William Lipinski

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding gentleman, Frank Wachowski, more commonly known as ``The Chicago Weather Man,'' who will be honored on October 16, 2004 with the prestigious Thomas Jefferson Award. It is with great honor that I recognize the contribution of a man who continues to serve the Chicagoland area and the state of Illinois. The Thomas Jefferson Awards are presented to people who work to better their communities through volunteer and community services. They are ordinary people who do extraordinary things without expectations of recognition or reward. For over 25 years, Frank Wachowski has volunteered his services as a cooperative observer for the National Weather Service and has closely worked with Tom Skilling, chief meteorologist at WGN-TV in Chicago. More than 11,000 volunteers nationwide take observations on farms, in urban and suburban areas, National Parks, seashores, and mountaintops. The Cooperative Network has been recognized as the most definitive source of information on our nation's climate trends as the data collections are truly representative of where people live, work and play. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me today in honoring Frank Wachowski for all of his hard work and dedication, as I hope that others are inspired by him to become involved in community service projects.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable gentleman, and friend, Mr. Stanley Balzekas in the celebration of his 80th birthday on October 8, 1924. It is with great honor that I recognize the contributions of a man who continues to serve the community of the Third Congressional District of Illinois. The Balzekas family's years of service have been an invaluable contribution to the City of Chicago and beyond, as the Balzekas family members have been prominent leaders in the business and cultural life of our community. Stanley Balzekas's personal sacrifices of time and energy to family, friends and country stand as a testament of a truly fine individual. For his service to our Nation in the United States Army during World War II, we owe Mr. Balzekas a debt of gratitude. Mr. Balzekas's interest and dedication to Chicago's great Lithuanian population has made him one of the foremost leaders amongst Chicago's diverse, ethnic communities; his great desire to bring peace to all people for the betterment of mankind is just one of his many noble qualities. He has worked with leading institutions, such as the Library of Congress, the National Endowment of the Arts and Humanities, Baltic freedom organizations, and the Chicago Public Library to enhance the world's understanding of Lithuania's deep history. Mr. Balzekas has enriched the diverse fabric of our entire Chicago community by founding the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture, one of the largest ethnic museums and libraries in the United States. Through such measures, Mr. Balzekas has been a dedicated guardian of the heritage, history and culture of this nation's Lithuanian ancestry. Currently, Mr. Balzekas proudly serves as the Honorary Consul General of the Consulate for the Republic of Lithuania in Palm Beach, Florida. He also presides over the Ethnic Cultural Preservation Council, Chicago Sister Cities International Committee, the Baltic Foundation, Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art and as vice-chairman for the Lithuanian- American Council. Mr. Balzekas has been blessed with a wonderful family of three children and four grandchildren, all of which will be celebrating his birthday this week. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring Mr. Stanley Balzekas on reaching the milestone year of 80, and I wish him many future years of happiness and enjoyment in his personal and professional endeavors.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. First of all, I want to once again say that I appreciate the kind words the gentleman from Minnesota had to say about me. I would like to say that I learned a great deal from him over the course of my time here in the House of Representatives. Oftentimes I refer to him as Mr. Transportation, and I sincerely mean that. He probably knows more about transportation than anyone I have met in the 22 years I have been in the House of Representatives and he has certainly been enormously helpful to me in my career here. I also want to thank Chairman Young and Chairman Petri for including me as much as they have in the deliberations on this bill, through the subcommittee, the full committee, the House floor, and in the conference committee. I have really felt like a partner in this legislation. If I had been in the majority, I do not think that I could have been treated any better than I was by Chairman Young and Chairman Petri, and I sincerely appreciate that. It has been very enjoyable working on this bill. I have been very pleased, as I say, with the participation that we have been given by the majority. There has been a lot of talk here today about this bill not becoming law and us not getting out of conference. I simply want to say, and I will preface this for the benefit of the few people who do not know, the Speaker of the House and I have a very good relationship and we have had for a long time. So I say that because I want to say that no one has worked harder to get this bill passed into law than Denny Hastert. I know that Chairman Young has had many, many meetings with him. I know that the Speaker has gone to the White House on countless occasions. I know he has talked to the Senators, the Senate conference committee members. I know that the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young); the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), ranking member; the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) have worked very hard on this bill. But I do not think they worked any harder on getting this bill passed than the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker Hastert) has, and I want to make sure everyone understands that in this body. Yes, we have problems. Yes, the Republicans control the White House, the Senate, and the House. But as I know from Illinois, where the Democrats control the governorship, the Senate, and the House, sometimes when one party controls everything, they do not quite get along as well as they would have if they were in the minority. So I appreciate that. I understand that. I would also like to say in conclusion that there have been people who have helped our staff and helped the Democratic side considerably. That is, people from the House Legislative Counsel, Dave, Curt, and Rosemary; from DOT, Megan, Brigham, Jim, Gary; from NHTSA, Scott, Brian, Marlene; from FTA, William, Kris, Rita; from FHWA, Ross, Sue, Carolyn, and Susan. And certainly, David and Ward on our staff here have put an awful lot of work into this bill. I am still hopeful that when we get back from our recess during the course of the election period of time that we will be able to pass this bill so that I will still be here in the House of Representatives when this bill becomes law. I am for the extension. Let us move on it. Let us get back to work trying to be bring this bill to conference. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Minnesota for those words, particularly those kind words about myself. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson).

Mr. LIPINSKI. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey very much. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the ranking member of the full committee. (Mr. OBERSTAR asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Corrine Brown).

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, on September 29, the bipartisan leadership of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure introduced H.R. 5183, the Surface Transportation Extension Act of 2004. H.R. 5183 would extend our Nation's surface transportation programs for an additional 8 months, through May 31, 2005. While I fully support this extension, I am certainly not pleased that we need to consider such a measure once again. This is the fifth such extension we are considering since our highway and transit programs expired exactly 1 year ago. Earlier this year, my colleagues in this body labored long and very hard to pass H.R. 3550. In writing TEA-LU, our committee considered the interests and needs of almost every single Member of this body. We held dozens of hearings and we heard from many Members. We heard about their needs in their districts that they represent. Most importantly, we listened. We tried to accommodate the needs of every Member within the $275 billion bill. All in all, I think that the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young), the ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) and myself on the Committee on Transportation and the Infrastructure did a good job. I believe we wrote a good bipartisan bill. This body passed TEA-LU by a vote of 357-65. But now many, many months later, this measure is stalled in conference. Let me be clear, the leadership in this body has worked long and hard to negotiate an increase in the funding level from $275 billion to $299 billion. I believe that this is a good funding level. We would all like to have more, but democracy is compromise and we have all had to compromise. My understanding is that most of my colleagues in this Chamber will accept the $299 billion funding for this bill. The leadership of this body should be commended for their efforts. Unfortunately, the conference is still stalled due to opposition from some Members of the other body. We simply cannot continue to allow our highway and transit programs to limp along, extension after extension. States and localities are bearing the brunt of this inaction. State DOTs are flatlining their capital budgets. Critical transportation projects are not getting completed. Congestion problems are getting worse. However, hope springs eternal. I, for one, believe we can get it done. Much like Ronald Wilson Reagan, I am an eternal optimist. I also have faith in our democratic process, and I have faith in our leadership on the committee and in this body. We still have an opportunity to finish negotiations on the highway conference, but to do so I would urge the other body to put aside partisan differences and think about the Nation, and we simply need to get this job done. But for now I urge my colleagues to support the extension. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. LIPINSKI asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor and recognition of Bethany Korczynski and Dominic Zucchero as they celebrate their devotion to each other and to their future together. It seems that we face a challenging time regarding one of the ``lode stones'' of our society: the family unit. It may seem that the moral fiber of America is being tested. During these times of changing attitudes, I believe that we can encourage the traditional values that have made our country strong. Those values that are best learned and practiced within the family unit based on the holy, loving union of a man and a woman. The union of these two individuals from the Chicagoland region, Bethany Anne Korczynski, daughter of Edwin J., pilot and Chief Airport Operations Supervisor and Diane M., teacher of special education, and of Dominic A. Zucchero, son of Theodore J. and Andrea L. of the Chicagoland area, will be on October 9, 2004. The wedding will take place at the landmark Catholic Church of Notre Dame De Chicago established in 1864 by the first settlers who were of French descent. The church is located at 1334 West Flourndy Street in Chicago. It is with great excitement and anticipation that both the Zucchero's and Korczynski's share in the happiness of this union. The commitment of this couple is both impressive and deserving of special recognition and honor. I ask all my colleagues to join me in wishing this great couple many years of health and happiness.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, on August 1, 1944, the greatest armed uprising by underground Europe against the German occupant began in Warsaw. The Warsaw Uprising lasted for 63 days and cost the lives of about 250,000 people. These two months of heroic combat serve as a symbol of courage, chivalry, the price of independence, but also of the harsh reality of world politics. The Uprising was started by the Polish underground Home Army, which at the beginning of August had only about 20,000 poorly equipped soldiers, but over time managed to actively involve over 400,000 men, women and children. It was largely thanks to young Polish Boy Scouts that messages between fighting insurgents were spread, medications were delivered and symbols of independence were painted on walls of buildings to show the people--and the Nazis--that Poland was fighting and would not bow to the overwhelming force of German troops, tanks, airplanes and artillery. Even German war correspondents noted that the intensity and difficulty of combat in Warsaw could only be compared to the street battles of Stalingrad, which greatly attributed to the fall of the Germans on the eastern front. The United States recognized the valiance of the Polish insurgents by officially proclaiming them military combatants on August 30, 1944. Although a quarter million people died in the Uprising and the city was leveled to the ground on Hitler's orders, which showed the world how high a price Poland was prepared to pay for its freedom, the Poles did not gain full independence until 1989, 45 years after the Uprising's end. The Soviet dictator, Josef Stalin, had a vision of a communist Polish state with a vassal government long before the Warsaw Uprising started. During the conference in Teheran in 1943, Stalin managed to convince the United Sates and Great Britain to shift Poland's borders west, thus reassuring his strong position and the authority to make practically unilateral decisions about the future of Central & Eastern Europe. In July 1944, the Red Army was within fifty kilometers from Poland's capital, but though their primary objective was to crash the Wehrmacht, they did not mean to liberate Poland, but to install a quasi-Polish government that had already been prepared in Moscow to rule in compliance with Soviet principles and under Stalin's supervision. The Home Army was seen as a perilous force, as it sought independence, therefore the communist propaganda renounced the Home Army led uprising as a ``reckless and irresponsible adventure'' to which the Soviet government could not lend its support. In fact, soon after the collapse of the Uprising most of Home Army officers and many soldiers were prosecuted and sentenced for treason. Ironically, had the home Army's commanders decided not to rise against the occupant, they would no doubt have been accused of collaboration with the Nazis and of cowardice. Having made the tragic decision to take arms against the oppressor that not long before had controlled most of Europe, the leaders of the Uprising had every right to expect support from their western allies. And they did receive it. Airplanes flew from Italy across half of Europe delivering arms and other provisions to the insurgents, sustaining heavy casualties, but were not allowed to land on the Soviet side of the front. Not until September 18, 1944, two and a half weeks before the collapse of the Uprising, were over one hundred B-17 American flying fortresses able to appear above Warsaw to drop arms, medications and other provisions and then land on the Soviet side of the front. Unfortunately, it was already too late, as the areas of Warsaw in the hands of the Home Army had significantly diminished when compared with the first half of August, making it possible for the Poles to collect less than one-third of the dropped cargo. The Soviets entered eastern Warsaw lying on the right bank of the Vistula River in the middle of September, but did not move into the center of the city, where the insurgents were still fighting, having decided to wait until those who were willing to sacrifice their lives for Poland's independence have perished. On August 1, sixty years will have passed since the outbreak of the bloodiest battle in over 1000 years of Polish history and one of the most heroic combats in the Second World War. Rarely has the price of freedom and independence been so high and the fate of those who paid it so tragic. For fifteen years now Poland has been a free country, a member of NATO for five years and since May, a member of the European Union. Its successful transition from an oppressive regime to a peaceful democracy proves the determination of Poles to be a free nation. Such courageous events as the Warsaw Uprising show that it is freedom they deserve. They surely earned it.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my great concern that schedules recently implemented by the new carrier Independence Air will undermine the hard work that the FAA has done for this summer's service to O'Hare International Airport. This is an issue where we should all be concerned, considering that delays at O'Hare not only impact my district but also shake the entire national aviation system. Beginning this past winter and continuing through spring, the DOT and the FAA worked carefully with the two largest carriers at O'Hare, American Airlines and United Airlines, to reduce schedules during the peak hours for this summer season. Those airlines agreed to reduce their schedules in the busy afternoon and evening hours, first by 5 percent and later by another 2.5 percent. This notable effort was widely announced by the DOT and the airlines as an important step in reducing delays at O'Hare and throughout the entire national airspace system during this peak season. However, Independence Air, a new airline operating small 50-seat regional jets, has announced they will have 12 new round trips per day from Washington Dulles to O'Hare. This service has at least five round trips in the peak hours and began last week on June 16. Mr. Speaker, this offering of new service, especially with small regional jets, is not only unfair to those airlines who made the schedule cuts but also undermines the work of the Department of Transportation and adds delays during the busy summer months. The new service adds only 600 seats per day in each direction, but uses 12 round trips' worth of takeoff and landing capacity. Furthermore, the Chicago-Washington market already has plenty of service, including 10 round trips with full-sized low-fair jets by Southwest between BWI and Midway, ATA Airlines between Reagan National and Midway, and even more service by American and United Airlines from Reagan National to O'Hare. Meanwhile, American and United have had to reduce service in smaller, less-served markets to free up capacity at O'Hare. The bottom line is that operational restrictions at O'Hare will not solve the delay problem over the long run. The answer to the delay problem is increasing capacity through the O'Hare Modernization Program, OMP. Therefore, I do hope that the completion of the OMP's environmental impact statement, the ESI, will move forward as expeditiously as possible. In the meantime, I am concerned about Independence Air, because the Department's future ability to work with existing carriers to reduce schedules will be ruined if a schedule agreement can be so quickly and easily undermined. I hope that this is an issue that we can study more in depth at an aviation subcommittee hearing in the coming months. I ask that the DOT work quickly with Independence Air to shift these planned flights out of the peak periods at O'Hare this summer. I would also appreciate an explanation as to how future scheduling agreements can be enforced. Without an enforcement mechanism, a voluntary scheduling production process cannot work in the future. Time is of the essence. We must give this issue the attention it needs and deserves and work to prevent the millions of passengers who pass through O'Hare Airport from being delayed.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Wilson Reagan. President Reagan was the most courageous, daring and fearless president that I have had the pleasure of serving with in my 22 years in the United States House of Representatives. Ronald Wilson Reagan was one of the two greatest presidents of the 20th Century. Ronald Wilson Reagan was one of the most outstanding presidents in the history of the American Republic. I was a great fan of and on many occasions, a very strong supporter with my vote of President Reagan. I will always remember the day when my wife, Rose Marie, and I met with President Reagan in the Oval Office. He was as friendly and down to earth as the man-next-door. We had our picture taken with him and asked him to autograph cards with the presidential seal for each of our children, Laura and Dan, which he did. President Reagan first wrote the cards out differently for each my daughter and son, but said he should have known better and so he wrote the same greeting for both of them. It was a great honor to meet President Reagan and serve with him in the United States of America's government for many, many reasons. But, I believe mainly because he gave back to America its optimism, its pride, its enthusiasm, and its belief in itself. There can be no greater service than that of a president who can render to America these qualities; and for that, President Reagan truly was one of the greatest Presidents of the United States.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) for the time. I want to stay that I strongly support this motion to instruct. This is an enormously important program. It is one that the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the ranking member, has worked on for a long, long period of time. It is something that I personally am very much interested in, being a cyclist myself; and it is one that I know the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman Petri) also have supported very strongly, and I appreciate their support. But in talking about the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman Petri), I want to once again stress the fact that the product that we have produced out of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a product that the Republicans and the Democrats shared equally in. We worked in concert. We certainly did have some disagreements. There were certainly some things that we did not see eye to eye on, but we resolved those in a very honest, open manner. I want to compliment the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young) once again for the patience and the persistence that he has demonstrated in moving this bill to the floor of the House of Representatives. I know it has been very difficult for him. There have been many extenuating circumstances that have delayed things, but it certainly was not any fault of his. I know that if the Senate will be as cooperative, as helpful, as understanding as we in the House have been in putting this legislation together that it should not take long for this conference committee to agree upon a bill to bring back to the House and Senate and to move on to the President so that we can really energize this economy in this country. There is no more important bill for the economy that this legislative body can deal with than this bill dealing with highways and mass transit in the United States of America. As my favorite President of the 20th century said, this type of bill is a jobs, jobs, jobs bill. We need that in this economy, but we need more ways to move people around, and this is the way to do it. I thank the gentleman very much for the time.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the students in the Third Congressional District of Illinois who participated in the All-American Boy and Girl Award Program. I am proud to report that eighty remarkable students from schools located on the southwest side of Chicago were recognized for their achievements. I started this program in the late 1960's when I was a Recreation Supervisor for the Chicago Park District. After over thirty successful years, this program is still the cornerstone of my efforts to identify and recognize young men and women who get involved in their community while excelling in the classroom and participating in extracurricular activities. The All-American Boy and Girl Program recognizes 7th and 8th grade students who live and attend school in the Third Congressional District of Illinois. The final award winners are selected by a panel of judges comprised of local community leaders, teachers and elected officials. I would like to pay special tribute to the winners who were announced at a ceremony held on May 7, 2004. Third place was awarded to Emily Masek, Steve Rosenbaum, Eilis Fagan and Robert Edstrom. Second place went to Amanda Meza, Tom Costello, Jessica Jurevis and Jonathan Braun. Finally, first place was awarded to Christine Marie Molina, Damien Fox, Brooke Borowiak, and Andrew Jarzebek. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the 2004 All American Boy and Girl Award winners and participants on their academic and leadership achievements, and extend to them my best wishes for much success in the future.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the tremendous sacrifice and bravery of the countless men and women who have fallen in service to this great country. This Memorial Day, let us stop to remember all of the American service men and women who have answered the call to defend our Nation, many making that ultimate sacrifice for the peace and preservation of this great union. As we prepare to dedicate the National World War II Memorial, we are again reminded of the brave, young men and women who have come before us giving their lives in defense of this land. From the beaches of Normandy to the Sea of Japan to the heart of the Rhine, 400,000 Americans gave their lives defending democracy and halting the spread of tyranny during the Second World War. Now, immortalized in granite, America pays tribute to our Greatest Generation and the selfless sacrifices so many made in honor of our Nation. Again, this country is engaged in battle. Fighting to maintain peace and security across the globe, American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to make the ultimate sacrifice to ensure freedom and democracy for all people. As the war on terror continues, Americans must honor the brave men and women who gave their lives for the protection of this Nation and the hope of another. This Memorial Day I pay tribute to the millions of soldiers who have fallen in service to this great Nation and the immeasurable sacrifices they have made defending freedom and democracy throughout the world. It is with a humble heart and proud spirit that I honor the lives of America's fallen soldiers and remember with admiration their patriotism and dedication to country in the face of adversity. Let us never forget their sacrifices.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Village of Western Springs, a township located in the Third Congressional District of Illinois. The Village of Western Springs officially proclaimed April 30, 2004 as Arbor Day, a special day to set aside for the planting of trees. This year, Western Springs was recognized and awarded the prestigious title of Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation. It is certainly an occasion worthy of special recognition, as Western Springs has shown a commitment and dedication to Arbor Day by planting trees and caring for their woodlands. Village President John Kravcik publicly declared April 30 as the official Arbor Day for the Village of Western Springs. I was privileged to take part in the Western Springs Arbor Day ceremony with the students of McClure Junior High School, Principal John Chick, Vice Principal Matt Castle and the citizens of Western Springs. We were honored with the presence of the Western Springs Garden Club, including Ann Gindorf and President Mary Kubalanza, Fred Rodriguez and Jack Lund of the Western Springs Memorial V.F.W. Post 10778, and Father Tom Bernas of St. Richard's Parish who offered the ceremony's prayer. I would like to pay special tribute to the Arbor Day essay winners Jenni Breslin, Schuyler Hilton, and Nicky Galvez, who shared their literary works to commemorate this day. It is essential for children to learn the importance and value of trees to the environment and our community, in order to ensure future generations will enjoy greener, healthier, and more beautiful places. The students of McClure Junior High School displayed their commitment to protecting and promoting the community's natural beauty by planting a tree on school grounds during the ceremony. In the 128 years since its founding, Arbor Day has become a holiday celebrated in cities across America and nations throughout the world. Arbor Day draws particular attention to the part trees play in our lives and in the significant ways they beautify and enrich our communities. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the people of Western Springs are taking the time to celebrate Arbor Day. I wish them the best of success in their tree-planting efforts and I strongly hope that more Americans will follow their positive example.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the memory of a remarkable civic leader from the Third District of Illinois, Mayor Ernest F. Kolb. Throughout his career, Mayor Kolb was an incredible visionary for the Village of Oak Lawn. Mayor Ernie was a strong, energetic leader, and over the years he became a dear friend of mine. The people of Oak Lawn thought the world of him, for he was a man of true character and integrity. Mayor Ernie passed away in June of 2003, yet he will live on in our hearts and always be remembered by the people of Oak Lawn. Mayor Ernie served the Village of Oak Lawn since 1955, and as mayor for the past twenty six years. He dedicated his life to the village, at all times envisioning routes to build a better community. Mayor Ernie greatly impacted the growth and prosperity of the village by seeing to the construction of a new village hall, police station, and fire station. Mayor Ernie continuously recruited new businesses, worked to beautify the community, and overall improved the quality of life. On April 24, 2004, the Ridgeland School District honored this great man by dedicating the Ernest F. Kolb Elementary School in his name. During financial hardship for the State of Illinois, the district was forced to close down several schools. Mayor Ernie went far beyond the call of duty to ensure that the Dearborn Heights Elementary School kept the doors open to their students. Today, the newly renovated Dearborn Heights will possess the name and spirit of Ernest F. Kolb. The Village of Oak Lawn will continue to share in his passion for education. The future of our communities rest in the children of our schools and it was the goal of Mayor Ernie to make sure the students believed in their potential. Mr. Speaker, I am certain that Ernie Kolb's enthusiasm for education, community strength, and civic leadership will forever linger in the minds of the people of Oak Lawn.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the memory of an exceptional statesman from Illinois, Senate Majority Leader Vince Demuzio. Throughout his career, Senator Demuzio has been a tremendous leader for the State of Illinois. His efforts in the Illinois Assembly, too numerous to even mention, serve as a model for each of us in public service. For twenty nine years, Senator Demuzio proved to be a true leader in the state legislature as he worked to represent the needs of his constituents while reaching out to all of his colleagues. Senator Demuzio was admired and respected on both sides of the aisle. His spirited partisanship, which included a reputation of being both tough and fair, brought members together across party lines, for the good of Illinois. Senator Demuzio consistently possessed a keen understanding of what it truly meant to be a public servant. Vince put the needs of his community first and foremost in everything he did. The people of Illinois have truly benefited from Senator Demuzio's legislative initiatives that included massive education reform, transportation projects, agricultural research, and necessary state-wide water and sewage improvements. He remained focused on state government throughout his entire political career and has greatly contributed to the development of downstate Illinois. Senator Demuzio's leadership and political abilities have been recognized by his colleagues throughout his entire career. Vince served as the state chairman of the Democratic Party from 1986 to 1990, becoming the first downstate official to hold the post in decades, giving the areas surrounding the 49th district a greater voice in the state government. In 2003, Senator Demuzio became the Dean of the Senate, having served more years than any other current member of the Illinois State Senate. Senator Demuzio is credited with rebuilding the infrastructure of the Illinois Democratic Party and the Illinois delegation stands united today as a result of his superb leadership. The Illinois Senate and the people of this state have lost a great leader. Mr. Speaker, I join the State of Illinois in mourning the loss of this statesman, and extend to Senator Demuzio's family my thoughts and prayers.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Chairman, I want to take this opportunity to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri), the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), and the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) for involving me in this process very thoroughly, very completely. This truly has been a bipartisan effort. I have been astonished by the willingness of the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young) to involve this side of the aisle in the deliberations, the planning, the execution of what we have in this bill. This is a bill that was approved unanimously by the very large Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Not one single negative vote was cast against this bill in committee. And that is a testament to the leadership of the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) of involving everyone. But it was not only the big four that was involved in this bill; every single member of this committee, every single Member of this House had the opportunity to participate in this bill. That is a tribute to the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young), and I thank him for it.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4\1/4\ minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the ranking member of the full committee.

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest).

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.