Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a good friend and a former colleague who passed away this past week, a true trailblazer, former Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro. She is one of the few people in history who can lay claim to being a first. She was the first woman to be nominated for Vice President on a major ticket and also the first Italian American to achieve that honor. She was a leader, an advocate, a devoted public servant and beloved family member. I am also honored, most of all, to have been able to call her a friend.

The history that has unfolded after she stood on the stage in San Francisco in 1984 to accept her party's nomination for Vice President has happened thanks to her taking those first steps. I remember being there at the convention in San Francisco in 1984 and how proud we were that one of our own, a New Yorker, Gerry Ferraro, was being nominated as Vice President. At the same time, our Governor at the time, another New Yorker, Mario Cuomo, gave the keynote address at that convention.

Since that time, of course, another woman has appeared on the ballot of a major party for Vice President and another came within a handful of delegates of becoming the first Presidential nominee. Strong women in politics and business are not the exception any longer; they are mainstream. As Gerry declared in San Francisco, ``I stand before you to proclaim tonight: America is the land where dreams can come true for all of us.''

Gerry grew up, as I did, in New York City and went into teaching before going to law school, as I did, and grew up in the South Bronx as a young person, as I did as well. She headed the new Special Victims Bureau of the Queens County District Attorney's Office and was a Queens criminal prosecutor before being elected to the House of Representatives in 1978.

While serving in the House, she created a flex-time program for public employees which has become the basis of such programs in the private sector. She also successfully sponsored the Women's Economic Equality Act, which ended pension discrimination against women, provided job options for displaced homemakers, and enabled homemakers to open IRAs.

When I think of Gerry Ferraro, I think of her as a typical representative of the middle class in New York's outer boroughs. She had a certain kind of combination of street smarts and book smarts and a certain kind of sense and moxie, knowing how to get ahead and what to say.

We are all better off, no question, America is a better place, because of the accomplishments of Gerry Ferraro. Women from coast to coast are better off because of her. But all Americans, women or not, are better off because of what she did. She took those first steps in 1984 when she was nominated. Sixty-four years after women won the right to vote, a woman had removed the ``men only'' sign from the White House door.

I thought it would be good at this point to read some of the things that The New York Times had mentioned about the highlights of Gerry Ferraro.

She was considered very ideal for television: a down-to-earth, streaked blond, peanut butter sandwich making mother whose personal story resonated powerfully. Brought up by a single mother who had crocheted beads on wedding dresses to send her daughter to good schools, Ms. Ferraro had waited until her own children were school-aged before going to work in the Queens District Attorney's Office.

In the 1984 race, many Americans found her breezy style refreshing. ``What are you--crazy?'' was one of her familiar expressions. She might break into a little dance behind the speaker's platform when she liked the introductory music.

Gerry Ferraro, Geraldine Anne Ferraro, was born on August 26, 1935, in the Hudson River city of Newburgh, New York, where she was the fourth child and only daughter of Dominick Ferraro, an Italian immigrant who owned a restaurant and a five-and-dime store, and the former Antonetta L. Corrieri. One brother died shortly after birth, and another, Gerard, died in an automobile accident when he was 3, 2 years before Geraldine was born.

Geraldine was born at home. Her mother, who had been holding Gerard at the time of the crash, and who had washed and pressed his clothes for months after his death, would not go to the hospital for the delivery and leave the third brother, Carl, at home. Geraldine was named for Gerard, but in her book, ``Framing a Life: A Family Memoir,'' written with Catherine Whitney, Ms. Ferraro said her mother had emphasized that she was not taking his place. ``Gerry is special,'' she quoted her mother as saying, ``because she is a girl.''

Her mother soon sold the store and the families' house and moved to the South Bronx. With the proceeds from the sale of the property in Italy that her husband had left her, she sent Geraldine to the Marymount School, a Catholic boarding school in Tarrytown, New York. She sent Carl to military school. Tarrytown, New York, is part of my district.

Ms. Ferraro's outstanding grades earned her a scholarship to Marymount College in Tarrytown, from which she transferred to the school's Manhattan branch. She commuted there from Queens, where her mother had moved by then. An English major, Ms. Ferraro was editor of the school newspaper and an athlete and won numerous honors before graduating in 1956. ``Delights in the unexpected,'' the yearbook said about her.

After graduating, Ms. Ferraro got a job teaching in a public grade school in Queens. She later applied to Fordham Law School, where an admissions officer warned her that she might be taking a man's place. Admitted to its night school, she was one of only two women in a class of 179, and received her law degree in 1960.

Ms. Ferraro and John Zacarro, whose family was in the real estate business, were married on July 16, 1960, 2 days after she passed the bar exam. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1961, and decided to keep her maiden name professionally to honor her mother. She was admitted to the United States Supreme Court Bar in 1978.

For the first 13 years of her marriage, Ms. Ferraro devoted herself mainly to her growing family. Donna was born in 1962, John in 1964, and Laura in 1966. Ms. Ferraro did some legal work for her husband's business, worked pro bono for women in family court, and dabbed in local politics. In 1970, she was elected president of the Queens County Women's Bar Association. In 1973, after her cousin Nicholas Ferraro was elected Queens District Attorney, she applied for and got a job as an assistant district attorney in charge of a special victims bureau investigating rape, crimes against the elderly, and child and wife abuse. The cases were so harrowing, she later wrote, that they caused her to develop an ulcer, and the crime-breeding societal conditions she said, planted the seeds of her liberalism.

When she was elected to the House, she became very good friends with Tip O'Neill, who was the Speaker. Ms. Ferraro found her opportunity in 1978 to run for Congress when James Delaney, a Democratic Congressman from a predominantly working class district in Queens, announced his retirement. In the House, Ms. Ferraro was on the Public Works and Transportation Committee, and in doing that she successfully pushed for improved mass transit around LaGuardia Airport. Tip O'Neill, the Speaker, took an immediate liking to her, and in her three terms she voted mostly with the party's leadership.

She was elected secretary of the Democratic Caucus, thanks in part to Tip O'Neill, giving her influence on committee assignments, and in 1983 she was awarded a seat on the House Budget Committee. It was Ms. Ferraro's appointment as chairwoman of the 1984 Democratic Platform Committee that gave her the most prominence. In her book, ``Ferraro: My Story,'' she said that in becoming the first woman to hold that post she owed much to a group of Democratic women, congressional staffers, rights activists, labor leaders, and other who called themselves Team A and who lobbied for her appointment.

When she was running there were a lot of slights, being the first woman. People were either adjusting or not adjusting to a woman on a national ticket. Mississippi Agriculture Secretary called Ms. Ferraro, ``young lady,'' and asked if she could bake blueberry muffins, to which she said, Yes, I can. Can you?

Gerry Ferraro always had a smile and always had a kind word and never said no to someone needing her help. Even though I came to the House 4 years after she left, I got to know her very well and truly feel a loss in having her pass away.

Near the end of 1998, she learned that she had multiple myeloma--bone marrow cancer--that suppresses the immune system. Before then, she was Ambassador to the United States Human Rights Commission during the Clinton administration. And we remember her as cohost of the CNN program ``Crossfire'' from 1996 to 1998. She wrote books and articles and did business consulting. She addressed her place in history in a long letter to the Times in 1988, noting that women wrote to her about how she had inspired them to take on challenges, always adding a version of ``I decided if you could do it, I can too.'' Schoolgirls, she said, told her they hoped to be President some day, and needed advice.

Gerry Ferraro said, ``I'm the first to admit that were I not a woman, I would not have been the vice presidential nominee. But she insisted that her presence on the ticket had translated into votes that the ticket might otherwise not have received. In any event, she said the political realities of 1984 had made it all but impossible for the Democrats to win that year, no matter what the candidates or their gender. ``Throwing Ronald Reagan out of office at the height of his popularity, with inflation and interest rates down, the economic moving, and the country at peace, would have required God on the ticket,'' Ms. Ferraro wrote. ``And she was not available.''

Geraldine Ferraro is survived by her husband, three children, and eight grandchildren. I must say that I was disappointed that in the House we didn't have a plane to take all the Members to the funeral yesterday. I'm sorry about that because, frankly, I think it was a bit disrespectful. But we all remember Gerry Ferraro. We remember her as a true New Yorker. We remember her as a true American. We remember her as someone who each of us she inspired to push on with whatever goal we want to achieve, no matter how daunting or impossible it looked. That's how I'll remember Gerry Ferraro. I'll remember her at the 1984 convention standing on the stage with Walter Mondale, both putting their arms around each other, and even then there was a question about how they

would interact, as it was the first time a woman was on a national ticket.

I will miss my friend Gerry. We will all miss her. But we are all better people because of her. Rest in peace, Gerry. We will always remember you. And so will the history books.

I thank the gentleman, and I rise in strong support of the Garrett-Himes-Andrews-Engel amendment.

This amendment will require the Federal Aviation Administration to study alternatives for the New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia airspace redesign. It will also prohibit the FAA from continuing with the implementation of the airspace redesign until the new study is submitted to Congress.

I have to take issue with what my friend, the chairman, said before. We have not found that there were hearings for this. They have been trying to jam this through and want fewer and fewer people to know about it. I forced them to come into my district; but until that happened, they didn't want any kind of input from the community.

I have opposed this airspace redesign from day one, and have fought its implementation every step of the way. Time and time again, the FAA has pursued the airspace redesign while ignoring the concerns of my constituents in Rockland County, New York. This plan will only save minutes on flight time, but it will disrupt the lives of thousands of residents in my district who live under the new flight path. As my constituents noted to me, the noise and air pollution in the area will increase. It's unknown how this increase in air pollution will affect the disproportionate rate of childhood asthma in my district.

The modernization of our aviation system is necessary to bring it into the 21st century, to keep pace with the increased number of flights, and to also maintain our technological advancements by implementing new equipment to keep our system the safest in the world. However, there are several alternatives to this plan, and I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment that would require the FAA to take them into consideration.

We now learn that not only planes landing into Newark would fly over my constituents, but planes taking off from Kennedy as well. This is a double whammy. It's not fair.

So I commend Mr. Garrett. I support this amendment, and I will continue to oppose the FAA reauthorization until the FAA halts and revises the airspace design and reports to Congress. After all, we are the ones that report to the people. FAA should report to us.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent the entire city of Mount Vernon, New York, and today I rise to congratulate the Mount Vernon Knights high school basketball team for winning the New York State Federation Tournament of Champions, Class AA. They beat Christ the King from New York City, the winner of last year's championship, 84-78 in overtime on Sunday in Albany, New York.

Jabarie Hinds led his team with 14 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter and overtime to earn MVP honors as Mount Vernon won its fifth State Federation title in program history.

Congratulations also to Coach Bob Cimmino on his fourth championship. His team won their last 10 games and snapped the 12-game winning streak of Christ the King.

Mount Vernon showed its grit and determination by coming back after being down 20-11 after one quarter and 33-28 at the half. The Knights took the lead with less than 1 minute in regulation and never trailed after that.

Other high scorers for Mount Vernon were Khalid Samuels with 21 points and Isaiah Cousins with 12.

Mount Vernon, representing the Public High School Athletic Association in Westchester, got to the title game with a 70-63 win over Boys and Girls High School of New York City in Saturday's semifinal round.

Congratulations to these players and their coach. While March Madness has gripped the rest of the Nation, in Mount Vernon we are very proud of our Knights. I am sure these champions have a bright future and will look back proudly at their accomplishment in the years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call for a no-fly zone in Libya. I don't think that the United States should do it ourselves, but I think in conjunction with our European allies, the European Union, and the Arab League, we should do it. The Arab League called for a no- fly zone, so it certainly would not be interpreted as if we were doing something unilaterally.

But I would like to take it one step further. We have been selling to our Arab allies multiple planes and weapons for years and years and years, and I certainly think if there is a no-fly zone, the Arab nations which called on

us to support a no-fly zone ought to participate with us in terms of making sure that no-fly zone is sustainable.

We cannot sit by and allow Qaddafi to kill more and more innocent people in a bloodbath, to use the power, air power, of his force to massacre civilians. We cannot allow that.

So I think the time is now. We can't keep waiting, because if we wait, it will be too long and the bloodbath will have already occurred. I think the time for action is now. Let's do it in conjunction with the EU and the Arab League.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my warmest wishes to the people of Albania on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Albania. For more than 50 years, our countries were separated by more than just distance, and Albania lived in darkness. But, twenty years ago, the Albanian people threw off the yoke of repression and ushered in an era of democracy and freedom.

I believe that the renewal of ties between the United States and Albania flowed naturally following the end of the dictatorship. With the strong hand of President Woodrow Wilson and the United States early last century, the European powers were not able to divide Albania among its neighbors, and Albania's territorial integrity and sovereignty were ensured.

Today, our relations are strong and Albania has taken its rightful place within Europe and on the international scene. It has joined NATO and has begun the process of moving toward the European Union (EU). As a member of NATO, Albania has sent members of its armed forces to fight along side US and other countries' troops in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. And, it is my fervent hope that through continued democratic progress, Albania will someday soon join the EU.

I have visited Albania many times since the early 1990s and have personally seen the immense progress the country has made. When I first walked the streets of Tirana, I was almost as likely to have seen a horse-drawn cart as a car driving down the streets and boulevards. Today, however, Albania's capital is a flourishing city and the country is full of life and has a European outlook.

So, again, on this twentieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Albania, I would like to offer my congratulations and my best wishes for the next twenty years of friendship and progress.

Mr. Speaker, on March 9, 2011, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF). This Foundation was established as a vehicle to allow Taiwan and mainland China to work together on business matters, and other related issues.

Twenty years ago, when the Straits Exchange Foundation was formed, there was a great deal of tension between China and Taiwan. Flash forward to present day and the relationship between the two neighbors across the Taiwan Strait has improved dramatically.

These improved relations since President Ma Ying-jeou took office are most evident in The Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) that was signed between China and Taiwan in 2010, and allows for greater trade and commercial exchanges between the two countries.

Other significant agreements signed between Taiwan and China include: Direct Air and Sea Transport Agreements, which facilitate the free flow of people, goods and trade; Judicial Cooperation Agreement, by which the two sides agree to exchange law enforcement information to combat crime; Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Protection and Cooperation Agreement, which allows for better enforcement of IPR laws; plus an agreement to allow tourists from China to visit Taiwan. All these agreements and measures have resulted in increased trade flow, more cultural and tourism exchanges, and most of all, reduced tension along the Taiwan Strait.

While the Straits Exchange Foundation has improved the means of communication between Taipei and Beijing, I remain concerned about the excessive Chinese military build-up off the coast of Taiwan. For the dialogue between China and Taiwan to have its intended effect--to promote peaceful and productive relations--then militarization of the region is not helpful.

Nevertheless, my colleagues and I are very encouraged to see the efforts between Taiwan and China to maintain peace and stability in East Asia. On the 20th Anniversary of the Straits Exchange Foundation, we congratulate the SEF on its achievement in promoting exchanges and better understanding across the Taiwan Strait.

Mr. Speaker, public service is a noble profession when done honestly and well. Those who work in government, serving the people, do so with pride of accomplishment in the knowledge that they are helping to make life easier for those they serve.

Evie Davis, the District Manager of the West Nyack Social Security office began her career with the Social Security Administration 40 years ago, in October of 1970, at the Northeastern Program Service.

She held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility, rising to District Manager of the White Plains office in 1990. She served there for eleven years before moving across the Hudson River to her current position in Rockland County.

She has served on many committees and workshops in furtherance of helping the SSA better help its clients, including the workgroup on the Limited-English Speaking Population. She has also served on the Advisory Committee of the Offices for the Aging in both Westchester and Rockland Counties.

She has always prided herself on her service to the Social Security Administration and the people it serves, touching the lives of virtually all of America's families in one way or another. She derived great fulfillment from her role in managing and always strove to contribute to a satisfying work environment. For her dedication and her abilities she has received many awards, including the Associate Commissioner's Citation.

Evie and her husband Mark are about to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary. They have two sons, Eric and Jarrod and twin baby granddaughters.

I congratulate Evie Davis for her 40 years of public service in helping people. She has earned our thanks and praise for the good work she has done for so many years in making our lives and the lives of those around us better and more fulfilling.

Mr. Speaker, Corinne Grayson-Thomas was born in New York City to William and Anna Grayson and attended NYC Public Schools until her family moved to Runyon Heights in Yonkers, New York. She was the first African American woman to graduate from Roosevelt High School, in 1932. She attended City College of New York, majoring in History and Science, while focusing on political issues, as well as justice and equality. With the war coming, she made the decision to leave college after 3 years and go to work.

She joined Gimbel's Department Store in 1944, became the first African-American Sales Representative, and she remained there until she retired in 1975. She was also the first woman of color to become an Avon Representative and worked with the company for 40 years. Ms. Thomas was very successful as a Team Leader, receiving many awards from the company and being featured in the 1996 February Edition of Essence Magazine in the Avon Ad ``Black Has Never Been More Beautiful.''

Corinne joined the Terrace City Chapter #26 Order Eastern Star under the affiliation of her father, Worshipful Master William Grayson. After serving as Worthy Matron in 1970, she had several appointments from the Grand Chapter, which included the Grand Marshall in the East and District Deputy Grand Matron. She is an honorary member of Poinsettia Chapter in Spring Valley and a Past Commandress of the Order of Cyrenes.

She was a member of the Nepperhan Community Center for many years and served on the Board of Directors and as president for 5 years (1960- 1965). Ms. Thomas was a member of the Social Bridge Club and is an avid bowler in the Runyon Heights Seniors League. She is also a frequent contributor to the Runyon Heights Community Newsletter.

She is widowed and has one daughter, Jean Ann; 2 grandsons, Jathan and Michael and one Great Grand-daughter, Katherine Corinne and has 3 siblings, Muriel, Carol and Gerald.

She believes in spreading love and has spent her whole life doing just that. Her favorite Bible Chapter is 1 Corinthians 13, and the scripture that echoes this principle is ``And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.''

I join the Terrace City Chapter in honoring Corinne Grayson-Thomas for her many contributions to the betterment of her community.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of the amendment to H.R. 1 that would prohibit the U.S. Department of Education from implementing its misguided Gainful Employment rule.

Since the Department of Education issued this rule, I have written numerous times, and have spoken directly with Secretary Duncan to express my strong opposition to this rule. Career colleges serve millions of non-traditional students across the country--including a significant number of minorities and single parents.

In my own district, many well-respected career colleges are helping my constituents realize the dream of better careers and higher salaries. Yet, the Department's rule will disproportionately harm these non-traditional and lower-income students who rely on these institutions for quality education to improve their prospects for better careers.

I oppose this rule and I support this amendment because I do not believe that we should use the actions of a few institutions to paint the entire career college industry with one negative brush. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this amendment, which is a vote for opportunity for millions of Americans across this country.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 23, had I been present, I would have ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, public service is a noble profession when done honestly and well. Those who work in government, serving the people, do so with pride of accomplishment in the knowledge that they are helping to make life easier for those they serve.

Evie Davis, the District Manager of the West Nyack Social Security office began her career with the Social Security Administration 40 years ago, in October of 1970, at the Northeastern Program Service.

She held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility, rising to District Manager of the White Plains office in 1990. She served there for eleven years before moving across the Hudson River to her current position in Rockland County.

She has served on many committees and workshops in furtherance of helping the SSA better help its clients, including the workgroup on the Limited-English Speaking Population. She has also served on the Advisory Committee of the Offices for the Aging in both Westchester and Rockland Counties.

She has always prided herself on her service to the Social Security Administration and the people it serves, touching the lives of virtually all of America's families in one way or another. She derived great fulfillment from her role in managing and always strove to contribute to a satisfying work environment. For her dedication and her abilities she has received many awards, including the Associate Commissioner's Citation.

Evie and her husband Mark are about to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary. They have two sons, Eric and Jarrod, and twin baby granddaughters.

I congratulate Evie Davis for her 40 years of public service in helping people. She has earned our thanks and praise for the good work she has done for so many years in making our lives and the lives of those around us better and more fulfilling.

I thank the gentleman for yielding to me.

I am very, very sorry that my Republican friends have chosen to put this repeal bill through. In light of the events in Tucson, we all say we are going to work together. The American people want us to work together. This is not the way to do it. If there's a problem with the bill, we should tweak it or change it. We shouldn't repeal it. If there is a problem and things need to be changed, we should put our heads together and try to do it.

The Republicans say that they want to cut costs in government. The CBO says that this bill will save us $230 billion over 10 years and $1.2 trillion over 20 years; and the first thing the Republicans bring up is to repeal this bill, which will add to the deficit.

This is political theater. It's a charade. This isn't going to be repealed. Let us put our heads together and figure out what makes sense.

All important bills that were put in in the past 50 or 60 years, from Medicare to Medicaid to Social Security to the civil rights bills of the 1960s, they needed to be tweaked as we saw what the problems were. I'm willing to change the bill, but repealing it is the absolutely wrong way to do it.

I am delighted to revisit this issue because we can finally get the truth out. The American people understand that right now, if they have a preexisting condition, they cannot be denied coverage. An insurance company right now, with this bill, cannot say, ``Sorry, you have a lifetime cap or an annual cap and we're not going to insure you.'' The insurance company now can't deny your 24- or 25- or 26-year-old child insurance to be on your plan. We are finally closing the doughnut hole to put more money in the hands of senior citizens.

This is what the Republicans would repeal. They say that this is a government takeover of health care. No, it isn't. And if they had better plans for health care, they were in power for 6 years with the President and both Houses of Congress and they did nothing to make health care affordable for the American people.

Let's work together. Let's change the bill. Let's tweak the bill. Don't repeal it.

I want to first say I'm so proud of all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who have spoken today. Gabby has brought us all together as never before.

I'm a good friend of Gabby Giffords. She's a good friend of mine. I first met her before she ran for Congress when a mutual friend said to me, You ought to meet this lady. She wants to run for Congress and wants some advice. Would you give it to her? I called Gabby. She called me back. We spoke. And she decided to run, and we've been good friends ever since.

My colleagues have all said it today: Gabby is as kind and as sweet and as nice a person as you could ever meet. She's considerate, she's thoughtful, she's caring, smart, hardworking. It's hard to believe that anyone would want to harm her. She was doing what she always did--going out in service of her constituents, helping her constituents, going out to a shopping center.

You know, I have another connection with Gabby. My son Jonathan attended the University of Arizona, just graduated this year. And she and I spoke many times about Tucson. I have been to Tucson many, many times in these past 5 years. I've even shopped in the

Safeway, tragically, where the gunman shot all of the people, including Gabby.

You know, Gabby said something to me this past August as we recessed. I served as the chair of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Gabby served on my subcommittee, and we talked about having a field hearing in Tucson. And when I said to her, Let's try to do it in September or October of this year, she said to me, No. You know, the speech, the language has gotten very hostile and people's attitudes toward Washington have been very hostile, and I don't really want to do anything that would show that I'm the Washington person. That's how bad the atmosphere is.

I couldn't help but thinking about that when I heard about the shooting on Saturday.

You know, in this country we do our political discourse with balance, not bullets. And although the assassin tried to murder a U.S. Congresswoman, he really was trying to stick a stake or murder American democracy. All of us on both sides of the aisle are not going to let him. We are going to continue to do what we've done before-- going out in the street, meeting people, taking care, and helping our constituents. We are going to continue to attend town hall meetings and do the kinds of things that Gabby would want us to do.

I look forward to Gabby returning here. I look forward to working with her again. Gabby Giffords is the best America has to offer, and we honor her and all of the other victims of the shooting today.

I rise in opposition to this amendment. It seems that the openness the new majority promised us lasted half a day. And the more things change, the more they remain the same. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

``And they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice President, and the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate.''