Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, on June 6, 2013, I missed rollcall votes No. 207-211. Had I been present, I would have voted in the following manner:

Rollcall No: 207 ``aye;''

Rollcall No: 208 ``nay;''

Rollcall No: 209 ``nay;''

Rollcall No: 210 ``aye;''

Rollcall No: 211 ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 27th Annual Vallejo Pista Sa Nayon Festival.

On Saturday, June 1, 2013, the Pista Sa Nayon festival marks their 27th anniversary of the founding of the Philippine Cultural Committee of the Filipino Community of Solano County. This celebration is also the 115th anniversary of the Philippine independence from Spain.

Pista Sa Nayon is a yearly landmark festivity for the City of Vallejo, California and showcases the culture of Filipinos through a parade of colorful costumes, the sharing of traditional cuisine, and the appreciation of the cultural arts and music. Pista Sa Nayon has grown to be one of the largest free festivals in the State of California and will be celebrated by over 40,000 people.

Mr. Speaker, on this occasion it is my distinct pleasure to recognize the Pista Sa Nayon Festival in Vallejo, California on the 27th anniversary of their momentous event. I join our colleagues in celebrating the Filipino Community of Solano County's rich history and wishing them a successful 27th year with many more to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my colleague, Congressman Jared Huffman, to recognize and honor radio station KBBF 89.1 FM as it celebrates 40 years of operation.

KBBF was the first bilingual public radio station in the United States, launching its inaugural broadcast on May 31, 1973. Its success has led to the creation 35 other radio stations throughout the country that now serve their local Hispanic and Latino communities.

For 40 years, KBBF and its program hosts have delivered an ever- evolving level of service to Spanish and English speakers alike by providing a diverse mix of information, commentary and culture. Airtime is devoted to public affairs, news commentary, literature, financial and health news, youth and women's issues and news, indigenous programming and music from all over the world.

The radio station was founded by an eclectic group of individuals including a farm worker, a lawyer, a housewife, a college professor and a college student who wanted to provide cultural, educational and informational radio programming to a community that had historically been underrepresented in traditional radio formats.

The vision of a bilingual public radio station captured the imagination of both the local community and the Nation. The late United States Senator Ted Kennedy personally directed a helicopter to fly KBBF's antenna to the top of Mt. St. Helena, the finishing touch before broadcasts could begin.

Mr. Speaker, KBBF 89.1 FM Public Radio is a true pioneer in every sense of the word and it is therefore appropriate that we honor KBBF today on its 40th anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleagues Leader Pelosi and Representatives Eshoo, Garamendi, Honda, Huffman, Lee, McNerney, George Miller, Speier, and Swalwell to commemorate the designation of the San Francisco Bay/Estuary as a Wetland of International Importance on February 2, 2013 by the Convention on Wetlands, also known as the ``Ramsar Convention''.

The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty adopted in 1971 and signed by the United States in 1987. This treaty provides a voluntary framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands, their resources, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance benefit from increased conservation status and recognition, and are part of an international conservation network that encompasses flyways and other migratory routes.

The San Francisco Bay/Estuary is the largest estuary on the Pacific Coast of the United States, encompassing approximately 1,600 square miles and is critically ecologically important, accounting for 77 percent of California's remaining perennial estuarine wetlands. It also provides for a host of social and economic values through ports and industry, agriculture, fisheries, archeological and cultural sites, recreation, and research. Unfortunately, the San Francisco Bay/Estuary today faces numerous threats and challenges from invasive species, development, pollution, sediment shortfalls, disease, disturbance to wildlife, and climate change.

The San Francisco Bay/Estuary has broad support for its conservation and restoration from a large number of federal, state, public, private organizations, and citizens who act to conserve its values. Their conservation efforts continue to pioneer strategies that are modeled, adapted, and adopted by others across the nation and beyond.

The San Francisco Bay/Estuary met or exceeded all nine Ramsar criteria on multiple counts, which refer to biodiversity measures and the presence of rare or unique wetland types, and has undoubtedly earned the global distinction of a dedicated Ramsar Wetland of International Importance:

Mr. Speaker, we ask our colleagues to join us in commemorating the designation of the San Francisco Bay/Estuary as an official Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, pay tribute to the dedicated stewards and activists who have worked to preserve this unique ecosystem, and support critical efforts to ensure the health and protection of the San Francisco Bay/Estuary.

Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank both the ranking member and the chairman for their good work on this measure and for including all of us in trying to build a better product.

Clearly, the threat of a devastating cyber attack is real and, as has been mentioned by a number of previous speakers, can't be understated. Advanced cyber attacks from China and other nation-state actors are stealing hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of cutting-edge research and development from our U.S. companies and even from our Federal Government. That's why it's essential that the business community and the Federal Government work together to share cyber threat information for the purpose of protecting the American people from the fallout of cyber attacks and cyber hackers.

While it's important that we protect against the threat of cybersecurity, it's equally as important that we recognize the responsibility to protect the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. Though I support H.R. 624, both for the fact that it is important that we address these issues and because I believe it needs to be moved on and we can get it in conference committee with the Senate bill, I remain somewhat concerned that the bill as drafted could lead to the broad sharing of consumer information which in turn could be used in ways unrelated to combating cybersecurity threats.

I emphasize ``could be used.''

Already the chair and the ranking member have accepted and we've incorporated a series of provisions in this bill that I authored that would minimize the sharing of some personally identifiable information, that would limit permissible uses of information which would be shared under this bill, and that would insist on a number of reporting requirements that will ensure Congress' ability to provide the necessary oversight of this program.

So, taken together, these provisions will improve the transparency and the accountability of this bill. However, notwithstanding these important changes, the bill is not perfect. Given the significance of this threat and the commitment of everyone to continue to work together, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill and to move it out of the House. Let's get the thing to conference. Let's get the best bill possible, get it signed into law, and work together to protect the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Markley Sutton, who is retiring after 31 years of service to the Sonoma Developmental Center.

Dr. Markley Sutton served in several different capacities at the Sonoma Developmental Center, most recently as the Senior Supervising Psychologist from 2003-2011. In this role he not only solved issues that arose with residents with behavioral problems, but also acted as a mentor and friend to the psychologists he supervised. He was always ready to pass on his considerable knowledge, and has taught at many universities on a range of topics centering on clinical issues, behavior concerns, and psychopharmacology for those with multiple diagnoses.

Dr. Sutton has received awards for his leadership including the Superior Accomplishment Award Supervisory Bonus Program from the State of California in both 1986 and 1992. He received the Outstanding Leadership Pioneer Award in 1998 and the Who's Who in California award in 1982, 1988 and 1989.

Dr. Sutton has a long and distinguished career in working with individuals with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and individuals with some of the most challenging behavioral problems. Yet it is his ability to remain engaged, curious and always ready to pitch in when needed that most exemplifies him. There is no issue too challenging, no resident too difficult, nor any task beneath him.

Mr. Speaker, Dr. Sutton has a long and distinguished career of service to others, most notably to the developmentally disabled population at Sonoma Developmental Center and those who seek his support in his private practice. It is therefore appropriate that we acknowledge Dr. Sutton today and wish him well in his retirement from Sonoma Developmental Center.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mary O'Riordan, who is retiring after nine years as President of the Parent Hospital Association (PHA) at Sonoma Developmental Center.

Ms. O'Riordan dedicated her life to serving persons with developmental disabilities. As President of PSA, she was in constant contact with state legislators in Sacramento and federal representatives in Washington, DC, traveling multiple times to both capitals to advocate on behalf of association members. She also served six years on the board of directors of VOR, the national advocacy group for persons with developmental disabilities.

Ms. O'Riordon's advocacy is rooted in her personal experience. Michael, the second of her four sons, was severally disabled and lived at Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC) until his death in January 2011. It was his experiences at SDC, the place he called home, that led her to champion the institution, its staff and its residents.

Ms. O'Riordon was passionate about her calling, stating, ``I look forward to the day when every family--those who have a developmentally disabled child and those who do not--are equally involved, engaged and concerned about the special needs of our developmentally disabled citizens and to the day when all legislators have their needs on the top of their list of priorities.''

In addition to her advocacy on behalf of SDC, Ms. O'Riordon was the administrative assistant for the Deputy Chief of Administration at the San Francisco Fire Department for 35 years. In this capacity, she was honored by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for her outstanding service.

Mr. Speaker, Mary O'Riordan has a long and distinguished career in service to others, most notably to our developmentally disabled population. Her tireless commitment to her community is apparent and it is therefore appropriate that we acknowledge her today and wish her well in her retirement as President of the Parent Hospital Association.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Miljenko ``Mike'' Grgich on the occasion of his 90th birthday. Born in Croatia, Mr. Grgich studied winemaking and viticulture at the University of Zagreb before he left communist Croatia for the Napa Valley in 1958.

In 1976 the Chardonnay that Mike made won the famed Paris Tasting. This victory shattered the myth that only French soil can produce world-class wines, and the victory pumped new energy into the California wine industry, particularly in the Napa Valley. Following Mike's lead, California vintners redoubled their efforts to make better wines each year.

In honor of his contributions to the industry, Mike was inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame on March 7, 2008, the same year the California State Fair presented Mike Grgich with its Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 1977 Mr. Grgich launched Grgich Hills Winery, a stunning illustration of innovation in winemalcing. The winery converted to solar power in 2006, and today farms all of its 366 acres organically. Each of the wines that the vineyard produces is estate grown.

Today Mr. Grgich is active in Roots of Peace, the international campaign to rid the world of land mines by changing the mines to vines. In 2007, Roots of Peace presented Mike with its Global Citizen Award for his leadership and unique contributions in raising landmine awareness around the globe.

Mr. Grgich's winery donates to a number of organizations and it is a longtime supporter of the Auction Napa Valley, which raises money for local nonprofit organizations.

Mr. Grgich is a legend of the Napa Valley and a champion of our community. Mr. Speaker, it is only appropriate that we honor Miljenko Ggrich's profound contributions to Napa Valley and the art of American winemaking

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Levin. I rise in opposition to this bill today.

The underlying premise of this bill has been roundly and routinely denounced by fact checkers. This bill is at best a solution looking for a problem. In 1997, I carried legislation in California to implement the Federal Government's welfare reform. It was the California welfare reform measure. We took our work seriously, and we took the work requirements in the Federal legislation seriously in California, and we worked across the aisle to adopt practical welfare reform. My bill was signed by the Republican Governor at the time, Governor Pete Wilson, and it's still being followed by the Democratic Governor of California today, Governor Jerry Brown.

Welfare reform in California has contributed to substantial increases in the employment of very low-income earners and markedly helped families in California move from welfare to work. Fifteen years later, the program caseload in California is roughly 60 percent of what it was in 1998, even in the face of this Great Recession that we're coming through.

Waivers can be an important tool to allow States the flexibility to run Federal programs in the most efficient and effective way, a tool used to move people from welfare to work, and it shouldn't fall the victim of politics. Every State is different--we hear that on this floor all the time. States should have the flexibility to do what they need to do in order to effectively and efficiently move people from welfare to work, and that's what this provision does.

And the idea that we're standing here today debating this, whether or not it should be expunged from the Federal tool chest, is purely politics, and it should not happen. I urge a ``no'' vote.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks on the subject of this Special Order.

Madam Speaker, I rise to call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join with us and pass the bipartisan legislation to strengthen Federal penalties for straw purchasing of firearms. I'm a hunter and a gun owner, and I believe strongly in the Second Amendment. I support law-abiding Americans' right to own firearms, and nothing in this legislation infringes upon that right. This bill simply helps keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals who cannot legally buy guns on their own.

I chair the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force. Our task force has developed a comprehensive set of policy principles that will help reduce gun violence. To develop these principles, we met with virtually everyone who had an interest on this issue: Republicans, Democrats, the NRA, gun owners and gun safety groups, mental health experts, educational leaders, people from the video game and movie industries, hunting and sportsman's groups, law enforcement leaders, and the Vice President of the United States. Out of these meetings, one of the principles we developed dealt specifically with strengthening penalties

for gun trafficking and for straw purchasing. This is something we should all be able to agree on.

At a hearing yesterday held by my colleague and friend, Mr. Cummings from Maryland, and one of his cosponsors, Mrs. Maloney from New York, we heard testimony from New York City fireman Ted Scardino. Mr. Scardino was wounded and two of his fellow firemen were killed when a gunman lured them to a house that that gunman had set on fire and then started shooting at them. The shooter had his neighbor buy the gun for him because he could not pass a background check.

Mr. Scardino said yesterday:

Putting a gun in someone's hand that isn't supposed to have

one must be stopped.

So let's pass this bipartisan bill and let's stop it.

I now yield to my colleague and good friend from Maryland, the author of this legislation and a leader on this issue, Mr. Cummings.

I thank the gentleman.

I appreciate the fact that you provide clarity on the one issue, and that is that the critics of anything we try and do to prevent gun violence repeatedly state, Just enforce the laws that are on the books. Here, this gun trafficking proposal that you and Mrs. Maloney have introduced is, I think, illustrative of the fact that sometimes you actually need other laws. Because there are no laws on the books to prevent against something that leads to the tragedies that we heard about in your hearing yesterday and that, sadly, the folks in this New York area and the families of these slain individuals will have to live with for the rest of their life.

I can't emphasize enough: there is no dedicated law on the book that prohibits trafficking of guns. People are trafficking in guns, and they are used to kill people. We have an opportunity, and I commend you and Mrs. Maloney for not only your dedication and your effort to bring this to an end, but the fact that you've reached out across party lines. You have a bipartisan coalition; you have bipartisan authorship of this bill recognizing that we've got to bring this to a stop.

The only sad commentary that I have is one of our brave colleagues who was willing to stand up and take a position on this bill to prevent criminals from getting guns, has been under attack by some who have just mischaracterized his position, mischaracterized his dedication, mischaracterized his motives, and mischaracterized the bill that all of you are working so hard on.

So thank you for being here tonight, And thank you very much for your tireless effort in bringing closure to this issue.

I would now like to yield to my friend and colleague from New York (Mrs. Maloney).

I thank the gentlelady for her dedication, for her hard work on this, and for her taking time to be here tonight to talk about this.

You raised the issue and praised those on the other side of the aisle, many of whom have experience--one Member from Virginia, who is an NRA member, one from Pennsylvania, who is, I believe, a district attorney; extensive law enforcement background.

It's important that we have this type of across-the-aisle cooperation. As a matter of fact, the people of the United States of America, every one of us hears it every time we go home--we hear it in our townhall meetings, we can read it in our constituent mail, our friends tell us, our neighbors tell us: work together to solve the problems that we all face as Americans.

The fact that we have folks on the other side of the aisle coming forward to work together and then they're demonized and they're criticized for doing this, all Americans need to speak out against this. When something like this happens, we need to let everyone know that, no, we want our Members of Congress to work together to solve these problems that threaten our communities, threaten our children, threaten our grandchildren, and threaten our neighborhoods. It's very, very important to do that.

As the gentlewoman pointed out, I am a gun owner and I hunt, and I believe strongly in the Second Amendment. I'm not interested in giving my guns up, and I'm not going to ask any other law-abiding citizen to give their guns up. At the same time, I'm a father and I'm a grandfather, and my kids and my children deserve to live in a safe community. Two of my sons are first responders. One is a firefighter; another one is a deputy sheriff.

When I sat through your hearing yesterday and listened to the testimony of the wounded firefighter talk about his colleagues who were killed--called to respond to a community catastrophe, a house on fire-- doing their job, doing what we ask these first responders to do--and they get there and they're ambushed by a sick deranged murderer who has a gun because somebody bought it for him, because it was illegal for him to buy it himself, he couldn't buy it himself. It was just terrible to relive this for the witnesses who were there and certainly eye opening for anyone who paid attention to what the possibilities are out there in any of our communities.

Madam Speaker, I would like to yield time to a new Member of our House--someone who has been doing outstanding work, vice-chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, someone who brought with her not only an interest and a passion for this, but also an incredible constituency, because it was in her district that Sandy Hook took place--the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty).

Thank you, Congresswoman Esty, and thank you for your work on the task force and for your work every day to make sure that we all come together to make our communities safer places to live, to work, to recreate, and to raise our families.

One of the things, one of the beautiful benefits of doing this work for me has been the honor I've had in not only working with great dedicated people, yourself included, but meeting some of your wonderful constituents. Their passion is on fire in Connecticut. I've met with them many times with you, sometimes alone. We got another glimpse of it yesterday, as you mentioned, when Team 26 rode into Washington, D.C., rode all the way from your district to Washington, D.C., to call on all of us to work together to pass these bills to make our communities safer. They're wonderful folks, they're dedicated, they're hardworking, and I can understand why after watching you and experiencing your leadership on this issue. So thank you very much for all that you are doing.

And I just want to remind folks that the American people want us to make our communities safer; they want us to pass sensible laws that will do this. And everyone will tell you we shouldn't allow criminals and the dangerously mentally ill to get firearms.

Well, how in the world can you do that if you don't do some just real commonsense steps to make sure that doesn't happen?

We're talking about a couple of them today--straw purchases and gun trafficking.

Who in the world could be opposed to stopping straw purchases? And that means just what it says. That means somebody buys a gun and gives it to somebody who's not allowed by law to own a gun, who is trafficking in guns, making a living, making a profit, making a business out of buying guns and then shipping them someplace, taking them someplace, introducing them to a community where they're going to be used for unlawful purposes. No one could possibly be against that.

Background checks is another one. As you know, our task force will be holding a hearing this Friday on background checks. Ninety-four percent of the American people believe we should pass background checks. Eighty-four percent of the NRA members think we should pass a background check bill. We're going to have an opportunity next week when I introduce legislation to put in place background checks for the American people to call their Representatives and let them know. This is important stuff. We need to have that check in place so people who are dangerously mentally ill, people who are criminals, if they try and buy a gun from someone selling that gun, it will be flagged if they're not allowed to have them and they'll be stopped, at least in that case. They may try and find other ways to do it, but it's incumbent upon us to do everything we can to make sure that that doesn't happen again.

I'm now going to yield to my friend and colleague, the vice chair of the task force, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott).

I thank the gentleman for being here tonight and for his leadership.

Madam Speaker, I'll end where I started. As I said, we have to come together to work on these issues. These are the issues that the American people want us to find solutions for. Let's close these loopholes, make sure that illegal gun activity doesn't take place, and protect the Second Amendment. You know I'm four-square on that, and we'll do everything we can to make sure that that happens. These are commonsense issues, and we should find cooperation across the aisle.

As I said, I'll end where I started. I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join together and to pass these bills that both protect our Second Amendment rights and help make our communities safer places in which to live, work, play, and raise our families.

Madam Speaker, thank you, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 7 o'clock and 24 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, March 14, 2013, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Niels Chew of Sonoma County, California, who passed away February 25, 2013 with his family at his side.

Mr. Chew was a loving husband of 58 years to his wife, Susan Wetherby Chew. He was a devoted father to his four children and a doting grandfather to his nine grandchildren.

He was a successful businessman, taking a small one-person operation and building it into a thriving small manufacturing company employing more than 40 people, including those with developmental disabilities.

Mr. Chew was also active in civic affairs. He was a trustee of the Sonoma Valley Unified School District Board where he served as Board Chair. He was also on the boards of the Sonoma Valley Hospital Foundation, Operation Youth, the Sonoma Overnight Shelter, El Nido Teen Center, and Stand by Me, Sonoma Valley's flagship mentoring program.

He and his wife generously supported Friends in Sonoma Helping, an organization providing assistance to residents down on their luck, with both their time and their financial resources.

In recognition of his work in the community, Mr. Chew received Sonoma's top service award in 2010 when he was named Alcalde, or honorary mayor.

Mr. Speaker, Niels Chew was proof that one man can make a difference. The legacy he leaves will be felt in the Sonoma Valley for decades to come. It is therefore appropriate that we pay tribute to him today and honor his memory.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today, along with my colleague Jared Huffman, to recognize Janice Atkinson, who is retiring as county clerk-recorder assessor and registrar of voters.

Jancie Atkinson is a third generation Sonoma County native and comes from a long line of public servants. She began her public service career in election administration in 1972 with the Registrar of Voters Division of the County Clerk's Office. She worked her way up through the division, was appointed division chief in 1979 and assumed the position of assistant department head in 1995. She was elected to the position of County Clerk-Recorder Assessor of the County of Sonoma on June 6, 2006, and assumed office on January 8, 2007.

Ms. Atkinson's primary area of expertise is in the field of election administration. As Assistant Registrar of Voters, she headed the division responsible for the conduct of all elections in Sonoma County including city, school and special district elections. The division maintains the files of approximately 600 elected officials, 249,554 registered voters and the boundaries of all political subdivisions in the County.

Under Ms. Atkinson's leadership, Sonoma County removed barriers to participation in the democratic process by administering a highly successful vote-by-mail program. In November 2006, Sonoma County's voter turnout of 75.49 percent exceeded the statewide average turnout by almost 20 percent. Sonoma County's high voter turnout can be attributed to the high number of permanent absentee voters in the County (roughly 52 percent of the registered voters) and the efforts of the department to keep the voter files up-to-date. Ms. Atkinson implemented an accessible voting system for voters with disabilities, all while maintaining paper-based voting systems, assuring voter confidence in elections.

Ms. Aktinson was an active member in the California Association of Clerks and Election Official from 1976-2012. She served on the board of directors from 2002-2012, as Correspondence Secretary from 1988-2011 and

as a member of the County Recorder's Association of California from 2001-2012. She also was a member of the California Assessors' Association from 2007-2012 and the Bay Area Assessor's Association 2007-2012, serving as its president in 2010. She has been a member of the Sonoma County Historical Records Commission since 2000 and is recognized throughout the state for her knowledge of the California Elections Code and voting procedures.

Ms. Atkinson is a longtime supporter of the Cloverdale Boys and Girls Club and served as the lead public information officer for Sonoma County during disasters, providing vital information to those impacted by floods, mudslides and fires.

Mr. Speaker, Janice Atkinson has a long and distinguished career in service to Sonoma County and it is therefore appropriate that we acknowledge her today and wish her well in her retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today along with my colleague Congressman Jared Huffman to recognize and honor the life and tremendous social contributions of my late friend, Mr. Robert ``Bob'' Abramson of Sonoma County, California.

Mr. Abramson was an exemplary and upstanding member of his community and a longtime resident of the Northern California region. After his extraordinary, storied career as a B-29 bomber pilot during WWII, flying as many as 30 missions over the Pacific, he would be decommissioned from the military in 1945.

He would go on to graduate from University of California, Berkeley with a Masters in Philosophy and Social Welfare. He then worked as a parole officer in Oakland before taking a job at the University of Southern California through which he was stationed in Pakistan for a program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. This led to larger diplomatic posts with the United Nations and the World Bank.

Mr. Abramson cared deeply for his community and the people in it. He was an open book and loved talking to new people, always looking to learn new things and always going into every conversation with an open mind. He was especially active with the World War II Pilots Association, the Prostate Cancer Support Group and the Democratic Clubs of Petaluma and Santa Rosa. He was liked by all who knew him in the community.

Mr. Abramson never lost his love for international public service. Despite retirement and an extremely active role in his local community, he accepted special consulting contracts in Maldives and Sri Lanka. He consistently represented the American people with grace and civility.

His family however, always came first. Mr. Abramson is survived by his wife Barbara, his son Bruce, his daughter Julie Morrison, his brother Albert, his sister Carol, and his four grandchildren.

Mr. Speaker, Robert Abramson served his country with distinction both as a member of the armed services and as a civilian. He was an active, vital member of his community and it is therefore appropriate that we celebrate and honor his life and committed service and extend our deepest condolences to his friends, family and community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Monsignor John Brenkle on the occasion of receiving the Jefferson Award for his work in the Napa Valley community.

The Jefferson Award is a national award given to those serving the community at a national and local level, which Monsignor Brenkle has done for the past three decades. He is known throughout the Napa Valley as a mercenary who goes above and beyond to ensure the well-being of those in the community.

Monsignor Brenkle attended St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, California, and was ordained on June 14, 1958 through the Archdiocese of San Francisco. He received his Doctorate in Canon Law from The Catholic University of America in 1962. He served as Chancellor of the Diocese in Santa Rosa until 1971, followed by two years of teaching in Zambia.

Monsignor Brenkle has worked tirelessly to help low-income families and farm workers. He played a pivotal role in creating housing for migrant farm workers, and assisted in the decision to build low income housing sites in the valley. He serves on numerous local boards, including Catholic Charities, the Board of Directors of Justin-Siena High School, Catholic Community Foundation, California Human Development Corporation, and the St. Helena Mayor's Multi-cultural Committee.

It is because of all his hard work that he was recognized to receive this outstanding award. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, it is my distinct pleasure to congratulate Monsignor John Brenkle on this joyous occasion.