July 25, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1329 

helped pass a clean water bond issue, and 

created Cleveland: NOW! 

Throughout the years, Silverman and Co. 

grew and opened branches in Toledo, Columbus, and Charleston, West Virginia. By 1996, 

the PR firm was the third largest in the region 

and ranked 40th in the country. Throughout 

Silverman’s career, some of his clients included Blue Cross; Don King; BBC Industries; 

Mayor George Voinovich; and Democratic 

Council President George Forbes. After more 

than 30 years in business, Bill retired and the 

firm closed in 1997 and 1998 respectively. 

I offer my condolences to his wife, Sandy; 

children, Alexander, Beth Ann, Frances, William, Jeffrey, and Jenny; and sixteen grandchildren. 

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me 

in honoring the life and accomplishments of 

Mr. William A. Silverman. 

f 

IN RECOGNITION OF ARETHA 

THURMOND PARTICIPATING IN 

THE 2012 OLYMPICS 

HON. MIKE ROGERS OF ALABAMA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 

Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I 

ask for the House’s attention today to recognize Aretha Thurmond. Aretha will participate 

in the 2012 Olympics in London. 

Thurmond, of Opelika, Alabama, qualified 

for her fourth Olympic team, becoming 16th 

U.S. woman to do so. Aretha is known as one 

of the most consistent American throwers over 

the past decade. 

In 2007, she returned to compete only 18 

days after giving birth to her son, Devon 

Theoppolis. Thurmond will be participating in 

the 2012 London Olympics discus throw. 

Mr. Speaker, I offer my congratulations to 

Aretha and best wishes in the Olympics. 

f 

CONGRESSIONAL REPLACEMENT 

OF PRESIDENT OBAMA’S ENERGY-RESTRICTING AND JOBLIMITING OFFSHORE DRILLING 

PLAN 

SPEECH OF

HON. C.W. BILL YOUNG OF FLORIDA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, July 24, 2012 

The House in Committee of the Whole 

House on the state of the Union had under 

consideration the bill (H.R. 6082) to officially 

replace, within the 60-day Congressional review period under the Outer Continental 

Shelf Lands Act, President Obama’s Proposed Final Outer Continental Shelf Oil & 

Gas Leasing Program (2012–2017) with a congressional plan that will conduct additional 

oil and natural gas lease sales to promote 

offshore energy development, job creation, 

and increased domestic energy production to 

ensure a more secure energy future in the 

United States, and for other purposes: 

Mr. YOUNG of Florida. Mr. Chair, I rise 

today to express my continued support for the 

restrictions placed on oil and gas leasing in 

the Eastern Gulf of Mexico under the Gulf of 

Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006. I am 

pleased that H.R. 6082 continues this moratorium and recognizes an area not only critical 

to the protection of Florida’s beautiful beaches 

and unique environment but to the training of 

our nation’s sailors, Marines and pilots who 

conduct training exercises there on a regular 

basis. 

As you know, I have been working on the 

issue of drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico 

since 1983, when the oil industry proposed 

drilling off the Gulf Coast of Florida. That year, 

I offered an amendment to a 1983 supplemental appropriations bill to create the first 

buffer zone to protect Florida’s Gulf Coast 

from offshore oil drilling. Congress did not implement this buffer zone only to protect the 

economic or environmental interests of the 

State of Florida; rather we also recognized the 

potential conflict that exists between drilling 

and naval and aviation military activities. 

The importance of this area to our military 

training was affirmed in 2000, when the Department of Defense requested that no abovesurface structures be built in the Eastern Gulf 

of Mexico, officially establishing the Military 

Mission Line within which no drilling can 

occur. This decision proved timely when the 

Air Force and Army were forced to end training exercises in Vieques, Puerto Rico and had 

to find a new site to undertake these specialized training activities. The Eastern Gulf of 

Mexico was the only site available where this 

training could continue because this naval and 

aviation training is incompatible with drilling 

platforms and drilling ships. 

Since the first amendment in 1983, I negotiated with my colleagues to include this moratorium in appropriations bills year after year, 

until a bipartisan compromise was reached in 

2006 that balanced increased domestic energy 

production with the critical military activities 

conducted in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. This 

carefully crafted agreement opened 8.3 million 

acres south of the Florida Panhandle to drilling, an area previously under a ban, while barring new oil and gas leases off Florida’s coastline until June 30, 2022, and codifying the ban 

on drilling within the Military Mission Line. 

Prior to the enactment of the current moratorium, then Secretary of Defense Donald 

Rumsfeld stated that ‘‘in those areas east of 

the Military Mission Line, drilling structures 

and associated development would be incompatible with military activities, such as missile 

flights, low-flying drone aircraft, weapons testing and training.’’ By maintaining the drilling 

ban in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, H.R. 6082 

continues to protect an area that holds the 

U.S. military’s largest training and testing area. 

Mr. Chair, I am pleased to support this 

measure that will responsibly increase our domestic oil production while maintaining the important protections against drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, in order to ensure that our 

military readiness and training capabilities are 

not compromised. 

f 

PRESIDENT OBAMA’S PROPOSED 

OFFSHORE DRILLING LEASE 

SALE PLAN 

HON. JIM McDERMOTT OF WASHINGTON

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 

Mr. MCDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today 

to discuss today’s vote on the bill to approve 

and implement the Obama administration’s offshore drilling plan. Holding this vote today was 

a political stunt by the Republican majority— 

nothing more. No committees have reviewed 

the plan, and it was brought to the floor without any consideration. 

The Obama Administration’s plan would 

supplant the Bush Administration’s plan which 

is currently in place and I voted for the bill 

today, not wanting to play political games with 

our environment. Despite any reservations I 

have with the details of the Obama Administration’s plan, the current administration correctly excluded lease sales in the Atlantic, Pacific or North Aleutian Basin. The Republicans 

offered an alternative plan that would, without 

question, cause significant harm to the environment. Voting yes today on this better package was the right thing to do. 

Protecting our environment is not a game. 

Today I voted to move us forward from the 

terrible environmental policies of the previous 

administration, and I will continue to advocate 

and vote for stronger environmental protections. 

f 

RECOGNITION OF THE FIRST 

LADY’S VISIT TO BIRMINGHAM, 

AL ON WEDNESDAY JULY 18, 2012 

HON. TERRI A. SEWELL OF ALABAMA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, July 25, 2012 

Ms. SEWELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in 

recognition of the visit by First Lady Michelle 

Obama to Camp Noah at the McAlpine Recreation Center in Birmingham, Alabama on 

Wednesday July 18, 2012. 

I wish to express my heartfelt appreciation 

and gratitude to my dear friend and our First 

Lady, Michelle Obama, who traveled a long 

way last week to honor her commitment to return to Alabama to see our recovery efforts 

from the devastating tornadoes of April 27, 

2011. President Obama and the First Lady 

visited Alabama two days after the storms to 

witness first-hand the destruction. They promised federal assistance and that we would not 

be forgotten. On July 18, 2012, the First Lady 

held true to her promise to return to Alabama 

to see our recovery and rebuilding progress. 

We will never forget the tremendous losses 

suffered by the April tornadoes which claimed 

the lives of 253 Alabamians. Yet out of that 

devastation, we found hope and showed great 

resilience in working together to rebuild our 

communities. The First Lady’s visit gave us 

the opportunity to show our progress as she 

witnessed the healing spirit of the children affected by the tornadoes. 

During her visit to Birmingham, First Lady 

Michelle Obama surprised a crowd of nearly 

100 kids, grades first through sixth, at 

McAlpine Recreation Center participating in 

Camp Noah. The summer camp is sponsored 

by Ascension Lutheran Church in Huntsville, 

AL and is part of a national project designed 

to help kids heal from their disaster experience through music, life-skill training and arts 

and crafts. 

The First Lady greeted the children with a 

smile and words of encouragement. She graciously took the time to hug each and every 

one of the children. The kids’ excitement and 

joy when the First Lady entered the room was 


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