Stephen Lynch

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. I thank my colleague, and I also urge all of our friends on both sides of the aisle to join with Congressman Danny Davis, who's the lead sponsor of this measure, to support the ideals and goals of Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month by voting for House Concurrent Resolution 186.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I don't have any further speakers on this matter, but I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, I'm proud to present House Concurrent Resolution 186 for consideration. This legislation expresses our support for the goals and ideals of Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month. The measure before us was introduced on September 16, 2009, by my colleague and good friend, Representative Danny Davis of Illinois, and favorably reported out of the Oversight Committee on September 24, 2009, by unanimous consent. In addition, this measure enjoys the support of over 70 Members of Congress, and I am proud to say that I am also an original cosponsor. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 186 highlights the importance of Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month. Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that predominantly affects people of sub-Saharan African ancestry. Today, an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 Americans suffer from this disease, and nearly 1 in 500 African American newborns is born with sickle cell. Individuals with sickle cell have red blood cells that assume a rigid sickle shape. When these blood cells travel through small blood vessels, they often become stuck and clog blood flow. This causes repeated episodes of severe pain, organ damage, serious infections, and/or anemia. Tragically, the life expectancy of those with sickle cell is also greatly reduced--42 years for males and 48 years for females. In Africa, more than 90 percent of children with sickle cell die before the illness is even diagnosed. There is no cure for this illness; although, with careful supervision, individuals with sickle cell can live full and healthy lives. Treatment today is primarily aimed at avoiding crises, relieving symptoms, and preventing complications. Despite its prevalence and seriousness, little is known publicly about sickle cell disease. For this reason, Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month presents a valuable opportunity to increase public understanding of this illness and to work collectively to find a cure for sickle cell. In closing, I wholeheartedly support this measure and encourage all my colleagues to join myself and Representative Danny Davis of Illinois in voting in favor of House Concurrent Resolution 186. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 186) supporting the goals and ideals of Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. In closing, I urge my colleagues to join with the lead sponsor of this resolution, Bob Brady of Pennsylvania, in supporting House Resolution 693. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am proud to present House Resolution 693 for consideration. This resolution serves to honor the life and accomplishments of NFL coaching legend Jim Johnson, as well as extend our condolences to the Johnson family on his passing. The measure before us was introduced on July 29, 2009, by my colleague who spoke earlier, Representative Bob Brady of Pennsylvania. This measure was reported out of the Oversight Committee on September 4, 2009, by unanimous consent. Additionally, House Resolution 693 has been cosponsored by over 50 Members of Congress and enjoys strong support from the members of the Pennsylvania House delegation. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 693 honors the life and accomplishments of Mr. Jim Johnson, whose celebrated football career spanned over 40 years at the collegiate level and with the National Football League. A native of Maywood, Illinois, Coach Johnson began his career in football as a player--first as an All-Big Eight quarterback from 1959 to 1962 at the University of Missouri, under Coach Dan Devine, and subsequently as a tight end with the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League from 1963 to 1964. In 1967, Mr. Johnson turned his attention to coaching and was hired by Missouri Southern College as the head football coach. Coach Johnson's 2-year tenure at the school was followed by 4-year tours at Drake University and at Indiana University, and ultimately led to a 6- year stint as a defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator at the University of Notre Dame. Notably, the Fighting Irish won the national championship in Coach Johnson's first season with the team. After leaving Notre Dame in 1984, Coach Johnson went on to coaching positions with the Oklahoma Outlaws and Jackson Bulls of the United States Football League, and in 1986 entered the National Football League as a defensive line and secondary coach for the Arizona Cardinals. Coach Johnson would later join the defensive coaching staffs of the Indianapolis Colts and the Seattle Seahawks before Philadelphia Eagles Coach Andy Reid pursued and hired Johnson to be the Eagles' defensive coordinator in 1999. It is Coach Johnson's 10-year period with the Eagles that perhaps most epitomizes his mastery of defensive schemes and cemented his status, as noted by Andy Reid, as the ``best in the business at what he does.'' Coach Johnson's tenure in Philadelphia witnessed 26 Pro Bowl selections for the Eagles' defense, including seven by safety Brian Dawkins and five by quarterback Troy Vincent. As noted by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Coach Johnson's Eagles career will be remembered as ``one of the finest decades of defensive football in the Eagles' history, and when the chapter about the top of the 21st century is written about this football team, the name Jim Johnson will be mentioned prominently.'' In addition to his professional accomplishments, Coach Johnson will be equally remembered as a loving husband to his wife, Vicky; a dedicated father to his son, Scott, and daughter, Michelle; and an endearing grandfather to four grandchildren. Regrettably, Coach Johnson passed away in July of 2009 at the age of 68. Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that we can honor the life and accomplishments of Coach Jim Johnson, as well as express our sincerest condolences to his family, through the passage of House Resolution 693. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady).

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 693.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 693) honoring the life and accomplishments of Jim Johnson and extending the condolences of the House of Representatives to his family on the occasion of his death.

Mr. LYNCH

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

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the subcommittee with jurisdiction over the United States Postal Service, I am pleased to present H.R. 2215 for consideration. This legislation will designate the United States Postal facility located at 140 Merriman Road in Garden City, Michigan, as the ``John J. Shivnen Post Office Building.'' Introduced on April 30, 2009, by my colleague, Representative Thad McCotter of Michigan, H.R. 2215 was favorably reported out of the Oversight Committee on September 10, 2009, by unanimous consent. Additionally, this legislation enjoys the support of the entire sitting Michigan delegation. Mr. Speaker, the dedication of the Garden City Post Office in honor of John J. Shivnen is particularly fitting in light of Mr. Shivnen's dedicated and unparalleled service to the United States Postal Service and to his beloved Garden City community. Specifically, Mr. Shivnen served as the postmaster of Garden City for 30 years until his retirement in 1996. In addition, Mr. Shivnen was an active member of the National Association of Postmasters of the United States for over 40 years, during which time he served in multiple leadership capacities, including area and county director, legislative chairman, parliamentarian, and postmaster representative. Moreover, Mr. Shivnen played an instrumental role with respect to the site selection and construction of the current Garden City Post Office. In addition to his professional contributions to the Garden City community, Mr. Shivnen also demonstrated a lifelong commitment to community service. During his stewardship of the Garden City Post Office, Mr. Shivnen established an annual Christmas Basket program through which disadvantaged local families received much needed gift and food donations. Mr. Shivnen was also a dedicated member of the Garden City Lions Club service organization. Following his retirement, he remained an active member of several other community groups until his health no longer allowed him to continue. Notably, among Mr. Shivnen's last community service projects was the creation of a replica of a rural post office located at the Garden City Historical Museum. In support of this effort, Mr. Shivnen purchased a majority of the replica items, performed much of the restoration work himself, and even paid for a portion of the contract work. In recognition of Mr. Shivnen's contributions to the project, which was completed shortly before his passing, the Garden City Historical Museum Board honored Mr. Shivnen's legacy by hosting his wake at the museum. Regrettably, Mr. Shivnen passed away in January of 2007. Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that we can honor his lifelong commitment to public and community service through the passage of this legislation to designate the Garden City Post Office in his honor. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2215. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I again urge my colleagues to support Mr. McCotter and us in honoring Mr. John J. Shivnen through the passing of H.R. 2215. I yield back the remainder of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. 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. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I now yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to present House Resolution 441 for consideration. This legislation honors and commends Catholic sisters for their humble service and courageous sacrifice throughout United States history and additionally supports the goals of the ``Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America'' traveling exhibit. The measure before us was introduced on May 14, 2009 by my colleague and friend, Representative Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, and was favorably reported out of the Oversight Committee on September 10, 2009 by unanimous consent. Notably, this measure enjoys the support of over 60 Members of Congress. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 441 honors the altruistic Catholic sisters, whose passion for public service has helped shape our Nation's social and cultural landscape. Since arriving in the United States almost 300 years ago, Catholic sisters have established schools, colleges, hospitals, orphanages, homeless shelters, and various other institutions to provide for those in need. These unsung heroes have served millions of Americans as nurses, as teachers, social workers, and they continue to do so today. The Catholic sisters have also helped to educate countless young Americans by establishing the Nation's largest private school system and founding over 110 colleges and universities. Moreover, in 2005 roughly one in six hospital patients in the United States was treated in a Catholic facility. There are many, many accomplishments which I could cite in support of this resolution and of this traveling exhibit, but I think it's important to note just a few: The first Catholic sisters in our country to live and work here in the service of our people were nine Ursuline Sisters who journeyed from France to New Orleans in 1727. At least nine sisters of the United States' orders have been martyred since 1980 while working for social justice and for human rights overseas. Dorothy Stang, sister of Notre Dame, was martyred in Brazil in 2005. There were 32,000 Catholic sisters in the United States who taught 400,000 children at 2,000 parochial schools by the year 1880. There were 180,000 Catholic sisters who taught nearly 4.5 million children in 1965. Today, there are approximately 59,000 Catholic sisters still serving in the United States. I owe much of my own education to the good sisters of Notre Dame, who taught me the fear of God, and I am forever in their debt. I ask all of our Members to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I ask my friends on both sides of the aisle to take a moment to recognize the priceless contributions of the Catholic sisters in America and to thank them for their humble service and courageous sacrifices throughout United States history by agreeing to House Resolution 441. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. LYNCH. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Oversight Committee, I am pleased to present House Concurrent Resolution 163 for consideration. This legislation expresses support for the designation of September 23, 2009, as ``National Job Corps Day.'' The measure before us was introduced on July 8, 2009, by my colleague, Representative Jerry Moran of Kansas, and it was favorably reported out of the Oversight Committee on September 10, 2009, by unanimous consent. Additionally, this legislation currently enjoys the support of over 65 Members of Congress. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 163 supports the designation of September 23 as ``National Job Corps Day.'' Administered by the United States Department of Labor, the Job Corps is the Nation's largest career technical training and educational program for young people over the age of 16. The Job Corps offers a wide array of services, including career planning, on-the-job training, job placement, residential housing, food services, and driver education. Since its inception via the 1964 Economic Opportunity Act, the Job Corps has provided countless young Americans with the academic, vocational and social skills training needed to help them obtain meaningful jobs and to pursue further educational opportunities. In light of the recent economic crisis, the various services and programs offered by the Job Corps have never been more important for America's youth and for the entire Nation. The Job Corps helps to ensure that America's workforce remains capable of handling the challenges of our rapidly changing world. Notably, the Job Corps boasts 123 centers nationwide, including centers in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Of these 123 centers, my own congressional district is the proud home of the Job Corps' Boston regional office. This terrific regional office oversees Job Corps centers in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, and Vermont. In closing, I am delighted to support House Concurrent Resolution 163, and I urge all of our friends and Members to join me in recognizing the continuing success of the Job Corps. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 163) expressing support for designation of September 23, 2009, as ``National Job Corps Day''.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I again urge my colleagues to support the designation of September 23, 2009, as National Job Corps Day by agreeing to House Concurrent Resolution 163.

Mr. LYNCH. I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr LYNCH

Mr LYNCH. 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 LYNCH

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

Mr LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2971) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 630 Northeast Killingsworth Avenue in Portland, Oregon, as the ``Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Post Office''.