Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, Audrey Smith-Johnson was born in Yonkers and attended Yonkers Public Schools, and graduated from Tefft Business School. As a high school student, she volunteered at the Yonkers YWCA and was a Candy Striper at St. Joseph Hospital. But it was while working various positions at a temp agency that she found her passion in real estate. She received her Real Estate Certificate and has been working in that field for 28 years.

But she has another calling, and that is as a member of her community. In July, 2005, she joined Community Sunset Temple #1132, Daughters of Elks, LBPOE Elks of the World. She was promptly elected as Doorkeeper and in 2006 she was elected as the Treasurer. There she has embraced in all facets of Elkdom. Some of the positions she holds are: Assistant Vice Loyal Daughter of Unity Past Daughter Rulers Council (Westchester & Rockland), she is a member of the New York State Daughters of Elks--Royal Court Department, Treasurer/Financial Secretary of the Past State President Circle of Westchester, Rockland and Sullivan Counties. This year she is the Chairperson of the Mid- Winter Conference for The New York State 1B POE of W.

She also belongs to the Yonkers African-American Heritage Committee, a not-for-profit community based organization that partners with several other such organizations, such as: Sister To Sister, YMCA, YWCA and The Yonkers Public Library. Mrs. Johnson joined the YAAHC in 2005, and was named Financial Secretary, a job she has kept, along with several appointed positions such as: Chairperson-Nominating Committee, Joint-Chair-Scholarship Committee and Assistant Corresponding Secretary.

In May 2009, Senior Center #9, located at Terrace City Lodge #1499 appointed her Communication/Publicity Director.

She and her husband, John (Worshipful Master of James H. Farrell #34, PH) have been married for 31 years. They have two children, Mrs. LaTasha Pagan and John, Jr., and a granddaughter Karissma. She is also a mother and grandmother to her extended family--Ms. Capricia McClellan and her children and her grandchildren.

I am proud to join the Luther V. Garrison Sr. Masonic Foundation in honoring Audrey Smith-Johnson as Woman of the Year for her many contributions to her community.

Mr. Speaker, Houses of Worship in the United States have played a major role in our communities, offering solace, support, and sustenance, both physical and moral, to all. In Mount Vernon, the Unity Baptist Tabernacle, under the guidance of the Rev. Edward Mulraine fulfils all those roles, and today we are celebrating Rev. Mulraine's tenth Pastoral Anniversary in guiding the membership of his church.

Rev. Mulraine has accomplished much in that time to help his Church, his Ministry and his Community.

He established a Men's Fellowship Choir, a Prayer Ministry, a Senior Ministry, and the Gospel Pearls. He expanded the Church's Ministry through radio station WVOV and the Internet. He instituted Women as Deacons and Unity Baptist Tabernacle saw its first Women Deacons in 2011. Unity Tabernacle now teaches Weekly Bible Study and has a Drama Ministry and a Catering Ministry.

More pragmatically Rev. Mulraine raised the funds for a new computer center which now has 14 brand new computers, installed new air conditioning in the Dining Hall, painted the sanctuary and redid the Church roof, and is paying off the $300,000 mortgage.

Beyond his church and ministry, Rev. Mulraine has aided his community by getting pedestrian crossing lights on local streets, marching against violence, and protesting cuts to Day Care and Mount Vernon Hospital. He established the Annual Church Trip and Fellowship to South Carolina, started Home Coming after Summer Break, and fought for funds for the South Street Park.

Rev. Mulraine, and all of Mount Vernon, today celebrate his tenth anniversary as Minister of the Unity Baptist Tabernacle. I am proud to join in this celebration of a man who has made a great difference in his Church, his Ministry and his Community.

Mr. Speaker, Michelle ``Missy'' Palmisciano is Founder and President of County Harvest--a non-profit food rescue organization she began in 2009 to ensure that good food otherwise being discarded was instead saved and delivered by volunteers to area soup kitchens, food pantries and homeless shelters.

With more than 200 volunteers, and relationships with dozens of County-based agencies and food donor businesses, Missy and her award- winning organization do more than 60 food rescue runs each week and have collected over 1 million pounds of food since County Harvest began feeding thousands of men, women and children every year. County Harvest continually seeks new food donors and agencies throughout Westchester County.

Missy is also a member of the Planning Board for the Village of Pelham Manor and an Advisory Board Member for Community Service Associates in Mt. Vernon. She has served as a Board Member for the Junior League of Pelham as co-chair of Community Outreach, member of the Prospect Hill Site Based Counsel, Board Member of Huguenot Nursery School and various committee roles supporting The Picture House and the Pelham Public Library's Novel Night.

She and her husband James have three children: daughters Jessica, and twins Allison and Sarah. She is being honored by the Pelham Civic Association for her extensive work in helping her community to be a better, and healthier, place to live. I salute her for her good works and wish her every success in her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, Elaine Chapnick arrived in Larchmont in 1968 with her husband David and their two children, Adam and Melissa. She joined the League of Women Voters and volunteered to become Executive Director of the New York Council on Children's Television, working with the networks to promote better programming with less commercialism. She also spoke with parent groups throughout the Metropolitan area on how to manage television in their children's lives.

After teaching English for a year at a special fifth grade program at the Murray Avenue School she joined Caroline Silverstone to form a video production company. Their documentary projects included taping the Arts in the Schools program which Lincoln Center had introduced in the Mamaroneck schools. She then ran an after school video club at Chatsworth School.

When her children were in school full time she worked at Newsweek Broadcasting where she developed a pilot children's public affairs program called Periscope. From there she went to the American Lung Association, initiated their anti-smoking campaign and became the Executive Director of Communications.

During this time she served on the Board of the Emelin Theater, on the Board of Larchmont Temple chairing the Adult Education Committee, the Board of LMC-TV that negotiated the original community cable agreement, the Board of Continuing Education, the School Board Selection Committee, and the Hispanic Resource Center, serving as Fund Chair and newsletter editor.

She represented the Village of Larchmont on the county's Community Development Block Grant Committee and was a member of the Board of Trustees of Barnard College where she chaired the Student Life Committee.

More recently she was a reporter covering the Larchmont Village Board meetings for the Larchmont Gazette, was a member of the Human Rights Committee which planned the last five Martin Luther King, Jr. events, serves on the Planned Parenthood Luncheon Planning Committee and is the President of the Larchmont/Mamaroneck Local Summit.

I congratulate Elaine Chapnick on receiving this year's Sunny Award, created in honor of former LMC-TV President Sunny Yeddis Goldberg, and given to individuals for their dedication and their outstanding contribution to our community.

Mr. Speaker, Jerry Friedman is a wonderful example of someone who has continually given back to his community over the course of his 85 years.

Jerry was born in Brooklyn on December 9, 1928. He entered the service in 1948, and served in the Army Medical Corps before being discharged as a First Sergeant in 1953. In 1955 he married Lillian and they had two children, Lynn and Stuart, and are grandparents to Sophie and Benjamin.

The family moved to Co-op City and lived there for the next 42 years. There Jerry served on the Board of Directors for six years and was with the Boy Scouts for 20 years, becoming a Scout Master.

He has been a member of the Knights of Pythias for 25 years serving as Chancellor.

Jerry has a long work history with the Gateway Counseling Center where he worked with consumer of mental health services. He was appointed to the Board of Visitors of the Bronx Psychiatric Center, a 360-bed facility accredited by the Joint Commission on Healthcare Organizations and affiliated with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Bronx Psychiatric Center has three inpatient services and a comprehensive outpatient program.

Jerry's photography hobby led to his pictures being shown at a variety of venues, including synagogues and senior citizen centers.

I wish Jerry the happiest of birthdays and thank him for his many years of service and his many contributions to the community.

Mr. Speaker, Joe Ruggiero, the Chief of the Pelham Manor Fire Department, is a lifelong resident of Pelham whose professional commitment to Pelham as a decorated Firefighter and Chief equals his charitable contributions to the countless number of children and their families he has helped.

Joe has dedicated decades using hockey to have a positive impact on community kids. After creating Learn to Play clinics in the Westchester area, he volunteered to coach in Pelham Youth Hockey's in house and travel programs. Joe continues to make significant contributions to Pelham and the tristate area with his volunteer coaching and administrative league duties with the New York Raptors, a unique program that focuses on providing mentally and physically challenged hockey players with the opportunities to play hockey with games and events that had never been offered to them before.

Because of his extraordinary contributions, he was recently presented at Madison Square Garden with the prestigious 2013 Emile Francis Award for ``tireless efforts, sacrifices, dedication and service to youth hockey.'' His dedicated commitment for the past 29 years does not stop on the ice as he has been a dedicated member of various charities and altruistic causes and programs such as Ice Hockey in Harlem, Pelham Civic Association's Scholarship committee and as a volunteer with the local Recreation Department.

He and his wife Marcia reside in Pelham, with their three children, Jillian, Christopher, and Alexander, who all were educated in the Pelham School system. I congratulate Joe on his being honored by the Pelham Civic Association for his many years and many contributions to the betterment of life in his community.

Mr. Speaker, William Abramson was born and raised in the Bronx and today is being honored by the Riverdale Jewish Community Relations Council with the Community Builder Award for his commitment to the community.

His commitment is impressive. Bill was President of the Board of Directors of the Riverdale YM-YWHA for four years and is now the Chairman of the Board. He is a Past President of the Benjamin Franklin Reformed Democratic Club and is presently a member of the Van Courtland Park Conservancy.

He served as Chairman of Community Board No. 8 in the Bronx for three years, and was the impetus for the creation of the 197-A plan, a system by which city agencies and local groups inspire area growth. He received the 2000 David Rockefeller Fellowship for helping to develop top private sector leaders and engage them in New York City's public arena. He is also Vice President of the Union Square Partnership, and a member of The Greenwich Village Chelsea Chamber of Commerce and Village Alliance.

He has been selected several times as ``Commander for the Day'' by the Policeman's Association and ``Principal for a Day'' by PENCIL. Mayor Bloomberg appointed Bill to the Workforce Investment Board, where he is on the Strategic Planning Committee.

Bill is an adjunct professor at New York University, teaching Facility Management and Leadership in Management. Bill has served as president of his condominium board in Riverdale for over five years. He has done numerous residential and commercial deals, serving on Real Estate Board of New York's, REBNY, Residential Rental Committee, and REBNY's Retail Committees.

Bill is committed to making a positive difference in his community, the places he works at, and the people he works with and for. It is my pleasure to join with the Riverdale Jewish Community Relations Council in honoring Bill Abramson with the Community Builders Award for his years of dedicated service to his community and his city.

Mr. Speaker, Martha Lopez arrived here from Mexico City when she was 15, attended and graduated from Mamaroneck High School. She went on to get her B.A. in Sociology from Lehman College and a Master's degree in Social Work from Columbia University.

She worked for the Washingtonville Housing Alliance for more than 17 years as the assistant director. While there she involved herself in a variety of community activities including as a Founding Member of the Board of Directors of KEEPS, an after-school program for children in Mamaroneck, and as a Founding Member and Chair of Voz y Vida at St. Vito's Church which helps Hispanic families adjust to the United States and easing the problems of day laborers in Mamaroneck. Voz y Vida received the Martin Luther King Award from the Mamaroneck Tri- Commission Human Rights Committee in 1993.

She is also a member of the Westchester Hispanic Advisory Board, Secretary to the Board of Directors, Emelin Theater, and Co-founding the Hispanic Resource Center of Larchmont/Mamaroneck and served for two years its president.

She received the Dr. Martin Luther King Human Rights Award, for her efforts on behalf of immigrants

In 2001 Martha was named Director for Hispanic Affairs for Westchester County, serving as a bridge between government programs and services and the Westchester Hispanic community.

In 2010 Martha oversaw the village-wide educational campaign that complied with the Federal Voting Rights Case settlement of Port Chester.

She is presently Bilingual Election Inspector Coordinator with Westchester County Board of Elections where she manages a county-wide training program for more than 200 bilingual (English-Spanish) election inspectors.

She and her husband Dennis Hanratty, Executive Director of Mount Vernon United Tenants, have two children. Louis and Jason.

Martha Lopez has compiled an extraordinary record of accomplishments for the Hispanic community and for Westchester County and I am proud to join with the Hispanic Democrats of Westchester in honoring her.

Mr. Speaker, Houses of Worship in the United States have played a major role in our communities, offering solace, support, and sustenance, both physical and moral, to all. In Mount Vernon, the Unity Baptist Tabernacle, under the guidance of the Rev. Edward Mulraine fulfils all those roles, and today we are celebrating Rev. Mulraine's tenth Pastoral Anniversary in guiding the membership of his church.

Rev. Mulraine has accomplished much in that time to help his Church, his Ministry and his Community.

He established a Men's Fellowship Choir, a Prayer Ministry, a Senior Ministry, and the Gospel Pearls. He expanded the Church's Ministry through radio station WVOV and the Internet. He instituted Women as Deacons and Unity Baptist Tabernacle saw its first Women Deacons in 2011. Unity Tabernacle now teaches Weekly Bible Study and has a Drama Ministry and a Catering Ministry.

More pragmatically Rev. Mulraine raised the funds for a new computer center which now has 14 brand new computers, installed new air conditioning in the Dining Hall, painted the sanctuary and redid the Church roof, and is paying off the $300,000 mortgage.

Beyond his church and ministry, Rev. Mulraine has aided his community by getting pedestrian crossing light on local streets, marching against violence, and protesting cuts to Day Care and Mount Vernon Hospital. He established the Annual Church Trip and Fellowship to South Carolina, started Home Coming after Summer Break, and fought for funds for the South Street Park.

Rev. Mulraine, and all of Mount Vernon, today celebrate his tenth anniversary as Minister of the Unity Baptist Tabernacle. I am proud to join in this celebration of a man who has made a great difference in his Church, his Ministry and his Community.

Mr. Speaker, Susan Sobel, the District Manager of the Yonkers Field Office of the Social Security Administration is retiring after 35 years of service to the people on the New York area.

Susan began her career in November 1977 as a claims representative trainee in the Hunts Point Field Office and in 1982, she was promoted to operations supervisor in the East Bronx Field Office. In 1988, she participated in the New York Region Staff Development Program as a field services specialist in the New York Regional Office.

Over the years, Susan held positions of increasing responsibility, including social insurance program analyst in the New York Office of the Regional Commissioner and Assistant District manager in the Yonkers Field Office. In September 2002, she received a temporary promotion to District Manager of the White Plains office and, in June 2003, she was named District Manager of the Yonkers Field office.

Throughout her career, Susan received numerous awards, including a Commissioner's

Citation team award in 2001 and Deputy Commissioner's Citations in 2004 and 2005.

She was noted for her attention to detail and her dedication to the Social Security Administration and its mission. I worked with her on several occasions and was impressed by her ability and her attention to detail. I want to personally thank her for her years of dedicated service.

Susan and her husband Ron, who is also retiring from the SSA, plan to spend time celebrating family and friendships, travelling and exploring. I wish them the very best in their retirement years.

Mr. Speaker, Audrey Smith-Johnson was born in Yonkers and attended Yonkers Public Schools, and graduated from Tefft Business School. As a high school student, she volunteered at the Yonkers YWCA and was a Candy Striper at St Joseph Hospital. But it was while working various positions at a temp agency that she found her passion in real estate. She received her Real Estate Certificate and has been working in that field for 28 years.

But she has another calling, and that is as a member of her community. In July, 2005,

she joined Community Sunset Temple #1132, Daughters of Elks, IBPOE Elks of the World. She was promptly elected as Doorkeeper and in 2006 she was elected as the Treasurer. There she has embraced in all facets of Elkdom. Some of the positions she holds are: Assistant Vice Loyal Daughter of Unity Past Daughter Rulers Council (Westchester & Rockland), she is a member of the New York State Daughters of Elks-- Royal Court Department, Treasurer/Financial Secretary of the Past State President Circle of Westchester, Rockland and Sullivan Counties. This year she is the Chairperson of the Mid-Winter Conference for The New York State IBPOE of W.

She also belongs to the Yonkers African-American Heritage Committee, a not-for-profit community based organization that partners with several other such organizations, such as: Sister To Sister, YMCA, YWCA and The Yonkers Public Library. Mrs. Johnson joined the YAAHC in 2005, and was named Financial Secretary, a job she has kept, along with several appointed positions such as: Chairperson-Nominating Committee, Joint-Chair-Scholarship Committee and Assistant Corresponding Secretary.

In May 2009, Senior Center #9, located at Terrace City Lodge #1499 appointed her Communication/Publicity Director.

She and her husband, John (Worshipful Master of James H. Farrell #34, PH) have been married for 31 years. They have two children, Mrs. LaTasha Pagan and John, Jr., and a granddaughter Karissma. She is also a mother and grandmother to her extended family--Ms. Capricia McClellan and her children and her grandchildren.

I am proud to join the Luther V. Garrison Sr. Masonic Foundation in honoring Audrey Smith-Johnson as Woman of the Year for her many contributions to her community.

Mr. Speaker, Ronald Sobel, Area Director for Area I, is retiring from the Social Security Administration (SSA) after more than forty-two years of helping people.

Ron began his career in August 1971 as a claims representative in the East New York, Brooklyn field office and in 1974 was promoted to operations supervisor in another Brooklyn office, later transferring to the North Bronx.

Over the years, Ron was promoted to positions of increasing responsibility, including operations officer in Jackson Heights, Queens, labor relations specialist in the Office of the Assistant Regional Commissioner for Management and Budget, and Assistant District Manager in the White Plains and East Bronx, Field offices.

In 1993, Ron was named District Manager of the South Bronx Field Office and in 2009 he was promoted to his current position of Area Director for Area I.

Ron was an active member of the New York Region Management Society for thirty-seven years, serving as its President for four years. Throughout his career, Ron has received numerous awards, including a Regional Commissioner's Citation team award in 2007, individual and team Commissioner's Citations in 2007 and 2001, and a Deputy Commissioner's Citation team award in 2004.

Ron's retirement plans include enjoying time with his family, including a new granddaughter, and friends. He and his wife Susan will explore New York City, vacation in Florida, visit Europe, and travel to wherever the road leads them.

I want to thank Ron for his many years of service to the people of New York City in one of our vital governmental agencies. The help he brought to them will live on for years.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3509, the Assessing Progress in Haiti Act of 2013.

I would like to begin by thanking my friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), for introducing this important legislation. The Haitian people are lucky to have a friend with her vision and tenacity.

It is difficult to overstate the devastation wrought by the 2010 earthquake in Haiti that gave rise to the multinational assistance effort: 316,000 people dead, which is just unbelievable, including 103 United States citizens, 101 United Nations personnel, and nearly 18 percent of the Nation's civil service; 300,000 injured; 115,000 homes destroyed; and 2 million people displaced. An estimated 15 percent of the population of Haiti was directly affected by the disaster and related damages.

I traveled to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, shortly after the quake, and I can attest to the fact that even those horrific statistics do not fully describe the waste and destruction I saw.

The United States quickly responded to the devastation in Haiti and responded robustly. In fact, the post-earthquake assistance program remains today among our most important foreign assistance commitments worldwide, which brings me to the bipartisan legislation before us.

H.R. 3509 should be understood as a culminating step in the ongoing oversight work of the Foreign Affairs Committee regarding that assistance plan. A multiyear and multibillion-dollar commitment, reflecting the compassion and generosity of the American people, it calls for ongoing vigilance, both in terms of accountability as well as policy direction.

Our committee commissioned a GAO report on that assistance which found, among other things, that the administration was not providing sufficient information to the Congress to fulfill its oversight role. We also sent a bipartisan staff delegation to look into specific problems the GAO found and held a full committee hearing on the matter.

H.R. 3509 is the logical next step. It seeks to fill the information gap by requiring the State Department to report on various aspects of our assistance program. It also includes a statement of policy that articulates the direction we think that assistance program should take. I believe that H.R. 3509 goes a significant way to achieving that goal.

As I seem to do frequently in our committee and on the floor these days, I would like to once again thank the gentleman from California, Chairman Royce, and his wonderful staff for working in a truly bipartisan manner on this bill. It is genuinely appreciated by me and all of my Democratic colleagues on our committee.

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

I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

I yield the gentlewoman an additional 30 seconds.

It is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke).

I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas, Ms. Sheila Jackson Lee.

I yield the gentlewoman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, as we can all hear from the discussion here this afternoon, this is a very, very important bill and a very, very much needed bill. We have the most generous people in the world in the United States. We need to give help to this island which has been so devastated, which is really very near us geographically, and where we have many ties, particularly now, with the burgeoning Haitian American population as well.

This is humanitarian. This is really what is right. This personifies and I think typifies the good intentions of this Congress and of our Nation. I am proud to play a part in this.

I want to again thank Barbara Lee for all her hard work and thank Chairman Royce for, as we always say, a bipartisan effort. This is truly bipartisan and truly something of which we can all be proud.

I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this horrific tragedy, unfortunately, happened in my district about half a mile from where I live.

When a tragedy like this happens, senseless tragedy, we as Americans all pull together wherever tragedies occur. That is what we are doing here this afternoon. We are pulling together in the face of a terrible, terrible tragedy.

I know that an investigation is going on from the National Transportation Safety Board. I hope that in a short time we will know what happened and, perhaps, we will be able to take steps to ensure that it doesn't happen again, whether it be by legislation or other types of ways we can ensure that this doesn't happen again.

My heart goes out to all the victims and their families of this senseless, senseless tragedy. We as New Yorkers and as Americans in times of tragedy always pull together. New York pulled together after 9/11, and we are pulling together after this horrific tragedy as well.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday in my district and very near to my home, there was a horrific derailment on the Metro-North Railroad, which cost the lives of four people and injured another 63. My heart goes out to the victims: the people who died, the people who were injured, and their families, as well.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating, and hopefully very soon we will know exactly what happened and have their recommendations, as well. Right now, all preliminary accounts say that the train was

going 83 miles an hour in a 70-mile-an-hour zone that was soon by a curve going down to what should have been a 30-mile-an-hour zone.

Again, I hope when the NTSB comes out with recommendations for safety on our rail in the United States, that the Congress will act accordingly and perhaps pass legislation to make our trains safer. In the meantime, again, my heart and our hearts go out to all the victims of this horrific tragedy.