Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I honor The Times Leader, a 7 day newspaper covering Northeastern Pennsylvania, on its 115th anniversary. The flagship of the Times Leader Media group, it is a collection of print and digital mediums covering the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan. area.

In 1907, Fred C. Kirkendall of The Wilkes-Barre Times and Colonel Ernest G. Smith of The Times Leader combined their newspapers. This new paper operated as The Times Leader until a major strike in 1939 forced the paper to merge with the Wilkes-Barre Record and Evening News. Together, these 3 papers formed The Wilkes-Barre Publishing Company. Col. Smith, John A. Hourigan, Dr. Frederick Johnson and Harrison Smith all contributed to running the successful news company, producing 2 highly read, competing papers: the morning-circulated Wilkes-Barre Record and The Times Leader Evening News.

In 1972, as the region was recovering from the effects of the Agnes Flood, the newspapers faced yet another merger, forming a new publication under the name The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader/The Evening News/Wilkes-Barre Record. This long and cumbersome name only lasted until 1978 when Capital Cities Corporation purchased the paper, and once again, it was to be called The Times Leader.

The late 20th century saw significant growth and changes for The Times Leader. In 1987, they began circulating a highly successful Sunday edition, and in 1989, they acquired Greater Pittston's Sunday Dispatch. In 1997, the paper purchased a state-of-the-art printing press that offered the latest printing technologies. By the end of 2000, the Times Leader had also acquired The Dallas Post and The Abington Journal.

Today, The Times Leader, under the direction of publisher Kerry Miscavage and executive editor Joe Soprano, continues to uphold its impressive reputation as an award-winning source of local and regional news. Offering essential news coverage and thoughtful, incisive reporting, the paper has a robust and loyal readership in the region. I wish the entire team at The Times Leader all the best as they celebrate 115 years of outstanding journalism.

Madam Speaker, today I honor Dr. Vincent L. Ross, MD, who will be named the Italian American Man of the Year by the Columbus Day Association of Lackawanna County at their annual gathering on Sunday, October 9, 2022.

Dr. Ross was born and raised in West Scranton, Pennsylvania to Luciano and Dora Ross. He completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Scranton as a cadet in the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps. He then attended Loyola University-Chicago's Stritch School of Medicine. After completing his medical degree in Chicago, Dr. Ross relocated to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where he did a residency in pediatrics at the Harrisburg Hospital. In fulfillment of his commitment to the Air Force, Dr. Ross was assigned to two years of duty at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado where he served as the physician for the football team. While in Colorado, he also worked in Denver-area hospitals. As the use of air transport increased for moving critically ill children between hospitals, Dr. Ross had the opportunity, as a senior officer, to fly over the Rocky Mountains.

In 1971, he returned to his native Scranton where he opened his own pediatrics practice. As the pediatrics department at the Community Medical Center grew, he was named the Director of Pediatrics there. During his long tenure with the hospital, he was also named to the President's staff and the hospital Board of Directors. For his dedication to medicine and Northeastern Pennsylvania, Dr. Ross was recognized by Mercy Hospital and Moses Taylor Hospital for 50 years of service. He also received the American Medical Association Recognition Award, the 50 Year Award from the Lackawanna Medical Society, and the Society's Presidential Award.

He currently lives in Scranton with his wife of 59 years, Donata, and they have three children and two grandchildren.

I am proud to join with the Columbus Day Association of Lackawanna County in recognizing Dr. Ross for his commitment to caring for Northeastern Pennsylvania's youngest residents for more than five decades. As a compassionate and highly respected physician and dedicated community member, he has been a driving force for good and is well deserving of this honor. May he continue to find fulfillment in his service to medicine and the community.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Michigan for the opportunity to speak about this important bill, H.R. 6364, which would extend the use of Federally owned portions of Highway 209 by certain commercial vehicles serving northeastern Pennsylvania small businesses.

The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area stretches across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, preserving 70,000 acres of land on both sides of the Delaware River.

Highway 209, which runs through Pennsylvania northwards into New York, cuts directly through the middle of this national recreation area. Up until the 1980s, there was heavy truck traffic all along Route 209, a heavily trafficked truck route.

In 1981, the National Park Service received jurisdiction over the section of Route 209 within that national recreation area. Then 2 years later, the 1983 Supplemental Appropriations Act closed this Federally owned segment of Highway 209 to all commercial traffic, with one exception: for light commercial vehicles serving businesses or people located in, or along, the boundaries of the national recreation area.

Since then, this limited exemption for commercial vehicles has been reauthorized by Congress multiple times on a bipartisan basis. In fact, former Pennsylvania Republican Representative Tom Marino and I co-led this same bill in 2018, this commercial vehicle exemption, that passed this body by voice vote and was signed into law by former President Trump. When that exemption expired last year, Congress included a short 1-year extension in the FY22 omnibus bill.

Mr. Speaker, that exemption expires the day after tomorrow, September 30. If Congress fails to renew the exemption, commercial traffic in northeastern Pennsylvania will be faced with limited acceptable alternatives. Commercial vehicles based in places like Monroe and Pike counties, in my district, would have to travel, as the gentlewoman mentioned, an extra 10 miles to avoid the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and small businesses locally would be hurt needlessly.

Mr. Speaker, that is why I have introduced H.R. 6364, which would simply extend the existing commercial vehicle exemption until September 30, 2026.

With this extension, qualifying commercial vehicles will be allowed to continue using the Federally owned portion of Route 209, with an annual permit.

My bill would also ensure that emergency vehicles and school buses could continue utilizing sections of Highway 209 within the boundaries of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, toll-free.

This is a commonsense bipartisan piece of legislation that is not only supported by the National Park Service and local officials but is also broadly supported here in the House, having passed unanimously out of the House Committee on Natural Resources in July.

Mr. Speaker, I will say, despite what my friend across the aisle has said, the National Park Service has confirmed that the exemption authorized under this bill poses no safety concerns.

On behalf of the entire Commonwealth, I thank Pennsylvania Republican Representatives Meuser and Fitzpatrick for cosponsoring this bill, as well as Senators Toomey and Casey, who are championing this very same measure in the Senate.

This legislation would go a long way toward protecting northeastern Pennsylvania small businesses and our regional economy, and so it is gratifying to see that we have bipartisan support for it again.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote for the bill.

Madam Speaker, today I honor the Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre's 100th anniversary. The occasion will be celebrated on Friday, September 23, 2022 with a gala.

In keeping with the tradition of the 1920s and 1930s to have community ``little theaters'' for professional development and self- expression, the Drama League opened its doors in 1923. At the former Coughlin High School building in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, the curtain came up on a production of Rudyard Kipling's The Elephant Child directed by Mollie Weston Kent to kick off the Theatre's inaugural season. The League was renamed the Little Theater of Wilkes-Barre in 1928 and was incorporated as a non-profit organization 501(c)3 by Judge Valentine the following year.

In 1956, Little Theatre of Wilkes-Bane purchased a playhouse located at 537 North Main Street in Wilkes-Barre and officially took residence in the space in 1957. The Pennsylvania Theater Association approved the building for production because of the impressive stage and equipment facilities in 1972. The Theatre's iconic features were generously donated and supported by many community members and founders. Dorothy Dickson Darte, one of the Theatre's founders, gifted the current lighting board built by Fuchs, a renowned stage lighting expert. Annette Evans gifted the stage curtains, and her love of the theatre has extended to her foundation providing grants for the Theatre for years after her death.

Since 1923, the Little Theatre has of Wilkes-Barre has reached more than two million people through hundreds of productions. The Theatre is still ranked among the top ten ``little theater'' groups and remains one of the longest continuously running community theatres in the country. As a charter member of the American National Theatre and Academy, the Theatre has been deeply committed to collaborating with other local theatrical groups and bringing high caliber performances to their stage. Despite changes to the entertainment landscape, the Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre has remained dedicated to showcasing local talent in musicals, comedies, and dramas on its stage every season.

I am honored to join with the Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre to celebrate its 100th anniversary. May it continue to inspire local actors and creatives to get involved in community theater, and may it welcome audiences for many years to come.

Madam Speaker, today I honor the Ritz Theater on its 115th anniversary. The occasion was marked with a ribbon cutting, birthday cake, and historic tour on September 2, 2022.

In 1906, Italian immigrant and talented wax modeler S.Z. Poli built the Ritz Theater--then called the Poli--for $250,000. The grand theater could seat more than 2,000 theatergoers in its orchestra, balcony, and second story balcony. On Labor Day 1907, the theater opened its doors as Scranton's premier vaudeville theater and attracted some of the biggest names in the industry including Harry Houdini, W.C. Fields, and Will Rogers. News stories from the time reported a young Buster Keaton tended bar across the street in between performances. The reputation of the theater and the superstars who performed on its stage sparked the popular saying ``if you can play Scranton, you can play anywhere.''

On October 6, 1930, the theater began screening films and was rebranded as the Ritz Theater. In 1937, the theater was remodeled in the Art Deco style; the second story balcony was removed; and it was again renamed and became the Comerford Theater. By 1941, the theater was managed by the legendary Paramount Pictures, Inc. through their subsidiary, Frank Walker. The theater was once again remodeled, and on May 5, 1950, the theater reopened with a screening of Paid in Full which starred Scranton's own Lizabeth Scott.

Over the next several decades, the theater thrived, drawing crowds of moviegoers downtown, but when the theater began to struggle financially, the main floor was converted into a mini mall in 1978 with the theater operations relocating to the former balcony. As competition from two multiplexes continued to mount, the Ritz shifted to showing short-run movies, and in July 2000, ``U-571'' was the last film shown before the theater closed.

In the early 2000s, the building was purchased, and the buyer found many of the treasures of the theater's heyday still intact. In 2016, the Creative and Performing Arts Academy of NEPA, an arts program for kids, teens, and adults, took up residence in the Ritz. Today, more than 300 students attend classes in music, theater, and dance and participate in more than 24 annual productions. The Ritz also houses the Ritz Mainstage Players, a semi-professional, audition-based company that performs musicals and plays.

Through triumphs and challenges, the Ritz Theater has been a beacon for the arts in downtown Scranton for more than a century, and I admire the ingenuity and determination it took to preserve its legacy. I am honored to join with everyone at the Ritz Theater to celebrate their 115th anniversary. May they continue to find great success and welcome audiences through their doors for many years to come.

Madam Speaker, today I honor the Pittston Area Girls Softball Team on their perfect season and state championship win. On June 16, 2022, the Patriots clinched their 25th win of the season to be crowned the PIAA Class 5A state softball champions.

Under the direction of head coach Frank Parente and Tori Para, Sage Weidlich, and Skylar Borthwick, three seasoned senior players as captains, the Patriots started the season believing they had the talent and the drive to do something special. They were right. They thrived during conference play in the second largest of PIAA's six enrollment classifications without losing a game.

The team headed to the District 2 Class 5A softball championship game with an undefeated record and sailed to a 1-0 victory over West Scranton High School with pitcher Gianna Adams throwing a no-hitter. Now 21-0, the Patriots began their state championship run.

After defeating South Western 13 to 0 and Lampeter-Strasburg, the defending state champions, 3 to 2, the team found themselves one game away from the state championship match, staring down the Oxford High School Hornets. Despite the Hornets rallying in the bottom of the sixth to score four runs, the Patriots came out on top, securing their place to compete for the state title. This marked the first state championship game appearance for Pittston Area in any team sport in school history.

On July 16, the Patriots took Penn State University's Beard Field against the Armstrong High School River Hawks for the state championship title. The River Hawks were looking for redemption after their loss to Lampeter-Strasburg in the title game in 2021. Bella Giardina helped the team secure an early lead with a two-run single, and Adams dominated from the pitcher's mound. With two more runs, the Patriots secured a 4-0 lead over the River Hawks, which they held onto to be named state champions.

I am honored to recognize the talented young women of the Pittston Area High School Softball Team on their outstanding season and state championship win. They have made the entire 8th Congressional District proud with their exceptional athletic prowess and sportsmanship. May they continue to find success in their athletic pursuits and all their future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, today I honor George Graham for his 50 years at WVIA FM, our region's NPR affiliate. George was celebrated by his colleagues, family, and friends on August 29, 2022, for his service to our region and public radio.

George was born and raised in Carbondale, Pennsylvania. After high school, he enrolled at Duke University to study electrical engineering. During his time at Duke, he served as the program director of the student radio station, bringing eclectic, contemporary music radio programming to the Durham, North Carolina-based university.

After graduating magna cum laude in 1972, George returned to Northeastern Pennsylvania where he was hired as the first employee of WVIA Radio to do studio design and construction for WVIA-FM. With his impressive background of on-air work at Duke, he soon found himself with a regular on-air spot.

While on the air, he introduced his popular show Mixed Bag which has become the longest, continuously running album adult alternative program in the country. The show features weekly album reviews, new release segments, and a Friday night request show. In 1976, he started Homegrown Music to highlight regional artists from a variety of genres including rock, folk, bluegrass, jazz, blues, and World Music. Performances have been held in the studio weekly with a monthly concert for a live studio audience. George also hosts All That Jazz, which also highlights and provides live radio coverage of regional jazz festivals from the Delaware Water Gap and Scranton.

When WVIA acquired Chiaroscuro Records, a 50-year-old jazz label, in 2010, George was appointed the director of artistry and repertoire, overseeing the extensive archive and production of new recordings and reissues. With his impressive background in the industry, he has written for many regional publications and lends his time and expertise as a

freelance recording engineer, producer, and mastering engineer.

George has been an essential voice over the air waves championing regional musical talent, and generations of music connoisseurs and casual fans alike have tuned in to discover new music and listen to George's impeccably curated shows. I am honored to recognize George for his five decades of service to Northeastern Pennsylvania public radio and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

Madam Speaker, today I honor the 2022 Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame inductees. This year's class of sports superstars and coaching legends includes a famed sports field technician, collegiate standouts, high school MVPs, and a two-time Olympian.

Each year, the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame honors those who have brought fame and recognition to the state of Pennsylvania through their outstanding achievements and contributions in athletic endeavors. The John Louis Popple Chapter is one of the 31 sanctioned chapters in Pennsylvania and has inducted over 600 members from their five-county region over the past three decades.

This year's inductees include:

Amy Mantush Filanowski, athlete and coach--track and field and cross country.

Dr. Pamela A. Hughes, DO, athlete--volleyball, basketball, and track and field.

Edward S. Kopec, Jr., athlete and coach--cross country and track and field.

Megan Krebs Kriso, athlete--field hockey, soccer, basketball; coach-- field hockey.

Shelley Black Leap, athlete--track and field.

Timothy M. McGinley, coach and official--wrestling.

Linda Messner, athlete--track and field, basketball, and golf; coach--volleyball, softball, and swimming.

Rosalyn Polacek, athlete--basketball, soccer, and field hockey; coach--field hockey.

Joshua M. Richmond SFC, athlete and two-time Olympian--shooting.

Brea Lynn Seabrook, athlete--basketball, field hockey, track, soccer, and softball.

Christopher J. Shovlin, athlete and coach--basketball.

Charles Robert Suppon, Jr., athlete--basketball, track and field, and football.

George P. Toma, sports turf manager.

Dr. Gary Thomas Verazin, MD, athlete--basketball, baseball, and track and field.

Each person honored has made local sports history, through their outstanding feats of athletic achievement or by leading their teams to victory as coaches. They have left an indelible mark on regional athletics, and I am pleased to celebrate their contributions to sports.

It is an honor to recognize these 14 talented individuals on their induction into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame. May their stories and impressive careers inspire the next generation of Pennsylvania athletes striving for excellence.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding time.

I am addressing H.R. 7283, the Safeguarding Treatment for the Restoration of Ecosystems from Abandoned Mines Act, or the STREAM Act. It has been accurately described up to now as a responsible, commonsense, technical fix to the Department of the Interior's Abandoned Mine Lands Reclamation Program. It is a small change, but it will have a large, long-lasting, positive effect on State efforts to clean up legacy pollution from coal mining.

Specifically, the bill allows States to hold back 30 percent of existing allocations for long-term operating and maintenance costs of abandoned mine land reclamation.

When rainwater and river water runs over oxidized pyrite in abandoned coal mines, it turns color, and the whole area becomes toxic. The damage can last for hundreds or even thousands of years if nothing is done to fix it.

In my beautiful State of Pennsylvania, acid mine drainage, or AMD, affects over 5,000 miles of waterways. No one wants to live or work near these dead zones in rivers and streams.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission estimates an annual loss of $29 million in revenue from recreational fishing in such areas.

We know how to fix the problem. Cleaning up acid mine drainage always creates jobs, brings back recreation opportunities, boosts local economies, and makes communities healthier and stronger and much more attractive to visitors and new investments.

Acid mine drainage requires costly, ongoing maintenance, and H.R. 7283 helps pay for that ongoing maintenance. It is not a new idea. The legacy Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program, which has been on the books for years, currently allows States to set aside up to 30 percent of their annual regular abandoned mine lands allocation to cover the long-term costs of operating AMD treatment facilities and maintaining them over the long term.

It is optional, and States have to enact their own programs to engage in the program. Eleven States have done so, so far. Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama have chosen to do so.

H.R. 7283 opens the innovation door by making up to 30 percent of all AML funds available for such acid mine drainage projects if States want to go that way.

There is no mandate here. It is their choice. Nothing in current law or the STREAM Act is mandatory, and nothing in the bill raises or authorizes any additional Federal spending for abandoned mine land or acid mine drainage work.

What it gives States is the important option of restoring waterways and maintaining those restoration projects for many years to come.

It is a responsible way to spend this money by extending it out over time so that we don't blow it all at once and then let existing mine reclamation areas fall apart. The STREAM Act can take existing Federal allocations for AML cleanup and make it last a very long time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for his support. I thank Representative McKinley, to be sure, for his leadership in the House on this effort, and I thank all the other bipartisan cosponsors of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the bill.

I thank Chairman Larson for yielding me the time, and it is an honor and a privilege for me to speak out in favor of this wonderful bill, Social Security 2100.

Social Security, something that has been a triumph for American government for close to a hundred years now; Social Security that has kept seniors out of poverty.

It used to be that in this country, seniors died in poverty, died of starvation. That happened in America. Don't think it couldn't happen again. But under the Social Security Administration, it doesn't happen.

Seniors who work their whole lives and pay into this insurance program reap the benefit of doing so and have money coming to them. It isn't a lot, but it is keeping people alive and out of poverty, and out of poverty through some of the most extreme downturns in our economy.

It is something that protected seniors from starving to death during terrible moments of economic stress and distress in this country.

Social Security is something that all of us Americans ought rightfully to be proud of; that it was enacted during the Roosevelt administration; that has been protected and defended for generation after generation; and that it has succeeded in keeping Americans out of poverty in the most dire circumstances.

It is a legacy that the Democratic party are very, very proud of, and all of us band together at a moment's notice to protect it when it is threatened by those who think ill of it.

Those instances have not been few or far between. There was the time in the early 2000s when there was this push to privatize Social Security. Instead of paying into the system and having it protected, no. The idea was just give the money to the people so they could invest it in the stock market. Let's throw the money in the stock market.

It was amazing that that was something that was brought up around 2004, 2005, in that timeframe. What happened in 2008? The stock market cratered. If people had put their Social Security investments into the stock market, they would have been destitute.

That is what happens when you so-called privatize Social Security. The people that want to push that are the ones that want to push the stock market up for their own particular personal gain.

But what it does at the same time is that it endangers and puts at risk the lifetime of earnings that people have put into Social Security to make their own retirements safe. We can't do that.

What else? They came up with this wonderful concept, you know. The chairman talked about the COLA, the cost-of-living adjustments, that come with Social Security.

Certainly, they haven't been anything to brag about over the years, but as meager and as minimal as they have been, something came up about 10 years ago called change CPI.

Now, that was a $50 economist's expression that meant lower cost of living increases for seniors. That is what they wanted--lower cost-of- living increases than what you were already getting on Social Security.

We stood foursquare, shoulder to shoulder, against that ridiculous provision, and we put an end to that kind of talk.

What else? They wanted to raise the retirement age. They always talk about that. The right-wingers want to raise the retirement age. How fair is that, raising the retirement age for people who have been lifting and carrying and climbing and working with their hands and putting their backs into their work, a whole lifetime?

You want to make them work into their 70s? Is that what we think Social Security is for? Is that what we think it is all about? Absolutely not. Democrats have stood foursquare and shoulder to shoulder against that, raising the retirement age.

But it gets better. As the chairman mentioned, there are enemies to Social Security, and, you know, a lot of times they don't say it out loud.

They would like to get rid of Social Security. They would like to privatize it. They would like to cut back on the benefits. They wring their hands about how much it costs, while all the time ignoring all of the people that it saves and keeps out of poverty and away from starvation. No, no. They ignore all of that. They would like to do away with it.

You know what? Just recently, these people came out from the shadows and identified themselves. In fact, there is a Senator by the name of Rick Scott from Florida who has said out loud that he wants Federal legislation, including Social Security and Medicare, to sunset every 5 years and have to be reauthorized by a fresh vote.

Sunset. Now, that is a euphemism for end. It is a euphemism for killing. It is a euphemism for doing away with one of the most successful programs in American legislation history. Sunset Social Security means do away with it, and that is all they are talking about.

They have the temerity now to say out loud what many of them have been thinking in private: Let's get rid of Social Security. I say, enough. Enough of this detraction from Social Security, this wonderful program.

I say, let's listen to Chairman Larson. Let's make Social Security stronger. Let's make it better. Let's make it more realistic for the benefits that it pays out. Let's raise the benefits by 2 percent. Let's make it stronger so it is going to last longer.

We haven't touched this program for generation after generation. Now is the time to enact Social Security 2100 to protect our seniors and this wonderful,

enormously successful insurance program for all Americans; people who retire, people who are disabled.

This is a program that we must honor and respect and raise up, and we can accomplish this through this wonderful bill authored by my friend, John Larson of Connecticut, Social Security 2100.

Madam Speaker, today I honor Dr. Peter Pettinato, VMD, who will be named the UNICO National President at the group's annual convention in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded in 1922, UNICO is the largest Italian American service organization in the United States.

Peter was born in Carbondale Pennsylvania in 1962. He graduated from Carbondale Area Junior-Senior High School in 1980 as the valedictorian of his class. He continued his academic career at the Pennsylvania State University, University Park where he studied animal bioscience and chemistry. In May 1984, he graduated from Penn State with his Bachelor of Science degree and went on to attend graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated with his Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris in 1989.

After receiving his VMD, he returned to Northeastern Pennsylvania and began working at the Carbondale Veterinary Hospital as a staff veterinarian. In July 1996, he joined Johnson Technical Institute as an instructor of veterinary technology and the staff veterinarian. Seeking to return to private practice, Peter opened his own clinic, French Hill Veterinary Clinic, in Greenfield Township in 1999, and he continues to own and operate the practice.

In 1989, Peter joined the Carbondale Chapter of UNICO, and over the past three decades, he has dedicated himself to the organization and truly embodied the motto of service above self. He was elected the president of Carbondale UNICO in 1996, and he has served as the secretary since July 2000. He has served as the governor of Pennsylvania District II twice. Additionally, he spent eight years as the secretary for the eastern region. He was elected 2nd vice president in 2018, 1st vice president in 2019, and executive vice president in 2021. He has also been both a trustee and secretary of the UNICO foundation.

Peter has dedicated his life to the service of others and is actively involved in his community in addition to his work with UNICO. He is a past president of the Northeastern PA Veterinary Medical Association and past president of the Board of Trustees of the Carbondale Public Library. He also participates in bringing theatrical productions to life in the region. He has served as president of both the Area Community Theater and the Coal Company Theater. He is the founder and president of the Royal Mutineers: A Fairly Talented Theater Company, and he is a member of the Ritz Company Players.

I am honored to congratulate Peter as he takes on this leadership role with UNICO National. May he have a successful and fulfilling tenure as president during which I know he will lead with intention and integrity.

Madam Speaker, today I honor the Kiwanis Club of the Stroudsburgs as its members celebrate its 100th anniversary. The occasion will be celebrated with a dinner on Wednesday, June 15, 2022 at the Shawnee Inn and Golf Resort.

On June 9, 1922, prominent businessmen and professionals gathered at the Penn Stroud Hotel to meet with the state Kiwanis Club organizer to discuss chartering a Kiwanis Club in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. On June 19, 1922, the Club was officially chartered with A.R.J. Wallace elected president and the Penn Stroud Hotel chosen as the headquarters for meetings. Charter Night was celebrated on July 20, 1922 by Club members and delegates from Kiwanis Clubs in Scranton, Easton, and other cities. That first year featured a Ladies' Night, five social events, a joint meeting with Rotary and a Rotary-Kiwanis golf match, youth and adult service activities, and projects to support the community.

Committed to the Kiwanis mission of improving the lives of children, the biggest project done by the Club during its first two decades was the Stroudsburg playground. The Club also financially supported a swimming pool and the East Stroudsburg playground, establishing recreational facilities used by hundreds of children in the region. To encourage literacy, the Club purchased the first bookmobile. The Club also supported several adult activities and actively engaged with the community.

Today, the Kiwanis Club of the Stroudsburg continues to uphold the original mission of its founders to serve children of the world and their own community. A highlight of the year is the annual Pancake Day event to raise money to support their scholarship program. This year, due to the event's great success, the Club awarded 12 scholarships to high school students in Monroe County totaling more than $12,000.

As they look toward their next 100 years, the Club is planning to honor the first projects completed by the Club by enhancing six local parks with accessible playground equipment so children of all needs and abilities can enjoy the outdoors at the community's parks and playgrounds.

I am honored to congratulate the Kiwanis Club of the Stroudsburgs for 100 years of giving back to the Monroe County community and supporting our region's youngest citizens. I wish them great success and many fulfilling years to come.

Madam Speaker, I hereby remove my name as cosponsor of H.R. 5344.

Madam Speaker, today I honor the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic as they celebrate their 50th anniversary. Under the direction of Music Director Melisse Brunet and Executive Director Nancy Sanderson, the NEPA Philharmonic is a premier symphony orchestra bringing high caliber pops performances and classical music to Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Until the late 1960s, Northeastern Pennsylvania was home to two independent orchestras in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton. In early 1969, the boards of the two symphonies began to discuss the idea of increased cooperation between the two groups, and by October, a goal was set to have a joint orchestra give four performances in each city during the 1970-71 season. In January of 1970, the joint venture announced: a two- year trial period of a united symphony orchestra to be called the Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) Philharmonic.

The new orchestra was under the direction of Scranton's, Beatrice Brown, then one of the few female conductors in the country, and Wilkes-Barre's Ferdinand Liva. After Brown's departure in 1971, conductor of the Pittsburg Symphony, Polish-born Thomas Michalak, was hired as the first official music director after the Philharmonic's historic incorporation. The first performances were held in October 1972 at the Irem Temple in Wilkes-Barre and at the Masonic Temple in Scranton, featuring Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and Schuman's Piano Concerto in A Minor.

In 1979, Hugh Wolff, educated at Harvard University and the Peabody Institute, took over the baton. Under Wolff's direction, the orchestra soared to new heights and established its reputation as a prestigious symphony. In 1982, the Philharmonic gained statewide recognition during a televised performance of a work commissioned for the Commonwealth's tercentennial. During the early 1980s, the Philharmonic also began to attract world renown guest artists.

In 1986, Wolff left the symphony, and the board appointed London-Born and Cambridge-educated Hugh Keegan to the podium. Over 14 seasons, he grew the orchestra into one of the country's best regional orchestras with an impressively broad repertoire. Following Keegan's tenure, the orchestra continued to thrive under the tutelage of Clyde Mitchell and later Lawrence Loh.

Today, the orchestra continues to strive for and deliver the highest level of musical excellence and remains the only fully professional symphony in the region. The Philharmonic also provides arts outreach and education to foster the next generation of musical talent.

I am honored to join with the NEPA Philharmonic to celebrate 50 years of making music in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I look forward to seeing their future musical accomplishments, and I wish them great success as they continue to bring exceptional performances to our theaters and concert halls.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I appreciate the opportunity to speak about my critical amendment to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

As a Nation, what we want to do is help our young working population find jobs and meet their career potential. That is exactly what YouthBuild has done for the last 40 years.

The YouthBuild program funds workforce training initiatives focused on 16- to 24-year-old individuals without a high school diploma. These young adults come from challenging backgrounds and they need skills and resources to successfully participate in the domestic labor market, and YouthBuild gives them just that opportunity.

However, there is always room for improvement--and that is why we have this amendment--especially when it comes to ensuring that young adults with disabilities are best positioned to successfully enter the workforce. Currently, lack of affordable and accessible transportation creates significant barriers for disabled people that want to work.

Madam Speaker, 13.4 million Americans have disabilities which limit their ability to travel, including traveling to the workplace. We have to ensure that transportation to and from the workplace is available for disabled youth transitioning into the workforce.

My amendment to the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act allows disabled YouthBuild participants to use funds for transportation. With this amendment, we can remove a massive obstacle from the path of these disabled young adults. We can make going to work one step easier so they can earn a living and support their families. No American should be deprived of a fair chance to become and remain productive members of our American society.

Madam Speaker, I urge my fellow Members to support my amendment and allow designated YouthBuild funding to be used for work-related transportation.