Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, with a resemblance to Sir Paul McCartney, the persona of a John Denver, and the soul of guitarist John Williams, local classical guitarist Jay Steveskey is a study in contradictions--engaging yet nonchalant, ready-to-do-battle yet laid back, fanciful yet down-to-earth, personable yet aloof, worldly yet parochial, busy yet relaxed. At a recent concert at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Scranton in which he shared the stage with the well-heeled flutist Ed Wargo, Jay Steveskey performed a special guitar solo of Francisco Tarrega's ``Recuerdos de la Alhambra.'' Translated as ``Memories of Alhambra,'' a famous palace in Granada, Spain, the romantic-era piece is by far Tarrega's most famous work and is considered a study in the art of the tremolo.

Steveskey's rendering of this work was both touching and gripping with tremolos as heartfelt and bittersweet as a lovesick teenager. The rise and fall of the melodic line was produced fine and evenly to the point of exquisite perfection. His technique was masterful in the tradition of Segovia, who considered this piece to be one of his personal favorites of the solo guitar repertoire. Both Tarrega and Segovia must have been smiling down upon Steveskey with this elegant and finely impressionistic performance. Two weeks later, Steveskey was superbly at it once again, engagingly performing the music this time of Mexican composers at a special Cinco de Mayo concert at the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock. A study of sorts in Mexican folk music, the program began with a Mexican piece by Agustin Lara about the Spanish city of Granada and ended with Five Sketches of Mexico by Julio Cesar Oliva. In between was the music of Manuel Ponce and Ernesto Garcia de Leon. Steveskey's musicality had the ring of authenticity and was quite dolce at various times throughout the program. The ``Seis Preludios Cortos'' written by Manuel Ponce at the end of his life for the children of a fellow composer was brooding and urgent as if the composer had a longing for Death. The ``Sonatina Meridional'' also by Manuel Ponce was the last piece written for his old friend, Andres Segovia, to whom he dedicated much of his career. The contemporary sketches of Mexico by Oliva were part of a set of twenty such impressionistic sketches with Steveskey performing two sets of five, for Cinco de Mayo. In keeping with the Cinco de Mayo theme of the program, Steveskey also performed the modernistic ``Cinco Bosquejos'' by Ernesto Garcia de Leon. Other brief pieces by Ponce such as ``Estrellita,'' ``Scherzino Mexicano,'' and ``La Pajarera'' rounded out the charmed performance.

Steveskey's nuanced sound was so honest and pure and full of lyricism that it could bring a grown hombre to tears. His overall performance was quite strong and very straightforward yet strewn with subtle touches here and there. His encore after the all-Mexican program was a well-known Mexican tune called ``Maria Elena.'' As the words to the poetic song ``Granada'' go: ``Granada, land of my dreams, mine becomes a gypsy song when I sing to you,'' Jay Steveskey has managed to capture the wayward and sensual soul of the Spanish-speaking people.

Mr. Speaker, over the past few weeks, newspapers in my district in Pennsylvania have reported that local housing authorities are facing a ``nightmare'' due to sequestration cuts in HUD, the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Mr. Speaker, fewer people are going to be able to access housing as a result of this Congress' nightmare policies.

In Northampton County, Pennsylvania, alone, 85 people are going to have to leave the section 8 voucher program through turnover or there will be evictions. In Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, 900 people will be removed from the program's waiting list.

Our social safety net is disappearing. And what happens if these people fall into homelessness? According to HUD, the annual cost of a shelter bed funded by the Emergency Shelter Grants program is approximately $8,067 more than the average annual cost of a section 8 voucher. This Congress is being penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jane E. Oppenheim, who will be honored Sunday, May 19, 2013 by the B'nai B'rith Amos Lodge No. 136 Scranton, Pennsylvania in recognition of her charitable efforts, community activism and advocacy for education.

Through her service over the years, Jane has merited numerous awards and honors, three of which include The Martha Wollerton Award for the Greatest Contribution to the Overall Welfare of the Community, the National Philanthropy Day Lifetime Achievement Award, and EOTC's Mighty Oak Award. Jane was also the recipient of the Roseanne Alperin Award from the Junior League of Scranton and the Scranton Area Foundation.

Jane has long been a champion of education. Chairing the University of Scranton's President's Board of Regents, Jane attained an honorary doctoral degree and the University's Frank O'Hara award. As a member of the Board of Trustees of Keystone College, Jane's role was instrumental in establishing the Oppenheim Family Children's Center. The Center provides high quality pre-kindergarten education and serves as a great resource for Keystone's early education programs. She is also a member of the steering committee for The Gathering, Keystone's nationally acclaimed literacy conference.

Over the years, Jane has additionally been involved with and extended her support to numerous community organizations including the NEPA Philharmonic, Family Service of Lackawanna County, Community Medical Center and the Scranton/Lackawanna Human Development Agency. She is a member of Scranton Area Foundation Board of Governors and has served the United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties in various capacities for many years.

Jane is also an honorary Life Board Member of Voluntary Action Center, A Sustaining Member of Junior League of Scranton and a recipient of the League Award for Volunteer Service and Leadership. She serves on the Everhart Museum Board and on the City of Scranton's Human Relations Commission. Jane was among the first Scranton Council of Literary Advancement Volunteers for Literacy and the catalyst for SCOLA's community giving initiatives. In 2009, Jane was named the Association of Fundraising Professional's Outstanding Philanthropist.

An alumna of Hunter College, Jane continued her education at Columbia University, where she earned her master's degree in English. Jane is a trustee of the Hunter College Foundation and board member of Hunter Alumni Association. She received a prestigious Hunter College Alumni Award for Community Service and was named to Hunter's ``Hall of Fame'' for outstanding community service.

Jane's selflessness has served as a guiding light for many to follow. I am sure that her actions have inspired others to devote themselves to the task of helping others, and I thank her for all the good she has done for the greater Scranton area and the people of northeastern Pennsylvania.

I rise today in favor of protecting our infrastructure, keeping our roads safe, and reducing emissions. There are serious safety, infrastructure, and environmental concerns involved with allowing even bigger and heavier tractor-trailers on our roadways than are currently allowed. Trucking accidents cause too many deaths, and the 3,373 victims in 2011 alone were disproportionately people who were driving in cars caught in these heavy truck crashes.

These oversized trucks also inflict disproportionate damage on our roads, and especially on our national bridge system. They impose a significant cost on the rest of us to pay for these repairs. Plus, allowing larger and heavier trucks would divert freight away from our rails and onto our highways, increasing congestion and emissions at a time when we are working hard to reduce both.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 249, the Federal Employee Tax Accountability Act of 2013.

On close examination, it is obvious that this bill is deceptive, unnecessary, and even counterproductive. It's a bill that puts additional requirements on Federal workers that the rest of the public does not face: that of losing their job because of a tax lien. On top of this, common sense will tell you it's a very difficult thing to collect taxes or any debt from somebody who doesn't have a job.

The IRS already has procedures in place to collect back taxes from Federal employees. The Federal Payment Levy Program allows the IRS to impose a continuous levy on Federal, and only Federal, employees up to 15 percent. This means Federal employees already are held to a higher standard and the IRS already has additional weapons in its arsenal, making the bill before us an over-the-top and punitive measure.

It's a solution without a real problem and a solution that will only make it harder to actually collect taxes. And I question whether this is a sincere effort to improve our Nation or just another in a long series of unfair attacks on Federal employees and the unions that represent them. These are people who haven't had a raise in 3 years. These are people for whom many are receiving furlough notices even as we speak. These are people that now we're attacking in a new and better way.

Mr. Speaker, I suggest at some point you wonder how we're supposed to attract talented and capable individuals to come to work for us when we treat them like this.

I urge my colleagues to join me in voting against the bill.

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the community of Orwigsburg, located in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, within my district, will celebrate its bicentennial year of existence, and I rise to honor and congratulate

the modern Borough of Orwigsburg and its citizens on this momentous occasion.

The motto of Orwigsburg is ``From where it all began is happening again,'' and it all began for what became Orwigsburg with the original designation of Philadelphia County, the later formation of Berks County, the eventual formation of Schuylkill County and, most importantly, the Orwig family, including Gottfried Orwig and his son, Peter, credited as founder and the namesake of this beautiful small town, rich in history and tradition.

The site of a number of 18th century Indian-settler skirmishes, Orwigsburg, as the settlement became known, was the county seat until Pottsville was so designated in the mid-19th century. Before Pottsville's ascension as the seat, Orwigsburg was the site of the first county courthouse, which stood at the corner of Warren and Market Streets from 1815 to 1941. The cupola from the original courthouse was recently salvaged for re-use in the Community Memorial Hall, creating a link between old and new.

And there is a lot of ``old'' to be proud of in Orwigsburg. From the building of the first boat for the Schuylkill canal to the first county fair to early shoe manufacturers to 20th century knitting mills, Orwigsburg has been a locus of important events throughout its two hundred years. The Orwigsburg Historical Society keeps a number of artifacts from the community's colorful past and, along with the Borough Council, has done its best to reconnect current residents to the past during the bicentennial lead-up year.

As Orwigsburg looks to the future, it aims to maintain its friendly atmosphere and the quality of life that is unique to a small town in a scenic county. Economic development is also always on the agenda, and, with two centuries of change already under its belt, I believe that the future is unlimited. I'm proud to represent Orwigsburg, and I wish everyone in the Borough the best for the community's bicentennial celebration.

I rise today to address the sequester.

Many of those in this House have been telling their constituents that the sequester doesn't make any difference, that nothing has really changed; but that simply is not true.

For example, a cut to the Federal Aviation Administration's budget will result in the furloughing of most of FAA's 47,000 employees, or at least one day per pay period through the end of the fiscal year. Even those employees who provide safety-critical services, like systems specialists and aviation safety inspectors, will be subject to the furlough. As much as 10 percent of the FAA's workforce could be on furlough on any given day, resulting in reduced air traffic control, longer delays and economic losses for air transportation, tourism, and the economy as a whole.

Last week, I visited Lynn Evans-Biga, the executive director of the Luzerne-Wyoming County Head Start in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, an agency which serves 1,000 students and has a waiting list of 700 already. It will have to accept 49 fewer students because of the 5.2 percent sequester cut.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw Mr. Adrian Smith of Nebraska as a cosponsor of H.R. 1175.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and thank Ronald Labar, who was recognized on Saturday, April 6, 2013 by his fellow firefighters for 40 years of courageous service and leadership with the Second Ward Fire Company of the Fire Department of Bangor, Pennsylvania.

As part of his four decades with the Second Ward, Mr. Labar served as the Captain of the company. Ronald was also Assistant Chief for 12 years, and then Chief of the fire department. His dedication to the job always created a lasting impression on both his colleagues and the members of the public who relied on his skills.

Firefighters must remain physically and mentally fit for the job and possess the highest levels of honesty and dependability. For administrators in this field, there is also a great need to be a coordinator, budgeter, educator, reviewer, communicator, engineer and counselor--and to be good at all of these roles. Over the last few decades, firefighting has changed, and some practices once considered safe have been replaced by new methods and technologies. Public officers like Ronald Labar, who serve through many such changes, are needed to bring cohesion to our critical civic institutions.

I thank Ronald for his efforts over 40 years on behalf of my constituents, and I salute his distinguished service to his community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and thank Merlin Repsher, who was recognized on Saturday, April 6, 2013 by his fellow firefighters for 50 years of brave service and leadership with Rescue Fire Company No. 1 of the Fire Department of Bangor, Pennsylvania.

Within those five decades, Mr. Repsher served as the chief engineer of the company. He also served as Fire Chief for five years. Merlin additionally always served as a mentor and trainer to new recruits, passing on his extensive knowledge to the next generation of firefighters. In that capacity, he worked as a teacher in the Northampton County Fire School.

Firefighters are often known for their dramatic acts of courage and quick-thinking in the field, but I understand that what a small community sometimes needs most is dogged dedication to the basic public-serving roles, including the civic administrative roles, on which everyone in town depends. Being there for one's neighbors--and always being there--is a quality to which we should all aspire. Fifty years in a demanding position, assisting those in need week in and week out, is quite an impressive record.

I ask everyone in Bangor and northern Northampton County to join me in congratulating Merlin Repsher for his decorated service to his community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Monsignor Joseph P. Kelly, who will be named Man of the Year by the Greater Wilkes-Barre Friendly Sons of St. Patrick this evening on the occasion of that organization's 68th St. Patrick's Day annual banquet.

Monsignor Joseph Kelly was born on October 5, 1940 in Hawley, Pennsylvania. He graduated high school from Scranton Preparatory and then continued his religious education at Christ the King Seminary at Saint Bonaventure University in New York.

Monsignor Kelly's work with students began early in his career when he taught 12th grade religion part-time at Scranton Prep while, at the same time, overseeing several parishes, including Saint Catherine's in Moscow and Holy Rosary in Scranton.

In 1971, Monsignor Kelly decided to take his talents halfway across the country to Omaha, Nebraska. He worked there as Director of Father Flanagan's Boys Town, now called Father Flanagan's Boy's and Girl's Town. This small ``city'' of a complex was--and still is--regarded as one of the Nation's premiere youth care agencies.

Back in northeastern Pennsylvania, Monsignor Kelly served as pastor of Saint Ann in Tobyhanna, Holy Rosary in Wilkes-Barre, and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Nativity of our Lord, both in Scranton. He has been a procurator and professor at Saint Pius X seminary, a Diocesan Director for Catholic Men, Women and Youth, and the Executive Director of Saint Michael's School for Boys.

Along with his continuing official assignments from the church, Monsignor Kelly serves today as Director of Camp Saint Andrew and is the founder of Project Hope at the camp. He is also the Executive Director of both the Saint Francis of Assisi kitchen in Scranton and the Saint Vincent De Paul kitchen in Wilkes-Barre. He resides at All Saints Parish Rectory in Plymouth, where he shares his well-earned wisdom at weekly masses. Monsignor Kelly's undying work and sincere dedication to others make him more than worthy of being named Man of the Year by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick.

I extend my thanks to Monsignor Joseph P. Kelly for his life-long, selfless commitment to our community, and I offer my good wishes and heartfelt congratulations to him on this momentous occasion.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mark Casper, who will be named Man of the Year by the Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick on the evening of March 17 at that organization's 99th annual St. Patrick's Day banquet.

Mark Casper was born in Pittston, the son of Eileen Brogan Casper and the late Robert Casper. A graduate of St. Mary's Assumption grade school and Seton Catholic high school, Mark attended Luzerne County Community College. He has been employed by Medico Industries for the past 27 years, holding various positions, and he is currently the service manager in the Wilkes-Barre location.

Mark is a member of Our Lady of the Eucharist parish in Pittston where he serves as chairman of the parish finance council and a member of the parish pastoral council. He is a member of the Exeter borough zoning board and a varsity assistant coach for the Pittston Area Lady Patriots basketball team.

Mark previously served as a member of the Holy Redeemer system school board and the Region 7 school advisory board. He was a coach for the Wyoming Valley boys' 8th grade catholic school basketball league and served as the league president for six years. He also served as a coach and board member for seven years in the Exeter little league program. And Mark was even a coach for the Pittston Area Stoners soccer team.

Prior to the closing of St. Mary's Assumption school, Mark served as the head basketball coach there for 27 years. He coached over 400 young men in 750 games, and his St. Mary's teams won 10 league championships and numerous tournament championships. He finished his head coaching career in 2012 as the boys' varsity basketball coach at Wyoming Area Catholic, where he reached the 500-win mark.

Mark's dedication to his parish and his school sports teams reflect a level of volunteerism and community spirit to which we should all aspire. I offer Mark my sincere congratulations and thanks on this momentous occasion.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Andrew Jason ``Andy'' Ashby, who will receive the Francis Swingle Award of the Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick on the evening of March 17, the occasion of that organization's 99th annual St. Patrick's Day banquet.

As a young man, Andy Ashby attended Park Hill high school in Kansas City, Missouri and then played baseball for Crowder College. In 1986, he was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Philadelphia Phillies. In his second start as a pitcher, against the Cincinnati Reds, he became part of an elite category of players by throwing an ``immaculate inning,'' a feat accomplished by striking out the first three batters of the opposing team in exactly nine pitches.

In 1993, Andy was acquired by the new, expansion-team Colorado Rockies. He later became a member of the San Diego Padres and enjoyed the height of his career. In 1998, he helped the Padres reach the World Series by compiling an impressive 17-9 record. He also represented the Padres and the National League in the 1998 and 1999 All-Star games. Andy later played for both the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He returned to San Diego before retiring from Major League Baseball in the mid-2000s. During his professional career he posted 98 wins, pitched 1,810 innings and struck out over 1,100 batters. He is an example of how discipline and hard work can lead to success on the field and in life.

Since retiring, Andy has become a part of the Heroes of the Diamond tour, traveling overseas several times to visit our troops in Iraq. I thank Andy for his community service and for serving as a role model and inspiration to many young Americans, and I offer my congratulations on this momentous occasion.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to comment about the budget introduced this week by the Republican Budget chairman, Paul Ryan.

The first thing we notice about this budget is that it is nothing more than a tiresome rehash of the right-wing wish list. I call it a ``tiresome rehash'' because we already know that Representative Ryan doesn't like ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable health care. We remember he doesn't like allowing coverage for preexisting conditions. We understand that he doesn't like closing the Medicare part D loophole, doughnut hole, for seniors. We are acquainted with his dislike for granting preventative health care services to women. We already know that he wants to turn Medicare into a lousy voucher system that costs seniors thousands of dollars extra every year for their health care whether they have it or not, and we already know that the American public rejects these positions as it did in the last election.

Mr. Speaker, I ask: Can we not, at long last, move on?

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 68, I was detained off the floor. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''