Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise in sympathy with the families of those killed in the sinking of the Republic of Korean ship (ROKS) Cheonan. I stand in solidarity with the people of the Republic of Korea in the aftermath of this tragic incident. However, I have serious concerns with language in H. Res. 1382. While it appropriately expresses sympathy to the families of those killed in the attack, it also appears to express support for possible military action against North Korea.

North Korea announced yesterday that it is severing all relations with South Korea, further exasperating an already contentious relationship. This resolution ``urges the United States'' and ``its allies . . . to take appropriate actions in response to the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan and other hostile acts of North Korea.'' The resolution also ``urges the international community to provide all necessary support to the Republic of Korea as the Government of the Republic of Korea prepares to respond to the actions committed by North Korea, which led to the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan.'' State Department officials, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have also made public statements vowing that the attack will not go unanswered.

Congress and the Administration can better express support for the people of the Republic of Korea by recommitting to promoting dialogue between the two nations. The expression of congressional support for a possible military response to North Korea's actions can only serve to heighten the likelihood of a military confrontation. Military action in retaliation to North Korea's attack on the South Korean ship can only result in the further loss of life. I believe strongly in the power and necessity of diplomacy. The United States has a responsibility to utilize its unique role as an ally of South Korea to bring the nation closer to resolution with North Korea.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Gary S. Adams as he is named by the Cleveland-Marshall Law School Association a 2010 Alumnus of the Year in recognition of his continued entrepreneurship, hard work and business achievement.

Mr. Adams grew up in the Cleveland area. As a graduate of the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, he has consistently utilized his legal expertise to help support, promote and grow the auto industry throughout Greater Cleveland. In addition, he has maintained a special focus on locally owned dealerships, employees and customers.

For many years, Mr. Adams served as the President of the Greater Cleveland Auto Dealerships' Association and is now the President of the annual Cleveland Auto Show which draws tens of thousands of visitors every year. Mr. Adams is an expert in his field. He has an unparalleled knowledge of many aspects of the auto industry, including government policy, public relations and consumer rights. Moreover, Mr. Adams is known as man whose kindness, integrity and generosity match his competitive spirit.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognition of Gary S. Adams upon being named as a 2010 Alumnus of the Year by his alma mater, the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Adams' leadership, expertise, integrity and dedication to supporting the economic base of our community have made it a better place to live.

Madam Speaker, I rise in recognition of Mayor Frank Jackson as he is named by the Cleveland-Marshall Law Alumni Association as a 2010 Alumnus of the Year for his work and leadership on behalf of those who live and work in the City of Cleveland.

Mayor Jackson has lived in Cleveland his entire life, and today resides in the same neighborhood in which he grew up. He began his formal schooling in the Cleveland Public Schools. He moved on to Cuyahoga Community College, where he earned an associate's degree. Subsequently, he earned a bachelor's and master's degree from Cleveland State University and later earned a law degree from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. Mayor Jackson was elected to the Cleveland City Council in 1989, where he led the charge to protect our most vulnerable citizens. Mayor Jackson is also a United States Veteran, having served our country in Vietnam with honor.

Mayor Jackson continues to work on issues such as jobs, the foreclosure crisis and affordable housing. He remains a public advocate for the homeless members of our society and he is the first Mayor to attend the annual Homeless Memorial Day event and other events organized by homeless citizens.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honoring Mayor Frank Jackson as he is being recognized by the Cleveland-Marshal Law Alumni Association for his tireless efforts on behalf of the people of Cleveland.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Detective Donald Malloy as he celebrates retirement after nearly thirty years of excellent service to the City of Cleveland Police Department.

Detective Malloy was appointed to the force on August 7, 1981, and he began as a patrol officer in the 4th District. During his career, Detective Malloy completed the Ohio Fire Academy program, became a certified finger print examiner and worked in the Crime Scene Records division. He spent the majority of his career in the Financial Crimes Unit, investigating and assisting in the arrests of numerous perpetrators.

Detective Malloy has been honored with commendation for his service, including awards from the City of Shaker Heights, the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority and the former Mayor of Cleveland, Mike White.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Cleveland Police Detective Donald Malloy, whose dedication, expertise and concern for the people of the City of Cleveland has helped to protect our community. We are grateful for his service. I wish Detective Malloy, his family and friends health and happiness.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Commander Deborah Washington as she celebrates retirement after nearly thirty years of exemplary service to the City of Cleveland Police Department.

Commander Washington started as a patrol officer in the 3rd, 4th and 5th districts after she was appointed to the force on June 1, 1981. She worked in the Juvenile/Gang Unit, Complaint Unit, Community Relations Division and the Financial Crimes Unit. On April 30th, 1999, Deborah Washington was appointed to the position of Commander of the City of Cleveland 5th District.

Commander Washington has been honored with numerous awards for her service, including commendations from Playhouse Square, Aftercare Residential Center, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office, the United States Secret Service and Judge Ronald Adrine's office.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and gratitude of Commander Deborah A. Washington, whose service and leadership has helped protect the citizens of our community. She has helped keep our streets safe and strengthened the bonds of unity within the Cleveland Police Department. I wish Commander Washington, her family and friends health and happiness.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2011. This legislation authorizes $725.9 billion for defense programs this year, including $159.3 billion specifically for the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the so-called ``war on terror.'' Once again, the House of Representatives easily approves billions of dollars for war, while a bill that would provide genuine assistance to our constituents gets watered down by the demagoguery of fiscal responsibility.

Our national security is not preserved or furthered through the military occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. Our presence in the region continues to foment resentment toward us and undermines the human rights of the Iraqi and Afghani people. To date, more than 4,000 U.S. servicemembers have lost their lives in Iraq, and more than 31,000 have been wounded. As the number of troops in Afghanistan surpasses the number in Iraq, over one thousand U.S. troops have been killed thus far. With the continuation of the wars, we are creating a new generation of Americans that will experience the trauma of war, like Vietnam veterans before them.

According to the United Nations, air strikes continue to be the leading cause of civilian deaths in Afghanistan, despite the Administration's claims that avoiding civilian casualties is a cornerstone of the Afghan strategy. Innocent Afghanis are killed, detained or threatened in frequent night raids conducted by North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces, while Afghan President Hamid Karzai buys million-dollar villas in Dubai. This bill also authorizes $4.9 billion for ammunition and weapons systems, including for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles--or drones--that conduct indiscriminate attacks against suspected militants in Pakistan. According to a study conducted by the New America Foundation, three civilians die for every suspected militant killed by a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) drone in Pakistan.

I am also concerned about a number of the amendments adopted in the bill that I believe have no place in a bill that is intended to address our national security. Language addressing sex-offenders and language that has considerable implications on our foreign policy was included as part of an en bloc amendment that addressed a significant gap in the health care services provided to our veterans pre and post-deployment. An amendment was also adopted that would allow the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to conduct defense-related pilot programs with the Department of Defense (DOD). I have fought for years to keep NASA separate from DOD in order to preserve NASA's mission integrity and therefore, longevity.

While I oppose the underlying bill, I supported an amendment that would lead to the repeal of the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' (DADT) military policy. For the past 17 years, DADT has forced our service men and women to hide who they are as they selflessly sacrificed their lives for our country. The amendment would repeal DADT following the receipt of recommendations from a Pentagon working group tasked with formulating the implementation of the repeal and certification from the President and Secretary of Defense that the Department of Defense is prepared to implement its repeal.

Since the implementation of this discriminatory and misguided policy in 1993, almost 14,000 service members have been fired because of their sexual orientation. The United States is well behind many of our allies in allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military. Policies, like DADT, that create an atmosphere of fear and mistrust among colleagues serving side-by-side have no place in the military. I applaud the repeal of DADT and believe it is a significant step toward ensuring equality in our military and securing rights for members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community.

I urge my colleagues to reflect on the policies and fiscal implications included in this legislation. As the country struggles to pull itself out of one of the worst economic recessions in history, we must commit to our priorities here at home--protecting our environment, keeping people in their homes, and getting people back to work.

The theologian Thomas Barry wrote that the great work of our lives is to reconcile with nature, to come to establish a communion with every living species on the planet--with all humans, all animals and plants, with the land, the air, and the water. As children of a common Creator, we are part of every living thing. This requires reverence for the natural world.

When we look at the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, we learn how far we must journey to reconcile with nature. The false doctrine of subduing the natural world puts us in danger of extinction because it ultimately attacks the precondition of human existence and because it separates us from an understanding of the essential interconnectedness of all life.

So we're lulled into distancing ourselves from the oil disaster, from its effects on the natural world, from its effects on future generations. Nature's God is not just up there, but it's in all of us. And only when we truly understand the deep significance of the Deepwater Horizon disaster will we be prepared to take a new direction not only with our energy policies but with our way of life.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of Charles Nunzio DelPizzo, a Veteran, a baker, a business owner and a locomotive engineer. Most importantly, he was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend.

Mr. DelPizzo was the sixth of nine children born to Guiseppe and Angelina DelPizzo. As a young man, Mr. DelPizzo and his siblings were raised with the values of faith, family and hard work. He and his four brothers served in the military during World War II. Mr. DelPizzo earned the rank of Corporal in the United States Army, where he served as a baker in the 107th Quartermaster Bakery Company.

Following his honorable discharge, Mr. DelPizzo combined his talent for baking with his entrepreneurial spirit. He and his young bride, Palma Antonia Santoro DelPizzo, started their own bakery in Garfield Heights. In addition to running his bakery, he also worked as a locomotive conductor and engineer with the Nickel Plate and Norfolk & Western Railroads.

Mr. and Mrs. DelPizzo were married for 63 years before her passing in 2006. Together, they raised their daughter, Paula, and welcomed their son-in-law, Andrew, into the family. Mr. DelPizzo was a loving grandfather to Angela, Melissa and Andrew, and was the great ``grumpy'' to Anthony, Talia and Larissa.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing Charles Nunzio DelPizzo, a man whose joyous life was framed by a love for family and a love of life. I offer my deepest condolences to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Ohio Chapter on the occasion of their Eighth Annual Civil Rights Banquet entitled ``A New Era of Hope.''

CAIR is a nationwide, nonprofit organization whose mission is to ``enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.'' For the past eight years, CAIR Ohio has played an instrumental role in helping to bridge the divides between Greater Cleveland's diverse communities. CAIR Ohio's Eighth Annual Banquet will provide a platform for vibrant discourse led by this year's distinguished speakers: Shahid Buttar, Esq. of the Bill of Rights Committee; Imam Mahdi Bray of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation; and Nihad Awad, National Executive Director of CAIR. I commend these speakers for their efforts to promote civil liberties and social justice.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in recognizing the Council on American-Islamic Relations Ohio Chapter for their eight years of outstanding achievement. May their efforts to promote dialogue and create a more inclusive world continue to endure.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of my friend

Artha ``Lady Artha'' Woods, of Cleveland, Ohio, whose joyous life was dedicated to advancing the rights and opportunities for women and minorities.

Ms. Woods was a valedictorian at Cleveland Central High School. She won several academic awards, including a district-wide award as a Latin scholar. Streetwise yet elegant, articulate and refined, Ms. Woods was an unyielding activist. She served as a Cleveland Councilwoman, representing the people of Cleveland's east side with a strong and effective voice. She is credited with the expansion of two of Cleveland's premier institutions: Playhouse Square and the Cleveland Clinic. Moreover, she served as a leader in organizing residents to demand improvements to the deplorable living conditions in the Woodhill Homes public housing units.

In 1941, after protesting for equal opportunity, Ms. Woods became one of 18 African-Americans who broke the color barrier at Ohio Bell. After becoming an employee, Ms. Woods boycotted the cafeteria which helped end segregation between black and white women. She rose to the level of public relations manager at Ohio Bell and stayed with the company for many years. While serving on the City Council, Ms. Woods ran her own businesses and founded one of the first-ever modeling and charm schools for African-American women. She managed the careers of two local boxers and she owned and operated the Cedar Avenue Millinery Shop, where she sold hats to celebrities. She founded the Fairfax Area Community Congress and created the Starlight Cotillion for female graduates of neighborhood public high schools. Additionally, Ms. Woods was designated an honorary Italian by Holy Rosary Church of Cleveland and was blessed by Pope Paul VI in Rome for her work with local Catholic leaders.

Madam Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor, gratitude and remembrance of my friend, Artha ``Lady Artha'' Woods. Ms. Woods was the loving mother of the late Eloise and Arthur. I offer my condolences to her grandchildren: Gaile, (Dominic) and Deborah (Richard); to her great-grandchildren, Dominic, Monique, Olivia, Joshua, Lauren and Richard; to her devoted companion, Stanley Tolliver, Jr.; and to her extended family and friends.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of the 75th anniversary of the Polish Army Veterans, Kosciuszko Post 152, of Cleveland, Ohio.

Post 152 of the Polish Army Veterans was initiated on May 9th, 1935. On January 18, 1968, Post 152 selected Polish General T. Kosciuszko as the patron of their organization. They elected their first Post Commander, Joseph Lecznar Sr., in 1982. Shortly thereafter, the Post petitioned former Cleveland Bishop Anthony Pilla to appoint Reverend Lucjan Stokowski as their Chaplain.

In 1988, the Post purchased a building on Warner Road in Garfield Heights, Ohio. A monument was built on that site, and every Memorial Day, members return to the site to pay tribute to the memory of fellow veterans. They also acknowledge and honor other veterans' organizations such as the American Legion Post 304 and the VFW Post 4545.

Madam Speaker and Colleagues, please join me in recognition of the 75th anniversary of the Polish Army Veterans, Kosciuszko Post 152, of Cleveland, Ohio. We honor the memory of departed members and celebrate the accomplishments and service of Polish Veterans.

We are now in the 36th day of a man-made environmental disaster which is fast becoming an ecological apocalypse for countless species of marine life. The ecosystems of the Gulf of Mexico cannot survive wave and wave of toxic substances hitting the beaches.

The ultimate surprise is not that it happened. Oil companies, Democratic and Republican administrations, refused responsibility and rejected alternatives. In this privatization of the natural world, damage to sea life is the cost of doing business. The ultimate horror is that we can't stop the flood of oil, won't stop consumption of oil products, and fail to admit the limits of technology.

This is a morality play writ large as environmental collapse becomes the new normal. Can we realistically look to Washington alone to protect the natural world? More permits for offshore drilling have been issued. We must look to the consequences of our own demand and consumption: the energy we use, the kind of cars we drive, the products we buy, the food we eat, and our individual impact on the natural world.

We can seize this moment. We as individuals can begin a green wave of sustainability to save the planet and ourselves.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Day 2010 and to celebrate the many cultural and societal contributions of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities throughout Northeast Ohio.

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Day provides us with an opportunity to celebrate the numerous achievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders throughout Northeast Ohio and across the nation. Cultural diversity is a foundation of our community and it has allowed our residents to experience traditions from around the world.

The heritage of Asian Americans has been preserved and reflected by each generation. It shows the spirit, hope and courage of all of our ancestors who braved treacherous journeys along the road to freedom and opportunity in America.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in celebrating Asian/ Pacific American Heritage Day and honoring the contributions of all Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in our Greater Cleveland community.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 5327, the United States-Israel Missile Defense Cooperation and Support Act of 2010. This legislation authorizes $205 million dollars for the development and implementation of the Iron Dome--a missile defense system--that will be placed on Israel's borders with Gaza and Lebanon, and professes support for the security of Israel. I strongly support that. However, like many Israelis, I believe that Israel's security depends upon a stable and peaceful relationship with its Palestinian neighbors.

H.R. 5327 proposes that the means to achieve security for Israel is through investing in a missile defense system. I do not support that, and neither should anyone truly supportive of the security of Israel. Physicists have amply demonstrated that missile defense systems do not work. They can't hit a missile with a missile without rigging the tests in ways that are not simulations of realistic operation conditions. The missile system offered in H.R. 5327 will not stop any missiles, except by sheer luck, coming from Gaza or Lebanon.

This missile defense system will give a false sense of security to the Israelis, and it will serve to threaten countries in the region. The missile system proposed in H.R. 5327 will cause more destabilization, not less. It will cause nerves in the Middle East to become more frayed, not less. It will bring about the prospect of a military conflict more than it will bring about peace and reconciliation in the region.

I am also concerned that 43 years of military occupation in the West Bank, and the crippling siege of Gaza that has entered its fourth year, continue to undermine Israel's security. Investment in a missile defense system will not eliminate the need to address these

issues that are a fundamental part of securing Israel's future.

Last week, U.S. Special Envoy George Mitchell announced the beginning of proximity talks that require him to address the concerns of both the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government prior to an attempt to restart direct negotiations on the final status issues. The United States has a responsibility to act in good faith as an honest broker.

Negotiations will not be successful as long as the United States continues to stand by idly as illegal settlements continue to be built in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Furthermore, 1.5 million people in Gaza continue to suffer without basic services and Palestinians in the West Bank are denied the freedom of movement and prosperity by the separation barrier and hundreds of check points.

The United States can better demonstrate its strong support for Israel by helping it move toward good-faith negotiations that ensure a peaceful and prosperous future for Palestinians as well.

Mr. Speaker, the Creator gave us a paradise; and we, appropriating the power of nature's God, are turning our planet into a smoking, glowing, oily mess, through plundering Mother Earth of her treasures and through refusing to recognize the growing evidence that our reliance on oil, coal, and nuclear threatens our health, our security, our economy, our Nation and the world.

It is not as though there are no alternatives. Markets and industries have conspired for years to shelve the massive introduction of wind and solar technologies. Thousands of barrels of oil each day billow from the ocean floor, covering nearly 20 percent of the gulf, heading towards the Florida Keys and the Atlantic coast.

Must we wait until all coastal areas are ruined, all fish, all birds, all animals are injured and killed before we realize that drilling presents a threat to the fragile ecology of life?

We cannot afford to passively witness the destruction of our natural environment because written in the oily sands of the gulf is the degrading of all life on the planet. Our world exists through fragile interconnected systems of life. Our survival depends upon reconciliation with, not exploitation of, the natural world.