Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Vernart Jenkins for his dedication and service to his faith and community.

Vernart Jenkins was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He was educated in the New York Public Schools and graduated from Tilden High School and New York Technical College.

Mr. Jenkins is the oldest of three sons to Eddie and Victoria Jenkins; his two brothers are Curtis and Ronald Jenkins. He is married to the love of his life, Althea Walls Ronald Jenkins, and he is the father of two daughters, Zetorea and Aleshia.

Mr. Jenkins was born and raised in the Berean Baptist Church and has been a member for fifty years. He has been a member of the Sunday School Department most of his life, and is presently the Superintendent of the Adult Department. He has been a part of the Usher's Ministry for almost fifty years. He is presently a Supervisor of the Junior Usher Board. Additionally, for the past five years, he has served as one of the worship leaders at the Berean Gardens Wednesday noonday prayer service.

He has spent 15 years in finance and loan companies. He has been employed by the New York City Transit Authority as a conductor for 23 years. In 1998, he was ordained as a deacon at the Berean Church.

Finally, he accepted Jesus Christ into his life and began to travel a road less traveled, committing himself to be a good husband and father and follow his favorite verse, Proverbs 3:5, 6.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing Vernart Jenkins.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of William Whitaker for his work with the formerly incarcerated and his service to the City of New York.

Mr. Whitaker was born in Richmond, Virginia, and moved to Brooklyn, New York at four years of age. His family resided in Brooklyn's Bedford Stuyvesant area for the next 42 years. After completing his high school education, Mr. Whitaker received an Associate degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice where he focused on paralegal research and mythology. He then attended Marta Due College and received a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services. Mr. Whitaker is also a credentialed Prevention Specialist with the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse. Mr. Whitaker has been credentialed with the state of New York for 15 years.

Mr. Whitaker is also certified with Cornell University as a Family Development Credential Trainer. In 2009, Mr. Whitaker received his international certification reciprocity with the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse.

Mr. Whitaker's career began in 1990 with the Fortune Society. He held several titles at this agency, including Chief Librarian, Counselor/ Case Manager, Senior Peer Trainer, Public Health Educator, and Senior Outreach Coordinator. Mr. Whitaker also served as the Senior Prevention Specialist at Brooklyn's Canarsie Aware Treatment Center.

Mr. Whitaker began working with the New York City Commission on Human Rights in 2001 as the Senior Advocate for the HIV prison project. He then began to serve as Special Consultant and Advisor to the Commissioner. Also during this time Mr. Whitaker was serving as Consultant and Special Advisor to Princeton University's research project concerning employment discrimination against minority jobseekers and the formerly incarcerated in New York City.

Mr. Whitaker served as Consultant and Trainer to the City of New York Department of Health Office of Correction AIDS Prevention, stationed at Rikers Island Jail.

Mr. Whitaker served the City of New York as a Senior Liaison for the New York City Department of Homeless Services for three years working with homeless families and single males and females to resolve conflicts and disputes with staff and other service providers. He was also responsible for contacting and following up with other government officials regarding complaints.

Mr. Whitaker then served as African American Community Liaison to the office of the Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. He served throughout the Borough of Brooklyn, representing Marty's office in all affairs.

Mr. Whitaker has returned to the New York City Commission on Human Rights where he continues to serve the people of New York as a Human Rights Specialist, working on special projects regarding the formally incarcerated and other areas concerning Human Rights laws and educating the general public.

Mr. Whitaker is also currently authoring a new complete and comprehensive resource guide with other staff at the Commission on Human Rights. This booklet is for the formerly incarcerated returning to New York City. The title of this new booklet is ``Turning the Game Around''. Mr. Whitaker also provides ongoing workshops and presentations at agencies throughout the five Boroughs of New York City.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the achievements of William Whitaker.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Ronald J. Bridges for his service to children and families throughout New York City.

Mr. Ronald J. Bridges is a native of Newark, New Jersey. He and his lovely wife Yvette celebrated 31 years of marriage on March 28. They have three wonderful children, two boys and a girl: Rashidi, Husani, and Bahati.

Mr. Bridges is the Chairman of the Diaconate Ministry at the historic Berean Baptist Church of Brooklyn, New York. In this leadership position, Mr. Bridges provides spiritual and administrative guidance to the church ministerial leaders. He attends New York Theological Seminary where he earned the Master of Divinity Degree in 2009. Mr. Bridges has done additional studies at the Berean Baptist Bible Study Institute, including a four year Bible study certificate program; upon graduation, he was named ``Salutatorian of the Class of 1999.'' A New York state licensed psychotherapist since 1988, Mr. Bridges also holds a Master of Social Work degree from Hunter College School of Social Work of New York City.

Mr. Bridges spent his entire career helping others. In his 24 years of local government service, Mr. Bridges held a senior administrative manager post within New York City Children's Service Foster Care division. As its Regional Director of the Group Home Division in the boroughs of the Bronx, Queens and Manhattan from 1990 to 2007, Mr. Bridges counseled, taught and helped countless teenagers and their families. Currently, Mr. Bridges is the Regional Deputy Director of New York City Children's Service Child Protection Division in the Bronx, New York. Mr. Bridges oversees all New York State Registry reports of abuse and neglect of children within numerous communities in the Bronx. This is a tremendous responsibility in which Mr. Bridges depends heavily on his relationship with his Lord, Christ Jesus; as well as on his vast experience as he guides and directs over one hundred child protective employees.

Affectionately known as ``Deacon Bridges'' or ``Deacon Ron,'' Mr. Bridges is a dedicated servant of Christ and has been a member of Berean Baptist Church since 1992. Mr. Bridges faithfully echoes, ``Only what we do for Christ will last.'' This is evident by Mr. Bridges' commitment to various ministries within Berean Baptist Church and the community. He is a devoted Sunday school teacher and student, and is also a member of the Berean's Christian Counseling ministry where he teaches a Christian counseling course. Mr. Bridges serves as the vice chairman of the Board of Directors for the Berean Community Family Life Center. He is the founder of And Ye Shall Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself Ministries. Mr. Bridges works with officials at Montefiore and with the faith-based community to establish a network of churches to serve as a surrogate support system for liver transplant patients.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the contributions of Ronald J. Bridges.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Reverend Alvin Barnett for his years of service to ministry and his community.

Alvin Barnett attended the famed Boys High, where he became a star football player. He was goal-oriented and this served him well again during his college years, first at Tennessee State College, and then at American Baptist Theological Seminary, in Nashville, Tennessee, from which he received a Bachelor of Theology Degree. Rev. Barnett continued his studies in Business Administration at New York City's Pace University, and at Malloy College in Valley Stream, New York.

Reverend Barnett was licensed and ordained to preach the Gospel at the Mount Ollie Baptist Church in Brooklyn by the late Reverend Dr. R.D. Brown. His pastoral journey includes two other Brooklyn churches: Mount Zion Baptist Church, and West Baptist Church, where he has served for the last 30 years.

Alvin Barnett recognizes that one's journey in ministry must include learning and studying. He is a lifelong student and prodigious reader. In his life's work, he uses the collective knowledge gained from his theological intellectual pursuits for the glorification of God. He consults daily and advises young ministries, seminarians, and seasoned pastors in ministry. Alvin Barnett is humble, and seeks advice and consultation from the best and brightest in ministry and other professions. He is a keen observer of the human condition, and is faithful and persistent in the work that God has called him to.

Reverend Barnett is a team builder who utilizes his experience and knowledge to develop effective teams that actualize his vision of Ministry. He knows well how to use the best skills to enhance the work of the kingdom.

Rev. Barnett is an active member of many organizations, including Churches United for Worldwide Action, the Metropolitan Ministers Ecumenical Conference, the NYPD Committee Advisory Council, the International Prison Ministry (he serves as President), and the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. (NBCUSA), and he is active in the NBCUSA Moderator's Auxiliary. He has been a member of the Eastern Baptist Association (EBA) New York, Inc. for more than forty years. Rev. Barnett has served as treasurer and president of Prison Ministry, chairman and vice chair of the board of trustees, executive manager of the EBA Headquarters in Brooklyn, a member of the Board of Managers and the Advisory Council, and as chairman of the Board of Evangelism.

During his tenure in evangelism, he organized and taught classes on evangelism and prepared many teams for street ministry in churches throughout the Eastern Baptist Association. He remains a tireless Evangelizer, and utilizes a unique hands-on approach.

Reverend Barnett travels extensively, witnessing to incarcerated men and women throughout the Eastern Seaboard, including the Nassau County Correctional Facility on Long Island, Rikers Island in New York City, as well as upstate New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Reverend Barnett was overwhelmingly elected the 16th Moderator of the Eastern Baptist Association on July 17, 2009. He has embarked upon the work of reenergizing, rebuilding and regenerating the Eastern Baptist Association where a renaissance is taking place among Baptist churches of geographic Long Island.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the work of Reverend Alvin Barnett.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of William C. Jusino for his commitment to leadership in education and dedication to his community.

William C. Jusino was born to migrant parents from the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. He and his three sisters and three brothers were raised in the community of Bedford Stuyvesant in Brooklyn, New York. His father, William Sr., was a humble factory worker and his mother, Ana, worked as a school aide in Williamsburg School District #14. Her work in elementary public schools would serve as an early influence to young William. William and all of his siblings heeded their parents' advice and have achieved significant success in varying careers that include naval officer, firefighter, food commerce, and William's work as a school administrator.

He was educated in Brooklyn Elementary Schools P.S 54 & 157, J.H.S 117, and East New York Vocational Technical High School. During his high school years, Mr. Jusino obtained his initial work experience in the city's Summer Youth Employment Program in Bedford Stuyvesant. Subsequently, William was successful in gaining entrance to SUNY Cortland where he attained his Bachelor's Degree in Education.

Mr. Jusino enthusiastically returned to his community to serve as an elementary school teacher in School District 13's P.S. 46 and P.S. 270. He continued to work as a public school teacher for six years. Continuing his passion for serving his community, Mr. Jusino accepted the position of Executive Director of Progress Inc. In spring of 1996, he was offered an exceptional opportunity to lead a high school for professional careers. William Jusino has been Principal of Progress High School since September 1996, playing a key role in one of the most successful school reform efforts in New York City history.

Mr. Jusino has a well established record of service to his community. His love and caring for young people has been consistently evident throughout his professional life. Friend and colleague alike know that he is dedicated to giving back to his community that has blessed him so much. William strongly believes that he must constantly prepare himself to more effectively serve the community and the children that he is committed to. On the eve of completing his Doctorate in Educational Administration, Mr. Jusino continues to practice what he preaches and more importantly, what he was taught by his parents.

Mr. Jusino is married to Mrs. Marta Colon-Jusino. He has two wonderful children. His son, William, graduated from Harvard University and his daughter, Amanda, is in her junior year at the University of Massachusetts and is currently studying abroad in Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador.

He enjoys spending his free time with family and friends.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the achievements of William C. Jusino.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Reverend Dr. Marvin J. Bentley for his contributions to his community and commitment to his faith.

The Reverend Dr. Marvin J. Bentley was born in Brooklyn, New York. He received his basic religious training at the Cornerstone Baptist Church, and under the tutelage of the late Dr. Sandy F. Ray he became licensed to preach the gospel by the Cornerstone Baptist Church.

Dr. Bentley was educated within the New York public school system; he attained his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of New York at Stony Brook with majors in Health Science and Social Welfare. He obtained his seminary education at Union Theological Seminary in New York City, securing a Master's in Divinity degree. At Drew University, in Madison, NJ he earned his Doctor of Ministry degree, and he recently received an Associate's Degree from Nassau Community College, L.I, N.Y., in Applied Science.

Dr. Bentley was ordained at the Abyssinian Baptist Church, where he served as the assistant minister under the mentorship of Dr. Samuel D. Proctor, and Dr. Calvin Butts III. Dr. Bentley is active in many civic and community activities. He serves on numerous boards and committees and is the former President of American Baptist Churches of Metro New York. He is a former Naval Chaplain in the United States Naval Reserve. He has served as President and Vice-President of Community School Board 30, former member of Community Board 3, and past President of the Corona East Elmhurst Clergy Association. He is the recipient of many civic and religious awards and honors.

As pastor, Dr. Bentley has been serving the Antioch Baptist Church of Corona for 30 years, enjoying a blessed ministry. During his tenure at the church, it has relocated into a beautiful, gothic style new church home in Corona, Queens, New York. It has grown to numerous ministries that include male and female ``Right of Passage'' ministries, the Antioch Bible Institute, Christian Bookstore, Video Ministry, Credit Union and Athletic Ministry.

In addition, under Pastor Bentley's leadership, the Antioch Baptist Church of Corona has embarked upon a ministry to liquidate the credit card debt of their congregation. The model for the vision was given to Pastor Bentley by Bishop C. Vernie Russell Jr, Pastor MT. Carmel Baptist Church, and Norfolk, VA. This ministry has caused the congregation to look at their finances, spending, and saving habits. The Antioch church is embracing the biblical motif that as Christians, they are not to be indebted to anyone but God, and they are to help others according to their needs. The idea to get out of debt is embraced so that they can remain free of fiscal difficulties.

Pastor Bentley is married to his high school sweetheart, Carla and they are the proud parents of three lovely children.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the work of Reverend Dr. Marvin J. Bentley.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Eva Smith McQuillan for her valuable contributions to her community.

Eva Smith McQuillan was born in Currie, North Carolina on July 11, 1915 to Alice and Richard Smith. She is the fourth of six children; Sadie, Sealy, James, Eva, Margaret and Edward. She was raised and educated in Wilmington, North Carolina and there she met and married Dawson McQuillan. Together they have two sons, Deck and Dawson.

In 1956, Eva decided to migrate northeast to New York. She and her family settled in Brooklyn and she found employment at B. Altman's Department Store in Manhattan. She began as a Gift Wrapper, moving up the ladder to finally become an Accounting Clerk in the Accounts Receivable Department until her

retirement in 1981. Upon her retirement, Eva became a world traveler, visiting countries in Europe and the Far East including Japan and China. She has also been to the Caribbean, Canada, Mexico, and various sites within the United States of America including Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

In 1958, under the leadership of the late Reverend George W. Thomas, Eva became a member of the Brown Memorial Baptist Church and has been a faithful member ever since. The same year, she became a member of the Floral Club. She went on to become part of the Brown Memorial Baptist Church Pastor's Aid Chorus. For a number of years, she was a Den Mother for the Boy Scouts of America Troop 199. Currently, she is a team leader on the church's restoration project under the leadership of the Reverend Clinton M. Miller.

Mrs. McQuillan loves people and loves to help those in need. Her life's motto is ``If I can help someone as I pass along this way--then my living will not be in vain.''

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the contributions of Eva Smith McQuillan.

I would like to thank the chair of the subcommittee for yielding time to me because I wanted to respond to a couple of things that my good friend on the other side of the aisle said. First of all, I know him. I know that he's a very dedicated and committed human being--and of course outstanding kicker in his day, and of course set records as a kicker. I think that he probably misunderstood what this bill is named. It's the Hollywood ``Walk'' of Fame. I want to make certain that he understands that. And many people who have walked there have contributed so much to society, contributed so much to organizations.

When you look back and you see in terms of the contributions that these people have made, then I think that my colleague would probably review it and probably would withdraw his objections. When you look at the amount of money they've given to breast cancer, when you look at the amount of money they've given to AIDS and all these diseases that we need to do extensive research on, that people that have walked these streets and walked the Hollywood Walk of Fame, when we think about the things that they've done, then I really feel that if he did, he would say wait a minute.

You know, every now and then we make a mistake or we say some things that we wish we had not said, and I think this is the situation now with my colleague because if you think about the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the contributions of the people that are listed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, then I really feel that he would join us in supporting this legislation.

On that note, I ask my good friend on the other side of the aisle to reconsider.

Will the gentleman yield?

When I think about the Hollywood Walk of Fame, I think about the man who signed the Martin Luther King Holiday bill by the name of Ronald Reagan. He's on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I just want the gentleman to know that.

I would like to thank the gentlewoman from California, the subcommittee chair, for yielding time to me.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill, H.R. 2142, and I also would like to thank Congressman Cuellar for his hard work in making this a reality today and Congressman Platts who has worked on this for many, many years. And of course I would like to thank Congressman Issa who is the ranking member of the committee. We went through consultation, and of course we worked it out, and now we are able to come to this important part and to be able to move this legislation forward, which I think is an excellent bill. And of course the dialogue made it even stronger.

I appreciate the commitment and determination of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar) for advancing this bill and his willingness to work with me, the ranking member of the Oversight Committee, Mr. Issa, and other members of the committee to make this bill stronger and to make certain that we are here today saying that this bill truly will make a difference. A number of changes were made to this bill during the committee process to address concerns raised by Republican and Democrat members on the committee as well as the Office of Management and Budget and the Government Accountability Office.

H.R. 2142 would improve the efficiency of the Federal Government by requiring each agency to identify ambitious goals and perform frequent performance evaluations. The bill improves the transparency of the performance management process by requiring the results of performance assessments to be made publicly available. The bill provides greater accountability by requiring agencies to consider input from Congress and members of the public and by requiring the Government Accountability Office to perform frequent and detailed evaluations of the agency implementation.

There are a few misconceptions about this bill. Let me just sort of talk to that for a moment. The first misconception is that this bill costs too much money. The truth is that the bill will save the government money. And I want to repeat that: it will save the government money, not cost more money. CBO says that implementing this legislation ``could lead to more effective management of agencies at lower cost.'' So we would be doing a lot for even other agencies.

This bill will make the government more cost effective because it requires agencies to evaluate their performance. This will allow agencies to identify waste and inefficiency and to change what isn't working. This is what successful corporations do regularly, and this is what the government should do as well. This bill requires agencies to create new positions. And on that note, being that I do not have time to yield back, I will say to the gentleman from Texas and the gentleman from Pennsylvania, thank you for this outstanding piece of legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Doris Turner Keys, a union leader who has demonstrated dedication to improving the lives of others.

Doris Turner Keys has been a member of District 1199, National Union of Hospital and Health Care Employees, Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), AFL-CIO for more than thirty years. She was a leader in the historic 1959 hospital workers strike which launched the union, and she joined the union staff as an organizer in 1960. She rose through the ranks, quickly becoming Vice President, Area Director. She became Executive Vice President in 1967 and served in that position for 15 years.

In May 1982, she was elected President of District 1199, and was re- elected in 1984. As a founding member and principal organizer she served as Secretary, and as an officer of the State AFL-CIO, and was the only African American woman and one of two women of the AFL-CIO to serve at that time.

Mrs. Keys served as a trustee of the union's Training and Upgrading program which provides over $1 million dollars annually to 1199 members seeking upward mobility. She was a leader in the struggle to improve union services for members and their families, especially children and retirees, and was instrumental in expanding the union's civic, social, cultural, and political programs.

She has dedicated herself to national, local and community endeavors. Mrs. Keys was a New York State delegate to the National Women Founding Conference in Houston, Texas in 1975 and served as a New York City Commissioner of Human Rights for six years. She was also a member of the Committee International Year of the Woman and a Trustee of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Non-Violent Social Changes. She served as a delegate representing Westchester County at a Democratic Convention. Mrs. Keys has served on the New York State Hospital Review and Planning Council as well as many other health and labor related organizations.

Mrs. Keys has been honored by the NAACP, the NYC Council AFL-CIO, the Urban League, and the African Peoples Christian Organization, among others. She is the recipient of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists Sojourner Truth Loyalty Award, New York State 33rd Assembly District's Service and Humanitarian Award, and the Letha Loggins Bradford Memorial Foundations' Woman of the Year Award. She has been recognized for her role in raising money for AIDS research and treatment. She has also been listed in ``Who's Who in Black America'' and Who's Who in the Labor Movement''.

Mrs. Keys makes her home in Mount Vernon, New York and she and her family are active members of the Bethesda Baptist Church of New Rochelle. For more than 12 years, she was the cook in the church's soup kitchen, Lad's Lunch, which fed approximately 100 men, women and children each week.

She is married to Willie D. Keys and is the mother of 2 daughters. She has 7 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Her extended family includes several sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews and cousins. However, she says she is most of all a child of the King.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the achievements of Doris Turner Keys.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss a very important matter--job creation.

As I have previously mentioned, we have seen a lot of progress this year. Our economy has created over 500,000 new jobs in 2010 alone. The newest jobs numbers indicate that over 419,000 jobs were created last month. As a country we are getting stronger and stronger.

While these are great statistics, we still have a long way to go. Only 41,000 of these jobs were created in the private sector. Many of the remaining jobs are temporary census positions. While temporary work is better than no work, our economy and my constituents need and demand permanent job creation.

Some of this can certainly be government jobs, but our economy thrives on job creation and development from the private sector. From the mom and pop shop in Brooklyn to the company that hires by the thousands--each contribute to the economy, to communities, and to families.

Congress needs to continue to work together to enact policies that create and encourage job creation. I urge my colleagues both in the House and the Senate to come together on this important goal--jobs.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Dr. J. Cameron Thornhill, a doctor whose work has been invaluable to the Brooklyn community.

Dr. J. Cameron Thornhill was born August 28, 1909, in Christ Church, Barbados, West Indies, and will celebrate his 101st birthday on August 28, 2010.

Dr. Thornhill graduated from Boys High Evening School in Brooklyn in 1934. He attended Lincoln University in Pennsylvania from 1936-1940, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts. He attended Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, from 1940 to 1944, where he was awarded his Medical Doctor degree. Between 1944 and 1946, Dr. Thornhill did an internship and residency at Kansas City, Missouri, General Hospital Number Two. He started a medical practice in 1946 in Brooklyn,

Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Dr. Ramesh S. Gulrajani.

Dr. Gulrajani graduated from the University of Bombay, India in 1975 close to the top of his class. Shortly thereafter he began his Internal Medicine training at the Brooklyn Cumberland Medical Center where he also completed a fellowship in pulmonary medicine. He is board certified in internal medicine and pulmonary medicine and has been in private practice in those fields at the Brooklyn Hospital Center since 1981.

In 1984, Dr. Gulrajani was appointed Director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) and was subsequently promoted to Chief of Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Vice Chairman, and then Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine. Culminating his academic carrier at the Brooklyn Hospital Center, he was appointed Associate Chief Medical Officer in 2007. He is currently an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Over the years, he has been responsible for training numerous medical students, medical residents, and pulmonary fellows. He has also co- authored a number of articles in scientific journals, a chapter in a pulmonary medicine text, and has been a speaker at national medical meetings.

Dr. Gulrajani has received numerous awards over the years from the Brooklyn Hospital Center including the Annual Social Service Award, Nurses Recognition Award, the annual award from the professional staff of the Brooklyn Hospital Center for Dedication and Distinguished Service, as well as the Distinguished Pulmonary Medicine Award from the American Lung Association. He was inducted to the ``wall of fame'' by the American Lung Association and named as one of the ``Top Doctors in New York'' by Castle, Connolly Medical Guide and by New York Magazine, as one of America's Top Doctors by Consumer Research Council of America, and as a Premier Provider of Quality and Efficient Care by United Health Care, among other honors. In his spare time, Dr. Gulrajani is also actively involved in community service in Brooklyn and in India.

Dr. Gulrajani's daughter, Samara, works at the New York Methodist Hospital and his son

Avinash is a Fellow in Cardiology at Montefiore Medical Center. It is clear that the apple does not fall far from the tree! He likes best to spend his leisure time with his family and friends in New York and to take ``crazy vacations'' like rock climbing and white water rafting.

Madam Speaker, please join me in recognizing Dr. Ramesh Gulrajani for his contributions to the medical field.

Madam Speaker, I am very concerned about the safety and security of the 3,400 members of the main Iranian opposition who are residing in Camp Ashraf, Iraq. The United States Government signed an agreement with each and every individual in that Camp to protect them against potential attacks and mistreatment from Iran or its proxies in Iraq. In return for that promise to protect them, residents of Camp Ashraf voluntarily turned over all their weapons in 2003 to the our military. U.S. Military Forces took on full protection of the camp in 2003, and continued to closely monitor it from their base in FOB Grizzly in Ashraf, beginning in 2009. I am concerned for their continued safety as the United States prepares to rapidly leave Iraq.

America has a moral and legal obligation towards the residents of Camp Ashraf. They are vulnerable to persecution by Tehran's proxies. In addition, many family members of Camp Ashraf residents have been sentenced to death in recent weeks in Iran. I have met with many family members of Camp Ashraf who live in the United States, including in New York State, and they are very committed and dedicated individuals who seek not aid but only the safety and security of their loved ones. Many of the Camp Ashraf residents spent years in Iranian prisons and underwent torture and mistreatment by Tehran's henchmen before they managed to leave Iran and take up residence in Camp Ashraf. Many student leaders, academics, teachers, and intellectuals who were threatened with arrest and execution by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Ministry of Intelligence made their way to Camp Ashraf. They are a major source of encouragement for the democracy movement in Iran.

Given the current instability in Iraq, and given the fact that the Maliki Government has stated that it intends to forcibly displace and/ or expel the Camp residents, which would certainly lead to further bloodshed, I believe we should be doubly alert about the safety and security of Camp Ashraf's residents. I want to urge President Obama, and Secretary Clinton to make sure that we live up to our moral obligations. I do not want to see a situation a few months from now, in which we would find ourselves investigating the U.S. role in failing to protect these people.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of this amendment to H.R. 5136. This is a good addition to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 and one that will go a long way toward improving our federal information security posture.

This language is nearly identical to H.R. 4900, the Federal Information Security Amendments Act of 2010, which was introduced by Ms. Watson on March 22, 2010. That bill was just ordered favorably reported by tile Committee on Oversight & Government Reform last week by a voice vote.

The Federal Information Security Management Act was enacted in 2002 as part of the E-Government Act. FISMA requires federal agencies to assess the state of their information security management each year by conducting periodic risk assessments, categorizing risk, maintaining a detailed inventory of all information systems, and training employees in security awareness. While FISMA has been an effective tool in improving information security, GAO continues to report persistent weaknesses that this legislation is intended to address.

Cyber threats and attacks against information systems have continued to grow in both volume and intensity in recent years. In 2009 the U.S. electrical grid was reportedly infiltrated by hackers and denial of service attacks brought down the websites of a number of federal agencies including the Department of State, the Secret Service and the Federal Trade Commission. Cyber attacks are escalating quickly and we must do more to defend the Federal government against them.

This amendment represents an important step toward remedying the problem. It codifies multiple policy recommendations made by the Obama administration, public-private sector working groups and GAO for fixing information security deficiencies throughout the federal government.

Among other things, it would permanently elevate the significance of cyber security to the executive level by establishing a National Office for Cyberspace, with a director to be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. This amendment also requires agencies to begin automated and continuous monitoring of their information technology systems, a requirement that the Obama administration issued guidance on in April. It also includes provisions codifying the position of chief technology officer and establishing a national strategy to engage with the international community on information security.

In closing, I want to take the time to acknowledge two of my colleagues from California. First, I want to thank Ms. Watson, for introducing H.R. 4900 and offering this amendment. Second, I thank Mr. Issa for working with us in a bipartisan manner to improve this amendment and move it forward in the legislative process. This is a good amendment and I strongly urge the rest of my colleagues to join me in supporting it.