Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the first Children's Cardiomyopathy Awareness Month this month.

The Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation, or CCF, is a non-profit group dedicated to raising awareness for the risk of sudden cardiac arrest in the young and helping to prevent tragic deaths.

The CCF works to raise awareness for serious cardiac conditions and provides resources and supports to families struggling with the impossible reality of discovering that their young children have critical conditions. CCF's work to bring attention to this issue and encourage better detection, prevention, and treatment for patients is important, and I thank them for these efforts. I invite my colleagues to join me in congratulating this organization's lifesaving work.

Today, I invite my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5324, the Supporting Athletes, Families and Educators to Protect the Lives of Athletic Young Act, known as the SAFE PLAY Act. This legislation will provide school systems with resources to raise awareness for youth athlete safety, encourage the development of best practices to prevent, report, and address injuries, and educate teachers, students, and coaches on the risks of cardiomyopathy and other critical cardiac conditions. It will also allow students to learn CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator, or AED, to help prevent death in the event of sudden cardiac arrest. This legislation will increase school safety and help reduce the number of deaths from this condition on school property.

Mr. Speaker, not too long ago--several years ago-- several of us walked into this very, very historic room. The President of Ukraine at that time was President Yushchenko. A lot has happened since that ``Orange Revolution.'' A lot has happened to Ukraine.

We see in Ukraine a democratically elected Mr. Poroshenko, who will be here tomorrow, walking down the same aisle in a very, very different political environment.

I rise in support of House Resolution 726, supporting the right of the people of Ukraine to freely determine their future. That is what this resolution is all about. We must make clear our position that Russia's actions over the past year to intimidate and bring violence and death to the people of Ukraine, as well as the victims of Malaysia Flight 17--lest we forget--is behavior that is unacceptable to the entire international community.

Ukraine is a sovereign nation. That either means something or it doesn't. It has borders. It has a democratically-elected government. It has the right to govern itself as it sees fit.

Mr. Putin doesn't understand the concept of a sovereign nation. It is like he is living in a time before Westphalia. When the people of Ukraine decided they wanted to further integrate with Europe, he sent an army to invade. That was his answer.

My congressional district in northern New Jersey is home to many Ukrainian Americans. They are proud American citizens. They are proud of where they came from. They are proud of the culture and proud of this culture in this great Nation. They refuse to let Russia bully their homeland. They know how to assimilate Ukrainian Americans in the United States. They are proud Americans.

While we have already put tough multilateral sanctions on Russia, we need to do more. We wish Russia no harm, but we are not going to be dictated by Mr. Putin's dream whims.

I am pleased that we have a cease-fire that appears to be holding, but we don't know for how long. Russia needs to immediately withdraw any military assets it has in Ukraine, and the militias in the east should be disarmed.

We should provide Ukrainians with defensive arms so that they can defend their country in sovereignty. This is how you treat an ally, not with words. I am pleased this resolution calls for the President to do just this.

We cannot let up on this pressure, Mr. Speaker, on Mr. Putin. After Ukraine, he has his eyes set on allies in the Baltic States.

We know Ukraine is not a part of NATO, at least not yet. Do we have a specific treaty with Ukraine? No, we don't, but they are our allies. That much means something.

The United States of America stands with the people of Ukraine today, and we will continue to stand with them in the future. I thank Mr. Gerlach from Pennsylvania for putting this resolution forward, as well as Marcy Kaptur from Ohio; Mr. Levin from Michigan; and, of course, Mr. Engel is always there to do the right thing in international discourse.

I am honored to be here today to present this, Mr. Speaker.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this amendment. We all agonized as to what we should do, but I want to correct the record. At 2:25 this afternoon, through the chair, when we started to pontificate on this floor about Islamists against Islamists, what we do is perpetuate the agony. What we do is stir up the pot when we stereotype who is with us and who is not with us.

Not every Muslim is the same, not every Christian is the same, as we found out in the Balkan wars in 1998 and 1999. In fact, in that war, we assisted Kosovo because it was being totally overcome with Serbs. One was Muslim; the other was Christian.

I think it is not good that the Congress go on record as pitting one group against the other. I don't think it works. I don't think it is healthy, Madam Speaker.

Let's be clear about what this vote is about. This is not an authorization for open-ended war. This is not October 2002 which was an authorization. No one knows that better than the chair and the ranking member who have done a spectacular job, I believe, in keeping this a fair debate and a fair discussion, and I want to compliment both of them.

I believe that ISIL is a threat to our national security, and I support the President's mission to end that threat. While America must lead, we cannot do this alone. We must see a real commitment from our coalition partners in the region, and we must provide the kind of support that is necessary if we are going to be successful.

In 3 months, when we get to December and we have to vote for a CR again and we have to vote whether we are going to continue to go down this path, we better have tangible evidence that those countries who signed sheets of paper that they are going to support us have tangible support out there for us and are not just sending cupcakes for the troops.

We can do our part. We can arm all the properly vetted opposition forces in Syria that we can find and provide air support and training for those on the ground, but we won't be successful in destroying ISIL unless our partners in the region help us cut off their funding, better police their borders, provide combat troops on the ground, and end the political bickering that causes the chaos and mistrust that groups like ISIL thrive under.

I am pleased that the President has chosen to come to Congress to get our support for his plan. I believe that the provisions of this amendment will allow us to perform the oversight that is constitutionally responsible.

However, as I said before, this is not a blank check. Today, we are voting for a limited mission and ensuring that we properly vet those we are arming.

I am pleased that we will revisit this issue later this year in the intervening months.

If our coalition partners don't step up to the plate, I don't see how we could be successful in destroying ISIL and why we should continue.

The lesson we learned from the war in Iraq is that American military might alone is not enough to defeat enemies. No matter how murderous and vicious a terrorist organization like ISIL may be, sometimes the American military intervention cannot be the silver bullet that solves all of our problems. And we say this about the greatest air and sea and land troops in the world. It is going to take a broad regional coalition acting as one, both militarily and politically.

Madam Speaker, I close by simply saying this: We need support, not only in the short term, but in the long term to have a government in Syria. We pray to God that they will have a government that can sustain itself.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Judge Donald J. Volkert, Jr., who will be joined by his friends, family and colleagues tomorrow night in celebration of his retirement as assignment judge for Passaic County.

Judge Volkert received his undergraduate degree from the University of Charleston in 1966, and later received his law degree from Ohio Northern University in 1969. He then began his impressive career at the Supreme Court of Ohio, and from there he had many different judicial appointments in Essex County from the criminal division, to the family division, to drug court. During his tenure in Essex County, Judge Volkert served on a wide range of committees; he was chair of the New Jersey Conference of Family Presiding Judges, chair of the Bail Judges Sub-Committee as well as co-chair of the Essex County Youth Services Commission.

In May 2008, Judge Volkert was named assignment judge of the Passaic Vicinage by Chief Justice Stuart Rabner. Since his appointment, Judge Volkert has helped make the Passaic County Drug Court into a model for other vicinages.

A strong believer in continuing education, Judge Volkert serves as chair of the Sub-Committee on Judicial Education and is a frequent lecturer for the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, Judicial College and New Judge Orientation as well as numerous other seminars and learning programs.

Judge Volkert has always been an avid supporter of our troops and with one son in the Marine Corps his dedication has only grown. Judge Volkert was instrumental in instituting Military Appreciation Month in Passaic County which honors veterans as well as assists them in getting the services they may need. Judge Volkert's appreciation for our veterans is unwavering; at the first Military Appreciation Month event he stated, ``I don't think we could ever do enough to honor the men and women who have served our country.''

Judge Volkert has made an outstanding mark on Passaic County with his compassionate nature and dedication towards upholding justice. I know he is looking forward to spending more time with his wife Susan, his six children Christine, Scott, Jaime, Elizabeth, Stephen, and Michael, as well as his three grandchildren, Jack William, Paula Marie and Max Higgins.

The job of a United States Congressman involves much that is rewarding, yet nothing compares to recognizing and commemorating the achievements of individuals like Judge Volkert.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join our colleagues, Judge Volkert's coworkers, family and friends, all those whose lives he has touched, and me, in recognizing Judge Donald J. Volkert, Jr.

Mr. Speaker, I want to state for the record that today, September 15, 2014, I was unavoidably detained in my district and missed the one rollcall vote of the day. Had I been present I would have voted: ``aye''--Rollcall vote 497--H.R. 5108--To establish the Law School Clinic Certification Program of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Honorable Richard M. Freid who was celebrated for his retirement from judicial service on Friday, August 8, 2014 by his friends, family, and coworkers. He retires after a long career in which he faithfully upheld New Jersey's Constitution.

The Honorable Richard M. Freid is a graduate of Paterson's Eastside High School, Montclair State College and Rutgers School of Law.

Judge Freid was motivated by his uncle, the late Judge Edwin J. Nyklewicz, who became a role model and mentor who pushed him to attend law school.

Early in his legal career he developed a specialization in the representation of law enforcement officers of all ranks from entry level officers through Police Chiefs. He served as personal counsel to five Chiefs of Police for the City of Paterson and in branches from local, county and state police departments in all types of cases. Judge Freid enjoyed a perfect record of success in all of those cases which proceeded to a jury verdict.

He also served as Counsel to the Paterson Hispanic Police Association and as Counsel to the Italian-American Police Officers Association of New Jersey. He was a proud recipient of New Jersey PBA's Silver Card, its highest civilian award, in 1992 and still treasures many of the close friendships he made in the over 30 years of such service.

Judge Freid was appointed in 2004 by Governor McGreevy to the Superior Court of New Jersey and reappointed with tenure in 2011 by Governor Christie. He has served nine of his ten years on the bench in the Family Division and has sat in every case type possible in the Family Division except Juvenile Court.

His first year of judicial service was in Essex County where he was ``taken under the wing'' of Judge Peter Ryan who he credits with making his transition from Bar to Bench an easy one. Judge Ryan mentored him in both the application of the law but, more importantly, with how to approach each day on the bench with a common touch and with some degree of humor when the circumstance permitted. Judge Freid continues to experience their close friendship to this day.

Although Judge Freid was required to retire from regular active Judicial service at age 70 pursuant to the New Jersey Constitution, he sought reappointment to recall service. Chief Justice Rabner signed that order which permitted Judge Freid to continue to serve here in Passaic County until his retirement this year.

He was a lifelong resident of the City of Paterson until 1998 when he moved to Hawthorne and then to North Haledon in 2004, where he currently resides with his wife State Senator Nellie Pou. Together they have four children, Christopher Freid, Jennifer Jaworowski, Edwin Pou II, and Taina Pou, along with four grandchildren.

The job of a United States Congressman involves much that is rewarding, yet nothing compares to recognizing and commemorating the achievements of individuals like the Honorable Richard M. Freid.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join our colleagues, Hon. Judge Freid's family, friends, coworkers, and all those whose lives he has touched, and me, in recognizing the Honorable Richard M. Freid.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Dominican State Parade and Festival of New Jersey on the 25th Anniversary of their dedication in the promotion and celebration of Dominican culture and values. The Dominican State Parade and Festival of New Jersey has reached a milestone that few other organizations in our community can claim, and has made many valuable contributions throughout our great State of New Jersey over the past 25 years.

Founded in 1989, the Dominican State Parade and Festival of New Jersey celebrated to commemorate the restoration of independence for the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Restoration War, a guerilla war between nationalists and Spain, who had recolonized the country 17 years after the Dominican Republic had gained independence from Haiti, ended with Dominican victory and is celebrated in August.

For the past 25 years, the Dominican State Parade and Festival of New Jersey has been a great event in the Dominican community in the State of New Jersey. It was initially celebrated in August in celebration of the restoration of independence but is now celebrated during the month of September.

The Dominican State Parade and Festival of New Jersey had its beginnings with the election of a board of directors composed of men and women members of Club Dominicano Ramon Matias Mella and Casa Dominicana de Paterson. My good friend, Ms. Elsa Mantilla, was elected as the first president followed by 15 other individuals who have led this organization.

Ms. Elsa Mantilla has returned to serve as president of the Dominican State Parade and Festival of New Jersey and has been serving since 2004. For the past 10 years, Ms. Mantilla has devoted herself by taking on the management responsibility of the activity, with the help of previous presidents.

The Dominican State Parade and Festival of New Jersey has served to project Dominican values in the State of New Jersey, which stand out in culture, sports, arts, folklore, as well as providing an opportunity for many youths to be recognized within the social and political environments of the state.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join our colleagues, all Dominican State Parade and Festival of New Jersey members, and all Dominican-Americans in New Jersey as they celebrate this amazing milestone. It is without question that all those affiliated with the Dominican State Parade and Festival of New Jersey have a great love for their heritage and their dedication and loyalty to project Dominican values in America is commendable.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the managers of this legislation.

Unemployment. The deficit. Outsourcing. Higher education. Immigration. Tax reform. Gun control. Medicare. Social Security. Transportation. A continuing resolution. Ukraine, Syria, Nigeria, Libya, Israel, Gaza, Iran.

Instead of talking about any one of these, what are we spending one of the last 14 scheduled voting days before the election to discuss? We are talking about suing the President for implementing a policy that the majority supports. Go figure. What a colossal waste of time. What a colossal waste of taxpayer money.

We know why the majority is focusing on this instead of trying to solve the country's problems. It is because they have no solutions. We haven't heard any, unless you are keeping them in a secret black box.

Their only goal is to indulge the partisan impulses within your own party, 57 percent of whom want to impeach President Obama. The House of Representatives is apparently taking its marching orders from Sarah Palin. Good for us.

The fact of the matter is that the American people are tired of the relentless partisanship that has led the Congress to having a lower approval rating than head lice.

Our constituents want us to solve problems. That is one of the reasons we get paid. Our colleagues in the Senate today are voting on legislation I put forward to end tax breaks. We can't even get a hearing on this side of the building. These are commonsense solutions.

I want to conclude by reading something, Mr. Speaker. And if you don't know where this came from, that is part of the problem:

Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught

us,

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;

Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,

Let us march on till victory is won.

Your problem is, most of you don't even know where it came from.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this rule. I urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question, so that we can offer an amendment to consider my legislation, H.R. 851, the Bring Jobs Home Act. Yesterday, it passed in the Senate 93-7.

Now, there is something fundamentally wrong if we can't get a boost here, and it passes 93-7 across the board, Democrats and Republicans.

So what are we talking about here? An ``aye'' vote for the previous question is a vote to keep giving corporate America a tax break for every job they ship overseas to China. Let's start there.

Over the last few weeks, I heard a lot about corporate welfare in reference to the Export-Import Bank, before we debate it next week. It costs the government not one dime to help out the businesses. In fact, the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole) has 255,000 jobs in jeopardy in Oklahoma.

The Bring Jobs Home Act ends taxpayer writeoffs that pay moving costs when companies ship jobs abroad. We, as a body, have supported in the past giving money to businesses and corporations that send jobs overseas. That does not make sense.

What we want to do is to help those companies to come back because these are good-paying jobs. That is how manufacturing jobs primarily left this country.

Over the last 10 years, 2.4 million American jobs have been shipped overseas, and U.S. taxpayers have helped foot the bill. That, to me, is insanity. It is like paying someone for the rope they are going to hang you with.

Economists estimate that across the country, over 21 million jobs are at risk of being outsourced, 500,000 of them in my own home State of New Jersey.

At a time when we are trying to create good-paying manufacturing jobs in the United States, it quite simply makes no sense for the U.S. taxpayers to help foot the bill for companies that want to outsource jobs instead. My bill ends this taxpayer subsidy once and for all.

Instead, the Bring Jobs Home Act would provide a new 20 percent tax credit for companies that bring jobs back to the United States of America. This will provide a substantial incentive for more and more companies to create jobs and invest right here in our own country.

We are already seeing a trend towards insourcing. Manufacturing employment is up by 600,000 jobs since the

end of the Great Recession, and for the first time, in 2013, companies were reshoring jobs at the same rate that they offshored them. We have still got a big hole to dig ourselves out of from 2003, with up to 150,000 jobs being offshored each month. We are still out of balance by about 1 million jobs.

Companies like Master Lock, Caterpillar, Ford, GE, and Walmart even-- which is not one of my favorites--are starting to see the value in bringing manufacturing back to this country. We have got the R&D, the infrastructure, the educated workforce, and we have got the consumers, and, again, we have the most productive workers in the world.

It is not just the big guys. More than 80 percent of companies bringing work back have $200 million or less in sales, so let's give these companies a little extra incentive to make it in America by providing them with this tax credit to help our manufacturing economy continue its rebound.

A robust manufacturing-based economy will lead to widespread prosperity for businesses and the people who work there. Manufacturing jobs pay 23 percent more than workers in other parts of the economy, and every $1 in manufacturing sales creates $1.40 worth of economic impact.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to stop the shortsighted policies that stifle investment here in America and focus on what we can do to incentivize investment and job creation. I urge a ``no'' vote on the previous question.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this rule as it does not make in order a bipartisan amendment to H.R. 4984, that I introduced with my friend Congressman Runyan.

Under the legislation, institutions are required to provide certain information to borrowers recommending they exhaust their federal loan opportunities before taking out private loans, that federal loans typically offer better terms, and that if they do decide to take out a private loan, an explanation regarding some of the borrower's rights. Our simple, right-to-know amendment would add to the list of information required to be made available an explanation of the differences between private loans and federal loans when it comes to the death or disability of the borrower. Borrowers would be notified that the borrower's estate or any cosigner of a private loan may be obligated to repay the full amount of the loan in the event of the death or disability of the borrower.

This amendment is based on bipartisan legislation I introduced with Mr. Runyan, legislation which passed by a voice vote in the House a few years ago. The Bryski family--who live in Mr. Runyan's district in South Jersey--fought for six years to discharge a private student loan they cosigned for their son Christopher, a college student who suffered a traumatic brain injury during his third year at Rutgers University and passed away after spending two years in a coma. Upon Christopher's death, his family was told by the bank that they would have to take over the loan and begin making payments on the $50,000 owed.

No family ever expects to lose a child. However, should the unexpected happen during college, it is a terrible fact today that families not only struggle with the loss of their loved one, but are also burdened as they find out they now have the obligation to pay the student's outstanding private loans. In this circumstance, federal loans are forgiven, but private lenders often still require families to pay back loans on behalf of their children. Understandably, the unexpected costs are difficult to absorb, and families are not mentally prepared for these various circumstances.

While no one can prepare for or anticipate the death of a loved one, especially a child entering college, requiring this information to be made available will ensure families can make the most appropriate financial decisions about how they finance higher education. This bill does not add a dime to the deficit, and we are not seeking to change lending rules or requiring banks to discharge debt. We simply want loan cosigners to understand what they could be responsible for.

It is a disappointment that the Majority would rather keep parents in the dark, and would rather allow private banks and some of their most heartless practices remain in the shadows than consider this simple amendment that would simply ensure that students and their families are warned about this possibility.

I urge opposition to the rule.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank both managers.

Hinchliffe Stadium overlooks the Great Falls of Paterson, New Jersey, one of the largest waterfalls on the east coast in the United States. It was built by the citizens of Paterson as a public works project during a very difficult financial situation in the United States, 1932. It was named for the mayor at that time, Judge John Hinchliffe.

The stadium site sits directly adjacent to the Great Falls National Historical Park. The New York Black Yankees played there and the New York Cubans. These games featured baseball Hall of Famers such as Paterson's own hometown hero, Larry Doby, the first player to integrate the American League.

Other greats such as Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Judy Johnson also made appearances here. Besides baseball, the stadium hosted events in professional football, boxing, wrestling, soccer, even auto racing, throughout its long and storied history.

They also were the home of the Paterson Panthers, a professional football team, and the great concerts that went on there. Recently, it played host to all high school sports under the stewardship of the Paterson Public Schools.

Sadly, the stadium has sat in a state of disuse since 1997, when the school system could no longer afford to keep up with the maintenance. However, this legislation would not place the burden of restoration or maintenance on the National Park Service.

This bill would spur private donations as well as the State and local investments to make the necessary improvements at Hinchliffe Stadium. The stewardship of the National Park Service will simply provide certainty about Hinchliffe's future.

Mr. Speaker, we are not talking about putting purple ropes around an edifice. We want this stadium to be functional again. I think, therefore, Hinchliffe Stadium provides a golden opportunity for the Park Service to meet its goal of reaching out to urban communities, minorities, and immigrant groups.

This legislation would vastly enhance the significance of the Great Falls National Park, which this body voted on a few years ago. Although the Great Falls Park's current historic assets focus on Paterson's role as the birthplace of American industry, Hinchliffe Stadium shows us the human side of blue collar workers who came to Paterson to work in mills through waves of immigration and the Great Migration. Their descendants are the Patersonians, New Jerseyans, and Americans of today, and new immigrants continue to seek the American Dream.

As it was originally introduced, the legislation establishing the Paterson Great Falls National Park included Hinchliffe Stadium within the park boundaries. However, the stadium's historic significance was found to be in need of further study. That study was completed last year, reaching a conclusion that the people of New Jersey have long known: Hinchliffe Stadium has played a vital role in our history. As a result, Hinchliffe Stadium was designated as a National Historic Landmark. The importance of this effort to the people of New Jersey is evidenced by the fact that the entire New Jersey delegation has joined together as original cosponsors in a bipartisan way.

We have the support of a broad group of stakeholders, from local community organizations to large national advocacy organizations. I will enter in the Record letters of support from the National Baseball Hall of Fame; the National Trust for Historic Preservation; the National Parks Conservation Association; the New Jersey Community Development Corporation; the Hamilton Partnership for Paterson; Friends of Hinchliffe Stadium; former Paterson mayor and current chair of the Great Falls Advisory Commission, Pat Kramer; and the current property owner, the Paterson Board of Education.

National Baseball Hall of

Fame and Museum,

Cooperstown, New York, November 19, 2013.

Hon. Bill Pascrell, Jr.,

Rayburn House Office Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Congressman Pascrell: On behalf of the National

Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, I am writing to express our

support for H.R. 2430, Hinchliffe Stadium Heritage Act of

2013. This legislation would expand the boundaries of the

Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park to include

historic Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey.

As you know, Hinchliffe is historically significant as one

of the last remaining stadiums in the nation to have hosted

Negro League baseball. These games featured future Baseball

Hall of Famers such as Paterson's own Larry Doby--the first

player break the color barrier in the American League. Sadly,

the Stadium has been closed since 1997 and is falling into

disrepair.

With the progress being made in the area through the

creation of the Paterson Great Falls National Historical

Park, now is our opportunity to bring further attention and

resources to Hinchliffe. Future generations of visitors and

Patersonians alike deserve the opportunity to enjoy

Hinchliffe and learn about the amazing role that the Stadium

has played in our history. This legislation is an important

step towards making that vision a reality.

Thank you for your leadership in bringing national

attention to Hinchliffe Stadium and its important role in our

nation's cultural history. We look forward to assisting you

in your efforts.

My Best,

Ken Meifert,

Vice President,

Sponsorship and Development.

Mr. Speaker, our Nation has recognized the significance of Hinchliffe Stadium's contributions to our country and our history. This is

a vital part of the history of our State and our Nation. Now is the time to ensure that the story has a place in our National Park System for generations to come. Therefore, I would urge my colleagues to join in supporting this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize JoAnn Mott who is being honored for her many years of service at the Haydon Corporation. Her friends, family, and coworkers will join together to celebrate her retirement tonight at the Brownstone in Paterson, New Jersey.

JoAnn Mott was born in North Carolina. She later moved to Tennessee where she met her future husband, Vincent Mott, who was stationed at the United States Air Force Base in Nashville.

In 1966, JoAnn and Vinnie moved to New Jersey upon Vinnie's discharge from the Air Force. It was then that JoAnn began working for New Jersey Bell for a short time before starting her career at the Haydon Corporation in 1968.

The Haydon Corporation is the leading manufacturer of strut metal framing systems and serves the industrial and commercial construction industries, as well as the communications and OEM markets. The Haydon Corporation is famed for their superior products but is truly defined by their outstanding customer service to all their clients.

JoAnn worked at the Haydon Corporation up until her retirement this year. JoAnn started off as a Sales Representative and was later promoted to Sales Manager. Today, she retires as the Office Manager. Her work ethic is second to none, and she truly embodies what it means to be a hard-working American.

As her Congressman, I am very pleased to have the great fortune of being able to honor such a marvelous member of our community. I sincerely wish Mrs. JoAnn Mott and her entire family the best. I consider JoAnn and Vinnie to not only be constituents of mine, but also good friends.

The job of a United States Congressman involves much that is rewarding, yet nothing compares to recognizing and commemorating the achievements of individuals like Mrs. JoAnn Mott.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join our colleagues, Mrs. Mott's family, friends, coworkers, and all those whose lives she has touched, and me, in recognizing JoAnn Mott.

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following poem penned by Albert Carey Caswell.

``Are the stars out tonight''

``it doesn't matter who's wrong or right''

``I've only got eyes for you'' . . .

doo wop do wa!

In the rhythm of our lives . . .

In these moments that we're alive . . .

All in the music of our lives!

Comes these beats,

these rhythms,

and these measures . . .

we all so feel inside . . .

These lyrics . . .

these sounds . . .

which so gives us such pleasure,

all in our strides . . .

All within our hearts,

which so makes us cry . . .

Taking us all so back in time,

to all those moments . . .

we so cherished so deep down inside . . .

Which so ``Stay'' with us,

as so timelessly they do reside!

And no matter where we are,

when we hear them we all so smile . . .

Making us all want to get up and dance,

so all the while!

To move to that beat,

to that music,

to that rhythm,

to that cadence oh so very sweet!

As it was the birth of Rock and Rock,

and doo wop was King as so!

When a King once so ruled the show!

The one who could so shake,

rattle,

and roll!

As Dick Clark,

and The American Band Stand,

so helped that vibe to grow!

As a group of Beatles invaded our coast!

As Motown but meant the most!

And for our Boys in Nam,

marching through those jungles,

it so helped them cope!

As music was everywhere,

touching our very souls there!

When a group of . . .

Jersey Boys let it rip . . . let it go!

Starting out as The Four Lovers . . .

then into The Lovers . . .

Becoming A Band for all The Seasons

those record covers those . . .

And then Franki ``Working It's Way

Back To You''. . . like no others you!

As The Four Seasons . . . oh!

Because ``Breaking Up Is Hard To Do!''

Seasons change but still over,

100 million records have been sold!

As why A Band For All Seasons,

we now know!

FEE . . . FI . . . FO . . . FOM as these Jersey

Giants turned music into GOLD!

With the founding members Franki,

and Bob being raised in the depression,

like a ``RAG DOLL'' it left them with

quite an impression!

Maybe that's why,

their music lift's us all up so!

And there's nothing false,

about Franki's 3 octave voice,

and falsesetto!

As it makes you feel like your in heaven,

even when your in a ghetto . . .

Cutting deep into our hearts like a stiletto!

As to that depression they said,

``Dawn, (Go Away) . . . your no good for

me'' learning life's lessons!

Forming a band,

to so make all their dreams come true!

Knowing,

they had to ``Walk Like A Man'' . . .

and ``talk like a man'' too!

They did not go ``Begging'' as they

knew . . . ``Big Girls Don't Cry'',

and neither do Big Guys too . . ..

Yea ``that's just an alibi . . .

they don't cry''

As to heartache they said ``Bye Bye Baby

(Baby Goodbye)'' . . .

And ``Let's Hang On'' (to what we

got), and ``Don't Think Twice It's

Alright'' . . .

As all in these The Seasons of our lives,

they have left us with such a warm hue!

That's why on any radio station today,

``There's Always Something There To

Remind Me''of The Four Seasons you!

With 46 hits on Billboards Hot 40,

that's true!

Yea, ``I Got You Under My Skin''!

Because your music goes with me

wherever I go, and been!

Yea I, ``Can't Take My Eyes Off Of

You'' nor my ears too!

Yea your music,

Your Just To Good To Be True''

And even ``Ronnie'' . . .

Ronald Reagan loved you!

And after the concert's over,

they'll be crying too,

``Aint That Shame''!

``Oh What A Night'' ``SHERRY''

listening to you!

``Alone (Why Must We Be Alone)''?

Can't you just play one more song?

Because before The New York Giants

moved to Jersey,

this place was already inhabited by Four

Giants who this state so owned!

The Jersey Boys music,

too all our hearts so roamed!

Even The Great One,

Frank from Hoboken,

would have paid many a token to listen to

you and your records to own!

Because in The Seasons of our lives,

all in our thoughts and hearts so deep

down inside . . .

There is some music upon our souls rely!

That when we are feeling low,

gives hearts to rise!

That we will treasure,

and cherish until the day we die!

The Fours Seasons,

are but an important put of all our lives!

And why for so many reasons,

you guys are The Band Four All Seasons!

``Are the stars out tonight'' ``it doesn't

matter who's wrong or right'' ``I've only

got eyes for you'' . . . doo wop do wa!

Oh Jersey Boys how you do what you do

to us so all inside!

Doo wop do waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Madam Speaker, I rise today with the sad news that former Congressman Robert Roe passed away today at the age of 90.

A native of Passaic County, New Jersey, Bob served in the Army during the Second World War. He was elected to represent the Eighth District in 1969. Some of our longer-tenured colleagues will remember Bob for his noted ability to reach across the aisle.

During his time in Congress, he rose to the chairmanship of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. He also chaired the Committee on Public Works and Transportation from 1991 until his retirement in 1993.

A true public servant, he wasn't in it for power. When he became chairman of Public Works, he lasted only one term, in part because he exhausted himself writing the greatest highway bill in the history of the country.

However, that highway bill, through it, he achieved changes to the transportation policy to focus on connecting different modes. His favorite term was ``intermodal transportation,'' redefining how we invest in our infrastructure with this emphasis on safety and planning.

It is ironic that today, this day, we are going to vote on a transportation bill, the day he went to his Maker.

Bob is truly a legend in our era. He left big shoes to fill for all of his successors in Congress, myself included.

The building I am in, in Paterson, New Jersey, was named after him, the Robert A. Roe Federal Office Building, a fitting tribute to a great American.

My family loved him. We offer condolences to his entire family and all 35 nieces and nephews.

I thank the ranking member, Mr. Speaker, and I want to thank our chairman, our ranking member who was just here a few moments ago.

It is ironic, as I said earlier today, when we take up the transportation and infrastructure legislation that, just a few hours ago, the champion of transportation and infrastructure passed away. He was the chairman of the Transportation Committee. At that time, it was the Public Works Committee. He left the Congress in 1992, so it is ironic.

Mr. Chairman, through the Speaker, you have to understand the frustration that exists on both sides of the aisle on this legislation. We know what is needed. We know what is going to happen by the end of August. Many projects throughout the United States of America will just shut down or begin to shut down. Bills will not be paid. That is not good. That is not acceptable.

On the other hand, when the dust settles, the very committee that we represent, where everything goes through--the Ways and Means Committee--will have voted for close to $1 trillion when the dust settles, unpaid for, permanent tax cuts, many of which are never meant to be permanent. Check the Record.

So we can do this and add $1 trillion to the deficit, and we can't come up with a bipartisan 5-year or 6-year transportation plan for our roads?

Let's wait until the bridges fall down. Then we will do something about it.

Mr. Speaker, estimates as to how much we need to invest simply to maintain and repair our existing surface transportation system run as high as $177 billion per year. The actual capital spending in 2012 was only $103 billion.