Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today, joined by my colleagues Rep. Frank Wolf and Rep. James Moran, to recognize an outstanding group of men and women in Northern Virginia. These individuals have demonstrated superior dedication to public safety and have been awarded the prestigious Valor Award by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce.

The Valor Awards recognize remarkable heroism and bravery in the line of duty exemplified by our public safety agencies and their commitment to the community. Our public safety and law enforcement personnel put their lives on the line everyday to keep our families and neighborhoods safe. More than 80 awards were presented at this year's ceremony in a variety of categories: The Lifesaving Award, the Certificate of Valor, or the Bronze, Silver, or Gold Medal of Valor.

Nine members of the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department earned this high honor. It is with great pride that we submit their names into the Congressional Record:

Recipients of the Lifesaving Award: Shift Captain Ronald A. Gemsheim Jr. and Firefighter Brian J. Bonkoski.

Recipients of the Certificate of Valor: Technician Michael S. Eddy, Technician Tie L. Burlow, Technician Kathleen M. Vorbau, and Firefighter Medic Damian C. Ripley.

Recipients of the Bronze Medal of Valor: Station Captain Tony C. Kostecka, Firefighter Miguel Obleas, and Firefighter Henry T. Chan.

Madam Speaker, in closing, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the men and women who serve in the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. Their efforts, made on behalf of the citizens of Fairfax County, are selfless acts of heroism and truly merit our highest praise. We ask our colleagues to join us in applauding this group of remarkable citizens.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Anne A. Andrews, Fairfax County's Citizen of the Year. For over three decades, Anne Andrews has raised her voice for, and our awareness of, the needs of Fairfax County's most vulnerable residents. She demonstrates an unparalleled dedication to helping others and is one of the most committed citizen leaders in the County. The passion she embodies is apparent in the expansiveness and intensity of volunteer services she has faithfully provided over the years.

Anne is most well-known for her tireless commitment and dedicated service, for the past 34 years, as Convener of the Route One Task Force for Human Services, providing a collaborative forum for over 40 community and government representatives and community-based organizations. The Task Force has raised awareness of issues, developed capacities to fill service gaps, and engaged wide community participation in enhancing mental health and homeless services as well as providing more accessible health care in the Richmond Highway area.

Anne's expertise lies in identifying a need and mobilizing an entire community to help serve that need. An excellent example is that of the Community Health Care Network (CHCN), formed in 1989, an organization that credits its formation largely to her tireless advocacy. It is one of the best resources to provide accessible, quality primary health care services for low income, uninsured, and underinsured residents. She was a key force behind pulling together community support, helping establish the CHCN that today enrolls over 20,000 residents each year through three community health care centers. Since its beginning, she has served as a stalwart member of the CHCN Community Advisory Committee.

Anne also championed the establishment of the Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT), providing comprehensive, community-based services in areas of treatment, rehabilitation, and support for the most severely mentally ill members of our community for whom traditional clinic-based treatments have been insufficient. She was unanimously elected to lead the Southeast Health Planning Task Force, established to develop strategies to provide enhanced services and deliver accessible health care in southeastern Fairfax County. Anne co- revived a Citizen's Advisory Board to strengthen the Mount Vernon Center for Community Mental Health. The Board assists in improved service delivery, advocates for expanded mental health programs, and provides citizen advice on mental health issues and policies.

Under Anne's leadership, the first shelter for the homeless in Fairfax County was established in the Richmond Corridor. More recently, she facilitated a community tie-in to the county's hypothermia project.

Anne remains a steady and effective advocate for community-based mental health treatment and community access to health care, particularly for the most vulnerable members of our community. There are few people who take the time and energy to affect a community so greatly and as positively as Anne. Due to her outstanding contributions and persistent efforts, Fairfax County is a healthier community, and I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Anne Andrews as the 2008 Fairfax County Citizen of the Year.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to address our current economic crisis and the careful and responsible investments in America that President Obama and this Congress have made. The Federal Reserve has predicted that without action, our economy will contract by $2 trillion over the next 2 years. With a recession that has persisted since December of 2007, we cannot expect an overnight cure. However we are cushioning the fall.

There was no one cause for the economic collapse. Instead, we have taken a number of positive steps in various areas to address the various facets of this economic decline. The second half of the TARP funding will help stabilize the financial sector. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will create millions of jobs, including 9,300 in my district. The Help Families Save Their Homes Act will keep millions of honest, hardworking Americans from foreclosure and help stabilize the housing values of their neighbors not currently in crisis. The Fiscal Year 2009 Omnibus Act the House recently passed adds crucial investments in public safety, energy efficiency, clean water and mass transit.

Mr. Speaker, I'm proud of the fact that this Congress has joined with the President in responding to the financial crisis.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Camelot Neighborhood Watch Program (CNWP) of Fairfax County, Virginia.

In the 30 years since its inception, the CNWP has achieved great success, helping lower the general crime rate in its community. As the former Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, I can personally attest to the program's accomplishments.

The CNWP boasts the largest number of volunteers in Northern Virginia. These volunteers have committed themselves to informing local police of suspicious activities. While it is financially and logistically impossible to place a police officer on every street corner, the CNWP has provided Fairfax County with an effective alternative. CNWP volunteers have become the eyes and ears of local police, deterring crime and saving taxpayers millions of dollars.

Those who take the time to cast a watchful eye on their surroundings ensure a safer, friendlier place to live. Through committed neighborhood watch, CNWP participants have proven that community involvement can make a difference.

It is important to note that CNWP has embraced neighborhood diversity. Participants have bridged culture and language gaps in the name of collective security. By recognizing shared community values, the CNWP has facilitated improved understanding and relations between individuals from a variety of backgrounds.

One of the greatest assets of the CNWP is its ability to bring neighbors together. In that spirit I am proud to recognize Mr. Paul Cevey, CNWP founder and Coordinator for the first 12 years; Mr. Dave Shonerd, his successor who for the next 11 years continued to mold the program into the great success it is today; and Mr. Frank Vajda who continues the great CNWP tradition.

Years of CNWP success have merited several notable accolades. The Fairfax County Mason District Police Department has recognized the CNWP as one of the most effective crime reduction units in the county. The Virginia Crime Prevention Association has recognized the CNWP as the Best Neighborhood Watch in Virginia.

The CNWP is the oldest, continuously active Neighborhood Watch Group in the United States. This highly accomplished neighborhood program serves as an impressive model for other organizations across the nation.

Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to thank the Camelot Neighborhood Watch Program for 30 years of dedicated service to its community. Programs like the CNWP are vital in our efforts to combat crime. I call upon my colleagues to join me in applauding the CNWP's past accomplishments and in wishing the program continued success in the many years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Brigadier General Patricia C. Lewis. As her 30-year career in the United States Air Force draws to a close, I would like to draw attention to some of her accomplishments and contributions to our great nation.

Brigadier General Patricia C. Lewis is Assistant Surgeon General, Strategic Medical Plans and Programs, and Chief of the Medical Service Corps. Educated at the University of Philippines in Manila, she received a direct commission in the Air Force Medical Service Corps upon completing her Master's degree. In her distinguished career, she has served at Headquarters Air Force Material Command as Chief of Programs and Evaluations in the Office of the Command Surgeon, and at Headquarters U.S. Air Force as Chief of Personnel,

Training and Medical Programs. She has also served as executive officer to the Air Force Surgeon General and Director of Medical Operations for Headquarters Air Force Inspection Agency. Her commands include the 1st Medical Support Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, and 366th Medical Group at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Prior to her current assignment, General Lewis was Commander of the Air Force Medical Support Agency, a field operating agency which reports to the Air Force Surgeon General.

In her career, General Lewis has been awarded a Legion of Merit, a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, a Meritorious Service Medal with silver oak leaf cluster, an Air Force Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster, and an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. She was also recognized in 1994 by an Air Force Commitment to Service Award for her tireless work with the Medical Service Corps.

General Lewis has served her career with dedication and honor in the service of her country. Her direct support of medical planning and programming efforts for the United States Air Force Medical Service has greatly enhanced the medical capability needed to ensure success in the war on terrorism. In addition, as the Chief of the Medical Service Corps, she has directly impacted the careers of hundreds of health care executives in the Corps and will influence several generations beyond the tenure of her career.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in commending Brigadier General Patricia C. Lewis for her lifetime of hard work in the service of our country.

I want to thank the distinguished chairman for his work on this very important bill. I also want to recognize my distinguished colleague, Rick Boucher of Virginia, for his extraordinary leadership on the Virginia Ridge and Valley Act, which is part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act.

Virginia Ridge and Valley will permanently protect 43,000 acres of Jefferson National Forest as Wilderness, and it will also protect an additional 12,000 acres by creating two new National Scenic Areas.

These Wilderness and National Scenic Areas protect old-growth forests in the headwaters of some of the most ecologically sensitive rivers in Virginia, the Clinch and the Holston.

I congratulate the work of the committee; the distinguished chairman; and my colleague, Mr. Rick Boucher, and I urge passage of the legislation.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 12:30 p.m. on Monday next for morning-hour debate.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, this week the House is scheduled to take up H.R. 1106, the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act of 2009. While much of the controversy over this bill is focused on the title I provisions, the provisions in title II will provide safe harbor for lenders willing to modify mortgages and improve the HOPE for Homeowners program.

Allow me to dispel a few of the myths surrounding this legislation.

Myth: The bill only benefits a small number of homeowners.

Fact: This bill will actually help all homeowners by protecting their neighborhoods from the negative effects of foreclosure. Every foreclosure brings down the value of nearby homes, further eroding the equity of homeowners who are up to date on their mortgages. Millions of middle class families are just one sickness or one layoff away from a possible foreclosure.

Myth: The bill rewards bad behavior.

Fact: This bill requires homeowners to negotiate with their lenders in good faith before they can even consider applying for judicial modification of their home loan through bankruptcy.

Myth: The bill is a dramatic change in the Bankruptcy Code.

Fact: This bill equalizes the rules by treating residential bankruptcies the same as corporate, farm and vacation home bankruptcies.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

I'd like to remind my colleagues that while much of the controversy over this bill has focused on the Title I provisions, the provisions in Title II will help thousands of homeowners and enjoy broad support. Providing safe harbor for lenders willing to modify mortgages and improving the HOPE for Homeowners program are much-needed reforms that will help stem the tide of foreclosures and protect our neighborhoods. I would like to take a few moments to dispel some of the myths surrounding the legislation that could also be referred to as the Neighborhood Protection Act.

Myth: This bill only benefits a small number of low income homeowners or homeowners who bought more house than they could afford.

Fact: H.R. 1106 will actually help all homeowners by protecting their neighborhoods from the negative effects of foreclosure. Every foreclosure in a neighborhood brings down the value of nearby homes, further eroding the equity of homeowners who are up to date on their mortgages. Furthermore, the foreclosure crisis has spread beyond victims of the sub-prime crisis or individuals who purchased more home than they could afford. As President Obama noted in his address to this body, millions of middle-class families are just one sickness or one layoff away from possible foreclosure. Without the ability to sell or refinance a home with a current value lower than the mortgage value, these families are out of options.

Myth: The bill rewards bad behavior.

Fact: H.R. 1106 requires homeowners to negotiate with their lenders in good faith before they can even consider applying for a judicial modification of their home loan through bankruptcy. And the bill prevents judges from modifying loans for homeowners who have the ability to make their payments or make other bad faith efforts to game the system. The specious argument that the bill rewards bad behavior is being promoted by the banks, who themselves were rewarded for their bad behavior by the previous Administration. After receiving hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer bailouts, the banks should be the last to complain. This bill is designed to help families who have worked hard and played by the rules, but are trapped by declining property values and escalating job losses.

Myth: The bill enables homeowners to avoid their financial responsibilities.

Fact: H.R. 1106 allows judges to modify a mortgage only in those cases where it is truly not affordable for the homeowner and even then judges can only reduce the mortgage to the fair market value of the property. Lenders are able to recoup the fair market value of the house, plus interest, which is much better than they usually secure in a foreclosure sale.

Myth: The bill is a dramatic change in the bankruptcy code.

Fact: H.R. 1106 equalizes bankruptcy rules by treating residential bankruptcies the same as corporate, farm, and vacation home bankruptcies. H.R. 1106 will give struggling families or individuals the same right to modify the loans on their primary homes as wealthy investors have to modify the loans on their second or third properties.

Myth: The bill will dramatically increase bankruptcies.

Fact: Bankruptcy proceedings are unpleasant and scar one's credit record for years. No one looks forward to bankruptcy. And this bill provides stringent conditions, with a series of interim steps and requirements, so bankruptcy

proceedings are only used as a last resort after exhausting all other options to save a home.

Myth: This bill is another bailout for the banks and will cost taxpayers tens of billions.

Fact: H.R. 1106 actually redirects existing TARP funds from the banks to homeowners. It also will make sure the TARP funds are spent on economic recovery and neighborhood stabilization rather than salted away in some bank vault or paid to bank shareholders as dividends. This bill does exactly what the American people have asked for; it helps homeowners rather than banks and big business.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1106 is not a perfect bill, but it is one more piece in the mosaic of positive efforts we are making to turn our economy around. It is good for homeowners. It is good for the future stability of our neighborhoods. It is good for our nation's economy.

That is why I ask my colleagues to join me later today in supporting

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mary Ta, a student at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke, VA and recipient of the In Hope Freedom Rings Foundation Scholarship. Mary sets a strong example as a leader among her peers, and is committed to making the most of her gifts and passions.

Mary exhibits a maturity beyond her years. Her father passed away when she was eight years old, forcing her family to relocate. Later, as her older siblings left home, she assumed responsibility for her younger sister. She has learned the flexibility and presence of mind needed to excel under demanding circumstances, coupled with a natural compassion and intellectual curiosity.

Mary has distinguished herself as a leader in the school community, in large part through her commitment to public service. She is the past Secretary and Vice-President of the Lake Braddock Key Club and a member of Key Club International. She serves in the Key Club as the Capital District's Lieutenant Governor, working on a board of trustees from all over the Washington Metro Area and Delaware. Her responsibilities include overseeing 15 high schools in the Capital District and acting as liaison between them.

In addition, Mary has organized and coordinated various service projects with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the American Red Cross, Women's Domestic Shelter, United Nations Children's Fund, and many more.

Mary's strong orientation towards volunteerism has helped make her a leader in the student community. In 2005 she co-founded and is the current Vice-President of the Bruin ESOL Tutoring Association, a tutoring program for middle school students with English as their second language. In addition she has been an officer of the National Honor Society and the Student Government Association, and last year she attended Girls State at Longwood University and was elected to serve as a state Delegate.

Balancing her work in the greater community with more artistic activities, Mary is a serious musician, having played the violin for nine years. She has been a member of the Lake Braddock Orchestra since 2003, and is also a member of the Symphonic Orchestra and Tri-M music Honor Society.

Mary intends to continue challenging herself on many levels. Following college, she hopes to join the Peace Corps and ultimately to become a professor of history.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in commending Mary Ta for her commitment to service and for the vital role she continues to play in her student community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Abishek Jain, a student at Falls Church High School in Falls Church, VA and recipient of this year's In Hope Freedom Rings Foundation Scholarship.

AJ has earned a reputation as a mindful and mature leader in his community. He is president of the Falls Church High School Science Club, which he founded in the 10th grade, and through which he founded, planned, and operated the school's first successful school recycling program. Today this program is staffed by 30 volunteers and has 200 collection locations.

He is a devoted scholar. His current overall grade point average is 3.86 and this semester he is enrolled in four Advanced Placement courses. He further contributes to the intellectual life of his school as President of the National Math Honor Society and Treasurer of the National Spanish Honor Society. In furthering his studies as an undergraduate AJ plans to pursue a degree in engineering.

AJ's studies are balanced by his athletic and artistic endeavors. He is a member of the Varsity Tennis and Indoor Track Teams and is a former member of the Varsity Swim and Dive Team and Junior Varsity Golf Team. In addition, he has a genuine passion for the violin, which he has played for the past nine years. In this capacity he is a member and former vice-president of the Chamber Orchestra.

AJ still finds time to volunteer in the community beyond his school. He has spent many hours over the past four years working at the Bailey's Crossroads' Homeless Shelter where he is a coordinator charged with gathering food and volunteers to feed the area's homeless.

His school counselor notes, ``What impresses me most about AJ is how grounded he is. He pushes himself to achieve, yet is also aware of his limitations. Since elementary school he has been involved with a cultural organization, the Chinmaya Mission. It is here where AJ has developed a spiritual sense and wisdom beyond his years.''

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in commending AJ for setting such a strong example in his community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the efforts of our nation's Peace Corps volunteers in honor of National Peace Corps Week. Since the establishment of the Peace Corps by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, more than 195,000 U.S. Citizens have served their country in the cause of peace by living and working in 139 countries throughout the world. Each Volunteer sent out into the field represents another opportunity to dispel myths about the United States, to help people of interested countries meet their need for trained men and women, and to create lasting bonds of friendship with host country citizens. Volunteers are currently providing expertise and development assistance to 76 countries and are working to find common ways to address global challenges. These Volunteers share their time and talent serving as teachers, business advisors, information technology consultants, agriculture and environmental specialists, and health and HIV/AIDS educators. The Peace Corps has become an enduring symbol of our nation's commitment to encourage progress, create opportunity, and expand development at the grass-roots level in the developing world.

I would like to commend our proud nation's Peace Corps volunteers for their service, particularly those 58 men and women of the Eleventh Congressional District of Virginia who are currently serving as volunteers: Lauryn Alleva, Alfred Baldwin, Anne Berwick, Albert Bond, Erica Brouillette, Casey Burke, Daniel Cassiday, Alexander Chidakel, Kelly Connors, Rhiannon Cooper, David Coscia, Eric Crowder, Kevin Dansereau, Ryan Dickriede, David Doane, Scott Estep, Brian Fries, Evan Gay, Jeffrey Gilleo, Nathan Graham, Nathan Hernandez, Michaela Hoffman, Thomas Holian, Rachel Kavanagh, Matthew Keenan, Dianne Kim, Shinhee Kim, Melissa Ko, Rachel Kramer, Phuong-Thuy Le, Hye Lee, Laara Manier, Katherine Mariska, Paul Mastin, Alona Mays, Kelly McCormack, Russell McDaniel, John McGrath, Jonathan Mellor, Theresa Milstein, Matthew Mozingo, Karine Nankam, Trevor Perrier, Jessica Pic, Jennifer Polasek, Mathis Pollock, Jonathan Seiden, Hanna Simering, Jonathan Styron, Mary Thur, Rachel Vanderburg, Amy Vaughters, Christine Wahle, Joshua Wayland, Jessica West, Clemens Weygandt, Courtney Wong, and Dale Yurovich. I consider it a great honor to represent these noble men and women, who travel great distances and make great sacrifices to help reaffirm our country's commitment to helping people help themselves throughout the world.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me today to acknowledge the thousands of Americans who serve and have served as Peace Corps Volunteers. They are a great credit to our country, and we should applaud them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to address our current economic crisis and the critical need for a budget that offers hope and confidence to the American people.

My colleagues and our citizens understand our Nation's dire fiscal crisis. Our Gross Domestic Product continues to shrink; auto sales are the worst in decades; personal incomes are declining and job losses continue to alarm us daily. In my own district, one of the Nation's most affluent, demand for food stamps has grown 73 percent over the last year, and local officials say the need is much greater and many simply do not apply.

Home values, the largest source of wealth in my district, have declined by as much 32 percent. These are staggering declines. Through September of 2008, there were thousands of foreclosures in Prince William and Fairfax Counties. Stock in Washington metropolitan businesses has declined 41 percent in 2008, a tremendous decrease in value.

However, there is hope. President Obama outlined a vision last night for long-term financial stability. The significant investment in infrastructure, the expansion of the green economy, the call to bring fiscal sanity back to health care embodied in the President's message bodes well for the future. I support his economic endeavor.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the conferees restored some of the state stabilization dollars previously approved by the House to help soften the financial crunch on local governments and schools. Having just come from the local government ranks--representing Fairfax County, Virginia, which if it were a city would be the nation's 13th largest city with the nation's 12th largest school system--I can tell you our local governments are hemorrhaging in the current economic crisis and are facing steep reductions in staff and services. You see, our state and local government partners do not have the luxury of printing money or enacting continuing resolutions. By statute they must balance their budgets annually.

While the final number for local and state aid is not as much as we wanted--and significantly less than what is needed--this investment is nonetheless critical to ensuring that our state and local partners are in a position to quickly advance on the investments and initiatives as the dollars begin to flow from this stimulus package. The aid we provide will help prevent layoffs for the very workers who will be carrying out the mission of this historic recovery package.

With respect to education, I and many of my colleagues, continue to be disappointed that the House's original proposal for school construction was not maintained. Some argued that school construction is not a federal responsibility when, in fact, the federal government has supported school renovation and construction in the past expressly for the purpose of creating jobs. During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration created hundreds of thousands of new jobs through the construction of 4,383 new schools and the renovation of thousands more in response to the greatest economic crisis of the 20th Century. Thankfully, some flexibility remains within the bill to allow school districts a means to address their growing capital needs and create new jobs.

Current data indicate our economy may contract by as much as $2 trillion during this global crisis. With our action today, the Congress is investing $789 billion to provide some cushion for workers, families and employers. We must do something. We must act. This bill is not the perfect solution, but, in the worst economic meltdown in 80 years, it is about stimulating economic activity, restoring credit flow to consumers and small businesses, financing critical investments that will have continuing returns for generations to come, and restoring the confidence of consumers and investors in our economy.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Carolyn M. Custard and her achievements as the Principal of Cecil D. Hylton Senior High School in Woodbridge, Virginia.

Principal Custard treats her students and faculty as family. The school motto, ``We are Family Working Together for Total Success'' resonates through every interaction at Hylton Senior High School. There is mutual trust and respect amongst the students, parents, faculty and administration, and all strive to meet Principal Custard's signature high expectations. She leads with positivity; motivating those around her to excel with efforts that are earnest and determined.

Principal Custard's approach to education is remarkable and her success undeniable. The percentage of special education students who passed the Standards of Learning exams rose to 80% from 59% in just one year. In 2008, Ms. Custard was named the 2008 Outstanding High School Principal of Virginia, and Hylton Senior High School was recently placed in the top 5% of Newsweek's Top 1000 High Schools in the Nation.

Principal Custard preaches collaborative leadership and established the Principal's Advisory Council. Composed of parents, students and staff, the Council encourages engagement in the school's community. Principal Custard education system can only benefit as parents and students take ownership in the performance and future of their local schools.

In recognition of her innovation and sincere dedication to education, the National Association of Secondary School Principals named Principal Custard as one of their six finalists for the 2009 Principal of the Year Award.

Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join my endorsement of Principal Custard's leadership in our nation's education system.