Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, before presenting the topic on which I plan to speak about this morning, I want to take a couple of minutes to talk about the career of the gentleman from New Jersey, Congressman Rob Andrews, who leaves this House on February 18 after a remarkable career.

We will be losing an amazing talent, a great intellect, and a fine leader. It has been a great privilege to serve with him and to watch him do his work so ably. We will miss you, Rob.

I now rise, Mr. Speaker, to speak for the 29th time on this House floor about rape in the military. I rise today to speak on a scathing report on military sexual assault by the Associated Press. Sexual assault scandals exposed by the press are the new norm for the military, but this damning report offers us a window into the gross mishandling of sexual assaults at the hands of the chain of command on a massive scale.

This weekend, a deluge of sex crime reports in Japan have been revealed, thanks not to the military disclosing them, but to the Associated Press through FOIA requests. The data reveal how broken the military scales of justice truly are and offers a rare glimpse into how reports of sexual assaults are handled.

Many of these stories involved commanders that undermined investigations, refused to bring a case to court-martial, or overturned a case after a jury had found the perpetrator guilty and sentenced them to jail. Of the 1,000 reports, punishments were wildly inconsistent, and of the suspects determined to be guilty, two-thirds of them spent no time in jail at all. In more than 30 cases, a letter of reprimand was the only punishment. What is truly unacceptable is that we have to rely on FOIA requests at all.

These cases and their outcomes must face the light of day and the scrutiny of the taxpayers that pay for our military in the first place, and I intend to work to make sure that this happens.

What is clear from these cases is that commanders are part of the problem, not the solution. Commanders often decided to not move forward with courts-martial, but when they did--even with DNA evidence and tape-recorded confessions of rape--the predators were typically given mild punishments after pleading to lesser offenses. It is the culture of the military that the rules simply don't apply. Commanders also lessened numerous punishments unilaterally and, in two cases, threw out guilty verdicts and punishments completely.

Among the most disturbing stories in the AP analysis was about a doctor at a health clinic at a Naval Air Facility near Tokyo. Airman Tina Wilson went to the clinic in 2008 to have a dressing changed following surgery on her tailbone. But the doctor, Lieutenant Commander Anthony L. Valasquez, decided it was perfectly okay to slip his hand down the front of her panties and then have the nerve to give her a smile and a wink as she walked out the door.

Wilson complained, an investigation was started, and three other women also reported the doctor had touched them inappropriately, but after 10 months, the investigation was closed with no action taken, according to an NCIS document on the investigation obtained by the AP.

The story gets even more disgusting. Two years later, the Navy finally filed charges against the doctor after more than 25 women reported he touched them, too. But guess what? Most of the charges were dropped under a plea deal, and the doctor served just a week in the brig. He was dismissed and thankfully stripped of his license, but Valasquez could have been stopped years before. Instead, he was allowed to carry on his lewd behavior and scar so many more victims.

Airman Tina Wilson left the Navy, distraught over how the case was handled, according to the AP analysis. This is another of the thousands of tragedies of how sexual assault victims are treated in the military justice system. They often leave or are forced out after making their reports and enduring a grueling, unjust process. Survivors often face retaliation and punishment while their predators get letters of reprimand.

The retaliation is brutal. Survivors are debased, humiliated, and then discharged by the military they so proudly served because another servicemember raped them or sexually assaulted them.

As we know, there are an estimated 26,000 sexual assaults a year in the military, but reporting is low. Courts-martial are rare, and the conviction rate is less than 1 percent. This is the result of a legal system beholden to the chain of command that some are hell-bent on protecting.

It is time to pass the STOP Act and bring back justice for all servicemembers, especially victims. When will we stop protecting the predators?

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Beverly Beasley Johnson for her 37 years of outstanding public service in California and Michigan. Beverly is driven by her dedication to justice and has touched the lives of thousands of people, particularly children.

For the last seven years, she was the Director of the San Mateo County Human Services Agency (HAS) which envisions a world where every child, adult and family lives in a safe, healthy and thriving community. The agency provides an always-expanding list of family services, child care, financial assistance, employment services, veterans services, food assistance and now even enrollment into the new health care system. Under Beverly's leadership the agency has implemented California's child welfare system improvement plan and focused on the disproportionate representation of African American children in the child protective services system. Beverly and I share a steadfast determination to stop commercial sex trafficking which enslaves between 100,000 and 300,000 children in our country alone.

The level of professionalism and excellence at the agency is experienced by San Mateo residents every day, and has been recognized by the Council on Accreditation (COA) and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). In fact, San Mateo County's HSA was the first public agency in California to receive the COA accreditation and it was just renewed for another four years.

Beverly has been working closely with the state's parole re-entry program. She led her team to research, design and implement the award- winning ``Service Connect'' model to ensure that formerly incarcerated residents had the best chances to successfully reintegrate into the community by having easy access to services and support. Beverly has worked hard to remove the stigma of food stamps as a government handout and to educate the general public about food insecurity. She partnered with the county and the nonprofit Code for America to create an app that will help residents connect with valuable local services and programs.

Before joining NSA, Beverly held a similar position at the Kern County Department of Human Services for four years. There she launched ``Heart Gallery'' for children awaiting adoptions and the Child Welfare Parent Leader Program. She employed parents who had successfully reunited with their children to mentor other child welfare families and she championed the Annie E. Casey Family to Family Program.

Beverly grew up in Michigan and earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Oakland University and her Law Degree from Michigan State University Detroit College of Law. She served as the chief deputy director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights after working for 26 years as a social worker, supervisor, manager and administrator of public welfare and human services for what is now named the Michigan Human Services Agency.

Mr. Speaker, as you can tell by these accomplishments, Beverly Beasley Johnson has a steel backbone and a generous heart. She believes that every person should be presumed to be worthy until proven otherwise, and she has worked hard to ensure that the purposes of social service programs are upheld. Ultimately, those purposes are to feed and house the poor, to relieve suffering for those wrongly afflicted, and to ennoble the human spirit by educating, supporting and guiding good people towards sound choices. Beverly has been outstanding in achieving these purposes during her career.

In her well-deserved retirement, Beverly will split her time between California and Michigan. She is looking forward to spending more time with her husband Thomas, her four children, five grandchildren and soon her first great-grandchild.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to honor Beverly Beasley Johnson, a genuine public servant, a champion for people in need and a woman with a huge heart. She has led so many onto a path to a better life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an extraordinary man, and a true humanitarian, who is celebrating his 75th birthday and his 50th anniversary practicing law in pursuit of justice for all Americans. Joe Cotchett is a Burlingame attorney known for his intellectual honesty, his booming declaration of indignation over the lack of justice for his clients, and an enormous heart that pumps love out to all, especially those in urgent need.

A few examples of his work over the years demonstrate his dedication to the rule of law. This chamber may never have heard of Joe Cotchett, but many have heard of Charles Keating, the former CEO of Lincoln Savings and Loan. Joe pursued Keating through the years until senior citizens who were bilked had received some measure of recompense. He took the case when others considered it a hopeless cause. Not to Joe. Justice is never hopeless in the law offices of Joe Cotchett.

In fact, white collar criminals know the name of Joe Cotchett well, as he pursued them in the interests of swindled investors in companies such as Technical Equities. When banks and securities firms sold Enron's bonds and assured investors that the bonds were sound, they defrauded buyers. Joe Cotchett held the sellers accountable. More recently, the County of San Mateo is likely to receive tens of millions of dollars through a suit filed against Lehman Brothers and the personal assets of its former CEO, Richard Fuld. Public agencies and the human needs that they serve will recover from wrongdoers, thanks to Joe Cotchett.

In the eyes of many in modern day America, civil justice is a rich man's right and a stale leftover due any poor man with the temerity to plead at the doors of a courtroom. In the eyes of Joe Cotchett, justice is an everyday pursuit on behalf of any American who has been wronged and who deserves redress.

Mr. Speaker, there are probably many persons who are alive today who unknowingly owe their economic well-being and peace of mind to Joe Cotchett. In 2000, Consumers Union was hit with a product disparagement and defamation suit. An automaker claimed that Consumers Union had hurt its reputation. Indeed, when the magazine pointed out that vehicles made by the company were prone to rollovers, sales fell. Joe Cotchett successfully defended Consumers Union and the right of investigative, consumer-oriented journalism to spell out the truth to buyers. Lives then and now are saved because this lawsuit and another in 2004 were not successful. The truth about dangerous products will continue to be published.

Most recently, he recovered $1.5 billion for California counties which had sued lead paint manufacturers for the damage done to children by lead-tainted products. The settlement will go towards removing lead from the homes of low income children throughout California.

He once defended the justices of the California Supreme Court who were sued by various Wall Street interests. Wall Street was a bit unhappy with the court's rules regarding arbitration. The Wall Streeters were unsuccessful, thanks to Joe, and now it is demonstrable that there is justice even for justices but, most importantly, for the public interest that these justices serve.

Joe's work is not merely on behalf of those who can pay. Amerasian children in the Philippines were left in villages after Subic Bay Naval Base closed. Joe mounted a suit on their behalf that resulted in a settlement giving

direct U.S. aid to the children fathered by U.S. servicemembers. Locally, Joe and his law firm are routinely at the top of the list of donors to nonprofits helping the disabled, mentally ill, homeless and many others. It would be difficult to overstate the generosity of Joe towards his many communities, including $5 million to create an endowment at California State Polytechnic University to promote the teaching of mathematics and science. Joe Cotchett has been ``paying it forward'' for decades, all with the knowledge that the meaningful legacies of any man's life are not memorialized in stone but rather demonstrated by the conscientious, continuous replacement of despair and anguish with hope and well-being.

Of course, over 50 years of practice it would be expected that an accomplished advocate would receive many honors and serve in many positions. Joe's honors and places of service are so numerous that they defy enumeration. Let me name just a few: Service on the board of the San Mateo County Heart Association, the San Mateo Boys and Girls Club, the Peninsula Association of Retarded Children and Adults, the Bay Meadows Foundation, Disability Rights Advocates, Public Citizen, and Earth Justice. He has lectured at the law schools of Harvard, Stanford, the University of Southern California, Georgetown, and U.C. Hastings College of the Law. Among his many honors have been those bestowed by the Anti-Defamation League, trial lawyer associations both state and national, and the State Bar of California. He has been published seven times and is a member of eight professional organizations, including the State Bar of California, and the bar associations of New York and the District of Columbia. He is also admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Joe Cotchett received his B.S. in Engineering from California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo in June 1960, being named an outstanding graduate, and his J.D. from Hastings College of the Law at the University of California in June 1964. He received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Cal Poly and Honorary Doctor of Letters degrees from Notre Dame de Namur University and the University of San Francisco. He is the author of ``The Ethics Gap'', ``California Continuing Education of the Bar'' and many others. His honors include being named Top 100 Lawyers in California by California Daily Journal in 2011 and the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America list for 2011.

Do you see the theme here, my fellow members? Starving children. Children being poisoned by lead. Trusting consumers. The Earth in all her glory? Investors who legitimately trusted in free and fair markets? These are the clients of an honest, thoughtful advocate. An honest man is sometimes described as being made of the salt of the Earth. In fact, Joe is a bit salty. He can sometimes be crusty. But he is definitely of this Earth. Joe Cotchett deserves a happy 75th birthday and a warm round of applause for 50 years of service in the interest of justice. America is always strengthened by citizen advocates who see the public's interest and who defend it unstintingly. This nation should hope that there are many more years in the life and service of Joseph W. Cotchett, an historic defender of American democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I am here to speak about unemployment insurance and the extension of it to my Republican colleagues. But there is no one over here to listen, so maybe they will listen to some renowned Republicans talk about what is really important.

How about Newt Gingrich, who recently said, ``I think every Republican should embrace the Pope's core critique that you do not want to live on a planet with billionaires and people who do not have any food?''

Or how about John Feehery, a Republican strategist who said, ``What does the Republican Party actually believe in? What is its purpose? Is it just to have unbridled capitalism without any moral core?''

Mr. Speaker, this 50-year war on poverty has faced setbacks under the leadership of both parties, but the GOP-led House seems to be actively engaged in a war on the war on poverty. Congress' inaction has cut off 1.3 million people from unemployment insurance after Christmas and, unless renewed, will cut benefits for another 1.9 million who are eligible in 2014.

Some of my colleagues across the aisle have claimed that this is just politics, that unemployment insurance was ``intended to be a temporary solution to a very temporary crisis.'' Well, here's a news flash. We have been in this crisis since 2008. This is not temporary. This is long-term and it is chronic, and it has been caused by the greed of billionaires of the likes that we have seen on Wall Street. This is a personal nightmare for many of the constituents of my colleagues across the aisle. Some of their constituents have written to my office because they think their Representative is blind to how they are struggling.

Now, Margaret Heffernan is a renowned speaker, and she talks about mindless blindness. And in many respects, that is what I think we are engaged in here, mindless blindness. So here are some of the stories of those impacted by the loss of unemployment insurance who live in districts of my Republican colleagues, because maybe they will hear me and think about who is being hurt by playing politics.

Payne Springs, Texas, resident Linda Mrosko shared her story with me on my congressional Facebook page. Linda was 60 years old when her legal secretary job was eliminated. With more than 40 years of work experience under her belt--this is not someone sitting on a couch at home--40 years of experience as a paralegal secretary, she believed unemployment insurance would protect her if she lost her job. Even while caring for her 80-year-old mother with breast cancer, Linda continued to look for work but got very few interviews. Her 91-year-old father then fell ill and died, but Linda continued to look for work, even while in

mourning and caring for her sick mother. The few interviews Linda does get, she is surrounded by people in their twenties and thirties and thinks that her age might be keeping her from securing a job.

``My unemployment ended on December 28. I have no savings. I haven't paid rent yet, or electricity, or the car payment, or the phone bill because I don't have enough money to make those payments,'' she wrote to me.

Well, Linda, I hope your Republican Congressman reaches out to you immediately to explain to you in his own words why you shouldn't have your unemployment insurance extended after being employed for 40 years in this country.

Unemployment isn't a temporary problem for Daniel Burrow of Beauregard, Alabama. Daniel just hit his 26th week of filed unemployment. He lost his job in the auto industry in 2012 while he was on medical leave. The 45-year-old has exhausted all his unemployment benefits and applied for more than 50 jobs with no luck. His wife worries how the family will afford gas for Daniel to go job hunting or how the family will pay for necessities not covered by food stamps.

In Florida, 49-year-old Jim Lanzerio can barely pay his bills while he raises his 17-year-old daughter on his own. His unemployment insurance will run out in February, and he wonders why Congress cannot reach a deal on extending Federal emergency unemployment insurance. He has been looking for a job every day since early October and is ``not sitting back and waiting. I would go back to work immediately if someone offered me a job.''

This is more than politics for 70,000 individuals in Florida who already lost their unemployment insurance. These are just three stories. There are 1.3 million more that could be shared here today of people who have lost their unemployment insurance on December 28.

Yesterday was the 50th anniversary of President Johnson's announcing a war on poverty. The real question is: Why are our colleagues waging a war on the war on poverty?

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman McKeon, Ranking Member Smith, Chairman Levin, and Ranking Member Inhofe for including my amendment with Representative Coffman to expand whistleblower protections for survivors of military sexual assault in this year's National Defense Authorization Act. As Congress looks to change the culture and to prevent sexual assaults and other waste, fraud, and abuse in the military, all service members need to know that they have protections for providing information to stem abuses. The right to a guaranteed due process day in administrative court is the foundation for meaningful reform.

Subsection f(3)(B) in these expanded protections provides that if the Secretary does not make a finding of illegal retaliation and order corrective action, the case shall be forwarded to the appropriate Board of Corrections for Military Records to receive a mandatory administrative due process hearing, ``when appropriate.'' There should not be any confusion about this provision. It is always appropriate to forward the case for hearing if jurisdiction exists for whistleblower retaliation alleged in the service member's complaint. It is only inappropriate if another provision of law provides the relevant rights, procedures and remedies to resolve the complaint, such as when the alleged misconduct is sexual harassment per se as opposed to whistleblower retaliation for disclosing sexual harassment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Gina Papan for her eight years of service on the Millbrae City Council, two of them as mayor, one as vice mayor.

In her role as mayor this past year and throughout her tenure on the council, Gina has focused on sustainable finances and revenue enhancement in Millbrae. She has played an instrumental role in the adoption of the Economic Development Plan and the ongoing negotiations for a fire department merger with Central County Fire and San Bruno Fire. She is an avid advocate for public-private partnerships that benefit the local community.

Gina serves on the City and County Association of Governments Board of Directors and Legislative Committee, the Congestion Management Program and Environmental Quality Committee, the High Speed Rail Policymakers Working Group, the San Mateo County Council of Cities, the Mayor's Civic Coordination Council, the Budget/Finance Subcommittee, the Field Agreement Subcommittee, the Fire Shared Services Subcommittee and the Commission/Committee Subcommittee.

In the past, she represented Millbrae on the San Mateo County Housing Endowment and Regional Trust, the Grand Boulevard Task Force, the Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance, the San Mateo County Emergency Services Council and the Airport Land Use Committee.

Gina continues a family tradition of public service and philanthropy following in the footsteps of her late father, Lou Papan, known as the ``Dean of the Assembly'' for his 20 years of service in the California State Assembly and her late mother Irene Papan, a dedicated community leader and tireless supporter of her husband.

Gina began her professional career as a corporate attorney, but quickly moved to the public sector and served as Deputy Attorney General for the state for 19 years. She litigated to protect civil rights and prevent fraudulent use of taxpayer money. She was appointed deputy director of Governor Gray Davis' Office of Criminal Justice Planning. In that capacity, she served on the School Violence Prevention and Response Task Force, the Child Abduction Task Force and as a legislative advisor to the High Technology Crime Advisory Committee. School safety became an immediate focus on her second day on the job when the nation was shocked by the school shooting in Columbine.

Gina grew up in Millbrae and graduated from Capuchino High School. She received her Bachelor's degree in Finance and Economics from UC Santa Barbara and her law degree from the University of the Pacific's McGeorge School of Law. She completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Her commitment and dedication to others is unwavering. She and her sister Diane run John's Closet which provides free new clothing to underserved children and offers them confidence to achieve. John Papan was Gina's brother who suffered from a congenital condition that tragically and prematurely ended his life at age 21. In response and to continue its advocacy for disabled children, the Papan family set up John's Closet. Gina also is the co-director of the John Papan Memorial Scholarship Fund which was founded by the family to help special education students and late bloomers, kids who overcome early learning difficulties in high school.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in honoring Gina Papan who is retiring today as mayor of Millbrae and who has committed her life and career to serving her community and fighting for justice.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Karen Clapper for her service on the San Carlos City Council since June 2012. She has applied decades of experience with private and public organizations to keep San Carlos the ``City of Good Living'' for all residents.

When a seat on the council became vacant, the four remaining council members unanimously selected Karen to fill the remaining term. She has been a passionate advocate for our neighborhoods, schools, parks and public safety. During her time on the City Council, Karen Clapper has worked collaboratively with her colleagues and sought to create a community marked by fiscal prudence and regional relevance. She was always well prepared at council meetings and asked many important questions during budget and policy sessions. Karen has been a team player who worked hard to ensure that San Carlos had the finest fire, police, and parks services possible. She was frequently attended public events, wanting to be accessible to residents.

During her time in public service, Karen served on the boards of the Peninsula Congestion Relief Alliance and the Library Governing Board WA. She also served on ad hoc committees dealing with school property, the San Carlos Transit Village, and Wheeler Plaza. She was the liaison to San Carlos Green, a citizens group advocating for environmentally sensitive projects and policies, and the Planning Commission. In fact, Karen's longest service to the city was during her time on the commission where she served from 2009-20012. During this formative time in the city's history, she helped to maintain the city's small town character while recognizing that its planning decisions had to fit into the regional need for housing and other changes.

Karen earned her BA in Environmental Design from San Diego State University and her MBA in Finance and Accounting from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA. She has been a consultant, coach and board member for a long list of companies and non-profit organizations, including Great American Bank FSB, Accenture, Friends of San Carlos Library, the Service League of San Mateo County, and Elizabeth F. Gamble Garden.

Karen will continue her work as an independent productivity and leadership coach and be guided by one of her favorite quotes by Albert Einstein: ``Out of clutter find simplicity; from discord find harmony; in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.'' Her eternal optimism will no doubt direct her to continue to contribute to the community. In her spare time she enjoys reading, quilting and doing crossword puzzles.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to honor Karen Clapper for her outstanding leadership during her tenure on the city council and for her service to the residents of San Carlos at many meetings and forums in the past. She will be missed on the council but certainly seen and heard throughout the community for many years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Dave Warden for his twelve years of service on the Belmont City Council, including three years as mayor in 2002, 2005 and 2012. Dave was first elected in 1999 and served two terms until 2007. He returned in 2009 for his current term.

Dave has been a tireless advocate for open space and was a driving force behind voter-approved Measure F, the Hillside Preservation Ordinance, and the Slope Density Ordinance. He worked hard on the acquisition of 35 acres in the San Juan Canyon which are now permanent open space. He was also instrumental in getting the new library built and was the council's representative to the library JPA. He also made the seismic upgrade of city hall a reality. He supported the smoking ordinance and the creation of Semeria Park.

Dave's top priority has always been to spend Belmont taxpayers' money wisely. He was critical in negotiating with the city's bargaining units to rein in escalating pension costs. He is well-known for his bargaining skills and has helped keep Belmont's budget balanced with a minimal use of reserves even in a down economy.

Before joining the council, he served as the Planning Commissioner and Parks and Recreation Commissioner. He is also a former president of his neighborhood association and former member of the Belmont Chamber of Commerce.

Dave was born and raised in Belmont and graduated from Carlmont High School in 1979. He earned a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science from UC Berkeley and is a medical software engineer. He worked for several Silicon Valley start-up firms and developed successful products for Sony, Zenith, Samsung, RCA, Casio, Panasonic and the U.S. Navy. He is also a former school teacher at Ralston Middle School where he was named the PTA Teacher of the Year in 2002.

He and his wife of 17 years, Lisa, have always had an eye out for preserving Belmont's village-like charm and character.

As you can see from this long list of accomplishments, Dave has a love of Belmont that has been demonstrated over many years and in many forms. Working in local government is not always the easiest task. You often face your neighbors and friends whose expectations are sometimes difficult to meet. However, through his tireless efforts, Dave Warden has demonstrated that he truly wanted to meet the needs of residents as much as was possible given fiscal and other constraints.

Mr. Speaker, this dedication over time is rare, but his length of service and focus on the quality of life in Belmont is why Dave Warden's tenure on the council and in so many other capacities will be remembered. He will be missed on the council but his legacy will live on for many, many years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Coralin Feierbach for 14 years of outstanding service on the Belmont City Council, serving as mayor in 1999, 2007 and 2011. Coralin was first elected in 1995 for one term. She joined the council again in 2003 and has served continuously since that date.

Coralin's hands-on and passionate style make her one of the most memorable leaders in Belmont. She always strives to see the side of residents, and works hard to ensure that their interests rather than the interests of others are the central focus of the council's deliberations. She will listen to Belmont residents on any topic, at any time of the day or night.

Coralin has been a longtime advocate of open space. She first made a name for herself in the community in the mid-1970s when a plan to build housing on Sugarloaf Mountain in San Mateo on the border with Belmont was proposed. She and others won the fight to protect open space and Coralin has spent much of her life since protecting the Belmont hills from development.

During her tenure on the council, she was instrumental in getting both Measure F, the Hillside Preservation Ordinance, and the Slope Density Ordinance, passed. She assisted in the acquisition of 35 acres in San Juan Canyon which are now permanent open space. The canyon was slated to have 1,000 homes built and Coralin helped reduce the number of lots for homes down to about 60. She succeeded in preserving the land for its beauty and recreational purposes, making it a sanctuary for the area's wildlife and residents.

She also worked on a revision of the city's tree ordinance, the smoking ordinance, design review, code enforcement, the noise ordinance, construction time limits and green initiatives. Literally, if you look at the lush trees and canyons that distinguish Belmont, you see Coralin's clarity of purpose throughout the community.

Coralin served during some of the most difficult economic times for Belmont. She always wanted a balanced and fair budget. She worked hard to prevent Caltrain's evolution from changing the character of the community, and her service did not begin with the council. Coralin served on the Planning Commission from 1986-1987 and 2001-2003.

Coralin has a Bachelor's in Mathematics from San Francisco State University and did two years in the graduate program in mathematics at San Francisco State. She was a software developer and part owner of a software development firm.

In her well-deserved retirement, Coralin is looking forward to spending more time with her husband Gary, their daughter and grandchildren. And she plans to take music classes at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont and to start a quartet as she plays classical piano.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to honor Coralin Feierbach for her outstanding public service to the residents of Belmont. She has preserved and nurtured the city's spirit in order to produce tranquility amidst the urban din, and a small town appeal that makes Belmont a gem on the San Francisco Peninsula.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Jeff Ira for his 16 years of outstanding service on the Redwood City City Council, two terms as mayor. To say that Jeff's enthusiasm and expertise will be missed by his colleagues and all residents would be the understatement of the decade. Jeff has demonstrated superb leadership in setting Redwood City on a stable financial path and in making it a better place to live. I am proud to call Jeff a colleague and

long time friend. When Jeff became mayor in 2009, he opened his two- year term with a ``Call to Action'' to inspire residents to get engaged in their community and help it recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression. He recommended volunteering at schools, libraries and non-profits and youth sports groups because he knew first-hand that all were suffering during the economic downturn. Under his leadership, and despite tough economic challenges, the city completed a new General Plan and the Downtown Precise Plan, attained a garbage collection agreement, accomplished a partnership with the San Carlos Fire Department to share services and save money, and passed a budget under enormous financial constraints. On his own time, Jeff worked hard to get ballot measures passed to bring more revenue to Redwood City. While mayor, he served on the city's Audit, Finance and Revenue, Jail, Economic Development/Downtown and Fox Theatre committees. He was also the council's liaison for Neighborhood Association co-chairs, and chair of the South Bayside System Authority. Jeff's vision and persistence were instrumental in creating the beautiful downtown of Redwood City. Courthouse Square and the Fox Theater would not be the sparkling jewels they are today without his hard and strategic work. Additionally, he made recycled water a reality for the community. Jeff showed the same creativity, integrity and commitment during his entire tenure on the city council. He will always be known for is the 2004 Great Toilet Giveaway when thousands of residents received low-flow toilets. He saved countless trees by having the city council move to a paperless system for staff reports and digital delivery of agenda packets. You can also thank him for the photo gallery on the city website showing off the beauty of Redwood City. His in-depth understanding of finances and fiscal constraints, and his contribution to creating controls over spiraling costs, helped steer the city through the economic downturn and towards financial stability. As a member of the South Bayside Systems Authority for 13 years, Jeff created the blue ribbon task force to analyze the governing structure of SBSA which resulted in a change on the board to include elected officials and a technical advisory committee. He oversaw the restructuring of the board's commission and committees to make them more effective and to meet the needs of the community. Jeff is passionate about public schools. As a parent, he was deeply involved in Clifford Elementary School in the Redwood City School District, and he worked tirelessly to raise funds for the district. He is committed to equal opportunity for all through quality public education. Jeff also serves as Treasurer of the Sequoia Awards which offers college scholarships to outstanding young people in Redwood City. Jeff has been a major fiscal and spiritual steward of this all-volunteer program for many years. In short, no matter what Jeff takes on, the results are always lasting. Jeff was born and raised in Redwood City and attended Saint Pius School and Saint Francis High School. He graduated from Humboldt State University with a B.S. in Accounting. Jeff is the proud father of Josh, Julie, Jessica and Joseph. While I am sure that he will enjoy more time hiking, kayaking, gardening and traveling after he retires from the council today, I have no doubt he will find ways to stay engaged and to give back to our community. Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to honor Jeff Ira, one of the finest mayors and public servants San Mateo County has seen. His tireless commitment and contributions to the city and residents of Redwood City will be felt for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, tonight we are going to discuss the National Institutes of Health.

In many respects, the National Institutes of Health is the goose that keeps laying the golden eggs, the golden eggs that help cure many of the maladies that many Americans suffer from, the goose that lays the golden eggs that create jobs, the goose that lays the golden eggs that help us bring down the cost of health care. But we are at the brink, we are at the tipping point of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Let's put it in perspective. Not so long ago, then-President George Bush was part of a bipartisan effort to double the funding for the National Institutes of Health. It was $21 billion. Doubling of the resources for the NIH was extraordinary and received with great fanfare and appreciation because there was so much that the researchers were ready to do with that money.

What have we done since then? Since then, in 2003 dollars, we have seen a gross decline in the money to fund the National Institutes of Health. Now it is down to the equivalent of $17 billion. So for the next hour, we are going to talk about what that means to every American who is suffering from a cancer, for every American that is suffering with a chronic disease like diabetes, for every American who is suffering from Alzheimer's and whose family is trying to cope with it.

Former Republican Senator and Majority Leader Bill Frist recently wrote:

When Alzheimer's is cured, when HIV is cured, when MS is

cured, I want it to be America that discovers the

breakthroughs and shares it with the world.

I agree with Dr. Frist. I want to see that happen too. I would like to think that every Member in this House wants to see that too, but it is not going to happen if we keep starving the goose that lays the golden eggs.

Let me read you another quote:

Whenever you hear about a research breakthrough in anything

to do with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, HIV/AIDS,

influenza, whatever, in the United States, it's extremely

likely that NIH supported that effort.

That was Dr. Francis Collins, head of the National Institutes of Health who made that statement. He also doesn't mince words. Recently, in response to sequester cuts to the NIH budget, he said:

I think we'll no longer be the world leader in the

production of science, technology, and innovation. You can't

look at the curves and say, Oh, well, it'll be fine, if we

stay on this track. It will not be. China is coming up so

fast, they are so convinced that this is their pathway

towards world leadership; they're not going to slow down.

He recently recounted a trip that he took to China in 2011 where he was taken on a tour of a former shoe factory. You need to know a little bit about the history of Dr. Francis Collins. He is called the ``father of the human genome project.'' He and a number of other scientists are responsible for absolutely unlocking DNA sequencing. So he was invited to China to see what they were doing.

He was taken to this old shoe factory, except it is not a shoe factory anymore. Inside that factory were 3,000 scientists who were focused on sequencing the human genome and the medical and economic potential of this technology. In fact, the capacity at that one factory is more than all of the genome sequencing centers in the United States.

Dr. Collins said to me with great sadness, Within 3 to 5 years, China will eclipse us.

Mind you, we have invested billions and billions of dollars in unlocking the human genome with the intent of seeing great strides made; but we are on the verge, we are at the tipping point of seeing this all come to a screeching halt if we continue to ignore the fact that we are starving the NIH.

Here is an interesting chart. This shows how much R&D spending is going on around the world. China from 2012 to 2013 had an increase of 15 percent.

Germany, up 5 percent, Japan up 5 percent, South Korea up 5 percent, Canada down 3 percent, the United States down 5 percent.

This says it all. If we don't want to see the outsourcing of medicine in this country, the outsourcing of science in this country, we have got a huge wake-up call that we must listen to.

I am joined this evening by my good friend from San Diego, Scott Peters, who I want to engage with him and have him speak a little bit to this issue as well. I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Peters).

I thank the gentleman from California for his articulation of what profound impacts it has certainly to the economy of California, but also to the country. And the point he made about having some kind of continuity and some certainty is critical to the future of science in this country.

All we have to do is look back to what then-President George Bush did when he and a bipartisan group of Members of Congress supported doubling the budget for the NIH. That was a plan conceived of where it was going to take place over 5 years. So there was continuity and there was a sense of certainty that funding would be there for the near and the long term.

So what does a moderate investment in NIH have as a catalyst, so to speak, for economic growth?

Well, it is similar to what happened when the government invested in the Internet and spurred dramatic growth in the previous decades. Where would we be today if the government had not funded the research that created the Internet?

Before ``google'' became a verb and we actually had to write and mail letters to our friends and families and call the doctor to find out about medical symptoms, before there was the Internet, there was, in fact, the U.S. Government standing behind sound science and research. So let's talk about what the NIH-funded research has meant for our economy and for our lives.

The U.S. medical innovation sector employs 1 million Americans, generates $84 billion in salaries annually, and exports $90 billion in goods and services. The economic value of gains in the U.S. life expectancy has been estimated at roughly $95 trillion from 1970 to 2000.

Now, that is looking at it from dollars and cents. But think about it in terms of people's lives, extending their lives. That is what is truly significant about this.

Now, since 1990, our Nation has gained about 1 year of longevity every 6 years with the help of NIH research. Medical research, the most advanced of which is often done here in the U.S., has saved millions of lives over the last few decades. Death rates for heart disease have dropped 65 percent over the last 60 years. That is a phenomenal number. Deaths from heart disease have dropped 65 percent over the last 60 years, in part, in a great part, due to NIH funding.

The stent that we use so commonly now with heart disease, discovered, created at NIH. Death rates from cancer down 12 percent, and death rates from strokes down 34 percent, all because of medical research going on right here in the United States, spurred by the help of NIH funding.

I yield to my colleague from California, Eric Swalwell, to speak about issues from his perspective.

I thank the gentleman from California. And I thank him for recognizing so early in his career here in Congress the critical need we have not only to support NIH but also the biotechnology companies that are part and parcel of what California has become.

I am now joined by my distinguished colleague from California as well, from the San Diego area, Susan Davis, who has much more to tell us from her perspective and from her neck of the woods.

Would the gentlelady entertain a question?

You were here when then-President Bush worked in a bipartisan fashion with the House and the Senate, the Republicans and the Democrats, to double the funding for NIH; and all we have seen since then is just an absolute cliff decline in funding.

What happened then that isn't happening now? How can we reinstate that kind of bipartisan sentiment?

Well, I thank the gentlelady for her passionate and clear-minded commentary on how critical this is for the entire country and to all the lives that are at risk, should we not fund NIH at a level that is going to come up with the next cure, the next blockbuster drug that is going to save lives and create longevity for so many Americans.

We are joined by the Congressman from northern California, my colleague for many years, Congressman John Garamendi, who is no stranger to this floor for Special Orders, I might add.

As do I.

Will the gentleman yield?

To your point, this $1.2 trillion in the year 2050 is coming from all the taxpayers in this country. Because these are Medicare patients. These are Medicaid patients. What would be really stunning is to understand that if we were able to delay the onset or progression of Alzheimer's by 6 years, it could produce an annual savings of $51 billion in 2015, $126 billion in 2025, and a whopping $444 billion--almost half a trillion dollars--in the year 2050, when that cost is going to skyrocket to $1.2 trillion.

They are $51 billion.

I just point out that China is eating our lunch, so to speak.

This is just the funding from 2012 and 2013. We referenced this earlier. And Congressman Waxman was talking about what they are doing relative to climate change. Look what they are doing in R&D spending in the last 2 years. It is up 15 percent. Germany, Japan, and South Korea are up 5 percent. Where is the United States, Mr. Garamendi?

That is right: a cut of 5 percent. So another example of how China is going to eclipse us in more ways than one. And those young researchers that we have been talking about are going to be going to China to do their research.

I thank the gentleman from California for lending his support and his articulation of this issue.

To his point about the jobs being lost, this year's sequester cuts were estimated to result in the loss of more than 20,000 jobs and $3 billion in economic activity.

The three scientists who won the Nobel Prize for medicine this year for their research on how cells swap proteins all received NIH funding at some time during their careers. Nobel Prize winner Rothman said he probably would not have started his research had NIH funding not been available.

So that, I think, speaks volumes about how important NIH funding is to young scientists.

I am now joined by my great friend, a great, passionate leader on so many issues before this House, my colleague from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).

You, too, were here in Congress during the Bush administration when there was an extraordinary increase in the budget for the NIH. The Republicans at that time recognized the value of keeping the NIH robust in the funds that it had in order for it to do cutting-edge research and move us forward.

What is it going to take? What was it like then that we don't have today that might be able to enlighten us?

I thank the gentlelady for her support and for her involvement in this very critical issue.

I am really very grateful for the conversation we have had this hour on the National Institutes of Health, but I am also anxious for the millions of Americans across this country who are suffering with some diabolical disease--some cancer--some disease that has no cure, whether it is heart disease or glioblastomas or breast cancer. There are millions of Americans right now who are dealing with stage 4 cancers, who are holding on by just their fingernails, hoping against hope that there will be some cure, some breakthrough drug, some clinical trial they can participate in.

I think, for each and every one of us in this House, we have to think about those people in our districts, and there are thousands of them in each of our districts. If they knew that we were tying the hands of the National Institutes of Health in doing that kind of cutting-edge research, I think they would be so disappointed--more than disappointed. They would be so angry that the lives of their loved ones were in the offing.

I would like to continue with a brief discussion on our academic health centers in the United States. They are, really, the pulse of so much of the research that goes on when it comes to advanced medical research. Many of them are funded through the NIH, as was mentioned earlier--thousands of them across this country. I am going to tell you about one such researcher. Her name is Dr. Valerie Weaver. She is a professor in the UCSF Departments of Surgery, Anatomy and Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences.

She does think outside the box. Her lab is investigating not only tumors, themselves, found in patients afflicted with breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, or brain cancer, but the neighborhood of tissues and cells where those tumors take up residence. Unfortunately, her quest for cutting-edge solutions to rapidly improve cancer treatments is threatened by the sequestration of the NIH budget. Because of reduced funding on her existing grants, Dr. Weaver has had to lay off three existing personnel and has had to cancel three new hires. ``The only people I can take are those with their own funding. Each year, you get less and less, and you are asked to do more and more,'' she said, ``and you try to get more creative, but wonder what you are supposed to do.''

As a scientist, she finds herself spending less time thinking about how to battle cancer in the lab and more time struggling against funding cuts. ``I spend way too much time writing grants. My grant writing time has doubled,'' Weaver said, but added she still pushes to move her research forward. ``I have to do some type of science every day, at least once a day, even if it's only an hour. It should be the other way around--1 hour of administration and 12 hours of science--but it's not. That breaks my heart,'' she says.

For those suffering from the forms of cancer that Dr. Weaver hopes to treat, she points out that time is of the essence. Patients with brain tumors and pancreatic cancer, in particular, frequently live only a short time after diagnosis. ``Some of the studies we're doing in the next 4 to 5 years will have a direct impact on the clinic,'' she said. ``This could have huge implications for saving patients.''

Weaver also worries about the impact that sequestration is having on the next generation of talented researchers. ``You think: you can't let these people go under. If they go under, you lose them, because they don't come back,'' she stated soberly.

In truth, there is so much at stake that we must recognize that the sequestration of the NIH is killing the goose that lays the golden egg--that saves American lives, that creates opportunities for great trade, that provides us with, yet again, more and more and more research that leads to more and more cures. Alzheimer's alone will choke us--will choke the Medicare system--if we don't do more research in that area.

So I want to close by saying that the funding of the NIH is not a political issue. It is an economic and a medical imperative. Medical research makes Americans and the rest of the world healthier. It grows our economy, and it produces valuable jobs here at home. It is time for us to take the shackles off the NIH, to restore the funding that was there when George Bush was President and to regain the position that we have had for so long in terms of fine medical research.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Pedro Gonzalez, the mayor of South San Francisco, for his twelve years of service on the city council. Pedro has been a tireless advocate to improve the quality of life for all residents of South San Francisco where he has lived for 43 years. I am honored to call him a colleague and dear friend.

His proudest accomplishment during his tenure on the city council was to help establish ferry service to South San Francisco. The modern, state of the art terminal opened the doors to faster and scenic commutes for Bay Area residents and visitors. Additionally, Pedro played an active role in long list of projects, including the BART Linear Park master plan, the expansions of the Community Learning Center and the pre-school program in Westborough Park, the implementation of the loan art program at Orange Memorial Park, the development of a 100 space child care facility, the Oyster Point overcrossing and hook ramp project, the Terrabay sound wall design project, the Lindenville-Colma Creek rehabilitation project, the adoption of a green food packaging ordinance, and the implementations of a neighborhood response team and a BLS ambulance service.

From this incomplete list of accomplishments you can see Pedro's love for the outdoors and parks. He started his public service on the Parks and Recreation Commission in 1987. He served as the chairman in 1992 and continued to be on the commission until 1995. He was instrumental in the expansion and renovation of Bur i Bur i Park, the development of a master plan for all recreational facilities in South City and the renovation and improvements of Orange Memorial Park.

Pedro came to the United States from Mexico in 1954. While living in Los Angeles, he became a U.S. citizen in 1967. Three years later he moved to South San Francisco. He worked in the meat business and managed a music store in San Francisco until he retired in 1996.

Pedro is deeply woven into the fabric of South San Francisco. You will see him at every official or social function, be it the ribbon cutting for the ferry terminal, the grand opening of the South San Francisco BART station or the Chestnut Creek senior housing facility, the ground breaking of the Gateway YMCA child care facility, Concert in the Park, Bay Trail Clean Up or the Centennial celebrations in 2008. No matter where he goes, he listens to residents looking for ways to help--always with a soft smile and a twinkle in his eyes. You will be hard pressed to find an elected official who takes his responsibilities as seriously as Pedro does.

He has supported countless local programs such as the Grand Avenue Library Leery Apprender, a Spanish-language story time, League of Women Voter' Spanish language ballot workshops, Youth Government Day, the 50th anniversary of the Boys and Girls Club of North San Mateo County, and the South San Francisco School District Positive Attendance Campaign. He even hosted his own show on PEN TV titled El Mundo Latino de Pedro Gonzalez.

Pedro has been married to his wife Eldie for 55 years. They raised their three children, Prudencia, Silverio and Sara, in South San Francisco.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to honor Pedro Gonzalez for his outstanding service and his lasting contributions to the city of South San Francisco. In his well deserved retirement, I have no doubt that residents will continue to see him at many official and social events, and to hold him closely in their hearts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Brandt Grotte, who is retiring after eight years of service on the San Mateo City Council, two of them as mayor. Brandt has been a tireless advocate for environmental sustainability. He began his advocacy on the Planning Commission, where he served for five years, including one year each as chair and vice-chair.

Brandt has many uncommon characteristics. For example, his hand is always going up when the question is asked, ``Would anyone like to . . .'' During his years on the council, Brandt Grotte served on the sustainability advisory committee, the Measure C committee that resulted in strengthening police and fire services, and he was the city's representative to the City/County Association of Governments.

Brandt lives on the city's east side and knows the challenges that confront those neighborhoods. He took the lead in convincing his neighbors to assess themselves to fix serious flooding issues. He is passionate about his neighborhood, and thousands of homes were removed from the flood plain as a result of his leadership. Aside from homes no longer being threatened with flooding, these neighbors were relieved of the costs of paying for flood insurance.

Even before he joined the city council, Brandt was active in neighborhood issues, starting in 1989. He is a founding member of the Shoreview-Parkside Neighborhood Association and president of the San Mateo United Homeowners Association. He is also a member of numerous committees, task forces and organizations, among them the Citizens Committee on Social Service Providers, the Bay Meadows Foundation, the City of San Mateo Citizens' Academy, and the Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Program. Clearly Brandt Grotte has a heart that is as big as the entire city of San Mateo, and he is universally viewed as a sincere, caring leader.

Brandt was born in 1956 and grew up in communities all over the United States and abroad because his father was in the Air Force. It was this early international experience that he credits with teaching him sensitivity to other cultures, a skill that has served him well when developing policies and obtaining consensus in the diverse communities of San Mateo.

Brandt attended Leland High School in San Jose and then earned his BA in Aquatic Biology from UC Santa Barbara in 1979. He received his Masters degree in Environmental Management from USF in 1996. He works as a global environmental safety and health manager in the electronics industry.

Brandt is married to Kathy Shields and has two stepsons, Aaron and Kyle. In his spare time he enjoys reading.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to honor Brandt Grotte for his outstanding service to the residents of San Mateo. In Brandt we have the personification of the adage that still waters run deep. His strategic thinking and consensus-building skills will be missed, but his smile will always be present as he continues in other roles throughout our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Pam Frisella, one of the finest and most selfless public servants I know. Pam is retiring today as the mayor of Foster City and has served on the city council for eight years. She was vice mayor in 2007 and mayor in 2008. For Foster City, Pam's departure is not simply a retirement. It's the equivalent of watching a ship raise its anchor. Pam has been that anchor of security throughout many exciting and challenging times in the city.

In 1998, Pam graduated from a leadership program sponsored by several Bay Area cities. The class helped her focus on how to best apply her talents and her dedication to community service. She saw that she could be highly effective by playing an active role in city government.

She joined the city council in 2006, two years before the global recession hit. Always a fiscally-prudent person, Pam worked hard with her colleagues to close the budget gap that was created by the recession. Foster City, although built relatively recently, also has a large infrastructure in constant need of maintenance, repair and replacement. This is expensive, but Pam is dedicated to maintaining the quality of life that residents expect. In part due to Pam's efforts, the city this year will likely cure its structural deficit and its infrastructure investments have been wise and timely.

The center of Foster City is in flux. Pam joined with her colleagues to identify the needs of the community and to envision mixed uses for this area. She supported an updating to the business license fee, the city's land use elements, and supported city efforts to conserve water and to improve the reliability of the city's water system.

Pam is a strong supporter of affordable housing and served on the board of the Housing Endowment and Regional Trust. Because community service is in her blood, she has volunteered for 20 years for Samaritan House which serves low income families and individuals in San Mateo County. Samaritan House named her volunteer of the year in 1995. In 1999, Safe Harbor Homeless Shelter awarded her the same honor. Pam is also giving prison ministry at San Quentin Prison. She is an ambassador for the Foster City Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Rotary Club. As you can tell from this description, Pam Frisella is a spark plug, igniting others into action and setting an exhausting pace of volunteer and civic engagement.

Pam has been a county and regional leader. Over the years she has served as Foster' City's representative to the Association of Bay Area Governments, the City County Association of Governments, the Emergency Services Council, the joint powers board of the countywide library system, and as liaison to the high school district.

Pam was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. After attending Western Michigan, she worked for General Motors and then moved to New York City for a career change. Pam moved to California in 1969 and in 1977 to Foster City, a city she came to love.

Pam and I share a painful life experience that initially connected us and cemented our friendship. We both lost a husband while pregnant. Pam's late husband was a baseball player and they moved around the country a lot. They were at spring training with the Milwaukee Brewers when he was killed in an accident on New Year's Day 1977 in Arizona. He was originally from San Mateo and Pam decided to move out here to find a home. She was 30 years old, pregnant and had a three-year-old son, Jason. Three days after she arrived in Foster City, her son Daniel was born. The community welcomed and embraced them and she found what she had hoped for--a home.

Pam coached Little League for eight years and was on the American Youth Soccer Organization Board of Directors for five years. She deserves much credit for the development and construction of Sea Cloud Park, the beautiful home of the Foster City Little League. In 2005, Pam was inducted to the Sports Wall of Fame at Sea Cloud Park. Pam was also the chair for the committee that reconstructed Serra High School's baseball field named after her late husband, Danny Frisella Memorial Field.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to honor Pam Frisella on this day of her retirement. Her strength to overcome adversity, her generosity and her drive have benefitted every resident of Foster City. Her contributions will always be part of the fabric of her beloved home town.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Cathy Baylock who has served on the Burlingame City Council for twelve years with distinction, two of them as mayor. Cathy's love for the city and her commitment to make and keep it beautiful have made her an outstanding public servant and a beloved colleague to many.

We can thank Cathy for one of the most beautiful and recognizable buildings in town, the Burlingame Avenue Caltrain station. If it hadn't been for her in-depth research, perseverance and good judgment, our train station might not be the jewel it is.

Cathy was first elected to the city council in 2001. She was mayor in 2006 and 2010. During her tenure, she was always committed to protecting Burlingame's historic landmarks, magnificent trees, architectural heritage, unique neighborhoods and the integrity of the parks. She oversaw the Park and Recreation budget, was a member of the Economic Development Committee, a liaison to the Burlingame Elementary Schools Committee and the Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee for C/CAG. She also served as a city delegate to the Association of Bay Area Governments, the Peninsula Cities Consortium on High Speed Rail and the San Mateo County Rail Corridor Partnership. Additionally, Cathy was a member of the Central County Fire Joint Powers Authority for six years, two of them as the chair.

While fulfilling her many duties on the council, Cathy still found the time and energy to give back to the community and volunteer for the Teen Facilities Committee, the Washington School Site Council, the St. Paul's Nursery School, and the Burlingame Historical Society. She became treasurer of the historical society in 2000 and oversaw the publishing of Burlingame Centennial 1908-2008, a book that sold over 1800 copies and helped fund the opening of the Burlingame History Museum and the Train Depot.

Before Cathy joined the city council, she was the manager and assistant vice president of Bay View Bank in Burlingame. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut.

A lifetime resident of the San Francisco Peninsula, Cathy and her family have lived in Burlingame for over 20 years. In her retirement, she looks forward to spending more time with her husband Joe and their two boys, AJ and Nick. She will continue her involvement with the historical society.

The Burlingame City Council is losing a member who will be missed for her can-do attitude, warm demeanor and dependability. However, I have no doubt that Cathy will find ways to apply her talents and continue to share them with the residents of Burlingame.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to honor Cathy Baylock for her outstanding public service. She leaves big shoes to fill and her mark on Burlingame that will last for years to come.