January 12, 2007 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS, Vol. 153, Pt. 1 1185 HONORING ’S ELEC- Madam Speaker, in honor of Private Balint, SPINA BIFIDA CAUCUS TION TO HALL OF I would like to read aloud the Soldiers Creed. FAME THE SOLDIERS CREED HON. BART STUPAK OF MICHIGAN I am an American Soldier. HON. JULIA CARSON I am a Warrior and a member of a team. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF INDIANA I serve the people of the United States and Friday, January 12, 2007 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES live the Army Values. I will always place the mission first. Mr. STUPAK. Madam Speaker, I rise today Friday, January 12, 2007 I will never accept defeat. to recognize January as Birth Defects Preven- Ms. CARSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today I will never quit. tion and the week of January 8th through Jan- to recognize my good friend Tony Gwynn and I will never leave a fallen comrade. uary 14th as Folic Acid Awareness Week. As congratulate him on his election to the Base- I am disciplined, physically and mentally the co-chair of the Congressional Spina Bifida ball Hall of Fame. This high honor caps a ca- tough, trained and proficient in my Caucus, I have a long-standing commitment to warrior tasks and drills. reer of great accomplishment, respect for the reducing and preventing suffering from Spina I always maintain my arms, my equipment Bifida, the nation’s most common, perma- game, the fans and his team the San Diego and myself. Padres. I am an expert and I am a professional. nently disabling birth defect, and helping to re- Tony is an all around athlete having been I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy duce future cases of Spina Bifida through in- drafted by both the Padres and Clippers be- the enemies of the United States of creasing awareness of the need for women of fore focusing on his baseball career. He is a America in close combat. child-bearing age to consume folic acid. More member of the exclusive 3,000 hit club, a five- I am a guardian of freedom and the Amer- than 70,000 individuals in the United States time gold glove winner at right field and an ican way of life. are affected by Spina Bifida—a serious and I am an American Soldier. eight-time Batting Champion. life-long condition which occurs when the spi- These numbers are amazing enough but add- Private Balint is gone, but he will never be nal cord fails to close properly during the early ing to that the award for forgotten. God Speed to his family and to the stages of pregnancy. Spina Bifida affects vir- dedication to community and 15 trips to the United States of America. tually all organ systems and results in myriad All-Star Game at the request of baseball fans health, developmental, psychosocial, edu- worldwide shows the love and respect fans of f cational, and vocational challenges and com- baseball showed to him as well. plications. Congratulations on your election today to HONORING MRS. AGNES FLAWS Research indicates that consumption of the the Baseball Hall of Fame. I am proud of you HUSAK ON THE CELEBRATION OF B vitamin, folic acid, before and during early Tony, you deserve it and the best of luck in HER 100TH BIRTHDAY pregnancy can lower the rate of Spina Bifida retirement. and other neural tube defects by up to 70 per- f cent. The U.S. Public Health Service rec- HON. DANIEL LIPINSKI ommends 400 micrograms of folic acid daily TRIBUTE TO ARMY PFC PAUL for all women of childbearing age. Most over- BALINT, JR. OF ILLINOIS the-counter daily multi-vitamins have this IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES amount of folic acid. It is recommended that HON. KAY GRANGER women take multivitamins and consume for- OF TEXAS Friday, January 12, 2007 tified grains as part of a healthy diet. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Despite this startling impact of folic acid on Mr. LIPINSKI. Madam Speaker, I rise today public health, the Centers for Disease Control Friday, January 12, 2007 to honor Mrs. Agnes Flaws Husak on her and Prevention (CDC) reports that too many Ms. GRANGER. Madam Speaker, I rise 100th birthday. Mrs. Husak is an outstanding women of child-bearing age still do not con- today to honor the courage of a young hero resident of the Third Congressional District of sume adequate levels of folic acid. Of par- from my district. On December 15, 2006, Army Illinois and has dedicated her life to public ticular concern is that statistics show higher Private First Class Paul Balint, Jr. (B Com- service. prevalence of Latinas in the United States de- pany, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, Mrs. Husak was born January 12, 1917, on livering babies with Spina Bifida and other 1st Infantry Division) died in Al Ramadi, Iraq, Union Street, in Chicago, IL. There, her family neural tube defects, serious birth defects of in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Private was at the technological forefront of the era— the brain and the spine, than non-Hispanic Balint had served in the Army for over a year having the first house on the street with elec- white women. CDC reports that Latinos in the and in Iraq for three months, before sustaing United States consume the least amount of tricity, as well as a telephone. Mrs. Husak fatal injuries during an attack on his battalion. folic acid and have the least knowledge about continued the family’s innovative tradition Balint was known as a loyal friend and sol- folic acid among racial or ethnic groups in this while working for the GSA in 1940, utilizing dier. His parents remember him as a compas- country. More must be done to increase con- sionate man and a mediator, always thinking revolutionary card punching equipment—the sumption of folic acid among all women, par- about others and wanting to make sure every- predecessor to the modern computer. ticularly Latino populations, so we can con- one was having a good time. He also had a At the GSA, Mrs. Husak rose through the tinue to decrease the number of pregnancies love for hip-hop music and was going to add ranks and ultimately became head of her de- affected by Spina Bifida and other neural tube music to the home videos he filmed while in partment. In retirement, Mrs. Husak has been defects. Iraq. an active member of the National Active and The National Spina Bifida Program at the His parents had no doubts about what their Retired Federal Employees Association and CDC provides information and initiatives to son wanted to do with his life. He was going continues to play an integral role in this orga- empower individuals, families, and health care to be a soldier. Balint used to recite the ‘‘The nization today. providers with the resources they need to Soldiers Creed’’ at the kitchen table while his boost folic acid consumption and prevent sec- mother cooked. When his father asked him When asked the secret of living a long life, ondary effects and complications of Spina what he wanted to do, he said he ‘‘wanted to Mrs. Husak once responded, ‘‘Where’s your Bifida. I commend the CDC for its important be in the infantry.’’ When his father then asked calendar? Show me your calendar.’’ She be- work and encourage the agency to expand its him about the issue of Iraq, Balint responded lieves it is important to stay active and cer- Spina Bifida quality of life initiatives and its that he wanted to go ‘‘fight that stuff.’’ tainly does this herself—attending the Good folic acid awareness campaigns. While much Balint enlisted in the armed forces in Willow Shepherd Presbyterian Church, tending to her has been accomplished by the National Spina Park, Texas, with his brother, mother and fa- rose bushes, and playing Scrabble with her Bifida Program thus far, there remains an ther at his side. son. It is my honor to recognize Mrs. Agnes unmet need due to limited resources. In- After completing basic training, Balint had Flaws Husak on the celebration of her 100th creased funding would help ensure that the the Soldiers Creed branded into memory, and birthday, an exceptional lady and an inspira- program has the resources necessary to sup- into his heart. tion to all generations. port and expand folic acid education and

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