Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, I'm pleased to join my colleagues in support of H.R.

6260, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 211 Hope Street in Mountain View, California, as the Lieutenant Kenneth M. Ballard Memorial Post Office.

The bill before us was first introduced by my good friend and colleague, Representative Anna Eshoo from the great State of California, and I yield her such time as she may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague and compliment her on her very moving tribute, not only to her constituent but to all the men and women who serve our great Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support of this renaming in honor of a true American hero. And noting that I have no additional 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.

I thank my wonderful colleague and dear friend for yielding to me, and I congratulate him on his election to the United States Senate and for responding so beautifully to his constituents and to all of us in response to the terrible tragedy that happened.

After the unfathomable tragedy, there is a growing determination and consensus that there has to be change. We also realize that if there is no change then we are destined to have yet another mass murder. This time, the mass murder was of children--elementary school children, in their school with their teachers--gunned down with an assault weapon. There are too many mass murders in this country. We have more guns per capita than any other country on Earth. If guns made people safer, this country would be very safe, but what we have are innocent people being killed with assault weapons.

Now, assault weapons are not used to kill animals, and they're not used in self-defense. These are weapons of war. When we return in January, Senator Feinstein and our colleague Carolyn McCarthy will be reintroducing the assault ban bill; but something we can do right now, before we leave this body, is to pass H.R. 308. We now have, roughly, 150 cosponsors. What this bill would do is ban massacre magazines. These are the large-capacity magazines that can have 100 rounds be limited to 10 rounds. They'd have to stop and reload. That's what saved people in the movie theater: He had to stop; it jammed. These magazines can gun down people, and we need to limit them. That's something we can do right now in this Congress before we leave.

There are some who say that any limitation on guns--weapons of mass destruction--somehow limits their liberty, but they have to realize that their access to these weapons of mass destruction limits the liberty of other people. It means that we need to lock more doors, that we need metal detectors everywhere, that we need guards, that we need more protection even in movie theaters, even for children in school.

We need to bring change. This bill would bring change. This is something we can do right now to show America that we respect the Second Amendment. We're not infringing on law-abiding citizens to have their pistols. What we are saying is that these large-capacity magazines that are used in war cannot be used on our schoolchildren in elementary schools. Let's come together in a bipartisan way and pass this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Edward Spar on his retirement as Executive Director of the Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics, COPAFS. Since December 1992, Mr. Spar has led COPAFS, a consortium of over 50 organizations and individuals dedicated to increasing knowledge about issues affecting Federal statistical agencies and to encouraging dialogue between its member organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public about these issues.

As you may know Mr. Speaker, I am a strong supporter of our nation's federal statistical agencies and the data that they collect, disseminate, and protect. These agencies, which include, for example, the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center for Education Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, and Bureau of Justice

Statistics, are national treasures. Simply put, federal, state, and local governments and American businesses could not function effectively without these agencies which produce high quality, reliable, and accessible data.

As the COPAFS Executive Director, Mr. Spar has shared my passion for these agencies and successfully raised awareness about their often- overlooked needs. He achieved this goal by conducting quarterly meetings and other colloquia for users and producers of federal statistics where they could share information about current federal statistical policy developments and discuss issues important to governmental and non-governmental data user communities. Mr. Spar was also a constant presence at meetings with federal statistical agencies, Members of Congress, and congressional staff, offering his expertise on federal statistical policy issues and suggesting improvements.

Mr. Spar's achievements include an initiative he led for the Bureau of Labor Statistics to update the Consumer Expenditure Survey, which resulted in crucial changes to the survey's interviewing structure, questionnaire design, and proxy reporting. In addition, he served on the National Academy of Sciences' panel on transportation statistics whose recommendations guide the current collection of key infrastructure data. Mr. Spar has also worked closely with the Office of Statistical Policy of the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB), particularly to review and improve geographic classifications, as well as to bring statistical policy and research developments to broader audiences.

His efforts have not been limited, however, to domestic statistical issues. Mr. Spar has also been recognized as a leader regarding international surveys and agencies. Major international agencies, including the United Nations, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Information Agency, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, have consulted with Mr. Spar. In this capacity, Mr. Spar advised these agencies and their international counterparts on a range of issues, including data collection and confidentiality standards, the establishment of statistical policy offices, and the development of strategies for outreach to users of federal statistics.

In addition to all of his achievements, Mr. Spar has been a mentor, teaching courses at Georgetown University and the U.S. Census Bureau, leading workshops at national and international scientific and data user conferences, and encouraging the next generation of statisticians and data users. And, as President of Market Statistics from 1972 to 1992, Mr. Spar was one of the pioneers of private sector applied demography.

I am proud to rise in recognition of Mr. Spar, a native New Yorker and a national leader on federal statistical issues. Although he is leaving COPAFS to enjoy a well-deserved retirement, he leaves behind a legacy of stronger statistical agencies and policies and an appreciative cadre of colleagues who have benefited from his dedicated years of service.

Congratulations and best wishes to Mr. Spar and his family.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership.

Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the November elections, there has been a growing consensus that it is time to undertake comprehensive immigration reform. There are many good reform proposals out there; but, unfortunately, this is not one of them. Although this bill does have some merits, those merits are more than offset by the bill's defects.

One glaring problem is that this bill treats immigration as a zero- sum game. It seems to operate under the assumption that anytime a door is opened to a new class of entrants, it must slam the door shut on another.

This bill would totally eliminate the longstanding Diversity Visa program that now provides one of the few legal pathways to enter the United States. Currently, the Diversity Visa program only issues 50,000 visas a year. And in 2013, almost 8 million people worldwide have applied for this visa. For anyone looking to find a legal way to come to this country right now, the chances are pretty slim. The zero-sum approach of this bill reduces those chances even further. It achieves almost the opposite of what the American people have asked us to do.

Fortunately, there are better bills out there, bills that address some of the core concerns, bills that are ready to go. For instance, the Attracting the Best and the Brightest Act, Zoe Lofgren's bill, H.R. 6412, would create a new green card for people with graduate degrees from U.S. research universities in the STEM disciplines.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, currently we have in our country about a million engineers, scientists, and other highly skilled workers on H-1B temporary visas. And when these visas expire, we just send them home. We train them in the STEM disciplines that our high-tech economy so badly needs, and then we just send them home. That is absolutely crazy.

The Democratic bill, H.R. 6412, would help us retain some of that valuable, highly trained talent we helped to create. The EB-6 visa would require all applicants to have an advanced degree from an accredited public or nonprofit university. It would provide 50,000 of these STEM visas, but it would not eliminate other visa programs which are helpful, such as the Diversity Visa.

There is also a bill I authored with Senator Kerry, the Start-Up Visa Act. Our bill would recognize the great contributions being made to our economy by these job creators, and it would establish an employment- based, conditional immigrant visa. Applicants would have to be immigrant entrepreneurs seeking to establish a start-up company or already have a business in the U.S., and it would have to have sufficient financial backing.

We do need more talented people going into the STEM disciplines in our economy. Let's refuse to slam the door on other immigrants. Let's vote ``no'' on this bill. Let's vote ``yes'' on the Democratic bills that provide STEM visas and provide help to our economy.

Mr. Speaker, according to a report by the National Economic Council, if the economy goes over the fiscal cliff, it could cut consumer spending by over $200 billion. In other words, if we come to a consensus with a financial plan and agree, it could be a $200 billion stimulus to our economy. Having a plan in place would also give certainty to businesses and our markets, adding an additional stimulus.

Failing to take action could slow the growth of our real GDP by 1.4 percentage points in 2013, and allowing the middle class tax cuts to expire would increase Federal taxes on a typical middle class family of four by $2,200 in 1 year. Continued gridlock would throw the U.S. back into a recession and would cause the jobless rate to go up. Congress would be stuffing a big piece of coal into the stockings of Americans by not coming together and getting a consensus plan.

I would like to congratulate my good friend and colleague Jan Schakowsky for her incredible leadership in this body and for organizing this Special Order that focuses on the impact of sequestration on women, children, and families. It's very important.

Just yesterday, Jan, there was a report that came out from the National Economic Council and the Council of Economic Advisers which said that if we go over this fiscal cliff--if we do sequestration--that it would cut consumer spending by $200 billion. So, by having a consensus on the budget and a financial plan that is fair and balanced going forward, it could be $200 billion in stimulus. On top of that stimulus, there would be business and market stimulus just by having some certainty in where we're going. Having an agreement that is fair and balanced is critical for the overall economy, but the impact on women and children and on some of our most vulnerable would be devastating. That's why your particular focus today in this Special Order is so important.

The United States currently ranks about 50th in the world in infant mortality. In Morocco, 1.8 infants under 1 year of age die for every 1,000 live births each year. In Japan, the number is 2.2. In the United States, to our shame, the number is six. From New Zealand to all other advanced countries around the world, they do much better than the United States in this most fundamental measure of health and well- being. The people who are most affected by this failure are not those who have been irresponsible--they are not slackers; they are not lazy. They are babies. They are mostly babies who have been born into poverty. This is a metric that we should feel morally bound to improve by leaps and bounds, but instead, we are about to make it worse for these babies if we don't act swiftly to prevent sequestration.

If this Congress does not act to prevent this country from plunging over the fiscal cliff under the terms of the sequestration provisions, the Women, Infants, and Children program will experience a savage cut of 8.2 percent--a reduction of over a half a billion dollars. The program, which is known as WIC for short, provides nutrition and breast-feeding education, healthy food, and improved health care to millions of low-income families and mothers and children. Nearly 735,000 participants would be cut from the program next year. These are not families who can just make up the difference by taking shorter vacations or by whipping out a little credit card. These are low-income families, and they would be permanently hurt.

In my home district of New York, these cuts would seriously threaten the ability to deliver critical services to mothers and babies, which are services that they need. It disproportionately affects low-income families.

Sequestration would devastate the title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant Program. This block grant currently serves over 7 million individuals in New York by supporting initiatives that promote health, that reduce economic disparities, and that combat infant mortality. Under the cruel consequences of sequestration, more than 5 million fewer families would be served.

Cuts under sequestration would mean that, in New York alone, over 1,000 fewer women would be screened for cancer, that 11,000 fewer children would be vaccinated, and that 1.1 million fewer women and children would be receiving health care. In New York right now, about 14,000 cases of breast cancer and over 914 cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed each and every year. Sequestration would cut more than $268,000 from the breast and cervical cancer screening program.

In this fragile economy, States simply cannot absorb these cuts without cutting vital services. New York, like every other State in this country, has its own extreme problems, and we are running our State now at a deficit, and we have to make that up in a year. Under our State constitution, we can't carry deficits, and you can't tell a baby to just go out and get a job.

Let's work together to protect these critical programs for women and children. It's time to change direction. It's time to acknowledge that elections matter, and it's time to listen to the American people. This bus, at great speed, is headed over a cliff, and it's time for the people in the majority, the people in the driver's seat here in the House, to take a turn and to change it.

What would happen if we went into sequestration and if the middle class

tax cuts expired? That would mean an increase in taxes of $2,000, on average, against every middle class family in America. Failing to take action would slow the growth of our own real GDP by 1.4 percentage points in 2013, and this continued gridlock would throw the United States back into a recession and cause the jobless rate to go up.

Congress is going to be stuffing, I would say, a big, ugly lump of coal into the stockings of the American workers if we don't save this country from sequestration, and we know that those who would be hurt are those who are the most vulnerable. It was our great President, John F. Kennedy, who said, When you balance budgets, don't balance them on the backs of the poor. As to the programs that really serve the neediest and the most vulnerable--the children, the mothers, the retired women--this sequestration is going to hurt them the most. I would say nobody in their right mind would vote to do that.

The American people made their wishes clear in this last election. They supported President Obama, and they want this Congress to get going and to get the job done, but at the rate we're going, we're all going no place fast except over a cliff. As you pointed out, the impact of going over this cliff will be devastating to our overall economy but particularly to those who are the most vulnerable--our children and our mothers and our elderly women.

So I want to congratulate my colleague and partner in so many efforts for women, children, families, and for working Americans and, really, for getting a compromise, for getting a solution that will keep us from going over this fiscal cliff. I thank my distinguished colleague for organizing this.

Yes, yes. Here we are so wealthy, and yet we are 50th in the world in infant mortality.

Literally, literally, and we can't afford to do it. I would say it really is scandalous, absolutely scandalous.

We have to work together and prevent this from happening. Always, it's those parts of our society that can't afford a lobbyist, that don't have the money. Babies can't get jobs, and they can't hire lobbyists. So those programs that help poor children are going to be incredibly vulnerable with this sequestration. As I said, no one in their right mind would let this happen, yet the parties seem so far apart, and we don't seem to be getting the consensus that we need to make this happen. It's absolutely critical. Getting that consensus and not falling over that cliff is literally going to save lives, millions of lives.

I would say so. And providing the resources for WIC, which provides food literally for children, for babies and their mothers, this is a fundamental measure of health and well-being around the country, the birth of children and the health of their mothers; and yet we are doing so poorly in it. We are 50th in the world in infant mortality. That is not a statistic; that is a scandal.

Taking money away from the support of these young babies, these are not irresponsible people that aren't carrying their weight. These are not people that are slackers, like some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle talk about some people. They're not lazy; they just happen to be born poor. And in the richest country in the world, we have to be there. As John F. Kennedy said, we cannot balance the budget on the backs of the poor. It's wrong.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to James M. and James L. Nederlander who are being honored by the New York Landmarks Conservancy at its Living Landmarks Celebration 2012. The Nederlander family has been a symbol of Broadway theater for three generations. This year marks the 100th Anniversary of The Nederlander Organization. James M. Nederlander, who celebrates his 90th birthday this year, is Chairman of the Nederlander Producing Company. James L. Nederlander serves as President of The Nederlander Organization.

James M. Nederlander, affectionately known as Jimmy, has had a remarkable 70-year career in theater production and management. The Nederlander Organization, founded by his father, David T. Nederlander in Detroit, Michigan, now owns and operates nine theaters in New York City. Five of them--Brooks Atkinson, Neil Simon, The Palace, Lunt- Fontanne, and Richard Rodgers--have been named New York City landmarks. The Nederlander Organization also owns several venues across the United States and in London. James M. Nederlander is credited with establishing the concept of an outdoor amphitheater. He has succeeded in drawing new audiences and has worked to keep a loyal audience through an Audience Rewards program.

Mr. Nederlander moved The Nederlander Organization to New York in 1964, recognizing that there was greater opportunity for expansion outside of Michigan. He became one of New York's preeminent producers, earning 11 Tony Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award he received on June 6, 2004. He has also produced ballets, operas, and concerts. Dedicated to the support of young performers, Mr. Nederlander established The National High School Musical Theater Awards (NHSMTA). The national competition, known as the ``The Jimmy Awards'' in his honor, is being documented in a new PBS television series called Broadway or Bust.

Under the leadership of Jimmy's son, James L. ``Jimmy, Jr.'' Nederlander, the Nederlander Organization continues to maintain its trademark standards of excellence. The production company is responsible for putting on some of Broadway's most famous shows, including La Cage Aux Folles, Hairspray, Wicked, Rent, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Chicago, and The Lion King among many others. The company has long-standing relationships with some of the greatest companies and composers in show business, including Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jerry Herman, and Disney. The Nederlanders have produced over 100 theatrical productions enjoyed by thousands of New York City tourists and residents every year, and have invested in, co-produced and booked countless others.

James L. Nederlander has been a theater owner since 1970 and has produced plays since 1984. Former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani appointed Mr. Nederlander to the Trust for Cultural Resources of the City's Visitors and Convention Bureau, the Mayor's Theatre Advisory Council, and the Mayor's Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting. He is also a member of several charitable and philanthropic organizations. He is on the Executive Committee of the League of American Theatre, the Board of Trustees of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, the Board of the Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation, and the Board of the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center Comprehensive Cancer.

The Nederlanders continue to present some of the most popular plays on Broadway in the culture capital of the world. Current shows include Peter and the Starcatcher, Evita, Newsies, and Annie. Their contributions to Broadway and the broader theater community across the country are truly legendary. The achievements of the Nederlander family have earned them the distinction of being the Landmarks Conservancy's first father-son Living Landmark honorees.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating my good friends, James M. and James L. Nederlander on this remarkable honor. They have entertained audiences for 100 years, and made significant contributions to the arts and to New York City that will last for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I honor Kenya R. Taylor, a hardworking and talented artist who also serves as the Euro-American Women's Council's Creative Director. The Euro-American Women's Council was founded sixteen years ago on the principles of endorsing high ranking professional women from around the world while promoting their strong family values. As a professional accomplished artist who took these values to heart, Kenya joined the Euro-American Women's Council in 2008, bringing his artistic, gifted, and innovative talent to the organization.

Kenya's talents were first recognized at the age of five, when he was enrolled in his first art program at the Edith K. Bergtraum Elementary School in Flushing, New York. It was at this school where Kenya first learned how to paint portraits and still-lifes. Kenya quickly became known as an artist and was often asked to do special works for the school, some of which are still hanging today. However, this was just the beginning of Kenya's talent, continuing to middle school and influencing his later decision to enroll at the renowned High School of Art and Design in New York City where he studied Advanced Placement Environmental Science in addition to Architectural Design. During these high school years, Kenya also immersed himself in classes at the distinguished Parsons School of Design where he then continued his studies as an undergraduate. It was at the Parsons School of Design where he began to branch out into other forms of design such as graphic design, web design, and industrial design.

Upon graduation, Kenya became a graphic designer, and further proved his artistic talent through a vast portfolio of work ranging from television to fashion. He has also designed pieces for a variety of American political families including the Clintons and the Bushes. But after the birth of his two children, Kenya chose to move out of the spotlight to start a career that allowed him to be closer with his family.

For the past four years, Kenya's role as the Euro-American Women's Council Creative Director has allowed him full oversight and vision of the organization's design components including invitations, programs, and the website. One of his most significant accomplishments since joining the Euro-American Women's Council was working on EAWC's Silk Books commemorating 16 years of the organization's accomplishments. These banners were on display at this year's Goddess Artemis Awards and Global Business Forum,

allowing leaders from all over the world to see his amazing artwork. Kenya continues to work tirelessly as he continues to create beautiful designs as the Creative Director, often with his children by his side. In appreciation for all of the incredible work by Kenya R. Taylor, I am proud to honor him today in Congress and look forward to his future artistic and creative achievements.

Mr. Speaker, all along the east coast, families are struggling to recover from superstorm Sandy. That makes avoiding the fiscal cliff even more important.

Unless we come together in this body to reach across the aisle and compromise, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, which is helping thousands and thousands of people and small businesses recover from this disaster, could be cut as much as $848 million. Cutting FEMA would be a manmade disaster that would cripple relief efforts in my home State of New York and in many other States.

I don't believe that anyone in this body campaigned on raising the unemployment rate or campaigned to see the U.S. economy fall back into a recession, which would happen if we went over this fiscal cliff. I hope that no one here wants to place a significant new tax burden on the middle class.

In these final days of Congress, let's reach across the aisle, let's reach to one another and work together on the critical problems we need to solve. We need to avoid the fiscal cliff.

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

I rise in support of H.R. 6570, which will amend the reporting requirements in two laws: the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the stimulus package, and the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which created TARP. I commend my colleague from the great State of New Jersey for bringing this bill to the floor.

In both laws, the Congressional Budget Office, the Government Accountability Office, and the Office of Management and Budget have certain reporting and comment requirements. The goal of the bill before us today is to streamline those requirements and make them workable for all of the agencies and for the American public while preserving access to the information. It will make these agencies more efficient in their oversight of both the stimulus and of the TARP programs.

First, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 requires recipients of grants made under the law to produce detailed quarterly reports on their use of the funds. These reports include the amount that was spent, the number of jobs that were created, and certain information about the subcontractors. The reports are publicly available, and the bill before us does not touch the reports themselves or the requirements that they are required to produce. However, CBO and GAO are also required under the law to comment each quarter on the content of the reports. This bill before us today simply says that they can provide those comments on an annual basis rather than quarterly. This will ease the burden on the CBO and GAO while maintaining their oversight responsibilities.

Second, in the law that created the TARP fund, OMB was required to report on a semiannual basis the estimated cost of TARP, the assumptions behind that estimate, and estimate how the costs have changed. The bill before us today would amend the law to allow OMB to submit these reports annually rather than semiannually. This again lessens the burden on OMB, especially 4 years after TARP was enacted and when a large majority of those funds have been paid back.

Semiannual reports are simply no longer needed.

Finally, the bill before us includes a commonsense provision to sunset OMB's reporting requirement once all remaining troubled assets acquired under the TARP program are no longer owned or controlled by the Federal Government.

So I support this bill. I support this effort to lessen the burden on agencies that are stretched extremely thin and are already stretching every single dollar while ensuring that the public continues to have the valuable information the reports would provide and information that these agencies are providing.

I support the bill. I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

I join my colleague and commend his work on relieving unnecessary burdens and requirements on important agencies. I support this bill.

And I yield back the balance of my time.

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

I rise in strong support of H.R. 2453, the Mark Twain Commemorative Coin Act. This legislation will allow the U.S. Treasury Department to mint $1 silver and $5 gold commemorative coins in recognition of Mark Twain's incredible legacy.

The minting of these coins will come at no additional cost to the taxpayer and will be divided among four important organizations dedicated to promoting the legacy of Mark Twain. One will be the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, Connecticut; secondly, the Mark Twain Project at the Bancroft Library at the University of California, Berkeley; thirdly, the Center for Mark Twain Studies at Elmira College in my home State of New York; and, lastly, the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum in Hannibal, Missouri.

I commend the work of my colleague from Missouri, Representative Luetkemeyer. This bill will ensure that these great institutions will benefit directly from Mark Twain's legacy.

Samuel Clemens, better known to the world as Mark Twain, was one of the most important and unique American voices whose literary work has had a lasting effect on our Nation's history and culture. In fact, Mark Twain was instrumental in popularizing the image of an America full of hardworking men and women who pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps, an America that is still very much alive and well and part of the American Dream.

Mark Twain's literary achievements and educational legacy remain strong to this very day, with nearly every book he wrote still in print, still taught in our schools, and still providing us with a social narrative that we will not and should not forget.

``The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,'' ``Huckleberry Finn,'' ``The Prince and the Pauper''--Twain's writings continue to be printed over a century after they were first published, and they continue to make a lasting impact. They are a cherished memory for every American school child.

So as Mark Twain once wrote: ``There is nothing that cannot happen today.'' Isn't that the American spirit, the can-do American spirit?

I support this legislation as the recognition of one of America's greatest authors and certainly one of America's most popular authors, Mark Twain. I thank my colleague for bringing forward this important legacy legislation, American legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time.

And I would like to take up my good friend on the other side of the aisle on his offer and see if we can get a group of Congress Members to come and see this lasting legacy. Mark Twain--I read every single one of his books. I would love to see his inspiration from the great State of Missouri.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay special tribute to ArchCare at Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center, a faith-based, multi- specialty nursing facility in East Harlem, which has been serving the community since 1978. During the 4th Annual ``Stepping Up in Faith for HIV and AIDS'' Community Events Week, the Health Care Center is sponsoring ``A Sacred NYC HIV & AIDS Conversation'' among faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, Faith in Action Advocates, and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The discussion will focus on the theme ``Turning the Tide Together--as we move forward with HIV and AIDS Prevention and Care in our Faith and Secular Partnership.''

In 1989, ArchCare at Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center created the first long term care facility in New York State to provide comprehensive residential health care services to people living with AIDS and HIV. In their 156-bed unit, residents have access to a continuum of medical services, including dentists, dietitians, occupational and physical therapists, and social workers. At all stages of care, residents and their families are encouraged to participate in case conferences to discuss treatment plans. The Discrete Unit provides treatment with the hope that residents will be able to return to the community and live independently.

According to United Nations estimates, there are more than 33 million people living with HIV in the world. In 2011 alone, some 2.7 million people became newly infected with the virus, and an estimated 2 million people died from AIDS. In the United States, New York remains an epicenter of the disease, with the five boroughs alone accounting for 15.5% of the entire AIDS caseload in the United States, meaning that our city has more persons living with AIDS than the entire state of California.

ArchCare and the Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center have long fought on the front lines of the fight against AIDS and HIV, taking action to ensure that their patients are provided with access to vital healthcare services, and afforded protection of their basic human rights without fear of reprisal or discrimination. Not only does ArchCare provide quality, comprehensive care, but it also offers an environment of peace, tranquility and community.

The Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center is named in honor of New York's former Archbishop, and its mission is driven by Terence Cardinal Cooke's words: ``The `gift of life', God's special gift, is no less beautiful when it is accompanied by illness or weakness, hunger or poverty, mental or physical handicaps, loneliness or old age.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to ArchCare and Terence Cardinal Cooke Health Center's years of commitment to the fight against HIV and AIDS through exceptional care for all patients and vital education events. In so doing, we honor the dedication to compassionate service of the staff at Terence Cardinal Cooke, and hope that they serve as an inspiration to health care providers across the country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the Association of Greek American Professional Women. In March 2011, it honored my good friend, Loula Loi Alafoyiannis, as its Woman of the Year at an awards ceremony held on International Women's Day. In a fitting tribute, it is presenting a scholarship to an outstanding female student of Hellenic descent in Loula's name.

Founded in New York, the Association of Greek American Professional Women (AGAPW) is an independent non-profit organization that provides a forum for American women of Hellenic descent working in various professions and businesses. It is a clearinghouse for information, resources, support and networking opportunities, and helps to expand career opportunities and advance Greek-American professional women by forging partnerships and establishing symbiotic relationships with other organizations within and outside the Greek-American community. In so doing, AGAPW plays an important supportive role for Hellenic American women who seek to work and improve their quality of life in the U.S., Greece, Cyprus, and around the world.

Loula Loi Alafoyiannis is a remarkable leader whom I am proud to call my friend. She is the Founder, Global President, and Chief Executive Officer of the Euro-American Women's Council (EAWC), which since 1996 has helped forge ties between entrepreneurs in Europe and America and advance women's rights and opportunities in the worlds of business and education.

Loula Loi Alafoyiannis is widely admired in the world of business and government for her strategic acumen and wise counsel. She provided training to prospective start-up business proprietors in Azerbaijan and was honored with IBM's prestigious Crown Award for women entrepreneurs. She served as a trusted advisor to me and to many distinguished public servants, including former Congressman Joseph Kennedy of Massachusetts, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton and Paul Sarbanes, and others. In addition, she is a noted public speaker who has delivered lectures before the National Foundation for Women Legislators and other distinguished audiences in both the public and private sectors.

Prior to founding the Euro-American Women's Council, Loula served as Vice President of the United States Hellenic American National Council, which she co-founded with her husband, John. It helps to build bridges between Greek and American entrepreneurs and to advance women's opportunities in business and education.

Loula is also a dedicated philanthropist and humanitarian who has devoted herself to serving others through many worthwhile causes. She sits on the Human Rights Advisory Council of New York, volunteers with the Daughters of Roumeli and the Hermes Athletic Club in New York, and was named Woman of the Year by the Boys Club of Queens. For her tireless humanitarian efforts, she was honored by the Asociacion Mexicana de Mujeres Jefas de Empresa. In particular, Loula has devoted herself throughout her life to assisting those affected by cancer and other serious illnesses, especially low-income children from Greece.

Despite her busy career, Loula has remained focused on her beloved family. She is deeply devoted to her husband John, their daughter Rania, son Konstantine, daughter-in-law Nina, son John-Nicholas, Jr., daughter-in-law Nadia, and her ``crown jewels'', her grandchildren Aristotle, Konstantine John, and Isabella-Rania.

Mr. Speaker, I request that my esteemed colleagues join me in paying tribute to the Association of Greek American Professional Women and its 2011 Woman of the Year, Loula Loi Alafoyiannis.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Claude and Michelle ``Shelley'' Winfield. The Winfields have made unique personal contributions in their professional lives and through their volunteer efforts to benefit New Yorkers at-large.

Mr. and Ms. Winfield have spent the majority of their professional careers in education. Mr. Winfield was born in Virginia and moved to New York City as a young boy. He earned an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from New York University, and began his career working for Western Electric. He later earned masters degrees in elementary education and education administration from City University of New York. Mr. Winfield found his true calling when he began teaching. He taught 2nd grade English and middle school science, and later became the principal of Walt Whitman Middle School in Brooklyn, which served 1,900 students. Mr. Winfield is a strong proponent of the progressive teaching methods that he feels benefited him as a young student.

Ms. Winfield grew up in Pennsylvania, and earned an undergraduate degree in home economics from Howard University before beginning her teaching career. She received masters degrees in education administration from Fordham University and in special education from Adelphi University. For 15 years, until her retirement in 2002, Ms. Winfield was the beloved Supervisor of Special Education at Robert Wagner Middle School in Manhattan where she inspired in her colleagues and students an appreciation for the intrinsic value of education.

The Winfields are deeply involved in the community, serving in leadership positions in a variety of organizations. Mr. Winfield serves as Manhattan Community Board 6 Executive Committee Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Community Board's Housing, Homeless Services and Human Rights Committee. He also volunteers as a docent at the Museum for African Art.

Ms. Winfield is an active member of the of the Parent Advisory Board at the National Dance Institute. She has been an enthusiastic advocate for the program since her son participated in it as a student at P.S. I24M. She was appointed by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer to serve on the Community Advisory Board of Bellevue Hospital Center and assists with fundraising for The Duke Ellington Society, Inc. in Manhattan.

Ms. Winfield had an early introduction to the civil rights movement as a result of her family's activism and community service. Her father was a civil rights leader who served as President of the North Philadelphia Action Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In accordance with the family tradition, Mr. and Ms. Winfield have worked with the NAACP Mid- Manhattan Branch, which honored them with the Distinguished Service Award in 1975.

The couple is also very involved in local political organizations, including the Samuel J. Tilden Democratic Club, for which Ms. Winfield serves on the donations committee. In April, they received the Samuel J. Tilden Democratic Club Humanitarian Award for their tireless advocacy and incredible contributions of their time and talents to strengthen the community.

Married in 1974, Mr. and Ms. Winfield are the proud parents of two children, Marie and Michael, and adore their son-in-law Konrad Pust. They are also loving grandparents to their granddaughter, Sophie.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing Claude and Shelley Winfield. This remarkable couple are shining examples of selfless devotion to community service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the achievements of the Turtle Bay Association of New York, which celebrates its 55th anniversary this year. For over half a century, the dedicated members of the Turtle Bay Association, TBA, have served as passionate and conscientious stewards of one of

Manhattan's most celebrated and historic neighborhoods.

The Turtle Bay Association has worked tirelessly to improve and preserve the quality of life in its community. In 1957, community members created the Turtle Bay Association to give residents a platform for voicing concerns about the ways in which robust development affected their neighborhood. TBA members, which number nearly 2,000, have conserved their area's low-rise architectural cohesiveness and aesthetic beauty by successfully fighting for rezoning efforts. They have also undertaken numerous neighborhood beautification initiatives, such as the Turtle Bay Association Tree Program and the Beautification of Second Avenue campaign resulting in tree and flower planting and graffiti elimination. They have spearheaded major renovations of public spaces at Peter Detmold Park, MacArthur Playground, and Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. In the Plaza, they created the Katharine Hepburn Garden, a green and tranquil urban oasis named after one of America's most celebrated actresses.

Turtle Bay Association members have preserved Turtle Bay's quality of life by serving as community watchdogs through vigorous involvement in the New York Police Department's 17th Precinct Community Council and volunteer efforts such as repainting street furniture and supporting the National Night Out Against Crime every year. They have worked closely with local elected officials and municipal agencies to secure optimum government service, and kept Association members informed through the publication of regular newsletters, the TBA website, and bulletin board displayed on Second Avenue. The Turtle Bay Association is known for hosting annually recurring events such as a holiday season toy drive and a ``Love Thy Neighborhood'' Valentine's Day Party.

Currently, the Turtle Bay Association is keeping an eye on the impact of the many homeless shelters that are in and around the Turtle Bay area; and TBA continues to donate magazine subscriptions to the 30th Street Men's Shelter. The Association is also working to create bike lanes and improve security in the area to ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists in the neighborhood.

The Turtle Bay neighborhood dates back to 1639, when the Dutch rulers of Manhattan Island granted two English settlers a land grant. Turtle Bay's natural beauty was noted by famous Americans from Horace Greeley to Edgar Allan Poe. Its iconic past is outlined in the 2008 book by former TBA board member, Pamela Hanlon, Manhattan's Turtle Bay: Story of a Midtown Neighborhood. Today, as the home to the United Nations, Turtle Bay is a fitting symbol of New York City's status as the capital of the world. Famous Turtle Bay residents, in addition to Katharine Hepburn, have included Walter Cronkite, Kurt Vonnegut, Dorothy Thompson, Tyrone Power, Maxwell Perkins, Mary Martin, Derek Jeter, and the brilliant Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim. Today, the Turtle Bay Association's legacy of effectiveness and voluntarism is proudly led by its Board of Directors: President William E. Curtis, Vice Presidents Millie Margiotta, Dolores Marsh, and Bruce Silberblatt, Secretary Pascale Longuet, and Treasurer Dick Irwin.

Mr. Speaker, I request that my distinguished colleagues join me in honoring the passionate and dedicated Turtle Bay Association members for their ongoing success in helping to make Turtle Bay a wonderful place to live, and in saluting them on the occasion of the Association's 55th anniversary.