Mark Souder

Mr. SOUDER

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). The State of Africa

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order this evening.

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments.

Mr. SOUDER

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Advisory Commission of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, I am proud the House is considering this legislation. This commission was established by Congress through the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission Act in 2000 through the 106th Congress. The commission works to honor President Lincoln's momentous legacy by educating the general public on his unequaled contributions to our great Nation. It can be a universally celebrated event of racial reconciliation. It can be a time and an example for unifying America, increasingly diverse with many different populations, about the importance of having a united Nation and a united America. This bicentennial can also highlight the unique American experience of being able to rise up from growing up in a log cabin, people of diverse backgrounds being able to rise to the very top of positions of power in America. I am pleased that this bill will extend the commission until 2010, which will allow it to continue its valuable work through the upcoming celebration of the 200th anniversary of President Lincoln's birth in 2009. I am pleased the other body has already passed this bill that honors perhaps our Nation's most extraordinary and cherished President. I congratulate the accomplished members of the commission for their work. We look forward to the commission's final report that will be due to Congress on April 30, 2010, if this bill is passed. Mr. Speaker, therefore, I urge all Members to support the passage of S. 858, and I thank the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin) for introducing this important measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), the distinguished sponsor of the original legislation that established the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, as well as a cochair of the commission, without whose work this would not have occurred.

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. One of the other things I would like to add to the record about the extraordinary President Abraham Lincoln are that he gave two of the most outstanding speeches of all time in American history, the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural. In the book Lincoln at Gettysburg by the gifted writer Gary Wills, he points out an extraordinary point that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson) just referenced, and that is that the President did not directly address the biggest issues of the day. He indirectly tried to build a coalition to unite our Nation. As Gary Wills points out, the Gettysburg Address does not mention Gettysburg, nor slavery, nor, more surprising, the Union or the South or the Emancipation Proclamation. Wills refers to it as a transcendental declaration. He laid the groundwork behind uniting America in a union where we would stand together, and in the opening phrase, taking out a few words of it and putting it down in its core form, we are engaged in testing whether any free Nation can survive, and that is what his message of the Gettysburg Address was. His Second Inaugural speech, which many feel was his greatest speech, also subject to a second book by Stephen White, he pointed out that that was a brilliant theological address, stunned Congress, stunned the press of the United States because it was very short. Here they were very near the end of the Civil War, at a time when people wanted an address from their President, celebrating victory or talking about how things were going to work, and he made a seemingly impersonal address. Nine straight Presidents did not serve a second term. He was the first President in 10 to serve a second term. Yet in his Second Inaugural he never said anything about that. He made it sound like it was kind of an accident he was there, because what his purpose was was to give a theological address on why both sides argued in the name of God, both sides thought that they were trying to do that, some people thought it was fatalistic, but he actually laid a theological argument out as to why we fought a Civil War, why it was important that we fought that Civil War and God's role in human history. He may have been raised as a simple country boy, but he wrote and personally edited, and we can see all the notes as he worked through the speeches, two of the most powerful and enduring documents in world history. In the Hoosier State, with all due respect to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), we have an expression, Abraham Lincoln grew up in Indiana. He is our most famous Hoosier. We say Indiana made Lincoln. Lincoln made Illinois. Lincoln epitomizes the American dream, that he grew up in a log cabin in Kentucky where he was born and the first few years of his life. Then he moved to Indiana as a very young boy, grew up in multiple log cabins there in Indiana. He largely educated himself, moved to Illinois, taught himself the law, ran for office, losing more than he won. He participated in arguably the most famous of all American debates, the Lincoln-Douglas debates. He eventually rose as a compromise candidate for President, was trounced on the first ballot but came out as a compromise President, but almost every American will agree it is a classic example of the right man in the right place at the right time. This is important for the rest of the world because Abraham Lincoln epitomizes the American dream. The four of us who spoke here, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) and myself, all come from different backgrounds. None of us were probably born in a log cabin, and our Speaker, who is a super Lincoln fan, who has turned his conference room into the Lincoln Room with paintings and statuary and other things of Abraham Lincoln, he himself grew up in small town Illinois. He would have liked to have been born in a log cabin, but he was not. But he grew up in Illinois and prides himself on rising up like others in the American Dream. Abraham Lincoln is an example to us of racial reconciliation, of united nations, of rising up in the American Dream; and that is important in understanding why, like during the 10 years of this commission, we continue to develop at the grass roots level, the same way this commission has started to do, innovative ideas, bubbling up in community after community of how we can recognize those things that unite us as a Nation and to build on that so we do not come apart at the seams like we have seen in many nations around the world. Mr. Speaker, I do not have any other colleagues who want to speak on this, but I want to thank, again, the Senator from Illinois in the other body, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson) for supporting this, and I urge all Members to support its passage. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 858) to extend the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, and for other purposes.

Mr. SOUDER

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to recognize James G. Mills' retirement as Chairman of the National Association of Federal Credit Unions (NAFCU). My colleagues may recall when I recognized my constituent Mr. Mills when he first became Chairman of NAFCU in June of 2000. With more than 37 years' experience in the credit union community, there is no doubt in my mind that our good friends at NAFCU will feel a great void once Mr. Mills steps down. As a long time resident of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Mr. Mills has been the President and Chief Executive Officer of Three Rivers Federal Credit Union since 1985. For the past three years, Mr. Mills has been balancing his time as NAFCU Chair in addition to his leadership at Three Rivers FCU. However, one element has remained constant--he has always given selflessly of his time to promote and enhance the lives of credit union members in the great State of Indiana, as well as across the nation. Mr. Mills facilitated financial literacy education for the underserved in the Fort Wayne area and across Indiana's 3rd District. He has always championed efforts to provide financial services to all communities. As Chairman of the NAFCU Board of Directors, Mr. Mills worked tirelessly to enhance the federal credit union charter by working with Congress for regulatory relief legislation for credit unions. He has also helped maintain NAFCU's status as a leading credit union trade association. I rise today to congratulate Mr. Jim Mills on all of his fine work throughout his tenure as Chairman of NAFCU. I have worked with Mr. Mills on issues that are important to the credit union community in the past and I am committed to continuing to do so. Congratulations to Jim Mills on his retirement from the NAFCU Board. Please join me in thanking Jim for his many years of dedicated service.

Mr. SOUDER

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, with the passage of H. Con. Res. 177, the House paid tribute to the unwavering dedication of the men and women who serve America as members of the armed forces. In addition to the professional soldiers, sailors and Marines who are risking their lives throughout the world, thousands of reservists have interrupted their lives to answer their nation's call. In my district alone, nearly 650 members of the 1st Battalion 293rd Infantry Division of the Indiana National Guard are currently serving in Iraq. Whether active or reserve, at home or abroad, members of America's Armed Forces accept their difficult mission and carry out their duty with unparalleled skill, courage and dedication. We owe them our gratitude. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, American forces displayed their incomparable skills and adaptability across the rugged terrain of Afghanistan, where they confronted and defeated forces that had threatened the security of the free world. More recently, when called to free the Iraqi people from the rule of an evil despot, the United States Armed Forces performed among the most daring, well-executed military missions in the history of warfare. In both instances, when detractors claimed that the United States would become mired in untenable situations, our military devised strategies to obtain the stated objectives with minimal casualties or collateral damage and then proceeded to unleash the focused force of America's soldiers to carry out decisively the task of victory. Tragically, as the war on terrorism carries American forces throughout the world to continue the battle for liberty, many of our young men and women will not return. Among them, Lance Corporal David K. Fribley of the United States Marine Corps, originally from Atwood, Indiana, in my district, was killed in the opening days of Operation Iraqi Freedom in an ambush near An Nasiriyah, Iraq. At that time, I rose in the House to pay tribute to this courageous young man, and I would like to express once again the nation's eternal thanks to those like Lance Corporal Fribley who make the greatest of sacrifices for our nation and our freedom.

Mr. SOUDER

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of H.R. 760, the Partial- Birth Abortion Ban Act, I strongly believe that the Congress must act now to pass this important bill. We should no longer allow the abhorrent killing of a partially-delivered baby to be lawful. Leading up to a partial-birth abortion, a pregnant woman's cervix is forcibly dilated over a three-day time period. On the third day, the abortionist pulls a living baby feet-first out of the womb and into the birth canal, except for the head, which the abortionist purposely keeps lodged just inside the cervix. While the fetus is stuck in this position, dangling partly out of the woman's body, and just a few inches from a completed birth, the abortionist punctures the base of the skull with a surgical instrument, such as a pair of long scissors or a pointed hollow metal tube called a trochar. He or she then inserts a catheter into the wound and removes the baby's brain with a powerful suction machine. This causes the skull to collapse, after which the abortionist completes the delivery of the now-dead baby. The corpse is discarded, usually as medical waste. H.R. 760 would ban performance of this heinous procedure except if it were necessary to save a mother's life. The bill would permit use of the procedure if ``necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, physical illness, or physical injury, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself.'' According to Ron Fitzsimmons, executive director of the National Coalition of Abortion Providers, partial-birth abortions are performed 3,000 to 5,000 times annually, usually in the fifth and sixth months of pregnancy, on healthy babies of healthy mothers. It has also been used to perform abortions as late as in the third trimester, which is the seventh month and later. Many of these babies are old enough to survive outside the womb, and many of them are developed enough to feel the pain of this horrendous procedure. Most of us have seen the dreadful images of these near-to-term victims of an abortionist, and while recoiling in horror, we have resolved to end this painful outrage. Twice previously, both houses of Congress voted to ban partial-birth abortion, only for the bans to be vetoed. Now, with a president who values the sanctity of life and who will sign this important protection into law, we have the greatest chance ever to end this contemptible practice. We must pass H.R. 760 to ensure that partially delivered babies are protected and that the gruesome procedure used to perform partial-birth abortions is banned under law.

Mr. SOUDER

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the bill under consideration.

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Ballenger), the sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. SOUDER

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 172) supporting the 20th Annual National Tourism Week.

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, the dynamic economy of the United States that hopefully will be fueled additionally by this tax cut has provided a level of success in the United States that our forefathers really did not know. John Adams once said that he worked hard so his kids could enjoy their leisure time and could learn more about arts and history and see their Nation. In fact, that is what we can do today. We have heard from the sponsors of this resolution about the beauties of Monterey and Carmel, California, pronounced ``Carm-el'' in Indiana, and the beauty of Florida and Palm Beach and the beaches of Florida. But tourism is important to each of our districts. I grew up in the small town of Grabill, Indiana. We had a retail furniture industry, a furniture store there. When we realized we had more people coming in from Texas, in fact from Houston, Texas, than we had from the neighboring town of Leo, we decided that the Amish in the area were drawing more tourists than regular shoppers, so we now have antique centers there and shops for people who visit relatives who come through the State of Indiana. We have many beautiful things in my home State, as well. Tourism is a critical component for all of us in the United States. I represent the leading area for the majority of the RV manufacturers in America. Nothing could be more important than putting more dollars in the hands of those who pay taxes. The people who pay the taxes get the tax dollars back. No longer is the Federal Government taking as much of their check. Now they have money to spend. They can get an RV, they can travel. If we can also reopen the gasoline and energy markets of the United States and the world so that the travel dollars and costs go down, combined with the economic growth, combined with the tax cut, combined with people keeping more of their own money, hopefully we can get the RV industry back up, we can get the tourism industry back up, we can get the airlines back up, and we can help the hotel and restaurant industries of the United States. This resolution, the 20th anniversary of National Tourism Week, is an important hallmark as we move towards an economic revitalization, and during these summer months towards America once again exploring the highways and areas of the most wonderful country in the world, the United States of America.

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Con. Res. 172.

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 172, introduced by my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from the State of Florida (Mr. Foley), supports the 20th annual National Tourism Week. Mr. Speaker, the travel and tourism industry has promoted National Tourism Week every year since 1984, and rightfully so. The tourism industry provides nearly 8 million jobs and almost $100 million every year in tax revenue to this country. Just like the Peace Officers Memorial Day, National Tourism Week was first proclaimed by a great President. President Ronald Reagan signed into law a resolution that urged citizens to commemorate National Tourism Week each May and encouraged appropriate ceremony and activities. Twenty years later it is timely to consider the anniversary of this resolution, because the recent lull in the world economy has devastated the travel business in this country. Overall, hopefully the next 20 years can be as successful for this giant industry as the last 20 have within. I thank my colleague from Florida, where they host a great portion of our country's tourism, and many of our tourist dollars, including mine, for introducing this important measure. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of the House Concurrent Resolution 172. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley), elected in the same class in 1994, a tireless supporter for tourism and the arts here in the Congress since he arrived and the sponsor of this resolution.

Mr. SOUDER

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 159) expressing profound sorrow on the occasion of the death of Irma Rangel.

Mr. SOUDER

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today it adjourn to meet at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow for morning hour debates.

Mr. SOUDER

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 195) congratulating Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs for hitting 500 major league home runs.

Mr. SOUDER

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

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley).

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 231.

Mr. SOUDER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 231, introduced by the distinguished gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley), supports the goals and ideals of Peace Officers Memorial Day. Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources, I am particularly pleased that the House is considering this resolution to honor Federal, State and local law enforcement officers killed or disabled in the line of duty. Right now, there are over 700,000 law enforcement officers serving this Nation. Their sacrifices are among the most valuable that any citizen can give to this country, and sadly, as the text of this resolution states, on average 165 peace officers give the ultimate sacrifice each year while serving their local communities. On October 1, 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed House Joint Resolution 730 into law during the 87th Congress. This resolution established a Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15 of every year that could honor the selfless devotion of members of the law enforcement community who are injured or killed in the line of duty. That was a very meaningful resolution then, and I feel this extremely worthwhile resolution is also very meaningful now. This year, on Peace Officers Memorial Day, the President led a memorial service on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol that honored the lives of those law enforcement officers lost in the past year. Nearly 20,000 people were in attendance. Mr. Speaker, peace officers protect every single one of us and literally put their lives on the line every day to protect our homes, families and communities. I hope this resolution can serve as a small reminder to all law enforcement officers that this country appreciates their service. We have had several tragic losses in my home communities as well. I have worked with City Counsel President John Crawford in the city of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and supported his efforts to build a memorial in Fort Wayne for peace officers and other public servants who have fallen in the line of duty. We can never thank them enough for their service. Therefore, I urge all Members to support the adoption of House Resolution 231, and I thank my colleague from Colorado for introducing this worthy measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.