E2382 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks December 10, 2008 

the Financial Services Committee, the Committee on Homeland Security, as well as the 

Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, where he is the ranking member of the 

Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs. 

Known as a ‘‘maverick’’ and an ‘‘independent thinker,’’ one of his most well-known 

legislative accomplishments is probably the 

Shays-Meehan bill, which was signed into law 

as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 

2002. In his work on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, CHRIS played a 

key role during the debate to create the new 

Department of Homeland Security. 

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join 

me in recognizing a dedicated leader and 

friend to many in this body. I know his family, 

his wife, Betsi; his daughter, Jeramy; and his 

many friends and colleagues join me in honoring his accomplishments and extending 

thanks for his service over the years on behalf 

of the state of Connecticut and the United 

States of America. 

CHRIS will surely enjoy the well deserved 

time he now has to spend with his family and 

loved ones. I wish him the best of luck in all 

his future endeavors. 

f 

RECOGNIZING THE ‘‘HELPING OUR 

HEROES FOUNDATION’’ 

HON. MADELEINE Z. BORDALLO OF GUAM

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 

Ms. BORDALLO. Madam Speaker, I rise 

today to recognize the Helping Our Heroes 

Foundation (HOHF) for its many accomplishments, and their volunteers for their support of 

our servicemembers and their families. 

The Helping Our Heroes Foundation, founded in October of 2004, is preparing to conclude its mission at the end of this year. Over 

the past four years, the Helping Our Heroes 

Foundation has provided funding and services 

and organized volunteers in support of 

servicemembers injured in Operation Enduring 

Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 

Helping Our Heroes Foundation has done so 

through a partnership with the Department of 

the Army. This partnership has improved the 

quality and scope of services and opportunities made available to our veterans during and 

after their recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. The support 

provided by the Helping Our Heroes Foundation has boosted morale for our veterans and 

assisted their families with challenges associated with recovery. 

Among its many initiatives, the Helping Our 

Heroes Foundation has supported our wounded heroes by sponsoring baby showers for expectant mothers who are spouses of injured 

servicemembers, resume writing workshops 

for veterans ready to transition to the civilian 

workforce, scholarships to enable advanced 

education and training, and activities to bring 

the community together. The Helping Our Heroes Foundation also has excelled in its goal 

of securing charitable donations in support of 

veterans programs. These are a few examples 

of the Foundation’s overall efforts. 

Volunteers are at the heart of the Helping 

Our Heroes Foundation’s success. The leadership of its Board of Directors and its founding 

donors has enabled the Foundation to fulfill its 

goals. In particular, Ms. Karen TheobaldConlin, who serves as President of the Helping Our Heroes Foundation, is to be recognized for her initiative and commitment. On 

this occasion, communities and veterans 

across the country are joining together to recognize the support provided by the Helping 

Our Heroes Foundation, its Board of Directors 

and volunteers, to our wounded heroes and 

their families. As a Member of Congress who 

has taken part in their activities at Walter 

Reed Army Medical Center, and witnessed the 

good work of their volunteers, I join others in 

recognizing the role the Helping Our Heroes 

Foundation has served for our veterans. We 

will continue to honor our veterans based on 

the foundation established by the Helping Our 

Heroes Foundation. 

f 

TRIBUTE TO KAREN DAVIS 

HON. LEE TERRY OF NEBRASKA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 

Mr. TERRY. Madam Speaker, I rise to 

honor the accomplishments of Karen Davis. 

Karen recently celebrated 10 years of service 

in my Omaha Congressional Office. She is a 

dedicated servant to the Second Congressional District of Nebraska. She works hard 

and deserves accolades. 

Karen Davis serves as Outreach Coordinator for my Omaha Congressional Office. 

Karen is the epitome of customer service. 

Karen has the skill and understanding to help 

seniors make sense of complex issues such 

as Medicare and Medicaid. Although at times 

carrying a crushing workload while being a 

working mother, she is accessible, helpful and 

always puts constituents first. Her dedication 

to service has touched thousands of individuals during her 10 years. I should also point 

out that Karen’s dad was a Tuskeegee airman—a point of pride for not only Karen but 

all of us in our office. 

Karen, today I offer you a heartfelt thank 

you. Thank you for your vision, passion and 

understanding. You should be proud of the 

many things you have accomplished over the 

years. I know I am. I consider you a friend and 

I am grateful to have you on my team. Thank 

you. 

f 

WEYERHAEUSER: CORPORATE 

LEADERSHIP 

HON. DAVID G. REICHERT OF WASHINGTON

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 

Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, I rise 

today in acknowledgment of the wonderful and 

continuous success of the Weyerhaeuser Corporation, located in my home state of Washington. This past October, Weyerhaeuser was 

named to the Dow Jones Sustainability 

Index—an index that tracks North American 

companies in terms of their environmental, social and economic performance—and is the 

only North American company named in the 

category of forestry and paper products. 

Weyerhaeuser, one of the largest pulp and 

paper companies in the world, and the world’s 

largest private owner of softwood timberland, 

is indeed a global leader in terms of sustainability. Along with many other innovative environmental initiatives, they have committed to 

reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by 

40 percent by the year 2020 based on their 

2000 levels and have already made great 

strides. They also employ over 40,000 people 

all over the world who contribute positively to 

each community they reside in and, in 2007, 

sales at Weyerhaeuser totaled more than $16 

billion. 

As a staunch supporter of conservation and 

the innovative environmental leadership of 

businesses both big and small, I congratulate 

Weyerhaeuser as a whole for the most recent 

acknowledgment of their environmental, social 

and economic success. Specifically, I salute 

Weyerhaeuser Chairman and CEO Steve 

Rogel, COO Richard Hanson and the Board of 

Directors for their fantastic leadership and vision. 

f 

RECOGNIZING THE HONORABLE 

RIC KELLER ON THE OCCASION 

OF HIS RETIREMENT FROM THE 

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

HON. JO BONNER OF ALABAMA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 

Mr. BONNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today 

to honor the distinguished career of the Honorable RIC KELLER for his service to the people 

of Florida and the U.S. House of Representatives. Congressman KELLER has represented 

the Eighth Congressional District of the State 

of Florida for the past eight years. 

Born and raised in Orlando, Florida, RIC

graduated first in his class at East Tennessee 

State University and received his law degree 

from Vanderbilt University. Before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, RIC

worked as a private lawyer in Orlando, helping 

write two state constitutional amendments to 

finance the cleanup of Everglades National 

Park. One, known as ‘‘Polluter Pays,’’ required 

sugar companies to contribute to the restoration of the Everglades. 

Raised by a single mother on a secretary’s 

salary, RIC used Pell Grants, federal grants for 

low-income college students, to help pay for 

his college education, and since coming to 

Congress, he has been a leading champion of 

Pell Grants. As a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, as well as founder and chairman of the Pell Grant Caucus, RIC

was successful in pushing to raise the maximum grant from $3,750 to $4,050 a year. 

RIC is also a member of the House Judiciary 

Committee, from which post he has been a 

leading advocate of the Community Oriented 

Policing Service (COPS) program, which 

makes law enforcement officers more visible 

by taking them out of patrol cars and putting 

them on neighborhood streets. 

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join 

me in recognizing a dedicated leader and 

friend to many in this body. I know his family, 

his wife, Dee Dee; his four children, Nick, 

Christy, Kaylee and Kate; and his many 

friends and colleagues join me in honoring his 

accomplishments and extending thanks for his 

service over the years on behalf of the State 

of Florida and the United States of America.