the prayer will be offered lord god eternal judge of all when the mighty samson was brought into the temple of the philistines to mates to be made sport of they placed in between two pillars samson called out you've already said remember me oh lord god remember me give me strength just one more time oh god let me with one strike and then just those who took sight from my eyes he pushed his mighty arms against the two supporting pillars and the whole place came tumbling down as will the lord give strength to members of congress and the people of this nation that your judgment may reign and bring about unity and peace know your truth remember us and recall our best selves pressing against the pillars of lies from others and self deception and i think the moral integrity triumph over evil within and around us both now and forever and fresno california as the robert coyle united states courthouse for sir to the rue the gentlewoman from the columbia ms norton and the gentleman from louisiana to bust on the beach will control twenty minutes the chair recognizes the as fresno county deputy district attorney he's a member of numerous associations including the american bar association where board of trial advocates state bar california and the president county legal services he is a trusted mentor and a highly respected member of the ninth circuit judge call has devoted his public career to the citizens of california's central valley and was instrumental in supporting the construction of the courthouse it is both fitting and appropriate to honor his dedication to public service after earning his law degree from the university of california hastings college of law in one nine hundred fifty six judge coyle worked for the fresno county for fresno county as a deputy district attorney he any entered private practice in aye those opposed no independent the chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rules are suspended the bill is passed without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the arrive today in support of a thread five o five which recognizes the contributions made by recreational but the recreational boating community to our national economy and calls on the present your proclamation to observe national voting day they are now more than thirteen million recreation book recreational boats registered in the united states these boats support some three hundred eighty thousand jobs in the u s and generate an estimated thirty nine billion dollars and to the u economy they depend on twelve thousand merinos across the waterways of the united states were essential services impressive as they are however these numbers do not begin to reveal the many contributions that boating makes to recreational life in the united states boating offers people the chance to catch up with family and friends while watching the birds in the world float by give me to introduce their children to the natural environment and to show to slow down and enjoy a relaxing weekend on a vacation away from home perhaps not surprisingly a survey conducted by the national marine manufacturers association found that boating was among the top three stress relieving activities among survey respondents recreational boating is also far more accessible than many may assume more than ninety percent of americans live less than an hour's drive from body of water on which recreational boating can be undertaken because of boating importance to our nation the united states already observed many days to honor different aspects of the boating industry for example on august eleventh united states will well observe national arena day during the week prior to memorial day with sir national safe five nearly five thousand boning action and visited in just under thirty five hundred injuries any of the seven hundred deaths the vast majority of which were caused by accidental drowning that could have been prevented if those who fell into the water had been wearing life jackets h u s five o five now calls on the president set aside a basis simply to honor recreational boating and the boating industry i believe such recognition is  to the past time of voting and i commend the gentleman from florida mr kline by introducing this resolution and supporting a wonderful activity in our country thank you and i reserve the balance of my time and the boating industry for their contributions to the economy of the united states the well being of united states citizens and responsible environmental stewardship of the marine resources of the united states there are more than seventy three million individuals that make up the recreational boating community in the united states this important industry generates more than thirty nine billion dollars annually in the united states economy and provides jobs for three hundred eighty thousand citizens of the united states while the industry and the community are important parts of our national economy these individuals also play an important role in conserving our natural resources for future generations enjoyment recreational boaters act as stewards of the marine environment of the united states and take lead and hands on roles in educating future generations of the value of these resources the legislation also encourages the president to mark the importance of the recreational boating community in industries by establishing july first as national boating day is fitting that we consider this resolution so closely to the fourth of july when tens of thousands will be enjoying our nation's inland and coastal waters aboard recreational vessels i commend the resolution sponsor mr klein of florida and all the measures co sponsors for introducing the the important contribution of the recreational boating community and the boating industry to our way of life and to call upon the president to issue a proclamation asking the american people to observe national voting day as representative of florida's twentieth congressional district i can attest to the important contribution recreational boating in the boating industry has had upon south florida's economy and quality of life the marine industry is responsible for more than eighteen billion dollars of revenues and two hundred twenty thousand jobs in florida recreational boating is integral to the way of life in florida from fish fishing to snorkeling to scuba diving in our beautiful coral reef or simply taking a scenic cruise through florida's intercoastal waterway recreational boating and south florida go hand in hand in fact national recreation of voting is such an important part of fort lauderdale that the city has earned a well deserved nickname the venice of america but the contributions of the recreational boating community go far beyond my home state the voting relation exceed seventy three million individuals utilizing and enjoying an estimated eighteen million recreational watercraft in addition the recreational boating industry provides more than thirty nine billion dollars in sales and services to the u s economy and provides nearly three hundred eighty thousand manufacturing jobs boating helped to bring us closer to the wonders of nature and it helps us to appreciate the need to be good stewards of our natural resources it's no surprise that voters often are some of our most ardent conservationists because they see firsthand the importance of protecting our fragile ecosystem for generations to come it's for these reasons that i rise in support of age five or five recognizing the contributions of the recreational boating community and the boating industry to the continuing prosperity and affluence of the united states this resolution calls upon the president to issue a proclamation to clerk report the tablets bill house calendar number seven nine h r twenty eleven a bill to designate the federal building in united states courthouse located at one hundred eight avenue in pine bluff arkansas as the george howard j building united states courthouse judge howard who recently died at age eighty two was an icon of the did issue community in arkansas he had a lifetime filled with accomplishments first african american federal judge an arkansas distinguished legal career navy veteran and dedicated family man he served with distinction on the arkansas supreme court the arkansas court of appeals in the arkansas state claims commission after graduating the university of arkansas law school george our doing your began a long lustrous trail blazing legal career in his home state of arkansas after initially working as an attorney in private practice judge howard received his first appointment in one thousand nine hundred eighty seven to the arkansas state claims commission he was then appointed to the state supreme court just as as an arkansas state supreme court justice and was later appointed by then governor bill clinton as state court of appeals judge in one thousand nine hundred eighty nine judge howard later b legacy with this designation i support h r twenty eleven and urge its passage i reserve the balance of my time building in united states courthouse the bill honors judge howard who was the first african american appointed to the federal bench in arkansas judge howard served in the united states navy during world war two and after receiving his law degree from the university of arkansas at play at bill he engaged in the private practice of law in pine bluff arkansas his career in public service included serving on the arkansas state claims commission the arkansas supreme court and the arkansas court of appeals and culminated in his appointment to the federal bench in one thousand nine hundred president carter appointed judge howard to the united states district court for the eastern and western district of arkansas judge howard's tenure on the bench ended with the passing with his passing at the age of eighty two on dedicate the federal building and united states courthouse and pine bluff arkansas as the george howard jr federal building in united state's courthouse first i would like to thank chairman oberstar and chairwoman norton and others for their support and assistance in moving this bill from the transportation and infrastructure committee in a bipartisan manner to the floor of the united states house of representatives i'm also pleased that the entire arkansas congressional delegation congressman's marion barry and vic's notter and john bozeman are supporting and co sponsoring in this and very this very important bill with me in a bipartisan way judge george howard jr was a great american who served his country and the state of arkansas with great dignity he was born in pine bluff arkansas where he practiced law and actively served in the community for over forty years he attended lincoln university in missouri and the university of arkansas and fayetteville where he received his law degree in one thousand nine hundred fifty four among the first african americans to graduate from the university of arkansas at fayetteville law school during world war two he chose to serve his country by enlisting in the navy judge howard was known to be a pioneer throughout his career as he became the first african american in the state of arkansas to serve on the state claims commission the state supreme court the court of the the court of appeals and eventually rising to become the first african american federal judge for the u s district court in arkansas judge howard was the first african american member of the state supreme court appointed by then governor david pryor in  seven before being appointed to the state court of appeals but then governor bill clinton in one nine hundred seventy nine as a judge george howard jr was admired for his fairness and the belief in the fundamental idea of justice for all judge howard will forever be remembered as a dedicated public servant who cared deeply about his faith his family his work his state his country and the judicial process in respect to judge howard's live career and public service and i felt that it was appropriate to introduce legislation in congress to dedicate the federal building and courthouse in pine bluff arkansas as the george howard jr federal building in courthouse mr speaker i can think of no better way to recognize his legacy and his steadfast commitment to justice and equality then by officially renaming this federal building in courthouse in the city he loved and called home climb bluff arkansas his life in service have paved the way for so many others who pursue careers in public service and long his life in service to open many doors for african americans throughout pine bluff and southeast arkansas judge howard passed away on april twenty first two thousand and seven he will forever be remembered and his contributions to the state of arkansas and our nation live on it is my hope that each person who walks through the doors of the george howard jr federal building in courthouse in pine bluff arkansas will have an even greater appreciation for the countless contributions judge made in the lives of people across the state of arkansas may this courthouse that hopefully will soon bear his name serve as a reminder to all of us that while is no longer with us the example the shining example of community service public service and of being fair to all people can live on this recognition will serve as a reminder to young people in pine bluff arkansas and to future generations that by committing oneself to education hard work and pursuing a career in public service can be good and noble i am proud to sponsor this bill in congress and urge my fellow colleagues to vote in favor of it today and with that mr speaker i yield back the balance of m gentleman from louisiana i reserve the balance of my time too in reserve i have no for the speakers that he has now of and reserves are time jonathan was in mr speaker i commend the gentleman from arkansas my friend mr ross for bringing this legislation to the floor and commend the arkansas delegation for its consideration of judge howard's tenure and time on the bench and i support this legislation and urge its adoption and i yield back jim resolution four sixteen resolution expressing the sense of the house of representatives regarding the public service of tony blair prime minister of the united kingdom for certain the role of the gentlewoman from california miss watson the german from florida  chairs of the bipartisan united kingdom caucus i am honored to have the opportunity to speak in support of a true red for one six a resolution saluting the public service of tony blair prime minister of the united kingdom i would first like to commend our distinguished colleague mr peter king of new york for introducing this timely resolution that pays tribute to the remarkable political career of one of america's strongest allies two days from now prime minister tony blair will leave ten downing street for the last time he will be leaving behind a legacy of domestic re farm and international activism his successor garden brown praised his accomplishments and told him that whatever we achieve in the future will be because we are standing on your shoulders mr blair was first elected to parliament in one thousand nine hundred three and service from the minister for over a decade securing a place in the record books as the only labor leader to have won three successive elections mr blair has been a strong and steadfast ally of the united states throughout his time in office no america american will ever forget the solidarity he expressed on behalf of our british cousins in the days following the devastating terrorist attacks of nine eleven when he announced we were with you at the first we will stay with you to the last mr blair was the first foreign leader to visit ground zero he further demonstrated his support by sitting in his chamber during president bush's speech before joint session of congress two weeks later american hearts went out to mr blair and the british people in july of two thousand and five when cheers of celebration over london successful olympic bid turned to tears of mourning following the devastating terrorist attack on the city's public transportation system don't mess it clee mr blair was unwavering in his commitment to securing a lasting peace in northern ireland blair aided in the goshi ations that led to the signing of the good friday agreement on april tenth nineteen ninety eight this momentous agreement brought all communities into the governmental process providing their friend work and which the ballot box replaced the bomb as a means of political expression doing his final months in office mr blair witnessed the fruits of his labor as a joe in a me i and paisley the democratic unionist party and martin mcguinness of sinn fein took their places as first and deputy first minister zz in the restart northern ireland assembly mr blair work on the opportunity for nars an r n to excuse the heavy chains of history and make history a new it is appropriate that this house recognizes the outstanding public service of tony blair doing his decade as britain's prime minister and thank him for his unfailing friendship doing our nation's time of greatest yield myself as much time as i may consume you reckon ask for short like to thank our distinguished colleague mr peter king from new york for sponsoring this bill he is the ranking member of the homeland security committee as you know i rise today in support of this resolution or in the service of a true friend of the united states prime minister tony blair throughout his long career in office more than a decade in total prime minister blair has been a strong champion of the transatlantic alliance between the united states and britain and the united states and the other states of europe the us british relationship has indeed been stronger made stronger due to tony blair building an anglo american alliance that has faced some of the darkest threats in the history of humankind our relations with all of your have benefited because of tony blair justice  winston churchill inspire americans in his time the american people will never forgive blair solidarity with the united states and visiting ground zero just days after september eleventh terrorist attacks that killed so many of our citizens we recall that he sat in our house gallery just a few days later when president bush addressed a joint session of congress concerning the tragic results of that terrorist attack prime minister blair has backed up his words with real commitment in the struggle against extremism that may well determine the future of our modern civilization a civilization that has been built on the principles of rational thought and the liberty of men and women rather than extremism and deed british troops today stand beside our troops in the major conflicts of the struggle moreover british law enforcement works in close cooperation with american law enforcement agencies cooperation that has produced important results as we saw in the successful prevention of terrorist plots including the planned attack on u s bound passenger jets in two thousand and six mr speaker on a separate issue of great importance to many americans we recognize that in responding to the strife of northern ireland with the good friday agreement prime minister blair's contribution was nothing short of remarkable he an irish prime minister bertie ahern and heritage a divisive violent conflict that has continued for half a century and that and then has unfortunately taken three thousand lives many had tried earlier to resolve the conflict in northern ireland but none achieved the extent of progress that prime minister blair has during his time in office rather than resigning him self to the status quo of senseless violence prime minister blair chose to commit himself fully to this endeavor collaborating with his irish counterparts and working towards achieving real progress toward peace in northern ireland mr speaker that is take this opportunity to reflect on tony blair's accomplishments and to reaffirm our gratitude i ask my colleagues the gentleman from florida feeling and thank him for the services rendered to this body in these six brief months he's been here and he certainly following well in the tradition of his father was a longtime friend of mine let me also say a gratifying it is to be on the floor and proud to rise today in support of this resolution i was especially privileged introduce it because as tony blair exits from the office of prime minister of united kingdom he takes with him the admiration and the best wishes of all freedom loving people throughout the world no one certainly has been a close ally the united states the prime minister tony blair no one personifies the close links between the united states and great britain and tony blair certainly follows in the tradition of winston churchill who did more than anyone until his time to cement their relationship and tony blair has even advanced it more whether it was president clinton or president bush tony blair always stood as the strongest all in kosovo and iraq afghanistan and in the international war against terrorism and standing up for democratic principles and values and certainly as a new yorker i will always remember the fact that he was the first foreign to come to new york to come to ground zero to meet with the firefighters police officers and express the solidarity of the british people to the people of new york and of course the people of the united states and to all peoples who were opposed to international terrorism and then as ambassador watson mention the fact that he was here in the house chamber on september twentieth two thousand and one and president bush addressed the american people also showed his absolute commitment to the united states and to the war against terrorism as an irish american i was involved many years in the quest for a peaceful solution to the struggle in northern ireland and depending on which historian you're talking to which analyst you're talking to this is a struggle that went back eight hundred years three hundred years eighty years thirty five years really doesn't matter what timeline we're using the reality is it was a seemingly unending struggle which was going to go on and on and on and then the stars were properly aligned and tony blair became the prime minister of the united kingdom bertie ahern became the prime minister of ireland and president bill clinton committed himself to using the good offices of the united states as an honest broker to try to bring about a peaceful resolution in the north of ireland and through incredible hard work and perseverance and dedication at work it worked and not only did tony blair deal with prime minister hearn and president clinton what he did even took more courage and that was to reach out to the stark enemies if you will of the british government he reached out to people such as gerry adams and martin mcguinness and sion fein and he brought them to the negotiating table and sat down with them and worked with  and he had them to ten downing street and he broke down just again centuries of division and hatred in the same time he worked with those on the other side strongly on the other side such is not just a david trimble of the also unionist party but also ian paisley of the democratic unionist party and the good friday agreement would not have been possible in april of one thousand nine hundred eighty that's only blair but also the good friday agreement went on for almost nine years afterwards until it was finally brought to its ultimate fruition last month could have splintered that it could have shattered if tony blair was not willing to take that extra step and he did that and during this entire time that he was in bring peace to northern ireland and standing with us as our strongest ally also britain itself was again stood strong and stood firm so this is a moment where it felt that we see giants in history and it's important i think that we not wait fifty years one hundred years or several centuries to acknowledge them but actually  dollars them in their own time as being property so i say i've had the privilege a number of times of being with tony blair i was with him with president clinton washington in belfast and my city in northern ireland and just last month again the there was nothing has a ten about prime minister blair's resolve to fight back and send a message to terrorists that the united team a kingdom like the united states will not succumb to an ideology that espouses violence and death like prime minister margaret thatcher before him who stood shoulder to shoulder with president ronald reagan to bring down the greatest dark force of the twentieth century communism mr blair stood with president reagan excuse me president bush even when few hers would accept the challenge to eliminate the dark force of this new century mr speaker as all the previous speakers have suggested this is not this is a most worthy resolution for a most worthy leader to join me in congratulating prime minister tony blair for his remarkable tenure as prime minister of the u k and for his steadfast support of the united states and our invaluable alliance with great britain we look forward to says his successor mr gordon brown following in mr blair's footsteps objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table that objection misspeak or as a member of the house committee on oversight and government reform i am pleased to join my colleagues in the discussion of h read three sixty one recognizing and honoring jack valenti and expressing the condolences of the house of representatives to his family on his death a trip three sixty one which has ninety five co sponsors was introduced by representative diane watson on may first two thousand seven hundred three sixty one was imported from the oversight fifteen lacking the funds to attend college he worked for eleven dollars a week as an usher at a movie theater at age twenty mr belin he served the us army which in one thousand nine hundred one was called the arm army our air forces he flew fifty one missions and was awarded the distinguished flying cross he received his m b a degree from all the university in one thousand nine hundred eighty eight and four years later started an advertising business mr speaker i commend my colleague representative diane watson of california for introducing this legislation and urged a swift passage of this bill mrs eager i reserve the balance of my time gentlewoman reserves about thank you very much mr speaker and i thank the gentle lady from d c and look forward to the time that she will be a full member of this chamber with all the rights and privileges much has been said about the life of jac valenti and rightfully so it's impossible to sum up his great life and achievements in the short time we have today he helped our full influence on both coasts the united states in washington d c where he served as a political advisor to president johnson and in hollywood where he served as chief lobbyist of the motion picture association of america lending negotiated both power centers with dignity determination and deference he was born in houston texas as was pointed out t grandson of sicilian immigrants he excelled in school and finished high school in an early age unable to afford college he worked for a short time in a movie theater then a loyal company until they could afford a night class the university of houston his leadership skills solidif college and he was elected student body president from there he went on to earn it as m b a from harvard university his interest in politics began to n h chance meeting with president johnson who was looking to reach out to fellow texans while serving in the senate at the meeting jack valenti was fascinated by johnson and chose to work on his next campaign in texas they kept in touch and he was soon employed by johnson where he became vice president when it when he became vice president jack valenti was inspired by the by the vice president and viewed him as a mentor lennie was in the presidential motorcade to travel through downtown dallas texas on that fateful tragic day of november twenty second one thousand nine hundred sixty three when president kennedy was assassinated he said later that that day changed his life forever indeed even came president johnson special assistants and even lived in the white house during the early months of the new and sturm he left the white house when he was approached by two hollywood studio executives to take over their fledgling trade group with a pay raise almost impossible to turn down he accepted the position and became the chief lobbyist for the motion picture picture association american one thousand nine hundred sixty six he read vitalized the filming rating system bringing into line with current culture is a system which has remained intact other than modifications lenny also helped put in place for decade through the years in movies and technology changed and progressed as did his work he helped the industry thrive even as television and home videos chipped away at its dominance he fought digital privacy and other threats to the film industry villainy left and p a in two thousand and four but he remained active in the public stage concentrated on the world health issues such as age tuberculosis and malaria he helped devise the technology by which parents control what programs their children watch he continued this work almost until the day in april when he died he leaves behind his wife of forty five years three children and two grandchildren he also is behind a legacy of service of principle that a can see and of human warmth appreciated by all had privilege of knowing him his character his warm personality and his deep southern accent all will be missed as much as his legacy in the worlds of film and public policy thank you the speaker and with that i reserve the balance of my time also appreciate his voting for for the bill for the residents of the district of columbia to have a vote in this have i mrs speaker i am pleased to reserve five minutes to the sponsor of this bill that and a lady from california miss wat both washington and hollywood lost an icon in april with the passing of jack valenti for nearly four decades jack served as the public face of hollywood as the head of the motion picture association of america where he was the most famous for creating the film rating system we use today jack's career as a public servant began during world war two when he flew the twenty four b twenty five bombers for the united states army air force after the war jack served as the president as one of lyndon created the movie rating system that we used today and jack served as one of washington's most effective lobbyist moving easily between hollywood and washington as the president of the impi a four thirty eight years after his tenure at the motion picture association jack killing to fight against aids tb and malaria as a final mission in his extraordinary life and committed himself to working tirelessly to increase the quality of life of those suffering from the devastating effects of disease these and poverty across the endless spokesman for disease devastated communities across the globe while navigating the halls of congress with statesman like agility to ensure that the united states increased its funding to the global fund to fight aids and to fight tuberculosis and malaria and other programs that save lives not only has the global health community lost a great advocate but so has the entertainment industry and washington last a truly great friend the committee chair mr speaker it is my honor today for me to pay tribute to mr jack valenti as it has been said by age fifteen he was the youngest asked to graduate in houston and he began work as an office boy with the humble oral company which is now exxon mobil which is near american gratian this tree as a young pilot in the was in charge of press during the president kennedy and vice president johnson's tragic visit to texas he was in the motorcade six cars behind the president in dallas on november twenty second  three within an hour of the assassination of john f kennedy mr lanty was aboard air force one flying back to washington with the new president as the first newly hired special assistant to president johnson later in his position as president and chief executive officer of the m p a mr the leonti provided over  tremendous worldwide change in the end of history new technologies arise of the importance of international markets and the tower any of paris he radically changed the landscape of the american family and television industry it was midst of a lent his leadership and personal effort that led the confrontation with these global dangers problems and opportunities mr speaker our communities and our country have always relied on the contributions of those individuals who have the ability to rise above and beyond the call of duty to make a difference in the lives of others and i am one  commitment to the betterment of us movie industry and the entire nation mr speaker the aca munity is diminished by his loss as that my colleague joe on may and his friends and his family and celebrating the remarkable life of this one as amended those in favor say aye those opposed say no and depend on the chair two thirds of the firm or to the rules are suspended the resolution is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table my colleagues in consideration of h r one eighty nine eight raz one eighty nine expressing the sense of the house of representatives that a welcome home vietnam veterans day be established eight read one eighty nine which  fifty four co sponsors was introduced by representative linda sanchez on february sixteenth two thousand and seven eight as one eighty nine was reported from the oversight committee on june twelfth two thousand and seven by voice vote the vietnam war was the longest seventy three the patriotic men and women who serve valiantly and faithfully in the united states armed forces during the vietnam war were caught upon their arrival and returned home in the crossfire of public debate about the involvement of the united states in the vietnam war i support this legislation to establish a welcome home vietnam veterans day to honor those members of the united states armed forces who served in the vietnam war doing naam during the vietnam war the time for a a welcome home day is is long overdue and i know every member of this house and every american would want to come forward to welcome home these veterans who are not always welcome in the way we should always welcome home those who have served us in the armed forces regardless of our feelings on the particular conflict in which they came forward brave service all i commend my colleague representative linda sanchez for introducing this legislation and urge the swift passage of this bill i reserve the balance of my time to gentlewoman reserves  connecticut mr secretary thank you mr speaker on march thirtieth one thousand nine hundred seventy three american combat troops serving in vietnam completed their service and returned home to the u s after a years of hard fought battle and the loss of over fifty eight thousand soldiers we welcomed our servicemen and women home and wish them a safe return over three hundred thousand troops retune returned wounded during the war house read as one eighty nine seeks to establish mart thirty years as welcome home vietnam veterans day it is an opportunity recognized in iraq service of these many veterans for fear that southeast asia would fall into to communism congress passed the gulf of tonkin resolution in one thousand nine hundred sixty four thereby giving powers to president johnson to conduct military command in south vietnam until peace and security had returned to the war torn nation one year later u s combat troops were sent to the embattled country by in one thousand nine hundred sixty nine approximately five hundred forty three thousand american troops were in vietnam thousands of vietnam veterans participate in various festivities parades and reunions over the every year we see them proudly wear the unit numbers and banners and t shirts and caps covered with pins sharing stories laughing and that dating each other on their lives it is only fitting that we show our support for these brave men and women by expressing our gratitude for their courageous service around three million people visit the vietnam veterans memorial each year the wall and to accompany sculptures offer an opportunity to learn about and appreciate the history of the war and its numerous casualties it is appropriate to commemorate this significant piece of history by recognizing the day combat troops returned home from war as welcome home vietnam veterans day thank you m in my district and several years ago i had a commemorative coin struck that i gave to the vietnam veterans i presented it and called it a long overdue welcome home event there weren't too many dry eyes as the coins were presented we need to remedy that and certainly having a welcome home the vets day as this bill c is over do the one thing that i ask vietnam vets to please always do is whether young men or women are returning to day from battle that they always help the community to welcome them back because no one would like to be treated the way that many vietnam vets were treated this is a great resolution and it's long overdue concurrent resolution house concurrent resolution one forty two concurrent resolution acing the sense of the congress that there should be established a national pet week or so to the rule of the gentlewoman from the district of columbia much norton and the american better narrow better narry medical association and the elk ziller e to the a v m a and is now widely celebrated to add the united states and other parts of the world each year national pet weeks goals are to promote risotto pet ownership celebrate the bonding and mutual admiration between animals and humans and promote public awareness of veterinary medicine animals and pets animals and pets provide companionship and pleasure to nearly sixty nine million individuals and families in the united states these individuals have dedicated themselves to the care and responsibility of treating animals with love and respect my speaker i commend my colleagues representative  this legislation i urge with passage of this bill i reserve the balance of my time just one reserves a german for going to get mr shays right thank you mr speaker today we stand with sixty nine million households and celebrating the joy of pet ownership and recognizing the obligations of responsible animal care as we call on this congress to establish a national pet week some sixty three percent of americans have accepted the calling of pet ownership and  their homes to mainz of cats dogs birds fish and other animals for this generous action they're rewarded with love companionship and support studies have shown that additional benefit of pet ownership include a healthier life little pet week would also honor those who provide medical treatment as well as responsible care for animals who are certainly deserving of such treatment there are approximately seventy five thousand practicing that neri ends in the united states who perform a great service for this country by giving preventative an emergency care for animals is that marion's also are also credited with educating penn owners about the benefits of spread a new doing their animals that's curbing pet overpopulation problems in the country establishing a week recognizing pet ownership helps highlight many of the issues affecting pets and owners in america as well as the issue of responsible treatment frenemies in general sadly problems such as animal abuse neglect overpopulation hoarding and organized fighting persist in this country the people of the united states are indebted to the animal protection and humane organizations to promote respect for animals and perk provide care for lost on one it abused abandoned animals it is essential duty of a civilized society to teach his children the value of kindness and respect towards all living creatures and this is the perfect opportunity to do so therefore i call on my colleagues to support the establishment of net national pet week to celebrate pet ownership recognise those who provide responsible animal care and educate our children about a standard of respect towards all living creatures thank you mr speaker german from indiana mr donnelly is reckon asked mr speaker i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h r twenty one thirty nine as amended the clerk will report the toggle of the bill union calendar number one twenty five h control twenty minutes the chair recognizes the gentleman from indiana mr speaker i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material fair on without objection so rude mr speaker i am myself such time as i may consume germans recognized the f h a manufactured housing loan modernization act of two thousand and seven which i introduced with my colleagues chairman frank mr teaberry and mr feeney includes important provisions that will help vitalize the manufactured housing industry which plays a critical role in helping americans achieve the dream of homeownership by providing them with alternative opportunities for affordable housing this bill passed the financial services committee unanimously  seven this eight billion dollars a year industry provides jobs for people not only in the second district of indiana but throughout the country these homes house twenty two million people in over ten point five million homes mr speaker i have seen firsthand in my own district how these homes have continued a tradition of quality and save construction over many years they present a high quality affordable housing opportunity for american families h r twenty one thirty nine would raise the manufactured housing title one loan limits and annually index them for inflation it will also give hud do authority to increase insurance premiums and improve underwriting standards in order to make sure that the program is actuarially sound we have a proud in strong tradition in elkhart ind and other indiana communities to provide first class housing for americans providing quality jobs for hooters at the same time it is part of who we are in turn these communities are extraordinarily proud of the role they play in that we play in our district in providing housing for american homebuyers unfortunately title one loan limits have not been adjusted for f h a insured thirty thousand title one loans in two thousand and six that number was less than fifteen hundred in indiana alone that number went from three hundred  seventy seven loans in one thousand nine hundred two to only four last year these are more than just numbers they represent a serious drop in a crucial component of affordable  homeownership for americans this not only affects low and moderate income families that these loans are designed to help but it affects the manufactured housing industry and the housing market as a whole because of the drastic reduction in f h a title one loans american families are left to struggle to try and find adequate financing options for their manufactured home purchases this body has a responsibility to try and provide affordable housing options for american families and this legislation does just that as you know mr speaker june is homeownership month and it is only fitting that we pass this much needed legislation today i urge all my colleagues to support h r twenty one thirty nine to strengthen the american housing market and to put more affordable housing opportunities within reach for american families mr speaker i reserve the balance of my time german reserves the jungle woman from florida ms brown what is recognized thank you mr speaker i rise in support of h r twenty one thirty nine the manufactured housing loan improvement act of two thousand and seven it virtually is identical to legislation that passed the house last year and it was called the law act of two thousand and six and it passed by four hundred twelve to six obviously it was a very popular bill the bill we're considering today would modernize the f h a title one manufactured housing loan program which insures loans for manufactured homes owned leased land for lots used for site manufactured homes and for a combination of manufactured homes and lives the program is different from the insuring of manufactured homes under title two of f h a in which the manufactured home is decided on the land also owned and mortgage under the loan as the gentleman from indiana stated nine hundred ninety two some three thousand loans were insured under f h a title one manufactured housing loan program however last year this number dropped to about fifteen hundred loans clearly this legislation seeks to address the factors that have been widely cited as the reasons for the steep decline in the number of insured loans these include they underwriting standards a portfolio kept on title one loans a guarantee that is not sufficient for acceptance in the secondary market loan limits that have not but not kept up with inflation actually they haven't been adjusted since nine hundred ninety a resulting reduced private sector loan origination participation is what happened during the financial services committee of this markup legislation offered and the committee accepted that would wording that would authorize the g a o to assess how the secretary of housing and urban development utilizes the f h a manufactured housing loan insurance program and other programs administered by hood to mitigate the risk to manufactured housing residents and communities resulting from tornadoes every year an average of eight hundred tornadoes sweep across the united states resulting in more than eighty in eighty deaths more than fifteen hundred injuries and millions of dollars in property damage one of the nature is most powerful and violent storms large tornadoes often record wins with speeds in excess of two hundred fifty miles an hour florida and parts of my district were ravished by these tornadoes earlier this year which reminded us that natural catastrophes can strike with little warning forcing communities to confront a loss of infrastructure and unfortunately sometimes a loss of life many residents of homes have a place to go in the event of a tornado whether it is a basement or an interior room manufactured housing residents do not have a basement and they often do not have an interior room despite rapid advances in tornado technologies residents of manufactured housing communities often do not have adequate access to proper shelter that is why the house passed a tornado shelters act which was signed into law in two thousand and three that bipartisan bill authorized communities to use community development block grant money to construct or improve tornado safe shelters located in manufactured housing park areas unfortunately it is not used enough often in the face of a tornado threat it is said we can do two things pray and prepare pray it won't happen again and prepare for the next line of twisters while the residents can pray and our government in this current risk can do much to help them prepare as we improve title were manufactured housing  programs i hope that we can do everything in our power to ensure that residents of manufactured housing communities have adequate protection from natural catastrophes such as tornadoes h r twenty one thirty nine will facilitate greater access to manufactured housing and i urge my colleagues to support it mr speaker i reserve the balance of my time gentlewoman reserves the balance for time the gentleman from indiana mr donnell from indiana mr donnelly thank you mr speaker i want to say my colleague the gentlewoman from florida this is an excellent piece of legislation mr speaker my colleagues on both sides of the aisle without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table general from indiana mr donnelly is recognized thank you mr speaker i move that the house is bend the rules and agree to the resolution house resolution four seven seven clerk will report the title of the resolution house resolution four seventy seven resolution recognizing national homeownership month and the importance of homeownership in the united states percent of the row the general from indiana mr donnelly and the gentleman from illinois each will control twenty minutes the chair recognizes the gentleman from indiana thank you mr speaker i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the legislation and to insert extraneous material there on without objection so or am myself such time as i may consume your recommenced mr speaker i rise in support of house resolution four seven seven introduced by congressman miller of california this resolution recognizes the importance of national homeownership month which the president designated as june of this year homeownership is one of the fundamental building blocks of our society and it plays a fundamental role in achieving the american dream it helps to provide families with economic security and helps to build strong communities the national homeownership rate in the united states has reached a record high of almost seventy percent this is a result of the hard work of both public and private sector organizations nonprofit groups and federal state and local government working together for a common cause to ensure that families have a stable living environment and are in a supportive community homeownership is a crucial indicator of our economic health i believe that ensuring affordable homeownership for hard working americans is one of the most important tasks we have here in congress we must work together to encourage more opportunities for homeownership so that buyers are able to choose a housing option that meets  their needs owning a home helps families to build financial stability and it puts them on sound financial footing so they are able to invest in things like college and saving for retirement this not only affects every american family it allows our economy to prosper it is important to ensure that while we are promoting homeownership and that we are preparing homeowners for the responsibility of maintaining and paying off their home that they understand this process as well the rise in predatory lending and in sub prime loans has contributed significantly to the high rate of foreclosures in states like my home state of indiana congress must work to ensure a level playing field for home buyers to purchase a home with a mortgage that they can work with and be able to pay i urge members to vote in favor of this resolution and i thank you for your support john reserve mr speaker i reserve the battlers about this time the gentleman from illinois mr awesome is recognized thank you mr speaker i yield such time as i may consume the most recognized mr speaker i rise today in support of house resolution four seventy seven and i'm pleased to join with my friend from indiana and i'm delighted that we're taking time on the floor today to commemorate homeownership in america recognizing the many benefits of opening a home owning a home the president designated june as national home ownership month as he's done for the past six years to complement this designation house resolution four seventy seven was introduced by m miller of california to recognize that designation and the importance of homeownership in the united states owning a home is a fundamental part of the american dream by the economic security and hard work being rewarded homeownership is much more than simply knowing that one has a roof and four walls to shelter shelter one's family it's the symbol of the american dream and forms the bedrock of our communities and many of my colleagues celebrate the designation of this month as national homeownership month because in america every citizen regardless of race creed color or place of birth has the opportunity to own a home of their own today the national homeownership rate in the united states has reached a record high about seventy percent and more than half of all minority families are homeowners while many gains have been made mr speaker minority homeownership rates still lag with minority households expected to account for two thirds of household growth over the coming decade improving the ability of such households to make a transition to home home homeownership will be an important test of our nation's capacity to create economic opportunities for minorities  immigrants and to build strong stable communities buying a home is the largest personal investment most families were will ever make for the vast majority of families the purchase of a home represents the past prosperity a home is a tangible asset that builds equity good credit borrowing power and overall well not only does homeownership provide economic security for building wealth over time it also strengthens and builds communities homeownership creates community stakeholders and inspires civic responsibility people who own a home tend to be more active in charities churches neighborhood activities and more likely to vote and get involved with their communities growth safety and development further families owning a home offer children a stable living environment influencing their personal development and many positive measurable ways both at home and in school without homeowners neighborhoods schools in local businesses suffer homeownership helps fuel the economy this happens mostly through people who spend money for home improvements i hope congress will continue to explore new ways to put people on the path to homeownership so more americans can realize its benefits in closing it's apparent that the federal government consumers in the housing industry are linked by our mutual goal of creating housing opportunities for more americans and those significant strides have been made we still have much more work to do to achieve together for the american people and our best hope of being successful is to work in close concert with each other and as congress considers future action to make homeownership more secure and available we need not take care we need to take care not to hamper the market's ability to provide opportunities for homeownership in that way we can continue to open our communities and neighborhoods to new opportunities for growth and prosperity the resolution before us house resolution four seventy seven recognizes the importance of homeownership in america and dedicates the house of representatives to fostering an atmosphere conducive to community development and increased homeownership opportunities congress has a real opportunity here to forge a better america an america where homeownership and security abounds i know we all look forward to continuing to work to further the american dream and i hope my colleagues will join with me and my colleague on the other side of the  e mr donnelly and join in supporting this important resolution that does just that thank you and i reserve the balance of my time general reserve the gentleman from indiana mr donnelly mr speaker i yield five minutes to my good friend the gentleman from texas i rise in strong support of h r four seventy seven a resolution recognizing the goals and ideals of national homeownership month which falls in june of each year i also want to commend my colleague on the other side of the aisle congressman gary miller for introducing the resolution and for working with me on its language owning a home is a fundamental part of the american dream and is the largest personal investment many families will ever make homeownership provides economic security by increasing the stake residents have in their communities including local schools civic organizations community based organizations and churches improving homeownership opportunities requires the commitment and cooperation of the private and public sectors including the federal government and state and local governments our current laws encourage homeownership joystick nitpick and degree but need to be updated in augmented so that they will continue to promote homeownership in the future we need to do everything in our power to ensure that potential homebuyers and current homeowners are not become victims of predatory lenders as has been the case in recent times to improve the affordability of a liability and quality of housing in america i co founded and i am currently the chairman of the congressional rural housing caucus the caucus continues to increase in number as more and more members of congress realize not only the ordinance of home ownership in urban dwellings but also those in rural america to increase home ownership by introduced h eighty the housing assistance council authorization act it authorizes ten million dollars for housing assistance council in fiscal years two thousand and eight and fifteen million dollars in fiscal year two thousand nine hundred the year two thousand and fourteen hack a nonprofit corporation is the only national housing assistance group that specializes in rural areas and small towns the house committee on financial services has also held hearings on the bill and reported it favorably to the floor of the house of representatives a companion measure has been introduced in the senate mr speaker i also introduced h hundred two the rural housing and economic development improvement act the bill authorizes thirty million dollars for the u s department of housing and urban development are a ged program in fiscal year two thousand eight and forty million dollars for fiscal years two thousand and nine through the year two thousand and thirteen this bill has also been reported favorably on the floor of the house of representatives i want to take this opportunity legislation through our committee i've also authored a letter to the housing appropriations committee requesting the funding for several programs that the administration's budget would either eliminate or reduce their funding at this point mr mr speaker i asked unanimous consent to insert into today's congressional record a copy of that letter without objection so ordered again june is national homeowner ship month i strongly support the goals and ideals of national homeownership month and recognize the importance of homeownership in building strong communities and families with that i yield back the remainder of my time recognized mr speaker i have no further requests and i want to thank my good friend my colleague from illinois for his assistance in this it is a terrific resolution and we look forward to its success and i yield back the balance us back about this time the question is will the house suspend the rules in the greater house resolution four seventy seven those in favor say aye those opposed no in the opinion of the church two thirds the rules are suspended the resolution is agreed to that objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table streamline the regulation of non admitted insurance and rein surance and for other purposes for certain through the german from kansas mr moore and the gentleman from florida of which brand white each will control twenty minutes the chair recognizes the mr speaker i yield myself such time as i may consume i'd like to thank mr speaker congresswoman jenny brown wait for her help and leadership on h r ten sixty five the non admitted and reinsurance reform act of two thousand and seven as this moves through the legislat process both in this congress and in the hundred ninth congress when it passed by four hundred seventeen to zero it's been a pleasure working with you miss weight and i again i appreciate your leadership on this issue i also would like to thank the capital market kanjorski and ranking member spencer baucus of the committee for their support of this measure as well as chairman barney frank for his support move this legislation to the house floor i reintroduced this bill along with congresswoman brown weight in february w strong bipartisan support and strong support from the financial services committee as i previously mentioned this legislation is virtually identical to the legislation that passed the house unanimously a by a vote of four hundred seventeen to zero and one hundred ninth congress the bipartisan support for this bill is a good example of how both sides can come together to introduce and pass legislation that is not about partisan politics it's not about republicans or democrats in short h r fifty six thirty seven this one which was in the old congress would significantly improve the regulation of two specific areas in the commercial insurance marketplace namely surplus lines and reinsurance transactions this britain sometimes directly conflicting state laws on the surplus lines market create unnecessary inefficiencies and make it difficult if not impossible in some cases for producers and others to comply with their legal duties testifying in two thousand and five in front of the capital markets subcommittee on behalf of the national  insurance commissioners the pennsylvania insurance commissioner acknowledged the need for reform of surplus lines regulation specifically with regards to the way premium tax allocations handled according to commissioner diane cokin quote either federal legislation or another alternative such as interstate compact may be needed at some point to resolve conflict in state laws regulating multi state transactions the area where this will be most likely be necessary a surplus line spring is premium tax allocation federal legislation might also be one option to consider to enable multi state property risks to access surplus lines coverage in their home state under a single policy subject to a single set of requirements in quote this legislation mr speaker addresses the area surplus lines reform that i just mentioned as well as necessary reforms in the area of the reinsurance specifically this legislation would prohibit the extraterritorial application of state laws and allow seeding insurers and reinsurers to resolve disputes disputes pursuant to contractual arbitration clauses this reform is long overdue and necessary to restore regulatory certainty to the reinsurance market finally i'd like to note that while many legislative attempts to reform the insurance industry encounter some industry opposition this bill mr speaker is supported by the insurers the reinsurers in the agents and brokers as well as by most the state regulators thank you mr speaker and i look forward to passage of this legislation today and i reserve the balance of my time  passed the house by four seventeen into zero for states like florida and many others on the gulf coast where commercial insurance has been difficult or impossible to come by the only recourse is to turn to the surplus lines or non admitted market certainly streamlining the rules in this market is crucial to the consumer and any state that is facing insure an insurance crisis unfortunately today the regulation of surplus lines market is fragmented and cumbersome insurers and brokers who want to provide insurance across state lines are subjected to a myriad of different state tax and licensing requirements oftentimes these regulations will conflict making it impossible for one company to comply with all of them the situation leaves policyholders uninsured and with even less of a chance in providers moreover most of the companies that purchase insurance in the non admitted market do so frequently these sophisticated commercial entities are large corporations that employ educated risk advisors with a thorough understanding of the market and of their risk exposure yet in most states including my home state of florida these companies are required to shop around in the admitted market where they know they'll be denied coverage they know that this has happened before and it will happen again they know they can't get it they have to do this before they are permitted to shop in the surplus lines market this practice is useless and cumbersome and it only adds to the cost for the policyholder r ten fifty six solves this quagmire giving policyholders alternatives to restrictive markets the bill also acknowledges another program in the insurance industry this time on the reinsurance front over the years some state regulators have been taking it upon themselves to throw out arbitration agreements between reinsurance providers and primary carriers these are contractual agreements decided upon by very sophisticated parties on both sides of the transaction in order to settle disputes without having to go to court if these agreements are valid in one state they primary companies obtaining insurance already has it's obstacles adding forty nine other states speedboats inefficient state rules and inefficient state rules does not help and with reinsurance rates rising at crippling numbers companies should be encouraged to stay out of the courts and follow their own arbitration agreements our bill provides commonsense solution to the non admitted and reinsurance market and it enjoys broad support and i think mr moore for sponsoring this important insurance reform with me i urge the members of the house to support this in bill mr speaker i reserve the balance of my time gentleman reserves about the time the gentleman from kansas much more to recognize mr speaker at this time i yield three minutes to the gentleman from texas made this trader jose who's a member the financial services committee as well as chairman of the subcommittee on higher education general from texas is recognized for three minutes mr speaker i thank the congressman from kansas for yielding time to me i rise in strong support of h r ten sixty five the non admitted and reinsurance reform act of two thousand and seven congressman moore from kansas has been a very effective member of the financial services committee and i commend him for his leadership on reinsurance legislation congressman dennis moore i thank you for sponsoring this much needed legislation and i am proud to be a co sponsor of this bill this important bill will harmonize and in some cases reduce regulation and taxation of this insurance by vesting the home state where it is headquartered with the sole authority to regulate and collect the taxes on a surplus line's transaction those taxes that will be collected may be distributed according to a future interstate compact absent such a compact their distribution would be up to the home state mr speaker this legislation will implement streamlined federal standards allowing a sophisticated commercial purchaser to access surplus lines insurance it will reduce uncertainty in this marketplace it will also help protect contractual agreements between sophisticated parties entering into a reinsurance contract for these reasons and more speaker i don't have any additional speakers are in this bill but i wanted to take a moment to indicate that it is such a pleasure to work with mr moore the gentleman from kansas he always looks at things in a very bipartisan manner and always with the end goal in mind of helping the consumer and i certainly appreciate that and i know that the policyholders out there to i would certainly brown way to the gentlewoman from florida and thank her very very much for her hard work on this legislation for her leadership and she also works in a bipartisan manner in the times i've seen her in our committee and on the house floor i very much appreciate it when we need more of that with that mr speaker we have no further requests for time and i yield back the balance of my time jim and yield back the balance of this time the question is will the house has been the rules in pi's house resolution ten sixty five those  bill union calendar number one twenty seven h r twenty two eighty six a bill to amend hundred eighteen united states code and the federal rules of criminal procedure with respect consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous matter on this bill under consideration what that objection pursuant to the road the gentleman from michigan mr conyers and the gentleman from virginia mr fuller bse h will control twenty minutes the chair recognizes the gentleman from michigan mr speaker i yield myself such time as i may consume the gentleman direct and asked members of the congress of the house here the bail bond system in our country is a is under considerable pressure some would say that it's even broken and the reason is that as federal courts increasingly use bail bonds to ensure that a defendant appear in court but it also is used to make sure that a defendant complies with other requirements while awaiting trial and as a result of a combination of these factors there been critical problems that have developed