David Reichert

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 760, which recognizes October as Children's Health Month and supports the goals and ideals of this annual designation. I was proud to introduce this resolution with Representative Kathy Castor. As cochairmen of the Congressional Children's Health Care Caucus, we are committed to building bipartisan support for efforts to facilitate access to care for the uninsured, seek cures for debilitating diseases and chronic conditions, and promote preventive health and wellness measures for America's children. This resolution recognizes the importance of raising awareness of children's health needs and commends the health care professionals who provide for them. It also reaffirms our Nation's commitment to improving children's health and encourages State officials, non-profit organizations and businesses to join the House in supporting these objectives. I am grateful for the enthusiastic backing this resolution enjoys from more than 100 Members spanning both sides of the aisle, and I urge all of my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Peru Trade Promotion Agreement. We must continue to open markets to encourage American companies to innovate and compete with their global counterparts. This grows our economy and creates jobs. I am proud to represent a district in Washington State that integrates our Nation's leading technology innovators with a vibrant and highly productive small business community. Opening new global markets gives them incentives to improve their products, produce more goods, and employ more American workers. I have seen these job-creating effects firsthand, with trade accounting for 1 out of every 3 jobs in my State. The Peru Trade Promotion Agreement will level the playing field and increase market access for American and Peruvian companies. It will grow our Nation's economy by more than $2 billion. I hope that the passage of this agreement finally advances our broader trade agenda in Congress. I am disappointed that it has taken more than 5 months since the bipartisan deal reached in May--and over 1 year since the Peru Free Trade Agreement was signed--for this measure to finally come to the floor. We cannot allow important pending agreements with Colombia, Panama, and Korea to languish as the Peru measure did. I urge my colleagues in the majority to stop the delays and pass these free trade agreements. Let's advance the trade measures needed to grow our economy, create jobs, and improve our relations with global partners.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Wild Pratt River Act. This legislation builds upon a proud Washington tradition of protecting our public lands and improves the quality of life for many of my constituents and other outdoor recreation enthusiasts from across the state of Washington. One of the popular glories of my district in Washington State is the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, a 362,000 acre wilderness that straddles the crest of the Cascade Mountains just west of the Seattle/Tacoma metropolitan area. My legislation will expand the boundary of the existing wilderness area to embrace important lower-elevation lands and complete watersheds. In doing this, we are--with a single exception-- addressing only federal lands already under the administration of the U.S. Forest Service.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. May I inquire as to how much time I have left.

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida, a member of the full Committee on Homeland Security (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, I just want to reemphasize the words of Chairwoman Harman, who just spoke. This really has been a bipartisan effort; we talk a lot about that on the Hill here. And this committee, working with Ms. Harman has been, indeed, a pleasure, traveling across the country to various locations, holding hearings on this topic. It is important for the American people to know and understand and realize there really is truly a threat here within the borders of the United States of America, and how important it is for all of us to work together because Americans working together keep this country safe and protect the freedoms that we have all enjoyed, for me, 57 years of enjoying the freedoms of this blessed country. And I want the same things for my children and my grandchildren. I want them to enjoy the same freedoms that I've had the opportunities to enjoy. In order for us to do that, both sides of the aisle have to work closely together to make sure that we pass the laws, the legislation that will accomplish that great feat. In reminding the American people what has happened in the past 18 months in this country, the Sears Tower in Chicago in 2006; a New York- New Jersey PATH tunnel in July of 2006; Chicago-area shopping mall, December of 2006; passengers aboard a transatlantic flight from the U.K. to the U.S.; soldiers at Fort Dix in New Jersey; JFK Airport's fueling systems and others, these have been terrorist acts that have been prevented, and we need to continue that effort. Passing this legislation will accomplish that. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REICHERT. I have no additional speakers.

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1955, the Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. As the ranking member on the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Intelligence, I would like to commend, first of all and especially, Chairwoman Jane Harman, who has, as the chairman says, Mr. Thompson, really done a lot of work in this area and has been at the forefront of our intelligence community in working to protect our Nation. I also want to thank the full committee chairman, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, for all his hard work, and our ranking member, Mr. King of New York, who could not be here today. This truly has been a bipartisan effort. It's one of those issues that all of us in this body recognize as so critical to the protection of our citizens and our country. This legislation is focused on addressing the issue of radicalization and homegrown terrorism. While terrorist recruitment and radicalization is a worldwide problem that must be combated globally, the United States cannot afford to simply focus on eliminating terrorists abroad. It is essential that we fully understand the future and the nature of the threat here in the United States from homegrown radicals. In the National Intelligence Estimate on the Terrorist Threat to the U.S. Homeland released in July of this year, the Director of National Intelligence and the National Intelligence Council assess, ``The spread of radical Internet sites, increasingly aggressive anti-U.S. rhetoric and actions, and the growing number of radical, self-generating cells in Western countries indicate that the radical and violent segment of the West's Muslim population is expanding, including in the United States. The arrest and prosecution by U.S. law enforcement of a small number of violent Islamic extremists inside the United States--who are becoming more connected ideologically, virtually, and/or in a physical sense to the global extremist movement--points to the possibility that others may become sufficiently radicalized that they will view the use of violence here as legitimate.'' Because of the freedoms of our society, and the interconnected world we live in, radical ideas spread easily. These ideas can come from overseas or from within the United States. They can come from within prisons inside of isolated religious or ethnic enclaves or on the Internet. These ideas reach people in the privacy of their homes, via the Internet, and can be similarly assessed by vulnerable individuals at schools, libraries and universities. Unfortunately, our freedoms are being abused by individuals whose sole purpose is to destroy our way of life. While we have not seen radicalization to the extent witnessed in other Western countries like the United Kingdom, we have seen homegrown terrorist cells. Prisoners in Sacramento state prison plotted to attack Jewish and U.S. military targets. Radicalized individuals plotted to destroy fuel tanks at JFK Airport in New York and aimed to create carnage at Fort Dix in New Jersey. While clearly law enforcement and intelligence efforts are key to intercepting and interdicting these ideas and thoughts and efforts in our country, we need a strategy to ensure that violent, radical ideologies are contained. Because of the nature of this threat, it is essential that we understand why individuals become radicalized and what we can do to prevent radical ideologies from taking hold and spreading here in the United States. H.R. 1955 establishes a National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Ideologically Based Violence. The commission incorporates aspects of H.R. 1695, the PREVENT Act, which I introduced earlier this year. The purpose of this national commission would be to proactively get ahead of the radicalization problems so that as a Nation we can combat these radical ideologies before they become widespread within our borders. In addition, H.R. 1955 includes provisions to help us learn from our international partners on how they are trying to prevent radicalization in their own countries. This issue is not new to many countries throughout the world such as the United Kingdom, and I believe it is critical for us to work with our international partners and learn from their past successes and failures. Lastly, this legislation includes provisions that ensure privacy and civil rights are protected for all American citizens. Again, I would like to commend Chairman Harman and Chairman Thompson for working with me and Mr. King on this legislation. I urge all my colleagues to support this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren), the ranking member of the Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee.

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent), the ranking member of the Emergency Communications, Preparedness and Response Subcommittee of the Homeland Security full committee.

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut, who is a member of the full Committee on Homeland Security (Mr. Shays).

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, it is indeed my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia, who is a member of the full Committee on Homeland Security (Mr. Broun).

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3776, the Energy Storage Technology Advancement Act, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Electricity is the lifeblood of our country. Without reliable electricity, our country would not be the world leader that it is today. Therefore, anything that can be done to improve and secure the reliability of the electric grid should be supported and encouraged. H.R. 3776 aims to do just that by focusing research and development on ways to store energy which would not only assist in reliability, but also efficiency of fuel use and security of not only our grid but also, in a broader sense, of our country. Energy storage would allow for the enhanced use of renewable energy such as wind and solar. Currently, the ability of wind energy and solar energy to contribute electricity to the electric grid is tied to when the wind is blowing or when the sun is shining, therefore, making these sources not as reliable as conventional sources of energy such as coal, natural gas and nuclear. With energy storage, excess generation that is unable to be used at the time of generation can be stored for use at a later time. This allows for wind and solar energy to be potential sources of base load generation. In addition to energy storage for stationary sources, there is also a promising field of energy storage for vehicles, the most recognizable example being batteries that would be used in plug-in hybrids. Plug-in hybrids would allow for a further decrease in transportation fuel consumption from conventional hybrids, thereby increasing our national security by decreasing our reliance on foreign sources of oil. H.R. 3776 addresses the battery obstacle by including a research and development program into batteries and battery systems and a demonstration program to prove the viability of the R&D. Madam Speaker, I'd like to thank the chairman of the Science and Technology Committee and sponsor of this bill for recognizing the importance of energy storage to our country's energy future and also for including portions of Ranking Member Hall's energy storage language that was included in H.R. 2483 and cosponsored by several members of the Science and Technology Committee. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REICHERT. I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3775, the Industrial Energy Efficiency Research and Development Act of 2007, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. The industrial sector of our economy is currently the largest user of energy. According to the Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration, the industrial sector consumed 32 percent of the Nation's energy in 2006. While the industrial sector has made impressive efficiency gains since 1980, more is needed and more can be done. The Department of Energy currently runs the Industrial Technology Programs, ITP, whose mission it is to improve the energy intensity of the United States industrial sector, whose industries include aluminum, chemicals, forest products, glass, metal casting, mining, petroleum refining and steel. The ITP program engages in partnerships with industry to conduct research and development into energy efficiency technologies, as well as demonstrating those technologies and transferring them to the marketplace. The program has been very successful in its efforts with over 140 projects reaching the commercial market. The ITP also conducts energy assessments, to help industrial manufacturers of all sizes, through both its Save Energy Now and university-based Industrial Assessment Centers, IACs. The Save Energy Now program completed 265 assessments that identified energy savings of more than $585 million per year. The IACs serve a dual role, aiding small and medium-sized business to reduce their energy costs and the training of university students who will take the efficiency knowledge they have learned and apply it in the workforce. The bill before us today will ensure that ITP's beneficial work will continue to help the industrial sector reduce its cost, which not only helps them remain globally competitive while allowing them to keep their operations in the United States of America. Further, the ITP aids our country's goal of reducing our dependence on foreign sources of energy by improving this critical sector's use of energy. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back my time.

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 751, supporting the goals and ideals of National Chemistry Week, and I yield myself as much time as I may consume. This year marks the 20th anniversary of National Chemistry Week, a concept that was first introduced in 1987 by the American Chemical Society to educate Americans about the contribution chemists and chemistry have made to our society. We first celebrated National Chemistry Day on November 6, 1987, with a parade in Washington, D.C. Because of the overwhelming enthusiasm for the day, 2 years later the concept was expanded to celebrate National Chemistry Week. The National Chemistry Week program is designed to reach out to the public, especially elementary and secondary school children, to foster an appreciation for chemistry. The theme of this year's celebration is, ``The Many Faces of Chemistry,'' which is designed to educate the public on the many different types of careers in chemistry and the many different ways chemistry has contributed to our society. As a part of the activities for this week, the American Chemical Society has chosen to honor chemists working in the fields of biosensors, cosmetics, food, nutrition, dye, materials, natural products, and environmental processes, as well as chemists who work as teachers. These varied fields contribute to our society on a daily basis. For instance, biosensors may be used to test air quality, drinking water quality, help dentists find cavities, and test for biological and chemical weapons. Material chemists may work on ways to help make new products that are less harmful to the environment, such as making threads and plastic out of renewable biological materials. Nutritional chemists may develop products that contain more vitamins and minerals in an effort to make people healthier and fight malnutrition throughout the world. National Chemistry Week is intended to honor all of these contributions, as well as encourage our Nation's schools to cultivate the finest scientists, engineers and technicians from every background to ensure we remain globally competitive. This week, more than 10,000 National Chemistry Week volunteers from industry, government, and academia will reach out to educate millions of children across the country. I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring them and these activities through the passage of this resolution. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, on October 9, 2007, and October 10, 2007, I missed rollcall votes because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner: ``aye'' on House Resolution 32, rollcall No. 949; ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 400, the War Profiteering Prevention Act, rollcall No. 950; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 951; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 952; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 953; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 954; ``aye'' on rollcall No. 955; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 956; ``aye'' on rollcall No. 957; ``aye'' on final passage of H.R. 2895, the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act, rollcall No. 958; ``aye'' on rollcall No. 959; and ``nay'' on final passage of H.R. 3056, the Tax Collection Responsibility Act, rollcall No. 960.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 691, which commends the Wings Over Houston Airshow for its contribution to the appreciation, understanding, and the future of the United States Armed Forces, the City of Houston, and Ellington Field. Mr. Speaker, for 23 years, the Wings Over Houston Airshow has been delighting aviation enthusiasts and future pilots from around the world with spectacular flying in the skies, and with historical and educational displays on the ground in Ellington Field. This top-rated aviation event, which is sponsored by the all- volunteer Gulf Coast Wing and West Houston Squadron of the Commemorative Air Force, honors the spirit of the courageous and valiant American military flyers of the past and those who take to the skies today to ensure our Nation's freedoms. The Wings Over Houston Airshow showcases the United States Air Force, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard, and increases the awareness and appreciation for active duty members and the veterans of our Armed Forces. But more important than the air show's entertainment, the Wings Over Houston Airshow has awarded $10,000 to $15,000 in scholarships per year to students who are pursuing an education in aviation and in aerospace. In total, this organization has provided over $100,000 to young men and women who have entered into careers in both military and civilian aviation. The Wings Over Houston Airshow celebrates America's aviation and aerospace history and the courageous military pilots whose sacrifices have ensured our freedom. I am confident that the Wings Over Houston Airshow will continue to ignite the enthusiasm for flying in future generations of American aviators. I strongly urge all Members to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, at this time I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2779, a bill that recognizes the Navy Underwater Demolition Team-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the official national museum of the Navy SEALs and their predecessors. H.R. 2779 has the strong bipartisan support of 44 cosponsors, including the distinguished members of the Committee on Armed Services and my good friends Susan Davis of California and Thelma Drake of Virginia whose districts contain the majority of present-day SEALs units. The Navy SEALs are deservedly renowned around the world for their combat prowess and are a critical part of our special forces team. This elite fighting team and force traces its beginning to the Navy's World War II frogman training facility in Fort Pierce, Florida, where this museum is located. During World War II, the Navy trained thousands of volunteers as combat demolition and underwater demolition experts at Fort Pierce. The brave men who mastered these difficult and dangerous skills set the standard for today's SEALs to attain. The Navy Underwater Demolition Team-SEAL Museum, which we designate today as the official national museum, has an impressive and comprehensive collection of material about these elite Navy fighting forces, providing the public with an excellent education of today's Navy SEALs and their predecessors. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that this bill has been brought to the floor. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 640, as amended, a resolution that honors the sacrifices and commitments of the men, women and families of the United States Transportation Command. U.S. TRANSCOM was established in 1987 as one of the nine U.S. unified commands. TRANSCOM is tasked with coordination of people and transportation assets to allow our country to sustain forces whenever, wherever and for as long as they are needed. The men, women and families of TRANSCOM have done an extraordinary job of supporting this Nation and our national defense over the past 20 years. I would like to take a moment to share a story with you that exemplifies the incredible capabilities of this unique organization. On an early morning in July, one of our sergeants was on a raid in Baghdad and found himself the victim of a brutal attack that resulted in a severe head injury. The soldier was immediately transported to Balad Air Base in Iraq for treatment. The wonderful people at the 332nd expeditionary medical group, whom I met on a recent trip to Iraq, examined this wounded soldier and determined that he needed to be quickly returned to the United States for a level of care that they could not provide in the field. This is the point where the amazing men and women of the U.S. TRANSCOM went into action. A C-17 crew was just getting ready to start their day making normal cargo runs around the theater. As they arrived for duty, they were told of the wounded soldier. They immediately began planning the mission to get him the critical care that he needed. While U.S. TRANSCOM deals with urgent requests almost daily, this one was different. The C-17 crew was notified that due to the nature of the sergeant's head injury, they would have to keep the cabin pressure no higher than 4,000 feet on the flight home. They were also told, by the way, that it wouldn't be prudent to land anywhere on their trip as the pressure changes from climbing and descending could trigger bleeding and the patient would possibly lose his life. In order to make the flight home at a lower than normal altitude, the C-17 would need to be refueled twice along the way. The folks at U.S. TRANSCOM coordinated for the air refueling support over Turkey and England. As the flight was en route, this refueling took place. The extraordinary skills and capabilities of U.S. TRANSCOM personnel brought that flight safely to the ground at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, in record time. The wounded soldier was under the care of a neurosurgeon at Bethesda less than 24 hours from the moment of attack. Now, that miracle is pretty impressive. But there are a few other details that you should know about this story. First of all, the C-17 was a McChord Air Force Base, Washington, airplane, where I happen to serve. It was flown by an active duty crew from Charleston Air Force Base. The doctor who cared for the patient while in flight is a reservist from Langley Air Force Base. The nurse is also a reservist, but he is from MacDill Air Force Base in Florida. The rest of the critical care team is a part of the Air National Guard. The entire mission, Mr. Speaker, was being controlled from Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, by the Tanker Airlift Control Center. That is what U.S. TRANSCOM is all about, bringing together the mobility assets needed to support our war fighters to the medical service that they need. This is why I am proud to support H.R. 640. The men, women and families of U.S. TRANSCOM have served this Nation well. As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of U.S. TRANSCOM today, let's send them a strong message and support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. REICHERT

Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, on September 27, 2007, I missed three rollcall votes. I was unavoidably detained at a medical appointment. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall No. 919, ``yes'' on rollcall No. 920 and ``no'' on rollcall No. 921, final passage of HR 3121, the Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act.