Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I join my colleagues in celebrating the life of Cesar Chavez. Eighty-one years ago, Cesar Chavez began his life on March 31 and he continues to serve as an inspiration to thousands.

Cesar Chavez was a pioneer for civil rights and labor rights. He was a man that understood that in order to achieve change, sacrifices are necessary. Due to his hard work and dedication to his community, he successfully founded the United Farm Workers Union, the largest union protecting the rights of our country's many farm laborers. Currently, 10 States officially honor the memory of Cesar Chavez by celebrating a holiday in his name. My colleague, Congressman Baca, has introduced legislation, H. Res. 76, to establish a national Cesar Chavez Day to honor this important man through volunteer projects, educational activities, and cultural celebrations, among other events. I thank Congressman Baca for introducing this legislation and for helping to bring Cesar's life and legacy to the Members of Congress and to our constituents throughout the country. He truly is a national hero.

Madam Speaker, during these uncertain economic times, American families are struggling to make ends meet.

Consider that oil and gas prices are at an all-time high. Health care costs continue to skyrocket out of control, leaving more Americans either uninsured or underinsured. Food prices recently experienced their biggest price increase in more than 3 years. If all that is not bad enough, the U.S. economy lost 63,000 jobs last month. The February jobs numbers are the latest sign that economic growth has virtually stalled.

President Bush has the dubious distinction of being tied with his father as the two Presidents with the worst jobs record since the Great Depression.

Madam Speaker, congressional Democrats are working hard to strengthen the American economy and create jobs. We worked in a bipartisan fashion on the economic stimulus package that will not only help hardworking Americans pay their bills but will also jump-start our economy and create 50,000 new jobs in America.

This was the only the beginning. Strengthening our economy remains a top priority for this Democratic Congress as we move through this year.

Madam Speaker, today I rise in strong support of House Resolution 1024, honoring the 187th anniversary of the independence of Greece. March 25 marks the day the Greek people were freed from the Ottoman Empire and asserted their rights to govern themselves.

The citizens of Greece and the United States share a long history of Democratic ideals. The philosophical and political ideas of the ancient Greeks were an inspiration to the Founders of our democracy. Showing our support for Greek independence reminds us how important it is to continue defending freedom around the world. We must also remember those individuals that have fought on behalf of the freedom we share.

Greece is a friend and ally, and when it comes to helping promote freedom and stability in their region and the global community, I am pleased to honor Greece today on its 187th anniversary, and I urge all my colleagues to support this resolution.

Madam Speaker, on March 5, 2008, I missed rollcall vote No. 98. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall 98.

Madam Speaker, I wanted to take a moment to recognize a great American, a constituent of mine from Bayonne, New Jersey, Dr. Jack Smith.

After seeing the second plane hit the World Trade Center on 9/11, Dr. Smith immediately left his Bayonne practice and went to help treat victims in Lower Manhattan. He said he felt the world had changed that day, and he decided to enlist in the Army Medical Reserve at the age of 49 years old.

Dr. Smith has since served two tours overseas. He was sent on his first tour to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan where he served in the 325th Combat Support Hospital Unit. His second tour was with the First Squadron of the 167th RSTA Cavalry Unit in Iraq. There he worked at the battalion aid station, the Air Force Theatre Hospital, and gave medical support for two intelligence gathering missions outside the wire.

When asked about managing his service, family, and practice, Dr. Smith says he's been blessed. I believe we are blessed to have individuals like Dr. Smith serving our country. His courage and service are an example to us all, and I want to thank him and his family for his service.

Mr. Speaker, let me start by recognizing the good work of my colleague, Congresswoman Gwen Moore. I appreciate her efforts to bring this important program to our attention.

The School Breakfast Program began as a pilot program in 1966 and has grown to serve over 10 million children nationwide. In New Jersey, almost 145,000 students ate a school breakfast during the 2007 school year; yet there are many students who cannot participate because their school does not offer this program.

This is important because research has shown how vital a good breakfast is for learning. Children who eat a healthy breakfast have higher standardized test scores; do much better in math, reading, and vocabulary tests; and attend school more regularly compared with children who do not eat breakfast.

Congress should act to increase funding for this program so that many more students can be served. It is a smart investment in our future. I encourage all of my colleagues to support this resolution and this important program.

I thank Congresswoman Moore.

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3521, and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. Chairman, I am very happy to be here debating this bill to help public housing authorities across

this Nation. Let me start by thanking Chairman Barney Frank for his support on this bill and his leadership in the committee.

Let me start by explaining why I introduced this bill. Shortly after I was sworn in, I received a letter from the Jersey City Housing Authority in my district. They told me they had laid off 34 employees because of asset management. When I looked into this, I learned that Jersey City was not unique. Over 800 public housing authorities had their operating budgets cut because of the way asset management was implemented by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. At the same time, the Department limited the amount of flexibility given to public housing authorities to make ends meet.

I knew something had to be done. With the support of Chairman Frank, Chairwoman Waters, and others, I introduced H.R. 3521, the Public Housing Asset Management Improvement Act of 2007. You will note that the title indicates that the bill improves asset management. It does not, and I repeat, it does not put an end to asset management. That is because I feel strongly that the goals of the asset management are worthwhile. By making public housing authorities run more efficiently, asset management has the potential to improve the lives of all those who live in public housing in this country.

My bill simply makes four improvements to the asset management rule. First, it requires renewed negotiations over the management fee. A little background in this is probably helpful. In 1998, Congress passed the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998, which called on the Department to replace the old funding system with a new, more efficient system. In 2004, a negotiated rulemaking committee gathered to decide how to implement this new system known as asset management. One key piece was the management fee, and Congress required that the fee be reasonable. The negotiators never discussed the management fee, and industry groups have argued that it was set arbitrarily by the Department in its final rule because it lacked input from the negotiated rulemaking committee. My bill requires new negotiations to establish a reasonable fee and allows public housing authorities to revert back to their old funding mechanism until final implementation of asset management on January 1, 2011.

Second, my bill reaffirms current law by allowing public housing authorities to transfer funds between their operating fund and their capital fund. This provision prevents the Department from prohibiting such transfers. This flexibility is vital to agencies, particularly since the public housing program is underfunded. Housing authorities know best where they need funding, not Washington. There is wide agreement on this provision. In fact, this provision was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2008. That provision, however, is only valid for 1 year. My bill would make the change permanent.

Third, my bill increases the exemption threshold from small to medium-sized public housing authorities. The Department recognized that small authorities with fewer than 250 units of housing would not benefit from the efficiencies of asset management. The final rule exempts public housing authorities with fewer than 250 units of housing from implementing asset management. My bill simply raises this threshold to 500 units. Again, there is little disagreement on raising the threshold. The Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2008 raised the exemption threshold to 400. My bill goes a little further to 500 units. The impact of this change will only affect 441 public housing authorities, some of whom may not opt out of asset management because they think it makes good sense. Even with this change, over two-thirds of all public housing units still will be covered by asset management rules.

Finally, my bill restates current law in terms of tenant participation. It simply says that tenants should be allowed to participate in the decisions affecting their homes. It prohibits the Department from altering tenant participation rights, and it encourages public housing authorities to include tenants in discussion about asset management that directly affects their home.

Let me end by talking about who supports this bill. We have received letters of support from the Council of Large Public Housing Authorities, the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association, the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, and the National Training and Information Center.

I submit these letters for the Record.

National Training

and Information Center,

Chicago, IL, February 7, 2008.

Hon. Nancy Pelosi,

Speaker, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Madam Speaker: The undersigned 150 democratic

grassroots resident organizing groups and allies would like

to convey our strong support for protecting the rights of

public housing residents to organize, as delineated in H.R.

3521, the Public Housing Asset Management Improvement Act of

2007. As the transition to a system of asset management is

one of the most significant shifts facing the administration

of public housing in many years, it is more important than

ever that public housing residents are involved in the

decision-making processes at the local and national levels.

In April of 2007, the National Training & Information

Center (NTIC) submitted a letter to Congress endorsed by

local, statewide, and national organizations in protest of

recent attempts to undermine the efforts of resident and

community organizations to participate in the decisions

around public housing that impact their communities and their

lives, One of those attempts was a notice by HUD on March 1,

2007 to streamline the process to waive 24 CFR 964, which

outlines the rights of residents to organize, for PHAs

transitioning to asset management. Section 4 of H.R. 3521 is

critical in order to ensure that the congressionally

sanctioned rights to organize for public housing residents

are protected.

The NTIC network is of the perspective that residents must

be central to the discourse around policies that impact

them--both at the local and national level. Section 4 of this

bill will ensure that the voices of public housing residents

are not lost in the implementation of asset management. Over

the past year, NTIC has brought together public housing

residents and allies from 38 cities to identify the most

pressing areas for reform of public housing policy. The right

to organize and meaningful resident participation are among

the highest priorities for residents across the country. In

order to make asset management work for everyone, it is

critical that residents are involved in decisions around its

implementation.

The undersigned 150 local, statewide, and national

organizations would like to convey our support for the

principles outlined in Section 4 of H.R. 3521. Namely, we

feel strongly that residents should have a right to organize

in public housing and should be meaningfully and

substantively involved in the decisions that impact their

lives--both at the local and national level. Specifically, it

is critical that the rights bestowed by 24 CFR 964 not be

undermined by the transition to asset management. We hope

that we can rely on your support for these principles.

Thank you for listening to the voices of the people!

Signed,

Access Living--Chicago, IL.

Annapolis Tenant Task Force--Boston, MA.

Beacon Glen Resident Association--Cincinnati, OH.

Bethel New Life--Chicago, IL.

Bethune Village Resident Council--Daytona Beach, FL.

Border Fair Housing & Economic Justice Center--El Paso, TX.

Bowen Homes Resident Association--Atlanta, GA.

Cabrini Green Rowhouse Council--Chicago, IL.

California Coalition for Rural Housing--California State

Center for Community Change--National

Central Advisory Council--Chicago, IL.

Central Illinois Organizing Project--Central Illinois

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless--Chicago, IL.

Chicago Rehab Network--Chicago, IL.

Cleveland Housing Resident Association--Cleveland, TN.

Clinton Springs Resident Association--Cincinnati, OH.

Coalition to Protect Public Housing--Chicago, IL.

Communities United for Action--Cincinnati, OH.

Community Voices Heard--New York, NY.

Connecticut Legal Services--Connecticut State

Consumer Action--National

Crossroads Urban Center--Salt Lake City, UT.

Detroit United Organizing for Power--Detroit, MI.

District of Columbia Grassroots Empowerment Project--

Washington, DC.

Empower DC--Washington, DC.

Empowering & Strengthening Ohio's People--Cleveland, OH.

Erie Tenant Council--Erie, PA.

Everywhere & Now Public Housing Residents Organizing

Nationally Together--National

Fall River Housing Joint Tenants Council Inc.--Fall River,

Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Waters).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to my friend from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Mr. Chairman, just in closing I would like to say that there is oversight, and the 20 percent that we are talking about is just increasing 10 percent because already they have the ability to move 10 percent. With all of the costs, all of the increases and the underfunding of these housing authorities, I think this is reasonable.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, as the designee of Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, I offer an amendment.

This manager's amendment covers two different aspects of the bill. The first part addresses compliance with section 2 of the bill. Section 2 grants agencies that lost funding because of asset management to walk out of the funding agreement. The bill allows them to set their own reasonable management fee until a new negotiated rulemaking takes place. However, the Department recently announced that any agency compliant with this provision of the bill will be deemed as noncompliant with the Asset Management Final Rule. The manager's amendment makes it clear that these agencies are compliant.

The second part of the manager's amendment restates current law that undocumented immigrants are ineligible for financial assistance under section 214 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1980. These changes are technical and should be adopted.

Chairman Frank and I urge a ``yes'' vote on these amendments.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

I would like to thank Mr. Meek for offering this amendment.

This amendment clarifies that the Department cannot prevent public housing authorities in receivership from benefiting from this bill.

Chairman Frank and I fully support this amendment, and we urge adoption.

Madam Speaker, I reserve a point of order.

Madam Speaker, I make a point of order that the amendment is not germane to the bill. The bill H.R. 3773 has nothing to do with the asset management bill under consideration.

Madam Speaker, the gentleman is not speaking on the point of order.

Madam Speaker, I insist on my point of order.

Madam Speaker, I move to table the appeal.

Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Alipio Coco Cabrera on his 25th anniversary in radio and television broadcasting. Coco can be considered a communicator by nature. He was born in Villa Mella, Dominican Republic. He started his career as a journalist for ``Noti Tiempo'' commercial radio station as well as a writer for ``El Nacional'' newspaper. Coco immigrated to the United States in 1978, settling in New York City. He continued to work for Dominican Republic Media but also became a radio correspondent for ``Radio Mil and Nacional.''

Coco received a contract with Hispanic Broadcasting Association, HBC, to work on many of their projects. He is now part of the powerful radio and television chain known as Univision. He can be heard on various radio programs, ``Coco and Gisela,'' ``Coco Clasicos,'' and ``The Coco and Celines Show'' on 105.9 Latin Mix. This show is known as one of the most important morning radio shows in the New York area. He has also made guest appearances on Univision TV shows such as ``Despierta America,'' ``Al Despertar'' and ``Don Francisco Presenta.''

Throughout his career, Coco has received numerous national and international awards, which include: ``Cassandra Distinguished Radio Personality,'' presented by the Association of Arts & Journalism of Santo Domingo. He was the first Dominican to receive this award that lived outside the country. In 2007, Coco received the ``Distinguished Journalist and Citizen Award'' presented by Dr. Pedro Henriquez Urena, director of Human Rights Organization of Santo Domingo.

Alipio Coco Cabrera is a veteran of radio and is best known for his unique style and electric personality. It is only fitting that on February 17, 2008, he will be honored for 25 years in the radio broadcasting business at a banquet to be held at the United Palace Theater in New York City.

Please join me in honoring Alipio Coco Cabrera for his outstanding achievements and in congratulating him, his children Jean Carols and Jacyra.

Mr. Speaker, economists said if Washington wanted to help jump-start our Nation's economy, it needed to act fast. That's exactly what we did. Congress acted in a strong bipartisan fashion to pass an economic stimulus plan that will be signed into law by President Bush today.

The new law will put hundreds of dollars into the hands of more than 130 million American families, including seniors and disabled veterans, who will then spend it to reinvigorate our economy.

The law also expands financing opportunities for Americans who are in danger of losing their homes because of the mortgage crisis and promotes small business investment in plants and equipment.

Mr. Speaker, Democrats are proud that we have been able to work so quickly to produce an economic stimulus plan that is timely, targeted and temporary. We are also proud of the fact that this package provides immediate relief to low- and middle-income families and small businesses that need the help the most.

We will continue to rebuild and strengthen our economy, create good jobs, and give relief to families that are struggling to make ends meet.

Mr. Speaker, when Democrats took control of Congress last year, we vowed to work on behalf of all Americans. Last year, we recognized that middle-class families were struggling to make ends meet, and so we worked hard to ease that economic crunch. We passed billions of dollars in tax relief to middle-income families. We increased the minimum wage for the first time in a decade, and we enacted an energy bill that will save the average family anywhere between $700 and $1,000 a year in energy costs, and help families better afford college.

This is a good start, but as economic indicators continue to head in the wrong direction, we worked with the White House and House Republicans on an economic stimulus package that will provide a real and significant short-term boost to this economy.

The House bipartisan economic stimulus plan is the most progressive package this decade. It will help jump-start

our economy, and will provide real assistance to lower and middle- income families. I hope our friends in the Senate will act on this legislation this week.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Jersey City Police Officer Vincent J. Romano on the occasion of his retirement. Police Officer Romano who retired on November 1, 2007, received numerous recognitions for his service, evidence that he was an outstanding member of the Jersey City Police Force.

Police Officer Romano, was appointed to the Jersey City Police Department in 1988, and initially assigned to the South District. His dedication garnered the trust of his superiors and earned him other opportunities to serve the Department in the West District, North District, Municipal Court Unit and the Records Room. His experience and his knowledge of the community also won him specialized assignments in the Narcotics Unit and the Violent Crimes Unit.

Throughout his career, Police Officer Vincent J. Romano has received numerous awards which included: 2 commendations, 11 Excellence Police Service Awards, 3 Unit Citations and 1 World Trade Center Award.

Please join me in honoring Police Officer Vincent J. Romano for his distinguished service to the Jersey City Police Department, and in congratulating him, his wife, Connie, and their two sons, Vincent and Joseph.

Madam Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 3524, the HOPE VI Improvement Reauthorization Act of 2007.

As a former mayor in New Jersey, I have a unique perspective of this program. Its impact on local communities is real and is positive. Beyond the obvious impact of cleaning up distressed public housing units and providing people with housing, HOPE VI generates economic activity in the community. New housing brings new residents. New residents bring new infrastructure and spurs new businesses. These new residents shop and dine and invest in their community. The new businesses hire employees, which has a positive impact on the economy.

The benefits of this program do not end there. Research indicates that HOPE VI increases per capita income of residents and decreases unemployment rates. That same research shows that this program decreases the number of households receiving public assistance and decreases violent crimes in surrounding communities.

A reauthorization of this HOPE VI is long overdue. I applaud the efforts of the chairman and Chairwoman Waters for bringing this to the floor today.

And I will share a story. I recently visited in Elizabeth, New Jersey, part of my district, a program of HOPE VI. I knew that area before, and the transformation is beyond. As I went there the other day, a new restaurant opened up. People were hired to work in that restaurant. So this program does work. Is it perfect? Nothing is perfect, but it certainly works. And I hope that everybody supports this.

Madam Speaker, across the country more and more Americans are struggling to make ends meet. Unemployment has risen to 5 percent. Home values are dropping and millions of Americans are getting hit with mortgage rate adjustments. At the same time, the costs of health care, groceries, gasoline, home heating oil, and college educations continue to rise. It is welcome news that Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke is signaling that the Fed will cut interest rates to address the slowing economy. But this is not enough.

Democrats want to work with the President and the Republican Congress in the coming weeks to jump-start the economy and provide sound relief to American families. I would hope that we can all agree that the economy needs a jolt. Democrats believe a fiscal stimulus plan should adhere to three simple principles to be effective: It must be timely, targeted, and temporary.

Madam Speaker, we want to work in a bipartisan fashion immediately to develop a legislative plan based on these three principles so that the stimulus plan can be passed and implemented into law without delay.