July 18, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1271 

OMB will reinvigorate the interagency 

evaluation working group established in 2010 

with a series of meetings focused on issues 

commonly affecting evaluators, such as procurement rules, the Paperwork Reduction 

Act, and the integration of evidence in agencies’ decision-making process. 

The Performance Improvement Council 

will convene research, performance management, and program officials to develop ways 

to improve performance measures, validate 

their correlation with outcome data from 

program impact evaluations, and use data 

analytics to support more cost-effective decision-making. 

The Office of Science and Technology Policy has created a ‘‘community of practice’’ 

for agency personnel involved in designing 

and managing incentive prizes and has organized a Science of Science Policy working 

group that is developing tools aimed at establishing a more scientific, empirical evidence basis for science and technology policymaking. 

To discuss which ideas in this memo make 

most sense at your agency, please contact 

your agency’s OMB contact. For more general support on evidence-based policy and 

evaluation, you also may contact Dan 

Rosenbaum (Dan T. Rosenbaum@omb.eop.gov). 

f 

HONORING WAIRTERRICA 

GALMORE 

HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON OF MISSISSIPPI

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, July 18, 2012 

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a remarkable young woman, 

Ms. Wairterrica Galmore, the Valedictorian of 

Coahoma Agricultural High School Class of 

2012. Wairterrica is the proud daughter of 

Latoya Reddick and Eric Galmore. She has 

six siblings and they reside in Friars Point, 

Mississippi. 

Wairterrica has always viewed learning as a 

priority. She was an honor student throughout 

school, remaining on either the Superintendent 

or Principal lists. Her performance in the 

classroom landed Ms. Galmore placement in 

‘‘Accelerated’’ and ‘‘Gifted’’ classes. 

As a student in high school Wairterrica 

maintained her placement in high accelerated 

courses, while also participating in extracurricular activities. She was a member of the 

Olive Branch All Girls High School Senior 

Choir and the Olive Branch High School CoEd Choir. Wairterrica also received many 

awards while at Olive Branch High School 

such as the Positive Award, Highest Average 

in Math, and the Highest Average in Art. Her 

test scores on the Mississippi Curriculum and 

Subject Test ranked in the ‘‘Advanced and 

Proficient’’ categories. Wairterrica was also 

one of two students chosen to represent 

Coahoma Agricultural High School in a women’s conference at Tougaloo College in the 

summer of 2011. Relocation caused 

Wairterrica to complete tenth through twelfth 

grade at Coahoma Agricultural High School, 

where despite the challenge she reigned victorious, gaining the honor of class Valedictorian. 

Mr. Speaker, I ask our colleagues to join me 

in recognizing Ms.Wairterrica Galmore, the 

Valedictorian for Coahoma Agricultural High 

School’s Class of 2012. 

PERSONAL EXPLANATION 

HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, July 18, 2012 

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, 

I rise regarding my excused absence from rollcall votes 452–454 on Monday, July 9, 2012. 

I was unavoidably delayed on my return to 

Washington from Houston, TX due to weather. 

I would have voted ‘‘aye’’ for rollcall vote 

452, on motion to suspend the rules and pass 

the bill H.R. 4155, ‘‘Veterans Skills to Jobs 

Act’’, which would require the head of each 

federal department or agency to ensure that 

an applicant for any federal license who has 

received relevant training while serving as a 

member of the Armed Forces is deemed to 

satisfy any training or certification requirements for the license, unless the training received is found to be substantially different 

from the training or certification requirements 

for such license. 

I would have voted ‘‘aye’’ for rollcall vote 

453 on motion to suspend the rules and pass 

the bill H.R. 4367, ‘‘To Amend the Electronic 

Fund Transfer Act to limit the free disclosure 

requirement for an automatic teller machine to 

the screen of that machine’’, which cancels 

the requirement that such a fee disclosure appear in a prominent and conspicuous location 

on or at the ATM. 

I would have voted ‘‘aye’’ for rollcall vote 

454 on motion to suspend the rules and pass 

the bill H.R. 5892, ‘‘Hydropower Regulatory 

Efficiency Act of 2012’’, which Amends the 

Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 

(PURPA) to increase from 5,000 to 10,000 

kilowatts the size of small hydroelectric power 

projects which the Federal Energy. 

f 

IN HONOR OF THE ANNIVERSARY 

OF THE SIX ASSURANCES AND 

THE LIFTING OF MARTIAL LAW 

IN TAIWAN 

HON. KENNY MARCHANT OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, July 18, 2012 

Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today 

to commemorate two important anniversaries 

this month in relation to our close friend and 

ally: the country of Taiwan. 

Mr. Speaker: Since the end of World War II, 

the United States and Taiwan have fostered a 

close relationship that has been of enormous 

strategic and economic benefit to both countries. When the United States shifted diplomatic relations from Taiwan to the People’s 

Republic of China in January 1979, Congress 

moved quickly to pass the Taiwan Relations 

Act, TRA, to ensure that the United States 

would continue its robust engagement with 

Taiwan in the areas of commerce, culture, and 

security cooperation. On April 10, 1979, this 

important and lasting piece of legislation became the ‘‘Law of the Land’’ and has since 

served as the statutory basis for U.S.-Taiwan 

relations going forward. 

After 33 years, the TRA still stands as a 

model of Congressional leadership in the history of our foreign relations, and, together with 

the 1982 ‘‘Six Assurances,’’ it remains the cornerstone of a very mutually beneficial relationship between the United States and Taiwan. 

These ‘‘Six Assurances’’ were designed by 

President Reagan to further clarify U.S. policy 

toward Taiwan (in particular to the sale of 

arms to Taiwan to reiterate our commitment to 

Taiwan’s security under the TRA and to reaffirm our position on Taiwan’s sovereignty. It 

also stipulated that we would not pressure Taiwan to enter into negotiations with the PRC. 

July 14th marks the 30th anniversary of 

President Reagan issuing said Six Assurances 

in 1982. It also marks the 25th anniversary of 

the lifting of martial law in Taiwan in 1987. 

Martial law was promulgated in Taiwan on 

May 19, 1949 by the Chinese Nationalist government, and was ended 38 years later. July 

14, 1987 set the stage for a momentous process of democratization in Taiwan that continues to this day. We very are glad to see 

that Taiwan has transformed into a full fledged 

Democracy since then. 

Over the past three decades, Taiwan has 

remained a trusted ally of the United States 

that shares with us the ideals of freedom and 

democracy. However, the people of Taiwan 

continue to live day after day under the ominous shadow cast by over 1400 short and medium-range ballistic missiles that the People’s 

Republic of China, PRC, has aimed at them. 

The PRC persists in claiming Taiwan as a 

‘‘renegade province,’’ refusing to renounce the 

use of force to prevent Taiwan’s formal de jure 

independence. 

Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join 

me in commemorating the 30th anniversary of 

the Six Assurances and the 25th anniversary 

of the lifting of martial law in Taiwan, to further 

underline our unwavering commitment to the 

people of Taiwan and to affirm our support for 

the strong and deepening relationship between the U.S. and Taiwan. 

f 

HONORING MARY ALICE O’CONNOR 

HON. GEORGE MILLER OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, July 18, 2012 

Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. 

Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues, Congressman JERRY MCNERNEY and Congressman JOHN GARAMENDI, to recognize Mary 

Alice O’Connor as she retires after 7 years as 

Executive Director of the Mt. Diablo Peace 

and Justice Center. 

Mary Alice, born in Chicago, Illinois, was ordained a minister by the Unity of the Spirit 

Ministry School in 1991 and earned her bachelor’s in business administration from Golden 

Gate University in 2002. After many years 

working for industry leaders in the communications sector, Mary Alice joined the Peace and 

Justice Center as executive director in 2005. 

Over the past 7 years, her work has embodied 

the Peace and Justice Center’s mission ‘‘to 

work for a culture of peace through education, 

advocacy and community building,’’ while at 

the same time increasing business operations 

and doubling the Center’s operational budget 

in just 3 years. 

Under Mary Alice’s leadership, the Peace 

and Justice Center planned, expanded, and 

promoted a number of invaluable community 

programs that have raised awareness for both 

local and global issues of social justice. The 


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