Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, communities find their strength in the dedicated individuals who offer their time and talent to benefit the greater good. For the past 18 years, Barry Bender has been one of those people regularly making selfless contributions to the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, or Bayit community.

Barry's service to the Bayit began as a natural extension of his Jewish professional life, conducting Jewish educational experiences throughout the U.S. and Canada using technology and multimedia.

He has brought his creativity and technical skills to many Bayit events and activities including the annual dinner, and to the video production and broadcast of the annual Selichot concert.

As an award winning amateur photographer, Barry is often seen around the Bayit with his camera documenting Shul life. He has given classes on a variety of topics including ``Jewish Meditation,'' and ``The Seven Days of Creation Through the Eyes of Science.'' He is also a proud member of the Bayit's Community Security Service (CSS) Team.

Barry's real claim to fame at the Bayit though is being a second generation shul lollipop man, continuing in his father zt''l's footsteps. His dedication to our community is a direct result of the values his parents taught him by example.

On June 3, 2018, at their 44th Annual Journal Dinner, the Bayit is honoring Barry Bender with their Community Service Award. I want to echo their recognition by extending my gratitude to Barry for all he has done to enrich the lives of those around him. This honor is extremely well-deserved.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the city of Astana on its 20th anniversary. In this short time, the capital city of Kazakhstan has hosted high-level political and diplomatic events, including several international forums for a nuclear weapons-free world.

Most recently, Astana hosted the successful EXPO 2017, which focused on the future of energy. Kazakhstan has shown promise not only as an important economic partner of the United States in the energy sector, but also as a strong proponent of clean energy. It joined the Paris Agreement and many other international efforts to curb climate change and improve our environment.

In its 20-year history, Astana has become one of the most modern cities in Central Asia. It continues to serve as a hub for the region and link between the East and the West.

I look forward to a long partnership between Washington and Astana. A partnership that will include productive cooperation on shared economic and security priorities, as well as efforts to advance the development of an independent, stable, and politically free Kazakhstan. With these advances, Astana would become a model for other nations and a central partner on so many shared objectives.

Mr. Speaker, as the ranking member on the Foreign Affairs Committee, I am absolutely flabbergasted at the announcement that just came out of the White House that President Trump is canceling his meeting with Kim Jong-un of North Korea.

The world held out hope that the Trump administration's diplomatic engagement with North Korea would bear fruit. But you cannot have thin skin if you want to make progress with a difficult adversary such as the Kim regime. Imagine how different the course of history would look if every chance for peace was scuttled because one party was too mean to the other.

To make matters worse, the President's bizarre letter returns to the same bellicose rhetoric that last year heightened tensions and raised the specter of war. Any type of military conflict on the Korean peninsula would come with horrific consequences.

After a year of alienating friends and allies, unwinding our commitments, and drawing back from the world stage, it is clear what the Trump motto of ``America First'' actually means ``America Lashing Out,'' leaving America last and alone.

American leadership on the global stage has been laid low, not by a rival, but by a President who has sidelined diplomacy, shut out expertise, and thrown out any rational approach to making policy.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 11 o'clock and 18 minutes a.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Friday, May 25, 2018, at 10 a.m.

Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chair, let me say that, since August of 2017, the Burmese military has inflicted horrific violence against the Rohingya in Burma's Rakhine State and is, today, using the same tactics against the Kachin. The result: 700,000 refugees. I didn't get that wrong. It is 700,000 refugees pushed into Bangladesh. Eighty percent are women and children, many of whom are now victims of horrific gender-based violence. It is the sort of treatment ethnic minorities have endured there for decades.

This a manmade crisis--ethnic cleansing, perhaps genocide--and to date there has been no accountability. This measure would change that. It would limit U.S. military-to-military assistance with the Burmese military until we see progress on human rights and accountability.

It would authorize tough financial sanctions and visa bans against military and security forces involved in human rights abuses, promote transparency, and push reform in the Burmese gem sector, a target of corrupt military influence; and it requires the Secretary of State to determine what, in addition to ethnic cleansing, might have occurred.

This body has long stood on the side of freedom, democracy, and human rights in Burma. I urge all Members to join me today in doing the same thing by supporting this measure.

Mr. Chair, I urge all Members to support this, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of an amendment I joined with Ranking Member Smith to offer on Niger.

Last October, four American servicemembers were killed in an ambush in Niger. We still don't fully understand what happened. For some reason, the zeal for oversight seems to have dried up in the last 16 months.

Here is what we do know: American personnel were in Niger for an advise-and-accompany mission, but sometime after these four heroes lost their lives, the administration said: Well, no, they actually fought under the 2001 war authorization.

That is the post-9/11 AUMF.

So four Americans are dead, and it turns out they have been fighting the war on terror one country after another. There are seemingly no limits, and we have a responsibility to do better.

This is a scandal screaming out for congressional oversight--not just in this case, but in so many of the far-flung places where our military is engaged overseas.

We need to stay focused on fighting terrorist organizations. But the law says Congress decides when and where we fight wars, and the administration appears to be losing track of what authorities it has and where it is using them.

Mr. Chairman, I am glad to join Ranking Member Smith in offering this amendment that hopefully will shed light on our mission in the region.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to one of the amendments made in order

by this rule. The Foxx-Davis amendment would dramatically alter American sugar policy by eliminating the economic safety net for sugar producers.

There is a Domino Sugar Refinery located in my district in Yonkers, New York, which has been a staple of the neighborhood for almost a century. According to their own figures, the refinery employs 280 people and sustains an additional 138 jobs through trucking, terminal operations, cargo handling, and ship piloting. That is more than 400 local jobs, most of them union jobs, supporting local families and pumping additional dollars into our communities.

These are the men and women I represent, and they are the ones for whom I cast my vote. I will cast my vote against the Foxx-Davis amendment and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

America's sugar policy is working. It has operated at zero cost to taxpayers in 14 of the past 15 years, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture projects that sugar will run at a zero cost to taxpayers over the next 10 years.

According to the International Sugar Organization, food manufacturers in the U.S. pay 10 percent less for sugar than other developed countries. Meanwhile, America's grocery shelf sugar prices are among the lowest in the world.

Again, most importantly, the reason I rise is that the U.S. sugar industry provides good union jobs. Without the current sugar policy, 142,000 American jobs are in jeopardy of being outsourced, and the U.S. stands to lose nearly $20 billion in annual economic activity.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, and I rise in opposition to the rule. SNAP is a lifeline for 40 million low-income Americans and millions of working families. It is the most effective antihunger program in the country.

It is a proven pathway out of poverty for America's most vulnerable families, and yet, instead of protecting successful programs like SNAP, this cruel bill would take over $23 billion in benefits away from children, seniors, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and working families struggling to make ends meet.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle argue that the requirements in this farm bill would help people find work. But if they are really interested in promoting jobs that allow people to care for themselves and their families, I would invite them to consider legislation to raise the minimum wage, ensure fair work scheduling, provide paid family and medical leave and paid sick days, and address basic living standards.

Instead, we are considering a callous farm bill that cuts benefits for those who need it most in order to pay for massive handouts to corporations in the top 1 percent. I urge my colleagues to vote against this rule.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of New Rochelle's most distinguished organizations, the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence, which is celebrating its 20th Anniversary at their annual Gala. It is my pleasure to also honor The Fund on this historic milestone.

The New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence was established in 1998. The mission of the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence is to support our school system and its extraordinary, diverse student body through advancing equity, excellence, and inspiring all public- school students. The Fund partners with the City School District of New Rochelle and the broader New Rochelle community to develop, fund, and implement high-quality educational and enrichment programming to enhance the school experience.

Programs and activities that the Fund supports and publishes include the Museum of Arts and Culture, The Zolcalo at Atlixco, The Martin Silver Fund for Accounting and Business Studies, Arts Out Loud, and Poetry Out Loud. The Fund then publishes the written works from Author Out Loud and Poetry Out Loud. In addition, the Fund has sponsored five concerts at both Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center which have featured their own students.

The Fund has also helped students focus on the issues of citizenship and governance since 1998, through The Civic Symposium featuring AP Government and AP Macroeconomics students. Annually, the Fund honors High School Seniors who have made major contributions throughout their educational years at the fundraising gala.

The New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence has done some tremendous work over the past 20 years and everyone involved should be extremely proud of what the Fund has accomplished. I want to congratulate all the members of The Fund on their 20 years of service to the community, and thank them for all their hard-work. Here's to 20 more successful years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a spiritual leader in the New Rochelle community, Rabbi David Schuck. Rabbi Schuck has served the community with great distinction and remarkable integrity, and as such is being honored at the Hope Community Services Inc. Annual Gala, celebrating the organization's 34 year anniversary.

Rabbi Schuck grew up in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, and has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Middle East History from Rutgers University. Rabbi Schuck was ordained by the

Jewish Theological Seminary in 2004 where he was awarded the Lillian M. Lowenfeld Prize in Practical Theology and the Israel H. Levinthal Prize in Homiletics.

Rabbi Schuck grew up in the Conservative Movement as an active USYer and spent many years as a counselor, group leader, and yoetz for USY Israel Pilgrimage and USY on Wheels. Rabbi Schuck lived in Israel for a few years, and was a participant and a counselor for United Synagogue's Nativ program. He spent two summers as the Scholar in Residence at Camp Ramah New England. After college, Rabbi Schuck lived in Kalwa, India, where he served as a Jewish Service Corps Educator.

Rabbi Schuck was privileged to visit Russia on a rabbinic mission with the UJA Federation of NY, and participated in the Young Rabbis Delegation service-learning trip to Ghana with the American Jewish World Service. He served on the UJA Federation's Commission on Jewish Identity and Renewal for the Former Soviet Union, the Westchester Jewish Council, Pelham Guidance Council, the Westchester Inter- Religious Clergy Network, and the Mount Vernon Soup Kitchen.

Schuck joined the Beth El team in 2015 after serving as the spiritual leader of the Pelham Jewish Center for eleven years. He is an adjunct lecturer in the Professional and Pastoral Skills Department of the Rabbinical School at the Jewish Theological Seminary and a former faculty member in the rabbinical school of the Academy for Jewish Religion. Rabbi Schuck lives in New Rochelle with his wife Tali Aldouby-Schuck, their children Noam, Nadav, and Zeev, and their dog Obi.

This year, Hope Community Services is honoring Rabbi Schuck celebrating his years as Rabbi. Congratulations to Rabbi Schuck on this great honor.

Mr. Speaker, neighborhoods are strengthened by civic- minded individuals who give their time, energy, and talents to making the community a better place. In Scarsdale, no one has better exemplified that commitment to community involvement than Beverley Sved.

Beverley has had a long, distinguished record of service to Scarsdale. Among her many volunteer roles in the community, she has served as the Mayor of Scarsdale, and prior to that she served as Village Trustee. Beverley chaired the Village Finance Committee and the Planning Board, both challenging positions that she filled skillfully with deft leadership. Beverley could bring the community together to resolve difficult issues, something all good elected officials must be adept at doing.

Further, Beverley has been a leader Committee. These are only some of the highlights of what this highly respected, trusted, insightful and collaborative community leader has contributed to Scarsdale. Beverley's selfless contribution of time and energy to community affairs epitomizes what it means to be a leader.

This year, the Scarsdale Bowl, which for over 70 years has recognized community members who have ``given unselfishly of time, energy, and effort to the civic welfare of the community,'' is honoring Beverley Sved at their annual awards dinner on April 25th. They could not have chosen a more deserving honoree. As Congressman representing Scarsdale, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate Beverley on this wonderful honor and to thank her for all she has done to better the community. Her tremendous work is evident all throughout Scarsdale and I am honored to have such a great partner in the community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a spiritual leader in the New Rochelle community, Cantor Emerita Helene Reps, who this year is being honored for her 17 years of dedicated service to Temple Israel in New Rochelle at their 110th Anniversary Gala.

Born and raised in the Pittsburgh area to a musical family, Cantor Helene Reps entered Carnegie Institute of Technology--now Carnegie Mellon--as a piano major. Encouraged by the faculty to switch to the vocal department, she received a double major in music and education.

Her first professional opportunity came in 1956, the Mozart bicentennial year, when William Steinberg, conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony, engaged her as the alto soloist in the Mozart Requiem. Helene called that moment a dream, which was followed by several more roles with the Pittsburgh Opera.

Upon graduation from Carnegie, she moved to New York, teaching in a Harlem junior high school. In 1958, Helene returned to Pittsburgh to marry David Reps, and Tamara, Aaron, and twins Steven and Jennifer arrived for the happy couple soon thereafter. When Davis' work moved the family to New York City, the Cantor at JCC persuaded Helene to enter the five-year cantorial program at the Hebrew Union College School of Sacred Music. Helene called the move a perfect fit, and in 1979 she graduated as one of the very first woman cantors to serve a major pulpit. Helene joined the clergy at Temple Israel in New Rochelle in 1980, where she served the growing congregation until 1997. She conducted services with Rabbi Amiel Wohl and prepared, on average, 40 to 50 children each year for their bar and bat mitzvahs.

These days, Helene spends her time with her husband, now of almost 60 years, enjoying their four grown children and seven brilliant grandchildren. The mark Helene has left on Temple Israel and indeed the entire New Rochelle community cannot be understated. The Temple has chosen an outstanding honoree for this year's Gala, and I'd like to congratulate Helene on this well-deserved recognition.

Mr. Speaker, as a former classroom teacher I hold a special affinity for fellow educators, especially those who give so selflessly of themselves in service to their community. In the Rye community, no one better exemplifies that selfless commitment than Kathy Salom, and I want to take a moment to honor Kathy the fine recognition she deserves.

Kathy was born Estell Kathleen Millard in Dunsmuir, California in 1945. She attended

San Francisco State University, the University of Hawaii and New York University. Her degrees include Masters and five educational certifications both from California and New York.

In 1969, Kathy married Roberto Salom from Bogota, Colombia. When Roberto accepted a job with the United Nations, they left California where Kathy had been an elementary teacher in the San Francisco Unified School District and Roberto had worked with the Federal Reserve. They moved to Rye, New York where they raised two sons, David born in 1976 and Robert born in 1979. David resides in a group home in Greenburgh and Robert lives in Sudbury, Massachusetts with his wife Dena Manheimer and their daughter Isabel born in 2016. Kathy worked as a teacher for the deaf for BOCES for 36 years, bringing her total teaching experience to 42 years. She was fortunate to work at all grade levels and to use both sign language and an oral approach to educating the deaf and hard of hearing.

In 1992, Kathy joined Hadassah Kehilla and enjoyed planning many special programs for the organization. Later she became involved in the book club and especially loves reading books about Jewish communities around the world. When Kathy retired in 2009, the opportunity to travel around the world became possible. She and her husband Roberto have always explored Jewish communities when traveling. In New Delhi they visited a wonderful little synagogue. In Shanghai they visited the Jewish Museum, in Rome the magnificent Roman Synagogue, and the Ghetto of Venice. As they were standing in the Sephardic Synagogue in Amsterdam, they saw David Salom, their son's name, as one of the founding fathers of the synagogue. So many Jewish experiences in each place they have traveled make them feel part of the diversity of the Jewish world.

For her outstanding work in the field of education and her dedication to the Jewish community. This year, Hadassah Kehilla is honoring Kathy Salom as their 2018 Woman of the Year. They could not have picked a more deserving honoree. As Representative for Rye, I would like to congratulate Kathy on this wonderful honor.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to recognize a pillar of the Riverdale community, Ms. Yvette Marrin, an individual who has done so much for the community through her work at the Riverdale Temple for many years. This year, the Riverdale Temple is honoring Yvette at their annual Student Sponsorship Breakfast and they could not have chosen a better honoree.

Yvette has been a member of Riverdale Temple since 2010. She joined the Board of Directors in 2011 and at that time became the chair of the Temple's education committee. She designed and managed a redevelopment of the Temple's gardens and served for several years as webmaster of its website, just two of the numerous tasks that she has undertaken as a member of Riverdale Temple.

What has been especially important to Yvette in her volunteer work at the Temple is the creation of the YIVO Jewish Culture Series, a partnership between the YIVO Institute of Jewish Research and Riverdale Temple. This popular lecture series draws people from the broader Riverdale community and has now become incorporated as an ongoing tradition at Riverdale Temple.

In addition, Yvette has been just as active outside the Temple. She earned a Ph.D. in Organizational and Administrative Studies and Special Education from New York University in 1985. Following a career as an educator and school administrator, Yvette became the co-founder of the National Cristina Foundation, a nonprofit charity that in 1984 pioneered the concept of technology reuse to empower people in need on a national scale. The National Cristina Foundation works to enable people with disabilities, students at risk, and persons in need to gain entry to and achieve full participation in a digitally connected world. Many thousands of people have benefited from its work, and there are more than 1200 charities in its national partner network. Yvette is married to Dr. Albert Marrin, the award-winning historian and author of numerous non-fiction history and science books for young adults.

Yvette Marrin is most deserving of this fine recognition and honor. I would like to congratulate her on receiving this great distinction, and thank her for all she has done in the community.

Mr. Speaker, this year, a very special organization in my district is celebrating a remarkable milestone. I'd like to take

a moment to honor that organization, the Police Association of New Rochelle, which will reach its 100th Anniversary in 2018.

The New Rochelle PBA has been a vital part of New Rochelle's rich history since 1918. The organization prides itself on the contributions it has made to the community, both inside and out of New Rochelle. Whether its distributing free holiday presents to children; donating turkeys during Thanksgiving for those in need; visiting sick children in medical facilities; implementing search and rescues programs for those with special needs; making donations to various local and national charities; honoring our veterans; or rehabbing properties for New Rochelle families in need, the New Rochelle PBA has always been there for the community.

A 100th Anniversary is a remarkable feat for any organization, let alone one that has been as active and engaged as the New Rochelle PBA. On this wonderful occasion, I would like to send my congratulations to leadership, membership, and supporters of the New Rochelle PBA and thank them all for 100 amazing years of service to our community.