[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 131 (Tuesday, November 16, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H9701-H9706]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
WELCOMING NEW REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF CONGRESS
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 7, 2003, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Chocola) is recognized
for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, I have to say I am thrilled to be here
tonight. Ever since Election Day, I have been very anxious to get back
here to Washington and join my colleagues, in fact, the growing
Republican majority. For the first time ever, the Republicans have
grown their majority in two consecutive cycles, and now we have the
most Republican Members we have ever elected since 1946.
Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of talk about a divided America, but I do
not see a divided America. When we look at the results of the election,
and this is a very historic election, we see that the President won the
popular vote margin by 3\1/2\ million votes. He is the first President
to win the majority vote of over 50 percent since 1988. He received the
most votes of any candidate for President in our Nation's history with
almost 60 million votes, and he was reelected and gained seats in both
Houses of Congress, both Chambers of Congress, for the first time since
1936.
Mr. Speaker, when we look at the map of America as a result of the
elections, especially when we look at the county-by-county map, it is
overwhelmingly red.
So, Mr. Speaker, America spoke in a loud and united voice on Election
Day and sent people here to Washington to serve in this body to express
their voice, and they sent very good people. So tonight I am very
pleased and honored to be joined by many of my colleagues to introduce
to America those that will be serving as new freshman Members in the
Republican Party in the 109th Congress.
Mr. Speaker, we have got a lot of people to introduce and an hour to
do it. So we are going to get right to it. So it is my honor to yield
to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).
Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor indeed to be a part of this
time tonight to introduce our new Members of the Republican majority,
and it is my distinct pleasure to talk about three of them, two who are
from my State of Georgia who will be representing the sixth and the
eighth congressional districts.
First of all, let me talk briefly about Dr. Tom Price. Dr. Price is
an orthopedic surgeon. I have known him for many years. He served in
the Georgia senate for 8 years, the past 8 years, and actually was a
mentor to me when I was first elected to the senate and served for 4
years. Dr. Price at that time was the minority whip and went on to
become the first senate majority leader, Republican majority leader, in
the history of the Georgia general assembly.
As I say, Dr. Price has practiced medicine in northwest Atlanta for
over 20 years as an orthopedic surgeon. He comes to the Congress to
represent the sixth district and will do an absolutely fantastic job as
he did in the Georgia general assembly. And it is certainly my honor,
as a physician Member, to have a fellow physician serving with me. I
think that will make eight or nine physician Members, Mr. Speaker, in
the United States Congress, and to have two of them from the State of
Georgia and actually two who represent the same county, Cobb County,
that has got to be unprecedented.
Tom Price is married to his wife, Elizabeth, Betty, who is also a
physician; and they have a 12-year-old son, Robert. It is a great honor
to be able to introduce Dr. Price for the very first time this evening
to my colleagues in the House.
Representative Lynn Westmoreland will be representing the Eighth
Congressional District of Georgia, the district that has been
represented so effectively by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins)
for the past 12 years. Lynn Westmoreland is from Sharpsburg, Georgia.
He and his wife, Joan, have three children and three grandchildren.
Lynn has served in the Georgia House for 12 years and 2 years ago
became minority leader. Lynn led the Georgia house as minority leader
and was very instrumental in this last election cycle when Georgia
finally took over control of both the senate and the house.
And I think a great deal of credit goes to these two gentlemen, Dr.
Tom Price, who will be representing the sixth congressional district,
and Representative Lynn Westmoreland in the eighth. I share counties
with both of these Members. I commend them to my colleagues. They will
work tirelessly in a bipartisan fashion as we continue the leadership
that we have in this great body.
Last but not least, it is my distinct honor to introduce to the
Members Representative Bobby Jindal. Bobby will be representing
Louisiana's First Congressional District. He was born and raised in the
State of Louisiana. He has served as a public servant in both health
and education. Before entering politics, he served as Secretary for the
Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. And most recently he was
appointed by President Bush as a health policy adviser to the
administration. Bobby Jindal has also served as president of the
University of Louisiana system, and during his tenure, the universities
there raised their graduation and retention rates, increased private
donations and the number of endowed chair positions.
A graduate of Brown University and a graduate degree from Oxford,
Bobby Jindal has received the National Jefferson Award by the American
Institute for Public Service and the Christus Health Advocacy Award for
Leadership. He has been married to his wife, Supriya, for 6 years and
is the father of two children, Selia Elizabeth and Shaan Robert.
Mr. Speaker, as I said at the outset, it is indeed an honor to be
part of this Special Order as we introduce the new Republican Members
of the 109th Congress. We look forward to working with them.
Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman
from Georgia for welcoming his new colleagues from Georgia and
Louisiana, doing such a fine job.
Next it is my honor to yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Murphy), newly elected president of the soon-to-be sophomore class, to
introduce two of his new colleagues from Pennsylvania.
Mr. MURPHY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Indiana for
yielding to me.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and welcome Congressman-elect
Michael Fitzpatrick, who was just elected to serve in the 109th
Congress from the eighth district of Pennsylvania. The eighth district,
mainly to the north of Philadelphia, consists of Bucks County, parts of
Montgomery County, and a small portion of Philadelphia. Mr. Fitzpatrick
resides in Levittown with his wife, Kathy, and six children. He
received an honors degree from St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida,
and a law degree from Dickinson Law School of Pennsylvania State
University.
Prior to his election in Congress, Mr. Fitzpatrick has served as a
member of the Bucks County Board of Commissioners since 1995, on which
he served as chairman for 5 years, and as the Commissioner, he oversaw
a county budget of $385 million and a workforce of 2,600 employees. He
also sought improvements in the local 9/11 system and the construction
of a state-of-the-art emergency operations center.
Mr. Fitzpatrick has also received numerous honors relating to
personal achievements, including the American Red Cross Citizen of the
Year in the year 2000 and the Habitat for Humanity Leadership Award for
2003. I am certain all my colleagues will join in welcoming our newly
elected Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick.
I would also like to recognize a friend who I met while I served in
the Pennsylvania senate, and that is Congressman-elect Charlie Dent,
who was also elected to the 109th Congress from the fifteenth district
in Pennsylvania. The fifteenth district is located in the heart of
Lehigh Valley and includes the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, and
Easton. Mr. Dent's wonderful family has lived in the region for six
generations, and he currently resides in Allentown with his wife,
Pamela, and three children: Kathryn, William, and Jack.
Charlie received a BA from Penn State University in foreign service
and international politics and a master's in public administration from
Lehigh University. He began his political career early on as an interim
for former
[[Page H9702]]
Representative Don Ritter, who also served the fifteenth district.
He was first elected to the Pennsylvania house in 1991, representing
Allentown and South Whitehall. And in 1999 Mr. Dent was elected to the
Pennsylvania senate, where we served together until my election to
Congress in 2002. As a State senator, Charlie served as chairman of the
Urban Affairs and Housing Committee and vice chairman of the Veterans
Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee. I had the pleasure, while
serving with Charlie, of oftentimes in the evenings going jogging
together along the Susquehanna River, and throughout that time Charlie
constantly talked of policy. So I am assuming he will do the same along
the banks of the Potomac as he gets here. And as my colleagues will
recognize, he loves to talk about policy.
So I ask all Members of the Congress to join me in welcoming Charlie
Dent and Michael Fitzpatrick to the 109th Congress.
Mr. CHOCOLA. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman
for his remarks.
Mr. Speaker, this election put new meaning to the phrase ``Don't mess
with Texas.'' And to help explain that, it is my honor to yield to the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess).
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Indiana for
putting together this hour.
Mr. Speaker, it is my high honor tonight to welcome two new Members
of the Texas delegation. First from out in west Texas, Texas 11, we
welcome Representative Mike Conaway. Mike is an Army veteran from Fort
Hood and has had a distinguished career with Price Waterhouse &
Coopers. He is a native Texan, and he grew up in Odessa. He graduated
from Texas A&M University-Commerce in 1970 with a BBA degree in
accounting.
In 1995 Governor George W. Bush appointed Mike to the Texas State
Board of Public Accountancy, a State regulatory agency that regulates
the practice of accountancy in Texas. Mike Conaway has volunteered his
time to serve the citizens of Texas on the board for 7 years, including
more than 5 years as chairman. He has served as chairman and board
member of the Family Services of Midland, Texas. He and his wife,
Suzanne, have four children and four grandchildren.
Mr. Speaker, my next-door neighbor, my new next-door neighbor in
Texas 24, is Representative Kenny Marchant. Kenny is a former
Carrollton City councilman and mayor of that city. He is currently the
chairman of the House State Affairs Committee and the former chairman
of the House Financial Institution Committee in the Texas house of
representatives. Outside of politics, Kenny is a local small
businessman and a home builder in Dallas County, Denton County, and
Northeast Tarrant County.
{time} 1930
He also serves on the Advisory Board of Children's Medical Center and
heads a local nonprofit foundation which funds church-related
humanitarian aid projects around the world.
Ken Marchant has both a bachelor's degree and an honorary doctorate
degree from Southern Nazarene University. He and his wife Donna have
raised their three sons and one daughter in the Twenty-Fourth
Congressional District. They are also now the proud grandparents of a
new granddaughter.
Madam Speaker, it is my honor to welcome these two members of the
Texas delegation. We are indeed fortunate. And, as the gentleman from
Indiana pointed out, ``Don't mess with Texas.''
Mr. CHOCOLA. Madam Speaker, continuing with the Texas tradition, it
is my honor to yield time to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter).
Mr. CARTER. Madam Speaker, I want to introduce three distinguished
Texans to this House.
First is Representative Louie Gohmert. Judge Gohmert is an attorney
who returned to private practice this last year before being elected to
Congress. Prior to that time, he was appointed Chief Justice of the
Court of Appeals in Texas.
He served his country as a captain in the United States Army. He is a
Fighting Texas Aggie, graduating from Texas A&M University where he was
class president and Brigade Commander of the Corps of Cadets. He earned
his law degree from Baylor University School of Law, where he was the
class president.
Judge Gohmert has served as the President of the South Tyler Rotary
Club, on the Boy Scout District Board of Directors and as deacon in the
Green Acres Baptist Church. He also has been a director of leadership
in Tyler, Texas, and a director of Centrepoint Ministries, among other
numerous efforts.
He and his wife Kathy have three children, Katy, Caroline and Sarah.
He is going to be an asset to the State of Texas and to the United
States, and I ask that we welcome him to our Congress.
Judge Ted Poe, another judge, we are going to form an organization of
Texas judges before this is over, Judge Ted Poe is a native of Harris
County. Before being elected to Congress, he served as a felony court
judge, having been appointed in 1981 and elected six times as a felony
district judge.
Before becoming a judge, Judge Poe was a felony prosecutor for the
District Attorney's Office in Harris County for 8 years and served in
the United States Air Force Reserve. He taught criminal justice courses
at the University of Houston, conducted training at the FBI National
Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and at West Point.
Judge Poe has received awards from the National Victim's Center,
Foundation for Improvement of Justice, the Texas District Attorney's
Association, Kansas Peace Officer's Association, Houston Bar
Association, Houston Police Officers Association and the Harris County
Deputy Sheriff's Office.
Ted Poe received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Abilene Christian
University in political science and his J.D. degree from the University
of Houston Law Center where he was a member of the Law School Honor
Society.
Ted Poe has lived in Humble, Texas, with his wife Carol for over 24
years and has four grown children, Kim, Kara, Kurt and Kellee. He is an
active member of the Church of Christ.
I ask that you welcome now Congressman Ted Poe to the 109th Congress.
Finally, a man who took a vast majority of my old district in Texas,
the Tenth District, Representative Mike McCaul.
Mike McCaul was the Chief of the Terrorism and National Security
Section with the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for
the Western District of Texas before he was elected to Congress. He is
a member of the Bush-Cheney transition team as well as Attorney General
Greg Abbott's transition team.
Mike McCaul served as Deputy Attorney General under John Cornyn and
was a Federal prosecutor with the Public Integrity Section of the
Justice Department's Criminal Division.
McCaul received his BS from Trinity University in San Antonio and got
a law degree from St. Mary's University School of Law. He is also a
graduate of the Senior Executive Fellows Program at Harvard
University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Mike McCaul will be a great asset to this Congress, and we should all
look forward to serving with him, and I ask that you welcome him to the
109th Congress.
Mr. CHOCOLA. Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure and honor to introduce
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart).
Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Madam Speaker, I thank the
gentleman from Indiana.
I am so pleased today to be able to introduce three brilliant Members
to the United States Congress, three brilliant additions to our
conference.
The first one is a person I have had the privilege to know for a
number of years. He comes from a very strong background. His name is
Connie Mack. That is a name that is very familiar in the State of
Florida. We all know that his father served with such great distinction
here in the United States Congress.
This Connie Mack, his son, was born and raised in Southwest Florida.
He is, again, the son of the former Senator Connie Mack. He will
represent the Fourteenth District of Florida, which borders the
district that I am honored to represent, and also the district that has
been so ably represented until now by our now CIA Director Porter Goss,
who was for many years the chairman of the Permanent Select Committee
on Intelligence.
Connie, though, I got to know during his tenure, our joint tenure, in
the
[[Page H9703]]
Florida State Legislature. He was a great leader in the Florida
legislature, an active member of that legislature. He helped create and
chaired the Freedom Caucus in the State House of Representatives, the
Florida State House of Representatives, which fought hard and
successfully, I may add, through the leadership of Connie Mack, to keep
taxes low, to cut taxes, to cut regulation, to shrink the size of
government.
Connie comes with a wealth of experience. He will help promote
President Bush's fiscally conservative agenda and tax relief and make
sure that America's families are not overburdened by excessive
taxation.
Again, Connie Mack, now Congressman-elect Connie Mack, has a wealth
of experience coming from the Florida legislature, particularly on
issues of fiscal responsibility. He has shown great leadership, and I
am anxious to have him as my partner because, again, we have adjoining
districts. We are going to be working very closely together, as we have
in the past, and I am excited to have him as part of the team.
Another person who joins us now from the State California with just a
huge wealth of experience is Congressman-elect Dan Lungren. He had
served, by the way, here in the House between 1979 to 1989. He now
returns to the House after serving as the Attorney General of
California, which, by the way, he did so for 8 years until 1998.
He, along with Newt Gingrich, formed the Conservative Opportunity
Society here and really laid the foundation for the Contract with
America. He is a man who, again, has been tested, really tested, and
has always shown great leadership qualities, the ability to lead, the
ability to fight for the issues that he believes are important. It is
wonderful to have his wealth of experience back now on the majority
team.
The third person that I am just excited, Madam Speaker, to be able to
introduce is Congressman-elect Luis Fortuno, La Isla Del Encanto,
representing Puerto Rico.
Luis is a brilliant lawyer who has had significant experience in the
business community, including being, by the way, for example, appointed
as Puerto Rico's first Secretary of the Department of Economic
Development and Commerce, an area he cares so deeply about.
I am just so excited to have him in the majority party, to work on
issues that are dear to his heart, including economic development and
many, many other issues.
Luis is going to be the first Republican Resident Commissioner in the
history of Puerto Rico. Think what that means, Madam Speaker. Luis
Fortuno now will be in the majority party, will be speaking from the
side of the majority when he speaks for the people that he represents.
What a difference that is going to make for the people of Puerto Rico.
Luis is also going to be a member of the Congressional Hispanic
Conference, a growing group here of members of the majority who are
concerned about, obviously, everybody in the country, but particularly
concerned about the issues that particularly affect those of Hispanic
descent and Portuguese descent.
So we are excited to have Luis Fortuno. It is a huge deal for the
Island of Puerto Rico and for the people there, and it is a huge deal
for us to have now as a member of the majority party a person who will
now represent the Island of Puerto Rico. It is a distinct honor.
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Indiana for this
opportunity to introduce three extremely capable, extremely talented
members now of the growing majority conference.
Mr. CHOCOLA. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida.
It is now my honor and privilege to introduce the gentlewoman from
Florida, Catherine Harris.
(Ms. HARRIS asked and was given permission to revise and extend her
remarks.)
Ms. HARRIS. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Madam Speaker, 2 weeks ago today the most important election in a
generation came to a close. As always, the American people cut through
the heated rhetoric to render their well-considered, common-sense
decision and have provided their mandate for our approach to fighting
terrorists abroad and creating jobs and economic security at home.
These victories this year stem from an effective message, coupled
with exceptional candidates who will quickly become extraordinary
Members of Congress. I am deeply honored tonight to introduce two of
these individuals.
Cathy Anne McMorris, who will replace the gentleman from Washington
(Mr. Nethercutt) as the representative from Washington's Fifth
District, understands the challenges associated with operating a small
family business. For 14 years, she helped her family run the Peachcrest
Fruitbasket Orchard and Produce Stand in Kettle Falls, Washington.
Meanwhile, she compiled an outstanding record in the State government.
Beginning as a legislative assistant to State Representative Bob
Morton, Cathy McMorris was appointed to succeed Representative Morton
in December 1993. She was elected to that seat in 1994 and was
reelected by overwhelming margins in 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2002. Her
colleagues in the Washington House of Representatives elected her as
the Republican Leader in 2002.
She has been named by the National Federation of Independent Business
as Outstanding Legislator and by the Washington State Farm bureau as
Legislator of the Year, among numerous additional honors.
Newly elected Geoff Davis has spent a lifetime serving his Nation,
his community and his family. He worked as a janitor during high school
to help pay for his family's bills. Then he enlisted in the United
States Army and won an appointment to West Point.
He spent 6 years as an Army Ranger and assault helicopter pilot,
serving in the Middle East after being chosen to run the U.S. Army
Flight Operations for the Peace Enforcement mission between Israel and
Egypt. He rose to the rank of captain before leaving the Army in 1987.
In 1992, Geoff Davis started his own business, Capstone Inc., which
specializes in consulting lean manufacturing and high technology
systems integration. In 1995, this firm was named as an Outstanding
Consulting Resource by The Executive Committee, a 3,500-member
organization of CEOs.
Geoff Davis has also served as a mentor and tutor in inner-city
Cincinnati schools, as well as a volunteer chaplain for the Kentucky
Corrections Cabinet. He and his wife Pat have six children.
On behalf of my colleagues, I wish to welcome these outstanding new
Members to what I hope will be a long and fulfilling tenure in this
House. They will join us as we continue to keep faith with the American
people by making tax relief we passed during the last 2 years permanent
so our economy will keep growing for them and by continuing to support
our troops as they battle for freedom in Iraq, Afghanistan and around
the globe.
For the sake of our children and our grandchildren, let us get to
work. We will not and we cannot let them down.
Mr. CHOCOLA. Madam Speaker, it is now my pleasure to introduce the
newly-elected vice president of the soon-to-be sophomore class, the
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Barrett).
Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman
for yielding.
Madam Speaker, it was not long ago I was wandering the halls of the
Capitol, we call it Capitol Hill, trying to figure out what the heck
was going on. But when I arrived, I found that D.C. was very warm and
welcoming.
This week it is my turn to extend a warm welcome to the freshman
class of the 109th Congress. And what an exciting time for all of them.
I think they will find, as I did, that their classmates will fast
become close and trusted friends.
Madam Speaker, it is my honor to talk tonight specifically about two
new Members from my so-called neck of the woods, Virginia Foxx and my
dear friend Bob Inglis.
Before I welcome this first person to Congress, though, let me make
just a brief comment and give my heartfelt congratulations to her
predecessor, Senator-elect Richard Burr. Richard's office has been
around the corner from mine for the past 2 years, and I want to thank
him personally and all his staff for all they have done for me over the
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last 2 years. He has become a good friend, and I look forward to
continuing working with him in the future.
Virginia Foxx was elected by the people of the Fifth Congressional
District in North Carolina to succeed the gentleman from North Carolina
(Mr. Burr).
{time} 1945
She served as a State senator for five terms. Prior to election to
the State Senate she served as president and consultant at Mayland
Community College. She was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to the
Education Advisory Committee and has served as a consultant for the
U.S. Department of Education.
As a former small business owner and running a family business
myself, I am pleased to say that Representative-elect Foxx and her
husband, Tom, own and operate Grandfather Mountain Nursery. I believe
that the perspective that a small business owner brings to the Congress
is quite unique, Madam Speaker. I look forward to working with Dr. Foxx
to bring a more commonsense business approach to our everyday work here
on Capitol Hill.
The next gentleman, Madam Speaker, is from my home State of South
Carolina. He is a good man, and he has been a dear friend of mine for
years. Mr. Bob Inglis. Bob actually served from the Fourth
Congressional District in Congress from 1993 to 1998. After leaving
Congress, Bob returned to the firm where he had worked from 1986 to
1992, Leatherwood, Walker, Todd and Mann. It is a pleasure for me to
welcome Bob back and his lovely wife, Mary Anne, and their children to
the United States Congress.
I look forward to working closely with Bob on issues important to
South Carolinians and all Americans, such as homeland security, strong
national defense, individual freedom and strong families, which I know
Bob is a very strong proponent of.
I would also be remiss, Madam Speaker, if I did not extend
congratulations to Bob's predecessor and a dear trusted friend of mine,
Senator-elect Jim DeMint. Jim served the people of the Fourth
Congressional District well, and he has always put their needs and the
needs of our State and Nation ahead of politics. And I know he will
continue to do the same as South Carolina's next junior Senator.
Madam Speaker, it is always humbling to walk the Halls of Congress
and stand on the floor of the people's House. Again, I want to
congratulate these incoming Members and I look forward to serving with
them. I know they will do a fantastic job.
Mr. CHOCOLA. Madam Speaker, it is my honor and privilege to introduce
the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Garrett).
Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding to me. I think that message right up there says it all:
``America Speaks.'' And America spoke very loudly and correctly on
November 2, 2004. November 2, 2004, was really a great day not only for
the Republican Party but for the American people in this country as
well. President Bush won reelection by over 3.5 million votes on that
day, becoming the first Presidential candidate to win more than 50
percent of the vote since 1988.
The Republican majority also maintained the majority in both the
House and the Senate, while also gaining seats in both Chambers. For
House Republicans, that means this cycle Republicans made history by
increasing their majority two cycles in a row. This historic game
proves the critics' claims that the House was up for grabs and there
was a general discontent among American voters with the Republican
leadership false. Those arguments were all wrong. Republicans won 22 of
the 39 so-called hotly contested seats.
Yes, on November 2 the voters confirmed that the agenda of this
Republican-led Congress is in fact best for America and what the
Americans want; that the Americans are for tax relief for American
families and hard-working Americans everywhere; that they realize that
their economic and growth policies of these last several years are
right for America; that our job creation and pro-growth policies have
worked. Perhaps more importantly, they realize that America's security
is best in the hands of the Republican President and this Congress.
So I want to congratulate not only the President but also these newly
elected Members of Congress today that made this historic feat
possible. And I look forward to working with them as they come in
January to be sworn in to further the successes in the 109th Congress.
Because we must deliver on the confident hope of millions of American
voters across this country.
We are going to be faced with enormous challenges ahead; and in a
bipartisan effort, we must really support behind this agenda. So I
welcome two new Members to this Congress. John R. ``Randy'' Kuhl, Jr.,
of the southern tier of the western New York region was elected to the
29th Congressional District in New York, and he is one of those great
new Members. Now, Kuhl's past experiences will bring a wealth of
information and experience to this Congress. It includes three
consecutive terms in the New York State Assembly and election to the
State senate in 1986. There he was appointed to the senate as assistant
majority leader for house operations back in 1995. He also served as
senate chairman of the senate Standing Committee on Agriculture in 1987
through 1999 when he was then appointed chairman of the senate Standing
Committee on Education. He served as chairman of that committee up
until 2003 when he was appointed chairman of the senate Standing
Committee on Transportation.
Kuhl is also a former State chairman of ALEC, a group that I am
familiar with, that is the American Legislative Exchange Council, a
group for States rights, and vice chairman of the National Conference
of State Legislatures, that is the NCSL. In addition to this, he is a
member of the senate Select Committee on Interstate Cooperation, the
New York State Early Intervention Coordinating Council, the NCSL
assembly on State issues, their committee on education, and their
assembly on Federal issues and their committee on education, labor and
workforce development. Also another national organization, the CSG, the
Council of State Governments' Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, and
the CSG Eastern Regional Conference Committee on Economic Affairs.
With all of this we know that he is going to be a valued addition to
this Congress, and we welcome Congressman Kuhl.
I would also like to welcome newly elected Representative Thelma
Drake. Ms. Drake served as a delegate in the Virginia house for 9 years
to represent the people of the 87th district. She is also a Realtor
with RE/MAX Allegiance Realty's Hampton Roads home team, and she has
worked as a Realtor in real estate for over 20 years.
Drake also served on the house finance, the general laws, rules and
commerce and labor committees; and as a long-standing member of that
committee on general laws she served as chairman of its subcommittee on
housing and also as chairman of the finance tax preference committee.
In addition, she has held a leadership position in that Republican
house majority. In addition to all this as well, she has served as
chairman of the Virginia housing commission, is a member of the mayor's
task force on ocean view, and is a board member of the Virginia
Zoological Society, and also a recipient of the John Marshall Alliance
for Leadership and Property Rights.
We welcome Ms. Drake. Her background and skills will be an asset to
the House. As we have heard of all of the accomplishments of all the
Members and the Members that we are about to hear as well, these
accomplished individuals to the Republican freshman class of 2005 is a
strong loop and will remain committed to working in the House of
Representatives promoting the values of the American people, and I
welcome you all.
Mr. CHOCOLA. Madam Speaker, it is my honor and pleasure to introduce
the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King).
Mr. KING of Iowa. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Indiana
(Mr. Chocola) for yielding to me. I appreciate the time and opportunity
to say a few words to this House and to Americans.
One thing I would point out, for the first time in 20 years since the
Reagan landslide in 1984, the great State of Iowa finally voted state-
wide for a Republican President. It has been a long
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time coming. It took a lot of work to do that, and it took a lot of
energy. What turned out that energy was the strongest ag economy since
at least 1979. In fact, a lot of folks say the strongest ever. 2003 was
a very good year; 2004 is an even better year yet. Our economy is
strong. Our people care about families. They care about marriage. They
care about the quality of life we have. Who in the world would vote
against that is the question they were asking, especially in western
Iowa where we had a tremendous turn out, and a much larger collection
of votes than we had seen ever before.
I am thrilled to be here in this growing majority of conservative
Republicans who will manage this budget with strict responsibility and
move this Nation towards its national destiny. And people will be
taking part in that in this upcoming 109th Congress. I have the
privilege of introducing two of them to this Chamber. The first is
Congressman-elect Joe Schwarz from Michigan's 7th district. Joe has
served the people of Michigan in many capacities. He is a former State
senator. He was considered to be a key senator on higher education and
health care issues. He was elected president pro tem by his colleagues
in the Michigan senate. He was chairman of the subcommittees on higher
education and general government.
When I get through with his resume, you will wonder how he had time
to do all these things. Congressman-elect Schwarz has also served as
mayor and city commissioner of Battle Creek, Michigan, a sister city to
Battle Creek, Iowa, I am sure. He built a medical practice around his
reputation as a skilled surgeon. Prior to his political career, Schwarz
served as a Naval officer in Vietnam and as a CIA operative. He serves
on the boards of the Kellogg Community College Foundation; the Wayne
State University Foundation; the University Musical Society in Ann
Arbor, Artrain which is in Ann Arbor; Olivet College; and Detroit
Receiving Hospital.
He was born and raised in Michigan. Schwarz received his bachelor's
degree in history from the University of Michigan and his medical
degree from Wayne State University. Quite a resume. He brings a lot to
this Chamber.
I look forward to this freshman class going to work. They bring new
ideas and new energy and help energize all of us.
I will tell you that I built a personal bond and a great respect and
appreciation for another Member-elect, Jeff Fortenberry from Nebraska.
I represent the 5th district of Iowa, which is the western third of
Iowa, and I at one time declared it to be the eastern Nebraska district
because it is isolated alone out there along western Iowa, and I found
out that South Dakota wanted to be included in that. But Jeff
Fortenberry represents the real eastern Nebraska district. He will be
stepping into the very big shoes of Doug Bereuter who served here for
26 years and did so honorably.
After Congressman Bereuter's retirement, Jeff Fortenberry stepped
into a 3-way primary and demonstrated his ability. As I watched him
make decisions and take stands on positions, I watched him around his
colleagues and the campaign staff and in the communities, and I watched
him with his wife, Celeste, and his family, it built more and more
respect for the man who is Jeff Fortenberry. He served on the Lincoln
City Council, and he has been involved in a number of things. Economic
development issues, urban revitalization projects, transition of a
major public hospital, and a new baseball stadium. Maybe his skills
here in Washington, D.C. could be utilized as we figure out how we are
going to place a professional team here in this city.
Prior to his congressional campaign, Jeff Fortenberry had worked in
the publishing industry for Sandhills Publishing; he has worked for the
United States Senate with the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental
Relations. He is currently a member of the Nebraska National Guard
Civilian Leadership Council, and a member of Lincoln Independent
Business Association. He has a bachelor's degree in economics, which
will come in useful, from Louisiana State, a masters in public policy
from Georgetown, and also a masters of theology from Franciscan
University of Steubenville.
So both of these gentlemen's credentials are tremendous. They have
proven in their life before they arrive here in Congress their ability.
It is a tremendous venue for them to continue to develop their skills
and develop those skills here and contribute to all of the people in
this country. I look forward to working with them and the other Members
of this class. I welcome both of these men to the 109th Congress.
Mr. CHOCOLA. Madam Speaker, it is my honor and pleasure to introduce
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk).
Mr. KIRK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr.
Chocola) and want to say that this was a resounding majority for the
President of the United States. Unlike previous elections for the White
House where a plurality of voters supported the candidate, this
candidate won a solid majority of the American people.
When we look to who else won the majority, we look at some of the new
stars that have come into the Congress to take their places as Members-
elect: like Dave Reichert from Washington's 8th district, an expert on
both domestic and international security. He brings with him a wealth
of experience in law enforcement where he delivered a remarkable record
of service to the citizens of King County, Washington. Prior to his
election to Congress, Reichert served as King County Sheriff since
1997, and he work within the sheriff's office since 1972 after serving
in the United States Air Force.
I will say that Dave Reichert joins a very small number of veterans
still serving in the Congress. There was a time when three-quarters of
us had military backgrounds. Now we are down to just one in five, but
Dave Reichert will be one of those advocates for Americans in uniform.
During his leadership as sheriff, Reichert brought national recognition
to the sheriff's office as head of a task force that solved one of the
largest serial murder cases in U.S. history, apprehending the infamous
Green River Killer. The people of Washington are safer because Dave
Reichert chose public service.
He is the recipient of the prestigious 2004 National Sheriff's
Association Sheriff of the Year Award and is a two-time Medal of Valor
Award recipient from the King County sheriff's office.
{time} 2000
Dave is a graduate of Concordia Lutheran College in Portland, where
he played football and met his wife of now 34 years, Julie Reichert.
The Reicherts currently have three grown children, Angela, Tabitha
and Daniel, and no less than five grandchildren. He is a family man and
expert on international security and especially domestic law
enforcement.
Now joining him is another star of our class, Patrick McHenry from
North Carolina, an expert on the Internet, someone who knows about
labor issues and is a key to building the ownership society as a real
estate broker.
Prior to his election, he was a State legislator in North Carolina,
worked as an executive with DCI/New Media, Incorporated, and served as
a director of the Bush for 2000 Presidential Campaign.
He served his country and the United States Department of Labor and,
yes, is a licensed real estate broker and owner of his own real estate
company, someone who brings that service to the Congress who can help
Americans take part in the ownership society that the President has
talked about.
Patrick McHenry also knows to those that are given great abilities
much is expected, and Patrick McHenry sits on the board of directors of
the United Way's Success By 6 youth program.
He brings these skills in real estate for ownership, in Internet-
based economy, in making sure that we know how to support charities and
how to make sure that we give back to the community.
For all of these reasons, we are thrilled that Patrick McHenry joins
us as well as Dave Reichert, with other stars, to join in the
Republican ranks here in the House, and I thank the gentleman from
Indiana for yielding.
Mr. CHOCOLA. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman and I thank all of
my colleagues who have joined me this evening in welcoming this very
impressive freshman Republican class that will be sworn in on January
4, 2005, and we all look forward to that day.
[[Page H9706]]
There is still one Member of the freshman class to introduce, Madam
Speaker. I am a little biased. It happens to be my favorite Member of
the freshman class. He is a Hoosier. That is not the only reason that
he is my favorite Member. He is also a businessperson, someone that has
actually created jobs, has actually learned how to seize the
opportunities of economic growth and has contributed greatly to his
local community before being elected to Congress.
He also ran for Congress in 2002 and was unsuccessful and ran again
in 2004 and proved that persistence pays off, and that is a very
admirable quality.
I am talking about Mike Sodrel. Mike Sodrel comes from his small
business, his family business, called Sodrel Trucking. I see his trucks
on the roads of Indiana every single day. He expanded that business in
2000 when he founded Sodrel Logistics.
He has served as a past chairman for the Southern Indiana Chamber of
Commerce. He has also been recognized as the Southern Indiana Small
Businessperson of the Year.
Service to his Nation is nothing new for Mike Sodrel. He served in
the Army National Guard and continues service as a member of the
American Legion. He is a community leader in many respects, and he
leads many organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America, his
Rotary Club, Junior Achievement, the Chamber of Commerce, the National
Federation of Independent Businesses and the Boys and Girls Club.
Mike is a native of New Albany, Indiana. He lives there today, and he
has been married to his wife Marquita for 36 years. Together, they have
two children, Noah and Keesha, and they are the proud grandparents of
six grandchildren.
I know that Mike will serve this body well, and I certainly look
forward to working with him and all of his colleagues of the freshman
class to serve Hoosiers and every citizen of this country.
Madam Speaker, we have just introduced a great class, and this great
class will take the oath in the next coming months, and they will
become part of the 109th Congress. I fully expect that the 109th
Congress will be an historic Congress because it was the result of an
historic election and, indeed, is an historic time for our Nation.
We did more than just keep our majority. We received a mandate from
the American people. In the last 2 years, we delivered on health care,
we delivered on security, cutting taxes and much, much more.
Our constituents recognized that. As the NRCC chairman, the gentleman
from New York (Mr. Reynolds), stated, ``The only people that think the
GOP needs to be repudiated are two Democrat leaders from California,
while the whole United States obviously disagrees.''
What the United States wants and what the people of this country want
is a Congress that keeps working on their behalf, and as we have seen
from the headlines, America has spoken. What America has said is they
want Members of Congress that will get over the bickering and work on
their behalf and do things like have budget process reform to make sure
that we have more clarity and responsibility in how we spend the
taxpayers' money and reduce the deficit.
America has spoken that says we want to have lawsuit abuse reform, to
make sure we lift the burden of frivolous lawsuits off of our economy,
which really hurts the creation of jobs and economic growth.
We have also heard from the American people that we need to have
things like tax reform, to make sure we have a fair and flatter tax
system that helps grow our economy as well.
We have also heard that we need to make sure that every generation of
American gets the Social Security benefits they have earned and they
deserve; and, most of all, we have heard from the American people that
we have to make sure that we keep this Nation and our families and our
communities safe and secure.
So, Madam Speaker, this has been an extraordinary hour where we have
met an extraordinary class of incoming freshmen to the Republican-
controlled Congress. So it has been my honor to have my colleagues join
me. I thank them and I look forward to working with them in the 109th
Congress, as well as all of the Members of this body.
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