Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize John L. ``Jack'' Stitzer, who was honored on May 8 as a Chevalier (Knight) of the Legion of Honor at the French Embassy in Washington, DC by Olivier Serot Almeras, the Consul General of France. Napoleon Bonaparte created the Legion of Honor in 1802 when he was first consul of France. Those who qualify for this award aided in the liberation of France during World War II.

Mr. Stitzer, resident of Gordon, Pennsylvania, entered the U.S. Army on May 24, 1943, and served with the 159th Engineer Combat Battalion. He was stationed in the United States, unaware his unit was preparing to leave for the D-Day invasion in Normandy. Mr. Stitzer served in the Third Army, which was commanded by General George S. Patton. Mr. Stitzer remained in Normandy for a few weeks before his unit of engineers travelled up the coast to clean the mines off the beaches, and ultimately fought as infantry. He and his unit travelled from Brest to Luxembourg and were stationed there until the Battle of the Bulge, where Mr. Stitzer was wounded.

Mr. Stitzer aided in the relief of the 101st Airborne Division, which defended the Belgian town of Bastogne against the Nazis by cindering the roads for the tanks throughout the day and night. He also witnessed the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany.

Mr. Stitzer was also honored on May 26, 2014 as the grand marshal of the Gordon Memorial Day parade. Mr. Stitzer has received the Good Conduct Medal, Distinguished Unit Badge, American Service Ribbon, Eastern Theater Offensive Ribbon with five Battle Stars, the Purple Heart and World War II Victory Medal. He served in Scotland, England, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Holland and Czechoslovakia until he was discharged on December 19, 1945.

Mr. Stitzer and his wife live in Gordon, Pennsylvania, and have three children. After his service in World War II, he ran his father's lumber yard and hardware store, and also was a salesman for Ajax Building Materials for 20 years.

I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Mr. Stitzer for his outstanding service for our country, and for risking his life during World War II to fight in France. He serves as a role model and inspiration to all, and I offer my sincere congratulations to him on this momentous occasion.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Augustine Pullo, Alfred DeRenzis, and Father Edward Quinnan for their contributions to their profession, community, and faith after graduation from Pius X in Bangor, Pennsylvania. They have been recognized by their beloved school.

Augustine Pullo, Class of 1973, had a passion for music that started early. He continued his musical endeavors and earned a degree at East Stroudsburg University. For 17 years, he worked as a top manager at a McDonald's. Later, he established three successful businesses in the Northampton County's Slate Belt. A posthumous award recognized his dedication to his community and to his school.

Alfred DeRenzis, Class of 1963, was once Student Council President and was active in clubs and sports. He left Pius to earn a dental degree, become faculty at the University of Maryland School for Dental Medicine, and later a stockbroker. Today, he participates in model airplane competitions. He kept a second residence in his hometown of Roseto and maintains ties to Slate Belt community.

Father Edward Quinnan, Class of 1974, was a member of the honor society while in school and was active in many clubs. After Pius, he studied biology and chemistry before graduating from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, CA, and becoming an Assistant Professor in Counseling at Loyola University in Chicago. He currently provides retreat programs and finds it ``life-giving.''

I add my congratulations to the honors bestowed from Pius X Junior/ Senior High School. I applaud the dedication to profession, community, and country.

Madam Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Madam Chair, I rise also in support of the amendment offered by my dear friend from New Jersey, Dr. Holt. And I also want to echo the words of the gentleman from California, Representative Farr, in saying that it has been an honor and a privilege to serve in his company in the United States House of Representatives.

Madam Chair, average temperatures have risen across the contiguous 48 States since 1901, with an increased rate of warming over the past 30 years. Seven of the top 10 warmest years on record have occurred since just 1998. Tropical storm activity in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico has increased during the past 20 years. In the past 2 years alone, extreme weather events resulted in 109 Presidential major disaster declarations, 20 events that each inflicted at least $1 billion in damage, 409 deaths, and $130 billion in economic losses in 44 States. All that was caused by these 20 events alone.

Every part of the Southwest experienced higher average temperatures between 2000 and 2013 than the long-term average dating back to 1895. Some areas were nearly two degrees warmer than average. We simply cannot afford to ignore this increasing threat in the future. In times like these, it would be irresponsible to cut funding for research dedicated to predicting future extreme weather events, but that is just what this legislation does.

Madam Chair, research is how we educate ourselves. And the familiar maxim to everyone is, if you think education is expensive, try ignorance.

The bill, as it stands, currently would cut $37.5 million from research on the effects of climate change, like tropical storms, floods, and droughts. That is why I support Dr. Holt's amendment, which would restore funding to the FY14 budget levels so that we can continue our research into these disasters and save the lives and businesses affected by climate change.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, for the first time ever, the threats posed by extreme weather were added to the GAO's High Risk List, which lists the most pressing fiscal exposures our Federal Government faces. In the past 2 years alone, extreme weather events resulted in 109 Presidential major disaster declarations, 409 fatalities, and $130 billion in economic losses to our Nation.

As somebody who firmly believes we must better prepare for extreme weather, protect government and private sector resources, and create a more resilient society, I have drafted legislation that utilizes these recommendations of the GAO. The PREPARE Act requires agencies to implement government-wide resiliency, preparedness, and risk management priorities; improves regional coordination; and disseminates best practices and actionable data. And possibly even more important is the cost of this legislation: $0, while having the possibility of saving taxpayers billions.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in recognition of David J. Wenzel, recipient of the 2014 Amos Lodge Americanism Award. This honor recognizes a lifetime of outstanding community service best exemplifying the American spirit. A native of Scranton, he proudly served as Scranton's 27th mayor from 1986 to 1990, and has supported many public, civic, and charitable causes both before and after his distinguished term.

A trained Army officer, David Wenzel served in Vietnam as a First Lieutenant, commanding the mortar platoon of A Company of the American Division. While leading his men in occupying an area near the battalion fire base, he stepped on a land mine and was almost killed. The explosion took both his legs and caused other serious injuries, but Wenzel survived. Upon his return home, he underwent four major operations and an intense rehabilitation, but walked out of the Valley Forge Army Hospital on two prosthetic legs. He received a Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the South Vietnam Medal, and the Combat Infantryman's Badge in recognition of his outstanding service and sacrifice for his country.

As Mayor of Scranton, Wenzel oversaw an active administration that accomplished a great deal during a period of renaissance and progress for the city. During his term, Scranton began to implement plans for the Mall at Steamtown and established flood control projects to aid in the recovery from Hurricane Gloria. He emphasized full cooperation with the city's growing neighborhood associations and made the city a leader in access for the disabled. Under his leadership, Scranton earned the moniker ``Tree City'' for the city's commitment to plant thousands of trees in an urban environment. Throughout his term, David embodied honesty, integrity, and cooperation in working with the city council to serve the people of Scranton.

After his term as Mayor, David Wenzel continued serving his community at the Schemel Forum at the University of Scranton, where he still teaches today, and as an advisor to many veterans associations. He has served on the Boards of the United Way, Allied Services, Mayor's Prayer Service, Scranton/Pocono Girl Scout Council, Deutsch Institute, American Legion, and the University of Scranton's Board of Regents. Wenzel was also named the Disabled Veteran of the Year in Pennsylvania and the National Disabled Veteran of the Year.

I am proud to congratulate David Wenzel on this award recognizing his voluminous service to his country and the city of Scranton. His record of serving others embodies the ideals of our country, and he is a role model for all Americans to emulate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor John Ostrum and Alan Klapat of the Wilkes-Barre Fire Department, who were recently promoted from the rank of captain to assistant fire chief and deputy fire chief, respectively. Together, they have almost 60 years of combined experience serving the city of Wilkes-Barre.

John Ostrum, a second generation firefighter, is the most senior member of the fire department. After joining the Wilkes-Barre Fire Department as a firefighter in 1978, he has

served for the past 26 years as fire captain. Ostrum has completed many fire and emergency response training programs, including water rescue, firefighter survival, and emergency vehicle driver training.

Alan Klapat has served the Wilkes-Barre fire department for 23 years. During his career, Klapat has served as lead fire investigator, fire training officer, and fire inspector for the city's fire department. He also provides fire safety education programs to civic and social organizations, elementary schools, educators, and child/adult caregivers. Before joining the Wilkes-Barre Fire Department, Klapat was enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and attained the rank of Sergeant.

I am proud to celebrate the achievements of these two distinguished public servants. They deserve our gratitude for their decades of dedication to public safety, and I wish them the best of luck as they protect the city of Wilkes-Barre in their essential new roles.

Mr. Speaker, I rise because today in the House we will bring up a vote on approximately $310 billion of permanent tax credit extenders, including the very popular research and experimentation credit, a bipartisan-supported tax extender, but this is something that is being brought up without a pay-for at a time when the United States of America now has 2.6 million citizens who have lost their long-term unemployment benefits.

In my State of Pennsylvania alone, we have 125,000 families who lost that lifeline because, Mr. Speaker, you refuse to bring this up for a vote because it doesn't have a pay-for.

Fair is fair, Mr. Speaker. We support many of these extenders, but we can't leave these American families out in the cold like this.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Sister Margaret Gannon, I.H.M., Ph.D., who will retire from Marywood University on May 31, 2014. In her 47 years with Marywood, Sr. Margaret has taught thousands of students, raised the level of discourse in the community, and passionately advocated for peace, education, and social justice.

During her tenure at Marywood, Sr. Margaret contributed to multiple departments and served in a number of leadership positions. She began her distinguished career at Marywood in 1968 as an Assistant Professor of History, and later served as Chair of Social Sciences, both graduate and undergraduate divisions. In 1978, Sr. Margaret founded the Theresa Maxis Center for Justice and Peace and assumed the role of director for several years. From 1988 to 1993, she served as

Dean of the Undergraduate School for Women and established the Women's Studies minor. Later, as Coordinator of Diversity Efforts, she traveled to Japan as a visiting professor at the Takasaki Art Centre College in 1995.

In nearly five decades as a scholar, Sr. Margaret has contributed dozens of publications to the canon of academic literature and presented on a variety of important topics. To name but a few, she authored entries in The New Catholic Encyclopedia on Theresa Maxis Duchemin and the Immaculate Heart of Mary Congregation, and she made a presentation for the American Catholic Historical Association entitled ``The Struggles of Theresa Maxis Duchemin: Confronting Racism and Sexism in the Nineteenth Century Church.'' Through her advancements in scholarly discourse and public presentations in the community, Sr. Margaret has consistently pushed her students to excel and enriched the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre area.

In addition to her academic achievements, Sr. Margaret has dedicated her life to serving her community. She donated her time, passion, and leadership to many local organizations, such as Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority, Women's Community Learning Coalition, Housing Coalition for Scranton Families, and St. Joseph's Center. In recognition of her service to her community, Sr. Margaret has received numerous awards and honors, including Marywood University's first Faculty Service Award.

It is my great honor to congratulate and celebrate Sr. Margaret Gannon on her lifetime of service to her students and community. Her efforts set a shining example for her students, her neighbors, and all of Northeast Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Deputy Fire Chief John H. Price for receiving the professional designations of Certified Fire Investigator and Fire Officer. Deputy Chief Price has been a fire fighter for the Easton Fire Department for 31 and a half years. After five years of study and hard work, Deputy Chief Price received the Certified Fire Investigator (CFI) certification. Through education, training, and years of experience, he met the requirements needed to pass the comprehensive exam and successfully obtain certification. Deputy Chief Price joins the 58 other Certified Fire Investigators in Pennsylvania. Additionally, Deputy Chief Price was awarded the designation of Fire Officer (FO) by the Commission on Professional Credentialing. There are only three Fire Officers in Pennsylvania, and Deputy Chief Price is the first officer from the Lehigh Valley to obtain that distinction.

I offer my congratulations to Deputy Chief Price for obtaining the Certified Fire Investigator and Fire Officer certifications, and I applaud him for his continuing dedication to the City of Easton Fire Department and his outstanding efforts to develop as a professional in order to keep the Easton community safe. I ask my fellow Members to join me in recognizing Deputy Chief John Price for his outstanding service and achievements.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Daniel E. Cohen, who has dedicated 45 years as a board member and as President to ProJeCt of Easton, a human service agency founded by local clergy and community leaders in response to rising tides of poverty and social unrest in 1968, that works to support poor and underserved populations. Under Mr. Cohen's leadership, ProJeCt of Easton provides emergency assistance and food programs; case management and life skills support; and educational programs including adult basic literacy, English as a second language, GED preparation, family literacy, and supplemental programs for school-age children.

Since joining ProJeCt just after its incorporation, Daniel Cohen has been a tireless advocate for the vulnerable individuals who depend on the agency. After working for Easton's needy families for decades, he became board president in 2001 and served until 2007. Leading by example, he and his wife Nancy donated the cost of a classroom to ProJeCt's Fowler Literacy Center, which now serves 25 ESL adult learners on an ongoing basis throughout the year.

Mr. Cohen has also donated his time, effort, and considerable skill set to other charitable and non-profit organizations, including the Bnai Abraham Synagogue, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley, and the Lehigh Valley Jewish Foundation. He also served on the boards for the Hugh Moore Canal Commission, Friends of the State Theater Inc., and the City of Easton Police Practices Commission. As a community member, he is a constant figure at events as and always eager to help out, along with his wife Nancy and his two daughters.

In recognition of his service, ProJeCt of Easton founded the Daniel E. Cohen Award in honor of Mr. Cohen and recognized him as its first recipient on April 24, 2014. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to offer my heartfelt congratulations to Daniel E. Cohen for this great honor and my thanks for his years of public service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Cancer Support Community for their decade of service to the Greater Lehigh Valley area. Since 2004, this organization has provided support, hope, and a sense of control to 26,400 people struggling with cancer in seven counties, including Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, and Schuylkill Counties in Pennsylvania as well as Warren County in New Jersey.

The Cancer Support Community offers free programs, educational classes, and support groups to patients and their families as they undergo the difficult stages of this terrible disease. Through their works, the Cancer Support Community of the Greater Lehigh Valley ensures no one has to face cancer alone. I extend my personal gratitude to the members of the board of directors, staff, and volunteers for their invaluable service to patients and their families in these communities.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to acknowledge the men and women of Luzerne County Emergency Responders and Public Safety Telecommunicators, who on April 12, 2014 will hold a Public Safety Open House to celebrate National County Government Month and National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week.

Emergencies that require police, fire, or emergency medical services can occur at any time. When an emergency occurs, the prompt response of police officers, firefighters, and paramedics is critical to saving lives and protecting homes. The safety and success of our police officers and firefighters depends upon the quality and accuracy of information provided through the Luzerne County 911 communications center.

Public Safety Telecommunicators are the first and most critical contact our citizens have with emergency services. They serve as the

vital link for our police officers and firefighters by monitoring their activities by radio, providing them with essential situation information, and insuring their safety. Public Safety Telecommunicators of Luzerne County 911 play a substantial role in fighting crime, suppressing fires, and ensuring patients receive necessary and timely treatment. These dispatchers exhibit compassion, understanding, and professionalism in performing this crucial public service.

I am honored to recognize these exceptional men and women for their distinguished service to their fellow citizens. Their diligence and professionalism keeps our community and our loved ones safe, and I thank them for all their work to protect Luzerne County.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the Carbondale Public Library, which will celebrate its 140th anniversary on May 9, 2014. The library was founded in the winter of 1873 by the Principal of Schools, E. Francis, and incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth in 1875. In 1983, it became part of the Library System managed by Lackawanna County. In 1996, the Carbondale Public Library moved into a new facility next to Carbondale City Hall.

Today, the library is an active learning hub in the community-- featuring events and educational workshops--and a fantastic resource

for those interested in local history and the genealogy of Carbondale residents. The Alice Ahern Lynady Room is home to a collection of microfilms containing local periodicals from as early as the 1830s and Carbondale directories dating back to 1900. The library's wide-ranging collection also includes cemetery records, photographic histories, books and documentaries about Carbondale and the surrounding regions, and subscriptions to genealogy software services.

It is an honor to commemorate such a valuable and long-standing institution like the Carbondale Public Library. This invaluable resource brings the Carbondale community together to learn and explore. I hope that it continues this tradition of scholasticism and unity throughout the 21st Century.

Thank you, Mr. Pocan.

Madam Speaker, I rise not only in support of the Congressional Progressive Caucus budget, but in opposition to the abomination that is this Ryan budget.

I am from Scranton, Pennsylvania. I represent the great northeast part of Pennsylvania in the 17th Congressional District.

I wanted to talk this evening a little bit about a couple of guys that came from Scranton. The first one is the Vice President of the United States, Joseph Biden.

I mention Vice President Biden tonight because it was Vice President Biden who intoned the phrase--and continues to do so--that there are a lot of people out there that love to talk about their values.

They will tell you all day about their values--their values on this, their values on that. They will wear you out. They will give you a good ear beating about their values; but Vice President Biden says: look, don't tell me about your values. Show me your budget, and let me read it, and I will tell you about what your values are.

Because that is what a budget is, it is a statement of your values. It is a statement of your principles and priorities.

When we see something like this Ryan budget that cuts everything, like

pre-K education, what does it say? That says you don't care that much about educating young kids, even though you know that, if you start kids off behind all the other kids, they are going to be struggling the rest of their academic careers.

It is going to affect their self-confidence in their academic lives, and they are not going to go far in school. It has ripple effects. A higher percentage of them will get in trouble with the law. How much do we end up paying for all of those things?

If you don't devote money to pre-K, it says you don't care about those things. Those things are not included in your set of values.

I also want to talk about another fellow because, when you go and slash pre-K and K-12 and Pell grants for colleges and you turn your back on seniors and veterans and you favor the haves against the have- nots--and even the middle class--when you do those things, you do that all in the name of austerity and cutting because you are worried about the deficit and you are worried about $16 trillion--$17 trillion is higher than anybody has ever counted in the history of mankind; and so therefore, we have to cut, cut, cut.

A lot of that is well-intentioned--it really is--because people are afraid, but you have to look at the current debt of this Nation in the context of what the gross domestic product is.

The truth is our national debt is not the highest it has ever been in connection with and comparison to the gross domestic product. It is not anywhere near the highest it has ever been. That is something pointed out by another fellow from Scranton, former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich.

Robert Reich is all of about 5 feet tall on his tiptoes, but he is a giant when it comes to labor policy and economics. He points out forcefully, time and time again, that if you compare the national debt to the gross domestic product, the highest it ever was in that ratio was after World War II.

It was after we defeated the Nazis, after we defeated the Axis powers, and after we had engineered the New Deal and brought this Nation out of the Great Depression, where upwards of 25 percent of people were unemployed, and we had done all of that.

Robert Reich remembers vividly his father saying to him in the late forties, into the early fifties:

It's this Roosevelt debt we have been left with. You are

going to be paying this off the rest of your life, and your

children will be paying that Roosevelt debt off the rest of

your life and your grandchildren, too.

That is not what happened, though. Robert Reich happily tells the way it played out. The way it played out, what did we do? We believed in ourselves. We believed in the strength and the vision of Americans and we did things like the Marshall Plan, and we rebuilt Europe and Japan and built the interstate highway system in this country.

We sent the GIs to college under the GI Bill. For crying out loud, we sent a man to the Moon. We did all those things because we were bullish on America. We need to continue that approach, which is something that Robert Reich likes to point out.

He says that, by the late sixties, nobody could mention the Roosevelt debt with a straight face. So I am here to say, Madam Speaker and Mr. Pocan, that we need to do that again. We need to grow our way out of the debt.

It is nowhere near as bad as it was after World War II, but we still have to grow our way out of it by believing in ourselves by being bullish on America.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the St. Paul, St. Clare Crusaders 8th Grade Boys' Basketball Team, who ended a great season Friday, March 28, 2014. For the seventh year in a row, the Crusaders went undefeated as champions of the Luzerne, Lackawanna League and went on to compete in the Pennsylvania CYO Championship at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, where they faced the best teams that the state's eight Dioceses had to offer. Under the leadership of Mike Brown, and assistant coaches John Murray, Patrick Sweeney, and Jamie Dempsey, the team of 20 ranked 6th in the entire state with an overall 36-2 record.

It is with great pride that I honor the team and the coaching staff of St. Paul, St. Clare. The sportsmanship, althleticism, and teamwork that these young people displayed on the court brought their community together. I congratulate the Crusaders on their hard work and success, and I thank them for inspiring us all.