Phil Gingrey

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Chairman, I would like to express my support for the striking amendment offered by my fellow Georgian and friend, Congressman Deal. Section 110 would prevent the Corps of Engineers from moving forward with their revision of the master control plans and master manuals for the Alabama, Coosa, Tallapoosa River Basin in Alabama and Georgia or the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee, Flint River Basin in Alabama, Georgia and Florida. These control plans are essential to the corps' management of water resources in our region, not only to ensure equitable distribution of water resources but also to prevent flooding and preserve critical water infrastructure for the people of our region. Mr. Chairman, these master control plans have not been updated since the 1950s. In the 50-plus years since the last update, our region and its water needs have fundamentally changed, and these changes must be accounted for, not only as a matter of equity but as a matter of safety. Specifically, FEMA is investing heavily in revising the flood plain maps. This is necessary due to the overwhelming growth, not just in my State of Georgia but also in Alabama. The population explosion in the Southeast requires that the flood characteristics of the watersheds be updated as soon as possible. And delaying the update of the master control plan would delay the court- ordered implementation of the D.C. settlement agreement. Any further delay is bad policy for the regional economy, and it is a safety risk for our residents. Section 110 is ill-conceived. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment to strike this language from the bill.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to join both of my colleagues, the gentleman from Texas, Judge Carter, who is managing the hour with the gentleman from California that you just heard from, Mr. Speaker, my colleague, Representative Rohrabacher, who very passionately explained what the issue is. You know, and again, I think as I represent the 640,000 or so constituents of the 11th District of Georgia, West Georgia, great, great people. And when I go home, and I am sure Representatives Carter and Rohrabacher are hearing the same thing from their constituents, they say and I agree, that this is a country of law abiding people. And we have to have respect for the rule of law. I was real interested, Mr. Speaker, this weekend on one of the Sunday morning news shows, one of our colleagues, in fact, indeed one of my colleagues from Georgia, Representative Norwood, who is such a great spokesperson on this issue was debating one of the Senators who happened also to be from the Southeast, in regard to the Senate bill versus the Sensenbrenner, very sensible, as the name would have it, the legislation that we passed in the House before the first of the year that emphasizes border security and border security first. And that is what my colleagues were speaking about before me, that there is all of this talk about, you know, what to do with 11 or 12 million people who are in this country illegally, and what to do about the fact that there are certain sectors of our economy that are dependent on a lot of foreign workers. Unfortunately, a lot of those foreign workers are among the 11 or 12 million that are here illegally. So maybe we need a temporary worker program. I agree with my colleague who just spoke that if the pay and benefit package and health care and these things that go with those jobs were a decent wage, I think in some instances, Mr. Speaker, they are, but in some instances, maybe far too many, they are not. If they were, then there are plenty of legal aliens, legal immigrants, United States citizens who are out of work today who would take those jobs. Now, everybody says, well, golly, we have this low unemployment rate of 4.5 percent. Well, that is 4.5 percent of people without jobs. Until it gets to zero percent, I cannot really see where we necessarily need a temporary worker program. But what I was saying about that program, Mr. Speaker, that television news show this past Sunday morning, we are talking about the rule of law. The Senator incredulously said, well, the law is okay as long as it is a ``just law''. You know, that is just shocking to me. I do not know what the Senator's occupation is or profession, I know there is a lot of lawyers over there in the other body. But our laws are our laws. If they are not just laws, we have a way in this chamber and that chamber to change those laws, because after all we are the ones that make them. If they are not just laws, then we change them, and we do it in the right way. We do not just ignore it, if we do not like the law. There are lots of laws that I do not like. But by golly I abide by them, whether I am on this Hill, inside the Beltway, or back home in Georgia. And that is the way my constituents feel, and that is the way my colleagues who are sharing this hour with me feel. I am dead set with them on securing our borders first and foremost. The President spoke to the Nation the other night, Mr. Speaker, talked about putting some National Guard troops, 6,000 I think he said on a temporary basis, to sort of back up the Border Patrol. We have got what 10,000 or 12,000 U.S. Border Patrol agents on the southern border. I think we need more. I think my colleague, Mr. Norwood, on Sunday morning said maybe we need 30,000. But at least we need 18,000 or 20,000. And we are going to get there. And we are going to, according to the House version of immigration reform to secure the border, we are going to build facilities and have more bed space so that we can retain these illegal immigrants that are referred to as OTM, that acronym that stands for Other Than Mexicans, that we have been catching and releasing in that catch-and-release program. I think the whole point here is history: if you do not pay attention to it, you are going to repeat it; and you are going to make the same mistakes over and over again if you do not learn from the past. We can go back; my colleagues have probably already done that in the earlier part of the aisle. I may have missed part of that discussion, but that Bracero program that we had from 1942 to the 60s, dismal failure. That was a temporary worker program. Dismal failure. And then our great communicator and one of my very favorite all-time Presidents, Ronald Reagan, in the Immigration Reform Act of 1986, an amnesty, really pretty much a blanket amnesty for 3 million people. Now, that would probably have been okay 19 years ago if we had secured our borders, but we didn't. There was no border security that went along with that as a companion. And we estimate and, Mr. Speaker, do not take my word for it, this is a CRS report that I am reading in front of me dated May 15, 2006. That is pretty darn recent, I think. It is talking about the fact that there probably are today 11 to 12 million illegal aliens in this country. If you do the math, that is about 500,000 a year that are coming through that border which is nothing but a sieve, and that hemorrhaging continues. And if we grant any kind of amnesty program today and we do not secure that border, you do the math. In 20 years from now, we will be talking about 35 or 40 million illegal immigrants, illegal aliens in this country. My colleagues talked about the stress that that puts on public education, on our health care system. The fact that we do not know really that these, hopefully the majority are law abiding. I think they are, but in this day and time after 9/11 and with the threat of a global terrorism, how do you know who is coming in this country? Are they all coming to work? Absolutely not. Some are members of gangs. Some are involved in drug trade. So it is absolutely imperative. I commend Chairman Sensenbrenner, Mr. Speaker, and I commend my House colleagues. I commend the Speaker, the majority leader, this Republican majority in this body, this House of Representatives for doing what we did. In fact, the first bill we passed was the REAL ID Act and that was in complete and total lockstep response to what the 9/11 Commission asked us to do in regard to driver's licenses and this abuse of the claim of asylum, to be able to in an expedited fashion to get rid of someone who was allowed to come in this country and then was involved in terrorist activity. So these things are so important. I just thank my colleague, my good friend, classmate from Texas, Mr. Carter, for letting me come and just share a little bit of time with him because we are compassionate. Everybody talks about the President and his great compassion. I do not doubt that. I think he does have great compassion. But I think if he wants to insist on granting an amnesty program that even comes close to what is happening in 1986, he is dead wrong on this issue. I want to work with employers and I think in the House bill we do that. We are going to provide a biometric tamper-proof identification card so when we get this combined program done, and we do not have to do it all in the next 2 weeks, and I think if we can get the Senate to agree as my great colleague and Senator from Georgia, Johnny Isakson said, let's get the border secured first. We can do the rest of this stuff, which is in my opinion sort of cosmetic surgery, once you stop the hemorrhaging. If we go back and look at a temporary worker program and what to do with the 11 million that are here illegally, I personally think, yes, they should pay back taxes, pay a fine, pass a criminal background check and then be notified that they have got about a year to make arrangements to go back home, to go to the border and then get in one of three lines. One line would be to stay home, decide that they want to stay in their country of origin. The second line would be the temporary worker program. We could even give those who have been in this country for more than 5 years working and passing all those litmus tests, good people, we could put them in the front of the temporary worker line; or if they wanted to come back in this country as permanent legal residents and get on a track to citizenship, then they could get in that line. Maybe it is too simple. Maybe I am a simple kind of guy. That is the way I see it. I want to thank the judge for taking the time tonight and giving me a chance to share my thoughts with my colleagues.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of border security. Every day we fail to put a meaningful immigration reform bill on President Bush's desk is 1 more day illegal immigrants will steadily flow across our border, seeking the unearned rewards of American society. I strongly support President Bush's call for temporarily utilizing members of our National Guard along the border. Guardsmen have the training and skills needed to support our overburdened Border Patrol, as we continue to expand its numbers. As they have in the past, National Guard units will assist with constructing barriers, providing surveillance operations, and analyzing intelligence. All of these functions will help secure our border while rightfully leaving law enforcement duties to the U.S. Border Patrol. Mr. Speaker, the National Guard units are a temporary solution to help stop the flow of illegal immigrants into this Nation. I remain committed to legislation that gives our Border Patrol better tools, more personnel and the resources they need to secure our borders.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to speak out of turn for 5 minutes.

Mr. GINGREY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my State of Georgia on its new voter ID law which hopefully will be fully implemented soon. Additionally, I rise today to honor a friend and former Republican colleague in the Georgia State Senate, Joe Burton of DeKalb County. Though retired, Senator Burton was one of the legislature's greatest proponents of voter identification reform, as well one of the legislative architects of this reform. While he may no longer be in the Georgia State Senate, the passage of this voter ID reform legislation can be directly attributed to his efforts. Madam Speaker, Senator Burton, like most of us, realized open and fair elections are critical to the preservation of our democratic form of government. Every citizen has not only the right but, in many ways, the obligation to choose their leaders through the electoral process. However, to ensure the integrity of our elections, we must verify those who vote are actually registered voters and the person they claim to be. Preventing election fraud and taking reasonable precautions to do so are fundamental in reassuring us all that our election results are a legitimate expression of the will of the people. Last year, Madam Speaker, the Georgia legislature passed, and Governor Sonny Perdue signed into law a comprehensive voter identification bill. This bill requires an individual to produce a photo ID in order to vote rather than 1 of 17 different forms, including utility bills, bank statements, mail, and various non-photo licenses, which in no way guarantee that the possessor of the document is actually the identified person. Madam Speaker, this law hit a slight speed bump when a Federal appeals court maintained an injunction on the voter ID law pending certain changes. Thankfully in the opening weeks of this year's legislative session, the Georgia legislature and the governor quickly passed a bill making all the necessary changes ensuring every Georgian can obtain a free photo ID in each and every one of Georgia's 159 counties. Madam Speaker, this path to reform has not been an easy one. Legislators on both sides of this issue feel very passionately, and throughout this debate, emotions ran high, and they will probably continue to run high until these reforms are enacted and the law's opponents can see these reforms actually help, not hinder, voters. While this law may have a few more legal tests to pass, it has been reviewed by the Department of Justice throughout the process. I remain confident that, given a fair hearing, this law will stand all legal tests and will provide all Georgians with a more fair electoral process. Madam Speaker, strengthening voter confidence in the electoral process will only encourage more people to vote. I know this, and I know Senator Burton knew this when he helped lay the foundation for this reform in the Georgia Senate. Now, with a Republican majority in the Georgia legislature and a Republican governor, these nonpartisan reforms will become a reality to strengthen the integrity of our elections for the sake of all Georgians.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Matsui), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 821 is an open rule. It provides one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and the ranking minority member of the Appropriations Committee. It waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. Under the rules of the House, the bill shall be read for amendment by paragraph. This rule waives points of order against provisions in the bill for failure to comply with clause 2 of rule XXI prohibiting unauthorized appropriations or legislative provisions in an appropriation bill, except as specified in the resolution. It authorizes the Chair to accord priority and recognition to Members who have preprinted their amendments in the Congressional Record, and it provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 821 and the underlying bill, H.R. 5385, the Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2007. First, I want to thank and recognize Chairman Walsh and Chairman Lewis for all of the work they have put into this bill. The committee did a great job of staying within the framework of the President's budget request and ensuring the needs of our veterans, those currently serving and their families. Mr. Speaker, the underlying bill totals $136.1 billion, which is an increase of almost $14 billion over last year's level, more than 10 percent. Of this $136 billion, the bill provides $41.4 billion in mandatory spending and $94.7 billion in discretionary spending. The bill provides $77.9 billion for veterans' programs, marking approximately a 10 percent increase over the 2006 enacted level. Particularly important is the $32.7 billion for veterans' medical services, 11 percent more than the 2006 enacted level and $38 million above the President's request. Additionally, the committee followed the recommendations of various veterans groups to make sure more funds are provided to meet the needs of veterans returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. I must also emphasize to the veterans back home in the 11th Congressional District of Georgia, northwest Georgia particularly, and all across this country, that this bill does not, I want to repeat, it does not contain any new fees for veterans' medical services or prescription drugs. It does, however, increase mandatory veterans' benefits by $4.2 billion over the 2006 level. So, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5385 also includes significant increases in funding to improve the lives of our veterans and their families. It provides an additional $25 million to open a minimum of 10 new community based outpatient clinics and an additional $20 million to make facility improvements to existing State veterans' homes. Further, this bill increases basic medical research by $13 million; and it includes an additional $12 million to begin upgrades to VA medical research facilities nationwide. In regards to military construction, this bill provides $10.6 billion: $5.6 billion for active duty construction, a billion dollars in construction for our reserve components, and $4 billion for the construction of housing for our servicemembers and their families. Finally, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5385 provides $21 billion, an increase of $1 billion over current levels, to fund the health defense program allowing for the ongoing preparation of our brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, while caring for their families back home. Without question, we are again in a tough budget year; and while the underlying bill may not be perfect, it does ensure that scarce resources are allocated in the most effective, efficient and responsible manner possible. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to this debate. I encourage my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 821 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I would again like to thank Subcommittee Chairman Walsh, ranking minority member Edwards, and Chairman Lewis for leading the committee in the production and shepherding of this bill. We can never do enough for our veterans. I think we all want to, but understand that this bill represents a victory for our serviceman and women in all stages of service, from recruitment to retirement. I encourage my colleagues to support this rule and underlying bill. And so I rise, again, in support of the rule, and as I say, in support of the underlying bill in recognition of its importance to the men and women who have and will continue to serve and protect America. Our servicemen and women put their lives on the line each and every day and we have a responsibility to support them in any and every way possible as they make these significant sacrifices for the safety and security of this great Nation. We must provide them with everything that they need, not only to succeed in their military duty, but also to enjoy the quality of life that they and their families so much deserve. Again, Mr. Speaker, with spending totaling $94.7 billion, this bill includes significant increases to the veterans medical care and benefits, military construction and the Defense Health Care Program. I encourage, then, my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support both this rule and the underlying bill for the sake of those who spend their lives defending ours.

Mr. GINGREY. I have no additional speakers.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman for his passion on this issue and the very clear presentation that he made. I want to remind him and my colleagues that I think we authorized an additional $250 million in the Defense Authorization Bill of 2007 which we passed last week. In regard to specifically, he mentioned about the technology that could be used for ferreting out improvised explosive devices, and he mentioned, of course, that the first soldier from his district was killed by one of those devices. And I know that Members on both sides of the aisle have certainly experienced that. This particular Member from the 11th of Georgia has experienced it as well. So it is an important issue, and it is clear that we are doing everything we can to try to defend against these cowardly attacks of improvised explosive devices. Mr. Speaker, I will continue to reserve the balance of my time for purposes of closing.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers at this time, so I will reserve the balance of my time for the purpose of closing.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Texas, the minority member of the subcommittee, I very much respect. I very much respect the work that he has done. I mentioned that trip last summer. Of course, Representative Edwards was a part of that. Representative Carter, my good friend from Texas, was also a part of that trip when we visited those military cemeteries and looked at MILCON construction in Europe and the importance of all these things we do. I agree with what the gentleman said in regard to the administration proposing to increase fees for our military retirees under age 65, certain categories of veterans in copays and deductibles, to be able to raise, I think he mentioned the figure of 700 and something million dollars. He was opposed to it, the subcommittee was opposed to it, the entire committee was opposed to it, and we rejected it as we did last year when the administration wanted to do that. I commend him, and I commend the chairman and the entire committee for their work in regard to that. We are not really in any disagreement in regard to the points that he just made, and I commend him for his work. Mr. Speaker, I am going to continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, before yielding to my good friend from Texas, Judge Carter, talking about concerns that he has, I want to make sure that all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle understand that the committee, for the first time ever, for the first time ever, used a veterans service organization's independent budget as a baseline for this fiscal 2007 funding, and essentially adopted the veterans' group recommendations to increase funds by 6.3 percent. In regard to defense health, the defense health program is increased by $1 billion over the last year. So the total funding of $21 billion for defense health is the same as the budget request. I want to also say, Mr. Speaker, that I had the distinct honor of traveling last summer with subcommittee chairman Walsh, as we visited some of our cemeteries in Europe, at Anzio and Normandy, our fallen soldiers in World War II and also Bella Woods, for the Marines that fell during World War I. To see the compassion of Chairman Walsh and what he and our colleagues that served, that have the honor of serving on his committee, on both sides of the aisle, was a moving, moving experience for me. I know how important the work of this subcommittee is. I commend Members on both sides of the aisle for their hard work in bringing this good budget. I wish we could do more, but I think the compassion is there on both sides of the aisle. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter).

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

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of National Women's Health Week. It is during this week that the Office on Women's Health, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, urges women to focus on their health. It is a time when we need to tell all the women in our lives; our mothers, wives, sisters, daughters, aunts and friends how important it is to take time out for their health. This can be as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, eating healthier or scheduling an appointment with their healthcare provider. A good relationship with your doctor is so important in maintaining your health. Women need to have conversations with their physicians regarding their family health history and the importance of recommended screening tests. So, today, Mr. Speaker, I want to encourage all of America's women to take a moment to focus on promoting health and preventing disease and illness by taking simple steps to improve their physical, mental, social, and spiritual health.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Floyd County school system on receiving an ``out-performer'' rating in the Standard and Poor's 2006 School Evaluation report. Floyd County was one of only 20 school districts in the State of Georgia to receive this distinction. This award recognizes the great work Floyd County schools are doing to educate our children. I know everyone in the community was excited, but not surprised, by this honor, as Floyd County consistently displays exceptional levels of student achievement. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the dedicated Floyd County educators whose hard work earned this award. Floyd County superintendent Kelly Henson, members of the Floyd County School Board, principals, teachers, parents at every school in the system deserve our gratitude for a job well done. I know Floyd County will continue its long tradition as a leader in educational achievement for the State of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in congratulating the Floyd County school system and in thanking its educators for their dedication to developing the minds of our community's rising leaders.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas. I want to thank him for all his work in conjunction with the Republican Study Committee in advancing additional fiscal restraint in the budgetary process. While the underlying budget does a commendable job of balancing our revenues with spending, the RSC does the same job. It just does it faster. Mr. Chairman, without question, both the underlying budget and this substitute budget make many tough choices. The budgetary process is not easy, but we must never forget it is not any easier for the taxpayer, who in every paycheck forks over too much of his or her paycheck to fund this budget. This RSC alternative aims to balance the budget by 2011 by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse and by pairing back unnecessary, duplicative bureaucracy by eliminating 150 Federal programs. It also protects Social Security and promotes a progrowth tax policy. So I want to encourage all of my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Marietta High School in Cobb County, Georgia, on an outstanding accomplishment. This past week, Marietta High School was honored as one of the top 5 percent of all high schools in America by Newsweek magazine. The magazine praised the school's commitment to student achievement and noted the high number of advanced placement and international baccalaureate students at Marietta. When I served as chairman of the Marietta City School Board, I was always impressed by the school's deep commitment to student achievement. This award is certainly well deserved. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Principal Leigh Colburn, Assistant Principal Donna Thornton and all the faculty and staff at Marietta High School. They are doing an incredible job educating our children, and I should know. After all, I am the proud parent of four former Marietta High School students. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in congratulating Marietta High School on this impressive achievement, and in thanking the school for its dedication to developing the minds of our community's rising leaders.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of America's nurses, and I want to bring my colleagues' attention to the fact that this is National Nurses Week. As a physician for nearly 30 years, I certainly know the importance of nurses to our Nation's health care system, and I can say without hesitation that nurses are the glue that holds our hospitals and our health care system together. They are literally on the front lines of health care, and they are the faces our patients see day in and day out. Our Nation is facing a critical shortage in the nursing profession, Mr. Speaker. As Americans grow older and live longer, our health care system will be stretched even further to accommodate new demands. And in order for us to continue to deliver high-quality health care in this country, we will need increasing numbers of health care providers and especially registered nurses. According to the latest projections from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics published in February of 2004, more than one million new and replacement nurses will be needed by the year 2012. The importance of quality and trusted nurses is best illustrated by my telling you about two of them who are particularly special in my life. When I was a practicing OB-GYN physician in Marietta, Georgia, Lynn Olmstead was a wonderfully gifted nurse who worked with me for 20 loyal and dedicated years. Lynn is a graduate of Michigan State University, a Spartan, as is her husband, Ken. She had worked in labor and delivery at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, Georgia, in my district for 10 years; and I had an opportunity to see her and her compassion and working with patients in the wee hours of the morning and was very, very fortunate that she agreed to come and work in my office and where she spent the next 20 years, as I said, working so compassionately with patients and helping me, in fact, make right decisions a lot of the times. And I remain dedicated and grateful to Lynn for that service that she gave to me and our patients at Marietta OB-GYN Affiliates. The other nurse, Mr. Speaker, is my daughter-in-law, Emily House Gingrey. Emily is a graduate of the University of Georgia. She recently, after making a decision a couple or 3 years ago to go back to school and get her registered nursing degree from Georgia Baptist School of Nursing, now works at the Northside Hospital in Atlanta in the neonatal intensive care unit, taking care of the most fragile, not just premature babies, but what we know as immature babies, those less than 2,500 grams. And I see Emily as she is beginning her career in that most important area of neonatal intensive care, providing life, really, to these very fragile babies that might possibly not make it in this world without the dedication of young nurses like Emily House Gingrey, the wife of my son, Billy. So it is with a great deal of pleasure, Mr. Speaker, to take just these few minutes this evening to pay tribute to all nurses, and I rise today to applaud the profession of nursing and encourage young Americans to consider this noble work as a future career.

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to speak out of turn for 5 minutes.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. GINGREY

Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I rise in strong support of the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act. I would like to thank all of the members of the Armed Services Committee for their hard work on this vital legislation, and I am especially appreciative for the efforts of Chairman Hunter and the subcommittee chairman, Mr. McHugh, and of course the ranking member, Mr. Skelton, in listening to the families of our fallen soldiers. A brave young man from my district who heroically gave his life for our country, SGT Paul Saylor, was not able to be viewed for a final time upon being returned to his family. Sergeant Saylor's family is extremely patriotic in support of our troops and has worked tirelessly to ensure that other military families are able to gain closure when a family member dies in defense of our Nation. H.R. 5122 includes, thanks to the chairman, a remains preservation provision which takes steps to ensure that we can honor our fallen heroes with the dignity and respect that they deserve. Mr. Chairman, I would like to personally thank you, as well as the ranking member, Mr. Skelton, and the subcommittee chairman, Mr. McHugh, for proving that one soldier and one family can truly make a difference. I urge support of the legislation.