E2246 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks October 3, 2008 

break human beings, to convert the population 

into specimens in a zoo—obedient to our 

keepers, but dangerous to each other.’’ 

Is that our goal? Are jails and prisons rehabilitating or are they simply creating more dangerous criminals? We need to better understand what is happening in our society and 

take account for it. This legislation maintains a 

log—a report that will track deaths in custody. 

The more we know what is going on, the more 

responsible we must become. It is my belief 

that this is just the beginning of a criminal justice system that needs reform. 

f 

IN RECOGNITION OF HONOR 

FLIGHT 

HON. RON KIND 

OF WISCONSIN

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Mr. KIND. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 

commend Honor Flight for their ongoing work 

to honor America’s veterans. Honor Flight provides World War II veterans the opportunity to 

travel to Washington, DC, to visit and reflect at 

the World War II Memorial constructed in their 

honor. Funded by donations from businesses 

and individuals, the trip is absolutely free of 

charge and serves as an excellent tribute to 

veterans who sacrificed, some paying the ultimate price, in the name of freedom. 

Started in 2005 by Earl Morse, Honor Flight 

has grown from a small operation, flying a 

dozen veterans at a time in small private 

planes, to a network of affiliates that spans 30 

States and transports hundreds of veterans to 

Washington on commercial airliners to see 

their memorial. 

On October 8, 2008, the local Honor Flight 

Affiliate in my hometown of La Crosse, Wisconsin, will be flying some 180 veterans, many 

of whom reside in my district, to Washington, 

DC, to visit the World War II memorial. I would 

like to personally thank Neil Duresky, Chuck 

Hanson, and Randy Eddy for all their hard 

work to make this dream a reality for Wisconsin veterans, who served their country so 

admirably and with such courage. Without 

Honor Flight, many veterans would never have 

the opportunity to travel to Washington to see 

the memorial that was constructed in their 

honor. 

Given the enormity of the sacrifice made by 

those who have served and continue to serve 

our country with the highest degree of honor 

and bravery, there is nothing we can do to 

fully repay them for their efforts. Thanks to 

Honor Flight, however, we can offer them the 

chance to visit the memorial dedicated to their 

service. 

It is my sincere hope that the actions of 

Honor Flight inspire others to pause and reflect upon the sacrifices made and effort expended by our men and women in uniform, 

who are the best in the world. I will continue 

to honor and pay tribute to those who serve 

our country for their sense of duty and extraordinary courage. 

HONORING ROBERT AND DONNA 

DEPRIEST 

HON. JIM COOPER OF TENNESSEE

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Mr. COOPER. Madam Speaker, I am honored to select Robert and Donna DePriest as 

the Fifth District of Tennessee’s Angels in 

Adoption nominee this year. 

Robert and Donna, and their children, Matthew and Melissa—all of Old Hickory, Tennessee—have devoted almost 15 years of 

their lives to the love, care, and support of numerous children from Tennessee’s foster care 

system. I greatly admire their service to help 

provide a home to some of the neediest children in our society. 

The DePriests stand out as foster parents 

because of their commitment to medically 

fragile children—many of whom had a very 

short life expectancy. The devotion and sacrifice this family has made to these special 

children has been truly above and beyond 

their call of duty. Due to the specific needs of 

these children, the family is often required to 

be specially trained in a variety of medical procedures. Though the level of care needed for 

these special children has frequently made it 

difficult for the DePreists to participate in family activities outside the home, they have still 

remained both willing and passionate about 

continuing to provide homes and care for 

many children in Tennessee. 

The DePriest family has adopted four of the 

children that they cared for over the years. 

These children are Zachary, 12, Angel, 5, 

Heaven, 4, and Savannah, 2. 

I appreciate all that the DePriest family has 

done, and thank them for their service. I hope 

that the DePriest family will continue to love 

and care for Tennessee’s children for many 

years to come. 

f 

A TRIBUTE TO RICHARD LOPEZ 

HON. RANDY NEUGEBAUER OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Madam Speaker, I 

would like to take this time to remember Richard Lopez, a long-time champion of those less 

fortunate in West Texas. Mr. Lopez passed 

away on June 8, 2008, at the age of 74. 

Richard Lopez inherited his charitable spirit 

from his father, with whom he would travel 

long distances as a child to collect fruit and 

vegetables to deliver to their neighbors in 

need. He carried these lessons learned as a 

child forward and become known for his work 

as the executive director of the Guadalupe 

Economic Services Corporation and as the cofounder of the South Plains Food Bank. 

Born in Edinburg, Texas, Mr. Lopez attended the University of Mississippi and married Rachel Bustillos on April 7th, 1982 in Lubbock, Texas. Following the destructive tornado 

that struck Lubbock in 1970, Mr. Lopez 

worked to help rebuild devastated parts of 

North Lubbock. 

He was a tireless advocate for area migrant 

workers and of the less fortunate in Lubbock. 

He was widely known as the ‘‘Cesar Chavez 

of West Texas’’ because of his compassion for 

others. A rare leader, Mr. Lopez never missed 

an opportunity to help people find affordable 

housing or to offer encouragement to farm laborers before they left to work on the harvest. 

Mr. Lopez was dedicated to his community. 

In addition to more than 25 years of service 

with the Guadalupe Economic Services Corporation and the South Plains Food Bank, he 

was the founder of the Ad Hoc Committee for 

Farm Workers in West Texas and a founder of 

the Lubbock Indigent Health Consortium. He 

also received countless community service 

awards in recognition of his devotion to others. 

Those from District 19, including myself, will 

miss Mr. Lopez’s enthusiasm for life, dedication to the betterment of his community, and 

his great passion for helping those around 

him. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO RETIRING CONGRESSIONAL MEMBER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE DAVE WELDON 

(FL–15) 

HON. ADAM H. PUTNAM OF FLORIDA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, October 3, 2008 

Mr. PUTNAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today 

to honor a colleague and friend, U.S. Representative DAVE WELDON who has served this 

body and the people of Florida well over the 

last 14 years. 

Congressman WELDON has made valuable 

contributions not only to the people of Florida’s 15th Congressional District, but also to 

the U.S. House of Representatives and the 

American public at large, who will continue to 

realize his long-standing efforts and contributions into the future. 

As most in this body know, Dr. DAVE

WELDON, M.D., F.A.C.P. of Melbourne, Florida, 

is a practicing physician and Army veteran. 

His background and expertise have been 

called upon on numerous occasions to 

strengthen this nation’s space program, 

healthcare policy, energy resources, foreign 

affairs, and veterans’ programs among others. 

Dr. WELDON was the first medical doctor to 

have served in Congress from the State of 

Florida, and continues to treat patients at a 

Veterans’ clinic in his congressional district on 

a volunteer basis. Rep. WELDON served on the 

House Appropriations Committee, and in that 

capacity was a member on various subcommittees, including the Science, State, Justice and Commerce Subcommittee, which has 

funding oversight of several key executive 

branch agencies including NASA. In the 110th 

Congress, he served on the Labor, Health, 

and Human Services, as well as the State and 

Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittees. 

I have had the privilege to work closely with 

Dr. WELDON regarding many issues affecting 

Florida, as his congressional district borders 

my own in central Florida. In areas such as 

the space program and NASA, he has become a leader and will be long-recognized. I 

also worked hand-in-hand with him during several tumultuous hurricanes, in which he gave 

so generously of his efforts to benefit and rebuild for the people of our state. 

His leadership in the House included serving as Vice Chairman of the Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, for 8 


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