Tom Latham

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize John Miles, a Korean War Army Veteran from Boone County, Iowa, and to express my appreciation for his dedication and commitment to his country. The Boone News Republican is currently running a series of articles that honors one Boone County veteran every Tuesday from Memorial Day to Veterans Day. John Miles was recognized on Tuesday, June 15. Below is the article in its entirety: [From The Boone News Republican, June 15, 2010] Boone County Veterans: John Miles (By Alexander Hutchins) ``That was a cold place over there. Cold, cold, cold,'' John Miles, 82, said of his time in the Korean War. Miles has lived in Boone his entire life and worked for 36 years as a railroad dispatcher. He graduated from Boone High School and the local junior college, and a history of participating in warfare was in his family. Miles had four older brothers, each of whom served in World War II and returned home safely. Miles joined the Army in 1950, and returned from the Korean War with a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star to eventually married and have two sons. ``The Miles'' lucked out,'' he joked. When Miles enlisted in 1950, he was trained at Fort Leonardwood, in Missouri, and was assigned to the 40th division of the 160th infantry. He became a combat medic, and routinely entered the field to tend to wounded soldiers while under fire. ``The Chinese could put artillery shells in your back pocket,'' Miles said. No matter the enemy resistance Miles tended to the wounded, and resistance varied greatly from day to day. ``When you're a medic, you go no matter what. When guys are getting shot at, that's why you're there,'' he said. Miles described living in bunkers while in Korea--large holes excavated in the earth that were lined with timber posts. Miles knew all the men he served with and said he always loved the camaraderie with his fellow soldiers. ``War is hell to be in, but it was a good experience,'' Miles said. ``I'd do it again if I had to.'' He said the thing he appreciated the most was the friendship he had with the men he served with, despite the frigid and deadly conditions. He spoke of one friend who never returned--a soldier who the army failed to find after a search and is still listed as missing. After being in the country for six months, Miles was in the field tending to two wounded soldiers when a shell exploded nearby. Miles was hit with shrapnel and wounded. He was rescued from the field by jeep and then flown by helicopter to the USS Consolation hospital ship. He stayed on the ship for six months until he was able to walk again and returned home. He was awarded his Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his service. Miles returned to Boone and the railroad. Despite the hardship of the war, Miles said he eventually returned to an ordinary life. ``When I first got home, I couldn't go to a movie because I was too jittery,'' he said of films with gunfire or war movies. Later his tension abated and he was able to pursue all his social activities. Miles is an avid fan of sports who often swam at the public pool and played tennis and baseball in an adult league at the city park. At 35, Miles married school classmate Lois Huffman, who has since passed away, and the couple had two sons, Lane and Lynn. Miles says he responds to the conflicts in the world today as anyone else probably would. ``It works out of your system,'' Miles said of the trauma he felt in the war. ``I lived a regular life when I got home. It was different for a while, but you get used to it again.'' Miles said that many veterans returning home aren't respected as they should be. He said he supports providing higher education to veterans to help them get professional jobs. ``I'm a veteran, but there are veterans who come home who aren't treated the way they should be,'' Miles said. I commend John Miles for his many years of loyalty and service to our great nation. It is an immense honor to represent him in the United States Congress, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Clyde ``Bill'' Neely, a World War II Army Air Corps veteran from Boone County, Iowa, and to express my appreciation for his dedication and commitment to his country. The Boone News Republican is currently running a series of articles that honors one Boone County veteran every Tuesday from Memorial Day to Veterans Day. Clyde ``Bill'' Neely was recognized on Tuesday, July 13. Below is the article in its entirety: Boone County Veterans: Clyde ``Bill'' Neely (By Alexander Hutchins) Clyde ``Bill'' Neely, 86, a former Army Air Corps Sergeant, lives a full life. He resides today in his childhood home, and what was once an attached grocery store is now a personal museum to his life's achievements. Neely served in the Boone Fire Department after the war, drawing strength from the same discipline he called upon when he served in the Army Air Corps in World War II. Neely was born in Boone in 1924 in a house across the street from his current residence. He graduated from high school and played sports in the community. Neely met his wife Florence while still in high school. They would marry in 1943, and he would be one of the few married men in his unit. ``I had a real excellent childhood. In fact, I've had an excellent life,'' Neely said with a smile. His father was a butcher who ran a grocery out of the house that the Neely's now reside in. Neely would run the grocery for several years when he returned from the war, though he would eventually close the store and join the fire department. Neely's role in the war began in 1943. ``Originally I started right after I got out of school, because we knew after Pearl Harbor that our life was going to be in the military,'' Neely said. He had wanted to train in a nearby military Ferry School to ship airplanes overseas for the war effort, but the program was cancelled before Neely entered the Army. He then enlisted in the Air Corps in Des Moines and attended basic training in Miami, Florida. Neely's older brother, Noel, was one of four Boone men he trained with. ``Like I said, I've had good luck all the way through my life,'' Neely said. Neely's eyesight kept him from being trained as a pilot, but he entered the Armament service and trained to maintain and repair weapons, as well as load bombs and cargo on the B- 24 bombers his unit flew. He would serve part of the war in the U.S. before being stationed in Aldborough, England. Part of Neely's early duty in the war was in training other Air Corpsmen in the U.S. ``We used to train aerial gunners with a .50 caliber machine gun. We'd start them out with pistols and rifles and work them up to their machine guns. Then, when they went into advanced training, we'd put a big sleeve on behind a tow plane and we'd take all the bullets they would use and put different colors of paraffin on them so when the bullet went through the sleeve it left a color. That's a way we could identify just how many of the gunners could hit their targets,'' Neely said. When Neely was stationed in England, he worked in Armament to load the B-24 bombers for missions. His unit, the 8th Air Corps, included Neely's Commanding Officer as the youngest Colonel in the Air Corp and the actor Jimmy Stewart as an operations officer. The ground crew could tell from the bomb and fuel loads where the planes would be flying, and Neely said the crew would always ``sweat out'' the flights while the bombers were away. The 8th Air Corps had more casualties per unit than any other branch of the service, Neely said. ``From D-day until we won supremacy of the air over there, we were loading out two or three missions a day,'' he said. Neely's first experience upon arriving in England was hearing an Axis Sally radio broadcast that promised the German air force would ``pay them a visit.'' The base was bombed that night, and after that engagement drone bombs would sometimes zip over the base bound for targets further into England. ``People forget how smart the Germans were,'' Neely said. At the end of the war, Neely and the 8th Air Corps were assigned to pack up equipment and prepare to deploy to the pacific theater. That redeployment was thankfully unnecessary and Neely was released from the Air Corps while on duty in California. Neely returned home and ran the family grocery store, but after marrying his wife Florence and starting a family he was informed of an open position on the Boone Fire Department in 1951. He would serve a career with the Boone Fire Department until retirement in 1984. He also coached baseball for almost 20 years. When a drowning occurred at Ledges State Park, Neely was instrumental in one of the first underwater rescue teams in the state. He and Florence would raise three sons: Allen, Richard and Ronald (who has since passed away). Neely attributed much of his success in the fire department to the attitude and discipline he acquired as a result of his service. ``People don't realize it, but your fire department to be exact, or your police department, have to be partially military,'' Neely said. His training also helped him learn to control his temper, restraining a tendency he had to ``fight at the drop of a hat'' in his younger days. Neely said he has no real regrets from his time in the war. ``I did it. I'd do it again,'' Neely said. ``The nation came together in a rare way, and everyone did their part in that time.'' He did say that modern wars are a different enterprise, as soldiers today aren't able to trust the people around them. ``A fight is one thing, but that's not a fight,'' Neely said. One of the important things to do, he said, was to thank veterans when the opportunity is available. Neely has previously served as grand marshal in Boone parades, and a memorial to his son, Ronald, sits in the current fire station, commemorating his years of service. I commend Clyde ``Bill'' Neely for his many years of loyalty and service to our great Nation. It is an immense honor to represent him in the United States Congress, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the members of Carlisle Christian Church of Carlisle, Iowa, on celebrating their 150th anniversary as a congregation. The Carlisle Christian Church was founded in 1860, shortly after the pioneer village of Carlisle was formed. As the town grew, so did the church, moving to several different locations from the town school to the homes of members of the congregation. The Carlisle Christian Church moved into a permanent building in 1868, where it continued to grow with the community for the next 150 years. Today, the Carlisle Christian Church serves the community as a sponsor for the local Boy Scout troop and acts as a center for holiday worship for the whole town of Carlisle. The church, in partnership with other parishes, also provides for families with special needs in the Carlisle community through the Christian Community in Action program. In addition to their service work, the congregation frequently sponsors a float and a booth during the town's annual 4th of July festivities. The Carlisle Christian Church has been an integral part of the surrounding community, and for this, I offer the congregation my utmost congratulations on a prosperous history. It is an honor to represent all the parishioners and the current Pastor, Rev. Karen L. Moore, in the United States Congress, and I wish them continued success, grace, peace and celebration as a community.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mae Lillian Mitchell of Boone, Iowa, on the recent celebration of her 100th birthday on August 26, 2010. Mae was born on August 26, 1910 in Keystone, Iowa. In 1944, she married Raymond B. Mitchell and they were together until his death, when he was ninety-one years old. They have two children, Lois and David; and have two grandchildren, Melissa and Andy. Mae is currently residing at the Evangelical Free Church Home in Boone, Iowa. She maintains an extensive collection of poetry and a collection of antique porcelain dolls. There have been many changes that have occurred during the past one hundred years. Since Mae's birth we have revolutionized air travel and walked on the moon. We have invented the television and the Internet. We have fought in wars overseas, seen the rise and fall of Soviet communism and the birth of new democracies. Mae has lived through eighteen United States Presidents and twenty-two Governors of Iowa. In her lifetime, the population of the United States has more than tripled. I know that my colleagues in the United States Congress join me in sending warm wishes to Mae on the milestone of her 100th birthday. I am extremely honored to represent her in Congress, and I wish her happiness and health for many more years to come.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Don Schoof, a World War II Army veteran from Boone County, Iowa, and to express my appreciation for his dedication and commitment to his country. The Boone News Republican is currently running a series of articles that honors one Boone County veteran every Tuesday from Memorial Day to Veterans Day. Don Schoof was recognized on Tuesday, June 1. Below is the article in its entirety: Boone County Veterans: Don Schoof (By Alexander Hutchins) Don Schoof spent 333 days on the front lines in Italy during World War II, and since returning from that conflict he has folded more than 200 flags for veteran's funerals. Schoof's life since his service in the U.S. Army is filled with accomplishments. He is a former grand warden of the Masons, served as an officer for the American Legion, worked for Iowa State University and worked with the Boone County Historical Society for 13 years. Despite his post-service accomplishments, and the time that has passed since his military career, Schoof still recalls his service in the U.S. Army during World War II to great detail and has been called on for the past several years to speak to Boone school children about his time in the Army. Schoof was born March 9, 1922 in Waverly, Iowa. He graduated from Waverly High School in 1940, and then spent a year studying at Wartburg College. When the war began, Schoof still wanted to pursue a four year degree, but knew his draft number was likely to come up. He transferred to Iowa State University to take a survey course and then joined up with Western Contracting Corporation. He was drafted November 5, 1942. Prior to entering the actual conflict, he traveled through or trained in Camp Dodge in Iowa, Camp White in Oregon, North Africa where he took amphibious training and Naples, Italy where he trained in military intelligence. Schoof took part in the landing at Anzio, Italy and his Division (the 91st) was the first group of American troops through Rome. In one town, Schools unit was shelled and he had to dive through a barbed wire fence to avoid an artillery round. He wounded his leg on the fence and was awarded his first Purple Heart. The 91st Infantry Division then headed north. Schoof said that after the German defeat at the Gothic Line, the banks of the Po River--by which his division traveled--were choked with abandoned German gear. ``That's where we really broke their back,'' he said solemnly. During this time, he was approached in one occupied town by a recently liberated American prisoner. Schoof questioned the man and found that he was from the town of Austin, Minn., only a short distance on Highway 218 from School's hometown. ``I always regret not going later to look him up,'' he said. Schoof said with his experience in the war and realization that day of how close everyone in the conflict was, he learned how important it is to value people. ``You learn how to live and appreciate the people around you,'' he said. Schoof was later flying an L-5 Sentinel reconnaissance plane, part of his military intelligence duties to plan artillery strategy. Schoof would fly over 75 of these missions, but on this particular flight the plane iced up and crashed into a grape vineyard. Schoof earned his second purple heart. Traveling through Milano by jeep to visit a different division, Schoof once came upon bodies hung from a portico. One of them was a recently deceased Mussolini, suspended by his feet. Schoof was home on a 30-day leave when the atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. He would spend 8 more years in the Army Reserves. He noted with a laugh that one of his biggest disappointments was that his gear bag burned up in a warehouse fire while he was on leave, taking all his mementos from Europe in the blaze. Schoof remembered his role in the war with great clarity, and its impression on him was obvious. He organized a semi- annual gathering of his old unit from 1962 to 1980. Schoof couldn't recall a great negative impact from his time in the war. He mentioned how thankful he was that he served in a time with a clearly defined conflict. ``We knew who the enemy was when we went over there, but the guys today don't,'' Schoof said. Schoof's father served in the First World War, fighting in the forests of France. Schoof said he hopes the new veterans from today's conflict will feel welcome in the veteran's services groups like the Veterans of Foreign Wars. This past Memorial Day, he spent memorializing those who hadn't made it home: helping to put flags on the graves of veterans. I commend Don Schoof for his many years of loyalty and service to our great nation. It is an immense honor to represent him in the United States Congress, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Jennifer Doak, an active-duty Specialist with the National Guard from Boone County, Iowa, and to express my appreciation for her dedication and commitment to her country. The Boone News Republican is currently running a series of articles that honors one Boone County veteran every Tuesday from Memorial Day to Veterans Day. Jennifer Doak was recognized on Tuesday, June 8. Below is the article in its entirety: Boone County Veterans: Jennifer Doak (By Alexander Hutchins) Jennifer Doak, a specialist with the Iowa National Guard, pursues her personal goals and serves her Nation as a current member of the National Guard. Doak is from ``all over Iowa,'' having moved to different locations around the state approximately every four years with a brief period of residence in Kentucky. Moving around so frequently made it difficult to form many friendships or get to know her community well, but since she was little she has wanted to serve in the military. ``You have to kind of love what you do,'' Doak said of her decision to join the National Guard. Doak played sports in her childhood and was an avid reader, but with her mother frequently relocating, she became a fairly introverted child. She was influenced to join the National Guard partly due to her father's service in the military during her childhood. She joined the National Guard on Oct. 23, 2003 and continues to serve today. Doak is an M-day soldier with the Guard, serving one weekend a month and two weeks a year. She said her personal goal for her service is to reach the rank of Command Sergeant Major. When not serving her drill weekend, Doak is a full-time student at the Des Moines Area Community College Boone Campus. She also completed courses with Grantham University Online while deployed overseas. She was recently hired by the Boone County Commission for Veterans Affairs, working to provide services to service men and women in Boone County. Doak was deployed to the LSA Anaconda base in Iraq from June of 2006 to August of 2007. She worked as a communications specialist and performed maintenance on ``anything that plugged in.'' When asked about how the current conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan influences her perception of her vocation, Doak was enthusiastic. ``It makes me want to work harder, to be better at [my job],'' she said. Doak said she does not plan to become a full-time Guardswoman, but she was thankful for the people she has met and friendships she has made during her time in the guard. She said she had no significant regrets from her time in the military except for not being able to be home when loved ones passed away. ``It's a repercussion of any job,'' she said. Doak said that she is more aware of things in the world than she used to be, and her time in the Guard has helped her recognize the value of everyday experiences. ``I've grown up quite quickly,'' Doak said. She said she is more mature and conscious than she was in high school. In the time between Memorial Day and Veterans Day, Doak encourages everyone to remember what military personnel and veterans have done. ``I think Veterans Day and Memorial Day touch everyone in some capacity,'' Doak said. Doak said that even if you do not like that soldiers are deployed somewhere, it's important to thank them when the time is right. ``Remember to thank somebody,'' she said. I commend Jennifer Doak for her many years of loyalty and service to our great Nation. It is an immense honor to represent her in the United States Congress, and I wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a great achievement by Dustin Smith of Decorah, Iowa. He was named overall high point individual in his age division at the 2010 National Junior Shorthorn Show and Youth Conference in East Lansing, Michigan. The annual National Junior Shorthorn Show and Youth Conference, which was founded in 1981, is a weeklong event full of contests and educational activities. More than 300 junior shorthorn enthusiasts from 24 states competed in this year's conference. Dustin Smith accumulated the points from first place showings in his division in three categories: the arts and crafts contest, the livestock judging contest and the team fitting contest. The example set by Dustin demonstrates the rewards of hard work, dedication and determination. His triumph is an honor that we all can admire and be proud of. I am honored to represent Dustin Smith in the United States Congress. I know that my colleagues join me in congratulating Dustin and wishing him continued success in his future endeavors.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Friendship Haven of Fort Dodge, Iowa on the occasion of their 60th anniversary. Friendship Haven provides housing to over 6,700 senior citizens in Fort Dodge. In the 1920s, Reverend Clarence Thompkins, a Methodist minister, thought of creating a home for seniors; however it was not until 1947 when the city of Fort Dodge donated enough land and money to make this idea into a reality. Other individuals like H.C. Kirkberg and Julia Oleson gifted land or money to help support Friendship Haven. The first resident moved in 1950 and what started as a single building grew to a full campus. Today, Friendship Haven offers town home living, two independent living apartments, assisted living, long-term and short-stay nursing care, second family home care, adult day services, and a rehabilitation program gym. Friendship Haven has strived to meet the needs of area seniors by providing excellent living conditions and options, resources and encouraging citizens to live an active life. I know that my colleagues join me in congratulating the residents, staff and friends of Friendship Haven on this historic anniversary. It is an honor to represent Friendship Haven in the United States Congress, and I wish them continued success well into the future.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Nick Lacina of Marshalltown, Iowa, who will be serving as the honorary chair of the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life of Marshall County, Iowa, which will take place on Saturday, July 31 until Sunday, August 1, 2010. Nick is currently undergoing three years of treatment for leukemia. Nick continues to pursue his dreams by studying to become a civil engineer at Iowa State University. It is expected that Nick will make a full recovery once the treatments are complete. He has shown great strength throughout the period of his treatment. I know that my colleagues in the United States Congress join me in recognizing Nick Lacina and all of the volunteers and supporters of the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life of Marshall County, Iowa. I consider it an honor to represent Nick in Congress and wish him a healthy recovery.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Well, when we start getting phone calls, I'll refer them to your office. I appreciate the gentleman's concern, and again, I think the purpose has merit, where the money is going, but I'm just concerned about the limitation here. Thank you.

Mr. LATHAM. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LATHAM. I thank the chairman for yielding. Actually, I do oppose this. I agree with the idea of putting more money into where you would like to have the money go. My concern is that this is taking money out of reverse mortgages for seniors, and while the President requested $250 million in his budget, it is funded at $150 million. This would take another 10 out of that. The problem is that if there is increased demand, if more seniors want to have reverse mortgages, then it simply cannot happen without the funding that's there. So I would just oppose it, not because of the purpose where you would like to have the money go, but we're taking money away from seniors here who may, in fact, want to have a reverse mortgage on their home.

Mr. LATHAM. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LATHAM. While I am not in opposition to the gentleman's amendment, I would like to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. LaTourette).

Mr. LATHAM. Mr. Chairman, I would like to claim the time in opposition.

Mr. LATHAM. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hensarling).

Mr. LATHAM. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I am going to be very brief as Mr. Olver has told us an awful lot about H.R. 5850, the fiscal year 2011 Transportation and Housing, or THUD, bill. I just want to say, on a personal level, thank you to Chairman Olver for his ability to work together on this bill. He has been a true gentleman and very, very cooperative. He has reached out and has really made this a pleasure to go through the entire hearing process this year. I also want to thank the staff for all of their hard work. Mr. Olver has already named the staff members, but I also want to make sure that they know how much we appreciate all of their hard work. I really believe, this year, that we did have an opportunity to adhere to a normal appropriations process. We have a closed or a modified open rule here today, and it hasn't always been easy throughout the whole process. We did have a very entertaining and, I think, a very productive hearing season, and I appreciate all of the efforts to bring some of the housing and transportation concerns to light, especially when the chairman and I don't always agree on the best solutions to tackle these complicated issues of spending, housing, and transportation. The result of those hearings is the bill before us, totaling $67.4 billion, which is a mere $500 million below the fiscal year 2010 levels. Before we celebrate this reduction, we need to remember that the fiscal year 2010 bill was a whopping 23 percent over the year before. I want to say that again. The bill last year was 23 percent higher than the year before that. So, really, the $500 million reduction in this bill is a drop in the bucket of where we need to go to bring us back to some sanity and a reasonable state. While Mr. Olver is a most accommodating chairman, I do have some disagreements with some of the funding decisions he has made in the bill before us. I know the administration has come to Chairman Olver and has complained that he didn't fund each and every new idea in the bill--and I commend him for that. However, in light of the drastic deficit situation that is facing this country, I would prefer a little more critique and restraint on some of the new, untested, and expensive programs before proposing funding at or above the President's request. Livability? Sustainability? Have we defined these concepts? Obviously not, since this bill gives the Department of Transportation $4 million to figure out how to measure livability. Should we be asking the American taxpayers to give us $4 million for the Department of Transportation to go and figure out what they want to do in your local communities when families are trying to keep their homes and invest in their businesses? I would say no. Another example, really, is high-speed rail. The President got $8 billion in the stimulus bill for high-speed rail back in 2009, and only a very small fraction of that $8 billion has gone out the door as the Federal Railroad Administration is still working with recipients of those funds to nail down a grant agreement. The only industry that has been stimulated by the high-speed rail funds are the planners and the lobbyists. Yet this bill gives another $400 million on top of the President's request of $1 billion and on top of the whopping $2.5 billion they got in fiscal year 2010. So if this bill becomes law, the taxpayers will have given--or more appropriately, borrowed--almost $12 billion for high-speed rail, and we still don't have one single operating high-speed rail line on the horizon. Is this a horrible bill? No, it's not. Does it spend too much? Certainly, it does. I would encourage Members to give careful consideration to the few amendments that are made in order today. There are some very thoughtful amendments that would reduce the cost of this bill, which would still fund the core programs under THUD at a respectable level. In closing, I want to thank Chairman Obey, Chairman Olver, Ranking Member Lewis, and all of the members of the subcommittee for getting this bill to the House floor. Again, I would like to thank the staff, both the committee staff and personal office staff, for all of their hard work in putting together this legislative package. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LATHAM. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis), the ranking member.

Mr. LATHAM. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence). (Mr. PENCE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LATHAM. I yield myself 1 minute. I just want to tell the gentleman--and I don't want to get into a partisan fight here, but there was not one person on the other side of the aisle who voted to double infrastructure spending in the stimulus bill, spend half as much money overall, and by the President's own top economic adviser, would have created twice as many jobs as what did the stimulus bill that was actually passed and signed into law. Our motion to recommit was to double the funding for infrastructure, if anybody's forgotten that. That was exactly what it was so that we could have actually created jobs here in the United States. The gentleman apparently forgets that he voted against that. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LATHAM. I yield the gentleman 1 additional minute.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize David Williamson of Ogden, Iowa and his work with Project AWARE (A Watershed Awareness River Expedition), which is a volunteer river clean-up project organized by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. David utilizes metals collected from local rivers to create sculptures and other artwork to promote Project AWARE. He travels to the Iowa State Fair every summer and creates a metal sculpture to help increase the awareness and the importance of cleaning and maintaining Iowa's rivers. I know that my colleagues in the United States Congress join me in commending David Williamson for his dedicated work with Project AWARE. I consider it an honor to represent David in Congress and I wish him continued success in supporting Project AWARE through his artwork.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Amyra Faisal of Ames, Iowa on the occasion of being named the 2010 Iowa Shrine Bowl Queen. Amyra enjoys makeup, animals, hula-hooping and figure skating. Despite being an active eight year old, Amyra has a degenerative bone condition called osteogenesis imperfecta, which results in brittle bones. She has been treated by the Shriners Hospital in Montreal, Canada since she was born. Amyra is able live an active life due to the donations of the Za-Ga-Zig Shrine in Altoona, Iowa. The Za-Ga-Zig Shrine pays for around 80 percent of the costs related to travelling and staying near the Montreal hospital. Since Amyra is a longtime Shriner patient, she was chosen to be the 2010 Iowa Shrine Bowl Queen. By being the Shrine Bowl queen, she will be participating in the parade and will be recognized at the football game. I have been informed that Amyra has already been practicing her parade wave and has picked out a white dress to wear. I congratulate Amyra on being named the 2010 Iowa Shrine Bowl queen. I am honored to represent Amyra and her family in Congress and wish her the best in the future.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Kevin Geis of Ames, Iowa, who is currently in the process of riding his bike to Wyoming to raise money for charity. Kevin usually rides his bicycle as an escape from work and to stay in shape but is now utilizing cycling as a philanthropic tool. Kevin has embarked on a 1,200 mile journey from Iowa to Wyoming to raise money for the Matthew 25 House located in Ames, Iowa. The Matthew 25 House is a faith-based halfway house for former prison inmates. Kevin began his adventure on July 23, 2010 and plans on arriving at his final destination of Wheatland, Wyoming on August 3, 2010. I commend Kevin for putting forth a tremendous effort for the Matthew 25 House. Kevin should be admired for literally going a great distance for a cause he believes in and supports. Kevin is an inspiration to all for doing such a selfless act to help, not only the Matthew 25 House but also the community as a whole. I am honored to represent Kevin and his family in the United States Congress, and I wish him the best of luck in this ride and in his future endeavors.

Mr. LATHAM

Mr. LATHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lyle Martin of Huxley, Iowa on the occasion of his retirement as the owner of Blumsters on Main in Huxley. Lyle had been making handcrafted furniture as a hobby until he bought a building on Main Street in Huxley. Lyle bought the Blumster Flower Shop, and he decided to combine it with his furniture-making endeavor, which is now a fixture in Huxley. Over the years, Blumsters on Main expanded and now sells a variety of items including children's books, women's jewelry, and Iowa wine. Lyle would like to see the store continue to operate after his retirement. He has enjoyed meeting and talking with his customers about the store and labels it a great experience. I know that my colleagues in the United States Congress join me in recognizing Lyle Martin's service to the town of Huxley, and I wish him much happiness and health during his retirement.