Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1103, I was unable to vote for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Stated against:

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1104, I was unable to vote for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Stated against:

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 1105, I was unable to vote for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Edward, Ed, St. John, founder, president, and CEO of St. John Properties, Inc. After graduating from the University of Maryland in College Park in 1961, Ed St. John founded St. John Properties, Inc. Since 1971, St. John Properties has developed, constructed, and maintained ownership of over 13 million square feet of office, industrial, and retail space. The company serves business space requirements of over 1,600 tenants in Maryland, Colorado, Wisconsin, Virginia, and Louisiana.

Ed is a leader and active member of the community. He serves on the boards of several organizations, including the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, the Economic Alliance for Greater Baltimore, Anne Arundel County Economic Development Corporation, the Johns Hopkins University Real Estate Institute, and the Maryland Science Center. He was inducted into the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame in 2001, and named Maryland Entrepreneur of the Year for Real Estate in 1997.

Ed St. John created the Edward A. St. John Foundation in 1998 with a philanthropic focus on educational enrichment for children based on the belief that education has the power to transform lives and strengthen communities. To date, more than $40 million has been pledged and donated through outright contributions and gifts-in-kind to over 300 educational, medical, philanthropic, and other nonprofit organizations throughout the Baltimore/Washington region.

Many colleges and universities have benefited enormously from Ed's philanthropic endeavors. The Edward St. John Endowed Scholarship at Bowie State University provides scholarships based on merit and financial need to full-time students who are majoring in either business administration or mathematics. In addition, he has made a $5.85 million commitment to the Johns Hopkins University School of Professional Studies in Business and Education. His donation will launch a full-time master's degree program to complement the university's part-time real estate curriculum.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Edward, Ed, St. John. His legacy as a leader in real estate will be matched only by his devotion to philanthropic projects. It is with great pride that I congratulate Ed St. John on his exemplary career in the real estate business.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Martin (Marty) R. Resnick, founder, owner, and CEO of Martin's Catering. He has recently been inducted into the prestigious Baltimore Business Hall of Fame. Martin Ronald Resnick was born in Baltimore on September 3, 1931. He graduated from City College in 1949, deciding to enter the world of business instead of going to college. Marty's early business career started in department stores, learning the world of business until 1964 when he opened his first catering company, Eudowood Gardens. Martin's Catering now has the capacity to serve over 20,000 people operating in 7 locations.

For over 40 years, Marty spent nearly all of his energy in the catering business, earning numerous awards from small business associations. Martin's, Inc. has annual sales of over $30 million. Several organizations have named him ``Man of the Year'', and former mayor of Baltimore William Donald Schaefer declared June 24, 1981, to be ``Martin Resnick Day in Baltimore''. Although his business interests are many and consuming, he devotes his boundless energy to many causes, including the University of Maryland Foundation, the Morgan State University Foundation, the Baltimore Alliance for the Prevention and Control of Hypertension and Diabetes, and the Baltimore City Police Department Foundation.

Marty and his company ``adopted'' Riverview Elementary in 1989. Riverview Elementary is located in an economically disadvantaged community, and many of the students who attend Riverview come from single-parent homes. Before Martin's Caterers adopted Riverview, the school had poor attendance and the need for encouragement from caring, positive role models. Today, he is ``Uncle Marty'' to more than 1,000 students. Marty also provides jobs for the parents of his ``nieces and nephews'', where he teaches them good work ethic and valuable skills to learn and grow in their career.

Marty received an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Philosophy form Israel's Sinai University, and there is a Yeshiva in Jerusalem that bears his name. Even with all of his many business demands, Marty is truly an adoring family man, who has always placed his family first.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Martin (Marty) R. Resnick. His legacy as a professional will be forever preserved in the Baltimore County Business Hall of Fame, and will be matched only by his devotion to his family and community. It is with great pride that I congratulate Marty Resnick on his exemplary career in the catering and event planning business.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize this week, October 21-27, 2007, as National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week and as Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week in the State of Maryland.

In recent decades, researchers have discovered the harmful effects for children who are exposed to lead products. Lead poisoning in children impacts brain function, resulting in reduced intelligence, learning difficulties, behavioral problems, and other health consequences. Fortunately, lead poisoning from paint in homes is 100 percent preventable. The public needs better information about the dangers of lead exposure.

This bill will help parents hire a certified risk assessor to determine if there is lead paint in their homes. With this vital information, parents can determine how to keep their children safe from lead poisoning.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, over 300,000 American children ages 1-5 years have blood-lead levels greater than the level recommended by the Centers for Disease Control, CDC, 10 micrograms of lead per deciliter of blood.

In 2006, over 1,200 Baltimore children under the age of 6 had blood- lead levels equal to or higher than the CDC recommended level. That number has dropped significantly in recent years, but more must be done.

The Federal Government aims to eliminate childhood lead poisoning in the United States as a major public health problem by the year 2010. In order to achieve this goal, several Federal agencies including the EPA, the CDC, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD, are working together through various grant programs to help individual citizens, non-profits, and the States in their clean-up efforts.

Non-profits around the country are actively working with Federal and State Governments to educate the public about the harmful effects of lead exposure. One such organization based in Baltimore, the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning, has been working tirelessly to reach out, educate, and advocate on behalf of children and their families impacted by lead exposure. Organizations such as the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning play an important role in efforts to eliminate childhood lead poisoning in the next 3 years.

In addition to the work done by non-profit organizations and federal and state agencies, I am proposing a Federal tax credit for homeowners that would help offset the costs of cleaning up lead paint in their homes. Today, I am introducing the Home Lead Safety Tax Credit Act of 2007, which would encourage homeowners and landlords to remove lead from homes in order to decrease the number of children who suffer from the effects of lead exposure.

I hope that, through these combined efforts, we will eliminate childhood lead poisoning by 2010.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Arthur (Art) B. Modell, longtime franchise owner in the National Football League (NFL) and humanitarian. Art Modell was born on June 23, 1925, in Brooklyn, New York. His father died when he was 15, and Art dropped out of high school to work and help support his family. He completed high school by attending night classes and later joined the Air Force and fought in World War II. After the war, Art built a successful career in advertising and television production in New York City.

In 1961, he purchased the Cleveland Browns, a National Football League team. Modell was not a traditional owner in the National Football League. He believed that the owner should play an active role in the everyday affairs of the team. Modell succeeded in creating a strong team. The team won the NFL championship in 1964 and four division titles between 1965 and 1969.

At the end of the 1995 season, Modell surprised the city of Cleveland and excited fans in Maryland when he moved his team to Baltimore, Maryland. The city of Cleveland retained the rights to the Browns' name, and Modell renamed his organization the Baltimore Ravens. The move brought an NFL team back to Baltimore for the first time in 12 years since the Colts left for Indianapolis in the middle of the night, and in 2000, a Super Bowl victory for the Ravens. During his 46 years in the NFL, Art was the leader of the NFL's television negotiations and was an early advocate of the league's revenue sharing policy.

Art Modell is almost as famous for his humanitarian contributions off the football field as he is for his role on the field. Art and his family have made donations to Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore Museum of Art, House of Ruth, Hospice of Baltimore, Ed Block Courage House at St. Vincent's and the recent restoration of the Basilica of the Assumption, all in Baltimore and surrounding areas. He currently chairs a $100 million fund drive that will help build a new cardiovascular tower for the Heart Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and with his wife Pat contributed $10 million to the project themselves.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Arthur (Art) B. Modell. His legacy as a pioneer in the National Football League and his lifetime devotion to the sport of professional football are matched only by his support of humanitarian and community foundations. It is with great pride that I congratulate Art Modell on his stellar and exemplary career in professional sports in the United States of America.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Donna and Steve Hill. The Hills originally came to the Baltimore County Department of Social Services interested in adopting one child, a boy. They had three daughters and were very much interested in adding a son to their family. The agency placed a young boy in their home who lacked impulse control and required a great deal of time, attention, and therapy. They were presented with many more challenges than they had expected. Several months later, the agency learned that a sibling of this child was also in foster care in Baltimore City, in a therapeutic foster home. When approached about taking this second child, a girl, the Hills again stepped up to the plate. In an effort to keep the siblings together, they agreed to be parents for this special-needs little girl as well.

When the sister was placed with the Hills, she had to share a room with the Hills' youngest daughter. After a short period of time, it was evident that the two girls, being so close in age, were in constant rivalry due to a lack of their own space. As a result, the Hills decided to put an addition on their home to ensure that the siblings could continue to live together. Though the two children were biological siblings, they had never lived together since entering foster care and had not formed any significant attachment to each other.

The foster son was struggling with multiple emotional challenges, and the Hills pursued intensive individual and family therapy to stabilize both children. The Hills officially adopted their 10-year-old daughter on March 23, 2007. They are still working toward adopting their foster son, who has expressed some reluctance because of ties to his biological father. This family has consistently put the needs of the children first. They have dealt with many difficult situations, while at the same time providing a stable, loving home environment for the children in their care. In addition, if this family had not gone above and beyond their original request to adopt one boy, these two siblings would not have had the opportunity to live together.

Madam Speaker, today I ask that you join with me in honoring Donna and Steve Hill for being unsung adoption heroes and I am honored to recognize them in the Angel in Adoption program.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Art Donovan, a member of the National Football League Hall of Fame and American sports hero.

Art Donovan, Jr., was born in the Bronx, New York, on June 5, 1925. He first played

football at Mount St. Michael's High School in the Bronx. The son of a famed boxing referee Arthur Donovan, Sr., who supervised many of professional boxing's Joe Louis's matches, Donovan postponed completing his education and served as an aircraft gunner on the USS San Jacinto during World War II, participating in actions in the Pacific Theater.

Art joined professional football as a rookie defensive tackle in 1950 for the Baltimore Colts at the age of 26. The early Colts franchise folded after one season, and Art joined the New York Yanks in 1951, played for the Dallas Texans in 1952 and finally joined the next Colts franchise in 1953. Art became a hugely popular player and was considered one of the best defensive tackles in league history. He was an All-NFL selection five times and played in five Pro Bowls and the world championship for two years. The first Colts player elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Donovan played 12 seasons in the National Football League.

Donovan's Baltimore Colts jersey No. 70 was retired by the team in 1962 and he was elected to the Football Hall of Fame in 1968. Donovan is presently the owner of the Valley Country Club in Baltimore, where my parents were original members. Since 1955, the club has been owned and managed by Art Donovan, his wife, Dorothy, and his family. In 1987, he published his memoir, titled Fatso, and has been a frequent and popular guest on talk shows such as the David Letterman Show.

Art has been a friend to me and the entire Ruppersberger family for many years. After Baltimore Colts football games, I enjoyed going to Valley Country Club and talking football with Art and other Colts players. He would delight us with stories of the Baltimore Colts' championship teams of 1958 and 1959 which featured Hall of Fame defensive end Gino Marchetti, Don Joyce, ``Big Daddy'' Lipscomb, and Donovan. His sharp wit, contagious laughter, and wonderful stories made all of us his friends. I was amazed at how many Salami sandwiches and kosher hot dogs he could eat in one setting and wash it down with a Schlitz beer. Art played football with his friend George Young, who was my football coach at City College in Baltimore and later went on to become general manager of the New York Giants.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Arthur Donovan, Jr. It has been a great honor for me to call Art my friend. He is a true American sports hero in Maryland, the United States of America, and around the world.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor the memory of Daniel Baugh Brewster, a former U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from Maryland.

Daniel Brewster was born in Baltimore County, Maryland on November 23, 1923. He attended Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland and St. Paul School in Concord, New Hampshire.

Mr. Brewster attended Princeton University before enlisting in the Marine Corps in 1942. At the age of 19, he commanded troops in the South Pacific as a lieutenant with the 4th Marine Regiment of the 6th Marine Division. Mr. Brewster led assault waves on Guam in 1944 and on Sugar Loaf Mountain in Okinawa in 1945. He was wounded seven times during the assaults, and was awarded a Purple Heart, two Gold Stars and two Bronze Stars.

He attended school both day and night at the Johns Hopkins University to earn enough credits to enroll in the University of Maryland School of Law. He graduated in 1949 by supplementing his course work with night classes at George Washington University's Law School. Shortly thereafter, he then formed a law practice with John Grason Turnbull, then majority leader of the Maryland Senate. He was elected to a countywide Maryland House of Delegates seat representing Baltimore County, Maryland in 1950, at age 26, and served two terms.

In 1958, Mr. Brewster was elected to Congress from Maryland's 2nd District, which then

encompassed Harford, Carroll and Baltimore Counties. He served two terms in the House of Representatives.

Mr. Brewster was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962 at age 39. He was the sole sponsor of legislation that created the Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland and Virginia in 1963. In 1964, he was the stand-in candidate for President Lyndon B. Johnson when Alabama Governor George C. Wallace, a segregationist, ran in Maryland's Democratic presidential primary, a test battle amid the debate over the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor the memory of Daniel Baugh Brewster. He was a true American patriot who throughout his life went above and beyond the call of duty in his service to Maryland and the United States of America.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 850, I was in a meeting in my district at the National Security Agency with NSA Director, General Alexander. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Cardinal William Henry Keeler, Fourteenth Archbishop of Baltimore.

William Henry Keeler was born March 4, 1931 in San Antonio, Texas, the son of Thomas L. Keeler and Margaret T. (Conway) Keeler. He was raised in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, where he attended St. Mary School and Lebanon Catholic High School. He received a RA. from St. Charles Seminary, Overbrook, Philadelphia, in 1952 and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 1956.

Ordained a priest on July 17, 1955 in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Rome, Italy by Archbishop Luigi Traglia, the young cleric became assistant pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Marysville, Pennsylvania and secretary of the Diocesan Tribunal. In 1965, he was appointed to serve as Vice Chancellor of the Harrisburg Diocese and Chancellor in 1969. He held the position of Vicar General when he was named Auxiliary Bishop of Harrisburg and Titular Bishop of Ulcinium by Pope John Paul II on July 24, 1979.

Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Harrisburg on November 10, 1983, and he was installed as Bishop on January 4, 1984, by His Eminence John Cardinal Krol, Archbishop of Philadelphia. He was appointed Archbishop of Baltimore by Pope John Paul II and was formally installed as 14th Ordinary of the nation's oldest See on May 23, 1989 in ceremonies at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen. An influential participant in a wide range of national and international issues, Keeler was elected President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB) and the United States Catholic, Conference in November, 1992.

Cardinal Keeler was appointed to the College of Cardinals by Pope John Paul II on November 28, 1994. The Consistory Ceremony took place in the Pope Paul VI Audience Hall in the Vatican City State. As part of his work with the NCCB, Cardinal Keeler developed a reputation for effectively building interfaith bonds. He is particularly noted for his work in fostering an effective Catholic-Jewish dialogue and is the Episcopal Moderator, Catholic-Jewish Relations of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor William Cardinal Keeler, Fourteenth Archbishop of Baltimore. His lifetime devotion to his faith, the Catholic Church and its mission are unsurpassed. It is with great pride that I congratulate Cardinal Keeler on his stellar and exemplary career in the Roman Catholic Church.

Madam Speaker, as a Member of the Intelligence Committee, I congratulate the nation of Turkey on its recent elections. On July 22, 2007, 43 million Turkish citizens--over 80 percent of Turkey's population--exercised their civic responsibility and went to the polls to elect Turkey's 550-member parliament for the next 5 years. The election occurred without incident or allegations of impropriety. With this election, Turkey affirmed that its democracy is alive and well, and provided an inspiring example to other nations in the region.

The election will seat three parties in Parliament: the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Republican People's Party (CHP), and the National Action Party (MHP). In addition, 27 seats will be filled by independents.

Turkey's financial markets reacted with enthusiasm to the elections. On Monday, July 23, the Istanbul Stock Exchange (IMKB) rose by 5.08 percent, hitting a record high at one point during the day, reacting to expectations of continued stability and increased economic prosperity.

Foreign governments and world leaders praised the election process as free and fair. Numerous major media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times here in the United States, published positive editorials praising the ``wisdom of the Turks'' and noting that ``democracy was affirmed.''

America must cultivate and support our allies. We must reach out to moderate Muslim nations in the Middle East and build stronger relationships to repair our reputation abroad. Allies like Turkey can help foster economic and regional security. Turkey supports the Global War on Terrorism and is a critical ally in keeping nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists.

As the only democracy in the Middle East with a predominantly Muslim population, the significance of this election cannot be understated. The U.S.-Turkey relationship is critical to both nations' security. Turkey is and will continue to be an important and strategic ally of the United States. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Turkey on this impressive achievement of democracy.

Madam Speaker, I rise before you today to honor the memory of Jonathan Adam Hild, who was born on April 27, 1979 and passed away on May 29, 2007. Jonathan attended White Oak Elementary School in Parkville, Maryland and Timonium Elementary School in Timonium, Maryland. He attended Ridgely Middle School in Lutherville, Maryland before graduating from Dulaney High School in Timonium, Maryland. Jonathan graduated with an Associate Degree from Community College of Baltimore County in Catonsville, Maryland.

Jonathan was raised Catholic and received all of the sacraments from being baptized at birth to his confirmation in later years at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Towson, Maryland. He attended Confraternity of Christian Doctrine at the Church of the Immaculate Conception for his First Communion, Penance and Confirmation classes and services.

Jonathan enjoyed building and fixing things from an early age. He was very mechanically savvy. As a boy he frequently rode his bike and enjoyed the outdoors. Jonathan liked sledding in the winter, and going to the beach in the summer. During his teen years and through his twenties he always wanted the best and loudest music system. In his bedroom he had a sound system that would be suitable for a night club and he had big speakers in the trunks of his cars. It often caused some brotherly confrontations with his brother Damon. He played softball during his elementary school years with Lutherville-Timonium Recreation Council. Jonathan also attended a summer day camp at Towson University during elementary school summer recess.

Jonathan's career included working at a printing and copy company, Cockeysville High School, Pierce's Plantation Restaurant, and as a self-employed licensed automobile wholesaler. Jonathan always loved cars and as an adult his favorite was BMW. He had several of them, but one red BMW 325i convertible was his favorite and for years he worked diligently to insure the car kept its brand new appearance inside and out. He enjoyed the BMW so much he drove it on a trip all the way down to southern Florida.

Jonathan loved spending time during the summer enjoying his jet skiing hobby. He owned his own jet ski and would take it out often near his home with friends. Always thinking of others, Jonathan would bring the jet ski down to Ocean City on vacation to share with all of his family. Jonathan is survived by his father, John Hild, his mother, Linda Hild, and his brother, Damon Hild.

Madam Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor the memory of Mr. Jonathan Adam Hild. Jonathan was an exceptional young man from Maryland who will be sorely missed by his family and friends.

Madam Speaker, I rise with my colleagues in recognizing the founding of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's 50th anniversary. I commend Congressman Rush in reserving this time to pay homage to this great American institution.

When this organization held its first annual convention in Montgomery, AL, five decades ago this August, I was just a young boy understanding the strategy of the nonviolent approach to hate, segregation, and inequality that was and still is prevalent today in America's society.

As a former prosecutor and County Executive, I have worked very hard to ensure the organization's commitment to nonviolent action to achieve social, economic, and political justice currently are focused on issues such as racial profiling, police brutality, hate crimes, and discrimination.

Today, the Southern Christian Leadership is a nationwide organization that is made up of chapters and affiliates with programs that affect the lives of all Americans.

Its sphere of influence and interests has become international in scope because the battle for human rights is one that transcends national boundaries.

Madam Speaker, I believe by recognizing organizations that have given so much to this country is sending a clear message to the American people that the legacy of its past and future presidents will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007.

The Supreme Court ruled in a narrow 5-4 decision that Lilly Ledbetter was not entitled to any remedy after demonstrating she had been paid as much as 40 percent less than male workers doing the same job for 19 years. The decision was founded on a narrow misreading of the intent of Congress in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Court erroneously ruled that Ms. Ledbetter could only rely on paychecks she received in the final 180 days of her career at Goodyear to prove discrimination.

Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court's narrow reading of the law prompted me to introduce my own legislation to correct this injustice. I was joined by Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz as original authors of H.R. 2660, the ``2007 Civil Rights Pay Fairness Act''. I want to thank them both for working with me on this issue, and I commend our Chairman George Miller for moving expeditiously to right this wrong. Chairman Miller's bill brings about a different remedy in H.R. 2831, but it is no less forceful, and I am proud to also be a cosponsor.

Both bills clarify the intent of Congress by amending the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to make clear that courts must consider a pattern of pay decisions that recur and are cumulative. H.R. 2660 and H.R. 2831 are bills that ensure that victims of workplace discrimination receive effective remedies. The decision of the Court in this case was a sharp departure from precedent and would greatly limit the ability of pay discrimination victims to vindicate their rights.

Congress must make clear that a pay discrimination claim accrues when a pay decision is made, when an employee is subject to that decision, or at any time they are injured by it. As a former prosecutor and County Executive, I fought against this kind of injustice and I am pleased this House is ready today to stand up and correct the error of the Supreme Court in the Ledbetter case.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007 to correct the Supreme Court's misinterpretation of Title VII regarding when a pay discrimination claim is timely filed.