Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize New Revelation Missionary Baptist Church of Pasadena, California, upon its fiftieth anniversary.

New Revelation Missionary Baptist Church was established in Pasadena in 1961 by Minister Ike Morris. In 1963, the church purchased a building on Orange Grove Boulevard--a three-bedroom house--which served as the new place of worship. In 1967, with the resignation of Pastor Morris, William Turner, Jr. a minister who served faithfully under the tenure of Pastor Morris, was called to become the new Undershepherd and Pastor of the church.

Under the leadership of Pastor Turner, and with the vision and support of the congregation, a vision to ``serve the whole person'' was set forth. To that end, a massive ten-year building project was undertaken to create a Sanctuary, child development center, full-court gymnasium, and tutorial program. In 1967, the church purchased and renovated a twelve-room apartment house. In 1968, the church completed the plans for the project, a building permit was granted in 1969 and the church began building. Church members and friends among the community donated their labor and financial assistance, and the Sanctuary was completed in August of 1970. Soon thereafter, with the assistance of Mr. Raymond Jones, the church was able to secure a loan liquidating some of the building expenses. In 1973, with the help of Mr. Vaughn Hardy and Mr. Nick Nickolson, the church received a loan from Prudential Insurance Company for the

completion of the project, and in 1974 the building project was finished.

Since its inception, New Revelation Missionary Baptist Church has provided spiritual guidance and tangible support to the Pasadena and Altadena community--living by their dictum: ``until the whole person is saved, our mission remains.'' This ideology is apparent in the church's many programs and ministries that include the Family Counseling Center, New Revelation Twelve Step Sober Living Home for Women, Street Ministry, Pastor's Care Ministry, Inner City Word Processing Center, New Revelation Shelter Home for Men, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program, and New Revelation Community Development Center. Additional programs include the Revelation Enrichment Academy Preschool, the Spiritual Manpower Program, a Cell Evangelism Ministry, the Critically Homeless Program and a Love and Care Ministry for homeless disabled Veterans.

I consider it a great honor to recognize New Revelation Missionary Baptist Church, and I invite all Members to join me in congratulating the congregation upon fifty years of service to the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor The League of Women Voters Pasadena Area, LWVPA, upon its 75th anniversary.

The Pasadena League was established in late February, 1936, when 50 women--charter members--met in the Pasadena home of Mrs. James Grant Macpherson. Shortly afterwards, on March 31, 1936, about 100 women held a public meeting in Pasadena to launch this local League of Women Voters chapter. Working out of an office in the Women's City Club, the fledging Pasadena League followed the national League's goals of political education, legislation and getting out the vote, while also focusing on children's issues, city government, and eradication of gender and racial discrimination in housing, education and government.

In the first few years, the new League studied government and child welfare issues, and was instrumental in working on a ``street-trader law'' that protected youth who sold newspapers on city streets. The 1940s saw the League leading guided tours of Pasadena City Hall, the appointment of two women to the city's Planning Commission, and assisting on a school bond issue. In the 1950s, the League urged the formation of a redevelopment agency to address blighted residential areas of Pasadena and published a pamphlet, The Perfect City, about planning, zoning and urban renewal, and citizen participation.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the League worked on local issues such as school and municipal bonds, and was instrumental in the formation of the Pasadena Human Relations Commission and the Commission on the Status of Women. The League promoted minority representation in local government, backed a 1968 measure to change the election system of the Pasadena City Council, advocated for the integration of Pasadena's public schools and sued the Pasadena Board of Education for violations of the Brown Act over that issue. By 1976, with the expansion of the League to include La Canada Flintridge and Sierra Madre, and the later incorporation of the Alhambra and South Pasadena Leagues, the LWVPA was the second largest league in California and a prominent political force.

The 1980s and 1990s saw the LWVPA produce public affairs programs on cable television, advocate for greater citizen input regarding power deregulation, support local library tax assessments and participate in the study and adoption of Instant Runoff Voting, and SmartVoter.org. From 2000 to 2011, some of the LWVPA's achievements include supporting Prop 11 which established a Citizen's Redistricting Commission, providing objective information on ballot measures and conducting candidate forums, and monitoring affordable housing in local communities.

It is my honor to ask all Members of Congress to join me in congratulating the League of Women Voters Pasadena Area upon 75 years of service to the community.

Mr. Speaker it is with great pleasure that I rise today to honor McKay Hatch, founder of The No Cussing Club.

During middle school, McKay grew tired of the constant stream of obscene and cruel language from his peers that lowered their self- esteem. He courageously asked his classmates to not cuss around him. His peers accepted the challenge and stopped cussing and thanked him for his leadership efforts.

Encouraged by his peers' support for his efforts, McKay founded the No Cussing Club at South Pasadena Middle School. Club members take the No Cussing Challenge, which is a commitment to use better language. The commitment not only improves their lives but also the world around them by using empowering, instead of deflating, language. Through the club motto of ``Leave People Better Than You Found Them,'' members seek out opportunities to lift people up through their words and actions.

In high school, McKay formed a No Cussing Club during his freshman year and it soon had over 100 active members. The club dedicated itself to spreading its message and adding members in all 50 states. Today the No Cussing Club has over 50,000 members, in all 50 states and 30 different countries.

McKay and the No Cussing Club have also worked with local and state leaders to designate local and state cuss free weeks. In 2008, the city of South Pasadena declared the first week of March and all subsequent first weeks of March as No Cussing Week. In 2009, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors adopted a similar proclamation and in 2010 the California legislature adopted a

resolution declaring the first week of March to be No Cussing Week. The local and state-wide No Cussing Weeks serve as a reminder to both public officials and private citizens to be more civil toward one another and to elevate the level of discourse in both public and private life.

McKay now travels regularly to spread his message of using clean and respectful language that is uplifting, encouraging, and motivating to students all over the country. He has recently expanded his efforts to encourage an end to bullying, which includes reducing the use of negative and discouraging language.

I ask all Members to join me in honoring the inspiring work of McKay Hatch.

Mr. Speaker, for myself and Mr. Goodlatte, as the Chair and Ranking Member respectively of the Committee on the Judiciary's Task Force on Judicial Impeachment in the previous Congress, we would like to take this opportunity to recognize Arid B. Waldman who recently left the House to take a position with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia. Mr. Waldman served in the Office of the General Counsel for 18 months as an Assistant Counsel. We will miss him.

Mr. Waldman provided important legal advice and representation to the Committee and Task Force, particularly in connection with federal court litigation that arose out of an impeachment investigation and proceeding involving a federal judge from Louisiana. We and our respective staffs relied on his expertise and judgment to prepare legal pleadings and briefs, which ably and effectively defended the Task Force's ability to conduct its inquiry, and which resulted in rulings favorable to the Committee and Task Force in each instance.

Mr. Waldman served the House with distinction, and we know he will serve the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia with that same level of distinction. We thank him for his service to the House and extend to him our very best wishes for his continued success.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the progress we've made towards meaningful health care reform, and I stand in strong opposition to the Majority's efforts to retract much needed provisions that have since gone into effect for millions of Americans.

Our economy's slow recovery from what's been the deepest recession in modern history has highlighted the wide and growing gaps in our health care system. We've seen too many families who've lost their insurance coverage when a provider in the household becomes unemployed, leaving the whole family unprotected and at risk to fall through those widening cracks--unable to afford COBRA, ineligible for public coverage, and precluded by high and growing premiums or pre-existing conditions from obtaining private insurance.

In California, we've been aggressive in moving forward with implementation, and will continue to lead the way in improving our ability to provide access to quality, affordable care, instead of retreating into the broken status quo of the past. We recognize what a vote for repealing the Affordable Care Act means to the uninsured and underinsured: increasing health care costs for millions of Americans, causing many families to lose coverage, and increasing the national debt by over $1 trillion.

This is a repeal vote that has real implications, and will mean a great deal in the day-to-day lives of the people I have the privilege of representing. If you're a senior who fell into the ``donut hole'' of prescription drug coverage and needed help covering that cost, this is a vote to take that assistance away. If you're a young adult who can benefit from staying on your parents' insurance until age 26, this is a vote to take you off that coverage. If you've ever worried about your insurer dropping your coverage unexpectedly if you or someone on your policy gets sick, this is a vote to bring back those worries. If you're a small-business owner trying to compete with large employers while doing right by providing insurance to your employees, this is a vote to make that nearly impossible for you. And, if you're a taxpayer worried about the national deficit, this is a vote telling you that your Representatives are not serious about our nation's budget woes.

A report released just this week brought to light the pressing need for the kind of protections the Affordable Care Act brings about. According to the report, an analysis by HHS, 50 to 129 million Americans under the age of 65 have some type of pre-existing health condition. And one in five of those--25 million individuals--is uninsured. As the number of uninsured who are denied coverage has grown considerably over the last few years, thanks to the ACA, starting in 2014, these Americans cannot be denied coverage, be charged significantly higher premiums, be subjected to an extended waiting period, or have their benefits curtailed by insurance companies.

At a time when this country is looking for those willing to make the tough decisions that lead us into a more prosperous, future, a vote for repeal is a vote to take a step, not forward, but backward. I urge my colleagues to vote no on this bill.

Madam Speaker, last Wednesday, this Nation and the world witnessed the orderly transfer of power in this House when Nancy Pelosi passed the Speaker's gavel on to Speaker John Boehner. That simple act occurred without violence. It occurred without soldiers in the streets or a massive show of force by the police. For most Americans, indeed for most people working in this building, the day was rather ordinary.

Our lack of political violence, our tradition of resolving policy arguments in the legislature and the courtroom is one of the greatest gifts that the Founders and all of the generations that followed them have left to us. But, as we were so cruelly reminded last Saturday, our peaceful civil discourse can never be taken for granted. It is a gift that must be safeguarded.

Last Saturday, our colleague, Gabby Giffords, set up shop outside a local Safeway in Tucson to engage her constituents to perform the central role of representative democracy--listening to the people. The hatred exhibited by the would-be assassin, before and during the shooting, were an assault on that connection between those of us who have the honor to serve and those we represent.

My heart goes out to Gabby, her family and staff, and to the families and friends of Federal Judge John Roll, Congress staffer Gabe Zimmerman, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwan Stoddard, Dorothy Morris, and Christina Taylor Green, who was born on September 11, 2001, and who deserved a longer life than this.

And to Gabby and her staff here in the gallery today, there is one day that we look forward to above all others, and that is the day that Gabby walks back onto this House floor and stands before this podium and is recognized.

We know that day will come, and we pray that it comes soon.

``A person charged in any State with treason, felony, or other crime, who shall flee from justice and be found in another State, shall on demand of the executive authority of the State from which he fled be delivered up, to be removed to the State having jurisdiction of the crime.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 628, and I want to begin by acknowledging the leadership of my colleague Darrell Issa from California in developing this bill. I joined with Mr. Issa to introduce this important legislation back in the 109th Congress. It has not been a short road to get here today to hopefully enact this bill, but we would not have made it without his leadership.

I partnered with Mr. Issa on the bill because we share a deep interest in improving the efficiency of the patent process, in reducing litigation costs and inefficiencies in patent review, and also in improving the quality of patents. This bill, in part, grew from a hearing in the 109th Congress on improving Federal court adjudication of patent cases in response to high rates of reversal. At this hearing, a number of proposed options to address this issue were discussed. Serious concerns were expressed about a number of proposals, including those that would create new specialized courts and those that would move all patent cases to existing specialized courts. These concerns centered around the need to maintain generalist judges, to preserve random case assignment, and to continue fostering the important legal percolation that currently occurs among the various district courts. Our proposal aims to avoid these pitfalls.

H.R. 628 establishes a mechanism to steer patent cases to judges that have the desire and the aptitude to hear such cases while preserving the principle of random assignment in order to prevent forum shopping among the pilot districts. The legislation will also provide the Congress and the courts with the opportunity to assess the program on a periodic basis. Reports will examine whether the program succeeds in developing greater expertise among participating district judges, the extent to which the program contributes to improving judicial efficiency in deciding these cases, and whether the program should be extended, expanded, or made permanent. By providing our courts with the resources they need to carefully consider patent cases, we will ultimately save the taxpayer money.

While this legislation is an important step at addressing needed patent reforms, I believe that Congress must continue to work on a more comprehensive reform of our patent system, and I look forward to continuing my work with my colleagues in order to address these issues.

Mr. Speaker, for the past three Congresses, I've been an enthusiastic cosponsor of the DREAM Act, which I see as an essential component of comprehensive immigration reform.

No child raised in America should be permanently penalized for the immigration status of their parents. The DREAM Act gives young people a chance to contribute to the United States, often the only country they know. I've heard from many high school students in my district who have done everything right, but discover when they apply to college that they are not a citizen, that the doors of education and a better life they have worked for so hard are closed to them.

The U.S. has a proud tradition of welcoming immigrants who want to work hard and play by the rules and build a better life for themselves and their families. The DREAM Act comes from that tradition. It will make our economy, military, and Nation stronger.

Yesterday evening I was proud to cast an ``aye'' vote on the rule to bring the DREAM Act to the floor. I was not on the floor later that night and missed the final vote on the act. Had I been present, I would have enthusiastically voted ``aye,'' and I urge my Senate colleagues to take up the legislation in the remaining days of the 111th Congress.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Russ Norman, an emeritus faculty member at Glendale Community College, whose commitment to education has contributed substantially to student achievement.

Professor Norman began teaching business courses at Glendale Community College in 1955, and continued as a full-time professor until his retirement in 1995. As a dedicated educator, Mr. Norman has continued teaching as an adjunct faculty member since that time. He primarily teaches accounting courses, in addition to written business communications and mathematics of finance courses.

Professor Norman holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in education (M. Ed.) from the University of California, Los Angeles.

In his early years at Glendale Community College, Mr. Norman served as coach of the Judo Club. Under his leadership, the club garnered its first Southern California Kodokan Judo Association Collegiate Championship, beating his alma mater, UCLA.

Even more impressively, Mr. Norman's accomplishments stretch far beyond his role as a college instructor and coach. He served on the Board of Governors for the Institute of Internal Auditors, and was the coordinator of a

project to create an IMAX theater in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was Mr. Norman who supervised procurement of system components, and brought in the company which filmed the first film shown in the venue. Further, Mr. Norman is a veteran, having served in the U.S. Army at the beginning of World War II.

Russ Norman is a tremendous asset to Glendale Community College and to our community, and I ask all Members to join me in thanking him for his dedicated service and remarkable achievements.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Margie Fites Seigle and to celebrate her retirement after 17 years as the visionary President & CEO of the California Family Health Council (CFHC), headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

Margie Fites Seigle has long been a peerless advocate for the low- income and underserved. A champion for women's and civil rights, Margie's career in social justice began after she accepted a job with Planned Parenthood, an organization dedicated to advocating for and ensuring access to important reproductive and sexual health care services. For the next 17 years, Margie served as Executive Director of two Planned Parenthood affiliates: Allentown, Pennsylvania and Orange/ San Bernardino Counties, California, where she lead an expansion of services and geographic outreach.

But perhaps Margie's most pivotal role has been as the President & CEO of the California Family Health Council. CFHC works with over 70 delegate agencies that provide family planning services in more than 300 clinics throughout the state of California. More than one million Californians receive care in one of these clinics. CFHC also conducts contraceptive research; develops culturally and linguistically appropriate educational materials; facilitates conferences, seminars, and training workshops for clinical staff and community health workers; and champions reproductive health and justice issues through coalition building and policy advocacy.

Aside from her leadership roles, Margie has actively promoted increased access to health care services for California's women and men through strategic alliance building. Margie has served on the boards of the Coalition of Orange County Community Clinics; the Family Planning Councils of America; the Family Planning Providers Council; the Guttmacher Institute; and the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association.

Margie has worked hard to promote and preserve California's Medicaid waiver for family planning services, FamilyPACT, which provides health care to low-income women and men at no cost. Though the waiver provides cost-savings to the state of California, it is consistently under threat. The FamilyPACT program remains alive today as a direct result of the efforts of Margie and other coalition partners who fight to maintain it.

Madam Speaker, I want to recognize Margie Fites Seigle for all of the important work she has done to expand access to vital reproductive and sexual health care for millions of Americans, and for her many years of unwavering dedication to the low-income and underserved.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Raymond Demetrio Gutierrez, a wonderful man, a husband, a father, a grandfather, and great-grandfather, who also served his country bravely during World War II.

Mr. Gutierrez, of San Gabriel, California, was born December 22, 1926, and was 18 years old when he left his family to answer the call of duty to his country. He served as Seaman First Class on the USS BonHomme Richard, which joined the Pacific Fleet during World War II.

Raymond Gutierrez passed away on October 28, 2010, at the age of 83. His memory will live on through his wife of 57 years, Norma; his son, David; and daughter, Theresa. He was also blessed with five grandchildren--Aundrea, Valerie, Alissa, Kimber, and Michael--and a great-grandson, Ryan.

He is fondly remembered by his family as a man of great personal conviction, always putting his family first and treating everyone with great respect. A man of great humor, Raymond would never directly disclose his age but would instead pay it out in change. At age 83 he would say, ``I am three quarters, one nickel, and three pennies.''

He is affectionately remembered in a poem written by his granddaughter, Alissa Cano, for his 84th birthday, which I submit for the Record.

We are indebted to Mr. Gutierrez for his life of service and for the fine family and extraordinary example he leaves behind.

Three Quarters, One Nickel and Four Pennies

With weak legs, a feeble body and a sharp mind

Tata you've lived an exciting life, ``one of a kind''

A mischievous child you always found trouble

From stories I've heard you were a lot to juggle

At one dime, one nickel and three pennies a navy man you were

Standing tall with pride aboard the Bon Homme Richard

Shortly after serving you settled down and tied the knot

And it wasn't long before you had a tinny little tot

A family man and hard worker with your hands

You still found time to venture out across the lands

Throughout many years the Gutierrez family grew in size

You became a storyteller and friend in your watchful

granddaughter's eyes

We learned about Ferdinand loving flowers and Old Freddie

Fewie

And we each earned our own nicknames like Sam, George & Lewie

At three quarters, one nickel and three Pennies

You're a great grandfather and one of Ryan's buddies

Your time has not come so keep your head high and stand a

little taller

Because Tata I love you and want you to live for a dollar

I thank the chairman for yielding, and I want to compliment him on all his hard work in bringing the bill to this point after a long, tough challenge for many years.

I rise in strong support, Madam Speaker, of H.R. 2701, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010.

This long overdue bill is the work of a committee that has been diligently pursuing, for years, our national security. H.R. 2701 addresses many vital areas and contains critical provisions that will assist us in combating the ever-evolving and emerging threats that our Nation faces, such as those emanating from the FATA in Pakistan, Yemen, the Horn of Africa, and Somalia.

In this bill, we've sought to provide the necessary guidance and authorities for the critical intelligence and intelligence-related activities of our U.S. military and civilian personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan, and provide important support to address emerging issues in Africa, Latin America, and elsewhere.

I'm proud to say this bill also goes a long way toward bringing increased fiscal responsibility to the intelligence community. By reducing the cost overruns on our major systems acquisitions, the acquisitions provision of this bill will free up money to devote to our military and civilians combating threats and preserving our national security in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Somalia, and elsewhere.

This is a strong piece of legislation. It will make our country safer. I urge my colleagues to pass the bill and let us have an intelligence authorization act this Congress while we have so many men and women in uniform and out of uniform fighting for our safety and security.

I thank you again, Mr. Chairman, for your perseverance on this.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Jim Hudson, retiring as Chief of the Alhambra Police Department.

It is with great pleasure that I congratulate Chief Hudson on his very successful career in public service. His lifetime of dedication to public safety--an amazing 34 years--is remarkable. Chief Hudson not only exhibited valor and perseverance, he also fostered courage and dedication among our brave men and women in law enforcement.

Chief Hudson began his career as a Police Explorer, a Cadet, then a Reserve Officer at the Orange Police Department. He then joined the Glendale Police Department in 1981 before he transitioned back to Orange, where he quickly rose through the ranks as an Officer, Sergeant, and finally Lieutenant. In 2001, Chief Hudson made his way to the City of Alhambra where he started as Police Captain and eventually was promoted to Chief of Police in 2004.

Under his leadership, the Alhambra Police worked to build a safe community where Southern California families can live, work and play.

His great leadership and guidance of the police department and the community will be deeply missed.

I ask all Members to join me in thanking Chief Hudson for his extraordinary service. I wish you all the best in your retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to memorialize and record a courageous story of survival of the Armenian Genocide. The Armenian Genocide, perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923, resulted in the death of 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children. As the U.S. Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire Henry Morgenthau documented at the time, it was a campaign of ``race extermination.''

The campaign to annihilate the Armenian people failed, as illustrated by the proud Armenian nation and prosperous diaspora. It is difficult if not impossible to find an Armenian family not touched by the genocide, and while there are some survivors still with us, it is imperative that we record their stories. Through the Armenian Genocide Congressional Record Project, I hope to document the harrowing stories of the survivors in an effort to preserve their accounts and to help educate the Members of Congress now and in the future of the necessity of recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

This is one of those stories (submitted by Angel Shekerdjian):

My father, Guiragos, was born in 1905 in Adana, Turkey. He

was 4 years old in 1909, when the massacres started in Adana.

Several Armenians took refuge in the church; so did his

pregnant mother with her 2-year-old daughter and little

Guiragos. The Turks surrounded the church and set it to fire.

As the people inside realized what was happening, they

started running outside. So did my grandmother, carrying the

toddler in her arms and holding my father by the hand. As

soon as they were outside, a Turk killed her and the little

girl. And he stabbed my father 3 times in the back--two stabs

as the sign of the cross and a 3rd stab--all around the

spine. A ``good-hearted'' Turk saw that the Turk who was

stabbing was aiming again, stopped him saying: ``leave the

child, he is already dead.'' However, instead of leaving him

to die, the ``good'' Turk took him to a hospital. Once he

recovered from his wounds, they asked my dad what his name

was. He said it was Guiragos. And the last name? He did not

know. So they asked what the profession of his father was. My

father told them that his father used to make candy,

lollipops. . . . So they gave him the name of Shekerdjian,

meaning make of sugar. `Sheker' is `sugar' in Turkish. He was

sent to an orphanage. He eventually ended up in Beirut, where

he met my orphaned mother, also from Adana.