Paul Gillmor

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Madam Speaker, it is my distinct pleasure to pay tribute to a special facility in the great State of Ohio. This year, The Crew's Nest in Put-in-Bay, Ohio celebrates thirty-five years of dedicated service. Madam Speaker, the Crew's Nest in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, is one of the finest destinations on the Great Lakes. Located in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, on South Bass Island, the Crews Nest is part of the rich and historic past of Lake Erie. Dating back to the War of 1812, Put-in-Bay and South Bass Island served our great Nation as the key base of operations for Commodore Oliver H. Perry. Through this port-of-call, Commodore Perry was able to ensure our independence and our place among nations. Even today, we acknowledge the heroic actions of Commodore Perry with a granite memorial that towers some 352 feet above the island. And, it is in this very harbor, with Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial as a backdrop, that you will find one of the Great Lake's finest private boating clubs. From the time of its inception in 1968, the Crew's Nest has continued to provide vacationers with the finest accommodations on Lake Erie. Today, the Crew's Nest provides members and non-members alike with a safe and enjoyable stay on this historic island. Madam Speaker, the real success of the Crew's Nest facility comes not only from its first class accommodations, but its employees. I have visited this facility many times with my family and can tell you first- hand what makes the Crew's Nest in Put-in-Bay, Ohio, so special are its employees. The staff's attention to service and boundless enthusiasm continue to make the Crew's Nest a required visit for guests to Put-in- Bay. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to the employees and the legacy of the Crew's Nest in Put-in- Bay, Ohio. As all who benefit from this fine establishment gather to celebrate its 35th anniversary of service, I am confident that the excellent employees will continue the success of The Crew's Nest into the future.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Madam Speaker, it is my distinct privilege to pay tribute to a special community in Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. On August 10 and 11, 2007, the Village of Pandora, Ohio will begin celebrating a truly monumental event--its 175th anniversary. Madam Speaker, The Village of Pandora is one of a number of wonderful communities in Northwest, Ohio. As early as 1832, with the completion of the surveying of the rich and fertile woodlands of the Black Swamp region, numerous settlers, including many from Switzerland, seeking religious freedom and rich farm land chose to make their home along Riley Creek. Then in 1835, with the construction of a gristmill by pioneer John Stout, an industrious village was born. Throughout its long and tradition-filled history, Pandora has established itself as a model community. We in Ohio's Fifth Congressional district are blessed to have such warm towns and villages like Pandora. The individuals who live in these towns and villages are truly wonderful people. They are good friends and neighbors, colleagues and coworkers, and together they form a close knit family, all sharing a common-bond centered on their dedication to their community. Over the many years that I have served in elected office, I have had numerous opportunities to travel to Pandora. Each time I visit, I am greeted by friendly people who truly know how to make one feel at home. Madam Speaker, the individuality of the American culture and the freedom of the American spirit are embodied in small towns and villages like Pandora, Ohio. For 175 years, the Village of Pandora has served as a model by which other communities can pattern themselves. As we begin this 175th Anniversary celebration, I urge my colleagues to stand and join me in this special tribute to Pandora, Ohio.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Madam Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Frank-Bachus amendment to H.R. 2419. This vast expansion of the Farm Credit System is unnecessary and unwise. American businesses today enjoy the best financial services marketplace in the world. There are opportunities for credit at every turn. The current Farm Credit System was set up in a different era to offer all the products and services of a financial institution to farmers and farm-related small businesses. A government sponsored enterprise for over 90 years, the Farm Credit System remains the only GSE with direct lending authority. In towns of 2,500 people or less, this system is able to compete directly with other lenders, but with major advantages given to them by their government-sponsored status. The historical justification for this special GSE status has been to focus the system on farmers and companies that provide farm related services. The expansion which the Farm Bill currently seeks would dramatically alter the mission of the Farm Credit System and detract from its mission of helping farmers. There is no need for the expansion of this government entity and there is no vacuum to be filled. Regardless of whether or not you disagree with the policy of the expansion of the Farm Credit System, you can disagree with the process used here to legislate. In a July letter to the Speaker, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee asked for a sequential referral, yet were denied. While the Committee on Agriculture clearly has jurisdiction over the Farm Credit System, the Committee on Financial Services has jurisdiction over all extensions of credit and a referral was justified. In a recent letter written by the former regulator of the Farm Credit System, Michael Reyna, we see an objective analysis of this expansion. As Mr. Reyna mentions, the Farm Credit System is seeking an expansion of their powers to move beyond their historical focus. ``Therein lies its primary flaw--the System's efforts are more about the System's growth and profitability rather than the credit needs of agriculture and rural America. When it comes to commercial agriculture, competition among lenders is healthy and credit is available and affordable.'' Let's not fix what isn't broken. Let's keep our government-sponsored lending operations tied to their original purpose and let's support the Frank-Bachus amendment.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Madam Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to Mr. Jim ``Bo'' Bowman--a good friend to me and to many of our colleagues--who is retiring after nearly 50 years in various capacities at the United States Air Force Academy. Jim Bowman's career and the history of the Air Force Academy athletics, in many ways, is one and the same. He has witnessed 49 graduating classes. During his tenure at the Air Force Academy, he has worked with 16 Superintendents, 22 Commandants of Cadets, 8 Deans of the Faculty, 8 Directors of Intercollegiate Athletics, 10 Directors of Admissions, and hundreds of coaches and assistant coaches. Jim's contributions to our great country and to the preeminent Air Force in the world will be felt for decades to come, through the future accomplishments of more than 14,000 cadet student athletes who received appointments to the Academy with his assistance. Service academy life is as difficult as it is rewarding. Four years of stringent academic work intertwined with the demands of intercollegiate athletic competition, followed by a 5 year service commitment can be an ominous choice for a high school student. Jim Bowman's mentorship began at first contact with these candidates. His honesty and integrity would not permit him to sugar-coat the challenge he offered to these young men and women. As physical education instructor, as coach and as Associate Athletic Director, Jim Bowman used the discipline and competitive spirit of athletics to inspire character in the face of adversity, personal development, and ultimately, lives dedicated to national service. Jim Bowman's positive impact on the lives of those who are privileged to know him cannot be overstated. His life's work is the embodiment of the Air Force core values of: Integrity first, Service before self, and Excellence in all we do. Madam Speaker, few people can claim the title of ``legend.'' Jim Bowman's work in identifying, mentoring and encouraging the past, present and future leaders of the United States Air Force has earned him that title for as long as Air Force Academy cadets engage in intercollegiate athletic competition. I ask each of my colleagues to join me in wishing Jim and his wonderful wife, Mae, many years of good health and much happiness as they begin this exciting new chapter in the their lives together.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Mr. Chairman, I will enter my statement in the Record, and I am going to be very brief. I rise in support of the amendment. I want to commend the gentleman, Mr. Turner, for taking leadership on this amendment. He has a record of being very active, when he was mayor of Dayton, trying to deal with the problems of predatory lending. And I want to commend Mrs. Biggert for her work on this, as well as her work on financial literacy. Ohio, unfortunately, has been one of the leaders in foreclosures. And I want to point out one of the things that we found about foreclosures nationally and also in the Midwest, most of those foreclosures have not come as a result of loans by federally regulated banks and savings and loans. They have come from those lenders and mortgage brokers who are not regulated by the Federal Government but by the States, who have not done their job. I called together a conference, I guess about six weeks ago, of Ohio financial institutions, of regulators, of community groups, to talk about the foreclosure crisis and what effectively could be done. And I was surprised that the consensus that came out of that meeting of all those groups was that the single most important thing you could do would be to provide for housing counseling. And the people who did have counseling had a very low foreclosure rate. And all this bill would do would be to provide a modest increase in counseling. We will get a tremendous benefit and a decrease in foreclosures as a result of it. I think this amendment presents a choice. You have two agencies, and you have a choice between them. You've got the Inspector General and the Housing Counseling Program. Which one are you going to fund level to last year and which one are you going to increase? And I would say to you, if you look at what's going on in the housing market, it is pretty clear that if there is to be a priority between those two, it ought to be to put more money into counseling so that you can save people and their homes. I also point out that the Senate has already passed language that goes much further than ours. So I would ask for support of the Turner- Biggert-Gillmor amendment. Today I rise in strong support of the Turner-Biggert-Gillmor amendment. Not a day goes by that we do not see reports of another facet of the growing turmoil in our housing markets. For far too long, Ohioans and others have been subject to predatory lenders, loose underwriting standards and too few housing counseling opportunities. My colleagues Mr. Turner, Ms. Biggert and many others have explored these issues for years and have worked tirelessly to find solutions to the problem of foreclosure. Mr. Turner was active in efforts to prevent predatory lending as the mayor of Dayton. My colleague Ranking Member Biggert has been a leader in efforts to promote financial literacy. Housing counseling is a critical element to helping Americans stay in their home. During a recent summit I put together on Ohio's foreclosure crisis, regulators, lenders and housing advocates from Ohio alike presented an opinion that a significant number of homeowners were not able to tell you whether they had a fixed-rate or an adjustable-rate mortgage. Today, too many find out the hard way when their loan resets. It is expected that some $600 billion in subprime loans will reset in the next 18 months and the fallout could be devastating to many of our constituents. The consensus of all those attending was that the most important single thing we could do to prevent foreclosure was to provide counseling before people actually entered into a mortgage. Housing counseling will not be a silver bullet, nor will it prevent someone currently in the foreclosure process from losing their home. That being said, there is a clear need for additional federal resources in this area and would hope my colleagues will support this small increase. Legislation I recently introduced with Representatives Bachus, Pryce and others would authorize some $100 million per year in housing counseling, a more than doubling of FY2007 enacted levels. The Senator has proposed a comparable increase. While I hope this stand-alone legislation is quickly adopted by the House, this amendment assures that moving forward, Congress is in favor of additional resources for housing counseling. I urge my colleagues to accept this modest increase in funding so that our constituents can keep their homes once they realize the American dream of homeownership. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GILLMOR. I move to strike the last word.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Madam Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay tribute to a special company in northwest Ohio. On July 17, 2007, the Campbell Soup Company will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the largest soup manufacturing facility in the world, located in the town of Napoleon, in the heart of northwest Ohio. When Campbell's first came to Napoleon, the town of 5,500 was located just 16 miles from what was then the ``new'' Ohio turnpike alongside some of the most fertile farms in the United States. The combination of abundant resources, a strong transportation network and a terrific work force all helped bring Campbell's to value northwest Ohio. Few would dispute that the growth of Napoleon to a city of more than 9,000 citizens is tied to the progress of the Campbell's facility. Only 50 years ago, the first cans of Chicken and Rice Soup came off the Napoleon assembly line. With the popularity of products such as canned spaghetti and V8 juice, today the Napoleon facility manufactures nearly 100 million individual products from almost 500 different varieties, ranging from Prego sauces to Swanson broth, and Campbell's full offering of beverage and soup items. With 65 acres under roof, including more than 2 million square feet to manufacture Campbell's trademark soups, the Napoleon facility remains among Campbell's and the food processing industry's most modern and sophisticated facilities. In almost every year since 1957, Campbell's has invested in new technology at Napoleon that has helped to reach the heights of efficient, quality production that it is legendary for today, from vegetable sorting machines in 1960 to a new plastic bottle expansion in 2004. Campbell's hasn't just been Napoleon's biggest employer, but also a terrific neighbor and friend to the community and all of northwest Ohio. It started in 1957 with a $100,000 contribution by Campbell's to expand the local hospital, the first of many such donations by Campbell's to improve the community over these past five decades. Madam Speaker, the real success of Napoleon's Campbell Soup Facility comes not only from its products, but from its people. I have walked this plant, sat in the break room, greeted employees working the lines, and even had a V8 or two. I can tell you firsthand that what makes the Campbell's Soup plant in Napoleon special are its dedicated employees. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to the employees and the legacy of Campbell's Napoleon facility. Campbell's Napoleon facility has a rich and storied history of contributions made by thousands of Ohioans who have made their careers there. We're proud to have such a terrific company like Campbell's in northwest Ohio and look forward to many more years of success.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GILLMOR. Mr. Speaker, let me commend the gentleman from Utah for an articulate presentation. He is protecting the hometown industry, and there is nothing wrong with that. I think this bill, though, involves something much broader than that; and it involves a very important financial principle that has been recognized for decades, which is a separation of banking and commerce. Really, the fact that some of these ILCs have not utilized all the powers they could have isn't really an argument against this bill. Because the business plan of some of the new industrial companies trying to take over ILCs, Home Depot is a great example, is totally different than what the history in the past has been. So that history I don't think is really relevant to what this bill is aimed at. But that having been said, I am very pleased to yield as much time as he may consume to the ranking member, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus).

Mr. GILLMOR. I want to thank Chairman Frank for all his leadership on this issue, not just in this session, but in previous sessions, and also thank Ranking Member Spencer Bachus for his consistent support of the principles embodied in this legislation. Chairman Frank and I have cosponsored meaningful reform of the ILC charter option for a number of years now. We have gotten a bill, passed the House twice, it died in the Senate. I think this year, though, the third time may be the charm. I think we have substantially more support for this legislation in the Senate than in the past. While it's available in only a handful of States, the ILC charter is the last loophole remaining for commercial firms wishing to engage in full-service banking. While a majority of current commercial owners of industrial banks refrain from using all the banking powers available to them, the broad ILC charter does allow for a complete mixing of banking and commerce, which I and other objective observers, such as Alan Greenspan, Chairman Ben Bernanke and others, consider to be financially unwise. The trend in Congress over the past several decades has been one of removing loopholes and exceptions in the bank law. We did it most recently in 1987 and in 1999, and the trend is clear: If you want to engage in full-service banking, you must become a bank or a thrift holding company. Chartering an ILC in Utah is really your only option to make an end run around our bank laws, and the secret is out. ILC assets have grown more than 3,500 percent over the past decade. Applications for new ILCs look nothing like they did 80 years ago when this charter was created. States such as California, Maryland and others have taken notice of this alarming trend in ILC applications and have installed roadblocks to an extension of the charter. State action alone is insufficient, however. It's time that Congress address this policy concern, using the time which was wisely given to us by the FDIC-imposed moratorium. I also want to commend Chairman Bair and the FDIC for listening to the concerns of Congress and imposing that moratorium. Should Congress fail to send H.R. 698 to the President, we will be increasingly in danger of creating a parallel banking system to that which we have now and which has served the country very well. Both financial and commercial firms will look to this industrial bank option as a way to escape the rules that apply to everybody else. The banking system is well served by the different charter options available to them, but the universe in which an industrial bank can operate is more expansive than any other. This is poor public policy. Simply saying that since no ILC has yet taken full advantage, that Congress shouldn't act, is wrong. We are currently in a time of banking stability. Up until recently the FDIC had gone a record 952 days without a bank failure. But I don't like to think about the type of hit that the deposit insurance fund would have taken, and the hit that taxpayers would have taken, if Enron had had an industrial bank prior to their collapse. This bill is a combination of significant bipartisan effort undertaken by myself and Chairman Frank to strike a balance between protecting those ILCs already in existence and preventing any further widening of this loophole by commercial firms. The list of supporters for this reform measure is long and growing. We have 145 cosponsors of this measure to date, and the other body has already begun its deliberations of an identical bill. So I want to sincerely thank Chairman Frank, Ranking Member Bachus, and their staff for the hard work on this bill, and urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Madam Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to an outstanding young woman from Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. I am happy to announce that Alessandra C. Braun of Fremont, Ohio, has been offered an appointment to attend the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado. Alessandra's offer of appointment poises her to attend the United States Air Force Academy this fall with the incoming cadet class of 2011. Attending one of our Nation's military academies is an invaluable experience that offers a world-class education and demands the very best that these young men and women have to offer. Truly, it is one of the most challenging and rewarding undertakings of their lives. Alessandra brings an enormous amount of leadership, service, and dedication to the incoming class of Air Force cadets. While attending St. Joseph Central Catholic High School in Fremont, Ohio, Alessandra attained a grade point average which placed her near the top of her class. While a gifted athlete, Alessandra has maintained the highest standards of excellence in her academics, choosing to enroll and excel in Advanced Placement classes throughout high school. Alessandra has been a member of the National Honor Society, Honor Roll, Mock Trial and Science Club and has earned numerous awards and accolades as a scholar and an athlete. Outside the classroom, Alessandra has distinguished herself as an excellent student-athlete. On the fields of competition, she has earned varsity letters in swimming and volleyball where she served as the co- captain of the varsity team. Alessandra's dedication and service to the community and her peers have proven her ability to excel among the leaders at the Air Force Academy. I have no doubt that Alessandra will take the lessons of her student leadership with her to the United States Air Force Academy. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Alessandra C. Braun on her appointment to the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. Our service academies offer the finest military training and education available anywhere in the world. I am sure that Alessandra will do very well during her career at the United States Air Force Academy and I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing her well as she begins her service to the Nation.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Madam Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to an outstanding young woman from Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. I am happy to announce that Alessandra C. Braun of Fremont, Ohio has been offered an appointment to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Alessandra's offer of appointment poises her to attend the United States Military Academy this fall with the incoming cadet class of 2011. Attending one of our Nation's military academies is an invaluable experience that offers a world-class education and demands the very best that these young men and women have to offer. Truly, it is one of the most challenging and rewarding undertakings of their lives. Alessandra brings an enormous amount of leadership, service, and dedication to the incoming class of West Point cadets. While attending St. Joseph Central Catholic High School in Fremont, Ohio, Alessandra attained a grade point average which placed her near the top of her class. While a gifted athlete, Alessandra has maintained the highest standards of excellence in her academics, choosing to enroll and excel in Advanced Placement classes throughout high school. Alessandra has been a member of the National Honor Society, Honor Roll, Mock Trial and Science Club and has earned numerous awards and accolades as a scholar and an athlete. Outside the classroom, Alessandra has distinguished herself as an excellent student-athlete. On the fields of competition, she has earned varsity letters in swimming and volleyball where she served as the co- captain of the varsity team. Alessandra's dedication and service to the community and her peers have proven her ability to excel among the leaders at West Point. I have no doubt that Alessandra will take the lessons of her student leadership with her to West Point. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Alessandra C. Braun on her appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Our service academies offer the finest military training and education available anywhere in the world. I am sure that Alessandra will do very well during her career at West Point and I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing her well as she begins her service to the Nation.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Madam Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to an outstanding young man from Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. I am happy to announce that Michael W. Hampton of Waterville, Ohio has been offered an appointment to attend the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Michael's offer of appointment poises him to attend the United States Naval Academy this summer with the incoming midshipmen class of 2011. Attending one of our Nation's military academies is an invaluable experience that offers a world-class education and demands the very best that these young men and women have to offer. Michael brings an enormous amount of leadership, service, and dedication to the incoming class at the Naval Academy. While attending Anthony Wayne High School in Whitehouse, Ohio, Michael attained a grade point average which placed him at the top of his class. While a gifted athlete, Michael has maintained the highest standards of excellence in his academics, choosing to enroll and excel in Advanced Placement classes throughout high school. Michael has been a member for the National Honor Society, Honor Roll and has earned awards and accolades as a scholar and an athlete. Outside the classroom, Michael has distinguished himself as an excellent student-athlete. On the fields of competition, Michael has earned varsity letters in track, swimming and cross country. He was named Captain of the Varsity Cross Country team and served as President of the German Club. Michael's dedication and service to the community and his peers have proven his ability to excel among the leaders at the Naval Academy. I have no doubt that Michael will take the lessons of his student leadership with him to Annapolis. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Michael W. Hampton on his appointment to the United States Naval Academy. Our service academies offer the finest military training and education available anywhere in the world. I am sure that Michael will do very well during his career at the Naval Academy and I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing him well as he begins his service to the Nation.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Madam Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to an outstanding young man from Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. I am happy to announce that Doug A. Detter of Defiance, Ohio has been offered an appointment to attend the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado. Doug's offer of appointment poises him to attend the United States Air Force Academy this summer with the incoming cadet class of 2011. Attending one of our Nation's military academies is an invaluable experience that offers a world-class education and demands the very best that these young men and women have to offer. It is one of the most challenging and rewarding undertakings of their lives. Doug brings an enormous amount of leadership, service, and dedication to the incoming class of Air Force cadets. While attending Defiance High School in Defiance, Ohio, Doug attained a grade point average which placed him at the top of his class. While an accomplished athlete, Doug has maintained the highest standards of excellence in his academics, choosing to enroll and excel in Advanced Placement classes throughout high school. Doug has been a member of the National Honor Society, the Quiz Team, Honor Roll and has earned awards and accolades as a scholar. Outside the classroom, Doug has distinguished himself as an excellent student-athlete by earning varsity letters in golf and track. Doug's dedication and service to the community and his peers have proven his ability to excel among the leaders at the Air Force Academy. I have no doubt that Doug will employ the lessons of his student leadership as he excels among the leaders at the United States Air Force Academy. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Doug A. Detter on his appointment to the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. Our service academies offer the finest military training and education available anywhere in the world. I am sure that Doug will do very well during his career at the United States Air Force Academy and I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing him well as he begins his service to the Nation.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Madam Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to an outstanding young man from Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. I am happy to announce that Kurt J. Doyle of Defiance, Ohio has been offered an appointment to attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. Kurt's offer of appointment poises him to attend the United States Military Academy this fall with the incoming cadet class of 2011. Attending one of our Nation's military academies is an invaluable experience that offers a world-class education and demands the very best that these young men and women have to offer. Truly, it is one of the most challenging and rewarding undertakings of their lives. Kurt brings an enormous amount of leadership, service, and dedication to the incoming class of West Point cadets. While attending Defiance High School in Defiance, Ohio, Kurt attained a grade point average which placed him near the top of his class. While a gifted athlete, Kurt has maintained the highest standards of excellence in his academics, choosing to enroll and excel in Advanced Placement classes throughout high school. Kurt has been a member of the National Honor Society, Honor Roll, High School Marching Band and has earned numerous awards and accolades as a scholar and an athlete. Outside the classroom, Kurt has distinguished himself as an excellent student-athlete. On the fields of competition, he has earned varsity letters in swimming and soccer where he served as the captain of the varsity team. He also remained involved in his community by serving as a camp counselor for middle school students and as a tutor for elementary students. Kurt's dedication and service to the community and his peers have proven his ability to excel among the leaders at West Point. I have no doubt that Kurt will take the lessons of his student leadership with him to West Point. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Kurt J. Doyle on his appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Our service academies offer the finest military training and education available anywhere in the world. I am sure that Kurt will do very well during his career at West Point and I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing him well as he begins his service to the Nation.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Madam Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to an outstanding young man from Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. I am happy to announce that Donald J. Kleman of Fort Jennings, Ohio has been offered an appointment to attend the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Donald's offer of appointment poises him to attend the United States Naval Academy this summer with the incoming midshipmen class of 2011. Attending one of our nation's military academies is an invaluable experience that offers a world-class education and demands the very best that these young men and women have to offer. Donald brings an enormous amount of leadership, service, and dedication to the incoming class at the Naval Academy. While attending Fort Jennings High School in Fort Jennings, Ohio, Donald attained a grade point average which placed him at the top of his class. While a gifted athlete, Donald has maintained the highest standards of excellence in his academics, choosing to enroll and excel in Advanced Placement classes throughout high school. Donald has been a member of the National Honor Society, Honor Roll and has earned awards and accolades as a scholar and an athlete. Outside the classroom, Donald has distinguished himself as an excellent student-athlete by participating in both cross county and track. Donald has proudly earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and has remained involved in his community by actively participating in 4H Club as both a Junior Leader and Junior Fair Board Member. Donald's dedication and service to the community and his peers has proven his ability to excel among the leaders at the Naval Academy. I have no doubt that Donald will take the lessons of his student leadership with him to Annapolis. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Donald J. Kleman on his appointment to the United States Naval Academy. Our service academies offer the finest military training and education available anywhere in the world. I am sure that Donald will do very well during his career at the Naval Academy and I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing him well as he begins his service to the nation.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Madam Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to an outstanding young man from Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. I am happy to announce that John J. Nygard of Perrysburg, Ohio has been offered an appointment to attend the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, Colorado. John's offer of appointment poises him to attend the United States Air Force Academy this summer with the incoming cadet class of 2011. Attending one of our nation's military academies is an invaluable experience that offers a world-class education and demands the very best that these young men and women have to offer. It is one of the most challenging and rewarding undertakings of their lives. John brings an enormous amount of leadership, service, and dedication to the incoming class of Air Force cadets. While attending St. John's Jesuit High School in Toledo, Ohio, John attained a grade point average which placed him at the top of his class. While an accomplished athlete, John has maintained the highest standards of excellence in his academics, choosing to enroll and excel in Advanced Placement classes throughout high school. John has been a member of the National Honor Society, Honor Roll and has earned awards and accolades as a scholar. Outside the classroom, John has remained extremely involved in his community by actively participating in the efforts of the Toledo Seagate Food Bank. In addition to assisting the less fortunate in Northwest Ohio, John has volunteered to assist the Central American Ministries this summer. By doing so, John will be working to improve the lives of the children of Guatemala. I have no doubt that John will employ the lessons of his student leadership as he excels among the leaders at the United States Air Force Academy. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating John J. Nygard on his appointment to the United States Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs. Our service academies offer the finest military training and education available anywhere in the world. I am sure that John will do very well during his career at the United States Air Force Academy and I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing him well as he begins his service to the nation.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Madam Speaker, I very much appreciate the gentleman yielding, and I am pleased to rise in support of this bill. I introduced a similar bill in the last Congress with the cosponsorship of my friends Mr. Dingell and Mr. Rogers and much of the rest of the Michigan delegation. We were successful in getting it passed last year, but the Senate did not act. I am proud to join as a cosponsor with those gentlemen in this effort this year, and I hope we get better luck in the Senate in this session. This is a commonsense bill. It gives authority to the States to regulate foreign waste which is being dumped in our landfills. The process of planning, developing and maintaining landfills is often contentious and often very expensive. Our communities should not be forced to sit back and watch as their resources are overwhelmed with trash from outside the United States. International waste, as has been mentioned, has become a tremendous burden for my neighbors to the north in the State of Michigan. And while much of the foreign waste coming into the United States ultimately ends up in Michigan, this is an issue for all Americans. Our landfills are an important resource, and I believe there will come a day when Michigan's landfills have a sign outside that reads ``Landfill full. Continue to Ohio.'' It is that domino effect that makes international waste a national problem. The current law rewards the environmentally irresponsible, those who won't make the investment and face the issue of creating landfill space. It punishes the environmentally responsible, like Michigan, who have gone to the effort to make landfill space available. That situation has to change. This legislation will do it, and I am pleased to support it.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and also for her support of this resolution. I am very pleased to join with my colleague, John Tanner, in supporting this resolution. NATO is our most successful military alliance, maybe the most successful military alliance in history. It won the Cold War, and it is also providing security now in many other areas of the world that are outside the exact geographical footprint of the NATO countries. For example, as Mr. Tanner pointed out, there are troops in the Balkans. There are NATO troops in Afghanistan where they are carrying the fight. Many of those NATO allies have had troops also in Iraq. Very shortly after NATO was created in 1949, there was another group called the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to keep a close liaison between the North Atlantic Council, which is NATO, and the parliaments of those countries. Mr. Tanner and I have had the opportunity to represent the United States on that organization for I think a little over 10 years, and it has been a very valuable organization from the point of view of the United States. We have both had the opportunity at different times to serve as vice president of it and as chairman of the Economic and Security Committee, and Mr. Tanner now leads our delegation to that group. One of the things that I think is important about that when we go, as Republicans and Democrats, we seem to quit being Republicans and Democrats when we get outside of the United States. I would say when we meet with our European allies, the only way they know which party we belong to is when they ask us, because we speak with one voice. But many of the nations on the other side of the Cold War east of the Iron Curtain are now members of NATO, and they are some of the strongest and most enthusiastic members. As recently as 2004, seven new countries were added, all of them Warsaw countries, bringing the NATO membership to 26: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia. I want to point out that NATO is not a club you just join. You have to earn membership in NATO. It is a military alliance. You have to meet the criteria, and you have to contribute your part to that military strength in order to be a member. As long as the new members meet those commitments, NATO will continue to be a strong alliance and one of the strongest forces for peace, stability, and democracy in the world.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. I thank the gentleman from Texas, who is a real American hero, for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, the resolution we are considering does not do a single thing to help our troops or to achieve the goals of America, our allies or the Iraqi people. Congress is spending an entire week on a nonbinding resolution that, even if it passes, will not change the course of action in Iraq. Our time could have been spent much better debating real issues, such as how to most effectively win the war that terrorists are waging on us. Now, personally, I am skeptical that an increase of 20,000 troops will make the difference and that it will stabilize Baghdad and Iraq. But, for me, the question is, to whom should we listen regarding operational decisions in Iraq? Should we listen to the recommendations of the U.S. military or to the politicians in Washington? And as an Air Force veteran, I think we should accept the recommendations of our military. And in that respect, 2 weeks ago the General in command of ground forces in Baghdad said, and I quote, ``By bringing more troops in, it provides us the opportunity to work with them, to provide more time to defeat this threat, which is both an al Qaeda threat as well as sectarian violence.'' I have visited in Germany in the medical facilities with our wounded troops from Iraq. A member of my family served a year in a combat zone in Baghdad, and I am incredibly proud of our men and women in the military. They are talented. They are dedicated. They are professional and they are the best in the world. And we owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude. Now, even though it is nonbinding, there is, I think, a large omission in this resolution. While it does compliment the actions of our military men and women, nowhere does it commit to continue providing funding for troops in the field. And at a time when some in this town are talking about cutting off funding for our troops, I think we should commit to providing full funding for our Armed Forces as long as they are in the field. Now, there is no guarantee that this troop buildup will be successful, or that the Iraqis will succeed in finally taking over the security situation in a responsible way. But what we do know is, at this point there is not a better plan proposed which has a chance of victory. And we also know that failure in Iraq threatens the security of the United States, the security of the Middle East, and, in fact, the whole world. Early last year I had the privilege of leading a delegation to Asia, where we met with the Prime Ministers of India, of Thailand and Singapore. And those are all countries that are now and have been under terrorist attack. All of them agreed with the need to cooperate for security purposes, and with the importance of winning the war against terrorism in Iraq because of the consequences of not winning would have on the rest of the world. Mr. Speaker, this resolution has two purposes. First, it rejects the only plan which has been suggested by military leaders with a chance of success in Iraq. Second, it begins this Congress down a path which ends with cutting off funding for our troops and abandoning our foreign policy because of failed congressional fortitude. I am opposed to the resolution and opposed to our micromanaging of the war on terror.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I would also like to thank my colleagues on the Financial Services Committee for their diligence on this legislation. This much-needed regulatory relief provision will help reduce unnecessary paperwork for both banks and for their regulators. And by granting an exemption from currency transaction report requirements for seasoned customers, this legislation seeks to streamline the filing of CTRs, which is a critical tool for our law enforcement officials. There is little doubt that our regulatory structure has contributed to the United States being the model for the world when it comes to financial services; but without constant attention to the burdens of outdated rules and regulations, our markets can be weighted down by unnecessary costs. I am pleased to see that Congress is tackling the issues of the regulatory burden early in this session, and I look forward to working with Chairman Frank, Chairman Maloney, and Ranking Member Bachus and the other members to look for ways to find sensible regulatory relief for our banks, our thrifts, and our credit unions.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to join Chairman Barton and Chairman Boehlert in introducing H.R. ___, compromise, consensus legislation to fully implement the legal obligations of the United States of America under the Stockholm, or POPs, Convention; the Rotterdam, or PIC, Convention; and the Aarhus POPs Protocol to the Geneva LRTAP Convention. This is solid public policy that I urge my colleagues to support because it reasonably implements the POPs and PIC Conventions and the LRTAP Protocol. Over the past 4 years, and even as recently as a few months ago, I have heard people ask many questions about this bill. Why is it necessary for this legislation to become law? If the United States is already attending these meetings, isn't that enough--why do we need to move on this bill? What does being a full partner mean to these agreements and what does it give the United States Government and its people in terms of rights and opportunities that we do not already have? These are all good questions, but persistent repetition of these inquiries shows a fatal misunderstanding of these agreements and exactly why it is in the interest of the United States to become a party with ``full'' rights under these accords. At a minimum, the failure of Congress to pass implementing legislation--thus securing Senate ratification of these treaties-- leaves the United States Government in the position of defending its interests and sharing its expertise only when other countries welcome it, not when we wish and need, for our own national purposes, to offer it. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials that it has been forced to wait long periods of time to be recognized because the leaders of the treaty-related meetings did not consider our delegation important enough to be recognized sooner. This situation presents a radical departure from the leadership role our country took in building the consensus for these pacts to exist. Our delegations should not be welcomed at the receptions for these international meetings, but barred from being integral players in the technological discussions and final decision-making processes in these treaties. Failure to support this legislation is a clear signal that Congress misunderstands the sophistication of our nation's chemical knowledge base and regulatory experience and instead wishes the United States to cede its traditional leadership role in international toxic chemicals management. Mr. Speaker, in 2001 the Bush administration pledged the commitment of the United States of America to join the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. That date marked the culmination of 10 years of bipartisan cooperation and leadership concerning global protection of the environment and public health. These efforts included not just POPs, but the Aarhus Protocol on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution, LRTAP, of POPs, and the Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent, PIC. These were not the triumphs of Republican or Democrat White Houses, they were the victories premised on the various needs and hopes of all Americans. Sadly, the benefits of these agreements have not been actualized because of the policy and political agendas of the interested stakeholders as they relate to chemical management. It is unacceptable that those private parties that are subsets of the interests in our country, whether they are businesses or non-profits, have as much, if not more, input than our own Government officials at these meetings. We must put these matters behind us and focus solely on making the U.S. a full partner. Before I go into the specifics of this legislation and address some of its broader themes, I want to briefly further explain why this legislation is being introduced and why it is different from my bill, H.R. 4591, which also would totally implement and make the United States a full partner in these agreements. First, this bill is being introduced as a consensus position of the majority of stakeholders who have testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials that they want the United States to pass implementing legislation. Second, this legislation is different from H.R. 4591, as introduced, because it represents a good-faith compromise among Members of Congress who actively sought to sit down with me and work out mutually acceptable provisions. I have always been willing to work with any Member of Congress on compromise provisions despite the fact that some Members' delay in getting back to me on whether they wanted to work out a compromise made enactment of this legislation nearly impossible. Finally, this legislation is a collaborative work of elected officials with input from others. Some people think that this kind of legislation needs to be delegated to interest groups to forge. Not only am I dubious about punting our constitutional responsibility to legislate to unelected persons, but history has shown that the same people who have called for a consensus stakeholder process have twice killed the resulting bills. Regarding the specifics of this bill: First, this bill is a targeted legislative fix that fills the existing legal gaps and only does what is important for us to become a full partner in these agreements. It does not repeal any part of Federal environmental law, but rather adds a new section to the Toxic Substances Control Act to ban the manufacture, processing, distribution in commerce, use, and disposal of agreed upon POPs and LRTAP POPs chemical substances and mixtures. This new section also grants separate, new authority for the United States to enact new regulations for future additions of POPs chemical substances or mixtures to the Stockholm Convention or LRTAP POPs Protocol. Because there has been concern from a number of persons about the difficulty existing TSCA provisions present in the way of regulating existing chemicals, this bill creates a distinct and different process within TSCA that couples similarly rigorous and sound scientific analyses, but with a more deferential regulatory standard and the elimination of procedural hurdles that many argue have hindered EPA from taking action regarding chemical protection. This is not the TSCA overhaul that many critics of the chemical manufacturing world have wanted, but it is a solid middle ground that relies on science rather than emotion to address these very insidious chemicals, while also keeping these treaties out of governing American manufacturing processes and decisions. In addition, while many political opponents of past POPs legislative efforts have argued that the language in this legislation makes regulation of POPs more difficult and places profits of chemical companies over the protection of human health, a reading of the plain language of this legislation would prove how wrong and intentionally inflammatory they are to insist on this interpretation. Specifically, this legislation sets its regulatory standard at ``protecting human health and the environment'' and intends that while exercising this legal authority, the EPA Administrator, in choosing the means to provide that protection, is to balance costs and benefits. In other words, costs and benefits are to be taken into consideration in determining how to regulate a substance, not whether to regulate a substance. Lastly, on this point, and to further buttress the point that this bill is a deliberately different way of handling chemicals than the way they are now treated under existing Federal environmental law, the sponsors of this bill and I recognize that implementation legislation for these international agreements is a distinct context in which to amend U.S. law. Recognizing that the underlying statutes being amended address the very broad and powerful reach of the Federal Government into U.S. manufacturing, this legislation is solely intended to allow the United States to be able to participate fully in these agreements to the extent that it wishes. The sponsors and I do not intend for the regulatory standards outlined in this bill, whether singularly or as a package, to be a blanket precedent for other environmental legislation. Future Congresses should be very careful in assessing the environmental, public health, and other social and economic needs of the country before copying this standard because of the unique circumstances and purposes to which this legislation is tied. Second, consistent with the structures and rules of the POPs Convention, this legislation, places U.S. officials, laws, and standards--not those of an unelected and unaccountable international body--in charge of determining what specific control measures the United States should take. Treaties--just like allies--change and it is hard to predict their future. As the newly elected vice president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, I see countries use environmental and safety laws as non-tariff trade barriers. In fact, we need not look any further than the World Trade Organization case involving Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMO, crops for an example of how the European Union tried to use its laws to bar market access for our farmers. I believe it is reasonable to suggest that in the same way that environmental and labor groups argued that added environment and labor considerations must not be divorced from trade agreements, such as NAFTA and GATT, you also cannot ignore that economic and labor issues need to play a role when countries enact environmental laws. A minority of stakeholders in this country are unhappy with the chemicals policy of the present administration and support using a legal standard in this country that flows straight from these treaties and has the control measures also directed by the international treaty parties, not the United States. This type of effort not only removes the executive branch from involvement--the State Department has testified in opposition to this type of regime--but also the legislative branch from the process of considering the impact on U.S. interests and laws. Ultimately, in this construct, the judicial branch becomes the sole arbiter of rights and interpreter of obligations under these agreements--a place the framers of the U.S. Constitution never intended. In addition, these same persons want to use a judicial review standard that merely ratifies rather than questions the regulatory decisions of the executive branch. This circular argument on their part not only diminishes judicial review--which their proposals pose as the supreme avenue to set and resolve policy--but further reinforces a desire to have U.S. environmental and manufacturing policy set in foreign capitals. The legislation I am introducing today rightfully recognizes that these agreements will be law long after the current president is out of office and Congress should not and cannot pass reactionary legislation simply to hem in one leader. It is our obligation to pass the best legislation that will serve our country and its interests under every leader; this bill does that. Third, the public should be fully informed about actions being taken under these agreements and Congress should be informed when conflicts with existing environmental statutes occur. Neither the public nor Congress should be prevented from providing input to our Government about structures that are going to affect our lives simply because it is inconvenient. History will show that cooperation between parties has allowed our treaties to function more successfully than when either Congress or the public is cut out. This contains public notice and comment throughout the entire treaty process, including the regulation of chemicals as part or our country's desire to ``opt-in.'' Fourth, this legislation preserves the existing public petition process under the Administrative Procedure Act and provides certainty to all Americans as to what rights and obligations they would have. We must not forget that we have both a mature chemical industry and a well-established set of legal rights and responsibilities that are the envy of most countries. This bill draws on--not adds to--the well- founded petition processes in all environmental laws and maintains-- unamended--the current Federal-State dynamic in all environmental laws. Most importantly, nothing in this bill affects any other environmental statute, or State delegated programs under those other statutes, or any other environmental board constituted outside of TSCA. Fifth, sound, objective, peer-reviewed science should be at the core of any decisions made by the United States under these treaties. I believe we need to focus our finite resources on the most pressing problems, not disproportionately or fully on every problem we face without regard to context. Currently, an assessment of ``risks and effects'' is called for in other environmental statutes and is not unprecedented. In addition, the legislation being introduced today amends a provision contained in section 2 of H.R. 4591 that created a new TSCA section 503(e)(4) that relied on a determination by the EPA Administrator of the ``weight of the evidence'' when making a regulatory determination regarding restrictions on newly added POPs chemicals. It requires the EPA Administrator to use sound and objective scientific practices, the best available science, and to describe in the rulemaking record the quality of the scientific information on which the Administrator based a decision to take action against a POPs or LRATP POPs chemical substance or mixture. Sixth, this legislation alters no existing rights and responsibilities of the States under Federal chemicals laws. First, every right, obligation, and opportunity of the States that exists under TSCA are still available to the States. Some, including several Democrat State attorneys general who were up for reelection, have argued that States would be precluded from legislating or litigating around the Federal Government in a way that they can do now. Nothing could be further from the truth. Second, even if one were to accept the argument that States should be able to act any way they want, we should not forget that this is a treaty and that States should not unwittingly put the United States out of compliance with its obligations under these agreements through their own enactments and the State Department has written to me that we should not allow that to happen. Finally, to clarify concerns raised about potential pre-emotion possibilities in the face of long-standing State Department practice--that the United States not agree to new treaty obligations unless our country has the legal authorities in place to comply with those obligations, section 6(e) of this legislation provides that any Federal pre-emption of State laws cannot occur unless a rule or order implementing our obligation has been issued under this act and has gone final or become effective. Concurrently, section 2 of this bill requires, in new TSCA section 506, that no regulation issued under this authority can become effective unless the United States consents to be bound to a treaty obligation regarding that chemical substance or mixture. Seventh, and finally, while this legislation is careful to ensure that only U.S. officials are the drivers of decisions affecting our Nation and its citizens--a feature expressly guaranteed by these treaties--I also want to point out that this legislation also recognizes the global nature of this treaty and the important contributions that other countries may make to inform our decisions. Section 2 of this legislation establishes a new TSCA section 503(e)(2)(B) that allows the EPA Administrator to use internationally generated information or scientific studies, so long as they meet the scientific soundness and objectivity criteria in this legislation, in assessing the statutory considerations regarding the domestic regulation of a new POPs or LRTAP POPs chemical substance or mixture. Furthermore, new TSCA section 503(e)(2)(v) of section 2, requires domestic consideration of ``national and international consequences that are likely to arise as a result of domestic regulatory action (including the possible consequences of using alternative products or processes).'' In doing so, this provision's use of the word ``consequences'' is not meant to automatically imply negative connotations, but rather that the EPA Administrator is to look at the national and international positive and negative benefits that would flow from domestic regulatory action. That being said, the inclusion of this provision is in no way meant to give new legal rights or standing to foreign-based entities in U.S. courts regarding U.S. domestic regulatory actions under this legislation or the international environmental accords that this legislation implements. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is a true compromise that represents the middle ground on treaty implementation legislation and a place where most Americans believe our policy should be. If the United States is to remain a leader in the global environmental debate it must have legislation that fully implements these treaties. The time has come for us to make a difference in global environmental protection from the most toxic of chemical substances and mixtures. I urge Congress to pass this legislation as soon as is practicable and make a strong statement of our national resolve to tackle these matters rather than place mere words behind our commitments.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mike Oxley, a man who will be greatly missed in this House. Not only does he have more friends in this chamber than nearly anyone else, he has compiled one of the most distinguished legislative records in this body. I have had the privilege of knowing Mike for more than thirty years going back to when we served together in the Ohio Legislature and he has been a good friend to have over that entire period of time. In Congress, Mike has not only been involved in the issues of the day, he has been a good athlete and has led his colleagues in pursuing healthful activities. He was Chairman of the Gym Committee. In College, we used to think that anyone who became a three letter man was something special. Mike has been a three letter man here and much more. He was the manager of the Republican Congressional Baseball, Basketball and Golf teams and compiled a great record of victories. His record of legislative accomplishments is a long one. With a great ability to reach across the aisle, Mike Oxley helped calm the financial markets during a period of great turmoil. Sarbanes-Oxley was the most sweeping reform to our securities laws in 70 years and helped bring an era of corporate scandal to an end. Other successes during Mike's tenure at the helm of the Financial Services Committee include deposit insurance reform, regulatory relief for banks and thrifts, tireless work on reforms for the government sponsored enterprises, and tremendous work on providing opportunities for increased homeownership. As Mike Oxley leaves to enter another phase of his life, we wish both he and his wonderful wife Pat the very best.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to Mrs. Linda Freed, upon her retirement from her position as editor of the Bryan Times newspaper in Bryan, Ohio. Linda Freed grew up in the small community of Bryan, Ohio, in Williams County where the journalistic skills which have served her well over the years were instilled at an early age. It is said, that as early as junior high, Linda began expressing her desire to write for a newspaper. Staying true to her dreams, Linda began her career at the Bryan Times newspaper on her 30th birthday as a secretary to the advertising manager on September 22, 1966. After only 1 year in that capacity, Linda quickly jumped at an opportunity to move to the news side of the paper by becoming their society editor. Over the next 10 years, Linda served as the paper's society editor, where she quickly garnered a following of avid readers who enjoyed her weekly column entitled; ``Thoughts from Under the Dryer.'' Linda's ``Thoughts from Under the Dryer'' became an opportunity to share her thoughts about being a mother, being a wife, and everyday life experiences. Then in 1977, Linda's experience and devotion to the community of Bryan, Ohio, propelled her to the position of editor of the Bryan Times where her journalistic integrity has served the community well for over 19 years. With more than 2,000 columns and 40 years of service, Linda can indeed be proud of her career at the Bryan Times. Like many in northwest Ohio, I too have had the privilege of meeting with Linda to discuss the issues that affect the residents of Bryan, Ohio. And, each time I was interviewed by Linda, I found her to be fair and knowledgeable of not only the issues we were discussing, but also of the political climate both here in northwest Ohio and in Washington, DC. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in paying special tribute to Mrs. Linda Freed. Our communities are served well by having such honorable and giving citizens, like Linda, who care about their citizens' well being and stability. We wish Linda, her husband, Lyle, and their two sons, David and Douglas all the best as we pay tribute to one of the Fifth District's finest citizens.

Mr. GILLMOR

Mr. GILLMOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.