Bill Foster

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the Aurora Actionaires and the forty years of community service they have dedicated to the City of Aurora, Illinois. The Aurora Actionaires is comprised of twenty-three African American women seeking to serve their community. We should all be proud of the contributions these women have made to the community. With their motto, ``We Care. We Act. We Serve.'' the Aurora Actionaires have assisted the elderly, donated to the needy, and provided college scholarships to many Aurora high school graduates. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the Aurora Actionaires and thanking these dedicated women for their service.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Chief Gregory Thomas of the Aurora Police Department. With a long and illustrious career serving the citizens of Aurora and the community, starting as a cadet in 1978 and culminating in Chief of Police in 2008, Chief Thomas has distinguished himself as a valuable and dedicated member of the Aurora community. Chief Thomas has had a prestigious and long career, having worked in the Patrol Division, Criminal Investigation Division, and Administrative Services Division of the Aurora Police Department. Chief Thomas was assigned to the Field Training Program, Special Response Team, Employee Review Board, and Investigative Deadly Force Team. As Chief of Police, Chief Thomas presided over a vast reduction in crime throughout the city and was always available to discuss matters with the community. Over the course of his career, Chief Thomas has received numerous awards including the Kendall County Medal of Valor, the Exchange Club of Aurora Police Officer of the Year, and has been nominated as the Kane County Officer of the Year. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Chief Gregory Thomas's exemplary service to the people of Aurora and congratulating him on a prominent career.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Greg Christoffel, Ed Doepel, Nick Gartner, Jeff Hahn, Erik Swastek, Josh Sullivan and Chris Coronado of the Aurora Police. For their efforts in saving the life of 14 year old Annie Prosser in 2013, these brave men were awarded the U.S. Marshals' Law Enforcement Officer of the Year awards. Out of the more than 2,500 nominees for the award, only 50 were chosen and it is a matter of great pride and honor that officers from the Eleventh District were chosen among this elite group. The rescue of Ms. Prosser was conducted in water approximately six feet deep and at a temperature below freezing, after the car she was riding in was found overturned in a pond in Aurora, Illinois. These officers just happened to be nearby, investigating a separate incident. When they saw the danger Ms. Prosser was in, they went above and beyond the call of duty and dove right in to rescue her. This heroic action exemplifies the Aurora Police Department's strong commitment to serving our community and to their character as public servants. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in rising in recognition of the honor bestowed upon these brave officers.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. FOSTER. Madam Chair, this plot shows the excellent correlation between the per capita transportation fund spending in each State with the number of Senators per person that the State has. And that says a lot about how broken our transportation trust fund allocations are. So how do we allocate transportation spending? Is it calculated per capita, with each American getting roughly the same amount of transportation spending? If this were the case, then transportation money would ultimately follow Americans to whatever States they chose to live in and could be applied to the best use in each State: elegant mass transportation systems in urban States, highways through the wilderness in rural States, and well-maintained commuter highways in suburban States. Spending in this way would not be a distortion of our economy. But, Madam Chairman, that is not what we do. In fact, per capita transportation spending varies by more than a factor of seven from State to State driven by a mysterious formulae handed down from generation to generation in Congress. So, in my State of Illinois, we get about $107 per person per year in transportation spending, and I have a hard time explaining to my constituents why citizens of other States should get $200, $400, $600, or more every year in Federal highway spending. The States that are getting rooked like this generally are the larger States, as can be seen on this plot. In order to rectify this, I actually filed an amendment to replace the complex historical formulae with a simple per capita allotment, which would have benefited the States which contain 240 Members of the U.S. Congress. I was very disappointed that it was decided that this amendment would not be in order. Or perhaps we should divide the highway trust fund by economic productivity and actual highway usage. In this case, each State should take out from the Federal highway trust fund the same amount that it paid in in taxes. This approach would have an element of basic fairness and eliminate the economic distortions from massive transfers of wealth between the States. But that is not what we do either. Many States are getting out of the Federal highway trust fund several times more money than they paid into it, while other States, States like Illinois, New York, Florida, New Jersey, California, Michigan, Colorado, and many others are getting rooked. So the highway trust fund has simply become a vehicle for a massive redistribution of wealth from one State to another. Getting to the bottom of this is what my amendment is about. My amendment would require the Department of Transportation to calculate in each year how much each State receives from the highway trust fund. The report would also include an accounting of how much revenue each State put into the highway trust fund through both the gas tax and related contributions and contributions that were made through funds transferred from general revenue. While it is relatively easy to figure out how much revenue was collected from each State via the gas tax or personal income tax, determining the same for business tax is less straightforward. A business, for example, may file its taxes in Delaware, but most of its economic production might occur in a factory in Ohio. My amendment would require the IRS to assist the Department of Transportation in this analysis by looking not just at where a company files its taxes, but the State in which those tax dollars are generated. This kind of analysis has sporadically been done by private entities and nonprofits, but there has never been a sustained effort by the Federal Government to do so. I urge my colleagues to join me and vote ``yes'' on this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FOSTER. Madam Chairman, I thank the chairman and ranking member for their hard work on this bill. Madam Chairman, my amendment is simple. It requires the Department of Transportation to send an annual report to Congress on how much funding each State has received from the highway trust fund and how much each State has contributed to the highway trust fund both directly through the gas tax and related fees and taxes and indirectly through transfers from the general fund. To understand why this is important, let's step back and ask how it is that we actually decide how much transportation money is spent in each State. The bulk of this funding takes the form of formula grants to States with overall allocations often set by whatever was done in previous years. This may tell us a lot about congressional politics in years gone by, but it tells us very little about good public policy. All of this serves as a smokescreen which begs the real question: How do we actually allocate our highway spending? Now, I am a scientist, and I look at the facts. As far as I can tell, here are the facts. This is a plot here that shows the annual per capita spending from the highway trust fund plotted against the number of U.S. Senators per 10 million people, which I will explain in a moment. Madam Chair, I include this in the Record. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Per Capita State Apportionment Senators Per 10 from HTF ($/Year) Million People ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Alabama........................... 151 4.12 Alaska............................ 657 27.15 Arizona........................... 105 2.97 Arkansas.......................... 168 6.74 California........................ 91 0.52 Colorado.......................... 96 3.73 Connecticut....................... 135 5.56 Delaware.......................... 175 21.38 Dist. of Col...................... 234 30.35 Florida........................... 92 1.01 Georgia........................... 123 1.98 Hawaii............................ 115 14.09 Idaho............................. 169 12.24 Illinois.......................... 107 1.55 Indiana........................... 139 3.03 Iowa.............................. 153 6.44 Kansas............................ 126 6.89 Kentucky.......................... 145 4.53 Louisiana......................... 146 4.30 Maine............................. 134 15.04 Maryland.......................... 97 3.35 Massachusetts..................... 87 2.96 Michigan.......................... 103 2.02 Minnesota......................... 115 3.66 Mississippi....................... 156 6.68 Missouri.......................... 151 3.30 Montana........................... 387 19.54 Nebraska.......................... 148 10.63 Nevada............................ 123 7.04 New Hampshire..................... 120 15.07 New Jersey........................ 108 2.24 New Mexico........................ 170 9.59 New York.......................... 82 1.01 North Carolina.................... 101 2.01 North Dakota...................... 324 27.05 Ohio.............................. 112 1.73 Oklahoma.......................... 158 5.16 Oregon............................ 122 5.04 Pennsylvania...................... 124 1.56 Rhode Island...................... 200 18.95 South Carolina.................... 134 4.14 South Dakota...................... 319 23.44 Tennessee......................... 125 3.05 Texas............................. 124 0.74 Utah.............................. 114 6.80 Vermont........................... 313 31.92 Virginia.......................... 118 2.40 Washington........................ 93 2.83 West Virginia..................... 228 10.81 Wisconsin......................... 126 3.47 Wyoming........................... 423 34.24 ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the honorees of the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry's 2015 Celebration of Success. Every year, the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry honors businesses, non-profit organizations, and individuals who have made an impact in our community. This year, the Chamber is recognizing Joseph Adler and Robert Stephen with Lifetime Achievement Awards for their contributions to our community through Habitat for Humanity. Mr. Adler and Mr. Stephen have built 58 homes for families in the Joliet area and have made a lasting impact through their volunteer work. Additionally, the Chamber will be recognizing CARCARE Collision Centers, Advanced Family Dental & Orthodontics, Newsome Home Health Care Agency, Providence Bank, David Nelson Exquisite Jewelry, and Breast Intentions of Illinois. I would like to congratulate the honorees of the Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce and Industry's 2015 Celebration of Success and thank the Chamber for recognizing success in our community.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Dr. Robert Kase, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Saint Francis in Joliet, Illinois, for earning a Grammy award nomination in the category of Outstanding Jazz Solo for the track entitled ``Dr. Doo Good.'' ``Dr. Doo Good'' is an original composition by Dr. Kase and is part of his recently released jazz quintet album titled As We Gather. As We Gather was not only recorded at University of St. Francis's Digital Audio Recording Arts studio, it was engineered, mastered, and produced by University of Saint Francis faculty. Dr. Kase has an impressive background as an educator, administrator, business leader, and performer. His musical career includes touring with Sonny and Cher and playing alongside Frank Sinatra, The Temptations, Natalie Cole, and other musical legends. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Dr. Robert Kase in earning a Grammy nomination.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 20th Anniversary of the Will County Community Health Center in Joliet, Illinois. Since 1995, the Will County Community Health Center has been serving uninsured and underinsured patients as well as providing a crucial safety net for families and individuals struggling to afford adequate health care. As the oldest Federally Qualified Health Center in Will County, the Community Health Center has maintained its commitment to patient-centered care for the medically underserved in our community. I would like to congratulate the Will County Community Health Center, the Community Health Center Governing Council, and the Will County Health Department on this important milestone.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 545, I was unavoidably delayed and missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss an example of the real-life consequences of underinvesting in scientific research and development. Last week, with the development of Hurricane Joaquin, we were reminded that U.S. weather forecasting is not what it should be. Our system, GFS, predicted that Joaquin would hit the Mid-Atlantic States, while the European model correctly predicted that it would remain at sea, and nobody predicted the severity of the flooding that would hit South Carolina. This wasn't the first time that our predictions have missed the mark. Three years ago we failed to predict the path of Hurricane Sandy, while the European model correctly identified that it would be a direct and devastating hit on New Jersey. After Sandy, we invested somewhat more money into the computing ability of the National Weather Service, but, as Joaquin has shown, it was too little, too late. The economic costs of unnecessary evacuations are as real as missing evacuations. Scientific research requires a steady investment of time and talent to be successful. If we continue to underinvest in essential infrastructure like weather forecasting, we do it at our own peril. I urge my colleagues to heed this warning and to start taking seriously the long-term investments that our R&D infrastructure requires.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the triumph of the RoboGals, a student robotics team from the 11th Congressional District of Illinois. The RoboGals are Kaiya Hollister, a fifth grader at the John C. Dunham STEM Partnership School, and Jensie Coonradt, a fourth grader at The Wheatlands Elementary School, both in Aurora, Illinois. They met at an after-school robotics club hosted by Chasewood Learning, an educational organization that uses Lego robots to teach students how to build and program their machines for competition. After winning the regional competition at SciTech Hands On Museum in Aurora, Illinois, the RoboGals went on to win the national championship of the World Robotic Olympiad in Michigan. Now they advance to the world championship round in Qatar, taking on over 50 countries from all over the globe. I, together with all Americans, wish them the best of luck. The RoboGals are an inspiration to young women across our country who are enthusiastic about science and engineering, and the 11th Congressional District is proud to have such bright young women representing our country on the global stage.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 100th anniversary of Kiwanis International and the 95th anniversary of the Joliet Chapter of Kiwanis. What began with only two members on a fateful fall day in 1914 has grown to an international organization with over 600,000 members that devote over 6 million hours of service annually. On January 21, 1915 the state of Michigan returned the corporate charter, this date has been celebrated as the birthday of Kiwanis ever since. With their motto, ``Serving the Children of the World,'' Kiwanis International has done just that, improving the lives of children across the world, one child and one community at a time. Kiwanis International has reached this milestone because it has always stayed true to the six permanent Objects of Kiwanis International, which remain unchanged since their approval in 1924. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating the 100th and 95th anniversaries of Kiwanis International and the Joliet Chapter of Kiwanis as they continue their long tradition of fellowship and service.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, many of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have continually reminded us that they are not scientists. We have also heard this from several of the Republican candidates seeking our Nation's highest office. As a scientist myself, I appreciate their candor. But what I don't as much appreciate is when they use this mantra of ``I am not a scientist'' to preface statements that are factually wrong. Facts are stubborn things, and they don't only apply to those in the scientific community. Last week Pope Francis challenged us to take courageous steps to combat climate change, a call to action that made many Republicans uncomfortable. When asked about the Pope's statement, Governor Jeb Bush dismissed it, saying that Pope Francis is ``not a scientist, he's a religious leader.'' In fact, Pope Francis is a former chemist, and, as such, he has more scientific training than many of our elected officials. I was hoping that, when the Pope addressed Congress in his remarks, he would have explained to my Republican colleagues the effect of the infrared absorption spectrum of carbon dioxide on the radiation balance and equilibrium temperature of the Earth, but time did not permit. I encourage Jeb and my colleagues in Congress to consider the Pope's call to preserve our environment.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, as the only Ph.D. physicist in Congress--in fact, the only Ph.D. scientist of any kind--I have taken very seriously my responsibility to review the technical aspects of the proposed agreement. After over a dozen briefings, many of them individual classified briefings by the technical experts who have supported our negotiators, I have come to support this deal not based on trust of Iran, but based on science. I would like to take a moment to make four technical points that underpin my support of this deal. First, in regards to the claim that ``Iran gets to be in charge of inspecting itself'' in investigations of its past weaponization activities, this is simply not true. The investigations will be carried out by a team of IAEA inspectors, using equipment and sampling kits prepared by the IAEA, with samples being sent to the international Network of Analytical Laboratories, of which a number of U.S. laboratories are members. I urge my colleagues who harbor doubts about this inspection regime to avail themselves of classified briefings on the details. What I can say publicly is that our technical experts have full confidence in the technical inspection capability of the IAEA. Secondly, in regards to the 24-day inspection delay, which has been a source of concern for many, including myself, under the proposed agreement, Iran's declared nuclear facilities will be available for anytime, anywhere inspection. However, for undeclared facilities, including military facilities, Iran has the opportunity to contest what is normally a 24-hour inspection regime under the nonproliferation treaty and additional protocol for a period of up to 24 days. This is clearly not ideal. It is a negotiated number. However, when I look closely at the many steps that must be taken to produce and to test a nuclear weapon, the ability to detect activities in a window of 24 days versus 24 hours has limited operational significance. This is because, while many steps toward weaponization can unfortunately be hidden from even a 24-hour inspection, things like design and testing of nonnuclear components, but the moment that Iran touches nuclear materials, it will be subject to detection by the IAEA, even months after any attempted scrubbing of the facility. Thirdly, I support the administration's estimate of a 1-year minimum breakout time. This is the reaction time that the world community will have for a diplomatic, economic, and military response if Iran decides to resume its nuclear weapons program. Because of the importance of this issue, I have spent a great deal of time and effort personally vetting this estimate. The breakout time calculation is complex because there are many possible paths to obtain the fissile material for a first weapon, and each of these must be examined. After many hours of study and detailed questioning of our experts, I have concluded that the 1-year estimate for the minimum breakout time is accurate. Fourth, in regards to the weaponization timeline, this is the time needed by Iran from the point that it possesses a sufficient quantity of nuclear material for a first weapon, to the time that it will take them to assemble and to test that first nuclear weapon. Unfortunately, Iran has made significant progress toward weaponization, including such items as the multipoint initiation system for implosion devices that is referenced in the IAEA report of 2011. Moreover, if Iran breaks out of this agreement, it will resume the weaponization activities during the same year that it takes to accumulate fissile materials for a first weapon. Therefore, I concur with the assessment that, in the context of a 1- year breakout effort, the additional time for weaponization may be small. However, at the end of this agreement, when the breakout time to obtain fissile material is shortened, the weaponization activities become the dominant factor in the time line. This underscores the importance of maintaining maximum visibility into all aspects of the Iranian nuclear capability, a position that is surely strengthened by the adoption of this agreement and, also, of significantly strengthening the nonproliferation treaty for Iran and for all other nuclear threshold countries. This must be the work of the coming decade, so that by the end of the main terms of this agreement, Iran and its neighbors in the Middle East and around the world will be bound by a much stronger and more verifiable nonproliferation treaty. As was emphasized by former Senators Dick Lugar and Sam Nunn, two gentlemen who have actually reduced the threat of nuclear war, instead of just talking about it, that this is not a perfect deal, but it is the best path forward and our best chance to achieve our goal of preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons. I urge my colleagues to support the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action as the best opportunity to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. Remember, we did not negotiate this deal alone, but if we walk away, we walk away alone.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 65th Anniversary of Gayles Memorial Missionary Baptist Church in Aurora, Illinois. Since 1950, the members of Gayles Memorial Missionary Baptist Church have committed themselves to serving the west side of Aurora. From humble beginnings, the church has grown into a local institution with over 250 members, nine deacons, 10 associate ministers, and almost 30 ministries offering services including the children's choir, Sunday school classes, and youth bible study. Members are also dedicated to service outside of the church, volunteering at local charities, providing transitional counseling for incarcerated men and women, raising money for scholarship programs to help area youth, and answering many more calls for assistance from Aurorans. I would like to thank the Reverend George Marshall and the congregation of Gayles Memorial Missionary Baptist Church for their continuing stewardship of our community.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. I am in its current form.

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to the committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage as amended. What this commonsense amendment does is something that I think we should all be able to agree is a good thing; it protects our drinking water. My motion to recommit would require that coal ash impoundments must be sufficient to prevent toxic contamination of groundwater and to protect all sources of drinking water, including but not limited to the Great Lakes. Coal ash--the material left after coal is burned--contains many toxic elements, including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and selenium. Arsenic exposure can lead to nervous system damage, cardiovascular issues, urinary tract cancers, lung cancer, and skin cancer. When people are exposed to lead, they may experience brain swelling, kidney disease, heart problems, nervous system damage, a drop in intelligence, or even death. If not handled properly, these toxins can and do leach from storage sites and contaminate nearby water sources. I think my colleagues on both sides of the aisle can agree that we don't want our children drinking water contaminated with lead, arsenic, and other toxic compounds; but that is exactly what happens when these surface impoundments are not properly built, maintained, and monitored. According to a 2010 EPA risk assessment, people living near unlined coal ash ponds have an increase in lifetime cancer risk as high as 1 in 50 caused by the arsenic contamination alone in their drinking water. I suspect that this is a much higher risk than any of us would accept for our families and ourselves. I do not believe that it is an accident that coal ash ponds, as well as the coal plants that produce them, are disproportionately located in economically disadvantaged areas, placing the burden on those with few resources to defend themselves and the health of their families. A 2011 report by the Environmental Integrity Project found that my home State of Illinois has the second most sites contaminated by coal ash in the country, and that Illinois EPA data showed groundwater contamination exceeding health standards at all 22 coal ash-related sites the Agency monitored. We know that there are coal ash ponds contaminating groundwater. Some are located in Waukegan, Illinois, which borders Lake Michigan. Contamination in Illinois is not just a problem for the people of Illinois; it is a problem for the entire country. Water crosses State boundaries in lakes, rivers, and underground aquifers. That is why coal ash should be regulated at the national level, but at a minimum, we should demand that groundwater and drinking water be protected. The Great Lakes are the largest freshwater system in the world, and it is unconscionable that we are considering a bill today that would weaken protections for the water that many of us drink. The vote on this motion to recommit is fundamentally about whether or not you believe that all people in our country deserve access to safe drinking water. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this motion and ``yes'' to protecting the health of millions of American families. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the fifth anniversary of the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. Mr. Speaker, the financial crisis of 2007 was not an accident and not an unavoidable by-product of free markets. It was a mistake, a mistake driven by ideologically driven deregulation. Countries which maintained adequate capital requirements did not suffer a financial crisis. Countries which maintained an adequately regulated primary and secondary mortgage market did not suffer through a housing bubble. In response to the crisis, taxpayers stepped in and saved the global financial system by stabilizing the marketplace and staving off a second Great Depression through economic stimulus. To ensure that taxpayers would not be on the hook for the irresponsible actions by some on Wall Street, the Dodd-Frank Act required that financial institutions hold adequate capital against the risks they take and take responsibility for the risks that they sell into the market. The Dodd-Frank Act has unquestionably made our markets safer and more stable.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Don Newton, a proud 40-year member of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, Local 56, of West Chicago, Illinois--and a friend of mine--who passed away recently. There was a time when workers fighting for their rights were met with lead pipes and management-paid gangs. Today, they fight for their rights with picket lines, elections, and the rule of law and with icons like Scabby, the inflatable rat. Scabby the Rat, a towering, inflatable mascot of labor protests, was dreamed up by Don Newton and fellow organizer Ken Lambert during labor disputes of the 1990s. Today, Scabby can be seen throughout the country, reminding us of the constant struggle for fair wages and safe working conditions and the importance of unity and solidarity in labor disputes. On the front lines of protests, as workers fight to hold on to the protections they need to maintain fair wages and a healthy middle class, Scabby the Rat and the memory of Don Newton will never be forgotten; and you can now follow Scabby the Rat on Wikipedia and Facebook.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic in Joliet, Illinois, as it celebrates the one-year anniversary of its Wellness Program. For more than three decades, the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic has helped those in need receive the medical care they deserve. Through partnerships with local charities, hospitals, businesses and individuals, the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic has offered free medical and dental service to thousands of patients in our community. Last year, the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic launched the Wellness Program to encourage overall health in our area. Through this program, the volunteer medical and dental professionals not only treat patients, but also offer educational opportunities to promote healthy lifestyles. The Wellness Program features classes on basic physical fitness, nutrition, and how to cook healthy, well-rounded meals on any budget. I would like to congratulate the Will-Grundy Medical Clinic on the one-year anniversary of its Wellness program and thank the staff and volunteers who work so hard to ensure that our community is a stronger, healthier place to raise a family.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the dedication of the Schustek Pond in the Village of Willowbrook, Illinois. On July 6, 1930, the wealthy heiress Mary ``Merry'' Fahrney decided to try her hand at skydiving for the first time without any prior training or a qualified instructor to assist her. Upon exiting the airplane her parachute became entangled on the plane's wing, leaving her helplessly suspended hundreds of feet above the ground for over two hours. Charles Geiger and Bruno Schustek witnessed Fahrney's predicament from the ground and decided to assist her. When he reached Farhney's plane, Schustek climbed out of his own airplane, down a rope, and onto the wing of her aircraft freeing her parachute and allowing Merry to glide safely to the ground. Unfortunately, Schustek was unable to climb back into his plane and fell to his death. Eighty-five years to the day after Bruno Schustek's death, the North American Spine Society unveiled a new plaque in his honor. Decades after his heroic act, Schustek's memory lives on thanks to Maria R. Traska, Joseph Kubal and Keith Yearman, amateur historians who discovered and publicized Schustek's story. With the dedication of the Schustek Pond, his selfless actions will continue to inspire and remind us of his sacrifice.

Mr. FOSTER

Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, in the last year, we have seen far too many examples of conflict and violence in our communities. While we cannot forget or ignore these tragedies, it is important that we recognize the good that is happening throughout our country every day. I would like to take a moment to share with you one example. While out on patrol, Aurora, Illinois, Police Officer David Bemer stopped when he saw a group of teens in the street. Some of the kids said they were alarmed, not knowing why he was stopping or what might happen next. They explained that they were all part of a dance group called Simply Destinee and were practicing in the alley because their dance studio had lost electrical power. What happened next was something that we would all love to see much more of. Officer Bemer got out of his car and danced with the kids. The video from this apparently went viral, highlighting exactly the kind of community engagement that we would love to see more of. This is what happens when police officers like those in my district get to know their communities and communities get to know their police officers. It is only when we work together--police officers, side by side with members of the community--that we make real and lasting progress. Mr. Speaker, that leaves a smile on my face.