ms. mccollum: i thank the gentlelady. i would now like to recognize the delegate from washington, d.c., eleanor holmes norton. ms. norton: i thank the gentlelady from minnesota for yielding. i come to the floor this evening because a colleague of iconic reputation is about to leave this house. now jim oberstar will do very well. i wish i could say the same for those we leave behind. he is more than the institutional memory of the transportation and infrastructure committee. sure jim has a legendary memory that he lends to the committee members ever so often. but you cannot describe jim's work with particular pieces of infrastructure that you may see here and there. you just can't do it. jim's work has been for so long and so deep and so influential, that it will be almost impossible for it to ever be repeated in this house. for jim has spent his entire career and by that, we mean not only his career as a member, but as a staff member most influential with members, with the t and i committees or public works, whatever you w

ms. mccollum, h.r. 2103. child marriage is one of the most harmful practices affecting girls in the developing world today. globally, more than 60 million girls under the age of 18, many only 12 or 13, are married. usually to men more than twice or three times their age. between half and three-fourths of all girls are married before the age of 18 in countries such as chad, somalia, bangladesh and nepal. should these numbers remain consistent in the next 10 year, there will be 25,000 new child brides every day. marrying at such a young age comes at a terrible cost for these girls, girls who in most developed countries would otherwise still be happily playing sports, singing in their school choir. these young girls are at an increased risk for health problems like hiv-aids, due to the sexual history of their older partners. in addition, they're at risk of complications in pregnancy and childbirth. childbirth complications are the leading cause of death for women 15 to 19 years old in developing countries. not o

ms. mccollum: thank you, madam speaker. i'd like to thank chairman waxman and i'd like to thank representative pallone for their help in giving this to the bell as well as my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, congressman lee. house resolution 1600 acknowledges the critical role of physician assistants by designating a week in 2010 as national physicians assistants week. 40 years ago the position of p.a. was created in response to a national health care work force shortage. over 20 years ago i had the honor and privilege in minnesota of helping to right the rules for p.a.'s to function and providing health care in minnesota. i was a consumer member on the board and i had a great learning coifer working with doctors, p.a.'s, hospitals, health care clinics, and patients from all over minnesota in making sure that p.a.'s were able to address this work force shortage. and today they continue to be an integral part of our health care system. practicing in all health care settings and specialties. physicians assistants se

ms. mccollum that would have moved money, no new money, would have moved money so that societies that are coercing young girls into marriage, we could build them latrines so they could go to school or we could make sure that they stay in school so they're not forced into marriage at the age of 12 and 13. all of a sudden there was a fiscal argument. when that didn't work people had to add an abortion element to it. this is a partisan place. i'm a republican. i'm glad we beat their butt in the election, but there comes a time when enough is enough and mccollum's bill was a good bill last night. capture's bill is a good bill today. we should stop the nonsense, approving the bill and move on. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from massachusetts. mr. frank: mr. speaker, i have one final speaker who will close. if the gentleman is prepared to yield back i'll finish with that speaker. ter tier after your one speaker i'll -- mr. terry: after your one speaker i'll have a few seconds and yield back. mr. frank: the gentleman can finish. i have one speaker to close. mr. terry: she'

ms. mccollum: thousands of girls will be robbed of their future when they are forced to marry older men. it's not marriage when a 10-year-old girl is given to a 40-year-old man. this is child abuse. the united states must take a strong stand against child marriage. democrats and republicans must come together and pass the international protecting girls by preventing child marriage act as soon as possible. every senator agreed to this bill when it passed last week. it passed unanimously. there's a lot of talk in congress about the need to protect children from abuse. it's time for action. it's time for a vote. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back. the chair lays before the house the following communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker, house of representatives, madam, pursuant oto the permission granted in clause 2-h of rule 2 of the rules of the u.s. house of representatives, the clerk received the following message from the sec are retear of the senate on december 3, 2010, at 4:15 p.m. that the senate passed without amendment h.r. 3237, that the sen