Richard L. Hanna: “I thank the gentleman from Utah for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in proud support of H.R. 2061, the Civilian…”

“I thank the gentleman from Utah for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in proud support of H.R. 2061, the Civilian Service Recognition Act of 2011. First, I would like to thank a few of my colleagues for helping to bring this bill to the floor. My friend and colleague, a New Yorker, Maurice Hinchey, one of the original cosponsors of this bill; my neighbor and friend in the Cannon Office Building and someone who has been supportive of this effort from the very beginning, Donna Edwards, Representative from Maryland; Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa and Ranking Member Elijah Cummings for their support of this bill; and the entire staff of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee for its work on this bill. In addition, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the people who prompted the introduction of this bill: Grant Reeher and Terry Newell. These gentlemen penned a joint opinion editorial in The Syracuse Post- Standard suggesting that legislation be introduced to honor civil servants who are killed in the line of duty. Mr. Speaker, this bill is quite simple. If a civilian Federal employee is killed on the job as a result of a criminal contact, terrorism, natural disaster, or an extraordinary event as determined by the President of the United States, their next of kin would be authorized to receive a United States flag. The Congressional Budget Office reports that this bill would have ``no significant effect on the Federal budget.'' Mr.…”