Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor retired U.S. Air Force Technical Sgt. Leslie H. Gallagher, Jr. of the Borough of Pine Hill, Camden County, in New Jersey's First Congressional District, for his service to our nation and our community.

Mr. Gallagher graduated from Overbrook Regional High School in 1976 and enlisted in the United States Air Force that same year. He would continue to serve in the Air Force until his retirement in 1997. During his years of service in the Air Force, Mr. Gallagher would hold many roles, including assignments in law enforcement, the financial office, and as load master for large military transport aircrafts.

During his career, Mr. Gallagher served as a non-commissioned officer-in-charge of military pay operations at four different military bases, and as travel operations and deputy finance officer, where his work was instrumental in support of Operation Desert Storm.

While stationed in Delaware and Oklahoma, Mr. Gallagher taught high school physical education to students and served as a high school basketball and track coach.

After twenty one years of service to the Air Force, Mr. Gallagher would return to Pine Hill where he served as Vice Commander and ultimately as Adjutant of Pine Hill Post 286 of the American Legion. His commitment to his community continued in his roles as chairman of the Environmental Commission of Pine Hill, Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, and secretary of the Planning and Zoning Board.

Mr. Gallagher's ongoing commitment to education is evidenced by his leadership positions on the Pine Hill Board of Education, as Pine Hill's representative to the Camden County School Boards Association, as a delegate to the New Jersey State Board of Education, and as a Sunday school teacher at his church.

After his retirement from Local 322 as an HVAC technician, Mr. Gallagher's public service would continue through his employment with the Borough of Pine Hill, where he has become an invaluable resource to the community.

Mr. Speaker, Technical Sergeant Leslie H. Gallagher, Jr. is a great American who exemplifies the true meaning of leader, community servant, and patriot. I ask you to join with me and the constituents of Southern New Jersey in honoring this exceptional man.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my granddaughter, Ms. Nattalie Norcross, on the occasion of her graduation from Cherry Hill High School West.

Nattalie was born on September 7, 1999, and raised in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Nattalie received her high school diploma at the Cherry Hill High School West Commencement Ceremony on June 15, 2017, which was held at Temple University in Philadelphia.

Nattalie has been actively involved in the South Jersey community. She has volunteered her time at the Camden Children's Garden in the City of Camden, Grace Episcopal Church in Haddonfield and at various nursing homes and senior centers across Southern Jersey.

Nattalie is also proud to be a Girl Scout. The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a premier youth organization that promotes compassion, courage, confidence, and leadership, all qualities that Nattalie possesses in great abundance.

In the fall, Nattalie will matriculate to Rowan University in Glassboro, where she plans to pursue degrees in English and Education.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in congratulating Ms. Nattalie Norcross on the occasion of her high school graduation, and wishing her the best of luck as she begins a new chapter in her academic career.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of the late Walter Frank Piper, United States Army Private First Class, of Williamstown in New Jersey's First Congressional District.

Walter Piper, born April 6, 1930, was a proud resident of Williamstown and son of the late Charles and Alice Piper. Walter Piper graduated Glassboro High School in 1949.

Walter Piper enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1950, a year after graduating high school. He was a member of Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. PFC Piper was taken prisoner of war during the Korean Conflict on February 13, 1951. PFC Piper died June 18, 1951 while being held prisoner of war.

PFC Piper's unidentified remains were recovered in 1990, returned to Hawaii on June 24, 1991, and positively identified April 18, 2017.

Walter Piper's name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. Private First Class Piper has been posthumously awarded the following: Purple Heart with Oak Leaf cluster, Prisoner of War Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, United Nations Service Medal, Republic of Korea War Service Medal and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation.

On June 17, 2017, PFC Walter Piper will return home to Williamstown for the first time in 67 years, where he will finally be laid to rest with the full military honors he rightly deserves, at Gloucester County Veterans Memorial Cemetery.

Mr. Speaker, PFC Walter Frank Piper is by all accounts an American hero who selflessly served his country and gave his life for his country. His service, sacrifice, and legacy must never be forgotten. I ask you to join me in honoring the memory of this great American and patriot.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the Honorable Edward Forte, former Mayor of the Borough of Haddon Heights, Camden County, in New Jersey's First Congressional District, on the occasion of his retirement as supervisor from Public Service Enterprise Group (PSE&G).

Mr. Forte is a long-time constituent and resident of Haddon Heights, where he distinguished himself with a commitment to public service as a member of Borough Council, Borough Council President, Mayor, Director of Public Safety for the Borough, a member of the Borough's Zoning Board, and volunteer firefighter and assistant fire chief for the Borough's fire department.

In 1980, Mr. Forte joined PSE&G, where he would ascend through the ranks to become distribution supervisor at the utility company.

During his employment at PSE&G and his simultaneous tenure as Mayor of the Borough of Haddon Heights, Mr. Forte would work to achieve an important personal milestone, earning his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree from Thomas Edison State College. Mr. Forte's determination both inspired those across South Jersey, and provided him with the educational tools to serve him in the execution of his professional and public service duties.

During his tenure as Mayor of Haddon Heights, Mr. Forte launched wellness initiatives, including the ``Walk! Heights'' campaign, in which he walked through his Borough, engaging constituents and encouraged them to join him promoting healthy living and an active lifestyle. Mr. Forte's service also extended to the New Jersey Order Sons of Italy Foundation.

Mr. Speaker, Edward Forte is a model of community and public service, and an example for others who may wish to serve. I invite you to join me in thanking him for his many contributions to the community. And, I respectfully ask you to join me in congratulating Mr. Forte on the occasion of his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of the late Ed McBride, a United States Navy World War II veteran who proudly served our nation aboard the USS Martin and the USS Athene.

After his service to our country, Mr. McBride became a self-employed contractor for 45 years and worked at the former New York Shipyard in Camden, New Jersey and Sun Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Mr. McBride's commitment to our nation and community continued long after his active duty service in the U.S. Navy.

Mr. McBride was also a life member of the Berlin, New Jersey Veterans of Foreign Wars and a member of American Legion Post 311 in Atco, New Jersey.

Mr. McBride served his community for 22 years as a member of the Camden County Fire Police, was a life member of the Tansboro Fire Company, held the post of civil defense director for the Township of Winslow, and was past president and member of the Berlin, New Jersey Lions Club.

In addition to his volunteer endeavors, Ed McBride enjoyed a number of hobbies and activities including: cabinetry, camping, golfing and fishing.

Mr. Speaker, Ed McBride was an exemplary citizen with a devotion to public service, commitment, and hard work. I invite you to join me in honoring the memory of this great man.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Clarence B. Jones, a towering civil rights figure and advocate for equality and justice. On June 6, 2017, family, friends and community members will gather for the renaming of the Palmyra High School Library and dedication of the newly created Dr. Clarence B. Jones Institute for Social Advocacy as a tribute to Dr. Jones.

Dr. Jones was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 8, 1931. He attended Palmyra High School in Palmyra, situated in New Jersey's First Congressional District, where he graduated valedictorian of his class in 1949. Dr. Jones' valedictorian speech, entitled ``Tomorrow a Better World,'' called for breaking down racial barriers and marked the beginning of a life that would involve civil rights activism.

After high school, Dr. Jones attended Columbia University, served the United States military during the Korean Conflict, and graduated from Boston University's School of Law.

In 1960, after practicing law for a few years, Dr. Jones became the attorney and trusted advisor to iconic civil rights leader, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In 1963, Dr. Jones played a vital role organizing and planning the historic March on Washington, D.C. alongside Dr. King. Dr. Jones also co-authored the ``I Have a Dream'' speech, regarded as the most notable civil rights address in U.S. history.

Dr. Jones broke racial barriers in corporate America, becoming the first African American partner at a Wall Street banking investment firm.

Dr. Clarence Jones is an honorable American, who has dedicated his life, voice, and actions to civil rights, and has inspired many to stand up for justice.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in saluting Dr. Jones for his service to our nation, his devotion to the civil rights movement and for his ongoing fight for equality in our great nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Senior Chief Petty Officer Sean Hays of the United States Coast Guard on the occasion of his retirement from active duty.

Senior Chief Petty Officer Hays was born and raised in Ocean City, New Jersey, and in 1997, enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Following the completion of his U.S. Coast Guard training, Sean Hays served the U.S. Coast Guard with distinction, earning promotions, honors and greater responsibilities. Sean Hays would serve as Petty Officer First Class/Second Class, in which his teams coordinated search and rescue missions, conducted narcotics detection, enforced immigration laws, managed fisheries, and enforced federal boating laws on waterways.

The U.S. Coast Guard would promote Sean Hays to the rank of Chief Petty Officer/Petty Officer First Class and ultimately, Senior Chief Petty Officer, the rank he'd earned before and until the time of his retirement.

In his role as Senior Chief Petty Officer, Sean Hays served as officer-in-charge and in command of U.S. Coast Guard Station Philadelphia, managing personnel and resources relative to maritime law enforcement for the Greater Philadelphia Port region.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in thanking Senior Chief Petty Officer Sean Hays for decades of commitment to serving and protecting the United States of America and its interests, and in wishing him well in his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of William ``Bill'' C. Packer III who passed away April 16, 2017. He was a husband, father, community leader and dedicated public servant.

Raised in Brooklawn, New Jersey, Bill was the oldest of six children. He graduated from Gloucester City High School and continued his education at Camden County Vocational and

Technical School in Industrial Chemistry, as well as Rutgers University where he studied Advanced Wastewater Treatment. He later earned numerous licenses for water and sewer system operations.

Bill's extensive career started in 1964, as the Superintendent of the Water and Sewer Department for the bough of Brooklawn. He moved to several boroughs in the surrounding areas including; City of Gloucester, Borough of Buena, Borough of National Park and the Borough of Wenonah. Bill also was an instructor at Camden County Technical School and taught at Rutgers University.

Bill Packer is also an American hero, having served in the New Jersey National Guard from 1965 through 1967.

Bill would continue to serve his community in various positions--as Mayor of Westville from 1997 to 2006, as councilman from 2011 to 2014, as Assistant Fire Chief, Chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners for the Westville Fire District, President of Region VI of the New Jersey Public Works Association, member of the Board of Trustees for the New Jersey Water Association, president and member of the Westville Lions Club, the Gloucester County Mayor's Association, and the Gloucester County College Board of Trustees.

Mr. Packer alongside his wife of fifty years raised a family of six children. He enjoyed playing the xylophone for the Broomall String Band, serving as umpire and coach for his children's baseball and soccer leagues. His ultimate joy was creating memories with his family.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. William ``Bill'' C. Packer exemplified exceptional dedication to public service and volunteerism. I ask you to join me in honoring the memory of this great American.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a staunch supporter of U.S. efforts during the Second World War, Ms. Mae Krier of Levittown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, across the river from my Congressional District in Southern New Jersey.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, when American men were forced to leave their jobs for the battlefield, Mae Krier, who was 17 years old at the time, courageously left home herself, and joined other women to work in factories that supported the U.S. military during time of conflict.

Mae, her sister, and a friend worked at a Boeing plant in Seattle, where 17,000 B-17s and B-29s were built between 1942 and 1945.

Mae is quoted as saying about her service to the U.S., ``Hitler thought American women were soft and that we could not produce because we were more concerned about shopping and keeping the house. We showed him what American women are really made of.''

Since the 1980s, Mae Krier has stood as a symbol of women's strength and resolve, dispelling notions that strength and bravery are traits exclusive to men.

I ask you to join me in saluting and thanking Mae Krier for her contributions to our country during the Second World War and her selflessness to provide for our country in a time of need.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Fire Captain Alfred C. Ashley III on the occasion of his retirement from the Camden Fire Department in New Jersey's First Congressional District.

Captain Ashley was born and raised in Camden, New Jersey. In 1984, he graduated from Camden Catholic High School. In 1987, he joined the Camden Fire Department.

Following the completion of his training at the fire academy, he had many assignments. Arguably, his favorite assignment was Engine 7 on Kaighn Avenue in the City of Camden. After years of hard work and dedication, he earned the promotion of Fire Captain in April 2001.

Captain Ashley was also a vital part of the Camden Fire Officers Union--IAFF Local 2578. In 2009 he was elected Union President, during which he supported negotiations to fair contracts and maintaining workplace safety for members of the Camden Fire Officers Union.

Captain Ashley's last assignment before his retirement was Ladder Company 2-2 Platoon. After 29 years of service, Captain Ashley retired from the Camden Fire Department on December 31, 2016.

He has one daughter, Zakia, who is his pride and joy. He looks forward to spending more time with her, riding motorcycles and cooking for family and friends.

I ask you to join me in thanking Captain Alfred C. Ashley III for his service to the City of Camden's Fire Department and for his dedication to the people he helped each and every day at work and throughout his career.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor United States Army and New Jersey National Guard veteran, Mr. Jose Bracero of Camden in New Jersey's First Congressional District.

Mr. Bracero was born in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Camden. In 1999 he graduated from Camden County Technical School. He then joined the U.S. Army in 2001 and was stationed at Fort Drum, 10th Mountain Division, assigned to 1/32 Infantry Regiment Unit.

Jose Bracero's assignments included a six month peace keeping mission in Kosovo from 2001 to 2002, and a one year deployment to Iraq from 2003 to 2004. After he was honorably discharged from the Army, Jose Bracero served four years in the New Jersey National Guard.

Even after his formal service to the United States military ended, Mr. Bracero's contributions to our country continue. In 2010, Jose Bracero started working on behalf work as an outreach coordinator with New Jersey's homeless veteran population as a mission to serve veterans continued in his case manager for Projects for Assistance in Transition. In 2012, Jose Bracero's Soldier On, a private non-profit organization committed to ending veteran homelessness.

Additionally, Mr. Bracero serves as a liaison to multiple non- profits, faith-based organizations, and local police departments to improve the quality of life for Southern New Jersey veterans with housing needs. He can often be found at train stations, airports, soup kitchens and shelters, working to connect veterans to housing opportunities.

Jose Bracero is an honorable American, having served our great nation in a time of war, and merits our collective appreciation.

I ask you to join me in saluting and thanking Jose Bracero for his service to our country and his ongoing commitment to our nation's veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor United States Army Veteran, Mr. Alex Horanzy of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, just across the Delaware River from my Congressional District in Southern New Jersey.

Mr. Horanzy was born April 22, 1922. He grew up with six other siblings in the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia. On July 13, 1939, at age 17 and with his father's permission, he enlisted in the U.S. Army.

After completing basic training with the 66th Infantry Fort Meade, Maryland, Private Horanzy requested to be shipped overseas; he would be stationed in Oahu, Hawaii where he was assigned to the 19th Infantry at Schofield Barracks, later known as the 24th Infantry Division.

On the morning of December 7, 1941, Mr. Horanzy was jolted awake by the attack on Pearl Harbor. Mr. Horanzy not only survived the Pearl Harbor attack, but his unit courageously fought back and protected our nation in time of conflict. Mr. Horanzy is one of only 88 survivors of Pearl Harbor and the only survivor from the Greater Philadelphia region.

Mr. Horanzy's military service would take him to Australia for intensive training in jungle fighting, and to New Guinea, where he contracted malaria. Mr. Horanzy was honorably discharged from the U.S. military in 1945.

After his military service, Mr. Horanzy attended commercial art school, worked for the Department of the Army, passed his GED test, entered a 4-year apprenticeship for machinists and toolmakers, and worked his way up to a qualified assurance specialist for the Defense Department before his retirement.

He married and had three children.

Alex Horanzy is an honorable American, having served our great nation in a time of war, and merits our collective appreciation.

Alex Horanzy is the living embodiment of the Greatest Generation. I ask you to join me in saluting and thanking Alex Horanzy for his service to our country.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Illinois for yielding me the time.

Certainly, we are in the House today and sending a very clear message that career and technical skills matter, and I rise in support of this bill. For a 4-year college, that pathway is certainly

great for some, but not all. Technical training helped shape my life from community college to the construction site and, yes, here to Congress.

Career and technical education, or CTE, is often overlooked, and it shouldn't be. We need electricians and computer programmers just as much as we need doctors and engineers. In my State of New Jersey, 9 out of 10 of the fastest growing occupations don't require a 4-year degree, but they do require a certificate or on-the-job training.

This is an important reauthorization bill that will go a long way to providing students with opportunities to build skills that they need for those fast-growing, high-paying jobs.

I want to thank the sponsors for including my provision that will allow high schools to give more information on that career path in technical education.

Don Borden, who is the president of Camden County College in my State, says that we have an ``understanding of the types of educational programs we need to provide for our students,'' and that ``will lead to meaningful employment.''

This is about employment and careers, to train the students on available curriculum, on available jobs. I urge support of this jobs bill.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that kind introduction. It was a remarkable time sitting at the airport right there on the Delaware River and understanding how much we depend on safe, secure travel in those airports around the country.

But to both Marc and Brendan, thank you for the Blue Collar Caucus and bringing to light many of the issues that at times we as a nation might have forgotten, quite frankly, those who work with their hands, those who are getting up each and every morning and going to work, having a job, taking care of their family, and I think focusing on that is so important.

I am myself involved with the Building Trades Caucus, and we are talking about something that is near and dear to everybody's heart, and it is called infrastructure.

In this day and age when people are wondering about what is going on in the country, I want to talk about the ``t'' word. No, it is not Donald Trump; it is a trillion dollars, and that is the number that people have been talking about that we need for infrastructure.

Infrastructure means many things to many different people. If you are in Flint, Michigan, it is about having clean water. The pipes need to be replaced. We have a growing infrastructure that is many years old.

When we think back about one of the major components of infrastructure in this country, during the Eisenhower administration, it was building the interstate system, from north to south, from east to west, connecting coasts, connecting cities, connecting States. And that is something that has been so important to us. But apparently not important enough to keep and maintain.

I am very familiar with the systems that we have. I went to the other 4-year school; it was called an apprenticeship program, an electrical apprenticeship that I spent 4 years in. After graduating, I worked up and down the Delaware River at refineries, on bridges, and on our infrastructure. We know how important it is.

But in Congress, because of the Blue Collar Caucus and many others, we need to remember that the dignity of a job is so important. We have 211 attorneys here in Congress, but there is only one electrician. There is only one carpenter. There is only one ironworker, and there is only one painter. Diversity comes in many shapes and sizes, and our Founding Fathers understood how important that was. They were farmers, printers, attorneys, doctors, all coming together and bringing those experiences into this very House, this very floor, to remember why we are here.

Anybody who drove on a road to get here today understands what infrastructure means.

But somehow we haven't paid attention. We had the American Society of Civil Engineers brief us a few weeks ago to the Building Trades Caucus on the report card that they give each and every year: aviation, a D; bridges, a C-plus; ports, a C-plus; energy, a D; transit, a D. The overall report card was a D.

If I had come home with a D on my report card, I know what my parents would have done to us. But somehow having the D on the report card for the very infrastructure here in the United States has been acceptable.

Well, it is not. We are deferring this problem to the next generation when we owe them a responsibility of turning over our world to them in a little bit better shape, not worse shape.

So when we look at that investment in roads, rails, ports, airports, it does something more than just to fix the very problems that we look at each and every day. It is about a job. What better way to put America back to work than fixing our own infrastructure. Nobody does it better than the building trades who have the training programs second to none and does not use one dime of public investment. All funded privately. Fifteen different trades coming together to fix our infrastructure.

In addition to that, they do something that is really special. We all know the figure when it comes to those who put the uniform on to help protect our country is less than 1 percent. We have so many of those men and women who are coming home today, and there is a program that the Building Trades Caucus have put together called Helmets to Hardhats. Taking those who want to come home and start a career, took their helmet off and go right into an apprenticeship program, put the hardhat on. What better way to say to those veterans they are welcome home than to give them a job? But not just a job, a career.

So as we continue to have the discussions day-to-day, the ``t'' word is about trillion dollars. It is about putting back into our country the investment that it is due.

Mr. Speaker, I again want to thank my colleagues for coming here today to make sure that we remember those men and women who don't necessarily put on a suit and tie but have the dignity of going to work each day as blue-collar workers, and we are damn proud of it.

Mr. Speaker, a month ago I was ready to speak right here on the floor when this bill was abruptly removed. Apparently, it wasn't bad enough that day, it wasn't harmful enough. But now it is back worse than ever. So bad, it might actually pass.

I don't have a lot of time to explain, but let me tell you two groups that are really going to say thank you: it is the billionaires and it is the undertakers.

This bill will make health care more unaffordable and cause preventable deaths. Meanwhile, it gives $600 billion--excuse me--$800 billion to the wealthy, to the billionaires. TrumpCare brings us higher costs, less coverage, guts the benefits, has a crushing age tax, and steals from Medicare. In my district alone, 43,000 people will lose coverage. 9,000 of those are children. The elderly, Medicaid will be lost, close to 2,000.

There is a reason they are trying to jam this down our throats. There is no CBO score because they don't want to hear a score.

Mr. Speaker, let me make it plain. Let's put this bill in a coffin, not Americans. Let's kill and bury this bill.