Mike Rogers

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Sara Darnell on earning the prestigious Fulbright Award, which will allow her to teach and study in the United Kingdom during the upcoming academic year. Established by Congress in 1946, the Fulbright Award program is the oldest U.S. Government sponsored academic exchange program. Recipients of Fulbright Awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement as well as leadership potential in one's respective field. In receiving this award, Ms. Darnell was one of only 200 teachers out of 750 applicants to earn the Fulbright Award. Therefore Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in thanking Sara Darnell for her continued devotion to excellence in education and congratulate her for receiving the Fulbright Award.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Jim Goldsmith on his new position as National Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. After he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1965, Jim served his country with distinction for eighteen months in Vietnam as a member of the 84th Engineering Battalion, returning home in 1967. Since that time no job has been too small for Jim at his local VFW Post 5666, from holding public office to working evening fish fries. In his new position as National Commander, Jim will likely travel more than 300 days per year working on behalf of veterans. Jim's lasting commitment to his country and his fellow veterans must not go unrecognized. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Jim Goldsmith for his continued devotion to those who sacrificed their lives protecting all our freedoms.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, today, I speak in support of House Concurrent Resolution 227, condemning bigotry and violence against Arab-Americans, American Muslims, and Americans from South Asia in the wake of the terrorist attacks in New York City, New York, and Washington, D.C., on September 11, 2001. Our nation suffered a horrendous tragedy on September 11, 2001. There is no question that those responsible for this heinous act must be brought to justice. However, we must not further compound the tragedy by turning against each other in our time of grief and anger. Unfortunately, in the aftermath of the recent attack, there have been reports of violence against Americans of Arab and South Asian descent. This is nothing short of divisive, and is unacceptable, unconscionable, and un-American. The Arab-American, South Asian-American, and American Muslim communities are an integral part of the United States. The state of Michigan itself has one of the largest Middle Eastern communities outside of the Middle East. Like all Americans, members of these communities are outraged by the recent attacks upon our nation. As law abiding and patriotic citizens of our nation they do not deserve our rancor, but the dignity afforded to every American. Indeed, in the wake of the recent terrorists attacks, the rights and liberties of all Americans must continue to be respected and upheld. We must relentlessly pursue those guilty of this cowardly act, and refrain from lashing out against the innocent. I fully support the language of H. Con. Res. 227, which stresses that throughout our search for the perpetrators of the terrorists acts of September 11, 2001, our nation will continue to adhere to the civil rights and civil liberties that has made the United States the land of the free.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Charyl Stockwell, a young lady whose brave fight for her life has touched countless lives. I am honored to be a part of the Livingston Developmental Academy, a local public school academy in Hartland, Michigan, as they announce the dedication of their building as The Charyl Stockwell Academy. Mr. Speaker, Charyl's inspiration for the founding of the school included the celebration of her unique gifts of artistry, dance and creative writing. It is because the Livingston Developmental Academy focuses on the uniqueness of each child and provides special attention and love to every student that the school has been so successful. Indeed, Charyl was a young lady who always made others smile. This act of kindness must not go without recognition. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Charyl Stockwell and to her family as the Livingston Developmental Academy honors her in dedicating their new building in her name. May the school forever carry the spirit and enthusiasm of Charyl Stockwell.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 2001 graduating class of the University of Michigan. Due to their hard work and dedication, they are now prepared to make significant contributions to the State of Michigan and the United States of America. As graduates from one of the most prestigious public institutions in the United States, whatever endeavors the University of Michigan class of 2001 may pursue, success is certain to follow: Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the University of Michigan Class of 2001. May this only be the beginning of the great accomplishments they will achieve in their lifetime.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the brave men of the C Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment, 1st Marine Division for their courageous actions in April of 1947. World War II left many problems unresolved in China, and although some have forgotten, the United States sent Marines into China after World War II to disarm Japanese soldiers, protect them from revenge and relieve them from their bases. During the early morning hours of April 5, 1947, the C Company was attacked at Hsin Ho by the fighters of Chairman Mao Tse-tung. After the Japanese ripped out the plumbing and sabotaged the heating and water supplies, the communists attacked the outpost with a force of over 300 men. Although under heavy fire, the Marines fought off the communists through the night, pursuing them for eight miles. When the sun rose that morning, five Americans were dead and eighteen wounded. Mr. Speaker, the United States will forever be indebted to the Marines who fought valiantly through the night of April 5, 1947. For nine years the C Company has attempted to gain official unit recognition for their bravery 54 years ago. I strongly believe it is the obligation of the United States to recognize these men who risked their lives in the pursuit of freedom. Therefore Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask my colleagues to join with me today in paying tribute to the brave men of C Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment, 1st Marine Division. Their service has long passed but must never be forgotten.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate James Bernard Herald as he celebrates his 90th birthday later this month. James Bernard Herald began his military career in January, 1941 at Fort Custer in Battle Creek, Michigan where he underwent basic training. Following training, Herald's unit went on to become a part of the Army's 5th Division, serving under the command of the then Brigadier General Omar Bradley. Herald was discharged from the Army in August, 1941 as a result of the ``under 28 years old'' law being put into effect. However, this spell away from the Army was only to be for a short time as, following events in Pearl Harbor, he was recalled on December 10, 1941 to his old outfit. In March, 1942 he was shipped as part of the 5th division to Iceland in order to maintain the operation of supplying allies with goods and equipment. 1943 was spent by Herald and the 5th Division traveling to England and, when English soil became too crowded with troops and tanks, moving onto a base near Belfast, Northern Ireland in September, 1943. By D-Day, 1944 James B. Herald was a Sergeant and Section Chief of a 155 millimeter Howitzer Cannon and a contingent of 14 men, which landed on Omaha Beach. Sergeant Herald and his men pushed forward to Metz, a fortress city in northeast France where his courage helped him to endure the violent combat, and shrapnel wounds both to the head and the hip. Once Herald had been treated for his wounds he was cited with the ``Purple Heart'' and sent straight back into action. He went on to be awarded with a ``Bronze Star'', the medal awarded for ``bravery beyond the call of duty'' for his heroic actions in Czechoslovakia in May, 1945. Throughout his career in the Army, Herald was referred to as an exceptional ``American Soldier''. He marched through Germany, Austria, Italy, France and Belgium, and saw London, Paris, the Rhine, Brenner Pass and the Alps at their worst. He as demobilized in Indian Town Gap, Pennsylvania in August 1945, the year and month that saw the Japanese surrender. Following his demobilization he has continued to contribute greatly to society. He became the Commander of the Walter T. Roach American Legion Post in Hubbardston, which he and Elmer Cunningham kept going out of their own generosity and hard work. Herald held this post over thirty years ago and no one has since forgotten, and he now holds the distinction of oldest past commander. Further distinctions also include Herald's role as an Intelligence Agent in Europe (#1001), a member of the Knights of Columbus for fifty years, a member of the Moose for thirty years and best of all, a member of the Heralds for almost seventy years. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me in congratulating James Bernard Herald as he celebrates his 90th birthday later this year. It is most appropriate at this time that his lifetime achievements and service to his country and community should be recognized and honored.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I would tell the Members that today the tenor of this debate is about balance. There are places that we should be drilling, and there are places that we should not. The debate ought to center around science and not emotion. We are very fortunate in Michigan to be part of the Great Lakes basin, that has 20 percent of the world's fresh water. The Great Lakes Governors in each of those States took a look at the science of drilling in the Great Lakes. New York, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, all banned offshore drilling in the Great Lakes. No State, as a matter of fact, Mr. Chairman, has allowed offshore drilling to occur. I want to introduce Members to somebody tonight, Mr. Chairman. I want to introduce somebody that is no friend to the safety and security of our Great Lakes. I want to introduce Mr. Chris. As we can see, Mr. Chris is the name of this boat that is drilling currently in Lake Erie. As we can see, this is a tugboat with a bad attitude. This is a boat that is bobbing around. I have to tell Members, this picture was taken on an extremely calm day. Lake Erie is a shallow lake, and it tends to roll a lot. To get this picture with the lake this calm is a rare occasion, indeed. As we can see, or maybe not, there are only two mooring lines that secure what is an oil rig drilling currently in Lake Erie. There are 550 such wells that Canada is operating in Lake Erie today, 550. Think about this. Every Great Lakes Governor, every legislature, has said no, the science does not support offshore drilling in the Great Lakes. I need some help today. We ought to stand up again and say, look, we understand that there are places that we ought to be drilling. We understand that there are places that we should not be drilling. The science for drilling in the Great Lakes has proven this is not a place that we should be. I will ask my colleagues tonight to join every Great Lakes Governor, every Great Lakes legislature, and tell Canada to get off of our Great Lakes. Tell them that Mr. Chris has no place here. That tugboat with an attitude ought to be back in shore. I urge my colleagues' support of this amendment. Let us send a message to Canada to play fair like the rest of the Great Lakes States and protect that 20 percent of the world's fresh water. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, I am proud to hear the previous speaker talk about adverse health effects. You cannot get a more serious adverse health effect than death. The National Academy of Sciences report says one thing, if you arbitrarily, aggressively raise CAFE standards, more Americans will die. Do we want politicians on this floor setting a political number that really is not based on science, or do we want engineers, scientists, and moms making the decision about what goes on the road and how we get to conservation? We chased moms out of station wagons in the seventies with CAFE increases, and they chose, for safety reasons for themselves and their families, minivans. We are fast approaching trying to chase moms out of minivans. Moms know best about safety for their family. There are two ways to get here, Mr. Chairman: the way that this chairman of the committee has engineered, that says we want scientists and engineers to, over time, develop conservation standards that we know allows these vehicles to be safe; or the political CAFE amendment increase that says we want smaller, shorter wheelbases, lighter cars, that we know will take the lives of Americans, independent review said as many as 7,000 per mile a gallon. That is 53,000 families. Mr. Chairman, make the choice today. Let scientists, engineers, and moms make the choice, not politicians on this floor.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the TRW Chassis Systems' Fenton Plant for receiving the prestigious Michigan Voluntary Protection Programs (MVPP) Star Award for workplace safety and health excellence. They were presented with the award by the Michigan Department of Consumer & Industry Services on June 15, 2001 during a ceremony at the plant. In receiving this award, the plant was subject to intense competition and a verification audit with stringent criteria that emphasizes management commitment, employee involvement and low accident rates. The Fenton plant's accident rates and lost work day rates are far below the Michigan average for the industry. Therefore Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the TRW Chassis Systems' Fenton Plant for receiving the Michigan Voluntary Protection Programs Star Award.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my sincerest congratulations to Jennie Terpstra in honor of her 100th birthday. Ms. Terpstra was born on July 23, 1901 in Eastmanville, Michigan and has spent most of her life on a farm in Lamont, Michigan. It was on the farm where she acquired a love for flowers, gardening, and reading. On June 21, 1923, at the age of 21, Jennie was married to George Terpstra at Tallmadge Church. George was her elder by one year and one day. Later in life, Ms. Terpstra found her spiritual home at the Lamont Christian Reformed Church. To date, Ms. Terpstra has five children, nineteen grandchildren, over forty great-grandchildren, and six great-great grandchildren. Therefore Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Ms. Jennie Terpstra for turning 100 years young. Eric Butterworth once said ``Don't go through life, grow through life;'' Ms. Terpstra certainly has.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Howell, Michigan Jaycees Chapter on receiving the prestigious Harold R. Marks award for most outstanding local chapter in the country. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said ``there are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still.'' Through their hard work and public service, the Howell Jaycees have done anything but stand still. The Marks award is granted to chapters based on membership growth and the type of programs they offer their members and the community. Therefore Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to the Howell Jaycees for receiving the Harold R. Marks award. May success continue to follow this outstanding civic organization.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Gillian Ream for being awarded the David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarship from the National Security Education Program (NSEP). NSEP was established in 1992 to produce a more internationally competent citizenry and to strengthen the expertise base in the federal sector. In the past seven years, NSEP has invested more than $37 million and provided outstanding opportunities for over 2,000 graduate and undergraduate students. Upon receiving this award, the students must agree to seek work in the Federal government in an organization with national security responsibilities. In addition, each student must have studied in a field that is important to U.S. national security, must display foreign language capability, and must have studied extensively in and about other countries or regions. In receiving this award, Mr. Ream was one of 143 students out of several hundred applicants to receive the Boren Scholarship. Therefore Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in congratulating Gillian Ream for being awarded the David L. Boren Undergraduate Scholarship.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the proactive efforts of the Lansing Board of Water and Light in Lansing, Michigan, to develop a program aimed at using environmentally friendly energy to generate the electricity it provides in the Lansing metropolitan area. The Board of Water and Light has launched a Green Wise Electric Power program that encourages customers to voluntarily pay an additional minimal fee to cover the added cost of purchasing electricity from ``clean'' sources. The program allows the municipal utility to buy some or all of its electricity from clean, renewable sources such as wind, water and biomass generation. While the cost of cleaner electricity may be higher than that provided through conventional sources such as coal or natural gas, the environmental advantages make this a highly worthy program. As America struggles to meet its environmental challenges, the Lansing Board of Water and Light has shown extraordinary vision and commitment to protecting our precious resources while continuing to meet the electric power needs of its customers. They are working hard to achieve that balance between environment and economy which is essential for the future of every community across the nation. I urge my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in congratulating the Lansing Board of Water and Light and to extend to its board of directors and staff our admiration for their service in the interest of the nation, the State of Michigan, and their own community. We wish them well in their future endeavors.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the City of Lansing, Michigan, for having been named one of the top five cities in its population category for high-growth companies. The National Commission on Entrepreneurship released a study on High Growth Companies this week. This study was the first of its kind and examined entrepreneurial-growth companies in communities across the country. Surprisingly to some, but not to the people of Michigan, the report found that the bulk of high-growth companies in the past ten years are not in ``high tech'' areas, but are instead found in the industrial sectors of America. High-Growth status is achieved by few companies. It is given only to those that have attained a 15% employment growth per year for 5 years or 100% employment growth over 5 years. Among the communities recognized for High-Growth is the City of Lansing, Michigan, located in the 8th Congressional District, in the heart of Michigan and the greater Mid-west. Since 1996, the city of Lansing has generated more than 300,000 new jobs, more than New York, Los Angeles, or San Diego. I urge my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in congratulating and expressing pride in the city of Lansing, Michigan, and the community businesses that work for job growth and development of the city's entrepreneurial landscape.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, I want to commend my colleague from Michigan. This is a solution though, that is looking for a problem. There is not one State in the Great Lakes Basin that allows off-shore drilling, not one. In Michigan, there is a moratorium on new directional angle drilling wells. What are we doing with this amendment? This amendment is not about protecting the Great Lakes. For instance, it does nothing to address the potential for diversion of our fresh Great Lakes water. This amendment goes in a direction that I hope many in this chamber find disagreeable as it deeply involves the federal government in Great Lakes decision-making. I trust my Governor. I trust the Governors of the Great Lakes States to be in charge of the water of the Great Lakes States. As a matter of fact, underneath the Great Lakes today, there are roughly 22,000 barrels of crude oil that float per hour under the Great Lakes. There are 550 off-shore wells operated by Canadians. This bill addresses none of that. There are 5 million tons of oil bobbing around on the Great Lakes every year via cargo ship, which leads to an average of 20 spills a year on our Great Lakes. This amendment does nothing to address any of those issues. This amendment is not about protecting the Great Lakes; instead, it is about the federal government going into the State of Michigan and telling the legislators in Lansing that they do not know what they're doing. There are some great protections of our Great Lakes, and I trust those Governors, and I trust those Great Lakes state legislators to do the right thing. I want to say it again, because this is very important, and I've heard it 10 times if I've heard it once, that somebody is out there trying to build an oil rig in the Great Lakes and that President Bush is leading the charge. This is ridiculous. There is not one State in the Great Lakes Basin that permit off-shore drilling. Not one. There is a moratorium on new licenses for directional drilling in the State of Michigan today. So what is the purpose for the Bonior Amendment? Mr. Chairman, I do not believe that a bureaucrat in Washington, DC, whose only experience with Michigan's Upper Peninsula is a picture in the National Geographic, is better equipped to protect our shoreline and our Great Lakes. I want the people who live on the Great Lakes to make those decisions. The gentlewoman from Ohio talked about HOMES, the acronym by which schoolchildren learn the names of the Great Lakes. HOMES is appropriate because the people who make their homes in the Great Lakes States should be making decisions about the Great Lakes. Why? Because we live there. We see the water, we see the pollution, we fought back and reclaimed Lake Erie. We can again eat the fish that swim in our lakes. Why? Because the people of the Great Lakes States took action. It is nothing that Congress did. That is why this argument should not be taking place on the floor of the United States House, it should be taking place in the legislatures of the Great Lakes States. Mr. Chairman, I am passionate about the Great Lakes, but we have a true difference of opinion on the proper role of Congress in this debate. For example, look at the issue of water diversion. There is a bill in this House to empower Congress to decide what happens on diversion issues in the Great Lakes. The last I checked, the dry states of the Plains and Southwest could use a bit more extra water; and, the last I checked, there are more members from those states in this chamber than from Great Lakes States. These issues have no business in this Chamber. It has all the business in the chambers in our State legislatures back home. This is a solution that is looking for a problem. There is a package of bills in the House to address this issue in a manner that doesn't encroach on our States' rights. One concerns the diversion and export of Great Lakes water. Another is a resolution urging States to continue the ban on off-shore drilling in our Great Lakes and that goes after those 550 wells currently in operation in Canada. It is important to remember that what the Federal Government can give us, they can take away. Pretty soon, maybe the faces of this Chamber will change, and maybe pretty soon the folks in this Chamber will decide that we want oil production from the Great Lakes. And since most of the members of this Chamber do not reside in the Great Lakes Basin, nor do the Washington, DC bureaucrats overseeing federal policy, the decision may come from Washington to tap into the Great Lakes oil reserves. There is only one thing that can protect us from that: Our state legislators and our governors of the Great Lakes States. Mr. Chairman, I want to urge this body to reject the Bonior Amendment, to throw out all the rhetoric about how without this amendment there will be polluted water, people rushing to put oil rigs on the Great Lakes, and how oil will start gushing into the waters of Lake Michigan or Superior. This is just absolutely untrue. What I would encourage the gentleman from Michigan to do is to work with us. We should take a look at studying the quality of those pipes that are pumping those 22,000 barrels an hour under the Great Lakes today. Let us get together and tell Canada, get off the water. Shut down those rigs that are pumping on the water as we speak. We should work together to ensure that those ships bobbing around on the Lakes carrying 5 million tons of oil are safe and don't continue to average 20 spills each year. Does the gentleman want to do something for the Great Lakes? Let us partner with our states and help solve this issue. The federal government should not come in and flex its muscles and tell state legislators that they really don't know what they are doing. I used to be an FBI agent, and when I would walk into a local police station and tell them the federal government was here to help, I can tell you I never received a warm welcome. And I can tell you that passing legislation like the Bonior Amendment ensures that Congress will not receive a warm welcome in the State halls of Lansing and other Great Lakes capitals. Mr. Chairman, this is an important issue. It is an extremely important issue. I grew up on a lake. I want that lake safe for my kids. I want them to go to Lake Michigan and be able to play in the water and not have to worry about turning green when they come home. I want them to be able to eat the fish in Lake Erie. I mean no disrespect to this Chamber; but, I just came from the State legislature, and I have seen the good things that Congress can do, and I have seen the bad things that Congress can do. I also served with some very bright people in that State legislature. I served with a great Governor who understood that we had to protect our Great Lakes while we have a moratorium on new drilling. I want those people empowered to make a difference for our Great Lakes. I would urge this today's strong rejection of the Federal Government encroaching into the business of the Great Lakes States. I applaud all of the Members for getting up on the floor and talking about their passion for protecting one of our greatest natural resources. Well, let us do just that, but let us be a partner with the States. Talk to our state legislators, talk to our governors. They will be with us. Talk to the people who live there and ask them who do they best trust to protect our Great Lakes? Is it the people that get up every morning and eat breakfast, go to work, and send their children to school in the shadow of the Lakes, or is it a bureaucrat that they have never met in the halls of some Washington, DC bureaucracy? Or is it a future member of Congress from a dry state like California who stands up, maybe 50 years from now, and argues that it is worth the risk to stick a pipe in fresh water to extract oil? The answer is clear, our States are the best guardians of the Great Lakes. I urge my colleagues to stand up for the Great Lakes today. Stand up for the environment of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, and Wisconsin. Stand up for these states by rejecting the Federal Government's role of encroaching on our ability back home to protect our greatest natural resource. I would urge this body's rejection of the Bonior Amendment.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Katherine E. White of Ann Arbor, Michigan for being named a 2001-2002 White House Fellow by President Bush. Lyndon Johnson once said ``a genuinely free society cannot be a spectator society.'' Through her hard work and service, Katherine White has proven to be anything but a spectator. Mrs. White is an assistant professor of law at Wayne State University where she teaches about intellectual property laws. In previous experience, Mrs. White was a Fulbright Senior Scholar, a Major in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corp, as well as a legal clerk for Judge Randall R. Rader, U.S. Court of Appeals. She currently serves on the National Patent Board and is a member of the University of Michigan's Board of Regents. She was chosen out of a field of 540 applicants to receive a White House Fellowship. Therefore Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Katherine E. White for appointment as one of the 12 new White House fellows.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Chairman, I want to commend my colleague from Michigan. This is a solution, though, that is looking for a problem. There is not one State in the Great Lake States that allows offshore drilling, not one. There is a moratorium on new angle drilling wells in Michigan. What are we doing? This is not about protecting the Great Lakes. This is not about talking about protecting the diversion of our water; not at all. What we have here is a direction that many in this Chamber I hope would disagree, including those who may have ambitions to hold office of Governor. I trust my Governor. I trust the Governors of the Great Lake States to be in charge of the water of the Great Lake States. As a matter of fact, underneath the Great Lakes today, there is about 22,000 barrels of crude oil an hour flowing under the Great Lakes. There are 550 offshore wells in Canada. This bill addresses none of that. There are 5 million tons of oil bobbing around on the Great Lakes every year, 20 spills a year in our Great Lakes. This amendment does nothing to address any of those issues. This is not about protecting the Great Lakes; this is about the Federal Government going into the State of Michigan and telling the legislators there, you do not know what you are doing. Do we want to talk about our Great Lakes? You ought to live there in February. You ought to have to put up with the cold weather in the winters and the high degree of snow. Let us not get confused about what we are doing here. There are some great protections of our Great Lakes, and I trust those Governors, and I trust those legislators to do the right thing. I want to say it again, because this is very important, I heard it 10 times tonight if I heard it once, that somebody is out there trying to build an oil rig in the Great Lakes, and they are going to do it now, and President Bush is leading the charge. There is not one State in the Great Lakes that allows offshore drilling, not one. There is a moratorium on directional drilling in the State of Michigan today. So what are we doing? Mr. Chairman, I do not believe that a bureaucrat in Washington whose only experience with the UP is a picture in the National Geographic is going to do anything for the protection of our shoreline, our Great Lakes. I want people who live there. The gentlewoman from Ohio talked about home, and that is how we learn the names of those Great Lakes. Why? Because we live there. We see the water, we see the pollution, we fought back and took back Lake Erie, and now we can eat the fish. We could not about 10 or 15 years ago. Why? Because the people of the Great Lake States stood up. It is nothing that Congress did. It is not us arguing this issue, it is the people around the Great Lakes. Why? Because those in California are taking care of California needs in their districts, and those legislators who are State-elected and Governors who are elected by all of the people of the Great Lake States are protecting our Great Lakes. Mr. Chairman, I have a passion for this stuff as well. We have a real difference of opinion on what we are doing here. Diversion of water. There is a bill in this House to empower Congress to decide what happens on diversion issues in the Great Lakes. The last I checked, Kansas and Arizona and New Mexico and California could use a bit extra water, and last I checked, there are more of them than there are of us. It has no business in this Chamber. It has all the business in the chambers in our State legislatures back home. This is a solution that is looking for a problem. There is this package of bills in, and I have done many of them, one to encourage the States to protect the diversion of that water, the States to do it. I have a bill in that continues the ban on offshore drilling in our Great Lakes and goes after the 550 wells currently in operation in Canada that are out in the water. Even the industry tells us they do not want to put a pipe in that fresh water. They do not want to do it. Anything that touches the water they do not want to be a part of. We ought to applaud them for it, and we ought to stand up with them today. But what the Federal Government can give us, they can take away. Pretty soon, maybe the faces of this Chamber will change, and maybe pretty soon the folks in this Chamber will decide that we want oil in the Great Lakes, and since many of us do not live there, and the bureaucracies of Washington, D.C., that do not get to visit there much are going to decide, maybe it is worth it. The thing that will protect us then, my good esteemed colleagues, is our State legislators and our Governors of those great States. Mr. Chairman, I want to urge this body to reject this amendment, to throw away all the rhetoric about how this is going to pollute the water and people are rushing to put platform drilling in the Great Lakes, and they cannot wait for that oil to gush through Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. That is just absolutely not true. What I would encourage the gentleman from Michigan to do is to work with us. Let us take a look at studying how good of shape those pipes are that are pumping those 22,000 gallons a minute under the Great Lakes today. Let us get together and tell Canada, get off the water. Shut down those rigs that are on the water pumping today. What are we going to do to make sure that those ships bobbing around out there carrying 5 million tons of oil are safe and do not have 20 spills on average a year? Does the gentleman want to do something for the Great Lakes? Let us be a partner with them and help them solve those problems. Let us not flex our muscles as the Federal Government and come in and tell those legislators, you really do not know what you are doing out here. We are here to help you. I used to be an FBI agent, and when I would walk into a local police station and tell them that, I did not get a warm welcome then, and I can tell you, Congress is not going to get a warm welcome in the State halls in Lansing. Mr. Chairman, this is an important issue. It is an extremely important issue. I grew up on a lake. I want that lake safe for my kids. I want them to go to Lake Michigan and be able to play in the water and not have to worry about turning green when they come home. I want them to be able to eat the fish in Lake Erie. Meaning no disrespect to this Chamber, I just came from the State legislature, and I have seen the good things that Congress can do, and I have seen the bad things that Congress can do, and I served with some very bright people in that State legislature. I served with a great Governor who understood that we had to protect our Great Lakes while we have a moratorium on drilling. I want those people empowered to make a difference for our Great Lakes. I would urge this body's strong rejection of the Federal Government encroaching into the business of Great Lake States. I applaud all of the Members for getting up here and talking about their passion for protecting our greatest natural resource there. Well, let us do it. Let us be a partner with the States. Talk to our State legislators, talk to our Governors. They will be with us. Talk to the people and ask them, who do they want to protect their Great Lakes? Is it the people that get up every morning and eat breakfast there and go off to work and send their kids off to school every day, 7 days a week; or is it a bureaucrat that they have never met in the halls of some bureaucracy over here who is going to make an arbitrary decision on how it ought to look; or is it a Member from California who stands up and passionately argues, maybe 40 or 50 years from now, that it is worth the risk to stick a pipe in fresh water? Stand up for our Great Lakes today. Stand up for the environment of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Minnesota, all of those speakers' home States. Stand up for it by rejecting the Federal Government's role of encroaching on our ability back home to protect our greatest national resource. I would urge this body's rejection of the Bonior amendment.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Matthew McNenly of Lansing, Michigan on being awarded a Computational Science Graduate Fellowship from the U.S. Department of Energy. The Computational Science Graduate fellowship is a rigorous, highly competitive program that provides numerous benefits to the fellows in return for a complete casework in a scientific or engineering discipline, computer science, and applied mathematics. McNenly graduated from Howell High School in 1994 and is currently attending the University of Michigan pursuing his Ph.D. in Aerospace engineering. Therefore Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Matthew McNenly for being awarded a Computational Science Graduate Fellowship from the U.S. Department of Energy.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker I rise today to pay tribute to the 2001 graduating class of Michigan State University. Due to their hard work and dedication, they are now prepared to make significant contributions to the State of Michigan and the United States of America. As graduates from the first land grant University in the United States, whatever endeavors the Michigan State class of 2001 may pursue, success is certain to follow. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the Michigan State University Class of 2001. May this only be the beginning of the great accomplishments they will achieve in their lifetime.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) for his leadership. Mr. Speaker, my father was a teacher for 32 years. He paid into his pension regularly; never missed, quite obviously. His pension was being overcharged by user fees. I have a friend that is a milk hauler, works long hours, spends a lot of time away from his family. He diligently puts a little money aside every week in his 401(k). His pension, his savings for his family, is being overcharged. I have a friend of mine, a young widow with two children, puts a little money away in an education savings plan in Michigan. That education savings plan, the very thing that is going to allow her children to better themselves, is being overcharged. This is very, very simple. We can talk about $14 billion and we can talk about the structure of the SEC and the regulators and pay parity, and all of those things are important, but what is important to me and the people I represent are these teachers, are these widows, are these hard-working individuals who get up every day and play by the rules who just say, look, I understand I have to pay for it but do not overcharge me one penny, please, because it is my money. The weight and burden should not be on the shoulders of those who save for their future.

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan

Mr. ROGERS of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and pay tribute to Father Charles E. Irvin of Lansing, Michigan for his dedication to and retirement from the position of Editor in Chief of FAITH Magazine. FAITH was created by Father Irvin in 1999. In the two years since, the publication has thrived under his leadership. Today, he and a staff of three distribute 830,000 copies of FAITH each year to families all across Lansing. Father Irvin has served as Pastor of St. Mary Parish in Manchester, Michigan, St. Francis Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Holy Spirit Parish in Hamburg, Michigan. In addition, Father Irvin has worked as a corporate attorney, and once served as president of the Catholic Lawyer's Guild. After a sucessful launch year, Father Irvin resigned his post as editor in Chief of FAITH so he may continue his full-time work in parish ministry. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I respectfully ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Father Charles E. Irvin, a man who has dedicated his entire life to pursuing a greater good.