Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct honor to take the opportunity to recognize the expansion of the Womens' Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Residential Treatment Program at the Batavia VA Medical Center in my district today. This is the first residential PTSD treatment center for women veterans in New York State. The VA is anticipating the treatment of up to 120 women veterans at this facility, and will provide care from 6-8 weeks depending on their needs. The $5.4 million in funding for this project was provided by a women's health initiative by the Department of Veterans Affairs and will help provide vital services to female veterans throughout Western New York.

For over two decades women have served on the battlefield, leading to unprecedented trauma that requires focused treatment upon their return to civilian life. And with more women serving in the military than ever before--15 percent of all active military personnel and 20 percent of reservists--we must expand the availability of health facilities and benefits to our women veterans.

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, women veterans are four times more likely to have long lasting PTSD than men, which may lead to severe depression, substance abuse, and physical health problems. The VA is taking the proper steps to adapt to the growing number of women veterans; however, there are currently less than a dozen centers in the United States that provide PTSD services.

Without the selfless actions of all the brave men and women of the Armed Forces, past and present, our country would not live so freely. For years, our veterans have gone untreated for PTSD, causing perpetual hardships for them and their families after they have returned home from the battlefield. Today, we recognize our female veterans and make progress in providing them with the proper care they need and deserve.

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, I held a forum for small businesses and teamed them up with experts from the U.S. Government on how to discuss strategies in getting them into the global marketplace. It's also a reminder to me of the vast, untapped potential that lies before us as we address the critical needs for more jobs in this country.

With nearly 96 percent of the world's consumers living outside the U.S. and two-thirds of the world's purchasing power in foreign countries, we must help our small businesses learn how to export their products and services to other nations.

Small businesses I met on Saturday, like the Kean Wind Turbines and Maram's Dress Shop in Williamsville, are looking for a shot at this marketplace; but they need our help. After all, small businesses that export their goods and services are one-third less likely to fail than companies that do not export. Therefore, I'm urging every Member of Congress to work with their local businesses to help expose them to the amazing opportunities that await them if they are willing to leap into the global marketplace. I put our products and our businesses up against any global competitor anytime, anywhere.

Mr. Speaker, even though we are approaching the conclusion of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we still live in a dangerous world. But if we look back over the past two decades we can see that considerable progress has been made.

In 1991 the Soviet Union disintegrated, according to our late, great Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a victim of ethnic tensions among the various and diverse republics that made up the USSR. Two decades later, much change has taken place in the former Soviet Union. Independent democracies have begun to emerge where once there were just brutal dictatorships. The Cold War is now over and we no longer have the same types of demands on our defense infrastructure prevalent of that era.

There is one former Soviet Republic that I would like to single out today and congratulate on the 20th anniversary of its independence, the Republic of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has been a good friend of the United States, cooperating with us on the war on terror and the program to prevent former Soviet nuclear weapons from falling into the wrong hands. Azerbaijan has also provided important logistical support to our forces in Afghanistan and sent over 150 soldiers to assist us in our efforts in that country.

As a secular Shiite Muslim country, Azerbaijan has been a role model. Before Azerbaijan was incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1918, after the Russian Revolution, the country enjoyed a brief period of independence, and was the very first Muslim country to grant women the right to vote in 1918, two years before the United States did so with the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

Azerbaijan has also enjoyed strong relations with Israel and the over 12,000 Azeri Jews are treated as full members of that society. Unlike most Muslim countries, Azerbaijan has full diplomatic relations with Israel and has hosted Israeli President Shimon Peres on a state visit in 2009. Israel is also Azerbaijan's 5th largest trading partner, and Azerbaijan provides over one-sixth of Israel's oil supply. As a result of these strong relations, when almost 600 Israeli citizens were stranded in Georgia at the beginning of the Russian invasion of that country and the Tbilisi Airport closed, Azerbaijan sent buses to the Georgian border to help evacuate the Israelis.

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to concur with President Obama's statement on October 20, 2011 that ``This 20th anniversary of independence, and Azerbaijan's achievements during this time, demonstrate the extraordinary promise and determination of the Azeri people. The United States is committed to developing greater opportunities to work with the Government and people of Azerbaijan.''

Madam Speaker, yesterday I spoke with over 8,000 of my constituents during a telephone town hall to talk about the end of the open enrollment period for Medicare, which occurs at midnight tonight.

We also talked about the savings they are now receiving as a result of the closing of the legendary prescription drug doughnut hole. More than 2.5 million Medicare recipients across the Nation have saved $1.5 billion on their prescription drugs this year alone. In New York, we had 175,000 Medicare recipients, and they received a 50 percent discount on prescription drugs, totaling over $113 million in savings, an average of $650 per family.

Yesterday's call was a reminder, when I was talking about Bill from Williamsville and Joan from Livingston County, that we have to work hard to protect this absolutely critical program that ensures medical care for our seniors and allows them to live their later years in dignity.

As my seniors told me: Medicare is not an entitlement; it is a program we spent our entire lives paying into. And I, for one, plan to protect it.

Mr. Speaker, despite what you might hear in this body, I believe that there are some regulations that we all can support.

The National Traffic Safety Board concluded that pilot fatigue contributed to the crash of Continental Airlines Flight 3407, which crashed into a house in my district, killing 50 innocent victims nearly 3 years ago. The legislation passed by this body in response to this crash mandated new pilot fatigue guidelines to be implemented by August 1 of this year. That date came and went. Then we were told November 22. Then we were told November 30. Those days have come and gone.

The families of these victims have worked tirelessly for a resolution to make sure a tragedy like this never happens again. The millions of Americans who fly our skies every year are counting on us for regulations to ensure their safety. Let's not let them down.

Madam Speaker, last week, like millions of Americans across this country, my family and I gave thanks for our blessings, our Nation's freedom, and for the food on our table--provided by the hardworking farmers of our country and from my district. Now I ask my colleagues to join me in giving thanks for our farmers who make this great harvest possible.

America's farms are the best in the world. Our food is safer, higher in quality, and more efficiently grown than that of any other country. The labor and innovation of America's farmers puts food on the tables of not just families here at home, but for hungry people across the world.

As our farmers bring their goods to market in the 21st century economy, they expect to have a 21st century government that will help, not hinder, their business. That's why I call on the Secretary of Labor to allow farmers to submit their H-2A applications for temporary guest workers online.

New York farmers are increasingly relying on this program for the legal labor they need to plant and harvest their crops. This summer, I was absolutely shocked to learn that one of my onion farms in Genesee County had to mail almost 20 pounds of paperwork to the Federal Government in order to participate in this program. There must be a better way.

An online application program would save money for our farmers and our taxpayers, and I urge the Secretary of Labor to swiftly implement this program.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2838, ``the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2011,'' and to salute the brave men and women of the United States Coast Guard for their service to our nation.

As a member of the Homeland Security Committee and the Armed Services Committee, I recognize the critical role the Coast Guard plays in combating piracy, interdicting illegal drugs, preventing acts of terrorism, and assisting our coastal communities when they are afflicted by natural disasters. That is why I am saddened that controversial provisions were attached to this bill.

I cannot support this legislation because it would strip New York State of its right to protect itself from invasive species introduced through ballast water, putting New Yorkers and New York State waters at risk.

My home state is blessed to sit on two Great Lakes: Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. These waters are of critical importance to the Western New York economy and support recreation jobs, fishing jobs, tourism jobs, shipping jobs--jobs at our ports, harbors and canals. The people of New York are all too aware of the havoc that invasive species like Asian Carp and Zebra Mussels can wreak on the Great Lakes and the threat they pose to our economy. That is why I oppose this legislation and urge my colleagues to preserve New York's right to protect our citizens, protect our waters and protect our jobs.

Mr. Speaker, as we approach the impending Veterans Day next week, I think it's important that we pause for a moment as a country and reflect on the contributions that these veterans have done, veterans who served us since the early part of last century, all the way up to those who are waiting to come home with open arms, just a month away, this Christmas.

But importantly, we have to give them jobs when they come home. And Mr. Speaker that's why I support the sections of the President's jobs bill that will create small business incentives to hire our veterans, and an even greater incentive to hire our wounded veterans. This is so important because the last thing I want to see in this country is to give thanks to these people on one day and then to find them under a bridge because they're homeless and couldn't get a job.

These people deserve better than that, Mr. Speaker, and I call on my Members of Congress, in a bipartisan way, to support incentives to give our veterans what they need when they come home--a warm welcome and the dignity of a job.

On a cold, snowy night in February 2009, the lives of hundreds of people in my district were shattered. The cruel irony of 50 loved ones killed in a plane crash the Friday before Valentine's Day weekend is lost on no one in my district, near Buffalo, which is exactly where the Colgan Flight 3407 plane crash occurred.

The families began a quest for answers--hearings on Capitol Hill and NTSB investigations. Finally, we thought we had the answers. Yet it wasn't until a lawsuit was filed in Federal court in Buffalo and through the perseverance of a Buffalo news reporter that they finally announced that the company never gave critical emails regarding the inability of this pilot to fly this plane. Those emails were never revealed until now.

That's why I teamed up with our local delegation--Congresswoman Slaughter, Congressmen Higgins and Reed, and Senators Schumer and Gillibrand--to call for a Federal investigation by the United States Attorney General into what this company knew and when they knew it. Whether they possessed critical emails at the right time, whether they gave them to us, whether there were other emails that would shed light as to what happened on that night, the families deserve to know; western New Yorkers need to know; and America needs to know.

Mr. Speaker, I submit the following Proclamation.

Whereas: The Twentieth Century Club of Buffalo is located in the City of Buffalo in Erie County; and

Whereas: The Twentieth Century Club of Buffalo was founded in 1894 by Miss Charlotte Mulligan and other graduates of the Buffalo Seminary to promote cultural pursuits; and

Whereas: The Twentieth Century Club of Buffalo is considered to be among the oldest clubs for women in the United States; and

Whereas: The Twentieth Century Club of Buffalo played an important role during the Pan American Exposition and serves as an important reminder of the City of Buffalo's outstanding architectural history; and

Whereas: The Twentieth Century Club of Buffalo remains a vital and forward thinking club which is consistent with the sophisticated elegance that has defined the club for over a century; and

Whereas: The Twentieth Century Club of Buffalo has been designated a National Historic Landmark as a result of the support, energy and steadfast commitment of its members; be it further

Resolved; That we pause in our deliberations to honor the Twentieth Century Club of Buffalo on their designation as a National Historic Landmark and their service to the Western New York Community.

Mr. Speaker, I welcome President Obama's announcement that our brave men and women in our Armed Forces serving in Iraq will soon be coming home in time for the holidays. This holiday season, we can expect to see 40,000 people returning to this country, particularly some who are coming back to my Niagara Falls Air Force base, where I look forward to welcoming them warmly.

But as we approach Veterans Day and embrace this group of America's newest veterans, I'm troubled that, in a time of 9.1 percent unemployment and an even higher rate of unemployment for our returning veterans, which approaches 12 percent, we have to ensure that these individuals will have jobs; otherwise, it is a national disgrace.

That is why it's critical that we pass the American Jobs Act. This would create a $5,600 ``Returning Heroes'' tax credit for employers who hire veterans, and a $9,600 tax credit for ``Wounded Warriors,'' again, for employers who hire our veterans with service-connected disabilities. In a country as grateful as ours for their service, we owe them no less. We owe them better. That is why I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the American Jobs Act.

Our Nation is facing a crisis with respect to public safety. Over 1,100 bridges in New York State alone, my State, are considered fracture-critical. Fracture-critical bridges could collapse if a single one of their key support functions fails, and there are 82 such bridges in my district alone. Every day, 21 million cars in my State cross structurally deficient bridges, creating an intolerable situation.

As the former county clerk, responsible for putting vehicles and people on the roads, this is personal to me. I feel compelled to fight for money from Washington to fix our bridges and our roads and bring them up to par.

There is a solution, Mr. Speaker, and that is the American Jobs Act, which includes money for critically necessary infrastructure to repair these bridges so our driving public can travel safely. Therefore, I urge all my colleagues to support me in supporting the American Jobs Act and in getting our country back to work while making the public safer.

Mr. Speaker,

Whereas: W. Douglas Call is a resident of Genesee County and has been married for 48 years to Donna Hunt; and

Whereas: W. Douglas Call and Donna are the proud parents of three children and 10 grandchildren; and

Whereas: W. Douglas Call served as a United States Air Force Judge Advocate from 1966 to 1973, a former seminarian, and an attorney; and

Whereas: W. Douglas Call was the Genesee County Assistant County Attorney from 1976 to 1980, Genesee County Sheriff from 1981 to 1988, Monroe County Director of Public Safety from 1988 to 1990 and Stafford Town Justice from 1999 to the present; and

Whereas: W. Douglas Call was instrumental in developing a unique program along with more than 120 community groups which required community service for non-violent offenders; and

Whereas: W. Douglas Call continued in his efforts to protect residents of Genesee County and New York State by initiating the Stop DWI and roadblock program; and

Whereas: W. Douglas Call has dedicated his life to serving the residents of Genesee County. Be it further

Resolved; That we pause in our deliberations to honor W. Douglas Call for his outstanding commitment and service to the residents of Genesee County.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize a significant event that is occurring in Western New York next week.

Our nation's rich culture, history, art, and architecture are national treasures and help remind us everyday who we are and where we came from.

This year, the National Trust for Historic Preservation is holding its 65th annual National Preservation Conference in Buffalo, NY and will feature historic and cultural sites throughout the Buffalo Niagara region.

Hundreds of Western New Yorkers have worked for the past four years to plan this conference, researching sites from Medina to Chautauqua and everywhere in between, planning events, and creating art exhibitions.

These sites include such regional attractions as the Guaranty Building, Darwin D. Martin House Complex, Roycroft Campus, and the Erie Canal locks in Lockport, among many others. I am proud to show off Western New York's historical icons to the rest of the country.

This is a wonderful opportunity to showcase our vibrant culture and history and I commend all of those who are putting in time and effort to make this happen.

I rise in support of bipartisan, job-creating legislation to crack down on the unfair manipulation of Chinese currency.

Businesses in my district, like Pyrotek and I Squared R Element, are ready to lead the resurgence of American manufacturing, but these businesses are competing on an unlevel playing field.

For far too long, China has gotten away with manipulating its currency to make Chinese exports to America cheaper and American exports to China more expensive. There is overwhelming bipartisan support to hold China accountable. Level the playing field, and I would put my team up against any team in this world--second to none. The Currency Reform for Fair Trade

Act would enhance our economic security; it would enhance our national security; and it would help create over 1 million jobs here in America.

I call on the leadership of this House to bring this legislation to a vote, and I call on all of my colleagues to support it.