Mike Quigley

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would reduce research and development spending at the Department of Defense by 10 percent. First inclination, we all know research and development is a good thing, but not when it begets wasteful spending. The continuing resolution before us makes deep cuts in non-defense discretionary spending. If we are truly serious about reducing our long-term deficits, we must look at the whole picture--and that picture includes defense. Non-defense discretionary comprises approximately 15 percent of Federal spending. Meanwhile, defense spending comprises 20 percent of Federal spending. We cannot ignore one-fifth of the budget. As Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has said, ``Our national debt is our biggest national security threat.'' My amendment would cut a modest 10 percent from the Department of Defense's research and development budget. DOD's R&D spending has experienced more spending growth since 2001 than any other major DOD appropriation category. DOD's research, development, testing and evaluation budget has increased 63 percent over the last 10 years, rising from $49.2 billion in FY 2001 to $80.2 billion in FY 2010. This is 33 percent more than the Cold War peak in real terms, even though today we face no traditional adversary comparable to the Soviet Union. Further, in FY 2009, R&D spending exceeded China's entire defense budget, the world's second largest, by $10.5 billion. Surely as we look for places to balance the budget and in light of the vast superiority of our R&D budget, we can afford to reduce spending by 10 percent. A number of fiscal commissions and watchdog groups agree that DOD research and development should be cut and proposed a number of proposals to reduce this development. The Sustainable Defense Task Force, a panel of defense experts from across the political spectrum, recently recommended requiring DOD to set its priorities and reduce R&D spending by $5 billion per year over 10 years. Additionally, the Cato Institute and the Task Force for a Unified Security Budget agree research and development could be significantly improved without harming security in order to achieve savings. The Fiscal Commission and the Bipartisan Policy Center have also put forward proposals to reduce research and development costs. The Fiscal Commission proposes reducing DOD's R&D budget by 10 percent, for a savings of $7 billion in 2015. They pointed out this reduction would leave DOD at a level above the peak of the Reagan years in real dollars. The Fiscal Commission cites several ongoing projects that could be reduced or even canceled in order to reduce R&D costs. These programs include the Marine Corps version of the F-35, which has been put on a 2-year probation period by Secretary Gates for continued technical problems, cost overruns, and delays. The Bipartisan Policy Center offers a similar plan, calling for reduced funding of R&D proportional to the reduction size of forces, or 18.5 percent. Reduction in R&D would be possible, argues the Bipartisan Policy Center, as we withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan and reduce our forces abroad. Such a reduction in R&D will impose greater discipline in research investments while continuing to budget significantly more resources than any other country's R&D. A cut in our defense R&D is also enabled by new security threats we face. Secretary Gates has called for a reorientation of our national security strategy, with a greater focus on counterinsurgency warfare rather than traditional warfare. This reorientation calls for investment in intelligence gathering, devices to sense improvised explosive devices, and investments in lower cost machines such as drones, and will allow us to move away from the more expensive development of major weapons systems. We must reduce our deficit and we must reduce our spending, but in doing so we must put everything on the table and cut anywhere where waste exists. Mr. Chairman, there is a universe of thought that less government is best and that government can do almost nothing right. That thought ends at the Department of Defense. There are those who believe they can do no wrong. They have the Department of Defense blinders on, which blind them from the fact that if we are going to make these cuts and we are going to face the very real threats that this debt and deficits will create for us, we have to cut across all lines. I yield back.

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise to support the amendment introduced by my colleague from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez). If we are truly serious about reducing our long-term deficits, we must look at the whole picture, a picture that includes defense. There can be no sacred cows or pork. Today, defense spending, including security-related programs, comprises almost 20 percent of Federal spending, yet it is the only part of this budget that is exempt from the tough cuts facing all other Departments. The Osprey is one of the most egregious examples of waste in the defense budget, yet DOD continues to request this costly, ineffective machine. And with due respect, the only threat this amendment poses if it doesn't pass, it could kill our own troops. Even worse, Congress continues to fund it. The Osprey was originally created to allow Marines to carry troops and cargo faster, higher and farther than a traditional helicopter. Now the Osprey is 186 percent over budget, costs $100 million per unit to produce, it is not suited to fly safely in extreme heat, excessive sand or under fire, and, sadly, this aircraft has killed 30 Marines in accidents. The Government Accountability Office recommended DOD reconsider procurement of the Osprey, and experts argue a helicopter could achieve many of the objectives of the Osprey at a much lower cost. Let's show our constituents we are serious about cutting the deficit by looking at all parts of the budget. Waste is waste; bloat is bloat. The fact that it comes under the Department of Defense doesn't change anything. I urge adoption of this amendment because eliminating funding for procurement of a costly, inefficient and over-budget V-22 Osprey will prove to our constituents that we are serious about reducing spending. It will help realign our military strategy to meet today's needs, and it will save the taxpayers $415 million this year alone. I yield back.

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, as you know, I come from Chicago, home of the world champion Chicago Blackhawks, and I rise today in support of the National Hockey League's designation of the month of February as ``Hockey is for Everyone Month.'' ``Hockey is for Everyone'' is a nationwide initiative that works to break racial and economic barriers that prevent children from playing ice hockey. It reaches more than 300,000 underprivileged boys and girls annually across North America and includes programs for veterans and the disabled. I believe that no matter your background, every child should have the opportunity to play the greatest sport in the world. Increased access to healthy exercise will aid in the fight against childhood obesity and continue to decrease high school dropout rates. On behalf of kids all over the continent, I thank the National Hockey League and ``Hockey is for Everyone'' for putting more hockey sticks in more hands--and more pucks on those sticks.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Well, I want to thank you so much for having me. I want to thank my colleague from New York for his efforts and everyone who's here tonight toward this end. This issue is critical not just to our health, our Nation's health, but also to our country's national security and our economy. Because I rise today to protect the integrity of all things of science because it is science that these facts and figures that have led hundreds of scientists to confirm that global warming is real. It is this science that led the Supreme Court through jurisprudence to rule that the EPA does in fact have the authority to regulate greenhouse gases. And it is this science that led the Congress to pass the Clean Air Act, the act which designated the EPA as the body charged with overseeing, adapting, and implementing these regulations. In the coming months, the EPA will begin regulating greenhouse gases from certain emitters for the first time. These regulations have become hugely controversial and, sadly, political. These rules combat man-made climate change--man-made climate change that is melting our polar ice caps, that is raising the level of our oceans, and that is modifying our seasonal temperatures; man-made climate change that is altering the duration of our growing season, that is flooding parts of the world and causing multi-year droughts on others; man-made climate change that is allowing particulate matters to infiltrate our children's lungs, making them suffer from lifelong asthma and making us die earlier. But some would argue these rules, these new regulations, are burdensome; that they kill jobs, they imperil economic recovery, they are nonsensical, they aren't pragmatic. That is nonsensical. Let's take EPA's proposed rule regarding toxic emission from industrial boilers, a seemingly innocuous rule, right? Wrong. This rule called for the cleanup of units that burn fuel onsite to provide electricity and heat. This action, this rule, would cut mercury particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and acid gases by requiring facilities to install equipment to clean up these toxic emissions. This so-called ``job-killing rule'' would, as predicted, save from 2,000 to 5,000 lives each year. The need to crack down on greenhouse gases is based on sound science, the results of hundreds of peer-reviewed scientific studies that say that global warming is real and that man contributes to it. And if you're keeping score at home, there are zero peer-reviewed scientific studies that say that global warming is not real and that man does not contribute to it. But, more than that, the need to crack down on greenhouse gas emissions, the need to give EPA the tools to do its duty as mandated by Congress and deemed their responsibility by the Supreme Court. This issue certainly is lethal. It kills people. And my friends who oppose this radical fight against global warming, you can't work if you're dead. December 31, 2010, marked the 40th anniversary of the Clean Air Act. The Clean Air Act has saved the lives of over 160,000 people, as conservatively estimated by the EPA. This issue then is a public health issue. Chicago is my hometown. It is in the midst of a public health crisis. We are the morbidity and mortality capital of the United States for asthma. Having two children who face this ailment, it strikes near and dear to home. We are dealing with skyrocketing rates of death due to asthma, but we're not the only city with this problem. A report released by the American Lung Association reported nearly 60 percent of Americans live in areas where air pollution has reached unhealthy levels that can and does make people sick. Yet we are standing here on the House floor arguing against job preserving measures, measures that will keep us alive and able to work, measures that will create jobs in clean and green industrial areas. As Al Gore said in 2005, ``It is now clear that we face a deepening global climate crisis that requires us to act boldly, quickly and wisely.'' Attacks on the Clean Air Act and the EPA's ability to regulate greenhouse gases are a huge piece of the larger climate crisis, a crisis that has a hefty cost--our health and our lives.

Mr. QUIGLEY. Thank you for having me.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the long and distinguished career of Margaret Dunne. For over 25 years, she has instilled a love for reading in the children of Chicago's Independence Park neighborhood, and inspired a life of service in all of her colleagues. Ms. Dunne began her career with impressive educational merit. She has Masters degrees in English, Special Education, and Library and Information Science. With this background, Margaret joined the Independence Park branch of the Chicago Public Library, where she would spend her entire career as the Children's Librarian. Throughout her career, Margaret has worked to reach as many children as possible through visits to classrooms, parks, and daycare centers. She has also been instrumental in programming the Chicago Public Library's Summer Reading Program, which encourages children to continue reading during their summer vacations. Her exciting summer reading themes have delighted and inspired children, consistently making the Independence Park Library's Summer Reading Program one of the most successful in Chicago. Margaret's hard work and dedication garnered citywide attention and, in 2002, earned her the Chicago Public Library's Librarian of the Year Award. Consistently, she has served as a mentor for many people in the field of librarianship and has inspired a high level of commitment to children's reading programs. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Ms. Margaret Dunne and her commitment to promoting a love of reading in children. Her career has touched the lives of people both young and old. In the words of her colleagues, ``her dedication will be greatly missed by all.''

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 32 and to offer my thoughts and prayers for my friend and colleague Gabrielle Giffords, as well as the 18 other victims of Saturday's unthinkable tragedy in Tucson. I hope and pray for the wellbeing of all those battling for their lives and offer my deepest condolences to those who did not survive-- Christina Taylor Green, Dorothy Morris, Judge John M. Roll, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwin Stoddard, and Gabe Zimmerman. My heart goes out to the families and loved ones of all involved. Congress on Your Corner is democracy in action. Ms. Giffords, her staff, and everyone attending Saturday's event were doing what this country is built on: participating in a conversation between an elected official and the people she represents. As sadness gives way to reflection, I hope we will remain committed to that ideal. Just 2 years ago, I was a new member of this body. Gabby Giffords greeted me with warmth, kindness, and friendship. With all my heart, I hope to one day return the favor.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember a Chicago hero. On Dec. 23, firefighter Corey Ankum tragically lost his life in the line of duty when the roof of a South Shore building collapsed. Corey was just 34 years old. A former member of the Chicago Police Department, Corey had been a firefighter for just 18 months. He left the Police force to follow in the footsteps of his close relative, Gerald Glover, a veteran firefighter. Gerald, who rushed to the scene of the burning building in South Shore, remembered Corey as someone who ``loved helping people.'' Whether it was battling the flames of a burning building or helping to keep neighborhoods safe, Corey spent his life serving Chicago and protecting Chicagoans. His selflessness will live on through his memory, and the lives of his surviving wife and children. I join the rest of Chicago in mourning the loss of one of our own. The city Corey gave his life to protect will never forget him. May he rest in peace.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the courage and honor the life of firefighter Edward Stringer. Edward was killed in the line of duty on Dec. 23, when the roof of a burning South Shore building collapsed. He was 47 years old. Edward often joked that he was the guy running into burning buildings when everyone else was running out. That was the case on the afternoon of the tragedy that took his life. Worried there might be a homeless man or woman seeking shelter from the cold in the abandoned building, his commitment to the Chicagoans he swore to protect was far stronger than any sense of self-preservation. A 12-year veteran of the Chicago Fire Department, Edward worked out of the firehouse at 63rd and Dorchester. He was a lifetime South Sider, a proud Chicagoan and an American hero. His bravery will never be forgotten by the city he gave his life to protect. May Mr. Stringer rest in peace.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because, despite opposition from the Secretary of Defense, the President, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Marine Corps, the Senate spending package still includes $450 million for a second engine for the F-35. Americans across the country are tightening their belts, 15 million are unemployed, and many of those with jobs have not seen raises in years. But the Federal Government seems to think that it is exempt from this shared cost- cutting. Despite the recession and ballooning debt, we continue to fund wasteful projects like the second engine, which our own military has asserted they neither need or want. Sadly, the second engine is just the tip of the defense spending iceberg, the lowest of the low-hanging fruit. According to a recent report by the Sustainable Defense Task Force, hundreds of billions could be cut from our defense budget without harming national security. There can be no sacred cows. Cost- cutting has to include defense, and it should start with what Secretary Gates has called the ``costly and unnecessary'' second F-35 engine.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2965, a bill to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Just blocks from the Capitol lies Congressional Cemetery, the resting place of Technical Sergeant Leonard Matlovich, recipient of the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his distinguished service in Vietnam. As a race relations instructor, he was instrumental in helping the military overcome its past legacy of racial discrimination, but he fell victim to the Air Force's discriminatory ban on gays, and was discharged in 1975. His headstone, in sight of the Capitol dome, reads: ``When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.'' As a great man said, when it comes to matters of equality, it is always the right time to do the right thing. Our national security and our country's long-standing history of fairness depend on it. Today, I urge my colleagues to do the right thing and support the rule and H.R. 2965 for Technical Sergeant Matlovich and for our country.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, in the wake of the worst fire in Israel's history, I want to commend USAID and the U.S. Forest Service for leading America's vital effort to help extinguish the flames. Now that the fires are out, the hardest work begins. The U.S. Forest Service will work closely with the Jewish National Fund and the State of Israel's national foresters to rebuild the destroyed forest. Their first order of business will be assessing the damage and creating a plan for the long-term renewal of the historically significant Carmel Forest. The Mount Carmel region in Israel is rich in biblical history, most famous as the site of Elijah's battle with the prophets of Baal. The coordinated efforts of the JNF and the U.S. Forest Service will ensure this precious area is restored and maintained for generations. The partnership of the U.S. Forest Service and the Jewish National Fund is yet another reminder of the strong ties between the United States and Israel. I urge my colleagues support the efforts of the JNF as it works to restore and rebuild this beautiful and ancient region of Israel.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the DREAM Act. Further, I rise in support of our Nation's children and young adults, children who, sadly, have borne the brunt of our immigration issues; children who have graduated from high school and want to continue on to college, but cannot receive any help; children who would sign up and fight and die for our country, but are seen as ghosts by their host country. In August of 1864, President Lincoln wrote: ``It is not merely for today but for all time to come that we should perpetuate for our children's children this great and free government which we have all enjoyed all our lives.'' Nearly 150 years later, we are asked to stand up to the same task to perpetuate this great and free government for all our children. I ask my colleagues to support the children and support the DREAM Act.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember Ron Santo, a Cubs legend and legendary Cubs fan. Ron passed away last week after a courageous fight against bladder cancer. He was 70 years old. For 14 years, he patrolled the hot corner at Wrigley Field. He was a nine-time All-Star, won five Gold Gloves, and hit 342 home runs. But Ron was never a numbers guy. On the field and for 20 years in the broadcast booth, his joy, devotion, and eternal optimism embodied the best of the Cubs. Whether he was clicking his heels behind third base or leading the fight against juvenile diabetes, he wore his heart on his sleeve and a smile on his face. Ron will be missed by everyone who ever watched him play, heard his voice on the radio, or was touched by his philanthropy and kind heart. Let us hope that one day soon he will take his rightful place alongside baseball's immortals in Cooperstown, because Ron Santo belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, it wasn't many years ago that coal miners relied on a small bird, a canary, to signal that conditions were toxic. The canary in the coal mine would become sick before the miners, who would then have a chance to either escape or to put on protective respirators. Today, our ecosystems face dire threats. Toxic gases, chemicals and the exploitation of our natural resources have jeopardized our air, water, lands and the wildlife that inhabit our ecosystems. The telltale sign? The frog, the ``canary in the coal mine'' of our natural environment, is sick. Today, nearly 33 percent of amphibian species are threatened, and estimates of species extinctions over the past several decades number in the hundreds. Losses of these species result from the usual suspects, land-use change, overexploitation and disease. Why all the emphasis on frogs? Aside from the fact that these animals regulate their local ecosystems and control populations of insects that spread disease, they are important to our human health as well. Findings point the way toward new drugs for fighting diseases such as cancer and HIV/AIDS. Scientists have reportedly found chemicals that are naturally produced in the skin of various frog species that can kill the HIV virus. But these medicinal tools are disappearing at astronomical rates. That should tell us something. A frog's skin is relatively thin and permeable to water, so frogs are directly exposed to pollutants such as coal ash and environmental radiation. In addition, their eggs are laid in ponds and other bodies of water where they absorb chemicals. The frog, the canary in the coal mine of our natural environment, is first in line in an environmental pollution war, a war the frog is quickly losing. If we don't heed this call, much like the miners who relied on their singing canary, we are destined for illness and, ultimately, shorter, unhealthier lives. Sadly, this degradation of human health and quality of life is already happening across the country. Colstrip, Montana, is home to the second-largest coal plant west of the Mississippi. One boxcar-full of coal is burned every 5 minutes. The burning coal creates sodium, thallium, mercury, boron, aluminum and arsenic, which is pumped out of the factory and into the air. The chemicals that aren't pumped into the air are caught in the factory scrubbers and then dumped with coal ash into giant settling ponds. These ponds are shallow artificial lakes of concentrated toxicity which leach this poison into wells and aquifers. The sludge flows into the surrounding towns and countryside, bubbling up against foundations and floorings, cracking the floor in Colstrip's local grocery store. Ranchers in eastern Montana are now suing the plant for damages. Noxious water, they cite, is the only liquid that fills their wells and stock ponds. James Hansen, a renowned climate scientist, says Colstrip will cause the extinction of 400 species. But Colstrip burns on. Why? Because we have no national energy plan and because there are currently no federally enforceable regulations specific to coal ash. This lack of federally enforceable safeguards is exactly what led to the disaster in Tennessee, where a dam holding more than 1 billion of gallons of toxic coal ash failed, destroying 300 acres, dozens of homes, killed fish and other wildlife and poisoned the Emory and Clinch Rivers. From Tennessee to Colstrip and across the Nation, the story is the same. We have no national conservation plan, no national energy policy, no regulatory reinforcement powers. And the biggest environmental disaster the country has ever faced, the Horizon Deepwater oil spill, has not propelled us any further toward passing a cap-and-trade bill through both Chambers. Senator Reid said they were sidestepping a cap- and-trade bill for oil response legislation, but we haven't seen that either. Worse, as we mark 40 years of cleaner air under the Clean Air Act, it is heartbreaking that we must now fight to protect this monument law from attack. Some in Congress are considering weakening this landmark law, seeking to bail out polluters who continue to lobby for loopholes and giveaways that put Americans' health and safety at risk. We are poisoning our ecosystems, our animals and, yes, our frogs. We are poisoning our families, our communities, our Nation and our entire world. If we do not heed this canary song, we will only have ourselves to blame. And by the time we take notice, it may be too late.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues in the Senate to ratify the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty or START immediately because every day we wait to ratify START is one more day that Russia's nuclear arsenal goes uninspected. When our last nuclear arms treaty with Russia expired last December, so did our ability to inspect their nuclear sites. This means no Americans have inspected Russian nuclear facilities for almost a year. Despite the urgent need to ratify this vital treaty which also reduces unneeded nuclear stockpiles and builds much-needed confidence with Russia, some members in the other body have continued to stall, putting politics ahead of national security. START has been through 18 hearings, is endorsed by dozens of foreign policy and defense experts, and passed out of committee with a strong bipartisan majority. Our colleagues on the other side of the aisle claim to be the strongest proponents of national security; ratification of START is an opportunity for them to act on those claims and keep America and our allies safe.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. I rise today to support this resolution and thank its sponsor, the gentlewoman from Florida, and call for its quick passage. This important resolution highlights the often forgotten special needs of the few remaining Holocaust survivors. It also calls for the assurances that their final years will be comfortable and dignified. Over 100,000 Holocaust survivors live in the U.S. today with 3,500 of those living in my city, Chicago. Three-quarters of those are in their eighties and nineties. The majority live alone and more than half live below the poverty line. As these individuals who survived torture, starvation and unspeakable terrors age, they deserve to do so in their own homes rather than in institutional settings. After all they have endured and overcome, these spirited survivors of the Holocaust deserve access to social service programs sensitive to their unique needs. This resolution will ensure they spend their last years with the same dignity with which they lived.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor an important member of the Chicago community, Charlotte Newfeld, who celebrated her 80th birthday on November 26. Charlotte has long been an outstanding activist in the community since she moved to Chicago in the 1950s. Since then, she has been a marathon runner of community activism, tackling a myriad of important issues. One such issue is her dedication to equal rights for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community. Among other accomplishments, she helped establish the Chicago Mayor's Committee on Gay and Lesbian Issues and lobbied for the passage of the city's gay-inclusive human rights ordinance. In 1996, she was inducted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame as a Friend of the Community. Additionally, Charlotte has been a vocal green advocate and environmentalist. Serving as the project director of the Bill Jarvis Migratory Bird Sanctuary, she organizes volunteers to keep the area clean and safe. Due to her steadfast dedication to the eight acres of the sanctuary, she has earned the nickname some have given her, ``the Jarvis Earth mother.'' Twenty years ago, I saw firsthand the tenacity and dedication with which Charlotte pursued every issue she found important, from LGBT and environmental issues to an organization we founded together: CUBS, or Citizens United for Baseball in Sunshine. The community would be better off if we had more people like her. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Charlotte Newfeld for her years of service and to thank her for 80 great and dedicated years.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service and sacrifice of Senior Airman Daniel Johnson. Daniel was killed by an improvised explosive device last month in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was just 23 years old. Daniel spent much of his childhood in Minnesota and Wisconsin before moving to Schiller Park, Illinois to live with his grandmother. Family members remember fondly Daniel's lifelong dream to fight for his country and the pride he felt when he put on his uniform. In Afghanistan he disarmed dangerous bombs, continuously risking his life to protect others. His commitment to service extended beyond the battlefield. Daniel attended Triton College with the admirable goal of one day working as an emergency medical technician. Today, I offer my deepest condolences to all of those who had the privilege to know such a selfless and giving young man. I join with them in mourning the loss of this brave airman and exemplary American. On behalf of the United States Congress and the 5th district of Illinois I thank him for his courage. To his family, friends, and loved ones: Daniel's country will never forget his service.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding achievements in broadcasting of Chicago's own Terri Hemmert. Ms. Hemmert, who is already featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's ``Rock and Radio'' exhibit, was inducted into The Radio Hall of Fame on November 6, 2010. Ms. Hemmert first fell in love with music after watching The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show as a child in Piqua, Ohio. She began her career in broadcasting as a late night disc-jockey at WCMF in Rochester, New York, before returning to the Midwest and in 1973 joined the burgeoning progressive rock station WXRT in Chicago, where she has stayed for 37 years. In 1981, Ms. Hemmert's career took off when she became Chicago's first female morning drive personality. The knowledge and love of the music she played, coupled with her infectious personality made Terri Hemmert one of the household names in the city's ring of FM broadcasters. As a renowned Beatles expert, she was the ideal candidate to host Chicago's Fest For Beatles Fans, a position she's held for 30 years. Ms. Hemmert contributes to the City of Chicago in other vital ways. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Peace Museum, Facets Multimedia and many other non-profit organizations. She teaches the History of Rock and Soul at Columbia College Chicago and lends her expertise as an advisor to the student radio station. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Terri Hemmert and her extraordinary career, numerous contributions to gender equality in broadcasting and bringing joy to thousands of Chicagoans stuck in traffic on their morning commutes. I would like to congratulate Ms. Hemmert on a life of accomplishment with more sure to come.

Mr. QUIGLEY

Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because the Israeli Security Cabinet is preparing to take a critical vote on a proposal to temporarily halt construction in the West Bank. Our Israeli friends have offered, once again, to stop construction on the West Bank in order to open the door to a peace deal. However, a peace agreement has no chance of coming to fruition if the Palestinian Authority and President Abbas refuse to come to the negotiating table. Only face-to-face negotiations between the two sides can lead to a peace deal. Unilateral action by the U.N. will not contribute to peace, and the administration must be strong in signaling that any move by the U.N. toward independent action will be vetoed. We are at a vital crossroads. We can choose the path of peace, but only if parties do their part and play their role. President Abbas must come to the table and justify the good-faith efforts by the people of Israel to achieve a lasting peace.