Floor Statements

I would like to begin by thanking the chairman of our subcommittee, Mr. Boucher, for his consistent support and cooperation to help bring the bill through the committee. I doubt that we would be here today were it not for that. And I want to recognize and thank the ranking member of our subcommittee for the work that he has put into this as well and the suggestions that he made in order to bolster the bill and to make it imminently workable. I also want to thank, of course, the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), for his support.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill which is designed to eliminate the earsplitting levels of television advertisements and return control of television sound modulation to the American consumer. I first introduced the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act, called the CALM Act, more than 3 years ago. This is something that many of our constituents now refer to in their shorthand as the Loud Commercial Law. I have heard loud and clear from people across the country. We have consumers across the country that are with us and would like to see this accomplished.

The premise of the bill then, as now, was really simple; and in an era of 1,000- or 1,800-page bills, this is a 2-page bill, and it is to make the volume of commercials and programming uniform so that consumers control the sound. The problem has existed for more than 50 years, when television advertisers first realized that consumers often left the room when commercials were playing. They used the loud commercials as a gimmick to grab the attention of consumers, even as they moved to other parts of their home. But for anyone who can't get to the mute button fast enough, we know that we are all subjected to blasting ads. For those with sensory difficulties, the loud commercials are more than just an annoyance. Sound spikes can harm hearing and sometimes they are painfully loud.

This issue, as my colleagues have referenced, is also one of the top complaints, consistently one of the top complaints, from consumers across the country to the Federal Communications Commission. This bill is going to bring a measure of relief to the American consumer. It is also, I think, an important step in identifying the need to make broadcasters and video providers responsible for answering to consumers at the most basic level. I created this bill taking into account the economic health of licensees and the importance of smaller stations and providers. The Advanced Television Systems Committee, or the ATSC, a body that sets technical standards for digital television, has developed a solution to the problem of the varied volume between commercials and programming, with one stream that keeps the volume uniform.

The bill directs the FCC to adopt these engineering standards as mandatory rules within 1 year. These standards were not in the works until we introduced this legislation in the last Congress, so I am pleased to have encouraged the industry to find the answer to this problem so we don't have to wait another 50 years for a solution.

I look forward to voluntary and immediate adoption of the standards by broadcasters, cable, satellite and all multichannel program providers. But the bill exists because we know that voluntary compliance or adherence to consumer needs has been a failure and we need to assure enforcement to protect the rights of consumers. The bill also requires cable and satellite operators to install the engineering fix necessary to ensure that the sound is modulated.

The bill is not inflexible. It heeds the call by industry for a compliance grace period. Those affected, and I think it's very reasonable, will have 1 year after the FCC adopts the rule for purchase and installation of the ATSC standard-based equipment, and the FCC may grant up to two successive 1-year waivers for financial hardship. Small stations and cable operators certainly should be able to comply within 3 years, plus the amount of time it takes the FCC to adopt and release the rules.

I have read the minority comments that have been filed relative to the bill, and I want to answer directly the concerns of some of my colleagues about the necessity of the bill, so I want to reiterate the following:

First, I think the bill is necessary because we need a mandatory enforcement tool, and I stated that earlier. Volunteerism hasn't worked for 50 years.

Second, the bill makes the ATSC standards applicable to all FCC licensees, and that includes satellite and cable providers as well as broadcasters. The voluntary standards as written only apply to broadcasters.

Thirdly, the bill matters to our constituents, and I think that that's what really matters the most, and it stands as proof that Congress can listen to their concerns.

Fourthly, it has been said that Congress has better things to do. I have never suggested that this solves the great challenges that face our country today. As I said, it's a 2-page bill, but it is something that has been left unattended to for half a century and I think the time has come that we end the practice of consumers being blasted out of their seats when they're listening to their favorite programming.

The technical fix is long overdue and under the CALM Act, as amended, consumers will be in the driver's seat. I look forward to the passage of this bill, and most importantly so do millions of other consumers and our constituents across the country.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3570, the Satellite Home Viewer Update and Reauthorization Act of 2009. This bill provides much-needed improvements to the current legal structure governing the transmission of satellite signals to American consumers. We've come a long way since the days where satellite companies were fledging businesses with small customer bases and large backyard dishes. Now this industry is robust and competitive and holds its own in the world of multi-video providers.

With this increased popularity comes an increased responsibility to those who subscribe to satellite services. I sponsored an amendment to the bill that was adopted in the Energy and Commerce Committee which underscores the importance of the rights of satellite customers.

My language will finally end DISH Network's discrimination against noncommercial High Definition signals. Many of you know these noncommercial stations as educational and Public Broadcast Stations. DISH has roughly 14 million subscribers and they all deserve access to Public Television's signals. DISH had been providing preferential treatment to high-paying networks for the transmission of programming, but denying equal carriage for a television service supported by tax dollars. DISH gets privileges under this bill and with those privileges comes the obligation to serve the public interest.

The premise of my language is simple.

It requires satellite carriers to provide their customers with local noncommercial HDTV transmissions when carrying other local broadcast HD signals.

It provides for carriage compliance for 50 percent of the stations by the end of 2010, with an extra year for the remainder, thus accelerating the FCC 2013 date.

It ensures that when new service is initiated, noncommercial stations get equal treatment.

And, it gives carriers one last opportunity to sign a carriage contract because anyone who has one, has a safe harbor from the language here.

Most importantly, this language locks the door and rips off the knob--it not only accelerates the carriage date, it precludes potential waivers of that date extending well into the future.

It's important to note that Direct TV offers HD channels of 106 local public television stations in their local markets. DISH is carrying HD in local commercial broadcasts in 152 markets covering 93 percent of U.S. households. But they only carry local public television HD broadcasts in Alaska and Hawaii--where they are legally obligated to do so.

Consumers in all states have the right to view publicly funded programming. My preference would have been that some time during the past three years of negotiations with PBS, DISH would have decided to serve the public interest and provide equal treatment for noncommercial stations. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. There's been adequate notice of a serious problem, but no action. I encourage DISH to continue negotiating with PBS to reach a viable compromise on this issue before this measure passes the Senate as well. Otherwise, there will be no additional flexibility--and DISH will be legally obligated to carry those HD signals.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I look forward to final passage of the Satellite bill, and especially the anti-discriminatory section which is part of it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3961, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act.

H.R. 3961 would repeal the current Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate, SGR, formula and save our physicians from a looming 21 percent reimbursement cut. Instead of temporarily overriding the cut as Congress has done before, H.R. 3961 will replace the broken SGR formula with a sustainable solution.

This bill is essential, not only for the doctors who deserve adequate reimbursement for services, but for the millions of Medicare beneficiaries and members of the military and their families, since physician payment rates in TRICARE are tied to those used by Medicare. With comprehensive healthcare reform on the horizon, it's our responsibility to ensure physicians are reimbursed appropriately.

H.R. 3961 is supported by a wide range of organizations representing patients, doctors and other providers, including the American Medical Association, AARP, the Military Officers Association of America, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, the American College of Surgeons, the Center for Medicare Advocacy, the Medicare Rights Center, and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare.

This is critically needed and sound legislation and I look forward to voting in favor of H.R. 3961 and ask my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to honor an outstanding American and a great public servant who will celebrate her 85th birthday on November 20, 2009. Rosemary McCann has served her country with an unyielding sense of determination, and she has cared well for so many people through her distinguished and long career as a nurse.

After raising two exceptional children, Rosemary's caring nature led her to begin a career in nursing. She served for more than a decade as the occupational health nurse in Tiffany & Company's medical department. During her tenure, she served approximately 900 employees and provided emergency care and follow-up for the injured. She also helped to implement important safety and health education programs, which no doubt prevented future injuries from occurring on the job.

After her time at Tiffany & Company, Rosemary's desire to serve her country guided her to become the medical officer aboard the USNS Silas Bent and later with the U.S. Merchant Marine. During her service, she cared for sick or injured crewmembers and technicians on world-wide voyages, from the North Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. She also maintained the on-board medical inventory, oversaw food sanitation, and ensured that sailors had potable water to drink.

Her humor and compassion were a comfort to sailors away from home and she made sure that they stayed in contact with their families while at sea. Early one May, as Mother's Day was approaching, bad weather kept the USNS Silas Bent away from port. Always an expert at handling emergency situations, Rosemary passed out her supply of handmade cards to sailors to send home to their mothers. The cards made it home just in time.

Today, well past the customary age of retirement, Rosemary continues to touch people's lives as a relief nurse for numerous

agencies and companies, including the U.S. Public Health Service, Time Warner, and Tiffany & Company.

Throughout her career, Rosemary has consistently demonstrated her intelligence, compassion and desire to serve others. Her determination has garnered the admiration of her co-workers and the respect of her patients.

It is a special privilege to honor Rosemary McCann because I know firsthand what a remarkable human being she is. I also have the privilege of knowing her daughter Leonore Horowitz and her family, and can say with great confidence that Rosemary McCann's values live on. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating her 85th birthday and thank her for her decades of service to our nation. She has made her family strong, and her community and country better by all she has done.

Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to cast one of the most important votes of my congressional career--a vote in support of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

We are on the threshold of history that has been a half-century in the making.

The promise of America as a land of equality and opportunity that embraces and cares for all of its citizens is but an empty promise without the guarantee of healthcare and the freedom from financial devastation resulting from illness.

For so many of us, this long battle has had a singular, courageous champion who has fought like a lion for the sick, the elderly, the left behind and the left out. Our great achievement today will also be our greatest memorial to our friend, mentor and inspiration, Senator Edward Kennedy.

Like Senator Kennedy, many of us wondered--as the decades marched by--whether our efforts for comprehensive healthcare reform would ever be successful.

His unwavering commitment to decent healthcare for all Americans has paved the way for the bill before us today. It is on the shoulders of this giant that we stand and I pledge my vote as a tribute to the late Senator.

At the heart of this legislation is one simple, indisputable idea: Everyone deserves health insurance they can afford.

Our system is broken. In a nation where health is a daily value and where health care is the finest in the world, I hear daily from constituents who cannot afford to take care of themselves or their families, who are driven out of the system by skyrocketing premiums, who live under the threat of a shuttered business or a bankrupted household, or who simply have to roll the dice and hope they will get better--or not too much worse.

Perhaps most tragically, our current system turns its back on those most in need--those with a pre-existing condition. Health insurance is meaningless if it's only available to the healthy.

H.R. 3926 will cover 96 percent of all Americans.

It prohibits discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.

It eliminates lifetime caps--immediately.

It includes a non-profit public insurance option designed to increase competition and lower prices.

It provides affordability credits to lower-income Americans to help them pay for coverage.

It modernizes and strengthens Medicare, ensuring the program's continued solvency and eliminating the prescription ``donut-hole.''

And, very importantly, it is budget neutral.

When I return to my constituents in California, I'll be proud to tell them that with this bill: Employer-based health coverage will improve for 461,000 men, women and children who live in my District; 84,000 households in my District will receive affordability credits to help them pay for coverage they otherwise couldn't afford; 9,500 of the seniors in my District will no longer fall victim to the prescription drug ``donut-hole''; 17,100 small businesses in my District will be able to obtain affordable healthcare coverage; and that 15,400 small businesses will qualify for tax credits that will help reduce their health insurance costs.

I'm also proud that I joined with Senator Kennedy to author H.R. 3962, to create an FDA pathway for the approval of biosimilar drugs.

Biotechnology is a complex and emerging field that can harness the power to cure cancer, AIDS, and diabetes, and prevent the onset of deadly and debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer's, heart disease, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and arthritis.

My amendment will save the government $6 billion over the next ten years while continuing to foster innovation and new advancements.

After President Obama signs this bill, millions of Americans who today have no health insurance will have it. Patients who are now denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition will no longer be shut out of the system. Millions more seniors will be able to afford their medications, and the average American family will pay less for their health coverage.

Most importantly, we will be keeping our promise to the American people that they will have affordable health insurance which they cannot lose or have taken away from them if they become ill.

I look forward to passing this landmark piece of legislation and seeing it signed into law by the President.

Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to oppose the amendment offered by my colleague, Representative Bart Stupak. I know that he is following his own conscience, but I want to preserve the right of women nationwide to follow their conscience as well. I support a woman's right to be either for or against abortion. The decision is a private one and it is a matter of faith as well as a matter of conscience, and it is supported by our Constitution.

This amendment is not about federal funding for abortion . . . the current version of the bill and federal law, the Hyde Amendment, already prohibit spending tax dollars to finance abortions. This amendment goes beyond that language. It prohibits private health insurance plans that receive even one dollar of federal funding to offer abortion services to any of their customers. This eliminates coverage for an important health service that millions of women currently have. This amendment leaves women even worse off than they are now. I cannot support such all-encompassing language.

There is a certain irony here that demonstrates how prejudiced this amendment is toward women. Insurance plans would allow a man to obtain Viagra and cause an unwanted pregnancy, but it penalizes women for becoming pregnant.

Insurance is intended to cover the unexpected. Yet, this amendment would deny women the right to purchase their own coverage as part of a regular insurance plan. It will heap an ugly punishment upon those who often times can least afford it, and it will push women into the past of back-alley butchers.

Today women are entitled under the law to a safe abortion. It is estimated that in California before the Roe v. Wade decision, about 100,000 illegal abortions were performed each year. Abortion was the most common single cause of maternal deaths in California prior to 1973. We should not turn back the clock. As we work to provide universal health for all our citizens, women should be protected. This amendment does nothing to advance this and I ask my colleagues to defeat it.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks on this bill which will limit age ratings that make coverage unaffordable for older women.

Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to cast one of the most important votes of my congressional career, a vote for the Affordable Health Care for America Act. This effort is historic, almost a century in the making.

For many of us, this long battle has had a singular, courageous champion who fought like a lion for the sick, the elderly, the left behind, and the left out, Senator Edward Kennedy, and this bill is a fitting memorial to him.

Most uninsured Americans want to purchase health insurance, but they simply can't afford it. They are priced out. The middle class is priced out. Millions more live under the crushing weight of medical bills that bankrupt households or that shutter small businesses. This bill provides access to affordable health care for every American.

The abhorrent insurance practices of dropping sick patients to avoid paying expensive medical bills and discriminating against those with preexisting conditions will end with this legislation.

Very importantly, seniors, your Medicare will be strengthened; and it will provide you with better care.

I am proud to be part of making history. I think it is a privilege to do so. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 110th anniversary of the Bronx Zoo, a milestone in the cultural history of New York City. The Bronx Zoo opened its

doors on November 8, 1899 and is the largest metropolitan zoo in the country with approximately 4 million visitors annually and featuring 6,000 animals and 600 species.

The Bronx Zoo continues to win awards for its world class exhibits and is well known for creating naturalistic habitats. Chief among them is the Congo Gorilla Forest which is one of the zoo's most popular exhibits. Spanning more than 6 and a half acres, the exhibit's main attraction is the western lowland gorillas, making up the species' largest breeding group in all of the Americas. The Gorilla Forest is the largest manmade rainforest in the world. The rain forest simulation gives visitors the chance to experience the Congo as if they were there. Along with the lowland gorillas, the exhibit is home to white bearded debrazza monkeys, okapis and red river hogs. Since the opening of the exhibit, it has had 7 million visitors. The exhibit fees go to help conservation efforts in Africa which have helped 18 National Parks in such countries as Cameroon, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Gabon.

From the zoo grounds, hundreds of conservationists work every day hand-in-hand with more than 3,000 employees located in 65 developing countries around the world. The zoo's first conservation achievement was here in the United States of America, where, by 1905, uncontrolled hunting had reduced the great herds of bison to fewer than 1,000 animals. Theodore Roosevelt, along with William Hornaday, the Bronx Zoo's first director, were founding members of the American Bison Society (ABS), an organization formed at the Bronx Zoo to preserve this icon of the American prairies. In 1907, the Bronx Zoo sent a group of zoo-born bison to Oklahoma, South Dakota and Montana to help re- establish the species throughout the plains. Along with its broad conservation efforts, the Bronx Zoo's award-winning exhibits and pioneering research has garnered world recognition.

In the Bronx, the zoo's impact is felt in yet another way. In addition to being a cultural staple and headquarters for an international conservation organization, it is an economic cornerstone in the Bronx. On average, the Bronx Zoo employs more than 750 full-time staff per year and is the largest employer of youth in the borough, providing employment opportunities, job skills training, and scholarship opportunities for more than 700 teenagers each year. Two years ago, the Bronx Zoo opened the first New York City public school focused on wildlife conservation. At the school, children can learn math, sciences, history, and arts by interacting with the zoo's animals and experts.

Madam Speaker, it is my honor to recognize the Bronx Zoo on its 110th Anniversary and to applaud the institution for its efforts in leading the world in wildlife conservation as well as bringing joy to the millions of visitors who have walked through its gates.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1694, the Extension of Public Service Interoperability Communications, PSIC, Grant Program, and I'm proud to be one of the first to have cosponsored this important piece of legislation. I thank my colleague from California, Ms. Harman, for her hard work in helping to create the PSIC program and for her support of public safety funding.

The funds available under these PSIC grants must have a more flexible timeline so that our public safety agencies can take full advantage of this program and develop interoperability plans that work for their communities. These funds are essential to public safety interoperability plans nationwide.

I've long supported funding for public safety interoperability, both as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and in my role as Co- Chair of the E911 Caucus.

First Responders must have the best resources available to them during a crisis. Just as importantly, different emergency agencies must have the ability to communicate with one another to provide essential information. The inability to communicate could have life or death consequences. We knew this hard fact long before 9/11/2001, but we saw it demonstrated in the starkest terms on that day. We should never have to say ``what if?'' We must take the question mark out of interoperable communications and ensure that we have efficient systems in place as soon as possible.

It's been over eight years since we learned the important lessons, of September 11, but we're still taking the initial steps toward interoperability. These grants are just the tip of the iceberg. We need to develop more funding resources and encourage the rapid deployment of available spectrum for public safety interoperability. I'm committed to making certain that we have adequate spectrum rollout for this purpose and I support funding initiatives that will provide interoperability opportunities throughout the nation.

Thank you again for your personal commitment to keeping our first responders and all Americans safe.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Jesus Gonzales, a recipient of the prestigious St. Madeleine Sophie Award from Sacred Heart Schools. Established in the year 2000, the St. Madeleine Sophie Award honors individuals in the Sacred Heart community who have made a sustained and significant contribution to the Schools and embody the Goals and Criteria of a Sacred Heart education. The individuals honored are selected by a committee comprised of the senior administrative team in conjunction with the Chair of the Board of Trustees and are honored at a reception and at the Mass of the Holy Spirit, the first all-school liturgy of the school year. The recipients will be VIP guests at various SHS events throughout the year and featured in their alumni magazine, The Heart of the Matter, for their commitment to the mission of Sacred Heart education.

This year, Jesus Gonzales was chosen, along with two other distinguished recipients, to be recognized with the Award for his tireless work and commitment to the Sacred Heart School as the Physical Plant Manager. His award was presented by Mr. Dan Greenleaf, who gave this speech at the Awards Ceremony in tribute to Jesus:

Jesus Gonzales is a lover. What I mean here is his heart is

full of love.

He shares that love everyday with the students, faculty,

staff, administration and parents at Sacred Heart Schools.

Which is not always easy. But he gives this love. And he

gets love in return.

He shares this love everyday of his life with his brothers

and sisters, nieces and nephews and friends.

He has a lot of love to give and he gets lots in return.

Which is no surprise to me because I knew his father Gabriel.

Gabriel didn't speak English and I don't speak Spanish but

we still knew each other well.

Gabriel raised 8 wonderful kids into happy productive

adults while he was working here at Sacred Heart.

The family is: Theresa, Gabriel Jr., Vidal, Valentine,

Jesus, Urlinda, Maria and Tony.

This is a very close family who hold on tightly to their

heritage while raising their own families here in the melting

pot of the Bay Area.

They see each other every day. They share meals, they

vacation together, they hang out on the porch doing nothing

together, they have strong relationships with each others

children. They give love to each other and they get love from

each other.

I tell you this because the family is so much of who Jesus

is.

Jesus first stepped on the Sacred Heart campus in 1981,

when he was 5 years old. One of Jesus' oldest memories on the

campus was Sr. Mesa's chickens and rabbits down by the shop.

Sr. Mesa would sell the rabbits for $1 each, dead or alive.

They tasted like chicken. At that time, there was: no

McGanney Gym, no Montessori, no Spieker Pavilion, no

Apartments, no football field/field house.

Sr. Lawrence had warm cookies in the Main Building and

Jesus had a great place to grow up.

His 14th summer, 1989, was his first summer working for

Sacred Heart. He painted speed bumps and dug irrigation

trenches.

Always a big smile on his face and usually a wise crack to

go with it to try and deflect me from seeing how sore he was

from swinging the pick.

In high school he worked in the Gator Pit where he would

flash those green eyes and talk with all of the high school

girls because, well, heck, he was in high school too.

In 1997 he was hired full time in the Maintenance

Department.

Two years later he was put in charge of St. Joseph's and

the Montessori School and his job changed from actually

physically hands on working, to management and dealing with

the administration, faculty, coaches, parents and neighbors.

He was in his element, this was his strength. He was happier

than a pig wallowing in slop. He did well.

In 2003 he was promoted to ``Physical Plant Manager'' in

charge of all of the buildings on the campus. There are many

decisions made by the Board and the Operations Department and

they get handed down to Jesus and his crew.

They might have a list of 25 things to do. They do 10 of

them and check the list again and it's up to 30 things to do.

It never ends.

Jesus gets to deal with everyone on campus by e-mail, phone

and face-to-face. That starts with his crew of about 20

maintenance and housekeeping personnel. They are the front

lines. They are the men and women in the trenches. They are

the people we all depend on but might not realize it.

Jesus is very fair with his crew. He is consistent in

dealing with 20 personalities. He evaluates, makes changes

and implements these changes fairly across the board. He can

be stern and honest when he needs to be, but he talks to them

the same way he would expect someone to talk to him.

Most of his conversations are peppered with humor. He

listens, I mean really listens and makes informed decisions.

He is not above his crew.

Then he deals with everyone else: administrators, teachers,

parents, vendors, police department, fire department, city

hall, contractors.

There is nobody that he doesn't approach with a smile and

an open mind. He is patient. He is organized, and he will

give you all his time to get you what you need.

In the big picture he knows why he's here. I've heard him

say it before, ``We are here for the kids.'' It is that easy.

You give love, you get love, ``We are here for the kids.''

He is who his father and family and maybe even a little bit

of Sacred Heart raised him to be.

A child of the Sacred Heart.

But still after all of this, there is still one person who

remains the center of his life. Someone who goes for camping,

fishing, bowling and makes him laugh. Someone who helps him

get ready for work in the morning.

That most special someone in his life is his son Vidal who

is now 8 years old and who gets to grow up in the loving glow

of his father and the whole Gonzales family.

Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in offering our congratulations to Jesus Gonzales on the very special occasion of being chosen for the St. Madeleine Sophie Award and for all he does daily to strengthen our community and our country.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Cee Salberg, a recipient of the prestigious St. Madeleine Sophie Award from Sacred Heart Schools. Established in the year 2000, the St. Madeleine Sophie Award honors individuals in the Sacred Heart community who have made a sustained and significant contribution to the Schools and embody the Goals and Criteria of a Sacred Heart education. The individuals honored are selected by a committee comprised of the senior administrative team in conjunction with the Chair of the Board of Trustees and are honored at a reception and at the Mass of the Holy Spirit, the first all-school liturgy of the school year. The recipients will be VIP guests at various SHS events throughout the year and featured in their alumni magazine, The Heart of the Matter, for their commitment to the mission of Sacred Heart education.

This year, Cee Salberg was chosen along with two other distinguished recipients to be recognized with the Award for her tireless work as an educator as well as to the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Schools. Her award was presented by Mr. James Everitt, who gave this speech at the Awards Ceremony in tribute to Cee:

I am still a little unclear as to why Cee Salberg asked me

to introduce her for this prestigious award. I cannot figure

out if she asked me to do her this honor because I don't

actually work in the pre-school and Kindergarten so,

therefore, I don't really know how she behaves on a daily

basis. Or, if it is because she knows that I am afraid of her

and that it is unlikely that I will share anything other than

the most positive sentiments about her. In any case, tonight

we get to celebrate a wonderful and a brilliant educator.

I am so thrilled to be able to introduce Cee Salberg for

the St. Madeleine Sophie Award tonight. As I understand it,

this award is given to those who have committed themselves to

Sacred Heart Schools and who embody the Spirit of St.

Madeleine Sophie Barat. For those of you who know Cee it is

clear to you why she is the winner of this award. Put quite

simply . . .

Cee has the vision of Sophie.

Cee has the courage of Sophie.

Cee has the generosity of Sophie.

Cee has the direct communication style of Sophie.

And most importantly, Cee has the single-hearted love of

children that we believe is the most important characteristic

of Sophie's own life and legacy.

I believe it is this last characteristic that has landed

Cee here this evening. Cee has a single-hearted love of

children that is awe inspiring for those who work closely

with her and for those whose children have been in the pre-

school and kindergarten. If you speak to children who

attended our Montessori program they will tell you that they

love Ms. Salberg. One high school student told me that Ms.

Salberg is the kindest woman that she knows.

However, let me get something clear from the beginning. I

am not suggesting that Cee is touchy-feely or that she has

never been accused of being aloof or unfriendly. She is in

fact, sometimes scary for parents and other adults. As Rich

Dioli recently said to me, ``Cee may not say hi to every

parent who walks through the door but she knows every kid by

name and she is the best educator we have.'' I have several

funny anecdotes about times when Cee has scared me but I will

save those for her retirement roast in about 15 years.

After Cee invited me to introduce her, which I am sure she

is now regretting, I started asking people about her and why

they felt that she should be the recipient of this award. I

had a great time. People feel very strongly about Cee and

almost every person I spoke with, particularly those that

work in the preschool and kindergarten, made it clear that

they are thrilled that she is receiving this award. And they

feel strongly about her for four reasons: because she loves

scotch, because she loves the San Francisco Giants, because

she keeps chocolate stocked in the faculty room and, most

importantly, because everything she does--every day--is about

the children that walk through the doors of the Montessori

building. I was tempted to summarize what people said about

Cee but perhaps I should just report some of the thoughts

that Cee's colleagues have about her. . .

Cee has always been available to me when I needed advice, a

sounding board, or a kind shoulder on which to cry. She has

helped me navigate the Sacred Heart experience. She has been

a constant beacon for all of us.

Cee has a loving and giving heart. She is committed to the

mission of the school; to economic, social, and ethnic

diversity and she is an educational leader that works very

closely with her teachers to ensure that the students are

being loved and having success in the classroom.

Cee travels the world to learn about other cultures and

enhances her own life to better understand humanity.

Cee is kind.

Cee believes in our mission and does everything possible to

instill the mission of the school in the children.

Each decision Cee makes is for the children.

Although some say she is not warm and fuzzy--my entire

family adores her. She is there for the children and that is

what matters.

Cee cares about every child in her school--no matter what.

Cee teaches the children independence, respect, kindness,

understanding, and thoughtfulness--everything a parent wants

in a child.

Cee is not a woman of many words but she hears all.

Cee always has the perfect outfit for every occasion;

classy and elegant.

Cee will bend down and pick up every last scrap of liter

under the lunch tables.

Cee is organized, efficient and thrives on order--the

preschool runs like a well oiled machine under her control.

Cee is a blessing; a wonderful leader for the parents,

children and her staff--I feel proud to be a member of her

staff.

Cee has always based her goals for the Montessori on the

Goals and Criteria.

Cee has led us to be a faculty that values professional

growth, love of God and one another, and social justice.

Cee encourages teachers to keep up on all the newest

information in teaching and often gives us professional

articles, internet sites, and always encourages us to attend

classes and workshops.

Cee has a professional commitment to get to know each

student at the Montessori. She spends from 12:15p.m. to 1:00

p.m. at recess each day, observing and interacting with the

children.

Cee always encourages early intervention when students are

having difficulties socially, emotionally, or academically.

Most importantly Cee has dedicated her years here to boost

our financial aid, based on her value of social justice. We

now have many wonderful students who would not have been able

to attend Sacred Heart without Cee's dedication to financial

aid increases.

I am guessing that by now you have gotten the point. Cee is

wonderful. In fact, she sounds almost perfect. So, let me

share with you some of her shortcomings. Just kidding Cee.

I do, however, want to share with you how I feel about Cee

Salberg.

It is unlikely that you will ever hear Cee give a speech

about God, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat or the Mission of the

School. It would surprise me to find Cee in a large group

talking about the latest instructional strategies or arguing

about pedagogical methods. It is rare that you will find Cee

making loud protests against injustice. It is unusual to hear

Cee gossiping about a colleague or undermining the work of

her peers. I can almost guarantee that you won't find Cee

creating arbitrary policies that prevent a child's growth.

But in my experience you will . . .

Find Cee hugging her students and making sure that they

feel loved.

Find Cee allocating resources for teacher development and

creating an environment at the Montessori in which student

interest drives student learning and achievement.

Find Cee fighting for financial aid and non-tuition related

financial aid so that all students have access to a Sacred

Heart education.

Find Cee confronting parents and colleagues who do things

that don't build community. And, you will find the kind joy

and

laughter in the Montessori building that is at the very heart

of building community.

And, my favorite, you will find Cee on vacation in the

middle of the school year because she values balance in her

life and she understands the importance of her family.

I was not surprised to learn that Cee was nominated and

ultimately selected to be one of the St. Madeleine Sophie

Award winners. Cee has been an amazing mentor to me and I can

say from the very depth of my being that I have learned more

from Cee Salberg about teaching and learning and about what

it means to be a Sacred Heart educator than from any other

person in my career. Cee is a woman who St. Madeleine Sophie

Barat and St. Rose Philippine Duchesne would recognize as one

of their own.

I want to end by reading a nice poem that was written by a

member of Cee's staff.

There once was a principal named Cee

As good at her job as she could be.

She juggles admins, parents, kids and teachers,

But she'd rather be cheering in the bleachers

For the San Francisco Giants, her favorite team.

Soon, the World Series? Hey, a girl can dream!

Cee and Keir travel to many a port.

And luckily, Janet can hold down the fort.

At work and at home, Cee has a great crew.

She's the captain, she knows what to do!

For Cee to get this award, we're all very proud,

And not a bit shy to say right out loud:

She deserves this award and can pass any test.

All of us know that Cee is the best!

Cee, it is a true honor and pleasure to be your friend and

your colleague. I look forward to celebrating your retirement

with you in about 15-20 years.

Congratulations.

Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in offering our congratulations to Cee Salberg on the very special occasion of being chosen for the St. Madeleine Sophie Award, and for all she does daily to strengthen our community and our country.

Madam Speaker, I was not present during the rollcall vote Numbers 758 to 760 on October 7, 2009. Had I been present, I would have voted:

On rollcall vote No. 758 I would have voted ``yes.''

On rollcall vote No. 759 I would have voted ``yes.''

On rollcall vote No. 760 I would have voted ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Joan Burdick, a recipient of the prestigious St. Madeleine Sophie Award from Sacred Heart Schools. Established in the year 2000, the St. Madeleine Sophie Award honors individuals in the Sacred Heart community who have made a sustained and significant contribution to the Schools and embody the Goals and Criteria of a Sacred Heart education. The individuals honored are selected by a committee comprised of the senior administrative team in conjunction with the Chair of the Board of Trustees and are honored at a reception and at the Mass of the Holy Spirit, the first all-school liturgy of the school year. The recipients will be VIP guests at various SHS events throughout the year and featured in their alumni magazine, The Heart of the Matter, for their commitment to the mission of Sacred Heart education.

This year, Joan Burdick was chosen along with two other distinguished recipients to be recognized with the Award for her tireless work as an educator and for her dedication to the arts, as well as to the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart Schools. Her award was presented by Connie Solari who gave the following speech at the Awards Ceremony in tribute to Joan:

When I was about 10 years old, I saw the movie Auntie Mame

with Rosalind Russell. I always wanted to BE that person--

elegant, spontaneous, excitable, risk-taking, generous,

brunette--and above all gorgeously DRAMATIC. While I've

fallen considerably short in embodying this remarkable

character, I did finally meet her avatar one afternoon in the

spring of 1978.

Her name was Joan Burdick.

At the time, I was writing the Sacred Heart Schools

Newsletter, and I'd been assigned to interview ``the drama

teacher'' at St. Joseph's. After about three minutes, it was

clear that I was in the face of a mythic educator. Since

then, I've come to know Joan as a gifted classroom teacher,

an awe-inspiring director, a close professional colleague--

and a friend. And it's under these frequently overlapping

headings that I propose to introduce her.

Mrs. Burdick, Teacher

When Nancy Tarantino requested nominations for this award

she received pages of testimony from Joan's former students.

As the mother of two of her sixth-grade English students at

St. Joseph's, I can personally attest to her excellence:

She's one of those teachers whose high standards bring high

results, and who manage to inspire students with a belief in

their ability to do things they never dreamed possible. A few

years later, as Dean of Faculty, I saw her spin her magic

first-hand in the high school English classroom, making

William Shakespeare and Emily Bronte and Tennessee Williams

come fully alive as a tea-kettle bubbled in the background

and students nestled comfortably on the couches and

overstuffed chairs that filled her classroom.

Several of her former students commented on her gift for

transforming their shy, even withdrawn selves into polished,

confident public speakers. ``She taught us to walk

deliberately and never fidget when speaking,'' wrote one.

``She corrected our posture and forced us to project and

enunciate, to think on our feet and improvise.'' One went as

far as to say that it was Joan who introduced him to his

``first sense of community with other students.'' Another

credited her with evoking and developing her self-esteem and

overall confidence--qualities that obviously allow everything

else to fall into place.

But Joan's gifts went even beyond how to write essays on

Bronte's Wuthering Heights or how to deliver a line of iambic

pentameter like you meant it. She taught us how to behave.

Permit me an anecdote.

For several years we took the entire senior class on a

five-day trip to the Ashland Shakespeare Festival. Please

note that this was the ENTIRE senior class, not a self-

selecting group of dramaphiles. In addition to preparing the

students for what they were about to see onstage, Joan also

prepared them to be a good AUDIENCE: mouths shut, bodies

quiet, hats off, minds alert. One afternoon we were waiting

in the lobby for our ninety students to arrive. [I believe it

was the same day Michele Rench and I had bought Joan a pink

volume of Emily Post's Etiquette in a used bookstore.]

Suddenly, one very large and bumptious senior approached

Joan, lowered himself onto one knee, and kissed her hand with

a courtly flourish. It's a gesture I doubt he's ever repeated

since, but it speaks volumes about how Joan could ignite

hidden reserves of gentility within even the most unlikely

knight-at-arms. I read recently that St. Madeleine Sophie

believed good manners to be an expression of CARITAS; if we

accept her judgment, then Joan Burdick unleashed a FLOOD of

Christian Love via students who recognized, even temporarily,

the value of good manners. Another former student (one I

vividly remember for his livewire personality) wrote: ``To

this day I think I'm a better audience than most. If I make

noise during a performance, I can still feel Mrs. Burdick's

stern look beading into the back of my head.''

Joan Hunt Burdick, Director

The distinction between Joan the Teacher and Joan the

Director is of course quite arbitrary, since Joan DIRECTED

her English classes in much the same way she TAUGHT her

aspiring actors. But let me leave the classroom now and take

you all to the stage in the Little Theater--a vanished

building, but one whose ghost hovers beneath the foundations

of this marvelous Campbell Center. Let's imagine it's 1987.

Joan has unleashed her latest brainchild--an all-campus

production of The Sound of Music. In addition to students

from grades one through twelve, she has cast teachers from

both sides of campus, the Director of Development, the

Director of Admissions, and--yes--none other than Director of

Schools Nancy Morris as the ``Climb-Every-Mountain''-crooning

Mother Superior. I myself was among the many actors whom

she'd recruited and given their first taste of thespian

glory. One alum described the Little Theater as ``a symbol

of the great things that can come out of a small space

occupied by a director who cultivates the imagination and

talent of actors who want to do great things.'' We wanted

to do great things. Witnessing Joan rallying us together

just before the opening performance of Sound of Music, we

were gripped by that feeling. We were going to ``make

theater'' together and in so doing transform not only the

physical space, but the audience which had come to be

transported into that imaginative mental space that

theater engenders. Joan understands this power of theater,

and throughout her life, she has made her students (and I

count myself among them) understand this. Her willingness

to take risks, tackling such daunting works as

Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing and Chekhov's The

Cherry Orchard, is grounded in her proven ability to

inspire casts with a Dionysian fervor that spins itself

out into the audience.

When Joan was invited back to direct the Farewell to the

Little Theater show in June of 2003, the 120 cast members,

including students, faculty and alums, gave Joan the longest

standing ovation many ever remember witnessing. No wonder.

Joan Burdick, Colleague and Master Builder

In 1990, Joan transferred full-time to the high school, and

we began working closely together. In addition to teaching

with her in the English department, I was privileged to watch

her build not only the SHP drama program, but the entire Fine

Arts department. We went from a school that offered five

electives in drawing, painting, photography and drama to one

that, by the time she retired in 2001, offered twenty,

including sculpture, ceramics, dance, computer graphics,

concert and chamber choir, instrumental music, technical

theater and scenic design, video production, and the ever-

amazing student-directed play.

As Fine Arts chair, she represented her department on the

school Curriculum Committee with passion and precision. She

nurtured her department members in the nuanced art of

becoming a Sacred Heart educator. For Joan was not only an

employee of Sacred Heart, she is an alumna of Sacred Heart

Schools, Atherton--quite literally raised on the vision of

St. Madeleine Sophie.

And this brings me, finally, to Joanie Burdick, Friend--and by

extension Family Woman

For over 150 years, Sacred Heart educators (virtually all

of them nuns) were referred to as ``Mothers.'' Joan Burdick

is nothing if not the ultimate MATRIARCH, a maternal figure

not only to her family but also to her many friends. Joan

enjoys deep, powerful and lasting friendships. Many of her

former students and colleagues now consider her a friend,

someone with whom we still enjoy having an elegant cup of tea

or glass of sherry. I'd argue that we all consider ourselves

part of Joan's extended family as we seek her advice or share

stories with her.

With respect to her biological family, she is a matriarchal

force that one crosses at one's peril. When her son-in-law

Ken Thompson was diagnosed with leukemia three years ago, I

had the sense that Ken would somehow be safe because Joan was

standing there, a cross between a lioness and a heavily,

armed archangel, determined that NOTHING was going to hurt

her family. Her daughters Corie and Riette and her son Hunt

accorded their mother the ultimate compliment by following

her into that magical world of theater themselves, scoring

major successes as actors, singers, dancers, stage designers

and directors. Her grandson Sean now enjoys life with a

grandmother who teaches him chess, instructs him in the fine

art of taking tea, and occasionally sweeps him off to Europe

or New

York City, much like my Auntie Mame did for her nephew

Patrick.

Let's face it. Joan Burdick is nothing if not ``elegant,

spontaneous, excitable, risk-taking, generous, brunette, and

gorgeously dramatic.'' (It's only fitting that she just flew

in from Paris last night to receive this award.)

She is the Queen of all Drama Queens--but one with her

beautifully shod feet planted firmly on the ground of faith,

family, and friendship. A Queen whose reverence tor theater

reminds us that Western drama evolved out of Greek religious

ritual--an idea echoed by a former colleague who wrote that

``Joan's productions were always, always a validation of life

and meaning.'' I am honored to introduce Joan Burdick, whose

work here for 25 years so validated life and meaning, and who

so incarnates The Sacred Heart Educator at her very finest.

Madam Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in offering our congratulations to Joan Burdick on the very special Occasion of being chosen for the St. Madeleine Sophie Award and for all she does daily to strengthen our community and our country.

Madam Speaker, ``Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em.''--William Shakespeare, ``The Twelfth Night.''

It is with a sense of proud sadness and deep gratitude that I am blessed to offer a few words about a man who was born to greatness, had it thrust upon him and achieved greatness--because, in the end, he was not afraid.

It is with an array of inexpressible emotions that I am blessed to call him an inspiration, mentor, and most valued friend.

To be Ted Kennedy's friend was to be wrapped in a special embrace, a golden aura of generosity and thoughtfulness, compassion and comradeship. It simply felt good to be around him.

I believe the highest praise bestowed on anyone is that he made the people around him better. This he did by calling all of us to the better angels of our nature.

It is said that to whom much is given, much is expected. No one expected more of himself than did Ted Kennedy, and no one gave more of himself to others.

No one bore greater burdens--some of them the result of cataclysmic events that damaged not only our nation, but hurt him deeply and in ways that would have paralyzed any of us.

He carried on, shouldering the future of a young and sprawling family and the continuing hopes and dreams of our nation.

In a speech in August of 1968, mere weeks after the death of his brother Bobby, Teddy said:

``There is no safety in hiding. Like my brothers before me, I pick up a fallen standard. Sustained by the memory of our priceless years together, I shall try to carry forward that special commitment to justice, excellence and courage that distinguished their lives.''

We met in 1978 in San Francisco when I was little more than a laborer in the vineyards of California Democratic politics. In 1979, I joined his campaign for president and was appointed to his state steering committee.

I soon found myself involved in decisions about who to seat at the 1980 Democratic Convention and in strategic discussions about how we might win the nomination against a sitting president.

In this way, he lifted the fortunes and the sights of so many, allowing us to find new challenges, to seek out new responsibilities and to broaden our own understanding of what we could do, who we could be and how we could help him achieve an America of justice, excellence and courage.

It was at the convention, of course, that he gave what is widely regarded as his greatest single speech. The speech concluded with those words that have continued to ring out through the decades: ``The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.''

Conventions have become pre-packaged events with carefully staged ``spontaneous'' demonstrations of affection and support. At the 1980 convention, we were outsiders, there against the wishes of an incumbent president whose strategists controlled all the machinery of convention- like hoopla.

So, for an hour, we clapped and cheered, we cried and we chanted ``Kennedy, Kennedy.''

In retrospect, we were enthralled not by the end of a campaign but by the promise of future fights and the certainty that our cause would go forward, as would our work on behalf of the downtrodden and the disaffected.

He said in 1985, with yet another presidential election stirring, ``The pursuit of the presidency is not my life. Public service is.''

He loved to be of service and he reveled in all that it meant, taking joy in those things that would have seemed small and inconsequential to him--and spreading joy.

In 1986, while serving as a member of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, I was elected to the position of chairman of the Board. The title was nice, but it was antiquated and was a vestige of an era when only men served in office. I asked the county counsel to take the necessary steps to change the title to president of the Board.

It became a national news story that appeared in the Wall Street Journal, an article that included the headline: ``Eshoo to become president.''

Teddy sent me a telegram that read: ``I always wanted to be president, but I'm glad you got there first.''

No one bore greater burdens--some of them self-inflicted. He faced them unflinchingly and with the hope that he would do better. In a scandal-besieged era, he was, again, an example to us of how to live in the public eye with humility, with humanity and with yet another kind of courage.

He said: ``I recognize my own shortcomings--the faults in the conduct of my private life. I realize that I alone am responsible for them, and I am the one who must confront them. I believe that each of us as individuals must not only struggle to make a better world, but to make ourselves better, too.''

When others would have scrambled for the safety of obscurity, he stood at the helm and sailed the storms.

He was flawed but in a way that makes his virtues stand even taller, for in our midst was a man who never thought of himself as a saint, but believed that the least among us deserve the greatest blessings this nation can bestow.

He was generous. He was thoughtful. He was passionate. He was courageous beyond measure.

And so it is fitting that his last large moment on the national stage should be filled with hope. This is how he lived his life. This is the gift he gave to us.

At his final Democratic convention, he harkened to his own past to paint an enduring vision of a better tomorrow that is uniquely Teddy:

``The work begins anew. The hope rises again. And the dream lives on.''

So, we are saddened at his passing and in the knowledge we will never see his like again and that we will never be warmed by the sun in quite the same way.

But we are filled with the promise he believed and that he gave us, ready to do battle in his name and to extract a measure of joy from life, as he would do.

And we are comforted in the knowledge that he is with his family and his legions of friends and that he is at peace. May God grant this peace to Vicki, his great love, his precious children and his entire family.

As John Bunyan wrote in ``Pilgrim's Progress'':

``When the day that he must go hence was come, many accompanied him to the riverside, into which as he went, he said, `Death, where is thy sting?' And as he went down deeper, he said, `Grave, where is thy victory?' So he passed over, and all the trumpets sounded for him on the other side.''