Jean Schmidt

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a team of courageous student athletes from Portsmouth, Ohio. On Sunday, October 28, the Shawnee State University men's soccer team, fresh off their final victory of the season, traveled back to campus to find themselves facing another battle. This was a battle they'd never imagined having to face. These men witnessed an SUV plunge over an embankment, hit a tree, roll over several times, and land on its top in a creek. The bus filled with Shawnee State soccer players pulled to the side and went to the rescue. What they found at the bottom of the dark ravine was a family trapped, a family of three. The soccer team broke the vehicle's windows and rescued all the family members safely. Thankfully, the family is alive and well today. Mr. Speaker, please join me in recognizing these amazing student athletes of Shawnee State University: Paul Adkins, Ryan Appell, Bryan Barker, Jordan Buck, Barry Collins, Michael Cornell, Steven Cox, Rocky Dunkin, Danny Frantz, Ross Frantz, Chris George, Curtis Jones, Andrew Kachilla, Bobby Krauss, Matt Lonsinger, Michael Mohr, Rusty Ortman, Graham Purdy, Brad Reffitt, Kurt Rininger, Drew Sampson, Ken Shonkwiler, Weston Thobaben, Jonathon Venters, and head coach Ron Goodson for their incredible act of heroism and bravery. And let's say a prayer that the family continues to do well.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Madam Speaker, I rose last week to share some of the heartwarming stories I heard while competing in the Marine Corps Marathon, and to pay tribute to some of the extraordinary people who participated in the Marathon. I rise today to recognize more brave souls who finished the Marine Corps Marathon and are affiliated with the Marine Corps' Congressional liaison office and the Capitol Hill Running Club: BG Michael Regner, MAJ Tom Wood, MAJ Gerald Thomas, MAJ Toby Patterson, Sgt Hector Rodriguez, Cpl Scott Caudill, 2nd Lt Ingrid Rivera, RADM Mark Ferguson III, CDR Audrey Monish, Dr. Mike Moses, Riley Scott, David Cleary, Tom Sheehy, Michael Hermann, Amy Porter, and Mark Smith.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to protest the majority's decision to tie the funding of our veterans to the Labor, Health and Human Services appropriation bill. The facts of this case are simple. The House had passed a bill on June 15, followed by the Senate on September 6, that supports our veterans and the pay raises and the funding that they need. The differences in these bills are miniscule. The Senate has appointed their conferees. Our House has yet to do the same. What's the hold-up? Politics. Rather than bringing the MilCon-VA conference report to the floor as a stand-alone measure, a measure that will be supported by both parties, supported by the President and signed into law, the other side has decided to tie it to a controversial bill that the President has said time and time again he will veto. Madam Speaker, our veterans have risked their lives for us without regard to political affiliation. We have to stop the politics. We have to work for our veterans. I ask that we use this time in a bipartisan fashion and pass the MilCon-VA bill as a stand-alone bill.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Madam Speaker, it is with great pride I rise today to congratulate the 20,630 brave souls who finished the Marine Corp Marathon this past Sunday, October 28, and to thank all the Marines, and Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen that have sacrificed and continue to sacrifice for this Country. Anyone that participated in the Marine Corp Marathon as a runner or a spectator should be very aware of the inherent good in humanity. The entire course was filled with Marine volunteers handing out water, friends and family of those running, and countless well-wishers who just came to cheer the runners on, and pay respect to those that have given so much. There are 20,630 stories of why this marathon was important, and 20,630 reasons why it was special. I would like to take a minute to share just a few of these compelling and heartwarming stories. I am told that 1st Lt. Travis Manion was excited to run the Marine Corp Marathon with his father, Colonel Thomas Manion, also an active duty Marine. Being active duty Marines they were accepted before general registration began. Unfortunately a sniper's bullet cut Travis's life short on April 29, 2007 in Al Anbar province. He was serving his second tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In his honor, his father ran with both their bib numbers, and nearly 100 others ran the marathon as a part of ``Team Travis.'' All members of ``Team Travis'' should be proud of their hard work to honor this hero whose life was tragically cut short. The United States Naval Academy Class of 1995 graduated a little over a decade ago just like generations of Sailors and Marines before them, ready to spread out over the world, and serve our country. This past weekend, nearly 100 members of that graduating class ran in the Marine Corp marathon to ``Run to Honor'' six members of their graduating class who have died in military operations from 1998 and 2007. Their fallen comrades, Marine Major Douglas Zembiec, Marine Major Megan McClung, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Erik Kristensen, Navy Lt. Richard Pugh, Navy Lt. Bruce Donald, and Navy Lt. j.g. Brendan Duffy, constitute the highest operations related loss of any Naval Academy class since the Vietnam War. Anyone present on Sunday saw their many classmates carrying the yellow signs that read ``Run to Honor,'' and carried the names of those heroes who have given so much. Steve Penrose and his wife Brenna Penrose ran the marathon to raise money for the Matt Maupin Foundation. Matt Maupin, a native of Clermont County, Ohio, has been missing in Iraq since April 2004, and the Matt Maupin Foundation gives scholarships in his honor. The Penroses run raised at least $1000 for the foundation. Madam Speaker, I pray for Matt's safe return every day, and we are all grateful for the sacrifices of Steve and Brenna. Finally, I would like to congratulate all the members of the Capitol Hill Running Club for their hard work meeting at the Capitol at 6 a.m. to train. I would like to congratulate the coaches, Major Ben Venning, Colonel Ray Celeste, Staff Sergeant Juan Carrasco, Sergeant Shane Cooley, Gunnery Sergeant Ramses Cypress, first time marathoners Natosha Prolago and Caitlin Short from Representative Pryce's office, and second time marathoner Chris Vieson who serves us all as a member of the Republican Whip's floor staff. Other members of the club who ran the marathon are: Bernadette Arellano, Mark Baker, Martin Bayr, Danielle Behler, Kern Briggs, Clay Brockman, Diane Cihota, Christine Clapp, Fletcher Cork, Kelly Anne Creazzo, Katrina Eagle, Jim Faucett, Kirtley Fisher, Liza Fornaciari, Jeremy Glauber, Molly Gray, Shane Hagerman, Robert Hartmans, Richard Hayden Jr., Mark Hayes, Hanz Heinrichs, Alicia Herrmann, Wallace Hsueh, Kelley Huemoeller, Timothy Joyce, Amy Judge, Katy Kale, Garrett Keeler, Andrew Kermick, Vanessa Kermick, Max Kidalov, Speros Koumparakis, Kevin Lawlor, Fitzhugh Lee, Christopher Lee, Angelical Martinez, Christopher Meyers, Mariah Moncecchi, Kenneth Monroe, Philip Moore, Iffat Nawaz, Alexander Newcome, Timothy O'Rourke, Katherine Pattillo, Jeff Pickett, Gary Pinkerton, Susan Pinkerton, Rebeccah Ramey, Helen Robbins, Charles Roman, Matthew Shaffer, Royce Shields, Joshua Shields, Glee Smith, Tom Stallings, Caroline Stephens, Jeff Stephens, Amy Sterling, Zachary Stone, Jade Stone, Andrew Tabler, Gerald Thomas, Steve Vahson, Jonathon Van Arsdell, Sheila Venning, Jacob Watts, Sandra Weiss, Lynn Williams, Daniel Wolf, and Justin Yee. Congratulations to you all. I also wanted to mention several other groups equally worthy of recognition who had many dedicated runners, running for great causes: The Scraper Fi Fund, The Fisher House Foundation, the Achilles Track Club, Hope for the Warriors, Operation Homefront, USO of North Carolina, the Temporary Assistance Program for Survivors (T.A.P.S.), and the many more that I failed to mention.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of a very dear friend of mine, Jo Ann Davis. When I came here a little over 2 years ago, I walked into a room filled with strangers, and I quickly looked for the smiles. She was one of those smiles. She quickly took me under her wings. In addition to helping me through the maze of Congress, she also invited me to come to the best hour of the week, the prayer breakfast on Thursday. It's an event I rarely, rarely miss. She not only was a fighter for her district and a fighter for her country, but she was a woman that truly loved her family and loved the Lord, and it showed in each and every day and in each and every way of her life. To her husband, Chuck, to her two sons, to her darling granddaughter, my heart goes out to you. Every day since I learned of her cancer, I have been praying for her. I shall continue those prayers for you. May God bless all of you. General Leave

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 895, I was late returning from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply saddened today by the news of the loss of my dear friend Paul Gillmor. PG, as many of us called him, was a shining example of service and leadership. As president of the Ohio senate, he led Ohio through good times and bad times with such grace. For the last two decades, he fought for all Ohioans here in Congress, not just those in his own district. During his entire life, Paul Gillmor was a true leader, a gentleman and a statesman. Most importantly, he was a nice guy, a true friend to all. When I was first elected, he became a mentor to me. I would always welcome his kind words on the House floor, ``How is it going, kid?'' Just as important, he was a great father and a loving husband. My prayers go out to his wonderful wife Karen and all of his children. Ohio has suffered a great loss. America has suffered a great loss. We here in this House have lost a dear friend. May God be with you, Paul. Godspeed.

Ms. SCHMIDT

Ms. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I missed the last vote due to an appointment. Had I been present I would have voted ``no'' on the Journal.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R 2707, the Underground Railroad Education and Culture Act of 2007. I thank my colleague from Ohio, Mr. Kucinich as well as Education and Labor Chairman George Miller for bringing this important bill to the floor today. Madam Speaker, this important bill will provide federal support to programs around the country that educate Americans about the courageous actions undertaken by ordinary people during one of the darkest eras in our history. During times of slavery, these courageous Americans, both Black and White as well as free and under slavery, bound together to form what would be known as the Underground Railroad. This racially integrated movement to bring about social change has familiar heroes such as Harriet Tubman, John Rankin and Susan B. Anthony, but there are thousands more who risked their lives to help others escape the clutches of slavery as they fled to the North. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, located in my Congressional District in Cincinnati, Ohio has successfully competed for grants under this program to connect the lessons of the past to the struggles for freedom in the current day through an informative educational curricula. Should the Congress authorize and appropriate funds for this important grant program, educational centers such as the Freedom Center in my District as well as other sites around the country would be eligible to apply for competitive grants to shed light on one of the most important and courageous social movements in our history while preserving and interpreting artifacts found from this critical era. Moreover, this important legislation would ensure a strong public- private partnership exists to supplement and leverage federal resources along with funds collected at the state and local level. Madam Speaker, I want to again thank my colleague from Ohio, Mr. Kucinich for his leadership in bringing this important bill to the floor. I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 2707.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Chairman, please note that I mistakenly voted ``yes'' on amendment 8, the King Amendment, regarding the funding provisions and the Davis-Bacon Act. I meant to vote ``no'' but voted ``yes.'' It was too late to change the vote. Given the opportunity I would have voted ``no.'' Amendment Offered by Mr. Frank of Massachusetts

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize my friend Reverend Galen Hahn, who is serving as guest chaplain for the House of Representatives today. Reverend Hahn is the pastor of the Evangelical United Church of Christ, located in my district in Portsmouth, Ohio. Reverend Galen Hahn graduated from Frederick High School in Maryland. As a high school student, Reverend Hahn led youth in contributing to the building of the President John F. Kennedy Library and served as an usher on the Presidential Reviewing Stand of Lyndon B. Johnson. After high school Reverend Hahn went on to graduate from Yale Divinity School in Connecticut and was ordained a minister in the United Church of Christ. Reverend Hahn has pastored throughout the country. He has offered ordained Christian service to the Moravian Church and the United Methodist Church in North Carolina and started a Montessori preschool in Illinois, which continues to this day. He has led scouts in worship on the battlefields of Monocacy, Antietam, and Gettysburg, and has held a memorial service at the grave site of President George Washington. Galen's wife Sandy has led worship at Camp David for President and Mrs. George Herbert Walker Bush. Today Galen and Sandy are celebrating their 36th wedding anniversary as well as their oldest daughter Whitney's 30th birthday. Reverend Hahn has invested his life's energy in service to God and country and the oneness of these two entities. Madam Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in welcoming Reverend Galen Hahn to the House of Representatives as our guest chaplain.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Shaw Farms on their 200th anniversary. Shaw Farms, located along State Route 131 in Miami Township, Claremont County, Ohio, is home to the region's finest summertime produce. It is best known for its sweet corn, tomatoes, melons, beans, squash and cucumbers. Shaw Farms began operating during the tenure of Thomas Jefferson. Think about that, the tenure of Thomas Jefferson, and has continually operated as a family farm since 1807. It is one the oldest family farms in Ohio. Today the family farm is run by Jerry and Jean Shaw, with the help of their children and grandchildren. Through the hard work of the Shaw family, much of greater Cincinnati relies on them for their produce. Summertime produce is not the only thing the Shaw family is known for. Each October, thousands of visitors, including many eager school children come to the family's Fall Festival, which is known for its pumpkins, hayrides and farm animals. This weekend the Shaws are hosting a bicentennial bash to help celebrate their amazing accomplishment. In the spirit of the Shaw family, they have invited everyone in the area to enjoy their success. Of course many of the items for which they are well known will be on their menu. The Shaw family's fresh produce and family entertainment is truly an asset to all the communities in southern Ohio. Mr. Speaker, please join me in wishing the Shaw Farms a happy 200th anniversary, continued success, and let's wish them at least 200 more years in Ohio.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Madam Chairman, this amendment is very straightforward. It seeks to hold accountable title X grantees who do not abide by State laws that require notification or reporting of child abuse, child molestation, sexual abuse, rape or incest. This issue is not a new one. In 1997, it came to light that title X grantees were not reporting rape, incest, sexual abuse, child abuse and molestations. In response, Congress included language in the 1999 Labor, Health and Human Services appropriations bill to clarify that title X grantees are not exempt from State reporting laws. This language has been retained since that time. Unfortunately, despite this clarification, some title X grantees still do not appear to be reporting cases of rape and incest. On May 10th of this year, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported the story of two young ladies who were victims of sexual abuse. One young lady was continually molested by her father. The abuse began when the girl was just 13 years old. In November 2004, she was forced by her father to have an abortion. She says that she told an employee of the abortion clinic that she was being ``forced to have sex and do things she didn't want to do.'' Despite this fact, no report was made. She was sent home with her father to endure another year and a half of sexual abuse. In another case, a 14-year-old girl was taken by her 21-year-old soccer coach to have an abortion. She allegedly used a junior high school ID and her abuser paid for the procedure with a credit card and driver's license. The abuse was never reported. According to the story in the Enquirer regarding the second case that I mentioned, a form filled out by Planned Parenthood said, ``Patient reports pregnancy is the result of sexual assault by a stranger. After consultation with attorney, report of a crime to the police was not made. Due to physician-patient privilege, we are prohibited from reporting as no severe bodily injury was reported.'' The young lady's attorney says that prosecutors in four local counties know of no such exception in reporting requirements. Mr. Chairman, my amendment is simple. It simply says that title X grantees who have been found by a Federal or State agency or a court of law to have violated State reporting requirements in the preceding 36 months cannot receive Federal title X funds. I urge support for my amendment. Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time. Point of Order

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Madam Chairman, I understand the chairman has objected to my amendment. I am sorry we do not have the opportunity to vote on this very important issue. Madam Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the Lowey amendment. Mr. Chairman, the Mexico City policy was first promulgated in 1984 and renewed by the current administration in 2001. This policy simply requires that, as a condition for receipt of U.S. family-planning aid, whether commodities or cash, foreign nongovernmental and international organizations certify that they neither perform nor actively promote abortion as a method of family planning. This is a sound policy, and we should not undermine it in any way. The Lowey amendment is an attempt to blur this line by diverting contraceptive commodities from organizations that do not promote or provide abortion to those that do. Abortion is a tragic loss of life not only to the child but to the mother. We know from the affidavits that were produced from the Gonzales v. Carhart case, 180 post-abortive women, what they had to say. Let me give you an example of one: ``How has abortion affected you?'' ``My life is worthless to me. There is nothing in it. Shame, guilt, and regret is hard to live with. I am 50 years old now.'' Mr. Chairman, the Mexico City policy at issue here establishes a bright line between noncontroversial family planning activities and abortion. We should not blur this line with the Lowey amendment in any way.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This amendment that I am offering, and plan to withdraw, is based on legislation I have introduced with Congressmen Wilson and Space, H.R. 2282, the Nuclear Waste Storage Prohibition Act. Currently, there are 11 sites around our Nation that are under consideration for hosting one or more facilities related to the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, called GNEP. It's an initiative that is being studied as we speak. The Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant located in my district in Piketon, Ohio, is one of the 11 sites. The other sites include locations in Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky, New Mexico, Illinois, Washington and Idaho. Everyone representing one of these sites or an area nearby has a strong interest in how this important initiative proceeds. The point of my amendment is to ensure that none of these GNEP sites that have been under consideration only become a de facto storage site for spent nuclear fuel. My amendment prohibits DOE from using funds to transfer spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste to any site unless it is a site where the reprocessing facility for this material is either under construction or has been completed. In addition, my amendment also ensures the final end product after the fuel has been recycled is moved offsite as quickly as possible, either to the next stage in the nuclear fuel recycling process or to Yucca Mountain, which remains our Nation's long-term and permanent storage facility. DOE has not made any statements to suggest that any of those 11 sites would ever become a de facto waste storage site. On the contrary, DOE and this Congress have made clear over the years that the final end product will be permanently stored at Yucca Mountain. However, based on feedback from my constituents, who generally speaking are very excited by the potential opportunities of this initiative, there are some concerns related to long-term storage. I am sure I am not the only one who has heard these concerns, and Congress must assure these communities that their worst fears will never become a reality. This amendment would help accomplish this goal. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have left?

Mrs. SCHMIDT. I yield to the ranking member.

Mrs. SCHMIDT. I appreciate the ranking member's comments. I would like to continue to work with you so that we can put some language into the record that would assure the folks in the 11 States where GNEP is being pursued that this is indeed an interim storage facility and not a permanent storage facility. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Chairman, I have tremendous respect for our chairman and ranking member and realize the very difficult undertaking they have had in putting this bill together and balancing the number of important priorities within it. Unfortunately, the bill before us would drastically cut the President's request to $405 million for the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, GNEP, initiative to $120 million. This amounts to a $285 million reduction from the President's request for GNEP. At the same time, this bill goes well above the President's request for the Department of Energy science account. The President's request for the science account was already a 15.8 percent increase above the fiscal 2007 level. On top of this, the House bill provides another $116 million above the administration's request. My amendment would provide an additional $80 million for the GNEP initiative, offset by an $80 million decrease in the science account. If we are going to be serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, addressing climate change and reducing our dependence on foreign oil, we need to allow GNEP to proceed in a meaningful capacity. To accomplish these objectives, we need to diversify our energy supply and increase energy efficiency and conservation. Nuclear energy is a vital component to diversifying our energy supply and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And in order for the nuclear renaissance to become a reality, we must address the spent fuel issue, which is what GNEP is all about. Recycling spent nuclear fuel is a way to reduce by about 95 percent the volume of waste that would have to be disposed of at the Yucca Mountain repository. Recycling would also enable us to reduce the radioactive life of this material from millions of years to thousands. Whether you support nuclear energy or not, these two points should be very positive if we are going to take better care of our environment. Since the 1970s, the United States has been falling behind the world in nuclear technology. It is vital that we fund this program at a sufficient level that allows the United States to reestablish itself as a leader in the field. I appreciate the chairman and ranking member's work on this important issue. I would hope for some favorable comments from them. But I am going to at the end of this discussion ask for unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment in hopes that we can work it out at a later date.

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the amendment, and I thank the chairman for his time and consideration of this and hope that we can work together to make GNEP a reality in a meaningful, bipartisan way so that the United States can continue to be a world leader, not just in nuclear energy but in energy independence from foreign oil.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of a great man, a former Member of this body who is being laid to rest as we speak. Donald Daniel Clancy was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 24, 1921. He graduated from Elder High School and then attended Xavier University. In 1948, he graduated from Cincinnati Law School and gained admission to the bar the same year. He began practicing law in Cincinnati. Congressman Clancy began his service to the public as a member of the City Council of Cincinnati in 1952, serving on the Council until becoming Mayor from 1958 to 1960. Donald Clancy earned the Republican nomination for the Second District in 1960, a seat which I now hold. Donald Clancy won the election and began his service in the 87th Congress. He served for 16 years. He is being laid to rest as we speak. He is survived by his wife, his children and three wonderful grandchildren. His daughter, Patty, serves in the Ohio legislature as a Senator. Mr. Speaker, I would like to yield to my colleague, Steve Chabot.