[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 23035]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING PPL ELECTRIC UTILITIES AND THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF 
                     ELECTRICAL WORKERS LOCAL 1600

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in praise of the actions 
of PPL Electric Utilities and the International Brotherhood of 
Electrical Workers Local 1600 for the inspiring sacrifices they made in 
the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on behalf of citizens of 
the Gulf Coast.
  Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita were two of the most destructive 
natural disasters to ever strike the United States. In the wake of 
these catastrophic storms, utilities serving the gulf States reached 
out across the country for technical resources and skilled labor 
necessary to rebuild an electric infrastructure destroyed by the forces 
of nature.
  PPL Electric Utilities is a great corporate citizen in my district 
that provides electricity needs for 1.3 million customers in eastern 
Pennsylvania. When the people of the gulf coast needed assistance, PPL 
true to form answered the call for help after both hurricanes. More 
than 180 of the company's employees willingly agreed to leave their 
homes and their families to help restore an essential basic service, to 
assist victims of the hurricanes in getting their lives back to normal.
  Many of these employees were members of the International Brotherhood 
of Electrical Workers Local 1600, skilled, dedicated union members 
whose efforts were desperately needed in the fight to restore a 
functioning electrical grid in the devastated areas. These workers 
endured long hours of work, oppressive heat, uprooted trees, biting 
insects, and many other hazards to their personal safety.
  In accomplishing their important task they earned respect and 
admiration of the people from Mississippi and Louisiana, as well as 
from those back home in Pennsylvania. Through their hard work, caring 
and professionalism they became true good will ambassadors of the 
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the 15th Congressional District. It is 
my intention today to make sure this distinguished body is fully 
cognizant of the dynamic deference of both PPL Electric Utilities and 
the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1600 and of 
their exceptional work in the Nation's time of need following Hurricane 
Katrina and Hurricane Rita. By working hand-in-hand, these two 
organizations toiled long hours to ease the suffering of the many 
affected by these natural disasters.

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