Jeff Denham

Mr. DENHAM

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

Mr. DENHAM. I yield myself such time as I may consume. House Concurrent Resolution 67 would authorize the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run that will be held on September 30 of this year. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Emergency Management, and Public Buildings for introducing this resolution. I am pleased to be a cosponsor. As in years past, the torch run will be launched from the west terrace of the U.S. Capitol and continue through the Capitol Grounds as part of the journey to the 26th Annual D.C. Special Olympics summer games. The Special Olympics is an international organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children and adults with disabilities through athletics and competition. The Law Enforcement Torch Run began in 1981 when the police chief of Wichita, Kansas, saw an urgent need to raise funds for and increase awareness of the Special Olympics. The torch run was then quickly adopted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Today the torch run is the largest grassroots effort that raises funds and awareness for the Special Olympics program. The event in D.C. is one of the many law enforcement torch runs throughout the country and across 35 nations. This year about 50 different local and Federal law enforcement agencies are participating in the day's events, and more than 1,500 law enforcement officials will be honoring the Special Olympics athletes by completing the 2-mile run. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we took a vote here on this floor, a vote to protect the economy while demonstrating a commitment to reducing our debt--no more budget tricks, no more accounting gimmicks, no more empty promises. You have the right to know the truth about America's budget. We have the responsibility to deliver it. This debate was done in plain sight. No more automatic deficit or debt balance increases. This was an opportunity for the American people to not only engage, but to cut the size of government. We need spending controls in place. We were able to accomplish that here today because we believe that Washington isn't the solution; Washington is the problem. Which is why we need not only spending controls, but economic freedom through a balanced budget amendment. You have heard a lot over the last several weeks about a balanced approach. To people in my district, they understand that a balanced approach increases taxes on those very job creators. I would just say, in conclusion, the economic security that we are looking for is a balanced budget amendment.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 615 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' Amendment No. 5 Offered by Mr. Miller of North Carolina

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and congratulate Madera resident Milenda G. Meders, or Millie as she is known, upon being named ``2011 Senior Farmer of the Year'' by the Madera Chamber of Commerce. This award is a tribute to Milenda's professional accomplishments in the farming industry, as well as her dedicated service and leadership in many Central Valley agriculture and farming community organizations. Milenda was born on August 8, 1935. She and her twin brother, Michael, were raised on a Chowchilla dairy farm founded by her parents, Carl and Gayle Gaumnitz, in the 1920's. Milenda graduated from Chowchilla Union High School in 1953, and went on to attend California State University Fresno, where she graduated in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science with minors in biology and journalism. After earning her degree, Milenda worked in the Sales and Ag Departments at KMJ Radio in Fresno, and later was a writer and producer of Nelson Crow Publications Western Dairy Journal. In 1965, Milenda married her husband, Lieutenant John Q. Meders, a retired U.S. Navy carrier pilot and 2nd generation cattle rancher. Together, she and her husband have farmed field row crops, almonds, and raised cattle. Over the past 51 years, Milenda's contribution to the farming community reached beyond her professional accomplishments. Milenda served on the board of the Chowchilla Fair for 16 years, and was the Chowchilla Fair Livestock Superintendent for 20 years. She also served as Director of the Madera County Cattleman's Association for 12 years; Director of the Chowchilla Water District; and has volunteered her time and agricultural expertise as a member of the Ag Advisory Committee at Chowchilla High School. Currently, she is the Director and CFO of ``Preserve Our Heritage,'' and a member of the University of California, Davis Agricultural Issues Advisory Board. Her contributions to these organizations and the Madera County farming community have been honored with several prestigious awards. In 2006, Milenda was a recipient of the California Women for Agriculture and California State University Fresno Ag One Foundation ``Common Threads Award'', an award given to 5 women in Central Valley agriculture for volunteering their time, energy and resources to benefit the community. In 2007, Milenda and her husband John received the Madera County ``Cattleman of the Year'' award. Mr. Speaker, please join me in commending Milenda G. Meders for her hard work and dedicated community service in the Central Valley farming industry, and congratulating her upon receiving the Madera Chamber of Commerce ``Senior Farmer of the Year Award.''

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, I was unavoidably detained during rollcall vote 598 on July 15, 2011, leaving me unable to cast my official vote in opposition. If I were present at the time of the vote, I would have cast a ``nay'' vote because we cannot continue to waste taxpayer money and should not continue to try and substitute government for the role of parents in children's lives. I am pleased that Congress was able to act on this amendment and I look to the Senate for its expedited review and hope that the President will subsequently sign into law H.R. 2354, in which the amendment is contained. Our families deserve the prudent fiscal allocation of taxpayer money.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chair, it's apparent that the gentleman from Indiana has not seen the river in my area, or simply just doesn't understand its flow. But to take an endangered species from Northern California, truck it down to the Central Valley, put it into a river that does not have fish screens, that does not have fish ladders, that does not have the environmental study just to watch these fish die is not only irresponsible, but it's a waste of money. So I would invite the gentleman from Indiana to come visit us anytime. But certainly don't make the mistake of killing an endangered species. I urge the adoption of the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, the underlying bill has already removed the funding for a program that is failing to show any positive results and has done more harm than good. The San Joaquin River Restoration Program continues to push forward on an ill-advised path of wasting water out to the ocean under the guise of saving salmon. What this amendment does is to prohibit the premature reintroduction of an endangered species into an uninhabitable river, a river biologists say is not ready for salmon, a program that is supposed to occur after the construction of fish screens and the completion of an environmental study, neither of which is complete. All Central Valley salmon runs are struggling to regain healthy numbers. This amendment ensures that bureaucrats don't purposely reduce the numbers of available salmon in other streams to plant them into the San Joaquin system and further threaten or endanger current runs. The Bureau of Reclamation needs to be provided with more time to complete the environmental studies and build the infrastructure required by the San Joaquin River Restoration Program before this river can sustain a salmon run. Finally, even the National Marine Fisheries Services has doubts about the success of reintroduction. Contained within the final draft of their Reintroduction Strategies, NMFS expressed concerns that the San Joaquin River Restoration Program will not complete necessary channel improvements for a successful reintroduction. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Madam Speaker, with the June national unemployment rate at 9.2 percent and with consistent double-digit unemployment in my district, we must get Americans back to work. June marks 29 consecutive months in which we've had unemployment at or above 8 percent, averaging 9.5 percent during that time. Unemployment hasn't been above 8 percent for that length of time since the Great Depression. We've got to start utilizing the policies that will get Americans back to work. We need to make sure that we are reducing the regulations and are having the economic policies that get Americans willing to take the risk: the risk to go out and borrow money to start a business, willing to take the risk to not only hire employees but to actually make sure that they're willing to have that long-term employment, making sure that they've got the promise to those employees that they're going to be able to continue on those jobs. We've got to give Americans the opportunity to take that great risk in our economy. We also need to unleash the strength of our Nation by utilizing our natural resources. The greatest opportunity we have as a Nation to get Americans back to work is by utilizing our own natural resources. In my area, where we've got double-digit unemployment, we've got a water shortage that causes our agriculture to leave land fallow, leaving thousands unemployed. By getting the water flowing again, we will not only get agriculture moving again but the local economies as well. The mountain areas with timber, if we don't use the natural resources that we have in our forests, if we don't manage our timber harvesting plans, not only will we see the lack of employment opportunities, but we'll see devastation and we'll see fires, because the forests will manage themselves if we don't manage the forests for them. We need to make sure that we're looking across the Nation at our oil reserves. Between our oil, our natural gas, our oil shale reserves, we have the largest resources in the world. We've just got to be willing to tap into them. We need to shorten the time on permits. We need to reduce the regulations so we can actually go in and get the oil so that we're not dependent on other nations. These aren't Republican jobs. These aren't Democrat jobs. These are American jobs for which we've got to be willing to go out and stand strong on cutting the regulation, on getting the right economic policies, on getting the permits moving again so that we can actually utilize our natural gas, utilize our oil, utilize our oil shale so that we're not relying on other nations, utilize our timber harvesting plans so that we don't see the devastation when the fire hits us, and utilize our water so that we can actually get agriculture moving again. Ladies and gentlemen, we've got a job to do here in Congress. We've got to get American jobs moving again. That's going to be by utilizing our natural resources and by getting Americans willing to take the risk on our economy: willing to invest, willing to borrow money to start a new business, and willing to go out there and promise new employees, not only that they'll have a job, but a long-term job. We have the power to do that here in Congress. We need to have the will.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor the life of a beloved husband, father, grandfather, and veteran Ellis Cogdill. Ellis Cogdill passed away Sunday, June 26th at the Alexander Cohen Hospice House in Hughson, CA after a devastating, albeit blessedly brief battle with cancer. Ellis was born in Stanberry, Missouri. He and his family lived and farmed in the area until Ellis enlisted in the U.S. Navy at age 17. He served 4 years as a radioman before being discharged from active duty in 1949. Ellis then returned home, where he met the love of his life, Viola Cruse, his soon to be devoted wife of over 61 years. A few months later, Ellis was called to serve again, during the Korean conflict, a duty that would last another 16 months and send him to China and the South Pacific. In 1957 the family moved to California, settling in San Bernardino, where Ellis worked as a union meat cutter for Stater Bros. Markets for 33 years. In 1962 he was called to be a Deacon at Immanuel Baptist Church, where he diligently served the Lord for many years. After retirement Ellis and Vi moved to Madera, and were active at the First So. Baptist Church. In 2005 Ellis and Vi moved to Modesto, living at Friendly Village MHP, and attending first, Orangeburg Ave. Baptist Church, then, the North Modesto Church of God. Ellis loved to travel, spend time with his family and friends, help those in need, or do just about anything that was productive. Not one to play, he valued work, and never shirked a duty or a task. Those that knew him, knew his word was his bond, and as good as gold. Ellis is preceded in death by his parents, Ellis Sr. and Mary Cogdill, and brother Tom Cogdill. He is survived by his wife and sons, Dave and Jim, and daughter Diana; daughters-in-law, Stephanie and Lisa; grandchildren David and Carrie, Meghan and Mike, Ryan and Brandon, Karma, Lauren, Joel and Moneshay; and great-grandchildren Connor, Kathleen, Xiomara, Christian, and Ashton. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Ellis Cogdill for his service to United States of America and his example of excellence to those who knew him.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor Robert ``Bob'' Gilbert on being named the California State Fair ``Agriculturist of the Year,'' and to thank him for his dedication to the agriculture community. Bob Gilbert was born November 7, 1923, in Oakdale in the home he now lives in. He attended Oakdale Elementary and High Schools. He is the only surviving child of Emma and Amos Lawrence Gilbert. He currently works full time and is Chairman of the Board of Directors of A. L. Gilbert Company which was established November 1st, 1892, 118 years ago, by his father; A. L. Gilbert. It is the oldest still-in-the- family-business in Stanislaus County. A. L. Gilbert Company was inducted into the State of California Agricultural Heritage Club in 2005. Bob was a freshman at Modesto Junior College on December 7, 1941. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, he transferred to the University of California, Berkeley, and enrolled in the V-1 and V-12 Naval Programs. He received his commission from the United States Naval Reserve Mid-Shipman School at Northwestern University in Chicago at age 20. After completing graduate school at the Naval Gun Factory in Washington, DC, he was assigned to duty on a new battle cruiser; the USS Guam, which was being commissioned in Philadelphia. This flag ship served in the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th Pacific Fleets, and accepted the surrender of the Japanese in Korea in August of 1945. He returned to the United States on December 4, 1945, and married Beverly Stone on December 9th They spent seven months in New Jersey while the battle cruiser was being mothballed. Bob graduated from U. C. Berkeley under the G.I. Bill, receiving a B. S. in Agricultural Economics. In 1947 as a graduate student, he traveled over 4,000 miles covering the entire state of California. He spent seven days a week for six weeks with Professor Earl Storie, father of the Storie Soils Index, studying soil conditions which enable farmers to grow over 150 crops in California. He returned home in the fall of 1947, four months after his father died and joined the family business. Bob discovered that agriculture was lacking in price enhancing marketing programs so he became involved in ``END PRODUCT MARKETING.'' He has spent the last 60 years of his life as an advocate for agriculture. Over that time he worked building personal relationships with both industry and government on behalf of farmers and livestock producers, such as: California Department of Food and Agriculture, marketing and stabilization plans along with production cost studies; USDA and several Secretaries of Agriculture including Ezra Taft Benson, Earl Butz, Dick Lyng and Ann Veneman following trade policy, parity pricing and supply management programs; Food and Drug Administration; new drug applications, safety and efficacy; California Milk Advisory Board; allied industry support and awards; California and National Cattlemen's Marketing Committees--conducting extensive research studies; United States Congress, both House and Senate--working on key legislation and testifying in hearings; universities and research centers--throughout the United States; marketing research for Hershey Chocolate, 1962-1966--instrumental in their locating in California and Oakdale. Some honors received include: 1964 Honorary Farmer Degree from Modesto Junior College; State Fair Grange Agriculture Day for contributions to milk pooling legislation; Grand Marshall, Oakdale Rodeo Parade; Rotary Paul Harris Fellowship, although not a Rotarian; Western United Dairymen Award for Outstanding Support of California Dairy Farmers; 50 years of economic testimony at CDFA hearings; Oakdale Chamber of Commerce and City of Oakdale Lifetime Achievement Award; California Dairy Campaign Award for dedication, strong leadership and unselfish giving; National Ag Science Center--Received 2005 induction into the Agricultural Hall of Fame. Religious commitment: Served eight years on the Commission of Ministry for the Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin; supportive and active in a wide cross-section of Christian churches to further ecumenical causes; has received many honors and awards from various religious orders and fraternal bodies. Bob has served on the Animal Science and Development Boards at the University of California, Davis. Currently, and for the past 18 years, he has also served on the prestigious Advisory Board of the College of Natural Resources and Environmental Science at the University of California, Berkeley. In 1992 on the 100th Anniversary of Oakdale High School, the ``Hall of Fame'' was established. Bob was among the first 10 graduates ever honored for Outstanding Achievements and Exceptional Service. Bob has traveled abroad extensively for the past 40 years, visiting over 90 countries, some many times, studying production and marketing agriculture as globalization has developed. This includes attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Bob's wife, Beverly, has been an integral part of all that he has done over the past 65 years. He continues to be a well-respected and active educator, business leader, patriot, politician, member of the laity, family man, student of and advocate for agriculture, and an exemplary citizen of the United States and the world.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues, Mr. Nunes and Mr. Costa, to acknowledge and honor the life of a beloved leader in the Fresno Community, Reverend George Lee Johnson, and to recognize his tireless work as the Senior Pastor of Peoples Church. Ministering to thousands, Reverend Johnson earned the respect of fellow clergy and civic leaders alike. The son of a Baptist minister, George Lee Johnson, or G.L. as he came to be known, grew up in Houston. He moved to Fresno in 1961 to work as the Associate General Director of the Latin American Orphanage. That same year, Reverend Johnson and his wife, Jackie, joined the then small Peoples Church. In 1963, Reverend Johnson became the Pastor of Peoples Church at the age 37. Reverend Johnson's commitment to his faith and the congregation of Peoples Church resulted in significant growth of the organization. His uplifting messages of hope and faith appealed to many worshipers. In 1978, Peoples Church moved to a sanctuary with capacity of more than 2,000 people, allowing over 5,000 people to attend numerous different services on Sunday. With an ever-increasing following, Peoples Church attracted a mix of civic leaders. Moreover, Reverend Johnson's hard work and service were influential in the community of Fresno. He organized the Pastor's Prayer Summit in Oakhurst, where over 45 clergy members met to pray for guidance for civic leaders in combating Fresno's crime rate and resolving socioeconomic problems. The success of this event inspired Reverend Johnson to organize a weekly Citywide Pastors Prayer Meeting which began in 1993 and still takes place today. In 2001, the Reverend was instrumental in bringing the Central Valley Billy Graham Crusade to Bulldog Stadium, an event which united more than 200,000 people. Reverend G.L. Johnson retired from Peoples Church in 2008 after 45 years of service as the Senior Pastor. However, his retirement from the church did not mark the end of his ministry. Reverend Johnson continued to support the church and lend his wisdom and knowledge to the many Fresno residents who looked to him for guidance. He also traveled throughout the world, teaching at various religious conferences. After a brave battle with cancer, Reverend George Lee Johnson passed away surrounded by his loving family at the age of 83. Mr. Speaker, please join Mr. Nunes, Mr. Costa, and I in honoring Reverend George Lee Johnson for his unwavering leadership, and recognizing his accomplishments and contributions as Pastor of Peoples Church. The life of Reverend George Lee Johnson serves as an example of excellence to those in our community, and his legacy will not be soon forgotten.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor Fresno resident Janice Scott; and to recognize Janice for her dedication to changing her life's path. Over the past three years Janice has worked hard to overcome many challenges, an achievement which deserves to be recognized. Less than a year ago, Janice, a 36-year-old Fresno native, was homeless and lived in a tent city located in downtown Fresno. After being involved in an abusive relationship for three years, Janice had no job, no educational degree, and no hope. Janice struggled to meet her basic needs and be a productive member of society. During this time, Janice was approached by Mr. Greg Barfield, Fresno's ``Homeless Czar'', and was given the opportunity to move off of the streets and into her own apartment provided by the City of Fresno. The City of Fresno's community-wide initiative known as ``Fresno First Steps Home,'' provided Janice with a more stable environment. Janice not only took advantage of this opportunity, she used it as a springboard to work toward a better life. She enrolled in the North Campus of Heald College with a full-ride scholarship, and is on track to graduate with honors. Upon graduation, she is excited to pursue a career in Medical Administration. Janice knows that her future career will allow her to give back to the community which provided her the opportunity for not only a new home, but to begin a new life. Earlier this year, Janice's accomplishments and hard-work were recognized by Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin, who presented Janice with a prestigious award, entitled the ``Key to the City''. Mr. Speaker, please join me in commending Janice Scott for her hard work to better her life and provide hope to others around her, and wishing her great success in her future endeavors.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor Anne Lucille Caprara, 102, of Gonzales, who passed away peacefully at her home Wednesday, June 22, 2011. She was born January 11, 1909 in Salinas. She was a member of St. Theodore's Catholic Church and Pro Ticino of Northern California. Anne always said, ``You're ok as long as you can still get out of bed,'' and she was able to do that until days before her passing. She was born in Salinas, but was a lifelong resident of Gonzales. She graduated in 1927 from Gonzales High School where she was recently honored for being the longest living alumni. She met and married a dashing young man from Switzerland, Victor Caprara. They had three children. Anne was a devoted wife and mother. Being a homemaker was her priority in life. The ``famiglia'' loved having their family and friends gather around their table, enjoying conversation and eating delicious food which Anne enjoyed preparing. Roasting chestnuts was a must during the holidays. She and her husband traveled to Switzerland twice to meet Victor's family and visit her relatives in Canton Ticino. Her parents were also Swiss immigrants. They looked forward to the annual Swiss Picnics and dancing to Swiss polkas. Anne's family wishes to express their deepest gratitude to her kind and very caring care-givers, Margaret and Leticia and her long time physician, Dr. Christine Ponzio. Anne was preceded in death by her husband, Victor Caprara in 1973; mother, Angelina Sgheiza; father, Valentino Sgheiza; sisters, Corina Tomasini, and Alice Berry; brother, Leo Sgheiza; granddaughter, Lorelei Ann Farmer; and grandson, Michael Dennis Farmer. She is survived by her daughters, Loraine Farmer and Dolores (John) Billman both of Salinas; son, Dennis (Janice) Caprara, of Gonzales; grandchildren, Robert Lee Farmer, John ``Bowdie'' Billman, Bren Billman, Anne Marci, Brian Caprara, Leslie Lombardi, and Sheri Hayes, 17 great-grandchildren and several devoted nieces and nephews.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor Hughson Police Chief Janet Rasmussen, who rose through the ranks to become the County of Stanislaus and the City of Hughson's First Female Chief nearly 7 years ago, announced her retirement as of July 30, 2011; after serving in law enforcement for 36 years; and Chief Rasmussen started her law enforcement career as a Volunteer Dispatcher-Clerk in April 1975, School Resource Officer and Matron- Dispatcher-Clerk in May 1976, and Dispatcher-Clerk in June 1977 through January 1982, Explorer Advisor in January 1979 through January 1982; and Reserve Police officer in January 1979 through January 1982; and Janet Rasmussen continued her career serving in the Tulare County Sheriffs Department, hired by the Corcoran Police Department in 1976, Tulare Police Department in 1977, Tulare Sheriff's Department in 1982; and the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department in 1991; while attending College of the Sequoias and receiving her Associates of Science in Criminal Justice in 1981, becoming a P.O.S.T Graduate in 2002, and completing her Bachelors of Science program in 2006; and Janet Rasmussen was selected as the First Woman Narcotics Detective in Tulare County and First Woman Sergeant to serve in patrol, the First Female selected in Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department, the First Woman Instructor for Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department at the Ray Simon Regional Training Center Police Academy for Firearms, Weaponless Defense, Expandable Baton, Oleoresin Capsicum; the First Woman Team Leader for a Hostage Negotiation Team and in 2005 was selected as the First Woman in Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department serving as Chief of Police for the City of Hughson; and Allowed attendance only by invitation and through an extensive nomination process she was the 2nd Woman in Stanislaus County to attend the FBI National Academy graduating in 2007, whereby only 12,000 women out of 39,000 attended the academy since its inception in 1935; and during the Chief's tenure in Stanislaus County, Criminal and gang activity remained at a level that placed Hughson as one of the safest communities in the Stanislaus County compared to communities in the area; and Chief Rasmussen was very active in various organizations and extended her service to society by participating and volunteering in various organization such as serving as Governing Board Member--Stanislaus County Association of Law Enforcement Executive; Joint Powers Advisory Board Member for the Stanislaus County Drug Enforcement Agency; Advisory Board Member for the Stanislaus County Domestic Preparedness Task Force and Joint Board Member for the Office of Emergency Services Operational Area County; and a Member of the FBI National Academy Association; receiving AAA Auto Theft Recovery Award; and the Excellence in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Award. Chief Rasmussen has been an outstanding and highly effective Police Chief whose quiet and steady leadership is an excellent example to us all of how to serve humanity. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring and commending the outstanding contributions made to law enforcement and the Hughson Community by Chief of Police Janet Rasmussen and hereby wish her continued success in her retirement.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor Jeanette Sutherlin on her retirement from the University of California Cooperative Extension; and to thank her for her dedicated, lifelong spirit of community service. Since joining the University of California Cooperative Extension in 1973, Jeanette has been a leading advocate for nutrition and agricultural education, working tirelessly to implement nutrition education and youth development programs throughout Fresno County. Jeanette began her career at the University of California Cooperative Extension in Fresno County as the 4-H Advisor. She later took over the role of Nutrition, Family and Consumer Sciences Advisor where she focused on providing nutrition education and access to healthy nutrition for low-income families in Fresno County. In addition, she successfully secured more than a half-million dollars in grants each year to fund multiple projects related to nutrition and agricultural education. Jeanette's hard work in the Fresno County agriculture industry is deeply valued by those who have worked with her. One of Jeanette's main focuses was strengthening a nearly decade long relationship between the University of California Cooperative Extension and the Fresno County Farm Bureau. President Brian Pacheco commemorated Jeanette's contributions to the Fresno County Farm Bureau, stating, ``Jeanette's expertise in nutrition education, youth development and administration has been an asset to the Fresno County Farm Bureau, and her services will not be soon forgotten.'' Beyond her work at the University of California Cooperative Extension and Fresno County Farm Bureau, Jeanette has volunteered much of her time to philanthropic endeavors. She currently serves as Chairperson of the Board for the Trauma Intervention Program, providing emotional aid and practical support to victims of traumatic events and their families in the hours following a tragedy. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Jeanette Sutherlin on her retirement and wishing her the best of luck and health in her future endeavors.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor California State University, Fresno as the University celebrates its Centennial Anniversary Year. Starting from humble beginnings as the Fresno Normal School, CSU, Fresno has evolved into an acclaimed university. Serving a culturally diverse student body, Fresno State has pledged to be a university accessible to students from all backgrounds with the desire to attain higher education. It is this commitment to serving all students which makes this university indispensible to the Central Valley. Fresno State attracts both national and international attention for its many academic programs. Among the nationally acclaimed programs is the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology. CSU, Fresno operates the first commercially bonded winery on any U.S. university campus, and student-produced wines have won hundreds of awards, bringing much needed interest to the Central Valley. In addition, the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology is also working to solve many of the most pressing issues in agriculture. The college has become a pioneer in water-saving irrigation techniques and equipment that has been utilized. With 64 bachelor's, 44 master's and three doctoral subject areas, CSU, Fresno has come a long way. The University has contributed much to the economic, civic and social well-being of our community. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring California State University, Fresno on its Centennial Anniversary.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about natural resources and whether or not they can create American jobs. The answer is yes; with oil production alone, 1.2 million jobs between the three bills that Republicans passed out of committee and off of the House floor; a total of 2 million jobs if you add in the American Energy Independence and Price Reduction Act; 2 million American jobs. Not only could we be energy independent in our great Nation, but we can put Americans back to work with 2 million jobs alone in this area. We need to have States' rights, allowing States to explore oil exploration or natural gas or utilize all of their natural resources, whether you're in Alaska and you want to drill in ANWR, or you're the Governor of California and you want to pass Tranquillon Ridge and clean up the old oil wells off of the coast. States should have those rights to be able to do that and to be able to put their own people back to work in those States. The President's policies on our natural resources are just flawed. My friends across the aisle continue to talk about the bills that come off of this floor, whether they create jobs or not. This is indisputable, 2 million jobs. You don't have to like these jobs, but nevertheless, they are American jobs and it gives us our energy independence. The President has said we have 2 percent of the world's oil, but we utilize 25 percent of the world's oil with our vehicles. Now I agree, we use 25 percent; we've got a lot of cars on the roads, we have a lot of goods movement, but 2 percent? The number is flawed again. As we went through the Natural Resources Committee, we have over 65 percent of the world's natural resources between natural gas, oil, and oil shale, we just have to be willing to go get it. So rather than going to Brazil, rather than going to the Middle East and putting our troops at risk, we ought to be self-sufficient and utilize our own natural resources and put Americans back to work in the process. Now in my district, we've got natural resource issues as well. We've seen timber issues across the Nation. In Arizona, we've seen catastrophic disasters with national forests. In my district we've got national or natural forests as well. These national forests we've got to manage better. We've got to be able to take the fuel off of the forest floor. We've got to be able to harvest some of the timber. We'll never catch up at this point because our timber harvesting plants are so far behind. But nevertheless, we've got to put Americans back to work, we've got to put Californians back to work dealing with our timber industry. And in the Central Valley, where we have the largest abundance of ag production, all of the fresh fruits, the nuts, packaged salads, we have so many different things that California produces and yet we see some of the highest unemployment in the Nation. As our national unemployment continues to escalate, we're at 9.1 percent now, we're double that in the Central Valley, and it's a direct correlation to the water. One of our natural resources, when you shut off the water to the valley and only give it 10 percent of the contracted allocation, you have 36 percent unemployment. And in some cities it's even higher. When you go to the food lines and you see Americans--44 percent unemployment in some cities--it seems un-American to not utilize our natural resources. So we have the ability in this great Nation. We have the bills that we're passing off of this floor. What we need to do is have the will to move them through both Houses and encourage the President to have American jobs--not Republican jobs, these aren't Republican jobs, not Democratic jobs, but American jobs; putting people back to work; avoiding the natural disasters that happen with forest fires and the natural disasters we have with flooding when we don't manage our water; creating clean energy in the process. But the most important issue, when you've got 9.1 percent unemployment and escalating across the Nation, when you've got double that in the Central Valley and continuing to escalate but you have the natural resources and the ability to solve your own problems but ignore the fact and don't do so, we have an American problem with jobs. As Republicans, we are willing to fix that problem. We will continue to pass these natural resources bills, but at some point we would ask our friends across the aisle to work with us. We will not solve California's energy problems or the Nation's job issue without addressing our natural resources.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor Sung Mo ``Steve'' Kang, Chancellor of the University of California, Merced; and to thank him for his leadership and dedication to the academic advancement of the Central Valley. Since March 1, 2007, Steve Kang has served as Chancellor of the University of California, Merced, the first American research university of the 20 century. Kang is an experienced educator, researcher and administrator. Previously, he was Dean of the Baskin School of Engineering at UC Santa Cruz. He now serves on the Central Valley Higher Education Consortium Board, MentorNet Advisory Board, the UC President's Advisory Council on Science and Innovation, Business- Education Alliance of Merced County, and the Board of the Great Valley Center as its Chairman. He also serves on international advisory boards for institutions in Canada, Korea, Switzerland, and Taiwan. He brings a wealth of experience from a long and distinguished career in private industry and higher education. Kang served as a department head (1995-2000) and a professor (1985-2000) in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was a visiting professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology at Lausanne, the University of Karlsruhe and the Technical University of Munich, and a Chaired Visiting Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). He has also taught at Rutgers University. Prior to his career in education, Kang worked for AT&T Bell Laboratories, where he led the development of the world's first 32-bit microprocessor chips as a technical supervisor and designed satellite- based private communication networks as a member of technical staff. His leadership in industry is evidenced by his earlier appointment to the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Nanotechnology, a joint federal-state venture to promote California as the premier center for nanotechnology research, development, and commercialization. He served as president of the Silicon Valley Engineering Council, the alliance for engineering leaders in Silicon Valley, with more than 60,000 engineers. Kang holds 15 U.S. patents in electrical engineering and has written or co-authored 11 books and 400 technical papers and won numerous awards and fellowships for his work and publications. His current research interests include nanoelectronics, lower-power, very large- scale integrated (VLSI) circuits; modeling and simulation of semiconductor devices and circuits. Kang is a fellow of IEEE, ACM and AAAS, Foreign Member of National Academy of Engineering of Korea, and is listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in Technology, Who's Who in Engineering and Who's Who in Midwest. He received the Alexander von Humboldt U.S. Senior Scientist Award (1996), IEEE Millennium Medal (2000), Chang-Lin Tien Education Leadership Award (2007), Korean-American Leadership Award (2008), IQ Quality Award (2008), and many other accolades. Most recently (2009), Kang was inducted into the Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Fame. He earned his bachelor of science degree, graduating summa cum laude, from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, N.J.; his master of science from the State University of New York at Buffalo; and his doctorate from UC Berkeley. All his academic degrees are in electrical engineering. Kang and wife, Mia, live in the chancellor's residence in Merced. They have two grown children. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring and commending Sung Mo ``Steve'' Kang, Chancellor of the University of California, Merced for his numerous years of selfless service to the education of our community.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. You know, this could not be any more serious. It's important for us to debate what our servicemembers are doing in foreign conflicts. The War Powers Act, it is important to make sure that the President understands from Congress exactly what we are willing to do with our American troops and where we are willing to fight. But I do agree he has to give us his reasons. In Desert Storm, we knew why we were there. We knew what our role was, we knew what our goals were, we knew what our exit strategy was. These are the very reasons that we are looking for before we appropriate funds, before we put our troops at risk, before any boots go to the ground, before this conflict escalates any further, before a new government comes into play, we expect these answers to be given to us. We expect the President to do his job, to show leadership, to address Congress and explain why he is committing American servicemembers. So this is very serious. It is very serious and it's long overdue. The President should have come here first. He certainly should have come here within 60 days. It is long overdue, it is very serious, and the time to demand answers is now.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor fallen Fresno Sheriff's Deputy Joel Wahlenmaier. Deputy Joel Wahlenmaier was born in Bakersfield, California on June 3, 1960. Joel grew up in Fresno, California and attended local schools, including Reedley College. Joel married Beverly Barnett on April 23, 1983. They had two children, Amy Wahlenmaier and Austin Wahlenmaier. Deputy Wahlenmaier was hired as a Deputy Sheriff by the Fresno Sheriff's Office, in Fresno, California on June 15, 1998. He had various assignments that included patrol, courts, robbery/property detectives and the homicide unit. Deputy Wahlenmaier loved his collateral assignment to the Search and Rescue team. His last assignment, at his end of watch, was the Homicide Unit. He was selected to that unit on February 18, 2008. Deputy Wahlenmaier had a true passion for his work, particularly Search and Rescue, but was first and foremost a supportive husband and attentive father. His end of watch came on February 25, 2010 while serving a search warrant as a Homicide Detective. Deputy Wahlenmaier is survived by his beloved wife Bev; daughter Amy; son Austin; parents, Arthur and Patricia Wahlenmaier; sister, Natalie and her husband, Jim Tomajan; brother Tyler and his wife, Genifer; father-in-law and mother-in-law Bruce and Betty Barnett; brother-in-law and sister-in-law Mike and Barbie Turner; two nieces; and four nephews.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge and honor Fresno Police Department Captain Greg L. Garner; and to thank him for his 32 years of selfless service to his community. Captain Garner was born on February 4, 1959 in Madera, California. After graduating from Madera High School, Captain Garner went on to earn a Bachelors of Science in Criminology and a Master's of Science in Law Enforcement Administration from California State University, Fresno. He started his career with the Fresno Police Department in 1979 as a cadet, and worked his way through the ranks to become Police Officer, Police Sergeant, Police Lieutenant, and Police Captain in 2001. During the tenure of his service, Captain Garner has received multiple awards and accolades. In 2008 the Fresno Police Department Traffic Unit under his command received the 2008 National Mothers Against Drunk Driving Award. That same unit was recognized as the number one Child Safety Program in the nation by the Office of Traffic Safety, and appeared on the cover of USA Today Magazine in recognition of the unit's efforts to improve traffic safety. When off-duty, Captain Garner is actively involved in community causes, such as the Downtown Revitalization Committee, Bring Broken Neighborhoods Back to Life Program, and the Men of Promise organization. He has also received the Gideon Community Service and Citizens of the Community Awards, volunteered in March of Dimes Jail & Bail Fundraisers, and is currently volunteering part-time at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring and commending Captain Greg L. Garner on his 32 years of service and dedication to improving the safety and welfare his community, the City of Fresno.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. I thank the gentleman for yielding. A lot is always talked about us utilizing 25 percent of the world's gas. And where we disagree is the number of 2 percent of the world's oil. It's not a disagreement. The fact is, we've got 65 percent of the world's reserves between our oil shale. You just have to be willing to go get it. Natural gas, we want to use natural gas. Let's utilize our own natural gas. We have some of the largest oil reserves in the world. We just have to be willing to have American jobs and reduce our reliance on foreign oil.

Mr. DENHAM

Mr. DENHAM. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure be discharged from further consideration of House Concurrent Resolution 16 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.