September 21, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E1605 

VA MAJOR CONSTRUCTION AUTHORIZATION AND EXPIRING AUTHORITIES EXTENSION ACT OF 

2012 

SPEECH OF

HON. CORRINE BROWN OF FLORIDA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

today in support of this long overdue legislation. Among many worthy projects included in 

this legislation, this bill authorizes the 

uncompleted construction on the operating 

rooms at the Miami VA Medical Center. 

Every month this construction is delayed, 

the VA has to pay an additional $500,000 for 

a portable operating room. Since this was first 

brought to our attention in May, that will be 

over $2.5 million as of the end of this month. 

That is $2,500,000 that could better be spent 

on the veterans of Florida for their care and 

comfort. 

This project is over 95 percent completed. 

This bill needs to be passed now. 

I want to thank the Chairman of the Veterans’ Committee, Mr. MILLER for his help in 

getting the issue included in a vehicle that 

could pass both the House and the Senate. 

There is a dire need for this Medical Center to 

be whole, with veterans from all over the State 

of Florida traveling there for treatment. 

The original plan for this project was to divide the operating room in half and renovate 

it in stages. When I visited the Medical Center 

in June, I heard directly from the administrators of the facility about the project. The planners on the ground realized soon after the 

construction began that patients could have 

been put at risk due to contamination of the 

operating room by the construction on the 

other side of the room. 

Veterans health was being put at risk, and 

rather than let that happen, it was decided, by 

those who know veterans health the best, 

those at the health facilities, to combine the 

projects into one and rent the portable operating rooms. 

It is time for Congress to pass this bill and 

finish the construction in Miami that our veterans deserve through their service protecting 

the freedoms this nation hold so dear. 

f 

HONORING JOHN LOWRY 

HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, September 20, 2012 

Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today 

with my colleague Rep. MIKE THOMPSON to 

recognize the outstanding career of John 

Lowry. John is retiring after 28 years of service with Burbank Housing. His inspirational 

leadership in providing affordable housing in 

Sonoma County, California has given thousands of disadvantaged and low-income 

Sonoma County residents a place they can 

call home. 

Originally from New York City, John graduated from New York University and holds BA 

and MA degrees with majors in economics, 

politics and history. He later decided to obtain 

a general contractors license and build his 

own home. This sparked his interest in selfhelp housing, which he would later incorporate 

into Burbank Housing’s Homeownership Program. 

John began his career of providing affordable housing to Sonoma County California as 

a project manager on Burbank’s first two 

projects. He was their second employee. 

Under John’s leadership, the non-profit has 

grown to 140 employees who build, manage 

and maintain 2,700 affordable rental units as 

well as helping another 750 families own their 

homes. 

John’s work has been lauded by his peers, 

including being named an Inspirational NonProfit Leader. The Sonoma County Housing 

Coalition has honored him with both their Lifetime Achievement Award and their Housing 

Hero Award. 

John also serves our community by working 

with the California Coalition for Rural Housing 

and the Home Builders Association of Northern California. He has served on the board of 

Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern 

California as well. 

In retirement, John plans to continue working to influence state and local housing policies. Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time 

that we thank John Lowry for his many years 

of service on behalf of the people of Sonoma 

County. He has worked tirelessly to demonstrate his unwavering belief that low-income 

people of all ages, backgrounds and special 

needs deserve to live in decent, affordable 

housing. For this, he deserves our appreciation. 

f 

CONGRATULATING MAJOR 

GENERAL PETER J. BOYLAN 

HON. PAUL C. BROUN OF GEORGIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, September 20, 2012 

Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise 

today to honor and congratulate Major General Peter J. Boylan who is celebrating his 

twentieth year as President of Georgia Military 

College (GMC), and is the longest serving 

President of the college since its founding in 

1879. General Boylan has worked wonders for 

GMC as he is responsible for restoring the 

reputation and financial stability of the school, 

which is now ranked one of the best community colleges in the nation. Through his unwavering determination, he planned and secured 

funding to rebuild and renovate every structure 

on the GMC-Milledgeville campus, made possible the addition of previously non-existent 

athletic fields and facilities, and renovated, relocated, or established-as-new every GMC 

distant learning and extension center in the 

state. 

Not only is General Boylan a tireless leader 

and a staunch champion of the academics, he 

is also a distinguished military retiree himself. 

He served for more than thirty years in the 

United States Army which included two tours 

in the Republic of South Vietnam, and he also 

participated in the invasion of Grenada with 

the 82nd Airborne Division. General Boylan’s 

devotion to his country led him to later work 

with the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon 

and eventually as Deputy Inspector General of 

the Army. His list of achievements is monumental, which is a testament to how blessed 

the student body, staff, and faculty of GMC 

are to have him as President. Some of his 

most notable awards include the Distinguished 

Service Medal, the Silver Star, the Bronze 

Star, and the Purple Heart amongst many others. 

General Boylan’s academic accomplishments are equally as impressive. He has a 

Masters degree in engineering from the University of Michigan as well as a Doctor of 

Laws from Flagler College. For much of his 

tenure at GMC, General Boylan has stressed 

that character building is an integral part of a 

good education. Having also served, I understand the importance of teaching our youth 

these traits, and couldn’t be more supportive 

of General Boylan in his efforts. Moreover, 

General Boylan still finds the time to be an active community servant and a faithful family 

man. He has been honored with the Floyd 

Harrington Community Leadership Award, he 

served on the Committee for the Selection of 

White House Fellows (New York Region) and 

was appointed by the Governor of Georgia to 

the Board of Directors for the Department of 

Juvenile Justice. Most importantly, he and his 

wife, Kathleen, have five children and thirteen 

grandchildren. 

I know that GMC, the entire state of Georgia, and this nation are forever grateful to 

General Boylan for his unwavering love for his 

country, his dutiful service within the military, 

and his constant willingness to give back to 

our nation’s youth. I am honored to stand here 

today and congratulate him on twenty years 

as President of Georgia Military College. 

f 

IN TRIBUTE TO RUSSELL E. TRAIN 

HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN OF MARYLAND

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, September 21, 2012 

Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today 

to pay tribute to my friend, Russell E. Train, 

one of our country’s most influential and accomplished environmentalists, who died on 

September 17, 2012 at age 92. 

Russell Train was instrumental in developing our nation’s environmental policies. He 

served under Presidents Nixon and Ford as 

the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Under his leadership, the nation 

made large strides in protecting our air, water, 

and wildlife, including the adoption of the Safe 

Drinking Water Act, the Toxic Substance Control Act, the Clean Air Act, coastal zone management, national land-use policy, environmental impact statements and the Endangered 

Species Act. During his tenure, EPA banned 

four extremely toxic farm chemicals—aldrin, 

dieldrin, heptachlor and chlordane—and instituted automobile emission limits. 

Mr. Train developed the concept and promoted the establishment of UNESCO’s 

(United Nations Educational, Scientific and 

Cultural Organization) World Heritage program, which provides vital protection to 730 

cultural and natural sites around the world and 

builds on the American national park concept. 

Mr. Train’s passion and dedication for conservation and the environment were strengthened by travels with his wife Aileen to Africa. 

In 1961 he founded the African Wildlife Leadership Foundation and in 1965 he resigned as 

a United States Tax Court judge to become 


tjames on DSK6SPTVN1PROD with REMARKS