Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time.

As a former member of the Rules Committee, I felt compelled to come to the floor of the House now because the Republican rules package is asking us to vote on a huge deception of the American people. Over the last year, we have had a robust debate about deficits and debt in this country, and yet the first significant vote the Republicans are asking us to vote on will add to burgeoning deficits and debt.

Here is a good example: No matter how you feel about the health reform law, the nonpartisan CBO says that that health reform law will cut the deficit by $143 billion over the next few years. What the Republican rules package says is, when they bring up repeal of health reform next week, they are not going to count that money; they are going to add that again to the debt. So the first significant vote they are asking us to take on the floor is one that will set us on a course to adding $143 billion to the deficit and debt.

I urge everyone to oppose the rules package.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the DREAM Act and in support of thousands of Florida students--and families and businesses in my community--who will benefit when we pass it.

Our great Nation is built upon the fundamental principles of liberty, equality and opportunity.

These values apply to all, except for a small group of young people who have been stuck

in limbo through no fault of their own and face obstacles to education and productivity.

Here are a few examples:

A young woman from central Florida came to the United States from Costa Rica with her family when she was very young. She graduated from an arts magnet school with a 4.2 GPA. She was accepted to every school she applied to, but she couldn't attend any because tuition was too high and she didn't qualify for financial aid. The DREAM Act will help.

An Armwood High School valedictorian faced obstacles as he tried to get college financial aid and scholarships. Despite perfect grades, he had a tough time getting the financial help he needed. The DREAM Act will help.

A young woman I personally know well was born in Mexico City and grew up with only her mother after she was brought to America as a baby. Despite stellar grades in high school, she was ineligible for in-state college tuition.

``It would have given me a lot more opportunities,'' she says. ``It would have made me part of the fabric of this country that I have lived in my whole life and that I have contributed to my whole life.''

In Florida, in-state tuition costs about $5,200 per year, but out-of- state at the University of South Florida, $16,000. At the University of Florida, it exceeds $25,000. These students are barred from Florida's Bright Futures scholarship. Thousands of students are in this predicament. For them, hope is extinguished.

The DREAM Act will breathe new life into the hopes and dreams of thousands of young people who only know America as their home. We need to support and encourage higher education, instead of preventing and discouraging these teens from attending college or serving in the armed forces.

The DREAM Act would allow students who entered the U.S. before their 16th birthday, who have lived in the country for at least five years, who are in good moral standing and who have graduated from high school to be classified as permanent residents and pursue a path toward citizenship. As permanent residents, they would be able to apply for in-state tuition and federal student financial aid, enabling them to pursue the American Dream of higher education.

Young adults could also earn conditional permanent residency status if they complete 2 years in the military.

I am proud to co-sponsor this vital legislation and look forward to its swift passage so we can help put our hard-working and intelligent students on the road to citizenship.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the career and philanthropic contributions of Ms. Toni L. Watts, and to acknowledge our pride in the legacy she left with the Tampa Bay Community.

Toni began her career at Tampa Methodist United Center in February 1990. In September 1993, Ms. Watts was hired by the Founder and President of the Corporation to Develop Communities, CDC, of Tampa, Inc., Chloe Coney and Audrey Spotford, as the first full-time employee. She then attended Saint Leo University and graduated in 1995 and continued her education at the Bank of America Leadership Academy and graduated in 2001. By successfully completing these endeavors, Toni gained a thorough understanding of finance, marketing, and real estate development that she could apply to her job at the CDC of Tampa.

Toni's perseverance and successes have most recently been recognized as she retires after four years as the Chief Executive Officer of the CDC of Tampa. Prior to being named CEO, Toni served as the agency's administrative assistant, grants manager, finance director, and chief operations officer.

During Toni's 17 years in the CDC of Tampa, the corporation has provided career counseling, business planning, job training and placement, youth empowerment programs, and home ownership programs. In nearly two decades, the agency has raised more than $35 million in public and private ventures. The corporation is also responsible for building affordable housing in East Tampa and currently owns eight foreclosed homes that will be repaired and sold to low-income families. In 2009 alone, CDC of Tampa helped about 3,000 low-income families. Under her leadership, the CDC of Tampa successfully constructed the Chloe Coney Urban Enterprise Center, a new 10,000 square-foot center that will host most of CDC's operations.

The philanthropic contributions of Toni Watts have unquestionably improved the lives of many Tampa Bay residents on the path to homeownership in safe communities.

The Tampa Bay community is proud to recognize Toni Watts, her daughter Tiffani, her son Keena Watts, Sr., and the entire Watts

family for their outstanding contributions towards developing safe communities in Tampa. Toni's determination and hard work have made her an inspirational leader within our Tampa Bay community.

I rise in strong support of the Seniors Protection Act, and I thank my colleague, Mr. Pomeroy from North Dakota, for his tremendous leadership.

Mr. Speaker, my older neighbors throughout the Tampa Bay Area in Florida have shared with me that, since the recession hit in 2007, they have really struggled with property value declines, with swings in the values of their retirement savings, and with the rising cost of Medicare. So it was particularly troubling that the Social Security Administration announced that, for the second year in a row, there would be no cost-of-living increase. They just couldn't believe it. It appears that the COLA is not adequately taking account of the economic situation that our older neighbors are facing today.

So I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the Seniors Protection Act. Let's keep the fundamental promise of Social Security, which is: no matter what happens in a person's life, our older neighbors will continue to live in dignity.

I thank the gentleman for yielding and rise in support of the DREAM Act.

I rise today in support of thousands of Florida students--and families and businesses throughout my community--who will benefit under the Dream Act.

Our great nation is built fundamental principles of liberty, equality and opportunity.

These values apply to all, except for a small group of young people who have been stuck in limbo through no fault of their own and face obstacles to education and productivity.

Young woman from central Florida came to the U.S. from Costa Rica with her family when she was very young. She graduated from an arts magnet school with a 4.2 GPA. She was accepted to every school she applied to, but she couldn't attend any because tuition was too high and she didn't qualify for financial aid. The Dream Act will help.

Armwood High School valedictorian who faced obstacles as he tried to get college financial aid and scholarships. Despite perfect grades, he had a tough time getting the financial help he needed.

Young woman I know who was born in Mexico City. She grew up with only her mother after she was brought to America as a baby. Despite stellar grades in high school, she was ineligible for in-state college tuition.

``It would have given me a lot more opportunities,'' she says. ``It would have made me part of the fabric of this country that I have lived in my whole life and that I have contributed to my whole life.''

In Florida, in-state tuition costs about $5,200 per year, but out-of- state at the University of South Florida, $16,000. At the University of Florida, it exceeds $25,000. The Dream Act will breathe new life into the hopes and dreams of young people who only know America as their home. We need to support and encourage higher education, instead of preventing and discouraging these teens from attending college.

The Dream Act would allow students who entered the United States before their 16th birthday, who have lived in the country for at

least five years, who are in good moral standing and who have graduated from high school to be classified as permanent residents and pursue a path toward citizenship. As permanent residents, they would be able to apply for in-state tuition and federal student financial aid, enabling them to pursue the American Dream of higher education.

Young adults could also earn conditional permanent residency status if they complete two years in the military.

I am proud to co-sponsor this vital legislation and look forward to its swift passage so we can help put our hard-working and intelligent students on the road to citizenship.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the DREAM Act and the thousands of Florida students who will benefit when we pass the DREAM Act--not just the students, but the families and businesses all across the State of Florida and our great country.

Our country is built upon a foundation of equality, liberty, and opportunity. These values apply to all, except for a small group of young people who, through no fault of their own, have been stuck in limbo and face obstacles to education and productivity.

The DREAM Act will breathe new life into their hopes and dreams and the economies of our local communities. It will breathe hope and life into the lives of these young students, these young people who only know America as their home. They want to attain a higher education and they want to serve in the Armed Forces.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to bring your attention to the first Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) Awareness Week, September 19-25, 2010. This week-long event is coordinated by the Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association (CMTA), and its members have been working towards educating Americans about the disease.

Discovered in the late 1800s by physicians Jean-Martin Charcot, Pierre Marie and Howard Henry Tooth, CMT is a slowly progressive disease which attacks the nerves that control sensory information and muscle function of the feet, legs and arms. Although CMT is not life- threatening, it can cause severe disabilities, and patients may lose feeling in their legs and arms.

CMT is one of the most commonly inherited neurological disorders of our time. It affects nearly 2.6 million people worldwide, without regards to ethnicity or gender. One in every 2,500 Americans has CMT, and in the Tampa, St. Petersburg area alone, more than 300 people have been diagnosed.

To date, there is no cure for CMT, but groups like CMTA are working diligently with scientists from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to find a solution, and they are hopeful that a cure will be found in the coming future. The CMTA was founded in 1983 to generate the resources to find a cure, to create awareness and to improve the quality of life for those living with CMT. CMTA believes that before there can be a world without CMT the world has to be aware of CMT.

Seventeen states and the District of Columbia held activities this week to raise awareness of CMT. In my hometown of Tampa Bay, CMTA members distributed informational pamphlets to students at Eckerd College and to families at local post offices and libraries.

Madam Speaker, raising awareness about CMT through CMT Awareness Week will help to educate communities about this disease and help to find a cure for this disorder.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Breast Cancer Awareness Month beginning Friday, October 1, 2010. This month also marks the 20th anniversary of the CDC's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP), which provides breast health services to underserved women.

Breast cancer will strike 1.3 million women this year and kill almost 500,000 in the U.S. African American, Native American and Hispanic women are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stages of cancer than white women, and the death rates for African American women are about 17% higher than those of white women. Even with the increase of breast cancer among minorities, there are 2.5 million breast cancer survivors living in the U.S. today--a testament to the power of education, early detection and advances in treatment.

Because early detection is the key to surviving breast cancer, NBCCEDP has provided breast and cervical cancer screening, diagnostics and case management services to low-income, uninsured women for the past two decades.

In 2009, NBCCEDP screened almost 325,000 women for breast cancer and detected 4,600 breast cancers. If those 4,600 women diagnosed with cancer last year did not use the NBCCEDP, they would have likely been diagnosed at later stages with larger tumors, when cancer is harder to treat and more deadly.

Despite efforts to eliminate disparities in breast cancer related care, substantial disparities remain, which is why I am proud to be the sponsor of H.R. 2279, the Eliminating Disparities of Breast Cancer Treatment Act, along with Representative Donna Christensen. This act ensures that every breast cancer patient, regardless of health insurance status, race, income, or educational background, receives adequate care through the development of standard best practices for breast cancer treatment.

Madam Speaker, I ask that we support the health and wellness of all women and continue to close the gaps in treatment among minorities by recognizing the month of October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Madam Speaker, I was not present for a vote today. If I were present, I would have voted:

``Yea'' on rollcall No. 539, on passage of H.R. 5297, the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act of 2010.

I would like to thank my colleague, Mrs. Christensen, very much for yielding the time and also thank my cosponsor, Mike Castle, the Congressman from Delaware, for also being a leader on behalf of National Estuaries Day and thanks to the other 36 cosponsors in the House.

Estuaries are deeply connected to our Nation's economy and vital to a healthy environment. They are an integral part of our coastal ecosystems and support not only wildlife but also human livelihoods. In these unique habitats, ecological resources and millions of jobs in tourism, fishing and other coastal industries intersect.

Estuaries have given rise to iconic port cities central to our culture, and they remain the refuge of unique species that define our environment. It is this balance that makes estuaries one of the most important ecosystems in the United States, one worth recognizing as we do here with House Resolution 1503.

Estuary regions contain 43 percent of the population, 49 percent of the economic output while occupying only 13 percent of the U.S. continental land area. As coastal regions continue to further experience development, it is important to maintain this balance between economic prosperity and ecological health.

The BP Deepwater Horizon oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico calls attention to this delicate balance between maintaining our quality of life and sustaining our precious natural resources. Coastal health and restoration have taken on a new level of significance in light of the oil disaster, making our awareness of estuary ecosystems all the more important.

Estuaries provide critical ecosystem services that protect human health and public safety, such as water filtration, flood control, erosion prevention. They also protect coastal communities during extreme weather events like hurricanes and floods.

The Tampa Bay area, my home district, is known internationally for its collaborative approach to watershed management, which has led to significant improvements in the quality of our estuary, the beautiful Tampa Bay.

The Tampa Bay Estuary Program has worked closely with the public and private sector to develop and implement a watershed management plan to bring about positive changes. The results have been obvious in Tampa Bay. Water is as clear now as it was in 1950.

We have about 10,000 more acres of sea grass now than we did in the 1980s, and we are seeing an increase of an additional 500 acres per year because of this clear, cleaner water. This is the location of an active port as well, so business and a clean and healthy environment can coexist.

Nationally, coasts and estuaries contribute more than $800 billion annually in trade and commerce to our economy. Nearly 75 percent of all commercial fish and shellfish catch contain species that depend on estuary habitats, making ecosystems vital to commerce.

Twenty-eight million U.S. jobs are supported through commercial and recreational fishing, boating, tourism and other coastal industries that rely on healthy estuaries. Human activities are degrading estuaries at a rapid pace and threaten the health of these ecosystems unless restoration efforts are supported.

National Estuaries Day has the very worthy goals of raising awareness and educating our constituents about estuaries and getting people excited about the natural beauty to be found there.

I ask my colleagues to vote today to support those goals and ideals by making September 25 National Estuaries Day.

Madam Speaker, I rise to herald the achievements of Dr. Walter L. Smith, and to acknowledge our pride in his contribution to the education community.

Dr. Smith was born and spent his early childhood in Tampa, FL before moving to live with family in Cairo, Georgia and Harlem, New York. A self-proclaimed rebellious child, Dr. Smith dropped out of high school at the age of 16 to work at a processing plant. After stints in the Army studying medical laboratory technology and working in a hospital, he moved back in Tampa in 1957 and enrolled in St. Petersburg's Gibbs High School, which doubled as a community college by night. By the age of 23, he had completed his GED and started classes at Gibbs Junior College, where he served as the first student body president. Dr. Smith continued his educational pursuits at Florida A&M and earned his bachelor's and master's degree. After graduation, Dr. Smith was named an African American Institute Scholar and studied at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana and the University of Lagos in Nigeria. Upon his return, Dr. Smith continued his education at Florida State University, where he received his PhD in Higher Education.

Dr. Smith served as Provost of Hillsborough Community College before accepting the position as President at Roxbury Community College in Massachusetts. In 1977, Dr. Smith returned to Florida to serve as the President of his alma mater, FAMU. Our community burst with pride. During his presidency, FAMU grew from seven to eleven schools and colleges. The university also became a Division of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education under his tenure in office. In 1985, Dr. Smith ended his presidency and was named a Senior Fulbright Scholar to the University of Malawi in Central Africa and served as the International Team Leader for Higher Education in the Republic of South Africa. There, he built South Africa's first American-based community college.

In 2000, Dr. Smith moved back to his hometown of Tampa and opened a local library. Named in his honor, the Dr. Walter L. Smith Library, located in a converted house just blocks from his childhood home, serves as both a learning center and haven for local children to cultivate their interests and follow their dreams toward higher education.

Dr. Smith's perseverance and successes have most recently been recognized with the Cornelius P. Turner Award. This award, presented annually by the GED Testing Service of the American Council on Education, recognizes a GED graduate who has made outstanding contributions to society and speaks volumes about Dr. Smith's unlikely road to success.

The Tampa community is proud to recognize Dr. Smith for this award and his many significant contributions to the education community. His determination and hard work have made him an inspirational leader within our Tampa Bay community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of my community as we mourn the deaths of two young Tampa Police Department Officers, Jeffrey Kocab and David Curtis, who were fatally shot in the line of duty.

Tampa families and neighborhoods value the service of the brave officers of the Tampa Police Department. On June 29th 2010 the city lost two valuable members of the forces. The officers were conducting a routine traffic stop when the passenger opened fire, hitting the officers. Both passed away at Tampa General Hospital that same morning.

Jeffrey Kocab began his law enforcement career 2006 and was honored as ``Officer of the Year'' and ``Employee of the Month'' on four separate occasions for his outstanding performance. Officer Kocab was an achiever who loved his work. In the fourteen months he was with the Tampa Police Department he established himself as a fine officer. His outstanding police skills allowed him to move through the department's training program at an accelerated pace and his work was a testament to his strong commitment to law enforcement.

David Curtis was a dedicated four-year Tampa officer. A native of Mobile, Alabama Curtis began working for Hillsborough County Sheriffs Department in 2002 where he was part of the Tactical Action Control team. During his tenure there, he went to Mississippi in 2005 to help with the recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. He received outstanding evaluations throughout his time at the sheriff's office, but he knew he wanted to one day be a deputy or a police officer on the street. In 2006 he got that opportunity when he began with the Tampa Police Department where he was soon honored as ``Employee of the Month'' in recognition of his work with a complicated child neglect case. He loved participating in the honor guard and recognizing the people who have given their lives in the line of duty. Officer Curtis was always compassionate with others and was dedicated to his job and community.

Throughout the years we have lost several other police officers and together we honor their memories. Corporal Michael Joseph Roberts was shot and killed in 2009 while investigating a heavily armed man. During his 11 years with the Tampa Police Department he received 33 commendations and awards for his work, including the department's rare ``Life Saving Award.''

We will also always remember the day of May 19, 1998 when Detectives Ricky J. Childers and Randy Scott Bell were shot while transporting the murder suspect of a 4-year old boy. Both detectives were veteran officers of the Tampa Police Department and had received over 30 letters of commendation each during their service on the force. Their loss motivated changes in the Tampa Police Department's law and policy so officers could better protect themselves while in the line of duty.

On behalf of the generous and appreciative families of the Tampa Bay Area, I am proud to salute the outstanding service of these two young heroes and remember all those who have also sacrificed their life to serve their fellow citizens. I know that their families and communities are proud of them and of their accomplishments. These brave men gave their lives to protecting our city. For that, I rise today before the United States House of Representatives to honor the memory of Officers Jeffrey Kocab and David Curtis.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of George Steinbrenner and to acknowledge the profound impact he had on the Tampa Bay community through his philanthropic contributions. He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy and will be remembered for his generous spirit that improved the lives of countless families.

Born in Rocky River, Ohio, Mr. Steinbrenner graduated with a bachelor's degree from Williams College in 1952 and earned a master's degree in physical education at the Ohio State University in 1955. He became the owner of the New York Yankees baseball team in 1973 and settled in Tampa in the mideighties. Tampa is the spring training home of the Yankees and the Legend's Field baseball complex that they use was renamed George M. Steinbrenner Field in 2008. Over the past decades, Steinbrenner truly came to consider Tampa ``home,'' evidenced by his abundant contributions to youth sports, public schools, children's issues, military groups, and law enforcement.

He contributed to many different charities, from the Boys and Girls Clubs to the Tampa Mayor's Alliance of Persons with Disabilities to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital. Steinbrenner was determined to make a difference in the lives of his neighbors. In addition to initiating the school district's middle school athletics program, he gave to local schools to help fund new athletics facilities, including football stadiums, lighting, tracks, and an aquatic center. Steinbrenner hosted students every year at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center for the annual holiday concert. He also launched the Gold Shields Foundation, an organization that helps families of slain local law enforcement offices.

From a distance, Mr. Steinbrenner may be remembered nationally as the man who assembled baseball powerhouses, but in Tampa his name evokes a legacy of generosity and a true desire for the betterment of others. As a philanthropist, Steinbrenner made his contributions quietly, often preferring to remain anonymous and avoid publicity in his giving.

I rise today on the floor of the United States House of Representatives to honor the life of George Steinbrenner, to pay tribute to his outstanding contributions to the Tampa community. His wife Joan and children Jenny, Hank, and Hal are valued family members of our greater community as well. The Steinbrenner family's spirit of charity is an inspiration to all who know them and their philanthropy will live on in the lives of countless friends and families.

I thank Congressman McGovern from the Rules Committee for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of reforming Wall Street and this rule. Under this new Wall Street reform, consumers and middle class families win, and the big banks on Wall Street lose. The Wall Street reform bill is the toughest regulation of Wall Street in generations. And it comes after years of recklessness that led to the financial meltdown and the worst recession in our life times. That economy was built on a house of cards.

Wall Street reform will provide a new foundation for our economy to go, one that inspires confidence and will spur new jobs. Under the new law, consumers and middle class families will benefit from a new consumer financial protection agency, a new independent watchdog that will be on the side of American families and consumers, because there always seems to be hidden charges and fees when you are applying for a credit card or a mortgage or some transaction. The new consumer agency will root out the deceptive practices. Its mission will be to protect homeowners and small businesses rather than the big banks on Wall Street.

We will have new cops on the beat on Wall Street, new enforcement, transparency, and oversight. The reform measure rightfully outlaws future bank bailouts by taxpayers. I voted against the Wall Street bailout, known as TARP, because it focused entirely on Wall Street rather than middle class families, and it did not include safeguards on executive pay, bonuses, and transparency.

The Wall Street reform bill that we will pass today now levels the playing field despite the opposition from the big banks and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. The reform bill is also designed to protect consumers from predatory lending.

I strongly agree with the new requirements for mortgage lenders that they must ensure that a person has an ability to repay a loan rather than what happened in the subprime market, where they peddled the loans, flipped them, and then pocketed the cash and left us all with the mess.

So thank you, Chairman Frank, and all of my colleagues on the Financial Services Committee. This is a great day in Washington and all across America because consumers and middle class families win.

Madam Speaker, I rise today on behalf of my community and home in Tampa, Florida, to mourn the deaths of two Tampa police officers who were fatally shot in the line of duty early this morning.

Officers David Curtis and Jeffrey Kocab simply were doing their jobs when they pulled over a car in what appeared to be a routine traffic stop at 2:15 a.m. this morning, but someone in the car was wanted on an arrest warrant. Demonstrating just how truly dangerous these jobs are for those who protect us, this stop was not routine. The officers were shot at close range, and later died at Tampa General Hospital.

Officer Curtis leaves behind a wife, Kelly, and four young sons. Officer Kocab leaves behind a wife, Sara, who is 9 months pregnant and is expected to deliver next week. Both of these young men were only 31 years old.

So I join the Tampa Police Department, Chief Jane Castor, Mayor Pam Iorio, and the entire city of Tampa in mourning the senseless loss of these two young community heroes.