Marilyn Musgrave

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 156) to designate the Ojito Wilderness Study Area as wilderness, to take certain land into trust for the Pueblo of Zia, and for other purposes.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam 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 the bill under consideration.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, S. 156, introduced by Senator Bingaman of New Mexico, and a companion to H.R. 362 sponsored by the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) would designate approximately the 11,000-acre Ojito Wilderness Area in Sandoval County, New Mexico, as wilderness. This Federal land was determined by the Bureau of Land Management in 1991 as suitable for wilderness designation. This bill would also take certain land into trust for the Pueblo of Zia to protect its religious and cultural sites in Zia. Madam Speaker, S. 156 is supported by the majority and the minority of the administration. I urge adoption of the bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Mrs. Wilson).

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

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Gary G. Miller).

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 177) to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Prado Basin Natural Treatment System Project, to authorize the Secretary to carry out a program to assist agencies in projects to construct regional brine lines in California, to authorize the Secretary to participate in the Lower Chino Dairy Area desalination demonstration and reclamation project, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam 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 the bill under consideration.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 177, introduced by our colleague from California (Mr. Gary G. Miller) provides Federal assistance for three water projects aimed at drought-proofing Southern California. The bill will help develop wetlands to naturally clean surface water in the Santa Ana watershed. The bill also authorizes Federal assistance for the design and construction of a regional wastewater pipeline and a desalting plant. The Federal cost share of these projects will not exceed 25 percent. This legislation promotes the development of new water technologies that create reliable water supplies and help reduces Southern California's dependence on imported water. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 55) to adjust the boundary of Rocky Mountain National Park in the State of Colorado.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, S. 55 is identical to H.R. 774, which I introduced earlier this year. S. 55 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to accept a conveyance of 5.9 acres and in return convey approximately 70 acres to the MacGregor Ranch Trust in order to consolidate trailheads and improve visitor access in Rocky Mountain National Park. According to the National Park Service, Rocky Mountain National Park is the fifth most visited park in the system. With the popularity of Rocky Mountain National Park, the park officials must continuously find ways to improve visitor access and enjoyment. For this reason, Senator Allard and I introduced the Rocky Mountain National Park Boundary Adjustment Act of 2005. This is a straightforward piece of legislation, and it is legislation that is needed to enhance enjoyment and ease of access to a popular trailhead. S. 55 would convey three strategic pieces of land to the park system from the MacGregor ranch, a historic working cattle ranch that is located within the boundary of the park. The new parcels of land would be used to build a new parking lot and road to offer improved access for the public, while protecting the historic integrity of the ranch. The MacGregor ranch would, in turn, receive much-needed grazing land. I believe this is a long-term solution for both the park and the MacGregor ranch. Madam Speaker, S. 55 is supported by the majority and the minority, and I urge passage of the bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Jeff Christensen, a National Park Service Ranger who tragically lost his life July 29, 2005, while on a backcountry patrol in the Mummy Range area of the majestic Rocky Mountain National Park in Northern Colorado. Throughout his four seasons of service as a ranger with the National Park Service, Jeff was undoubtedly at home in the midst of some our country's most scenic and significant park land. I am very grateful for the dedication and enthusiasm Jeff displayed while serving our Nation in this capacity. He will be profoundly missed by all those whose lives he touched. Jeff once remarked to a friend, ``You know, if I ever die while at work in the mountains, do not cry for me because you will know that I died doing what I love.'' I pray that Jeff's family and friends will take solace in Jeff's passion for the job he so deeply loved. I extend my sincere gratitude for the hundreds of concerned citizens who joined in an exhaustive 8 day search for Jeff. The heroic efforts exhibited by members of the National Park Service and countless volunteers have not gone unnoticed. To Jeff's parents, Dale and Chris Christensen, and his many friends and family members, I express the heart-felt sympathies of a community that shares in their loss. May my colleagues join in celebrating the life and service of Mr. Jeff Christensen.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor two veterans I know personally from my hometown of Fort Morgan, Colorado. Bob ``Pete'' Hobbs and Dominick Cardoza. I admire these two gentlemen for their service in the Navy, and their devotion to their families and community. For 2 years, from 1954 to 1956, Pete and Dominick served together in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Badoeng Strait, CVE 116. Both were assigned to the Second Division. Pete was on the deck and Dominick was in the Captain's Gig. It was during this time their friendship was forged, spending time at sea and taking part in a variety of military exercises. They were also assigned to a gun crew that carried the responsibility of frequent firing exercises on a 40 mm gun. Because of these drills Dominick and Pete both suffer from tinnitus. The most noteworthy of drills took place in 1956 while the Badoeng Strait operated around the Marshall Islands in the South Pacific during Operation Redwing. During these operations, Pete and Dominick were part of the crew that remained on the ship's deck during ``Test Series of Atomic Weapons Devices.'' In the distance, H-bombs were exploded and this ship and the crew were subjected to the long range effects of the blasts, on numerous occasions. The sailors were simply told not to look at the blast and to turn their backs. They were exposed to ionizing radiation. Afterwards the crew was checked for radiation and required to take a salt water bath. They were required to remove their clothes before entering the lower decks of the boat, and their garments were destroyed because of the radiation. The ship itself was scrubbed with Tide detergent. They were told that the worst possible effect of the radiation was sterilization, nothing else! In 1957, the Badoeng Strait was put out of commission in Bremerton, Washington. During the decommissioning process, Dominick and Pete were assigned to the lower deck for maintenance. They used air hammers to chip the paint from the decks and bulkheads. They were given no ear protection and, as a result, they both suffer from hearing loss. They were also exposed to asbestos, which covered much of the ship. Afterwards, Dominick Cardoza was assigned to the USS Lexington, CVA 16, an aircraft carrier. Pete Hobbs was assigned to the USS Vega, AF 59, a supply ship. I am touched by the story of Pete's and Dominick's service and sacrifice. As a direct result of the elements they were exposed to, both men are suffering from serious health complications. Pete has thyroid cancer and Dominick has other personal health problems. Despite their enormous personal challenges, I find these men to be very uplifting and encouraging. They remain good friends today and live in Fort Morgan, Colorado. In addition, their wives Chris Hobbs and Sue Cardoza deserve respect and admiration for supporting their husbands. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor these two veterans who served our country with such distinctions. They are heroes that walk among us. I ask my colleagues in Congress to recognize their work and their sacrifices on behalf of our Nation, as well as the joy for life they have to this day. May God bless all of our precious veterans and may he continue to bless this great Nation.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Speaker, as our Nation honors Gold Star Mothers, I rise today to honor a Gold Star mother from Colorado. Everyone knows that teachers have a heart for kids. Marian Lutters from Burlington, Colorado, devoted much of her life to elementary students. Before he left for Iraq, Mrs. Lutters' students were privileged to have her son Derrick come to her second grade classroom. He explained that he was going to Iraq as a soldier. He explained what the conflict was all about and what he wanted to accomplish. The young students were attentive and some of them later wrote letters to Derrick while he was in Iraq. Sadly, Derrick Lutters lost his life in battle on May 1, 2005, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Derrick's death was a tragedy for his family and the entire community. Small towns are like that--they are like family and very close knit. Derrick's friends and former co-workers were devastated by the loss. Marian Lutters expressed how proud the entire family was of her son, ``He said he wanted to protect people and help establish a better way of life, especially for children.'' Her words aptly honor her son's ultimate sacrifice. Mrs. Lutters is supported by the entire community, and it is my desire that she also feels the continued respect, admiration, and heartfelt sympathy from the Members of Congress and Americans across the country.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Speaker, as our Nation honors Gold Star Mothers, I rise today to honor a Gold Star mother from Colorado. JoAnn Rehn was born and raised in Milbank, South Dakota, on a dairy farm called Schmidt Dairy. She married her husband Charles Rehn about 40 years ago. They had 3 sons. The oldest, Joe, the middle Randall, and Jimmy the youngest. They moved to Colorado 33 years ago and settled in Longmont, where JoAnn lives today. For many years she has run a small business out of her home. She is a hardworking, industrious woman. The military heritage comes from a great, great grandfather on the father's side. He was a Swedish General. JoAnn's son Randy joined the military in the mid-80's. Jobs were scarce, he was a gung-ho guy, and there was lots of opportunity in the military. Sadly, Randy lost his life on April 3, 2003 in battle during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Despite the heartbreak of losing Randy, the family still believes he died for a noble cause. When asked why his mother should be honored, Randy's brother Joe said, ``She believed in what he was doing, fighting for our freedom, and despite the loss, she would make the sacrifice again. Our freedom is worth more than dollars. Having Randy gone is a negative for me and our family. But here is the positive part: freedom for America is what it is all about and God bless everyone else that feels the same way.'' Randy's brother Joe also thinks it is really hard on his Mom to hear about more soldiers being killed on the news everyday. ``You have to continually re-live the loss over and over, and that makes moms and families hurt continually. Hopefully it ends soon and we can all move on,'' Joe said. Up to 1,000 people attended Randy's funeral in Longmont, paying the highest respect to him and his loved ones. It is my hope that Randy Rehn's family, especially his dear mother, feels the continued respect, admiration, and heartfelt sympathy from Members of Congress and Americans across this great nation.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First of all, I want to commend the chairman on the good work that he did. This bill really increases competition and accountability in the Head Start Early Childhood Program. While the vast majority of Head Start programs are of very high quality, I have been concerned about recent reports of mismanagement in some of the Head Start programs. That is why I am pleased that H.R. 2123 infuses the Head Start program with increased competition. This amendment I am offering would ensure competition and access to high-quality services for these needy children. It would allow a for- profit agency that can demonstrate that it can provide a higher level of services for the same number of Head Start children at a lower cost, to keep a small portion of the administration's savings as profit. I firmly believe Congress should be doing everything possible to encourage the highest-quality providers to become involved in Head Start. I believe my amendment will provide an incentive for high- quality for-profit providers to apply for Head Start grants and serve our Nation's neediest students. I would also like to point out that for-profit entities are already an allowable grantee under current law, as well as H.R. 2123, so we would not be setting a new precedent in terms of for-profit participation in the program. My amendment is bipartisan. It is supported by the National Child Care Association and the Early Care and Education Consortium. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Boehner), and commend the gentleman for his good work.

Ms. MUSGRAVE

Ms. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Speaker, due to meetings during the series of votes on Thursday, September 15, I did not make it back to the House floor in time for the last vote (rollcall vote No. 475). H. Res. 473 was to establish the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have votes ``yes'' to establish the hurricane commission.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the bravery and heroism of Lance Corporal Joshua Butler of the United States Marine Corps. Lance Corporal Butler's valiant and selfless actions during his tour of duty in Iraq make him a true American Hero. On the morning of April 11, 2005, only three days after his twenty- first birthday, Lance Corporal Butler helped thwart an insurgent attack against the Marines of India Company stationed at Camp Gannon, near the Syrian border. While standing guard in a lookout tower, an explosive- laden dump truck charged the camp's gate. Lance Corporal Butler opened fire on the truck, causing it to swerve and miss the gate before exploding. Even though the explosion threw Lance Corporal Butler to the ground and covered him with debris, he quickly returned to his feet in time to intercept an armored fire truck manned by two suicide bombers bearing down on the camp. Again, Lance Corporal Butler opened fire on the bombers, sending over 100 rounds into the fire truck. The truck detonated without being able to breach Camp Gannon's gate. So powerful was this second explosion, that it sent debris over 400 yards away and hurled Marines from their bunks. Despite a third suicide bomber attack and over 30 armed insurgents, who at one point cowered behind a group of school children, the Marines at Camp Gannon were able to escape serious injury in large part because of the courageous actions of Lance Corporal Butler. ``Butler--that day, that Marine--that's the critical error the insurgents made. They thought they could keep the Marine's heads down. But he gets back up,'' remarked camp commandant Captain Frank Diorio. The actions of Lance Corporal Butler and his fellow Marines on April 11th make me proud of our men and women in uniform and grateful for their service. I ask my colleagues to join me in commending Lance Corporal Joshua Butler for his heroism and thanking him for his patriotic dedication to this great nation.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Paul Baye who was recently awarded the 2004 Air Force Outstanding Scientist of the Year. Mr. Baye, a computer scientist with the 22nd Space Operations, was recognized on June 29, 2005. Paul Baye's effort to develop the first defensive counter-space architecture for Electromagnetic Environmental Monitoring System, EEMS, earned him this distinguished award. Mr. Baye worked for the Air Force Space Command Space Analysis Center and the Space Warfare Center before joining the 22nd Space Operations as an operations analyst. This award is a very unique honor, and proves the success of his hard work and dedication for the Air Force and the American people. Approximately 3 years ago Mr. Baye became involved in radio frequency spectrum monitoring. The project needed to be able to handle information from several disparate databases, none of which were originally designed to communicate with one another. Fourteenth Air Force had told then Colonel Suzanne Vautrinot, of the 50th Space Wing Commander, that the wing needed a way to protect Air Force Satellite Communications Network traffic from radio-frequency or electromagnetic interference. Mr. Baye used a computer software architecture originally developed at the Rome Battlelab evolving it to fit the AFSCN's needs. Implementing the combination of science and technology was the crux of the project. Colonel Vautrinot asked for a demonstration, which the Space and Missile Center and AFSPC provided in January 2004 in a downselect between competing products. Mr. Baye's project was selected and moved from concept to prototype. Once the EEMS project became available, Mr. Baye took over the project development. What makes this project unique is that the 14th Air Force requirement was unfunded. This project was provided and funded by the 50th Space Wing, which was a large sacrifice on their part. Using an open architecture will allow developers to quickly and cheaply modify software to fit their needs. That, in turn, will save the Air Force even more time and money as it steps further into the frontier of defensive counterspace. We are standing at the threshold of defensive counterspace, and it is my great honor to recognize Paul Baye, a great scientist and a great American.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Maxine Freemyer. Maxine Freemyer is the perfect example of a successful older American. At 93 years young, she refuses to allow her advancing age, failing eyesight or other health problems get her down. She makes every day count. As a long-standing volunteer at the Bent County HealthCare Center, she has dedicated the past 25 years to helping the elderly. Some of the duties she has willingly performed include serving snacks each day, communicating with family and friends on their behalf, and just spending time listening to the residents reminisce about the past. She has received several prestigious awards for her volunteerism, including Colorado Volunteer of the Year and the Colorado Cares award, presented by Governor Bill Owens. Serving others is her passion, which helps keep her active and spry. Maxine Freemyer's gardening abilities are second to none. Her hard work and special skill in tending to her flowers are showcased in a dazzling display of color from early spring until late fall. Her magnificent garden is a gift to her neighbors and community. Caring, compassionate, hard working and dedicated are all words that describe Maxine. Her zest for life is inspiring to young and old alike. I am proud to represent such an individual in the U.S. Congress.

Mrs. MUSGRAVE

Mrs. MUSGRAVE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Luke A. Hochevar on being chosen by the Los Angeles Dodgers as the 40th pick in the 2005 Major League Baseball draft. Being drafted by a Major League Club is a rare accomplishment achieved by only about 1,500 high school and college ballplayers across the country each year. To be selected in the first five rounds means this talented young man is considered one of the top 150 or so prospects in the entire nation. Luke was born September 15, 1983 in Denver, Colorado, to Brian and Carmen Hochevar. He has one brother, Dylan, and a sister, Brittany. Mr. Hochevar attended Fowler High School in Fowler, Colorado, where he was coached by his father. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 39th round following his senior season of 2002. Luke, however, chose to attend the University of Tennessee and play baseball there. Mr. Hochevar's college baseball career was successful, playing three years for the Tennessee Volunteers. He pitched 273 strikeouts and ranks second on Tennessee's career list. As a student he studied Sport Management and made the Academic Honor Roll his sophomore year. I commend his athletic and academic achievements. Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the hard work and great accomplishments of Luke Hochevar. I applaud Luke for his dedication to the game and to his studies. I also commend his family for their support. I wish Luke the best of luck as he starts his professional career with the Los Angeles Dodgers.