Joe Knollenberg

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I rise today in support of this very important bill. I hope all of our colleagues on both sides will join in supporting the bill because there are so many provisions that are important to our economy and to our foreign policy. Airlines relief has been mentioned, replacement for the 30-year Treasury benchmark to allow companies to make more accurate contributions to their pension plans is something that we desperately need, and it is great to see that is provided here. One provision in particular that I want to highlight is the Permanent Normal Trade Relations for Armenia. I am a sponsor of H.R. 528, a bill to provide PNTR for Armenia, which, as already has been indicated, was introduced by myself and my cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone). The bill currently has 112 cosponsors, a broad bipartisan group which includes many members of the Committee on Ways and Means and the ranking member, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel). I want to commend the chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), and the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. McCrery), for their work to ensure that this is included in the bill. Since declaring its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Armenia has made some great strides in developing a stable Democratic and open society. This includes an adherence to the fundamental principle of free emigration. Armenia is found to be in full compliance with the Jackson-Vanik requirement regarding free emigration under title IV of the Trade Act of 1974. The time has now come for Armenia to be graduated from this annual review. On December 10, 2002, the World Trade Organization voted to include Armenia in its membership. However, neither Armenia nor the United States will be able to receive the full benefit of Armenia's inclusion in the WTO unless Congress passes PNTR. Passage of H.R. 528 will not only enhance trade and investment between the U.S. and Armenia, but will also deepen the strong relationship between our two countries. Approximately 70 U.S.-owned firms currently do business in Armenia. In total, United States-Armenia bilateral trade for 2002 amounted to over $134 million. And, again, in closing, I want to thank everyone for working together to bring this about, and I want to urge my colleagues again to support this important bill.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1829. Let me congratulate my colleague from Michigan for his hard work in bringing this bill to the floor of the House today. This bill is about fundamental fairness. We are not voting today to eliminate the Federal Prison Industries. Rather, we seek to open up the federal procurement process to manufacturers who are capable of supplying quality products at reasonable prices, but who are by law prevented from doing so. We have heard a great deal in recent months about the state of manufacturing in this country, and, it's true, our manufacturers are under severe pressure. As legislators, we should be looking for ways to open up markets for our small businessmen and women to sell their products, so that factories stay open and jobs stay here. The fact of the matter is that the federal government is a market unto itself. But for the more than 300 products that the FPI is the only entity allowed to sell to the federal government, it is a market that is closed to our blue collar workers. This is simply not right. It's time to end this unfair monopoly. Let's level the playing field for government contracts for our manufactures here at home. We'll save the government money, save some jobs, and restore some sanity to this part of the federal procurement process. The FPI shouldn't be afraid of a little competition. Our manufacturers are not. I encourage all my colleagues to support H.R. 1829.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), chairman of the committee. I just want to say again without Chairman Young's support, we may still be slogging it out, but frankly rising to the occasion as he will and has done numerous times, he helped bring this thing to a closure.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to present to the House the conference report on H.R. 2559, the fiscal year 2004 military construction appropriations conference report. This legislation provides funds for all types of construction projects on military installations here in the United States and abroad. These projects include family housing, barracks, training ranges, runways, aircraft hangars and fitness facilities. I would in particular like to thank my ranking member, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards), for all the great work that he has worked with me on, all the great activity. I also wanted to thank all members of the committee. Let me thank, in addition, the committee staff, including, and I am going to run down the list, Valerie Baldwin, Brian Potts, Kim Reath, Mary Arnold, Tom Forhan, John Conger, Jeff Onizuk and Lieutenant Commander Scott Gray for their support in producing this report. I would also like to sincerely thank Chairman Young and the chief clerk Jim Dyer for their assistance in bringing this negotiation with the other body to a close. Further, I would like to acknowledge the advice and counsel provided by the House Committee on Armed Services. The bill is the culmination of a joint effort with subcommittee chairman Hefley and full committee chairman Hunter. The conference report today totals some $9.316 billion which complies with the 302(b) allocation for budget authority and outlays. This recommendation is $199 million more than the President's request. These additional funds address critical infrastructure and quality-of-life requirements above and beyond that request. Excluding funds provided for the global war on terrorism and the Iraq/Afghanistan supplementals, the conference report is nearly $1.4 billion, or nearly 13 percent below fiscal year 2003 enacted levels. This year there were significant differences between the House's military construction bill and that of the other body. While we sought to preserve funding for military construction in Europe and Korea and to support the quality of life and operational readiness of our forces abroad, the other body chose to significantly reduce overseas funding to support projects here in the United States. I am pleased to inform my colleagues that this conference report strikes a balance between both these approaches. We preserve the most critical overseas requirements for the services, but brought the balance of the funding for other overseas projects back to the United States to fund critical infrastructure here. While the House aggressively supported the President's request and the priorities of the combatant commanders in this conference report, we share the concern of the other body about funding overseas projects in light of the ongoing review of our overseas footprint. The review currently being conducted by the Department of Defense will determine our long- term overseas basing strategy and will thus help us set funding requirements to support our forces abroad. It will be absolutely essential for both military construction subcommittees to have the completed plan prior to moving forward with the military construction appropriation for fiscal year 2005. We look forward to receiving this plan in the very near future. Though this conference report is below the fiscal year 2003 enacted levels, we are fully supporting the military's mission critical infrastructure needs and quality-of-life initiatives. We are able to do so in large part because we are getting far more ``bang for the buck'' through innovative programs such as the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, barracks privatization and utilities privatization. These programs are enabling the services to rapidly replace family housing and infrastructure at a cost that is dramatically lower than what we could ever have afforded through traditional military construction appropriations. Our motto is to let the military do what they do best, which is defending America. In short, we are doing it smarter, not harder, and the beneficiaries are single soldiers, military families, men and women serving our country around the world and the U.S. taxpayers. We have and will continue to support sweeping quality of life improvements for those in the military. This conference report was forged through the compromise of both bodies of this Congress. This report directly supports the men and women in uniform, fully funds projects vital to our national security, provides critical infrastructure support to ongoing operations worldwide, and fully funds our efforts to improve the quality of life of our military personnel and their families. It is a fair report. I encourage my colleagues to support it. [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH05NO03.001 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH05NO03.002

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 429, I call up the conference report on the bill (H.R. 2559) making appropriations for military construction, family housing, and base realignment and closure for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, and for other purposes.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Madam Chairman, I rise to oppose this amendment. I want to keep my remarks brief, because we have been down this road before, but there is really no rational reason to support this amendment. The competition to supply the main propulsion diesel engines for the Coast Guard's Integrated Deepwater System is over. It was a fair and open competition that was won by Detroit Diesel of Michigan. It is history. Unfortunately, and we should name the other competitor that the author of the amendment brings up, it is Fairbanks Morse of Wisconsin, it is a good company, but they simply have not accepted the results of that competition. For the second time in a few months, I have come to the floor to oppose an amendment, this particular amendment or one designed very similarly. It does nothing more than reverse the outcome of the competition and give Fairbanks Morse an unfair competitive advantage. Now, these are both very good American companies that employ thousands of Americans, thousands of Americans, both of them. However, in this case, the proposal offered by Detroit Diesel was selected because the company offered a low-cost, high-performance, low-risk solution that was technically superior. The Coast Guard did not make this decision lightly, and it is my understanding that they oppose the amendment as well. It is time to accept the results of that competition. This is not about protecting American manufacturers, this is about doing an end run around the procurement process. I encourage all my colleagues to oppose this amendment, to ensure that open and fair competition for government contracts are respected and maintained.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Madam Chairman, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman for making those comments.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. 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. 2559, and that I may include tabular and extraneous material.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment, and I thank the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman Kolbe) for yielding me this time. Iraq is in the central front in the war on terrorism. We are not going to get a second chance at doing this right. We face some strong challenges, so we have to be determined and remain focused on establishing a new Iraq. I might say, incidentally, that in my district back in Michigan, I have some 35,000 Iraqis who have immigrated to America, and they have become solid citizens. They communicate, obviously, very well with the community; and, in fact, they have improved the quality of life in that community. Many are entrepreneurs, and I think they have been a tremendous addition to my own district. The same thing would be true, I believe, in Iraq. As we work to stabilize this country and strengthen a new Iraqi government, we cannot afford to make our job any harder than it already is. Yesterday's Washington Post editorial nails the point: ``To make a loan in these circumstances is like swimming out to a drowning man and handing him a 10-pound weight.'' If we turn our assistance into loans, we will be cutting our legs out from under ourselves. Our mission in Iraq is critical to the security of our country, and we cannot afford to undermine ourselves. Right now the administration is working hard to get foreign governments to contribute to the rebuilding of Iraq. Turning our assistance into loans turns the upcoming donors conference into a loaners conference. We simply cannot afford to make this mistake. Mr. Chairman, I urge all Members to vote against this unwise amendment.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, I just wanted to say in response to the gentlewoman's comments, I can assure the gentlewoman that we know about every penny that is spent in the MILCON bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentlewoman's concern about this provision. But I must urge everybody in this Chamber to vote against this amendment. This amendment causes very serious strategic consequences for our military personnel in the field fighting the war on terrorism. The war on terrorism is not confined to just one area. It could be most anywhere. In essence, the Sanchez amendment prohibits our troops from constructing strategically important projects necessary to fight the war on terrorism until Congress agreed that they were necessary. This level of micromanagement is inappropriate, especially in wartime conditions, when real-time decisions must be made quickly and troops cannot wait for the committee in Congress to agree. Our troops in the field need this flexibility. Though the amendment excludes Iraq from its effects, it precludes construction projects in Afghanistan and in other areas, that might become part of the global war on terrorism, from moving forward expeditiously. This level of micromanagement is especially awkward if the war on terrorism expands in an unexpected fashion. In addition, the bill already includes a requirement that DOD notify the Congress four times a year about any projects constructed under this limited authority. I can assure my colleagues in the Chamber that my subcommittee, the MILCON committee, the Subcommittee on Defense, the House Committee on Armed Services will watch very carefully in a very careful manner how DOD uses this authority. And like the gentlewoman points out, authorizing military construction projects should not be bypassed without extremely good reasons. However, in this case I believe the oversight I have just mentioned gives the oversight over this provision included in the bill to be sufficient to ensure that DOD does not misuse its authority. I urge Members to vote against the Sanchez amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this supplemental appropriations bill and urge all my colleagues to support it. I want to commend the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe), the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), obviously, we could go on commending a great number of people, but everybody's contributed to this bill, and I think it shows in that while we ensure the urgent priorities like drinking water, enhanced security and electrical infrastructure, these are all funded, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the chairman, did look over this process, oversighted it, and he eliminated projects from the President's request that were simply not necessary in this bill, removing a total of almost $2 billion. The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) does not get credit sometimes for the work he does, but I am very pleased to give him credit here this evening. As chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Construction, I do want to make my colleagues aware that a portion of this bill falls under my subcommittee's jurisdiction. We have provided about $400 million to support military construction needs for Iraq and Afghanistan. Let me turn now to the need to support the supplemental as it is written. A little over 2 years ago, this country was attacked by terrorists whose organizations had received safe harbor from tyrants. In the wake of those attacks, we made it a goal of this country to defeat the terrorists who are actively seeking to kill Americans so that our citizens could be safe and secure at home and abroad. In Afghanistan, we removed from power a regime that had given safe haven to al Qaeda, and we routed the terrorist organization from its hiding places. The people of Kabul cheered its liberators, and that country is headed in the right direction, though much work still needs to be done. In Iraq, we removed a danger to an entire region when we defeated the regime of Saddam Hussein, a regime that denied the international community time and time again. We no longer have the prospect of a country being led by an individual who had invaded two neighbors, used chemical and biological weapons on his own people, ran a political prison for children, harbored terrorists, rewarded the families of suicide bombers and pursued weapons of mass destruction when the chance arose. Again, the people cheered its liberators. These are important steps in the war on terrorism. The United States and the world is safer because of our actions. We have not been left holding the bag, as some have suggested. We are there because as a world's leader, we exercised our leadership and took action against a menace that was Saddam Hussein's regime. We have nothing to apologize for. Now, we face the harder part, the thankless part. Having made the world safer, in this moment we must ensure that it is safer in the future. We do not want these two countries to become terrorist havens again. That is why we must go about the task of rebuilding two countries torn down by decades of war and tyranny. There is no folly in pursuing this course. There is great folly, however, in abandoning it before it is finished. It is not going to be easy, but it is going to get done, and that is why we are here today. This supplemental is critical to supporting our troops and our mission. We all accept the responsibility to provide our soldiers with the weapons and equipment they need to secure Iraq, but we must also accept the responsibility to aid the new government of Iraq without placing an undue burden on it. Turning reconstruction funds included in this bill into loans does not serve our mission. I encourage my colleagues to continue to ask those tough questions about the efforts in Iraq. That is our job, but let us stand up for our soldiers and our mission by passing this supplemental today.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 2658) making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, and for other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 2559) making appropriations for military construction, family housing, and base realignment and closure for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, and for other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the motion to go to conference on H.R. 2559, and that I may include tabular and extraneous material.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the motion to go to conference on H.R. 2658, and that I may include tabular and extraneous material.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, on September 9, 2003, I was unavoidably absent and missed rollcall vote Nos. 481-488. For the record, had I been present, I would have voted: No. 481, ``no''; No. 482, ``no''; No. 483, ``no''; No. 484, ``no''; No. 485, ``no''; No. 486, ``no''; No. 487, ``no''; and No. 488, ``no''.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to protect the well-being of the American people by voting against H.R. 2427, the Pharmaceutical Market Access Act, which would allow the re- importation of drugs. It is estimated that more than 10 percent of drugs worldwide are counterfeit, and in some countries, more than half the drug supply is fake. We have seen in this country the tragic consequences of counterfeit drugs. For example, many American AIDS and cancer patients were victims of a counterfeit version of the injectible medication, Procrit. Hawked as the life-prolonging Procrit, the counterfeit drug proved to be lethal, non-sterile tap water. How many more cases like this will we experience with re-importation? In fact, multiple FDA commissioners have declared, ``Consumers are exposed to a number of potential risks when they purchase drugs from foreign sources.'' I sincerely appreciate my colleagues' efforts to make prescription drugs more accessible. However, this pursuit of accessibility compromises the health and safety of American citizens. I encourage all my colleagues to ensure the safety of our citizens by voting against H.R. 2427.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs, I rise to strongly support this bill. I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will do likewise. I commend and thank the gentleman from Arizona for his hard work and leadership as the chairman of the subcommittee. He has consistently sought to accommodate the many concerns expressed by Members while remaining focused on bringing a responsible and effective bill before us here today. That, of course, is not an easy task; but he has accomplished it effectively, and he has the good help obviously of the ranking member, the gentlewoman from New York. I also thank the committee staff for their tireless work. They are an excellent group, and we are lucky to have them in this House. Mr. Speaker, foreign assistance remains an inseparable part of our Nation's overall foreign policy, national security and economic interests. This is a responsible bill that effectively allocates the foreign assistance that we have available. For the first time ever, this foreign operations bill includes funding for the Millennium Challenge Account, some $800 million. Our President deserves some great credit for proposing this initiative. The strength of the MCA, or Millennium Challenge Account, is that it focuses responsibility for economic growth on the policies of the governments of developing countries. One important lesson the United States has learned from our experience is financial assistance can only be effective when developing countries are committed to establishing the necessary economic, legal, and political reforms. With our financial assistance, we can help a country grow; but we cannot make a country grow. The governments have to have the right policies in place. In light of this reality, MCA funding will be targeted to projects in specific nations that govern justly, invest in their people, and encourage economic freedom. I urge my colleagues to support the funding for this very important initiative. Mr. Speaker, one of the most important contributions this bill makes to our foreign policy is the annual assistance package to the Middle East. Israel, of course, is our closest ally in the region and shares our values of democracy and freedom. I am pleased that this bill fully supports the administration request of $2.6 billion in military and economic assistance to Israel as well as $50 million to support the resettlement of Jewish refugees. The United States must continue to stand in strong support of Israel. In addition, this bill provides some $1.9 billion to Egypt and over $450 million to Jordan, both critical allies of the United States. Further, I am pleased that this bill provides $35 million for Lebanon to support the American educational institutions and the excellent USAID mission there. Combined with our funding for Morocco, Yemen, the West Bank and Gaza, and our regional programs like the Middle East Partnership Initiative, our programs in the Middle East, if focused properly, can help foster changes in the region. The Middle East faces severe development challenges. Reports such as the ``2002 Arab Human Development Report'' by the United Nations Development Program has provided a clear diagnosis of this problem. It is my hope that American assistance to our Arab allies will help support institutional changes that lead to greater freedom, political empowerment, and economic growth. Mr. Speaker, this bill also helps to strengthen our relationship with our friend and ally, Armenia. Armenia continues to suffer from blockades by its neighbors. Our assistance to the country helps to offset these conditions. Therefore, I am pleased that this bill increases assistance to Armenia to $70 million, some $20.5 million above the President's request. I look forward to working with the chairman in conference on this issue. Mr. Speaker, there are other important elements of this bill, including trade capacity building, foreign military financing for new NATO members and, of course, significant funding beyond the President's request to continue the fight against the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa and around the world. I believe this to be a good bill, within the allocation provided to the subcommittee, and represents a responsible contribution to our Nation's foreign policy, national security, and economic goals. I once again want to commend the chairman for his efforts on this bill. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this what I believe to be a great bill, a balanced bill. We need to do it right here in the House today.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, this week Congress has an opportunity to pass legislation to implement a free trade agreement with our partner in commerce, the nation of Chile. I might mention also Singapore, but I am going to focus on Chile. Since 1997, when Chile adopted free trade agreements with MERCOSUR, Mexico, and Canada, U.S. companies' share of the Chilean import market has fallen by 7 percent, amounting to something like over $1 billion. Meanwhile, the countries that have a free trade agreement with Chile gained over 9 percent of that market. There can be no question that our loss to the Chilean market is directly related to missed trade opportunities. The Chile FTA will turn this around. If we vote to pass H.R. 2738, we ensure future American competitiveness in Chilean markets and the continued growth of our own economy, which will benefit all Americans. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support and vote ``yes'' on the Chilean Free Trade Agreement.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment. I would like to commend the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Hobson) for putting an emphasis on this issue. I would also like to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky) for his work on this bill, and also both of their staffs. Let me say, Congress has been debating this issue for a number of years, this whole issue of a waste repository, that, frankly, has taken decades to get to this point. As the chairman pointed out, rather than keeping spent nuclear fuel at on-site locations at 103 spots around the country, sound science tells us that a geologic repository at a central, safe and remote location is the way to go. Now, this Congress has spoken not once, but three times, twice with votes that were over 300. I think that is very telling. It is very compelling that we should move forward, and there are no show-stoppers on this location as being a problem for the safe repository, the safe deposition of this spent fuel. I commend the committee for the critical funds it put into their bill for Yucca Mountain. This is a national priority. The money will ensure the spent fuel currently kept on site in our Nation's communities, our lake shores and the environment will be removed in a timely fashion. Some would suggest that a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain is not a good idea and that we would be better off if we just left that spent fuel on site. Such thinking cannot be, could not be more wrong; and Congress has spoken not once but three times overwhelmingly to move forward. The fact is that the amount of space available for spent fuel storage at these 103 commercial nuclear power plants in America is rapidly shrinking, and when the on-site storage space run outs, it is gone. There is nothing. We cannot build an annex. We cannot build a room, a shack to put it in and it would be safe if we were to. With all of the uncertainty in today's world, it is critical for us to remove the spent fuel from those facilities and store it in a central, safe, and remote location. As the chairman has said, even leaving this spent fuel on site only escalates the security concerns and, worse, the potential for mischief and terrorism. Nuclear energy, which represents approximately 20 percent of the Nation's energy supply, provides a viable, cost-efficient, and clean alternative to fossil fuels. Nuclear power is a vital component in the engine that drives the American economy. Funds contained in the program will enable the Department of Energy to initiate repository operations hopefully in the year 2010. I again want to commend the chairman for making the nuclear waste program a priority in the bill. He recognizes, as does the ranking member, that it is a national priority; and I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, today we pay tribute to chambers of commerce for their efforts to improve our communities and strengthen economy. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Detroit Regional Chamber in particular. This year it is celebrating its 100th anniversary of existence. Chambers of commerce are integral to millions of companies, large and small, throughout this country. They represent businesses and promote their interests before federal, state, and local governments. The Detroit Regional Chamber is no different. Currently over 19,000 businesses across southeast Michigan are members of the Detroit Regional Chamber, and that number continues to grow. During their century of existence, the Detroit Regional Chamber has had a major impact on Michigan and the United States economy. House Concurrent Resolution 215 highlights its excellence and I am pleased so many of my colleagues from Michigan could cosponsor the resolution. I would particularly like to thank my friend, the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and fellow Michigander, Congressman John Dingell, for introducing this resolution with me and working with the Chairman to see this resolution could be brought to the floor today. House Concurrent Resolution 215 recognizes many of the chief accomplishments of the Detroit Regional Chamber. In 1903, the Detroit Board of Commerce was formally organized with 253 charter members. Since then, it has been known by several names, most recently in 1997 it officially became the Detroit Regional Chamber. The resolution points out the Detroit Regional Chamber's involvement in a 1910-11 campaign to gain voter approval of a $2 million bond proposal to improve the roads of Wayne County and played a prominent role in the formation of the United States Chamber of Commerce. It also notes the Detroit Regional Chamber's help to develop the first traffic lights in Detroit in 1925 and the establishment of a bus network connecting inner-city workers with their jobs in 1969, which resulted in the creation of the Southeast Metropolitan Transportation Authority (SMART). Later this week on Wednesday the Detroit Regional Chamber will celebrate their one hundred year anniversary at Greenfield Village in Dearborn. Unfortunately, I will be here in the House of Representatives and will not be able to attend, but I am pleased the House could recognize the Detroit Regional Chamber by considering this resolution. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order against the motion to recommit.