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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 111 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 155 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2009 No. 77 House of Representatives The House met at 10:30 a.m. and was Miah, as he was known, was simply a and fruits of a free Nation. And in that called to order by the Speaker pro tem- good kid. He made friends easily, he depiction, Washington beckons. pore (Mr. TONKO). had a great sense of humor, and he had From little towns like Portola, Cali- f wanted to join the Army since he was fornia, decent young men and women 4 years old. He was an exemplary sol- with promising futures, like Jeremiah DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO dier who commanded the friendship McCleery, have answered. And I don’t TEMPORE and respect of his colleagues. He had know where we get such men, and I The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- fallen in love with a girl at Fort Hood don’t know how their families can bear fore the House the following commu- before he shipped out, with their whole it. But I do know what we owe them. nication from the Speaker: lives ahead of them. And I do know that we can never repay WASHINGTON, DC, A friend of his, Josh Rodgers, was that debt, except to honor their mem- May 19, 2009. asked when Miah McCleery was ory and keep their sacrifice always in I hereby appoint the Honorable PAUL happiest, and the answer was, ‘‘doing mind, those who gave up everything TONKO to act as Speaker pro tempore on this anything with his dad.’’ They had lost ‘‘to proclaim liberty throughout all the day. his mother, Collette, to cancer a few land, and unto all the inhabitants NANCY PELOSI, years ago. His father, Joe, worked at a thereof.’’ Speaker of the House of Representatives. refuse collection company and later at f f a sheet metal business, and Miah was HONORING AND REMEMBERING MORNING-HOUR DEBATE often at his side. That same friend was asked why LES SARNOFF The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- Jeremiah had enlisted. The response, The SPEAKER pro tempore. The ant to the order of the House of Janu- ‘‘he always wanted to when he was a Chair recognizes the gentleman from ary 6, 2009, the Chair will now recog- kid. He probably just wanted to out of Oregon (Mr. BLUMENAUER) for 5 min- nize Members from lists submitted by patriotic duty to go serve. And I think utes. the majority and minority leaders for he wanted to go do his part.’’ Mr. BLUMENAUER. This is an era morning-hour debate. The question first asked by Jim where new media and communication The Chair will alternate recognition Michener thunders across the country- devices are seemingly created over- between the parties, with each party side with a loss like this: ‘‘Where do we night. Was it only 3 years ago that limited to 30 minutes and each Mem- get such men?’’ Mr. Speaker, I don’t YouTube bounced on the scene? It ber, other than the majority and mi- know how to offer condolences to Miah seems like it was last week that we nority leaders and the minority whip, McCleery’s family, to his father, Joe, first heard about Twitter. limited to 5 minutes. to his sisters, Lynette and Chastity, Well, the first and most influential of f and to his grandparents and many the ‘‘new media’’ still plays a large role friends. The loss they bear is beyond in our lives. Radio captures that magic HONORING ARMY SPECIALIST my comprehension. in part because of the radio personal- JEREMIAH P. MCCLEERY I can only offer my awe and gratitude ities who captivated us with their dis- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The that humanity has within itself a small tinctive voices and wit, made larger Chair recognizes the gentleman from band of brothers like Jeremiah than life by how much was left to our California (Mr. MCCLINTOCK) for 5 min- McCleery who stepped forward not for imagination in terms of the production utes. treasure or profit nor even to defend and even what they looked like. Wil- Mr. MCCLINTOCK. Mr. Speaker, I their own freedom. But rather, to win liam Conrad was the radio voice of rise today with the sad duty of recog- the freedom of a people half a world Gunsmoke’s marshal, Matt Dillon, who nizing the death in combat of Army away. And they do it because their was played on TV by actor James Specialist Jeremiah P. McCleery, age country asks and because it is virtuous Arness, 6 foot 6, tall and rangy with 24, of Portola, California. and noble. craggy good looks. William Conrad, the Mr. Speaker, if you read the observa- A few feet from here in the Capitol radio voice, sounded that way, but he tions of his friends, you very quickly Rotunda is a fresco called the ‘‘Apothe- was short and rotund. And while he realize this was not only an irreplace- osis of Washington.’’ It depicts General looked distinctive, few would confuse able loss to his family and a monu- Washington, in uniform, ascending to him with a matinee idol. From Fred mental loss to his community, but it the heavens, flanked by victory and Alan, Jack Benny and Edward R. Mur- was also a terrible loss for our country. freedom, and surrounded by the essence row to Scott Simon, Garrison Keillor b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H5715 . VerDate Nov 24 2008 01:26 May 20, 2009 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A19MY7.000 H19MYPT1 rfrederick on PROD1PC67 with HOUSE H5716 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 19, 2009 today, these people play an important WORLD HEPATITIS DAY other important agricultural commod- role not just in a communication and The SPEAKER pro tempore. The ities that are not subsidized, that don’t entertainment medium, but in the lives Chair recognizes the gentleman from use subsidized water, that, in fact, are of Americans. New York (Mr. TOWNS) for 5 minutes. critical to healthy diets for Americans and provide a tremendous balance of In much of the commercial radio Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, today, payments on our trade efforts abroad. wasteland today, where content is cen- May 19, marks the second annual World Sadly, though, three critical years of tralized and digitized, while costs are Hepatitis Day, when the need for great- er public awareness towards prevention drought shortage have had a dev- cut, local personalities, who played astating effect on communities in the such a profound role in virtually every and treatment of this silent killer is recognized internationally. San Joaquin Valley and in my district. community, are more and more a dis- My district and Congressman tant memory. Hepatitis is a prime example of an issue that must be addressed now, as CARDOZA’s district are at ground zero In my hometown of Portland, Or- Congress and the administration work where we have communities that have egon, we are still blessed with a few together to create a sustainable health 30 and 40 percent unemployment, com- distinctive local voices. But sadly last care system for future generations. munities that have 10 and 12,000 people, month, we lost one who can only be de- Of those infected with viral hepatitis 30,000 people, 50,000 people. When one- scribed as an icon. For decades Les C, more than three-quarters are un- third of the people in your community Sarnoff was the most distinctive per- aware of their infection, making the don’t have jobs, it is a depression. sonality in what started as an idiosyn- long-term consequences of HCV infec- Today, clearly, our environmental cratic, offbeat and obscure FM station. tion, including cirrhosis of the liver regulations are not working. We have He helped it grow into a major com- and liver cancer, a greater, greater an inability to move water around mercial success and a Portland fixture. danger. California. The characteristics that made him A study about HCV released just yes- b 1045 such a well respected professional and terday by Milliman Incorporated, one We know that, if this drought lasts a beloved local figure helped him rise of the Nation’s most respected firms, fourth and fifth year, Katy, bar the above and survive the turmoil in the tells a troubling story. They are saying door. industry, the often destructive that over the next 20 years, medical These are food lines in communities changes, to brighten the mornings of costs for patients with HCV infections in my district. The irony is that these tens of thousands of my neighbors are expected to increase from $30 bil- are some of the hardest working people every day for the better part of three lion in 2009 to over $85 billion in 2024. you will ever meet. Normally, they decades. Chronic viral hepatitis is a leading would be working in fields, working in cause of primary liver cancer, one of processing facilities, putting food on Les was a dedicated and disciplined the fastest growing cancers, which sig- professional, arising shortly after mid- America’s dinner plates. Sadly, they’re nificantly impacts 6 million Americans in food lines. How horrific in America. night every weekday to spend hours in and has a 5-year survival rate.

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