Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to pass the bipartisan, Senate-passed Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act.

Early in my career, one of my first experiences was working with victims of domestic violence who were struggling and in desperate need of help. Having personally helped victims fill out VAWA petitions so they wouldn't be forced to live under the same roof as their abusers, I've seen firsthand the long-term human devastation this kind of violence can cause, and we cannot continue to ignore its toll on women and families.

VAWA funds have trained over 500,000 law enforcement and judicial officers on the realities of domestic and sexual violence, helping to protect survivors across the country. VAWA saves money, and it saves lives.

Since VAWA was first enacted, over 600 State laws have been passed to combat domestic violence, and reported incidents of violence have decreased by 60 percent. Despite these successes, there's much work to be done, and all victims of domestic violence, including those in the LGBT community and those without documentation, must feel safe seeking help from our criminal justice system.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to strongly urge my colleagues to support H.R. 592, the Federal Disaster Assistance Nonprofit Fairness Act of 2013. I want to also thank my colleague, Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey, for his wonderful leadership on this issue.

On October 29 of last year, Hurricane Sandy tore through New York City and its surrounding areas and left an unprecedented amount of damage in its wake. Homes burned to the ground, our communities were devastated, properties flooded, and over 120 lives were lost. Rightfully so, one of the 113th Congress' first actions was ensuring that adequate funding was made available to begin repairing the damage, and I was happy to be part of that effort.

The $60 billion in aid that Congress made available was a great start to rebuilding our communities and making them whole, but it was only a start. If we as Members of Congress want our affected communities to recover in the aftermath of any natural disaster, we must ensure that FEMA public assistance grants are available to help rebuild all institutions that are vital to a community's way of life.

H.R. 592 is a bipartisan bill. It would allow houses of worship, such as churches, synagogues, temples, or mosques, to receive the fair treatment they deserve. The bill places these vital community institutions on the same playing field as other private nonprofits that are already eligible for FEMA disaster relief. This bill provides no new funds. It sets forth no difference, no favoritism, no promotion of religion; it simply provides for the community and its well-being.

Facilities that already are able to apply for funding include zoos, museums, community centers, and homeless shelters, and it is important that houses of worship not be discriminated against when they need our help. These houses are vital community centers that serve so many of our constituents. The centers' existence, safety, and ability to serve should not be infringed upon, especially because the funds are available under our broadly available program without regard to the religious nature of these facilities. Indeed, to deny FEMA relief to these important institutions would be to discriminate against them because they are religious institutions, in violation of the First Amendment to our Constitution.

Not every facility, home, or place that engages in religious activity will be made available for FEMA assistance because this bill uses a predefined, accepted definition for what these facilities are under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. This is how the IRS currently recognizes and provides tax benefits to houses of worship, and this definition will help prevent erroneous claims.

The concerns about promotion of religion are unfounded. Alan Derschowitz, a widely respected expert on these issues, supports this bill on its constitutional grounds. He wrote that:

Under precedents of the U.S. Supreme Court, religious

institutions may receive government aid if it is in the

context of a broadly available program with criteria that are

neutral toward religion and pose no risks of religious

favoritism. This is certainly the case in the context of FEMA

disbursing aid to repair buildings in the wake of a natural

disaster.

Many of the groups opposing this bill also oppose Nonprofit Security Grant funding, historic preservation grants, and parochial school funding after Katrina. They oppose Federal assistance that helped rebuild the Trinity Parish Episcopal Church in Seattle after an earthquake; aid made available after the tragic Oklahoma City bombing in which money was made available to the First United Methodist Church, First Baptist Church, St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral, and St. Joseph's Catholic Church. This is not precedential; this is taking care of our constituents and their needs, our most important task in Congress.

Congress erred by not including an important part of our communities in these rebuilding efforts, and I hope we can correct that today.

Diocese of Rockville Centre,

Rockville Centre, NY, February 11, 2013.

Hon. Chris Smith,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representative Smith: A few weeks ago I wrote to your

office to call your attention to the sad situation of houses

of worship that were severely damaged by Hurricane Sandy. At

that time I could cite Catholic churches and Jewish

synagogues who had been told that FEMA would not offer them

grants to re-build their place of worship but only loans.

Today I learned that you plan to offer in Congress a bill

that would offer houses of worship the same access to

disaster relief as other community centers.

I write to thank you for doing this as well as to add my

voice of support for just such a correction of a previous

position that surely does not reflect either our traditions

or our current realities. Houses of worship have been one of

the first centers of response across Long Island. The Sunday

after Sandy I visited the four parishes most damaged by the

storm where I witnessed in parish halls without heat or

electricity two signs of hope: faithful people worshipping

and the same faithful people reaching out to one another to

share food, clothing and other necessities even when their

own homes had been destroyed.

To discriminate against houses of worship would be a mark

of sectarianism that denies

the generosity of the people who helped one another and

narrows the American spirit to an arbitrary sectarianism.

Please know that my parishioners, my priests and all the

volunteers in our various outreach centers are one with me in

support of your bill.

William Murphy,

Bishop of Rockville Centre.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great passion and urgency to talk about our need, as Members of Congress, to strengthen our Nation's gun violence prevention laws. Last night at the State of the Union, President Obama said it best--gun violence victims deserve a vote. From Newtown to Aurora, Oak Creek to Tucson and Blacksburg--these victims deserve a vote. Every day in this country, men, women and children die from gun violence. It doesn't have to be this way. We don't have to live in fear when we send our children to school.

I'm proud to be a member of the House Democratic Task Force on Reducing and Preventing Gun Violence. Last week, we issued a series of commonsense priorities that could make the difference in preventing future gun violence. One of the most basic priorities is implementing universal background checks. It is the only way to ensure that people who are legally barred from owning a gun are prevented from buying a gun. Right now, the law is voluntary--someone who fears failing a background check can simply avoid it by acquiring a gun from a private seller.

Another commonsense measure is a bill I introduced, the Fire Sale Loophole Closing Act, that prevents gun dealers whose licenses were revoked from reclassifying their inventory as personal and then selling the same guns as a private seller. We have to close these loopholes. These practices of getting around the law need to stop. I urge my colleagues to bring these commonsense gun safety laws to the floor for a vote because President Obama was right--our victims deserve a vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and service of Emanuel Gold, known to his friends as Manny. After a long fight with cancer, Manny passed away at 77.

Manny Gold began his distinguished career in Albany, New York as Counsel to the Majority Leader of the New York State Senate in 1965. At 35 years old, he was elected to the Assembly, and a year later to the New York State Senate where he would serve for 27 years.

Manny had a great sense of humor and was well regarded on both sides of the aisle. His tireless work throughout his career permanently bettered New York State, New York City and the Borough of Queens.

One of Manny's greatest legislative accomplishments was the ``Son of Sam'' law, which prohibited criminals from profiting from their crimes. This landmark legislation helped lay the foundation for similar laws around the country.

Manny was an avid photographer and could often be seen taking pictures of the State Capitol and Executive Office Building in Albany. In his earlier days Manny was a boxer, but he quickly made a transition to the less physically demanding sport of golf which he played over the course of his long life. His love for music was as strong as it was for sports and politics, exemplified by the symphony orchestras he conducted.

Mr. Speaker, Manny was a tireless public servant for the citizens of New York and always made it a priority to put his constituents first. Even with the loss of his beloved sons Adam and Jeffery he continued to be a strong leading voice for the people of New York.

With work that spanned over three decades he exemplified the meaning of courage and strength by sponsoring legislation that touched the lives of many who lived and worked in Queens. These bills included a measure to mandate that New York City hospitals provide Emergency Room treatment and to make public buildings more accessible for the disabled.

The legacy that he leaves reflects the love for his New York family, but more importantly the love he had for wife Judith, his surviving children Sue and Steve, his daughter Bonnie and his granddaughters Emily and Jackie.

Mr. Speaker, for his service to New York State, advocacy for Queens, and devotion to his family and friends, I ask all of my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in honoring Emanuel Gold.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the H.R. 152, made in order by this rule. But the rule itself is flawed. It allows amendments that would negatively impact the middle class. We should not offset disaster aid by cutting funding for veterans, food safety and education.

I am also disappointed that the Committee did not make in order an amendment I proposed, or a similar amendment offered by my new Colleague Chris Smith, that would help churches, synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship recover from the destruction left by Hurricane Sandy.

These amendments would have given houses of worship the same chance for aid that other private nonprofit facilities receive. Superstorm Sandy was an exceptionally rare event with immense destructive force, and these establishments provided extraordinary service to the community during the hurricane. It would be unfair not to give them FEMA support and an opportunity to rebuild.

Because of the severe crisis experienced by Queens and the rest of New York, houses of worship should be able to receive the same consideration for aid that other private nonprofits do.

I am grateful that the Committee is allowing us to consider the Frelinghuysen amendment, which would provide thirty-three billion dollars in much needed aid to the states devastated by Sandy. I urge the my colleagues to support the Frelinghuysen amendment and to support H.R. 152 on final passage.