[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 7825]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 ISRAEL'S 60TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

  (Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COSTA. Madam Speaker, today we have an opportunity to signify an 
important milestone in Israel's history. We celebrate its 60th 
anniversary, a truly important time in Jewish history.
  My district in the San Joaquin Valley is the bread basket of the 
Nation, but we have a unique relationship between California State 
University at Fresno and Ben Gurion University of the Negev. My 
constituents for years have been partnering with their counterparts in 
Israel to research water, irrigation technologies and agricultural 
solutions to problems that face our world.
  Fresno State has a long history in working with many leading drip and 
micro-irrigation equipment manufacturers in Israel, and the university 
has a long history of exchange of information with the Agricultural 
Research Organization's Volcani Center in Israel, including exchange 
programs that have brought research scientists to work on water and 
salinity issues.
  Fresno State continues today to have discussions with Israeli 
researchers and industry on how to extend a beneficial use of the 
world's ever shrinking supply of water for the important purpose of 
feeding our world.
  For this and many other reasons, we recognize and celebrate the 60th 
anniversary of the Nation of Israel.

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