January 15, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E95 

wrong that millions of children, our most vulnerable citizens, go without basic access to 

health care. With a yes vote, 4 million more 

children will enjoy the benefits of a healthy future and a real chance in life. I urge a ‘‘yes’’ 

vote. 

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PERSONAL EXPLANATION 

HON. STEPHANIE HERSETH SANDLIN OF SOUTH DAKOTA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, January 15, 2009 

Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Madam Speaker, 

I regret that I was unable to participate in a 

vote on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday. 

The vote was H. Res. 40, amending the 

Rules of the House of Representatives to require each standing committee to hold periodic 

hearings on the topic of waste, fraud, abuse, 

or mismanagement in Government programs 

which that committee may authorize, and for 

other purposes. Had I been present, I would 

have voted ‘‘yea’’ on that question. 

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BOY SCOUT OF AMERICA’S 

DISTRICT AWARD OF MERIT 

HON. SOLOMON P. ORTIZ OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, January 15, 2009 

Mr. ORTIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to 

honor two constituents from South Texas: Patricia ‘‘Cherie’’ Camacho and Marion Velarde. 

These two South Texans have been awarded the District Award of Merit from the Boy 

Scouts of America, and it is the highest award 

bestowed upon volunteers in a district that 

symbolizes their exceptional and noteworthy 

service to youth in the Boy Scouts of America. 

Cherie has served as Scoutmaster for Pack 

59 for two years, a commissioner for the Tipo-Tex District for five years, and as the 2007 

Rio Grande Council Scoutorama Chairman. 

Her sons Travis and Jordan are currently in 

Pack 59, and son Ronald has achieved Eagle 

Scout rank and achieved the Arrow of Light 

award. 

Marion has served as assistant Scoutmaster 

for Troop 11 for eight years and as an assistant commissioner for the Tip-o-Tex district for 

three years. She has also held numerous positions with the Rio Grande Council. Marion 

has been a teacher and administrator for 

Brownsville Public Schools for over 25 years, 

and her son Alejandro achieved Eagle Scout 

rank. 

The Boy Scouts of America continue their 

tradition of providing quality programs for boys 

and young men. I am proud of both Cherie 

and Marion for taking an active role in lives of 

our youth. These parents serve as shining examples of love and duty in our communities. 

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TRIBUTE TO KEVIN E. QUINLAN 

HON. SHELLEY BERKLEY OF NEVADA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Thursday, January 15, 2009 

Ms. BERKLEY. Madam Speaker, as cochair of the Congressional Stop DUI Caucus, 

I rise today in tribute to one of the Nation’s top 

traffic safety officials, who has passed away 

suddenly. 

Kevin E. Quinlan was the Chief of the Safety Advocacy Division of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Mr. Quinlan was 

with the Safety Board for nearly 20 years, 

serving as the Alcohol and Drug Program Coordinator and Chief of the Safety Recommendations Division. He was instrumental 

in promoting State action on Safety Board recommendations to reduce fatalities, injuries, 

and crashes in all modes of transportation. Mr. 

Quinlan authored five major studies for the 

Board. Prior to his work with the NTSB, Mr. 

Quinlan served in the U.S. Army for 29 years, 

receiving the Legion of Merit and Meritorious 

Service Medal. He has an undergraduate degree from Boston University and graduate degrees from William and Mary, the U.S. Army 

Command and General Staff College, and the 

U.S. Air Force Air War College. 

Mr. Quinlan loved to travel and was skiing 

in Vermont when he suffered a fatal heart attack. He was well-respected and admired by 

everyone in the traffic safety community. He 

was a mentor to countless traffic safety advocates and an inspiration to the thousands of 

people who lost loved ones to the preventable 

crime of drunk driving. One of his greatest 

passions was the fight to stop drunk driving. 

His expert testimony led to the passage of 

many effective countermeasures across this 

Nation. His work has saved countless lives 

and I ask that my colleagues join me in honoring him today. 

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CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE 

PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION 

ACT OF 2009 

SPEECH OF

HON. LORETTA SANCHEZ 

OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 

Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. 

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate 

my colleagues on the passage of H.R. 2 yesterday afternoon. 

H.R. 2 is a critical piece of legislation that 

renews and improves the State Children’s 

Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that ensures health care coverage for over 11 million 

American children—including the addition of 4 

million, previously uninsured. 

This legislation also improves SCHIP benefits by ensuring coverage for dental and mental health services. 

H.R. 2 will reauthorize SCHIP through FY 

2013 and will be fully paid for through an increase in the tobacco tax. 

Raising the tobacco tax discourages children from smoking. According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the tobacco tax 

increase will prevent nearly 2 million children 

from starting to smoke. 

I am hopeful that the Senate will also pass 

H.R. 2 and I look forward to this important legislation becoming law under the new administration of President Obama. 

RECOGNIZING ISRAEL’S RIGHT TO 

DEFEND ITSELF AGAINST ATTACKS FROM GAZA 

SPEECH OF

HON. JACK KINGSTON OF GEORGIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, January 9, 2009 

Mr. KINGSTON. Madam Speaker, when 

Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005, 

the Islamic group Hamas—which does not acknowledge Israel’s right to exist—took control 

over the small strip of land. Since then, relations between Gaza and Israel have steadily 

deteriorated. 

On December 19, Hamas ended the 6- 

month cease-fire with Israel by launching dozens of rocket attacks into southern Israel, randomly targeting civilian neighborhoods. Eight 

days later, Israel began a counter defensive of 

large scale air strikes. Hamas has continually 

used Gaza as a launching pad for rockets 

against Israeli cities and has contributed deeply to a reduction in the quality of daily life and 

the deteriorating humanitarian situation. 

I deeply support Israel’s right to defend 

themselves against Hamas attacks. I also 

hope to see a sustainable crease-fire brokered 

to save the innocent victims of Hamas’ continual instigation of Israel’s defensive power. 

A friend recently sent me this compelling 

Washington Post article which I would like to 

submit for the RECORD. 

[From the Washington Post, Jan. 4, 2009] 

AS MY SON GOES TO WAR, I AM FULLY

ISRAELI AT LAST

(By Yossi Klein Halevi) 

JERUSALEM.—‘‘I just heard on the news 

that Gavriel’s base has been shelled,’’ my 

wife, Sarah, said to me last Tuesday, referring to our 19-year-old son, a member of an 

Israeli army tank unit waiting on the Gaza 

border for the order to enter. And, she added 

in a deliberately calm tone, ‘‘A soldier was 

killed.’’ We texted Gavriel, and within five 

minutes he called, safe. How, Sarah asked, 

did families survive war before cellphones? 

For days we waited for a cabinet decision: 

Will there be a land invasion or a new cease 

fire? The politicians began to bicker while 

our soldiers waited on the border, in the rain 

and the mud. Anything but this, I said to 

Sarah. Not another Lebanon War, which, 

like Gaza, began with an impressive show of 

Israeli air power but ended with Hezbollah 

leader Hassan Nasrallah predicting the imminent end of ‘‘the Zionist entity.’’ If we 

don’t win this time—deliver an unambiguous 

blow if not topple Hamas entirely—our deterrence will further erode, inviting more 

rocket attacks and encouraging the jihadist 

momentum throughout the Middle East. 

And then I caught myself: How can I be 

hoping for an outcome that will send my son 

into battle? This is my first experience as 

the father of a soldier, and now, after 26 

years of living in Israel, I finally understand 

the terrible responsibility of being an Israeli. 

I had assumed that I’d become initiated into 

Israeliness when I myself was drafted into 

the army as a 34–year-old immigrant in 1989. 

But perhaps only now have I become fully 

Israeli. Zionism promised to empower the 

Jews by making them responsible for their 

fate; the price for that achievement is to be 

prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for 

one’s commitments. 

I know Gaza from a previous conflict. During the first intifada of the late 1980s, when 

Palestinians revolted against the occupation, I was part of a reservist unit that patrolled Gaza’s refugee camps. There I learned 


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