Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Captain Douglas S. Borrebach of the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), who will be departing after four years of outstanding service. Originally from the 18th congressional district, which I represent, Captain Borrebach's significant contributions at JIEDDO have contributed to tremendous success in countering the threat of improvised explosive devices.

Upon Captain Borrebach's arrival to JIEDDO in June 2008, his actions significantly contributed to resource planning, programming, budgeting and execution management to maximize JIEDDO's investments in the Joint Warfighter Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) capabilities. A financial management expert and trusted steward of our taxpayer dollars, Captain Borrebach was critical in developing programmatic estimates, with JIEDDO managing a $10 billion budget for C-IED requirements.

After nearly three years as JIEDDO's Comptroller, Captain Borrebach was handpicked to lead the Requirements and Resources Directorate at JIEDDO in April 2011, a testament to his keen analytical capabilities and ability to identify current and future resourcing opportunities. The confluence of his superb leadership, operational background, and expert knowledge in acquisition and financial management was instrumental in fulfilling one hundred percent of Combatant Command Counter-IED Joint Urgent Operational Need Statements. Over the past four years his efforts to collaborate with academia, industry, and the whole of government has led to the

development and validation of critical C-IED solutions ahead of the threat.

As a father of a West Point Cadet from the Class of 2013, Captain Borrebach has worked tirelessly to improve the protection of those Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines downrange as if they were his own. Over his tenure, he has contributed significantly to the improvement of the IED found and clear rate and correspondingly has helped prevent casualties and loss of life.

I am proud to share in the celebration of Captain Borrebach's remarkable accomplishments that have served this nation well in Afghanistan and Iraq. As he departs for his alma-mater, the United States Naval Academy, for his final assignment in his thirty-year career, I ask my colleagues to recognize his leadership and distinguished service.

Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 504 on H.R. 6082, I mistakenly recorded my vote as ``no'' when I should have voted ``yes.''

Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. Markey

Mr. Speaker, for the first time in the history of the House of Representatives, the House Majority has brought a contempt vote against the Attorney General of the United States, even though he has complied with federal law. This act is purely political and unnecessary.

Chairman Issa has admitted that he has no evidence that the Attorney General authorized, condoned, or was even aware of Operation Fast and Furious, nor does he have any evidence of wrongdoing. Rather, the evidence shows that as soon as the Attorney General was aware of the gunwalking program he immediately halted it and ordered an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General. To date, the Attorney General has provided thousands of pages of documents and testified before Congress nine times. The House Majority's unprecedented political attack, despite any evidence of wrongdoing, flies in the face of our justice system and is a disservice to the American people.

The death of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry is tragic, and the criminals responsible for his death should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Sadly, the goal of today's vote is not to bring justice for Agent Terry, secure our border, eliminate illegal guns, or even uphold the law. Today's vote is an attempt to discredit the President of the United States and the Attorney General through whatever means necessary, with no regard to evidence, a fair process, or the truth.

The American people want Congress to focus on growing the economy. If Congress does not act by the end of this year, taxes will rise on every American, and the government will face massive budget cuts that our economy cannot afford. The House should be focused on creating jobs for Americans, not ending the tenure of the Attorney General.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to William A. Krupman of Purchase, NY, who is being honored for his dedication to at- risk youth and their families upon his retirement as Chair of the Children's Village, a New York-based multi-service, not-for-profit agency.

Mr. Krupman was elected to the Board of the Children's Village in 1974. In 2004, he was elected as Chair of the Board. Through his tireless efforts as Trustee and eventually Board Chair, Mr. Krupman helped the Children's Village to become a leader in the child welfare and juvenile justice fields. He also successfully created nationally recognized, evidence-based models of care that lead to real social impact.

During his almost four decades on the Children's Village Board, Mr. Krupman has provided guidance to approximately 10,000 children and their families. He has not only motivated guardians to lead by example and teach their children the importance of social, educational, and economic skills, but has also provided guidance to orphans, an especially vulnerable group. The Children's Village's Dobbs Ferry campus includes long-term residential treatment programs, a short-term crisis intervention center, temporary placement for youth awaiting a court disposition, and a public school that educates all of these children as well as day students from around the region. The Children's Village also has offices in Harlem and the Bronx and program sites around Westchester County.

Mr. Krupman's work has also had a profound impact abroad. Through his commitment and strong will, Mr. Krupman has succeeded in expanding literacy programs around the globe. In 2009, at the invitation of the Government of Iraq, Mr. Krupman traveled to the country as part of the Children's Village delegation to help train NGO's working with orphans. In Iraq, Mr. Krupman, along with a team of professionals, assessed the needs of the locals and offered suggestions on how to apply local feedback into the curriculum to ensure that the needs of Iraqi families and children were being met. The information they gathered helped Iraq's non-government service organizations develop programs for family foster care homes, social workers, and short-term crisis stabilization facilities similar to the one run by the Children's Village. Additionally, they established a team of Iraqi social service leaders to continue and develop the outstanding work started by Mr. Krupman and the team.

Mr. Krupman currently serves as Chief Advisor to Litworld, an organization that strives to make the dream of world-wide literacy for children a reality. LitWorld teams work with teachers, community members, parents, and children to establish communities that will grow and expand to harbor literacy leaders. Recently, Mr. Krupman traveled to several African countries, including Kenya and Rwanda, bringing with him his enthusiasm and energy to share the gift of literacy with children by reading to them.

Mr. Krupman's many outstanding achievements in providing assistance to children and youth, both here and around the world, are inspirational. I urge you to join me in honoring William A. Krupman.

Mr. Speaker, earlier today, the Appropriations Committee voted to report the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development bill to the full House. This bill makes an insufficient investment in our national transportation system in part because the Committee had to insert placeholder language for several important transportation provisions, notably the Federal highway system and transit programs, due to the lack of an agreement on long-term funding.

The House Republicans' inability to work in a bipartisan manner to reach a compromise on surface transportation reauthorization conference committee negotiations is preventing us from fully investing in our Nation's transportation systems to put people back to work and grow our economy.

For every $1 billion of infrastructure investment, we create at least 30,000 jobs and generate more than $6 billion worth of economic

activity that reverberates throughout our economy, improving our national competitiveness and spurring job creation for years to come.

With the national construction unemployment around 14 percent and upwards of 40 percent in my area in recent years, workers need and want to get back on the job.

Despite being a priority for the Department of Transportation, the Tappan Zee Bridge Replacement project in my district is stalled because the current Federal financing pipeline is too small.

I join Mr. Walz in urging the conferees to file a conference report so that we can get on with our work to make the vital investments in our national infrastructure system.

While I appreciate language in the bill set aside for high threat areas, I fear that it's simply insufficient to combat the threats we know are facing our most populated cities.

This motion simply raises the floor that must be spent protecting our major population levels to be equal to current levels. The amount of money dedicated to urban areas has dropped from $887 million in 2010, $725 million in 2011, to now under $500 million, yet the threats we face have not diminished.

I thank the gentleman for offering this motion and yielding, and I urge my colleagues to vote to protect our critical population and economic centers.

I would like to thank Chairman Aderholt and Ranking Member Price for their bipartisan work on this legislation.

The fiscal year 2013 Homeland Security appropriations bill would make smart investments in our national security infrastructure, including increasing funds for cybersecurity, focusing homeland security dollars at communities most at threat of terrorist attacks, and providing our first responders with the resources to protect us.

With limited resources, we must prioritize assistance to the regions most likely to be attacked. That is why I am so pleased that this bill takes a step toward restoring the original intent of the Urban Area Security Initiative by focusing resources on the 25 most at-risk cities while still providing funding for other regions through other programs.

Ten years after 9/11, the threat of radiological attack and New York's status as the number one terror target remain. That is why I am so pleased that this bill would maintain $22 million to support Securing the Cities, which seeks to prevent the smuggling of illicit nuclear material into Manhattan.

I am also pleased that Assistance to Firefighter and SAFER grants would be adequately funded. As local governments have faced difficult budget decisions, firefighters have been laid off, leaving our neighborhoods with inadequate protection. This legislation would fund firefighter hiring grants and would extend the SAFER waiver to allow communities to retain or rehire laid-off firefighters.

I am extremely disappointed, however, that Republicans needlessly injected divisive social issues into the bill. I've served on this subcommittee or on the authorizing committee for nearly a decade. In that time, I've met with the first responders, ICE agents, Border Patrol, and many other security personnel. Not once have they said that women's reproductive health makes our country less secure--not once. Weighing down this bill with ideological riders is a disservice to all first responders.

In closing, again, I would like to thank the committee for its investments in homeland security and first responders, and I hope that this legislation will not be used as a vehicle for ideological policy riders on the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the nearly seventy bipartisan Members of this Chamber who joined with me last December in writing President Obama to urge him to bestow the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously on the late Dr. Jan Karski. Earlier this week, at a White House ceremony, Dr. Karski received that well deserved recognition. The announcement that he would receive the honor was made last month by the President at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in the company of Elie Wiesel.

Dr. Karski was a man of incredible courage. While others fell silent and looked the other way, his conscience and moral compass led him to do what was right. At great personal risk, he infiltrated the Warsaw Ghetto and a Nazi camp so he could report authentically about the suffering of innocent men, women and children. As he recounted the tragic images in his memoir, Story of a Secret State: ``Everywhere, there was hunger, misery, the atrocious stench of decomposing bodies, the pitiful moans of dying children, the desperate cries and gasps of a people struggling for life against impossible odds.'' He shared his eyewitness accounts with the Allied leaders including British Foreign Minister Anthony Eden and President Franklin Roosevelt and pleaded for a strong response. While those pleas were not initially successful, he was persistent in his efforts to make the world understand the reality of the Holocaust and to open the eyes of those who could--and eventually did--intervene. He was not one to be intimidated. He was one who fearlessly spoke truth to power.

Dr. Karski has since been widely recognized by the governments of Israel and Poland for his contributions. Israel granted him honorary citizenship and Yad Vashem honored him as a ``Righteous Among the Nations.'' He also received Poland's highest civilian award, the Order of the White Eagle, along with its premier military decoration, Virtuti Militari. Both the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League have named awards in Dr. Karski's honor in recognition of his heroic and consistent efforts to stop the Holocaust.

Many of our colleagues in the House and Senate know about what Jan Karski did to awaken the West to the horrors of the Holocaust as it was unfolding in his native Poland. In fact, several of our colleagues were students of Dr. Karski's during his forty year career as a professor at Georgetown University here in Washington. I know their chance to study under his guidance left an indelible impact on them that continues to serve the Nation. Former President Bill Clinton, who was also a Georgetown student while Dr. Karski was teaching, summed it up by saying ``as a professor, he continued to educate his students about the importance of freedom and the lessons of justice he had so courageously learned firsthand.''

Those are lessons that continue to be important for all to learn. As President Obama said at the Holocaust Memorial Museum last

month: ``We must tell our children'' so they know ``about how this evil was allowed to happen.'' Educational programs are already being planned for 2014, the centennial year of Dr. Karski's birth, to continue his efforts instill in future generations the lessons of the Holocaust and the critical importance speaking out against hatred. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a well deserved recognition of Dr. Karski's life's work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Westchester- Putnam School Boards Assocation, WPSBA for 50 years of service and dedication toward improving public education in its member districts throughout the Lower Hudson Valley of New York.

Since its founding in 1962, WPSBA has helped school board members to become education leaders in their districts and the larger region. By providing training, outreach, and resources, WPSBA has worked to enhance the effectiveness of the school board members who work so tirelessly on behalf of public school students and their schools. WPSBA has also become a forum to share information and build relationships among people and organizations dedicated to public education. By carrying out its multi-faceted mission, WPSBA has strengthened the quality of education throughout Westchester and Putnam counties.

WPSBA is a forceful advocate at the local and state levels for policies that support public education. It has also demonstrated its commitment through outreach to the public and the media, shaping the conversation to ensure that issues vital to public education are considered.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting the past, current and future leaders and members of the Westchester-Putnam School Boards Association for their selfless commitment to public service. We wish all those involved with WPSBA a happy 50th anniversary celebration and continued success in the years ahead.

Let me thank my outstanding colleague from the State of Florida, Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz. I personally want to express my appreciation for the work you have done to make this day a reality so that we can all acknowledge Jewish American Heritage Month. It's because of you that this day is noted, and it's because of you that we have gathered at the White House for a really inspirational speech from President Obama. So as a Jewish American, I want to express my appreciation to you.

I know that it may not be coincidental that this was a special time in

your life this past week. I think it's appropriate that we talk about your family and your personal commitment to your Jewish heritage. During this month--last week, I believe--your daughter celebrated her bat mitzvah or bene mitzvah. This is such an amazing, amazing time in your life when your daughter or your son reaches that point where they have studied, they have learned what it is to be a Jewish American here in the United States of America. I am sure that your family was just overflowing with joy. And I just want to say mazel tov to you. That means good luck and congratulations.

So today I not only rise, Mr. Speaker, to express my appreciation to Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz for making this Jewish American Heritage Month an annual tradition, but to express my appreciation to you for organizing this event tonight.

I rise to mark the contributions of Jewish Americans to the rich culture and history of our Nation during this Jewish American Heritage Month.

Jewish tradition embraces the concept of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world. Indeed, our actions in Congress are aimed at that concept-- helping to improve our society and create equity for all Americans through quality health care, education, and economic opportunity, regardless of their ethnic, cultural, or socioeconomic background. What I am very proud of is that our commitment to justice reaches beyond our borders.

The history of the Jewish people reminds us of our unique responsibility in the international community to stand up for what is right, speak out against hatred and injustice, and ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust are not lost to history. We have a responsibility, and we must defend those unjustly persecuted, no matter where they are, and we must stand by our ally, Israel, in the face of continued threats.

I hope you will join me in celebrating the rich history of Jewish Americans and in looking forward to an even more vibrant and just future for all people.

Thank you.

Oh, it's the twins?

Well, as a Jewish mother and a Jewish grandmother, I am very proud of my three children and my 8 grandchildren. And I just want to say, again, that you are really a role model for all women, not just Jewish women, a strong woman with integrity, who is committed to her Judaism, her family, and yet you understand so well that we have an obligation beyond ourselves, as we lift people up and hope that all people, in the United States of America and around the world, have the opportunity to raise children and have a good life, and can have a future.

So I want to thank you because you are a role model that just does it all. In fact, it's amazing to me that you've done it all. So congratulations. Thank you again for marking this important month for all of us.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solemn recognition of Holocaust Remembrance Day. Today marks the passage of almost 70 years since the unfathomable annihilation of six million Jewish men, women, and children from Europe. In addition to working to systematically eliminate the Jewish people, the Nazis also targeted other marginalized groups such as political opponents, the LGBT community, the Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, the disabled, and other religious minorities.

The effort to remove, wholly and completely, from society certain categories of human beings because of their ethnic, political, religious, cultural, and biological characteristics was atrocious. While we honor the memory of the millions lost during the Holocaust and the millions more who were never born because of this unparalleled crime against humanity, we must learn from the past in order to ensure that the worst actions in history are never again repeated.

On this Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is important not only to commemorate those who perished, but also those who refused to be bystanders to this grave human tragedy. We may take heart from the brave efforts of those who resisted the Nazi reign of terror, in the ghettos and the camps, from the cities to the countryside. We stand in awe of the rescuers who, against all odds and at great personal risk, demonstrated moral courage the world must honor, remember, and uphold as a model for ourselves, our children, and our grandchildren.

As individuals, communities, and as a nation, we must rededicate ourselves to ensuring that the world will never stand idly by in the face of mass atrocity. We must work to extinguish the sparks of hatred, intolerance, and violence wherever they may be found, while nurturing in ourselves and others the seeds of empathy and a resistance to the indifference that enabled the unthinkable destruction of human life 70 years ago.

Mr. Speaker, may we let this be our monument to the millions who perished in the Holocaust.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National History Day, a year-long academic program in the humanities focused on historical research for 6th to 12th grade students. On Monday, February 13, 2012, President Obama awarded National History Day with the prestigious 2011 National Humanities Medal. The White House recognized this program as one that ``inspires in American students a passion for history,'' and today it is our privilege to echo this commendation.

In doing so, we congratulate Dr. Cathy Gorn, Executive Director of National History Day, the entire National History Day Staff, its board, and its honorary advisory council on their distinguished service. It is quite uncommon for a program--rather than an individual--to win this prominent medal, and it is clear this program is deserving of our acknowledgement.

The National History Day program invites students to conduct primary historical research in libraries, archives, museums, and historic sites. Their analysis ultimately results in original conclusions that culminate in papers, websites, exhibits, performances, and documentaries. These products are then entered into local, state, and national competitions.

Each year, more than half a million elementary and secondary school students participate in this not-for-profit program. The organization operates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, as well as U.S. territories and is currently in the process of expanding internationally.

Students walk away from National History Day with a wealth of information as well as invaluable research, problem solving, and critical thinking skills. The program has been called ``one of the nation's most successful educational efforts in the humanities.'' In fact, studies have shown that the college and career-ready skills that students acquire through participation in National History Day have resulted in substantially improved performance on standardized tests across all subjects, including science and math.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize National History Day and to associate myself with its noble cause. I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this tremendous program in order to demonstrate our gratitude and to encourage the continuation of its good works.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Joseph P. Murphy of Rye, NY. Leaders of local veteran groups, as well as students and graduates of the United States Service Academies and their families, will join me Tuesday, March 13 in honoring Mr. Murphy for his three decades of distinguished volunteer service as chair of New York's 18th Congressional District's Service Academy Review Board.

Each fall, my Service Academy Review Board interviews several dozen young men

and women to determine who merits nominations to our nation's Service Academies. Chair of the SARB for my first 22 years in the House of Representatives, from 1989 until his retirement last year, as well as serving in the same role for my two predecessors, Mr. Murphy selflessly devoted thousands of hours to the comprehensive review process, from meeting with every applicant to advocating with the Academies on their behalf. As a result of his efforts, several hundred topnotch young people from the 18th Congressional District have received outstanding college educations and leadership training that prepared them to admirably serve our country. A retired Naval Officer himself, he has followed the careers of many of these Academy graduates, continuing as their mentor and friend.

Joe Murphy's volunteer efforts extend well beyond the Service Academy Review Board. He is a former school board member of the Rye City School District; Commander of the American Legion Post 128 in Rye; lector and CCD instructor at the Church of the Resurrection in Rye, and vice president of the Westchester Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

A Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and certified social worker (CSW) of the State of New York, Mr. Murphy has had a distinguished professional career working in sectarian and United Way agencies, civil rights organizations, child care agencies, court-affiliated programs, a settlement house, health related/skilled nursing facilities and mental health settings throughout New York State. He currently is focusing on developing, administering and implementing eldercare services that combine high standards for consumers and resource development to enhance quality care.

I urge my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to Joseph P. Murphy for his exceptional accomplishments and thanking him for his tremendous contributions to our community and country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Paul Krebbs for a life's work in Catholic education that has had a significant impact on countless students, families, and fellow educators. On Wednesday, January 25, 2012, Mr. Krebbs was honored by the White House as a ``Champion of Change,'' and today it is our privilege to echo this commendation.

For nine years, Paul Krebbs has served his community with distinction as the President of All Hallows High School in the Bronx, New York. In his capacity as President, Mr. Krebbs has also served as the institution's CEO and has worked tirelessly to maintain the standards of excellence that have come to be associated with All Hallows High School. All Hallows routinely places its entire graduating class, which is 98% students of color, into four-year colleges.

During Mr. Krebb's tenure at All Hallows, the school's academic standards and Catholic identity have been maintained while enrollment has steadily increased. Meanwhile, the school has become financially stable and self-sufficient.

Beyond All Hallows, Mr. Krebbs has contributed his passion for education by founding the Office of Educational Development at the Archdiocese of New York. As the White House declared last month, champions like Mr. Krebbs, ``inspire all of us to build up our communities and our Nation's young people.''

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to recognize my constituent, Paul Krebbs, for his remarkable service to All Hallows High School and his lifelong commitment to enriching the lives of others through education and self- betterment. I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring his accomplishments and thanking him for his tremendous contributions.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Sunedra Kumar Kaushik, the founder and chairman of the Mrs. Helena Kaushik Women's College in Rajasthan, India, and a constituent in the 18th Congressional district of New York. On March 2, Dr. Kaushik will be honored by the Indian Consul General in New York after receiving the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Samman Award, India's highest honor for natives living overseas, from President Pratibha Patil. For decades, Dr. Kaushik's work as a Professor of Finance at Pace University and his exceptional leadership at Mrs. Helena Kaushik Women's College have made an extraordinary impact at home, in the Lower Hudson Valley, and abroad, in his native India.

For more than 35 years, Dr. Kaushik has led a distinguished academic career, shaping the minds of generations of young Americans at Pace, Boston University, Northeastern University, Babson College and other institutions. Over this period of time, Dr. Kaushik has published an impressive number of academic works in economics and finance.

While completing his PhD at Boston University, Dr. Kaushik met the love of his life, Helena Pokotnicki, of Detroit, Michigan, and the two were married in September of 1973. For decades, Mrs. Kaushik employed her skills as a health professional to promote children's health and education issues in India. On her very first day in India, Mrs. Kaushik wasted no time making her voice heard, lobbying the head of the World Health Organization in Delhi on the need to improve health conditions in India and to mitigate the adverse effects of open sewers on the Indian population at large.

In 1991, Mrs. Kaushik tragically suffered a devastating stroke and since has been cared for by her husband at their home in Westchester County, New York. Inspired by his wife's commitment and work on behalf of the children and women of India, Dr. Kaushik founded the Mrs. Helena Kaushik Women's College in Rajasthan, India, in 1999. Watching his wife in action, Dr. Kaushik understood the tremendous impact hard-working women could have on their communities across the globe. In his native Rajasthan, one of the most poverty-stricken regions of India, Dr. Kaushik was concerned by the lack of educational opportunities for women. He was especially upset by the fact that his hometown of Malsisar, Rajasthan, lacked even a male or co-ed college within a 35 kilometer radius.

For over a decade, the Mrs. Helena Kaushik Women's College has empowered countless women from rural India, training them to become integral parts of the Indian economy and Indian society. Since its establishment, over 900 of the college's graduates have gone on to serve their communities as teachers and civil servants, and in an array of other critical professions. Moreover, by operating solely on generous private donations and not charging any tuition fees, the Mrs. Helena Kaushik Women's College has made obtaining a higher education possible for numerous low-income women.

Given Dr. Kaushik's inspiring work, it comes as no surprise that President Patil has awarded him one of India's highest honors and that his achievements have been celebrated by both the New York State Assembly and the New Jersey General Assembly. It is time for Congress to also recognize Dr. Kaushik's extraordinary efforts both at home and abroad, and I urge my colleagues to join me in doing so.