Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, when I was Chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials, I held a number of hearings on pipeline safety, one of which highlighted an American Petroleum Institute-developed (API) standard which was incorporated by reference in a pipeline education and awareness regulation. But in order to comprehend the regulation, interested parties had to obtain the API standard, which cost more than $1,000. One thousand dollars is a lot of money, particularly for small communities, local emergency responders, and pipeline safety advocates, for just one of the many pipeline safety standards referenced in regulations issued by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

Fortunately, Congress resolved the situation in the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011. Section 24 of the Act prohibited the Secretary of Transportation, effective January 3, 2013, from issuing ``guidance or a regulation that incorporates by reference any documents or portions thereof unless the documents or portions thereof are made available to the public, free of charge, on an Internet Web site.''

Since enactment of the legislation, all but one organization has agreed in writing to electronically post on the Internet all of their consensus standards that PHMSA incorporates by reference into the federal pipeline safety regulations, including:

ASTM International; The Manufacturers Standardization Society; The Gas Technology Institute; NACE International; The National Fire Protection Association; The American Petroleum Institute; The American Gas Association.

Many other organizations have submitted letters to PHMSA expressing the need for public availability of the standards. I ask unanimous consent that the letters from the Pipeline Safety Trust, Dakota Rural Action, and Columbia Law Professor Peter Strauss be included in today's Record.

One organization, however, has expressed concern about posting their standards on the Internet. This has, in turn, held up progress of several important safety rulemakings that were mandated in the 2011 pipeline law.

So in an effort to move these important rulemakings forward, I believe the law should be modified to provide DOT with additional time to implement it and with additional flexibility to determine how best to make the standards widely available to the public.

I believe that even with these changes the law will continue to address the transparency and openness concerns of the safety community.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2576.

Pipeline Safety Trust,

Bellingham, WA, July 15, 2013.

Hon. Corrine Brown,

Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and

Hazardous Materials, U.S. House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Ms. Brown: We would like to thank the Transportation &

Infrastructure Committee and the Energy & Commerce Committee

for their efforts during the passage of the Pipeline Safety,

Regulatory Certainty, and Job Creation Act of 2011 (the 2011

Act) to ensure that the public can actually freely read all

the regulations that Congress mandates and that PHMSA then

creates through the rulemaking process that could impact

public safety and the health of the environment. A review of

the Code of Federal Regulations under which PHMSA operates

finds the following numbers of incorporated standards:

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in strong opposition to the farm bill rule and the underlying bill because it hurts the children of America.

Mr. Speaker, the Bible says to whom much is given, much is required.

This is a sad day in the House of Representatives. Shame on the Republicans. Shame on the House.

Excuse me, Mr. Speaker. Did you rule in my favor?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Excuse me? What did I say that was incorrect?

I was recognized for a minute. Are you saying that I do not have a minute?

Parliamentary Inquiries

Mr. Speaker, did you rule in my favor?

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

This is a sad day in the House of Representatives. I want you to know that this is the people's House, and to separate the farm bill from the elderly, from the children is a shame.

Mitt Romney was right. You do not care about the 47 percent. Shame on you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this bill. By stripping out the nutrition portion of this legislation, the Republican Majority is showing their disdain for those people who are struggling to make ends meet, and trying to put good nutritious food on the table for their children.

This Republican Leadership is the most partisan in the history of the House. By taking bipartisan legislation like the Farm Bill, which helps all Americans, they have made it a divisive issue.

Mitt Romney was right--you don't care about the 47 percent of Americans who depend on the government for the basic necessities of life--food and shelter.

The FARRM Bill needs to have all the sections included to genuinely affect all aspects of food production. From those who eat to those who produce. The family farmer produces the food for our table. The recipient of government funding spends all of that funding on food. Nothing is saved for later.

Farm bills represent a delicate balance between America's farm, nutrition, conservation, and other priorities, and accordingly require strong bipartisan support. It is vital for a broad coalition of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to provide certainty for urban and rural America, the environment and our economy in general.

Splitting the nutrition title from the rest of the bill could result in neither farm nor nutrition programs passing.

I urge the leadership of the House of Representatives to move a unified farm bill forward.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this bill. By stripping out the nutrition portion of this legislation, the Republican Majority is showing their disdain for those people who are struggling to make ends meet, and trying to put good nutritious food on the table for their children.

This Republican Leadership is the most partisan in the history of the House. By taking bipartisan legislation like the Farm Bill, which helps all Americans, they have made it a divisive issue.

Mitt Romney was right--you don't care about the 47 percent of Americans who depend on the government for the basic necessities of life--food and shelter.

The FARRM Bill needs to have all the sections included to genuinely affect all aspects of food production. From those who eat to those who produce. The family farmer produces the food for our table. The recipient of government funding spends all of that funding on food. Nothing is saved for later.

Farm bills represent a delicate balance between America's farm, nutrition, conservation, and other priorities, and accordingly require strong bipartisan support. It is vital for a broad coalition of lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to provide certainty for urban and rural America, the environment and our economy in general.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP as it's called, protects over 46 million Americans who are at risk of going without sufficient food. Nearly half of those are children.

The nutrition title of the FARRM bill includes SNAP. It includes the Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Grant Program to help people learn to eat healthier. Community Food Projects is a grant program for eligible nonprofit organizations, in order to improve community access to food. The Emergency Food Assistance Program, Commodity Supplemental Food Program, Child Nutrition Programs, Farm-to-School Programs, Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program and the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program are all programs that both help low income consumers and the farmers that produce what we put on our table.

Splitting the nutrition title from the rest of the bill could result in neither farm nor nutrition programs passing.

I urge the leadership of the House of Representatives to move a unified farm bill forward.

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following letter.

University of Florida

Student Government,

Gainesville, FL, June 5, 2013.

Hon. Corrine Brown,

Rayburn House Office Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Congresswoman Brown: A well-educated workforce is

essential to the growth of our country. I firmly believe that

higher education is what drives our economy and gives our

country its competitive advantage in the current global

economy. As the colleges and universities in the United

States make progress towards curing cancer and finding

alternative energy sources, the cost of a college degree has

increased progressively.

According to the SFA Funds Management Report from the

University of Florida, over 10,000 students have received

$37,122,091 in subsidized Stafford Loans. Across the board,

the cost of a college degree has increased by more than 1,000

percent in the past 35 years and many students simply cannot

bear the cost of a college degree.

I do not want to see student loan rates increase, but I

recognize the need for long-term solutions to the problems

that students face. I, along with the 50,000+ students at the

University of Florida, support a bipartisan solution that

will contribute to the success of students and support them

in today's economy. This is an issue that we care about and

it is a discussion that we want to be a part of.

Economics teaches us that stability is one of the greatest

influences in any market. Students need to be able to plan

for the financial responsibilities of college and a stable

loan market is crucially important to providing stability and

security. I think that everyone can agree that students

should be focused on their education and college graduates

should be focused on their career. Unfortunately, the current

loan crisis has students and graduates focused on the amount

of money they owe instead of studying and contributing to the

nation's economy.

Ensuring that all stakeholders' voices are heard during the

discussion is our main priority in finding a long-term

solution to student loan rates. We are receptive to

entertaining different possible solutions until the best one

is found. Students and their families deserve financial

stability instead of crippling adjustments or rate increases

that would hinder their success. I look forward to discussing

this issue with members from the state of Florida, and would

gladly share my viewpoint with other Members of Congress.

Go Gators,

Christina Bonarrigo,

Student Body President,

University of Florida.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to submit the following:

University of Florida,

Student Government,

Gainsville, FL, June 5, 2013.

Hon. Corrine Brown,

Rayburn House Office Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Congresswoman Brown: A well-educated workforce is

essential to the growth of our country. I firmly believe that

higher education is what drives our economy and gives our

country its competitive advantage in the current global

economy. As the colleges and universities in the United

States make progress towards curing cancer and finding

alternative energy sources, the cost of a college degree has

increased progressively.

According to the SFA Funds Management Report from the

University of Florida, over 10,000 students have received

$37,122,091 in subsidized Stafford Loans. Across the board,

the cost of a college degree has increased by more than 1,000

percent in the past 35 years and many students simply cannot

bear the cost of a college degree.

I do not want to see student loan rates increase, but I

recognize the need for long-term solutions to the problems

that students face. I, along with the 50,000+ students at the

University of Florida, support a bipartisan solution that

will contribute to the success of students and support them

in today's economy. This is an issue that we care about and

it is a discussion that we want to be a part of.

Economics teaches us that stability is one of the greatest

influences in any market, Students need to be able to plan

for the financial responsibilities of college and a stable

loan market is crucially important to providing stability and

security. I think that everyone can agree that students

should be focused on their education and college graduates

should be focused on their career. Unfortunately, the current

loan crisis has students and graduates focused on the amount

of money they owe instead of studying and contributing to the

nation's economy.

Ensuring that all stakeholders' voices are heard during the

discussion is our main priority in finding a long-term

solution to student loan rates. We are receptive to

entertaining different possible solutions until the best one

is found. Students and their families deserve financial

stability instead of crippling adjustments or rate increases

that would hinder their success. I look forward to discussing

this issue with members from the state of Florida, and would

gladly share my viewpoint with other Members of Congress.

Go Gators,

Christina Bonarrigo,

Student Body President,

University of Florida.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for coming to the floor to discuss what I think is one of the most activist Court decisions probably in my lifetime.

When I was elected to Congress in 1992, it was the first time an African American won an election in Florida in 129 years in this body. And I can't stand in this body and not think about what happened in the 2000 election when we had a coup d'etat in this country, when 27,000 voters from my districts, Districts 7, 8, 9 and 10, their ballots were not counted and were thrown out because of poor equipment.

Let's don't talk about what happened 4 years later when Jeb Bush paid $4

million to a company that took all of the people off the ballot that were not even felons.

In this recent election with this latest Governor, what did he do? They did away with Sunday voting because African Americans and others vote on Sunday.

So our work is cut out for us. The legislature for the first time put together a program that clearly lays out what we need to do to move forward. So I urge my colleagues to move forward in making sure that we reinstate section 4 of the Voting Rights Act.

Mr. Chairman, to the Members of the House, let me be clear, I will not be voting for this bill. I will vote for no bill that cuts $20.5 billion from the SNAP program, but I will be voting for this amendment.

We had a hideous bill on the floor a couple of days ago. And I want to be clear. I support all children, and it does not end at birth. It is ludicrous that we're here and the goody goody two shoes are now cutting the SNAP program and an attack on children. The families of three can earn no modern $24,000 per year in income. Seventy-six percent of the SNAP households include a child, an elderly person or a disabled person. Because of the insensitivity of this Congress, there was an announcement in my paper that Meals on Wheels for seniors are being cut.

I am fighting for babies who need milk and families that cannot afford food for their children. Support this amendment and vote against this bad bill.

Mr. Speaker, I was deeply saddened when I learned of the passing of Senator Frank Lautenberg. I am certain that anyone who had ever met Senator Lautenberg would agree, regardless of political party affiliation, that he was a remarkable statesman and hard working government servant. The longest-serving senator in New Jersey's history, he was gifted in interpersonal relations, and recognized for reaching across the aisle to benefit the people of his state, and the citizens of our nation as a whole. And as the last veteran to serve in World War II in the U.S. Senate, he represented a generation of leaders who left a legacy of service that continues to inspire all Americans.

A proud son of hard-working immigrants, Senator Lautenberg rose from humble beginnings to attain success in business and public service. He was an incredibly efficient entrepreneur who turned a small business into one of the largest computing services companies in the world; a soldier who put his life on the line to protect our country; a Senator who helped ban smoking in airplanes and around children, who worked to ensure parents could take time off to care for sick family members, and the Senator who helped modernize the G.I. bill to ensure today's veterans could benefit from the same opportunities he did.

Additionally, throughout his years in the U.S. Senate, he worked tirelessly to secure investments in infrastructure for the Northeast Corridor, and it was in the area of transportation that I personally worked with Senator Lautenberg as a close partner. Senator Lautenberg's staunch efforts to augment Amtrak and commuter rail parallel my own. And as the Chair of the House Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads under a House Democratic Majority, we worked closely to increase funding for Amtrak and passenger rail both in the Northeast Corridor and throughout the entire United States.

Senator Lautenberg, who served on four Commerce, Science and Transportation subcommittees, including aviation operations and surface transportation, helped save Amtrak from budget hawks; supported tarmac delay protections for airline passengers; was instrumental in increasing transportation spending for mass transportation and other infrastructure improvements; succeeded in getting stricter limits on drinking and driving, and managed to get smoking banned from airplanes, among numerous other transportation-related accomplishments.

In fact, Senator Lautenberg wrote the 2008 law to increase Amtrak funding and create the nation's high-speed rail grant program. And in

2011, he got the Northeast Corridor designated as a federally- recognized high-speed rail corridor, which allowed Amtrak to receive $450 million in federal funding for high-speed rail upgrades, and the Secaucus Junction train station in fact, is named after him.

He fought New Jersey Governor Chris Christie over the ARC tunnel, a rail improvement Lautenberg saw as essential for allowing the continued flow of commuters between New Jersey and New York under the Hudson River. The Gateway tunnel project, a substitute for ARC, is under development and just received a promise of $185 million in federal funds. Lautenberg's dream of an intermodal freight policy is also on its way toward being realized, thanks to increased federal attention on creating a national freight strategic plan. Complete streets policies, which he consistently supported, are in place in nearly 500 communities around the country, and his zeal to create a National Infrastructure Bank as a way to invite more private investors to partner with the government on infrastructure is still struggling for wide acceptance.

I join in expressing my prayers and condolences to his wife, Bonnie, and to his children, his grandchildren, his entire family, and to the people of New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Bold City Chapter of Links Incorporated's 20 years of service to the Jacksonville community.

As the representative of Florida's 5th Congressional District, I have followed this chapter's community service efforts for many years and am most impressed with their commitment to the City.

On behalf of my Congressional office and my constituents of Florida's 5th congressional district, I thank the Bold City Chapter of Links for all they do to make Jacksonville a better place. Indeed, our city is extremely fortunate for the service and leadership the Bold City Chapter provided through the chapter's programs over the past 20 years.

This chapter is a symbol of hope to numerous citizens that have been served through the chapter's many accomplishments, most recently the Links Leadership Academy. I am certain that this Academy will serve to develop our next generation of leaders, the future leaders of our City.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 671, Ruth Moore Act of 2013. This bill will right a wrong in our veterans' compensation process for those servicemembers suffering from military sexual trauma.

One of the problems we have when trying to help veterans victimized by their superiors is lack of information about how often it happens and how many veterans are victims.

This bill requires the VA to collect and report on many aspects of those who are suffering from MST, but are unable to get relief from the

Mr. Chair, this is America, and I fully believe it's possible to build the Keystone pipeline in a way that improves our access to crude oil and puts thousands of people to work, while still protecting citizens from hazardous spills. But we have to hold the industry's feet to the fire and make sure they are taking every possible precaution in building this pipeline.

There are members on both sides who support construction of the pipeline and we could work together to move this project forward, but the Keystone XL has become totally political, with people using it to score points rather than address some of the problems that could arise from its construction. Today's bill is dead on arrival, but here we are once again wasting the House's time on partisan bills the Senate will never take up.

When I chaired the Railroad, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee we held five separate hearings concerning pipeline safety and found significant problems with reporting and inspections, as well as an unhealthy relationship between the pipeline industry and the agencies regulating them. We really need more scrutiny over the construction and operation of the Keystone Pipeline, not less. Deeming permits completed and suspending the Clean Water Act is a very dangerous precedent and will certainly make communities more vulnerable to the death and destruction that pipeline ruptures cause.

With the high unemployment rate this country is currently facing, we should be hiring and training inspectors and putting contractors to work replacing this aging pipeline infrastructure in this country. Gas and oil companies have profited by over $1 trillion dollars over the last decade, while the infrastructure that brings their products to market becomes more unstable and more dangerous.

Every day in America we see our infrastructure crumbling around us. The Association of Civil Engineers gave the nation's transportation infrastructure a grade of D.

That is unacceptable, and the American people deserve better. Let's put people back to work on improving our entire nation's infrastructure. That's a win for the economy and a win for America's workers.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the constituents of the Fifth Congressional District of Florida and myself, I rise now to offer a tribute to the career and success of my friend, Dr. Stanley H. Stone, who served as the Vice President of Human Resources and Diversity for Valencia College in Orlando, FL for the past ten years. A visionary and scholar Dr. Stanley H. Stone is a true leader of the Central Florida Community and the great State of Florida.

We exalt Dr. Stone for his accomplishments while the legacy honoring the man, husband, father, and a community leader who is beloved by many in the Central Florida area. A man dedicated to education and committed to achieving athletic excellence, Dr. Stone earned a Bachelor's of Arts degree in Political Science in 1974 from Howard University in Washington, District of Columbia while on a track athletic scholarship. During his tenure at Howard, he was acknowledged as a College All- American in Track and Field. This prestigious honor catapulted him toward his aspirations of representing the United States in the Olympics after winning several sprinting competitions. Continuing his pursuit of academic scholarship, Dr. Stone was awarded his Juris Doctorate degree in 1977 from Howard University.

Upon relocating to the State of Florida, Dr. Stone began his professional career as a staff attorney for Central Florida Legal Services, Inc. In 1979, Dr. Stone's call to service lead him to the classrooms of Seminole Community College in Sanford, FL and Valencia Community in Orlando, FL as an adjunct professor, where he taught both business and law classes at each respective institution. Within the year, Dr. Stone became the Program Director of the Paralegal Program at Valencia. Progressing forward, he became the Dean of the Business and Public Services department and served in this capacity for 10 years. Because of his exceptional work ethic, management skills, and business savvy, Dr. Stone was promoted to Provost of Valencia College, East Campus in 1994 and remained in this position until 2003. It was during his tenure as Provost that the East Campus experienced extraordinary growth in student enrollment, increased number of grants awarded to faculty and staff, and the expansion of buildings and facilities. Subsequeetly, by the end of his term, the East Campus bolstered an enrollment of over 17,000 students per semester, greatly exceeding that of the other three respective Valencia Community College campuses. Also as campus Provost, Dr. Stone served as the Chair of the college-wide Equal Access/Equal Opportunity Committee, responsible for recommending college policies and procedures for contlucting employment discrimination investigations, sexual harassment complaints, and provided guidance to administrators on college recruiting and hiring practices. As a result of being an advocate for students, Dr. Stone was awarded an honorary membership into the Phi Theta Kappa Society.

In recognition of exemplifying phenomenal leadership, Valencia's President, Dr. Sanford Shugart, promoted Dr. Stone to the position of Vice-President of Human Resources and Diversity division in 2003. Dr. Stone is the first to hold this position and was the only African American on the president's cabinet. He served as the president's liaison to the College's Black Advisory Committee. Dr. Stone holds memberships in the American Association of the Community Colleges, the Florida Association of Community Colleges and the College and University Public Administrators organization.

As a community leader Dr. Stanley H. Stone efforts are unrivaled. He has served on numerous boards, commissions and panels throughout the Central Florida area. In September, 2006, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer appointed Dr. Stone as Chair of the Mayor's Safe Orlando Task Force his unprecedented recommendations to resolve law enforcement issues and reduce crime were unanimously accepted recommendations for implementation. In addition, Dr. Stone serves on the Board of Directors for the African American Chamber of Commerce, the Central Florida Urban League, 100 Black Men organization and Boys and Girls Club. Dr. Stone reached the pinnacle of his volunteerism and philanthropic efforts by being recognized by several organizations such as the Orange County Black History Committee who named Dr. Stone, Educator of the Year in 2006; The Links, Incorporated in 2009; and he was most recently recognized by Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated as a Blue Indigo award recipient.

Though Dr. Stone H. Stone is a celebrated educator and exemplary community leader, the title that suits him best that which he is most proud of is father. Dr. Stone enjoys leisure time with his son, Terrance, and his loving wife, Barbara. In memory of their most cherished and treasured daughter Shannon, who transitioned in 2007, Dr. and Mrs. Stone established a foundation through which several students have been granted scholarships and book awards. A devoted and active member of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Oviedo, Florida, Dr. Stone is a man of great faith. Through his faith he has persevered from his childhood in the inner city to his stellar achievements as a community servant. Always remembering to reach back, Dr. Stone's commitment and dedication to our youth has provided young people with the opportunities that were not so easily afforded to him.

We pay tribute to a man of God Dr. Stanley H. Stone, as a humanitarian, man, husband, father, educator, and community leader in Central Florida whose life work and achievements symbolize compassion, thoughtfulness, patience, wisdom, confidence and faith. He is

a man who has remained the master of his fate, steadfast to being the captain of his soul and is truly a role model for us all.

Will the gentlelady yield for a question?

First of all, I want to thank the chairperson for conducting this discussion pertaining to the CBC's budget because I think it is the most compassionate budget that will be presented to the House.

My question for you, Madam Chair, is that I just returned from Florida. Florida ranks first in the last 8 months with the number of people losing their homes because of foreclosure, Miami being first, Orlando being second, Jacksonville being eighth. People approach me about jobs. They're not talking to me about the deficit. They want to know what we are doing as far as putting the American people to work.

Can you expound upon that for me, please?

Thank you so much, and thank you for your leadership.

I really do believe when you're born you get a birth certificate, and when you die you're going to get a death certificate; and that little dash in between is what you've done to make this a better place. And I really want to thank the Congressional Black Caucus for your leadership, for what you have done being the conscience of this House of Representatives, a House that has lost its conscience.

Now, I come from Florida, and our State now ranks number one in foreclosure. Why is that? There's a direct correlation between if you don't have a job, you cannot pay your mortgage. And so the Congressional Black Caucus budget invests in jobs.

I am so sick and tired of this House position--what I called when I was coming up--``reverse Robin Hood,'' robbing from the poor and working people to give tax breaks to the rich.

The Congressional Black Caucus budget on the other hand invests in education, saving the jobs of teachers and first responders. What else good does it do? It makes investment toward rebuilding our neighborhoods; and we all know that for every billion dollars that we spend in infrastructure, it generates 44,000 permanent jobs.

Now, I want to say something about the fact that you can tell something about an organization or a group or your church or your club as to how you spend the money. That's how you can tell. And you can tell whether you care about the children, the disabled, and the elderly.

Coming from Florida, the home of Claude Pepper, I want to be very clear that I will not vote to cut Social Security, Medicaid, or Medicare.

You know what? We did have an election, and I want you to know the people of Florida weighed in. You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time. And the people of Florida have spoken. They want us to work together, and they want jobs now. They understand that 20 years from now we need to correct Social Security and other things; but today when I go home, the only question they ask me--whether I'm in the dollar store or the nail store or in church--is they want jobs and they want us to work together to bring those jobs to the community.

I really do believe, to whom God has given much, much is expected, and we really need to expect more out of this House of Representatives, the people's House.

I just want to add one other thing. I will never forget that Newt Gingrich said that he wanted Medicaid and Medicare to wither on the vine. That is the philosophy of these people who control this House--wither on the vine.

Absolutely, sir, because absolutely, in coming from Florida, failure is not an option.

Here we go again. Our Nation is on the brink of disaster because Congress has created another manmade disaster. Let me repeat--not Congress. House Republicans have created another manmade disaster. I haven't talked with anyone--from business leaders, to children's advocates, to AARP and senior citizen groups--who think Congress is doing a good job.

Just last year, the Republicans took $115 billion and handed it over to 6,000 of the wealthiest Americans in the form of tax cuts. At the same time, they cut health care funding for needy children and their families. I have a list of cuts and how they're going to affect children, senior citizens, and the FAA.

Do you know what? You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.

In closing, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 699, a balanced bill to replace this cutting and spending disaster.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Toby L. Footer (Meckler) who at the age of 70, passed away on Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 after a lengthy illness. She is survived by her husband Ron Footer, son Lee Footer and daughter-in-law Brenda Footer, daughter Alyson Footer, Brother Bill Meckler and sister-in-law Jeanne Van Atta, sister-in-law Sandi Brecher, granddaughter Naomi Footer and many other family and friends. Born in Cleveland, Ohio on May 2, 1942 to Lou and Naomi Meckler, Toby graduated from Ohio State University and worked as a teacher, a dietician and later as a copy editor and writer at the Dayton Jewish Chronicle. She wrote a semi-regular column, ``Footnotes,'' that gave humorous accounts of family life and raising kids in the 1980s. For 12 years, she traveled with Ron to help with his business as a sales representative, a period of time both consider the happiest of their lives. Toby was a fantastic cook and a talented writer and craftswoman. She loved to laugh and her greatest joy was her family, to whom she devoted her life.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Toby's memory to the Cutaneous Lymphoma Foundation (PO Box 374, Birmingham, MI 48012 or www.clfoundation.org) or Foundation Fighting Blindness (P.O. Box 17279 Baltimore, MD 21297-0495 or www.blindness.org). The family wishes to thank M.D. Anderson, The Ohio State James Cancer Hospital and Gem City Home Care for their kindness and assistance.

We are all saddened by the loss of her presence in this life, but joyful that she is no longer in pain and suffering. My thoughts and prayers go to her family in this time of grief.