C. Young

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican Standards on Congressional appropriations initiatives, I am submitting the following information regarding projects that were included at my request in H.R. 3183, the Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill: Pinellas County Beach Erosion Control Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Construction Legal name and address of requesting entity: Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners, 315 Court Street, Clearwater, FL 33756 Description of requests: $14,000,000 is included in the bill for the Army Corps of Engineers and the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners to continue construction of the Pinellas County beach erosion control program. The Pinellas County program was first authorized by Congress in 1966 and reauthorized in 1976 and has provided immeasurable storm protection and recreation benefits to Pinellas County residents and visitors. These funds will be used to support renourishment and restoration of nine miles of critically eroded Sand Key Beach from Clearwater to North Redington Beach in west-central Pinellas County. Erosion since the last nourishment in 2006 now requires the periodic renourishment to maintain the current quality of the beach system, enlarging the beach and dunes. Prior federal funds were utilized for borrow area studies and physical monitoring of Sand Key beaches, as required by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection permit for beach nourishment. This request is submitted in support of the State of Florida's Federal Appropriations Request for Beach Nourishment. The federal and state/ local cost sharing averages 60/40 under the current authorization. The combined state and local share of this project will be an estimated $4,700,000. With these funds, a total of $104,815,404 will have been appropriated for the Pinellas County Beach Erosion Control Project since Fiscal Year 1986. St. Petersburg Sustainable Biosolids Management: Wastewater Sludge and Yard Waste to Renewable Energy Account: Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects Legal name and address of requesting entity: City of St. Petersburg, 175 Fifth Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Description of request: $2,500,000 is included in the bill for the City of St. Petersburg for a sustainable biosolids management project to convert wastewater sludge and yard waste to renewable energy. Through a public-private partnership, St. Petersburg proposes to contract with a waste-to-renewable energy company that will build, own and operate a facility that will use City generated biostocks such as biosolids, yard and wood waste, grit and screenings to fuel a biomass gasification and energy facility located at the City's Southwest Waster Reclamation Facility. This proposal seeks to offset a portion of the capital cost to the City. It is expected that the gasification will convert a noxious waste to renewable energy, reduce city cost and pollution of waste disposal, treatment and transportation, generate renewable energy utilized by the city and potentially Eckerd College or other private customers, eliminate the release of methane gas and the potential of ground water pollution from landfills or land spreading. The city will provide a match of $1,309,650. St. Petersburg Solar Pilot Project Account: Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects Legal name and address of requesting entity: City of St. Petersburg, 175 Fifth Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 Description of request: $1,000,000 is included in the bill for the City of St. Petersburg to develop and implement a renewable and sustainable solar energy network to provide the electricity required to power 40 city parks. Through a collaboration with Progress Energy Florida and the University of South Florida Center for Utility Exploration, the city will be able to remove all of these parks from the city's power grid. Regional residents, visitors, commercial organizations and governmental agencies will benefit from the demonstration of a wide scale alternative energy technology that will reduce peak demand at power generation facilities, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on foreign oil. The City of St. Petersburg is uniquely situated to exploit cheap, clean renewable solar power and is committed to utilize the limitless resource to go solar at all of its City parks and eventually all operating facilities. The City of St. Petersburg has 137 parks occupying in excess of 2300 acres of public lands. All parks are served with a varying degree of overhead lighting for basic usage and security purposes. Forty of the parks have buildings that can accommodate the renewable energy system in terms of structural and orientation to the sun. Renewable energy technologies are seen as the only sustainable energy source for the future. However, solar energy can be intermittent in nature necessitating an energy storage medium or energy carrier to effectively use this energy. Through collaboration with Progress Energy Florida, Inc., and the USF Center for Utility Exploration, this project will consist of a photovoltaic energy system, an advanced energy storage battery system and appropriate control systems to make an integrated energy system that will supply a clean renewable energy when it is needed. The system will be interconnected with the power system of the host building. The system will store the solar energy in an advanced battery. The energy will then be used on-peak to reduce the maximum demand of the building. If the battery is not fully charged by the solar panels, off-peak energy from the grid can also be used to charge the battery for peak operation. This project will employ demand side management using both renewable energy and off-peak grid energy. The energy storage system will convert chemical energy into electrical energy. The chemical reaction within the storage system is reversible, thereby allowing the battery to be charged, discharged and recharged. The project will be used to pass on information and benefits about renewable energy. Students and the public will be engaged to learn from and understand the system functions and renewable energy benefits. The solar energy systems are proposed to generate sufficient energy to power the park lighting systems with any excess energy returned to the grid for offsets to city electrical expenses. Previous federal funding was provided for this project in Fiscal Year 2009 in the amount of $1,427,250. The City of St. Petersburg will provide a $500,000 match. Tampa Port Planning, Engineering and Design for future requirements Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Construction Legal name and address of requesting entity: Tampa Port Authority, 1101 Channelside Drive, Tampa, FL 33602 Description of request: $500,000 is included in the bill for the Tampa Port Authority for the continued planning, engineering, and design for a project to widen and deepen the Tampa shipping channel to allow for the safer passage of shipping traffic and to accommodate larger ships requiring a deeper draft. The Army Corps of Engineers completed a draft General Reevaluation Report (GRR) in 2008 which focuses on traffic congestion in the main Tampa Harbor channel where extensive delays occur due to lack of adequate channel width. The 40 mile main federal channel handles traffic in and out of the entire Tampa Bay federal port system for the Ports of Tampa, Manatee and St. Petersburg. The ship channel is too narrow to allow for safe two-way vessel traffic due to the introduction of new longer and broader cruise ships. The impacts associated with having a restriction of this nature include vessels waiting at berth or at the sea buoy while large cruise ships transit the channel. The GRR concurs with the Tampa Port Authority and the port community that the resulting congestion causes safety hazards and economic inefficiencies and recommends widening select portions of the main channel. The GRR finds that vessel operation costs would be reduced, resulting in transportation cost savings, increased harbor safety and reduced cargo delivery delays. In addition, the continued reevaluation of the needs in the Tampa Harbor is necessary, to include deepening, in order to facilitate anticipated growth in trade as the Port of Tampa continues its steady growth and diversification. As Florida's largest cargo port, the Port of Tampa handles approximately 50 million tons of cargo per year. The Port of Tampa is also the largest economic engine in West Central Florida and the nation's 14th largest port in terms of short tons. The Port of Tampa generates an annual economic impact of almost $8 billion on the region which includes the contribution of over $570 million annually in state and local taxes. This project is authorized by three separate federal statutes: The Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2004 (P.L. 108-137); The Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2005 (P.L. 108-447); and the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-114). Previous funding for this project has been provided as follows: FY 2009--$478,000, FY 2008--$133,000, FY 2004-- $2,500,000, FY 2003--$200,000, FY 2002--$500,000, FY 2001--$300,000. Intracoastal Waterway Operation and Maintenance from Caloosahatchee River to Anclote River Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Operations and Maintenance Legal name and address of requesting entity: West Coast Inland Navigation District, P.O. Box 1845, Venice, FL 34284 Description of request: $4,500,000 is included in the bill for the West Coast Inland Navigation District for the maintenance dredging of sections of the Intracoastal Waterway through six Florida counties, including Pinellas County. The 1945 Rivers and Harbors Act authorized the Intracoastal Waterway to be maintained at a width of 100-feet, and a depth of nine-feet between the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River, near Ft. Myers, and the Anclote River, north of Tampa. The channel runs through six counties (Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, and Lee) and links natural deep-water sections of bays through a series of man-made channels, thereby providing for the safe passage of commercial goods and access to commercial fishing grounds. Dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway commenced in 1960 and was completed in 1967, at which time the West Coast Inland Navigation District began maintenance activities. This funding will support maintenance dredging for Longboat Pass (Manatee County), Venice Inlet (Sarasota County), mouth of Caloosahatchee River (Miserable Mile in Lee County), the Boca Grande Bayou area (Miller's Marina in Lee County), and a section of the Intracoastal Waterway in Pinellas County just north of the Tampa Bay port shipping channel. Previous funding totaling $1,400,000 was included in FY 2004 and FY 2005 for the design, engineering, and permitting for this project and $1,215,000 was included in FY 2008 and $2,076,000 in FY 2009 for the initial dredging of this waterway.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican Standards on Congressional appropriations initiatives, I am submitting the following information regarding projects that were included at my request in H.R. 3170, the Fiscal Year 2010 Financial Services Appropriations Bill: Pinellas County Business Assistance Partnership Network Account: Small Business Administration Legal name and address of requesting entity: Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners, 315 Court Street, Clearwater, FL 33756 Description of request: $262,000 is included in the bill for Pinellas County to support the Business Assistance Partnership Network, an innovative partnership program to grow small businesses and entrepreneurs in Pinellas County. The Pinellas County Economic Development office has implemented and seeks to expand, a tri- partnership with many of the county's municipalities, chambers of commerce, and libraries that provides free business planning, financial resources, and technical assistance services on issues ranging from start-ups and major expansions to permitting and zoning information and workforce development. Business development services include, but are not limited to: financing assistance with SBA loans, micro loans and conventional loans; commercial and real estate financing programs; reference library featuring a full-range of business publications; computer workstations and maintenance and enhancement of website portal; assistance with contacts, business agreements and business/ marketing plans; qualification assistance for industrial revenue bonds; training classes for business start-up, entrepreneurial assessment, business financing, tax regulations, bookkeeping/accounting methods, marketing, and procurement opportunities; business counseling services, education training courses, customized business start-up guides, marketing plans and business plans, international export assistance, government contracts and certification assistance. The Business Assistance Partnership Network has a proven record of success. Since its inception in 1998, over 10,000 businesses have participated in face to face interviews and provided more than 35,000 business and technical solutions for local entrepreneurs. In the last three years, the program has secured more than $2,300,000 in business loans to create or retain more than 300 jobs. It is anticipated that a continuation of the program would sustain 10 positions and potentially create/sustain 125- 200 jobs annually. The Business Assistance Partnership Network provides services essential to small business entrepreneurs hurt by current economic conditions and will help secure public sector jobs. Partner organizations include: Clearwater Regional Chamber of Commerce; Largo Mid-Pinellas Chamber of Commerce; Upper Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce; Palm Harbor Chamber of Commerce; Pinellas Park/Gateway Chamber of Commerce; Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce; Seminole Chamber of Commerce; St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce; Hispanic Business Initiative Fund; Tarpon Springs Chamber of Commerce; Florida High Tech Corridor; STAR TECH; Tampa Bay Technology Forum; and regional local governments. No previous federal funding has been requested for this project. Southwest Florida Partnership for Developing Business Infrastructure in Software Engineering Account: Small Business Administration Legal name and address of requesting entity: Florida Gulf Coast University, 10501 Florida Gulf Coast University Boulevard South, Fort Myers, FL 33965 Description of request: $261,000 is included in the bill for Florida Gulf Coast University to establish a partnership with five other Florida state universities through its departments of Computer Science and Computer Information Systems, and local industrial companies active in software service industries, to spur innovation activities in a broad area of Information Technology. The primary objective of the proposed activities will include the interaction with small businesses whose primary line of business is software development, to foster commercialization of selected innovative software technologies developed jointly by FGCU and its industrial partners. Initial commitments have been obtained from a number of local companies in the following sectors: e-commerce, transportation, hospitality management, health care, financial services, and technology. Their participation has been documented recently by establishing two important initiatives: (1) Software Technologies Distinguished Lecture Series, conducted for the past two years (http://lectureseries.fgcu.edu), and (2) Southwest Florida Regional Technology Partnership (http://www.swfrtp.org/). Two supportive activities to achieve this major objective will be also conducted: (1) establishing the infrastructure for software innovation at FGCU by expanding a software engineering educational and training program and a software engineering lab; (2) systematically educating the workforce in innovative software technologies to help strengthen the local job market. The project will have economic and societal impact by establishing the innovation infrastructure in the region, producing graduates in software engineering specialization to feed the local industries, and, in the long run, by helping move to the knowledge-based economy. The project will boost software innovations originating in the region and thus change the structure of workforce and employment base by increasing the number of knowledge-based jobs and generating different employment patterns. No previous federal funding was requested for this project. Turnaround Business Assistance Program Account: Small Business Administration Legal name and address of requesting entity: University of West Florida, 11000 University Parkway, Pensacola, FL 32514 Description of request: $262,000 is included in the bill for the University of West Florida, in partnership with four other Florida universities, for its Turnaround Business Assistance Program which will become a statewide intensive technical assistance program for the statewide business community to halt the accelerated number of business failures and closures and enhance the survivability rate of small businesses. The program will use an innovative approach to assist these second stage businesses through the creation of an on-line turnaround tips training portal that includes emails, video clips and a blog to share effective tips on turnaround strategies; a comprehensive ``intensive care'' treatment package that includes use of an assessment tool to identify critical issues in marketing, finance, technology and management practices; and specialized training workshops on turnaround strategies. Reportable metrics will include items such as in-business status, employee retention/ growth, change in sales, and workshop attendance. The program will operate through the Florida Small Business Development Center Network's infrastructure of 33 centers located from Key West to Pensacola as well as utilize the outreach capacity of two mobile assistance centers to deliver and promote its services. This program will be implemented and administered by the highly successful Florida Small Business Development Center Network, designated through Florida statutes as the state's principal small business assistance program. The Florida SBDC program has shown a positive revenue impact on the state's budget and has directly assisted in the creation of more than 280,000 jobs and started more than 5,500 new businesses. No previous funding was requested for this project.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. Madam Chairman, I just want today to start by saying most of us in our jobs have parts of our job that we like better than other parts of our job. Serving on this subcommittee is part of the job that I really like, not only because of the importance of the subject, dealing with and providing for the members of our military and those veterans who have served in the past in the military and, as Mr. Wamp said, those who will serve in the future, but also because of the way this subcommittee does its work. With the leadership of Chairman Edwards and the leadership of Ranking Member Zach Wamp, this subcommittee works together for the good of this country. And while we may have some objection to the process on how appropriations bills are brought to the floor without totally open rules, you will be hard-pressed to find something wrong with this bill or some reason to vote against this bill. It's just not there. There are some problems in the Veterans Administration, which is a huge bureaucracy, that can't be solved by money. The money that the committee has made available adequately meets the requirements as proposed to us by the administration. There is something else that this committee does that seldom gets mentioned. And I want to just take a brief comment and talk about-- General Colin Powell was visiting in Europe. General Powell was asked a rather critical question that, in effect, the question criticized the United States for our arrogance and how we do things that are not good for other people. And General Powell thought for a minute, and he said, You know, the only thing that we have asked from you in Europe is enough ground to bury our dead. There are 22 American cemeteries in Europe. The subcommittee has responsibility to provide funding to maintain those military cemeteries, and they do a good job and they are beautiful. And for those Members who haven't had a chance to visit them, you really should. There are 22 American cemeteries, graves of 106,757 American soldiers who lost their lives freeing the people of Europe from the oppression of Hitler's Nazis. This subcommittee has that responsibility and does a really good job, and I am proud to work with Chet Edwards and I am proud to work with Zach Wamp and all the other members of the subcommittee and the staff who are so dedicated to meeting our mission, to doing the job that we were responsible for doing. As I want to say to our chairman and to my ranking member, this is the part of the job that I really like around here. There are a lot of other parts that I like too, but I really like this one. Working with you two gentlemen is just very, very special. This bill appropriates $108.9 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs for 2010, a 15.4 percent increase in the funds for veterans medical and services available this year. This bill funds the expanded GI Bill benefits authorized last year by the 110th Congress, it funds an additional 1,200 claims processors to reduce the backlog of veterans' disability claims, and it expands programs to help homeless veterans. Our subcommittee also reaffirms its longstanding support for veterans medical care programs by providing $34.7 billion for VA medical services, a 13 percent increase over current year funding. The members of our subcommittee also approved a new method of funding veterans medical care to ensure that the uncertainty of our legislative cycle does not negatively impact the ability of the Department of Veterans Affairs to plan for and deliver the best in medical care for those who served our nation. In addition to providing funding for VA medical care in Fiscal Year 2010, it also provides advanced funding for the following year, Fiscal Year 2011. Our committee also continues to place the highest priority on providing the best care and services for our service members who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan and have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. One of our nation's centers for the treatment of PTSD and TBI is the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center at Bay Pines, which I have the privilege to represent. Included in the bill we consider today is $96,800,000 to build a state-of-the-art medical facility at Bay Pines to better screen our returning service members for mental health problems and to provide the state-of-the-art facilities in which to treat them. The Committee approved my request for the design and engineering funding for this project last year to accelerate the construction of this vitally needed unit. We also include in the bill $371,300,000 for a new VA medical facility in Orlando that will benefit veterans throughout the state. Florida continues to experience one of the largest inflows of veterans of any state in our nation. All of Florida's VA medical facilities feel the strain of a growing caseload, especially during the winter months. The construction of this long anticipated VA hospital in central Florida will ease that burden on all the existing hospitals. Madam Chair, this legislation honors those who wore the uniform in the defense of our nation and freedom here and throughout the world. We also honor those who wear the uniform today by ensuring that they live and work in the best facilities today whether it be on U.S. soil or on our bases in the furthest points of the world. This includes the facilities for the forces leading the worldwide battle against terrorism which is being directed by U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, which neighbors the 10th Congressional District I represent. Just this week, I joined General David Petraeus, the Commander of U.S. Central Command, to break ground on a new headquarters facility that was supported by this committee and for which this committee approved my request four years ago to accelerate the funding to begin its design and engineering. Our bill this year includes $21,000,000 to accelerate construction of a Consolidated Communications Facility to support the Joint Components of Central and Special Operations Command at MacDill. Communications is critical for both commands to manage operations that are underway half a world away. This facility will ensure that our war fighters will have the most up-to-date and secure communication capabilities for them to do their job. This legislation also includes $15,300,000 for the Central Command Commandant Facility which will coordinate air operations for Central Command's commanding officers and support staff to enable them to deploy rapidly and efficiently. This is imperative given the geographic distance and the number of crises that continue in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. This facility will provide a secure facility to accommodate the Joint Special Operations Air Component, train increasing numbers of personnel, and store authorized equipment. In addition it will provide a Sensitive Compartmented Intelligence Facility to conduct analysis and assessments to provide Central Command with accurate and comprehensive situational awareness for our forward deployed forces. Another $7,000,000 is included for a much needed Child Development Center to care for the children of our service members who work around the clock to support their missions. This facility is designed to accommodate and care for the many families of our many working parents at MacDill Air Force Base. And $16,000,000 is included here for a new dormitory to provide unaccompanied enlisted personnel with safe, energy efficient housing. Madam Chair, this is a good bill. It fulfills our nation's promise and commitment to care for our nation's veterans, those who serve; those have served in the past, and those who will serve our nation in the future.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, it is with a deep sadness that I share with my colleagues the passing of my good friend and constituent Robert W. Caldwell, Jr. of Gulfport, Florida. There was no more patriotic American than R. W. Caldwell, Jr. who died this past Fourth of July at the age of 88. He moved to Gulfport as a young boy during the 1920's and never left. During those more than 80 years, he fell in love with this small Florida city and throughout his lifetime he always strived to make it a better place to live. He built and sold homes in Gulfport, throughout Pinellas County and the state of Florida. Bob also understood the value of preserving the history of our area and as such led community efforts to support the Gulfport Historical Society and restore some of its landmark sites including Scout Hall. It was most appropriate that this past April, the City of Gulfport honored R. W. Caldwell, Jr. by naming a park in his honor. The City will turn out Saturday at this park to pay their respects to the life of this special man and to thank him for his lifelong contributions to making Gulfport such a special place in which to live, to learn, to work and to play. Following my remarks, I will include for the benefit of my colleagues an article and obituary from The St. Petersburg Times about Bob's life. Madam Speaker, my special thoughts go out to Bob's wife of 63 years Adele, his daughters April and Elise, his son Bill, and three grandchildren. In addition to his wife and family, one of R. W. Caldwell Jr.'s other loves of his life was fishing the beautiful waters of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. It is my hope that his family always remembers this giant of our community when they pass by one of our waterways, see a fisherman casting out a line, and watch one of Florida's trademark sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico. May R. W. Caldwell, Jr. rest in peace. [From the St. Petersburg Times, July 8, 2009] Longtime Builder `Sketched Out Gulfport' (By Andrew Meacham) Gulfport--R.W. Caldwell didn't just develop Gulfport, he lived there, putting down roots in its sandy soil. He lived for the outdoors and fishing--priorities that never changed even as his company became one of the Tampa Bay area's most recognizable names in real estate. He added construction to a company that specialized in real estate and insurance. The expansion resulted in hundreds of new homes in Pinellas, Pasco and Charlotte counties, including some of the area's largest subdivisions and an influx of high-end homes to Gulfport. Mr. Caldwell died of a stroke Saturday. He was 88. ``He was a remarkable pioneer,'' said Gulfport Mayor Michael Yakes. ``He really sketched out Gulfport in his own right.'' While franchises of huge companies like Coldwell Banker and Keller Williams dominate coast to coast, Mr. Caldwell's name has endured locally. ``The whole real estate industry was started by fellows like R.W. Caldwell,'' said Victor Adamo, chairman of the Pinellas Realtor Organization. After getting a degree at M.I.T. and working as an aeronautical engineer in California, Mr. Caldwell moved back home to rejoin his father's business in 1951. He had foresight, buying properties dense in trees, then endeavoring to save as many as possible in subdivisions. He predicted the coming of multifamily homes as cities built to their boundaries. ``What has happened in Gulfport will, in many cases, happen elsewhere in Pinellas,'' he wrote in a guest column for the Times in 1960. He trusted his know-how, maintaining his 1994 Chevrolet station wagon himself. The car still runs with 200,000 miles on it. He built a single-engine boat he later took to the Bahamas for a fishing trip. Mr. Caldwell also trusted his instincts with people, quietly helping those he believed were doing all they could for themselves. At least twice, he shipped $12,000 worth of beans to Haiti. When his housekeeper couldn't qualify for a mortgage, Mr. Caldwell took one out himself, then collected monthly payments. When the housekeeper's family finished the payments years later, he handed over the deed. He enjoyed a daily martini with his wife, Adele, and eating smoked mullet with childhood friends, including the mayor and other city officials. After selling Jordan-Caldwell, the construction arm, to U.S. Homes in 1972, Mr. Caldwell stayed with U.S. Homes until the late 1970s. He remained with the family company as an adviser. ``There are a lot of developers who have taken their piece of the pie and not made a better place to live,'' said Tina Douglass, wife of former St. Pete Beach Mayor Bob Douglass. ``Wherever R. W. was, he always made it a better place. He left a good mark.'' Obituary CALDWELL, Robert W. Jr. 88, of Gulfport and Boca Grande, was born on Aug. 20, 1920 in Meadville, PA to Gail Jarrell Caldwell and Robert W. Caldwell Sr. He died in Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg this past Saturday, July 4, 2009. His maternal grandparents, George and Abigail Jarrell first brought him to Gulfport In the 1920s. Because of the two week quarantine of new Florida students to avoid bringing in infectious diseases, he fished with his grandparents daily, in lieu of school. After the quarantine, he first attended Roser Park and then the brand new Gulfport Elementary School. He fished at the Gulfport Pier nearly everyday. Back then, Gulfport was open to the Gulf; there was no Bayway, and the waters were turquoise and teeming with fish. When his grandparents opened the Gulfport Market, he helped them out along with his mom and his Aunts Isabel, Anne and Helen. He attended Disston Junior High and St. Petersburg High School. He continued to fish at every chance and took advantage of every opportunity to assist local boat captains. He was an excellent boatsman and fisherman. Known as Bo in the 1920s and `30s, Bob was always an excellent student, too. He graduated St. Pete High in 1938, and, after attending St. Petersburg Junior College for a year, enrolled in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While at MIT, Bob captained the lightweight crew. He had excellent skills with tools that he had learned from his grandfather Jarrell and returned to Gulfport summers during college and built homes for his father and Ed Markham. He graduated MIT during World War II in January, 1943 with a degree in aeronautical engineering. From many job offers, he chose Convair in San Diego, which later became part of General Dynamics. He built B-24s and other aircraft. He married Adele Allport in 1945. All three of their children were born in La Jolla, CA. Bob arrived back in Gulfport with his family on July 4, 1951. His plan was to work with his Dad and open the building division of R.W. Caldwell, Inc., a real estate and insurance business originally started by his father in 1937. In late 1952, Bob found himself running the entire company after his father's untimely death. He was a successful investor and land developer and was elected in 1954 President of the Contractors and Builders Association of Pinellas County. Bob was the first President of the Gulfport Chamber of Commerce and was President of the Friends of the Gulfport Library when the new library was built at 28th and Beach Boulevard. He was an over 50 year member of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Some of the subdivisions he developed in his career included Pelican Creek and Catalina Gardens plus he built hundreds of individual homes throughout Pinellas County. He was an organizing director and built the First Bank of Gulfport, was chairman of the Pinellas County branches of Royal Trust Bank and was an organizing director of First Gulf Bank. He was President of Jordan-Caldwell, Inc. that developed San Clemente East in Pasco County. When bought by U.S. Home Corp., Bob became, among other projects, the original developer of Timber Oaks in Pasco County and then became vice president of U.S. Home Corp. in charge of construction for the Central Florida Division. Bob's largest Gulfport business venture was when he became the Managing Partner of the Pasadena Partnership that bought the land known as Skimmer Point and later Pelican Bay and arranged the annexation of this part of Pasadena Yacht and Country Club into Gulfport. Further, he was currently President of Palm Island investment Corp. in Charlotte County and Chairman of R.W. Caldwell, Inc. in Gulfport. Bob lived a very modest life style. He maintained both his boat and auto engines himself. He even built his own 26 foot single engine boat from scratch in his front driveway in the late 1950s and took it on a five week adventure to the Bahamas with his wife and his wife's sister and brother-in-law. He enjoyed along with his wife in taking their children on car trips in the family station wagon to visit many of America's national parks, frequently camping out along the way, and, a generation later, repeating those car trips with their grandchildren. Growing up in the fifties and sixties, Caldwell family weekends were for water recreation and fishing trips. Those were idyllic happy times. Bob was active and smart with a good sense of humor to his last days and enjoyed driving all about town in his 1994 Chevy station wagon. He loved fishing till his end and really enjoyed a fishing trip he took this past Father's Day weekend with his son when they went over 55 nautical miles out into the Gulf of Mexico, and Bob showed that he was still an expert at catching 'em. Bob quietly and without fanfare helped many area people in need, but he had a special feeling for people suffering in Haiti. He personally donated, in the last few years at least four entire containers full of more than than 150,000 pounds of beans through For HAITI, With Love to help feed the hungry Haitian people. Bob is survived by his loving and devoted wife of over 63 years, Adele A. Caldwell; three children; a daughter, April Caldwell Hornsleth (Poul); a daughter, Elise `Desi' Caldwell McCarthy (Vaughn); a son, R.W. `Bill' Caldwell, III (Katie), and three grandchildren, Poul Homsleth, Ill. Jody Hornsleth Sepulveda (Rob) and Kyle McCarthy. There will be a memorial gathering this Saturday, July 11th at 10 am in R.W. Caldwell Park at 64th Street and Gulfport Boulevard. Parking will be available, and a reception will follow. R.W. Caldwell Park was dedicated just this past April 18th, less than three months ago. The entire Caldwell family is very grateful and appreciative to the City and citizenry of Gulfport that their patriarch, R.W. `Bob' Caldwell Jr., who first came to Gulfport more than 80 years ago, was able to receive and appreciate this wonderful honor before he died. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to either For HAITI, With Love. the Gulfport Historical Society or the Friends of the Gulfport Library. Arrangements by R. Lee Williams & Son Funeral Home 5730 15th Avenue South Gulfport 33707 727-345-7797 www.rlwilliams.com

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican Standards on Congressional appropriations initiatives, I am submitting the following information regarding a project that was included at my request in Fiscal Year 2010 Military Construction--Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill (H.R. 3082). Consolidate Communications Facility Account: Military Construction, U.S. Air Force Legal name and address of requesting entity: MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida. Description of request: $21,000,000 for a Consolidated Communication Facility (Project Number NVZR033702). MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida does not have an adequate Consolidated Communication Facility for the Joint Components of USSOCOM and USCENTCOM forces. This Consolidated Communication Facility would provide for all communication circuits (both digital and analog) entering and exiting MacDill AFB. The Department of Defense Unified Facilities Criteria Anti-Terrorism and Force Protection guidance requires that essential communication equipment be located in a secure environment. Base Network Control Center functions currently located in Bldg 260 will be relocated to the new secure facility.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican Standards on Congressional appropriations initiatives, I am submitting the following information regarding projects that were included at my request in H.R. 2997, the Fiscal Year 2010 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill: Tropical and SubTropical Agriculture Research (T-STAR) Account: Department of Agriculture, Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, Research and Education Activities Legal name and address of requesting entity: The University of Florida, 226 Tigert Hall, Gainesville, FL 32611 Description of request: $6,677,000 is included in the bill for Tropical and SubTropical Agriculture Research (T-STAR) at the Universities of Florida and Hawaii to address the problem of exotic pests and other tropical and subtropical problems in America's Caribbean and Pacific Basins. The major goal of the T-STAR program is to develop strategies and tactics to stem the invasion of exotic diseases, insects, and weeds into the United States. The recent introduction of asian soybean rust into the United States, along with the increasing threat of avian influenza and foot-and-mouth disease entering the country, heightens the possibility of a terrorist-induced attack on the nation's food supply. There is an urgent need to identify exotic pests in other countries with which the United States maintains frequent and extensive trade and travel in order to: (1) determine potential avenues for the introduction of these pests into the United States, (2) develop technologies for the early detection of these pests, (3) find effective and environmentally acceptable methods for the eradication and containment of these pests if they enter the United States. Under the T-STAR program, scientists aggressively protect the nation against the growing environmental and economic threat of invasive exotic pests. The Universities of Florida and Hawaii represent important agricultural states which are prime locations for the introduction of exotic pests from other parts of the world. Previous funding has been provided by the Department of Agriculture for T-STAR in the following amounts: FY 2001--$3,800,000, FY 2002--$3,800,000, FY 2003--$9,000,000, FY 2004--$9,000,000, FY 2005--$9,400,000, FY 2006-- $9,500,000, FY 2008--$7,400,000, FY 2009--$6,677,000.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2454, the so-called American Clean Energy and Security Act. Throughout my time in Congress I have supported protecting America's environment and climate as well as incentives for clean alternative energy, including solar, wind, and biofuels. It is in our county's best interest environmentally, economically, and for our national security to transition away from imported oil to domestically available, renewable, and clean sources of alternative energy. For instance, I have supported efforts by the City of St. Petersburg to power 40 of the city's parks entirely using a sustainable solar energy network which will allow these parks to be removed from the city's power grid. In the 110th Congress I was a cosponsor of the Clean Energy Tax Stimulus Act of 2008. This measure would have provided for the continuation of eight clean energy production and efficiency tax benefits in order to incentivize important alternative energy investment and production. I am also supportive of initiatives to require auto manufacturers to increase the fuel efficiency of the cars sold in America. In fact, in March I signed a letter to President Obama to urge him to take the strongest stand possible to increase the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards. Last Congress I was a cosponsor of the Fuel Economy Reform Act which would have raised CAFE standards to 35 miles per gallon over the next decade. And I have long been supportive of protecting Florida's environment and our military's training needs by opposing offshore drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. I also believe in creating and supporting new green jobs. At the same time that we encourage conservation and the production of renewable resources, we must also help prepare Americans to work in these new green jobs. That is why I voted in favor of the Green Energy Education Act. This legislation would authorize funds to be made available to support advanced energy and green building training and graduate programs throughout the country. Despite my support for clean energy and a clean environment, I must oppose this cap and trade legislation which will impose increased costs on American citizens who have done nothing wrong. At a time when the people of Pinellas County and our nation are hurting, it is incomprehensible that the House will knowingly approve legislation that will impose a new energy tax on American citizens, will put American companies at a competitive disadvantage, and will endanger the jobs of American workers. Supporters of this legislation have tried to claim that the cap and trade scheme will only cost some negligible amount, a postage stamp per day or $15 per month. They claim that a report by the Congressional Budget Office backs up this statement. However, if you actually take the time to read the CBO's report, you will understand that this is simply not true. The analysis only includes one limited portion of the 1,201 page bill. The analysis does not include the effects from the lower incomes and lost jobs that the CBO predicts will occur. The analysis does not include the effects from the decreased retirement accounts that will be realized as the value of stocks decline, as the CBO predicts. The analysis does not include the increased costs of producing goods in the United States, as the CBO predicts. In short, to say that this legislation will not hurt American families is simply misleading. If this legislation is signed into law, energy costs are going to rise. Even the President acknowledges that electricity rates are going to ``necessarily skyrocket.'' Britain's Taxpayer Alliance estimates that families there are paying $1,300 more in taxes after the implementation of a similar program only a few short years ago. In drafting this legislation, proposals were offered to suspend the cap and trade program if gas prices rose above $5 per gallon, if electricity prices rose by 10 percent, or if the unemployment rate hits an unthinkable 15 percent. All three of these sensible ideas were voted down by supporters of this bill. All Americans will be impacted by these higher energy prices, but the hardest hit will be the low income and the many of my constituents are seniors who live on fixed incomes. I do not think that I need to remind any of my colleagues of the energy crisis of last summer. I remember all to well the stories from my constituents of the difficulty they had in dealing with $4 per gallon gasoline. However, a study conducted by the American Petroleum Institute has found that the impact from this legislation will add an additional 77 cents to the price of a gallon of gasoline, and even higher costs for critical diesel fuel. In the last two years alone more than 5,000 trucking companies with at least five trucks went out of business, costing a countless number of jobs. Is this really the type of result we want? Inexplicably, this legislation would spend seven percent of the cap and trade allowances--paid for by American consumers--in foreign countries. Let me repeat that: this bill will send $302 billion U.S. tax dollars under cap and trade to foreign countries. Most of this money is set aside to plant trees. The Congressional Budget Office has said that ``the allowances spent overseas would impose a net cost on U.S. households: They would bear the cost of the allowances but would not receive the value.'' The cap and trade scheme also creates a new tradable commodity that Wall Street investors will be able to buy and manipulate. The pollution allowances will be traded and sold on the open market to the highest bidder. Companies who will be forced to buy these to provide necessary energy and products will pass on these costs to consumers. Even worse, this bill sets a minimum price for which the allowances can be sold for, not a maximum price to prevent the fleecing of American consumers. After the financial collapse of last year, we should not allow Wall Street speculators and commodity traders to hold the American people hostage in this way. I thought the purpose of this legislation was to protect the environment, not to help Wall Street get richer. Also included in this bill is a one-size-fits-all nationwide renewable energy standard that favors certain regions of the country at the expense of others. It is estimated that residents in Florida will be forced to pay an additional $339 million in their energy bills within only a few years, while the residents of some states in the northeast and the west coast will be heavily subsidized. Fundamentally, I believe that the federal government must get out of the business of picking winners and losers. These are just some of the things that we actually know are in the bill. But there is no way for Members to understand everything that is included. The bill itself is 1,201 pages that few, if any of us have read. Then only this morning, the Democrat leadership unveiled and added on a 309 page manager's amendment. The Washington Post says that this is a ``1,201 page measure filled with political compromises, directives, subsidies and selections of winners and losers that members won't be able to analyze before the vote and that leaves us wondering how effective it will be.'' The St. Petersburg Times, which supports the legislation, admits that the bill is ``imperfect'', ``not ideal,'' and that it includes ``weasel language.'' Even the Chairman of the Agriculture Committee Colin Peterson, who was one of the principal negotiators of the final bill that we are discussing today, said, ``The truth is, nobody knows for sure how this is going to work.'' Despite the importance of this issue, only one amendment has been allowed to even be considered by the House. The fact of the matter is, this legislation sets emission standards from now until 2050, and will affect our American way of life even further out from there. The initial reaction from my constituents in Pinellas County is that there is no need to rush through this process without understanding the effect on our nation the over the next 40 years. About 80 percent of the calls and e-mails that I have received have opposed this cap and trade bill. We all agree that the United States must begin the transition to domestically available, renewable, and clean sources of energy. We should work to make it easier for this change to happen, and it is appropriate for the government to provide incentives, not penalties, on those who do the right thing by investing in new sources of energy. We can do this by following in the tradition of the Manhattan Project, where the United States government brought our best and brightest minds together to create the atomic bomb to win World War II. The New Manhattan Project for Energy Independence, which my colleagues and I will have an opportunity to support, will provide funding for American universities, scientists, and inventors to come together and create more energy efficient and affordable cars, buildings, advanced power plants, advanced biofuels, and carbon capturing technology to help clean our air. This can be accomplished without imposing new tax increases on the American people while taking the steps necessary to secure a clean and secure future. We can take this important step by including Democrats and Republicans working together, rather than refusing to even consider suggestions from Republican members or even letting us know of details of this cap and trade bill as it was being written. This is the right way to approach our future energy and environmental needs. The wrong way is to punish average American citizens simply for going about their everyday lives--picking their children up from school, starting a small business, keeping their family cool in the summer and warm in the winter, or trying to make ends meet. And that's who this bill taxes and punishes. Madam Speaker, if this was truly an energy bill, there is little doubt in my mind that both sides could come together, as we have done so many times in the past, to find a bipartisan solution that will help this country move in the right direction and reduce our dependence on imported oil, lower our energy costs, and reduce carbon emissions without punishing American families. Unfortunately, this legislation only amounts to imposing a new burden on the American people at a time when they are already overburdened and I cannot support what the Wall Street Journal has called ``the biggest tax in American history.'' Let's vote this down so we can go back and work together and do what's right for America.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican Standards on Congressional appropriations initiatives, I am submitting the following information regarding a project that was included at my request in H.R. 2647, The National Defense Authorization Act of Fiscal Year 2010: Consolidate Communications Facility Account: Military Construction, U.S. Air Force Legal name and address of requesting entity: MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida. Description of request: $21,000,000 for a Consolidated Communication Facility (Project Number NVZR033702). MacDill Air Force Base, Tampa, Florida does not have an adequate Consolidated Communication Facility for the Joint Components of USSOCOM and USCENTCOM forces. This Consolidated Communication Facility would provide for all communication circuits (both digital and analog) entering and exiting MacDill AFB. The Department of Defense Unified Facilities Criteria Anti-Terrorism and Force Protection guidance requires that essential communication equipment be located in a secure environment. Base Network Control Center functions currently located in Bldg 260 will be relocated to the new secure facility.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican Standards on Congressional appropriations initiatives, I am submitting the following information regarding projects that were included at my request in H.R. 2996, the Fiscal Year 2010 Department of Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill: Clearwater Wastewater Biosolids Project- Account: Environmental Protection Agency, State and Tribal Assistance Grants Infrastructure Grants Legal name and address of requesting entity: City of Clearwater, 112 S. Osceola Avenue, Clearwater, FL 33756 Description of request: $500,000 is included in the bill for the City of Clearwater to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant by making bio- solids improvements; headworks repairs; renewal and replacement of gravity sewer lines, force mains, and pumping stations; pump station compliance; generator replacement at the wastewater treatment plant; and reclaimed water. Previous federal funding for this project is as follows: FY 2002--$900,000, FY 2003--$450,000, FY 2005--$500,000, and FY 2008--$500,000.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican Standards on Congressional appropriations initiatives, I am submitting the following information regarding a project that was included at my request in H.R. 2892, the Fiscal Year 2010 Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill: maritime domain awareness Account: Homeland Security, Science and Technology, Borders and Maritime Legal name and address of requesting entity: SRI International, 830 First Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. Description of request: $4,000,000 is included in the bill for SRI International to continue its work to develop a replicable port security system that will be functional in diverse environments which include coastal maritime, seaport, island, extreme, and remote locations. This project will include the development of pilot test beds for use in a shallow and deep water setting. The Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate has identified a need to establish national maritime security technology test bed capability. Current test bed operations are conducted at a number of diverse facilities that are neither centrally coordinated nor operated under uniform standards. With over 95,000 miles of coastline to protect, ensuring our nation's maritime security is challenging and requires complex technology and knowledgeable oversight. The absence of both a recognized test bed capability and effective operations organization impacts DHS's ability to: (1) consistently validate security system performance; (2) accurately compare and evaluate the effectiveness of competing systems and related technologies; (3) minimize biases and variables in tests and evaluations, i.e. create and apply uniform standards; (4) provide recognized certifying authority; and (5) advance new technologies to better protect our homeland. Ultimately, our nation's security is compromised without this crucial capability. This initiative establishes an independent, objective, entity to test and certify technologies for application in deep water, port, and coastal environments. The proposed program additionally serves to focus agency resource management by: (1) synergizing and minimizing duplicative efforts; (2) aligning disparate testing operations; and (3) engaging all maritime security stakeholders--local through federal as well as commercial through military. SRI International and the University of Hawaii have teamed to address the nation's critical port security needs. This partnership will create trusted-agent oversight and will leverage previous federal infrastructure investment to provide the most effective test bed capability at the lowest achievable cost. The partnership also provides institutional ties to both the Department of Defense and Department of Health and Human Services, thus bridging their efforts and providing for uniform, cost-effective maritime security solutions.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican Standards on Congressional appropriations initiatives, I am submitting the following information regarding projects that were included at my request in H.R. 2487, the Fiscal Year 2010 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. Florida Silver Alert Program Account: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Byrne Discretionary Grants Legal name and address of requesting entity: Florida Department of Law Enforcement, 2331 Phillips Road Description of request: $100,000 is included in the bill for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for the Florida Silver Alert Program, which is a standardized and coordinated law enforcement and state agency response to share information with the public to improve the chances of a safe recovery of a missing elderly person suffering from dementia. The Silver Alert program is designed to quickly disseminate descriptive information about a missing person who suffers from dementia, so that citizens can be on the lookout for the endangered elderly person and notify local law enforcement with any relevant information. The program is a cooperative effort among Florida local and state law enforcement agencies, Department of Transportation, Department of Elder Affairs and the media. In partnership with these agencies, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is requesting funding to improve the current system and to facilitate public awareness/education, and outreach. In October 2008 the Silver Alert Program became operational in Florida, administered by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Missing Endangered Person Information Clearinghouse hereinafter referred to as the ``Clearinghouse''. In the first six months, Silver Alerts have been activated 58 times resulting in the direct recovery of 10 elderly persons with dementia. As this is a relatively new program, not all local law enforcement agencies are aware of the program or the criteria to activate a Silver Alert. It is recommended that printed, laminated guides be distributed to patrol officers. These guides would include the criteria and resources available to law enforcement when an elderly person with dementia is reported missing. This is the first federal funding requested for this project. National Clearing House for Science, Technology, and the Law at Stetson University College of Law Account: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Byrne Discretionary Grants Legal name and address of requesting entity: Stetson University College of Law, 1401 61st Street South, Gulfport, FL 33707 Description of request: $400,000 is included in the bill for the National Clearing House for Science, Technology, and the Law at Stetson University College of Law to build and maintain the world's only searchable comprehensive bibliography on law, science, and technology. This database contains court decisions and commentary, scholarly publications, commercial applications, professional associations and institutions, and other resources about traditional and new forensic topics, such as Identity Theft, Intra and Interstate Tracking of Sexual Predators, Canine Sniff Detection, and Less Lethal Technologies. It contains 18 resource categories for each of 33 topics in science and technology. At present, it contains more than 65,000 records, and more than 1,500 entries a month are added. Visitors from more than 110 countries have visited the site. In addition, comprehensive Cold Case and Identifying the Missing resources have recently been added to the site. No other such national resource exists. The online database also includes a quarterly newsletter which focuses on the latest topics such as Methamphetamine, Shaken Baby Syndrome, Cyber Forensics, Post- Conviction DNA Testing, Bioterror and the Physician, and Virtual Autopsies. Funding will also enable Stetson to continue building an important reference collection of law, science, and technology material to meet the needs of law enforcement personnel, legal professionals, crime lab personnel, national security professionals, medical examiners, and public health professionals. These professions face challenges due to a lack of access to information regarding new areas of science and technology. The Clearinghouse reference collection allows access via interlibrary loan to physical materials not readily available at local libraries. Important forensic science collections are being donated to the clearinghouse on a regular basis for use by these professionals. Stetson will use this funding for two new initiatives. The first is the development of training modules and primers to be made available through distance education technology. These cross-disciplinary modules will focus on training scientists in the complex workings of the legal system. They also provide lawyers with much needed education in various scientific and technological disciplines. Law 101 will focus on testimony skills for expert witnesses, scientists and law enforcement personnel. The primers, written by lawyers, scientists, and educators, will cover the basic elements of a science or technology and principles of law. They will provide practical advice regarding motions in limine, locating and qualifying an expert, direct and cross-examination of the expert, and legal issues that arise in such cases. The second initiative will be to support the federal DNA initiative. The goal of this project is to provide training about the applications and limitations of DNA evidence to defense counsel handling cases involving biological evidence, as stated in the President's DNA Initiative. To achieve this goal, the Clearinghouse is working closely with the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) and an expert Advisory Group to develop training that will provide defense attorneys with the general knowledge of the uses of DNA evidence in judicial proceedings as it pertains to discovery and ethics, proper closing arguments, case assessment, etc. The training will complement other forensic DNA evidence resources developed by NIJ, such as the ``Officers of the Court'' CD-ROM, which provides a foundational understanding of the science, technology, statistics, and other non-advocacy topics. Training will occur across the country and will incorporate ``Train the Trainer'' sessions to further broaden outreach efforts. Previous funding has been provided to Stetson for the National Clearinghouse in the following amounts: FY 2003--$1,768,430, FY 2004--$2,968,432, FY 2005--$2,959,930, FY 2006--$1,682,119, FY 2009--$400,000. National Forensic Science Technology Center Account: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Byrne Discretionary Grants Legal name and address of requesting entity: The National Forensic Science Technology Center, 7881 114th Avenue North, Largo, FL 33773 Description of request: $2,000,000 is included in the bill for the National Forensic Science and Training Center (NFSTC), which is a Department of Justice-selected Forensic Technology Center of Excellence. With these funds, the NFSTC will continue to provide for the Office of Justice Programs an assessment program to audit the capabilities and quality of DNA laboratories throughout the United States which receive agency funding. NFSTC not only assists laboratories in improving their performance in DNA analysis, but also provides grant recipients with an objective review of their use of federal funds. Previous funding has been provided to NFSTC, which employs 34 people in Pinellas County, Florida, in the following amounts: FY 2000--$1,899,822, FY 2001--$2,594,280, FY 2002--$8,500,000, FY 2003--$2,980,000, FY 2004--$1,978,000, FY 2005--$1,973,286, FY 2007--$1,973,286, FY 2008--$2,030,400, FY 2009--$1,750,000. National Terrorism Preparedness Institute at St. Petersburg College Account: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Byrne Discretionary Grants Legal name and address of requesting entity: St. Petersburg College, 3200 34th St. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711 Description of request: $1,500,000 is included in the bill for the National Terrorism Preparedness Institute (NTPI) at St. Petersburg College, for training support programs for law enforcement and other emergency responders through the rapid research, development, and delivery of customized anti-terrorism training and professional development materials and scenario models. NTPI seeks to deliver the highest quality content and instructional technology delivery systems to meet the unique training needs and time constraints of the trainees. These materials are delivered through traditional classroom training or distance learning technologies and the topics are determined by and based on the needs of the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security. Areas that have been covered in the past include implementation of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan, expanding regional collaboration, implementation of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan, strengthening information sharing and collaboration capabilities, and enhancing Chemical, Biological, Radiological/Nuclear, and Explosive detection, response, and decontamination capabilities. Previous funding of $800,000 was provided in FY 2009. Pinellas County At-Risk Youth Diversion Program Account: Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Legal name and address of requesting entity: Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners, 315 Court Street, Clearwater, FL 33756 Description of request: $300,000 is included in the bill for the Pinellas County Juvenile Assessment Center to serve as a centralized point of entry for pre-arrest and arrested juveniles. The Center will coordinate an array of proven best practices and research-based methods of community-based treatment and ancillary services to enable law enforcement and social services to work together to access and determine the best needs and services for each youth. Juveniles will be screened to identify their unique needs and issues, including history, home environment and behavior for inclusion in the associated programs. Additional assessments will be administered for those with mental health and/or substance abuse issues. Case managers will be on call to assist youths with residential or outpatient services; mentoring and recreational activities; counseling; and aftercare. Low risk offenders between the ages of 7 and 14 will be assessed for referral to the Pinellas County Sheriff's On-Track early intervention program that provides guidance in an intensive and structured environment. The program serves at-risk youth, both male and female who are current students residing in Pinellas County. The youth who are between 7 and 14 years old are either first time offenders experiencing problems at school (truancy, violence, suspensions, other school problems) or are experiencing problems at home (ungovernable behavior). This program is expected to provide new avenues and opportunities for both high risk and low risk youth. An evaluation of the program will be conducted including impact to recidivism for the high risk offenders. For the On- Track program, outcome rates of 50 percent reduction in unexcused absences and school related disciplinary referrals along with a 50 percent increase in community referrals for families and improvement in family communication skills are expected goals. The program is anticipated to have positive outcomes of both a human and economic nature. Currently, the county is housing over 50 youth a month in the detention center for Failure to Appear currently at $178 per day. In December 2008, the average length of stay at the Juvenile Delinquency Center was nine days, which means for 50 juveniles with Failure To Appear violations, the detention costs of $80,100 could be diverted to provide bed days and services to those who are currently in jail to be transferred to JDC. Diverting youth charged with such minor offenses away from the center will save on food and medical costs, and will free up space to accommodate juvenile offenders charged with more serious crimes, preventing them from being housed in an adult correctional facility. Additionally, diverting low risk youth and preventing future system involvement aids in reducing future youth detention. No previous federal funds were requested for this project. Pinellas County Sheriff, Joint-Use Outdoor Firing Range Account: Department of Justice, COPS Law Enforcement Technology Legal name and address of requesting entity: Pinellas County Sheriff, 10750 Ulmerton Road, Largo, FL 33778 Description of request: $250,000 is included in the bill for the Pinellas County Sheriff to develop an outdoor firing range for joint use by local, state, and federal agencies, including military and federal law enforcement personnel. The demonstrated need for such a range is the result of a survey of these agencies, including DEA, U.S. Marshall, U.S. Secret Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, FBI, U.S. Coast Guard, Florida National Guard, U.S. Air Force, NCIS, and U.S. Marine Corps which found that these agencies lack sufficient outdoor facilities to practice and qualify for firearms proficiency. The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners has provided $500,000 to complete pre-construction requirements including architectural services; civil engineering; environmental site assessment; structural engineering; mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering; site surveying and geotechnical testing. $500,000 was included in FY 2009.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that I rise in support of the supplemental. Most of the money in this supplemental is for our troops. It is for the war on terror, and it is to take care of the soldiers that are conducting that war. As Mr. Murtha said, we worked together to create this legislation. In fact, the subcommittee met and all the members had an opportunity to have their input. The majority staff worked very closely with the minority staff, and we feel like we have crafted a really good wartime supplemental. So I urge the support for the supplemental, most of which is the defense part of the bill. I want to say that I agree with Ranking Member Lewis on the issue of Guantanamo. I don't think we have it all figured out yet. I think just to say we're going to close Guantanamo doesn't really get the job done; there's too much to it. Last year, the Congress approved my amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill and said you can't close Guantanamo until you do two things: one, have a plan as to what you will do with the detainees; and number two, which doesn't get mentioned very often, have a plan of what you are going to do with the facilities. As appropriators, we know that we spent close to half a billion dollars creating a medium-security holding facility and a maximum- security holding facility. They're state-of-the-art facilities. If you have to be in prison somewhere, Guantanamo is the place to be, because these are really nice facilities. What are we going to do with half a billion dollars worth of detainee facilities? I think we need to know the answer to that. In my amendment last year, the legislation required the administration to report within 180 days of what the plan would be on those two issues. That has not happened to this day. We can't deal with Guantanamo lightly. We can't bring terrorists who have been responsible for killing many Americans into the United States without careful consideration. My preference would be not to bring them into the United States. I may be in the minority on that issue. But anyway, the overall bill is a good bill, and I do support it. I congratulate Mr. Obey, the chairman, and Mr. Lewis, the ranking member. And certainly, having worked with Chairman Murtha to craft the defense part of this bill, it's one that we can all support without any hesitation.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, The St. Petersburg Times earned a rare honor Monday by collecting multiple Pulitzer Prizes for journalism excellence. Washington Bureau Chief Bill Adair and his team won the only Pulitzer Prize awarded this year by Columbia University for content created for the web. They earned the honor in the National Reporting category for PolitiFact, a website at www.politifact.com conceived by Bill Adair to test the validity of political statements. Times Staff Writer Lane DeGregory won the second Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing for her story ``The Girl in the Window'', which is about a Plant City child who was locked in her room by her adoptive parents. This is a great honor for Paul Tash, the Editor, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of The St. Petersburg Times and his team of writers, editors, and support staff in this the newspaper's 125th year. Madam Speaker, following my remarks, I will include for the benefit of my colleagues a story from the Times by Stephen Nohlgren with more background on these awards and the six Pulitzer Prizes earned previously by St. Petersburg Times reporters and editors. The creation of PolitiFact will be of special interest to our colleagues in the House. The PolitiFact team, led by Bill Adair, included editors Scott Montgomery and Amy Hollyfield, reporter and researcher Angie Drobnic Holan, reporters Robert Farley and Alexander Lane, news technologist Matthew Waite and designer Martin Frobisher. Together they searched through political ads, speeches and debates and determined the accuracy of political statements by presidential candidates and candidates for other offices. The information is accessible and searchable on the internet and is also published in the Times. PolitiFact became such a valuable source of information during last fall's campaign season that it was quoted regularly by national news organizations. Madam Speaker, Please join me in congratulating Lane DeGregory, Bill Adair, and his team for a job well done in earning journalism's highest honor this week. They have set the standard for human interest and political reporting as judged by the peers in their field of work. [From the St. Petersburg Times, Apr. 21, 2009] Times Wins 2 Pulitzers (By Stephen Nohlgren), The St. Petersburg Times, April 21, 2009 For the first time in its 125-year history, the St. Petersburg Times has won two Pulitzer Prizes in a single year. Staff writer Lane DeGregory, 42, captured the feature writing category for ``The Girl in the Window,'' a moving account of a Plant City child whose mother kept her locked in a filthy room, and the adoptive family who worked to overcome her feral beginnings. The Times staff won the national reporting prize for PolitiFact, a Web site, database and ``Truth-O-Meter'' that tests the validity of political statements. That award reflected the growing influence of online media in public affairs. PolitiFact was designed for the Web at politifact.com, though its content also appears regularly in the Times' print edition. The two awards are ``so representative of our organization as a team, of the skill we bring to work every day,'' Executive Editor Neil Brown told the newsroom staff Monday amid cheers and popping champagne corks. Like newspapers all over the country, the Times is navigating tough economic times, Brown said, but ``this is old-fashioned journalism, great reporting and great writing. Nothing has changed about that. This is what we do.'' The Pulitzers, awarded by Columbia University, are widely regarded as journalism's highest accolade. The only other newspaper to win more than one prize in this year's 14 categories was the New York Times, with five. The St. Petersburg Times previously had won six Pulitzers, its most recent coming in 1998. Though Columbia tries to keep results under wraps until one nationwide announcement, reporters and secrets don't mix well. By lunchtime Monday, grins, hugs and excited whispers spread through the newsroom. A few minutes before the 3 p.m. announcement, staffers congregated around one computer to await the Associated Press bulletin together. After congratulations died down, DeGregory told her colleagues she was working at the Virginian-Pilot 10 years ago, when she read ``Angels & Demons,'' a Pulitzer-winning series by then-Times reporter Thomas French about the murders of an Ohio woman and her two daughters in Florida. ``I thought, `Oh my God, there's a newspaper that publishes real stories like that?' '' When she was hired at the Times in 2000, DeGregory said, ``I thought it couldn't get any better than working at this place and working with these people. But today it got a little better.'' ``The Girl in the Window'' was published last August, with photos by Melissa Lyttle. Danielle was 7 when neighbors spotted her face through a broken window of her home. Detectives found her in diapers, her skeletal body raw from bug bites. She couldn't speak. A Fort Myers family adopted her, and DeGregory chronicled their efforts to draw her from her silent shell. Within a month of publication, more than 1 million people read the story online. Calls to authorities from Tampa Bay residents wanting to adopt foster children jumped 33 percent. Times staff writer John Barry was a Pulitzer finalist in the feature category for ``Winter's Tale,'' an account of a dolphin with a prosthetic tail and a disabled girl who befriended it. PolitiFact was conceived by Washington bureau chief Bill Adair during the runup to the 2008 presidential election. Adair, 47, felt frustrated in earlier campaigns by a lack of time and resources to fact-check political rhetoric. ``We had neglected this aspect of reporting too long,'' said Adair, a 20-year Times veteran. ``With the Web, we had the tools to do reporting better and the tools to be able to publish in new ways.'' With the green light from Times' brass, Adair skipped traditional campaign coverage and worked full time on PolitiFact. The PolitiFact team included editors Scott Montgomery and Amy Hollyfield, reporter and researcher Angie Drobnic Holan, reporters Robert Farley and Alexander Lane, news technologist Matthew Waite and designer Martin Frobisher. The team combed through political ads, speeches and debates, and summarized the findings on a ``Truth-O-Meter,'' which labeled statements as True, Mostly True, Half True, Barely True, False or Pants on Fire. A searchable database kept the rulings accessible. Soon other media outlets were quoting PolitiFact as an authority on public discourse, and Adair was appearing on CNN and National Public Radio. About 95 percent of the Web site's hits come from outside the Tampa Bay area and 10 percent from outside the United States. ``This is such a terrible time for newspapers, and I think our winning today is a sign that the Web is not a death sentence for newspapers,'' Adair said. ``We need to look at it as an opportunity.'' For the first time this year, the Pulitzer board invited entries in all categories from Web-only news operations. The Times won the only prize for content created for the Web. Editor, chairman and CEO Paul Tash capped off Monday's newsroom toasts by recalling longtime owner Nelson Poynter, who willed the Times to a not-for-profit journalism institute so that public service, not profits, would drive the newspaper's corporate culture. ``Here's to a little guy, in a bow tie, who came from Indiana,'' Tash said. ``He gave us the chance, and today our colleagues have vindicated his confidence.'' Pulitzer Prizes at the St. Petersburg Times and Evening Independent 1998: Thomas French, feature writing, for ``Angels & Demons,'' his narrative portrait of an Ohio mother and two daughters slain on a Florida vacation, and the three-year inquiry into their murders. 1995: Jeffrey Good, editorial writing, for ``Final Indignities,'' his editorial campaign urging reform of Florida's probate system for settling estates. 1991: Sheryl James, feature writing, for ``A Gift Abandoned,'' a series about a mother who abandoned her newborn child and how it affected her life and the lives of others. 1985: Lucy Morgan and Jack Reed, investigative reporting, for their reporting on Pasco County Sheriff John Short, which revealed his department's troubles and led to his removal from office by voters. 1980: Bette Swenson Orsini and Charles Stafford, national reporting, for their investigation of the Church of Scientology. 1964: Times staff, public service, for the investigation of the Florida Turnpike Authority, which disclosed widespread illegal acts and resulted in a major reorganization of the state's road construction program.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, the St. Petersburg Audubon Society celebrates its centennial anniversary this month, marking 100 years of serving our community's conservation and awareness of local birds and the wild areas they call home. The St. Petersburg chapter, Florida's oldest, was founded in 1909 as part of a crusade by the Florida and National Audubon Society to save wading birds from extinction. At that time, birds' feathers, aigrettes, and wings were used to decorate women's hats. This threatened many of Florida's unique wading birds with extinction. The result of this effort was the saving of these species of birds for future generations of Floridians and visitors to Florida to watch and enjoy. The St. Petersburg chapter, under the leadership of President Mauri Peterson; Vice President Maureen Arnold; Secretary Nancy Ogden; Treasurer Rick Potter; and Board Members Harold Albers, Mary Brazier, Wanda Dean, Judi Hopkins, Saskia Janes, Dave Kandz, Mark Mueller, Lee Snyder, and Alice Tenney; continues to serve our community in many important ways including conservation leadership and educational opportunities. These activities include weekly field trips, monthly programs, and a long list of volunteer activities. Specifically, the St. Petersburg Audubon Society raises funds to give Pinellas County fourth grade students an Audubon Adventure program, to provide scholarships to National Audubon Ecology Camps for local teachers, and to give monetary awards to Science Fair winners. The chapter also hosts its annual Pinellas Native Plant Society meeting every December to bring together members of local environmental organizations for a time of celebration and education. The members of the chapter have also done what they do best -- protect our shorebirds and habitats. They helped establish the Shell Key County Preserve and they led an effort to conduct a comprehensive study of beach-nesting birds in partnership with Eckerd College, Pinellas County government employees, and public land managers. Chapter members have even taken their work neighborhood to neighborhood and house to house through their ``In Harmony With Nature'' programs to help homeowners create wildlife-friendly habitats in their yards and to become aware of bird nesting in their own neighborhoods. And they continue to sponsor annual Migratory and Christmas Bird Counts, a Florida tradition that dates back to 1900. A special exhibit about the centennial celebration will be unveiled this Saturday at the St. Petersburg History Museum. It will feature information about the chapter's founder Katherine Bell Tippetts, milestones from the chapter's history, and information about the chapter's continuing commitment to the community. Madam Speaker, The St. Petersburg Audubon Society continues to serve our community today just as energetically as it has throughout these past 100 years. The members of the chapter volunteer to protect our local wildlife and natural habitats and to make Pinellas County a better place to live. Please join me in congratulating the members of the St. Petersburg Audubon Society for their rich history of service.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the House Republican standards on Congressional appropriations initiatives, I am submitting the following information regarding projects that were included at my request in H.R. 1105, the Fiscal Year 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act: BayCare Health System Electronic Health Record Initiative Account: Health Resources and Services Administration, Health Care-Related Facilities and Activities. Legal name and address of requesting entity: BayCare Health System, 16331 Bay Vista Drive, Clearwater, FL 33760. Description of request: $523,000 is included in the bill for BayCare Health System to incorporate a hand held prescription drug order system into its ongoing electronic health record initiative. BayCare will develop a medication order entry project for physicians, which is a sub-component of a much larger Electronic Health Record initiative for BayCare Health System. The demonstration project involves the purchase of application software, installation and training as well as the purchase of handheld devices for the physician and other clinician users of the system. The project is a critical element of the overall Information Services plan for BayCare Health System. This particular patient care clinical information system will significantly assist in accomplishing improvements in the following areas: (1) Real time communication between physicians, hospitals and pharmacies regarding medication orders which will result in the improvements of prescription legibility, dispensing time and a reduction in drug errors; (2) A decrease in adverse events by improved electronic communication and the use of standard formularies; (3) An increase in the efficiency of operations by reducing the costs of consolidating redundant functions and reducing duplicate orders or inappropriate testing; (4) Knowledge at the point of care will improve the patient care experience. Previous funding for BayCare's electronic health record initiative is as follows: FY 2002-$1,000,000, FY 2003- $1,000,000, FY 2004-$1,000,000, FY 2005-$1,000,000, FY 2008- $341,000. Bayfront Medical Center Obstetrical Services Account: Health Resources and Services Administration, Health Care-Related Facilities and Activities. Legal name and address of requesting entity: Bayfront Medical Center, 701 Sixth Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. Description of request: $571,000 is included in the bill for Bayfront Hospital to expand the availability of obstetrical services and its Level III neonatal intensive care unit, which will allow for the care of mothers and their babies under the same roof. In 2009, Bayfront Medical Center will open Bayfront Baby Place in the brand-new All Children's Hospital in downtown St. Petersburg. It will feature 13 private birthing suites, an eight-bed assessment area, 40-bed postpartum unit, 12-bed ante partum unit, four-room C-section suite with dedicated prep/recovery area and a nursery. Babies needing special care will be transferred to All Children's neonatal intensive care unit. New mothers will be in the same building as their sick babies, separated by a brief elevator ride. Bayfront Baby Place will feature a dedicated entrance for birthing mothers and their families, as well as a skywalk connecting Baby Place with Bayfront's main hospital building. Bayfront delivers more than 3,400 babies annually. Some of those babies need special care after they are born. Currently, they are taken from the hospital's joint team of specialists, through a tunnel that connects the two hospital campuses, to specialized neonatal care at All Children's Hospital. Moving the birthing team and unit on the All Children's campus will put the patient at the middle of this process, enabling families to stay together throughout their time in the hospital. These are the first federal funds provided for this project. Bayfront Hospital will contribute $8,000,000 toward the cost of this project. Blind Pass Road Reconstruction, St. Pete Beach Account: Federal Highway Administration. Legal name and address of requesting entity: City of St. Pete Beach, 155 Corey Avenue, St. Pete Beach, FL 33706. Description of request: $175,750 is included in the bill for the city of St. Pete Beach to reconstruct Blind Pass Road. This project will narrow the roadway to provide adequate vehicular access, while installing new sidewalks and bike lanes to greatly enhance the intermodal transportation options available. In addition, it is anticipated that enhanced lighting and landscaping will be installed, as well as various drainage improvement to the area. Blind Pass road is a half-mile segment that provides an alternate route to a state road. This is the first federal funding provided for this project. The city will provide $400,000. Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Corridor Enhancements Account: Federal Transit Administration, Bus and Bus Facilities. Legal name and address of requesting entity: City of St. Petersburg, 175 Fifth Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. Description of request: $475,000 is included in the bill for the city of St. Petersburg for the development of a Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit corridor along Central Avenue. The funding will be used for station development, streetscaping, signalization, surface street improvements, and pedestrian connectors. This is the first federal funding provided for this project. The city will provide $100,000. Clearwater Downtown Redevelopment Project Account: Department of Housing and Urban Development, Economic Development Initiative. Legal name and address of requesting entity: City of Clearwater, 112 S. Osceola Avenue, Clearwater, FL 33756. Description of request: $237,500 is included in the bill for the City of Clearwater to implement projects that will revitalize downtown Clearwater. These funds will enable the city to undertake Phase 2 of the project and to transform Cleveland Street into a pedestrian friendly area with landscaped sidewalks and medians. The project also includes new benches, trash receptacles, and bike racks. The city will also implement waterfront upland improvements with seawall cap repairs, sidewalk widening, parking lot upgrades and landscaping. The city received $300,000 in appropriations for this project in FY 2008. Egmont Key Stabilization Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Investigations. Legal name and address of requesting entity: Tampa Port Authority, P.O. Box 2192, Tampa, FL 33601. Description of request: $38,000 is included in the bill to continue work on a feasibility study authorized by the Water Resources and Development Act of 2002 to protect this historic island, which is a National Wildlife Refuge and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Egmont Key is a 290 acre island located at the mouth of Tampa Bay that contains a unique collection of natural and cultural resources. The majority of the land is owned by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Tampa Bay Pilots Association own smaller portions of the island. The island and the fortifications on that island have played an important role in the history of Tampa Bay. Tidal action from Tampa Bay waters is threatening the historic fort and gun emplacements located on the western shore. The purpose of the feasibility study is to determine a long-term strategy for protecting the beach and restoring the shoreline. Previous funding in the amount of $916,900 has been provided for this project through FY 2008. Florida Cancer Clinical Trial Patient/Physician Information and Education Project Account: Health Resources and Services Administration, Health Care-Related Facilities and Activities. Legal name and address of requesting entity: University of South Florida, College of Education, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620. Description of request: $190,000 is included in the bill for the Florida Cancer Clinical Trial Patient/Physician Information and Education Project sponsored by the University of South Florida. This program has developed continuing education and databases for the public on clinical trials for cancer treatments focusing on the nature of clinical trials and how patients might benefit, what trials are being conducted in Florida, the criteria for participation, and contact information. It also has developed an interactive web based program that lists all current cancer clinical trials and allows patients to determine programs for which they might be eligible. Further, it allows patients to share this information with their physicians. Previous funding was provided for this project as follows: FY 2004-$500,000, FY 2005-$500,000, FY 2008-$536,000. Florida Regional Community Policing Institute at St. Petersburg College Account: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Byrne Discretionary Grants. Legal name and address of requesting entity: St. Petersburg College, 3200 34th St. South, St. Petersburg, FL 33711. Description of request: $400,000 is included in the bill to allow the Florida Regional Community Policing Institute at St. Petersburg College to continue providing, for the Department of Justice, low- and no-cost training and technical assistance to public safety professionals and the people of the communities they serve throughout the nation. This institute has assisted youth, volunteers, city and state employees, community colleges, social service agencies, and community leaders on public safety issues important to their communities. The Department of Justice has asked the institute to develop training materials in areas such as Human Trafficking, Gangs, School Violence, Methamphetamine Labs, Law Enforcement Suicide, Counter-Terrorism Awareness, Community Policing, Offender Re-Entry, Workplace and Domestic Violence, Diversity, Ethics, Problem Solving, and Citizens Police Academies. Over the past 10 years, the institute has delivered training to more than 75,000 participants representing 870 different agencies by customizing curriculum, developing web and CD courses, and providing on- line registration. No previous funding has been provided to the institute. Great Explorations, The Children's Museum, Services for At-Risk Youth Account: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Office of Museum and Library Services, Grants and Administration. Legal name and address of requesting entity: Great Explorations, The Children's Museum, 1925 Fourth Street North, St. Petersburg, FL 33704. Description of Request: $95,000 is included in the bill for Great Explorations, the Children's Museum, for the development of ``The Urban Youth Leadership Institute of Florida.'' This institute will increase the museum's capacity to strengthen communities by providing services to vulnerable children and families throughout the Central Florida region by providing a safe place to gather for early education, marketable vocational skills, mentoring, a healthy start, structured activities and a chance to give back through community service. Great Explorations offers unique academic and leadership initiatives to engage thousands of the most vulnerable youth each year to discontinue the generational pattern of low-income youth living in and depending on programs such as housing assistance from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department. These programs are based on national models implemented by Great Explorations Children's Museum's leaders for more than 65 museums throughout the nation in partnership with multiple community-based organizations also serving our most vulnerable youth and families, including local housing authorities. The goal of these partnerships continues to be the implementation of extensive leadership development programs that have led to proven methods for ensuring a higher income and educational experiences for thousands of youth. This is the first federal funding provided for this project. Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services Community Care Facility Account: Health Resources and Services Administration, Health Care-Related Facilities and Activities. Legal name and address of requesting entity: Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services, 14041 Icot Boulevard, Clearwater, FL 33760. Description of request: $190,000 is included in the bill for Gulf Coast Jewish Family Services to consolidate its operations into one facility to increase the number of patients served, enhance patient privacy, provide a more seamless system of care, and reduce overhead costs. Gulf Coast serves more than 50,000 at-risk children, youth, adults, and elderly. This is the first federal funding provided for this project. Intracoastal Waterway Operation and Maintenance from Calddsahatchee River to Anclote River Account: Army Corps of Engineers, Operations and Maintenance. Legal name and address of requesting entity: West Coast Inland Navigation District, P.O. Box 1845, Venice, FL 34284. Description of request: $2,076,000 is included in the bill for the maintenance dredging of sections of the Intracoastal Waterway through six Florida counties, including Pinellas County. The 1945 Rivers and Harbors Act authorized the Intracoastal Waterway to be maintained at a width of 100- feet, and a depth of nine-feet between the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River, near Ft. Myers, and the Anclote River, north of Tampa. The channel runs through six counties (Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, and Lee) and links natural deep-water sections of bays through a series of man-made channels, thereby providing for the safe passage of commercial goods and access to commercial fishing grounds. Dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway commenced in 1960 and was completed in 1967, at which time the West Coast Inland Navigation District began maintenance activities. This funding will support maintenance dredging for Longboat Pass (Manatee County), Venice Inlet (Sarasota County), mouth of Caloosahatchee River (Miserable Mile in Lee County), the Boca Grande Bayou area (Miller's Marina in Lee County), and a section of the Intracoastal Waterway in Pinellas County just north of the Tampa Bay port shipping channel. Previous funding totaling $1,400,000 was included in FY 2004 and FY 2005 for the design, engineering, and permitting for this project and $1,215,000 was included in FY 2008 for the initial dredging of this waterway. National Clearing House for Science, Technology, and the Law at Stetson University College of Law Account: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Byrne Discretionary Grants. Legal name and address of requesting entity: Stetson University College of Law, 1401 61st Street South, Gulfport,

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, Treasure Island Mayor Mary Maloof turns over her gavel this week during the city commission's regularly scheduled meeting, ending 12 years of dedicated service. It has been a privilege to work with Mayor Maloof on a number of projects important to the people of Treasure Island. Most notable was the rebuilding of the Treasure Island Causeway and Draw Bridge, which serves as a major evacuation route for the city's residents. Together, we dedicated this $65 million project in June of 2006, to the cheers of the people of Treasure Island and to the relief of the city's engineers who were concerned about the safety of the old bridge. Mayor Maloof was never afraid to tackle a problem of any size whether it is a major bridge replacement, the largest public works project in the city's history, or the concern of a single constituent. She approached all those challenges with the same interest and can-do spirit. Mayor Maloof served for six years as a City Commissioner before being elected Mayor in 2003. She was the first woman to be elected Mayor of Treasure Island and was reelected to a second three-year-term in 2006. She had the great honor to preside over the city's 50th anniversary in 2005 and through her 12 years of service to the people of Treasure Island, she has set the city on course for great success and prosperity over the course of its next 50 years. Madam Speaker, serving as mayor of any community large or small is among the toughest of elected positions. Mayor Mary Maloof has carried out her duties with the greatest of honor and dedication and it is my hope that my colleagues join me today in saluting her for a job well done.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to G. Curt Willocks, the Police Chief of Gulfport, Florida, who retires after 18 years of service to the people of Gulfport and 38 years in law enforcement. Chief Willocks was selected to lead the Gulfport Police Department in January 1991 and since then made his priority the development of modern professional standards in law enforcement. Under his leadership, the department earned state accreditation in 2000 and was re-accredited in 2003. He also led a department-wide effort to incorporate the newest technologies into the force's daily work. This includes bringing to Gulfport in-car, digital video recorders and computers. Chief Willocks also worked hard to improve the process for selecting and training new officers, ensuring that all officers received training that exceeded the state's minimum requirements, and raising the education standards for applicants. More than one-third of all Gulfport officers have a bachelor's degree. Before coming to Gulfport, Chief Willocks served for 20 years on the Boca Raton, Florida police force, retiring there as Deputy Chief. He has been active in many local and state-wide law enforcement organizations, including serving as President of the Tampa Bay Area Chiefs of Police Association, Chairman of the Pinellas County Police Standards Council, Director of the Florida Police Chief's Association, as a member of the Commission for Florida's Law Enforcement Accreditation, and on the Policy Board for the Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute. Madam Speaker, Chief Willocks has served our community and our state well. He has instilled pride and the highest standards in the officers who protect our residents, their families and their places of work with dedication and professionalism. It is my hope that my colleagues join me today in thanking Chief G. Curt Willocks for a job well done.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, The City of Largo I have the privilege to represent paid tribute to one of their fallen police officers Saturday, when they laid to rest Lt. Michael J. Renault who died too early at the age of 37. The love and respect the community had for Mike was evident as hundreds of his family, friends, neighbors and fellow officers turned out to honor his life and his valiant eight month battle against stomach cancer. They all recounted what a devoted family man Mike was as he and his wife Jennifer had three beautiful children--Hunter, Luke and Hannah. Beverly and I had the opportunity to spend considerable time with Mike and his family these past few months and know that his wife and children were the center of his life. They were a source of great strength to him during his battle with an aggressive form of cancer. We also know of the deep respect his fellow law enforcement officers in Largo and throughout the area had for Mike. Largo Police Chief Lester Aradi summed it up nicely in his eulogy Saturday saying, ``The way he led and the values he taught will long live on with those he mentored on the force.'' Mike's parents Rev. James and Judy Renault said Mike knew early on that he wanted to be a law enforcement officer. In fact, at 16 he chased down a thief who robbed the store where he worked. He joined the Largo Police Department soon after his graduation from college and moved up through the ranks quickly during his 16 years on the force and ultimately was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. He earned the Medal of Valor for saving the life of a suicidal man. More importantly, he earned the friendship, the trust and the abiding respect of those he served with. Madam Speaker, following my remarks, I would like to include an article by Stephanie Hayes of The St. Petersburg Times entitled ``Largo officer was tough man with soft heart'' so that my colleagues can learn more about the special man that Beverly and I came to know. Mike was a caring, compassionate and courageous man who fought valiantly until his final breath. He had life's priorities in order-- faith, family and the force on which he served. The people of Largo and the Largo Police Department lost a hero last week, but his memory, his strength and his core values will long live on in his children, his family, his friends and fellow officers. There can be no finer lasting tribute for a man who died long before his time. [From the St. Petersburg Times, Feb. 26, 2009] Largo Officer was Tough Man With Soft Heart (By Stephanie Hayes) Largo--Michael Renault was bagging groceries at a Winn- Dixie when his calling clicked. A thief came into the store and robbed the cash register. Michael, always mischievous, always sneaking out of his window at night, sought adventure and feared nothing. He also knew right from wrong. At 16, he took off chasing the bad guy. He had cowboy instincts, raised on a diet of outer space westerns like Star Wars and Star Trek. He collected John Wayne movies and memorabilia. He loved to fish and play laser tag in the middle of the night with his younger brother, Jason. He was unfailingly loyal, a good man to have on your team. ``He was someone I always looked up to,'' said Jason Renault, 33. ``He was about as much of a big brother as you can ask for. I kind of idolized him in way.'' After college, he joined the Largo Police Department, climbing to become a lieutenant. He was tough to crack, a man of deep voice and few words, said his wife, Jennifer Renault, a fellow Largo police officer. Some people were intimidated. When they first met, ``He paid no attention to me,'' she said. ``That was our big joke. But then he really helped me out, showing me what to do. He was just very genuine and always made me feel special.'' Lt. Renault received a medal of valor for climbing a fire ladder to get a suicidal man off the roof of a building, she said. Other times, he endured dog bites while trying to catch criminals. He was an ace at poker, golfing, hunting, playing softball and fantasy football. He hated to lose. ``Oh, yeah, he was a sore loser,'' said his wife. ``Mike Renault was a sore loser. Everyone will tell you that.'' Underneath, there was a soft man who wanted a huge family. He played and caught bugs with his sons, Hunter and Luke. He took them to ball games but curtailed his competitive side so they'd know it was fine to lose. He yearned for a little girl. ``He wanted the princess,'' his wife said. ``He wanted to be the dad to walk her down the aisle.'' Eleven months ago, Hannah Renault was born. Lt. Renault sat and listened to a country song called I Loved Her First. He teared picturing his daughter in a white dress. But three months later, he got staggering news--he had stomach cancer. His family and friends rallied. His fellow officers raised money and shaved their heads in solidarity. As he ailed, he prayed and wrote in journals. He wanted his children to graduate, to get married, to travel. He wished they'd have fearless adventures and find their callings. Lt. Renault died Tuesday. He was 37. Biography Michael Renault Born: Oct. 1, 1971. Died: Feb. 24, 2009. Survivors: wife, Jennifer, children, Hunter, Luke and Hannah; parents, James and Judy Renault; siblings, Jason Renault, Kristen Pitchford; grandmother, Betty Lynch; seven nieces and nephews. Services: 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 1199 Highland Ave., Largo.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, The volunteer spirit is alive and well in our nation and it remains one of our country's core values. Habitat for Humanity is one of the programs that capture that spirit by helping our neighbors in need to achieve the great American dream of home ownership. Pinellas Habitat for Humanity, the chapter I have the privilege to represent, achieved a milestone last November when it dedicated its 100th St. Petersburg, Florida house. Executive Barbara Inman and her entire staff, her Board of Directors, her Advisory Board, and her volunteer team are to be congratulated on their work even during these most difficult economic times to bring affordable housing to our community. Norm Bungard, one of St. Petersburg's greatest volunteers and champions of Habitat for Humanity, told me that the program typifies the values of a successful society. These include hard work, which is exemplified by the thousands of hours of sweat equity by volunteers and the new homeowners; community involvement, witnessed by the long list of volunteers who help build and finish the homes; government involvement, evidenced by the city's land donations for the homes; corporate and church sponsorship; and common sense business practices that are the result of countless seminars that ensure owners stay in their homes. Madam Speaker, the spirit of giving, the commitment to hard work, and the joy of homeownership were all evident as Cynthia Ivey and her daughter Chauncey were given the keys to their first home. This was the result of the Habitat for Humanity network of Pinellas staff, volunteers, and community and corporate sponsors. Join me in congratulating all those who made this such a special milestone day for such a special cause.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, The Florida League of Cities has named the city of Dunedin, which I have the privilege to represent, as its 2008 City of Excellence. The League of Cities honored the City of Dunedin for its commitment to public service by achieving the highest standards of city leadership, citizen outreach and involvement, and the development of innovative programs. Dunedin, a small town feeling city of 37,000, has done all that and more. Under the leadership of Mayor Bob Hackworth, Vice Mayor Julie Ward Bujalski, Commissioner Deborah Kynes, Commissioner Julie Scales, and Commissioner Dave Eggers, the City of Dunedin has created a family friendly, business friendly, and environmental friendly community along Florida's Gulf Coast. This latest honor is the result of years of hard work by the city, by its many community organizations, and by its residents. Dunedin is home to Dr. Beach's top rated ``America's Beach'', it is on CNN's list of Best Places to Retire, it has been ranked as a top place for walkers, and it is America's first Purple Heart City. Dunedin has great parks, great schools, great programs, and most importantly great people. The city government can only do so much without the commitment of the people they represent to create a great place to live, to work, to play, and to raise their families. Madam Speaker, it is my hope that my colleagues join me in congratulating the people of Dunedin, Florida, their elected leadership, their city staff, the many fine organizations represented by the Dunedin Council of Organizations and the residents themselves for what we have long known, that Dunedin is a Florida City of Excellence.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, the students, parents, faculty and staff of San Jose Elementary School celebrate 50 years of educational excellence this week in Dunedin, Florida, which I have the honor to represent. Monika Wolcott, San Jose's principal, and her staff take great pride in providing a close-knit family that works with parents and local businesses to challenge their students to achieve the highest standards. Their motto is Commitment to Character and SOS (self, others, school). San Jose Elementary welcomed its first students on September 2, 1958 to a growing part of North Pinellas County and now has as its students the children of many of its alumni. The school has been called one of Pinellas County's best kept secrets and sits on a very unique piece of property. It is immediately adjacent to the 75 acre Hammock Park, the Dunedin Nature Center, the Gulf of Mexico and the Pinellas Trail, a county-long recreational pathway. Madam Speaker, it is my hope that my colleagues will join me in saying thank you to San Jose Elementary for providing a half-century of caring service to the thousands of students who have passed through its doors. As the times and technologies have changed over the years, one thing has remained constant. That is a commitment to a warm and caring learning environment which has led to a quality education for Pinellas County elementary students. My congratulations go out to the San Jose Hawks, their parents and teachers for a job well done.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 632, the National Silver Alert Act, which I cosponsored in the 110th Congress. At the outset, let me congratulate my neighboring colleague from Florida Gus Bilirakis for his leadership on this legislation to create a nationwide communications network to help locate missing senior citizens. Gus was the original author of this legislation last year in response to the tragic death of 86-year-old Mary Zelter, who drove away from her assisted living facility in Pinellas County, Florida, which Gus and I both represent, and drowned when her car crashed into a local waterway. With Gus leading the way, our community responded by calling attention to the lack of an alert system for missing senior citizens. Mary Zelter's daughter Mary Lallucci become a vocal advocate for the need for such a system and Largo Police Chief Lester Aradi personally undertook a system to establish a local Silver Alert system for our area. Gus and I attended the kick-off for this network when Chief Aradi activated our county-wide system September 30th. He was also the chairman of the committee that coordinated the establishment of a Florida-wide Silver Alert system, which was activated by Governor Charlie Crist and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement last October. The local model we developed under the leadership of Gus Bilirakis, Chief Aradi, State Representative Tom Anderson, Mary Lallucci, Gloria Smith, the president our local chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, and Sallie Parks, the past president and board member of our local Area Agency on Aging, can be taken nationwide to save the lives of senior citizens who wander off in their vehicles. As with the Amber Alert system for children and youth, it makes those critical first minutes and hours when someone is found to be missing count and increases the chances of a happy ending. In the four months since the enactment of our state-wide program, there have been 41 Florida Silver Alerts including nine last month. The legislation we consider today will take the Florida model nationwide so that all States can have the benefit of a Silver Alert system and so that we can track missing senior citizens who drive off in their cars should they cross state boundaries. It will establish a national coordinator to bring together State efforts and authorize the appropriation of $10 million a year for State activities in support of the Silver Alert program. Finally, it will provide an annual report to Congress and the States on the program so that we can share lessons learned to improve the effectiveness of state- wide and nationwide Silver Alert networks. Mr. Speaker, this is good legislation and I again want to commend my colleague from Florida Gus Bilirakis for his tireless work to keep the issue alive. Senior citizens and their families all across our nation will directly benefit from that action we take today.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, with the beginning of February, Florida prepares for Major League Baseball's spring training practices and games. For Kids and Kubs, St. Petersburg, Florida's Three-Quarter Century Softball League, the season is already halfway over. This year though, the Kids and Kubs take the field without their President and inspirational leader. Paul B. Good died November 16th at the age of 98. He was the longest-serving President in the club's history. For those who have never seen a Kids and Kubs game, this is no exhibition game. These are players 75-years-old and up who play competitive softball and they play to win. Paul Good joined the league when he turned 75 and played through the past three decades. A smile and fierce competitive spirit were just as much a part of his uniform as his red, white and blue cap and his crisp white shirt and pants. Following my remarks, I will include for the benefit of my colleagues an article by Ron Matus of The St. Petersburg Times about Paul Good entitled ``Age Never Slowed This Athlete.'' It is a fitting tribute to this man who was more than a ball player. He was the best friend of his son Jerry who delighted in their trips together up until their last months. Madam Speaker, St. Petersburg lost a legend when we lost Paul Good last November. But Paul would be the first to tell his teammates to play on in his absence and that is what they do from November through April at North Shore Park. Join me in tipping a ball cap to Paul as we thank him for his service to the Kids and Kubs, the pride with which he took to the ball field, for his friendship with his teammates, and for his devotion to his family, his son, his four grandchildren, and his three great grandchildren. [From the St. Petersburg Times, Nov. 22, 2008] Age Never Slowed This Athlete, Love for Senior Softball and Kids and Kubs Was Intense (By Ron Matus) When he was 85, Paul B. Good told his son: Let's go see the Rockies. His son was secretly petrified. Mr. Good had had a pacemaker for 20 years. ``So I run off and take a CPR course,'' said the son, Jerry Good, now 68. ``I figure we're going to be out in the boonies and I'm going to have problems.'' But, no problems. Only a grand time. And what a son thought might be a last hurrah with Dad turned out to be the first of 10 annual adventures. In St. Petersburg, Mr. Good was a driving force behind Kids and Kubs, the Harlem Globetrotters of senior softball. He was the longest-serving president in club history. And he may be best remembered for taking his aging, ageless team to Midwestern locales where visions of Florida still include old coots on ballfields, swinging for the fences. To hear Jerry Good tell it, Mr. Good hit a home run as a father, too. ``We were terrific friends,'' Jerry Good said. Mr. Good died Nov. 16. He was 98. Stocky and strong, Mr. Good was a talented athlete. He played semipro basketball before becoming a stockbroker, and until joining Kids and Kubs at age 75 was still shooting his age in golf. His reflexes were cat-quick, honed by years of tapping out Morse code in the brokerage business. A few years ago, four generations of Goods tested themselves with a gizmo that measured reaction time. Great-Grandpa, in his mid 90s, still proved the fastest. Off the field, Mr. Good was easygoing, said Kids and Kubs vice president Clarence Faucett. But when he stepped between the white lines, ``it was a different ball game.'' One photo shows a man in his 80s, bat on shoulder, staring toward the pitcher's mound. The caption says, ``Throw the damn ball!'' Mr. Good the softball guy was so intense, he recruited players for tournament games. Mr. Good the father was best man at his son's wedding. The pair played golf together for years. Their road trips took them to Utah, New Mexico, the Smokies in Tennessee. Mr. Good's own father worked him hard clearing land in New Port Richey. They didn't talk much, didn't play much. Mr. Good told his son, ``I was going to be different for you.'' As a kid, Jerry Good recalled, he and Dad played catch every day. As soon as Mr. Good got home from work, they would get the mitts and hit the yard. Dad never said, ``I'm too tired.''

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, Mrs. Betty Sembler, who I have the privilege to represent, has been named to the Florida Women's Hall of Fame for her lifetime of work to protect our nation's youth and adults from the scourge of drug abuse. Florida Governor Charlie Crist selected her to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame in recognition of her three decade war on drugs. This is an effort she has taken on with great passion at the local, state and federal level. Betty has been a delegate to the White House Conference for a Drug-Free America and a member of the Governor's Drug Policy Task Force in Florida. She has served on the board of DARE Florida and DARE America, a national organization that provides anti-drug education to elementary and middle school students. Betty also took her battle worldwide as she served as Vice Chairwoman of DARE International and fought against international drug legalization efforts around the globe while traveling with her husband Mel, who served as U.S. Ambassador to Australia and Italy. Back home in Pinellas County, Betty was the Founder and President of Save Our Society from Drugs and the Drug Free America Foundation, Inc., nationally and internationally recognized non-profit organizations that promote sound drug policies, drug free workplaces, high school and college drug awareness and education programs, maintain one of the nation's largest libraries of anti-drug literature and reports, disseminate reliable scientific information, and help with the development of international drug free standards through The International Taskforce on Strategic Drug Policy and The Drug Prevention Network of the Americas. In addition to her tireless work against drug abuse, Betty has also found time to serve on the Board of the Florida Holocaust Museum; the Florida Governor's Mansion Foundation; the Florida House in Washington, DC; and the University of Florida Brain Addiction Research Advisory Council. Betty's non-stop work against drug abuse and in so many other philanthropic efforts have been honored nationally. In May 2005, she was named as an honorary Special Agent of the Drug Enforcement Agency and in March 2008, the Drug Enforcement Agency Museum Foundation presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award. She has also been recognized by the Houston Drug Free Business Initiative and in 2000 the Girl Scouts of the Suncoast Council named her a ``Woman of Distinction.'' Madam Speaker, I have known Betty Sembler for many years not only as a constituent but as a dear friend and I can tell you that no one works harder for our community, our state and our nation. She has fought the war against drugs block by block, state by state and nation by nation. She is called upon by medical, government and law enforcement leaders for her advice on combating illegal drugs and on drug education campaigns. And she has represented the United States with great distinction as the First Lady to Ambassador Mel Sembler. She has been most gracious in forging special relationships with the leaders of some of our nation's greatest and most critical allies. In all of these endeavors, Betty Sembler has served with a special spirit and energy that has amazed all who have come to know her. Her greatest passion though, is for her family. Mel, her husband of 56 years, and Betty are the proud parents of three children and 11 grandchildren. They are special Americans who have always kept their priorities in order--faith, family and country. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in thanking Betty Sembler for her lifelong service to our nation and in congratulating her on being inducted into the Florida Women's Hall of Fame.

Mr. YOUNG of Florida

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Madam Speaker, The foundation of our nation is built upon one person helping another in their time of greatest need. This month we honor those volunteers who ``Give the Gift of Life'' during National Blood Donor Month. Florida Blood Services, which I have the privilege to represent in St. Petersburg, Florida, provides life-saving blood products for the 14 counties of the Tampa Bay, Northwest Florida and Southern Alabama areas, supplying 61 hospitals and ambulatory care centers. This fine organization also tests and screens blood for 30 East Coast blood centers and medical facilities from Maine to the north all the way to Puerto Rico to the south. The heart of Florida Blood Service's operations is its volunteers. Last year, 100,000 blood and platelet donors rolled up their sleeves to donate one pint at a time to save the life of complete strangers near and far away. This includes some remarkable individuals who have made blood donation their passion. Frank Knight, III has donated 96 gallons of blood, Bobbie Bernstein 86 gallons, and my former District Director and now the Vice Mayor of Clearwater, George Cretekos, has donated 36 gallons of blood. Florida Blood Services has an outstanding staff and Board of Directors that manages donor recruitment, collection, distribution and quality control programs. Don Doddridge is the Chief Executive Officer and this year also serves as President of America's Blood Centers. He has devoted his entire working career to promoting the need for blood donation and to ensure the safety of the procedure and the quality of the products. It has been a pleasure to work with Don and his staff over the years on a number of federal issues related to blood collection. This includes Don's work to focus national attention on ensuring that blood collection is a key part of our nation's disaster contingency planning and that plans are in place to be able to distribute blood products to areas in crisis. He has also seen that Florida Blood Services and other national blood banks are available to provide critical blood products to those serving in uniform here and abroad. Finally, Madam Speaker, I want to commend Florida Blood Services for instilling in our nation's youth the need to serve others, in this case as blood donors. Through its unique high school leadership program, Florida Blood Services recruits high school students to organize and sponsor blood drives in high schools throughout the four-county Tampa Bay area. It was a real honor for me last April to be asked to speak to its High School Leadership Conference where they brought together more than 400 students who had led efforts in their schools. Together, students at these school-based drives donated 27,000 units of blood. Madam Speaker, I would ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Florida Blood services and their volunteer donors of all ages. Like blood donors all across America, they ``Give the Gift of Life'' every day to complete strangers out of a sense of service and compassion. We honor all these heroes during this National Blood Donor Month.