July 30, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8839 The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague Rep- Currently, Mr. Briscoe continues to be active objection to the request of the gen- resentative KEVIN BRADY for introducing this in the agricultural community as a rancher in tleman from Illinois? legislation and urge the swift passage of this Uvalde and serves his community as the Sen- There was no objection. bill. ior Chairman of the First State Bank of The Clerk read the resolution, as fol- The resolution was agreed to. Uvalde. lows: A motion to reconsider was laid on Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague Rep- H. RES. 501 the table. resentative CIRO RODRIGUEZ for introducing Whereas has reached 3,000 f this legislation and urge the swift passage of base hits as a Major League player this bill. and all while playing for the DOLPH S. BRISCOE, JR. POST OFFICE BUILDING The bill was ordered to be engrossed with an unmatched hustle and work ethic; and read a third time, was read the Whereas Craig Biggio is only the 27th play- Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I third time, and passed. er in history to reach ask unanimous consent that the Com- this historic milestone, joining such baseball The title was amended so as to read: greats as , , Tony mittee on Oversight and Government ‘‘A bill to designate the facility of the Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr., and ; Reform be discharged from further con- United States Postal Service located at Whereas Craig Biggio is not only a member sideration of the bill (H.R. 2688) to des- 103 South Getty Street in Uvalde, of the exclusive 3,000 club, but also holds ignate the facility of the United States Texas, as the ‘Dolph Briscoe, Jr. Post the Major League record for most games Postal Service located at 103 South Office Building’.’’. played with one team at 2,768 and counting Getty Street in Uvalde, Texas, as the A motion to reconsider was laid on over the past 20 seasons; ‘‘Dolph S. Briscoe, Jr. Post Office Whereas Craig Biggio is 7th all-time in the table. Building,’’ and ask for its immediate Major League Baseball with 653 doubles and f should move into 5th place by the end of the consideration in the House. current season; The Clerk read the title of the bill. b 1230 Whereas Craig Biggio holds the Astros ca- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there ACKNOWLEDGING PROGRESS TO reer records for games played, at-bats, runs objection to the request of the gen- REBUILD GULF COAST REGION scored, hits, doubles, and extra-base hits; tleman from Illinois? AFTER HURRICANES KATRINA Whereas Craig Biggio is a tireless leader in There was no objection. AND RITA the community for charitable causes, serving The Clerk read the bill, as follows: for the last decade as lead spokesperson for H.R. 2688 Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I Sunshine Kids, which is an organization that Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- ask unanimous consent that the Com- supports children fighting cancer and their resentatives of the United States of America in mittee on Oversight and Government families; Congress assembled, Reform be discharged from further con- Whereas Craig Biggio and his wife Patti sideration of the resolution (H. Res. have helped to raise nearly $2,000,000 for Sun- SECTION 1. DOLPH S. BRISCOE, JR. POST OFFICE BUILDING. shine Kids and have impacted numerous can- 551) acknowledging the progress made (a) DESIGNATION.—The facility of the cer-stricken families throughout the Hous- and yet to be made to rebuild the Gulf United States Postal Service located at 103 ton area by leading fun activities like at- Coast region after Hurricanes Katrina South Getty Street in Uvalde, Texas, shall tending Houston Astros, Rockets, and Texan and Rita, and ask for its immediate be known and designated as the ‘Dolph S. games and The Houston Livestock Show and Briscoe, Jr. Post Office Building’. consideration in the House. Rodeo; (b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, The Clerk read the title of the resolu- Whereas Houston Astros owner Drayton map, regulation, document, paper, or other tion. McLane, Jr. recently stated, ‘No one has record of the United States to the facility re- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there meant more to our community development ferred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to than Craig and Patti Biggio.’; and objection to the request of the gen- be a reference to the ‘Dolph S. Briscoe, Jr. tleman from Illinois? Whereas Craig Biggio has been honored Post Office Building’. with many awards to recognize his distin- There was no objection. guished contributions to the sport of base- AMENDMENT OFFERED BY MR. DAVIS OF The Clerk read the resolution, as fol- ball and to the community, including the ILLINOIS lows: Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I Hutch Award in 2005 for resilience and al- H. RES. 551 ways showing a fighting competitive spirit, offer an amendment. and being named one of ’ Good The Clerk read as follows: Whereas Hurricanes Katrina and Rita dev- astated the lives of 4.5 million people Guys in 2004 for all his community service Amendment offered by Mr. DAVIS of Illi- through loss of life and personal injury; de- work off the field: Now, therefore, be it nois: stroyed homes, businesses, and public prop- Resolved, That the House of Representa- Strike all after the enacting clause and in- erty; displaced people; and damaged cultural tives— sert the following: (1) commends Craig Biggio of the Houston assets and economies across the Gulf Coast SECTION 1. DOLPH BRISCOE, JR. POST OFFICE of the United States; Astros for reaching 3,000 base hits as a Major BUILDING. Whereas Hurricanes Katrina and Rita de- League Baseball player; (a) DESIGNATION.—The facility of the (2) recognizes his outstanding service to United States Postal Service located at 103 stroyed nearly every home and business in the community through his charitable work South Getty Street in Uvalde, Texas, shall Orleans Parish, St. Bernard Parish, and dedication to the Houston Astros organi- be known and designated as the ‘‘Dolph Plaquemines Parish, and Cameron Parish; zation; and Briscoe, Jr. Post Office Building’’. and thousands of homes in Calcasieu Parish (3) directs the Clerk of the House of Rep- (b) REFERENCES.—Any reference in a law, and other coastal parishes also suffered flood resentatives to transmit a copy of this reso- map, regulation, document, paper, or other damage; lution to Craig Biggio of the Houston Astros record of the United States to the facility re- Whereas Hurricane Katrina displayed and to Astros team owner Mr. Drayton ferred to in subsection (a) shall be deemed to winds peaking at 175 miles per hour; McLane, Jr. for appropriate display. be a reference to the ‘‘Dolph Briscoe, Jr. Whereas Hurricane Katrina made landfall Post Office Building’’. in the Gulf Coast region on August 29, 2005, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on June as a powerful category 3 storm and the third 28, 2007, Mr. Craig Biggio is the 27th profes- The amendment was agreed to. Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, Mr. strongest land-falling hurricane ever re- sional baseball player in major league history corded in the United States; to make 3,000 base hits. He is the ninth to do Dolph Briscoe was born on April 23, 1923 in Whereas Hurricane Katrina destroyed so while playing all of his games with one Uvalde, Texas. He graduated from the Univer- 275,000 homes, 18,750 businesses, and 875 team. sity of Texas in 1942 and then served in the schools in Louisiana, and is blamed for the In 1988, Mr. Biggio began his distinguished Army during World War II. After he returned deaths of 1,577 residents in Louisiana; career with the Houston Astros as a . from the war, he served in the Texas legisla- Whereas Hurricane Katrina caused four In 1992, hoping to extend his career, the team ture from 1949 through 1957. He then left poli- levees to breach, including the 17th Avenue moved him to various positions, first to the tics to manage his family’s ranching and busi- Canal, the Industrial Canal, and the London ness interests. Avenue Canal, resulting in flooding of the outfield, then to second base, where he is cur- city of New Orleans and the parishes of St. rently playing. He is the only player to be In 1974, Mr. Briscoe was elected governor Bernard and Plaquemines; and nearly two named an All-star as both catcher and second of Texas as a conservative, pro-business years later, work on those levees is still un- baseman. After playing baseball for 20 years, Democrat. He was one of the few governors finished; he has announced his retirement at the end of to enact a balanced budget without raising or Whereas, because of an insufficient levee this season. creating new taxes. protection system, approximately 80 percent

VerDate Aug 31 2005 02:31 Aug 01, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K30JY7.029 H30JYPT2 bajohnson on PRODPC60 with HOUSE H8840 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE July 30, 2007 of New Orleans was submerged for nearly one Most of those changes were included in time after winning his fourth NBA Cham- month in deadly flood waters; Title VI of the DHS appropriations legislation pionship; and Whereas Hurricane Katrina devastated in- for FY2007. It established new leadership po- Whereas San Antonio has the best fans in stitutions of higher education, including the league and the Alamo City is the perfect Delgado Community College, Dillard Univer- sitions and requirements within FEMA. Addi- setting for a championship celebration: Now, sity, Loyola University New Orleans, South- tionally, it brought new missions into FEMA therefore, be it ern University at New Orleans, Tulane Uni- and enhanced the agency’s authority by di- Resolved, That the House of Representa- versity, the University of New Orleans, and recting the FEMA Administrator to undertake a tives congratulates the San Antonio Spurs Xavier University of Louisiana; broad range of activities before and after dis- and Gregg Popovich for winning the Whereas nearly two years later, all col- asters. 2007 National Basketball Association Cham- leges and universities in New Orleans have Although, Congress has responded to the pionship. reopened, but enrollment is lagging, major devastation of the Gulf Coast region by pro- Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, on June infrastructure has not yet been rebuilt, viding billions of dollars in assistance, more 14, 2007, the San Antonio Spurs won the many public schools remain closed, and pri- 2007 National Basketball Association (NBA) vate and public schools that have reopened resources are needed to expedite the eco- are struggling to recover; nomic recovery in this region. Championship with a victory over the Cleve- Whereas prior to Hurricane Katrina, the Mr. Speaker, I commend my colleague Rep- land Cavaliers. This was the Spurs fourth NBA population of New Orleans was 484,674; but resentative William Jefferson for introducing Championship in the last 9 years. nearly two years after Hurricane Katrina, this legislation and urge the swift passage of I join all my colleagues in congratulating the little more than half of New Orleans resi- this bill. San Antonio Spurs and Coach Gregg dents have been able to return to their The resolution was agreed to. Popovich for winning the 2007 National Bas- homes; A motion to reconsider was laid on ketball Association Championship. Whereas Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed the table. The resolution was agreed to. the capabilities of State and local govern- A motion to reconsider was laid on ments and Congress appropriated billions of f the table. dollars for emergency response needs, such HONORING THE 2007 NBA as evacuations, repairs, deployment of per- CHAMPION SAN ANTONIO SPURS f sonnel, and other immediate relief efforts; Whereas nearly two years after Hurricane Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I CONGRATULATING THE DETROIT Katrina, disaster relief efforts continue to be ask unanimous consent that the Com- TIGERS FOR WINNING THE 2006 needed, especially for hundreds of thousands mittee on Oversight and Government PENNANT of displaced citizens; Reform be discharged from further con- Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I Whereas Hurricane Rita made landfall sideration of the resolution (H. Res. ask unanimous consent that the Com- along the border of Louisiana and Texas on September 24, 2005, as the fourth most in- 490) honoring the 2007 NBA Champion mittee on Oversight and Government tense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, caus- San Antonio Spurs, and ask for its im- Reform be discharged from further con- ing $9.4 billion in property damage; mediate consideration in the House. sideration of the resolution (H. Res. Whereas Hurricane Rita completely de- The Clerk read the title of the resolu- 488) congratulating the stroyed several towns in Southwest Lou- tion. for winning the 2006 American League isiana along the border of Texas and washed The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there Pennant and for bringing the City of tons of potentially hazardous debris into the objection to the request of the gen- Detroit and the State of Michigan their area’s marshes, causing severe economic tleman from Illinois? first trip to the in 22 loss, detrimental health effects, and deaths; There was no objection. Whereas Congress has responded to the years, and ask for its immediate con- devastation of the Gulf Coast region by pro- The Clerk read the resolution, as fol- sideration in the House. viding billions of dollars in assistance, in- lows: The Clerk read the title of the resolu- cluding tax relief efforts such as the Gulf Op- H. RES. 490 tion. portunity Zone, student aid, and disability Whereas on June 14, 2007, the San Antonio The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there services to victims of Hurricanes Katrina Spurs won the 2007 National Basketball As- objection to the request of the gen- and Rita, and nearly two years later, Con- sociation (NBA) Championship with a vic- tleman from Illinois? gress continues to provide assistance to ex- tory over the Cleveland Cavaliers; There was no objection. pedite economic recovery in the region; and Whereas the Spurs’ win results in their Whereas the people of the United States The Clerk read the resolution, as fol- fourth NBA Championship in the last 9 lows: have been extremely generous in their sup- years; port for the Gulf Coast region, in addition to Whereas the Spurs, after sweeping the H. RES. 488 the outpouring of assistance from the inter- Cavaliers to decisively win the Finals 4–0, Whereas this is the 10th American League national community, which continues to are widely recognized as a modern-day bas- Pennant won by the Detroit Tigers; support the recovery efforts in the region: ketball dynasty; Whereas is a 3 time Now, therefore, be it Whereas San Antonio’s four-game sweep Manager of the Year and 1 of 7 managers in Resolved, That the House of Representa- was only the eighth sweep since the finals the history of baseball to win the pennant in tives— began in 1947; both the National and American Leagues; (1) recognizes the importance of the Gulf Whereas the Spurs’ .727 winning percentage Whereas the manager and coaching staff Coast region to the economy of the United is the highest in finals history; have done a remarkable job guiding this States; Whereas under the leadership and instruc- team to victory; (2) recognizes the importance of the cul- tion of Coach Gregg Popovich, the Spurs’ Whereas General Manager Dave tural contributions of the people of the Gulf Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Dombrowski and Owner have as- Coast to the United States; and Robert Horry, Bruce Bowen, Michael Finley, sembled and led a team that has revitalized (3) expresses its support for all individuals Fabricio Oberto, Francisco Elson, Jacque the Tigers franchise; still affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Vaughn, and Brent Barry played together as Whereas all 25 players on the playoff squad two years after these terrible natural disas- a team with determination and resolve to contributed to their remarkable postseason ters struck. bring the NBA trophy back home to the victories over the Yankees and the Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, Hurri- Alamo City; , including American Whereas Tony Parker was named the League Rookie of the Year , cane Katrina made a devastating impact on Finals Most Valuable Player after using his as well as Magglio Ordo´ n˜ ez, Iva´ n Rodrı´guez, Florida and the Gulf Coast states in the last speed and quickness to average 24.5 points Jeremy Bonderman, Kenny Rogers, Sean days of August 2005, followed within weeks by and an amazing 57 percent from the field dur- Casey, Carlos Guille´n, Alexis Go´ mez, Omar Hurricanes Rita and Wilma. These disasters ing the Finals, becoming the first European- Infante, Pla´ cido Polanco, Brandon Inge, will long be remembered for disrupting fami- born player to be honored as MVP; Craig Monroe, , Curtis lies, changing and ending lives, and forcing Whereas Tim Duncan and Bruce Bowen an- Granderson, Ramo´ n Santiago, Neifi Pe´rez, Americans to rethink about our preparedness chored the Spurs with stifling defense Nate Robertson, Todd Jones, Jason Grilli, and ability to respond effectively to disasters. throughout the NBA Finals; Zach Miner, Wilfredo Ledezma, Fernando Whereas Manu Ginobili used his pinpoint Rodney, Joel Zumaya, Jamie Walker, and Unfortunately, these hurricanes served as a three-point shooting and strong drives to the Vance Wilson; catalyst for changes in federal policy and gov- basket to lead the Spurs to victory in Game Whereas the Detroit Tigers have a history ernment management within the Department 4 with 27 points; of great players and managers, including Ty of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Whereas Coach Gregg Popovich is recog- Cobb, , , and Emergency management Agency (FEMA). nized as one of the greatest coaches of all ;

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