Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker I am honored to stand here today and associate myself with the remarks of Speaker Hastert and Leader Pelosi and all of the other Members in thanking Charlie Johnson for his 40 years of outstanding service to the House of Representatives and to the country.

When I first came to the Congress in the 1980s, I served on a regular basis as one of the Speaker pro tems. At that time I knew very little about parliamentary procedure and almost nothing about the House rules. I thank Charlie and my friend the late Bill Brown and John and Tom and Muftia and Gay and all of the others who helped through the years to educate me about the House rules and to have that wonderful experience which, incidentally, I hope I have again someday.

Charlie, I would sum it up this way: You are the very definition of outstanding public service. I wish you good health and happiness for many, many years to come.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, as the House pauses to remember all the brave American men and women of our Armed Forces who have been lost in Iraq and Afghanistan, I am proud to honor the service and sacrifice of Sgt. Thomas Robbins, who grew up in New York's Capital Region.

Sgt. Robbins, a cavalry scout with the Army Stryker Brigade's 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment out of Fort Lewis, Washington, lost his life this February due to injuries sustained in northwestern Iraq.

Sgt. Robbins is survived by his wife, Gina, their beautiful daughter, Marisa, his father, Douglas, and mother, Charlene.

I know the pain of such a tremendous loss. In August of 1970, I was called to my home in Green Island, New York, to learn that my brother Bill had been killed in Vietnam. H.M.3 William F. McNulty, a medic in the Navy, transferred to the Marine Corps, had been out in the field in Quang Nam province patching up his buddies when he stepped on a land mine and lost his life. Our family misses him every day.

On this Memorial Day, Mr. Speaker, I also recall the service of my Dad, Jack McNulty, and friends like Leo O'Brien, Lou DiNuzzo, Peter D'Alessandro, and other World War II veterans who were part of what we now call ``the greatest generation.'' We can all be very proud of the beautiful new World War II Memorial on the National Mall. This monument will stand for generations in honor of those who put their lives on the line for all of us, for our families, and for all that we hold dear.

On a daily basis, we should remember that had it not been for all of the men and women who wore the uniform of the United States military through the years, like my good friend Ned Haggerty, who earned two Purple Hearts in Korea, the rest of us would not have the ability to boast that we live in the freest and most open democracy on the face of the Earth. Freedom isn't free. We have paid a tremendous price for it. Let us never forget that.

Mr. Speaker, our veterans are the reason why, when I get up each morning, I thank God for my life--and veterans for my way of life.

Mr. Speaker, I join today with many of my colleagues to commemorate Yom Ha-Shoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, which memorializes the 6 million Jews murdered by the Nazis during World War II.

We mourn the innocent lives and vibrant communities destroyed while the world shamefully stood silent. We encourage the advancement of Holocaust education and we must continue the battle against resurgent anti-Semitism and intolerance around the world.

We must also do more to stop the steady stream of hatred. The dramatic rise of anti-Semitic attacks and Holocaust denials in Europe and in Arab countries is unacceptable.

We shall never forget the horrific crimes of murder and destruction committed by the Nazis. We firmly commit ourselves to ensuring that future generations shall never be forced to endure the suffering, humiliation, and ultimate death experienced by the victims of the Holocaust. We commit ourselves--as a country and as human beings--to never allow the pleas of those in need to ever again go unanswered.

We recommit ourselves to stand against anti-Semitism, discrimination, and intolerance in all forms--at home and abroad. As we reflect upon the murder of 6 million innocent Jewish men, women and children, and the systematic destruction of families and vibrant communities, we reestablish our determination to confront the past, and our dedication to perpetuating the memory of those who suffered.

We shall never forget.

Mr. Speaker, I join today with many of my colleagues in remembering the victims of the Armenian Genocide. April 24th will be the 89th anniversary of this human tragedy.

From 1915 to 1923, the world witnessed the first genocide of the 20th century. This was clearly one of the world's greatest tragedies--the deliberate and systematic Ottoman annihilation of 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children. Furthermore, another 500,000 refugees fled and escaped to various points around the world--effectively eliminating the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire.

From these ashes arose hope and promise in 1991--and I was blessed to see it. I was one of the four international observers from the United States Congress to monitor Armenia's independence referendum. I went to the communities in the northern part of Armenia, and I watched in awe as 95 percent of the people over the age of 18 went out and voted.

The Armenian people had been denied freedom for so many years and, clearly, they were very excited about this new opportunity. Almost no one stayed home. They were all out in the streets going to the polling places. I watched in amazement as people stood in line for hours to get into these small polling places and vote.

Then, after they voted, the other interesting thing was that they did not go home. They had brought covered dishes with them, and all of these polling places had little banquets afterward to celebrate what had just happened.

What a great thrill it was to join them the next day in the streets of Yerevan when they were celebrating their great victory. Ninety-eight percent of the people who voted cast their ballots in favor of independence. It was a wonderful experience to be there with them when they danced and sang and shouted, ``Ketse azat ankakh Hayastan''--long live free and independent Armenia! That should be the cry of freedom- loving people everywhere.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, over the recent recess, I attended the funeral of Sgt. Thomas Robbins, a young man who grew up in my congressional district, who was recently killed as a result of injuries sustained in Iraq.

When I attended that funeral, it brought back many painful memories. Chief among them was the time in August of 1970 when I was called home to learn that my brother Bill had been killed in Vietnam. It made me think about my priorities and the need to remember that had it not been for all of the men and women who have served in the United States military through the years, the rest of us would not have the privilege of bragging about how we live in the freest and most open democracy on Earth.

Freedom is not free. We have paid a tremendous price for it. We continue to pay that price today, and we need to be grateful to all those who have served and especially those who have made the supreme sacrifice.

Mr. Speaker, I extend my sympathies to all of the members of Thomas' loving family, and all of his many friends, on this tragic loss. He now becomes one of the reasons why, when I get up in the morning, the first two things I do are to thank God for my life, and veterans for my way of life.

Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I am pleased to be back on the floor this week to discuss an expanded version of the bill that we talked about last week. I am thankful to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) for again designating me to manage the bill on the Democratic side, and it is always a great honor to be on the floor with a true American hero like the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson).

Last week when we discussed this bill, we were talking about how it was so inadequate compared to the tremendous sacrifices made by the men and women in uniform serving our country. So I am very happy to be discussing a bill which is expanded in its scope, and will, in addition to the initial provisions, provide a number of new elements of tax relief for the men and women of our Armed Forces. These include: special rules for the sale of a principal residence, tax-free assistance payments for dependent care and homeownership, liberalized tax return filing requirements, and deductions for overnight travel expenses of the National Guard and Reserve. There is also a provision in The Bill to provide tax relief for the families of our shuttle Columbia heroes.

So I would again state to my colleague from Texas and to the Speaker and all of the Members that I still think, even with its additions, it is a very, very modest bill for the members of our Armed Forces. I thank our colleagues for their unanimous support last week, and I hope they give us that same support today.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), a member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), a friend who was an author of one of the original bills to increase the tax free benefits for service personnel.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I am going to repeat what I said last week: we need to keep our priorities straight. Part of that, for me, is to remember that had it not been for all of the men and women who wore the uniform of the United States military through the years, the rest of us would not have the privilege of going around bragging--as I often do-- about how we live in the freest and most open democracy on the face of the Earth. Freedom is not free. We have paid a tremendous price for it.

I try not to let even a single day go by without remembering with deepest gratitude all of those who, like my own brother, Bill McNulty, made the supreme sacrifice, and like those 16 young Americans who died in that helicopter incident just a few days ago. We should also remember the veterans who came back home, like the one who is managing this bill, a true American hero who was a prisoner of war for 7 years, who endured torture on our behalf, and then came home and continues to render outstanding service to his community, his State and his Nation.

Mr. Speaker, these are the things that I am most grateful for today. All of those Americans who served before us, and people like the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson), have been, are, and will continue to be the reasons why when I get up in the morning the first two things I do are to thank God for my life and veterans for my way of life.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

There is no need for me to reiterate the details of this bill. The gentleman from Texas has outlined them. I strongly support the bill, and I agree with him wholeheartedly, that its passage is long overdue.

I will also say that it is one of my great honors to serve in the United States Congress with my friend Sam Johnson. He rendered outstanding service as a member of our Armed Forces over a very long period of time. He was also, as my colleagues all know, a prisoner of war for 7 years and endured torture during his service on behalf of our country. Thankfully, he came back home and has rendered outstanding service to his community, to his State, and his Nation ever since.

I am grateful to him, and I am grateful to all of those who served in our Armed Forces through the years.

As I get older, I work more at keeping my priorities straight. Part of that for me is to remember that had it not been for all of the men and women who served in the United States military through the years, the rest of us would not have the privilege of going around bragging, as I often do, about how we live in the freest and most open democracy on the face of the Earth.

Freedom is not free. We have paid a tremendous price for it. Part of that

price is visible in this Chamber. And today we are talking about those who made the supreme sacrifice. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson) was a prisoner of war in the same war that took the life of my brother, HM3 Bill McNulty; and I think that is why I feel especially close to Sam.

Mr. Speaker, this is a very, very minor benefit to the families of those who made the supreme sacrifice, and we ought to pass it with dispatch. I strongly support this bill, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote for it.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), my former colleague on the Committee on Armed Services and the ranking minority member of the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey), my friend and colleague.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I join with the others in commending the gentleman from Arizona and the gentleman from Massachusetts for their sponsorship of this bill. I thank the ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), for designating me to manage the bill on the Democratic side.

As I said in the beginning, this is a minor tax benefit that we are giving to those who have made the supreme sacrifice. I wish we were doing more, but I strongly agree with my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Texas, that this is long overdue. We need to do this with dispatch, and we need to do it for the families of those who have lost their loved ones.

One of the fundamental principles is that ``life is to give, not to take.'' Sitting across from me in this Chamber is a gentleman who has given a great deal throughout his life, and especially during his military service. Veterans of this country and the families of those who have lost loved ones could have no better friend than the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson). He is one of the reasons why, when I get up in the morning, the first two things I do are to thank God for my life and veterans, like the gentleman from Texas, for my way of life.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I join with the citizens of the United States of America and the citizens of the free world in remembering the victims of September 11, 2001.

I also remember their families. I think of my friends, John and Judy Reo of New York, who lost their son John Reo, and their son-in-law, John Swain, on that day.

I also remember with deepest gratitude all of the emergency personnel, the police officers, the firefighters, and the others who, when the masses were running away from the tower buildings, ran toward the buildings, into the buildings, up the stairs, many to their deaths. Why did they do that? Because that is their job, and they did it very well on that day. Because the vast majority of the people in those tower buildings below the point of impact of those planes survived, and they survived because of the heroic efforts of those police officers, firefighters, and the others who ran to their aid. So we should remember their contributions on a daily basis, because they are on guard for us 365 days a year to protect our lives all over this country.

And, finally, I join with all of you, with deepest gratitude, to the leaders of this Nation for bringing us together. And we should remember to remain united as a Nation, because if we remain united as a Nation, the forces of evil shall never prevail.

Mr. Speaker, in marking the second anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, we remember and honor the 3,000 innocent men, women and children who lost their lives that day. We continue to grieve with, and reach out to, the families of the victims.

We also continue to express our gratitude to our ``First Responders.'' We should take a moment, again, to honor and thank the firefighters, police officers, and other emergency personnel who continue to put their lives on the line, day in and day out, to protect us from dangers, both foreign and domestic.

On the solemn anniversary of these terrible attacks, we are reminded that a terrorist is, by definition, a coward--a person who cannot get what he wants by the power of persuasion and therefore resorts to killing innocent people. The attacks of September 11, 2001, were basic violations of the fundamental principle that life is to give, not to take. We must continue to show the world that the forces of evil shall not prevail. We pray for the brave American men and women serving in our Armed Forces, and we continue to pray for the victims and their families and wish them strength as they carry on in spite of their tremendous loss.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.