Maurice D. Hinchey

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dear friend of mine, Julianne Elizabeth Marks Allen, who passed away earlier this month. Julie, as she was called, had a heart of gold and was one of the most giving and loving people I've ever been fortunate enough to know. It was an honor and privilege for me to have her serve on my staff for nearly 19 years as a trusted advisor and liaison to the people of Sullivan County--the county she loved and called home for nearly her entire life.

Julie committed her life to her family and community. Through her volunteer efforts and public service, Julie touched countless lives in Roscoe and throughout Sullivan County, a beautiful, rural part of New York, where she was known by seemingly everyone. She was particularly interested in assisting young people and served as the Town of Rockland's Youth Committee Chairman for the Roscoe Central School District for several years. She was also a board member on the Sullivan County Community College Foundation Scholarship Committee. Julie worked diligently with me on a wide range of issues and was critical in helping me establish and steer the Sullivan-Wawarsing Rural Economic Area Partnership--an innovative regional community development initiative, for which Julie served on the Board of Directors for many years. Julie diligently advocated for those who sought assistance through our office and was widely respected for her tireless efforts to help others. Julie was also a distinguished and stalwart pillar of the Democratic Party, serving for the past 40 years as a member of the Sullivan County Democratic Committee and for the last 25 years as an elected member of the New York State Democratic Committee.

Julie had a profound impact on virtually everyone she met. To her, public and community service was a calling. Despite facing health challenges for the past 23 years, Julie's passion and determination to help others remained steadfast. In fact, Julie was recently honored with the Sullivan County Community College ``2012 Women Who Make A Difference'' award for her lifetime dedication of volunteerism to the county. She constantly put everyone else's needs before her own, and her reservoir of compassion and inner strength was an inspiration to me and others. Every conversation with Julie involved her asking how the other person was doing, how their

family was doing, and asking for stories and updates to make sure everything was alright. She felt like a family member because she cared so much about everyone.

While she had many jobs and significant responsibilities, the roles that Julie cherished more than any others were that of loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt. Julie loved her family with all of her heart--and it was one of the biggest hearts I've ever known. She spoke frequently and proudly about her family members' latest accomplishments. Nothing brought Julie more joy than spending time with her husband Don--her one and only true love and high school sweetheart to whom she was married for 47 years--and the rest of their family, including their children, Laurie and Michael, along with their spouses, Perry and Kori; and their grandchildren Elizabeth Julianne, Caden and Taylor. Despite all of the many great accomplishments throughout her life, there was no greater achievement in Julie's life than building this beautiful family.

Mr. Speaker, I add my voice to those honoring the life of Julianne Elizabeth Marks Allen. I offer my heartfelt condolences to her family and many friends. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have known and worked closely with Julie. The world is an emptier place without Julianne Elizabeth Marks Allen, but her legacy and impact on the lives of others will live on forever.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the gentleman's amendment, which would prohibit hydraulic fracturing on public lands from taking place within 1,000 feet of our schools. This major industrial activity has significant public health risks and has no business being near our kids.

Hydraulically fractured wells emit huge quantities of smog-forming chemicals, volatile organic compounds, hazardous air pollutants like benzene, as well as methane. These pollutants cause serious health problems.

This past March, the Colorado School of Public Health released a report based on 3 years of monitoring that found higher cancer, respiratory, and neurological health risks among people living closest to drilling sites. The analysis found volatile organic chemicals to be five times the level at which the emissions are considered potentially harmful to public health, according to EPA's hazard index.

The Medical Society of New York has recently urged caution with expanded drilling because of concerns about health impacts. And data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has shown increased ground level ozone and other pollution as a result of fracking.

But the risks go beyond just air quality. In April 2010, there was a major blowout in Pennsylvania at a hydraulic fracturing well site. Gas and tainted brine spewed 75 feet in the air for 16 hours. These kinds of blowouts happen far too often.

Even the best regulated activities have accidents; but fracking, as we all know, is far from the best regulated activities. We need to keep it away from our kids. It shouldn't be done near our schools, and I urge support for the gentleman's amendment.

Mr. Speaker, when the Republican majority came to power, they promised transparency and greater debate. But today they have once again failed to keep that promise by refusing to allow a vote on a critical amendment requiring a report on human rights abuses in Argentina over 30 years ago.

For 20 years, I have fought for human rights and transparency in this House, and today the majority refuses to spare me 10 minutes for debate. But what's worse is they won't spare 10 minutes for the hundreds of children born in prison camps, for the thousands of grandparents that still hold out hope day after day that they will be reunited with their lost loved ones, for the 30,000 people who've disappeared at the hands of a brutal military regime and the millions of Argentine citizens who still seek justice and closure.

This amendment has been made in order numerous times in the past and has even been accepted without objections by both Democrats and Republicans. But it seems this year the House Republican leadership doesn't have time for human rights.

As I have said before, with this amendment we have an opportunity to provide answers to thousands of families who have waited for years to learn the fates of their loved ones and help

close this troubling chapter in Argentina's history. To reject my amendment would have been one thing, but to silence it entirely is unconscionable.

The majority's handling of this issue is irresponsible and shameful. I urge opposition to this rule so these critical facts can be made clear for our country and for Argentina.