Adam Putnam

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Republican Conference, I offer a privileged resolution H. Res. 153) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the work of Robert B. Gilbertson, Jr., the innovative leader of the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA. After more than 20 years with the Tampa YMCA, Bob is leaving Florida for Seattle in order to serve as the CEO of the YMCA of Greater Seattle. During his tenure, Bob, led an effort to greatly expand the Tampa YMCA by the creation of 12 new branches throughout Hillsborough County. The expansion effort has resulted in the YMCA membership growing from 5,000 to 130,000 members and their yearly budget has grown from around $1,000,000 to over $33,000,000. More importantly, this expansion has provided the opportunity for the YMCA to expand its charitable mission of building strong kids, strong families and strong communities. No child or family is turned away from the YMCA due to their inability to pay. Today, scholarships are provided to over 30,000 children and families so they can enjoy one of the largest social service charitable organizations operating in Hillsborough County. I met with Bob recently at the Brandon Family YMCA where he introduced me to some very special children who were involved in the foster care system. I was proud to play a role in ensuring that the U.S. Department of Labor provided the Tampa YMCA with funding to create a job training program for youth aging-out of the foster system. This extremely important program will be one of Bob's lasting legacies in Tampa. Bob Gilbertson has certainly made his mark in Tampa and I am grateful for the leadership he has provided. I wish him great success as he moves to Seattle.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Republican Conference, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 74) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Madam Clerk, I am pleased to put forward the name of a man who represents the best of honesty, integrity, decency, uncanny wisdom and understanding. As chairman of the Republican Conference, I am directed by the unanimous vote of that conference to present for election to the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 110th Congress the name of the Honorable John A. Boehner from the State of Ohio.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Republican Conference, I offer a privileged resolution (H. Res. 8) and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I offer a resolution (H. Res. 9) and I ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Parliamentary inquiry, Madam Speaker.

Mr. PUTNAM. Am I correct, Madam Speaker, that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Buchanan) has been certified by the Secretary of State as duly elected from the 13th District of Florida?

Mr. PUTNAM. I thank the Speaker.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Madam Speaker, as chairman of the Republican conference, I am directed by that conference to notify the House officially that the Republican Members have selected as minority whip the gentleman from Missouri, the Honorable Roy Blunt.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Madam Speaker, I have an amendment to the resolution, but before offering the amendment, I request that there be a division of the question on the resolution so that we may have a separate vote on the Chaplain.

Mr. PUTNAM. Madam Speaker, I offer an amendment to the remainder of the resolution.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Madam Speaker, as chairman of the Republican Conference, I am directed by that conference to notify the House officially that the Republican Members have selected as minority leader the gentleman from Ohio, the Honorable John A. Boehner.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 1105 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. PUTNAM. Madam Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Slaughter), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. (Mr. PUTNAM asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PUTNAM. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues. I realize that as we wind down this session, Congress, Members are still attempting to move last-minute suspensions and items of importance for their district. This resolution, Madam Speaker, is a rule that provides for consideration of House Joint Resolution 102, making continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2007. This rule provides for 1 hour of debate in the House, equally divided and controlled by the majority and minority chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations. The rule waives all points of orders against consideration of the joint resolution and provides for one motion to recommit. I want to commend both Chairman Lewis and Ranking Member Obey and the entire House Appropriations Committee for sticking to the timetable that they laid out at the beginning of this legislative session. In an impressive display of bipartisanship and great labor, the House passed 10 of the 11 appropriations bills prior to the July 4 district work period this year. Since July the Senate has returned to us the defense and homeland security appropriations bills, each of which has been signed by our President. Only the military quality of life appropriations bill has been passed by the Senate and is being conferenced. The remaining seven remain floundering in the Senate. The House of Representatives, Chairman Lewis and Ranking Member Obey, and this body, have done their work. We must institute the continuing resolution in order to allow the government to continue functioning through February 15, 2007. This allows the new Congress ample time to organize and consider the outstanding appropriations bills. The rule allows consideration of this imperative continuing resolution funding measure. While disappointed that we must resort to a CR, I am pleased that the appropriators have ensured that we have a clean bill without extraneous projects or funds and we have avoided the temptation often driven by the other body to package bills together in an omnibus. Throughout the appropriations process, the committee has shown its commitment to the budget resolution and to fiscal accountability. The committee has funded programs and activities at the lowest of the House-passed level, the Senate-passed level, or the fiscal year 2006 rate. For agencies for which the Senate has not passed the bill, the funding rate is at the lower of the House-passed level or the fiscal 2006 current rate. For agencies for which neither the House nor the Senate have passed the bill, the funding rate is at the current 2006 number. And in order to ensure quality health care for our veterans, we have included substantial additional transfer authority for Veterans Administration medical care. As the entire Federal Government is facing a plateaued budget, the CR includes a provision that prohibits the automatic implementation of the cost of living adjustment for Members of Congress also until February 16. Again, I want to congratulate Chairman Lewis and Ranking Member Obey on their hard work. I urge Members to support the rule and the underlying continuing resolution so that we can finish the appropriations process and move down the road toward meeting the needs of this country. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PUTNAM. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to my Rules Committee colleague, the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito).

Mr. PUTNAM. I thank the lady for her inquiry. I am advised that we have no other Members wishing to speak on the rule.

Mr. PUTNAM. Madam Speaker, before I yield back the balance of my time I, first and foremost, want to urge my colleagues to adopt the rule and adopt the continuing resolution, and express my highest regards and best wishes to the gentlewoman from New York as she prepares to take the leadership of the Rules Committee. And I wish her all the very best. And I regret that I will not be serving on the committee under her leadership, but certainly wish she and her colleagues all the opportunity and hope and advantages that come with that responsibility. With that, Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 540, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. Mr. Speaker, I rise with great pride to call attention to a very special and noteworthy group--the Air War College Class of 2006. This class graduated on May 25, 2006. These men and women, not only from our own Armed Forces, but those of 46 other countries have distinguished themselves, their school, their communities, and their nations. The Air War College Class of 2006 had a remarkable year and I believe these men and women deserve formal recognition for their accomplishments. By any measure, the class of 2006 has not only blazed new trails, but established new standards of excellence. This was the first class to execute the Professional Military Education (PME) phase II curriculum, thus producing joint service qualified officers. It was the first class to have mid-year students join the class and complete the demanding academic curriculum. It was also the first class to have 46 international fellows, and the first class to send students, as part of its premiere regional studies, to the country of Turkmenistan. More importantly, it was the first class to have State Week, a full week dedicated to the interaction between DOS/DOD that will facilitate future cooperation and more efficient interaction between these future leaders. Established in 1946, this is the 60th year of the Air War College. The Air War College mission is to be ``the foremost center for air and space education and thought--preparing the world's best strategic leaders.'' Students must meet rigorous academic requirements, take responsibility for academic progress, behavior, and attendance, and they are expected to participate in school and community activities. They have not only met those rigorous demands but far exceeded them. The class of 2006 and their faculty have consistently shown not only leadership, but generosity. Together they donated 67 pints of blood, raised almost $100,000 for several charities; and members of the class generously gave their time to travel to Biloxi, MS, to aid in the recovery after Hurricane Katrina. Notably, other members opened their homes to displaced military personnel during that tragic time. I would like to extend my enthusiastic congratulations to the Air War College Class of 2006, ``Warriors, Leaders, and Statesmen'' upon their graduation. I wish them Godspeed as they move to their next assignments, some directly into harm's way, as they become tomorrow's strategic leaders in the global war on terror.

Mr. PUTNAM

Mr. PUTNAM. The gentleman took great umbrage at me asking to yield to answer his question.

Mr. PUTNAM. Reclaiming my time.

Mr. PUTNAM. Reclaiming my time.

Mr. PUTNAM. Thank you, Madam Speaker.