Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today, we mark the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision which enshrined a realm of personal privacy that is deeply connected to the personal freedoms that we hold dear in this country. As one Justice put it, it's the simple right to be left alone.

The right to choose is meaningless without access to choose. Yet the Republican-led Congress has chipped away at access, voting 10 times to limit access in the last Congress to a woman's basic right. Last year, there were 43 laws that were passed in 19 States that would restrict access to a woman's right to choose.

This past election, women made it loud and clear that the right to choose is one that they believe in, and that is

a basic right that the majority of Americans hold dear and will uphold with their votes in every election.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the Firearm Safety and Public Health Research Act and I commend my colleagues, Mr. Markey and the other 31 members who have joined me in sponsoring this bill.

Gun violence is a public health issue and public health agencies should have the ability to develop and pursue violence prevention and mental health research.

Unfortunately, since 1996 a rider to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) appropriations bill has prohibited the agency from conducting high-quality, peer-reviewed research into gun violence prevention. Congress expanded the ban in 2011 to apply to the entire Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

For over 16 years, gun deaths have continued to plague this country while we have restricted any meaningful, government sponsored scientific research on gun violence. We are unable to answer fundamental questions on the underlying causes of gun deaths because special interests and Members of Congress have restricted federal agencies from researching it.

Now is the time to repeal this ban.

The bill I am introducing will do just that.

The Firearm Safety and Public Health Research Act will lift the current prohibitions on CDC and NIH research into firearm safety. Federally-supported public health research would resume at these key agencies to help understand the causes of gun violence and make sure that we are best prepared to address this enormous public health crisis.

Even former Representative Jay Dickey, the Congressman who was instrumental in passing the 1996 ban agrees and is now calling for its repeal.

Congress should not be able to establish politically motivated restrictions on specific areas of research. We have witnessed far too many tragedies as the result of firearms and we need all the data and information we can get to inform policy.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Osvaldo LoVerme, Marie Torniali, and Connie Vario, who are being honored for their distinguished service to the community by the Taminent Regular Democratic Club. The Taminent Club is celebrating its 81st Annual Dinner Dance this month in Astoria, Queens.

In recognition of his lifetime commitment to civic engagement, Osvaldo ``Ozzie'' LoVerme is being honored with the ``Ralph DeMarco Award.'' Mr. LoVerme is the President of Teamsters Union Local 808. His career began in 1973 working for ConRail Railroad, and throughout his career, he has proved himself to be a trusted advocate for co-workers and union members. His dedication to the labor movement and his tireless efforts to protect workers and their families earned him the position as leader of the Teamsters Local 808. Mr. LoVerme has a strong presence in the community, serving on many cultural and civic organizations in his hometown of Astoria. He is the Vice President of the Astoria Homeowners, Tenants & Business Civic Association and Vice President of the Associazione Siciliani Uniti of New York. Mr. LoVerme came to Astoria from Sicily in 1968, and has always stayed connected to his Italian heritage as a member of many Italian cultural organizations. He is a devoted husband to his wife, Marie and loving father to his son, Vinny.

Marie Torniali is receiving the ``Community Service Award'' for her dedication to her neighborhood and service to others in the community. Ms. Tomiali attended high school in Astoria after arriving in the United States from France as a child. She is currently the Executive Director of the Central Astoria Local Development Coalition, where she has worked since 1979, and the Steinway Astoria Partnership. She also serves as a Board Member of Community Board 1. Previously, Ms. Torniali was the manager of the Steinway Street Business Improvement District. Her dedication to the security of the neighborhood of Astoria has earned her the 114th Civilian Observation Patrol (Civ-OP) Walter Michie Award, the Women of Distinction Award, and the New York Anti-Crime's Eternal Vigilance Award. She is also deeply devoted to her husband, Pietro, their daughter, Tanya, and son-in-law, John.

Connie Vario is being honored as a Lifetime Member of Taminent Democratic Club. She has been an active member of the Taminent Women's Regular Democratic Club for over 30 years. Ms. Vario devotes her time to volunteer work through Immaculate Conception parish, for which she works at the Church's Homeless Shelter, and is a member of the Rosarian Society. Since moving to Astoria with her husband Nicholas in 1954, Ms. Vario has been dedicated to serving her community and her neighbors. Mr. and Ms. Vario are loving parents to their three children, Patrick, Margaret, and Maria.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the extraordinary contributions that Osvaldo LoVerme, Marie Torniali, and Connie Vario have made to the community of Astoria. Their lifetimes of service and dedication to civic life have greatly benefited their neighborhood and the city of New York.

Mr. Speaker, Ed Koch is a great American lawyer, politician, and political commentator. He served 8 years in the House of Representatives and 12 as mayor of New York City.

Koch was born in The Bronx and raised in Newark. In World War II, he served in the European theater of war, earned two Battle Stars as a Combat Infantryman and was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant in 1946. Returning to New York, he attended City College and NYU School of Law, receiving his law degree in 1948. He was a sole practitioner before serving as a partner with Koch, Lankenau, Schwartz & Kovner.

Koch became active in city and Democratic party politics as a reformer and opponent of Tammany Hall and Tammany leader Carmine DeSapio, whom he twice defeated for Democratic Party leader for the district which included Greenwich Village. He served on the New York City Council from 1967 to 1969 and the U.S. House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977, before running for Mayor of the City of New York.

During the 1960s, Koch opposed the Vietnam war and marched in the South for civil rights. As a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, he advocated for a greater U.S. role in advancing human rights and became a target of attempted assassination by DINA, the Chilean secret police after proposing the cut-off of U.S. foreign aid to the right-wing government of Uruguay. He first rose to city-wide prominence as a result of his opposition to a controversial attempt by then Mayor John Lindsay to place a 3,000- person housing project in a middle-class community, a move which, at the time, shocked many of his political associates.

In 1977, Koch defeated incumbent Abe Beame, renowned feminist Bella Abzug and now former governor Mario Cuomo, in the NYC Mayoral Democratic primary, and went on to win the mayoralty. In 1981 he won re-election with 75% of the vote, running on both the Democratic and Republican Party lines. In 1982, Koch ran unsuccessfully for Governor of New York, losing the primary to then Lieutenant Governor Mario Cuomo.

As mayor, Koch often deviated from the conventional liberal line, strongly supporting the death penalty and taking a hard line on ``quality of life'' issues, such as giving police broader powers in dealing with the homeless and favoring (and signing) legislation banning the playing of radios on subways and buses. These positions prompted harsh criticism from many proponents of civil rights.

In 1984 Koch published his first memoir, Mayor, a best-seller that was turned into an Off-Broadway musical. In 1985, he won re-election on the Democratic and Independent tickets with 78% of the vote. In 1986, Mayor Koch surprised many by signing a lesbian and gay rights ordinance after backing his Health Department's decision to shut down the city's gay bathhouses in 1985 in response to the spread of AIDS.

In 1987, when the New York Giants won Super Bowl XXI, he refused to grant a permit for the team to hold their victory parade in the ``Canyon of Heroes,'' quipping, ``If they want a parade, let them parade in front of the oil drums in Moonachie,'' a town near the Meadowlands Sports Complex in New Jersey, where the Giants play.

In his third term, Koch suffered a stroke while in office, but continued with his duties. Koch became a controversial figure in the 1988 presidential campaign for criticizing Jesse Jackson for alleged anti-Semitism and stating that Jews would be ``crazy'' to vote for Jackson. In 1989, he ran for a fourth term as Mayor, but lost the Democratic primary to David Dinkins, who went on to defeat Rudy Giuliani in the general election.

In the years following his mayoralty, Koch became a partner in the law firm of Bryan Cave LLP and became a commentator on politics, movies and restaurants for newspapers, radio and television. He also became an adjunct professor at New York University (NYU) and a visiting professor at Brandeis University.

In 2008, Koch announced that he had secured a burial plot in the only graveyard in Manhattan accepting new burials, stating, ``I don't want to leave Manhattan, even when I'm gone. This is my home. The thought of having to go to New Jersey was so distressing to me.'' On March 23, 2011, the New York City Council voted to rename the Queensboro Bridge as the ``Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the 88th birthday of Ed Koch, an independent thinker, an outstanding leader and the quintessential New Yorker.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Gerald ``Jerry'' Walsh, outgoing President of the Dutch Kills Civic Association. Mr. Walsh has been involved with the organization since 1986, and has served with distinction as its President for ten years.

Mr. Walsh has lived in Astoria and Long Island City for his entire life. A proud graduate of Long Island City High School, he has always been passionate about serving and improving his community. In 1975, Jerry married his wife, Diane Hopkins, and is the proud father of two daughters, Dawn and Crystal, and has recently become a grandfather. Mr. Walsh has worked for the City of New York--Financial Information Services for 35 years in the Department of Computer Operations. He is currently the shift manager of Computer Operations Hardware.

His passion for the betterment of his community has been a lifetime commitment. He volunteered with the Dutch Kills Civic Association for the first time in 1986, and became a board member in 1989. He became its Vice President in 1993, and President in 2003. He has been the Deputy Chief of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) since January 2006, has served as the President of the Parents Association for Long Island City High School, and is a former member of the 114th Civilian Observation Patrol (Civ-OP). On November 29, 2012, the Central Astoria Local Development Coalition presented Mr. Walsh with the ``Community Leadership Award'' in recognition of his outstanding service.

The Dutch Kills Civic Association was created in 1979 to promote a greater awareness of the community among elected officials and government agencies. Dutch Kills is a neighborhood bounded by 34th Avenue on the north, on the south by Bridge Plaza North, on the east by Northern Boulevard, and on the west by 21st Street. The Association's goal is to assist all segments of the community and to support cooperation between business and residents.

Under Mr. Walsh's leadership, the Dutch Kills Civic Association has flourished. Mr. Walsh strongly believes in the power of community involvement and civic engagement. As the neighborhood has become increasingly residential, the number of retail establishments has grown and the area has become a mecca for tourists with many new hotels. The Dutch Kills Civic Association has made extraordinary contributions to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood. These efforts include supporting a massive rezoning project, making crime reports, improving sanitation, keeping a watchful eye on nightclubs, and successfully fighting the closure of Fire Engine Company #261. Additionally, Dutch Kills has sponsored children's shows at the Dutch Kills Playground and street fairs on 36th Avenue, and been involved with the organization of the New York City Marathon.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the extraordinary contributions that Mr. Walsh has made to the communities of Astoria and Long Island City. Mr. Walsh has truly brought about positive changes in the community he loves. His lifetime of service and dedication to civic life has greatly benefited his neighbors and the city of New York.

I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his really extraordinary bipartisan leadership on this issue with Nita Lowey and so many others from the Northeast region.

This is truly a bipartisan amendment with bipartisan devotion and commitment. The chairman has worked his heart out on this, and he has given his all to make this happen with great intelligence and commitment, to address the real need and the suffering of the

people. Struck by the second most economically devastating natural disaster in our Nation's history, people lost their homes, their cars, their jobs, in some cases their entire neighborhoods; and there should not be different standards for different storms or for different regions.

We are all one country. We were there when other States and regions suffered hurricanes, tornadoes. We need you to be there with the Northeast region today. This is a bipartisan effort. The standards should not be different. We were there for you. We need you to be there for the Northeast.

I thank my colleague and good friend from New York for yielding and for her extraordinary leadership in this body.

I rise in support of the rule and the two underlying bills.

As a region, the Northeast should not be held to a different standard. The Northeast was there when other States were struck with disasters. We were there with the aid. We didn't delay. We didn't put roadblocks. We didn't put forward all types of requirements to be met. We voice voted. We moved swiftly.

The Northeast, which is suffering from the second worst natural disaster in the history of our great country, the residents there have been suffering for 2\1/2\ months. Over 2\1/2\ million people lost all their electricity; some still don't have it. We need the aid and we need it now so that we can start rebuilding.

The Northeast is important. These amendments are important, not only for this region, but for the entire country.

The New York metropolitan area produces an estimated 11 percent of our gross domestic product. The country is better off when our Nation's economic engine is working at 100 percent.

These three States pay 16 percent of the taxes of our great country, but they can't produce if their subways are broken, if their schools are flooded, if the hospitals have been evacuated and the money is not there to help them rebuild. They can't produce. They can't be part of the great economic engine of this country.

I just plead with my colleagues not to have a double standard, not to vote tornado relief to Alabama, to Louisiana, to Mississippi, Missouri, with Ike, Gustav, Katrina, Rita, but when it comes to the Northeast with the second worst storm in the history of our country, to delay, delay, delay. We need the aid. We need it now. We need the entire package. You can't rebuild a subway station with one brick; you have to do the whole thing.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the sense of the House of Representatives that the Senate should ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). I am proud to be joined in this effort by my friend and colleague Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.

This bipartisan House Resolution urges the Senate to vote to ratify CEDAW, a landmark international agreement that mandates governments to take positive steps to ensure the full development and advancement of women, and their equal enjoyment of human rights, and that they change or eradicate discriminatory laws, customs, and practices.

Despite 187 countries ratifying CEDAW, we are the only western country in the world that has not ratified the treaty, although its fundamental principles of equality and nondiscrimination are central to our constitutions. Other nations that have not ratified CEDAW include Somalia and Iran.

Most importantly, CEDAW is non-self executing, meaning that any legislation the United States might adopt to comply with the treaty would have to go through the normal congressional process.

Ratification of CEDAW would continue our nation's proud bipartisan tradition of promoting and protecting human rights. The Senate's ratification of CEDAW would strengthen our standing as a global leader for the rights of women and girls.

I thank the gentleman for his leadership and for yielding.

Madam Speaker, the victims of Superstorm Sandy can wait no longer. It's been 11 weeks. Haven't they suffered and waited long enough? The people whom we represent, who sent us to Washington to serve and who are now not merely crying out for help but screaming for assistance, demand that we act without further delay and pass this bill to immediately increase the borrowing authority of FEMA and carry out the intended purpose of the National Flood Insurance Program. That help is, embarrassingly, overdue. Right now, if we fail to act and do not pass this bill, there's a total of 120,000 flood insurance claim payments that will be delayed and not paid.

This bill before us now will temporarily increase the borrowing authority for the National Flood Insurance Program by $9.7 billion-- much more is needed--and a vote has been promised of $51 billion on January 15. That absolutely needs to happen. Funds for Katrina passed this House in less than 2 weeks. We have been waiting for 11 weeks. Funds for Ike and Gustav passed very quickly. Again, the northeast corridor has been waiting for 11 weeks.

It should not take much imagination to appreciate what it's like at this very moment for those who have been waiting who have been affected by the flooding caused by the superstorm. For 11 weeks, they have been waiting while this body sat on a bill that should have long ago been signed, sealed, and its help delivered to those in desperate need. They wait for the billions that they need to rebuild. They need it for the transportation system. They need it to make sure that this doesn't happen again and to prevent floods in the future. They wait, many shivering tonight in the cold of New York, where temperatures are, again, below freezing. They are in homeless shelters and hotels, staying with friends. They are waiting.

This body needs to act, and needs to act today. It is long overdue.

They wait on us to act, their lives on hold. They dream of re- building their homes, their businesses, their lives. And all the while we sit here comfortably and have failed to act.

They wait for our colleagues across the aisle to at long at last listen hear their cries and to the demands of decency. They wait for us to treat the storm tossed victims of an unprecedented natural disaster at least as well as we have always treated others when tragedy struck. They are becoming the forgotten while we bicker.

They wait for the help only this bill can bring.

How long must those suffering wait for help? I say no longer!!

It is with strong conviction and urgent concern that I support the bill currently before us, and urge my colleagues to act NOW and pass this bill.

Mr. Speaker, this kind of petty partisan posturing is absolutely disgraceful. It's an act of spiteful indifference that will go down in history as a low point in a low era. Shame on this House. This House acted quickly after Katrina, voting over $60 billion in less than 2 weeks. It acted quickly for Ike and Gustav and the tornadoes in Alabama. We were there for other regions of this country. This country has to be there for the Northeast. Twenty-four States were affected. It has been called the second-worst natural disaster in the history of our country, affecting over 17 million people in the most densely populated area of America.

We cannot turn our backs on this entire region. Every Governor, every mayor has talked to the Republican leadership. They were assured the money would be there. We cannot rebuild or start to repair without the resources being in place.

The Northeast are donor States. We give far more to the Federal Government in taxes than what comes back to us. Yet when the natural disaster struck our people, we lost lives. We lost businesses, homes, complete devastation of the largest subway system in our country, moving 8 million people a day. Where is the aid and where is the support?

Mr. Speaker, introduce the Senate bill tomorrow. Let's come back into session, vote it on Friday. Let's put the aid in place, the American way of being there to help people. You can't pick and choose that certain areas get disaster relief, but the area that is the most hard- hit in the history of our country does not receive the relief? The disaster aid that has been there for other people? We have been there for you. You need to be there for the Northeast. It is devastated. We need Federal aid. You cannot repair hospitals, subway systems, major infrastructures without the support of the Federal Government.

Mr. Speaker, do not turn your back on America and a region of America. You need to support in a bipartisan way the aid that is so desperately needed for the most densely populated area of our country after the second-worst storm in the history of our country.

Madam Speaker, it has now been 9 weeks since Superstorm Sandy swept across the east coast. Twenty-four U.S. States were in some way affected by Sandy. The storm killed at least 131 people in eight States. Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. The unprecedented disaster caused billions of dollars in loss and economic disruption.

Just 2 weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast, this Congress approved more than $62 billion in Federal aid to help the devastated area get back on its feet. After Hurricanes Ike and Gustav hit in 2008, a supplemental appropriations bill passed this Congress overwhelmingly. All of these aid packages were approved by strong bipartisan majorities in both Chambers.

The needs were obvious and the speed imperative. We need to pass the Senate supplemental. Nothing has changed. That is what we did for others. That's what we need to do to help this devastated area.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in a bipartisan way in the consideration of H.R. 6379 to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6239 Savannah Highway in Ravenel, South Carolina, as the Representative Curtis B. Inabinett, Sr. Post Office.

I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the distinguished assistant Democratic leader, Congressman Clyburn from the great State of South Carolina, for as much time as he may consume.

Mr. Speaker, having no other speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 3869, to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 600 East Capitol Avenue in Little Rock, Arkansas, as the ``Sidney `Sid' Sanders McMath Post Office Building.''

The bill before us was introduced by Representative Tim Griffin on February 1, 2012. In accordance with committee requirements, H.R. 3869 is cosponsored by all members of the Arkansas delegation and was reported out of the Oversight Committee by unanimous consent on June 27, 2012.

As a former two-term Governor for Arkansas, Sidney Sanders McMath started his career as an enlisted officer with the U.S. Marine Corps. Having fought in the battle for the Solomon Islands in World War II, Mr. McMath would earn the rank of lieutenant colonel for his courageous efforts in the war. When he retired from the U.S. Marine Corps, his rank was major general.

A decorated war hero, McMath would return to his hometown of Hot Springs in time to be elected as a local prosecutor. Earning a reputation as a reformer, he worked tirelessly to rid the local government of corruption. His noble actions and hard work would carry him to victory in the 1948 election to become Governor of Arkansas. Leading the way as a reformist in all manners, McMath fought for civil rights for African Americans and modernized the Arkansas transportation infrastructure.

His hard work and determination have cemented his legacy in Arkansas's history. To commemorate Sidney ``Sid'' Sanders McMath, I ask that we pass the measure before us, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, having no other speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

As a member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 3378, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 220 Elm Avenue in Munising, Michigan, as the Elizabeth L. Kinnunen Post Office Building.

The bill before us was introduced by my colleague Dan Benishek on November 4, 2011. In accordance with committee requirements, H.R. 3378 is cosponsored by all members of the Michigan delegation, and it was reported out of the Oversight Committee by a voice vote on February 7, 2012.

Elizabeth Kinnunen has a very special place in America's heart due to her personal sacrifice for our country. Mrs. Kinnunen is what we call a ``double gold star mother.'' Her son Eiso was killed in action during the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Unfortunately, years later, her son Raymond was killed during the Korean War, while a third son, Reino, served in West Germany during the same war. No mother should have to lose two sons to war; but her family sacrifice will forever be part of history, and I ask that we pass this bill with no reservation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, having no further requests for time, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I am pleased to join my colleagues in the consideration of H.R. 4389, which was introduced by my good friend and colleague to whom I now yield such time as he may consume, the gentleman from the great State of California, Representative Jim Costa.

Having no further speakers, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.