Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an organization in my community that this year is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, the Theodore D. Young Community Center.

TDYCC has helped countless individuals throughout the entire county of Westchester, strengthening individual communities in the process.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Lyndon B. Johnson's Community Action Program that eventually created the Fairview Greenburgh Community Center. Of the hundreds of Community Centers that were created as a result of that law, only few remain. Renamed the Theodore D. Young Community Center in 1999, it continues to be dedicated to the goals set in place so long ago, and remains a viable and necessary cornerstone of the Fairview community and beyond.

TDYCC has changed the lives of Greenburgh youth by providing wholesome, educational, and relevant programs, such as summer camps, dance classes, leadership workshops, advocacy outlets, and much more. TDYCC programming makes for more mature, self-sufficient, and culturally aware youth. Known as the hidden gem in Westchester County, it is a place that truly welcomes and serves all.

As Congressman representing parts of Greenburgh, I am extremely thankful for the work TDYCC has accomplished and the wonderful programming they do for my constituents. They are a tremendous organization and I want to congratulate their leadership team, employees, members and the public commissioners who support them on 50 tremendous years. Here's to 50 more just like it.

Mr Speaker, I want to acknowledge a Mount Vernon institution that this year is celebrating its remarkable 120th Anniversary. Founded on October 7, 1896 the Mount Vernon Heights Congregational Church has served parishioners in the Mount Vernon community and beyond for well over a century. Their rich history deserves our recognition.

Though officially founded on a Thursday evening in 1896, the church's roots actually date back to 1892 when members of the community from all different denominations gathered for prayer services at the school house on Garden Avenue. Four years later, a meeting was held in the school house on Garden Avenue for the stated purpose of organizing a Congregational church in Mount Vernon Heights. Eighteen persons were present, and they voted unanimously to carry out this purpose.

From there, the Church's rich history began to bloom. In September, 1915 the corner lot of South Columbus and Beekman Avenues was purchased and by 1917 the new chapel was dedicated, which is currently Fellowship Hall. Through time, additional parcels of land were procured and new buildings were constructed.

Through the years the Mount Vernon Heights Congregational Church has been a pillar to the community. The tall white bell tower stands high as landmark to many. This church has withstood World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and other military conflicts that have affected American life. The wall plaques in the church lobby stand for its contribution of lives. This church has fostered Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts troops; Women Leagues, Bible Study, Sunday School, Youth Groups and Support Groups, Home Missionary Society to name a few.

Over the years there were many contributions made by the 14 different pastors that served this church, too many deeds to list. And those good deeds have always been mirrored by the congregation, which has raised money and donated countless hours to helping their community thrive. I want to congratulate them on this amazing 120th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a pillar of Pelham Manor, Bill Taubner, who this year is being honored by the Pelham Civic Association at their annual Dinner Dance Gala for his dedication to the community.

A lifelong resident of Pelham Manor and a member of the Pelham Civic Association, Bill is an exemplary member of the community. He is extremely altruistic and benevolent to charities, individuals, and families in need. Bill has a reputation for being very dependable, especially when it matters most.

An Executive Vice President of Ball Chain Manufacturing, he has been a member of the Pelham Manor Planning Board, has served as Chair of the board, Director and Coach of Pelham Little League, Director and Coach of Pelham Ice Hockey, and as a Pelham Soccer Coach. Bill has also been integral in the Fundraising Committees of Siwanoy Elementary School, Pelham Middle School, and Pelham High School, demonstrating his commitment to education and improving the lives of students in the neighborhood.

The Pelham Civic Association has made a fine choice this year in honoring Bill at their annual Dinner Dance Gala. I too would like to honor, and congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition, and thank him for all of his contributions to our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a friend and a pillar of the Bronx community, Robert J. Rubinstein, a man who has given so selflessly to various neighborhood organizations throughout the northwest Bronx.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Bob attended P.S. 86 and the Bronx High School of Science where he met his wife, Barbara. After graduating from Bates College on the Dean's list, where he was captain of the debate team, he served his country in the Korean War for two years as a cryptographic specialist.

Upon his return, Bob went to NYU Law School and graduated in 1958. In 1959, he and his family moved to Riverdale, at the urging of his father, Max, who was the first Principal of Junior High School 141. Bob and Barbara's children Lisa, Kenneth, and Adam all attended the local public schools and Bob immediately immersed himself in Riverdale life. As a founder of the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club, of which I myself am a member, he ran for Assembly in the First Democratic Primary ever held in the Bronx, with endorsements from Eleanor Roosevelt and Governor Herbert Lehman.

Bob served as the first President of Riverdale Senior Services, and is still an active Member of their Board. He is also a former Vice President and Board Member to the Riverdale Neighborhood House and has been an active Member of the Riverdale Kiwanis Club for 52 years, serving in various roles ranging from Lieutenant Governor, and Vice President, President Board Member.

After serving under Mayor Lindsay as general Counsel for the then Housing Development Administration, Bob opened his own law office in Riverdale, where he still practices. Bob plans to continue practicing law in Riverdale and remain an active participant in community affairs.

This year, The Kingsbridge-Riverdale-Van Cortlandt Development Corporation is honoring Bob at their annual Greenway Gala. They could not have found a more deserving honoree. Congratulations to Bob on this wonderful honor.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to represent one of the great public servants in the northwest Bronx who day after day works hard to keep our community safe.

Detective Migdaha Ramos, better known to all of us as Mindy, was born and raised in Manhattan. She attended Fashion Industry High School and upon graduation, worked in the retail and fashion industry. In July of 1998, Mindy started on a new path as a member of the New York Police Department. She was appointed to the 50th Precinct following her completion of the Police Academy, and has for the last 18 years honorably served the community there in different assignments

Detective Ramos started as a Uniform Patrol Officer, answering 911 radio calls and addressing community concerns. Shortly thereafter, she was assigned to the Domestic Violence Unit. For the next seven years, she would conduct investigations, arrest violent perpetrators, and assist victims in receiving appropriate services.

In 2007, Detective Ramos had the pleasure of being assigned as the Precinct Community Affairs Officer, the position she still holds to this day. Since then, she has established a great working relationship with the elected officials, business district, community board, and various other entities that serve the community. She also has a wonderful rapport with the residents of the northwest Bronx, which is why in December of 2015, she was promoted to Detective.

I have always been impressed with Detective Ramos's commitment to the neighborhood and her responsiveness to the needs of the community. I know when it comes to my office it has been a true pleasure working with her.

This year, the Kingsbridge-Riverdale-Van Cortlandt Development Corporation is honoring Detective Ramos at their annual Greenway Gala. They have chosen a most deserving honoree. I want to congratulate Detective Ramos on this great honor and thank her for all she has done to improve and strengthen our neighborhood.

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

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

Let me thank our chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, my friend, Ed Royce from California, for his work moving this bill. I was pleased to join him as the lead Democratic cosponsor when we introduced this bill in March of this year.

I stand by his entire statement that he has just made. We have an absolute meeting of the minds on this bill, and that is why we were able to get 323 cosponsors on both sides of the aisle, because people understand and realize the threat that Iran poses to us, to the world, and to our allies.

The Foreign Affairs Committee has been hard at work this year devising new tools and approaches for dealing with the threat of Iran. There is no doubt that Iran must be one of our major priorities in our foreign policy, the world's most prolific state sponsor of terrorism, a serial abuser of human rights, a lifeline for the murderous

Assad regime in Syria, and the challenge we are dealing with today: Iran's illicit development of ballistic missiles.

The chairman and I share the view that when it comes to the nuclear deal, which we both opposed, the best path forward is to enforce the hell out of it even while we work to hold Iran's feet to the fire on all these other harmful activities.

We passed a tough sanctions bill last summer to crack down on Iran, as well as North Korea and Russia. While the bill before us today basically contains very similar provisions which we dealt with then and, as the chairman explained, we go one step further here, I am always eager to find even more ways to dial up pressure on the regime in Tehran, which is a malevolent regime, which is a regime that sponsors terrorism, which is a regime that is hostile to the United States, hostile to our ally Israel, and hostile to our other allies in the Middle East. But I worry that the administration isn't taking this problem seriously.

So far, the White House hasn't fully implemented the previous bill we sent to the President. The White House's approach to the nuclear deal sends a bad message to allies and adversaries around the world that the United States might not live up to its word. Rather than extracting more concessions with Iran, which I believe may be possible by working hard to build a strong multilateral coalition, the course of this may instead push Iran to leave the deal and resume work on a bomb. We can never allow that to happen.

So I am happy that we keep passing the sanctions bills, but Congress' role can only go so far. It is up to the administration to lay out its goals, devise a strategy, and implement the tough sanctions Congress has passed. It is more than 60 days since we passed the sanctions bill, and the President has not implemented it. According to the bill, which the President signed, it was supposed to be implemented within 60 days, so it sends a mixed message.

Talking tough is not enough. Congress sends a bill to the White House, the President signs it, it really should be implemented. So I want to urge the President and the administration to listen to this Congress in a bipartisan way. We passed this bill. It needs to be implemented, and it needs to be passed and implemented again.

In the meantime, I am happy to support this bill. I think this shows that we need to work together when it comes to Iran in a bipartisan way to show that there is really not a shred of difference, that we will not stand for Iran's aggression, we will not stand for the mullahs threatening us, we will not stand for Iran stomping on its own people.

Mr. Speaker, I again thank the chairman for his leadership on this issue. I urge my friends on both sides of the aisle to support it, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, as we have shown again and again, and you can tell with all the comments that were made here, there is support on both sides of the aisle for holding Iran accountable for its dangerous behavior.

While today's bill is similar to the bipartisan sanctions Congress passed during the summer, the direction we are moving today with this bill is the right one: going after Iran for something outside the scope of the nuclear deal.

When the nuclear deal was negotiated, we were told very clearly that it would not prevent us, would not stop us from slapping sanctions on Iran for other things, other things like support of terrorism or ballistic missiles, or all the troublemaking activities that they do.

This is what we are doing today. We are slapping sanctions on Iran for its behavior. We are slapping sanctions on Iran because we are not going to stand for their doing whatever they please and helping terrorism, suppressing rights of its people, and being a general threat to the United States.

So I hope that we can get a strong, bipartisan, overwhelming vote for this bill the way we did in the bill that Chairman Royce and I introduced 3

months ago, again, which gave the President 60 days to identify sanctions, which was not done beyond the 60 days, and I hope that the administration forthwith does that now.

So I think this is an important measure. I think it is an important measure to have a strong bipartisan vote because we have to show the Iranians that, while we may disagree on certain things, there is no disagreement on the fact that we regard Iran as the largest state sponsor of terrorism.

It is true of both sides of the aisle that we regard Iran as threatening; that we regard Iran as dangerous in the Middle East; that we regard Iran, unfortunately, as an adversary of the United States. The comments with the rallies that the Ayatollah holds, death to America, death to Israel, is not something that we can countenance in this country, and so we are going to fight it.

I am very proud of what the House is doing today. I urge a ``yes'' vote. And I want to thank Chairman Royce, once again, for his strong leadership on this measure and so many other measures.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

General Leave

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

I rise in support of this measure. Let me start off by thanking Representatives Gallagher of Wisconsin and Suozzi of New York. Mr. Suozzi is a very valued, new member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and I want to thank both of them for their hard work on this bill. And, as always, I want to thank Chairman Royce for his leadership.

This is the first of three measures that we are considering today to crack down on the terrorist group, Hezbollah. I have been focused on this challenge for a long time. More than a decade ago, I wrote a law to get Syria out of Lebanon and, with it, Syria's support for Hezbollah.

But this is a group made up of extremists, and they will always try to find new ways to gather resources and spread their reach, all in aid of its dangerous and violent agenda, which is undermining Lebanon's political independence; supporting Iran's activities, aggressive activities throughout the region; fueling chaos and war in Syria; and threatening our ally, Israel.

We need to do everything in our power to isolate Hezbollah. We need to crack down on its recruiters and financiers. We need to cut off its supply of weapons, and we need to silence its propaganda machine.

The three measures we will now consider will help us meet this challenge. The first is a new sanctions bill aimed at Hezbollah's use of innocent civilians as human shields. It would ban entry into the United States to anyone who uses human shields on behalf of Hezbollah, and it would freeze whatever assets they have in the United States.

This bill would call upon our Ambassador to the U.N. to push for multilateral sanctions for the same behavior, and it would require the administration to keep Congress apprised about whether certain Hezbollah leaders would be caught up in the web of these sanctions.

It is a good bill and a piece of a broader strategy to cut the legs out from under this odious group.

You know, some our friends in Europe like to say: Well, there are really two parts of Hezbollah. One is the military wing, and one is the humanitarian wing, and the so-called humanitarian wing takes care of people who are in trouble, who need aid, who need help, and that is the way the story goes.

The fact is, a terrorist organization is a terrorist organization. You cannot cut it in half and say one wing is good and the other wing is not. A terrorist organization is not good. A terrorist organization kills innocent people. A terrorist organization doesn't want peace, they want war, they want killing, they want people to continue to suffer. So let us remember, Hezbollah is a terrorist group.

Hezbollah is primarily financed by Iran. Assad was losing the war in Syria on at least two occasions, and, on those times, Syria had an infusion of Hezbollah fighters sent by Iran on the side of the Assad regime to prop up Assad. And after they did it, the Russians came in and propped up Assad.

So let's remember the hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians who have been murdered in Syria in the Syria civil war. That is Hezbollah, a terrorist organization--bombs in Israel against innocent civilians, bombs every place else.

We cannot sit idly by. And so this bill, again, is a piece of a broader strategy to cut the legs out from under this odious group.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support it. I urge everyone to do the same, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Suozzi), my colleague on the Foreign Affairs Committee, a fellow New Yorker, and one of the new good members of our committee, and coauthor of this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel), a valued member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the remainder of my time to close the way I always do.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues on both sides for their hard work on this bill. I want to remind my colleagues that, just a few years ago when the last war was raging in Gaza, the other terrorist group, Hamas, used civilians as human shields. We had a resolution on the floor of this House condemning it, and I was very, very proud that that resolution passed unanimously.

We need to condemn these terrorist groups no matter what they do, but when they use people as human shields--innocent people--and then try to blame the other side for the death, it is not something that we can countenance or stand for at all. I hope that we rise to the occasion this time, as well, because I can think of nothing more despicable than using innocent civilians as human shields.

These bomb factories are built in mosques, they are built in schools, and they are built in playgrounds. They are built where children are. They are built because they are daring Israel and the United States to go after them when we know that there will be human casualties. It is really a despicable position.

Here you have two terrorists groups, Hezbollah and Hamas. One is Shia; one is Sunni. It doesn't matter. They are both out to kill people. They are both out to terrorize people. They are both out to do the opposite of what we try to do in the United States: lifting people up.

They need to be stopped, and this Congress needs to keep sending strong messages with teeth behind them to the world that we will not sit idly by and allow these terrorist activities to happen.

Using civilians as human shields is really the lowest of the low. The fact that Hezbollah would put innocent men, women, and children in harm's way as human shields tells you everything you need to know about this organization. It is a cowardly practice by a gruesome group, and it cannot and shall not be tolerated.

This measure puts us on record again condemning this terrorist group, and it gives the administration more tools to deal with one of Hezbollah's worst tools, more tools to deal with Hezbollah to stop its terrorist activities. So I urge a bipartisan ``yes'' vote.

I thank Chairman Royce again for his collaboration with us on both sides of the aisle. That is one of the great things about the Foreign Affairs Committee because we realize that partisanship stops at the water's edge. When we are talking about terrorist groups and we are talking about antidemocratic groups, they affect us all. It is important that this Congress sends strong bipartisan measures and a strong bipartisan voice to say we will not tolerate these atrocities.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote from all my colleagues on both sides, 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 support of this measure.

Let me again thank Chairman Royce for his leadership and for his hard work on this bill. I am glad to be the lead Democratic cosponsor of this legislation, which builds on a law that Ed Royce and I wrote in 2015.

One of the best ways to stop Hezbollah's dangerous activity is to cut off its financing, which is what we tried to do 2 years ago. We went after Hezbollah's financial patrons, including Iran. But again, this is a group that, if you block one path forward, they will do what it takes to find another way around.

So with this measure, we are broadening existing law by going after a bigger universe of Hezbollah supporters and enablers. This bill would impose mandatory sanctions on any third parties or governments providing money, equipment, or weapons to Hezbollah.

We know that Iran will again get caught up in this dragnet, and this bill doesn't run afoul of our obligations under the nuclear deal or any other deal. After all, Iran's support for Hezbollah is outside the scope of the JCPOA.

But it is not just Iran. In recent years, we have seen Moscow step up its support of Hezbollah, particularly on the battlefields of Syria, where Russia has supplied Hezbollah with weapons. It is really outrageous. Russia claims to be fighting so-called terrorists as they bomb schools, hospitals, and marketplaces. Yet Russian weapons are ending up in Hezbollah hands.

Let me be clear: Hezbollah is a terrorist group. It is as simple as that. Chairman Royce and I have said this many times. The Russia- Hezbollah relationship threatens to undermine global antiterrorism efforts.

This bill sends a message that any government in cahoots with Hezbollah, anyone who wants to do business with this terrorist group or support its violent aims, is going to face the consequences.

This is a timely bill. Iran is building weapons factories in southern Lebanon that would be buried far underground, out of Israel's reach. The missiles that will come off that assembly line are more precise and have a longer range, putting virtually the whole of Israel in their sights.

Iran's and Hezbollah's presence in Syria, particularly in the south, right on Israel's borders, is a very serious concern. I worry about the deescalation zones the United States helped to establish in southern Syria. We don't want those zones to become hotbeds of Hezbollah.

Several weeks ago, I was in Israel, and we trekked up to the border between Israel and Lebanon. At the border, as far as the eye can see, when you are in Israel and you are looking down at Lebanon, you see a number of flags. Are they the Lebanese flag? No. It is the Hezbollah flag.

Hezbollah has virtually taken over large parts of Lebanon, strangling the Lebanese people as well. The Lebanese people are suffering under a brutal terrorist group that is embedded in a society that disallows them to act as a free and open society.

My heart really goes out to the Lebanese people, who have a terrorist group virtually sitting in their lap, refusing to move, and putting them in all kinds of danger.

These areas have the potential to create a safe haven for Hezbollah and Iranian actors. They will stoke existing tensions and could create a corridor from Tehran to the Mediterranean through Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. This would present a major shift in the regional balance of power, and it would present threats to Israel that it could not ignore.

If these deescalation zones end up empowering Iran and Hezbollah, then we will have betrayed our ally, Israel, at the most critical moment. That is why we are passing this bill.

I, again, thank Chairman Royce for his continued strong leadership on this issue. I strongly support this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, since I, too, will go over to the Senate side, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), and I ask unanimous consent that he may control the time on this bill.

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

Let me thank my good friend and colleague from Florida, Representative Deutch, the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Middle East Subcommittee, for bringing forward this measure.

This measure represents another part of a good congressional strategy for combatting Hezbollah, and that's rallying support among friends and partners . . . making sure that around the world everyone sees Hezbollah for what it is: a terrorist group.

This has been a bit of a stumbling block with our friends in the European Union. Make no mistake: Hezbollah has waged its campaign of violence in Europe over the years, such as 2012, when a Hezbollah terrorist killed five Israelis in Bulgaria.

Yet in 2013, the EU announced it would consider only the ``military wing'' of Hezbollah to be a terrorist organization, drawing a distinction with the so-called political wing.

Well, Mr. Speaker, that's a distinction without a difference. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization, and that's all there is to it. The more shades of grey clouding this issue, the harder it's going to be to work with our EU allies to stop Hezbollah's violent activities.

So this measure lays out the facts about Hezbollah's presence in Europe and the other groups that have labeled Hezbollah a terrorist organization. It commends the work we're already doing with our EU allies to push back against Hezbollah. And it says that it's time for the EU to stop the hairsplitting. It calls on the EU to designate all of Hezbollah for what it is: a terrorist organization.

I'm glad to support this measure. It sends such an important signal to our friends across the Atlantic.

Mr. Speaker, there are so many different issues. We are talking about tax reform, but I want to go back to an issue we have talked about for several months now, and that is the DREAMers.

I rise today to call on the House leadership to bring up the Dream Act. The DREAMers who came to this country as children were brought by their parents for a chance to pursue the American Dream.

These young Americans go to our colleges and universities. They are our teachers and doctors and serve in the military, and we cannot afford to upend the lives and dreams of these 800,000 DACA recipients-- people like Andres, a DREAMer who lives in my district. He came to this country as a child, and America is the only home he knows. He attends school here, earned his associate's degree, and became a building engineer. He built his personal relationships in our country and contributes every day to our society. His work, his friends and family are all in the United States. It would be a cruel mistake to force him to give all that up and send him back to a country he doesn't know.

Nearly 9 out of 10 Americans support the DACA program. It is our responsibility to the American people and to the hundreds of thousands of young DREAMers in this country to pass the Dream Act now.

Mr. Speaker, we should do so as soon as we can.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure for me to rise and recognize a pillar of the Hastings-On-Hudson community, James T. Drumm, who for 50 years has dedicated himself to public service and helping others as a integral part of the Hastings-On-Hudson Fire Department at the Riverview Manor Hose Company No. 3. I am honored to be able to offer this recognition to such a dedicated servant of the people.

James has done a tremendous amount for Hastings, but his service actually began in the United States Marine Corps, where he was active duty from 1955 to 1957. As a former member ofthe Armed Forces, it was only fitting that, upon his discharge, James would continue on a path of serving the public good. He went on to join the Hastings Fire Department, rising through the ranks to become Chief of Department from 1987-1989 and again from 1995-1997. He also served as Deputy Chief, Ambulance Corp Member, Fire Police Officer, and, today, remains active as Village Fire Inspector.

I am very fortunate and proud to represent such a distinguished public servant as James, and after a half-century of remarkable work in service to his country and local community, he too should feel tremendously proud. I want to thank James for all he has done on behalf of Hastings and our grateful nation.

Mr. Speaker, it is always an honor for me to recognize constituents who have given so selflessly to the communities I represent. When it comes to Hastings-On-Hudson, few individuals have been as selfless and dedicated to improving the public good as George Gevas, who this year will mark his 50th year of public service in the community.

George has certainly had a storied career in Hastings, first joining the Hastings Fire Department in June of 1967 and completing the Essentials of Firemanship within 2 years. After 20 years of service, he reached the rank of Captain in the department, and subsequent became both a Fire Inspector and Fire Police Officer.

Today, George serves as the Village Police Commissioner, solidifying his unparalleled legacy of public service to Hastings. Though that's not the only legacy he has left. Those in Hastings familiar with the annual Kid's Christmas Run hosted by the Uniontown Hose Company will know that George was in fact the very first man to ever portray Santa Claus at the event; just another example of his good-hearted nature and love for his friends and neighbors.

Few individuals have ever given as much to their community as George Gevas, and Hastings has been incredibly fortunate to have him. I want to congratulate George on a remarkable half-century of public service and thank him for all he has done to strengthen his neighborhood.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Representative Castro for calling for this special order to discuss the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people from Burma.

It's a heartbreaking humanitarian disaster and day-by-day the situation continues to deteriorate.

Just today, Bangladesh Border Guards are reporting that more than 11,000 Rohingya refugees entered Bangladesh from Burma.

These refugees are the result of the unprecedented level of violence in Burma's Rakhine State.

Because of this bloody conflict, more than half a million Rohingya-- 60 percent of whom are children--have fled as refugees across the border into Bangladesh.

This is the swiftest exodus of any population since the 1994 Rwanda genocide and Serbia's 1999 ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.

The Burmese military has claimed that this brutal crackdown is the response to a clash that took place on August 25th, in which border security forces faced off against Rohingya insurgents reportedly using knives, small arms, and small explosives.

But this isn't a legitimate counterinsurgency or counterterrorism operation. The Burmese military and border security forces have specifically targeted Rohingya using medieval tactics: slash and burn, rape, indiscriminate killing. Twenty-one square kilometers of villages systematically burned to the ground.

As I see it, the only person in Burma who could put an end to the violence, clear the way for humanitarian aid, and allow for a full accounting of what has occurred is Min Aung Hlaing, Commander in Chief of the Burmese military. Unfortunately, the intentions of the military are clear: to remove the Rohingya people from Burma.

Welcoming these refugees, thankfully, is the Government of Bangladesh, which is now hosting nearly a million Rohingya refugees.

And while Bangladesh opens its doors, I consider it an embarrassment that the United States is closing ours. The Trump Administration has lowered our yearly cap on refugees from all over the world to 45,000 per year--the smallest number ever. As this crisis grew worse, Bangladesh took in that many people every four days.

This policy harms American leadership in the world. It undermines our ability to speak credibly about refugees, human rights, or living up to basic international humanitarian principles. It diminishes our standing in a part of the world where China is only too happy to fill the void.

The United States has allocated $38 million to assist with the crisis. That number seems grossly inadequate considering the scale of the humanitarian nightmare now facing the Government of Bangladesh and the Rohingya who have found refuge there.

We need to do more, and that starts by shining a light on this tragedy. So I'm grateful to Mr. Castro, I'm grateful to all my colleagues who are putting this issue front and center. I hope that the Administration will give this crisis the focus and resources needed. This is a situation that calls for American leadership, and I'll keep making the case in Congress that we can and must do more.

Mr. Speaker, as a former educator in the public school system, I know just how hard the administrators and faculty work to help our kids achieve academic excellence. Today I honor one of those fine educators, Dr. Edwin M. Quezada, the Superintendent of Yonkers Public Schools, who is being recognized by the Nepperhan Community Center in Yonkers for all he has done for our students in the community.

As Yonkers Superintendent, Dr. Quezada moves the agenda of public education in Yonkers, New York, the fourth largest school district in the state serving almost 28,000 students and employing 3,600 staff. The Trustees of the Yonkers Board of Education appointed Dr. Quezada Superintendent of Schools on March 16, 2016 after serving as Deputy Superintendent for two years. Dr. Quezada supervises all functions of the school district's 39 schools and central administration--teaching and learning, budgetary, human resources, facilities, communications, technology and works with city, state and federal officials. Under Dr. Quezada's tutelage Yonkers boasts the highest on-time graduation rate, 82 percent, of New York State's Big 5 city school districts. In 2016, My Brother's Keeper Challenge was launched in the City of Yonkers, initiated by Dr. Quezada and flourishing through a coalition with Mayor Mike Spano and Nepperhan Community Center Executive Director Rev. Dr. Jim Bostic.

An immigrant from the Dominican Republic, Dr. Quezada came to the Bronx, New York in September 1983 at age 16. Completing most of his early education in the Dominican Republic, he graduated from James Monroe High School in 1985 and immediately began his college career at Herbert H. Lehman College, my alma mater. In January of 1998, Dr. Quezada joined the Yonkers Public Schools as a Human Relations Facilitator. Recognized as a mover and shaker, he was encouraged to obtain a degree in school administration. He was appointed assistant principal at Gorton High School in 2000, Principal of Emerson Middle in 2003, and Principal of Lincoln High School in 2004. During his tenure as principal, Lincoln High School received state and local accolades for improving student achievement. After ten years as a principal, Dr. Quezada was promoted to Assistant Superintendent for Secondary Administration and Supervision, before finally rising to Superintendent.

When not shaping young minds, Dr. Quezada enjoys spending time with his family--his wife, Gladys, a Yonkers teacher and their two children, Edwin Joseph and Alyssa Marie. They are his pride and joy.

Dr. Quezada has been an exemplary public servant and is most deserving of this recognition. Congratulations to him on the occasion.

Mr. Speaker, in my district there are several community focused organizations that do amazing work on behalf of my constituents. The Nepperhan Community Center in Yonkers is one of those standout organizations, and this year it celebrates its incredible 75th anniversary.

Nepperhan Community Center (NCC) was founded by a group of concerned neighbors in the Nepperhan section of Yonkers (now Runyon Heights) in the late 1930s. This group wanted a meeting place that could also accommodate recreational activities and classes for the youth. In 1942, NCC became officially incorporated, and with the help of United Way, purchased a building at 117 Palisades Avenue. The activities offered at this location expanded to include cooking, basketball, sewing and occasional social dances. Scholarships were also offered to deserving students for upstate campsites. Through the years, the programs and services offered by NCC increased by more than twenty-fold. Even though the demand for services was increasing, NCC was still functioning on a part-time basis. In the late 1960s, NCC relocated to 302 Warburton Avenue, where it undertook new programming, along with Yonkers YCAP, in the field of education, tutoring, remedial reading and math. NCC also started its first parental involvement program.

NCC initiated a Black Studies and Cultural Enrichment program, which for the first time, afforded many young individuals in the community the experience of going to black theater, plays, and seeing ballets. Today, NCC still carries on that tradition, in addition to presenting our own theatrical productions. During this time, NCC became aware of the many social ills that were affecting our community in the areas of employment, housing, education, high youth crime, etc. NCC addressed these issues by setting up an Ex-Offender Program and a few years later a Youthful Offender program, with built-in help that offered assistance with employment, housing, life coping skills and education. Other programs included: welfare rights, veterans services, pre-trial intervention, drug programs, social and recreational programs.

NCC has grown from a part-time social agency, serving a few people yearly, to now providing direct services, referral and supportive services on a full-time basis. The addition of these capabilities has enabled NCC to assist thousands of children and their families. Today under strong leadership from Dr. Jim Bostic and his team, it continues to offer invaluable service to the Yonkers community and beyond. I want to congratulate them on 75 terrific years and say here's to 75 more.