Floor Statements

Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this tax compromise with strong reservations. This bill contains some highly objectionable provisions like unnecessary tax breaks for the wealthiest two percent of Americans and an estate tax modification that will only benefit the richest 6,600 households across the country. These two items alone will cost $129 billion, which could alternatively be used for deficit reduction. However, I cannot in good conscience allow all of Rhode Island's businesses and families to suffer onerous tax increases at a time when jobs are scarce and people are pinching pennies just to put food on the table.

Providing tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires is both financially unjust and fiscally irresponsible given our current budgetary challenges, but this compromise protects 98 percent of Americans from significant tax increases set to take effect January 1, 2011, and has the potential to create the private sector jobs than can sustain an economic recovery.

This legislation extends the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts for all income levels for two years, and prevents middle-income Rhode Islanders from being hit with higher tax rates under the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). It also contains several provisions that would assist families and stimulate our economic recovery, which has been frustratingly slow in Rhode Island as state unemployment has lingered at 12.5 percent.

This compromise includes a 13 month extension of Unemployment Insurance for the thousands of Rhode Islanders who are unable

to find work. I have spoken to countless constituents who want to work and are actively looking for employment, but they cannot find jobs. Cutting off their only means of support before the holidays would be an unconscionable dereliction of our responsibilities as members of Congress.

Businesses stand to benefit from a two-year extension of the Research and Development Tax Credit, incentives for clean energy production, and a new accelerated depreciation provision, which will allow a 100 percent write off of capital expenditures in 2011 and 50 percent in 2012. These incentives will ease the tax burden on Rhode Island companies seeking to expand their operations and grow their business, providing an extra boost to our local economy.

For Rhode Island families, this proposal includes a two-year increase of the full Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit. Together, these provisions will provide ongoing tax cuts to 12 million lower income families. In addition, it fully extends the American Opportunity Tax Credit for two years to ensure more people can afford higher education.

Finally, this bill establishes a year-long tax holiday, providing $112 billion in relief by cutting the Social Security payroll tax by two percent. Hard working Rhode Islanders could use a little extra income in their pockets--money that will ultimately be spent and pumped back into the economy to create more jobs. This temporary measure will have no negative impact on Social Security. That said, I will not allow this measure to be used as a springboard toward a permanent reduction of Social Security tax revenues that threatens the program's solvency and breaks the promise we have made to our seniors, veterans and disabled Americans.

Madam Speaker, this compromise is neither a perfect nor permanent solution to our economic challenges, but the cost of inaction is something I'm not willing to pass along to my constituents. If a better deal were possible, I would take it. In fact, I was proud to vote for middle class tax relief just two weeks ago, but my Republican colleagues rejected this common sense bill and it failed to pass the Senate. So now we are faced with a choice--accept this compromise or continue playing politics. The time for politics is over. We have less than two weeks before everybody's tax burden increases. I urge my colleagues to act before our time is up.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 6523. I would like to first of all thank Chairman Skelton for his dedication to national security and bipartisan leadership on our committee. I congratulate him on this bill which is appropriately named in his honor.

The bill before us today strengthens our critical strategic programs, including increasing the reliability, safety and security of our nuclear arsenal. It reduces the risk of nuclear proliferation to terrorists by funding these urgent efforts above last year's levels. It also enhances our missile defenses by supporting the President's phased adaptive approach and preserving a hedge against potential threats from Iran and North Korea.

And, finally, it sustains our national security space assets by supporting near-term warfighter needs, space protection, and space situational awareness. This bill is integral to our national security, and I strongly urge its adoption today.

I would be remiss, however, if I didn't say how disappointed I was that certain cyber-provisions that I included in the original National Defense Authorization Act were not retained in the final bill. The United States is very vulnerable to a cyberattack, and we are woefully unprepared. I will continue to pursue this as a top priority in the next Congress.

I thank the chairman for his great work on this bill.

I rise in strong support of H.R. 6523, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011.

I would like to thank Chairman Skelton for his extraordinary dedication to national security and bipartisan leadership on our Committee. And I would like to congratulate him on this bill, and I am extremely proud that our FY2011 National Defense Authorization bill is named in his honor.

This bill authorizes and strengthens critical national security programs of our strategic forces, providing robust defenses against the most pressing threats to U.S. national security.

It provides $7 billion for weapons activities, and additional $624 million over last year's funding, to strengthen the reliability, safety and security of our nuclear arsenal. It establishes criteria and independent reviews to increase accountability in this vital area of national security.

It reduces the risk that nuclear weapons might spread to other countries or to terrorists intent on targeting thousands of innocent lives by providing full funding to key nonproliferation efforts. This includes $530.5 million over last year's level to strengthen these urgent efforts.

It makes important investments to support effective development and deployment of missile defenses against current and emerging threats to the United States and our allies. It protects our troops and allies by strengthening theater missile defenses. It supports the President's Phased Adaptive Approach to missile defense in Europe, requiring close cooperation with our European allies and effective testing. And it preserves a hedge against potential long-range missile threats from Iran and North Korea to our homeland, and requires an independent assessment to ensure we proceed with a reliable plan.

The bill also sustains our vital unclassified national security space assets, by supporting near-term war fighter needs, and strengthening space situational awareness and space protection.

While I am pleased to see the defense bill include many of these positive strategic items, I am also greatly disheartened that language enhancing our national cybersecurity efforts were removed from the final version of this bill. Our government is under attack every single day in cyberspace, yet we lack the coordination and strategy to properly defend ourselves or operate efficiently online. Recent issues such as the Wikileak's Cablegate, the STUXNET Virus and the disclosure of high level attacks on our Department of Defense only drive home the urgency of addressing this crisis with a strong coordinated response.

While there are many important provisions for the Department of Defense cyber efforts in this bill, the DOD already has the assets to begin addressing this crisis. The real challenges lie in securing our federal networks and developing a real comprehensive policy for addressing transnational threats as well as engaging international partners. I will continue to push this issue as a top national security priority next year.

I want to once again thank Chairman Skelton and congratulate him on moving this bill forward. It supports our critical national security priorities, and I strongly recommend its adoption today.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my colleague and good friend, Congressman Patrick Kennedy from Rhode Island.

I have known and worked with Patrick for more than half of my life now. Patrick and I were first elected to the Rhode Island General Assembly together in 1988. And I must say, I'm having a bit of a hard time imagining coming back to work in January without him serving in the Congress.

I still remember hearing about his first run for the State House, the young Kennedy taking on the establishment in Providence. People thought that he didn't have a chance, but they didn't know Patrick very well. He knocked on every door, shook every hand, and fought for every last vote. In the end, that race wasn't even close.

In the State House, he immediately showed his independence, refusing to toe the party line, much to the surprise of the House leadership at the time. I remember well one of his early efforts to enact responsible gun control measures, an issue that was and is very important to me as well.

Patrick soon arrived in the Halls of Congress, and as the nephew of President John Kennedy and Senator Robert Kennedy and the son of Senator Edward Kennedy, an intimidating legacy followed closely behind him. But Patrick didn't strive to fill anyone else's shoes. He worked hard every day to chart his own course and to fight for his constituents in Rhode Island. But, and perhaps without intention, he not only upheld his family's own enduring legacy, he carried it forward by knocking down new barriers as well. His compassion and commitment to promoting social justice for all Americans was clearly evident, particularly when he spoke out on behalf of those suffering from mental illness and addiction.

It is because of Patrick's efforts that I and many of my colleagues have gained a new awareness of the tens of millions of Americans who struggle every day with the hidden disability of mental illness or addiction. These people had no voice, no champion until Patrick stepped up and took on what so many others were afraid to say out loud. Mental health parity legislation passed this Congress because Patrick Kennedy fought for every vote, just as he did with that first State House run. He met with every chairman, he sat down with every Member, and he raised this issue at every event that he went to, even if it meant bringing attention to what he once considered his own greatest weakness, but he did so without hesitation once he learned that speaking openly and honestly about his personal battles could move the debate forward and help countless others seek treatment and overcome their own challenges.

Most people know Patrick as a passionate and outspoken advocate for millions of people, but to really know Patrick is to watch him sit down one-on-one with a constituent, a child or a senior citizen. And where politicians are often running from place to place to the next event trying to shake the most hands, see the most people, Patrick would rather sit down and talk with one person about their experiences, about their family, their opinions rather than jump from event to event. He really truly cared about what his votes and his actions and the things he did meant to each Rhode Islander, and I know how much each conversation, each meeting, and each interaction meant to him and how it helped him to grow as a legislator and as a person.

Patrick, I know your dad must have been so proud to serve with you for these past 16 years. Together, you forged a better path for social justice and equality for the people of Rhode Island and the people of our Nation. As you prepare to leave, know that you have made a profound difference during your time in this great institution, one that will endure and continue to resonate throughout our Nation.

I look forward to continuing our work together, both inside and outside the Halls of Congress. And to quote your dad, Senator Edward Kennedy: ``The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.''

With that, I yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran) the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010. At no time, and certainly not at this critical juncture, should we be discharging qualified, dedicated servicemembers who are willing to defend, serve and sacrifice for our Nation.

The Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy is clearly costly, it is ineffective, and it is unnecessary. And to repeal clearly makes a major step toward ending discrimination.

The Department of Defense's own internal survey has contradicted the claim that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly would somehow hamper military readiness. It would not. And my own sense of morality clearly contradicts the idea that there's anything justifiable about forcing these men and women to live in the shadows or to live a lie just to serve.

At a time when our Nation's military needs dedicated Americans to serve, with great professionalism, with all the years of training that has been invested in them, clearly this is the time now where we should repeal this policy.

I want to thank Congressman Murphy for bringing this critical issue to the floor and urge my fellow Members to support our national security by repealing this outdated and damaging policy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Seniors Protection Act. This bill will provide a $250 one-time payment to over 250,000 Rhode Islanders who will see no cost of living adjustment in their Social Security payment for a second consecutive year.

The slow economic recovery has been particularly hard on Rhode Island seniors, veterans and individuals with disabilities. Social Security pays $14,000 a year for the average retiree, a modest but crucial benefit that provides over half of all income for the majority of our elderly. People with disabilities and veterans with service-connected injuries also rely on this assistance to meet their day to day needs because they are not able to work, though it is not for lack of trying. Since this assistance will be used to make mortgage payments, pay rent, buy food or access medical care, it will be injected right back into the economy providing additional economic stimulus to our communities.

While Congress is considering extending tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires who don't really need them, I ask them to strongly consider extending a break to those that do. This $250 payment will help seniors, veterans, railroad retirees and people with disabilities who receive Social Security make ends meet during this difficult time, when housing values are down, other retirement income is volatile, and many are facing rising costs.

I urge my colleagues to vote for the Seniors Protection Act, and support its immediate passage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the urgent immigration crisis facing our nation and to ask my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 5281, the Development, Relief, and Education of Alien Minors Act.

We have all heard the numbers: an estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants forced to live under a broken U.S. immigration system; more than 400,000 people each year entering this country illegally, side stepping those who follow the rules and try to come here the right way.

But these numbers do not fully reflect the human suffering, economic disadvantage or threat to our national security that this failed system has created.

Immigrants coming to this country illegally often face a terrible choice: endure crippling poverty and danger to themselves and their families in their home country, or abandon their homes to try and find work and build a new life here. For most Americans, their parents, grandparents, or ancestors brought their families to the U.S. in search of a better life. Those who bring their young children here today put themselves and their families at risk for the same reasons that immigrants did so generations ago. Children who are brought here illegally now are often forced into a life in the shadows of a country they will most likely know as their only home.

The DREAM Act establishes a rigorous, decade-long process that would create a path to citizenship for those children by serving in the Armed Forces or pursuing a college education. DREAM Act participants would not be eligible for federal programs, such as Medicaid or Pell Grants, while they are in conditional status. Additionally, this bill will not encourage continued illegal immigration because it does not apply to children brought here illegally in the future--only those who have lived here for at least five years. It is a bipartisan, common-sense solution that would give children who were raised here an opportunity to contribute to our nation.

While the policy arguments for this bill are strong, I want to share part of a letter I received from a 17 year-old constituent who described the personal toll of living in the shadows and what passage of the DREAM Act would mean to him. He was brought to this country illegally from Guatemala when he was 7 years old by parents who were seeking a better life for his disabled brother. He wrote, ``I don't blame my mother or father for bringing me here. I completely understand why they did it . . . I have always had to understand so many things at just a young age that I feel older than I am. What I was not capable of understanding was how hard it would be not having legal status in this country. Now I am seeing how hard it is not being able to get a job so that I can help my mom . . . or apply to a college. In a way it makes me feel so much less of a person compared to my classmates. I still can't see what makes my friends be able to have a job or take driver's ed just because they have a social security number and not me. In my eyes we're the same. I have the same potential that they have, but yet I have to stay in this shell and not be able to reach the goals that I have set for myself.''

This young person has illustrated better than I ever could how critical an issue this is for our country. Our proud immigrant communities in Rhode Island have shown the great benefit they bring to our economy and heritage, both in the past and present. If there is one thing we can all support, it should be a national policy that continues to attract the best and the brightest who want to contribute to this country and our ideals. Unfortunately, the reality is that our system today forces a large section of our immigrant population into the shadows where they are trapped in a life of illegitimacy and America does not fully see the benefits of their talents.

It is for all these reasons that I have long supported the DREAM Act. This Act is targeted at the most highly motivated young individuals, with no criminal background, who were brought to this country and raised here under no fault of their own. These children have worked hard in school, and they are eager to contribute more by pursuing higher education or military service, and this bill will help them achieve their dreams, while strengthening our society, our economy and our security. These young people deserve the opportunity to resolve their immigration status and we as a nation need their contribution to our country. I want to thank Chairman Berman for his tremendous leadership on this issue and urge my colleagues to pass this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise tonight with a heavy heart to pay tribute to someone who has been a valued adviser and a dear friend to me in my 10 years in this House.

Congressman Ike Skelton has served the Fourth District of Missouri and the Nation with honor and integrity for 34 years. And let me just say that his presence will certainly be missed by me and by so many others.

As a freshman member of the House Armed Services Committee in 2001, I looked to Ike, then our ranking member, as a mentor and a guide on so many critical and complex issues facing the committee. Later, as the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, his commitment to our troops and our security truly set the standard for all of us on the committee. And the example he set helped to bridge the partisan, geographical, and personal differences that have too often plagued us and stood in the way of progress.

Ike Skelton has truly made a profound difference in advocating for and leading on behalf of our men and women in uniform to make sure that they always had the tools and the resources that they needed to do their job, do it well, and to come home safe.

Of course, as much as I have admired him as a leader on national security, let me just say that I have also felt a very separate and even more personal connection to Ike as well. Ike Skelton, like me, has for many years lived his life with his own disability. And from those experiences, both of us have learned at a young age that life often takes a very unexpected path. That path has led us both to a career that neither of us could have ever imagined or expected, lying in a hospital bed all those years ago and contemplating what the future might hold for us.

But clearly, Ike Skelton overcame his own physical challenges and made a difference for others. And now, as his long and inspiring career in Congress nears its end, I wanted to offer Chairman Ike Skelton my deepest and most profound gratitude for his leadership, his wisdom, and for his friendship.

Ike, it has been a true honor to serve with you. I thank you for the decades that you have dedicated to this House. I thank you for the difference that you have made in fighting on behalf of our soldiers, our men and women in uniform, fighting for them to make sure that they always had what they needed to continue to serve and be effective. This country and this House have been a better place because of your service.

Thank you, and God bless, and Godspeed.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 3307, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which would reauthorize child nutrition programs including the National School Lunch Program, the Child and Adult Care Food Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.

As a co-chair of the Congressional Olympic and Paralympic Caucus, I have worked to promote physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle for our nation's children. Physical activity and nutrition are key factors in staying healthy and avoiding chronic illness. Because good health habits begin in childhood, this legislation will go a long way in preventing many chronic diseases.

This bill, which is fully offset, provides greatly needed improvements to our country's child nutrition programs in school and child care settings. This legislation will increase program enrollment and make it easier for low-income children to access benefits. This measure also contains the most significant improvements to these programs in more than 30 years in order to reduce childhood hunger and obesity.

I am also pleased that this legislation establishes national nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools throughout the day-- an area in which Rhode Island has led. With 79,000 Rhode Island children participating in the National School Lunch Program and 26,000 participating in the School Breakfast Program, S. 3307 will ensure students do not go hungry throughout the school day by providing access to nutritious meals. This measure also increases funding for school nutrition programs for purchasing fruits, vegetables and nuts, and creates more avenues for produce to flow from local farmers to schools.

While I do not support the elimination of a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program temporary benefit increase provided by The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included in this bill, I will work vigilantly to restore this cut before it goes into effect in 2013.

I encourage all of my colleagues to support this important measure.

I want to thank the chairman for yielding and congratulate him for his outstanding work on this important intelligence authorization bill. It has been my privilege to work on the committee now for 4 years.

Let me just say, Madam Speaker, that I rise in strong support of H.R. 2701. It has been nearly 6 years since an intelligence authorization bill has become law. This bill helps to provide the intelligence community with the essential tools it needs to confront the threats posed by our adversaries, and it is vital that this bill pass today.

It takes a number of important steps toward improving congressional notification, particularly with respect to Gang of Eight issues, making sure that the Intelligence Committee is actually informed when the top Members of the Congress have been notified that an intelligence activity has occurred. It also makes sure that the President has to provide the legal basis for all intelligence activities.

Beyond that, this bill would enact a number of important reforms, but it makes particularly important strides in securing the Nation's cyberspace.

Clearly, our Nation's water, power, communications, and emergency response systems all depend on a secure, resilient information infrastructure. All are under regular threat from hackers, terrorists, and foreign intelligence agencies.

This bill includes an amendment that I proposed requiring a study of the capabilities of America's current Federal cybersecurity workforce. The administration's 60-day cyber review highlighted the government's cyber workforce as one of the areas that needs the most improvement. The government right now simply doesn't have enough cybersecurity experts, and we have to do a better job of competing with the private sector for scarce talent.

This study that I made sure was in this bill addresses these weaknesses by examining how best to attract, retain, and develop the workforce that the United States Government needs to defend our critical infrastructure. This includes an evaluation of the benefits of outreach to industry and academia, who can be critical partners in securing our cyber networks.

Madam Speaker, more than ever the United States needs to realize that cybersecurity is an issue that requires urgent attention. The American people are depending on us. We cannot remain complacent. We can't wait until a catastrophic event happens. I look at this as a potentially pre-9/11 moment, where we know that there is a critical vulnerability in our cybersecurity infrastructure and we need to move more quickly to protect it.

I want to thank Chairman Reyes for his outstanding leadership on this issue. A lot of the work you don't see that he does and the committee does behind the scenes, but it is essential, it is important, and I thank the gentleman for his leadership. I certainly urge passage of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2701.

It has been nearly six years since an intelligence authorization bill has become law. These bills help provide the Intelligence Community with the tools it needs to confront the threats posed by our adversaries, and it is vital that this bill pass today.

The bill would enact a number of important reforms, but it makes particularly important strides in securing cyberspace. Our nation's water, power, communications, and emergency response systems all depend on a secure and resilient information infrastructure. All are under regular threat from hackers, terrorists, and foreign intelligence agencies.

This bill includes an amendment I proposed that requires a study of the capabilities of America's current federal cyber workforce. The Administration's 60-day cyber review highlighted the government's cyber workforce as one of the areas that needs the most improvement. The government simply does not have enough cybersecurity experts; we must do a better job competing with the private sector for scarce talent.

This study addresses these weaknesses by examining how best to attract, retain, and develop the workforce the United States government needs to defend our critical infrastructure. This includes an evaluation of the benefits of outreach to industry and academia, who can be critical partners in securing our networks.

Madam Speaker, more than ever the U.S. needs to realize that cybersecurity is an issue that requires urgent attention. We cannot remain complacent.

I strongly support this bill. I urge all my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss the grave threat posed to the stability of the Middle East if the Iranian regime were to acquire or develop nuclear weapons technology.

In June, CIA Director Leon Panetta speculated that Iran probably has enough low-enriched uranium for two nuclear weapons. The silver lining, if there is one, is that according to Panetta we likely have sometime before they would be able to build weapons with this material. I firmly support the Administration's effort to use this limited time to press Iran in every way available to deter them from attaining a nuclear capability. It is important that the President have strong tools to enforce this effort, which is why I co-sponsored the Iran Sanctions Accountability and Divestment Act, which was signed into law on July 1, 2010. These sanctions have also been backed by the European Union.

Last week, in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Stuart Levey, the Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said U.S. and international sanctions are ``dramatically isolating Iran financially and commercially.'' He was optimistic that this ``can and will create leverage for our diplomacy.'' By targeting Iran's import of refined petroleum and its banking industries, these sanctions are putting a squeeze on the regime and hopefully will ultimately discourage any illicit activity.

As Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee, I know all too well the seriousness of the nuclear weapons business. While these weapons cannot be put ``back in their bottle,'' responsible nations with this technology can work to stop those who seek to acquire them in order to hold the world and their neighbors hostage. I commend President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton, and my predecessor and friend Ellen Tauscher on making non-proliferation a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy, and I hope the world community will join us in prioritizing non-proliferation and maintaining pressure on Iran as one critical step towards this goal.

Madam Speaker, last week I introduced H.R. 6193, the Foster Youth Financial Security Act. This legislation will prepare foster youth who are transitioning to adulthood to properly manage their finances and provide greater protections of their financial information while they are under the care of the state.

Foster children are disproportionately victims of identity theft because their personal information passes through many hands, increasing the chances that someone will open

an account in their name or use their Social Security Number (SSN). This bill would require that all foster children have their credit reports reviewed, and cleared if there is an inaccuracy, prior to leaving care. It would also end the use of a child's SSN as an identifier. Currently, there is no available data on how many children have been affected by identity theft; this legislation will track the number of stolen identities by state. The bill allows the states to obtain assistance from both the Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Trade Commission on how best to protect their foster youth.

This legislation will also strengthen the financial security of foster youth and empower them to make responsible financial decisions as adults. Research shows that current and for former foster youth are more likely to forego higher education, be in poor health, become homeless, and rely on public supports as adults. This legislation would provide resources for a successful transition to adulthood by helping foster youth obtain a driver's license or state identification card, obtain auto insurance, open a bank account, and apply for student loans. This bill would also help foster youth determine if they are eligible for federal or state benefits and provide them with information on accessing health care and safe and affordable housing. Financial literacy classes would be available for foster children and their foster parents.

The Foster Youth Financial Security Act also provides seed money for each state to set up Individual Development Accounts for foster youth so they leave care with a nest egg to pay for housing, education, and job training. This bill would provide $45 million for the states to carry out the above initiatives and an additional $5 million for technical assistance.

I would like to thank my colleague, Congressman Stark, for joining me on this bill, as well as introducing H.R. 6192, the Foster Children Self Support Act, of which I'm a proud original cosponsor. These bills will provide foster youth with the tools they need and deserve to become successful adults.

Madam Speaker, today I introduced the STEM to STEAM resolution, which recognizes the importance of art and design in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

Art and design advance the understanding of STEM learning and collaboration. In classrooms and laboratories across the country, the innovative practices of art and design play an essential role in improving STEM education and advancing STEM research. In order to strengthen the pipeline of future artists and designers, we must add STEAM to legislation that shapes the future of our education system, especially the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the America Competes Act. Congress must also encourage institutions of higher education to incorporate art and design into their STEM curricula.

Art and design contribute real solutions to our everyday lives, distinguish America's products in a global marketplace, and create opportunity for economic growth in the United States. Artists and designers can effectively communicate complex data and scientific information to multiple stakeholders and broad audiences. The tools and methods they use also offer new models for creative problem-solving and interdisciplinary partnerships in our growing 21st Century economy. For instance, they are integral in planning sustainable neighborhoods, renewable energy initiatives, and health information technologies. They also play a critical role in the development of modern technology to support new American manufacturing opportunities.

It is also important to seek collaboration among the different federal agencies that oversee STEM programs. That is why I recommend the creation of a STEM to STEAM Council, which would bring together artists, designers, education and business leaders, and Federal agencies to facilitate a comprehensive approach to incorporate art and design into Federal STEM programs.

I encourage all my colleagues to support this resolution to change STEM to STEAM to expand innovation and opportunity in our country's education and research fields.

Madam Speaker, today I am reintroducing the Federal Employees Responsible Investment Act, which would add a socially responsible investment option to the Thrift Savings Plan.

The reckless actions of financial institutions and corporations that contributed to our nation's recession have provided countless illustrations of the need to place a greater emphasis on good corporate governance, as well as social and environmental practices that contribute to safety and sustainability. We must create an environment in which businesses take care of--and are held accountable to--their shareholders, employees and customers. Companies should be encouraged to implement sustainable environmental policies and practices, promote solid workplace relations and produce safe products.

While Federal employees currently have several investment options for their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) contributions, they are unable to choose one of the fastest-growing categories of investment--socially responsible investment. Investors are increasingly turning to socially responsible investment (SRI) options because good corporate practices are often an indicator of good management, financial success and long- term stability. In 2009, three out of four large cap SRI mutual funds outperformed the Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index by an average of 6 percentage points, according to data analyzed by the Social Investment Forum, a national association made up of over 400 financial professionals and institutions. A majority of these funds have also outperformed the S&P 500 over three years and over 10 years.

Federal employees deserve the opportunity to invest in companies that embrace the same integrity in their practices that government employees work to uphold. The Federal Employees Responsible Investment Act would direct the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) to select a ``Corporate Responsibility Index'' as an option for TSP investment. The index would include companies that meet strict financial criteria, in addition to having strong corporate governance, sustainable environmental policies and practices, solid workplace relations, positive community involvement, safe products, and respect for human rights around the world. Under this bill, the FRTIB would select an index that best meets Federal employees' needs and demonstrates returns comparable to the other investment options available under the TSP.

Making an investment in companies that are committed to corporate responsibility will have a positive impact on our financial system, as well as empower federal employees to reward companies that share their values. I encourage my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of Rosa's Law, which will replace all references of ``mental retardation'' with the term ``intellectual disability'' throughout the U.S. Code.

I would like to first thank my colleague from New York, Representative Mike McMahon, who has been a passionate champion of ending discrimination against individuals with intellectual disabilities and lifting the stigma associated with the outdated and outmoded classification of an entire population.

At the turn of the last century, the prevailing sentiment in our society was that those with cognitive impairments or behavioral limitations should be institutionalized--excluded from mainstream society and locked away as wards of the state. In Federal statute, they were referred to as ``feeble-minded.'' Of course, we have come a long way since then.

With passage of laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, we have taken great strides to ensure that people with intellectual disabilities are afforded equal opportunities in schools and workplaces free from discrimination, as well as supports for independent living. We have broken down many of the exclusionary policies that relegated these individuals to being treated as second-class citizens.

However, the U.S. Federal Code still contains antiquated references to ``mental retardation'' that no longer reflect our collective values. This terminology has acquired a distinctly pejorative meaning and perpetuates the stigma that people with intellectual disabilities are somehow inferior to others. That couldn't be farther from the truth.

It is time we follow in the steps of entities like the World Health Organization and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We must update the Federal Code to reflect our true intent and evolved beliefs that individuals with disabilities deserve the same respect and opportunities as any other human being. By fostering an environment of inclusion and empowerment, we can provide the means for every individual to fulfill his or her potential.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act. This bill will supply much needed fiscal relief to Rhode Island, providing $33 million in education funding to prevent hundreds of teacher layoffs, as well as $70 million in Federal Medicaid funding that will help the state close a significant budgetary gap.

While Congress has taken unprecedented actions over the past two years to avert a full economic depression and put our country back on the path of positive economic growth, the recovery has been slow and painful. This is particularly true in Rhode Island, which has the fourth highest unemployment rate in the country at 12 percent. Rhode Islanders are still struggling to find jobs; and we are finally beginning to see glimmers of hope in a still fragile economy. We simply cannot afford to lay off more dedicated workers, create longer unemployment lines and slash social services at a time when people need them the most.

This legislation includes $10 billion in emergency support to school districts and ensures that states use these funds for the preservation of jobs serving elementary and secondary education. It is anticipated that the $33 million in funding to Rhode Island will save 500 education jobs. Investing in our children's education not only has long-term benefits to our economy, but it also delivers on our nation's promise to ensure that all individuals have an equal opportunity to succeed.

Also included in this measure is $16.1 billion in health assistance to states, $70 million of which will be allocated to Rhode Island. This funding will prove vital to reducing the state's budgetary shortfalls, and will help keep many workers on the job, including our police officers and firefighters. It is expected that more than half these jobs nationally will occur in the private sector, including workers who contract with, or supply services to, state and local governments.

Finally, this bill is completely paid for, with no increase to the federal deficit. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the bill reduces the deficit by $1.4 billion over 10 years by closing international tax loopholes and cutting back on other federal programs. However, I am disappointed that one of the programs slated for cuts is the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, particularly given the increased need for food assistance as our families continue to recover from the economic downturn.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill and protect the jobs of our teachers, first responders and other employees, in both the public and private sector.