James Oberstar

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. OBERSTAR. May I make another attempt with my colleague? If I may make another appeal to the gentleman from Georgia. In the bill that we will consider on Friday to replenish State revolving loan funds, we submitted the legislation to the Office of Management and Budget and to the Congressional Budget Office. Both came back and said there is a possibility, not the possibility, there is the reality that local governments will float municipal bonds to match and to repay the cost of the loan from the State revolving loan fund. Those municipal bonds will result in a reduction in Federal revenues. Therefore, you must create an offset. We then, taking that direction from CBO, reevaluated the bill in a bipartisan fashion. We reduced its authorization number from $20 billion to $14 billion, the period of time from 5 to 4 years, created the offset for the $14 billion.

Mr. OBERSTAR. I explained the situation with H.R. 720, the State Revolving Loan Fund, Mr. Chairman, so that the gentleman from Georgia would have understanding and confidence that the committee has done its homework, has acted responsibly on the matter of offsets where there is direct spending or where there is a reduction in Federal revenues. We submitted H.R. 720 to review by CBO and the Office of Management and Budget. Both were of the opinion that there would be a reduction in revenues if municipalities issue municipal bonds and that those municipal bonds will be tax exempt and therefore a reduction in revenues. The distinction between that legislation and this is that there is no direct spending involved. There is no resulting responsibility on governments to take action that would result in a reduction in revenues, nor is this an appropriation. It is not a direct spending. And, therefore, it is not subject to the PAYGO rules.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Chairman, I asked unanimous consent that the gentleman may be given two additional minutes so that I might yield to the gentleman from Georgia for him to respond.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Having made that presentation, if I may yield to the gentleman from Georgia for his response.

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the instructions of the House on the motion to recommit, I report the bill, H.R. 569, back to the House with an amendment.

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 584, a bill to designate the Department of Education headquarters building located at 400 Maryland Avenue Southwest in the District of Columbia as the ``Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building.'' I commend the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Green, and his colleagues of the Texas delegation, for their steadfast advocacy for this bill. In the 109th Congress, Mr. Green introduced a similar bill, H.R. 4252. Regrettably, the House did not take action on that legislation. Lyndon Baines Johnson, ``the Teacher who became President,'' was one of the leading political figures of the 20th century. He served his country in ways too numerous to detail, including as lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Member of both houses of Congress, Vice President of the United States, and the 36th President of the United States. President Johnson was born on August 27, 1908, in Stonewall, TX. In 1927, he enrolled in Southwest Texas State Teachers College at San Marcos, TX--Texas State University--San Marcos. He took a leave of absence for a year to serve as principal and teach fifth, sixth, and seventh grades at Welhausen School, a school in the south Texas town of Cotulla. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree in August 1930. After graduation, he taught at Pearsall High School in Pearsall, TX, and taught public speaking at Sam Houston High School in Houston, TX. In a special election in 1937, Johnson won the U.S. House of Representatives seat representing the 10th Congressional District of Texas, defeating nine other candidates. In the next election, he was re-elected to a full term in the 76th Congress and to each succeeding Congress until 1948. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Johnson became the first Member of Congress to volunteer for active duty in the Armed Forces--U.S. Navy, reporting for active duty on December 9, 1941. Johnson received the Silver Star from GEN Douglas MacArthur for gallantry in action during an aerial combat mission over hostile positions in New Guinea on June 9, 1942. President Roosevelt ordered all Members of Congress in the Armed Forces to return to their offices, and Johnson was released from active duty on July 16, 1942. In 1948, he campaigned for and was elected to the U.S. Senate. He was elected minority leader of the Senate in 1953 and majority leader in 1955, where he served until January 1961, when he resigned to become Vice President. Lyndon Johnson became the 36th President of the United States on November 22, 1963, after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. During President Johnson's administration, education was one of the many areas where Johnson blazed new ground. He pursued numerous education initiatives, and signed many landmark education bills into law. In 1963, President Johnson approved the Higher Education Facilities Act--P.L. 88-204--which authorized a 5-year program of Federal grants and loans for construction or improvement of public and private higher education academic facilities. This legislation created the largest education program since enactment of the National Defense Education Act of 1958, and it was the first comprehensive education bill enacted in the post-World War II period that was not tied to national defense. In 1964, President Johnson signed the Library Services Act--P.L. 88- 269--to make high quality public libraries more accessible to both urban and rural residents. The funds made available under this act were used to construct as well as operate libraries, and to extend this program to cities as well as rural areas. Later that year, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act--P.L. 88-352--which, among its landmark provisions, authorized Federal authorities to sue for the desegregation of schools and to withhold Federal funds from education institutions that practiced segregation. In 1965, President Johnson signed the Elementary and Secondary Act-- P.L. 89-10. This legislation was the first general aid-to-education program ever adopted by Congress, and it provided programs to help educate disadvantaged children in urban and rural areas. Later that year, he also signed the Higher Education Act--P.L. 89-329, which was the first program approved by Congress for scholarships to undergraduate students. President Johnson launched Project Head Start, as an 8-week summer program in 1965, to help break the cycle of poverty by providing pre- school children of low-income families with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional, and psychological needs. Recruiting children ages three to school-entry age, Head Start was enthusiastically received by education and child development specialists, community leaders, and parents across the Nation. Currently, Head Start continues to serve children and their families each year in urban and rural areas in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories, including many American Indian and migrant children. In 1966, President Johnson signed the International Education Act-- P.L. 89-698, which promoted international studies at U.S. colleges and universities. In 1968, he signed the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Amendments of 1967--P.L. 90-247, establishing bilingual education programs for non-English speaking children, and providing more funds for special education for disabled children. Later that year, President Johnson also signed the Handicapped Children's Early Education Assistance Act--P.L. 90-538, which authorized experimental programs for disabled children of pre-school age. After leaving office, Lyndon Baines Johnson continued his involvement in education and taught students while he wrote his memoirs and pursued other academic endeavors. Lyndon Johnson died January 22, 1973. Lyndon Baines Johnson will be remembered not only as a great President and Member of Congress, but also as a champion for education. Thus, it is very appropriate that the headquarters building of the Department of Education, located at 400 Maryland Avenue Southwest in the District of Columbia, be designated as the ``Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building.'' I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 584.

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 399, a bill to designate the United States Courthouse to be constructed in Jackson, Mississippi, as the ``R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse''. R. Jess Brown was born in Coffeeville, Kansas, on September 2, 1912. He was educated in the Muskogee Oklahoma public schools and received a Bachelor of Education Degree from Illinois State Normal University in 1935, and a Master of Education Degree from the University of Indiana in 1943. He attended Texas Southern Law School. In 1948, he was a co-plaintiff in a suit for equal salaries for Jackson, Mississippi school teachers. In 1953, he was admitted to the bar for the State of Mississippi and admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. In 1955, he co-founded the Magnolia Bar Association, and he later served on the Board of the National Bar Association for nearly 15 years. In 1958, he was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court. As associate counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Brown filed the first civil rights suit in Mississippi in the 1950s in Jefferson Davis County, seeking the enforcement of the right of black citizens to become registered voters. In 1961, Brown represented James H. Meredith in his suit to enter the University of Mississippi; his victory in this case opened the doors of that university to all of Mississippi's citizens. While an associate with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, he played a major role in fighting discrimination in the areas of transportation and other public accommodations working along side Thurgood Marshall, who would later become Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Brown also served as counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, where he was successful in obtaining reversals of convictions of black defendants because of discrimination in jury selection. He also represented numerous black defendants in cases where the State sought the death penalty. As a result of these appeals, none of these defendants were ever executed. R. Jess Brown died in Jackson, Mississippi, on January 2, 1990. R. Jess Brown will be remembered as more than a brilliant attorney and civil rights leader; he will also be remembered as a great American. As such, it is very appropriate that the U.S. Courthouse in Jackson, Mississippi, be designated the ``R. Jess Brown United States Courthouse''. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 399.

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 544, a bill to designate the United States Courthouse at South Federal Place, Santa Fe, New Mexico, as the ``Santiago E. Campos United States Courthouse''. I commend the Gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall) for his steadfast support of this bill to honor an outstanding jurist. Mr. Udall introduced identical legislation in three previous Congresses--H.R. 5083 in the 107th Congress, H.R. 2274 in the 108th Congress, and H.R. 984 in the 109th Congress. Regrettably, the House never considered those bills. I am pleased that we are moving forward on this legislation today. Santiago E. Campos was born on December 25, 1926, in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. He served in the United States Navy as a Seaman 1st Class from 1944 to 1946. After leaving the Navy, Judge Campos attended Central College in Fayette, Missouri, and received his law degree from the University of New Mexico in 1953, graduating first in his class. From 1954 until 1957, he worked as an Assistant Attorney General and subsequently as First Assistant Attorney General for the State of New Mexico. After 14 years in private practice, Judge Campos was elected District Judge for the 1st Judicial District of New Mexico in 1971, and served in that capacity until 1978. In 1978, Judge Campos was appointed to the Federal Bench by President Jimmy Carter and began serving on July 20, 1978. Judge Campos was the first Hispanic American to serve as a Federal Judge in the District Court of New Mexico, as well as the first Hispanic American to serve as its Chief Judge. He held the title of Chief U.S. District Judge from February 5, 1987, to December 31, 1989, and took senior status on December 26, 1992. Judge Campos died on January 20, 2002, after suffering a long bout with cancer. During his career, Judge Campos was named an honorary member of the Order of the Coif. He also received the Distinguished Achievement Award of the State Bar of New Mexico in 1993, and in the same year the University of New Mexico honored him with a Distinguished Achievement Award. H.R. 544 has received the unanimous endorsement of the Judges of the 10th Circuit Court in New Mexico and the district judges of the District of New Mexico. In honor of Judge Campos's trailblazing legal career in New Mexico and his outstanding contributions to the legal profession, it is both fitting and proper to designate the courthouse located at South Federal Place in Santa Fe, New Mexico, as the ``Santiago E. Campos United States Courthouse''. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 544.

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, today I have introduced a bill to improve the security of railroad, public transportation, and over-the- road bus systems in the United States. Tragically, transit and rail systems have long been popular targets of terrorist attacks worldwide. From 1991 to 2001, 42 percent of all terrorist incidents were carried out on rail systems or buses. Recent tragic events show that these threats continue. On March 11, 2004, a coordinated terrorist attack against the commuter train system of Madrid, Spain, killed 191 people and wounded more than 2,000 others. On July 7, 2005, four bombs exploded on the London transit system, killing 52 people and injuring 700 others. It was the deadliest bombing in London since World War II. On July 11, 2006, a series of seven bomb blasts that took place over a period of 11 minutes on the Suburban Railway in Mumbai, India's financial capital, killed 209 people and injured over 700 others. The characteristics of transit and passenger rail systems make them inherently vulnerable to terrorist attacks and difficult to secure. Public transportation and rail systems are open, have multiple access points, are hubs serving multiple carriers, and in some cases, have no barriers. In addition, high volume of passengers and freight, expensive infrastructure, economic importance, and location make these systems attractive targets for terrorists because of the potential for mass casualties, economic damage, and disruption. The potential to do harm is truly enormous. In the United States, every day, more than 14 million people use public transportation. Public transportation agencies provide 9.5 billion transit trips annually. The over-the-road bus industry, which provides intercity bus service and charter service, transports 774 million passengers annually. Amtrak and commuter railroads serve more than 500 million passengers annually. Unfortunately, despite this stark reality, investments to enhance the security of our Nation's surface transportation systems have not kept pace with the needs. Last year, the Federal Government invested $4.7 billion in aviation security improvements, while spending only $136 million on transit and rail security, even though five times as many people take trains as planes every day. The bill I have introduced today requires several measures that will address the security challenges faced by our Nation's railroads, public transportation agencies, and over-the-road bus operators. Specifically, the legislation: Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation, to develop and implement a National Rail and Public Transportation Security Plan, as required in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (P.L. 108- 458), but which has not been completed. Requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in coordination with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue regulations establishing a security program for rail carriers, public transportation providers, and over-the-road bus operators. Carriers and operators considered to be at high or medium risk of terrorist attack, as determined by DHS, are required to conduct an assessment of the vulnerability of their infrastructure and operations to terrorism and to prepare and implement a security plan. Requires DHS, in coordination with DOT, to establish separate security assistance grant programs for rail, transit, and over-the-road bus, to provide capital and operating assistance based on priorities established by the security assessments. DHS would be responsible for establishing grant program priorities, while DOT would be responsible for making grants to eligible recipients based on DOT's existing grant structure. Authorizes specific grants to Amtrak for tunnel improvements and upgrades, and further requires an increase in the number of DHS rail security Inspectors. Addresses a critical security gap by requiring mandatory security training for employees in the industries covered by the bill. This provision and the timeline established will ensure that front-line transit workers are properly trained to address security needs. Establishes certain whistleblower protections for employees of railroads, public transportation agencies, and over-the-road bus companies; as well employees of DOT, DHS, and contractors. Madam Speaker, this bill carefully crafts a joint approach on security. The bill maximizes the expertise and core competencies of both DHS and DOT, to enhance the implementation of these critically important, and long overdue, security programs. DOT has played and continues to play a significant role in securing our Nation's transit and rail systems. DOT is the government's lead agency on transportation safety and efficiency. Decisions on security measures cannot be made in a vacuum without consideration of the effects on safety and efficiency. While DHS is the lead agency on security, it must work cooperatively with DOT to ensure that safety is not impaired and security measures do not unnecessarily impair efficiency. The Federal Transit Administration, the Federal Railroad Administration, and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration have all signed Memorandums of Understanding with DHS to clarify the roles and responsibilities of each agency with respect to security. This bill honors and follows the principles outlined in these existing agreements. I would like to thank Representative Bennie Thompson, Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, for his cooperation to date on rail, public transportation, and over-the-road bus security legislation. I look forward to continuing our joint work to bring a comprehensive surface transportation security bill to the House floor as quickly as possible.

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This bill authorizes conditional conveyance of any interest retained by the United States in St. Joseph Memorial Hall in St. Joseph, Michigan, to the city of St. Joseph, Michigan. In the 109th Congress, an identical bill was introduced, moved through committee, and passed the House as H.R. 4700. Unfortunately, no action was taken on that bill by the other body. The bill would complete a land transfer between the Federal Government and the city of St. Joseph, Michigan, that is very long standing. It goes back to 1935. The city in that year received a nonhistoric building and property with a restriction limiting use of the property to a public park. In 1954, the public use restriction was lifted on the parcel just north of the building through Public Act 348. H.R. 494, the bill presently before us and its predecessor in the last Congress, conveys to the city of St. Joseph any interest in St. Joseph Hall that is retained by the United States. This legislation has the effect of removing the restriction requiring use of the property for a park. City officials have asked for this transfer in order to permit the city to complete a redevelopment plan for the downtown that would utilize this parcel of land and the building. The city is further prepared to pay $10,000 to the General Services Administration for the transfer. This legislation has been advocated by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) who has been very persevering in pursuit of this legislation. I have come to know the gentleman from Michigan very well personally through our work on Great Lakes issues and on the U.S.- Canada Interparliamentary Group in which we have both participated. He is very earnest about this project, and has been a very effective advocate for it. I am hopeful that with our action again in this body that we will be able to persuade the other body to move forthwith on the legislation and get it enacted. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 494) to provide for the conditional conveyance of any interest retained by the United States in St. Joseph Memorial Hall in St. Joseph, Michigan, as amended.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill, H.R. 494.

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Carnahan), the author of the legislation, and within whose district this project and development will occur. I also want to express my appreciation and perhaps admiration for his persistence in following through on this very difficult, complex initiative. The gentleman has certainly worked hard on behalf of his constituency.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I certainly look forward to doing a bike ride along that area, if it is a long enough road, and look forward to the project moving forward with the construction of this road and the development and the investment and the job creation that the gentleman has cited. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my great appreciation to the gentleman from Wisconsin and to the staff on the Republican side for their splendid cooperation throughout the crafting of this legislation. It took a great deal of time and effort to get to this point and it was a bipartisan initiative. We very much appreciate their consideration.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill, H.R. 1129.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the legislation before us would authorize St. Louis County, Missouri, to build a road over three-tenths of an acre of deed- restricted property. The road that they would build will lead to a development project along the Mississippi River adjacent to St. Louis. In the aftermath of the 1993 Mississippi River flood, which many of us can vividly remember, and I recall so much part of that tragedy our then majority leader, Mr. Gephardt, passing sandbags down along the riverfront to halt the onslaught of the river, it was a very compelling moment in flood history in America. St. Louis was particularly hard hit. FEMA, under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, acquired property, took it out of development and protected the floodplain from development for uses that would be inconsistent with the need to protect the area against flood. FEMA requires that properties purchased under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program be maintained in perpetuity for uses consistent with open space, recreation or wetlands management. The law generally does not allow new structures to be built on such property, but exceptions are permitted under existing law, including projects preapproved in writing by the director of FEMA. FEMA has promulgated regulations to spell out those restrictions. The property which is the subject of this legislation, was not purchased with hazard mitigation funds, but with Community Development Block Grant funds. But those funds were subjected to the same FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program easement restrictions for open space. All parties tried in the current situation to find an exception in the historic application of FEMA law and regulation, but the project didn't fit any of the historic examples or exceptions. So the State and the county both are seeking a waiver of the easement so that both entities can proceed with construction of a road that will create access to a complex development project of housing, retail, commercial space and open and recreational space. Now, this project itself is not within nor will it be built anywhere on restricted property, property restricted by FEMA under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funds. And to be sure that there are no escape clauses or escape hatches, if you will, the bill includes requirements to ensure that the road authorized to be developed will not increase the danger of flooding and that the road will not subject the Federal Government to any additional exposure or liability. The bill requires the county in which the road will be constructed, and that is St. Louis County, Missouri, we have one also in Minnesota, to ensure that the construction, operation and maintenance of the road will not cause any future additional flood damage that would not have occurred without the project. It is very important to spell those conditions out. The bill also requires the county or its assignee to mitigate the project by adding to the flood protection area a nearby parcel of land of equal or greater size to the deed-restricted land used for the road. Further, the bill provides that the Federal Government shall not be liable for future flood damage that may be caused by the project and that the county will be liable for such damage. The bill also provides that the deed restricted property on which the road will be built, and only the road, will not be eligible for any future disaster assistance from any other Federal source. I think with those very precise, very carefully crafted constraints, we can and should approve this legislation to allow the other development to go forward, a development that is not within the hazard area. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1129) to provide for the construction, operation, and maintenance of an arterial road in St. Louis County, Missouri.

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor a true pioneer in aviation safety and human factors, on his distinguished career of service to the safety of world-wide aviation. Captain Harry W. Orlady passed away peacefully in his sleep on February 7, 2007 at age 86. A memorial service and reception will be held on Friday, March 2, 2007 in Los Gatos, California. Captain Harry Orlady was a pioneer in the area of aero medical research and aviation human factors. He had a lifelong passion to improve aviation safety in order to, in his words, ``make the system better for people who use it.'' He wrote and delivered more than 100 papers and presentations, conducted studies on medical disabilities, pilot incapacitation, and flight crew complement. He was the originator and principal developer of United Airlines' Flight Safety Awareness Program, the fIrst formalized and effective non-punitive incident reporting system, which was the model for the NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System. Captain Orlady initiated work on pilot incapacitation research at United, and he was the originator of the ``two communication rule'' that has been a mandatory procedure for years at most of the world's airlines. Harry Orlady initiated ``human factors'' research and practices before the importance of those concepts was understood and widely accepted in the aviation industry. Prior to that time, the aviation community was apt to label most accidents as ``pilot error'' and simply move on without understanding how the system and the equipment contributed to these errors, which were the primary cause of aircraft accidents. Harry Orlady served as a mentor to numerous young researchers at NASA and at the nation's colleges and universities. At a time when the airlines did not take human factors principles seriously, Harry Orlady worked tirelessly to provide access to these young researchers, with the result that human factors principles would ultimately become part of the standard curriculum at all major airlines, worldwide, and they remain so today. As a direct result of Captain Orlady's tireless efforts to raise awareness with senior aviation decision-makers, training concepts such as Crew Resource Management (CRM) became recognized and accepted as an essential element of all military and civilian flight training programs. Human factors training programs are now required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and by most of the world's civil aviation authorities, as well as in International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annexes. Captain Harry Orlady was active in the Air Line Pilots Association serving multiple terms on the Negotiating Committee, System Board, as Chair of Council 12, and was founder of the Medical Committee. He strongly believed that pilots should not have to retire at age 60. To support that belief, and he completed the Honolulu Marathon at age 59 in 4 hours and 36 minutes. Retirement from United in 1980 did not slow Harry Orlady down. He counted among his post-retirement contributions: 9 years as a senior research scientist with NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System; an FAA consultant in the certification of the B747-400 and MD-11; and co- author, with his daughter Linda, a B767 Captain at United, of a well- received book Human Factors in Multi-Crew Operations, which has sold more than 4000 copies. Captain Orlady received numerous awards for his hard work including United's W. A. Patterson Award, the Aerospace Medical Association's Harry G. Mosely Award, induction into the Wisconsin Aviation Hall of Fame, and as an elected Fellow of the Aerospace Medical Association. However, Harry Orlady would tell you that the main satisfaction of his work came from his peers, from people who told him that he made a difference, and most of all, from watching those whom he coached and mentored make contributions to the industry. Aviation aside, Harry Orlady's main interest was his family. Harry met the love of his life, Ellen, when she was a stewardess for United during the DC-3 days. At the time, stewardesses were required to be registered nurses and also could not continue to fly once married. Harry and Ellen were blessed to share 59 years of marriage. Besides Ellen, Harry is survived by 4 children: Roger and his wife Nancy; Sue and her husband, John Brown; Linda and her husband, John Cirino; and Craig; as well as his ``bright lights,'' grandchildren: Stephanie, Steve, and Scott Brown. Madam Speaker, Captain Harry Orlady's contributions to aviation safety will be long remembered and carried on by his many colleagues and students. He will be gready missed, but his momentous contributions will live on forever.

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. Madam Speaker: Pursuant to clause 2(a)(2) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives and clause I(b) of the Rules of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, I submit the Rules of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for the 110th Congress for publication in the Congressional Record. On January 17, 2007, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure met in open session and adopted these Committee Rules by voice vote. Rules of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, United States House of Representatives, 110th Congress (Adopted January 17, 2007)

Mr. OBERSTAR

Mr. OBERSTAR. I am happy to yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. OBERSTAR. Mr. Speaker, this is the moment that a majority of Americans who voted last November have been waiting for, a time when Congress does something about Iraq. And that something that the people asked of us is to get us out of Iraq. The resolution before us will not of itself get U.S. forces out of Iraq, but to paraphrase Winston Churchill, if it is not the end, it is at least the beginning of the end. Our President is having trouble understanding the message from the American people. It is a simple message that I hear every time I go back home to Minnesota. Time to bring our troops home with honor. The people are telling me our mission in Iraq is accomplished. The President already declared victory. The goals of the U.S. invasion have been met. Iraq's army was defeated, Saddam Hussein removed from power and brought to judgment. The Iraqi people held elections to establish a new government. Mission accomplished. Time to bring the troops home with honor. No weapons of mass destruction were found, despite extensive searches. The Iraqis have a government, they have an army, a police force. There is no further purpose of American policy to be served by a continued military presence in Iraq. What remains in Iraq is religious warfare between Sunni and Shia, with our troops caught in the crossfire. This is not the job our troops signed up for. This is not the war President Bush sold to Congress. People are telling the President, it is time to bring the troops home and to do it with honor. President Bush has said he is concerned this resolution is prejudging the outcome of our involvement in Iraq. I would say the outcome is not in doubt. We have spent and are continuing to spend $9 billion a month in Iraq; 3,122 of our servicemen and -women have been killed; 23,550- plus have been wounded; tens of thousands more Iraqis killed and wounded. The violence is escalating, our troops are the targets. I do not think this resolution prejudges anything. The facts speak for themselves. And the people are saying bring the troops home with honor. I did not support this war at its outset. We had Saddam Hussein contained. Al Qaeda was not in Iraq. We had a job to do in Afghanistan. I supported going into Afghanistan to capture Osama bin Laden. But I saw no clear rationale for sending troops into combat in Iraq. The resolution does offer a statement of support for the troops. Their service is an extraordinary gift. They volunteer to leave their homes and families and risk their lives every day, at the order of the President. All they ask is that we never ask them to go to conflict unless that conflict is absolutely necessary and in the national interest. Lieutenant General William Odom, in a recent article in The Washington Post said, about the question that we have to continue to fight in order to support the troops, has anyone asked the troops? During their first tours, many may have favored staying the course. But now in their second, third, fourth tours, he writes, many are changing their minds. We see no evidence of that in the news stories about unhappy troops being sent back to Iraq. The strangest aspect of the rationale, General Odom writes, for continuing the war is the implication that our troops are somehow responsible for deciding to continue the President's course. That political and moral responsibility belongs to the President, not to the troops. Didn't Harry Truman make it clear that the buck stops in the Oval Office? The President keeps dodging it. Where does it stop, General Odom asks, with Congress? And that is why we are here today to say it is up to us to make a definitive statement with this resolution, a statement that it is time to end the U.S. involvement in Iraq, to bring the troops home with honor. And then if the President does not heed, then we must take more vigorous steps, steps that I voted for in coming to end the U.S. involvement in Vietnam over 32 years ago. If that is what it takes, then we have to say that the buck stops with us in the Congress to stop the U.S. engagement in Iraq. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore