Bill Shuster

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. The bureaucrats in Washington will decide how the money is spent, not even the folks back in the States. The Senate fails to streamline the project delivery process which we do. That will allow us to build roads faster, and time is money. Anybody that's been in business knows time is money. And that is extremely important to this. The Senate bill discourages private sector investment, and it increases the regulation. Like I said, this bill is a good bill, it's a solid bill, it's one that the people out there want to see, a 5-year bill, not a 17- or 16-month extension. Announcement By the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. SHUSTER. I thank the gentleman from Florida, and I appreciate the opportunity to be able to ask my Democratic colleagues, following up on the distinguished leader's question but with a little twist to it, why didn't your side, when you had control of both Houses of Congress and the Presidency, why didn't you pass a bill, a highway bill? You had the votes. You could have done anything you wanted to. In fact, the former distinguished Speaker that just spoke said that this is going to be the biggest jobs bill we pass. I thought your stimulus was supposed to be the biggest jobs bill we ever passed. It's amazing to me to come down here on the floor--and I have so much respect for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle--but to hear this argument going round and round, and as I said earlier, there's amnesia on the other side of the aisle. You had control of Congress. The bill expired in 2009. You still had control of both Houses and the Presidency. You didn't pass a bill. I also would like to make note, if you look back in the history of the highway bill, we've never been in the financial situation that we are today. We've never faced the kind of debt that we face today. And what this bill does is it lives within our means. But it does more than just that, living within our means, which we should do, and I would add, Thomas Jefferson would be appalled if he saw the kind of debt we've racked up today. He would be appalled by that. So we're living within our means, and we're streamlining the process. We are saying we can do more with less if we change the process. The Senate bill doesn't have the kind of reforms. What the Senate bill does is it bankrupts the highway trust fund. It bankrupts the highway trust fund. And then we even have a bigger problem 2 years down the road, actually maybe 18 months, maybe 17 months, probably 16 months by the time we get it passed. The Senate bill requires States to incorporate livability and smart growth policies, as if the States aren't smart enough to do it themselves? As if the States and cities in this country can't figure out how they want to improve the livability of their cities? No. The Federal Government has to do it. The Federal Government has to insist that they do that. Look, I think that Members of Congress ought to have the ability to direct where some of these funds go, but the Senate bill, what it allows are the bureaucrats.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, as the Co-Chairman of the House Azerbaijan Caucus, I rise today to bring attention to the tragedy that took place in Khojaly, Azerbaijan, a town and townspeople that were destroyed on February 26, 1992. This month we will mark the 20th anniversary of that devastating and heartbreaking day. Sadly, today there is little attention or interest paid to the plight of Khojaly outside of Azerbaijan. However, one of our greatest strengths as elected officials is the opportunity to bring to light truths that are little known and command recognition. As a friend of Azerbaijan, I am proud to remind my colleagues that we must never forget the tragedy that took place at Khojaly. At the time, the Khojaly tragedy was widely covered by the international media, including the Boston Globe, Washington Post, New York Times, Financial Times, and many other European and Russian news agencies. Khojaly, a town in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, now under the control of Armenian forces, was the site of the largest killing of ethnic Azerbaijani civilians. With a population of approximately 7,000, Khojaly was one of the largest urban settlements of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan. According to Human Rights Watch and other international observers the massacre was committed by the ethnic Armenian armed forces, reportedly with the help of the Russian 366th Motor Rifle Regiment. Human Rights Watch described the Khojaly Massacre as ``the largest massacre to date in the conflict'' over Nagorna-Karabakh. In a 1993 report, the watchdog group stated ``there are no exact figures for the number of Azeri civilians killed because Karabakh Armenian forces gained control of the area after the massacre'' and ``while it is widely accepted that 200 Azeris were murdered, as many as 500--1,000 may have died.'' Azerbaijan has been a strong strategic partner and friend of the United States. The tragedy of Khojaly was a crime against humanity and I urge my colleagues to join me in standing with Azerbaijanis as they commemorate this tragedy.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. I wasn't going to speak on the rule, but I heard my colleague from Oregon stand up and criticize the bill, criticize the process, and I needed to set the record straight. This bill is the first bill that has come out of the committee on a partisan-line vote, but it's not because of Republicans. It's because Democrats refused to participate in the process. When they were in the majority, Chairman Oberstar brought a bill to the committee and we unanimously supported it. There was a lot of stuff in there we didn't like, but we wanted to do it on a bipartisan basis, try to correct some of the problems. But we were unable to even move that bill to the floor because the majority, the Democrat majority, wouldn't even put that bill on the floor. So it's not that Republicans didn't reach out to our colleagues across the aisle. We did. Chairman Mica and many members of the committee traveled the United States, had bipartisan hearings, had a bicameral hearing in California with Senator Boxer. So we reached out and reached out and reached out. And the Democrats typically want to work together on the T&I Committee. I don't know; maybe their leadership told them they weren't allowed to work with us on this. But this bill is the biggest reform bill that's happened in the transportation industry, in transportation in this country since its inception of the highway trust fund in the 1950s. We are consolidating programs that overlap and today are outmoded, so we've consolidated, eliminated some. We're compressing the timelines. Most Americans don't realize that it takes, on average, 13 to 15 years to build a highway in this country. We're compressing that to 7 to 8 years. We're going to have more roads built in this country because we are taking the reforms that are necessary. This has gone on for far too long, and I'm really disappointed that my Democratic colleagues, all they want to do is raise taxes. They want to increase the regulation instead of making government work better, more efficiently, and get those dollars out there quicker that our communities need. So I believe this is a significantly improved transportation bill than what we've seen at least 2 years ago, and it's something that I support wholeheartedly and would encourage my Democratic colleagues to take a close look and support it also.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. That's even smaller. And I'm actually from Everett, Charlie. Altoona is a big city to me. I don't even know my way around Altoona. But again, thanks a lot for you guys doing this. I appreciate it greatly.

Mr. SHUSTER. I thank the gentleman from Allentown for yielding. It's a great privilege for me to be here on the House floor today talking about someone whom I had the highest regard for, and over the years I was able to watch just what a tremendous thing he did at Penn State University. It's not just about winning football games. Of course he won 409 games in his 46 seasons, five undefeated teams, and led Penn State to two national championships. But he did more than that. He did more for the university. And I know my colleagues have already talked about--it's the only Division I school in the country that has a wing of the library named after the head football coach. That's because of his and Sue's dedication and contributions to building not only that library but that institution. And a lot of that building came about because he built those football teams and brought national attention to Penn State. But for me, on a personal level, probably one of the proudest moments I had was to stand on the House floor when--I believe it was when he surpassed Walter Camp's winning record of 309 victories, I think it was, about 10 years ago. And John Peterson, the Congressman from Pennsylvania who represented that part of the country at that time-- G.T.'s predecessor--we had a Special Order on the floor. John Peterson started first, and then the great coach Tom Osborne--which I don't know if many people know, but Tom Osborne served in Congress in the early 2000s. So Tom Osborne then got up and spoke about Joe Paterno and his respect for him. So then I got to follow Tom Osborne. I'm following a legendary football coach talking about a legendary football coach, which really, even to this day, I'm getting goosebumps remembering that time because it was really an exciting moment that I will always remember. But again, what Joe Paterno did, which stood him apart from many other coaches, was his dedication to education and academic excellence. Unlike many other schools with Division I programs, Paterno recruited players, speaking first about Penn State's academic excellence. And during that time in the early 2000s, when I served with Coach Tom Osborne, those were lean years for Penn State and for Joe Paterno. And when we would come to town on a Monday or a Tuesday night for votes, Coach Osborne would summon me over on the floor and talk to me about what was going on in central Pennsylvania, how was the media treating Joe; and there was a real concern that Coach Osborne had for Joe Paterno and a real respect came through. So after several of these meetings, I finally asked Coach Osborne, I said, It's obvious you have this great respect for Joe Paterno. Is that because you thought he was a superior coach to you? And he said, Oh, no, absolutely not. I have a higher winning percentage than Paterno. But I do have a great respect for Joe because Joe could do something that nobody ever was able to achieve; and that is, year in and year out, Joe Paterno would graduate roughly 85 percent of his players, but always the highest graduation rate in Division I. And on top of that, he had quality football teams and he recruited quality players and he could compete at a national level. So, he said, that's something none of us could do. Then Coach Osborne went on to tell me about how he would talk to Joe in the off-season and try to understand the programs and the discipline and the things he did, because he wanted to be able to get to that level with Joe. And Coach Osborne told me that, I believe, the highest he ever got was a 79 percent graduation rate. So that's from one of the great all-time coaches, the great respect he held for Joe Paterno. And again, it was not just about his football; it was about what he was, about building young men, about instilling in them the need to educate themselves and to be excellent when it came to their academic efforts. He often said you have to start with the idea that a kid has to be a student first. Paterno said in a 1982 Gannett News Service interview: We preach there are three things in a student's life when it comes to Penn State: studies, academics, and social life, and you must keep them in that order and you can never back away from that. So again, Joe Paterno's education-first mindset paid off for those thousands of young men that came to Penn State. I don't know if you watched the ceremony, the dedication to his life and his funeral, but you saw that come clear through, not just from superstars but from kids who couldn't even play after a couple of years because of injury, but Joe Paterno stuck with them and encouraged them and instilled in them the performance of academics in their life and making sure that they get that education. Because as we know full well, when kids play Division I sports, whether it's football, it's basketball, it's baseball, they don't always--99 percent of them never make it to the pro level. But they got an opportunity to go to college. And places like Penn State and other universities, when you have coaches like Joe Paterno and coaches who aspire to be like Joe Paterno, they instill in those kids that those 99 percent who can't make it big in the pros, they still can get an education. They still can graduate from college and go out and get a good job and provide for their families and become productive citizens. Again, that's something that Joe Paterno always preached, to be productive, to be a good citizen, to give back to your community. He lived that life, and he will be sorely missed, not only in Pennsylvania, but I believe throughout the college ranks and throughout the Nation. He'll be one of those people you can look to and say: That's the kind of coach I want to be. That's the kind of program that I want to build, and those are the kind of kids that I want to turn into young, productive citizens of the United States of America. So again, I'm pleased to be here with my colleagues from Allentown and--Bellefonte? Close to Bellefonte.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. I thank the gentleman. It deals exclusively with public properties--military installations, properties deemed essential for reasons of national security, and national parks are not subject to this jurisdiction. Again, I come to the floor tonight with deep disappointment in the ranking member, who for so many years has worked in a bipartisan way on this subcommittee. Text was available since December, so it's no surprise. The subcommittee chairman and full committee chairman agreed to accept her amendment in its entirety, and most importantly, and something that's lacking in Washington today and lacking in Congress, is people not keeping their word, and the chairman of the subcommittee is keeping his word, which is extremely important in this whole process. I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 1734, the Civilian Property Realignment Act.

Mr. SHUSTER. I thank the gentleman from California for yielding. I do stand here as the former chairman of the Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Subcommittee who served alongside the distinguished delegate from the District of Columbia. For the years I was chairman, we worked very well together, and so it is a great disappointment that I come to the floor tonight when we thought we had an agreement. If fact, we did have an agreement. The chairman of the subcommittee and the chairman of the full committee were willing to accept the gentlelady's amendment and put it in the bill. But yet here we are today turning this into a partisan bill, which as I said is very disappointing. She said she couldn't come to the floor just on hope. She had more than hope; she had the word of the chairman of the subcommittee and the word of the chairman of the full committee. So I am here tonight in strong support of the Civilian Property Realignment Act. There are immediate savings: a savings up to $1 billion a year this year alone, and $15 billion over the next 10 years. It reduces the size of government. The commission was tasked with literally reducing the Federal footprint. And as we know, we have an example right down on Pennsylvania Avenue. The Old Post Office building is going to be put up for a long-term lease. We've got some of the premier hotel operators in the world that want to turn that into a first-rate premier hotel right on Pennsylvania Avenue. Whether it's the Waldorf Astoria or the Marriott or the Trump organization, they all want to take that and immediately turn it into a premier hotel. There will be construction jobs, jobs working in the hotel for the long term, so it's really unfortunate that this bill is going to be made partisan this evening. The bill establishes a real property commission, a nine person Civilian Property Realignment Commission that will serve to consolidate the footprint, maximize the utilization rate of Federal buildings and facilities, reduce the reliance on costly leased space, sell or redevelop high-value assets that are underutilized--as we talked about, the old Post Office Building. It reduces the operating and maintenance costs of Federal civilian real properties through the realignment of other real properties. It reduces redundancy, overlap, and costs associated with field offices. It creates incentives for Federal agencies to achieve greater efficiency in the inventories of real property the Federal Government has. It facilitates and expedites the sale or disposal of unneeded civilian properties. And it assists Federal agencies in achieving the government's sustainability goals by reducing excess space, inventory, energy consumption, as well as by leveraging new technologies. As the former chair of this committee, I held hearings about the Federal courthouses. We have overbuilt Federal courthouses in many places in this country for years. For years we've done that. This is going to take a step in reducing what we've been doing and consolidating and doing things that are appropriate and proper to save the taxpayers' money. It takes the politics out of the process. It provides for expedited review and up-or-down consideration of the commission's recommendations, just like the BRAC process. Congress would have the opportunity to disapprove of the committee's recommendations en bloc only, not in piecemeal, which is ensuring that politics will be removed from this process. It provides for a one-time appropriation of $82 million to fully offset from the GSA's building and acquisition amount, after which proceeds from the sale will be used to repay the Treasury.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. I rise today in support of the conference report for the FAA Modernization Reform Act of 2012. This is a very good bipartisan, bicameral conference report. I want to congratulate Chairman Mica, Ranking Member Rahall, Chairman Petri, and a special congratulations and thanks to Ranking Member Costello for years of service here. It's been a pleasure serving with you, and I wish you the best as you ride off into the sunset, but I'm sure you'll be doing great things in the future. So, again, thanks for all your hard work in your years here in Congress. Mr. Speaker, the Modernization and Reform Act does not raise taxes or passenger facility charges. It holds spending levels through 2015 at $63 billion over the 4 years, and it does not add to the deficit, which I'm very pleased to see. It provides long-term stability for the FAA and the aviation industry, which is a certainty in that transportation sector that has sorely been missing in the economy. So we believe it's going to create and sustain good-paying jobs. It accelerates and requires accountability for the deployment of NextGen, the FAA's air traffic control modernization program, which we need in order to be able to more efficiently manage the skies above us. It provides for unprecedented reforms of the National Mediation Board. While I'm disappointed that we were unable to include the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme prohibition language, we will continue to pursue the passage of that bill. I think it's something we really need to focus on here in Congress before the taxes are starting to be collected and do great damage and harm to our aviation and airline industry. This is a responsible and much-needed conference report. Therefore, I urge all Members to vote to pass the conference report for the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. It is my privilege today to celebrate the life and mourn the passing of Donald Schneider, a pioneer who transformed the transportation industry through his ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit. Mr. Schneider, who was chairman emeritus and former president of Schneider National, ran one of the Nation's largest trucking companies with over 12,500 tractors, 35,000 trailers, and thousands and thousands of employees. Some of you may recognize those trucks painted in a distinct shade of orange that travel the highways and byways of America. Mr. Schneider was a hardworking man who began his career driving a truck and as a mechanic's assistant at age 18 in his family's business. He served in Korea, went to the Wharton School of Business in Philadelphia, and began working in the family business in 1961. Over three decades, Mr. Schneider expanded his fleet substantially, using modern management techniques and acquisition of regional companies to grow his business. Again, his leadership pushed Schneider National to one of the largest trucking companies in America and, of course, one of the most successful, especially after the deregulation which occurred in 1980. Donald Schneider was a great man who never lost his common touch. He insisted on being called by his first name and, in a 1970 interview, was quoted as saying: My job is important, but not as important as the driver or the people in the service center. That's how he grew his business--caring about the common man, caring about the customer, and growing his business into one of the great businesses in America. Mr. Schneider was a man who served with a true servant's heart, and America has been enriched by his service to this country. I invite all Americans to join me in celebrating his life.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to rise today to recognize Mr. Donald Schneider, a pioneer who transformed the transportation industry as we know it. I am pleased to have the opportunity to call attention to his service and his remarkable story of American entrepreneurship and ingenuity. Mr. Schneider, chairman emeritus and former president of Schneider National, Inc., ran one of the nation's largest truckload carriers with nearly 12,500 tractors and 35,000 trailers, all painted in a distinct shade of orange. You may have seen his trucks driving down our great national highways, hauling goods from coast to coast. Behind these trucks was a stellar businessman who leveraged new technologies and innovations to grow his company into one of the most successful, recognizable, and respected transportation and logistics companies in North America. In the process, an industry was transformed and millions of Americans benefited from his life's work without them even realizing. Mr. Schneider was a hard working man who began as a mechanic's assistant and truck driver at the age of 18. He graduated from St. Norbert College with an undergraduate degree in business and married his wife Pat in 1957. After serving a 13 month military tour of duty in Korea, Schneider graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton Business School, then began to work in his father's trucking business in 1961, fusing his passion for trucking with a keen business sense. Over the next three decades, Mr. Schneider expanded his fleet substantially, using modern management techniques and acquisition of regional trucking companies to grow his business. Under Mr. Schneider's leadership, Schneider National was one of only a few pre-deregulation truckload carriers that survived and flourished after the Motor Carrier Act of 1980. Later in that same decade, his company even began to install satellite communication in trucks. By allowing companies to track their trucks in real time, consumers benefitted from faster package deliveries and just-in-time inventory management. His company's entrance into the logistics business in 1993 heralded a new frontier in trucking by enhancing the ability of companies to manage time-sensitive deliveries and inventories. Meanwhile, his use of standard-sized trailers that could run over the road and ride on railroad flatcars--known as intermodal transportation--established partnerships with the railroads and was followed by all others in the industry. Now, it is unimaginable how the trucking industry ever fared without Mr. Schneider's visionary ways. Though Mr. Schneider was a great man, he never lost his common touch. He insisted on being called by his first name, and was a community philanthropist who was active in several charities. In a 1997 interview, he was quoted as saying, ``My job is important, but it's no more important than the driver or the people in the service center.'' Mr. Schneider was a man who had a true servant's heart, and America has been enriched by his service to this country. His entrepreneurial spirit will endure not only in his company's orange trucks and trailers, but in the homes of countless Americans who have benefitted from his innovations. I invite the American people to join me in celebrating his life.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, as the Co-Chairman of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, I rise today to join with the people of Azerbaijan to commemorate the tragic events of ``Black January.'' On January 19, 1990, approximately 26,000 Soviet troops stormed Azerbaijan's capital city of Baku in tanks and armored vehicles. That night, the Soviet military bulldozed innocent Azeris and opened indiscriminate fire on peaceful demonstrators, including women and children. According to Azerbaijani sources, as a result of these merciless acts 131 people were killed, 611 were injured, 841 were arrested, and 5 went missing. The Human Rights Watch report ``Black January in Azerbaijan'' states that ``among the most heinous violations of human rights during the Baku incursion were the numerous attacks on medical personnel, ambulances, and even hospitals.'' The report concludes that the violence used by the Soviet Army constituted an exercise in collective punishment and that the punishment inflicted on Baku by Soviet soldiers may have been intended as a warning to nationalists, not only in Azerbaijan, but in other Republics of the Soviet Union. In their honor, every January 20, thousands gather in Martyr's Cemetery in Baku to honor the dead and the nation's commitment to independence and freedom. In doing so, it is clear the victims of ``Black January'' did not perish in vain. Far from crushing the spirit of Azeris, the atrocities of Black January instead consolidated the rising independence movements in the country and united the Azerbaijani nation in its quest for freedom. Today, Azerbaijan is a critical and strategic ally of the United States and is preparing to celebrate 20 years of diplomatic relations with the United States. It is my honor to thank the Azerbaijani people for their friendship and to offer my thoughts and prayers to the families of those who gave their lives for the independence of Azerbaijan. I encourage my colleagues to visit the very moving memorial to Black January in Baku that honors the memories of those killed in these attacks by the Soviet military and to join with me today in standing with Azerbaijanis as they commemorate this tragedy.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Slovak Explosive Ordinance Disposal, EOD, Maj. Roland Bartakovics and the entire Slovak EOD team for their role in resisting an assault by armed insurgents on Camp Nathan Smith in Kandahar. I would like to recognize the Slovaks for their bravery during a failed enemy attack on the base. The camp in Kandahar, which houses the Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team, KPRT, was attacked by four armed insurgents with rocket-propelled grenades and small fire arms. The attack lasted nearly 11 hours, and was ended by the Afghan National Police supported by coalition forces, including the Slovak EOD team. Thanks to the determined professionalism of the Slovak unit, at no point did the attackers gain access to the compound. I would like to offer my condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and injured during the attack. The heroic leadership of the entire Slovak unit will forever be remembered. Their service and dedication has brought great pride to their nation, families and communities. Echoed throughout Afghanistan, the KPRT reflects a productive civilian-military partnership. The United States stands with the Afghan people and their government in pursuing the mutual goal of a stable and prosperous Afghanistan. The United States owes a great debt of gratitude to Maj. Roland Bartakovics and the entire Slovak EOD team for putting themselves in harm's way in the pursuit of freedom.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Madam Speaker, I send to the desk a concurrent resolution and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career and mark the retirement of Blair County Commissioner Donna Gority. Donna is a friend and colleague whose work has left an indelible mark on her community. It has been an honor to work with her over her extensive career in the Commissioner's office to help improve the lives of our shared constituents. I join many other local elected officials, friends and neighbors in wishing her well in her retirement. It is difficult to fit in all of the things Donna has accomplished over her 28 years in public office. First and foremost, Donna has the distinction of serving as the first female member of the Blair County Board of Commissioners. Donna has long been known for being a champion for children and health and human services issues throughout the county. Over her time in office, Donna developed a track record as a strong advocate for funding the county's Human Services Office, which provides support for homeless families and juvenile delinquency prevention. In addition, Donna has been deeply involved in a program that is also very important to me: Operation Our Town in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Operation Our Town is a successful partnership between businesses and communities throughout Central Pennsylvania whose mission is to rid neighborhoods of drugs and drug-related violent crime. Operation Our Town completes its mission through community policing and proven treatment and prevention techniques. I am proud to have had her as an ally in applying Operation Our Town's techniques to Altoona. Donna has been the recipient of a number of awards over her career. She was recognized as part of the ``Outstanding Young Women in America'' in 1978, was named Boss of the Year in 1986 by the American Business Women's Association, won the President's Award by the County Commissioner's Association of Pennsylvania in 1994, received the Leadership Award from the Blair County NAACP in 2003 and the Lifetime Achievement Award this year by Blair Countians for Drug Free Communities. Again, these are but a few of her accomplishments. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Donna Gority on her successful 28 years in public office and wish her well in her retirement. She will leave Blair County's government and the people it represents in better shape than when she found it. In the end, I believe that should be the goal of every public servant. Without question, Donna accomplished that goal.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise today in support of the Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act, which I introduced earlier this year in honor of the 10th anniversary of September 11. I represent Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the area where Flight 93 went down, and, more importantly, where the first counterattack of the war on terror occurred. It has been an honor for me to work closely with the Families of Flight 93 over the years on key initiatives, including funding the Flight 93 National Memorial and awarding the 9/11 heroes a Congressional Gold Medal. The Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act would award one collective Congressional Gold Medal to honor the heroes that perished on 9/11, to be displayed at each memorial site--the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York, and the Pentagon Memorial. The tragic deaths at the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, and in rural Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, have forever changed our Nation. The officers, emergency workers, and other employees of State and local government agencies, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and of the United States Government and others, who responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and perished as a result of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, took heroic and noble action on that day. The officers, emergency rescue workers and employees of local and United States Government agencies who responded to the attack on the Pentagon and Washington took heroic and noble action to evacuate the premises and prevent further casualties of the Pentagon employees. And the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93, recognizing the imminent danger that the aircraft that they had boarded posed to large numbers of innocent men, women, and children, American institutions, and the symbols of American democracy, took heroic and noble action to ensure that that aircraft could not be used as a weapon. Given the unprecedented nature of the attacks against the United States of America and the need to properly demonstrate the support of the country for those who lost their lives to terrorism, it is fitting that their sacrifice be recognized with the award of an appropriate medal. Awarding this medal would give Congress and the American people an opportunity to further pay tribute and honor the heroic men and women that lost their lives that day. There would be no better gift this holiday season to those who lost loved ones than passing this bill and officially recognizing those that lost their lives that fateful day. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this bill, the Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act, and I want to thank the over 350 Members I believe it was that signed on to this bill to make it possible that we're here today, going to pass this and hopefully send it to the President.

Mr. SHUSTER

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This important legislation improves safety, enhances reliability, and provides the regulatory certainty necessary to create jobs. I am very proud of the work that has gone into this bill, both across the aisle and between the committees. This legislation represents a bipartisan and bicameral agreement reached by the House Transportation Committee, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. I am also proud this legislation is supported by both the pipeline industry and key safety advocates. The United States has the largest network of energy pipelines in the world, and pipelines are the energy lifelines that power nearly all of our daily activities. The hallmark of America's 2.5 million-mile pipeline network continues to be that it delivers extraordinary volumes of product reliably, safely, efficiently, and economically. Pipelines are the safest and the most cost-effective means to transport the natural gas and hazardous liquid products that fuel our economy. Since 1986, the volume of energy products transported through pipelines has increased by one-third, yet the number of reportable incidents has decreased by 28 percent. While the data show that Federal pipeline safety programs have been on the right track, recent pipeline incidents suggest there continues to be room for improvement. H.R. 2845 builds on our strong commitment to the improved safety and enhanced reliability of the transportation of our Nation's energy products by pipeline. Specifically, the legislation reauthorizes the Federal pipeline safety programs of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration through FY 2015. It improves pipeline transportation by strengthening the enforcement of our current laws and by filling gaps in existing laws where necessary. It provides the regulatory certainty necessary for pipeline owners and operators to plan infrastructure investments and create jobs. It ensures a sensible and practical regulatory approach to improving safety that applies cost-benefit principles. It protects and preserves congressional authority, keeping regulators on a tight leash by ensuring certain key rulemakings are not finalized until Congress has an opportunity to act. It addresses National Transportation Safety Board recommendations resulting from recent pipeline incidents with balanced and reasonable responses, including addressing the incidents in California, Michigan, Montana, and Pennsylvania. There are a few key priority issues I want to highlight in this legislation. During my time in Congress, I've been disappointed to see the executive branch and unelected bureaucrats attempt to take more and more control and decisionmaking authority from Congress. These actions harm Congress as an institution and make our government further and further removed from the American people. In this bill, when we call for substantial changes to the Federal pipeline safety program, we ask the administration to consider specific factors, take into account costs and benefits, and provide Congress with recommendations on how the programs should be changed. Congress will then have an opportunity to act on those recommendations before key rulemakings are finalized. This approach preserves congressional authority and will keep regulators from overreaching. Another issue I've highlighted on the floor in the past is damage prevention, which is the leading cause of pipeline incidents. Our legislation improves pipeline damage prevention and cracks down on third-party pipeline damage by eliminating unnecessary exemptions. At this time I would also like to urge everybody to call before you dig and to dial 8-1-1, which is an extremely important part of this program in preventing third-party damage in this country. In field hearings leading up to the drafting of this legislation, my colleague from Pennsylvania, Jim Gerlach, suggested ways in which we could use State and local government personnel as force multipliers to supplement Federal pipeline safety inspectors. We have built on this idea. In this bill, we have included a provision that will allow PHMSA to provide training to State and local government personnel and to potentially establish regional training centers paid for by the pipeline industry at no cost to the Federal Government. There is great interest in this unique and permissive approach in my home State of Pennsylvania, and I will closely be following the implementation of these provisions. I was deeply disappointed that language I had included in our committee's version of this legislation regarding pipeline permitting issues was not included in the final bill. We have big issues with the Army Corps of Engineers in Pennsylvania in the permitting of pipes. The Corps is encroaching on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and it has led to significant increases in permitting timelines for projects with limited environmental impacts. My colleague from West Virginia, Mr. Rahall, has experienced similar issues in his home State, all related to the Marcellus shale gas. In the interest of compromise and of moving this legislation forward, I was willing to withdraw my language and settle on a study on this critical issue, but I will continue to monitor this issue closely in Pennsylvania and across the United States. I am proud of this bill and of the hard work that Chairman Mica, Ranking Member Rahall, Subcommittee Ranking Member Brown, and the staffs have put in on both sides of the aisle. I would especially like to point out Jim Tymon and Steve Martinko, who have logged countless hours in helping to move this bill forward. I also want to thank the Energy and Commerce Committee, Chairman Fred Upton and Ranking Member Waxman, and their staffs for their efforts. Our legislation makes a strong program even stronger by keeping in place regulatory measures that are working and by making adjustments to those that don't. I would urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation that increases safety and creates jobs. With that, I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Washington, DC, November 22, 2011. Hon. John L. Mica, Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Mica: I am writing to you concerning the jurisdictional interest of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in H.R. 2845, the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011. The bill contains provisions that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, including those amending Section 12 of the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 (49 U.S.C. 60101 Note; Public Law 107-355). I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this legislation before the House of Representatives in an expeditious manner, and accordingly, I will waive further consideration of this bill in Committee. This, of course, being conditional on our mutual understanding that language negotiated with the Science, Space, and Technology Committee will be included in this or similar legislation considered on the House floor. However, agreeing to waive consideration of this bill should not be construed as waiving, reducing, or affecting the jurisdiction of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Additionally, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology expressly reserves its authority to seek conferees on any provision within its jurisdiction during any House- Senate conference that may be convened on this, or any similar legislation. I ask for your commitment to support any request by the Committee for conferees on H.R. 2845 as well as any similar or related legislation. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for the positive outcome of the negotiation between our Committees resulting in provisions that seek to ensure a continued positive role for the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the area of pipeline transportation research and development. I ask that a copy of this letter and your response be included in the report on H.R. 2845 and also be placed in the Congressional Record during consideration of this bill on the House floor. I look forward to working with you on matters of mutual concern. Sincerely, Ralph M. Hall, Chairman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Enclosure.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I want to associate myself with the words of the gentleman from Washington. He is really one of the experts in Congress when it comes to pipeline safety, and it has been my pleasure to work with him on this bill. As I said earlier, I'm very, very proud of the work that's gone into this bill on both sides of the aisle. This truly is a bipartisan agreement and a bicameral agreement, and I think we can all be proud of the product we've produced and look forward to it being passed into law, because pipelines are the safest way to move the gas and the hazardous products that this Nation needs to fuel the economy. And this important legislation does improve safety. It enhances the reliability and provides the regulatory certainty so that the owners and operators of pipelines will make the investments in their systems that will create jobs across America. So I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 2845; and with that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER. I have no further speakers; so I will continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 8 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica), the distinguished chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee.

Mr. SHUSTER. I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, at this time I would like to just note in the legislation, section 6 of H.R. 2845 includes a requirement that the Secretary of Transportation provide a person, upon written request, a copy of a pipeline company's response plan. I think it's important to note and point out to my colleagues that these plans often contain security-sensitive information about pipelines' operating characteristics. If this information fell into the wrong hands, it could be a real threat to public safety. In recognition of this threat, we've included a provision that directs the Secretary to redact security-sensitive information. It is my hope that the Secretary ensures that no security-sensitive information is released to the public; and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will aggressively oversee the implementation of this provision to ensure that it is being implemented according to congressional intent. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 2845.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton), the distinguished chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. SHUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2845) to amend title 49, United States Code, to provide for enhanced safety and environmental protection in pipeline transportation, to provide for enhanced reliability in the transportation of the Nation's energy products by pipeline, and for other purposes, as amended.