Bart Gordon

Mr. GORDON

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Mr. Udall for once again showing leadership on an important environmental issue. Additionally, I want to thank Chairman Boehlert for moving this resolution to the floor so quickly. The resolution properly commemorates the magnificent achievements of the International Geophysical Year. A new IGY will be good for the environment. It will also be very healthy for our standing as a nation to take the leadership role in developing a new IGY for the 21st century. The IGY was conceived and promoted by the United States and has been one of the largest cooperative international scientific endeavors undertaken. IGY cooperation continues to be a model and inspiration for contemporary world science. In a similar spirit, it is appropriate for an IGY-2 to reflect global developments in biology, genetics, the neurosciences, and other areas of scientific research and recognize the interdisciplinary research that incorporates the physical and social sciences and the humanities in enriching an understanding of diverse life on earth. Therefore, it is entirely fitting that Congress take the lead again, in the same spirit, in promoting global cooperation through the worldwide commemoration of the IGY.

Mr. GORDON

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Livingston Academy Lady Wildcats for winning this year's Tennessee Class AA girls high school basketball championship. The March 13 win earned the Lady Wildcats their fourth state championship. Such a feat deserves recognition. The team of highly motivated players went 37-3 this year, capping a championship season with a strong 50-38 win over a tough McMinn Central team. This is the fourth state championship in the past 14 years for the Lady Wildcats. Livingston residents can be proud of the accomplishments of the Lady Wildcats, who won their first championship in 1990 when current head coach Lesley Smith was a player. Assistant coach Elizabeth Woodard was also a member of that first championship team. I commend the team for an outstanding season and a remarkable achievement. The following are the members of the 2003-04 state champion Lady Wildcats: Katrina Beechboard, Krista Clinard, Ashley Matthews, Megan Thompson, Jada Ledbetter, Megan Brown, Mallie Stephens, Kristin Hoover, Kasey Baltimore, April Handy, Whitney Sells, Brittany McCain, Haley Mullins, Kellie Thurman and team mangers Samantha Sidwell, Tiffany Livingston, Blair Hill and Amber Peck.

Mr. GORDON

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Shelbyville Golden Eaglettes for winning this year's Tennessee Class AAA girls high school basketball championship. The March 13 win earned the Golden Eaglettes a record 12th state title. Such a feat deserves much respect. The team of highly motivated players went 31-5 this year, capping a championship season with a resounding 57-43 win over a tough Memphis Craigmont team. This is the third year out of the last four that Shelbyville has captured the Class AAA state championship. Shelbyville residents can be proud of the accomplishments of the Golden Eaglettes, who are a recognized powerhouse in high school girls basketball. I commend the team and its coach, Rick Insell, for an outstanding season and a remarkable achievement. The following are the members of the 2003-04 state champion Golden Eaglettes: Samantha Houston, Tabatha Almader, Alex Muckle, Latoya Stone, Amy Beech, Kayla Bryant, Brittany Smith, Andria Johnson, Abby Canon, April Snipes, Ashleigh Newman, Katrina Kelly, Alex Fuller, Nisha Buchanan and team mangers Sarah Riddle and Anna Sneed. LaBora McCroskey, Chad Spencer, Mark Potts and Jennifer Gray serve as assistant coaches for the team.

Mr. GORDON

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding automotive career of Emil Hassan, the senior vice president of North American manufacturing, purchasing, quality and logistics at Nissan North America, Inc. Emil is retiring from Nissan on April 1 after 35 years in the automotive industry. Emil has been credited with much of the automaker's success and profitability. He began his career with Nissan when the company built its auto manufacturing facility in Smyrna, Tennessee, in 1981. The Smyrna plant, which is located in my home county, is the largest U.S. automotive production plant under one roof and has produced more than 5 million automobiles to date. It has ranked for 9 consecutive years as the most efficient auto assembly plant in North America, according to the highly regarded annual Harbour Report. And Emil has been an active civic leader in the hometown, as well. He is chairman of the Business/Education Partnership of Murfreesboro and rutherford County and is a member of the Nashville Area Chamber of commerce and the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce. In fact, he received the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce Chairman's Award in 1996 for outstanding volunteer work in his home county. He has also been a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. I congratulate Emil for his remarkable career in the automotive industry and for all he has done to help enhance the quality of life in Rutherford County and Middle Tennessee. And I wish him the very best in his future endeavors.

Mr. GORDON

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the invaluable service and tremendous contributions that Cary Masin has given Tennessee's Sixth Congressional District. Cary has been a dedicated member of my Washington, DC, staff for the past five years. But she is moving on to greener pastures. Cary's last day is Monday, and although my staff and I are sad to see Cary leave, we are glad she has taken a job that will further her career and is worthy of her incredible abilities. Cary has proven to be an outstanding legislative assistant on Capitol Hill. Her uncanny insight, hard work and rock-solid research skills have helped me do my job better. Those same abilities have also gained the respect of her colleagues. Cary is a talented professional who always completes the task at hand, no matter how complicated or tedious. She has truly excelled in the fast-paced environment of Congress. Through it all, though, Cary always took the time to bestow a compliment or kind word to most everyone she met. She will now share her tremendous abilities and experience with her new employer, who should be ecstatic over having found such a fine person. Thanks for all your help, Cary. You will always have a special place in my heart. Good luck in your new job, and may God bless you in your future endeavors.

Mr. GORDON

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 25th anniversary of K&A Crylics Inc. The company will honor its customers, vendors and employees at a March 18 luncheon when it will also donate $25,000 to five community organizations in Wartrace, Tennessee. Brothers Kevin and Allen Wright founded K&A in their hometown of Wartrace in 1980. The company, a leading national supplier of acrylic and plastic store fixtures and displays, has grown from a two-man operation working out of an old store front to a larger, modern facility with 65 employees. In addition to being a major employer in Wartrace, K&A improves the lives of those in the community in many ways. At the luncheon, for example, K&A will donate $5,000 to each of the following organizations: Cascade schools, the Wartrace Volunteer Fire Department, the Wartrace Chamber of Commerce, the Wartrace Parks and Recreation Department and the town of Wartrace. The funds will be used for education, fire equipment upgrades, permanent historical building markers, upgrades to the Wartrace gym and renovation of the historic Wartrace rock jail. I congratulate K&A for reaching this milestone. The company should be proud of its service to both its national customer base and the local community. May K&A's next 25 years be as prosperous and successful as its first 25 years.

Mr. GORDON

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Chairman, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I want to speak in support of H.R. 3752, the Commercial Space Launch Amendment Act of 2004. The gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) is to be congratulated for his efforts on this bill and I am pleased to be an original cosponsor. The main provisions of the bill have already been described so I will not take time to discuss them further at this point. Instead, I would just like to make the following observations: First, the basic purpose of the bill is to establish a framework for regulating the commercial human space flight industry. We have ample testimony that such a framework is needed if the companies are to make their plans and attract needed capital. I believe that this bill addresses that need in a practical and balanced manner. Second, we are talking about an emerging industry. No one has yet flown a private passenger-carrying space vehicle, and we are far from knowing how the market for such a launch service will develop. As a result, we may need to revisit some of the issues covered by this legislation after we have accumulated some actual experience with commercial operations. Yet that reality should not prevent us from taking the steps that are included in this bill to provide at least an initial regulatory framework. Third, while I believe this is a good bill, I think there are still some areas that could be improved. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) and I intend to offer a joint managers' amendment that will deal with several of them, and I hope that Members will join us in supporting that amendment. Other issues will warrant further discussion over the coming weeks. For example, I do not believe that the testimony and studies received by the Committee on Science over the last several years agree with the bill's bias towards eliminating the existing liability indemnification regime, and I hope that we will revisit that issue when we are in conference on this legislation with the Senate. Mr. Chairman, H.R. 3752 was reported out of the Committee on Science on a bipartisan basis. I urge my colleagues to support my bill when it comes up for a vote. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) has already described the amendment so I will not repeat his explanation. I will simply say that I believe our amendment makes a good bill better. It makes certain necessary technical corrections. However, more importantly, it ensures that employee rights will be protected in the case of an accident or other major incident, and it provides a sunset on the bill's treatment of the passengers of these new commercial spacecraft looking towards the day when such flights will become relatively routine. Mr. Chairman, I believe that our amendment is noncontroversial, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. GORDON

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 50th year of existence of the Belle Aire Baptist Church of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The congregation will celebrate the church's 50th anniversary on Sunday, March 7, 2004, with a special homecoming and luncheon. Belle Aire Baptist Church has grown from its original 27 members to more than 2,000 members today. The church has served the community and its congregation well for half a century, a time of tremendous growth and prosperity in the Murfreesboro area. The church has worked hard to foster relationships with Middle Tennessee State University students. Currently, Belle Aire Baptist Church is helping to start a church near Rutgers University to continue its ministry to students on that campus. Belle Aire Baptist Church also supports missions around the world. Murfreesboro is a better place because of the work of Belle Aire Baptist Church and its congregation. I am sure the church will continue to make a positive difference in the community for the next 50 years and congratulate the congregation and Pastor Dean Sisk for all the good they have done.

Mr. GORDON

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my support for the bill presented by the gentleman from California (Chairman Rohrabacher), H.R. 912. I know that my good friend the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) has had a long interest in Near Earth Objects and the potential threat they could pose to our civilization at some point in the future. Moreover, the Committee on Science has been active on a bipartisan basis since at least the early 1990s in trying to draw attention to this issue. At that time, former Chairman George Brown, Jr., held a series of hearings and drafted legislation to establish a NEO detection and cataloging within NASA. H.R. 912 recognizes that amateur astronomers also can play a significant role in the detection of Earth orbit crossing asteroids and comets and provides a constructive way to reward their efforts. A previous version of the bill passed the House last Congress, so I do not believe this legislation should be at all controversial. I urge the adoption by the House, and look forward to its speedy enactment.

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

Mr. GORDON

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Beginning in 1987, the Baldrige Award process has defined what it means to be a world-class manufacturing or service company, has honored companies that attained that status, and has helped other companies understand the most important steps they must take if they are to improve their quality. The financial results, customer and supplier relations, and the labor relations of winning companies have been quite impressive. In the late 1990s, Congress extended the Baldrige Award categories to include education and health care fields. I am very proud that Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation located in Nashville, Tennessee, won in the service category. I also want to congratulate Stoner Inc., located in Quarryville, Pennsylvania, for winning the small business category. This is a small manufacturer of more than 300 specialized cleaners, lubricants, and coatings. It has 45 full-time and five part-time employees. Stoner proves that small manufacturers can successfully compete in the face of world competition. This year's Baldrige Award also shows the importance of the Department of Commerce MEP program. Stoner used services of the Mid- Pennsylvania Manufacturing Extension Partnership in this modernization effort. I mention this because up until the FY 2005 request, the administration has always proposed eliminating the MEP program. This year the administration has requested funding but at only a one-third level, which essentially guts this very important program. This is short-sighted and a wrong budget decision. Companies all across the organization like Stoner show that small manufacturers can compete in the global marketplace. They also use MEP services to meet the competitive challenges and to be successful. I want to use this example to remind my colleagues of the importance of MEP to our small- and medium-sized manufacturing community. I want to urge all Members in joining me in restoring funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership. I also want to congratulate the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Hart) for the work she has done on this excellent legislation. And I want to congratulate the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Miller) on his effort to extend the Baldrige Award to the nonprofit sector including government. This is the last sector of our economy that is not currently covered by the Baldrige Award. The gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Miller) has become a leader on the Committee on Science on a variety of economic issues, including technology transfer and quality. I also want to thank, finally, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) for seeing that this bill moved quickly to the floor.

Mr. GORDON

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association as the organization celebrates its 50th anniversary. I take great pride in the fact that two companies from my home district, Twin Lakes Telephone Cooperative in Gainesboro, Tennessee, and North Central Telephone Cooperative in Lafayette, Tennessee, are among the founding members of NTCA. Forming soon after the Rural Electrification Administration (REA)-- now known as the Rural Utilities Service--was granted authority to make loans to telephone companies, the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association (NTCA), along with Twin Lakes and North Central, has evolved from providing basic multi-party telephone service to offering a full array of advanced telecommunications services. The idea of expanding the scope and authority of the REA began in the late 1930s when REA Administrator John Carmody wrote: ``Personally, I have long felt there was a real opportunity for constructive assistance to rural people in the idea of Federal financing of farm telephone lines. It seems to me that the rural people have just as much right to up-to-date communication as they have to modern power. There's no question in my mind but that Government assistance will be required if the job is ever to be completed.'' This idea remained just an idea until 1944 when Senator Lister Hill (D-AL) introduced legislation calling for the formation of the Rural Telephone Administration, modeled after the REA. Senator Hill was soon joined in his effort to bring telephone service to rural America by Representative W.R. ``Bob'' Poage (D-TX), who introduced similar legislation granting the REA the authority to make loans for the extension and improvement of rural telephone service. President Harry Truman signed the telephone amendments to the Rural Electrification Act into law on October 28, 1949. Soon after, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) created a telephone committee, composed of representatives of newly-formed joint electric-telephone cooperative organizations. By 1954, representatives from these co-ops, with the encouragement of NRECA, decided that the time had come to form a separate national organization to represent telephone cooperatives. On June 1, 1954, eight companies--BEK Mutual Aid Corporation (Steele, North Dakota); Buggs Island Telephone Cooperative (Chase City, Virginia); Mark Twain Rural Telephone Company (Bethel, Missouri); Mid-Rivers Telephone Cooperative Inc. (Circle, Montana); Pineland Telephone Cooperative Inc. (Metter, GA); Winnebago Cooperative Telephone Association (Lake Mills, Iowa); and my constituents at Twin Lakes Telephone Cooperative and North Central Telephone Cooperative--formed the National Telephone Cooperative Association, which was later renamed the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association. One of the first recipients of telephone loans from the REA was Twin Lakes Telephone Cooperative, which was founded on March 13, 1951. With its $25 membership fee and a REA loan approved in November of that same year, Twin Lakes was able to purchase an existing telephone company and expanded telephone service to Clay, Overton, Pickett and Fentress counties in northern Middle Tennessee. Soon, Twin Lakes was serving twelve exchanges and had customers stretched over 1,150 miles of line. By 1959, Twin Lakes was able to lower its membership fee to $10, which finally put the luxury of a telephone within reach of many who considered the initial membership fee of $25 out of reach. Inundated with new customers, Twin Lakes soon had a backlog of close to 700 requests for service. People in rural Tennessee soon found that telephone service was not a luxury, but rather a necessity. Today, Twin Lakes has more than 40,000 access lines serving fifteen exchanges spread over Jackson, Clay, Overton, Pickett, Fentress, Smith, and Putnam counties in Tennessee. Like Twin Lakes, North Central Telephone Cooperative formed in the shadow of the expansion of the REA. Like REA Administrator Carmody, then Lafayette Mayor Hugh Butler understood the importance of telecommunications in rural America. As he stated in the Macon County Times on Nov. 29, 1951: ``The installation of modern dial telephone service with adequate long-distance facilities will put Layfette on par with any rural county seat in Tennessee and will do much to insure continued progress and prosperity.'' Prior to 1951, telephone service, if available, could only be described as sporadic. On March 8, 1951, Will Hall Sullivan, who served as North Central Telephone Cooperative's first general manager, was successful in joining 17 home-owned mutuals to form North Central Telephone Cooperative. By 1954, North Central had connected its first exchanges in Green Grove in Hillsdale. In just two years, North Central had expanded to serving 2,600 customers spread over ten exchanges: Lafayette, Hillsdale, Oak Grove, Green Grove, Bethpage, Scotsville, Pleasant Shade, Red Boiling Springs, Defeated and Westmoreland. Like Twin Lakes, North Central also faced rapid expansion as folks in rural America understood the necessity of a telephone and the importance of telecommunications. Today North Central serves in excess of 21,000 customers. As part of its commitment to providing advanced telecommunications services to its customers, North Central, in 1989, went beyond the then-standard copper cable and analog switches that were still heavily used. The innovative cooperative instead opted to install digital switches and fiber-optic cable, and soon the rest of the industry was following. Some 15 years later, these technologies are still widely considered the top of the line. This record of providing state-of-the-art technology continues today with its provision of high- speed Internet access, long distance and digital satellite services. As North Central's general manager, F. Thomas Rowland, said: ``Providing state-of-the-art technology has always been one of our main priorities. It's our way of giving the community what it needs to be a great place to live, work and raise a family.'' Twin Lakes and North Central are indicative of the membership of the National Telecommunications Cooperative Association. NCTA's membership has expanded from eight members in seven states to 558 members across 45 states. These small rural telecommunications systems provide voice services to approximately 3,270,000 subscribers over a combined territory comprising about 40 percent of the geographic United States. On average, NTCA member-companies serve rural areas with a population density averaging between one to five customers per square mile, a sharp contrast from the average of 130 customers per square mile for larger companies. Today, NTCA member-companies on average serve 5,100 subscribers. In addition to their traditional voice offerings, they provide rural customers with Internet, wireless, long distance, paging, and cable or satellite television services. Through it all, NTCA members have maintained that local touch which can only be found by folks serving their friends and neighbors. With the financial assistance of the Rural Utilities Service, the Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative and CoBank, NTCA members remain on the cutting edge of technology by expanding broadband opportunities through fiber-to-the- home projects in communities across this country. As committees examine the issue of broadband availability across the nation, NTCA rural telephone companies continue to connect the heartland of America to the world. NTCA and its 558 member-companies should be commended for their ever-present commitment to rural America. Happy 50th Anniversary, NTCA.

Mr. GORDON

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, we were not given notice of this amendment; but on quick and brief review, it seems to be a well-intentioned amendment that does not improve the bill. It seeks to solve a problem that does not exist, so I want to concur with the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) in opposing this amendment.

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First, Mr. Chairman, let me thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert), my chairman, for his kind remarks; and let me concur in that our committee has a long tradition of working in a bipartisan manner. I cannot think of anyone that I would rather work with than our chairman, and I look forward to continuing that progress for our country. Mr. Chairman, the NASA workforce is a critical national asset. We need to ensure that its strength is maintained if NASA is to undertake all the challenging activities envisioned for it in the coming decades. NASA's workforce is a highly skilled workforce. They truly are rocket scientists. Yet the NASA workforce is under stress. Those stresses include infrastructure that is aging and in need of repair and upgrading, diversion of resources from existing tasks to provide money for proposed new initiatives, and outsourcing and privatization agendas that call into question the agency's commitment to careers at NASA. Last year, I would have added another item to that list, namely, a lack of long-term goals for the agency. However, President Bush has now proposed an initiative to go back to the Moon and then at some point in the future send humans to Mars. I have long supported the idea that the space program needs some clear and compelling long-term goals. So I welcome the President's decision to propose an initiative. Of course, setting goals is an important first step, but we will still need to assess whether or not the President's plan to achieve these goals is viable. We will have a better idea of that once the fiscal year 2005 budget request is released next week and once NASA provides more information on specifics of the initiative. Clearly, it will not send a good signal to NASA's workforce if the new initiative winds up being paid for by cannibalizing other important NASA activities. It will not be fair to the NASA workforce if they are tasked with a set of challenging and ambitious goals and a budget that is inadequate to achieve those goals. Turning to S. 610, the NASA Flexibility Act of 2003, I believe that it is an improvement over the legislation considered by the Committee on Science last year. It modifies or eliminates a number of provisions that I and other Members have found objectionable; and at the same time, we should not lull ourselves into believing that this bill will solve all of NASA's workforce problems. For example, S. 610 includes a number of enhanced recruitment and retention bonuses. Yet I have been troubled by the indications from NASA's own data that NASA may not be using its existing authorities to the fullest extent due to competing budgetary pressures at the various centers, pressures that may well be increased. Apparently my concerns are shared by NASA's inspector general. He has initiated an investigation into the extent to which NASA is making use of its existing workforce authorities. I look forward to hearing the results of that investigation. With respect to the space shuttle, under the President's plan, the civil servants and contract personnel supporting the shuttle program will see their jobs disappear over the next 6 years. The best of those employees are not going to wait around for the inevitable. That fact puts the onus on NASA's management to ensure that the critical skills needed to fly the shuttle safely will be retained over the entire period. I certainly hope that NASA has a credible shuttle workforce retention plan ready to go. If not, NASA's management needs to put one in place as soon as possible if we are to avoid a hemorrhaging of critical skills from the shuttle program. Finally, I remain concerned that S. 610 is a bill focused solely on the NASA workforce. However, the leadership of NASA has argued strongly that they need this legislation to maintain a strong workforce. As a result of that and as a result of the gentleman from New York (Chairman Boehlert) graciously accepting some improvements to the bill, I will support passage of S. 610 today; and I will be watching over the coming years to make sure that NASA's performance on workforce issues matches its stated intentions. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Lampson), the new ranking member of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics.

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In conclusion, I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) for bringing forth a better bill, and also thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Lampson) for improving the bill and for the gentleman's accession as the ranking member on the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics and let the gentleman know he could not possibly find a better partner than the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) as the chairman of their subcommittee. Again, I thank the gentleman from New York (Chairman Boehlert) for helping us make this a better bill. I want to say to our Members that I intend to support this bill and recommend that they support it in final passage.

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GORDON

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 80th anniversary of the Lebanon-Wilson County Chamber of Commerce, an organization that has helped that Middle Tennessee community be one of the most desirable places in America to live. The chamber can take a lot of credit for the quality of life enjoyed in Wilson County. Residents have an opportunity to work at good jobs, send their children to quality schools and experience a wide variety of recreational venues, including a new $125 million superspeedway that draws racing fans from all over the country. The chamber's advocacy for the business community and its economic development efforts have definitely paid big dividends to the county. Chartered in September 1924, the Chamber of Commerce is fortunate to have had so many active, visionary members in its ranks. They have been instrumental in helping strengthen the county's diverse economy, including the retail, distribution and industrial base. Chamber leaders have helped attract many top-notch companies to the area. Dell computers, for example, employs approximately 1,400 people at its Wilson County assembly facility. The Lebanon-Wilson County Chamber of Commerce has become one of the premier community advocates in the nation and has helped boost the area's quality of life in so many ways. As the chamber celebrates its 80 years of existence, I commend the organization for all it has done to make Wilson County such a desirable place to live and raise a family.

Mr. GORDON

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 75th anniversary of the Homer Pittard Campus School in my hometown of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. In that span of time, the elementary school has helped train some of the finest educators and brightest students our country has to offer. Created by an act of the Tennessee General Assembly, the Campus School has allowed education majors from Middle Tennessee State University to craft and hone their teaching skills under the watchful, experienced eyes of the university's clinical instructors. As a result, the children who have attended the Campus School have received an exceptional education. As a laboratory, the school provides a hands-on, real-life environment to train teachers. And as an elementary school, it provides an opportunity for children to learn from innovative techniques and enthusiastic teachers. Fittingly, the school takes its name from a dedicated, respected educator who poured so much into his community. As the Homer Pittard Campus School celebrates its 75th anniversary, I commend the people who had the vision to make this school possible. Murfreesboro's citizens have benefitted tremendously from having such a school in the community. I hope the school's next 75 years will be as rewarding and successful as its first.

Mr. GORDON

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 75th anniversary of the Rutherford County, Tennessee, Chamber of Commerce, an organization that has helped my home country to be one of the best places in America to live. As a member of the Chamber of Commerce and former board director, I know firsthand that the chamber can take a lot of credit for the quality of life we now enjoy in Rutherford County. Residents have an opportunity to work at good jobs and send their children to some of the best schools in the Nation, not to mention enjoy all the recreational venues in the area. The chamber's economic development efforts have paid big dividends to the county. And the chamber's advocacy for the business community has been a positive influence in the Tennessee Legislature and has helped me in my legislative efforts in Congress. The Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce is fortunate to have had so many strong, visionary members in its ranks. Through their leadership and hard work, they have been able to attract top-notch companies to the area. Nissan, for example, is located in Rutherford County. As the largest automaker in the world under one roof, Nissan not only provided thousands of good-paying jobs to the people of Rutherford County, but it also brought countless businesses that supply the automaker with a variety of parts and services. Through a unique public and private partnership, the Rutherford County of Chamber of Commerce has become one of the best community advocates in the Nation. As the chamber celebrates its 75 years of existence, I commend the organization for all it has done to make Rutherford County such a desirable place to live and raise a family.

Mr. GORDON

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).

Mr. GORDON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.