Virginia Foxx

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the Winston-Salem Fire and Rescue Team for their tremendous efforts participating in the World Championship Firefighter Combat Challenge. The world finals of this competition were held in Deerfield Beach, Florida, late last year. Over 1,500 firefighters from around the globe, including members from every branch of our military, descended on Deerfield Beach to compete for the right to be called the ``best of the bravest.'' While wearing full firefighting gear, teams from across the United States raced through obstacle courses that mirrored the real demands and challenges of firefighting. I am proud to say that one of the teams in the competition was made up of six brave firefighters from Winston- Salem, North Carolina, which is located in the Fifth Congressional District. Joining them were 10 firefighters from the adjacent city of Greensboro. This great group is often referred to as ``the ambassadors of the State of North Carolina.'' Teams competed in several divisions in the week-long competition. Winston-Salem team members Duane Creek and Ricky Brown finished second in the over-40 male Tandem Relay and Robert Klingersmith and Jesse Walker of the Greensboro Fire Department teamed up to grab second in the over-50 male Tandem Relay. Kelvin Astrop, Ricky Brown, and Duane Creek also finished with individual qualification times fast enough to compete for the individual finals. The highlight of the competition was when Winston-Salem team members Duane Creek, Ricky Brown, Kelvin Astrop, John Pennington and Robert Klingersmith went head-to-head against team Dr. Pepper, the 2004 World Champions, and defeated them in the over-40 relay. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent these courageous firemen and congratulate them on their achievements.

Ms. FOXX

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

Ms. FOXX. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I can share many of the concerns and feelings that my colleague from across the aisle has expressed. When we were growing up, we didn't need a lot of organized sports to keep us busy, it did not seem. There were plenty of activities in the summer to keep us active; and when we were in school during the year, there were activities to keep us active. But nowadays it seems it is very difficult to keep children active in sports-related activities unless those are around organized activities. As the grandparent of two who are involved in lots of activities themselves, I see very much the benefits to them from being involved in baseball and in basketball and in Kung Fu and other things that teach them skills that will be useful to them all their lives, including team-building skills. It is very important, I think, that we keep our young people active and that we do all that we can to help them fight against the trends toward obesity that we are seeing in our culture and the trends toward inactivity, with children being drawn to watching television and playing on computers instead of getting outside and being involved in great activities that could help them in all manners of their lives. So I very much support this resolution, and I urge all Members to support the adoption of H. Res. 826.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 826, offered by the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre), would express the sense of the House that a National Youth Sports Week should be established. Because children are our country's most valuable resource, it is important that we do all we can to provide them with positive learning experiences, quality role models, and all the enjoyment that comes with participating in organized sports. Statistics show that approximately 42 million kids play youth sports each year. Children that partake in these activities tend to have better personal skills, lead healthier lives, and are more successful in school. The competitive spirit and character-building camaraderie that sports provide are essential for teaching our children to follow their dreams while working with others to build lasting relationships. It is important that we all do our part to encourage our children to embrace the experience of teamwork; and for that reason, I urge all Members to come together to support H. Res. 826. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 826) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that a National Youth Sports Week should be established.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5104, offered by the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Davis), would designate the post office building at 1750 16th Street South in St. Petersburg, Florida, as the Morris W. Milton Post Office. Morris Milton was one of the most dedicated and courageous attorneys in St. Petersburg, Florida. He fought tirelessly for the rights of the disadvantaged and was responsible for the hiring of more minority teachers and the promotion of more African Americans to prominent administrative jobs at the Pinellas County School Board. He also represented the NAACP in a court battle against Pinellas County voter registration practices and was outspoken against police brutality. Along with his impressive legal career, Mr. Morris also found time to establish the Democratic Black Caucus of Florida and to serve as president of the St. Petersburg branch of the NAACP for 10 years. His gracious community involvement also included serving on the board of directors of the Pinellas United Way, participating in the Pinellas Opportunity Council, the Pinellas County Urban League and the Bethune- Cookman Alumni Association. I urge all Members to come together to honor a dedicated community member and true civil rights pioneer by passing H.R. 5104. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support the passage of H.R. 5104, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5104) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1750 16th Street South in St. Petersburg, Florida, as the ``Morris W. Milton Post Office''.

Ms. FOXX

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

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to vote for the passage of H.R. 5540, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague from the State of Texas (Mr. Neugebauer). (Mr. NEUGEBAUER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5540 offered by the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer) would designate the post office building at 217 Southeast 2nd Street in Dimmitt, Texas, as the Sergeant Jacob Dan Dones Post Office Building. All members of the Texas delegation have cosponsored this legislation. Sergeant Dones was born in Dimmitt, Texas, in 1984. He was educated in the local school district, and graduated from Dimmitt High School in 2002. Upon graduation, Dones enlisted in the United States Army and served his country valiantly with the armed services from 2002 to 2005 in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He was a member of the 2nd Squadron, 11th Calvary Regiment based out of Fort Irwin, California. While serving in Iraq, Sergeant Dones, an expert infantry rifleman, was awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and a service ribbon for his efforts in battle. He was also awarded the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the National Defense Service Medal. Sergeant Dones was killed in the line of duty on October 25, 2005, while defending his fellow soldiers from an oncoming attack on their base in Iraq. I urge all Members to pay homage to a great patriot and a dedicated member of the community by passing H.R. 5540. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5540) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 217 Southeast 2nd Street in Dimmitt, Texas, as the ``Sergeant Jacob Dan Dones Post Office''.

Ms. FOXX

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

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5504, offered by the distinguished gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore), would designate the post office building at 6029 Broadmoor Street in Mission, Kansas, as the Larry Winn, Jr. Post Office Building. Larry Winn was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on August 22, 1919. He attended the public schools in Kansas City and in 1941 graduated with a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas. Before becoming a Member of Congress, Winn spent 2 years as a private home builder and 14 years as director of the National Association of Home Builders. He was elected as a Republican to the 90th Congress and to the eight succeeding Congresses. Winn served 18 years on the Space Science and Applications Subcommittee, 4 years on the District of Columbia Committee and 14 years on the Foreign Relations Committee. After his retirement from Congress in 1985, Winn continued to serve Prairie Village, Kansas, as one of the elected members of the board of directors of the Kansas City Life Insurance Company. I urge all Members to come together to honor a man who truly promoted excellence in community and government by passing H.R. 5504. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5504) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6029 Broadmoor Street in Mission, Kansas, as the ``Larry Winn, Jr. Post Office Building''.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, there are two strikingly different philosophies at work here in Washington. On one side are fiscally conservative Republicans who want to cut government spending and rein in the Federal deficit. On the other side are Democrats who believe that raising taxes and spending tax dollars solves all problems. But we all know better than that. Republicans are the party of fiscal discipline, reform, and accountability. We have been working very hard to exercise fiscal restraint and keep taxes low, and our economy is thriving as a result. Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that surging individual and corporate tax receipts in May have helped to reduce the Federal budget deficit down 16.6 percent from the same period a year earlier. Mr. Speaker, fiscal restraint and tax relief are stimulating the economy and increasing tax revenues. The Treasury Department predicts that if these Republican policies continue, we will cut the Federal deficit in half well before President Bush's goal of 2009.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, House Republicans have been working hard to exercise fiscal restraint and keep taxes low. These pro-growth policies are not only helping our economy grow at a fiery pace, they are helping drive down the Federal budget deficit as well. This past Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal published a story I would like to quote. ``Surging individual and corporate income tax receipts in May continued to help the Federal Government shrink the budget deficit to $227 billion for the first eight months of the fiscal year, down 16.6 percent from the same period a year earlier. To date, much of the deficit reduction stems from taxes being paid by corporations, which are seeing increased profits, and from high-income individuals, who are paying taxes on capital gains.'' Mr. Speaker, fiscal restraint and tax relief is boosting the economy and increasing tax revenues. The Treasury Department predicts that if these Republican-led trends continue, we will cut the Federal deficit in half well before President Bush's goal of 2009.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, the sound you hear on the other side of the aisle is the sound of flip-flopping. Democrats may have put off announcing their agenda, but they have managed to perfect the art of the flip-flop. Just this week the minority leader stated that she voted against the war in Iraq because she had seen the intelligence and it did not support the threat being claimed by the Bush administration. Strangely, the minority leader had a different opinion during the debate leading up to the vote authorizing the use of military force. Then she said that she was aware that Saddam Hussein was engaging in the development of weapons of mass destruction ``which is a threat to countries in the region,'' and that there was no question he had chemical and biological weapons. Flash forward to this week, and the minority leader stated that there was never anything in the intelligence that Iraq posed an imminent threat. Mr. Speaker, which is it? As we begin this debate on Iraq and the war on terror, the American people need decisiveness, not flip- flopping. Republicans want to step up and meet the challenge. It is now time for the Democrats to do the same.