Floor Statements

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Just the other day, the United Nations, shamefully, had a so-called ``conference'' on racism, dubbed Durban II, held in Geneva. The United States boycotted this charade, rightfully so, and I want to commend President Obama for making the decision to boycott because Durban I turned into a tirade of racism against Israel, of racism against the Jewish people, anti-Semitism, and we knew that so-called ``Durban II'' would be the same. Sure enough, it was.

When that lunatic, the President of Iran, Ahmadinejad, got up and made hateful speeches against Jews, against Israel, anti-Semitic speeches, it really made a mockery of this whole so-called ``Durban II.'' This conference was supposed to attack racism, not deal and aid and abet racism. Ahmadinejad, shamefully, was the only President of any country to address this charade.

The United Nations, unfortunately, only discredits itself when it has conferences like this, and I'm glad. It was the right thing to do that the United States boycotted. As for the European nations, many walked out in disgust, and that was also good because that showed that racism, anti-Semitism and beating up on Israel was not going to be tolerated.

I commend the President, and I am glad the United States stood tall.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Jacob Tanenbaum, an outstanding constituent and educator from the 17th Congressional District of New York, for his exemplary efforts in bringing real scientific research to the classroom.

Jacob Tanenbaum, an elementary school teacher at the South Orangetown schools in Rockland County, New York, was chosen by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Teacher at Sea Program to participate in a two-week research cruise in the North Atlantic this past fall to study Atlantic fisheries while aboard NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow.

Embarking from Newport, Rhode Island, Mr. Tanenbaum's research cruise followed a track off the United States' northeastern coast. Mr. Tanenbaum not only researched fisheries, but also wrote a daily blog, took photographs, interviewed scientists, and engaged in dialogue with his students, fellow teachers, and the general public. Mr. Tanenbaum became an integral part of the research team and ship's crew and established relationships that will give him and his colleagues access to scientific resources for many years to come. With his at-sea experience, Mr. Tanenbaum has been able to enrich his curriculum and excite his students about science.

In one of his blogs, Mr. Tanenbaum wrote, ``Through NOAA's Teacher at Sea Program, students are not just learning about exciting research projects at sea, they are witnesses to them, and on some level, participants in them. The Teacher at Sea program is about something far more important than test scores and text books. It is about inspiration and excitement. Inspiring learning and creating excitement about learning are not just simple hoped-for extras in an educational setting--they are the most essential parts of a culture of learning.''

I congratulate Mr. Tanenbaum on his spirit of adventure in the name of education, his willingness to try new things, and his ability to bring this experience back into the classroom. NOAA's Teacher at Sea program has afforded Mr. Tanenbaum an unparalleled opportunity to provide his students with hands-on scientific education, grounded in his unique experience. The lessons he learned on the Bigelow will stay with Mr. Tanenbaum for the rest of his teaching career, acting as a source from which he will always be able to draw inspiration and creativity.

I rise in opposition to the amendment. And I must say to my friends on the other side of the aisle, I think they've lost the moral right to lecture us about fiscal responsibility, given their record over the past 8 years.

I will support the overall budget, although I want to state that I have a couple of reservations, which I'm assured will be worked out. The cuts in Function 150 in foreign assistance need to be restored. And I believe very strongly that the $250,000 threshold that the budget assumes in terms of taxing people above that, that needs to be raised because in high-cost-of-living States like mine in New York, it is not fair to have it at that level. The level needs to be higher.

I like this budget. It talks about the President's vision and America's vision, not only in terms of fixing our economy, but in terms of education, health care, and energy. We should support the overall budget and reject this amendment.

Madam Speaker, today, I am pleased to introduce the U.S.- Paraguay Partnership Act of 2009 which will add Paraguay as an Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) beneficiary country. As Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, I have spent countless hours over the past two years urging greater U.S. engagement in the Americas. Congress's passage of the U.S.-Paraguay Partnership Act of 2009 will be one small step in that direction.

Paraguay is the second poorest country in South America--after only Bolivia. 30% of Paraguayans live in poverty and 13% live in extreme poverty. Paraguay's inclusion as an ATPA beneficiary country would allow the country to create well-needed jobs and reduce poverty.

But, the U.S.-Paraguay Partnership Act of 2009 is about much more than poverty reduction. This bill will serve the dual purpose of reducing poverty in Paraguay and enhancing the already strong relationship between our two countries. I visited President Lugo in Asuncion in November, and he expressed to me his interest in a strong relationship with the United States. President Lugo is the first Paraguayan president to be elected not from the Colorado party in 60 years, and he is already a good friend of the United States.

Paraguay is a small, landlocked country that is often left out of discussions of U.S. policy toward Latin America. But, it is a crucial ally in so many areas. According to the State Department's February 2009 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, in 2008, Paraguay's National Anti-drug Secretariat (SENAD) seized a record 172 metric tons of marijuana. Paraguay also works closely with the U.S. and its neighbors Argentina and Brazil in the ``3+1 process'' to curb illicit activities in the so-called tri-border area where the borders of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil meet.

Over the past two years, I have been highly critical of Congress's short-term extensions of ATPA. It is my hope both that Paraguay will be quickly added to ATPA and that ATPA will then be extended for a much longer time period than in the past.

During his campaign, President Obama said that ``my policy toward the Americas will be guided by the simple principle that what's good for the people of the Americas is good for the United States.'' The U.S.- Paraguay Partnership Act of 2009 embodies the spirit of President Obama's statement, and will be a win-win for both countries.

I thank the gentleman for yielding to me, and I rise in support of the rule, and I rise in strong support of the bill. I'm an original cosponsor of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, and I am absolutely delighted to support its passage today.

There are at least 438,000 reasons to vote for this bill, and each one represents a life lost to tobacco use each year. It's staggering to realize that smoking kills more people than alcohol, AIDS, car crashes, illegal drugs, murder, and suicides combined.

My own State of New York mourns the loss of over 25,000 adults each year due to smoking, not to mention 2,000 New Yorkers who die each year from exposure to secondhand smoke. As if this isn't tragic enough, there are thousands of children at risk for the same fate, with over 3,600 youth taking up smoking every single day.

And our States, desperately trying to control soaring budget deficits and stretch scarce dollars during this economic downturn, simply cannot afford the billions of dollars in health care costs, $8 billion lost annually to New York alone, caused by tobacco use.

Today is a new day, Mr. Speaker. It's time that we close the gaps in our laws which have allowed tobacco use to be unregulated with devastating consequences. Granting the FDA the authority to effectively regulate the manufacturing, marketing, labeling, distribution, and sale of tobacco products will ultimately have a profound effect on reversing the public health crisis we face today.

So, in conclusion, today we vote for our Nation's children and families. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in strong support of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act.

Madam Speaker, I applaud the President of the United States for making his priorities health care, education, and energy, and putting them right in his budget.

I listened to my friends on the other side of the aisle, and I think that they are in no position to lecture us about fiscal responsibility given the fact that this President inherited trillions of dollars of debt. In the last 8 years we were going way beyond our means in our budget. We were spending and spending. So give me a break about fiscal responsibility.

I think the fiscal responsibility rests with the majority here and the President, who is trying to do something, trying to make his needs the American people's needs and making his budget shape the American people's budget.

So I want to applaud the President and our majority because we want to help with education, we want to help with health care, and we want to make America energy independent. That is what we are doing. I'm glad we are not the Party of No. I'm glad we are the Party of Yes and the future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to bring to the attention of my colleagues and the entire nation, the work of my constituent William ``Billy'' Thomas. Mr. Thomas is a great man who will be honored by the citizens of Mount Vernon, New York for his lifelong work. It is a body of work that has always personified actions that go way beyond the call of duty. The City of Mount Vernon, New York, will rename South Sixth Avenue William ``Billy'' Thomas Boulevard, after its beloved local and national pioneer in youth development.

William ``Billy'' Thomas began working at the Mount Vernon (NY) Boys' Club (MVBC) in 1955. Over the next 22 years he rose from athletic to program to camp and finally to Executive Director. During each and every year, young men were placed in his skillful hands and taught the values of life, service to community, sportsmanship, courage, integrity and respect for self and others. He became an icon, a living legend for his work in inspiring young people to pursue and live positive and progressive family and professional lives.

In 1968, duty to his nation called. Mr. Thomas took leave from his work and joined the United States Army to serve in Vietnam. He

returned to the Boys' Club in 1971 to continue his work and improve the life skills and lives of young men in the community. He has served the Mount Vernon community in various capacities for over 45 years. Mr. Thomas's accomplishments are too many to site, but a few must be noted.

In 1993, Mr. Thomas was joined by Denzel Washington, as they received The Boys and Girls Club of America Connection Magazines Mentor Magic Award. In 1997 Mr. Thomas received the ``Man of the Year Award'' from the National Association of Negro Business & Professional Women's Club of New Rochelle, New York.

Mr. Thomas worked with countless young people in an effort to either turn their lives around, or continue their lives on a positive path. Over the years, Mr. Thomas mentored thousands of young people. Some are now doctors, lawyers, bus drivers, ministers, fathers and mothers as well as the current executive director of the Mount Vernon Club--Lowes Moore. Mr. Thomas also influenced several former NBA players: brothers Gus and Ray Williams, as well as Calvin ``Scooter'' and Rodney McCray. Mr. Thomas always went about his work without praise or formal recognition. He has taught all the young people that entered the club that each has a responsibility to lend a hand to those less fortunate. His actions speak volumes as he worked with special needs children in New Rochelle and White Plains, New York. He also volunteered his services in many areas that included teaching chess, reading, a Youth Commissioner for the City of New Rochelle and of course, a basketball coach.

Mr. Thomas sacrificed a great deal to give back to his community. It is only fitting that the community honor his deeds by renaming the street in front of the Boys Club William ``Billy'' Thomas Boulevard. This is testament that hard work and dedication are appreciated by the community and that the seeds sowed will blossom for many years to come. The renaming of South Sixth Avenue to ``William Billy Thomas Boulevard'' is an important testament to the hundreds of lives nurtured on this block at this Boys' and Girls' Club under his leadership and care.

We in Congress share the City of Mount Vernon's recognition of William ``Billy'' Thomas's outstanding life with the nation.

Madam Speaker, Gloria Mendoza has dedicated her life to education, starting as a kindergarten teacher and advancing

to administrator, all the time an advocate for students and staff. She has had a consistent commitment to quality education for all students, in the process becoming a role model for students.

She worked in New York City public schools for ten years as a teacher and administrator and in 1987 started her career with the Yonkers Public Schools as an Assistant Principal at Enrico Fermi School for the Performing Arts.

In 1991, she was appointed Principal of School 17, and served as Principal of Museum Middle School prior to her current assignment as Principal of Enrico Fermi School for the Performing Arts.

She has built partnerships with community organizations to create initiatives for her schools, including the Groundworks Gardening Project, the Parents-as-Partners Family Resource Center, the Healthy Eating Program, sponsored by St. John's Hospital and the Gorton High School Medical Magnet, the Westchester County Grandparent Volunteer Program, Yonkers Police Department's DARE Program, and St. Joseph's Hospital Yonkers Spectrum Clinic.

She has demonstrated that civic involvement and community service are important to her students' success and has encouraged staff, parents and students to reach out to the sick and the elderly, as well as to members of the United States Military in Iraq.

One of her passions, the Yonkers Pathways to Success, is a program to help adults learn to speak English and earn their high school diploma.

For her dedication to education she is being honored by the Yonkers YWCA with its Pacesetter Award, and I congratulate her and thank her for her great work in educating our children.

Madam Speaker, Constance Walker-Fowler is a native of Detroit who moved to Yonkers in 1997 and has been deeply involved in the community and civic organizations since her arrival.

She is Chair of the Yonkers Commission on Human Rights, where she helped to develop the language for the resolution Against Domestic Violence. She is a Life Member of the National Council of Negro Women and for the past four years president of its Hudson Valley Section.

She is also a member of the Hudson River Community Association; Sister-to-Sister Inc.; the Westchester Black Women's Political Caucus; a Trustee of the Schomburg Corporation; and serves on the Advisory Board of Groundworks Hudson Valley. She is also Democratic District Leader and Secretary of the Third Ward election district.

Further, she is Secretary of the International Governing Board of Voices of African Mothers, an organization dedicated to alleviating hunger in Africa.

Even further, she is dedicated to her family, often visiting her son Andre in England and helping her Aunt Mamie and her sister Norice and her family.

In short, Constance Walker-Fowler is dedicated to helping her communities from every aspect while still maintaining close and devoted ties to her family.

I congratulate her on her receiving the Humanitarian Award of the Yonkers YWCA and wish her every success.

Madam Speaker, Claudette J. Stothart is a retired teacher with vast experience in teaching, from grade school to college and who is also an active member of her community.

For 24 years she taught in New York City as a special education teacher as well as coordinating English as a Second Language courses and Social Studies. She was an adjunct Professor at Rockland Community College for 12 years and at Mercy College for 4 years. She also worked in Greenburgh as a middle school teacher during the summer months.

She worked closely with students, especially to make sure those who were merely acting out did not become candidates for special education, while advising parents of their rights, in the process inspiring both parents and students.

She was nominated by her students for, and accepted by, Who's Who Among American Teachers.

She is a long time member of the Westchester Black Women's Political Caucus, a member of Westchester Women's Leaders, the International Women's Round Table, and the African American Advisory Board.

She is a firm believer in education as a means to ease socioeconomic ills. She is deservedly receiving the Yonkers YWCA Inspiration Award and I congratulate her for her life's work in inspiring students, teachers and parents.

Mr. Speaker, tonight, when President Obama speaks to a joint session of Congress, I will be on the aisle to greet him, as I have for the past 20 years. It's always my honor and privilege to shake the hand of the President of the United States. And it's really electrifying. But I think tonight, Mr. Speaker, the anticipation is even more electrifying than usual. Our new President, who has done such a wonderful job in bringing us hope, is going to come tonight to speak with the Congress and tell us his plans. I hope and I know that under his administration, we will fix health care and have it universal for everyone.

We know, and under his administration, we will look at our energy policy and wean ourselves off of foreign oil so that America can truly be energy independent.

We need to get our fiscal House in order, and the President's going to address that as well.

So as we anticipate his speech, Mr. Speaker, I want to say to the President of the United States, that I am willing and want to work with him hand-in-hand, hope we can do it on a bipartisan basis, and I look forward to his words tonight.

I stand in strong support of the economic recovery legislation before us today. We cannot stand idly by like our Republican friends are doing and let our economy sink any further. The cost of inaction is far too great. The American people are hurting, and we're trying to do something about it.

Our Republican friends, unfortunately, are becoming the party of ``no.'' Well, while they are saying ``no,'' we are saying ``yes,'' yes to creating 3\1/2\ million jobs, yes to providing tax breaks to the middle class, yes to providing AMT relief, yes to improving our infrastructure to be more energy efficient, yes in providing health care coverage for millions of Americans during this recession, providing an estimated $87 billion in additional Federal matching funds.

This will help States like mine, like New York, maintain their Medicaid programs in the face of massive State budget shortfalls over the next 2 years. We say ``yes'' to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. FMAP funds are important. I have long fought hard for more FMAP funds. The stimulus will provide much-needed relief to our States. We say ``yes'' for energy-efficient programs. Say ``yes'' for this bill. This is a good bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the people of Kosova who next week, on February 17, will be celebrating their first anniversary of statehood.

The people of Kosova, born out of the former Yugoslavia, are among the most pro-American people on the face of the earth. I have had the pleasure of visiting Kosova many, many times, and I can tell there is no country that welcomes Americans as happily as the people of Kosova.

Last year, I had the great honor to address their parliament, being the first foreigner to address the Kosova parliament since their independence. I was there with our colleague, the gentlewoman from Ohio, Jean Schmidt, and we had a wonderful time.

There are many problems in Kosova. Unemployment is rampant. There is a de facto division of the country which must not stand. But the people are going about their business, working as hard as they can to build a new nation. More than 50 countries have recognized them, and I have urged and will continue to urge every country on the face of the earth to recognize the new independent nation of Kosova.

When Congresswoman Schmidt and I were there, their Constitution was formally adopted and turned over, and I

can tell you that they pattern themselves after what we have done here in the United States.

In 1999, when the then-dictator of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic, was trying to do his ethnic cleansing of Albanians in Kosova, the United States intervened and bombed and prevented ethnic cleansing from happening. And so today, Kosova is a multiethnic society, and will continue to be so. And minority rights of Serbs and others must be and will be protected, and institutions, religious institutions, monasteries, orthodox monasteries must be protected, and will be. I know the president and prime minister of Kosova very well and know the political leadership, and know that they are all committed to building a multiethnic society.

But problems remain. The Serb officials have occupied the northern part of Kosova. The city of Mitrovica is a divided city. The mine in the north, Trepca, is occupied by Serb forces, and that must not be allowed to stand in the long run. Kosova must not be partitioned, whether it is de facto partition or de jure partition. Kosova's borders must be respected.

The United States has a very, very important role to play, and we will continue to play that role. First under President Clinton, then under President Bush, and now under President Obama, we must continue to let the people of Kosova know that the United States stands with them every step of the way.

And when I mentioned that they are a multiethnic society, the majority of the population is Muslim. They are secular Muslims, and they debunk the theory that somehow the United States is opposed to Muslim religion, which of course is not true. And these people understand that the United States is the best ally and the strongest ally, and will continue to support them.

As co chair of the Albanian Issues Caucus, along with the gentleman from Illinois, Congressman Kirk, I want to say to the people of Kosova that we will continue to support them, to be with them, to watch them as they build their nation, and the democracy and freedoms that the United States stands for and that the people of Kosova stand for will always be strengthened.

And let me say in conclusion, on last February 17, when Kosova declared its independence and there were flags all over the capital of the Kosova, Prishtina, there were Albanian flags around, there was the Kosova flag. But the American flag was being waved more so than any other flag in the country. That is still true today.

The people of Kosova want to continue their great partnership with the United States, and I say to the people of Kosova: We will be with you, we will stand with you, we will help you build you a new democracy, and we will work together and continue to welcome you into the league of free nations of the world.

I again congratulate the people of the Kosova for their 1-year anniversary as a free and independent nation.

Madam Speaker, I would like to discuss an article in today's New York Times confirming that renewable energy industries-- especially wind and solar--have been slowed significantly by the credit crisis and the broader economic downturn.

I believe that we should not allow frozen credit markets to derail renewable-energy projects, and we cannot allow reduced oil prices to lull us into complacency.

We have an opportunity to address both of these concerns by working with the Senate, and with the Obama Administration, to pass the economic recovery package into law.

I believe that the recovery package must extend tax credits for biofuels, wind, and solar. It must make infrastructure investments. It must increase federal dollars for energy research, development, and deployment. And it must encourage the production of alternative fuel motor vehicles, including plug-in electric drive vehicles.

The time to act is now. A clean, green recovery package is our nation's best path to restoring our economy, and our best chance of creating jobs that cannot be outsourced.

Madam Speaker, today is another great day for American families. Later this afternoon, President Obama will sign the State Children's Health Insurance program Reauthorization into law.

Just one week ago, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law--a bill which restores basic protection against pay discrimination. When women do better, families do better, and the Lilly Ledbetter Act will make it easier for families to pay for day-to-day expenses like groceries, child care and doctor's visits.

We build on the enactment of family security legislation today by providing health care coverage for 11 million children. In this commonsense legislation, we will preserve coverage for the roughly 7 million children currently covered by SCHIP and extend coverage to 4.1 million uninsured children who are currently eligible for, but not enrolled in, SCHIP and Medicaid.

As the third largest S-CHIP program in the nation, New York reduced the number of uninsured children in the State by 40%. We are only one of seven states to achieve a decline of that magnitude and I am so pleased that we will further strengthen children's access to health care today.

During this time of economic distress, we must remember that the S- CHIP program is a critical part of our health care safety net and more broadly our family security safety net. S-CHIP has served New York and our country well, and I commend the Speaker for working so diligently on behalf of our nation's kids.