John Yarmuth

Mr. YARMUTH

Mr. YARMUTH. Madam Chairman, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Before I begin, I want to thank Chairman Gordon, Chairman Udall, and Ranking Member Hall for their leadership and their hard work that has gone into the NASA Authorization Act. The amendment I have offered today to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008 will make sure that the American public has access to the best and most up-to-date taxpayer- funded Federal research. In the transparent government we wish to provide to the American people, the suppression of nonsensitive information has no place. Yet last year, I took part in two Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearings where we investigated instances in which critical data on the causes and long-term effects of global warming were withheld from the American public. The taxpayers are funding government studies every day, and they should fully benefit from the results. To proceed otherwise is a disservice to science and the American people. In order to protect the integrity of scientific discoveries and to ensure the widespread availability of the research being conducted by government scientists, the Government Accountability Office and the National Academy of Sciences made a series of recommendations. Those recommendations include making available the information that supports published results to other researchers creating an infrastructure in which data can be easily accessed, and releasing research in an affordable and timely fashion. The amendment I'm proposing would simply require NASA to develop a response to these recommendations. These provisions would further scientific progress by enabling data sharing between government agencies, colleges, universities, and grant recipients. It's also my understanding that NASA agrees with the recommendations of the GAO. The United States has the advantage of being home to some of the greatest scientific minds of the world, and by providing these scientists with the most up-to-date research information, we can help ensure that American innovation stays on the cutting edge. At this crucial time when America strives to end its addiction to oil, it could not be more important to ensure that our Nation's scientists have every possible advantage in working towards the next generation of discoveries, inventions, cures, and energy solutions. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment which will ensure that the American people have unfettered access to reliable information that their tax dollars help to undercover while giving American ingenuity another edge in revolutionizing the world. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. YARMUTH. I thank the gentleman, and I appreciate the point made by my colleague. The intent of the amendment is that, since the Government Accountability Office has set a broad range of actions that they recommend in a very general sense, we wanted to provide the flexibility to NASA and to the other agencies--although this amendment only covers NASA--to develop guidelines for the sharing of data that comply broadly with those guidelines set down by the GAO. So, with that, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YARMUTH. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. YARMUTH

Mr. YARMUTH. Madam Speaker, every month this year our economy has shed more jobs than it has produced. Last month was no exception; 49,000 jobs were lost nationwide and unemployment rose from 5 percent in April to 5.5 percent in May. That is the largest 1 month increase in 20 years. As job losses continue on a monthly basis, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the unemployed to find jobs, and it is expected to get even worse. That is why last month this Congress passed legislation to extend unemployment benefits for an additional 13 weeks. Today, more than 1 million people have exhausted all of their benefits. Washington should provide these workers some additional relief as they continue to pursue a job through these rough times. Yet President Bush and congressional Republicans oppose the unemployment insurance extension, even though they supported a similar extension in 2002 when economic conditions were not nearly as hard as they are today. Madam Speaker, the May jobs report should serve as a wake-up call to President Bush and congressional Republicans to support our efforts to extend unemployment insurance.

Mr. YARMUTH

Mr. YARMUTH. We reserve the balance of our time.

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to introduce the sponsor of this bill and my good friend and a member of the wonderful majority maker's class of 2006, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Sutton) and yield as much time as she may consume.

Mr. YARMUTH. I thank the gentleman from New York, and I thank Congresswoman Sutton for her wonderful work on this piece of legislation. I want to also echo my thanks to Dr. Terry Gordon who happens to be a childhood friend of mine and a native of Louisville, Kentucky. He deserves a great deal of credit for beginning the movement that has resulted hopefully in the passage of this bill today. I urge my colleagues to support this marvelous piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4926, the Josh Miller HEARTS Act. This is a bill that will save countless lives at a relatively low cost to taxpayers. According to the American Heart Association, more than 200,000 Americans die of sudden cardiac arrest each year. Even more disturbing is the fact that 50,000 of these deaths could have been prevented with the use of an automated external defibrillator, or AED. AEDs are portable devices used to restart the heart after sudden cardiac arrest. Studies have shown that these devices, which are required in Federal buildings and on airplanes, can be safely used by anyone, including children. Defibrillators talk the user through the lifesaving process and do not deliver a shock unless the heartbeat analyzed through the machine is in need of it. Prompt response to a person experiencing cardiac arrest is imperative, and waiting for an EMS to arrive can be fatal. Utilizing CPR techniques and administering an AED can more than double the victim's chance of survival. A defibrillator shock is the most effective treatment for sudden cardiac arrest. Heart experts at Johns Hopkins University believe that over 500 lives can be saved annually with the widespread placement of AEDs. The legislation put forward today will go a long way towards saving lives in our Nation's schools. This bill establishes a grant program to place lifesaving defibrillators in every elementary and secondary school that chooses to participate in the program. Additionally, the law would require recipients of these grants to train school staff in AED and CPR practices, coordinate with local paramedics, and integrate AEDs into existing medical emergency response plan. These provisions will save the lives of students, teachers, parents, staff and community members in U.S. schools. On any given day, as much as 20 percent of a community's population passes through its schools, and it is our duty to ensure that these are safe places for kids to learn and community members to interact. Since schools are natural meeting places for the public, this bill can save the lives of countless children, teachers, parents and others. Similar legislation has already passed and is making an important difference in States such as Ohio and New York. As a response to the tragic death of 15 year-old Josh Miller, Ohioans instituted a program to place AEDs in schools. Since the inception of the program in 2005, 13 lives have been saved by defibrillators. Similarly, the New York program, in honor of 14 year-old Louis Acompora, has saved 38 lives since 2002. I want to thank families like the Millers and the Acomporas, whose hard work has brought national attention to this issue. They have worked through their grief, and fueled by the tragic loss of a child, have toiled tirelessly to keep other parents from experiencing similar losses. With passage of this bill, Congress has the opportunity to join with these families and prevent future tragedies. Encouraging results and the many lives saved already demonstrate why we must pass this legislation. By putting in place preventive measures like these offered in this bill, we can save more lives. Once again, I express my support for H.R. 4926, and I urge my colleagues to pass this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H.R. 4926 into the Record.

Mr. YARMUTH

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1243) recognizing the immeasurable contributions of fathers in the healthy development of children, supporting responsible fatherhood, and encouraging greater involvement of fathers in the lives of their children, especially on Father's Day.

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1243 into the Record.

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of H. Res. 1243 which recognizes the contributions of millions of fathers in the lives of their children. This coming Sunday, June 15, is Father's Day, so this is an appropriate time to stop and commend the millions of fathers who serve as wonderful, caring parents for their children. Fathers can play a special role in the rearing and development of their children, and I commend the millions of fathers across our country for devoting their time, energy, and resources to improving the well-being of their children. But, Mr. Speaker, I would also like to mention that this is not just a day for children to honor their fathers, or for adults to honor their fathers, it is also a day, I believe, for fathers to recognize the blessing that they have been given to mean so much in the lives of their children. When I was a columnist years ago, I began writing columns about my son and being my son's father. What was interesting about them is each year that I did that, they were always the most popular columns that I wrote because they were human subjects that many people could relate to. The first one I wrote, which was June of 1994, I wrote this: ``When I was growing up, I figured Father's Day was the day when I was supposed to acknowledge my gratitude for everything my dad did for me. Now that I'm a dad, I know it is really something much different. It's a reminder of how wonderful it is to be an important part of someone else's life, to shoulder responsibility, to love without conditions or expectations.'' So I want to make a personal comment that Father's Day is about being a father as much as paying honor to your father. With that, Mr. Speaker, once again I want to express my support for H. Res. 1243 that acknowledges the importance of fathers in the United States. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I think that all of us agree that this is something that transcends party, transcends geography and transcends economics. We all treasure our fathers, and I urge that this resolution be adopted by the House. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I have the great honor of introducing and yielding as much time as he may consume to the sponsor of the bill, the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis). (Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. YARMUTH

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5524) to amend the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act to authorize appropriations, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I have the great honor of yielding as much time as he may consume to my colleague on the Education and Labor Committee, Mr. Hinojosa, from Texas.

Mr. YARMUTH

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1225) expressing support for designation of June 2008 as ``National Safety Month''.

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1225 into the Record.

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1225, which recognizes the month of June as National Safety Month and commends the National Safety Council for their ongoing mission to educate and influence the public on the prevention of accidental injury and death. In 1912 the National Safety Council was established by a small group of midwestern industrial leaders concerned about safety in the workplace. Since then, the council has broadened its scope to include the home, transportation and the community. Its membership has grown to over 18,000 companies spanning more than 33,000 locations. Altogether, the council represents 8.3 million employees across the Nation. In 1953, a congressional charter was granted to the National Safety Council to lead the country in injury prevention through safety education and training. The council has had a great impact on the local level by providing a variety of community-based programs and services, including workshops, training, conferences, and by providing a local voice for safety and health education. Through the efforts of the National Safety Council, more than 8.5 million rescuers have been trained and more than 60 million people have taken one of the NSC's defensive driving courses. It is obvious that the National Safety Council's programs have had a profound effect on our Nation, and they deserve to be recognized for their continuing efforts. The National Safety Council will commemorate this 2008 National Safety Month with their ``Make a Difference'' campaign. The campaign will work to educate the public on emergency preparedness, safe driving, poisoning and fall prevention. Each year, accidental injuries cost Americans more than $650 billion. In the workplace alone, 16 workers die every day on the job. Far too many lives are lost and too many suffer because of preventable accidents. Protecting the citizens of this Nation from these accidents requires the cooperation of Federal, State and local institutions, as well as help from the citizenry itself. Together, we can protect ourselves from accidental injury and death. This June we must encourage all Americans to take time to learn how they can help make this country safer. Mr. Speaker, once again I express my support for the designation of June as National Safety Month. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman has additional speakers, I will reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to thank the gentleman from Georgia for his compelling and expansive support of this resolution, and I urge its support.

Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.

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