Steve Driehaus

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize the following individuals for their work on behalf of the people of the first congressional district of the State of Ohio and for their dedicated service to the 111th United States Congress. I offer my sincerest appreciation to Alyson Budd, Jay Stolkin, Robert George, Danielle Vizgirda, Sean Kelley, Ozie Davis III, Steve Brinker, Victoria Parks, Mary Ellen Sullivan, Shannon Faulk, Alex Kisling, Colby Nelson, Morgana Carter, Sarah McHugh, Aaron Wasserman, Tim Mulvey, Heidi Black, Greg Mecher, and Sarah Curtis.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Joseph Donald Lind, Sr., who passed away November 7, 2010. Mr. Lind was an inspirational leader to his community, city, and country. Mr. Lind graduated from Elder High School in 1953, where he put himself through school working as a maintenance man at St. Joseph Church in the West End. Upon graduating from Elder, Mr. Lind joined the United States Army where he earned an honorable discharge. Mr. Lind continued to serve his community by joining the Cincinnati Police Department for the remainder of his professional career. It would have been easy for Mr. Lind to stop giving back to his community after his long career of public service; however, he continued to give back until his last day. Mr. Lind served as president of the Elder Dad's Club for 23 years and continually volunteered his time and energy for any cause that benefitted Elder High School. His impact on the Elder community will live on for generations to come. Mr. Lind's charisma and commitment through service will not be forgotten and will serve as an example for years to come. Mr. Lind has showed us that serving your community is not a short sprint of a few years but a marathon that lasts a lifetime. Mr. Lind's community and country gave him countless opportunities and he worked a lifetime to give back to those that gave to him. Although Mr. Lind will no longer be with us, his legacy will continue on.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to withdraw my motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6014) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 212 Main Street in Hartman, Arkansas, as the ``M.R. `Bucky' Walters Post Office''.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am proud to present H.R. 6014 for consideration. This legislation will designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 212 Main Street, in Hartman, Arkansas, as the ``M.R. `Bucky' Walters Post Office.'' H.R. 6014 was introduced by our friend and colleague, Representative John Boozman of Arkansas, on July 30, 2010. It was favorably reported out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee on September 23, 2010. The legislation enjoys the support of the entire Arkansas House delegation. M.R. ``Bucky'' Walters was born on May 22, 1920, in Lincoln, Nebraska; and he dedicated his life to the service of his country and to his beloved Hartman, Arkansas. Mr. Walters served his country proudly for 58 years, spending 5 years in the Army during World War II and an astonishing 53 years with the United States Postal Service. After serving as a master mechanic in the Arkansas National Guard at Camp Robinson in Little Rock, Arkansas, Mr. Walters was appointed as a full-time letter carrier for the Hartman Post Office in Hartman, Arkansas, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. After 11 years of exemplary service, Mr. Walters was appointed postmaster of the Hartman Post Office by President Lyndon Johnson. As both a letter carrier and as a postmaster, Mr. Walters developed a reputation as a tireless employee who always went the extra mile for his community. Sadly, Mr. Walters died on March 16, 2010, at the age of 89. He is survived by his wife, Maurine; his son, Neal; his sister, Doris; and by his two grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, let us further honor the life and legacy of Mr. Walters through the passage of H.R. 6014, which will designate the postal facility located at 212 Main Street in Hartman, Arkansas, in his honor. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 6014. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6014) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 212 Main Street in Hartman, Arkansas, as the ``M.R. `Bucky' Walters Post Office.''

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 1442, a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of United States Military History Month. H. Res. 1442 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Tennessee, Representative John Duncan, on June 15, 2010. It was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which ordered it reported favorably by unanimous consent on September 23, 2010. The measure enjoys the support of over 50 Members of the House. Mr. Speaker, from the Revolutionary War to the present conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the actions and leadership of our Armed Forces have shaped the history of our Nation and helped to preserve our freedoms. One cannot understand our country without understanding our history, and our military has always had a critical role in our history. For all that they've done for our Nation, our soldiers, sailors, airmen, guardians, and marines deserve our appreciation and respect. One of the ways we can do this is by helping to ensure that Americans understand the role that our military has played in the development of our Nation and in the history of our world. I, therefore, ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 1442 and encourage all Americans to take time to learn more about our Nation's military history. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1442) supporting the goals and ideals of United States Military History Month.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5605) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 47 East Fayette Street in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, as the ``George C. Marshall Post Office''.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, again, I thank the gentleman for his support in the legislation before us. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I would just remind the Members that this is a consent agenda, an agenda for which Republicans and Democrats have come together and for which the Members are not here to cast votes. They will be here tomorrow for our votes for the week. This is an opportunity for Members of both sides to bring legislation forward which we have recognized, certainly throughout my year and a half in Congress, and it is due to the bipartisan nature of the work that is done in Oversight and Government Reform, which we should be proud of. So I don't apologize for bringing these bills to the floor today. I think the Republicans have made laudable efforts here, and I think we have made laudable efforts here. I would like to remind the Members that this is a consent agenda which has been agreed upon by both parties. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the support of the Buckeyes in this case, and I thank Congressman Boccieri for bringing this measure before the House. I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. On behalf of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, I am pleased to present H.R. 4602 for consideration. This legislation will designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1332 Sharon Copley Road in Sharon Center, Ohio, as the Emil Bolas Post Office. Introduced by our friend and colleague Representative John Boccieri of Ohio on February 4, 2010, H.R. 4602 was favorably reported out of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee on December 9, 2010. This legislation enjoys the support of the entire Ohio delegation to the House. Mr. Speaker, Emil Bolas dedicated his life to the service of his beloved community of Sharon Township and Medina County, Ohio. As noted in The Medina County Gazette, Mr. Bolas' mission in life was helping people and improving his community. As a young man, Mr. Bolas served in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1961. After finishing his service in the army, Mr. Bolas focused his time and attention on making his community a better place. Mr. Bolas served as zoning appeals board chairman, as a Sharon Township trustee, and was also active in a wide array of community organizations, including the Medina County Drug Task Force, the Highland Foundation For Educational Excellence, the Boy Scouts of America, the Ohio Township Association, and the Sharon Township Heritage Society. Sadly, Mr. Bolas passed away on August 14, 2008, following a long battle with cancer. His memory will live on through his adoring family and the countless individuals whose lives he improved through his tireless work on behalf of his community. Mr. Speaker, let us further honor the life and legacy of Emil Bolas through the passage of H.R. 4602, which will designate the postal facility located at 1332 Sharon Copley Road in Sharon Center, Ohio, in his honor. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4602) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1332 Sharon Copley Road in Sharon Center, Ohio, as the ``Emil Bolas Post Office''.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5606) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 47 South 7th Street in Indiana, Pennsylvania, as the ``James M. `Jimmy' Stewart Post Office Building''.

Mr. DRIEHAUS

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I very much respect the gentleman's remarks, and I too have the flag of my father's coffin in my office. We buried him two years ago last week. So it means something very special to me that we have come together today to support this legislation, because when it comes to our Federal tax dollars being spent on American flags, those jobs should be in the United States, those flags should be made in the United States, the parts of those flags should be made in the United States. I appreciate the support of all the Members of the committee, and I applaud Representative Braley for bringing the bill forward. Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this measure. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2853) to require the purchase of domestically made flags of the United States of America for use by the Federal Government, as amended.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2853, the All-American Flag Act, ensures that the flags purchased by the Federal Government will be made right here in the United States, ensuring that tax dollars used for these purchases will stay here in our economy. H.R. 2853 was introduced by our colleague, the gentleman from Iowa, Representative Bruce Braley, on June 12, 2009. It was referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which ordered the measure reported by unanimous consent on July 28, 2010. This bill requires that all flags of the United States of America, of any size, purchased by the Federal Government be 100 percent manufactured here in the United States. This also includes any articles, materials, or supplies used to manufacture or produce those flags. Those materials must all be produced here. This represents a vast improvement over existing law, which only requires 50 percent of these materials to be American made. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2853 ensures that the flag of this country, flown by this country, will be made in this country. I would like to thank my colleagues for their hard work on this bill, and I encourage them to join me in supporting this commonsense legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, again, this bill is about creating American flags in the United States of America purchased by the Federal Government. I very much appreciate the gentlelady's concern over small businesses and business creation. That is why this House and the Senate came together and passed the Small Business bill last week, which the President signed yesterday, creating more jobs and small businesses, allowing capital to flow into small businesses through our community banks. It is a step in the right direction to create businesses here in the United States. I am pleased that we passed it. I am sorry that the Republicans didn't join us in that vote and support for small businesses. Again, I will remind the gentlelady that small businesses benefit from the health care bill as well, getting a tax credit for providing health insurance for their employees for the first time. The small business community had been shut out of the process of receiving tax credits for providing health insurance. I am proud of what we have done for small businesses here in this Congress and will continue to work on behalf of small businesses. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DRIEHAUS. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Again, I would like to comment on the lady's comments regarding the supposed failure of the Recovery Act. I would invite her to come to Cincinnati, Ohio, where the Banks Project, the largest project in Cincinnati, is moving forward because of the Recovery Act. She can meet the hundreds of workers that she calls a failure. Or she can go to the bridge that is being painted by 90 employees, also funded by the Recovery Act, that crosses the Ohio River. It is the Roebling Suspension Bridge that connects Kentucky and Cincinnati. Again, I don't consider that to be a failure. Nor do I consider to be a failure the hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs in the State of Ohio that police and firefighters now have, the thousands of jobs that teachers now have because the Recovery Act. As a matter of fact, Mr. Speaker, I think it was crystal clear in the CBO report that came out just a few weeks ago that the Recovery Act in fact saved or created 3.5 million jobs here in the United States. I will remind the lady of the failures of the Bush economic policies that led us into the worst recession in our lifetime. A failure was the last 6 months of 2008, when we saw the loss of 3 million jobs in this economy. I don't call saving and creating 3.5 million jobs a failure, and I would challenge her to come to Cincinnati and look those workers in the face that are working on I-75, that are working on the Banks Project, and suggest to them that their paychecks are a failure of the Federal Government. I reserve the balance of my time.