Blaine Luetkemeyer

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the University of Missouri for celebrating its 100th anniversary of Homecoming. In 1891, Missouri and Kansas began what is believed to be the oldest college football rivalry west of the Mississippi River. After 20 years of playing at neutral sites, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) passed legislation to move collegiate games to campus football fields. This was the birth of a vision for the first Homecoming celebration at Mizzou. That vision began with two words from athletic director and head football coach Chester Brewer in 1911. Determined to add excitement to the rivalry with the Jayhawks, Coach Brewer called on graduates to `come home.' And come home they did--with a spirit rally, parade and, of course, a football game. And so the Homecoming tradition at Mizzou began. Mizzou still has its annual parade and rally and holds the world record for the largest peacetime blood drive on a college campus, which occurs during Homecoming. Also part of the celebration are community service projects, a talent competition and the Homecoming Hall of Fame. In closing, I ask all my colleagues to join me in offering the University of Missouri congratulations on the 100th anniversary of Homecoming. Go Mizzou!

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the city of Rosebud, located in Gasconade County in Missouri, as the community will be celebrating its centennial anniversary. What is now the city of Rosebud was organized in 1911, receiving its name from the wild rose bushes that reside in the community. By 1911, Rosebud had expanded to considerable size because of the Rock Island Railroad, farming, clay mining, selling wood to kilns in St. Louis and many other industrious endeavors of the time. A number of citizens wished to have their village incorporated in Gasconade County, so they sent a letter to the County Court in Hermann. Within the year, the city received incorporation. Over the years, Rosebud's population, infrastructure and economic activity have increased. Over the past century, industries such as antique and craft shops, restaurants, churches and thoroughfare from Highway 50 have supported the town. Today, Finale International Tool Inc. is the top employer in the community. The proud community of Rosebud is home to 378 residents. In closing, I ask all my colleagues to join me in wishing the residents of the city of Rosebud congratulations on their centennial anniversary.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Linn State Technical College, located in Osage County in Missouri, for its exceptional performance in training scholars of higher education. Linn State Technical College, LSTC, founded in 1961, is Missouri's only two-year public technical college with a statewide mission. Originating as Linn Technical Junior College, the college became a part of the public higher education system in Missouri in 1996 as a result of legislation by the 88th General Assembly. Linn State Technical College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association. Thirteen programs are accredited by the Association of Technology, Management and Applied Engineering, ATMAE. In addition, 15 other program-level professional accreditations and certifications have been obtained by programs at the college. Linn State Technical College monitors the economic, industrial and technological needs of the state as new programs are proposed for development. In response to industry demand over the last decade, Linn State Technical College has started 19 degree and certificate programs. In closing, I ask all my colleagues to join me in wishing the faculty, staff and students of Linn State Technical congratulations in their pursuit of higher education.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the City of Owensville, located in Gasconade County in Missouri, as the community recently celebrated its centennial anniversary. What is now the City of Owensville began as an early trail called the Potosi to Boonslick Trail. Spurs from this main trail went to the current city, creating a crossroads that later became the St. Louis to Springfield Road and the St. James to Hermann Road, called the ``Iron Road.'' The city was originally laid out in 1886 by the Owensville Improvement Company, whose owner, Frank Owens, is the town's namesake. According to legend, businessman Frank Owens and blacksmith Edward Luster were both vying to be the town's namesake and held a horseshoe pitching contest to determine who would win. Owens won, and Owensville residents believe their city is the only place named as a result of a horseshoe pitching contest. Owensville was incorporated as a fourth- class city on May 27, 1911. Over the past century, industries such as a corn cob pipe factory, a tomato cannery, shoe factories and clay mining supported the town. Today, the RR Donnelly printing company and Emhart Glass Manufacturing are located there. Owensville is a thriving town and a proud community of more than 2,500 residents. In closing, I ask all my colleagues to join me in wishing the residents of the City of Owensville congratulations on their centennial anniversary.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 715, I was attending a meeting that ran long, and therefore, I was unable to vote on rollcall No. 715. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the city of Hermann, located in Gasconade County in Missouri, as the community recently celebrated its 175th anniversary. What is now the city of Hermann began as a small colony of the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1836. Hermann has remained the county seat of Gasconade County since 1842. The city was originally laid out by the German Settlement Society of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with the intent of preserving the German language and culture. In 1847 what is known today as Stone Hill Wine Company was formed. Today the winery hits an annual wine output of 1,250,000 gallons. Hermann became the ``Wine City of Missouri,'' and today is still the center of Missouri's wine industry. Over the past century, industries involved in the cultivation of grapes, production of wine, shoemaking and tourism have supported the town. Hermann is a thriving town and a proud community known for its many festivals and also as ``The Bed and Breakfast Capital of Missouri.'' In closing, I ask all my colleagues to join me in wishing the residents of the city of Hermann congratulations on its 175th anniversary.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the city of Linn, located in Osage County in Missouri, as the community recently celebrated its centennial anniversary. In what is now the city of Linn settled a diverse group of people with different nationalities and backgrounds. They settled in the region that is currently Osage County, calling the settlement Linnville but then later renamed the town more simply Linn, after the U.S. Senator Lewis F. Linn. It was in 1842 that Linn was designated the County Seat for Osage County. Here is the home of Linn State Technical College. The college was started with some of the foresight that is indicative of this region, recognizing the need for training a talented workforce. This vision has grown with the community for the last fifty years, putting technical education as an integral part of the community. Over the past century, a multitude of trades and occupations supported the town. Today, Linn is known for its diverse population, collection of many religious ideologies and exceptional school system. Linn is a thriving town and a proud community, thankful for those that have paved the way to the present and laid the foundation for our tomorrow. In closing, I ask all my colleagues to join me in wishing the residents of the city of Linn congratulations on their centennial anniversary.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my concern regarding the recent nomination of Rebecca Wodder as Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Until recently, Ms. Wodder served as president of American Rivers, an environmental organization that specializes in the removal of dams across the United States. Under the direction of Ms. Wodder, American Rivers removed over 200 dams in 13 states from 1999 to 2010. In total, the organization claims credit for the removal of 150 dams across America. In many cases, the lawsuits that preceded the removal of these dams cost U.S. taxpayers millions of dollars. This clearly demonstrates that Ms. Wodder's agenda hinges on practices that result in the expenditure of vast amounts of federal time and money in exchange for the promotion of an environmental agenda that has shown questionable results. The Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks oversees and coordinates all policy decisions made by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service. For someone who has spent much of her career battling the very agencies she will control, this is a prime example of the fox guarding the hen house. Indeed, American Rivers touts the fact that they have ``secured the planned removal of more than 100 dams on some 55 rivers in the next five years.'' I doubt very seriously whether Ms. Wodder will conduct an unbiased assessment on the merits of these and other projects during her tenure at the Interior Department. American Rivers is currently party to seven lawsuits against American taxpayers and the federal government. At a time when Congress is attempting to get our fiscal house in order, we do not need a litigious leader who has brought millions of dollars in lawsuits against our government. Furthermore, many Americans living along rivers depend on them to support their livelihoods. During this summer alone, flooding has caused insurmountable damage to these communities. If we are going to expend capital on our inland waterways, Congress and the Obama Administration should be focused on maintaining flood control and preserving valuable river infrastructure, not increasing the disparity of funding between fish and wildlife conservation measures and human protection. The protection of wildlife is a valid concern that should be addressed in a thoughtful manner. However, when efforts to protect wildlife result in irresponsible policy decisions, we must take a stand for the safety of our constituents. I was proud to join 38 of my colleagues from all corners of this country in sending the following letter to the Senate. In light of not only the country's current financial crisis but also devastating floodwaters that continue to batter our river communities, I urge all of my colleagues in the House and the Senate to carefully consider the nomination of Rebecca Wodder as Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The consequences for millions of Americans could be dire. Hon. Barbara Boxer, Hon. Jeff Bingaman, Hon. James Inhofe, Hon. Lisa Murkowski. Dear Senators: As you consider President Obama's nomination of Ms. Rebecca Wodder as Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks at the Department of the Interior, we respectfully write to let you know of our serious concerns with her record as the head of American Rivers, a single- purpose interest group focused on litigating against the federal government and removing economically important infrastructure. We seriously question whether she could adequately represent broader and more balanced interests at the federal level, especially at a fragile economic time with national unemployment exceeding nine percent. The position for which Ms. Wodder has been nominated oversees the management of at least 180 million federal acres and would have a direct influence on current and potential federal regulations impacting private lands, water rights, energy projects and other infrastructure. This is troubling given her past activities at the Wilderness Society and American Rivers, a non-governmental organization with a long record of receiving American taxpayer dollars while actively litigating against the federal government on multiple fronts. Between 1988 and 2011, American Rivers has either sued or been a party to 150 lawsuits against various parties, mostly the federal government. In fact, American Rivers is currently party to seven lawsuits against American taxpayers and the federal government. One illuminating piece of litigation revolves around American Rivers' longstanding lawsuit against the federal government's operation of four multi-purpose dams in the Pacific Northwest. These dams, located on the lower Snake River in Washington state, provide multiple benefits including emissions-free, renewable hydroelectricity (enough power to serve a city the size of Seattle), navigation to deliver agricultural products to market, recreation and the good-paying jobs associated with these benefits. Writing in the August 25, 2003 edition of The Dissident Voice, Ms. Wodder wrote that ``Breaching the four dams on the lower Snake River would be the single most effective way to bring back wild salmon.'' This is a completely unproven statement and the reality is breaching these dams is an extreme action that would have devastating economic impacts across an entire region while not actually assisting fish recovery. Despite broad agreement, including from the Obama Administration, on a biological opinion for Columbia Basin salmon recovery, Ms. Wodder's organization continues an over decade long lawsuit campaign against the federal government in an effort to demolish these dams. There are numerous examples of how the policies advocated by Ms. Wodder at American Rivers will have serious impacts throughout the country. First, she effectively advocated for federal regulations that caused up to 40 percent unemployment in parts of the San Joaquin Valley, California by diverting farm water under the guise of protecting the Delta smelt, a three-inch fish. Second, she endorsed last Congress' controversial legislation (H.R. 5088 and S. 787) that many argued could allow the EPA to regulate street and gutter water run-off and man-made ditches. This could cause significant job loss throughout rural America and the National Association of Counties, a non-partisan entity composed of locally elected officials, was concerned that this legislation could lead to ``more court cases'' and federal groundwater regulation. Third, by naming the Susquehanna River as one of ``America's most endangered rivers,'' her organization attempted to stifle the domestic production of affordable natural gas through hydraulic fracturing. Furthermore, we are also concerned that this appointment may run afoul of President Obama's own goal of ensuring that political appointees would not work on regulations or contracts directly and substantially related to their prior employer. Ms. Wodder has received significant, long-term compensation during her tenure at American Rivers. As previously noted, the organization currently has numerous pending lawsuits against the very agencies over which she would have regulatory authority and for others that directly or indirectly have been involved in litigation with the Interior Department. This creates a very real and serious conflict of interest. As Members of the House of Representatives, we appreciate the unique role of the Senate in the confirmation process. Nonetheless, the policies advocated by this nominee would be so detrimental to jobs, our economy and the livelihood of rural Americans that we felt compelled to make our views known and ask that you take them into consideration. Sincerely, Blaine Luetkemeyer.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Chairman, the Missouri River basin is currently facing some of the worst flooding in its history. This devastation, combined with the ongoing economic crisis and our aging inland waterways infrastructure, means that now, more than ever, we must be focused and responsible with taxpayer-funded river projects. My amendment would prohibit funding for the Missouri River Authorized Purposes Study, also known as MRAPS. This $25 million earmarked study comes on the heels of a comprehensive $35 million, 17-year study completed in 2004 that showed that the current authorized purposes are important and should be maintained. For river communities, few issues are as important as flood control, water supply, power, and navigation. People in these communities rely on the river for their livelihoods and will do so today, tomorrow, and long after the floodwaters have receded. This Congress and this administration need to focus on protecting human life and property and maintaining the safety and soundness of our levees. We also must support the important commercial advantages provided to us by our inland waterways system. The Missouri River moves goods to market and is an important tool in both domestic and international trade. That's why the National Corn Growers Association, the American Waterways Operators, the Coalition to Protect the Missouri River, and the Missouri Farm Bureau support this amendment. This study puts in jeopardy the lower Missouri and the Mississippi rivers, which could result in devastating consequences for navigation and transportation, resulting in barriers for waterways operators, agriculture, and every product that depends on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers to get to market. The current authorized uses of the Missouri River provide necessary resources and translate to continued economic stability not only for Missourians but also for many Americans living throughout the Missouri and Lower Mississippi River basins. We've said we want to focus on creating and maintaining jobs. This Congress is on the brink of passing three major trade agreements, and the ability of our inland waterways to transport manufactured and agricultural goods, goods purchased and grown by Americans, is as important as it ever has been. This study is duplicative and wasteful of taxpayer dollars. On this exact issue we've already spent 17 years and $35 million on hundreds of public meetings and extensive litigation. I offered identical language during our first debate on the fiscal year 2011 continuing resolution. That amendment passed by a vote of 245-176. I appreciate my colleagues who offered their support and hope to have their support again. While there is no funding in the underlying bill for MRAPS, I will remind my colleagues that in committee an amendment was adopted to allow the Corps of Engineers to use and receive non-Federal funds to continue and complete ongoing Federal studies. The need for my amendment is as urgent as ever. With that, I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler).

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Chairman, in recent months the Midwestern United States has been pummeled by severe weather that has destroyed land, homes, and even lives, particularly along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. Citizens living in communities along the Missouri River have endured what is beginning to be referred to as the worst flooding in history. Just in this year alone, millions of taxpayer dollars have gone towards environmental restoration and recovery programs, while operations and maintenance of our infrastructure has been terribly neglected. Because of this neglect, this year's record rainfall, snowfall, and subsequent snowmelt have created extremely dangerous conditions that are growing more serious with each passing day. President Obama in his fiscal year 2012 budget requested more than $72 million for the Missouri River Recovery Program, which would primarily go towards the funding of environmental restoration studies and projects. This funding dwarfs the insufficient $6.1 million that was requested for an entire operations and maintenance fund that supports the area covering the entire region from Sioux City to the mouth of the Missouri in St. Louis. It is preposterous to think that environmental projects are more important than the protection of human life. The Missouri River Ecosystem Restoration Plan, or MR-ERP, is slated to receive $4 million of the more than $72 million in Federal funding that will go towards the Missouri River Recovery Program. This program is only one of the many Missouri River ecosystem recovery programs funded by American taxpayers, and MR-ERP is one of no fewer than 70 environmental and ecological studies focused on the Missouri River. The people who have to foot the bill for these studies and projects, many of which take years to complete and are ultimately inconclusive, are the very people who are at risk of losing their farms, their businesses, their homes, and even their lives today. I do not take for granted the importance of river ecosystems. I grew up near the Missouri River, as did many of the people I represent in Congress. But we have now reached a point in our Nation where we value the welfare of fish more than the welfare of human beings. Our priorities are backwards. My amendment, supported by the Coalition to Protect the Missouri River and the Missouri Farm Bureau, proposes a prohibition of funding for the MR-ERP program. The end of the study will in no way jeopardize the Corps' ability to meet requirements under the Endangered Species Act. What this amendment will do is eliminate one of the many ecosystem studies along the river, a study that has become little more than a tool of the administration for the promotion of the return of the river to its most natural state, with little regard for navigation, trade, power generation, or the many people who depend on the Missouri River and adjacent lands for their livelihoods. This study has the potential to result in river management that is environmentally driven rather than focused on balancing the needs of the environment with those along the river and our wonderful communities. We've seen this same scenario played out on a nationwide basis. The result is increased unemployment, reduced trade, economic depression, and sometimes questionable environmental results. Mr. Chairman, should the funding for MR-ERP go forward, we must stop and think about what we are doing. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, to support our Nation's river communities. I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler).

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Chairman, very quickly, I think I understood the gentleman to say that this would affect some of the Corps' operations. This will in no way affect the Corps' operations whatsoever. This is a study that does nothing more than dictate how some things should be done after the study is over with. And in Missouri, our experience with these kinds of studies is such that we always come out on the short end. We have farmers, and businesses, and communities along the river right now who have been dramatically impacted by previous studies which have protected fish and birds over the welfare of our citizens, our communities, and our businesses. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. I yield myself the balance of my time. The Acting Chair. The gentleman is recognized for 30 seconds.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Chairman, I now yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Akin).

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Chair, I would like to congratulate the Appropriations Committee and the chairman for their fine work on making some difficult choices. Obviously, our budget times are tight. We have to prioritize our spending, and we have some emergencies here in this country which are abnormal, extremely abnormal from the standpoint that our weather patterns have changed dramatically this past year and as a result we have a lot of our citizens that are really suffering right now. In my district, I have the Mississippi River along the one side, I have the Missouri River running through the area as well, so both of those have been dramatically impacted by the massive rain storms that have run through the area as well as some of the tornados that have gone through the area as well. So I want to put a face on some of this for just a moment. You know, we have today a number of farmers who no longer can drive to their homes. They have to take a boat to their homes. They have 5 feet of water. Some of them are looking at the roofs instead of their homes, and their crops are gone. And when they are gone, whenever a flood occurs, it doesn't just occur and wipe out that year's crops. Quite often times it takes 2 or 3 or 4 years. And sometimes the ground is damaged to the point where it can never be reclaimed. The gentlewoman from the southeast portion of our State, some of her area that was devastated by some of the levees that were blown up, those crop lands may never return to fertile ground because of what happened. Again, well, people say, well, it's just farm land. No, it's not. This is the business of farming. This is their business location. And if you look at their farms, it's not just land that's laying out there. They have irrigation systems, they have thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars in irrigation systems and the berms and the ground that's been cultivated and excavated in a way that it can utilize all the waters that they irrigate with or whatever. So they have a huge investment in this property. It's not just land. It's a huge investment in their business. We are interested in continuing to help those folks rebuild those levees, rebuild their lives, rebuild their businesses because this is what they are about. One of the things that has happened in my area right now is with, basically, a tsunami coming down the Missouri River basin. In Montana they had an unusual amount of snow that fell this year, a late snow melt. And then on top of that they had a whole year's worth of rain in a 2-week period, and we have literally a tsunami coming down the Missouri River basin. Fortunately, we had a flood control set of dams in there that have minimized it; but even at that, this is a 100- to 500-year flood that is devastating everything in its path. And so those folks, in fact, right now from Kansas City on north, there isn't a single private levee that isn't either breached or topped. Let me repeat that: There isn't a single private levee north of Kansas City that is not breached or topped. That's how severe and how devastating this situation is this year. When we start talking about the uses of the river, it's important to note that barge traffic on rivers--the gentleman from Louisiana a moment ago talked about the usage of how much corn and grain goes up and down the Mississippi. The normal barge can carry 900 trailer loads of grain, 900 trailer loads of grain. Think of all the vehicles we are taking off the roads. Think of the environmental impact of none of those vehicles being on the road. It's very significant. Yet, in our area, the Missouri River is being underutilized because of some of the new mandates that are being put on it by different bureaucrats here in D.C. with regards to trying to worry about a fish or a bird that lives along the shore and/or for recreational purposes. So we have some interesting debates going on right now. Those we will decide at a later date, but the problem we are facing today is the devastation that it has had to life and property and the safety of those. We believe that these funds are necessary for people to recover from this devastation that has occurred. And just as a side light here, we also would like to thank the Appropriations Committee for not only finding a way to do this, prioritizing Federal funds without adding to our debt, but there is an interesting fact here as well. I want to note, it was from a report back in January of 2009 with regard to the Congressional Research Service that said had supplemental appropriations been fully offset-- which this is since 1981--Federal debt held by the public could have been reduced by at least 23 percent, or $1.3 trillion. This could have reduced interest payments to the public by $57 billion a year. I think while it's difficult, I know that our friends across the aisle and some of the folks here discussing the prioritization this morning are not happy with this. I think these are difficult times. We all have to realize that reprioritizing things sometimes is not easy. But in this situation I believe that it's justified, and we certainly support what fine work the Appropriations Committee has done. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

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

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Illinois for her leadership on this important issue. I rise today in support of House Resolution 1309 and in support of my en bloc amendment that aims to provide more certainty to the National Flood Insurance Program. My amendment calls on FEMA to take into account the effects and implications of weather conditions when making a flood-in-progress determination. Currently, FEMA's flood determinations are made independently by a FEMA adjustor, allowing a significant amount of room for subjectivity. I appreciate the need for FEMA's flexibility, but taking a more formulaic approach to flood events will provide increased certainty to our river communities. My amendment would also require FEMA to review the process for providing public notification of a flood event. When the Missouri River started flooding earlier this summer, FEMA was delinquent in reporting their flood-in-progress determination to the public. That determination was made June 1 but was not announced until June 6. For 5 days, we had no way of knowing that FEMA had made this determination, impacting policyholders and new homebuyers. We believe that FEMA must look at the policies in place and make recommendations for a more objective and precise determination process, along with public notification standards that will keep policyholders better informed. It is critical that FEMA develop enhanced procedures for flood determinations and communications with the public. I urge support for my amendment and for the underlying bill.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Rock Bridge Bruins Men's Tennis team for winning the Class 2 A Missouri State Championship on May 26. These young men and their coaches should be commended for all their hard work throughout the regular season and bringing home the 2 A Tennis Championship to their school and community. I ask that you join me in recognizing the Rock Bridge Bruins for a job well done.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the La Plata High School Bulldogs Men's Baseball Team for winning the Class 1 A Missouri State Championship on June 2. These young men and their coaches should be commended for all their hard work throughout the regular season and bringing home the 1 A Baseball Championship to their school and community. I ask that you join me in recognizing the La Plata Bulldogs for a job well done.

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating James Hunter and Joe LaRose of the Rock Bridge Bruins Men's Tennis Team for winning the Class 2 A Missouri State Doubles Championship on May 28. These young men should be commended for all their hard work throughout the regular season and bringing home the 2 A Doubles Tennis Championship to their school and community. I ask that you join me in recognizing James Hunter and Joe LaRose for a job well done!

Mr. LUETKEMEYER

Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the New Bloomfield Wildcats Men's Baseball Team for winning the Class 2A Missouri State Championship on June 2. These young men and their coaches should be commended for all their hard work throughout the regular season and bringing home the 2A Baseball Championship to their school and community. I ask that you join me in recognizing the New Bloomfield Wildcats for a job well done.