Lynn Westmoreland

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Chairman, in the previous Congress, was there not a rule in place to prohibit a vote from being held open for the sole purpose of changing the outcome?

Mr. WESTMORELAND. I'm sorry, sir, could you repeat that?

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Okay, let's try one more. Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Does the rule still exist today that was in place in the 110th Congress, that was struck from the 111th Congress rules package, thus making it within the rules to hold a vote open for the purpose of changing the outcome?

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 295 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Christy Kuriatnyk, named the 2009 Navy Spouse of the Year by Military Spouse Magazine and USAA. We often praise our men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line every day for our freedom and our security. We're aware of the debt we owe to them but perhaps neglect the unsung heroes they leave behind on the home front: the spouses and children of our troops. From among these great Americans, Kuriatnyk has gained singular acclaim for her outstanding contributions to her community above and beyond her duties as a military spouse, mother of three and employee of the Columbus Health Department. Kuriatnyk holds down the fort in Ellerslie, GA, while her husband, Lt. Cmdr. Alex Kuriatnyk, is stationed at the Gulfport, MS, Construction Battalion Center. He is the operations officer there. Though married to a Navy man, Kuriatnyk often works on behalf of Army families stationed at nearby Fort Benning. She's an active volunteer for Operation Homefront and she's helped organize baby showers for Army spouses and ``My Mommy/Daddy's Deployment Party'' for the children of Fort Benning soldiers who have gone overseas. As the daughter of a Korean War vet, she has a special bond with these children and she knows the anxiety they feel when their parents are deployed. Kuriatnyk's work on behalf of children has benefited all of Georgia, not just her fellow military families. She's created programs that have advanced the causes of booster seat use, lead-free toys and skateboard safety. I'm proud to have this great patriot as a constituent in Georgia's 3rd Congressional District. I call on my colleagues in the House to join me in congratulating Christy Kuriatnyk on attaining this honor and in thanking her for all of the time and energy she devotes to our beloved military families. She'll represent military families with distinction as the 2009 Navy Spouse of the Year.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Scott Blackstock, one of my constituents from Thomaston, Ga. This has been a fine spring for Scott. First, he won the Small Business Administration's Georgia Small Business Person of the Year award based on the success of his chain of car washes. Second, there was a lot of pollen. Only car wash owners, I'd think, anxiously anticipate the season when a thick yellow film coats our vehicles. Blackstock had owned a tire and auto shop in Thomaston for 20 years before he decided to add on a traditional self-serve and drive-thru car wash facility. From here his entrepreneurial ideas bubbled up like soapy suds. Before he acted, he did his research on the latest type of car wash technology, the ``express wash.'' In 2003, S.S. Blackstock Inc.'s Tidal Wave Express Wash was on its way, as Scott opened a state- of-the-art conveyor-style car wash in Riverdale, GA, that was faster, more efficient and less expensive than any system used before. His business shined and waxed at a rapid rate. Tidal Wave Express Wash started with two part-time employees in 2003 and one outlet; today, it employs almost 100 full- and part-time employees at 12 locations spread over three states but centered primarily in metro Atlanta. Sales have increased from $271,000 in 2004 to more than $6.5 million in 2007, while profits have gone from $22,435 to more than $2.7 million. Scott's business model allows customers to tidy up their rides guilt- free, with a wash that's friendly to the environment and to the wallet. Tidal Wave invests $70,000 at each new location for a system that treats and recycles the water for reuse and purifies used water before returning it to the sewage system. Notice of Scott's splash of success isn't limited to Georgia. He's answered the call to give presentations to his peers in the industry and trade publications have featured him. But Scott isn't just special to his community for his entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen. His company provides much more than a buff and shine. Scott and wife Hope have a child with cerebral palsy and they hold a place in their hearts for people with special needs. S.S. Blackstock Inc. has donated more than $150,000 to causes that support children and adults with special needs, including a program where teachers from around the South can come for training to assist the wheelchair-bound in gaining physical independence. I'm tremendously proud of Scott's contributions to Georgia's business community and to our fellow Georgians in need of a helping hand. I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in congratulating Scott Blackstock, the 2009 Small Business Administration Small Business Person honoree.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Bryan Stone, named the 2009 Small Business Person of the Year by the Small Business Council of America. To win this prestigious award one must possess entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, vision and managerial acumen as well as a profound commitment to community service. As the owner of Columbus Gourmet, Bryan Stone has grown his business while becoming an integral part of Muscogee County. In 2004, Stone acquired a ``mom and pop'' business called Kendrick Pecan and in just five years he has expanded rapidly into a thriving specialty food operation that now also includes La Piccolina, Dodge City Steaks and Aunt Pearlie's. His products now enjoy strong regional brand recognition and the company now employs up to 30 people at a time. Stone's gourmet products line the shelves of more than 900 grocery stores and he has licensing agreements for specialties and commemorative items with the Kentucky Derby, Coca-Cola, the PGA Tour, the National Infantry Foundation and Hank Aaron's Chasing the Dream Foundation. Columbus Gourmet always cuts a slice for the local community, too. It provides vital resources to Partners in Education of Greater Columbus, which funds after-school programs, and it supplies Gourmet products that Rotary Clubs sell to raise money for charity projects. The 3rd Congressional District resident supplements his company's philanthropic work with his own. Though he's lived there only a short time, he's already a member of the Board of Directors of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce and he's served in a leadership with the local Republican Party. Madam Speaker, we're justifiably proud in Georgia of our strong small business culture and the entrepreneurial spirit of our people who have helped our state grow and thrive. Bryan Stone exemplifies the hard work, risk-taking and perseverance that has made our economy the greatest in the world. I ask the House to join me in congratulating Bryan Stone on winning the Small Business Person of the Year award. On behalf of the people of Georgia's 3rd Congressional District, we're proud to have Bryan Stone as our neighbor.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, on May 4, 2009 I stayed at home due to an ongoing medical condition. As a result, I missed two votes. Had I been present, I would have voted the following: ``Yea'' on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H. Res 230, a bill Recognizing the historical significance of the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo (Rollcall No. 229); and ``Yea'' on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H. Con. Res 111, a bill Recognizing the 61st anniversary of the Independence of the State of Israel (Rollcall No. 230).

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers. And I just ask that my colleagues would give unanimous support for the renaming of this post office for this fallen hero. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H.R. 1595, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3245 Latta Road in Rochester, New York as the ``Brian K. Schramm Post Office Building.'' Today we honor one of our nation's fallen heroes--Marine Lance Cpl. Brian K. Schramm. He embodied every sense of the word hero and paid the ultimate sacrifice on October 15, 2004 at the age of 22. Lance Cpl. Schramm of Rochester, New York, assigned to the 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, was killed by enemy action in Babil Province, Iraq. Schramm had spent five months in the Middle East and Iraq in 2003 and was deployed again to Iraq in June of 2004. Babil Province was a hotspot south of Baghdad and the U.S. military had launched a major offensive in October of 2004 to try to put down the insurgency. Lance Cpl. Schramm was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq at the time. Friends and family remember Lance Cpl. Schramm for his enduring sense of humor and decency. A high school friend of his described Schramm as ``the most genuine person you'd ever meet in your entire life.'' Lance Cpl. Schramm's father, Keith, speaks of Brian's desire to become a Marine early on in his childhood. ``It was a lifelong dream'' of Brian's to become a Marine. It is with this in mind that we honor Brian today. With gratitude for his bravery and sacrifice to his country, I ask that all members join me in supporting H.R. 1595, which will rename the post office in Rochester, New York, in Lance Cpl. Brian K. Schramm's honor.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague from the State of New York (Mr. Lee), the original sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the passage of this resolution expressing sympathy to the victims, families, and friends of the tragic act of violence at the American Civic Association in Binghamton, New York. For immigrants in the Binghamton area, the American Civic Association, located on Front Street, is a representation of their ongoing pursuit of the American dream as newcomers from around the world learn English and the skills necessary to obtain United States citizenship. But on April 3, the American Civic Association--a welcoming place serving 60 to 100 people per day--became a killing zone. On that dreadful day, a deranged man, whose own dream of immigrating from Vietnam to America had now come to nothing but despair and senseless turmoil, ended the dreams of one aspiring citizen after another by opening fire on unsuspecting employees, volunteers, and hopeful immigrants, resulting in the loss of 14 lives, including the shooter, and four wounded people. As we remember the victims, we also commend the efforts of the first responders--local police, fire, emergency medical crews, city and county officials, and the community as a whole--for their rapid and cohesive response to this unfortunate tragedy. In addition, we commend the United States Department of State for quickly offering assistance with processing visas to expedite the travel of the victims' families so they could arrange for the burial of their loved ones. The memory of this senseless event will not soon be forgotten. However, the strength and determination of the Binghamton community as well as the citizens of New York will help the healing process. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the passage of this resolution recognizing the tragedy that befell the communities of Geneva and Coffee Counties, Alabama. Mr. Speaker, this resolution seeks to take a moment to reflect on the impact one man's senseless acts of violence can have on a community, a State, and a Nation. On the afternoon of March 10, 2009, the worst killing rampage in Alabama's history began as a disturbed man started his shooting spree in Samson, Alabama. He indiscriminately fired at passersby and finally took his own life 12 miles away at a manufacturing plant in Geneva, Alabama, where he was once employed. Once the terror ended, the gunman had left a trail of death and destruction across two counties. Tragically, the lives of Bruce Maloy, Lisa McLendon, Andrea Myers, Corrine Gracy Myers, Sonya Smith, James Starling, James White, Virginia White, Dean Wise and Tracy Wise were taken. Along with the devastating news of the 10 deaths, many others were injured, including four State troopers: Mike Gillis, Greg McCullough, Ella Meyers and Jeffrey Nelson. It is appropriate that we take this opportunity to express our support and sympathy for the families and friends of the murder victims of this horrible act. In addition, we must take a moment to thank the first responders on that day, the Dothan Troopers Post, the Geneva Police Department, the Geneva County Sheriff's Department, the Conservation Natural Resources Department and the medical professionals that all played a role in quelling what could have been an even larger massacre. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman has no further speakers, I will yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, and I wish to yield as much time as he may consume to my distinguished colleague from the great State of Louisiana (Mr. Cao), the original sponsor of this legislation.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my distinguished colleague from the State of Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry), and my good friend and classmate, a great American.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, it's my privilege to yield 3 minutes to my friend and colleague from the State of New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

Mr. WESTMORELAND. I yield the gentleman 30 additional seconds.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Cao, for introducing this piece of legislation, and I urge my fellow Members to support the passage of H. Res. 342. Mr. Speaker, in 1975, after the Vietnam War, a mass immigration to the United States of Vietnamese people began. These early Vietnamese immigrants were fleeing persecution by the Communists in power in that region of the world. They came to America, sometimes with barely the clothes on their back, seeking asylum and a better life. Many of them can recount harrowing experiences in having to flee their homelands, some by boat, and others by land across Cambodia, Laos and Thai borders into refugee camps. In fact, over 2 million Vietnamese boat people and other refugees are now spread across the world, in the United States, Australia, Canada, France, England, Germany, China, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, the Philippines and other nations. And yet despite these harrowing escapes from oppressive regimes, Vietnamese-Americans have made significant contributions to the rich culture and economic prosperity of the United States. Vietnamese- Americans have distinguished themselves in the fields of literature, the arts, science and athletics. In fact, just a few months ago, the people of Louisiana's Second Congressional District, elected the first Vietnamese-American and sent the author of this piece of legislation, Representative Anh ``Joseph'' Cao, to Congress. According to Census Data, as of 2006, 72 percent of foreign-born Vietnamese are naturalized U.S. citizens. When combined with the 36 percent of Vietnamese born in America, a full 82 percent of Vietnamese are American citizens. Over half of all overseas Vietnamese are Vietnamese-Americans. What's more, there are well over 1 million people in the U.S. who identify themselves as Vietnamese alone or in combination with other ethnicities, ranking fourth among the Asian American groups. According to 2006 Census Data, the Vietnamese American population has grown to 1.6 million and remains the second largest Southeast Asian American subgroup. In light of the civic achievements of Vietnamese-Americans, I am pleased to support, and urge my colleagues to support this resolution, designating May 2, 2009 as ``Vietnamese Refugees Day'' in order to commemorate the arrival of Vietnamese refugees in the United States, to document their harrowing experiences and subsequent achievements in their new homeland, to honor the host countries that welcomed the boat people, and to recognize the voluntary agencies and nongovernmental organizations that facilitated their resettlement, adjustment, and assimilation into mainstream society in the United States. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Thank you to the gentleman from Texas for yielding and for having this hour. I think if I was going to grade President Obama on the first 100 days, that I would have to give him an ``A'' in public perception.

Mr. WESTMORELAND. I think he is a great orator. I think he does a great job of reading a speech, and he has--his message, and he's still been on the campaign trail, has made the public's perception think that we are getting somewhere. But the gentleman from Texas makes an excellent point. I thought he said it would not rise above 7.5 percent. I would also have to give him an ``A'' on blame shifting. And the gentleman from Texas mentioned that, too, that this seems to be all of our problems--all of our problems seem to be from the prior administration and the prior Congresses when the Republicans were in the majority. Now, I am here to confess that I was only here one term while we were--the Republicans were in the majority and we spent too much money. And we did. And we were at fault. And the American people said, ``No, we're going to stop this train. We're going to make a change.'' And Republicans, we got what we deserved, but the American people did not get what they deserved. In this last election, they were promised change, and we have had quite a bit of change. And Judge, the gentleman from Texas, I know you have talked about quite a bit of that, but we need to go forward. And I have learned something in the past 3 or 4 months that bipartisanship means doing what the Democratic leadership in this House wants you to do. It doesn't mean getting different opinions or different proposals put into the legislation. In fact, I would have to say that this Congress has been one of the most closed Congresses in the history of this country, as far as bipartisanship. So, the public perception is an ``A.'' He has sold his agenda in a way that the public has bought it, and one of those parts has been the bipartisanship. But the people that can create the real bipartisanship in the atmosphere of working together is Speaker Pelosi and Leader Reid. And the gentleman from Texas knows we have not seen that. We have, in fact, been closed out of the process. So that's not a reality. The reality is, as my colleague from Georgia mentioned, yesterday was debt day. After yesterday, we go forward spending our children and our grandchildren's money. We're putting everything we're doing on a credit card. I sat here for 2 years in this Congress and I listened to the minority, the Democrats then, complain about deficit spending, about going into debt, on and on and on. Yet today, that seems to be okay. That seems to be the way of this country: We're just going to put it on a credit card. If we don't have enough credit, then we will print the money. But I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for doing this and for bringing about a report card, I guess, on what the first 100 days has been about in this administration. I hope the next 100 days will be better. I wish this President great success. I wish this country great success. But I believe in order to achieve that success, we're going to have to get away from the blame shifting. We're going to have to get away from the public perception. We're going to have to get away from selling the snake oil that's sold here, and we're going to have to get down to working together, listening to ideas, and being able to come together and give every Member of this body, the people's House, an opportunity to put forth their ideas into making this a better country that we live in. So I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding that time and for his willingness to come down and to bring this forth to the American people.

Mr. WESTMORELAND

Mr. WESTMORELAND. Madam Speaker, on March 23, 2009 I stayed at home due to an ongoing medical. As a result, I missed a number of votes. Had I been present, I would have voted the following: Aye on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass the Stan Lundine Post Office Building Designation. (Roll Call #145) Aye on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass the Lance Corporal Drew W. Weaver Post Office Building Designation. (Roll Call #146) On March 24, 2009 I stayed at home due to an ongoing medical. As a result, I missed a number of votes. Had I been present, I would have voted the following: Aye on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass the Department of Homeland Security Component Privacy Act of 2009. (Roll Call #147) No on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass the Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act (Roll Call #148) Aye on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to Expressing support for designation of the week of March 1 through March 8, 2009, as School Social Work Week. (Roll Call #149) On March 25, 2009 I stayed at home due to an ongoing medical. As a result, I missed a number of votes. Had I been present, I would have voted the following: No on Ordering the Previous Question providing for consideration of the Senate amendments to H.R. 146, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act. (Roll Call #150) No on Agreeing to the Resolution providing for consideration of the Senate amendments to H.R. 146, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act. (Roll Call #151) Aye on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program Act. (Roll Call #152) No on Motion to Concur in Senate Amendments to Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. (Roll Call #153) Aye on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to Recognizing the 188th anniversary of the independence of Greece and celebrating Greek and American democracy. (Roll Call #154) No on Motion to Table Raising a question of the privileges of the House regarding earmarks and campaign contributions. (Roll Call #155) No on Agreeing to the Resolution, the Rule providing for the consideration of H.R. 1404, the Federal Land Assistance, Management, and Enhancement Act. (Roll Call #156) On March 30, 2009 I stayed at home due to an ongoing medical. As a result, I missed a number of votes. Had I been present, I would have voted the following: No on Motion to Table Raising a question of the privileges of the House. (Roll Call #163) No on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended the Melanie Blocker Stokes MOTHERS Act. (Roll Call #164) Aye on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended the Wakefield Act (Roll Call #165) On March 31, 2009 I stayed at home due to an ongoing medical. As a result, I missed a number of votes. Had I been present, I would have voted the following: No on Agreeing to the Resolution Providing for the consideration of the Senate amendments to H.R. 1388. (Roll Call #166) Aye on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass the Dextromethorphan Distribution Act. (Roll Call #167) Aye on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended the Recognizing the 30th anniversary of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel. (Roll Call #168) No on Motion To Concur in the Senate Amendments Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act. (Roll Call #169) No on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended the Vision Care for Kids Act of 2009. (Roll Call #170) Aye on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass the Health Insurance Restrictions and Limitations Clarification Act. (Roll Call #171) No on Agreeing to the Resolution Providing for the expenses of certain committees of the House of Representatives in the One Hundred Eleventh Congress. (Roll Call #172) No on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass to establish the Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Program. (Roll Call #173) Aye on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass the Capitol Police Administrative Technical Corrections Act of 2009. (Roll Call #174) On April 1, 2009 I stayed at home due to an ongoing medical. As a result, I missed a number of votes. Had I been present, I would have voted the following: No on Motion to Table the Flake Resolution. (Roll Call #175) No on Agreeing to the Resolution Providing for consideration of the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 85) setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2010 and including the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2009 and 2011 through 2014. (Roll Call #176) No on Agreeing to the Resolution Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1664) to amend the executive compensation provisions of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to prohibit unreasonable and excessive compensation and compensation not based on performance standards. (Roll Call #177) No on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended the End Government Reimbursement of Excessive Executive Disbursements (End GREED) Act. (Roll Call #178) Aye on Motion to Suspend the Rules and Agree to Honoring the lives, and mourning the loss, of Sergeant Mark Dunakin, Sergeant Ervin Romans, Sergeant Daniel Sakai, and Officer John Hege, members of the Oakland Police Department in California who were brutally slain in the line of duty. (Roll Call #179) Aye on Agreeing to the Bean of Illinois Amendment (Roll Call #180) No on Agreeing to the Dahlkemper of Pennsylvania Amendment (Roll Call #181) No on Passage to amend the executive compensation provisions of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to prohibit unreasonable and excessive compensation and compensation not based on performance standards. (Roll Call #182) On April 2, 2009 I stayed at home due to an ongoing medical. As a result, I missed a number of votes. Had I been present, I would have voted the following: No on Agreeing to the Resolution providing for the adjournment of the House and Senate. (Roll Call #183) No on Agreeing to the Resolution providing for consideration of H. Con. Res. 85. (Roll Call #184) Aye on Agreeing to the Buyer of Indiana Substitute Amendment. (Roll Call #185) Aye on Motion to Recommit with Instructions the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. (Roll Call #186) No on passage of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. (Roll Call #187) No on Agreeing to the Woolsey of California Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute. (Roll Call #188) Aye on Agreeing to the Jordan of Ohio Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute. (Roll Call #189) No on Agreeing to the Lee of California Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute. (Roll Call #190) Aye on Agreeing to the Ryan of Wisconsin Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute. (Roll Call #191) No on Agreeing to the Resolution Congressional Budget for Fiscal Year 2010. (Roll Call #192)