Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the one year passing of Lahori Ram. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the outstanding achievements of Lahori during his lifetime.

Lahori Ram served with a strong vision and dedication to the local community and California. From the day he emigrated from India to this great nation in 1972, Lahori embraced the notion that in America, hard work and sacrifice has limitless possibilities. He lived his American Dream, and his lasting legacy of philanthropy, community leadership, and political activism will be with us for generations to come.

As a 28-year-old graduate student, Lahori Ram worked in farm fields in Fresno for 75 cents an hour to help pay for a master's degree in Foreign Affairs from Yuba College. In 1976, he started a career with the United States Postal Service, where he worked an average of 55 to 60 hours per week, including most holidays, before retiring 18 years later in 1994.

Lahori Ram's hard work allowed him to buy his first family home in San Bruno in 1979, and with uncanny investment ability he sold that home in 1984, and eventually came to own over 100 apartment units in the bay area. With his success, after retirement, Lahori dedicated himself to philanthropy and to giving back to his community.

In 1981 Lahori Ram helped establish the Sri Guru Ravidass Sabha Temple in Pittsburg, generously donated to charity, assisted many causes in India, and was a well-known figure in the Sikh and Hindu religious communities. He was appointed and served on the California Technology, Trade, and Commerce Committee; the California Transportation Commission; and the California Commission for Economic Development.

Madam Speaker, I am truly honored in joining many Californian's to pay tribute to my friend and dedicated public servant, Lahori Ram.

Madam Speaker, Representatives Anna Eshoo, Mike Honda, Barbara Lee, Zoe Lofgren, Jerry McNerney, George Miller, Jackie Speier, Mike Thompson, Lynn Woolsey and I rise today to honor the 60th anniversary of Sandia National Laboratories. We ask all of our colleagues to join us in saluting the many outstanding achievements of Sandia during its distinguished history.

Rooted in pre-World War II history, Sandia was first established in New Mexico prior to the United States' engagement in the War, as part of the Los Alamos Laboratory. In 1949, Sandia Laboratory became an independent entity and in 1956, Sandia California was established in Livermore as a center for research and development. In the last 60 years, the lab has grown in importance and has invented and engineered innovations that have supported our national security. Today, Americans depend on Sandia's technology solutions to solve national and global threats to peace and freedom.

In 2001, federal authorities used a decontamination foam developed at Sandia to help rid Capitol Hill buildings of anthrax. The foam neutralizes chemical and biological agents in minutes, and is nontoxic and environmentally friendly.

The familiar walkthrough portals at many airport security checkpoints use Sandia-patented technology to screen airline passengers for explosives. Even trace amounts of explosives on an individual's skin or clothing can be collected and identified using the technology.

Sandia's Red Storm supercomputer can compute many tens of trillions' worth of calculations in a month, making it a popular tool for U.S. government agencies, universities, and customers worldwide. Red Storm has modeled the amount of explosive powder it would take to destroy an asteroid, how fire affects critical components in devices, and how changes in the composition of Earth's atmosphere affect climate.

A Sandia chemical monitoring system called SNIFFER has been keeping watch for the past several years over a number of large indoor and outdoor events: the Super Bowl, Rose Bowl, Oakland A's baseball games, and the 2008 Democratic National Convention. SNIFFER is able to detect and provide early warning of airborne chemical agents that might be used in a terrorist attack.

Since 1981, researchers at Sandia's Combustion Research Facility have developed ways to detect and measure chemical species in flames, reduce air pollution from engines and coal-powered utility plants, and characterize combustion taking place inside automobile and truck engines. They have revolutionized the current understanding of combustion and continue to work with industry to develop more efficient, cleaner-burning combustion processes and devices.

These are just a handful of examples of the innovation and ``flashes of genius'' that occur at Sandia on a regular basis. On behalf of my colleagues, I thank the employees at Sandia National Laboratories for their dedication and work and wish them many more years of continued success and innovation in an environment that will remain friendly to science, scientists and their supporters.

Madam Speaker, I just heard a fine exposition on promises. There is one promise that overrides all of the others, and that's the promise that I think each one of us made to our constituents to do everything that we possibly could to see that they were well cared for and that this government was acting on their behalf. If we are simply looking at a rule and whether it's going to be applied and that becomes the most important promise of all, then we are forgetting about the well-being of Americans, of whom there are 35 million unemployed, of whom there are, in my district, tens of thousands, more than one out of eight either unemployed or underemployed. My promise to those people is that I will do everything I possibly can to see that they have a job.

This rule allows us to get to that. It allows us to get to the point of providing a jobs program that's going to provide at least $35 billion for highways and transit, that's going to provide some 500,000 young men and women the opportunity to have summer jobs, to expand AmeriCorps so that people can provide services and employment.

It's also going to take care of those who are unemployed, who, for no reason of their own, have found themselves out of a job. It's time for us to stand for them, and it's, frankly, time for us to move away from the notion of just providing those unemployment benefits to providing a job.

Far better that there be taxpayers than tax receivers. That's what this is about. It gives us an opportunity to do that, and we will do everything we possibly can on our side of the aisle to make the fundamental promise of making sure that the Federal Government is doing everything it possibly can to provide jobs and opportunities for businesses, for employment, and for taxpayers to actually have a job so they can pay taxes.

Madam Chair, I rise today in strong support of this bill.

Listening to this debate, it amazes me how short the memories are of some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Our financial sector collapsed and millions of Americans lost their jobs and their savings because Wall Street knew it could get away with just about anything under the previous administration.

Today, with this vote, I'm proud to say no more. No more to abusive lending practices, no more to loopholes that allow billions of dollars between large firms to go unregulated, no more to a system that prioritizes short term profit in one sector over the long term health of an entire economy.

Under this legislation, consumers will finally have a Federal regulator with teeth ready to battle predatory financial firms. We will stop financial conglomerates from becoming `too big to fail' and provide legal and financial assistance to homeowners and renters trying to save their homes. For the first time in U.S. history, we will regulate the over-the-counter derivatives marketplace, where millions of contracts between large banks have gone unregulated for years. We are also requiring most private equity and hedge fund advisors to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission and expanding the SEC's staff and antifraud capabilities. We also require full disclosure of financial firms' compensation structures and give shareholders the opportunity to give an advisory vote on executive compensation practices. With millions of Americans unemployed, including tens of thousands in my district, we can't afford further delay on this important package.

For 8 years as California's Insurance Commissioner, I regulated the largest financial industry in America: the insurance companies. The insurance companies had one commandment: thou shalt pay as little as possible as late as possible. Many in finance have their own commandment: thou shalt build up thy house of cards as fast as possible as profitably as possible without consideration of the long term consequences. The games have to stop; it's time we created an economy that focuses on the needs of Main Street, not just Wall Street.

Madam Speaker, Representatives George Miller, Representative Jerry McNearney and I rise today in honor of Robert McCleary, who has served as the Executive Director for the Contra Costa Transportation Authority for the last 20 years. As his colleagues, friends and family gather together to celebrate the next chapter of his life, we ask all of our colleagues to join us in saluting this outstanding public servant.

Bob McCleary's visionary efforts and hard work have benefited this generation and will benefit many more generations in the years to come. Transportation projects such as the BART extension to Pittsburg/ BayPoint, the widening of Routes 4, 242 and 680, the Richmond Parkway, the intermodal stations at Richmond and Martinez, along with numerous other local transportation improvements have all been constructed under Bob McCleary's stay at the Contra Costa Transportation Authority and serve as a true testament to his judicious hard work and dedication.

Bob McCleary was faced with the daunting task of implementing Contra Costa's first transportation sales tax--Measure C--passed by the voters in 1988. Bob McCleary has

worked diligently to ensure that the transportation sales tax program has been executed in an efficient, effective and equitable manner, consistent with the voters' intent. He recently played an integral role in establishing the necessary consensus building efforts leading to the successful passage in 2004, of Measure J--the successor transportation sales tax to Measure C. His legacy will live on in this Measure and in a series of transportation projects that are instrumental and essential to the communities they serve.

Prior to serving as the executive director for the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, Bob McCleary was also involved in other regional programs such as the Santa Clara County Traffic Authority where he served as the Deputy Director for Project Management. During Bob's stay at the Santa Clara County Traffic Authority he helped establish the new authority and manage the day to day project implementation of a $1 billion dollar local sales tax program. This program would fund three State highways, the first of its kind in California and relied heavily on a partnership with Caltrans, local government, and the private sector for success. Bob McCleary made sure it became a success.

Madam Speaker, we are truly honored to pay tribute to our friend and dedicated public servant. We ask all of our colleagues to join with us in thanking Robert McCleary for his long and dedicated service to the citizens of California and wishing him continued success and happiness in all of his future endeavors along with a happy retirement.

Madam Speaker, Representative George Miller, Representative Mike Thompson, and I rise today in honor of Ann Cousineau, director of Solano County Library for the last 15 years. As her colleagues, friends and family gather together to celebrate the next chapter of her life, we ask all of our colleagues to join us in saluting this outstanding public servant and supporter of free and public libraries.

Transforming a library system that was teetering on the brink of a financial abyss into one of the premier libraries in the state, Ann did this not by ``shushing'' exuberant voices and library users, but by embracing the need to bring libraries into the 21st Century. Her legacy is a system of eight libraries that are central to lifelong learning in the communities that they serve, and in changing lives every day.

Ann Cousineau's hard work and vision benefit our next generation as well as generations to come. Three new libraries were built during her tenure. These new library buildings, along with renovations of the five existing buildings, are part of a 20-year facilities master plan to build and renovate libraries in the cities served by Solano County Library.

In 1999, Ann Cousineau served as co-chair of the statewide initiative for the successful passage of Proposition 14, a $350 million statewide library construction bond act. The Fairfield Cordelia Library, which opened in 2006, is one of 45 libraries throughout California that were built with the help of these funds. The next year the California Library Association named her Member of the Year for her achievements in promoting state legislation benefitting libraries.

During her time as director, the Library has developed a telephone assistance center and an award-winning Web site with 24/7 reference services. Streamlined operations, self service functions and a staff trained to handle everything from story-time to computer class are just a few examples of a ``new way of doing business'' pioneered by Solano County Library and adopted by other libraries throughout California.

Madam Speaker, we are truly honored to pay tribute to our friend and dedicated public servant. We ask all of our colleagues to join with us in wishing Ann continued success and happiness in all of her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, 3 days ago I had the great honor of joining this august body, which for more than a century has debated health care.

Two hours ago a dear friend Chic Dambach and his adult son came to my office. At the age of 2, Kai's kidneys failed. Chic and his family had health insurance. Their insurance company refused to cover transplants. Chic and his wife, Kay, were faced with a choice: enormous personal debt or their son's life. They chose life.

A decade of battles with their insurance company together with crushing debt, Kai, when he becomes 23, will be uninsurable. He has a preexisting condition.

H.R. 3962 is America's opportunity to end this despicable situation. The bill has strong comprehensive insurance reform and creates the penultimate enforcement mechanism: the public option. Americans should not be at risk any longer. The bill deserves our support.

Mr. Speaker, three days ago I had the great honor of joining this august body that for 220 years has debated the momentous issues of the day, wars, industrial and labor policy, civil rights, environmental protection, and social security, and for more than a century--health care policy.

Today we are faced with a choice. Do we vote no health insurance reform and continue the current situation that has placed in jeopardy every person in America who is not yet 65 years of age? Or do we vote today to provide every American with a comprehensive, affordable, and available health care policy?

One example of why we must vote yes on H.R. 3962 and end the health care crisis that millions of Americans face each year is Chic Dambach and his son Kai.

Some of you may know Chic as the former President of the Returned Peace Corps Association. Chic and his family had a comprehensive family health insurance policy. At the age of two, Kai's kidneys failed.

Their insurance company refused coverage for kidney transplants. Chic and his wife Kay were faced with a choice, more than a hundred thousand dollars of personal debt or their son's life. They chose life.

Today, Kai is a freshman at the University of Maryland. More than a decade of battles with their insurance company has ensued together with a crushing burden of debt. When Kai becomes 23 he will be uninsurable. Like millions of other American's he has a preexisting condition.

H.R. 3962 is America's opportunity to end this despicable situation. The bill has strong comprehensive insurance reform and creates the penultimate enforcement mechanism--The public option--that in its fullness would allow all of us to walk away from the clutches of the profit before people private insurance companies whose first operating commandment is ``Pay as little as late as possible.''

This must end. Americans should not be at risk any longer. H.R. 3962 is the solution. It deserves our support.

Madam Speaker, it is a great privilege, indeed, I suspect the greatest privilege, a person could have to stand in the well of the House of Representatives of the United States of America and address this august body. It is a privilege that I shall always remember, and I will always remember this particular moment.

Allow me a moment, if I might, of personal privilege to introduce my wife of almost 44 years, Patti. She is delighted to return, at least in part, to her old stomping grounds here in Washington as the associate director of the Peace Corps and then as the deputy director of the Foreign Agricultural Service in the Department of Agriculture.

We have with us our six children. They're there in the gallery, and I think all of you may have seen six of our nine grandchildren. There are a couple who are testing the H1N1 vaccine back home in California.

Madam Speaker, if I might just tell you what a great privilege it is for me to be here. I look forward to working with all of you on the floor who are here and who are not here today. We have many, many issues that I will look forward to addressing.

I want to congratulate my opponent in the primary, David Harmer, who ran a very solid and, fortunately for me, unsuccessful race but, nonetheless, a very solid race; and he is a very good person.

I want to thank the voters in my district and all of the constituents for their support, giving me this opportunity to extend what has been the most important thing that, I think, any of us could ever do, and that is to spend our life in public policy, addressing the issues that confront our fellow citizens and the world beyond.

Thank you so very much for the privilege and honor.

Madam Speaker, thank you.