Sue Myrick

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules I call up House Resolution 503 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, for purposes of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Committee on Rules met and granted a structured rule for H.R. 4205, the Fiscal Year 2001 Department of Defense Authorization Act. The rule provides for 1 hour of general debate equally divided between the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Armed Services. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill. It makes in order as an original bill for the purpose of amendment the Committee on Armed Services amendment in the nature of a substitute now printed in the bill. The rule also waives all points of order against the amendment in the nature of a substitute. The rule provides that no amendment to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be in order except those printed in the Committee on Rules report accompanying the resolution or specified by a subsequent order of the House, amendments en bloc described in section 3 of this resolution, and pro forma amendments offered by the chairman or ranking minority member of the Committee on Armed Services for the purpose of debate. The rule provides that except as specified in section 5 of the resolution, each amendment printed in the report shall be considered only in the order printed in the report; may be offered only by a Member designated in the report; shall be considered as read and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or the Committee of the Whole. The rule provides that unless otherwise specified in the report, each amendment printed shall be debatable for 10 minutes equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent and shall not be subject to amendment, except that the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Armed Services may each offer one pro forma amendment for the purpose of debate on any pending amendment. The rule waives all points of order against the amendments printed in the report or amendments en bloc described in section 3 of the resolution. The rule provides that it shall be in order at any time for the chairman of the Committee on Armed Services or his designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting of amendments printed in the report not earlier disposed of or germane modifications of any such amendment, which shall be considered as read, except that modifications shall be reported, shall be debatable for 40 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Armed Services or their designees and shall not be subject to amendment; shall not be subject to a demand for a division of the question in the House or the Committee of the Whole. The rule provides that for the purpose of inclusion in such amendments en bloc, an amendment printed in the form of a motion to strike may be modified to the form of a germane perfecting amendment to the text originally proposed to be stricken. The rule provides that an original proponent of an amendment included in such amendments en bloc may insert a statement in the Congressional Record immediately before the disposition of the amendments en bloc. The rule allows the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to postpone votes during consideration of the bill and to reduce voting time to 5 minutes on a postponed question, if the vote follows a 15-minute vote. The rule allows the Chairman of the Committee of the Whole to recognize for the consideration of any amendment printed in the report out of the order printed, but not sooner than 1 hour after the chairman of the Committee on Armed Services or a designee announces from the floor a request to that effect. Finally, the rule provides that after disposition of the amendments printed in the report, the Committee of the Whole shall rise without motion and no further consideration of the bill shall be in order except pursuant to a subsequent order of the House. H.R. 4205 is a good bill. For several years, this body cut our military's budget while the administration deployed troops all over the globe. It was not fair to our men and women in uniform and it was not fair to hard working Americans who count on the military for their protection. Well, those days are over. Now we are taking care of our national defense. We are getting our military families off food stamps by providing a 3.7 percent pay raise and we are helping them retire by creating an armed forces thrift savings plan. We are providing resources to improve military housing. For years our military personnel have been living in substandard housing. We are giving our leaders the tools they need to get the job done in the field of battle, including five new submarines, up to 15 destroyers, additional Black Hawk helicopters, and Bradley fighting vehicles. We need this bill, Mr. Speaker. For far too long we have shortchanged our military at the expense of our Nation's security. This rule provides for a fair debate on the bill. The Committee on Rules received 102 amendments to H.R. 4205. With this rule, we will debate more than one-third of them, 35 amendments in all. But this is only the first step. Later the Committee on Rules will meet to grant a second rule for H.R. 4205. All of the amendments which are not made in order under this rule are still in play. We simply decided that it was wise to get started this morning, and with 35 amendments to debate today, it is a healthy start. I urge my colleagues to support this rule and to support the underlying bill, because now more than ever we must provide for our national security. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon).

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, due to necessary medical treatment, I was not present for the following votes. If I had been present, I would have voted as follows: May 8, 2000 Rollcall vote No. 146, on the motion to Suspend the Rules and agree to H. Con. Res. 296, Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the necessity to expedite the settlement process concerning claims of racism against the Department of Agriculture brought by African- American farmers, I would have vote ``yea.'' Rollcall vote No. 147, on the motion to Suspend the Rules and pass H.R. 3577, increased authorization for the North Side Pumping Division of the Minidoka Reclamation Project, I would have voted ``yea.'' Rollcall vote No. 18, on the motion to Suspend the Rules and agree to H. Con. Res. 89, recognizing the Hermann Monument as a national symbol of the contributions of Americans of German heritage, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Chairman Lazio) for yielding me this time. I am so pleased to be able to be here today and support this bill because it is a great day for American women. Today we can actually pass a bill that is going to ensure that low-income working women can get treatment for their breast or cervical cancer. This is a bill that covers women who are not eligible for Medicaid and too young for Medicare, but are caught in that crack of not having insurance coverage for a lot of reasons. Some, their employer does not provide it. Other times, they just flat cannot afford it. So this program is a follow-up to something Congress has been doing for the last 10 years. We have been providing screening for breast and cervical cancer. But then if the woman is told that she has cancer, the critical aspect of treatment is not there. A lot of them are sent home with no treatment options. By establishing this service, they are going to have that peace of mind that they will receive the care that they need. If we care enough to screen the women, we certainly should care enough to be able to provide the treatment. I am very fortunate. I am currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer, but I have insurance. It is paying my thousands and thousands of dollars of medical bills. But the women that we are talking about today do not have that luxury. I cannot imagine anything more devastating than being told one has cancer, but I am sorry, there is no way one can get treated. I mean, one goes through enough emotional turmoil when one has to deal with this disease alone, let alone knowing that there is no hope there for one as a human being to continue to lead the rest of one's life, live the rest of one's life in a healthy manner. So this is not only a great day for American women, it is a great Mother's Day gift for American women because, yes, Sunday is Mother's Day. I would like so much to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lazio) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo) who have taken the lead on this bill. I thank Speaker Hastert for his willingness to bring it to the floor. I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, due to necessary medical treatment, I was not present for the following votes. If I had been present, I would have voted as follows:

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, due to necessary medical treatment, I was not present for the following votes. If I had been present, I would have voted as follows: April 13, 2000 Rollcall vote 123, on approving the journal, I would have voted yea. Rollcall vote 124, on agreeing to H. Res. 474, the Rule to the Conference Report for the FY 2001 Budget Resolution, I would have voted yea. Rollcall vote 125, on agreeing to the Conference Report to H. Con. Res. 290, the FY 2001 Budget Resolution, I would have voted yea. Rollcall vote 126, on the motion to recommit H.R. 4199, the Date Certain Tax Code Replacement Act, I would have voted nay. Rollcall vote 127, on passage of H.R. 4199, the Date Certain Tax Code Replacement Act, I would have voted yea. Rollcall vote 128, on passage of the H.R. 3615, the Rural Local Broadcast Signal Act, I would have voted yea. Rollcall vote 129, on agreeing to the Barrett amendment to H.R. 3439, the Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act, I would have voted nay. Rollcall vote 130, on passage of the H.R. 3439, the Radio Broadcasting Preservation Act, I would have voted yea.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, the House of Representatives yesterday passed H.R. 4067, the ``Business Checking Modernization Act'' by voice vote. As this legislation goes to the Senate and possible to a conference, I would like to urge my House colleagues who will be conferees to insist on the inclusion of two important provisions in any conference report. One key provision currently not part of this legislation is language that would allow the Federal Reserve to pay interest on ``sterile reserves.'' The last time the House of Representatives passed similar legislation on October 9, 1998, such language was included. This language is still needed. The measure that passed yesterday will impose new costs on banks, according to the Federal Reserve, without any provision for offsetting these costs. The Federal Reserve has expressed its support for the payment of interest on sterile reserves to offset these costs, and I understand that House Banking Committee Chairman Leach has indicated that he supports the provision as well. I would urge my colleagues to include that language in any conference report prepared on this bill. One other provision that I would urge the House conferees to retain is language providing a three-year transition period before the payment of interest on commercial checking accounts becomes effective. This transition period is shorter by half than the transition period included in the legislation adopted by the House in 1998, and yet it is still the case that banks will be required to unwind and restructure long-standing relationships with their customers. Due to the current prohibition against the payment of interest on commercial checking accounts, many banks have developed a menu of other services that they provide to their customers. These will need to be restructured. With yesterday's vote the House has already reduced the transition period available to banks from the earlier 1998 legislation. It is very important that this transition period of three years not be reduced further. I would urge the House conferees to maintain the House position of a three-year transition period in any conference report on H.R. 4067.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, due to necessary medical treatment, I was not present for the following votes. If I had been present, I would have voted as follows: April 11, 2000: Rollcall vote 116, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 4163, the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, I would have voted ``yea.'' Rollcall vote 117, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H. Res. 467, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the tax and user fee increases proposed by the Administration in the FY 2001 budget should be adopted, I would have voted ``nay.'' Rollcall vote 118, on the motion to instruct Conferees to H.R. 1501, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, in my hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, a disturbing number of criminals are set free because of a lack of funding for prosecutors in the court system. It also seems that every day we are reading about another story of some gun-toting criminal committing a violent act against a law-abiding citizen. A recent news item tells the story of a young man in our city who began a life of crime at the age of 8. By the time he was 16, he was carrying a gun. In the 20 months after his 16th birthday, he was arrested seven times, but none of those arrests resulted in jail time. In April of 1997 he was walking free, carrying a gun, when he began to punch a man sitting in his car. As the man drove away trying to escape, the thug fired two shots. The police caught him, but again he was released on bond. Two months later he shot a man in the thigh. Prosecutors dropped the case. Finally, two weeks later, he shot and killed a 38-year-old man after an argument. At long last a guilty plea helped put this lifelong criminal in jail. In a jailhouse interview, the murderer explained how easy it was to avoid serving time. Under Project Exile this gun-carrying criminal would have served hard time much earlier and may have been deterred by the tough mandatory minimum sentences the bill would impose. We must conduct a two-pronged assault on these problems. Project Exile does just that. If States enact the laws, violent criminals and drug traffickers with guns will pay a price for their crime. In return for the strict laws, the States will get critical funding for law enforcement and prosecution, and the key here is that the funding can be used wherever the community needs it, which is not the case in most of the things that we do up here. As I showed in my Federal mandatory minimum sentencing bill last Congress, I strongly favor a zero tolerance approach for gun violence. I urge all of my colleagues to pass this bill unanimously, as they did that bill last year.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, due to necessary medical treatment, I was not present for the following votes. If I had been present, I would have voted as follows: April 3, 2000: Rollcall vote 96, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 1089, the Mutual Fund Tax Awareness Act, I would have voted ``yea.'' Rollcall vote 97, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 3591, providing the gold medal to former President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy Reagan, I would have voted ``yea.'' April 4, 2000: Rollcall vote 98, on agreeing to the LaHood amendment to H.R. 2418, I would have voted ``nay.'' Rollcall vote 99, on agreeing to the DeGette amendment to H.R. 2418, I would have voted ``yea.'' Rollcall vote 100, on agreeing to the Luther amendment to H.R. 2418, I would have voted ``nay.'' Rollcall vote 101, on passage of H.R. 2418, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Amendments, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, on March 9, I voted incorrectly on rollcall vote No. 45, the final passage vote for H.R. 3846. My intention was to vote ``nay.''

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, today I state my opposition to recent efforts to raise the government-mandated minimum wage. I am convinced that a higher mandated minimum wage would dramatically reduce job opportunities for those who truly need them and stifle the growth of our economy. Congress raised the minimum wage twice in recent years. It is my belief that employers should have the right to choose when to give employees raises. Several economists have stated that mandating a higher minimum wage will encourage employers to replace people with machines, or move their businesses to countries that do not have a mandated minimum wage. Either way, this will result in fewer jobs for Americans. If we truly support increased opportunities for teens to get work experience, and for poor men and women to escape unemployment, we must not legislate an even higher minimum wage that prices them out of the job market. Instead, Congress needs to focus our efforts on achieving regulatory reform tax relief and legal reform which will increase the capital available to the business sector for wage increases. Congress must also focus on reducing individual income taxes so that citizens can keep more of their hard-earned money.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, I urge the leadership to schedule a vote on the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act on the suspension calendar before Mother's Day. This legislation is really vital to provide treatment for low-income, uninsured working women who are diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer. Giving States the option of providing Medicaid coverage for these women if they are screened by the CDC's early detection program and found to have cancer will help save thousands of lives. The program currently provides screening for the cancer, but it provides no treatment options, no funding for treatment options for these women. So they have no option to be cured of their cancer, which is a harsh reality. I am currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer, but I am very fortunate because I have insurance. The funding for this bill was included in the budget resolution that we passed in the House last week and so there really is no reason not to have it passed on the floor by Mother's Day.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Chairman, every year when we do these emergency supplemental bills I have the same concerns. They are grave concerns, because we really do not deal with true emergencies. Emergencies happen all over the country, they do not just happen in North Carolina. Right now we are referring to one that is in North Carolina, Hurricane Floyd, which tremendously devastated our State. There are still thousands and thousands of people who are not in their homes or do not have homes because of this hurricane. It is really disturbing to me, because when we do emergency supplemental bills, we end up with a lot put in there that is not emergency. This bill is no different. Disasters happen all over the country. There was a tornado yesterday in downtown Fort Worth. It is another example of it does not matter what State one is from, one is probably going to face the same situation. It is time we set up some type of emergency rainy day fund or insurance fund, or something that is going to get us out of this box of continually coming to the floor with emergency spending bills, with three-fourths of the spending in the bill not being emergency. I am very disturbed by this one, as well. I will end up voting for the bill because I do not have any choice. I cannot vote against the money for the people who do not even have a home to live in. That is not a choice in my situation. But I am very disturbed by the fact that there are a lot of other things in here that are not emergencies. The amendment offered by the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Sanford) also does not touch defense spending. It is not cutting defense spending. I believe that is very important, and we have some dramatic needs there, too, that are critical right now. My concern is that the monies that come forward for emergency bills do go toward emergencies. In this case, of course, the emergency is the Hurricane Floyd money. I would hope my colleagues would join me in that, and really look toward a positive solution to this so we can come up with a way that we do not end up in this box all the time, and come back and say, well, everything is in there but the kitchen sink. I really do not like it. There are a lot of people here who do not like being put in that position. I would hope my colleagues would support this amendment.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove my name as a cosponsor of H.R. 3252.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, due to necessary medical treatment, I was not present for the following votes. If I had been present, I would have voted as follows. March 14, 2000--Rollcall vote 46, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 3699, designating the Joel T. Broyhill Post Office Building, I would have voted ``yea.'' Rollcall vote 47, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 3701, designating the Joseph L. Fisher Post Office, I would have voted ``yea.'' March 15, 2000--Rollcall vote 48 on agreeing to the Conference Report to H.R. 1000, The Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century, I would have voted yea. Rollcall vote 49, on passage of H.R. 3843, the Small Business Authorization Act, I would have voted yea. Rollcall vote 50, on the motion to instruct Conferees for H.R. 1501, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act, I would have voted nay. March 16, 2000--Rollcall vote 51, on agreeing to the Resolution, H. Res. 441, providing for consideration of the Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2000, I would have voted yea. Rollcall vote 52, on agreeing to the Watt Amendment, I would have voted nay. Rollcall vote 53, on agreeing to Boehlert substitute amendment, I would have voted nay. Rollcall vote 54, on the motion to recommit with instructions, I would have voted nay. Rollcall vote 55, on passage of H. 2372, the Private Property Rights Implementation Act of 2000, I would have voted yea.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, due to necessary medical treatment, I was not present for the following votes. If I had been present, I would have voted as follows: January 31, 2000 Rollcall vote 2, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H. Con. Res. 244, Authorizing the Use of the Rotunda for Holocaust Memorial, I would have voted ``yea''. Rollcall vote 3, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 2130, the Hillory J. Farias and Samantha Reid Date-Rape Prevention Drug Act, I would have voted ``yea''. February 1, 2000 Rollcall vote 4, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 764, the Child Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Act, I would have voted ``yea''. Rollcall vote 5, on passage of H.R. 1838, the Taiwan Security Enhancement Act, I would have voted ``yea''. Rollcall vote 6, on the motion to instruct conferees for H.R. 2990 the Bipartisan Consensus Managed Care Improvement Act, I would have voted ``nay''. February 2, 2000 Rollcall vote 7, on passage of H.R. 2005, the Workplace Goods Job Growth and Competitiveness Act, I would have voted ``yea''.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, due to necessary medical treatment, I was not present for the following votes. If I had been present, I would have voted as follows: February 8, 2000 Rollcall vote 8, on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to H.R. 1451, the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission Act, I would have voted ``yea.'' Rollcall vote 9, on the motion to suspend the rules and pass S. 632, the Poison Control Center Enhancement and Awareness Act, I would have voted ``yea.'' Rollcall vote 10, on agreeing to the Resolution H. Res. 418, expressing the Condolences of the House on the Death of the Honorable Carl B. Albert, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, Susan B. Anthony is well recognized as a towering figure in the struggle for equal rights for women. Today, on her birthday, she will rightly be celebrated for her indispensable role in setting our nation on the course towards recognizing the full equality and dignity of women. All women and especially those of us who serve in this Congress are indebted to her pioneering work. Susan B. Anthony's advocacy of women's rights included a concern for the rights of others as well. The same passion for justice that made her a fierce advocate for women also made her a fierce opponent of slavery. And inevitably, it led her to oppose abortion. Today, abortion advocates equate their position with women's rights. But Susan B. Anthony knew better. She vigorously denounced abortion, calling it ``child murder.'' For her, abortion was not evidence of women's rights, but just the opposite: it is evidence of the lack of such rights. Anthony wrote that women ``in their inmost souls revolt from the dreadful deed'' of abortion, but are nonetheless driven to it precisely because women could be treated as property and less than equal. Thus, Anthony's opposition to abortion arose from her fight for equal rights for women, and she saw no cause to separate the two. Without a doubt, if Susan B. Anthony were alive today, she would be fighting to reverse Roe vs. Wade. But more importantly, she would fight for true choice by supporting crisis pregnancy centers and other organizations that offer resources to help both the mother and the child. She would also be promoting advances in prenatal surgery and working to help families pay for these medical miracles. She would also work to eliminate barriers to adoption. As we celebrate her birthday and the gains for all women that her legacy bestows, let us also honor her life's work by doing as she did and make pro-life inseparable from pro-woman.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honor of Mayor-elect Jennie Stultz as she prepares to become the first female mayor of Gastonia, North Carolina, in its 122-year history. Her candidacy galvanized middle-aged women and young moms who, local studies indicated, felt disenfranchised in the last municipal elections. Her campaign to improve the image of the city, which once was chosen as an All American City, resounded with her fellow citizens. I applaud her efforts to promote the City of Gastonia as the friendly, progressive and All American City that she and I know it to be. Jennie Stultz has dedicated 20 years of her life as a community activist and volunteer. She served as Administrator of Gastonia Clean City, then as Community Relations Director from 1982 to 1997. She gave of her time and services on numerous civic boards, including the House of Mercy, which assists those with terminal illnesses; the Governor's Council for Children and Youth; and has just completed a term as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Gaston Literacy Council, Inc. Her father, Elmore Thomas, who was stationed overseas during World War II, wrote in a letter dated July 23, 1944: ``When I get back, I might run for mayor of Gastonia. At least, all the boys in the unit say I should.'' I commend Jennie Stultz for carrying on that tradition of service to community and nation for which her father fought and for realizing a long, unfulfilled family dream. My fellow colleagues, I ask that you join me in saluting a woman who exemplifies the spirit of optimism for the future and the pride of community that prevails in this land. May her tenure bring continued prosperity and pride to the people of Gastonia, North Carolina.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, on the eve of Veterans Day, I rise to bring to the attention of the House the extraordinary accomplishments of Johnnie Hendrix. Mr. Hendrix, a recipient of the Silver Star, deserves recognition for his valiant bravery on behalf of the American people while a member of our Armed Forces. I am proud to represent Mr. Hendrix in Congress. Johnnie Hendrix, now 81, served in the 8th Infantry Division's 13th Regiment during World War II. While participating in an action against the German military in the Ruhr Valley, his commander was critically wounded. With concern for his commander and his fellow soldiers, Mr. Hendrix took up command of his company to lead the battle. Under his direction, a combination of tanks and infantry successfully broke the German defenses and the group captured more than 1,000 Axis prisoners. Mr. Johnnie Hendrix is an outstanding and inspirational individual. His bravery and courage during this operation and throughout his service to our country is admirable and should be commended.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, on the eve of Veterans Day, I rise to bring to the attention of the House the extraordinary accomplishments of Loyd Welch. Mr. Welch, a recipient of the Silver Star, deserves recognition for his valiant bravery on behalf of the American people while a member of our Armed Forces. I am proud to represent Mr. Welch in Congress. Loyd Welch, now 74, fought in the 36th Infantry Division as a machine gunner during World War II. In October of 1944, German forces began an attack on his group. Throughout the onslaught, Mr. Welch held his position, firing his machine gun until it finally overheated. However, his determination did not diminish when his weapon failed. Instead, Mr. Welch lobbed hand grenades at the enemy, wounding at least 25 German troops. In the end, he allowed his company to complete its mission by his actions. Mr. Loyd Welch is an outstanding and inspirational individual. His bravery and courage during this operation and throughout his service to our country is admirable and should be commended.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, on the eve of Veterans Day, I rise to bring to the attention of the House the extraordinary accomplishments of Harley Extine. Mr. Extine, a recipient of the Silver Star, deserves recognition for his valiant bravery on behalf of the American people while a member of our Armed Forces. I am proud to represent Mr. Extine in Congress. Harley Extine, now 55, was a soldier defending freedom in the Vietnam conflict. On January 30, 1966, Mr. Extine's 101st Airborne Division came under sniper fire on a rice paddy in South Vietnam. Two soldiers went down with serious wounds. Mr. Extine dashed through the field to reach the wounded friends, disregarding his own safety. In fact, though the bullets continued flying through the air, Mr. Extine would not seek shelter until the wounded had been evacuated. His bravery and valor took him into other battles, at one point seriously wounding Mr. Extine. Undeterred by the wounds, he returned to serve a second tour in Vietnam. Mr. Harley Extine is an outstanding and inspirational individual. His bravery and courage during this operation and throughout his service to our country is admirable and should be commended.

Mrs. MYRICK

Mrs. MYRICK. Mr. Speaker, on the eve of Veterans Day, I rise to bring to the attention of the House the extraordinary accomplishments of Mack Drake. Mr. Drake, a recipient of the Silver Star, deserves recognition for his valiant bravery on behalf of the American people while a member of our Armed Forces. I am proud to represent Mr. Drake in Congress. Mack Drake, now 74, was a soldier defending freedom in the Pacific during World War II. One night during the invasion of Guam, the Japanese military engaged in a counterattack that wounded Mr. Drake and others, and left many killed. Despite his face and arm injuries, Mr. Drake refused to evacuate the area and stood his ground on behalf of the United States. Mack Drake continued to fire until his ammunition was depleted, all the while protecting the right flank of his platoon. Even upon the realization that he had no bullets left, Mr. Drake continued the fight by using grenades to defend his troop. Because of Mack Drake's unflappable bravery, lives were saved and a massacre was averted. Mr. Mack Drake is an outstanding and inspirational individual. His bravery and courage during this operation and throughout his service to our country is admirable and should be commended.