[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 51 (Tuesday, April 20, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E552]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E552]]
             COMMEMORATING COMMUNITY BANKS OF PENNSYLVANIA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. MELISSA A. HART

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 20, 2004

  Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
commemorate the Community Banks of Pennsylvania and the more than 
40,000 full- and part-time employees who have helped provide the 
Commonwealth with more than 170 years of financial support. I am 
honored to note that the Pennsylvania State Senate has designated April 
19, 2004, through April 24, 2004, as ``Community Banking Week.''
  With more than $180 billion in assets, Community Banks recognize that 
when money stays in a town, it becomes a renewable resource, creating 
an economic cycle that constantly revitalizes and stimulates local 
communities. Community Banks work with the citizens in every sense of 
the word. These banks have made significant contributions to the 
economic well-being of the Commonwealth through their financial 
support, their dedication as good neighbors and, above all, through 
their service as financially sound and reliable sources of economic 
lifeblood in our communities.
  The Community Banks have long helped in the development of our 
communities and of this Commonwealth as a whole. On average, 95 percent 
of their loan portfolio is reinvested in their own communities through 
residential mortgages and commercial, agricultural and student loans. 
Indeed, neighbors are helping neighbors build homes, save for higher 
education, plan for retirement and fulfill life-long dreams.
  I ask that my colleagues in the House of Representatives join me in 
honoring this integral aspect of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's 
economy during Community Banker's Week. Without the continued support 
that the Community Banks have provided to Pennsylvania, much of the 
success that the Commonwealth has experienced would have been 
impossible.

                          ____________________