Charles Dent

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4786) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 535 Wood Street in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, as the ``H. Gordon Payrow Post Office Building''.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers at the moment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 517, introduced by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell). This resolution recognizes the life of Wellington Timothy Mara and his contributions to the National Football League. Wellington Mara was a co-owner and co-CEO of the NFL's New York Giants and one of the most influential and important figures in the history of the National Football League. The son of Timothy Mara, who founded the Giants organization in 1925, Mara is an alumnus of the Jesuit schools, Loyola School and Fordham University in New York City. During the early 1960s, Wellington and his brother Jack, the owners of the NFL's largest market, agreed to share television revenue on a league-wide basis, dividing the amounts of money available in cities like New York with smaller market teams, like the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers. This concept of revenue sharing allowed the NFL to grow and is still being used today. Along with his many other lasting contributions to the game, Mara lead the Giants to six league championships, including two Super Bowls, nine conference championships, and 13 division championships. As an Eagles fan, that breaks my heart. Also, the Giants have accumulated the third highest number of victories in National Football League history. To commemorate his outstanding career, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997. I urge all Members to come together to honor this pillar of the football community by adopting H. Res. 517. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support adoption of H. Res. 85, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise today in support of House Resolution 85, introduced by the distinguished gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind). This resolution would support the goals and ideals of ``National MPS Day.'' MPS and related diseases are rare genetic diseases that cause cells to form improperly, wreaking havoc among all the body's systems. Enzymes which normally break apart damaged cells fail to produce, resulting in progressive damage throughout the body, affecting the heart, bones, joints, respiratory system and the central nervous system. It can cause stunted growth, stiff joints, speech and hearing impairment, breathing problems, mental retardation, and a dramatically shortened life span. All the symptoms of these diseases are not always apparent at birth. They develop slowly as damaged cells accumulate, many times resulting in death before the teenage years. Currently, there are no cures for these dangerous diseases. I was unaware of MPS until Les Sheaffer, one of my constituents, came to talk to me about his daughter Brittany, who has MPS III, or Sanfilippo Syndrome. My staff and I were touched by Brittany's story and the Sheaffer family's resolve. Brittany's condition underscores the difficulties facing families coping with these dreaded diseases. The occurrence of MPS in the general population is thought to be about 1 in 25,000 births. Increased public and professional awareness are important to further the development of treatments and techniques to help cope with and eventually cure these diseases. Because MPS diseases are not commonly known and well understood in the medical community, diagnosis is often delayed. Early detection and intervention can help to improve the quality of life for children like Brittany. I applaud the efforts of the National MPS Society to support research, to support families, and to increase public and professional awareness of these diseases. This legislation would build on the National MPS Society's work by raising awareness of these devastating diseases and increasing support for the disease's victims and their families. For this reason, I ask all Members to join me and Mr. Kind in passing House Resolution 85. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 3440, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague from the State of Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan).

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support passage of H.R. 4054, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4054) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6110 East 51st Place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the ``Dewey F. Bartlett Post Office''.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4054, offered by the distinguished gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan). This bill would designate the post office in Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the Dewey F. Bartlett Post Office Building. Dewey Bartlett was born in Marietta, Ohio, on March 28, 1919. He was educated in the Marietta public school system and later went on to attend Princeton University. While in college, he returned home during his summers to work in the Oklahoma oil fields. In 1945, after serving in the military during World War II, he moved to Tulsa to assume a managing role in his family's business. Dewey Bartlett's political career started in 1963, when he became an Oklahoma State senator. He then ran successfully for Governor of Oklahoma and served in this capacity for 5 years. Finally, in 1972, he was elected to the United States Senate, where he served until 1979. During his service in government, Bartlett was dedicated to a strong national defense. He also fought for a lean government, with limited layers of bureaucracy, which he felt was important to protect the constitutional guarantees of individual liberty, freedom, and justice. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to come together to honor a man who promoted excellence in government by passing H.R. 4054. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support passage of S. 2089, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Senate bill S. 2089 offered by Senator Akaka. This bill would designate the post office in Honolulu, Hawaii, as the ``Hiram L. Fong Post Office Building.'' Hiram Fong was born on the island of Oahu in Honolulu on October 15, 1906. The seventh of 11 children, Fong helped to support his family at an early age by earning money selling newspapers, shining shoes and caddying on golf courses. After graduating from high school, he went on to attend the University of Hawaii and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa as a graduate in 1930. He then graduated from Harvard Law School and began a career of public service that spanned over 40 years. He served in the Territorial House for 14 years, including 6 as Speaker of the House. With the coming of statehood in 1959, he ran for a seat in the United States Senate and was elected to three consecutive terms until his retirement in 1976. While serving in office, he was highly regarded for his work on immigration and naturalization law, and for encouraging relations with the People's Republic of China and other developing nations of Asia. From providing timely answers to constituent concerns, to being widely respected by both sides of the aisle, Senator Fong was indeed a great leader. I ask all Members to honor his leadership by passing S. 2089. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2089) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1271 North King Street in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, as the ``Hiram L. Fong Post Office Building''.

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3934) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 80 Killian Road in Massapequa, New York, as the ``Gerard A. Fiorenza Post Office Building''.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3934, introduced by the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. King), would designate the post office in Massapequa, New York, as the Gerard A. Fiorenza Post Office Building. As the postmaster general of Massapequa, Jerry Fiorenza was a vital member of the community, someone who was always available to help out where needed. His first position with the postal service was as a postal assistant in Jamaica, New York, in 1972. As a letter carrier, he received a letter of recommendation, and in 1990 he was assigned as the officer in charge to the Valley Stream office. He then served as postmaster in Hewlett, Massapequa Park, and finally Massapequa. While serving in Massapequa, he was known for his strict attention to detail and his friendly demeanor. In fact, the Massapequa Post publisher, Alfred James, is quoted as saying: ``When I first came to Massapequa a few years ago as the publisher of the Massapequa Post, it was Jerry who was there to answer all of my questions and help me whenever a problem arose. Jerry was committed to his profession and to the community and prided himself in providing the best possible postal service.'' Along with serving in this capacity, Jerry Fiorenza was also involved in many other organizations, such as the Combined Federal Campaign, the United Way, and Toys for Tots. Locally, aside from being a member of the National Association of Postal Supervisors and a postmaster representative, he also served as a member of the Massapequa Chamber of Commerce, the Sons of Italy, the Columbia Association, American Legion Post 1066, and the Republican Club. In addition, he was named Massapequa's Man of the Year in 2001. Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members to join me in recognizing this beloved and respected member of the Massapequa community by passing H.R. 3934. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in favor of H.R. 4437. To paraphrase an old Ford commercial, border security is job one for America. Safeguarding the integrity of our borders is an important component of both economic and national security. H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Antiterterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005, represents an important step towards the completion of this job. H.R. 4437 modernizes and improves our border security operations, allows the Department of Homeland Security to utilize the Department of Defense surveillance assets to monitor activities around the border. It establishes physical barriers to crossing, and it calls for the utilization of new technology, such as unmanned aerial vehicles, UAVs, to ensure that we have 100 percent coverage of the areas in question. And in order to monitor those coming across at legal check points, it authorizes 100,000 new, full-time port-of-entry inspectors as well as the training of 1,500 additional K-9 units over the next 5 years. This will go a long way towards making sure that people who are not supposed to be here, whether they be undocumented aliens or terrorists or both, do not get here. The border is a dangerous place. It is a dangerous place to us as a country, as it can be an open door to those wishing to do us harm. But it is also dangerous place for individuals who cross for other reasons. Many women have been murdered along the border, and most of these homicides remain unsolved. People have died in the desert after being exploited by human traffickers, known as coyotes. This bill provides for mandatory minimum sentences for those convicted of alien smuggling. It also has the potential to save many lives. Because of the enhanced surveillance capabilities provided by the bill, we are more likely to detect individuals who are lost, in distress or who are about to become victims of crime near these border crossings. For all of the foregoing reasons, I ask that the body pass this important legislation. I commend Chairman King and Chairman Sensenbrenner for their leadership on this issue.

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 250th anniversary of the Union United Church of Christ of Neffs, Pennsylvania and to pay tribute to the many contributions its congregation has made to the cultural fabric of the Lehigh Valley. Established in 1755 by immigrant farmers and craftsmen, the first Union United Church of Christ was constructed on a 100-acre plot of land donated by the Schlosser family of Neffs. As the predominant language in the area, all services at Union Church were conducted in German until 1920 when English began to be incorporated. Shortly after the church's formation in 1755, America went to war with Britain to gain its independence. Reflecting its role as an important element of the Lehigh Valley's cultural history, several Revolutionary War soldiers from the area are buried in Union Church's old cemetery, including Colonel Stephen Balliet, who commanded American battalions at the battles of Brandywine and Germantown. In 1797, a new church was built to replace the original log structure that the congregation had been using since 1755. This building, known fondly as ``Scrub Oak Church'' due to the large number of oak trees in the surrounding hills, later housed the church's Sunday School, which was organized in 1846. The construction of the congregation's current home, a striking red brick church built in the colonial style of 18th Century England, was completed in 1871 at a price of just over $35,000.00. A tribute to its wonderful design and preservation, the Union Church is one of the most recognizable and beautiful structures in Lehigh County. To commemorate their 250th Anniversary, members of Union Church have conducted a year-long celebration that has included a musical program entitled ``250 Christmases at Neffs'', a series of German heritage events, and an organ concert. While the congregation spent much of the last year honoring their past and celebrating their present, it was their involvement in building a family's future that exemplifies the positive impact this church has always had on life in the Lehigh Valley. In September 2004, members of Union Church began working with Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley to renovate the home of a mother and her four sons living in nearby Allentown, Pennsylvania. During a dedication ceremony on October 16, 2005, the amazing volunteers from Union Church welcomed this family to their newly renovated home and presented them with a check for the first month's mortgage, a new lawnmower, and numerous other housewarming gifts provided by the congregation. Tomorrow, November 5, 2005, members of the Union Church and the local community will gather for a banquet at the Emerald Fire Company to mark the conclusion of their year-long Anniversary celebration. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me today in recognizing the anniversary of the Union United Church of Christ of Neffs, Pennsylvania.