October 3, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E2237 

World War II Memorial that was built to honor 

the 16 million Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Merchant Mariners who served our Nation during World War 

II. 

With the strong belief that everything good 

in his life is because of these courageous veterans, Mr. Miller began a campaign to send 

every World War II veteran from Henderson 

County to Washington, DC to see the memorial, which opened in 2004. World War II veterans who had not already been to the memorial and had physical or financial limitations 

were offered the chance to take the trip. The 

community came together to raise the money 

to fund the project. Many community groups, 

businesses and individuals contributed to this 

project, allowing these brave veterans to travel 

to Washington to see the memorial that was 

built in their honor. Mr. Miller, the Honor Air 

volunteers and contributors have all given 

something back to those for whom the debt 

can never be repaid. By the time it makes its 

last flight, 625 veterans from Hendersonville, 

NC will have made the Honor Air trip. 

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join 

me today in expressing my appreciation and 

admiration for Jeff Miller, who made it possible 

for so many of our veterans to have the opportunity to see the National World War II Memorial. 

f 

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT RESEARCH 

INSTITUTE 30TH ANNIVERSARY— 

TRIBUTE 

HON. GEORGE MILLER OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Madam 

Speaker, among the key areas of jurisdiction 

for the Education and Labor Committee are 

employee benefits—specifically, retirement 

and health benefits—that are so important to 

the economic security of American workers. 

Over the years, Congress has passed various 

laws designed to protect and strengthen the 

health and pension benefit programs that millions of American workers and retirees depend 

on. 

Congress needs timely and objective data in 

order to determine and ensure that these critical programs are delivering needed benefits. 

When Government data is not available, one 

of the most valuable resources we have to 

help us understand what is happening in these 

areas is the nonpartisan and nonprofit Employee Benefit Research Institute, EBRI, which 

marks its 30th anniversary this year. 

EBRI is a rare organization in Washington: 

It does not take policy positions and it does 

not lobby—its mission is to provide objective, 

accurate, reliable research. One of the reasons its work gets attention and is respected 

is because EBRI does not have an ideological 

agenda and it does not try to ‘‘spin’’ the numbers. Because EBRI is a non-advocacy organization, legislators on both sides of the aisle 

can use its work with confidence. 

EBRI also has important educational initiatives, in particular its ‘‘Chose to Save’’ program, which has produced and distributed 

award-winning public service announcements 

designed to help Americans wake up to the 

need for saving. This campaign also provides 

valuable tools so workers can quickly and easily determine a ‘‘Ballpark Estimate’’ of how 

much they need to save, and gives them 

pointers on how to start saving and where to 

go for help. 

EBRI was created partly as a result of the 

enactment in 1974 of ERISA, the major Federal law governing health and retirement benefits, because employers needed objective, reliable information about benefit trends. Much 

has changed since then, both in the benefits 

that American workers receive, and in the 

Federal laws that govern those benefits. 

EBRI’s work has helped lawmakers, plan 

sponsors, workers, and the news media understand current trends and how proposed 

legislative changes are likely to affect the benefits system. 

EBRI has been guided by Dallas Salisbury, 

its president and chief executive officer. Mr. 

Salisbury has been an important analyst and 

contributor to national public policy decision 

making on employee benefits. His thoughtful 

and often prescient analyses have aided lawmakers throughout the years. 

EBRI’s research provides information that is 

critical to the decisions made by public policymakers. As EBRI celebrates its 30th anniversary, I want to thank them for decades of 

quality work. We look forward to their continued research and analysis in the future. 

f 

HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE 

OF U.S. NAVY PETTY OFFICER 

MATTHEW J. O’BRYANT 

HON. JO BONNER OF ALABAMA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Mr. BONNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today 

with a heavy heart to remember the life and 

courageous service of United States Navy 

Petty Officer Third Class Matthew J. O’Byrant. 

Petty Officer O’Byrant was killed in a terrorist attack at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, 

Pakistan, a cowardly act that claimed the lives 

of 53 people including two members of our 

country’s armed forces. Matthew was serving 

in support of Operation Enduring Freedom 

from Islamabad. 

A native of Theodore, AL, Matthew O’Bryant 

excelled in the ROTC program at Theodore 

High School and was assigned to Navy Information Operations Command at Fort Meade, 

MD, as a cryptologic technician. 

As a cryptologic technician, Petty Officer 

O’Bryant was in charge of maintaining the advanced communications and technological 

equipment so vital to America’s success in 

21st century warfare. 

Petty Officer O’Bryant’s brother, along with 

two of his cousins, had enlisted to serve in the 

Navy. Coming from a Navy family, Petty Officer O’Bryant was deployed to Pakistan for 

only 30 days before the blast that took his life. 

At his funeral, Matthew’s brother, Lawrence, 

remembered him by saying, ‘‘There were four 

of us in the Navy. Well, there’s three of us 

now. I guess there will always be four of us 

because he will always be in the Navy.’’ 

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to 

take a moment to reflect upon the many things 

that have helped to make this the greatest 

country on the face of the planet. And to that 

end, we must acknowledge that soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines like Petty Officer 

O’Bryant deserve the highest praise for their 

unselfish service and, in this particular case, 

for their willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice. 

Madam Speaker, I hope you and my colleagues will join me in paying tribute to Petty 

Officer Matthew O’Bryant. We should also remember his wife, Bridgett O’Bryant; his parents, Barbara and Tommy O’Bryant; his two 

sisters, Janet O’Bryant and Nancy O’Bryant; 

his brother, Lawrence O’Bryant; and his other 

relatives and many friends. 

Our prayer is that God will give them all the 

strength and courage that only He can provide 

to sustain them during the difficult days ahead. 

May Matthew rest in peace. He was without 

question a true American hero. 

f 

RECOGNIZING THE HONORABLE 

BUD CRAMER AND THE HONORABLE TERRY EVERETT ON 

THEIR RETIREMENT FROM CONGRESS 

SPEECH OF

HON. ROY BLUNT OF MISSOURI

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, September 24, 2008 

Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, TERRY came to 

the U.S. House of Representatives a successful businessman and is now heading back to 

Alabama as a successful congressman. No 

one doubts that TERRY knows the values of a 

hard day’s work. He’s been a farmer, an Air 

Force specialist, a small business owner and 

newsman. He served the people of Alabama’s 

second district, stretching from Autauga down 

to Dothan, for the last 16 years with that same 

work ethic, and they have benefited from his 

service. 

TERRY came to Congress as an intelligence 

expert from his days in the Air Force and an 

agriculture expert from his days on the farm— 

skills he put to good use sitting on the Agriculture, Armed Services and Select Intelligence committees. 

I’m going to miss TERRY when Congress reconvenes next year. The whole House will 

miss his work ethic, keen insight and ability to 

get things done. His retirement is a blow to 

those in Washington that know and rely on 

him, but if anyone deserves our thanks for a 

job well done it is certainly my friend and longtime colleague T

f 

ERRY EVERETT. 

AUTHORIZE FUNDING FOR THE 

NATIONAL CRIME VICTIM LAW 

INSTITUTE FOR VICTIMS UNDER 

CRIME VICTIMS LEGAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS AS PART OF 

THE VICTIMS OF CRIME ACT OF 

1984 

HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam 

Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 3641, ‘‘A 

bill to authorize funding for the National Crime 

Victim Law Institute to provide support for victims of crime under Crime Victims Legal Assistance Programs as a part of the Victims of 


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