Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the real effect that the Working Families Flexibility Act would have on our families.

Contrary to its name, this bill does not protect working families. Many hourly workers in south Florida and across the country depend on the opportunity to collect their hard-earned overtime pay to support their families and make ends meet. This antifamily, antiworker bill would make it harder for employees to provide for their families and easier for employers to pay less for overtime work with hazy promises of time off later. The bottom line is that comp time doesn't pay the bills.

This legislation provides no guarantee that employees would get to use their time off when they need it; or if an employer goes out of business, workers may never get compensated at all.

I've heard no one on the other side of the aisle answer what happens when a boss says ``no'' to a request for comp time for that school play or taking their child to a doctor.

Employees who depend on overtime pay to put food on the table may be forced to compete with fellow employees who are willing to trade their overtime wages for comp time.

Passing this bill would deepen the financial insecurity of wage workers, especially Hispanic women who are more likely to be hourly wage workers, more likely to be responsible for family caregiving, and less likely to have negotiating power in their jobs.

There are other bills on the table that offer far more meaningful solutions, and I urge the Republican majority to take them up and take care of America's working families instead of giving them the short end of the stick as this bill does.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the outstanding teachers of Broward and Miami-Dade Counties on National Teacher Appreciation Day.

This day gives us an opportunity to thank teachers for the incredible work that they do for our children and communities. Teachers help form the backbone of our nation, assisting children in harnessing their creativity and critical thinking skills to grow up into the next great American generation.

Today serves as a reminder that we must continue to invest in our nation's teachers, children and schools. As a proud mother of three students in Broward County public schools, I know firsthand the excellence our teachers bring to the classroom each day. Their patience and encouragement are shaping tomorrow's leaders and ensuring that America remains competitive, innovative, and prosperous.

If you talk to any educator, they will tell you that teaching is demanding. Teachers work long hours and are expected not only to impart certain knowledge, but also instill a love of learning in their students. They have made a conscious career decision to make a difference in the lives of our children.

As a Member of Congress for Florida's 23rd Congressional District, I am committed to supporting Broward and Miami-Dade educators and their peers across the country. Unfortunately, teachers don't always receive the recognition or resources they deserve. As policy makers, we must ensure that our teachers have the tools, resources and support they need. When we do this, we not only invest in these dedicated professionals, but we also invest in our children and their futures.

As a parent, let me say thank you to all teachers for devoting your time and skills to our children. We are grateful for all that you do.

Mr. Speaker, I rise with grave concerns over the continuing resolution that we are considering today.

While we all support any effort to prevent a government shutdown, we await a bill from the Senate that hopefully treats domestic and defense bills with equal care.

There is no question that our men and women serving in Afghanistan deserve our support, but so do our children here in America. Yet the CR underfunds Head Start by $70 million, even though both House and Senate fiscal year 2013 bills provide significant increases for the program through our regular budget process.

In addition to underfunding many domestic programs, like the Affordable Care Act and the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, the CR does nothing to stop the across-the-board budget cuts in the sequester for any agency, including Defense.

I still hope we can work together to replace these indiscriminate, meat-ax cuts with a balanced approach so we can avoid compromising our future through lack of investments in education, infrastructure, defense and public safety. Sequester cuts will be like slowly turning up the heat to boil a pot of water.

Thankfully, the House is bringing this bill to the floor in time for the Senate to act and pass a bill for the March 27 deadline for the continuing resolution that will take a responsible, balanced approach to deficit reduction with targeted spending cuts and closing tax loopholes for the wealthy so we can use the revenue and the spending cuts to pay down our debt.

Mr. Speaker, taking an indiscriminate, meat-ax approach to the sequester, to reducing our deficit in a balanced way is irresponsible. We must work together. I implore our friends on the other side of the aisle to come together and work together with us towards compromise so that we can avoid gravely harming our domestic priorities, including women, children, families, and the middle class. It is still possible, and there is still time.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I rise today in support of this comprehensive and bipartisan effort to end violence against women.

The Violence Against Women Act recently passed by the Senate properly updates this crucial legislation for the 21st century by providing necessary resources and support to all victims of domestic violence regardless of their race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. An overwhelming 78 Senators, including 23 Republicans, recognize the need for these protections, and I'm thrilled that we're finally moving to recognize the same.

I'd like to express my gratitude to the champions of this bill in the House, including the gentlelady from New York. Several of my colleagues and I, along with hundreds of groups and thousands of concerned citizens all across the country, have worked tirelessly these past few weeks to make sure that the voices of survivors and advocates could be heard over partisan debate. That is why the bill we consider today reflects the needs of vulnerable populations that have been ignored in the past. It will give Native American tribes the tools to hold abusers accountable, LGBT survivors the protection they need to access services, and immigrant survivors the independence necessary to escape violence.

I'm proud to vote in favor of a comprehensive Violence Against Women Act for my constituents, for my children, my daughters, and I urge all of my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Reva Britan for her brilliant 25 years of service to the people of south Florida.

Reva began her career in 1988, after successfully raising five sons, and became a congressional staffer for former Congressman Larry Smith, then worked for former Congressman Peter Deutch, my predecessor, and for the last 8 years, she has been working with me in my district office. Her continuity of service and her depth of experience has benefited thousands of my constituents.

She is a much-loved staffer who brings her joy, her light, and her smile to the Pembroke Pines office every single day. Whether she's helping someone set up a tour or greeting constituents on the phone, she does it all with ease and elegant grace.

On behalf of the constituents of Florida's 23rd Congressional District, we thank Reva for her service and her dedication to our community, our office, and our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of Congress's finest members, Chairman Emanuel Cleaver, for his exemplary leadership and service to the Congressional Black Caucus.

While Chairman Cleaver has worked on behalf of the people of Missouri's fifth district for the last eight years, and in service to the people of Kansas City as a councilman and mayor for many more than that, I want his constituents to know the depth, character, and accomplishments of the public servant they are so fortunate to have representing them and Americans across this country.

As Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressman Cleaver has guided its more than 40 members on their mission to extend the promise of the American dream to every community and corner of this Nation. Through his tireless advocacy on issues critical to the African American community and his stewardship of the Caucus's jobs fair initiative, Chairman Cleaver worked to bring the business community together with the many talented and skilled workers that were disproportionately impacted during this recent economic recession.

He has worked to ensure that every child has an opportunity to receive a quality education; that every man and woman can exercise their constitutional right to vote, and that

the doors of economic and social opportunity are open to every American who seeks to step through them.

And, like so many of my fellow Members, I have the privilege of knowing Chairman Cleaver as a dear friend and mentor. He is always ready with a kind or encouraging word, no matter the situation or where he stands on the issues.

I salute the Chairman for his distinguished leadership and achievements with the Congressional Black Caucus and congratulate him on this milestone in his career. As colleagues, we are grateful that we will continue to benefit from his service and friendship for years to come.

I thank the gentleman. I thank both gentlemen.

I rise to offer H.R. 6443, a bill that will designate the Department of Veterans Affairs health clinic located at 9800 West Commercial Boulevard in the city of Sunrise, Florida, as the William ``Bill'' Kling VA Clinic. I offer this bill, along with the entire Florida House delegation, to honor a beloved member of our south Florida veterans' community, William ``Bill'' Kling, who passed away, sadly, on August 6 at age 84.

My deepest appreciation goes out to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and Chairman Miller, who is a good friend from the great State of Florida, for supporting this effort and helping it to come to the floor.

Bill was a member of our greatest generation of Americans, serving our Nation as a radar technician for the Navy during World War II. But Bill's service to our Nation was far from over when he returned from war. In fact, it was just beginning.

Bill Kling became a national leader and one of the strongest advocates for our Nation's veterans. He was dedicated to helping generations of veterans as they returned to civilian life. He worked tirelessly to make sure our veterans were getting the benefits they deserved, from education under the GI Bill to quality health care through our VA system.

I'm sure my Florida colleagues will agree that Bill was a force to be reckoned with, ever brightening our congressional doorways, pushing the urgency of the issue at hand.

I know we are all grateful for the remarkable legacy he leaves behind, and he will be sorely missed. In particular, my thoughts and prayers go out to Bill's family, including his children, Marsha Mittentag and Steven Kling.

I had the distinct pleasure, Mr. Speaker, of working with Bill for the last 23 years and have witnessed firsthand the many ways he helped thousands of veterans in Florida. I'm also proud to have called him my friend. For the past 7 years, Bill served as the chair of my Military Academy Nominations Board, where he helped the next generation of military leaders realize their dream of serving the country they love.

For 8 years he served on the Florida Commission on Veterans' Affairs, and for the past 27 years, as you've heard, he was the president of the Broward

County Veterans Council. He also led the Jewish War Veterans and was a member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Disabled American Veterans.

The list of superlatives for Bill is long and shows him as the great American that he was. Bill was inducted into the Broward Senior Hall of Fame, received the Humanitarian of the Year award from the Dolphin Democrats, and changed the scope of veterans' services in south Florida.

In particular, he helped bring the Alexander ``Sandy'' Nininger Veterans' Nursing Home to Pembroke Pines in 2001 and worked with other veterans to create the South Florida National Cemetery in Palm Beach in 2007.

One of Bill's greatest accomplishments and lasting legacies was ensuring that veterans would have easy access to quality medical care. Bill noticed that too often veterans in Broward County had to travel too far to go to a VA facility to get the care they needed. With that in mind, he helped open the Oakland Park VA outpatient clinic more than two decades ago. When the building the clinic occupied began deteriorating, Bill worked to open a brand new facility. Even though this effort took years, Bill kept a smile on his face and kept working to overcome every obstacle because that's just how Bill Kling operated.

So in 2008, a new 98,000-square-foot clinic opened in Sunrise, and fittingly on Bill's birthday. I think it's fair to say that without Bill Kling this wonderful center that serves thousands of our veterans each year might not exist.

With that in mind, my good friend and colleague, Congressman Ted Deutch, and I and the rest of the delegation offer this legislation today which will rename the Broward outpatient clinic as the William ``Bill'' Kling VA Clinic. This is such a fitting way to memorialize and thank Bill Kling. With passage of this bill, every veteran who walks through the doors of the Broward VA Clinic will know the name of the man who did so much for so many.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage of this legislation so we may pay tribute to a great American, William ``Bill'' Kling.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in defense of our ally, Israel, and her sovereign right to self-defense.

As we all know, Israel lives in a difficult neighborhood of instability, violence, and uncertainty. In the towns of

Israel's southern border, families have become unacceptably accustomed to running for shelter to avoid rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip. But nothing could provide preparation or justification for the onslaught of missile fire raining down on Israeli towns and cities over the past few months, nor the escalated barrage of the last few days.

Since the beginning of 2012, Hamas has launched more than 900 rockets at the State of Israel; 340 of these were in the past few days alone. In the face of this brutality, Israel, like any nation, has the right and the duty to protect her citizens from unwarranted violence and destruction.

Two days ago, Israel launched Operation Pillar of Defense, a legal, proportionate, and surgical strike aimed exclusively at Hamas' missile stockpile and terrorist leadership.

We watch with deep concern for the people of Israel as these events continue to unfold, and we remain united in our support of Israel's sovereign right to self-defense.

I am proud that the Iron Dome missile defense system has provided a bulwark of support in this tragic and frightening time.

We mourn the loss of life and send our deepest condolences to the families of victims. We reject Hamas' call to violence, pray for the most minimal of casualties, and remain ever hopeful for a return to common peace.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the month of October as National Work and Family Month.

As we strive to move our economy forward, we need to ensure that we are building an economy that works for everyone, including America's working families.

And as a mother of young kids in a household with two working parents, I know all too

well the daily struggle facing today's American families: how can we be great parents and also be great at our jobs?

With an ever-increasing number of parents either working full time or looking for work, more and more families are fully engaged in the daily juggling act that comes with trying to do it all.

Fortunately, policy makers and business leaders can take concrete steps to promote and create a healthy work-life balance for employees, whether it's through offering flexible work hours, assisting with childcare, or creating a positive work culture for families with children.

This flexibility in the workplace benefits everyone, leading to more productive workers, healthier families, and a stronger economy.

In the spirit of National Work and Family Month, I encourage policy makers, employers, and employees to come together and help improve the work-life balance for America's workers and their families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of a beloved member of our south Florida veterans community, William ``Bill'' Kling, who passed away on August 6 at the age of 84.

Bill was a devoted husband and father; and he is survived by his two children, Marsha Mittentag and Steven Kling. My thoughts and prayers go out to them, to Bill's extended family, and to all of his friends and colleagues who share in mourning this loss.

Bill was a member of our Greatest Generation of Americans who served our Nation as a radar technician for the Navy during World War II. But Bill's service to our Nation was far from over when he returned from war. In fact, it was just beginning.

Bill Kling became a national leader and one of the strongest advocates for our Nation's veterans. He was dedicated to helping generations of veterans as they returned to civilian life. He worked tirelessly to make sure our veterans were getting the benefits they deserved--from education under the GI Bill to quality health care through our VA system.

I'm sure my Florida colleagues will agree that Bill was a force to be reckoned with, ever brightening our congressional doorways, pushing the urgency of the issue at hand. I know we are grateful for the remarkable legacy

he leaves behind, and he will be sorely missed.

I had the distinct pleasure of working with Bill for the last 23 years and have witnessed firsthand the many ways he helped thousands of veterans in Florida. I'm also proud to have called Bill my friend. For the past 7 years, Bill served as the chairman of my Military Academy Nominations Board where he helped the next generation of military leaders realize the dream of serving the country they love.

For 8 years, he served on the Florida Commission on Veterans' Affairs, and for the past 27 years he was the president of the Broward County Veterans Council. He also led the Jewish War Veterans and was a member of the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Disabled American Veterans.

The list of superlatives for Bill shows him as the great American that he was. Bill was inducted into the Broward Senior Hall of Fame, received the Humanitarian of the Year award from the Dolphin Democrats, and changed the shape of veterans services in south Florida. In particular, he helped bring the Alexander ``Sandy'' Nininger Veterans' Nursing Home to Pembroke Pines in 2001 and worked with other veterans to create the South Florida National Cemetery in Palm Beach in 2007.

One of Bill's greatest accomplishments and lasting legacies was ensuring that veterans would have easy access to quality medical care. Bill noticed that too often veterans in Broward County had to travel too far to go to a VA facility to get the care that they needed. With that in mind, he helped open the Oakland Park VA Outpatient Clinic more than two decades ago.

When the building the clinic occupied began deteriorating, Bill worked to open a brand-new facility. Even though this effort took years, Bill kept a smile on his face and kept working to overcome every obstacle, because that's just how Bill operated.

So in 2008, a new 98,000-square-foot clinic opened in Sunrise, and fittingly on Bill's birthday. I think it's fair to say that without Bill Kling, this wonderful center that serves thousands of our veterans each year might not ever exist.

With that in mind, I'm honored to announce that next week my good friend, Congressman Ted Deutch, also of Florida, and I will file legislation, along with many other members of the Florida delegation, that will rename the Broward Outpatient Clinic as the William ``Bill'' Kling VA Clinic.

This is such a fitting way to memorialize and thank Bill Kling. With passage of this bill, every veteran who walks through the doors of the Broward VA Clinic will know the name of the man who did so much for so many.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the passage of this legislation so we may pay fitting tribute to a great American, William ``Bill'' Kling.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of this body's finest members, Congressman Jerry F. Costello, for his long-time service to the Congress.

Mr. Costello has worked on behalf of the people of southern Illinois for more than 24 years, passionately bringing their concerns with him to Washington and diligently partnering with his colleagues to get the job done.

Beyond his service to the people of Illinois' 12th District, Congressman Costello has been a steadfast leader for our nation's transportation infrastructure. He was instrumental in the creation of national highway bills that have become the groundwork for a more prosperous America, and a tireless advocate for aviation measures that have made our skies safer and our airlines stronger.

It has been a privilege to serve in this House with Congressman Costello, and I am proud today to stand with my colleagues and pay tribute to his distinguished career and leadership. We salute a gentleman who has

made a positive impact on the lives of those he has served, and who leaves a legacy worthy of this institution. I wish him, his wife Georgia, and his family well on their future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate No Co-Pay Day.

Today marks a victory for women's health care. Some 47 million women will now be able to get preventative services that couldn't before this rule went into effect.

Any new insurance policies sold to individuals or employers must cover contraception without a co-pay as part of a larger package of mandatory co-pay-free women's preventive care benefits. Insurance plans that have already been purchased will have to start offering no-co-pay contraception when they renew.

Before the Affordable Care Act, some insurance companies did not cover preventative services for women under their health care plans, and others required deductibles or co-pays for the care they needed.

That changes today--all health insurance policies are required to cover new preventative care without charging women any co-pays or deductibles. Some of the new preventative services now available with no co-pay include annual visits, FDA-approved contraceptives, domestic violence screenings and counseling, breastfeeding support, HPV DNA testing for women 30 or older, HIV and sexually transmitted infections screenings, and gestational diabetes screenings that help protect pregnant women from one of the most serious pregnancy-related diseases.

Too often, women put their families' health care before their own, especially when it comes to preventative care.

Thanks to this new benefit in the Affordable Care Act, women can get the regular checkups and screenings that are so important to staying healthy without having to worry about how much it will affect the family budget.

Today's announcement is just one more part of the overall implementation plan for improving our nation's health care system.

The Affordable Care Act will provide greater access to affordable health care for millions of women and families who do not have coverage now, while also lowering health care costs, creating jobs, strengthening the middle class, and reducing the deficit.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Child Protection Act of 2012, which I am honored to cosponsor with my good friend from Texas, Chairman Lamar Smith. Chairman Smith and I are proof-positive of what bipartisan working relationships can accomplish, especially because we both agree that protecting the safety and well- being of our Nation's children is our highest priority. That's why I am so pleased that this bill, which was reported favorably out of committee on voice vote, is before us today. This is an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of children nationwide, thousands of whom are plagued by abuse, terror, and assaults that we cannot even imagine.

In 2008, I was honored to sponsor the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2008, which provides the safety net and resources the law enforcement agents who fight child sexual predators so desperately need. This commonsense bill builds on the progress that we started in PROTECT to ensure that law enforcement can combat one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United States, child pornography.

We must ensure that investigators have every available resource to track down predators and protect our children. This bill ensures that paperwork does not stand in the way of protecting our kids.

Mr. Speaker, I have learned far too much about the world of child pornography since I first took on this cause 4 years ago. There are many aspects of it that are disturbing beyond words to describe, like the fact that in a survey of convicted offenders, more than 83 percent of them had images of children younger than 12 years old, and almost 20 percent of them had images of babies and toddlers who were less than 3 years old. And let's remember that these aren't just images of naked children. These are crime scene photographs and videos taken of children being beaten, raped, and abused beyond our worst nightmares for the sexual pleasure of the person looking at the photo or video.

Let's also remember that these are children who are often being victimized by someone in their circle of trust, someone who was supposed to protect them, and someone who, instead, chose to do them harm. These children only have the law to protect them because their protectors failed them and caused them harm.

While it's not often that we have an opportunity to pass a bill here that quite literally means the difference between life or death, this is one of those times. That's why, as a Member of Congress, I know that I, as well as Chairman Smith and the Members of Congress here today fighting to protect the children of this country, will stand strong and continue to press forward on their behalf.

I am proud and honored to be the lead Democratic sponsor of this bill, and I am thankful to my friend Chairman Smith for his continued leadership and support on this crucial cause.

While the chairman listed some of the organizations that are supporting this bill, I will add some others. This bill is supported by the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network; the National Council of Jewish Women; Men Can Stop Rape; and the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence, among the other worthy and proud organizations that Chairman Smith listed.

We are grateful to all of these organizations for their endorsement of this bill and for their continued support for all victims of sexual assault and abuse. I urge all of my colleagues to join us in supporting this critical legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 4362, the Stopping Tax Offenders and Prosecuting Identity Theft Act of 2012, or simply the STOP Identity Theft Act.

Many of you have seen the recent headlines calling attention to the escalating nationwide epidemic of tax return identity theft. An unsuspecting taxpayer goes to file their tax return only to be told by the Internal Revenue Service that someone else has already filed and claimed their hard-earned tax refund.

This happened to one of my constituents, Joan Rubenstein, who was a 64-year-old teacher. When her accountant filed her 2010 tax return in April of last year, he was told by the IRS that she had already filed. Joan followed advice and filed a police report and reached out to the IRS. But after 10 months, she still had not received her refund. Only after working with my district office were we able secure her refund, which she desperately needed to assist her daughter with her student loan payments.

For her 2011 tax return, Joan was informed by the IRS taxpayer advocates office that she was okay to proceed with filing her return this year. Yet, shockingly, Joan's accountant filed only to learn that she was once again a victim of tax return identity theft for a second year in a row.

No one should have to go through the trauma of having their hard- earned tax refund stolen, and certainly not 2 years in a row. And Joan is not alone. This case, unfortunately, is not an anomaly. My office has been inundated with constituents who have also had their tax refunds stolen, and I know this is a rampant problem in Chairman Smith's district, and his home State of Texas as well. The amount of theft that goes on with this type of case is really astronomical.

It's stories like Joan's that prompted me to file this legislation that is before us on the floor today. The crime of tax return identity theft has quickly emerged over the last few years, and Congress must act to quickly address this epidemic. Tax return identity theft wreaks emotional and financial havoc on hardworking taxpayers like Joan and costs the Federal Government billions of dollars.

In 2011 alone, Mr. Speaker, the IRS reported that--listen to these numbers--851,602 tax returns and $5.8 billion were associated with fraudulent tax returns involving identity theft. That's a 280 percent increase since just 2010.

These tax return identity thieves hide behind a veil of technology by stealing Social Security numbers and filing false electronic returns where the payoffs are almost instantaneous. Right now, more thieves and criminal organizations are turning to this lucrative, low-risk, high- reward crime because law enforcement lacks the kind of stiff criminal penalties afforded many other forms of identity theft. Essentially, because of the small likelihood of getting caught, and the very minimal current penalty, it makes sense for these thieves to roll the dice because the chances of getting caught and actually doing any time at all is very low.

In this instance, technology has simply outstripped the enforcement tools that are currently on the books. Basically, this crime is worth it for the criminals who are committing it, and we need to make sure that it is not worth it any more so they don't have incentive to continue and they move on to the next thing, and then we can go after them for that.

We must protect the thousands of taxpayers like Joan who fall victim to this crime, many of whom belong to vulnerable groups like seniors, veterans, and even minors. The STOP Identity Theft Act brings together several measures to strengthen criminal penalties and increase the prosecution rate of tax return identity thieves.

H.R. 4362 will add tax return fraud to the list of predicate offenses for aggravated identity theft. The aggravated identity theft statute was created in 2004 to fight identity theft crimes committed to facilitate other types of felonies. However, at the time, the problem of tax return identity theft was very new, and it wasn't included as part of the predicate offenses under aggravated identity theft.

Today, it has become an urgent nationwide problem, and we must give law enforcement the additional tools needed to combat this crime. Each of the last two administrations have called for adding tax fraud to the predicate offenses under aggravated identity theft. With this change, the STOP Identity Theft Act will toughen sentencing for tax return identity thieves, which will help deter this kind of crime.

Importantly, the legislation also expands the definition of an identity theft victim to include businesses and charitable organizations. Often these organizations have their identities stolen and used in phishing schemes to extract the sensitive information from unsuspecting taxpayers used in tax return thefts. Essentially what happens, and we've all been warned about this, you get an email from what you think is your bank or the charitable organization that you are used to giving donations to, but it's really not because these thieves have stolen that organization's identity, and they are asking for your personal information, and unsuspecting victims give them that information.

By the way, you should never do that because your bank and charitable organization won't ask you for personal information.

These thieves then use the harvested information to file thousands of fraudulent tax returns. In fact, on the IRS Web site, it is noted that this type of phishing scheme is the most common one seen by the IRS. This amendment to the identity theft statutes will ensure that thieves who misappropriate the identities of any business, be it a small business or a nonprofit organization, can be prosecuted.

The STOP Identity Theft Act also calls for better coordination between the Department of Justice and State and local law enforcement to make the most efficient use of the law and resources. My own local law enforcement agencies in south Florida have been flooded with crime reports of tax return identity theft, and they need all the help they can get.

Finally, the legislation also calls for the Department of Justice to report back on trends, progress on prosecuting tax return identity theft, and recommendations for additional legal tools to combat it. Information and data about trends on tax return identity theft can be valuable tools to detect and prevent future fraud, and it will inform Congress of additional legislative actions that will help in the effort.

This legislation is just the strong beginning of the congressional effort to combat tax return identity theft. I know this issue is deeply concerning to many of my colleagues, and I look forward to working with them in their efforts.

This legislation is intended to provide targeted tools for law enforcement right away so that it is better prepared before next tax season rolls around and we have more victims who are really going to have months and months of problems and billions of dollars lost.

I want to thank Chairman Smith for your support and your leadership on this issue. It really is a pleasure to work with you. And as to the various organizations that have supported and helped craft this legislation, in particular I would like to recognize the National Conference of CPA Practitioners and the American Coalition for Taxpayers Rights for their support and efforts with this bill.

We must ensure that Federal laws are keeping pace with emerging crimes such as tax return identity theft. It is time to make prosecution of tax return identity theft a greater priority. The

STOP Identity Theft Act is an important step toward this goal, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Once again, I thank Chairman Smith for working with me on this legislation.

Thank you very much.

Thank you so much, Madam president, Madam Chair. Wow, all on one plaque. That's impressive.

I also, Madam President, have additional letters that were sent to my office for the book. So I'm the repository going forward, and so I will make sure that we add to this for Gabby.

Good morning, and thank you, Congressman Kolbe, for that warm introduction and for all of you for being here. It really is a privilege to address such a distinguished group, one that I hope to not join for quite awhile, but that I'm really glad exists and exists in a bipartisan way, because it is important to note, especially given the struggles that we're going through right now to come together and work together, that there isn't a Republican Former Members of Congress Association or a Democratic Former Members

of Congress Association. There is one united association. We are all Americans, and we should all work hard to work together.

I also want to acknowledge the presence of Gabby's former chairman of the Armed Services Committee, my former colleague, Ike Skelton from Missouri. It is wonderful to be with you.

There really is no one more suited to receive your association's highest award, the Distinguished Service Award, than my dear friend, Gabby Giffords.

Gabby, as has already been said, but can't be oft repeated, has always led by example, as an incredible public servant, woman, and friend. Gabby was the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to serve in the U.S. House. Gabby worked tirelessly over the years to represent not only Arizonans, military families, and veterans, but all Americans. Here in Congress, we all came to recognize that bright smile of Gabby's which people so often refer to when they're talking about her, as she reached across party lines to forge bipartisan solutions to our Nation's problems. In doing so, she has inspired so many people with her strength in the wake of unimaginable tragedy and heartbreak.

For more than a year, she's been working hard every day to get back to full strength. And Gabby never does anything halfway, and her service in Congress, as well as her recovery, is no exception. I'm so proud of my friend for her commitment to her constituents, to her work ethic and her perseverance.

It will always be one of the great treasures of my life to have met Gabby Giffords, to have served with her in Congress, but especially to share our special friendship. She has always been an inspiration to me, and seeing her become an inspiration to the entire world warms my heart, I'm sure, as much as it warms yours.

I know that you all believe, as Gabby does, that our country must be strong enough to come together to solve the challenges before us. Compared to the obstacles that Gabby has overcome in the past year, surely this is an attainable goal. We must recommit ourselves to working together to fulfill the promises of our democracy and a commitment to making America stronger so that everyone can fulfill their American Dream. And this association really is the epitome, the example. You could lead by example and be the catalyst and help us forge the way toward compromise, toward working together.

So many of you, looking across the Chamber, have served in the time when relationships were much tighter, when the fabric interwoven between the two parties was really thicker, and we could learn from your experience. I would urge you and encourage you to reach out to the leadership of both parties in the Congress and try to help us because we are going to have a better Nation if we work together. I know it is possible. Even from the political position that I hold in addition to my service in Congress, I know that it is possible. I know there are committed Members on both sides of the aisle because I work with them every day. So I would urge you to extend your involvement in the political and public policy process and help us make things work and get things done.

So on behalf of Gabby and her husband Mark Kelly, thank you for recognizing her today. I know it means a great deal to both of them. Thank you so much.