Glenn Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I thank my good friend from Texas for hosting this hour. I actually do think this administration has an energy policy, and it's all about shutting down all of the domestic use of the resources we've been blessed with in this country. It's about cutting our supply, eliminating our domestic supply. When I looked at your chart you had in terms of gas prices reflecting 2009 and 2011, I know at the White House the President is asking the Attorney General to put together a task force and is trying to find the bad guys of who's causing gas prices to be so high right now, which are pushing over $4 a gallon. There's only really one thing that impacts gas prices, and that's supply and demand, and demand around the world is going up. As you really captured nicely in the documentation, Congressman, the problem is that this administration has shut down access to domestic supply, and we're making us more and more foreign- dependent. Right now, with what's happening in Libya, we only get 2 percent of our oil resources from them. Just that 2 percent with what's happening in that country, we're seeing gas prices now push over $4 a gallon. I'd like to contrast that with the shale gas that you talked about because, in Pennsylvania, we are blessed with it. Also, let me claim my heritage. I have the privilege of representing Titusville, Pennsylvania, where Edwin Drake drilled that first well 151 years ago, and we're very proud of that. Also, the 17 counties I represent in Pennsylvania are right in the heart of the Marcellus natural gas shale, and in the middle of one of the worst recessions we've had since the Great Depression, gas prices--and you captured them--are spiking at just record heights. If we had a chart there that showed natural gas prices, it actually is a record low. It's a little over $4 a cubic foot. Normally, in importing our domestic gas from other countries, natural gas would probably be somewhere around $11 or $12 a cubic foot, but today, it's $4-something a cubic foot in the middle of the worst recession. This winter was a tough winter in Pennsylvania, and the folks all over the State, including those in center city Philadelphia, are paying some of the lowest gas rates, which is only because natural gas is domestically produced. It just speaks to the importance of a strong domestic supply program, but the policies of this administration make that almost impossible for our oil. They're going after natural gas, trying to stop that as well, and that is driving up costs. I find that it's not only so terribly damaging on our economy and jobs but that it's just immoral when we've been blessed with these resources. They were provided to us for a purpose, which was to be able to use them and go after them and do it as good stewards, and we know how to do that today.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I thank the gentleman from Texas. I think a point in terms of the profits that oil companies make, it really is what most industries, whether it's a manufacturer or service industry, make right around 6 to 8 percent; but yet you have to answer who is benefiting from that. I would find it hard to believe that there's not a lot of Americans that benefit from that because their pension programs are investing in the portfolios they may have. Their pensions are investing in those types of companies and benefiting from that 6 to 8 percent margin that these companies are delivering. Those who will speak against using oil, they say, well, we don't have enough. We use so much, but we only have 2 percent of the proven reserves. Here's the facts. Frankly, when they define proven reserves, they just look at conventional. They don't look at unconventional. They don't consider shale gas. They don't consider shale oil. They just look at conventional reserves. Then they really don't look at probable. For probable, there is 10 to 20 times that much available in terms of probable. And then when you get the estimate, there is enough oil out there to really, I think, meet the needs of this country for as long as we need to. Now, I'm not saying forever because I think at some point, there will be a new energy source that comes along. It may be generations until we get that. It may be hydrogen-fueled cars. I don't know what it is, but we are going to have that kind of new science in the future. But we have plenty of oil to meet our needs right now. In terms of natural gas, what we know now from all the reserves in Texas and Pennsylvania and the Outer Continental Shelf and, frankly, throughout the West, we have at least 200 years of natural gas, and that's just what we know about. And the unknown is--but it's pretty consistent--is that the technology gets better and better and better. It's only with the advent about 60 years ago of the development of horizontal drilling that we have been able to really access the full potential that we are getting now on natural gas. I know that the engineers and the scientists out there are looking at new and better ways to get out more of this resource that God has really blessed us with as a country. I think we really do need an energy policy in this country, and it ought to be one that is centered around the full use of and access to domestic energy resources. We ought to be doing the research too, obviously, for new development. And energy efficiency is important as well, whether it's transportation or heating or electricity or appliances being more energy efficient with it. But those three things alone, all centered on domestic use of energy resources, that's the kind of energy policy this country needs.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, Apollo 14 launched on January 31, 1971, on its third trip to the Moon. Alan Shepard, Stuart Roosa, and Edgar Mitchell composed the Apollo's eighth manned mission to the lunar surface. Also on board were seeds from several common varieties of trees, part of a joint project with NASA and the U.S. Forest Service, known as the ``Moon trees,'' to see whether spaceflight affected seeds' ability to sprout. The resulting seedlings were planted throughout the United States as a tribute to the Apollo program. One of the surviving trees is in Pennsylvania's Fifth District, in Coudersport, Potter County. The Coudersport Moon tree, a sycamore, is among dozens reported as missing by NASA, until a local resident became aware of NASA's attempts to track down the remaining national treasures. Today, Potter County's Moon tree is alive and well, and members of the Coudersport Area Lions Club have agreed to partner with the local government for a dedication ceremony that will bring long-overdue attention to our Moon tree. We collectively should recognize the importance of NASA's Apollo program, and I want to thank my constituents in Coudersport for working to ensure the Moon trees continue to serve as a living monument to our Nation's first visit to the Moon.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. A lot of redundancy built into it because it's extremely important not to get that cross-contamination.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I thank my friend and colleague from the great State of New York, where our congressional districts adjoin at that New York-Pennsylvania border. I am really proud to be with you on the floor today to talk about this game changer, as you referred to. Mr. Speaker, we are facing critical times--record debt, $14 trillion; skyrocketing gas prices, in some places over $4 a gallon and climbing; energy dependence and addiction to Middle Eastern oil; and a volatile Middle East. All those things tie together. And, frankly, we're here to talk about something that is a part of the solution on how to get out from underneath each one of those critical issues that is just piling on this Nation, the United States of America, and that is the Marcellus shale natural gas. We are proud to also have Marcellus shale underneath much of Pennsylvania. We have New York and Pennsylvania, West Virginia, parts of Ohio, parts of Virginia. The Marcellus is just a tremendous natural gas play. It's something that we have known has been there for a very, very long time, but the technology to access it is more of a recent advent, and it is just so exciting. I'm glad we are here to talk about all aspects of this tonight. Over the last month, the development of the Marcellus shale natural gas play has been given national attention, in particular, a technical industry term known as ``hydraulic fracturing,'' or ``fracking,'' a process utilized in oil and gas production for almost a century and regulated now for decades. Oil and gas workers have completed nearly 1 million fracking jobs nationally, safely and without adverse environmental impact. Over the years, these technologies have been refined and improved for more efficient and environmentally safe use. In fact, Mr. Speaker, I find that the rapid increase of technology as it comes from the natural gas industry right now is just incredible. This is an industry that is literally very solid but is always looking for that new opportunity on how to do things even better. Recently, the New York Times attempted to discredit the wealth and experience employed by the industry over the years and the successful work of government officials to properly regulate natural gas development. Through half-truths and, frankly, calculated quote shopping, the New York Times made unsubstantiated claims regarding fracking and its impact on water quality and the environment. They repackaged old stories with sensational new headlines, and they rehashed allegations against development of natural resources vital for our country's energy future. Now immediately following these stories, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection--which has, frankly, jurisdiction over the drilling of natural gas in the Keystone State--responded, releasing tests that show that water supplies downstream of Marcellus shale gas drilling are safe. This testing has addressed misinformation related to water quality in the Commonwealth and validated with scientific data that municipal drinking water is safe. Mr. Speaker, each day in my district there is news regarding the Marcellus shale worthy of a national headline. Through this resource and these technologies, 70 million homes and thousands of small businesses are paying the lowest gas prices in years to heat their homes. The lowest. Let me repeat that. When you have gas prices, petroleum gas prices that are at record highs, volatile highs for our vehicles, natural gas prices at the same time are at a record low. That's where they have a national headline. That is all because of one thing. Natural gas in this country is largely domestically produced. It is produced by American workers, and it doesn't have that volatility that you see when you become reliant on countries such as in the Middle East. Thousands of jobs are being created. I have two counties in particular at the epicenter. Actually, one of them adjoins your congressional district. The lowest unemployment numbers probably in history, much lower than national and State averages. There's nothing better that you can do for a person than create an environment that provides them a good-paying job, and that is happening as a result of the natural gas industry. Each day, the local economy in my district gets a little better, and every moment the notion of an energy secure America is easier to grasp. For me, I define ``energy security'' as shutting off the pipeline from the Middle East. I recognize that the largest amount of our oil that we import is from Canada, and Canada is a good ally. I don't see any threats from Canadians other than maybe when we get around to hockey season between the teams. But when it comes to the Middle East, I think when we look at the volatility in the Middle East today, in Egypt and obviously Libya and Yemen, I mean, we should end that addiction immediately to Middle Eastern oil, and that achieves energy security. Now, when it comes to safety, there can be no shortcuts, no loopholes, and no exceptions, but sensationalism fails to serve any good for anyone. Scare tactics are dangerous when dealing with such complicated and technical matters as this. And that is what we see with many of the headlines that we have been reading, articles written with half-truths. I am so very pleased that you are hosting this hour today because we can talk about facts and put the facts out there. The same goes for dealing with our Nation's energy security. We need to talk about facts. So I am pleased to be with you, and I yield back at this time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I want to thank my good friend from New York. It's an honor to be joined by Congressman Altmire from Pennsylvania as well. Because this Marcellus natural gas is certainly a game changer for Pennsylvania. I think it's a game changer for the United States of America. And it is important that we educate. We're here to do that. And I know that's a--I think that's a vision of this caucus to make sure that we put out--get the science and the data out to people. Because there's a debate. And on most important things, most game changers you should have a debate, but it should be a debate that's based on facts and science and not on emotion and myth. Let me share some more economic information, a couple facts relayed today. You've heard some of this before. Certainly Marcellus contains upwards of 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. That is an amazing amount of natural gas. My colleague from Pennsylvania described it as it's more energy than the oil in Saudi Arabia. And it's clean energy. There's enough gas to meet this Nation's current gas demands for at least 100 years because we have the Marcellus formation, and then under that is, frankly, the Utica formation. And so there are tremendous vast resources. According to Penn State University, a university I'm proud to not only be a graduate of but to represent within my congressional district, in 2008 natural gas production had a 2.3--I'm just saying in 2008--1 year--a $2.3 billion direct impact on the Pennsylvania economy, adding more than 29,000 new jobs and $240 million in State and local tax revenue. Frankly, the budget in Pennsylvania is hurting right now, the State budget. It's like here in Washington. But in Pennsylvania, there's a blessing there with this revenue that's coming in by all of the companies and the individuals that are doing business in this natural gas industry of what they pay in taxes. Again, in just 2008, they paid $240 million in taxes to the State and local government. Another report also suggested in 2009: In slightly more than 10 years, the Marcellus industry could be generating nearly 175,000 jobs annually and more than $13 billion in value added. And more recently in 2011, more recent data, facts, planned spending by Marcellus producers could generate more than $10 billion in value added, nearly $1 billion in State and local revenues. Now, this is just Pennsylvania. I know that New York could use that type of tax revenue as well as West Virginia and Virginia and Ohio. The figures I'm sharing with you are really just about Pennsylvania. And more than 100,000 jobs. This is not a short-term development. This is not a fly-by-night. This is not going to come in and leave in a matter of years, frankly. This resource means development for at least 50 years and beyond. When you start to take into account the Utica shale, it really multiplies out. The economic benefit is tremendous. According to Penn State, the Marcellus could make Pennsylvania the second largest producer of natural gas in the United States by 2020. You know, there were pipelines that were installed decades ago and from the ports of the northeast coast because we were preparing to import natural gas from Russia, from overseas. Today, there's work to convert those pipelines so that we can export natural gas and that we, Pennsylvania in particular, can be an exporter. That's good news.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Certainly.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Thank you. I thank my friend for yielding back. You had mentioned the history of drilling. I very proudly represent Titusville, Pennsylvania. It's where one of my district offices is. It's the Drake well. It was 151 years ago that Colonel Drake used a wooden drill bit, drilled down 37 feet and hit oil. So drilling is not new to Pennsylvania. As you said, the first natural gas is just within or just outside of your congressional district, natural gas well. And in terms of Marcellus wells, I think it's important we talk about that. I think you have a great chart there that demonstrates exactly what we're talking about when we're talking about the Marcellus geological formation, which is not a shallow formation. This is a deep well. This is 8,000 to 9,000 feet, well below when you think the water table in our area is normally maybe 1,000 feet. This is 8,000 to 9,000 feet below that. And the horizontal drilling that was developed, directional drilling, there has been 1,900 of those wells already on the ground put in. So I think it may be good to take the opportunity to talk at some point about exactly how these wells work.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Those fractures, folks will sometimes be scared by that. They envision these huge caverns that are opened up under the ground. And in fact, these fractures, or fissures I think they are best described, and you have probably seen them portrayed as spider webs. In fact, they are so small that they are held open by a grain of sand. That's the proppant that is put down into with water, and put in there to hold those fractures open. Just a grain of sand. So I think that, as we are talking about facts, so the people have a vision of what exactly we're talking about when this takes place.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Sure. Absolutely. I think that if my good friend would go ahead and put that other board that's up, because when you are talking about the fluid, there is a lot of discussion sometimes about hydrofracking fluid. And this is I think a great poster that really captures what exactly is in that hydrofracking fluid. That sometimes is called brine, sometimes it's called slick water.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Certainly.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Yes. If the gentleman would yield, absolutely. It's 99.5 percent is water and sand. The other half a percent is made up of basically ingredients that you would find in many household items as referenced from the chart. You know, there are some things there such as sodium, there is things that are used to reduce friction going down into the pipeline. It's the same things that you can find in water treatment or candy. There is a gelling agent, also used in toothpaste, and other types of things, things that we use. The most important thing, though, this is all public record. In Pennsylvania, the Department of Environmental Protection, which is the agency that oversees this drilling activity, requires that this list of ingredients is made available publicly; on the drilling sites they are available, standard, like any industry that uses materials. I would trust in our congressional offices somewhere we have a manual, an MSDS manual, material safety data sheets. Because whether it's whiteout or it's some other cleaning fluid or Windex, you have to list all those things. You have to have an MSDS for them in any type of business or industry. And so through MSDS, frankly, and requirements through agencies, oversight agencies as the Department of Environmental Protection, the ingredients that are required are available publicly. That is a great myth that has this is such a secret and people don't know what's going down into the wells. Not all of this water comes out; that's important to recognize. Just a percentage of the waters that do come out, a lot of it actually is left 8,000-9,000 feet down. And the water that does come back, in my experience, being, observing these operations, much of it is recycled.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. It just stays with the geology down there, and this is like it's a mile below the aquifer. It's actually encased in layers of limestone, especially in Pennsylvania and in New York. That's our geology. We have this Marcellus shale, but it's really encased with what could be hundreds of yards of thick limestone on top, and certainly limestone in the bottom. And so the water stays down. The most important thing, though, is what happens to the water that comes up and especially when it passes through that area, 5, 6, 700 feet where the aquifer is, frankly, our water, fresh water comes from. The casing that is on your poster is incredibly important to where it's encased through that area. The wells are encased multiple times with both steel and with concrete, multiple layers. The safeguards are just tremendous so that you absolutely cannot get any cross- contamination with our aquifer.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I think as we are talking, the environmental record is certainly an area of concern that folks have raised. As you have noted, or as my other colleague across the aisle from Pennsylvania noted, hydraulic fracturing was first used 60 years ago, actually in Oklahoma. Fracking has been common practice and successfully used in over a million wells across the United States. When performed correctly, the process of hydrofracturing has not once contaminated any aquifer or drinking-water supply. In Pennsylvania, there are 11 State laws that govern oil and gas development. In Pennsylvania, drilling companies have to disclose the names of all the chemicals to be stored and used at a drilling site in the Pollution Prevention and Contingency Plan that must be submitted to the State Department of Environmental Protection as a part of the permit application process. In addition to regulations used in Pennsylvania and at the State level, oil and gas production is subject to eight Federal laws. More specifically, there are five Federal laws that regulate hydrofracturing, hydraulic fracturing. This includes the Clean Water Act in various stages of the process; the Safe Drinking Water Act when discharging frac fluids; the EPCRA, Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, which mandates that operators maintain material safety data sheets at every well site in America where a minimum amount of chemicals were present, which, in part, is maintained by the State. Now, these plans contain original copies of the material safety data sheets for all chemicals, and DEP recommends to operators that a copy be kept on each well site. So that comes back to the question of: What are the ingredients? What's going into this frac fluid? Frankly, most companies exceed the State requirements in the Pennsylvania operations, not to say that, like any other industry, there aren't some outliers, some folks who don't follow the standards. I'm proud to say that in Pennsylvania, the Department of Environmental Protection, when they find those folks, they not only have to correct their problems, but if they're chronically doing this, they are put out of business. This is something that we have the technology. We are blessed with not just this resource from God, but we are blessed with the technology to do it right, and that should be a standard that we subscribe to. There are some here in Washington that want the Federal Government to come in to Pennsylvania to regulate this. I don't have confidence in Washington. I have confidence in Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection. They've been doing a great job, and they continue to look at their standards, their regulations, and I think they do a great job of making sure that we are protecting our environment and producing a great resource which is adding jobs, growing the economy and, frankly, providing us a very affordable energy resource.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I think the gentleman is very accurate, and it's multiple, multiple piping with cement in between each one.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. That is my understanding, my observations, where on one site, where this drilling activity goes on, takes up to perhaps 90 days to drill and to frack one of these wells, you can put multiple, at least up to six, on one site. So in terms of not disturbing, minimizing disturbing the surface area, it's a great technology for the maximal production of a very clean and very affordable energy source for us.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I have heard those same concerns. But when you look at the geology in where this drilling is done and you have the layers of Marcellus, and I think you only fracture maybe 18 inches, perhaps, from that horizontal pipeline, so you haven't permeated the entire Marcellus shale, and that is encased with a layer of perhaps hundreds of yards thick, hundreds of feet thick, at a minimum, of limestone. The geology is very, very--it's almost--you never say ``never,'' but it's impossible in order to get that what would be called migration for that fluid to move outside.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, despite the heated rhetoric over the fiscal year 2011 budget and the failure to responsibly address our Nation's $14 trillion debt, there is one simple truth that we should all take away from this current budget standoff: Washington can no longer fail to deal with America's looming debt crisis as Americans continue to tighten their belts and make ends meet. Constitutionally, all spending bills must originate in the House. In February, the House performed its duty and passed a long-term spending bill that represents tough but necessary choices we must take. Even if we all agree a program is efficient and needed, we can't spend money we don't have. At a time when the Federal Government is borrowing 40 cents of every dollar, we must be responsible stewards of the taxpayers' dollars in a manner that ensures the long-term promises and commitments the government has made to the American people are met and fulfilled. It's time the Senate leadership do what's right. We still have a government to run and cannot adequately deal with a 2012 budget if last year's business is left hanging in the wind.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Essential Air Service assists over 140 communities throughout the United States. EAS, Essential Air Service, works. Let me talk about two airports, real quick. Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It was on EAS. It needed it to get their deployments up, and frankly, what's happened, it's been successful. It's now off of EAS. The program works. These folks are now operating without that. Dubois, Pennsylvania. Their deployments are growing at this point, and they are on the right track. The EAS is serving the correct purpose of what it has. If EAS stops and ends, here is what ends in Dubois, Pennsylvania: private sector jobs totaling $9 million in payroll and $28.8 million in economic activity. I just do my best to encourage the support of the Essential Air Service. I do think it's very important for rural America.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chair, the Essential Air Service Program (EAS) assists 140 rural communities across the country that otherwise would not have scheduled air service. As a long-time proponent of the program, I believe Congress has an obligation to provide a level playing field for rural Americans when it comes to transportation and the economic opportunities that the national transportation system provides. Opponents of the program claim that it is wasteful or that it does not work. Well, I disagree with them on several accounts. Pennsylvania along with the rest of the country had suffered from severe downsizing of connecting airports, followed by the unfortunate impacts of the current recession. Despite these factors, the Commonwealth is beginning to see increased economic output as a result of the Marcellus Shale natural gas play. The Marcellus has the potential to revitalize industry and ancillary businesses throughout the region, resulting in amplified air service. In other regions of the country the economic climate is also beginning to pick up. A prime success story of the EAS program has been the Williamsport- Lycoming County Airport, which first entered into the program in 2008. Today, the airport is no longer participating in the program because of increased economic output in the region and the availability of flights that make sense for business travelers. This is largely a direct result in the community investment in the EAS program, which has lifted them out of the program. Today, their direct flight to Houston, Texas lends ancillary support to the emerging natural gas industry in Pennsylvania. Another pending success story in Pennsylvania's 5th congressional district is the Dubois Regional Airport. Dubois Regional has greatly benefitted from the EAS program and as a direct result of the air service, the airport is responsible for contributing to the local workforce with 132 jobs and a payroll of over $9 million, which creates a total economic benefit of over $28 million to the region and state. Mr. Chair, these stories are not unusual. These stories are replicated throughout the communities the EAS Program serves. Let me put it this way; there is not an airport in America that does not receive some sort of federal assistance for operations or capital improvements. Why should this be any different for our rural communities? The program is not perfect. I believe we need to insert into the law incentives which allow for more community involvement. But, Mr. Chair, I cannot in good faith support a sunset of the program as included in H.R. 658. As the legislative process moves forward, I will join with those members who share my belief that this program works in weighing in with the conferees, to ensure the language which sunsets the program is not included in the final product of the FAA authorization.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Penn State University on the 20th anniversary of the Undergraduate Exhibition. Last year the House passed House Resolution 1654, a measure expressing support for designation of the week of April 11, 2011, as Undergraduate Research Week. This week recognizes the importance of undergraduate research and encourages colleges and universities, businesses, and other organizations to recognize the occasion. It is fitting that this week coincides with Penn State's 20th annual Undergraduate Exhibition, scheduled April 12 and 13. Penn State's annual Undergraduate Exhibition communicates and celebrates these same priorities: that research and development of critical thinking are fundamental to American competitiveness and our success as a Nation. Penn State continues to thrive as one of the top research universities in the country through programs such as the Undergraduate Exhibition which encourage participation of undergraduate students in research and creative endeavors. I congratulate the students, teachers, and staff at Penn State for their tireless pursuit of knowledge and creativity.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. My constituents are perplexed with Washington, Mr. Speaker. Economists have warned and the public demands Washington tighten its belt. Despite this year's $1.6 trillion deficit, the President still refuses to change course and reduce spending. President Obama created the bipartisan National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform by executive order. The commission's mission, according to the executive order was, quote, to identify policies to improve the fiscal situation in the medium term and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run. Unfortunately, the President's FY 2012 budget ignores every essential observation and proposal advanced by the commission and doubles debt held by the public by the end of his term while adding on $13 trillion in new debt. Erskine Bowles, the Democratic chairman of the fiscal commission stated: the White House budget request goes ``nowhere near where they will have to go to resolve our fiscal nightmare.'' Mr. Speaker, my constituents and I agree. Despite the need to rein in our runaway debt, the President's budget is more of the same. It's time we take the economists and our constituents seriously and get serious on the debt. I ask my colleagues to join me in heeding their call.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Madam Speaker, the Penn State IFC/ Panhellenic Dance Marathon, referred to as THON, is a yearlong effort to raise funds and awareness for the fight against pediatric cancer. THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, with 700 dancers, more than 300 supporting organizations, and more than 15,000 volunteers involved in the annual event. Since 1977, THON has raised more than $78 million for The Four Diamonds Fund at the Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. This year, THON 2012 took place from February 17-19. At this year's event, Penn State York broke its own record, raising $17,160.71, the largest amount that has ever been raised for THON, and it made it to the top 10 in fundraisers among the Penn State campuses. THON has helped so many families through The Four Diamonds Fund, and this critical support for pediatric cancer research has enabled some pediatric cancer survival rates to increase to nearly 90 percent. I want to congratulate the Penn State University IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon on its continued success in support of The Four Diamonds Fund and for their amazing, record-breaking total for this year's event.

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a man who has served the youth of America in the professional service of the Boy Scouts of America. Ronald Brown currently serves as the Area 6 Director of the Northeast Region Boy Scouts of America. Ron retires on April 1 after an astounding 48 years of service. Ron's BSA career started in 1963 as a District Executive in Birmingham, Alabama. He has served as a Field Director, Camping Director, Director of Support Services, Director of Field Services, Scout Executive, and Area Director. Ron's service has led him from Alabama to posts in Texas, Illinois, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and even Germany. Ron received his bachelor of arts degree in mathematics from Miles College in Birmingham, Alabama. He has been a frequent staff member or instructor at jamborees, camp schools and numerous other BSA training events. Ron Brown has served the youth of this Nation through the Boy Scouts of America with great distinction. I wish Ron and his wife Ann all the best in retirement. Well done, Scouter.