Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate Bayonne Public School No. 14. PS-14 was recently honored as a National Blue Ribbon School for its innovative gifted and talented program. The school not only prepares students for the technological challenges of the 21st century, but they also offer an accelerated academic program and provide exposure to the arts.

In addition to national recognition, New Jersey Department of Education recognized PS-14 as a ``star school'' because it implements cutting-edge policies, allows parents, local businesses and the community to get involved, and has not lost focus on student achievement, which is most important.

I want to congratulate principal Janice Lo Re and the Bayonne school superintendent, Dr. Patricia McGeehan, for this outstanding recognition.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak about the State Children's Health Insurance Program or SCHIP. This is a successful, popular, bipartisan program that currently provides private health care coverage for more than 6 million children who would otherwise go without care. I am very proud to stand here today and say I will vote for a bill that provides health care to children in need, and that President-elect Obama said he would sign into law.

Our action could not come at a better time. With rising unemployment, many families can no longer afford their health insurance. This bill brings them needed relief. Now parents can find comfort knowing their children will have access to health care while they look for a new job. This is particularly important in my home State of New Jersey. FamilyCare in New Jersey serves 122,000 children every year, a small percentage of which come from families with incomes up to 350 percent of the poverty line. It is expensive to live in my State, and even these families need help getting by. I am happy that this bill maintains the State's right to serve these families.

Today we get to make a real impact on the lives of many struggling families. I am proud to support H.R. 2, the SCHIP Reauthorization Act of 2009.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H. Res. 43, a resolution recognizing the efforts of those who serve their communities on Martin Luther King Day and promoting the holiday as a day of national service.

I am proud to have this opportunity to highlight the importance of national service as well as honor a national leader and hero, Martin Luther King, Jr.

Next Monday, we will celebrate this extraordinary man and the legacy of service he engrained on our Nation through our dedication to service.

This year, our celebration of Dr. King's life and his commitment to improving the lives of all Americans is more significant than ever as the country swears in our first African American president, Barack Obama, the very next day.

The extraordinary work of Dr. King and his enduring message of providing equal opportunities for all Americans--in conjunction with the inauguration of our new president--provide proof that our Nation is capable of great change and proof that through service, our Nation can accomplish whatever it dreams.

As our country swears in President Obama on January 20, I know that Martin Luther King, Jr. will be in my thoughts, as well as in the thoughts of many proud Americans. It is people like Dr. King that make our country great, that make me proud to be a citizen of this great Nation, and that inspire me to serve.

I am pleased to join my colleagues in recognizing the amazing service of this man that continues to inspire in our Nation year after year.

I urge my colleagues to not only join me in supporting today's resolution, but join me in continuing the call for service in our communities on this special day, and throughout the year.

Madam Speaker, tooday I rise to recognize the 117th anniversary of the opening of Ellis Island. Originally opened on January 1, 1892, the island remains a part of American history and our culture. Together with the Statue of Liberty, these places represent what it means to be an American.

During the attacks of September 11, 2001 these symbols stood as a reminder and a warning that we will prevail against those who wish us harm. So great are these symbols that visitors from here and abroad visit them every day. Yet the Statue of Liberty crown is still closed to visitors. I am happy that both President-Elect Obama and Interior Secretary Designate Salazar support fully opening up the crown.

I am optimistic that we will again allow Americans and foreign visitors to peer out from the crown and to think about what it means to be an American.

Madam Speaker, I rise today, the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to condemn the ongoing attacks on human rights in Cuba.

It has been reported that possibly a dozen people in Cuba have been rounded up and detained by the regime to thwart their efforts to attend Human Rights Day events on the island. I was outraged, but not shocked to hear of this most recent action by the brutal Cuban regime to deny the Cuban people their basic human rights, which are guaranteed in the U.N. declaration. Dissident groups throughout Cuba have attempted to organize protests, and government attacks on protesters will likely continue.

This blatant disregard for the rights of all peoples on this symbolic day so accurately represents the true nature of the oppressive Cuban regime. I will continue to fight for a day when the voices of all Cuban people are respected.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution to express my deepest sympathies to our friends in India and the innocent victims from around the world. On November 26, 2008, coordinated terrorist attacks were carried out across the city of Mumbai, India, killing over 170 people and injuring more than 300. I am very disturbed by the brutality of these acts of terrorism and I condemn them in the strongest terms possible. Madame Speaker, I would like the Indian people to know we are standing by them during this difficult time and that we hope to find justice for the innocent victims of this terrible tragedy. I ask that all my colleagues support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, I would like to state for the record my position on the following votes I missed on September 22, 2008. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall 616 on H.R. 6685; ``yea'' on rollcall 617 on H.R. 1907; and ``yea'' on rollcall 618 on

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Jersey City Fire Department. On September 19, the department received a 2008 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award, right here in Washington, D.C., for supporting our Guard and Reserve.

For deployments of 12 months, the fire department continues all benefits for servicemembers and their families, as well as full pay for deployments of up to 6 months. They have also shown a tremendous personal generosity by collecting $6,000 in phone cards to send to their coworkers and units serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. They also collect gifts during the holidays for the children of servicemembers and help families that are falling on tough times during the deployment.

I am so proud of the Jersey City Fire Department's dedication to their coworkers, our community, our Guard and Reserve, and our country. They are very deserving of this high honor.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in support of House Resolution 1369, which recognizes the work of nongovernmental organizations in helping to bring peace between Israelis and Palestinians. It is through the tireless efforts of so many dedicated and talented individuals on the ground in the region that we have been able to see progress. Nongovernmental organizations have worked for years at a grassroots level to build relationships between Israelis and Palestinians; neighbor to neighbor. These organizations have a true commitment to peace and to coexistence. The relationships they nurtured have helped to build bridges within these communities that I hope will sustain a lasting peace in the region.

Mr. Speaker, both Democrats and Republicans have been talking about high gas prices for months. At first, Republicans said we just needed to drill, drill, drill, but then they joined us in saying that a more comprehensive, all-of-the-above proposal was in order. It turns out it was just all talk.

Democrats have been trying to reverse the failed Bush policies of the past, but Republicans keep saying no. We proposed legislation to crack down on price gouging and to curb excess speculation. Republicans said no. We proposed lowering gas prices immediately by tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Republicans said no. We proposed legislation that would force Big Oil to drill on 68 million acres of land to increase oil production here at home. Republicans again said no.

Yesterday, we passed an all-of-the-above energy package to bring down prices and to invest in America's energy future, but again, Republicans voted no.

Mr. Speaker, it seems like Republicans don't actually want to resolve the crisis. They just want to talk about the crisis.

Mr. Speaker, when I voted on final passage of H.R. 6842, the Second Amendment Enforcement Act, I incorrectly voted aye. I meant to vote no on final passage of that bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1420 recognizing September 11 as a day of remembrance, remembering those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, and honoring the heroic actions of our Nation's first responders and the Armed Forces.

On that tragic day, I was the Mayor of Jest New York, New Jersey and a member of the State Assembly. My district sits directly across from lower Manhattan and ever since the smoke cleared on 9/11, there has been a visible reminder to me and my constituents of the loss we suffered on that day. Everyday I am at home in West New York, I see the absence in the skyline. It is a constant reminder to me of the great loss our nation suffered on September 11. Hundreds of husbands, wives, parents, friends and neighbors did not return home that night. Many others did return home but still have to bear the burden of their losses everyday.

Madam Speaker, today I want to honor the memories of those we lost seven years ago today and those who lost loved ones. I'd also like to honor our troops that, since September 11, 2001, have been fighting so bravely abroad to protect this great cquntry. We appreciate their sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to highlight the good work of the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency in the 13th District of New Jersey, which I have the honor of representing.

The Jersey City Redevelopment Agency has a distinguished history in the fight to eliminate blight, to create opportunities, and to attract residential, commercial and industrial real estate projects in Jersey City.

Since its inception 60 years ago, the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency has been responsible for the direct reinvestment of billions of dollars in Jersey City and tens of thousands of jobs. The agency is committed to enhancing the quality of life for all residents of Jersey City by guiding responsible development and reinvestment in all neighborhoods and communities in Jersey City. They work daily to enhance the quality of life of their residents and improve economic and housing opportunities while building strong, viable partnerships with the Jersey City community.

Please join me in honoring the Jersey City Redevelopment Agency as they celebrate their 60th year in business and as they continue to build a better Jersey City for all residents.

Mr. Speaker, for 8 years now Washington Republicans have allowed Big Oil to run our Nation's energy policy. The result: record profits for oil companies and record gas prices at the pump for consumers.

All summer long, this Democratic Congress offered real solutions to provide drivers some relief. We proposed legislation to curb excessive speculation which would have reduced oil prices by $20 to $30 a barrel. House Republicans said no. We proposed legislation to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. When the President's father took this action back in 1991, the price of oil immediately dropped $8 a barrel. But again, House Republicans said no. We also proposed legislation that forced Big Oil to begin drilling on the 68 million acres of land they already have leases for. House Republicans once again said no.

Mr. Speaker, the record gas prices of last year are a direct result of failed Republican policies. It is time they face the facts so that we can work together and fashion some real relief at the pump.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5501, the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/ AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008.

The passage of this bipartisan bill will continue Congress' commitment to the fight against HIV, TB and malaria around the world. This bill will dramatically boost HIV/AIDS and health care programs for women and girls, as well as strengthen health and education systems in nations hard-hit by the HIV virus.

H.R. 5501 also provides funding for orphans and vulnerable children, as well as food and nutrition programs.

The World Health Organization estimates that over 38 million people are living with HIV/AIDS and 95 percent of those people live in the developing world.

We must be leaders in combating the global AIDS crisis and this bill allows maximum flexibility for our staff on the ground. H.R. 5501 provides needed funding and support to transition the very successful PEPFAR program from the emergency phase to the sustainability phase. I urge all my colleagues to support this bill.