Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, though I voted for the Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save or the CARS Act, I have serious reservations about it. Unfortunately, despite its good intentions, it will send jobs overseas and it does little to help our ailing climate.

I cosponsored H.R. 1550, an earlier version of the bill. That version allowed consumers to get a voucher for cars assembled in the U.S. The version under consideration today has no such assurances, which means that significant amounts of the funds will go toward the purchase of cars made in countries like China. We are giving with one hand and taking with the other.

Our auto industry needs our help more than ever. Yet we are handing over money, jobs and infrastructure to our international competition. It is made worse by the terms of the GM bankruptcy which requires that plants in the U.S. are closed while shipping auto manufacturing jobs to other countries like Mexico and South Korea. We can't protect the auto industry by sending their work to other countries.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 505, condemning the murder of Dr. George Tiller. Dr. Tiller was shot to death at his church on May 31, 2009. It is with great sorrow and a heavy heart that I extend my condolences to his friends and family.

A sixty-seven-year-old physician, a husband, a father of four, and a grandfather of ten, Dr. Tiller dedicated his life to providing family and community health care services in Wichita, Kansas. Dr. Tiller's murder leaves in its wake an unsettling sense of grief and sadness that continues to ripple its way through countless communities of patients, colleagues, friends and family members. To the legions of admirers who view the care that he provided as an essential option for the women most in need, he will be sorely missed.

Dr. Tiller was beloved for his professionalism, his compassion and sensitivity. He

showed unwavering courage and commitment to his patients. Dr. Tiller deserves to be acknowledged for the service that he provided to his community. His senseless murder must be strongly condemned. A truly democratic society includes a thriving atmosphere of political debate and dialogue, regardless of the intensity of the debate. The use of violence and murder as a means to express dissent is not only undemocratic, but simply unacceptable.

I strongly support this important bill and urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H. Res. 505.

Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction, had no intention or capability of attacking the United States, and had nothing to do with al Qaeda's role in 9/11. Each and every statement made by the previous administration in support of going to war turned out to be false. Yet here we are, a new administration and the same old war and expansion of the war in Afghanistan. We cannot afford these wars spiritually. They are wars of aggression, and they're based on lies. We cannot afford these wars financially. They add trillions to our national debt and destroy our domestic agenda. We cannot afford the human cost of these wars, the loss of lives of our beloved troops and the deaths of innocent civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

So why do we do this? Why do we keep funding wars when they're so obviously against truth and justice and when they undermine our military? These are matters of heart and conscience which must be explored. Our ability to bring an end to these wars will be the real test of our power.

It is good our administration is reaching out to the Muslim world. It is bad to spend another $100 billion to keep wars going which will kill innocent Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

It is good we try to create an incentive for people to buy efficient cars. It is bad that vouchers will not be expressly for the purpose of purchase of cars made in America. It is even worse that we tie such an incentive to a war-funding bill: cash for clunkers and bunkers in the same bill; cash for more war in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan; cash to help China sell its cars to Americans.

Meanwhile, back in the U.S. of A., factories and auto dealers are closing. People are losing their businesses, their jobs, their homes, their health care, their investments, their retirement security.

Who are these people who keep coming up with these innovative ideas to keep wars going and to move jobs out of America? Who are these people?

Madam Speaker and colleagues, I rise today in honor and recognition of the Birchwood School of Cleveland's West Park neighborhood as they celebrate their 25th Anniversary. The school was founded in 1984 by a small group of dedicated parents who wanted to create a haven for learning, quality instruction and character development for their children.

The Birchwood School was first housed in rented space in a church building on Warren Road, beginning with twenty students and three teachers, grades one through eight. The name ``Birchwood'' was used because of the side street upon which it was located. The name soon took on deeper significance as it was discovered that the Chinese character for the birch tree meant blossoming and soaring upwards.

The school's first principal, Mr. Debelak, consulted with some of the most noteworthy experts in the educational field in his creation of a curriculum that would challenge, instruct and shape the character and intellect of every student. The educational mission and goals of Birchwood School have not wavered throughout the growth of the school: inspire children to set high goals in every endeavor; develop the character of each child to instill a sense of caring, compassion and community; and equip each child with a strong foundation of knowledge and the tools to think critically and creatively. Since 1984, the school has grown to nearly 20 staff members and 117 students, as diverse in background and culture as the City of Cleveland.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor of the founding members, dedicated staff and parent volunteers of the Birchwood School of Cleveland as they celebrate twenty-five years of fostering, enriching and uplifting the minds and hearts of every child who has walked through its doors. Since 1984, 175 students have graduated from Birchwood School, and 323 students have been a part of Birchwood for all or part of their elementary and middle school years. The vision of Birchwood School--providing each child with a quality education and character enrichment, continues to provide significant opportunity and a solid foundation for the future of every student.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Dick Jacobs, a prominent figure in the Great Cleveland Community and former owner of the Cleveland Indians for 15 years, who died today at the age of 83. His tenure as owner of the Indians not only revitalized the team and their fans, but also the City of Cleveland.

Dick Jacobs was the Chairman and Executive Officer of the Richard E. Jacobs group, a commercial real estate development company he founded along with his brother in 1955. The Jacobs group made history by developing the tallest building between New York and Chicago, the Key Center in Public Square as well as by developing Cleveland's first retail shopping mall. He bought the Cleveland Indians in 1986, during which the Indians won the team's first American League Pennants since 1954, during the 1995 and 1997 seasons. Additionally, the Indians went on to the playoffs five straight seasons in a row and to the World Series twice during his tenure. The Richard E. Jacobs group opened Jacobs field in 1994, the stadium Cleveland fans dubbed ``The Jake'' until its renaming in early 2008.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in remembrance of Dick Jacobs and in recognition of his significant contributions to the Greater Cleveland Community. His tenure as owner of the Cleveland Indians and his considerable commitment to the revitalization of the City of Cleveland will continue to live on in the hearts of the Greater Cleveland Community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Joan Claybrook, upon the occasion of the renaming of Public Citizen's headquarters in Washington, DC as the Joan Claybrook Building, and in recognition of 27 years of service as President of Public Citizen.

Joan Claybrook was born on June 12, 1937 and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, where she attended Goucher College. Her distinguished career in public service began in Washington, DC, where she worked in conjunction with Ralph Nader addressing highway and auto safety issues. Their combined efforts on transportation issues culminated in the passage of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Highway Safety Act of 1966, our nation's first auto safety laws. Her expertise on auto safety led her to a position in the Carter Administration, where she served as head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) from 1977 to 1981.

Joan served as President of Public Citizen from 1982 to 2008, throughout her various leadership roles in public service. She currently serves on the board for a number of institutions, including Georgetown University Law Center, from where she earned her J.D., as well as on the board of the Consumers Union, Citizens for Tax Justice, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Goucher College Board of Trustees, Trial Lawyers for Public Justice and the California Foundation Advisory Board. She has been honored numerous times for her distinguished work on behalf of public interest including three honorary degrees from Georgetown University, Goucher College and University of Maryland. Additionally, she was awarded the Phillip Hart Distinguished Consumer Service Award and the Excellence in Public Service Award from the Georgetown Law Center.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor of Joan Claybrook as Public Citizen renames their Washington, DC headquarters as the Joan Claybrook Building and in recognition of her dedication to public service.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Most Reverend Anthony M. Pilla, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Cleveland, for being awarded the 2009 Notre Dame College Medal.

The Most Reverend Anthony M. Pilla, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Cleveland, served the diocese as the ninth Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland for 25 years. A Cleveland native, he is a graduate of Borromeo College and St. Mary Seminary and was ordained to the priesthood in 1959. Bishop Pilla served as President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. As Bishop, he directed community-based initiatives such as Church in the City and Vibrant Parish Life. He served on numerous community boards and committees including the board of the former National Council of Christians and Jews, the Greater Cleveland Roundtable and Catholic University of America.

Notre Dame College established the Bishop Anthony M. Pilla Scholarship Fund to honor him for his longtime dedication to higher education to make a Catholic education accessible to the disadvantaged. In 1994 he was presented the Fidelia Award for his longstanding work and support of Notre Dame College.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the Most Reverend Anthony M. Pilla, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Cleveland for living Notre Dame College's commitment to personal, professional and global responsibility. He is certainly worthy of the award being bestowed upon him for his longtime commitment to civic work throughout Greater Cleveland.

Madam Speaker, despite the current focus on disagreements over funding for the International Monetary Fund and closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, the primary intent of the supplemental is to continue funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As Members who remain opposed to the bill, we need to make sure and make clear our opposition and work to defeat the bill.

It's notable that attempts to make important changes to the legislation, such as a call for an exit strategy from Afghanistan, or demands for increased transparency or accountability at the IMF, have been rebuffed. Continued funding of the war operations in Iraq ensures a continued occupation, thereby undermining the stated U.S. goal for withdrawal by the end of 2010. Funds for Iraq should be dedicated to bringing all of our troops home, and bringing those contractors home as well.

It's time to end this war. ``No'' to any more funds for the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan. And ``no'' if they try to put any other kind of legislation and tie it to the war funding.

Defeat the supplemental.

America's manufacturing base is being decimated, but it's not only happening because of economic trends in our country.

Yes, our gross domestic product has fallen off. Yes, we have a massive trade deficit. But this week when GM filed for bankruptcy--GM was pushed into bankruptcy, and when they were pushed into bankruptcy, we also lost 14 manufacturing plants, 21,000 jobs, and 2,400 dealerships are going to be closed.

Think about this. If we take away this manufacturing infrastructure of manufacturing and dealerships and suppliers, what happens when our economy comes back? We will have permanently altered our ability to produce cars in this country.

I want the Members of Congress to consider this when you think about this administration's auto task force. It hasn't gone the right way for the American worker, it's not going the right way for American manufacturing, and it's not going the right way for the American economy.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Jay Leno, whose comedic talent charmed audiences across the nation, as he steps down as host of the Tonight Show after seventeen seasons. As Americans tuned in every night, Jay's hilarious insights and observations whisked away our worries, if only for a brief time.

Jay began his career in night clubs across the country, perfecting his stand-up routine. As his career took off, he earned small roles in TV and film, but hit the comedic goldmine in the early eighties when he was invited to perform on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman. For many years, Jay served as Johnny Carson's permanent guest host. Following Carson's retirement, Jay debuted as the new host of the Tonight Show on May 25, 1992. His work has been honored numerous times with several awards and nominations, including his Emmy win in 1995.

Beyond his professional success and achievements,, Jay Leno's character has not changed. A humble man with a compassionate heart and strong sense of responsibility toward others, both Jay and his wife, Mavis Nicholson Leno, have consistently avoided the fanfare and flashing lights of celebrity, working behind the scenes to further the causes of many charities and humanitarian efforts. Mavis is the Chair of the Feminist Majority's Foundation's Campaign to Help Afghan Women and Girls, and has been an outspoken advocate and activist on behalf of women's rights in America and around the world. Jay has consistently invested his time, talents and resources on behalf of several charities. He has a record of supporting our men and women in the military, and has made countless free appearances to audiences made up of families and individuals in need, including most recently, laid-off auto workers in Detroit, Michigan.

Madam Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Mr. Jay Leno as he steps down as host of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. From his commitment to social service and various causes behind the scenes, to making us laugh day after day, Jay Leno's contributions continue to lift the heart and soul of our entire nation, one joke and one kind gesture at a time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Brent Larkin, upon his retirement as Editorial Page Director of the Plain Dealer, where his political columns and news stories inspired emotion, provoked thought and blazed across the pages of our City's daily newspaper for nearly thirty years.

A native Clevelander, Brent Larkin graduated from Brush High School in 1965. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Ohio University, and later a doctorate of law degree from Cleveland Marshall College of Law in 1986. He was admitted to the Ohio Bar in 1987.

Brent's interest in Cleveland's political scene was sparked in 1970, when he was hired by the Cleveland Press to cover the news at Cleveland City Hall. In 1976, he was named the newspaper's politics editor. In 1981, he joined The Plain Dealer as a politics writer then later as a columnist. In 1991, he was named director of The Plain Dealer's opinion pages. Brent Larkin has been honored several times over the years for his work in journalism, including an induction into the Cleveland Press Club Hall of Fame in October of 2002. Brent's editorial columns deftly highlighted Cleveland's political and social scenes for Ohio's largest newspaper.

Madam Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Brent Larkin, upon his recent retirement from The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Fearless in expressing his opinion, his columns were entertaining, informative and above all, his ability to zero in on the heart of an issue in just a few strategically written paragraphs earned him a constituency of readers that kept coming back to see what he would write next.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Dr. Henry T. King Jr., a renowned lawyer and great man of peace, and in honor of his dedication to his country, community and to international human rights. Dr. King died at home on May 9, 2009, at age 89.

Dr. Henry King was a distinguished scholar of international law, international trade, and international human rights. Shortly after graduating from Yale Law School and while practicing law in New York at Millbank, Tweed & Hope, Dr. King learned about Supreme Court Justice Robert Jackson's appointment as Chief Prosecutor of war criminals at Nuremberg. With the encouragement of his wife, he left for Nuremberg in 1946 with Justice Jackson as one of the youngest of 200 prosecutors. As one of the prosecutors working on the Nuremburg Trials, he worked on the convictions of many Nazi officials, including Walther von Brauchitisch, Erhard Milch, Hermann Goring, and Albert Speer. Dr. King was deeply affected by what he saw upon stepping off the train in Nuremberg. Surrounded by the rubble of bombed out buildings and people begging for food, he vowed at that time to dedicate his life to the prevention of war.

Following the Nuremburg Trials, Dr. King served as Chief Counsel for the Marshall Plan. Between 1961 and 1981 he was Chief International Corporate Counsel at TRW, Inc., the position which brought Dr. King to Cleveland. For the last 28 years, he taught at Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland while practicing law at Cleveland's Squire Sanders & Dempsey. Upon his arrival at Case Western Reserve, he established the Canada-U.S. Law Institute in partnership with the University of Western Ontario. The Institute holds an annual conference in Cleveland, which I have had the pleasure of participating in a number of times since my career in Congress began in 1997. This year, I had the honor of addressing the conference about the commoditization of Great Lakes water.

Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. King continued his activism in the struggle for peace through international law. He pushed for the creation of the International Criminal Court as a member of the international delegation in Rome to establish that court in 1998. After the delegation failed to include wars of aggression as war crimes, he continued to push for that with other delegates until they ultimately adopted a reference to the crime of war of aggression in the court's statute. Additionally, Dr. King served as a member of the American Bar Association's Task Force on War Crimes in the former Yugoslavia. He also believed that democracies which trade with one another tend to not go to war and advocated for international trade rules and statutes as another avenue toward peace.

Dr. King received an honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Laws by the University of Western Ontario in 2003. In 2004, the government of Canada appointed Dr. King Honorary Consul General for Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. Dr. King was truly a pioneer in promoting peace through international law and was cited in the Plain Dealer by David Crane, Syracuse University Professor and Chief Prosecutor of Sierra Leone President Charles Taylor as ``the George Washington of modern international law.''

Madam Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and remembrance of one of the great men of our time, Dr. Henry T. King, Jr. He will be greatly missed by those in the peace community working on issues of international humanitarian justice under the rule of law. Despite his absence, his work will continue to inspire countless activists and lawyers around the world who follow in his footsteps.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of my friend, Franklyn Kellogg, on the occasion of his 90th Birthday and in recognition of his dedication to his community and a life lived with a great sense of humor, energetic spirit, joy for living and positive outlook.

Mr. Kellogg grew up in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. After high school, he joined the army and served as a military police officer during WWII. Following the war, he came back to Cleveland and began his lifelong vocation of protecting others, first as a firefighter and then as Fire Chief of City Cleveland. Mr. Kellogg was a leader in evolving safety training and techniques, many of which are still used today in Ohio and across the country.

Mr. Kellogg was one of the first firefighters in Cleveland to be trained as a certified paramedic. He became a top-notch instructor, training firefighters and paramedics, even travelling as far as California with requests for his training expertise. Mr. Kellogg has earned a nationally-known reputation as being one of the best arson investigators in the country, and has been consulted numerous times by fire departments in Ohio and across the country. Several of Mr. Kellogg's arson cases are still used today as models in firefighter training courses, including courses taught at Cuyahoga Community College. He continues to be an active member of his community and of the Zion United Church of Christ of Tremont, the church he has attended since childhood.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and celebration of Mr. Kellogg's 90th Birthday. His kindness and commitment to community leadership and service continues to be evident in all he does. I stand in honor and gratitude of Mr. Kellogg's lifelong service to our community and I wish him the best as he and his family celebrate his 90th birthday.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of the Greek Community of Cleveland, Ohio, and the members and leaders of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation of Cleveland as join fellow community members this Memorial Day weekend to celebrate the heritage and culture of Greece at the annual Hellenic Heritage Festival.

The oldest Greek Orthodox Church in Cleveland, the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation was officially incorporated on February 15, 1913. Located on the corner of West 14th Street and Fairfield Avenue in the Historic Tremont District of Cleveland, it was the only Greek Orthodox Church to exist in the Greater Cleveland area until 1937. Today, it remains an active parish with an internationally-accredited Greek School.

For more than thirty years, members of the Greater Cleveland Community have gathered on the grounds of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation to partake in the annual Hellenic Heritage Festival, a wonderful community and family event that is enjoyed and shared by Clevelanders of all ethnic backgrounds. The event reflects the values of our community: faith, family, heritage and diversity. The festival is also a time of remembrance and honor--remembering our ancestors and relatives whose struggles, tragedies and triumphs will be remembered and revered from generation to generation, and honoring the numerous and significant contributions made to our community and our nation by Americans of Greek heritage.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Greek- Americans throughout our community and throughout our nation. I also stand in recognition of the members and leaders of the Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, whose individual and collective commitment to preserving and promoting the history and heritage of their beloved Greek homeland serves to enrich the diverse fabric of the Greater Cleveland Community.