Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague on the Rules Committee for yielding the time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this rule and the underlying legislation. But I would also like to take a brief moment to bid a fond farewell to Muftiah McCartin, the staff director of the Committee on Rules. We've heard that she's done this for 34 years. I came in contact with her first when she was with the Office of the Parliamentarian. She was as diligent then and hardworking as she has been with us. Muftiah has been an asset to this body and it is better for her having served here as a staff member of the Rules Committee.

I've personally, as you've heard my other colleagues say, relied on her more times than I can count. And I do need to say that I'm speaking for Fred, David, Alex, Lale, and the entire staff in my office. She combines a vast knowledge of congressional procedures with an unflappable patience, putting both Members and staff alike at ease when approached about complicated legislative matters, even during the most politically heated moments.

More admirable than her remarkable career in the House, however, is her incredible devotion to her family. While spending seemingly countless hours at work, she's also managed to raise, with her husband Terry, four beautiful children--Marissa, Elaine, Sandra, and Luke--and is now a grandmother as well. I remember when she was at the Parliamentarian's Office when she was carrying one of those children. I didn't know how she was able to do it.

After her years of service to the Rules Committee and to the House of Representatives, Muftiah is leaving us to embark on the next chapter of her professional career. You're going to be missed, Muf, but I--and I'm sure all of my colleagues--wish you much happiness and success in your future endeavors, and my great hope is that you will continue to flourish.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Tower of Hope on its great accomplishments and express my best wishes for its fourth annual gala.

The Tower of Hope was created following the September 11th terrorist attacks in an effort to bring about hope and happiness to our wounded veterans. Through tireless and devoted work, the Tower of Hope raises funds to train assistance dogs and helps pair them with wounded veterans at no cost to our veterans.

Thousands of those brave service men and women have been seriously wounded in combat, many of them suffering from brain injuries, single and double amputations, and other traumatic wounds. Providing them with assistance dogs helps them live more comfortable and independent lives.

Madam Speaker, the Tower of Hope is dedicated to improving the lives of our veterans. Not only have they helped wounded veterans regain their independence, but they have also spread hope and love among those in need and their families. The Tower of Hope has helped veterans and countless others live normal lives, go to college, and support their loved ones. I have the highest respect for the important work they continue to do and the ideals they convey.

My thoughts and wishes are with them on their fourth annual ``Lighting the Path'' Gala. This event will help raise awareness of the importance of service dogs for wounded veterans and others with disabilities, and educate people about the benefits of such animals. In addition, I am proud of their upcoming initiative, ``100 Dogs in 1000 Days,'' which will raise funds to train 100 service dogs and thus double the current number of service dogs available to wounded veterans.

Throughout the years, this great nation has been shaped by our willingness to help our neighbors in their greatest time of need. This giving spirit that defines our country is embodied in the Tower of Hope. We owe it to our veterans to support the development of a program that inspires hope and strengthens our tradition of compassion to those who need it most.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the Tower of Hope for its outstanding work, as well as all the volunteers and donors who have made these programs possible through their generosity. I wish the Tower of Hope the very best with their upcoming initiatives and stand ready to provide any assistance and will continue to advocate for America's veterans.

Mr. Speaker, the very first thing I want to do is to express my condolences to the 11 persons who were killed on the oil rig in the gulf.

We are faced in this Nation, certainly in the gulf and along the Atlantic coast region, with the potential for a disaster of epic proportions, but the time now is not for us to get involved in blaming someone but, rather, in doing the things that are necessary to cap this gusher and to accelerate attention to clean energy.

Yesterday, Commandant Thad Allen, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, EPA Secretary Lisa Jackson, and persons from NOAA gave me the assurance, which I hope to convey to my constituents and to those of us who are concerned, that they are doing everything humanly possible to stop this disaster and that they will, assuredly, continue to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from California.

My good friend Al Green, whom I am pleased to serve with in the House of Representatives, and I introduced this legislation to congratulate the National Urban League on celebrating its 100th anniversary. I believe he and I also speak not only for substantial numbers of House Members but certainly for all of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus in this congratulatory set of remarks.

As was said, since its founding in 1910 by George Haynes and Ruth Baldwin, this organization has grown from one small housing department into a comprehensive national organization.

I am immensely proud of my own affiliation with the Urban League going back over 35 years now. In 1974, I was one of the founding members of the National Urban League of Broward County, the 104th affiliate chapter in the United States. Our goal then was to help alleviate some of the racial tensions felt throughout the community during desegregation.

I went on to serve on the original board of directors under a tremendous executive director named Leonard Gainey for the local chapter, and we worked to empower the community, increase educational opportunities for our children, and change lives through strong advocacy for essential public services.

The League has made great advances in the realm of civil rights. I knew Whitney Young, who has no peer in this area, who worked closely with leaders such as A. Philip Randolph and Martin Luther King. The League assisted in planning the 1963 March on Washington and carried on the hard work of advocating for equality and opportunity in that tumultuous era. The magnitude of these accomplishments, and countless others, cannot be understated.

The right to an equal education for black Americans has developed into a program aimed at helping these students use their education to propel themselves into leadership roles in their respective communities. Through workshops, summer programs, hands-on learning opportunities, and other endeavors, the League enriches the quality of life for black Americans of all ages and, by that, enriches our country.

With over 100 field offices around the country, League leaders are pillars of their communities, helping to organize campaigns to, in the League's own words, ``enable African Americans to

secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights.''

Under the outstanding guidance of extraordinary leaders and everyday men and women, the National Urban League has been at the forefront of the great social efforts of the last century.

I would be terribly remiss if I did not mention the leadership of Vernon Jordan, who was a classmate of mine in law school; Percy Lee, who was a classmate of mine in high school; T. Willard Fair, who I was not a classmate with, but learned to know, learned from and loved through the years; as well as John Jacobs, who I do share fraternity membership with and good friendship; and the new leader now, Marc Morial, as well.

Although we can take great pride in the many exceptional accomplishments of the National Urban League, its work is far from over. With 100 years of experience behind them, the hard-working and dedicated men and women of the National Urban League are well-poised to carry forth its important mission through the next century of progress.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation congratulating the National Urban League for its 100 outstanding years of service to our great Nation, and I again thank the gentlelady from California for the time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution urging the Secretary of State to formally designate the Caucasus Emirate as a foreign terrorist organization. The Caucasus Emirate seeks to establish a Taliban style Islamic state on the sovereign territory of the Russian Federation, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan and has declared jihad against the United States, Russia, Great Britain, and any other state fighting international terrorism. Let us stand together with Russia and take serious measures to disrupt and destroy this dangerous organization. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the Commission on Improving Long-term Care and Community Services Act of 2010.

Long-term care is a broad range of health and social services that is used by people who cannot care for themselves independently because they live with a physical, cognitive, or mental disability. Well over 9.4 million adults receive long-term care in the United States and this number is expected to rise. Longer life spans among the chronically ill and disabled, and higher incidences of acquired disabilities from unmanaged conditions such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes, obesity and heart disease project an increase in our reliance on long-term care. States with significant elder populations like Florida know the importance of ensuring that our health care system is well equipped to provide adequate long-term care services.

Last year, I introduced H. Res. 271, a resolution that expressed the need for a national strategy on long-term care, and the necessity of including long-term care in comprehensive health care reform. Many agreed that addressing the state of long-term care and community services is critically important to improving our health care system. However, concerns about the potentially high cost of implementing corrective measures stymied efforts to aggressively tackle the problem in the health reform bill.

The inclusion of long-term care insurance in the health reform bill is helpful, but it cannot serve as a substitution for comprehensively addressing long-term care and community services issues. Too many patients and families are enduring the physical, emotional and financial consequences of accessing long-term care in a system that is in dire need of improvement. The lack of streamlined standards and dominant payment methods for long-term care have left the system handicapped: depriving countless people of much needed services and placing a tremendous financial and emotional burden on families and caregivers. And yet, there has never been a national plan for long-term care, and nearly 20 years have passed since Congress comprehensively reviewed long-term care policy.

The Commission on Improving Long-Term Care and Community Services Act of 2010 is a cost-effective way to ensure that we comprehensively address long-term care and community services policy in the U.S. and U.S. territories. My bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a National Commission on Improving Long-Term Care and Services. The Commission will be composed of a variety of Federal and national stakeholders that will construct a comprehensive strategy on how to increase the affordability, accessibility and effectiveness of long-term care and community services in the U.S. and U.S. territories. The Commission's policy recommendations must consider cost, geography, culture, transportation, workforce and other factors that influence access to care.

And, the Commission's strategy must also provide guidelines on how to combat waste, fraud and abuse by long-term care providers, address flaws in Medicare reimbursement policies, increase access to home and community-based services through Medicaid, and promote fiscally responsible ways to finance long-term care. The Commission on Improving Long-term Care and Community Services has two years to submit a report to the President, Congress and the general public about their recommendations and findings.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the National Commission on Improving Long-term Care and Community Services Act of 2010 and truly invest in the welfare of our Nation's health and health care system.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution urging the Government of Canada to end the commercial seal hunt.

While the vast majority of countries have banned the commercial seal hunt long ago, Canada is by far the largest remaining seal killer in the world. Each year, about 300,000 harp seal pups are killed for their meat, oil and pelts and almost exclusively traded internationally.

The United States and the European Union have banned both the hunting of seals and the importation of any seal products. Polling has shown that the majority of people in Canada oppose the commercial seal hunt and support foreign nations' ending their trade in seal products. A recent poll even reveals that half of Newfoundland sealers support a federal buyout of the commercial sealing industry.

Indeed, the few thousand fishermen who participate in the commercial seal hunt in Canada earn, on average, only a tiny fraction of their annual income from killing seals, with the remainder coming from traditional seafood. In recent years, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans of Canada has authorized historically high quotas for harp seals despite high pup mortality, low seal fur prices and reduced industry participation.

Madam Speaker, the commercial seal hunt is not only unnecessary but cruel. Ninety-seven percent of the seals killed are pups between just twelve days and twelve weeks of age, without any ability to defend themselves. Most of them have not even learned how to swim. They are either shot or struck on the head by a hakapik or club. Many are injured in the course of the hunt and escape beneath the ice where they die slowly and are never recovered. Seal pups can also be skinned while still alive.

Several reports concluded that avoidable suffering occurs during hunting, sealers fail to comply with regulations and authorities do not effectively monitor the hunt and enforce regulations. This slaughter has to come to an end.

My resolution will urge the Government of Canada to prohibit the commercial hunting of seals, while allowing subsistence hunting for aboriginal communities. It will also encourage other countries to ban trade in seal products.

Madam Speaker, wild animals are a very important part of our commonly held natural resources and contribute to the diversity and stability of our environment. We cannot let economic interests take over our moral values. Animal cruelty is an inexcusable abomination. The United States must continue to protect those animals that cannot protect themselves and ensure fair and humane treatment. It is essential to maintain a balanced and healthy ecosystem that allows for the coexistence of both human beings and the world's most incredible species.

I urge my colleagues to join me in protecting wildlife and environmental conservation across the globe by supporting this important resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I move the resolution be referred to the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

Mr. Speaker, this is a matter that belongs before the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.

I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the motion.

The previous question was ordered.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of the 62nd anniversary of Israel's independence. I have always been deeply moved by the duality of Israel's independence celebration, at once both sorrowful and triumphant.

On one day--Yom Hazikaron, Israel's Memorial Day--Israel honors those who gave their lives defending their families, their neighbors, their communities, their people, and their country. Israel today recognizes even those who died before the state was officially declared in 1948. This year Israel honors 22,684 soldiers killed in the line of duty, and another 1,750 civilian victims of terrorism. These brave men and women died in service to the foundational belief of Israel: That in their ancient homeland the Jewish people can live in freedom.

But by the dawn of the morning following Yom Hazikaron, Israel exchanges tears of sadness for tears of joy, celebrating their official day of independence--the declaration of the State of Israel by David Ben Gurion in 1948. I know of no other country that combines such deep sadness with such unrelenting delight.

For 62 years now, Israel has stood as a vibrant democracy and a symbol of hope for millions of people around the world. For 62 years Israel has modeled a society where determination and passion, and an emphasis on social progress and education, can build a productive nation.

Madam Speaker, I have been to Israel 14 times as a Member of Congress, and every time I go I encounter ordinary citizens and government officials alike who are genuinely dedicated to living up to the ideals of Israel's independence. I am always impressed by the Israelis' intense desire to persevere. Israel deserves to be secure and prosperous, to live in peace with its neighbors, and to live free from fear and violence.

I look forward to returning to Israel in the near future, and on congratulating Israel again on its 63rd birthday . . . and its 64th, and 65th, and all the years after that.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Florida, the Honorable Theodore E. Deutch, be permitted to take the oath of office today.

His certificate of election has not arrived, but there is no contest and no question has been raised with regard to his election.

Madam Speaker, it is my honor to introduce to you today our newest member of the Florida delegation, Congressman Ted Deutch.

After serving with distinction in the Florida State Senate, Ted now joins us to represent the people of Florida's 19th Congressional District here in Washington. Ted brings with him a commonsense and results-driven approach that distinguished him during his time in the Florida State Senate, where he wrote and passed landmark legislation, including a health care bill that will raise $1 billion for essential health services for Floridians, and he also passed the Iran divestment legislation that made Florida the first State in the Nation to put direct economic pressure on companies doing business in Iran.

Throughout his career in public service, Ted has fought on behalf of those who risk losing the most, including seniors, working families, children, Holocaust survivors, veterans, members of the Armed Services, and small businesses.

I have worked alongside Ted as a leader in the community and as a legislator. I know him well, and I am confident that he will do an excellent job replacing our former colleague and good friend, Robert Wexler, who is with us today, do a good job representing Florida's 19th Congressional District.

Madam Speaker, please join me in welcoming Ted Deutch, his wife Jill, their three children, Gabrielle, Serena, and Cole, who are here on the floor with us, to our congressional family. I would also like to recognize Ted's mother Jean, his four siblings, extended family, and friends who are here today to celebrate this special occasion with him.

At this time, Madam Speaker, I would like to yield to my distinguished colleague from Florida, the dean of the Florida delegation, Congressman C.W. ``Bill'' Young.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Katyn--a word that has come to symbolize the brutal murder of over 20,000 Polish military officers and other intellectual elite by Stalin's secret police in the spring of 1940 and the subsequent lies told about this horrific crime. These men, and one woman, were taken as prisoners by the Soviets in their undeclared war against Poland that began a mere 17 days after the Nazis invaded Poland and started World War II.

The tragic crash this past Saturday that took the lives of so many of Poland's most senior leaders has focused worldwide attention on the Katyn massacre, which has come to symbolize Stalin's brutal repression of the Poles and others. People of goodwill everywhere extend the hand of sympathy and friendship to

the Polish people who once again have suffered a great national tragedy, ironically in the very place where one of the last century's most sordid deeds was carried out.

It is my hope that the victims--from President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria to prominent leaders of the armed forces, the parliament, other institutions, and relatives of those shot in 1940--will not have died in vain, that this horrible crash will somehow give strength to those in Poland who must go on and continue to lead their great nation, a nation that has been a stalwart ally of the United States and a beacon of freedom and prosperity in Eastern Europe.

I also hope that these sad events may in some way help bring Russia and Poland a new and stronger relationship based on a shared history and suffering and characterized by mutual respect and trust.

Further, I would like to express my admiration for the manner in which Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin handled this disaster, flying immediately to Smolensk, the site of the crash and taking personal responsibility for the investigation. Mr. Putin acted decisively, but more than that he reinforced the positive signals he and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had given at their joint ceremony in Katyn last Wednesday. No Russian Prime Minister--in fact no Russian of Mr. Putin's stature and standing--had ever been to Katyn. Mr. Tusk graciously expressed his appreciation to Mr. Putin by quoting the great Russian writer, Alexander Solzhenitsyn: ``But let us not forget that violence does not live alone and is not capable of living alone: it is necessarily interwoven with falsehood. Between them lies the most intimate, the deepest of natural bonds. Violence finds its only refuge in falsehood, falsehood its only support in violence. Any man who has once acclaimed violence as his method must inexorably choose falsehood as his principle.''

I hope that Mr. Putin will also embrace these words in practical ways, most importantly by assisting the Poles in finding still missing information about those who were executed on Stalin's orders in 1940.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the White House Conference on Haiti Act of 2010. This important piece of legislation would call on the President of the United States to convene a White House Conference on Haiti before the end of this calendar year.

As we are all well aware, this past January, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the already struggling nation of Haiti. Approximately

3 million people were affected and 230,000 are estimated to have died. Those that survived are facing unimaginable conditions with a crumbling infrastructure that has hindered the delivery of humanitarian aid.

If there is a silver lining to this unimaginable tragedy, it is that out of this, the Haitian people have been given the incredible opportunity to right the wrongs of the past and rebuild their nation stronger than ever before. Millions of dollars in aid have flooded into the country and thousands of aid organizations are committed to building a sustainable recovery.

Immediately following the earthquake, we all witnessed countless foreign governments and aid organizations pledging to stand with Haiti, and I have been inspired by the countless individuals throughout the globe who have donated their talents and services to the recovery and the many more who are eager to help, but simply don't know how.

We cannot let this opportunity go to waste. However, with the possibility to do good comes the very real possibility of waste, duplication, and inefficiencies in the rebuilding and recovery process.

Under this bill, the major stakeholders in the rebuilding, along with other interested parties, will come together to share their knowledge and best practices and identify gaps in the recovery process. It is my hope that out of this Conference, opportunities for collaboration and coordination in projects big and small will emerge.

The Conference will also highlight innovative ideas for rebuilding and redevelopment in Haiti, from inexpensive hurricane- and earthquake- proof housing and green building techniques to sustainable economic practices and urban development. There are countless companies and individuals who have developed groundbreaking concepts in response to this tragedy, but they have yet to be connected with those who can put these ideas into practices or with others pursuing similar goals who may be able to improve upon their initiatives. Innovation does not happen in a bubble; great things can happen when great minds come together.

Further, Haitians living abroad are eager to help their brothers and sisters in Haiti, but many simply do not know where to begin. The White House Conference on Haiti will tap the immense resource that is the Haitian Diaspora by bringing their abilities together with those who are in a position to use them.

Most importantly however, the White House Conference on Haiti will help ensure that the challenges facing the Haitian people remain in the public eye and in the minds of all Americans.

While the United States has been instrumental in the recovery and rebuilding from countless natural and man-made disasters throughout the world, few international tragedies have had as deep an impact on the United States, and particularly the State of Florida, as this one.

Helping our Haitian neighbors is not only the right thing to do; it is also in our own Nation's best interests. Just a stone's throw from our shores, instability in Haiti impacts our own economy and immigration levels.

Our nation's rapid, comprehensive response, from our Government down to everyday Americans, has been commendable, but the President and this administration are in a position to do more. This legislation would not be a costly endeavor, but could stand to save millions of dollars that could be used to improve the lives of the Haitian people for generations to come.

At a time of extreme instability and crisis, the United States must do all within its power to help ensure a long-term sustainable recovery for Haiti.

I ask my colleagues to support this legislation and urge the House leadership to bring it swiftly to the House floor for consideration.

Madam Speaker, when President Harry Truman first lobbied for health care reform, he could not have envisioned that it would take six decades for Congress to finally have the courage to make health care reform more than a cliche in the American lexicon.

If this bill passes, it will mean that the 46 million Americans who have zero health care or who cannot afford what they do have, or who suffer at the mercy of chronic illnesses like diabetes, will finally be able to see a doctor. The over 30 percent of my constituents in South Florida who have no health insurance will no longer have to choose between buying food and purchasing their medicine.

This historic legislation will mean improving Medicare benefits with lower prescription drug costs for those in the ``donut hole;'' providing better chronic care and free preventive care--including prenatal care for working mothers; making significant new investments in comparative effectiveness research and health information technology; and reducing the deficit by $138 billion over the next ten years.

In the words of Dave Snow, CEO of Medco, whose subsidiary Liberty Medical, a health care company near my district that helps Americans manage their diabetes, so eloquently stated: ``Forty-six million Americans live every day without the security and peace-of-mind that come with having health insurance.'' This bill ends that now.

Mr. Speaker, after months of discussion and indecision, the moment that matters is now. I applaud my colleagues who refuse to yield to the fear-mongering tactics that many have used to scare us out of doing the right thing at the right time.