Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker: Remembering the past; Part of the future. This is a theme to be celebrated on October 4 when the borough of Mountainside in my congressional district will commemorate the 75th anniversary of its public library. Since its founding in 1934 in the basement of the municipal building, the Mountainside Public Library has grown into a 10,000-square-foot facility. It provides informational, cultural, educational and recreational services to people of all ages in Mountainside and surrounding communities. Whether encouraging literacy and learning through numerous children's story and craft programs, assisting area senior citizens, or providing residents with a critical link to the digital world, the Mountainside library is providing outstanding community services to its residents. While much has changed at the Mountainside library during its 75 years, what has remained the same is the dedicated community that has generously donated time and resources to enhance the library's resources.

Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating the Mountainside Public Library for 75 years of rich and wonderful contributions to the entire community. This library is truly an important part of Mountainside's past, present, and future.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an exceptionally talented student, Yixiao Wang of Westfield, NJ. Yixiao, along with three other teammates representing the United States, recently participated in the 41st International Chemistry Olympiad, winning one gold and three silver medals in Cambridge, England.

The U.S. Team competed against 250 students from 65 countries in a battery of exams including theoretical and practical applications. Yixiao placed in the top 10 percent earning him a gold medal. The four students were selected from over 11,000 talented high school chemistry students who had participated at the local level, and are representative of the brightest chemistry students in the Nation.

The International Chemistry Olympiad was created in 1968 to enhance friendly relations among young people from different countries. Since then, thousands of students have participated in this rigorous competition to recognize the most talented students in the world.

I would like to congratulate Yixiao for his exemplary performance, which undoubtedly required disciplined, diligent studies. His is a shining example of the dedication the faculty at Westfield High School have towards helping their students achieve greatness. Yixiao will surely have a bright future in any of his future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, Wednesday and Thursday mark the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Floyd, a storm that battered the east coast from North and South Carolina to New Jersey.

The damage from Floyd was estimated at $250 million in New Jersey, including close to $100 million in Bound Brook and Manville in my congressional district, when more than 13 inches of rain fell and flooded rivers into homes, businesses and streets, forever changing the face of both communities.

Ten years later, Bound Brook and Manville have implemented important flood control efforts in preparation for the next Floyd. A complex flood control system of walls and levees is being built around Bound Brook. Manville police and fire personnel now have boats and sirens to alert and assist residents. Bound Brook also has an emergency management team of 25 members that communicates with the community if a flood is coming.

On Thursday, I hope to join residents of Bound Brook in celebration of the reopening of the historic Brook Theatre, a century-old venue severely damaged by the flood. The Brook Theatre reopening is a symbol of triumph and rebirth of the towns devastated by Hurricane Floyd 10 years ago.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove my name as a cosponsor of H.R. 2480.

Mr. Speaker, as we approach the eighth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks on our Nation, we honor those innocent people who perished on that terrible day and extend our continued prayers and sympathy to their loved ones. We remember the tremendous heroism and self-sacrifice of so many in New York, the Pentagon, and on a plane over Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Closer to home in New Jersey, communities across the Garden State remember those who perished and pay tribute to the distinguished service of the brave police officers, firefighters and first responders who answered the call and, in some cases, never returned home.

Today I come to the floor of the House to pay my special respect to the 81 New Jersey families in the Seventh Congressional District who lost loved ones as a result of the tragic terrorist attacks. To these families I say, we will never forget the sacrifices you and others have paid and continue to pay. I hope all Americans will pause tomorrow and take a moment to reflect on the tragedy of 9/11, to remember the victims, the heroes, and all the loved ones they left behind, while paying tribute to the men and women who serve and defend us today against the dangers we still face.

May God continue to bless the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize former New Jersey Superior Court Judge Marilyn Rhyne Herr for her 15 years of outstanding service to our State. I was honored to be part of the celebration recently honoring Judge Herr as her portrait was unveiled for permanent display in the Hunterdon County, New Jersey, courthouse.

Judge Herr was sworn in to the New Jersey Superior Court in 1989, becoming the second woman resident of Hunterdon County to be named a Superior Court judge and the first assigned to the bench in our home County. She was for many years in the family division, a court Judge Herr called the most important court there is.

More than a jurist, Judge Herr served for many years as a Girl Scout leader and two terms as president of the Rolling Hills Girl Scout Council. She is a patron of the arts, an avid reader of historical biographies, a former pilot, world traveler, and competitive tennis player.

Like my wife and me, she is a resident of Clinton Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, and my wife and I are proud to call Marilyn Rhyne Herr our friend and neighbor.

Congratulations, Judge Herr, and thank you for your service to New Jersey.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3326, The FY 2010 Department of Defense Appropriations Act:

Agency: Army

Account: RDT&E

Amount: $3,150,000

Project: Conversion of Municipal Solid Waste to Renewable Diesel Fuel

Recipient: Covanta Energy 40 Lane Rd, Fairfield, NJ 07004

The purpose of this program is to convert military solid waste to diesel, resulting in >10% savings and stabilize the long-term cost of fuel. This conversion will also enable the military to exercise unprecedented control over raw material (waste feedstock) generation and supply.

Agency: Army

Account: RDT&E

Amount: $2,000,000

Project: Dermal Matrix Research

Recipient: LifeCell Corporation, One Millennium Way, Branchburg, NJ 08876

The purpose of this program is to continue development of an off-the- shelf transplantable graft from porcine tissue for combat casualties with full-thickness burns and other skin and dermal deficits prior to their evacuation from the theater of operation.

Agency: Army

Account: RDT&E

Amount: $2,000,000

Project: Printed and Conformal Electronics for Military Applications

Recipient: FlexTech Alliance, 84 W. Santa Clara St., Suite 630 San Jose, CA 95113

The funding would be used to develop and manage a supply chain and prototype development program for printed and conformal electronics.

Agency: Army

Account: RDT&E

Amount: $2,500,000

Project: Standard Ground Station--Enhancement Program

Recipient: Sarnoff Corporation, 201 Washington Road, Princeton, NJ 08540-6449

The purpose of this program is to allow the Standard Ground Station (SGS) to be used in other locations outside of Iraq by developing methodologies that can be applied to, and deployed in, multiple terrains and topographies--coastal, mountainous, forested--to extend the SGS's geographic primacy and protect Joint Warfighters as they prosecute the global war on terror.

Agency: Army

Account: RDT&E

Amount: $1,000,000

Project: Tactical Metal Fabrication (TacFab)

Recipient: SeaBox, Inc., 450 Black Horse Lane, No. Brunswick, NJ 08902

The purpose of this program is to provide a containerized, mobile foundry to the U.S. Army, allowing deployed forces to produce spare and replacement parts in the field. This cuts the order time from weeks or months to 24 hours.

Agency: Air Force

Account: RDT&E

Amount: $3,000,000

Project: Planar Lightwave Circuit Development for High Power Military Laser Application

Recipient: LGS Innovations, 15 Vreeland Road, Florham Park, NJ 07932

The purpose of this program is to meet the High-Energy Laser Joint Technology Office (HEL-JTO) need for revolutionary high power, high efficiency, electrically-driven laser technology that can be turned into a ruggedized system for use by all branches of the military.

Agency: Defense-wide

Account: RDT&E

Amount: $2,000,000

Project: Secure, Miniaturized, Hybrid, Free Space, Optical Communications

Recipient: LGS Innovations, 15 Vreeland Road, Florham Park, NJ 07932

The purpose of this program is to provide a fully operational secure, miniaturized, RF optics hybrid wireless communications system meeting the specific volume, weight, and power constraints required for secure, covert defense-related communication applications for the Department of Defense.

Mr. Speaker, I rise out of concern for section 4 of this bill. We had an amendment in the Rules Committee that I offered with the distinguished gentleman from Georgia, and it was ruled out of order by the Rules Committee. We believe that the amendment was germane, drafted properly and submitted on time. The amendment dealt with section 4.

Regarding section 4, I believe that it is overly broad, and in particular I am concerned with the section that says, regarding incentive-based compensation, that Federal regulators can review that based upon other criteria as the appropriate Federal regulators jointly may determine to be appropriate to reduce unreasonable incentives for officers and employees to take undue risks.

In my judgment, that gives too much discretion to Federal regulators, and we should be specific as Members of Congress in the statutory basis for compensation issues.

I am also concerned that if this becomes law, that there will be a tendency for capital to move away from the United States, particularly New York, and to places like London and Asia. This is a matter I have discussed previously in the committee, and I certainly believe that we should continue to be the place in the world where this type of activity occurs.

Our amendment in no way takes away the other provisions of this bill regarding say-on-pay and the independence of compensation boards. But I am sorry that our amendment was not considered favorably in the Rules Committee and therefore will not be considered favorable here on the floor.

This morning, a report from Bloomberg indicates that the White House press secretary, Mr. Gibbs, said yesterday the administration is concerned that the measure may give regulators too much say on incentive pay. I agree with that sentiment.

Madam Speaker, I rise this morning in honor of the 150th anniversary of St. Ann's Roman Catholic Church in Hampton, Hunterdon County, New Jersey.

St. Ann's was officially established in 1859, and Father Claude Rolland of France was named its first resident pastor.

Throughout its history, St. Ann's has faithfully fulfilled its mission while, at the same time, helping to establish eight other Catholic churches in Hunterdon and Warren Counties. Due to its contribution to the history of our State in 2003, the church was designated by New Jersey as a Site of Historical Note. Today, St. Ann's Parish is enjoying a period of significant growth under the leadership of its current pastor, Father Michael Saharic.

I congratulate St. Ann's Church for its 150 years of service to the communities of Hampton, Glen Gardner and surrounding areas and as a pillar of faith.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 654, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, for the second time this month, nonpartisan congressional budget analysts have told Congress the Democratic health plan would increase, not decrease, our Nation's burgeoning long-term health costs. On Saturday the Congressional Budget Office said the proposal to give an independent panel the power to keep Medicare spending in check would, in reality, save almost no money. The bill's proponents had touted the panel as critical to pay for the massive $1.5 trillion health care legislation. CBO's recent analysis comes on the heels of an earlier budget report, showing that the Democratic health care proposal would add to our already tremendously growing debt of $11 trillion and rising.

I once again call upon the Democratic leadership to put aside its proposal and work with the centrist Republican Tuesday Group on an affordable and effective alternative that we have proposed in good faith.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 373 in an effort to raise awareness of the disease hydrocephalus. For too long, little attention has been paid to hydrocephalus. Together with Congressman Clay and Congresswoman Bachmann, I have put forth this resolution, recognizing September as National Hydrocephalus Awareness Month. I want to thank my distinguished colleagues in this regard.

I also want to thank Michael Illions, his wife Kim and their brave son Cole for their steadfast advocacy on this issue. The Illions are constituents of mine in the Seventh Congressional District of New Jersey. Most of the best ideas in Washington come from our constituents back home. Michael, Kim and Cole Illions are together a shining example of this.

Today's action by the House of Representatives will bring much-needed attention to hydrocephalus. It will encourage more research into its diagnosis and treatment. I am certain that with Federal support for additional research, we can develop a better treatment, if not a cure, for those suffering from hydrocephalus and help them lead healthier, fuller lives. I urge all of our colleagues to support House Resolution 373. I want to thank Congresswoman Bachmann and Congressman Clay.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3288, the FY2010 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act:

Project: Route 22 Sustainable Corridor, Somerset County, NJ

Agency: Federal Highway Administration

Account: Surface Transportation Priorities

Amount: $1,250,000

Recipient: Somerset County Business Partnership, 360 Grove Street, Bridgewater, NJ 08807

The Route 22 Sustainable Corridor Plan would redefine an 8-mile section of Route 22 in Bridgewater Township and Somerville Borough, the main business districts of Somerset County, New Jersey from a high- speed arterial highway into a suburban boulevard design. The $96 million project would relieve current and projected traffic congestion, improve vehicular and pedestrian safety, and integrate access to mass transit in one of the fastest growing regions of New Jersey. For this reason, it is has been authorized through the Transportation Equity Act, a Legacy for Users (TEA-LU) and been appropriated funds through past Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Affairs Appropriations bills.

This project will provide benefit to the 7th District of NJ by improving safety on one of the most dangerous corridors in New Jersey. Additionally, this project is a key to relieve congestion. There are several factors that also indicate that congestion along the corridor will worsen in the absence of significant regional improvements. The forecasted population growth rate in Somerset County is 17 percent through 2010. Somerset County's labor force is projected by the New Jersey Department of Labor to be the fastest growing county in the central region through 2008. Therefore, alleviating congestion on Route 22 is critical to maintaining economic viability and improving quality of life for hundreds of thousands of local residents and workers.

Project: Downtown Streetscape and Pedestrian Improvements (Final Phase), Borough of North Plainfield, NJ

Agency: Federal Highway Administration

Account: Surface Transportation Priorities

Amount: $300,000

Recipient: Borough of North Plainfield, 263 Somerset Street, North Plainfield, NJ 07060

The funding would be used to complete streetscape and pedestrian improvements in the downtown business district of North Plainfield which were first begun in 1998. The project will consist of sidewalk, lighting, and landscape improvements consistent with the existing design for the remainder of Somerset Street. Somerset Street is the main road in the business district, providing access to the Municipal Building/Emergency Services Complex, a grade crossing of US Route 22, and to schools and train station.

Project: Affordable Housing Site Preparation, Township of Clinton, NJ

Agency: Housing and Urban Development

Account: Economic Development Initiatives

Amount: $250,000

Recipient: Township of Clinton, 1225 Rt. 31, Lebanon, NJ 08833

The funding would be used to prepare sites for construction of affordable units in Clinton Township, NJ. Specifically, funds will be used for demolition and installation of infrastructure in preparation for the construction of 85 affordable housing units.

Project: Irvington Branch of Lightning Brook Retaining Wall Replacement, Union Township, NJ

Agency: Housing and Urban Development

Account: Economic Development Initiatives

Amount: $250,000

Recipient: Township of Union, 1976 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ 07083

The funding would be used for the costs related to the design, permits, land acquisition, demolition, construction and contract administration, and inspection for 2,700 lineal feet of retaining wall replacement for stabilization and rehabilitation of the eroding banks of the Irvington Branch of Lightning Brook.

Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 3293, the FY2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act:

Project: Somerset Hills School District Cultural Tolerance Education Initiative

Agency: Department of Education

Account: Elementary and Secondary Education

Amount: $312,000

Recipient: Somerset Hills School District, 25 Olcott Avenue, Bernardsville, NJ 07924

The funding would be used to implement a comprehensive Cultural Tolerance Education Initiative to increase students' understanding of various world societies and their traditions, customs and way of life in an effort to broaden their understanding of international politics and religion.

Project: Union County College Curriculum Development

Agency: Department of Education

Account: Higher Education Amount: $400,000

Recipient: Union County College (UCC), 1033 Springfield Avenue, Cranford, NJ 07106

The funding would be used to (1) create a two-year ``Green Workforce Service'' for Union County which will support the creation of green jobs, and (2) develop a Green Technology option to the Engineering, Associate in Science degree program.

Project: Jewish Family Service of Central New Jersey, Community Innovations for Aging-in-Place

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services

Account: Administration on Aging

Amount: $300,000

Recipient: Jewish Family Service of Central New Jersey, 655 Westfield Avenue, Elizabeth, NJ 07208

The funding would be used to support a range of social, physical, spiritual, recreational, health, wellness and housing needs for older adults in targeted communities by increasing access to information, resources, supportive services and civic engagement opportunities.

Project: Jewish Family Service of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties, Aging-In-Place Services Project

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services

Account: Administration on Aging

Amount: $225,000

Recipient: Jewish Family Service of Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren Counties, 150 West High Street, Somerville, NJ 08876

The funding would be used for the delivery of health and supportive services cost-effectively; increased service availability; cooperative health promotion, crises prevention, and community improvement; and the development of new human, financial, and neighborhood resources for the benefit of the increasing number of older adults who are aging-in- place.

Project: Zufall Health Center's Hunterdon Family Dental Center

Agency: Department of Health and Human Services

Account: Health Resources and Services Administration--Facilities and Services

Amount: $225,000

Recipient: Zufall Health Center, 17 South Warren Street, Dover, NJ 07801

The funding would be used for renovation and equipment for a new dental center in Flemington, Hunterdon County, NJ.

Mr. Speaker, today, July 24, marks the 50th anniversary of an important incident in the history of the cold war, the famous Kitchen Debate in Moscow between then Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev.

At the informal debate in 1959, Mr. Khruschchev predicted wrongly that the Soviet Union would overtake America in economic prosperity. As Time Magazine reported, Vice President Nixon managed in a unique way to personify a national character proud of peaceful accomplishment, such as its way of life, confident of its power under threat.

Today, I pay tribute to President Nixon for his diplomacy and his years of service to the Nation, including at the Kitchen Debate 50 years ago today.