Floor Statements

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

I do want to thank my true and good friend, Mr. Sessions, for yielding this time; and I want to congratulate him on his ascension to the chair of the Rules Committee. I look forward to working with him.

I think, though, what we want to do this morning perhaps is debate the health care bill one more time. It's not enough that this House in the last term debated it 32 times at least to try to repeal all or part of it, and we know that not a single person on the other side voted for that bill. But as it gets more and more popular in the United States, I think sooner or later they'll wish that they had.

There is one comment I need to make before I get to the business at hand, and that is the notion that it was rammed through in the middle of the night. The health care bill went through the entire committee process. There are pieces in there that Republican members of committees put in. Although they may not want to admit it, they're there. In addition, the Democratic Caucus, under the leadership of Nancy Pelosi, went over that bill line by line three times. I remember it well.

But let me get to the business at hand because, Mr. Speaker, I haven't seen an honest day's work from Congress here in quite a while.

Earlier this year, the Columbia Broadcasting System News reported that it costs $24 million a week to run the House of Representatives. But for the last month, the majority has spent the money on shuttling us back and forth to Washington and then asking us to sit here and twiddle our thumbs. No more. It's time to get down to brass tacks and give the American people a return on their multimillion dollar investment. We need to start right here and right now by passing the tax cut for the middle class. We could do it tomorrow. All we have to do is take up the Senate bill. It's right there.

In addition to that, we ought to really take up the Violence Against Women Act from the Senate, not the House bill. The House bill did not include numbers of women in America under this act: Native American women, gay women, and immigrant women. We couldn't tolerate that. So let's take the Senate bill and pass it. That bill has reduced domestic violence 67 percent. We need to reduce it 100 percent, but we cannot do without that. It's terribly important.

The farm bill is important, but we'll get to more of that. I cannot say enough that we absolutely need--and I think so many people this morning on 1-minutes made the point clear. I know that numbers of Republicans want to do it in a bipartisan way. What we can do is what we've already agreed on, and that is that the middle class should not have a tax increase, but that the richer people in this country should be paying their fair share. There is simply no reason for this delay. Once those tax cuts are passed, then we can move on to the countless other issues that I've already mentioned that demand our attention. We can extend unemployment insurance. It's set to entire on January 1 and will affect millions and certainly affect our economy. We can give support to millions of Americans struggling to recover from Hurricane Sandy. We can begin an open debate, as I said, on the Violence Against Women Act.

Historians have said that this term of Congress these last 2 years has been the least productive in American history. That is not anything to be proud of, but the majority seems to be intent on keeping that title. They spent 2 years taking vote after vote to repeal health care and even more time to make sure that the $4 billion subsidy to the big oil companies stays intact. It's shameless, and we need to do more than that. The people who sent us here deserve more than that. We should not be crying out in the wilderness to work. We have been sent here to work, and we need to get down to it in the final hours of this Congress. We have always had the threat of a working Christmas. If we have to do it to get things done, I'm certainly willing to do that. But the majority should help solve the Nation's most pressing issues. That's why we're here. Do not actively choose--as that's what's going on--to leave the work unfinished.

As we sit and wait for the negotiations on the fiscal cliff, there is always other legislation that is ready, that could be done now, could help our markets, could relieve the minds of employer, could give security to the middle class and people below that; and we certainly ought to be doing it.

All we're doing now with today's rule is giving the majority the freedom to spend the rest of this month and the rest of this year on minor, noncontroversial legislation. I refuse to give this blank check to a majority that has yet to show any interest in completing outstanding work.

I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing today's rule so that we can try to get back to work. This Wednesday should be the day we start doing our job to provide real solutions to those we represent who have real problems.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Will the gentleman yield?

I thank you, Mr. Sessions, because I know you, and I know that you understand that I've already talked about this. That bill that passed this House excluded a large number of women. Basically, what this House said with that vote was to go ahead and beat them up, that we don't want them covered.

After the election, after what everybody has been through, after what the American public thinks about what a large number of our cohorts believe here, surely to goodness, you would not recommend that that bill become the law of the land. The simple thing we're asking for is to take up the Senate bill, which covers everybody in domestic violence.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to our leader, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).

Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), the assistant Democrat leader.

(Mr. CLYBURN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I'll gladly yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra), the vice chairman of the Democratic Caucus.

I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

I yield myself 2 seconds to say it is not a government takeover of health care. It will be performed by private insurance companies.

I am delighted to yield 2 minutes to my colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley).

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Walz).

Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews).

(Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), a member of the Rules Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 10 seconds to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone).

I have no further requests for time, Mr. Speaker, and I wondered if my colleague is prepared to close.

I thank the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. Speaker, we should be doing one thing today, and that's passing the continuation of tax cuts for the middle class. The American people couldn't be more united in their support for a tax cut, and there's no reason for delay. The Senate has already passed the bill that we could take up now. It's here at the desk. Members across our aisle agree, quite intelligently, that we must not let middle class taxes go up.

With such common ground, why would the majority waste another minute before ensuring that the taxes will not go up on the middle class? The answer isn't clear to me. I simply cannot fathom it. But if the majority won't take action, we will.

Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I'm going to offer an amendment to the rule that says two things. One is first that we will pass a bill to extend the middle class tax cut, and second that we will pass legislation that will avoid the fiscal cliff and the chaos that would ensue.

I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my amendment to the rule in the Record along with extraneous material immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' to defeat the previous question so that we may put our rule on the floor. I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule if we are unsuccessful, and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, it is my esteemed honor to congratulate Dr. Todd Pagano, an associate professor and director of the Laboratory Science Technology program at Rochester Institute of Technology's (RIT) National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), for being named the 2012 U.S. Professor of the Year by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The U.S. Professors of the Year Awards Program, created in 1981, is the only national initiative specifically designed to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring. Todd was selected from more than 300 applicants for this award. He is the first RIT faculty member to receive this award.

The world's first technological college for deaf students, NTID provides a world-class college education leading to jobs and career advancement for deaf and hard-of hearing students from all 50 states. Though not deaf or hard-of hearing, Professor Pagano's conviction to learn American Sign Language (ASL) in record time after receiving his Doctorate in Chemistry from Tufts University was already a feat in itself. His ability to effectively communicate with and inspire his students--who have a near 100 percent employment rate after graduation--is unparalleled.

While serving as Director of the Laboratory Science Technology Program and teaching a full-time class load, Professor Pagano has made it his personal mission to provide mentorship and opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing students to excel in the study of chemistry. He has championed the advancement of deaf and hard-of-hearing students attending NTID and witnessed the betterment and employment of countless students. As Dr. Pagano has said, ``Knowing my students have acquired knowledge that can make a difference in their lives by helping them obtain a job is truly rewarding.''

I am so proud of Professor Pagano and NTID and am grateful to have had the privilege to congratulate Todd and his wife--also

an educator at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)--personally for this prestigious recognition when they came to Washington, DC last month to accept the award.

Today, on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, I congratulate Professor Todd Pagano of the Rochester Institute of Technology's National Technical Institute for winning the highly celebrated 2012 U.S. Professor of the Year Award. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebration of this momentous honor.

Mr. Speaker, it is my esteemed honor to recognize Mr. Wade Norwood of the Finger Lakes Health Systems Agency (FLHSA) in Rochester, New York, who was today awarded the ``Rock in the Pond'' Unsung Heroes of Public Health Award by the Campaign for Public Health. I am immensely proud of Wade and the work that he and the FLHSA do for the citizens of Rochester.

Wade has dedicated his life to ensuring long-term community change for today's families and future generations. When it comes to public health, he is a true ``rock in the pond''--advocating for the betterment of our community, with a keen interest for the underserved and the most vulnerable. He gives a voice to those who do not have one, and advocates health care equity for all, whether in his role as Director of Community Engagement at the FLHSA, as Pastor of the Holy Jerusalem Spiritual Church in Rochester, NY, or as a member of the New York State Board of Regents.

At FLHSA, Wade plays a crucial role in convening programs that improve public health, such as the local Partnership for the Uninsured, the Rochester Area Task Force on AIDS, the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning, the African-American Health Coalition and the Latino Health Coalition, and Healthi Kids, among others. He has been the face and voice of statewide health care improvement as he has led the FLHSA's effort to reduce health disparities, helping to shape the Agency's community engagement efforts and providing leadership to issues that have a tremendous impact on the health of the city of Rochester and the Finger Lakes region. He heads up a program called Healthi Kids, which advocates for policy changes that prevent childhood obesity, and which has resulted in returning recess into Rochester City School District (RCSD) elementary schools and working with the RCSD to provide healthier, more nutritional and culturally relevant meals during the school year and summer camps. As a result, approximately 30,000 children and youth receive healthier school meals daily.

Wade also convenes the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning in Rochester, an education and advocacy organization composed of nearly 100 individuals and community organizations dedicated to eliminating childhood lead poisoning in Monroe County. The program received the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Justice Achievement Award for its leadership in community-based efforts to prevent childhood lead poisoning. It has influenced major lead-related public policy changes, including a local lead ordinance requiring inspections for lead paint hazards.

Under Wade's leadership, the High Blood Pressure Collaborative aims to reduce the incidence of hypertension and its devastating effects (heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke) through a collaborative approach and community engagement. The program includes working with employers to establish worksite wellness initiatives, collaborating with faith and community based organizations in inner city neighborhoods where residents find barriers in accessing care, and working with health providers to improve their practices' control rate of high blood pressure. In 2012 alone, the Collaborative provided over 7,000 face-to-face blood pressure readings and consultations, and another 6,000 with kiosks strategically located in public facilities, such as libraries.

Wade has expanded the roles of the Health Disparities/African American and Latino Health Coalitions to ensure there is a community table that is truly representative, and that all voices are heard. Wade and the members of the coalitions address diseases of deep impact to minorities, which include metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure. This effort included engaging 19 churches--including his own--with a membership in excess of 5,000 minority congregants, to engage in screening and health literacy programs.

Wade also led the Partnership on the Uninsured in its evaluation of insurance coverage barriers, defining community-wide strategies to address these barriers, and implementing a strategic approach to diminishing the number of those without health insurance.

Whether it is through his extensive work with FLHSA, on volunteer boards, in his parish, or in the many civic roles he holds, Wade embodies the ``Rock in the Pond'' award he has received. He makes a difference in the health and well-being of all in our community. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Wade Norwood for his commitment, his selflessness, and his passion to improve the health and lives of all those around him.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote Nos. 612 and 613. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote No. 612 and ``nay'' on rollcall vote No. 613.

Mr. Speaker, it is my esteemed honor to recognize Mr. Ralph Spezio

of Rochester, New York for his continuous advocacy and leadership to prevent and test for childhood blood lead poisoning. It is a pleasure to acknowledge Ralph as an educator, community servant, and leader in the fight to protect children's health.

Ralph Neil Spezio served for 33 years in the Rochester City School District as a teacher, curriculum specialist, vice principal and principal. As principal of Enrico Fermi School No. 17, he excelled at engaging students, faculty, families and the surrounding neighborhood. Ralph addressed the needs of the school both inside and outside its walls in order to restore School No. 17 back to a safe place for learning. He connected with Rochester's leading medical centers to build the Community Health and Family Center on school grounds, established a music program with help from the renowned Eastman School of Music, and promoted an active parent-teacher association.

Despite these improvements, a large portion of Ralph's students continued to struggle with learning and behavioral problems. He felt that his school had more than the average number of students who had trouble with focus, memory, language, and impulsive behavior. It turned out that while Ralph was working to level the playing field for students to have a fair chance at success--even in a school plagued with a 98% poverty rate and located in Rochester's poverty crescent--an unforeseen and slient monster was working against him: lead poisoning.

Lead is a highly toxic metal. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concludes that in young children, lead poisoning can result in lowered intelligence, reading and learning disabilities, impaired hearing, reduced attention span, hyperactivity, and antisocial behavior. In 1999 Ralph overheard school nurses speaking about students who had been poisoned. Eventually it was discovered that school health records showed 41 percent of the children at School No. 17 had a history of elevated levels of lead in their blood. Worst yet, those were only the results of those children who were tested directly for lead.

Through the Community Health and Family Center he had established, Ralph began testing preschool students for lead. That first year, 100% of the preschoolers tested were positive for lead. Ralph immediately initiated a grass-roots effort to educate the community about the dangers of lead and to advocate for blood tests and home inspections.

Mr. Spezio became a founding member of the Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning, a group of Rochester doctors, nurses, lawyers, educators, child advocates, health insurers, property owners and community leaders committed to ending childhood lead poisoning. The work of this coalition has earned the EPA's Environmental Justice Achievement Award. In conjunction with local government and with the support of federal resources through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Coalition reports an 84 percent decline in childhood lead poisoning in Monroe County over the past decade. With this success, Rochester has become a model for other cities combating lead problems.

I am so proud of the excellent, life-changing work that Ralph has done and his commitment to putting children first in Rochester. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing and thanking Mr. Ralph Spezio for his leadership, compassion and dedication to the healthy development of our nation's most precious resources, our children.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 604, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the Stokoe Family of Scottsville, New York. For 200 years, Stokoe Farms has thrived as a family farm, and grown to become an icon of Western New York.

Thomas Stokoe founded Stokoe Farms in 1812, after immigrating to the United States from Nafferton, England. Thomas originally purchased 100 acres on Bowerman Road in Scottsville. A year later, Thomas married Maria Romeyn and by 1859 Thomas and Maria had passed the growing family farm onto the next generation.

Today, the 7th generation of Stokoe family members continues to operate Stokoe Farms. It has continued to grow over the years thanks to the hard work, commitment and dedication of the Stokoe family, and is now home to crops, livestock and agri-entertainment that draw 60,000 visitors a year.

Today's farm is sustained by the hard work and dedication of Dick, Greg, Kim, Jeff, Scott, Debra, Larry, Martha and Suzanne. Over the years, these family members have maintained the farming practices pioneered by Thomas 200 years ago. In order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the farm, the Stokoe family uses practices such as conservation tillage, integrated crop management, and minimal use of pesticides to ensure the farm grows for generations to come.

Perhaps most notably, the Stokoe family brings the same dedication and devotion to their work in our Western New York community. When not on the farm, the Stokoe family has selflessly served on both school and town boards, and devoted themselves in service of their faith.

Mr. Speaker, like our families, our nation is the product of work that has spanned generations. As the Stokoe family celebrates 200 years of family farming, they show our nation that it is the time-honored values of hard work, integrity and dedication to community and family that will sustain our nation, and Stokoe Farms, for another 200 years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove Representative McNerney of California as a cosponsor of H.R. 5864, the Invasive Fish and Wildlife Prevention Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

This week marks the last time the Chamber will meet until the middle of November. As we depart, the majority walks away with the dubious distinction of having presided over a session of Congress that is widely called the least productive in history. This Congress has achieved that distinction because, although bipartisan consensus is needed to pass any bill into law, the majority has spent the last 2 years pursuing an extreme and partisan agenda. In fact, they have repeatedly spurned potential bipartisanship in order to vote on ideological legislation that will never become law.

In week after week, the majority has refused to help our Nation's drought-stricken farmers. With the Senate-approved farm bill sitting on the table and a bipartisan outcry to pass a 5-year farm bill growing, the majority has decided to neglect our Nation's farmers and allow the farm bill to expire without even attempting to pass a bill at any time in the House.

An expiration of the farm bill means that dairy farmers in my part of the country, western New York, and throughout the United States will lose what little safety net they have. Yet, when faced with the choice of passing a compromised farm bill or pursuing an all-or-nothing partisan agenda or, as we're doing today, passing bills that have already passed the House just because they liked them so much they wanted to see them again, the majority chose the latter.

In western New York, farmers don't need the majority to play partisan games. They need a 5-year farm bill, and they need it now.

Unfortunately, the bills we consider today offer more of the same. Both the bills before us today are little more than extreme and partisan messaging documents designed to benefit politicians running for office, not the American citizen struggling to get by. Take, for example, H.R. 3409, the Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act. That's a fine title there. Four out of the five titles in this bill, as I had said a minute ago, four out of the five bills in this measure have already been voted on by the House, but they were too partisan and extreme to pass the Senate. They will not yet again pass the Senate; therefore, it is simply a waste of time today.

It costs a lot of money to bring all the Members of Congress back to Washington from the four corners of the United States, and to come back to repass bills that have already passed that will never go beyond this House cannot be called anything else but a colossal, disastrous waste of time.

Among other things, the bill would roll back decades of environmental protections, endanger the public's health, and prevent our country from addressing the growing threat of climate change. The majority knows that such extreme proposals will not pass into law, but they are moving forward anyway in order to serve political campaigns. Similar sentiments appear to be driving the consideration of the second proposal, the TANF disapproval resolution.

This bill is based upon a premise that has been proven false by multiple fact-checking organizations, including The Washington Post Fact Checker. Indeed PolitiFact, an nonpartisan project of the Tampa Bay Times, has concluded that ``by granting waivers to States, the Obama administration is seeking to make welfare-to-work efforts more successful, not end them.''

Despite that, we're going to bring up the bill today to cure something that does not exist. It is astounding that at a time when we could be voting on a jobs bill, Republicans have instead chosen to block an Obama administration proposal that would help States put more people back to work and, indeed, has been requested by those States' Governors.

Perhaps most telling is the fact that even as we consider these bills, the majority also refuses to consider legislation to address serious national crises.

Yesterday at a meeting of the Rules Committee, they blocked five amendments that would address those issues.

First they brought an amendment by Representative Boswell to vote on the bipartisan Senate farm bill. They had another chance yesterday to bring the farm bill up before we all go home. Then they brought an amendment by Representative Moore to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, which expires in days and a bipartisan bill, if ever there was one, because I was one of the coauthors of the bill. That has been routinely authorized by both parties until this year.

Finally, they blocked amendments by my colleagues, Representatives Levin, Connolly, and Blumenauer to pass tax cuts for the middle class, to extend a production tax credit for renewable energy producers, wind energy, and to consider legislation to address the financial crisis facing the postal service.

The majority was given a chance to bring all of its proposals to the floor, but they walked away and went forward with the messaging before us today. So we will pass today four bills that have been passed previously.

I asked my colleagues in the majority: Which is more important, to provide relief to the drought-stricken farmers or voting to deny climate change? Which is more important, passing a symbolic resolution based upon a false premise or providing tax cuts to the middle class? Which is more important, passing self-proclaimed messaging documents, or working together to provide for the millions of Americans in need? If you would ask a farmer in Monroe County, New York, if they would rather have Congress pass a dead-on-arrival messaging bill or act on a bipartisan farm bill, I know and you know what they would choose.

In closing, what we are considering today are choices made by the majority, a choice to pursue an extreme and bipartisan agenda that they knew would never become law. In so doing, they have failed to provide results for the American people that lead to the least productive Congress in the history of our Nation.

I urge my colleagues to reconsider the choices that have been brought here today and the legislation that we are about to consider. In the process, I hope we can finally end the political games and return to the responsibility of governing.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey).

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).

Mr. Speaker, I'm glad to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch).

Mr. Speaker, we have no further requests for time, except one more. And we want to defeat the previous question.

I'm going to offer an amendment which proposes that Congress will not adjourn until the President passes the middle class tax cut into law. Additionally, I want to make in order the amendment that will extend the renewable energy tax credit. These tax credits are directly responsible for creating more American jobs. Allowing them to expire will mean fewer manufacturing jobs at home and more jobs sent overseas to China. We cannot afford to leave town without extending them.

To discuss our proposal, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Boswell).

(Mr. BOSWELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I do have a late entry here. I would like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews).

(Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire through my colleague if he has any other requests for time?

It happens.

Then I am prepared to close, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I sincerely regret that today we will consider legislation that has no chance of becoming law. Our constituents send us here with an expectation that we will work together and deliver results. That doesn't mean that they expect us to abandon all of our principles, but it does mean that while we engage in fierce debate, we do so in the spirit of collaboration and at the end of the day we come together to produce bipartisan legislation that will address the major issues that are facing our country.

For the last 2 years, the majority has actively avoided such bipartisan legislating, and as a result we face a mounting number of issues that demand our attention. Sadly, none of those pressing issues are addressed in today's bills.

So I urge my colleagues to oppose today's rule and the underlying legislation. It is time we put aside political games and address the pressing national issues facing this country.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the amendment in the Record, along with extraneous material, immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the previous question, to defeat the previous question, and I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, It is my esteemed honor to celebrate the Rochester Institute of Technology's 100th year of Cooperative Education. I am joined by the Honorable Kathy Hochul and the Honorable Tom Reed as we congratulate the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). RIT is home to our nation's fourth oldest established Cooperative Education Program. Cooperative Education provides students with the opportunity to enrich their traditional higher education experience by alternating periods of full-time study with periods of full-time, for credit, paid employment appropriate to their educational and career goals. It is a true testament to the progressiveness of Rochester region to be home to this longstanding educational program.

Established in 1912, RIT's Cooperative Education has grown to be nationally recognized as one of the nation's top programs by U.S. News and World Report and the Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services. RIT offers one of the largest programs in the world with more than 3,800 students completing nearly 5,800 quarterly work assignments with more than 2,000 employer partners throughout the U.S. and in 40 other countries around the world each year.

In the Cooperative Education program, RIT encourages students to explore their interests through hands-on experience while they are still working towards their degree. By providing students with the opportunity to experience their field of interest outside the classroom, RIT's graduates are better equipped to enter full-time jobs and thrive.

Cooperative Education is a required component in several of RIT's colleges including the Kate Gleason College of Engineering, the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences, The Saunders College of Business, and the College of Applied Science and Technology.

Through Cooperative Education programs, our universities ensure that American students are trained in best practices and have in-depth knowledge of the cutting edge technologies of today's global world. RIT's program and others like it are crucial to ensuring that the next generation of American professionals can compete and win in a globalized world.

Through the support of RIT faculty and administration, countless students have expanded their knowledge and skills in the Cooperative Education program. They've been exposed to unique experiences and unparalleled knowledge that has prepared them for successful careers. For one hundred years, RIT has dedicated itself to providing these unique learning opportunities, and helped to prepare America's next generation for years of success to come.

Today I stand with Representatives Hochul and Reed to congratulate the Rochester Institute of Technology on its 100th anniversary of enriching countless students through Cooperative Education. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebration of this momentous occasion.

Mr. Speaker, it is my esteemed honor and privilege to recognize Dr. Thomas K. Mclnerny of Rochester, N.Y., as the next elected President of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP is the nation's largest pediatric organization, with a membership of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists, and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety, and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.

Dr. McInerny is Associate Chair for Clinical Affairs and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center and Golisano Children's Hospital, and has worked as a primary care pediatrician at Panorama Pediatric Group in Rochester, N.Y., for 40 years. After earning his medical degree at Harvard Medical School, Dr. McInerny completed his residency at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Boston Children's Hospital. Dr. Mclnerny has held numerous elected and appointed positions, including the AAP Task Force on Mental Health, the Task Force on Immunization, and the Steering Committee on Quality Improvement and Management. He has served as President of Chapter I, District II (Upstate NY), Treasurer of District II, and has served on the board of directors and as chief medical officer of the Rochester Community Individual Practice Association, a physician-run organization dedicated to maintaining a community-wide panel of health care professionals to provide high quality, cost-effective, and accessible health care to 500,000 residents of the Greater Rochester Area.

It is our responsibility to ensure that children grow up in a safe and healthy environment--protecting children's health must be our top priority. This is why I am so pleased to see that dedicated doctors such as Dr. McInerny are recognized for their achievements.

Dr. McInerny has spent decades working to protect the children and families of the Rochester area and now has the opportunity to broaden his positive impact nationwide. As President-elect, Dr. McInerny has stated that he will work with legislators and stakeholders to ensure that children have access to quality health care. I am confident that Dr. McInerny will be a strong and dedicated leader in protecting the health of our nation's children.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in warmly congratulating Dr. McInerny upon his election as President of AAP.

Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to reintroduce the Waterfront Brownfields Revitalization Act. This bill will authorize a much needed grant program to assist communities that are overcoming the unique challenges of waterfront brownfields and fostering innovative approaches to remediation.

America's industrial heritage was established along the banks of its rivers, lakes and coasts. Our nation's vast and interconnected natural water system helped provide the power that fueled our rise to international prominence, and allowed us to move our manufactured goods efficiently to all corners of the country. However, that legacy also includes many decades of environmental contamination on the waterfront. Abandoned factories, dilapidated mills and underutilized ports can be found along the shores of many metropolitan areas. As localities seek to reconnect with their waterfronts and revitalize their downtowns, brownfield barriers threaten to derail community efforts to create jobs, promote recreational opportunities, restore the ecology, increase tourism, and grow their tax base.

Waterfront brownfields present challenges beyond typical environmental assessment and cleanup projects. Hydrology, water quality, wetlands, endangered species, habitat, dredged materials, flooding, environmental infrastructure, navigation, and other considerations must be carefully addressed so as not to exacerbate existing site contamination. Typically, waterfront brownfields require the involvement of multiple governmental agencies. As such, waterfront brownfields require special attention and resources to overcome their larger hurdles.

In my own district, the City of Rochester, NY is currently working to revitalize its beautiful waterfront, while attempting to cope with the unique challenges that waterfront brownfields present. The city is undertaking a major community revitalization strategy to redevelop its port and waterfront area into a mixed use development, which will include housing, commercial, retail, and educational uses, enhanced recreation, new parks and open space, and improved public access to Lake Ontario, the Genesee River and the surrounding ecosystem. However, because the

Port of Rochester and surrounding waterways were used extensively for industrial purposes from the late 1800s into the first half of the 20th century, significant environmental remediation will be required prior to redevelopment.

Mr. Speaker, Rochester is not alone in facing these types of complicated and expensive challenges to redevelopment. Cities all across the country are dealing with similar roadblocks as they try to engage corporate waterfront real estate into their redevelopment plans, from Yuma, AZ and Portland, OR in the west, to Savannah, GA, and Philadelphia, PA in the east, and almost everywhere in between where lakes and rivers exist.

My bill recognizes that the federal government can be an effective partner to communities interested in reconnecting with their waterfronts. Specifically, this legislation would authorize the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish a waterfront brownfields pilot demonstration program to provide localities and other eligible entities with up to $500,000 to assess and cleanup waterfront brownfields. The bill would also establish an interagency taskforce on waterfront brownfields restoration to identify barriers and potential solutions to waterfront brownfields revitalization, and seek methods for federal interagency collaboration on such projects.

As cities across the country struggle to thrive in a changing global economy, and as our communities work to rebuild local economies, it is imperative that Congress do all that it can to help these cities redevelop and succeed. Industrialization and manufacturing helped make this country the power that it is today and remediating the contamination left behind will revive areas in cities across the nation that once were feared to be lost. This legislation will give these cities the flexibility and support they need to redevelop in an environmentally safe way, and utilize their waterfront as an incredible economic asset. I urge my colleagues to show their support for these communities by supporting this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize September as National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. This is an important time to raise awareness about the disease and its symptoms. In 2012, it is estimated that approximately 22,280 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 15,500 will die of the disease.

Ovarian cancer is the ninth most common cancer among women and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths, making it the deadliest gynecologic cancer. If ovarian cancer is treated before it spreads outside the ovary, the five-year survival rate is 93 percent. Currently, only 15 percent of ovarian cancers are found at such an early stage and overall the five-year survival rate is 46 percent.

I urge my colleagues to help make women aware of the potential warning signs to prevent future deaths. Experts recommend that women see a gynecologist if they experience any of the often subtle symptoms of ovarian cancer daily for more than a few weeks. Four major symptoms of ovarian cancer include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and frequent or urgent need to urinate. I ask all of my colleagues to become familiar with these symptoms and to share the information with their friends, family, staff, and constituents.

Because no ovarian cancer screening or early detection test exists, organizations such as the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance stress that ``until there's a test, awareness is best.'' I commend the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance for its steadfast commitment to make women aware of the risk factors, signs, and symptoms of ovarian cancer and for its advocacy on behalf of women and families touched by this devastating disease.

I also want to mention a few very important federal programs that are providing hope to those with ovarian cancer. The National Cancer Institute, NCI, at the National Institutes of Health does crucial research work in all areas of cancer, including ovarian cancer. These efforts will hopefully one day lead to breakthroughs that reduce ovarian cancer incidence, mortality, and morbidity. NCI has more than 550 active research projects on ovarian cancer in its cancer research portfolio.

Another important program is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Ovarian Cancer Control Initiative. This initiative works to coordinate and fund health activities working toward early detection and improved treatment options. CDC also plays a critical role in disseminating information about ovarian cancer risk factors, signs, and symptoms to women, health professionals, and the public. It is imperative that these programs continue to receive adequate funding in order to perform basic research and then translate that research into results for women with or at-risk for this terrible disease.

I encourage all Members of Congress and staff to join me this month in bringing greater awareness to ovarian cancer and to help educate the women in your life about the risk factors, signs, and symptoms of ovarian cancer. Together we can help save lives from ovarian cancer.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a group of Olympic champions from my home area of Rochester. All Rochesterians-- and Americans--are incredibly proud of these dedicated athletes who have trained to be the best and who achieved their dreams at the XXX Olympic Games in London.

Abby Wambach led the United States Women's Soccer team to their third straight Olympic gold medal. Abby grew up in Rochester, NY where she played soccer and basketball at Our Lady of Mercy High School, and was named to Parade Magazine's high school All-America team. She attended the University of Florida, where she was a first-team All American and led her team to the Final Four in her senior season. In 2001, Abby joined the Women's National Team and played in her first Olympic games in Athens in 2004, contributing four goals and one assist to the gold- medal effort for Team USA. She missed the 2008 games in Beijing because of a broken leg sustained in a collision in the final match before the Olympics. Abby was back with a vengeance in 2012, however, and scored a goal in every game leading up to the final match where the USA was victorious in dramatic fashion.

Jenn Suhr soared to a hard-fought Olympic gold in the Pole Vault. Jenn was born in Fredonia, NY and was a multi-sport athlete at Fredonia High School, playing softball, basketball, soccer, and track and field. As a senior in high school in 2000, Jenn won the New York State pentathlon. She then went on to Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester and focused her athletic energy on basketball and track and field. Not only did she take her basketball team to the NCCAA national championship game and become the team's all-time leading scorer in basketball with 1,819 points, but she also graduated with a degree in psychology and began a graduate degree in school psychology. Jenn did not even begin working on her pole vaulting skills until 2004, but she quickly proved her excellence in the sport. She was an Olympic silver medalist in 2008 in Beijing, and fought her way to the gold medal in London.

Meghan Musnicki was one of the women's eight team who rowed to their second straight Olympic gold in London. Meghan was born in Naples, NY and attended Canandaigua Academy for high school, where she played soccer and basketball. She first picked up an oar as a freshman in college at St. Lawrence University in 2001. Later Meghan transferred to Ithaca College, where she helped row her team to NCAA Championships in 2004 and 2005, including an undefeated season in 2004. Meghan graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in psychology. She was first selected to the U.S. National Rowing Team in 2010, after narrowly missing a chance at the Olympics in 2008, and was part of two World Championship eight boat teams prior to winning the gold in her first Olympic games in 2012.

Ryan Lochte swam to five medals in the 2012 Olympics, adding two golds, two silvers and a bronze to bring his total to 11 medals over three Olympic games. Ryan was born in Rochester, NY and attended school in Canandaigua before his family moved to Florida, where his father coached swimming. He was a 7-time NCAA Champion while swimming for the University of Florida and was named an NCAA All-American twenty-four times. Even more laudable than Ryan's athletic achievements is his commitment to raising awareness for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a neuromuscular illness to which Ryan lost a family member. He has helped Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy ``Go for the Gold'' by raising money for research projects towards finding a cure for the disease.

Henrik Rummel rowed with his team to a bronze medal in men's four race of the 2012 London Olympics. Born in Denmark, Rummel moved to Pittsford, NY with his family in 2000 and attended Pittsford Mendon High School. Previously a basketball player and a skier, Henrik began rowing on the Pittsford Crew Team in 2001. He made his first national team just three years later in 2004. Henrik was recruited to Harvard, where he studied applied mathematics and economics while rowing for one of the most renowned crew teams in the country. He swept the Harvard- Yale regatta in 2008 and 2009 and won gold in the pair with coxswain at the 2009 World Rowing Championships. Henrik's bronze medal with the men's four came in his first Olympics games.

Jason Turner competed in sport shooting events in London for the third time as an Olympian. Jason is originally from Rush, NY and graduated from McQuaid Jesuit High School. At just 12 years old, Jason began shooting competitively in 1987, and was named to the 2004 Olympic team in the free pistol and 10m air pistol events. He won a bronze medal in the 10-meter Air Pistol at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In London, Jason finished 34th with a score of 569 in the qualifying round.

Kara Lynn Joyce spent time in both Irondequoit and Webster, NY as she grew up, and still holds two school records in Webster. She attended the University of Georgia where she was an All-American three years in a row, and became the first female swimmer to win the 50-meter, 100- meter and 200-meter freestyle events. The London Olympics were also the third for Kara, who earned a pair of silver medals in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, and two more silvers in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Kara competed in the 50m free in London, and after finishing her heat tied with two other swimmers for sixteenth and final semi-final spot, treated fans to an exciting swim-off that was won by the host country's swimmer.

Jim Boeheim, best known to Western New Yorkers as the Hall of Fame coach of the Syracuse University men's basketball team, traveled to London to coach in his second Olympic games as an assistant coach for the USA Basketball team. Jim is a native of Lyons, NY and graduated from Lyons Central High School before attending Syracuse University where he attained a degree in social science. His remarkable career as a college basketball coach, which includes 34 consecutive years at one school--and the record for most career wins at one school--has now been enriched by leading the U.S. men's basketball team to two gold medals.

Gloria Peek made history in London as an assistant coach for the first-ever women's boxing event at the Olympics. Making history was nothing new for Gloria, a native of Geneva, NY and a former counselor for juvenile delinquents in Rochester, who was banned from amateur boxing in the 1970's for being a woman. She founded the Montgomery Boxing Club in the basement of the West Avenue Methodist Church in Fairport, NY in 1988 to keep young people off the streets, and she helped them finish school, apply to college and find jobs. At the 2012 Olympic games, Gloria helped coach the three women who qualified for the U.S. boxing team, including Claressa Shields, the first woman--and only member of the 2012 U.S. boxing team--to win Olympic gold.

Mr. Speaker, I am extremely proud of these men and women who dedicated themselves to excellence, and took advantage of the opportunity of the Olympic games to showcase to the world what Rochester can do. I look forward to following their future careers, as well as those of all the young Rochesterians that they have undoubtedly inspired to pursue dreams of their own.