[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 26080]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           MEMBERS VICTORIOUS IN ANNUAL CHARITY FOOTBALL GAME

  (Mr. SHULER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. SHULER. Mr. Speaker, it is a great privilege today to finally 
announce that after a lot of hard knocks and tries on the gridiron, the 
Capitol Hill Police versus the Members of Congress, we finally 
successfully came away with a victory last night.
  Along with a lot of help, former members of the NFL certainly helped 
us along, certainly excluding me, Ken Harvey, John Booty and others 
played an outstanding game, but our Members of Congress did an 
outstanding job. I think it just goes to show you that, working 
together across the aisle, we too can succeed.
  The co-captain, Mr. Shuster, probably had the most difficult job all 
night of managing who was in the game. You can only imagine; every 
Member of Congress thought that they were the best player on the team. 
So he had the most difficult job all night.
  I would yield to my co-captain, Mr. Shuster.
  Mr. SHUSTER. I thank the gentleman from North Carolina.
  I want to rise also to congratulate all the participants in a game 
well-played last night. We had many Members of Congress. As the 
gentleman from North Carolina said, we had some former pro football 
players. It was a hard-fought battle. We won in overtime, 32-26, with a 
fantastic pass from Heath Shuler to John Booty. It was fabulous.
  As Mr. Shuler said, it has been four tries. This is our first 
victory, being able to beat the Capitol Police. But the big winner was 
the Capitol Hill Police Memorial Fund and the Washington Literacy 
Council. We believe we raised about $50,000 to be split between those 
two groups.

                              {time}  1330

  I would also like to acknowledge our offensive and defensive players 
in the game.
  Offensive, it was easy. It was Heath Shuler, five touchdown passes. 
He played a fantastic game. I think the NFL is going to start looking 
at you again, Heath. We'd like that. Maybe that seat will come open in 
North Carolina if you went back to the NFL.
  Also, on defense, there were two players that played the game, big 
surprises for our team: Jack Kingston, better known as Brett Favre of 
the congressional team, had an outstanding game. But the defensive 
player of the game went to Anthony ``Mad Dog'' Weiner, who had two key 
interceptions in the game and just played fantastic.
  I want to thank Speaker Pelosi and Leader Boehner for their help and 
support in putting this game together. Also Roger Goodell, the 
Commissioner of the NFL, was there last night to flip the coin. And 
John Booty and Ken Harvey, two former NFL players, did a fantastic job 
in setting this up.
  And finally, again, just to thank the Capitol Police, who do a great 
job day in and day out, making sure the Capitol is safe, making sure 
the people who come here are safe. So thank you to them.
  I yield to the gentlewoman from California.
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate our team that won so 
decisively last night. Mr. Boehner and I were there to cheer the 
Democratic/Republican, Republican/Democratic team on.
  The good news is that they won; the bad news is they beat the Capitol 
Police. So I don't know what that means.
  But the fact is that it was great teamwork between the Democrats and 
the Republicans, which was saluted in the Rotunda earlier today. 
Senator Edward Brooke, whom we had honored with the Congressional Gold 
Medal, was pleased to hear about this teamwork between Democrats and 
Republicans. And, indeed, it got a standing ovation from those folks 
who didn't even know about the game until then.
  But you should have seen our guys. They were so great.
  Mr. Shuster, congratulations. Congratulations to Heath Shuler. The 
last time I saw them, they were playing baseball. They go from baseball 
to football, all-round athletes; great teamwork, great leadership. 
Congratulations to our team.
  And I, too, want to join in thanking the Capitol Police. I know they 
went all-out last night because they always go all-out for us.
  Congratulations. We were suited up, but we were not called upon.
  I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Congratulations.

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