Melissa Hart

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the superintendent of Farrell Schools, Robert R. Rubano, Jr., and the school board members who have served for over 9 years. Mr. Rubano not only serves as the superintendent of the schools in Farrell, but also teaches a leadership class to juniors and seniors in the school district 1 day a week. The subjects taught in the class vary from speech preparation to key decision making to job and college outlook. This leadership class has become very popular among students in the Farrell School District. Mr. Rubano has been the superintendent of the Farrell School District since 1997. Before committing to be the superintendent, Mr. Rubano spent many years as a teacher, then principal. Mr. Rubano served as a team facilitator for a group of 10 who designed new math curriculum for grades K-6. He also assisted in writing the district's Act 178 Professional Development Plan. Mr. Rubano has dedicated his career to bettering the education of young minds. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing all of the hard work and time Robert R. Rubano, Jr. has put in to making the school district better. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such a dedicated individual like Robert R. Rubano, Jr.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO). The National Association of Women Business Owners was established in Washington, DC in 1975. NAWBO is the only dues-based national organization that represents all women business owners in all industries. It's the voice of the American business woman. 10.1 million women-owned businesses are represented nationwide. Today there are over 80 chapters throughout the United States. The Pittsburgh Chapter of NAWBO was established in 1977 and since then has had the privilege of having two its members serve as national presidents. In 2000, Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of NAWBO was named the fastest growing Chapter in United States. This year the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of NAWBO has many Make the Connection Award Honorees. The honorees are: Pamela Abdalla of The Salvation Army Family Crisis Center; Bonnie Anton of the American Heart Association; Dr. Joseph Bairn of The Bradley Center; Aggie Brose of the Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group; Mary Jean Byrnes of Carlow University, Community Education; Beth Caldwell of the Incredible Mom Award; Bonnie DiCarlo of Celebrate and Share; JoAnn Forrester of Celebrate and Share; Shamina Frank of the Antioch Baptist Church; Suzanne Froehlich of the Power Lunch; Bonnie Hassan of A Place for Reiki; Dorothy M. Horvath of ACHIEVA; Tracy Lee Janov of the McKeesport Weed and Seed Program; Marleen Kasbee of the North Hills Community Outreach; Lillian T. King of the St. Cyril of Alexandria Church; Carol MacPhail of the United Way of Allegheny County; Maryann Magra of the Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center; Steve Miklas of Calliope, the Pittsburgh Folk Music Society; Susan Miller of WBN North Points North Chapter; Grace Moffett of POWER; Shaela Montague-Phillips of the Meeting of the Minds Publications; Anne Mullaney of Neighbors in the Strip; Martha Murdock of Care Break at Watson Institute; Susanne Parks of ACHIEVA-POWER; Rae Reynolds of UMOJA African Arts Company; Linda Rinchiuso of The Lighthouse; Phyllis Rinsma of Exceptional Friends; Beth Rom of ABOARD--Advisory Board on Autism: Related Services; Barbara Sallo of PowerLink; Sydney Schwartz-Hardiman of WBN North Points North Chapter; Steve Smith of Elliot West End Athletic Association; Mary Sutphen of POWER; Sandra Talley of Morningside Church of God in Christ; Lisa Vandemia of Care Break at Watson Institute; and Andrea M. Williams of the Children's Sickle Cell Foundation. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating the honorees of the Make a Connection Award. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such hardworking individuals like those in the National Association of Women Business Owners.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Andrea Freed for her outstanding accomplishments in the Missionette Program in New Castle, PA. The Missionette Program is sponsored by First Assembly of God in New Castle, PA. It is a national program that is equivalent to the Girl Scout program, except the Missionette Program emphasizes Biblical themes. Andrea has achieved the highest award in the program which includes 27 units with each unit consisting of 4 lessons, a memory verse, activities, and a project. They are required to read the entire New Testament and nine honor steps are to be completed which include intense memorization, and this all concludes with testing. This is not an easy achievement. Andrea, a 5th grade student, will be honored May 7, 2006, at First Assembly of God for her outstanding accomplishment. I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Andrea Freed for her outstanding accomplishments in the Missionette Program. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute outstanding citizens such as Kayla.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Desirae Montgomery for her outstanding accomplishments in the Missionette Program in New Castle, PA. The Missionette Program is sponsored by First Assembly of God in New Castle, PA. It is a national program that is equivalent to the Girl Scouts program, except the Missionette Program emphasizes Biblical themes. Desirae has achieved the highest award in the program which includes 27 units with each unit consisting of four lessons, a memory verse, activities, and a project. They are required to read the entire New Testament and nine honor steps are to be completed which include intense memorization, and this all concludes with testing. This is not an easy achievement. Desirae, a fifth grade student, will be honored May 7, 2006 at First Assembly of God for her outstanding accomplishment. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Desirae Montgomery for her outstanding accomplishments in the Missionette Program. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute an outstanding citizen such as Desirae.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Kayla Barber for her outstanding accomplishments in the Missionette Program in New Castle, Pennsylvania. The Missionette Program is sponsored by First Assembly of God in New Castle, Pennsylvania. It is a national program that is equivalent to the Girl Scout program, except the Missionette Program emphasizes Biblical themes. Kayla has achieved the highest award in the program which includes twenty seven units with each unit consisting of four lessons, a memory verse, activities, and a project. They are required to read the entire New Testament and nine honor steps are to be completed which include intense memorization, and this all concludes with testing. This is not an easy achievement. Kayla, a 5th grade student, will be honored May 7, 2006 at First Assembly of God for her outstanding accomplishment. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Kayla Barber for her outstanding accomplishments in the Missionette Program. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such outstanding citizen such as Kayla.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Ms. HART. Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of the amendment and ask that my colleagues support it as well, because this amendment would encourage institutions of higher education to establish and operate pregnant and parenting student services offices for pregnant students, parenting students, prospective parenting students who are anticipating a birth or adoption, and also students who are placing or who have placed their children up for adoption. The student servicing center will help students with locating and utilizing child care, family housing, flexible academic scheduling such as telecommuting programs, parenting classes, and programs in postpartum counseling and support groups. This language will be added as an additional authority under the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education, the FIPSE, which was established to improve post-secondary education activities. Madam Chair, 27 percent of all undergraduates are parents; 34 percent of all graduate students are parents; one-half of undergraduate students are single parents; and about a third of graduate students are single parents. This means that approximately 4.5 million undergraduate and graduate students are parents. Forty-five percent of the women who have abortions are college-age women. Many, unfortunately, have them because they fear that they cannot complete their study. They fear they cannot support the child, and there are no resources to help them continue their education while having their child. They also lack the financial resources to afford child care. The amendment is an important step in providing much-needed services for these students so they will bear their children and also finish their education. Right now there is a lack of campus necessary resources for pregnant and parenting students. This amendment will be an important first step in providing these students with these much-needed services, including family housing; affordable on-campus child care; babysitters; co-ops; telecommuting options; on-campus parking; maternity coverage in the student health plans; desks accessible to pregnant women; diaper decks in men's and women's restrooms; clean, comfortable places for women to breast feed in private if they choose to do so; and also financial aid, especially for women living independently from their parents. This amendment is especially important because families are profoundly impacted by the education attainment level of the parents. No other single indicator has the same ability to predict social, economic and educational outcomes for the children and the families as the parental education. Education improves the quality of life for these families, providing increased financial security and socioeconomic mobility, as well as directly impacting the K-12 performance and post-secondary education attainment rates of their children. If we want to move Americans forward, this is something we need to support. Higher education increases the workplace competitiveness of these parents in the increasingly complex job market that they face today and ensures a better educated and diverse workforce. It also shows that we value our families and we also value meaningful workplace and school place policies. We believe that by empowering parents to go to college, we can directly impact the children and effect social change in families and the larger community in a positive way. Student parents face enormous challenges in balancing the demands of school with family responsibilities. As a result, these parents suffer high dropout rates, particularly during the first year. In fact, the U.S. Department of Education studies indicate that when student parents are able to persevere through the first critical year of school, their chances of completion are similar to other student groups. These parents need specialized resources to help them succeed. The programs that I have outlined are included in this amendment. For these reasons, I ask my colleagues to support this amendment. Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. HART. Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. I rise in opposition to the motion to instruct. The motion would cause serious disruption to the economic growth that this country has experienced over the past several years. It would strip from law a key factor which resulted in that economic growth. Specifically, the gentleman wishes to increase the taxes that have been reduced for capital gains and dividends. This rate reduction has been widely recognized as a key to that economic growth that we have seen over the past several years. Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has repeatedly acknowledged the importance of these reduced tax rates in economic growth and opportunity. Let us look at the real impact these lower rates for dividends and capital gains have had on our economy. In the last 10 quarters prior to the passage of these rates in 2003, the annual increases in GDP averaged just over 1.2 percent and never exceeded 2.9 percent. In the 10 quarters following that rate reduction, our GDP has averaged an increase of over 4 percent. Finally, business investment had decreased for the nine consecutive quarters prior to this rate deduction and have increased in each quarter since that deduction. That business environment means new jobs. That is why since 2003 over 4 million jobs have been created and the unemployment rate in the United States, yes, has dropped, from 6.1 percent to 4.8 percent. In addition to the positive economic results I have cited, the changes in capital gains rates have begun to have a positive impact on the Treasury as well. Contrary to the gentleman's assertions in January, the Congressional Budget Office released a report stating that capital gains realization had boosted Federal revenues and will continue to do so for the next several years. Capital gains grew by about 50 percent in 2004, and that is more than twice the 23 percent growth the CBO anticipated for the last round of budget forecasts. Acting CBO Director David Marron said capital gains realization has been running higher recently than we originally anticipated. In fact, CBO estimated that the capital gains receipts totalled $75 billion in 2005. In fact, the CBO estimated that capital gains receipts total $75 billion in 2005, the most since 2001. And the biggest annual percentage gain since 1997. Why would we want to end a policy that is working? There are a number of additional important tax provisions like the R&D tax credit included in this bill that need to be extended and it is time for us to complete our work.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of Mayor Bill Shovlin, a man who committed his life to serving others and his country. For more than 46 years, Mayor Shovlin was a distinguished public servant who was dedicated to education, community service, and the betterment of our Commonwealth. When his country called on him, he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Bill's long career in local politics included serving in the Beaver County tax assessor's office, as auditor in Midland Borough, as a Midland council member of 28 years, and then mayor for 16 years. He also served as treasurer of the Pennsylvania State Mayor's Association. He was an equally dedicated husband, father, and grandfather, who passed along his spirit of public service to his family and community. I extend my sincerest condolences to the Shovlin family. The Midland Borough and the Beaver Valley have lost a great man. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in honoring Mayor Shovlin. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such dedicated citizens like Mayor Bill Shovlin.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Millvale Volunteer Fire Department on its 100th year of service in the community. This spring, the Millvale Volunteer Fire Department will celebrate its 100th anniversary. The Millvale Volunteer Fire Department was one of many victims in September, 2004, as the remnants of Hurricane Ivan flooded part of my district. Since then the fire department has worked hard to get back on its feet. Currently, the fire department has approximately 30 active members, and responds to about 250 calls per year. The fire department will celebrate its 100 years on Saturday, May 13, 2006, at 6:30 p.m. at the Mount Troy Ballroom in Reserve Township. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in honoring the Millvale Volunteer Fire Department. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such an important organization like the Millvale Volunteer Fire Department.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the 2006 recipient of the National American Heritage Award, Howard W. ``Hoddy'' Hanna III, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The National American Heritage Award is given by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The ADL is the nation's preeminent human rights organization. The organization was founded in 1913 and is dedicated in purpose and in program to defending democratic ideals, safeguarding civil rights and combating anti-Semitism, prejudice, discrimination and bigotry of all kinds. The National American Heritage Award is presented to an individual or company whose leadership and character is demonstrated both in work and in deed. It recognizes individuals who embody what is best in America--justice, freedom equality and fellowship. Mr. Hanna will be presented with the National American Heritage Award on Thursday, March 16, 2006 at a dinner in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Howard W. Hanna III, the 2006 recipient of the National American Heritage Award. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such a determined individual like Howard W. Hanna.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the New Castle Builders Chapter of the Order of DeMolay for its 87th anniversary. The New Castle Builders Chapter #39095 Order of DeMolay serves the New Castle and Lawrence County area with additional chapters in Butler, Erie, Greensburg and Pittsburgh. The Order of DeMolay is a character-building and leadership development organization for young men between the ages of 12 and 21. The organization aims to better sons which will in turn mean better men to be better citizens and leaders in the future. The New Castle Builders Chapter of the Order of DeMolay hold its annual meeting on Wednesday February 22, 2006, and celebrate its 87th anniversary. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating the New Castle Builders Chapter of the Order of DeMolay for its 87th anniversary. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute an organization such as the Order of DeMolay.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate The Crisis Shelter of Lawrence County on the 25th anniversary of its founding. In September of 1981 the Lawrence County Crisis Shelter opened its doors to women and children who have suffered domestic abuse. Over the past 25 years the Shelter has grown to provide free services to men, women and children that are victims/survivors of sexual assault and domestic abuse. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Crisis Shelter. To kick off the celebration, the shelter will be holding it's annual auction, which is scheduled to be held at the Scottish Rite Cathedral on Saturday, February 25th at 6 p.m. The funds raised at the auction help support many services offered by the shelter, including the 24-hour hotline, prevention education in schools, intervention training, and the emergency shelter. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in honoring the 25th anniversary of The Crisis Shelter of Lawrence County. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such a principled organization as The Crisis Shelter of Lawrence County.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the recipient of the 2005 Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award, Jeffrey Sebastian. The Milken National Educator Award is the largest teacher recognition program in the U.S., and honors K-12 teachers, principals, and specialists across America with $25,000 individual awards. Milken Educators are recommended by a blue ribbon committee of education and policy leaders appointed by each state's department of education. The final selections are made in the fall by the Milken Family Foundation. Jeffrey Sebastian, a teacher at Quaker Valley High School in Leetsdale, Pennsylvania, was one of the recipients. Having received this award, Jeffrey will participate in the annual Milken National Education Conference this spring in Washington, DC. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in honoring Jeffrey Sebastian for all of his hard work in education. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such a dedicated individual like Jeffrey.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish the membership of the Organization of Chinese Americans a healthy and happy New Year for the year 4704, the year of the Dog. The New Year is a time for reflection and thanksgiving for the joys of life and loved ones and I am thankful for the richness that this organization brings to my region. Chinese Americans have made great contributions of western Pennsylvania and to our nation as a whole and I am very honored for this opportunity to wish them the best year yet in 4704. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in wishing the members of the organization of Chinese Americans a very happy and prosperous New Year.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and welcome home Ryan Patton from Iraq. Sergeant Ryan Patton has returned home after spending a year serving his country patrolling the streets of Baghdad. Sergeant Patton was part of the 458 Engineers Unit of the U.S. Army Reserve, and found out he was going to be deployed to Iraq in November 2003. After months of training Sergeant Patton left for Iraq in March 2004. Sergeant Patton left his wife and two young children to defend his country. Sergeant Patton has returned to his family life, and his old job as the assistant manager at #1 Cochran's Collision Center in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in honoring Sergeant Ryan Patton for all of his work and dedication to defending our country. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such a dedicated soldier like Sergeant Patton.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Alyssa Imler, a teacher at Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Harrison, for her 2006 Disney Teacher of the Year Award nomination. Imler has a unique method of teaching which keeps the students engaged in learning. She was nominated for this award anonymously by one of her students. If Imler is among the 40 Teacher of the Year honorees, she will be flown to Los Angeles for a red-carpet recognition ceremony. The honorees and their principals will participate in a week long educators conference. Honorees will also receive $10,000 while their schools will receive $5,000. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Alyssa Imler and her 2006 Disney Teacher of the Year Award nomination. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such a dedicated individual such as Alyssa Imler.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Sisters of St. Emma for their 75th anniversary this month. Many in western Pennsylvania are familiar with the Sisters of St. Emma's years of service at Saint Vincent College and Arch abbey, where until 1987 they prepared and served thousands of meals to students, the Benedictine Brothers, and even to the Pittsburgh Steelers during their Summer Training Camps at Saint Vincent. From 1987 until the present, the Sisters of St. Emma have continued to be a vibrant part of the area by operating a thriving retreat house just outside of Greensburg, PA. At the retreat house, the Sisters prepare meals, offer hospitality, and a place for hundreds of people annually who come to Saint Emma for Spiritual growth and fulfillment. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating the Sisters of St. Emma for their 75th anniversary. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute a dedicated community such as the Sisters of St. Emma.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to honor the volunteers of the McCandless Rotary Club. The Rotary Club of McCandless was founded in 1988, and will be holding its 10th annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner, Thursday, February 9, 2006. For the past 10 years this dinner has honored individuals who have given their time, talent and finances in support of churches and synagogues, human service agencies, fire and police departments and Ivan flood recovery, This year, however, will be the first year that blood and organ donors will be honored. The club also gives $10,000 to various community agencies in the are and hosts a monthly bingo game for the residents of the Regency Nursing Home. The dinner honors the commitment of McCandless residents, including: Frank and Judy Holby, organ donors; Rev. Jean Henderson, platelet donor; Marlynn Baldo, blood and platelet donor; Patricia DiClemente, organ, platelet and blood donor; John Dauer, whole blood donor; and Edmond Olszewski, bone marrow donor. The club has recently completed a shipment of computers and pharmaceuticals to Benin. Two club members, Denny and Kathy Crawford, have participated in two Polio National Immunization Days in Africa. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in honoring Pennsylvania American Water on receiving the Directors Award. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute a dedicated club such as the Rotary Club of McCandless.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate The Fox Chapel High School Marching Band of Pittsburgh for its success at the Gator Bowl on December 31, 2005. The Fox Chapel High School Marching Band traveled to Jacksonville, Florida to play in the Gator Bowl. While at the game the bands' performance won nine awards. The band won five awards at the field show, including first place in Class A and also won Outstanding awards for general effect, auxiliary, marching and maneuvering and music. In addition to the five awards won on the field, the band also won four awards at the parade, including first place in Class A, as well as three Outstanding awards. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating The Fox Chapel High School Marching Band. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute a distinguished group like The Fox Chapel High School Marching Band.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Terence W. Starz, M.D., who will become the 141st president of the Allegheny County Medical Society on January 28, 2006. Dr. Starz is an internal medicine physician at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian Hospital. He is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, with a subspecialty in Rheumatology. He currently serves as a Delegate to the Pennsylvania Medical Society and is a member on the Allegheny County Medical Society Foundation Board. Over the years Dr. Starz has been influential in the medical field. He was a prominent figure in the creation of the Obesity Task Force, a collaboration of medical personnel, hospitals and business affiliates, to help identify the cause of obesity and help promote healthy living and eating habits, for adults as well as for children. Dr. Starz stands firm with his view of diversity in the medical profession and disparity of treatment in minority patients. On Saturday, January 28, 2006, Dr. Terence W. Starz will officially take the stand as the 141st president of the Allegheny County Medical Society. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in honoring Dr. Terence W. Starz, M.D. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such a distinguished person like Dr. Starz.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I also rise in support of House Resolution 670 as a native Pittsburgher and still a Pittsburgher. I am fortunate to represent six of the counties around Pittsburgh and many Steeler fans. It is with great honor that I stand here today to salute my hometown Super Bowl XL champion Pittsburgh Steelers. In fact, they won their first four Super Bowls when I was much younger, and the chant I have heard most of my life is, ``Let's win one for the thumb.'' Arguably, that is what we did on Sunday. They won their first four Super Bowls, though, with a very different team than the team that they won with this year, but in a lot of ways the teams are related. First, the same owners have continued to be the owners of the Steelers from the very beginning. I salute the Rooney family, Art Rooney, Art Rooney II, for their dedication to this team; the entire Steelers organization, which has been committed to this team like the owners of no other professional football organization. In fact, I think they have been more committed to this team than any other pro sports ownership family. I also rise to congratulate the team, especially Jerome Bettis, also known as the ``Bus,'' for achieving a much deserved championship. Few could write a storybook ending as good as the one provided for Jerome Bettis. Jerome is a consummate professional and a refreshing example of what an athlete should be, even taking pay cuts over the last 2 years just to be a part of his beloved Steelers team to help them win their Super Bowl championship. I also want to thank the city of Detroit, Jerome Bettis' hometown, where he got to win his Super Bowl ring. It was almost like a home game for everyone that watched the game, watching the Terrible Towels in the stands. The Steelers clearly felt very much at home. Like Detroit, Pittsburgh is a football town. Our Steelers have been a source of identity and cohesion for a community that has gone through ups and downs in recent years. In the good times and in bad, though, the Steelers have always been a uniting force for the people of the Pittsburgh region. I congratulate our young quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who played even through a broken thumb toward the end of the season in some very tough games to come out on top. I also congratulate the Most Valuable Player, Hines Ward, who received that award very deservedly. My mom identified him as the Most Valuable Player by the end of the first half. There is a whole list of wonderful coaches, but I especially want to congratulate my constituent Coach Bill Cowher for finally being able to hoist the Vince Lombardi trophy after 14 seasons as head coach of the Steelers, where he maintains the distinction of being the longest- tenured head coach in the league and ranks fourth amongst active coaches in wins and winning percentage. He is a committed coach and family man. And all Bill Cowher wanted to do when they handed him the Lombardi trophy was to share it with Dan Rooney, the Steelers' owner. Finally and most importantly of all, I salute the city of Pittsburgh and the fans of ``Steelers Nation.'' For those who are not aware of it, you are probably aware of it now. Steelers Nation extends from coast to coast and around the world. Unfortunately, because we had tough economic times, a lot of Pittsburghers do not live in Pittsburgh anymore, but they are all still Steeler fans. And after this weekend, there is really no question why. The grittiness, the strength, the cohesion, the humility, all the things that make Pittsburghers so wonderful translate very well into what these folks are around the country: committed, dedicated hometown people. It is an honor to salute this team. They have overcome the longest odds in history to win the Super Bowl. They had their backs up against the wall, but they showed that Pittsburgh grit and that Pittsburgh tenacity, and I am really honored to be a Pittsburgher, especially today.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I also rise in support of this resolution recognizing Catholic schools throughout the country. In particular, I would like to recognize those in the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania, with several of whom I celebrated National Catholic Schools Week. National Catholic Schools Week is an annual celebration, as mentioned by my colleagues; and I am very pleased to have been a part of it in the communities I represent. It is inspiring to see the students focus, students who are very lively, normal students, but who also focus on service and on faith and on commitment. The young people that I encountered last week were just like any other student, but in one way very different. They were able to express for me their moral commitment to service, their commitment to their fellow man in a way that obviously is a further expression of their faith. These are the students who I expect will grow up to be public servants in the future, to be the teachers of the future, to be those who become missionaries in the future, and those who will make our world a better place. I know firsthand the benefits of a Catholic education that emphasizes that intellectual, spiritual, moral, physical and social values in students, having attended Saint Richard's School in North Olmstead, Ohio; St. Mary's in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania; and finally graduating from the sixth grade at Saint Alexis in Wexford, Pennsylvania, which is currently my parish. I have also had the opportunity, as I mentioned earlier, of visiting many schools throughout the six counties I represent in Pennsylvania District Four. One thing I learned when I was a State senator was that these schools not only provide all of these advantages for students but they provide a significant advantage to the taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. For every student who attends a Catholic school, the taxpayers of the commonwealth save a significant amount of money that would have been spent in the public school system. So financially, a benefit; socially, a benefit. I congratulate the Catholic schools, the teachers, and the parents for sending their kids to these schools and making the United States's future much brighter.

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the Catholic schools of Pittsburgh. Catholic schools around the country will celebrate National Catholic School's Week from January 29 until February 4, 2006. National Catholic School's Week is a week to promote Catholic schools. Every year there is a theme for the week, and schools hold special events for the students and their families. This year about 8,200 schools nationally will be participating in and celebrating the theme, ``Catholic Schools: Character, Compassion, Values.'' I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in honoring National Catholic School's Week. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute the Catholic schools of Pittsburgh.