Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to congratulate The Park School of Buffalo on

recently commemorating its Centennial. In 1912, a group of parents embarked on a truly remarkable journey by making a commitment to promote excellence in education with an emphasis on the personal development of their students.

Over the past 100 years, The Park School has carried out its mission of building a diverse and creative community that nurtures the joy and responsibility of active learning for all. From its founders, John Dewey and Mary Hammett Lewis, to the current administration, Park has truly left its mark on Snyder and the Western New York community.

I am confident that The Park School will continue its mission of educating our youth and strengthening our community as successfully over the next 100 years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Senate amendment to H.R. 6328, Clothe a Homeless Hero Act, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Yesterday my hometown paper, The Buffalo News, ran an editorial that says, ``Homeless vets need our help: The reward for serving our country shouldn't be a life on the streets.''

Mr. Speaker, I couldn't agree more.

We are here today to aid and honor America's veterans, especially those who've fallen on hard times, are most in need, and all too forgotten.

As the American people rush through lines at airports with their shoes, gloves, hats, scarves, and coats, it's easy to forget that so many Americans go without these basic comforts during the cold winter months. I know this personally. I just flew in from Buffalo, New York, where we have about a foot and a half of snow on the ground, and it calls to mind the sense that there are a lot of people in need, particularly our veterans. As we rush through airports, it's easy to leave behind these kinds of garments. That's what happened to me when I left a scarf at the Buffalo airport while coming to Washington.

As you've heard, TSA has reported that as many as 1,000 articles of clothing, like mine, are left behind at airport checkpoints every day. This adds up to thousands of pounds of abandoned, unclaimed clothing. At the same time, tens of thousands of veterans are homeless on any given night.

This is unconscionable, Mr. Speaker. Veteran homelessness is nothing less than a national tragedy. We must fully embrace the President's call to end veteran homelessness by 2015. We must work to end homelessness for all Americans--especially those heroes who risked their lives for our freedom. But until we end veteran homelessness, we must do everything we can to aid these American heroes.

I am sure you'll agree there is no better purpose for unclaimed warm clothing than to help America's homeless veterans. That's why I was so proud to introduce the Clothe a Homeless Hero Act, and to work with my colleagues in the Homeland Security Committee and Senator Gillibrand and Senator Toomey to improve and advance this bipartisan legislation.

This simple bill directs unclaimed clothing left at checkpoints like this to go to charitable organizations for distribution to homeless veterans and others in need.

Mr. Speaker, this is probably my last speech on the floor of Congress. I can't think of a worthier cause to champion than to make sure that our homeless veterans get the clothing they need and deserve. This measure is a simple, commonsense example of an opportunity for all of us, Democrats and Republicans alike, to work together and find common ground. Clearly we need much more of that, particularly on a day like this. I know every one of us is proud of the work our men and women in uniform do every day, and we're proud of the veterans who come home. We need to ask ourselves: are they proud of us?

Let us make this bill be a template for the bipartisanship that our veterans, indeed our country, deserves from the people they send to Washington to represent them.

I thank Chairman Bilirakis and my colleagues on the Homeland Security Committee for supporting this legislation.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection of the Committee on Homeland Security.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, again I simply want to thank on the Senate side Senator Gillibrand, Senator Toomey, and, of course, here my colleagues on the Homeland Security Committee led by Peter King and our Ranking Member Thompson, and certainly Chairman Bilirakis and my dear friend Ranking Member Jackson Lee for all their support for this commonsense legislation to assist America's homeless veterans.

With that, I urge the adoption of the Senate amendment to H.R. 6328 so this measure can be sent to the President for his signature.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise to speak about the amended version of H.R. 4212, the Drywall Safety Act of 2012 returned to this Chamber by the Senate.

The House approved its own version of H.R. 4212 this past September by a voice vote. That version was the result of bipartisan negotiations that involved the sponsors of this bill, Mr. Rigell of Virginia and Mr. Deutch of Florida, along with the leadership from both sides of the aisle of the Energy and Commerce Committee and its Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade.

I believe the House produced a good bill that met Mr. Rigell's and Mr. Deutch's goal of getting the U.S. Government to take action regarding a problematic drywall situation.

The Senate version we are considering today retains significant portions of the House language, so I intend to vote in favor of what the Senate has sent back to us. Just like the previously approved House version, this Senate version requires that all new drywall be marked with a permanent label that can be used to identify who manufactured a particular sheet of drywall and when it was manufactured.

A major problem many homeowners experienced was that they didn't know who made the drywall in their homes or when it was made. The labeling requirement should make it easier to pin down exactly who is responsible for producing any given sheet of drywall.

In addition, just like the previously approved House version, the Senate version requires all drywall used in the United States to be subject to a sulfur content limit. After extensive investigation by the CPSC, sulfur was the element found to be associated with the awful odor and metal corrosion homeowners were experiencing.

The Senate version specifies the American Society for Testing and Metals, or ASTM, international standard for gypsum board labeling as the labeling standard that must be complied with. The House version did not pick a particular voluntary standard.

Instead, CPSC would have specified the industry-generated voluntary standard to be complied with or, failing that, write its own rule on the matter. The Senate version also specifically grants responsibility for the standard on sulfur content to an ASTM committee. Both of these changes are made because one trade association believed that, under the House version, the CPSC could rely on a voluntary standard that was not developed through a process with safeguards for due process, the airing of diverse views, and consensus decisionmaking. There's not one instance that anyone can point to where the CPSC has relied on a voluntary industry standard that was not produced through a process that involved due process, the airing of diverse views, and consensus decisionmaking.

In addition to referencing the ASTM voluntary standard-setting body twice, the Senate tweaked the future rulemaking section. The House granted CPSC authority to ``reduce'' the sulfur content limit or set limits regarding the composition or characteristics of drywall that are reasonably necessary to protect public health or safety. We granted this authority in case later down the road it becomes apparent that there are other problems associated with drywall that we have not yet identified. The Senate's version replaces the word ``reduce'' with ``modify,'' so the CPSC has the authority to modify the sulfur content limit. The word ``modify'' encompasses reducing the limit, so we are willing to live with this change.

I continue to support this bill despite these changes, because the time to act has long past. As far back as late 2008, consumers have complained about homes that smelled like rotten eggs, health concerns that included irritated and itchy eyes and skin, breathing problems, asthma attacks, persistent coughs, bloody and running noses, and recurring headaches. Complaints also included reports of blackened and corroded metal components in the home. The CPSC received nearly 4,000 such complaints from residents in 43 States who believed these conditions related to the presence of Chinese drywall in their homes. Most of these complaints were concentrated in the South, where there was a construction boom in 2006 and 2007 due to hurricanes in 2004 and 2005.

To help bring some relief to these homeowners and to reduce the chance of something like this ever happening again, this legislation does a few other things in addition to the labeling and sulfur content requirements:

It asks the Secretary of Commerce to engage the Chinese Government to prod those companies that exported problematic drywall to the United States--some of which are partly owned by the Chinese Government--to meet with U.S. officials about providing some sort of remedy to homeowners affected by this defective product;

The bill also asks the Secretary of Commerce to engage the Chinese Government to try to get the government to direct these companies to submit to the jurisdiction of our courts and comply with judgments that have been entered against them;

It also calls on the CPSC to revise guidance it published on the removal of

problematic drywall from homes to specify that this drywall should not be reused or put back into the drywall production stream. Once this drywall is removed from one home, we need to make sure it does not end up in another.

Despite issues with why H.R. 4212 is back here on the House floor, the Democratic leadership of the Energy and Commerce Committee and its Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, and I along with them, support this bill and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I was detained and missed rollcall vote No. 610, H.R. 915. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye'' on rollcall vote No. 610.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6328, the Clothe a Homeless Hero Act, and yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I just flew in from the Buffalo airport, and there was a dusting of snow on the ground. I'm sure my colleague from Florida did not have a similar experience, but it bodes poorly for the veterans who are going to be spending the nights on the streets of Buffalo and other cold places. As the weather starts to change, it's something that's very hurtful to see, as an American, and to know that there are veterans who put on their uniform and went overseas to fight and protect all of us, and to know that 20,000 recently returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan will find themselves homeless tonight.

That is a national disgrace. As all of us rush through airports every week along with many thousands of Americans, it's not uncommon for scarves and hats and other articles of clothing to be inadvertently left behind at TSA checkpoints. In fact, I, myself, left a scarf behind, which prompted my thoughts of how we could handle this surplus clothing. It adds up to thousands of pounds of abandoned clothes annually. There can be no better purpose than for this unclaimed clothing to help America's homeless veterans.

Homelessness has gone on the rise among our veterans. This is absolutely an unconscionable, untenable situation. As a country, we have a moral obligation to do so much more to eradicate this untenable situation. And I know that in a bipartisan way this is one step toward that effort. Even if one of our veterans stays warm this winter because of the clothing provided through this legislation, it would have been well worth the effort.

The Clothe a Homeless Hero Act directs the TSA to make every reasonable effort to transfer unclaimed clothing to local veterans organizations or other local charitable organizations for distribution to homeless veterans and their dependents. Nothing in this bill prevents airports or the TSA from donating these items to charities of their choosing if they already have relationships in place. And most importantly, this legislation would not create a cost to the government.

When I offered this proposal in the Committee on Homeland Security, I was so grateful that it received unanimous, bipartisan support from all my colleagues. I thank the overall committee chairman, Mr. Peter King, Ranking Member Thompson, members of the Committee on Homeland Security, and Subcommittee Chairman Mr. Bilirakis for all their support.

I urge all of our colleagues to join us in advancing this simple, deficit-neutral bill to assist the heroes who once wore the uniform and have fallen on hard times and need this clothing.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, as you've heard, H.R. 6328 enjoys bipartisan support of the members of the Committee on Homeland Security and deserves the full support of the House today. I think this is an important step we take, particularly with the holiday season approaching, cold weather approaching, and it's a small step that we can take to help these veterans who were heroes at one time and now need the help of all of us as American citizens.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in recognition of the month of September being National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, I would like to express my deep support for the women and families who are affected by ovarian cancer. In 2012, over 22,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in the United States, and we will lose more than 15,000 mothers, daughters, wives, sisters, and friends to this disease.

While great strides have been made in cancer research, education, and awareness, there is still much work to be done, especially on ovarian cancer. Though many other cancers have seen significant reductions in mortality rates due to improved prevention methods, screenings, and treatments, the mortality rate for ovarian cancer has remained nearly the same for the past 40 years.

I commend the many programs and organizations dedicated to ovarian cancer research, education, and awareness, including the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Ovarian Cancer Control Initiative, the Department of Defense Ovarian Cancer Research Program, and the many advocacy, education, and awareness organizations.

I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing September as National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, remembering the women who have lost the battle with this disease, and supporting research, education, and awareness efforts so that eventually, future generations will no longer feel the effects of ovarian cancer.

Imagine if our farmers did their jobs the way Congress has been doing its job. I know what you're thinking. We'd all starve, wouldn't we? We've got a job to do, folks, and you just heard it from my colleague on the other side of the aisle.

There is no reason that our pleas for help on behalf of our farmers should go unheeded. We've been asking since early this summer to give the farmers the certainty they need to be able to do their jobs on our behalf in order to protect our food security, which is linked to our national security. It expires in a couple of weeks.

I don't want to go home and my colleagues don't want to go home--we don't want to leave this body--until we do our jobs on behalf of the farmers. If anyone thinks that a 6-month extension--kicking the can down the road--is sufficient, well, I encourage you to go visit my farmers, particularly my dairy farmers--the McCormacks, the Berwangers, the Nobles, the Zittels, the Kerners--who are the people I've met over our 5-week break who thought for sure we'd be able to pull together in a bipartisan way and do it.

There is still time, Mr. Speaker. I don't want to go home. Let's not go home until we take care of our farmers and get the job done right.

Mr. Speaker, I was detained and missed rollcall vote No. 562, H.R. 4264. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 562.

Mr. Speaker, on July 27, 2012, Olympic athletes from all over the world paraded into the stadium in London to officially launch the 2012 Olympics.

I am so proud to say that eight American Olympians hail from Western New York: volleyball player Matt Anderson, born in Buffalo; archer Jake Kaminski, from Elma; swimmer Ryan Lochte, born in Rochester; rower Meghan Musnicki, from Naples; rower Henrik Rummel, formerly of Pittsford; current number one ranked pole vaulter Jenn Suhr, from Churchville; 10-meter air pistol shooter Jason Turner, formerly of Rush; and two time U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year Abby Wambach, from Rochester. Throughout their lifetimes of training, hard work, and sacrifices, these athletes embody what it means to be an American.

They carry with them to London the pride of Western New York and the entire nation.

As we wish them and the entire team good luck, my hope is that a sense of common purpose joins all of us as Americans during the Olympics.

Madam Speaker, ``Don't forget the little people.'' That's what a gentleman said as he grabbed my hand and looked into my eyes at the Sanborn Farm Museum French toast breakfast on Saturday morning. ``Don't forget the little people.''

Who are these little people? I'll tell you right now, these are millions of moms and dads sitting at their dinner table tonight trying to cover their worried expression from their kids as they look over their family finances, wondering whether Congress is going to step up to the plate and give them the tax break they so desperately deserve.

Only in Washington will people tell you you need to address our growing out-of-control deficit by spending a trillion dollars on tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. And not just that. That puts us into further debt with the Chinese. I've got a problem with that.

It seems simple to me. If we want to cut our deficit, we cut spending, and we also ask those who benefited from tax breaks for the last decade to pay their fair share.

Like many of us, I'm with the little people and I'm with the middle people. Let's vote for a middle class tax cut today.

Madam Speaker, on February 12, 2009, Flight 3407 crashed into a house in my district, killing all

the passengers and an individual in his home. Out of that devastation, there was a spirit that actually united this Congress in enacting flight safety and pilot training rules that would have prevented the crash. The families never gave up and are eagerly awaiting the final implementation of those potentially life-saving rules.

Sounds like a happy ending, doesn't it? And yet this week, because the House Rules Committee refused to allow my amendment to protect those specific rules, we are at risk of losing all those hard-fought, bipartisan safety reforms.

With the so-called ``Regulatory Freeze Act,'' these reforms would simply die. Some who voted for them in the past now call them job killing. I call them people saving.

Listen, I know we need to end overburdensome regulations on small business and farmers--I get it. But there's a commonsense way to do it. But to freeze all government regulations--all of them--regardless of the health and safety of our citizens is over the top even for this town. This only proves that Washington is broken and we need to fix it. This country deserves a better Congress.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

On February 12, 2009, Flight 3407 crashed into a house in my district, killing all the passengers and an individual in his home. Out of that devastation arose a spirit that actually united this Congress in enacting flight safety and pilot training rules that would have prevented the crash. The families never gave up, coming to talk to Members of Congress over 50 times over 3 years, and they are eagerly awaiting the final implementation of potentially lifesaving rules. It sounds like a happy ending, doesn't it?

Yet, this week, because the House Rules Committee refused to allow my amendment to protect those specific rules, we are at risk of losing all those hard-fought, bipartisan safety reforms. With the so-called Regulatory Freeze Act, these reforms would simply die. So those who voted for them in the past are now calling them job killing? Well, I call them people saving.

Listen, I know we need to end overburdensome regulations, and I voted against many of them, the ones that hurt our farmers and small businesses. I hear about that in upstate New York. But there's a commonsense way to do it. But to freeze all government regulations, all of them, regardless of the health and safety of our citizens is over the top, even for this town.

Flight safety rules are just one example. The bill would also block benefits for disabled and homeless veterans, it would hurt seniors, and it would eliminate rules that ensured taxpayer dollars are used for goods made in America. This only proves that Washington is broken and we need to fix it.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this senseless regulation and this rule.

Mr. Speaker, exactly 2 months ago, I was in Afghanistan breaking bread with our troops, and I asked them, What is your biggest worry? What keeps you awake at night? I thought it had to be the Taliban lurking in the nearby mountains. Well, it wasn't. Their biggest fear--and I heard this over and over--was the fear of coming back to this country and not finding a job.

At this point in our country, over 30 percent is the rate of unemployment for recently returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. That is absolutely unacceptable. We've taken some steps in Congress. The tax credit for employers is a good start, and I introduced the VETS bill, which will help veterans receive professional certification for the training and skills they've already acquired abroad.

I also want to recognize that the VA and DOD are recognizing that we need to do much more to help these individuals transition into civilian society. In fact, tomorrow we are having a joint hearing with the Armed Services and Veterans' Affairs Committees to address these matters.

As I told many veterans groups, we didn't get it right after Vietnam. We have to do so much more to help them reintegrate into society and help them heal their wounds. I say instead of just giving them a thank- you, let's give our veterans a job.

Madam Speaker, 2 weeks from tomorrow Olympic athletes from all over this world will parade into the stadium in London to officially launch the 2012 Olympics.

I am so proud to say that five of them will be western New Yorkers that we represent in upstate New York. These include archer Jake Kaminski from Elma; the current number one ranked women's pole vaulter, Jenn Suhr of Churchville; volleyball player Matt Anderson, born in Buffalo; swimmer Ryan Lochte, born in Rochester; and two time U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year, Abby Wambach of Rochester.

Throughout their lifetimes of training, hard work, and sacrifices, these athletes embody what it means to be an American, and they carry with them to London the pride of western New York and the entire Nation.

As we wish them and the entire team good luck, my wish is that that sense of common purpose that joins all of us

as Americans during that Olympic period will join us on this floor of Congress as we seek to form a more perfect Union.

Madam Speaker, after a week of traveling my district from Lancaster to Warsaw in upstate New York, I heard one consistent message. Our constituents, particularly the middle class, want to know their economic situation. They want to know, they're asking this Congress: Are you going to extend the tax cuts that they've now enjoyed to the tune of $1,500 to $2,500 a year? That's an important answer we should be able to give them this week.

Instead of looking backwards and relitigating old battles, why don't we look forward and give them the confidence they need as they're making their plans?

Families all across my district are doing what I did as a mother for 15 years every summer trying to figure out how much are you going to spend on school shopping in the fall. Are you going to be able to plan that vacation with your family? What about Christmas shopping? You're thinking about it now. Maybe you can even squeeze in enough money to go to a Buffalo Bills game with your family.

Let's give them the certainty they need now. Let's work in a bipartisan way, Democrats and Republicans together. Let's enact a permanent middle class tax cut.