Floor Statements

I thank my good friend and colleague from the great city and State of New York for yielding to me. And I am pleased to join him in this Special Order expressing our support for Israel.

After 8 years of constant missile fire, Israel had to take action against Hamas. Every nation has the right, and I would say the duty, to defend its citizens from missile fire.

For the last 8 years, more than 10,000 rockets have fallen on Israel's civilian population centers. This reign of terror has killed 28 people and injured more than 700 and traumatized tens of thousands. Any country that remained quiet in the face of such an onslaught would be failing its people and running away from its responsibility to its citizens.

Israel had to act. And when Hamas announced that it was ending the so-called lull and began an active campaign against Israel's population centers, Israel had no choice. I say ``so-called'' because nearly 400 missiles fell on Israel during that period. Hamas did not allow Israel a single month of peace.

I am proud that on Friday, January 9, as one of our first actions of the 111th Congress, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted in favor of a strong resolution that places the blame for the situation in Gaza exactly where it belongs, squarely on the shoulders of Hamas. Our resolution makes clear that Israel has a right to defend itself and that the path to peace in the region lies in the recognition of Israel's right to exist, the dismantling of Hamas's terrorist infrastructure, and the release of Gilad Shalit. I want to congratulate Speaker Pelosi, the author of our resolution, for having the courage to put before Congress such a clear statement of support.

In 2005, Israel withdrew entirely from the Gaza Strip; Israel gave the land back to the Palestinian Authority. Instead of using the opportunity, Hamas has squandered its resources, preferring to spend capital on developing weapons and smuggling tunnels rather than investing in the country and its economic future.

Rocket and mortar attacks on Israel increased by 500 percent after Israel withdrew completely from the Gaza Strip. The world sat silent as those missiles fell. There was no U.N. resolution condemning Hamas, not even after Hamas repeatedly violated the cease-fire. There were no international conferences to discuss what to do about the flight of the Israeli families. There was no call to defend Israeli children caught in the missiles' path. There were no human rights organizations worrying about the growing signs of post traumatic stress syndrome among the residents of Israel's south. The silence was thundering. In the meantime, Hamas smuggled even more powerful weapons into Gaza.

The number of Israelis who live under threat has grown as the range and strength of the missiles has improved. In recent days, Hamas missiles have hit a kindergarten in Ashdod and a high school in Beersheba. Both were empty at the time, but the loss of life could have been devastating.

Nearly one million Israelis now listen for the sirens signaling a red alert. They have 15 seconds--about as much time as it takes me to utter this sentence--to reach shelter. Hamas has always targeted civilians, preferring to kill women and children instead of trying to take out military targets. At the same time, Hamas violates international law by using its own civilian population as human shields, knowing that it wins the PR war as the body counts rise. By contrast, Israel builds shelters and early warning systems to try to protect its citizens.

Hamas is displaying the irresponsible acts of madmen and cowards, not rulers who can hope to lead a nation. The United States will not accept a return to a situation in which Israelis are living with daily missile fire. I hope the international community will join us in taking a strong stand against the actions of Hamas.

I would like to yield back to my distinguished colleague and thank him for coming before us tonight with such a thoughtful presentation.

Would the gentleman just yield 30 seconds to me?

I would just like to be associated with your comments about my good friend, Shelley Berkley, and to note that I have had the honor of traveling with her to Israel to study the historic sites and meet with the leadership about these many pressing issues. She has held many meetings in her home to discuss the issues in depth, not only here in Congress, but in her home with concerned citizens. So I congratulate her for her continued leadership.

So eloquently stated. Thank you.

This is a very important bill for working women in our country. The bill overturns the unfair Ledbetter decision where five members of the Supreme Court basically told employers everywhere that if you can just get away with cheating an employee--usually a woman-- for 6 months and not have them call you on it, you have our permission to continue to cheat them for the rest of their working life with you, and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it. The message is immoral and against all commonsense. If you cheat and nobody catches you in the first 6 months, it's okay.

A jury of Ledbetter's peers ruled that in fact she had economically been discriminated against. The only question was, can someone cheat you week after week, year after year and receive a get-out-of-jail-free card if they don't get caught in the first 6 months they cheat?

As Ruth Bader Ginsburg said in her stinging rebuke to the Supreme Court, ``The Court does not comprehend or is indifferent to the way in which women can be victims of pay discrimination.''

It's a very important bill. Thank you, Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

This is an important day for America's working women, and it shows what a Democratic Congress can mean to their lives because it will help end pay discrimination against women. Women are on the front lines of the economic meltdown. When a full time working woman still earns only 78 cents for every dollar men make, the results can be devastating in their lives.

The Paycheck Fairness Act could also be called the Free Speech Restoration Act, because it allows an employee to simply tell other employees critical information about themselves. It allows them to tell others what they are being paid and not be fired. Many of our corporations in America literally have a law that if you tell anyone what you make, you will be fired. Well, Lilly Ledbetter did not find out until someone gave her a secret note 18 years after she had been discriminated against in pay.

This is a critical bill. It helps end pay discrimination against women. Thank you to the Democratic leadership.

Madam Speaker, I rise to express my support for H. Res. 34.

The resolution places the blame for the situation in Gaza exactly where it belongs, squarely on the shoulders of Hamas.

It makes clear that Israel has a right to defend itself and that the path to peace in the region lies in the recognition of Israel's right to exist, the dismantling of Hamas' terrorist infrastructure and the release of Gilad Shalit.

For the last eight years, more than 10,000 missiles have fallen on Israel's civilian population centers, killing 28, injuring more than 700 and traumatizing tens of thousands.

Hamas violates international law by embedding its weapons in civilian centers and using its people as human shields.

Its cynical choice to reap public relations success from the bodies of their own civilians is reprehensible.

These are the irresponsible acts of madmen and cowards, not rulers who can hope to lead a nation.

I hope that President-elect Obama will be willing to spend political capital in calling upon the international community to work together to prevent Hamas from rebuilding.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and to take a strong stand against the morally bankrupt actions of Hamas.

Madam Speaker, this week, this Congress will take up two tremendously important bills that will work towards ending discrimination against women who still earn 78 cents to the dollar. We hope to get it to the Senate, pass it in the Senate and have it on President Obama's desk as one of the first bills for him to sign.

The Paycheck Fairness Act could be called the Free Speech Restoration Act because one of its features simply ensures that employees have the right to give out personal information on how much they make without being fired. Some of our corporations say, if you tell anyone how much you make, you will be fired.

The second, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, says that you can no longer cap damages. You cannot cap the amount of time that a person can be discriminated against. The Supreme Court held that if you did not bring a case within 180 days about pay discrimination, you could never bring it. So for 18 years, Lilly Ledbetter was discriminated against, and this Supreme Court said she could not bring suit. This Congress is changing that with this bill.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on these important bills.

I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership in bringing this important legislation to the body tonight.

I rise in strong support of the bridge loan of $15 billion to three of the largest manufacturers in America.

In response to my good friend on the other side of the aisle, if you're concerned about saving small businesses, there are literally thousands of small businesses that are associated with the auto industry in our country.

I would like to put in the Record a report that my office and I worked on that shows the ripple effect of the loss of these jobs in America. Over 3 million jobs are either directly or indirectly associated with the auto industry--one in seven manufacturing jobs, many small businesses, the auto dealers, the suppliers. This is a major employer in America.

Last month, we lost over 533,000 jobs. Unemployment is at 6.7 percent. If this industry fails, the unemployment rate will jump to, roughly, 8.3 percent. Our fragile economy is in a crisis. We can not afford to lose these jobs. Other countries support their auto industries. We should, too.

The Ripple Effect: Why Failure of the Big 3 Is Not an Option

The Auto Industry Employs One in Ten Manufacturing Jobs

The domestic vehicle manufacturing industry, including the

numerous companies that manufacture parts and technologies to

supply American automakers, represents over 10 percent of the

nation's manufacturing employment. A major contraction or

collapse of the domestic auto industry could have multiple

adverse affects on the economy, especially by driving up

unemployment. Serious jobs losses in the industry would also

have negative spillover effects for the manufacturers that

supply everything from tires to cutting edge advanced

technology such as advanced batteries for hybrid vehicles.

These spillover effects would harm future innovation in the

United States broadly, not just in the auto sector. Finally,

over 10 percent of U.S. exports are motor vehicles or parts,

and an additional 39 percent of exports are from capital

goods sectors such as industrial machinery that depend in

part on supplying domestic automakers. For this reason, a

major failure of U.S. automakers will have an immediate and

severe negative effect on our trade deficit, and will make

any future progress on improving our trade balance far more

difficult.

Approximately 2 million workers build or sell vehicles made by the

detroit three

Chart I shows a breakdown of the estimated employment that

depends directly on the Detroit Three, based on data from the

Department of Commerce. The production supply chain alone

relies on almost 1.5 million workers, far more than the

quarter million workers who are directly employed by the

automakers. This is because most of the workers who produce a

car work for outside suppliers who manufacture vehicle parts

and components. In addition, vehicle parts suppliers must

themselves draw on producers of other supplies and services,

ranging from steel to machine tools. The Commerce

Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that each

job in auto assembly and parts production directly supports

2.4 additional jobs in the economy through its supply chain

purchases.

Once the car is produced, it is sold and serviced through

auto dealerships that employ over a million workers,

approximately half of which sell Detroit Three cars. In

total, almost two million workers are directly employed in

the production and sale of Detroit vehicles. Only 12 percent

of these jobs are in the Detroit automakers themselves, but

all of them could potentially be threatened by an automaker

shutdown.

Multiple Studies Estimate Job Losses of 2.5 Million or More from a

Major Automaker Contraction

The two million workers connected to the Detroit Three

indirectly support many other jobs. Job loss among auto

workers would reduce spending in their communities, leading

to further job losses in retail and other sectors. At a time

of general recession, the job and consumer expenditure losses

created by a major auto industry contraction will not be made

up from other sources.

The exact number of jobs supported by this spending is

difficult to estimate. However, it is clear that numerous

additional jobs would be at risk. Three separate studies--

from Mark Zandi of the economic analysis firm Moody's

Economy.com, the Center for Automotive Research, and the

Economic Policy Institute--have estimated that a major

disruption to the auto industry would lead to job losses of

at least 2.5 million and possibly as much as 3 million jobs.

This implies that a major contraction or collapse of the

domestic auto industry could singlehandedly drive the

unemployment rate from its current level of 6.7 percent to

8.3 percent, even as job losses in other sectors continue.

The Current Financial Automaker Crisis Is Exacerbated By the Credit

Crisis

The magnitude of these losses were driven by the

combination of a massive spike in crude oil and gasoline

prices during 2006-07, followed by the credit crisis and

recession that has begun over the past year. The credit

crisis has led to a sharp cutoff in financing for auto loans,

and the general impact of the recession has led to record

drops in consumer spending. Chart 2 shows the combination of

these two factors has devastated North American vehicle sales

for all manufacturers. Total vehicle sales in November 2008

were down 37 percent from one year ago. Once recovery has

begun from the credit crisis and the recession, it is likely

that automaker earnings and sales will begin to show a

recovery as well.

American Automakers Have Already Made Major Progress on Needed

Restructuring

In 1990, MIT researchers estimated that Toyota and other

Japanese ``lean manufacturers'' were twice as efficient as

the U.S. ``Big Three'', and could manufacture a car in one-

half the time required by American firms. Today, the most

recent data finds that U.S. manufacturers have ``nearly

erased the productivity deficit against their Japanese-based

competitors.'' General Motors has increased its productivity

15 consecutive years, and now requires 32.3 hours to

manufacture a car, as opposed to 30.7 hours for industry

leader Toyota--a productivity gap of only about 5 percent.

Chrysler has now tied Toyota in productivity.

GM and other Detroit manufacturers have also made major

recent investments in improving fuel efficiency, to avoid a

repeat of sales declines associated with rising gas prices.

General Motor's 2008 model line has more vehicles with 30 or

more miles per gallon than any other manufacturer, and the

company plans the introduction of 16 new hybrid vehicles by

2010.

Auto Worker Pay and Benefits Have Already Been Slashed To Competitive

Levels

A major reason for cost difference between Detroit and

Japanese automakers is that U.S. firms must assume additional

pension and retiree health costs not faced by foreign

manufacturers. However, in 2005 and 2007 the United Auto

Workers (UAW) made major concessions in pay and benefits. The

new contract slashed starting salaries at auto plants by 50

percent, to about $14 per hour. Current UAW workers also

sacrificed all wage increases from 2006 through the end of

the contract in 2011. Most important of all, the new contract

established a health care trust fund that cut retiree pension

and health benefits significantly. For example, the new

contract will cut GM's total legacy pension and health

benefits from $7 billion to approximately $1 billion

beginning in 2010, and cuts Ford's legacy-related costs from

$16 to $3 per current labor hour.

The frequently cited figure that UAW autoworkers make over

$70 per hour is inaccurate, and is based on representing the

full fixed costs of retiree health and benefits as part of

labor costs for the current, much smaller auto-maker

workforce. In fact, the most highly paid UAW worker at a

Detroit Three automaker, a skilled trades worker with

seniority, earns about $33 per hour. The new labor agreement

cuts full labor costs, including all current and legacy

benefit costs, to $53 per hour for U.S. automakers, as

compared to $49 per hour at non-unionized Honda and Toyota

assembly plants.

Standard Bankruptcy Is Not a Viable Solution for Troubled Automakers

Companies in bankruptcy restructuring are dependent on

external financing to continue operation. In the current

credit crisis, it is highly unlikely that private sector

external financing will be forthcoming for GM or other auto-

makers that enter bankruptcy. Without private sector

financing, a standard Chapter 11 process could quickly result

in a movement to Chapter 7 liquidation, potentially resulting

in the large-scale job losses outlined above.

It is also important to note that the bankruptcy process is

designed to pay off creditors, not to protect the public

interest. During the bankruptcy process, firm management

would be unable to undertake major new initiatives to improve

technology, fuel efficiency, or productivity, since their

attention would be engaged by legal conflicts over finances.

Finally, consumers are unlikely to purchase automobiles from

a bankrupt manufacturer, due to concerns over warranties and

service.

A Conditional Bridge Loan from the Federal Government Is the Right Step

The American auto industry is under tremendous financial

pressure from a unique set of economic circumstances. If one

or more auto manufacturers go out of business at this time,

then the total costs to society will be far greater than the

loan that has been requested from government. The study by

the Center for Automotive Research found that a 50 percent

contraction in Detroit automaker employment would cause

government to lose $50 billion in the first year and $108

billion over three years due to combined declines in tax

receipts and increases in transfer payments.

Bridge financing would be crucial in helping these

companies past the current credit and economic crisis, until

recent improvements in productivity and fuel efficiency pay

off. Any bridge financing should be accompanied by strict

oversight and conditions for investment in continued progress

in improving efficiency, as well as further stakeholder

concessions.

Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise to pay tribute to the late Elinor Guggenheimer, an outstanding New Yorker who devoted herself to her city and her country throughout her life. It is with both profound sadness but also an enduring sense of gratitude for the tremendous inspiration that she provided that I note Elinor Guggenheimer's passing last Monday at the age of 96.

Elinor Guggenheimer was not just a leader, but a pioneering figure in the history of the movement for women's equality. A graduate of Barnard College, following the end of World War II she launched into a career of activism on behalf of women, children, and the elderly. She developed a well-deserved reputation as a tireless crusader for better and more child care options for working parents, stronger consumer protections, and the advancement of women into all sectors of society, including government and elective office.

In 1961, Elinor Guggenheimer became the first woman to serve on the New York City Planning Commission, where she focused on helping to guide City policies on parks and prisons. As part of municipal government's anti-poverty efforts, she was also named by Mayor Robert F. Wagner to the Head Start Committee of New York City. She later became one of the first women to seek citywide office in New York, running for President of the New York City Council in 1969. She went on to become the City's Commissioner of Consumer Affairs in the administration of Mayor Abraham Beame in the 1970's, earning a reputation as a fearless advocate who unmasked fraudulent merchants and inspired consumers to boycott overpriced goods.-

But it was perhaps through her grass-roots activism that Elinor Guggenheimer made her greatest impact. In 1948, she founded the Day Care Council of New York. She went on to establish the Child Care Action Campaign, the National Committee for the Day Care of Children, and the Staten Island Children's Campaign. She became perhaps the most prominent advocate in the nation for better child care, not just for the convenience of working mothers, but for the welfare of their children.

A tireless activist, Elinor Guggenheimer also founded the New York Women's Forum to help women establish social and professional networks. She went on to found the New York Women's Agenda and the National Women's Political Caucus. In those roles, Elinor Guggenheimer inspired generations of women--including a young schoolteacher named Carolyn Maloney--to engage in the political process and to run and hold public office.

Elinor Guggenheimer dedicated her life to serving others. In addition to her remarkable career as an activist, she was a philanthropist and humanitarian. Her efforts were credited as indispensable in securing the acquisition of the fabled Temple of Dendur by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, located just a few blocks from her home on Manhattan's Upper East Side. She also served as Chair of the Women's Division of the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York and as an officer at its predecessor organization, the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies.

Throughout her whirlwind career as an activist, Elinor Guggenheimer remained devoted to her family. She was devoted to her late husband Randolph, who died in 1999; to her sons, Charles and Randolph, Jr.; and to her three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my distinguished colleagues join me in recognizing the enormous contributions to civic and political life made by Elinor Guggenheimer, a true pioneer and civil rights activist in the finest traditions of our great republic.

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to pay tribute to the Kiwanis of Astoria--Long Island City for its outstanding work in supporting philanthropic and community organizations serving the people of western Queens.

This year, the Kiwanis Club named as its Man of the Year Panagiotis Manolas, M.D., Chief of Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens. Born and educated in Greece, Dr. Manolas immigrated to America to complete his studies. Certified by the American Board of Surgery, he has developed a highly successful multi-specialty practice in general, breast and laparoscopic surgery. Named a ``New York Super Doctor'' and one of the ``Best Doctors in New York'', he is devoted to his patients, often providing his services pro bono or on a sliding scale.

The Kiwanis Club is naming as its Women of the Year several deserving honorees. These include: Rose Anne Alafogiannis, past president of the Kiwanis Club and member of Queens Community Board #1, the Astoria Civic Association, SHAREing & CAREing, and a Lector for the Immaculate Conception parish;

Donna Furey, an Astoria native, Kiwanis Club member, and attorney specializing in elder law who who serves as a member of the board of St. John's University School of Law Alumni Association and the Queens County Women's Bar Association and who has dedicated herself to helping local seniors;

Roberta Gualtieri, a life-long Astoria resident who has served countless hours as a volunteer at the Steinway Senior Center, the Kiwanis Club, the 114th Police Precinct, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Roman Catholic Church, St. John's Hospital emergency room, and with literacy programs for underprivileged youth;

Laura Jean Hawkins, a longtime community activist and lecturer who served for many years as Chief of Staff to former Assemblyman Denis Butler and advocate for non-profit groups like SHAREing & CAREing, a breast and ovarian cancer support group;

Teresa Jarnich, a member of the Kiwanis Club of Astoria--Long Island City and a volunteer with its Christmas Auction and Anti-Crime programs;

Christine Lolas, an Athens native who immigrated to the U.S. to launch her career in the banking industry. She is active in the Kiwanis Club, the 30th Avenue Business Association, and serves on the Advisory Board of SHAREing & CAREing;

Anna Kril, the founder of SHAREing & CAREing, Inc. She serves on the Board of Directors of the New York City Health & Hospitals Corporation, on the Executive Board of the Community Advisory Board of Elmhurst Hospital Center, as Chairperson of the Health Committee of Queens Community Board #1 in Queens, and as a member of the Kiwanis Club;

Vera Martucci, who, although widowed at an early age, still devoted herself to serving others by volunteering to assist immigrants through the International Ladies Garment

Workers Union and at St. John's Hospital's emergency department, the Steinway Senior Center, and P.S. 7 and P.S. 126;

Charlene Perno, a Registered Nurse who serves on the Board of SHAREing & CAREing, as coordinator of New York Hospital of Queens' health fair, and who provides health education to local high schools;

Linda Ann Vinci-Perno, an Astoria native who has volunteered for the Boy's Club of Queens, Ladies Auxiliary, President of St. Margaret Mary Rosary Society, and the Long Island chapter of Cancer Care; and

Eartha Washington, who serves as Chair of the Board of Elmhurst Hospital and is active with the New York City Department for the Aging Advisory Board, SHAREing & CAREing, the Kiwanis Club, and the Astoria Civic Association.

I ask that my distinguished colleagues join me in paying tribute to these outstanding individuals for their extraordinary commitment to serving others.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Sister Judy Garson for her 24 years of service with the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Services. Sister Judy has been an extraordinary leader, ably directing the expansion of the services provided by the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service and ensuring that the organization continues to be a vital force in the community. After nearly a quarter of a century in dedicated and effective service to others, Sister Judy Garson is embarking on a well- deserved retirement.

The devotion of the Little Sisters of the Assumption to the well- being of families with children in East Harlem is truly remarkable. Since its founding five decades ago this year, the Sisters' Family Health Service has offered community-based health services to historically underserved local residents of ``El Barrio''. Through a broad range of services, including parenting classes, summer day-camp trips for children in the community, and day-care services, the Little Sisters of the Assumption have made an enormous and enduring difference in countless lives.

In her nearly quarter century of service at Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Services, Sister Garson has seen its full-time staff expand from 30 to more than 60 employees. Under her guidance, the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Services has evolved into a highly successful, independent organization that will continue to serve the East Harlem community for generations to come. During her distinguished tenure at the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Service, Sister Judy Garson has been at the forefront of the valiant effort to combat HIV and AIDS in a community that has widely been considered an epicenter of this lethal epidemic. With courage and compassion, she reached out to those suffering from HIV and AIDS at a time when misinformation and a lack of public awareness created an impenetrable stigma around those infected with the virus. Her educational outreach offered a shining example of her distinguished and effective service.

Perhaps the most remarkable facet of Sister Garson's 24 years of service with the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Services is the patient and considerate attention that she pays to each and every family in her organization's care. She and her staff do more than identify clients' problems and offer assistance; they take the extra step to help families obtain enduring ways to overcome the obstacles in their lives.

Sister Judy Garson's leadership skills were apparent from the beginning of her career. After completing her bachelor's degree, Sister Judy accepted a prestigious position in Rome as one of five board members responsible for the administration of the Society of the Sacred Heart and its numerous chapters in more than 33 countries around the world. She drew upon the invaluable experience she gained at the Vatican when she returned to the United States, where she brought to bear her inspirational and effective leadership and management skills in our nation's greatest city.

In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the well-being of the people she has served and her extraordinary leadership of the Little Sisters of the Assumption Family Health Services, I ask that my distinguished colleagues join me in honoring Sister Judy Garson, an outstanding and compassionate leader who has dedicated her life to serving others.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my distinguished colleagues in this House join me in saluting Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey. This outstanding institution has proudly and effectively served residents with disabilities and disadvantages living in the New York City metropolitan area since its founding in Brooklyn in 1915. Throughout its illustrious history, Goodwill Industries has carried out its critical mission, which is to ``enhance the quality and dignity of life for individuals, families and communities.''

Last year, Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey provided services to more than 120,000 people, placing 13,000 in jobs. Over the course of the last five years, it helped to connect 53,000 persons with employment opportunities. In 2007, it served more than 9,500 persons with disabilities, and placed almost 2,800 of them in jobs. Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey employs more than 1,800 people with disabilities, and its youth programs provide education, recreation and enrichment to 9,400 children and their families. And, as the Member of Congress representing the neighborhood of Astoria in the Borough of Queens, I am proud of Goodwill Industries' long-term commitment to serve the Two Coves community of Astoria, where its headquarters are located.

This year, the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company is celebrating its 150th anniversary by supporting family-strengthening initiatives across the nation. Northwestern Mutual is working in tandem with Goodwill Industries International to achieve this laudable goal. With 184 member and affiliate Goodwill agencies around the world serving 1.1 million individuals and placing 140,000 in employment, the program promises to be an outstanding success.

This month, Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey and the Northwestern Mutual Foundation are co-sponsoring a Community Connect Action Fair at Lighthouse Park on Roosevelt Island in New York City to help connect New York families with employment and community resources while providing healthy, entertaining activities for children and adults alike.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my distinguished colleagues rise to join me in saluting the tremendous contributions of Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey to the civic good of the communities it serves, and to recognize the vital support for those efforts provided by the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and its Northwestern Mutual Foundation. All Americans owe these great institutions a debt of gratitude for their selfless and compassionate efforts to serve others.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to James F. Lonergan, a distinguished New Yorker who has selflessly devoted himself to his community and our nation. His contributions to the civic life of New York City are being recognized this month as he begins his retirement after many years of dedicated public service at the New York City Department of Education's Division of School Facilities, which he served with distinction as its Chief Executive Officer.

After serving in the United States Navy in Vietnam, James F. Lonergan joined the New York City Department of Corrections. At the Department of Corrections, he served as Stationary Engineer, Senior Stationary Engineer and Supervisor of Mechanics. In 1989, he joined the New York City Department of Education and rose through its ranks, serving as Deputy Director of Facility Maintenance, School Plant Manager, Assistant Director, Director, Senior Director and ultimately Chief Executive Officer of the Division of School Facilities. As the Chief Executive Officer, he supervised 9,000 employees and managed a $1 billion budget with effective leadership and consummate skill. Dedicated to education and self-improvement, he also earned a master's degree in urban affairs.

He made the School Facilities Mission Statement his mantra: ``To provide a safe, warm, clean setting that is conducive to the education and nurturing of our children in the most economic and efficient manner possible and to provide a school environment that allows students to realize their full potential and to improve the quality of life in the community we serve.''

James F. Lonergan views our public schools as cornerstones of the community, symbols of prestige in the community, and harbingers of a better future. He dedicated himself to making every school in his purview a ``beacon of light'' for the surrounding community. He was relentless and untiring in his efforts to improve the ``circle of quality'' that are our public schools. He fought against complacency, warning his co-workers that efforts to improve school facilities were never completed, and urging them on with the words, ``We must do it for the children.''

Born in the Bronx in 1951 into a family of four boys and six girls, James and his family moved to the Borough of Queens in 1953. He is devoted to his wife, Joanne Lonergan, a teacher at Public School 24Q. Together they were blessed with two children, James III, 28 years old, a manager with the Social Security Administration, and Kelly, 26 years old, an attorney.

In keeping with his energetic, can-do disposition, James F. Lonergan is not so much retiring as moving on to other activities. He is earning a second master's degree, in pastoral theology at St. John's University, and will continue to serve as a certified lay minister at Holy Trinity Parish and as a Eucharist minister. He will also remain very active in several veterans' and civic associations, including Vietnam Veterans, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Building Owners Management Association, Taxpayers Association, and the Whitestone Booster Association.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing the contributions to our civic life made by James F. Lonergan on the occasion of his retirement from a distinguished career as a dedicated and effective public servant.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Lifetime Television for its vigorous and effective educational programs that help promote efforts to combat the epidemic of sexual assault that has afflicted our nation. Among other measures, Lifetime Television mounted an extraordinary campaign to inform its millions of viewers about the Debbie Smith Act that was enacted into law in 2004 as part of the Justice for All Act. A reauthorization bill passed both the House and Senate this year and awaits the President's signature.

Founded in 1984, Lifetime Television is a national leader in women's television that now serves 96 million households across America. One of the top-rated basic cable television networks in the world, Lifetime is committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming, and educating viewers about a wide range of issues affecting women and their families.

Lifetime Television and its top leadership have also been remarkable in their commitment to serving their viewership through public education and outreach efforts. Countless not-for-profit and community- based organizations have benefitted from Lifetime's commitment to addressing critical issues in our society, increasing public awareness of violence against women, breast cancer, race relations, school bullying and AIDS. Many Members of Congress and government decision- makers from both sides of the aisle have praised Lifetime Television for helping to use its expansive reach as the most popular women's television network in the world to help generate support to enact sound public policies.

Lifetime Television's educational outreach efforts played an instrumental role helping to pass the Debbie Smith Act in 2004. Their educational efforts helped generate a groundswell of support from the public.

I was honored to name that bill after a courageous, determined advocate named Debbie Smith when I first introduced it in the 107th Congress. A rape survivor, she had been invited to testify before the House about the lack of resources to test DNA samples collected in rape and sexual assault cases. Her compelling testimony and relentless advocacy were instrumental in garnering support for the bill. The legislation increased federal spending on DNA evidence processing to $151 million annually from fiscal year 2005 through 2009, and created a new grant program providing resources to sexual assault examiners and acquiring forensic equipment. It was called ``the most important piece of anti-rape legislation that Congress has ever passed'' by the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network, or RAINN.

Lifetime has maintained that degree of commitment throughout the course of its Emmy Award-winning ``End Violence Against Women'' campaign over the last seven years. Lifetime Television later dramatized Debbie Smith's inspirational activism in an original

movie, ``A Life Interrupted: The Debbie Smith Story.''

Madam Speaker, I rise to request that my distinguished colleagues join me in recognizing Lifetime Television for its tireless efforts to educate and inform the American public about important issues confronting women in our society and to achieve equality and justice for women all over the world.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the brave men of the Office of Strategic Services' Greek Operations Group II who fought to liberate occupied Greece during World War II. This month, these heroes are being awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Valor for their service in defense of freedom.

In February 1943 at the height of World War II, the Greek government in exile sought help from the United States for Andartes, the Greek Resistance against Nazi occupation. In response, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS, the forerunner of the CIA) formed top-secret Greek Operations Groups (OGs) from the 122nd Infantry Battalion. After undergoing rigorous training, almost 200 largely Greek-born or Hellenic-American soldiers launched their secret mission, undeterred by warnings that most would not likely survive the perilous fighting behind enemy lines. Chosen for their fluency or near-fluency in Greek, their physical fitness and ability to endure arduous service in rugged mountain terrain, and their intense motivation to oust the Nazi occupiers from the land of their ancestors, these teams were inserted behind enemy lines. From April to September 1944, the men of OG II fought alongside the Greek Resistance, delaying and harassing the Nazi withdrawal, eliminating enemy troops, and destroying their equipment in order to weaken the final defense of Germany against the Allies.

Operations Group II, led by Lt. John Giannaris, operating chiefly out of the tiny remote village of Pappas, conducted military operations primarily against the railroad in the mountains between Lamia and Domokos. During a four-month period the team participated in 14 missions during which they destroyed three locomotives and 31 railway cars, blew up 7,400 yards of rail line, and inflicted 675 casualties on the enemy. On September 8th, 1944, as the group approached a heavily patrolled area, it came under point-blank enemy machine gun fire.

OG II member Michalis Tsirmulas was hit. Under a withering assault, Lt. Giannaris ordered a withdrawal while himself crawling to aid Tsirmulas, only to learn he had been killed. After being severely wounded, Lt. Giannaris narrowly escaped capture, passing within earshot of German soldiers hunting him down. He was found by two local shepherdesses, who cared for him and contacted his men. In a daring daylight escape, Lt. Giannaris was spirited to safety in a British aircraft.

The story of the Greek-American OGs was highly classified for more than 40 years. The full account of these soldiers and their accomplishments was unknown even to the surviving participants. After fighting in Greece ended, most of them went on to other assignments in Europe and Asia. They returned home never knowing the enormous impact their mission had on events in Greece. Most never spoke of their experience with the O.S.S for many years, even to their families. Many years later, Giannaris, since promoted to Captain, recommended his men for an award. The Defense Department agreed and authorized the Bronze Star Medal for valor.

Recently, a search began for survivors and descendants of the deceased of OSS Greek OG II, undertaken by Dr. Robert Perdue, OG II historian and a retired agricultural research scientist. This month at a ceremony in Astoria, New York, the 22 enlisted men of OG II will be honored at a ceremony. One surviving enlisted member of OG II will attend as will families of six deceased members of the Group,

with all receiving the Bronze Star Medal from Captain Giannaris.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing the extraordinary bravery and devotion to their country of the courageous men of OSS Greek Operations Goup II on the occasion of their receiving the Bronze Star Medal for Valor.

Madam Speaker, today, along with Representative Honda (D-CA), I am introducing the ``Fixing the Federal Voting Assistance Program Act of 2008'' which would do two things: (1) make the Director of the Federal Voting Assistance Office a presidential nominee confirmable by the Senate, and (2) create an advisory board to strengthen oversight of the office to ensure better access to the ballot by overseas military and civilians voters.

The recent history of the Federal Voter Assistance Program (FVAP) is one of clear lapses in the Government's efforts to help ensure access to the ballot for thousands of overseas voters, both civilian and military in recent elections. This legislation is designed to bring greater attention to the voting office in the Department of Defense and enhanced oversight to ensure that it does its job of providing greater access to voting for our soldiers, sailors and airmen, their families, as well as civilians living overseas.

The ``Fixing the Federal Voting Assistance Program Act'' is a necessary step in ensuring that overseas voters are counted in elections. Unfortunately, it will not help with the coming election. I believe that Americans serving in the military abroad or civilians residing overseas will still not have adequate help from the Government in facilitating their right of access to the ballot. I and Representative Honda believe we need to start working on improving access to the next election now while the problems are still fresh in our minds so that we are not facing them again in 2010.

I thank the gentleman for his extraordinary leadership, and I rise to urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the financial rescue plan. The risk of not acting is just too great for Americans to bear.

Today's grim jobless number showed that the problems facing Main Street are mounting. If we do not pass a financial rescue package today, credit markets may fail and working families and businesses will suffer. Consumers are the lifeblood of our economy, and most families need access to credit to make major purchases like buying a home, a car, or paying for college tuition.

Without financing, families will cut back on spending, businesses will see sales plummet, our economy will weaken, and even more jobs will be lost. A credit freeze also means small businesses may have trouble making their payrolls. Credit card interest rates could soar, and businesses could be unable to borrow and create new jobs.

This is a first step. We are continuing with hearings on Monday and Tuesday of next week. I congratulate Mr. Bachus for his work with the chairman for putting in tough safeguards for taxpayers, oversight and homeowners.