Ray LaHood

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Madam Speaker, during the last several years, I have had the honor and pleasure to work with the National Endowment for the Arts. I have been impressed with their energy, passion, and integrity in connection with their pursuit to bring arts excellence to America. I would like to discuss a few of the programs which have been so important to our communities and which were brought to us by the National Endowment for the Arts. I'll start with Shakespeare in American Communities. Since its inception in 2003, the program has brought live, high quality Shakespeare performances to more than 2,000 communities in all 50 states. Sixty-five professional theater companies have participated in the largest tour of Shakespearean theater in American history. They have reached audiences of 1 million--focusing on high school students-- and have distributed 55,000 sets of exemplary educational materials-- free to any teacher. Poetry Out Loud is a national poetry recitation contest for high school students that was conducted in partnership with all 50 State arts agencies; 150,000 students were engaged in learning and reciting poetry and $50,000 was awarded annually in scholarship funds to winning students. The NEA Jazz Masters program has expanded exponentially under the leadership of Chairman Dana Gioia. Designed to honor the best and most innovative jazz musicians and advocates, the Jazz Masters award has become the nation's highest honor in jazz. An NEA Jazz Masters on Tour commenced, and a curriculum was developed for high school teachers--NEA Jazz in the Schools--celebrating the story of jazz in a classroom- friendly format for music, civics, social studies, and U.S. history classes. The agency has produced a special commemorative recording of the music of 27 Jazz Masters, developed with National Public Radio a series of documentaries profiling honorees, and launched on public television the ``Legends of Jazz'' program--a series of conversations with Jazz Masters. Through the American Masterpieces initiative, the Endowment has given grants to organizations to bring the best of our cultural and artistic legacy to Americans. Through this program they have supported the disciplines of visual arts, dance, musical theater, presenting choral music, and chamber music. State arts councils have shared in this program by supporting their indigenous master artists and art forms. One program which we should be very proud of is the Big Read. Through this program--the largest project ever undertaken by the National Endowment for the Arts--the Endowment has given grants and educational materials to 533 communities to conduct community-wide reading programs centered around a great work of fiction chosen by the community. By reaching 96 percent of the country with Big Read events and activities, 2 million attendees have been introduced to great American literature. Through its tireless effort, the National Endowment for the Arts has solidified its relationship with Congress and the American public. I would like to recognize all of the employees at the agency for their excellent work and commitment to the arts. In particular, I would like to commend the outstanding and tireless work performed by Chairman Dana Gioia and Senior Deputy Chairman Eileen Mason. Their leadership and enthusiasm and substantive work resulted in a renaissance era at the National Endowment for the Arts. I congratulate them for a job well done.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2638, the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009: STEM Education Research Center: $5 million will be used to create dedicated health sciences research laboratories. Account: General Provision. Requesting Entity: Bradley University, 1501 West Bradley Avenue, Peoria, IL 61625. 3D2 Advanced Battery Technology: $4 million will be used for continued research on graphite foam lead acid batteries. These lighter weight and higher energy-dense battery systems would be used in military vehicles. The porous and conductive nature of the 3D2 plate enables more efficient and deeper discharges coupled with faster and more reliable recharges. Agency/Account: Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army; Combat Vehicle and Automotive Advanced Technology. Requesting Entity: Firefly Energy, 5407 North University Street, Arbor Hall, Suite A, Peoria, IL 61614. Pediatric Medication Administration Product and Training: $800,000 will be used to provide essential safe care technology and training for the proper medication administration by pediatric nurses at Walter Reed Medical Center and other Army hospitals, as well as in the field in Iraq and Afghanistan to guard against preventable adverse drug events. Agency/Account: Defense Health Program; Procurement. Requesting Entity: InformMed, 801 West Main Street, Peoria, IL 61606. Advanced Trauma Training Course for the Illinois Army National Guard: $2.4 million will be used to continue to develop joint training opportunities for Rush University Medical Center, through the Department of Emergency Medicine, and the Illinois Army National Guard to address the issues of disaster preparedness. The Advanced Trauma Response training program is designed specifically to build medical readiness to respond to initial trauma in the field. Agency/Account: Operation and Maintenance, Army National Guard; Administration and Servicewide Activities. Requesting Entity: Rush University Medical Center, 1653 West Congress Parkway, Chicago, IL 60612. Small Caliber Trace Charging Facilitization Program: $1.2 million will be used to maintain a flexible small caliber trace charging and bullet/cartridge assembly production line and have the manufacturing capabilities reside in North America to reduce delivery risk. Agency/Account: Procurement of Ammunition, Army; Provision of Industrial Facilities. Requesting Entity: General Dynamics, 6658 Route 148, Marion, IL 62959. PGU-14 Army Piercing Incendiary, 30-mm Ammunition: $2.4 million will be used to procure 30-mm ammunition. The PGU-14 API has not been in production since the 1980s and the original prescribed shelf life was 15 years. Currently the United States Air Force recognizes that the PGU-14 API war stocks are in a critical status with the majority of the inventory unsafe for even emergency needs. Agency/Account: Procurement of Ammunition, Air Force; Cartridges. Requesting Entity: General Dynamics, 6658 Route 148, Marion, IL 62959. 25-mm High Explosive Air Burst Ammunition for Bradley Fighting Vehicles: $4.4 million will be used to develop much needed high explosive air burst 25-mm ammunition for Bradley Fighting Vehicles. Agency/Account: Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Army; Tank and Medium Caliber Ammunition. Requesting Entity: General Dynamics, 6658 Route 148, Marion, IL 62959. Scorpion Low Cost Helmet Mounted Cueing and Information Display System: $4 million will be used to develop a low-cost helmet mounted display and cueing system for the Air National Guard. Agency/Account: Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Air Force; A-10 Squadrons. Requesting Entity: GENTEX, 1444 North Farnsworth Avenue, Suite 604, Aurora, IL 60505.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I wonder if it would be possible as I conclude here if you would allow the House one moment of silence so we could say a quiet prayer for the 200-plus Marines and families who lost their lives. I ask that the Chair allow for a moment of silence to remember those who lost their lives during the bombing that took place in Lebanon 25 years ago.

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution, a similar resolution of which I introduced at the suggestion of the ranking member of the Rules Committee, David Dreier. He spoke to me about this and suggested that this type of resolution be considered by the House. I want to thank the majority leader for scheduling this resolution to commemorate and honor those who lost their lives in Beirut, Lebanon, during the bombing that took place. I also want to thank my classmate and friend, Walter Jones, for his leadership in introducing this resolution. I rise today to honor the United States Marines and other servicemembers who were killed in the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, on October 23, 1983. On this day at approximately 6:20 a.m., a delivery truck carrying explosives drove through the gates into one of the barracks buildings and the explosives were detonated. This day was the deadliest for the United States Marine Corps since the battle of Iwo Jima during World War II; 241 servicemen and women were killed and many others were wounded. The servicemen and women serving in Beirut who were killed had been sent to serve as peacekeepers during the 15-year civil war in Lebanon. Throughout the time U.S. forces were in Lebanon, there were many instances in which American lives were lost. In April of 1983, a similar suicide bombing occurred at the United States Embassy killing 60 people, predominantly embassy staff and U.S. Marines. President Reagan called this act ``a vicious terrorist bombing'' and reiterated the United States' commitment to peace in the region. As a Nation, we would not let such actions deter us from our goal. The fight against terrorism still continues today. Brave members of the Armed Forces risk their lives every day in an effort to bring an end to such attacks. While we take this time to honor those who were killed in Beirut, we also rededicate our country to the fight against terrorism. It is our hope that such despicable acts can be prevented, not only just in Lebanon but also in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and throughout the rest of the world. Progress has been made in Lebanon and progress towards peace will continue throughout the region. Today the Members of the House of Representatives and the rest of the Nation join the families of these 241 fallen servicemembers to mourn their loss. We remember the courage of these Marines and other servicemembers who willingly put their lives on the line in order to serve their country and promote peace and security throughout the world. Our heartfelt prayers and sympathies go out to these families. Nearly 25 years after this terrible tragedy, we remember these brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. During the 14 years that I have had the privilege of serving in the House of Representatives, I have made 13 trips to Lebanon. During the first time that I went there, there was a travel ban: the airport was closed, people were restricted from traveling. We've made great progress in the last 14 years. Great progress. A great deal of the credit really goes to the people and the leadership of the country but also to President Bush and Secretary Rice for taking a great deal of interest in this country and not being dissuaded by terrorist attacks and not being dissuaded by those who would have our men and women in harm's way. They have helped rebuild the country both politically and economically. One of the saddest events that took place in the country 2 years ago was the assassination of the then Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. There is an investigation going on in that. He was a true leader in the country. Since that time, there has continued to be progress being made in the country. As a matter of fact, President Bush will welcome the President of Lebanon tomorrow at the White House, the first time in the memory of many that the President of Lebanon will be coming to the United States and actually having a visit with President Bush and the Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. This is an extraordinary event for the country of Lebanon, for the people of Lebanon, for those of us in this country who have worked very hard to develop the kind of relationship with their government and our government. We're delighted that the new President of Lebanon will be visiting Washington and visiting President Bush. We've made progress, and we've made that progress through the great sacrifice of our men and women who serve in the Embassy in Lebanon and the men and women who sacrificed their lives during the time of the attack 25 years ago. So it's very fitting today that we not only recognize their families and those but we recognize the fact that our government leaders have reached out to this small country in a way that has enabled us to make great progress. Moment of Silence

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Madam Speaker, in accordance with the Republican adopted standards on earmarks, I submit the below detailed explanation of the C-130 Squadron Operations Facility for the 182nd Airlift Wing, Illinois Air National Guard. Bill Number: H.R. 6599--The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2009. Provisions/Account: MilCon, Air National Guard, JLQN069160. Name and Address of Requesting Entity: 182nd Airlift Wing, Illinois Air National Guard, 2416 S. Falcon Boulevard, Greater Peoria Regional Airport, Peoria, IL 61607. Description of Request: This is a top priority for the Illinois Air National Guard. This project has already received architecture and engineering funding from the National Guard Bureau, and will be ready to utilize FY09 funds. This request would provide a properly sized and adequately configured facility to accommodate airlift squadron operations. The current facility is only 86 percent of the authorized space. It is extremely overcrowded and inadequate to support the ongoing airlift mission of this C-130 base. Upon completion of this project, the current Operations building will be reconfigured to address the critical space shortages of other base operations.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Village of Manito, Illinois on the occasion of its 150th Anniversary. The Village of Manito, located in Mason County, Illinois, was first inhabited by William Herron and his sister in 1838. In 1858, with the news that the Illinois River Railroad was to develop through their land, James Cox, his son Robert Cox, and William Langston divided 110 acres of their land into streets, lots and alleys, establishing a new village, named Manito. Manito is located in the heart of Illinois in an area known for its hardworking people, outstanding farmers and respected traditions. Manito always has been, and primarily remains, an agricultural community. The diverse soil in the area promotes the growth of a broad range of crops and farming methods. This area has been shown to effectively produce corn, soybeans, vegetables and other harvest. The citizens of Manito continue to add to the world agricultural community by being stewards of their land and setting the precedent for how a farming community should operate. Today, Manito is a progressive village with a population of over 1700, and while Manito remains proud of its past, it looks willingly toward the future. The original ``Main Street'' continues to serve as the commercial center of Manito; however, the surrounding marketing areas continue to thrive and develop. Madam Speaker, I am proud to represent the Village of Manito in the United States House of Representatives and I extend my best wishes to the village and its citizens for another 150 years of prosperity.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Madam Speaker, in accordance with the Republican adopted standards on earmarks, I submit the below detailed explanation of the C-130 Squadron Operations Facility for the 182nd Airlift Wing, Illinois Air National Guard. Bill Number: H.R 5658, the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act of fiscal year 2009. Provisions/Account: Air Force, MilCon Air National Guard, JLQN069160. Name and Address of Requesting Entity: 182nd Airlift Wing, Illinois Air National Guard, 2416 S. Falcon Boulevard, Greater Peoria Regional Airport, Peoria, IL 61607. Description of Request: This is a top priority for the Illinois Air National Guard. This project has already received architecture and engineering funding from the National Guard Bureau, and will be ready to utilize FY09 funds. This request would provide a properly sized and adequately configured facility to accommodate airlift squadron operations. The current facility is only 86 percent of the authorized space. It is extremely overcrowded and inadequate to support the ongoing airlift mission of this C-130 base. Upon completion of this project, the current Operations building will be reconfigured to address the critical space shortages of other base operations.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Well, I would say this, Mr. Speaker: I would say there are a lot of back-channel talks going on that don't get the kind of headlines and the kind of publicity. But there are activities taking place, unbeknownst to many who serve here and unbeknownst really to the public. I think these are good discussions. But I urge the House to support this resolution because for one of the few times that I've been here in 14 years, it really sets out, I think, the right language that we, as the House of Representatives, want to send as a message to the Prime Minister of Lebanon and to a group there that wants to hurt the country and hurt the people in the country and have set on a course to do that.

Mr. LaHOOD. Of course.

Mr. LaHOOD. I don't want to belabor this to my friend from Ohio, Mr. Speaker, but I want to say this: I visited right after the bombing stopped in the southern part of Lebanon. I visited there, Mr. Speaker, with some other Members of Congress, and I can tell you this: The Siniora government and all government officials decried very much what was happening in the southern part of the country and asked the United States to help in this instance to raise an enormous amount of money to help rebuild the southern part of the country. And President Bush got on the telephone, Mr. Speaker, talked to a number of countries, raised an enormous amount of money, billions of dollars. Siniora, the Prime Minister, went to France and actually met with leaders and raised an enormous amount of money. The country of Lebanon, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, has encouraged the kind of involvement of our country to help raise money to rebuild the south and also to say to those who have taken a place in the country for no other good but to disrupt the country that this is not the kind of activity that they want. And so we do disagree on this, Mr. Speaker, and I do disagree with the gentleman from Ohio. We need to speak out. That's what this resolution does. It speaks out about a group of people in Lebanon whose only goal is to disrupt the country and to try to take over, for no good, and that's why this resolution is well drafted and well written.

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and ask all Members to support the resolution. I want to compliment Chairman Berman and Chairman Ackerman and Ranking Member Manzullo for their leadership in bringing this very important resolution to the House floor. No one has suffered more in the Middle East than the small country of Lebanon, caught in the crossfire of many different attacks from many different forces, not the least of which is Hezbollah. This resolution reaffirms the House's strong support for the legitimate democratically elected government, expresses sympathy to the people of Lebanon and condolences to those in Lebanon who have been displaced, injured, and lost relatives as a result of Hezbollah's violent action. It urges the U.S. Government and the international community to immediately take all appropriate actions to support and strengthen the legitimate Government of Lebanon under the extraordinary leadership of Prime Minister Siniora, condemns Hezbollah and its state sponsors, Iran and Syria, for its efforts to undermine the Lebanese Government, including from approximately May 5-12, fomenting riots, blocking roads, seizing buildings, seizing control of West Beirut, and engaging in sectarian fighting in much of Lebanon. The resolution demands that Hezbollah, as a first step toward total disarmament, immediately cease its attacks and withdraw from all areas in Lebanon that it has occupied. The resolution urges the U.N. Security Council to condemn Iran and Syria for their violations of multiple UNSC resolutions and to sanction those nations by banning air traffic between Iran and Lebanon and between Iran and Syria. It urges every country controlling possible transit routes between Iran and Lebanon to impose strict controls to prevent Iran from arming Hezbollah. And it urges the European Union to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist group. This is a very good resolution. Mr. Speaker, as someone who has traveled to Lebanon 12 out of the 14 years that I've been a Member of the House, I can tell you that Lebanon is caught in a very, very difficult situation. I want to give credit, also, to President Bush and Secretary Rice for the interest that they've taken in Lebanon. More recently, the President was in the Middle East and spoke out in defense of Lebanon and calling on those countries, including the group Hezbollah, to cease and desist from their activity that they're participating in in this small country. I compliment President Bush and Secretary Rice for their involvement and their encouragement to the country of Lebanon and to the leaders that they met with most recently to become more involved in trying to help solve the problem and detach Hezbollah from the kind of hold that they have on the country. One other thing, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to also encourage the Parliament in Lebanon, who have the responsibility for electing a president and have not taken on that responsibility, and given the fact that the Office of President of Lebanon has been vacant for a number of months, I call on the Parliament of Lebanon to convene themselves and elect a president. This would send a very strong message around the region and around the world that Lebanon is a country that can stand on its own and stand up to these terrorist groups if it has the help from other countries. So I encourage the Speaker of the Parliament in Lebanon to take on the responsibility to call the Lebanese Parliament into session and to elect a president. I think it would be a very, very important move. Again, I thank the Committee on Foreign Affairs for their interest in the country of Lebanon and the way that they have struck a very strong cord against Hezbollah and their activities in Lebanon. I urge all Members to support the resolution.

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LaHOOD. He did not sit by and allow his country----

Mr. LaHOOD. The gentleman knows that he and I have had a number of discussions about Lebanon. I know of your deep interest in the country, and I know that you've traveled there. The one thing, Mr. Speaker, that I would say to the gentleman is that Prime Minister Siniora did not turn a blind eye on a number of occasions when the bombing was taking place. He called for a cessation of the bombing in the southern part of the country; so I want to be sure the record is clear on this.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Now I talked to two of the Democratic leaders about this, and I tried to persuade them, let's go through the regular procedure. You've got the votes to pass the bill. You're going to pass the bill. Why not give all of us a chance to have our say and to at least read it and offer amendments and have our say. What are you afraid of? Mr. Speaker, this is not the way to run the House. This is unprecedented that a bill of this magnitude would come to the House like this. I urge the Speaker and the leadership to give us a chance, as members of the Appropriations Committee, to have our say, to read the bill, to offer amendments.

Mr. LaHOOD. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise to say that I wish as a member of the Appropriations Committee, that the same procedure that is being followed for helping the housing industry whereby the Committee on Financial Services held hearings, allowed members to offer amendments, allowed members to read the bill, allowed members to have their say about the bill, we on the Appropriations Committee would be accorded the same opportunity when it comes to a bill that will be considered by the House tomorrow, a $200 billion bill that will appropriate money to help our troops and to fund our troops and to provide them the equipment they need. Now as a member of the Appropriations Committee, none of us will have the chance to read the bill, to look at the bill, and those of us who have been around this House for some time, and members of the committee know that the devil is in the details. We know what happens when bills are brought to the floor when Members haven't had a chance to read them. Things are inserted, words are inserted, dollars are inserted that become a great embarrassment for people as they vote on these bills. And so tomorrow when this bill comes to the floor, the appropriation bill, the $200 billion appropriation bill, I encourage Members to vote against it because they will not know what is in it. They won't know what words are in it or what money is in it because the Appropriations Committee has been shut out from the opportunity to have their say, to offer amendments, to offer an opportunity to change the language in the bill. And really it is disingenuous, I think, to our committee to allow this kind of procedure to take place. We have two very experienced people on the Appropriations Committee in the chairman from Pennsylvania and the ranking member from Florida of the Defense Appropriation Subcommittee who will have little or nothing to say about the bill.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Madam Speaker, today I am proud to recognize seven outstanding young women who have earned the Girl Scout Gold Award. The Gold Award is the highest offered by the Girl Scouts. I am honored to extend my congratulations to Ms. Kellie Poland, Ms. Marlene Smith, Ms. Andreanna Haun, Ms. Heather Graham, Ms. Nikita Garman, Ms. Mindy Merdian, and Ms. Alexis Moore, all Gold Award winners. These young women join an elite group of Girl Scouts, as last year only about 5 percent of eligible Scouts earned the prestigious Gold Award. Each of these young women's accomplishments demonstrates their ability to successfully meet a challenge and achieve a truly difficult goal. They have shown leadership in their communities and, through their efforts, have had a positive impact on the lives of others. The Girl Scouts can be proud today, as I am, of these fine young women, who, with character and confidence, have shown the courage to achieve the highest of honors available to them, the Gold Award. I applaud their dedication and thank them for their service to our communities. I encourage them to continue to be positive examples for those around them, and, again, I offer my sincere congratulations.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. I thank my friend for yielding. Congressman Doc Hastings is one of the most respected Members of the House of Representatives. And Ray LaHood doesn't have to say that. I am saying it. But the people of his district have said it on seven different occasions. It is called an election. An election is a referendum on one's service. And no one has served for the last 14 years in his district better than he has. And the people have said that. When a letter like this from the chairman of the Ethics Committee is disclosed publicly, it gets on the front page of Doc Hastings' hometown newspaper. And it plants a seed in the minds of the people who have sent him here on seven different occasions that he may have done something wrong, that he may have violated the rules. And the truth is Doc Hastings has violated no rules. He has done nothing wrong. He hasn't violated any rules of the House. He has been on the Ethics Committee, when I asked him how long he has been on, he said too long, but I believe he has been on 6 years. It's the hardest committee to serve on. It's the hardest committee to find Members to serve on, because of decisions you have to make against your colleagues. And for one member, particularly the Chair of the committee, to try and impugn his motives or to suggest that he violated the rules is simply wrong. And hopefully that wrong can be righted today during this 1 hour of his opportunity to try and regain his reputation in the House of Representatives. There's a saying where I come from, once you tar and feather someone, you can never get the tar off. What happened here with the disclosure of this letter, made public in Doc's district, is that he will always have a little bit of this tar on him, that somehow he might have violated the rules. That's wrong, folks. What good is it for us to trash one another? What good is it for the institution to try and criticize someone for no other good than to try and make a point on a piece of legislation that your side of the aisle wanted to pass. I believe that the chairwoman of the Ethics Committee owes Doc Hastings an apology for trying to besmirch and impugn his integrity and his honesty and his service on the Ethics Committee and in the House of Representatives. If the chairwoman, Mr. Speaker, would be willing to do that, it might get on page 40 of his local newspaper. It won't be on page 1 the way the headlines read today. We owe it to Doc Hastings, to the people that sent him here, to do this for him. And if I can be so bold, Mr. Speaker, I would also suggest that because of the threat that was made in the last paragraph of the letter, that perhaps the chairwoman, in the event that Representative Hastings would do this again that she might file charges against him, that we need a new chairperson of the Ethics Committee. Because I think when you use your position as the Chair of the Ethics Committee to threaten a member of the committee, you not only owe that member an apology, you need to take a different place on that committee. You can't use that kind of power against a member of the committee. That is wrong, Mr. Speaker. That hurts the whole House. It hurts Congressman Hastings. It hurts the people that sent him here. We need to do better in this House. We do no good by trashing one another, by besmirching and trying to discredit people who come here to serve honestly, with integrity, by the rules. The rules have not been broken. There is nothing in the memo that was disclosed that has anything to do with another Member, anything to do with any investigation. It was information to be shared with Members about a piece of legislation that some of us thought was pretty bad. And apparently people on that side of the aisle didn't want your Members to have it. So you put out a letter discrediting the ranking member of the committee. That is wrong. And so I encourage, Mr. Speaker, the Speaker of the House to find a different place for the Chair of the Committee on Ethics and to ask the Chair of the Committee on Ethics to apologize to Mr. Hastings so he can have some semblance of his reputation, one of honesty and integrity and hard work for 14 years on behalf of the people of the State of Washington.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to our friend and colleague, the gentleman from California, Tom Lantos. Our Nation has lost a true leader, and the world has lost its foremost champion of human rights. While involved in many different issues throughout his illustrious career, it is Tom Lantos' work on behalf of suffering people throughout the world that best exemplifies the type of man he was. Born on February 1, 1928 in Budapest to Jewish parents, Tom Lantos faced unspeakable horror early in his life. He escaped a Nazi forced labor camp twice, the second time thankfully finding himself under the protection of Raoul Wallenberg, likely saving his life. He later learned that his parents and much of his family perished at the hands of the Nazis. As the only survivor of the Holocaust serving in the House, he understood, in a way no one else could, the type of suffering man can inflict upon others. He was the founder and co-chairman of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, and truly was a leader in standing up for the smallest and weakest in our global community. No injustice escaped his attention, no matter what corner of the world was involved, and he would fight doggedly to right any wrongs. He earned an academic scholarship that brought him to the United States, where he earned his bachelor's, master's and eventually doctorate degrees and entered the world of academia, before he decided to enter the political arena, serving 14 terms here in the House. He rose through the ranks to become the distinguished chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, a position that allowed him to continue his battle for the common man who might otherwise not have a voice. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel with him and his wife Annette on a trip to South Korea, Cambodia, and Vietnam in January, 2001, hosted by then-Minority Leader Gephardt. I am proud to call him not only my colleague, but also my friend. I join with all of my colleagues in extending our thoughts and prayers to Tom's bride of almost 58 years, Annette, his two daughters, his 17 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He will truly be missed.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of a grateful House to say farewell to Ben Solomon. Ben is the manager of the Longworth convenience store, and we want to thank him for his 4 years of outstanding service to the United States House of Representatives. Employed for over 19 years by Guest Services, Incorporated, Ben's assignment to run the Longworth convenience store began on December 15, 2003. Since that time, he has endeared himself to Members, House staff, and visitors. Ben has been nicknamed Mr. Mayor of Longworth Main Street because of his unwavering commitment to serve the needs of every customer to the fullest extent possible no matter who they are or their political affiliation. To Ben, all politics was local. He always greeted every customer warmly with his ever present smile and a kind word. Most of the 1,000 or so customers who pass through the store daily are greeted by name. His positive outlook never fails to make even strangers feel welcome. Ben can be proud of the level of service he provided to his customers each and every day. He viewed his work as a sacred duty, and felt no job was too small for him to do. He could be seen in the hallway working alongside his employees unpacking boxes of merchandise. At the same time, Ben would take the time to pause and say hello to any number of many familiar customers as they passed by the store. Ben brought a unique brand of sincerity and dedication to his job every single day. It is marvelous to look at each nook and cranny of the store shelves at the many unique and interesting things Ben would stock because one of his customers asked for it at an earlier visit. On behalf of the entire House community, we bid a fond farewell to our friend, Ben Solomon, and extend our deepest appreciation for his dedication and outstanding contributions to the House of Representatives. We wish him well. We wish him success in his future endeavors. He will sincerely be missed by all. We are also grateful to all those who serve in this great House, service to many of us in so many different ways, and especially honor Ben this evening.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to pay tribute to one of the finest public servants that I have ever known, Congressman Henry Hyde. Henry passed away last week. Before I begin my own remarks, I want to offer a couple of comments on behalf of Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., who for family reasons is not able to be here, but asked me to offer these remarks on his behalf. He was a good friend of Congressman Hyde, someone from the other side of the aisle, but someone from our Illinois delegation. He wanted me to express his feelings that Henry was not only a good friend to him, but he was a great American; someone who loved America and someone who really made the world a better place; someone who Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr., called a friend. I offer those remarks on behalf of Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. Henry made a difference. When I was asked by a reporter recently what I will remember about him, what I said was that many of us come to this place with the idea that we can make a difference. Henry Hyde made a difference. He made a difference in the lives of the people that he represented, not just in his congressional district and not just in Illinois, but in the country and in the world. He distinguished himself by serving as Chair of two committees, the Judiciary Committee and the International Relations Committee, during deliberations of some very, very serious legislation. Henry Hyde had the ability to change people's minds. That is almost unheard of around here. People come to the well of the House almost always knowing how they are going to vote on a particular bill. But whether it was the flag amendment, whether it was term limits, which was a part of the Contract with America in 1995, whether it was the Hyde amendment, which protected so many lives for so many unborn, whether it was impeachment or whether it was expansion of O'Hare Airport, Henry Hyde had the ability to come to this floor and persuade his colleagues of his point of view. He had a very, very uncanny ability to do that, because of his intelligence, because of the way that he presented himself, and because of the respect that the Members of this body had for this great man. He did make a difference, and he did it with the highest level of civility and dignity. He brought great honor, great dignity to this institution, by his presence, the way he conducted his arguments on the great debates of the day, and I have no doubt that people did change their votes and change their minds. Particularly on term limits he made some very compelling arguments, and particularly on the flag amendment he made some very compelling arguments, and over a long period of 30 years, three decades, on the Hyde amendment. And even though the impeachment proceedings were very controversial, people respected the way Henry Hyde conducted those proceedings as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, in a very honorable way and a very civil way. And even those on the other side who did not agree with the impeachment proceedings, they agreed that Henry Hyde conducted it with the highest level of honesty, integrity and civility that you can bring to this Chamber. Every third Thursday of each month that we are in session, our delegation which now numbers 21, counting our two U.S. Senators, 19 Members and 2 U.S. Senators, have lunch together. We used to gather in Speaker Hastert's office, and now we gather in Senator Durbin's office. And before every delegation lunch, we could always count on Henry Hyde to tell at least one or two very, very funny stories. He was a great storyteller and he loved to tell stories. I will never forget almost a year ago when Henry would come in the Chamber as we were departing for the final votes, and he was in a wheelchair because of his back problems, and announced to all of us over in that part of the Chamber that just a few weeks before that, about a year ago, he wed his chief of staff of 35 years and he was very, very happy. They were going to move back to Geneva, Illinois, which is a suburban part of Chicago, west of Chicago, and they were going to live happily ever after in Geneva, Illinois, which is a beautiful part of the world on the Fox River. When President Bush announced that he was going to give Henry Hyde the Presidential Medal of Freedom, I tried to call Henry and was not able to reach him. I did send him a note. I know how proud he was. Of all of the awards and accolades that he received, I know he was proudest of his Presidential Medal of Freedom because it is the highest civilian award that the President of the United States can give to any person, and I know how proud Henry was of that. So as a Member from Illinois who has served with Henry now during my 13 years and as former chief of staff to Bob Michel, it is difficult to think that Henry Hyde is gone. But he will be long remembered for his civility, the dignity, the high honor that he brought to the job and to the debates of very controversial issues, and was still able to maintain the collegiality of every Member of this body, both Democrats and Republicans, a great lesson for all of us and a great example for all of us of how we should treat one another and how we should conduct the debates, even when there are great differences and great opportunities for divide on these issues. Henry stands as a lasting example. He will be remembered that you can make a difference on important issues and during debate. We honor his memory tonight which will be long remembered throughout the history of the House of Representatives. Godspeed, Henry Hyde.