Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of Reverend Reginald Tuggle, Pastor of the thriving Memorial Presbyterian Church in Roosevelt, Long Island. The Memorial Presbyterian Church will honor Reverend Tuggle on September 17, 2003.

Reverend Tuggle has spent the past 30 years as a religious and community leader. A well educated and intelligent man, Reverend Tuggle has devoted his adult life to community service and improvement. Reverend Tuggle's work as Pastor of Memorial Presbyterian Church is evidence of his dedication to the people of Roosevelt. Under his leadership, Memorial Presbyterian has grown from less than 50 members to now over 1,000; from an uninvolved to one of the most community service oriented churches in Nassau County.

Most notable is Reverend Tuggle's instrumental role in establishing various youth outreach programs. The Memorial Scholarship Program annually awards scholarships to every graduating high school senior church member pursuing higher education. This has translated into awards in excess of $200,000 over the past five years! Reverend Tuggle was also behind the Memorial Youth Outreach Council, a non-profit organization that matches at-risk students from the Roosevelt community with positive mentors, and provides students with scholarship awards upon completion of the mentorship program.

Reverend Tuggle also started the Memorial Economic Development Corporation to strengthen the economic environment within Roosevelt. The Corporation's past efforts have included the purchase and renovation of houses in Roosevelt, and its current project is the construction of a much-needed state-of-the-art health clinic.

Reverend Tuggle's reach extends beyond Roosevelt and Long Island. An extensive traveler, he has studied at Central Philippine University and the University of Ghana. He has

participated in policy conferences and church missions to Russia, Israel, Jordan, Cuba, and Haiti.

Above and beyond all else, Reverend Tuggle is a strong family man. He is married to Evette Beckett-Tuggle, and together they have three daughters.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Reverend Tuggle on behalf of every man, woman and child who has been touched by Reverend Tuggle's preaching and endless and selfless community efforts.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I announce West Hempstead High School in the West Hempstead Union Free School District as School of the Month in the Fourth Congressional District for September 2003.

The principal of West Hempstead High School is Catherine Kalina, Roseanne Scully is the Assistant Principal and the Superintendent of Schools is Carol Eisenberg. This is Catherine's first year as Principal and I am confident she is going to do a wonderful job for the students, faculty, and community. West Hempstead High School has over 900 students in grades 9-12.

I chose West Hempstead High School because of the importance they place, not just on the core curriculum, but on music and art as well. Under the guidance of Steven Siracusa and Gail Sachs-McCurdy, the school's music and art directors, respectively, West Hempstead High School has developed an extremely strong program in each area. To receive a diploma, students are required to earn one credit in music or art. Studies have shown students who participate in music and the arts are more creative, imaginative, and receive a more comprehensive education that will benefit them in their future endeavors.

West Hempstead High School offers a comprehensive music program including Music Theory, Band, Marching Band, Orchestra, Chorus and Jazz Band. The arts program offers an equally varies array of classes, ranging from creative crafts to advertising design to studio in cartooning.

The school has reemphasized its commitment to offering a fully comprehensive educational experience that will prepare each student for meaningful post-high school pursuits. A full regents program is offered ensuring the high standards and expectations West Hempstead has for its' students will be met. Students are offered a wide-ranging variety of courses, including advance placement and college credit opportunities.

Mr. Speaker, the faculty and students, along with the community, have created a wonderful learning environment. I am proud to name West Hempstead High School the school of the month for September 2003.

Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago tomorrow morning over 3,000 of our fellow citizens lost their lives in a series of terrorist attacks. I lost 383 friends and neighbors on Long Island alone. When I think about tomorrow morning, we in Congress are here; we in Congress are going about our business. But I remember looking out of my window and seeing the smoke coming from the Pentagon, and I remember looking up and watching TV and seeing the plane going into the Twin Towers. And within a few moments watching another plane hit the Towers, as all of us realized we were under attack.

I will think of the families that have lost their loved ones tomorrow morning, and I will think of our firemen and our police officers and all our people that ran into the buildings to try to save those that they could. I will think about my nurses that stood by in the hospitals ready for the survivors.

There are many people that will say to these victims to get on with their lives, to move forward. I would say to those people that they have gotten on with their lives; they have moved forward, but the pain is still there. And I say to the victims that I know it has been a tough 2 years, but you have survived. I know they have been there for their families and their children and the mothers and the fathers that have lost their children.

I hope the American people will really remember what September 11 was, because we as Americans came together. We as Americans opened our hearts and our pocketbooks. New Yorkers were there for everybody, the rest of the country, and this Congress was there for us.

The heroism that went on that day was unbelievable, but that is what we as Americans do. A lot of times we forget, because our lives are so busy; and yet when a tragedy hits this country, we have all come together. I ask my fellow Americans to remember the tragedy of 2 years ago tomorrow morning, and I ask them to remember by doing an act of kindness. I ask my friends on Long Island to reach out to those families, because they are going to need it.

I will be very honest with you, their first anniversary they are still in shock. And a lot of times the second and third and fourth anniversary is when the pain hits the hardest, and I talk from experience. But I will say to all those that were affected that your life will go on, as hard as it is, and you will learn to smile again and laugh again. Because we have this sense of survival in us. But I also know we survive because of all the people around us that are there for us.

We also found out that there are people out there that do not like us and do want to attack us. But we as Americans will fight back. They can try and take down a building but they cannot take away who we are. We are Americans. I will ask everyone watching to light a candle tomorrow and to remember all those that have died and those that are continuing to die for our freedom.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of Mr. Robert G. Howell, of Mineola, New York for his thirty-five years of distinguished service in the Nassau County Police Department. His retirement this year marks the end of an extraordinary career. As a Patrolman and then a Detective, Mr. Howell has worked diligently for the security and safety of our communities. He has put his life on the line everyday for the protection of others. The courage and bravery he has shown is to be commended.

A former United States Air Force officer, Mr. Howell is a proud American. Mr. Howell is also a lifelong athlete, played softball, basketball, and lacrosse everywhere from Pease Air Force Base in Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Nassau County, New York as a member of the Nassau County Police Department County team. A dedicated community member, Mr. Howell recognized the need for strong, positive role models. Since 1976, he has taught children the importance of teamwork, leadership, and perseverance as a soccer, baseball, and lacrosse coach. As a Detective, a Coach, and a loving father and husband, Mr. Howell's commitment to serving his community is unparalleled. This is not the first time Mr. Howell has been recognized for his efforts. A committed member of the Detectives Association Incorporated, where he served as President for seventeen years, he was named Law Enforcement Man of the Year in 1986. He also received acknowledgment for Excellent Police Duty twice, a Meritorious Award, and a Congressional Special Recognition Award. Now it's my turn to say thanks.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me to express our gratitude to my friend, Mr. Howell for his exemplary work and dedication to the safety and protection of his fellow Americans. His many accomplishments in his thirty-five years of service have helped make Nassau County a safe place for all.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to cast a vote on a motion to instruct conferees on H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act. Had I not been detained in an important meeting, I would have voted ``yea'' for the motion.

Stated against:

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation because it will provide our seniors and all American consumers the relief they need from skyrocketing drug prices through safe, FDA-approved prescription drugs reimported from Canada and Europe.

And I am pleased that a broad bipartisan coalition has come together to advance this important measure.

Currently, the same exact prescription drugs purchased in Canada and Europe cost only a fraction of the prices charged in the U.S.

This does not make sense when a number of our seniors must choose between spending their limited income on food or taking on their daily dosage of a prescribed medication.

Some have raised concerns about the safety of importing prescription drugs from outside the United States.

As a nurse, I am always concerned about safety and doing no harm.

This bill takes important steps to actually improve the safety of prescription drugs through:

State-of-the-art technology to prevent tampering with the packaging (the same type of technology used by the Dept. of Treasury to secure our currency);

Strict inspections by wholesalers to test each shipment;

And by allowing only FDA-approved drugs from FDA-approved facilities into the country.

Further, the legislation's enforcement authority is clear and very strong--Manufacturers or importers can be heavily fined or even face up to 10 years in prison for failing to comply with safety requirements.

The plain fact is that more than one million Americans already purchase their medicines from outside the American market and there has not been one reported death or illness from Americans taking such products.

Mr. Speaker, reimportation is a common-sense thing to do. It is probusiness, pro-consumer and it's a safe and effective way for Americans to pay less for prescription drugs.

I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' for this legislation, our seniors can't wait.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this legislation.

Mr. Chairman, this legislation changes the goal of Head Start from a level playing field for disadvantaged children and their parents to an undefined goal of school readiness. By creating block grants, this measure turns Head Start over to states, but without any of the current requirements related to high quality and comprehensive services that have made the program successful.

While states and localities, such as Nassau County, New York which I represent, are facing their own budget crunches, this legislation will only do further harm to school budgets.

Head Start is an important program for nearly 1 million low-income children and their families throughout the country and on Long Island. Throughout its 35-year history, Head Start has created not only high performance standards, but also a comprehensive system of evaluation and monitoring to guarantee that these standards are met.

The Head Start system for accountability reviews programs once every three years to ensure that the integrity of federal dollars is protected and that our nation's poorest children do not miss a single opportunity to grow and develop.

Head Start's accountability reaches far beyond the typical monitoring done in state preschool programs. A team totaling as many as 25 reviewers spend a week reviewing every aspect of a Head Start operation, including: the curriculum; family and community partnerships; human resources; program development; teacher qualifications and professional development; physical and mental health; disability services; and language and cultural appropriateness.

The new assessment in this legislation is a narrow one that only collects the data from a direct test of children's knowledge.

This test only asks questions related to literacy, language, and numbers. Child development experts agree that a single direct assessment does not produce quality data on learning.

Using this type of test to hold programs accountable could create a host of harsh results--such as the temptation to only enroll children who face few barriers to learning or to recruit children who will test well--and potentially leaving out children who desperately need Head Start services.

This is especially true for those students with language barriers or learning disabilities. As someone with a learning disability, I know first hand how hard it was to overcome education obstacles. I was lucky enough to come from a very supportive family, but not all children are as lucky.

Head Start is a success and historically has enjoyed bipartisan support. Unfortunately, with today's legislation, this would be for the first time in its 35-year lifetime that Head Start would be considered without strong bipartisan support. Although we should continue to improve the program, we should do nothing to dismantle it. Unfortunately, I think we are headed down that road today, and that is why I urge the defeat of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this rule because it protects language added in the committee that severely restricts the ATF's ability to investigate sham gun dealers.

This ill-advised provision was never the subject of a hearing and has no support from law enforcement. Our gun laws are already riddled with loopholes that make it difficult for the ATF to do their job. And now we are going to make it even more difficult by preventing the bureau from requiring firearm dealers to conduct a physical inventory, from denying licenses to dealers whose sales fall below certain levels, and from demanding that certain dealers provide documentation for all used guns sold in a specific period.

Why would we vote to make it easier for bad-apple dealers to sell guns illegally? Just a few months ago, this body provided them protection against lawsuits, and now we are going to make it even more difficult to ensure that gun dealers are not transferring guns illegally.

We keep hearing from the gun lobby that we need to enforce the laws on the books instead of passing new laws. Well, at this pace, we are not going to be able to enforce any laws on the books. There will not be any laws to enforce.

It is clear to me that the gun lobby will not be happy until our gun laws are rolled back to the era of Jesse James and the Wild West. I wonder if they realize that for every gun that illegally falls into the wrong hands, lives are at risk, especially our law enforcement officers.

I urge the defeat of this rule so that we can strike the irresponsible language from the bill and, for once, look at the impact of rolling back our gun safety laws instead of bowing to the gun lobby.

Let me say that we are still fighting gun violence in this country, and we are also fighting terrorism on the home front. Why would we make it easier for those that might be terrorists in this country to be able to go and buy their firearms? I do not understand what this Congress is doing. We are supposed to be protecting our constituents. We are supposed to be protecting our neighbors. This is going on constantly. I urge the defeat of the rule.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of Stuart Cohen, a highly respected Emergency Transportation Specialist and Regional Emergency Planner for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Eastern Region. Stuart recently announced his retirement after 33 years of public service during which he was a pioneer in the fields of emergency planning and environmental protection.

Upon his graduation from Empire State College, Stuart began 27 years of employment for the United States Postal Service where he held many positions including Superintendent of Postal Operations and Safety Specialist. After his time with the Postal Service, Stuart joined the U.S. Coast Guard to serve as an Occupational Safety and Health Specialist, making many contributions to safety, including the development of the first consolidated Coast Guard electronic safety and health manual.

After his tenure with the Coast Guard, Stuart continued to serve his country through the FAA's Eastern Region. With the FAA, Stuart held many positions including Regional Emergency Planner and Environmental Protection Specialist. Stuart's many achievements with the FAA highlight his commitment to safety and the preservation of our environment. Stuart provided emergency's support at the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, led a support team during the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) 1998 Exercise, and managed Department of Transportation responses to major disasters. Stuart's commitment to the environment is just as impressive. He chaired the FAA Regional Environmental Network, authored the FAA Environmental Policy Manual, and met with airline industry official regarding environmental issues.

Stuart has received many honors and awards during his distinguished career. Most notably, Stuart's courageous and selfless response to the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001 earned him the FEMA Award for Service and the State of Virginia Award for Service.

While serving his country, Stuart has kept an active private life. He has been and continues to be involved in a number of organizations including the Nassau County Auxiliary Police, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, and Volunteer Firefighters.

In his 33 years of public service, Stuart Cohen's dedication to public safety and environmental protection has helped shaped the great nation we live in today and made the country a safer, cleaner place for all. The people of the Fourth District of New York and all Americans thank him for his hard work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to express my deep appreciation and recognition of Mr. Rao S. Anumolu of Hauppauge, NY for his tireless efforts in support of our nations defense. As President and CEO of ASR International Corporation, Mr. Anumolu has assisted the Department of Defense in its fight to protect our homeland since the attack on our country on September 11th and particularly during the Iraqi war. Since its conception in 1986, ASR International has developed cost effective technology and systems to protect our nations airports, waterways, railroads and highways. Most recently, ASR International has developed the ``SAFETY/SECURITY ASSURANCE SYSTEM'' in order to further support our efforts at Homeland Security in a comprehensive and cost effective manner.

In addition to Mr. Anumolu's arduous work with ASR International, he has made quite a name for himself outside their doors. Earning a MS in Industrial Engineering and a MBA in Management, Mr. Anumolu furthered his education in the field of Defense by enrolling in numerous courses at Defense Systems Management College as well as Harvard University and other esteemed institutions. With this stellar academic background, Mr. Anumolu entered the work force, holding such prestigious positions as Senior Engineer, Program Manager and Director of Prime Defense contractors before founding ASR International in 1986.

This is not the first time Mr. Anumolu has been recognized for his efforts. In 1993, Mr. Anumolu received the Business Excellence Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration for his work in the field of Defense. Now, it is my turn to say ``Thanks.''

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me in expressing our gratitude to Mr. Anumolu for his exemplary work and dedication to the safety and protection of all Americans. His many accomplishments have helped make the United States a safe place for all.

Mr. Speaker, as we are hearing all too frequently about continued violence in Israel, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 294, expressing solidarity with Israel.

For me, terrorism has hit close to home on too many occasions. Just last Friday, Eugene and Lorraine Goldstein, an elderly couple from Plainview, which is on Long Island, were visiting their son in Israel. It was supposed to be a time of joy for the family, but became a matter of grief.

Eugene and Lorraine Goldstein, and their son and daughter-in-law were on their way to a wedding dinner for a grandson at the Holyland Hotel, and also celebrating their son and daughter-in-law's 27th wedding anniversary. The family was traveling along Route 60, a West Bank highway.

During the drive, the Goldstein's happy day was shattered by the bullets of terrorists. The Goldsteins were shot in an attack that the Palestinian group Hamas has admitted carrying out. Within minutes Eugene and Lorraine's son was dead, their daughter-in-law was injured, and they were severely wounded, taken to a Jerusalem hospital.

Eugene Goldstein is a watch salesman at the Fortunoff store in Westbury, also in my district. Fortunoff calls Eugene a ``superstar with a big wave and a big grin,'' and their family, friends and neighbors know the Goldsteins as good people. The family is in great shock, just one more family with lives destroyed from terrorism. I am praying that the Goldsteins recover quickly and fully, and my condolences go to their family for their loss.

Today, Israel finds herself in an unbearable situation. Despite Israeli trust, Yasser Arafat has allowed terrorism to pervade Israeli society. Prime Minister ``MA-MOOD'' Abbas must keep his pledge for a ``complete end to violence and terrorism.'' Until that happens, Israel has every right to enter Palestinian cities and refugee camps to root out terror. We cannot expect Israel to sit by and watch her country crumble, and her people be murdered in groups of 20 while they ride buses.

As a Member of Congress, I will support Israel's decisions regarding security and self-defense in any way possible.

Madam Speaker, I stand in strong opposition of H.R. 660. We are hearing all the time about do no harm, and I think Members need to remember, why do 48 States have good basic health care insurance? It is mainly because our advocates, breast cancer or diabetes, all of the diseases that we are trying to prevent, have made the States realize that the monies that we spend to make sure that people stay healthy certainly is cheaper in the long run. That is 48 States including New York, and what we are doing here, we are wiping that out. We are wiping that out.

As patients and advocates across this Nation quickly discovered that their basic health care needs were not being served by their insurance companies, that is why the States have forced the insurance companies to make sure that the treatments that we are asking for, like a mammogram, and how many lives have we saved over the years because we have made the insurance companies make sure they have it in their policies. The States made them do that.

What we are doing here is taking that away. They demanded that their States step in and protect them. Madam Speaker, as I said in 48 States, we have our attorneys general, we have our governors, Republicans and Democrats. What we are doing here is harm. All of us, there is not one Member in this Chamber that does not want to make sure that our small businesses are able to offer health care insurance. That is why the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind) are going to offer an amendment that will offer help to our small businesses.

There is not one penny in this bill that is going to help small businesses get health care. The Kind-Andrews amendment will. As a nurse and certainly with the constituents I have coming into my office yesterday, today, last week, every single week, all they are asking for is to make sure that their basic health care needs are met. What we are doing here is taking it away. I will say again, there is not one Member, Republican or Democrat, that does not want to help our small businesses. We would like to see health care be out there for everybody. I certainly would, but again, we keep hearing about budget constraints. Well, if we had not passed those large tax cuts, maybe we could do some good health care policy around here.

Madam Speaker, this bill will do harm to millions of people. It is always the devil is in the details, and on the top of this legislation it might look good, but in the end it is not. All 48 States, as I have said over and over again, have fought to make sure that our insurance companies give the services that our constituents need. That is why it was passed. That is why this bill should be defeated.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the Committee on Education and the Workforce for yielding me this time and for introducing this bill, because this substitute is actually the answer to what we are looking for, and it is also paid for.

Let me say what this amendment will do, the substitute. It provides small employees the same access to health benefits that Federal employees have. All small business employees and employers are offered coverage. It minimizes the adverse selection. ``The Secretary shall establish an initial open enrollment period and thereafter an annual enrollment period.'' It uses state-licensed insurers without preempting State laws.

For some reason, I thought basically, especially on the other side of the aisle, that we never wanted to preempt State laws.

This amendment provides a minimum benefit package similar to Federal employees. All participating insurers must offer benefits equal to or greater than the options offered to Federal employees. It also provides for affordable small employer premiums with premium assistance.

This is the answer to help our small businesses. And again I will say, on the main bill, when we have Republican and Democratic Governors throughout this country saying this is not the answer, when we have State attorneys general saying this is not the answer, and that this substitute is the answer, then I believe this can help our small businesses. We all want to do that.

So I would say to my colleagues here on the right, and certainly the right side and the left side of the aisle, that this substitute is the answer to what our Governors would like, certainly our State attorneys general would like. It would help the people and not take away the minimum health care benefits that we have been fighting for for gosh knows how many years.

I will stress again and again that the only reason that we have decent basic health care coverage in our States, 48 of them, is because they realized that was the way to go.

Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to recommit.

Yes, Mr. Speaker, in its present form.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.

I rise in strong support for the motion to recommit. This motion will prohibit employers from joining association health plans if it allows for a reduction in coverage for breast cancer services. A vote against this motion and for the bill will allow employers that already cover basic mammograms to drop this coverage.

Mr. Speaker, a reduction in health insurance in any form is a reduction in health care. It is just that simple. States know that without guaranteeing basic health care, patients will not get the services they desperately need. They will only seek help under extreme circumstances, requiring more expensive medical treatment for their disease, putting their lives and the lives of their children at risk.

According to the American Cancer Society, over 211,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year alone. Two thousand of those cases will be in my State. Breast cancer is potentially fatal, but early detection through mammogram screenings is the key to proper treatment of this disease. Timely screening could prevent approximately 15 percent to 30 percent of all deaths from breast cancer among women over the age of 40. Currently, New York and 47 other States require insurance companies to cover mammogram screenings. However, under this bill, associated health plans would be exempt from having to provide this critical benefit in these 48 States. This motion would at least present a reduction of health care services to those who already have this important benefit.

As a nurse, I cannot believe this House, after hearing from cancer survivors for years about the need for treatments and screenings to beat this deadly disease, is now going to be rolling back these patient protections.

Today before you vote, truly realize a vote against this motion to recommit will harm millions of patients across this country.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey).

Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews).

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise is support of H.R. 2185, Extend Temporary Unemployment Benefits Act. This bill guarantees at least 13 weeks of unemployment benefits for jobless workers who are about to exhaust their original 26 weeks of benefits. Extending unemployment insurance is not only compassionate; it makes good economic sense because it stimulates the economy. For every dollar of unemployment insurance given to individuals, $1.73 is generated in the economy, the greatest of any spending initiative or tax cut.

Over the past 2\1/2\ years, more than 2.6 million Americans have lost their jobs, and the total number of unemployed, 8.8 million, is the highest in a decade. In New York State, we have seen 175,000 people lose their jobs over this same period of time. Without this extension, many of these workers would lose their insurance in the next few months.

Today's legislation is a step in the right direction. While it helps those who have not exhausted their benefits, it is my hope we continue to finds ways to help those whose benefits have completely expired and are facing difficult times. Families need real help, not empty promises.

I look forward to President Bush signing this legislation into law.

I rise in recognition of Senior Chief Yeoman Richard Mark Zweifach, a well-respected leader in the Navy who recently announced his retirement. In his 20 years of service Richard was a leading voice in the Navy.

He joined the Navy in the summer of 1983 and had basic training in Orlando. Upon leaving basic training Richard began his service in Mississippi until settling in New London, CT for almost 4 years. The Navy transferred him to San Diego in 1987 and remained there until 1993. In 1994, Richard went back East to Kings Bay, GA spending 2\1/2\ years on the USS West Virginia. After his service in Georgia, Richard returned to San Diego to serve with the Submarine Development Squadron. He has served in this capacity for more than 6 years.

While serving his country, Richard still found time to get married and raise a family. He is a devoted husband to his beautiful wife, Traci, and a dedicated father to his three wonderful children, Richard Jr., Ariel and Ashley.

Although he retires from the Navy, Richard still plans to keep his active community lifestyle. He is thinking about joining the local police force, which would allow him to continue to help others.

I congratulate Richard on his 20 years of service to our country and applaud his continued devotion to help others. His dedication to our country and his family is a model for all. Thank you on behalf of the people of the 4th Congressional District and others who benefited from your hard work and dedication.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of Chief Warrant Officer Laurence C. Adams, a well-respected leader in the Army National Guard who recently announced his retirement. In his 42 years of service, Laurence was a leading voice in the Army National Guard.

He joined the New York Army National Guard in 1961. After serving nearly 30 years in the National Guard, he spent more than seven years in the U.S. Army Reserve Control Group. The next three years Laurence served as an infantryman in the Regular Army. His last year of service was spent in the Vermont Army National Guard. Throughout his 42 years, Laurence served a variety of roles ranging from acting surgeon to platoon sergeant to fire marshall. His assignments are too many to name.

During his tenure, Laurence served in nine New York State Emergency Operations, which included the World Trade Center terrorist attack. Like his colleagues, he displayed the bravery we take for granted.

Laurence's honors and awards are many. They include the Army Service Ribbon, New York State Conspicuous Service Medal, the State's equivalent of the Legion of Merit, and Armed Forces Reserve Medal (Second award). These awards display how valuable and dedicated Laurence was to his units and country.

While serving his country, Laurence kept a busy private life. He helped Veterans get benefits and records and recruited many members for veterans' organizations. He also was a founding member of the Statue of Liberty Chapter of the United States Army Warrant Officers Association. Laurence was a member of many organizations including the American Legion, National Guard Association of the United States, and the New York State Military Heritage Institute.

I congratulate Laurence on his 42 years of service to our country and applaud his continued devotion to help others. His dedication to our country is a model for all. Thank you on behalf of the people of the Fourth Congressional District and others who benefited from your hard work and dedication.