Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Kay Rosser of South Pasadena, California. Each year in March, in recognition of Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the accomplishments made by our nation's most distinguished women.

Kay began her volunteer work in South Pasadena when her two daughters were in elementary school during the early seventies. Kay helped in the classroom and with Parent-Teacher Association, PTA, special projects dealing with teen suicide and teen alcoholism. She was instrumental in creating the Theatre Arts Angels, a parent support group for the South Pasadena High School drama program.

She has been a volunteer in the South Pasadena Public Library since the early nineties and was a member of the Board of Trustees for 7 years. Today, she is still intimately involved with the library and co- chairs the Library's Restoration Concerts, a classical and jazz concert series that benefits the restoration of the library's community room. Embarrassed to have major artists perform on the library's aging piano, Kay plunged herself into researching and leading the effort to raise $35,000 to purchase a refurbished Steinway. When the funding for the piano was complete, Kay led the effort to raise more donations to fund a Quartet in Residence, the highly acclaimed New Hollywood String Quartet, now performing in its third season.

In addition to her work in South Pasadena, Kay has been a volunteer coordinator for 13 years with Plaza de la Raza, a school of performing arts with afternoon classes in music, theater, dance, and the visual arts offered to children in East Los Angeles and beyond.

In 1990, Kay worked as an assistant to the Chairman of Volunteers for the Los Angeles Festival, and in 1993, she became Chairman of Volunteers and recruited over 1,000 volunteers for the Festival.

I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring a remarkable woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Kay Rosser. The entire community joins me in thanking Kay for the meaningful impact she has had on the 29th Congressional District.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the late Dr. Lew Allen, Jr., who passed away on January 4, 2010 at the age of 84.

From the mid-1950s through the late 1960s, Dr. Allen worked as a physicist in the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, as a project officer for the Air Force Special Weapons Center, as a special staff officer for the Space Technology Office of the Secretary of Defense, and Director of the Secretary of the United States Air Force. By the 1970s, he was Director of Special Projects and Deputy Commander of Satellite Programs for the Space and Missile Systems Organization, chief of staff Headquarters Air Force Systems Command, director of the National Security Agency, and chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force.

In 1982, because of Dr. Allen's expertise in the military space program, he was recruited to serve as director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL. During the years he led JPL, the laboratory launched Galileo to Jupiter, Magellan to Venus, The Infrared Astronomical Satellite Mission--the first-ever space-based observatory to perform a survey of the entire sky at infrared wavelengths--and sent the Voyager 2 spacecraft on its flybys of Uranus and Neptune. A champion of technology, Dr. Allen invested funds into research and development projects that paved the way for new capabilities in space observations.

Dr. Allen was the recipient of numerous military awards and decorations including the Department of Defense Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, and the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal. Additionally, he received the George W. Goddard Award from the Society of Photo-Optical Engineering, the Goddard Memorial Trophy, and the Rotary National Space Trophy.

Two awards were named in his honor: the General Lew Allen, Jr. Award presented by the U.S. Air Force, and the Lew Allen Award for Excellence presented by JPL. The Air Force award recognizes sustained job performance, proven leadership, job knowledge and military qualities. The JPL award is given in the early years of an individual's professional career and recognizes significant accomplishments and leadership in scientific research or technological innovation.

Without Dr. Lew Allen, Jr.'s extraordinary contributions, the field of science and technology would not be the same today. I extend my sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Leanne Dickson of San Gabriel, California. Each year in March, in recognition of Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the accomplishments made by our Nation's most distinguished women.

Leanne Dickson has been a resident of San Gabriel for over thirty- five years. She is the widow of James Dickson, owner of Dickson Motor Service, Towing Service, & Auto Repair. Leanne has two adult children, Wendy Dickson Holten and Greg Dickson.

Leanne's involvement in San Gabriel has been varied. She has been the Vice President and Box Office manager for the San Gabriel Valley Music Theatre since 2005. At the same time, she has served as treasurer of the San Gabriel Rotary for the last three years. For the San Gabriel Chamber of Commerce, she volunteers her time two days a week and has served as board member and treasurer for three years. In 2008, the chamber honored her as Women's Division Woman of the Year.

Leanne is continually doing for others in the community. It seems as though she attends every city function and every community activity, helping out where needed. She has volunteered on the Parent-Teacher Association for twelve years, has been a Neighborhood Watch Block Captain for four years, and was a Girl Scout leader for seven years. In 2008, she donated her time volunteering for the Church of Our Savior's AIDS luncheon. Leanne has actively supported La Casa Community Center and the San Gabriel Valley YMCA with their events.

Leanne was the Vice President at Pasadena Federal Credit Union twenty-three years, and she is currently employed part time at the Gazebo boutique in San Gabriel.

I.ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring a remarkable woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Leanne Dickson. The entire community joins me in thanking Leanne for the meaningful impact she has had on the 29th Congressional District.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Nova Hindoyan of Pasadena, California. Each year in March, in recognition of Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the accomplishments made by our nation's most distinguished women.

Nova came to the United States in 1975 from Damascus, Syria to attend her brother's wedding. While here, she met Garabet Hindoyan, then a student and now the co-owner of Burger Continental Restaurant in Pasadena. They fell in love and married within the same year. They were blessed with a son and two daughters.

Nova has been a long-time dedicated member of the Armenian Relief Society of Western USA, Inc., (ARS-WR) and has held executive positions as Chair of the Armenian Relief Society of Pasadena Chapter ``SOSSE'', as well as been on the Executive Board of Directors of the ARS-WR as vice chair and chair. She has worked on the ARS Public Relations Committee's special events, Red Cross blood drives, and City of Hope Bone Marrow Registry. Nova has always been an active parent and was on the Parent-Teacher Association while all three of her children were in school.

With her leadership, she was able to raise funds for special projects for ARS, most recently for the Society's Centennial Fund. She was also on the Board of Directors of the Old Town Conservatory School of Music in Pasadena, as well as on the Board of Directors and an active participant of the Lark Musical Society. Nova has sponsored foreign students who have come to enjoy her hospitality while they were in school. Today, Nova is on the Board of the Directors of the ARS Central Executive, while staying active in her chapter in Pasadena.

I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring a remarkable woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Nova Hindoyan. The entire community joins me in thanking Nova for the meaningful impact she has had on the 29th Congressional District.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Carole Rodenbucher of Temple City, California. Each year in March, to recognize Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the accomplishments made by our nation's most distinguished women.

In 1985, when her son Ryan was at Young People's Village Preschool, Carole started volunteering by attending all off-site outings and working on the first ever Camellia Parade float entry. Since 1988, Carole has served as the Parent-Teacher Association, PTA president at Emperor Elementary School and at Temple

City High School, TCHS. She also held several PTA executive board positions and chairmanships. She served on the Emperor School Site Council for two terms (two years each) as chairman and secretary.

Carole volunteered as Den Leader for Cub Scout Pack 169; Webelos Leader; Den Leader Coach; and Tiger Cub coach, secretary, treasurer, and committee chairman (seven years). She was also on the Lucky Baldwin Round Table Staff and Scout Expo, Pow Wow, Cub Scout, and Webelos Day Camps both at Trask and Cherry Valley. The most fun she had was teaching ``Cooking with Carole'' for three years at Camp Trask. She also served as the assistant to the Webelos Day Camp Director at Camp Trask for five years.

In 1999, Carole was a chaperone for the TCHS trip to Germany, and in 2003, 2004, and 2005, Bob and Carole were chaperones on the TCHS Washington DC trips. In 2003, Brett was part of the State Department exchange program with Russia, and the family had a Russian exchange student live with them. In 2005, Carole joined Friends of Foster Children, San Gabriel Valley. She has served as a director; secretary; Ways and Means; chaired the 2009 luncheon; and for Sugar Plum acted as secretary and Outside Groups Coordinator as well as volunteered on several committees.

Carole, her husband Bob, and her two sons Ryan and Brett have coordinated the Camellia Festival Grandstand Seating for the last twelve years. Carole is the General Chairman for 2010 and was Assistant General Chairman in 2009. Carole was in charge of the TCHS Grad Night Ram Discount Card in 2000 and 2004, helped on the game booths for Grad Night 2004, and continues to volunteer at Grad Night celebrations.

I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring a remarkable woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Carole Rodenbucher. The entire community joins me in thanking Carole for the meaningful impact she has had on the 29th Congressional District.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Catherine ``Cathy'' Keen of Glendale, California. Each year in March, in recognition of Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the accomplishments made by our Nation's most distinguished women.

Cathy has served the Glendale community primarily in the area of child advocacy, spending many years as an officer in the Parent-Teacher Association, PTA, at the elementary, middle school, high school, and council levels, including president of the Glenoaks PTA for two years. She was awarded the California Golden Oak Service Award by the State PTA, the highest level of award bestowed by the PTA. She also served as president of the Glenoaks Elementary School Foundation in 1994.

Cathy is active in Las Candelas, a philanthropic group which works to improve the lives of emotionally disturbed children. Cathy served as president of Las Candelas for two years and has chaired their biennial benefit twice, raising $140,000 for programs for emotionally disturbed children. In 1993, she was a finalist for the Glendale News Press Woman of Achievement, nominated for her help with the family of a dying child.

She chaired the Glendale Healthy Kids, GHK's popular ``Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?'' for nine years and also served on the Board of Directors of GHK for six years. She served as president of the Board of GHK and filled in as executive director when they were without one. Cathy personally published the GHK newsletter for five years and received the GHK Volunteer of the Year Award.

Cathy is currently serving as president of the Kiwanis Club of Glendale, the second woman in eighty-nine years to hold this position. In Kiwanis, she has served as Chairman of Youth Services for two years, overseeing nineteen Kiwanis projects to help our community youth, and has served on the Board of Directors. Cathy also publishes the weekly KiwaniNews and is a regular reporter for the news when not serving as president.

I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring a remarkable woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Catherine Keen. The entire community joins me in thanking Cathy for the meaningful impact she has had on the 29th Congressional District.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Gay Toltl Kinman of Alhambra, California. Each year in March, in recognition of Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the accomplishments made by our Nation's most distinguished women.

Gay has been active with both the City of Alhambra and the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce. As vice president of the Housing and Urban Development Committee for the City of Alhambra, Gay assisted the Alhambra Historical Society in obtaining a grant for the Alhambra Historical Society Museum. Gay also served as president of the Civil Service Commission for the City of Alhambra. While a member of the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce, Gay formed the committee to plan for a Chinese New Year Festival Parade, which still takes place today, and then was chair of the parade. Gay also served as Chair of Transportation on the Government Affairs Committee for the Alhambra Chamber of Commerce.

Gay has been involved with Soroptimist International of Alhambra, San Gabriel, and San Marino. As president of the chapter, Gay helped bring in a record of nine new members, established the Friendship Link exchange where members of SI Burnley, England visited, helped establish the link between Alhambra Curves and La Casa de San Gabriel Community Center, and was the chair of various committees. She also founded the Soroptimist Camino Real Region's Friendship Grant Committee, which provides hospitality and professional education every two years for a Soroptimist from another part of the world. Currently, she is the Alhambra, San Gabriel, and San Marino chapter's co-vice president of programs, chair of the Woman of Distinction Award Committee, and co- chair of Reading is Fundamental, which buys books for third graders in the Alhambra and San Gabriel School Districts.

In addition to Soroptimists, Gay has given her time to various organizations throughout Alhambra. For the Alhambra Historical Society, she has served as president and publicity chair. As a board member for the Alhambra Educational Foundation, she started the Authors Festival, which brings over eighty children's authors, storytellers, and illustrators to the Alhambra Unified School District. As chair of the Alhambra Red Cross Council, she helped restore the presence of the Red Cross in Alhambra and taught volunteer training classes. She has been secretary for the Alhambra Toastmasters, a volunteer for Meals on Wheels, and is currently head usher at Alhambra's All Souls Church. In addition, she helped design Alhambra's float for the Tournament of Roses Parade.

On top of all this, Gay has been active outside of Alhambra with the YMCA West San Gabriel Valley, the Special Libraries Association of Southern California, the Los Angeles County Deputy Commissioner of Civil Marriages, the League of Women Voters Greater Pasadena Area, and the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.

I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring a remarkable woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Dr. Gay Toltl Kinman. The entire community joins me in thanking Gay for the meaningful impact she has had on the 29th Congressional District.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Juanita West Tillman of Altadena, California. Each year in March, in recognition of Women's History Month, we pay special tribute to the accomplishments made by our nation's most distinguished women.

Juanita has been a resident of Pasadena and Altadena for 55 years. She taught for 26 years in the Los Angeles Archdiocese and Pasadena Unified School District, PUSD.

During her career at PUSD, Juanita served on school leadership teams, school site councils, school library grant writing committees, Pasadena Historical Society Curriculum Committee, Language Arts Textbook Adoption Committee, LAAMP Family Leadership Team, and in a professional development academy and literacy academy. While teaching, Juanita acquired a real estate license and, upon retiring, she joined her daughter, Lynnette West-Cater, as co-owner of Westlyn Realtors.

Juanita has volunteered as a mentor and advisor for children and youth, served on boards of service and community organizations, and has been effective in getting citizens registered to vote and out to the polls. She is a founding member and past president of Pasadena Delta Foundation, which is the first African American organization in the Pasadena area to establish a six-figure scholarship endowment fund; past president of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Gamma Lambda Chapter and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Pasadena Alumnae Chapter, respectively; chairperson of the Education Committee of the Pasadena NAACP Branch; current treasurer of the Pasadena Council of Women's Clubs; member of the Friends of the Pasadena Playhouse where she volunteers as an usher; and member of First AME Church where she serves as a Class Leader providing encouragement and service to her class members.

Juanita served on the John Muir High School principal selection committee in 2003 and the teacher selection committee in 2007 and continues to be an advisor and active supporter of Mentoring & Partnership for Youth Development (MPYD), a male-mentoring program at John Muir High School. She also assisted in planning the Entering the College Zone, a National Black Child Development program.

I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring a remarkable woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Juanita West Tillman. The entire community joins me in thanking Juanita for the meaningful impact she has had on the 29th Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this historic health care reform legislation.

Two years ago, during a telephone townhall with my constituents, one of my neighbors in Burbank told me that her young daughter had become ill. Our children played together in preschool, and they lived just a few doors down. When her daughter became sick, they were able to get her the health care she needed through a program called Healthy Families. She was now, thankfully, all better.

But now, my constituent told me, she herself was ill. She and her husband were both self-employed and could not afford health insurance, and she was scared to death to get her illness treated at the emergency room. Her question to me that night was: ``Is there any hope for families like mine?''

The answer tonight is ``yes.'' There is now hope for millions of self-employed Americans who cannot afford health care, and millions more who are small business people struggling to provide health care for themselves and their employees. And there is hope for millions of others who have pre-existing conditions and cannot obtain health insurance. And for millions of seniors who have fallen through the donut hole in their prescription drug coverage. Because tonight's bill will address the needs of each and every one of these Americans who are struggling to afford the coverage they have, or find health insurance when they are without.

Our health insurance system is intrinsically linked to our Nation's and California's economic recovery. There are now more than 30 million American citizens who do not have health insurance coverage, and every day, 14,000 Americans lose their coverage. In fact, Californians are more likely to be uninsured than most Americans--over 7 million Californians are uninsured this year.

Millions of Americans now receive their care at the emergency room, and millions more must make the difficult choice of whether to pay their medical bills or pay their mortgage because they cannot afford to do both; two-thirds of all bankruptcies and half of all foreclosures are a result of a health care crisis in the family.

This recession has highlighted wide and growing gaps in our health care system. Families lose their insurance coverage when a parent in the household becomes unemployed, and too many parents without employment are falling through those widening cracks--unable to afford COBRA, ineligible for public coverage, and precluded by high premiums and/or pre-existing conditions from obtaining private insurance.

Collectively, as a Nation, we spend almost twice as much per person on health care as any other country, or about 17 percent of our gross domestic product, and this number is growing every year far faster than inflation.

Tonight, I'm voting to pass legislation that will substantially reform the health insurance industry and practices, extend quality coverage to millions of Americans, and hold down national, public, and private health care costs. This bill will help provide stable coverage that cannot be taken away and won't be lost when you change jobs, and will provide additional insurance choices in an invigorated and competitive marketplace.

In my district alone, this bill will provide tax credits and financial assistance to over 135,000 families and 15,000 small business owners in order to help them afford coverage, and extend coverage to 80,000 uninsured residents. This bill will close the ``donut hole'' for 94,000 seniors, and extend the life of Medicare. Further, we act tonight in a fiscally responsible manner, reducing the deficit by over $1.3 trillion during the next two decades.

Tonight, we make it illegal to deny health coverage to the 15,000 constituents in my district with pre-existing conditions. We ensure that the costs of health care won't threaten their family's finances, that their doctor is paid for making them well and not ordering unnecessary tests, and that their health care premiums are spent on actual care, not paying for paperwork and red tape.

I have two young children, and I cannot imagine the dread that a parent must feel who has a sick child for whom they cannot provide care. That is an agony no parent should ever know. Not here. Not in America. I have had one steady guide through my years in Congress, and it is my two children. When they are old enough to know of my work in Congress, I want them to be proud of what their father did when he had a chance to serve this great Nation. And I believe they will be proud of me for casting my vote to provide health care for millions who do not have it, just as I am proud of the generation who went before and provided health care for millions of seniors when they had the courage to pass Medicare.

I strongly believe that access to affordable, quality, stable health care is the key to a productive work force, small business innovation, and the economic as well as health security of our families and Nation, and I'm proud to vote for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 133, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

I thank the gentleman, and want to commend the leadership of Chairman Conyers in bringing this matter to conclusion here on the House floor and for all your leadership on the committee, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, today we again find ourselves in the regrettable circumstance where we must act to remove a Federal judge from the bench.

The task before us is not one that we would welcome, however it is an important responsibility entrusted to us by the Founders and one that we cannot shrink from.

Unlike elected officials who may be removed periodically by the voters or serve a term that comes to an end, the Founding Fathers provided only one extraordinary method of removing a Federal judge, that of impeachment, which has only been used 14 times in our Nation's history. Regrettably, the matter before us today warrants its use once again.

The House of Representatives directed the House Judiciary Committee Task Force on Judicial Impeachment to inquire into whether Judge Porteous of the Eastern District of Louisiana should be impeached. As Chair of the task force, I would like to report on our work and provide the Members of the House with a procedural history of the matter, as well as an overview of the relevant facts.

I want to thank each of the members of the task force that worked on the matter, and in particular the ranking member, Bob Goodlatte, for his extraordinary work. Together we have tried to ensure that we proceed in a fair, open, and deliberate manner, and this has been done in a bipartisan, really nonpartisan, basis.

G. Thomas Porteous, Jr., was appointed to the Federal bench in 1994 and has served in the New Orleans Courthouse in the Eastern District of Louisiana. After a multiyear FBI and Federal grand jury investigation, the Department of Justice in May 2007 submitted a complaint referring allegations of judicial misconduct.

The complaint noted that the department had determined not to seek criminal charges for reasons including the statute of limitations and other factors impacting prosecution, but the complaint stated that the investigation uncovered evidence of pervasive misconduct and evidence that Judge Porteous may have violated Federal and State criminal laws controlling canons of judicial conduct, rules of professional responsibility, and conducted himself in a manner antithetical to the constitutional standard of good behavior required of all Federal judges.

After an extensive disciplinary proceeding in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, at which Judge Porteous, representing himself, made statements, cross-examined witnesses, and called witnesses on his own behalf, the Judicial Conference of the United States voted unanimously to refer this matter to the House of Representatives based on substantial evidence of conduct that individually and collectively brought disrepute to the Federal judiciary. The Fifth Circuit also moved to take the maximum disciplinary action allowed by law against Judge Porteous, suspending him for 2 years or until Congress takes final action on the impeachment proceedings.

As a part our initial investigation, Impeachment Task Force staff interviewed over 65 individuals, deposed about 25 witnesses under oath, obtained documents from various sources, including from witnesses, the 24th Judicial Court in Jefferson Parish, and the Department of Justice.

After the initial investigatory phase, the task force held four separate evidentiary hearings over 5 days in November and December of 2009 in order to determine whether Judge Porteous' conduct provides a sufficient basis for impeachment and to develop a record upon which to recommend whether to adopt articles of impeachment.

Our first hearing focused on allegations of misconduct in relation to Judge Porteous presiding over the case In re: Liljeberg Enterprises, Inc. The record reflects that Judge Porteous was engaged in a corrupt kickback scheme with the law firm of Amato & Creely, that he failed to disclose his relationship with the firm, and that he denied a motion to recuse himself from the case, despite the firm's representation of one of the parties. The kickback scheme involved appointing Mr. Creely as a curator in hundreds of cases, with fees amounting to approximately $40,000 paid to the Amato & Creely firm, approximately half of which was then paid back to Judge Porteous. Judge Porteous made intentionally misleading statements at the recusal hearing intended to minimize the extent of his personal relationship with the firm.

The record also reflects that Judge Porteous engaged in corrupt conduct after the bench trial and while the case was under advisement by soliciting and accepting things of values from attorneys at the firm, including $2,000 in cash. This corrupt relationship and his conduct as a Federal judge have brought his court into scandal and disrepute and demonstrates that he is unfit for office. Our investigation also uncovered evidence that his solicitation and acceptance of things from Creely & Amato were not isolated events limited to two attorneys, but a pattern of using his perch on the Federal bench to extract and to receive things of value from attorneys and parties in front of him.

Our second hearing focused on allegations that Judge Porteous repeatedly made false and misleading statements, including the concealment of debts, under oath and in disregard of a bankruptcy court's orders. The record reflects that as a Federal judge he knowingly and intentionally made material false statements and representations under penalty of perjury and repeatedly violated a court order in his case. This included using a false name and post office box to conceal his identity as a debtor in the case; concealing assets, preferential payments to certain creditors, and gambling losses and debts; as well as incurring new debts while the case was pending, all in violation of the court's order.

Our investigation also uncovered further evidence of his willful efforts to conceal his financial situation and the extent of his gambling over the years. Taken together, it is clear that his false statements and the bankruptcy proceedings were not the result of an oversight or mistake, but reflected instead an effort to conceal his financial affairs and his gambling.

Our third hearing focused on allegations that Judge Porteous engaged in a corrupt relationship with bail bondsman Louis Marcotte and his sister Lori. The record reflects that as part of this corrupt relationship, Judge Porteous solicited and received numerous things of value, including meals, trips, home and car repairs, for his personal use and benefit while at the same time taking official actions on behalf of the Marcottes. This included setting, reducing, and splitting bonds for the Marcottes while on the State bench, and improperly setting aside or expunging felony convictions for two Marcotte employees.

Judge Porteous used the power and prestige of his office to assist the Marcottes in forming relationships with other State judicial officers and others. Judge Porteous also knew and understood that Louis Marcotte made false statements to the FBI in an effort to assist his appointments to the Federal bench.

At our fourth and final hearing, we received testimony from a panel of constitutional scholars on whether Judge Porteous' conduct renders him unfit to hold office, and provided a sufficient basis for impeachment. The record reflects that Judge Porteous knowingly made false material statements about his past to both the U.S. Senate and the FBI in connection with his nomination to the Federal bench in order to conceal corrupt relationships.

In addition, Judge Porteous knew that another individual made false statements to the FBI in an effort to assist his appointment to the Federal bench. Judge Porteous' failure to disclose these corrupt relationships deprived the U.S. Senate and the public of the information that would have had a material impact on his confirmation. Our panel of experts testified that such behavior clearly constitutes impeachable conduct.

I'd like to note that the task force invited Judge Porteous to testify, but he declined our offer. In addition, the task force afforded the opportunity for Judge Porteous and his counsel to request that the task force hear from a witness or witnesses that they wish to call. Judge Porteous' counsel informed the task force that they did not wish to avail themselves of that opportunity. The task force permitted Judge Porteous' counsel to participate in our hearings on behalf of his client, and he was permitted to question the witnesses. This was an extraordinary prerogative that was granted to counsel.

Our proceeding today does not constitute a trial, as the constitutional

power to try impeachment resides in the Senate. Rather, the House's role is to inquire whether Judge Porteous' conduct provides a sufficient basis for impeachment. According to leading commentators and historical precedent on this issue, there are two broad categories of conduct that have been recognized as justifying impeachment: serious abuse of power, and conduct that demonstrates that an official is ``unworthy to fill'' the office that he or she holds.

After concluding that the full record establishes that Judge Porteous should be impeached for high crimes and misdemeanors, the Impeachment Task Force met in late January and unanimously voted in favor of recommending four Articles of Impeachment for consideration by the Judiciary Committee. On January 27, the House Judiciary Committee voted unanimously in favor of each article and to favorably report H. Res. 1031 to the full House. A 147-page report has been filed detailing the inquiry for Members of the House.

Mr. Speaker, Judge Porteous engaged in a pattern of conduct that is incompatible with the trust and confidence placed in him as a Federal judge. His longstanding pattern of corrupt conduct, so utterly lacking in honesty or integrity, demonstrates his unfitness to serve as a U.S. District Court judge. His material false statements about his past, made knowingly to both the U.S. Senate and to the FBI in order to obtain his Federal office, deprived the Senate and the public of information that would have had a material impact on his confirmation. Accordingly, I urge the House to approve the Articles of Impeachment included in House Resolution 1031.

Mr. Speaker, I send to the desk a resolution and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, this past Sunday marked the twenty-second anniversary of the pogrom against Azerbaijanis of Armenian descent in the town of Sumgait, Azerbaijan. The 3-day massacre in the winter of 1988 resulted in the deaths of scores of Armenians, many of whom were burnt to death after being brutally beaten and tortured. Hundreds of others were wounded. Women and girls were brutally raped. The carnage created thousands of ethnic Armenian refugees, who had to leave everything behind to be looted or destroyed, including their homes, cars and businesses.

These crimes, which were proceeded by a wave of anti-Armenian rallies throughout Azerbaijan, were never adequately prosecuted by Azerbaijan authorities. Many who organized or participated in the bloodshed have gone on to serve in high positions on the Azeri government. For example, in the days leading up to the massacre, a leader of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan, Hidayat Orujev, warned Armenians in Sumgait: ``If you do not stop campaigning for the unification of Nagorno Karabakh with Armenia, if you don't sober up, 100,000 Azeris from neighboring districts will break into your houses, torch your apartments, rape your women, and kill your children.'' Orujev is currently the State Advisor for Ethnic Policy to Azeri President Heidar Aliyev.

Despite efforts by the Government of Azerbaijan to cover up the events of February 1988, survivors of the pogrom have come forward with their stories. They told of enraged mobs, which threw furniture, refrigerators, television sets and beds from apartment balconies and set them afire. Armenians were dragged from their apartments. If they tried to run and escape, the mob attacked them with metal rods, knives and hatchets before the victims were thrown into the fire. One witness said of a victim, ``He was still moving, trying to escape from fire, but five young men were pushing him hack into the fire with metal rods.'' Others told of Interior Ministry troops, who stood by doing nothing.

The Sumgait massacres led to wider reprisals against Azerbaijan's ethnic minority, resulting in the virtual disappearance of Azerbaijan's 450,000-strong Armenian community, and culminating in the war launched against the people of Nagorno Karabakh. That war resulted in almost 30,000 dead on both sides and created more than one million refugees in both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

This April will mark the 95th Anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, a crime that Azerbaijan's ally and protector Tukey has devoted enormous political resources to deny. Just as we cannot allow the first genocide of the Twentieth Century to fade into history, the memory of the victims of Sumgait must not be forgotten either.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of the intelligence authorization bill. As a member of the committee, I am confident it provides our intelligence community with the tools it needs to keep our country safe. There are two aspects of the bill that I would like to highlight.

First, the bill includes the most substantial reform to the oversight relationship between Congress and the executive branch in a generation. The bill

requires that the President provides all notifications in writing and to maintain a record of briefings. It requires the President to inform all members of the Intelligence Committees when a Gang of Eight briefing is conducted, giving members who are not in the Gang of Eight the awareness they need to prevent abuse of the process. It requires the President to open up the briefing to the full committee after 180 days unless the Director of National Intelligence recertifies that the standards of the statute are still met.

Second, the bill makes critical investments in our overhead infrastructure and architecture. This is essential to our intelligence capability and wouldn't be possible without the work of some of the most brilliant minds in the country, like the scientists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

We are not giving the administration a blank check. It is imperative that our major acquisitions stay on budget and on schedule. Resources are scarce, and we cannot allow a handful of programs to spin out of control. The committee will keep a close eye on those programs.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor John M. Hitchcock, who will be retiring as Executive Director of Hillsides Home for Children in March 2010.

John M. Hitchcock was born in New York, NY on April 23, 1940. He received his BA in Math and Chemistry from the University of Michigan in 1963 and his MA in Social Work from Wayne State University in 1965. John and his wife, Ida, have been married for over 40 years and reside in Pasadena. The Hitchcocks have two sons, David and Bob, and one granddaughter, Kate.

In 1971, John joined Hillsides Home for Children as Assistant Director and then became Executive Director and President of Hillsides Education Center in 1981. Since then, John has been responsible for the overall operation of Hillsides, which encompasses the management of the 17-acre campus, the operation of three local group homes, and planning, directing and coordinating Hillsides' activities.

Under Mr. Hitchcock's leadership, Hillsides has become an exemplary residential treatment program for children. The Hillsides Education Center continues to be an invaluable resource for the community, and the scope of programs and services provided by Hillsides has expanded to serve not only abused, abandoned and neglected children but also children and families in crisis living in Los Angeles County. John helped provide residential care, community-based support, special education and transitional assistance to emancipating foster youth, and in 2006, opened a large apartment complex, which serves as a transitional living facility for 20 emancipated foster youth.

Mr. Hitchcock has served on many boards and commissions including Planned Parenthood of Pasadena, Camp Wrightwood, Coalition for a Non- Violent City, Gooden Center, and the Association of Community Human

Service Agencies, and he has served as Chair of the Episcopal Commission on Advocacy for Children and Youth. John is actively involved in the Foster Care Project at All Saints Episcopal Church, and he is a Canon in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles.

For over 40 years, John has truly been a voice for at-risk children. His kindness, foresight, leadership and extraordinary energy have profoundly impacted the lives of the 25,000 children and their families in his care over the years. By maintaining a deep awareness of the children's current needs as well as personal knowledge of each of the residents in Hillsides' care, John has created a warm, loving environment where children feel secure enough to rebuild hope for the future.

I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring John M. Hitchcock for nearly 40 years of dedicated service to Hillsides Home for Children and the entire community.