Floor Statements

I thank the gentleman for his kind statement and yielding to me.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 2925, the Senate companion to my bill in the House, H.R. 5575, the Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Deterrence and Victims Support Act of 2010, a bipartisan bill I introduced with Representative Chris Smith and have worked on with Jackie Speier and Chairman Bobby Scott and others.

I am grateful to Senator Wyden for his leadership on this extremely important and devastating issue that is found right here in our own backyards, and to Chairman Bobby Scott for his strong support and a record of action on this issue. I thank him for holding a hearing on this bill, having numerous meetings, and for his vital input into the bill.

What we do today will impact the thousands of girls who have been duped, kidnapped, drugged, and forced into selling their young bodies for sex. It is truly a national tragedy. Too many people believe that child sex trafficking is a problem that exists only in foreign countries, but experts estimate that a minimum of 100,000 children in the United States, most of whom are American citizens, are exploited through commercial sex trafficking every year. The National Center For Missing and Exploited Children estimates that there are as many as 300,000 to 400,000 missing children and that most of them are in this terrible sex trade.

Although it is hard to believe, the average age of first exploitation is 12 to 13 years old. In the years I have worked on this issue, the age keeps getting younger and younger and younger for

these children. These are our daughters, their schoolmates, and their friends.

As founder and cochair of the Human Trafficking Caucus, I have been working for years to end the slavery of the 21st century, the trade in human lives for sex. Human trafficking is a $10 billion industry worldwide. It is the third-largest organized crime ring in history, preceded only by drugs and guns. But unlike drugs and guns, which can be sold only once, the human body can be sold over and over again, and, sadly, a young girl of 12 or 13 is at even greater risk of being sold for a much longer period of time, usually until they die.

Despite the need, a Congressional Research Service report that I requested found that funding for specialized services and support for these young girls, these victims of domestic minor sex trafficking, are very, very limited or nonexistent. Throughout the country, organizations helping them collectively have fewer than 100 beds to address the needs of an estimated 100,000 young children each year. This is simply unacceptable. This bill responds to the problem and gives law enforcement the tools to investigate and prosecute sex traffickers who exploit underage girls and force them into the sex trade.

A pimp selling just four children can earn over $600,000 a year. The risks are low and the gain is high. We live in a country where a person is more likely to serve time for selling marijuana than selling a 14- year-old girl. This bill will change that and treat these young women as crime victims, not as criminals. It will create a six-State pilot program to help law enforcement crack down on pimps and traffickers, create shelters, and provide treatment, counseling, and legal aid for the underage girls that are forced into sexual slavery.

Importantly, the legislation will strengthen deterrence and prevention programs aimed at potential buyers.

This bill cracks down on sex trafficking by focusing on the demand side, the users. The bill will be considered a model to help rescue the hundreds of thousands of under-aged girls believed to be forced into the sex trade in America.

With this bill, we renew our promise of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution and redouble our efforts in the fight against human trafficking, the 21st century form of slavery. We set up a new standard to combat the sex trafficking of children in the U.S., and we accept our moral obligation to help the neglected victims of this horrible crime and crack down on their abusers.

We must not let our children suffer any more. I urge my colleagues to vote unanimously for this bill.

Mr. Speaker, it is time to repeal the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue'' policy in the U.S. military once and for

all. The study recently released by the Pentagon confirms what so many of us have known all along: there is no compelling state interest in barring lesbian, gay and bisexual persons from serving openly in our armed forces.

From the initial introduction of this profoundly misguided policy in 1993, I have never wavered in my belief that our nation's armed forces should not discriminate against otherwise qualified citizens on the basis of their sexual orientation--or their desire not to maintain such orientation under a stifling cloak of secrecy that encourages and even forces them to hide, or even worse, to lie about who they are. Today, at a time when our nation is engaged in a difficult military conflict in Afghanistan, the extent to which the so-called compromise ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy has damaged America's military readiness has become even more apparent than it was seventeen years ago.

The policy against allowing lesbian, gay, and bisexual servicemembers to serve openly has resulted in depriving our armed forces of the abilities, experience and dedication of thousands of qualified active duty personnel. This institutionalized discrimination is completely illogical and counter-productive as we grapple with an increasingly dangerous world wracked by the threat of international terrorism, with our servicemembers in harm's way all over the world.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has documented the cost to our nation. In 2005, the GAO estimated the cost of discriminating against servicemembers on the basis of their sexual orientation at nearly $200 million over the course of just the last decade. This estimate may, in fact, be too low, as the GAO itself acknowledged and as other studies conducted by reputable academic institutions like the Michael Palm Center at the University of California have documented.

Advocates for maintaining ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' continue stubbornly to cite elusive, unquantifiable factors to justify the policy's inherent institutionalized discrimination. The most common argument is the specious insistence that ``unit cohesion'' among the armed forces will suffer if lesbians, gay men, and bisexual persons are allowed to serve openly--an argument that even Richard Cheney, while serving as the Secretary of Defense during the presidency of George H. W. Bush, acknowledged in congressional testimony was ``a bit of an old chestnut.'' Then-Secretary Cheney was right--and it's high time we roasted that old chestnut on an open fire, and consigned it forever to the ashbin of history.

The fact is that many other nations--including trusted allies whose armed forces are respected around the world such as Great Britain, Israel, Australia, and Canada--have allowed their citizens to serve in their armed forces regardless of their disclosure of their sexual orientation. It is high time that the United States of America, which prides itself as a beacon of liberty and equality, joins their ranks.

I urge the members of this House to vote to repeal this misguided and counter-productive and un-American policy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the DREAM Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide a path to legal status for undocumented youth who entered the U.S. as children, graduated from U.S. high schools, and attend college or enter the military.

I would like to thank Speaker Pelosi and Leader Hoyer for bringing this important legislation up for a vote on the House floor today. I also would like to thank Rep. Luis Gutierrez, who sponsored this bill in the House and has worked so hard for its passage.

Our nation's history is rooted in the strength of immigrants. As New Yorkers, my constituents have a special understanding of how America's melting pot can create a rich tapestry of ethnic, cultural and religious traditions that infuse vitality into the economic and social aspects of our communities.

I strongly believe that by protecting the rights of workers, securing the border, and modernizing our pathway to legal immigration, the hope that we can fix our broken system will become a reality.

Under the DREAM Act, qualified students would be eligible for conditional immigration status upon high school graduation that would then lead, after a period of 10 years and a rigorous process, to permanent legal residency if they go to college or serve in the military.

We cannot deny these students the opportunity to pursue education-- especially when the alternative is often working illegally. Despite what some opponents of this legislation claim, the DREAM Act would not grant special benefits to qualified students. In fact, students may only access benefits they work for, or pay for.

This bill would allow a limited number of hard working students, who were brought to this country as children, to be rewarded for their success, and in the process, produce thousands of college graduates contributing to economic productivity and eligible youth ready to serve this nation through military service.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of this important legislation and urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3167) to amend title 13 of the United States Code to provide for a 5-year term of office for the Director of the Census and to provide for the authority and duties of the Director and Deputy Director of the Census, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Census Oversight Efficiency and Management Reform Act, important bipartisan legislation that I introduced with my colleague, Congressman Charles Dent. Senators Carper and Coburn in a bipartisan way introduced the companion bill in the Senate that recently passed the Senate unanimously, 100 votes in favor, and is now before us today.

This is a strong bill with no cost to American taxpayers, and it will help ensure a better census for 2020 and beyond. It is bipartisan, it is good government, it is scientific independence, and it is good management. This important reform ensures consistent, professional management of this major scientific agency and minimizes political interference of its vital constitutional mission.

I am grateful to Senators Carper and Coburn for their bipartisan leadership on this issue in the Senate. Now we in the House must commit to forward thinking to avoid problems in the run-up to the 2020 census.

Our country owes a great deal to James Madison and Thomas Jefferson for handing down the innovation of a census whose goal is to ensure fair political representation. If we want to attract future census leaders in their mold, we must give the Census Bureau the professional independence called for in this bill.

This bill is a way of saying to the American public that we honor the intent of the Framers and we acknowledge the incredible participation of the public earlier this year to make the 2010 census a success.

Madam Speaker, all seven former living census directors, who served Republican and Democratic Presidents, support this bill: Vincent P. Barabba, who worked for Presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter; John G. Keane who worked for President Reagan; Barbara Everitt Bryant who worked for the first President Bush; and Martha Farnsworth Riche and Kenneth Prewitt who worked for President Clinton; and Charles Louis Kincannon and Steven H. Murdock who worked for George W. Bush, the former directors support an advocacy on behalf of this bill; and they testified at congressional hearings, met with congressional leaders on this bill, and their participation underscores the importance of the reforms needed to ensure that the Census Bureau is able to best perform its constitutional mandate of providing a fair and accurate census count.

I worked with Senators Carper and Coburn and my colleague, Congressman Dent, to develop this bill based on the experiences of the seven former bipartisan census directors and what they thought we need to overcome the challenges which plagued each of the last four censuses in 1980, 1990, 2000, and in the planning for the 2010 census. This bill enjoys bipartisan support across scientific, social, and political groups. They support it in a bipartisan way, from the leadership conference on civil rights representing over 200 civil rights organizations to NATEO, the National Association of Latino Elected Officials, to a host of scientific organizations, including the American Statistical Association. With Senator Carper and Senator Coburn's leadership in the Senate, it passed unanimously.

What this bill would do is give the director the independence to report directly to the Secretary of Commerce. It would make the director of the Census Bureau a Presidential term appointment of 5 years with the 10-year census cycle split into two 5-year phases, planning and implementation.

Further, it strengthens overall transparency and oversight of census management which is a very good thing. This legislation would allow the Census director to report to Congress and the Commerce Secretary directly on the needs at Census to help prevent challenges such as the failure to develop handheld computer technology for the 2010 census, and to have the power to say to Congress when he or she disagrees with an administration position on the census.

After nearly 2 years of consideration and debate on the ideas in this bill in both the House and the Senate, and now at the 11th hour and 59th minute, after the Senate approves it unanimously, the Commerce Department last night sent over their concerns. The Secretary supports the 5-year term for the Census director, but seeks some changes to the bill's requirements that the Census director be required to respond completely to Congress in testimony and to the requirement that the highest levels of management at Commerce take responsibility for oversight of Census management.

Of course, this is precisely what we in Congress seek to change. These two provisions are about accountability and transparency. We in Congress are insisting that we finally end the musical chairs of Census management we witnessed over the past several decades and that when we ask questions, we actually get the answers. We must allow the career professionals at the Census to be able to tell us what is on their mind.

This bill will remove barriers that prevented Congress from knowing the full story and planning for 2010, which put the census at risk before Congress acted to fully fund a new design. I am confident this bill will ensure Congress will get the information we deserve, to get us a fairly and fully funded census no matter who occupies the White House in 2020.

There are some who may not like this bill or have additional ideas for reform, but I deeply believe we can build on this legislation and continue to work together in a bipartisan way to ensure a fair and accurate full census count. There is no reason we cannot move forward on this issue today and enact these commonsense reforms now.

The next census will occur during a Presidential election, which runs the risk of disrupting the operation. We must act now to ensure we can get a professional manager like Dr. Groves at Census long before 2020. We need to bring focus, transparency, and accountability to the process of planning and implementing the census. There is too much at stake for our constitutional government, for the fair description of over $400 billion in Federal funds, and for the basic trust in our statistical system to do anything less than enact this bill. With the Senate action, now is the time to get this bill to the President. We can show the American public Congress can work together in a bipartisan fashion to reform government and get results.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's statement. As he knows, this is an issue that many of us in a bipartisan way have worked on for many years.

As you know, my original bill did create an independent Office of the Census, which by definition would have had an IG. But at the protest of some of my colleagues and some in the Commerce Department, we kept it in the Commerce Department, but with independence, so that the Census Director could speak honesty and truth. I don't think any of us want to keep someone from testifying in an honest and truthful way and having their words possibly changed by someone else.

I would like to place in the Record a series of editorials in support of this bill, from USA Today and many others. There have been hearings on it, including one in the Joint Economic Committee, where seven former Census Directors in a bipartisan way testified in support of this bill.

I would also like to place in the Record the testimony of Dr. Bryant, a Republican Census Director, and other Republican Census Directors, along with Dr. Pruitt and others, their testimony on how we can get a more reliable, transparent, usable census for accuracy for the American people.

I would now like to yield such time as she may consume to a very outstanding member of the committee, the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).

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

I thank the gentleman for his concern and his thoughtful statements. If the gentleman is so determined for a markup, there's one bill that the Republican leadership has told us they must have, and that's the tax bill. Yet there's been no markup on that tax bill or a hearing on that tax bill. And there have been hearings and discussions on this. I have testimony from numerous Republican Census Directors supporting it.

Now, as the gentleman knows--and we changed the bill in response to the gentleman's concerns and others. We did have it as an independent agency with an independent IG. We folded it back into Commerce, at your suggestion and others. And, as you know, the Commerce Department has an IG. They have their own IG. And if the gentleman in the next Congress would like to sponsor an amendment to add another IG at Commerce that looks totally at the Census Bureau, then I would certainly support the gentleman.

Now, the gentleman has written an op-ed which I found very interesting, and I appreciate your op-ed that appeared in Politico. You called for many things in this bill: transparency, independent voice, accountability. I repeat, because I know cost is an important factor now, this will cost no additional money to the taxpayer, not one additional cent. And I would like to join my good friend and colleague in the spirit of bipartisanship and the dedication of getting an accurate census for the American people that we pass this bill, and what the gentleman would like to add to it in the next Congress--and the gentleman's party is in charge and you will have the votes to add whatever you would like next year. And I certainly would like to work with you in a bipartisan way to add the gentleman's concerns, but there's absolutely no reason not to act on this when seven former Census Directors have come out strongly for it, including every Republican Census Director under former President Nixon, under former President Ford, under former President Reagan, and George Bush 41 and 43, G.W. and his father. So all of their Census Directors have come out in support of it.

I would also like to place into the Record the National Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, and they represent 200 different civil rights organizations, all in support of this bill; the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, their letter in support of the bill; the Population Association of America and the Association of Population Centers, their letter of support for the bill; the American Association for Public Opinion Research, their statement in support of the bill; the American Planning Association, their statement in support of the bill; the American Statistical Association, who are dedicated to accurate numbers, their strong, strong support of accuracy in this bill; the Consortium of Social Science Associations, their support; the Latino Census Network, their strong support; the Mid-Region Council of Governments, their strong letter of support; and the National Institute for Latino Policy, their letter of support; the Southeast Michigan Census Council, their support of the bill; and the Southern Demographic Association, their support of the bill.

So, as my good friend and colleague knows, there is strong support for this bill. Many allege that the Commerce opposition is just a turf battle. Well, the census is too important for a turf battle. I would support the gentleman's amendment to have an independent extra IG. If he wants two IGs on the Bureau, I would support it, or three or four or five. I would support the gentleman's extra oversight of what the Census Bureau is doing. But, mainly, we want them to be given the tools to get the job done. That is what this bill does.

The Leadership Conference,

December 13, 2010.

Hon. Nancy Pelosi,

Speaker, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Hon. John Boehner,

Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Leader Boehner: On behalf of The

Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition

charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national

organizations to promote and protect the rights of all

persons in the United States, we are writing to express our

strong support for the Census Oversight Efficiency and

Management Reform Act (S. 3167/H.R. 4945). The bill includes

needed reforms that will improve the operations of the

decennial Census and other Census activities, and ensure a

count that does not disproportionally miss any segment of the

population. With Senate passage of the bill by unanimous

consent on December 8, we urge the House to swiftly pass the

Senate-approved bill so that it can reach the President's

desk by the end of the year.

The Census occurs on a constitutionally mandated ten-year

cycle, but Presidential administrations run in four-year

cycles that do not fit well with the complex planning and

preparation timetable for the decennial count. This causes

inevitable development and implementation difficulties due to

a lack of consistency and, often, leadership vacuums. The

bill's proposal to create a five-year term appointment for

the Census Bureau Director is an important change that will

allow the Census Bureau to avoid disruptions caused by

changes in administrations, especially around the period of

the decennial census.

As organizations that work to ensure that hard-to-count

communities are fully included in the Census, we welcome the

greater stability for the leadership of the Census Bureau

that this legislation seeks to provide, which will in turn

minimize disruptions in the Census and allow the Census

Bureau to benefit from improved continuity in its overall

operations. We also believe that the new line of authority

from the Census Director to the Secretary of Commerce will

help allow the Census Bureau to more nimbly address problems

and issues that inevitably arise during the decennial census

and other surveys.

It is critical that the bill be enacted promptly, since

planning for the 2020 decennial census is already underway.

We urge swift passage of the bill.

Sincerely,

Wade Henderson,

President & CEO.

Nancy Zirkin,

Executive Vice President.

I appreciate the gentleman's concerns. We should pass this bill. Then, in the new Congress, you can add your amendments or your ideas to the underlying bill. This is a strong bill with no cost to the American taxpayers, no increased cost; and it will help ensure a better census for 2010.

As I said, it has very strong bipartisan support, particularly from the seven living former Census Directors, who served Republican and Democratic Presidents. They support this bill. They testified before Congress that

this bill would make a stronger, more accountable, transparent census. The former Directors' support and advocacy on behalf of this bill, I believe, underscores the importance of the reforms needed to ensure that the Census Bureau is able to best perform its constitutional mandate of providing a fair and accurate census count.

Again, I want to underscore: How many times have we seen a bill come over with 100 Senators who are in support of it--totally unanimous? totally bipartisan?

I am confident that this bill will ensure that Congress will get the information we need and deserve in order to get us a fair and fully funded Census which is independent and will respond, no matter who occupies the White House. In other words, this is a very important bill, so I urge a strong bipartisan vote in support of it.

S. 3167 Endorsed by seven former Census Directors: Vincent

P. Barabba (1973-1976; 1979-1981), John G. Keane (1984-1989),

Barbara Everitt Bryant (1989-1993), Martha Farnsworth Riche

(1994-1998), Kenneth Prewitt (1998-2001), Charles Louis

Kincannon (2002-2008), and Steven H. Murdock (2008-2009).

S. 3167 Endorsed by: National Leadership Conference on

Civil Rights (LCCR); National Association of Latino Elected

and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund; Population

Association of America (PAA) and the Association of

Population Centers (APC); American Association for Public

Opinion Research (AAPOR); American Planning Association;

American Statistical Association (ASA); Arab American

Institute Foundation; Consortium of Social Science

Associations (COSSA); Latino Census Network; Mid-Region

Council of Governments; National Institute for Latino Policy

(NILP); Population Resource Center; Prison Policy Initiative;

Southeast Michigan Census Council (SEMCC) and Southern

Demographic Association (SDA).

I rise in strong support of the DREAM Act and urge all of my colleagues to vote for this important bill.

I rise today in support of the American DREAM Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide a path to legal status for undocumented youth who entered the U.S. as children, graduated from U.S. high schools, and attend college or enter the military.

I would like to thank Speaker Pelosi and Leader Hoyer for bringing this important legislation up for a vote on the House floor today. I also would like to thank Rep. Luis Gutierrez, who sponsored this bill in the House and has worked so hard for its passage.

Our Nation's history is rooted in the strength of immigrants. As New Yorkers, my constituents have a special understanding of how America's melting pot can create a rich tapestry of ethnic, cultural and religious traditions that infuse vitality into the economic and social aspects of our communities.

I strongly believe that by protecting the rights of workers, securing the border, and modernizing our pathway to legal immigration, the hope that we can fix our broken system will become a reality.

Under the DREAM Act, qualified students would be eligible for conditional immigration status upon high school graduation that would then lead, after a period of ten years and a rigorous process, to permanent legal residency if they go to college or serve in the military.

We cannot deny these students the opportunity to pursue education-- especially when the alternative is often working illegally. Despite what some opponents of this legislation claim, the DREAM Act would not grant special benefits to qualified students. In fact, students may only access benefits they work for, or pay for.

This bill would allow a limited number of hard working students, who were brought to this country as children, to be rewarded for their success, and in the process, produce thousands of college graduates contributing to economic productivity and eligible youth ready to serve this nation through military service.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of this important legislation and urge my colleagues to support it.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3307, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, a bill that provides a historic investment in the health of our nation's children. This bill will help address the severe concerns of both obesity and hunger that severely impact them.

In my home state of New York alone, the statistics are staggering:

32.9 percent of children in New York are overweight or obese and New York taxpayers spend an estimated $6.1 billion on Medicaid and Medicare each year to treat obesity-related chronic diseases.

16.7 percent of children under 18 in New York are at-risk of being hungry. This bill will expand access to the child nutrition programs and fill nutrition gaps when family resources are tight.

1,813,000 of New York's children participate in the National School Lunch Program, NSLP, each year and will receive healthier school meals provided by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. 1,147,000 of those kids are low-income children, who will benefit from better access to free school meals through promotion of and improvements to direct certification.

New York will receive up to $17.5 million to improve the nutrition quality of school lunches because of this bill.

281,500 children in New York participate in the Child and Adult Food Care Program and will benefit from increased resources, more training to childcare providers to serve healthier meals and snacks and increased physical activity.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act will streamline certification periods in the WIC program and provide New York's 514,500 participants with better nutrition services coordination, increased opportunities for nutrition intervention, and more support and counseling time.

New York has 110 Farm to School programs. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act provides dedicated funding to help schools to support local agriculture and provide children with more health and nutrition education opportunities.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act goes a long way toward improving the nutrition of our school meals and strengthening accountability to produce healthier results for our children. Finally, S. 3307 is fully paid for and will not add to the deficit.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the exceptional accomplishments of Christopher Boylan, Deputy Executive Director, Corporate and Community Affairs. Mr. Boylan is retiring from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) after a long and celebrated career at the agency. During Mr. Boylan's successful tenure at the MTA, the agency has moved forward with long-stalled projects to provide new mass transit options and to upgrade existing infrastructure. As one of the MTA's lead advocates, Mr. Boylan has played a central role in the reinvigoration of the agency.

Mr. Boylan has been responsible for corporate-wide internal and external relations for the MTA, including federal government relations, community relations, marketing & corporate communications, and customer service. In this capacity, Mr. Boylan has represented the MTA in seeking federal funding for a variety of capital projects that are improving and expanding mass transit service for New Yorkers. Mr. Boylan has handled the many programs, problems and projects of the MTA with intelligence, patience and tact.

I first came to know Mr. Boylan during the construction of the 63rd Street Tunnel Connector, which made use of the much-derided `tunnel to nowhere' and expanded subway service between Queens and Manhattan. Since then, I have worked with Mr. Boylan on the Second Avenue Subway and East Side Access, the two largest mass transit projects in the nation. Together these projects are employing 38,000 people and bringing nearly $4 billion in federal funding to the state. It has always been reassuring to know that Mr. Boylan was helping to shepherd these projects forward.

In addition, Mr. Boylan has been overseeing two unique programs at the MTA, the ``Arts for Transit'' Program and the ``New York Transit Museum,'' the largest public transit museum in the country and a favorite destination for many. The New York Times has called the Arts for Transit project, now in its 25th year, a ``gift to future generations.'' The MTA dedicates a portion of station renovation funding to public art--and the result is a range of museum-quality artworks that delight, charm and captivate commuters.

Mr. Boylan joined the MTA in 1990 and served as both Deputy Director and subsequently Director of Government Relations. From 1993 to 1996, he was Chief of Staff to two Chairmen of the MTA. Mr. Boylan has also been an active member of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the transit industry's trade association. He currently serves as APTA's Vice Chair of Management and Finance; Member of the Executive Committee; and Member of the Board of Directors. He also served as Vice Chair of Government Affairs of APTA from 1996-99 and again from 2003- 2006 and also served on the APTA Nominating Committee and Executive Search Committee. In addition, he was previously a member of the Board of Directors of the NY Public Transit Association.

Before joining the MTA, Mr. Boylan served for nearly six years as Federal Legislative Representative in the New York City Mayor's Office of Intergovernmental Relations after having served as a legislative analyst in the City's Office of Management and Budget. Prior to joining City government he worked for the New York State Department of State in Albany and the New York State Assembly.

In addition to his civilian career, Mr. Boylan has been a dedicated Naval officer. In October 2007, he retired from the U.S. Navy/Navy Reserve as a Captain (O-6), after over two and a half decades of honorable service. His last reserve assignment was as the Navy's Deputy Chief of Information in the Pentagon, where he reported directly to the Chief of Information, the Navy's top spokesman.

Madam Speaker, I ask my distinguished colleagues to join me in recognizing the extraordinary accomplishments of Christopher Boylan, and in wishing him great success as he begins a new chapter in his career.

Mr. Speaker, last night the unemployment benefits expired for 2 million Americans, including over 159,000 New Yorkers and 95,000 residents of New York City. The Joint Economic Committee, which I chair, released a report that finds that there could be serious unintended consequences if Congress should not renew this vital program; consequences not just for 2 million Americans who lost their jobs, but for our larger economy as well.

Failing to renew the program with its 99-week cap could result in the loss of over 1 million jobs over the next year, wiping out almost a year's worth of hard-won progress. Failing to preserve unemployment benefits would also drain the economy of $80 billion in purchasing power just as our fragile economy is recovering.

At a time when there are five unemployed Americans for every job opening, failing to extend unemployment benefits goes against both all common sense and economic sense. We must support and extend this vital renewal of this program.

Madam Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the achievements of Joanna Saccone, an outstanding New Yorker who has distinguished herself through years of service to New York City and New York State. A respected, highly successful presence in New York politics for over thirty years, Joanna Saccone has worked tirelessly on behalf of the people of New York her entire adult life. Ms. Saccone is known for her indefatigable advocacy, her love of politics and her uncanny political sense.

A lifelong resident of Greenwich Village, Joanna Saccone has been deeply active in the political life of her community and her city. She first became active in politics during her time at the prestigious Maxwell School of Syracuse University in 1969. While earning a degree in International Relations, Ms. Saccone distinguished herself as a leader on campus, organizing her fellow students to protest the war in Vietnam. She cut her political teeth working on the successful Syracuse mayoral campaign of Lee Alexander, the first Democrat to win the mayoralty of Syracuse in fifty years.

Upon graduating in 1972, Ms. Saccone returned home to New York City, and joined the Village Independent Democrats, where she worked under the guidance of District Leader John LoCicero and worked to elect Village politician Ed Koch as Mayor of the City of New York. In 1983, along with Mayor Koch and others, she broke away from the Village Independent Democrats and helped establish the Village Reform Democratic Club, which continues to play an important role in New York City politics today.

In her professional life, Ms. Saccone worked in the New York City Economic Development Administration, focusing primarily on the City's budget and human resources. By 1976, she had transitioned to a position in the office of New York State Assembly Speaker Stanley Steingut. This began a 34-year career as an Assembly staffer, working under four Speakers in a variety of roles. Under Speaker Stanley Fink, she worked with House Operations, where she advised Democratic Assembly members on legislation, staffing, creation of newsletters and pamphlets, and media relations. She also assisted constituents who were having difficulty getting benefits to which they were entitled from State government. Speaker Fink appointed her the first Sexual Harassment Officer for the New York City region, an appointment he reportedly called ``the greatest political appointment of his career.'' Under Speaker Mel Miller, she coordinated the first Employee Assistance Program, which aids employees on matters relating to alcohol and drug abuse and psychological ailments. She has continued her significant involvement in all aspects of State government under current Speaker Sheldon Silver.

While government may have been her career, Ms. Saccone's passion has been politics. She has made a name for herself as a relentless campaigner, a resourceful networker, and an extraordinary strategist. As a sounding board, an adviser, and as a friend, there are few as adept as Ms. Saccone in navigating the complex path to victory. She has worked on many important city, state, and federal elections, including numerous judicial races. Indeed, few have her track record of success in helping judicial candidates navigate the intricacies of running a judicial race.

Throughout her busy career and political activism, Joanna has been a devoted and dedicated mother to her son, Phillip Anthony Saccone, whom she considers her greatest accomplishment.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my distinguished colleagues join me in recognizing the enormous contributions to our civic and political life made by Joanna Saccone, and congratulate her on the occasion of her retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Global CEO of LexisNexis Andy Prozes as he announces his retirement from the company. Andy Prozes has been the global CEO for more than 10 years. During his tenure, Mr. Prozes has transformed LexisNexis into one of the largest, most technologically advanced information solutions companies in the world. Today, LexisNexis serves over one million users daily and has over 17,000 employees in over 100 locations around the world. LexisNexis' global headquarters is located in my district in Manhattan and employs over 800 people.

Mr. Prozes' positive impact on LexisNexis and the people who work there will be felt long after he retires. Mr. Prozes grew LexisNexis from $1.7 billion in revenue in 2000 to over $4 billion in 2009. In addition to serving corporate and legal clients, LexisNexis provides important information solutions to federal and state law enforcement agencies in New York and across the country to help them locate missing children, investigate crimes, and track down sex offenders and other criminals.

Protecting children is one of Mr. Prozes' passions. Under Andy Prozes' leadership, LexisNexis has donated information solutions to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) to help that organization accomplish its important mission. With the help of information provided by LexisNexis, NCMEC has recovered hundreds of missing children and reunited them with their loved ones.

Mr. Prozes has also been a leader in the battle against human trafficking--particularly with respect to the horrific practice of trafficking young boys and girls as sex slaves. Mr. Prozes is an active supporter of the Somaly Mam Foundation, an organization dedicated to combating human trafficking and assisting children and other victims of this despicable crime. This past October, the Somaly Mam Foundation honored Mr. Prozes for his efforts on behalf of those who are unable to fight for themselves. He was also recognized by the Asian Woman's Center in October of 2009, for his leadership on this important issue.

Mr. Prozes has also been a vocal proponent of the Rule of Law and is a recognized leader within his industry for advancing the Rule of Law around the globe. LexisNexis, under Mr. Prozes' leadership, has provided thousands of hours of pro bono work to protect basic human rights and help society flourish through independent judiciaries and fair and equal access to justice for all.

Madam Speaker, please join me in congratulating Mr. Prozes on his many accomplishments, and thanking him for the tremendous contributions he has made in promoting the Rule of Law and helping to combat human trafficking around the globe.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay special tribute to the Dutch Kills Civic Association, a not-for-profit organization that has made significant contributions to the economic and civic life of the community in western Queens that it serves. This month, the Dutch Kills Civic Association is celebrating its 30th Anniversary Fundraiser and Celebration at Riccardo's by the Bridge in Astoria, Queens.

The historic community of Dutch Kills traces its origins back to the original settlers of Queens in the seventeenth century, who were first granted a license to settle the area in 1642. In recognition of that heritage, the Dutch Kills Civic Association adopted a windmill as part of its logo when it was first founded in 1979.-

Under the able stewardship of its President, Gerald J. Walsh, and its Executive Director, George Stamatiades, the Dutch Kills Civic Association embraced as its mission the promotion and stimulation of a more active participation in the improving and maintaining of proper services of the community. The Association focuses on maintaining the quality of life and assuring the adequate delivery of municipal government services in the areas such as health, safety, housing, ecology, highways and traffic, sanitation, lighting, education, fire, police protection, youth and senior citizens welfare, planning and zoning development, consumer protection, utilities, fair taxation, and water supply. Its members seek to represent, unite, and mobilize the Dutch Kills community in order to maintain the community as a desirable place in which to live and work.

The Dutch Kills Civic Association made an invaluable contribution to city planning efforts when it commissioned a land use survey and report in March and April of 2005 . The Survey included a Visual Field Inspection of land use in the Dutch Kills community, with the results were placed on 37 grid maps that were color coded, graphed and totaled. The survey inspected all structures on streets, avenues and roads in the Dutch Kills community and has provided an invaluable guide to community leaders, residents, and civic planners.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to offer my heartiest congratulations to the Dutch Kills Civic Association as it marks three decades of representing its community in western Queens. I salute the work of the Dutch Kills Civic Association and I ask that my distinguished colleagues join me in recognizing the outstanding work of the Association and its members for their many contributions to the civic life of our nation's greatest city.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Senator George Onorato, a distinguished public servant who will be retiring from the New York State Legislature at the end of the current session. Throughout his career, George Onorato has devoted himself to his country and to public service.

In recognition of his lifetime of service to others, Senator Onorato was honored last month by the Taminent Democratic Club in Astoria, New York. George Onorato has served as the Chair of its Board of Directors since 1972, and this year is marking his sixth decade as an active Club member. As its Male District Leader, he has helped ensure the Taminent Club's premier status as one of the largest and most active Democratic political clubs in all of Queens County. He is a lifelong resident of the western Queens community that he has served as an elected official with distinction for more than a quarter century.

A compassionate, dedicated public servant, Senator Onorato is deservedly respected by colleagues on both sides of the aisle in both chambers of the New York State Legislature. Since first being elected to represent the people of his beloved Queens in the New York State Senate in 1983, he has successfully sponsored legislation to preserve and improve the quality of life for consumers, tenants, the environment, members and fellow veterans of the U.S. armed forces, and the elderly, including hundreds of thousands of Medicare patients. He has served in the Senate leadership since 1992, currently holding the position of Assistant Majority Leader and the Senate Majority's Liaison to the Executive Branch. Drawing on the keen understanding of the needs of working men and women that he developed while serving for a decade and a half as Secretary/Treasurer of Bricklayer's Local #41, George Onorato is Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Labor. He has also been a champion of the environment and in particular on issues involving air quality and on waterfront development. He has also been a passionate and effective advocate for providing more affordable housing for the elderly and for moderate and low income New Yorkers. He is a past President of the Conference of Italian American Legislators.

In addition to his long and distinguished tenure as a New York State Senator, George Onorato served heroically in our nation's armed forces. He earned a Presidential Citation for his service in the United States Army, 118th Medical Battalion from 1950 to 1952. Steadfast in his devotion to his fellow veterans and those currently serving in the armed forces, he sponsored legislation providing student aid to Vietnam veterans, and in 1997 introduced a measure to increase the level of such funding. He sponsored and supported legislation to help develop a database for research on dioxin-related birth defects of children born to Vietnam veterans. And in 2003, Senator Onorato helped found the bipartisan New York State Armed Forces Legislative Caucus.

In addition to his dedicated public service, George Onorato is deeply devoted to his family and his faith. He is married to the former Athena Georgakakos. They have three adult children, Joanne, George and Janice, and six grandchildren. His wife regularly accompanies him to legislative sessions in Albany, where the two of them are a universally admired and inseparable couple.

Madam Speaker, in recognition of his courageous wartime service to our country in the United States Army, to the people of the State of New York, and to his beloved family, I ask that my distinguished colleagues join me to pay tribute to the enormous contributions to civic life made by the Honorable George Onorato.

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Ms. Pamela Hanlon. Ms. Hanlon has devoted herself to others and to her beloved community of Turtle Bay on Manhattan's East Side. This month, her efforts are being honored by the Turtle Bay Association at its annual meeting.

A longtime journalist and public relations professional, Ms. Hanlon has lived in Turtle Bay with her husband, Charles Hanley, since 1976. She began her career as a journalist with the Associated Press, and eventually moved to the field of corporate communications, where she rose to become Vice President for Public Relations at American Express. She has also dedicated herself to the betterment of the community throughout that time, serving on the Board of Directors of the Turtle Bay Association and as Editor of its newsletter, the Turtle Bay News. Ms. Hanlon authored a handsome volume about the postwar history of the fabled neighborhood. Her book, Manhattan's Turtle Bay: Story of A Midtown Neighborhood, offers an incisive, engaging look at the charming enclave to which she has been so devoted.

The Turtle Bay neighborhood is one of the most storied in our nation's greatest city, dating 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. 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 have included Katherine Hepburn, Walter Cronkite, Kurt Vonnegut, Dorothy Thompson, Derek Jeter, and the brilliant Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim.

For more than half a century, the dedicated members of the Turtle Bay Association have served as passionate and conscientious stewards of one of Manhattan's most celebrated and historic neighborhoods. Its members have conserved their area's low-rise architectural cohesiveness and esthetic beauty by successfully fighting for rezoning efforts. They have also undertaken numerous neighborhood beautification initiatives, and, thanks in large part to Ms. Hanlon's tireless efforts, have kept Association members informed through the publication of regular newsletters.

Madam Speaker, I request that my distinguished colleagues join me in honoring Pamela Hanlon, a great New Yorker and a great American, for her devotion and service to the Turtle Bay community and for her contributions to the civic life of our nation's greatest city.

Madam Speaker, it is my great privilege to pay tribute to Dr. Murray Itzkowitz, who is receiving the 2010 Adaptive Design Association Lifetime Achievement Award. His leadership, advocacy and contributions to children with disabilities and his work on behalf of the mental health rehabilitation community have enhanced the lives of countless individuals throughout my district and the greater New York City area.

Dr. Itzkowitz joined the board of directors of the Adaptive Design Association (ADA) in 2005. The ADA's mission is to ``engage families, schools, and communities in the process of designing and building responsible, child-specific, adaptive equipment.''

As a board member, Dr. Itzkowitz played a pivotal role in the relocation of the ADA's workshop and training center to a more appropriate space in Midtown Manhattan. Dr. Itzkowitz recognized that the organization's small space on Riverside Drive was limiting its ability to fulfill its mission and urged the organization to move to a larger and more central location. His passion for the organization is contagious and has led to the recruitment of new board members and relationships that continue to allow the organization to grow. In April 2010 Dr. Itzkowitz was recognized for his exceptional drive and dedication by being elected Vice Chair of the Board.

Dr. Itzkowitz has been a tireless advocate and visionary for vulnerable populations. In 1954 he was one of the founding members of The Bridge Inc. (The Bridge) a non-profit organization at the forefront of mental health and rehabilitative services. He became the first full time Executive Director of The Bridge in 1969 and retired in 2000. Under Dr. Itzkowitz's direction, The Bridge has matured from a small, self-help group to an award-winning and nationally recognized organization that annually serves more than 1,500 adults.

During his tenure as Executive Director, Dr. Itzkowitz nurtured The Bridge's comprehensive and pioneering approach to treatment. With his support and guidance The Bridge developed programs that could meet the growing needs of its clients. In the 1970s, Dr. Itzkowitz identified the need for supervised residences and expanded The Bridge's services to include housing. Under his leadership, The Bridge developed properties throughout New York City and today houses 902 adults, many

of whom suffer from not only mental health issues but also homelessness, substance abuse disorders, and HIV/AIDS--a notable increase from the first residency they established in 1979 which housed only 20 clients.

Dr. Itzkowitz was also instrumental in creating The Bridge's Vocational and Job Training Services, a key element of rehabilitation that had long been neglected. Building on Dr. Itzkowitz's responsive approach to treatment; today, The Bridge offers mental health and substance abuse treatment, housing, vocational training, and job placement, healthcare, education and creative arts therapies. All of these afford countless clients help, hope, and opportunities to enjoy healthier and more fulfilling lives.

In addition to his long history of commitment to and achievement within the social services field, Dr. Itzkowitz has been a devoted husband to his wife, Phyllis, and father to his sons, David and Jake. Jake continues his father's legacy of service as Chief of Staff for New York City Councilwoman Margaret Chin.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my distinguished colleagues join me in congratulating Dr. Murray Itzkowitz on his much deserved 2010 Adaptive Design Association Lifetime Achievement Award.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay special tribute to the East River Development Alliance, a not-for-profit organization that has made extraordinary contributions to the economic and civic life of the residents of underserved communities in western Queens. This month, the East River Development Alliance (ERDA) is celebrating its Sixth Anniversary Fundraiser and Celebration at the Ace Hotel in Manhattan.

Under the able stewardship of the Bishop Mitchell Taylor, the East River Development Alliance helps residents of New York City Housing Authority complexes and other New Yorkers with limited income achieve economic security and self-empowerment through employment, financial counseling and education, college access and community revitalization initiatives. ERDA has developed a range of programs to help the more than 20,000 residents of public housing in its catchment area to achieve economic stability and mobility, and ensure that these neighborhoods have access to critical goods and services.

In the last year alone, the Alliance opened the ERDA Federal Credit Union--the first new credit union chartered in New York City in a decade; helped more than 150 low-income New Yorkers find good jobs. As New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg noted in his State of the City Address earlier this year, a big impact can be achieved by ``credit unions serving public housing residents, like the one Bishop Taylor is opening in Long Island City this spring,'' going on to praise him as ``one banker who truly is doing God's work.'' ERDA has also helped more than 500 individuals build savings and reduce debt, is sending a cohort of high school seniors to college--nearly all of whom are the first in their families to obtain a higher education.

At its Sixth Anniversary Event, the East River Development Alliance is honoring three noteworthy community leaders: Matthew Bishop, American Business Editor and New York Bureau Chief of The Economist magazine and the author of Philanthrocapitalism; John Rhea, Chairman of the New York City Housing Authority; and Diana Taylor, Managing Director of the Wolfensohn & Company, LLC and former New York State Superintendent of Banking in the administration of Governor George Pataki. All are being honored for their outstanding efforts to improve the lives of their fellow New Yorkers and the economic vitality of our communities.

Congratulations to Bishop Taylor and the East River Development Alliance on another successful year in pursuing its vital mission of ensuring public housing communities are neighborhoods of great opportunities. Madam Speaker, I salute the work of the East River Development Alliance and I ask that my distinguished colleagues join me in recognizing the outstanding work of ERDA and its 2010 honorees for their many contributions to the civic and spiritual life of our Nation.