Dave Hobson

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution to honor the city of Dayton, Ohio, and its many partners, for hosting ``Investing Flight: The Centennial Celebration,'' commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Wilbur and Orville Wright's first flight. It is with great excitement that the U.S. House of Representatives is considering this resolution. It is rare that the United States, or the entire world for that matter, can come together in celebration of one truly historic and life changing event. This event occurred 100 years ago on December 17th, and lasted for an unprecedented 12 seconds. During those 12 seconds, Wilbur Wright sustained the first controlled, powered flight in history. Events are already in full swing for the Centennial of Flight. The new Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is now open to visitors, the flying replica of the Wright Brothers original aircraft is making its first flights, and with the support of Congress, the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park is ready to receive thousands of enthusiastic visitors. The year promises to hold many special events that will bring national attention and provide a fitting tribute to the aviation pioneers of Ohio. North Carolina can claim the location of the first flight by the Wright Brothers, but it is their hometown that saw the laborious construction and endless testing that are required to allow it to take to the sky. Best of all will be the main event. I encourage all of you to mark your calendars for July 3 as we begin the festivities to celebrate this great achievement in human history. The entire event will last from July 3 to July 20, 2003, and will be the largest public centennial event in Ohio celebrating the first flight. Additionally, it will be one of only 4 events nationwide endorsed as a full partner by the United States Centennial of Flight Commission. From the Wright Brothers to today's cutting edge aerospace research at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton has a rich aviation tradition that will be evident to all of this year's activities and commemorative events. One cannot help but ponder what the next 100 years will hold for flight, but I am certain that Ohio will continue to play a major role in our ongoing quest to push the limits of air and space flight. As an Ohioan, I am proud to reside in the same state as the two brothers whose invention changed the world. Mr. Speaker, I join today with my colleagues, aviation enthusiasts, and people across the country in support of this resolution.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, the legislation which I introduced which is now under consideration has been co-sponsored by every member of the Ohio congressional delegation. It would permanently name the Dayton, Ohio, Federal building in honor of our good friend, and colleague until very recently, Tony Hall. For years Tony Hall and I worked in a partnership for the benefit of the citizens of the Miami Valley on numerous projects and initiatives. I am very happy that he can now work directly on hunger issues in the United Nations, but it was still a very sad day for this Congress and the Miami Valley to see him leave. Tony was an All-American when he was in college, Peace Corps volunteer, a noted traveler especially in checking on hunger, a devoted husband and father, and a dedicated public servant. Tony was the area's longest-serving Congressman and a three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee known worldwide for his humanitarian work. In Congress Tony was always guided by faith and family. He spent 21 years on the House Committee on Rules, was chairman of the House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Hunger, and was founder and chairman of the Congressional Hunger Center. We are all better people today because Tony Hall is in Congress, and the world is going to be a lot better off now that Tony Hall is working in the United Nations on all of our behalf and people of the world all over. This legislation is a lasting way to pay tribute to Tony's efforts over the years, and I urge all my colleagues to support this bill as we do honor to this great servant of this Nation.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to be here today. I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula), my colleague from Navarre, for introducing this and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner), my colleague from Dayton, who is a brand-new Member from the State of Ohio. This is the first bill I think he has done on the floor of the House, and it is always quite an experience for any of us. I want to take this time to talk a little bit about the Buckeye State, the bicentennial of our great State. This event was especially significant to us in central Ohio because Chillicothe was one of the primary sites for the celebration since it was the location of the State constitutional convention and the first State capital. In the 200 years since statehood, Ohio has been the birthplace of people who have literally changed the world, from Presidents to the Wright brothers to Neil Armstrong's first steps on the Moon. The eight counties that make up Ohio's seventh district have produced Governors, U.S. Senators, some Congressmen, cabinet officials, military leaders, entertainers, and even saw the beginning of what became the 4- H clubs across the country out of Springfield, Ohio. I know how much effort went into planning the many commemorative events for the 200th anniversary of the founding of our great State and the many different ways communities celebrated cross our heritage was a tribute to the diversity of our State. I think we have set a very high mark for future generations to top when the preparations begin for the 400th anniversary of the creation of Ohio in the year 2203. Ohio is a wonderful area to represent. We have a great delegation, a great bipartisan delegation. We all work together for the benefits of the State. We are all Buckeyes, especially this year with Buckeyes at Ohio State being number one in the country, and we refer to ourselves as Buckeyes; and that is a tone that we have tried to set across the country as we talk to people about our great State and the Buckeye State. Today, I just came back from Cincinnati where we talked about great waterways of the Midwest and the great waterway of Ohio, of the Ohio River, and of our northern coast which we call up in the Cleveland area, Toledo, all the way over to Pennsylvania. We are a great State. We have a great heritage and say happy birthday to the State of Ohio, and go, Bucks.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Ohio Wesleyan University Battling Bishops Women's Soccer Team, who have won their second consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Championship title. Coach Bob Barnes led the Battling Bishops to a win over Messiah College in the NCAA Division III championship game on November 30, 2002 in Geneva, N.Y. on the campus of Hobart and William Smith Colleges. This game concluded a remarkable 24 and 0 season that saw veteran and freshman players make positive contributions and grow as student athletes. The national title makes the Bishops the first team to repeat as NCAA Division III champions since the University of California at San Diego in 1995-97. The win also extended the Battling Bishops' NCAA Division III-record winning streak to 45 straight games. The shutout was Ohio Wesleyan's 20th of the season. Coach Barnes has built a successful team while upholding the school's strong tradition of requiring success in the classroom as well as on the playing fields. His leadership has paid off and the Battling Bishops have back-to-back championships to show for it and memories of this winning season for a lifetime. The National Soccer Coaches Association of America and Adidas have also named Coach Barnes the NCAA Division III Coach of the Year. This is also the second straight NSCAA Coach of the Year honor for Barnes, who is a 1989 Ohio Wesleyan graduate. The 2002 OWU Women's Soccer Team is as follows: Freshmen--Louise Cooley, Alicia Grambeau, Hillary Hughes, Kelsey McDonough, Sara Vogel, Sarah Wall, Melanie Yoder. Sophomores--Stefanie Fluke, Toni Frissora, Deborah Lochner, Kahrman McKenzie, Jill Taylor, Carrie Williams, Jennifer Wise, Kelsey Wright. Juniors--Casey Dobbins, Erika Howland, Krista Pouliot, Liz Sheehan, Tiffany Soggs, Akeya Terrell, Amy Work. Seniors--Emily Bayer, Lindsey Bland, Bre Cady, Mindy Hammond, Jamie Jenkins. As a proud graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, I offer my sincere congratulations to the Battling Bishops and hope that I will have the opportunity to give similar remarks next year at the conclusion of the 2003 season.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support the conference report on H.J. Res. 2, which includes the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act for the fiscal year 2003. We were able to work out the differences between the House and Senate bills in such a way that the critical priorities of the House and Senate were protected. The product of our deliberations is a package that will help strengthen our defense, rebuild our critical infrastructure, and increase our scientific knowledge. The total amount included in the conference agreement for energy and water programs is $26 billion. This is $858 million over fiscal year 2002 and about $287 million over the budget request. I am pleased with the level of funding we have recommended for the Civil Works program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. At $4.6 billion, the recommended funding is $456 million higher than the Administration's inadequate budget request. While that may sound like a large increase, the amount we have recommended is actually $27 million less than the Corps spent in fiscal year 2002. If we had funded the Corps' program at the level requested by the Administration, the result would have been schedule delays, increased project costs, and the loss of project benefits. In addition to providing more funds for ongoing projects, the conference agreement includes funding for a number of new construction starts. For the Bureau of Reclamation, we have provided $953 million, which is $72 million above the budget request. This includes $23 million for the Bay-Delta Ecosystem Restoration Program in California. For the non-defense programs of the Department of Energy, we were able to provide modest increases over last year for several programs. The basic research performed by the Department of Energy has led to many of the technological breakthroughs that have helped our economy grow. These programs will be even more important as we move into the 21st Century. For the atomic energy defense programs of the Department of Energy, the conference agreement includes $15.7 billion, a slight increase of $33 million over the budget request. These funds will ensure that we have a reliable and safe nuclear weapons stockpile, continue to fund important nuclear nonproliferation programs to secure nuclear materials in Russia, and meet our commitments to communities throughout the United States to clean up the damage done to the environment over the past forty years. I want to thank my Senate counterpart, Chairman Pete Domenici, and his Ranking Minority Member, Senator Harry Reid, for their cooperation and hard work. I am especially grateful to my good friend and the Ranking Minority Member of the House subcommittee, the Honorable Pete Visclosky, for his tremendous efforts on behalf of this conference report. I also want to thank our full committee chairman, Mr. Young, and the full committee ranking member, Mr. Obey. Finally, I would like to express my appreciation to the Subcommittee staff for Energy and Water Development--Bob Schmidt, Jeanne Wilson, Kevin Cook, Dennis Kern, Tracey LaTurner, Dave Kilian, Rich Kaelin, and Chris Altendorf. Their expertise, knowledge, and negotiating skills have been invaluable throughout this process. 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.

Mr. HOBSON. If the gentleman will yield, yes, I agree.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to recognize and say farewell to an outstanding Air Force officer, Major General Robert A. McIntosh, upon his retirement from the Air Force after more than 36 years of commissioned service. Throughout his career, General McIntosh has served with distinction, and it is my privilege to recognize his many accomplishments and to commend him for the superb service he has provided the Air Force and our Nation. General McIntosh is a native of my home State. He was born in Bellefontaine, Ohio, which until recently was in my Congressional District. He entered the United States Air Force through the ROTC program at Ohio University in 1966. After successfully completing undergraduate pilot training at Webb Air Force Base in Texas, F-4D fighter training at Homestead Air Force Base in Florida, and A-37 training at England Air Force Base in Louisiana, he joined the 604th Special Operations Squadron at Bien Hoa Air Base in South Vietnam. He served his nation as an aviator in Southeast Asia flying over 300 combat missions over North Vietnam. Lieutenant McIntosh pinned on Captain at his next assignment, as an A-37 Combat Crew Training Instructor Pilot back at England Air Force Base from April 1969 to August 1971. He separated from active duty and began another distinguished military chapter as an Air Reserve Technician and active participant in the Air Force Reserve. Captain McIntosh's first Air Force Reserve assignment was as an A-37 instructor pilot at the 910th Tactical Fighter Group at Youngstown Municipal Airport in Ohio. Next he held two critical positions at Grissom Air Force Base in Indiana, first as Chief of the 434th Tactical Fighter Wing standardization and evaluation office and then as Operations Officer of the 46th Tactical Fighter Squadron. Major McIntosh then took on his most challenging assignment to date as the Director of Operations for the 926th Tactical Fighter Group at the Naval Air Station in New Orleans, Louisiana. Lt. Col. McIntosh's dream of being a Commander was realized first at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base in Missouri, in January 1982 when he took command of the 442nd Tactical Fighter Group. His assignments increased in scope and responsibility, culminating in his selection as Commander of Air Force Reserve Command and Chief of the Air Force Reserve in 1994. General McIntosh most recently served as Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Reserve Affairs, where he continued his personal tradition of excellence, service, and integrity as he watched over the men and women of the Reserve Components during an historic period of the highest operations and personnel tempo ever seen. Deployment after deployment, he helped to break ground in Total Force operations as he advised our nation's top Commanding Generals as they prosecute the War on Terrorism. General McIntosh's accomplishments are many. Units under his command received the Outstanding Unit Award two of seven years he was in command. He is a command pilot with more than 4000 hours flying the A- 10, A-37, C-130, and F-4. During his incredible career, General McIntosh has served the United States Air Force and our great Nation with excellence and distinction. He provided exemplary leadership to the best-trained, best-equipped, and best-prepared citizen-airmen force in the history of our Nation. General McIntosh is a model of leadership and a living example of our military's dedication to our safety and security entrusted to them by each of us. General McIntosh will retire from the United States Air Force on 3 February 2003 after 36 years and seven months of dedicated commissioned service. On behalf of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I wish General McIntosh blue skies and safe landings. Congratulations on completion of an outstanding and successful career.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I represent a large part of Franklin County. I would like to thank the gentleman from Columbus for his leadership on this bill. As a former band member, I guess he learned how to march pretty well; and he has done a good job here in Congress. It was a great game, and both teams need to be congratulated for playing an outstanding game, one of the best traditions in competition. There were no penalties, as I recall, for any unnecessary roughness or unsportsmanlike activities in that game. It was true champions going at each other. In the final analysis, the champion was Ohio State University. Ohio State University is a champion in many ways, not just in football but in a lot of other endeavors as a university. It is an outstanding university in this country, and it has been my pleasure to work with them on a number of things. I think there was a time when many people said to themselves, golly, I wonder if this new coach can coach at this level in the Big Ten. Well, I think that has all been put to rest. He is a national coach today. He has a national reputation. And he has shown what a true gentleman can do in recruiting and in coaching this young team to the success that they had this year. He has built a successful football team without sacrificing strong beliefs in the importance of academics for his players. His leadership has paid off with the Buckeyes' having a championship to show for it and memories of a game that people and sports writers are already calling one of the greatest college football games in history. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I would like to quote something that Coach Tressel said. He said, I believe an accurate quote, ``We have always known we had the best damn band in the land. Now we know we have the best damned team in the land.'' With that, Go Bucks!

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ohio State Senate President Richard H. Finan, who is retiring after 30 years of distinguished service to the people of the State of Ohio. Whether it was managing the state's $45 billion two-year budget or restoring the Statehouse to its original grandeur, Dick Finan has always seen the big picture and been guided by his unwavering principles and love of his home state and its people. Dick Finan was a key figure in passing landmark ethics reforms and was a tremendous help to me on health care reforms I was sponsoring in the Committee on Health, Human Services and the Aging. Dick also will be long remembered for his tireless work in the restoration of the Ohio Statehouse and its annex, and in creating a unified organization to preserve and maintain all the facilities on Capitol Square. The Statehouse restoration had been discussed for years, but for one reason or another, the plans were always shelved. When Dick was put in charge of the project, he did what needed to be done to save the building for future generations while being a good steward of taxpayer money. Dick made sure that the project was done in the interest of historical accuracy, and not to create a palace for the comfort of state legislators. In Columbus, Dick Finan has been guided by faith and family and never chosen the trappings of office over the importance of being at home with his family. Dick is a true gentleman and leader, and I am proud to call him my friend. As Ohio's Seventh District Representative to the Congress of the United States, I take this opportunity to join with members of the Ohio delegation to honor the efforts and the many outstanding achievements of State Senator Richard H. Finan. His many contributions as a member of the Ohio State Legislature and leadership will be remembered.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 20th anniversary of a momentous event in the history of Central Ohio and specifically, in the town of Marysville, Ohio, which is in my Congressional district. In October of 1982, Honda auto company opened its first automobile assembly plant in the United States in the town of Marysville in Union County. Soon after, the first Honda Accord rolled off the assembly line and began a new chapter in the manufacturing history of Ohio. The construction of the extensive assembly facilities in Marysville followed the company's long-standing policy of producing products in the markets where they are sold. For 20 years now, Honda has demonstrated its commitment to Marysville, to Ohio and to the country. In 1988, Honda produced its first car for export to Japan. By 1994, Honda produced 100,000 cars for export. In 1995, Honda was the recipient of the Ohio Governor's Exporter of the Year Award. In two years, Honda will produce more vehicles in North America than in Japan. In 1982, Honda's 400 Marysville associates assembled 968 Accords. By the next year, 55,337 Accords came off the plant's assembly line. In 2001, an astounding 456,348 Accords and Acura TL's were shipped from Marysville. Given the $2.3 billion investment in the Marysville facility, it is no surprise that Marysville is now the company's largest automobile plant in the United States. This year, Honda launched the seventh-generation Accord, which has become one of the best-selling cars in America. This coincided with the introduction of a new and more efficient manufacturing system at the Marysville plant to improve efficiency and worker safety. Put simply, the Honda assembly plant in Marysville has become a cornerstone of Ohio's manufacturing base. In addition to providing employment for thousands of Ohioans, the Marysville plant has consistently been on the cutting edge of automobile innovation and Honda has been an outstanding corporate citizen. As Ohio's Seventh District Representative to the Congress of the United States, I take this opportunity to publicly recognize the associates at the Marysville Honda assembly plant for reaching this important milestone, and honor the company's 20 years of commercial investment in Marysville.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I also would like to thank, in addition to the other people, Luis James, our detailee.

Mr. HOBSON. Pursuant to the rule just adopted, I call up the conference reported to accompany the bill, (H.R. 5011) making appropriations for military construction, family housing, and base realignment and closure for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2003, and for other purposes.

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill. I urge its adoption. Mr. Speaker, I include the following for the Record: [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH10OC02.008 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH10OC02.009 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH10OC02.010

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

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. 5011, and that I may include tabular and extraneous material.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, the legislation I introduced has been cosponsored by every member of the Ohio congressional delegation. It would permanently name the Dayton, Ohio, Federal building in honor of our good friend and just recently our former colleague, Tony Hall. Tony Hall is a gentleman. He has made Ohio and this country better by his service here, and he has moved on to make the world a better place as the United Nations Ambassador for Hunger. I would urge every Member of Congress to support this piece of legislation. For years, Tony Hall and I worked together for the benefit of the citizens of the Miami Valley on numerous projects and initiatives. I am very happy that he can now work directly on hunger issues at the United Nations, but it was still very sad to see him leave the House. Tony has been a football star, a Peace Corps volunteer, a noted world traveler, a devoted husband and father, and a dedicated public servant. Tony has become the area's longest-serving Congressman and a three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee known worldwide for his humanitarian work. In Congress, Tony always was guided by faith and family. He spent 21 years on the House Rules Committee, was chairman of the House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Hunger and was founder and chairman of the Congressional Hunger Center. We are all better people because Tony Hall was in Congress, and now the world will be a little better off now that Tony will be working with the United Nations. This legislation is a lasting way to pay tribute to Tony's efforts over the years, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of Tim Holman, who is the chief of the German Township Volunteer Fire Department and EMS. Chief Holman was recently named ``Volunteer Fire Chief of the Year'' at the 2002 International Association of Fire Chiefs Conference in Kansas City. Tim has volunteered for the German Township Fire Department for 27 years, and he has served as chief since 1991. By incorporating his private sector business experience into the management of the fire department, Chief Holman successfully consolidated two township fire departments, while also implementing an officer development program, a quality improvement process, and a team building process. Chief Holman has been essential in the streamlining of his fire department, allowing the brave volunteers of the German Township Fire Department to better serve their community. I applaud Chief Holman, and the men and women of the volunteer fire departments throughout my district, for the dedication, sacrifice and commitment that exemplifies volunteer fire departments.

Mr. HOBSON

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

Mr. HOBSON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, we are willing to accept the gentleman's motion.

Mr. HOBSON. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 5011) making appropriations for military construction, family housing, and base realignment and closure for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2003, and for other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of Clark R. Law, who for the past 14 years, has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Ohio Philanthropic Homes for the Aging, a nonprofit organization that represents more than 350 nonprofit long-term care facilities located in more than 150 Ohio towns and cities. Clark has been an aggressive leader in working in Columbus and in Washington on behalf of AOPHA-member facilities that serve more than 50,000 elderly Ohioans daily and employ more than 20,000 people statewide. Before coming, to Congress, I served as the Chairman of the Committee on Health, Human Services and the Aging. I knew I could always rely on Clark Law and AOPHA to provide sound advice and to bring any problems affecting seniors to my committee's attention. Clark's efforts were instrumental in helping win approval of the Seniors Healing at Home Act. This bill is now a federal law, and provides seniors the option of where they choose to recuperate following a hospital stay. After making sure that we in Congress knew that this problem was impacting seniors, AOPHA took up the charge by making its members available to testify, and helped spread the word that seniors were being negatively affected by Washington's Medicare bureaucracy. In all the years I have known him, Clark has never been shy about standing up for those seniors who rely on AOPHA to be their voice in matters of public policy. His willingness to get involved and to fight hard on behalf of Ohio's seniors and assisted living care professionals has improved the quality of life for thousands or Ohioans. As Ohio's Seventh District Representative to the Congress of the United States, I take this opportunity to publicly recognize Clark R. Law and his achievements on behalf of Ohio's senior citizens. His contributions to the quality care of the elderly in our state are too numerous to list and I thank him for his years of dedicated service.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I came here about 12 years ago, and I know the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall) a little differently because you all know him from here. I know him from back home. We share a region called the Miami Valley. I must tell Members from the day I was elected until this day, I believe that the gentleman and I have worked toward for the betterment of that area. We have not competed against each other, we have competed together for that region. The gentleman has another goal that we have heard about with hunger, world hunger, local hunger. He has always worked within the district for the good of the people, the district, the State of Ohio, and the world as a whole. We are all better people because Tony Hall has served here. The world is going to be better because of the service he goes on to now. I think there has been no one in this House that we can say any better is a true gentleman than the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Hall) and I wish him well in his new endeavor, and I thank him for working with me together over the years in our districts. Certainly he and Janet are on to a wonderful new experience. Mr. Speaker, just a last comment. He is in great shape; I am not. To show you how far our friendship goes, he did 100 push-ups the other night on behalf of AT, and I did not do 100, but I counted for him.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my fellow Ohioan and good friend, Tony Hall. For years, Tony and I have worked together for the benefit of the citizens of the Miami Valley on numerous projects and initiatives. I am very happy that he has this new opportunity to work directly on hunger issues as the United Nations, but it is still very sad to see him leave the House of Representatives. Tony is now at the end of a nearly 24-year career representing the people of Montgomery County on Capitol Hill and is taking his crusade against hunger to a global stage. The youngest son of one of Dayton's most beloved mayors, Tony has been a football star, a Peace Corps volunteer, a noted world traveler, a devoted husband and father, and a dedicated public servant. Tony has become the area's longest-serving Congressman and a three-time Nobel nominee known worldwide of his work against hunger. In Congress, Hall has been guided by faith and family and never chosen Capitol Hill events over the importance of being home with his wife and children. He has spent 21 years on the House Rules Committee, and I have been pleased to work with Tony on numerous local projects for the Miami Valley: from supporting the National Composites Center, to saving the Air Force Institute of Technology. Ten years ago, Tony and I worked to establish the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park and we just recently embarked upon a new effort to create the National Aviation Heritage area to preserve Ohio's aviation heritage for the future. When I first came to Congress, Tony was one of the first Members of Congress to reach out to me, and show me the ropes. He didn't have to do that, and I have always appreciated his willingness to make me feel comfortable in this new environment. Nobody goes around Capitol Hill grumbling about Tony Hall. He is the genuine article, he works hard for the constituents and he is a man of principle, and of his word. Tony has managed to be a positive force, despite the difficult challenges he has faced in his personal life. We are all better people because Tony Hall has been here. As Ohio's Seventh District Representative to the Congress of the United States, I take this opportunity to join with members of the Ohio delegation to honor the efforts and the many outstanding achievements of Rep. Tony Hall. His many contributions as a member of the House of Representatives and leadership will be remembered.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask for the House to approve the bill to deem the Lancaster, Ohio, post office for former congressman Clarence J. Miller, to recognize his years of public service to the citizens of Lancaster, Ohio. Clarence Miller served the people of Lancaster and central Ohio for over five decades and for thousands of Ohioans he exemplified the proper role of a public servant. Clarence was a true community leader who was committed to improving the lives of those he represented, whether it was in the Lancaster City Hall or the United States Congress. His vision and civic spirit have made lasting contributions to our area, and he truly deserves this honor. Mr. Miller was born in Lancaster on November 1, 1917. After attending Lancaster public schools and receiving technical training in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Mr. Miller was employed as a utility company engineer. He served as a member of the Lancaster City Council from 1957 to 1963 and as mayor of Lancaster from 1964 to 1966. In 1967, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives where he served until his retirement in 1993. In Congress, Mr. Miller first served on the Committee on Agriculture and Committee on Public Works and Transportation. In 1973, he became a member of the House Committee on Appropriations and served on the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations; Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State; Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service and General Government; and Subcommittee on Defense. Clarence also holds U.S. and Canadian patents for technical innovations he developed in his professional ability as an electrical engineer. There are many in Congress and in Washington today with fond memories of Clarence Miller. This legislation would provide a lasting tribute to this fine individual that would be most visible to those he served for so many years in Lancaster, Ohio. I might say that Mr. Miller today lives in Lancaster, Ohio. He visits the office often and still takes part in trying to help make our community better. So it is with deep appreciation that I thank the House for passing this piece of legislation today.

Mr. HOBSON

Mr. HOBSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the recent calls by some of our colleagues for Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Harvey Pitt to resign in the wake of the public disclosure of inaccurate corporate accounting measures and other problems on Wall Street. Mr. Pitt should resign, they say, because in his term of office he has done nothing to crack down on corporate abuse of the law and because he is too ``cozy with the business community'' These calls for Mr. Pitt's resignation are the epitome of hypocrisy. These schemes were hatched in the mid to late 1990s and the Bush administration inherited our current situation. Where was the SEC then? And why haven't these individuals who have been recently critical of the SEC only spoken up in the last week if they believed no one was ``minding the store?'' The President correctly said recently that some corporate executives lack an ``ethical compass.'' But the current cycle of freewheeling financial dealings did not begin with the Bush Administration but during the heady, consequence-free years of the Clinton Administration. The calls for Mr. Pitt to step down are political posturing of the worst kind. President Bush said he believes that Mr. Pitt should get a chance to do the job for which the Senate confirmed him. The President has decided to give Mr. Pitt that chance, and so should my colleagues in Congress.