Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend New Providence High School on being named the top public high school in New Jersey by New Jersey Monthly Magazine. This is an accomplishment of which the school and the community should be very proud.

New Providence High School has been a model of success. It has been continually ranked among the top public schools in the state for its high test scores and curriculum. New Providence High School has excelled in nearly every major aspect of students' education with fine teachers and a supportive staff. New Providence High School was named a 2011 National Blue Ribbon School by the Department of Education. This is the highest honor a school can receive in the Nation.

New Providence High School has truly executed the school district's motto ``Dedicated to Excellence.'' I congratulate the students, faculty members, parents and members of the community for these outstanding distinctions.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Peter Palmer of Bernardsville, New Jersey, for his lifetime of public service. Peter was born and raised in Bernardsville, where he lives to this day. Peter has been in public service since a young age and has remained an active servant throughout his life.

Peter joined the U.S. Signal Corps as a young man and was honorably discharged as First Lieutenant. Peter began his time in public office in 1962 when he was elected to the school board. He served two full terms and was elected to the Bernardsville Borough Council where he served for sixteen years. He quickly formed a reputation of honesty and integrity. He became Mayor and served a distinguished decade of accomplishment. He joined the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders where he has served a county-wide constituency. In 2011, Peter received the high honor of being named ``Freeholder of the Year'' by the New Jersey Association of Counties. The group noted his leadership and ability.

I know Peter personally and I have seen his fine work firsthand. I join Peter's spouse, Kathleen, and his friends and colleagues in congratulating him on his of tenure selfless public service to Bernardsville, Somerset County and the State of New Jersey.

I rise on this somber anniversary to honor the memory of those lives lost in the attacks on September 11, 2001. For 11 years, I have stood at firehouses and schools, churches and veterans halls, and heard the stories of bravery and heroism from that terrible morning that changed America.

New Jersey lost more than 700 residents in the attacks, innocent people who were targeted in an act of war upon the Nation. Brave first responders courageously initiated rescues with their lives in danger. These stories are not new but need to be retold as a new generation comes of age and is taught of the determination of our country.

The lives lost in the ensuing battles abroad have continued to try the foundation of our will. We have proven steadfast in the commitment to our values. Our freedom and liberty have been protected by brave men and women who selflessly answer the call of service.

No matter the challenges we face, we must remember that our Nation is truly blessed. I ask all Americans today to pause and reflect on the tragedy of 9/11, and please pray for the victims and honor their memory, and please pay tribute to the men and women who serve and defend us today against the dangers we still face.

May God bless them all, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the first graduating class of North Hunterdon Regional High School in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. The class of 1952 celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.

As a graduate of North Hunterdon Regional High School and as the Representative for New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District, I have had the honor to observe the growth and expansion of the school's educational excellence. North Hunterdon continues to excel as one of our Nation's top high schools. In 2002, the Department of Education awarded North Hunterdon the Blue Ribbon of Academic Excellence Award and it was recently highly ranked by the Washington Post.

The class of 1952 began an outstanding tradition of academic achievement at North Hunterdon Regional High School that has continued for sixty years. I am proud to honor my alma mater and I thank the first graduating class for commencing these celebrations.

Mr. Speaker, today marks the anniversary of a defining moment in the history of modern communications. It was 50 years ago that Bell Labs, based in Murray Hill, New Jersey, in partnership with NASA, launched the world's first active communications satellite. The Telstar I was launched on July 10, 1962, ushering in the era of real- time global telephony, data communications and TV broadcasting.

With Telstar and its successors the world was made a smaller place. Billions of people around the world had instant access to news, sports and entertainment.

Telstar I, a sphere roughly a yard in diameter and weighing about 170 pounds, incorporated dozens of innovations from Bell Labs. The satellite could carry 600 voice calls and one black-and-white TV channel.

Telstar achieved many firsts. It was the first active, direct-relay communications satellite, it successfully transmitting through space the first television pictures, telephone calls, high-speed data communications and fax images, and the first live transatlantic television feed. Telstar truly changed the world in which we live.

Telstar came out of Bell Labs 50 years ago and paved the way for innovations in communication that are still taking place at a campus located in my district in Murray Hill, New Jersey--where Alcatel-Lucent headquarters their global R&D arm.

Over 3,000 employees are hard at work there, creating technological innovations for future generations.

Researchers at Bell Labs have won seven Nobel Prizes in Physics-- shared by 13 people. The most recent prize was awarded in 2009 to George E. Smith and Willard S. Boyle for their invention and development of the charge-coupled device (CCD)--a technology used for digital imaging in cameras and high-powered telescopes. Other innovations to come out of Bell Labs throughout the years include the transistor, the cell phone, solar cells and the laser.

As the innovation engine behind Alcatel-Lucent, Bell Labs helps to weave the technological fabric of modern society. The Labs' scientists and engineers make seminal scientific discoveries, launch technological revolutions that reshape the way people live, work and play, and continue to build the most advanced and reliable communication networks in the world.

I congratulate Bell Labs on its historic accomplishments.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, such legislation will ensure that patients get improved access to innovative, lifesaving therapies and medical devices while protecting and creating U.S. jobs. The bill is critically important to New Jersey, where we have a high concentration of medical device, pharmaceutical, and life science employees.

I'm pleased that the conference report contains provisions important to streamline and modernize FDA regulations while promoting patient safety. Just as important, today's measure is fiscally responsible, reducing the deficit by $311 billion over the next 10 years according to the CBO.

I thank Chairman Upton, Chairman Pitts, Ranking Member Waxman, Ranking Member Pallone, and members of the Energy and Commerce Committee for working together in a bipartisan capacity on a final bill that protects patients and brings much needed certainty to the medical and biopharmaceutical industries. This is the way Congress should work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join the Lebanon Township Board of Education in Hunterdon County, New Jersey in honoring Judith Burd. After thirty-nine years of distinguished public service as an educator in Hunterdon County, Mrs. Burd retired in May 2012 as the Superintendent of the Lebanon Township School District.

On June 21, 2012, Mrs. Burd will be honored by the Lebanon Township Board of Education in Hunterdon County, New Jersey during a special retirement dinner to be held in Glen Gardner, New Jersey with her family, friends and respected colleagues in attendance. I fully expect the event will celebrate and honor her many professional accomplishments and educational advancements on behalf of parents, teachers and students in Hunterdon County.

As a lifelong resident of Hunterdon County, I have known Mrs. Burd since we were students together at North Hunterdon Regional High School in the late 1960s. Her uncle, the Honorable James Howard, was a distinguished Member of Congress from January 3, 1965 until his untimely passing on March 25, 1988.

I can attest to her dedication and tireless efforts educating young people. Mrs. Burd began her career in education in 1974 as a teacher at Valley View Elementary School, where she taught the third grade from September 1975 to June 1979. From 1979 to

1994, Mrs. Burd served as a special education teacher and taught a resource room class for the perceptually impaired. From 1994 to 1996, Mrs. Burd taught seventh grade language arts and in 1996, Mrs. Burd became Principal of Woodglen Middle School, a position she held until August of 2003. In 2003, Mrs. Burd became the Superintendent of the Lebanon Township School District. For nearly four decades, Mrs. Burd has served the community with great professionalism and dedication.

I am proud to join members of the Lebanon Township Board of Education and many Hunterdon County residents in thanking Judith Burd for her hard work and devotion to the Hunterdon County community. Her lifetime accomplishments and achievements in education will stand as a testament to her dedication to young people.

I am pleased to praise Judith Burd of Hunterdon County, New Jersey and to share her story with my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives and with the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the work of Lisa Reed for her accomplished career in public service to the State of New Jersey. Lisa began her career in law enforcement with the Plainfield Police Department. She later joined the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office where she specialized in sexual assault and child abuse investigations.

Her distinguished work prompted her promotion to Detective Sergeant and supervisor of the Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Unit. She was a tremendous asset and valued member of the Prosecutor's Office and her portfolio expanded to homicides and narcotics. Lisa was later assigned to the Somerset County Police Academy as the Continuing Education Coordinator. There she shared her expertise with young officers until her retirement in 2005.

Lisa developed a small business with her talents, Lisa S. Reed Investigations of Flemington, New Jersey. Lisa's most noted accomplishment is her vital role in the arrest of Roger Day, a fugitive who led an international conspiracy to defraud the military. This criminal was named a member of ``America's Most Wanted'' and Lisa's work was part of a three-year effort that brought Roger Day to justice.

Lisa Reed is an outstanding public servant who has continually demonstrated bravery in the critical area of public safety. I congratulate her on this long and distinguished career.

Mr. Speaker, I rise with great sadness to honor long-time president of the New Jersey Restaurant Association Deborah Dowdell. Deborah Dowdell died March 2nd following a long and courageous battle with cancer.

Deborah's passing is a tremendous loss for New Jersey's small business community and most especially, her family, who loved her dearly.

For those who knew Deborah, she was a strong and influential leader and mentor in Trenton. Deborah Dowdell was an influential policy-maker, an expert on issues important to New Jersey's restaurant and hospitality community. But most important Deborah Dowdell was a great friend and loving daughter and wife.

My wife Heidi and I send our thoughts and prayers to Deborah's entire family during these very trying and difficult times.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 5 that combines the repeal of the Independent Payment Advisory Board with significant medical malpractice reforms that will help reduce health care costs and preserve patients' access to medical care.

Today marks the 2-year anniversary of the House passage of the President's health care law. During that debate 2 years ago, I joined Members from both sides of the aisle in calling on the President to address one of the drivers of the high cost of health care by reforming the current medical liability system. Unfortunately, the President's health care bill passed the House on March 21, 2010, absent any real or meaningful medical liability reform.

The new law did include the Independent Payment Advisory Board, or IPAB, and this cost-control board, made up of 15 unelected and, might I add, unconfirmed officials, has the power to make major cost-cutting decisions about Medicare, with little oversight or accountability.

The IPAB has been criticized by both Republicans and Democrats, and its repeal is supported by nearly 400 groups representing patients, doctors, and employers.

Today, on the 2-year anniversary of the House passage of the health care law, we have an opportunity to move to the future and enact real health care

reform that will help bring down health care costs that are escalating at unsustainable rates while, at the same time, protecting needed care for our senior citizens.

As a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I am pleased to have the opportunity to work on this important legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 5.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the honorees of the 2012 Suburban Chamber of Commerce Service Awards. The Chamber is an accomplished partnership of business and professional people working together to build a healthy economy and improve the quality of life in our communities. The Chamber, which represents the communities of Summit, New Providence and Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, brings people together who live or work in the area and who want to better their community. I congratulate the 2012 honorees for ``Tying the Communities Together.''

President's Award--The Honorable Jordan Glatt, Former Mayor of Summit, New Jersey.

Beautification Award--McGrath's Hardware, New Providence, NJ.

Business of the Year--Investors Bank.

Public Service Award--The Honorable Jon Bramnick, Minority Leader in the New Jersey State Assembly.

Public Service Organization--The Summit Area YMCA.

Silver Service Award--Karen Olson, Family Promise.

I thank these public servants and organizations for their tremendous public service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Thomas Gilmore for nearly three decades of leadership and dedication to the New Jersey Audubon Society. Tom Gilmore is a known conservation visionary and respected voice for wildlife and I congratulate him on this well deserved retirement.

Under Tom's dedicated watch, thousands of acres of threatened and endangered species habitats have been protected and open space, farmland and historic preservation became a priority in our great Garden State.

Throughout Tom's tenure, wildlife research and environmental education blossomed across the state. Tom's leadership paved the way for the Audubon Society's Citizen Science program to flourish. This important program empowers volunteers of all skill levels and backgrounds to engage in wildlife conservation and leverages the strengths and talents of hundreds of individuals while training our state's future conservation leaders.

Tom's passion, skill and perseverance have transformed New Jersey, marshalling in the preservation of our most significant and beloved natural treasures.

I honor this remarkable leader and welcome the new era of conservation talent that will guide the Garden State's environmental future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Meme Omogbai, Chief Operating Officer of The Newark Museum, on being named Chair of the American Association of Museums. This is an unprecedented honor for The Newark Museum in Newark, New Jersey. Prior to her election, Omogbai served the AAM in many capacities including as co-author of its ground- breaking strategic plan.

Ms. Omogbai was born in Nigeria and moved to the United States as a child. She obtained both a Bachelor of Science degree in accountancy and an M.B.A. in finance and management consultancy from Rutgers University. She has a keen interest in public service and pursued opportunities in New Jersey state government. During her 10-year tenure with the state she became the youngest deputy assistant chancellor of the NJ Department of Higher Education.

Ms. Omogbai was part of the team that developed the widely acclaimed NJ College Loan to Assist State Students Program while overseeing $6.5 billion in assets and crafting legislation as a policy adviser in the state treasurer's office. She also worked with the Casino Control Commission.

Ms. Omogbai is a community leader with important, active roles on the boards of such organizations as the New Jersey Historic Trust, the American Association of Museums, the Advisory Board of Montclair State University, St. Vincent Academy and the Newark Regional Business Partnership.

I congratulate Meme Omogbai on being named Chair of the American Association of Museums.

Thank you very much, and thank you for yielding.

The Payne family occupies a fabled position in the history of Newark, New Jersey's largest and greatest city. The whole family has been involved in public service; and, of course, Congressman Payne's public service here is of almost a quarter-century duration.

Congressman Payne succeeded Congressman Rodino, the distinguished chairman of the House Judiciary Committee at the time of Watergate, well-known in American history. Congressman Rodino succeeded Congressman Hartley, who was the Congressman from that part of New Jersey for a generation, he, the author, with Senator Taft, of the Taft-Hartley Act.

Over the course of the 20th century, in the district that has been represented by Congressman Payne for a quarter century, the provenance of that district is Fred Hartley, a Republican, of the Taft-Hartley Act; Peter Rodino, the distinguished chairman of the Judiciary Committee during Watergate; and now for 24 years, Donald Payne. The character of that district is the character of this Nation and certainly the character of the great city of Newark over the course of the 20th and into the 21st century.

The Payne family not only includes the distinguished Congressman, but his brother, Bill Payne, with whom I had the honor of serving in the New Jersey Legislature. His brother, Bill, and I worked together in the creation of the Amistad Commission in New Jersey. Of course, that commission dealing with the work of the great Amistad trial based upon the mutiny in 1839 of a slave ship, so brilliantly defended by John Quincy Adams, whose portrait hangs 10 feet from the entrance of the House of Representatives. And in working with Congressman Payne's brother, Bill Payne, in the New Jersey Legislature, I got to know the Payne family and certainly, through his brother, Bill, I got to know the Congressman, and what a great honor for me to have served here in Congress with Don Payne.

Mr. Speaker, finally, several days before Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, he was in Newark, and he was in Newark at the request of leaders there, including Donald Payne and William Payne. Among the most prized possessions of the Payne family are photographs of Martin Luther King taken days before his assassination as the Paynes were attempting to bring about justice in the city of Newark. Certainly no Member of the House of Representatives was more committed to justice, not only here in this country, and within this country, in the city of Newark and the State of New Jersey, but justice across the world, so that children in poverty could have a decent quality of health care and, as has been cited, the Congressman almost lost his life in that regard.

The country is poorer for the loss of Donald Payne, but this country is greater for his public service, his public service on the governing body of the city of Newark, his public service as a county commissioner--we use the term freeholder in Essex County, New Jersey-- his public service to the entire State, and I respectfully suggest, to the United States of America. We mourn his loss, but we celebrate his life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Honorable Ernest Oros for his lifetime of dedicated public service. Ernie was born and raised in Phillipsburg, New Jersey and currently resides in Colonia, New Jersey, part of Woodbridge Township. From a young age Ernie felt called to serve the Nation he loves. Ernie joined the United States Marine Corps as a young man where he was deployed overseas with the Second Marine Division. He served in Guam, Saipan and Japan and was honorably discharged as a Corporal in 1946.

Ernie continued his public service on the Woodbridge council where he championed the creation of the Czick-Varga Memorial Park to honor local veterans who gave their lives to defend our Nation. He was a party leader on the local and county Republican committees and was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1991 where he served two distinguished terms as an advocate for Middlesex County and New Jersey taxpayers.

Ernie became a small business owner with his brother, Lester, where he was known as a caring and effective leader, and is now enjoying a well earned retirement with his wife Betty, children and grandchildren.

I join Assemblyman Oros's many friends in congratulating him for his enormous public service to Woodbridge Township, Middlesex County and the state of New Jersey and his dedication to his family and our larger American society.