Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the dedicated men and women of the United States Coast Guard Sector Long Island located in NY-3 that stretches from Eatons Neck and just beyond Kings Point. It is one of the oldest Coast Guard stations in New York and the fourth oldest in the United States.

They carry out humanitarian services, such as search and rescue. They are maritime security, which is their top priority, along with port security. They are the law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces. The United States Coast Guard is the largest and most powerful coast guard in the world, and it rivals most navies.

During 9/11, these unsung heroes evacuated some 565,000 people from Manhattan who chose the water route to escape NYC. In addition, their search and rescue ops increased by 35 percent during the pandemic, with a 22 percent increase in fatalities.

While keeping vigilant of our coast, they also take the fight to gun, drug, and human smugglers out on the high seas.

Their mission-related activity is being carried out despite a $4 billion backlog in infrastructure, including the old station building at Eatons Neck, structural issues with the U.S. Coast Guard station in Saugerties, as well as flooding, mold, lead, and asbestos issues at each of the U.S. Coast Guard stations on the South Shore. Because of these conditions, the Coast Guard staff must clean up the basements late at night instead of getting proper sleep after handling search and rescue operations all day.

As you can see, these are the conditions behind me of what the men and women who serve our country honorably have to endure.

All of this is being carried out with about 100 reservists from New York and 40,000 members nationwide, some of whom have difficulty receiving mental health services. Being stationed at some of these facilities can become a long and lonely mission due to long winters and very little social life.

Sadly, there are also pay and housing issues, some U.S. Coast Guard staff are utilizing food pantries and have difficulties finding affordable housing within enough driving distance of their station. This results in morale and recruiting issues.

Lastly, there are some 3,000 offshore wind turbines that are coming and posing a major concern for the Coast Guard when it comes to performing search and rescue. Their helicopters would have to carefully navigate a waterway during a rescue operation without getting caught up in the wind turbines in addition to Coast Guard vessels having difficulties with their radar capabilities navigating in and around these windmills.

I would also add that the construction of these turbines can take up to 15 to 20 years to build, resulting in an expected 1,800 transits up the Hudson River from the Port of New York and out to sea. This places a huge responsibility on the shoulders of the Coast Guard to ensure the safety of all those types of boaters and vessels.

Madam Speaker, I highlight these concerns because they operate under a limited budget. They deserve proper pay, rest, housing, medical, as well as mental health, and above all, our sincere gratitude.

These dedicated men and women are truly the unsung heroes of our military force who protect our coasts, protect our economic and security interests abroad, saving thousands of lives a year at sea, and providing emergency response to both manmade and natural disasters.

The Coast Guard ethos are:

In Service to our Nation

With honor, respect, and devotion to duty

We protect,

We defend,

We save,

We are semper paratus.

We are the United States Coast Guard.

I thank the U.S. Coast Guard for their dedication to protecting other coastal borders and keeping those at sea safe from harm.

Safe Drinking Water

Madam Speaker, most of us would take this for granted and never think twice about the water we drink. We assume it is safe and that the contaminants have been filtered out. I am here to address the water contamination concern that is affecting communities within New York's Third Congressional District.

The Village of Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island in Nassau County. The Village is serviced by two different water utilities: the Village of Farmingdale Water Department that serves approximately 9,500 residents, and the South Farmingdale Water District, which serves approximately 45,000 residents. One of the water plants is already impacted by contaminants and the second is in danger of approaching contamination within 11 months.

PFAS substances, which are commonly known as PFAS are chemicals used for their waterproofing and stain resistance. They typically can be found in a variety of products, such as fabric conditioners, firefighting foam, and older styles of Teflon. They are also known as ``forever chemicals'' that never break down in water and soil, and accumulate and persist in the human body. Health effects from PFAS can vary. According to the CDC, PFAS may lead to high cholesterol, increased risk of kidney cancer, liver problems, and decreases in birth weight.

Currently, the Village of Farmingdale is trying to address these emerging contaminants, including 1,4-dioxane and PFAS that are emanating from plumes in the aquifer from various hazardous waste sites outside of the boundaries of the Village. The Village is in the process of constructing an advanced oxidation plant, AOP, and granulated activated carbon filters to remove PFAS and 1,4-dioxane compounds at this location.

The reality is, in 11 months 9,500 people in the Village of Farmingdale are at risk of having no access to clean water if we do nothing about it.

Unfortunately, these contaminants have already impacted one of the water supply wells located at Eastern Parkway where the Village operates a 1.73-million-gallon per day well, also known as well 1-3. As a result, well 1-3 has been offline since July of 2021, and the Village of Farmingdale has declared an emergency.

In December of 2019, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation directed the installation of sentinel wells near the Village of Farmingdale's boundaries, which is a

short distance of approximately 1,500 feet of both water plants to monitor the toxic plume and the impact.

A sentinel well is a groundwater monitoring well located between a known area of groundwater contamination and a drinking water supply well. This pending contamination necessitates that the Village of Farmingdale implement costly filtration systems not just for well 1 but also for the two remaining operational wells, 2 and 3.

Farmingdale's most recent sample indicates a significant increase in contamination concentrations of the two remaining operational wells. Concentrations in these sentinel wells exceed the current standards. Concentrations of 1,4-dioxane have risen from 1.7 ppb, parts per billion, in June of 2021 to 3.4 parts per billion in March of 2022.

In 2017, a nonprofit known as the Environmental Working Group collaborated with scientists, aggregated, and analyzed data from 50,000 local water utilities in all 50 States. For the Village of Farmingdale, the group discovered six contaminants across the supply between 2012 and 2017. The following contaminants include chromium, nitrate, nitrate and nitrite, radium, arsenic, and radium.

For the Village residents and businesses to have a safe supply of potable water, the Village is preparing contingency plans which will also have a significant financial impact on the small Village. This is just one small community facing contaminated water and, unfortunately, they are not alone.

While I am pleased that New York became the first State in the Nation to adopt drinking water standards, at the Federal level we should be doing more to invest in our water infrastructure improvement projects.

Clean water should never be a luxury to any community. In fact, clean water should always be a right to every American citizen.

Defending the Taxpayers of Nassau County

Madam Speaker, today, I have to defend the taxpayers living in Nassau County. As Long Island becomes less affordable and inflation disrupts our everyday lives, Long Islanders are struggling to pay taxes.

Our homeowners in Nassau County are now being required to pay an additional 2.06 percent in school taxes for 2023 through 2024. Nassau County ranks among eight counties nationwide with the highest median property tax, which consists of 60 percent in school tax. One of the more affluent school districts in New York's Third District, Jericho, is proposing a 2.77 percent tax increase.

The district will pay an additional $2.6 million in health insurance, along with $700,000 more for public school bus transportation. This is why the taxpayers of Long Island would greatly benefit from my bill, H.R. 1360, the SALT Relief Act.

All taxpayers need a buffer, especially during times of economic hardship. My bill is designed to keep money in taxpayers' wallets while keeping residents on Long Island.

I am calling on my colleagues to cosponsor my bill and consider what is at stake for all American families.

Congratulating Students Emily Kim and Kevin Zhu

I would like to take the time to congratulate Emily Kim and Kevin Zhu of Jericho High School on becoming finalists in the 2023 Regeneron Science Talent Search.

Both Emily and Kevin had the experience of presenting their research for a week in the Nation's Capital and were awarded $25,000 based on their research skills and promise as scientists.

Emily and Kevin were chosen to compete out of 1,949 students from 628 high schools across 48 States, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and four other countries.

Emily's project studied activated carbon and its potential to treat the wastewater produced by the fast-fashion and textile industries.

Kevin Zhu's project studied change in DNA associated with neurological disease and how the changes can serve as a measurable indicator for future cancer blood tests.

These extraordinary students, although very young, have set the bar for the many likely to follow in their footsteps. Now, more than ever, scientific research and STEM skills are vital to solving some of the world's most complex problems.

Bright minds such as Kevin's and Emily's are on the cutting edge of breakthrough discoveries.

Congratulations to you both, and may you have great success in the future and in your career.

Congratulating the Manhasset Indians Girls' Basketball Team

Madam Speaker, I congratulate the Manhasset Indians girls' basketball team for their outstanding performance this month. On March 11th, they played an impressive game and, what many may argue, was their most competitive game all season.

With just 70 seconds left and what appeared to be their certain defeat, the girls gave it their all and scored six straight points, including an astonishing free throw from senior grad Caitlin Barrett.

Their junior forward Lauren Perfetto scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in what some have called the best game of her career. The girls tied the game at 45 and went into overtime, then wrapped the game with a three-point lead.

With demonstrated composure, resilience, and teamwork, the Manhasset Indians set the bar in athleticism. I know that you work so hard and thank you for making this historic mark in Manhasset's history. Keep your chin up, ladies.

Congratulations to the Manhasset Indians Girls' basketball team.

Honored to Serve

Madam Speaker, it is an honor to serve in the House of Representatives and it is an honor to represent the constituents of the Third Congressional District of New York and to come here every day and fight for the interests of our constituents.

I thank the Speaker and the staff for all your work and for all the dedication to the American people.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 8 o'clock and 13 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate Jericho High School for being granted an exclusive performance of ``Frozen.''

Jericho is one of 52 schools in the world, and the only one in New York, to be selected by Disney to produce the musical. This impressive performance by talented students is expected to include a snow machine, a projector, puppetry, and even robotics. It will also feature songs made famous by New York Third's very own Idina Menzel, who is the voice of Elsa in the motion picture.

I wish the entire cast and crew of Jericho High School the best of luck. As for Lauren Marchand, who is playing Elsa, it must be such an honor to play her role model and mentor in this role. Break a leg.

Madam Speaker, I rise today for International Women's Day to acknowledge women in small business from New York's Third Congressional District.

Pam Ocasio from Pam's Jamz--with a z--is a mom with a talent for curating unique homemade jams and marmalades from local ingredients. She is always at the local farmers market in Oyster Bay with a smiling face and a can-do attitude.

Another wonder woman, Angela Carillo, is a mother of two from Bethpage with an associate's degree in medical technology and a bachelor's degree in biology. She put her chemistry skills to the test in her basement studio in 2010 curating beautiful and fabulously scented home soaps. I have seen her work at local craft fairs around the district, and I must say, she certainly gives any major manufacturer a run for their money.

Joey Bowen is a mother of two who built her business as a single mom. Joey lives in Bethpage and hand makes stylish clear handbags. She started in her living room and expanded to an international operation. She now has storefronts around Nassau County and supports the local economy and the workforce.

Cheers to all these women out there and for their extraordinary accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the Republic of Turkiye--the more I learn, the more I am appalled that they are allowed to remain in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

From their historic and well-documented persecution of Armenians, human rights abuses--even today--and their objections to Sweden and Finland joining NATO, why do we keep or even trust Turkiye as a partner in maintaining world order?

In major issues related to Iran, Syria, Russia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, Turkiye is involved and not always helpful to our interests. It is time to rethink this arrangement.

My district in New York has a sizable population of Armenian descendants, multigeneration, first generation, and new arrivals. These citizens have close ties and legitimate concerns about what is going on over there in Armenia.

To my constituents: Yes, I will cosponsor H. Res. 108, but I will also ask this legislative body and my friends in the Senate to reconsider our continued partnership with Turkiye.

Madam Speaker, I rise today horrified at the reports from Iran that hundreds of schoolgirls appear to have been poisoned in the suspected attack by the Iranian Government. I cannot stand by idly and watch these women and children continue to be targeted simply because they want to live free from persecution.

Last month, I called on the President to do more than merely sanction the Ayatollah's illegal theocratic regime. The Biden administration will not respond because they are still looking to resuscitate the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Additionally, its weakness on the world stage has the administration consumed by the war in Ukraine and recent airspace invasions from China.

We have faced decades-long failed attempts to negotiate directly with the Islamic Republic. If there is one thing that has become crystal clear, it is that resuscitating the nuclear deal no longer offers a realistic pathway for mitigating the threats posed by Tehran.

We need to stop virtue signaling and soft-pedaling with flimsy symbolic support. I call on the Biden administration to publicly disavow the prospect of a new nuclear deal with Iran.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to introduce my bill, the SALT Relief Act.

My bill will increase the State and local taxes cap deduction from $10,000 to $50,000. Increasing the SALT deduction is a step in the right direction to lessen the burden of combined Federal, State, and local taxes during these times of economic hardship.

New York has one of the highest tax rates in the country, ranking above--including Federal, State, and local taxes.

In 2018, for Nassau County, the average SALT amount--property tax, income, or sales tax liability--reported among itemizing filers was $30,227.21, but due to the $10,000 cap, the average SALT deduction actually claimed was $9,023.79.

Let it be known that the SALT tax is not a tax break for the wealthy but a tax relief for working-class families. This is about the 118th Congress working to ease the affordability burden in high-tax States like New York.

The cost of living continues to plague New Yorkers. Raising the cap on SALT will provide real tax relief, not just to New York's Third Congressional District but to all in America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in response to Biden's State of the Union Address.

As a reminder, I do not wish failure upon any sitting President. Whether it is a Republican or Democrat, their success is our success, and when we wish for their failure, then the Nation fails.

We have had 2 years of one-party rule in the White House, in the Senate, and in the House. In those 2 very short years, we watched our thriving economy steer in the opposite direction.

American households cannot afford food and gas. Our wages are failing to keep up with inflation that continues to increase.

Since the President took office, we as a Nation watched the average gas price go from $2.39 to our current average of $3.45. However, on day one of Biden's Presidency, he killed the Keystone XL pipeline, which could have been supplying 830,000 barrels per day from Canada to U.S. refineries, and depleted our Strategic Petroleum Reserve to its lowest level since 1984.

Another item that President Biden failed to address was the catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan. As a result, 13 brave servicemembers lost their lives, and the Taliban have now taken back control of Afghanistan.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise to honor a former volunteer firefighter who was at Ground Zero on 9/11, Michael Weinstock. He was an assistant district attorney in Brooklyn's special victim's bureau and a volunteer firefighter and EMT.

On the morning of 9/11, Michael witnessed the black smoke billowing out of the World Trade Center. Without thought, he voluntarily rode with first responders to help in any way he could. Michael had been unloading medical equipment out of an ambulance when the South Tower crumbled and nearly crushed Michael to death.

Today, Michael suffers from a painful and incurable disease: neuropathy.

Michael has been a strong advocate for neuropathy to be covered by the World Trade Center Health Program. Neuropathy is a medical condition that results in damage to the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. Those who suffer from neuropathy experience weakness and numbness which typically occurs in the hands or feet. This can be incredibly painful and debilitating, and many are unable to live normal lives. This is also known as the suicide disease due to limited effective treatments and the fact that there is no cure.

Studies from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health have linked neuropathy with the 9/11 dust. The data from the 2019 study found that nearly 10,000 firefighters and emergency medical workers were exposed to toxins at the World Trade Center.

The World Trade Center Health Program covered conditions categories include: acute and traumatic injuries, airway and digestive disorders, cancers, and mental health conditions, to name a few.

In 2016, the World Trade Center Health Program was petitioned to add peripheral neuropathy to its list of covered conditions, which it declined to do. In 2017, an FDNY responder again petitioned the program to add peripheral neuropathy to its covered conditions list. Unfortunately, the World Trade Center Health Program declined to update its list a second time citing insufficient evidence.

Michael's story is one of many that have yet to be told to a wider audience. This issue goes beyond the political pale of Republican versus Democrat. As a Member of the 118th Congress, I will use this opportunity to raise awareness of what the men and women who suffer from this debilitating disease are going through due to the exposure of the toxins from the World Trade Center.

Since the World Trade Center Health Program does not cover neuropathy, people like Michael must pay out of pocket for treatment, medication, and other medical needs.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues that we work together and find a solution to have conditions such as neuropathy be covered under the World Trade Center Health Program.

Tomorrow, I will be proud to have Michael as my guest for the State of the Union Address. I am proud to be his Member, as he is a constituent of the Third Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to congratulate my colleagues on voting to remove Representative Ilhan Omar from the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Agreeing to H. Res. 76 sends a strong message that we support Israel and the Jewish community.

I urge the 118th Congress to now stand together, proudly upholding every single American--no matter race, pedigree, religion, nor creed-- as no less American than their neighbor; that Jewish Americans are patriotic Americans; and that we all have a role in fighting bigotry and anti-Semitism in our country.

We must make sure that the House of Representatives reflects such principles as a united body.

Resolving casework is one of the most important services provided by our offices.

I was shocked to learn that my predecessor left behind numerous unresolved cases--but, in retrospect, perhaps I shouldn't be so critical. Maybe the simple reason is they were unable to solve constituent issues because he and his staff were hampered by the fact that agency personnel, were either unavailable, or, those who were, simply didn't have the resources available for them to process requests. Why? Because they are working from home.

Our functional system of government, how we get things done, was built to support a government workforce where our people come into an office, work together, in one place, face to face.

Around that infrastructure, we have businesses (or perhaps I should say we had businesses) that were built to support that workforce--small businesses, such as coffee shops, restaurants, dry cleaners, etc.

Most industries, who instituted telework policies during the pandemic have returned or have begun to return to their respective workplaces. And like the government, those businesses were designed around an in- office workforce.

This bill does not eliminate telework; it simply returns the workforce to the policies that were in place in 2019.

And perhaps, with the report, that this bill requests from the OPM, there is a good chance some agencies will show that telework or other arrangements make sense.

Fine.

But as of today; we the oversight body, do not have that data.

Let's reset--analyze where we've been and then move forward.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R.139.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor Mr. Christopher Marian Ballaban, a constituent, war hero, and Holocaust survivor in New York's Third Congressional District.

Last Saturday, on January 28, Mr. Ballaban reached his centennial, and I would like to enter into the Congressional Record this token of my appreciation for his long and heroic journey.

Christopher was born in Poland and joined the Polish resistance against the Soviets at the young age of 16. Throughout his entire life, he was held in multiple slave camps throughout Europe.

After escaping the final camp, Christopher eventually joined the British Army and fought against Nazis in Germany and other enemy forces.

Finally, in the early 1950s, he found his way home to the United States. I could not be more honored to have a man of such valor residing in the district that I represent.

Let this serve as a public declaration of respect and admiration for Mr. Ballaban and his amazing family. I would like to extend the happiest of birthdays to Christopher, and I hope that our paths cross soon.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the brave men and women of the Nassau County Police Department.

Last week, the Nassau PD arrested eight men in New York's Third Congressional District who are said to be part of an organized theft group from South America.

While I am grateful to their ongoing commitment to preventing these acts of violence, but for suburban New Yorkers in New York's Third Congressional District, we are seeing a major uptick in crime.

In Nassau County alone, a reported 7,394 crimes have been recorded in 2022. This includes grand larceny, burglaries, and vehicle theft.

Recently, I spoke with the NYPD's commanding officer, Assistant Chief Kevin Williams of Queens, to discuss the potential protests in response to the unfortunate events that have taken place in Memphis.

I personally extend my support to Assistant Chief Williams and his team during this time of uncertainty. While peaceful protests may occur nationwide, we should also offer our support to the brave men and women of our local law enforcement.

Mr. Speaker, it is my commitment to support good policy that will provide both the training and resources that our local law enforcement requires to keep our communities safe.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to acknowledge that the 27th of January marks the anniversary of the Auschwitz concentration camp being liberated by the Red Army in 1945.

Let this day serve as a reminder that we must honor the victims and the survivors. We must also pay tribute to the liberators, who rescued millions of people who nearly fell victim to the Holocaust.

In fact, I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the grandmother of one of my D.C. staffers, who is a 93-year-old survivor of Auschwitz and is also one of the few survivors of her family, who was tragically lost at the hands of Nazi murderers.

Anti-Semitism is a plague in this Nation, and it is undoubtedly up to us to ensure this kind of tragedy is never to be seen again.

This is a tribute to aging survivors and the Jewish community. We must guarantee access to the services they need to live long and dignified lives.

This day and every day, we give credence to the dark side of humanity but strive for a better and brighter future.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to implore my colleagues to act with haste on the critical energy crisis that is currently dragging down the productivity of our economy and bleeding our workers bone dry.

My constituents are already weighed down by the heavy burden of taxes and regulations and cannot afford to pay the rising energy prices that currently hinder their ability to invest and rebuild in our local economy in the wake of a global pandemic and the suffocating lockdowns that have absolutely ravaged our communities.

They can no longer afford the inefficient and opaque decisionmaking on our energy policy and strategic reserves by bureaucrats who don't know what it means to be unable to fill up their gas tanks, balance a monthly food budget, or sacrificing the miles they drive in search of baby formula for their children.

On behalf of the constituents of New York's Third Congressional District, I urge my colleagues to join me to aggressively demand commonsense energy policies, to encourage due diligence and transparency from the decisionmakers, and to shore up our strategic reserves for the sake of our precious national security.