November 19, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E2279 

HONORING U.S. ARMY SERGEANT 

JOSE REGALADO 

HON. HILDA L. SOLIS OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Ms. SOLIS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 

pay tribute to U.S. Army SGT Jose Regalado 

who died while serving our country. 

SGT Jose Regalado was from El Sereno, 

California. He was born on May 11, 1985, and 

attended Sierra Park Elementary School, El 

Sereno Middle School, and Woodrow Wilson 

High School. As a high school student, Sergeant Regalado joined the Junior ROTC 

where he worked hard to move up the JROTC 

ranks. He earned the position of cadet battalion command sergeant major, the highest 

noncommissioned officer position in the battalion, and received several of the highest 

awards possible. 

Sergeant Regalado enlisted in the United 

States Army on July 22, 2003. He was a 

member of K Troop, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment from Fort Hood, 

Texas. 

On May 3, 2007 Sergeant Regalado married 

Sharri J. Ford, and on August 6, 2008, they 

were blessed with the birth of their daughter, 

Jaime. Sergeant Regalado was allowed to return to the United States for 18 days to meet 

his daughter; it would be the first and last time 

he would spend time with her. Sergeant 

Regalado lost his life on November 12, 2008, 

in Mosul, Iraq, as the result of injuries sustained from small arms fire. 

As a young man, Sergeant Regalado enriched the lives of his surrounding El Sereno 

community. His JROTC instructors recall his 

competitive spirit and noted that while he was 

very demanding of his cadets, he was well 

liked and respected. He was a devoted father, 

even carrying the ultrasound of his unborn 

daughter in his pocket while in Iraq. He was 

a loving husband and the proud son of Jose 

and Raquel Regalado. 

Sergeant Regalado served this country with 

courage, pride and loyalty. He gave the ultimate sacrifice to our country and for that we 

will be forever grateful to him and his family. 

My prayers and deepest sympathy go out to 

his wife and young daughter, family and 

friends. 

f 

IN RECOGNITION OF MADISON 

FORTENBERRY 

HON. JEFF MILLER OF FLORIDA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Mr. MILLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today 

to recognize Madison Fortenberry, whose incredible contributions to the field of robotics at 

the age of 16 serve as an example to young 

Americans throughout the United States. 

Mr. Fortenberry, a junior at Pace High 

School in Pace, Florida, has been pursuing his 

interests in science and technology from an 

early age. He utilizes multiple computer programming languages and works with a variety 

of micro-controllers in the creation of his robotics systems. While maintaining a perfect 4.0 

grade point average, Madison finds time to 

teach both basic electronics and micro-controller programming to his high school Robotics Club and to conduct his own robotics summer camp for elementary school children. 

Madison has spent years studying and creating robotic systems, but his recent achievement deserves special recognition. Recently, 

he built a full-size, operational robot that can 

perform multiple autonomous tasks around 

Pace High School. The ‘‘Versatile GeneralPurpose Experimental Robot,’’ or VGER, has 

the ability to accept a message from the 

school’s front office, ascertain a student’s 

scheduled location, deliver the message, and 

record a response for delivery back to the 

front office. This self-navigating robot is 5 feet 

tall, weighs over 200 pounds, contains 2 full 

computers and 11 micro-controllers, and even 

carries another small explorer robot that it can 

release to perform minor tasks. Robots like 

the VGER are usually developed in the advanced engineering labs of major universities; 

however, Mr. Fortenberry has created his 

robot with little assistance from his teachers. 

To have accomplished this enormous feat at 

such a young age is a testament to Madison’s 

dedication and passion in the robotics field. 

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the United 

States Congress, I am proud to honor Madison Fortenberry for his accomplishments in robotics, and I wish this young northwest Florida 

leader the best of luck on his future 

endeavours. 

f 

REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF 

TERRI BARTLETT AND HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO WOMEN’S REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE IN 

THE U.S. AND AROUND THE 

WORLD 

HON. BETTY McCOLLUM OF MINNESOTA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota. Madam 

Speaker, throughout my public career I have 

been a vocal and determined supporter of 

women’s reproductive healthcare, safe motherhood and the belief that all couples have a 

right to plan their family size by ensuring that 

women have access to voluntary family planning services. I want women in the U.S. and 

in every corner of the world to be healthy. 

Achieving this goal takes hard work and the 

commitment of people with passion, intellect 

and a drive to ensure that women have the 

right to make choices about their own 

healthcare needs. 

In Congress, I have the privilege of voting to 

support women’s reproductive healthcare, but 

there are many other important people who do 

the hard work everyday that makes the real 

differences in women’s lives. I had the honor 

of working with one such person who dedicated her life to serving the health needs of 

women and their families. 

Terri Bartlett was a champion for women 

and their families. She dedicated three decades of her life to ensuring the most basic 

right women so often are denied—the right to 

access safe reproductive healthcare. 

I got to know Terri in 2005 in her capacity 

as Vice President for Public Policy and Strategic Initiatives at Population Action International. Her mantra was expanding access to 

contraception for the poorest women on the 

planet to keep them productive, healthy and 

alive. Terri impressed me with her energy, 

good political sense, and tireless commitment. 

When Terri and I met it was not a good time 

in Congress to be advocating for women’s reproductive rights. Women healthcare was on 

the defensive and the world’s poorest women 

who needed U.S. support the most were increasingly being ignored. Their pain, their 

hopes and their desire for healthier children 

and control of their own lives was never ignored by Terri. She was their champion. She 

was often their voice in the halls of Congress. 

As we look ahead, with the election of 

President-Elect Barack Obama and strong 

Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and 

Senate, the issues of women’s reproductive 

healthcare and family planning will once again 

be the focus of constructive action and hopefully increased funding that will put the needs 

of women first—women in the U.S., as well as 

women in poor villages in Ethiopia and in the 

slums of Nairobi. This was the moment and 

the goal that Terri Bartlett worked so hard to 

achieve. The repeal of the Global Gag Rule, 

reinvestment in family planning, and making 

the lives of poor women a priority were Terri’s 

fights and she fought tirelessly. 

On Saturday, November 8, 2008, Terri Bartlett died unexpectedly in Nashville, TN. Her 

passing was a great shock and loss to friends, 

colleagues and those who loved her. This was 

a sad loss for me personally. 

In my work I get to meet many, many people who try and influence public policy. Terri 

Bartlett’s work and life went beyond shaping 

public policy. She helped to improve life for 

millions of women who never knew her. I am 

grateful for Terri’s work and I am thankful she 

entered my life. She will be missed by many, 

including me. 

f 

WORLD REMEMBRANCE FOR ROAD 

CRASH VICTIMS AND THEIR 

FAMILIES 

HON. ROBERT WEXLER OF FLORIDA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, November 19, 2008 

Mr. WEXLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today 

in observance of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims and their Families, which was on Sunday, November 16, 

2008, and to remember the countless victims 

of road crashes worldwide and offer my sincerest condolences to their families. Each 

year, road traffic crashes kill nearly 1.3 million 

people worldwide and injure over 50 million 

more. It is time for drastic measures to be 

taken to counter this unacceptable statistic, 

and until we take such action, the number of 

deaths and disabilities from road traffic crashes will continue to increase. At the current rate 

of growth, road traffic accidents will be the 

eighth leading cause of death by the year 

2030. 

The unfortunate reality of traffic accidents is 

that they are indiscriminate and affect victims 

regardless of age and class. Globally, more 

than 40% of all road traffic deaths occur 

among individuals under 25 years old, and 

crashes are the second leading cause of 

death for young people aged 5–25 years. 

Road crashes also come at a great cost to the 


wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with REMARKS