Candice Miller

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is certainly a true pleasure today to rise in support of House Resolution 702. This is a resolution that wishes former President Gerald R. Ford a wonderfully happy 91st birthday on behalf of the House of Representatives. President Ford certainly holds a unique place in American history. Within a 1-year period during the very destructive Watergate scandal, he held the positions of House minority leader, of Vice President, and President because he was such a respected national leader of unquestioned integrity and principle. Mr. Speaker, Gerald Rudolph Ford was born in Omaha, Nebraska, on July 14, 1913; and then he moved to Grand Rapids in the great State of Michigan shortly after his birth. He was always an exceptional student and athlete and was very active in extracurricular activities, even attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. President Ford attended the University of Michigan to study economics and political science; and as a member of the U of M's football team, he won two national championships in 1932 and 1933. In 1934, he was named the team's most valuable player. Rejecting offers to play professional football with either the Detroit Lions or the Green Bay Packers, Gerald Ford took a job at Yale University as a boxing coach and an assistant football coach, and he received his law degree then at Yale in 1941. The war was on, and he joined the U.S. Naval Reserve during the war; and then he returned to Grand Rapids after the war, in 1946, to work as a lawyer. In 1948, he defeated the incumbent United States Representative in that district in the primary election and then won the general election by a very wide margin. Mr. Speaker, Gerald Ford was a Member of this body from 1949 to 1973 and he served as House minority leader from 1965 to 1973. In the Congress, Ford was an ardent proponent of strong national defense, and he realized the important role that the United States played in the global theater. In October of 1973, as the Watergate scandal gradually unfolded, President Richard Nixon nominated Ford to succeed Spiro Agnew as Vice President of the United States. Ford became Vice President on December 6, 1973, and, in doing so, he also became the first Vice President to be appointed under the procedures of the 25th amendment. Mr. Speaker, Gerald Ford's vice presidential tenure lasted less than a year. When Nixon resigned due to continued revelations of Watergate, Ford became President on August 9, 1974. In a move he deemed the best for the sake of the Nation, he issued a complete pardon to Nixon in an effort to end what he categorized as the Nation's long nightmare. During his inauguration speech, President Carter paid immediate tribute to President Ford's role in helping America through such a difficult period saying, ``For myself and for our Nation, I want to thank my predecessor for all he has done to heal our land.'' On April 20, 1995, President Ford's boyhood home in Grand Rapids was designated as an historic site. I bring that up, Mr. Speaker, because at the time I was the Michigan Secretary of State, and one of my duties and responsibilities was serving as Michigan's official historian. Certainly one of my fondest memories was hosting the President and his wonderful wife, his very gracious wife, Betty Ford, for the home's dedication. There was a huge crowd of family and friends and neighbors, and the President was standing on the front porch of his home telling everybody about some of his fond remembrances of living in that home in Grand Rapids and how he used to play baseball out in front of the house. Gerald Ford is an extraordinary man and yet he grew up in an ordinary neighborhood, just like thousands of other neighborhoods all across our Nation. President Ford and his great accomplishments epitomize the greatness the American spirit, and I was truly honored to stand next to a living piece of American history that day. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from the great State of Michigan, the dean of the House of Representatives, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) for introducing this highly deserved tribute to our 38th President of the United States, Gerald Ford. Our entire Nation thanks him for his service, and we wish him a very happy 91st birthday. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 702) honoring former President Gerald R. Ford on the occasion of his 91st birthday and extending the best wishes of the House of Representatives to former President Ford and his family.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support House Resolution 684, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the House acknowledges the accomplishments and the contributions of many deserving Americans during the course of every year. But today during the consideration of House Resolution 684, we congratulate one of our youngest honorees, and certainly one of the most impressive as well. Thanks to the work of the distinguished gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Chocola), today the House of Representatives salutes the winner of the 77th Annual Scripps National Spelling Bee. This is a 14-year-old boy named David Scott Tidmarsh. He lives in South Bend, Indiana. David won the South Bend city spelling bee to earn a trip to the Scripps National contest here in Washington, D.C. from June 1 through June 3. And during the championship, David survived 15 nail-biting rounds against a couple of hundred of the most gifted spellers from across the Nation; and he clinched the championship on the word, and I hope I can even pronounce the word, ``autochthonous,'' I believe it is pronounced. It was very impressive, I would say. For those who are scoring at home, let me spell it for them. That is a-u-t-o-c-h-t-h-o-n- o-u-s. While it is not surprising, due to his very clear mastery of the English language, it is important to note that David is a straight-A student who loves to read. Reportedly David's favorite books are mysteries and science fiction. And I also understand he enjoys learning about politics; so I would certainly urge both the national political parties to think about recruiting this young fellow very early on. David obviously has a very bright future ahead of him no matter what he decides to do. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the whole House, we wish David Scott Tidmarsh the very best in his continued schooling and in the future. Again, I want to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Chocola) for recognizing David's incredible accomplishment, of which David should be very proud. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 684) honoring David Scott Tidmarsh, the 2004 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I certainly urge all Members to support House Resolution 646. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. House Resolution 646 supports national community health centers and their invaluable work in numerous American communities. The great Americans that work at these centers serve the unfortunate and, as the resolution states, their service acts as a vital safety net in the Nation's health delivery system. Their work is so very important to the welfare of many, many men, women and children who have a variety of health and wellness needs. Community health centers and public housing provide food, shelter and care to the Nation's needy. And I am so pleased to join the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), my distinguished colleague on the Committee on Government Reform, in support of this legislation. I hope its adoption today raises important awareness of the compassionate contributions to society provided by community, migrant, public housing, and homeless health centers. The concerned men and women who provide these centers' health services deserve our gratitude. I congratulate the gentleman from Illinois for advancing House Resolution 646. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 646) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that there should be established a National Community Health Center Week to raise awareness of health services provided by community, migrant, public housing, and homeless health centers.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 257) expressing the sense of Congress that the President should posthumously award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Harry W. Colmery.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. 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. 257.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to offer my support for House Concurrent Resolution 257. This resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the President should posthumously award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Harry W. Colmery. Mr. Speaker, countless remarkable Americans have contributed great sums to the building and development of our great Nation. Today we celebrate Harry Colmery, truly one of the most remarkable of all Americans. Harry Colmery had the awesome vision and the practical brilliance to compose ``The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944,'' or much better known as the GI bill. Harry Colmery grew up and attended school in Pennsylvania before earning a law degree in 1916. When the U.S. entered World War I, Colmery left to serve America as a first lieutenant in the Army Air Service. When he returned safely home after the war, he developed a successful law practice, eventually arguing two cases before the United States Supreme Court. He also became involved in the emerging American Legion and was elected National Commander in 1936. As the head of the American Legion, Colmery had the foresight to see beyond the second great war and to understand that at its completion nearly 15 million servicemen and servicewomen would be returning home looking to continue their lives. Many would probably want to go back to work, many more would want to go on to college. Colmery addressed both interests at an emergency meeting of the American Legion leadership in December of 1943. There Colmery drafted the initial draft of what became the Servicemen's Readjustment Act. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the law the following year, and it is credited with almost single-handedly jump-starting the modern American economic engine. Mr. Speaker, the G.I. Bill provided educational benefits that more than 2 million men and women utilized to attend college after coming home from World War II. Furthermore, an additional 5 million veterans received job training and other preparation through the G.I. Bill. Indeed, the G.I. Bill became one of the most directly influential acts of Congress in American history. It is impossible to measure the benefit to our national economy and general welfare from the fruits of all of this education. Harry Colmery's work in authoring the G.I. Bill make him one of the great Americans about whom many people today actually know very little. Mr. Speaker, this resolution requests the President to posthumously award the Nation's highest civilian award to Harry Colmery. On behalf of the chairman, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis), and the rest of the Members of the Committee on Government Reform, I want to make clear that this is not a frivolous request, nor do we believe that the Presidential Medal of Freedom is an honor that should be awarded lightly. But we believe that Harry Colmery deserves the Presidential Medal of Freedom for the millions of lives that he helped improve through the G.I. Bill. I want to applaud the distinguished gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Ryun) for bringing this legislation forward on behalf of Harry Colmery and his momentous contributions to our Nation. I believe this legislation deserves the full support of the House. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I urge all Members to support House Concurrent Resolution 257 that was offered by the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Ryun). He wanted to be here today but was delayed at the airport. I certainly commend him for his leadership on this resolution.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3340) to redesignate the facilities of the United States Postal Service located at 7715 and 7748 S. Cottage Grove Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, as the ``James E. Worsham Post Office'' and the ``James E. Worsham Carrier Annex Building'', respectively, and for other purposes.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. 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.R. 3340.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker on behalf of the Committee on Government Reform, I rise in support of H.R. 3340. This bill redesignates two postal facilities in Chicago, Illinois, as the James E. Worsham Post Office and the James E. Worsham Carrier Annex Building, respectively. My esteemed colleague, the gentleman from Chicago, Illinois, introduced this legislation and all members of the Illinois State Congressional delegation have cosponsored this bill. I share their support of H.R. 3340, and I urge all of my colleagues to likewise support this bill. James Worsham was a native of Chicago and enjoyed an admired career as a letter carrier and a leader of a postal employees union. After bravely serving our Nation for 4 years, Worsham began his postal career as a letter carrier in 1963. He ultimately joined the National Association of Letter Carriers and he rose to the ranks of Branch President and National Trustee. Today, we honor Mr. Worsham's sustained diligence within the postal community. Mr. Speaker, again I urge support of H.R. 3340. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the passage of H.R. 3340, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4427) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 73 South Euclid Avenue in Montauk, New York, as the ``Perry B. Duryea, Jr. Post Office''.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. 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.R. 4427.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am proud to support this legislation that designates a U.S. postal facility in Montauk, New York, as the ``Perry B. Duryea, Jr. Post Office.'' Every Member of the New York State delegation has cosponsored this bill. While State cosponsorship is a formality for post office designations to be reported from the Committee on Government Reform, in this case I think it reflects a great deal of the sentiment from my New York colleagues. Mr. Perry Duryea remains one of the most highly respected Speakers of the New York State Assembly in history. Speaker Duryea represented the people of Long Island with considerable dedication. First elected as a State Assemblyman in 1960, Perry Duryea exhibited extraordinary leadership for nearly two decades in the New York State legislature, spending 12 years as Republican leader. He held the distinguished position of Assembly Speaker from 1969 to 1973, and he served as Minority Leader from 1966 through 1968 and again from 1974 to 1978. We all deeply regret that Speaker Duryea passed away in January following a car accident near his home in Montauk. I hope this post office designation provides a wonderful reminder of Perry Duryea's legacy as a public servant and as a great American to his friends, his family, and to all New York residents. I thank the gentleman from New York for his work on H.R. 4427 that honors Perry Duryea. I strongly urge all of the Members of this House to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.