[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 116 (Tuesday, July 15, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H6496-H6498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




COMMENDING THE 2008 WOMEN'S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES CHAMPION ARIZONA STATE 
                               SUN DEVILS

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1323) commending the Arizona State 
University softball team for their victory in the 2008 Women's College 
World Series.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1323

       Whereas, on June 3, 2008, the Arizona State University Sun 
     Devils won the 2008 NCAA Women's College World Series with a 
     resounding 11 to 0 defeat over the Texas A&M Aggies;
       Whereas this win marked the first national title for 
     Arizona State University in softball;
       Whereas the Arizona State University Sun Devils set a 
     record for the highest margin of victory during a 
     championship game in the NCAA Women's College World Series 
     history;
       Whereas the Arizona State University women's softball team 
     won an impressive 66 games this season and went 56 to 5 
     during the season and went 10 for 10 in the post season under 
     the leadership of Coach Clint Myers;
       Whereas super slugger Kaitlin Cochran set a new, NCAA 
     single-season record by drawing 29 intentional walks;
       Whereas pitcher Katie Burkhart earned Most Valuable Player 
     honors in the Women's College World Series with 53 strikeouts 
     and a perfect record of 5 wins to 0 losses;
       Whereas the Arizona State University coaching staff, 
     comprised of Head Coach Clint Meyers and Assistant Coaches 
     Kirsten Voak and Robert Wager, was named the NFCA's NCAA 
     Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year;
       Whereas 6 players, were named to the Louisville Slugger/
     NFCA All-Pacific Region Team;
       Whereas 5 of those 6 players, Katie Burkhart, Mindy Cowles, 
     Krista Donnenwirth, Kaitlin Cochran, and Jackie Vasquez, 
     advanced to earn Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America honors;
       Whereas the Arizona State University softball team earned 
     the enthusiastic support of students, faculty, alumni, and 
     Sun Devils fans across the country during their national 
     championship season; and
       Whereas the Arizona State University softball team is an 
     inspiration to student athletes in Arizona and across the 
     United States: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives--
       (1) commends the Arizona State University softball team for 
     their victory in the 2008 Women's College World Series;
       (2) recognizes the achievements of the players, coaches, 
     students, and staff whose hard work and dedication helped the 
     Arizona State University Sun Devils win the championship; and
       (3) directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to 
     transmit a copy of this resolution to Arizona State 
     University President Michael Crow, softball Coach Clint 
     Myers, and Athletic Director Lisa Love for appropriate 
     display.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Pastor). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Bishop) and the gentleman from Delaware 
(Mr. Castle) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days 
during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous 
material on H. Res. 1323 into the Record.

[[Page H6497]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  I rise today to congratulate the Arizona State University softball 
team for their victory in the 2008 NCAA Division I tournament.
  On June 3, softball fans were treated to an exceptional game as the 
Arizona State Sun Devils defeated the Texas A&M Aggies and clinched 
their first national title.

                              {time}  1200

  The resounding 11-0 defeat is the largest margin of victory for a 
championship game in Women's College World Series history.
  I want to extend my congratulations to Head Coach Clint Meyers and 
Assistant Coaches Kirsten Voak and Robert Wagner. This talented 
coaching staff was named the NFCA's NCAA Division I Coaching Staff of 
the Year for their outstanding leadership during the 2008 season. Coach 
Meyers returned to his alma mater 3 years ago and picked up his first 
Pacific-10 Coach of the Year honor this season. He has now led the 
school to its first conference championship and national title in 
softball.
  Congratulations are also in order for pitcher Katie Burkhart who was 
named the Most Valuable Player in the Women's College World Series. 
Burkhart, a senior from San Luis Obispo, California, also struck out an 
impressive 53 batters during the World Series and posted a perfect 
record of 5-0. In her tenure at Arizona State, Burkhart has amassed 15 
shutouts and 3 saves in her 32 career starts.
  And for Kaitlin Cochran, a junior from Yorba Linda, California, who 
hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning of the final game to give the 
Sun Devils a 4-0 lead. In fact, Cochran was such a big offensive force 
this season that she was intentionally walked a record 29 times. 
Cochran was also named the Pac-10 conference Softball Player of the 
Year and earned the Conference's batting title for the third year in a 
row.
  The extraordinary achievements of this year is a tribute to the skill 
and dedication of the many players, coaches, students, alumni, families 
and the fans that have helped to make Arizona State University a 
premiere softball program. Winning the National Championship, finishing 
the season with a 66-5 overall record, and winning the Pac-10 
Conference championship has brought national acclaim to Arizona State 
University. I know the fans of the university will revel in this 
accomplishment as they look forward to the 2009 season.
  Mr. Speaker, once again I congratulate the Arizona State University 
softball team for their success, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield to the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) such time as she may consume.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Delaware for 
yielding me some time. I want also to congratulate the Arizona State 
University softball team for its championship. And I think a lot about 
what is happening to American families this year, this summer, as they 
want to go out and watch their children play softball, watch their 
children play baseball, get involved in other sports, and realize how 
the price of gasoline is impacting that opportunity, those 
opportunities that they would like to have. They want to be able to do 
all those things they have been doing for years.
  We live in the greatest and freest country in the world, but we are 
in danger right now because we are not energy independent. We are very 
dependent on importing oil and gas. But the American people understand 
we don't have to do that; that we can be energy independent. And what 
they want us to do is what the Republicans have said we should do, 
which is develop an all-of-the-above strategy.
  There is poll after poll after poll to show that the American people 
want access to more American-made energy which will help alleviate the 
pain at the pump.
  What is stopping us from doing that? One group of people, Washington 
Democrats, the leadership of this House of Representatives and the 
Senate. They alone stand in the way of exploration for new domestic 
resources that will immediately bring down the price of gasoline and 
allow these families to pursue their summer pursuits.
  I want to quote from some polls that have recently been done, again, 
which back up what House Republicans want to do, all of the above. We 
want conservation, we want increased use of alternative and renewable 
energy, and we want environmentally sound production of American 
resources.
  Fox News Poll: 76 percent of Americans ``support immediately 
increasing oil drilling in the United States. More than seven in 10 
Democrats hold this view.''
  CNN/Opinion Research Poll: ``73 percent of the more than 1,000 
Americans surveyed from June 26 to June 29 said they favored offshore 
drilling for oil and natural gas in U.S. waters.''
  The Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg Poll: ``When all registered voters 
were asked whether they support increased exploration for oil and 
natural gas, 68 percent responded in the affirmative.''
  Rasmussen Reports: ``According to Rasmussen, 67 percent of Americans 
support oil drilling off the Nation's coast, 64 percent think it will 
lower gas prices.'' We all know the minute we announce we are going to 
drill, we are going to see lower gas prices.
  The IBD/TIPP Poll: ``Support for offshore drilling and oil shale 
development is also broad-based, with the former favored by 64 percent 
of respondents and the latter by 65 percent.''
  Reuters/Zogby Poll: ``Most Americans support more U.S. oil drilling. 
59.6 percent of Americans surveyed in that poll released June 18 said 
they favor government efforts to boost domestic drilling and refinery 
construction to cool record prices.''
  Again, I want to congratulate the Arizona State University softball 
team on their national championship. And I want to say to the 
Democrats, give us more American-made resources and let Americans 
pursue going to baseball games, going to softball games, and taking 
their families to all their summer entertainment this summer.
  Let's lower the price of gasoline and make it possible. Stop standing 
in the way.
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. I wasn't sure that we were here to discuss 
energy. But since the subject has been broached, let me say that the 
messaging continues. The messaging clearly is to blame the Democrats 
for a problem that, in fact, grows out of legislation that was pushed 
by the Republican majority.
  The Energy Policy Act of 2005 that was passed in this Chamber, most 
Democrats voted against it. Most Republicans voted for it. It is an 
energy policy that was written by the secret energy task force convened 
by the Vice President. And at the time that was written in 2005, the 
Energy Information Administration predicted that it would do absolutely 
nothing to reduce the price of gasoline at the pump, and would most 
likely result in an increase in the price of gas at the pump. And guess 
what? Here we are 3 years later and that is exactly what has happened 
as a result of the policy that was put in place by the Republican 
leadership of this chamber and the Republican White House.
  And so what the messaging is about is about blaming Democrats for a 
policy and a situation that exists as a result of Republican-enacted 
legislation.
  Let me say one other thing, and that is, that what the American 
people deserve is a short-term solution and a long-term solution, and 
increased drilling provides neither. If the President and the 
Republicans were truly interested in a short-term solution they would 
join the Democrats in this Congress and they would urge the President 
to release 70 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum 
Reserve, something that would almost undoubtedly immediately bring down 
prices at the pump. And if they were interested in a long-term 
solution, they would join us in embarking on a policy that would give 
us a clean and independent energy future that would reduce our demand 
on foreign oil.
  With that, I would like to yield as much time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Mitchell).
  Mr. MITCHELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the Arizona State 
University softball team for their championship victory in the 2008 
Women's College World Series.

[[Page H6498]]

  On June 3, 2008, the Arizona State University Sun Devils won the 2008 
NCAA Women's College World Series after trouncing Texas A&M Aggies 11-
0. Not only did this win mark the first national title for Arizona 
State University in softball, but the Lady Sun Devils also set a record 
for the highest margin of victory in a championship game in the NCAA 
Women's College World Series history.
  Arizonans and a national television audience shared in the 
excitement, pride and sportsmanship ASU players displayed, both on the 
field and in the dugout during this inspiring victory.
  Furthermore, the ASU softball team played an excellent season, 
winning an impressive 66 games. Under the leadership of Coach Clint 
Meyers, the Sun Devils went 56-5 during the season, and 10-for-10 in 
the post season. This team succeeded with the hard work, grit and 
determination of the players, coaches and staff.
  Outstanding players in the Women's College World Series include super 
slugger, Kaitlin Cochran, who set a new NCAA single season record by 
drawing 29 intentional walks.
  Star pitcher Katie Burkhart earned Most Valuable Player honors in the 
Women's College World Series with 53 strikeouts and a perfect record of 
five wins and zero losses.
  Six of the lady Sun Devils were also named to the Louisville Slugger 
National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Pacific Region team. Five of 
these players, Katie Burkhart, Mindy Cowles, Krista Donnenwirth, 
Kaitlin Cochran and Jackie Vasquez, advanced to earn Louisville 
Sluggers/NFCA All-American honors.
  This team of course owes a great deal of its success to the superb 
ASU coaching staff, including Head Coach Clint Meyers and Assistant 
Coaches Kirsten Voak and Robert Wagner, who have been named to the 
NFCA's NCAA Division I National Coaching Staff of the year.
  As an alumnus of ASU, I am honored and excited to see a team from my 
alma mater accomplish this feat. This is truly a victory for Sun Devils 
everywhere. The championship title has been a long time coming for this 
team, and these women showed that true dedication and persistence can, 
indeed, pay off.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the remarkable success 
of this team whose achievements and camaraderie should be models for 
other teams across the country.
  Go Devils.
  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I would also like to congratulate the Arizona State University 
softball team. I watched some of the softball on television, and these 
are dynamic athletes doing a wonderful job of dealing with what has 
become a very fast sport.
  This team was extraordinary. Their victory against Texas A&M in the 
World Series, 11-0 victory shows just how great they really are.
  Beyond that though, I would just like to say that the Arizona State 
softball is not only an inspiration to student athletes in Arizona and 
across the United States, but a beacon of higher education as well. 
Arizona State University is a knowledge and discovery enterprise 
advancing teaching and research focused on the most pressing challenges 
that confront global society. A comprehensive public metropolitan 
research university enrolling more than 60,000 undergraduate, graduate 
and professional students on four campuses. ASU is a federation of 
unique colleges, schools, departments and research institutes that 
comprise close-knit but diverse academic communities that are 
international in scope. ASU champions intellectual and cultural 
diversity and welcomes students from all 50 States and more than 100 
nations across the globe.
  I congratulate everybody who had anything to do with the softball 
victory this year, and I congratulate Arizona State University on being 
an outstanding university in our country.
  I yield back the balance of our time.
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. We have no further speakers, Mr. Speaker, so 
I yield back the balance of my time as well.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Bishop) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1323.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________