Jean Schmidt

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, Congressman Price, I rise today to speak on the importance that we as a Nation do all that we can to prevent another terrorist attack on our homeland. Like many of my colleagues, I will never forget the attacks of September 11. My daughter lived in New York City at the time. I remember that morning all too well because I did not know where she was. I did not know how close she was to the proximity of the attacks. For hours and hours, literally, almost 2 days, I could not get through to her, worrying about her safety and her well-being, worrying about how she was. My husband and I were so blessed and so grateful that she was just scared, but certainly safe. But, you know, thousands of other people were not lucky like us. Thousands of others lost their loved ones in that attack. We must do everything in our power to prevent another attack from happening. I rise today to congratulate the hard-working men and women of our intelligence agencies and the first responders on preventing another attempt like 9/11. I, like most Americans, wake up each morning safe, proceed with my day without even worrying about the threat of an attack because I know, from law enforcement to our national security apparatus, thousands of highly trained professionals are diligently watching and working. Men and women using the latest technologies and a lot of muscle are hard at work around the clock making sure that those that want to hurt us are kept at bay. I hope everyone understands that the desire of the terrorist organizations to launch a deadly attack has not gone away. It has not subsided. They are out there. They want to attack us. What has changed is our ability to thwart the attacks. That ability has dramatically increased. The latest in database technology, coupled with surveillance technologies, is proving to be a powerful force in identifying potential attackers. We owe a great deal of gratitude to these men and women on the front lines of our defense here at home as well as abroad. Just this week the media reported that some 200,000 people across the globe are on our watchlist, persons that we have reason to believe wish us harm, wish us death, wish our Nation destruction. But most importantly, 200,000 persons we have already identified as potential threats. When we wake up each morning and turn on our television sets and there is no news of an attack, we do not even think that there might have been one. That in itself is a tribute to the hard work of our national security team. We go about our lives without fear of an attack each day because of the job they are doing. We must give them every tool needed to complete their mission. Their mission is not only important; it is a matter of life and death. Much has been said about the National Security Agency's surveillance program in the media. Much of it is nonsense and distortion. Mr. Speaker, I asked my constituents in a survey what they think of the National Security Agency's surveillance program. Over 2,000 people have responded to date. Almost 80 percent support the program, eighty percent is a huge supermajority of folks representing all kinds of ideologies and political affiliations. Eighty percent. The media just does not always get it, Mr. Speaker, but the American people do. The American people first and foremost want to be safe in their homes and go about their lives without the fear of another attack. They exhibit far more common sense than the media ever gives them credit for. One of our colleagues from the great State of Texas has a great saying that Texas could use a whole lot less of Washington and Washington could use a whole lot more of Texas. Unfortunately, someday, I believe, and I really hope and pray in the very far distant future, we may well be attacked again. That attack may well be much larger in scope than we ever could believe, much larger than 9/11. On that day I hope and I pray we can say honestly and wholeheartedly we did everything we could to prevent it. It is our job, Mr. Speaker. It is our job as Members of Congress to make sure that Americans are safe, safe and free, safe and free from the terrorist attack of yesterday and tomorrow. We have to continue to do that. To do nothing less is not just irresponsible; it is un- American.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Myrtis Powell, Ph.D., an educator, civic leader and community activist, who will be formally honored as a Great Living Cincinnatian on February 16 by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber has bestowed this award on distinguished members of the community annually since 1967. Recipients of this prestigious award are chosen on the basis of professional achievement; community service; leadership; compassion; and vision. Past honorees have included Neil Armstrong, Dr. Albert Sabin and Charles Scripps. The eldest of 14 children, Dr. Powell was born in Evergreen, Alabama, where she earned her high school degree when she was just 16 years old. With a quest for knowledge and a passion for learning, Dr. Powell's life has been defined by her distinguished career in education. Dr. Powell moved to Cincinnati in 1955 to live with her aunt. While working full time in various secretarial and clerical positions, she climbed the ladder of higher education by taking evening and part-time classes at the University of Cincinnati. In 1969, she earned a bachelor's degree in Administrative Management; in 1974, she received a master's degree in Sociology; and in 1978, earned a doctorate in Sociology and Higher Education Administration. Dr. Powell also holds a certificate in Executive Management from the Harvard Business School. Throughout her life, Dr. Powell has blazed a trail for women and African-Americans. She is the first African-American to be an associate dean at the University of Cincinnati; the first African-American to hold an upper management position at Miami University, where during her tenure she improved the student affairs office and increased the minority community on campus; and the first African-American to serve as a program officer at the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation in New York City. She recently retired from her post as President and CEO of the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, an organization that provides youth employment, mentoring, and tutoring for those in need. Dr. Powell remains active in the community, and serves on the boards of Mayerson Academy, Bethesda Hospital Inc., Union Central Life, the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education, Art Links, CET, and the Greater Cincinnati Foundation. She has received many honors, including designation as a Cincinnati Enquirer Woman of the Year, Talbot House Community Service Award, Glorying the Lion Awards from the Urban League, Miami's Alumni Association A.K. Morris Award, the YWCA Career Achievement Award, the Beacon of Light Award from Lighthouse Youth Services, and the Joseph A. Hall Award from the United Way and Community Chest. Dr. Powell resides in the Cincinnati suburb of Amberly. Her late husband, Lavatus Powell Jr., was a vice president at Procter & Gamble and a community leader. She has one daughter, three stepchildren and five grandchildren. All of us in the Cincinnati area congratulate Dr. Myrtis Powell on being named a Great Living Cincinnatian.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor John Pepper, an international business leader, visionary, community activist and champion of education, who will be formally honored as a Great Living Cincinnatian on February 16 by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber has bestowed this award on distinguished members of the community annually since 1967. Recipients of this prestigious award are chosen on the basis of professional achievement, community service, leadership, compassion, and vision. Past honorees have included Neil Armstrong, Dr. Albert Sabin and Charles Scripps. Mr. Pepper has inspired and impacted the lives of people in our community and across the globe. Throughout his career, he has led, trained and motivated people by his example. In his 39-year career at Procter & Gamble, Mr. Pepper helped to shape one of the world's largest consumer products companies. He began with the company in 1963. In 1974, he became general manager of Procter & Gamble Italia, and in 1980, he became group vice president. In 1984, he was elected to the company's board of directors and, in 1986, became president. In the early 1990s, he led Procter & Gamble's expansion into Eastern and Central Europe and Greater China. Mr. Pepper was named chairman and chief executive in 1995. He retired from Procter & Gamble in 2002, and retired as chairman of the executive committee of the board in 2003. Following his service to Procter & Gamble, he served for two years as vice president for Finance and Administration at Yale University, his alma mater. Mr. Pepper recently became chief executive officer of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati. This role is especially fitting for him, since he has been instrumental in the creation of the Freedom Center and co-chair of its development effort. Mr. Pepper has also dedicated his time, energy and leadership to improving education for our children. He has served as a hands-on leader for school reform, pushing schools across the socioeconomic spectrum to set higher standards. He was also a driving force, along with his wife, Francie, in the creation of the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, a nationally recognized program that provides youth employment, mentoring and tutoring for those in need. He currently serves as the Collaborative's vice chair. In 1994, Mr. Pepper chaired Cincinnati's United Way campaign, and has served on numerous local and national boards, including the American Society of Corporate Executives, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, the Partnership for Public Service and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, the National Alliance of Business, Xavier University, the American Chamber of Commerce in Brussels, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Art Museum. Mr. Pepper and his wife, Francie, have three sons and one daughter, and reside in the Cincinnati suburb of Wyoming. All of us in the Cincinnati area congratulate John Pepper on being named a Great Living Cincinnatian.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Right Reverend Herbert Thompson, Jr., a bishop, mentor, human rights advocate and community leader, who will be formally honored as a Great Living Cincinnatian on February 16 by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber has bestowed this award on distinguished members of the community annually since 1967. Recipients of this prestigious award are chosen on the basis of professional achievement; community service; leadership; compassion; and vision. Past honorees have included Neil Armstrong, Dr. Albert Sabin and Charles Scripps. Rev. Thompson was born and raised in New York, where his character was shaped by the hard-working and diverse community of Harlem during the 1940s and 1950s. After serving in the United States Air Force from 1952-1956, he enrolled at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, where he graduated cum laude in 1962. After a profound religious experience prompted him to serve, he enrolled at The General Theological Seminary, where he completed his seminary work and earned his master of divinity degree. He received his doctorate of ministry from The United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. Ordained into the priesthood in 1965, Rev. Thompson served various churches and communities in New York until 1988, when he was elected Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of Southern Ohio. In 1992, he was consecrated as the eighth Bishop of Southern Ohio, and the first African-American elected to serve the Diocese of Southern Ohio in this role. He was only the fourth African-American diocese bishop in the history of the Episcopal Church. Although he has lived in Cincinnati only since 1988, Rev. Thompson has had an enormous and lasting impact on our community. For example, in 1993, he organized a comprehensive ``Summit on Racism'' to ease racial tensions within the city. He also helped to push forward the concept for the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. Throughout his ministry, he has lived by these words: ``To reconcile, to heal, to liberate, to serve.'' Rev. Thompson recently retired from the Diocese of Southern Ohio, but continues to be actively involved in the community. Rev. Thompson has dedicated his time and energy to many organizations, including serving as chair of the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief and co-founder of Global Episcopal Ministries. He has also served on the boards of St. Augustine College, Bexley Hall Seminary, General Theological Seminary, Kenyon College, Kanuga Conference Center, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera and the Freedom Center. Among his many awards and honors include the Arts Consortium of Cincinnati's Martin Luther King Jr. Dreamkeeper award. Rev. Thompson has three children and one grandchild. All of us in the Cincinnati area congratulate Rev. Thompson on being named a Great Living Cincinnatian.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Neil Bortz, a residential and commercial developer, community leader, philanthropist, and visionary, who will be formally honored as a Great Living Cincinnatian on February 16 by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber has bestowed this award on distinguished members of the community annually since 1967. Recipients of this prestigious award are chosen on the basis of professional achievement; community service; leadership; compassion; and vision. Past honorees have included Neil Armstrong, Dr. Albert Sabin and Charles Scripps. Mr. Bortz built his career on an uphill challenge: launching the Mount Adams renaissance in the early 1960s as a founding partner in Towne Properties before going on to develop properties across Cincinnati, Dayton, Lexington and Florida. He has made countless improvements to our community and raised the quality of life for many in our region. In addition to sparking the rebirth of the picturesque, hilltop neighborhood of Cincinnati's Mount Adams, Mr. Bortz also helped lead the housing renaissance in downtown Cincinnati with several award- winning residential developments. His most recent projects include residential properties along the Ohio River. Mr. Bortz has also made an impact on our area by creating great places to live, work and shop in the Cincinnati suburbs. Mr. Bortz has been active in many arts, civic and philanthropic activities, including serving as founding chair of the Walnut Hills High School Alumni Foundation, which recently completed a new Arts & Sciences wing. Other boards include Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Equity Fund, National Conference of Christians and Jews, Reds Hall of Fame, Advisory Board to the Cincinnati Park Board, Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, Playhouse in the Park, the Harvard Club of Cincinnati, the Greater Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau and Cincinnati Country Day School. Among his many honors include the first University of Cincinnati Distinguished Service Award, Cincinnati Region Entrepreneur of the Year, and National Conference of Christian and Jews Outstanding Citizen Award. Mr. Bortz earned his Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. He has three sons, all of whom work with him at Towne Properties, two stepchildren, and six grandchildren. All of us in the Greater Cincinnati area congratulate Mr. Bortz on being named a Great Living Cincinnatian.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Flying Pig Marathon which is based in my hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. This week, Runner's World magazine picked the race as one of the top ten most enjoyable marathons in its January, 2006 issue. Runner's World editors composed a list of 25 marathons known for creating a fun experience, and then allowed readers to vote for their favorites in an online poll. The Flying Pig Marathon was voted the third most enjoyable event. The symbol of a flying pig has deep roots in the history of Cincinnati, which was once known as ``Porkopolis'' because of the city's pork industry heritage. As an avid marathon runner, I am thrilled to see our wonderful hometown race receive the national recognition that it deserves. The annual Flying Pig Marathon began in May 1999, and was created by my friends Iris Simpson-Bush and Bob Coughlin. Their hard work and leadership has built this race into one of the nation's premiere events. A 26.2 mile ``whole hog'' course ``flies'' through the southwestern part of the Second Congressional District, showcasing some of the most picturesque neighborhoods in Cincinnati. The race also features a 13.1 mile half-marathon, a timed 10K run, a noncompetitive 5K run, and a children's ``piglet'' event. Last year, there were over 13,000 participants overall, and an entire weekend of family oriented events. Congratulations to all associated with the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2520, the Stem Cell Therapeutic Research Act. Cord blood is already making a groundbreaking difference in the treatment of patients who are suffering from over 67 diseases, including leukemia and sickle cell disease. Cord blood is tremendously versatile. Its transplants do not require exact matches. It is frozen, and it is ready to go. It works for adults. Cord blood benefits minority patients who have difficulty finding exact matches and others with rare tissue types. The possibilities for cord blood in research are almost limitless since cord blood can potentially become any cell type in the body, and it is plentiful, since it is derived from umbilical cords that hospitals routinely discard. H.R. 2520 will provide Federal funding to increase the number of cord blood units available for patient genetic matching and treatment, link all cord blood banks in a searchable inventory and promote research in cord blood stem cell research. This is a bill we can truly support. I urge my colleagues to vote for this legislation that will help create new hope and new opportunities for doctors and patients who are urgently seeking cures. God always gives us a spare part. Umbilical cords are that spare part.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, my remarks were not directed at any Member of the House, and I did not intend to suggest that they applied to any Member, most especially the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania. I therefore ask for unanimous consent that my words be withdrawn.

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, in the heart of the spirit of discussion, I have received many telephone calls and e-mails asking us to show the world that we do support this effort. That is what we are here about. That is the debate that is at hand, whether we support this war or that we do not support this war. My constituents, the world, expect us to stay the course.

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I stood at Arlington National Cemetery attending the funeral of a young Marine from my district. He believed what we are doing is the right thing, and had the courage to lay his life on the line to do it. A few minutes ago I received a call from Colonel Danny Bubp, Ohio Representative from the 88th District in the House of Representatives. He asked me to send Congress a message: ``Stay the course.'' * * *

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mariemont High School which is located in the Second District of Ohio that I represent. Mariemont was recently named a blue ribbon school by the U.S. Department of Education. This is the department's highest honor, and it is a very selective program. In fact, of the thousands of schools across America, only 296 receive the blue ribbon certification, and only 16 of those schools are in Ohio. This is a tremendous honor for our part of the State. The blue ribbon program is designed to provide national recognition to public and private schools that have done an outstanding job of educating our children. The screening process evaluates a number of criteria, including strong leadership and vision; an innovative and challenging curriculum; a commitment to parental involvement; and a track record of achieving success with student from all backgrounds. Mariemont's receiving of this award reflects the hard work and dedication of its teachers and school administrators; the academic success of its students; and the active involvement of parents. Congratulations, Mariemont High.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn) for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, I am going to keep this very brief. I just came here 64 days ago, and I served on the general assembly and I served on the appropriations committee. And I can tell the Members most States are seeing their budgets being crippled by Medicaid, and Medicaid is tied to the Federal programs. What we have done in this bill is we have a plan to reform government, to reduce spending, not just at the Federal level but at the State level as well. The gentleman from Texas's (Chairman Barton) program that addresses the eldercare with Medicaid will really help States initiate programs that truly take care of the elderly who are in need, but force people who are not in need who try to circumvent the system from circumventing that system. And that is so important. That is reforming government. That is reducing spending. That is getting rid of waste, fraud, and abuse. And that is a plan. Chairman Barton also has a plan for Medicaid savings on prescription drugs. That is important, because when I came from Ohio and when 85 percent of our budget is crippled by Medicare and education, we need to have help at the Federal level to enact reforms at the State level that will allow us to feed our poor, feed our elderly, educate our children, and not bankrupt our system. That is what this act does. I am going to vote for it, and I want to applaud the leadership on the Republican side of this aisle for giving us a plan to reform government, reduce spending, and save our future.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4128, of which I am a cosponsor, legislation to protect private property of all Americans. As my fellow Ohioan William Howard Taft, the only person to serve as President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, said, ``Next to the right of liberty, the right of property is the most important individual right guaranteed by the Constitution.'' When the Supreme Court decided in Kelo that the State and local governments can require homeowners to vacate their property to make way for commercial development, it failed property owners' rights and our Constitution. This legislation is important to me because of residents in Norwood, Ohio. In Norwood, Ohio, these residents are suing right now saying that it misused the power of eminent domain by declaring a neighborhood was blighted and turning the property over to a private company for the development of a shopping center. The Ohio Supreme Court is taking this matter. We hope there is a better resolution than the one in Kelo. I want to commend Chairman Sensenbrenner and Chairman Goodlatte for their good work and their courageous effort in this most needed legislation.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey). I am so glad that you pointed out about the importance of having the right people at the Supreme Court. I think that the judges that serve on the Supreme Court should take another look at the Constitution and recognize that their duty is to not make the law but to interpret the law, because in the Kelo decision, they trampled all over amendment five, or article V, of the Constitution and that is a right to own property. Our Supreme Court, since the 1940s, has become a little schizophrenic on issues near and dear to our hearts. The right to own property, the right to have liberty before birth, the right to have one Nation under God in the Constitution, is something that is going to be questioned, the right to have public expression, displays of public expression like the Ten Commandments paid for by citizens, they are not clear on whether that can stand or that cannot stand. Let me backtrack and say what I am talking about. See, for Christmas displays such as the crib or a menorah, you are allowed to put that on public property as long as you also allow on public property something generic like Santa Claus or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. But in my community in Adams County, when the good people of Adams County wanted to put the Ten Commandments on the four new high schools and they realized that because it was just all by itself it was too religious, they then garnered their money on their own, not public money, to put the Bill the Rights, the Declaration of Independence, other bodies of law surrounding these Ten Commandments to show that it was not isolated and not just a religious expression. But the Supreme Court said, no, you have got to remove the Ten Commandments. Now we see the same schizophrenic reaction with the right to own property, and I would like to look at the time line in how we got to where we are today and to tell you why I am so impassioned about this. This really began 50 years ago in 1954 right here in Washington, D.C., when the Supreme Court with Berman v. Parker decided that the city could take blighted property or property that they determined blighted, take it for a public use. But it was not until 1981 in the Poletown Neighborhood Council v. The City of Detroit that the Supreme Court really abridged our right to own property. In that case General Motors wanted to expand their plant and there was some blighted property there, and some of the home owners did not want to vacate that property. So the city of Detroit determined that they would be better off financially by purchasing the property, allowing General Motors to expand their plant; and the Supreme Court agreed. In 1984 they reaffirmed this in the case of Hawaii Housing Authority v. Midkiff in the United States Supreme Court. But in 2004, the Michigan Supreme Court backpeddled on the Poletown case. And in the County of Wayne v. Hathcock, the Michigan Supreme Court said, wait a minute, you cannot take private property, not for public use but for a developer's use, and said, no, you cannot take this property because a developer wants to get rich. And this was very important to me, and I will get to it in a minute. But on June 23, 2005, all this was changed with the Kelo case. Now, why should I care about the Kelo case in this second congressional district? Because of one resident in the city of Norwood, Ohio. Norwood is a great city within the city of Cincinnati, an old German city. And those Germans knew how to build homes. And I know that because my dad, son of German immigrants, built homes in Norwood, Ohio, 70 years ago, and they are still standing today. He knew how to build a brick structure, solid as a rock. Some of those homes now are ones he built, but some of those homes are right next to a very profitable shopping center. A developer decided he would like to expand the shopping center. So he went in and told the City of Norwick that he wanted to use eminent domain to take those homes. He offered those people a lot of money, and most of them bought into it because they are getting twice, three times the price that they could get on the open market. But there is one old man who is 82 years of age. He does not want to give up that home. He has lost his wife, but he raised their children in that home, and her smell is still inside those walls. It is more important for him to live inside those walls, regardless of what money you are offering him, because that is all he has got left in his old age is the memory of the woman he loved. And yet Kelo would say, too bad, too sad, this developer has the right to take your property, to take away your memory. I am going to stand proud on Thursday and vote for this very important bill. I am going to vote for it not just for the citizens of Ohio or the citizens of the 2nd Congressional District but, most importantly, for that 82-year old man.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take my Special Order at this time.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an issue that is of great concern to me, the prudent spending of our precious Federal tax dollars. In an ever-difficult budget environment, we need to be more vigilant in determining how these funds are spent. So far Congress has provided $61 billion in Federal funds for the recovery of the gulf coast. As we turn our attention to helping rebuild this area, any Federal funds for rebuilding should be spent according to a modern, uniform statewide building code. Did you know that Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama do not have statewide building codes? Today I will introduce a sense of Congress resolution that Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama should adopt modern, uniform statewide building codes so that their rebuilding is, quite frankly, up to code. Every other State on the eastern seaboard already has similar codes. The Gulf Coast States should, too. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Quite frankly, it is a must.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of a brave soldier who died in Iraq nobly defending our freedom and in the service of our country. Marine Captain Tyler Swisher was killed in a roadside bomb attack near Al Amariyah in Iraq on Friday, October 21, 2005. Tyler is remembered as someone who overcame so many obstacles in his life. He was a small child, and as a child he struggled with a learning disability, but he would take on his school work with a gritty style of persistence, and he succeeded. He devoted himself to his work. Tyler's tough and determined style was something that he exhibited throughout his life. In high school his small frame just hovering over 100 pounds did not keep him from doing what he loved, playing football, and while he spent much of his time at Mariemont High School on the sideline, he was still in the game. He joined the Marines because he loved his country. He soon loved the Marines and chose to make it his career. He loved his country so much, he chose to serve not one, but three tours of duty in Iraq, just as in his youth he would not quit. He was so proud to be a Marine, but more proud to be an American. He really loved his country. My community continues to be blessed with people like Tyler who unselfishly give their time and, in some cases, their life so that we may continue to enjoy the freedoms we hold so dear. He loved his family. Tyler is survived by his wife Stephanie; his daughters Ashleigh and Madison; and a son Jacob; and his parents, who live in Pierce Township. All of us mourn Tyler's loss, and we are grateful, eternally grateful, for his braveness and his valor and his valiant service to our country. I ask my colleagues to join me tonight and each and every night to pray for his family in their time of need. May Tyler rest in peace.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to speak out of order for 5 minutes.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of a brave soldier who died in Iraq nobly defending our freedom and in the service of our country. Staff Sergeant Richard Pummill was killed in action while on combat operations in the Al Anbar Province on Thursday, October 20, 2005. Rick is remembered as a star athlete who participated in football and wrestling at Anderson High School where he graduated in 1996. His friends and family knew him as a fun-loving, outgoing, and energetic person who loved life and his family. He also loved his community and his country. He was an individual who wanted to do something special with his life. He decided that special purpose was to join the Marines and serve his country. He truly loved his country, and our Nation is a richer place because of his presence. Devoted to his family, Rick is survived by his wife, Chantal; his son, Donald; his parents, Lynn and Tom; and his loving grandparents. Visitations are going on this evening in Cincinnati. He will be honored with a full military funeral tomorrow, Thursday, October 27, and buried at the Mt. Moriah Cemetery in Withamsville, Ohio. All of us mourn Rick's loss and are grateful for his brave and valiant service to our country. I ask my colleagues to join me in praying for his family in their time of grief and need. May Richard Pummill rest in peace.

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3256) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3038 West Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the ``Congressman James Grove Fulton Memorial Post Office Building''.

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

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

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3368) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6483 Lincoln Street in Gagetown, Michigan, as the ``Gagetown Veterans Memorial Post Office''.

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

Mrs. SCHMIDT

Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 269. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.