Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 26, 27, and 28, I was unavoidably detained and missed the votes. Had I been present and voting, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall votes Nos. 26, 27, and 28.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Fire Chief Charles A. Teale, Sr., of the Hartford Fire Department who is retiring after serving 27 years--9 of those as its chief.

In his years of service, Chief Teale has gained a reputation as a fair, no-nonsense administrator who helped to restore order and stability to the Hartford Fire Department. Under his watch, the Hartford Fire Department maintained its Class 1 status, a designation shared by only 41 of 38,000 departments across the country. Among Teale's many accomplishments is his emphasis on attaining high educational and professional standards. Due to the department's educational outreach, the number of structure fires in Hartford decreased from 366 in 2001 to just 80 in 2008.

In one of his proudest accomplishments, Teale showed a dedication to the community he served that extended far beyond his duties as fire chief. He worked as co-chairman of a committee that raised $125,000 to create a memorial to the 168 people who died in the Hartford circus fire of July 6, 1944. Motivated by the conviction that a memorial had to be created before the generation that remembered one of Connecticut's worst disasters passed on, Teale dedicated the beautiful memorial in 2005, on the 61st anniversary of the fire.

Chief Teale's own story is truly remarkable. He dropped out of school at age 14, but returned and excelled, thanks to the mentoring of legendary Hartford educator Walter ``Doc'' Hurley. He went on to earn multiple advanced degrees, including a master's in public administration from the University of Hartford. Chief Teale's passion for learning is everlasting, and after retirement he plans to pursue a doctorate in psychology, which will help him empower Hartford's young men to make smart choices as they enter adulthood, just as Doc Hurley influenced him.

The residents of Hartford and Connecticut's First Congressional District are indebted to Chief Teale for his extensive efforts to serve the Greater Hartford community. His dedication to Hartford and its history, as well as his ability to lead, have made him not just an outstanding fire chief but an exceptional ambassador for the city. His fire boots will be hard to fill, but we wish him well on his admirable goals of returning to school and serving as a mentor to the young men in Hartford.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 982, I was unavoidably detained and missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 983, I was unavoidably detained and unfortunately missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, on rollcall No. 984, I was unavoidably detained and most unfortunately, missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, on December 9, 2009 I missed rollcall votes 939, 940 and 941. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on all.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4213, the Tax Extenders Act of 2009, and applaud the leadership of Chairman Rangel and the Ways and Means Committee in crafting this bill. I commend the Chairman for the inclusion of the alternative fuel tax credit, which incentivizes individuals and businesses to purchase energy for vehicles that run on clean energy sources. This continues Congress' commitment to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. As long as we are exporting our dollars overseas in exchange for oil, our economic and national security are at risk.

Natural gas is an abundant transition energy that is twice as clean as coal. While 69% of the oil consumed in America is for transportation (two-thirds of which we import from foreign nations), 98% of the natural gas we consume is produced in North America.

The more than 100 years of natural gas reserves in the U.S. will provide thousands of domestic jobs that cannot be outsourced and will help keep taxpayer dollars in the U.S. Approximately 1.3 million Americans are directly employed by natural gas companies, and the entire U.S. natural gas industry supports nearly three million U.S. jobs, with the potential to add many more.

Natural gas will play an increasing role in reducing U.S. carbon emissions, creating jobs, and enhancing U.S. security. I thank Chairman Rangel for extending the alternative fuel tax credit and for recognizing the importance of natural gas.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 932, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Democratic Caucus, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Waxman and Mr. Rangel and Mr. Miller for their help.

The growth of this great Nation cannot be achieved without caring for the health of all of its citizens. Thirty-six million Americans await our action on the House floor today. Thirty-six million Americans watched as the fearmongers stood on the steps of the Capitol this week telling them to be afraid.

The same fear was spread during the debate on Social Security and Medicare. Today, we will put a stop to the fear and address the real threat, the real danger the American people face. The woman next to you on the train spreading the flu because she couldn't afford to see a doctor. The little boy in the sandbox with your child whose parents couldn't afford the vaccinations. And if we have learned anything from the H1N1 epidemic, the billions of dollars these public health emergencies cost all of us, and that disease has no boundaries or borders; it affects all of us.

On this historic day, this Congress will pass what will improve both the fiscal and physical health of the entire Nation by improving health care for all of our citizens. It is a statement of our values. It is testimony to how we care for our fellow citizens. It is at the very core of all that America stands for and why we came here to serve. Thirty-six million Americans deserve nothing less.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Margarita ``Maggie'' Gardner of Hartford, Connecticut, to whom I was honored to present the Nancy Pilver Breast Cancer Heroine Award.

Each year, I present the Nancy Pilver Breast Cancer Heroine Award to a resident of Connecticut's First Congressional District who has displayed extraordinary dedication to the issue of breast cancer through education, prevention, treatment, and awareness. The award is named in honor of Nancy Pilver, formerly of Manchester, Connecticut, and the first recipient of the award.

In 2006, Maggie contacted my office to request assistance with her Social Security Disability Claim. Her dire needs required that her claim be expedited. Thankfully, Social Security was receptive to our request and as a result, Maggie was able to win her fight against breast cancer and carry on her life without difficult financial ramifications.

Maggie's successful fight against breast cancer has inspired her to help others battling various types of cancer. Maggie started the Gardner House, a non-profit organization with the goal of providing a one-stop center for cancer patients to receive guidance and assistance in their fight against the disease. Its mission statement is ``to assist the cancer patient and their family to return to a normal, healthy and productive life in their community.'' Included among the Gardner House's many objectives are referrals to state and local agencies, medication expenses and general financial assistance, housing assistance, transportation to medical appointments, and counseling and emotional support groups.

Perhaps one of the Gardner House's most successful stories involved Elizabeth Hurd, Maggie's first referral. Elizabeth underwent a severe struggle with uterine cancer, and eventually overcame the disease.

During her fight she was unable to schedule a disability hearing, resulting in the loss of her apartment and rental assistance, and most of her belongings. After being placed in contact with Maggie, and through the assistance of the Gardner House and my office, she was able to schedule a disability hearing. Elizabeth, grateful for the help she received, aptly calls Maggie ``her angel.''

We in Connecticut's First Congressional District are extremely grateful for Maggie's extensive efforts, and she is very deserving of this year's Nancy Pilver Breast Cancer Heroine Award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 783, Recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month and celebrating the vast contributions of Latino Americans to the strength and culture of the United States. The rich history of the United States is strengthened by the important contributions of Latinos, who have played major roles in building this country and making it a better place.

From the Revolutionary War to the conflicts we are fighting overseas today, Latinos have proudly served this country and willingly sacrificed their lives for the preservation of our great nation. In addition to serving in the armed forces, Latinos have helped our country take great steps forward in the fields of medicine and science and have contributed greatly to the advancement of business, education, civil rights, and politics.

I am proud to represent the First District of Connecticut, whose cultural fabric has been

greatly enriched by the Latino community. I am especially proud of the accomplishments of SAMA, the Spanish American Merchants Association, a Connecticut nonprofit with more than 300 members that provides technical assistance, educational programs and loan programs for small businesses in the community. SAMA's Empresario Latino Development Center is the small business premier provider of educational resources, material, and training in English/Spanish for entrepreneurs in the State of Connecticut.

I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month and ask that we continue to celebrate the many contributions of Latinos to our nation in the months to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 729, a resolution honoring and celebrating this nation's firefighters with a ``National Firefighters' Memorial Day.'' In today's economic climate, we cannot forget the irreplaceable services that firefighters and first responders perform in our communities, often receiving as compensation only the personal fulfillment of making a difference.

Take, for example, the volunteer fire department of Portland, Connecticut, a small town in the southern part of my district. The fire department in Portland was established in 1884 when a group of twenty- five members of the community recognized that a bucket brigade was insufficient to fight the blazes that were devastating their downtown. They decided they could not stand by idly while friends and neighbors lost their homes and businesses. Today, the Portland volunteer fire department boasts sixty members, and the original firehouse still stands on Portland's Main Street, a symbol of the central role that our first responders play in our communities.

The technology of firefighting has evolved significantly since the early days of the Portland volunteer fire department. I am proud to say that the fire department in Hartford is one of less than fifty departments, out of over 33,000 across the country, to earn the highest possible ranking for fire protection. This honor is no doubt a result of Hartford's position on the cutting edge of first responder technology. Hartford's fire department has been a trailblazer in using GIS mapping and GPS technology to make every first responder aware of hydrant locations, water main diameters, engine locations, and building footprints across the city, all to better serve Connecticut's capital city.

Firefighters in Connecticut's First District also serve the thousands of people who use Bradley Airport each day. The Connecticut Commission on Fire Prevention and Control, established in 1975, is located in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, near the airport. Its facilities, with classrooms, a dive rescue training pool, burn structures, a training yard, and airplane and tanker props for passenger extrication drills, provide a state-of-the-art campus to train and coordinate first responder efforts across the state. It is because of Connecticut's dedication to providing resources and support to its firefighters that we boast some of the best in the nation.

Connecticut's first district hosts thirty-seven fire houses, including Hartford's. Twenty-seven of these, including Portland's, are completely volunteer operations. Even when the men and women who make up these fire houses aren't selflessly protecting the lives of their friends and neighbors, you can see them out in their communities. They are working day jobs, teaching young people and engendering their passion for fire safety through school visits and Explorer programs, and participating in carnivals, spaghetti suppers, and fundraisers to pay for the equipment and training they need to stay at the top of their profession. The services that firefighters and first responders provide are priceless. The very least we can do is honor our first responders with a ``National Firefighters' Memorial Day,'' and recognize the crucial role they play in promoting our safety, security, and well-being.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of my father-in-law, Normand Best.

Tribute to an Everyday American: Normand A. Best

Normand Audrey Best was born in Omaha, Nebraska on November

3, 1928, to his proud parents, Catherine and Paul Best. He

was born and raised in the country's heartland where his

mother's family, the Kelleys, had farmed since the late

1880s. The nation was on the verge of the Depression and

ultimately Paul's work would take them to California, and

then on to Washington State, but it was his midwestern values

and work ethic that would serve him all of his life. He would

often talk at Christmastime with great fondness of the farm

in Nebraska, the small schools, and his family.

The Kelley girls--as Norm's mother, Catherine, and her

sisters were called--made their mark in the community and the

parish. The five daughters of John Kelley would remain close

throughout their lives as pillars of both the parish and the

community. They were a source of comfort and solace to one

another. Norm has two sisters, Joan and Mildred, and a

brother, Gordon. A nine-year difference in age didn't allow

the brothers to get close until they were older; however,

Gordon looked up to his older brother and more than Best

Brothers they were Best Friends and great fishing buddies.

Norm had a quiet reserve about him, a humility that comes

from being raised in hard times and the decency and demeanor

of a gentleman and a soldier. Like most who served in his

generation, he said little about his war experience. It's not

a subject that one dwells on, but over a few Bellows, his

drink of preference, he would reflect on his service in the

Marine Corps and how the training and discipline had served

him well.

Norm enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during

World War II and served with distinction. He spoke rarely but

poignantly of having to escort home the bodies of fallen

heroes. He recalled how painful it was to go to the door of

the Marines' parents and give them the news. He was proud of

the Marines and the way they conducted themselves and the

honor and respect they paid to those who had given the full

measure of devotion to their country.

He had a mind that was perhaps predisposed to math and

engineering. He had a clearheaded way of making decisions and

an acute ability to analyze data and information. These

skills would serve him well in his profession as a flight

engineer for Pan American, as a trouble shooter for Pratt and

Whitney Aircraft, and even in a game of pinochle.

How a boy from Nebraska develops an aptitude for flight and

engineering is a story in itself. It was in pursuit of this

career that his life would be transformed when he met Carolyn

Tasse. Carolyn, as his brother Gordon aptly described her,

had a smile you could see a block away and lighted up any

room she entered with its warmth. They were the

quintessential American couple--he looking like Glen Ford and

she a short-haired Donna Reed. They met at Pan Am, so even

before they married they got to travel and see the world

together. This Midwestern man and New England woman fell in

love and were married. His job carried them to Minnesota and

then on to San Antonio, where they started their family of

four: Leslie, Louise, Warren and Allen. Ultimately his job

would lead them to East Hartford, Connecticut, where he would

live, work, and raise his family for the rest of his life.

It's hard to comprehend how at 39 years of age he dealt

with Carolyn's passing. She died of Cancer in 1967, leaving

him with four little children--the oldest, Leslie, who was

nine and the youngest, Allen, who was just four. Nothing in

his life experience could have prepared him for this, yet he

met the circumstance with the resolve to keep his family

together. To those ends he gave the full measure of his

devotion both to his deceased wife and his children.

He and Carolyn were a love story before Ryan O'Neil and Ali

McGraw had portrayed a similar saga in the movie ``A Love

Story.'' He never remarried and dedicated himself to his

children and his work. He made sure that he took the family

on interesting vacations that they all still recall fondly

whenever they gather together. He cooked, cleaned, and showed

up at all of their events. He was their compass and their

rock. There was no doubt of his love and selfless devotion.

I was fortunate to meet him through his daughter, Leslie,

and eventually became his son-in-law. I treasured my

conversations, dinners, birthdays, holidays and especially

the times when his brother Gordon or his mother were in town.

The card games and the stories had all of the sentimentality

that makes the bond of family so strong. If I close my eyes,

I can still hear the laughter of their voices lingering in

the night.

He was proud of his children and their accomplishments and

especially proud of his grandchildren, whom he also showered

with the full measure of his love and devotion. He was the

family support system, the go-to person in a crisis, and the

unfailing steady rock on which everyone depended and whom he

never let down.

He reminded me very much of my own Father, different but

alike in many, many ways. Their values, work ethic, sense of

responsibility and character are examples that I only wish I

could emulate. He was an everyday man who minded his own

business and tended to his individual needs and family

responsibilities. He asked little for all he had sacrificed.

I often wondered when I'd see him drift off or reflect

while he was listening to his music if he wasn't thinking of

he and Carolyn traveling the world, creating a family and how

short their time was together. Having given the full measure

of his devotion, it's heartrending to know he was reunited

with Carolyn on August 6, 2009. Norm completed his circle of

life, and while he is dearly missed, we are comforted knowing

his journey has brought him to a place his heart never left--

back home to her.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 787 designating October 13th as National Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day.

At a health care public forum I held in my district on October 25th, I had the great pleasure of meeting a woman of true inspiration.

Kristen Martinez of Colebrook, at the age of 31, was diagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. She had no idea the severe back pains and chronic fatigue were clear symptoms of cancer, but they were signs the cancer spread to her bones. As she stated, she was forced to face her own mortality as diagnosis touched her life during a time when she ``was on top of the world.''

Kristen, like many women living with metastatic breast cancer, has faced a constant cycle of switching from different treatment methods. In her own words, Kristen said ``living with metastatic breast cancer has been a journey filled with every emotion one could imagine.'' But as a testament to her own personal strength, she has faced the illness head-on.

She has become an advocate on behalf of young woman across our nation living with breast cancer. As an active member of the Metastatic Breast Cancer Network, Young Survival Coalition, a graduate of the National Breast Cancer Coalition's Project Lead and a volunteer patient advocate for breast cancer survivors, Kristen has provided motivation and encouragement for fellow women facing this debilitating disease.

In her own right, she has emerged from this battle as a stronger woman, devoted to giving back to her community and the young women of our nation. I am proud to co-sponsor this resolution with my good friend Representative Rosa DeLauro, on behalf of Kristen Martinez and over 155,000 women and men who are presently living with metastatic breast cancer.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1793, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009. This program is a last resort in providing life-saving care to the more than 500,000 Americans currently living with HIV/AIDS. Named after Ryan White, who courageously fought this illness and helped bring to the forefront a national dialogue about HIV/AIDS, this program helps the most vulnerable receive the treatment and support they need to maintain a high quality of life. While we race to find a cure, the Ryan White Act provides access to doctors, drugs, counseling and the care many people living with HIV/AIDS would otherwise not receive.

In my home State of Connecticut, there are over 10,000 reported cases of people living with HIV/AIDS. A disproportionate amount of these cases occur in low-income areas of the State where people are less likely to have the ability to access HIV/AIDS treatment. In Hartford alone, the largest city in my district, there are over 2,000 reported cases. For many of my constituents, the Ryan White Act is vitally important.

Because of the Ryan White Act, the most vulnerable of those living with HIV/AIDS have access to important services like housing, food, substance abuse treatment, and medical care that are shown to help people make safe choices and live constructive lives. Of those that are served by the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, 33 percent do not have health insurance and 56 percent are underinsured. In a country with as much wealth and advances in medical technology as ours, it would be unconsionable to allow the most vulnerable to go without essential care. This legislation is a clear example of action we can take that will truly make a positive difference. I am proud to support the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009, which will bring hope to so many lives.