Kathleen Dahlkemper

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Chair, I think this is just a straightforward amendment that is basically closing loopholes. I urge a ``yes'' vote on this.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. I yield.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. I yield.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. I yield.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. I will yield.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Madam 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 H.R. 1256.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my alma mater, the Villa Maria Academy Girls' Basketball Team, or should I say the 2009 Pennsylvania AA State Champions. Last Friday, Erie, Pennsylvania's Villa Maria Victors defeated three- time defending champs, York Catholic, by 56-51, winning the State championship for the first time in school history. Displaying great team spirit, Villa Maria built a large 18-point lead in the second half before fighting off a late York Catholic charge. Established in 1892 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Northwestern Pennsylvania, the Villa Maria Academy is a Catholic coeducational secondary school. And for over 115 years, Villa Maria Academy has been a part of the history and tradition of the Erie area, providing educational excellence for area students in preparation for higher education and life pursuits. The mission of the academy is to empower young people to recognize their uniqueness and talents. The Villa Maria Academy Girls' Basketball Team demonstrated that commitment to excellence last Friday. Congratulations to the new 2009 Pennsylvania AA State Champions.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor the service of U.S. Army Sergeant Matthew W. Eckerson from my hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania I have a picture of Sergeant Eckerson. While serving in Sadr City, Iraq, this 24-year-old was injured after a roadside bomb hit his tank on April 24, 2004. Sergeant Eckerson was no stranger to these kinds of attacks. While serving overseas, he has experienced five other roadside bombings while in a tank or Humvee, attacks which left him with traumatic brain injuries from the blasts. His bravery earned him four Army Medals of Commendation, as well as the Purple Heart. Sergeant Eckerson is now medically retired from the Army after 6 years of active duty, a total of 33 months served in Iraq from 2004 to 2008. He is currently enrolled at the University of Phoenix, seeking a degree in business management with a concentration in politics. Madam Speaker, I am so grateful to Sergeant Eckerson for his patriotism and service to our country. This war has affected me personally, and I do not take his service for granted. My nephew and his wife have served four and three tours in Iraq, respectively, and my foster son served in Iraq and came home suffering from PTSD. Thank you to Sergeant Eckerson, and God bless all the other brave men and women in uniform for their service to our country.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 146, a bill that will set aside millions of acres of public wilderness and that will create more than 1,000 miles of scenic river designations. This will provide recreation for millions of Americans while supporting the communities and industries that depend upon these precious resources. I would also like to express my support for the amendment included by my good friend and fellow Pennsylvanian (Mr. Altmire). In our home State of Pennsylvania, we believe that the second amendment is not only a right but a way of life. Hunting and fishing are important American outdoor traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. Therefore, we have an obligation not only to defend our God-given right to self-defense but to protect against any encroachment on the rights of our sportsmen and -women. Therefore, I am proud to stand in support of Mr. Altmire's amendment, which will ensure that lands currently open to hunting, fishing, trapping, target shooting, and other forms of traditional recreation are protected. In Congress, I will continue to stand in support of this second amendment, a fundamental right guaranteed in the Constitution. Furthermore, I will continue to oppose reductions in Federal hunting acreage, and will fight to ensure that opportunities for hunting and sport are maintained. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 146 with the addition of Mr. Altmire's amendment in defense of the U.S. Constitution.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the hardworking families of my district and the State of Pennsylvania who, like me, are shocked and outraged by recent actions taken by the insurance company, AIG. Mr. Speaker, the current economic downturn has been especially difficult for my constituents. Traveling across my district, I have heard the same story from far too many middle-class families about how they are bearing the brunt of our faltering economy. Paychecks can't stretch far enough anymore to make payments on the mortgage, buy groceries, and pay the utility bills. In fact, many of my constituents who have worked hard and played by the rules have had to take a pay cut simply to keep their jobs. My constituents work hard and meet their responsibilities every day, and they don't have the benefit of government bailouts or multimillion- dollar bonuses. However, they have seen their hard-earned tax dollars go to bail out companies like AIG, whose own greed and recklessness are responsible for the economic downturn in the first place. Mr. Speaker, it is hard to understand why AIG executives think they have earned bonuses in the first place; but, more importantly, how dare AIG use tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to reward themselves for bad behavior. How can they justify this outrage to taxpayers who are keeping their company afloat? I say enough is enough. And that is why I am supporting legislation that will safeguard the taxpayers' money and hold AIG executives accountable once and for all.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Chairman, service has always been a deeply rooted American value, from service to our country during times of war to service to our neighborhood in times of need. I believe that a commitment to service is one of the defining characteristics of being an American. Service has also played an important role for my family and is a value I have tried to impart to my five children. I am so proud of my son, Nathan, who spent his time this spring volunteering in a homeless shelter in New York City. And I love our family tradition of adopting a family at the holiday season. I have spent my life doing community service, founding and operating a Lake Erie arboretum for over a decade, and serving on the board of the Erie Community Foundation. Mr. Chairman, it is because of this background and service that I rise today in strong support of the GIVE Act. This legislation will provide hundreds of thousands of Americans the opportunity to invest through service in our Nation's recovery. And it will not have a bigger impact anywhere than in Pennsylvania's Third District. One county in my district, Erie County, has nearly 250 different nonprofit organizations that depend on volunteers to support their work, work that improves the quality of life for the region. Mr. Chairman, the economic recession has been especially difficult to my constituents. With lines at our food banks, and our shelters literally full, these groups take care of tens of thousands of adults and children who live in poverty. Last year, the Erie County homeless shelters served 1,500 homeless individuals, 200 of which were children. With the recession deepening, there is no better time to support community service and volunteerism to help our country get through this economic crisis, restore confidence and prepare our Nation for the future. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the GIVE Act.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. I would now like to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Colorado.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. I yield to the gentleman.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank Chairman Oberstar and the committee on bringing this important legislation to the floor. I also want to thank Chairwoman Slaughter for allowing this amendment. Mr. Chairman, my amendment to H.R. 1262 helps ensure that conservation of both water and energy are elements in water and sewer system planning as these elements of our infrastructure are upgraded both now and in the future. Under the legislation, water treatment works operators are required to develop and implement a fiscal sustainability plan to be eligible for assistance. Specifically, my amendment requires an assurance that both energy and water conservation are considered in an operator's fiscal sustainability plan. As water and energy costs continue to pose challenges for much of the country, we can help ensure that consumers are getting the most economical service by assuring that those responsible for providing water to our communities incorporate conservation explicitly into plant repair, replacement or expansion plans. More efficiency in our water structure is desperately needed, as we learned in a recent Science and Technology hearing. Chairman Gordon cited how cities like Chicago lose upwards of 60 percent of their water in transit from treatment facilities to faucets, and that water rates have increased 27 percent over the past 5 years throughout the United States. I believe conservation of water and energy are natural components of a fiscal sustainability plan, given their impact on an operating authority's structure, and that conservation of both also serves broader national conservation policies. This amendment will promote greater taxpayer savings and increase efficiency in our Nation's water quality system, and I urge a ``yes'' vote. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. I would yield to the chairman.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. I yield the gentleman an additional 15 seconds.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 210, supporting the goals and accomplishments of the National School Breakfast Program. The National School Breakfast Program continues to play an important role in the health and educational development of our Nation's children by giving them a nutritious start every morning. Research has shown that students who eat breakfast are more likely to show academic improvement and be more attentive in the classroom, but having access to a nutritious breakfast also does something else as important. The National School Breakfast Program is at the heart of promoting healthy lifestyle choices for our children. They learn the importance of healthful food choices that can prevent further complications of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other lifestyle diseases. Healthy kids make healthy adults, and that is why I am proud to support this resolution and urge my colleagues to support it also.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 554, the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act. This legislation strengthens and provides transparency to Federal research and development efforts in understanding both the risks and promise associated with nanotechnology. While wanting to learn and apply advancements in nanotechnology to some of our Nation's most pressing challenges, we must also ensure that we are aware of any safety risks associated with the technology. In the field of health care, one of the most promising developments in cancer treatments involve the placement of carbon nanotubes in cancerous tumors, subjecting them to radiowaves, which heat the cancer cells to the point of destruction yet spare the surrounding healthy cells. This unique treatment was conceived by my constituent John Kanzius and is now in active development. I am pleased that this bill strengthens the public-private partnerships as this will help us leverage private sector investments underway in our communities for projects such as this. H.R. 554 reaffirms our Nation's commitment to harnessing the promise of nanotechnology research for advancements in health care and beyond, while also strengthening our commitment to safety in all Federal research and development. I am particularly proud to support this bill and urge my colleagues' support.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of SCHIP legislation before us today. As I have said before, perhaps the most important reason that I ran for Congress was to help ensure that all children in this Nation have access to quality health care. A healthy start in life is something that all children deserve. And I'm particularly pleased that this bill will offer coverage to pregnant women, because I often tell the story of how I could not get coverage during one of the most critical times in my life, the pregnancy of my second child, when it was deemed a preexisting condition by my private insurer. This legislation, which will be signed by President Obama later today, will expand the SCHIP program to cover an additional 4 million children. This is an accomplishment that our Nation can be proud of. I urge my colleagues' support of this legislation.

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER

Mrs. DAHLKEMPER. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and of the underlying bill, the SCHIP reauthorization bill, before us today. One of my priorities in running for Congress is to ensure that all eligible children have health care. I am pleased that this legislation will cover an additional 4 million children and will build on the current children's health program to provide care for expectant mothers, allowing our children to begin their lives with the best health outlook possible. Myself, I gave birth to one of my children without health care. It was due to my having a preexisting condition at the change of a job and with a new health care policy, and that preexisting condition was pregnancy. Certainly, this needs to end in our country. We need to start our children off on the best possible health outlook. This bill will also give incentive to States to increase enrollment so we can benefit more children and so we can provide them with the health care necessary for their growth and well-being. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this rule. It is certainly necessary for our children of this country and for the health of this Nation.