job-creating bill, and you don't need to take my word for it. I have a letter from the international president of the steelworkers union--people whose very jobs would be on the line if we didn't get this right--who endorses this bill, who says this bill will create more jobs for steelworkers in Pittsburgh. And we do that by rewarding efficiencies. We say to our carbon- intensive industries, Be average in your sector. We will make you whole for the cost of this program.

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Chairman, as you know, last night was the 48th annual Roll Call congressional baseball game. The real winners last night were the Washington Boys & Girls Club and the Washington Literacy Council, as we were able to raise over $100,000 for those charities. Mr. Chairman, it's been 9 long years since the coveted Roll Call trophy was able to sit on this desk. And I want to, first of all, offer my congratulations to our Republican teammates. John Shimkus pitched a fantastic game. He's a real gamer. They fought long and hard, but this year was our year. I'm happy to announce that the Democrats won the game 15-10. Joe Baca, at the age of 62, pitched a complete game, gave up just eight hits, and Bart Stupak was tremendous in the field, and Tim Bishop was tremendous at the bat. I want to congratulate and thank all of the players on the Democratic team for their hard work and this accomplishment. And I want to yield the floor to my good friend, Joe Barton.

Mr. DOYLE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Announcement by the Chair

Mr. DOYLE. If we get two more players, we're going to play the Nationals next year.

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the artistic ability of a young woman from my Congressional District, Steph Goodrow of West Mifflin Area High School. Ms. Goodrow is the winner of the 2009 14th Congressional District of Pennsylvania's High School Art Competition, ``An Artistic Discovery.'' Ms. Goodrow's artwork, a chalk, pastel, and charcoal composition entitled ``A Walk,'' was selected from a number of outstanding entries to this year's competition. In fact, fifty-five works from twelve different schools in Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District were submitted to our panel of respected local artists. It's a real tribute to her skill and vision that her work was chosen as the winner of this year's competition. I am certain that Ms. Goodrow's family is proud of her artistic talents and this impressive accomplishment. Ms. Goodrow's artwork will represent the 14th Congressional District of Pennsylvania in the national exhibit of high school students' artwork that will be displayed in the United States Capitol over the coming year. I encourage my colleagues as well as any visitor to Capitol Hill to view Ms. Goodrow's artwork, along with the winning entries from the high school art contests held in other Congressional Districts, that will be on display in the Capitol tunnel. It is amazing to walk through this corridor and see the interpretation of life through the eyes of these young artists from all across our country. I would like to recognize all of the participants in this year's 14th Congressional District High School Art Competition, ``An Artistic Discovery:'' from Brashear High School, Nour Qutyan; from the Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, Sarah Axtell, George Cessna, Dana Laskowski, and Nicolette Santercangelo; from Carlynton High School, Christina Chiccitt; from Carrick High School, Jessica Dietz, Kristin May, Kaci Scheidter, and Mandy Tice; from Montour High School, Dominique Dabecco, Diane Elbel, and Hilary Wirkowski; from Northgate High School, Linzie Bussard, Crystal Flora, Alicia Patak, and James Silay; from Penn Hills High School, Julian McClain Hubbard, Carly Otte, Chloe Regan, Lauren Tucci, Sidney Turba, and Chloe Weiss; from South Allegheny High School, Angelia Bianchi- Faiello, Rhett Bilec, Bre Graham, Hollah Brielle Graham, Mollie K. Kish, and Brett Nolfi; from Taylor-Allderdice High School, Shelby Gitchel, Joseph Godovshik, Jasmine Manguel, Juan Melena-Robles, Casey Snyder, and Yajie Yang; from West Mifflin Area High School, Steph Goodrow, Elyse M. Larouere, Rachel Lynn Playso, and James Vautier; from the Wilson Christian Academy, Elora Boyd; and from Woodland Hills High School, Candace Davis, Alessandra DeChancie, Elijah Johnson, Sarah Morgan, Maddy Moyta, and Sara Savage. I would like to thank these impressive young artists for allowing us to share and celebrate their talents, imagination, and creativity. The efforts of these students in expressing themselves in a powerful and positive manner are no less than spectacular. I hope that all of these individuals continue to utilize their artistic talents, and I wish them all the best of luck in their future endeavors.

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Clairton Bears on a stellar high school football season. For the first time in their school's history, the Bears reached the State championship game. This accomplishment topped an undefeated regular season and a WPIAL title. These great accomplishments were the result of fantastic coaching and consistently outstanding performances by the team's staff and players. The staff consisted of head coach Tom Nola and assistant coaches Mike LeDonne, Demonje Rosser, Remondo Williams, Tim Borkowski, John DeMarco, Tony St. Angelo, Tony Ferrare, and Wayne Wade. The players consisted of 9 seniors--Malcolm Ford, Troy Webb, Andrew Currington, CJ Hammonds, Kailon Lyons, Eyan Johnson, Lance Meade, David Spence, and Taylor Wright as well as underclassmen Kevin Weatherspoon, Deontae Howard, Josh Page, Brandon Small, Eddie Ball, Remondo Williams, Desimon Green, Trenton Coles, Julian McLean, Bishop Neal, Geron Johnson, Devante Dockery, Kevin Poindexter, Devante Gardlock, Marcus Nash, Antwon Thompson, Brian Boyd, Carvan Thompson, Donzel Daniels, Chanze James, Keith Craven, Devonte Doss, Marquis Norris, Shawn Thomas, Ezekial Williams, and Wesley Sutton. The hard work, dedication, and teamwork these young men displayed throughout the season produced a once in a lifetime opportunity for the graduating seniors to play in the big game before leaving their high school. Pittsburgh once again has lived up to its name as the ``City of Champions'' producing a great team like the Clairton Bears. I wish the Bears and their program success in the seasons to follow and congratulate them once again on a fantastic season.

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a Pittsburgh resident and a constituent of mine, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Moore, Jr. Lieutenant Colonel Moore is retiring from the United States Army after an illustrious 22-year career protecting the safety and freedom of our great nation. His career began while attending college at the University of Indiana of Pennsylvania, where he was enlisted in the Army Reserves as a wheeled vehicle mechanic while getting his degree in criminology. Upon graduation, he received his first active duty assignment with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, stationed in Amberg, Germany. He was quickly assigned to a number of leadership positions while stationed there, including M1 Abrams tank platoon leader, scout platoon leader, support platoon leader, and executive officer. The experiences he acquired in his first active duty assignment included the field that he would eventually devote the majority of his career to--military intelligence. Colonel Moore helped provide valuable intelligence to our service men and women across the globe to ensure they completed their missions efficiently and safely. He served the intelligence community as Detachment L commander for the Washington field office during Operation Desert Storm, Chief of the Military Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Team, Product Manager for Information Warfare within Program Executive Office Intelligence, and as the Army's Senior Systems Coordinator for Information Operations. Lieutenant Colonel Moore has received countless awards and decorations from his years of service. These include, but are by no means limited to, the Legion of Merit, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, The Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and The Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster. Albert Einstein put it perfectly when he said ``only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.'' Lieutenant Colonel Moore has exemplified a life lived in the service of others. I want to commend Lieutenant Colonel Moore and thank him for his long and honorable service to our country. I wish him a happy retirement and many years of joy with his family and friends.

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to an upcoming expression of caring and activism. Tomorrow, March 20, would have been Fred Rogers' 81st birthday. It also marks the second annual ``Won't You Be My Neighbor Day,'' a day each year dedicated to furthering the efforts of Pittsburgh native Fred Rogers, known to many as Mr. Rogers from the long-running TV show ``Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.'' Fred Rogers spent most of his adult life nurturing the development of self-assured, well-rounded, and caring young people. Family Communications, Incorporated, the nonprofit organization founded by Fred Rogers in 1971, is asking all Americans to put on their favorite sweater tomorrow and undertake some act of neighborliness or caring--anything from striking up a friendly conversation with your neighbor to helping out in your neighborhood, so long as it helps create closer communities and exemplifies what it really means to be a good neighbor. I hope my colleagues and people across the country will join me in honoring Fred Rogers' remarkable life's work by observing ``Won't You Be My Neighbor Day'' tomorrow.

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Speaker, I would just say to my good friend from Green Bay, I feel your pain. I understand what it's like to be on the losing end. You know, Pittsburgh went through 40 years of teams that didn't have winning records, so we understand how it feels to be a Green Bay fan.

Mr. DOYLE. I normally don't yield to people from cities that have sore losers. But my good friend, Mr. Stupak, who represents the Green Bay Packers, has asked for some time to dispute the resolution. And I guess in the spirit of camaraderie, I will yield him some time.

Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Speaker, I was hoping that I would get 6 minutes, 1 minute for each Super Bowl. But we will settle for 5. I can't tell you how courageous it is to hear my good friend and colleague, Mr. Lynch, a New England Patriot fan, have to stand up here on the House floor and say such wonderful things about the Pittsburgh Steelers. I'm sure this is going to hurt him back home in his district. And Steve, I appreciate those gracious words. This was a gritty team. In the beginning of the season, not too many people picked the Pittsburgh Steelers to be in the Super Bowl. We were said to have the toughest schedule in the NFL. And there was some talk that we might not even win our division. Cleveland was seen as the up- and-coming team in our division, and with the schedule, things just didn't look like they were going to fall in place with the Steelers. We had a young coach, Mike Tomlin, 36 years old. He has only been head coach for a couple of years. And Pittsburgh just wasn't one of the teams mentioned when you talked about who is going be in the Super Bowl. But this was a gritty team, emblematic of the people they play for, the people of the city of Pittsburgh. And they finished the season with a 12-4 record. When you look at the four toughest schedules in the NFL, three of those four teams didn't finish with winning records. Only one did, the Pittsburgh Steelers. And they did it behind the Nation's best defense, the number one defense in the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers. We went on to beat the San Diego Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens to get into the Super Bowl. And then one of the most exciting games I have ever seen in my lifetime, and I have watched lots of Steeler football, and I want to compliment the Arizona Cardinals, that team played a great game. I don't think many people mentioned the Arizona Cardinals when it came to who was going to be in the Super Bowl either. And they deserve a lot of credit for the way they played that game and how hard they fought. Pittsburgh really dominated them for quite some time, and they came back in the fourth quarter. And for a while, it looked like we didn't know what hit us. But then, as Ben Roethlisberger has done 18 other times in his career, he took the Steelers down on a final drive to win the ball game with just 35 seconds left as Santonio Holmes made a catch that was ballerina like in the way he was able to keep his two feet in bounds. And when we first saw it on television, it looked like he was out of bounds. But the replay clearly showed that he had caught that ball. So Pittsburgh now has been in seven Super Bowls. We have won six of them. As someone who has been born and raised in Pittsburgh, my grandparents, when they came from Ireland and Italy, they ended up in the little town of Pittsburgh. We've been there ever since. I can tell you that this is a blue collar team, a team that plays with grit, determination and character. And that character is emblematic of the ownership of the Steelers, the Rooney family. There isn't a better family in football. And the Steelers played because of the way the Rooney family has set the standard for that. We are privileged in the House of Representatives to have the grandson of the founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers here, and one of my chief cosponsors of the bill. So along with the entire Pennsylvania delegation, my colleagues, Tim Murphy and Jason Altmire, we want to congratulate the Rooney family. We want to congratulate the people of the city of Pittsburgh. This team epitomizes the tough, resilient spirit of the city of Pittsburgh in southwestern Pennsylvania. I'm proud to represent these folks. And I hope my colleagues will join me in recognizing six-time Super Bowl champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers, on the occasion of this latest victory. Mr. Speaker, do I have any time left?

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6445, which will provide important relief to veterans who are catastrophically disabled. I would like to mention that this bill also contains legislation that I originally introduced as a freestanding bill--H.R. 6114, the Simplifying and Updating National Standards to Encourage Testing of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Act of 2008--or the SUNSET Act. I introduced this legislation several months ago to modernize the HIV testing policies of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The current HIV testing policies used by the VA were mandated in the Veterans Benefits and Services Act of 1988. These policies are now 20 years old, and they fail to reflect everything we've learned about HIV testing and treatment over the last two decades. Twenty years ago, it took a long time for patients and health care providers to get the results of HIV tests. Today, safe non-invasive tests are available that can provide reliable results in only 20 minutes. Moreover, under the current testing policies, half of all HIV- positive veterans in the VA health care system don't get diagnosed until they've already suffered significant damage to their immune systems. Many of these veterans are already receiving health care services through the VA--diagnosing these veterans earlier would enable the VA to provide them with medical care that could extend their life expectancy and improve their quality of life. Consequently, I believe that the VA should adopt a more modern policy on HIV/AIDS testing, including the testing of all incoming patients for HIV/AIDS unless a patient specifically opts out. The VA wants to adopt such policies--while maintaining its counseling and data privacy policies--but since the VA's HIV testing policies are mandated by law, Congress must enact a new law to change them. That's why I introduced the Simplifying and Updating National Standards to Encourage Testing of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Act of 2008. This legislation would simply repeal the section of the 1988 law that set out the HIV testing policy the VA must use. This would allow the VA to adopt up-to-date policies that would improve the health care provided to veterans with HIV/AIDS. I want to thank my friends and former colleagues on the Veterans Committee, Chairman Filner and Chairman Michaud, for supporting the SUNSET Act and moving it expeditiously through the Committee. I'm also grateful to my friend Representative Cazayoux for his eagerness to include this provision in his bill. H.R. 6445 deserves our consideration and swift enactment into law with or without the SUNSET Act, but this bill, which includes the SUNSET Act as well, will do even more to help some of our most afflicted veterans. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. DOYLE

Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to correct the misinformation about autism that shock jock Michael Savage spread on his syndicated radio show last week. Mr. Savage claimed that many diagnosed cases of autism were fraudulent, and that, ``In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut out the act. They don't have a father around to tell them, `Don't act like a moron.' '' Madam Speaker, I've known a number of families dealing with autism over the years, and I can tell you unequivocally that none of the children with autism I've met fit that deplorable description. But don't take my word for it. There have been decades of peer- reviewed, scientific research on autism, and the evidence is clear. Autism spectrum disorders are real, and they affect over 1 million Americans today. Mr. Speaker, I suggest, if Mr. Savage wants to find someone acting like a moron, he should simply look in the mirror.