Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Taiwan's National Day--a day more commonly referred to as Double Ten Day as it falls on October 10. Double 10 Day is a joyous and important day for the Taiwanese people, and I am proud to join in the celebration of this anniversary.

The United States and Taiwan, formally known as the Republic of China, have long enjoyed a mutual and beneficial friendship--one forged by our political, economic, cultural, and strategic ties. This strong alliance is predicated in part on shared values. In fact, Taiwan has nurtured a stable democracy and vibrant economy that encourages the entrepreneurial spirit. In the past year, the U.S.-Taiwan relationship has been further strengthened through Taiwan's inclusion in the U.S. visa-waiver program and the resumption of trade talks between our two countries, as part of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement.

Taiwan has become an economic engine in Asia and it continues to play a critical role in the global supply chain for technology products. In 2012, Taiwan imported over $6 billion in goods from California and it is currently our country's 7th largest export market in the world. I have had the pleasure of meeting President Ma and Ambassador King Pu- Tsung, and believe their strong visionary leadership will continue to fortify the bridge between our two countries.

As the Representative of California's 17th district and as the Chair Emeritus of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I know firsthand the invaluable impact of the more than 13,000 people of Taiwanese descent residing in the heart of Silicon Valley, and the more than 180,000 Taiwanese-Americans living in the San Francisco Bay Area. In fact, Santa Clara Valley is home to the 2nd largest Taiwanese- American population in the

U.S., after San Gabriel Valley in Southern California. Tens of thousands of people annually visit the Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Sunnyvale.

Again, Mr. Speaker, I extend my congratulations and best wishes to the people of Taiwan--and to the Taiwanese-Americans in my district and across this country--on the occasion of the 102nd anniversary of the Republic of China (Taiwan) on their National Day this October 10.

I thank my friend for leading this group, and also providing the rest of the country the understanding and the idea that there's work being done here. There are creative minds in Congress that are looking at the issue of manufacturing and creating jobs.

I dare say that the word ``manufacturing'' probably, for many people in this country, conjures up the old-fashioned traditional kinds of work. But today we've heard nothing but the upgraded, the high tech, the kind of manufacturing that requires many, many other States to cooperate with each other in order for something to happen.

So the American manufacturing renaissance is really essential for a full and sustainable economic recovery. National Manufacturing Day is an opportunity to highlight manufacturing's importance and outsized contributions to America's economy.

Manufacturing can generate 70 percent of exports in both advanced and emerging manufacturing, and up to 90 percent of business research and development spending.

Just in my home State of California, there are over 40,000 manufacturers that account for over 1.2 million jobs and $230 billion of output. Small supplying contractor manufacturers like Cal Weld, in Fremont, California, which I was going to visit, but I think that our calendar is going to delay that visit. Cal Weld, in Fremont, California, plays a key role in the worldwide supply chain system.

The term ``supply chain'' is a concept that's not well understood nor well-discussed. But a supply chain is necessary for any manufacturer to be able to produce their products.

These manufacturing jobs are high-paying, and they are job multipliers, a term that's been used previously. High-paying and they are job multipliers. Each manufacturing job creates 47 additional non- manufacturing jobs in other industries like customer service, transportation and other service-oriented sectors.

Manufacturing outputs are almost 12 percent of our gross state product in California and account for 87 percent of our exports. So manufacturing has and continues to be the platform for building a solid middle class all across this country, the United States and abroad.

For these reasons and others, I remind my colleagues today that we have plenty of work to do to provide appropriate funding for innovation, appropriate funding for research and development to rebuild and educate a skilled manufacturing workforce, and to provide targeted tax incentives to protect and re-shore the manufacturing supply chain.

The term ``re-shore'': bringing back the manufacturing supply chain that has been decimated for over the 30-year period of outsourcing.

We can and must rebuild manufacturing capacity and leadership in the United States.

For those reasons, I'm very proud to be part of this caucus, the Manufacturing Caucus. And we shall work together to knit together all our ideas and our bills to make sure that we have a network of supply chains and manufacturers that will provide all the jobs that we need to build a stronger middle class.

Mr. Speaker, I along with Representative Swalwell, rise today to honor Ms. Jean Ficklin of Newark, California, a highly distinguished community member who, along with her husband Herman and four children, has been a resident of Newark for fifty years. Ms. Ficklin's excellence in education and promotion of African American culture and history is why she will be honored at the South County NAACP's 35th Annual Community Awards Gala in Hayward.

Ms. Ficklin set the stage for future instructors of color by being the first African American instructor in the school district. She spent thirty-three years educating and inspiring our youth as a teacher, ending her career in 1987 at Newark Unified School District.

Since her retirement, Ms. Ficklin has remained an active member in the community. She founded the Afro-American Cultural & Historical Society, Inc., an organization whose mission is to bring cross-cultural understanding of the African American community through the collection and preservation of art, artifacts, recorded media, and the sponsorship and coordination of awareness events. The organization's reach is vast and covers Newark and the Tri-City area, including Fremont, Union City, and Hayward. Ms. Ficklin also holds memberships in the NAACP and Alpha Delta Kappa International Sorority for Women Educators, among a variety of other groups.

The City of Newark, the California State Senate and Assembly, the County of Alameda, and so many more have previously recognized Ms. Ficklin for her excellence as an educator and cultural historian.

Please join us in honoring the extraordinary accomplishments of Ms. Jean Ficklin and her outstanding dedication to improving our society and fostering cultural understanding. May her love of education and her endless compassion continue to flow throughout our community.

Thank you, my friend. I want to add my thanks to you for convening this group and being joined by my good friends from Texas, the gentleman from San Antonio and the gentlelady from Houston.

The comments I want to make to the Speaker are two things. One, I want to share with the people of this country some information that maybe many people don't know about who you are, my friend. We have something in common. We spent 2 years in Peace Corps--you in Ethiopia and I in El Salvador. From those experiences, we understand the kinds of impact that we could have as individuals from this country. Through the program of Peace Corps that President Kennedy had put together, we've been able to accrue a lifelong journey and experience that allows us to reflect rather deeply and profoundly the impacts that government can have, both positive and negative.

I do know, from my observation of your history in California, that being the first commissioner of insurance in the State of California was significant. That experience has to have some import and some insights into what's going on today in terms of the Affordable Care Act and President Obama's efforts in trying to make sure that this country allows each and every person coverage as individuals in this country and the benefit that it brings about.

The fact that you were the first commissioner of insurance also allowed you the interesting insight of the impact of the health insurance companies and how they manage to impact the cost of health care. I think being the commissioner of insurance in California also has to give you a sense of pride when October 1 is the day that we had kicked off the State exchange to cover California. That has to give you a sense of accomplishment, but also a sense of dismay that there are folks here who would use the political process to deny people the coverage that they need in order to have a good health program.

I just wanted to share those thoughts not only with you, but with the folks who are viewing us in this country so that they know that we're standing here not because we want to take up time and space, but we want to utilize the experience that we have accrued over time for the benefit of this country. That was the third mandate of Peace Corps, to come home and utilize all that we understand and invest it in this country. I just wanted to share that with you and with the rest of this country.

Now, all day the beltway discussion has been centered on who has the leverage and who is paying the political cost of a government shutdown. What about the human costs, and what about our workers and their families? What about our economy? They cannot afford this. Today there are over 800,000 people that should be working that aren't, and there are people all over this country that rely on the work that these people do.

As long as the majority wages this ideological war, the National Institutes of Health will not be able to accept new patients for lifesaving research. Our veterans will have to go without their disability and pension checks. American families will have their home loans stalled. Family businesses won't have access to the capital they need to grow, and pregnant women and young children will be prevented from receiving critical nutrition support.

I urge my Republican colleagues to think about the families in their districts that don't have a vote on this floor. They expect much more from us and deserve a better outcome. Let's remember that at this very moment, the common denominator is that there is enough agreement in this body on a funding level to end this shutdown right now. Let's do that. Let's bring up the Senate continuing resolution, a

clean one. Let's put people back to work and do what we were sent here to do: keep government working for the American people and fulfill our constitutional obligation.

Thank you for this opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues from California, the Honorable Anna G. Eshoo and the Honorable Zoe Lofgren to express our most sincere congratulations to Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, who is retiring after a 30-year career with the Santa Clara county government.

Dr. Fenstersheib is a Board Certified Pediatrician who trained in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and at the Milwaukee Children's Hospital in Wisconsin, and was in private practice in Greensboro, North Carolina. He received his Masters in Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley and became Board Certified in Public Health and Preventative Medicine.

Throughout his career in medicine and public health, Dr. Fenstersheib has shown an ardent commitment to underserved communities. He has worked with the Well Baby Clinics in San Francisco's Mission District; La Clinica, a migrant workers' clinic in Watsonville; and with Luchesa Migrant Workers Camp in Gilroy.

Dr. Fenstersheib began his career with the Santa Clara County Public Health Department in 1984 as both the Medical Director of the immunization program and as a pediatric clinician for the Department's Refugee Health Program. In 1994, he became the Health Officer for Santa Clara County and held that position until his retirement.

Dr. Fenstersheib founded the first HIV Early Intervention Clinical Program in California in 1987. This program became the model for the State of California and led to the establishment and funding of more than two dozen similar clinics in California. Additionally, Dr. Fenstersheib was at the forefront of combating the AIDS epidemic and served as a clinician caring for HIV infected persons for more than 27 years. Drs. Fenstersheib and Robert Frascino co-chaired the annual community education seminar on HIV in Santa Clara County for 11 years. Through these seminars, they provided healthcare professionals and patients with current information on HIV.

Community involvement and engagement were hallmarks of Dr. Fenstersheib's career, as evidenced by the numerous boards and leadership positions he served on in Santa

Clara County. These positions included: President of the California Conference of Local Health Officers, President of the Health Officers Association of California, Executive Member of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, Vice President of the Santa Clara County Medical Association, and Senior Fellow of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the American Leadership Forum.

For his dedication, Dr. Fenstersheib was the recipient of several esteemed honors and awards, including: Santa Clara County Medical Association's Outstanding Contribution in Community Service award and Special Recognition by the California Department of Health Office of

Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank my colleague, Congressman Cardenas, for bringing everyone together to support immigration reform and in recognition of Constitution Day, Citizenship Day, and Constitution Week.

From Angel Island to Ellis Island, from our northern to southern borders, from the fertile earth of Steinbeck country, to innovation's epicenter of Silicon Valley, immigration issues and immigrants have touched every corner and facet of our Nation.

As the Representative of California's 17th District, I have witnessed how this immigrant spirit is the entrepreneur's spirit. In fact, 40 percent of the largest U.S. companies have been founded by immigrants or their children.

In Silicon Valley, between 1995 and 2005, more than half of all the major technology and engineering firms were founded by an immigrant.

People come to our shores with different dreams, aspirations, and needs. We must support stronger provisions for those guest workers who toil the earth and harvest food for our dinner tables. We must support students who come to this country seeking top education and then allow them to kindle their entrepreneurial spark into our economy.

We must support high-skilled immigrants, as well as their families, who will strengthen our talented workforce. We must never turn our backs on our married children and siblings just because they are above a certain age.

Mr. Speaker, I along with Representatives Smith of Washington, rise today to honor the life of Kip Tolcuda, and pay tribute to his leadership, service, and dedication to the citizens of the State of Washington.

Kip was a Seattle native and a graduate of the University of Washington. Following completion of his graduate studies in social work in 1969, Kip entered public service as a social worker with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and gained a reputation for being a strong advocate for children and individuals with disabilities. He was later named to the Washington Council for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.

The second son of parents who were incarcerated at the Minidoka Relocation Center, Kip possessed an unwavering sense of justice and equality. A prominent figure within the Asian American community, he served as the president of Seattle's chapter of Japanese American Citizens League (JACL)--an organization which is the oldest and largest Asian American civil rights organization. In 1998, Kip went on to found the Asian Pacific Islander Community Leadership Foundation, a non- profit organization that focuses on social justice, community empowerment, and public service.

Beginning in 1994, Kip served as a Representative for Washington's State 37th Legislative District. During his four terms in the Washington State Legislature, he enjoyed many legislative successes. He introduced his first Day of Remembrance resolution in 1997, which has since become an annual tradition in the Legislature. He served as the co-prime sponsor, along with Representative Mike Wensmen of House Bill 1572, which created the Washington Civil Liberties Public Education fund in 2000. Kip also secured passage of the Special Needs Adoption bill, which helped adoption of special-needs children. He was a strong advocate who helped to pass the Homeless Children's Lawsuit legislation, which provided services for over 60,000 homeless families with children.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that we recognize the life of Kip Tokuda--a true trailblazer. We ask our colleagues to join us in honoring a long career of selfless and inspired service to his community, the State of Washington, and our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Miss California 2013, Crystal Lee, who will be competing in the prestigious Miss America pageant this September.

A lifelong Bay Area resident, Crystal competed as Miss Silicon Valley against 60 other outstanding young women at the Miss California Pageant earlier this year. Through five phases of competition, including interview, physical fitness in swimsuit, evening wear, on-stage question and talent, Crystal rose to the top. During preliminary competition nights, she even took top honors for her evening gown presentation and her ballet en pointe performance of ``The Dying Swan.'' The latter should come as no surprise, since Crystal is an accomplished dancer who has been perfecting her technique for the last 13 years.

Winning the title of Miss California earned Crystal more than $14,000 in scholarships. Over her four years of competing in the Miss America program, including in 2008 when she was Miss California's Outstanding Teen, Crystal has earned more than $30,000 in scholarships. These awards were well spent, as Crystal graduated this past June from the venerable Stanford University. Proving that our Miss California has both beauty and brains, Crystal worked as a research assistant in the psychology, biology, virtual reality and drama departments and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology and a Master's Degree in Communications.

Crystal will put her Stanford education and Silicon Valley roots to good use through her Miss California platform Girls in S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). She's been a steadfast advocate for women to study and choose careers in STEM after she experienced firsthand a gender imbalance in her own classes and multiple internships at male-dominated technology start-ups. She's worked hand-in-hand with the Girl Scouts of America to help young girls understand engineering principles and earn their technology badges.

With perseverance, hard work and a little luck, Crystal will be able to continue her STEM platform at the national level as Miss America. California is fortunate to have such a strong and successful young woman representing us. This year's Miss America pageant will take on special meaning when it returns to its birthplace in Atlantic City after seven years away and no doubt it will be a memorable experience for all the young women participating. However, there is one I'll be cheering for most. To Miss California 2013, Crystal Lee, I wish nothing but the best of luck in her pursuit of the Miss America crown.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 60th anniversary of the July 27, 1953 signing of the Armistice Agreement that temporarily halted the active combat of the Korean War. Today, the Korean War still continues in the form of threats, military exercises, periodic flare- ups, sanctions, and the build-up of armaments on both sides. Earlier this year, military tensions on the Korean peninsula dangerously escalated.

The preamble to the 1953 Armistice Agreement, which was signed by the United States, North Korea, and China, states that its ultimate purpose was to stop ``the Korean conflict, with its great toil of suffering and bloodshed on both sides, and . . . [to] insure a complete cessation of hostilities and of all acts of armed force in Korea until a final peace settlement is achieved.'' Intended only as a temporary measure, the Armistice Agreement was meant to be replaced with a permanent peace accord.

Sixty years later, however, the United States spends billions of dollars per year to maintain its military presence in South Korea, one of the top ten global economies. At a time when many Americans struggle to pay their bills, vital U.S. dollars are directed into further militarizing the Korean peninsula. Moreover, the Korean peninsula remains tragically divided and millions of Korean and Korean American families remain separated from their loved ones. Korean Americans who were direct witness to the war's devastation are now reaching their seventies and eighties. It is high time to recognize the human costs of ongoing war and to offer genuine hope to Korean Americans who yearn for a long overdue end to this war. We must honor them and all those who fought in the war, including our own Korean War veterans, by replacing hostilities with genuine peace within their lifetimes.

Mr. Speaker, it is my sincere hope that this somber milestone can serve as a call to action for us in Congress to do our part to de- escalate tensions and to work towards the establishment of a permanent and stable peace regime on the Korean peninsula. Peace negotiations between the United States, South Korea, North Korea, and all relevant parties are the only way forward.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my disappointment in the Rules Committee for not making my amendment to H.R. 1960, the National Defense Authorization Act or Fiscal Year 2014, in order.

House Republicans have once again failed to live up their promises of openness and transparency by denying me the opportunity to offer this important amendment to protect the privacy of students and parents with regard to military recruiters.

I sought to offer this amendment in support of parents and students within my own Silicon Valley district and from across the country. The privacy of high school students across our nation is compromised by a provision of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as No Child Left Behind, which requires school districts to provide the personal, private information of students to military recruiters at the risk of losing scarce federal education dollars, unless parents opt out in writing.

Parents in my district complained to me that, in some instances, their children were persistently contacted at home by military recruiters. These parents wanted to know how the military got their children's personal, confidential information, including home phone numbers and addresses. They wanted to know why they were getting calls during dinner, especially when they had already gotten off of telemarketing lists.

My amendment sought to change this to an ``opt in'' requirement, under which parents would need to provide written permission in order for schools to be allowed share student information with recruiters.

The decision to join the military is a solemn one. Ideally, this decision should be made in consultation with people who love and care for the child--not with a government official, however well- intentioned, whose very job is to recruit for the military. This cannot be guaranteed if recruiters are able to contact students without explicit parental approval, as those parents may not realize their students are receiving such calls.

Other federal privacy statutes explicitly recognize individual privacy rights, particularly those of minors. The Children's Online Privacy Act prohibits commercial websites or online services from releasing personally identifiable information of minors. Federal agencies are prohibited from divulging personal information without written consent. Yet under current law it is acceptable to force schools to provide military recruiters with personal information of their students. This violates the trust between schools and students.

Our nation has the best-trained and most powerful armed forces in the world, and maintaining our military superiority depends on effective recruiting. This country also has a proud history of personal rights and privacy protection. I believe we can sustain one while preserving the other.

We must protect the children and students who represent the future of our country. This includes protecting their privacy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my concern about the proposal in the President's budget request, which is included in this bill, to shift the responsibility for exit lane staffing from TSA to airport operators across this country.

Since November 2001, TSA has assumed responsibility for staffing exit lanes under the authority of Aviation and Transportation Security Act. Citing budget constraints, in the Fiscal Year 2014 Budget Request, TSA has sought to shift the responsibility and costs for exit lane staffing to airport operators.

This move raises a number of concerns ably described by the Committee in the report accompanying this bill. Particularly troubling is TSA's intention to continue to collect money for performing this function through the Aviation Security Infrastructure Fee while passing the buck along to airports.

Like many of my colleagues, I have heard from my local airport-- Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport--about the devastating impact this unfunded mandate would have on airport operators. Mineta airport is already paying $200,000 per year to staff one exit lane because TSA decided it was not ``co-located'' with the checkpoint screening area, and it cannot absorb the additional costs for more exit lane staffing--over the last few years, the airport has already reduced staff by more than 50 percent due to budget constraints.

At the end my statement is the text of a letter I received from the City of San Jose, CA's director of aviation on behalf of Mineta San Jose Airport outlining these concerns in greater detail.

Chairman Carter and Ranking Member Price, I know that you were faced with a challenging task, working within the allocation given and trying to fill holes left by the budget request. And I know from the language you included in the report that you regret being unable to fill this hole in the budget.

I thank you for including language in the report directing TSA to work with airport operators to assess the impact of this change and consider delaying or at least phasing in this shift of responsibility until TSA can certify effective technology solutions that would reduce the cost for airport operators.

I hope that as we move this bill to the Senate and into conference, we will have a more favorable allocation to work with that will allow us to reject this ill-conceived proposal and protect already strapped airports from an unfunded mandate to perform duties that they have never had the responsibility for and which TSA is receiving fees to carry out.

May 30, 2013.

Hon. Mike Honda,

Longworth House Office Building,

Washington, DC.

Dear Congressman Honda: I am writing to express my strong

concern over the Transportation Security Administration's

(TSA) plan to shift responsibility--without funding--for

monitoring passenger exit lanes onto airport operators. While

all levels of government face tough budget decisions in the

current economic environment, we need your help to prevent

TSA from shifting this unfunded mandate onto our airport. TSA

should also explain to the Congressional appropriators why

shifting its security function to airports and airlines is

not an abdication of its Federal responsibility under current

law.

It is unconscionable that a Federal agency that is

responsible for national security make a unilateral decision

to shift a security responsibility and the associated costs

to airport operators, particularly as there currently exists

no regulation or other requirement which specifically assigns

the responsibility for monitoring sterile area exit lanes to

airport operators. Notably, this regulatory option does not

``take into account benefits and costs, both quantitative and

qualitative,'' as stipulated by Presidential Executive Order

13563, Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review.

Congress, through the Aviation and Transportation Security

Act (ATSA), delegated the responsibility for passenger and

baggage screening to the TSA following the tragic events of

September 11. It was decided by Congress that aviation

security was a matter of national security and should be

provided by the federal government.

Through the Aviation Security Infrastructure Fee (ASIF),

based on the airlines' calendar year 2000 costs for passenger

and property screening, TSA collects money from airlines to

offset the cost of monitoring exit lanes. In fact, TSA

provided to air carriers for use in determining their ASIF

fee amount, ``Calendar Year 2000 Costs for Passenger and

Property Screening'' (Appendix A to 49 Code of Federal

Regulations Part 1511), which specifically includes, at line

item ``2'', the air carrier's costs for ``Exit Lane

Monitors''.

The TSA, with no Congressional review or legislation, has

decided to impose the responsibility for exit lane monitoring

on airports. Although the agency proposes to do this through

an amendment to airports' Airport Security Programs, which

the TSA unilaterally controls, industry will be afforded the

opportunity to submit comments. However, TSA is neither

required to consider those comments nor make any changes

based on industry input.

It is time to take a close look at ATSA to see if its

provisions are still appropriate or need some modifications

or enhancements. This review should be done in a very

thoughtful and deliberate way by the appropriate

Congressional Committees, not by an agency that can make

unilateral and arbitrary decisions. At minimum, TSA needs to

issue a notice of proposed rulemaking and seek legislative

changes to promulgate a requirement for airport operators to

assume responsibility for monitoring exit lanes.

The cost implications of exit lane monitoring are

significant for all airports, and in many cases, these costs

will be passed on to airlines. Based on reports from some

airport operators, the cost would range from approximately

$160,000 per year for a smaller airport to as much as $2.5

million for a larger airport to monitor exit lanes in

accordance with the way the TSA performs the function today.

At Mineta San Jose the cost to take on the exit lane

responsibility is now estimated at $180,000 to $200,000 a

year. The Airport cannot absorb these costs through further

reductions in staff and services. (Through the Great

Recession of the past 4-5 years, the Airport has gone from a

staff of 400 in 2008 to just 187 staff members today.)

Accordingly, this additional cost would have to be passed on

to the airlines through the Airport's rates and charges

structure and ultimately be paid by passengers, who are

already paying a fee to the airlines as part of their ticket,

for security-related costs.

We ask that your office take action to put a stop to this

unfunded mandate and require TSA to explain why shifting a

security function and the associated costs to airports and

airlines is not an abdication of its Federal responsibility

under current legislation.

Members of my staff will be in touch with your office

shortly to arrange for an opportunity to discuss this issue

with you or your staff in more detail. In the meantime,

please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any

questions.

Sincerely,

William F. Sherry, A.A.E.,

Director of Aviation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark the 4th anniversary of the end of the tragic civil war in Sri Lanka that has cost many lives and destroyed many futures.

As Sri Lanka and its people slowly begin to return to normalcy, there is still much that the government of Sri Lanka must do to achieve true peace. While the war has ended, the conflict between its people still goes on. In particular, I am troubled that not enough progress is being made towards true political reconciliation. The deaths of thousands of civilians, on both sides, during the war must be investigated and addressed to truly begin the process of healing.

In addition, it is important to recognize that the Tamils must be integrated and become full and valued citizens of the country for true reconciliation to occur; this includes preventing forced displacement and the uprooting of families and communities from their homes. The US- sponsored resolution that passed the United Nations Human Rights Council this March that urged the Sri Lankan government to credibly and independently investigate the allegations of international human rights violations is a good first step.

I urge the government of Sri Lanka to work with the international community and the United Nations to adopt an international mechanism towards reconciliation for all people.

Mr. Chair, I regret that I am unable to be in Washington, DC, today to cast a vote in support of H.R. 527, The Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act. This bipartisan, commonsense plan will prevent a global helium shortage, protect jobs and the economy, and ensure a fairer return for taxpayers while we take the time to determine a long-term strategy to deal with our nation's helium needs.

Representing Silicon Valley, I know firsthand how dependent high-tech manufacturing and scientific research labs are on helium. Helium is needed by hospitals for life-saving medical diagnostic tools like magnetic resonance imaging, and it is critical to our national defense.

Unfortunately, the frenzy to slash the government that accompanied the Gingrich Republican revolution in 1996 led to legislation to sell and privatize the Federal Helium Reserve and caused the situation we face today--in October, the Reserve will no longer be able to sell the remaining 11 billion cubic feet of helium, which will create an immediate worldwide helium shortage and cut the domestic supply by nearly half.

H.R. 527 will prevent this shortage and promote market-based reforms by implementing a three-phase system for operating the Federal Helium Reserve until the Reserve is emptied of helium. In addition, it will ensure that taxpayers get a fair return for this resource. While this bill is not the long-term strategy on helium that we need, it does prevent a short-term crisis and allow time for a transition to a new paradigm.

Numerous industry groups and companies based in my Silicon Valley district have expressed their support for the bill, and I join them in expressing my support for H.R. 527. I would also like to express my support for the Collins/Scott Amendment, the Holt Amendment, and the Thornberry Amendment, and my opposition to the Dent/Higgins/Esty Amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my deepest sympathy to the family of Mr. Peter S. Carter.

Peter was born on February 20th, 1943 in San Diego, California. At the age of 14, he and his family moved to the Santa Clara Valley where he graduated from Bellarmine College Preparatory in 1961. Peter attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He became a photo editor, yearbook editor-in-chief and managing editor of the Georgetown Magazine.

It was with his college press pass that Peter was able to capture historic events like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s ``I Have a Dream Speech'' and the inauguration of President Lyndon Johnson.

After graduating from Georgetown in 1966 he worked at American University. It was in 1963 that Peter married his first wife, Michelle Villere. Peter and Michelle had two sons, Scott and Shawn. She passed away in 1986. Peter married Dennise McNulty in December of 1987. Together, they celebrated life with a constant stream of family and friends.

Peter's advertising agency was located in historic parts of San Jose near Japantown. He began his career shaping the message of the Mobile Home Dealers Association. He worked with a variety of partners and his clients included everything from local boutiques to large commercial developers. He did charity work for many local causes and organizations.

Following a long career in public relations and advertising, Peter turned to photography. Peter was present at almost every town event with his trademark camera dangling from his neck. Peter's work was often featured in the local newspapers of the community. Whether it be a jazz festival, a special dinner, or the annual holiday parade, Peter was there to capture the event through the shutter of his camera.

Beyond his own career Peter was a strong advocate of the arts. He was one of the most active members and supporters of The Museums of Los Gatos.

Peter helped the museums grow into cultural staples of the community.

Throughout the years he became active in many causes. Peter was a founding member of the Los Gatos Weekly, which went on to merge with the Los Gatos Weekly Times Observer to become the Los Gatos Weekly- Times. He was a longtime member of the San Jose Rotary Club and served on the board of directors for the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Foundation. Peter also served on the Los Gatos Music & Arts Committee for many years.

On February 20th Peter turned 70. This milestone was celebrated with the Los Gatos Social Club, the same organization Peter founded in the 1990s. Through this club Peter became a champion of locally owned businesses throughout the community. The Los Gatos Social Club hosted their weekly dinners at various family owned restaurants and cafes.

Peter was a special member of our community. For many years he has been a cherished friend. By example, he taught us to squeeze the most joy out of life as one possibly can and to do it with sublime purpose, a sense of humor, a fabulous wit and a dazzling smile.

It is in thanks for, and in admiration of Peter that I stand in honor today. I hope his legacy of public service serves as an inspiration to the young people of generations to come. He will be missed greatly by the Silicon Valley community.

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I am unable to be in Washington, DC today to cast a vote on H.R. 1765, The Reducing Flight Delays Act.

When House Republicans refused to compromise on tax and spending issues and raising the statutory debt limit, the Budget Control Act of 2011 was enacted in order to avert a fiscal crisis. The BCA provided for automatic reductions to most federal discretionary spending, referred to as ``sequestration,'' if no agreement on deficit reduction could be reached. Policy analysts, economic experts and the American people agreed that the automatic spending cuts would be so damaging, and were such bad policy, that Congress would be compelled to act to avoid them. I did not believe that these cuts were the right course of action, and so I voted against the BCA.

Unfortunately (but predictably), Congress was unable to reach agreement on a deficit reduction plan, and sequestration went into effect on March 1, 2013. As we are now experiencing, sequestration requires agencies to reduce non-defense discretionary spending by 5.3 percent in Fiscal Year 2013. It does not provide any guidance on how each agency should go about implementing these cuts, it simply reduces spending across the board, impacting all federal programs.

On March 22, 2013, after carefully weighing competing national security interests, public safety concerns, impacts on interstate transportation, communication, banking and financial networks, and the status of the most critical diversionary airports, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it would close 149 Federal Contract Tower program towers by June 15, 2013. The FAA has also begun to implement a series of furloughs of all of its employees, including its 15,000 air traffic controllers, which has resulted in flight delays nationwide.

As someone who flies across the Continental United States twice each week, I share the frustrations and concerns that many Americans have about the flight delays due to furloughs and the closure of these towers. The nation's air traffic control system is essential for public safety, business, and the regulation of national air traffic, and I support this legislative effort to ensure that it is able to function normally.

But the measure the House is voting on today is just applying an inadequate Band-Aid to the gaping wound that sequestration has inflicted on our nation. The flight delays due to furloughs and closure of contract towers are some of the first highly visible impacts of sequestration, but they highlight the fact that the federal government performs many essential services that Americans depend on, and enacting indiscriminate cuts to federal funding undoubtedly has a negative impact on the government's ability to provide those services.

I remain committed to working with my colleagues in Congress and across the government to protect Americans from the worst impacts of sequestration and to undo it altogether.