Chip Pickering

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Chairman, some might not know this, but my State of Mississippi has a great history of boxing. Archie Moore, from Benoit, Mississippi, participated in professional boxing for over 27 years, holding the title of light heavyweight champion, and facing the likes of Rocky Marciano and Cassius Clay, during his career. While he went on to train Foreman and Ali, he will probably be best remembered as holding the record for the most knockouts in a career at 141. What I think is more important and that he may not be remembered as much for was his integrity in such a scandalous and corrupt sport during the years he boxed from 1936 to 1963. While we would have hoped boxing would have progressed and reformed over the years, it has not. The sport is still riddled with many problems, not the least is the exploited nature of its athletes. Muhammed Ali once said this: ``I say get an education. Become an electrician, a mechanic, a doctor, a lawyer--anything but a fighter. In this trade, it's the managers that make the money and last the longest.'' This seemingly benign statement illustrates one small problem among the multitude of problems the sport of boxing faces. Today, many fans are saddened and upset by the lack of integrity they see in professional boxing that has significantly weakened the sport-- the most deplorable problem of which is the treatment of the sport's athletes. Without a doubt, professional boxers are the most exploited athletes in our Nation. While Congress has made efforts to protect professional boxers before, through the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 and the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act of 2000, these are not enough. The real problem today is the ineffective and inconsistent oversight of professional boxing, which has led to continuing scandals, controversies, unethical practices, and unnecessary injuries and deaths in the sport. That is why we are here today. Mr. Chairman, through the leadership of members of Congress like Senator John McCain, Representative Cliff Stearns and Representative Peter King, Congress is addressing and hopefully rectifying this harrowing situation. In order to better protect boxers and the integrity of professional boxing, we must establish a Federal regulatory entity to oversee professional boxing and set basic uniform standards for certain aspects of the sport. Consider this--professional boxing remains the only major sport in the United States that does not have a strong, centralized association, league, or other regulatory body to establish and enforce uniform rules and practices. And because a powerful few benefit greatly from the current system of patchwork compliance and enforcement of Federal boxing law, a national self- regulating organization--although preferable to Federal government oversight--is not a realistic option. Mr. Chairman, I was an original co-sponsor to Representative King's bill, ``The Professional Boxing Amendments Act of 2005,'' which would also establish a United States Boxing Commission that perform substantially similar functions. I am very pleased that this idea is finally being considered on the House floor. The troubles that plague the sport of professional boxing undermine its credibility in the eyes of the public and--more importantly--compromise the health and safety of boxers. The creation of a Federal boxing commission would effectively curb these problems. The Senate has passed Senator McCain's boxing bill, S. 148, the Professional Boxing Amendments Act of 2005, and I think it will be a travesty if the House does not do the same. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I rise in great support of this legislation today and urge my colleagues to swiftly and expeditiously approve this legislation. House of Representatives, Committee on Education and the Workforce, Washington, DC, September 28, 2005. Hon. Joe Barton, Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Barton: I am writing to confirm our mutual understanding with respect to consideration of H.R. 1065, the United States Boxing Commission Act, which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and in addition the Committee on Education and the Workforce. The Committee on Energy and Commerce reported this bill on July 28, 2005. As you know, provisions within H.R. 1065, directing a United States Boxing Commission to establish health and safety standards and a licensing registry for boxing personnel, fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. In addition, section 11 of the bill requires the Commission to study and report to Congress on health and safety standards in the boxing industry; this provision likewise falls within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. I do not intend to delay consideration of H.R. 1065, nor will I object to the scheduling of this bill for consideration in the House of Representatives. However, I do so only with the understanding that this procedural route should not be construed to prejudice the Committee on Education and the Workforce's jurisdictional interest and prerogatives on these provisions or any other similar legislation, and will not be considered as precedent for consideration of matters of jurisdiction to my committee in the future. Further, this understanding is based on the agreement reached between our staffs to provide that the study commissioned in section 11 of the bill is transmitted to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, as well as your committee. Finally, we would expect you to support our request for appointment of conferees on these provisions should a conference arise with the Senate. I would ask that you include a copy of our exchange of letters in the Congressional Record on this bill. Thank you for your consideration and cooperation in this matter. Sincerely, John A. Boehner, Chairman.

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Stupak substitute and in support of the underlying legislation. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), the chairman of the committee, my friend, for his leadership. We have seen this year that we have passed comprehensive energy legislation, but that legislation did not address really the linchpin of the need in our country for greater refining capacity and greater pipeline security, redundancy and reliability. Katrina exposed that fundamental weakness in our Nation's energy security and in our Nation's economic security. For 30 years, we have done nothing. We have not had a new refinery come into our Nation. No one has invested. And much of that reason is that the cost of doing business, a refinery investment in this country, is so much higher than offshore. If we can streamline the regulatory process, give new incentives so that companies will invest in our country and new pipeline security and redundancy and reliability, as well as a new refining capacity, then we can do something about high gas prices and the disruptions that occur in a natural disaster like Katrina. We must act. We cannot fail to act. We have seen the fundamental flaw and weakness. It has been exposed with Katrina, and the other side reminds me of those who, when a barn is burning and the fire truck is wanting to come and put the fire out and do something about it, they stand in the way and block the road and then want to blame the fire department for failing to put the fire out. Now is the time to act. The chairman of the committee has shown remarkable speed in getting this legislation to the floor. We need to act. It is what the American people want. They would agree with us. Give us a chance to do something to make it better.

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, July 21, 2005, the U.S. House of Representatives considered numerous amendments to H.R. 3199, a bill to reauthorize the Patriot Act. While I did vote on a number of these amendments earlier in the day and week, I had to depart D.C. on the afternoon of July 21, 2005, and travel to New Orleans to attend and testify before a Base Realignment and Closure meeting. I was granted an official leave of absence by unanimous consent on July 22, 2005 (see 151 Cong. Rec. H6376-01). I was absent during consideration of the following votes. If present, I would have voted the following: 1. Rollcall vote No. 409 (Berman Amendment)--No. 2. Rollcall vote No. 410 (Schiff Amendment)--Yes. 3. Rollcall vote No. 411 (Hart Amendment)--Yes. 4. Rollcall vote No. 412 (Jackson-Lee Amendment)--No. 5. Rollcall vote No. 413 (Boucher Amendment)--No. 6. Rollcall vote No. 414 (Final Passage)--Yes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, September 6, 2005, the U.S. House of Representatives considered the following pieces of legislation: (1) H. Res. 360--Commemorating the 60th anniversary of V-J Day and the end of World War II in the Pacific; and (2) S.J. Res. 19--A joint resolution calling upon the President to issue a proclamation recognizing the 30th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act. Unfortunately, I was absent and unable to vote for these two pieces of legislation, as I was attending to and assisting my constituents and their needs in the Third Congressional District of Mississippi after the devastating destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina on Monday, August 29, 2005. I have requested an official leave of absence for this time. If present, I would have voted ``aye'' for both resolutions.

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce legislation today calling attention to the essential work of America's community health centers in providing quality affordable health care to people served by the Medicaid program and the nation's uninsured. I am pleased to be joined today by my colleague, the gentleman from New York, Mr. Towns, and a number of my House colleagues in supporting this legislation. Mr. Speaker, community health centers will celebrate their 40th anniversary this year as will the Medicaid and Medicare programs. Among these programs, Medicaid and community health centers enjoy a special relationship, as twin pillars of a broad effort to improve health care for poor, minority, and underserved Americans. The two programs in fact are specifically designed to work in tandem with one another to make access to quality health care a reality for the nation's most vulnerable populations. Recognizing the importance of this unique relationship, the Congress in 1989 made health center services a guaranteed benefit under Medicaid. In 2000, I joined with a bipartisan majority of colleagues in the Congress to once again reaffirm the importance of this relationship by supporting legislation that created the health center Medicaid Prospective Payment System. As the Congress intended, this payment system has allowed health centers to provide and expand primary care and preventive services to more people in need, while promoting efficient operation of and ensuring adequate Medicaid reimbursement for these centers. Today, because of Congress's wise actions, community health centers help to form the backbone of America's health care safety net, providing quality health care to 15 million underserved individuals nationwide, nearly 6 million of whom are enrolled in Medicaid. In my own State of Mississippi, health centers are the family doctor and medical home for more than 300,000 individuals, more than a third of whom are covered by Medicaid. However, health centers are doing more than just providing affordable quality health care to and improving the health status of the Nation's vulnerable populations, they are also delivering cost savings to taxpayers and to all payers of health center services. To be sure, health centers' costs rank among the lowest, and health centers are effectively reducing the need for more expensive hospital in-patient and specialty care. In addition, dozens of studies over the past three decades have found that health centers save the Medicaid program 30 percent or more in total annual spending per beneficiary, compared to other providers. Studies have also shown that the cost of treating Medicaid patients through health centers is 26 to 40 percent lower for prescription drugs costs. Mr. Speaker, I believe health centers are a top priority of President Bush and this Congress because they undoubtedly are providing cost- effective, high-quality health care to the Nation's poor and medically underserved and because they are a vital safety net in the Nation's health delivery system. I urge my colleagues to show their support for America's community health centers by supporting this important legislation.

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation. It is a good step forward to increase our energy supplies, diversify our energy supplies, provide cleaner air, help our farmers, and strengthen our economy. I first want to commend the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), who has done a tremendous job of leading us to a great accomplishment, along with the ranking member, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell). It is an honor to serve on the committee where we have had an open process, a bipartisan process, to reach an agreement to move our country forward. It is a bill that will give us clean coal, nuclear, new technologies for the future, fuel cell, hybrid, as well as increasing the production of our traditional fuels. It is a well-balanced bill, it is a well- crafted bill, and I am proud to support it and urge all the Members to support. And to my friend, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), he has been a happy warrior. It is good to know that in that bastion of capitalism, Boston, that we do have a proponent for Adam Smith. Mr. Speaker, my very strong support of this bill.

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, July 11, 2005, the U.S. House of Representatives considered two bills under suspension of the rules: H. Con. Res. 168--Condemning the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for the abductions and continued captivity of citizens of the Republic of Korea and Japan as acts of terrorism and gross violations of human rights; and H. Res. 333--Supporting the goals and ideals of a National Weekend of Prayer and Reflection for Darfur, Sudan. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to travel to Washington, DC on Monday because the Jackson-Evers International Airport in Jackson, Mississippi, from which I usually travel to DC, was closed due to the recent landfall of Hurricane Dennis. However, had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' in favor of both resolutions.

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Chairman, if I could strike the last word.

Mr. PICKERING. I yield to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia.

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today with an amendment at the desk. I want to thank the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations subcommittee for his work on this. I want to thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for her attention and help. I also want to thank the responsiveness of the Mayor's office and the city council. I will submit into the Record at this point letters from the Mayor's office and from Carol Schwartz, council member on the District of Columbia council. Quickly, let me tell my colleagues the issue that was brought to my attention by one of my constituents in the last week, and as we come to the 4th of July, when millions will come to the District, when thousands of veterans, many of whom are disabled, will be visiting our Nation's capital and going to our monuments, what was brought to my attention by Viola Cupit from Bogue Chitto, Mississippi, who called my office last week. She had come to our Nation's capital. She happens to be disabled. She has a disabled license plate from the State of Mississippi. She parked on Constitution Avenue. The parking sign says disabled, 4 hours free parking. She thought that she was correctly parked and would not face any fine or ticket. She returned to discover that it is free for D.C. residents, but not free for those who travel to our Nation from other States. If you are from Mississippi or from Tennessee or from California, if you were to come to the District, you are disabled and you were to park, you would either have to pay or go to the DMV, which can be a long, difficult and frustrating process in the District of Columbia to get a District disabled placard card. Now, we know in our Nation's capital that we want equal treatment. We do not want discriminatory treatment, especially for our disabled citizens and veterans. We do not want to see them differently. I do not think it was the intent of the District of Columbia and their regulations to have this unequal, discriminatory treatment; but it nonetheless is. I think the intent of the letters of the Mayor and the city council member indicate that they want to correct this inequity. I also want to submit for the Record a letter from the Paralyzed Veterans of America who have also asked that this discriminatory practice cease, and they stand willing and ready to work with the District of Columbia to have a fair policy. I will insert the letters that I have referred to into the Record at this point. Paralyzed Veterans of America, Washington, DC, June 29, 2005. Hon. Charles W. Pickering, Jr., Washington, DC. Dear Representative Pickering: Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) is pleased to support your efforts to correct a policy of the District of Columbia to charge people with out of state placards for accessible parking. PVA expressed our concerns to the D.C. government before this policy went into effect. We oppose paying for accessible parking when in fact the parking is provided on a discriminatory basis. While we understand the need to curb abuse, we do not believe that the city made sufficient parking truly accessible or gives adequate notice to those who need it. The current policy is confusing and discriminatory. Disabled drivers with D.C. placards or plates are allowed four hours of free parking. Drivers with a valid placard from any other jurisdiction must pay, but the only notice of the requirement to pay is on the sidewalk side of each meter. Simply finding that notice may require the person to get out of the car, wheel through traffic to a curb cut (assuming there is one), then wheel back on the sidewalk to the meter. At that point, the visitor can only hope that the meter itself is accessible. PVA believes the District's policy violates the ``reciprocal agreements'' under Public Law 100-641 (23 CFR 1235). The law established guidelines for states and jurisdictions to follow in designing accessible parking spaces, placards and license plates and urged reciprocity in enforcement and parking privileges granted by other jurisdictions. Again, thank you for your leadership on this issue. PVA is ready to work with you to ensure accessible parking privileges in the District of Columbia are equally available to all disabled drivers, regardless of jurisdiction. Sincerely, Lee Page, Associate Advocacy Director.

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Chairman, if the gentlewoman would further yield, I want to thank the gentlewoman from the District for her very effective representation, her advocacy for her constituents. All politics is local. Nothing is more local than parking tickets; and as we go into the 4th of July, I thank the gentlewoman for her help for those who are disabled, especially our disabled veterans, to make sure that they do not face unequal or discriminatory treatment as they find their place to park on Constitution Avenue or by our monuments or wherever it may be. Again, I thank the gentlewoman for the spirit in which we have worked together and look forward to other opportunities in the future.

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Chairman, it is my understanding, based on our conversations, that the gentlewoman would encourage the city to do something similar to what they did when the World War II memorial was opened, and that is, to grant an emergency status to make sure that the disabled had free parking in the district. Is it the gentlewoman's intention to do so, and during the interim, until they are able to clarify the regulations, that no one would be ticketed that is disabled from out of the District who would come to visit our Nation's capital?

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, today in Amite County, Earl Alford is retiring after 39 years with the Mississippi Forestry Commission--all of them in Amite County. He is the longest serving county forester in the history of the commission. He has a great knowledge of Mississippi and Mississippi trees and has been honored and praised by friends, neighbors and colleagues in Southwest Mississippi. He is one of our great tree farmers who possesses not only an understanding of the operations of the timber business, but also a love for the land. He is a conservationist who wants to balance timber and the environment so we can produce the wood our industries need while protecting the land that gives birth to these forests. His service to the community includes managing the school system's 16th Section timber land of which he has managed the harvest of, replanting of, growth of, and harvest of once again. I would like to share with the House some of the comments on Earl Alford recorded recently in McComb's Enterprise-Journal newspaper. ``He birthed the association . . . If it wasn't for him I don't think it would still be operating.''--Bryant Barron, president of the Southwest Mississippi Forestry Association. ``He's forgotten more than most of us will ever know about forestry. Humble, common as peas, but a very learned man.''--James Copeland, U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Amite County School Board. ``The Mississippi Forestry Commission and the people of Amite County are gong to lose tremendously because we're not going to have him on the job every day.''--Richard Hay, Extension Service. ``He's never asked us to do anything he wouldn't do--except boot up a computer.''--Charlotte Reynolds, Earl's secretary. ``Having known him on a professional level, I've learned what a highly qualified forester he is, what a great people person he is, what a great asset he is to Amite County.''--Lee Wilson, U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service. Earl was born in Walthall County into a logging and farming family, the grandson of a tree farmer and sawmill operator. His father worked for the forestry commission and after school he would follow in the family legacy. He graduated from Salem High School, Southwest Mississippi Community College and finally Mississippi State University. In 1966 he went to work as the Mississippi Forestry Commission's Amite County forester; he retires today. Mr. Speaker, Earl and his wife Pauline, a retired Extension Service home economist, have reared two children. Holly Alford is a sonographer at Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center. Mac Alford recently received a Ph.D in plant biology at Cornell University and has taken a position at the University of Southern Mississippi. He has served his family and community for many years and I am proud to take this time to honor him on this day of retirement. Though I know, his service to God and family and man will continue for years to come.

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 237 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 236 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' Amendment Offered by Mr. Garrett of New Jersey

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, recently, Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi dedicated Harper Davis Field to a man who coached there for 25 years, and who has built a lifetime legacy of service to sport and his fellow man across the state. Coach Harper Davis, affectionately called ``Hippo'' by friends and teammates, called the rededication of Millsaps' Alumni Field to him the ``greatest honor of my life.'' And while leading the Millsaps Majors he built a record of 138-79-4 including an undefeated season in 1980, his life has much more to honor. At age 17, Harper Davis left his Delta home in Clarksdale, Mississippi and enlisted in the US Marines Air Corps as a pilot to serve his Nation in World War II. After the War was over, he was met at Texas Grand Prairie Air Station by Mississippi State University assistant coach Phil Dickens who had the Bulldogs' playbook in hand. Two days later they arrived in Starkville for two practices before his first game where Davis scored two touchdowns as MSU defeated Auburn 20- 0. Two days of study and two days of practice were followed by two touchdowns. In addition, during those two days, Harper Davis met Camille, his future wife. He would go on to be named to the AII-SEC team while at State where he also ran on the school's track team. He was co-captain of the football team, voted Best Athlete, President of the ``M'' Club and named ``Mr. Mississippi State University.'' Additionally he was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, Omicron Delta Kappa, Blue Key and the Colonels Club. He graduated from Mississippi State with a bachelor of science degree in business finance and mathematics in 1948, in 1962 earned a master's degree in education administration. After leaving Mississippi State University, Harper Davis was a first- round draft choice of both the Chicago Bears of the National Football League and the Los Angeles Dons of the All-American League. Harper Davis played one year with the Dons before the league folded and then went on to play with the Bears as well as the Green Bay Packers. Many considered him the fastest man in the NFL. Over the years, Harper Davis has coached the backfield at his alma mater as well as head coach at West Point High School, and Columbus High School before arriving at Millsaps College. He has been inducted into the Mississippi State Sports Hall of Fame and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and was named Mississippi Sportsman of the Year in 1976. He has been honored nationally for his contributions to the sport of football and his work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Harper Davis is a member of Christ United Methodist Church and with his now departed wife, the former Camille Hogan of Starkville, has three sons, Michael, Andrew and Patrick with four grandchildren, Morgan, Drew, Paul and Brad. Mr. Speaker, Harper Davis has now been coaching football for over 50 years and he continues today at Jackson Academy, where four of my sons attend. His gentle firmness and wise lessons continue to build young men in Mississippi. I am glad to recognize him today and honor a lifetime of service.

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, Mississippi's community and junior college system produces some of the top football players in the Nation. They are always targets of recruitment from universities around the country seeking to bolster their football programs. From time to time, we produce a truly great player who can compete at the highest level with the leadership and poise necessary to be the top player in the top game. Anthony Deion Branch from Jones County Junior College--in my home county--was named Super Bowl XXXIX Most Valuable Player. Today I'd like to salute that achievement and speak a little about his road to that success. Deion's career began in Albany, Georgia where he excelled in track, football and enjoyed soccer in high school. After graduating he made the long drive to Ellisville, Mississippi where he competed and earned a spot on the Jones County Junior College football team. There he grabbed 37 passes for 639 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman on the Bobcat squad. The following year he took 69 receptions for 1,012 yards and nine touchdowns, earning second-team AII-American honors and leading JCJC to a 12-0 mark and a victory at the Golden Isles Bowl to bring home the junior college national championship. The University of Louisville recruited Deion who hauled in 143 passes for 2,204 yards and 18 touchdowns in his two years there. He became only the second player in school history to record multiple 1,000 yard seasons and is listed fourth and sixth respectively in the school records for career touchdown catches and receptions with the Cardinals--and that in just two years. The New England Patriots used their Number 65 pick in the 2002 Draft to bring in Deion to what many are now describing as a dynasty--three Super Bowl Victories in four years, two with Deion on the team. Deion's first Super Bowl ring came without the MVP award; his colleague and football legend Tom Brady won it that year. But while many of us fans thought he should be considered, we didn't have to wait long to be satisfied. The following year, despite an injury in his second game which kept him on the sidelines for the next seven matches, Deion finished the season with 35 receptions for 454 yards and four touchdowns. Deion had trained and focused and coming into the end of the season from an injury, he was still ready for the premier football event in the world. Finishing the night with an NFL record-tying 11 receptions for 133 yards in the Super Bowl, he became just the fourth receiver in NFL history to receive the MVP award and is already being listed with greats like Jerry Rice and Dan Ross. Mr. Speaker, Deion's team-first attitude and strong work ethic has paid off and we in Mississippi are proud of him and salute his continuing achievements. I know we will continue to see him excel in the future and all of us from Jones County, Mississippi will remember him for his years with us and salute his determination, skill and triumphs.

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, in March, Starkville, Mississippi lost a native son and a civic leader with the passing of Samuel Webb Scales. He served his family, our Nation's military, and achieved greatness in the world of international business. After graduating from Starkville High School, Sam Scales went on to further education at the University of the South, Mississippi State College and the Vanderbilt Law School. For the past twelve years he has served as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, and was bestowed with the title of Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army Emeritus two years ago, which has the equivalent military rank of Lieutenant General. Sam Scales served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1941 until 1945 and attained the rank of Sergeant Major. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1948 to 1972 and retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During his military career, he served in various assignments including Troop Commander (Calvary); Aide de Camp to Commanding General (Armored Division); General Staff Officer, Joint General Staff (Thailand); General Staff Officer (Australian Army). Sam Scales served as Vice President of the Harlington National Bank (Texas); Chairman of the Board of Starr Associates (Bangkok, Thailand); Liaison Officer of Phoenix Assurance (Sidney, Australia); Chairman of the Board of Service Y Comisiones S.A. de CY (Mexico City); Senior Vice President of Continental Insurance Company and Regional Vice President for Latin America (Panama) as well as fourteen other U.S. corporations located throughout Latin America. He was a member of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA), the Navy League and Sigma Chi Fraternity at Mississippi State University. He was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Starkville. Mr. Speaker, Starkville mourns the passing of Sam Scales. Our prayers go with his wife Bette, his children Hunter, Twila, Bette, Walton, John and Jennifer as well as his five grandchildren and one great- grandchild. His accomplishments, like so many of his generation, can hardly be measured in words, but I am proud to have been able to take this opportunity to note his life's achievements and to remember this young boy from Starkville who grew to be a great man and leader around the world.

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, Mississippi's community and junior college system produces some of the top football players in the Nation. They are always targets of recruitment from universities around the country seeking to bolster their football programs. From time to time, we produce a truly great player who can compete at the highest level with the leadership and poise necessary to be the top player in the top game. Anthony Deion Branch from Jones County Junior College--in my home county--was named Super Bowl XXXIX Most Valuable Player. Today I'd like to salute that achievement and speak a little about his road to that success. Deion's career began in Albany, Georgia where he excelled in track, football and enjoyed soccer in high school. After graduating he made the long drive to Ellisville, Mississippi where he competed and earned a spot on the Jones County Junior College football team. There he grabbed 37 passes for 639 yards and five touchdowns as a freshman on the Bobcat squad. The following year he took 69 receptions for 1,012 yards and nine touchdowns, earning second-team All-American honors and leading JCJC to a 12-0 mark and a victory at the Golden Isles Bowl to bring home the junior college national championship. The University of Louisville recruited Deion who hauled in 143 passes for 2,204 yards and 18 touchdowns in his two years there. He became only the second player in school history to record multiple 1,000 yard seasons and is listed fourth and sixth respectively in the school records for career touchdown catches and receptions with the Cardinals--and that in just two years. The New England Patriots used their Number 65 pick in the 2002 Draft to bring in Deion to what many are now describing as a dynasty--three Super Bowl Victories in four years, two with Deion on the team. Deion's first Super Bowl ring came without the MVP award; his colleague and football legend Tom Brady won it that year. But while many of us fans thought he should be considered, we didn't have to wait long to be satisfied. The following year, despite an injury in his second game which kept him on the sidelines for the next seven matches, Deion finished the season with 35 receptions for 454 yards and four touchdowns. Deion had trained and focused and coming into the end of the season from an injury, he was still ready for the premier football event in the world. Finishing the night with an NFL record-tying 11 receptions for 133 yards in the Super Bowl, he became just the fourth receiver in NFL history to receive the MVP award and is already being listed with greats like Jerry Rice and Dan Ross. Mr. Speaker, Deion's team-first attitude and strong work ethic has paid off and we in Mississippi are proud of him and salute his continuing achievements. I know we will continue to see him excel in the future and all of us from Jones County, Mississippi will remember him for his years with us and salute his determination, skill and triumphs.

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, recently, Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi dedicated Harper Davis Field to a man who coached there for 25 years, and who has built a lifetime legacy of service to sport and his fellow man across the state. Coach Harper Davis called the rededication of Millsaps' Alumni Field to him the ``greatest honor of my life.'' And while leading the Millsaps Majors he built a record of 138-79-4 including an undefeated season in 1980, his life has much more to honor. At age 17, Harper Davis left his Delta home in Clarksdale, Mississippi and enlisted in the U.S. Marines Air Corps as a pilot to serve his Nation in World War II. After the War was over, he was met at Texas Grand Prairie Air Station by Mississippi State University assistant coach Phil Dickens who had the Bulldogs' playbook in hand. Two days later they arrived in Starkville for two practices before his first game where Davis scored two touchdowns as MSU defeated Auburn 20- 0. Two days of study and 2 days of practice were followed by 2 touchdowns. In addition, during those 2 days, Harper Davis met Camille, his future wife. He would go on to be named to the All-SEC team while at State where he also ran on the school's track team. He was co- captain of the football team, voted Best Athlete, President of the ``M'' Club and named ``Mr. Mississippi State University.'' Additionally he was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity, Omicron Delta Kappa, Blue Key and the Colonels Club. He graduated from Mississippi State with a bachelor of science degree in business finance and mathematics in 1948, in 1962 earned a master's degree in education administration. After leaving Mississippi State University, Harper Davis was a first- round draft choice of both the Chicago Bears of the National Football League and the Los Angeles Dons of the All-American League. Harper Davis played one year with the Dons before the league folded and then went on to play with the Bears as well as the Green Bay Packers. Many considered him the fastest man in the NFL. Over the years, Harper Davis has coached the backfield at his alma mater as well as head coach at West Point High School, and Columbus High School before arriving at Millsaps College. He has been inducted into the Mississippi State Sports Hall of Fame and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and was named Mississippi Sportsman of the Year in 1976. He has been honored nationally for his contributions to the sport of football and his work with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Harper Davis is a member of Christ United Methodist Church and with his now departed wife, the former Camille Hogan of Starkville, has 3 sons, Michael, Andrew and Patrick with 4 grandchildren, Morgan, Drew, Paul and Brad. Mr. Speaker, Harper Davis has now been coaching football for over 50 years and he continues today at Jackson Academy, where 4 of my sons attend. His gentle firmness and wise lessons continue to build young men in Mississippi. I am glad to recognize him today and honor a lifetime of service.

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, last month, Starkville, Mississippi lost a native son and a civic leader with the passing of Samuel Webb Scales. He served his family, our nation's military, and achieved greatness in the world of international business. After graduating from Starkville High School, Sam Scales went on to further education at the University of the South, Mississippi State College and the Vanderbilt Law School. For the past twelve years he has served as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, and was bestowed with the title of Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army Emeritus two years ago, which has the equivalent military rank of Lieutenant General. Sam Scales served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1941 until 1945 and attained the rank of Sergeant Major. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1948 to 1972 and retired at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During his military career, he served in various assignments including Troop Commander (Calvary); Aide de Camp to Commanding General (Armored Division); General Staff Officer, Joint General Staff (Thailand); General Staff Officer (Australian Army). Sam Scales served as Vice President of the Harlington National Bank (Texas); Chairman of the Board of Starr Associates (Bangkok, Thailand); Liaison Officer of Phoenix Assurance (Sidney, Australia); Chairman of the Board of Service Y Comisiones S.A. de C.V. (Mexico City); Senior Vice President of Continental Insurance Company and Regional Vice President for Latin America (Panama) as well as fourteen other US corporations located throughout Latin America. He was a member of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA), the Navy League and Sigma Chi Fraternity at Mississippi State University. He was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Starkville. Mr. Speaker, Starkville mourns the passing of Sam Scales. Our prayers go with his wife Bette, his children Hunter, Twila, Bette, Walton, John and Jennifer as well as his five grandchildren and one great- grandchild. His accomplishments, like so many of his generation, can hardly be measured in words, but I am proud to have been able to take this opportunity to note his life's achievements and to remember this young boy from Starkville who grew to be a great man and leader around the world.

Mr. PICKERING

Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Consumer Assurance of Radiologic Excellence Bill. I ask for your support in moving this legislation forward. The CARE bill is an important piece of patient-care legislation. It will improve the quality of radiologic procedures performed throughout the United States as well as assist in reducing the cost incurred by the Federal government for these procedures. The CARE bill in the 108th Congress had 111 bi-partisan House cosponsors and no known opposition. Passage of this bill will finally provide American patients with national standards to ensure that their radiologic procedures are performed by personnel who are trained, qualified and competent. I am proud to sponsor this legislation because the safety and quality of radiologic procedures is an issue that affects all of us. Every year, more than 300 million x-rays, CT scans, MRIs and other medical imaging exams are performed in the United States, and seven out of 10 people undergo some type of radiologic procedure. So much depends upon the quality and accuracy of those examinations. After all, if an x-ray is poor, there is a chance that injuries could go undetected or diseases could go undiagnosed. Most of us take it for granted that the person performing our radiologic procedures is a competent professional. But the fact is, poorly trained individuals examine and treat thousands of patients in this country every day. The CARE bill will help correct that problem. You see, one of the best ways to assure quality radiologic procedures is to require a basic level of education and skill for the people responsible for performing these procedures. The CARE bill would provide this level of assurance by amending a previous law, known as the Consumer-Patient Radiation Health and Safety Act of 1981. Twenty-two years ago, this bill established minimum standards for the education, certification and licensure of radiologic technologists. However, when the bill was enacted, compliance by the states was made voluntary rather than mandatory. As a result, radiographers in 13 states and the District of Columbia are unregulated. Even in states that license radiologic technologists, laws vary so widely that there is no guarantee that personnel are adequately educated to use the equipment with which they have been entrusted Under the CARE bill, personnel performing radiologic procedures in every state would be required to meet minimum educational and credentialing standards. Each state would then be responsible for regulating radiologic technologists according to those standards. The current lack of a national standard for operators of medical imaging and radiation therapy equipment poses a hazard to American patients and jeopardizes quality health care. Accurate diagnosis can be provided only when personnel are properly educated in anatomy, technique, equipment operation and radiation safety. In states where no regulation exists, anyone is permitted to perform medical imaging and radiation therapy procedures, sometimes after just a few weeks of on-the-job training. But performing a CT scan or taking an x-ray involves much more than just pushing a button. The person responsible for performing the exam uses highly technical equipment that emits radiation. The CARE bill will help ensure that quality radiation therapy treatments are delivered and that quality diagnostic information is presented for interpretation, which will lead to accurate diagnosis, treatment and cure. Poor quality exams can lead to additional testing, delays in treatment, and unnecessary anxiety for the patient. In the end, the public's health is at stake. An underexposed chest x-ray cannot reveal pneumonia, and an inaccurate radiation therapy treatment cannot stop the spread of cancer. This legislation will also reduce health care costs by lowering the number of medical imaging examinations that must be repeated due to improper positioning or poor technique. Repeated imaging examinations cost the U.S. health care system millions of dollars annually in needless medical bills. Millions of Americans every year depend upon medical imaging exams to diagnose disease and detect injury, and thousands more rely on radiation therapy to treat and cure their cancers. But remember, any radiologic procedure is only as effective as the person performing it. No matter how expensive or sophisticated the equipment, an imaging exam will not reveal a broken bone or a diseased organ if the person who is using that equipment does not know the basics of radiographic positioning, exposure and technique. By regulating the personnel responsible for performing those procedures, the CARE bill will mean improved care for patients--higher quality images, improved accuracy, and less exposure to radiation. I urge all my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to support this legislation and enact it in a timely manner so American patients will receive the best care possible, provided by the best caregivers possible.