Dave Hobson

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Chairman, I do share the concerns of my colleague from Illinois. That is why I commit to her and the rest of our Great Lakes colleagues that I will work in conference, I am sure with my ranking member, to see that the Corps receives the funding and authority it needs to complete work on these barriers and have them up and running as soon as possible. I agree we need a permanent redundant protection against the spread of aquatic invasive species between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River basins and the Federal Government should be responsible for the long-term operation and maintenance of this project of national and international significance.

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp), the vice chairman of our committee.

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman's statement. I want to assure him that I will work with him to insert acceptable language into the Statement of Managers to accompany the conference report to encourage the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to address the recommendations found in the May 2004 General Accounting Office report.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill, H.R. 4614, and that I may include tabular and extraneous material.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Chairman, I have been a member of the Committee on the Budget when we balanced the budget. I was the Speaker's delegate to the budget, so I know the difficult problems that can go on in the Committee on the Budget, but I think this so-called budget reform does harm to our process. We have a process that we need to follow and maintain. We cannot abrogate our responsibilities to make those hard choices here on the floor by giving the President, or whoever the administration is, three bites at the apple. Recently I have had experience with this. We passed a bill in the House that solved the problem for two Members that had been going on for 14 years. The bill was signed by the President of the United States. OMB decided they were not going to follow it. They just were not going to do it. So we have had to go back and do it again. I do not think we should give up our process to people like that when we are dealing with this. There are reforms to discretionary spending enforcements that should be considered in the broader reforms, such as meaningful controls on the growth of mandatory programs and putting the Congressional authorization process back on track. I would urge the defeat of the underlying bill.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize this morning's honored guest chaplain, Dr. John C. Davidson, who serves as the pastor of the Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lancaster, Ohio. Dr. Davidson has been an ordained minister for 22 years and has faithfully served his parish and the Lancaster community during that time. He has earned two master's degrees and a doctorate degree from the Concordia Theological Seminary located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and St. Louis, Missouri. In addition to his parish duties, Dr. Davidson also serves as second vice chairman of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, where he provides governing assistance to 172 congregations located in Ohio and portions of West Virginia and Kentucky. Dr. Davidson is also known as a community leader. He serves as chaplain for the Charity Newsies in Fairfield County and the Fairfield County Coroner. On the personal side, Dr. Davidson and his wife, Luann, have been married for 22 years and are blessed with four beautiful children, Rachel, Emily, Andrew, and Mark. Dr. Davidson is an uplifting minister who is loved by his family and is well respected by the Lancaster community and the members of the Redeemer Lutheran Church. As Ohio's Seventh District Congressman, I would like to take this opportunity to publicly recognize Dr. Davidson for his commitment to the church and his community over the years. His many contributions to the spiritual growth of central Ohio are noteworthy, and I thank him for his service.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues, indeed all Americans, in paying tribute to a great man, the 40th President of the United States--Ronald Wilson Reagan. President Reagan was an extraordinary and visionary leader, who saw our great Nation as having a unique role, purpose, and destiny in the world. He saw it as a beacon of freedom, a land of unlimited opportunity, and in his words, a shining city on the hill. Mr. Reagan took office during a time of great pessimism. There was Watergate; Vietnam; the hostage crisis in Iran; and gas lines, runaway inflation, and double-digit interest rates here at home. There were those who told us that we had to lower our expectations, that we could no longer shape our destiny, and that our best days were behind us. Ronald Reagan saw a different future. It was a future in which we were limited only by the size of our dreams; where the spirit of our pioneer ancestors was still alive, it just needed to be rekindled. It was a vision where hard work, imagination, creativity, and a little luck would allow ordinary men and women to accomplish extraordinary things. Taxes were cut, inflation and interest rates were reduced, and gas lines disappeared. Americans went back to work; the economy roared forward; and in the process, Mr. Reagan restored our confidence, uplifted our spirits, and made us proud to be Americans again. The rebirth here at home was accompanied by equally dramatic changes abroad. The march of totalitarianism, that seemed inevitable a few years earlier, was halted as Mr. Reagan rebuilt our defenses. The creaky Soviet system disappeared quietly, without a shot being fired. And the Berlin Wall, the greatest symbol of oppression, fell, and millions of people around the world tasted freedom for the first time. We Americans, and indeed all freedom loving people around the world, owe President Reagan an enormous debt. We will miss him, but history will never forget what he accomplished in eight short years. As a grateful nation comes together to say goodbye, our collective thoughts and prayers go to Mrs. Reagan and her family.

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues, indeed all Americans, in paying tribute to a great man, the 40th President of the United States--Ronald Wilson Reagan. President Reagan was an extraordinary and visionary leader, who saw our great Nation as having a unique role, purpose, and destiny in the world. He saw it as a beacon of freedom, a land of unlimited opportunity, and in his words, a shining city on the hill. Mr. Reagan took office during a time of great pessimism. There was Watergate; Vietnam; the hostage crisis in Iran; and gas lines, runaway inflation, and double-digit interest rates here at home. There were those who told us that we had to lower our expectations, that we could no longer shape our destiny, and that our best days were behind us. Ronald Reagan saw a different future. It was a future in which we were limited only by the size of our dreams; where the spirit of our pioneer ancestors was still alive, it just needed to be rekindled. It was a vision where hard work, imagination, creativity, and a little luck would allow ordinary men and women to accomplish extraordinary things. Taxes were cut, inflation and interest rates were reduced, and gas lines disappeared. Americans went back to work; the economy roared forward; and in the process, Mr. Reagan restored our confidence, uplifted our spirits, and made us proud to be Americans again. The rebirth here at home was accompanied by equally dramatic changes abroad. The march of totalitarianism, that seemed inevitable a few years earlier, was halted as Mr. Reagan rebuilt our defenses. The creaky Soviet system disappeared quietly, without a shot being fired. And the Berlin Wall, the greatest symbol of oppression, fell, and millions of people around the world tasted freedom for the first time. We Americans, and indeed all freedom loving people around the world, owe President Reagan an enormous debt. We will miss him, but history will never forget what he accomplished in 8 short years. As a grateful nation comes together to say goodbye, our collective thoughts and prayers go to Mrs. Reagan and her family.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Wittenberg University President Baird Tipson for his 9 years of dedicated service to the students and faculty of the university, and the community of Springfield, OH. On July 1, President Tipson will be leaving his post as president for a new opportunity to serve as the 26th president of Washington College in Chestertown, MD. During his tenure at Wittenberg, President Tipson has been a leader in promoting the highest standards of excellence in higher education. In particular, he has led the university's efforts to provide a state- of-the-art learning environment for students. In recent years, I have had the privilege of working with President Tipson to complete Wittenberg's most ambitious capital improvement to date, and the most significant improvement to the university's science facilities since the original construction of the Science Hall in 1965. I am of course referring to the Barbara Deer Kuss Center. President Tipson and I worked together to complete this innovative science education center that provides Wittenberg students and faculty with a safe environment to perform their scientific research as part of the science education curriculum. Over the years, President Tipson has also served as a leader in the Springfield community. He served as the president of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra Board and as a member of the Chamber of Commerce Board. In addition, he has served on the boards of the Community Leadership Academy and Aid for College Opportunities (ACO), and as a member of the Springfield City Schools Business Advisory Council. I have lived in Springfield for most of my adult life and have seen Wittenberg University grow into one of the best liberal arts universities in Ohio. I have greatly enjoyed representing and working with the university over the years. And, a highlight of that time has been my working partnership with President Tipson. As the Member of Congress who represents Springfield and Wittenberg University in the U.S. House of Representatives, I am proud of the achievements and curriculum enhancements made under the steady leadership of President Tipson. In closing, I would like to express my best regards to President Tipson and his wife, Sarah, as they embark on this new endeavor.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman, the ranking member, and those gentlemen carrying the bill on the floor today for their great work on this piece of legislation. This is, as they said, a combination of a number of pieces of legislation that they have worked very hard to bring together. This is not an easy task to do. The staff did a great job of working this out with everybody involved to where we have a piece of legislation today that I think on a bipartisan fashion works for everybody. That is when I think this legislature is at its best, when we come together and work together to get bills such as this done. I certainly am strong for the part of the bill that relates to the National Aviation Heritage Area, but I also am supportive of all the rest of the bill. I thank all the Members and would urge the passage of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 280, the National Aviation Heritage Area Act of 2003. I would first like to thank Chairman Pombo, and the Members of the Resources Committee, as well as the Chairman of the National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands Subcommittee, George Radanovich, for their leadership and cooperation in advancing this bill. I have introduced this legislation with Representatives Mike Turner, John Boehner, and virtually all of the Ohio Delegation to create a National Aviation Heritage Area to enhance significant historical resources of interest to all Americans and to further national awareness of Ohio's key role in the history of aviation. I can think of no better way to preserve and carry on the years of hard work and preparation leading up to this year's 100th anniversary of the first powered flight, than to establish this heritage area. Few technological advances have transformed the world or our Nation's economy, society, culture, and national character as the development of powered flight. Ohioans such as the Wright Brothers, John Glenn, and Neil Armstrong have been at the forefront of every major development associated with flight. But just as important are the inventors, scientists and engineers that have made it possible in less than 100 years to not only fly between continents, but also to fly to the moon and maintain a presence in space. This legislation is fully in the spirit of President Bush's recent ``Preserve America'' executive order which declared, ``It is the policy of the Federal Government to provide leadership in preserving America's heritage . . . by promoting intergovernmental cooperation and partnerships for the preservation and use of historic properties.'' The Members of Congress from Ohio have a long record of promoting the preservation of aviation sites in Central Ohio. We have previously worked together to secure funding for the U.S. Air Force Museum, the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, and the National Aviation Hall of Fame. We have worked closely with the community to make sure that this year's Centennial of Flight celebration was a huge success. For these reasons, it is vitally important that we move forward with this legislation and I urge a ``yes'' vote on the National Aviation Heritage Area Act of 2003.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 444, I call up the conference report on the bill (H.R. 2754) making appropriations for energy and water development for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, and for other purposes.

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this is a bill that has a conference agreement of $27.3 billion. This is a good bill. We worked very hard on it, and we have had a very tough conference; and I hope everybody will vote for the bill. At this time I would like to make a few remarks concerning the committee staff on both sides. We worked together very diligently to prepare this bill and this conference report. I guess this is my second time to conference the bill, but my first time to be involved in the writing of the bill, which is a rather unusual circumstance. During that period of time, and for the last number of years, our clerk has had different people being the chairman. And I do not know whether it is because I became the chairman that he is leaving or not. He has had a different chairman about the last five times, and so I said I was going to stay awhile, and then suddenly I heard he was going to retire. So I hope it is not because of the conference we have had that he is leaving, because he has done a great job. He has been 15 years here in this committee. He likes apparently the challenge of breaking in a new chairman, but I am not sure that he likes the continuation of that. But he will have to speak afterwards about that. I really want to thank him because he has been a great help to me and a great help to the staff as we have worked on this bill. He was dubbed ``Silent Bob'' in one of the reports that was out, I think it was in one of what we call local political rags here around Washington. While most people might say he is silent, I can tell you when he is in the room and Silent Bob speaks, we all listen. He has done a great job for this committee. He has been a great resource to me and to the committee over these years. So I want to thank him, and I hope he can go out and work on his golf game because he tells me his game is about as bad as mine, and that is really bad. So now he will have plenty of time to learn how to play golf better and also to probably earn a lot more money, as he can come back and lobby us about a lot of issues because he is a real authority, especially on the water part of this bill. So, again, thanks to you, Bob, for being the clerk for all these years and for leading us during this period of time. Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record a document detailing the specifics of this appropriation bill. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present to the House today the conference report on H.R. 2754, the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2004. We had a challenging conference with the Senate this year, but we were able to resolve our differences and reach a fair compromise. Most importantly, I believe we did the right thing for the Nation in this conference report in a number of important areas, from rebuilding our water infrastructure, to dealing with the disposal of spent nuclear fuel, to advancing the frontiers of our scientific knowledge. The total amount of funding included in the conference agreement is $27.3 billion. This represents an increase of $1.1 billion over the current fiscal year and approximately $380 million over the budget request. Title I of this conference report provides funding for the Civil Works program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and for the Corps' Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program. The conference agreement provides the Corps with $4.6 billion, slightly below the current year but nearly $400 million over the inadequate budget request. The Administration does not seem to comprehend that underfunding the Corps of Engineers ultimately costs the country more in the long run, as projects that are strung out over multiple years always cost more than they would if constructed on an efficient schedule. I have already initiated a dialog with the Administration in an attempt to convince them of the need to increase funding to support the Civil Works program of the Corps of Engineers in future fiscal years. In fiscal year 2004, we opted to focus our available resources on completing ongoing projects, and therefore limited the number of new starts in this conference agreement. Funding for Title II of the bill, which includes the Central Utah Project Completion Account and the programs of the Bureau of Reclamation, is $986.5 million, $14 million above the amount appropriated last year and $64 million above the budget request. The Committee did not provide the $15 million requested by the Administration for the CALFED Bay-Delta program. The authorization for this program expired in fiscal year 2000 and it has not been reauthorized. Total funding for Title III, the Department of Energy is $22 billion, $1.2 billion above fiscal year 2003 and $120 million below the budget request. In many ways, I am most proud of our accomplishments in this part of the conference agreement. My top priority in the Energy and Water bill this year was to provide sufficient funding for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, and I believe we succeeded. This conference agreement provides a total of $580 million for Yucca Mountain, only $11 million below the request but an increase of $123 million compared to the current fiscal year. This project has been significantly underfunded in prior years, and we are finally starting to reverse that trend. Mr. Speaker, it is essential that we keep the Department of Energy on schedule to submit the repository license application late next year and to begin repository operations in 2010. The Yucca Mountain repository is essential for both energy security and homeland security. We have provided the necessary funding in this conference agreement, and I have the commitment of the Secretary of Energy to move forward aggressively on the repository program during this coming fiscal year. Another priority of mine, and of many other Members in this chamber, is the subject of advanced scientific computing. By a number of key measures of computing power, the United States is now in second place behind Japan. For the sake of our scientific leadership, of our national security, and for economic competitiveness, we cannot afford to stay in second place for very long. We have provided an additional $30 million for the Department of Energy to procure additional state- of-the-art computers in the near term and to begin an interagency effort to develop next-generation computer architectures. Another area where there is significant Member interest in this conference agreement is the portion of DOE's budget that deals with several new nuclear weapons initiatives proposed by the Administration. I strongly believe that we need to take a hard look at our existing Cold War nuclear arsenal before we start down the path of designing new weapons and new weapons infrastructure. As President Bush said when he announced reductions to the nuclear stockpile on November 13, 2001, ``The United States and Russia have overcome the legacy of the Cold War.'' At that time, he pledged that the United States would reduce our stockpile to 1,700 to 2,200 operationally deployed warheads over the next ten years. Unfortunately, we are still waiting for the Department to Defense, and the Department of energy, to deliver a revised nuclear stockpile plan that reflects the President's commitment of two years ago. It is time for DOD and DOE to take a hard look at our nuclear weapon stockpile and on the infrastructure we are maintaining to support that stockpile. Mr. Speaker, the funding provided in this conference agreement maintains our strong support for DOE's nonproliferation programs in Russia and other countries. This agreement also makes a key change in DOE's contracting culture, as we require the competition of five laboratory contracts that we awarded without competition back in the 1940s and have never been competed since. Most Members are shocked to learn we have contracts that have never been competed in the past half century. We are fixing that situation. Funding for Title IV, Independent Agencies, is $229.3 million, an increase of $22.6 million from last year and $81.4 million above the budget request. We have funded the Appalachian Regional Commission at $66 million, $33 million above the request, in recognition of the strong interest in this chamber and in the Senate in the work of the ARC. I want to thank my Senate counterpart, Chairman Pete Domenici, and his Ranking Minority Member, Senator Harry Reid, for their hard work during this conference. They may view me as a relatively junior Member by Senate standards, but rest assured, Mr. Speaker, that I fought long and hard to defend the House priorities during this conference. My Ranking Member, the Honorable Pete Visclosky, was at my side during this process, and I truly value his support and advice. Mr. Speaker, before I conclude I would also like to thank the staff for their help in getting me up to speed on the complex issues we have in this bill. The Subcommittee staff includes Bob Schmidt, Kevin Cook, Dennis Kern, Scott Burnison, Tracy LaTurner, and our detailee from the Corps of Engineers, Robert Pace. I also want to thank Kenny Draft of my staff, and Dixon Butler and Peder Maarbjerg of the minority staff. I urge the unanimous support of the house for adoption of this conference report. I would hope we could quickly conclude action on this conference report so that we can get this bill to the White House for signature. I want to make special mention here today for ``Silent Bob'' Schmidt, the subcommittee clerk on my bill this year. Bob is leaving the Hill at the end of this week, and is going on to greener pastures. I hate to say it, but his departure may be partly my fault. He has the remarkable record of having clerked for five different Chairmen, I believe, in the past five Congresses. He apparently likes the challenge of breaking in new Chairmen, and I told him I intend to be around for a while, so that may be why he's going. I hope not. I would like to congratulate Bob on his many years of service on the Appropriations Committee, and for his former service for the Corps of Engineers. Bob's knowledge of the agency programs in our bill, and of the rules of the Committee and the house, have been invaluable during my first year as Chairman on this subcommittee. I will miss his experience and his company, and I know that the staff will, too. I like to refer to Bob as ``silent Bob'' because he's not a real talkative guy, so I am not sure that we'll notice when he is out of the office, even when he is gone for good. He usually managed to speak up, though, when anybody was about to make a mistake, which is one hallmark of a very good Appropriations Clerk and I know we will all miss him when it's time to get the work done. On behalf of those of us who have worked closely with him, I want to wish him every success in his golf game and whatever else he takes on in the future. [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH18NO03.001 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH18NO03.002 Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp).

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Peterson), a member of the Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development.

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young). (Mr. YOUNG of Alaska asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I do not disagree with the chairman at all. As a matter of fact, the chairman, I, and the ranking member tried when we passed this bill in the House to not put any authorizing language in this bill that was not approved by the chairman when it left here. In our discussions with the other body, they have a different procedure. We had certain things that we had to take the way the procedures works. I would suggest that we do need to pass a water bill, and I think my ranking member agrees with me on that. We want to work with the gentleman from Alaska in every way we can. There are two large things that were approved over here that I think substantially hurt that, but they were requests from the Senate which I think the gentleman is aware of which we passed by the committee. But again just generally I want to say, not only generally but specifically, I totally agree with the fact that we should pass a water bill as expeditiously as possible. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Again, I want to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), my partner in this. This is the first time we have done this bill together. He and his staff have been absolutely marvelous to work with. We have tried to expose to each other all of our problems. If we would have had more money, we could have helped more people. That is our goal, with the very delicate infrastructure that we have in this country; but we just did not have enough money to do that. In closing, I would like once again to say that I appreciate the clerkship of Bob Schmidt and all of the staff, but especially Bob. In the time I have worked with him, he has been an invaluable resource. We are going to miss him a lot.

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the conference report. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the conference report to accompany H.R. 2754, Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2004, and that I may include tabular and extraneous material.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3118, legislation to name the Federal office buildings at 600 and 800 Independence Avenue, SW., in Washington, DC in honor of Wilbur and Orville Wright. I thank my colleague and friend from North Carolina, Robin Hayes, for introducing this bill, and I was pleased to add my name as an original co-sponsor. This legislation is an appropriate honor for the Wright Brothers for two reasons. First, the office buildings currently house the main offices of the Federal Aviation Administration, which was made possible by the development of manned flight. Second, these two buildings are literally across the street from the original Wright 1903 Flyer, which is maintained in its place of honor at the National Air and Space Museum. It is also appropriate that this action will take place this year, on the centennial of the Wright Brothers' great achievement. We have already seen an amazing series of events in the Dayton, Ohio area commemorating this landmark year, and we look forward to the 100th anniversary this December, where the first flight will be appropriately commemorated at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina. As air travel continues to change our world, there has been a growing appreciation and public interest in the earliest days of manned flight. The past few years has seen the establishment in Ohio of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park encompassing the Wright Cycle Shop; Huffman Prairie Flying Field; the John W. Berry, Sr. Wright Brothers Aviation Center; and the Paul Laurence Dunbar State Memorial. Additionally, a new interpretive center was recently opened at Huffman Prairie at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in my district, where the Wright Brothers perfected the techniques they first used at Kitty Hawk. As an Ohioan, I am proud to reside in the same state as the two brothers whose invention changed the world. I appreciate Representative Hayes authoring this legislation to provide a visible and appropriate commemoration of the lives of Wilbur and Orville Wright in our Nation's Capital, and urge its approval by the House of Representatives.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank the distinguished chairman and the distinguished subcommittee chairman and ranking member for inclusion of this provision in the bill. This was a bill initially sponsored by me and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Ortiz), and we have included his facility. I also should note that it was sponsored by the other two members of the Ohio delegation from Columbus, Ohio, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Tiberi) and the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce). Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1720, which authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out major medical facility construction projects. I rise not only as a veteran, but as a member of the Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations that helps determine the funding priorities of the Department of Veterans Affairs. However, no matter which hat I am wearing, I can see clearly that something needs to be done for the ever-increasing veteran population in central Ohio. One provision contained in this very important act will help central Ohio take a huge step toward alleviating serious problems by authorizing construction of a new VA medical facility in Columbus, Ohio. Actually, it is in White Hall, Ohio, which is in my district. The current Chalmers P. Wylie VA Outpatient Clinic in White Hall, or actually it is in Columbus; the new one will be in White Hall, has a high-quality professional medical staff, but the facility is woefully inadequate for the needs of the area's veterans. Originally, this clinic was to handle 135,000 annual visits; but last year, it saw more than 192,000, fully 42 percent more than intended in the original design, and we do not own the ground, and the lease is up in 10 years. Over the years, far too many veterans have had to travel up to 3 hours to receive treatment at larger VA medical centers in either Cleveland, Cincinnati, or elsewhere because of the limited medical services offered by the current clinic. The cost to transfer these veterans has reached several million dollars per year. This bill includes the authority to build a new 260,000 square foot facility on the Defense Supply Center on the White Hall, Ohio, campus, which will house a wide variety of new and expanded services that are not currently offered at the Chalmers P. Wylie facility. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, it is vitally important that we move forward with this legislation and subsequently on the new facility in White Hall. I am grateful to the members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and this subcommittee, once again, for their expeditious movement of this bill. I urge everyone to support this bill.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Mr. Ron Burton, who passed away on September 13, 2003 in Massachusetts after a long battle with bone marrow cancer. As a long-time resident of Springfield, I can honestly say almost everyone in the city knew of Ron Burton, since he was one of the greatest athletes the city has ever produced. Ron Burton's legacy extends beyond the 4,249 all-purpose yards and 19 touchdowns he amassed in 69 games with the New England Patriots. Burton was a two-time All-American at Northwestern University, but, as was noted recently in the Boston Globe, he was a Hall of Famer off the field by virtue of his postcareer philanthropic endeavors. After their September 14th victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Patriots dedicated the game ball to Mr. Burton's memory. The Patriots also recently established the Ron Burton Community Service Award, which annually recognizes the player who makes the greatest impact in the New England community. Mr. Burton was a Shriner, a Mason, and an Eagle Scout. He was a high- school All-American, a collegiate All-American and a member of the Northwestern University Hall of Fame. After his professional football career ended, Ron became an executive with the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company and a motivational speaker. In 1985, Mr. Burton purchased over 300 acres of land in Hubbardston, Massachusetts and founded the Ron Burton Training Village, a sports camp for inner-city, underprivileged children. The camp not only trains youngsters physically and academically but also teaches them the value of love, peace, patience and humility. More than 2,000 youngsters have attended the camp, and have become better citizens as a result, many of whom have gone on to attend prestigious colleges such as Yale, Harvard and the Air Force and Naval academies. Mr. Burton said he wanted to open his training village ``as a place where everyone loves one another.'' Former Springfield mayor Bob Burton, who was Ron's brother, recently said, ``Ron never forgot the town from which he came. He had a strong love for Springfield, unlike others who have gone away and had success. He never forgot his hometown and the church to which he belonged.'' Ron is survived by his wife, Jo Ann. They have five children, all of whom graduated from Northwestern University. As the Congressman who represents Springfield in the U.S. House of Representatives, I offer my sincere condolences to the family of Ron Burton and pay tribute to his lifetime of achievements and his lasting legacy as an outstanding role model and citizen.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to the upcoming September 19th dedication ceremony at Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio of a new and exciting facility that will greatly enhance the educational opportunities at this great institution of higher learning in Ohio's 7th Congressional District. I've lived in Springfield for most of my adult life and have seen Wittenberg University grow into one of the best liberal arts universities in Ohio. I have greatly enjoyed representing and working with the university. The Barbara Deer Kuss Center will house the university's departments of biology, chemistry, physics, geology, mathematics and computer science. The building will also house programs in biochemistry, molecular biology, marine biology, health professions and environmental studies. This $23 million endeavor is Wittenberg's most ambitious capital improvement to date, and marks the most significant improvement to the university's science facilities since the original construction of Science Hall in 1965. I was proud to have been able to help secure some of the funding to ensure that Wittenberg students and faculty have a safe environment to perform their research. The design of this new facility reflects the changing view of scientific and academic research in that it includes many glass walls to make ongoing research projects more visible to people as they move through the building. Like the new Hollenbeck Hall on campus, the Kuss Center is designed to optimize interaction between students, faculty and the science disciplines. One of the primary ways this is done is by the striking atrium, which connects the old and new parts of the building, allows natural light in and also lets visitors see what is happening on other floors. The facility is also a worthy tribute to my long-time friends Barbara and Richard Kuss, who were instrumental in moving this project forward. Richard Kuss has played a leadership role in each of Wittenberg's fund-raising efforts since 1952. He has served on the university board of directors and as president of its alumni association. He has received numerous awards and honors, including an honorary degree and the Medal of Honor from Wittenberg. Barbara Deer Kuss served the Springfield community in many ways throughout her adult life. For 30 years she served as a volunteer at Community Hospital and was a past-president of its Women's Auxiliary. She also was a major donor to Community Hospital and a 12-year member of the board of directors. Barbara also served on the boards of the Springfield Foundation, the Center for Sensory Motor Development, the Friends of Mercy St. John's Center, Clark Memorial Home Association and the Springfield YWCA and had honorary alumna status at Wittenberg University. This new facility will be a lasting tribute to the many ways that Barbara helped to make Springfield a better community. As the Member of Congress who represents Springfield and Wittenberg University in the U.S. House of Representatives, I again offer my congratulations on the completion of this important new educational facility. The Barbara Deer Kuss Science Center will be a new focal point of learning for students at Wittenberg University and the advanced facilities of this new structure will greatly assist their quest for scientific knowledge.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order.

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my reservation. After hearing the explanation, we are willing to accept the amendment.