Jean Schmidt

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of and in tribute to, a great American hero from my district in Ohio, Neil Armstrong. As humble as the day is long, his life of courage and exploration will live on. I submit this poem penned in his honor, by Albert Caswell ``To Such New Heights.'' To Such New Heights To . . . To Such New Heights! All in your most courageous humble life, Neil, as you have soared! All up upon your most heroic course, as you so set forth to take flight! As none before had done! To higher places, to where such souls of honor now so grace us . . . So grace us with but all of their courage all the more, to so take flight and move onward so boldly forth! Ah, to walk upon the moon! To far off and most distant shores! As have you so come and gone, but to so cast out your most brilliant light as formed! To so bless our world, all with exploration's golden glow in sight so very warm! To such places, where such fine hearts of honor so ignite us, and so await us to so live on! As Neil you were off! All in what your most heroic life to us has taught! As to our world what you have so brought! As we so look back now all in such awe, as we so reflect upon what we so saw! As You So Soared! To Such New Heights as none had done so before . . . All for Women and Mankind's very futures to so insure! `Ah, to walk upon the moon! As you were gone! Upward and onward, so far . . . far . . . and beyond, all now so etched in history living on! To Soar! All in explorations quest which so lies before! `Ah, To walk upon the moon! `Ah, a dream as old as Mankind from out of the womb . . . ``That's one step for man, one giant leap for Mankind!'' Creating such a Buzz, as Collins your safe return home so ensured . . . As out to all hearts you would so implore! And as a freedom fighter who, for all of us so fought for! His parent's pride, a loving husband at his wife's side, his children's hero and delight as so adored . . . And a Patriot for America and in The United States Air Force, who so fought in The Korean War! Not The Forgotten One for sure! And as a test pilot, but living all out on that very edge! That edge of death, where so many of your magnificent brothers lives where so lost and pledged! Who with their courage and sacrifice our nation so blessed! And to space that final frontier . . . And back and forth all in what was so said here! As ever in your life Neil, To Such New Heights as you have so sped and pioneered! To Such New Frontiers! Armed with but only your most uncommon heart of valor, that which so led all without fear! `Ah, to walk upon the moon! Was but something that within Mankind you said, that which you so said so makes them so strive for . . . As you were as humble as the day was long, as you would never bath in the celebrity of the moonlight's sweet song! Moving quietly forth, all with your heart and soul, body and mind, and ARMSTRONG! As now ever my son you shall so live on . . . With names like Columbus and Marco Polo, all in search of discovery as born . . . All because of where your fine heart has come and gone! To New Such Heights, to such places where only magnificent men and women of honor, so belong! So belong! As to this very day so way up there, but lie still your footsteps upon that moon once so formed! As in my heart your words, I can so hear now so living on! ``That's one step for man, and one giant leap for Mankind''. . . all in that moment as was so born! For as long as America has but such blessed son's! And daughters as these ones! Who to her, will so give their most heroic hearts and souls to discovery to run! Who, so selflessly do what must so be done! All in that quest To But Be The Best, To Such New Heights as won . . . Then, To Such New Heights we will all so come! So Soar! As upon this earth Neil, your time with us has so brought forth! And so taken us, To Such New Heights and New Frontiers, that which to you so soared! With your heart and soul, body and mind, and ARMSTRONG all the more! `Ah, but to walk upon that moon!

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Thank you, Congressman Tiberi, my great friend from central Ohio. I just want to say a few things today. First, I want to say good-bye, not just to this Chamber, but to the good friends who are leaving with me. Betty Sutton from northern Ohio. You know, politically we disagree just about on everything, but we also have something very common together: softball. She, like I, joined an all-female softball team. She's a good player. She can actually throw the ball from third to first without having it hop in between. And her tenacity helped us not lose as readily as we usually do when we play the women of the press. Betty has fought tirelessly for her district. She has represented it well, and she will be missed. Dennis Kucinich. You know, a lot has been said about Dennis. He is a man of conviction, and he's a man who's not afraid to be a voice in the wilderness. And all too often we don't agree with Dennis, but we always understand where his passion comes from, and it comes from his deep faith and the fact that he really believes in America, just as the rest of us do. But on a personal note, Dennis has become a good friend of mine. We share a deep conviction about obesity in our Nation and ways to conquer it. Who knows, maybe on the outside we will work together to try to find solutions to that. To Steve Austria, who just stood at this podium, I got to know Steve in the State legislature. While we didn't really work together on bills, we actually went to Arizona to watch Ohio State win its national championship. It was there that I really got to know Steve and his wife on a personal level. It was there that he shared with me his dream to one day serve in this Congress, and I'm so glad he was able to let that dream come true. To my good friend, Steve LaTourette, you know, when you come as a special election, you don't get this orientation that people get when they come as a class. You get elected and you're thrown on the floor and you're there to vote. I was put on his committee called Transportation, and I didn't know a whole lot about it, but Steve LaTourette shepherded me through it; and not just on that, on other issues critical to Ohio and critical to our Nation. He gave me great advice. He was a wonderful mentor, and he will be missed in this body. I don't know whether this is going to be my good-bye speech or not, but I just want to say what an honor it has been to serve in Congress. I came from a background where I truly represent the American Dream. My father grew up in poverty. He didn't have an education, but he believed in himself and he believed in hard work. And he married a woman with a college education--unheard of for a man of that background--and together they instilled in me a couple of really wonderful values. The first is to love God. The second is to love your country. The third is to believe in yourself because we are Americans, and as Americans, we cannot just dream something but work hard to make that a reality. I never thought that I would serve in this wonderful body, but through a special election, I was able to come here, and it has been a privilege to represent the Second District of Ohio. I truly believe it is the best district in the Nation because of its diversity. One of the communities I represent is one of the wealthiest in the country. Several others are the poorest in the country. But the fabric that weaves through the Ohio River Valley is one that shows me that these people, whether they are rich or poor, are deep, loving people of not just America but of our God. We are a community that believes in the sanctity of life. We are a community that believes in the right to carry. We are a community that believes in fiscal responsibility. And it was easy for me to carry that message here because, like so many people in the Second Congressional District, I believe in those things, too. Parting is sweet sorrow. Nobody knows what tomorrow will bring, but I can tell you this: Tomorrow there will be people here championing the cause of America and the American spirit, and I only hope that we are blessed as a Nation to continue to be the beacon of hope and freedom in the world. Toward that end, I wish all of my departing Members and all of those coming in and all of those that are remaining, Godspeed. God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Ohio High School Athletic Association's 2012 Division I State football champions, the Moeller Crusaders. Last Saturday, the Crusaders, led by Head Coach John Rodenberg, defeated Toledo Whitmer 20-12 to capture Moeller's eighth State football championship title. Archbishop Moeller High School, a Catholic institution in the Marianist tradition, currently has a student enrollment of 925 outstanding young men. Since its inception in 1960, Moeller High School has earned itself a well-deserved reputation for promoting both academic excellence and athletic prowess. Under their very first coach, Gerry Faust, who later went on to coach for Notre Dame, the Crusaders compiled a record of 178 wins, 23 losses, and two ties, while winning four national football championships, five State football championships, and enjoying seven undefeated seasons. One of Coach Faust's most favorite players was our very own John Boehner. Speaker Boehner played as a linebacker for the Crusaders. Following Coach Faust's tenure at the helm, the Crusaders have won three additional State championships, including the one last weekend in front of a crowd of 8,834 people at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio. So to the Moeller High School football players, coaching staff, parents, student body, school administrators, teachers, faculty members, and fans, I offer you my heartfelt congratulations on this auspicious occasion of winning your eighth State championship. God bless you. God bless the Moeller Crusaders. God bless the men of Moeller. Take care. Go Crusaders!

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of my constituents, Mr. Ronald Morrison. Mr. Morrison has dedicated an incredible 50 years of his life to his community and, specifically, to the Felicity-Franklin Fire Department, located in Clermont County, Ohio. Mr. Morrison began his tenure with the Felicity-Franklin Fire Department in 1962 as a firefighter and engineer. For 25 years he served as Assistant Fire Chief, followed by five years as Fire Chief. Despite retiring from his job at the American Laundry Machine Company, Mr. Morrison has remained an active volunteer member of the Felicity-Franklin Fire Department, where he currently serves as a primary engineer. Mr. Morrison's dedicated service to his community has undoubtedly made the Village of Felicity, Franklin Township, and Clermont County, Ohio a safer place to live, work, and play. He serves as a role model to his friends and neighbors and is undeniably deserving of the praise he receives. He is the epitome of public service. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring and thanking Mr. Ronald Morrison for his unwavering commitment to his community and to the Felicity-Franklin Fire Department.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. I am honored today to have Reverend Ken Johnson as our guest chaplain. Too often, we don't recognize true heroes among us. But I want to tell you the story of Ken Johnson and Phil Fulton, two pastors in Adams County. You see, they believed that our students and our Nation need to understand the morals of our country. And the best example of that is the Ten Commandments. So they went out and they gathered money together--not public money, but donations--to put the Ten Commandments monuments on the steps of each of the four high schools in Adams County, one of the poorest counties in Ohio. The courts didn't like it. So they gathered more money and put up four more monuments. The Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, the preamble to the Constitution, and the Justinian Code. But again, the courts didn't like it. And they lost the fight nearly 10 years ago at the U.S. Supreme Court. But the neighborhood rallied behind these two men and their efforts by taking those Ten Commandments when they were removed from public property and putting them directly across the street on private property. But the momentum swelled because throughout the Nation, people understood the courage of these two men. And so hundreds of thousands of yard signs were in each and every State in the Union, proclaiming that we should acknowledge the Ten Commandments and that they have a right to be placed on public property. Phil Fulton and Reverend Ken Johnson didn't realize where their journey would lead. But I am proud to know both gentlemen, and I am proud today to have Ken Johnson here with his wife, Doris, whom he met on a mission trip to the Philippines, and their son Joshua. They also have two other children, Matthew and Mary. Ken Johnson was born in southern Ohio, right in Adams County, and he has lived there his entire life. He became a pastor in 1978, and he has been pastoring ever since. Thank you for your courage, Reverend Johnson, and God bless you and the United States of America.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize that 225 years ago the Continental Congress of the United States enacted the Northwest Ordinance, which in 1787 established a system of government that made the territory north and west of the Ohio River the first commonwealth in the world whose organic law recognized every man as free and equal. Encompassing 265,878 square miles, the Northwest Territory included the future states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and part of Minnesota. In addition to prohibiting slavery, the Northwest Ordinance guaranteed religious freedom and civil rights throughout the territory. This federal mandate preceded by several years the Bill of Rights--the first 10 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The Northwest Ordinance was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 13, 1787. The Continental Congress appointed Arthur St. Clair the first governor of the Northwest Territory on October 5, 1787. Governor St. Clair was based in Losantiville, a town he renamed Cincinnati on January 4, 1790. The first delegate of the Northwest Territory to the U.S. House of Representatives was William Henry Harrison of Hamilton County, who served from March 4, 1799, to May 14, 1800. He successfully promoted the Harrison Land Act, which allowed people of modest means to buy land in the Northwest Territory directly from the federal government. This contributed to the rapid growth in Ohio's population. The Northwest Ordinance established a process for new states to join the Union, and in 1803 Ohio became the first state formed out of the Northwest Territory. The Northwest Ordinance also established the township form of government, which continues to be favored by many local communities in Ohio. Mr. Speaker, Ohioans appreciate their state's history and their heritage of equality under the law. Today, I want to recognize the 225th anniversary of the adoption of the Northwest Ordinance, which resulted in the great state of Ohio and ensured liberty for all its residents.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Thank you for giving me 1 minute. I do want to celebrate the 20th anniversary, and I want to celebrate three pro-life advocates in my own hometown. The first is Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, who has been unequivocally in the forefront of this movement. I have stood with Archbishop Schnurr in front of Planned Parenthood of Greater Cincinnati praying the rosary. I have walked with him in the Cross the Bridge for Life. I've watched him get on a bus with schoolchildren and come up here to Washington for the March for Life. Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Binzer is another pro-life advocate who has walked the walk and talked the talk. And most importantly, my own parish priest, Father Michael Cordier, who again has come up here to Washington with a group of students from St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and St. Andrew to March for Life, but most importantly in his own personal life has witnessed his brother and his sister-in-law with a very challenged girl, Sophia Cordier, who not only exemplified what the meaning of life is, but as she passed into her eternal reward earlier this year, has become an emblematic portion of the right-to-life movement in greater Cincinnati.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. You know, I have heard a lot of debate back and forth, but my friends, this is not about ending abortion. Oh, how I wish it was. This is about ending late-term abortions in the District of Columbia because of the cruel way that those babies are terminated. The dismemberment, the pain that is caused by those little innocent babies, is contrary to what the Founders of our Constitution wanted for our Nation. That's what this act is about. We have the right and the authority, because of the Constitution, to do this, to end this very barbaric procedure, and that's why we need to pass this legislation.

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, first in response to the good gentleman from the other side, article I, section 8, clause 17, called the District Clause, gives us authority for this bill. But I really want to point out why this bill is so important. One of the things that upsets a great deal of Americans--in fact, over 60 percent of all Americans, 70 percent of women--is when a baby experiences pain. And when you ask Americans about abortions and a baby feeling pain with an abortion, well over 60 percent say they do not want that abortion. The kind of abortions that are occurring are occurring up until the point of where a child can actually come out normally, after 9 months' gestation. And it's called a D&E, or a dilation and extraction. It is a painful procedure that requires dismemberment of the unborn child and the crushing of its head. We know that as early as 20 weeks--maybe even as early as 8 weeks--an unborn child feels pain. We know it is at 20 weeks. Now, there is a question of 8 weeks. And yet at 9 months, this very normal child inside of a body is feeling pain. This is why we are going to ask Congress to stop this horrific act.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 200th anniversary of a village that sits quietly on the banks of the Ohio River: Ripley, Ohio. James Poage settled on 1,000 acres there in 1804, not yet aware of all the natural advantages that the mighty Ohio River and its nearby creeks would provide. Soon after, Poage and his family would name the town Staunton. But in 1816, it was renamed Ripley--after an American officer of the War of 1812, General Eleazar Wheelock Ripley. General Ripley would later serve as a member of Congress. Ripley might be best known these days as the site of the annual Ohio Tobacco Festival, but those who know Ripley's history understand the importance that this little town played in the fight against slavery. Mr. Speaker, many of the early residents of Ripley shared a hatred of slavery, understanding that all men are created equal. Some risked their lives and property in ferrying enslaved people across the Ohio River to freedom in the North. Threats were made against compassionate and courageous villagers such as the Rev. John Rankin and the inventor/entrepreneur John Parker (a former slave), but the words and actions of these members of the Underground Railroad established Ripley's reputation as a lighthouse of liberty. Ripley's charm is evident in its many stately homes, delightful restaurants, and interesting antique stores, but fascinating tourist attractions such as the Rankin House State Memorial museum and the John P. Parker Museum are the true legacy of this village. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 200th anniversary of the remarkable village of Ripley, Ohio, and I hope they also will join me in commending this community for its historic role in the battle against the sin of slavery.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the oldest standing church in Cincinnati, which is appropriately named Old St. Mary's. The church, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was dedicated to God 170 years ago this month, on July 3, 1842. It was originally called St. Marien Kirche. Many of the parishioners were German immigrants who lived northwest of the Miami & Erie Canal, in a neighborhood called Over-the-Rhine. Parishioners who were master craftsmen built the church at the intersection of 13th and Clay streets. The cornerstone was laid on March 25, 1841--the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The clock tower of Old St. Mary's rises 170 feet, and it is the oldest in Cincinnati. The interior features hand-carved wooden statues, marvelous stained glass, and magnificent oil paintings, making the church one of the most beautiful in the city. My parents, Jeannette and Gus Hoffman, often attended worship services at Old St. Mary's. Peter Schmidt and I were married there, and our daughter, Emilie, was baptized there. Today, Over-the-Rhine is a thriving multicultural neighborhood, and Old St. Mary's has embraced this diversity. On March 25, 1988, parishioners established the Mary Magdalen House to help the poor and homeless. This nonprofit provides a place for needy people to shower, shave, and have their clothes laundered. In 2001, to help disadvantaged youths become community leaders, the pastor of Old St. Mary's opened the St. Peter Claver Latin School for Boys. The late Father Albert Lauer envisioned the school as the cornerstone for renewal of the neighborhood. St. Peter Claver was officially recognized this month as the 114th Catholic school of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Mr. Speaker, Cincinnatians appreciate their city's history and their own heritage. Many Catholics of German ancestry who live in distant neighborhoods travel to Over-the-Rhine to worship at Old St. Mary's. Sunday Mass is still offered in German--as well as in Latin and English. Today, I want to celebrate the 170th anniversary of Old St. Mary's. I applaud the Cincinnatians who have ensured that this landmark remains relevant to Over-the-Rhine. It is my hope that the church will continue to uplift the city's residents--in body and soul.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, in honor and in remembrance of all of our Armed Forces and their families on this Independence Day, who are fighting and have fallen, and are recovering from the scars of war. I ask that this poem penned by Albert Caswell be placed in the Record. Independence Day Independence . . . Remembering our Forefathers Declaration of Independence, they! Remember to so kneel and pray! For all of those, and they . . . who now so fight so far away! And what they so give, so gave! As we so awake . . . All in the happiness and that glory of this day! That which freedom does so all of us so bathe! All on this holiday! Our Nation's Birthday! As that old Red, White and Blue so waves! All in our Independence that they so give, that they so gave! For all of those magnificents, who now so lie in such cold dark quiet graves! Whose families great pain shall not ever so wave! ``Oh say can you see'' on this day! ``By the dawn's early light'', all of those soft cold quiet graves! As you so wipe your tears away! This Independence Day! Remember all of those and they, who are without their families, gone! And all of those who come home from war, without arms and legs who must now so courageously live on! To teach us where courage is born! And all of those with the unseen scars of war, that which now so form! All over there, where the battle now so rages on! ``With the bombs bursting in air''. . . ``And the rockets red glare!'' Which gives proof through the night, of that courage they wear! Who all for us so fight, and so die over there! As this Independence Day, as you hold your families oh so very close! And all of those picnics and family gatherings you so host! And so watch those fire works, explode! Remember the grave cost and toll of all of those living so close! And selfless sacrifice that which they fine hearts so host! All for us who so pay the most! God Bless Them All! This Independence Day, remember what they give and gave! Let us we pray! Amen!

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate President Ma Ying-jeou on his re-election to the presidency of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and to wish him well on the auspicious occasion of his second inauguration on May 20, 2012. I also wish to congratulate the Taiwanese people for the peaceful presidential and parliamentary elections in which they participated on January 14, 2012. The openness, fairness, and transparency with which they conducted their elections are the traditional hallmarks of a mature and democratic country. Taiwan stands as a beacon of freedom and liberty in East Asia. As one of our closest and most trusted friends in the world, it is my most sincere hope that we never lose sight of our responsibilities to Taiwan under the Taiwanese Relations Act and, additionally, that we always look to the Six Assurances as the proper set of guidelines by which we conduct ourselves in all diplomatic matters relating to the Republic of China. Again, I wish to express my most heartfelt congratulations to both President Ma and to the Taiwanese people.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the third anniversary of the end of the civil war in Sri Lanka. Although the war ended on May 19, 2009, 90,000 Tamil war widows in the north and east continue to struggle to resume their lives without their husbands. Many have not been able to return to their original homes and must cope with disabilities, both their own and their children's, caused by shelling and the lack of medicine and intentional starvation at the end of the war. They have returned to a devastated land in which there is little remaining infrastructure and few jobs and which is occupied by a military force whose soldiers do not speak their language. Making a return to normal life even more difficult is the lack of accountability for their husbands' deaths and the horrors these women and their children underwent at the end of the war, including physical, sexual, and gender-based violence. Sri Lanka's Lessons Learned and Reconciliation Commission did not adequately deal with accountability by its armed forces. At its March, 2012 session, the U.N. Human Rights Council called on Sri Lanka to ``take all necessary additional steps to fulfill its relevant legal obligations and commitment to initiate credible and independent actions to ensure justice, equity, accountability and reconciliation for all Sri Lankans.'' If Sri Lanka does not take up this task immediately, there must be international action to provide accountability. This is why, Mr. Speaker, I am a co-sponsor of H. Res. 177, which calls for an international investigation into what occurred in Sri Lanka at the end of its civil war. I urge all my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4970, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012. And I would like to commend my good friend, Mrs. Adams from Florida, for spearheading this reauthorization. Mrs. Adams is a former law enforcement officer and knows the effects of domestic violence all too well and the chronic problems that we are faced with in this country. We've all heard the statistics. The following are directly from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence: One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime; The health-related costs of intimate partner violence equals at least $5.8 billion annually; One in six women and one in 33 men have experienced an attempted or completed rape. Men aren't immune from this either; Thirty to 60 percent of perpetrators of intimate partner violence also abuse the children in the household; Domestic violence is one of the most chronically underreported crimes, for good reason. These are difficult statistics, Madam Speaker, and they are certainly not easy to think about, but that's the reality we face in America. H.R. 4970 goes a long way to help the victims, their families, and law enforcement in working to lower those statistics by providing authorization for 5 years, enough time for agencies and departments to make plans and programs, as well as carry them through. Penalties for sexual assault and abuse are made stronger, improvements are made in emergency housing for victims, and great strides are made to end the backlog of testing rape kits. I've been blessed to never have experienced this personally, but as a child, I witnessed it. My mother had a friend who ended up so violently attacked, so physically harmed, that she stayed at our house until she could finally get well enough, and my mother finally talked her into getting out of that environment. But that was the fourth or the fifth time that that lady, Rita, ended up staying in our house. When I was a young adult having children, a friend of mine, again, had the same issue happen to her. What I realized was we didn't have anything in Clermont County to help them, but we had a homeless shelter that was very marginal. So I worked with the county prosecutor. You know I'm a runner. For 15 years, we put on a 5K to put money in the pot to keep that homeless shelter open so that women had a place to go. Madam Speaker, we can't continue to go back on the backs of good volunteers in America. We, as a government, have to help these women, too. If we had those programs in place, Rita wouldn't have ended up in our house. She would have ended up in a place that could have psychologically and physically helped her. If we had had these programs in place, my friend Karen wouldn't have had to have been on the street, as well. I urge my colleagues to face this reality head-on, and let's vote for this bill. It's time we do it for our women.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and in memory of a very dear friend of mine and a very dear friend of Brown County, County Commissioner Rick Eagan. Rick's passion for community service spanned his entire life. He was a member of the Ripley Fire Department for almost 30 years. He served 14 years in local law enforcement. He was also a former council member and vice mayor of Ripley, Ohio. But Rick didn't stop there. He wanted to do more. He wanted to be county commissioner because he felt he could lead the county forward. So he ran for commissioner and lost. He ran again and lost. They say the third time is the charm, and Rick decided to test that water. In 2010, he threw his hat in the ring. Unfortunately, very early on, he was involved in a very tragic automobile accident, one that nearly took his life. It took his leg; it took his ability to breathe, and he had a tracheotomy until a few weeks ago. He was in the hospital for nearly a year. He came out that August, campaigned, and miraculously won the election. His dream came true, and he began to serve his community in another way. He loved his community; he loved his country, and he loved his family. He fought every day to make the world a better place. A few weeks ago, the doctors believed they could change his course and take the trach out and allow him to breathe normally again. And they did. But complications ensued, and we lost Rick this week. I am so sad for our community to have lost such a dynamic and wonderful individual. Public servants like Rick are hard to come by. But I'm even saddened more by the fact that his wonderful wife, Margaret, and his children, Douglas and Tiffany, will no longer be able to live with that remarkable man, no longer be able to love him and hug him. So I ask this body to remember those like Rick Eagan who put their lives before themselves, work hard to make our country a better place to live, work, and raise a family. And I ask that the Lord allow Commissioner Rick Eagan to be in His hands, and may my dear friend and my community rest in peace.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 60th birthday of a very dear friend of mine, Chief R. Steven Bailey, the Chief of the Miami Township Police Department. To call Chief Bailey a public servant would be an understatement. His biography reads like a to-do list for an entire police department, but let me point out a few of the many significant accomplishments Chief Bailey has achieved throughout his career. Since May of 1995, R. Steven Bailey has been the Chief of the Miami Township Police Department where under his watch, the Miami Township Police Department has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies an astounding five times. Additionally, the Miami Township Police Department achieved CALEA's flagship status in 2007 and 2010--something less than 1% of police departments do. In 1999, after 27 years, Chief Bailey retired from the Ohio Army National Guard where he held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, the Defense Logistics Executive Development Program, the National Defense University National Security Program, and the U.S. Army War College Defense Strategy Studies program. Chief Bailey is also a Certified Law Enforcement Executive--one of just 100 in the State of Ohio. In December of 2000, he graduated from the FBI National Academy, is a graduate of the Northwestern University Traffic Institute School of Police Staff and Command, and is also a graduate of the Ohio Police Executive Leadership College. Mr. Speaker, Chief Bailey's accomplishments don't stop there. Since 1986, he has been a Reserve Police Officer for the City of Middletown where he currently holds the rank of Reserve Captain. He was President of the Clermont County Chiefs of Police and Sheriff's Association for eight years, and has been President of the Ohio Law Enforcement Foundation as well as President of the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police. If that wasn't enough, Chief Bailey has somehow found time to be an Adjunct Instructor in the Criminal Justice Program at the University of Cincinnati and for Northwestern University in the School of Business, and has been a Visiting Instructor of Political Science at Miami University. I could go on and on about Chief Bailey's awards from the Boy Scouts of America, his extensive experience with local government, or the numerous and well deserved accolades he has received throughout his career. It was a privilege to call Chief Bailey a colleague when I was a Miami Township Trustee. It is an even higher honor to call him my friend. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chief Bailey for his years of service to our community. Additonally, I want to send my gratitude to his wife of over 30 years, Sharon, to his two children, Caryl and Matthew, and to his grandson, Logan, for the sacrifices they've made. Chief Bailey is the epitome of a true public servant. His career and commitment to our community is something every public official should strive for, and I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Chief R. Steven Bailey on his 60th birthday.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to start tonight by continuing our discussion on conscience protections and our First Amendment rights. As I did yesterday during the press conference on the same topic, I'd like to read the First Amendment to our Constitution. It states: ``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; of the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.'' Our Founding Fathers thought that those specific five tenets were crucial to the citizens of America--so critical that they needed to be guaranteed first and foremost. The conscience protection debate that started a few weeks ago with the administration's announcement of a new rule regarding contraception, sterilization, and insurance policies is a perfect example of the importance of these rights. The government cannot, and should not, be forcing any employer, whether they are Catholic charities and schools or an individual businessman, to violate the tenets of their faith. As this debate continues, it highlights the great need to have a standard that explicitly protects employers from attempts to erode our First Amendment rights. We need to fight for the standard in H.R. 1179, the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act of 2011, introduced by my good friend from Nebraska, Mr. Fortenberry. It simply protects employers from being forced to violate their religious or moral beliefs by an overreaching mandate from the administration. It takes nothing away from the public, nor does it prohibit women from getting services that are already provided, as some have alleged. H.R. 1179 is a responsible and reasonable response to clarify what can and cannot be mandated through the healthcare law regarding conscience protections. We cannot allow the federal government to start going down the slippery slope of eroding our constitutionally protected rights--we took an oath to uphold the Constitution. As a mother and grandmother, I will do everything in my power to ensure that the rights we enjoy today continue to be guaranteed for my daughter, grandchildren, and generations to come.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, today I really just want to say thank you to a young woman who for the last time in her legislative career as a Member of Congress will grace our presence this evening at the State of the Union, and I'm talking about my good friend, Gabby Giffords. I think the world will all know Gabby as the courageous heroine who, on January 8, 2011, was met by an unbelievable mad person who changed her life and the life of so many, but I really want to tell all of us in this body what a great individual and humanitarian she was for all of us. She was sworn into office on January 4, 2007. She came out of the State legislature in Arizona, so her background was in the State legislature, as mine is. She currently represents southern Arizona, the Tucson area, which has the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista. She is the leading champion on border security, energy independence, and the needs of military families and veterans, which she knows so well because she is married to an active military veteran, Mark Kelly, who not only flew umpteen missions as a naval pilot but also flew into space as a NASA astronaut. On January 8, when she was having Congress On Your Corner at a supermarket in northwest Tucson, an ordinary morning, and many people were there, she was met by a madman who not only changed her life, but ended the life of 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green; Dorothy Morris; John Roll, chief Federal judge for Arizona; Phyllis Schneck; Dorwan Stoddard; and Gabriel Zimmerman. Twelve others, including Giffords' staff members Ron Barber and Pat Simon, were wounded. She was treated initially nearby and then flown to the TIRR Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital in Houston. She continues to be rehabilitated, and it is remarkable how far this young woman has come. She was a Fulbright Scholar, but more importantly, she is my friend. You see, in the House we have a little bipartisan softball team. We play folks like the NRCC young folks and the DCCC young folks, and now recently we're are playing the press corps. She was a member of our team, and she was a really good member. I wish Gabby well as she moves to a new direction in her life, and I pray each and every morning and each and every evening that God will continue to allow her to become a complete human being again. She is a great lady, a great friend of this House, a great friend of the folks in Tucson and surrounding Arizona.

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Yes, I will yield to my friend, Mr. Engel from New York.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. I thank my good friend from New Jersey (Mr. Smith). Your courage on this issue will not go unnoticed. I really, Mr. Speaker, wanted to talk to you tonight about a little girl, a little girl with a 2-inch foot and the lasting impression that that little 2-inch foot has made. I come from southern Ohio, and my parish is St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, led by Father Michael Cordier. Father Cordier has a brother, Andy, and his sister-in-law, Ann. And just recently they buried their 5-month-old daughter. Sophia Grace Cordier was born with a chromosomal condition, one that was diagnosed long before she was born. The doctors made the suggestion that perhaps they should abort the child because the risks were so great that she wouldn't even be born alive. Given the statistics, even if she was born alive, it was likely she would not make her first birthday, so why bother. But Ann and Andy understand the meaning of life at all levels. They know that life is precious, and they knew that her life was worthy of respect. The amazing thing is not just the hundreds of people who came to the funeral, but what happened on December 23. See, the Cincinnati Enquirer had a front-page story on the miracle baby. They showed the risks, but they also talked about life and pro-life positions, our Cincinnati Enquirer. At the funeral, there were many pictures of Sophia Grace. But the one that left the imprint on my mind were her little 2-inch footprints. And her mother had, and I wished I could remember the exact words, but typed up something that said to the point that no matter how small the footprint, every footprint can make a lasting impression. Had Sophia not been born, the Enquirer wouldn't have run the story and it wouldn't have provoked the discussion for life, and who knows what other child wouldn't have been saved. Ann told me at the funeral that the value of life each person has, no matter their shortcomings or faults, should be loved and cherished and protected. Ann has it right. I believe many people in this Congress have it right. And I know that Americans at heart have it right. So today, while hundreds of thousands marched on the lawn of the Capitol in the rain to protest a really bad decision that was made 39 years ago, I saw Sophia's little footprints in my mind. As I saw those footprints on the lawn, I thought those big footprints are making as lasting an impression as little Sophia because no matter how great or how small, we all have life's value because we are children of God.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, in 1900, Orville and Wilbur Wright left Dayton, Ohio for Kitty Hawk, North Carolina to begin testing the first manned aircraft. Little did they know in less than 70 years, another individual from Ohio would be making aviation history yet again. Mr. Speaker, we will gather today in the Rotunda to recognize the historic accomplishments of Neil Armstrong--along with three other extraordinary men: Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, and John Glenn. I, like most Americans, remember watching television in awe that July evening as Neil Armstrong took ``one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind'' onto the moon. While the accomplishments of the Apollo program would not have been possible had it not been for those that came before it--including the Mercury and Gemini programs--we must recognize those pioneers, like Neil, who selflessly volunteered their lives for the pursuit of knowledge to go where no one had gone before. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in joining me in congratulating my constituent, Neil Armstrong, as well as Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, and John Glenn upon receiving the Congressional Gold Medal.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. So it didn't balance, did it?

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Today, I really want to talk about something that I think is very critical for this Nation. It's about how we get our spending in order. I came from local government before I got here and then State government before I got here. Actually, I came from a household where I ran the checking account for my husband and myself and our family. In all cases, I balanced things. When I made out my bills once a month, I did what this lady is doing right here: I balanced the checkbook first to see how much money I had in the account so I knew how much I was spending and, more importantly, whether I was overspending, so that next month I could ratchet back on the spending to balance things out. When I was a township trustee, the same thing. We looked at our revenue sheets and our income sheets at every single meeting twice a month and balanced things out. In Ohio, like 49 other States, we have to balance our State budget, in our case, every 2 years. So you can imagine the surprise I had when I got to Congress and realized we don't balance our budget at the Federal level, that we don't balance our checkbook. I was amazed why we don't do this. Maybe that's the reason we continue to have bloated spending that is weighing down, not just the future that lays before us, but our children's future and their children's future. In 1982, Ronald Reagan said regarding a balanced budget that only a constitutional amendment will do the job. He said, We've tried the carrot and it failed. With the stick of a balanced budget amendment, we can stop government's squandering, overtaxing ways and save our economy. Man, that was 29 years ago. I've got to repeat that because that's kind of like where we are today. Only a constitutional amendment will do the job. We've tried the carrot and it failed. With the stick of a balanced budget amendment, we can stop government's squandering, overtaxing ways and save our economy. Ronald Reagan was right. In fact, in 1995, under legislation that was in the House, which was controlled by the Republicans under Newt Gingrich, they tried to pass a balanced budget amendment. Lost it by one vote. I believe tomorrow or the next day or sometime this week, under the leadership of John Boehner, we're going to try this same thing again. I just think it's imperative that we don't lose that vote. The American people, I believe, are on the side of myself and my female colleagues who are going to join me here this afternoon, because the American people get the fact that we are not balancing the checkbook. When we don't balance the checkbook, we don't know what we're spending. If we don't know what we're spending, we don't know how to correct our past mistakes and plan appropriately for the future. So, in the last election in 2010, when a lot of seats were changed in this very room, I believe it was a mandate by the citizens of our great Nation who said, Enough is enough. Stop the spending and stop it now. The United States is staring down the barrel of a $15 trillion accumulation of debt. $3.7 trillion of new debt in just 2 years is more than a figure, my colleagues--it is a wake-up call. When President Obama took office, he said he would correct the problem, and in 2009, he put out an $821 billion stimulus program to stimulate the economy. Of course it cost us over $1 trillion with interest because, you see, we didn't balance the checkbook, so we really didn't know what that was going to cost. Guess what? It didn't stimulate the economy. It didn't resolve unemployment. For the last 33 months, it has been over 8 percent. In fact, for 31 of 33 months, it has been at 9 percent or higher. In October of this year, 14 million workers were unemployed, with an additional 8.9 million working part time because they couldn't find full-time work. There were 2.5 million workers who were available for work but who had to stop actively searching because of poor economic conditions. All told, over 16 percent of the United States workforce is now unemployed or underemployed. I truly believe it's because we can't get our fiscal house in order right here on Capitol Hill, and I believe the linchpin in all that is a balanced budget amendment. I'm going to turn right now to one of my colleagues to have her weigh in on this, the gentlelady from the good State of Alabama.

Mrs. SCHMIDT. I thank my colleague from Alabama. I would just like to add with all of this that I think the reason why we have such uncertainty in the marketplace with the job creators is because they're looking at us and are saying, You lack fiscal discipline here on Capitol Hill. One of my colleagues said to me, Well, why do we need a balanced budget amendment to do this? Well, quite frankly, because it will tie our hands and force us to do what every single American is doing across the Nation, which is looking at their cash on hand to figure out how much they've got and how much they can spend, balancing the checkbook before they even attempt to pay a bill. And if you don't have it in the form of an amendment, future legislators will be able to undo anything we do here today or tomorrow, and that's why the amendment is critical. It will force us to do what 49 out of 50 States already do, which is what local governments do all across Ohio and across the Nation, which is what families do at their kitchen table each and every month, if not more than a month, balance the checkbook and figure out what's in there. I now would like to yield to my other good friend, the gentlewoman from Kansas.