Stephen Lynch

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4628) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 216 Westwood Avenue in Westwood, New Jersey, as the ``Sergeant Christopher R. Hrbek Post Office Building''.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I ask all Members on both sides of the aisle to join with Mr. Garrett in honoring this proud young marine and in supporting H.R. 4628. I yield back the balance of our time

Mr. LYNCH

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

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance 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. I thank the gentleman from North Carolina for his courtesy and for his support. Mr. Speaker, I do have a copy of the census form here. You can't see it, obviously, because of the size of the type, but it's mostly check- the-box answers. I commend the Census Bureau for simplifying this. As the gentleman from North Carolina has stated, it is probably the simplest version of the form that we have had in our history. I also want to express the concern that we get about 80 to 90 percent of the forms back in the mail, and this is the most efficient way and the cheapest way to conduct the census. The costly part of the census count is in actually going out and knocking on doors and in trying to get people to respond who have not responded through the mail. That's the costly part. So, to the degree that people can cooperate, can help us out and can mail these back, it's a good use of taxpayer money. It's much cheaper. So there is a dual purpose. Also, as the gentleman from North Carolina mentioned, the allocation of resources and the representation aspect of this is very important as well. We have no further speakers. Just in closing, I would ask Members on both sides to support Mr. Reyes in his resolution in supporting the census and in designating March as the official Month of the Census.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1096) encouraging individuals across the United States to participate in the 2010 Census to ensure an accurate and complete count beginning April 1, 2010, and expressing support for designation of March 2010 as Census Awareness Month, as amended.

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

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am proud to present House Resolution 1096 for consideration. The resolution encourages individuals across the United States to participate in the 2010 Census to ensure an accurate and complete count beginning April 1, 2010, and it expresses support for designation of March 2010 as Census Awareness Month. House Resolution 1096 was introduced by my friend and colleague, Representative Silvestre Reyes of Texas, on February 23, 2010, and it enjoys the support of over 50 Members of Congress. Mr. Speaker, article I, section 2 of the United States Constitution requires an actual enumeration of the population of the United States every 10 years. The Founding Fathers deliberately placed this requirement in the Constitution in order to ensure fair and accurate Federal, State, and local representation, and the Census serves the same purposes today by establishing the composition of voting districts at every level of government. Accurate Census data is vital to the well-being of every person in the United States. Census data directly affects how more than $400 billion in Federal and State funding is allocated throughout our Nation. The information obtained in the Census assists planners in determining where schools, daycare centers, health centers, roads, public transportation, hospitals, housing, and other essential infrastructure should be located. Businesses in the United States use Census data to support new investments, and Census data also helps determine how funds are distributed to communities for neighborhood improvements in public health, education, and transportation initiatives. Census data also helps identify changes in community makeup and is essential for distribution of adequate services to our continually growing population. In fact, the Census currently estimates that the U.S. population has increased by over 27 million people since the 2000 Census. The 2010 Census is extremely fast, safe, and easy to complete. It consists of just 10 questions and only requires about 10 minutes to fill out. 2010 Census data is strictly confidential, and Federal law prohibits the personal information from being shared with any entity. Individual data obtained from the Census is protected under United States privacy laws and cannot be disclosed for 72 years or used against any person by any government agency or court. Given the ease and safety of the 2010 Census, every person in the United States, including individuals in Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, and all other U.S. territories should also take time to fill out the form and be counted. It is especially important that residents of predominantly low income, minority, and-or rural neighborhoods participate in the Census because these groups are at the center of greater risk of being undercounted in the Census. This is extremely troubling considering the fact that the Census officials estimate that every individual who is not accounted for in the Census loses about $1,500 per year in Federal aid for their community. By taking just 10 minutes to complete the 2010 Census form, it can help ensure that everyone in America is properly represented and eliminate Census overcounts and undercounts. Additionally, House Resolution 1096 expresses support for the designation of March as Census Awareness Month, which will raise public awareness about the importance of completing the Census. Mr. Speaker, as Census Bureau Director Robert M. Groves has noted, ``Taxpayers save $85 million for every 1 percentage point increase in the national mail-back participation rate for the 2010 Census.'' With this in mind, let me take this opportunity to express my strong support for House Resolution 1096, which encourages individuals across the United States to participate in the 2010 Census and expresses support for designation of March 2010 as Census Awareness Month. I urge passage of Mr. Reyes' resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate and thank the gentleman from North Carolina for his thoughtful remarks and for his support. At this point, I would like to yield 5 minutes to the lead sponsor of this resolution, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes), the chairman of our Intelligence Committee.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Chair, I rise to claim time in opposition.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Chair, I actually rise to support my colleague's amendment. As the co-chairman of the Task Force on Terrorist Financing and Proliferation, I, too, am well aware that having an effective strategy on targeting the sources of terrorists in financing their operations is a very important part of our strategy. This straightforward amendment offered by my friend, Mr. Castle of Delaware, simply restates the basic requirement that the President, through the Treasury Department, report to Congress on the current status of U.S. efforts to combat terrorism financing. This reporting requirement is not new; in fact, it was mandated in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorist Prevention Act of 2004. A report was due out in 2005, but here today it has yet to be submitted. I've had an opportunity, as co-chair of the task force, to spend a lot of time with our Treasury employees, very brave and courageous Treasury and State Department employees, in Afghanistan and Pakistan and Jordan and the Maghreb, North Africa; and they're doing wonderful and courageous work. However, that much being said, Congress still retains its oversight responsibility; and without this report we are not able to be certain, I think, that we have an accurate picture of the entire antiterrorist financing protocol and we are not fully informed as to whether or not we are operating as effectively as we could be. Only by understanding where we currently stand--what our strengths are and, indeed, what our weaknesses are--can we ensure that the best possible strategy for cutting out terrorist financing is ultimately accomplished. Again, I want to thank Congressman Castle, the gentleman from Delaware, for his support of this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH

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

Mr. LYNCH. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to present House Resolution 526 for consideration. This legislation recognizes the historical and cultural significance of the John Mercer Langston Golf Course as well as its contributions to achieving racial equality. Introduced by my colleague, Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia, on June 10, 2009, H. Res. 526 enjoys the support of 50 Members of Congress. In addition, a Senate companion bill to this legislation, Senate Resolution 162, was introduced by Senator Russ Feingold, and was subsequently passed by the United States Senate on May 21, 2009, by unanimous consent. Madam Speaker, over the course of its 70-year history, the John Mercer Langston Golf Course has stood as a symbol of the struggle for racial equality in the District of Columbia and across our Nation. In addition, the Langston Golf Course continues to serve as a regional hub for the promotion of golf as a recreational and as a professional sport in the Greater Washington, D.C., area as well as being an invaluable community institution dedicated to providing greater educational opportunities to area residents. Located alongside the Anacostia River in northeast Washington, D.C., the Langston Golf Course was constructed in the mid-1930s in response to the exclusion of African Americans from all but one of the District's public golf courses. Appropriately, the Langston Golf Course was named in honor of a renowned African American educator and political figure, John Mercer Langston, who founded and became the first dean of the Howard University School of Law, the first president of Virginia State University and, in 1888, the first African American Congressman elected to represent the State of Virginia. From its official opening in 1939, the Langston Golf Course has served as the home course of the Royal Golf Club and the Wake Robin Golf Club--the Nation's first clubs for African American men and women. In addition, the Langston Golf Course has consistently attracted a variety of outstanding African American golfers, including Ted Rhodes, Calvin Peete, Jim Thorpe, and Lee Elder, who, along with his wife, Rose, managed the course during the 1970s. Moreover, as home of the widely known Capital City Open Golf Tournament, the Langston Golf Course has attracted a variety of prominent Americans from the world of politics, sports, and entertainment, including President Gerald Ford, heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis, and comedian Bob Hope. Today, the Langston Golf Course continues to serve the general public by offering year-round educational and golf instruction designed to promote the sport of golf as well as educational opportunities in the Washington, D.C., community. In 2002, the Langston Golf Course entered into a partnership with Howard University to establish the Interpretive Educational Center, a learning facility that offers comprehensive child and adult educational programs as well as life skills workshops. Additionally, for over 15 years, the Langston Golf Course has served as the home course for three junior golf programs--the Masons Army, the Junior Boys and Girls, and the First Tee, D.C. Collectively, the program participants are known as the ``Jimmy Garvin All-Stars'' in honor of Langston's longtime general manager, community leader and member of the African American Golfers Hall of Fame, Jimmy Garvin. Notably, these juniors must utilize the Interpretive Education Center as a prerequisite to learning golf and to using the Langston facilities. Overall, the junior programs at Langston Golf Course include the participation of over 200 local boys and girls. In addition to offering golf instruction, they focus on cultivating principles of honesty and integrity as well as highlighting the interrelationship between excellence on the golf course and excellence in the classroom. Notably, the Langston Golf Course is also home to the annual Jimmy Garvin Legacy Scholarship Tournament. Proceeds from the tournament are donated to Langston's Interpretive Educational Center in furtherance of Langston's mission of teaching the sport of golf to area youth while also developing them as higher learners. Madam Speaker, in recognition of its historical and cultural significance, the Langston Golf Course was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1991. It is my hope that we can further honor this distinguished community institution through the passage of House Resolution 526. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting House Resolution 526. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 526) recognizing the 70th anniversary of John Mercer Langston Golf Course, as amended.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, at this time, I yield 5 minutes to the lead sponsor of this resolution, the very capable Representative from the District of Columbia, Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I just want to ask all of our colleagues to join with the lead sponsor of this resolution, Eleanor Holmes Norton. And I must confess that I have had the opportunity to travel out to--Langston is about 10 minutes from my house, so I have been out there. I've seen the youth programs that they have had. Absolutely fantastic. Jim Garvin does a wonderful job there as the groundskeeper and general manager, the crew there. You can tell the way the people there who run and maintain that golf course, they understand the history. They understand the importance of the Langston Golf Course from when it was home to the Negro Golf League during the days of segregation, and they understand going forward what a treasure it really is. So I am particularly happy to call on our Members to support House Resolution 526.

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LYNCH

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina for her eloquent words and for her support. I simply ask all Members to support Mr. Lee of New York in this resolution, House Resolution 1039.

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

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

Mr. LYNCH. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I present House Resolution 1039 for consideration. This legislation expresses our support for the goals and ideals of American Heart Month and National Wear Red Day. Introduced by my colleague Representative Christopher Lee of New York on January 26, 2010, House Resolution 1039 enjoys the support of over 50 Members of Congress. In addition, today's floor consideration allows Members of this body an added opportunity to express their support for this thoughtful commemorative resolution. Madam Speaker, House Resolution 1039 expresses our support for the goals of American Heart Month, which is annually commemorated during the month of February as a way of highlighting the devastating impact of cardiovascular disease on our Nation. As noted by the American Heart Association, heart disease, including stroke, continues to serve as the number one cause of death in the United States. In addition, an estimated 81.1 million adult Americans currently suffer from one or more types of heart disease. Accordingly, since 1963, Congress and the American Heart Association have partnered to draw attention to the cause and effects of heart disease, an effort that is reflected in the resolution authored by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lee). In addition, House Resolution 1039 also expresses our support for the goals and ideals of National Wear Red Day, which this year was held on Friday, February 5. Notably, National Wear Red Day is designed to support the fight against heart disease in women by encouraging all Americans to wear red at their workplaces, places of worship, out in their communities, and at home. Through the simple act of wearing red, all Americans can ensure that National Wear Red Day continues to serve as a powerful tool by which to raise our national awareness of heart disease and stroke, especially among women. Madam Speaker, American Heart Month and National Wear Red Day are both valuable efforts in the fight against heart disease. For this reason, I urge my colleagues to join Mr. Lee, myself, and others in supporting House Resolution 1039. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. LYNCH

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