Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Business Alliance for Community Health (BACH), a membership organization of the Eastern Connecticut Health Network (ECHN) which is located in my district. Through its initiatives and extensive corporate partnerships, BACH supports health programs in eastern Connecticut that benefit individuals and families and businesses as well as lower the costs of health care delivery.

Since inception, BACH has helped businesses in my district promote health-related education, including health and wellness and workplace safety. The Alliance has also served as an educational resource to the community on health care changes in the pipeline from the Affordable Care Act. BACH's efforts have also focused on increased awareness of the services and programs of ECHN and its affiliated physicians, which have and continue to provide high quality, cost-effective care. Of additional note, BACH has helped promote local business networking, which has supported a ``buy local'' campaign.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize BACH's continued contributions to eastern

Connecticut. Our nation continues to face challenges in lowering health care costs and organizations like BACH are providing leadership to meet these challenges.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the achievements of two Connecticut students being recognized for their contributions to their communities. Anna Murphy, 11, and Hanna De Bruyn, 16, have been selected by the Prudential Spirit of Service awards for their commitment to community service and the impact of their efforts.

First, I recognize state honoree and top-two finalist from the State of Connecticut, Anna Murphy of Stafford Springs. Anna led a fundraising effort through a penny drive to help local families heat their homes during harsh New England winters. So far, Anna has raised more than $1,400. It is a yearly tradition in Anna's family to collect pennies to donate to families to pay for heating oil. Inspired by that example, Anna organized her classmates and local business to contribute to the fund, so far filling the gas tanks in two homes. For her contributions, Anna will receive $1,000, a trip to Washington, DC in May and an engraved silver medallion.

Next, I recognize distinguished finalist Hanna De Bruyn of Old Lyme, Connecticut. A student at Lyme-Old Lyme High School, Hanna raised more than $25,000 for children with rare brain cancers by hosting yearly races beginning in 2010. The funds have been donated through Caroline's Miracle Foundation, a local organization started by the family of a young child suffering from one of these afflictions. For her efforts, Hanna will be awarded with an engraved bronze medallion.

The Prudential Spirit of Service awards have promoted youth volunteer work and recognized students whose efforts have helped families and causes in their communities. The organization reviews a pool of nearly 5,000 candidates from across the nation nominated by elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as other civic organizations. Created in 1995 by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the awards emphasize the importance our Nation places on service to others and encourage all young Americans to contribute to their communities.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring Hanna De Bruyn, Anna Murphy, and the rest of these distinguished honorees from Connecticut and across the Nation, for their contributions to their communities and for embodying the core value of service that we all share.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great solemnity to share with you the recent death of Richard Schneller.

Richard ``Dick'' Schneller, a tireless Connecticut resident who celebrated his 90th birthday just last March, leaves behind a storied life of service to his family, his state, and his country. A native of Essex, Dick attended Mount Hermon School and went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree from Yale University in 1943. Following graduation, Dick served his country with the United Sates Navy as a Lieutenant and participated in several South Pacific D-Day island invasions. After his military discharge, Dick applied his skills to his family's business, becoming President of The Verplex Company in 1952 and serving until 1972.

Dick proudly served his community and his government as a five-term State Senator representing Connecticut's 20th Senatorial district. From the time he entered the State Senate in 1975 until his departure in 1984, Dick maintained a fierce dedication to service of his state and his community. As a State Senator, Dick served successively on a number of committees, including the Education Committee and the Appropriations Committee. He served as chairman of the State Urban and Development Committee. Dick also held the title of Senate Majority Leader for the final three years of his tenure in the State Senate.

In addition to his commitment to the betterment of Connecticut government, Dick also played significant administrative roles in a broad range of local institutions. In his home town of Essex, Dick served for seven years as Chairman of the Essex Democratic Town Committee, was a member of the Essex Board of Finance, and was a member and chairman of the Regional District #4 Board of Education. He was also Charter President of the Essex Rotary Club and Founding Treasurer of the Essex Community Fund. Some of his other involvements in local organizations include his work as Trustee of the University of Connecticut, the Connecticut Conservation Association, Middlesex Hospital, Connecticut College, Yale-New Haven Hospital, Mount St. John's School and the Middlesex County Y.M.C.A.. Dick proudly served as the President and Chairman on the Board of the Goodspeed Opera House.

Dick recognized the importance and inherent value in serving in a community, through his commitment to service in government, and also through his devotion to his local congregation, the Congregation Beth Shalom, of which he was a lifelong member.

On a personal note, Dick was a generous mentor for me and many others of a younger generation, serving in the Connecticut General Assembly. He imparted experience and good judgment to us all and was a great inspiration for those of us thinking about entering public service.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and service of Dick Schneller, and sharing our condolences with the family he leaves behind.

Mr. Speaker, last Wednesday the Congressional Budget Office came out with their new budget projections and analysis of last year. What it showed was that the Medicare program grew at the slowest rate since 1965 when the program was created.

As this chart shows, the cost growth for Medicare is coming down. As a result of that, there are $200 billion in new savings that we didn't know about the day before.

This is the smart way to balance our budget, by providing incentives for preventive care for more efficiency in the system, not butchering Medicare by turning it into a private health insurance program or raising the age of eligibility.

We can build on its success. We can stop sequestration by having a smart, focused health care policy which saves money for the American taxpayer, but protects America's seniors and people on disability.

Mr. Speaker, in 23 days, by law, an indiscriminate chain saw is going to go through all quarters, all sectors of the American Government.

Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on Sunday, along with General Martin Dempsey, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, very bluntly warned this country that if sequestration goes into effect, America's military readiness is going to be damaged in a very critical way. The Navy has told us specifically what this means: 23 ships whose repairs are scheduled will be cancelled; 55 percent of flying hours on aircraft carriers will be cancelled; 22 percent of steaming days for the rest of the U.S. fleet will be cancelled; submarine deployments will be cancelled.

Today, right now, we have the USS Stennis and the USS Eisenhower stationed in the Middle East making sure that our allies, Israel, Turkey, critical missions like protecting the Straits of Hormuz, they have to have aircraft that can fly. They can't cancel 55 percent of their flight time and expect to carry out their mission. Yet in 23 days, because of inaction by this Chamber, we are putting, again, America's national security interests at risk.

The Bipartisan Policy Center, founded by Bob Dole and Tom Daschle, has told us we will lose a million jobs if sequestration goes through. So those shipyards that are planning to do that repair work, they're basically going to get layoff slips.

And we are debating a bill today that has absolutely no connection to those realities. This is a pure political stunt. It has no bearing in terms of whether or not the military readiness of this country or the economic recovery that's headed in the right direction right now is going to be protected and preserved. That's our job. That's what we should be focused on here today. And denying the Van Hollen amendment, which would replace that sequestration, is why this rule must be defeated.

I urge Members of this Chamber to vote ``no'' on this rule.

Yesterday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta bluntly warned if sequester happens on March 1 it's going to badly damage the readiness of the United States of America. It will go right at readiness, right at maintenance, right at training.

The Navy has told us too it will cancel maintenance on 23 ships, reduce flying hours on deployed aircraft carriers by 55 percent, cancel submarine deployments, and reduce steaming days by 22 percent.

The Bipartisan Policy Center has warned us that 1 million jobs will be lost if sequester happens.

What is the response of the majority party? The Budget chair, Mr. Ryan, simply said, ``Sequester is going to happen. We can't afford to lose those cuts.''

For the sake of our economy, for the sake of our national defense, we have to do better than that. Congress must adopt the President's balanced plan and avoid the economic and military calamity, a calamity that can easily be avoided.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honor a fierce and passionate advocate for southeastern Connecticut, John Markowicz.

John was well known in southeastern Connecticut for the many hats he wore over the course of his life. Graduating the U.S. Naval Academy in 1965, John achieved the rank of captain in the Navy where he served in the submarine force in a variety of posts, including the USS Pargo (SSN 650) and USS Guitarro (SSN 665). Following active duty service, John continued in the Naval Reserve to achieve 34 years in the service of our Nation. In his life in the private sector, John helped found Sonalysts in 1976, a defense contractor in Waterford, Connecticut that is one of the region's largest employers today. Following his time at Sonalysts, John served in a number of positions to promote economic development in eastern Connecticut, most notably as Executive Director of the Connecticut Enterprise Region (seCTer).

As impressive as these achievements are, he is best and rightly remembered by the southeastern Connecticut region as the leader of the fight to save Naval Submarine Base New London from closure during the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process.

When the submarine base was placed on the BRAC list in 2005, John activated a non-partisan and diverse group of experts tasked with the seemingly insurmountable challenge of overturning the Pentagon's recommendation. John and his team burrowed into the data, found critical flaws, and constructed the airtight argument against closing this unique and irreplaceable naval asset.

Although I was not in Congress at the time, I vividly remember attending the Boston regional meeting of the BRAC commission in the summer of 2005. With John and his case at the lead, Connecticut's delegation picked apart the misguided decision to close the base-- stressing the economic harm, the strategic impact and, most importantly, the various flaws underpinning the case to close the base.

It worked. In September 2005 the base was removed from the list and spared closure. While there were many involved in the successful effort to save the base, it was John's leadership, attention to detail, and unsparing devotion to the mission that was rightly credited with making it possible.

As importantly, John understood that the work of promoting and defending the base did not end with the decision to remove the base from the BRAC list. In the years following, John stressed the need for the creation of a state Office of Military Affairs and a historic new partnership between Connecticut and the Navy to invest in the infrastructure of the base--both of which are in place now and under way. He also worked closely with my staff and me in monitoring the latest rumors about new BRACs and following Congressional debates about submarine production like a box score.

In my years of knowing him, I always found John to be a quiet but effective professional. He never pursued the spotlight, never wanted the glory--he sought only to accomplish the mission. In his passing, eastern Connecticut has lost a fierce advocate for the ``Submarine Capitol of the World'' and all of us will long remember all he gave to our region and our state. His memory will live on in the thousands of people at work every day at a more modem submarine base that he helped to save--and the countless businesses and employees across the region that rely on it.

Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and service of John Markowicz and sharing our condolences with the family he leaves behind.

Mr. Speaker, ``Semper Paratus''--always prepared. That is the motto of the Coast Guard Academy, which is located in New London, Connecticut, which on October 29 was hit by 85-mile-per-hour winds and high tide at the height of Hurricane Sandy. It covered the entire lower half of the campus, wiped out their sailing center--which is the center that cadets must train on for 4 years as part of the core mission of the Coast Guard Academy to enhance and focus on their maritime skills. That is part of the submission by the Coast Guard for relief in the Hurricane Sandy bill, which we are going to debate and vote on, unfortunately.

Unfortunately, the Rogers' base bill cut the Coast Guard's request in half so that Coast Guard facilities in New Jersey and New York, and also the Coast Guard training facility in New London, Connecticut-- which protects all of our coastal maritime country--are going to be damaged and affected.

We must, A, pass the rule; B, pass the Rogers' amendment; but, C, most importantly, pass the Frelinghuysen amendment, which will make sure that the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, will be able to live up to its motto ``Semper Paratus''--always prepared.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Carol Walter of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH). A tireless advocate for our State's most vulnerable citizens, Carol passed away on Thursday, December 27th.

Carol's dedication to people and service was apparent in her extensive achievements and contributions to our State. She began her career working in shelters in many of the largest communities across the State. Displaying a knack for leadership and an entrepreneurial spirit, Carol moved on to the Connecticut Aids Resource Coalition where she founded the National Working Positive Coalition. She became director of CCEH in 2006.

While heading the Coalition, she helped institute greater coordination of services among nonprofits, managed the annual Point-In- Time homeless census, and led the State in rapid re-housing and shelter diversion strategies. Carol's years of dedication and tireless hard work impacted countless lives across our State. Due in large degree to Carol's leadership statewide, there has been historic progress made in the effort to combat homelessness in Connecticut's Second Congressional District.

Carol's passing marks an irreplaceable loss for our community, for the fight against homelessness, and the battle to provide justice for underserved communities. Carol leaves behind a lasting legacy of passionate service to those in need. I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring Carol's life and accomplishments.

When Hurricane Sandy struck on October 29 in eastern Connecticut's Long Island Sound with 90-mile-per-hour winds and high tide, it created a path of destruction never seen before. Homes were wiped out, utility infrastructure was wiped out, transportation infrastructure was wiped out. But what was so inspiring about it was that the first responders acted--police, fire, Coast Guard, the Governor of Connecticut, local and municipal officials. They acted. In the weeks since then, the Senate has acted. President Obama declared an emergency on October 30. The Department of Homeland Security acted. The only place that hasn't acted is the House of Representatives, where last night, in the dark of the night, the Speaker announced that he was abandoning the people of northeastern America and allowing the Hurricane Sandy relief bill to die.

That is unacceptable. The people who acted--the first responders, the caregivers, the local officials--they deserve better. The local officials, the Members of Congress for the Northeast, in a bipartisan way, deserve better. The Speaker must reverse his decision. It is time to act today.

Mr. Speaker, again I want to just begin by saluting my colleague from Connecticut, Chris Murphy, who over the last 72 hours has been the voice of the community of western Connecticut, and Newtown in particular. He has handled his role in that capacity with poise and good decorum and taste. It really is something that I think we should all, in this Chamber, be so proud of.

I would also want to mention that he did it as a father of someone who has a 4-year-old son, Owen, who I'm sure was seeing all around him the events that were unfolding, the unspeakable horror again in the eyes of a parent of a child really of the same age group. Again, we are just so lucky to have had his amazing leadership over the last 3 or 4 days.

The President last night opened his remarks about how the town of Newtown is really like many communities in America. To a point, it's true. It's 29,000, tight-knit, a very small town. But it is a town that, frankly, is above average in many instances.

It is a school system that scores at the absolute top of the Mastery Test in the State of Connecticut. And that doesn't happen by accident. It's because it has parents and staff that, year in and year out, have been so committed to making sure the children succeed and excel, and it has been a model for the State of Connecticut and for our country when education really still is, I think, probably one of the most important challenges that we need to succeed in as a country.

For this event to happen at Sandy Hook Elementary School, a school that, when I was sitting with the Board of Education last night during the interfaith vigil, all of them were talking about their kids who'd gone through Sandy Hook and now were successfully pursuing careers in New York and the west coast and in Connecticut, it really just tore the heart out of this community. It's a community where they've had one act of homicide over the last 10 years. And to see those police officers come down the aisle after having to respond to this unspeakable horror and to see the looks on their face and the emotional drain that took place, it really was just something that was just so out of any norm for any community, but certainly, in particular, for the town of Newtown.

As Chris said, in every instance, whether it was the principal, the teachers, the parents, the first responders, the caregivers, they rose to the challenge. They did their job.

Victoria Soto, the teacher who shielded and literally saved the lives of at least half a dozen students, was in the middle of a lesson when this person burst into her classroom, 10 minutes from beginning to end. Since this debate has started, the event had already reached its conclusion, just in the time that we've been here on the floor. For her to think so quickly and to react so courageously is an act of human excellence that I think all of us will wonder whether or not we ourselves could have possibly done the same.

Her example, the example of the police and the EMS, the example of the doctors and nurses who responded so quickly, frankly, I see that as a challenge to this Congress. They acted. They did what they were supposed to do. And as the President said last night, if you believe that the measure of a society is how we protect our children, if you're honest, you have to answer that we really are not doing all that we can do, and, frankly, it is time for us to follow the example of the Victoria Sotos and to act. This resolution tonight is so important to begin that first step. But the fact of the matter is that there is much more that needs to be done.

This morning, as I was driving to the airport on the back roads of Connecticut, I went by a number of elementary schools. At every single one of them, there was a police cruiser at the entrance. Again, the State police and the local police departments, I think, were being very thoughtful. They wanted to make sure that when the parents and kids were going to school, they felt safe, and that after all they had seen on the TV over the weekend, it was okay to go in the entrance of their schools. But that is not an answer. To say that we are going to turn our schools into fortresses is not where we should be as a Nation. We need to go deeper in terms of solving this problem of mass killings and of violence that now, again, is striking at the most innocent in our society.

I look forward to working with the gentleman from the Fifth District over

the next few days, and when he takes his new duties as the new Senator from the State of Connecticut, to make sure that the people in that room last night who were listening to the President, the people in our State, the people in our country, the people in the world that are now watching us, that we make sure that we deliver, just like the brave people of the town of Newtown did over this past weekend.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the career of a beloved officer of the Coventry Police Department. Lt. Walter Solenski will retire on December 31, 2012 after 37 years of service to his town. A lifetime resident of Coventry, Connecticut, Walter's compassionate attention to the community is known by young and old. Police Chief Mark Palmer described Lt. Solenski as an ``every day hero.'' He is someone who is steady and reliable; he is always there for the residents of Coventry when they need him.

Following his graduation from Coventry High School in 1970, Walter joined the United States Navy. Upon returning home from a four-year tour of duty he was hired as a Class D Patrolman in his local police department. Walter quickly proved his dedication to his work by actively pursuing training and certification courses. He continued to seek out ways to improve his service to the town throughout his career. This professionalism and diligence allowed Walter to rise to the rank of Lieutenant in April, 1995.

Throughout his time on the police force, Lt. Solenski received many accolades and letters of gratitude from those whom he had helped. Coventry residents appreciated his timely response and attention, especially to emergency situations. Last summer he was chosen by a local committee to be a parade marshal at Coventry's 300th Anniversary Parade- a testament to his importance in the town.

I ask that my colleagues join with me to honor Lt. Walter Solenski and the work he did for the people of Coventry. As he prepares for his retirement with his wife Yvonne, I am confident that Walter will continue to play an active role in the community. His commitment to the Coventry Police Department and to his town will not soon be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, while the whole world is waiting to see whether the House Republicans say ``yes'' to extending middle class tax cuts, President Obama, on Friday, moved ahead with following through on a campaign promise to help people with student loan payments which are at record-high levels.

The Pay as You Earn program, starting next Friday, will accept applications to cap repayment at 10 percent of discretionary income. So, for example, an individual with $30,000 in income and $26,000 in debt will see their monthly payments drop from $166 a month to $110 a month.

Individuals can contact the U.S. Department of Education's Web site to apply for this assistance or call your Member of Congress. And while you're at it, tell them to extend middle class tax cuts, sign on to the Walz bill, and let's get away from this fiscal cliff.

Congratulations to the President for following through for young Americans to make sure that they're going to get needed help to pay for college.

Mr. Speaker, on November 28th twelve new members were inducted

into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame. I am happy to represent three of them in Congress. Manuel Michael Cardoza Jr. of Preston, Paul Francis Dillon of Gales Ferry, and Herbert Thomas Schacht of Quaker Hill have all served their country with distinction both in and out of uniform and each is well-deserving of their recent induction.

Manuel Cardoza served in the United States Army from 1951 to 1953, including eight months stationed in Korea. Since returning home over fifty years ago, Manuel has actively assisted his fellow veterans. He served as a commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars posts in Norwich and Preston, as well as the American Legion Post 4. As a corporal medical technician in Korea, Manuel showed his commitment to public health through the organization of numerous health screenings throughout the state. He also served as President of the Connecticut Sickle Cell and New London Chapter Disease Research Foundation and sat on the Backus Hospital Board of Directors.

Paul Dillon is a retired Navy master chief radioman who served from 1956 to 1980. During his service in the Vietnam War, Dillon and many of his shipmates fell ill with diseases related to Agent Orange. Paul was troubled by the treatment and lack of care received for some of his colleagues. This inspired him to devote countless volunteer hours with veteran and military groups and to become a leader in the National Association for Uniformed Services. Even while he was battling prostate cancer, Paul worked hard to ensure that other Vietnam veterans received the benefits and treatments that they needed. He continues to assist retired service members and their families each Wednesday at the Retired Activities Office on the submarine base in Groton.

Herbert Schacht spent three years as a medical/surgical tech in during World War II, working stateside in Army hospitals. Upon leaving the military in 1946, Herbert returned home to work at the Waterford Country School. Although he intended to stay for a few short months, Herbert spent the next forty years aiding children with special needs and mental health issues. After retiring as the school's director, Herbert continued to dedicate much of his free time to volunteer work. He worked as a SCORE counselor where he assisted small businesses get off the ground, participated in AIDS work in Africa, and assisted an adoption service in Guatemala.

As veterans return home from serving abroad, they bring valuable skills and strength back to their communities and continue their services to the country. Their induction into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame is a powerful statement of their service to our country both in active duty and as veterans. It is a small elite who receive this honor, and they will be forever remembered at the State Capitol in Hartford as true leaders and examples for future generations. I ask my colleagues to join with me in recognizing and congratulating these extraordinary veterans.

Mr. Speaker, in the well of the House, a few feet away from me, we have the power as Members to actually pull this country back from a fiscal cliff which endangers an economic recovery and threatens middle class families all across the country.

The good news is there right now. Consumer confidence is up, car sales are up, even the housing market is making a recovery. If we do not, however, act to sign this discharge petition and to protect middle class families, we will go backwards as a Nation.

It will also solve three-quarters of the sequestration challenge that the Budget Control Act still has sitting out there for January 2. If we sign this discharge petition and get this bill passed, three-quarters of that problem will be solved: we will protect Medicare, we will protect our military, we will protect education, and it will reduce the size of the challenge to avoid sequestration.

All Members--Republicans and Democrats--should come together, sign this discharge petition, and help the American people get this economy back on its feet.