Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, the theme of Black History Month 2013 is ``At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington.'' In the 100 years between their emancipation and the success of the civil rights movement, African-Americans were subjected to the abuse of slavery and the exclusion from benefits attributed to American prosperity. In spite of the civil and political barriers facing them, African-Americans worked diligently to achieve full equality with other Americans.

Therefore it is with great respect and sincere admiration that I rise to honor an outstanding public servant who has served the Bronx community for over 25 years. Judge Donald A. Miles, a child of North and South Carolina parents, and the eldest of two children, is presently a Judge of the Civil Court of the City of New York in Bronx County.

Before beginning his life in the courtroom, the New York City Public Schools-educated Miles received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, with a minor in Sociology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and earned a Master of Science Degree in Social Work from Columbia University. His background in social sciences led him to Lincoln Hospital where he worked as a Certified Psychiatric Social Worker.

I imagine it was this experience at Lincoln Hospital, serving and supporting many of the underserved and under-resourced in the South Bronx that led Judge Miles to pursue his Juris Doctorate, from the Antioch School of Law in Washington, DC. Though there is much to extol in Judge Miles' rise from a private practice attorney to Principal Law Clerk at the Bronx Supreme Court and on to his current position as Judge of the Civil Court of the City of New York in Bronx County, today it is important to focus on Judge Miles' commitment to improving the position of the African-American community.

He is currently a member of the Bronx County Bar Association, Black United Leadership in the Bronx, Scholarship Committee of the Black Bar of Association of Bronx County, and when he finds the time he volunteers as a judge for the Thurgood Marshall Mock trial competition. I also take personal pride in having Judge Miles serve as a member of my military academy recommendation committee. His participation in these committees and groups helps empower African-Americans in Bronx County.

Mr. Speaker, the Bronx is proud to be the home of many African- American leaders. Individuals like Judge Donald A. Miles continue to open doors and set high standards for generations of African-Americans. During Black History Month, we pay tribute to and thank him for his work on behalf of the people of the Bronx, and I ask you and my colleagues to join me.

I rise in support of both the Rogers amendment and the Frelinghuysen amendment, which will finally provide New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, and elsewhere with the funding needed to respond to Hurricane Sandy. While I'm glad that we're considering this bill today, it is a travesty that it has taken this long for the House of Representatives to allow a vote on disaster-response funding.

The money in this bill and the Frelinghuysen amendment is the minimum that New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere need for their recovery process. I'm very concerned that there are several amendments that will be considered today that seek to cut further funding from the bill.

At least one amendment seeks to offset the cost of this bill. Our Nation has never before attempted to offset the cost of disaster assistance. The Appropriations Committee and the House have always come together to help Americans in times of need without regard to costs. To offset costs here would effectively kill this bill in the Senate and further delay assistance that is desperately needed to New York City and elsewhere. The two-step process is the proper way to go.

I just may add in closing that we in New York have always seen images of disasters in other areas, but we never imagine anything like this happening in our area. We understand what other folks have gone through, and I hope you understand the need we have to recover. The pain, the suffering, and the despair that people in our community feel is beyond anything we can imagine or we can imagine in New York. And so this aid will, at the minimum, immediately send a message that we care and we want something to happen positive and, in fact, people will be begin to recover.

So I thank Mr. Rogers and Mrs. Lowey for bringing the bill to the floor, and I will ask folks to vote for both amendments and for the bill in general.

I thank the gentleman for the time, and I thank you for your work on this, your leadership on this. You've worked very hard to make this a bipartisan amendment. That's why I stand in support of it. The folks in New York need a lot of help. Your amendment speaks to the small business community. It speaks to GSA's need to do repairs on buildings that service those communities, otherwise costly leases would have to take place in order to provide working places for Federal employees. So the details of your amendment, sir, speak to many of the needs that we have in the community right now, and that's why I rise in support of it, in support of your efforts to make this a bipartisan effort; and I thank you for your support of so many people in need not only in your State, but in Connecticut and in my State of New York.

Let me first say that your comments once again, sir, are just right on target.

This is one of those amendments that simply strikes out at a government agency not realizing the harm it causes the people. The impact is particularly severe for low-income families, individuals who are unable to afford the kind of legal assistance they might need to help them recover.

Since Sandy, legal aid programs have been on the front lines of disaster assistance, and they will be providing legal assistance for Sandy victims for years to come. They've been dealing with FEMA assistance, with SNAP benefits, with unemployment benefits, along with legal issues related to evictions and housing problems; but the need for legal assistance will not end there.

In future months and perhaps even years, cases involving FEMA appeals, bankruptcy, fair housing, and public housing issues will arise. Contractor fraud scams will proliferate as Sandy victims start receiving cash payments from insurance proceeds and housing repair grants. Legal aid programs will be called on to provide help, and more than ever now we need this kind of assistance. What's interesting about this amendment is that it's not an amendment really directed at the funding as much as it is at the whole Legal Services Corporation. It is an attempt to attack an agency that stands up for those who can't defend themselves.

Interestingly enough, this was Richard Nixon's proudest program. He believed, at that time, as many have after him, that the poor needed a way to defend themselves in our courts. To go after this funding is not to go after a million dollars. Let's be honest. It's to go after the corporation. It is ill-timed, it is wrong, it is unfair; and we should reject it by a majority, if not by a unanimous vote.

Mr. Speaker, as the only New York City member of the Appropriations Committee, what I saw last night is something that I hadn't seen before. Whenever a disaster hit any part of this country, we always got together and found the funds to deal with the issue. We didn't worry about what section of the country it was for or what kind of disaster, we came together and we did it.

In addition, there was something that happened last night that doesn't bode well for this House, and that is that if there's one thing we still have in this House, in spite of all our problems, is that when we give our word, we keep it.

We were given their word that that bill would come up last night or no later than today. To walk away from the people of New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, to walk away from all of these people who are suffering right now is really shameful.

But there is still time. That bill can come before us today and we can pass it today. And that's the call. Don't turn your back on the victims of Sandy. Come together as a country, as a Congress, and take care of this now.

I thank the gentleman.

Let's understand what is happening here today. This bill doesn't increase available visas. It merely transfers them from one program to another. But it eliminates a Diversity Visa program that allows people from all over the world to come here.

Sometimes I wish I could be not only a member of this party, but an adviser to that party, to tell them that they miss opportunities. Here they have the first immigration statement that they can make after the people spoke November 6. What do they do? They destroy a great program--because they just can't help themselves.

What we need is not a piecemeal approach. What we need is not to say that we will only take certain people with college degrees and with ``doctor'' in front of their names and the rest we will reduce those visas. No. What we need is to say that we have an immigration issue in this country. We have 11 million people who are in this country, who want to stay in this country, and who do a lot for this country. Rather than be dealing with this approach today, we should seriously be speaking about comprehensive immigration reform.

To say to those 11 million people, we understand who you are, and we're going to help you to speak English; we understand who you are, and we're going to make sure you pay your taxes; we're going to make sure that you're applying to be a part of this country and you haven't broken the law. But if you came here to work and if you came here with children and if you came here with your parents a long time ago, we want you to stay. That was clear.

If there was any analysis that came from November 6, it is that the American people want comprehensive immigration reform. That is what we need to do, not a piecemeal approach that pits one group of people against the other. If this is an indication of what's coming as people evolve on the issue, as we're hearing on the talk shows, that they're evolving on the issue of immigration, if this is evolving, we're in deep trouble again.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to commemorate the life and work of Raquel Creitoff, who passed away on September 6 at the age of 90.

Raquel Creitoff was born in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, on December 7, 1921, but left her native island in the mid-1940s to live in Manhattan. Raquel soon began working as a member of the staff of the old Migration Division of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico office in New York City. The office's goal, and Raquel's work, was to help Puerto Ricans moving from the island to New York City, adjust to their new home. From housing to jobs to health services, the Migration Division helped Puerto Ricans establish new lives in unfamiliar surroundings. For close to half a century, Raquel worked in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico's offices in New York City, and was a dedicated public servant who helped countless Puerto Ricans who had made the trip from the island to New York City in search of economic opportunity.

Raquel was a well-recognized leader of the Puerto Rican community in New York. She was active in numerous organizations, including the Puerto Rican Family Institute and the New York Chapter of the National Conference of Puerto Rican Women. Additionally, she served on the Board of Universidad Boricua, previously known as Boricua College.

Over the years, Raquel helped countless individuals in the Bronx and in New York City. She will be missed.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to recognize Luis Martinez for his outstanding commitment and dedication to the Latino community in New York City and in Puerto Rico.

Luis Martinez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Luis arrived in New York in 1954 and shortly thereafter enlisted in the United States Air Force, where he served our country honorably for 24 years. While Luis was in the service, as a non-commissioned officer, he played and participated in baseball tournaments throughout Puerto Rico, including in San Juan, Aguadilla, Bayamon, and Mayaguez. Luis also participated in All-Squad athletic competitions in Japan, Guam, California, North Carolina, and New Jersey.

Today, Luis is an active member of a variety of groups. He focuses many of his efforts increasing sports participation in the Latino community. Luis is Vice President for Community Affairs for the Hispanic-American Sports Coalition, which was founded in 1992. The Hispanic-American Sports Coalition is an umbrella group for all sports activities within the Latino community. The group organizes tournaments for youth athletes in baseball, basketball, and soccer, in addition to conducting training for players, coaches, and league officials. One of the most notable, popular, and exciting events that the Hispanic- American Sports Coalition hosts is the Latino Little League World Series for 10-12 year olds, held in Red Hook, Brooklyn over a period of three days every Labor Day Weekend. This tournament has drawn the enthusiastic support of New York City Mayors, New York State Governors, and other public figures and distinguished personalities.

Luis is also a committee member of Latino Sports, Inc., as well as the Latino Sports Writers and Broadcasters Association. The latter group is responsible for annually selecting the most valuable Hispanic baseball players in the National and American Leagues. Luis is also the founder of the The Greater New York Cosmopolitan Amateur Baseball Association, Inc.

However, Luis is also an accomplished photojournalist for the weekly newspaper La Voz Hispana, the magazines Discomundo and Espectaculos, as well as the newspaper Impacto. Through his photography he has documented the day to day life of Puerto Ricans and Latinos in New York City, providing an unparalleled photographic history of one of the most vibrant communities in New York. Luis has also contributed to his community as president for 15 years of the Lower East Side Hispanic Committee, Inc. In recognition of all his work he was awarded the Ramon Emerito Betances Award from the National Puerto Rican Parade.

Mr. Speaker, Luis Martinez has made an outstanding contribution to his community. His extraordinary dedication and devotion in bringing athletic opportunities to youngsters is remarkable. His multifaceted background as a photojournalist, community leader, and sports enthusiast has enriched the lives of thousands of New Yorkers. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my

colleagues join me in recognizing a gifted individual, Luis ``White Shoes'' Martinez.

First of all, I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for bringing this bill to the floor.

In 2001, I sponsored the original resolution which created the ``Hispanic Americans in Congress'' book. And to some folks watching this debate, that may not be the most important bill we will debate in the next couple of days--or it may be, for that matter--but on the other hand, when you really think of the historic nature of this resolution and what happened in 2001, where this book became a very big item in libraries and communities throughout the Nation--in fact, Members of Congress received a lot of mail and phone calls at that time asking for copies, and of course it was a very limited amount.

Now, this resolution would allow for a growth in that number, but most importantly, dealing with the world we deal in today, this resolution allows for a digital copy to be made available. Now, I don't know the specific language of the bill, but I would imagine that any American then can take that digital copy and make their own copy, and so libraries and schools and individuals will be able to make that number grow. And it's important to know why that is an important thing to do.

``Women in Congress,'' ``African Americans in Congress,'' ``Hispanics in Congress'' was simply a way for people to say we have a lot of information about these particular communities in terms of what they've done in sports, in show business, in business, but there's little information--very little--as to what has happened in Congress since the beginning of time of our Republic. So this book, when it first came out, was really something that incurred a lot of research and brought about a lot of discussion because people just did not know how long back there had been Hispanic Americans in Congress.

Finally, with the growth of the Latino leadership community, with the fact that when this book first came out, to be honest, it was really a book about this side of the aisle, now the next book will be about a wide side of the aisle, both sides, because it has grown dramatically, and we suspect after the next election the number will even grow more dramatically.

So I thank you both for bringing this resolution up. I hope all Members vote for it unanimously and we can get the book printed as soon as possible.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 531 I inadvertently voted ``aye'' when I intended to vote ``no'' on the Fitzpatrick Amendment to H.R. 4078. I would like the record to reflect this error, and to reiterate my opposition to efforts to undermine the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Sarbanes-Oxley has been an important bill that improves corporate transparency and helps to ensure confidence in our financial markets, and I continue to support this vital legislation.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to the Inter American University of Puerto Rico, which is celebrating 100 years since its establishment on the island of Puerto Rico.

The Inter American University of Puerto Rico was founded in 1912 as the Polytechnic Institute of Puerto Pico, by Reverend John Will Harris. At the time they offered elementary and secondary education in the town of San German. In 1944, the university was accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, making it the first liberal arts college to be so accredited in Puerto Rico.

Over the last century, the Inter American University of Puerto Rico has greatly expanded, educating thousands of students pursuing their studies in the humanities, social sciences, and hard sciences. Under the leadership of University President Dr. Manuel J. Fernos, today the Inter American University of Puerto Rico has more than 50,000 registered students at eleven sites, including schools specializing in optometry and law. As the only optometry school in Latin America, it is the main provider of bilingual optometrists in the world.

The university also stands out for its extensive offering of online courses, making it a leader in distance learning. The Inter American University of Puerto Rico prides itself on their international partnerships with other prestigious universities located in Spain, England, Italy, Mexico, China, and the Dominican Republic. The university also maintains a large number of partnership programs with schools located in the 50 States. These partnerships and programs expand the knowledge and experiences of the university's students, and have made the Inter American University of Puerto Rico a recognized cultural bridge between North America and Latin America.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the 100th anniversary of this historic institution of higher education, which has made a lasting impact on students in Puerto Rico and throughout the rest of both the United States and Latin America.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to recognize the fifty-fifth National Puerto Rican Day Parade, which will be held on June 10, 2012, in New York City. As one of our nation's largest parades, this event recognizes the proud and rich heritage of the Puerto Rican community here in the United States.

The first Puerto Rican Day Parade was held on Sunday, April 13th, 1958, in ``El Barrio'' in Manhattan. It struck an unprecedented chord in the community, galvanizing thousands of Puerto Ricans in a powerful demonstration of their rise as an important ethnic group. Over the next four decades, the New York Puerto Rican Day Parade became an essential and fundamental cultural event in New York City. The parade began as a show of strength for the Puerto Rican community in New York, but eventually grew into a broader celebration of Puerto Rican achievements in New York City and elsewhere. The parade has been so successful that in 1995, its organizers increased its size and transformed it into the national and international cultural affair that it is today.

This Sunday, June 10th, delegates representing more than half of the states in the United States will join the approximately 3 million parade goers who transform New York's Fifth Avenue into a sea of Puerto Rican and United States flags. It's a unique event which celebrates the rich cultural and political relationship that exists between the City of New York and Puerto Rico. Puerto Ricans positioned New York as a vital and dynamic international, multilingual city that continues to welcome individuals from all over the world.

Mr. Speaker, the National Puerto Rican Day Parade is a unique event which represents the richness and diversity that exists in the Puerto Rican community, both in New York, nationally, and internationally. As a Puerto Rican and a New Yorker, I am proud to participate in this year's parade, as I have for many years.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to marching in the fifty-fifth annual National Puerto Rican Day Parade, and I am confident that the parade will continue to be an important cultural celebration in New York for many years to come.

I thank the gentleman for the time.

First of all, I'd like to congratulate Chairman Wolf and Ranking Member Fattah for their work, but especially for their continued desire to work together, to work in a bipartisan fashion to bring about this bill that's on the floor today.

Now, for those of us on our side, we know that there are folks on the other side that speak only about budget cuts, but when it comes to Chairman Wolf, there is a desire to balance the desire of having those budget cuts along with making sure that these bills in fact accomplish servicing the American people.

So I stand ready with the ranking member to be supportive of this bill,

with the understanding that there are two things that have to happen that are very serious to that final vote. One of them is a continued commitment that as this process goes along we will work to make the bill better than it is now, and that we will work to remedy those situations that exist within the bill now that need to be taken care of.

Secondly, that in the large and, perhaps, vast amendment process that we will have--which is a good sign of being able to have this kind of an open rule--the bill doesn't get brought back to a situation where some of us cannot be supportive of it. I single out, for instance, just two agencies that need betterment, and not necessarily to be destroyed. That's the Census Bureau and the Legal Services Corporation. Both of those agencies serve a vital purpose in our society. They come under heavy attack on so many occasions. I think it's important to know that many of us will be looking to make sure that we don't step back even further than the bill speaks to now on these two agencies, and as I said before, that we work jointly to make the bill even better than it is today, but understanding fully the work that Chairman Wolf and Ranking Member Fattah have done during this period of time is important to me and important to many members of this committee, and of the whole House.

I move to strike the last word.

I don't think the issue here should be looked at as whether or not the EDA needs more help. It's why, again, we are bashing the Census Bureau. I really think that it's surprising that we would do it on this side, since we will note for the next many hours that there's plenty of folks on that side that will want to do that.

When I first got on this subcommittee years ago and I had the privilege of being ranking member to Chairman Rogers and then ranking member to Chairman Wolf, I could never figure out what the attack was on the Census Bureau. Then it dawned on me--and I may be totally wrong--that some folks would just like the Census Bureau to do just enough, meaning if you count yourself, that's fine; but if you have to go out and do extra dollars to count folks who ordinarily may not count themselves, then that's not good for some folks and the results may be something they don't want to see. That's the only explanation I could come up with for the fact that--as we will see in the next hours--there will be many desires to cut the Census Bureau and, in some cases, get rid of the whole department.

What we need to know and remind ourselves is that there's probably very few vital functions of agencies like the Census Bureau that are more important than this one. Plans, policies, redistricting, other decisions in this country are based on that count that takes place every 10 years. Unlike other things we do in this Congress and in this country, this is a constitutional mandate, to count the people amongst the States, and every 10 years the Census Bureau gears up for it.

We have found in the past that when we make cuts to the Census Bureau, it ended costing us more money later when we tried to get back some of that money. And then States that may be supportive now of cuts later run to us and say, No, we need a better count; we need a fairer count; we need a count that will make my State show the true growth in population.

So I suspect at the end of today when this vote is taken, there will be a mass vote, as has been in the past, for this amendment. But I really think it is totally foolish to continuously bash the Census Bureau and continuously desire not to have a proper count in this country. It is a vital issue and it's one that we should continue to protect. That's why I would be one of the few voting against this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to echo the comments made by the ranking member, Mr. Fattah.

I remember the days I worked very closely with Chairman Wolf, and at that time also with the Subcommittee Chairman Rogers, as their ranking member, and it was always understood that the Legal Services Corporation was a bipartisan effort. In other words, we understood the need for it. And as the chairman has said, we understood the need to protect this program.

There were always discussions as to how much money we should allocate it, but there was never a desire to get rid of it. There was even discussion tonight not only of what a waste of money this program is, but also perhaps doing away with it totally. This really strikes at something much deeper than just this particular amendment. And it is, as Mr. Fattah has

said, Where are we going when we believe that services as essential as legal services should not be made available to people who cannot afford any other access?

We keep mentioning--and maybe people think that some of us are trying to be funny--that Richard Nixon understood then the need for this program to exist, and President Nixon understood the need for it to grow to a point where it could be that access point for people.

So I just hope that both Mr. Fattah and I are correct, that this will not get the support that some people think it will get; that, in fact, this amendment will be defeated. And one of the best messages we could send tonight, as we deliberate, is that in the desire to cut the budget, that we cannot just throw away every gain we've made over this last generation. This is one of the most important programs we have, and we should maintain it.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

I move to strike the last word.

I rise to oppose the amendment and, in many ways, agree with Chairman Wolf.

When you present an across-the-board cut, it always sounds good. And, yes, I will say we've worked diligently on this bill, and it's been many months in putting it together.

But what's interesting in it is that every time you speak about an across-the-board cut, people get excited, and they say, Boy, that sounds good. But these days, those cuts don't hold the same strength that they used to hold in the past because in the past, there were times--and I was part of it, and so were many people on that side--when we felt that we had to grow some accounts.

So one could argue that a 1 percent or a 2 percent or a whatever percent cut taking place made sense. But it's interesting to note now-- and I wonder how many people who would present these amendments know that these budgets, these bills that come before you, have been cut dramatically already. Last year and this year, they've been cut dramatically. The allocations given to the subcommittees to put together these bills are not the allocations of the past. There isn't a single bill on the floor--perhaps Defense, the only exception--that is really growing the budget. On the contrary, it's a cut and a cut and a cut.

So the bigger question is, at what point does it end? At what point do we feel that we don't need a government, that we don't need a budget? Will zero be satisfactory to people who want to cut? Zero, not spend a single penny in the Federal Government? This bill, as presented by Mr. Fattah, by Chairman

Wolf, by the leaders of this subcommittee and this committee, is not a bloated bill. It is a streamlined bill. So it's easy to stand up and say, another 1 percent, another 3 percent, another 5 percent. But where does it end?

At what point do we say that we have a responsibility to fund a government, understanding what people are living through and understanding what we must do for the American people?

But we can't destroy every agency, and that's what these cuts do.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Bronx Community College, which will hold its 34th Anniversary Hall of Fame 10K 5K Run & 2 Mile Fitness Walk on Saturday, May 5, 2012.

The Hall of Fame Race was founded in 1978 by Bronx Community College's third President, Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr., who was recently given the Congressional Medal of Honor as one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. This important tradition continues under the leadership of Dr. Carole M. Berotte Joseph, the new President of Bronx Community College. The race's mission is to promote physical well-being and higher education, as well as highlight the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, a national institution on the BCC campus that is dedicated to those who have helped to make America great.

I have had the pleasure of running this race many times before, and I can attest to the excitement it generates throughout the Bronx. It is truly wonderful to see several hundred people run along the Grand Concourse, University Avenue, and West 181st Street. There is no better way to see our Bronx community and to underscore the importance of fitness.

The Annual Hall of Fame Race has three components: a 10K run, a 5K run, and a 2 Mile Fitness Walk. The 2 Mile Fitness Walk is dedicated to Professor Michael Steuerman, a committed and loyal faculty member at Bronx Community College for more than 30 years who passed away in 2006. This event also recognizes the contributions of David Hernandez, who was an avid runner and served Bronx Community College's grants officer.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the individuals and participants who are making the Bronx Community College's 34th Annual Hall of Fame 10K 5K Run & 2 Mile Fitness Walk possible.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a long-time member of my staff, Nadine Berg, who recently retired from a career of service on the Hill. Nadine started with my office as a legislative assistant in 1995 and then served as my Legislative Director from 2004 until this year. During her entire time in my office, she served as a constant source of cheerfulness during many long and difficult days. Despite her many responsibilities, she always took the time to give assistance and a kind word to other members of the staff, interns, and constituents.

Nadine's service in Congress did not start in my office, but rather when she started working for former Congressman Bill Lehman of Florida less than a month after graduating from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in 1975. She began her career on the Hill as a Legislative Correspondent in Congressman Lehman's office and worked for him until he retired from Congress at the end of 1992.

Nadine was not only a great asset to my office and the other offices she worked in, but she was also a great asset to the people of the South Bronx and Southern Florida, for whom she worked for so long. Her knowledge of Congress and dedication to working long hours until every detail was resolved ensured that every issue, no matter how large or small, was properly addressed.

In particular, her expertise in appropriations issues and the appropriations process was vitally helpful in my work on that committee. This expertise along with her passion for the environment helped to clean up the Bronx River and many other places in my district. When she began working on the Bronx River it was a neglected urban waterway, and no one believed that it could be cleaned up. However, her dedication and belief in improving

the environment led to it becoming a beautiful urban waterway, one that can be enjoyed by all its neighbors as a ribbon of green, recreational space. It has been so transformed that it is now home, in the center of the Bronx, to a beaver. Overall, her dedication to her work meant that my constituents were well represented in Congress and that federal money was well used in the Bronx.

Nadine will be greatly missed in my office and her departure will be felt in my district. However, I know that she has a loving family at home, and will be happy taking care of her grandchildren. I am sure that her commitment to public service will continue and that she will make a difference in whatever else she decides to turn her hand to next. In closing, I would like to again thank her for her service, and wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately I was absent from the House on Tuesday, February 14th, Wednesday, February 15th, and part of Thursday, February 16th due to a death in my family. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall votes 49, 52 61, 63, 64, 65, 67, and 68, and I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall votes 50, 51, 62, 66, 69.

Mr. Speaker, in honor of Black History Month 2012, I rise today to recognize a community leader from the Bronx whom I deeply respect, Ms. Karen Washington.

Karen Washington was born and raised in New York City and has resided in the Bronx for more than a quarter century. She attended Hunter College, CUNY where she graduated Magna Cum Laude, with her Bachelor's in Health Sciences. She then attended New York University where she earned her Master's Degree in Occupational Biomechanics and Ergonomics. Since 1985, Ms. Washington has worked to improve the quality of life in the Bronx as a community activist.

Ms. Washington works with residents of the Bronx to turn empty lots into accessible green spaces through her work as a community gardener and as a member of the Board of Directors of the New York Botanical Garden. Not only has her work brought much needed green space to our neighborhoods but, as President of New York City Community Gardens, she has fought for the protection and preservation of existing community gardens. As a Just Food board member and trainer, Ms. Washington also leads workshops on food growing and food justice for community gardeners throughout the city. She has also worked to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables in the Bronx that are grown in our community gardens.

Ms. Washington is the Co-Founder of Black Urban Growers, an organization of agricultural volunteers committed to building networks and support for growers in both urban and rural settings. Ms. Washington has achieved these impressive accomplishments while working professionally as a physical therapist for over 30 years.

Mr. Speaker, Ms. Washington's work in creating green space in urban areas and in advocating for food equity has touched thousands of lives throughout New York City. Our communities are stronger and more vibrant due to Ms. Washington's unwavering dedication. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in paying tribute to a woman of excellence, who aspires to make her community stronger, Ms. Karen Washington.