Floor Statements

Thank you very much. I thank my friend from Long Island for yielding to me.

I, too, want to say very, very nice things about our colleague John McHugh. You know, I hope he's listening now because one of the things that's so nice--I received an award a couple of weeks ago, and all these people got up and said such nice things about me. I was wondering who they were talking about. But I said the nice thing about hearing this is that it is almost like being at your own funeral, except you're alive to hear it. John can hear all the wonderful things we're saying about him from the heart. We mean it, and I think everyone can see the bipartisan feelings of affection that we have for John McHugh.

John and I both served in Albany, New York, in the State legislature. I served in the State assembly for 12 years, and John served in the State senate for 8. Our careers sort of went along the same path. John and I are about the same age, and we served in Albany and in Washington at the same time; although, I always remind him that I was senior to him in both Albany and Washington. But one of the things that you always know about John is that he is one of the nicest people you ever want to meet.

You know, the House gym is where you really get to meet people, talk, relax, and know them. John and I, as it turned out, had lockers right next to each other, so we often chatted there as well. I never heard him say a nasty word about anybody. He always had a smile on his face, was always pleasant, and was always caring. As some of my colleagues have said, he looked like the stereotypical Member of Congress, what a Member of Congress should look like, should act like, should be like-- that was John. And I'm sorry to lose him, but I'm happy to lose him at the same time, because I think that the President couldn't have picked a better person to be Secretary of the Army.

Our colleagues have talked about some of his accomplishments and some of the things that he's done. He's had many accomplishments and has done many things, but the thing that I like most about John is that he is just a plain nice guy, down to Earth, caring about people. Actually, everything that a public servant should be, John is. We miss him already here in the House, but we know he's doing great work for our country as Secretary of the Army.

John is a quiet person. He is not someone who is going to toot his own

horn and tell you how great he is or get up and give a rousing speech, telling someone off. That's not John. John is quiet, mild-mannered, caring, smart, the kind of person that we all know should be in public service. So I wouldn't for the world miss this opportunity to say my words of tribute to my good friend who we're going to miss, as I said, but know he's going to do a great job. John McHugh, whatever he does, he'll do great, and I know that he will be a great Secretary of the Army.

I thank the gentleman for letting me say a few words.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Ryan White CARE Act.

The Ryan White CARE Act holds a very special significance to New York State. As home to 16 percent of the Nation's AIDS population, New York remains the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS crisis. New York has nearly 120,000 residents living with HIV/AIDS and our State and cities have been proud to partner with the Federal Government in providing care for many of these individuals.

New York State receives more than $300 million in Ryan White funds under all parts of the act to provide a range of health care and support services. Through Ryan White programs, 22,000 uninsured New Yorkers receive medications and ambulatory care services and thousands more receive other essential services such as mental health, case management, nutrition, and treatment adherence support services. These individuals must be guaranteed uninterrupted access to these vital services.

It is critical that Congress act swiftly on the reauthorization of the Ryan White Reauthorization which nationwide provides lifesaving medications, health care and support services to over 500,000 people. As you know, unlike most reauthorizations Congress inserted a sunset provision into the act in 2006 requiring Congressional action by September 30, 2009. While we extended temporary funding for the program in the recent CR, it is important that we do not delay enactment of a full reauthorization so that our States, cities and localities can be assured of a stable source of needed funding.

While 3 years ago, this reauthorization was the subject of much disagreement and dissent, we are in a different place today. Fortunately, members on both sides of the aisle, and more than 250 organizations in the United States have worked hard over the past year to develop legislative principles where there is much agreement.

This bill will provide immeasurable assistance to more than half a million low-income people served by the Ryan White CARE Act programs. I urge all my colleagues to support it.

I rise today to speak on behalf of a fallen hero from my district. On October 2, Patrick Joyce, Jr., and his fellow firefighters responded to a call of a burning building in Yonkers, New York. He was searching the burning building when an explosion of flame hurled him and two other firefighters out of a third-story window. The other two survived with serious injuries; but, sadly, Patrick, married and the father of two little girls, did not survive.

Patrick and his wife, Tara, met as teenagers in my neighborhood of Riverdale the year before I first came to Congress. They married and had two daughters, Charlotte and Isabella. The family was planning to visit an apple orchard this weekend. Instead, they attended his funeral.

I also attended Patrick Joyce's funeral mass. He was beloved by not only his family but by his fellow firefighters and his community. The loss of any life is one to be mourned, but the loss of a life such as Patrick's is doubly devastating. The Nation truly honors people like Patrick who are willing to risk their lives to save others.

Little Charlotte said of her father, ``This wasn't supposed to happen. Daddy fixed everything. He made everything better.'' Now he's gone at age 39, and we all miss him.

It's become almost a cliche to praise our firefighters since the heroism shown on 9/11 but, for me, there will never be enough. Patrick Joyce, Jr. was taken from us far too early. On behalf of his wife, Tara; his children, Charlotte and Isabella; his friends and family; and the people of Yonkers, I would like to state for the record, in conclusion, in the words of Charlotte, that this was not supposed to happen. You did make everything better.

Patrick, you will be sorely missed by everyone you touched in life and those of us who are saddened by your death.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the longstanding and happy marriage of two of my constituents, Bob Fred Calvin Richardson and Cleola Johnson Richardson. This August 20 they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

Bob and Cleola took their wedding vows at a garden ceremony at Mrs. Richardson's home in Meadville, Pennsylvania on August 20, 1949. They have since moved to Mt. Vernon, NY, where they owned and operated their business Richardson Electronics. They have been residents of Mt. Vernon for 45 years.

Bob and Cleola have four wonderful children, Paula, Marilyn, Robert and Candice, ten grandchildren, as well as two great grandchildren. I want to congratulate Bob and Cleola Richardson on their 60th anniversary and wish them the best of luck as they spend the rest of their lives together.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program, or GEAR UP. This program has improved educational outcomes for over a million low-income students across the United States by providing college readiness partnerships and scholarships for low income students.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman and my good friend from New York for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, September 11 will always have a special meaning in our hearts and in our lives. I guess the previous generation, when you said December 7, Pearl Harbor Day, that was something that stuck in their minds. But, for us, September 11 is a date that will live, as President Roosevelt said, in infamy.

September 11 showed us the worst in people, the terrorists that killed approximately 2,000 people in New York

and at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania, but it also showed the best in people, New Yorkers and others who came to try to save people, certainly at the World Trade Center.

Every week when I go back to New York, I look at the skyline of New York and something is missing. It always feels, to me, empty. It always feels wrong. Of course, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center are missing. But as much as I have pain in my heart for the missing towers, it is nothing like the pain in my heart and the grief I have for the thousands of people that were killed and for their families.

I was very proud to be a New Yorker that day. I said it on the floor of this House soon afterwards 8 years ago. I am still very, very proud to be a New Yorker.

But there is still much more work to be done. We have been fighting for years for a health care bill that would enable first responders and good Samaritans who came to the World Trade Center day in and day out, digging sometimes with their bare hands to try to find victims and who very often did find victims, and now who are suffering from irreparable injuries to their lungs and to their health. We need a bill, and the New York delegation has been fighting for a bill that will take care of these people who, by the way, come from all 50 States, and we need to do that. This Congress needs to do that.

But also, as Mr. Towns said, we need to remember those people, the people who perished and the thousands of people who came to the aid of and to help the victims, to save their lives, to escort them to safety, to come and try to find people in the rubble. That again showed the best of humanity, the best of Americans, the best of New Yorkers, the best of what this country has to offer.

Again, Mr. Speaker, September 11 will obviously never be the same and will hold a special meaning. I generally have not attended meetings or any kind of things on that day in the 8 years because it is, for me, a day of reflection, but I am very, very proud that this Congress is taking up this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

I thank the chairman for his yielding to me, and I rise in strong support of this resolution. And I want to reiterate some of the things I said before with Mr. Towns.

When I go back to New York every week and look at the skyline of New York, it will never be the same. The World Trade Center is no longer there, and as much as that pains me, it pales in comparison to the fact that we lost nearly 3,000 people that day, and each and every one of those lives was precious.

And what September 11 means to me, it means to me what the previous generation talked about December 7. President Roosevelt said during December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor, that was a day of infamy. Well, to us, September 11, 2001, will always be a day of infamy.

But yet it was a day that showed the best in people as well as obviously the worst in people. The terrorists who attacked us showed the worst in people. But the first responders and the people from all parts of the country who came to save people's lives and try to dig people out of the rubble, that's the best in people.

I want to mention that the New York delegation has been fighting for a health bill which would ensure that those who were first responders and others who came as volunteers at the World Trade Center saving lives, that their health needs should be taken care of by this country, and there are people who live in all 50 States.

So, Mr. Speaker, as we commemorate and mourn the lives that were lost at the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, and at Shanksville, Pennsylvania--and there were many people in my district who were killed, as there were in all districts in New York--we have to redouble our efforts to fight terrorism.

But I want to say that I was very, very proud that day to be an American and proud to be a New Yorker because the way the people of New York responded was exemplary.

So every day we hear more and more people who were lost at the World Trade Center. So I hope we can pass this unanimously.

Madam Speaker, I would like to commend my colleague who just spoke before me because I think he hit the nail right on the head.

President Obama spoke to schoolchildren today. I listened to it. It was very moving. It was very good to see the President of the United States talk directly to America's youth, and it was disgraceful to see, during the past week, parents, some teachers and some schools saying that they weren't going to allow their children to listen to the President of the United States. What a sad day it is when people can talk that way.

The President of the United States is to be respected by all. He is all of our President, not just the President for the people who voted for him. I voted for him, and I'm proud that I did, but he is everybody's President; he is every Americans' President.

I believe that tomorrow, as he did today with schoolchildren, the President will make a very, very good speech on health care-- highlighting health care, why we need health care reform, why it's important to have it. There are 40 million Americans who have no health insurance coverage whatsoever--47 million--and it will soon be 60 and 70 million. That's why we need health coverage, and I welcome the President's speech tomorrow.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the longstanding and happy marriage of two of my constituents, Bob Fred Calvin Richardson and Cleola Johnson Richardson. This August 20 they will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary.

Bob and Cleola took their wedding vows at a garden ceremony at Mrs. Richardson's home in Meadville, Pennsylvania on August 20, 1949. They have since moved to Mt. Vernon, NY, where they owned and operated their business Richardson Electronics. They have been residents of Mt. Vernon for 45 years.

Bob and Cleola have four wonderful children, Paula, Marilyn, Robert and Candice, ten grandchildren, as well as two great grandchildren. I want to congratulate Bob and Cleola Richardson on their 60th anniversary and wish them the best of luck as they spend the rest of their lives together.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the gentleman from New Jersey's amendment to restrict funding for the FAA's ill-conceived New York/New Jersey/Philadelphia airspace redesign plan. This plan was jammed down our throats with zero input from the residents it harms the most. It would put an additional 200 to 400 flights a day over my constituents in Rockland County, New York, with lots and lots of overhead noise, and the FAA won't even tell us how much. They tried to do it without any kind of public hearing. They tried to sneak it. They have been a bad player and have acted in bad faith. There was no notification to myself or other elected officials whose districts are affected. The residents have not had ample opportunities to have their concerns and comments heard.

Landing at Newark Airport right over my communities is totally unacceptable. The noise level will be increased and, again, FAA doesn't tell us how much. I have let President Obama, Secretary LaHood and FAA Administrator Babbitt know that I am totally opposed to this. I commend the gentleman from New Jersey for this amendment. This plan must be defeated. It is not going to serve anyone, certainly not our country.

The majority Democrats in this Congress are trying very hard to pass a health care bill that will be a good bill for the American people. Our friends on the other side of the aisle don't seem to want to cooperate.

It's a national disgrace that there are 47 million Americans that have no health care coverage whatsoever. It's a national disgrace that our emergency rooms are being used to help people that have no coverage whatsoever. It's a national disgrace that so many of our health care dollars are going into administrative costs.

We are trying to craft a plan that will put America back on the road so that every American will have health care; so that health care as we know it will be improved; so that people that like their health care can keep their health care, but people that don't have health care, can get health care.

We know that the system is broken. I don't want to hear people on the other side of the aisle talk about deficits because when they were in the majority for 12 years, they gave us the biggest deficits in American history and left us with red ink as far as the eye can see.

So I would urge my friends on both sides of the aisle, let's put our heads together and come up with a real, good health plan that America can be proud of.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker and my colleagues. I want to call everyone's attention to something that is happening in my district. It is actually very disgraceful. There is a plant called Stella D'oro. Everyone knows about Stella D'oro, the cookies and the cakes that they make. In fact, for many years I spoke about Stella D'oro with a sense of pride. When I appeared on the Colbert show, I took out a package of cookies, of bread sticks of Stella D'oro's and talked with pride about some of the things that were being made in my district.

The Stella D'oro company was founded in 1932 and was family run until they sold to RJR Nabisco in 1992. RJR Nabisco became a part of Kraft Foods. It was taken over by Kraft. And what happened was, Kraft Foods then sold Stella D'oro to a company called Brynwood Partners. Brynwood Partners really doesn't care about running this place or being fair to its workers. It really only cares about the bottom line. So what they did was they pushed the workers, and they told them that in order to keep their jobs, in order to finance their purchase of Stella D'oro, the workers would have to take a 25 percent pay cut for its 135 workers, many of whom had worked there for decades, were proud of the product

they created. And besides that, they didn't stop there. They told the workers that they would have to make health insurance unaffordable by imposing crushing premiums on these people, eliminating their holidays, eliminating their vacation and sick pay and other crippling costs. So the workers, who are not making a lot of money to begin with, there is no way that they could suddenly accept this. So they went on strike. And Stella D'oro--again, Brynwood Partners--responded by hiring a bunch of scabs to replace the strikers and, in essence, dismiss the strikers. Well, the strikers appealed to the National Labor Relations Board, the NLRB; and the NLRB ruled in favor of the strikers. It told Brynwood, who now runs Stella D'oro, that they must take the striking workers back with some back pay.

And now what is Brynwood Partners threatening to do? They are saying that they're going to close down, shut down the company entirely; and in essence, these workers would totally lose their jobs. How vindictive that is. They win a ruling from the National Labor Relations Board only to have Brynwood Partners say they're going to shut down this company, which has been run since 1932. It's really disgraceful when a company like Brynwood Partners--which obviously doesn't care about making cookies, doesn't care about the neighborhood community-type of business that it was--only uses this company as the bottom line.

Just the other day we had a rally in front of the Stella D'oro company in the Bronx, in my district, to show the workers that we stand by them and support them. I want to let Brynwood Partners know that I am not going to be quiet about this or take this lying down. There are other things that Brynwood Partners own, and we really ought to scrutinize and watch everything they do because if they are allowed to get away with this, they can get away with anything, if nothing more than the bottom line, as far as I am concerned, corporate greed. Something ought to be done for these workers. Again, the National Labor Relations Board ruled in favor of the workers, and so the reaction of the company is to just close it down. That is a disgrace. It should not be happening in 2009. This Congress needs to take note of it and needs to stand behind these workers.

I thank my friend, the gentlewoman from New York, for yielding to me.

As the chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee for the past 2 years, I can tell you wherever I go in South America, Central America, the Caribbean, people say that the United States has been neglectful over the past 8 years, that we haven't looked towards our own brothers and sisters in the Western Hemisphere, and I think that what we ought to be doing now is supporting organizations like the OAS. Even if we don't agree with everything they do, now is not the time to turn away or to cut funding for the OAS.

We need to be engaged. We need to work with our brother and sister countries in the hemisphere so that we can show that we are with them. And all cutting aid does is make it more difficult for our country to carry out our own foreign policy objectives.

I think there should be more money for the National Endowment for Democracy. This is not the way to do it.

Cutting aid to the OAS would be a grave mistake, and I oppose the motion.

I thank the chairman for yielding to me, and I rise in support of this bill as I supported it in committee.

I think this bill goes a great step in the right direction. It will revitalize our economy by creating millions of clean-energy jobs, increase our national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and help preserve our planet by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

But I want to mention, as I did in committee, my disappointment that the bill does not contain strong enough language in terms of flex-fuel cars in this country. I believe very strongly that the United States needs to move towards cars manufactured in America that can run on methanol, ethanol, and gasoline. If you give gasoline competition with ethanol and methanol, I believe that it will reduce the price of gasoline. So I am disappointed that while the bill goes a step in that direction, it doesn't go totally in the direction that I would like to see.

Yesterday, Energy Secretary Chu said all new cars should have flex- fuel capacity in this country. And I would like to enter this into the Record from The Des Moines Register.

Madam Speaker, flex-fuel vehicles would only cost $90 or $100 per car, and it would be very important to moving us in that direction.

I thank the chairman.

Just 6 months ago, the CEOs of GM, Chrysler and Ford appeared before the House Financial Services Committee, and each committed to making 50 percent of their cars flex-fuel vehicles by 2012. They are reneging now, and I believe that we should have strong language to move them back to their original position. I really believe that flex-fuel cars are the way to go.

But we have a bill before us, and the bill is much, much more positive than anything else. It is a big step in the right direction. And I think that our colleagues who are on the fence--as I pointed out, the bill doesn't give everything to everybody and it doesn't do nearly what I would like it to do, but I think it does enough so that we ought to move this country in the right direction to make ourselves energy independent, to reduce the warming of our planet, and to reduce the greenhouse gases.

So I would urge my colleagues for a ``yes'' vote. We can work afterwards to make the bill better, we can work afterwards to have the policies that we want to see, but rejection of this bill would be a terrible step in the wrong direction.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

[From the Des Moines Register, June 22, 2009]

Chu: All New Cars Should Have Flex-Fuel Capacity

(By Thomas Beaumont)

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in Des Moines today

the nation's car manufacturers ought to make all new

automobiles able to run on E85 ethanol-blended fuel.

But Chu said the government could face resistance should it

insist on the new standard, despite two of the nation's three

main automakers' having recently filed for bankruptcy

protection.

Chu, in Iowa awarding the state a share of its federal

stimulus money, later said all pumps ought to offer at least

a blend of 15 percent ethanol.

``We should think about doing the following. I've been told

it costs about $100 in gaskets and fuel lines to turn a car

so that it can go all the way to E85,'' Chu said, addressing

public officials and news media at the Des Moines Botanical

Center.

E85 is a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent

gasoline. Iowa is the nation's leading producer of ethanol.

``But a new car, it would only cost $100 out of $15,000.

Wouldn't it be nice to put in those fuel lines and gaskets so

that we can use any ratio we wanted,'' Chu added. ``It's just

a thought, I don't think you're going to get any objections

in this audience.''

Chu stopped short of saying the Obama administration would

require the companies to build all vehicles as flex-fuel-

ready.

``It's beginning to be discussed,'' Chu said. ``But, again,

it's one of those things where I think with virtually

anything, once the government steps in the natural tendency

is to resist government intervention.''

General Motors and Chrysler have recently sought

bankruptcy. The federal government would become a majority

shareholder in GM.

There is legislation pending in Congress that would require

all domestic automobiles to eventually make all vehicles

capable of running on E85.

Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuel

Association said the government's new financial stake in the

auto industry means it can require the higher renewable fuel

standard.

``Clearly, if the White House decided they wanted GM and

Chrysler to do this, they would do it,'' Shaw said. ``I think

it would be good. Once one company goes that way, I think it

puts pressure on the other automakers not to be left out.''

Mr. Speaker, it is with sadness that I announce the death of my predecessor once removed, Congressman Paul A. Fino of New York.

When I was growing up, you think of certain elected officials as larger than life. Paul Fino was certainly larger than life. He served eight terms here in the House, a State senator, served on the State Supreme Court, was chairman of the Bronx County Republican Party for many years, and one of the people who really represented New York.

He lived the American Dream. His father was a subway car mechanic. He leaves his wife, Esther, of 70 years, and his children, Lucille and Paul.

I remember growing up, he had these big signs that said Social Security at 60 and a national lottery. These were the things that he really believed in.

He lived to be 95, someone that we all respect and really remember and revere.

I yield to the gentleman from New York.

I would ask for a moment of silence in honor of Congressman Paul A. Fino.