Jimmy Duncan

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I would like to voice my very strong support for H.R. 3218. H.R. 3218 designates Interstate Route 395 in Baltimore, Maryland, as ``Cal Ripken Way.'' Cal Ripken, Jr. is a native son of Havre de Grace, Maryland, in Harford County, about 35 miles northeast of Baltimore. Cal Ripken, also known as ``Iron Man,'' is best known for his record-shattering streak of playing 2,632 straight games for the American League's Baltimore Orioles over 17 years, from May 1982, through September 1998. An unbelievable record. He retired from Major League Baseball in October 2001, after playing 21 straight years for the Orioles, between 1981 and 2001. On September 6, 1995, Cal Ripken, Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games played, a record that had stood for 57 years. On that historic night at Camden Yards, Ripken not only broke the record but also hit a home run in the fourth inning of that game. His father, Cal Ripken, Sr., was a former baseball player, coach, and scout for the Orioles. In 1987 and 1988, Cal Ripken, Sr. managed the Orioles, and both Cal Ripken, Jr. and his brother Billy played for the team that year, a first in baseball history. Since leaving the game in 2001, Cal Ripken has dedicated his life and his work to youth. He established the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, which uses baseball- and softball-themed programs to help instill leadership qualities, a strong work ethic, sportsmanship, and healthy habits. He also built the Ripken Youth Baseball Academy, the largest baseball academy in the United States, where thousands of young people learn the finer points of baseball and deepen their love for playing it. He served as the first commissioner of the White House T-Ball initiative for President George Bush from 2001 to 2004. And on July 29, 2007, Cal Ripken was fittingly inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame. When I was growing up, Madam Speaker, I served 5\1/2\ years as a batboy for the Knoxville Smokies baseball team. I served other seasons as ball chaser, scoreboard operator, clubhouse boy. In my freshman year at the University of Tennessee, I served as a public address announcer. I grew up in minor league baseball. My father gave Earl Weaver his first managerial job in Knoxville, managing the Knoxville Smokies in 1956, and we became a farm club of the Baltimore Orioles. People who later played with Cal Ripken or who he knew through the Orioles like Milt Pappas, Jerry Walker, Ron Hansen, Willie Tasby, Mike Cuellar, Dave Nicholson, and many other players who later played for the Orioles played in Knoxville. Baseball has meant a lot to me and my family through the years, and it is a real honor and privilege for me to stand here before you today and announce my support for this very appropriate legislation to honor a truly great American, Cal Ripken, Jr. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN. Madam Speaker, I will just close by saying that Cal Ripken is certainly a throwback to the old days in which little boys could look up to major league baseball players as real heroes and role models in their lives, and I can't adequately express my great admiration for Cal Ripken. I urge support for this legislation. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for giving me this time. I actually came to the floor to speak on other legislation, but when I realized that this bill was up, I wanted to at least make a couple of comments about it. I have the privilege of serving as the ranking member on the Highways and Transit Subcommittee. Prior to that, or a few years ago, I served for 6 years as chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee. The statistics, or the comparison between aviation and safety on our highways, is just staggering. Unfortunately, we have more people killed in 3\1/2\ months on our Nation's highways than we have had killed in all U.S. aviation accidents combined since the Wright brothers' flight in 1903. But more importantly I want to commend the authors of this legislation, because we need to do everything we can to call attention to the record of teen drivers and raise the awareness of teenagers as to how dangerous our Nation's highways can be. According to the most recent statistics by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, our safest drivers, contrary to what a lot of people believe, are those 75 and over. The second safest group of drivers are those 65 to 74. The 75 and over age group has 2.5 accidents per 10,000 drivers. That compares to the 16-to-20 group which has 13.3 percent per 10,000 drivers. It's an amazing statistic as to how dangerous teenage driving is and how safe our older drivers are. I just wanted to say that I rise in strong support of this resolution on Teen Driver Safety Week.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida, Ranking Member Mica, for yielding me this time. I rise in strong support of this bill, offered by our distinguished chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, my good friend (Mr. Oberstar), along with my good friend (Mr. Mica). Our condolences, in fact the condolences of the entire Nation, go out to the people of Minnesota who were affected by this terrible tragedy. And I want to recognize Mr. Oberstar's leadership and his efforts to provide an immediate response to this incident. Less than 18 hours after the I-35W bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River, Mr. Oberstar introduced this bill, H.R. 3311. This bill authorizes funding to help the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area get back on its feet. It authorizes $250 million from the Federal Highway Administration's Emergency Relief Program for the repair and reconstruction of the I-35W bridge that collapsed Wednesday night. Yesterday, the Secretary of Transportation, Mary Peters, went to Minneapolis, visited the site, and immediately made available $5 million to pay for traffic-flow adjustments and debris removal associated with this disaster. But this bill takes the first step in providing funding to repair and rebuild this bridge. While we will not know for several months the final cost to repair and rebuild the I-35W bridge, this bill demonstrates the House's support and certainly the strong commitment from our committee to rebuild this bridge and restore some sense of normalcy to the Minneapolis-St. Paul region. Mr. Speaker, there was a column in The Washington Post today that repeated some of the statistics you have just heard from the gentleman from Georgia about the number of deficient bridges, but this columnist also said this: ``It's unrealistic to think this disaster is going to spur the Nation to seriously address all its infrastructure problems. We'll talk about the issue for a while, then go out and buy another TV. But we can, and should, at least do a more rigorous inventory and identify the structures that pose the most peril. Yes, it's boring stuff to even think about. But just look at the alternative.'' Those are very true words, Mr. Speaker, and I pledge the support of our subcommittee and to work with all the leadership on our committee to not do what this columnist has said and just forget about this or move on to something else too quickly. We owe that to the people of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from Florida, the ranking member, for yielding me this time; and I thank him for giving me the privilege of serving as the ranking member of the Highway and Transit Subcommittee. It is a pleasure to work with him and Chairman Oberstar and with my good friend, Chairman Peter DeFazio, on the Highway and Transit Subcommittee. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3248 make technical corrections to the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users, or what we typically call SAFETEA-LU. This is the fourth time we have worked to finalize these technical corrections to SAFETEA-LU. During the 109th Congress, the House passed H.R. 5689, a bill to make technical corrections to SAFETEA-LU in June, 2006. During the summer and fall of 2006, we worked with the Senate to create the bipartisan H.R. 6233, which was a very similar product to the bill that we passed at the beginning of this Congress. Now we are trying again; and hopefully this bill, H.R. 3248, will go to the President for his signature of this very necessary bill. As my colleagues have said, this bill makes numerous technical corrections to the Federal Surface Transportation Programs authorized by SAFETEA-LU. The technical corrections included in this bill have been identified by the Department of Transportation and State DOTs and are mostly of a conforming nature or to correct drafting errors. The most important correction we are making is to strengthen the Federal Highway Research Program by ensuring the continuation of the legacy research programs carried out by the Department of Transportation. This research hopefully will lead to not only safer highways but also less congestion, which is very, very important to this Nation, that we work on that. The largest section of this bill is section 105, which makes changes to almost 350 of the high-priority projects in section 1702 of SAFETEA- LU. These changes address ``broken'' surface transportation projects, clarifying recipients and increasing certain project funding levels and decreasing others to achieve budget neutrality. I especially appreciate the fact that Chairman Oberstar and Ranking Member Mica have allowed me to put in language that will allow the city of Knoxville to go forward with a very important transit center project; and, also, I am very pleased that we are rearranging some funding so that the very small town of Calhoun, Tennessee, in my district, can pave some roads. This is very, very important to them. So often we leave out the small towns in rural areas or they don't get nearly as much attention and funding as the big cities do. This is a very good bill, and I urge the support of all of my colleagues. I think it is one that will pass with total bipartisan support.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Water Resources Development Act, one of the most important bills we will take up in this Congress and I think certainly one of the most important environmental bills; and I thank my good friend, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) for yielding me this time. This bill contains flood control projects, environmental restoration projects, wastewater system improvements, water projects all over the country in rural areas, small towns, medium-size cities and large cities. And in many of these areas, our water systems are 50 or 75 or even 100 years old and are in desperate need for work and improvement and, many times, new construction. I had the privilege, as my friend from South Carolina (Mr. Brown) mentioned, of serving as chairman of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee for 6 years; and during that time, as the gentlelady from California (Ms. Matsui) mentioned, we passed the WRDA bill twice, once with only 8 votes against it, once with only 14 votes against it. Unfortunately, the bill did not pass in the Senate. In this Congress, under the leadership of my good friend, Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, and my friend, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker), and certainly under the leadership of our full committee chairman, our outstanding chairman, Mr. Oberstar, the gentleman from Minnesota, and the Ranking Member Mica from Florida, this bill passed not only the House, but it passed the Senate by a vote of 91-4. So there is tremendous support, bipartisan support, for this legislation from people all over the country. You know, if an automobile needs an oil change and you don't get it, a very low-cost matter, an engine can later explode and cost thousands of dollars; and that's sort of the situation we're in with many of our water systems from around the country. As several people have noted, this is a 7-year bill, and it deals with these water needs that have built up over all of that time. I think it's a very fiscally conservative bill. As expensive as it is in one way, it's only a little over a month and a half of what we're spending in Iraq. And comparing these 7 years of built-up needs to what we're doing in the little over 1\1/2\ and a half months in Iraq, I think makes this a very conservative bill. I had the privilege of chairing the Aviation Subcommittee for 6 years before I chaired the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee for 6 years, and in both of those areas I saw that there were very strong, competing interests in those areas. But, in this bill, we brought all these competing interests together. There was a great deal of compromise that went on and a great deal of work was put into this legislation. I'm very proud to support this bill. I think it's good for this Nation. I know it's good for my home area of east Tennessee, where we have so many water needs. Mr. Speaker, I just want to commend everybody who has worked so hard on this legislation. It's very important for this country. There is nothing that the people in this country take for granted like we do our clean water and wastewater systems, and we desperately need this work to be done. I think this is a bipartisan legislation that all of our colleagues can and should support.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Madam Speaker, the easiest thing in the world to do is to spend other people's money. And it never ceases to amaze how the Federal bureaucracy can rationalize or justify the most wasteful or ridiculous expenditures. But the lavish new embassy we are building in Baghdad and the staffing and expenses for it will just about take the cake. Here is part of a recent Fox News report: ``It's as big as Vatican City and makes foreign embassies dotting the tree-lined streets of Washington, D.C. look like carriage houses.'' But the barely finished U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is already prime for expansion. Due for completion in September, the $592 million campus is surrounded by concrete blast walls and features green grass gardens, palm-lined avenues, and volleyball and basketball courts. Available to embassy employees are a PX, commissary, cinema, retail and shopping areas, restaurants, schools, a fire station, power and water treatment facilities, a swimming pool, a recreation center, and the ambassador's and deputy ambassador's residences. And with months still to pass before it opens, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told a Senate subcommittee in May that additional staffing and housing needs have forced officials to add more structures to the now 21-building site. She asked for an additional $50 million from Congress to make that happen. In other words, almost $600 million is not enough. Then the budget for 2006 for the employees was $923 million, not including salaries and expenses for about 600 employees from other Federal agencies and departments than the State Department. To a recent story from The Washington Post: ``Mention the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad to Lawrence Eagleburger and he explodes. `` `I defy anyone to tell me how you can use that many people. It is nuts. It's insane, and it's counterproductive. And it won't work,' says the Republican former Secretary of State and member of the Iraq Study Group.'' Secretary Eagleburger said, ``I've been around the State Department long enough to know you can't run an outfit like that.'' And Secretary Eagleburger was reacting to a staffing level of 1,000, twice the size and 20 to 30 times the budgets we have at our embassies in China, Mexico and Britain. The Post story quoted a senior State Department official as saying, ``Maintaining an oversized mega embassy in Baghdad is draining personnel and resources away from every other U.S. embassy around the world, and all for what?'' The story also said that counting contractors and Iraqi employees, the staff actually is not 1,000, but a staggering and astounding 4,000. Madam Speaker, I know that many people in our Federal Government want to think of themselves as world statesmen and to feel real important, but it is both unconstitutional and unaffordable for the U.S. to try to govern or police the whole world. And all this certainly goes against every traditional conservative position I have ever known. Above all, what we are doing building this Taj Mahal industry in Baghdad and allowing an almost $1 billion budget to operate is as far from fiscal conservatism as you can get. And finally, Madam Speaker, because a previous speaker mentioned General Petraeus's report, let me add this: There is a very important reason why our Founding Fathers, and throughout the history of this Nation our leaders, have always believed in civilian control over the military. The admirals and generals will almost always give positive or optimistic reports saying progress is being made. We have received positive reports from our top military leaders all through the war in Iraq. It is almost like the generals saying they're doing a bad job if their reports are not positive. Madam Speaker, we should admire, respect and appreciate our military, and I certainly do. But we should not worship them or feel it is somehow unpatriotic to ever criticize any Pentagon waste or any decision a general might make.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a hospital that embodies the spirit, standard, and strength of the community it serves. Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville, Tennessee first opened its doors 60 years ago with 50 beds and 12 doctors. Now, with hundreds of beds and doctors and numerous outreach facilities, the hospital sets a new standard for community healthcare. The citizens of Maryville are blessed to have at their disposal such quality care close to home. People of many other communities its size must often travel to bigger towns for full care, but this is not so in Blount County, Tennessee. I am extremely honored to represent the fine men and women who work hard every day to make Blount Memorial hospital a source of community pride. The hospital's transformation into a premiere medical facility could not have occurred without the outstanding leadership of its long-time administrator. Joe Dawson has witnessed many milestones in his 22 years at Blount Memorial, and I am sure he will spearhead many more. I thank him for his leadership. Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to call to the attention of my colleagues and other readers of the Record the article from the Daily Times newspaper, which is reprinted below. [From the Daily Times, July 25, 2007] BMH Turns 60 (By Jessica Stith) With 50 beds and 12 physicians, Blount Memorial Hospital opened its doors to the community 60 years ago. Now, the hospital houses over 304 licensed beds, not including the 76 beds in their transitional care center or the 92 beds in MorningView Village, a senior community. The hospital currently employs more than 280 physicians on active and courtesy staffs. On Tuesday, 24 American flags were unveiled down East Lamar Alexander Parkway in front of the hospital in celebration of the hospital's 60th anniversary and in honor of those who have died in the line of duty, those missing in action and those who served and continue to serve our Nation. Past and present employees, board members, physicians, volunteers, hospital partners from the past and friends of the Blount Memorial Hospital family joined to celebrate and recall the history of the hospital. Two proclamations were presented to the hospital--one from Blount County and the cities of Maryville and Alcoa and a second from the Tennessee House of Representatives. Joe Dawson, who became the hospital's sixth administrator in 1985, opened the ceremony by welcoming guests in the birthday celebration of the hospital. ``This is the actual first day (July 24) Blount Memorial took their first patient,'' Dawson said. Dawson said the 24 honor flags would be displayed on patriotic holidays and the hospital's anniversary each year. Robert Redwine, president of the hospital's board of directors, said this year's anniversary theme was, ``Honoring the past. Ensuring the future.'' Redwine pointed out the rich history and milestones of the hospital. He said the need for the hospital arose in the early 1940s when ALCOA Inc.'s North Plant was built. The hospital's ``founding fathers,'' Judge George Roberts, Joe Gamble and A.D. Huddleston. were appointed to investigate the feasibility of building a publicly owned hospital in the county. In 1945, the Federal Works Agency agreed to finance about 50 percent ($200,000) of the $400,000 needed to build it. The community raised $200,000 that included a $100,000 donation from ALCOA. The aluminum company's contribution included a day's pay given by every worker, Redwine said. A 14-acre site was purchased, and Maryville College donated 0.675 acres of land in front of Walland Highway, where construction began. On Blount Memorial's first day of operation, 40 patients were brought to the hospital by ambulance and six were admitted. The staff performed two operations, dealt with two emergencies and delivered a baby boy, Richard Brown. Since that day, the hospital has grown significantly in its size and services offered. In the past 10 years, The Good Samaritan Clinic, Blount Memorial Health Center at Tellico West in Vonore, Home Equipment Services office, MorningView Village, Transitional Care Center, Breast Health Center, Atrium Cafe and an outpatient diagnostic center at Springbrook have been opened--not to mention many additions and renovations. Redwine thanked many partners and friends of the hospital for their continued support. ``And of course we want to thank the community for your continued support,'' Redwine said. ``We are here to serve you.'' ``Please remember this is your hospital. We want you to be proud of it, and we want you to use it.'' Proclamations read: Blount County Mayor Jerry Cunningham, Alcoa Mayor Don Mull and Maryville Vice Mayor Tom Taylor presented a joint proclamation to the hospital on behalf of the county and cities. The proclamation ``declares July 24, 2007, as Blount Memorial Hospital's 60th Anniversary Day,'' and encourages the community to join the celebration. State Rep. Doug Overbey and Rep. Joe McCord presented a proclamation to the hospital stating that the ``General Assembly is privileged to recognize Blount Memorial Hospital for its countless contributions to the well-being of the citizens of Tennessee.'' Senator and retired physician Raymond Finney spoke at the celebration about how he was glad to be ``back home'' as he was on staff at Blount Memorial Hospital for 33 years. He talked about the hospital's accomplishments and credited many of those to great leadership who have been there for years. ``One of the things that makes this hospital so good is capable people that stay put,'' Finney said. ``I really appreciate what's been accomplished here. I know what is going on across the state in health care, and we have an exemplary hospital here.'' Dawson said he expects the hospital to continue growing and believes the hospital will reach many more goals by its 70th anniversary. ``We're very much a reflection of Blount County and the changes of Blount County,'' Dawson said. In the next 5 to 10 years, Dawson said he expects the hospital will have new technology and said the hospital will be ``reaching out into the community'' more by building more primary care and outpatient facilities.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Madam Speaker, on August 26, many people from East Tennessee and others from around the Nation will join together to honor Dr. Clarence Sexton on his 40th anniversary in Christian ministry. Clarence Sexton is one of the finest men I have ever known. Through his work, he has touched thousands of lives in good and positive ways. He has a heart for service and has shown simple human kindness to countless numbers of people. This world is a better place and many have been saved because of the life Clarence Sexton has led. The most successful people in the world try some projects that do not go well or even some that fail. But the most important thing is that they never stop trying. Clarence Sexton is one of the most successful men I know. He is what I call a mover and a shaker, and he would have been a great success in almost anything to which he devoted his tremendous enthusiasm and work ethic. But God directed him to the Christian ministry, and God has done great and wondrous things through his servant Clarence Sexton. Temple Baptist Church is now one of the greatest churches in this Nation, But I am even more impressed by the work of Crown College, of which Dr. Sexton is Founder and President, and its many outstanding students and graduates. I am fortunate that I can call Pastor Clarence Sexton my friend, as he also is to so many others. I want to congratulate him on his 40 years in the ministry, and I know he will continue to do great things in the years ahead. This Nation needs more men like Reverend Clarence Sexton, of the great Temple Baptist Church in Powell, Tennessee.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a fine group of sixth graders from my district in Tennessee. The Maryville Intermediate School Sixth Grade Wind Ensemble Band from Maryville, Tennessee, is headed to Chicago for the prestigious 2007 Midwest Clinic, an international band and orchestra concert. The event is known in band and orchestra circles as one of the highest honors a musical group can receive. They were chosen to participate only after an extensive audition process in which they competed against other bands and orchestras from high schools, communities, colleges and universities and militaries from around the world. This is certainly a great achievement in and of itself. But the Maryville band is special in another way; they are the first sixth grade band in the Clinic's 61-year history to be invited to participate. It is an honor that the close-knit community of Maryville can be proud of, and just another example of the incredible spirit of the people of east Tennessee. Madam Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to join me as I salute Maryville Intermediate School's Wind Ensemble Band and its directors, George Hayden and RoAnn Romines, on this much-deserved accomplishment. I wish them many more musical scores to come.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I will simply close by congratulating the town of New Milford on this historic anniversary, its 300th anniversary. And I commend the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) and also the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Murphy) for bringing this matter to the attention of the House. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H. Res. 528 commemorates the Town of New Milford, Connecticut, on its 300th anniversary. New Milford is not the largest city, but under the definitions of the State, it is the largest town within the State, with a population of nearly 30,000 residents. This quaint and friendly community is home to thriving businesses and manufacturing industries and has abundant historical roots. New Milford was established and founded in 1707 when John Noble, Sr. of Westfield, Massachusetts, purchased a large portion of land for his family. More families arrived in the new community soon afterwards, and the settlement began to flourish. Over time, new churches and schools were founded, and in 1774, the town saw 285 of its men leave to serve in the Revolutionary War. In its 300 years, New Milford has seen weather-related tragedies, devastating illnesses, and damaging fires hit the town. But it has overcome these tragedies and events and today has many successful industries and businesses. New Milford educates its residents and visitors each year through cultural tours, concert events, art fairs, and camps. It has witnessed much history and seen tremendous growth in its 300 years and is certainly one of the most pleasant places to live in this Nation today. I am pleased to support H. Res. 528 to honor this historic 300th anniversary. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is certainly a pleasure to honor a remarkable First Lady and great conservationist, Lady Bird Johnson. And it is with much sadness that the House continues to note her recent passing. Born in 1912 in Karnack, Texas, in an era when women were not expected to accomplish great things, Mrs. Johnson came to represent strength of character that was the hallmark of her life. After graduating from the University of Texas in 1933, she married Lyndon Baines Johnson. Mrs. Johnson became the mother of two daughters, certainly her most important work, Lynda Bird and Luci Baines Johnson. She spent the next few decades raising her children and supporting her husband in his political career, which, of course, led him to the Presidency. She was a trusting sounding board for her husband through all his years in the House and Senate and in the White House. Mrs. Johnson led a nationwide effort to call attention to the beauty and the goal of highlighting historical sites and highways by planting flowering plants and wildflowers. While First Lady, she visited numerous public sites and scenic areas, thus bringing local and national attention to her beautification and conservation initiatives. As we all have seen each spring in Washington, Mrs. Johnson has left a lasting legacy for all American and foreign visitors to this great city, who can now see incredible numbers of flowers throughout the area. She not only helped beautify Washington, but was also responsible for the 1965 Highway Beautification Act, calling for control of outdoor advertising, as well as the clean-up of junkyards along the national highways. It is partly because of her efforts that we now have the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987, requiring at least one-quarter of 1 percent of funds expended for landscaping projects in the highway system to be used to plant native flowers, plants and trees. After leaving Washington, Mrs. Johnson enthusiastically continued her conservation efforts throughout her beloved home State of Texas right up until the date of her death on July 11, 2007. I urge my colleagues to please join me in honoring this great woman of Texas and First Lady of the United States, Lady Bird Johnson, for her untiring efforts in educating a Nation on the benefits of conservation and beautification throughout her lifetime. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, let me just close by saying it has been a privilege for me to handle this resolution on our side. I know that most of us heard and read and saw some of the beautiful and moving tributes that were made to Mrs. Johnson in her funeral ceremony just a few days ago, especially the tributes from her daughters. And so I think this is a very fitting and appropriate resolution. I commend my good friend, the gentlewoman from Texas, Ms. Johnson, for bringing this resolution to the floor, and also my friend Mr. Davis. I urge passage of this resolution. And Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to just simply once again thank Chairman Towns and also thank the primary author of this legislation, Mr. Cuellar, for their work in bringing this bill to the floor. I urge my colleagues to support what I think is very worthwhile and timely legislation. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First of all, I would like to commend Chairman Waxman and my colleague from New York, my longtime friend (Mr. Towns), with whom, as he noted, we share the same birthday, for bringing the Federal Customer Service Enhancement Act to the floor today. I also appreciate their efforts as it moved through committee, and I certainly want to thank him for accommodating comments and concerns we raised during the process. As Chairman Towns noted, he has included and the chairman has included in this legislation concerns that the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) raised and also has included legislation that I introduced, H.R. 2324, in this bill. As a cosponsor of this legislation, I fully support this bill, and I want to commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar) for his hard work on this, and we will hear from him in just a few minutes. The Oversight and Government Reform Committee has always sought to improve the performance of the Federal Government, and as anyone who has ever worked in the private sector knows, customer service is the lifeblood of any organization. As we often look to the private sector for best practices, I think it is important, Mr. Speaker, that we in the Federal Government are able to capture data on how each and every agency is doing in regard to customer service. The administration continues to work with us on this bill so no unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles are created. This bill recognizes the importance of the agencies within the Federal Government to be responsive to their various constituencies and for the government to remain accountable to the American taxpayer. Responsiveness and accountability are the things that really are behind this legislation. I particularly appreciate section 2 in which the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall develop standards and measures of customer service performance. I think that is very important and is a first. It has not been done before within the Federal Government. And especially, also, the parts in section 3, which incorporate much of my legislation and require customer service information such as a mailing address, phone number, and e-mail address. It requires the appointment of a customer relations representative. And one thing I have noticed, I have gotten letters from Federal Departments and agencies in the past, and there has been no mailing address, no phone number on there, almost as if the people within that Department or agency really didn't want to be bothered by their bosses, bothered by the American people calling on them or finding out how to contact them, and making it very difficult for many people to do so. Section 5 is another good section of this bill and really is the result of the work of the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), and that includes some incentives in there to do better jobs. Bonuses to Federal employees will now be based, at least in part, on customer service. So with all of these things, I think this is good legislation. I ask my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 404. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, we hear and read about so many examples of waste by the Federal bureaucracy that almost nothing shocks or surprises us anymore. However, the Washington Post reported yesterday on a really ridiculous waste of money. The Federal Emergency Management Agency paid $24 million for 112,000 tons of ice after Hurricane Katrina. 42,000 tons were stored for future use, and FEMA paid $12.5 million in storage fees. Now, all this unused ice is going to be thrown away. But here is the really ridiculous part. FEMA is going to pay $3.4 million, $3,400,000 to melt the ice. It's over 90 degrees outside. The Department of Homeland Security, of which FEMA is a part, has 171,000 employees. A first-grader could melt ice. But the Federal Government is going to pay $3,400,000 to have it done. No wonder the Federal Government is almost $9 trillion in debt. If we ever created a Hall of Fame of government waste, FEMA should be the first admission.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Keller), who very rightly claims east Tennessee as a home also. I am pleased to join with him. I want to commend him for his work on this legislation. I also want to especially commend the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews) for their comments about this legislation. I originally agreed to cosponsor H.R. 980 several years ago, several Congresses ago, at the request of firefighters and police officers from my district. I certainly am not anti-union, nor am I controlled by any union. I strongly believe, though, that no one should be forced to join a union. But I also feel that anyone who chooses to organize or join a labor union should have that right. Employees should be able to make this decision for themselves. In fact, I am a cosponsor, and have been in several Congresses, of H.R. 697, the National Right-to-Work Act. This legislation would prohibit compulsory union membership by applying the right-to-work laws that we have in Tennessee to the entire Nation. In regard to H.R. 980, I want to emphasize four of the act's main points and then provide some additional details. First, this bill specifically prohibits strikes and lockouts by public safety employees and employers, as has been pointed out by previous speakers. Second, the bill is not mandatory. It is totally voluntary and, therefore, is a right-to-work bill. Third, it does not federalize or nationalize this aspect of labor relations. The important details would still be governed by State law. As has been pointed out by some other speakers, several States give their public safety employees more collective bargaining rights than this bill, and it certainly hasn't caused any problems that anyone knows of in those States. Finally, this bill would simply give firefighters and police officers some, but not all, of the rights enjoyed by other workers. The legislation provides very limited collective bargaining rights and does not give State and local public safety employees the right to strike or numerous other rights that almost all other employees have. Over the years, Congress has enacted a number of laws granting such rights to other workers and has expanded the scope of collective bargaining laws to govern private sector, nonprofit association, transportation and Federal Government employees. Since the enactment of the Congressional Accountability Act, State and local public safety employees are the only workers left in America who do not have the right to enter into collective bargaining agreements with their employers. While most States provide collective bargaining rights for these employees, others do not. When this legislation was being considered originally during the 105th Congress, local firefighters and police officers contacted me directly regarding the bill. Unfortunately, as local elected officials changed, these public safety workers have found that their benefits and wages have sometimes been subject to change, too. These firefighters and police officers feel that this legislation will help them establish consistency in their benefits between the administrations. Firefighters and police officers have taken an oath to protect public safety. I believe that these individuals should have the opportunity to voice their concerns about issues affecting their livelihood. These brave people risk their lives for public safety every day and should have the same rights as workers in other fields. Mr. Speaker, let me just mention, as others have, that the Fraternal Order of Police and other police of the National Association of Police Organizations are supporting this bill, and the International Association of Firefighters. Mr. Speaker, finally, I will close just by emphasizing once again that this legislation would give firefighters and police officers an option to participate in collective bargaining discussions but would not require such action. I think the good labor unions do not need compulsory unionism agreements. I believe that this is a bill that is encouraging and voluntary, and I urge its support.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a Tennessean who truly embodies the Volunteer spirit of my home State of Tennessee. On June 30, 2007, Dr. David L. Eubanks of Knoxville, TN, ends a remarkable run as president of Johnson Bible College in Knox County, TN. David's journey began 54 years ago as a student at the school. His is a story of a man who was called to a higher service, not one of a man who was seeking it. Following his own graduation from Johnson Bible College in 1953, David decided his work there was far from over. He signed on to teach at the school, and it was his work as an educator that showcased his character, purpose, and devotion. When the trustees of the school offered him the job of president in November of 1968, it was out of the blue. But David said yes, and went on to serve as the school's leader for 39 years. Under his leadership, Johnson Bible College has undergone a multimillion-dollar expansion and grown to over 850 students. It's a legacy that will be hard to match. Today I honor the career Dr. David L. Eubanks, who held the title not only of president, but also of teacher, pastor, and friend to so many in the Johnson Bible College community. Madam Speaker, in closing, I urge my colleagues to join me as I salute Dr. Eubanks and wish him the best as he enters a well-deserved retirement. I know he will continue to lead many toward higher education, and a closer relationship with God.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I won't take much time. I'll be very brief. I just wanted to come over here and congratulate my colleague, Congressman Grijalva, and especially congratulate his women's softball team from the University of Arizona. They proved, once again, as they have done several times before, that they really have another great team. I think this was probably, what, their seventh national championship or something like that. This was the first time that my Lady Vols softball team had gone as far as that team did. The University of Tennessee is my alma matter. It's a school of which I am very proud; and it has not only great academics, but it also has a very rich athletic heritage and history. We've been primarily known for our men's football team and our women's basketball, several national championships by both of those programs. But the Lady Vols softball team this year was one of the greatest sports teams in the history of the University of Tennessee. And, in fact, our great pitcher, Monica Abbott, won more games than any pitcher in women's collegiate softball history. And probably no athlete in the history of the University of Tennessee has ever dominated a sport like Monica Abbott. So once again I want to say congratulations to my Lady Vols, my Tennessee Lady Vols softball team. But I'm here today to especially offer congratulations to a great women's softball team from the University of Arizona. They won another national championship, and it was a well-deserved championship because they had to fight very hard to get it, and I just wanted to come and say congratulations at this time.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. I want to first thank the gentleman from Tennessee for yielding me this time. I want to also commend the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre) for bringing this resolution before us today and commend all of the cosponsors, Mr. Davis and others. Mr. Speaker, some people might think this is an insignificant resolution. I think there is probably very little that we could talk about today that would be more important than fatherhood and the important role it plays in the life of this Nation. This was brought home to me most vividly in January 1981 when I became judge of the criminal court in Knox County, Tennessee, trying felony criminal cases, the murders, rapes, armed robberies, the most serious cases. I was told that first day by Gary Tullock, the chief probation counselor for east Tennessee, 16 counties in east Tennessee, that 98 percent of the defendants in felony cases came from father-absent households. I'm not sure that it is quite that high, but I know it's well over 90 percent. It's the entire crime problem. I hasten to say that I know many good people have come from father- absent households, but I also know that children cannot raise themselves. And because 96 or 97 percent of the people plead guilty in criminal cases and then apply for probation, I went through over 10,000 cases in the 7\1/2\ years that I served as judge. I cannot tell you how many times I read over and over and over and over again: ``Defendant's father left home to get pack of cigarettes and never came back.'' ``Defendant's father left home when defendant was 2 and never returned.'' And so I can say this, that father-absent households not only are the root of our crime problem, all the things like drugs and alcohol and all of that come secondary. I know there are exceptions to everything that you say, but we need to get into the minds of our young people and teach them how important it is that fathers don't desert their children as so many millions of fathers have unfortunately over the years and have gone out of the lives of their children much to the detriment of those young people and to the detriment of this Nation. I support this resolution and I commend all of those who have brought this to the floor today.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. I do thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me this time, and I want to say, first of all, that I want to commend the gentleman from Florida and also the gentlewoman from New York, the chairwoman of the Rules Committee, two of the Members in this Congress for whom I have the greatest admiration and respect, and I appreciate the fact that they are bringing this legislation to the floor under an open rule. But as both the gentleman from Florida and the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) just expressed, there are still some concerns about this bill, number one of which is the fact that this bill is $2.1 billion over the President's request and a 13.6 percent increase over fiscal year 2007. That is more than four times the rate of inflation. With an almost $9 trillion national debt and over $50 trillion in unfunded future pension liabilities, we just can't keep giving every department and agency that wants one or four or five times increase over the rate of inflation. As the ranking member, Mr. Rogers, said a few days ago, even the Department of Homeland Security should be subject to some fiscal discipline. A few weeks after 9/11 when we had renamed the farm bill that year by adding the word ``security'' to the title, the Wall Street Journal wrote an editorial in October of 2001 and said: ``Any bill with the word `security' in it should get double the public scrutiny, and maybe four times the normal wait, lest all kinds of bad legislation become law.'' And a few months ago, Secretary Chertoff, the Secretary of Homeland Security, testified before the Senate in a way perhaps no other Cabinet member ever had. He essentially said we are spending too much on security and we should not let overexaggerated threats of terrorism, quote, drive us crazy, into bankruptcy, trying to defend against every conceivable threat. He went on to say, quote, we do have limits and we do have choices to make. We don't want to break the very systems we're trying to protect. We don't want to destroy our way of life trying to save it. We don't want to undercut our economy trying to protect our economy, and we don't want to destroy our civil liberties and our freedoms in order to make ourselves safer. That is the Secretary of Homeland Security. I think, Mr. Speaker, we need to take some of those words into consideration. In a short time, later today, we are going to have several amendments to the bill that I think are worthy of consideration by all of our Members and I think should be passed. We just shouldn't blindly pass a bill and pass everything that anybody wants because they attach the word ``security'' to it.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Bill and Beth Hanks on the occasion of their 50th wedding anniversary, which they will celebrate June 15. The story of Beth Ballentine Hanks and William ``Bill'' Franklin Hanks is one of love at first sight and the American Dream. Beth grew up in South Carolina and Bill grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina. The couple met while attending Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. At Furman, Bill, a sophomore at the time, spotted Beth, a freshman, waiting in line for the freshman orientation tea. He knew she was the one. Bill and his fraternity brothers showed up at the freshman dance to see Beth. He had his friends continually cut in on Beth and her date so that they never had the opportunity to dance together. Eventually, her date got mad and left. This was when Bill made his move. Bill and Beth were married on June 15, 1957 in Beth's hometown of Walterboro, SC. Today, the couple splits their time between homes in Knoxville, TN and Fripp Island, SC. They enjoy attending UT football and basketball games and spending time with friends and family. The Hanks have 4 grown children, Linda, William, Wallace, and Lucille, and 10 grandchildren. After 50 years, Bill and Beth are very supportive of one another and still do their daily devotion together before they go to bed, no matter how late or how tired they may be. Madam Speaker, in closing, I am pleased to honor Bill and Beth's Golden Anniversary and urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating this very special milestone.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Madam Speaker, one of my constituents, Rip Kirby, sent me the following article and asked that it be placed in the Congressional Record. Mr. Kirby was the Founder of the Baseball Chapel for the minor leagues of professional baseball. He is a respected Christian leader and an outstanding American. Many people in this Country and really all over the world are becoming fed up with ``political correctness.'' I would like to call this article to the attention of my colleagues and other readers of the Record. Bravo to the Aussies I had seen this before, but felt it worth sending again and again to see if our government can have the guts to follow suit. If anyone has a link to the White House, send it. Though doubt that anything will be done. But maybe in time we can make a difference with as many decent politicians we can elect. This country needs to get God and human decency back into our society and stop letting others take advantage of our freedoms. I and most Americans see nothing wrong with the stance that Australia has taken. They deserve our applause. Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia, as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks. A day after a group of mainstream Muslim leaders pledged loyalty to Australia and her Queen at a special meeting with Prime Minister John Howard, he and his Ministers made it clear that extremists would face a crackdown. Treasurer Peter Costello, seen as heir apparent to Howard, hinted that some radical clerics could be asked to leave the country if they did not accept that Australia was a secular state, and its laws were made by parliament. ``If those are not your values, if you want a country which has Sharia law or a theocratic state, then Australia is not for you'', he said on National Television. ``I'd be saying to clerics who are teaching that there are two laws governing people in Australia: one the Australian law and another Islamic law, that is false. If you can't agree with parliamentary law, independent courts, democracy, and would prefer Sharia law and have the opportunity to go to another country, which practices it, perhaps, then, that's a better option'', Costello said. Asked whether he meant radical clerics would be forced to leave, he said those with dual citizenship could possibly be asked to move to the other country. Education Minister Brendan Nelson later told reporters that Muslims who did not want to accept local values should ``clear off. Basically people who don't want to be Australians, and who don't want to live by Australian values and understand them, well then, they can basically clear off', he said. Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation's mosques. Quote: ``IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali, we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.'' ``However, the dust from the attacks had barely settled when the `politically correct' crowd began complaining about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others. I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone who is seeking a better life by coming to Australia.'' ``However, there are a few things that those who have recently come to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand.'' ``This idea of Australia being a multi- cultural community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our national identity. And as Australians, we have our own culture, our own society, our own language and our own lifestyle.'' ``This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom'' ``We speak mainly English, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . . . Learn the language!'' ``Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.'' ``We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.'' ``If the Southern Cross offends you, or you don't like ``A Fair Go'', then you should seriously consider a move to another part of this planet. We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we really don't care how you did things where you came from. By all means, keep your culture, but do not force it on others. ``This is Our Country, Our Land, and Our Lifestyle, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, `The Right To Leave'.'' ``If you aren't happy here then Leave. We didn't force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country You accepted.'' Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, American citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths!

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, the war in Iraq, since its beginning, has gone against every traditional conservative position I've ever known, especially fiscal conservatism. There is nothing conservative about the war in Iraq. So it should have been no surprise when William F. Buckley, often called the ``Godfather of Conservatism,'' wrote in 2004 that if he had known in 2002 what he knew then by 2004, he would have been against the war. But listen to what he wrote in June of 2005, 2 years ago. William F. Buckley. ``A respect for the power of the United States is engendered by our success in engagements in which we take part. A point is reached when tenacity conveys not steadfastness of purpose, but misapplication of pride. It can't reasonably be disputed that if in the year ahead the situation in Iraq continues about as it has done in the past year, we will have suffered more than another 500 soldiers killed. Where there had been skepticism about our venture, there will be contempt.'' That was William F. Buckley in 2005. And his main point was, quote, ``A point is reached when tenacity conveys not steadfastness of purpose, but misapplication of pride.'' Unfortunately, we are losing our young soldiers at a much faster rate than the 500 a year that Mr. Buckley said would move the American people from skepticism to contempt; 103 U.S. soldiers killed in April alone, at least 71 more killed through May 21, including 15 this past weekend, and someone told me 8 more today. Saddam Hussein was an evil man, but he had a total military budget only a little over two-tenths of 1 percent of ours, most of which he spent protecting himself and his family and building castles. He was no threat to us whatsoever. Mr. Speaker, we all respect, admire and appreciate those who serve in our Nation's Armed Forces. As I said a few days ago on this floor, serving in our military is certainly the most honorable ways anyone can serve our country. I believe national defense is one of the very few legitimate functions of our national government, and certainly one of the most important. However, we need to recognize that our military has become the most gigantic bureaucracy in the history of the world, and like any huge bureaucracy, it does many good things, of course, always at huge expense to the taxpayer. And like any huge bureaucracy, our military does many things that are wasteful or inefficient. And like any huge bureaucracy, it tries to gloss over or cover up its mistakes. And like any huge bureaucracy, it always wants to expand its mission and get more and more money. Counting our regular appropriations bills, plus the supplemental appropriations, we will spend more than $750 billion on our military in the next fiscal year. This is more than all the other nations of the world combined spend on their defense. The GAO tells us that we presently have $50 trillion in unfunded future pension liabilities, on top of our national debt of almost $9 trillion. If we are going to have any hope of paying our military pensions and Social Security and other promises to our own people, we cannot keep giving so much to the Pentagon. No matter how much we respect our military, and no matter how much we want to show our patriotism, we need to realize there is waste in all huge bureaucracies, even in the Defense Department. There is a reason why we have always believed in civilian leadership of our Defense Department. The admirals and generals will always say things are going great because it is almost like saying they're doing a bad job if they say things are not doing well. And the military people know they can keep getting big increases in funding if they are involved all over the world. However, it is both unconstitutional and unaffordable, and, I might add, unconservative, for us to be the policemen of the world and carry on civilian government functions in and for other countries. National defense is necessary and vital. International defense by the U.S. is unnecessary and harmful in many ways. Now we are engaged in a war in Iraq that is very unpopular with a big majority of the American people. More importantly, every poll of Iraqis themselves shows that 78 to 80 percent of them want us to leave, except in the Kurdish areas. They want our money, but they do not want us occupying Iraq. Surely we are not adopting a foreign policy that forces us on other people, one that says we are going to run Iraq even if the people there want us to leave. The majority of the Iraqi Parliament has now signed a petition asking us to leave. It is sure not traditional conservatism to carry on a war in a country that did not attack us, did not even threaten to attack us, and was not even capable of attacking us. And it is sure not traditional conservatism to believe in world government, even if run by the U.S. Mr. Speaker, President Bush, when he ran for office in 2000, campaigned strongly against nation building. Unfortunately, that is exactly what we have been doing in Iraq. The President, in 2000, said what we needed was a more humble foreign policy. That is what we needed then, and it is what we need now.