Donna Edwards

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. House Concurrent Resolution authorizes the use of the Capitol grounds for the District of Columbia's Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run. The Capitol Police, along with the D.C. Special Olympics, will participate in the torch run to be held on June 5, 2009. The Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics is run nationwide by law enforcement officers, leading up to each State or national Special Olympics summer games. Each year, nearly 50 local and Federal law enforcement agencies in Washington, D.C., participate to show their support of the D.C. Special Olympics. This torch relay event is a traditional part of the opening ceremonies for the Special Olympics. Since its inception, over 15,000 District of Columbia citizens with disabilities have participated in the Special Olympics. Funds raised from the Law Enforcement Torch Run for the Special Olympics helps support year-round training and programs for Special Olympics in the District of Columbia. This type of support led to seven Special Olympics athletes competing in the Penn relays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2008. The D.C. Special Olympics will work closely with the Capitol Police and the Architect of the Capitol to make sure that the event is in full compliance with the rules and regulations governing the use of the Capitol grounds. The event will be free and open to the public. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I also thank the gentleman from Florida for his patience today.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, the D.C. Special Olympics is a really premier event in this region that highlights the athletic accomplishments of children and adults with disabilities. I would like to recognize and give special thanks to the tenacity of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and her family for exceptional work on behalf of persons with disabilities. Mr. Speaker, as a young person I volunteered with the Special Olympics each year. And I recognize the talents, training and athleticism of young people from around the country and even from my congressional district. And each year law enforcement officers around the world participate in the local Torch Run events to raise money and awareness for the Special Olympics. In fact in 2008, the Law Enforcement Torch Run raised over $34 million for the Special Olympics. And here in the Washington, D.C. area, law enforcement officers who are part of the extensive volunteer network that support the games carry the ``Flame of Hope'' across the Capitol Grounds through the District of Columbia to Catholic University. It is an amazing event. The event is scheduled of course to occur on June 5, 2009. And it will be open to the public and is free of charge on the Capitol Grounds. The games are a wonderful expression of inclusiveness and confirmation of individual contribution. I enthusiastically support this resolution. And I thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for presenting the resolution to us and this very worthwhile endeavor of the Special Olympics. I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. I have no further speakers at this time on this resolution.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 39) authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on House Concurrent Resolution 39.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. I may have additional speakers, and I reserve the time.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 837) to designate the Federal building located at 799 United Nations Plaza in New York, New York, as the ``Ronald H. Brown United States Mission to the United Nations Building''.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 837.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R.813) to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 306 East Main Street in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as the ``J. Herbert W. Small Federal Building and United States Courthouse''.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 813.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 813, a bill to designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 306 East Main Street in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, as the ``J. Herbert W. Small Federal Building and United States Courthouse.'' Judge Small has been a lifelong resident of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and has dedicated 52 years to civil service. He served in the United States Navy for 3 years during World War II and, after leaving the service, received a law degree from the University of North Carolina Law School At Chapel Hill. He began his public career as a special counsel to the Congressional Committee on Intergovernmental Relations and later served for 8 years as county attorney for Pasquotank County. In 1979 he was elected Superior Court judge of the First Judicial District of North Carolina and served in that position for 17 years. Judge Small has been an active volunteer serving on the board of directors of the Albemarle Hospital and the American Red Cross. He has received numerous awards and honors from the Jaycees, the Boy Scouts, Volunteer Firemen, Chamber of Commerce, and the Rotary and Elks clubs. In the 110th Congress, the House passed a similar bill, but unfortunately the Senate was unable to act on the legislation. I would like to thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield) for reintroducing this bill. Judge Small is an outstanding jurist, mentor, and civic leader. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 813. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Butterfield).

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to say that the soapbox derby on Capitol Hill is a way that young people are fully engaged, they are creative, in building their participant vehicles. And it is an excellent opportunity for parents to have a direct involvement in their children's activities right here on the Capitol grounds. The Derby's mission is to provide children with an activity that promotes technical and social skills that will serve them throughout their lives. And the Derby organizers of course work with the Architect of the Capitol to make sure that the appropriate rules and regulations are in place during the event. I am confident that, once again, the event this year will be a huge success. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on House Concurrent Resolution 38.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland

Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, health care reform is an essential component to our Nation's economic recovery. The expansion and reauthorization of the State Children's Health Insurance Program that was passed by this Congress and signed into law by President Obama expands health insurance to an additional 4 million children, covering 11 million children in all, including dental coverage and mental health parity. The $20 billion investment that we have made in health information technology in our Recovery and Reinvestment Act will modernize the health care system, saving money, reducing medical errors, improving quality, and creating health care jobs across all sectors. The recovery package's $87 billion in funding to the State Medicaid programs is a significant boost to our State's economy in Maryland. It is a budget gap filler for our State. And finally, the President's budget, with an over $630 billion down payment, prioritizes health care reform. At long last, the nearly 50 million people without health care will finally get their health care for all, quality, affordable, accessible health care for all. And I thank the President and this Congress for their leadership on health care.