Floor Statements

Mr. Chair, the transportation infrastructure needs of our nation are urgent and unprecedentedly large. Addressing those needs must be at the center of our economic recovery. This transportation bill does not address those needs. Instead, it forces approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline, which will undermine the recovery by driving up gas prices across the U.S., with the largest increases in Midwestern states like Ohio.

This is not just my conclusion. That is what TransCanada, the company that wants to build the Keystone XL Pipeline, told the Canadian government in its permit application. Canadian oil companies will be able to use the Keystone XL pipeline to increase America's fuel bill by up to 4 billion dollars per year, by reducing the supply of Canadian crude to Midwest refineries and by re-routing that crude around its current delivery point in Cushing, Oklahoma and on to Gulf Coast refineries.

Through manipulation of U.S. oil markets, the Keystone XL Pipeline will increase U.S. gas prices by 10 to 20 cents per gallon across the U.S., according to energy economist Philip Verleger. The greatest price increase will occur in 15 Midwest states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Wisconsin). Adding insult to financial injury, oil from the pipeline will be sold overseas instead of being used to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

The bill's $4 billion gift to the oil industry, which already gets tens of billions of dollars every year in subsidies, comes only one day after the President announced efforts to try to rein in gas prices and the excesses of the oil industry.

We should be considering either an unencumbered motion to go to conference or the Senate's transportation package, which passed with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 74 22.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and honor Rabbi Alan B. Lettofsky who is retiring from Beth Israel--The West Temple in Cleveland in Ohio's 10th Congressional District.

Affiliated with Judaism's Reform Movement, Beth Israel serves the Jewish Community of Cleveland's west side and western suburbs and is the only synagogue geographically located in the City of Cleveland. Beth Israel's roots go back to 1910 when the West Side Jewish Center was founded on Cleveland's Near West Side. It merged with Beth Israel in 1957 to form Beth Israel--The West Temple.

Born and bred in Cleveland, Alan Lettofsky was educated at Brandeis University, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, and Yale University. He serves Beth Israel--The West Temple as their part-time rabbi while also teaching Modern Hebrew and Jewish History at Kent State University. He was Associate Professor at the Siegal College of Judaic Studies and at Case Western Reserve University for several years. He has taught in the Religion Department at John Carroll University.

Rabbi Lettofsky started his career as Visiting Professor at the Seminario Rabinico Latinoamericano in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and then taught for three years in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia. Throughout most of his professional career, Rabbi Lettofsky worked for Hillel, the Jewish campus ministry--for ten years as the director of Hillel at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and for 13 years as the Regional Director of Hillel in Northeastern Ohio. Dedicated to egalitarianism and self-empowerment in Jewish communal prayer and fellowship, Rabbi Lettofsky co-founded and actively participated in the Library Minyan which met in the library of Congregation Beth Am in Cleveland Heights in the 1980s and 90s.

In recent years, Rabbi Lettofsky has been a member of a small committee of the Rabbinical Assembly that is preparing a new High Holy Day prayerbook for Judaism's Conservative Movement. In the early 1990s, Rabbi Lettofsky was one of 12 rabbis who served on the Commission on Human Sexuality of the Rabbinical Assembly. That Commission issued a Rabbinic Letter on Intimate Relations, entitled ``This Is My Beloved, This Is My Friend.''

I was pleased to know Rabbi Lettofsky in 2000 when other civic leaders and I worked to stop the shutdown of several hospitals in the greater Cleveland area. Rabbi Lettofsky spoke out with religious leaders of a wide diversity of faiths to stress the spiritual importance of healing the sick and making health care available to all. Rabbi Lettofsky continues to serve as part-time chaplain at Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield Heights on behalf of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I am pleased to honor Rabbi Lettofsky and thank him for his many years of dedication and service to the community. I wish him, his wife of more than 40 years, Jean Loeb Lettofsky, and their three children and five grandchildren, many happy and healthy years to enjoy his retirement and for continued service to the people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Greek Independence Day as people of Greek heritage around the world gather to remember and celebrate those who partook in the heroic struggle for freedom.

On March 25th people around the world will celebrate Greek Independence Day which commemorates the beginning of the Greek War of Independence. For four hundred years the Ottoman Empire had controlled Greece and attempted to suppress Greek language, culture, and religion. In 1821, behind the leadership of Bishop Germanos of Patras, the citizens of Greece began their long and difficult fight for liberty. After nine long years, the Greeks eventually won the freedom they had previously been denied. The Bishop also chose March 25th as the annual celebration of The Annunciation of the Mother Christ.

This year marks the 12th Annual Greek Independence Day Parade for the Northeast Ohio Greek American Celebration. The parade will be led by Father Dean Dimon of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church and other area clergy members. The celebration will include local Greek dance groups and a church service.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues please join me in recognizing the anniversary of Greek Independence, and wish the Greek Americans in Northeast Ohio a joyous celebration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. George B. Sobieraj, a gentleman whose dedication to the Polish-American community of Cleveland has led the Cleveland Society of Poles Foundation to name him the 2012 recipient of the ``Good Joe'' Award.

Mr. Sobieraj was born and raised in the St. Hyacinth area of Cleveland. He graduated from the University of Dayton with a degree in Business Management. He has since been a successful entrepreneur and venture capitalist. In 1980, George founded Rubber City Machinery Corporation in Akron, Ohio and is the only certified appraiser of rubber machinery in the U.S.

Many organizations within the Polish-American community in the Greater Cleveland area have benefitted from Mr. Sobieraj's leadership. He serves as Vice President of the Polish American Cultural Center and Union of Poles in America Group 33. He is a member of the Kosciuszko Foundation, a finance committee member for St. John Cantius Church and a member of the boards of trustees of the Polonia Foundation and the Cleveland Society of Poles, of which he is also a past president. Mr. Sobieraj is responsible for Polish Night at the annual ``Polish Open'' golf tournament at Progressive Field.

Mr. Sobieraj has also been honored many times throughout his life for his service to the Polish community. Among his many awards, George is the recipient of the Polish Heritage Award and was the Honoree of the Ohio Chapter of the Kosciuszko Foundation in 2011.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Mr. George B. Sobieraj, whose tireless devotion to the Polish- American community has been an inspiration to many.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of Mr. Earl Nolan, an active member of and asset to the Northeast Ohio community.

Born on December 15, 1931, Earl served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict and had been a member of the Disabled American Veterans. He was employed by the U.S. Postal Service for over 30 years as a General Mechanic performing repair work on the post office buildings and mailboxes in the Cleveland District. The U.S. Postal Service provided him training at the University of Oklahoma where he earned a technician certificate in heating, ventilating and air conditioning. Earl was a longtime member of the Cleveland Ward 19 Democratic Club. He also volunteered for over 20 years with the Cleveland Police Auxiliary to help keep his West Park neighborhood safe for all fellow residents.

I offer my condolences to his beloved wife, the late Joanne (Pease); loving children Janet (Ray) Sirbaugh, Kathy A., and the late Carolyn J. Nolan; grandchildren Courtney and Tim; siblings Clarence, the late Agnes Matei, Robert and Raymond; as well as his many nieces and nephews.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the life of Mr. Earl Nolan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Honorable Mary Harney, a former dignitary in Ireland, who will be visiting Cleveland, Ohio on St. Patrick's Day.

Ms. Harney was born in Ballinasloe, County Galway in 1953. She attended Trinity College, Dublin where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Modern Studies. During her college career, Ms. Harney became the first female auditor of the College Historical Society. After graduating, she worked as a mathematics and economics teacher at Castleknock College in Dublin for a year.

In 1977, at the age of 24, Ms. Harney was appointed to Seanad Eireann (Irish Senate) by the Taoiseach (Prime Minister). At the time of her appointment, she was the youngest person to ever be a member of the Seanad. Following several years of dedicated service, Ms. Harney was elected to the Teachta Dala (Irish Parliament) in the 1981. She served continuously until her retirement in 2011. During her service in the Teachta Dala, Ms. Harney served as Tanaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) from 1997 through 2006. She also served as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for seven years and as Minister for Health and Children from 2004 until 2011. Ms. Harney was also the Leader of the Progressive Democrats between 1993 and 2006 and again in 2007 and 2008.

Throughout her career, Ms. Harney has been recognized for her dedicated service to the Republic of Ireland. She was named the Irish Independent Woman of the Year in 1996 and Irish Tatler Woman of the Year in 2005.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in welcoming the Honorable Mary Harney to the City of Cleveland on St. Patrick's Day.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of Kevin O'Donnell.

Kevin O'Donnell was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1925 and attended West High School and Kenyon College before joining the U.S. Navy Supply Corps during World War II. After returning home from the war, he attended Harvard University and established himself as a businessman, working for SIFCO and Booz, Allen, Hamilton.

In 1966, he made a life-changing decision after spotting a story in a local paper about a man serving in the Peace Corps. He applied and accepted an assignment to head the Peace Corps' office in South Korea. As the Country Director in South Korea, he was charged with establishing educational programs. After four years in that post, he moved to the Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C. and quickly rose up the ranks, finally becoming Director of the Peace Corps in 1971. O'Donnell was instrumental in successfully opposing Congressional efforts to slash funding for the Peace Corps. His daughter Megan and granddaughter Allison would continue his legacy, volunteering with the Peace Corps in Nepal and Honduras, respectively.

After 6 years with the Peace Corps he returned to Lakewood, Ohio and to SIFC, serving as the company's CEO. O'Donnell was recognized several times for his dedication to public service, receiving honorary doctorates from Kenyon College, Ohio Wesleyan, and Pusan National University in Korea.

Kevin O'Donnell is survived by his children Kevin, Susan, Michael, John, Maura, Megan

and Hugh; as well as by 17 great grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring the memory of Mr. Kevin O'Donnell. His work and legacy will live on with all those who were blessed with knowing him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Ms. Malak Jadallah and to acknowledge her receipt of the Community Service Award from the Cleveland American Middle East Organization (CAMEO). Ms. Jadallah is being recognized for her service, dedication, leadership, volunteerism and advocacy on behalf of the Arab American Community of Greater Cleveland.

Malak was born and raised in Jerusalem, Palestine. She is a former art and German language teacher. Ms. Jadallah later moved with her beloved husband, Muhammad Amer, to Kuwait in 1972. Later, the Palestinians that had settled in Kuwait were forced to leave their homes and lives. Malak immigrated to the United States in 1990 and settled with her mother and sisters in Brooklyn, Ohio.

Soon after becoming a Member of Congress, I asked Malak to join my Congressional staff in Lakewood, Ohio. She has been faithfully serving the residents of the 10th District for 15 years as a constituent service representative specializing in immigration and visa issues. Prior to working in my office, Malak was a program director for the Arab American Community Center for Economic and Social Services (AACCESS). She has continued her work in the Arab community and has been a member of CAMEO for 18 years. She also worked with the Council of American-Islamic Relations, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, American Arab Institute, Beit Hanina Federation and the Ramallah Federation.

As a result of her steadfast dedication, Malak has been honored numerous times throughout the years. She has been recognized by the Arab American Community Center, Albanian American Association of Cleveland and Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission to the U.S.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in congratulating Ms. Malak Jadallah as she is honored by the Cleveland American Middle East Organization.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Cleveland Peace Action as they gather for the Second Annual Save Our Communities--Books Not Bombs, Jobs Not Jails, Families Not Foreclosures Forum and Dinner and Rally on April 14 and 17, 2012.

Cleveland Peace Action, a chapter of Peace Action, was established in 1981 as the Greater Cleveland Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign. Their mission is ``To reduce the threat of violence, war and terrorism by working through peaceful, just and democratic means.'' Cleveland Peace Action works for global nuclear disarmament, a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty, a reduced military budget, alternatives to war and violence, cooperation with other nations and protection of human rights.

On April 14 and 17, 2012, Cleveland Peace Action will host the Save Our Communities--Books Not Bombs, Jobs Not Jails, Families Not Foreclosures Forum and Dinner and Save Our Communities--Make Taxation Fair! Bring the War $$$ Home! Invest In Real Security! Rally. The community forum will be held on Saturday, April 14 at the Pilgrim United Church of Christ and will feature National Priorities Project's Senior Research Analyst, Chris Hellman, as the keynote speaker. The rally will be held on April 17 in Cleveland Public Square.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing Cleveland Peace Action as members of the Northeast Ohio community gather for the Second Annual Save Our Communities--Books Not Bombs, Jobs Not Jails, Families Not Foreclosures Forum and Dinner and Rally.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 26th anniversary of the Cleveland Federal Executive Board, and to thank all the federal employees in our community for their individual and collective dedication to the public good.

The community of federal employees in Cleveland, Ohio is comprised of more than 25,000 individuals who contribute their talent and expertise daily in an array of roles, including park rangers, administrators, accountants, clerical employees, attorneys engineers, military personnel, mail carriers, scientists, nurses and physicians.

The professional contributions extended daily by federal employees serve as a foundation of support, safety and security throughout the community. Every day, the environment is protected; the mail is delivered; veterans receive medical care; our national park is preserved; immigrants are guided to citizenship; citizens are provided with benefits and programs; and the universe is studied and explored thanks to federal employees in Northeast Ohio.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the members of the Cleveland

Federal Executive Board and the thousands of federal employees who live and work within the Cleveland community. Their dedication to their work continues to preserve, protect and strengthen our entire community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the members of Toastmasters International, District 10 as they gather in Cleveland, Ohio for their Spring District Conference on April 27 and 28, 2012.

Toastmasters International was established in 1924 as an organization dedicated to making people more confident in front of audiences. The organization empowers people to achieve their full potential. Through its member clubs, people throughout the world can improve their communication and leadership skills, and find the courage they need for successful public speaking. Toastmasters International has more than 270,000 members that belong to 13,000 clubs in 116 countries. District 10 of Toastmasters International serves approximately 1,700 members and consists of more than 100 active clubs in Northeast Ohio.

The theme of the Spring Conference is ``Strive for Excellence'' and will consist of educational workshops, contests and a dinner. It will also feature the 2011--2012 Toastmaster International President, Mr. Michael Notaro and the Communication and Leadership Award recipient, Reverend Larry L. Harris, Sr., the Senior Pastor of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing the members of Toastmasters International, District 10 as they gather for their Spring Conference.

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of the Budget offered by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. This budget and the others we are considering tonight and tomorrow morning speak volumes about the country we would like to see. The Budget for All is the only budget under consideration that cuts war funding, funding from the bloated Defense budget, and a slew of subsidies for corporations and for the rich.

This bill includes language that mirrors my own efforts in Congress. The first is an example of a corporate subsidy that is rescinded by this budget. It removes the tax deduction for advertising and marketing junk food and fast food to children. We should not be using taxpayer money--about $2 billion every year--to make the childhood obesity crisis even worse for the sake of boosting the profits of the junk food and fast food industry. If this tax break were to be revoked, it has been estimated that the number of overweight children in the U.S. would be reduced by more than 5 7 percent.

This bill also provides relief for states struggling with financial crises by allowing them to move to a single-payer model of health care. If the residents of a state demand it because they want their businesses to be more competitive, they want higher quality health care, and they want coverage for everyone in the state, the federal government should not stand in their way. This is an issue I have worked on for years now. I was able to win, by a bipartisan vote, an amendment to the health care reform bill in 2009 that would have helped states go to a single payer health care system. Though it was stripped out by the Administration, it was one of the first single-payer Congressional victories in U.S. history and it showed there is an appetite in Congress for moving forward.

Finally, and most importantly, this budget provides for full public financing of elections, mirroring a constitutional amendment I have introduced. Public financing of elections benefits the public. Private financing of elections benefits private interests.

I urge my colleagues to support the FY 2013 Budget for All.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of John Sullivan upon the completion of his exemplarily service as Parliamentarian of the House of Representatives. For 25 years Parliamentarian Sullivan's unsurpassed knowledge and dedication to the integrity of his office has proven to be an indispensible asset to the work of this institution.

It is clear that Parliamentarian Sullivan cares deeply for this country. Before becoming Parliamentarian, Mr. Sullivan had served in the Office of the Parliamentarian for seventeen years. He also acted as counsel to the Armed Services Committee, as well as Judge Advocate in the U.S. Air Force for seven years.

Parliamentarian Sullivan has earned the admiration of many through his demonstrated ability to provide essential and unbiased advice which few others could provide. In a town often divided along partisan lines, Parliamentarian Sullivan has faithfully served as the rare voice of independence which has garnered respect from both sides of the aisle. His commitment to his post and colleagues has ensured that the office which he is leaving is sufficiently capable of maintaining his high standard of performance.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues please join me in recognizing the career of House Parliamentarian John Sullivan and wishing him and his family all the best in the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the late Honorable Donald M. Payne, so that we may commemorate his extraordinary life of dedication and commitment to service.

Born in 1952 in Newark, New Jersey, he graduated from Seton Hall University and pursued post graduate studies at Springfield College. A former English and social studies teacher, he also coached football at Malcolm X Shabazz High School, which was then called South Side High School. He was Vice-President of Urban Data Systems Inc. as well as an executive at Prudential Financial. In 1970, he became the first African-American president of the National Council of YMCAs.

Representative Payne entered public life in 1972 when he was elected to the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Ten years later he was elected to the Newark Municipal Council where he served three terms. In 1988, Donald became the Representative of New Jersey's 10th Congressional District, and the first African-American to represent New Jersey in Congress. As Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, he was a relentless defender and supporter of education related issues. He was an inspiration and a friend.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Hazel Johnson, and is succeeded by son Donald Jr., daughters Wanda and Nicole, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues please join me in sending our condolences to the family and friends of Donald M. Payne who so faithfully cared for and served his community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 100th anniversary of Raoul Wallenberg's birth. Raoul Wallenberg continues to be one of the most respected and courageous humanitarians to have sacrificed his life to save thousands of Hungarian Jews during the Holocaust.

Born on August 4, 1912 in Stockholm, Sweden, Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat and a true humanitarian who creatively and courageously came up with measures to protect Hungarian Jews from persecution and death during the German invasion of Hungary during World War II. He hung Swedish flags in front of nearly 30 houses, declaring them Swedish territory--turning these ``Swedish houses'' into protected territory in which Hungarian Jews could seek shelter. He also distributed thousands of Swedish ``protective passes,'' even as some were in the midst of being deported, prompting their release from German authorities and saving their lives.

Posthumously, Mr. Wallenberg has been honored by countries throughout the world in numerous capacities. There are awards, streets, parks and schools named after him, countless memorials erected in his honor, and in 1981, Congress passed legislation to make him an Honorary Citizen of the United States. His life is celebrated annually on October 5th in more than a dozen states. His bravery continues to be an inspiration.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing the 100th anniversary of the birth of Raoul Wallenberg; may his courage serve as a guide to all of us who are committed to the protection of human rights.