Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 634 I was at a medical appointment in Baltimore, MD and therefore unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 635, I was at a medical appointment in Baltimore, MD and therefore unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 636, I was at a medical appointment in Baltimore, MD and therefore unable to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Aris Melissaratos, a visionary businessman, champion of the State of Maryland and dear friend, on the occasion of his 70th birthday.

The son of Romanian immigrants, Mr. Melissaratos arrived in the United States at age 13, speaking virtually no English. He earned his degree in electrical engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1966 and began a 40-year business career, mostly at Westinghouse Electronics Corporation. There, he held numerous positions, retiring as Chief Technology Officer and Vice President for Science and Technology. Before that, he was Chief Operations Officer for the company's Defense Electronics Group, responsible for $3.2 billion dollars in sales. He also founded Armel Scientifics, LLC, which invested in more than 30 startup companies in advanced technology.

His professional experience proved invaluable as Secretary of Business and Economic Development for the State of Maryland, a position he held from 2003 until 2007. As Secretary, Mr. Melissaratos worked tirelessly to strengthen our state economy and promote Maryland as a prime location for tourism, film production and advancement of the arts.

Mr. Melissaratos has since come full circle, returning to Johns Hopkins as a senior advisor to its president. There, he works to build the university's relationship with area businesses. Under his leadership, the university has helped launch 51 new companies in four years.

While too numerous to list in their entirety, Mr. Melissaratos is the recipient of countless accolades. In 2009, he was named the William Donald Schaefer Industrialist of the Year and was Corridor Inc.'s Person of the Year in 2012. A longtime member of the Whiting School of Engineering's National Advisory Council, Mr. Melissaratos is a founding co-chair of the Greater Baltimore Technology Council and former Vice President of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce. He somehow found time to also co-author a book that chronicles the history of innovation.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Aris Melissaratos for many years. I admire him for his fearless entrepreneurship, generosity, work ethic and community spirit. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Aris Melissaratos. The citizens of Maryland have been lucky to have him as a relentless advocate all these years. It is with great pride that I wish him the happiest of birthdays and many more years of success.

Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Mr. Dunbar Brooks on the occasion of his retirement from the Baltimore Metropolitan Council after a long and distinguished career and decades of selfless community volunteerism.

A lifelong resident of Turner's Station in Baltimore County, Mr. Brooks is a United States Army veteran, honorably serving two tours of duty in Vietnam before starting his career. He has worked as a manager of data development and regional planner at the Baltimore Metropolitan Council since 1982, developing expertise in spinning numbers into compelling stories. He has become the go-to guy for demographers and planners across the region, helping to shape Baltimore's landscape.

Throughout his career, Mr. Brooks has held several teaching positions, including at the Community College of Baltimore County and the Morgan State graduate school. He has managed to find time volunteering for countless boards and commissions, including both the Baltimore County Board of Education and Maryland State Board of Education, where he served as president. He is the longtime chairman of the Turner Station Development Corporation and a life member of the Dundalk-Sparrows Point NAACP.

I would be remiss not to mention that Mr. Brooks' relentless leadership helped terminate plans for a dangerous and ill-advised liquid natural gas facility near the Turners Station community. Mr. Brooks spent countless hours fighting on behalf of his community, the Port of Baltimore and the thousands of jobs dependent on it.

Mr. Brooks' is the well-deserved recipient of awards and accolades too numerous to list in their entirety. Most recently, he received the Baltimore County NAACP Excellence in Education Award. In 2002, he earned the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Baltimore City Community College and the Chesapeake Region Community Service Award from the Boy Scouts in 1998.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Brooks on a personal level for many years. In addition to his community spirit and generosity, I am deeply impressed with his dedication to his family. He is also a loving husband to his wife, Edith, as well as a proud father and grandfather.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Mr. Dunbar Brooks. His service and dedication to the people of Maryland is an inspiration. It is with great pride that I congratulate him on his retirement and wish him many more years of continued success and happiness.

Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Dr. Stephen T. Bartlett, a close friend and accomplished surgeon and respected professor, on the occasion of his 60th birthday.

A specialist in kidney and pancreas transportation as well as vascular surgery, Dr. Bartlett has taught and practiced medicine at the renowned University of Maryland since 1991. He is a Peter Angelos Distinguished Professor and chairs the Department of Surgery at the university's School of Medicine. He also serves as Senior Vice President and Surgeon-in-Chief at the University of Maryland Medical System.

Dr. Bartlett earned his medical degree from the University of Chicago and completed his residency at the University of Pennsylvania. He continued his training at Northwestern University and taught at the University of California Davis. He was then recruited to Maryland and revitalized the university's transplant program. The school's kidney transplant program is now the second highest in volume in the country. Under his leadership, the surgical department ranks among the highest in the country in National Institute of Health grant funding.

While Dr. Bartlett's accomplishments are too numerous to list in their entirety, it bears mentioning that he has been recognized as a ``Top Doctor'' by Baltimore Magazine. The National Kidney Foundation recently named him one of its 2013 ``Kidney Champions'' for his ground- breaking contributions to the field of kidney research and transplantation. He has authored more than 230 peer-reviewed journal articles and 11 book chapters.

Of particular note, Dr. Bartlett lead an effort that recently resulted in the most extensive full face transplant completed in the world to date. In addition to historic projects like this, he continues to spearhead basic scientific research always with the singular goal of improving patients' quality of life.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Dr. Bartlett--as well as his wife, June, and three children--on a personal level for many years. I am impressed with his dedication to his family. He may receive distinguished accolades for his medical breakthroughs, but his commitment to his wife and children come first.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Dr. Stephen Bartlett. His service and dedication to the University of Maryland is an asset to the state. It is with great pride that I wish him the happiest of birthdays and many more to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to honor Congresswoman Helen Delich Bentley, a longtime member of the U.S. House of Representatives, a champion of the Port of Baltimore and a dear friend on the occasion of her 90th birthday.

A graduate of the University of Missouri, Congresswoman Bentley is a former journalist who worked as a reporter and editor for the Baltimore Sun, where she developed her lifelong passion for the Port of Baltimore and Chesapeake Bay. She then hosted a TV program about the Port focusing on maritime and transportation issues. She was elected to represent Maryland's Second Congressional District in 1985 and served the next four terms. She chaired the Federal Maritime Commission and became a strong advocate for responsible trade policies, the U.S. Merchant Marine fleet and, of course, American ports. As chair, she was then the fourth-highest ranking woman in federal government history, the first woman to serve in a key government position in the maritime field and the first woman appointed by a President to head a regulatory agency.

It is because of Congresswoman Bentley's decades of dedication, passion and advocacy that the Port of Baltimore will continue to prosper and provide honest, good-paying jobs to many Maryland families for generations to come. In 2006, the Port was rightly renamed the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore.

Congresswoman Bentley continues to exercise her expertise in the maritime and manufacturing industries as President and CEO of Helen Bentley & Associates, Inc. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Baltimore Museum of Industry. While too numerous to list in their entirety, Congresswoman Bentley is the recipient of countless awards and accolades. In 2006, she earned the Governor's International Leadership Award and was named the 2010 William Donald Schaefer Industrialist of the Year. She was inducted into the International Maritime Hall of Fame in 2004 and has earned 10 honorary doctorates.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Congresswoman Bentley for many years. Once political rivals, I consider her a mentor and trusted advisor, especially on maritime issues. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join with me today to honor Congresswoman Helen Delich Bentley. The citizens of Maryland have been lucky to have her as a champion all these years. It is with great pride that I wish her the happiest of birthdays and many more years of success.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 428, I was unavoidably detained in a meeting off the Hill at the White House with the President.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 434, I was unavoidably detained in a meeting off the hill at the White House with the President.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``no''.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 429 I was unavoidably detained in a meeting off the Hill at the White House with the President.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 435 I was unavoidably detained in a meeting at the White House with the President.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 430, I was unavoidably detained in a meeting off the Hill at the White House with the President.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``no''.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 431 I was unavoidably detained in a meeting at the White House with the President. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 432 I was unavoidably detained in a meeting at the White House with the President. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall no. 433 I was unavoidably in a meeting off the Hill at the White House with the President. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no''.