Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, last weekend, I had the honor to visit the men and women of the 174th Attack Wing at Hancock Air National Guard Base in Syracuse, New York.

The 174th is tasked with training airmen and supporting missions around the globe, including supporting combat missions in Afghanistan. It also supports homeland defense and aids during domestic emergencies, such as Hurricane Sandy. It does this 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

I was thoroughly impressed with the professionalism of Colonel Greg Semmel and the officers and airmen under his command. But I also saw firsthand how sequestration is affecting our military and its ability to execute its mission, a mission that the Congress of the United States authorized.

Approximately 280 that work for the 174th are subject to furlough, forcing the unit to operate missions in a theater of war shorthanded. Many of these men and women are in the National Guard and work full time in uniform. They are members of our Armed Forces on military missions and yet subject to sequestration.

This Congress should be ashamed that soldiers are sequestered in a time of war. I urge this body to find a way to prevent these furloughs so that the 174th and the rest of our military can complete the mission and protect our national security. We cannot wait another week. We must do it this week. We must give our soldiers and sailors and airmen the support that they need.

Mr. Speaker, I want to extend my congratulations to the Village of Manlius, New York on the occasion of its Bicentennial Celebration. I am honored to join the Central New York community in celebrating the Village of Manlius on this historic occasion.

The history of the Village is well documented and we proudly share that history with members of our community. The Village of Manlius became the first village in Onondaga County in 1813. At that time, very few communities throughout New York had been granted similar powers by the state to govern themselves. The City of Syracuse was still swampland in 1813 and did not come into existence until the construction of the Erie Canal in the 1820s.

Before the construction of the Erie Canal, Manlius was an important business location as people traveled along the Cherry Valley Turnpike and Seneca Turnpikes. In fact, the growing Village was defined as one of the most prominent business locations in Onondaga County. The Village continued to grow as a suburb of Syracuse, and by the 1960s, became the fastest growing village in New York State. In 1973, a portion of the Village was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Manlius Village Historic District.

Villages are often cited as providing the services that are closest to the residents. The Village of Manlius has offered residents high quality services and locals take pride in all their village has to offer. The Village is widely known for its picturesque Swan Pond, the Village Center, the Manlius Fire Department and the charming commercial district. The Memorial Day Parade and 4th of July celebration are annual events that bring together people from across the region to celebrate all that is good about living in a community with such rich history.

For 200 years the Village of Manlius has served as a vital part of Onondaga County and Central New York. There is so much to be proud of and I am grateful and fortunate to have such a vibrant community within the district I represent. Once again, congratulations to the Village of Manlius and good luck in the next 100 years!

I thank the gentlelady from Arizona for offering this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to speak in support of the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. I opposed the PATRIOT Act because many of its elements I did feel violated civil liberties and allowed things like profiling and abusive wiretapping; and while I don't think this was an easy decision, I do feel that this is certainly a different case.

Every day international agents, terrorists, and criminal organizations attack the public and private networks of the United States, as we speak. They disrupt services, attack newspapers and banks, infiltrate government agencies. They can steal intellectual property, and most alarmingly, they access private information of millions of citizens.

We've already seen state actors like the People's Republic of China pursue widespread data theft from American computer networks. Intelligence experts believe that rogue nations like Iran and even independent groups like WikiLeaks are pursuing very aggressive measures to hack into our Nation's power grid, our air traffic control systems, and individuals' personal financial records and other sorts of records across the country; and I do believe we should be very concerned. So while I do have some concern that the U.S. Government may access our private information in the cybersphere, I am more concerned that the Chinese Government will access our private information. This is a clear and present danger.

This bill does have protections that strictly prohibit the Federal Government from using or retaining any information other than for cyber threat purposes. And it remains illegal, after this bill is passed, for a company to share its information, except for cybersecurity reasons. This amendment will help to further enforce that.

We must recognize that cybersecurity threats are real and constantly changing. This bill is an important measure that allows private companies to share the cyber threat information with the Federal Government to help protect critical networks and infrastructure from attack.

I support this bill. It is an important step in our United States security strategy to protect our country from emerging cyber threats at home and abroad. And I support this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, Vera House, which is based in Syracuse in my central New York district has been working to end domestic violence in the area for 35 years. Each year, we come together during the White Ribbon Campaign to show our support for Vera House's important work.

Vera House provides critical resources for victims of sexual violence in central New York. It ensures that all victims and families receive the care, counseling, and advocacy they need and deserve. It offers shelter services, counseling for children and adult survivors of rape and sexual abuse, and it offers violence preservation education.

Vera House and many organizations like it across the country need our continued support. An estimated 1.3 million people are victims of domestic violence every year--men and women who are straight, gay, transgender, as well as so many children. Nearly 7.8 million women have been raped by an intimate partner at some point in their lives.

Mr. Speaker, each year, Vera House serves about 1,050 survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other crimes. Vera House's counseling program helps over 700 impacted by domestic or sexual violence. The White Ribbon Campaign asks people to wear a white ribbon as a symbol of awareness and solidarity with all those affected by domestic violence.

Mr. Speaker, I stood here a few days before the sequester deadline and urged this House to take action. The sequester is a set of random, arbitrary, temporary cuts that put thousands of jobs in jeopardy and harm our national security readiness and our economy. Some have yet to see the immediate effects. But this problem is like a pipeline being shut off 10 miles down the road. We may not notice it right away, but soon it'll start to turn into a trickle.

In central New York, we are seeing the effects at our airports, our schools, our hospitals, and throughout our community:

280 employees are slated to be furloughed at the 174th Attack Wing at Hancock Field, a unit currently in operations in Afghanistan;

The air traffic control tower at Hancock Airport may close for overnight flights;

The Syracuse City Schools could lose more than a million dollars in aid. They have already lost nearly a thousand positions in the last 3 years.

Mr. Speaker, we cannot continue to slam our schools and expect to have an educated workforce for the 21st century. We need to address our debt and balance the budget. But we can't do it on the backs of our middle class and seniors, and we shouldn't do it at the expense of thousands of hardworking men and women: our teachers, public health workers, law enforcement officers, prison guards, FDA inspectors, Social Security workers, and civilian Defense Department workers. They're just trying to make a living and keep their jobs.

Just as my constituents have asked me to do, I'm going to keep urging this House to take action. We need to work together to protect our middle class, protect jobs, and get our economy moving again. We cannot continue this policy of random cuts time and again, putting our economy at risk. We have to stop punishing our constituents because Washington doesn't work.

Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. Speaker, I rise to extend my congratulations to the Minoa Fire Department on the occasion of its Centennial Celebration. I am honored to join the community in celebrating the Department on this historic occasion.

The Minoa Fire Department operates out of 2 stations. Station 1, located at 238 North Main S in the village, and station 2, located at 7036 Manlius Center Rd in Fremont. The Department currently operates two engines, two rescue pumpers, one brush truck, and one squad with a staff of 45 volunteers.

The Minoa Fire Department provides many emergency and non-emergency services including but not limited to, fire prevention, fire suppression, hazardous incident and material management, vehicle and other extrication and rescue, swift water rescue, ice water rescue, residential lock-outs, emergency vehicle lock-outs, commercial fire inspections and basic life support emergency medical services. Some members of the Minoa fire Dept. are specially trained and belong to special operations teams in Onondaga County including, Dive/Rescue, High Angle/Rope Rescue, Wilderness Search and Rescue and Hazardous Materials Response Teams.

So much has changed over the past 100 years. In 1913, Woodrow Wilson was inaugurated as the 28th President of the United States, the 17th amendment calling for the direct election of Senators was adopted, and the first automobile road across the United States, the Lincoln Highway, was dedicated. In 1953, Mack Model 85 was the first green fire truck to come to Minoa, setting the precedence for a full fleet of green fire apparatus. In fact, Mack Model 85 was fully restored in 2009 and is currently used by the Department in ceremonies and parades. Minoa Fire Department's uniquely green fleet continues to this day and continues to be a source of pride for local residents.

Despite the dramatic changes that have taken place over the past 100 years, a few things remain the same. The Minoa Fire Department continues to this day to take great pride in being an all-volunteer department. The Fire Department continues to be a central part of life for residents. Furthermore, for 100 years Minoa's finest have dedicated themselves to protecting their fellow citizens and making the community a safer place to live.

We are grateful for the extraordinary service that the volunteers of Minoa Fire Department have provided to residents of our community over the past century. Once again, congratulations to the members and supporters of the Minoa Fire Department and good luck in the next 100 years!

Mr. Speaker, I rise to join Auburn and the entire Central New York community in commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Harriet Tubman's death. Few Americans have fought so courageously for freedom and equality as Harriet Tubman. To pay tribute to her life and legacy, I introduced the Harriet Tubman National Historical Parks Act. This bill establishes two National Historic Parks in her honor: The Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn, NY and the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

The proposed national park encompasses several of Auburn's important historical sites including Harriet Tubman's Home, the Home for the Aged, the AME Zion Church, and the cemetery where she is buried. The legacy she left in Auburn is one of America's lasting treasures and we should honor her as the first African-American woman to have a national park established in her honor.

Establishing this park is not just about our history and the past, it is also about the present and our future, particularly our economic future. This new park would be a significant piece of an emerging tourist region with both historical and natural attractions.

We must work together to preserve Harriet Tubman's legacy and promote Auburn's future. Her story is a lasting lesson that still resonates today. Tubman was not someone who accepted the circumstances of her time--she fought tirelessly for freedom and progress and that legacy is one worth fighting for. There is still work to be done to make this idea a reality and like Tubman, we cannot stop now. I am committed to working with my colleagues in the House, my counterparts in the Senate, and advocates in this community and around the country to pass this legislation which is long overdue.

Thank you, Madam Speaker.

Since becoming central New York's new Representative, I have met with over a hundred business owners and development leaders in my community. I've visited universities, the hospitals, the factories, the public schools, and I've met with local leaders and law enforcement and public safety. The one message I keep hearing throughout my district is that we need to work together to grow and strengthen our middle class and create jobs. Work together. Now, more than ever, that's what Congress and the President needs to do. That's what the American people and my constituents overwhelmingly want.

If people do not come to the table and work together by March 1, this Friday, more than 70,000 jobs are at risk in my State alone. At Hancock Air Base, New York National Guard employees, 280 of them are at risk. Two hundred eighty National Guard employees at the 174th Attack Wing will be furloughed, notwithstanding the fact that this unit is flying missions in Afghanistan as we debate these issues.

Automatic spending cuts will force the FAA to cut air traffic controller shifts and potentially eliminate overnight shifts at the Syracuse Hancock International Airport and other upstate New York airports. Cuts will also force TSA to cut back on personnel, increasing wait times by an hour or more at many airports. This will have a chilling effect on a still-fragile economic recovery.

Seventy thousand New York college students will lose tuition assistance, and across the country, 70,000 deserving children will lose Head Start. Now, to keep America strong we are told that we need to make sure for our national security and our economy that we improve STEM education, science and technology. This is doing the opposite.

We need to take a balanced approach, trimming where necessary instead of these arbitrary sweeping cuts that hurt middle class families.

This is not a partisan issue. The Republicans on this floor have spoken about how bad these arbitrary cuts are and how damaging they might be. Our Nation needs to get its fiscal house in order, and we need to do it right away, not on the backs of our middle class and seniors, and not at the expense of thousands of jobs.

Now, there is a specific plan to do that. It balances cuts with revenue increases.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 699 with this balanced approach.

Well, Madam Speaker, I do understand that, but I do hope that the leadership of this House considers just doing a vote, a regular up-or-down vote, on this or any plan to avoid these arbitrary cuts.

We need to institute better programs and methods to root out waste, fraud, and abuse and ensure that taxpayer dollars are being used most efficiently. There's no question about that. We also need comprehensive tax reform that finds revenues in ways that don't hurt the middle class, like ending the tax loopholes for corporations that ship jobs overseas and ending the tax breaks for big oil and gas companies.

Madam Speaker, our plan is a balanced approach. More spending cuts and modest revenue increases. Now is not the time for partisan politics. With the future of our economy hanging in the balance, we cannot afford inaction.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 48 on a motion to adjourn, I am not recorded because I was absent due to a death in my family. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 49 on H. Res. 77, I am not recorded because I was absent due to a death in my family. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 50 on approving the Journal, I am not recorded because I was absent due to a death in my family. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 46 on approving the Journal, I am not recorded because I was absent due to a death in my family. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 47 on H.R. 667, I am not recorded because I was absent due to a death in my family. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the Onondaga Historical Association (OHA) on the occasion of its 150th Anniversary. I join the community in celebrating OHA on this historic occasion.

We are grateful to have a museum and research center that reminds us that we have inherited a special place to live because of the people and events that have come before us. Onondaga County New York's rich history is intertwined with many key periods in our country's history, including the building of the Erie Canal, women's suffrage, emancipation, the history of Central New York's Native Americans, the Haudenosaunee, also referred to as the Iroquois Confederacy. OHA's recent jubilee celebration was built around the 150th anniversary of the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, the same year the association began.

OHA's mission is to inspire people's understanding that the history we share as a community is the foundation for our future together. Its purpose is to encourage a diverse audience from the neighborhoods of Syracuse and the communities of Onondaga County to explore, appreciate and utilize their past. OHA offers engaging exhibits and programs, pursues partnerships with other cultural organizations and community groups, and develops and cares for a definitive collection related to local history. In addition, OHA operates a museum and research center in Syracuse, New York.

We take comfort that OHA will continue to document our history in Onondaga County and that its work will serve as a guide to future generations. Simply stated, OHA is our bridge to the past, present and future of Onondaga County. We are a stronger community because of the exceptional work of the OHA's staff, Board, and community supporters.

Once again, I congratulate OHA and all the individuals who have helped to preserve this extraordinary organization over the past 150 years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the events that marked the beginning of the end of Soviet rule over our ally Azerbaijan, an occupation that existed for much of the 20th Century.

This time period is referred to in Azerbaijan as ``Black January,'' when violence erupted in Azerbaijan's capital city of Baku on January 19th and 20th, 1990. During the conflict, Soviet troops killed over 100 nationalist demonstrators and wounded another 700 Azeri citizens demanding freedom. Azerbaijan eventually declared its independence from the U.S.S.R. on October 18, 1991.

I ask the House of Representatives to join me in commemorating--with our ally, Azerbaijan--the events of Black January in 1990, events which began in tragedy but culminated in the birth of an independent nation and ally of the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to extend my congratulations to the Village of Minoa on the occasion of its Centennial Celebration. I am honored to join the Central New York community in celebrating Minoa on this historic occasion.

The Village of Minoa's founding tells an interesting story about the character of the people who have lived there and about Central New York as a whole. In 1913, during the incorporation of the Village of Minoa, a group of Minoa women banded together in solidarity to vote for incorporation in the village election. Although national law prohibited these women from voting, village law afforded them the ability to do so in this local election. These united women were able to have their voices heard several years before the 19th amendment was passed. As a result of this group's support and solidarity, Minoa officially became incorporated on January 12, 1913. The Village of Minoa demonstrates how then and now, Central New Yorkers have unlimited potential when every person has a fair shot.

For 100 years, Minoa has served as a vital part of Onondaga County and Central New York. It was a prominent railroad community for many years and continues to be a wonderful place to live and raise a family. I am grateful and fortunate to have such a vibrant community within the district I represent.

Once again, congratulations to the Village of Minoa and I wish its residents the best of luck in the next 100 years.

Mr. Speaker, just in these last weeks I have already begun to meet with local business owners in my district at the places where they work. I have spoken with constituents at their doorsteps, and I have had conversations at events throughout our community. The one message central New Yorkers have made clear to me is that we need to grow our middle class, fix our economy, and create more good-paying jobs for the working families of this country. Central New Yorkers want a fair shot at the American Dream.

Now, we need to balance the budget, but we need to do it in the right way, not on the backs of our middle class and seniors. Medicare and Social Security must be protected, but we can do this without sacrificing vital investments in future generations.

Our local businesses want to expand and hire new workers, but they need the young people with the abilities and demeanor to succeed. That's what I have heard going around central New York. We need to keep central New York part of the broad shoulders of the middle class on which this country's future rests.

To this House I say: I am committed to do everything I can to ensure that every central New Yorker gets a fair shot at the American Dream.

``Neither House, during the session of Congress, shall, without the consent of the other, adjourn for more than three days, nor to any other place than that in which the two Houses shall be sitting.''