Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, It is my great honor to recognize an individual who has served her community with great distinction for many years, both personally and professionally, Ms. Roberta Robinson- Frazier.

Roberta taught elementary school in NYC public schools for 35 years and served as a Legislative Aide to my friend and colleague in government, Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow. She currently serves on the Community Advisory Board of Rockland Community Mental Health Center-- Yonkers, Inc. and is co-ward leader of the 3rd Ward of the Yonkers Democratic Party. Roberta is also a member of the Black Women's Political Caucus of Westchester, WESPAC, and the Yonkers branch of the NAACP. She was secretary of the Hudson River Community Association for many years and has served on the boards of the YWCA and the South Yonkers Youth Council.

Roberta's work has been recognized by a wide-array of civic organizations. She received the Humanitarian Award from the Yonkers YWCA, the NYCLU Myron Isaacs Community Service Award, the Martin Luther King Drum Major Award for community activism, and was an honorary Grand Marshall of the Yonkers African-American Heritage Festival.

This year, Philipse Manor Hall in Yonkers is honoring Roberta with their 2018 Patron Saints of Yonkers Award. The honor is well-deserved. On this special occasion, I'd like to extend my congratulations to Roberta and thank her for all she has done to better our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a true public servant, Ms. Joanne Robinson-Boettcher, an individual who through her personal and professional work has left an indelible mark on her community and the people who live in it.

Joanne was a New York City schoolteacher, a public relations specialist at General Foods, and an independent image consultant on industrial television projects. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Peace Action New York State and is a member of the Black Women's Political Caucus of Westchester and the Yonkers branch of the NAACP. She has also served as a co-chair of Women of Westchester, a delegate to the UN for Peace Action International and has served on numerous boards, including My Sisters' Place, WESPAC, and the Friends of Philipse Manor Hall.

As if this resume wasn't impressive enough, in 1990 Joanne was named Woman of the Year for Westchester County, and has also been an honorary Grand Marshall of the Yonkers African-American Heritage Festival. She was the recipient of the Alice C. Scott Award for Dedicated Community Leadership, the Martin Luther King Drum Major Award for community activism, and the NYCLU Myron Isaacs Community Service Award.

In short, Joanne Robinson-Boettcher has done a tremendous amount of wonderful work to better our world. This year, the Friends of Philipse Manor Hall in Yonkers is honoring Joanne with their 2018 Patron Saints of Yonkers award. They have chosen a terrific honoree. Congratulations to Joanne on receiving this well-deserved honor.

Mr. Speaker, I do.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of this bill,

Mr. Speaker, first, let me thank Senator Baldwin and Senator Rubio for their tireless efforts on behalf of Holocaust survivors and their heirs. I would also like to acknowledge the important work of my New York colleague, Congressman Joe Crowley, and Chris Smith, who introduced the House version of this legislation.

The Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today, or JUST, Act would shine a light on any country in Europe stalling on the return of or restitution for wrongfully confiscated or transferred Holocaust era assets.

Nearly 75 years after the end of World War II, we are still debating property rights for Holocaust victims. That is truly astonishing. According to the Holocaust Immovable Property Restitution Study, a substantial amount of property confiscated from European Jews hasn't been returned to its rightful owners or its owners haven't been compensated at all.

We must ensure that the United States is holding governments to their obligations and ensuring their property is properly returned. Holocaust survivors have waited too long for justice. We cannot let them wait any long.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), the chair of the Democratic Caucus. He is also the sponsor of the House version of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), who is a very well-respected member of our Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

This legislation is critical to ensuring that Holocaust survivors and their heirs are compensated. Restitution and return will represent another step moving past this heinous chapter of human history.

I want to thank my colleague and good friend, Chairman Ros-Lehtinen, for her powerful remarks this afternoon and for her leadership for so many years in fighting for Holocaust survivors. I have met many of her constituents and many of my own who remain engaged in this prolonged battle for justice. I am a cosponsor of Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen's legislation, and I proudly support her in these efforts. I do hope that her bill will come to the floor as well.

I also support Congressmen Crowley and Smith, as well as Senators Baldwin and Rubio, in the effort to ensure that property is restituted and returned through the JUST Act. This legislation has already passed the Senate; so when we pass it here, it will go right to the President's desk for signing. With this vote, we can push it across the finish line.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this measure. Let me start by thanking Congressmen Deutch and McCaul, both valued members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for their hard work on this bill. I want to also thank Chairman Ed Royce, who has been a strong bipartisan voice in things that are so important to our country and to the world. We always say that we take pride in having the Committee on Foreign Affairs being the most bipartisan committee in the entire Congress.

Iran has isolated itself on the global stage because it refuses to abandon a range of aggressive activities that pose a threat to the region and a threat to the entire international community. On that list is the regime's terrible mistreatment of its own people and its heinous practice of prolonged and politically motivated detentions of American citizens.

The bill before us now seeks to put an end to these intolerable practices. It would place sanctions on anyone responsible for politically motivated harassment, abuse, extortion, extended detention, or trial of Americans or Iranians.

Earlier this year, we stood on this floor in solidarity with protestors in Iran who sought a better future for their country and for the next generation. They wanted to see their government abandon its support for Iranian proxy forces and terrorist groups, like Hezbollah, in favor of funding healthcare and employment opportunities for average Iranians.

This is a country that has suffered so much under the ayatollahs and the economic mismanagement of its leaders. The protests in December and January were a stark reminder of the regime's tight grip on power, as many protesters were killed in the streets and blocked from communicating with the outside world.

Today, as we pass this legislation, we think about the Americans who currently sit in Iranian prisons. We think about Robert Levinson, Mr. Deutch's constituent, who has been missing for over 11 years, who has missed the weddings of his children and the births of his grandchildren.

The Iranian regime had promised to cooperate with the investigation to locate Mr. Levinson, but to this date, that cooperation has been virtually nonexistent.

There is no real clarity in U.S. policy toward Iran. The United States faces a looming deadline on the nuclear deal, and the future remains uncertain. But there is one thing we can all agree on: we cannot let up the pressure on Iran for its human rights violations, particularly against American citizens.

So, again, I want to thank Mr. McCaul and Mr. Deutch for doing a great job with this. This is a bipartisan piece of legislation. If you care about the injustices going on in Iran, then it is important to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing.

Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that the United States and Iran's leaders are at odds on a host of issues. Iran has killed Americans in Iraq. Its proxies seek to harm our citizens and our interests around the world. But let me be clear: the United States has no quarrel with the Iranian people.

This legislation seeks to protect the human rights of the Iranian people and Americans who are unfairly detained in Iran. This bill signals our solidarity with the protestors and demonstrators to Iran's rulers that any action that violates the human rights of an American will be met with severe consequences.

The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) just mentioned the 1988 massacre that was horrendous, and there were many, many more. This brutal regime has blood on its hands, and it is important for the United States to call them out.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of the No Assistance for Assad Act.

This act, H.R. 4681, was written by me. I am proud to be the lead sponsor in this bill. And I am proud of the bipartisan support that we have gotten from Chairman Royce and others on both sides of the aisle.

Mr. Speaker, every time we think that the crisis in Syria could not get any worse, the Assad regime manages to plunge the country into even deeper depths. Children living in besieged Madaya could not get food, so they resort to eating leaves. A 7-year-old and her mother tweeted good-bye messages from Aleppo under siege. What has happened recently in eastern Ghouta is just unfathomable.

The White Helmets--first responders--rushing to the scene of an aerial attack, have been targeted themselves once they arrived to render aid. And the regime has continued using chemical weapons, which the world swore we would never use again. But no matter how Assad's victims have met their ends--from nerve gas or barrel bombs or at the hands of Assad's Russian or Iranian patrons--the loss of innocent life is staggering.

My heart really bleeds for the people of Syria. What they have had to endure should not be endured by anyone. The United States needs to be vocal and we need to take action.

As we continue to find some way to end the bloodshed, we also need to start thinking about what will come down the road.

This bill says that American assistance for reconstruction in Syria should be available in areas controlled by Assad only if the regime stops indiscriminate use of weapons, ends attacks on civilians and civilian facilities, releases political prisoners, allows human rights organizations access to the prisons, and removes senior officials complicit in human rights abuses.

If Bashar al-Assad--the butcher of Syria--wants to destroy his own country and then expects the United States to pick up the pieces, he is sorely mistaken. That simply won't happen. He and Russia and Iran broke Syria, and now they have to buy it.

We were careful in crafting this legislation to ensure that these limitations won't affect locally administered projects. And the bill permits humanitarian assistance to all in need.

Recovery in Syria will be a slow and painful process. But we cannot allow those responsible for hundreds of thousands of murders to control American dollars meant to help the country rebuild.

Who in the Foreign Affairs Committee can forget those horrendous pictures taken of all these dead corpses lying one by one right next to each other? Who could ever forget those atrocities that are being put up with by the people of Syria each and every day?

I am grateful for the bipartisan support this bill has already received. I particularly want to thank Congressman Kinzinger, Congressman Boyle, and Chairman Royce for their partnership in crafting this legislation.

This legislation sends a message--particularly after the Assad regime again used chemical weapons--that we are closely watching the developments in Syria and that the United States will not assist those who are party to such heinous war crimes.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, reconstruction and stabilization of a post- ISIS Syria is estimated to cost in the neighborhood of $300 billion.

And, by the way, I wish I could say a post-Assad Syria, because he is the one who really should go.

The Syrian regime has spent the last 6 years destroying civilian infrastructure and driving people from their homes. It is simply not the role of the United States to support reconstruction in Syria, especially if the Assad regime continues to suppress the Syrian people and there is no accountability for his war crimes.

For those who are considering investing in Syrian reconstruction in Assad-controlled territories, just know that Syria is one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Therefore, it should be expected that reconstruction money would be syphoned off to those who have perpetrated war crimes and those who facilitate terrorism. We must prevent this.

Again, we must not forget the plight of the Syrian people. We must continue to stand with the Syrian people. We must demand that there is an end to all chemical weapons and all weapons killing civilians with barrel bombs, with people trying to get out of the way, little children dying with their mothers, in their mother's hands. This cannot continue.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure.

First, let me thank Congressman LaHood for authoring this bipartisan resolution and Chairman Royce for bringing it to the floor.

With this resolution, we send a strong message of support for the efforts of the United Bid Committee to bring the FIFA World Cup competition to the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

We share critical relationships with our neighbors to the north and south, and it is important that we keep those good relationships. So I am pleased that Congress continues to push back on anything that would hurt the relationship.

Last year, the House passed my resolution with Congressman McCaul reaffirming the importance of the U.S.-Mexico partnership, as well as a resolution from Congressman Jeff Duncan on the U.S.-Canada alliance. The 2026 FIFA World Cup provides another key opportunity for us to reinforce our strong alliances with both Mexico and Canada.

The United States has hosted the World Cup three times: the men's tournament in 1994, and the women's World Cup in both 1999 and 2003. We have the infrastructure. We know how to prepare. We have 25 American cities eligible to host. Bringing the world's most popular tournament back to North America would generate increased tourist revenue for host sites as fans arrive from all over the world.

Congress should not only pass this resolution, but Congress should also continue to provide support for the United Bid Committee and its efforts in our own conversations with foreign leaders and other stakeholders.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor), an original cosponsor of this resolution, but even more importantly, co-chair of the Congressional Soccer Caucus.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The ties between the United States, Mexico, and Canada are longstanding and deep; and I am pleased that the United States can continue to come together in partnership with our friends from both of those countries on the United Bid Committee to try to bring the 2026 World Cup to North America.

I stand ready to support the North American bid in any way that I can. It would really be terrific to get it, and I know we all feel the same way.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, it is my great honor to recognize a dear friend, a dedicated public servant, a tireless advocate, and one of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, Ms. Geri Shapiro. Geri is receiving the ``Legacy Award'' at this year's ``Volunteers Spirit Awards'' in Westchester, hosted by Volunteer New York. I cannot think of a more deserving or impressive honoree.

A Senior Advisor to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Geri is a longtime Westchester resident who is intimately involved with a wide-array of important issues that impact our community and its residents. She is a staunch advocate for the county, working with leadership from all levels of government, nonprofits and the business community. Geri understands finer details of the ``big picture'' of any issue--seniors, people with disabilities, access to social services, nuclear power, healthcare--but her primary focus is always on the person or family whose life is directly impacted.

The story of how Geri got into public service is an inspiring one. Her first career was as a stay-at-home mom who devoted much of her time volunteering at her daughter's school and caring for her aging parents. She was active in the Edgemont PTA and served as PTA president. In 2000, she began volunteering for Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate campaign. Known by her family as the ``expeditor,'' her skills and experiences were quickly recognized and, at age 59, she was asked to serve as Westchester County Regional Director for Senator Clinton. In 2009 she transitioned to Regional Director for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and currently serves as a Senior Advisor.

Though Geri is not always in the spotlight, you can be certain she is always working to make Westchester County a better place, all while inspiring and empowering others. Throughout her career, she has mentored staff, volunteers, and members of the community, particularly women. Geri has been honored with the National Association for Female Executives 2012 Women of Excellence Award for Service to New York for her ``vision, courage, compassion, proven success and generosity as demonstrated by how they help other women succeed.''

Volunteering, and a bit of tenacity, opened a new door in Geri's life. I'm certainly glad it did. Geri has done some amazing work on behalf of Westchester County and its residents, and we are all grateful for her advocacy. As Volunteer New York honors her with their Legacy Award, I too would like to send my appreciation to Geri, and my personal thanks. She has been a great partner to me in the community for many years, but more importantly, she has been a wonderful friend. Congratulations to Geri on this great honor.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to commemorate Israel's Memorial Day, Yom Hazikaron, and Israel's Independence Day, Yom Ha'atzmaut. Israel's transition from Memorial Day to Independence Day is a time to reflect about the sacrifices of the people of Israel for their country. And, as the country transitions from sadness to celebration, it is an opportunity to recognize and praise the achievements of Israel.

Starting with its very founding, Israel has overcome immense obstacles, including near constant attacks from its neighbors. And yet, over the last 70 years, Israel has grown tremendously. Its economy is one of the most dynamic in the world, drawing investors and innovators from around the globe. Its contributions to technology, medicine, and culture have greatly benefitted the international community. Israel has a longstanding history of aid work, most recently providing aid to Syria and responding to natural disasters in Haiti. And, of course, Israel continues to be a refuge for Jewish people fleeing anti- Semitism.

On this 70th anniversary of the modern state of Israel, I celebrate the values that the United States and Israel share: the ideals of freedom and pluralism. Israel is a nation that prides itself on promoting freedom and self-determination. It seeks peace with its neighbors, and the United States must continue to support Israel in its quest for peace.

As a strategic partner and friend, the United States stands in solidarity with Israel against its enemies. We will continue to look for ways to strengthen the partnership between our countries. I am proud to celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut with our ally, Israel, and look forward to the nation's continued success.

Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Impact100 Westchester, an international nonprofit women's collective giving organization, on their successful fifth grant cycle, as they have broken an amazing milestone by providing more than one million dollars in grant money to other nonprofits across Westchester County.

Impact100 Westchester was established in 2014 with 132 women joining in its first year, and has nearly tripled since its founding. The group is entirely volunteer, run by dedicated constituents striving to make a difference throughout Westchester County. Local organizations who have benefitted from Impact100's grant giving range from those dealing with children's mental health, access to education programs, environmental improvements, work training for the impaired, immigration groups, and support for survivors of abuse.

In addition to their philanthropy, Impact100 hosts their own volunteer events across Westchester, continuing to support other nonprofits with their Hands on Impact, with the Day of Service and with educational events which benefits and gives back to their community.

During their short tenure, Impact100 Westchester's success has been reliant on its memberships, volunteers, leadership, advisory council and relationship with the community. I am honored to have Impact100 Westchester in my district, and to recognize them on this wonderful occasion of their Fifth Anniversary. Congratulation to everyone involved with Impact100 Westchester, and thank you to all the caring members who have collectively granted over one million dollars to support and better our community.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague for yielding to me. I think he really just said it all.

I had the pleasure of knowing Louise for almost 40 years. We served together in the New York State Assembly up in Albany, New York, and I was senior to her in the New York State Assembly. She ran for Congress a few years before I did, and she was senior to me here. I never stopped teasing her about that to remind her that she may be senior here, but if you put the length of our terms together, I am senior to her, and we always got a kick out of that and always laughed.

One thing about Louise is what you saw is what you got. Louise spoke her mind. She wasn't afraid to stand up to power. She was always thinking of the good for the country and for New York and her congressional district. And there was no other calculation in what she did. It was just feeling good trying to help the people.

She was outspoken, and she said what was on her mind, and she knew more things than many of us have forgotten. She knew them, and she remembered them, and she would always have a little quip or a little thing to say that would really make you laugh and would make you feel like you were with a friend. And she kind of gave you the inside scoop on a bunch of things.

You know, she was the Member of Congress who was the oldest Member of Congress, and you would never know it. When I first found out how old she was, I thought it was a misprint. She was always young. Until the day she died, she was young, young and having a passion and a belief of helping people and having a belief in government and government was there to do good for people and to be a good tool, not, as some people would say, that government is the enemy.

Louise always believed that government should be and could be and would be a friend: a friend to do things for people, for seniors, for poor people, for immigrants. If you needed someone to come and help you work for any cause that was a right cause, all you had to do was ask Louise, and she always said yes.

Now, our offices back in the Rayburn building are opposite each other. So you go down the hallway. If you turn left, you are in my office; if you turn right, you are in her office. So I often got to meet her when we were going to votes and got to say things to her about New York politics, and she really had the in, the scoop. She really knew what it was.

I am going to miss her. I already miss her. I know we have so many of our colleagues from New York who are here because all of us together have a heartfelt appreciation of what it was to be Louise and to be Louise's friend.

You know that twang she had from Kentucky? She always proudly told everyone she was from Kentucky, but her heart was really from New York, and I will miss her dearly.

Rest peacefully, my friend. We all love you.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 2, the disgraceful so-called balanced budget amendment.

You know, it has been said again and again on this side of the aisle, but I think it warrants saying it even more. The Republicans passed their tax bill for the wealthiest 1 percent, which blew tremendous holes into the deficit. So coming here now a few months later and purporting to be concerned about

the rising deficit, I mean, the actions are different than the words, because the Republican tax scam blew a hole in the deficit, made it very difficult.

So if you really want to change and you really want to have a balanced budget, the way to do it is to sit down with both sides and try to figure out a way to do it that is equitable, not something that only helps 1 percent and has devastating cuts for the rest of Americans.

So the Republican tax cuts will balloon the Federal deficit by nearly $2 million over the next decade.

Again, this is not about balancing the budget. This is an attempt to push an extreme agenda that will result in disastrous cuts to vital programs that benefit Americans. Medicare would be cut by $200 billion by 2025, Medicaid and healthcare subsidies by $150 billion, Social Security by $325 billion, and veterans' disability compensation would be cut by up to $30 billion.

Not only will this hurt the elderly, our veterans, and the sick, but this dangerous amendment will also tie the hands of the Federal Government and make it impossible for Congress to respond to urgent matters of national security, like natural disasters, like international security crises--we on the Foreign Affairs Committee are always worried about that, obviously--or a dramatic turndown in the economy. We won't be able to react to this.

So this amendment makes future increases in the debt limit nearly impossible, threatening the full faith and credit of our country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this measure and work together to find responsible solutions to create jobs, reduce the deficit, and take care of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a true community servant and friend, District Attorney Anthony Scarpino. This year, Anthony is being honored with the Man of the Year award by MPAC at their Third Annual Gala and I too would like to honor him on the occasion.

Tony, as he is better known, was born and raised in the City of Mount Vernon where he attended public school. After graduating, he attended the University of Connecticut and then Syracuse University College of Law where he earned his Juris Doctor Degree. After law school, Tony returned to his home where he began his career as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Mount Vernon. In 1977, he left local government and joined the FBI as a Special Agent. In 1984, at the age of thirty-two, Tony was appointed Acting Mount Vernon City Court Judge earning him the distinction of being the youngest judge in the city's history. Then in 1988, Tony was elected Westchester County Court Judge.

In 1993, Tony was elected to the New York State Supreme Court for the Ninth Judicial District before being elected Westchester County Surrogate in 2000, a post to which he was re-elected to in 2010. In 2015, Tony stepped down to join the private law firm DelBello, Donnellan, Weingarten, Wise & Wiederkehr LLP, leaving the bench for the first time in thirty years. He was then elected Westchester County District Attorney in 2016, where he has since served with great distinction.

Tony has dedicated his career to protecting our community through the fair and ethical pursuit of justice. He has been an inspiration, a dedicated public servant, and I want to congratulate him on receiving this wonderful honor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rev. Dr. Stephen W. Pogue. Rev. Pogue was the Guest Speaker honored at Messiah Baptist Church Men's Ministry, Man of the Year 2018 on Saturday, March 31, 2018. I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge him regarding this honor.

Rev. Pogue was born in Roselle, New Jersey where he was a graduate of Cranford High School. He later joined the United States Air Force then graduated from Nyack College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science.

After Nyack College, Rev. Pogue graduated from Alliance Theological Seminary where he received the Masters of Divinity Degree, and then later received the Doctor of Ministry Degree in preaching from McCormick Theology Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. Rev. Pogue went on to serve as Pastor of the Greater Hood Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church in Harlem until September 2006, and later became the Co-Founder of the Hip Hop Church in Harlem. Rev. Pogue also served as the Pastor of The Greater Cooper A.M.E. Zion Church in Oakland, California in addition to being a member of the California Conference. Then, in November 2012, Rev. Pogue was appointed Pastor of The Greater Centennial A.M.E. Zion Church in my district, where he inspires parishioners every day in Mount Vernon.

Outside of the church, Rev. Pogue is also quite active in the community. He is a member of the Westchester Human Rights Commission, the Mount Vernon Public Safety Commission, the Trustees Board of Mt. Zion A.M.E. Church, member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and is the Mount Vernon Police Department Chaplain.

Of course, for all his fine works, Rev. Pogue's greatest passion is family. He is married to Iris Pogue and they have three wonderful children, Stephen, Stephany, and Deanna.

Rev. Stephen Pogue is a pillar in our and every community in which he has served. His work has been an inspiration and it is my honor to congratulate him on receiving this wonderful recognition.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a true community leader, Minister Richard Thompson. Minister Thompson was honored as Messiah Baptist Church Men's Ministry, Man of the Year 2018 on Saturday, March 31, 2018 and I too want to acknowledge him on the occasion here.

Minister Thompson was born in South Port, North Carolina, and attended Narrow Way Bible College, which is affiliated with New York Theological. He has been a member of Messiah Baptist Church in Yonkers, NY for over 40 years. At Messiah, Minister Thompson is blessed to serve in a variety of ways, including as Minister, Deacon, Co-Chairman of the Trustee Ministry, Sunday School Teacher, and was responsible for the Operation Bread Basket for needy families for many years. He is also the Spiritual Enrichment Chairperson, always ministering to those in need of a word from God.

At a time when the Church was without a Pastor, Minister Thompson planned and conducted worship services, developed sermons, planned the Church's music, gave advice to parishioners and guided the religious interests of the Church, helping it to grow. He also communicated with the congregation through announcements by writing all the bulletins; he did it all. Minister Thompson also visits members in homes, nursing care facilities and hospitals, and he set up an Alcoholics Anonymous Substance Abuse and Addictive Disorder program for those seeking help. In addition, he also held the position as Custodian for the church.

Minister Thompson is a very special individual, and it is my honor to recognize him today. Congratulations to him once again on being named Man of the Year 2018 at Messiah Baptist Church.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a pillar of hard-work and integrity in our community, Charles Thomas Blacknall. Charles was honored as Messiah Baptist Church Men's Ministry, Man of the Year 2018 on Saturday, March 31, 2018. I'd like to acknowledge him and his great work on the occasion.

Charles was born in Franklinton, North Carolina and attended the Franklinton Public High School. He then moved to Yonkers following the completion of his high school education. At the age of 21, Charles became a member of Local 3 Electrical Union (EBEW) and was employed by Phelps Dodge Copper and Wire Company as a machine operator for more than eight years.

As a proud union member, Charles worked a wide array of union jobs. Following his time at Phelps and Dodge, he was assigned to Edison Price Lighting Company as a shipping and receiving clerk for 8 years. His next assignment was with Kliege Brother Electrical and Lighting as a Craftsman Painter for eight years.

In 1992 Charles left Local 3 and accepted a position as a Concierge in White Plains, where he worked until retirement in 2004.

Outside of work, Charles was very active in the community. He volunteered his time with multiple groups, including as a member of the Yonkers Branch of the NAACP, the National Action Network (NAN), Messiah Baptist Church Bible Study Class, and Messiah Baptist Church Men's Ministry. Charles was also very active in youth sports, and particularly enjoyed being a Volunteer Coach with the Commerce Community Center Youth League Basketball in Yonkers.

Of course, Charles' true passion was always his family. He and his wife have four lovely children, Lashanda, Nicholas, Marcus and Thomas, and he was blessed with five grandchildren Arzane, Alexis, Zarius, Lee Lee, and Mariah.

Charles Thomas Blacknall is a special member of our community and his life serves as an inspiration to us all. It is my honor to congratulate him on receiving this wonderful honor, and to thank him for all of the tremendous work he has done on behalf of his community.