Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of the thousands of my constituents who have had an essential safety net pulled out from under them because Congress has failed to take action to extend emergency unemployment insurance.

On December 28, 1.3 million nationwide, and over 80,000 in my home State of Illinois, lost unemployment insurance. Our economy is still recovering from the worst recession since the Great Depression, and now is not the time to cut off this important safety net.

I have heard from hundreds of my constituents about this, including Yvonne, a mother of five from Aurora, Illinois. While she has worked all of her life, she is now unemployed. Without unemployment insurance, she will no longer have a car or any of the resources she needs to look for work and to get her career back on track.

Unemployment insurance is not a handout; it is a hand up. Unemployment insurance is for workers who have lost their job, through no fault of their own, and who need a lifeline while they look for work.

In addition to leaving families without a safety net, failing to extend unemployment insurance is simply bad economic policy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Martyl Langsdorf, who created the image of the now-iconic Doomsday Clock for the June 1947 cover of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, a publication founded by University of Chicago scientists who had worked on the Manhattan Project, including her husband, physicist Alexander Langsdorf. Martyl's Clock remains a singular reminder of the risks we face from nuclear weapons and the effects of climate change.

A renowned landscape painter and longtime resident of Schaumburg, Illinois, Martyl died at the age of 96 on March 26, 2013, and will be remembered tomorrow at the Bulletin's Fifth Annual Doomsday Clock Symposium here in the nation's capital. Fittingly titled ``Communicating Catastrophe,'' the Symposium will reflect Martyl's sensitivity to the urgency of existential threats--and her brilliance in using art and design ``to move past the numbness and create new ways of feeling, just as we tap science for new ways of knowing,'' said Bulletin Executive Director Kennette Benedict.

Martyl's legacy continues as members of the Bulletin's Science and Security Board annually assess the state of world affairs and use the hands of the Clock to signal humanity's capacity to meet the challenges of nuclear weapons and climate change. World attention to the Doomsday Clock confirms the impact of what designer Michael Bierut, in a 2010 tribute to Martyl titled ``Designing the Unthinkable,'' called ``the most powerful piece of information design of the 20th century.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the late Martyl Langsdorf for raising the world's awareness about grave threats, and also the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists for providing information and analysis that points to a safer world.

And to close on a personal note, it was at one of Martyl Langsdorf's annual ``Peony Parties'' at her garden in Schaumburg, during a long conversation with wise old lawyer and Bulletin stalwart Lowell Sachnoff, that was one of the first times I began seriously considering stepping away from my career in science to begin one in public service.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Martyl Langsdorf, who created the image of the now iconic Doomsday Clock for the June 1947 cover of the bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

The Bulletin was founded by a group of University of Chicago scientists who had worked on the Manhattan Project, including Martyl's husband, physicist Alexander Langsdorf.

Martyl's clock remains a singular reminder of the risks that we face from nuclear weapons and the effects of climate change.

A renowned landscape painter and longtime resident of Schaumburg, Illinois, Martyl died at the age of 96 on March 26, 2013, and will be remembered tomorrow at the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists' Fifth Annual Doomsday Clock Symposium here in our Nation's Capital.

Fittingly titled ``Communicating Catastrophe,'' the symposium will reflect Martyl's sensitivity to the urgency of existential threats and her brilliance in using art and design ``to move past the numbness and create new ways of feeling, just as we tap science for new ways of knowing,'' in the words of Bulletin Executive Director Kennette Benedict.

Martyl's legacy continues as members of the Bulletin's science and security board annually assess the state of world affairs and use the hands of the clock to signal humanity's capacity to meet challenges of nuclear weapons and climate change.

World attention to the Doomsday Clock confirms the impact of what designer Michael Beirut, in a 2010 tribute to Martyl entitled ``Designing the Unthinkable,'' called ``the most powerful piece of information design of the 20th century.''

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the late Martyl Langsdorf for raising the world's awareness about grave threats and also the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists for providing information and rational analysis that points to a safer world.

To close on a personal note, it was at one of Martyl Langsdorf's annual peony parties at her garden in Schaumburg, during a long conversation with wise old lawyer and Bulletin

stalwart Lowell Sachnoff, that was one of the first times I began seriously considering my own stepping away from my career in science to begin one in public service.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to recognize Dr. Arvid C. Johnson as the ninth president of the University of St. Francis, located in Joliet, Illinois.

Dr. Johnson earned a doctorate in management science from the Stuart School of Business at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Before joining the University of St. Francis, Dr.

Johnson served as the Dean of the Brennan School of Business and as a Professor of Management at Dominican University. He is also the recipient of many prestigious awards and grants, including the International Academy of Business and Public Administration Disciplines Research Award and the Business Ledger's Entrepreneurial Excellence Award.

In addition to his impressive academic record, Dr. Johnson has over 15 years of experience in engineering, manufacturing, and senior management in a variety of business environments ranging from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies.

As a scientist, engineer, businessman and educator, Dr. Johnson brings an immense amount of knowledge and experience to the St. Francis community. I am sure that under his direction, St. Francis will continue to thrive.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Dr. Johnson on his outstanding achievements and I look forward to working with him and all of the faculty, students, and alumni to build upon the University's proud tradition of excellence.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the World War II veterans who traveled to Washington, D.C. on October 2, 2013 with Honor Flight Chicago. Since 2008, this honorable program has given World War II veterans from the Chicago area the opportunity to visit the World War II Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for a day of honor, remembrance and celebration.

For many, this will be the first time they have the opportunity to visit the World War II Memorial, which was built to honor their courage and service to this great nation. These brave Americans sacrificed and endured so much so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today and for that, we owe them our eternal gratitude.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in welcoming each of these brave veterans to Washington and to their memorial:

Marvin R. Aardema; Norman A. Ackerman; Laurence L. Andersen; Ben H. Arkes; Edward P. Arlis; Berton Becker; Kenneth Beelen; George A. Behling Jr.; Anthony Bouman; James Cheatham; Emanuel J. Cizek; Anthony Cook; Robert D. Easoz; Melvin F. Ehrenreich; D. Wayne Emigh; Theodore Faber; Anthony Faklis; James Louis Fattore; Chester J. Filipowicz; Lloyd C. Funk; Albert Gencur; Angelo Giannone; Gerry A. Goldman; Lawrence F. Gusman; Robert V. Haas; Harry L. Hanson Sr.; Ervin W. Hentsch; Morris Isaac; William R. Johnson; Julian H. Johnson; Robert J. Kaiser; Richard P. Katello; Arnold Kincaid; Earl W. Kochan; John Koepsell; Sheldon H. Konowitz; Orville Kruse; Reginald Z. Krzeminski; Warren E. Kuehl; Sam Lafata; Robert I. Lamken; Henry Larsen; Jerome Levin; Aaron B. Levin; Frank M. Lieber; Louis Limper; Frank Jr. Lutz; Michael Lynch; Marie Lynch; Blanch M. Mason; Joseph A. Massura; James J. McClure Jr.; John M. McDonald; John F. Moran; John F. Muldoon; David T. Neems; James F. Nerad

Jr.; Gus Nicholas; Richard Oates; Louis A. Paries; William J. Parrillo; Arthur E. Rawers; Robert J. Real; Edward W. Rethford; Morton Rich; Robert A. Rose; Leo Ryan; Peter F. Sammarco. Bennie L. Sarff; Francis M. Schaben; Robert Schinz; Paul E. Schneider; John Scigousky; Donald C. Shannon; Charles F. Shenoha; Henry Sidof; Estley K. Surridge; George E. Tejcek; Melvin Torch; John A. Tumpich; Herman G. Van Stedum; Maurice D. VonAlmen; Harry Vosburg; Robert Voss; Henry E. Webb; Robert F. Wenger; Elmer A. Wills; Robert J. Winicki; Fred S. Yanow; Rose E. Yauk; and Harold Zarky.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to recognize Dr. Lourdes Ferrer, a nationally recognized scholar and researcher with an extraordinary life story.

Growing up in a disadvantaged family in Puerto Rico, Dr. Ferrer came to value the importance of education at an early age. She knew that the way for her to get out of the cycle of poverty was through education.

After completing her undergraduate degree in mathematics she moved to Guatemala, where she established schools, an orphanage, feeding centers and clinics. When she later moved to the United States to pursue the American dream, she overcame enormous financial, linguistic and cultural barriers and became a teacher. Despite all of these obstacles, she continuously prevailed and completed a doctoral degree in leadership and took a position to help schools implement improvement programs.

Today, she works as an academic consultant for numerous school districts throughout the state of Illinois and the nation, designing programs to increase the academic achievement of all students and close the academic achievement gaps between diverse student populations. Notably, she has also started a $1,000 scholarship to help female Hispanic students who excel in mathematics, attend college and have the same opportunities that she had.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dr. Ferrer for her remarkable dedication to helping our students and our community.

Mr. Speaker, on September 25th I missed two recorded votes. I would like the Record to indicate how I would have voted had I been present. On rollcall No. 484, H.R. 1961, I would have voted ``no.'' On rollcall No. 485, H. Res. 354, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to recognize Ryan

Dowd, a native of Oswego, Illinois who has devoted more than half of his life to serving Aurora's homeless.

After 14 years of service, Friday, September 20th will be Ryan's last day serving as the executive director of Hesed House, the second largest shelter in the State of Illinois, and the largest shelter outside of the city of Chicago. Under his leadership, Hesed House ministries have tripled in effectiveness, housing more than 1,000 individuals annually.

Ryan began volunteering at Hesed House when he was just 13 years old and started working at the shelter during college. Upon graduating from Northern Illinois University's College of Law in 2003 with a dual JD and MPA degree, Ryan accepted a position as the associate director of Hesed House and would eventually become executive director in 2004.

I am humbled by Ryan's commitment to serve our community. While Ryan's work in Aurora is sadly coming to an end, I know he will continue to serve his fellow man and make the world a better place as he begins a career in international human rights.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Ryan Dowd and his service to the community. His tireless commitment and dedication will be missed, and I wish him and his family the best of luck in all of their future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to highlight the many important contributions that immigrants make to our Nation and our economy, to our scientific progress, and to say a few special words on the positive impact that comprehensive immigration reform will have on the real estate market in our country.

We are a Nation of immigrants. Many of us are second- or third- generation Americans, and we have all benefited from the sacrifices that our ancestors made in search of a better life in America.

In fact, my wife is a first-generation Asian-American who came to the United States to pursue her education, and was able to become a legal immigrant and a citizen and a Ph.D., in fact, but who knows that even our legal immigration system does not work as well as it should.

Every day, families come to this country in search of the American Dream--better jobs, better education, and a better life for their families.

I am proud to represent many of these families, but would like to share just one incredible story of one of my constituents, Juventino Cano. Growing up, Juventino lived on a farm in Colima, Mexico, with his parents and six brothers and sisters. Their home didn't have lights or electricity, and they all worked long hours on the family farm to make ends meet.

When he was 17 years old, his stepbrothers encouraged him to come to Aurora, Illinois, and told him about the wonderful opportunities that awaited him in America. He was able to get a job with his stepbrothers at a packaging company.

By 1986, Juventino not only held a steady job and had learned English, but he had opened his own company, Cano Container Corporation, in Aurora, Illinois. What started with a single machine and three employees has now grown into a company with over $20 million a year in annual sales. Today, not only is Juventino the president and CEO of the Cano Container Company, he also serves on the board of directors for the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and as the president of the board of directors of the Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Cano Container Company has also received its share of accolades, including being named the minority manufacturer of the year by the United States Department of Commerce in 2007.

The city and the economy of Aurora, Illinois, have greatly benefited from Juventino's many contributions to the community. His story reminds us that immigration reform is good for economic growth. More than 40 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or children of immigrants. These American companies represent seven of the 10 most valuable brands in the world and collectively employ more than 10 million people and generate annual revenue of $4.2 trillion. That's a quarter of our economy.

Additionally, immigrants have a huge impact on our housing market, and passage of comprehensive immigration reform will have a huge positive impact on our still-recovering real estate markets. A study from Harvard University found that in recent years, foreign-born households accounted for 30 percent of the overall growth in the housing sector.

According to the ``2012 State of Hispanic Homeownership'' report, it is likely that comprehensive immigration reform would generate 3 million new Hispanic home buyers over the next several years. Every day that we fail to pass comprehensive immigration reform, we are forfeiting millions of dollars of economic growth and tax revenue and slowing the recovery of our housing markets.

If we passed immigration reform that provides a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, it would increase State and local tax collections by almost $150 million a year in Illinois alone. On the other hand, if all unauthorized immigrants were removed from Illinois, the State would lose $25.6 billion in economic activity, $11.4 billion in gross State product, and approximately 120,000 jobs.

As a scientist, I've also seen firsthand the valuable contributions that immigrants make. For 20 years, I worked as a physicist at Fermi National Lab in Illinois, and every day the flags from dozens of countries flew outside the facilities representing the nationalities of all of the scientists performing experiments at Fermilab.

Thousands of students from other countries have come to the U.S. to get their Ph.D.s and training at our research facilities, and it has been the policy of our country to turn most of them away when the work is done and their education is complete. While this may have made sense in the years after World War II when we were trying to avoid the brain drain from countries trying to rebuild themselves, times have changed. The economic winds are now blowing in both directions, and we need to stop pushing our accomplished scientists and researchers out of our country and instead encourage them to stay here and to build businesses, expand their research, and help grow our economy. The comprehensive immigration bill passed by the Senate does exactly that: it encourages the best and brightest scientists and researchers to stay here and add to our economy and our R&D capabilities.

As we contemplate a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants and consider reforming our legal immigration system, let's remember all of the contributions that immigrants, past and present, have made to our country.

Our Nation has a long and proud history of welcoming immigrants in search of a better life for themselves and their families, but our current immigration system is broken. We now have a historic opportunity to bring 11 million people out of the shadows.

We have to remember that at any moment we are just 5 days away from passing immigration reform and having it be the law of the land. All it will take is for Speaker Boehner to wake up one morning and listen to the voices of his church, listen to the voices of the chambers of commerce, listen to the voices of business and ordinary people all over this country and decide to bring the Senate immigration bill up for a vote where it will pass with a bipartisan majority and be signed into law by the President.

This would be a historic moment and exactly the kind of bipartisanship that people expect from their elected representatives. If and when Speaker Boehner decides to act and allow the House a vote to pass the Senate immigration bill, we could boost our economy, including our real estate markets, reduce our national debt and, most importantly, bring 11 million people out of the shadows. We cannot let this opportunity pass us by.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask the House to observe a moment of somber remembrance for the 12th anniversary of the September 11th attacks on the United States.

Twelve years ago, nearly 3,000 innocent men and women in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania perished when our nation suffered its worst terrorist attack in our history.

While together we have moved a decade beyond that tragedy, the memories of September 11th will forever be with us. All across the country, Americans are coming together for what has become a day of service and remembrance. As we take the time to reflect today, we are reminded that what unites us is far stronger than what divides us, and that the courage and perseverance of the American people should never be underestimated.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to not only join me in remembering those who lost their lives, but to also remember the many first responders, members of the military and ordinary citizens who answered the call of duty.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Rotary Club of Joliet for selflessly working for 100 years to improve communities in Illinois. The organization's motto of ``Service Above Self'' inspires its members to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards, and promote good will in the world. The Joliet Rotary Club has over 130 members and is part of Rotary International. It was established in 1910 as the Study Club, and it became the first Rotary club in a city with less than 75,000 residents.

Joliet Rotarians learned the best practices of service, and went on to help establish new Rotary clubs in surrounding communities over the next decades. They participated in the

foundation of the Joliet Chamber of Commerce, the conservation of Higginbotham Woods, and collecting shoes and supplies for World War I soldiers. They have always been instrumental in providing financial assistance for groups and foundations in their call to community service.

The Guiding Principles of Rotary capture important and admirable values for our community. The principles state: ``The object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster: first, the development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service; second, high ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve society; third, the application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business and community life; fourth, the advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world of fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.''

Rotary International founder Paul P. Harris said it best, ``Rotary brings men differing in social status, religious beliefs and nationality together in order that they may be more intelligible to each other and therefore more sympathetic and friendly.'' If we all follow this model, we will leave our community and our world a much better place.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Rotary Club of Joliet, not only for its longevity, but also for its dedication to service of our fellow man. I commend the club's continued dedication to making the world around us a better place for all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 175th anniversary of St. Patrick's Church, the oldest Roman Catholic Church in the Diocese of Joliet, Illinois.

St. Patrick's Church dates back to 1838 with the arrival of Reverend John Francis Plunkett, an Irish immigrant who was assigned to provide spiritual needs to the construction workers of the Illinois & Michigan Canal project. As a result of the canal project, many immigrant families migrated to the area and as the community grew, St. Patrick's Church was born.

Throughout the next 175 years and seventeen pastors, St. Patrick's Church thrived and experienced many changes. For the first 81 years of its existence, it was located on Broadway Street, where the current Victory Center now stands. In 1919, it moved to its current location on West Marion Street.

Today, the dedicated parishioners of St. Patrick's Church continue to extend their commitment to service for their community and beyond. Whether it be from the $25,000 in aid they were able to distribute to unfortunate families who sought help with bill payments to their impressive Food Pantry program which serves more than 300 families a month, the parishioners of St. Patrick's Church truly embody the spirit of selfless service.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in recognizing St. Patrick's Church on the occasion of their 175th anniversary and I wish them many more years of dedicated service to the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Masonic Lodge 422 of Joliet, Illinois. Tracing their founding to the Civil War, the 250 members of Masonic Lodge 422 recently celebrated the longevity of their fraternal organization, and reflected on its early days in the Chicago neighborhood of Hyde Park.

Throughout history, Freemasons have dedicated their lives to cultivating good moral character both within themselves and their communities. They have consistently involved themselves in a variety of charitable causes, in their belief that one of their important roles is to do good for society. The charitable commitments of the Joliet Freemasons include valuable medical services like the Illinois Masonic Medical Center and the Shriners Hospital for Children, as well as contributions to affiliated women and children's advocacy groups.

Over the years, Masonic Lodge 422 has maintained steady membership and has remained devoted to restoring the charitable and philosophic legacy of old Masonic orders. Members of those old orders include our founding fathers George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin, whose prominence, accomplishments, and positive influence remain a motivational force for contemporary Freemasons.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in not only honoring Masonic Lodge 422, but also in wishing this shining example of tradition, resilience, and generosity many more years of existence.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Joseph Naper, founder of Naperville, and to commemorate the dedication of a statue in his honor. The statue, which stands at his former homestead, serves as a permanent testament to the strength, compassion, and ingenuity of this pioneer of the West.

Joseph Naper held many diverse professions in life--he was at various times a ship captain, frontiersman, trader, land surveyor, soldier and politician--but to all of them he brought the same care for community. Through hard work and endurance of spirit, Naper raised the physical foundations of the town we know today as Naperville from a spot of land on the West Branch of the DuPage River that he settled in 1831. Equally importantly, Naper built the cultural and spiritual foundations of his community, helping to provide educational, intellectual, and religious opportunities for fellow settlers.

Despite his many achievements, no plaque or monument has been dedicated in Naper's memory since his death in 1862. On August 23, this unfortunate oversight was corrected by the Naperville Heritage Society in partnership with the City of Naperville, who erected a statue in his honor.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the legacy of Joseph Naper and commemorating the unveiling of a statue in his honor. Men and Women like Naper helped to build the America we know today, and for that great service they are owed our eternal gratitude and honor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the courageous actions of four young individuals, and two members of the Aurora Police Department, Sergeants Dan Eppard and Rick Ahlgren. With great valor and heroism, all six individuals, including Sergeants Eppard and Ahlgren risked their lives to save those of others who were trapped in a dam while rafting on the Vermillion River near Oglesby, Illinois.

On June 28, 2013, a 45 year-old man and his 10 year-old son were rafting on the river when they became trapped in a dam. After forty minutes had elapsed, four boys on a second raft came across the two individuals, and demonstrated immense bravery in attempting to rescue them. After successfully bringing the 10 year-old boy aboard the second raft, they unfortunately became caught in the damn, trapping all five boys. The 45 year-old man was able to escape the dam, swim to shore, and dial 9-1-1.

At this same time, off-duty Sergeants Eppard and Ahlgren were kayaking down the river, and in an act of great courage rescued all five boys, whose ages ranged from 10 to 14. Sgt. Eppard has a history of heroism, having once rescued a woman at the exact same dam in 2009.

The selfless heroism of these extraordinary people serves as an example to us all. These individuals put their own lives in harm's way for the well-being of others. While the 10 year-old boy was treated for hypothermia, no one else was injured in an event that could have ended in tragedy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring these brave individuals for their courageous acts and altruistic service.