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Congressional Record—Senate S7251 July 8, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S7251 The bill includes $242 million in know he had a recent State champion- and in humble recognition of a man budget authority designated as being ship as well. He is no ordinary high who, by all accounts, was a servant of for overseas deployment and other ac- school football coach. Because in this God in every sense, a person who put tivities for the Coast Guard. Pursuant small town of Parkersburg, IA, the his faith to work by mentoring the to section 401(c)(4) of S. Con. Res. 13, high school is in two towns, Aplington- young people of his community as a the 2010, budget resolution, an adjust- Parkersburg, IA. It only has 2,000 peo- teacher and a football coach, a person ment to the 2010 discretionary spending ple in it. But this football coach has who put his faith to work by providing limits and the Appropriations Commit- taken four of his former players now a guiding hand as the community re- tee’s 302(a) allocation has been made presently playing in the NFL. At least covered from the tragedy of a tornado for this amount in budget authority three and maybe all four of these re- just a little over a year ago, a person and for the outlays flowing therefrom. turned to be pallbearers at his funeral. who put his faith to work as a father, The Senate-reported bill matches its We can see this record of the previous a husband, and an elder in the church. section 302(b) allocation for budget au- decade, and that record would be as Parenthetically, I wish to say this thority and is $1 million below its allo- good for the last decade. I am only about the close-knit families we have cation for outlays. No points of order sorry I don’t have a more recent pic- in the small communities of Iowa. It lie against the committee-reported ture showing Ed Thomas. happens that Coach Thomas and the bill. Two weeks ago today, at 10:30 in the family of the murderer go to the same I ask unanimous consent that the morning, a former student, a former church. The person who did the mur- table displaying the Budget Committee football player and the brother of a dering had, I assume from the news- scoring of the bill be printed in the football player who would have been paper, a drug problem. The Sunday be- playing this fall at this high school, RECORD. fore the murder, so the newspapers tell There being no objection, the mate- came into the weight room at Parkers- me, the family of the person with the rial was ordered to be printed in the burg High School. This coach was al- drug problem who did the murder ways there because he wanted to en- RECORD, as follows: asked in the church, would they pray courage his players to work out and to for their son. Coach Ed Thomas led the S. 1298, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY be healthy. He was there with them. prayer for that son, as it was reported APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2010 This former student came in and killed in the newspaper. [Spending Comparisons—Senate-reported Bill (in millions of dollars)] him with a gun. Didn’t bother anybody It was barely a year ago when news else. That was it. He was rushed to the reports came across the wires about a Defense General Total hospital but probably dead on arrival. small Iowa farming town that was dev- purpose I say how outstanding he was and astated by an F–5 tornado that tore Senate-Reported Bill: how well liked he was. About 12 across the community and leveled hun- Budget Authority .................. 1,582 41,345 42,927 Outlays ................................. 1,404 45,298 46,702 months before that, a tornado went dreds of homes and businesses—with Senate 302(b) Allocation: through Parkersburg destroying about eight people dying—the school and Budget Authority .................. – – – – – – 42,927 Outlays ................................. – – – – – – 46,703 a third of the town. This is a town of what locals call the Sacred Acre or, to House-Passed Bill: only 2,000. This coach had his house the rest of us the famous Parkersburg Budget Authority .................. 1,553 41,064 42,617 blown away, but he didn’t worry about Outlays ................................. 1,390 44,931 46,321 Falcon football field. President’s Request: himself. He headed for his high school, Just last week, this same town was Budget Authority .................. 1,365 41,473 42,838 which was also destroyed, to do imme- hit with possibly a more crushing blow Outlays ................................. 1,219 45,079 46,298 diately what he could to help turn than a tornado could ever take from a SENATE-REPORTED BILL COMPARED TO: things around. town. The caretaker of the Sacred Senate 302(b) allocation: I have prepared remarks where I will Acre, the beloved football coach and Budget Authority .................. – – – – – – 0 refer to this so colleagues will be hear- town leader, Coach Ed Thomas, was Outlays ................................. – – – – – – ¥1 House-Passed Bill: ing it twice. His goal from that Memo- senselessly murdered in front of his Budget Authority .................. 29 281 310 rial Day weekend to the opening of the very own students. Outlays ................................. 14 367 381 President’s Request: football season, the first Friday night In our area of the State, it is not Budget Authority .................. 217 ¥128 89 in August, was to have that football hard to know Coach Thomas. He was a Outlays ................................. 185 219 404 field ready to go so they could play pillar of the community. His success on Note: Both House and Senate bills include $242 million in budget author- football as they have. They had a very the football field made him an icon in ity designated as being for overseas deployment and other activities for the Coast Guard. outstanding season. his profession—two State champion- This is a person who led a commu- ships and four players currently in the f nity. He was not just a football coach. NFL. But the people who knew him MORNING BUSINESS My home of 75 years is 10 miles from will remember him most for his leader- Mrs. MURRAY. I ask unanimous con- that high school. They were our com- ship off the field. sent that the Senate proceed to morn- petitors. There is very fierce competi- It was his leadership that helped pull ing business, with Senators allowed to tion between football teams in these up the community that was knocked speak for up to 10 minutes each. small towns of the Midwest. I went off its feet by the F–5 tornado. His dec- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without Sunday afternoon. The viewing of the laration in the aftermath of the tor- objection, it is so ordered. body was from 3 to 8. The next day the nado that the Aplington-Parkersburg The Senator from Iowa. funeral had 2,500 people at it. But at boys would play football on their home the time—I get there at 3 o’clock—the field in just a couple months gave the f line was 3 blocks long. I stood in line 3 town of Parkersburg, IA, purpose in REMEMBERING ED THOMAS hours to get to say my condolences to the most difficult of times. the family and to view. This family It was the Sacred Acre that brought Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I was so strong that they probably gave everyone in town together, and it was think I can be done in 10 minutes, but more comfort to the people who were the whole town that put the Sacred if I can’t be, I would like to have a lit- there to view than each of us gave to Acre back together so they could start tle bit longer because I am going to the family. the football season on time in that talk about a very good Iowan who was Three hours, and I thought: How long home game, the last Friday of August. murdered 2 weeks ago today. This is is the line? By 6:30, the line was 4 Coach Thomas and his Sacred Acre the purpose for which I rise. This is blocks long. That family stood there brought out the best in the commu- coach Ed Thomas. I will get to that in until 11 o’clock that night to greet all nity, just as he brought out the best in a minute. But before I leave that up the friends of this beloved Iowa coach. his team with what Coach Thomas there for Senators to view, I wish to With that as background, I came to called, ‘‘strength in togetherness.’’ tell them, this is not any ordinary high the floor to give this statement. I His impact reached the people of this school football coach. This is obviously thought I ought to put it in some con- community long before that fateful day an old picture because it only goes to text. in May 2008. For nearly four decades, 1998. He coached 37 years at this high I come before the Senate with the Coach Thomas led young men in more school. It says here ‘‘championship.’’ I heavy heart of an entire community than just the game of football. He led VerDate Nov 24 2008 02:33 Sep 28, 2009 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00035 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD09\RECFILES\S08JY9.REC S08JY9 smartinez on DSKB9S0YB1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE S7252 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE July 8, 2009 them in the lessons of life.
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