[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14881]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  THE ``MICHAEL BILIRAKIS DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS SPINAL CORD 
                            INJURY CENTER''

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CLIFF STEARNS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 14, 2008

  Mr. STEARNS. Madam Speaker, I am proud to stand before my colleagues 
today as we pass legislation that will designate the Department of 
Veterans Affairs spinal cord injury center in Tampa, Florida, as the 
``Michael Bilirakis Department of Veterans Affairs Spinal Cord Injury 
Center.''
  Michael Bilirakis served the Ninth Congressional District of Florida 
from 1983-2006. Michael was a standout member of the United States 
House of Representatives, and his presence is surely missed on Capitol 
Hill. A native of my home State of Florida, Michael worked steadfastly 
for his constituents for 23 years, and his lifetime of civic-minded 
public service has not gone unnoticed.
  I had the pleasure of serving on the House Veterans' Affairs 
Committee with Michael, and his leadership as chairman of the VA 
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations was unparalleled. A 
veteran of the United States Air Force, Michael spent his career 
working hard to serve the best interests of our Nation's veterans. 
Michael's strong traditional values and service-oriented spirit were 
always visible in his everyday work on Capitol Hill.
  It is truly appropriate and deserving then, for Congress to name the 
VA spinal cord injury center in Tampa, Florida after Michael Bilirakis, 
and I thank my colleague and fellow Florida delegation member Jeff 
Miller for sponsoring this legislation.

                          ____________________