Floor Statements

What? We don't have enough wars going on? A war in Iraq, a war in Afghanistan? We need one more war? We have to wage war against another nation which did not attack us? We have to wage war against another nation which does not represent an actual or imminent threat to the United States?

Mr. Speaker, I have to tell you that I have been all over this country, and I haven't had a single person come up to me to tell me, ``You know, Dennis, what America needs is another war.'' The last thing we need is to be voting to go to war. There are plenty of reasons to oppose the war in Libya:

It's unconstitutional. Article I, section 8 has given the Congress the power to declare war.

It's illegal. The War Powers resolution was passed over Presidential veto to allow the President latitude to respond when there is an imminent threat to the U.S. while retaining the constitutional duty of Congress. Even the President's top legal advisers at the Pentagon and the Department of Justice determined that the War Powers resolution applies to the war in Libya.

Another reason is that Americans don't want this war. A poll taken at the beginning of the month by CBS found that six in 10 Americans do not think the United States should be involved in a conflict within Libya. Just 30 percent of Americans in that poll thought the United States was doing the right thing by taking part in the current military conflict. A majority of Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike think the U.S. should not be involved in Libya.

Next, this war is a distraction. Our flailing economy demands the full attention of Congress and the President. The American people have little patience, or less, especially for a war of choice.

Then there is the cost of the war, Mr. Speaker. We've spent $750 million so far. If we keep going on, it will cost billions.

We have to end this war. Vote against this authorization.

I want to thank the gentleman and also associate myself with his remarks just now. We were told this is about protecting civilians. It has become a cover for regime change. And just because we can change a regime with military power doesn't mean we should do it. And using military action doesn't mean that you're going to achieve the objectives that maybe you haven't even clearly defined.

Furthermore, if our allies make a mistake, do we follow them? If our allies are going out of the war, why should we go in? Right now, you have China's foreign minister saying we hope the two parties in the conflict can attach importance to the country and the people's interest and earnestly consider the international community's relevant resolution plans, quickly cease hostilities, and resolve the Libyan crisis through political channels.

Amr Moussa, the outgoing head of the Arab League, said this 2 days ago: Now is the time to do whatever you can to reach a political solution that has to start with a genuine cease-fire under international supervision.

The President of South Africa said a few days ago that this is about regime change, political assassination, and foreign military occupation.

Vote against this resolution.

I would beg to depart from the remarks of the distinguished gentlelady from Texas because there are those of us who oppose this bill in principle, and we believe we are fighting for justice as well.

I want to state that if you believe the war should end, then at least believe we should limit it today. That's what Mr. Rooney does. I oppose this war. It's unconstitutional. It's in violation of statute. And there's a two-step way to end the war: Vote for Rooney, step one, and then the Kucinich-Amash amendment, which defunds the DOD bill. You can do that when we come back.

But to claim that the Arab League is somehow asking for us to continue this attack on Libya is plain false. The fact of the matter is we have al Jazeera reporting that Italy's foreign minister and the outgoing head of the Arab League have each called for a halt to hostilities in Libya. It was reported that 2 days ago, Amr Moussa, the outgoing head of the Arab League, said now is the time to do whatever we can to reach a political solution, and that has to start with a genuine cease-fire under international supervision. So you don't have the Arab League's head here saying, Oh, America, come on. Go for it. Prosecute the war. Bomb Libya. No, they're not saying that at all. We have to be very clear about that.

Even China, who's eating our lunch financially, they're not involved in this war. They're saying there ought to be a political solution, that from the Chinese minister 2 days ago. We've got to be careful about our intentions here. And our intention should be to end this war, and we can do it with Mr. Rooney's bill.

The bill isn't perfect. It doesn't end the war in its entirety immediately, but it does make clear that the United States will not take over the war as European support continues to diminish.

The Kucinich-Amash amendment is complementary to the bill. We want to end U.S. involvement in the war in Libya. We can do it in two steps. Vote ``yes'' for Mr. Rooney's bill, which ends direct hostilities immediately, and support Kucinich-Amash when it comes up in 2 weeks.

I want to thank Mr. Rooney and thank my colleagues. I think this has been a very important debate for this country and for our Constitution.

I am opposed to this war and I want to end it. I think Mr. Rooney's bill is a powerful step in the direction of ending the war, but it's not the only step that we should take. It's the first step. The first step is a vote for Mr. Rooney's. You limit the war, and you stop the combat ops. Then the second step would be to vote on a defense appropriations amendment that would strike all funding for the war. So we take two steps here--the first step today.

We have some of the best people in this Congress who have been in this debate today, and they don't agree with Mr. Rooney's bill. What they've said is that this bill would end the mission in Libya; and they've said that, if you don't have the ability to suppress, you couldn't continue with the bombing campaign. These are people on our side of the aisle who want to defeat this bill. They've made the argument, I think, as to why we should pass it.

I want to thank Mr. Rooney for his leadership, and I urge a vote in favor of Mr. Rooney's bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Reverend Thomas O'Donnell, who has devoted his life to the enrichment of his community.

Reverend O'Donnell was born in Cleveland, Ohio at St. John's Hospital and is one of three children. His brother, Neil is now deceased and his sister Ellen Jane is a nun in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Reverend O'Donnell spent much of his youth interested in music and eventually received a Bachelor's Degree in Music from Oberlin College before entering the seminary. Ordained on May 20, 1967, Reverend O'Donnell first served at St. Clare Church in Lyndhurst, Ohio. Two years later he began teaching Sacred Music at St. Mary Seminary. While he was teaching, in 1972, Reverend O'Donnell began attending Case Western Reserve University to further his studies in Sacred Music.

After fourteen years at the seminary, during which time he also became Diocesan Director of Music and Assistant Director of the Diocesan Office for Pastoral Liturgy, he decided to return to parish ministry. Reverend O'Donnell then began to serve as a hospital chaplain, first at Brentwood and Suburban Hospitals and later as the Catholic Chaplain at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. He underwent a two year training course at the Cleveland Clinic prior to his work as a chaplain.

Reverend O'Donnell has been with Holy Name for fourteen years and has worked tirelessly for the betterment of his parish and the entire community. Reverend O'Donnell brought together a parish life steering committee and was integral in opening the John Paul II--Ozanam Hunger Center, along with churches in Slavic Village and several other suburban parishes. Furthermore, his parish now provides the area with five Alcoholics Anonymous meetings a week, a Parish Wellness Center, a hot meal program which serves the community twice a month, and countless other civic organizations and projects.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor of Reverend Thomas O'Donnell, a hardworking, heartfelt individual who has devoted his life so tirelessly to God and his community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the InterReligious Task Force on Central America on the occasion of its 30th anniversary.

Since its inception, the IRTF has strived to promote peace, justice, human rights, and nonviolence in Central America by raising awareness in Northeast Ohio. It has constantly sought out policies that support anti-militarism, environmental human rights, economic justice, ending the exploitation of labor, and the promotion of fair trade in Central America.

In 1987, the IRTF started the Rapid Response Network for Human Rights, which allowed volunteers to write letters in order to protest urgent human rights abuses. Originally conceived to respond to human rights abuses in Guatemala, this service is currently available for all Central American nations and Columbia.

The IRTF has also worked to expose the negative effects of globalization in Central America. These effects include ecological destruction, privatization of utilities and other public services, a decrease in labor standards, and the disruption of local populations by large multi-national corporations. Through its efforts to promote fair trade, Northeast Ohio is now one of the largest markets for fair trade coffee in the United States.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring the InterReligious Task Force on Central America, an organization whose policies work to improve conditions for the oppressed peoples in Central America, on the occasion of its 30th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of the 20th anniversary of Slovenian Statehood. I am also pleased to be joined by the Consul General of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr. Jure Zmauc, his wife, Mrs. Janja Zmauc, and Dr. Bostjan Zeks, Minister for Slovenes Abroad, to celebrate Slovenian Statehood Day.

The twenty-fifth of June is Slovenian Statehood Day, an annual celebration of Slovenia's independence and the sovereignty it gained in 1991. It is a commemoration of the struggles and triumphs of the people of Slovenia. It also serves as an opportunity for residents of northeast Ohio to celebrate the customs, traditions and contributions of Slovenian Americans to our community.

This year's celebration of Slovenian Statehood Day begins with a reception at the Slovenian Museum and Archives where a special exhibit depicting the role of Americans of Slovenian heritage that worked to gain independence will be on display. Later in the evening the city of Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Councilmen Michael Polensek and Joe Cimperman will host an event that will feature musical performances by Raine Austen and the Men's Chorus Mi smo Mi.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of the 20th anniversary of Slovenian Statehood. Slovenia has grown in many facets over the years and should be recognized for its prosperity.

Offered By: Mr. Kucinich

Amendment No. 29: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), add the following:

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Henry L. Meyer III and his leadership of KeyCorp on the occasion of his retirement.

Henry L. Meyer began his long career with KeyCorp in the summer of 1970, when he worked as a teller. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in econometrics from Colgate University in 1972, Mr. Meyer joined KeyCorp, formerly Society National Bank. In 1978, he received a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard University.

In 1984, Mr. Meyer relocated for his position with Society National Bank to Dayton, but moved back to Cleveland in 1987 after being elected Executive Vice President of Society Corporation and Senior Executive Vice President of Society National Bank. In 1990, he was elected as Society National Bank's President and Chief Operating Officer, and became the Chief Executive Officer in 1993. After Society National Bank became KeyCorp in 1994, Mr. Meyer became the Chief Executive Officer in February of 2001. In May of 2001, he was elected as KeyCorp's Chairman of the Board.

In addition to his career, Mr. Meyer is involved in his community. He serves on a number of civic and cultural boards in the Cleveland area, including the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education, Law Enforcement Foundation, Inc., ideastream (WVIZ/PBS and WCPN), United Way of Greater Cleveland, University School, the Greater Cleveland Partnership, University Hospitals Health System, Inc., and University Hospitals of Cleveland. Mr. Meyer is also on the Federal Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve System and serves as a director of Continental Airlines, Inc.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor of a hardworking and worthy individual, Mr. Henry Meyer. We should reflect on his good deeds and his admirable work ethic.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor James H. Trout who is being honored as a 2011 Father of the Year by the Father's Day Council of Northeastern Ohio and the American Diabetes Association.

Mr. Trout is the Executive Vice President of Acme Fresh Market Stores, serving on its Board of Directors and its Executive Committee. He has been with Acme Stores since 1973, working in a number of different capacities in increasingly important roles, serving as Director of General Merchandise, Senior Director of Merchandising, and Vice President of Sales and Merchandising.

Mr. Trout and his wife, Debbie, are the proud parents of two children--Jennifer, 31, and Jeff, 29--and one grandchild. Jim and Debbie currently reside in Suffield, where they are active in their community. Mr. Trout, former President of the Suffield Jaycees, also serves as a trustee for the F.W. Albrecht Family Foundation.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring James H. Trout, a hardworking and industrious man, and a wonderful husband, father and grandfather, on the occasion of his recognition as Father's Day Council's Father of the Year 2011.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Kenneth A. Lanci who is being honored as a 2011 Father of the Year by the Father's Day Council of Northeastern Ohio and the American Diabetes Association.

Mr. Lanci, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Consolidated Graphics Group, Inc., is also the Chairman of Project Love and Purple America. While Consolidated Graphics, Inc. is a leader in graphic art technology, Purple America is a leader in uniting Americans through shared values. Its mission is to create new forums to share beliefs, engage young people in meaningful dialogue, and connect all Americans through shared American ideals. Purple Love is a character-building program that has trained thousands of American teens and their educators to build a culture of kindness, caring and respect in their schools.

Mr. Lanci has also brought OneSight to Cleveland's Municipal School District, a non-profit organization which has given free eye exams and eye glasses to thousands of children in the area.

Mr. Lanci's good work extends to his family as well. Mr. Lanci is a devoted husband to his high school sweetheart, father to his three children, and grandfather to his six grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Kenneth Lanci, a man of great honor and spirit, a wonderful husband, father and grandfather, on the occasion being recognized as Father's Day Council's Father of the Year 2011.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. William D. Hall and Mr. Brian E. Hall who are being honored as a 2011 Father of the Year by the Father's Day Council of Northeastern Ohio and the American Diabetes Association. This father-son duo demonstrates the long-lasting, positive effect that one father can have on another.

Mr. William D. Hall is the founder of Hall's Trucking, which later became Industrial Transport, Inc. and later, Industrial Inventory Solutions. He also founded the Holly Development Company. Mr. Hall has been active in public policy as well as redeveloping neighborhoods. Despite Mr. Hall's many successful endeavors, his greatest source of pride remains his two children and ten grandchildren.

Mr. Brian E. Hall is the son of William D. Hall. He is the current Chairman and CEO of Industrial Inventory Solutions, where he has helped the business grow into a national comprehensive logistics firm. Mr. Hall also holds many other positions, including Secretary and Governance Chairman for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Chairman of the President's Council Foundation, Trustee of the University of Cincinnati Foundation and Trustee of University Hospitals. Brian E. Hall's main commitment, however, is to his three children.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing Mr. William D. Hall and Mr. Brian E. Hall who exemplify model citizens and outstanding fathers. I wish Mr. William D. Hall and Mr. Brian E. Hall the best in all of their future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mary Anne Crampton to acknowledge her tremendous service to the Northeast Ohio community.

A native of Pittsburgh, Mary Anne relocated to the Cleveland area to begin her career and has prospered in various organizations since. She has been credited with transforming the downtown area of Lakewood, Ohio, into a lively, historic area.

Mary Anne served as the Executive Director of LakewoodAlive, an economic development organization that strives to facilitate economic stability and growth in the Lakewood area, since its inception. She was recently was chosen as the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce 2011 Business Person of the Year. Her unwavering devotion to furthering economic development in Lakewood has proven beneficial

for the Cleveland suburb. Prior to working for LakewoodAlive Mary Anne was Manager of Marketing and Public Relations at Cleveland Sight Center, a nonprofit organization that works to enhance the lives of blind persons.

In addition to her career, Ms. Crampton is a dedicated and involved member of the Northeast Ohio community. Mary Anne is a member on the board of the Lakewood Hospital Foundation where she serves on the governance committee. She is a board member of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce where she serves on the economic development committee, and she chairs the board resources committee for the Beck Center for Cultural Arts.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, Mary Anne Crampton has proven herself a very valuable citizen of the Cleveland community and surrounding areas. Her exceptional passion to better the lives of the members of her community is truly a blessing. Mary Anne's vision and hard work make her one of Northeast Ohio's most remarkable citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Parma Community General Hospital. In June 2011, Parma Community General Hospital will be celebrating 50 years of service. Their mission has been to provide excellent, personalized care incorporating their core values of integrity, community partnership, commitment and stewardship, collaboration and teamwork and individual growth and development.

In August 1961 the hospital was founded. Within a few years it was fully accredited and joined the Cleveland Hospital Council. Parma Community General Hospital is a successful, not-for-profit, community hospital. It is a state-of-the-art facility in a close-to-home, friendly, community setting.

The hospital has grown extensively, adding floors and new Intensive Care and Coronary Care units in the 1970s and several medical office buildings in the 1980s and 1990s. In 1982 the hospital expanded health education programs by opening the Health Education Center. In the 1990s they added the ElderCenter Adult Day Care which was designed as an alternative to nursing homes and a Child Care Center for hospital employees and the public. It has an award-winning Home Health Care program, and an EMS Education Program that has endeavored to meet the region's safety needs for the past 25 years.

In the 1990s, Parma Hospital grew further, adding the Pain Center, expanding the inpatient Acute Rehabilitation Center, modernizing the Small Wonders Maternity Center and adding the Behavioral Center for Older Adults, a geriatric psychiatric unit. Parma Hospital won its first of numerous awards for excellence in orthopedics the year before the 1999 opening of The Heart Center, a cardiovascular intensive care unit that would garner its own array of awards, including the 100 Top Hospitals for Cardiovascular Care more than once and the fastest heart attack care in the region throughout the Code STEMI program.

The past decade brought the addition of outpatient oncology care in a community setting and the opening of Residential Seasons of Life Hospice on Pleasant Valley Lake. Parma Hospital also enlarged its Emergency Department, adding an innovative Doc at the Door program for efficient triage, and built a new Intensive Care Unit. Outpatient radiology services were brought to both Ridge Park Square in Brooklyn and WellPointe Pavilion, offering outpatient services. Other specialized patient care areas include: physical, occupational, speech and respiratory therapies, laboratory and radiology, the Bariatric Center, inpatient and outpatient care and surgery, inpatient care floors including oncology, medical and surgical, inpatient rehabilitation unit, diabetic counseling and sports medicine.

In 2010 Parma Community General Hospital President and CEO Terrence G. Deis was named to the list of top Hospital and Healthcare Industry Leaders to Know. Mr. Deis is proud that the hospital, with nearly 2,000 employees, has flourished as a community partner and credits the hard work and integrity of the employees, management and medical staff with the success of Parma Community General Hospital.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognition of Parma Community General Hospital's 50th anniversary and in honor of those past and present whose unwavering dedicated service will be the legacy of Parma Community General Hospital.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Mr. Michael Catanzarite, a prominent businessman, community leader, and a proud father. Mr. Catanzarite is being honored as a 2011 Father of the Year nominee by the Father's Day Council of Northeastern Ohio and the American Diabetes Association.

Mike Catan is a successful businessman, born and raised in northeast Ohio. His father, Pat Catan, was an entrepreneur who began both the Darice craft products company and a chain of Pat Catan's craft stores. Mike has followed in his father's footsteps and serves as Co-Chief Executive Officer of Darice Inc.

Mr. Catan has also been an active community leader. In 2002, when he found out that Strongsville High School's athletic field had fallen into disrepair, he spearheaded efforts to raise money to build a brand new stadium. Pat Catan Stadium opened only 83 days after ground was broken, and the facility is a boon to the community. Mr. Catan has also been known for his volunteer work; in 2009, he led a team including family and friends in building a new home for a Strongsville family whose two young daughters had been diagnosed with a very rare genetic condition. Mike Catan, along with many other volunteers and donors, worked to create a home that would meet the life-long needs of the two young girls. These are only a few examples of Mr. Catan's commitment to improving the community.

Mr. Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in recognizing Mr. Michael Catan, whose children nominated him 2011 Father of the Year. His dedication to improving the community for his children and all citizens of northeast Ohio is awe-inspiring. I wish Mike Catan the best in all of his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of Officer John Michael Kick, the first Cleveland police officer to lose his life in the line of duty.

Officer Kick was a lifelong Clevelander of German descent. He joined the Cleveland Police Department upon its formation in 1866. His colleagues described Officer Kick as a ``quiet, faithful, brave and fearless officer.''

On the night of May 13th, 1875, Officer Kick accompanied his fellow officers as they investigated a suspicious group who were thought to be behind several robberies that occurred in Cleveland. Officer Kick located the perpetrators and began to follow them, along with some fellow police officers and eventually tracked them down. The officers were outnumbered three to six, yet they continued on with their duties.

Officer Kick and his fellow colleagues confronted the suspects, inquiring about their names and occupations. After a loud shouting match, the group of criminals quickly drew their revolvers and began to open fire. The officers, including Officer Kick, drew their weapons and returned fire. During the crossfire, one round shot by the criminals struck Officer Kick in the chest and wounded him. Doctors attempted to save his life, to no avail. On May 15th, Officer Kick passed away. He left everything he owned to his mother, his wife and his three children.

Officer Kick will be remembered by the Cleveland community and the Nation. His name is inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall in Washington, DC.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in remembering the sacrifice that Officer John Kick made to ensure that Cleveland would remain a safe city.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Mr. Steve Popovich, a man of immense generosity, endless energy and a lifelong passion for music. This passion led him to play a vital role in launching the careers of The Jacksons, Michael Jackson, Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Mac Davis, Paul Simon, Engelbert Humperdinck, Tom Jones, Boston, Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, Frankie Yankovic and Meat Loaf.

Mr. Popovich, who was born on July 6, 1942 in Nemacolin, Pennsylvania, moved to Cleveland, Ohio as a teenager. While he was considered a music-industry insider, he also continually reached beyond the mainstream to promote the music and musicians he knew

had great promise, even when others chose to ignore them. He founded his own label, Cleveland International Records, which promoted one of the industry's biggest selling albums, Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf. The album was released in 1977 and remains the fifth best selling album worldwide.

Mr. Popovich has been described by his colleagues and those who knew him best as ``a man with a big heart,'' `` a kind and generous man who was a mentor to so many,'' `` a man who would literally give you the shirt off his back,'' `` a man with a rare enthusiasm that made things happen'' and a man whose passing ``marks the end of an era.''

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognition of Mr. Steve Popovich, a man who spent a lifetime giving of himself, leaving behind a legacy of music that will be enjoyed for years to come and many, many friends who will miss his energy and creative enthusiasm.