Lee Terry

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Herger), member of the Ways and Means Committee, and I ask unanimous consent that he be allowed to control that time.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers, and so I'm prepared to yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. I think for the TV viewers, it's important to note that Mr. Yarmuth isn't that short. It's that the bat is that big. Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, thank you for conducting this debate on H. Con. Res. 59. This important concurrent resolution supports the goals and ideals of senior caregiving. I would like to thank the distinguished Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Education and Labor Committee as well as the Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities for their role in bringing this concurrent resolution to the House Floor. Furthermore, I would like to particularly thank the 42 cosponsors of this important resolution. Seniors are one of our most precious resources. In order to take care of our seniors, we need a nation of caregivers. On March 30, 2009, I introduced H. Con. Res. 59 in order to help promote the goals and ideals of senior caregiving. The idea for this concurrent resolution was brought to me by the world's large senior care provider, Home Instead Senior Care, which is located in my congressional district in Omaha, Nebraska. Home Instead understands first hand the importance of senior caregiving. Its over 800 franchises worldwide provide care to over 60,000 seniors. Home Instead is just one of hundreds of companies who provide care to seniors. In addition to these paid caregivers, you have millions of individuals who provide care to their elderly parents, siblings, friends etc. To illustrate the need for senior caregivers, today in the United States, there are more than 38 million people who are 65 years of age or older and this number is expected to more than double by 2050. For this reason, it is critical that we as a nation are prepared to meet and manage the needs of our aging population. We must work to educate people in the United States on the impact of aging and the importance of knowing the options available to seniors when they need assistance to meet their personal needs. In 2006, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a total of 767,000 paid personal and home care aides providing more than 835 million hours of care to a senior population of 38 million. These statistics speak to the point that seniors prefer to remain in their homes if their needs are met with affordable and safe homecare. I firmly believe the longer a senior is able to provide for his or her own care, the less burden is placed on public payment systems in state and federal governments. This important concurrent resolution pledges to study the needs of an aging population and seeks alternatives which can make caregiving more affordable. Moreover, this resolution importantly recognizes the caregivers who provide these homecare services. This resolution will draw attention to our everyday heroes who enhance the lives of our senior population. This resolution also focuses on those caregivers who are excited to have an employment opportunity to work with our seniors. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the three national associations who are supportive of this legislation: National Family Caregivers Association; the National Association for Home Care and Hospice; and the National Private Duty Association. These three groups illustrate the widespread support for this resolution amongst the caregiver community. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, H. Con. Res. 59 is an important step in recognizing the important work of caregivers. I encourage my colleagues to support this important concurrent resolution. National Private Duty Association, Indianapolis, IN, July 1, 2008. The National Private Duty Association formally endorses the Concurrent Resolution which Home Instead Senior Care has circulated. This Resolution does an excellent job of promoting the goals and ideals of senior caregiving and affordability. The National Private Duty Association is supportive of the intent of this Resolution which is to increase the visibility of senior caregivers in a positive manner. Moreover, the National Private Duty Association believes the six recommendations listed in the Resolution are important steps forward in our effort to educate the public on senior caregiving. We encourage other associations to support this Resolution effort and we look forward to becoming a part of the coalition in support of this. I would be happy to discuss the merits of this Resolution at any time. Sincerely, Sheila McMackin, President, National Private Duty Association.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding an earmark I received as part of the Department of Defense Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2010, H.R.3326. My Congressional District received $1,700,000 for research at the University of Nebraska at Omaha's College of Information Science and Technology's work with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. These systems control critical national and defense infrastructure such as gas pipelines, utilities, and railroads. The Department of Defense, power companies, manufacturing plants and transportation networks rely on Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. The Department of Homeland Security has grown increasingly concerned over the lack of security of SCADA networks. This concern is due to the fact that SCADA control systems are primarily owned by private companies and have been assembled together in a patchwork fashion over time to improve efficiency. Even though many military bases, including those operated by the U.S. Air Force, have separate SCADA systems in place to provide local power, they remain vulnerable because they use commercially produced, potentially flawed SCADA system hardware and software. Likewise, the U.S. electric power industry uses SCADA systems and is a potential target for terrorist attacks. Nearly 1,700 of the 3,200 power utilities have some type of SCADA system in place, and roughly one quarter of these utilities have no separation between the corporate network and the system control network. Clearly, U.S. infrastructure is operating in a very dangerous mode. External entities that may be able to gain access to control centers could turn off power, reroute trains, or shut down factories. Thus, a national security concern exists on two fronts: the capabilities of the military and public infrastructure safety. This project will develop methods which will be used within SCADA systems to increase the authenticity and integrity of data that provide control information. To achieve this goal, researchers will work with the U.S. Air Force and local industries to assess the most commonly used SCADA legacy equipment. This research will be guided by a project- specific advisory board to ensure it is consistent and well-integrated into other national efforts and valuable to private sector infrastructure operators. This board could include members from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Air Force Office Scientific Research, USSTRATCOM, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Nebraska Public Power District, Omaha Public Power District, Northern Natural Gas, and Union Pacific Railroad. Education and Analysis Labs (mentioned above) will be used to conduct this work. The team is also well recognized in the cybersecurity community, as evidenced by the DoD-sponsored International Cyber Defense Workshop hosted at UNO in October 2008 with over 100 participations from 16 countries. UNO is also uniquely positioned to perform advanced cybersecurity research specifically in SCADA system security because its researchers have connections with personnel in the military, industrial, and public infrastructure sectors using SCADA systems. These strong partnerships will guide and direct the research and its application. Researchers will also collaborate with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which has a SCADA system test bed and currently employs UNO graduates working on SCADA system problems. I was pleased to see this funding included in the Defense Appropriations Bill.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding an earmark I received as part of the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2010, H.R. 3293. My Congressional District received $500,000 to purchase core research equipment at Creighton University. Creighton University is located at 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178. This funding will support several core research facilities for shared use among research faculty, including basic scientists and clinical researchers. These facilities provide university biomedical researchers opportunities for inter- disciplinary collaboration and interaction. The development of team research projects utilizing state-of-the-art technology and equipment offered in these core facilities has enabled Creighton to continue to increase their NIH research funding despite the downturn in the NIH budget. Creighton's research community has designed the facilities to allow the free flow of information and collaborative work environments, thus expanding the possibilities of research and wisely using limited resources. Grouping resources through core facilities has the distinct advantage of using the economy of scale by consolidating expensive equipment and technologies, providing access to state-of-the-art research tools and expanding the base of sponsored program opportunities through enhanced research infrastructure. Core facility resources are not duplicated and are made available to the entire university research community. Research grants, funded by the Health Future Foundation, the Nebraska Tobacco Settlement Biomedical Research Development Grant (LB692), and the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSC0R), have supplied Creighton University with the resources for the creation and expansion of Core Facilities in confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, genomics, morphology, and proteomics. Further, Creighton is developing a core facility for clinical genomics that will support a wide range of Creighton researchers. All Core Facilities are housed in the C.C. and Mabel Criss Health Sciences Complex on the university's main campus. My Congressional District also received $1 million for the purchase of equipment and construction of facilities at Creighton University. Creighton University is located at 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178. This funding will support the three major health science programs housed in the dental sciences building, dentistry, occupational therapy and physical therapy. These programs provide educational opportunities for Nebraskans and manpower to meet the state's needs in those disciplines. Each of the programs also provides Nebraskans with a vital link to health care. Following an in-depth analysis, Creighton University is undertaking a major capital campaign to provide the School of Dentistry with a new facility. The Dental Sciences Building will provide the School of Dentistry with a facility that helps them increase their capacity to serve as a national resource in dental education and a Nebraska resource for dental care. The new facility will meet the needs of the student body, the needs of the Omaha community as well as the surrounding rural communities and states that Creighton graduates serve. In fact, through contractual agreements Creighton University is THE state dental school for Idaho, Utah and Wyoming. This will allow Creighton to remain competitive among peer institutions and recruit and retain the best students and faculty while providing services to under-served communities who rely on university dental clinics for basic dental health services. I am confident this funding serves an appropriate federal purpose and works to better the lives of the people of Nebraska and the nation.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding an earmark I received as part of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2010, H.R. 3288. My Congressional District received $1.25 million for the construction of a child and family services facility at Boys Town, Nebraska. The entity to receive this funding is Boys Town, located at 14100 Crawford St., Boys Town, NE 68010. This funding will help fund the construction of a new totally comprehensive child and family services facility with increased capacity to serve more then double the population of children and families currently served of approximately 1,000. Boys Town will be providing at least $7.25 million in matching funds towards the requested Federal share of $1.25 million. This multi-dimensional service facility will include the broad range of medical and juvenile justice delinquency services so that at-risk girls and boys (and their families) can have all child related disorders and care provided. Some of the services included, but not limited to, in this facility will include juvenile justice evaluations, services to prevent delinquency and school failure, and parenting skill building services to help parents become more effective at dealing with a variety of child disorders and issues. It is expected that through these services, youth recidivism of criminal behavior will be greatly reduced as will the need for further out-of home-placement, including that of a correctional or prison facility. Youth will be prepared to be productive members of society. Nationally and locally, Boys Town's continuum of programs now provide direct care to more than 51,000 children and their families and assists nearly 1.4 million children each year through its youth care and health care programs. Boys Town operates programs in a dozen states and the District of Columbia. These programs include: Treatment Family Programs (i.e. Family Home, Assessment and Short-Term Residential Services, Treatment Foster Family Services, Family Based Services, Common Sense Parenting and National Hotline. Treatment modalities range from prevention to aftercare and include in- and out-of-home programs. The Boys Town model, the foundation for all Boys Town programs, has been recognized by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) as a ``Promising Model.'' Boys Town's leadership in treatment and child care technology provide youth with a safe, caring, loving environment where they gain confidence to get better and learn skills to become productive citizens. With at least an 81% success rate, Boys Town alumni have gone on to become successful in all facets of life. This commitment to our nation's youth placed Boys Town on the list of the 100 Best Communities for Young People as named by America's Promise Alliance in 2005, 2006, and 2007.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. The House health care bill is a government takeover of your health care and destructive to the economy. It provides perverse incentives to employers to dump their health care plan, forcing their employees into the government health exchange where they will choose the government-subsidized government plan. Oops, there goes the promise that you can keep your own plan. This costs you $1 trillion placed on the back of small businesses. Oops, there goes those jobs. After 10 years, the cost of this plan explodes, needing multi- trillions of dollars to continue to fund. More taxes, more debt. Oops, there goes our economy--to China and India.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to express my dissatisfaction with this rule. This is my 11th year here, my 11th appropriations season, and it is the first time where substantive, real discussions have been prevented. I am extremely disturbed at this rule, as all previous rules this year on appropriations. In years past, if we had a substantive, meritorious amendment, we were allowed to bring it to the floor without having to go through a totalitarian regime where a small group of people get to place their beliefs at the forefront and prevent discussion. So in the charade of saying that they are just protecting us from dilatory amendments, they are using this power to silence us on substantive amendments. Let me give you my example about why I stand here today expressing my frustration at the heavy-handedness of the majority. I believe that our country is in jeopardy of not having enough energy to power our economy in the future. If we look at the electricity that needs to be generated in the future, we have to build well over 230 gigabytes of new energy over the next 30 years. Let me put that in perspective. Most power plants are 500 megabits. So this is 450 to 460 new power plants. If we want clean, reliable and affordable energy for this country to power our economy, we have to open ourselves to nuclear power. We can't access Yucca Mountain. That has been shut down. But the rest of the world recycles their nuclear waste and power rods. We do not in this country. I had an amendment that I felt very strongly about that increased for our national laboratories funding specifically to research recycling technologies that can be used at our nuclear power plants to continue to recycle their materials, as they are being recycled. Not only is this energy efficient, but wise and efficient use of these nuclear rods, which also means that we have solved our waste issue, not totally making Yucca Mountain irrelevant, but certainly making it----

Mr. TERRY. Thank you. But certainly putting us on a path where we can use nuclear power as clean, affordable energy without the necessity of Yucca Mountain being opened today. For some reason, in our Energy and Commerce Committee, every one of our nuclear amendments was shut down and voted against. And now we have a Rules Committee that is preventing nuclear power amendments. I don't understand. I am at a complete loss why the majority wants to shut down nuclear power when it is the cleanest power we can have, the most reliable and the most affordable. That is where our future lies. We can replace old coal-fired plants with clean, new nuclear and produce twice the energy. But for some reason, the majority wants to shut this down. This rule proves that they are shutting down nuclear power, or at least stepping up and making sure that we aren't going to have more nuclear power in the future. So I ask my colleagues who are pro-nuclear and pro-energy to vote ``no'' on this rule.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding an earmark I received as part of H.R. 3170--Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act of 2010. Nebraska's Micro-Enterprise Center at The University of Nebraska at Omaha, located at 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha NE 68182, will receive $250,000 from the Small Business Administration out of the ``salaries and expenses'' account in order to establish the technical, knowledge, and support infrastructure needed to foster growth of microenterprises through effective application of information technologies. The Program includes facilities in a central lab to develop and maintain a repository of technology-based solutions to business problems encountered by micro- enterprises. These base solutions, ranging from simple how-to tutorials to fully configured ``business in a box'' servers hosted on a cloud computing (internet based) infrastructure, that will be customized to meet the needs of individual microenterprises. Funds will also support additional curriculum development at UNO in Information Technology for Development, including distance learning options. These educational opportunities will develop a well trained workforce to further support the micro-enterprise owner's needs and sustain the communities of micro-enterprises needed for economic development in Nebraska. The Program will also support mobile labs used by specially trained UNO students who will work on location with the micro-entrepreneurs to provide customized technology-based solutions to pressing business problems. This project trains micro-enterprise owners how to use information technology effectively by providing immediate and accessible, needs-based information systems training, technical assistance and operations and development services to micro- enterprises. Micro-enterprise owners, gaining the skills and knowledge necessary to use information technology to grow their businesses, will learn to access new customers and markets, achieve administrative efficiencies, learn how to improve their businesses and increase productivity. The PIs and this project have a well established track record of working with micro-enterprises that are most in need and enabling them to show measurable improvements. This includes working closely with multiple community partners. 37 microenterprises that were selected from a larger pool are presently being actively supported. This project is different from the other micro-enterprise assistance programs in that it addresses the needs of the majority of micro-entrepreneurs by providing them with the ability to use information technology to grow their businesses. Additionally, instruments are being developed and used to assess the effects of our training, technology and trust building interventions on the economic, human and social development of micro-entrepreneurs in the underserved communities of Omaha. After a well established IT, knowledge and community infrastructure is in place approval will be pursued for Center status within the University. Continued educational offerings of developed curricula will sustain development of a trained workforce and microenterprise communities. Efforts for program research, innovation, expansion and assessment purposes will be supplemented by external funding. In January 2005, Governor Heineman reported to the Legislature on the Nebraska Micro-enterprise Development Act that 87 percent of Nebraska's businesses are micro-enterprises and they accounted for 22 percent of Nebraska's job growth. Many of Nebraska's most successful businesses (e.g., Cabela's, ConAgra) began as micro-enterprises. Since many rural and inner city communities lack the resources and infrastructure for industrial development, micro-enterprises are the only choice for economic development. Despite its effectiveness and track record, Nebraska's micro-enterprise development system is grossly underfunded, according to a recent report to the Unicameral by the Nebraska Rural Development Commission. As with businesses of any size, the performance of micro-enterprises can be enhanced through the effective and strategic use of information technology. This project will provide Nebraska micro-enterprises with an accelerated platform and support for increasing their technological competitiveness, innovation and spur job growth.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding an earmark I received as part of the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2010. My Congressional District received $1.2 million to fund alternative energy training and solar power research at Creighton University. Creighton University is located at 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178. This funding will support costs associated with expansion of its energy technology training program and the establishment of the Research Center for Solar Energy that are consistent with the mission of the Department of Energy--``to strengthen America's energy security, environmental quality, and economic vitality in public-private partnerships that 1) enhance energy efficiency and productivity, 2) bring clean, reliable and affordable energy technologies to the marketplace, and 3) make a difference in the everyday lives of Americans by enhancing their energy choices and their quality of life.'' This new program will take advantage of Creighton's developing leadership in energy technology. The new energy technology program will create two faculty research labs that will be designed as settings for project-based and internship-based research settings. Federal funding will allow the university to offer specialized technical training programs in photovoltaics and wind energy to create highly skilled manpower to provide the expertise to develop and implement solar energy. These programs will serve the needs of both traditional and non-traditional students as well as addressing training and retraining needs for a growing energy sector of the economy.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great public servant--Bellevue, Nebraska Mayor Ed Babbitt. Ed passed away suddenly this week. Ed was born on a farm near Elliot, Iowa and earned a degree in business administration from what is now the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He received a master's in business administration from Creighton University. He has four wonderful children and has been married to his devoted wife Barbara since 1962. Robyn and I have Barbara and the family in our thoughts and prayers. Ed was elected to the Bellevue City Council in 1974; he served for eight years and then returned to the council in 1992. He was elected Mayor in 2006 by defeating a two-term incumbent in one of the year's biggest upsets. As mayor of Nebraska's third largest city his love for his family, community and the people around him was always evident. He was a dedicated public servant who had big dreams for Bellevue's future. Over the years he worked hard to make the city of Bellevue what it is today--a city of growth, suburb quality of life and pro business. His work will not be forgotten and his memory shall live on forever. Ed, thanks for your tireless work, Bellevue and all your friends will miss you.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. There's a vigorous debate about the anthropologic impact on our climate. I believe that we do have an obligation to reduce CO2, if we can. But this must be balanced with an equal obligation to treat our constituents in a manner that preserves our Nation's economic competitiveness. Advocates for the cap-and-trade bill state that it will not significantly increase economic burdens on our constituents. This is just not true. The cap-and-tax bill also contains a renewable electric standard and other elements which will significantly increase costs to utilities and consumers. The Omaha Public Power District in my district conducted an independent analysis of the cost to my constituents, free of political interference like the one put out by the EPA. Even with the free allowances allocated under the Waxman-Markey cap- and-tax bill, Nebraskans will have to suffer a $74 million bill in 2012, and increased to $410 million a year by 2030 in the most optimistic case. Vote against this bill.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of the Department of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2010 (H.R. 2998). My Congressional District received $500,000 for the City of Omaha Public Works Department, located at 1819 Farnam Street, Suite 600, Omaha, NE 68183. This money is from the State and Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG) account, and will be used by the City of Omaha for the design and construction of improvements to portions of the City's combined sewer system. These projects will allow the City of Omaha to reduce the amount of sewage overflowing to receiving streams. These efforts are consistent with the latest requirements from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) to achieve the goal of improved water quality in the United States.

Mr. TERRY

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

Mr. TERRY. I have no further speakers. I will just say that I really appreciate the gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz) for coming down to the floor and speaking about her personal experiences. The courage that she has in speaking about this openly, educating people across the country, she's very special; and I'm glad she came down. I want to congratulate all of the D.C. employees of our staffs that will be participating in the Race for the Cure this weekend. I wish them well. Raise lots of money. This is one of the truly great organizations, and it is the symbol of grassroots efforts for a cure for breast cancer. I wish them well this weekend as well as all of the other walks and runs that will occur in most cities across the Nation over the next few months. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. TERRY. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I appreciate working with the gentlewoman from California. We work on a lot of our health bills together. That's the spirit of comity in the Energy and Commerce Committee. It is with great pride that I rise today in support of the House Concurrent Resolution 109, honoring the 20th anniversary of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in the Nation's Capital and its transition to the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure on June 6, 2009. So this Saturday, here in Washington, D.C., D.C. will be the host of the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure, and participants will be walking, running, volunteering, and even sleeping to help raise money for breast cancer research, education and community awareness. More than 50,000 participants, including 4,000 breast cancer survivors and hundreds of congressional and Federal agency employees are expected for the 20th annual 5K walk on the National Mall. I would like to at this point inject that Omaha, Nebraska's Susan G. Komen race is in October when it will be a little cooler. We like running and walking, and our office has a team for that race. I would encourage every congressional office, in their districts, to field a team to help raise awareness and research for breast cancer. My mother was a breast cancer survivor until a different cancer got her a year ago. So I would like to express my gratitude for the $1.3 billion the Susan G. Komen for the Cure has invested, helping more people survive the disease and creating strong community support for breast cancer survivors. Publicly and privately funded research has resulted in the treatment that has raised the 5-year survival rate for women with localized breast cancer from 80 percent in the 1950s to nearly 98 percent as we stand here today. I would like to thank the author of the resolution, Mr. Gerald Connolly of Virginia, for his leadership in honoring the Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. We greatly appreciate the gentlelady from California's comments. And it was very striking that out of the age group of ninth- grade to eleventh-grade young ladies in that demographic that one in three would contemplate suicide. That is just stunning. The Energy and Commerce Committee has a real asset on mental health as well as an advocate for treatment, awareness and education in the gentleman from Pennsylvania who is our resident psychologist on the committee. We use him a great deal. And I would yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Tim Murphy).

Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. I, too, rise in support of House Resolution 437, acknowledging the month of May as National Mental Health Month. Mental health has been recognized by Congress for over 50 years and has continued to raise awareness in our communities and lower the stigma associated with mental disorders. I would like to express my gratitude to the national and community organizations working to promote public awareness of mental health and providing the proper information for families affected by mental illness. Your work is critical to increasing the quality of life for those with mental illness. I would like to thank the author of the resolution, Mrs. Grace Napolitano, who was a classmate of mine, for her leadership in helping Americans while addressing mental disorders. I encourage all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Tim Murphy) may control the balance of my time.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the establishment of the Omaha District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 75 years ago. Since that time, the Omaha District of the Corps has performed admirably in a wide range of duties, and today manages more than a billion dollars worth of civil works, military construction, and environmental restoration projects. Members of the Omaha District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers currently serve in Afghanistan and Iraq as part of the Global War on Terror. When the Omaha District was established in 1934, its initial mission was the construction of the Fort Peck Dam in Montana. That project was the first of many that resulted in the construction of a total of 6 dams along the main stem of the Missouri River that provided necessary jobs during the Great Depression. This was just part of the Corps' efforts to harness the mighty Missouri River basin through construction of a vast set of engineering projects which control flooding, facilitate commerce by improving navigation, generate electricity, and spur agriculture. These projects evolved into a flood control system that has prevented over $25 billion in flood damages to date. During World War II and the Cold War, the Omaha District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was involved in numerous aspects of our nation's defense. It constructed the assembly plant for the B-29 Superfortress and the B-26 Marauder, and gained technical expertise in constructing runways which proved valuable for Army Air Force training. The Omaha District also was involved in the construction of the Northern Area Defense Command in Colorado, facilities for Space Command, and various missile control and launch facilities throughout the Midwest. Following the Cold War, the Omaha District helped lead on environmental remediation by removing ordnance from closed bombing ranges, containing below ground chemical plumes, and remediating landfills and wetlands. In 1982, the Corps added environmental cleanup to its mission. Since that time the Corps has provided technical expertise to the Environmental Protection Agency's Superfund cleanup projects. In fact, the Corps' Omaha District became the Center of Expertise for Hazardous and Toxic Waste. Individuals trained at this facility have assisted in EPA environmental cleanup of projects in California and Pennsylvania. The Omaha District continues to take the lead in remediation of hazardous, toxic, and radioactive waste sites in current and former military sites. For 75 years, the Omaha District has answered the nation's call for service. I commend the Omaha District Corps' continued commitment to military construction, improving civil works and environmental restoration both in Nebraska and throughout our nation under the current leadership of Colonel David Press. The Omaha District of the U.S. Corps of Engineers has earned the recognition of Congress on the celebration of the 75th anniversary of its founding.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, it is my honor today to recognize the 10th anniversary of the death of Harry Francis Cunningham, Jr., a patriotic American, a great Nebraskan and an unsung hero. Harry Francis Cunningham devoted 31 years to the U.S. Foreign Service, serving in posts in Hungary, Spain, Germany, Vietnam, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Canada during the tumultuous times of 1938-1969. During that time, Mr. Cunningham was personally responsible for the safety and survival of many families. At the tender age of 25, Mr. Cunningham was able to accomplish feats only achieved by real heroes, and through his noble actions, countless Jewish lives were saved. One example of Mr. Cunningham's many accomplishments is the story of Mr. Zoltan Roth and Mrs. Elizabeth Foldes, two people that he helped escape Hungary just before the onslaught of World War II. Both Zoltan and Elizabeth were graduate medical students seeking to escape Europe for America and facing dire circumstances. Both were brilliant students, but were banned by Hungarian medical school quotas against Jews. Instead, both graduated with honors from their respective schools, Zoltan from the University of Bologna in Italy and Elizabeth from Charles Medical University in Prague. Upon her graduation, Elizabeth had been accepted at Columbia University in New York City to do graduate studies. She and Zoltan were about to be married, and wanted to come to America together. When she arrived at the American Embassy in Budapest, however, she learned for the first time that her student visa was unattainable. Six years before, her mother had, without Elizabeth's knowledge or consent, signed her up for permanent residency status and this had nullified the student visa process. A person applying for a student visa could not have signaled a desire to remain permanently. Their plight looked hopeless. They made an appointment, again at the American Embassy in Budapest, this time, fortuitously, being assigned to a Foreign Service Officer, who turned out to be Harry Francis Cunningham, Jr., 25 years old and on his first post. Creatively, Mr. Cunningham readjusted their visas giving Zoltan Roth, Elizabeth's permanent visa that she had not known about, as well as a quota number so he could leave Hungary within the next couple of months, freeing up her student visa application for her, and allowing them both entry into the United States. Because of his kindness and creativity, Elizabeth and Zoltan came to the United States, each practicing medicine in Reading, Pennsylvania for over 50 years, they were generous philanthropists and community citizens. They raised three daughters who have been teachers, professors, authors, lecturers and leaders in the world-wide medical support community. This was just one example of how Mr. Cunningham was able to assist refugees after the war by providing them safe entry into America to start new and productive lives. Mr. Cunningham received a bachelor's of arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1933 and was awarded an UNL Alumni Achievement award in 1984. He was a former trustee of the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation and the UNL Alumni Association. He served on the Bishop's committee and was a church warden at St. Mark's Campus Episcopal Church. Mr. Cunningham comes from a strong Nebraskan family as well. His father, Col. Harry Cunningham, took over the Nebraska State Capitol project after the death of Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue. He is survived by 11 grand children and 8 great grand children, several of which are still living in Nebraska. Many families owe their survival, and the lives of their children and grandchildren, to Mr. Cunningham. So it is my true honor to remember this unsung hero here today.

Mr. TERRY

Mr. TERRY. For a clarification, when you said brought to markup, are you referring to the so-called Grayson bill that you brought to the markup, or the original stimulus?

Mr. TERRY. Would the gentleman yield for a clarification?