Jerry Moran

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Chairman, I am delighted to rise in support of a piece of legislation that I think is very important not only to the folks back home in Kansas but to the folks of this country, and I am here to in part commend the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young) and his colleagues on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure but also especially the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert) for his continued efforts in trying to fashion a piece of legislation that can succeed here in the halls of Congress. This legislation matters a lot to us as a Nation, matters a lot to Kansans that I represent. In many ways, this is about the creation of jobs at home. I think we often think about jobs being something that we see construction workers on highway projects, but I can tell my colleagues, from a Kansas perspective, our ability to get our manufactured goods to market, our ability to get our agriculture commodities sold in the world, very much depends on our ability to do that in a cost-effective, efficient way. This country must invest in its infrastructure. We talk today about the outsourcing of jobs. One of the components that can help to address this issue, one of the things that can make a difference, is to make sure that the ability to get goods to market, manufactured goods, agriculture commodities can be taken to market in a way that allows us to continue to be competitive in world markets. There are concerns here about the deficit. This is a bill that is funded by the Highway Trust Fund. What we are asking to have occur here is dollars that are paid for by users, by taxpayers, set aside for this purpose, be utilized for that purpose. There are many things we do in this Congress that add to the deficit, but spending money in a trust fund for purposes of infrastructure is not one of those things. I, as a conservative Member of Congress, if I am going to put resources dollars, hard-earned, taxpayer funding into the spending here in our Nation's capital, I will tell my colleagues my constituents are better served by the utilization of those dollars in building infrastructure as compared to additional bureaucracy in our Nation's capital. Put the money into projects, construction, infrastructure across our Nation. And, finally, I know that there are concerns about the donor and donee issue, that States may contribute more than they receive. My State of Kansas is kind of neutral on this issue. We get about as many dollars back as we pay. And I would urge my colleagues to give the chairman and others the opportunity to work on this. It reminds me of my days in State legislature. I was a State legislator for 8 years. School finance is always an issue, and as we tried to change the formula to improve the quality of education and to fund our schools across the State, you could not do it without additional dollars so that at least a majority of the school districts in our State and, therefore, their State legislators felt like they were better off. So it is important as we work on this donor-donee issue that we take a look at the number of dollars available for spending on the highway bill so that we can address the inequities that may occur if you are a State that is paying more money into the trust fund than you are receiving.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a devoted member of the Grinnell, Kansas community, Randy Struckoff. Coach Randy, as he is affectionately called, has become one of the most well known sports fans in Northwest Kansas. At every game in the Grinnell high school gymnasium, Coach Randy always sits at the end of the score table, right next to the home team's bench. On December 19th, USD 291, the Grinnell Public School District, will honor Coach Randy by dedicating the high school's brand new score table to him. A life-long resident of Grinnell, Coach Randy has touched the lives of all who have had the opportunity to know him. Although born with a mental handicap, he has never let that challenge get him down. Randy has a smile on his face year-round, and his bright spirit helps to carry Grinnell sports teams through hard times and add to their joy during the good times. Coach Randy's love for his community, its schools, and its youth is visible to everyone around him. Whether he is helping to coach, officiate, lead cheers, or do all three at once, Coach Randy gives his heart and soul in supporting the coaches, students, and entire community. During the playing of the national anthem at any sporting event in Grinnell, Coach Randy stands at rapt attention, singing along with every word. He is present during every sports season, through summer league baseball and softball, football and volleyball in the fall, basketball in winter, and track in the spring. I join Grinnell, Kansas in thanking Coach Randy for all of his encouragement and his dedication to the community.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of a Kansan, Mr. Gene Argo, for his commitment to excellence and his devotion to service. This year, Mr. Argo will retire as president of Midwest Energy, based in my hometown of Hays, Kansas. A true man of the west, Gene Argo drew many of his life lessons from his youth in Texas, including a profound love of nature and a respect for his fellow man. An avid bareback rider, Gene has learned that, through hardship and in the face of failure, you must always get back on your horse. For the past decade, Mr. Argo has tirelessly devoted himself to the Midwest Energy Corporation. As president and general manager, he has guided the success of the company since 1992. Through his efforts, Midwest Energy has grown to serve 40 counties in western Kansas. As president, Gene Argo is respected by his employees not only because of his work ethic, but because he respects his employees in turn. Mr. Argo's passion for progress has also made a profound difference in his community. In Hays, Gene Argo served on various civic and industry organizations, including the board of directors of the Hays Medical Center and the Hays Medical Center Foundation. The community of Hays has also benefited under Mr. Argo's leadership as chairman of the Ellis County Economic Development Coalition and the Ellis County United Way. The growth of Ellis County is a testament to his vision and direction. Gene Argo has also invested a great deal in the future of the State of Kansas. He supports Kansas youth as a member of the Kansas 4-H Foundation and also serves on the board of the Kansas Wildscape Foundation. An ardent hunter and sportsman, Gene is dedicated to preserving Kansas' natural beauty. As a small token of Kansas' appreciation, Mr. Argo was selected as the Leadership Kansas Alumnus of the Year in 2002. In light of his many efforts and achievements, his family comes first. Gene and his wife Linda raised three children and are proud grandparents of three grandchildren. Respected for his motivation and leadership, his employees will miss his starched shirts and smiles upon his retirement. I join his friends and family in extending to him my best wishes in all of his future endeavors.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight on behalf of thousands of America's rural communities, and I would like to focus attention on a looming crisis within our Nation's transportation infrastructure. Short line railroads, rural America's link to the national rail network, are approaching a crisis point. Before the rail industry was deregulated, Federal policy created a tremendous investment disincentive whose repercussions can still be felt today. With America's generation of heavier rail cars, which many short lines cannot accommodate, this situation has grown worse. We must move quickly, because thousands of miles of track are in danger of being abandoned forever. Over 550 short line rail carriers now operate 30 percent of the Nation's rail network. Short line railroads exist in all 50 States and in over 70 percent of all congressional districts. They operate 50,000 miles of track, employ over 23,000 workers at an average wage of $47,000, and earn $3 billion in annual revenue. Today, this local service is threatened due to the introduction of heavier 286,000 pound railcars that have become a new industry standard. Because of the interconnectivity of our Nation's rail network, short lines are forced to use these heavier cars, placing an added strain on track structure and making rehabilitation urgent. Studies indicate that it will take $7 billion in new investment for our Nation's short lines to accommodate these heavier railcars. To keep our constituents connected with the national rail network, these lines must be upgraded. Unfortunately, the small railroad revenue is insufficient to get the job done. Today, our Nation's short line railroads need help to make the capital investment required to maintain and rebuild rail service between rural and urban America. This is why I introduced H.R. 876, the Local Railroad Rehabilitation and Investment Act. This legislation has enjoyed bipartisan support with, currently, 178 cosponsors. H.R. 876 provides a $10,000-per-mile tax credit as an offset for rehabilitation investments needed to maintain and strengthen local rail service. This temporary incentive program provides a valuable tool for our railroads to rebuild and improve as they work to meet our Nation's increasing shipping needs. Short line railroads play an important role in my home State of Kansas. Kansas ranks second in the Nation in the amount of farm products it ships out of State by rail. These railroads keep our farmers and small businesses connected to a national rail network. However, since 1980, approximately 2,500 miles of short line rail in Kansas have been abandoned. In my State alone, the loss of short line railroads would add nearly $50 million in annual repair costs to the State's highway system. The loss of short line rail service could also add over $20 million to the annual cost of transporting and handling the State's wheat harvest, which would result in an annual net decline in farm income of over $17 million. Nearly every State and every congressional district would experience similar consequences without short line rail service. Congress should have a strong interest in preserving the freight connection between rural and urban America, because once track is abandoned, odds are it will never be replaced. In today's world, a disruption of the network that carries our food, raw materials, and the fuel for our power plants can be ill afforded. Tens of thousands of jobs in agriculture, manufacturing, refining, and mining in almost every congressional district depend upon this service. I urge my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring this vital transportation infrastructure legislation, and I ask the leadership of this Congress to bring this bill forward.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the managers on the part of the House may have until 6 a.m. on November 18, 2003 to file a conference report to accompany the bill (H.R. 6) to enhance energy conservation and research and development, to provide for security and diversity in the energy supply for the American people, and for other purposes.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, tonight I rise to recognize October 2003 as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Fortunately, in recent years we have made great strides in bringing attention to domestic violence and in providing assistance to its victims. It is critical that we raise awareness of the problem because domestic violence has historically been considered a private matter. During 2001, there were almost 700,000 incidents of domestic violence. As we concentrate on national security and the economic state of our country, we cannot forget the crimes that disrupt homes and families in each and all of our communities. The fact is that domestic violence is occurring at an alarming rate. Recent statistics show that domestic violence makes up 20 percent of all violent crimes against women, and accounts for 33 percent of female murder victims. During 2001 in Kansas alone, one domestic violence incident occurred every 26 minutes. Throughout this past year, I have spent time visiting with the domestic violence program directors in my district, and they have shared with me their concerns that domestic violence shelters and support agencies are now seeing victims with even more complicated needs. During these tough economic times, it is more difficult to find jobs and affordable housing to make women more self-sufficient and to give them the independence to escape their abusive environments. With almost 20,000 incidents of domestic violence occurring in Kansas in 2001, the nine domestic violence service centers in the rural, 69- county district I represent are striving to serve all those in the community who may be affected by abuse. Our experience in Kansas has shown that proximity and access to safe facilities is crucial to helping women and children escape abusive environments. Education and comprehensive community involvement are also essential to providing services and holding batterers accountable. Directors, employees, and volunteers work very hard to help domestic violence victims, but they cannot do it alone. In my district, domestic violence centers strengthen ties to the community by including law enforcement officers, county attorneys, social workers, and business leaders on their governing boards. In addition, agencies in Kansas are able to draw upon the resources of a statewide network through the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence. Congress also plays a role in preventing domestic violence and helping victims. Most domestic violence shelters are dependent primarily upon grants and local donations. Federal grants, made possible under the Violence Against Women Act, provide essential funds for prevention, enforcement, response, prosecution and victim services. We must continue to ensure that our shelters and crisis centers receive adequate funding. Although we are generating increased awareness of domestic violence during the month of October, this is a crime that demands attention all year long. I appreciate the commitment of those who work every day to help victims of domestic violence, and I applaud the efforts of those nine service centers in my district, including Dodge City, Emporia, Garden City, Hays, Hutchinson, Liberal, Salina, and Ulysses, Kansas. Through education, funding, and support, we must continue to work together to provide safe environments for victims and end the tragic cycle of domestic violence.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to honor a public servant, James W. Fee of Hutchinson, Kansas, and join with his family and community in mourning his recent passing. In his life, Jim loved his family, his community and his country. Jim proudly served his country for nearly 50 years in the United States Navy, first aboard the U.S.S. Albany and then as captain of the U.S. Naval Reserve. His patriotism and allegiance to the principles of freedom were shared with all who would listen. Jim's tireless commitment and devotion to his hometown was unrivalled. Throughout his life, Jim took a lead role in making certain his community was always an attractive place to call home. Without fail, Jim would report to his friends, family and colleagues upon his return home from travel, It was great to visit, but I could not wait to get home to Hutchinson. Jim's actions equalled his words. His service as mayor of the city of Hutchinson and as a member of the Hutchinson City Commission was guided by the goal of doing the common good for the most people. His leadership and dedication to his church, his professional trade associations and his business interests were always marked with charisma, honesty and sincerity. Jim was also, by every account, a successful businessman. Along with his brother Franklin and his father Frank T., Jim teamed to build the Fee Insurance Group into an industry-leading independent insurance agency. With a disciplined approach and a vision for success, Jim directed the agency for over a quarter century. Most important to Jim was his family. He and his wife of nearly 50 years, Martha, raised five children, Jim, Jr., Stacy, Allen, Bob, and Dan, and devoted endless love and attention to 18 grandchildren. Jim Fee personified the words of Abraham Lincoln, ``I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man who lives in it so that his place will be proud of him.'' Jim Fee made his community, State and Nation a better place. He and his family can be proud of the life he lived. I join his many friends and his admirers in extending my deepest sympathies to Martha and the Fee family.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 159.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) for his very thoughtful and kind generous remarks. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) for their leadership on this resolution and for their steadfast and committed efforts on behalf of all veterans. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support House Concurrent Resolution 159.

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

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 159) declaring Emporia, Kansas, to be the founding city of the Veterans Day holiday and recognizing the contributions of Alvin J. King and Representative Ed Rees to the enactment into law of the observance of Veterans Day.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon in support of House Concurrent Resolution 159, a bill that I introduced to encourage Americans to honor the duty and sacrifices of the members of our Armed Services by proclaiming Veterans Day as a special day of national remembrance. In addition, this resolution recognizes the community of Emporia, Kansas for its efforts to pay tribute to our Nation's veterans and to declare Emporia, Kansas as the originating city of Veterans Day. The resolution also recognizes the contributions of two native Kansans, Mr. Alvin J. King and the Honorable Edward J. Rees for the role each played in creating the legislation that established the national observance of Veterans Day on November 11 of each year. Our country has had many wars in its history and generations of American service-men and -women have defended America's freedom and liberty. We are a free people today because of our Founders' principles and the willingness of our service-men and -women to defend those principles with their lives. We should be ever thankful that individuals of each generation have been willing to serve America, that they have been willing risk everything, to allow their children and grandchildren the opportunity to live in freedom. Mr. Alvin J. King's abiding respect for veterans is attributed to the loss of his nephew, John Cooper, who was killed in action in Belgium during World War II. John Cooper was a member of Rifle Company B, 137th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army. After his nephew's death, Mr. King remain devoted to the war effort at home and served as the Veterans Security Chairman for the American War Dads. In 1953, Mr. King proposed that Armistice Day, a national observance since 1938, be changed to Veterans Day in order to recognize and honor all veterans from all wars and all conflicts. At that time, Armistice Day existed only to honor veterans of World War I. The community of Emporia, Kansas, under the leadership of Mr. King celebrated its first ``All Veterans Day'' on November 11, 1953. Through the financial support of the Emporia community, Mr. King and his wife, Gertrude, took the idea of an official Veterans Day to Washington, D.C. to Representative Edward H. Rees, another Emporia resident, who served Kansas in the U.S. House of Representatives for 24 years. The Congressman was strongly in favor of King's idea and said, ``It would give the holiday a new meaning and provide widespread patriotic observance.'' Following the inaugural ``All Veterans Day'' celebration in Emporia, Representative Rees introduced H.R. 7786, to change Armistice Day to Veterans Day and to establish its observation on November 11 of each year. The House and Senate both approved this legislation, and with the signature of another Kansan, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the bill became law on June 1, 1954. Before the Nation's first celebration of Veterans Day on November 11, 1954, President Eisenhower issued the following proclamation: ``On that day let us solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom, and let us reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that all their efforts shall not have been in vain.'' With the enactment and President Eisenhower's signature on H.R. 7786, Mr. King's dream to honor veterans of all conflicts was fulfilled. Every year since 1953, Emporia has honored our country's veterans, most recently with a week-long series of events that involves the entire community. Veterans Day is not just another holiday, not just a day off from work in Emporia, Kansas. The citizens of Emporia take very seriously their responsibility to honor our Nation's veterans. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to sponsor House Concurrent Resolution 159, and I want to thank my colleagues on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs for their support. I ask my colleagues and my fellow Americans to join me on Veterans Day this year and every other day in recognizing the contributions and sacrifices that our Nation's veterans have made to protect this Nation and to defend our way of life. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Ft. Riley. For decades this military installation has played an important role in protecting our Nation and is now an essential component in the war on terror. Founded in 1853, Ft. Riley was established as a strategic post for settlers heading west. It was located between the Oregon and Santa Fe trails to provide protection for traveler. Ft. Riley was responsible for protecting the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad through that area, and the post used troops to police the new territory because of fighting between pro- and anti-slavery settlers. During the Civil War, confederate prisoners were housed at Ft. Riley. From the post's inception until the end of World War II, Ft. Riley was known for its cavalry units and was designated as the ``Cavalry Headquarters of the Army.'' It was also during that time that the famed ``Buffalo Soldiers,'' the all-African-American Cavalry units were stationed at Ft. Riley. The Cavalry School produced some of the finest mounted horsemen in the world. However, it was also during World War I and II that the Nation began to see military warfare transition from cavalry to mechanized machinery. The invention of the tank, the machine gun, and the use of aviation shifted the focus of the military away from the horse and rider, towards mechanized warfare. At the end of World War II the Army closed the Cavalry School, replacing it with the Ground General School. This school trained enlisted men in intelligence gathering techniques and newly commissioned officers in basic military subjects. During the Cold War, the Army recognized Ft. Riley's strategic resources and designated it as the home base for the First Infantry Division, the ``Big Red One.'' The security threat from the Soviet Union, the expansion of communism transformed the mission of Ft. Riley. No longer would Ft. Riley be only a training and education center, but became the home base for a major infantry division. In 1955, the Big Red One began arriving at Ft. Riley. The addition of the Big Red One caused an influx of troops and families to the area, especially in the neighboring community of Junction City, Kansas. Through the Vietnam and Gulf War, Ft. Riley continued to actively support U.S. military missions abroad and continued to acquire land to train troops stationed at the installation. Today Ft. Riley consists of more than 100,000 acres. This allows troops to train in war-like conditions using live ammunition to prepare for situations such as those in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Bosnia. The resilient prairie grasses are a perfect terrain for military maneuvers. In addition, the construction of a simulated combat center at the post brings the art of war from Kansas' prairie into the classroom. Soldiers are able to train in simulated Bradley fighting vehicles and Abrahms tanks to hone their combat skills. Today Ft. Riley continues to play an important role in the war on terror. In the past 6 months more than 14,000 soldiers and 1,750 rail cars, containing over 5,500 pieces of equipment, have been deployed from Ft. Riley, representing 35 trains that have shipped equipment to ports in Charleston, South Carolina, Jacksonville, Florida, Beaumont and Corpus Christi, Texas, and Savannah Georgia. Strategically located in the center of the country, Ft. Riley's soldiers can load 200 railcars in a 9-hour period, with the equipment arriving at the ports ahead of schedule. Ft. Riley has been able to transport equipment from Kansas to the coast faster than the Navy could get ships to those ports. Not once has Ft. Riley missed a port call. During Operation Desert Storm, it took 28 days to get equipment to the ports in the Gulf of Mexico. Now during the War on Terrorism, equipment was moved to the Gulf from Ft. Riley in 48 hours. Madam Speaker, this Saturday the community of Junction City and Ft. Riley will celebrate the post's 150th anniversary. As the United States continues to fight the War on Terror, I ask my colleagues and my fellow Americans to join me in recognizing the contributions and sacrifices soldiers from Ft. Riley have made to protect this Nation and defend our way of life. Ft. Riley has evolved during the past 150 years from a post to assist westward expansion to become ``America's Warfighting Center.'' Ft. Riley is essential to Kansas, it is essential to the Army, and, most importantly, Madam Speaker, Ft. Riley is essential to the safety and security of the United States of America. Happy 150th anniversary, Ft. Riley, Kansas. Thank you for your service to our Nation.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) for their work on this important piece of legislation. I also would like to recognize the work of the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner), my ranking member during the time I chaired the subcommittee, in which our subcommittee focused a lot of attention toward the issue of Project SHAD and its effect upon our veterans today and upon servicemen and women back in the 1960s. I am pleased to be here today, these months later, in support of passage of H.R. 2433. During my time as the subcommittee chairman, we worked with a number of our colleagues on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs to highlight, to encourage the Department of Defense to provide information, the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide a higher priority in care and concern for the veterans who participated in Project SHAD, those tests conducted by the Department of Defense in the 60s. These tests were conducted over water and on land. They were designed to ascertain the damage and dangers chemicals might have to ships and equipment, beginning a study upon the effects of weapons of mass destruction, something we hear about a lot today. Thousands of veterans, as a result of those tests, now have reason to believe that their health may have been adversely affected by exposure to dangerous substances. In the 107th Congress, our subcommittee held those hearings on this project, upon the tests. We had a number of meetings with Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs officials. We visited with veterans organizations and began the process of seeking answers to the many questions that now linger some 60 years later. Our subcommittee concentrated also on the state of deployment health. Having been through the Persian Gulf War Syndrome, we wanted to see if we could find ways to get the Department of Defense to deploy our forces in ways that protected those forces, the equipment, vaccinations, health records and other policies that DOD utilizes today to protect the health of active duty servicemen and women who are deployed in areas of conflict. Congress does need to focus our concern on the veterans of the past, because they teach us lessons about the veterans of our future, and we need to use history as a tool to create effective and proactive policies for our current and future servicemen and women who may be exposed at some time to dangerous poisons and other hazards of military deployment. We have seen those exposures in Vietnam, in the first Gulf War, and we may see many more in the future. U.S. soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, are overseas today defending the freedoms we enjoy here at home, and we in Congress are responsible for ensuring their health, that it is protected, both in and out of the service. The record is clear: The tests that involved Project SHAD were not intended to harm U.S. service members, they were intended to aid the U.S. in protecting ships at sea and soldiers and their equipment on the field of battle from enemy attacks using chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. But, clearly, we have a responsibility to those soldiers who were affected by those tests. I would like to especially commend a Kansan from Topeka, Kansas, Jim Druckmiller, and the USS Power Association, as well as the Vietnam Veterans of America, their organization, for bringing this issue to the subcommittee and Congress. Citizens from my home State of Kansas and many other states were affected by these tests, and we must honor them and support them by seeking passage of this legislation. I again commend the gentleman from New Jersey (Chairman Smith) for giving this legislation the high priority it is due, and urge its passage by the House today.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a man who had a positive effect on the lives of many people in Northwest Kansas and across the state. We mourn the death of Mr. Robert W. Culley of Hill City, Kansas. A life-long Kansan, Mr. Culley never hesitated to answer the call to serve his family, community, state and country. He lived a life guided by the morals and values we hold dear in rural America: strong beliefs, faithful service and absolute integrity. Shortly after his graduation from college, Bob volunteered for the Navy in June of 1942. After basic training in Rhode Island, Bob was assigned to the 60th Construction Battalion and was sent to the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific to build an airfield for future operations against Japan. Bob continued his military service, graduating from the Supply School at Harvard and then serving aboard the battleship USS Texas until the end of World War II. Bob returned to his hometown of Mullinville, Kansas, where he spent twenty years farming and ranching. Bob started a new career when he accepted an offer to become the President of the Consolidated State Bank in Hill City. It was during his tenure at the bank that I was fortunate to have the opportunity and pleasure to work with Mr. Culley. As a recent college graduate, I quickly came to admire his intelligence, integrity and dignity. Working for Bob taught me a great deal about banking, but even more about being a good person. I know that I am better for having known him and worked with him. He contributed an endless amount of time in making his community a better place to do business and raise a family. Most important to Bob was his family. Over the course of 61 years together, he and his wife Catherine raised a son and daughter, Tom and Sara, and devoted endless love and attention to his two grandchildren. He was a member of the United Methodist Church, the Hill City Rotary Club, the Masonic Lodge, the Order of the Eastern Star, the South Solomon Shrine Club, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Hill City Elks Lodge, the Graham County Historical Society, the Graham County Community Foundation and the Graham County Hospital Board. Bob also served on the Fort Hays State University Endowment Board and was a past president. He was involved in the David and Mary Rush Scholarship Trust, where he and other trustees awarded scholarships to Graham County High School graduates. Through his kindness and service, Robert Culley made his community, state, and nation a better place. I join his many friends and admirers in extending my deepest sympathies to Catherine and her family during their time of loss.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to a cost-of- living increase for Members of Congress. Across our country, the struggling economy is hurting businesses and leaving many without jobs. Latest projections show the national debt climbing to an unprecedented level. We should set an example by voting against this pay increase. Fiscal discipline must start with Congress. In addition, by not allowing a regular yes-or-no vote on this provision, we simply add to the impression that too many people have about Congress. If Congress is to vote itself a raise in pay, it should be done in full view of the American public, not through a quiet procedural motion. This process needs to be reformed. Members of Congress should not be able to receive an automatic cost-of-living increase. Each of us should be on the record with the citizens of our districts whether we believe an increase to our own salaries is justified.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, the amendment that I offer today would raise the reimbursement rate for veterans traveling to health care facilities. The current standard reimbursement rate for Federal employees is 36 cents per mile, while veterans are currently reimbursed at the much lower rate of 11 cents per mile for beneficiary travel. This amendment would require the VA Secretary to reimburse veterans at the standard Federal rate. In 1978, Congress enacted authority for the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs to have the discretion to adjust reimbursement for certain veterans' travels to and from VA health care centers. At the time, the standard rate for reimbursement was set at 11 cents per mile. Reimbursement for eligible veterans is also subject to a $3 deductible for each one way visit, not to exceed $18 in one calendar month. Each year, the VA is required to review the beneficiary travel rate and has not taken any action to increase it, despite that review. As a result, the VA beneficiary travel rate has not been adjusted for 25 years. In comparison, travel reimbursement for Federal employees is currently 36 cents, more than three times the rate we pay veterans. I currently serve as the vice chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health, and have been long an advocate for improving veterans' access to VA health care. This is particularly true for those of us who represent rural districts, and in my case there is no veterans hospital in that district. A reasonable reimbursement rate for travel is integral for our veterans actually being able to have access to the VA health care they are entitled to. I support an increase in the beneficiary mileage reimbursement rate; but, unfortunately, the only way that it can be paid for in today's proceedings is through compromising medical care. Therefore, at the end of my remarks, I intend to withdraw this amendment, but I would use this as an opportunity to urge not only my colleagues, but the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to request additional funding from Congress for a rate increase for beneficiary mileage. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I ask the cooperation of my colleagues in achieving this goal. I would ask that the Secretary work with us to come up with the necessary funding to increase that rate. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Madam Speaker, I rise this evening to pay tribute to a great man and a great Kansan, Senator Robert J. Dole. Tomorrow, July 22, is Senator Dole's 80th birthday. In those 80 years, Senator Dole has become one of the most influential figures in American politics. Part of the Greatest Generation, Senator Dole is an example of an ordinary American who was called upon to meet extraordinary challenges and has risen to those challenges time and time again. A native of Russell, Kansas, Senator Dole was born to humble beginnings. I grew up within 20 miles of Bob Dole's hometown, and I know the dedication, commitment, love and respect that the people of Russell share for their hometown hero. In high school, Senator Dole was a good student and a good athlete and went on to enroll at the University of Kansas to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a physician. Like so many of his time, he heard the call to defend his country and left KU after his sophomore year to join the U.S. Army. Dole excelled in the military and he served as a platoon leader of the 10th Mountain Division in the allied liberation of northern Italy. For his service and bravery in World War II, Senator Dole was decorated with two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star medal. Senator Dole is also well know for his service to our country as a Congressman, a U.S. Senator and the longest-serving Senate majority leader. Senator Dole began his public service as the county attorney in Russell County where the entire county's population is less than 10,000 people. From there, he served 4 years in the State legislature before being elected to Congress where he would serve for the next 36 years. During his time on Capitol Hill, Senator Dole was known as a tireless leader who worked relentlessly to forge alliances in order to pass significant legislation. As a disabled veteran, he championed legislation to improve the condition of his fellow veterans and for the disabled, including the landmark bill, the Americans with Disabilities Act. Senator Dole also served as Gerald Ford's running mate in 1976 and received the Republican nomination for President in 1996. Starting this week, Senator Dole's legacy of public service will live on through the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas. The Institute's director and four-time Presidential librarian, Richard Norton Smith, explained that ``this place is about service, that every generation could be the greatest generation.'' The Institute is a resource for the citizens of our great State and for our Nation. The Center for Politics and Media focuses on public programming, including the Dole Lecture Series, the Dole Prize for Leadership, and the Presidential Lecture Series. The KU campus will also be enriched by this new collection of resources. I am proud that my alma mater, the University of Kansas, has created this living tribute to a life of service. A university has no greater mission than to prepare our Nation's future leaders. This center will serve as a tremendous resource in that cause. Since Saturday, Lawrence, Kansas, has been the center of a 4-day celebration culminating in the formal dedication ceremony of the Institute tomorrow morning. The dedication festivities include activities reminiscent of World War II, including an air show, an airplane display, a veterans' reunion, a living history encampment, and a reenacted USO show. These activities are only a small token of Kansas' appreciation and affection for Senator Dole. It is my hope he will realize how much his lifetime of public service means to our State and Nation. Bob Dole is a tremendous role model for those of us involved in public service. I thank Senator Dole for his service to our country. He exemplifies so well our country's Greatest Generation, and happy birthday.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons) for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today as provisions of H.R. 2414, the Department of Veterans Affairs Chiropractic Employment Act, a bill that I introduced earlier this year, are included in this bill now before the House. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), chairman of the full committee, as well as the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Simmons), my predecessor as the chairman of the Health Subcommittee for their leadership and assistance in advancing this measure to the House floor today. Mr. Speaker, these provisions will prompt the Department of Veterans Affairs to make chiropractic care available to America's veterans in VA facilities by granting specific employment authority in VA for chiropractic care as clinicians under title 38 of the United States Code. Millions of Americans use the services of doctors of chiropractic. However, veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system are unable to receive this specialty care. Numerous studies have demonstrated that chiropractic care can and is an effective therapy. Mr. Speaker, Congress has acted twice before on chiropractic care in the VA health care system, but our intent has not yet been implemented by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Signed into law in 1999, section 303 of Public Law 106-117 required the VA Under Secretary for Health to establish a defined policy regarding the role of chiropractic care for veterans enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration. Almost a year later, the VA established what it deemed to be a ``policy'' on chiropractic care. However, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs found the VA's response to be inadequate. As a result, in 2001, 2 years later, Congress enacted section 204 of Public Law 107-135. This legislation required the Secretary of VA to create a program of chiropractic care and services for veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system and specified that each of the VA's health care networks put at least one program in place. This law also required the establishment of a Chiropractic Advisory Committee within the Department and charged the committee to provide assistance to the Secretary in developing and implementing the chiropractic health care program. While some progress has been made by the VA's Advisory Committee, the Department is now contending that formal organizational, qualification, and classification studies are needed due to the VA's lack of a specified employment authority in title 38 of the United States Code. Such an undertaking by the VA would probably require extensive use of specialized resources and more bureaucracy on the part of the Central Office, the Advisory Committee, the Office of Personnel Management, as well as outside consultants. We can remedy this situation with the bill before the House today to speed the VA's decision-making on establishing chiropractic clinical care positions within the Department. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Our bill will provide a specialty care program for our Nation's veterans, who are most deserving of this benefit. I again thank the chairman for his leadership.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a Kansan devoted to his community and to the State of Kansas. Mr. Charles Reese, a Rotarian since 1975, will be installed as the District Governor of District 5670 of Rotary International on Friday, July 11. I am personally proud of Mr. Reese, who resides in my hometown of Hays, Kansas. District 5670 encompasses Hays and all of northwest Kansas. As District Governor, Mr. Reese will lead 31 Rotary clubs with 1200 members in a 38-county region. Reese's dedication to his community is well known. Mr. Reese served the Hays community as a board member of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Industry and as chairman of the board of the Kansas PRIDE program. Last year, Charles retired as Vice President of Corporate Relations for Midwest Energy, an electric and natural gas utility based in Hays. Mr. Reese's commitment to community service is an example of tremendous leadership. He served as President of the Heartland of Development Corporation and is currently serving as interim director of the Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development. Mr. Reese and his wife, Louise, have also traveled to Panama with the Rotary District HungerPlus service teams. For his volunteer work in economic development, Charles received the 2002 Volunteer of the Year award from the Kansas Economic Development Association. Not least of all, Charles and Louise are the proud parents of three grown daughters and grandparents of three grandsons. The family will celebrate Charles' formal installation as District Governor at a banquet Friday evening, July 11, in Hays. Charles Reese is a role model for service to others. His devotion to his community, and to Rotary International, reflects his strong character and sense of duty to community, state, and nation.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to utilize the time of the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton).

Mr. MORAN of Kansas

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, in Kansas today the combines and harvest crews are rolling through day 13 of the 2003 wheat harvest. Farm trucks and semi-trailers crowd the highways and gravel roads bringing Kansas's most celebrated crop from the fields to the grain bins and local elevators. After a few days of rain, harvest is now in full throttle in the southern half of the largest wheat producing State. And with just under 20 percent of the harvest in, there is some good news to report. The yields are good and the landscape is of golden waves of grain, a welcomed change from the scenery of a year ago. Two thousand and two was one of the worst years that farmers in Kansas ever faced. Because of severe drought wheat yields were poor, many families had net incomes of zero and farm equities plunged, the trickle down effect of the hard hit causing cash-flow problems for rural businesses and closing down stores on main streets in many small towns across our State. But after consecutive years of natural disaster, Kansans can finally be cautiously optimistic this year. The harvest reports from producers are more positive and even a little upbeat this year, and the cause for that improvement can best be described in one word, rain. Thanks to the spring rains, many producers are getting their first wheat crop in 3 to 4 years. By the time this harvest is completed the first part of July almost 10 million acres of wheat will have been cut, the largest acreage harvested in our State in the last 5 years. Behind the numbers of wheat harvest, bushels per acre, test weights, yields, are stories of real people who make farming their way of life. Harvest is a family affair. Although the methods of harvest are constantly changing thanks to new technology, the work ethic passed down from generation to generation still exists. Fathers, sons, grandfathers, brothers work side by side from dawn to sunset. A story in yesterday's Salina Journal paints the typical picture in a profile of the Anderson family from McPherson County. Wheat producer Tim Anderson is on the combine harvesting a field near Roxbury, Kansas. His father, Bill Anderson, is on another combine, and the third is manned by Tim's son Scott, age 17. Younger son Shawn is in a tractor nearby pulling the grain cart. Meanwhile Tim's wife, Renee, arrives in the field in a farm truck bringing lunch to the family. Harvest is a team effort. In addition to being a family affair, the annual wheat harvest is a trademark claimed by our entire State, and we have been growing wheat there in Kansas since before Kansas became known as ``The Wheat State.'' Kansas's farmers produce more wheat than any other State, 20 percent of the Nation's total production, and Kansas ranks first in our Nation in flour milling, wheat gluten production and wheat stored. Kansas really is the ``Breadbasket of the World.'' Wheat harvest is a tradition, a legacy, and our livelihood, and as goes the wheat crop, so goes the Kansas economy. A good wheat harvest is the leading contributor to our State's revenue, about $1 billion annually. So Mr. Speaker, as the combines roll northward and the harvest continues, it is good for all of us to take a few moments to recognize the lessons of the wheat field, to remember that there is satisfaction in making the right decisions and putting in the hard work to produce a bumper crop but ultimately mother nature has the final say in whether or not the yield is bountiful. That cautious optimism is the hallmark of every farmer who puts the seed in the ground hoping for a good harvest months later, and there are few things in life more rewarding than working with family side by side to complete the job of the wheat harvest. Wheat harvest is important to the Kansas economy but even more important as a way of life. Kansans have been saying their prayers throughout the years of drought for rain and snowfall. Those prayers have been answered. Now we pray for abundant crops, good prices, and a safe harvest. Once again the old hymn reminds us: God our Maker doth provide.