Rob Simmons

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 599.

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with all of my Connecticut colleagues to honor the 2004 NCAA Division I men and women's championship basketball teams from the University of Connecticut, our University of Connecticut Huskies. This resolution recognizes these teams for their outstanding performances in this year's men's and women's tournaments and the University of Connecticut for being the first school ever to win both championship titles in the same year. Mr. Speaker, every day the people of Connecticut face tough choices when they get up in the morning. Are they going to wear their men's championship T-shirt, or, alternatively, are they going to wear their women's championship T-shirt? Gosh. It is hard to make that decision because we love them both. But you cannot wear two T-shirts at once. So my constituents in Connecticut have come up with a third T-shirt, a T- shirt that celebrates the men's and the women's national championship titles. And such is the solution for the day. I will wear this one which commemorates both of my favorite teams in one T-shirt. We have the same difficulty when it comes to Sports Illustrated. Shall we read about the women Huskies and their championship, or shall we read about the men Huskies and their championship? Thank goodness for Sports Illustrated. They have given us both wonderful stories in one volume. It is just a question of picking where you begin. Needless to say, all of us from Connecticut are excited about our teams. This year the men's basketball team captured the NCAA championship by defeating Georgia Tech by the score of 82-73. The team was led by Coach Jim Calhoun, who is just one of seven coaches in NCAA history to win two Division I titles in his career. Also this year, the UConn women's basketball team won the NCAA championship by defeating the University of Tennessee by a score of 70-61. Under the direction of head coach Geno Auriemma, this victory marks the third consecutive national championship and the fifth overall for the Lady Huskies. Coach Auriemma is only the second coach in NCAA history to achieve three consecutive titles. There are many outstanding players and coaches who achieved this amazing double victory, but I will mention no names. The reason for that is because I remember a story told by Coach Geno Auriemma about the women's uniforms, the Connecticut Huskies women's uniforms. If you look carefully at the photographs, you will see that on the back of the uniforms, there are no names. Individual stars are not recognized with names on the uniforms. The reason for that is because Coach Auriemma believed that the success of the squad cannot be attributed to one individual but, rather, to the collective effort of the whole team. I believe the victories of these two teams cannot be attributed to one person but to every player, every coach, and indeed every fan who participated in the 2004 season. These wins are not only important to the people involved but also to the University of Connecticut itself which happens to be located in my district, and I happen to have been honored to be a teaching assistant at the university for 4 years. The university was founded in 1881 as an agricultural college in the small town of Storrs nestled in rural northeastern Connecticut. It was established through the philanthropy of two brothers, Charles and Augustus Storrs, who donated 170 acres of land with farm buildings, an orphanage and a cash donation to pay for equipment. From these humble beginnings, the University of Connecticut has blossomed into a premier research university, one of the top 25 in the country. The university has a rich history of providing educational opportunities for undergraduates of diverse interests, ability, and backgrounds. And as well, they have very substantial graduate programs. I know that the entire State of Connecticut is proud of all the players, the coaches, the students, and the faculty at the University of Connecticut. And now I would like to join my fellow fans in the famous Huskies cheer: U-C-O-N-N. UConn-UConn-UConn. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SIMMONS. The T-shirts and hats will not be submitted for the Record, because, as I indicated earlier in my statement, I wear them around when I am at home. The hats I know I am not allowed to wear in the Chamber, but I will display them; and Members of the body can come and admire them later today, if they so desire. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing legislation that would authorize several new and innovative initiatives to attract and retain nursing personnel in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Since 1996, the number of patients treated annually by VA has risen by 70 percent. During this same period of growing demand for VA health care services, the number of nursing program graduates nationwide began to fall, along with the number of registered nurses employed in nursing. The latest U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration report projects that the shortage of nurses this year will reach about 138,322 nationally, and will rise to about 808,416 in 2020. Today, about 7.6 million veterans are enrolled in VA health care and in 2010 it is estimated that this number will grow to approximately 8.4 million. VA cannot meet the future health care burden for caregivers without an adequate supply of nurses in its 1,300 facilities. VA's nurse vacancy and turnover rates have greatly increased since 1998. Unless we create incentives and opportunities for experienced caregivers to choose VA as a professional career, our nation's veterans will suffer. First, my legislation would authorize a new initiative to improve VA's program for recruiting nurses through the use of outside recruitment, advertising, and communication agencies, and the use of interactive and online technologies. The federal government's recruitment process is not responsive to the market conditions for recruitment of nursing personnel. In order to address the human capital challenges in the VA, the Department needs better tools and strategies to plan, attract, assess, hire and manage its recruitment process for nurses. This pilot program would test whether such tools can fit VA's needs. The VA health care system has over 200,000 employees, ranking it among the top 25 largest employers as defined in the Hoover's Handbook of American Business. The VA health care system has more employees than, for example, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Manor Care, Inc., and is the largest employer of registered nurses in this country. In the private sector, human resources professionals have developed and are successfully using internet-based recruitment tools, but VA's use of such tools is extremely limited. Forrester Research, an independent technology research company that provides advice about technology's impact on business, recently reported that 100% of Fortune 500 companies are now using online recruiting. It is in the best interest of VA to capitalize on this best practice of private industry. I believe that streamlining the recruitment process to offer nursing employment opportunities in an appealing and contemporary format will attract talented nurses to fill Department vacancies. The bill would enhance VA's ability to provide nurses flexible work schedules by authorizing three different options for alternative tours of duty to accommodate the personal needs of nurses to have more control over their schedules. Nurses are the front line providers of care and their continued dedication and support makes patients' lives better and doctors' jobs easier. According to an American Organization of Nurse Executives survey, a major cause of dissatisfaction in the nursing workforce is inflexible work schedules. Offering more family friendly schedules is critical to keeping experienced nurses employed in the VA. My bill would also clarify that the Department's policy for nurse recruitment should focus on the registered nurse's clinical competencies and direct patient care performance. If a nurse has presented or accomplished the required elements for VA employment, the lack of a specific educational degree should not be a factor in VA's hiring decision. Recent testimony before the National Commission on VA Nursing, established in Public Law 107-135, called attention to a concern that VA's policies under its nurse qualification standards discourage some nurses with associate degrees in nursing from seeking employment in VA because they are not judged for their experience and expertise, but are disqualified because they do not possess a baccalaureate degree in nursing. The American Association of Community Colleges reports that 62 percent of employed staff nurses, including 45 percent in nurse clinician positions, 42 percent in clinical nurse specialist positions, 52 percent in head nurse positions and 65 percent in nurse supervisor positions received their nursing educational preparation through associate degree or diploma nursing programs. Regardless of educational preparation, all nursing graduates must pass rigorous licensing examinations administered by state governments. Once licensed, they perform the identical scope of nursing practice under state law. A recent review of test data by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing indicates that the pass rates of nurses trained with associate and baccalaureate degrees are virtually identical. However, notwithstanding their years of bedside nursing or clinical proficiency, VA will not hire nurses above the entry Nurse Level I position unless they have baccalaureate degrees. VA is losing the opportunity to bring experienced, qualified nurses into its system because of this policy. Finally, the bill would make technical corrections and incorporate blind rehabilitation specialists in the list of certain positions that the VA is permitted to hire through use of the direct appointment authority provided in title 38, United States Code. The use of this so- called ``hybrid Title 38'' authority enhances VA's ability to hire clinical staff in a timely fashion to maintain the necessary level of highly-trained staff. It is vital for the health of our veterans that VA possesses the tools to employ and retain experienced nurses in the VA health care system. I look forward to seeing the VA nursing workforce grow as a result of the enactment of the measures contained in my bill and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the entire Connecticut House delegation to introduce legislation to provide uniform criteria for the administrative acknowledgment and recognition of Indian tribes, and for other purposes. Today's legislation seeks to codify in statute the seven mandatory criteria for the recognition of Indian tribes and to end the ``revolving door'' exemption that allows former BIA officials to represent and lobby on behalf of groups seeking recognition immediately after they leave the federal government. The Connecticut congressional delegation recently met with Interior Secretary Gale Norton. At that meeting, I raised the two issues contained in this legislation. With regard to putting the seven criteria in statute, Secretary Norton said that she had no ``immediate objection to it.'' When asked about ending the ``revolving door'' exemption, she responded even more favorably, saying that since coming to the Interior Department she had been ``troubled by it.'' Mr. Speaker, I am encouraged that we have found common ground with Secretary Norton on these two key issues and I'm hopeful that our delegation can work with her and the BIA to pass this bill. Tribes need to be granted the federal status they deserve and accorded their sovereign rights, but the determination to acknowledge such tribes cannot and should not be made unless these groups clearly meet all seven of the criteria. To ensure these standards are met, my legislation would codify each of these seven criteria, ensuring that ``federal acknowledgement or recognition shall not be granted to an Indian tribe unless the Indian tribe has met all of the criteria listed.'' This law will provide an equitable process to groups that clearly meet all seven tests, while preventing claims from groups that fall short of one of these standards. No longer will the BIA be able to pick and choose among these criteria to find in favor of a petitioner. What's more, Mr. Speaker, my legislation would end the so-called ``revolving door'' exemption that allows former BIA officials to immediately begin representing petitioning groups before their former colleagues and employer. When members of Congress or other members of the executive branch leave government service for the private sector they must refrain from lobbying for one year. It is unfair to have one particular agency exempted from this law. Moreover, it is particularly troublesome that this agency enjoys such an exemption given the significant role that money, gambling, and political influence have come to play in recognition decisions. Mr. Speaker, I urge all members to support these two much-needed reforms to the BIA to make our Indian recognition process more transparent and more equitable for all parties involved.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3970, the Green Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2004. I do so because I am an advocate of this innovative effort to further scientific research while minimizing environmental harm. Last year, I met Dr. Berkeley Cue, Jr., of Ledyard, Connecticut. Dr. Cue is a recently retired chemist at Pfizer's Global R&D headquarters in Groton, Connecticut; and he spoke passionately about his work on the Green Chemistry Institute's Board of Directors and explained to me some of the exciting prospects that green chemistry holds. Green chemistry has been defined ``as the utilization of a set of principles that reduces or eliminates the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture and application of chemical products.'' According to a 1994 pharmaceutical industry process efficiency analysis, for every kilogram of a given drug produced, between 25 and 100 kilograms of waste are produced. For those processes where there is a green chemistry application, this number was reduced to between 5 and 10 kilograms of waste per kilogram of product. This is a five- to 10- time improvement in the reduction of waste products. At commercial product volumes, this equates to hundreds of thousands of kilograms of costly waste prevented each year for each product where there is a green chemistry alternative. What is more, there is no need to purchase raw materials that are lost to unwanted by-products. The cost savings are clear, and the environmental benefits are clear. I urge my colleagues to support this measure and establish a Green Chemistry Research and Development Program to promote this technology at the Federal level. It is good for science, it is good for the environment, it is good for the American people.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, the chairman is aware that some stock life insurance companies are facing taxes on their policyholder surplus accounts due to corporate reorganizations. Is the chairman examining ways to prevent this tax from hitting companies in the process of reorganizing to be more competitive?

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his insightful and reassuring response.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Chairman, there has been a lot of discussion about this amendment and whether it is fair or unfair. I oppose the amendment because I believe the amendment is unfair to Connecticut. The issue is, what do we get back from the Federal Government? If we look at the aggregate number of dollars that Connecticut gets back from the Federal Government, for every dollar submitted it is 65 cents, 65 cents. That is the second lowest return in the Nation. Florida gets a buck plus. Georgia gets a buck plus. So if we look at the aggregate dollars, there is a whole new picture here. Why does Connecticut get more transportation dollars than some of the other States? It is very simple. Because if we look at the interstate highway system, the roads converge on New England; and if we look at Connecticut, the New England roads converge on Connecticut. It is a tiny State with six interstates. We need those dollars to support those roads. They are bumper to bumper, not just every weekend or in the summer. They are bumper to bumper every day. And that is why we get more transportation dollars. The committee compromise is fair. It is a compromise. People do not like compromises. Nobody likes a compromise. But the committee compromise is fair. Vote against the Isakson amendment. Mr. Chairman, I submit the following document for the Record.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3104) to provide for the establishment of campaign medals to be awarded to members of the Armed Forces who participate in Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom, as amended.

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

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

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share my support for H.R. 3104. I was pleased to join my colleagues, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes), in introducing this legislation last September. The legislation we are considering today authorizes campaign medals for military personnel who have been participating in the war on terror. Essentially, the legislation would authorize separate medals to be awarded for service in Iraq and in Afghanistan. The President and the Pentagon would be charged with determining who would receive the medals. Mr. Speaker, those of us who have served in the military realize that the medals awarded and the ribbons worn on the uniform are essentially a biographic statement of the service of the military officer or NCO. Speaking for myself, when I take the ribbons that I have earned after over 30 years of military service and I look at them, I can recall where I was, what I was doing, and what I received credit for from my military chain of command. By the same token, military officers and NCOs observing each other in uniform with their decorations on their uniform realize whether an individual served in a theater of operations where they served. That is one of the reasons why we think it is important to differentiate between service in Iraq or service in Afghanistan, even though service in both locations involves the war on terrorism. Looking at the charts that I have here today on display, my colleagues will notice that there are certain other occasions where individual medals are awarded, even though the campaign has one consistent objective. For example, we have a Cuban Occupation Medal and a Puerto Rican Occupation Medal, as well as a Spanish War Medal and the Philippine campaign. Some would argue that each of these decorations goes to the issue of one concerted effort by the United States, yet service in those different locations has previously been determined to result in a specific or a special award. On another chart over here, we have, for example, the Korean War decoration, and I do not see it in front of me, but we all know that those members of the armed services who served in Korea were given a special award for that; but also if one served in Vietnam, as I did, one gets a special award, right here, the Vietnam campaign ribbon. As well, those who served in the liberation of Kuwait 10 years ago and those who served physically in Saudi Arabia, as those who participated in the liberation of Kuwait and were actually in Kuwait, have two different decorations, which are indicated here. So the point I am trying to make, Mr. Speaker, is that in the past, it has not been unusual to provide awards and decorations that are specific to a particular theater or country in which a military officer or NCO has served, even though those campaigns and those activities may have been part of a larger enterprise. It is on this basis, Mr. Speaker, that I believe that this legislation has great merit. I commend my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for supporting this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my colleague, the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Granger).

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. George S. Patton, Jr., once said, quote, ``The results of decorations works two ways: It makes the men who get them proud and determined to get more, and it makes the men who have not received them jealous and determined to get some in order to even up. It is the greatest thing we have for building a fighting heart.'' I would only correct the great General Patton today by saying the men and women who receive them. Because, as we know, in today's military forces men and women are providing an equal contribution. As my colleague has indicated, service in uniform and service in a war zone is not simply about awards and decorations, it is about our national policy, and it is about working as a team with other men and women in uniform. But the awards and decorations they receive provide them with incentive and provide them with a living history which becomes their career in service to their country. That is why refreshing and upgrading the medals that are offered to our servicemen and women is so important. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to add my support for H. Res. 557. As I have done since the beginning of this war, I continue to focus my attention on the fine men and women of the Armed Forces that have fought so valiantly in Iraq. In particular I am pleased to recognize the contributions of the National Guard and Reserve. The citizen soldiers of the Guard and Reserve left behind their families and careers to serve their country. We must continue to recognize those family members and employers who have also sacrificed over the last year while their loved ones served in harm's way thousands of miles away. Today, three units from the Connecticut National Guard continue to serve in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, while one unit has returned and yet another prepares to deploy. I had the unique opportunity to meet with many of these fine soldiers in theater during my October trip to Iraq last year. Their morale and conviction for the mission remain as strong today as it was when they deployed. We must remember that work here in Congress remains to insure that both active duty soldiers and our Guard and Reserve units continue to get the support they need. We must continue to see an increase in the flow of up-armored HMMWVs and up-armor kits and body armor to theater. We must also make sure the troops know that the American people support their efforts in securing a world free from the threat of terrorism. Mr. Speaker, I was not able to make the roll call vote for H. Res. 557, but had I been in attendance I ask that the Record reflect that I would have voted ``yea,'' joining with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in commending the members of the United States Armed Forces and Coalition forces for liberating Iraq. I am grateful for their valiant service.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, earlier this month the media reported that Rover and Opportunity were exploring the Martian surface. Mars is about 35 million miles from Earth, yet man can reach that alien world. On December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, an equally awe- inspiring event took place. It was there that Wilbur and Orville Wright gave birth to man's ability to fly by successfully testing the first powered, heavier-than-aircraft that achieved sustained flight with a pilot aboard. The first flight was only 120 feet, far less than the distance to Mars, but that single event defined the 20th Century. In the December 2003 issue of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Magazine, I learned, through an article written by my brother, Tom Simmons, that our family has a connection to the Wright Brothers. Our Great Uncle Arthur Ruhl was one of only six journalists in May 1908 to watch the Wright Brothers work with their aircraft at Kitty Hawk. An article about what Uncle Arthur saw appeared in Colliers magazine on May 30, 1908. But this story doesn't end with Uncle Arthur's article. He sent a copy of his story to the Wright Brothers and Orville sent back a warm reply. Emboldened by the inventor's response, and his own curiosity, Uncle Arthur wrote back and asked if he could take a flight. Orville responded that they had so many requests they were limiting their passengers to Army officials. Undaunted, Uncle Arthur continued his correspondence with Orville Wright. By 1910 the Wright Brothers were exhibiting their aircraft because the public was paying to watch the flights. Who should be covering one of the exhibitions for Colliers Weekly but Uncle Arthur. He was watching Orville Wright train one of his students when the inventor extended the long sought invitation. Uncle Arthur found the adventure exhilarating. He wrote, ``It was now that we seemed, indeed, to be going like the wind--a wonderful sensation, like nothing else, so near to the earth, yet spurning it.'' I fly between Washington and my home in Connecticut just about every weekend. Today air travel does not inspire the awe described by Uncle Arthur. But it is an amazing thing--the ability to fly thousands of miles around the world in a matter of hours, or to set foot on a planet that our ancestors looked at every night with amazement and wonder. I can now look at flight through the eyes of my Uncle Arthur; and I will probably never look at the trip between Washington and Connecticut so casually ever again.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, earlier this month the media reported that Rover and Opportunity were exploring the Martian surface. Mars is about 35 million miles from Earth, yet man can reach that alien world. On December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, an equally awe- inspiring event took place. It was there that Wilbur and Orville Wright gave birth to man's ability to fly by successfully testing the first powered, heavier-than-air craft that achieved sustained flight with a pilot aboard. The first flight was only 120 feet, far less than the distance to Mars, but that single event defined the 20th Century. In the December 2003 issue of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Magazine, I learned, through an article written by my brother, Tom Simmons, that our family has a connection to the Wright Brothers. Our Great Uncle Arthur Ruhl was one of only six journalists in May 1908 to watch the Wright Brothers work with their aircraft at Kitty Hawk. An article about what Uncle Arthur saw appeared in Colliers magazine on May 30, 1908. But this story doesn't end with Uncle Arthur's article. He sent a copy of his story to the Wright Brothers and Orville sent back a warm reply. Emboldened by the inventor's response, and his own curiosity, Uncle Arthur wrote back and asked if he could take a flight. Orville responded that they had so many requests they were limiting their passengers to Army officials. Undaunted, Uncle Arthur continued his correspondence with Orville Wright, and by 1910 the Wright Brothers were exhibiting their aircraft because the public was paying to watch the flights. Who should be covering one of the exhibitions for Colliers Weekly but Uncle Arthur. He was watching Orville Wright train one of his students when the inventor extended the long sought invitation. Uncle Arthur found the adventure exhilarating. He wrote, ``It was now that we seemed, indeed, to be going like the wind--a wonderful sensation, like nothing else, so near to the earth, yet spurning it.'' I fly between Washington and my home in Connecticut just about every weekend. Today air travel does not inspire the awe described by Uncle Arthur. But it is an amazing thing--the ability to fly thousands of miles around the world in a matter of hours, or to set foot on a planet that our ancestors looked at every night with amazement and wonder. I can now look at flight through the eyes of my Uncle Arthur; and I will probably never look at the trip between Washington and Connecticut so casually ever again. [From the AOPA Pilot, Dec. 2003] Up in the Air With Orville (By Tom Simmons) There are many ways to ``catch the flying bug.'' One of the the most common occurs when a pilot offers a nonpilot a ride in his airplane. If this ever happened to you (since you're reading AOPA Pilot today) chances are good that you said, ``You bet!'' Chances are also good that the pilot was certified by the FAA and his airplane was a certificated airframe. So imagine, for a moment, the same situation but with slightly altered circumstances. Imagine that the pilot has never taken a flying lesson in his life and knows nothing about aerodynamics other than what he has taught himself through trial and error. Imagine that the airplane is home- built, the most recent in a succession of airframes built by this self taught pilot because he keeps modifying the control system and all his previous airplanes have been destroyed in flying accidents. And finally, imagine that the seat you are offered is a wooden chair bolted to the wing, without cockpit or cowling surrounding it, and not even a seat belt to hold you in place. Still interested? I know of a man who said, ``You bet!'' under the exact circumstances I've just described. He was my great-uncle, Arthur Ruhl, a feature writer for Collier's Weekly in the early decades of the twentieth century. And the pilot who took him for his first thrill ride was Orville Wright. The story begins in May 1908. The Wright brothers had returned to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to test a two-man machine built according to contract specifications for the Army Signal Corps. My great-uncle was one of six journalists watching surreptitiously from a stand of trees a half-mile away. At the time, the Wrights were still secretive about their invention and refused to fly in front of witnesses (which fueled doubts about their claims of successful flights) so the journalists stayed out of sight. They watched two flights, including the first two-man flight the Wrights had ever attempted. As Uncle Arthur's article in the May 30 edition of Collier's describes it: ``A hundred yards away, the great bird swung to the right and swept grandly by, broadside on. Some cows grazing on the beach grass threw their heads upward, and whirling about, galloped away in terror ahead of the approaching machine. It swept on far above them indifferently, approached the sand hills three-quarters of a mile to the left, rose to them, soared over and down the other side.'' Uncle Arthur was clearly thrilled by what he saw. He sent a copy of his article, ``History at Kill Devil Hill,'' to the Wright brothers and received a warm reply from Orville. ``I thought your account of the maneuverings of the newspaper men at Kill Devil Hills the most interesting thing I have ever seen concerning our experiments,'' Orville wrote. Pretty high praise. Perhaps it was these kind words from Orville that emboldened my uncle to make his next contact in September 1908. Orville was then in Washington, D.C., flying the acceptance trials for the Army, and on September 9 he had taken up his first passenger. Uncle Arthur wrote him and asked to be taken up for a flight. Orville's handwritten reply appears on Cosmos Club stationery. Sep. 14, 1908. My dear Mr. Ruhl: I have your letter, and I am sure it would give me great pleasure to take you up with me in our machine, but I have had so many requests that I hardly see how I can take you without giving offense to others. I am limiting the number of passengers to the Army officials at present. I am sorry that you were not able to remain to see some of the flights, but hope you may be able to come down again. Very truly yours Orville Wright Strong winds prevented Orville from flying for several days. On September 17, his next flight after writing my uncle, Orville took Lt. Thomas Selfridge up as his passenger. One of the propellers separated, sliced a guy wire, and caused the machine to crash. Selfridge was killed. A more timid man might have abandoned his hopes of flying right then and there. But not Arthur Ruhl. When Orville recovered from injuries sustained in the accident and returned to work in May 1909, he found a letter waiting for him. Uncle Arthur still wanted to take a flight. Orville again refused. Orville wrote back: We shall not be able to make any flights before we go to Washington, and once we get to work there we shall have to devote every flight to teaching our pupils. Besides if we take one passenger we will be besieged with requests from people whom it will be almost impossible to refuse. You will readily see how much embarrassment it will make us if we begin to take passengers. It would give us pleasure to take you for a little spin, in recompense for the suffering you endured, on ``the firing line'' but we did not see how we can do it. We shall be glad to see you in Washington in you find it convenient to be there while we are at work on our government contract. But that's not the end of the story. In 1910, the Wrights decided to enter the exhibition business. Americans weren't buying airplanes but they were paying to watch others fly them. So the real money in aviation was out on the flying circuit. In order to compete in as many events as possible, Orville started training pilots for the Wright brothers team. Instruction was conducted at Huffman Prairie, a hummocky pasture eight miles outside of Dayton. And once again, Arthur Ruhl was there to cover the story for Collier's Weekly. For a nonpilot writing in 1910, Uncle Arthur's understanding of aerodynamics was impressive. In the Collier's article, he writes: ``One of the first things to learn, of course, is that the air isn't the simple homogeneous medium it seems to be. It boils and shifts and swirls as current fights tide, and the aeroplane is sailing, not across the stream, but through it. ``Take, for instance, this peaceful cow pasture on a bright June morning. The sky is an even blue and the solitary tree across the field seems drenched in slumbering sunshine. Yet, as a matter of fact, any one of many interesting things are happening near the tree. Maybe the air is streaking up from it as it would streak up a chimney flue, or swirling round it as water swirls around a rock, and if you are flying into the wind and at the tree, the wind may come pouring down over it and upon you like an invisible waterfall.'' Uncle Arthur also seems to have understood the Wrights' control system pretty well. ``The wings and vertical rudder work together in their machine. The same pull which depresses the left wing-tip and increases its angle of incidence--gives it a firmer grip on the air, so to say--lifts the right wing- tip and lightens its grip accordingly; at the same time the rear rudder turns to the right, thus tending to counteract the combined drag and lift of the wings and bring the machine back to an even keel.'' Uncle Arthur watched Orville train his students until the sun edged toward the horizon. ``And then he gave an invitation which had been sought ever since a baking spring morning two years ago, when six weary and tick-bitten corresponding rowed, waded, tramped, and crawled for several hours to a spot under Kill Devil Hill and there saw the Wright machine in successful flight across the Kitty Hawk sands. `You're elected.' said Orville and I climbed in. ``The passengers's seat in the Wright machine is in the middle. THe engine is at his right, and the driver is at his left, so that the balance is the same whether an extra man is carried or not. You sit on a small wooden seat with a back, grasp one of the uprights with your right hand, and rest you feet on a cross-bar. Although not fastened in, one is pretty safely caged by a guy-wire, which passes diagonally across and close to one's chest.'' Thus seated, wearing a three-piece suit and jaunty cap, Uncle Arthur headed for the heavens. ``Curious and rather uncanny air trends strike the machine more or less continually as it flies. From the way it vibrates, from the little flapping pennant in front, most of all from an instinct which can only be acquired by experience, the veteran knows pretty well what is happening and how to meet it. But as the novice feels himself suddenly boosted up or dropped with a sensation much like that felt when an elevator suddenly drops or rises, he can only sit tight and trust the man beside him. ``And it was up here, about three hundred feet in the air, that Orville treated me to the only maneuver which a regular bird-man could, I suppose, have regarded as remotely in the nature of an adventure. For any one tired of life and listlessly seeking a new sensation, I can thoroughly recommend it. Just get the Wrights to take you up a few hundred feet, and then as you hand there above the abyss, like a lamb in a condor's claws, bring the great bird up standing and stiffly `banked,' swing it around in a diameter of, say, two hundred feet.'' Imagine that. Uncle Arthur, sitting on a seat with no seat belt, up in the air for the first time in his life, flying at about the height of a 30-story building--and Orville puts the plane into a tight banked turn. I don't know how you would have felt and I'm not sure how I would have felt. But my great-uncle loved it! His article, titled ``Up in the Air With Orville,'' is filled with his joy from the experience. ``Thus we slid down, faster than ever now, with the wind blowing the tears out of our eyes; and just before touching ground came up with exquisite ease and went skimming round the field just tickling the weed tops. It was now that we seemed, indeed, to be going like the wind--a wonderful sensation, like nothing else, so near to the earth, yet spurning it. Twice around the filed we went, keeping an even distance from the ground, as if on an invisible track, and then Orville shut off the engine and we slid down upon the grass just as a duck on the wing slides into water.'' Wow. Arthur Ruhl died in 1935 and his files were packed into boxes that went into storage for more than 60 years. I recently came into possession of his papers, which include both articles for Collier's, three letters from Orville Wright, and a note from Katherine Wright, the brothers' sister, thanking Arthur for some sweet peas he brought to dinner at the Wrights' home on Hawthorne Street in Dayton.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, when I first ran for Congress many people from across eastern Connecticut came forward to introduce me to their communities. One of those who was instrumental in offering his wealth of experience, good humor and knowledge--before, during and after the campaign--was Sebastian Garafalo, of Middletown, Connecticut. Seb was a good friend and a devoted public servant. Sadly, Seb Garafalo died on Wednesday, January 21. He was 71. To appreciate Seb's political wisdom and his warm personality you need to know that Middletown is a city in which Democrats outnumber Republicans by a margin of 3 to 1. Seb was a Republican, yet he was a former town councilman and a four-term mayor. Seb won his first mayoral race in 1983. He won two more consecutive terms, lost in 1989, and was elected mayor again in 1991. How did he do it? Well, Seb once said, ``It's easy, sometimes I vote their way.'' Those of us who work in politics know it's much more than that. Seb was first of all a ``people person.'' He liked people and he liked helping them. Second, while Seb was proud to be a Republican he always wanted to do the right thing for his community. Seb put his constituents first and his politics second. He also served as co-chair of Middletown's 350th anniversary celebration and until July, when his cancer finally slowed him down, he was on the high school building committee. Seb had a sincere smile, a warm handshake and his goal was always to bring folks together in common purpose. That's as good a definition of public service as I have ever heard. You see, Seb believed in the old adage: From what we get, we make a living; from what we give, we make a life. The Hartford Courant wrote, in Seb's obituary, ``Mr. Garafalo's three decades serving Middletown were marked by his listening to others and leading with his heart.'' That tells you a lot about Seb Garafalo; about why he was important to his community and why he will be deeply missed.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to share some very sad news with my colleagues today. Robin Edmonds Miller, of Stonington, Connecticut, died on Wednesday, December 10, at the age of 52. Robin's loss is both professional and personal, as she was a dedicated public servant and a dear friend of the Simmons family. Robin was involved and respected in state politics, currently serving as chairperson of the Board of Mediation and Arbitration for the State of Connecticut Department of Labor. She was also serving as chairperson for the State of Connecticut Department of Administrative Services Employee Review Board. Robin was active in social and civic affairs in the Town of Stonington, serving as the Town of Stonington Registrar of Voters. She also served as past chair, and currently vice chair, of the Stonington Town Republican Committee. Robin Miller exemplified community action and public service. She believed that our communities, our states and our nation will function properly only when people step forward to do the hard work necessary to ensure the wheels of democracy will run smoothly. When I think of my friend I am reminded that the heart of a public servant is not measured by its size, but by the depth of commitment to make a positive contribution to the lives of others. In addition to her parents, Robin is survived by her two children, Bianca Nardi and Curtis Miller; her siblings, Robert and Julie Edmonds of New Hampshire; and nieces and nephews. All those who knew Robin Miller feel a profound sense of loss, but also a genuine sense of joy that we knew her.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two individuals who are genuine Connecticut treasures--Samuel Huntington and Bill Stanley. On Monday I will attend a ceremony to re-intern Samuel Huntington. Mr. Huntington will be laid to rest in Norwich, Connecticut, a community in the Second District, which I am proud to represent. Samuel Huntington was born in Windham, Connecticut on July 2, 1732. He did not have the benefit of a formal public education as he was the eldest son and his father needed him to help work the family farm. Possessing a fine mind, when he was finished with his farm chores he devoted himself to reading. Mr. Huntington enjoyed studying the law and when he turned 22 he left the farm to pursue his interest. Unable to afford a formal legal education, he studied on his own. The library of an attorney in a neighboring town provided him with access to the necessary books--his own determination accomplished the rest. He did well. In 1774, he became an associate judge in the superior court. Mr. Huntington was among those who early on spoke against British tyranny. In October 1775, his wisdom and patriotism earned him an appointment by the Connecticut General Assembly to represent the colony in the Continental Congress. In the July 1776 Mr. Huntington joined his colleagues in voting for the Declaration of Independence. In 1779, Mr. Huntington served as president of the Congress. As such, some say he was the first President of the United States. He remained a member of that honorable body until 1781, when ill health forced him to retire. Samuel Huntington died on January 5, 1796. Recently the Norwich Historical Society embarked on a campaign to renovate the tomb of Mr. Huntington and his wife. Over time the tomb had decayed and was in danger of collapse. Our Founding Fathers deserve more, and the leaders of Norwich have responded. The second individual I recognize is President of the Norwich Historical Society, William Stanley. He is also one of Connecticut's treasures. Bill organized the effort to renovate the tomb and I was very pleased when he called me for support. Bill is a good man and a good friend. For five decades Bill Stanley has dedicated himself to public service. His resume shows an individual who has a profound devotion to his community and has worked to make it a better place in which to live, work and raise a family. In 1963, Bill was chairman of the Norwich Flood Rehabilitation Drive and from 1966 to 1970 he was a state senator, representing the 19th District. Over the decades he has served as chairman of the Eastern Connecticut District of the American Cancer Society; led Eastern Connecticut Recruitment for the Boy Scouts of America; been treasurer of the Norwich Industrial Park Association; served as director of the William W. Backus Hospital, and has been vice chairman of the Southeastern Connecticut Water Authority. Motivated by a desire to improve the lives of our senior citizens, Bill became the founder, treasurer and president of St. Jude Common, a non-profit elderly housing facility in Norwich. St. Jude's provides high quality housing. Bill has also dedicated his time to Norwich Free Academy and served as Chairman of the Norwich Charter Revision Commission. Bill's public service has not gone unnoticed. He is the 1995 recipient of Norwich Rotary's Outstanding Citizen Award and in 1991 the Eastern Connecticut Chamber of Commerce named him Norwich's Citizen of the Year. Bill is the unofficial Norwich historian, having published several books chronicling the city's past. His ``Once Upon a Time'' column has appeared in both the New London Day and the Norwich Bulletin. These are merely a few of the public citations from Bill's years of service. They do not include the many times Bill quietly helped people by making a phone call or offering good advice. Bill served in the Marine Corps. He is a Korean War veteran. I am proud that I was able to be of some assistance to Bill Stanley in ensuring one of our nation's Founding Fathers received the honor and respect he deserves as America's first president.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Cadet Paul J. Simmert of Norwich, Connecticut who was recently named Chief Petty Officer of the Nautilus 571 Division of the United States Naval Sea Cadet Corps. At only 17 years of age, Paul will be in command of 50 cadets, ranging in age from 11 to 17 years. This appointment follows tremendous hard work and dedication, including the completion of regulation U.S. Navy courses and many months of training throughout the country over the past 4 years. Having a father in the Navy inspired Paul's interest in serving his country at a very young age. At 12, he took the first steps toward what will be a very successful career in the U.S. Navy by joining the U.S. Sea Cadet Corps. Through this program, Paul has been able to take on important responsibilities and learn the ropes of the United States Navy. Chief Petty Officer Simmert is an exemplary young man and is highly deserving of this great honor and responsibility. I am most proud to have him serving his peers in this capacity. Now more than ever, we need young men like Paul to take the lead in protecting the freedoms that this great country was founded on for future generations. Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the Members of the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Chief Petty Officer Paul J. Simmert in receiving this prestigious award and thanking him for the contributions he makes to his country.