Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I have proudly stood before this House on many occasions to honor the life and legacy of south Buffalo native John Granville. John was a young diplomat with the United States Agency for International Development and, tragically, was murdered by Islamic extremists in Khartoum, Sudan, in 2008.

At the time of his death, John was working with the people of South Sudan to prepare them for elections and their eventual independence as the newest country in the world in 2011.

A decade after John's death, the Granville family is still fighting the international justice system to hold the Government of Sudan accountable for his death.

The Trump administration's Department of State is now considering removing Sudan from the list of state-sponsored terrorists. If the State Department allows for that removal, Sudan's responsibility for John's death and the escape of his convicted murderers must be a condition for the State Department's action in this matter.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the extraordinary life and legacy of Mr. Anthony B. Krupski, Jr. who passed away on July 1, 2018 at the age of 76.

Born in Buffalo and raised in Cheektowaga, Anthony Kruspski first heard music in his home as his dad played the accordion and became his son's first teacher. Tony's passion for this unique instrument and his family led him to start his own band at just age 17. This polka band, Krew Brothers, would grow to include all six of his brothers.

This proud son with strong Polonia roots picked the perfect name for what would become one of the country's leading polka bands as ``Krew,'' means blood in the Polish language. Having kept his family united after his Mother's passing, Tony would lead his band of brothers to great heights as they appeared on national television, performed at gatherings in Western New York and toured extensively to major polka conventions and festivals throughout the Northeast and Midwest. Their hits, including the Birds 'n Bees Polka, The Thing Polka, Michael Polka, Judy Polka, New Father Polka and the Babcia & Deidamia Polka, were recorded over four albums, three on their own private label.

Tony remained an in-demand musician even after the Krew Brothers disbanded as he played with ``Full Circle'' and was as much as an attraction as the traditional food stands as he entertained thousands of shoppers visiting the legendary Buffalo Broadway Market during the Easter season. His sound helped enhance the authenticity of the Forgotten Buffalo Tours and lifted the spirits of nursing home residents as he shared his talents with those whose memories of polka parties remained strong.

Always a hard worker, Tony's dedication to his family extended to his decades of work as a stationery engineer in both the private and public sectors.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me in expressing our deepest condolences to his wife, Marie, his children, grandchildren, family, friends and legions of fans as we commemorate the musical contributions of the first Krew Brother, Anthony Krupski, Jr.

Mr. Speaker, at the foot of Main Street in Buffalo lies the DL&W Terminal, a century-old, vacant historic landmark along the Buffalo River that once served as a bustling stop for passengers traveling by both ship and rail.

A plan by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority will transform this piece of western New York history into a destination that serves a Buffalo of today and tomorrow, creating a multimodal center for people traveling by rail, automobile, bikes, and boats.

The DL&W Terminal is a project under consideration for a Federal grant through the United States Department of Transportation's Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development, otherwise known as the BUILD program.

I stand today in support of the NFTA's grant application for the DL&W Terminal, which serves as a national model for financing of infrastructure investments delivering significant economic impact.

Surrounded by Canalside, the Cobblestone District, downtown Buffalo, and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, development of the DL&W represents a transformative project building on the economic renaissance of the new Buffalo.

Mr. Speaker, on July 11, on final passage of H.R. 200, The Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act, I inadvertently cast my vote contrary to my own intentions. I intended to vote NO on that bill. Had I been present, I would have voted Nay on Roll Call No. 321

Mr. Speaker, many Americans have worked hard their entire lives paying into pension programs with the promise that, after a career of hard labor, they would have a secure transition into retirement.

Our multiemployer pension plans, of which there are 114, covering 1.3 million workers, are severely underfunded and in trouble. The Butch Lewis Act is an important step in responsibly securing the pensions that millions of American workers have earned throughout their years of hard work.

We must ensure that the pensions that American union workers have earned over a lifetime of work are protected well into the future. This Congress needs to take action now to ensure the promise of those who were promised after years of contributions to have a pension in their retirement years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Thomas Blanchard whose knowledge and passion for the water led to a career of accomplishments as an urban and waterfront developer, as well as a tireless advocate promoting the limitless opportunities for preservation, recreation and tourism along the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor.

Tom's professional resume began in the state of Virginia as Economic Development Planner for the City of Norfolk, Model Cities Program in the early 1970's. He would go on to become Executive Director of the City of Portsmouth Community Action Organization and Director of the Department of Development for the City of Norfolk.

As City of Norfolk Director of Development, Tom was directly involved in the acquisition and redevelopment of several key parcels of land, mostly along the waterfront, that led to revitalization and reuse from beach front residential to deep draft channel ship and barge terminals. As Executive Director of the Norfolk Recreational Facilities Authority, he managed the concept development and feasibility for NAUTICUS, The National Maritime Center, a $52 million waterfront themed attraction which opened in 1994.

After serving as Executive Vice President of the Greater Norfolk Corporation from 1985 to 1989, he was recruited to New York State and my hometown of Buffalo as the executive director of Erie County's Horizons Waterfront Commission. It was said of Tom that his selection represented a quantum leap forward. He moved forward as well when the work of the Commission was merged into Empire State Development Corporation in 1995. His appointment as Director of Research and Planning for the Western New York Region continued his leadership role in planning, presenting and pushing for approvals to construct the Erie Canal Harbor project in downtown Buffalo and various projects in downtown Niagara Falls.

His familiarity with the historical significance of the Erie Canal, an engineering marvel that has been in operation since 1825, made Tom Blanchard an inspired appointment to the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission. As has been stated, ``the federally- appointed Erie Canalway Commission, created by Congress in 2000, is tasked with managing activities of the National Heritage Corridor with financial support and technical assistance through the National Park Service.

This new kind of national park called for a new kind of private- public partnership to bolster and strengthen the implementation of the Corridor's award-winning Preservation and Management Plan. And once again, Tom stepped up in 2010 as the first Chair of the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund, a nonprofit that assists in carrying out the work of the Commission by securing additional private and public resources to preserve its historical significance and bolster its $300 million impact on the region.

Tom's career has been characterized by excellence, as shown through the honors he has received; he is a member of the Omega Delta Epsilon Honorary Economics Society, an Old Dominion University School of Business and Economics Distinguished Alumni, and received the Edward de Luca Lifetime Achievement Award for Professional Excellence in Economic Development in 2001.

His volunteer service on both land and sea extended beyond the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission to include a stint as chair of the National Council for Urban Economic Development, Norfolk Opportunities Industrialization Center and as Past Commodore of the Buffalo Yacht Club. An avid sailor, Tom also holds a U.S. Coast Guard Master Mariner Credential for 50-ton vessels operating in the Great Lakes and U.S. Inland Waters.

Volunteerism extends to his wife Paula as well as they have teamed up with a dedicated committee to bring the largest concentration of tall ships to visit the Queen City in decades. Seven traditional rigsailing vessels are expected to highlight July 4, 2019 celebrations along our vibrant waterfront as ``Port of Call: Buffalo'' will serve as a visible link to Buffalo's rich maritime past.

For almost fifty years, Tom Blanchard has been a visible link connecting past and present along the water's edge for the benefit of residents and visitors and we thank him for his expertise, unwavering commitment and service to his community.

Mr. Speaker, as the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission and Erie Canalway Heritage Fund Board of Directors meet at One Canalside in Buffalo on June 27, 2018, let me add my appreciation for their ongoing good work and join with them in acknowledging the significant contributions of Thomas Blanchard, Jr.

Mr. Speaker, the communities I represent in Buffalo and western New York have a long, proud tradition of welcoming immigrants and refugees from all over the world. We are a city of good neighbors in a Nation of immigrants.

The Trump administration's imposition of a Muslim travel ban, proposals to build a wall, and egregious policy to terrorize kids and tear families apart appeals to the tribal instincts of the weak and the paranoid among us.

Americans respect the rule of law, hard work, and hard truth. We are measured as a Nation by power and strength, certainly, but equally by goodness and compassion.

These are the values that made America great again, again, and again.

Mr. Speaker, the Justice Department last week said to a Federal court that it will not defend against efforts to dismantle the individual market and protections for preexisting conditions of the healthcare law.

Mr. Speaker, the 50 to 64 demographic in America that buys health insurance on the exchanges is about to get clobbered with 30 to 40 percent premium increases and no protection against denial for preexisting conditions. The 60 million people between the ages of 50 and 64 need the protection of Medicare now by allowing them to buy into the program to give them medical coverage.

Medicare is fully compliant with the Affordable Care Act, and Medicare always covers preexisting conditions. Medicare is the best health care insurance, and it is the best public option that already exists. Let's make that accessible to the people who are age 50 to 64.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life of Frank J. Lemke and many others from my district and around the country who volunteered to participate in Project 19, a secret program to aid the Allied Forces during World War II.

Mr. Lemke was born in Buffalo, attended St. Mary's School, and later attended Technical High School. After graduating, he was a machinist for the Airplane Division of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation in Cheektowaga producing P-40 fighter planes. At this time, the U.S. had not formally entered World War II so American troops could not be sent to the battlefields. Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of Great Britain, requested help from the U.S. because the British Royal Air Force's planes were being shot down much faster than they could be repaired in North Africa. There was a great need for a repair base in that region to continue the strong attack against the Nazis. At a meeting of the nation's top U.S. airplane manufacturing centers, President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized Project 19 to respond to this great need overseas and the Douglas Aircraft Company was selected to manage this project.

Frank J. Lemke, and many other employees from the Curtiss-Wright Corporation in Cheektowaga volunteered to go on this 18-month mission to Africa. In total there were over 2,000 volunteers across the country. In the middle of the night Frank and many others crammed into a World War I troop ship and took a 50-day trip to an abandoned Italian air force base in Gura, located in the hills of North Africa. Their mission was to repair aircraft so that they would be battle ready once again and to assemble new aircraft.

After the Germans were defeated in Africa, Project 19 was officially closed. American civilians had the choice of enlisting or returning to the U.S. and Frank decided to return home. In the Winter of 1943 Frank was on a freighter returning to the U.S. when the ship that he was on was torpedoed off the coast of South Africa. He was later picked up near Sao Paulo, Brazil, after 42 days in a 22-foot lifeboat with 25 crew members. He finally arrived back to Buffalo, NY where he became a hydraulics instructor at Curtiss-Wright's airport plant. Unfortunately, Frank Lemke passed away on July 16, 1955, but his memory lives on in my district.

Mr. Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to recognize Frank J. Lemke and many others who participated in Project 19. It is important to recognize Frank and other civilian heroes who have contributed to the preservation of freedom in this great country. It is an honor to recognize these heroes who not only helped my district, but the Allied Forces win the war.

Mr. Speaker, the administration's reckless use of tariffs are inflicting harm in all of our communities, including mine in western New York, and the harm is real and immediate.

Welded Tube, a Canadian company with a factory in Lackawanna, New York, in my district, reports the cost of moving goods between the United States and southern Ontario has increased from $0 last week to $214,000 this week.

The company is reporting they may be forced to close without tariff relief.

From small firms like Niagara Transformer to auto manufacturers like Ford and GM, the harm is real and widespread.

The United States and Canada are the world's largest trading partners. Canada has been a reliable ally in fighting terror and has been a good friend to the United States.

We need to stand with our allies and friends, not abandon them.

China's trade actions threaten our national security. Canada does not.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Michael K. Clarke upon his retirement as the Executive Director of the Buffalo, New York office of LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation).

The LISC strategy to ``invest in businesses, housing and other community infrastructure to catalyze economic, health, safety and educational mobility for individuals and communities,'' has been brought to life under Mike Clarke's two decades of visionary leadership. This nonprofit agency, promoting community development in collaboration with public and private partners, has encompassed housing, commercial and recreational facility development.

Despite Buffalo being among the smallest of the many cities LISC is involved, Mike's depth of experience in neighborhood redevelopment, public housing and community and commercial financing projects boosted our city's profile in the national organization. Since opening their doors in 1998, LISC has invested $131 million in those neighborhoods, further leveraging an additional $254 million in investment. Our work has resulted in the creation of 2,574 units of affordable housing, 355,000 square feet of commercial space, and the renovation of 9 recreational fields for youth.

Mike and LISC became synonymous twenty years ago at a time when Buffalo needed their assistance most as we faced the challenges of old, vacant housing stock, a smaller base of philanthropic sources and reductions in government support. Far from standing outside the fire, Mike went all in bringing public, private and non-profit partners to the table to research, learn, listen and get to work to implement targeted solutions one house, one street, one neighborhood at a time. Today, while problems remain, our ability and resolve to address them as One City has never been stronger.

Mike Clarke's investment in the citizen-led planning movement building on our great architectural, civic and cultural assets, the re- emergence of downtown and adjacent neighborhoods yielded real action and results that have contributed greatly to Buffalo's renaissance.

Mike's ability to harness progressive strategies using all financial resources available led to the first federal New Market Tax Credit investment that preserved the historic Asbury Delaware Church. Now, known as Babeville, this unique performing arts center founded by Ani DiFranco and Scot Fisher is a center for music, art, and community projects in Buffalo, New York.

Responsible for implementing HUD's Section IV grant program, LISC's capacity building program has had a tremendous impact on driving community development activity here in Buffalo. Its collaboration with HELP USA on the HELP Buffalo II affordable housing project for families with minimal incomes, and permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless veterans is spurring new energy in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood. Mike's active involvement in bringing the National Vacant Properties Campaign to Buffalo and intense focus on neighborhood business district activities, including Jefferson and Elmwood Avenues laid the foundation for enhanced urban commercial corridors.

Most recently, an investment of $5 million from LISC and in a dynamic public-private partnership led by Herbert Bellamy, Jr, the son of a legendary leader on the east side of Buffalo, a closed warehouse- turned-community center is now home to 30 families with community space and a children's playground. Prior to joining LISC Mr. Clarke was a Mortgage Officer for the Community Preservation Corporation (CPC) a not-for-profit real estate lender, which specializes in financing affordable housing for low and moderate-income households. For five years he served as the Executive Director at the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority (BMHA) which owned and

operated over 5,000 low-income rental apartments in 27 developments in the City of Buffalo. He was a Capital Programs Manager for the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), and the Executive Director of Kensington-Bailey Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc. His extensive public service has extended to volunteer leadership on the following boards: Rental Assistance Corporation of Buffalo; Friends of the School of Architecture and Planning at SUNY at Buffalo; Erie County Commission on Homelessness; Bailey-Amherst District Management Association and the Downtown Neighborhood Development Corporation.

To all who know him or know of him, worked with him or at times, worked against him, there is one thing we can all agree on, Mike put his community first. His hard-won reputation as a community organizer, neighborhood advocate, housing activist and all-around agitator has earned him our respect and gratitude.

Mr. Speaker, as family, friends and colleagues join in ``Larkinville'' to acknowledge his many accomplishments on June 4, I add my appreciation for Michael K. Clarke's friendship, leadership and legacy of making a real difference in the lives of those who live in and love the City of Buffalo.

Mr. Speaker, there are 54,000 structurally deficient bridges in America. Every second of every day, seven cars drive on a bridge that is structurally deficient.

Earlier this month, New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli issued a report finding that our broken sewer systems are dumping billions of gallons of sewage into our lakes and rivers.

The American Society of Civil Engineers gives the Nation a D rating when it comes to infrastructure and estimates that it will cost $2 trillion just to bring our infrastructure to a state of good repair.

Mr. Speaker, a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan over 5 years would create 34.5 million jobs, and infrastructure pays for itself with $1.60 of new economic growth for every dollar invested: this, according to the Congressional Budget Office. That is 6.9 million jobs each of the next 5 years and 575,000 jobs each month for the next 60 months.

Mr. Speaker, it is time that we get out of Iraq and Afghanistan and invest in nation building in America, with American workers and for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, on May 10, on final passage of H.R. 3053, The Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2017, I inadvertently cast my vote contrary to my own intentions. I intended to vote ``no'' on that bill.

Personal Explanation

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of my friend Frank Mesiah, the recently deceased former longtime president of the Buffalo NAACP.

After serving in the United States Armed Forces, Frank returned to Buffalo in 1950, where he would serve in law enforcement and education and would take on discrimination cases for the State Department of Labor.

Frank left an indelible mark on Buffalo, dedicating his life to fighting discrimination. Frank was a leader passionately committed to positive change. Frank was instrumental in the desegregation of Buffalo public schools and the successful integration of the Buffalo Police Department.

Western New York is grateful for Frank's lifetime of tireless work to advance the cause of justice and equality, the impact of which we and future generations will feel for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, the House will vote tomorrow to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration.

In 2010, Congress approved landmark flight safety legislation after flight 3407 crashed outside of Buffalo, New York, in 2009. The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that pilot error was the cause of that tragedy.

The bill the House will vote on tomorrow must uphold and reaffirm our commitment to those safety standards. The Southwest Airlines emergency landing 2 weeks ago is an urgent and inspiring reminder of the importance of pilot training to keep the flying public safe.

The Southwest pilot, Tammie Jo Shults, piloted that plane to a safe landing in a calm, controlled, and competent manner borne out of one thing: excellent pilot training.