again we're waiting for the house to begin their legislative work for the week today fifteen bills to be considered under suspension of the rules no votes are expected in the house until six thirty p m today over in the senate senate just came in for one hour of general speeches after that the senate plans to resume consideration of the commerce justice science spending bill with votes beginning possibly later today and maybe a final vote on that  tomorrow once that bill is completed the senate plans to take up the labor h h s education spending bill for fiscal year two thousand and eight live senate coverage over on c span two and coming up in about a half hour on c span three two thirty p m eastern time a forum on possible national security risks posed by chinese investment in the u s and cyber attacks again that live on c span three the house will be in order peril be offered by the eternally nomadic god before you all the events of life and calendar pages flip over quickly the human search for stability in an ever changing world and the traffic of today's crossroads drives each of us to find new dots within ourselves as we join the motion of another week the story of a tsunami comes to mind easily we view the destructive consequences on the surface of things around us and question their eruptive origins lord show us how to detect the beginnings of violence war hatred destruction and fear as a leader in the community of peoples congress needs to raise the deepest questions enable members and the people they represent to assess the true cost of the country's lifestyle and the ramifications of our silence on the most important issues if it is truly in god we trust that all else is called into question and it cannot be the measurement of progress or the final go the chair is examined the journal of the last days proceeding and announces to the hath her approval there pursuant to clause one of rule one the journal stands approved the pledge of allegiance will be led by the gentleman from florida mr hastings join me in the play as i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under god with live with liberty and justice madam speaker what kind of nation are we when forty seven million americans go to bed every night without adequate health care coverage and what kind of nation will we become when we turn our backs on those who need us the most our nation's children on whose future we all depend the s chip bill the state children's health insurance program will provide access to necessary medical services  to levon million of our children who are most in need we cannot we shall not we must not turn our backs on our nation's children i urge my colleagues who are yet to consider voting up or down on this measure to think this thing all the way through whose side are you on are you on the side of our children who need you the most or you're on the side of special interests we democrats are on the side of children please reconsider what kind of nation we will of management and budget have announced that today's budget deficit is eighty five billion dollars less than last year that marks the two hundred fifty billion dollars a climb over the last three years brings us even closer to balancing the budget this good news is a clear sign that a government which taxes less and spends less taxpayer dollars and spends them wisely can balance a checkbook these recent record tax revenues are paying down the deficit but we must do our part by honoring the hard work of the american people and not passing future bloated budgets and tax hikes the american people have learned to live within their means it is time that washington do the same that means we do not spend twenty two billion more than we need to or tax americans four hundred billion dollars more then they deserve above all the government must address the pending entitlement crisis this is a situation where congress cannot pass the buck in conclusion god bless our troops and we will never forget september the eleven for what purposes just as a gentleman from ohio right has granted madam speaker on october thirteenth ohio attorney general mark tan u s attorney jack gregory lockhart and u s d a agent mark barnhart received the two thousand and seven humane law enforcement award from the humane society in the national district attorneys association they were honored with this prestigious award for conducting one of the largest best coordinated crackdowns on dog fighting in the nation i'm extremely proud that my home state of ohio is taking a lead in cracking down on this vicious blood sport but this raid also demonstrates the difficulty authorities have of prosecuting offender vedder's under federal law i have introduced the dogfighting prohibition act which would strengthen federal penalties for those participating in dogfighting and broaden the scope of the law to allow prosecution of everyone involved from spectators to trainers to dealers we need to do all we can to end what has become a lucrative gambling business and to accomplish that we must give our law enforcement officials like mark dan gregory la carte and mark barnhart the tools that they need i want to thank them and congratulate them on their efforts and encourage support for the dogfighting prohibition act i yield back the balance of my time for what purposes does the woman from north gentleman from north carolina writes a mission to do you know women speak in a pretty thank you madam speaker fiscal is the cornerstone of a strong economic plan and house republicans are dedicated to ensuring that american taxpayers are getting the best product for their money unfortunately i can't my democrat colleagues feel the same way we're three weeks into fiscal year two thousand and eight and for the first time in a long time congress has not sent the president a single appropriations bill one of these bills funds our veterans and they deserve the benefits they were promised yet politics has taken over the democrat leadership and their failures costing veterans over four billion dollars in new benefits further the democrat majority also has failed to deliver on promised earmark transparency that would shed light on every earmark and w continuing to see abuses within the system at almost every opportunity the democrat leadership has increased spending increased taxes to pay for the spending binge is it's time to get back on track to finding common sense solutions and stop using taxpayer dollars like it's an unlimited source of money i yield back the balance of my time the chair lays before the house the following communication the honorable the speaker house of representatives madam this is to formally notify you pursuant to roll eight of the roles of the house of representatives that i have been served with a grand jury subpoena for testimony and documents issued by the u s district court for the central district of california after consulting with the office of general counsel i will make the determinations required by rule eight fine sincerely greg blanker staff assistant pursuant to clause eight of rule twenty amended the clerk with a fight the taliban solution house resolution six twenty four resolution congratulating the state of israel and chairing the united nations committee for the first time in history pursuant to the rule the gentleman from new york mr ackerman and the gentleman from south carolina mr wilson each will control twenty minutes the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york that a speaker ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks green for their work on this important resolution congratulating the democratic state of israel for achieving a significant victory in its long and tedious campaign to gain fair treatment at the u n in june an israeli diplomat mr ronda dom was chosen to chair a critical un committee the committee on policy and coordination which is responsible for approving the work plan for all u n agencies and bodies incredibly in the entire history of the un this is the first time an israeli has been granted such a role for almost sixty years since it became a member of the united nations israel has been treated as a second class citizen among the nations at the un the great is buried at the fair treatment for israel has been its inability inability to achieve normal standing in one of the un's regional groupings these groupings control committee assignments and leadership positions throughout the un system so geographically israel should be a member of the asia group a cabal of anti democratic and anti semitic states in that region the organization of the of the islamic conference has conspired to exclude israel from its rightful membership in that group only recently has israel been granted qualified membership in another un group known as the western european and others regional group this new status has allowed israel to begin to obtain un leadership positions we must build on this momentum h read six twenty four does so by demanding that the western european and others group with which israel now caucuses at the un remove all remaining restrictions and qualifications on israel's status as a member of that group the resolution also expresses support for israel's campaign to gain a rotational seat on the un security council once again madam speaker i congratulate israel for its selection to service chair of the committee on policy and coordination i also urge our good friend u n secretary general ban ki moon to use this positive step towards further increasing normalization of israel's status at the united nations we must continue to work with the u n secretary general who has made pressing for normalization an important call of his tenure the unfair treatment of israel at the u n undermined the very principles the united nations is meant to embody the spectacle of repressive regimes conspiring to deny israel the only democratic state in the middle east normal status at the u n undermines the broader fight on behalf of human rights and democracy i would urge all of our colleagues to support rise in strong support of house resolution six twenty four which congratulates the state of israel for chairing united nations committee for the first time in its history this akash accomplishment as long overdue israel as a fully democratic insolve state should be entitled to all of the privileges and opportunities of any member state of the united nations unfortunately the anti semitism and anti israel bias that pervades the united nations has long prevented israel from fully participating in that body to this day israel remains only a temporary member of the un's western european and others group and is excluded from many consultations discussions and leadership post within the group and the un itself the anti semitic anti israel attitude shown by some members of the un is unacceptable it shames the principles of the united nations the united nations has slowly begun to make progress in addressing this problem and restoring israel to its rightful place at the u n however there is much to be done and this resolution calls upon un secretary general ban ki moon to resolve this disgraceful problem until that happens the united nations will not live up to its own charter where were the preamble states that the un was founded quote to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war to reaffirm faith and fundamental human rights and the dignity and worth of the human person in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small and of quote madam speaker israel's ability to finally chair a un committee is a well deserved accomplishment for israel and a privilege an honor for a u n that has not done nearly enough i want to thank my colleague and longtime friend from the state of florida mr hastings for introducing this resolution and i urge its adoption with an i was or the balance of my time act met a speaker i'm pleased to yield to the gentleman from florida a very distinguished chairman of the rules subcommittee on legislative and budget process and a leaders for human rights and dignity around the world bluster of the resolution six twenty four a resolution that i introduced with my good friend and fellow called chair of the democratic is a role working group representative gene green of for foreign affairs of all of this of the united states i'd also like to thank the chairman of the house foreign affairs committee my good friend representative tom lantos and the ranking member of the committee and my colleague from florida representative ileana ross relate them in for helping move this important bipartisan bill forward and my longstanding good friend today who spoke favorably of this measure i think representative wellstone of for his comments on this legislation and others as well on june nineteenth two thousand and seven for the first time ever in history a representative of the state of israel was chosen to chair a united nations committee this resolution serves to properly mark this unique tr for the state of israel in our history books the man chosen for this distinctive appointment at the united nations is mr ron of dom the former director of the israeli foreign ministry the u n political affairs or development the committee he was chosen to chair is the committee on program man coordination this of thirty three un member body provides an important role to the functioning of the united nations approving the work plan for all united nations agencies and body madam speaker first joined the united nations in one thousand nine hundred eighty nine the democratic state of israel has been considered a second class nation at the united nations unfairly subjected to justify repeated one sided attacks from other nations to this day israel is still denied full representation within the united nations and its constituent privileges the united nations should not and cannot continue to be a vehicle for unilateral attacks against israel such dealings truly undermine the united nations has credibility integrity and effectiveness shamefully anticipated rhetoric and sentiment within the united nations remains pervasive such statements of grave concern to the united states and responsible nations i want to commend both past and present united nations leaders for publicly recognizing and speaking out against the existence of blatant biases and injustices within the united nations wall despite the targeted discrimination and unwarranted hate it faces within this international forum israel has consistently played an active role within the united nations israel already sits on several significant committees in the united nations and representatives from israel have served as deputy chair in the united nations numerous times i'm hopeful that mr dom's appointment to chair the c p c will help normalize it roles bilateral and multilateral vilification of israel at the united nations and to use his good offices to support israel's bid to join the a regional grouping finally i'm hopeful that israel will be granted membership on the security council for two thousand and nineteen and gain full participation rights in the united nations i  as gene green and i have and others to do everything it can to see israel's accentuation in the united nations is written new appointment is the beginning of a new dawn for the nation status within the united nations i congratulate the government and people of the state of israel for this great accomplishment and i urge my colleagues to vote yes on this important says the gentleman from nevada is recognized for such time as she may consume thank you madam speaker and i thank the gentleman from the great state of new york and my good friend from the state of florida for introducing this important resolution for too long dictators and despots have hijacked the united nations in order to serve their own purposes they cynically target israel in order to shift attention from their own brutality passing countless resolutions condemning israel without uttering a word about what's going on in burma the sudan or north korea madam speaker while we congratulate israel today for a great achievement i am still very worried the un's condemnations of israel help to stoke the fires of global anti semitism for better or for worse the world looks to the united nations to said standards for human rights and when instead it singles out israel for constant recriminations the un becomes a platform for burgeoning anti semitism around the world and anti israel rhetoric last week i trip chaired the chance atlantic legislator's dialogue in my hometown of las vegas nevada among the many issues we discussed with our friends from the european parliament was the alarming rise of global anti semitism foxman the national director of the anti defamation league  on the widespread belief in the muslim world that israel and the jews committed the nine eleven terrorist attack on this country he told us about malaysia where there are no jews and yet where the president of that country blames the jews for the economic problems in his country anyway in europe since two thousand there's been a surge of anti semitic incidents even here at home a few misguided and uninformed people say the jews are somehow responsible for the war in iraq i am extremely concerned about the rise of anti semitism globally and it is not unrelated to work goes on at the united nations i'm afraid the un's red rhetoric serves as a great read to recruiting tool for terrorists an anti semite when it condemns israel and uses old anti semitic canards to do it madam speaker it is surely a step in the right direction that israel is chairing a un committee and we are right t congratulate israel for this great achievement it is about time but so much more must be done as this resolution states today with this resolution we call on the united nations to officially and publicly condemn statements made added meetings and hold united nation member states accountable when they make such statements we must fight back against the growing scourge of global anti semitism and anti israel rhetoric while we continue to fight for israel's greater recognition at the united nations i thank the gentleman from new york for his leadership on this issue and munger many others and i yield back the balance of my time  no in the opinion of the chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rules are suspended in the resolution is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table without objection the title is amend for what purpose says a gentleman from new york writes that a major i move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution h r seven thirty eight the clerk will report the title and resolution house resolution seven thirty a resolution expressing the sense of the house of representatives regarding the government of syria's continued interference in the internal affairs of lebanon pursuant to the rule the gentleman from new york mr ackerman the gentleman from south carolina mr wilson each will control twenty minutes the chair recognizes the gentleman from new york that of seagrass announced and sent that all members mail five legislative days to revise and extend the remarks and to include extraneous material on the resolution of the federation so granted  rajan strong support of this resolution and yelled myself such time as i may consume it tell him a percentage taken when the house last discussed lebanon on september twenty fifth i said that lebanon was being bullied that statement  true is insufficient lebanon is not being harassed by invisible worldly forces lebanon is not a victim of fate or destiny or bad luck lebanese politicians and public figures beginning with r career and continuing to this day are not being assassinated and blown away by falling meteors or volcanic eruptions arms do not appear in lebanon by magic his ballades billions do not fall from the sky like rain palestinian terrorist groups don't find rifles falling out of trees or by the side of the road the fatah al islam and its war against the lebanese state were not the product of spontaneous auto genesis like maggots their origin can escape the casual observer but their birth was no accident or mystery syria and iran are responsible for these crimes syria and iran are responsible for the chaos syria and iran are to blame for the shadow of civil war that hangs over lebanon lebanese politics are complex and the interaction within among confessions is daunting for the outside observer to contemplate where interest and principal emerge the part is hard to judge but we know some things about lebanon for certain and they are spelled out clearly in the resolution at hand despite lebanon's constitution syria demanded the extension of president  response to the murder of hariri and let us remember twenty two other civilians so lebanese rose up against their syrian overlords and demanded with the full support of the international community the expulsion of syria's occupational forces a new government was formed through a free and fair election led by lebanese not in the service of syria and not in the debt of iran this development both surprising and hopeful of a lebanon free to chart its own course was one that syria and iran couldn't tolerate in their minds lebanon is a five to a toy lebanon is a playground for their ambitions and a canvas on which to splash their rage and hatred for the united states and israel in the modern world lebanon in the minds of syria's overlords in iran's that ayatollah is is not for the lebanese and this intolerance does greedy self interest this bitter contempt for the rights of others is why we are speaking of lebanon in the u s house of and the onus bloc extra legally demanding control of the presidency in threatening civil war this coalition of the wicked in the selfish have again brought chaos and violence and terror to lebanon it need not be so it should not be so syria and lebanon are responsible for the crisis in lebanon syria and iran are responsible for the crisis in lebanon they have trampled on lebanon sovereignty and in doing so have clearly violated un security council resolutions protective of lebanon they are the puppet masters pulling on the strings of hizbollah amal and the assassinations of lebanese members of parliament of their work the bombings of their work the threats to establish an extra legal second government are their work madam speaker there is no mystery here there is evil there is greed there is indecency and where i lebanese i might say treason as well but there is no mystery syria and iran are attacking lebanon sovereignty no less than if they sent a fleet of bombers or a wave of introductory that this aggression this naked aggression is being done by proxies and by terrorists by car bombs by telephone threats does not make it any less aggression or any less a crime many vital interests of the united states are at stake if we want every nation to be secure in its own borders we can tolerate cross we cannot tolerate cross border aggression if we want to see the middle east peace we cannot tolerate the resumption of syrian and iran an control of lebanon if we want to encourage self governance around the world we cannot tolerate lebanon's democracy being subverted by suggs and fanatics and if we want to see people rising up against as they are today in burma we cannot tolerate the reversal of lebanon's glorious cedar revolution if we want to see the united nations become a true guardian of peace among nations we cannot tolerate the will of internet the international community being scorned by rogue states america must lead even today even with iraq there is still no other state that can mobilize the international community as can the united states and the hour is desperate only if they are convinced that the world will not tolerate their aggression against lebanon will syria and iran back down the air the outcome is not impossible the stakes are exceedingly high and it's my hope that the lebanese government and the bush administration will see this debate in the house as proof that congress is watching closely and that we stand ready to help secure lebanon's future as an independent and sovereign state if we want to end the bloodshed in lebanon and foreclose the prospect of still greater violence we must act now and in concert with the community of nations there is wide support for lebanon both in europe and the arab and muslim world just waiting for a catalyst to give an expression america must be that catalyst we are here today to sound the wakeup call a brighter future for lebanon for the middle east and for ourselves await our clarion call man speaker i urge our colleagues to support the resolution and reserve the balance of my time aimed at anti syrian politicians and public figures of lebanon it warns them against interfering either directly or through their many representatives in the lebanese presidential elections scheduled for later this month over two years after the cedar revolution and despite the withdrawal of syrian troops lebanon's president government continues to be targeted for destruction by internal and external threats hezbollah has continued to carry out its strategy of assassinating anti syrian lebanese politicians the aim is to gain a problem a truman show already that would allow both syria and iran to impose their choice for a president on the lebanese people furthermore the inclusion of pro syrian iranian and terrorist organizations such as hezbollah in the lebanese political process only empowers the syrian and iranian regime's and holds lebanon hostage to their whims allowing a tourist energy to use the political process and legitimize itself without first demanding it renounce violence has only served to perpetuate in enhance the threat we support the underlying intent of this resolution which is to advocate for the sovereignty and political independence of lebanon the lebanese people deserve the right to be free of interference and intimidation by any outside country or terrorist group however despite supporting the resolution we are concerned about language in this resolution referring to the entire lebanese parliament as democratically elected quote because it sets a dangerous precedent by both legitimize ing and providing congressional approval for the role of foreign of a foreign terrorist organization in the political process in lebanon sadly it legitimizes current election law which was constructed by the syrians and imposed on the lebanese people and finally it undermines the very essence of united nations security council resolution fifteen fifty nine aimed at truly removing syria from the lebanese political process elections conducted under a syrian control electoral process where foreign terrorist organizations are allowed to participate without first requiring them to lay down their weapons should not be considered quote democratic by this chamber madam speaker the united states and other responsible nations must encourage the government of lebanon in leading lebanese policy makers not to compromise on their commitment to reform the political process by purging it from the influence of syria iran and hezbollah our support for the lebanese people and the pro democracy forces in lebanon is vital to counterbalance the pressure surrounding lebanon the brave people  lebanon can tenure to stand against a tyrannical regime in damascus and they deserve nothing less than our support it is for this this reason that despite reservations about the implications of some of the clauses in this resolution i will vote for this resolution and ask my colleagues to do the same i was served the balance of my time the gentleman from the man figure it's my pleasure to yield to the gentlewoman from nevada as much time as she may consider the gentleman from nevada speck in knightsbridge next time issue may consume madam speaker i rise today in support of this important resolution and i thank the gentleman from new york for his continued leadership on this important issue we often throw around compliments on the floor of the house thanking there but in this case it's truly warranted the gentleman from new york and been a giant on the horses and i thank him so much for that lebanon is at a critical juncture in its history on the cusp of upcoming elections it can go the way of democracy or it can go the way of violence terrorism and dictatorship we therefore must stand side by side with the forces of democracy in that country and protected from those who seek to unfairly and violently influence the results of their free election two years ago at the united nations the world called on syria to remove its troops from lebanon and recognize independence while perhaps most of syria's troops are out of lebanon its continued dangerous influences undeniable syria's proxies in lebanon have waged a campaign of terror throughout the country against those who oppose it's interference they buy and they've rioted they've assassinated and they have terrorized and it is undeniable syria's hand is behind it all around to has involved itself in lebanon with its support of hezbollah a terrorist group whose military is stronger than the lebanese army iran has threatened unspecified consequences if and i syrian majority has the gall to freely elected its own president it is launched attacks against israel to destabilize the region and the lebanese government hezbollah continues to bring arms shipments in from iran through syria with impunity lebanon stability could be the key to the future of the middle east if the lebanese can establish a democracy in their country then it would spread to other countries in that region syri influence would be weakened and iran's plans for regional supremacy and control would suffer a serious setback the supporters of terrorism know this madam speaker that's why they've unleashed this campaign of terror to stop lebanon's development and influence its upcoming election we too must unleash our own campaign to support the forces of democracy and freedom and stability we must not let the forces of democracy be defeated or intimidated in lebannon the middle east hangs in the balance and we must not back away from a growing democracy that needs our help i urge support for this resolution and i yield back the balance of my time the gentleman from south carolina second night madam speaker i yield such time as you may consume to the gentleman from illinois mr la hood and esteem member of the committee on appropriations and distinguished american of lebanese heritage furness speaking i want to note that mr la hood has announced that he will not be running for re election next year i want all of us to acknowledge that he will truly be missed when i was elected six years ago one of the first persons i found  who has the respect of the members here is indeed ray la hood and he has made such a great difference for the people of the united states and i now yield to mr to revise and extend and i think that granting very much for your kind remarks madam speaker i rise today in strong support of h r seven three eight a resolution that strongly condemns the ongoing campaign of violence in assassination directed toward the people of lebanon and their demick democratically elected government we have all seen the horrific news reports of the assassination and attempted assassinations of anti syrian lawmakers in lebanon the brave men and women who are struggling to move lebanon forward have become targets in their own country hezbollah and the pro syrian factions in lebanon know they are in the minority in a big on a desperation campaign to kill as many of their opponents as possible members of the parliament of had to go into hiding outside of lebanon and lay their lives on the line when they return to conduct government business others in lebanon have embarked on a campaign to delay obstruct the presidential election process now delayed since september late september into october rather than face the fact that those who wish for lebanon to be independent free will will be successful they choose instead to up in the entire political process rather than see democracy succeed this was clearly evident in two thousand and four when the current president of lebanon has had his term extended with the help of syria and other outside forces an act that was quickly condemned by the united states and the united nations unfortunately these forces continue to try and impose their will on lebanon today the cedar resolute the cedar revolution in two thousand and five led to the withdrawal of syrian forces that occupied lebanon for more than three decades after the withdrawal of the government of prime minister senora committed to creating a strong democratic lebanon free of occupation or outside influence lebanon is fighting many enemies of freedom both within and outside the country as lebanon prepares for presidential elections hopefully in a few weeks i believe it is vital that we reiterate our support for lebanon and the people of lebanon this resolution reaffirms our support of the united nations resolutions that condemn syria and iran for their continued roles in arming the enemies of a free lebanon and expresses our appreciation to the many countries who have contributed funding and personnel to the united nations interim force in lebanon our lebanese friends must know that we stand beside them as they continue to strengthen their government to particularly compliment madam speaker president bush secretary rice and the whole bush team for the interest that they have expressed in lebanon for the interest that they have shown in this country and their and their ability to have a democracy and to hold elections last week the son of a fico rary was in washington and had an opportunity to meet with many officials of the congress in of the bush administration and i know that he was gratified by the support that he has received from congress and from the bush administration and as he returned eleven and i know that he went reassured that our country is with lebanon that our country is for free elections as soon as possible i also want to compliment speaker pelosi who has personally discussed this issue with me who has a great deal of interest in this country and also took the time to travel to lebanon on a recent trip to the middle east her interest in this country is something that i think we should all commend and so i urge the adoption of this resolution and i yield back my time the gentleman from new to the thoughtfulness of of this body and i hope that when decency security and peace does return to lebanon that he will be here in this chamber with us to share in that in that moment  i too want to thank beaker palosi for her leadership for taking the time during her trip to the middle east to visit lebanon and also to try to talk sense to the people in syria as well we have no furthe speakers on our side and i yell back the balance of my time the question is well the house and the role is an agreed to house resolution seven thirty eight those in favor say aye those opposed  twenty five and current resolution expressing the sense of congress that it is the goal of the united states that not later than january first two thousand and twenty five the agricultural forestry and working land of the united states should provide from renewable resources not less than twenty five percent of the total energy consumed in the united states and continue to produce say abundant and affordable food feed and fiber through into the rules a gentleman from energy and land conservation activities and recognize recognizes that forestry and agriculture will play a leading role in our country's transitions to energy independence the twenty five by twenty five resolutions that's a national energy independence call that by the year twenty twenty five twenty five percent of the total energy consumed in the united states should come from homegrown renewable sources this resolution as a street received strong bipartisan support was passed out of the house agriculture committee under my good friend mr goodlatte leadership last year and again in may under the new congress the twenty five by twenty five resolution has been carefully crafted to set national renewable energy production targets allowing farmers ranchers entrepreneurs and industry the flexibility needed to reach these important goals now speaker the new face of energy security and rural development is in the form of a methane methane digester or any other technology that would reduce dependence on foreign energy sources in times of high energy prices i can think of no one better to supply the united states with a renewal source of energy than the same american farmers and ranchers that i provided the united states and the world with an abundance of safe food and fiber expanding the production and the use of renewable energy is an important priority not just for agriculture but for the entire country in our pursuit of energy independence the twenty five by twenty five coalition has grown over the past several years and now includes endorsements from more than five hundred ninety businesses business conservation agriculture and forestry organizations as renewable energy use continues to expand new innovations including the promising growth will not only provide for our energy needs they will also produce environmental and conservation benefits i think the future of energy production from agriculture and forestry is the most exciting thing that's happened in rural america in my lifetime the twenty five by twenty five resolutions states our commitment to support the development of renewable energy sources i believe that we can all not only meet but exceed the goal of twenty five percent by the year tw but every journey starts with a first step and this resolution isn't a very important first step that we can take and cheating this energy independence on a speaker i thank my colleagues for their support and again i urge the support of the house for the passage of this resolution and yield and i reserve the balance of my time yield myself such time as i may consume young make pretty and figure out first like to thank the gentleman from minnesota the chairman of the committee for his leadership in bringing this resolution before the congress again and the gentleman from pennsylvania mr holden for his involvement in this as well the resolution also known as twenty five by twenty five recognized the importance of agriculture in meeting our energy needs and sets a noble goal for american agriculture to produce twenty five percent of the total energy consumed the united states from the renewable resources of our agriculture forestry and working land by the year two thousand and twenty five we've made significant progress in developing a robust industry using agricultural crops as well as animal waste to produce ethanol and biodiesel in two thousand and six alone the renewable fuels industry added more than one point zero five billion islands of new ethanol to the marketplace it is projected that without any new technological breakthroughs the industry already has the potential produce more than eleven billion gallons per year within the next decade while the domestic production of energy has been exciting there are still many were noble energy sources yet to be explored and developed there are a wide variety of agricultural products and by products that can be converted to clean renewable energy sources in fact there are sources over noble energy in every one of our fifty states including wind solar hydropower and bio mass the development of cellulosic test technology has enormous potential to bolster the renewable fuel market inside the corn belt and well beyond i'm particularly excited about the opportunity to mass as a complement of our renewable energy supply forest biomass is plentiful and available in many states almost two thirds of the commonwealth of virginia is forested as is much of the southeastern united states in fact today we have roughly the same amount of forest land as we had one hundred years ago trees are an abundant resource and are available for conversion into both wood products and biofuels year round every year we grow almost twice as much force biomass as we harvest this wood and wood waste has the potential to produce enough electricity to power forty three million households or enough ethanol to increase our domestic supply by almost ten fold as we find more ways to use force biomass in our energy supply we also have the opportunity to improve forest help removing materials that fuel wildfires and insect and disease infestations renewable energy development can create valuable markets for many of the waste materials which are currently a burden on america's farmers such as animal waste harvest by products and damage crops farmers continue to face steep environmental regulations and handling animal waste and converting this waste into renewable fuel is a win win for farmers and the environment in fact i would like to see the word waste taken out of american agriculture since almost everything produced on our farms can be used or used for some other purpose the current tax credits and renewable fuel standard along with the phase out of m t b e have helped fuel investment in new ethanol and biodiesel plant and created more markets for agricultur products it is obvious that current policies have successfully established a thriving renewable fuels market we should now focus on policy that will develop commercial cellulosic ethanol and allowed new markets to drive production new proposed initiatives are extremely ambitious and can only be achieved with contributions from all areas of the agriculture sector including grains plant trees and would waste vegetable oil and animal fat and waste the two thousand and two farm bill included the first ever energy title with programs to help renewable fuel producers purchase and expand operations and purchase feed stocks and also establish programs to make grants and loans to farmers ranchers and small businesses to purchase renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements on farming operations the energy title of the house's two thousand and seven farm bill builds on the two thousand and two bill by providing three billion dollars to promote the commercial production of cellulosic ethanol these initiatives will help farmers and forest owners by creating new markets and income opportunities to keep them on the land and keep their land working at the same time greater focus on cellulosic feedstocks can reduce our reliance on corn for noble fuels increase development of renewable energy opens new markets for our nation's producers provides consumers with a safe sustainable environmentally friendly and renewable source of energy and decreases our nation's dependency on foreign oil twenty five by twenty five is a vision we can all get behind as six hundred groups already have including agriculture and forestry groups as well as business and environmental organizations over twenty of our nation's governors along with seventy two bipartisan co sponsors in the house have recognized that this is a goal though challenging that is worth striving for i encourage my colleagues to join us in recognizing the important role american agriculture plays in domestic energy production and work with us to turn the goal of twenty five by twenty five into a reality i reserve the balance of my time er we have an energy crisis in this country and we need to take advantage of our own natural resources now this piece of the legislation before us today is going to address the resources under our jurisdiction as members of the ag committee but i would be negligent as a pro son of the coal regions of pennsylvania the anthracite coal fields if i didn't mention that i hope that future pieces of legislation that come before this body also addresses the opportunity of coal the liquid how we need to take advantage of the vast resources that we have in in this country and i would say to those who criticize the environmental aspects of coal to liquid to just come to my home in st clair pennsylvania in school county and look at two to three hundred foot home banks waste coal that can be cleaned up and made into liquid fuel so i hope in future proceedings before this house we're able to address that but i stand here proudly as a member of the committee and chairman of the energy subcommittee and in cooperation with my chairman and my ranking member to support this legislation i was well as was mentioned by the chairman and the ranking member we have an abundance of agriculture resources that we need to take advantage in this country and if we do not we will remain to be dependent upon the smooth continuous flow of oil out of the persian gulf and mexico and venezuela we have an opportunity to do something beginning today as we were writing the two thousand and seven ag bill members of my subcommittee we traveled to penn state to n c state to the u s d a labs and looked at the research that is being done on  you look at the possibilities of entire country not one region excluding another having the ability to participate in a move towards energy independence when we look at so you lost it gotten our biodiesel in the feedstocks that are so abundant it is in it's absolutely imperative that we take advantage of those and pass this legislation today and as the ranking member mentioned in the energy title we have in excess of a two billion dollar loan guarantee program to help this infant industry take hold and allow the people on wall from wisconsin is recognized for such time isn't a concern thank you thank you chairman peterson and thank you ranking member goodlatte for allowing me to partition paid on a bipartisan committee committee whose example should be followed by the remainder of this chamber it's been a great pleasure for me to participate on this agriculture committee my home state of wisconsin has been a leader on this issue of renewable energy why because we need an energy policy today that is not put together behind closed doors but out in the open in a committee form and here on the house floor wisconsin has established its own renewable energy standard of ten percent renewable by twenty fifteen and judging by today's oil price that may reach eighty five dollars per barrel it can't come too soon this resolution of twenty five by twenty five which i'm a proud co sponsor of indicates our nation's desire to become energy independent by declaring our intent to provide twenty five percent of our nation's energy from renewable sources by twenty twenty five we're taking a critical step in securing the energy and environmental needs of our future generations as a member of the ag committee i know the potential of our farms the potential of our forests especially in northern wisconsin and the potential of our working lands across the country if we achieve the goals outlined in this resolution we will not only provide for our nation energy requirements but will also develop innovative industries and supply countless numbers of new jobs in this developing field of renewable energy and at the same time will continue to guarantee that we will all all  nation well as a leader in the world madam speaker it is no surprise today that we need a new energy policy and this is a great start to a great new beginning and i yield back my time  thank you madam speaker and i thank the gentleman from minnesota for yielding i rise today in strong support of house concurrent resolution twenty five commonly referred to by my constituents and sounds like the constituents of many others as twenty five by twenty five i mean original co sponsor of this resolution i commend chairman peterson and ranking member goodlatte for their support leadership on this and advancing this important resolution on the overall issue of advancing renewable energy in american agriculture and for their efforts in bringing this legislation to the floor today this resolution is as bold as it is straightforward it simply states the united states expects our nation's agricultural forestry and working land to provide from renewable resources and sustainable resources not less than twenty five percent of total u s energy consumption by twenty twenty five while continuing to produce the world's safest most abundant most affordable food and feed this goal is both exciting and achievable and rural america stands ready to assume the challenge today's resolution compels us as a nation to consider to devise and to implement a strategy for realizing this critical goal in recent years we've taken important incremental steps in support of renewable energy the most significant and positive example of this commitment was the passage of the energy policy act of two thousand and five which contained the first ever renewable fuel standard long advocated by chairman peterson and many others and this chamber and in the senate a national mandate for the usage of renewable energy and it's been a resoundingly success in two thousand and four we produce less than three and a half billion gallons of that and all in the united states by the end of this calendar year we'll have the capacity to produce more than seven billion gallons of clean renewable domestically grown us and all in this country this forward looking and innovative policy is enabled the u s ethanol industry to more than double its production capacity in only three years and the benefits to the economy to consumers and to the environment have been tremendous and as the ranking member noted with the advancements and study elastic ethanol every region of the country will soon benefit as so many states have already done according to a recent study by l e c g a global expert services firm the combination of spending for annual operations ethanol transportation and capital spending for new plants under construction added forty one point nine billion dollars of gross output to the american economy in two thousand and six alone over one billion of that in my home state of south dakota even more importantly much of this economic benefit has been realized by small communities and rural areas that have faced considerable economic challenges in recent decades moreover oil imports are the single largest component of our nation's expanding trade deficit the production of nearly five billion gallons of ethanol in two thousand and six means that last year the u s imported two hundred  million fewer barrels of oil valued at more than eleven billion dollars than would have been the case without ethanol finally the environmental benefits of using renewable fuels abound the use of ten percent ethanol blends reduces greenhouse gas emissions by twelve to nineteen percent compared with conventional gasoline ethanol reduces tailpipe carbon monoxide emissions by as much as thirty percent and tailpipe tailpipe fine particular matter emissions by as much as fifty percent in two thousand and four ethanol use in the us reduced c o two equivalent greenhouse gas emissions by more than seven million tons equal to removing the annual emissions of more than one million cars from the road that why this resolution and this entire debate are so important that congress is currently considering new energy policy legislation providing us with an opportunity to build on the policies of two years ago in the coming weeks i'm hopeful that will finalize this energy bill and send it to the president but we must take this opportunity to be bold the final bill should certainly contain initiatives to promote energy conservation but it must also require that we increase our domestic production of renewable energy both in the electricity sector and in the transportation sector the success of our initial renewable energy mandate indicates the wisdom of that policy and demonstrates the need to be even bolder even more forward looking and even more committed to achieving energy independence in this country this resolution today clearly outlines an appropriately aggressive goal for our country over the next eighteen years and recognizes the role of american agriculture and i look forward to working with my colleagues to make these aspirations a reality thank you and i yield back the balance of my time for his leadership on this issue and the rest of the members of our committee who have worked very hard we produced a farm bill that is going to do our part in getting this country off of energy independence also i thank our leadership especially speaker pelosi for her leadership on these this issue and as i said we have a tremendous opportunity in rural america in agriculture with this whole effort to get energy independent in this country and this resolution will help us by establishing that goal in minnesota where i'm proud to be from we have led the way i was  just a grand opening on friday of a new plant that's turning turkey manner into electricity and we have had mandates in minnesota and  aye those opposed no the opinion of the chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rules are suspended the concurrent resolution is agreed to and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table speaker i united states postal service located at seven l one loyal loyal avenue in new orleans louisiana has the louisiana armed services veterans post office pursuant to the rules the gentleman from illinois mr da think the general feeling about a speaker i rushed today as a sponsor h r two hundred eighty nine to name the main post office in new orleans from the new orleans main office windows service to the louisiana armed services veterans we w post office i'd like to thank chairman waxman force leadership in bringing this bill to the floor today as well as my colleague mr davis in illinois as well as fellow members of the louisiana congressional delegation who joined me as co sponsor of this measure as we approach the commemoration  veteran's day it's important though that the state of louisiana has made many contributions each branch of our armed services and by extension to the defense of this nation my state of louisiana is home to many proud service veterans dating from world war one to the present military engagement in iraq i'm proud to say that many of my fellow with the end is a volunteer and sacrifice as soldiers and as families of soldiers in the defense of this great nation and is it is only appropriate that we moralize them in this ignorant saying louisiana is home to well over three hundred seventy thousand uniformed veterans this includes nearly one hundred twenty thousand who served in world war two forty seven thousand in the korean war one hundred fifteen thousand in the vietnam war and eighty thousand in desert storm the first gulf war however simply deciding to to six does not give a complete picture it doesn't give a complete picture of the sacrifices of the contribution the made on behalf of our soldiers for this country not of the detail the historical relationship of louisiana and the armed services branches of our nation it could be easily argue that the very battle that propelled america onto the world stage as a political and military power was fought on january eight fifteen just alone all and the battle of new orleans louisiana military posts were key supply points for the mexican war eight hundred forty eight the nation's first african american woman earned her stars as a u s army general as  base and burgess city the army's fort polk joint readiness training center near leesville and in my district the bell chase naval facility across the mississippi river from new orleans each installation is an integral part of a suspected community each also employs many local residents and have a profound impact on the economy of our state i'd be remiss manage because we're not to mention the louisiana national guard which calls new orleans home and jackson barracks the national guard has made significant contributions within the state as well as abroad during the first gulf war louisiana has the highest number of guardsmen serving per capita than any other state in the nation have a lose as contributions to the armed services has not come without c during the current war in iraq louisiana's law more than one hundred of his servicemen and women and over five hundred have been wounded yet this is not the only area in which our armed service men and women have paid a high price unfortunately some of our veterans have had to fight two wars one abroad and then one back at home i'm very pleased this congress has recognized that to some great measure and i've done much more this year far better than ever before but in my district where the vets the ministration hospital remains closed this notion is particularly poignant wars the close of the of this house was left many veterans in my district with no choice but to travel long distances even to this report louisiana jackson mississippi for hospital care though the veterans administration has recently announced plans to rebuild a bigger and better hospital in the wall and and i applaud the decision for it is the right one those doors will still not open for a few years leave many veterans with few options the v a is also suffering through a backlog of six thousand veterans administration claims in louisiana alone right now the problem is nationwide and it's growing so today with veterans day not for all we honor and recognize our veterans in louisiana who pay a high price and i appreciate it i you myself as much time as i may consume man speaker i rise today to urge passage of h r two zero eight nine to designate the u s postal service location at seven zero one loyola avenue in new orleans as louisiana arms services veterans post office from the battle of new orleans in the war of eight hundred twelve to the chinese bandits who laid the groundwork for us there's a period or eddie in the asian theater in world war two to lieutenant general russel honore raise leadership of the military response to hurricane katrina louisianans have been at the forefront of defending this country from the time of its founding to this very day louisiana's fires have always been known for being a little tougher a little wilder a little crazier if you will than their counterparts from elsewhere it made them perfect for some missions the captain in the u s army air corps progenitor of the air force resigned his commission to go to china on behalf of madame shankar shacked to help the chinese build an air force to fend off the japanese he did not leave until world war two ended in one thousand nine hundred five in the interim he helped organize an air force that featured strategically located airfields and an air raid warning system built from scratch that protected all of what was then as free china without his work american air power could not have functioned in china later tional was to describe the air raid warning system as a vast spider net of people radios telephones and telegraph lines covered all of free china accessible to enemy aircraft in addition to continuous intelligence of enemy attacks the net serve to locate and guide lost friendly planes direct aid to friendly pilots who had crashed or bailed out and help guide our technical and belgian sexperts direct or crashed enemy air for anime aircraft in other words something out of nothing the same as the muskets louisianans used to fend off the british in new orleans and general honore a use to help rebuild louisiana after katrina it's a tradition well worth honoring in this measure does just that services veteran h r twenty eighty nine which was introduced by representative william jefferson on may the first two thousand and seven was reported from the oversight committee on september twentieth two thousand and seven by voice vote this measure has the support of the entire lose the ana congressional delegation madam speaker of the louisiana services veterans were recognized for their significant contributions to our country early in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries during the war of eighteen twelve lucianne as veteran troops which included french spanish african anglo creole and native american people under generals dwight d eisenhower and george patton and the soldiers who served under their leadership president eisenhower referred to lose the enemy and andrew jackson higgins as the man and i quote the man who won the war in new orleans he has designed and built amphibious landing craft that made possible the invasions of enemy help pacific islands and the coast of france d day invasion speaker i commend my colleague representative william jefferson for introducing this legislation urge its passage and reserve the balance of my time the gentleman from that are not carolina thank you madam speak no further requests for time in your back the balance of our time the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h r twenty eighty nine those in favor say aye those opposed say now in the opinion of the chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rules are suspended the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at nine fifty west trenton avenue and marcil pennsylvania as an eight the temple post office building pursuant to the rule the gentleman from illinois mr davis the town than from north carolina miss fact each will control twenty minutes the chair recognizes the gentleman pride to honor one of our nation's finest songs that daniel the temple made to his friends and family baby boy to his national guard unit died in iraq on august ninth two thousand and five he was nineteen years old nate was an eagle scout and eagles fan a standout russ for a penn very high school and a friend to all who knew him today we pay tribute mr speaker the legislation before us today were named the post office building and mars bucks county pennsylvania the nate the temple post office building i am proud that this will be the first pennsylvania post office named after iraq war veteran his name walpi here for all to see at nine fifty west trenton avenue a sign of the spirit we honor mrs speaker today we give thanks to nate and to his family for their service to our nation nate joining the pennsylvania national guard to serve if you plan to be a police officer like is that but he never got that chance he was always first in line to wrestling practice and only sat a positive attitude bucks county police chief said nate was a nice boy and a fine young man who was going to be outstanding it seemed that who's over there overseas there are a lot of outstanding young men and women who just want to do the right thing for their country outstanding young heroes who put their lives on the line every single day nate served in the pennsylvania national guard alpha company first battalion one hundred eleven eleven fifty three a unit that proudly traces its roots back to the founding of our nation and the minutemen of the revolutionary war a rich history that nate honored with his unforgettable spirit mr speaker his friend said in tribute that nate was one of the nicest guys ever you never saw him down you didn't have to meet nate to know what kind of man what kind of soldier he was when it came time for him to be laid to rest scores of people lined the streets to say goodbye and to give thanks a true testament to his spirit his sacrifice and impact he had on the lives their families today before this great body with great pride i repeat their request and as that we make it our mission to honor the fallen and stand up for those who are still fighting with this service and ate the tempo showed us true energy the faith and devotion his memory will light our world in closing i want to share how nate signed one of his letters home from iraq rocksteady nate mrs speaker i hope my colleagues join me in honoring one of those rocks of our community made the temple rock steady or you'll the gentleman from north carolina is making a thank you madam speaker i yell myself as much time i may consider is an honor for me to speak today about an american hero who showed great bravery and loyalty to his country well beyond his nineteen years on august ninth two thousand and five a roadside bomb took the life of ne detail ample extinguishing his hopes and dreams and ending what by all accounts was an ask how they were doing he showed great leadership and ability as a wrestler for pennsbury high school one of his coaches remembered him as a hard worker and always being the first to practice it was night's dream to become a police officer much like his father glen a detective for the lower make feel police department with this dream in mind they joined the national guard after he graduated and headed off to college shippensburg university where a majored in criminal justice he was however called to serve his country before he could complete his first year of study some might have complained but nate believed in the mission and served to the best of his abilities upon learning of nate's death the flag at the lower make feel police department was flown at half mast this was a fitting tribute for someone who paid the ultimate sacrifice for his country and his community it is also a fitting tribute that we give the post office on west trenton avenue in moore still pennsylvania his name so that we may not forget his courage his bravery and the price he paid for us madam speaker i that my colleagues join me in support of this fitting tribute and i reserve the balance of my time which names a post a facility in mars a deal pennsylvania after an eight d temple h r thirty two ninety seven which was introduced by representative patrick murphy on august first two thousand and seven was reported from the oversight committee on september twentieth two thousand and seven by voice vote this measure has the support of the entire pennsylvania congressional delegation madam speaker private first class in the t grenade incident he was assigned to the first battalion one hundred eleventh infantry regiment pennsylvania army national guard in philadelphia privately temple was a wrestler the eagle scout and a criminal justice major had shippensburg university he was deployed to iraq in march two thousand and five for the purpose of performance stability and support operations ga area north of baghdad he served his country with honor and distinction as a madam speaker i commend my colleague representative murphy for introducing this legislation and urge favor say aye those opposed you know in the opinion of the chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rules are suspended the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table facility of the united states postal service located at thirty two twenty blue parkway in kansas city missouri as the wallace s hartsfield post office building pursuant to the role the chairman from illinois mr davis the gentleman from north carolina missed by each will control twenty minutes the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks without objection now madam speaker it's my pleasure to yell such time as he might consume to the sponsor of proudly stand here today to recommend the reverend dr wallace's hearts feel a minister in the fifth congressional district which i very proudly serve they receive be given the honor of having a postal facility named in his honor at forty three twenty blue parkway in kansas city missouri all nine members of the missouri delegation has signed on to this bill and  signed on for one real reason it is this revenue hearts for it is an american story he was born in atlanta georgia on november twelfth in one nine hundred twenty nine he was raised by his mother he was the only child and yet she worked and struggled and pushed him he eventually graduated from high school and then served a three year tour of duty with united states army he returned to this country and attended clark college which is now called atlanta o'clock atlanta university he received a bachelor's degree and then went on to receive a master's of divinity at gammon theological seminary which is known at the as the international as the interdenominational theological seminary today he received a number of honorary doctorate degrees and he is recognized in our community as a man who is always going to be where something is good is happening he has been a strong worker in the field of diversity he is a man who has been able to bring the clergy together from across racial and even religious lines he's known as the dean of preachers in our community and i dubbed him the godfather of preachers because of the respect he receives from members of the clergy anytime anything in our community is going on that is productive and meaningful you can expect to see r hartsville president this postal designation is the first of ever introduced and one of the reasons that i feel strongly about this is the post office delivers mail to everyone and if you look at life and work of the reverend wallace as hearts feel that is exactly what he's done he's delivered ministry friendship and civic concern to everyone in our community and to a post office i think is very very appropriate to bear his name and so madam speaker it would be my hope that this body would allow our community to celebrate fully his retirement  a november ninth banquet during which time i would like to proudly announce that the united states congress has named the post office in his honor you back the balance of my time the telamon from north carolina directing i thank you madam speaker i am myself as much time as i may consume i rise today to pay tribute to reverend wallace s hartsfield family man community activist and man of god reverend hartsfield was born in atlanta georgia on nov twelfth one nine hundred twenty nine after a three year tour of duty with the united states army he went on to receive a bachelor of arts degree from clark's college now clark atlanta university three years eighty seven he received a master of divinity degree the list of honorary degrees reverend hartsfield has learned is long and distinguished they include a doctor of divinity from both western baptists bible college in kansas city missouri and virginia seminary in college of lynch or virginia while his list of academic or accomplishments is impressive the work he has done since the end of his formal education is even more so pastorate was in pickens south carolina and he served in the states of chances florida and georgia before settling into a position at the metropolitan missionary baptist church located in kansas city missouri  place he has preached for over forty years reverend hart feel will retire on january one two thousand and eight senior pastor during his long service to the church he became affectionately known as the dean of kansas city ministers and the co sponsor of this bill mr cleaver has nicknamed him the godfather of preachers because of the knowledge he possesses and his impressive oratory skills he has become a mentor not only for those in the local ministry but for community leaders as well his steadfast dedication to kansas city and the surrounding area have helped solidify the community and shape it into what it is however his leadership and influence have extended well beyond the boundaries of his duty as a minister he has fought to promote protect and ensure civil liberties for all races not only at home but across the nation and he served as president of the greater kansas city chapter of operation push an organization dedicated to the promotion of religious and social development and human rights he's a former chairman of the congress of national black churches that represents over sixty five thousand churches he has also served in many positions within the national baptist convention of america the reverend was appointed by the governor to serve as commissioner on the missouri highway commission and was at the forefront of efforts to construct the metropolitan homes a sixty unit low income housing development despite all of his work and the demands for his time and attention they did not detract from his love for his family the reverend just celebrated his fiftieth anniversary with his wife matilda hopkins they are the proud parents of four children m mr cleaver and all of the members of the missouri delegation in congratulating reverend hartsfield on his retirement wish him well in his new endeavors and join us in supporting the naming of the post office consumed as a member of the house committee on oversight and government reform i am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of h r thirty five seventy two which names a postal facility in kansas city missouri after a while this has hearts feel senior h r thirty five seventy two which was introduced by representative emanuel cleaver on september the eighteenth two thousand and seven was reported from the oversight committee on october the fourth two thousand and seven by voice vote this measure has the support of the entire missouri congressional delegation madam speaker reverend dr weil s s heart feels seniors dedication and service to the people of kansas city goes back many years is a committed community activists service servant and has served as the senior pastor of the metropolitan missionary baptist church since the one nine hundred seventy two he is the vice president and large of the economic development commission of the national baptist convention of america incorporated he is a form chairman of the congress of national black churches and past president of the general baptist state convention of missouri kansas and nebraska he has served as an adjunct professor and guest lect numerous colleges and universities revel hartsville is a well respected man of faith and on january the first two thousand he will retire is senior pastor of the metropolitan missionary baptist gentleman from north carolina thank you madam speaker our job members to support the passage of h r three five seven two and yield back the balance of my chance the gentleman yield back in the gentleman from illinois support this legislation urge its passage and you're back to dallas about the question is will the houses then the rules and and pass h r thirty five seventy two those in favor say aye those opposed of the chair two thirds being in the affirmative the rolls are suspended the bill is passed and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table pursuant to class twelve a rule one the chairs the chair declares the house in recess