Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Rita Williams, an exceptional journalist whose image and voice have been beamed into Bay Area living rooms for four decades. She is retiring from KTVU after 35 years at the station.

Rita is a top-notch reporter and superb storyteller. I know from first-hand experience that she is fair, professional and that she won't give any elected official a pass. Rita has earned the adoration and admiration from her colleagues, her interviewees and her viewers.

But don't just take my word for it; this is what other people are saying: Greg Suhr, the San Francisco Police Chief says, ``If there was a ``how to'' book on how to be the most gracious fair objective ``cool under fire'' reporter in the world, Rita Williams' picture would be on the cover.'' Ed Chapuis, her news director for over 10 years says, ``Her stories were always the hardest for her editors to edit, because each word was placed with such purpose and precision.'' Bill Drummond, journalist and husband of the late Faith Fancher, Rita's long-time friend and colleague, says, ``With Rita the reporting came first, and because of that commitment, her stories transcended the usual limitations of the television news medium.''

Rita grew up in Lubbock, Texas. She was the first in her family to earn a college degree. After she graduated from Texas Tech University with a B.A. in journalism, she worked as the press secretary for the late Texas Congressman George Mahon, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. She then earned her Master's degree in political science/international affairs from George Washington University.

Rita worked as a news reporter at KSAT-TV in Texas from 1975-1978 and then moved to California. She was a reporter for KQED-TV before she joined KTVU in 1980. From 1985-86, she was also a Knight Fellow and taught broadcast news writing at Stanford.

When Rita entered the broadcast world, it was dominated by men. Surviving and even thriving in this testosterone-driven environment was no small accomplishment, but Rita did it with grace and tenacity. She calls herself the ``first broadcast broad.'' She opened KTVU's San Francisco bureau in the Hall of Justice. Rita has reported thousands of social, economic and political stories, treating each one as the most important story at the time. Her work has earned her several Emmies, Tellies, a PASS award from the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, a public service award from the Society of Professional Journalists and many other awards. She was one of the lead investigative reporters in the Oakland BART shooting stories that contributed to a prestigious Peabody award and Edward R. Murrow award to KTVU.

While Rita takes utmost pride in her profession and work, she views her family as her biggest accomplishment. Rita and her husband of 37 years, Lindsey, are the proud parents of Brad who is now a law student in San Francisco. Brad and my children grew up around the same time, so Rita and I often compared notes and shared school referral options.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to honor one of the finest journalists and human beings I know. On her last day on the air at KTVU, Rita humbly thanked her viewers and said, ``You have entrusted me with one of the biggest responsibilities anybody could ever have, to be a reporter and to be your eyes and ears. I hope that I have used that trust well and that you have learned something in return.'' The answer to that hope is a resounding yes!

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Sepi Richardson who is retiring after 15 years of service on the Brisbane City Council, including two terms as mayor. Sepi may be leaving the council, but her spirit and impact on our city and community will be felt for many years to come.

As mayor, Sepi was very involved in all aspects of planning and policy-level decisions while always looking after the financial health and welfare of the city. She oversaw the remodeling of the community center, the community park and playground, Brisbane's marina, the skate park, the teen center and the Mission Blue Performing Art Center. She also dedicated much of her time and energy to preserving open space and to creating recreational and public spaces that benefit everyone in the community, such as the community garden, the swimming pool, school fields, Bayshore bike lane, the community meeting room in City Hall and the farmer's market. Sepi has been a tireless advocate for seniors and children. Under her leadership, Brisbane built the Senior Sunrise Room and senior housing.

Sepi is a familiar face to most Brisbane residents having served on about 20 county boards and commissions. She was a board member on the Airport Community Roundtable and the Association of Governments (C/CAG) and a chair or vice chair on four committees within those associations. In those capacities she was a leader on issues such as revenue and taxation, employee compensation, benefit administration, transportation, energy efficiency, sustainability, emergency preparedness and education.

In addition to her county and region-wide accomplishments, Sepi has left her mark on the city of Brisbane. She served on the Finance/Labor Negotiations, Public Information/Technology, Planning, Parks and Recreation, Open Space and Ecology committees, was a liaison to the Chamber of Commerce and worked on education and arts funding and recognition.

To understand how one person can be involved and effective in so many aspects of public service, you must know Sepi. Her energy, enthusiasm and dedication are endless. She loves her community and never hesitates to serve others.

Sepi was born as the first of six siblings in Tehran, Iran. She came to the United States in 1972. From 1975 to 1979 she went to Germany where she earned her BA in Business Management from the University of Maryland on its Germany campus. She received her Master's Degree in Educational Counseling and Psychology from California State University San Bernardino.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to honor an outstanding public servant and friend. Sepi Richardson will be missed and appreciated for all the lasting contributions she has made to the residents of Brisbane and beyond.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the 150th anniversary of St. Matthew Catholic Church in San Mateo, California. Since its founding in 1863 the buildings, parishioners and pastors have changed, but the church has always been a place for comfort, solace, community and friendship for everyone.

A century and a half ago, Archbishop Alemany sent Father Denis Dempsey to San Mateo to establish the first parish in the county. A small wooden-steeple church was built on the corner of Third Avenue and A Street--today Ellsworth Avenue--on a piece of land donated by Charles B. Polhemus, an investor in the San Francisco--San Jose Railroad. Father Dempsey was the pastor for 18 years and earned the admiration and love of his parishioners. It is said that his funeral mass was attended by local officials and dignitaries from throughout the state.

Sadly, the next pastor, Father William Bowman, only had a tenure of seven months before he passed away. He was followed by Father Peter Birmingham who presided for three years until he was transferred to San Francisco. Longevity was the signature of the fourth pastor, Father Timothy Callaghan. He served St. Matthew Church for 53 years. During his tenure, a parish cemetery was established and a new church was built. The congregation was growing and the threat of a fire destroying the old wooden church led to a fire resistant brick church on Ellsworth between Second and Third Avenues. The dedicating mass was held in September of 1900. Father Callaghan was elevated to Right Reverend and witnessed continual growth of the parish.

Father Henry J. Lyne became the fifth pastor and established a parish school in 1931. Seven Sisters of the Holy Cross taught 140 students in the first year. He is credited with starting Catholic formal education in the Archdiocese of San Francisco on the peninsula. In 1947, Pope Pius XII appointed him a Domestic Prelate with the title Monsignor.

Father Edward J. Meagher, the sixth pastor, saw unprecedented growth of the Catholic population after World War II. In 1952, total enrollment from Kindergarten to the 8th grade had grown to 861. Father Meagher raised funds to build an independent parish in Shoreview which was named St. Timothy as a tribute to Monsignor Timothy Callaghan. Soon after that, the Western portion of St. Matthew parish was detached with the establishment of Bartholomew parish. Father Meagher's successor, Father Bernard C. Cronin, oversaw the building of a new St. Matthew Church and Rectory at Ninth Avenue and El Camino Real which opened in May 1966. The downtown church also remained open. Father Cronin was elevated to Right Reverend Monsignor in 1972.

In 1979, Father James Ward, a graduate of St. Matthew School, class of 1937, became its eighth pastor. Father James Ward was devoted to the school and the students. During his tenure, the downtown church was demolished after suffering seismic damage. He and the archdiocese fought hard, yet unsuccessfully, for the vacated property that was eventually leased to Walgreen Drug. Father Ward died from a leg infection in 1995. Monsignor James McKay succeeded him and oversaw fundamental renovations of the newer church at El Camino Real and Ninth Avenue that are still in place today.

In 2004, the tenth and current pastor replaced Monsignor McKay. Father Anthony McGuire now oversees the St. Matthew parish of 2,500 and is credited with growing the diverse parish and attracting an ever increasing number of Hispanic and Asian families.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to honor the rich history of St. Matthew Church in San Mateo which has been a place of spiritual and social growth for thousands of families for 150 years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Willy ``Clipper'' Cahill who is being honored today with a USA Judo Lifetime Achievement Award. I can't think of a more deserving person to receive this exceptional honor. Willy has empowered thousands of children and adults through an ancient art form that builds confidence and enhances independence.

I was one of those lucky children. Willy was my judo teacher from third through sixth grade. He was a fantastic role model, the embodiment of discipline, humility and grace.

His teachings have served me well throughout my life. A few years ago, Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's Colbert Report came to Capitol Hill to interview me. He was, of course, not interested in ordinary footage, instead he made me get on a skateboard and cruise through the halls of Congress. He goaded me about my judo experience and dared me to throw him onto the marble floor in the Capitol. Colbert ended up on the floor and so did the footage--on the cutting room floor. Without my early lessons and Willy's guidance who knows what would have happened?

Willy was born in 1935 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He started his martial arts education under his father, Professor John Cahill, Sr. who had studied under Professor Okazaki's Kodenkan System of Jujitsu in Hawaii. When Willy was 12 years old, he was treated and cured of Polio. He walked out of the hospital--a miracle for which he credits Professor Okazaki.

After graduating from South San Francisco High School, Willy attended San Mateo Junior College. His father founded Cahill's Judo Academy in Daly City in 1948. Professor Cahill's dream was to get one of his students to the Olympics. That dream was cut short by his tragic and premature death at age 50.

Willy had big shoes to fill, but he lived up to the challenge and beyond. In honor of his dad, Willy opened a new Cahill's Judo Academy Dojo in San Bruno in 1963. Setting the highest standards and goals for himself and his students, Willy has surpassed his father's dream. His coaching and mentorship has produced 1,200 national and international medal winners. He accepted the position of U.S. Olympic Judo Coach in 1988 and of U.S. Paralympic Judo Coach in 1999. In the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sidney, his team made world history and brought home two gold medals, one silver medal and one bronze medal. Four years later at the games in Athens, his team won two silver and one bronze medals. It is important to point out that since judo was introduced as an Olympic discipline in 1964, no team--sighted or not sighted--had ever won gold. Coach Cahill's students have won 75% of all medals in judo on the Olympics and Paralympics level.

Willy has been successful in making judo accessible to people of all ages and abilities. In 2003, he cofounded the Blind Judo Foundation. The non-profit provides blind and visually impaired athletes the chance to train and compete in judo. To advance to the Paralympic Games these athletes often have to compete with sighted competitors. In judo, the same rules apply to the Olympics and the Paralympics.

In addition, Willy has trained U.S. Army Green Berets, Navy Seals, US Secret Service, and Homeland Security. He is the judo coach at Stanford and San Francisco State Universities and of the Junior Pan American Championships and Goodwill Games.

Willy has always led by example. He is a 10th Degree Black Belt in Jujitsu, the highest rank, and an 8th Degree Black Belt in Judo. He has been inducted into the Black Belt Hall of Fame and the Black Belt Coaches Hall of Fame. He was recognized by three presidents at the White House. He received the U.S. Jujitsu President's Leadership Award and earned the title of Professor Willy Cahill from the U.S. Jujitsu Federation. None of these prestigious awards and accomplishments has tainted his humility. He will not let others call him Professor or Sensei, he simply wants to be called Coach. His 10th Degree Black Belt entitles him to a red belt, but Coach always competes in a black belt. The tenets of judo define Willy's life. He has practiced for 65 years and at age 77 still does so five to six days a week.

He has been married to his wife Ellie for 24 years. He is the proud father of two children from his first marriage, Carin Lockwood and Curtis Cahill, who have given him four grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me to honor Coach Willy Cahill, an extraordinary teacher and human being whose physical and spiritual embrace has enlightened thousands. Because of Willy, the world is a better place.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, this bill is truly astonishing. We have serious issues before us. We should be focused on job creation, on comprehensive immigration reform, on providing nutrition assistance to children and seniors, on postal reform or on funding the government; but we are again debating partisan bills that stand no chance of becoming law, including the 40th vote to defund or to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Now, as kids, we are told that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, so I sure hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have not given one bonus to one of their senior staff members.

I hope that that is the case, that you have not given one bonus to a senior staff member. I hope, furthermore, that each of you is recording all of your staff members when they answer the phones because you want to know how they are treating your constituents.

This particular bill is the height of hypocrisy. It is a blatant attack on Federal employees that reinforces the fact that current leadership is only interested in political messaging, including through repeated attacks on hardworking Federal employees. It is simply shameful to say that we will belittle public service like that. I am a public servant, and I am proud to be a public servant. Every Federal employee who works in this building and virtually every Federal employee who is out there in our communities is doing so because he believes in public service. I think that a Federal employee today is pretty crazy to be doing this job. He basically is being told, You're not worth very much. His integrity is constantly being questioned. He has had 3 years of pay freezes and furloughs, and he is supposed to continue to do public service.

I thank the gentleman.

I want to address one section of this bill that would now allow individuals to record telephone and in-person conversations with Federal employees. This would preempt the law in my State of California and in the chairman's State of California and in 11 other States that require the consent of all parties to a conversation. It contains no exceptions for law enforcement, sensitive communications, the military or anything else.

The FBI has already indicated to us that it strongly opposes this bill because, in its words, ``this proposal risks undermining criminal investigations by reducing the willingness of individuals to cooperate with law enforcement and would result in the creation of recordings of law enforcement conversations that could jeopardize sensitive and important criminal and counterterrorism investigations.''

I think this is ill-founded.

Even the ACLU, which strongly supports the principle of allowing citizens to record law enforcement interactions, does not support the provision in this bill because it ``threatens to impermissibly interfere with government workers' constitutional liberties.''

So this is a bill in search of a problem that actually makes it harder to go after real criminals, and this bill does not apply to this body, to Members of Congress. Maybe it's time for this bill's authors to look a little closer to home.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, on July 6 of this year, Asiana Airlines Flight 214 from Incheon, South Korea, crashed on its final approach to San Francisco International Airport, which is in my district. Initial reports made clear that low airspeed was a crucial factor in that crash. It was a horrible accident. Three Chinese 16-year-old girls on their way to a summer camp in southern California lost their lives. It could have been an absolute catastrophe, because there were over 300 people, including crew, that survived that horrific day.

Low airspeed has been a concern for air safety for almost 20 years. In 1996, the FAA's Human Factors Team concluded that flight crews needed better warnings that the aircraft was reaching low airspeeds. In 2003, following the crash that killed our congressional colleague Senator Paul Wellstone, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended the FAA study whether to require installation of low airspeed audible and visual alert systems. Following the Colgan Air crash in Buffalo, New York, a recommendation was reissued in 2010 on installation of redundant audible and visual warnings of impending hazardous low speed conditions.

Now, after almost two decades since the initial recommendation and over 3 years since the recommendation after Colgan, the FAA has not addressed this question of whether existing commercial aircraft should be required to install low airspeed warning systems. I fear that without direction from Congress, the FAA could take years to complete this study. That is why I am offering this amendment, which provides the FAA $500,000 to conduct and complete a study on this important question within 1 year.

Low airspeed alert systems that cry out ``airspeed low'' are available and require a simple software change. These differ from the tonal alerts that sound similar to other pilot alerts. The FAA should investigate whether existing low airspeed tonal warnings, such as those in a Boeing 777, provide a sufficient level of pilot warning or if, instead, a verbal warning, such as those in the newer 737s, provides a higher level of safety.

When the alert signals to a pilot that they are traveling at too low of an airspeed, they have at best a few seconds to react. It is vital that planes have alerts that are instantly recognizable, clear, and unambiguous.

Airline safety advocates argue that verbal alerts are more effective at

alerting a pilot that they are flying at too low of an airspeed because they are instantly recognizable to a pilot. If a verbal warning is found to be more effective, the FAA should take expedient action to require both new aircraft and existing aircraft to incorporate a verbal warning.

Mr. Chairman, I had the pleasure just last week to talk to Sully Sullenberger, the pilot of the ``Miracle of Hudson River,'' and he said something very compelling to me. He said that when a pilot is in a position of reacting during a crash, they need every one of their senses being alert: the senses when you are holding the throttle, the senses when you hear low speed alert, and the senses when you see ``stall.'' I thought that was very compelling.

We have a number of cases that suggest now that low airspeed alerts that are verbal should be incorporated. The FAA has dragged its feet. I believe that this particular amendment would be very helpful and save many lives in the future.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, my amendment addresses a current issue that is undermining an already weakened system of justice in our military.

Any JAG will tell you that it is impossible to effectively prosecute a case if the investigation was improperly handled. That is why the DOD Inspector General report released last week was so troubling.

It uncovered that of the 501 investigations of sexual assault offenses they audited, all but 83 had some sort of deficiency. That means that less than 20 percent were completed without error. Fifty-six cases, 11 percent of the cases, had serious deficiencies. And 399 of these cases had interview and post-interview deficiencies. They also found weaknesses in collecting evidence, not developing leads, and photographing the scene. This in large part is a result of inadequate training in how to properly investigate these complex cases.

A February IG report found that criminal investigators want and need more training on conducting sexual assault investigations. For example, criminal investigators for the Air Force told the IG they wanted more training on the psychology of interviewing victims and evidence collection. One investigator said he would be ``in trouble'' if he only relied on the training he received.

That is why I'm offering this amendment that will provide an additional $10 million in funds to train investigators on how to properly investigate sexual assault-related offenses.

My amendment realigns funds from the Operations and Maintenance Defense-wide account and shifts $5 million to Army Operations and Maintenance, $2.5 million to Air Force Operations and Maintenance, and $2.5 million to Navy Operations and Maintenance, which are accounts that pay for training investigators.

Ensuring that assaults are investigated properly is the first step for holding perpetrators accountable.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank the gentleman.

Madam Chair, I've got goose bumps that I actually have an amendment that my colleagues on the other side support.

I would like to yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky).

Madam Chair, let me just say in closing, we all now recognize 26,000 cases a year of sexual assault and rape. This is not sexual harassment, I might point out; this is unwanted sexual contact. Of those cases, only 3,000 are actually reported. The fear of reporting, the fear of reprisal is so great, that very few of them, less than 20 percent, actually report them.

Then when you report these cases, to have them improperly or inadequately investigated, that then results in a handful of actual courts-martial, and then even smaller, some 250 convictions out of some 3,000 that are reported suggests that we have a lot of work to do.

I thank my colleagues for the support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, since I began working on this issue of military sexual assault 3 years ago, I've had the opportunity to speak to over 100 courageous survivors of rape.

With each of their experiences, there is a unique nature to them. But many of these survivors that decided to report these crimes have had a very similar experience after they reported: they were retaliated against, ostracized, and involuntarily separated from the military on the grounds of a personality or adjustment disorder.

Mental health diagnoses are grossly misused to administratively discharge or retaliate against survivors of sexual assault and other servicemembers. Since 2001, the military has discharged more than 31,000 servicemembers on the grounds that they were subject to a personality disorder.

A GAO investigation found that 22 to 60 percent of the time personality disorders were either not diagnosed by a trained psychiatrist or psychologist, or there was undue command influence.

This pattern has become a potent lesson to servicemembers that are assaulted: report and get kicked out of the military with a personality disorder diagnosis. This designation amounts to a scarlet letter, pinned where their medals should be, and follows them for the rest of their lives. These servicemembers are re-victimized every time they apply for a job and submit their DD214s. It also makes it virtually impossible to retain a security clearance.

My amendment aims to address this clear pattern of retaliation against victims who report a crime of rape or sexual assault. The amendment provides funds to correct their service record and provide them with the benefits they have earned. My amendment realigns $65 million within the Operations and Maintenance Defense-wide account to dedicate these funds to identifying and correct the service record of servicemembers who were summarily discharged from the military following reports of a sexual assault. This amendment requires the Department of Defense to review all separations of individuals that made an unrestricted report of sexual assault and determine if they were discharged, and on what grounds--including personality and adjustment disorders. My amendment will also direct the Secretary of Defense to correct their records of service--to right this wrong--and provide them with any compensation and services they weren't able to receive as a consequence of this error.

This is the very least we can do for these brave survivors. It is the first step in addressing the systemic re-victimization of courageous men and women who were brave enough to come forward.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their unanimous support of this effort and of this particular amendment.

Madam Chair, let me just close by saying that the GAO says 20 to 60 percent of these personality disorder designations are either done improperly or are done with undue influence. Certainly, those who have been victimized deserve to be able to have that designation erased from their DD-214 forms so that they are not in a position of having to then in the civilian world explain why they have this designation on their discharge papers.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Today, I'd like to highlight two very important topics: real justice and military justice. As a recent case of sexual abuse illustrates, they are far from one in the same.

Last fall, Lieutenant Colonel James Wilkerson was convicted of sexual assault by a military jury. The assault took place in Wilkerson's own home, as his wife and child slept upstairs. The all-male jury--four colonels and one lieutenant colonel--was unanimous in their ruling: guilty. Wilkerson was sentenced to 1 year in prison, a less than honorable discharge, and a loss of benefits. Three months later, General Craig Franklin, a three-star general who had originally called for the court-martial, overturned the punishment. General Franklin has no legal training. Wilkerson was free and clear and reinstated on Active Duty.

Now, that's quite a reversal, you'd say. There must have been some ironclad, watertight, slam-dunk evidence for a general to negate a jury of five officers, right? Some silver-bullet testimony? Sorry, no. In this case, the reasoning for the general's stunning intervention was ``character.'' The general simply felt that Wilkerson was a ``doting father and husband.'' You know, a family man.

Okay, you say. Maybe the general considered solid evidence that calls the entire night into question. Sorry, no. It turns out General Franklin relied on evidence that was ruled inadmissible in court. Evidence like letters of support from Wilkerson's wingmen, who had his back. On the other hand, he ignored the results of a polygraph test that Wilkerson had failed.

Wait a minute, you say. Maybe this one terrible act was an isolated incident, horrible as it was. Sorry, no. Earlier this month, the Air Force acknowledged that Wilkerson had previously fathered a child through an extramarital affair. Adultery is a crime in the military, but only inside a 5-year statute of limitation. This crime from 8 years ago is no longer punishable. And it was kept quiet by the Air Force. Why? Because they say the Privacy Act prevented the disclosure of those actions without Wilkerson's permission. Can you believe that?

Those are the facts of the case. Currently, Wilkerson is slated to receive full military benefits, including a pension and health care, for life. And this is what military justice currently looks like. If the Uniform Code of Military Justice allows for such negligence and obstruction, then the Code is more than just outdated and ineffective; it's broken. It's damaging the military itself.

It's also obvious to any legal expert that General Franklin was out of his depth and overmatched in this situation. Is he a lawyer? No, he's not a lawyer. But you keep these proceedings in the chain of command and you get bias. You get a travesty. You get no justice at all.

Today, I'm demanding real justice. The Air Force needs to redeem itself. I call on the Air Force to convene an involuntary discharge board. For Wilkerson's gross misconduct, the Secretary of the Air Force should also do a grade determination and assess whether Wilkerson should be demoted to his rank at the time of his first offense. I've sent a letter to the Secretary demanding these actions. Twenty-five of my colleagues in the House have joined me and signed the letter.

We've heard repeatedly how bad this problem is. There are 26,000 cases of sexual assault a year. A tiny fraction of those are reported. It's rare that a case like the Wilkerson one ever gets to this stage. And when it does, look what happens. Zero tolerance evaporates and becomes zero accountability. Victims suffer all over again. The military continues to look inept, incompetent, arrogant, and unjust to everyone but to themselves.

In the meantime, we are left to describe this ongoing problem in any number of ways: a plague, a cancer, or simply a national embarrassment. Should we even consider this type of justice--this sham of military justice--worthy of our country and our values? I say ``no.'' I believe the American people would say a resounding ``no'' as well.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, do we suddenly have extra money lying around, because I'm trying to figure out why we are so committed to wasting it.

Budget challenges are forcing us to reexamine our investments. Adding $30 million beyond the President's request to support fossil fuel research is a foolish waste of taxpayer dollars that are better used to invest in the future and paying off our deficit. We simply cannot afford to spend taxpayer dollars on research the private sector can do better, and taxpayers should not be asked to provide additional support to an industry that consistently has record-breaking profits.

Our energy sector has some of the most promising ideas and technologies in the world. Our energy policy, however, is horribly outdated.

H.R. 2609 slashes research and development for renewable energy by some 60 percent and adds additional money that the administration neither wants nor needs to research fossil fuels and clean coal. At the same time, it continues to spend far too much on fossil fuel R&D. In fact, we dole out more fossil fuel subsidies than any other country-- more than $500 billion in 2011. They often go to expensive projects with little upside.

The fact is we don't need to spend taxpayer money this way. Fossil fuel companies are highly profitable, posting some of the highest profits in the world, and they can shoulder their own R&D costs. This is a clear example of duplication. Cuts to fossil fuel research are supported by the Fiscal Commission and the fiscal watchdog groups like Taxpayers for Common Sense. These kinds of cuts are necessary to get back on the right fiscal path, and these are the kinds of cuts our constituents elected us to enact.

This kind of research can, is, and should largely be funded by the private sector, since industry has market incentives to make new discoveries in this area. Government spending should be focused on areas where there are emerging markets, where public funds are needed to support basic research.

My amendment reduces our reliance on ``old energy.'' The amendment simply strikes $30 million in R&D from fossil fuels and commits it to deficit reduction, what we've all been clambering for, and maintains the President's requested level of funding for this research.

Our biggest innovators succeed because they are forward thinking. Our energy policy needs to do the same.

We need to stop funding the past at the expense of the future. It is the fiscally responsible thing to do.

I ask that you support my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to join Leader Pelosi in expressing my condolences to all those affected by the crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214 on Saturday morning at San Francisco International Airport in my district.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the two victims of the crash on their way to a summer camp

in southern California. My thoughts and prayers are with all those who were seriously injured and face months or years of recovery.

The miracle of Flight 214 is that 305 passengers and crew survived this horrific tragedy. That is due, in no small part, to the many heroes of that day: crew, fellow passengers, valiant first responders, SFO staff, everyone who evacuated the plane, even when fire was burning in the fuselage; the crewmember who carried a young passenger off the plane on her back because he was too frightened to escape; the firefighters and San Francisco Police Officer Jim Cunningham, who was wearing no protective gear, who entered the plane and helped four passengers escape, including one who was trapped. It was nothing short of heroic and remarkable.

Plane travel is safer than it ever has been, but this crash is a reminder that we need never stop the focus on safety. Thankfully, the National Transportation Safety Board, under the leadership of Chairman Deborah Hersman, is there to fully investigate and determine exactly what happened.

Mr. Speaker, this was a horrible tragedy, but we have much to be thankful for.

Mr. Speaker, I was unfortunately unable to cast votes on Monday, July 8, 2013 due to inclement weather that prevented me from making it to Washington, DC.

Offered By: Ms. Speier

Amendment No. 5: Page 23, line 24, after the dollar amount,

insert ``(reduced by $30,000,000)''.

Page 60, line 12, after the dollar amount, insert

``(increased by $30,000,000)''.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 284 the vote was gaveled down before I could record my vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Personal Explanation

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for his profound leadership on this issue.

You know, I rise in opposition to this rule because there are many amendments that were not made in order, but there's enough pork in this farm bill to make a dead pig squeal. I want to talk about just some of the silly things that are in this bill that were made in order as amendments for us to take up this afternoon, including pennycress as a research and development priority at the Risk Management Agency, or an amendment to direct the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture to conduct an economic analysis of the existing market for U.S. Atlantic spiny dogfish.

But an amendment I had that would have given veterans waiting for disability claims to be processed the opportunity for SNAP as a disabled person was not made in order.

And another amendment that would have made crop insurance subsidies that taxpayers in this country pay, some $9 billion a year, transparent--not in order. There are 26 companies in this country, agribusinesses, that are receiving more than $1 million apiece in crop insurance premiums, but we don't get to know who they are. That was an amendment I had that was not made in order, even though Grover Norquist thinks it should be made in order, U.S. PIRG thinks it should be made in order, and the Environmental Working Group thinks it should be made in order.

But we're more interested in talking about the Atlantic spiny dogfish, or pennycress than dealing with issues around veterans accessing SNAP and whether or not the public has a right to know when we spend $9 billion a year on premium payments for crop insurance, just another name for what has historically been a farm subsidy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend from the Northern Mariana Islands for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening in support of my legislation, the Buffalo Soldiers in the National Parks Study Act, which will allow the Department of the Interior to study the role the Buffalo Soldiers played in defending our first national parks. This is a key step in preserving the legacy of the Army's first African American infantry and cavalry units and the contributions they made to the Nation.

This bill has passed the House under suspension of the rules twice before, once in the 111th Congress and once in the 112th Congress. I'm grateful to the many cosponsors of this legislation, as well.

Specifically, my bill would evaluate the feasibility of a National Historic Trail along the Buffalo Soldier route from their historic military post at the San Francisco Presidio to Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. The study would also identify properties that could be listed in the National Register of Historic Places or designation as National Historic Landmarks.

For several years, Buffalo Soldier regiments traveled 320 miles along this route to patrol the park lands for loggers and poachers, build new trails, and escort visitors. The Buffalo Soldiers were among our very first park rangers, a task these troops took on with pride after serving bravely in the Civil War and other campaigns.

Because of the color of their skin, the Buffalo Soldiers were all too often marginalized instead of respected for their service to the Nation, both on and off the battlefield. However, during their time protecting the parks, they not only confronted racism and discrimination--they overcame it. They became respected neighbors and friends to people living in the park regions, and they made real inroads towards racial progress that was extraordinary for their day. Although they were assigned to watch over government property for only a relatively short time, the Buffalo Soldiers helped lay the groundwork for some of our greatest wilderness to be preserved forever.

I'm proud that the Buffalo Soldiers traveled through my district on their way to the parks, and I believe this bill will help shine a light on the history they made in the great State of California and in many places across our great country.

All Americans, from all walks of life, will benefit from learning about this often-overlooked chapter in our history. The Buffalo Soldiers' story is ultimately about the triumph not just of African American troops over prejudice and injustice, but about the movement of our Nation toward a more tolerant and courageous society. This is history that should be more fully incorporated into our parks system, and I believe it will enhance the parks experience for millions of visitors for many years to come. I thank my colleagues for supporting this bill.