Melissa Hart

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 541 I was inadvertently detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I rise in support of this proposal. Some will talk and just say no and just point fingers. Others will stand and take the responsibility for governing. We have absolutely had a very difficult last several years. We came into this, this administration, with a recession, we were attacked, we are dealing with a war on terror, increased costs of homeland security to fight terror, to prevent further attacks on the United States. That costs a lot of money. There is no doubt that dealing with those costs during a recession put us in a difficult situation. So what are we to do? Simply say, oh my, let's raise taxes on the American people who are in a recession? That is a huge mistake. We are getting out of the recession. We see growth. We see job improvement, all as a result of the President's and our decision to keep taxes low. The whole point of this tonight is to take responsibility, not cry and whine and say it is not our fault, it is your fault. We are taking responsibility. We are going to raise the debt ceiling. We are continuing with a conservative budget that will cut our deficit in half in 5 years. That is responsible. I urge my colleagues to grow up, take responsibility and support this tonight.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding me this time to speak on this issue. There are so many important tax issues involved in the legislation that this rule would allow that we cannot cover them all in the time allotted, but I think it is important that we address several that are extremely important. First of all, this administration inherited a recession. Our goal was to bring us out of the recession. A number of these tax cuts and adjustments, tax credits, helped bring our Nation out of a recession. If we allow those tax cuts to be removed, meaning increased taxes, we do not help our economy and certainly will do the opposite and, in fact, will put a number of families in a difficult situation as well as a number of businesses. I am interested in a number of the provisions that will help our employers, especially the research and development tax credit. In my district, the companies creating new jobs are the ones that have benefited from the R&D tax credit. In fact, one just this week held a job fair to fill 150 new positions. They have benefited significantly from the R&D tax credit. A number of those savings are being used to hire new folks. That is important to us. Another issue to help employers is the work opportunity tax credit, not only to help employers, but to help those who are involved in getting off welfare. It is a credit for those who hire people who are getting off welfare. That encourages employers to employ those who are getting off welfare. Why would we want that to end? Also, the expensing of brownfield remediation costs: Throughout the Northeast and the Midwest, we have brownfields that are being redeveloped and the remediation costs are very expensive. Allowing the expensing of some of those remediation costs is encouraging employers again to take over those properties, develop them and create new jobs in communities that desperately need them. The tax credit for electricity produced from renewable sources, from what I understand, both sides of this aisle are very interested in finding better renewable energy resources. Well, if we remove that tax credit for developing those resources, we are not going to see as much activity. We all know that, if you want less of something, tax it. What we have done is cut taxes and encouraged growth. We have created tax credits to encourage research and encourage employment. We need to extend the tax cuts, extend the tax credits and make sure we are not, in effect, going to increase taxes on Americans and job creators.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman Sensenbrenner) for bringing this bill up today, and I rise in support of the legislation. Interestingly enough, every Member who has spoken in support of the legislation today is an attorney, me included. In my private practice, I represented small businesses, businesses which employed four or five people on the average. I recall very clearly their concerns when they came to see me and my colleagues. It was, unfortunately, the fear of lawsuits. Retail businesses today are not opening at the rate they probably should be because of fear of lawsuits. Our economic recovery has begun, but it would be moving along much more quickly but for fear of lawsuits. We have the opportunity today to prevent many of those lawsuits, lawsuits that are frivolous. This bill will in no way effect anyone who has a legitimate lawsuit. It will only affect those who do not; those who waste money and resources, those who cause a lot of job loss. The Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 2004 will provide for appropriate sanctions against frivolous lawsuits. That means it will provide for fewer frivolous lawsuits. This bill applies to cases brought by individuals as well as by businesses both big and small, including business claims filed to harass competitors and gain market share. The bill applies to both plaintiffs and defendants if what they are filing is a frivolous action. Polls show that Americans overwhelmingly support legislation barring frivolous lawsuits. A recent poll showed that 83 percent of likely voters believe there are too many lawsuits in America; 76 percent believe lawsuit abuse results in increased prices for goods and services; and 73 percent of Americans support requiring sanctions against attorneys who file frivolous lawsuits, and that is what this legislation does. Frivolous lawsuits make businesses and workers suffer. This year the Nation's older ladder manufacturer, a family-owned company in New York, filed for bankruptcy protection and sold off most of its assets due to litigation costs. The company was founded in 1855, but it could not handle the cost of liability insurance which had risen from 6 percent of their sales to nearly 30 percent today, even though the company never actually lost a court judgment. The company owner said, ``We could see the handwriting on the wall, and just want to end this whole thing.'' Let us pass this legislation and make sure that our U.S. manufacturing sector stays strong. It is our error if we fail to protect them today. Our manufacturing sector, which has been the envy of the world, finds itself mired in a slow recovery due to the cost of many lawsuits. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation. It has been costly to our business sector and especially costly to jobs.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the Neshannock High School baseball team, this year's Class A Pennsylvania State Champions. Head coach, Michael Kirkwood led the Neshannock Lancers to the State Championship game, where they defeated the Muncy Indians by a score of 8-4. The Lancers ended the season with an impressive 23-1 record. I am happy to see such spirit, dedication, and teamwork flourishing in the congressional district that I represent. I wish the members of 2004 Neshannock baseball team continued success. I am proud to have such talented young athletes in the 4th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, and I ask that all of my colleagues in the House of Representatives join with me in recognizing their great achievement.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the Neshannock High School baseball team, this years' Class A Pennsylvania State Champions. Head coach, Michael Kirkwood lead the Neshannock Lancers to the State Championship game, where they defeated the Muncy Indians by a score of 8-4. The Lancers ended the season with an impressive 23-1 record. I am happy to see such spirit, dedication, and teamwork flourishing in the congressional district that I represent. I wish the members of 2004 Neshannock baseball team continued success. I am proud to have such talented young athletes in the 4th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, and I ask that all of my colleagues in the House of Representatives join with me in recognizing their great achievement.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for those kind words and thank him for moving this legislation. The Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act is extremely important not only nationally, but for our competitiveness in the world. Western Pennsylvania, where I am from, has a long history of manufacturing and I support the programs that help our manufacturers to remain competitive. H.R. 3598 supports small and medium-sized manufacturers. It helps them to improve their manufacturing processes. It also helps to improve their technology by establishing a pilot program to fund collaborations between universities and industries, that is our employers, to solve problems in manufacturing technology that companies and universities have not been able to solve on their own. This legislation also ensures that Federal agencies will coordinate their programs related to manufacturing R&D and target them towards the concerns that matter most to industry by establishing an interagency committee on manufacturing research and development and an advisory committee of representatives from outside the Federal Government. We have a shortage in this country of scientists and engineers. This bill will help train more students and senior researchers in the manufacturing sciences by establishing post-doctoral and senior research fellowships at NIST. This will help us fill that gap. One provision in particular that I have been working on with my colleagues to secure funding for is the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program. We will reauthorize and improve MEP by passing this bill. We will help manufacturers to improve their processes, reduce waste, and train workers to become more efficient. MEP receives a third of its funding from the Federal Government, a third from the States, and a third from fees charged to those small manufacturers who participate. There are 60 MEP centers and 400 satellite institutions throughout the Nation. These programs make it possible for even the smallest firms to tap into the expertise of knowledgeable manufacturing and business specialists. Each center, such as Catalyst Connection Pittsburgh, works directly with the manufacturers to provide expertise and service tailored most to their critical needs. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman bringing up this bill. I understand it will help our manufacturers be globally competitive, that will help us maintain our manufacturing sector and have it grow in the future.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3890) to reauthorize the Steel and Aluminum Energy Conservation and Technology Competitiveness Act of 1988, as amended.

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3890, as amended.

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank the gentlewoman from Illinois (Chairman Biggert) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) of the Subcommittee on Energy of the Committee on Science, and also the gentleman from New York (Chairman Boehlert) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) of the full Committee on Science, for working with me on H.R. 3890, a bill which will reauthorize the Steel and Aluminum Energy Conservation and Technology Competitiveness Act of 1988. The legislation reauthorizes the Steel and Aluminum Competitiveness Act of 1988, which established a public-private research initiative, with cost sharing from industry, focused on improving industrial energy efficiency in the steel and aluminum smelting and fabrication industries. The bill would result in improved energy efficiency in the domestic metals industries, thereby improving our international competitiveness in those industries. Improved industrial energy efficiency also offers environmental benefits through reduced emissions per unit of steel or aluminum produced. It can also help reduce the future demand for energy in the industrial sector, which is extremely important as we see rising fuel prices. The bill authorizes $13.3 million for this program in fiscal year 2005, the same level that was appropriated for fiscal year 2004. For the outyears, that is, fiscal years 2006 through 2009, the bill authorizes $20 million per year, for a total $93.3 million over the 5-year cycle of the legislation. This bill is right for industry, Mr. Speaker; it is good for our energy security, and it is good for the environment. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy).

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this initiative is one that is not as common for government, I think, as the American people would like to see. It is designed to help industry to become more efficient in its processes, but also more efficient in its use of energy. So, in the long run, it helps preserve American jobs. That is why we are here today, Mr. Speaker. We are working on efficiency in technology and efficiency in energy use and, obviously, better emissions. It is important to our industries to be competitive worldwide as we move this legislation forward. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 308 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for yielding time. The facts are simple. When we look at the facts, we see that our spending here in the Federal Government has increased by significantly more from year to year in the last 4 years than has the family budget. If we are spending more from year to year than families are earning from year to year, I think it is obvious that we are taking too much money from the general public. It is important for us to live within our means like they have to do. This amendment that the gentleman from Illinois has offered will help us do that. It sets caps. It forces us to keep within the budget that we state that we will keep within. It is that simple. It is an enforcement mechanism. It forces us to identify waste. It forces us to eliminate waste. Clearly we have not done that if we look at the chart. What is also important about this amendment is that it protects Social Security and Medicare, so our seniors will not lose. It is important for us to live within a budget. It is important for us to protect our seniors. I urge support of the Kirk amendment.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Bridgewater Community Development Corporation (BCDC) for successfully arranging the second annual Bridgewater Community Fun Fest. I am encouraged that the citizens of Western Pennsylvania are working hard to improve their local economies. The BCDC was created as a means to foster the development of the Borough of Bridgewater by taking advantage of its inherent strengths. Marcia Liggett, secretary and member of the Bridgewater Community Development Corporation (BCDC), created the concept of the Community Fun Fest. The focus of the Fun Fest is to bring together the community with local business owners, police department, fire department, and elected officials. The fun fest brings all aspect of the community together to interact and form new relationships that will foster a better economic community in the Borough of Bridgewater. The first Borough of Bridgewater Fun Fest was a large success drawing nearly 1,000 people; however, this year is anticipated to draw nearly double the crowd of the first. Providing 2,000 residents of Bridgewater a chance to meet local officials, business owners, learn the organizations of their town, and meet their neighbors. It is a community effort composed of a coalition of residents, business leaders, and interested persons working together to improve Bridgewater. I ask that my colleagues in the House of Representatives join me in honoring the second annual Borough of Bridgewater Fun Fest. All communities across the country should strive to foster economic development within their neighborhoods just as Bridgewater has done--I praise the efforts of this ambitious group.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for allowing me to mix in with the Californians tonight. I think like most of us, we all have our own different, but very similar, inspirations from President Reagan. I first heard about Ronald Reagan probably around the dinner table when I was a kid when he was Governor of California and when he first decided to run for President. But I had grown up in an era that was pretty difficult. I grew up thinking assassinations were normal, remembering the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy; that government corruption was normal, remembering Watergate; and that a failure of government to properly serve its people was normal. Very high inflation, for example. But I remember also the things that my dad and my mom and my grandfather, who was an immigrant, told me about America. They were patriotic people. Ronald Reagan was a patriotic man. And I heard his message, and it resonated with me, because it was something that I had always heard at home, but, unfortunately, had not seen much in practice in government. I became interested, and, as I guess somewhat of a precocious seventh-grader, wrote an editorial in my middle school newspaper supporting Ronald Reagan for President. He did not win that time, but it was not because I did not try. But that legacy and what he stood for stuck with me. My family paid attention. I was very fortunate. Our normal dinner conversation often dealt with politics. So when I turned 18 in 1980, Ronald Reagan was running for President, and I volunteered. I found out that politics is a means of achieving a greater good and could be respected. I was hooked. He showed for us the America that we all knew could exist. It was the America that my parents believed in. It was the America we knew we could get back. Ronald Reagan said, it is not my intention to do away with government, it is rather to make it work. Make it work with us, not over us; to stand by our side, not ride on our back. Government can and must provide opportunity, not smother it. It must foster productivity, not stifle it. Government is to walk with us. That is the most important thing, and it is important because it is the American dream. After 10 years of volunteering on campaigns, and after Ronald Reagan was elected that first time, through law school, through the private practice of law, it led me to take part in the process in a big way, to dream big dreams, and to take some risks. So at 28 I ran for the State senate, unseated an incumbent, and had the opportunity to pursue the same dream. Ronald Reagan said America is too great for small dreams. There are many of us here in Congress today who agree with him. Let us in government remember him and his legacy and act on that legacy.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment. In fact, the House has rejected this same amendment for the last, oh, I do not know, about 8 years or 9 years, 2003 back to 1996. The Committee on Armed Services rejected this amendment over and over again. In fact, it was not even offered in committee this year. President Clinton signed the current provision into law on February 10, 1996. The National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law to prevent the DoD medical treatment facilities from being used to perform abortions except where the life of the mother is endangered or in cases of rape or incest. The Davis amendment would repeal that provision. It reopens the issue and attempts to turn DoD facilities into abortion clinics. These facilities are not abortion clinics; they are for healing the sick and the wounded. Supporters of this amendment act as those pregnancy is a disease. That is certainly not the case. Ask any mother. Support of this amendment would change the nature of our medical facilities. Our military is overseas for a reason, to support and defend people's lives. Our military treatment centers should do the same, and we should retain this life provision for our military treatment centers and forbid them from taking innocent human life.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the flexible spending arrangements. I am often baffled in this House when I have the opportunity to listen to the debate. We are talking about policy that will be far-reaching. Flexible spending accounts, flexible arrangements, medical savings accounts, health savings accounts are all plans that give flexibility and discretion to employers and employees. They give power, economic power, to employers and employees. This is a much larger issue than how much this may cost this year because, ultimately, it will save the government money. Ultimately, it will save individuals money. And, ultimately, it will save employers money which, in the long run, will mean that more people will be likely to access health care through their employer. That will, by the way, save the government some money. One of the first things I heard about as a candidate for Congress was from one of the employers in one of the communities I represent. And he said to me, I want you to pay close attention to the law around medical savings accounts, flexible spending arrangements, the kinds of things that are supposed to be flexible for benefits for employees to give them economic power, but are not, because there are too many limits on them. Today's bill removes one of those limits, or at least significantly reduces it, and that is this perverse incentive to quickly spend any of the unused money in the flexible spending arrangement, the use-it-or- lose-it rule. We change that today; and we say to the employee, if you do not need to use that health care right now, you do not need to. You do not need to waste the money. You can roll that over to next year; and if something happens next year that you need it, you can use it. And if you do not need it next year, you can roll it over. Does that not just make sense? Should we not in Congress be the ones who are providing the flexibility and the options to the employee, not putting crazy limits on them? This is a great bill, and we should go even farther than this and allow employers and employees to work together to provide more options for them to provide health care for their families, not fewer. Fewer limits, more options and, ultimately, more opportunity for employers to provide health care. Ultimately, it will provide opportunity for us to put downward pressure on the costs of health care, also downward pressure on the costs of health insurance, because there will be more competition, more flexibility, more opportunity, and more coverage. More coverage is ultimately what we want, and this bill will help us get there. Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Louisiana (Chairman McCrery); I commend the members of the Committee on Ways and Means for moving this forward. Because that employer back home, he is not by himself. He wants to continue to provide good and flexible health benefits for his employees. They are like family to him. Most of the employers in my district are small employers. They want to provide health care. It has become so expensive in what people traditionally thought of, they cannot afford it. With flexible arrangements they can, and they can continue to provide it into the future.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Ellwood City Area Public Library in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania for their week long celebration commemorating their 90th anniversary starting April 26, 2004. It is an honor to represent such a steadfast facility within the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania. For the past nine decades the Ellwood City Area Public Library has provided the residents of Ellwood City with a useful, high-quality institute. The success of the library is often attributed to its ability to constantly adapt to the changing times--always providing the citizens of Ellwood City with the most up-to-date resources available. Now the Ellwood City Area Public Library offers over 45,000 items, ranging from large-print books and magazines to audio and videotapes. Furthermore, the library offers computers for free public internet access and a variety of children's programming. The 90th anniversary celebration is not only a festival to celebrate all the past accomplishments of the library but also to focus on the success that are sure to come in the future. I ask that all of my colleagues in the House of Representatives join me in honoring this institution in my district. The Ellwood City Area Public library has provided an invaluable service to the community for 90 years and, undoubtedly, the next 90 years will be just as successful.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Nova Chemicals, Inc., a chemical manufacturer located in Monaca, Pennsylvania, recently honored by Toyota Motor Manufacturing of North America, Inc. as a top supplier for 2003. It is truly an honor to have an industry leader in my district. Annually, the Toyota Motor Manufacturing of North America, Inc. acknowledges those suppliers who have met their highest standards in quality, delivery, supplier diversity and value improvements for parts, materials, and transportation. Toyota is strongly committed to buying from local sources for U.S. manufacturing operations--currently, Toyota buys from 500 U.S. suppliers. By the year 2006, Toyota will have the capacity to build 1.66 million cars and trucks a year and 1.29 million engines in North America. Nova Chemicals, Inc.'s Beaver Valley facility was recognized for both quality and delivery during this year's 2004 Supplier Awards Ceremony at Toyota's Annual Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony. Since the company's start in 1954, it has grown into a multi-billion-dollar corporation and is now North America's largest producer of polystyrene. Furthermore, Nova Chemicals, Inc. is an active participant in the local communities where their facilities are based--not only do they provide financial improvements to the communities they join but they also improve the social surrounding as well. I ask that all the members in the House of Representatives join with me in honoring this outstanding company based within the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania. I am pleased to represent this award winning chemical manufacturer.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to praise a valuable organization located in the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania that has striven to advance the independence of individuals with disabilities for 50 years. I am proud to represent the congressional district that has housed, for 50 years, the United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Western Pennsylvania. Building on the vision of the founding families who purchased and renovated a three-story home in Spring Church, Armstrong County, where a day clinic for children with disabilities was housed, UCP today serves some 1,500 individuals, adult and children, in their homes and communities. For half a century the agency, serving Armstrong, Indiana, and Westmoreland Counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, has been providing programs and services for physically and mentally challenged individuals. Most of the consumers are diagnosed with cerebral palsy, mental retardation, Down syndrome, developmental delays, speech and language disorders, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injuries. The accomplishments that UCP has made in the last 50 years have made significant improvements to the lives of the physically and mentally challenged in southwestern Pennsylvania. I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring this fine organization and the benefits that it has bestowed on so many individuals in southwestern Pennsylvania. It is truly an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District and to recognize the 50th anniversary of the United Cerebral Palsy of Western Pennsylvania.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to commemorate the Community Banks of Pennsylvania and the more than 40,000 full- and part-time employees who have helped provide the Commonwealth with more than 170 years of financial support. I am honored to note that the Pennsylvania State Senate has designated April 19, 2004, through April 24, 2004, as ``Community Banking Week.'' With more than $180 billion in assets, Community Banks recognize that when money stays in a town, it becomes a renewable resource, creating an economic cycle that constantly revitalizes and stimulates local communities. Community Banks work with the citizens in every sense of the word. These banks have made significant contributions to the economic well-being of the Commonwealth through their financial support, their dedication as good neighbors and, above all, through their service as financially sound and reliable sources of economic lifeblood in our communities. The Community Banks have long helped in the development of our communities and of this Commonwealth as a whole. On average, 95 percent of their loan portfolio is reinvested in their own communities through residential mortgages and commercial, agricultural and student loans. Indeed, neighbors are helping neighbors build homes, save for higher education, plan for retirement and fulfill life-long dreams. I ask that my colleagues in the House of Representatives join me in honoring this integral aspect of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's economy during Community Banker's Week. Without the continued support that the Community Banks have provided to Pennsylvania, much of the success that the Commonwealth has experienced would have been impossible.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Tom Reiland of Shaler, Pennsylvania, who recently had an asteroid named in his honor: Minor Planet 10320 Reiland. It brings me great pleasure to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania, the congressional district in which Mr. Reiland resides. Director of the Nicholas E. Wagman Observatory in Frazer Township, Pennsylvania, and member of the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh, Mr. Reiland has devoted himself to improving the astronomy facilities in western Pennsylvania. Mr. Reiland, along with fellow members of the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh, opened the Nicholas E. Wagman Observatory in 1982. Since then he has gone on to sponsor numerous events that help to inform the public about the joys of astronomy. In fact, he is now the chairman of the association committee that coordinates star parties at Wagman Observatory. The star parties give the public insight into astronomy and a chance to see celestial objects through the observatory's two large telescopes. It was on February 28, 2004, at the annual Wagman Winterfest star party that Mr. Reiland was informed the asteroid would be named after him. I ask that all my colleagues in the House of Representatives join me in honoring such a dedicated and inspirational citizen of the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania. It is truly my pleasure to honor someone who has given so much back to southwestern Pennsylvania.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the students from Hampton High School in Allison Park, Pennsylvania, who will travel to Washington, D.C., on April 30, 2004, to compete in the national finals of the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, a highly prestigious academic competition on the Constitution. It is an honor to represent such dedicated students and teachers. The high school students have studied for months with their teacher, Mr. Cliff Stevenson, in order to prepare themselves for their roles as experts testifying on constitutional issues in a simulated congressional hearing. They placed first in both the district and State competitions earlier this year to represent the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the national finals. The annual 3-day competition is the culminating activity of the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution, the most extensive education program of its kind in the country. Since last fall they have studied We the People, a text developed by the Center to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The We the People program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and is directed by the Center for Civic Education in Los Angeles. According to Stephanie McKissic, Director of Education at the National Constitution Center, ``There is no finer educational program that fosters in our younger generation the concepts and understanding of our constitutional heritage, leading them to a reasoned commitment to its fundamental principles.'' Since the program's creation over 15 years ago, it has reached more than 26.5 million elementary, middle, and high school students nationwide. I ask that my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives join with me in honoring these devoted high school students and teachers from the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania. It is truly an honor to represent such an outstanding group of students and teachers.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct privilege to take this time to commemorate the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research, a recently formulated institute at Carnegie Mellon University, which aims to improve the lives of Western Pennsylvanians through an ambitious long-term strategic plan to change the way society views environmental education. I am honored to extend my praise on behalf of this innovative and widely respected institute. The Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research initial focus will center itself around two environmental themes--the creation of energy and the preservation of the environment. Their efforts will be directed towards improvements in electricity and energy for transportation and urban infrastructure in both developed and developing regions. The Institute will use non-traditional education and traditional research methods and results, to change the way society perceives and responds to environmental concerns. The Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research was made possible by a generous donation from Carnegie Mellon University Trustee, W. Lowell Steinbrenner. Mr. Steinbrenner and his wife, Jan, have pledged $4 million last year for the creation of the Steinbrenner Institute. Along with continued support from within Carnegie Mellon University, the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research should prove to be one of the most valuable environmental institutions throughout all of Pennsylvania. I ask that all of my colleagues to join me in honoring this innovative and valuable institution. Through meaningful education and research the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research will aid in the solution of countless environmental concerns in Western Pennsylvania for years to come.