Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my fellow New Yorkers in expressing my gratitude to President Obama for visiting our city today and for a job very well done. Under the President's extraordinary leadership and with an heroic effort by our military and our intelligence community, at long last, a mass murderer has been brought to justice.

President Obama's visit to Ground Zero will hopefully bring comfort to the families who lost loved ones, and bring the attention of the world back to the courage that so many showed on 9/11: the firefighters, police officers, and first responders who answered the call of duty and went into burning towers, never to return; the construction workers and volunteers who came to Ground Zero to help our nation recover; the office workers who risked their lives to lead others to safety.

I hope the President's visit will also remind Americans how we came together after the attacks, a unity that impressed itself on the heart of the world and delivered us from some of the most difficult times our nation has ever faced. As the President himself said, when we come together, there's nothing that we can't do.

Mr. Speaker, as we commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Week, I am pleased to reintroduce the bipartisan Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Act, along with Representatives Ackerman, Pierluisi, Berkley, Hastings, Rangel, Waxman, Deutch, and Grimm. In keeping with the 2011 Holocaust Remembrance Week theme of ``Justice and Accountability in the Face of Genocide: What Have We Learned?'', it is important to provide educational opportunities for the youth of our Nation to understand the responsibility we all share for the human rights of others.

Named for the honored Holocaust survivor who spent his life working for justice for those murdered by the Nazis and to hunt down those who perpetrated such atrocities, this legislation would provide federal grants to educational organizations to teach students about the Holocaust. Through grants from the Department of Education, Holocaust organization programs would be able to apply for funds to improve the awareness and understanding of the Holocaust through classes, seminars, conferences, educational materials, and teacher training.

As the generations who survived the Holocaust pass away, we must ensure that we learn from their legacy and that it is remembered and honored. Over 11 million people, including 6 million European Jews as well as gypsies, the disabled and mentally ill, homosexuals, and others, were systematically and brutally murdered in the Holocaust as the Nazis swept across Europe, destroying entire villages and communities.

More than half a century later, persecution and murder on the basis of religion, ethnicity, and sexuality continue across the globe. We need programs in our schools that allow students to learn about the consequences of intolerance and hate, so that we can truly say, ``never again.''

The Simon Wiesenthal Holocaust Education Assistance Act is a positive step toward that end. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, today, along with my colleague Rep. Mazie Hirono, I am introducing the Construction Quality Assurance Act of 2011. This bill is designed to stop bid shopping on federal construction contracts. It would require prime bidders on low-bid projects valued at $1 million or more to list each subcontractor on work categories of $100,000 or more with their bid submissions. Substitutions of listed subcontractors after contracts are awarded would be allowed only

in exceptional circumstances and only with the consent of the contracting officer.

The bill would impose financial penalties for improper substitution of listed subcontractors. The bill would also apply to subcontractors. Both prime contractors and subcontractors would be subject to debarment or ineligibility determinations in cases where there are two infractions of the prohibitions over any three-year period.

Restoring equitable safeguards in the low bid system will assure that agency practice will conform to the highest standards adhered to by industry professionals and contractor associations, and will reflect best practices followed by a great many other public procurement systems nationally and internationally.

I thank the gentlelady for yielding and for her leadership not only on this but so many important issues.

I want to make it very clear, in response to the gentleman's statement, there are no taxpayer-funded abortions now. There weren't any yesterday, and there won't be any in the future. H.R. 3 goes far beyond current law. It is stunning in its scope, appalling in its indifference, and outrageous in its arrogance.

The right to choose is absolutely meaningless without access to choice, and H.R. 3 creates obstacles for women to access safe, legal, and constitutionally protected health care. This makes access to abortion coverage incredibly difficult, and I would say that the bill is not only an attack on women's rights, but it is also an attack on the rights of the private insurance companies and small businesses.

It tells private insurance companies how to run their businesses, raises compliance costs for small business, and even tells the local government how they may spend their money. The bill manages to offend nearly every high-sounding principle the other side says they stand for.

So if you truly believe in the freedom of the individual and the wisdom of free market, vote ``no'' on this absolutely appalling piece of work. It is anti-woman, anti-choice, anti-respect, and anti- business. It is a totally flawed bill, goes far further than any existing law, and it is the deepest and strongest attack on a woman's right to choose that has come before this body in my lifetime.

And the Republican majority says its priority is jobs and job creation, but their actions speak louder than words. They want to come into the bedroom. They want to come between a woman and her doctor. It is an appalling bill. Please vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the First Annual Roosevelt Island Cherry Blossom Festival, which took place last month on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City. This ``Celebration of Hope'' featured the dedication of a beautiful grove of cherry trees along the Island's west promenade, which offers breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline, as well as numerous cross-cultural offerings.

Proceeds from the Festival are being donated to the Roosevelt Island Japanese Association relief drive to aid those affected by the recent devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, which is also being supported by the Japan Society in New York City and designated charities.

The Roosevelt Island Cherry Blossom Festival featured performances by four different traditional music groups and by Roosevelt Island's own ``Karate Kids''. It also featured numerous gastronomic exhibits and tastings, including a continuous tea ceremony, a sushi and sake tasting offered by Roosevelt Island's Fuji East Restaurant, and a beer tasting put on by the Roosevelt Island Bar & Grill. In addition, the Festival included many offerings in the visual arts, including origami folding lessons, a photography contest, and an art auction hosted by the Roosevelt Island Visual Art Association (RIVAA) Gallery.

The Roosevelt Island Cherry Blossom Festival truly offered something for everyone: It was free and open to the public, but the proceeds from all sales will be donated toward Japanese earthquake and tsunami relief.

Roosevelt Island holds a unique place in the history of our nation's greatest metropolis. It began to be developed into a largely residential community by the State of New York in 1969 with a master plan designed by the world-renowned architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee as its guideline. This design envisioned a diverse mixed-income community in a largely traffic-free environment, a plan that has been successfully implemented.

The first residential housing complex on Roosevelt Island opened in 1975, followed a year later by three additional developments. Today, Roosevelt Island is famous for its parks, historic landmarks, first- rate health care facilities, and its scenic Tramway, the only commuter tram in the United States. It also offers a warm and comfortable environment to a thriving population of active and involved New Yorkers who call it their home.

Mr. Speaker, I request that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to the first annual Roosevelt Island Cherry Blossom Festival and all its organizers and volunteers. The Festival's mission of serving others offers inspiration to us all.

Mr. Speaker, today, in honor of Melanoma Monday, I am reintroducing bipartisan legislation with my colleagues Representative Charlie Dent and Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.: the Tanning Bed Cancer Control Act. This legislation will empower the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to determine whether the current performance standards and regulations placed on tanning beds accurately reflect their safety and effectiveness.

Despite the known health risks associated with indoor tanning, more than two million people, the vast majority of whom are women and young girls, tan indoors every day. The United States Department of Health and Human Services and the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer have classified indoor tanning beds as a known carcinogen (cancer-causing substance), the same category as tobacco smoke, asbestos and uranium. Research shows people who tan indoors are 75 percent more likely to develop melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, which is now the most common form of cancer among young adults 25-29 years old. We can no longer ignore the startling health effects of indoor tanning.

In spite of the facts, the FDA currently classifies tanning beds in the lowest risk category, Class I. Other examples of Class I devices are Band Aids and tongue depressors, devices that pose no risk to consumers at all. The Tanning Bed Cancer Control Act requires the FDA to examine two sides of tanning bed regulation. First, it requires a study be conducted to determine whether or not tanning beds are appropriately classified in accordance with the risks of their use. The bill also addresses performance standards--factors such as the strength of the UV rays emitted and the recommended amount of time a consumer should remain in the bed. These standards have not been updated since 1985. Finally, the legislation calls on the FDA to carry out its own findings published in a 2008 Report to Congress and to edit the warning label requirements to clearly and more effectively inform consumers of the health risks associated with tanning bed use.

The link between skin cancer and indoor tanning is undeniable and we need to protect

Americans from harmful UV rays. We cannot afford to stand by and watch people suffer as a result of misinformation and poor regulation.

Mr. Speaker, today, I am reintroducing the bipartisan September 11 Family Humanitarian Relief and Patriotism Act with Representatives Peter King, Jerrold Nadler, Gary Ackerman, Rush Holt, Raul Grijalva, Yvette Clarke, Anthony Weiner, Eliot Engel and Steve Israel.

The losses that resulted from terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 are tremendous. For a dozen individuals, the turmoil of the attacks continues as they remain in jeopardy of being deported since their immigration status was linked to a family member who was employed at the World Trade Center. To address this situation, I am reintroducing the September 11 Family Humanitarian Relief and Patriotism Act, which would provide for the adjustment of status or the cancellation of removal for those who are the spouse, child, dependent son, or dependent daughter of victims who were killed on 9/11.

The Department of Homeland Security under the Bush administration and the Obama administration has allowed the affected spouses and children to stay here while a permanent solution is crafted by Congress. Nearly ten years later, the surviving spouses and children of legal employment-based visa holders and undocumented workers who were killed during the attacks should no longer be in limbo.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Those who lost so much on 9/11 deserve answers and should be given legal status in the

Mr. Speaker, today, I am proud to reintroduce important bipartisan legislation, the Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Registry, SAFER, Act, with my colleagues, Representatives Poe, Moran, Costa, Grijalva, Richardson, Gwen Moore, Bartlett, Deutch, Aderholt, Rooney, and Wasserman Schultz.

I have been working on the issue of DNA technology since 2001 when I, along with former Representative Steve Horn, held a hearing in the Government Reform Committee where we heard from a courageous rape survivor, Debbie Smith. It was for Debbie, and the thousands of rape survivors like her, that I authored ``The Debbie Smith Act'' to provide federal funding to process the unconscionable backlog of DNA evidence. This legislation passed as part of the Justice for All Act of 2004, authorizing the necessary funding to start processing the backlog through the creation of the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program.

Since 2004, millions of dollars in funding have been appropriated under the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program. Efforts to eliminate the national backlog of rape evidence samples that have not been tested for DNA have been slowed or stymied by the lack of solid data on the extent and nature of the remaining backlog. While there is extensive evidence that we are making progress towards eliminating the backlog, policy makers lack a reliable estimate of the number of kits awaiting testing, or even how many kits remain at each stage of the process (in police custody, at labs awaiting processing, etc.).

This legislation addresses these issues to reduce rape kit DNA backlogs nationwide by allocating existing program funds for incentives to local jurisdictions to audit rape kits awaiting processing, the hiring and/or training of staff to handle the backlog, and establishing a national database of every individual rape kit result. It also requires the Attorney General to report on best practices for testing and using DNA evidence in criminal investigations of sexual assault.

As Congress considers legislation to amend the Debbie Smith Act or make other changes to DNA testing policy, it is crucial that we first gather reliable, comprehensive backlog data. DNA evidence does not forget and it cannot be intimidated. By processing this evidence, we can prevent rapists from attacking more innocent victims and ensure that the survivors and their families receive justice.

Mr. Speaker, as we argue the merits of various budget proposals, we must not forget that the wallets and savings accounts of our mothers, sisters, and daughters are not as heavy as they should be. Today, on Equal Pay Day, we recognize the discrimination women continue to experience each time they receive a paycheck.

Women earn roughly 77 cents to every dollar a man earns. This translates to almost an $11,000 reduction in annual female median

earnings. Over her lifetime, a woman will see a reduction in her savings for retirement, including Social Security and pension plans, and in her ability to save for lifetime goals such as buying a home and paying for a college education.

In the 111th Congress, I was the first female Chair of the Joint Economic Committee, and as such I made a commitment to look at women's current role in the economy through numerous reports and hearings. As a capstone, in December 2010, the Committee issued a comprehensive report compiling research done by the Committee, testimony from several hearings, and GAO reports assessing the detrimental gender wage gap for part-time workers and older Americans as well as wider discussions of women's continued under-representation in management level positions and the positive impact of health care reform and financial reform on women and their families. As I said in that report, ``The decisions we make today will have dramatic impacts on our nation's future economic well-being, and we must carefully consider what those decisions will mean for women, both as consumers and as producers.''

Regardless of demographics, industries, occupations or education, gender wage discrimination touches nearly every family. When you discriminate against a woman, you discriminate against her husband, her children, her entire family. In these economically difficult times, more than ever women find themselves to be the sole or primary household breadwinner, which means the wage gap undermines the economic security of our nation's families.

The persistence and stagnation of the gender wage gap is inexcusable. That is why I am proud to support the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that provides women with the tools to fight wage discrimination and improve the economic security of working families. I urge my colleagues to stand up for the basic rights and fairness of 51% of the U.S. population.

Mr. Speaker, at a time when the American people are asking Congress to help create more jobs, it is equally important to put in place policies that create a positive workplace environment. That is why today I am introducing the Family Medical Leave Enhancement Act.

Eighteen years ago, President Clinton signed into law the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA, P.L. 103-3), legislation that allows employees to take time off from work to care

for a new baby or sick family member. Federal workplace policies have not kept pace with the growing need to fit work commitments with the sometimes conflicting needs of children and elderly parents. This is especially so given the continued increase of women in the workforce. It's time to enhance this landmark legislation.

In our current economic recovery, many families are finding both their budgets and their time strained. The legislation I introduced today would enhance the FMLA by providing up to 24 hours of unpaid Parental Involvement and Family Wellness leave (during any 12-month period), which will allow parents and grandparents to go to parent- teacher conferences or to take their children, grandchildren or other family members to the doctor for regular medical or dental appointments. The bill also expands coverage to allow employees in companies with more than 25 employees to take family and medical leave.

If we as a country truly value families, then we need new policies and investments that support our working families. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Chair, the bill before us today is bad for America's health and reduces progress in our nation's energy independence. I oppose this `dirty air act' that would eliminate the ability of the EPA to address the very serious public health threats from carbon pollution.

The Clean Air Act requires that if the EPA finds carbon pollution to be detrimental to our health, then the EPA must regulate greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court upholding this authority, today's legislation would exempt our nation's largest polluters from regulation, eliminate public health protections, and push back efforts to reduce our dependence on foreign energy resources. By preventing the EPA from setting carbon pollution national automobile standards, this bill does nothing to reduce consumption and reliance on foreign oil.

The EPA helps protect our nation's most vulnerable--including children, seniors and those suffering from respiratory ailments--by guaranteeing the air we breathe is safe and healthy. Dirty air has been linked to an increase in asthma rates, especially among young people, an increase in emergency room visits and hospitalizations, and an increase in heart attacks and strokes. In New York, pediatric asthma affects an estimated half million children and an additional estimated 1.5 million adults 18 and over have asthma, based on 2009 rates.

All across the country, Americans overwhelmingly support EPA protections for the air we breathe and the water we drink. Supporting this bill disregards science, ignores public health concerns, and does nothing to curb carbon emissions. I urge a no vote.

Mr. Speaker, on April 1, I missed rollcall vote numbered 213. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall vote 213, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1255) to prevent a shutdown of the government of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, on March 31, I attended the service and funeral of my dear friend and mentor, Geraldine Ferraro, and missed rollcall votes Number 205 and 206. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall votes 205, providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 658) to amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize appropriations for the Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal years 2011 through 2014 and 206, to amend the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to clarify congressional intent regarding the regulation of the use of pesticides in or near navigable waters.

Mr. Speaker, I rise with the New York delegation to honor the memory and many contributions of one of our favorite daughters, Geraldine Ferraro. Last Thursday, New Yorkers poured out in great numbers to honor her at her funeral. Her three children--Donna, Laura, and John, Jr.--spoke eloquently and movingly in support and love of their late mother. And at the funeral and speaking in a eulogy beautifully for her, Vice President Mondale, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Congresswoman Jane Harman, Senator Mikulski, and former President Clinton.

It would have thrilled her to see four women precede a President in eulogizing and speaking about her, two of whom were Secretaries of State, because it was her life that helped inspire and move women forward in our national life, not only in politics but in every area-- business, finance. All areas of American life, Geraldine Ferraro inspired with her life and her historic run for Vice President of the United States.

With her passing, America lost a leader who was as wise as she was warm; a trailblazer who broke down barriers for women. For women everywhere, not just in the United States but across the world, Geraldine Ferraro was a champion and a heroine. For me, personally, she was a dear, dear friend and a mentor.

What seemed to non-New Yorkers as a feisty and fast-talking woman seemed to us as just another mom from Queens. She inspired us with her personal story.

The daughter of Italian immigrants, raised by her seamstress mother after her father died at 8, she became a public school teacher, a lawyer--one of just two women in her law class--and a Member and leader of Congress, elected in 1978. She also, after her historic run, became a commentator on television, a delegate to the United Nations. She headed the World Conference in Beijing in 1995, and I was proud to be part of her delegation at the World Conference on Women.

Last August, on her 75th birthday, we renamed the Post Office in Long Island City in her honor. It used to be in her district; it is now in mine. And I was honored to be able to author the legislation and work with my New York colleagues and others to pass it. And she was so thrilled at that naming to see so many of her friends, not only from New York and her district but across the country, come in one place to honor her.

Later that day, which happened to also be Women's Equality Day, she rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange in honor of the progress for women.

I know that a post office is only the start of the memorials to this wonderful, charming, talented trailblazer who continued blazing trails her entire life. I met with her shortly before she died, and she had a list of constituents she wanted helped and causes she wanted completed.

We do stand on her shoulders and women like her who came before us.

I will never forget, as an eager, young delegate to the 1984 Democratic National Convention, and I can tell you firsthand that Geraldine Ferraro thrilled us when she took the stage as the first woman ever nominated by a major political party to be its candidate for Vice President of the United States.

It was absolutely electrifying. She changed my life, and she changed the lives of women everywhere. She changed the aspirations of women and how they view themselves.

I will never forget being on the floor. Many of the men gave their delegate card to the women delegates who were part-time delegates. So the floor was filled with women. People were handing out cigars saying, ``It's a woman.'' And when she went to the floor, there was literally applause for over 10 minutes.

I shall miss her dearly and shall honor her passing by redoubling my efforts to complete her unfinished work to pass the ERA. It is time to enshrine in our Constitution the high principle of gender equality that Geraldine Ferraro so courageously stood for in her life.

Geraldine, we will miss you, we honor you, and we thank you for your many, many contributions to American life.

Madam Speaker, what holiday is this, again? Is it April Fool's--or is it Groundhog Day?

This bill, whether it's labeled H.R. 1 or H.R. 1255, is a distinct attack on the quality of life for women and their families in this country.

While the proposed cuts would be devastating to Americans as a whole, this bill would change the daily lives of women for the worse--and American women should understand.

Yet the Majority insists on ignoring the Constitution in order to ravage programs and policies that disproportionately impact women.

Today, I released a report documenting how this bill impacts women from birth to old age, every single step of the way.

The report shows that this bill cuts industries that disproportionately employ women and attacks programs that women depend on, such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

This bill zeros out Title X funding, so that obtaining primary care and preventive screenings becomes far more difficult for many women.

This bill cuts childcare programs and afterschool programs so that women are forced to choose between working--and supporting their families--or providing child care at home.

We cannot stand by as this Majority attacks women from all sides.

We must fight against this assault on American women and their families.

I voted no on H.R. 1, and I urge a no vote ``on'' H.R. 1255.