Jo Ann Emerson

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, allow me to stand up for this provision in which my friend Mr. Hobson and our subcommittee and staff have worked so hard to assemble. We talk big about energy independence, Mr. Chairman, but here we are discussing Mr. Flake's amendment today because some of us talk the talk but we don't walk the walk. The Missouri Forest Foundation would get $750,000 from a $30 billion budget to help solve the crisis of our time, American reliance on foreign oil. I believe that most of our colleagues would agree that this investment would pay off by finding a viable source of cellulosic ethanol in wood waste from mostly unmanageable parts of our forests. As a source of green energy, cellulosic ethanol is limited only by our ability to harvest small trees from overgrown, unmanaged forests and generate cellulosic ethanol on a profitable scale. This project would remove many of those barriers to our energy market, and in the meantime, we will add value to our forests, 14 million acres of them in Missouri alone, and will create another value-added product to help our rural economist. We talk a lot and we have been talking a lot lately in this body about the future of alternative fuels. This project is how we also walk the walk, and I believe it is unconscionable to turn our backs on any project to put something besides oil in the tanks of American cars and trucks, especially when it is one that is as promising as this. Yet there is also, Mr. Chairman, a larger issue at work here: Who do you trust with these tax dollars? Some Members put their trust in the Office of Management and Budget to choose what is best for their districts, and some Members, well, they choose to put their trust in their districts back home. I trust my district, and I trust the men and women behind this project. Together we worked on this proposal. It was my idea, and we brought it to the Congress. So now, at this point, Congress can say yes or no. But as others have said before me, I am standing up for my district, and I say it is worthwhile and we should invest in it. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson).

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield one-half minute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky).

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, I think everybody in Congress understands our need to get away from the addiction we have to oil, and anything we can do to develop alternative sources of energy is critical to our national and our economic security. I want to say, too, the appropriations process is local control at its highest level, and we have to keep this authority within the Congress and not abdicate our responsibility to represent our own districts. I urge a ``no'' vote on the Flake amendment.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased that the gentleman has decided to withdraw his amendment, because if he had been studying this issue as long as we had in Missouri you would find, number one, that the cost of moving the mapping facility to Denver, Colorado, is an increase to taxpayers of $2,069,322, and a 13.8 percent increase over the cost today of managing this program. Now, let me just give you a little bit of history about this. Originally the goal was to consolidate the four USGS mapping sites and find the office that would be most competitive against the private sector. This is according to the former USGS Director. And Rolla, Missouri, the facility that we have today, has scored the best out of all of the criteria that the USGS committee put together for this planning. As a matter of fact, it scored 4.18 out of a possible 5, and Denver scored 2.84 out of a 5. The USGS planning committee actually recommended that the mapping center be located in Rolla, but it was subsequently decided by one individual within USGS to move it arbitrarily, so that it would lose against private competitors. And let me also say that the Inspector General who did a report at the request of Senators Bond, Talent and I, has found that USGS ``failed to effectively and transparently demonstrate the entirety of its criteria or communicate the magnitude of its rationale.'' In effect, the decision was made by one person who dismissed an entire team and planning process which was convened to select the site. Mr. Chairman, I would like to yield to my colleague from Missouri (Mr. Hulshof).

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I want to thank the gentlemen from Missouri. I also want to point out to my colleagues from Colorado that the USGS facility in Rolla provides geospatial data to the border health issue, which I know is of great interest to the gentlemen. And I do want to correct a mistake. I did say that Denver scored 2.84 out of 5 as compared to Rolla, which was 4.18. Denver actually scored 3.11 out of 5, as compared to 4.18 for Rolla.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of the Meadow Heights High School boys basketball team in Patton, Missouri. They broke the state and national record for three point goals in a single game. On February 11, 2006, the Panthers made 36 three point goals in a 131-66 win against visiting Marquand. The Panthers, who average about 21 three point goal attempts a game, made 16 in the first half. They broke the state record of 24 three point goals with 1:26 left in the third quarter. The basketball team scored one more three point goal in the quarter and 10 additional three point goals in the fourth quarter. The feat surpassed the national record of 34 three point goals set by Juniata Valley High School of Alexandria, PA, according to the National Federation of High Schools, NFHS. NFHS certified the new school record on February 25, 2006. This accomplishment was made possible by the hard work and cooperative effort of the Meadow Heights High School boys basketball team. These young men are a great example of teamwork and sportsmanship for the youth of Southern Missouri. I extend my sincere congratulations to Head Coach Tom Brown, as well as the members of the Meadow Heights High School boys basketball team.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Steve Lukens, Assistant Principal at R.O. Hawkins Junior High School in Jackson, Missouri. Recently, Mr. Lukens announced his retirement after 31 years of distinguished service in Missouri's Public Schools. Mr. Lukens was born on June 23, 1947, to Harry and Ella Lukens in St. Louis, Missouri. Upon graduation from high school he joined the U.S. Navy and served as an air traffic controller from 1967 until 1972. After his honorable discharge, Mr. Lukens pursued a degree in education from Southeast Missouri State University, which is also where he met his future wife, Ellen. Upon graduation from the Southeast Missouri State, he commenced what would be a long and laudable career in education. Mr. Lukens has dedicated his life to public education over the past 31 years. He embarked on his teaching career in the Cape Girardeau, Missouri, public school system, where he served as a language arts teacher for 21 years. Throughout his time in the Cape Girardeau Public Schools, he served in several capacities for many extracurricular activities, including sponsor of the Red Dagger Club and set director for theatric productions. In order to play an active role in the lives of even more students, Mr. Lukens pursued a position in school administration. In 1996, Mr. Lukens accepted a position as Assistant Principal at R.O. Hawkins Junior High School and has served the school in this capacity for the past ten years. During his tenure, Mr. Lukens has overseen several massive construction projects to the school, a growing student population, and the everyday challenges associated with the instruction of adolescents. As the faces change every year in the halls of R.O. Hawkins Junior High, Mr. Lukens' dedication to education and cultivating the leaders of tomorrow remains a constant. To the students of R.O. Hawkins Junior High, Mr. Lukens is more than just a school administrator, he is a friend and mentor. Although Mr. Lukens has led an exemplary career in education, it would not have been possible without the love and support of his family. Mr. Lukens' wonderful wife, Ellen, and two loving children, Jennie and Laura, undoubtedly enhanced his ability to change the lives of area youth. As I commend Mr. Lukens, I also recognize the efforts of his family to further his career. I once again congratulate Mr. Lukens on a successful career in education and wish him well in all his future endeavors.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a loyal friend, a steadfast patriot, and a man without whom I could not provide the level of service to the people of Missouri's Eighth Congressional District. Lloyd Smith has devoted his professional career to our district. This month, we celebrate 25 years of his service and leadership. For all but a few months of those 25 years, Lloyd has been a chief of staff in the Emerson office. He earned the job soon after being hired by Bill Emerson in 1981 and kept it until Bill's final days in 1996. It was Lloyd who urged me to run for this seat, and there was no hesitation when I immediately asked him to serve as my chief of staff. He has advised me in that capacity ever since. Many things are different about the way I represent the Eighth District and the way Bill did. Lloyd has been the constant. He knows more about the Eighth District, from his Mississippi County birthplace to the sole of the Bootheel, the width and breadth of the Ozarks, the length of the Mississippi River, and all the wonderful people who live in the towns that dot our map. He knows Southern Missouri like the back of his hand. He knows policy, politics and people just as well as he knows the topography of the district. Lloyd gets to the point quick. He is smart, true to his beliefs, and unafraid to lead. He has a tremendous sense of humor, a confident charisma, and a genuine kindness in his heart. To the many individuals who have served under him, he has been a mentor and a role model. To the two individuals he has served in Congress, Lloyd is the man to turn ideas into results. And when I run out of ideas, Lloyd always has some of those, too. It is appropriate to thank Lloyd Smith in this venue, in an institution that has felt his influence for the past 25 years. He has served Bill and me, Missouri's Eighth District and our Nation; but, Lloyd has led each of these entities, too. I want to congratulate him, thank him, and express my deepest gratitude for all of his good work.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the accomplishment of Lieutenant Brent Davis of the Missouri State Highway Patrol. After 31 years of service, Lieutenant Davis is retiring, and he leaves a long legacy of honorable service behind. Our first responders are rare people who prize service to others above all else. Highway Patrol officers like Lieutenant Davis put their lives on hold to perform a demanding, stressful job protecting the public. In Missouri, our Highway Patrol officers do more than supervise our highways. They are reliable first responders, they are vigilant in preventing crime, they are essential in our war against illegal drugs. They are also brave, considerate, fair and tough--and no one is a better example of these qualities than Lieutenant Davis. Lieutenant Davis joined the Missouri State Highway Patrol on January 1, 1975, and was stationed at Sikeston after graduating recruit training. On August 1, 1986, he was promoted to corporal and became the assistant zone commander for Zone 6, Sikeston. On August 1, 1989, Davis was promoted to sergeant and moved to Poplar Bluff as a zone sergeant. He worked on the road for 17 years. In September 1992, he became the Public Information Officer. Davis said he really enjoyed the Public Information/Education Officer for Troop E, where he served for 10 years. He was promoted to Lieutenant in September 2002, becoming the enforcement lieutenant for Troop E. In October 2003, Davis became the Special Services Lieutenant, in charge of Drivers Examination, Motor Vehicle Inspection and Commercial Vehicle Inspection Divisions. Congratulations to Lieutenant Davis on his outstanding, selfless accomplishment of 31 years of service through the Missouri Highway Patrol. My thoughts are with Lieutenant Davis, his wife Janna, and the rest of his family and friends as they look back on his proud record of service and ahead to his retirement.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the accomplishment of Three Rivers Community College basketball coach Gene Bess. Coach Bess is a fixture of the southern Missouri community of Poplar Bluff and a legend of college basketball coaching. This season, he will accomplish a tremendous feat for a coach in any sport at any level: Coach Bess will win his 1,000th game. Three Rivers Community College is lucky to have a great coach--a model of perseverance and service. In Coach Bess, the Three Rivers Raiders have a mentor, a leader, and a friend to coach them both on and off the court. For southern Missouri, Coach Bess is more than an expert on basketball and leadership--he is a student of the game of life. He is also a reminder that accomplishing our goals requires planning, hard work and plenty of sacrifice. After notching 1,000 wins, Coach Bess has also become an expert on sportsmanship. His players are instructed in the art of fair play right along with the other fundamentals of the game. Most remarkable about Coach Bess to me and to many is that the basketball team is not the first priority in his life. He is proud of the fact that his faith and his family always come before his work. This is just one secret of his success. But today I join with Coach Bess's family, his friends, his colleagues at Three Rivers, the hundreds of young men who have played on his teams, and the proud fans of the Eighth Congressional District to congratulate Coach Bess on achieving a rare milestone. In his long tenure as coach of the Three Rivers Raiders, Coach Bess has never had a losing season. His 1,000th victory marks a record that is unsurpassed at any level. We are proud of this tradition, proud of this record, and most proud of Coach Bess.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to echo the concern of the President, who recently told this body and the American people that he is afraid our Nation is becoming ``addicted to oil.'' Not only is America dependent on foreign sources of this increasingly politicized resource, but supplies of that resource are dwindling and increasingly expensive. In order to assure the national security and economic prosperity of our Nation, we must find alternative sources of energy. America's farmers have found it already--in the rows and rows of corn and soybeans I drive past each time I go home to Missouri. Alternative sources of energy must be part of the solution to our dependence on foreign oil. We cannot ask Americans to drive to the grocery store or doctor's office less, we cannot ask our manufacturers to ship fewer goods, we will not all pick up and move from rural America to the city so we can ride the subway. The Americans who suffer most from high fuel prices live in places like Southern Missouri, where goods are shipped in from far away and our agriculture and manufacturing products are shipped out even greater distances to far- off markets. We drive farther in a day than most urban Americans drive in a week. We use tractors, semi-trailers, and heavy-duty trucks on our farms and at our factories. Energy is the lifeblood of our rural economy, and high energy costs are a crushing burden on families, farms and businesses. Rural America, in particular, depends on our freedom to travel. And in that same rural America, there is fuel growing in the fields. Those same farmers are growing crops that could power all their vehicles. When I am out on the highway in Southern Missouri, I see literally fields of fuel--corn and soybeans that can be converted into Ethanol and bio-diesel. In Southern Missouri, we are starting to build Ethanol and bio-diesel refineries. The first few E85 stations are opening for business, selling fuel for cars designed to run on 85 percent Ethanol and only 15 percent petroleum. America is leading the way in these technologies, just as we lead the way on our farms producing the world's safest, most secure food supply. It is in the very best interests of our country to support these efforts in every possible way. Oil is the most politicized natural resource in the world, it is limited, and its use will eventually become archaic. But there are fields of renewable fuel, Mr. Speaker, everywhere.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the heroism of nine individuals in Missouri's Eighth Congressional District whose quick thinking and brave actions saved the lives of a family of five. In the early morning hours of December 14th, a billion-gallon flood from the Taum Sauk Reservoir swept through the Johnson Shut Ins State Park. Park Ranger Jerry Toops, his wife and their three children, ages 5, 3, and seven months, were awakened to a harrowing scene as the freezing cold floodwaters crashed through their home and carried them all away. Their rescuers were immediately set into motion. Mr. Josh McCarty, Mr. Gary Maize, Mr. Tyler Wright, Mr. Robbie Jordan, Mr. Ryan Wadlow and Fire Chief Ben Meredith of the Lesterville Fire Department, Reynolds County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Fox knew the Toops family had been in the path of the flood and raced to the scene. Also on the scene was a good Samaritan--Mr. Greg Coleman--a truck driver who had been stranded on the roof of his semi truck and heard Jerry Toops calling for help from a tree. He called the local emergency dispatcher and, as soon as the icy water receded, met the fire department and set out to find the family. Mr. Butch Walker, a neighbor, used his truck to clear a path through the flood debris for the emergency responders. They found the five members of the Toops family alive, but in urgent need of medical care. On the ensuing ambulance rides, the lives of the three children hung in the balance. Their parents, the county, the State and the Nation all prayed that they would survive. They did. But a moment later, a minute's delay, or a notch less of urgency and the outcome could have been grim for the Toops family, laying in their nightclothes on the cold, wet ground. If not for these nine men with their training and determination, acting fast, in the dark, frozen moments after the flood, one, some, or all of these five lives would have been lost. It is this character, selflessness, and reliability for neighbors in need that make Southern Missouri a wonderful place to live. They are heroes of whom we are proud, though they would say they are just doing their jobs or doing what anyone would do in their position. Yet they responded without hesitation, and we owe them a great debt of gratitude. I commend them today in the U.S. House of Representatives and thank God for their great deeds.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of Mr. George Grugett, who has served the Mississippi Valley region and our Nation for 25 years as executive vice president of the Mississippi Valley Flood Control Association. Up and down the river, residents and landowners have been lucky for the expertise and tireless advocacy of Mr. Grugett. His work on their behalf has made the region safer for them and their families, as well as preserved vital river transportation. The Mississippi River is a strange, and sometimes difficult, neighbor to us in southern Missouri. We are struck by her beauty in times of calm and heartbroken by her unstoppable power in times of flood. Living along the Mississippi River presents unique challenges, which Mr. Grugett has made his life's work to meet. The infrastructure needs of flood protection are staggering. Levees, pumping stations, locks and dams, berms, floodwalls and river management are all critical components of preserving our relationship with the Mississippi River. Managing the plans, construction and upkeep of these facilities demands a rare, dedicated individual. For 25 years, Mr. Grugett has been that person. Born and raised in west Tennessee, Mr. George Grugett is no stranger to the service of his country. He is a veteran of World War II, during which he served with the 12th Air Force in Europe. He was educated in civil engineering at the University of Alabama and the University of Mississippi and spent 35 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers before joining the Mississippi Valley Flood Control Association. Mr. Grugett has received the Meritorious Civilian Service Award and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Rivers Museum. He has been a faithful guardian of our delicate relationship with the Mississippi River in southern Missouri. I thank him for his great service to the residents of Missouri's Eighth Congressional District and to the people of our Nation.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Chairman, I am hopeful that we might have the opportunity in conference to clarify in the GAO study that prior to implementation, States would be required to submit to the Secretary of HHS the amounts they would propose to pay pharmacies under this new payment formula. Would you be willing to work with me on this.

Mrs. EMERSON. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.

Mrs. EMERSON. I would like to engage the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal), chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, in a colloquy. Mr. Chairman, in the bill before us, we do make significant changes in the way we pay pharmacies for Medicaid prescription drugs. I am very concerned that these payment rates will significantly reduce access to prescription drugs for Medicaid beneficiaries in districts like mine particularly, which is quite rural. I think that we need to make sure that our Nation's community pharmacies are adequately compensated for Medicaid prescription drugs. I would like to ask you if you could to explain the new provision that calls for a GAO study on pharmacy reimbursement.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I have known Dorothy Burford for over 25 years, and I loved her drive and spunk from the very first moment I met her. Although life left her blind and deaf in recent years, she never lost that spunk. I have never known anyone with such energy and enthusiasm for life. I certainly do not know anyone who lived a fuller life than Dorothy. She was an active political mind and an able political voice in Southern Missouri for more than half a century, and she was known far outside the boundaries of Doniphan, MO, her home sweet home. Dorothy missed only one Republican national convention between 1952 to 2000, and not only did she attend, but she was an active participant. She attended numerous State Lincoln Days over the years, traveling from Doniphan to St. Louis, Kansas City or Springfield and one year, after vacationing in Florida, she decided she just couldn't miss it, so she took a bus by herself from Florida to Kansas City. Although Dorothy didn't have a plan on how to get back to Doniphan, she just knew someone would be there from Southern Missouri and she could ride home with them! I also recall many wonderful Labor Day parades in Doniphan: Dorothy was always there recruiting people to ride the floats or helping with the decorations. One year, it rained so hard they canceled the parade, but Dorothy, ever the patriot, decided it was a shame to waste all our time and effort, so we had our own parade down Walnut Street. Dorothy Burford's father, T.L. Wright, started a lumber company in Doniphan which later became the T.L. Sand & Concrete, Co. Dorothy graduated from Stephens College in Columbia, MO, and, being the oldest of 8 children, took over the business when her father died in 1928. Not only was it a rare thing for a woman to graduate college in the 1920's, it was even more infrequent that a woman would take over the family business. Dorothy proved herself quite capable, however. She oversaw the completion of one of T.L.'s greatest projects: the first concrete bridge over the Current River. A year later when the bridge was ready to open, instead of doing the usual ribbon cutting, Dorothy pulled on her riding boots and jumped off the bridge. Once again, Dorothy showed us a different way of doing things. I am still among the many who feel she was too soon taken from us, even at her estimable age of 102. All of these memories and stories about Dorothy only begin to scratch the surface of her drive, her determination, and her individuality. She was a principled, thoughtful, inspiring woman I am proud to call my friend. She will be greatly missed, but through her legendary legacy, I have no doubt she will live on.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, due to an unavoidable scheduling conflict, I was unable to vote on the Conference Report on H.R. 3057, the Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2006. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Cary Crane-- the recipient of the 2005 Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Award. Mr. Crane and his company, Apple & Eve, have for years been generous enough to provide juice beverage products to the nation's less fortunate through Rock and Wrap It Up! Inc., a nonprofit, nonpartisan hunger relief organization Bill helped to found. Mr. Crane has been a true public servant in supplying nutritious food to those in need. He is the Cofounder and Executive Vice President of Apple & Eve, LLC a manufacturer of premium fruit juices, which donates heavily to Rock and Wrap It Up! to further their cause. This is just one area of service and philanthropy in Mr. Crane's life. He is also involved with many other charitable organizations, such as the Education Assistance Corporation, the American Diabetes Association, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Through his efforts, Mr. Crane is helping to advance the vision of my husband, Bill Emerson, for domestic food aid programs when he worked to pass the Good Samaritan Food Act, a law protecting these donations from liability. Bill's hopes for hunger relief in America were very high when he worked to make Rock and Wrap It Up! possible in 1990. Following in his dream, Mr. Crane is an ideal recipient of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Award. Rock and Wrap It Up! is a volunteer hunger relief charity, which has fed over 20 million since its inception. With over 4,000 volunteers in 500 cities across America, its dedicated supporters recover food in schools, colleges, music concerts, sporting events, and political and corporate functions. Rock and Wrap It Up! was adopted by resolution in 2003 by the United States Conference of Mayors to teach its successful strategies to cities to fill America's food pipeline to feed the indigent. Cary Crane and Apple & Eve are a major reason the program continues to gain notoriety and grow. They are proof that our commitment to feed America's hungry can always use new initiative and better ideas. As long as there are men, women, and children who need the helping hand of other Americans, we are glad that there are gentlemen like Mr. Crane. Thank you for your kind service to our nation, Mr. Crane. Congratulations on earning the 2005 Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Award. Best of luck to you as you continue your noble work helping to improve the lives of the less fortunate in our great nation.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the Southeast Missourian, a newspaper in Cape Girardeau, MO, for 100 years of service to Southern Missouri. Next week, the year-long celebration marking the centennial of the newspaper will come to a close. I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to the staff of the Southeast Missourian, past and present, for their hard work and dedication as they advance the mission of the paper. It is only fitting, given the newspaper's long history of political coverage, that this great anniversary be commemorated in the House of Representatives. The Southeast Missourian has never been a small-town newspaper, but it has never lost its small-town sensibilities, either. During the 100-year existence of the paper, its reporters and editors have covered 2 World Wars, catastrophic floods and journeys to the moon. The paper has also covered these events from a local perspective: the native sons who went to war in the uniform of our Nation, the impact of the Mississippi River on local lives and economies, and the members of our community who have achieved great things--like traveling to space. At its heart, the newspaper business is about public service, and the Southeast Missourian has served our community well. On October 3, 1904, two brothers named George and Fred Naeter completed their journey down the Mississippi River to Cape Girardeau and published the first edition of the Southeast Missourian. They had fallen in love with Cape Girardeau, the City of Roses. Over the years, many more people have fallen in love with the city, and the Southeast Missourian has helped deliver the beauty, the good works, the public services and the patriotic spirit of the people to doorsteps just like mine every morning. In a world where the news is increasingly dominated by bad news, it is refreshing and important to have a newspaper that looks for the good in our communities and in our Nation--making it a daily point to bring those events before the public eye. Another challenge arises in the information age, in which the Internet and 24-hour news offer constant update and interpretation of the news. Still, the Southeast Missourian does what other media cannot: deliver thorough, thoughtful and reliable news coverage right on schedule, every day. The hardworking men and women of the Southeast Missourian bring their balanced approach to the newspaper's office each morning. Publisher Jon K. Rust and Rust Communications chairman Gary Rust view the paper as a public trust. The public has good reason to trust in the Southeast Missourian, a longstanding institution of Cape Girardeau. Once again, I congratulate everyone who has advanced the mission of the newspaper in Southeast Missouri and worked so hard to bring the news of the day to our residents.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Systems & Electronics, Inc. (SEI) Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) Paint Optimization Team as the recipients of the 2005 Missouri Team Quality Award (MTQA). SEI's West Plains, Missouri unit is a leader in defense systems and technology. The FMTV Paint Optimization Team is based at SEI's manufacturing facility in my Congressional District, and this team was instrumental in the development of protective armor placed on vehicles for the protection of Army personnel in Iraq. The MTQA is awarded annually to teams which address and meet six standards: selecting the opportunity for a team, establishing and developing the team, measuring and analyzing the current situation, developing improvements, implementing improvements, and monitoring progress. The FMTV Paint Optimization Team successfully met each standard set forth and excelled in their production of protective armor. The MTQA Recipient Awards Banquet and Presentation will occur at the Excellence in Missouri Conference in November, at which time the team will be officially recognized for their excellence in teamwork. Again, I send my warmest congratulations to SEI and the FMTV Paint Optimization Team, and I wish them continued success as they work to provide proven armor solutions to our men and women in uniform, both at home and abroad.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week I accompanied constituents of mine from West Plains, Missouri, as they delivered supplies to the people that have been affected by Hurricane Katrina. As a result I missed rollcall votes Nos. 454, 455, 456, 457, 458, and 459 on September 6, 7, and 8, 2005. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on all of the aforementioned rollcall votes.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Chairman, you will hear today and you have heard today that modernizing our locks and dams on the Mississippi River is a financial boondoggle. Nothing could be farther from the truth. And economically, waterway transportation is the most efficient mode of transporting commercial freight. Our fleet today carries 800 tons of raw materials and finished goods each year, and it adds $5 billion to the United States' economy. A typical inland barge holds a capacity of 15 tons greater than one rail car, and 60 times greater than one semi-trailer truck. Waterway transportation is also the most environmentally friendly mode of commercial transportation. I would like to remind my colleagues from Oregon and Arizona that modernization of the Ohio River navigation system has been ongoing for more than 40 years, and updated to current value, investments to restore that navigation system would far surpass the cost of improvements on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois waterways. You know, we ship millions of tons of agricultural commodities--oil, gas, chemicals, fertilizers, hazardous materials--up and down the Mississippi River because it is safer, and it is less costly. For this reason, we must continue the modernization process and defeat Flake- Blumenauer when it comes up later today.