December 10, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E2369 

will only continue to grow until we reverse 

course. As if that amount were not difficult 

enough to comprehend. it is expected that 

when the new total is released later this 

month, it is likely to be over $56 trillion. 

Over and over again there are warning 

signs that something is terribly wrong in our 

economy. You may have read recently that 

China now tops Japan in U.S. debt holdings, 

amounting to about 1 out of every 10 American dollars. In my opinion there is no greater 

wake up call than China—a government who 

persecutes its own people because of their 

faith—slowly becoming our banker. 

This is an economic, moral, and 

generational issue. I think about sitting on my 

front porch someday and telling my grandchildren about my days serving in Congress. It 

isn’t right for us to look the other way while 

out-of-control entitlement spending threatens 

the way future generations will live. 

George Washington said that, ‘‘Worry is the 

interest paid by those who borrow trouble.’’ 

I worry that Congress isn’t up to its job, and 

we will allow our children and grandchildren to 

languish in a political divide. The SAFE Commission process gives us the necessary push 

to get the job done. 

We are at the point of no return in our nation’s history. We have hard questions to answer. Are we willing to make the sacrifices 

necessary so that future generations will have 

even greater opportunities than today? 

National syndicated columnist Robert Samuelson recently wrote, ‘‘The great project of 

the next president is to improve the economy’s 

stability without subverting its vitality.’’ Make 

no mistake, autopilot entitlement spending is 

slowly undermining America as we know it. 

Isabel Sawhill, senior fellow at The Brookings Institution, has likened this situation to 

‘‘termites in the woodwork, slowly eroding our 

strength as a nation.’’ 

Congress must do the right thing for the 

American people. Support the SAFE effort, 

and if there are other bipartisan proposals that 

could pass Congress, let’s look at those, too. 

But we just can’t continue the current 

course. 

f 

A TRIBUTE TO YVONNE NIXONORR 

HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I rise today 

to pay tribute and to honor Yvonne Nixon-Orr. 

In 1970, Yvonne immigrated to the United 

States and has resided in Brooklyn, New York. 

Soon after her arrival, she began teaching at 

the Haitian American Day Care Center, and 

later joined the New York City Department of 

Education (NYCDOE) where she has been 

teaching for more than 25 years. Middle 

School 61 in District 17 is where her career 

with the NYCDOE began as a literacy instructor for 6th and 7th graders. All along, she 

maintained her volunteering as a Sunday 

school teacher and an assistant youth coordinator at her local church, planning and implementing activities for the youth of the community. 

Yvonne Nixon-Orr is presently the school librarian at P.S. 181, The John Steptoe School 

in Brooklyn, working with students from 

Grades K through 8. In her functions, she 

helps students to develop a love for books 

and multicultural literature. In her teaching, 

she imparts skills that incorporate literacy, social studies, and the arts. Yvonne is passionate about imparting a love for learning and 

moral responsibility to the youngsters she encounters in the Public School system classrooms. In her role as a staff developer, she 

shares instructional techniques and skills with 

colleagues, mentors and assists new teachers 

with methodology, classroom management, 

and facilitates their transition to the New York 

public school system. Through her dedication 

and hard work as an educator, she has 

touched many lives and has equally had her 

own life enriched by working with colleagues, 

students, and families from diverse cultural 

and linguistic backgrounds. 

Yvonne Nixon-Orr holds an Associate Degree of Science from New York City Technical 

College, a Bachelor of Arts from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York 

(CUNY), and a Master’s Degree in Elementary 

Education from Adelphi University. Her postgraduate education focus has been in literacy 

development. She continues to enhance her 

knowledge of education and teaching skills by 

reading and attending professional workshops 

and seminars that expand on the latest development in literacy and the best approaches to 

teaching and learning in the 21st century. 

Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize 

Yvonne Nixon-Orr for her extraordinary contributions to education in New York City. 

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to 

join me in paying tribute to Yvonne Nixon-Orr. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO THE ST. ANTHONY 

BULLDOGS GIRLS GOLF TEAM 

HON. JOHN SHIMKUS 

OF ILLINOIS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 

Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, I rise today 

to pay tribute to an outstanding group of 

young women from Effingham, IL. 

The St. Anthony Bulldogs Girls Golf Team 

took State Championship honors October 18, 

knocking off runner-up Champaign St. Thomas 

More by 10 strokes to capture their second 

consecutive State title. The conclusion marked 

a rally from a seventh place standing midway 

through the State Championship competition. 

I want to send my congratulations and those 

of the House to Coach Kevin Behl and the 

members of the St. Anthony Bulldogs State 

Championship Team: Kelli Griffin, Kelly 

McHugh, Lauren Kabbes, Emily Calhoon, Taylor Behl, Jackie Wortman, and Shelby Spruell. 

We are all inspired by their dedication, their 

courage in the face of adversity, and their determination not to give up, even when trailing 

going into the final day of competition. Their 

victory is one which will long be remembered 

in the storied history of St. Anthony, and their 

back to back titles will stand as a statewide 

tribute to their devotion to excellence. 

A TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL NONNAN 

HAYNES 

HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 

Mr. TOWNS. Madam Speaker, I rise today 

to pay tribute and to honor Michael Nonnan 

Haynes. Mr. Haynes, a Brooklyn native, 

earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics 

from Northwestern University. He later began 

a career at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, 

becoming the first African-American Senior Director of Clearing House Operations there. 

Mr. Haynes, in 1990, shifted his career 

focus from supporting people’s financial pursuits to supporting people coping with the 

emergent HIV/AIDS pandemic. One of Mr. 

Haynes’ proudest moments as Director of African American Services for Stop AIDS Chicago 

was when he provided HIV/AIDS prevention 

education for a Youth Summit at Operation 

PUSH. 

Mr. Haynes continued his quest to serve by 

moving to Santa Fe to work for a workshop 

that changed his life, The Experience. This 

personal growth and empowerment workshop 

gave him new tools and refined what his tightknit circle of support (family, extended family 

and friends) had taught him about ‘‘being’’ with 

people. Santa Fe is also where Mr. Haynes 

became infected with HIV. 

While this might have sidetracked another, it 

only empowered Mr. Haynes’ desire to give 

back even more. Currently, he works for the 

New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation as an Assistant Director in the Office of 

Behavioral Health. In this capacity, he has 

spearheaded innovations in chemical dependency treatment as they concern the eleven 

public hospitals, including Woodhull, Kings 

County, and Coney Island hospitals. Honored 

as a Join Together National Leadership Fellow 

by Boston University’s School of Public 

Health, Mr. Haynes has championed the implementation of cutting edge, researched 

based practices that effectively lead Brooklyn 

and city-wide residents through chemical dependency treatment and onto the road to recovery. 

These contributions to the Brooklyn 

healthcare community over the past 13 years, 

are evident, but none more personal or visible 

than Haynes’ face and prevention message on 

billboards, bus shelters, and subway stations 

throughout New York City and worldwide 

through the internet as part of the HIV Stops 

With Me campaign. 

Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize 

Michael Nonnan Haynes for his extraordinary 

accomplishments in HIV/AIDS prevention and 

treatment efforts. 

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to 

join me in paying tribute to Michael Nonnan 

Haynes. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO THE SUNY CORTLAND 

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM 

HON. MICHAEL A. ARCURI OF NEW YORK

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 

Mr. ARCURI. Madam Speaker, I rise today 

in recognition of the State University of New